Inquiry for a Suitable Return for Continued Life In and After Time of Plague, Part 3
DIRECTION III.
Since you live, look after the cure of ſoul-ſickneſs.HAth God ſpared you in time of ſo great Contagion, that you live when others are dead, or were you ſick and are recovered? then Endeavour that the Cure may be a thorow Cure, that your Soul be healed as well as your body, that there be not ſpiritual Judgements upon your Soul, when temporal Plagues are removed from your Body. You may obſerve, that ſuch that came to Chriſt with diſeaſed bodies, Chriſt healed their bodies and their ſouls too; he took away their corporal ſickneſs, blindneſs, diſtempers, and the guilt of their ſins too, Mat. 9.1, 2. Many are delivered from a Corporal Plague, that yet are infected and in danger of eternal death by the Plague upon their hearts: That remain under ſpiritual Judgements, and Soul-ſickneſs, when temporal Judgements and corporal ſickneſſes are cured and removed. When St. John wrote to Gaius, he deſired that it might be as well with him as to his bodily health, as it was in reſpect of his ſoul, and ſpiritual health, 3 Ep. John v. 2. Beloved, I wiſh above all things that thou mayſt proſper and be in health, even as thy ſoul proſpereth. But it may be matter of our deſire concerning thoſe that remain alive, and are well after this Viſitation, that their ſouls may proſper and be in health even as their body proſpereth. It is a greater mercy to have an healed ſoul in a ſickly body, than to have ſpiritual ſickneſs remain in an healthful body: It is not ſo great a Judgement to have the body full of Plague-ſores, as to have the ſoul full of reigning ſins. If your body be cured and not your ſoul, the cure is but half done: Therefore in ſpeaking to this Direction. I ſhall ſhew theſe things:
1. Wherein it appears that ſin is the ſickneſs of the ſoul?
2. Wherein it appears that ſin and ſpiritual Judgements upon the ſoul, are worſe than ſickneſs, and temporal Judgements upon the body?
3. How we may know whether our ſouls are healed of ſpiritual ſickneſſes?
4. What they muſt do that lye under ſoul-ſickneſs, that they may be healed?
5. What ſuch ſhould do, that are healed of their ſoul diſtempers, to improve the Cure to the glory of God?
SECT. I.
I. Wherein doth it appear that ſin is the ſouls diſeaſe, and the ſickneſs thereof? In theſe particulars.
1.Sin is the ſouls ſickneſs. SIckneſſes and diſeaſes do abate and take away the Appetite. Sick men have not the Appetite to their food as men in health have. So ſin takes away the ſpiritual appetite of the Soul, that it doth not hunger after Chriſt, nor thirſt after righteouſneſs, and hinders its feeding upon Chriſt, and the Word of God, which is the ſpiritual food for the ſouls nouriſhment and growth.
2. Sickneſs and diſeaſes do abate the ſtrength and activity of the body. So ſin doth weaken the ſoul, and all the faculties thereof, and doth diſable it in all its actings to, and for God.
3. Sickneſs and diſeaſes often fill the body full of pain, aches, and ſores, making men to cry out, Oh my head, and oh my heart, and oh my bowels, I am pained, I am pained: So ſin doth fill the ſoul full of racking fears, and perplexing torments and doubts, and ſometimes make ſome ſinners cry out, I am undone, I am undone, I am damned, I am damned.
4. Some diſeaſes do ſtupifie and make men inſenſible, and thoſe are the worſt. So ſin ſometimes makes ſome ſinners ſtupid and unſenſible of their miſery and danger.
5. Sickneſs and diſeaſes do take away mens delight in thoſe things which men in perfect health do take pleaſure in. Sick men have no delight in the pleaſures of the world, and in the riches of the world, which other men finde. So ſin takes away that delight in God and ſpiritual duties, and in heavenly things, which thoſe whoſe ſouls are cured do experience.
