Twenty Sermons, Sermon 4
CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION.
Iſaiah XL. 11.
He ſhall feed his Flock like a Shepherd: he ſhall gather his Lambs with his Arms, and carry them in his boſom, and ſhall gently lead thoſe that are with young.
2. Doct. JEſus Chriſt in his carriage to his People hath a tender reſpect to their infirmities. For the proof of this Point, I ſhall give you but one place of Scripture, and it is ſo full, that I ſhall need no more, Ezek. 34.19. It is ſpoken of our bleſſed Saviour; ſays our Saviour, I will ſeek that which was loſt, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will ſtrengthen that which was ſick, There are four ſorts of Perſons mentioned there, that have a great deal of need of Chriſts care and compaſſion, and of his tender indulgence towards them.
Firſt, Some there are that are loſt Sheep, not finally, or totally loſt, but loſt in their own apprehenſion, in their own ſenſe and feeling, as David complains in Pſalm 119.176, I have gone aſtray like a loſt ſheep. Now theſe, our Bleſſed Saviour will ſeek, he will recover them by his Word and Spirit, though in their own apprehenſions they think themſelves loſt, dead, damned, and undone: yet notwithſtanding he will ſeek them, and bring them into his Fold again.
Secondly, Others there are that are driven away, and that is a further degree of Miſery; Satan hath not only gotten them out of the Fold, but when they are got out, they wander more and more, they are driven more and more from Jeſus Chriſt, by Satans ſubtilty, and his temptations. Now ſays our Saviour, thoſe which are driven away, I will bring them again.
Thirdly, Some are in a further degree of Miſery, they are broken, broken with diſcouragements: they are ready to ſay, There is no hope, no mercy belongs to ſuch ſinners as they are, and theſe are in a worſe condition than the former; for a ſheep may be loſt, and driven from the Fold, but if that be all, he may return; but if the ſheep have broken a Leg, though he hear the voice of the Shepherd, he cannot help himſelf, his Leg is broken, and he cannot come at the call of the Shepherd: So ſome are ſo broken with diſcouragements, that though they hear the voice of Chriſt, they are ready to ſay, No mercy belongs to us. Now ſays Chriſt, theſe will I bind up again, and reſtore that Comfort that will quiet their hearts, and ſpeak peace to them.
Fourthly, Others are ſick, and that is yet a further degree of miſery; when a poor ſheep doth not only wander, and is driven away, and hath a broken leg, diſcouraged with temptations, but hath ſome kind of ſickneſs of ſpirit ſeized on him, ſo that he ſaith, his ſoul abhors all manner of meat, as David deſcribes a man in ſuch a condition: ſays he, his ſoul abhors all manner of meat, and they are brought to the very gates of death, Pſalm 107, 18. This is the ſaddeſt condition of all; but ſays Chriſt, theſe are ſuch that I will ſtrengthen. If you would know the reaſon why Chriſt hath ſuch a tender reſpect to his Peoples infirmities, I will give you theſe Three:
The Firſt is drawn from that gracious Diſpoſition that is in him: He is a Saviour of a very meek, mild, tender, and compaſſionate heart; this appears by thoſe Names and Titles that ſets forth the ſweetneſs of our Saviours diſpoſition in Scripture; he compares himſelf to a Father, to a Phyſician, to a Husband.
To a Father, Heb. 2.13, it is the ſpeech of Chriſt, Behold, I, and the Children which God hath given me.
And again, he compares him to a Phyſician, Matth. 9.12, But when Jeſus heard that, he ſaid unto them, They that be whole, need not a Phyſician, but they that be ſick.
So likewiſe to a Husband, Iſa. 54.5, For thy Maker is thy Husband, the Lord of Hoſts is his name.
Now, of whom ſhould Children expect pity and compaſſion, but of their Father? as a Father pitieth his own Children, ſo is the Lord merciful to them that fear him, Pſalm 103.13. And of whom ſhould a Patient expect help, but of the Phyſician? And of whom ſhould a Wife expect pity, but of her Huſband? band? who knows how to give the Wife the honour of a mild Uſage, becauſe he knows ſhe is the weaker Veſſel. All theſe Relations of a Father, a Phyſician, a Husband, and of a Shepherd, they are moſt eminently in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. That is one reaſon.
Secondly, He hath a tender reſpect to our infirmities, becauſe he is a Merciful High-Prieſt, toucht with the ſenſe of our infirmities, Heb. 4.15, For we have not a high Prieſt which cannot be toucht with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without ſin. Heb. 2.18, For in that he himſelf hath ſuffered, being tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted. As God ſpeaks to the Jews, Exod. 23.9, Alſo thou ſhalt not oppreſs a ſtranger, for ye know the heart of a ſtranger, ſeeing ye were ſtrangers in the Land of Egypt. So the Lord Chriſt, he knows the hearts of poor, tempted, broken, bruiſed ſouls, becauſe he himſelf was tempted. A Father, you know, becauſe he is acquainted with the diſtempers of his Child more than a ſtranger is, pities his Child more than a ſtranger doth: So the Lord Chriſt he knows our frame, he conſiders our temper, Pſalm 103.13, 24, therefore he pities us more than ſtrangers do, that do not know our tempers; he conſiders we are but duſt, and as the wind that paſſeth away, therefore he ſuffers not his whole diſpleaſure to fall upon us, Pſal. 78.38, 39. That's the ſecond reaſon: he pities us, and hath a tender reſpect to our infirmities, becauſe he is a merciful High Prieſt, toucht with the ſenſe of our infirmities.
Thirdly, The Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath a tender reſpect to the infirmities of his people, becauſe he loves and likes, and means to cheriſh the beginings of grace in any one of his poor children: he loves grace, and he likes it, and cheriſheth it: he looks more at the good in us, which he means to cheriſh, than at the bad in us, which he means to aboliſh: the Lord Chriſt looks at the very buddings and bloſſoms of grace in the ſoul; thoſe beginnings of grace are precious unto him: therefore he ſays of a little grace, as a man ſays of a tree that has but one cluſter upon it, Do not cut the tree, it hath a bleſſing in it, Iſa. 65.8. The Lord Chriſt will not deſtroy a cluſter of grapes, if there be but one cluſter. If there be but one Cherry on a tree, it ſhews there is ſome life in the tree; one Cherry upon a tree, it ſhews there is life as well as if there was twenty Pounds upon it; one Cherry ſhews that it is a living tree, and a man will not cut down that tree. The Lord Chriſt will cheriſh the leaſt beginnings of grace; if there be but a ſpark of grace in the ſoul, he will not quench it, but blow it up into a flame. Look as Phyſicians deal with diſeaſed Patients, they do not adminiſter purging Potions according to the greatneſs of their diſtempers, but according to the ſtrength of their Patients: So the Lord Jeſus Chriſt deals with his own children, not according to the diſeaſes and diſtempers that are in them, not according to the diſtempers of their ſins, but according to the meaſure of their ſtrength; he will not lay on them more than he will give them ſtrength to bear. Theſe are the reaſons of the point.
Before I come to the Application of the point, Becauſe this is Childrens bread, and Dogs are ready to ſnatch at it, that yet have no right to it: therefore for the explication of the point, there are theſe three Quaeries that would be ſatisfied: Firſt, What an Infirmity is. Secondly, What are the cauſes of thoſe Infirmities. Thirdly, What are the ſigns and ſymptoms of thoſe Infirmities.
Firſt, What an Infirmity is. An infirmity (briefly) in the ſoul, is this; Some ſickneſs or indiſpoſition of the ſoul, that ariſes from the weakneſs of grace. Or an Infirmity is this, When the purpoſe and inclination of the heart is upright, but a man wants ſtrength to perform that purpoſe; when the ſpirit is willing, but the fleſh is weak, Matth. 26.41. when a man can ſay with the Apoſtle, To will is preſent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not, Rom. 7.18. When the bent and inclination of the ſoul is right; but either through ſome violence of corruption, or ſtrength of temptation, a man is diverted and turned out of the way. As the needle in the Seamans Compaſs, you know if it be right, it will ſtand always Northward, and the bent of it will be towards the North-Pole; being jogged and troubled, it may ſometimes be put out of frame and order, yet the bent and inclination of it is ſtill Northward. This is an infirmity. That's the firſt.
Secondly, What are the cauſes of theſe Infirmities? there are divers cauſes you muſt know of our infirmities: as,
Firſt, An infirmity may ariſe from want of age, for want of time to gather ſtrength. The Lord Chriſt you muſt know hath Lambs in his Fold as well as Sheep, and he hath plants in his Orchard as well as ſtronger Trees, and Babes as well as ſtrong Men. Now ſays the Apoſtle, I write to you Babes and little Children, becauſe your ſins are pardoned for his name-ſake, 1 John 2.12. Obſerve there, that remiſſion of ſin is beſtowed not only upon young men, that are ſtrong to reſiſt temptations, not only upon aged men, that are well experienced in the ways of grace, but it is beſtowed even upon Babes: I write unto you little Children, becauſe your ſins are pardoned for his name-ſake.
Secondly, Our infirmities may ariſe alſo from a want of the means of grace, either when men want milk, or the ſincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. 2.2, or have but little of it.
Thirdly, Infirmities may ariſe from ſome ſecret corruption that was undiſcovered in our firſt converſion: This may be an occaſion of an infirmity; for that may both weaken the ſoul, and exceedingly diſtemper and diſquiet it.
Fourthly, Our infirmities may ariſe from forſaking ſound and ſolid truths, and diſquieting our thoughts with doubtful diſputations, as the Apoſtle calls them, Rom. 14.1, when men trouble their heads with trifles, or with matters of leſs moment, and in the mean while neglect the marrow of Religion; even as little Children, that forſake wholſome food, and feed on green apples, and ſo put their bodies into diſtempers.
Fifthly, Our infirmities may ariſe from this, when our affections are too much carried out after the World, and the things of the World; for certain it is, look how much the ſoul is carried out after the world, ſo much the weaker it is: the ſtronger our love to the world is, the weaker is our love to Jeſus Chriſt, and to grace, and ſpiritual things.
Sixthly, Our infirmities may ariſe from the not right ordering of our company; dead company, dead and barren company many times make dead and barren hearts.
Seventhly, Our infirmities may ariſe from our loſing our firſt love, remitting of the zeal, and intention, and forwardneſs, that once we had in the ways of grace: when we grow looſe and ſlothful in the ſervice of our God, and do not ſtir up the grace of God that is in us, 2 Tim. 1.6. Exerciſe you know encreaſeth ſtrength; but want of exerciſe many times occaſions weakneſs: When a man prays coldly, hears the word of God coldly, communicates at the Lords Table coldly: The more coldneſs there is in the performance of the Duties of Religion, the more weakneſs there will be in the ſoul. Theſe are the cauſes of our infirmities.
Thirdly, It may be demanded, What are the ſigns and ſymptoms of an Infirmity? (briefly) I ſhall give you theſe four.
Firſt, Where there are infirmities, there is ſpiritual life, though there be want of ſpiritual ſtrength: this is a certain ſign of an infirmity. You know there is a great deal of difference between a dead man and a weak man; a dead man that hath not life, and a weak man that hath life, and wants ſtrength. It cannot be ſaid of any wicked man that he is a weak man, but he is a dead man: neither can it be ſaid that he does any thing weakly, but he does it wickedly. Obſerve what our Saviour ſpeaks of a bruiſed reed, he ſpeaks of it as a thing that yet hath ſome life in it: for a reed, though it be exceeding weak, that it is ſhaken with every wind, yet by the ſide of the water it grows, it hath life in it. Make this ſure to thy ſelf, that thou haſt life in thee, or elſe the comfort of this Doctrine cannot belong to thee; if ſo be thou haſt life in thee, though thy Grace be weak, yet if thou haſt life, it is but an infirmity. But you will ſay, How may I know I have life in me? I anſwer, You may know it thus.
