With a little persuasion the natives bought his medicines, persuaded that so great and wise a man could surely cure them. He delivered himself of a jargon which might be French, which might also be Latin, or might be nonsense-for no one in the crowd could understand it. Mighty healer of all diseases made his appearance clothed in a coat of as many colors as that of Joseph! And on his head was a helmet adorned with variegated plumes. He came riding into the market place with a fine chariot drawn by horses richly adorned, while a trumpet was sounded before him. I saw in Paris, years ago, a public vendor of quack medicines and an extraordinary personage he was. But the Truth of God is as plain as a pikestaff, legible as though it were written on the broad heavens and so simple that a babe may comprehend it. Quackery cannot live without mystery, show, ceremony and pretence. On the other hand, if you would know the true way of having your souls healed, go to the Word of God and study such a text as this: "With His stripes we are healed." In the one case all is mysterious-in the other all is simple and clear. There are instructions on how you shall pray and what you shall pray-a collect being appointed for today-and another for tomorrow. You shall find, there, innumerable rules as to when you shall bow and to what quarter of the heavens you shall look-when you shall stand up, and when you shall kneel-when you shall dress in black, in white, in blue, or in violet. Very different are these recipes, with their elaboration of preparation, from the Biblical prescriptions which effectually healed the sick-such as these-"Take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil." Or that other one-"Go and wash in Jordan seven times." Or that other-"Take up your bed and walk." One cannot but admire the simplicity of truth, while falsehood conceals her deformities with a thousand tricks! If you want to see Culpepper's Herbal carried out in spiritual things, go and buy a Directory for the carrying on of the Ritualistic services of the Church of England, or the Church of Rome. I think I once counted 40 different ingredients in one single draught! Had this old herbalist's prescriptions been universally followed there would not long have been any left to prescribe for-the astrological herbalist would soon have extirpated both sickness and mankind! Many of his recipes contain from 12 to 20 different drugs, each one needing to be prepared in a peculiar manner. It contains a marvelous collection of wonderful remedies. I looked, the other day, into old Culpepper's Herbal. They are words for plain people and in them there is no affectation of mystery or straining after the profound. These six words contain the marrow of the Gospel and yet scarcely one of them contains a second syllable. It is a great mercy for us who have to preach, as well as for you who have to hear, that the Gospel healing is so very simple-our text describes it- "With His stripes we are healed." Of that Medicine we shall speak this morning, praying that we may have God's help in so doing. The Beloved Physician has prepared a healing medicine which can be reached by all classes which is available in every climate, at every hour, under every circumstance and is effectual in every case wherever it is received. As for moral disease, it is all around us and we are thankful to add that the remedy is everywhere within reach. No place, however healthful, is free from disease. Christ Jesus, the true Medicine of the sons of men, was ordained of old to heal the sicknesses of His people.Įverywhere, at this present hour, we meet with some form or other of sickness. Blessed be His name, while thus mindful of the body, He had not forgotten the direr sicknesses of the soul-for He has raised up for us a Plant of renown, yielding a balm far more effectual than that of Gilead! This He had done before the plague of sin had yet infected us. Before sin came into the world, and disease which is the consequence of it, God had created plants of potent efficacy to soothe pain and wrestle with disease. Even in Eden itself there grew herbs which should, in after days, yield medicine for the body of man. There was no physician in Paradise, but outside that blissful enclosure professors of the healing art have been precious as the gold of Ophir. "With His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5.ĮVER since the Fall, healing has been the chief necessity of manhood. A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 1, 1872,ĪT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |