A physician loves all his patients alike, but he doth not minister sharp potions alike to all ; but out of the same love there is a different carriage of the same, according to the exigent J of the party. So doth the wise God. ' Some are weak, and some sick, and some sleep.'
Doct. 5. Again, we may observe here, that sickness and weakness of the body come from sin, and is a fruit of sin. Some are weak, and some are sick, * for this cause.' I shall not need to be long in the proof of that, which you have whole chapters for, as Deut. xxviii. 27, seq. ; and many psalms, cvii., and others. § It is for tlie^ sickness of the soul that God visits with the sickness of the body. He aims at the cure of the soul in the touch of the body. And therefore in this case, when God visits with sicloiess, we should think our work is more in heaven with God than with men or physic. Begin first with the soul. So David, Ps. xxxii. 5, till he dealt roundly with God, without all kind of guile, and confessed his sins, he roared ; |(his moisture was turned into the drought of summer. But when he dealt directly and plainly with God, and confessed his sins, then God for- gave him them, and healed his body too. And therefore the best method, when God visits us in this kind, is to think that we are to deal with God. Begin the cure there with the soul. When he visits the body, it is for the soul's sake : ' Many are weak and sick among you.' We see what taber-
* ' And the like ' in B, C ; and ' which I cannot . . . this cause ' omitted — G. t ' Which is greatest of all ' added in B, C— G. || ' And ' in B 0.— G. i That is, ' exigency.'— G. i ' The ' not in C— G.
g Cf. Mat. ix. 2, Luke vii. 47.— G.
judgment's eeason. 81
nacles of dust wo carry about us, that if we had no outward enemy, yet God can raise that in our own bodies that shall cast out the greatest giant, ' weakness and sickness,' that we may learn to fear God, in whose hand is both health and sickness. And it should teach us to make precious use of our health while we have it. It were a thousand times better for many persons to be cast on the bed of sickness, and to be God's prisoners, than so scandalously and unfruitfuUy to use the health that they have : ' many are weak and sick.'*
Doct. G. The sin was general, and God's visitation was as general. When sins grow fjeneral, corrections grow general. It is an idle and vain excuse that many think to make to themselves, The world doth thus ; others do thus. Oh ! there is the more danger of a spreading and general visitation ! Do others so ? Is it a spreading sin ? Take heed of a spreading and contagious punishment. We must not follow a multitude to do evil, Exod. xxiii. 2. He is not a whit the less^ tormented that is tormented with company. The plea therefore that they make from many, that the world doth thus, it should rather, if they did wisely reason, move them to take heed. ' Many are sick and weak, and many sleep,' saith he ; f that is, many even die. God takes away the life of many for the irreverent coming to^ the holy things of God. So that sin brings with it death itself, not only at the last, but sin it shortens a man's days ; and this kind of sin, irreverent coming to the holy things of God, shortens our days, and puts out our own candle, and pulls our own houses about our ears. They are felons upon themselves, soul-murderers and body- murderers, that wilfully commit sin ; yea, if it be this sin in the holy things of God, not only if they commit gross sins, but if they commit this sin, if they be careless and unconscionable % in the performance of this holy duty. If any other did us the thousand part of that harm we do ourselves by a careless life, a loose and lawless kind of coui'se, we would not bear them. We see here what hurt we do ourselves [what injury, what wrong we do to our own souls and bodies also] ; § for * for this cause many are weak and sick, and many sleep.'
We are the greatest enemies to ourselves. We cry out of Judas and Ahithophel that made away themselves, and we may well. Every stubborn man, that goes on in a course of sin, and forgets with whom he hath to deal, he is like Judas and Ahithophel ; he is an enemy to himself, and a murderer of himself. Oh ! take heed therefore of the Devil's baits ; meddle not with this pitch ; touch it not ; hate all shows and appearances of evil.
Doct. 7. Again, it is not to be forgotten here that he saith, ' Many of you,' that is, ' you, believing Corinthians ;' whence learn, that God will correct sin icJieresoerer he finds it, even in his dearest children; nay, he will correct them more sharply in this world, because he will save their souls in another world, than he will others. The careless, brutish;! world, that are not worthy of correction, God lets them go on in smooth ways to hell ; but ' many of you,' &c. Let none think to be exempt, and venture them- selves from grace tiiey have. No. God will look to those of his family, that are near him ; ^ he will have a special eye to them, he will have his