6. Sickneſs and diſeaſes do ſpoyl the beauty of the body: They ſpoil the faireſt complexion, and make the ruddy cheeks to become pale; and many diſeaſes bring deformity in the room of beauty. So ſin doth ſpoyl the ſoul of that ſpiritual beauty wherewith it was adorned in its firſt Creation, which did conſiſt in likeneſs unto God, ſo that now inſtead of the likeneſs of God, there is nothing but blackneſs and deformity; that the ſoul that was comely and amiable in the ſight of God, is now become loathſome and abominable.
SECT. II.
II. Wherein doth it appear, that Soul ſickneſs and ſpiritual Judgements upon mens hearts, are worſe th…n ſickneſs and temporal Judgments upon mens bodyes?
Sickneſs of the Soul more dreadfull than of the Body.THough moſt men in the World look upon bodily ſickneſs and corporal Judgments to be more dreadful than ſin upon their ſouls, yet if we take a right eſtimate, and make a true judgment of both: ſpiritual Judgements are the greater evils,
In reſpect of the
1. Cauſe, or manner of conveyance.
2. Signs of greater wrath.
3. Subject, in which they do reſide.
4. Number, being many.
5. Effect, that they do produce.
6. Difficulty of cure.
7. Want of ſenſe.
1. Spiritual Judgements and ſoul-ſickneſſes are greater evils than temporal Judgements and ſickneſs upon the body in reſpect of the cauſe, or manner of Conveyance, which is by natural propagation, and ſo unavoidable. Sin is born with us, it is derived from Parents to Children, from one generation to another. There are ſome diſeaſes that are conveyed from Parents to Children, but this is not general, nor perpetual to all generations. But the propagation of ſpiritual diſeaſes is univerſal and general, it is conſtant and perpetual. The ſeed of all ſin is derived from Adam to all his Poſterity.
2. Soul-ſickneſſes and ſpiritual Judgements upon mens hearts are Signs of greater wrath than bodily ſickneſſes are. You may be ſick of the Plague, and yet God may love you; you may have bodily afflictions, and God may be at peace with you, and becauſe he loves you, he may afflict you. But ſpiritual Judgements, as judicial hardneſs, blindneſs, are ſigns of Gods anger, yea his ſoreſt diſpleaſure, yea (which is more) they are ſigns of Gods Hatred to ſuch a man that lyeth under them. Now that which doth alwayes argue Hatred in God to a ſinner, is worſe than thoſe things that might proceed barely from his Anger, and ſometimes from his Love: God loathes and abhorres that man, the plague of whoſe heart is not at all cured.
3. Spiritual Judgements and ſoul-ſickneſſes are greater evils than temporal and corporal ſickneſſes are, becauſe they be ſpiritual, and have the heart and ſoul for their ſeat and ſubject: As mercies are better that are ſpiritual, and that are ſoul mercies, ſo Judgments and ſickneſſes ſpiritual are the greater evils, becauſe they are the diſeaſe of the better and more noble part of man; that which doth corrupt the ſoul, muſt be worſe than that which doth corrupt the body, by how much the ſoul is more excellent than the body.
4. They are worſe, becauſe they are more numerous; there is more diſeaſes in the ſoul than in the body. If the body be diſeaſed in one part, it may be well in all the reſt; if in more, yet not in all; if in all, yet your caſe is not ſo bad: But there is no ſinner but is diſeaſed in every part; there are ſpiritual diſtempers in all the faculties and powers of the ſoul, in the Underſtanding, Will, Affections, Conſcience, Memory, Phantaſie: In the members of the body, no part free: Nay there are many ſpiritual diſeaſes in every faculty: in the Underſtanding, there are many; ignorance, errour, &c. in the Will many, ſtubbornneſs, chooſing the Creature and ſin, before God, &c. In every affection of the ſoul there are ſwarms of ſin: In the heart there are innumerable diſtempers, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, blaſphemies, falſe witneſs, Ma…. 15.19. Spiritual diſeaſes naturally be all in every man, and be in every part of every man.
