Page images
PDF
EPUB

ceding Difcourfe, and shall now apply my- SERM. felf directly to the fecond, viz.

That Chrift is the Physician of Souls. Having viewed our Malady, let us now turn our Eyes to the Remedy. For though Sin be our Disease, Chrift is our Physician. This is the character he affumes to himself in the text; and under this character we are now particularly to confider him. The whole (faith he) have no need of a Phyfician, but they that are fick. This is a character and office that as properly belongs to him, as those of Prophet, Prieft, and King; though it be not fo often taken Notice of.

My defign at present then is, particularly to improve this Thought; to present it in various Views, and set it in a plain, familiar Light; in order to enhance our Love and Esteem for the great Redeemer, and convince us of our need of him. And here,

I. Let us confider how fuitably this Office
belongs to him.

II. What distinguishing marks of Prehe-
minence are peculiar to him under this
Character.

III. What

III.

SERM.

III.

III. What Regards are due to him from us as our fpiritual Physician.

Laftly, I fhall make a practical Improvement of the Subject.

I. Let us confider how fuitably this Office belongs to him.

And that this Character properly belongs to him, appears from his very Name, Jefus, which fignifies a Saviour; and from his great Defign in coming into the World, which was to fave Sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15. or to fave bis People from their Sins, Matth.i. 21. for he is their Saviour only as he is their Pbyfician. By faving them from Sin, he faves them from Death. The Phyfician's Office, is to fave the Body from Death; the Office of Chrift, for which he came into the World, was to fave our Souls from Death: To heal their Diseases, reftore their Health, and recover them to Life and Happiness.

And this he does three Ways, viz. by his Word, by his Spirit, and by his Grace. By the first he convinces them of their need of a Cure; by the fecond he perfuades them to accept it; and by the last he actually applies it.

1. Chrift

III.

1. Chrift as their Physician recovers the SERM. Souls of Sinners by his Word. This is ordinarily the firft means he uses for their Recovery. Whereby he convinces them, or makes them fenfible of their Danger or Malady, and the need they stand in of his Grace for their Cure and Recovery. The Word of GOD is profitable for Conviction of Sin, as well as Inftruction in Righteousness.

If we judge of Sin only by the common notions of Men, we fhall be very apt to form a wrong Judgment of it. In that view it may appear to us a light and trivial, if not a harmless and inoffenfive thing. And the frequent obfervance thereof in others, who live unconcernedly in it, is too apt to take off that horror of it from our Minds, which we fhould ever entertain.

Whereas the Word of God represents it to us in a very different Light; as exceeding vile and odious in it's Nature; infinitely deftructive in it's Confequences; moft hateful to GOD, and most hurtful to our Souls. It fets before us the ruinous tendency, the pernicious effects, and the dreadful demerit of it; And plainly fhews the Sinner, that nothing but eternal Death and Mifery can be the

Confe

1

SERM, Confequence of his loving and allowing it.

III. For however the World, and a Man's des

luded Heart may flatter him, the Word of GOD will not. But tells him plainly, that neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adul terers, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, shall inberit the Kingdom of GOD, I Cor. vi. 9. That Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguifh, fhall be rendered to every Soul of Man that doth Evil: That doth not obey the Truth, but obeyeth Unrighteoufnefs, Rom. ii. 8, 9. And, that GOD will render to every Man aecording to his Deeds, ver. 6.

These plain and abfolute Warnings tend to awaken the Sinner's Confcience, and to convince him of the Need he ftands in of divine Grace for his Help and Recovery. Juft as a perfon languishing under a fatal Distemper, that is continually growing upon him, from a fenfe of present Pain, and a profpect of approaching Death, cries out, "O! what shall I do for Help? where shall "I apply for Eafe and Health ?" So the fenfible Sinner, under a Conviction of his Guilt and Danger, of the unimagined Evil of Sin, and the infinite Mifery it is bringing upon

him, cries out with the awakened Jailor, O! SERM. what shall I do to be faved? "How fhall I III.

[ocr errors]

escape the Wrath of a justly incenfed GOD, " which my Sins have provoked, and which "I now fee pointed at my guilty Head ready "to blast me?" And this now leads him to the Remedy which the Gospel hath provided, and fhews him his need of the Grace it freely offers for his Help and Recovery; to heal and fave his Soul.

And it is with fuch a Conviction of Sin, and of the need of Grace and Pardon, that the Recovery of the Sinner usually begins. And this first step towards his Cure, viz. a thorough sense of his Diftemper and Danger, Christ our spiritual Physician generally effects by his Word: by fetting home upon the Confcience of the Sinner, with a divine Efficacy, fome Portion of Scripture, either in hearing, reading or meditating, which is fuitably adapted to the true ftate of his Soul; and thereby exciting in him a deep and durable sense of the greatnefs of his Danger, to which he never before attended.

2. Another means which Chrift makes use of as the Phyfician of Souls for the Recovery of Sinners is, the inward Influence and Opera

VOL. II.

1

E

tion

« PreviousContinue »