Sermons of Iohn Caluin, vpon the songe that Ezechias made after he had bene sicke and afflicted by the hand of God, conteyned in the 38. chapiter of Esay. Translated out of Frenche into Englishe. 1560.

❧TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, AND Christian Princesse, the Lady Katharine, Duchesse of Suffolke.

IT often falleth out in expe∣rience (my gracious & sin∣gular good Lady) that some men beynge oppressed with pouertie, tossed with world∣lye aduersitye, tourmented with payne, sorenes, & sick∣nes of body, and other suche cōmon matters of griefe, as the world counteth miseries & euils: Yet hauing theyr myndes armed & fournished with prepared patience, and defence of inward vnderstandyng, all these calamities can not so farre preuaile, as to make them fall, nor yet once stoupe into the state of men to be accomp∣ted miserable: but they beare them with suche constaunce, as if suche afflictions were not of such nature as other commonly do fele them, or as if those men were suche vpon whome those troubles coulde not worke theyr naturall pro∣pertie. On th'other side we se some that flow∣yng in earthly wealth & suffisance, free from

fortunes crueltie, healthy in bodye, and euery waye to the worldes seming blessed: yet with mynde not well instructed, or with conscience not well quieted, euen vpon such small chaun∣ces as other can lightly beare, are vexed aboue measure with reasonlesse extremitie. Wherby appeareth that the greues of body and calami∣ties of fortune do so farre onely extende, to af∣flict, or make a man miserable, as they approch to touch the mind, & assaile the soule. Which proueth that the peines and diseases of minde & soule are not only the most greuous, & most daungerous, but also they onely are peinfull & perillous, and those of the body & fortune are such as the mynde vseth, and maketh them. So as to a sicke stomacke of mynde, all bodylie matters of delite and worldely pleasures are lothesome and displeasant, as on th'other side the power of a healthy soule easely digesteth and gathereth good nouriture of the hard pei∣nes, and bitter tormentes of the body and for∣tune. He then, that cureth the sicke minde, or preserueth it from disease, cureth or preserueth not onely minde, but bodye also: and deserueth so much more praise and thanke, than the bo∣dies Physiciō, as the soule excelleth the bodie,

and as the curing, or preseruation of them both is to be preferred before the cure of the bodye alone. But we se dayly, when skilfull men by arte, or honest neyghbours hauyng gathered vnderstandyng of some specyall dysease & the healing therof by theyr owne experiment, do applie their knowledge to the restoring of health of any mans body in any corporall sick∣nesse, howe thankfully it is taken, howe muche the releued patient accompteth him selfe boūd to him by meane of whose aide and ministra∣tion he findeth him self holpen or eased. What then deserueth he, that teacheth such a receipt, wherby health both of body and mynde is pre∣serued, & wherby if health be appaired, it may be restored, yea whereby sicknes and common miseries continuyng shall not haue so muche power to trouble a man as to make him sicke, or miserable? This receipte God the heauenly Physitian hath taught, his most excellēt Apo∣thecarie master Iohn Caluine hath compoun∣ded, & I your graces most bounden & humble haue put into an Englishe box, & do present vnto you. My thākes are takē away & drow∣ned by the greate excesse of duetie that I owe you: Master Caluine thinketh his paynes re∣compensed

if your grace or any Christian take profit of it: bicause how much soeuer is spent, his store is neuerthelesse. And for God, recom∣pensed he can not be: but how he is continual∣ly to be thanked, your graces profession of his worde, your abidyng in the same, the godly cō∣uersation that I haue sene in you, do proue that your selfe do better vnderstand & prac∣tise than I can admonishe you.

And that you maye be assured, that this kinde of medicine is not hurtfull: two moste excellent kinges, Ezechias and Dauid, beside an infinite numbre haue tasted the lyke be∣fore you, and haue founde health therin, such healthe as hathe cured them for euer, and not as common or naturall reasons of Phi∣losophie doe cure a sicke or soore mynde, which with easie and weake not well draw∣ynge or cleansinge plasters, so ouerheale the wounde that it festreth and breaketh oute a∣freshe wyth renewed and doublye encreased danger.

Suche remedye as here is conteined can no Philosopher, no Infidele, no Papist mini∣ster. For what perfite helpe can they geue to a dyseased mynde, that vnderstande not, or be∣leue

not the onely thyng that muste of nede∣full necessitie be put into all medicines that maye serue for a tourmented soule, that is to say, the determined prouidence of almyghtie God, whiche ordreth and disposeth all thynges to the best to them that truste in him?

