The Principles of Christian Practice, Point of doctrine 12
THE PHYSICIAN Of SOVLES.
LVK. 5. 31.
The whole need not the Physician, but those that are sicke.
CHrist is bidden to Levies Connexion.house: hee is ready to come, where he is kindly invited. The Pharises carpe at his person, and his fact: he eateth with sinners: like to like, say they; were he not a sinner, he could not sort and suit with sinners.
See the disposition of an hypocriticall Note 1. Christ never is pleasing to the wicked.enemy of Christ. Neither the Doctrine of Christ can please him, vers. 21. Who is this that blasphemeth? can any forgive sinnes but God? nor his life here. And both are still quarrelled at, in his servants and Ministers.
Yet dare they not come openly before Christs face, whom Note 2. Grace and innocency traduced in secretthey knew able to defend himselfe; but whisper behinde his backe, to his Disciples: either because they suppose them not to be so ready to answer them, or to bring them into suspition of Christ, of whom they conceived reverently. And thus do hypocrites spitefully at this day: they dare not openly assault Christ and his servants (for they know they can defend themselves:) but shoot arrowes in secret against their Doctrine and practices, to wound them in their names, estates, or persons. For all wicked men are led by one spirit against Christ.
But marke: they want no faire pretences. What? a man Note 3. Pretences ever ready against good men,professing such strictnesse and holinesse, to eat, and drinke, and be familiar with finnes? may not a man by a mans company know who and what he is? A plausible reason, and true in the generall, but maliciously and falsly applyed to this particular. So wicked men have their pretences plausible enough: Oh they stand for the Church, for holinesse, for Gods service, and piety, for order, for charity; when all that while they intend mischiefe against Christ and his Ordinances.
Marke againe: If they cannot accuse him of evill, they can Note 4. Godly accusedd f… wel d…ing at least.for well-doing; as here, for exercising his calling: sometimes for casting out divels: sometimes for working miracles on the Sabbath day, as a man without conscience of the Sabbath. And indeed, what are the most accusations of enemies against Gods servants, but for the performance of their duty, and exercise of their calling, either generall or particular.
Lastly, these men had learning, Note 5. … wicked men all good is turned a gainst good.gifts, authority, wealth, the key of knowledge; but all bent against Christ, and his Gospell, and Religion, and grace. So wicked men: looke whatsoever meanes, wealth, authority, or place they have, all is bent against Christ and grace, and religion must-looke for no helpe there, but hinderance and resistance.
Now Christ in this verse answereth Christ answers still for his.the challenge. The question was not propounded to him, but to his Disciples: yet he takes on him to answer for them: where he shewes his readinesse to take all our causes on himselfe: Oh we serve a good Lord, who is able and willing to stop the mouth of Satan, hell, the law, and all Calumniators, who call in question our righteousnesse, and will in the last day much more acquit us of all accusations, and make our innocency shine as at noon-day. Feare not accusers: it is God Rom 8 33that iustifieth. If the Disciples cannot answer for themselves, Christ can and will.
In this answer,
1. He blameth them of hypocrisie, Parts of our Saviours answer.who thought themselves so just, as that all other were sinners beside themselves: 1the whole need not the Physician.
2. He defends himselfe and 2his fact by a proverbiall speech, The sicke need the Physician: viz. I came not amongst sinners, to boulster them up in their sins, but to helpe them out and heale them. It is my calling, being the Physician of soules, to be among sinners. Where should the Physician bee, but amongst his Patients?
Thus our Lord by his answer, if he can doe them no good, yet doth good to the truth, confirmeth his Disciples, justifieth himselfe, convineeth his enemies: Which by Gods overruling power is the end of all In the end truth …s by opposition.opposition of the truth, which in the conclusion must be no loser, but a gainer and conquerer.
The Text hath three parts: Parts of the Text1 the Patients: 2. the Physician: 3. the Cure.
The Patients are propounded1 Patients
Negatively: not the whole.
Affirmatively: but the sicke.
Quest. Is any man whole?
Answ. 1. No man is whole by nature: in Adam all are Who are whole, and how. 1deadly sicke. No man doth good, no not one. God hath concluded all dead in sinne. Only some are healed by grace, as Simeon, Ioseph, Hanna, Zachary, and the like.
2. Some are whole in conceit 2onelyonly, and thinke themselves found, just, and holy enough: as did these Scribes and Pharises, who needed no Physician: they no more saw their need of a Physician, then they saw their sicknesse. And th… there be many whole men in the world, and almost al men are generally whole in these daies. Hos. 7. 9. Ephraim saw not his gray haires, nor the consumption of his strength. Revel. 3. …7 Laodicea saith, she is rich, and needs nothing. The Pharisie blesseth God he is not as others: Luk. 1…. 11he seeth in himselfe no hypocrisie, nor pride, nor contempt of others: he is a whole man.
Many a civill man liveth honestly: Civility makes men thinke themselves …le.he doth no man harme: he is beloved of his neighbours: he keeps the Commandements as well as God will give him leave. This mans case (in his owne conceit) is sound and good, and he hopes he shall live in his righteousnesse.
And in thousands, presumption And presump ion.is as a chaine to the necke; who tell us they love God with all their hearts, have a strong saith, never had any doubt they thanke God, no not so much as any grudgings of unbeleefe, and it were pitty he should live that doubteth of his salvation. These are sound men and whole: but, as they never beleeved, so they never bewailed their infidelity, never groaned under the burthen of their sinnes, are enemies to God, to his Word, to all righteousnesse; worldlings, oppressors, deceivers, swearers, cursors, otherwise abominable; yet still found and whole men, in their owne conceit.
And another cause of conceited And the extenuating of sinsoundnesse, is, the extenuaation of sinne. Some qualmes and grudgings they have: and all men are sinners, and crazy: but themselves are no great sinners, or no greater then other men. Thus they mince and lessen their sinnes. They are not sicke enough to seeke out to the Physician: they have ease enough yet, if it would hold without Christ.
Now see the miserable and Use 1. Whole men, in most danger.damnable estate of these men.
First, they are eaten up with griping diseases, and deadly pangs, and yet feele nothing. Paines of sinne are like the pains of sicknesse: the lesse felt, the more dangerous and deadly.
