20/03/2021

Medical References in Sermons 10

The Impotent Man Acts 3:8

2. His poverty added to his distress. If help was to be obtained by medicine he had not the wherewithal to procure it. We read of a woman who had spent her whole substance upon physicians but it is probable that this man never had any substance to spend. It is evident that at this time he lived upon charity and perhaps had to beg his bread. And thus it is with sinners they are wretchedly poor yet very proud. So poor that like this man they are ready to starve yet so proud that they will not beg.

Also later in the sermon

2 It was speedy and instantaneous. Peter does not put him upon a long course of medicine giving him to hope that after trying this or the other method he might obtain relief but takes him by the hand and lifts him up when suddenly the disorder be it what it will left him and his limbs were restored to their proper use ....

And

Heal thou me says the prophet and I shall be healed. The cure will be wrought if thou undertake it, All others are mere empirics* they may skin over the wound but thou wilt heal it. They may palliate the disorder but thou wilt remove it. Oh bring your sick and polluted souls to Christ and say as the centurion of his servant Speak but the word and I shall be healed or as the leper concerning himself Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.

*Persons who, in medicine or other sciences, rely solely on observation and experiment. Quack doctors.

No comments: