(2.) Sin pos^sseth men with a lunacy, Luke XV. 7. People are mad in sin, Jer. I. 38. " THEY ARE MAD ON THEIR IDOLS." When sickness grows so violent that men lie raving, and are mad, they then quarrel with their physician, and say he comes to kill them. So when sin is grown to a head, the disease turned to a phrenzy, then men quarrel with those that tell them of their sins, and are ready to offer violence to their physicians. It argues wisdom to receive a reproof. Prov. ix. 8. " Rebuke a wise man, and he will lore thee." A wise man had rather drink a sharp potion, than die of his disease.
Branch 4. If sin be a soul-sickness, then do not feed this disease ; he that is wise, will avoid those thino^s which will increjise his disease; if he be feverish, he will avoid wine which would inflame the disciise ; if he have the stone, he will avoid salt meats ; he will forbear a dish he loves, because it is bad for his disease ; why should not men be as wise for their souls ? Thou that hast a drunken lust, do not feed it with wine ; thou that hast a malicious lust, do not feed it with revenge; thou that hast an unclean lust, make not pro- vision for the flesh, Rom. xiii. 14. He that feeds a disease, feeds an enemy. Some dis- eases are starved. Starve thy sins by fasting and humiliation. Either kill thy sin, or thy sin will kill thee.
Branch .5. If sin be a soul-disease, and worse than any other, then labour to be sen- sible of this disease. There are few who are sensible of their soul-sickness; they think they are well and ail nothing ; they are whole and need not a physician. It is a bad symp- tom to hear a sick dying man say he is weU. The church of Laodicea was a sick patien^
744
THE SOUL'S MALADY AND CURE.
but slie thought she was well, Rev. iii. 17. " Thou sayest I am rich, and have need of nothing." Come to many a man and feel his pulse, ask him about the state of his soul, he will say, he hath a good heart, and doubts not but he shall be saved. What should be the reason that when men are so desperately sick in their soids, and ready to drop into hell, yet they conceit themselves in a very good condition?
1. There is a spiritual cataract upon their eye, they see not their sores. Laodicea thought herself rich, because she was blind. Rev. iii. 17. The god of this world blinds men's eyes, that they can neither see their disease nor their physician. Many bless God their estate is good, not from the know- ledge of their happiness, but from the igno- rance of their danger ; when Haman's face was covered, he was near execution. Oh pray with David, " Lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not the sleep of death," PsaL xiii. 3.
2. Men that are sick think themselves well, from the hauglitiness of their spirits. Alexander thouijht himself a wlule to be the son of Jupiter, and no less than a god; what an arrotjant creature is man ! though he be sick unto death, he thinks it too much a disparagement to acknowledge a disease ; either he is not sick, or he can heal himself. If he be poisoned, he runs to the herb, or rather weed, of his own righteousness to cure him.
3. Men that are sick conceit themselves well, tlirough self-love. He that loves an- other, will not credit any evil report of him. Men are self-lovers, 2 Tim. iii. 2. Every man is a dove in his own eye, therefore doth not suspect himself of any disease ; he will rather question tlie scripture's verity than his own malady.
4. Self-deceit and tlie deceit of the heart appear in two things.
(1.) In hiding the disease; the heart hides sin as Rachel did her father's images. Gen. xxxi. 34. Hazael did not think he was |o sick as he was ; he could not imagine that so much wickedness, like a disease, should lie lurking in him, 2 Kings viii. 13. " Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing ? " As the viper hath his teeth hid in Jiis gums, so that if one should look into his
mouth he would think it a harmless crea- ture ; so though there be much corruption in the heart, yet the heart hides it, and draws a vail over, that it be not seen
(2.) The heart holds a false glass before the eye, making a man appear fair, and his estate very good. The heart can deceive with counterfeit grace ; hence it is that men are insensible of their spiritual condition, and think themselves well when they are sick imto death.
5. Men take up a reverend opinion of themselves, and fancy their spiritual estate better than it is, through mistake. And this mistake is double.