(1.) They enjoy glorious privileges; they;, were born within the sound of Aaron's bells, they were baptized with holy water, they have been fed with manna from heaven, therefore they hope they are in a good con- dition. Judges xvii. 13. " Then Micah said, Now I know the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." But alas ! this is a mistake ; outward pri\aleges save not. What is any man the better for the ordinances, imless he be the better by ordinances? A child may die with the breast in its mouth. Many of the Jews perished, though Christ himself was their preacher.
(2.) The other mistake is set down by the apostle, 2 Cor. x. 12. " They, measur- ing themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves, are not wise." Here is a double error or mistake.
First, " They measure themselves by themselves : " that is, they see they are not so bad as they were, therefore they judge their condition is good. A dwarf may be taller than he was, yet a dwarf still ; the pa- tient may be less sick than he was, yet far from well ; a man may be better than he was, yet not good.
Secondly, " They compare themselves amongst themselves." They see they are not so flagitious and profane as others ; there- fore they think themselves well, because they are not so sick as others : this is a mistake , one may as well die of a consumption as the plague. One man may not be so far oflf heaven as another, yet he may not be near heaven ; one line may not be so crooked as
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another, yet not straight. To the law, to the testimony ; the word of God is the true standard and measure by which we are to judge of the state and temper of our souls.
Oh let us take heed of this rock, the fan- cying of our condition better than it is ; let lis hike heed of a spiritual apoplexy, to be sick in our soids, yet not sensible of this sickness. What do men talk of a li":ht within them? the light within them by nature is not sufficient to show them the diseases of their souls; this light tells them they are whole, and have no need of a physician.
Oh what infinite mercy is it for a man to be made sensible of sin, and seeing himself sick, to cry out with David, 2 Sam. xii. 13. " I have sinned against the Lord." Were it not a mercy for a person that is distracted, to be restored to the use of his reason ; so for him that is spiritually distempered, and in a lethargy, to come to himself, and see both his wound and his remedy : till the sinner be sensible of his disease, the medicine of mercy doth not belong to him.
Branch 6. If sin be a soul sickness, then labour to get this disease healed ; if a man had a disease in his body, a pleurisy or can- cer, he would use all the means for a cure ; the woman in the gospel who had a bloody issue, spent her whole estate upon the phy- sicians, Luke viii. 43. Be more earnest to have thy soul cured tlian thy body. Make David's prayer, Psal. xli. 4. " Heal my soul for I have sinned." Hast thou a con- sumptive body, rather pray God to heal the consumption in thy soul ; go to God first for the cure of thy soul, James v. 14. "Is any sick among you ? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him ;" the apostle doth not say, let him call for the physician, but the elders, that is, the minis- ters. Physicians are to be consulted in their due place, but not in the first place. Most men send first for the physician, and then for the minister ; which shows they are more de- sirous and careful for the recovery of their bodies than their souls; but if soul diseases are more dangerous and deadly, then we should prefer the spiritual cure before the bodily ; " Heal my soul, for 1 have sinned ;" let us consider,
1. Till we are cured, we are not fit to do
God any service. A sick man cannot work ; while the disease of sin is violent, we are not fit for any heavenly employment ; we can neither work for God nor work out our sal- vation. The philosopher defines happiness the operation of the mind about virtue. To be working for God, is both the end of our life, and the perfection. Would we be active in our sphere ? let us labour to have our souls cured. So long as we are diseased with sin, we are lame and bed-rid, we are unfit for work. We read indeed of a sinner's worlts, but they are dead works, Heb. vi. 1.
2. If we are not cured, we are cursed ; if our diseases abide on us, the wrath of God abides on us.
Quest But how shall we get this dij,f ase of sin cured? this brings to the second t) mg in the text — The healing physician ; Tiie whole need not a physician. Whence ob- serve :