THE BALM OF GILEAD, FOR The Wounds of ENGLAND: Applied in A SERMON Preached at Westminster, before the Honourable House of COMMONS, At the late solemn Fast, August 30. 1643.  
BY ANTHONY TUCKNEY, B. D. sometimes Fellow of Eman. College in Cambridge, and now Pastor at Boston in the County of Lincoln.  
Published by Order of that House.  
MAL 4. 2. Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings.  
2 CHRON. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: Then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their Land.  
LONDON, Printed by Richard Bishop for SAMUEL GILLIBRAND, at the Brazen Serpent in Paul's Churchyard, 1643.   

TO The Honourable House OF COMMONS, Now assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
WHat Your Religious attention welcomed from the Pulpit, by your command is now come to the Press; where it humbly craveth your Patronage, as it there enjoyed your acceptance: A plain piece it is, but mourning Suits use to be plain, and so should mourning Fast Sermons be also: Fiddling Jigs are now out of tune, when God hath turned our Harp into mourning, and our Organ into the voice 
job 30. 31.  of them that weep. May it therefore be but any help this way, that the mourning Turtles voice may be yet more heard in our Land, I should even in these 
Cant. 2. 11. 12.  sad times of our heaviness rejoice in hope, that the Winter were already well-nigh past, and the rain blown over and gone: mean while your faithful continued endeavours, that the Sun of Righteousness may yet draw nearer to us in brighter and warmer beams of his truth and grace, will much encourage our hearts after all winter storms, comfortably to expect a Summer's flourish, and Harvests joy: You have indeed hitherto had a wet Seedtime of it, whilst you have for so long a time been sowing in tears; but be pleased to go on still in God's work and strength, though it should be yet weeping, if withal it be but bearing of precious seed, for then doubtless at last you shall come again with rejoicing, and bring your 
Psal. 126. 5. 6.  sheaves with you. Great is the Work whereunto the Lord of the Harvest hath called you, in which the eyes of God, Angels, and men are upon you; so that if you should now faint and quail, it would be with a witness. O quit yourselves like men, and be strong.  
God by your hand hath begun to thrust his sharp 
1 Cor. 16. 13.  sickle into the Romish tares, the time is come for you to reap, for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe; let not God therefore now want workmen, nor they courage and strength to bear the heat and burden of the day, you will so at length come to a more comfortable evenings reckoning, a more quiet night's rest in death, and a most blessed uprising at the last great day, in that Harvest of the end of the World (and we hope before) you and yours, will reap the fruit of all your labours, than it will be no grief of heart to you, that you have been constant and unmoveable, abounding always in the work of the Lord, when you shall find that your labour hath not been in vain in the Lord; then whilst you shall hear your Masters Euge's, and be in the midst of Angels Hallelujahs, we with all the Host of Heaven will join with you, and help you to shout aloud for joy: He that shall then beyour judge, be now your Counsellor and Protector; both now, and then, and ever your Saviour. So prayeth  
The unworthiest of his Servants, and yours in him, ANTHONY TUCKNEY.   

Die Mercurii 30. August. 1643.  
IT is this day Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament: That Sir Edward Ascough, and Sir john Wray, do from this. House give thanks unto Master Tuckney of Boston, and Master Coleman of Blyton in Lincolnshire, for the great pains they took in the Sermons, they this day preached at the entreaty of this House at S. Margaret's Westminster, It being the day of public humilition, and to desire them to Print their Sermon. And it is Ordered that no man shall presume to Print their Sermons without licence under their hands.  
H. Elsing Cler. Parl. D. Com.   

I appoint Samuel Gellibrand to Print this Sermon,  
ANTHONY TUCKNEY.   

Errata  
PAge 3. line 18. read all diseases, p. 6. l. 6. r. System, l. 26. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17. l. 25. r. this p. 19 l. 12 r. longer, l. 13. r. for, p. 20. l 20. r. care p. 24. l. 7. deal to, in the margin r, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 26 l. 16 r. bodies, l. 22 r. knew, p. 27. r. l 16 r. was poured into, p. 28. l. 6. r. cheer p. 29 l 13. r. is then, over against l. 25 set Use 1. p. 30. l. 22. r great head, l 33. r. into best, p. 35. l. 10. r. biggen. p. 41 l. 35. r. want of power, p. 42. l. 2. r. Gods.   

A SERMON Preached before The Honourable House OF COMMONS At the Public Fast, August 30. 1643.  JEREM. 8. 22. Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no Physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? 
THE wound is mortal, when the patiented dieth under his Surgeons hand: and such a deadly wounded Body of his people had our Prophet here under his cure; which when he could not heal, he weeps over; they swoon, and he faints, verse 18. they are confounded, and he is astonished, verse 21, and as a man in passion and amazement expresseth a greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by ask questions, then by speaking sentences: As Ahashuerus, Esth. 7. 5. Who? where? so the Prophet doth the like here in his, Is there not? And again, Is there not? and then, Why is not? Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no Physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?  
The first question, Is there no balm in Gilead? etc. had it been made by any of the poor unbeleiving people affirmatively, Thus, Is there any balm in Gilead? especially relating to the bad success which might seem to intimate the contrary, (as theirs, Exod. 17. 7. Is the Lord amongst us?) would have expressed a doubt, whether indeed there had been any balm, seeing there was no healing by it: but when made by the Lord himself, or by the Prophet in his name, with the negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as aggravating that ill success; so it is a stronger, even a double affirmation, that indeed there was both balm in Gilead, and also a Physician there, which not only he affirms, but also appeals to them, whether they could deny, and taking it for granted that they could not, He proceeds to his  
Second question, Why then is not, etc. Which is a question, partly of inquiry, Why? And partly of a bemoaning and 
As 2 Sam. 13. 4. Ezek. 18. 31.  expostulating complaint: That such admirable helps should be no more helpful, means so proper and precious, so unsuccessful, that Gileads balm, (the best medicine) and Gileads Physician, (who best knew how to apply it) could work no better a cure on a poor dying people. Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no Physician there? and then why, O why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? A little for the explication of the words.  
By Gilead, understand either the City so called, Hos. 6. 8. 
Gilead Schindler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad vocem Leut. 34. 1. 1 Kings 4. 19 Mercer. in Gen. 31. 47.  which is conceived to be a chief Emporium, where such commodities were sold: or the Land and Country of Gilead, as it is elsewhere called in Scripture, containing the whole lot of the two Tribes and half on other side jordan, as appears from 1 Kings 10. 33. where the plant that afforded it, especially abounded: so we read of the Ishmaelites that bought joseph, carrying balm from Gilead to Egypt, Gen. 37. 25. and the daughter of Egypt is bidden to fetch balm from Gilead, jer. 46. 11. and accordingly, Ezek. 27. 17. we find it to be one of the special commodities that judah and the land of Israel trafficked with Tyrus in, according to that of Pliny, Balsam●● 
〈◊〉. 12. cap. 25.  uni terrarum Iudeae concessum, as though balm were a peculiar largesse vouchsafed by God to judea only, there only to be had, or at least (as Silvius observeth) the best there only, God willing that all other Nations should be beholden to Israel for balm, it may be thereby hinting to us that he would have the whole world beholden to his Church for healing.  
Balm] for nature and kind the juice or oil, which a lower 
Balm  shrub growing especially about 
* Ab 〈◊〉 sui suavitate nomen tobi dedisse creditur, Mol●er. in Psal. 133. 2.  jericho (the bark of it being cut with glass, or bone, or Ivory knives) weeps or bleeds out. For price and worth such, as Dioscorides saith, that in his days it was sold for double its weight in silver: Pliny affirms that in his time a thousand of their pence (one of which was the sixth part of an ounce) was given for a quart of it, so that (as Rhenodeus conceiveth) only Kings and great men had it, and used it: For virtue and efficacy, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith the  Author, most strong and sovereign, Medicina difficillimorum morborum, well-nigh a Catholicon for diseases, and a cure for the worst: I list not here 
Shindler.  to reckon up to you all that they say its good for, whether applied inwardly or outwardly, how it helps the eyesight and breathing, easeth the headache, qualifieth fevers, etc. but especially to my purpose, ulcera purgat, etc. it cleanseth foulest sores, healeth deepest wounds, and cureth the most venomous stinging of Serpents, and the like. This was in the letter Gileads balm.  
To which the Prophet in the Text joineth its Physician: Artists 
Physician.  using to abound where they have such great plenty of materials: many good Physicians whereso much good physic.  
Both which put together, in the true meaning of our Prophet, hold out complete means, fully able (in genere mediorum) to work a perfect cure, even when the wound or disease is otherwise most deadly and desperate.  
And yet here they failed, for notwithstanding them the latter part of the Text saith, that the health of the daughter of that people was not recovered; for the clearing of which expression, I should abuse your attention and time (both better now to be improved) should I be large in Grammatical criticisms upon this Hebraisme of [The daughter of my people;] lesser Towns and Villages, in the simplicity of that holy Tongue, are called the daughters of the Metropolis or mother City; and the Citizens 
Iosh. 17. 16.  or Inhabitatants of any City or Country the Sons of it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fil● populi mei, for populares mei: but leave we those 
Gen. 2●. 1●.  observations, and take it here plainly, the daughter of my people, for the body of that people; that Virgin daughter of Zion, 
〈…〉.  who though as tenderly beloved of God, as tenderest daughter by dearest parent is or can be yet by her wilful casting of herself into a desperate sickness of sin, she had made the wound of her misery incurable, incorrigibleness in sin against all best means ended in ●rrecoverablenesse of misery, notwithding all best medicines; this latter I conceive is here especially intended, though the former is presupposed, because in point of sin, therefore also in point of misery; although there was balm in Gilead and a Physician there, yet the prophet complains that the health of the daughter of his people was not recovered.  
From which words thus explained, we may observe these three particulars.  
1. That there is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there.  
2. That for all that, the health of God's people for the present may not be recovered.  
3. That in such a case the cause hereof is diligently to be ●nquired after, and most sadly to be bemoaned and complained of.  
Is there no balm in Gilead? as much as if he had said, Yes there is; there is the first: The health of the daughter of my people is not recovered, there is the second: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quare ●gitur; Why then, O why then! So the Prophet expostulates with his people, and mourns over their misery: there's the third.  
Doctor 1 The first was, There is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there, i. e. means in the Church and amongst the people of God, sufficiently, abundantly, able to cure their deadliest wounds, and to recover them from desperatest miseries: The meaning of the question, Is there not, being (as we have heard) yes for certain there is; as in every Country there is usually a medicine for its own proper diseases, so in God's inheritance there is balm to cure all: and as some conceited Physicians say there is a natural balsom in man's body, so for certain there is a most sovereign balm (dropped down from the head) in the body of Christ, which can heal all its sicknesses and wounds: it being  
Our Father's house, in which there is bread enough to relieve the poorest pined prodigal, Luke 15. 17.  
