3. The third particular is, that Christ is the only physician. Acts iv. 12. " Neither is there salvation in any other," &c. There is no other physician besides. The papists would have other healers besides Christ, tliey would make angels their physicians; all the angels in heaven cannot heal one sick soul ; indeed they are described by their wings, Isa. vi. 2. but they have no healing under their wings. Papists would heal themselves by their own merits. Adam did eat that apple which made him and his posterity sick ; but he could not find any herb in paradise to cure him ; our merits are rather damning than healing ; to make use of other physicians and medicines, is as if the Israelites, in con- tempt of that brazen serpent which Moses set up, had erected other brazen serpents. O let us take iieed of that turba medicorum.
THE SOUL'S MALADY AND CURE.
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Indeed in bodily sickness it is lawful to mul- tiply physicians ; when the patient hath ad- vised with one physician, he desires to have others joined with him; but the sick soul, if it joins any other physician with Christ it surely dies.
4. How Christ heals his patients.
j471s. There are four things in Christ that are healing.
1. His word is healing, Psal. cvii. 20. "He sent his word, and healed them." His word in the mouth of his ministers is healing; when the spirit is wounded in desertion, Christ doth create the lips that speak peace, Isa. Ivii. 19. The word written is a repo- sitory in which God hath laid up sovereign oils and balsams to recover sick souls; and the word preached is the pouring out of these oils, and applying them to the sick patient. " He sent his word and healed them." We look upon the word as a weak thing. What is the breath of a man to save a soul? but "The power of the Lord is present to heal," Luke v. 17. Christ makes use of his word as a healing medicine; the receipts which his ministers prescribe, he himself applies; he makes his word convincing, con- verting, comforting.
Caution^ Not that the word heals all; to some it is not a healing but a killing word, 2 Cor. ii. 16. "To the one we are a savour of death unto death." Some die of their disease; two sorts of patients die.
1. Such as sin presumptuously; though they know a thing to be sin. Job xxiv. 13. They are of those that rebel against the light; this is dangerous. David prays, Psal. xix. " Keep back thy servant from presump- tuous sins."
2. Such as sin maliciously; when the disease comes to this head, the patient will die, Heb. x. 29. But to them who belong to the election of grace, the word is the healing medicine Christ useth, "He sent his word, and healed them."
2. Christ's wounds are healing, Isa. Iv. 3. "with his stripes we are healed." Christ made a medicine of his own body and blood; the physician died to cure the patient. The pelican when her young ones are bitten by serpents, feeds them with her own blood to recover tiiem. Thus when we were bitten
by the old serpent, then Jesus Christ pro- scribes a receipt of his own blood to heal ami restore us. The blood of Christ beinif the blood of him who was God as well as man, had infinite merit to appease God, and in- finite virtue to heal us: this, this is the balm of Gilead, that recovers a soul which is sick even unto death. Balm, as naturalists say, is a juice which a little shrub, being cut with glass, doth weep out. This was an- ciently of very precious esteem, the savour of it was odoriferous, the virtue of it sove- reign; it would cure ulcers, and the stinging of serpents. This balm may be an emblem of Christ's blood; it hath a most sovereiirn
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virtue in it, it heals the ulcer of sin, the stinging of tentation, it merits for us justifi- cation, Rom. V. 9. O how precious is this balm of Gilead! by this blood we enter into heaven.
3. Christ's Spirit is healing; the blood of Christ heals the guilt of sin; the Spirit of Christ heals the pollution of sin; the Spirit is compared to oil, it is called the anointing of the Spirit, Isa. Ixi. to show the healing virtue of the Spirit; oil is healing. Christ by his Spirit heals the rebellion of the will, the stone of the heart; though sin be not removed, it is subdued.
4. Christ's rod is healing, Isa. xxvii. 9. Christ never wounds but to heal; the rod of affliction is to recover the sick patient. David's bones were broken that his soul might be healed. God useth affliction as the surgeon doth his lance, to let out the venom and corruption of the soul, and make way for a cure.
Quest. But if Christ be a physician, why are not all healed?
Ans. 1. Because all do not know they are sick; they see not the sores and ulcers of their souls; and will Christ cure them who see no need of him? many ignorant people thank God they have good hearts; but that heart can no more be good which wants grace, than that body can be sound which wants health.