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 thâ— 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. â—7 Laodicea saith she is rich and needs nothing The Pharisie blesseth God he is not as others he seeth in himselfe no hypocrisie nor pride nor contempt of others he is a whole man Many a civill man liveth honestly 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 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 soundnesse 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 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 onely the sicke and heavy laden with the sense and burden of sinne Let this therefore serve to 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 bodily 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 consumeth 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 faile 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 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 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 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 sâ—ickenesse in the whole world 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 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 of 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 paine and torment into the body so doth sinne into the soule first or last There is no peace to a wicked man but terrors soule horrors of conscience and desperate feares doe ever attend him Fourthly sicknesse continuing and lingring on the body 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 incident 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.
and holiest men can make attonement but onely 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. 2â— Next the Vertue and Preciousnesse of this Cure Oh it was a powerfull and precious blood and that in five respects 1. In respect of the quality 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. and 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 reach 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 onely this blood which heales soules and spirits 4. In respect of the powerfull effects of it above all other cures 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 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 our 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 glasse 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 the deadlinesse 〈◊〉 the disease in the price of the physicke and the dearenesse of the remedy 3. 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 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 sinne 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 a 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 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 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—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 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 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
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 attendeth his Patients most diligently other Physicians visit their Patients sometimes in expectance of good reward but he onely out of his wonderfull care and compassion is ever present and about his Patient Psal. 34. 18. he onely is neare to the afflicted in spirit and will save the contrite heart Now if Christ be the Physician 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 our 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 selfe 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 onely 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 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 onely ministerially by power and direction from him but hee by proper authority Againe if Christ be the Physician of soules let every one 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 onely 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 shall I have his presence His promise is to be with his Church by his Spirit and grace to the end of the world But where may we have him 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 I cannot get to Christ. The poore man who lay 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 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 was 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 falling-sicknesse 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
helpes as they are heavie burdens to the owners as Ezek. 7. 19. The rich man shall cast his silver away and his gold shall be farre off nay the greater his wealth is the greater plague the greater griefe and spoile awaites him as a tree that hath thicke and large boughs every man desires to lop him And how many have wee knowne overthrowne by the finenesse of their garments who if they had had a shorter traine had in likelyhood stood out many yeares longer Remember that Riches have wings under which let the Master hide himselfe a while as Esa. 28. 15. making falshood his refuge and hiding himselfe under vanitie yet with these wings will they fly away like a runnagate servant when his Master hath most need of him Secondly in time of sicknesse they are unprofitable The honourable Garter cannot cure the gowt nor the Chaire of Estate ease the collicke nor a Crowne remove the head-ache Can a man by all his wealth buy a good nights sleepe can it help him to a good stomacke or free him of one shaking or burning fitt of an ague Nay as wormes breed in the softest woods and cankers in the most sappie trees so softnesse idlenesse fulnesse intemperance and effeminate delicacie in the rich procure peculiar and most incurable diseases Thirdly in the day of death they cannot profit Job 27. 8. What hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped up riches and God takes away his soule for as they cannot help to life or birth in which case some would give thousands or millions for an heir so they cannot help in life to put off death Doe not Princes fall like others and these gods dye like men Could all the rich mans wealth hold his soule one night no the foole found his life stood not in abundance It is righteousnesse not riches that delivereth the soule from death Prov. 10. 