Sometimes a beleever through the neglect of his duty through surfetting upon sinne brings spiritual languishings upon himself his strength is decayed his vigour is abated his pulse beats very weakly he can scarcely creep in the wayes of God In such a case Jesus Christ recovers him repaires his breaches and renues his strength as in former times The Psalmist speaks of this Psal 23. 3. He restoreth my soul He leadeth me in the paths of righteousnesse for his Names sake The Saints have every day experience of this restoring vertue of Christ III. How this meat is eaten and received The Scripture makes mention of three things which concur to this act 1. The Ordinances These are the conduits Jesus Christ hath instituted and appointed his Ordinances to be the meanes of carrying his nourishing vertue to the soul The Ordinances are the dishes of gold upon which this heavenly meat is brought Prayer Reading Preaching Meditation holy conference the Sacrament in these Christ presents himself to the soul He that forsakes these can expect no feeding from Christ In this mountaine will the Lord of Hosts make a feast of fat things c. Esay 25. 6. The feast is made in the mountain of Gods house and the Ordinances are the dishes on which this meat is set and the knives by which it s carved out to the soul 2. Saving lively faith This is the instrument What the hand and mouth and stomack are in the corporal eating that is faith in this spiritual eating Faith is the hand that takes this meat the mouth that eats it and the stomack that digests it Yea faith is as the veines and Arteries that do disperse and carry this nourishment to every power of the soule This is abundantly cleared in this very Chapter v. 35. he that cometh to me shall never hunger he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst Cometh is expounded by beleeveth Eating and drinking are here put for believing Crede manducasti He that beleeves eats and he that eats not it is because he beleeves not Hic edâ—re est credere Doct. 2. That the blood of Jesus Christ is drink indeed Blood is here put for the whole person as flesh was And it s rather his blood is drink then that He is drink because the great efficacy of all Christ did lies principally in his blood Heb. 9 22. And in the same respects as his flesh is said to be meat indeed his blood is said to be drink indeed And those three things which concurre to the act of eating his flesh concur also to this act of drinking his blood The mystical union saving faith the Ordinances I shall therefore onely open two things 1. Shew that Christs blood is drink 2. The Analogy between his blood and other drink I. That the blood of Christ is spiritual drink will appear 1. From the drink-offerings under the Law In the Law there were sundry drink-offerings appointed as well as meat-offerings The daily sacrifice which was to be offered continually every morning and evening had both a meat-offering and drink annexed to it Exod. 29. 40 41. The daily sacrifice did signifie three things 1 That Jesus Christ the true Lamb of God was available to the Church of God from the morning of the world to the evening the end of the world 2 To signifie the continual need the Church had of reconciliation by Christs blood which taketh away sinne 3 To sanctifie the morning and evening prayers of the Church by the interceding sacrifices of Christ the Mediator And the meat-offering and drink-offering added thereunto did signifie that Jesus Christ by offering himself to God becomes not onely our redemption but also meat and drink to the soul The sheaf of the first fruits appointed to be offered every year had both the meat-offering and drink-offering added thereunto Lev. 23. 10 11 12 13. The like is to be observed in other sacrifices Now as the meat-offerings Numb 15 init did represent Christ as food so the drink-offerings did set him out as our spiritual drink 2. From the water issuing out of the rock You read the story of that Numb 20. The people in the desart of Zin wanted water In their necessity as their sinful custom was they fall a murmuring v. 3 4 5. God commands Moses v. 8. to speak unto the rock to give them water that they and their cattel might drink Moses smites the rock twice which was his sinne because God only commanded him to speak to the rock and it gave forth its water in abundance v. 11. Now what the meaning of this water was the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 10. 4. They drank of the rock that followed them and that rock was Christ The rock typisied Christ and the water of the rock of which they and their cattel drank typed out the blood of Christ our spiritual drink 3. From the cup in the Lords Supper Why is the cup added to the bread Is it not to let us know that Jesus Christ is spiritual drink as well as our spiritual bread 4. From the resemblance of the vine Our Saviour John 15. is compared to a vine Why to a vine 1. To shew the great mystery of the union of all the spiritual branches with him the root 2. To signifie that he is our spiritual drink The vine doth yield wine which is drink for the body the Lord Jesus Christ doth yield spiritual drink for all those that are his members He is the wine of God as well as the bread of God II. Quae Analogia The Analogy stands in foure things There are four properties of drink distinct from meat 1. Drink is for refreshing and cooling When the body is hot by labour or by sicknesse or travel drink doth coole and refresh it The heart panteth after the water-brooks Psalm 42. 