God's inheritance, in which all his springs lie to refresh the mo●● thirsty fainting creature, Psal. 87. 7.  
The very myrothecium or repository, in which God hath laid up all his most sovereign oils and balsams, fully able to maintain and recover his people's health in all their deadliest extremities: so that in them all, in the worst of all, we may say, Yet God is good to Israel, Psal. 73. 1. and as desperate as the case seems to be, Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this, 
Ezra 10. 2.  or that, or what ever it is, there is hope in Israel concerning desperatest evils, because balm in Gilead for deadliest dangers and miseries.  
But because the goodness of the Physic will be evidenced by the greatness of the cures wrought by it; one of the best ways to prove that there is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there, will be to show under some general heads, what great cures have been wrought there.  
1. Of deepest wounds, and most violent and malignant diseases; I mean of most grievous and deadly dangers and miseries; for such in all ages have the Church's miseries used to be: as in purest airs sometimes accutest fevers, so purest Churches, and holiest men, have been wont to conflict with extremest miseries: man's rage will do what it can to make and inflame the wound, and the old Serpent's poison would make it incurable. No afflictions like to the Church's persecutions: No sorrow like mine, said the lamenting Church; yea and add too, and say, 
Lam. 1. ●●.  No salvation like thine also: it hath been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from so great a death, that God's people have been delivered; 
2 Cor. ●. 10.  none have been more deeply wounded, nor any so admirably cured as the Spouse of Christ; in the midst of all these deaths (blessed be God) she lives still, and will for ever: there is balm then in Gilead that hath healed such deadly wounds and diseases, which the body of Christ above all hath laboured under, taking out of them the venom of the Serpent's sting, yea the inflammation of God's wrath, that in the first place hath been the cure of deadliest wounds, such as (the Lord knows) ours now are.  
2. When there are many of them, even a complication, and as it were a whole cistern of diseases on the body of Christ at once: not in one part only, but totum pro corpore vulnus, when sick and sore all over, as Isa. 1. 5, 6.  
Nor in one kind only, but of all sorts, as Pineda labours in jobs maladies to find out all kinds of diseases. 
Pineda in job 2.   
In which case the cure is wont to be harder; because as all diseases are contrary to health, so one of them often to another; so as that which helps the one, may wrong the other, as it sometimes falls out when the Liver and Spleen are distempered together. And yet so the body of the Church (alas! of our State and Church at this present) conflicts at one time with many, and them contrary miseries, in time of war, (and such times our sins have now brought upon us) in truth with all; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, most true in this sense, than a troop comes, war and changes together, job 10. 17. in this universal scare-fire the flame is kindled in every corner of the house: this general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaveth no part of us free, we are ill all over, every where, 
〈◊〉 P●●v. 5. 11.  and almost every way; yea and in contrary ways very miserable, as in sad convulsion fits, one nearest member plucked from another, and which is most miserable, so, as heal the one and you wound the other. We go through fire and water, as the Psalmist said, in which case that which quencheth the one increaseth the other, such an ague and purgatory of hot and 
Psal. ●. 12.  cold fits, of various and contrary miseries the whole land now labours of, and sinks under. But is there such a medicine as can help both, and heal all? Yes, if you will believe David, who could set his probatum est to it, who met with as many and cross sad passages as the most; and yet after all, out of his own experience, could say, I sought, and this poor man cried, and then God delivered him from all his fears, and saved him out of all his troubles, Psal. 34. 4, 6. and ver. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great and many (for the word signifieth both) are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all: where there is a [many] in the disease, you see there is an [all] in the cure, in our God, that which can cure an all of sicknesses, Psal. 103. 3. in our Lord jesus that can heal, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all manner, as of lighter diseases, so of more grievous sicknesses. The 
Matth. 4. 23.  people of God have been rescued from multitudes of Bulls, Psal. 68 30. from swarms of angriest Bees, Psal. 118. 12. from innumerable evils compassing them round about, Psal. 40. 12, 13. have not sunk, when deep hath called upon deep, and at the 
Psal. 41. 7, 8.  noise of God's water-spouts, all his waves and billows have gone over them: when like a wracked man tossed with billows from below, and almost drowned at the same time with showers and spouts of rain from above, when earth shakes and heaven thunders, even out of greatest crowds of evils and enemies that have been plucking the body of Christ apieces, quite contrary ways hath it yet been delivered; such a Panacea, such an All-heale hath God provided for his Church: Sure there is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there, that hath cured such varieties and contrarities of diseases.  
3. And this further in the third place, when grown chronical; now old sores are hardlier healed, and hectic fevers usually incurable. Ours now begin to grow in years, and the maladies of the Church of God in former ages have not only (according to former particulars) been sore and many, but also of long continuance; not only dead, but even dry bones: if meant of the jews in Babylon, they lay seventy years unburied; 
Deut, 28. 59, 60.  if of the other ten Tribes, it is three thousand years since their 
Ezek. 37, 1, 2, etc.  first death, now so buried in obscurity and oblivion, that we cannot tell where they are to be found (which is much longer than our miseries shall continue, though they should prove yet more deadly) and yet these, after all this, shall live; and therefore though for the present we be very sick, yet let not our hearts die; for this is more than Gileads balm or Physician, for our blessed Saviour as easily to raise up a dead Lazarus when he stinketh, as the Centurion's servant that is but ready to die; 
john 11. 39 Luke 7. 1.  and make his people glad, not only after days of affliction, but even after years wherein they have seen evil: the Sun of 
Psal. 90. 15. Mal. 4. 2.  righteousness arising with healing in his wings, as certainly, and it may be more comfortably, after the longest Winters night, as on the earliest Summers morning: there is balm then in Gilead, and a blessed Physician there, that can cure so grievous, so many, so contrary, so invererate diseases.  
4. And then when all, upon all the former particulars, for any humane help or skill, is proved desperate and incurable: and so judged,  
First, especially by Enemies, who use to think as they would have it, and so ante-date as their own deliverance, jer. 28. 1, 2, 3, 4. so the Church's destruction, before God intends either. So you may overhear David's enemies whispering, that an evil disease so clavae to him, that now that he was down, for certain he would never rise more; but even then God was both 
Psal. 41. ●●.  Physician and Nurse to him, making his bed for him when they accounted him bedrid: thus they set the clock too much forward, but it hastened never the more holy David's sunset; as in another place, when they conceive that God hath forsaken him, and what then but persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him; even than Faith can look at him, as not fare 
Psal. 71. 11, 12.  from him, and making more haste toward him to help him, than they could to destroy him. It is mercy that God's hand is not tied up, when Pharaoh thinks Israel is shut up, and when he had already swallowed them up in his thoughts; then the 
Exod. 14. 2. Exod. 15 9  good Shepherd plucked the lamb out of his mouth. How fare those black mouths that have been so wide open to blaspheme God, have already in their thoughts, Leviathan like, quite swallowed up his people, I say not, but this I may. That it would 
job 40. 23.  be very sad with us, if our God should not be better to us, than the thoughts and expectations of our enemies are now of us; but let it help to staunch the bleeding wound, to remember that God can easily heal when the cure is accounted desperate, especially by enemies.  
Secondly, commonly by all (which our present case is making haste to) I will restore health (saith God) when the common vote was, This is Zion which no man seeketh after; as a dying man with curtains drawn, whom friends have no hope of, and 
jer. 30. 17.  therefore look off from; or rather like a dead man laid aside 
Psal. 31, 12.  out of sight, and out of mind together, and buried more in oblevion then in his grave; when the news is, She is dead, why trouble ye the master? Then it was that Christ answered, Fear not, only believe and she shall be made whole, and she was so: 
Luk. 8. 49. 50.  When all is given for lost by all, then it's a fit time for Christ to show himself all in all; when he can find no faith 
Co. 3. 11. Luk. 12. 38.  in the earth, he than comes, Luke 18. 8. in the second or third watch of the night; good husbands that rise early and go to bed late, may not be gone to bed in the first watch, and they may be up again betimes in the morning by the fourth, so that in both those, the Master may come, and happily find them waking, but by the second they use to be gone to bed, and not to be risen by the third, and therefore if he come in either of them, he is likely to find most (if not all) sleeping; and yet then our Lord cometh, when none looked for him; then heals, when the cure is accounted desperate by all,  
3 Yea, even by the godly themselves, (which is worst of all) whose faith should not fail them, and yet when it doth, God's faithfulness doth not: the sick man's heart is ready to die before he doth; we are cut off for our parts, said they, Ezek. 37. 11. But the skilful Chirurgeon often heals that leg or arm which the despairing patient thinks must of necessity be cut off: Thus God upholds David with his hand, when he himself thinks, he shall one of those days fall by the 
1 Sam. ●7. 1●  hand of Saul: When Asaphs heart fails as well as his flesh; God is then The rock of his heart and his portion for ever: 
Psal. 73. 26.  When the Disciples as well as the people are at a stand for the cure of him that had been so long possessed with so many Devils, then bring him to me, saith our Saviour: The case is in a manner 
Matth. 17. 17.  ours, many evil Spirits have too long possessed us, the Disciples and Servants of jesus Christ have fasted and prayed, and done what they could towards an ejection, but it will not yet be; so that we begin to grow faint and weary, and to lay the business out of our hands; but before we do, it would be well if we would remember that it's now fittest to bring it to Christ, to see whether he can do any thing, when our very faith can believe but a little, and ourselves do just nothing: Sometimes indeed our Saviour would say to them that besought him for their cure, According to your faith be it unto 
Mat. ●. 29.  you: but if our faith should always be the measure of mercy to be bestowed on us, the Lord knows it would be too often very ill with us; a weak faith would leave but a faint heart, if God were not able to do ofttimes, nay at this time, exceedingly above all we can ask or think, little should we be 
Ephes. 3. 20.  able to know or think what to do: But (blessed be God) a short hand can receive more than it can grasp, and the weak palsy hand of our faith, may in some measure apprehend that salvation and mercy which it cannot fully comprehend; it's our happiness, not that our vessel is so little, but that the fountain is so full that we cannot comprehend the fullness of it, that our thoughts and hopes are too short sighted and handed to reach to all that salvation, which the outstretched arm of jesus Christ can reach to us, who is, and ever well be, The wonderful, Counsellor, 
Isa. 9 6.  the mighty, (the Almighty) God, as he is the Prince of his people's peace, and therefore it is, that he useth to work these wonderful cures for his sick Spouse, when according to former particulars, her diseases and wounds, have been, first great, secondly many, thirdly of such long continuance, that fourthly in the judgement of all they seem to become desperate; So that enemies hope, and the faithful fear, and all think they are now proved incurable; but although some diseases are said to be other Physicians shames, yet none ever shall be Christ's; for all, for the worst of all, there is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there: And thus much for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that it is so.  