Secondly, as they need not the Physician, so certainely the Physician needs not them: hee came not for them: they have as much helpe from him as they seeke. He came not to call the righteous. He calleth and cureth onelyonly the sicke, and heavy laden with the sense and burden of sinne.
Let this therefore serve to Vse 2. See thy selfe not whole.convince these whole men, and let them see their estate, so as they may seeke to the Physician, and not dye senslesse. The markes and spots of a deadly disease are these:
First, an ill stomacke argueth Tokens of deadly sicknesse. 1bodily disease: so Spirituall: If the Word, (the Manna from heaven) be bitter, if thy minde rise against it, and the mouth of thy soule be out of taste, if thy memory keepe not the doctrine of God, if by meditation thou digestest it not, and so sendest it not into all parts of thy life, thou art sick iudeed, though thou secmost never so whole.
Secondly, when the body 2consumeth, the parts are weakned, the knees bowe under a man, and with much adoe he draggeth his limbes after him, there is certainly a bodily disease, though there bee no complaint. So in the soule: when men are weake to deeds of piety, have no strength to conquer temptation, to suffer crosses and trials; to workes of charity, mercy, or justice; but all strength of grace seems to be exhausted: here is a dangerous disease: here may wee justly feare a spirituall hecticke, which is no sooner discernable, then deadly.
Thirdly, when the senses 3faile, the eyes grow dimme, the eares dull, it is an apparant signe of a bodily, or spirituall disease. A senslesse man is the sickest man, because he is sicke though he be not sensible. Even so, when the eye-strings of the soule are broken, that they see not the light of grace, nor of God, which as the Sunne shines round about them; the eares heare not the voyce of God, the feeling is gone, they have no sense of the great gashes and wounds of the lusts of uncleannesse, drunkennesse, covetousnesse, swearing, lying, malice against God and his servants; nay, no complaint, but rather rejoycing in these; neither is there any fellowship in the afflictions Amos 6. 6.of Ioseph: the soule of such a man lyes very weake, as a man for whom the Bell is ready to toll.
Fourthly, difficulty of breathing, 4.or to be taken speechlesse, is a signe of a disease and death approching: So in the soule, prayer being the breath of the soule, when a man can hardly fetch this breath, cannot pray, or with much adoe can begge mercy, strength, and supply of grace; or when he is speechlesse, a man cannot heare him whisper a good and savoury word, but all is earthly, fruitlesse or hurtfull; here is a living Corps, a painted sepulcher, not a man of a better world.
Would men try themselves by these notes, they would soone discorne their sicknesse, and runne out to the Physician. But oh what an hard taske is it, to bring a man rightly to know his estate? A singer of the body cannot ake, but men complaine and bind it up. But the soule lies gasping, and there is no such care, &c.
Thus negatively of the Patient, or party fit for cure.
Affirmatively it is the sicke Who are sicke.man. And he is the sicke man. that feeles and groanes under the paine and burden of his sin. The point this,
Sinne is the most dangerous s…ickenesse in the whole world, Doctr. Sin a desperate sicknesse. Resemblances of corporall and spirituall sicknesse. 1.and fitly resembles bodily sickenesse: For,
First, sicknesse comes by intemperance: the temperate body is never sick: while we were in innocency, we were in sound health, but through distemperature in our natures we were … temperatevixit Socrates, ut cum Athenas pestis sape vastaret solus ipse nunquam agrotaverit Dio. Laer. l. 2.poysoned at first, and ever since; our sinnes and lusts conceiving, bring forth sinne and death. And as some sicknesses be hereditary and propagated, so the sicknesse of sinne is propagated from Adam to all his posterity, and every man hath added to his disease by his owne wilfull transgression.
Secondly, sicknesse weakneth the body, and impaireth the vigor 2of nature: so doth sinne in the soule: experience sheweth, that after some sinne we very hardly and weakly attempt any good thing for along time. Sin hath weakned the faculties, darkened the understanding, corrupted the will, disordered the affections: thence this sicknesse.
Thirdly, sickenesse brings 3paine and torment into the body: so doth sinne into the soule, first or last: There is no peace to Esa. 57. …1a wicked man, but terrors soule, horrors of conscience, and desperate feares doe ever attend him.
Fourthly, sicknesse continuing and lingring on the body, 4.threatneth death, and without timely cure bringeth it: Sinne also, not removed by repentance, menaceth; and bringeth certaine death to body and soule.
Fifthly, sicknesse is generally 5incident to al men. So the soules of all men are diseased by nature; even the soules of the Elect, till they bee healed by Christ. And these diseases are most foule, and incurable: compared in Scripture to a gangrene which suddenly eateth up the body, 2 Tim. 2. 17. and to the Leprosie, the contagion whereof not onelyonly reacheth over all the parts of a man, but to others also; and for the effect, casteth a man out of the Congregation.
Conceive then of sinne, as of Use 1. Thinke of sinne as a sicknesse.a sicknesse, and beware of it. How carefull are wise men of their health, to prevent sickenesse? and againe, how foolish and negligent are infinite numbers of people, who are exceeding carefull to preserve the health of their bodies, yet think not at all of their poore soules, which lye languishing of lamentable deadly diseases? Well: prevent beginnings: breake off sinne betimes: A disease suffered long, growes incurable.
Others may learne to groane Vse 2. Mourn for it as sickenesse. Psal. 31. 17under the burden of sinne. Little is the hope of him, who is deadly sicke, and senslesse of it. It is the contrite heart, and broken spirit onelyonly, that is capable of cure: one that feeleth, and cryeth out of the paine of sinne, originall and actuall, that feeleth the want of Christ, and prizeth him and his merits above gold silver, and all. He must be sicke, that must be well. Christ can worke no cure on a sound man. The Paschall lambe is to be eaten Exod. 12. 8with bitter herbs: signifying, that Christ can never be sweet, till we have conceived sorrow and griefe of heart for sinne. It is observed of the Angels, that their sinne is not mentioned in Genesis, because they were not to be restored by repentance; but the sinne of man is enlarged in all the circumstances, Note.that he might bee sensible, ashamed, and penitent of his sinne. As in bodily cures, so in spirituall: the more sense of paine, the better it is to be liked; more then if the wound should be ranckled, and stuffed with dead flesh. A senslesse lethargie is as deadly, as the most tormenting disease. Cry thou out of thy pride, lying, deceiving, swearing, other sinnes, as a man in paine, longing after deliverance: say as Saint Paul, O wretched man that J am, who shall deliver me from the body of Rom. 7. 24.this death! and, O that I may never feele the like paine againe?