1. The chased Hart when he is heated with hunting makes to the river and by drinking is refreshed The sweating Traveller goes to the spring and cooles himselfe by drinking of the streaming waters The blood of Jesus Christ is of a very refreshing and cooling nature When the soul is heated with temptations parched with the fiery wrath of God in the conscience when it lies sweating and sweltring under guilt one draught of Christs blood taken down by faith yea one drop of it sensibly falling upon it doth cool and refresh it again Hence he is also compared to the rivers of water in dry places Is 23. 2. Hence is that invitation Mat. 11. 28 I wilâ— give you rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give you refreshment so 't is translated Phil. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing indeed can coole the parched soule but Christs blood And this will do it abundantly when 't is quite melted with wrath and burnt up with anguish 2. Drink cleanseth the body The inward parts are washed and purified as well as refreshed As the running water cleanseth the channel and carries away rubbish and filth so drink seasonably and
that long sickness how unlike himself was he he had no actual repentance till Nathan came to him with a message from God and quickned him Sinne quencheth the Spirit in Godly men as the water quencheth the fire Sinne takes off the edge of the soul deads the appetite and affection to the things of God It locks up the heart that it cannot act as it was wont to do 2 Sicknesse begets torment and anguish in the body When sicknesse is in extremity in the body how doth a man cry out of paine head and heart and every part is under torment What restlesse tossings are men under when diseases are violent heare how Job complaines Chap. 30. 16 17 18 Sinne is a Creator of torment and painfulnesse in the soule Felix his sinne made him tremble Acts 24. 25. Cains sinne put his spirit into such anguish that he cries out My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen. 4. 13 14. Judas his sinne did bring such despairing torment upon his soule that he takes away his life to end his misery Matth. 27. init And even Gods own people when they fall into this spiritual disease they are pained at the very heart till by pardon and remission they have obtained a healing from God How full of paine was Davids spirit by reason of his sinne He was as a man upon the rack for a long time if he did ever recover his former serenity Vid. Psalme 6. per totum Psalme 38. per tot Many of the deare children of God do by sinne fill their hearts with such anguish that they are never without much smart to the day of their death 3 Sicknesse doth bring uncomelinesse The most beautiful body in the world if pining sicknesses continue long upon it becomes like a garment that is moth-eaten the eyes sink the colour is lost the skin is shriveld the bones stick out c. Job observes this Chap. 16. 8. Thou hast filled me with wrinkles which is a witnesse against me and my leaâ—nesse rising up in me beareth witnesse to my face Sicknesse makes streight bodies how down beautiful faces look ghastly well-coloured cheeks look pale and oftentimes the more beautiful sicknesse findes us the more uncomely doth it leave us Sicknesse turnes youth into old age vid. Lam. 3. 4. My flesh and my skin hath he made old Sickness dries up the spirits Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine a broken spirit dries up the bones Sin takes away the comelinesse of the soule The first sinful sicknesse that ever entered into the world hath turned the soules and bodies of all mankinde into deformity and uglinesse Could we see the picture of Adams soule in the state of innocency and compare it with the soules that are diseased with sinne we would wonder at the sad change Sinne is a very deformed thing it turned Angels of light into ugly devils Those who were never healed by regeneration and remission of the disease of sin what deformed souls have they they have not one spot of beauty upon them Psal 14. 3. They are altogether become stinking A dead carrion a putrefied carcasse is as beautiful and as sweet an objâ—ct as a sinfully-diseased soul Yea even Gods own children by falling into sinne though but in one or two particular acts do lose much of their beauty They do not look with that grace they did before Every act of sin casts a dark thick shadow upon the soul As deep wounds leave skars upon the body so sinful acts leave some skarres of infamy upon the soul A Saint doth not look like the same man he was before he fell into sin 4 Sicknesse brings death Dorcas was sick and died Act. 9. 37. Long sicknesses if they be not removed will bring the strongest body to the dust of death Sicknesse is indeed Anteambulo mortis the forerunner of death The sick-bed is the direct way to the dark bed the grave Sinne doth bring death to the soule One disease of sinne if it be not healed by Christs bloud will certainly bring the soule to eternal death Rom. 6. 