The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please…

Meditations for the sick.

Whilst thy sickness remaineth, use often (for thy comfort) these few Meditations, taken from the ends wherefore God sendeth afflictions to his Children. Those are ten.

WHilst thy sickness remaineth, use often (for thy comfort) these few Meditations, taken from the ends wherefore God sendeth afflictions to his Children. Those are ten.

1. That by afflictions God may not only^* correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruption; and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit: like a good Father, ²who suffereth his tender Babe to scorch his finger in a candle, that he may the rather learn to beware of falling into a greater fire. So• that the Child of God may say with David, ^aIt is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes, for^b before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy word. And indeed (saith St. Paul)^c We are chastened of the Lord, because we should not be condemned with the World. With one Cross God maketh two Cures: the chastisement of sins past, and the prevention of sin to come. For though the eternal punishment of sin (as it proceedeth from Justice) is fully pardoned in the Sacrifice of Christ, yet we are not (without serious judging of our selves) exempted from the temporal chastisement of sin: for this proceedeth only from the love of God, for our good. And this is the reason that when Nathan told David, from the Lord, that his sins were forgiven, yet that