5. They are worſe in regard of the Effects. The effects of bodily ſickneſs, at the utmoſt, and the greateſt, is but the death of the body; it brings the body to the duſt, and the grave, it doth but ſeparate from friends, and betwixt the body and the ſoul. But the effects of ſpiritual ſoul-ſickneſſes (except they be healed) are dreadful, and inconceivably great; great and dreadful in this world, but greater and more dreadful in the world to come; they cauſe Gods anger, they deprive the ſinner of communion with God, they will ſeparate betwixt God and him for ever, they will bring the ſoul to the place of Devils, and the torments of the damned.
6. They are worſe in regard of difficulty of Cure. Bodily diſtempers may be cured by the skill of man, in the uſe of natural means, but the ſickneſs of the ſoul with nothing but the blood of Chriſt: Of which more afterwards.
7. They are worſe in regard of the want of ſenſe. Where one man cryes out of the hardneſs of his heart, and complains of the unbelief and earthlineſs of his heart, there are many cry out of the ſickneſs of their bodyes. If their finger doth but ake, they are ſenſible of it; but though the whole head is ſick, and the whole heart is faint, and exceedingly diſtempered, yet they are not ſenſible of it. Therefore, though God hath cured the Plague of thy body, and not the Plague of thy heart; if thy bodily diſeaſe is removed, but the ſickneſs of thy ſoul remain without cure; thy caſe is deplorable: And while thou art rejoycing that thou haſt eſcaped the Plague, thou haſt more cauſe to goe unto thy Chamber, and be deeply humbled and mourn before God, for the Plagues and Judgements that remain upon thy Soul.
SECT. III.
III. How may a man know whether he be healed of Soul-ſickneſs?
THe cure of theſe diſtempers are but partial, yet ſo far are they healed, that they ſhall not be the death of the ſoul. The cure will not be perfect till we die. Death (we ſay) cures all diſtempers, and ſo it doth thoſe of the ſoul. There is a double wound that ſin doth make, there is the wound that doth certainly deſtroy the ſoul, by hindring it from ſalvation and eternal life, and there is the wound that deſtroyes the peace and comfort of the ſoul. So there is a double Cure, which Chriſt doth work, the one for the ſafety and happineſs of the Soul, the other for the peace and comfort of the Soul. The firſt of theſe we enquire after.
1. Signs of the cure of ſoul-ſickneſs.Every man that is healed of Soul-ſickneſs, hath been ſenſible of it: Sin hath been thy ſorrow and thy grief, and the burden of thy heart; thou haſt groaned under it as the greateſt load, as the greateſt evil in the world. Every man that is bodily ſick, and is ſenſible of it, and is unfeignedly willing to be freed from his ſickneſs, and deſireth nothing more, is not cured; but it is ſo in ſpirituals: He that is ſenſible of ſin, and is heartily, and unfeignedly willing to part with his ſin, as ever ſick man was of ſickneſs, is certainly healed by Jeſus Chriſt: But ſuch as never found ſo much ſorrow for ſin, nor ſenſe thereof, as to make them willing to part with every ſin, were never yet cured. How can a man that is wounded, have his ſore dreſſed and lanced, in order to a Cure, and not be ſenſible of the ſmart and pain thereof? Or how can he be healed, while the ſword that made the wound, abideth in it? It is as impoſſible that man ſhould be healed of his ſpiritual ſickneſs and wounds, that is not willing to part with ſin, as for a man to be healed of his bodily wound, while he will not have the ſword pulled out that did make it. Sin cauſed the wound and the ſickneſs of thy ſoul, and if thou art not willing to part with every ſin, thou art not healed: thy ſoul is ſick, and if thou doſt not feel it, that is the worſe.
2. Where the ſoul is healed the ſin is killed; the life of ſin is the death of the ſoul, and that which is the life of the ſoul is the death of ſin; if Chriſt heal the ſoul, he wounds ſin, he never heals both; if ſin be wounded to death, the ſoul is healed unto life; as in the body, the more health is repaired, the more the diſeaſe is weakned; ſo the more the ſoul is cured, the more ſin is mortified.
