Duke University Libraries 
 
 The sick and th 
 Conf Pam 12mo #918 
 
No. 47. 
 
 THE SICK AND THE PHYSICIAN. 
 
 Hi' REV. J. C. LONG, 01 V,\. 
 
 Matthew the publican had just left his office to follow 
 Jesus, and to testify his love for his new Master,- he made 
 a feast for him and his disciples in his own house. Many 
 of the publican's oldiAfa^s, publicans and sinners, c#ine 
 in and partook oJiB^^Bfc^P 1 * 311 tne company was dis- 
 persed, the Scrifye^^BHW^ffisoes^ who were ever on the 
 alert to find some cause 01 complaint against Jesus , and 
 who had watched him when he went into Matthew's house, 
 attacked his disciples with indignant niurmurings, saying, 
 " Why do ye eat with publicans and sinners V .They 
 thought, or pretended to think that it was a great crime to 
 eat with such a company. But, while they said nothing 
 to him, Jesus knew full well that it was not -the disciples, 
 but himself, who was the object of their hatred and whose 
 conduct had given them offence; he, therefore, undertook 
 to, answer the question which the Pharisees had asked. 
 Said he, The whole need not a physician j but they that 
 are sick, I came to call sinners, and not the righteous, to 
 repentance. Luke 5 : 31-32. 
 
 In these words the Divine Teacher probably repeated a 
 
proverb which was in common use among the people ; and 
 his accusers, doubtless, immediately understood its appli- 
 cation. He- compared -himself to a physician, aud the 
 publicans and sinners to the sick. It was surely not ne - 
 cessarj for a physician to apologize for being with the sick. 
 [t was his duty to be with (hem — a duty so imperative 
 that he could not neglect it without being guilty of the 
 gravest offence, and acting unworthily of his calling. At 
 the risk of his own life the physician must do all he can 
 to save the life of others. He is not allowed to shrink 
 from any disease, however loathsome, fatal, and contagion-. 
 He cannot avoid tfie pest house or flee from the ravages of 
 the pestilence.. With a courage rivaling that of the soldier 
 in the battle field he must walk amid the sick and the dy- 
 ing, the first to heed their cry for help and never leaving 
 them so long as they need his assistance. His sense of 
 duty has sometimes shown itself stronger than the im- 
 pulses of natural affection, and he has ministered to the 
 relfef of that child which a moUrar had left to die alone. 
 As a physician, then, where could Jesus be but with the 
 sick ? ' His answer must have satisfied even the cavilling 
 Pharisees. 
 
 But, he said, ci the whole need not a physician." Did 
 he mean, that, in the sense in- which he was a physician, 
 any were whole "i Such could not have been his meaning. 
 He must have constantly had in mind the sorrowful lan- 
 guage of Scripture, there k none rightedus, no, not one — he 
 must have been painfully sensible of the mournful fact 
 that the earth was but a mighty hospital filled with sick 
 and only sick. His meaning seems to be that there were 
 some sick, whom in his ministry of healing he must regard 
 as well; some sinners whom in his ministry of cleansing 
 he was to regard as righteous; some lost whom in his min- 
 istry of redemption he was to regard as saved. The 
 inference was that he had come to others but not to these 
 
Pharisees. Hi* language calls to mind that of the Fore- 
 runner to the Pha bra came to his baptism, O 
 generation of vipers. who hath warned yo« to flee from the 
 
 wrath U") come? As the Dispensation of Repentance was 
 not theirs, so now they had no part in the Dispensation of 
 Reconciliation. And this) truth whieh is dimly shadowed 
 forth in the reply of Jesus to his accusers is elsewhere 
 plainly indicated in the teachings of the gospel. There is 
 a blessing pronounced upon the poor in spirit, upon the 
 spiritual mourner, upon the heavy laden and bowed down 
 with the oppressive yoke of sin; upon ihose, who. con- 
 scious of thrir sinfulness, hunger and thirst after right- 
 eousness; but upon the proud, the sinful and secure in 
 their sins there is no blessing — only a curse. Tfce wrath 
 of (Jod abideih on them. 
 
 " Thr whole v of whom we are speaking are si £k, indeed, 
 but have no idea that- they are so. It is very rarely the 
 ease that a man is physically sick without knowing it. 
 Home symptoms will almost certainly betray the pre 
 of disease. The pulse will be too full and rapid, or too 
 weak and slow; the eye will be too dim and languid, or 
 too bright and restless ; there will be a general weakness, 
 or actual pain will give the man assurance that he is not 
 in health. I>ut it sometimes happens that persons are 
 sick, even unto death when they think themselves either 
 well off in the way of n-envery. Tt is said that what are 
 thought by the patients to be mild eases of yellow fever 
 are usually the most dangerous. The victim feels weak, 
 but not sick; comforts himself and his friends with the 
 idea that he will be out to-morrow, certainly, the next day. 
 But the fell disease, which at first. toyed with him because 
 there was no hope of his escape, at length takes hold of 
 him in earnest, and lie withers and dies in an hour. It 
 sometimes happens, too, that the sick man, after a long and 
 painful illness, suddenly finds himself free from pain snd 
 
imagines that the strength of the disease is broken. Alas, 
 mortification has blunted the sense of feeling and the work 
 of death has already far advance^ before death itself has 
 come. -. * 
 