2. Nay at death they bring much bitternesse for it is as great a pang of death to part with wealth as to part with life so as a rich man without better hopes dyeth a double death here And one miserie abides with him that while he leaves his wealth hee carries his sinnes with him occasioned in the getting keeping and disposing of them these lye downe in the dust with him Fourthly after death they profit not they cannot keepe the soule from hell nor ease that torment one moment they cannot keepe corruption from the body open the grave and see if thou canst discerne a difference between the rich and poore tell me if the wormes spare either of both but if the living be wronged by cost about embalming entombing or the like it is but a corpes still no sweeter to God if not sweetned by the embalming and buriall of Christ. Fiftly at the day of judgment the whole world cannot profit a man being then set on a light fire then shall gold and silver and precious stones and common stones be all one the Judge will not be corrupted nor can causes be gilded nor sentence pronounced according to our wealth in goods or lands but according to our graces riches in good workes This will be then the only profitable wealth not gold in our chests but faith and pietie in our consciences shall avayle us and not that we had abundance but that wee were abundant in faithfull dispensing shall be our acceptance Pro. 21. 21. Hee that followeth righteousnesse and mercy shall finde righteousnesse life and glory And now after all this say What profit is it to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule Or what recompence shall a man give for his soule Two meditations arise out of these words 1. The soule of a man is a most precious and invaluable thing seeing all the world gained is not comparable to the losse of one soule Pro. 6. 26. it is called the precious soule or life of man See it farther 4. wayes 1. Consider the soule in it self it is a particle of divine breath not created as bodily things consisting of matter and forme but inspired of God For the soule is neither traduced from the soules of Parents and much lesse generated of any corporall seed or matter but the Lord that spred the heavens and founded the earth formed the spirit of man within him Zech. 12. 1. neither was it created without deliberation of the whole Trinitie Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man in our owne image or likenesse as being the exquisite Master-piece above all other 2. Behold it in the faculties of it and wonder that God should put in such a piece of clay so divine a soule And that not onely in regard of supernaturall qualities of holinesse and righteousnesse in the entire nature of it but also in respect of natural qualities and operations resembling God in his understanding and wisedome it hath a facultie to understand and know Him whom it ought chiefely to love and is almost infinite at least insatiable in seeking knowledge a facultie to will even that which God willeth nor resteth it in any thing of this life nor is contented with any thing below but willeth principally things beyond the sight blessednesse and happinesse and respecteth good estimation after death and so argueth it owne immortalitie as God is immortall a facultie of conscience that stands in awe to sin though none looke on or citeth the person before Gods tribunall as Belshazzar and Felix who trembled It hath likewise all his operations above sense to love GOD feare God beleeve in God embrace Religion meditate on heavenly things with an aptnesse to proceed in the knowledge of God which other inferior creatures cannot doe 3. Behold it in the end of it it was not made for the body but the body for the soule and not onely to be the tabernacle of the soule to dwell in but the instrument of the soule to worke by for the soule tyed to the body cannot put forth his faculties without organs and senses of the body to expresse love and dutie unto God But the primarie and proper end of the divine soule is to live to God in this life and with God in the life to come Fourthly behold it as redecmed by Christ and created again to Gods image What a price did God and Jesus Christ set upon it what more precious than the blood of him that was God The ransome of the soule must be a bove all corruptible things 1 Pet. 1. 18. Also as it is sanctified by the Spirit what can bee comparable to his unmatchable graces no pearles are to be compared to wisdome to precious faith to the feare of God which is a rich treasure And if the hangings bee so precious what may we thinke of the roome Then bee so much the more warie to shunne any thing that may hurt the soule We esteeme our naturall lives precious and therefore are carefull to avoyd whatsoever is prejudiciall to the body
a thousand worlds of men and Angels could not redeeme God set it at the highest rate and the divell would give a whole world for one soule but thou countest it not worth any thing Hell shall be filled with soules at a cheaper rate than one soule can get to heaven by So of the first meditation The second is this For a lost soule there is no remedy nor recompence all the world cannot redeem a lost soule for a soule not yet quite lost may be a recompence by the blood of Christ but for a soule lost is no remedie nor ransome no not in Christ himselfe To conceive this consider 1 What is the estate of a lost soule 2 What it is that being once lost makes it irrecoverable 3 The worthlesnes and impotencie of all earthly things to help it For the first of these see what goeth to the losse of a soule 1. There is the losse of Gods favour fellowship and presence whose favour and presence is better than life for with him is the Well of life And not that onely but the soule is thrust under Gods most heavie displeasure and his hot wrath which is a consuming fire 2. The losse of Jesus Christ and all the benefits of his redemption and so the soule is cut off from remission of sinne to which onely belongeth blessednes from imputation of righteousnes which only entitleth to life from the dignitie of adoption to which only belongs the inheritance from the benefit of Christs intercession that hee will not so much