Or if Christ have given thee any ease, or freedome from sin Vse 3. VponUpon recovery glorifie Christ the Physician.and lusts, magnifie his grace. How glad are men when they have out-stood a bodily weakedesse? How glad was David when he had beene stopped in his rage against Nabal? Blessed be the Lord, blessed be thy counsell, 1 Sam. 25. 32, 33and blessed be th…u. When Christ had cured a blind man, he followed him, and praised God, and all the people praised him likewise for what was done, Luk. 18. 42. And when Christ had cast out the Divell (chap. 8. 30.) the man would have followed Christ, but he bade him goe to his house, and shew what great things God had done for him: and he went his way, and preached those things through all the City.
Againe, beware of relapses, Vse 4. Beware of relapses. Ioh. 5. 14being far more dangerous then the first disease. Goe, and sinne no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. Beware of occasions of sinne, especially wicked and infectious company: no plaguy house so infectious as that.
Lastly, pitty and helpe others. Vse 5: Pity and help out of sinne.We despise not, nor scorne, nor laugh at a sicke man: nor will one sicke man scorne another. It is thine owne case, and thy brethrens, spiritually. Were it a Nesas pr… terire, &c. Herodot. O…io.jest to see men dying? no, we pitty them, we pray for them, we doe them all offices of charity: And so it should be here.
Hitherto of the Patients.2. Physician.
We come now to the Physician.
The Physician is our Lord Iesus Doct. Christ is the Physician of soules.Christ: as in the next words, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Exod. 5. 26. J am the Lord, that healeth thee. God challengeth this as a part of his owne glory, by Christ to heale us. Iob 5. 18. He maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. Psal. 103 3. who healed thee of thine infirmities: and, Mal. 4. 2 of Christ it is said, that healing is under his wings.
For first, as a skilfull Physician he kno weth every mans esta te Reasons. 1perfe…ly: hee knoweth what is … man, Iohn 2. so doth no other Physician; they can gh…sse by inspection and see something, but hee seeth our secret corruptions, in as much as hee seeth our hearts and thoughts, and cannot be deceived. He saw the woman at the Well to bee an harlot. And, (Matth. 16. 7.) he saw the reasoning of their hearts, when they thought he spake because they had no bread.
Secondly, he knowes the cure 2.as perfectly as he doth the disease. No Physician knowes all the vertues of all the simples and drugs he administreth: and besides, he is wholly ignorant of many. But Christ our Physician knowes the infallible worke of his remedies: so that, whereas it may be said of many young Physicians, they need a new Church-yard, yet never any miscarried under his hands, whom he undertooke to cure. Of all Ioh. 17. 18whom thou hast glven me, J have lost none.
Thirdly, as a skilfull Physician 3he prescribeth the fittest remedies. For in his Word hee appointeth, physicke for every disease of the soule; for pride, envy, covetousnesse, trouble of conscience, and other. Yea, he appointeth most proper remedies What can be more proper, to cure the corruption of our nature, then the purity of his? for our actuall disobedience, his actuall obedience? for the guilt and curse of our sinnes, that himselfe was made a curse for us?Gal. 3: 13 4
Fourthly, as a Physician prepareth his Patient for his physicke, so Christ prepareth the party by faith to apply his remedies; by perswading the heart to beleeve, and to apply to the fore and wounded conscience, the precious Balmes which himselfe hath prepared. Else, as phyficke, not in the receit, or box, or cupbord, or pocket can profit unlesse it be applyed and received, though it be never so soveraigne; no more can this.
Fifthly, Christ goeth beyond 5. Christs excellency above other Physicians. 1all Physicians; two wayes.
1. In the generality of his cure. Some diseases are desperate, and all the physicke in the world cannot cure them. But Christ can cure all: no disease is so desperate, as to foile him. The sinne against the holy Ghost is not desperate in it selfe, nor to him, but onelyonly in the wilfulnesse of the party. This was sufficiently testified by those powerfull and miraculous cures, which he wrought in the dayes of his flesh, both upon the soules and bodies of men; casting out divels by his Word, pardoning of sinnes, working faith, curing all sicknesses and diseases, restoring all senses, yea and raising the dead to life, which all Physicians in the world could not doe: And all this, that it might be fulfilled, which is spoken Esa. 53. 4. He tooke our infirmities, and bare all our sicknesses, both bodily and spirituall.
2. In the freedome of his cure. For first, he offereth his 2 His freenesse in his cures.helpe and physicke, even daily in the preaching of his Gospell: Ier. 3. 2…. O disobedient children returne, and I will heale your rebellions. 1.This Physician seeketh to the patient. Secondly, hee takes nothing for his cure: Hos. 2.14, 4. I will heale your rebyllions freely. He will doe it for asking, and for all that aske it. Psal. 30. 2. O Lord, J cryed, and thou didst heale me. Thirdly, he 3attendeth his Patients most diligently: other Physicians visit their Patients sometimes, in expectance of good reward: but he, onelyonly out of his wonderfull care and compassion is ever present, and about his Patient: Psal. 34. 18. he onelyonly is neare to the afflicted in spirit, and will save the contrite heart.
Now if Christ be the Physician, Use 1. Magnifie this Physician according to his worth.Christ must be magnified for our health. We may say of our sicknesse by sinne, as himselfe did of Lazarus his sicknesse. This sicknes is not unto death in all, but that God may be glorified. For no man can cure himselfe: Ioh. 11. 4our owne merits, workes, or free-will cannot cure us: we can poyson our selves daily, but cannot helpe our selves. O Israel, thy destruction is of thy Hos. 13. 9selfe: but in me is thy helpe. We can surfet our selves in sinne, and breed sicknesse, but cannot helpe our selves.
The Pope by his pardons, masses, pilgrimages, and the like cannot cure us. It is too great a price to pay. No supererogations or satisfactions can doe it. Who can forgive sinnes, but God onelyonly? Who can remit a debt, but he to whom it is due?
Nay, the Angels can conferre nothing to this cure. The Lord reserves the honour of this mercy to himselfe, to whom it is proper to say, I will forgive sins, and heale rebellions freely. The very name given to Christ by the Angels, and in his circumcision by his Parents, was Iesus, and there is no other name to be saved by, Acts 4. 12.
