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THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

SERMON LI.

ISA. Ixi. 1.-To bind up the broken hearted.

H

AVING confidered that brokenness of heart

which is here meant,-what about fin the heart is broken for,-and described the nature of a broken heart, we go on, as was proposed,

IV. To fhew how the Lord Chrift binds up and heals the broken hearted.-The great Phyfi cian uses two forts of bands for a broken heart, he binds them up with inner and with outward bands..

1. With inner bands, which go nearest the fore, the pained broken heart. And these are two.— The firft inner band is,

Chrift's own Spirit, the Spirit of adoption." The hearts of the difciples were fore broken at the news of Jefus leaving them, and it behoved them to bleed a while. But he tells them, he

would

would fend a healing band for their broken hearts: John, xiv. 16. " And I will pray the Father," faid he," and he fhall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." Our Lord breaks his people's hearts by his Spirit, and yet by the fame Spirit binds them up again. -In the first work he is the Spirit of bondage, and some may be long under his hand this way. Hence we read of fome "who, through fear of death, were all their life-time fubject to bondage," Heb. ii. 15. The Old-Teftament church had much of this Spirit, "I am afflicted," fays the pfalmift, Pfal. lxxxviii. 15. " and ready to die, from my youth up; while I fuffer thy terrors, I am distracted."-In the next work, he is the Spirit of adoption: Rom. viii. 15. "For ye have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." He comes quickening, fanctifying, reviving, and comforting the foul. Therefore pray with David, Pfal. li. 11.12. "Take not thy holy Spirit from me; restore unto me the joy of thy falvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit."The fecond inner band is,

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Faith in Chrift, (the band of the covenant), which he works in the heart by his Spirit. Faith is a healing band, for it knits the foul, Ephef. iii. 17: "That Chrift may dwell in your hearts by faith." The woman with the bloody iffue, when fhe got a touch of the hem of Christ's garments, was prefently made whole. Thus the brokenhearted finner, when he gets hold of Christ by faith, is bound up with him in one myftical body, virtue comes from him for the foul's healing. The virtue of his blood takes away guilt; the virtue of his Spirit breaks the power of fin. The apoftle prefcribes this healing band to the broken

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broken-hearted jailor: Acts, xvi. 31. « Believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou shalt be faved, and thy house;" and the more faith that there is, the band will be the ftronger, and the foul the fooner healed. Much unbelief, and little faith, keep the wounds of the foul long open: Pfal. xxvii. 13. "I had fainted unless I had believed to fee the goodnefs of the Lord in the land of the living." A broken-hearted finner ftaving off and difputing againft his believing, is like a child which has a broken leg, doing what he can to tear off the bands with which it must be bound up; but he must admit them, or his leg will never heal: John, xi. 40. "Jefus faith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe, thou fhouldft fee the glory of God?" Peter walking on the water, was like to break and fink quite, Matth. xiv. 30.; the caufe was his unbelief, ver. 31. "Jefus faid unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?"—There are also,

2. Outward bands for a broken heart.--Thefe alfo are two.

The first outward band is his own word, espe cially the promises of the gofpel. This band Peter held out to the broken-hearted company, Acts, ii. 38, 39. "Repent," faid he," and be baptifed every one of you, in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft; for the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call." This word has a fovereign virtue for healing, Pfal. cvii. 20. "He fent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their deftructions." Our Lord wraps up a promise, in a foft band of love; and he makes them lay it to with their own hands; and the more closely they

tie it about their broken hearts with the hand of faith, they will be the fooner whole. Say not, What can a word do? An encouraging word from men will wonderfully raife a carnally-dejected mind; and if fo, certainly the Lord's word will heal a broken heart. A promife will be, in this cafe, like the opening of a box of perfumes to one ready to faint away: Song, i. 3. "Because of the favour of thy good ointments, thy name is like ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee."

The fecond outward band is his own feals of the covenant, Acts, ii. 38. quoted above. Thefe feals are for our ingrafting into, and having communion with Jesus Christ, and so are most fit means to bind up hearts broken under a fenfe of fin, when they are partakers of these in faith. Hence many have been healed at fuch occafions; though indeed the water is not moved at all times, or at least the brokenhearted finner does not always ftep into it. It was an ancient custom, though that will not justify it, to put a white garment on perfons when they were baptifed. But furely our Lord has taken off the fpirit of heavinefs, and given the garment of praise to many at fealing ordinances. The eunuch, after he was baptifed, went on his way rejoicing. The forrowful difciples were alfo made glad, when after his refurrection Jefus made himself known to them in the breaking of bread, Luke, xxiv. 35. All these bands are the Phyfician's abfolute property. The poor patient has nothing of his own to be a band to his wounds. The Spirit is the Spirit of Chrift; faith is his work; the word and facraments are his ordinances, and their efficacy is all from him; and thus he heals them. His kindness in this instance, we may take up in these three things.

1. They

The

(1.) They are justified and pardoned: Job, xxxiii. 23. 24. "If there be a meffenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thoufand, to fhew unto man his uprightness: Then he is gracious. unto him, and faith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ranfom." fting of guilt is taken away, that poison is carried off, by a full and free pardon. Thus the fick man is whole: Ifa. xxxiii. 24. "And the inhabitant fhall not fay, I am fick; the people that dwell therein fhall be forgiven their iniquity." The blood of Chrift, with which by faith the foul is bound up, cleanses the wound, and heals it: I John, i. 7." But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanfeth us from all fin."

(2.) They are fanctified: 1 Cor. vi. 11. « And fuch were fome of you; but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified, in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God." The Spirit is a fanctifying fpirit; faith a fanctifying grace: Acts, xv. 9. And put no difference between us and them, fanctify. ing their hearts by faith." The facraments are fanctifying ordinances: 1 Cor. xii. 13. "For by one Spirit, we are all baptifed into one body,and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." By thefe the power of corruption, as to its reign, is broken; lufts are gradually killed, and grace is made to grow.

Laftly, They are comforted: Job, xxxiii. 25. 76. His fleth shall be fresher than a child's: He shall return to the days of his youth: He fhall pray unto God, and he thall be favourable unto him and he fhall fee his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteoufnefs." Ail

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