But for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, if you ask, what this balm is, and who is this Physician?  
1 I answer, First, God and his presence, so the parallel question, verse 19 hath it, is it not the Lord in Zion? answerable to this here, is there no balm in Gilead, etc. God and his presence, Christ and his blood, the holy Ghost with his Grace and peace, these are in Gilead, i. e. in the Church of God, and these are most sovereign balms, and most blessed Physicians there.  
God amongst many other his glorious appellations in Scripture is pleased to make, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Lord that healeth thee, 
Exod. 15. 26.  one of those sweet names which he both is, and will be known to his people by.  
The Lord jesus is our Sun of righteousness, and as the Heathens Ph●bus was their Physician, so he is 
Ma●. 4. 23.  ours, for he ariseth with healing in his wings.  
The giving of the holy Ghost also is expressed by anointing 
Isa. 61. 1. 2.  with such sovereign oil as can heal broken hearts; and that's a greater cure then to cure the outward wounds of broken States and Kingdoms.  
So that the saving presence of God in Christ cannot but bring with it great salvation: Lord if thou hadst been here (said Martha to our Saviour) my brother had not died: O were he but here 
john. 11. 21.  amongst us as he might be, and as his servants desire he would be, we should not be so much as sick, though we now lie a dying; a time is hastening when the new ●erusalems name shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Lord is there and then (I read) there will be no 
Ezek. 48. 35. Revel. 21. 4.  pain nor sickness there, but a tree of life in the midst of the street of it, whose very leaves all heal the Nations: for if the presence 
Revel. 22. 1, 2.  of a dear friend ofttimes doth very much refresh the very sick man, How much more will the powerful and gracious presence of a more dear God in jesus Christ put a new life into a dying either soul or people? What arm so strong as to make such a wound, as that the Almighty arm of God cannot bind it up? or what malice so venomous so to poison it, as the mercy of our God, and the precious blood of our Saviour (sprinkled upon whole Nations as well as upon particular persons, Isa. 52. 15.) cannot cure it? be his blood ever our balm, were I as sick and as deadly wounded as that poor man in the Gospel, yet some drops of 
Luke 10. 33. 34.  this good Samaritans oil would make me well again: so sovereignly healing is Gods presence, and his Son's blood.  
And for his Spirits grace, and peace, some Interpreters upon 
Hieronym. & Deodat. in locum.  this Text understand by balm here Repentance, which though it may seem as vinegar in the wound to make it smart and anger it, yet could we rightly apply it, and let it have its kindly and perfect work before it had done, it would most kindly and fully heal it; for if our sins be our deadliest wounds then this grace of the Spirit is the proper Recipe for our cure, 2 Chron. 7. 14. and if our unquiet heart-burnings and contentions make the inflammation in these angry sores, (as the Lord knows they do) how would the peace of God cool all this heat, and take up the controversy? Col. 3. 15. God's peace would help us better to keep the Kings; had 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  we more of the one in our hearts, we should have more of the other in the Kingdom; in these smothered glowings, nay out-breaking flames, there is too much of the fire of hell, which would be put out (as the fire is by the Sun) if this alma lux this blessed light of heaven shone more upon it.  
2 But next under God, good Magistrates and their wholesome administrations are another part of Gileads balm and Chirurgery, and so it follows in that forementioned nineteenth verse, Is not the Lord in Zion, is not her King in her? Her King under her God was her chief Physician, and of five of them in jeremiahs' time, one was josiah, and it may be when he spoke these very words; who, had not the body of that sinne-sick people been past cure, by that blessed Reformation which he wrought he might have said fair for a perfect recovery. And so for all other lawful Magistrates in their lawful administrations, as they are fathers, so they are also the Physicians of their people; Galen accounted it the great happiness of his times, that their Emperors gave the people their 
〈◊〉 Commentario 〈◊〉 Theriac●.  Theriaca with their own hands, so as that their Palaces were resorted to as to the sick men's Hospitals; and although all Monarches now cure not the King's evil; yet all both Kings and Magistrates should, as occasion and need shall be have both skill and will to cure greater and more dangerous diseases in the Body Politic; and therefore you may observe, that whereas Isa. 3. v. 6. you read of some laying hold of their brother, and desiring him that he would be their Ruler; in the seventh verse, he refuseth and saith, he will not be an Healer: It seems therefore that in those times although Rulers and Healers were two words, yet they made account that they should be and do one and the same thing: and so indeed if God be with them, they both are and do occordingly.  
Their wholesome Laws are their fit Prescripts and Recipes.  
Their encouraging of the good with favours and rewards, their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their Malagmata and Lenitives; 
〈◊〉.  Gileads gentle balms.  
Their discouraging and punishing the evil their sharp, but necessary, Corrasives; even their cutting off the incorrigible, is but the careful Surgeons cutting off a rotten member that is incurable; so that even whilst they wound, they cure, and so are not (as Chrysostom said of Herod, that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Tom. 4. Serm. 115. in Act.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) executioners but Physicians still.  
3. Thirdly, God's Ministers and Ordinances come under the notion of Gileads balm and Physicians: the Prophet in this expression (as Interpreters observe) having reference to Elijah the Prophet (and some add other Prophets also) who had their abode, 
C. a Lapide  yea and a School or College of their young Prophets there; and therefore it might seem as strange that there should be no healing from Gilead where such Prophets dwelled, as to have no balm from Gilead, where it most of all abounded: Indeed Elijahs ministry (like his garment) was a little more rough, and in that respect the less resembling Gileads gentler balm; but yet he 
2 Kings 1. 8.  then (as some Ministers accounted more rough now) was sent to be the great Reformer, and so the great Physician and recoverer of that sinful sick people. And so  
In the Old Testament throughout, what were all the Prophets of God, but as Physicians or Surgeons sent from God in their ministry to cleanse sowlest sores? to eat proud flesh out of them with corrasives, and then to pour gentle healing oil into bleeding wounds?  
And in the New Testament, what were the Apostles, and those other first Preachers of the Gospel, but Physicians too, sent into 
Mark 6. 13. james 5. 14.  the sick world with oil to anoint their bodies; but especially with the Sun of righteousness arising in their ministry with healing to their souls, yea and their outward estates also; for valles florent cum Evangelio; there was an abundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, Rom. 15. 29. as manifestly appeared in the outward flourish and prosperity of those Eastern Churches and Countries, when that morning Sun-arose upon them in the East, which is now set in a cloud of slavery and misery, since it hath left them, and is come, and is yet further going westward. In those former times under the Law, you shall observe, that when the Ark went before, it led them safe through an overflowing jordan; that 
Iosh. 3. 11, 13, 14 etc. Psal. 128. 5. 134. 3.  God was wont to bless them out of Zion; that as long as the anointing oil was kept holy in the Sanctuary, it proved an healing oil to the whole body of that people, the State ever continuing safe, whilst God's Ordinances were kept pure; as on the contrary, it was not till God's Temple was wholly defiled, and his servants and Prophets horribly abused, that their City and Kingdom were totally and finally ruined, and their cure came to be desperate, to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so that there was no remedy, 2 Chron. 36. 16.  
And for all after ages under the Gospel (and that in all places and Countries) the Temple hath ever helped to shore up the Townhouse, the Church the State, which have been like Hypocrates his twins, smiling and weeping, living and dying together: most of the deadliest wounds that the Church, nay, that the world hath gotten, have been from God in the quarrel of his Temple; and as poisonous Doctrines in the Church have ever proved invenomed wounds to the Commonwealth, and bad Ministers in the one, worst plagues to the other; so on the other side, the holy Ordinances of God have been found to be sovereign balms and blessings to each wholesome Ordinance of man, even sharpest Church-censures most wholesome State-medicines, and ablest godly Ministers amongst best Physicians in their right applying and dispensing of them accordingly.  
4. Nay, in the last place, leave we not out the least and meanest of God's Servants; for balm (we heard) dropped from a lower shrub, and the health of the whole body of Christ may have much contributed to it by the lowest and weakest member of it; the little finger in some posture of the hand, may reach that which the great finger cannot, and the lowest member of Christ may be fittest to do some good office in this kind, which the highest cannot so well stoop to; at least (I am sure) the little child may reach its sick mother her physic, nay the poorest child of God (in the sense we now speak of) may help to make it too; The poor wise man saved the City, and the poor Christian, if he 
Eccles. 9 15.  be wise, may help to heal a whole Nation: here (pardon my homeliness, nor take it as a light expression in a sad day) we are all either fools or Physicians, for certainly he is a fool or worse that knoweth not how to say or do something towards the healing o● the body of Christ; The just deliver the Island, the Lord grant they may deliver ours. 
job 23. 30.   
Their several graces, according to several occasions, are in this kind very instrumental and effectual; they are saving graces every way, accompanying their own eternal salvation, and much advancing the temporal salvation both of themselves and others: 
Heb. 6. 9, 10.  Whilst Faith in the tempest gets to the rock, and Hope casts anchor, Love pities, and Christian courage ventures, Meekness angreth not the sore, but Patience quietly endures the searching, and as quietly waits on God for healing.  
Their very presence is both antidote to prevent a disease, and an healing medicine to keep it, when it is come from proving mortal; God could not destroy Sodom, as long as Lot was in it; 
Gen. 19 22.  and Paul being in the ship, though he did not prevent the storm or save the ship, yet he saved the lives of all them that failed with 
Acts 27. 24.  him in it.  
Their prayers especially use in this case to be most sovereignly healing, 2 Chron. 7. 14. The prayer of faith saveth the sick, both man and Kingdom, such strong breathe, like strong winds, 
james 5. 15.  whilst they are up, keep great showers from falling, can blow away the most black and bloody cloud, yea even blow the most smarting wound whole; such sweet lips are ever dropping balm into the wounds of the Church, and such of all other may truliest come under that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that healing tongue, which Solomon 
Prov. 15. 4.  saith is a t●ee of life; and it would seem not more sad than strange to see that Eden where many such trees grow to become a wilderness: As long as I shall see God maintaining and increasing the number of his gracious praying servants in any place or people, whatsoever or how deadly soever their wounds otherwise may be, I dare yet say, that so long there is hope in Israel, there is some balm left in that Gilead, and so many good Physicians there.  
Use 1 Which (in the application of the point thus proved and cleared) may in the first place serve for a cordial to the people of God, now in these our sad faintings, and distil some drops at least of this balm of Gilead into our now bleeding wounds, which with our Prophet cap. 15. 18. we may perhaps begin to fear are grown half incurable. The sad face of things, like the Physicians facies Hypocratica of a dying man, I confess looks very ghastly, and the symptoms tantum non deadly; but pine not away ye sons of jacob, there is corn in Egypt, die not quite away deare-bleeding 
A● Gen. 42 1, 2.  hearts, you Israel of God, there is balm in Gilead we have heard, there is yet a Physician there.  
