12. And lastly, Christ is the most bounti- ful physician. Other patients do enrich their physicians, but here the physician doth en- rich the patient. Christ prefers all his pa- tients ; lie doth not only cure them, but crowTi them. Rev. ii. 10. Christ doth not only raise from the bed, but to the throne ; he gives the sick man not only health, but heaven.
Use 1. Good news this day, there is balm in Gilead ; there is a physician to heal sin- sick souls ; the angels that fell had no phy- sician sent them, we have ; there are but few in the w^orld to whom Christ is revealed ; they that have the gold of the Indies want the blood of the Lamb; but the Sun of righteous- ness is risen in our hemisphere, with healing in his wings. If a man were poisoned, what a comfort would it be to him to hear that there was an herb in the garden could heal him ! If he had a gangrene in his body, and were given over by all his friends, how glad would he be to hear of a surgeon that could cure him ! O sinner, thou art full of peccant humoiu-s, thou hast a gangrened soul ; but there is a physician that can recover thee. " There is hope in Israel concerning this ;" though there be an old serpent to sting us with his tentations, yet there is a brazen ser- pent to heal us with his blood.
Use 2. If Christ be a physician, then let us make use of this physician for our diseased souls : Luke iv. 40. " When the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought them unto him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed tliem." You that have neglected a physician all this while, now when the sun of the gos- pel, and the sun of your life is even setting, bring your sick souls to Christ to be cured. Christ complains that though men are sick even to death, yet they will not come or send to the physician ; John v. 40. " Ye yd]l not
come to me that ye might have life." In bodily diseases the physician is the first that is sent to ; in soul diseases the Physician is the last that is sent to. But here there are many sad objections that poor souls make agcrinst themselves, why they do not come to Christ their soul physician.
Object. 1. Alas, I am discouraged to go to Clirist to cure me, because of my unworthi- ness; just like the centurion, who sent to Christ about his sick servant, Luke vii. 6 " Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not wor- thy that thou shouldest enter under my roof." Christ was coming to heal his servant, but the centurion would have staved off Christ from coming : " I am not worthy." So saith many a trembling soul, Christ is a physician, but who am I that Christ should come under my roof, or heal me ? I am unworthy of mer- cy : as Mephibosheth said to king David, 2 Sam. ix. 8. " WTiat is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am ?" Now to such as have their hearts broken with a sense of their unworthiness, and are dis- couraged from coming to Christ to heal them, let me say these five things by way of reply.
1. Who did Christ shed his blood for but such as are unworthy ? 1 Tim. i. 14. " Jesu3 Christ came into the world to save sinners." Christ came into the world as into an liospi- tal, among a company of lame, bed-rid souls.
2. Though we are not legally worthy, we may be evangelically ; it is part of our worthi- ness to see our unworthiness, Isa. xli. 14. " Fear not, thou worm Jacob." Thou mayest be a worm in thine own eye, yet a dove in God's eye.
3. Though we are unworthy, yet Christ is worthy ; we do not deserve a cure, but Christ hath merited mercy for us ; he hath store of blood to supply our want of tears.
4.. Who was ever yet saved because he was worthy ? what man could ever plead this title, Lord Jesus heal me, because I am worthy ? ^^hat worthiness was in Paul before his con- version ? what worthiness was there in ]\rary Magdalene, out of whom seven devils were cast? but free grace did pity and heal them ; God doth not find us worthy, but makes us worthy
5. If we never come to Christ to be healed till we are worthy, we must never come;
THE SOUL'S MALADY AND CURE.
and let me tell you, tliis talking of worthiness savours of pride, we would have something of our own ; had we such preparations and self-excellencies, then we think Christ would accept of us, and we might come and be healed; this is to fee our physician; O'let not the sense of unworthiness discourage : go to Christ to be healed: " Arise, he calleth thee," Mark x. 49.
Obj. 2. But I fear I am not within Christ's commission, I am not of the number that shall be saved ; and then though Christ be a physician, I shall not be healed.
Ans. 1. We must take heed of drawing desperate conclusions against ourselves ; it is high presumption for us to make ourselves •wiser than the angels. All the angels in heaven are not able to resolve this question. Who are elected, and who are reprobated?