Obiect. Was not Peter a good Physician when he healed the lame man, Act. 3. and Philip, Act. 8. and Paul, who cast out divels, Act 16. 18. Are not Ministers good Physicians, who remit and absolve men from their sinnes, and save themselves and others.
Answ. The Apostles in all Others heale by his vertue and commission.those places did what they did, in the name, and by the power of Christ; as is sometimes expressed, In the name of Iesus Christ I command thee, come out of her, &c. but Christ did all by his owne divine power. And Ministers are Gods Physicians for his people, but onelyonly ministerially, by power and direction from him: but hee by proper authority.
Againe, if Christ be the Physician of soules, let every one Vse 2. Ever repaire to this Physician.seeke to this Physician: seeke to have the presence and helpe of Christ. If the body be sicke unto death, there is running and riding to the Physician, and no man is so welcome as he is. The world is as a common Spittle: every man is deadly sicke: it stands us now in hand, to get Christ to cure us. Israel, stung with the fiery Serpents, must only looke to the brazen Serpent, Numb. 21. 8. We are all as the man fallen among theeves deadly wounded. It is onelyonly this good Samaritan, that can binde up the wound. Or as the poore man that lay at the poole of Bethesda 38. yeares, and could never find cure till Christ came, Ioh. 5. 5. And if we would be cured, we must doe as the Inhabitants of Genezareth, when they heard Christ was there, they ranne about all the region, and carried after him in beds all that were sicke, and diseased, and he healed them all. Goe any where else, and it will be fall you as that woman (Mark. 5. 26.) that spent all shee had on Physicians, and was as far from cure as at first, till Christ came and healed her.
But Christ is in heaven: how Obiect.shall I have his presence?
His promise is, to be with his Ans.Church by his Spirit and grace, to the end of the world.
But where may we have him?Quest. Ans. Where to meet Christ.
Thou shalt not misse of him in the midst of the seven golden Candlestickes: thou shalt finde him in the Temple teaching, as his parents having lost him: get thee to the steps of the flolkes, Cant. 1. 7. there thou shalt finde him at noone. The Word and Sacraments holily received, afford his speciall presence. And as the poore Cripple got cure from Peter and Iohn, lying at the beautifull gate of the Temple, so must we, Act 3.
But I am so weake and sicke Obiect.I cannot get to Christ.
The poore man who lay Ans.bound on his bed, sicke of the palsie, not able to stirre himselfe, got others to bring him to Christ, and when they could not come neare, they uncovered the house, and let him down with cords before Christ: so doe thou in the great weaknesse of thy soule, and of thy faith: commit thy selfe to some faithfull men, who by their strength may helpe thee; by their counsels, comforts, and prayers, as by cords, may let thee downe before Christ, and thou shalt get helpe, Luk. 5. 20.
If Christ be the Physician, then being come unto him we Use 3. Make all knowne to him and …at his helpe.should daily lay open our sinnes, and our very hearts before him, with earnest intreaty to heale us, and helpe us. Wee lay open all our sores and sicknesses to the Physician, be they never so foule and shamefull in themselves, or in shamefull parts; with the causes, occasions, and effects: we hide nothing, dissemble nothing, but confesse all against our selves: we put our selves into the Physicians hands, with earnest suit and large rewards to helpe us. And so ought we here for cure doe unto Christ; confesse all against our selves, entertaine no secret and close sin: for that may be the cause of our griefe: and never cease importuning him for mercy, till we feele some cure to eternall life.
If we were in danger to be eaten up with wormes, as Herod Acts 12. …3was, we would spare no cost, no paines, no prayers, but would have the counsell of the whole Colledge of Physicians, before we would so wretchedly end our dayes. Yet our case spiritually is farre worse: sinne is a worme in the conscience, and hath a poysonfull sting, which will gnaw in the soule to eternal death. This worme is in every man, comming of Adam, and none can cure it but the second Adam: for none but he knowes to make the confection, to kill this worme: And whosoever goes on carelesly in sinne, suffers this worme to eat out the bowels of his soule, and there is no way but death with him.
Suppose a man had the fallingsicknesse: what would he not doe or suffer, to be cured of that desperate disease, rather then be in continuall danger of falling into the fire, or water, or other mischiefes? But the most dangerous falling sicknesse, is, to fall into sinne: the impenitent sinner knowes not when or where he shall fall: every moment he may fall into the deepe waters of Gods wrath, or into the fire of hell.
Oh then come in time to Iesus Christ: fall downe before him in confession of thy deplored estate: mourne under thy sicknesse, as Hezekiah in his sicknesse: turne thee to thy Physician: confesse thy blindnesse, as the blind men in the Gospell, and begge as they, Lord that our eyes may be opened. Cry out of the stone of thy heart, and of the running issues of sinne. Get unto Christ, and touch the hemme of his garment (as the woman having the issue of blood) and get cure. Hide thy sinne with Adam, and there is no cure, no prosperity. While I held my tongue, my bones consumed in my roaring all the day long, Psal 32. 3, 4. But the very opening of the sore is a part of the cure; because the core of sinne is let out by confession; and, to confesse and forsake Pro 28. 13sinne, is the way to mercy. Confession which brings guiltinesse before men, brings pardon and discharge before God. And besides, thy Physician is of such skill & experience, as thou canst conceale nothing from him if thou wouldest.
Lastly, if Christ be the Physician, Use 4. Comfort by this Physicianhere is marvellous comfort for afflicted soules, pained and pined under the burthen of sinne.
First, he is a skilfull Doctor: he knowes all our diseases, and 1the remedies: thou mayst safely commit thy selfe into his hands, as his mother said to those servants, Ioh. 2. Whatsoever he commonds, that doe. Simple obedience is required, without reasoning or enquiry. All his sayings must we doe.
Secondly, he is able enough 2to cure us, because hee is God Omnipotent, able to worke an infinite cure: and onelyonly such a Physician can bestead us: for all created power cannot helpe us.
Thirdly, he is as willing to helpe, as able: being a mercifull 3High-Priest, compassed with infirmities, to have compassion on them that are out of the way. How willing would a tender husband be, to helpe his wife out of a deadly sicknesse! no lesse willing is Christ to helpe his Spouse.
Fourthly, he is ready to answer 4all objections.
