----- t I 8 Howmull we vifltfick perfans ? Serm.6, ti ¡ c: 3. Tomake thoi:e affli&ions more intelligible and more effe&ua1, he fends a meffereger, &c. this is thebuíinefs of theText, if there bewith hian, &c.wherein you may obferve twopans. I . A fuppofition, v.2 3. If there be a ref anger with him, an interpre- ter,&c. 2. A pofition,ver.24. Then he is gracious to him,&c.the words may be called the fick mans cordial, or his reflorative, whereinyou may obferve : I. The patienr, exprelfed in the word him. z. The difeafe, his daiger, and mifery he ispies down to thepit. 3. The Phyficiars, who is defcribed : i. 46 officie, by his office, a mefenger. z. Ab opere, by his work, an interpreter. 3. a,..fpraf#anti4, a rare man, one of da thou- [and. - i maltis millibars tom. 4. The Phyfick, to thew unto a mats his xprightnefs. 5. The cure, thenhe isgraciom,&s. where are confi- derable : t. Thequality of it, the kind of the cure, deliver him from going down to the pit, i.e. from mortal ficknefs. z. The fpring of it, Godsgrace; he is gracious. 3. The meritorious caufeof it, I have found a ranfom. 4. Thedeclaration of ir, he faith, crc. The difficulties are neither many nor great, yet force things there are which need explication ; If a me/Tenser ] an Angel, i. e. by office, not by nature, for fo the word is oft ufed in Scripture, both in the Old Teffament, Mal.3.I. Behold I will fend my meffen er, Heb. ` 1.6n my Angel, which the infalible Interpreter, theLordJefus, tels us was meant of john the Baptifi, Mar.a I .t o. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I fend a mefginger, &c. and in the NewTeffamenr, Rev. 2. and 3. where the Pafiours of the feveral Churches are called Angels, and fo it is mof?. fitly underffood here, both becaufe, God did then and Rill doth moll generally ufe the Minìffry of men rather t han Angels in counfelling and comforting affli &ed men, and becaufe he is called one of a thoufand,a phrafe which implies as hisexcellency and fitnefs for that work, fo the infuRïciency of moff of the farne kind for ir, which muff not be charged upon the meanefl of Gods ele& Angels. An interpreter ]viz,. of the mind and will ofGod : Chriff is the great interpreterloh. t. i 8. but he when he afcendeth on high gave forth this gift,and left us interpreters in his Read, Eph.4.I T .c c. To Jhew unto a man his righteoufnefl i. e. mans own righteoufnefs ( to, fay nothing of the other fenfes) for, it is the fin and unrighteouf- nefs of a man which caufeth his difeafe, and the fenfe of that fin which makes his difeafe bitter and formidable : fin is the fling of every affli- &ion
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