Firſt, Thou mayſt know it by thy ſpiritual feeling; thou wilt feel what hurts thee; thou wilt feel ſin to be a great burthen, and thou wilt groan under it, and thou wilt bemoan thy ſelf like Ephraim, Jer. 31.18, I have ſurely heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelf thus; Thou haſt chaſtiſed me, and I was chaſtiſed, as a Bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoak; turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God: ſurely after that I was turned, I repented: and after that I was inſtructed, I ſmote upon my thigh; I was aſhamed, yea, even confounded, becauſe I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Secondly, Thou mayſt know it by that ſpiritual ſtrife, and combat, and conflict that is in thee: certainly there will be a conflict in thy ſoul, becauſe there are two contrary principles there; put water to water, or fire to fire, and there is no conflict; but put water and fire together, and there will be a great conflict: So corruption will not ſtrive with corruption; but where there is Grace and corruption in one ſoul, there will be a combat and conflict, the Fleſh will luſt againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the Fleſh, Gal. 5.17.
Thirdly, Thou mayſt know thou haſt life in thee by thy ſpiritual crying; thou wilt cry out for deliverance from danger and evil: O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death! Thou wilt make this the chief ſubject of thy ſuit and ſupplication to God, from day to day: O, that once I might be freed from a baſe whoriſh, backſliding-heart, that continually is departing from God.
Fourthly, If thou haſt life, certainly that grace thou haſt, though it be but weak, though it be but little, though it be but as a ſpark, yet it ſhall prevail againſt corruption; for wherever the Lord Chriſt enters into the ſoul to dwell, there he comes like a Conquerour, and he brings forth Judgment unto victory, Matth. 12.20. That is, his Government ſhall be victorious over all the oppoſition of ſin and Satan: Grace, like oyl, will be uppermoſt: if there be but a ſpark of Grace in thy heart, it ſhall not be quenched, but it ſhall rather increaſe more and more, and at laſt ſhall grow up into a flame, as the fire of the Lord that came upon Elijahs offering, 1 Kings 18.38, conſumed the burntſacrifice, and the wood, and the ſtones, and the duſt, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Grace is a fire that comes down from Heaven; though there be but a little ſpark of it at firſt, yet by little and little it will lick up all the water of our corruptions, and conſume our ſins; Grace will grow ſtronger and ſtronger, and corruption weaker and weaker. That is the firſt ſymptom of an infirmity. If there be ſpiritual life in the ſoul; but if there be not ſpiritual life, there is no infirmity.
Secondly, The ſecond Sign or Symptom of an infirmity, is this, That may be ſaid to be an infirmity, when ſome particular action croſſes the main intention of the heart; If thine eye be ſingle, if thy heart be upright, if the Byas and bent of thy ſoul be towards God, then all the obliquity, or all the ſwervings in thy life, are but lookt upon as infirmities: For example, A good Archer that is handling his Bow, may-be his eye is right, and his aim is right, but through the weakneſs of his hand, or the diſtemper of his Bow, he may miſs the Mark, that is an infirmity; So here, if thy eye be right towards Gods Commandments: if thy intention be to pleaſe God, if the bent and byas of thy ſoul be God-ward, not ſin-ward, then all the reſt of the obliquity, or ſwervings that are in thy actions, are lookt upon but as infirmities: As a Traveller, for example, in his journey; if he ſet his face the right way, and he be enquiring the way, and willing to follow the way; or if, when he goeth out of the way, he check himſelf, though he may miſs of the way through ignorance, or may be ſeduced by ſome that told him wrong; yet that may be ſaid to be but an infirmity: So here, when thou canſt ſet thy face towards Heaven, as the children of Iſrael and Judah are deſcribed, Jer. 50.5, They ſhall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward; ſaying, Come let us joyn our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten. When a man thus ſets his face towards Heaven, then his wandrings out of the way (if they be beſide the intention of his purpoſe and mind) are lookt upon but as infirmities; David was out of his way, when in a fury he would