as pray for such Now the soule lying without Christ lyeth under the whole rigour of the Morall Law under the curse and sentence of condemnation and malediction for provoking so high justice and under the power of Satan as a Jaylor holding the sinner unto execution in everlasting chaines 3. The lost soule hath lost the blessed presence of the Spirit of God which is the soule of the soule and as the Sunne to the world so is hee to the Elect for light and comfort There is a losse of the Spirit in all his saving offices his illumination further than to make them unexcusable his consolation and joy having left them to eternall horrour and heavinesse and his assistance of leading them into all truth or raising requests in them Thus wanting the spirit they want all degrees of mortification from first to last in life and death They are layd under the whole power of their vain conversation under all the corruption of the present evil world that they may eternally lye under as much power as guilt of sinne 4. There is the losse of heaven and happinesse and that eternally and not that onely but the sense of horrible torment expressed in Scripture by unquenchable fire which notes them infinitely miserable in the eternitie and durance of most exquisite torments for their worme dyeth not and their fire goeth not out Esa. 66. 24. and they have no rest but the smoake of their fire ascendeth continually Rev. 14. 15. so as they shall seeke death but shall not find it their very being is a punishment Next what is it that makes the soule once lost irrecoverable 1. An invincible wicked and hard heart setled upon sin and sending out all cursed practises of lying swearing despighting grace in the means and bringers crueltie injustice vaine confidence and all manner of sin They that doe such things are shut out of the kingdome of God and of Christ 1. Cor. 69. Gal. 5. 21. For such be wray themselves given up of God to a reprobate minde calling good evill and darknesse light whose consciences are seared against all goads and prickings of the word no counsell or admonition toucheth them nor troubleth them all the threats and menaces of the law are to them as iron-weapons to Behemoth esteemed as straw Here is a man in a lost estate Judas is a lost son of perdition how know you him all the counsels and admonitions of Christ are lost upon him nothing workes upon him for reformation and obstinate Pharaoh will be broken all to pieces before the powerfull ministerie of Moses and Aaron can bend him If we meet with such knottie pieces on whom in vaine wee breake many wedges who if Moses and Aaron were immediately sent with as many miracles as messages or if Christ himselfe in person should perswade with them yet still would remaine obstinate alas what remedie who can save a lost man a man that will not bee saved A man that chuseth death must dye he will not live 2. This also makes the lost soule irrecoverable for that it hath trod under foot the blood of Christ so as there is no more price or sacrifice for his sin Heb. 10. 29. And they doe this saith Ambrose who sin voluntarily without feare not regarding the blood that was shed for them nor fearing Christ the Judge who somtimes shed his blood for their redemption This is to crucifie Christ againe daily to themselves and to put him to death daily who having dyed once can dye no more Slight this blood of Christ and sin against it what can save thee 3. The Spirit of grace in the Ministery hath beene despighted his motions and knockes all rejected himselfe grieved and banished And now that he is driven out with despight hee never comes more let that soule sinke or swim the Spirit of life is gone 4. The day of mercy hath beene despised the season of grace hath beene slipped the doore of grace is now shut a world of teares and sorrow cannot now quench the fire of wrath kindled against the sinnes and soules now the blessing is too late sought with teares teares of horror and despaire a full sea of them cannot wash the guilt of one sin repentance is now unseasonable Time was when Christ called Jerusalem with tears would have gathered her as the hen gathers her chickens but she would not the things of her peace were then hid from her eyes and afterward all her sorrow was too late Next see the worthlesnesse and impotencie of all earthly things to recover a lost soule First in their rankes Whatsoever is in the world is reduced to one of these three heads 1. John 2. 16. Lust of the flesh voluptuousnesse pleasures wherein if there be any excellency the brute beasts led with sensualitie enjoy it above men for they enjoy their appetite without all restraint and checke of reason or religion Lust of the eye desire of wealth riches abundance whereof worst men are greatest gainers and those that have no true treasure abound in these beside the Scripture calls them shadows lyes thicke clay uncertaine and deceivable riches And pride of life honor ambition preferment estimation of men which are so much the more worthlesse because they depend upon other mens breath and opinion beside the whole world is witnesse to the levity and
who for avoyding the crosse perill have rejected him and the profession of his Gospell eternall perdition but to the godly who have persisted in the constant confession of his Name according to their workes life eternall This application of these words to the former matter is the true connexion of them wherein consider five things 1. The person that must come the Sonne of man 2. The action of comming shall come 3. The manner of comming in the glory of his Father 4. His attendants with his Angells 5. The end of comming to give to every man according to his deeds For the first The person that must come is the Sonne of man which title is used in the Scripture either commonly or singularly In the former sense for any common man borne of another Job 25. 6. How much more the Son of man which is but a worme In the latter it is taken for the eternall Sonne of God being made man Matt. 8. 20. the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head For by the sonne of man is meant here whole Christ by an ordinary figure whereby that which belongeth to one nature is ascribed to the whole person so in Mat. 9. 