This Physicke resteth onely amonge trewe beleuyng Christians, who are perswaded that whatsoeuer betideth vnto vs, his hie wisdom that sent it, and that seeth all thynges, sent it of hys good pleasure and decreed purpose, and that for oure benefite if we loue and beleue hym, thoughe oure weake vnderstandynge knoweth not howe it shoulde be profitable, but naturally iudgeth it hurtefull and vn∣pleasaunt. And necessarye it was that he whiche by vnderstandynge of Godes hatred of synne and felynge of hys iustice, is subiect to fall into the moste perillous peine and tour∣ment of conflicte with sinne and desperati∣on, shoulde by conceyuynge of Godes mercy, and beleuyng of his prouidence, haue helpe of the moste and onely perfect and effectuallye working medicine.

But in heauye case is he, that beynge

afflicted with that daūgerous disease of the fe¦lyng of Gods wrath kindled against him, hath not the cōserue of belefe of Gods prouidēce re∣mainyng with him, or beyng ministred to him either for feblenesse of stomack can not receiue and brooke it, or his oppressed appetite beyng ouerwhelmed with grosse faithlesse and papi∣sticall humors can not abide the tast of it. Wo is (I say) to them: for theyr disease is daunge∣rous and hard to be cured. For when the wret∣ched man findyng all helpe of man not able to vphold him from perishing, being striken with the mightie hande of God, feleth him selfe vn∣able to stande, no soundnes in his bodye, no strēgth in his limmes, no helpe of nature to re∣sist the violence of that disease that Gods dis∣pleasure hath laide vpon him, seeth no signe of Gods grace in his soule, but the depe woundes that Gods anger hath left in his cōscience, per∣ceiueth no token to argue him th'elect of God and partaker of the death of his Sauiour, hea∣ryng pronounced that the soule which sinneth shall die, knowyng him selfe to haue sinned, & felyng him selfe dying: alas what helpe remai∣neth in this extremitie? If we thinke the helpe of papistes, to begge and borrowe others Vir∣gins

oyle that haue none to spare, to bye the superfluous workes of those men that say they haue done more than suffiseth to satisfie Gods lawe and to deserue theyr owne saluation, to appease God with suche extraordinarie deui∣sed seruice as he neuer commaunded, and such like vnholsome stuffe as papisticall souleslea∣ers haue ministred to Christian patientes: If (I say) we thinke these good & sufficient me∣dicines: alas, we do nothinge therby, but plant vntrew securitie, promise health, & performe death: the pāges wherof whē the deceiued sick man feleth, he to late espieth the falshod of the murtherous Physiciā. The pore damned soule in Hell tourmented with the lamentable pei∣nes that turmoile him, from whome God the onely author of ioy and comfort is absent, per∣ceiueth to late howe wandring the wrong way from heauen, he is fallen into Hell. That selly wretche flamyng in the infernall fire feleth, a∣las, to late that thei which gaue him mans me∣dicines to drincke, haue slayne his soule: they which taught him to trust of saluation by mās deuises haue set his burnyng hert in that place of flames, where th'euerlasting Chaos suffreth no droppe of Godes mercye to descende: they

which taught him to seeke health any other where thā in the determined purpose of God, that hath sent his own sonne for our redēptiō, haue spoiled him of all benefit of redemption. He feleth at length all to late howe by faulte of ill diet and throughe poisonous potions which his ignoraunt corrupted and traiterous Physicion suffered him to vse, and bad him to take, he lieth dead eternally.

But on th'other side, when the beleuynge Christian falleth (as God hathe made none to stande wherby they should not nede his mer∣cye to raise them when they are fallen) he knoweth whither to reache his hande to be raised vp againe: beyng stong with the stinge of the scorpion he knoweth howe with oyle of the same scorpion to be healed agayne: beyng wounded with the iustice of God that hateth sinne, he knoweth howe with the mercy of the same God that pardoneth sinne to haue hys peine asswaged and hurt amended. He know∣eth that whome God hath from eternitie ap∣pointed to liue, shal neuer die, howsoeuer sick∣nesse threaten: no misery, no tentation, no pe∣rill shall auaile to his euerlasting ouerthrowe. He knoweth that his safetie is much more su∣rely