be avenged on Nabal for his churliſhneſs; when he ſaid, God do ſo to me, and more alſo, if I cut not off Nabal, and every one that belongs to his Family; yet when Abigail, a wiſe Woman, comes and tells him, he was out of his way, how glad was he? and ſtops his courſe, and ſaid, Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael which ſent thee this day to meet me; and bleſſed be thy advice, and bleſſed be thou which haſt kept me this day from coming to ſhed blood, and from avenging my ſelf with my own hand, 1 Sam. 25.32, 33. See the difference between the ſin of Judas, and the ſin of Peter; Judas you know, he ſinned with deliberation, and his intention was ſtark naught; his intention and purpoſe of betraying his Maſter, was to inrich himſelf; he was a Thief, and nibled money out of his Maſters Bag, therefore his intention was naught. But on the contrary, look on Peter, when he thrice denyed his Maſter, it was a great ſin too, but it was without his intention or purpoſe; certainly Peter had no intention at all to deny his Maſter; but it fared with him, as a man that is writing with his Pen in his hand, and writing a ſtraight Line, but it may be ſome body comes and joggs him on the Elbow, ſo he makes a crooked line againſt his will: Or as a man that is ſhooting at a Mark, but ſome body comes and joggs his Elbow, and makes his Arrow to go awry; thus was it with Peter: This is the ſecond Sign or Symptome of an infirmity.
Thirdly, That is an Infirmity, when a mans judgment is kept ſound and upright, that he does not approve of any ſin, when no ſin hath any allowance or approbation in his heart; this was the fruit of John Baptiſt his Preaching, Iſa. 40.4, Every Valley ſhall be exalted, and every Mountain and Hill ſhall be made low, and the crooked ſhall be made ſtraight, and the rough places plain: that is, thoſe that are converted by John Baptiſts preaching, they would not look on crooked things as plain, or plain things as crooked; that is, they would not defend, or juſtifie themſelves in ſin, but look upon ſin as ſin, and duty as duty; and they would not look upon the ways of God as crooked, but ſtraight: they were indeed crooked to them before, becauſe their judgment was not ſound; but now they look upon them as ſtraight, and all his ways to be equal ways. A child of God will be ſure to commend that duty which yet he cannot practiſe; and he will be ſure to condemn that ſin into which yet he often ſlips and falls, and that becauſe his judgment is right; duty will be duty in his eye, and ſin will be ſin in his eye, though through infirmity he may fail in the one, and fall into the other.
Fourthly, He that ſins through infirmity, will ſtill keep his conjugal love to Jeſus Chriſt; and although ſome failings in him may work a kind of eſtrangement between Chriſt and his ſoul; yet notwithſtanding his heart will ſtill cleave to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and this appears thus: Becauſe he will chuſe no other Husband, he will chuſe no other Saviour for all this; but he would rejoyce with all his heart, if he might be but reconciled to Jeſus Chriſt; though there hath been ſome unkindneſs between Chriſt and him, He ſays, I will return to my firſt Husband, for then was it better with me than now, Hoſ. 2.7. and he is grieved for the unevenneſs of his carriage towards ſo ſweet a Husband us he hath been to him. If there be ſuch a diſpoſition in you, to hold faſt your conjugal love to Jeſus Chriſt, and ſtill keep cloſe to him, though there may be ſome unkindneſs, yet thou pitcheſt on no other Husband; certainly, this is but an infirmity. But ſays the poor ſoul, Can that be an infirmity, that cleaves to me all my days? that I have been vext and perplext with, twenty, thirty years together?
I anſwer, Poſſibly there may be ſuch infirmities cleave to Gods children: As for example, ſome deadneſs in duties, dulneſs and deadneſs in hearing the Word; it may be ſlipperineſs of memory, or forgetfulneſs of the words we have heard; or it may be ſome ſtrong corruption, which is like a thorn in the fleſh, which the Lord Jeſus hath left in thee, to humble thee, and to make thee baſe in thy own eyes, all thy days: But it may be then you will object, and ſay, How then will this ſtand with the Doctrine you delivered even now? you made it a mark or token of ſpiritual life, That Grace will prevail againſt corruption; that the Government of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt would be victorious?
