CHRIST THE PHYSICIAN OF SOULS.

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his garment,-if I can but surmount my natural timidity,-
if the surrounding crowd will favour my design, or at least,
not oppose it,—though I neither speak to him or he to me,
yet if I can but touch him, or even his clothes, I shall be
whole. He has healed many by a touch; and why should
not a touch of him be as efficacious as a touch from him?
Here we may observe,

1. The deep and distressing sense she had of the urgency
of her case. She was the sick that needed a physician;
though she might not understand, or be able accurately to
describe, the nature, causes, or symptoms of her disease,
yet she knew that she was diseased, in a wretched and
helpless condition: and thus it is with the awakened sinner;
let his body be in what situation it will, he sees that he
has a poor, miserable soul, infected with the plague, and
overspread with the leprosy of original sin, so that he is
ready to cry out with the Psalmist, "My loins are filled
with a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my
flesh; my wounds stink, and are corrupt, because of my
foolishness." He labours under a disorder which has slain
its thousands, and peopled the bottomless pit with its na-
merous inhabitants; he feels it preying upon his viszia,
and is apprised of the fatal consequences, unless specy
relief be administered.

She was

2. Her great humility and self-abasement. ashamed to look Christ in the face, and even to make known her case to him. She considered it as too arrogant and assuming. No: if I can but touch his garment, it is enough for me; it is as much as I expect-a favour that I do not deserve. It seems as if she were sensible of another disease than that spoken of in the foregoing verse,-an issue of sin as well as of blood; that she was not only a suffering and distressed, but a polluted and loathsome creature; and therefore, instead of pretending to any familiarity with the pure and spotless Saviour, she kept at as great a distance as was consistent with a prospect of receiving help from him. Now these are the valleys in

lords; we will come no more unto thee.” Those who have been under convictions, if those convictions wear off without any good effect, generally become more profligate in their lives, more inflexible in their tempers, and more obstinate in their sinful courses.

III. I proceed to take some notice of the evil of such conduct; and,

1. It proceeds from the most sordid, and may be ascribed to the worst of causes; not only a want of renovating, converting, establishing grace,-as it is said of the stony-ground hearers, that they had no root, and therefore fell away; but to the prevailing influence of the things of time and sense,as Demas forsook the apostle Paul out of love to the present evil world; and those who rejected the gospel call went one to his farm and another to his merchandise; but above all, to the amazing power of indwelling corruption. This frustrated all their good intentions and resolutions, put an end to their promising beginnings, and, like a mighty torrent, bore down all resistance and opposition. Thus Herbert, speaking of mercies, afflictions, hopes, fears, shame without, and conscience within, adds

"Yet all these fences, and their whole array,

One cunning bosom-sin blows all away."

2. It is very unbecoming in itself; it is tinctured with the basest ingratitude, and savours of the greatest folly. "Hath a nation changed their gods?" where is a single instance of it? They have too high a veneration for them, too good an opinion of them; "but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit." No people ever sinned against clearer light, or greater mercies. Their pretences to that which was good showed conviction, their casting it off, infatuation.

3. It is highly provoking to God, and exposes to his severest displeasure; their conduct itself condemns them, their conscience condemns them, and without a saving change, God will condemn them. The Scripture puts no

difference between apostates from religion and those who never discovered the least inclination to it; nay, it rather fixes a brand of greater infamy upon the former: "It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them." "If I must," says one, "be eternally separated from God, this shall be my last request-Lord, keep me from the hell of apostates!"

O let what has been said awaken our caution, excite our industry, and put us upon the important duty of prayer. Before we make a profession of religion, let us sit down and count the cost; when we have made it, let us renounce all confidence in ourselves, yet relying upon the Divine wisdom, power, and grace, exert our most vigorous endeavours, that, like Caleb, we may follow God fully, and at length be found of him in peace; persevere in the christian course, and finish it with joy; be faithful in this world, and crowned in the next. "Be thou faithful unto death," saith He which was dead and is alive, to the angel of the church in Smyrna, " and I will give thee a crown of life."

With grief and shame I call to mind
How base my conduct and unkind;
What thou, dear Lord, hast done for me,
And what returns I make to thee!

Sins long forgot come fresh to mind,
Oppressive now, no peace I find;
Like a poor captive held in chains,
My struggles but increase my pains.

Exhaustless Source of every good,
Apply the Saviour's cleansing blood;
Thy gracious visits, Lord, repeat,
And still conduct me near thy seat.

edeemer We should rayer, much a

rgency ysician; rately to r disease, tched and

ned sinner; sees that he

e plague, and so that he is loins are filled soundness in my upt, because of my order which has slain omless pit with its nupreying upon his vitals, nsequences, unless speedy

She was

in the face, and even to make She considered it as too arrogant f I can but touch his garment, it is sas much as I expect-a favour that I seems as if she were sensible of another t spoken of in the foregoing verse,-an Ex well as of blood; that she was not only a Appd distressed, but a polluted and loathsome Th and therefore, instead of pretending to any fa

with the pure and spotless Saviour, she kept at at a distance as was consistent with a prospect of