main; and fometimes atheistical thoughts come to a great height in them, as is Afaph, though afterwards he was heartily grieved and afhamed for entertaining them, and calls himself both a fool and a beaft for it, Pfal. Ixxiii. 21. 22. And no wonder he did fo, for Atheism and infidelity, though it abound in the church, yet there is no such disease in hell, no fuch madness there, for the devils believe and tremble, James ii. 19. But though the disease be grievous, yet Chrift hath balm for it, and to him we must go both to help our unbelief, and increase our faith.

II. Ignorance of God and of gospel truths is a mortal difeafe, and deftroys many, even of thofe who profefs to know him, according to Hof. iv. 6. There are multitudes living in the midst of gospel light, who yet continue in grofs darknefs. They are ignorant of the infinite juftice and holy nature of God; and of the mifery of man in his fallen eftate, of the evil of fin, and the ranfom neceffary for it. They are ignorant of Jefus Chrift and his mediatory offices, and of the nature and neceflity of Chrift's righteousness, and of faith which applies it to us. They know nothing of the Spirit's office in our redemption, nor of his work in regeneration; yea, they do not fo much as know if there be a Holy Ghoft. Alas! that this disease of ignorance fhould still prevail, notwithstanding all the means of knowledge we enjoy. I grant believers are fpiritually illuminated, and get the ftrength of this disease broken at their first converfion, yet ftill much blindness doth remain with them; and frequently clouds of darkness do fo overshadow them, that they have but faint views. of divine mysteries. This is a fad disease, but yet there is balm in Gilead, and eye falve in Ifrael for it, Rev. iii 17. 18. Jer. xxiv. 7.

III. Hardness of heart is a ruining difeafe to multitudes. Oh! it is this that makes them fit under the miniftry of the word, and hear the most terrible threatenings and curfes denounced against their sins, and yet be no more moved than the feats they fit on, or the dead that lie under their feet; fo hard is the ftone in the heart, that the hammer of the word in the hand

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of man makes no impreffion upon it; promises draw not, and threatenings drive not; mercies do not allure, and judgments do not alarm; this is a prevailing plague among the generality of gofpel-hearers. And though believers at converfion have the heart of stone taken away, and a heart of flesh given, yet they are much plagued with recurring hardnefs, that oft makes them complain of being little affected either with ordinances or providences; and though the fire burn round about them, that they lay it not to heart. This is an evil difeafe, yet there is balm in Ifrael, and help in the prcmifes for it, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. Pfal. i. 6.

IV. Earthly-mindednefs is a woful difeafe; it clogs the mind and unfits the foul for fpiritual work. The thoughts of the world fhut out the thoughts of God and eternity; they tempt many poor fouls, like Martha, to be carefully troubled about many things, even things which will not avail them at a dying hour, while the one thing neceffary is quite neglected and forgot. Ah! what numbers are there dying of this disease? when other plagues kill their thoufands, this flays its ten thousands. O what havock doth it daily make among profeffed Chriftians? Pharaoh's words concerning the Ifraelites,, may well be applied to many of them, Exod. xiv. 3." They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath fhut them in." So hot are they in purfuing the world, fo bufied in providing for their families, in paying their debts, in making bargains, purchases. and in courting the favour of men, that they can find no time in their lives, nor room in their hearts for precious Chrift, and the concerns of their fouls. Ofinners! this disease of earthly mindedness doth quite defeat the defign of the gofpel, and marr your profiting by fabbaths and fermons; it turns the house of God into a place of merchandize, by your thoughtfulness in it about worldly gain and profit. What a fearful diflemper is this, that turns a man's head and heart where his feet should be! that makes him beftow his foul and all its noble faculties upon a little white and yellow clay! and fo all his days dig for drofs and dung with mattocks of gold! Nothing can cure this disease

but

but the balm of Gilead: The prevailing power of it is indeed broken in believers at converfion, the world is then put down from the throne and chief place in the foul; yet afterwards it doth rally its broken forces, and struggles hard to recover the throne again; and this proves very troublesome even to the beft. It dif tracts their thoughts, molefts them in holy duties, and fteals away their affections from Chrift and heaven. This is a fore plague, yet there is balm in Ifrael and help in God's word and promife for it; Cant. iv. 8. Jer. xxxii. 4. Col. iii. 1. 2.