23. it hath brought many to hell and it will certainly bring all others to the same condition that live and die in it unhealed He that dies in his sinne shall die for ever II. For the nature of this sicknesse 'T is a more dreadfull sicknesse then any other sicknesse I shall set it out in a few particulars 1. It seizeth upon the most noble part of man All other sicknesses do infest the body onely but sinne is a disease in the soul Those sicknesses are most painful and most mortal which seize upon the vitals and inward parts A disease that feeds upon the spirits doth soone drink up the natural moisture and is not so easily cured Sinne is a disease that doth immediately reach the spirits 'T is the sicknesse of the heart O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved Jer. 4. 14. The Apostle it 's true speaks of the filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Some sins are onely acted by the brutish fleshly and sensitive part others rest in the spirit as pride vain-glory envy c. yet notwithstanding even those filthinesses of the flesh have their chief seat and residence in the heart according to that of our Saviour Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. All sinne is spiritual wickednesse in regard of the fountaine and root of it As grace is seated in the heart so also is sin Ier. 4. 18. This is thy wickednesse because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart 2. Sinne is a sicknesse which God never made All bodily diseases are the handy work of God He created Plagues Feavers Consumptions c. Amos 3. 6. But sinne is a sicknesse of which God never was the Author 'T is true God sometimes punisheth sinne by sinne not by creating sinne but by suffering a sinful creature to fill up his sinne by withdrawing denying his grace which onely can preserve from sin 3. Sinne is a sicknesse which separates between God and men No other disease can divide between God and the soule Hezekiahs plague Asa's gout Iobs sores none of all these did make any division between God and them Some sicknesses do separate between the husband and the wife the father and the childe at least in regard of actual communion though not in regard of affection but no bodily sicknesse divides between God and men But sinne doth separate between God and the soule Esay 59. 2. It makes God stand at a distance from his own children to hide his face from them and to deale with them as with enemies 4. Sinne is the cause of all other sicknesses All bodily diseases come from this disease Hast thou not procured this thy unto self Thine own doings shall correct thee c. Jer. 2. 19. A distempered soul is the true cause of a distempered body Sinne was the first
life so the meat that is appointed for the natural life if compared with the meat of the Spiritual life is but a very image of meat Christs flesh is real meat 2. In respect of that typical meat which the Jews had lately spoken of v. 31. Our fathers did eat Manna in the desart c. Our Saviour tells them that that is but typical bread but his flesh is bread indeed it is the real substance of which that was but a meere type and shadow Thus for Explication The Observation is this Doct 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly the food and meat of beleevers Flesh is here put for the whole person of Christ Jesus Christ as he is held out in the Scriptures is the true real and very meat of beleeving Christians Christ as he is propounded in the Gospel dead broken crucified Christ in all his perfection compleatnesse fulnesse is meat indeed to a true beleever 'T is the very scope of this Sermon from v. 27. to v. 59. in which this truth is inculcated over and over againe and all objections answered which the carnal reason and unbeleefe of mans heart can make against it I shall in the Explication of this Doctrine open these things 1. Prove that Christ is a beleevers meat 2. Shew the Analogy between Christ and other meat 3. How this meat is eaten and received I. That Christ is the soules meat This is proved two wayes First from the types of Christ in the Old Testament The Ceremonial Law had many types of Christ Whatsoever is revealed of Christ in the New Testament was some way or other typified of him in the Ceremonial Law There are foure types which did set out Jesus Christ as the souls meat 1. The Manna in the wildernesse The History of the Manna is set down Exod. 16. the people being in some want of provision in the Wildernesse of sinne began to murmur against Moses and Aaron v. 3. God promiseth v. 4. to raine bread from heaven for them which accordingly was done v. 14 15. That this was a type of the feeding vertue of Christ is plainly discovered by our Saviour in this very Sermon v. 31 32. The Wildernesse did typifie the state of the Church in this world and the Manna was a plaine type of Christ the Churches meat 2. The Shewbread The Law and manner of the Shewbread you have at large Lev. 24. 5 6 7. 8 9. There are two things represented by this Shewbread First the multitude of the faithful presented unto God in his Church as upon a pure table continually serving him made by faith and holinesse as fine cakes and by the mediation of Christ as by incense made a sweet odour unto God Secondly the Spiritual repast which the Church hath from and before God who feedeth them with Christ the bread of life 3. The meat-offerings Concerning this Minchah or meat-offering you may reade at large Lev. 2. 