6. the sonne of man hath power to remit sinnes which power agrees not to Christ as the son of man or in respect of his humane nature but in respect of the eternall Person as hee is God for who can forgive sinnes but God onely Beside Christ while hee was in the world said that the sonne of man came downe from heaven is in heaven which then could not be in regard of his humane nature but of his divine Nay by this title our Text must needes understand whole Christ God and man the Sonne of God and the Sonne of man for though his speech expresse him the Sonne of man yet the action here refeired unto him to be the just Judge of all the world proclaims him to be the Son of God and hee is indeed the Sonne of man but comming in the glory of his Father Quest. But why doth Christ ordinarily speaking of himselfe call himselfe the sonne of man he might have said the Sonne of God shall come in the glory of his Father which might seeme to have added more weight to his words Answ. Yet he useth the other title 1. In respect of himselfe To note that hee was a true man being not onely a man but the sonne of man that borne man having flesh and blood no where else but from man And herein this second Adam was opposed to the first who was a man but not the sonne of man for hee was the Sonne of God by creation Luke 3. 38. The first Adam was framed of the earth and so was made a man but not the Sonne of man the second Adam tooke flesh of the Virgin and so was not onely man but the Sonne of man also Againe it implies that he was a weake and fraile man as the Hebrew phrase soundeth Psal. 8. 5. Lord what is man or the sonne of man that thou shouldest respect him being so base and vile Esay 51. 12. Who art thou that fearest a mortall man or the sonne of man that is a weake and fraile creature And hereto serves that distinction among the Hebrewes of filii viri and filii hominis Beniâ—sh noteth men in excellencie eminencie dignitie and authoritie Beni-adam obscure persons and men of common and low condition In the same sense Ezekiel because he was astonied and throwne downe by a glorious vision Chap. 1. was so often afterward called sonne of man and bid to stand up on his feet As if the Lord had said Ezeki cl I know thou art a sonne of man a weake man not able to behold the brightnesse of such Majestie but gather thy selfe bee of good cheare and stand on thy feet And thus Christ the sonne of man takes on him our frailties and weaknesses undertook an abject low and base condition and appeared in the forme of a servant in his nativitie life and death in all our basenesse like unto us sinne onely excepted Yea and more in this very phrase hee impropriateth our miserie to himself that as all sons of men are base and miserable yet of all sons of men none was ever so abased as hee was no sorrow was ever like his no not all the misery of all sonnes of men was comparable to his and therefore hee doth after a sort appropriate this title to himselfe 2. In respect of his hearers and mens judgement who commonly esteemed him no other and rose no higher in their judgement of him than of a meere man though perhaps a great and holy man He would tender the weaknesse of his hearers for scarce the Disciples themselves after a great while could come to acknowledge the Majesty of the Sonne of God in this sonne of man and therefore he speakes of himselfe as they are able to conceive him more intending their instruction than his owne reputation 3. In respect of the argument For the manner of Scripture in speaking of the last judgement is to use this phrase above other 1. because this was appropriated to Messiah by Daniel chap. 7. 13. to which Christ undoubtedly had reference I beheld and there came as a sonne of man in the clouds of heaven 2. To shew that as he shewed himselfe in the nature of man to be judged on earth so hee would shew himselfe in a visible manner a Judge from heaven for it is meete that the Judge of all should be seene of all In regard of which manner of judging the Sonne onely shall judge although the Father and the holy Ghost judge also but after another manner Ob. Christ was as a sonne of man Dan. 7. and Revel 14. 14. I saw upon the cloulds one sitting as the sonne of man therefore Christ is not but onely like the sonne of man So Phil. 2. 7. He tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made like a man Answ. For the two former places Christ was seene figuratively in vision When Daniel saw his vision he was not yet the son of man but was to be born be in time the son of man And after he was incarnate ascended being by S. John seene in vision hee is said to bee 〈◊〉 the sonne of man for that he was not seene of either in substance but in figure onely For the place in the Philippians well answers M. Calvin Saint Paul speakes not of the essence of his humane nature but of his state hee came a true man but in a lowly state and condition even the base condition of a servant Note here how our Lord doth willingly acknowledge the humilitie and basenesse of his humanitie speaketh lowly of himself in such an argument as wherein hee shall shew his greatest glory He might have stiled himselfe the Sonne of God as hee was not onely as God by eternall generation
of puffing knowledge is not sound Good men never boast of sharpenesse of sight or quicknesse of understanding but see the vaile unremoved and the skales not quite fallen off They are not blinde as before but by reason of fogs and lusts and mists of sinfull affections and motions can sometimes see as little the things before them as Agar could the Well before her Gen. 21. by reason of her passion or griefe as Calvin judgeth And although their eyes be open yet they see how beavy they be and hardly kept open as the Disciples when Christ warned them to watch by reason of sleepinesse and dulnesse of flesh â—o as they may say with the Church their eyes sleepe when their hearts awake They may indeed professe with the blind man Ioh. 9 25. One thing J know whereas J was blind now J see but must adde withall yet I see how little I see even a glimmering of things rather than things themselves 2. It must follow that sound knowledge must continually bewaile ignorance and darknesse for why hath the Lord left it in us but to humble us that with the rest of the law of the members it might bee as the Canaanites to exercise us or as the pricke in the flesh lest we should be exalted out of measure by abundance of revelations Nay as light and darkenesse have a daily and interchangeable fight in nature so the soule must maintaine a continuall combate betweene knowledge and ignorance 3. It followes that found knowledg cannot be that which in sense of want or weakenesse striveth not in the meanes to a further measure that of weake is not made strong that riseth not to a further assurance or the like for all sound knowledge is proveable and the way of the just shineth more and more till perfect day Thus of the second point 3. The child of God most earnestly desireth to know the wayes of God as our Prophet through this whole Psalme Daniel though a most worthy Prophet yet read the Prophecies of Ieremie Dan. 9. 1 2. And all things are dung to Saint Paul in respect of the excellent knowledge of the vertue of Christs death resurrection Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. But why 1. Because they know it to be the way of God and there is no other the way not onely wherein God himselfe walketh who is the most perfect pattern of his owne law but especially because it is the way hee hath chalked out for us to walke in who can walke toward him in his owne way onely as we can see the Sunne onely by his owne light and come to the Sea by his owne streames 2. They onely discerne the danger of spirituall darkenesse and blindnesse How it wraps in manifold errors of judgment false doctrines and opinions against the Word Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22. 29. and Prov. 19 〈◊〉 Without knowledge the minde is not good How it wraps in errors of life and conversation for so the Scriptures ascribe all corruption of manners to ignorance Paul persecuted and wasted the Church why the did it of ignorance And in ignorance the Rulers put Christ to death had they knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of glory How it wraps men under the power of sinne and delivers them as voluntary subjects in kingdome of darknesse under the Prince of darkenesse to be ruled at his will as 2 Tim. 2. 26 and when men regard not to know God how justly doth hee give them up to a reprobate sense as he did the Heathens Rom 1. 24. to commit things against reason and nature And finally how it wraps them under the curse of God both temporall and eternall My people perish saith the Lord for want of knowledge that is are in state of perdition they lye in unbeleefe for no knowledge no faith and not beleeving they are condemned already Ioh. 3. 1â— And they are lyable every where to those judgements which the Prophet prayes to be powred out upon them that know not the name of God Then for the eternall curse when Christ shall come from heaven in flaming fire hee shall render vengeance on all that know not God 2 Thes. 1. 8. and justly for death hath seized on them already they are destitute of the life of God by the ignorance that is in them their minde and conscience is dead and being strangers to the life of God they are thrust under the power of eternall death Prov. 10. 18. The foole dyeth for want of knowledge Therefore the Saints seeke after knowledge as David here 3. They see the necessity of the word of God and the knowledge thereof the Word is the food of the soule an hungry man longs after his food and a good heart hungers after the Word Hence the Prophets and men of God are said to eat up the little booke Ezek. 3. 1. and to fill their bellies with it as hungry men when they come at a good meale The word of God is the water of the Well of Life and how necessary is water how doth a thirsty man desire to be refreshed with water so doth the godly after the knowledge of God and none but thirsty soules are called or doe come to these waters Esa. 55. 1. How earnestly doe blind men â—esire to see the light so doe â—he Saints seeing what a weake â—immering and sight they have 〈◊〉 Divine things They know â—he Sunne in the heavens is not 〈◊〉 necessary to enlighten the world as is the Sonne of grace â—nd righteousnesse to enlighten 〈…〉 e Church And as without the â—unne there would be a perpe 〈…〉 all night so without God and 〈…〉 e saving knowledge of him 〈…〉 ere were an eternall night in 〈…〉 verlasting darknesse 4. They earnestly desire saâ—ing knowledge because they 〈…〉 ee the profit and high excellen 〈…〉 y of it both within themselves 〈…〉 d without them First within themselves they 〈…〉 ee Gods Image renewed in 〈…〉 em by knowledge and themselves framed to his likenesse who is light and in whom is no 〈…〉 arknesse Also they see themselves brought into better frame by it daily and changed into 〈◊〉 selfe from glory to glory with out which they could never attaine any right motion in their wils or affections nor any righâ— manner or end of doing any thing nor any happy fruit o 〈…〉 their endevours but the losse o 〈…〉 all their labour time hope and reward Secondly without them they see the worth and excellency of this knowledge above all other things in the world and that nothing else can make them truly happy Prov. 3. 13. Blessed iâ— the man that findeth wisdoms and that getteth understanding But how can Salomon prove this By two reasons The former in the 14. verse by comparing this wisdome of God with silver and gold which are so desirable but the gaine of this is better Oh but some things