3. Where the ſoul is healed, there grace is infuſed; ſickneſs being removed, health is reſtored. When Chriſt heals a ſinners ſoul, he doth not onelyonly mortifie the ſin, but ſanctifie the ſinner; when a man is reſtored from ſickneſs to health, that which made him ſick is not onelyonly removed, but that is introduced which maketh him well; ſo when Chriſt cures the ſoul, he doth not onelyonly take down the power of ſin, which did make him bad, but he infuſeth that which doth make him good.
4. Where the ſoul is cured of the diſeaſe of ſin, it is ſick of love to Jeſus Chriſt; it is not onelyonly weary of ſin, but exceedingly longeth after the preſence of Chriſt, and communion with God, Cant. 5.8. I charge you, O daughters of Jeruſalem, if ye finde my beloved, that ye tell him, I am ſick of love.
5. Where the ſoul is cured of the diſeaſe of ſin, it doth receive Christ by faith, when the Iſraelites were ſtung with the fiery Serpents, and looked up to the brazen Serpent, they were certainly cured, Num. 21.8. Faith is an healing grace, becauſe it eyeth Chriſt the ſoul-Phyſician, and fetches vertue of healing from him, Mat. 15.28. And Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Mat. 9.2. And they brought unto him a man ſick of the Palſie lying on a hed, and Jeſus ſeeing their faith, ſaid unto the ſick of the Palſie, Son be of good cheer thy ſins be forgiven thee. The blood of Chriſt is the healing plaiſter, and faith is the hand that takes it and applyeth it unto the ſore.
6. Where the ſoul is cured of the diſeaſe of ſin, it is getting ſtrength for ſpiritual work, and employment, more and more; it is growing ſtronger and ſtronger in grace and goodneſs, as a man whoſe diſtemper is broke, and going away, he is recovering ſtrength more and more to go about his calling and employment, he is ſtronger to walk and work; he can endure cold, and bear burdens more than before. A man that is ſpiritually cured is waxing in the fruits of the ſpirit, and growing in all the graces of the ſpirit of God, is more and more able to reſiſt temptations, to perform duties, to bear afflictions, and endure hardſhips for the ſake of Chriſt. By theſe ſigns you may diſcern whether your ſoul is cured, ſo far of the diſeaſes it lay under, that they ſhall not be its death and damnation.
SECT. IV.
IV. What ſhould ſuch do that are under ſoul-ſickneſſes, that they may be healed?
1. How to be cured of ſoul-ſickneſs.YOU muſt be ſenſible that you are ſick; he that doth not feel himſelf ſick, will take no care about the means of health; it is thoſe that are ſenſible of ſickneſs that will value the skill of the Phyſician, and ſend to him, and deſire his direction, Mat. 9.12. But when Jeſus heard that, he ſaid unto them, they that be whole need not the Phyſician, but they that are ſick.
2. When you are ſenſible of your ſoul-ſickneſs, you muſt apply your ſelf to Chriſt, the great Phyſician of ſouls. It is Chriſt that cometh to thoſe that feel themſelves diſeaſed, with healing under his wings, Mal. 4.2. It is he that healeth the broken-hearted, Luk. 4.18. Chriſt healeth us by his wounds, and cureth us by his ſtripes, Iſa. 53.5. It is matter of admiration, and to many paſt belief, that applying of Medicines to a ſword, ſhould heal the wound made thereby; but this is above all reaſon, and beyond all diſpute that the bleeding wounds of Chriſt will be healing, to the bleeding wounds of the ſinner; Chriſts Golgotha, is our Gilead, and that you may be the more encouraged to come to Chriſt when you feel your ſelf ſick; conſider
(1.) Chriſt the ſoul-…hyſician.Chriſt can heal every diſeaſe, and cure every wound; he hath a ſalve for every ſore. There are ſome Phyſicians that can cure ſome diſeaſes but not all, but Chriſt when he was upon earth, did heal all manner of diſeaſes, Mat. 4.23. whether thy eyes be blinde, or thy heart hard, or thy minde earthly, he can open thy eyes, and ſoften thy heart, and make thee ſpiritual; yea though thy ſickneſs hath been Chronical, of long duration, yet he can heal thee; yea though thou art ſick of a relapſe (which is moſt dangerous) yet Chriſt can cure thee.