I anſwer, True Grace will be victorious at laſt, but I do not ſay, it will be all at once, but it will be by degrees; and it is ſome kind of victory and conqueſt over corruption, when it is ſubdued, though it be not quite extinguiſhed; if it be weakned and abated, though it be not deſtroyed; when a man can feelingly cry out of it, as the Apoſtle did, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death! and he breaks out, and ſays, thanks be to God, through Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 7.25.
Secondly, I anſwer: God ſometimes works by contraries; God is carrying on the work of Grace in his Children, when corruptions ſeem to be thriving and growing; when God means to give his Children victory, he ſuffers them to be foyled firſt; the work of Grace in the heart ſometimes goes backwards, that it may go forwards: As the Seed that is ſown in the Field, it rots in the ground before it ſprings and grows: Sometimes you muſt know, that God will ſtrengthen us by our very ſlippings; he will have us learn to ſtand by our very falls and bruiſes; he will have us to be ſtrengthened by our weakneſſes and infirmities; he will have us to be deep-rooted by our ſhakings: Our infirmities are the keepers of our Graces; it makes us look more carefully to our own ſtandings; it is good therefore to obſerve the methods and manner of Gods dealing with our ſouls, and to learn to live by faith; be acting of faith in the buſineſs of our infirmities; for as I have often told you, The life of faith is in the uſe of faith; ſo much as we uſe faith, ſo much we live by it; it is good for a man to live by faith in point of his infirmities; and to ſay, when I am foyled, I ſhall have victory, when I fall, I ſhall ariſe; when I am weak, I am ſtrong, as the Church ſaid, Micah 7.8, Rejoyce not againſt me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I ſhall ariſe: when I ſit in darkneſs, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me. Thus you have the explication of the point, what an Infirmity is, and what are the cauſes of it, and what are the ſigns and ſymptoms of it. For the uſe of the point: 1. For Conſolation. 2. For Caution. 3. For Exhortation.
Firſt, For Conſolation, becauſe that is the principal uſe of the Text: And O, that I could ſpeak not only to the ears, but to the heart of any poor doubting, drooping, dejected ſoul: O that this Doctrine might be as a box of ointment, to comfort ſuch an one, to refreſh him; O that I eould but drop in ſome Conſolation into any poor bruiſed ſoul that hears me this day, that ſuch an one might lift up thoſe hands that hang down, and feeble knees that tremble, Iſa. 35.3.
And this is the comfort I have to tender to thee, That the Lord will not reject thee for an infirmity: He carries his Lambs in his Arms, and gathers them in his boſom; poor weak ones, he carries them in his boſom, when it may be the Leg is broken, and they are not able to go; he gently leads thoſe with young, in all their fears, doubts, and diſquietments about their Condition; he hath a tender care of his Lambs, of his weak ones: If thou art but one of Chriſt, Lambs, know thus much for thy comfort, that he hath a care of the pooreſt Lamb that is in his Flock; if thou art a Plant in his Vineyard, know, that he hath a care of the tendereſt Plant; never was it known, that a merciful and compaſſionate Father, caſt off a child becauſe of his weakneſs: many times, it may be, when the child is ſo ſick and weak, that it is not able to ſpeak, but only to ſay, Father; it may be it cannot ſpeak out; then the Bowels of the Father yearns towards him the more; the weaker the child is, and unable to ſpeak, the more his compaſſions are rowling towards him; O let not our unbelief make Jeſus Chriſt unnatural; Do we think that Jeſus Chriſt has leſs compaſſion toward his Lambs than Jacob had? Jacob was ſuch a Shepherd that he had ſuch a tender care of his Lambs, that, ſays he, if you over-drive the flocks, the lambs will die: and do you think that Jeſus Chriſt is leſs ſollicitous for the good of his? But alas! ſays the poor ſoul, my infirmities diſcourage me, they weaken my aſſurance, and rob me of my peace and comfort. I anſwer: true it is, infirmities do ſo, but they ſhould not do ſo; and that they may not do ſo, take theſe three or four Conſiderations.
