SERM. from Death. Such is the Kindness and Conཔ་ར་ defcenfion of our fpiritual Physician. I will only add,

5. That fuch a Phyfician as this is always. at Hand. The Phyficians for our Bodies, be they ever so able, or faithful, or willing, may yet, at fome times, be at a great distance from us, and cannot be had; or at the time of our greatest Extremity may be neceffarily engaged in their Attendance on others, Or their Terms may be fo high, that our Circumftances in Life will not permit us to make use of their Advice and Help. But Chrift is a Physician always at hand and not afar off; always at liberty to attend our Complaints, and give us his Vifits and Advice in every place and ftate of Life. Are our Circumstances and Situation in Life fuch, as neceffarily deprive us of the Comfort and Prefence of our earthly Friends and Phyficians? they can never deprive us of the Com-. fort and Prefence of Chrift, who is at once. the Friend and Physician of our Souls. The Diftinctions of High and Low, Rich and Poor, Noble and Ignoble, which make fo mighty a Difference among Men in the Eye of the World, are not to be found among Souls

Souls as fuch; and therefore our fpiritual SERM. Physician makes no Difference in his Regards III. to, or Care of them. All Souls, as immor. tal Beings, are equally valuable in themselves, and in his Eye. He hath the fame Concern for the Soul of the pooreft Peafant, as he hath for that of the most potent Prince, and is as ready to help and heal it.

These now are fome of thofe excellent and distinguishing Properties which are peculiar to Chrift, as the Phyfician of our Souls; which, in proportion as they enhance that Character, fhould increase our Value for him, and incourage our Application to him.

Sometimes the Diftrefs and Trouble of our Souls may be fuch, as that all our earthly Friends, however tender, compaffionate and faithful, cannot adminifter to us any Relief or Comfort. And we may have reason to say of them, as Job faid of his, Miferable Comforters are ye all; ye are all Phyficians of no Value, Job xiii. 4. But this can never be said of the wife, and tender, faithful, kind, and ready Physician of our Souls, who is always as able as he is willing to heal and fave them; and always

more

SERM. more willing than we are to be healed and III. faved by him.

But as this Relation in which the Redeemer stands to us, requires a correfpondent Duty on our part, I fhall now proceed, as I proposed,

III. To fhew what Regards are due to him from us, as our fpiritual Physician.

This I fhall briefly dispatch under the following Heads. If Christ be the Phyfician of our Souls, then we are to apply to him as fuch, trust his faithfulness, fubmit to his Directions, and follow his Prefcriptions.

1. We are to apply to him as the Phyfician of our Souls; which we shall readily do, when we are once fenfible of their Malady. And that, upon fuch an Application, he will as readily come to our Relief, appears very certain from what hath been already faid. Nay, he often prevents us, by freely offering himself to us as the Physician of Qur Souls. But then he will never come to any without their Confent. He will not

force himself upon them: nor

fave or re

cover any against their Wills. There must be a voluntary Application, or at least a

al

hearty

hearty Confent on our part, ere we can en- SERM. joy the Benefit of his healing Power. He III. often, as I obferved before, ufes many Inftances and Perfuafions, by his Word and Spirit, to make us willing to accept him (for in this Sense it is that he offers himself to us); but till we are willing, and in confequence thereof apply to him by Faith and humble Prayer, for his Grace and effectual Help, we have no reason to expect it. Nor can we think that he will ever be backward to come to us if we thus invite him, who hath condefcended to invite us to come to him, Matth. xi. 28.

2. Is Chrift fo faithful and able a Phyfician as beforementioned, then we ought to trust him as fuch; fecurely venture our Souls on him, and commit all their eternal Interefts into his Hands, and confide in his Care and Wisdom as an all-fufficient Helper.

Not that this fuperfedes our own Endeavours, renders our own Care needlefs, or will excufe the leaft Neglect on our part, No! there is no Phyfician on Earth that requires his Patient to truft him in this manner; but on the contrary, it is expected that he do all he can to help himself; take care

he

III.

SERM. he does nothing to increase his Difeafe, inflame his Distemper, or prevent the Effect of the Medicines prescribed him; but punctually observe the Rules and Orders given him for the Management of himself. Otherwife he may provoke his Physician to withdraw his Vifits, and leave him to himself as one that obftinately refolves not to be cured. So, if from a pretence of trufting to Chrift we take no care for ourfelves; if under Colour of depending on his Grace, which is all fufficient to fave us, we counter-act the Intention of it by continuing in Sin, which hath a direct Tendency to ruin us; instead of honouring his Grace, we abuse it: we tempt, instead of trusting him. This is not Faith, but Prefumption. And hereby we may provoke him finally to withdraw from

us.

In short, we are to trust Christ as our Physician in the use of his own Means, and not without them; to do all we can for ourselves, even whilft we look for the effectual Cure from him: fhew our Trust in him by a diligent use of his means, and not by a Neglect of them. Thus would we trust the Phyfician of our Bodies; thus

we