Obiect. 1. I am unworthy he should looke on me, or that I should speake to him.No unwor thinesse of ours can hinder the cure. Mat 11▪ 28
Answ. Oh but be of good comfort, he calls thee, Come to me all that labour and are heavy laden. Looke not for a merit in thy selfe, but in him whose mercy is thy merit. The poore woman, having the bloody issue, thought her selfe unworthy to speake to him, or looke him in the face; yet she could creepe behind him, and touch the h…m of his garment. So in thy humility, thrust in to touch (by the hand of thy faith) the hem of his garment: for, Whosoever touched it, was made whole, Mat. 14. 36.
Obiect. 2. But oh the greatnesse and multitude of my sins is such, as how can I but despaire of cured they are deeply grounded in me, and of long coutinuance.
Ans. No disease foiles Christ: Nor multitude of diseases: nor grievousnesse.not Peters denyall, not Davids murder, not Pauls persecution and blasphemy, not Manassehs sorcery can foyle him: not sins of a crimson dye: if thy sinnes be as red as searlet, he can make thee white as snow, Esa. 1. Not multitude of diseases, not complicated diseases, which are most dangerous in the body. It is all one with him to forgive tenne thousand talents, as one: to cure deadly sicknesses, as well as crazednesse, Hos. 14. 5. Long diseases foyle him not, who stretcheth out his hand all the day long, if thou come in any time. Say not then of any sinne, My Gen 4. 13 … Cai…. Aug.sinne is greater than can be forgiven: this was a lye in Cain, saith Saint Augustine.
Obiect. 3. But it is appointed for all men once to dye: and I am infinitely afraid of death.
Answ. Thou hast a Physician Death cured by this Physicianthat can command death, that hath beene the death of death, and hath raised himselfe from death, and much more can and will raise thee, a member, from the dead: Else should he be imperfect in his glorious body, which he will not endure.
Obiect. 4. But after death comes judgement, and how shal I stand before the Iudge?
Answ. Thy Physician shall Iudgment not terrible.be thy Iudge: hee that cured thee, shall cover thee: he that knowes thy debt is wholly paid by his owne hands, must needs acquit thee.
Obiect. 5. But how shall I be regarded among those infinite millions of men that shall stand before him?
Answ. Get faith, by which thou art contracted unto Christ, Respect to every soul particularly.and that shall be thy marriageday. A loving husband will be carefull of his loving wife above thousands of others.
HAving spoken of the Patients, 3. Cure: where.and of the Physician, wee come now to the Cure, which is the third generall: wherein consider,
1. The confection.
2. The application.
In the confection are, 1. the 1 The Confection.Author, 2. the Matter, 3. the Vertue.
The Author must be a man, and above a man.
He must be a man, because Whose Author is a man.man had sinned, and mans nature must satisfie: else Gods justice and menace had not taken place, In the day thou sinnest, Gen. 2. 17thou shalt dye the death. Beside, the manner of satisfaction requires him to be a man: because he must subject himselfe, both to the perfect obedience of the Law, and to the suffering of death for our disobedience. And finally, he must be the seed of the woman, that must Gen. 3. 1…bruise the Serpents head; that is, a man spotlesse, innocent, pure, one that needs no medicine for himselfe. He must be a man of Adam, but not by Adam: even borne of a Virgin, to stop originall sin in the course of it.
But withall, he must be above And yet above a man too. Our Physician must be God: why.a man: even our Emanuel, Esa. 7. 14. God with us: yea, that great Ithiel and Ucal, Pro. 30. 1. a strong and mighty God: first, for the proportion between, the sinne and punishment; the 1sinne being infinite, so also must the punishment be: which none but an infinite person could sustaine. Secondly, he must be God manifested in the flesh, to 2remove those infinite evils which attend sinne, Gods wrath and Satans power, damnation, death, &c. All this must our Physician doe, by his lowest abasement. He must satisfie Gods justice, appease his anger, triumph against enemies of salvation, subdue sinne, foyle the divell, overcome death, discharge all debts, cancell all obligations and hand-writings against us, and after all be exalted 3to glory. Thirdly, he must be God, to procure us those infinite good things we need, viz. To restore us Gods Image lost and with it righteousnesse and life eternall. To defend soule and body against the world, the divell, hell, and all enemies. To recover us to an excellent and firme estate of sonnes, by adoption, by meanes of a lasting and eternall covenant. And to lead us into eternal happine…, as our great Joshua, into that good Land, that Paradise of God, whence the Divell and our sin hath cast us.
Thus of the Author.
Next the Matter of the Cure, Matter of the confection.and that is the Physicians owne blood, by which is meant his whole Passion, 1 Pet. 2. 19. By his stripes we are healed: his sicknesse brings us health.
It must be by blood. All our ransome must be paid by blood: for without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes, Heb. 9 31.
And it must be by his blood, not the blood of beasts, which only sanctified outwardly in respect of the Commandement, and signification, Heb. 9. 12. …0. but this blood is the laver, which purgeth away all sinne. Not the blood of Saints, Martyrs, and holiest men can make attonement, but onelyonly his blood which removeth the curse of the Law, by satisfying for our sins, which opens heaven now shut upon us, and obtaines a perfect redemption, Heb. 9. 2….
Next the Vertue and Preciousnesse of this Cure: Oh it Virtue and preciousnesse in 5 respects.was a powerfull and precious blood! and that in five respects:
1. In respect of the quality: 1.it is the blood incorruptible: All other diseases are cured with corruptible things, but this is opposed to all corruptible things in the world, 1 Pet. 1. 18. Yee are not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Iesus Christ.
2. In respect of the person: it was the blood of God, Act. 20. 28. 2and therefore of infinite merit and price to purchase the whole Church.
3. In respect of the subject of it: no other cure or remedy can 3reach the soule. All others drugs conduce for healthfull life, and worke upon the body: but this makes for an holy life, and workes upon the soule, the sicknesse whereof the most precious thing in the world cannot cure. Minister to a wounded spirit Aurum potabile, Bezoar, Alchermes, dust of Pearles, all is in vaine; it is onelyonly this blood which heales soules and spirits.