Firſt, Conſider, in every infirmity, as there is ſomething againſt God, ſo there is ſomething alſo from God: There is ſomething againſt God, that is true, becauſe our infirmities are not ſuitable to the holineſs and ſtrictneſs of his Law; and therefore we ſhould ſtrive againſt them with prayer, and care and watchfulneſs. But as there is ſomething againſt God, ſo there is ſomething alſo from God: It may be he lets looſe thoſe infirmities upon thee, even like a Meſſenger of Satan, to buffet thee, to humble thee, to prove thee, and to teach thee to priſe Jeſus Chriſt ſo much the more. It may be God lets looſe theſe infirmities, as the avenger of blood was let looſe upon the man ſlayer, to force the man ſlayer to fly to the City of Refuge, Numb. 35; ſo theſe infirmities are let looſe to force thee to fly to Jeſus Chriſt the Refuge of thy ſoul. Some there are, that was it not for ſtrong infirmities cleaving to them, ſtrong temptations meeting with them, would never be beholding to Jeſus Chriſt at all: Look therefore in every infirmity, not only at the evil of it, but at the good God intends by it; it may be God intends good to thy ſoul by them: Whereas we, as he ſaid once, many times make plaiſters to become a poyſon, the Lord is able on the contrary to make a plaiſter of poyſon: We many times bring ſin out of Grace: God can bring grace out of ſin: he can bring Heaven out of Hell: therefore as there is ſomething againſt God, ſo there is ſomething from God in our infirmities: therefore we ſhould not be diſcouraged becauſe of them.
Secondly, Conſider the great difference between thy ſelf when thou waſt in a ſtate of nature, and now when thou art a weak Chriſtian, and ſubject to infirmities; did not God reject thee at that time, and caſt thee off, when thou waſt an open Traitor and Rebel, marching on in a courſe of rebellion againſt him? did he not caſt thee off, but had compaſſion on thee, and did pity thee, and ſpare thee? then certainly he will not now caſt thee off for ſome unvoluntary errour, which thou bewaileſt, and mourneſt for in his preſence: Did the Lord ſeek thee at that time when thou deſpiſedſt him? certainly then, he will not deſpiſe thee when thou feekeſt him. That is a good argument of the Apoſtle, to ſtrengthen, and ſupport, and comfort drooping ſpirits, Rom. 5.10, For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we ſhall be ſaved by his life: Certainly therefore God will not reject thee for an infirmity, if he was ſo gracious to thee in thy ſtate of ſin and enmity to him: there is as great a difference between a ſtate of grace and a ſtate of nature, as there is between Heaven and Hell, though grace be never ſo weak, and imperfect.
Thirdly, Conſider the great danger of being pluckt away from Jeſus Chriſt, by giving too much way to deſpondency: Satans main drift, and great plot is, to drive thee away from Jeſus Chriſt by thy infirmities; he labours to bring thee to deſpond and deſpair, and to ſay there is no hope for thee; becauſe Satan knows, the more he draws thee from Jeſus Chriſt, the weaker thou wilt be: Thy infirmities ſhould not drive thee from Chriſt, but they ſhould drive thee to Chriſt, to improve and make uſe of his gracious diſpoſition, in helping and healing thee in thy miſeries and diſtreſſes.
