A funeral sermon for Mrs. Esther Sampson, the late wife of Henry Sampson, Dr. of Physick, who died Nov. 24. M.DCLxxxix / by John Howe ... Published principally for the use of such as languish under painful and chronical diseases.

  • Howe, John, 1630-1705.
Date:
1690
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A funeral sermon for Mrs. Esther Sampson, the late wife of Henry Sampson, Dr. of Physick, who died Nov. 24. M.DCLxxxix / by John Howe ... Published principally for the use of such as languish under painful and chronical diseases. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    That in heaven our judgment of things will be right and incorrupt, where fliall apprehend no caiife of complaint, that, through many licknefTes, difeafes, and death it felf, our w^ay was made for us thither. And if that lhall then be a true jpidgment, the thingit felfmuftbe as true wir. But thefe I haftily hint, and pafs to lome further ufe. We may, next, colledt, that fince it is out of doubt, the Devil may have fome hand in our outward afflidtion , we are concern’d to take fo much the more care, that he may not have his end upon us by it. An hand he may have and we cannot determine how far, but whether it be more or lefi, great care we are concern’d, to take how to frufij*ate his defign. He has the moft mifchievous ends that can be, and dehgns worfe things to us than the afflidtion, which is the means, whatfoever that be. He would fain engage us in a controverfie with God; wmld have us contend wdtii him, murmur , fret, blafpheme and curfe God, and here¬ with fend out our laid, and dying breath. That was hisde- fign upon Job. Let us labour to fruftrate it^ as he did. Di¬ vers of the AntlentS ( Juflin Martyr^ Jerome^ Cyprian and fiin) fpeak much to this purpofe, how great a defign the Devil drives in being the Author of ficknelTes and difeafes to men, that he might make them apply themfelves to him, and divert from God, as that wicked Prince did, whom by the Prophet w^e find fo lliarply reprov’d for it, as if there were no God in Jfraeh that he went to the God of Ekron ( fome D^mon, or other as we have reafon to think.) The laft mentioned ofthofe Authors fpeaks of it, as juft mat¬ ter of Excommunication, when thofe that bear the name of ChrL ftians, ftiall in fuch cafes, ufe means bearing no natural proportion or accommiodatenefs to the end, charms, fpells, ^^, for eafe, or cure of maladies 5 whereim no relief could realooably be expeded,' but from the Devils agency^ wiio may be ofS- cious enough, if, efpecially, he have fir ft hurt, to heal too 5 that by pradifing upon their bodies, he may entan¬ gle their fouls; and (according to his wont of running coun¬ ter to God,'who wounds that he may the more effedmal- ly heal and fave ) bya prefent temporary core, vv^qund mortallyg and finally deftroy. He hath not left the world (no , not the Chriftian vcorld) quite