2. Thou that sayest thou art not within Christ's commission, read over Christ's com- mission, see who he comes to heal, l^vike iv. 18. " He hath sent me to heal the broken- hearted." Hath God touched thy heart with remorse ? dost thou lay to heart thy gospel imkindnesses ? dost thou weep more out of iove to Christ, than fear of hell? then thou art a broken-hearted sinner, and art within Christ's commission ; a bleeding Christ will heal a broken heart.
Ohj. 3. But my sins are so many that sure I shall never be healed, I am sick of many diseases at once.
Ans. Thou hast the more need of a phy- sician ; one would think that was a strange speech of Peter to Christ, Luke v. 8. " De- part from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord; " rather. Lord come near to me. Is it a good argument to say to a physician, I am diseased, therefore depart from me ? No, therefore come and heal me. Our sins should serve to humble us, not to beat us from Christ. I tell you, if we had no diseases, Christ would have no work to do in the world.
Obj. 4. But my disease is inflamed, and grown to a paroxysm ; my sin is greatly heightened.
Alls. The plaster of Christ's blood is broader than thy sore, 1 John i. 7. " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." The blood of the Lamb takes away
the poison of the serpent : all diseases are alike to Christ's blood ; he can cure the greatest sin as well as the least. Hast thou a bloody issue of sin running? the issue of blood in Christ's side can heal thine.
Ohj. 5. But mine is an old inveterate dis- ease, and I fear it is incurable.
Ans. Though thy disease be chronical, Christ can heal it. Christ doth not say, if this disease had been taken in time, it might have been cured : he is good at old sores. The thief on the cross had an old festering disease, but Christ cured it ; it was well for him his physician was so near. Zaccheus, an old sinner, a custom-house man, he had wronged many a man in his time, but Christ cured him. Christ sometimes grafts his grace upon an old stock ; we read Christ cured at sunsetting, Luke iv. 40. He heals some sinners at the sunsetting of their lives.
Obj. 6. But after I have been healed, my disease hath broken out again; I have re- lapsed into the same sin ; therefore I fear there is no healing for me.
A71S. It is rare that the Lord leaves his children to these relapses, though, through the suspension of grace, and the prevalency of temptation, it is possible they might fall back into sin ; these sins of relapse are sad. It was an aggravation of Solomon's offence, that he sinned after the Lord had appeared to him twice, 1 Kings xi. 9. These sins after healing, open the mouth of conscience to accuse, and stop the mouth of God's Spirit, which should speak peace. These sins ex- clude from the comfort of the promise ; it is as it were sequestrated ; but if the soul be deeply humbled, if the relapsing sinner be a relenting sinner, let him .not cast away the anchor of hope, but have recourse to his soul- physician ; Jesus Christ can cure a relapse, he healed David's and Cranmer's relapse, 1 John ii. L " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ." Christ appears in the court as the advocate for the client. As he poured out his blood upon the brjizen altar of the cross : so he pours out his prayers at the golden altar in heaven, Ileb. vii. 25. " He ever liveth to make intercession for us." Christ, in the golden work of intercession, presents the merit of his blood to his Father, and so ob
THE SOUL'S MALADY AND CURE.
753
tains our pardon, and applies the virtue of liis blood to us, and so works our cure; therefore be not discouraged from going to thy physician ; though thy disease hath broken out again, yet Christ hath fresh sprinklings of his blood for thee, he can cure a relapse.
Obj. 7. But there is no healing for me, I fear I have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost ?
Ans. 1. The fear of sinning it, is a sign thou hast not sinned it.
2. Let me ask. Why dost thou think thou hast sinned the sin against tlie Holy Ghost? I have grieved the Spirit of God.