Devotions vpon emergent occasions and seuerall steps in my sicknes digested into I. Meditations vpon our humane condition, 2. Expostulations, and debatements with God, 3. Prayers, vpon the seuerall occasions, to Him / by Iohn Donne ...

4. EXPOSTVLATION••

I Haue not the right••ousnesse of Iob,* 1.1 but haue the desire of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I would speake to the •• mighty•• and I would reas•••• with God. My God, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God, how soone wou••••dest thou haue me go•••• to the Phisician, & ho•••• far wouldest thou ha•••• me go with the Phisi••••••an? I know thou h•••• made the Matter, a•••• the Man, and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and I goe not from th••••

when I go to the Phisi∣cian. Thou didst not make clothes before ther was a shame of the na∣kednes of the body; but thou didst make Phisick before there was any grudging of any sicknes; for thou didst imprint a medicinall vertue in ma∣ny Simples, euen frō the beginning; didst thou meane that wee should be sicke, whē thou didst so? when thou madest them? No more then thou didst meane, that we should sinne, when

thou madest vs: tho•• fore-sawest both, bu•• causedst neither. Tho•• Lord,* 1.2 promisest hee•• trees, whose fruit shall b•••• for meat, and their lea•••• for Medicine. It is th•• voyce of thy Sonn, W•••• thou bee made whole That drawes from th•••• patient a cōfession tha•• hee was ill,* 1.3 and coul•• not make hims••lfe w•••• And it is thine own•• voyce, Is there no Phisi••cian?* 1.4 That inclines vs disposes vs to accep•• thine Ordinance. An••

••t is the voyce of the Wise man, both for the matter, phisicke it selfe, The Lorde hath created Medicines out of the Earth,* 1.5 and hee that is wise, shall not abhorre them, And for the Arte, and the Person, The Phisician cutteth off a long disease. In all these voyces, thou sendest vs to those helpes, which thou hast affor∣ded vs in that. But wilt not thou auowe that voyce too,* 1.6 Hee that hath sinned against his

Maker, let him fall into th•• hands of the Phisician; an•• wilt not thou affoor•• me an vnderstanding o•• those wordes? Tho•• who sendest vs for •• blessing to the Phisic••••an, doest not make it •• curse to vs, to go, whe•• thou sendest. Is not th•• curse rather in this, th•••• onely hee falls into th•• hands of the Phisician that casts himself who••ly, intirely vpon the Phi••sician, confides in him relies vpon him, attend all from him, and neg••lects

that spirituall phi∣••icke; which thou also hast instituted in thy Church•• so to fall into the ••ands of the Phisician; is a sinne, and a punishment of ••ormer sinnes; so, as Asa••fell, who in his disease, sought not to the Lord,* 1.7 but•• ••o the Phisician. Reueale therefore to me thy me∣••hod, O Lord, & see, whe∣ther I haue followed it; ••hat thou mayest haue glory, if I haue, and I pardon, if I haue not, & helpe that I may. Thy Method is,* 1.8 In time of thy

sicknesse, be not negligent•• VVherein wilt thou haue my diligence ex∣pressed? Pray vnto th•• Lord, and hee will mak•• thee whole. O Lord, •• doe; I pray, and pray thy Seruaunt Dauid•• prayer,* 1.9 Haue mercy vp••on mee, O Lord, for I a•• weake; Heale mee, O Lord, for my bones ar•• vexed: I knowe, that euen my weakenesse is a reason, a mot••ue, to induce thy mercie, and my sicknes an occasion of thy sending health

When art thou so rea∣die, when is it so sea∣sonable to thee, to com∣miserate, as in miserie? But is Prayer for health in season, as soone as I am sicke? Thy Method goes further; Leaue off from sinne,* 1.10 and order thy handes aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wicked∣nesse; Haue I, O Lord, done so? O Lord, I haue; by thy grace, I am come to a holy detesta∣tion of my former sin; Is there any more? In thy Methode there is

more; Giue a sweet sauor•• and a memoriall of fin•• flower, and make a fat of••fering, as not being. And Lord, by thy grace, I haue done that, sacrificed •• little, of that litle whic•• thou lentst me, to them for whō thou lentst it and now in thy metho•• and by thy steps, I am come to that, Then gi•••• place to the Phisician,* 1.11 fo•• the Lord hath created him let him not goe from the•• for thou hast need of him I send for the Phisicia•• but I will heare him en••ter

with those wordes of Peter,* 1.12 Iesus Christ ma∣keth thee whole; I long for his presence, but I look•• that the power of the Lord,* 1.13 should bee present to heale mee.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iob 13.3.
• * 1.2

  Ez••c. 47.12.
• * 1.3

  Ioh. 5.6
• * 1.4

  Ier. 8.22
• * 1.5

  Ecclus. 38.4
• * 1.6

  Ecclus. 38.15.
• * 1.7

  1. Chro. 16.12.
• * 1.8

  Ecclus ••8.9
• * 1.9

  Ps. 6.2:
• * 1.10

  v. 10.
• * 1.11

  v, 12.
• * 1.12

  Act. 9.••4.
• * 1.13

  Luc. 5.17.