The godly mans iourney to heauen containing ten seuerall treatises. Viz. 1. An heauenly chariot the first part. 2. An heauenly chariot the second part. 3. The blessed chariots man. 4. The lanthorne for the chariot. 5. The skilfull chariot driuer. 6. The gard of the chariot. 7. The sixe robbers of the chariot. 8. The three rocks layd in the way. 9. The only inne Gods babes aime at. 10. The guests of the inne. By maister David Lindsey Minister of Gods word at Leith.

12. Let all sicke in soule because of sinne, to whose eares the sound of the sweet name of that great Physitian Ie∣sus is come, by the meanes of the Gospell, seeke to him for medicine, whom they cannot find but in his word.

IN many respects, ô my soule, is the estate of man, now, alas, lying vnder sinne to be pittied, but in this respect specially; that

being naturally sensible of the mortall clay vessell, he is naturally senslesse of his immortall heauenly soule. What man ha∣uing a maimed or diseased bodie, hearing who can cure him, and knowing where he may find that cure, seeketh not without delay for that man, for that cure? yea lon∣geth not euen with wearinesse to be with that man, or to haue that man with him? And yet, alas, while man is not onely wounded, but dead in soule, through a greater number of sins lying in him, then there be haires in his head, he doth not onely refuse to heare that Physitian Iesus, and to come to that Physitian Iesus,* 1.1 who is onely able to cure him; but he doth e∣uen find an heart to hate such, a tongue to reuile such, yea now and then an hand to strike such as do aduise him to heare that Physitian▪ to beleeue that Physitian, and to be content to receiue his potions, and to haue that his salue applyed to him which is able to cure his soule. Naaman the Syrian being infected with leprosie, informed by that base handmaid who serued in his house, that there was a man in Israel able to cure him, did not stint till he went thither, so desirous was he of cor∣porall

health.* 1.2 That poore woman, who was long subiect to a bloudie issue, know∣ing and beleeuing what Iesus was able to do to her, is not afraid to throng through the people till she come to Iesus, so care∣full was she to be made whole. Did blind Bartimaeus (knowing that Iesus was com∣ming by, and that he was able to helpe him) stay from crying,* 1.3 O Sonne of God be mercifull vnto me. Yea, which thou must admire ô my soule, no soone•• heareth he this said to him, Be of good comfort, arise, he calleth thee, but forthwith (albeit he was blind) he threw away his clothes, and hastened towards Iesus. Oh Lord God, when shall the Naamans of this our age, leprous in soule, by reason of their many monstrous sinnes, hearkening vnto, and beleeuing the voyces and counsels of his Elisaeus, seeke after that water of the Spirit and of the word▪ which is onely able to cleanse them? When shall the men, the women of this age, grosly defiled from the top of the head to the sole of the foot, through that continuall running issue of iniquitie, which maketh them not onely vncomely, but loathsomely stinking in the nosthrils of God, of Angels, and of men,

sensible of God, runne, led by faith, to∣wards that hem of Christs garment, euen his blessed word, that by it this their run∣ning stinking issue may be happily dried vp? When shall the blind men of this age find spirituall feete to runne with courage and with confidence towards that bright Sunne of righteousnesse▪* 1.4 and light of the world,* 1.5 Iesus, to the end that they may see, that the things which be seene here, are temporall, and not to be rested vpon, and that the things which are not seene other∣wise then by faith, are eternall, and onely to be loued, and longed for? Remember for thy owne warning and wakening, ô my soule, that louing inuitation made to thee by thy Sauiour:* 1.6 Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and loaden, and I will ease you, and ye shall find rest vnto your soules. And no wonder that he charge thee thus, ô my soule, and with this charge ioyne this so large a promise, for there is all-sufficiency of medicine with him, to cure all thy dis∣eases and sores. Bernard looking on this, doth first make an humble confession tou∣ching mans diseases, and then sound a me∣lodious song touching Christ his medi∣cine: Triplici morbo laborat genus huma∣num,

principio, medio, & fine, id est, natiui∣tate, vita, & morte: natiuitate immunda, vi∣ta peruersa, morte periculosa▪ Venit Christus, & contra hunc triplicem morbum attulit tri∣plex remedium:* 1.7 Natus est, vixit, mortuus est. Natiuitas eius purgat nostram, vita eius in∣struit nostram, mors eius destruit nostram. Mankinde is subiect to a threefold disease, in the beginning of his life, progresse, and end, that is, in his birth, in his life, and in his death; his birth being foule, his life per∣uerse, and his death dangerous. Christ came into the world bringing with him a three∣fold remedie against this threefold disease: He is borne, he liueth, he dyeth, his birth pur∣geth our birth, his life directeth our life, and his death destroyeth our death. And to make this the more sensible, and comfortable to thee, ô my soule, doth not Bernard bring in the Physitian Iesus, thus from the hea∣uens speaking vnto thee by his owne sweetest and refreshing lips: Conceptio mea emundat tuam, vita mea instruit tuam, mors mea destruit tuam, resurrectio mea praecedit tuam, ascensio mea praeparat tuam, Spiritus meus adiuuat infirmitates tuas. My concep∣tion purgeth thine ô Christian, my life dire∣cteth and instructeth thine, my Resurrection

goeth before thine, my Ascension to the hea∣uens prepareth away whereby thou mayest as∣cend thither also; yea my Spirit helpeth thy infirmities. O when shall our professors of Christ see and feele sweet Iesus to be that whom Ambrose happily out of sense foun∣ded vpon cleare Scripture, saw him to be: Omnis anima accedat ad Christum: quia om∣nia Christus est nobis. S•• vulnera curare de∣sideras medicus est, si febribus aestuas fons est, si grauaris iniquitate,* 1.8 iustitia est, si auxilio in∣diges virtus est, si mortē times vita est, si coelū desideras via est, si tenebras fugis lux est, si ci∣bum quaeras alimentum est. Let euery soule draw neare to Christ, because Christ is all things to vs all. If thou desirest to cure thy wounds he is a Physitian, if thou be burning in an hot feauer, he is a pleasant fountaine ready to yeeld thee abundance of cooling water to refresh thee, if thou be loaden with iniquity, he is righteousnes to free thee from that burthen, if being weake thou findest thy selfe to haue need of helpe, he is strength to sustaine thee. If thou feare death, he is life to quicken thee, if thou desire heauen, he is the way to leade thee to it, if thou flie darknesse, he is light to enlighten thee, if being hungrie thou desirest meate, he is nourishment to feede thee. But if

these louing inuitations will not be able to allure men carefully to seeke after this onely blessed and rich Iesus, let that his iust conuiction pronounced long ago, a∣gainst the abusers of his mercie and long suffering, affray them for attempting to despise him.* 1.9 O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that come to thee, how often would I haue gathe∣red thy children together, as the henne ga∣thereth her birds vnder her wings, and ye would not. Behold your house is left vnto you desolate.* 1.10 If I had not come and spoken vnto them, they should not haue had sinne, but now haue they no cloake for their sinne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 40. 12.
• * 1.2

  2 King. 5.
• * 1.3

  Mark. 10.
• * 1.4

  Mala. 4. 2.
• * 1.5

  Ioh. 8. 12.
• * 1.6

  Mat. 11. 28.
• * 1.7

  Bern. in sent fol. 117
• * 1.8

  Ambros.
• * 1.9

  Luke 13. 34. 35.
• * 1.10

  Io. 15. 22.