(2.) Chriſt will heal your ſouls without putting you to any charge; though you be poor and mean, and have nothing to bring to Chriſt, yet you may come for healing, he will give you his adviſe and counſel freely, he will give you your Phyſick (his own blood) freely, you have nothing and he expecteth nothing. The woman that had been diſeaſed twelve years, and ſuffered many things of many Phyſicians and ſpent all, and grew worſe, came to Chriſt and was preſently and freely healed, Mar. 5.25.
(3.) Chriſt will proceed in this cure with all compaſſion and tenderneſs; he will not deal more roughly with you than is needful, he exerciſeth bowels of compaſſions while he is dreſſing his patient, or if he give you bitter po…ions, or ſometimes uſeth corroſives, he will be exceeding tender over you all this while, Mat. 14.14. And Jeſus went forth and ſaw a great multitude, and was moved with compaſſion toward them, and he healed their ſick.
(4.) Chriſt is a Phyſician that is always preſent with his Patients, to obſerve what operation his Medicines have upon their hearts; if you are ready to faint under the terror of a threatning, he is by you preſently to adminiſter a cordial from the promiſe to uphold your ſwooning ſouls. Other Phyſicians cannot be always preſent with all their Patients, but Chriſt is, Pſal. 34.18. He is nigh to them that are of a broken heart, and ſaveth ſuch as be of a contrite ſpirit: If your heart be broken, he is nigh to binde it up.
(5.) Chriſt can heal your ſoul-diſeaſes throughly and effectually, and he onelyonly can do it; others will but skin over your wound, but Chriſt will heal to the bottom, Jer. 6.14. They have healed alſo the hurt of the daughter of my people ſlightly, ſaying, peace, peace, when there is no peace. Thus if you conſider what a Phyſician Chriſt is, you may be encouraged to come to him for healing.
3. If you ſay you are ſo ſick you cannot go to Chriſt, Send for him by fervent prayer and he will come to you: Cry to him, O thou Phyſician of ſouls, I am ſick, ſo ſick that I cannot come unto thee, and except thou heal me I am a dead man▪ a damned ſoul. I beſeech thee uſe thy skill, for that will ſave my ſoul alive, put forth thy power for the curing of my diſeaſes, Oh ſtanch this bloody iſſue, elſe my ſoul will bleed to death; Chriſt never refuſed to come to any ſick ſoul that was importunate with him to come with healing under his wings.
4. If you would be healed, you muſt come to Chriſts-Hoſpital, i. e. unto Chriſts Ordinances, and this you may do; if you cannot come to Chriſt, yet you may come unto his Ordinances, you may come and hear, you may attend at the pools ſide, and at length he might come, and put you into the healing waters, Mat. 21.14. And the blinde and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them, Pſal. 107.20. He ſent his word and healed them.
5. If you would be healed of your ſoul-ſickneſs, you muſt follow the directions and preſcriptions of Chriſt your ſpiritual Phyſician. If you be ſick, and the Phyſician tell you what you muſt do, and preſcribe you means, and you ſet them in your window, or let them ſtand upon your table, and do not do as he preſcribes, you may dye of your diſeaſe; you muſt obſerve his adviſe, for the time, when, and for the quantity, how much you muſt take, or elſe your diſtemper will abide, yea and increaſe; Chriſt will tell you what you muſt do, and if you follow his directions, your ſoul ſhall recover and be ſaved.
6. If you would be healed of your ſoul-ſickneſs; you muſt not let ſlip the time of healing; There is a time, a nick of time for healing, if you let that paſs, you will dye of your diſeaſe. The Impotent people that lay at the Pool of Betheſda, were to obſerve the ſeaſon when the Angel moved upon the water, and he that ſtepped in at the very nick of time was healed, Joh. 5.4. There is a time to heal, Eccleſ. 3.3. I pray God, this healing-time might not be paſt and over to thee that readeſt theſe lines. Cloze then with the preſent motions of the ſpirit, if yet thou feel him working upon thy heart.