For according to former particulars.  
Is not the Lord in Zion? is not God where he was, in heaven and in his Church as well now as ever? Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us, could our Prophet say in that sick hour of theirs then; 
jer. 14. 9  and Lord thou art not quite gone from us, may we thankfully say now in ours. Indeed (as you there have it) it is as a wayfaring 
Ver. 8.  man coming and going, now in this discovery and deliverance coming to us in mercy, and ere long being driven away by our unkindness, turning the back on us, and seeming to leave us in displeasure; and as a mighty man, (in the mighty works that our eyes have seen) yet standing so amazed and astonished at our sins, as that he cannot save; and yet as a most loving Physician, when he cannot as yet cure us, yet he cannot leave us.  
His discovering and preventing many direful plots, speaks out the wisdom of our discerning Physician in his prognostics.  
His dealing with us in a more thorough way, choosing rather to pirch us, than not to press corruption out of us; declares his faithfulness, that he meaneth rather to heal then only to skin the sore, and rather to profit then to please his distempered patients.  
But the many intermixed passages of sweetest mercy proclaim the tenderest bowels of his compassion and pity; he hath weighed the path of the just, every dose to the least scruple, and hath put in 
Isa. 26. 7.  no more bitterness than needs must to make it medicinable; it hath not been all Aloes and Wormwood, at worst a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that we as yet have tasted of.  
Lay fast hold then, seeing that our God, our best Physician hath not quite left us: sigh we and cry aloud, jesus thou Son of David have mercy on us, seeing he our good Samaritan is not as yet quite 
Matth. 9 27.  passed by us; Hath the eye of none your faith seen him come near to us, as once to jerusalem, and weeping over us with an O jerusalem, jerusalem, O England, England, if thou hadst known, even thou at 
Luke 19 41, 42.  least in this thy day, etc. Have none of you in his answer to your prayers, overheard him saying to your hearts, as once to him Mat. 8. 7. I will come and heal him? For certain, more of his blood hath been sprinkled, and more of his spirit poured out upon this Nation of late then formerly, and doth not all this make out some of Gileads balm, and say plainly that there is yet a Physician here? is not the Lord in Zion? and is not her King in her? the Lord restore ou●s to us in an healing way: but doth not the College of our State-Physicians consult, and our Ministers preach, and our people pray, that Ordinances of both Religion and justice may be applied for the cure of a sick Church and State? and is all this balm only to embalm a spent body of a poor people that must needs die? and are all these Physicians met only as Mourners to follow the hearse, and to accompany our dear Mother that cannot live, to the grave? Did our merciful Saviour pity the poor widow when he saw her following of her dead son to the burial? and 
Luke 7. 12, 13.  hath he no bowels (think you) left to commiserate so many sorrowful sons, that are ready with their sighs and tears to attend upon a dear mother's funeral? nay though our sleepy Eutychus should fall yet lower from the third loft, and be taken up for dead; yet 
Acts 20. 9, 10.  trouble we not ourselves too much, seeing there is yet some life in him, & dum anima est, spes est, as long as there is any the least life in the business, so long at least let there be some hope kept alive in our hearts, and let us never wholly despair of the cure, as long as God declares himself willing to be the Physician. O have faith 
Mark 11. 22.  in God, do him now the honour to trust him, when the case seemeth to be desperate; nay, let the desperateness of the cure prove an handhold for our faith in prayer to fasten on, the more earnestly and confidently to solicit God for his own greater and only praise, now to undertake such a cure, as all else in a manner give over as desperate: And as dying jacob at the news of his son joseph coming to him, strengthened himself, and sat up on his bed, so now when we are fainting away upon this bed of our languishing, 
Gen. 48. 2.  let us by faith lift up our hearts at the good news, that as deadly as our disease in itself is, yet there is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there.  
Use 2 But as this is ground of comfort, so let it be of duty in these two following particulars; and let it be our care,  
First, that all such as (according to former particulars) in their 
1 Duty  place and office are Gileads Physicians, do now, if ever, show themselves such.  
Dear Christians, I speak to the meanest of you, for even you hath God honoured (if you will) to have your share in this blessed work: mean and obscure men and women have oftentimes done great cures, which great Artists have given over; and therefore do you now set in, and put forth yourselves to the utmost, and so yet something may be done towards this our present cure, which some of greater power and skill have laid aside as desperate. If therefore you have any oil in your vessels, any least measure of that Spirit of anointing, let it now appear, it could never have been 
1 joh. 2. 27:  in a more needful and fit time, if now, it will be like a joseph's opening of his storehouses in a famine, when all faint, 
Gen. 41. 56. Luk. 10. 34.  a good Samaritans pouring of oil into the wounds of the half dead man; and therefore break, O let every one of us break his Alabaster box before the Lord this day, our hearts (I mean) that the precious ointments of his graces may flow forth; we cannot think how fragrant and pleasing they would be in God's nostrils, and how sovereignly healing to a poor bleeding, dying Kingdom. I therefore earnestly beg your healing prayers. I solicit all your saving graces, your love, wisdom, Christian courage, and wash your repentance this day with your tears to wash your wounds, and your faith in the blood of Christ to heat them: And the rather, because although you may (with Lot) in a general confusion far the worse for ill neighbours, 
〈◊〉.  yet I fear me, (seeing the danger lieth heaviest on you) that you are wounded, especially for your own sins; For the transgression 
Micab. 1. 5.  of jacob is all this, God not using to visit the sins of the wicked upon his own children, if they have had no hand in them; and therefore, Physician heal thyself, take a course by selfe-humiliation and reformation first to cure yourselves, if ever in a right method of Physic you would heal others.  
Next you faithful Ministers of jesus Christ, whom God hath appointed to set in joint distressed consciences, lend, O do you 
Gal. 6. 1.  especially lend, medicam manum, and that a tender gentle one in your way, to bind up the breaches of these distracted Churches and Kingdoms: it was the Priest's office in the Law both to view the plague and heal it; let not therefore both Levite and Priest when the wounded man lieth bleeding and dying, pass by. Elijah, 
Levit 13 & 14. Luk. 10. 31. 32.  jehoiada, Ezra, did much in this kind in their times, let us (with the help of God) do something now in ours; that Elijah may yet dwell in Gilead, and yet and yet, and ever; (for our parts) there may be, not poison (as the common complaint is) but 〈◊〉 in Gilead, and we healing Physicians there.  
But especially to you Noble Worthies, (who next under our God and our King, are our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our chief Physicians, under whose hand this desperate cure long hath been, and yet is) as he said to Ezra, doth this appertain, and therefore give leave to 
Ezra 10.4.  one of the unworthiest Servants of Christ, who can do little more towards the cure, then to call upon you, who through God may do much, to beseech you to be yet, and ever yourselves, i. e. healing Physicians to a very sick Church and State; now yourselves more than ever, because never so much need as now.  
Be not therefore wearied out with your long attendance on so hard a cure; the more indeed hath been your pains and patience, but the more withal your patient's need: Some good drugs full of Spirit (I confess) in a less time will evaporate, but I pray you remember, Gileads balm useth to continue sovereign for a long time; Be not weary, therefore, of well doing, so, so in due time, what ever becomes of us you will reap if you faint not. 
Gal. 6. 9   
No nor (I beseech you) be beat out with the unruliness and frowardness; yea, or raving rage of a distempered patient and people; they (it may be) will be ready to say, you are Physicians of no value, and so despise you, nay that the remedy is worse than 
job 13. 4.  the disease, and so hate and oppose you; but notwithstanding this, be you yet like,  
1 Your God, who is kind to the unkind, knows how to heal an angry 〈◊〉, looks upon Ephraim and heals him, when he went 
Luk. 6. 35. Isa. ●7. 17. 1●.  on frowardly in an evil way: Can not you remember that he hath sometimes done more for you, when you have been more froward towards him, than others are now against you, though never so engaged to you, than you are to his people? in this therefore, be like your God, Luke 6. 36.  
2 Nay, like yourselves: now you are State-Physicians, and what then, though the distempered distracted Patient rage and rave, spit and strike at his Physician that would cure him? if he be wise, think whether it will move more anger or pity in him, for all that medicinam parat, non vindictam: be pleased therefore still, 
Bernard Serm. 25. in Cantic.  like such a Physician, to go on with your work, and labour rather to heal then to humour a distempered Patient: So however, your reward will be with God. But if he please further to bless your endeavours, when your sick Patient shall once recover of his disease, he will be recovered of that frenzy also, and will then thank you, and posterity will bless you: Mean while let this satisfy you, that to do well, and hear ill, is no less than a 
Benè agere & malè audire regium est.  Royalty; and withal remember, that the great Physician of your souls could not effect that cure without being ill thought and spoken of, and dealt with; he met with that quip [Physician heal thyself] in his life and yet he went on to heal them, and 
Luke 4. 23.  when in his death he made a plaster for them that wounded him to the heart with his own blood (enough to have moved pity and love) they revile him, with that bitter taunt, more sour than the vinegar they gave him to drink, He saved others, himself he cannot save; and yet when they thus poured vinegar into his wounds, he 
Matth. 27. 42.  dropped balm into theirs: Did it not drop from his lips, when he died with those gracious words in his mouth, Father forgive them for they know not what they do? This did our good Samaritane, and let 
Luk. 23. 34.  me say, what he did upon that occasion, Go you, and do likewise; 
Luk. 10. 37.  Your forwardness herein (I hope) needs not a spur, and therefore I give but a light touch or two, for the quickining of your hearts, and strengthening your hands in God; please to consider but these three particulars:  
1 The case is very sad, and the cure, without God's great blessing upon your cure, in all outward probability is likely to prove desperate: for (I beseech you) what do you see now before you? a Lazarus lying at your door full of sores? I believe were all the petitions and complaints considered, that since your first meeting, have from all parts come crowding to your Parliament door, as so many sad letters from sick patients to their Physician; the whole Kingdom would seem to be no better than a common Lazary; But what see you? a man going down from jerusalem to jericho, fallen amongst thiefs, stripped, and wounded, and left half dead, with so much life only as might help him to see, and so to increase his misery: I say unto you, more and worse than so, Semineces artus, the trembling half-dead sinews, and arteries 
Brugensis.  of three poor dying Kingdoms miserably torn asunder, at home a rend Church, a divided Kingdom, a most sad face of things looks out every where, & plurima mortis imago; but yet looking up with a long look to you, as he in the Gospel to Christ, with tears in its eyes, and his words in its mouth, If you can do any thing, have compassion on us and help us: So many bleeding gaping wounds being 
〈◊〉. 9 2●  as so many wide opened mouths, crying aloud for your compassion and mercy; we heard in the beginning that the plant when cut and wounded, wept and bled forth balm; we can show you our wounds, but we look up to God and you for balm to heal them.  
