Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 10 · Part 8 – Part 9
Sin a Sickneſs.
Iſa. 1.5. The whole Head is ſick, and the whole Heart faint, &c.
Mat. 9.12. — The whole need not a Phyſician, but they that are ſick.
SPiritual Sickneſs is twofold; (1.) To be ſick with Sin. (2.) To be ſick of Sin: as Sin wounds the Soul, ſo it makes ſick, and this is Man's Miſery; but to be ſick of Sin, (viz.) to be ſenſible of the Evil and curſed Nature thereof, this is a Mercy.
Parallels.
THE Cauſes of Natural Sickneſs are divers, ſometimes it ariſes from ſome inward, and ſometimes from ſome outward Cauſe; to know from whence the Diſtemper grew or did ariſe is very neceſſary, whether it be Chronical or Acute, i. e. that which hath ſeized on the Patient on a ſudden, by Heats, Cold, or from the Corruption of the Blood, by an infectious Air, &c. which an able Phyſician is diligent to pry and ſearch into. Now as touching the Sickneſs of the Soul, 'tis evident the Original Cauſe thereof, was by eating of the forbidden Fruit, which ſurfeited the whole Lump of Mankind; or (if you pleaſe) it was occaſioned by Poyſon, by the Poyſon of the old Serpent. Deadly Poyſon makes a Man very ſick, and corrupts the whole Maſs of Blood: And as 'tis needful to find out (if poſſible) the Cauſe of Sickneſs, ſo 'tis as neceſſary to find out the Cauſe of Spiritual Sickneſs; the Cauſe being diſcovered, the Cure is eaſy. If a Man doth not ſee what his ſtate is, as conſidered in the firſt Adam, nor the evil and damning Nature of Sin in general, nor the particular Plague of his own Heart, he is in no hopeful way of help and healing.
II. Some Sickneſſes or Diſeaſes are Epidemical: Sin is a Sickneſs or Diſeaſe ſo univerſal, and a Contagion ſo catching, that none have eſcaped, nor are totally free from it.
III. Some are ſo ſick that they have no place free: Sin is a Diſeaſe that afflicts every part,Iſa. 5. the whole Head is ſick, and the whole Heart faint.
IV. The Diſtemper which we call the Sickneſs, or Peſtilence, is very mortal, and ſweeps away thouſands: Sin is ſuch a Sickneſs, no Peſtilence like it; Sin is the Plague of Plagues. That which is moſt oppoſite to God, is the greateſt Evil; but Sin is moſt oppoſite and contrary to God, and therefore the greateſt Evil. That which ſeparates Man from, and deprives him of the greateſt Good, muſt needs be the greateſt Evil, or the Plague of Plagues; but Sin doth this, therefore the greateſt Evil. That which is the greateſt Judgment to be left unto, is the worſt of Evils; but 'tis the greateſt Judgment in the World, to be left or given up to the Luſts of our own Hearts: Ergo, &c. When God deſigns to bring his ſevereſt Wrath upon a People, or a particular Soul, when he reſolves to afflict them to the uttermoſt, he doth not ſay, I will bring Plague, or Sickneſs, or Famine upon them, but, I will deliver them up to their Sins. Iſrael would have none of me, &c. and what then?Pſal. 81.11. Rom. 1.26, …8. So I gave them up to their own Hearts Luſts, &c. Thus he gave up the Gentiles to vile Affections. That Sickneſs, Plague, or Peſtilence, that deſtroys moſt, that kills Millions, which is ſo infectious, that none amongſt Thouſands, nay, Millions of Thouſands, can eſcape, is the Plague of Plagues; but ſuch a Sickneſs is Sin. More ſhall be damned, than ſhall be ſaved; nay, but few comparatively enter in at the ſtrait Gate, and ſo find Life. Now all that are damned, are damned or deſtroyed by Sin, and therefore it is the worſt of Evils. That which kills or deſtroys Body and Soul too, is the Plague of Plagues; but Sin deſtroys Body and Soul too: Ergo, Sin is the Plague of Plagues.
V. Many of thoſe who have the Diſeaſe we call the Sickneſs, have Spots upon them, which are of two ſorts, one of which are called the Tokens; and when they appear, they look upon themſelves as dead Men: So Sin, this ſpiritual Plague and Sickneſs of the Soul,Deut. 31.4. marks ſome Men out for eternal Death: Their Spot (ſaith the Lord) is not the Spot of my Children; that is, their Sin is not a Sin of Infirmity, ſuch as appear upon the Children of God. Any Spot is bad, but ſome are worſe, very bad, they are deadly Spots, they have the Tokens of Death and Wrath upon them.
1. The Sin or Spot of a godly Man is rather a Scar or Wound that is healed, or almoſt healed: But Sin in ſome of the Ungodly, is like a rotten, putrifying Sore in the Fleſh.
2. The Spots of the Godly are not ſo contagious or infectious as the Sins or Spots of the Wicked. The Sins of the Ungodly make their very Perſons and Prayers loathed and hateful in God's ſight; now God, tho he hates the Sins of his own Children,Pſal 109.7. yet he loves their Perſons.
3. Sin in a Saint is his Sorrow, 'tis that which he hates, it wounds and grieves his Soul,Rom. 7.3. he is ſick of his Sin; but the Wicked love their Sin. Sin is in a godly Man's Converſation, and that is his Trouble; but Sin is in a wicked Man's Affection, which renders it to be a deadly Spot.