4. In respect of the powerfull effects of it, above all other 4. Powerfull effects of itcures in the world: for first, they may frame the body to some soundnesse of temperature, but this makes sound soules, according to the conformity of Gods Law. Secondly, they may preserve naturall life for a while, but this brings a supernaturall life for ever. Thirdly, they may restore strength and nature decayed; but this changeth and bringeth in a new nature, according to the second Adam. Fourthly, they cannot keepe away death approaching, but this makes immortall. Fifthly, they cannot raise or recover a dead man, but this raiseth both dead in sinne, dead in soule, and dead in body.
Lastly, in respect of time. All other physicke is made of drugs, 5.created with the world, but this was prepared before the foundation of the world, 1 Pet. 1. 18. Againe, all the worke of all other physicke is done in death: but the perfection, and most powerfull worke of this is after death.
By all this take we notice of Use 1. Extreme misery by sinne set forth herebyour extreme misery by sinne: seeing nothing else can cure us, but the blood of the Sonne of God. Gold enough can ransome the greatest Potentate on earth: but here, nothing can doe it but the blood of the Kings sonne. If we had such a disease as nothing but the heart-blood of our dearest friends alive (suppose our wife, husband, mother, or childe) could cure us, what an hopelesse and desperate case were it? it would amaze and astonish the stoutest heart. But much more may it smite our hearts, that we have such a disease, as nothing else but the heart-blood of the Sonne of God can cure. Looke upon the execration of thy sinne in this Hatred of sin hereby wrought. 1glasse. If any thing can worke the hatred of sinne, this may: 1. To see the fire of Gods wrath kindled, and nothing but this blood can quench it. 2. To see 2the deadlinesse … the disease in the price of the physicke, and the dearenesse of the remedy. 33. The danger of sinning against so precious a blood: for if Abels blood being shed cryed from earth for vengeance, much more will this blood trod under foot.
But those never saw their Who sin in this respect. 1.sinne in this glasse, who conceive the cure as easie as the turning of an hand, a light Lord have mercy, or an houre of repentance at death; and have lived in sinne, and loved their sinne, as if there were no danger in it; passe away their daies, and live in ignorance, swearing, cursing, Sabbath-breaking, lying, covetousnesse, filthinesse, and all unrighteousnesse; whereas, had they eyes to see, they might out of the price and greatnesse of the remedy gather the danger and desperatenesse of the disease. For all the earth affords not any herbe or simple, nor drug of this vertue: but the Sonne of God from heaven must shed his blood. Nay, all the men on earth, and all the Angels of heaven could not make a confection to cure one sinne, or sinner.
Neither any of Salomons fooles, who make a mocke of 2 Pro. 10. 23sinne, ever saw it in this glasse. Is it not extremity of folly, to make a tush of sinne, and to take pleasure and delight in it? O consider in time, that the sinne thou makest so light of, cost Christ deare, and the least sinne thou delightest in, must either cost Christ his blood, or thee thine in endlesse torments. It is no safe jesting with edged tooles, and to east darts and fire-brands, and say, Am I not in jest?
In this Cure we may observe Vse …. A world of wonders in this cure 1a world of wonders:
First, wonder and admire this Physician, who is both the Physician and the Physicke. Was ever the like heard of in all nature?
Secondly, admire the confection: 2.that the Physician must temper the remedy of his owne heart-blood. He must by passion be pounded in the mortar of Gods wrath: he must be beaten, smitten, spit upon, wounded, sweat water and blood, be trodden on as a worme, be forsaken of his Father; the Lambe of God must be slaine; the just suffer for the unjust: Doest thou not here stand and wonder? … there ever such a Prece… … the world, that the wo… … one man should heale ano… … …ound? or that the wo… … Captaine should heal… souldiers? The … suffered darkenesse, the earth quaked, the rockes rent asunder, the graves opened, the dead arose, to shew the admirable confection of this Cure: and are we senslesse still?
Thirdly, admire the power of weaknesse, and the Omnipotent 3.worke of this Cure by contraries, as in the great worke of Creation; there the Sonne of God made all things, not out of something, but out of nothing: so in this great worke of our Cure by Redemption, he works our life, not by his life, but by his owne death: he makes us infinitely happy, but by his owne infinite misery: he, opens the grave for us, by his owne lying in the grave: he sends us to heaven by his owne descending from heaven; and shuts the gates of hell by suffering hellish torments. He honours us by his owne shame: he breakes away our temptations, and Satans molestations, by being himselfe tempted. Here is a skilfull Physician, tempering poyson to a remedy, bringing light out of darkenesse, life out of death, heaven out of hell. In the whole order of nature one contrary refisteth another, but it is beyond nature that one contrary should produce another. Wonder.
Fourthly, admire the care of the Physician, who provided us 4.a remedy before our disease, before the world was, or we in it: together with his bounty, who bestowed on us so precious a balme when there was none in Gilead; when neither all the gold in India, nor all the metals or minerals in the bowels of the earth could save one soule, nor all the wealth in the world oure one sinner, but onelyonly this blood of an infinite price, power, and merit. Here was a rich and free mercy, to part with his owne life, and dearest pledge of his love, and voluntarily submit himselfe to death, which was of more strength then all the lives of men and Angels. Wonder.
Fifthly, admire his matchlesse love, who to save our soules 5.made his soule an offering for sinne, and healeth our wounds by his owne stripes. A Phyfician sheweth great love, if he take a little care above ordinary, though he be wel rewarded, and made a great gainer by it. But this Physician must be a loser by his love: he must lose his glory, his life: he must lose heaven, and happinesse, and all, and beyond all this be unmatchable in abasement, and torment, in so much that he calleth all us who are ready to passe by all, to consider if ever any sorrow were like to his sorrow. Here was a sound love to us, who endured to be so afflicted, and abased by God, men, and divels for our sakes, when he could have prevented and refused it, if it had pleased him; but this love was stronger than death, and undervalued his owne life to save ours. Wonder, and wonder for ever.
And let it stirre us up to love this Physician dearely: for great …se 3. Love this Physician the more.love is a great loadstone, and attractive of love. What love owe we to God the Father, for giving his Sonne to the death for us? as it a King should deliver the Prince apparant, to death, to save a condemned r…bell. What great love made him not account his life deare for us? Oh the deadnesse of our hearts, that can heare this with so little sense, and provocation to love him againe:
Quest. How may we testifie our love to Christ?
Answ. We must not love him And how this love must be testified.in tongue and word onelyonly, but in deed and truth; framing our love in some proportion unto his, which was both in word, worke, and suffering.