reposed in Gods moste stedfast and vn∣changeable purpose, and in the most strong & almightye hande of the alknowynge and al∣working God, than in the wauering will and feble weaknes of man. This healeth the Chri∣stians sicknes, this preserueth him from death, this maketh him to liue for euer. This medi∣cine is in this litle boke brought frō the plen∣tifull shop & storehouse of Gods holye testa∣mēt, where Gods euer abiding purpose frō be∣yond beginning is set fourth, to the euerlasting saluatiō of some, & eternall cōfusion of other. Beside that, this boke hath not only the medi∣cine, but also an example of the nature of the disease, & the meane how to vse & apply the medicine to thē that be so diseased. For when a man languishing in corporall sicknes, heareth his neighboure reporte vnto him, or himselfe hathe before time sene in an other the same cause of sicknes, the same maner of fits, passiōs, alteratiōs, & in euery point the same qualities of sicknes, & the same dispositiō of body that he knoweth & feleth in him self: it geueth him assurāce, & maketh him to know that he is sick of the same disease that th'other was: wherby knowing howe th'other was healed, what diet

he kept, what Physicke he toke, he doeth with the greater boldnes, confidence of mynde, and desire, call for, taste, and gredely receyue that healthfull & lifefull medicine wherby he saw and knew his neighbour healed, and with the greater care kepeth the same diet wherewith he saw & knew th'other preserued. So here this good soules Physiciā hath brought you where you maye se lyinge before youre face the good king Ezechias, somtime chillinge and chatte∣ring with colde, somtime languishing & mel∣tyng away with heate, nowe fresing, now fry∣eng, nowe spechelesse, nowe crying out, with o∣ther suche piteous panges & passions wrought in his tender afflicted spirit, by giltie consciēce of his owne fault, by terrible consideration of Gods iustice, hy cruell assaultes of the tyran∣nous enemie of mans saluation, vexynge hym in muche more lamentable wise than any bo∣dely feuer can worke, or bodyly fleshe can suf∣fer. On th'other side for his helpe, you se him sometyme throwe vp his gastly eyen, starynge wyth horrour, and scant discernynge for peine and for want of the lyuely moisture to fede the brightnes of theyr sight. You se him sometyme yeldyngly stretch oute, sometyme struglinglye

throwe his weakned legges not able to sustein his feble body: sometime he casteth abrode, or holdeth vp his white & blodles hand toward the place whether his soule longeth: sometyme with fallyng chappes, he breatheth out vnper∣fect soūdes, gasping rather thā calling for mer∣cy & helpe. These thinges being here laid open to sight and remainyng in remembraunce, (as the horrour and piteous spectacle can not suf∣fre it to fall out of a Christian tender minde) if we feele oure selues in like anguishe, we finde that the disease is the same that Ezechias had, and so by conuenience of reason muste by the same meane be healed. Thē behoueth vs to remember or to be infourmed by oure diligent Physitian or charitable neighbour, howe we sawe Ezechias healed, whome we imagine in this Boke to see, both dying, reuiued, and wal∣king after health recouered. There we se the heauēly Physician anoynt him with the mer∣ciful Samaritās oyle, purge the oppressing hu∣mors with true repentaūce, strengthen his sto∣mack with the holsome conserue of Gods eter∣nall decree, and expell his disease, and set hym on foote with assured faith of Gods mercy, and staieng his yet vnstedy pace & foltring legges

with the swete promyses of Gods almyghtye goodnes. So learne we what Physicians helpe we shall vse: and this medicine beyng offered vs, we are bolde to take it, bycause we knowe it wyll heale vs. And beyng healed, knowyng and hearyng it confessed, that sinne was the cause and nourishement of Ezechias disease, we learne a newe diet, and to fede as Ezechias his Physician and oures apointeth, absteinyng from thinges hurtfull taking things healthfull as he prescribeth. So doth the Christiā atteine his health, so beynge attemed he preserueth it for euer. And as it is true that seconde & re∣turned sicknesses by surfit or misdemenour are most cruell and daungerous, so holdeth he yet this also for trueth, that to this Physiciā with this medicine, no disease neuer so long rooted, neuer so oft retourned, is vncurable. Beyng then thus muche beholden to this Physician we must nedes confesse that we owe vnto him our life and health, & all that we be or haue. And for his faithful minister master Caluine, I beseche your grace wyth me, to wishe hym Gods benefit of eternall happie life for his re∣warde, euen as I wishe your grace continuall health of life and soule for your preseruation,

not onely for this newe yeare, but also for the tyme that shall excede all extent of yeares, be∣sechinge you to accepte bothe my worke and prayer.

Concernyng my translation of this boke, it may please you to vnderstand that I haue rē∣dred it so nere as I possibly might, to the very wordes of his text, and that in so plaine Eng∣lishe as I could expresse: Suche as it is, I beseche your grace to take it good parte.

Your graces humble A. L.