2 The patiented should be (and I know is) dear unto you, expressed here by the Prophet to be the daughter of his people, which holds her forth under two of the nearest and dearest relations of his native Country, and of the Church of God, both which now lie gasping before you.  
1 The daughter of your people, (that is) your native Country, indeed your dear mother, that now lieth sick to death, and as it were breaking her heartstrings with her dying groans, and closing now her eyes, and bidding good-night to you, and to all her comfort in you together obtestes you by the womb that bore you, and by the paps that gave you sick, to express your piety in your pity, if it were possible, that you would be a means that she which hath suckled you with her milk, may not be slocken in her own blood, that you would do your utmost to prevent her death, which hath been a means of your life, and the comfort of it.  
2 The daughter of your people (as here of the Prophets) is the people of God, as your dear mother, so the dearer Spouse of your dearest Saviour, the Virgin daughter of Zion, the dearly 
jer. 12. 7.  beloved of his soul: it's the Church as well as the State that now lieth bleeding, and of all others in the whole Kingdom, they are the people of God, whose comforts, liberties, lives, are in most danger, of dying quite away. Now what an oath did Hypocrates that great Physician lay upon his Scholars to look well 
Vide Hypocratis opera.  to his children? And should not a stronger obligation from your heavenly Physician lie upon you to look better to his? if they thought it a strong argument to hasten Christ to come and heal Lazarus, by sending him word, that he whom he loved was 
Ioh● 11. 3.  sick; how much more prevalent will it be to quicken your both endeavour and speed towards our cure, when you are now told, that its the dearly beloved Spouse of Christ, that is so deadly sick, never since recovered from the poison of that venefica of Rome, never so sick as now: And therefore it is by all the bowels of jesus Christ that I move for the yearning of yours; as you love him, pity his Church. Think, O think you see your Saviour for your sakes conflicting with the pains of death and his Father's wrath, the gore of his bloody sweat in the garden, the wannesse of his dead look upon the Cross; and than if you can, do not pity his dying Spouse now conflicting with the like deadly extremities; as ever you would have your bodily Physician, nay Christ your heavenly Physician, faithful and kind to you, when you lie on your deathbed (which how soon it may be, you know not) be you faithful and pitiful to your own Fathers dear children, and your dearest Saviour's beloved Spouse, now at this dead lift, if ever.  
3. And this yet the rather, because your present employment, and call to it, hath many things in it which may justly challenge your greatest care and diligence; that you may to God and man, both now and at the last day, give up your account of it with comfort.  
It being,  
1. Such as God's people's prayers are much interested in: it being indeed at first the happy birth of the earnest prayers and endeavours of all the people of God all the land over, and which have humbly and constantly attended you at the Throne of grace ever since, more it may be then ever Parliament was in this kind attended and assisted formerly: now these prayers in their return look for much from God, and not for a little from you. He indeed spoke truth, who said, that he that promiseth himself but little from the creature, shall not be much deceived; but it will be your faithfulness, that God's people's prayers and expectations thereupon may not be disappointed; where they are engaged, they lay on strong engagements. Unless men would turn the Canon's mouth upon themselves, so as that the same suppliants prayers that have strongly pleaded for them should as strongly plead against them: How sad would it be to us (that I may not say to you) Si filius tot lac hrymarum periret?  
2. Such as the blood of many of the Saints is engaged in, and hath been shed for: now it is precious in God's sight, and therefore 
Psal. 72. 14.  I know will be in yours; and then indeed it will be, when by your further care and endeavour something of an answerable value shall be purchased with so great a price; and that will be, if hereby God's Worship and Truth amongst us come to be purged, Church and State reform, Religion and a righteous Peace settled, if these great blessings bought indeed of God only by Christ's blood, may in some sense be purchased of man by their blood: those happy souls now in bliss will never grudge it, but say much good do you with it; but let not our sinful negligence and faithfulness incur the guilt of it, it will at last fall heavy where ever it lights. O let it be Babylon's, but never Zions' 
jer. 51. 35.  burden.  
3. Such, as in which Gods admirable Providence hath been very much engaged and manifested, in particularly eyeing and choosing you, as so many Davids, out of the midst of your brethren: sure it was with hopes and expectations that you would be all like him, men after Gods own heart, to fulfil all his will. Be you 
Acts 13. 22.  therefore pleased to walk with God fully. In as carefully eyeing and watching over you ever since, he it is likely hath preserved and delivered many of you in former times of your lives, and some of you since your sitting here, from particular and personal sicknesses and other dangers, all I am sure of you from deadliest plots and mischiefs: and then as Mordecai said to Esther, Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this? so let me say to you, Who knows (it would be good for you seriously to think) whether God hath not preserved and kept you alive on purpose to see what now you will do for him, whether now you will be faithful unto him, or fail him?  
4. Such and so great, as this latter age (I believe) hath not brought forth the like, and the greatest, that in all probability either God or man is likely ever to employ you in, and which your Lord and Master will call you to the most strict account of; by which he will most fully try you, and according to which (it may be) above all other services, he will at the last day finally judge you.  
5. Such also, in the last place, as by your faithfulness herein (as you are our State-Physicians) you may keep the disease from proving Epidemical: for as for the general body of this people, it hath well-nigh overspread all; and therefore the representative body's integrity (if any thing do) must stand for all, one body for another; you representing us all, as well to God as to man, and so being for the present the only means that is left of keeping off a Nationall guilt, and so the wrath of God from this whole Nation.  
Thus in the first place, labour we, that such as are by their place and office Gileads Physicians, may themselves indeed prove such.  
Secondly, take we heed also for others, that we do not hinder, 
2 Duty.  but what in us lieth to further them to be so.  
1 For the people, I beseech you, that neither our jealousies nor our malignacies may hinder our Rulers from being our Healers, which would be but to poison the plaster that should heal us; but let the Patient concur with the Physician, even your earnestest prayers and assistances with their endeavours to help on the cure; as it's said of the returned jews, they clavae to their brethren the Nobles: as before that, Shekaniah said to Ezra, Arise, 
Nehem. 10. 29.  this matter belongeth unto thee, but we also will be with thee; As also before that, we read that Hezekiah humbled himself for 
Ezra. 10. 4.  the pride of his heart, and not he alone, but it's added (he and the Inhabitants of jerusalem;) enclosed in a comfortable parenthesis, as employed in the same blessed work, and so wrapped 
2 Chron. 32. 26.  up in the same common blessing; for it followeth, So the wrath of God c●me not upon them in those days: and so (namely) in the same blessed way of an happy union of hearts and hands, of Prince and people, it might not come upon us in our days neither, which for want hereof hastens fast; these mutual jealousies poisoning the wound, and so hastening our death, and at least delaying, if not preventing our cure; The people's infidelity hindered Christ from working miracles; the Lord grant that our people's diffidence and 
Matth. 13. 58.  frowardness do not as much hinder our Physiciars working the present cure, which (if wrought) will be little less than miraculous.)  
2 But for you (our much honoured Worthies) to whom I again make bold to address my speech, in whose power in part it is, and whose further happiness it may be, not only yourselves to be, but also to make others our Physicians, be pleased to improve your ability and skill herein to the utmost.  
Are Saints Surgeons? let them then (I entreat you) have not only your licence, but also your countenance and furtherance, that they may hold forth their profession more boldly.  
Are good Magistrates good Physicians? you may now in making good Laws, make up (as it were) a more perfect Dispensatory for them, by which they may give every one his right dose more duly and safely.  
Are good Ministers, as well State as Soule-Healers; I then humbly beseech you, that they may yet more and more enjoy the benefit of your Patronage; I speak not in point of fat Benefices, but that they may be admitted into that sacred College (as I may call it) more regularly; and then dispense the things of God more freely, that they may have that liberty which the Word allows them, to cut off rotten members by Church censures, and not be enforced (as by Law now in some cases they are) to pour cordials into foul stomaches, whilst they must administer to most unworthy ones the holy Sacrament. And to this purpose, let me not forget to beseech you, to have an especial eye to our Gileads, where Elijahs do or should dwell, the Schools of the Prophets, as they are called, I mean out Universities; where I wish there were not too many distempers that have need of a more perfect cure, and that in stead of balm, poison were not too often dropped into green wounds; our diseased Youth there, have great need of much better Nursery and chirurgery; How seasonable would it be to have some more salt cast into our Iericho's springs? And 
2 Kings 2. ●1.  therefore I again beseech you, let it be one special part of your most serious care, in this general cure, that we may (with God's blessing) find more sovereign balm there, and have better Physicians thence.  
3. But above all, the greatest care of us all in this kind should be, that we may keep God and Christ with us, and that his blessed Spirit may not by our sins be driven away from us, this would be the spilling of the balm that should heal us, and (with the distracted sick man) the driving away the only chief Physician, that should cure us; we cannot be injurious to him but we must be cruel to ourselves; the driving of him away, is more than the forsaking of our own mercy: if we be of David's temper, the health of his countenance, Psal. 42. 5. is the health of ours, verse 11. our 
jonah 2. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  unprofitableness will discourage him, and occasion our Physician to leave us when he can do us no good. But O let the daughter of Babylon, and not the Virgin of Zion ever hear that word said, We would have healed her, but she is not healed, forsake her.  
But our frowardness and base unwillingness to be at any 
jer. 51. 9  pains or cost for the cure, will quite drive him away from us, and leave us just in the swinish Gadarens sty; who, because the healing of their bodies, and casting out of devils, cost them their hogs, They desired him to departed out of their Coasts, which he did, and we read not, that he returned thither ever after. 
〈◊〉. 8. 28. 29, etc.   
But thus much for the first point, which holdeth forth the sufficiency of the means; I come to the second which expresseth the unanswerableness of the success:  
Doct. 2 That although there be both balm in Gilead, and a Physician there, yet the health of the people of God (at least for the present) may not be recovered: It's less wonder if you read of the daughter of Ni●veh, Nahum 3. 19 of Egypt, jer. 46. 11. of Babylon, jer. 51. 9 that their wound was incurable, as it's no wonder at all, if the wounds and sores of corrupt sores be hardfier cured; but it's more pity that good flesh should heal so ill, that the daughter of Zion● 
E●s. ●. 1.  health, who is made partaker of Gods saving health, should be so hardly recovered; that Ephraim should grow more desperately sick under the cure; nay, that this should reach unto judah also, that 
Micah 9  her wound should be past cure, that best Churches should sink deeper & deeper into the worst of miseries. Sad is that other expression 
jer. 14. 1●.  of our Prophet to this purpose, in a parallel place to this Text, in which the poor afflicted Church washeth her wounds with her tears, whilst she weeps over them as incurable, Hast thou utterly rejected judah? hath thy soul loathed Zion? Why hast thou smitten, and there is no healing? we looked for peace, and there is no good, and for the time of healing and behold trouble. But the Text and the foregoing verses of this Chapter are so full, that they need no foreign supply; in the Text we have Gileads both balm and Physician means most likely, and in themselves sufficient; Gileads balm; the best Receipt and Gileads Physician, that best know how to apply it, and yet he knoweth not how to work a cure by it: but that you may take a fuller view, please but to look to the 18. 19 20 verses foregoing, and you shall find all hopes and expectations dashed, as v. 15. All anchors coming home, and all plasters falling off without healing, the patiented fainting with the cordial in his mouth, and sinking choir down, whilst beset round with supporters to hold him up.  