First, in profession and word we must magnifie his great worke of Redemption, and advance it in the perfection and vertue of it, as able of it selfe to purchase the whole Church; a blood able of it selfe to save from the destroying Angell, and make a perfect peace betweene God and us.
Secondly, as Gods love was 2 Ioh. 14. 15actuall, so wee must settle our selves to his service. If ye love me, keepe my Commandements. Hee was a servant to doe our worke: his love onelyonly made him so. And shall we refuse his worke? Ours was a painefull taske that he undertooke: and he left us an easie yoke, to shew Mat. 11. 30our obedience, and gives us also strength to beare it. Hee hath given himselfe for us, and will giuegive himselfe to us: and shall not we give our selves to him? Certainly we serve a good Lord, and want no encouragement.
Thirdly, according to his example, let us not love our lives 3.to the death for his sake: Rev. 12. 11. He that hateth not his life, in comparison of Christ, cannot be his Disciple, Luk 14. 26. The direct end of Christs life was our glory: the direct end of ours must be his glory. He maintained our cause to the death: by his death hee now pleads our cause in heaven. It is therefore not onelyonly honourable, but equall and iust, that wee should sticke to him and his causes, in life and death; and that love which is sound, is like his, even stronger then death,Cant. 8. 6.
So of the Cure in respect of the Confection.
Now we are to consider it in The Application.the Application. For, what would it availe, to have the most skilfull and carefull Physician, and the most rare, proper, and powerfull medicine under the Sunne prescribed by him, if either it be not for me, or not applyed to the disease or sore? And so our heavenly Physician hath taken care, not onelyonly for direction and confection, but also, for application. Medicines must be received: for we must not looke to be cured by miracle, but by meanes. Where consider,
1. The persons to whom the cure is applyed.
2. The meanes whereby.
3. The time when.
For the persons, the Text saith, all that be sicke: that is, sensible, Who are cured.and languishing under theirsicknesse. And Psal. 147. 3. He heales those that are broken in heart, and binds up their sores.
For the meanes whereby the How application of the medicine is made.cure is applyed: it is faith: we must bring faith to be healed. Christ required mens faith, in healing of their bodies; much more must wee bring it to the cure of our soules. By faith I meane speciall faith, which is not Faith, what.…w Christ hystorically: for so did many (Ioh 2.) to whom Christ would not trust himselfe: viz. that he is the Son of God, who shed his blood, and died for sinners: for this, the divels beleeve, and tremble. Neither is it Iam. …. 19onelyonly to beleeve him: the Iews heard him, saw him, beleeved many things to be true, but received him not. But,
To beleeve in him, stands in And wher in it stands 1.two things. First, to receive and apply him: for, to receive Christ, and beleeve in him, are all one, Ioh. 1. 12. so many as received him: But who were they? so many as beleeved in his Name. Secondly, to trust and rely on him for cure, and salvation: Can. 28. the Spouse leanes on her welbeloved. And that we may not be deceived in it, this faith hath two qualities: 1. It must be proper: 2. Impropriate Christ.
First, it must be thine owne proper speciall faith: Hab. 2. 4. And what be its propertie…. 1.the iust man lives by hi… ▪ faith. The Physician makes his whole confection without thee, but calleth thee in to the application: and none can apply this medicine, but thine owne faith. It is no implicit faith of thine own, nor the faith of the Church, without thine owne, that thou canst live by. The Ministers may leave it with thee, and declare it, but thine owne faith must apply it. Foolish Virgins they are, that thinke to be received with the oyle in the wife Virgins lamps, when their owne is spent: the answer is, We have not enough for us and you: and every mans garment is short enough for himselfe: the righteous L…òserm …. de possio…e, 2.receive Crownes (said Leo) but give not Crowes.
Secondly, as this faith must be thine owne, so it must impropriate Christ, and make him thine owne. This is that faith in the blood of Christ, Rom. 3. 25. applying the blood specially to himselfe for life When the faith of the soule brings home Christ to his owne heart, and saith with Thomas, My Lord and my God; and with Paul, who loved mee, and gave himselfe for mee: and with that Father, Totus Christus meus est, totus Christus n meos usus impensus est, Whole Christ is mine, and bestowed for my utmost benefit. This speciall and spirituall application was alwayes resembled in Scriptures of the old Testament, by the sacrifices of the sinne-offering; when the beast was slaine, the Party must lay his hand on the Levit. 1. 4head of it, and confesse, that not the beast, but the Owner deserved death: and, the blood that was shed, must be sprinckeled; 5which sprinkling notes the very applying of Christs blood to the soule of a sinner.
But when is this medicine applyed?Quest.
For time, there is no application, Ans. Application …o be made in this life.but in this …fe: no curing after this life: no procuring of oyle after the Bridegroomes comming. And consequently, there is no purgatory, no satisfactions, no helpe from men or Angels hereafter. Detestable is that wicked heresie of Bellarmine, that the sufferings of the … indulg cap. 14.living helpe the dead three wayes: 1. By way of merit, of congruity. 2. By way of intreaty. 3 By way of satisfaction. Contrary to that of Augustine, Ibi erit paenitentiae dolorem habens, sed medieinam non habens: Repent they doe after death, but without any cure. That is the time of justice, onelyonly this is the acceptable time. In vaine 2 Cor. 6. 1should you minister physicke to a dead man. And, faith then ceaseth, with all the workes of it.
Seeing onelyonly beleevers have the benefit of Cure, above all Use 1. Labor for faith.things labour for faith. Want faith, thou perishest, art deadly sicke without recovery. Christ could doe no great worke in his owne Countrey, because of their unbeleefe. He that beleeveth not, the wrath of God abideth on him, Ioh 3. uls. Hast thou faith? be of good comfort, according to thy faith it shall bee unto thee, not according to thy money, wealth, friends; but thy faith makes thee whole. If God hath not given thee so much wealth, so fine clothes, so liberall fare as to others, yet if he hath given thee so much faith he is liberall enough.
Oh that I had never so little Obiect.a graine of faith! but I have none: so this blood can doe mee no good: it is impossible for me to be cured.
But first, hast thou none? labour Ans.for it: thou mayest have it. If thou beleevest, all things are possible.