4. Sin reigns and predominates in the Hearts of the Wicked: But Sin, tho it may ſometimes tyrannize in a Saint, yet he obeys it not, he is not the Subject or Servant of Sin: The one yields and ſubjects to Sin; the other oppoſes and reſiſts it, every Faculty of his Soul is ſet againſt it; and not only ſo, but againſt every Sin.
VI. Sickneſs brings oft-times utter Weakneſs upon the Body: So Sin brings Weakneſs upon the Soul: I am feeble, &c. It makes a Chriſtian very faint. [See Leproſy.]
VII. Some Sickneſs is very grievous to be born: So Sin is grievous to a true Chriſtian, who is made ſenſible of it.
VIII. A Man that finds himſelf very ſick, and like to die, will ſoon look out for Help, or ſend to a Phyſician: So the Soul that is ſin-ſick, will ſeek for Help, viz. haſten to Jeſus Chriſt, for none elſe can cure the Sickneſs of the Soul.
Inferences.
ARt thou ſick, and ready to die, and inſenſible of any Illneſs? doth nothing ail thee? This is ſad.
II. Art thou ſick, and greatly afflicted? is thy Soul weary of its Groanings? Haſte to the Phyſician, go to Chriſt.
1. The more ſick, the more need of Phyſick; the greater Sinner thou art, the more need of a Saviour thou haſt.
2. The longer thou delayeſt, the more hard and difficult will thy Cure be, beſides the Danger thou runneſt, Death may be at thy Door.
3. Conſider, you muſt have a Cure, and be freed from this Sickneſs, this Stone in the Heart, this Unbelief, or what-ever elſe the Diſeaſe be, or elſe be damned.
4. Chriſt came from Heaven on purpoſe to be thy Phyſician: He came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance.
5. Soul, let me tell thee, as it was once ſaid to blind Bartimeus, Be of good cheer, Mat. 11.28, 29.Chriſt calls thee. Come to me all ye that are weary, &c.
Luke 10.30.6. Thou mayeſt have Phyſick and Cure very cheap: Tho thou haſt no Money, Chriſt will do all freely, if thou wilt caſt thy ſelf upon him.
7. Chriſt is able to cure all Diſeaſes. Tho thou art never ſo ſick, he is able to make thee whole:Heb. 7.25. He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt all that come to God by him.
8. Chriſt is willing as well as able. See Mat. 8.2. Mark 1.41.
9. Chriſt can do the Work, when all other Means fail, (Mark 5.26.) when Purpoſes fail, good Deſires fail, Prayers fail, and good Works, and Moral Righteouſneſs fails, &c.
10. Chriſt is ſuch a Phyſician, that rather than thou ſhouldeſt go without Cure, he hath ſhed his own Blood, to make thee whole, and free thee from thy Sickneſs.
11. If Chriſt undertakes the Cure, he will never leave thee, till he hath perfectly reſtored thee to Health again. But remember, there is no Cure, but by his precious Blood: He died, that we might live.
Canſt thou be ſick, and ſuch a Doctor by?
Thou canſt not live, unleſs thy Doctor die.
Strange kind of Grief! that finds no Med'cine good
T'aſſwage the Pain, but the Phyſician's Blood.
Fr. Quarles.
Sin compared to Vomit.
Jer. 48.26. Moab alſo ſhall wallow in his own Vomit, &c.
2 Pet. 2.22. — The Dog is turned to his Vomit again, &c.
A Wicked Man, or one who turns to his old evil and wicked Courſes, is compared to a Dog, and Sin to Vomit which a Dog licketh up.
Parallels.
A Vomit is a very loathſom Thing, but a Dog's Vomit is moſt deteſtable: So Sin is a very loathſom Thing, but Apoſtacy is the worſt of Sins; no Sin is more abominable in God's ſight than that.
II. A Vomit is caſt up ſometimes by reaſon of the Sickneſs of the Stomach: So a Chriſtian being very ſick of his Sin, caſts it up, or vomits it out by Repentance.
III. Some Men finding themſelves oppreſſed by means of ſome Obſtructions, or by reaſon of the Foulneſs of their Stomachs, take ſomething to make them vomit, to free themſelves of that which otherwiſe may endanger their Health, if not their Lives: So a Chriſtian, being ſenſible of internal Obſtructions, and Pollutions of his inward Man, takes a fit Antidote of Chriſt's preparing, by which means he vomits up the Filth and Pollution of his Heart and Life, and thereby attains a healthy Soul, and flouriſhes in Godlineſs.
IV. Some Men on a ſudden are made to vomit, by eating ſomething that offends, or agrees not with their Stomachs: So many Sinners, by hearing of a Soul-ſearching Sermon, and by the Rebukes and continual Gnawings of their own Conſciences, vomit up ſome of the Sins of their Lives; but in a little time they grow more ſick of Religion than ever they were of their Sins, and ſo, with the Dog, they lick up their old Vomit again, i. e. turn to their former Ways of Sin and Error.
V. What is more hateful, or cauſeth greater Shame, than to ſee a Man wallow in his own filthy Vomit? So 'tis hateful to ſee a wicked and an ungodly Apoſtate, who hath turned his Back upon Chriſt and his Ways, wallowing in all his former Sins, and brutiſh Luſts.
Inference. Let this teach us to hate Sin and Apoſtacy.