blessing, Deut. xxxiii. 8, 11. "And of LeW he said, let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one; bless. Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not arain." The Lord will wither that arm which is stretched out against his pro- phets.
Use 2. Exhort. Branch 1. If sin be a soul- disease, let this serve to humble us; the scripture often calls upon us to humility, 1 Pet. V. 5. "Be ye clothed with humility;" if any thing will humble, this consideration may ; sin is a soul-disease : if a woman had a fair face, but a cancer in her breast, it would keep her from being proud of her beauty. So Christian, though thou art endued with knowledge and morality, which are fair to look upon, yet remember thou art diseased in thy soul, here is a cancer in the breast to humble thee; this certainly is one reason why God leaves sin in his own children; (for though sin be healed as to the guilt of it, yet not as to the stain of it) that the sight of their sores may make their plumes of pride fall. There are two humbling sights; a sight of God's glory, and a sight of our diseases. Uzziah the kinjj had no cause to be proud; for though he had a crown of gold on his head, he had the leprosy in his fore- head, 2 Chron. xxvi. 19. Though the saints have their golden graces, yet they have their leprous spots; seeing sin hath made us vile, let it make us humble; seeing it hath taken away our beauty, let it take away our pride; if God (saith Saint Austin) did not spare the proud angels, will he spare thee, who art but dust and rottenness? O look upon your boils and ulcers, and be humble ! Christians arc never more lovely in God's eyes, than when they are loathsome in their own; those sins which humble, shall never damn.
Branch 2. If sin be a soul-disease, and the most damnable disease, let us be afraid of it. Had we diseases in our bodies, an ulcer in the lungs, or hectic fever, we would fear lest they should bring death; O fear sin-sickness, lest it brinof the second death. Thou who art a drunkard or a swearer, tremble at thy soul-maladies. I wonder to see sinners like the leviathan, made without fear. Why do
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not men fear sin? why do they not shake with this disease? surely the reason is,
1. Stupidity; as tliey have the fever of Bin, so withal a lethargy, 1 Tim. iv. 2. " Having their conscience seared with a hot He that hath an unbelieving heart,
iron.
and a seared conscience, you may ring out the bell ; that man's case is desperate.
2. Presumption. Many fancy that they can lay a fig upon the boil ; though they be sick, they can make themselves well; it is but saying a few prayers, it is but a sigli or a tear, and they shall presently recover; but is it so easy to be healed of sin ? is it easy to make old Adam bleed to death ? is it easy when the pangs of death are on thee, in an instant to have the pangs of the new birth ? O take heed of a spiritual lethargy, fear your disease, lest it prove mortal and damnable. Physicians tell of a disease that makes men die laughing ; so Satan tickles many with the pleasure of sin, and they die laughing.
3. If sin be a soul distemper, then ac- count them your best friends that would reclaim ^^ou from your sins. The patient is thankful to the physician that tells him of his disease, and useth means to recover him. When ministers tell you, in love, of your Bins, and would reclaim you, take it in good part ; the worst they intend is to cure you of your sickness. David was glad of a healing reproof, Psal. cxli. 5. " Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove me, it shall be an ex- cellent oil which shall not break my head." Ministers are charged by virtue of their office to reprove, 2 Tim. iv. 2. They must as well come with corrosives as lenitives. Tit. i. 13. " Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith." The Greek word is cuttingly ; as a surgeon searcheth a wound and then lanceth, and cuts out the gangrened flesh ; or as a physician useth leeches and cuppiug glasses, which put the patient in pain, but it is to restore him to health ; so must the ministers of Christ rebxdce sharply, that they may help to save their dying pa- tients. Who is angry with the physician for prescribing a bitter potion ? Why should any be angry with Christ's ministers for re- proNnng, when, in regard of their office, they are physicians, and, in regard of their bowels.
they are fathers ? But how tew are they who will take a reproof kindly ! Amos . 10, " They hate him that rebuketh in the gate." But why do not men love a re- proof ?
(1.) Because they are in love with their sins ; a strange thing that any should love their disease, but so it is, Prov. i. 22. " How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simpli- city?" Sin is the poison of the soul, yet men love it ; and he who loves his sin, hates a reproof.