upon the Epiflle of JAM 1 s. V1RS.I6. 599 .ThatJe maJ be he11ltd: ] The word is ofa general ufe, and itnplyeth freedom from the ditcafes either of Soul or Body : and the Context fuiteth with both ; for he fpeaketh prornifcuoefly '6f fins and ficknefs: Ifyou underfiand it of corp9r~tl healing; with refpea to~cknds• .you m~y obferv:, 1"bllt GodWill ht~~ve 11 particult# Obfervat. confeffion of the very fin, for Which he layd on fick__nefs before healing. But I chiefly underfiand this hea/i,;g fpiritually : confefs, and the Lord will purge you from your fins, and heal the wounds of your Confciences: So healing is taken elfewhere in Scripture, as Pfal. 41. 4• Lord, he.dmy Soul, for I have firmed againft thee; and 1 Pet. 2.. ~4· By ~hofeftripes 1e are healed. I obferve hence, That Sin is the Souls Sick.,nefs. There are many fair rdc:mblances: Obfervat. 1. Diftemper : the Soul is difordered by fin, as the Body is difiempered by ficknefs. 2. Dcformitr: therefore of all difeafes under the Law fin was figured by lepro(ie, which mofl: fpotteth__ a~d ~ deformeth the body. 3• P~tin : Sicknefs caufeth pain; fo doth fin, a fiing in the Confcience, horrors in the hour of death, l Cor. 15. 57• 4· Weak_nejs: the more fin, the more inability and feeblenefs for any gracious operation: The Apo!Ue fait-h, Ram.;. 6. We l\'e':'e ~ithout ftrength ;.. weak ficl<ly Souls that could do no work : · thus we were in the fl:ate of nature : yea after Grace there is a feeblenefs ; we never have perfetl: health till we come to Heaven. Thus you fee there is a general refemblance between Sinand Siclz– nefs: s·o in particular between the kinds of Sin, and the kinds of Sicknefs. Origin~t Si'n is like the leprofte of N nam11n, which _ God threatned iliould cle~tve toGcha~i, ~tnd to hiJ feed for e-ver, 2 King. ;.17. fo that every child born of that line was born a . uper, as every one born of .Adam is·born aSinner. So then: is . the tJmpany of p;-ide, the !JHrning feaver of btft, the dropjie of covetrmfnejs, the confumption of mvy,&c. Thefe aliufions are ob– vious. So Sr;/omon calleth tenacity a difeafe: When aman bath abundance, and hath no power to ufe it, gThu u ,(faith he) va- g Eccl<f- 6. ~ nity, t~ 14d~mevildifeafe: A!nfa man were hungry, and had abu!ldance of meat, yet ont ot dyfcrafie of fl:omack could not cafie it. - Well then ; Avoyd Sh as you would avoyd Sicknefs ; and when -- you hJve admitted -· it, complain of it as the plague ~md fore •F Jour Souls, 1 King. g, 3~. i Many cty be!caufe of the plague of. ~heir bodies~ buc when th:-y regard_the plague of their, h~artJ, . (fai'n the Lord) tJm1»ill JheAr frqm Hta11en~ The aifeafes of the - .. . S:oli1L
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=