SERMON LXV.

CHRIST THE PHYSICIAN OF SOULS.

MATTHEW IX. 21.

She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

"THE Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister;" and as he travelled from place to place, various were the applications made to him for relief, and none of them unsuccessful. The woman spoken of in my text had been afflicted with a severe disease for twelve years, which wasted her strength and exhausted her spirits. The person concerning whom she speaks was the blessed Jesus, who had in innumerable instances displayed his wisdom, grace, and power, in the case of the most obstinate and inveterate maladies with which mankind could be afflicted; and he does so still his agency should be no less acknowledged in the blessing a medicine to the restoration of health, than in the working a miracle for that purpose; and to him the relieved should ever ascribe the praise. "Who healeth all my diseases," says the Psalmist. "Art thou in health? give the glory to him to whom it is due; art thou sick? apply to him who hath healed those whom other physicians have been unable to relieve." In another place it is said of this same woman, that she had spent all her substance in seeking relief, but could not obtain it. Let us notice the unusual method she proposed to take, and the confidence she expressed with respect to its success. If I may but touch

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 numerous inhabitants; he feels it preying upon his vitals, and is apprised of the fatal consequences, unless speedy 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

which the streams of grace and mercy flow; and one principal qualification for divine assistance is, the sinner's sense of his own helplessness. The first step towards Paul's conversion was his being cast to the ground; and in this respect, as well as others, he was a pattern to them who should in after times believe in Christ to life everlasting.

3. Her strong faith. Though she was in circumstances the most discouraging and forbidding, yet she surmounted all difficulties; and as there was but one probable way of relief, and that by applying to Christ, she would make use of it. She had no example of such a manner of proceeding before, yet she would make the trial; it was an untrodden path, yet she would walk in it. Surely, Christ might say to her as he did to the woman of Canaan, “O woman, great is thy faith;" and much the same thing he did say"Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole." As faith is that grace which brings most honour to Christ, so it is that grace which, above all the rest, he delights to honour; by faith this woman obtained a good report, by faith she obtained a cure.

4. Her unremitting activity. Having formed her plan, she immediately puts it in execution. She improves the present opportunity, not knowing whether she should ever be favoured with such another. Many objections might arise in her mind, many obstructions lie in her way, but she breaks through them all. Why sit I here till I die? was her language, and is the language of every soul that is coming to Christ. Right desires are always attended with active endeavours; it is not enough that we cry unto God, but we must go forward; if we would attain the end, we must use the means, but not depend upon them. "Arise," says David to his son Solomon, "and be doing, and the Lord be with thee."

5. Her confident assurance of obtaining relief: "I shall be whole." Now this assurance might proceed,

(1.) From the high opinion she had of Christ, that he had power to do that for her which she needed, and too much

pity and compassion to deny it. I will not say she had "beheld his glory, as the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth;" but this I may say, that she looked. upon him as an uncommon personage, and probably as the Messiah, and therefore the fit object of her confidence. She regarded him as a Saviour, and expected salvation from him.

(2.) From the former miraculous cures he had performed. He had given hearing to the deaf, and sight to the blind; caused the lame to walk, and made the lepers clean; and as these were proofs of his divine mission, so they encouraged her application to him. This was a strengthening to David's faith in God: "Thou art a God that doest wonders; thou hast declared thy strength amongst the people :" and this is a blessed encouragement to poor, trembling, distressed sinners to this day.

(3.) From a powerful impression upon her mind, and that made by the Spirit of God. May we not suppose that there was now a voice behind, or rather within her, saying, "This is the way, walk in it?" Now is the time; a fair opportunity offers, embrace it. Try the experiment; if it fails, you are but where you were: if you are not a gainer, you will be no loser; if thou canst not face him, get behind him; if thou canst not touch him, touch his garment. Thus does the Divine Spirit deal with sinners now; and though there are many instances in which he speaks once, yea twice, and man regardeth it not, yet in others, he not only persuades, but prevails too. "He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction; he keepeth back their soul from the pit, and their life from perishing by the sword."

From this subject we may learn,

That a proper concern for the health of the body is not criminal, but commendable; when enjoyed, we should seek to have it continued; when impaired, to have it restored. He who cured old diseases can save old sinners. Let not the youngest presume, nor the oldest despair. "Ought

which the streams of grace and mercy flow; and one principal qualification for divine assistance is, the sinner's sense of his own helplessness. The first step towards Paul's conversion was his being cast to the ground; and in this respect, as well as others, he was a pattern to them who should in after times believe in Christ to life everlasting.

3. Her strong faith. Though she was in circumstances the most discouraging and forbidding, yet she surmounted all difficulties; and as there was but one probable way of relief, and that by applying to Christ, she would make use of it. She had no example of such a manner of proceeding before, yet she would make the trial; it was an untrodden path, yet she would walk in it. Surely, Christ might say to her as he did to the woman of Canaan, "O woman, great is thy faith;" and much the same thing he did say"Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole." As faith is that grace which brings most honour to Christ, so it is that grace which, above all the rest, he delights to honour; by faith this woman obtained a good report, by faith she obtained a cure.

4. Her unremitting activity. Having formed her plan, she immediately puts it in execution. She improves the present opportunity, not knowing whether she should ever be favoured with such another. Many objections might arise in her mind, many obstructions lie in her way, but she breaks through them all. Why sit I here till I die? was her language, and is the language of every soul that is coming to Christ. Right desires are always attended with active endeavours; it is not enough that we cry unto God, but we must go forward; if we would attain the end, we must use the means, but not depend upon them. "Arise," says David to his son Solomon, "and be doing, and the Lord be with thee."

5. Her confident assurance of obtaining relief: "I shall be whole." Now this assurance might proceed,

(1.) From the high opinion she had of Christ, that he had power to do that for her which she needed, and too much