1 A good heart; that should be vinum in pactore, do good, like 
Prov. 17. 22.  a medicine; but alas, it's wounded, v. 18. and heart-wounds are deadly: if the eye, the light that is ●●thes, be darkness, how great 
Math. 6. 23.  is that darkness? and so, if the heart, the life that is in thee, be dead, how great is that deadness? which yet may betid the people of God in sad hours, their hearts failing as well as their flesh, as we have heard; the Spouse of Christ inwardly fainting 
Psal. 73. 26.  and sinking down in such a swoone; and if the weak man's staff that should especially support him be broken, how avoidable and heavily doth he fall?  
2 A good God, in his holy ordinances; Is not the Lord in Zion? verse 19 which was the place of God's Ark, and it of his residence and presence, enough (one would have thought) to have prevented all wounds (Zion so high as not to be reached by the hand of violence) or at least presently to have healed them, as long as sanctuary oil poured in them, and yet the cure is not wrought for all this; the Lord and his Ark are in Zion, and yet the daughter of Zion continueth wounded, and her wound not healed: Which holds out, that a people may live under good ordinances, and yet sadly groan under heavy pressures and miseries.  
3 A good King, and righteous administrations; Is not her King in her? verse 19 Zion being not only the place of the Ark, but also the King's Palace, and therefore called the City of David; in which therefore besides the Ark of God, was David the servant 
2 Sam. 5. 7.  of God, or some of his posterity, there sitting on the Throne, as josiah for no less than eighteen years of jeremiahs' time; And what Kings evil so dangerours as that he might not cure? but for all that, the cure could not be, the inflammation of the wound continued; notwithstanding all that he was and did, the Lord ●urned not from the fierceness of his wrath, that was kindled, and could not be quenched: Which further showeth, that the case sometimes 
2 Kings 23. 26.  may be so fare gone, as that neither Church Ordinance, nor Civil Government, can (for the present at least) recover a poor fainting, dying Church and People.  
4 All likeliest outward supplies, either at home or from abroad, verse, 20. The Harvest is past and Summer is ended, and we are not saved; Harvest useth to be the income of our Store, but its past, and no provision laid in of ourselves, nor help come from our friends or Allies, now that after harvest they might be most likely to be at best leisure; but is there any thing yet behind, which may supply us, or for the time detain them, that with any comfort and hope we may wait yet any longer? Yes Vintage is after Harvest, stay therefore till that be past, and it may afford something to cheer us, and then they may have nothing to do, but to come and help us. The next clause answers that, and saith that's past too, not only Harvest is past, but also summer (and so vintage also) is ended, after which no crop is to be expected, and we are not saved; Which last expression saith expressly thus much, that hopefullest outward helps in likeliest times and seasons may fail the Church of God, and she droop still, even pine in Harvest and faint in Vintage. All but further explaining the metaphor of the Text, that the daughter of Zion may be so deadly sick and wounded, that notwithstanding best means used, even Gileads balm applied; Yet,  
1 Her health (at least for the present) not at all recovered, she no whit mended.  
2 That's not all, not recovered, is but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Prophet meaneth more than he expresseth, he would say or at least have you understand, that its much more endangered, as sores if they do not heal they rankle, and the sick man's sickness, if his physic work not, proves more deadly.  
1 Old diseases whether inward or outward, are more discovered, it may be confirmed, or at least for present, much more exasperated; it's usually so with diseased bodies, and we now full sadly see it so in the bodies of these woefully distempered Kingdoms. When I would have healed Israel, than the iniquity (the perverse crooked iniquity) of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  nay, the wickednesses, as the word is in the original, the manifold and monstrous wickedness of Samaria, we may say as truly of England, never so desperately sick of both sin and misery, as since of late we have been under cure, our old lurking distempers are now fully manifested.  
2 New ones multiplied, as in bodily diseases one begets another, and the sick man that lay down with one disease, before he get up again hath gotten many, too sadly made good in the sins and miseries of a distempered (of our distempered) people. There is a new rising in the old bile, which of old was dangerous and omnious; new sins and sinners discovered by an affliction, which before were never suspected; and new judgements 
Levit. 13. 18, 19, 20.  multiplied, even to four times seven times more, which before (it may be) were never feared: and the worst of it is, that the 
Levit. 26. 18, 2●, 24, 28.  Devil appears to be much in it, when the latter end doth prove so much worse than the beginning of it, Matth. 12. 45.  
3 So as that to present sense she may seem to be incurable, and her health wholly irrecoverable, when after all helps, she not only negatively is nothing better, no mends, as though she had had no means; (which is the meaning of the question, Is there no Balm? whilst there is no healing by it) but also positively grows much worse, that her physic proves her poison, and her very Balm envenoms her wound; it is a poisoned one indeed, and in man's eye absolutely incurable. Of this point, if judah of old, and England now for the present were not too sad instances, I should add further proofs, but they spare me that labour; and therefore I come to a third point, which will serve partly for the reason, and partly for the use of this second.  
Doct. 3 It was, That the reason of this heavy case is diligently to be enquired after, and sadly to be bemoaned and complained of.  
And this we had from the second question, Why then, etc. which was (as we heard) a question partly of enquiry, and partly of an expostulating and bemoaning complaint, and so let it be to us this day of our self-searching humiliation.  
First, matter of enquiry, of what should be the reason of this ill success, when in the beginning of the Parliament we were as a ship under sail before the wind, bound amain for the fair havens of the peace and happiness of Church and State, that now retro omnia? but what unhappy remora or Anchor under water not yet seen, hath stopped us in this happy course? from what quarter hath this cross blast blown, that hath driven us again into the depths, and dashed us so against the rocks, that all threaten shipwreck? or rather in the expression of the Text, when all promised so happy a cure, Physicians so able, balm so precious, the daughter of our people so sick of her sickness, and so desirous of a recovery, all in such a fast healing way; what is the matter, that we are fallen into so desperate a relapse, that all lies a bleeding, gasping, and in the view of most, dying quite away?  
For answer whereto, we must needs say, that the cause of all this must be in one of these three: either first, in the Physician and his physic; or secondly, in the Patient and his distemper; or thirdly, in some other negligent or ill-minded Attendant, or stander-by.  
1. I begin with the last first: and for it; when the question was, How came such choking tares to spring up in a so well-sown field? the answer was, that surely an enemy had done it: So for certain, 
Matth. 13. 23.  some enemy or other hath done this also. If you ask, who? you need not doubt, but that the old Serpent hath poison enough to invenom both the wound and the plaster; nor wants he his instruments and underworkmen, by the same means (viz. poisonous slanders, and malicious oppositions) that he retarded the returned jews in their so hopefully a begun work, to hinder us also that are now returning from Babylon in a greater cure. I beseech you therefore, as Paul did the Romans in a like case, to 
Rom. 16. 17.  have a more watchful eye, whilst you are applying balm to the wound for the cure of it, to mark who they are that slily cast in venom to poison it. Italians (they say have great skill in poisoning of bodies, and they of the Italian Religion (I am sure) have as great in poisoning of Churches and States; not caring to burst the body, to make their great swell. If some poison were not so subtle, and so subtly conveyed, as not, but by the deadliest effects of it, to be discovered; I should less fear these Romish Artists having any influence in best counsels and actions; and so have less cause in this matter of enquiry to desire your greater care: but if they be so crafty, you cannot be too circumspect.  
2. For our Physicians, they are principally our God, and our Governors.  
1. Now for our God, He you see in the Text complains of the slowness of the cure; and therefore he can be no faulty cause of it: and yet in this enquiry, it may be of great use to consider for what holy and wise ends he permits and order it: namely,  
1. The wound may not be so soon healed, that it may be the more deeply searched, and the corruption of it more fully discovered: so we read that God was leading Israel through a wilderness no less than forty years, but it was thereby to prove them, and to know what was in their hearts: a short spurt doth not try me, 
Deut. 8. 2.  but the length and hardness of the way will at last tell me what leg I halt on. Many a particular Christian (I doubt not) can say, that he should never have thought there had been so much infidelity, pride, frowardness, impatience, worldliness, and such like corruption in his heart, if such an affliction which God laid on his estate, name, body, soul, etc. had been sooner removed, which by the longer on-lying of it, hath been (at least to himself) more fully manifested. And may not the like be as truly said of a whole State and People? that the falseness and rottenness of many had never been so discovered, if the cure now in hand had been more speedily effected? great hath been our gain in our loss of them; for some of them otherwise might have been made as chief pillars in the building (think you with what scandal and mischief) who now by an heavier weight lying on for some longer time of their probation and seasoning, have manifested themselves to be rotten posts. They are certainly now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 times of trial, 
Luke 8. 13.  that sooner or later will discover us all. God (we hope) is about to set up his Tabernacle, nay his Temple; and therefore will have the gold that is to be employed in it, more purely refined, and therefore more fully tried; so long being in the fire, hath already manifested some to be dross look we to it, for the fire may be yet kept in, and we in it, to try whether the rest of us be any better metal. Our wound in the first place may therefore be the longer continued, that it may be the more throughly searched:  
2. And we the more deeply humbled: Which is the duty of this day, and the main work which (I believe) God is doing in England at this day, viz. to bring down our loftiness and pride to prick the swollen bladder, and to take down the Typhus of a Britannia triumphans, as some few years since we vainly boasted; because then in our own thoughts we were triumphant, we are therefore now sadly militant, and may so yet continue longer, till our hearts be brought lower. For so, if one years wand'ring in the wilderness will not humble Israel, forty shall; and what submission a fewer 
Deut. 8. 2.  months of war and trouble could not bring our English Israel unto it may be God will see if some year's continuance can effect; that if the lusty strong man will 〈◊〉 out one or two fits of the fever, try whether the third or fourth will not make him stoop, and whether many more and long continued will not lay him down on his bed, if not in his grave. Truly, for our parts, we are now at the very brink of it, in many respects we are brought very low, and yet in our , diet, jollity, and bravery, especially in our high liftings up of our hearts against God and his ways, we are as high as ever; but shall a proud heart and a proud people be able to carry it out thus against a great God? O England, be instructed lest thou be yet, and yet, and yet seven times more plagued, and 
jer. 6. 8.  that till thine uncircumcised heart be at last humbled: God certainly is eating the proud flesh out of it, and therefore it is that 
Levit. 26. 41.  he yet continues the corrasive.  
