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as Manasseh ; all come whole from him ; and therefore when Satan would tempt us to despair, we should call to mind that we have a mer- ciful God that ' forgives all our sins, and heals all our infirmities,' Ps. eiii. 3.
Quest. But it will be asked, Why then are we not healed ? What means this that we are subject to these infirmities of ours?
A71S. I answer. Some oi Christ's works are all at one time perfected, but some by degrees, by little and little. Christ heals the soul of guiltiness presently, but there remains the corruption and the dregs of this disease for heavenly purposes. And thus he heals by not healing, and leaves infir- mities to cure enormities. He suffers us to be abased and humbled by our infirmities, lest we should be exalted above measure, as he dealt with Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 7, even as the body of a man is cured of an appoplex* by an ague, est utile quihusdam ut cadant ; Peter did more profitably displease himself when he fell, than please himself when he presumed ; and there- fore we should retort Satan's accusations when he tempteth us to despair because of our sins, and reason thus, because we have infirmities, there- fore we will pray the more earnestly, ' forgive us our trespasses ;' because we are sick, we will go to Christ that took our nature not to cure the whole but the weak ; for we may be sure Christ will not perfectly cure our weak- nesses, because he will have us live by faith, every day going to the throne of grace, and depending on his promise for the forgiveness of our sins, assuring ourselves that the spirit, like David's house, shall grow stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul weaker and weaker, 2 Sam. iii. 1 ; and this flesh beginning once to fall, shall surely fall.
* And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.'
The most translations have it, ' you shall leap forth;' and the last trans- lation is, 'you shall grow up.'f All is to one end, signifying a cheerful moving. The terminus a quo is sickness or bonds. Those that are sick are God's prisoners ; but here it is taken for weakness of the spirit, and the promise is, that they should go forth in all good duties, and that they should walk with strength, so that Christ's benefits go together. Where there is forgiveness, there is also strength of grace promised; and where there is strength, there is promised increase thereof, even to fulness; for where Christ begins, he leaves not till his work be complete, in wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and therefore he comes both by water and blood also, for God is unchangeable ; and that love that moves him to elect, moves him to justify, and sanctify, and glorify us ; and all the promises do join these together, justification and sanctification : ' I will put my fear into their hearts, and they shall not depart away from me,' Jer. xxxii. 40. Where forgiveness of sin is, there is also' power against sin, and strong resolutions to labour against it ; and where there is justifi- cation, it will shew itself in works of sanctification. This will convict many to be no Christians that boast of the forgiveness of sins.
But where is this healing power of Christ seen ? In their conversa- tions. He that is cured can rise and walk, — as the cripple did, — in good duties of a holy life,j for the spirit of adoption is the spirit of sanctifica- tion, and we are sick in the bed of sin if we come not out. In the next place we may observe, that in every Christian there is a going out; for so it is promised here, and this hath many degrees. There is a going out of misery in this life, for at this present the church was in great misery, and * That is, ' apoplexy'. — G. t That is, the Authorised Version of 1611. — G.
THE SUN OF BIGHTEOUSXESS.