Fourthly, Conſider what may be the cauſes of thy infirmities; thoſe infirmities will be cured in the cauſes. For example, if thy infirmities ariſe from want of age, or time to gather ſtrength, that will be cured; becauſe the path of the juſt is as a ſhining light, that ſhineth more and more to the perfect day, Prov. 4.18. Or if from want of the means of grace, or becauſe the means of grace thou enjoyeſt are not ſuch as others enjoy; the Lord in ſuch caſes will have a tender reſpect to thee, and meaſure to thee, not according to what thou haſt, but according to what thou wouldſt have. Again, if thy infirmities ariſe from ſome corruption, that was not diſcovered to thee at thy firſt converſion, thou muſt then pray, and beg, that the Lord would diſcover thy ſelf to thy ſelf more and more. Again, if thou haſt forſaken ſome old truths of God, and art grown weary of them, and hankereſt after Novelties, and new Opinions; then return from thy wandrings, and prize ſolid meat above kickſhaws; beg that thy ſoul may taſte once again the ſweetneſs of Goſpel-truths. In a word, what ever the cauſe of your infirmities be, get the diſeaſe healed in the cauſe, get thy heart more weaned from the World, and ſtir up thy ſelf to take hold of God; remember thy former zeal, and repent and do thy firſt works; and this is the way to get thy infirmities healed. That's the firſt Uſe, a Uſe of Comfort and Conſolation.
The ſecond Uſe, is a Uſe of Caution; The Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as you have heard, hath a tender reſpect to his people, a tender care of his people, in reſpect of their infirmities: let not a wicked man then apply this to himſelf, and ſay, the Lord Chriſt will have a tender reſpect to me that go on in the courſe of ſin, that live in ſin, and lye in ſin, and ſleep in ſin, and wallow in ſin: No, for there is a great deal of difference between the weakneſs of a Lamb, and the wickedneſs of a Wolf; the Lord Jeſus Chriſt pities his Lambs for their weakneſs, but he doth not pity a Wolf for his wickedneſs; that is, that man who is reſolved to go on in a courſe of ſin, ſay a Miniſter what he can to the contrary, if he is dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, if he hath no ſpiritual life in him, if there be no work of grace begun in him, all that I have ſaid concerning Chriſts tender care of his peoples infirmities, doth not belong to him, he hath no part in this Inheritance; if thou beeſt a Wolf, and not a Lamb, the Lord Chriſt that hath a tender care of his Lambs, will be ſure to meet thee, not as a Shepherd that carries his Lambs in his Arms, but he will meet thee as a Lion, Hoſea 13.7, 8, Therefore I will be unto them as a Lyon, as a Leopard by the way will I obſerve them: I will meet them as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps, and I will rent the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a Lyon, the wild beaſts ſhall tear them. The ſame Chriſt that is a Shepherd to his People, he knows how to be a Lyon, a Leopard, and a Bear to his Enemies. That is an awakening Scripture, Pſalm 68.21, But God ſhall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy ſcalp of ſuch an one as goeth on ſtill in his treſpaſſes. If therefore thou art one that goeſt on in thy treſpaſſes, in an unreformed courſe; if thou liveſt in ſin, and ſetteſt thy heart on wickedneſs, and takeſt pleaſure therein, this doctrine doth not belong to thee, thou art not a Lamb in Chriſts account, he will not deal tenderly with thee; nay, he will deal moſt roughly with thee, his wrath and fury will be powred out upon thee, as the Prophet ſpeaks. That's the ſecond Uſe, of Caution.
Laſtly, A word of Exhortation: If the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath ſuch a tender reſpect in his carriage to the infirmities of his People; O then reſolve to have no other Maſter but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; be under the conduct of no other Shepherd, but only this; O hear him, fear him, and follow him; follow him whitherſoever he goes; follow him, how? by depending on him for direction, by cleaving to him in heart, and life; follow him by imitation; follow him by hearkning to his voice; follow him by being ruled by him, as before you are directed; ſeeing he is the Lord over his own Houſe, let him Rule in his Houſe, let thy ſoul be his Temple, wherein he may delight to dwell; ſay, Lord, Rule in me as thou pleaſeſt, ſo I may but be thine. Happy are they that are under the Government of Jeſus Chriſt; happy are they that ſubmit themſelves to his Guidance and Direction, to his Law, and his Spirit; certainly, ſuch ſhall find him a merciful, a meek, a compaſſionate, a tender-hearted Saviour, who gathers his Lambs in his Arms, and carries them in his Boſom, and gently leads thoſe that are with young.