-- Tit. 2. How to profit by our sickness
and your love and minds be weaned from it? When should that rather be than now? And what should more effectually do it, than this dying condition that you are in? It is time for you to spit out these unwholesome pleasures; and now to look up to the true, the holy, the unmeasurable, everlasting pleasures.
Tit. 2. Directions how to Profit by our Sickness Whether it shall please God to recover you or not, it is no small benefit which you may get by his visitation, if you do your part, and faithfully improve it, according to these Directions following.
Direct. I. 'If you hear God's call to a closer trial of your hearts, concerning the sincerity of your conversion; and thereby are brought to a more exact examination, and come to a truer acquaintance with your state (be it good or bad) the benefit maybe exceeding great.' For if it be good, you may be much comforted, and confirmed, and fitted to give thanks and praise to God: and if it be bad, you may be awakened speedily to look about you, and seek for a recovery.
Direct. II. 'If in the review of your lives, you find out those sins which before you overlooked, or perceive the greatness of those sins which you before accounted small, the benefit may be very great:' for it will help to a more deep and sound repentance, and to a stronger resolution against all sins, if you recover. And affliction is a very great help to us in this: many a man hath been ashamed and deeply humbled for that same sin, when sickness did awake him, which he could make his play-fellow before, as if there had been neither hurt nor danger in it.
Direct. III. 'There is many a deep corruption in the heart, which affliction openeth and discovereth, which deceitfulness hid in the time of prosperity:' and the detecting of these is no small benefit to
the soul. When you come to part with wealth and honour, you shall better know how much you loved them, than you could before. Mark therefore what corruptions appear in your affliction, and how the heart discloseth its deceits, that you may know what to repent of, and reform.
Direct. IV. 'When affliction calleth you to the use and exercise of your graces, you have a great help to be better acquainted with the strength or weakness of them.' When you are called so loudly to the use of faith, and love, and patience, and heavenlymindedness, you may better know what measure of every one of these you have, than you could when you had no such help. Mark therefore what your hearts prove in the trial, and what each grace doth shew itself to be, in the exercise.
Direct. V. 'You have a very great help now to be thoroughly acquainted with the vanity of the world, and so to mortify all affections unto the things below.' Now judge of the value of wealth, and honour, of plenty, and high places. Are they a comfort to a dying man that is parting with them? Or is it any grief to a poor man when he is dying, that he did not enjoy them? Is it not easy now to rectify your errors, if ever you thought highly of these transitory things? O settle it now in your firm resolution, that if God should restore you, you would value this world at a lower rate, and set by it, and seek it, but as it deserveth.
Direct. VI. 'Also you have now a special help to raise your estimation of the happiness of the saints in heaven, and of the necessity and excellency of a holy life, and of the wisdom of the saints on earth; and to know who maketh the wisest choice.' Now you may see that it is nothing but heaven, that is worth our seeking, and that is finally to be trusted to, and will riot fail us in the hour of our distress: now you
may discern between the righteous and the wicked; between those that serve God and those that serve him not. Now judge whether a loose and worldly life, or a holy, heavenly life be better? And resolve accordingly.
Direct. VII. 'You have also now a very great help to discern the folly of a voluptuous life, and to mortify the deeds and desires of the flesh: when God is mortifying its natural desires, it may help you in mortifying its sinful desires.' Now judge what lust, and plays, and gaming, and feasting, and drunkenness, and swaggering, are worth?
You see now the end of all such pleasures. Do you think them better than the joys of heaven, and worthy the loss of a man's salvation to attain them? Or better than the pleasures of a holy life?
Direct. VIII. 'Also now you have a great advantage, for the quickening of your hearts that have lost their zeal, and are cold in prayer, and dull in meditation, and regardless of holy conference.' If ever you will pray earnestly, sure it will be now; if ever you will talk seriously of the matters of salvation, sure it will be now. Now you do better understand the reason of fervent prayer, and serious religion, and circumspect walking than you did before: and you can easily now confute the scorns, or railings of the loose, ungodly enemies of holiness; even as you confute the dotage of a fool, or the ravings of a man beside himself.
Direct. IX. 'You have a great advantage more sensibly to perceive your dependance upon God alone: and what reason you have to please him before all the world, and to regard his favour or displeasure more, than all the things or persons upon earth.' Now you see how vain a thing is man! And how little the favour of all the world, can stand you in stead in your greatest necessity: now you see that it is God, and God alone, that is to be trusted to at last; and
therefore it is God that is to be obeyed and pleased, whatever become of all things in the world.
Direct. X. 'You have now a great advantage to discern the preciousness of time, and to see how carefully it should be redeemed, and to perceive the distractedness of those men, that can waste it in pastimes, and curiosity of dressings; and needless compliments and visits, and a multitude of such vanities as rob the world, of that which is more precious than gold or treasure.' Now what think you of idling and playing away your time? Now do you not think that it is wiser to spend it in a holy preparation for the life to come, than to cast it away upon childish fooleries, or any unnecessary worldly things?
Direct. XI. Also you have now a special help to be more serious than ever in your preparations for death, and in your thoughts of heaven; and so to be readier than you were before: and if sickness help you to be readier to die, and more to set your hearts above, whether you live or die, it will be a profitable sickness to you.'
Direct. XII. 'Let your friends about you be the witnesses of your open confessions and resolutions, and engage them, if God should restore you to your health, to remember you of all the promises which you have made, and to watch over you, and tell you of them whenever there is need.' By these means sickness may be improved, and be a mercy to you.
I might next have given some special Directions to them that are recovered from sickness; but because I would not be needlessly tedious, I refer such to what is here said already. 1. Let them but look over these twelve Directions, and see whether these benefits remain upon their hearts. 2. Let them call to their lively remembrance, the sense which they had, and the frame they were in, when they made these resolutions. 3. Let them remember that sickness will come