1 c. These meat-offerings were of two sorts some were the meat-offerings of the Congregation some of particular persons of these latter there were several sorts mentioned in that Chapter It 's said v. 3. that Aaron and his sons shall have the remnant of the meat-offering that is all of it but that which is burned upon the Altar for a memorial v. 2. Several things were signified by the meat-offerings Being referred to Christ who by the oblation of his own body was our meat offering Psal 40. 6. Heb. 10. 5. they did shadow out our communion with Christ and participation of his death and resurrection by faith whereby he becomes unto us spiritual meat of which the whole Church are made partakers 4. The flesh of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings and others which were given to the Priests of which you read Lev. 7. 15. they were to be eaten the same day it was killed Now what was meant by the eating of the flesh of these sacrifices and of the flesh of the other sacrifices which were given to the Priests to eat vid. Lev. 10. 12 13 14. Surely Jesus Christ who by his flesh as by precious meat feedeth his people who are spirituall Priests unto everlasting life Secondly from the Sacraments of nourishment both of the Old and New Testament There were Sacraments of implantation or initiation and of growth under the Law Circumcision Passeover under the Gospel Baptisme Supper of the Lord. 1. The Sacrament of nourishment under the Old Testament was the Paschal lamb The Law and rites of this are set down Exod. 12. 3 4 5 c. What did this Paschal Lamb signifie but Jesus Christ our Passeover the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world In this Sacrament was Jesus Christ set out as a nourisher He is that precious meat upon which all the true Israel of God feed continually who is therefore called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. 2. The Lords Supper This is the Sacrament of nourishment under the New Testament And herein clearly Christ is exhibited as our spiritual meat His flesh is the bread the wine is his blood As the body is nourished by bread and wine so is the soule by his body and blood nourished and fed to life eternal II. The Analogy between Christ and corporal meat stands in these three particulars Three great ends of meat 1. Corporal meat is for the preservation of the Susientation natural life The natural life is maintained by meat through the concurrence of Gods ordinary blessing 'T is pabulum vitae Hence bread under which all other provision is comprehended is called the staffe of life Esay 3. 1. Keep the strongest man from meat but a few dayes and the life will extinguish and go out 1 Sam. 30. 12. Jesus Christ is the maintainer and preserver of the spiritual life As he gives it at first so he upholds it 'T is by continual influences from him that the life is kept from expiring If he withdraw his influx never so little the soule is at the giving up of the Ghost even halfe dead 2. Corporal meat is for growth 'T is by meat Vegetation that the body is brought from infancy to childhood from childhood to youth from youth to a perfect man Jesus Christ is he that carries on a Christian from infancy to perfection All the soules growth and increase is from Christ So the Apostle Col. 2. 19. From him the whole body having nourishment ministred c. The branches live and increase by vertue of the sap which is derived from the root Christians grow by vertue of the sap which is to them derived from Jesus Christ Every part growes by Christ 3. Meat is a repayer of natures decayes When Reparation by some violent sicknesse the spirits are consumed the body wasted the strength lost meat fitly and seasonably taken helps through the divine blessing to recover all again 1 Sam. 30. 12. his spirit came to him againe Jesus Christ is the repairer of the soules decayes
Our Saviour heares this dispute and steps in with them in his own person 'T is likely the Disciples acquainted him with it as they usually did in other cases or else by the flocking of the multitude about them he observed it or by the omniscience of his Divinity he knew it however it was the Text saith he appeared in the controversie v. 12. Note Iesus Christ will plea for them that are quarreld with for his sake The Disciples are baited by the subtle Scribes and Pharisees and see how ready Christ is to come to their rescue Christ will back all those that stand up for him Now the answer which our Saviour gives to this cavil is in the Text. They that are whole c. which is more plainly expounded in the next verse I came not c. Our Saviour tells them that he did in this action the office of a good Physician took all opportunities for the good of sinful souls q. d. If a Physician may visit infected persons c. And he doth withal secretly intimate to them their misery that while they continued in their present self-conceitednesse they could expect no benefit at all by him They that are whole need not c. They that are whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that are of ability or strength 'T is referr'd in Scripture both to the body and to the soul and it notes either truth of strength or opinion of strength that man that is either really or conceitedly strong in body is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he that is spiritually stronger conceitedly so is a whole man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here it meanes men that are opinionated and conceited of their own ability It doth secretly point out the Pharisees distemper Though they were as other men in regard of their spiritual condition yet they had good thoughts of themselves they were strong men in their own conceit Need not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies necessity and usefulnesse Rom. 12. 