V. Averfion to fpiritual duties is a fore difeafe, when the heart becomes backward to pay God a vifit in fecret, and the man unwilling to go to his clofet to converfe with his Maker. Ah! this is the cafe with many, who would rather toil their bodies a whole day, than fpend a quarter of an hour upon their knees with God in fecret. Their animal fpirits are vigorous and lively in pursuing their worldly bufinefs, or even their diverfions; but they are low and faint in foul-work and fpiritual exercifes. We fee many, they do not weary to fpend whole days, yea, and nights too, in drinking, dancing, gaming, and ferving their lufts; but they grudge to give God fo much as one day, or any part even of his own day. They fay of Sabbaths and fermons, "What a wearinefs hath it? When will the fabbath be gone?" This is a prevailing disease, and how ftrong are the dregs of it even in believers! For tho' at converfion their hearts are reconciled to God and his ways, yet at times they feel much of a recurring backwardness for fpiritual work, fo that when they would do good, evil is prefent with them. But yet there is balm for this disease, in the phyfician of Ifrael, and his gracious promises, Pfal. cx. 3. Ifa. xl. 31. Ezek. xxxvi. 27.

VI. Indwelling corruption, prevailing and venting it felf various ways, is a fad difeafe. Sometimes it rifes like a flood, fwells high, and carries all before it, like the current of a tide that cannot be withstood. So it is with thofe in whom the ftrength of corruption was, never fubdued by converting grace. And tho' the tide. be turned with renewed perfons, yet upon fome occaVOL. III. fons

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fions we find them making great complaints of the prevalency of indwelling fin, through the power of temptation, as Paul, Rom. vii. and David, Pfal. Ixv. "Iniquities prevail against me ;" and, Ifa. lxiv. 6. " Our iniquities like the wind have taken us away." This is a moft humbling disease; yet the phyfician of Ifrael hath provided balm for it in his word, Pf. lxv. 3. Mic. vii. 19. Rom. vii. 24. 25.

VII. Hypocrisy and formality in God's service is a woful disease. When men draw near to God with their lips only, and give him no more but bodily fervice, which is no better than that of a statue on a tomb, with eyes and hands lift up, only it wants a voice. And how unpleafant is a voice to God without the heart and affections? He heavily complains of it, Ifa. xxix. 13. Among the unrenewed, hypocrify is a deadly and reigning difeafe. And though the converted be delivered from its reigning power, yet they are fadly diftreffed with its remains, and oft put to complain that they give God more of the body, than of the heart in duty; and that their prayers are little better than lip-labour. But the phyfician of Ifrael hath promised balm for this disease, Jer. xxxi. 33. Prov. iv. 18. 2 Cor. iv. 16.

VIII. Inconftancy and wandering of heart in duty is a prevailing disease. Alas! for the unfixedness of the heart, that goeth out in many vain excurfions towards. the world and its trifles, and even in time of the most folemn approaches unto God! Hereby our religious performances are wofully marred, and God provoked to loath and abhor them. There is a voluntary and habitual wandering of heart, that is the reigning plague of the unregenerate: and there is an unvoluntary wandering, that is the disease of God's people, which they bemoan and lament before the Lord. But there is balm in Gilead for it in all fhapes; Jer. xxxii. 29. Ezek. xi. 19.

IX. Backflidings from the Lord, or a spiritual consumption, is the common difeafe of God's people. They are liable to backflide from the power and life of godlinefs, and to lose their former fpirituality and liveli

nefs

nefs in ferving God in their closets, families, and public affemblies; fo that fometimes, their religious duties are like to wither and dwindle away into a dead form, and "the things that remain are ready to die," as it was with the church of Sardis, Rev. iii. 2. This decay comes upon them when known fin or floth are indulged by them. Then it is that spiritual exercifes become a wearinefs, and averfion grows to heart-work and fecret duties, such as prayer, reading the Bible, meditation, and communing with their own hearts: Then the graces do languifh, the faith of divine revelation becomes weak, the truths which God reveals concerning his glorious perfections, the excellencies of Chrift, and concerning fin and duty, heaven and hell, make but fmall impreffion on the mind. The repentance is reftrained, and the foul is little affected with God and its evit; then love turns cool to Chrift and his image, it doth not constrain to duty, nor to hate and mortify fin as before; then hope becomes faint and languid, and hath not fuch defirous expectations of the eternal world, and things unfeen, as to fortify the foul against the allurements of the devil, the world, and the flesh. This fpiritual confumption is a mournful disease, and calls us fpeedily to apply to the phyfician of Ifrael for the balm he hath promised for it, Deut. xxx. 6. Hof. xiv. 4. 5. 6. Pfal. Ixix. 32. John xiv. 19. Gal, ii. 20.

X. Discouragement and down cafting of soul is one of God's people's difeafes that requires this balm. They are often caft down by outward afflictions, and efpecially by the prevalency of fin and fatan's temptations, by the hidings of God's face, the fhutting out of their prayers, the darkening of their evidences, the revival of former guilt, and the renewing of mount Sinai's thunderings against them. Under these trials, they are apt to think that God holds them for his enemies, and writes bitter things against them, and hence are put to cry with the Pfalmift, "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? And will he be favourable no more?" This is a difeafe which fadly enfeebles their hearts and weakens their hands; yet the great Physician of the church hath provided balm for

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it,