Secondly, distinguish betweene want and weakenesse of faith, betweene the want of the grace …and the want of sense. If thou hast any faith, never so weake, as these grones & desires prove, then remember that excellent place, Rom. 14. 3 God chuseth the weake in faith. Hee makes choyce of thee: then doe not thou refuse him. And remember, that the Cure was not ordained for Angels in heaven, nor for Saints triumphant, but militant, that fight with unbeleefe, corruptions, and lusts. If thou we…t perfect, thou shouldst not need it. If thou beest not perfect, thou hast no cause to renounce, but embrace it. Come sicke as thou art, come weary, come bruised, come despairing in thy selfe: it is a medicine for the sicke, a refreshing of the weary, a builder up of the broken spirit, nay, and a quickener of the dead. Here is that tree of Revel. 22 2life, the leaves whereof doe heale the nations: Let not thine owne unbeleefe be as a shaken sword in thine owne hand, to keepe thee from it: Remember the Text, The whole need not the Physician, but they that are …ke.
Againe, seeing there is a time Use 2.to heale, come in season: Eccle…. 3. 3 neglect not the opportunity: get into the water, so soone as the Angell moveth: make benefit of advantages, worke with God and the means, accept the offers and invitations for thine owne welfare. Thou mayest seeke oyle too late, blessing too late, the Word and faith too late, and repentance too late.
Againe, content not thy selfe, onelyonly to heare of this remedy, but seeke to know that it is applyed Use 3.to thee in particular, and to feele the vertue of it in thy selfe: as Paul desired to know nothing but the vertue of Christs death and resurrection, Phil. 3. 9, 10.
Quest. How may I know it?
Answ. As Physicke taken into How to know … sound …pplication of this Physicke. …the body workes often so painefully, that men are even at the gate of death, in their present sense, and no other but dead men: so this Physicke worketh kindely, when it worketh paine in the Party, through the sense and sight of sinne, and apprehension of Gods anger, feare of damnation, and utter despaire in themselves. For this is the worke of the spirit of bendage; Rom. 8. 15namely, generall faith in the Beleevers, applying the Law and threatnings to their owne deepe humiliation. No man can saile to heaven but by the gates of hell.
2. As Physicke kindly working delivers the party, not only 2from death, but such humors as were the cause of his sickenesse, at least that they be, not predominant: Even so must this Physicke rid us of our sinne, and these peccant humors which were the matter of our sickenesse: and that, both from the condemnation, and corruption of them: 1 Iohn 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ, his Sonne, purgeth us from all sinne.
First, from the condemnation Condemnation of sin purged away.of sinne: this blood is shed for the remission of sinnes: Galat. 3. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us. Otherwise it must be with us, as with him who in a desperate disease without Physicke must dye.
Secondly, from the corruption And corruption.of sinne: both the disease of naturall and originall sinne, and the leprosie of actuall sinnes. Now looke into thy selfe, examine whether this blood be a corrosive in thy soule, to eat out the corruption of nature; whether it purge the conscience from dead workes, Hebr. 9. 14. whether it hath quitted thee, as well from the dominion of sinne, as from the damnation of it; whether it hath brought thee to leave sinne, &c. Reason with the Apostle: hath Christ dyed to kill sinne in me, and shall I live to quicken it? nay rather, as 1 Peter 4. 1. forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, we must arme our selues with the same minde: for that hee which hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sinne.
Thirdly, as physicke is profitably applyed, when it brings 3ease and rest, having carried away the matter of the paine: So is this physicke well applyed, when faith quiets the heart, by assuring it that Christ and his benefits are his, and hath set him above the Law, sinne, hell, death, even in this life, as a Conquerour; and all this, because he beleeves the Gospell. Now come in peace of conscience, and joy in the holy Ghost. Beleeving, yee reioyce with ioy unspeakeable and full of glory, Rom. 14. 171 Pet. 1. 8. When these take place instead of former gripes, and stings of conscience, this blood is soundly applyed. For as nothing could cure the stung Israelites, but the beholding of the brazen Serpent; so nothing can pacifie the stung conscience but the blood of Christ lifted on the Crosse.
4. As after application of proper physicke wee finde a great change in our bodies, as if wee had new bodies given us: so after the kindly worke of this physicke we may finde our selves cast into a new mould; this blood applyed, makes us new Creatures, new 2 Cor. 5. 17men, having new mindes, new wils, new words, new affections, new actions, new conversations. Our strength is renewed to Christian actions, and passion. Wee are strong for our journey, for our combate, and strong to carry burdens, with a strong appetite, and digestion of the Word: every way more hearty and chearefull.
Thus having received our health, by meanes of this Cure, Vse 4. Preserve health of soule, once obtained.wisdome commands us to be as carefull to preserve our health, as to attaine it. Every wise man will be as carefull to keepe himselfe well, as to get himselfe well. And to this purpose, wee must remember the counsell of our Physician, for maintaining our health attained.
Amongst many directions prescribed, Meanes so to doe.I mention foure.
First, not to be tampering with our owne medicines, nor 1.the medicines of Egypt, merits, pilgrimages, penance, or the like; nor any quintessence or minerall from the hand of any libertine Teacher: but onelyonly such as wee finde prescribed in the word of God, by our great Doctor.
Secondly, to keepe our health, 2.we must keepe good dyet, both for soule and body. The best dyet for the soule, is, to keepe Gods houres for our daily repast by the Word, in reading, and meditating on it: which David regarded above his ordinary food. A liberall dyet is best for the soule: but the best dyet for the body is a spare dyet, a sober and moderate use of meat, drinke, and pleasure, for beating downe and mortifying corrupt affections and lusts.
Thirdly, to preserve our health, we must strive to live in 3a good and wholesome ayre. If thou livest in a corrupt ayre, change it for a better. The worst ayre that can be, is, where worst men and worst company are. The ayre of an hot plaguy house is not so infectious, as the contagious ayre of wicked company. The former brings not so many to death of the body, as this to death of the soule. Live amongst Gods people, and where Gods word is purely preached; for there is the purest ayre: Psal. 16. 3. All my delight is in the Saints, excelling in vertue.
Fourthly, to preserve health, Physicians prescribe the use of 4.good exercises. The be… …ercises to use for the health of the soule, … are hearing and reading of Gods Word; pray also; and meditate when thou art alone: with conference of good things in company. These are notable helpes to bring thee through weaknesses, and keepe thy soule in good plight, health, and chearfulnesse.
FJNJS.
End of the text · Thomas Taylor, The Principles of Christian Practice (1635)