13. contributing to the necessities of Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6. 8. Your heavenly Father knows what things you have need of c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies also a necessary office as Acts 6. 3. Look out among you seven men c. whom we may appoint over this businesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that are whole as before they can make no use they have no want of a Physician A Physician 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies a healer The work of a Physician is to heale God hath given men insight into that study to prevent diseases and to cure diseases But they that â—re sick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that are evil affected 'T is referr'd both to the outward and inward man There is a sicknesse of the body and of the minde also and the phrase expresses the nature of sicknesse Health is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corporis a right temperature of body 'T is malus habitus corporis Spiritual sicknesse is malus habitus Animi When the spiritual part is dis-affected the soul is spiritually sick In this place it relates to both The words are a double Proposition in which are First the Subject this is twofold Secondly the Predicate twofold 1. That men that Need not a Physician are whole 2. That men that Do need a Physician are sick The summe of all amounts to these five Observations 1. Sinne is a spiritual sicknesse a spiritual disease 2. Jesus Christ is a Physician for the curing of this disease 3. Some sinners are spiritually sick and yet think themselves whole 4. Christ is not a Physician to those that think themselves spiritually whole 5. Those that see their spiritual sicknesse shall finde Jesus Christ ready to heale them I begin with the first viz. Doct. 1. Sinne is a spiritual sicknesse This is intimated in the text 'T is the very foundation of this defence of Christ He points out these Publicans with whom he now conversed as so many diseased men Every sinne is a spiritual disease every iniquity is a real malady Sinful men are truly sick men sin bath many names in Scripture a burden a wound darknesse bonds folly c. and here a sicknesse Two things I shall open here by way of Explication 1. Prove that sin is a sicknesse 2. Shew what kinde of sicknesse it is 1. That sinne is a sicknesse This is proved two wayes 1. From cleare testimonies of Scripture The Word of God calls it a sicknesse Esay 1. 5. The whole head is sick c. It hath relation both to Jerusalems miseries and to Jerusalems sinnes She was sick with misery and sick with sinne therefore sick with misery because sick of sinne Ezek. 34. 4. The Prophets of Israel are compared to shepherds and they are charged with this that they did not strengthen the diseased nor heale that which was sick What is meant by the sick and diseased but the sinful members of that Church whose conversion and reformation the Prophets had not endeavoured And Eccles 6. 2. Solomon calls covetousnesse an evil disease Hence also it is that sinne is called in Scripture by the name of diseases 'T is called the plague of the heart 1 King 8. 38. There are as many diseases of the soul as there are of the body Drunkennesse is a spiritual dropsie Security is a spiritual lethargy Envy is a spiritual canker Lust is a spiritual feaver Hos 7. 4. They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the Baker Apostasie and backslâ—ding is the spiritual falling-sicknesse hardnesse of heart is the spiritual stone searednesse of conscience is a spiritual Apoplexy unsettlednesse of judgement is a spiritual paâ—fiâ— pride a spiritual tumor vaine-glory a spiritual itch There is not any sicknesse of the body but there is some distemper of the soule that might be parallell'd with it and beare the name of it Hence also it is in Scripture that the pardoning of sinne is called healing Psalme 103. 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 2. From the effects of sinne Sinne doth produce all those effects upon the soule which sicknesses do upon the body 1 Sicknesse unfits the body for action Men that are active in health they are in sicknesse indisposed for any thing The Mariner cannot row the souldier cannot fight the husband-man cannot till the Merchant cannot trade It doth take a man quite off from all his labours and that both in regard of Act and in regard of Affection Eccles 12. 1. what was loved before yields no pleasure Sinne doth unfit the soule for spiritual employments it takes men off from prayer from hearing from meditation c. And the more power it hath over the soul the more is the soule indisposed for holy exercises Even Gods own children when they have fallen into some spiritual sicknesse are exceedingly indisposed to the things of God Their zeale their forwardnesse their activity is much abated David when he had fallen into