themselves as our Text gives instance And I thinke the rule will prove generally true that Christians doe more multiply their sinnes in abuse of things lawfull then in adventuring on things unlawfull and faster doe they rivet themselves in those sinnes which lye in lawfull things then in such as are easily convinced to be unlawfull An hard taske it is for a Teacher to winne Christians by profession either from wicked practices if they please to call them play oh meddle not with mine eyes or from the usuall sinnes attending such recreations as in the substance of them are not unlawfull In both resembling Salomons mad-man that casteth darts and firebrands and saith Am I not in sport But a wise and teachable Christian will confine himselfe to Gods allowance and neither in jest catch at any forbidden fruit be it never so pleasant in it selfe or strongly perswaded nor in the use of allowed delights straine beyond the bounds and limits of the Word nor complaine of us as injurious when we disallow in men nothing but what God himselfe in the Scriptures restraineth them in And if we will be ruled by God in our sports rejoycings we must listen to his directions 1. in the choyce 2. in the use of our play First our choyce must be of sports in themselves lawfull We may not play with holy things suppose Scripture-phrases wee must feare the holy name of Iehova not play with it nor with oaths our owne or others nor with lots which are a part of the Name of God yea more solemn then any oath and must not be vainly used or for recreation Neither on the other side may we play with sinne or things evill in themselves viz. to make one drunke or sweare or to laugh at such persons it is a matter of sorrow to see Gods Image so defaced his honourable name so disgraced and Davids eyes will gush out with rivers of teares for such sinnes So in other sinful merriments Or if wee have not warrant for them by generall rules of the Word if the lawes of the land prohibit them as unlawfull if honest heathens have on good ground condemned them if the Fathers and judicious Divines have blotted and disgraced them c. Here pause on that rule Phil. 48. And Christian wisedome will also guide us to the choyce of the best spots A spirituall mind will chuse spirituall recreations as a carnall mind will use carnal And although there be time and place for bodily yet a wise Christian must in the highest roome set heavenly delights viâ— comforts of the Spirit joy in God and his Word walking in the garden of Christ where is most sweet and ravishing delight in hearing reading meditating holy conference and in gathering and smelling the sweetest flowers of knowledge faith love hope holinesse Here is a profitable and a lasting delight And here is a tryall of the constitution of thy soule the soule that more contents it selfe with carnall delights then these is of a carnall constitution if it be so constantly Secondly when we have chosen warrantable sports we must beware we sinne not in the use of them And to keepe us from sinne in our recreations wee must looke to our neighbour to our selves 1. For our neighbour the rule of wisdome to be observed is we must wisely sort our selves in our sports with the most sober godly and wise of our degree condition and sort of life that may rather watch over us that we offend not in them then any way draw and provoke us so to doe No pestilentiall ayre so contagious as where swearers and riotous gamesters are met And as thy company is which thou chusest and usest so art thou 2. We must looke carefully to our selves First for our affection that it be moderate Wee may use lawfull sports but not love them Hee that loves pastime shall be a poore man saith Salomon Prov. 21. 17. And the Apostle commands Christians to reioyce as not reioycing 1 Cor. 7. 30. that is to bee so moderate and retired in our joyes as not over-value them nor set affections on them as having greater things to doe Moderation will observe due circumstances it suffreth not a man to be given over to sport nor to sit up night and day and turne dayes into nights and nights into dayes as intemperate and riotous gamesters doe nor will it let the duties of generall or speciall calling lye aside for daies and weeks together because the least commanded thing is better than the best that is indifferent and sports were not ordained to hinder our callings but to fit us for them as whetting a sythe to forward the mower but if a mower shall doe nothing but whet whet for a whole day together wee would say hee is mad c. Secondly for our ends Our ends must not be to passe the time which passeth whether we will or no and we ought to redeeme our time and not let it passe without gaining somthing better than it selfe Nor yet to maintaine idlenesse as men that cannot tell what to doe with themselves else which is no better then idlenesse for idlenesse is not onely not-working but a doing of trifles and that which we dare not bring to God in accounts And is not the case pitifull that Christians having so much good worke to doe and so many meanes and so many cals and so little time should finde nothing so necessary as cards and dice Againe the end of sport is preservation of our health both of soule and body and not to impaire the health of either as many by watching at play and forgetting or forgoing their diet and rest for play destroy their health and call in numbers of disease â—â—on themselves and oftentimes untimely death Lastly seeing nothing can be lawfull wherein some glory accrewes not to God therefore if the end of our sports be not to enable us with chearefulnesse in duties of Religion and Christianity it will all be returned as sinne in our reckoning Thus of the ends Thirdly we must guide our selves in our sports by remembring these rules 1. That we may not recreate the outward man but to better the inward for Gods wisdome hath subordinated all inferiour things to the furtherance of the best things the seeking of all other things even necessaries much more indifferent to the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse And he wils that all earthly joyâ—â— helpe forward our spirituall joy in God and his Christ and the eternall joyes of Kingdome But when they will step in competition with these they are to be snibb'd and cast out Never must our chiefe joy be abated for these nor our chiefe affections unsetled of that fulnesse of joy at Gods right hand for evermore 2. Remember we have a spirituall course and race to runne and beware we clogge not nor oppresse our selves with pleasures that instead of speeding us in our way they become the Divels
