the faith of Constantine, newly converted by the sign of the name of Christ in heaven, with this inscription, 'In hoc vinces.' Wonderful Providences, which bring any healing to discomposed and dilacerated nations, are as so many beams of the Sun of righteousness, who, as Lord of all creatures, orders them all for his church's good. The wheels in Ezekiel's vision of living creatures, whereby I understand the various and perplexed revolutions of all affairs in the world, were 'full of eyes;' noting the guidance of divine wisdom, ordering them all to the welfare of his church and people.

8. Any special servants and officers of his, whom he commissionateth and sendeth forth for the good of his people; whether the angels of heaven, as we read of a healing angel;' (John v. 4) or the angels of the church, to whom belongeth the dispensation of wholesome and healing doctrines, (1 Tim. vi. 3. Tit. ii. 1) to open the eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light; (Acts xxvi. 18) or any other renowned instruments and messengers of help and comfort to an afflicted people. These are, if I may pursue the metaphor, the apothecaries, to weigh out, mix, and temper, and prepare the drugs, according to the direction of Christ, which the apostle expresseth by the word oploтoμe rightly to divide the word.' (2 Tim. ii. 15) And our Saviour by didóvaι σitoμéTpov, to give the due portion of meat,' (Luke xii. 42) which some would have to allude unto the custom of measuring out, daily or monthly, unto servants their allowances of diet.d

e

4. His own holy spirit, who, in Tertullian's expression, is 'Vicarius Christi,' as the beam is of the sun; who taketh from Christ, and sheweth unto us; making report to the souls of believers of the favour of Christ unto them; shedding abroad his love into their hearts; blowing upon his garden", that the spices thereof may flow forth; as a witness, a seal, an earnest, a seed; bringing Christ and all his healing graces and comforts unto the souls of his servants, in their sins and sorrows, to revive them.

V. Here is the subject of this healing. Where observe; 1. The gracious and special compellation: the Lord speaks

b Euseb. de vita Constantini, 1. 1. c. 22. 25. Raynolds Conference with Hart, cap 8. divis. 4. p. 508. • Ezek. i. 16, 18. d Stuckius de conviv. f John xvi. 15.

1. 1. cap. 23.

• Tertul. de præscriptionibus.

g Rom. v. 5.

Cant. iv. 16.

by name to his sick and sorrowful servants, with a peculiar favour, as to his own sheep; (John x. 3) keeps a matricula, and public register, wherein their names are enrolled. (Mal. iii. 16. Psalm lxxxvii. 4, 6) They are engraven on the breast of our High priest. (Exod. xxviii. 9) He takes exact notice of their wants, their complaints, their tears, their desires; and shines in with particular comfort and healing upon them. So to Mary. (John xx. 16) So to the woman of Syrophonicia; "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee as thou wilt." (Matth. xv. 28) So to Peter; "Go tell his disciples, and Peter;" poor mourning Peter, comfort him by name. (Mark xvi. 7)

2. The immediate preparation, and proper disposition unto healing, to fear God's name. There is a double virtue of Christ towards men.

1. A quickening virtue; and the subjects of this virtue are those who are dead in trespasses and sins. (Eph. ii. 1, 5) 2. A healing virtue towards those, who though they be alive, are yet in a weak, wounded, languishing condition, looking out after help and recovery. No such way for a sick and wounded nation to be healed, as to fear God's name. See Solomon's prayer to this purpose, (1 Kings viii. 33, 39) and the Lord's gracious answer unto that prayer; (2 Chron. vii. 14) "If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." They are his people, his sons, his jewels; they call upon him, mourn towards him, turn to him, seek his face; they sink under the burden of corruptions; they cry out under the buffets of Satan, under the ravishments of temptations; they pine away under the judgements of God; they know not what to do, but to look up unto him. How can the bowels of a heavenly Father but yearn over a sick *, a mourning, a weeping, a praying, a returning child! See Ephraim bemoaning himself, turning, repenting, smiting upon his thigh; and the Lord presently relenting over him, and resolving to have mercy upon him; (Jer. xxxi. 18, 19, 20) "Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnest

ly remember him still; my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." It is not murmuring and repining in our afflictions, biting the stone which hath hurt us, breaking out into complaints and revengeful animosities against one another, fretting ourselves, cursing our king and our God,' as the prophet speaks; (Isai. viii. 21) gnawing our tongues,' and refusing to repent; (Rev. xvi. 9, 11) that is the way to healing:-To be humbled, "to accept of the punishment of our sins', to bear the indignation of the Lord ";" to seek his face, to fear his name, to convert unto him; this only is the way to healing. (Isai. vi. 10)

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VI. We should here proceed to consider the effects and consequences of this healing, which I must only name, and

no more.