3 And (as a fruit hereof) to take the creature quite off from its own legs and other crutches, and so in prayer and faith to cast it upon God only: for as long as we can make any shift of ourselves, or can think of any help from the creature, so long God shall not be sought after; for to him naturally we will not be beholden till we needs must; and so when not only Ephraim feels his sickness, but even when judah seethe his wound, the Assyrian and King jareb, are their next Physicians that are first sent to, Hos. 5. 13. (as Baalzebub before God by sick Ahaziah,) and thereupon 
2 Kings 1. 2, 3.  the Moth is turned into a Lion, verse 12. 14. (judgements as its most just, not only continued, but also increased when the creature is preferred, and God neglected) which doth so rend and tear and carry away, that they cannot heal, verse 13. nor any else rescue, verse 14. that so at last, cap. 6. 1. God may hear of them, and that word from them, Come and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us, etc. Jehoshaphat must be brought to that pass, that he knows not what to do, that his 
2 Chron. 20. 12.  eyes may be up to God, when he can look for help no where else: and it is out of measure and above strength, that even Paul must be pressed, so as to despair of life, and to receive in himself the sentence of death; that so he might be brought, not to trust 
2 C●r. 1. 8, 9  in himself, but in God that quickeneth the dead. This I conceive is another piece of that great work, which God in this Kingdom hath been long about, and is yet doing to this day, viz. to take us off from relying on Counsellors and Soldiers, our own strength at home, and friends abroad; with Asa, trusting more 
2 Chron. 16. 12.  to our Physicians then our God: in which case it is his faithfulness to let the present issue yet run, to prevent a more dangerous and deadly mischief.  
4 And hereupon, that in case health and healing do come, we may know to whom to give all the praise: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aesculapio, praise to our God: it being the great praise of a Physician to cure that at last which many others had been long about, and given over as desperate; as it was in Christ's curing of her that 
Mark 5. 26.  had suffered much, and spent all on other Physicians, and yet proved rather worse then better: How wonderfully would the glory of God appear, if now that all help on earth seems to fail us, he from heaven would save us? none could then share with him in his praise, when none joined with him in the work: we should then thrust away all the praise from ourselves, as it were with one hand, and say, Not unto us O Lord; and as though 
Psal. 115. 1●  it were not yet far enough from us, thrust it yet further off with the other, and again say the second time, Not unto us, but unto thy name be all the praise: When launched thus into the deep, out of sight of land, and in the midst of the storm, when nothing appears but Sea and Heaven, should we then by the tempest be driven into Harbour; we must needs lift up hands on high, and thankfully say, This Sea did not drown us, because that heaven saved us: For which end it is, that God oftentimes, either early prevents us with salvation before we ever dreamt of it, is up before us, before we went out to work, that we might not say we wrought it; or some other time stayeth long till we be quite wearied out and gone to bed having done nothing; comes not to his Disciples till the fourth watch of the night, and when 
Matth. 14. 25.  they are quite beat out with the storm, that so when he comes, he may say, It is I, and we may not have to say otherwise, but 
Verse 27.  that it is thou Lord only.  
5 Lastly, that as he then may have all the praise, so that we may learn thereby to have more care how we expose ourselves to such dangers and wounds ever after: This use they made of it in their return from Babylon's captivity, After all this is come 
Ezra 9 13. 14.  upon us, and thou hast given us such deliverance as this, should we again break thy Commandments? wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us? etc. As if they had said, upon our slow recovery, we had need be the more fearful of a relapse; for if the last wound were so long in healing, ●ware lest the next prove not altogether incurable.  
Beloved, should we yet be more sick; if yet thereby we might be made the more careful to go away and sin no more, 
john 5. 14.  it would be but the healing of a lethargy by a fever, a greater disease by a less, and so we should have no cause to blame our heavenly Physician, our God.  
2 But what say you to our Governors, under God our Physicians? enough and oft too much, as its usual; if the unruly Patient be not cured, the Physician (do he what he can) is wont to be blamed. Noble Senators, what you have been, or are to God and us, we bless him and you for; and the Lord add to it an hundred-fold; but the present day and duty (were there nothing else) forbidden the giving of flattering Titles to lift you up, who came hither as well as the meanest of us to be humbled, and lie low at God's feet for mercy: and for this purpose, the less others may, the more I beseech you, that you yourselves would make an inquiry, whether there be any thing amiss either in balm or Physician, in your persons or actions, as men, or as Parliament men, that may be the cause, why, after all your care and pains, the health of the daughter of our people is not yet recovered, but rather more endangered; Now the Lord help you in a further search, as into other men's sins; so into your own hearts and ways, that there may be both ways a more perfect discovery and recovery together.  
3 But let the Physician be never so skilful and faithful, and his physic never so sovereign and useful, the Patient yet may grow worse rather than better, and the whole faulty cause be in himself only; and that first, either in the nature of his disease, or secondly, in his own miscarriage of himself, whilst he is under the cure.  
1 And first, for diseases and wounds, though the balm in itself should be able to heal all, as we saw in the first Doctrine; yet some may be at lest longer under the cure, and some in the event at last prove indeed incurable; As in particular,  
First, wounds, when great and deep, and diseases, if more violent and malignant: answerable whereunto are great sins which cause great and deeper wounds, especially when sinners grow virulent and malicious, they thereby poison the wound, and make the fever malignant, and so hardly, if at all, recoverable: So judah, when their sin (viz. Idolatry) was great, and withal they malicious, in wounding and killing God's Prophets that were sent to cure them; their case then proved incurable, there was then (we heard) no remedy. 
2 Chron. 36. ●●. 15. 16.   
It's now our present case, and as likely to be incurable, if God be not more merciful: for our sins, for kind, are very great, and if circumstances can bigger them, of the largest size; if their Idolatry made them without remedy, ours may well keep us under a longer cure: and the Lord grant it at last. For if imbitterednesse of spirit against God, his grace, truth, ways, and servants, can make it, I fear me, England's present disease, as much as, if not more than any other Nations, is grown pestilentially malignant.  
Secondly, sometimes the wound is secret, like the Philistims 
1 Sam. 5. ●●  blind Emerods, not so easily discerned; or it's some lurking disease, that is not of a long time discovered, and therefore the longer before it be healed: Answerable hereunto, are secret sins, not suspected, or at least not discovered, and therefore very hardly cured; as Achans accused thing hid in his Tent, made such a wound in the body of that people, as even Ioshua's prayer could not heal, till it was laid open and discovered. 
Iosh. 7.   
A fair Item for us, in this day of our searching into our wound, which will not heal, to take the Probe and search yet deeper, whether some envenomed Arrows head lie not yet hid in it, that hinders the healing of it, I mean some sin or other of this Nation, which hath not yet been discovered, or if seen, yet over-looked, or at least nor openly and solemnly confessed and bewailed, either in the Parliaments Ordinance, or our Church Assemblies: it may be there is; it would be well therefore when we see the finger swell and rankle, to look a little more narrowly, if there be not some thorn or thistle in it, which before we minded not, that thus causeth and continueth the pain; some jonah hid under the Deck, which makes the Sea work, and the storm increase, and row the Mariners as 
jonah 1.  hard as they can, keeps them yet from the haven.  
3. We heard that chronical diseases were hardly cured, and old sores heal very slowly, especially in old age, and towards winter: Answerable whereunto are old sins long continued in, upon which usually follow long continued judgements, hardly delivered from. There are but two places in Scripture that speak of sinners settled on their lees, and in both 
jer. 48. 11. Zeph. 1. 12.  we read of their deep sinking in judgements.  
Do I not here again touch our sore? and withal point at one cause of the slow healing of it? we have been (as we think) long in suffering, but is it not because we have been longer in sinning? We that are already almost out of breath, should be quite out of all patience, if God and our Governors should be as long in healing of our wounds, as we have been in making them; though in other cases we know it is ordinary, that the wound is sooner made then cured, and the sickness easilier fallen into, then risen up out of. We that are sick of new fashions, are stark dead, and grown stiff in retaining old sins. I fear me, God is now upon an old reckoning with us, he speed us to a good end of it; for the daughter of Jeremiahs' people, grown old in adulteries, when thereupon grown 
Ezek. 23. 43.  sick of her filthy diseases, died out right before she recovered.  
4. As any old diseases are long in curing, so especially those that are hereditary, and so become natural to our temper and constitution: the son inherits more often his father's gout or stone, than his lands, and is sooner rid of the one then of the other. Answerable hereunto is the sin of our nature, either in the general depravation of it, in our first parents; or in some more particular veins of it, derived to us from our next Progenitors. David in sense of that irrecoverable sickness of his child, 
Psal. 51. 5.  ascendeth to the first distemper of his nature which occasioned it; and the jews so fast sticking to their forefather's sins, 
jer. 44. 17.  brought judgements that clavae as fast to them, and their posterity after them. 
Ver. 21, 22, 23.   
O that in washing this day with our tears our still-bleeding wounds, we could (as we should every day) weep over our first old sore, acknowledging it to be bad flesh that is so ill to heal, and that sure our blood is tainted, that continues the quartane thus long, and turns it into a continued fever.  
And in particular, that we would have some recourse to our next or more remote forefather's sins, which we indeed inherit more than their estates, and in these plundering times are hardlier plucked from them, then from their inheritances; accounting it piety towards them to be impious against God, whilst we choose rather to tread in their steps, then to wal● in his ways; their vain, profane, superstitious, and sometimes ridiculous customs and ways we have been borne to, and brought up in, and therefore can by no means endure to be plucked from; which I fear God now visits for, and it may be our posterity may smart for, that the tent may be as deep as the wound. O that these Devils that have possessed us 
Matth. 17. 21.  from our youth, may this day go forth with prayer and fasting! These and such like particulars in the disease may protract the cure; but were there none such, yet,  
2. In the second place, the distempered miscarriage of the Patient, whilst under cure, may not only protract it, but even wholly intercept it. And for this, I desire that in our present search, we would carefully inquire after this one particular; namely, Whether our not being willing wholly to give up ourselves to our heavenly Physicians ordering and disposal, for our cure, together with the time, way, and means of it, be not one chief cause of the longer delay of it. When it came to a [Father, not my will, but thine be done] though (it is true) 
Matth. 26. 39  death ensued; yet it is as true, that a glorious resurrection shortly after followed upon it.  
Can we now be but fully meekned under our heavenly Father's hand, be freely willing to be and to do, to suffer and to want whatever our God will; so that our heavenly Physician may diet us, and our Chirurgeon at his pleasure bind us, if we were made willing to abstain from what he forbids, and to do and take whatever he prescribes, and quietly suffer and undergo what in this his launching and searing of us he inflicts, without making a sour face at a bitter potion: I durst assure you in God's Name, that either no death would follow upon it, or if the witnesses, with us, should not yet be slain, yet that after the third day there would follow upon it a like happy resurrection.  