2. 17. and to the Leprosie the contagion whereof not onely 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 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 under 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 onely 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 with 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 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 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 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 and blessed be thâ—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 being 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 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 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 We come now to the Physician The Physician is our Lord Iesus 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 perfeâ—ly hee knoweth what is 〈◊〉 man Iohn 2. so doth no other Physician they can ghâ—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 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 whom thou hast glven me J have lost none Thirdly as a skilfull Physician he 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 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 all 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 onely 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 helpe and physicke even daily in the preaching of his Gospell Ier. 3. 2â— O disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellions This Physician seeketh to the patient Secondly hee takes nothing for his cure Hos. 14 4. I will heale your rebyllions
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 sinne 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 here 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 the 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 to cure us because hee is God Omnipotent able to worke an infinite cure and onely 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 High-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 all objections Obiect 1. I am unworthy he should looke on me or that I should speake to him 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 hâ—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 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 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 that 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 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 and that shall be thy marriage-day A loving husband will be carefull of his loving wife above thousands of others HAving spoken of the Patients 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 Author 2. the Matter 3. the Vertue The Author must be a man and above a man He must be a man because man had sinned and mans nature must satisfie else Gods justice and menace had not taken place In the day thou sinnest thou 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 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 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 sinne 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 remove 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 to 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 happineâ—â— 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 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. â—0 but this blood is the laver which purgeth away all sinne Not the blood of Saints Martyrs
sinner but onely 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 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 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 râ—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 in tongue and word onely 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 actuall 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 onely 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 our obedience and gives us also strength to beare it Hee hath given himselfe for us and will giue 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 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 onely 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 So of the Cure in respect of the Confection Now we are to consider it in 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 onely 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 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 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 〈…〉 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 onely 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 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. 8. 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. 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 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 head of it and confesse that not the beast but the Owner deserved death and the blood that was shed must
be sprinckeled which sprinkling notes the very applying of Christs blood to the soule of a sinner But when is this medicine applyed For time there is no application but in this â—â—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 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 onely this is the acceptable time In vaine should you minister physicke to a dead man And faith then ceaseth with all the workes of it Seeing onely beleevers have the benefit of Cure above all 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 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 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 weâ—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 life 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 â—â—â—ke Againe seeing there is a time to heale come in season Eccleâ— 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 onely to heare of this remedy but seeke to know that it is applyed 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 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 namely 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 from 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 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 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 ease 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 1 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 men 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