7. If you would be healed of your ſoul-ſickneſs, you muſt take heed of thoſe things that will continue your diſeaſe; If a man will eat thoſe meats that feed his diſtemper, and is contrary to his health; he cannot rationally expect a cure. You muſt take heed of thoſe ſins, that if you do indulge, will not onelyonly hinder your recovery, but will increaſe your miſery.
8. If you would be healed of your ſoul-ſickneſs, do not undertake to be a Phyſician to your ſelf, nor go about to heal your ſouls, with any of your own Medicines; you may heal your own body, but not your ſoul, we are too apt to be Phyſicians to our ſelves, and to think to cure our ſoul-diſtempers by our duties, and by our own performances. But this will never be.
SECT. V.
V. What muſt thoſe do whom Chriſt hath cured of their ſoul-ſickneſs, to improve this cure to the glory of God?
1. Directions to give to God the glory of our ſouls cure.A Scribe the cure unto Chriſt, and not unto any means or inſtruments: if you are cured of any bodily diſeaſe, you are not to aſcribe it to your Phyſick, nor Phyſician, but to the goodneſs of your God; ſo if you are cured of your ſoul-diſeaſes, you muſt not attribute this to praying, or to the Preacher, but to Jeſus Chriſt, Hoſ. 11.3. I taught Ephraim alſo to go, taking them by their armes, but they knew not that I healed them. Thus David bleſſed the Lord, who healed all his diſeaſes, Pſal. 103.2, 3.
2. Encreaſe your love to Chriſt, who hath healed the diſtempers of your heart; will you not love that man that ſaved your life? and will you not love that Lord, that ſaved your ſouls? eſpecially when you conſider the manner and means of your cure. That he did it freely, and that with a Medicine of his own blood, other Phyſicians make you Medicines of other things, but Chriſt of his own heart blood; he died that you might live, and he was peirced, that you may be ſpared.
3. If you are healed, take heed of falling into a relapſe, take heed of wounding your ſoul after healing; if you are healed go away and ſin no more, leaſt a worſe thing come unto you, Joh. 8.11.
4. If you are healed, direct others to the ſame Phyſician, you do ſo to your acquaintance, that are ſick of the ſame diſeaſe that you have been, you tell them ſuch a man is able and skilful, and he hath cured the ſame diſeaſe in you, and counſel and perſwade them to go to him; do ſo in this caſe; you have a friend, a neighbor, a relation in a ſinful ſtate: Oh ſpeak to them to go to Chriſt. Doſt thou hear any ſoul complaining, alas my wound it is incurable, and my ſorrow it is intollerable, my heart is ſick, my ſoul is full of running ſores; and I pray, but have no help, and I hear, but have no cure; now direct ſuch a diſtreſſed ſinner unto Chriſt, and from your own experience encourage him to haſten unto Chriſt, from whom you have found ſuch healing virtue.
And if God hath healed thy body of the loathſome diſeaſe, in which thou mighteſt have ſaid with David, Pſal. 38.2. Thine arrows ſtick faſt in me (probable David was ſick of the Plague, which is called the Arrow of God, Pſal. 91.5.) and thy hand preſſeth me ſore. 3. There is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh, becauſe of thine anger— 5. My wounds ſtink and are corrupt— 7. My loyns are filled with a loathſome diſeaſe, and there is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh. 11. My lovers and my friends ſtand a loof off from my ſore, and my kinſmen ſtand afar off. This (it may be) hath been thy condition who readeſt theſe lines; thy body was full of loathſome ſores, and God hath cured thee, and which was worſe, thy ſoul was full of loathſome reigning ſins, and God hath healed thee; what now doth God expect at thy hand? but that ſince he hath given health unto thy body, and grace into thy ſoul, thou ſhouldeſt uſe both unto his glory; which if thou conſcientiouſly and ſincerely endeavor and practiſe, ere long thou ſhalt be received into the Armes of thy Lord, where there ſhall be no more ſickneſs in thy body, nor ſin in thy ſoul for ever.