I doubt me, that here I have unguem in ulcere, my finger once again upon our present malady, and on one main cause of the continuance of our misery. God finds us (I fear me) as yet an unsubdued people, like the Prophet's wil●● Bull in 
Isa. 51. 20.  a net, as impatient to be bound to our better abbearance by these cords of affliction, as we were before by the sacred ties of his holy commands. We will do, and suffer, and part with as much of our estates and comforts, for God and his cause, as we think fit, (and that with many of us is but little, with some nothing) but not so much as he and it call for: our conclusion with ourselves is, that we mean not to be so bad husbands as Paul was, to lose all for the gaining of Christ, to be so poor or pure, as we foresee he and his 
Phil. 3. 8.  cause will make us, and that makes us leave both him and it together: And from hence, I verily think, in a great measure comes the continuance of that misery which we would shorten, if not prevent.  
We are not willing to lie still whilst we are cut and launched, and therefore our blessed Chirurgeon is enforced to bind us yet faster: we cannot endure to be brought so low, as God would have us; and therefore (it may be) he will have us yet lower: nor to stay so long under his cure, and it may even therefore prove the longer: we love our ease more than ou● health; and therefore may come to be more sick: nay the corruption of our wound more than the cleansing of it, (for old corruptions we love, and an holy Reformation we loathe) and therefore may expect yet more sharp abstersives: we are sick of our physic, and were not so much before exasperated against them that made our wounds, as now against them that would heal them. It was Livies sad complaint of his times, that they could endure neither their malady, nor medicine: the same is the unhappiness of ours; before the Parliament took us in hand, we were so sick, that without cure we could not live; and since, we are grown so froward, that we will not be cured. Now the good Lord pity us; but must we thus die?  
Thus much for this first use of examination, as this [Why is not, etc.] was a question of enquiry.  
Use 2 Let the next be a word of humiliation, as it was a question of expostulation and a bemoaning complaint: and indeed let it be a complaint which we make, not of God, but of ourselves, that when there is no fault in him, there should lie so much guilt on us; his balm provided and afforded, and we not healed. O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? (say, have we been straitened in his 
Micah 2. 7.  bowels, or not rather in our own hearts? are these his do? Look on all that is done, on all the deep bleeding wounds of this poor dying Kingdom; are they deep? and do they indeed smart and bleed, and fester? O look upon them yet again with a sad heart and wet eye, (they bleed, and should not we weep?) and see whose do they are, Gods or ours, as whether the malefactor's branding and executing be his or his judges; the unhappy child, whipping, his or his fathers; the malefactors in sinfully deserving, or the judges in righteously punishing; the childes in offending, or the Parents incorrecting; the desperate man's in making his wound, or the faithful Surgeons in searching it: and let not the just judge bear the blame of the Malefactor's crime, or the tender Father of the untoward Child's wantonness, or the careful Chirurgeon of the distempered Patient's unruliness. No, thy ways and thy do have procured these things to thyself, saith God, jer. 4. 18. and chap. 2. 17. he dare appeal to them whether they could say otherwise; Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee in the way? The Lord hath not been unwilling to be our God, to be England's God, but we have forsaken him, and that even when he led us in the way, ever since he led us in the way out of Egypt towards Canaan, as fare as we got in the first Reformation; but especially since of late after our recoils backwards towards Egypt, he hath been about to lead us the second time in a more direct and full way Canaan-ward; have we not since this forsaken him? and many of us more than ever turned our backs on him? and whom then shall we complain of, for these our longer wander? of God? no; of ourselves only, and that in regard both of God, and ourselves.  
1 First, of ourselves, that we should be so cruel to ourselves, that either for the Popes, or our own sinful lust's sake, we should at first make such deadly wounds, and now more cruelly hinder the cure of them: for as Esther said of Haman, that the enemy could not countervail the King's damage: so can our 
Esther 7. 4.  lusts, or the Whore of Babylon (think you) make the Virgin of Zion amends, for thus making her a self-murderer? Now where is the heart of the true English man? of old so zealous of its Nation's honour and happiness? Where the bowels of a true Christian, that should do good to enemies? and shall we wound friends? even kill ourselves? Is it the daughter 
Matth. 5. 44.  of my people in the Text, that God is so tender of? and what is become of her Virgin tender heartedness? it was of old a part of Jeremiahs' Lamentation, That the daughter of his people was become cruel like the Ostriches in the Wilderness, in that they 
Lam. 4. 3, 4.  suckled not their children, when in truth the cause was, that they had no milk for them: but may it not then be a sadder note in ours, when the daughter of our people makes herself drunk with her own, and her children's blood? and (which is worst) cannot be satisfied with it; and therefore takes a course that it should bleed still? Oh how unlike to herself is the tender daughter of our people, that is become so cruel and unnatural! It is not the tender Virgin of Zion, but the cruel man (saith Solomon) that troubles his own flesh; nay the Apostle 
Prov 11. 17. Ephes. 5. 29.  unmanneth him that hates it; yea, the Gospel tells us, it was a man possessed with no less than a legion of devils that cut and wounded himself, and (which was more devilish) that cried out of Christ when he came to heal him: whereby 
Mark 5. 5. 7, 9  it appears, that there is more than the rage of a man, no less than Satanical malice and cruelty in this our present malady, when we can endure to tear out our own bowels; and what legion of devils hath possessed us, that we can see our dear mother lie gasping in her gore, and yet more cruelly widen and deepen the wound? and most poysonously hinder (at least protract) the cure? O that this day we could abhor our selus that in these respects we should be 1. thus cruel to our selus 2. And alike injurious to God.  
1 In making him thus deadly to wound us, which he would not, hath no heart to, Lam. 3. 33. hath no instrument of his own for, but must hire it, Isa. 7. 20. accounts it his strange work, Isa. 28. 21. and therefore would be a stranger to it: Now than if an earthly father would not willingly make use of the rod, why should we enforce our heavenly Father to take the sword? though we be cruel, yet our God is not; and why then should we make him? 1. in constraining him to wound us, when he would not; 2. in 
Crudelem Med●um, etc.  bindring him to heal us, when he would; We cannot but say, that this our woeful wound hath divers times been in a fair way and forwardness to be healed, and yet suddenly (we know not how) cast back again, and inflamed more than ever; and what comes this to, but to our Saviour's I would, and ye would not? it plainly shows, that God hath desired and furthered, but we have 
Mat. 23. 37.  hindered our own healing, and thereby him of the praise.  
1 Of his tender bowels of mercy, which he most delights in, as though they were shut up from pitying us, which we know have been strongly yearning towards us.  
2 Of his faithfulness, as though in this our greatest strait he were wanting to us, who (our consciences can witness) hath never failed us: nay, as though he intended to betray us, by engaging us in his cause and then leaving us, as the Egyptians were ready to make a like exposition of the like case, that God for mischief should lead out his people to destroy them in the wilderness: 
Exod. 3. 12.  Whereas those of us that are most disappointed cannot (I am sure) stand out and say, that our faithful God in any thing, wherein he ever engaged us, hath deserted us.  
3 Of his Power, as though he were not able to save us, the Egyptians like gloss upon the like Text, Numb. 14. 16. whereas the mighty acts that our eyes of late have seen, cannot but convince the most either dull or obstinate, that although by reason of our sins, it should never be done, yet it never was, nor will be for want in our Almighty God to do it.  
4 Of his Wisdom, as appointing means either weak, or improper, or importune, not able, not fit, at least not at this time, to effect it; which was the allegation of the returned jews for their delay, but cannot be for God here in the Text, for it was balm, a medicine most sovereign, Gileads balm, an homebred 
Hag. 1. 2.  Medicine of their own, and therefore most proper; applied when they were deadly sick and wounded, and could it be in a fit time? all which agreed in the course which God took, and the means which he hath used for our cure, instruments most precious, admirably fitted for the work, and them of our own brethren and then, when we stood in most need; and yet if now by reason of our sins all should miscarry, in the eye of the perverse world, God and his servants shall be accounted to have mistaken, either in the time, they were too hasty, the bile was not ripe as yet to be launched, popery should have been suffered to have festered a little longer, till it had poisoned all: or in the means, this was not the way; but a Quid pro quo; nay of the very cause and person, disease and patiented, for piety and not Popery shall then be avouched to have been the disease, and nor the Atheist and Papist, but the zealous Protestant the true malignant, and so God's cause shall be none of his, and so God not himself; but shall we so requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? because we will be ourselves, shall not God be himself? 
Deut. 32. 6.  because we will stand to our cause, shall God desert his? because we will be desperate and unthankful, shall not he therefore be holy, wise, just, faithful and merciful? and yet all this in case after all that is done, by reason of our sins, we should yet quail, will be called in question, as the unruly patiented in hindering his own cure, wrongs indeed himself; but withal wounds his Physician in his repute for skill or will, faithfulness or love, or something or other that will be thought was wanting: as in case Israel lose themselves in the wilderness, the fault will be laid on their guide; and yet our case will be worse than that, 
De●●. 9 28.  for there Moses feared that Egyptians, i. e. strangers and enemies only would make such perverse constructions, but it is to be feared that in case of our miscarriages some of the Israel of God themselves may be ready to prove such weak Interpreters, that when we have by our sins poisoned the wound, even we ourselves through frowardness or unbeleef may be ready to call God's love, faithfulness, power, and wisdom in question about the cure; and out of unjust distrust be ready to say, what God here in the Text saith by way of just complaint. But is there was there, no balm in Gilead? what, no Physician there? is there any help in God, when we find none? any faithfulness in him, when no faith in us? is not his mercy clean gone for ever, seeing our hopes are? Doth not his 
Psal. 75. 8, 9  promise fail, when our expectations do? For so indeed sick children are oft very froward; and thus when we get no good, God gets much dishonour, from us, as well as others; not only Gileads balm is spilt, too precious (as we heard in the beginning) so to be lost; ad quid perditio haec? but also Gileads 
Matth. 26. 8.  chief Physician wronged, too good to be so ill requited: let us think that Christ speaks thus to every one of us. Amice, ut 
john 18. 13.  quid me percutis? friends, but why through your own sides, do you wound your best friend and Physician to the heart, who hearty hath both desired and endeavoured your healing? Let this above all be our present shame and grief, and let it be our greatest care for ever hereafter so to comply with God, and that cure he is yet about, that at last, to his praise and our own comfort, it may manifestly appear to us, and to all, that there hath been balm in Gilead, and a faithful Physician there, when the health of the daughter of our people shall be recovered.  
Quod faxit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Christi vulnera, Amen. FINIS. 
Exod. 15. 26.