1. 'Going forth,' leaping, exulting, prepared with joy and vigour, with courage and enlargement of heart, unto duty and service; as John, Christ's forerunner, is said to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke i. 17) It noteth that spiritual joy and peace, which is the strength of God's servants in duty, when he shines with light and healing upon them. Healing and holiness is a foundation of joy, (Psalm xxxiii. 1. 2 Cor. i. 12) and joy back again a principle and preparation unto holiness. "The joy of the Lord is our strength." (Nehem. viii. 13) The servants of the Lord, the trees of righteousness, are ever so much the fuller of fruit, as they are of comfort; the more the Sun of righteousness, with his light and influence, doth shine upon them, the more they abound in duty and service.

2. 'Growing up' in light, in stature, in strength, in knowledge, in grace, to more and more perfection; the most healthy are the most thriving Christians. As many times when persons are recovered out of a fit of sickness, they visibly shoot up, and grow more in a few months, than in some years before; so it is with God's servants, when they have been delivered from any sore temptation: like Antæus, they gain by their falls. When they are no more children, when they cease to be weak, then they grow. (Eph.iv. 14, 15) 3. Victory and security' against their proudest enemies,

whom the God of peace will tread down under the feet of his servants, as Joshua made his captains to tread on the necks of the kings of Canaan. (Luke x. 19. Rom. xvi. 20. Jos. x. 24) "Even for the bruised reed, and for the smoking flax, will the Lord bring forth judgement unto victory." (Matth. xii. 20).

Now from these many metaphors setting forth Christ unto us, by whose light our blindness is cured, by whose righteousness our guilt is covered, by whose wings our corruptions are healed, and we enabled to go forth with joy, to grow up in duty, to tread down our enemies, we learn,—

(1) The freeness of his grace. Nothing on earth can deserve the shining of the sun; nothing in us can deserve the grace of Christ; it shines most freely, without preceding merit, without consequent retribution: "Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again ?” (Rom. xi. 35) (2) The fulness of his grace: he is a sun. If we want wisdom, there are treasures in him. (Gal. ii. 3) If spirit, it is without measure in him. (John iii. 24) If any spiritual grace, or gift, there is unsearchable riches, an inexhausted fountain in him. (Eph. iii. 8. Col. i. 19. Zech. xiii. 1) And he hath it all as a magazine and officer, for the supply of his

servants.

(3) The communion and dependence of the church upon this his fulness. Our light, our righteousness, our grace, our comfort, come from the influence, and depend upon the presence, of Christ with us. The house doth not receive a stock of light to stay in it, though the sun were gone; but hath it by immediate dependence on the light of the sun : so every measure of grace in us dependeth in esse et operari' upon the influence, concourse, and presence of Christ by his spirit with us. Every good work of ours hath its beginning, continuance, and consummation in him. "Non mihi sufficit quod semel donavit, nisi semper donaverit," saith Jerome. He that begins, perfects; (Phil, i. 6) gives will and work; (Phil. ii. 13) heart and way; (Jer. xxxii. 39) is the author and the finisher; (Heb. xii. 2) without him we can do nothing; in all things we must grow up in him. (John xv. 5. Eph. iv. 15) "From him is all our fruit found." (Hos. xiv. 8) We must pray with David, “Take not away thine holy spirit from me." (Psalm li. 11) We must take heed, lest, by our

quenching or grieving of him, we provoke him to withdraw himself.

4. The conjunction between the righteousness of Christ and his healing; where he receives into grace, he takes away iniquity, and healeth backsliding. (Hos. xiv. 2, 4) He came not only to pardon sin, but to destroy it. (1 John iii. 8) His mercy is never without his grace; his offices go together; his sacrifice and his sceptre cannot be divided. This is one of the greatest comforts that a believer hath, that, at length, his lusts shall be consumed. Even heaven itself would not be a place of glory, if a man were to carry his sin along with him thither.

I have thus done with the general and theological tractation of the words: I now proceed very briefly unto such an application of them, as may come closer, and be more seasonable and suitable to this honourable solemnity.

That this great council and college of physicians hath a dangerously sick patient to look after, three nations,—and the church of God in them, like the man between Jerusalem and Jericho, wounded and half dead,-we have had these many years the best, or rather worst assurance that may be, by feeling the sickness; so that there need be no further proof of it. We have seen and felt, with sorrow and amazement, the honour of the parliament of England shamefully assaulted, princes bleeding out their souls, sojourning in Mesech, and in the tents of Kedar"; peers and patriots secluded from their honourable and rightful trust; the great council of the nation sequidimiated; a learned and faithful ministry reproached, ready to be sacrificed, brought to the brow of the precipice; ordinances decried, errors and heresies cumulated; the public worship of God interrupted; the assemblies of his people, on his own day, profanely affronted by mechanics working their ordinary works in our churches and pulpits. We have seen and felt our laws and foundations threatened, our ships broken, our trade obstructed, our treasures exhausted, our merchants discouraged, our religion crumbled, our church congregations shamed and defiled with the impure and obscene intrusion of naked persons, clothed with nothing but dung and impudence. We have heard of

■ Psalm cxx. 5.