 But, if men are rarely mistaken about their bodily 
 health, they are frequently spiritually sick without having 
 any proper apprehension of the fact. That this is so is 
 evident from our own observation. We have known men 
 of wicked and profligate character who claim to do no harm 
 and to discharge all their duties to their fellow men. They 
 are, therefore, as they think, not sinners. We know not 
 which most to admire, the presumption of the claim or the 
 folly of the inference drawn from it. As if any man ever 
 did discharge all his duties to his fellow men, or as if, 
 while there is a God above us, our duties to our fellow men 
 were all our duties ! These are probably the men who arc 
 spoken of, and condemned by, the Apostle Paul as being 
 ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to estab- 
 lish their own righteousness. Or, are they not rather 
 those who are said to be cursed with a strong delusion so 
 that they shall believe a lie ? Or, it may be that they are 
 those who are spoken of in God's own energetic language 
 as past feeling. How do they resemble persons in whom 
 mortification has taken place, and who are already given 
 over to death ! It sounds almost like terrible mockery 
 when, even by implication, such as these are called "the 
 whole that need not a physician ; M and, yet. such is the 
 judgment they pronounce upon themselves. 
 
 Resembling these, and, perhaps, more to be pitied, are 
 those who are conscious that they are sick, but know no- 
 thing of the desperate state of their malady. Have yon 
 never heard the wasted consumptive in winter sigh for the 
 mild air and sweet flowers of spring, and talk of them as 
 if they should surely be his ? 
 
"Aye, thou art for the grave; thy glances shine 
 Too brightly to shine long — another spring 
 Shall deck herself for men's eyes, not for thine — 
 Sealed in the sleep that knows no wakening." 
 
 He knew not that his disease was fatal, incurable. So 
 there are persons who know that they are sinners but know 
 not what it is to be sinners. They imagine that their 
 prayers, their fastings, and their alms, can relieve them 
 from the condemnation of sin. or that the prayers of a 
 Christian friend or the rites of a christian church can com- 
 mend them to the divine favor. If any of these things 
 had been sufficient would God have sent his own Son to 
 heal them? But believing that they are sufficient what 
 hope is there that these poor deluded ones will call for the 
 great physician ? 
 
 The sick, of whom our Saviour spoke, are those who are 
 truly conscious of their condition. They know that their 
 sickness must terminate fatally unless arrested; and know- 
 ing, too, that they cannot arrest it, themselves, they are 
 not ashamed to call in a physician. Tassing through one 
 of the Richmond hospitals filled with wounded soldiers, 
 at the farther extremity' of the long room the writer's at- 
 tention was called to a young man whose right arm had 
 been taken off near the shoulder. He had been waiting- 
 long for the surgeon to come and dress his wound. His 
 fine face was full of madness ) but hearing ' footsteps near 
 him, he lifted his head and his eyes brightened with pleas- 
 ing hope. Addressing his visitor, " Sir," said he, "are 
 you a doctor? My arm has been amputated some days and 
 it is important that it should be dressed. " The visitor 
 was not a doctor j and the poor man, resuming his attitude 
 of patient sadness, waited all night for a physician. From 
 his very soul he felt that he had need of one. And so, in 
 the spiritual life, there are men who know that they are 
 
i) 
 
 sick unci powerless, and who inquire anxiou: !v. ■' Is there 
 no balm in G ilead; no physician there T' These are they 
 who need a physician; and for their sake, and ours, we 
 thank God there is a physician; and such a physician. 
 
 1. lie is a kind. physician, if we are sick and send for 
 a physician, we wish to know something of his disposition. 
 We do hot wish him to be cross and irritable. Nor do 
 we wish him to be cold and indifferent. We wish him to 
 hear with our complainings, soothe our anxities, and be 
 careful for our comfort. But, if it is desirable for our 
 earthly physicians to be kind, it is much more important 
 that we should be assured of the kindness of Jesus, our 
 spiritual physician. Our sickness arises from our enmity 
 to him. We have been acting contrary to his wishes and 
 commands all our lives. If we were not convinced of his 
 kindness we should not have the courage to go to him. 
 But we may be perfectly sure of his kindness. Tlis whole 
 ministry was one continued act of kindness. He healed 
 thousands and he was never known to 'speak one word of 
 harshness or reproof to those who came to him. The man 
 full of leprosy says'to him, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst 
 make me clean. He replies, putting forth his hand and 
 touching him, I will: Be thou clean. And immedi- 
 diately the leprosy was cleansed. He says to a woman who 
 comes to him, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hast 
 saved thee. Certainly he must be a kind physician, who, 
 when censure was justly deserved in every case, gave it 
 in none; but spoke only words of loving compassion. # 
 
 2. He is a condescending physician. Rich and poor 
 alike may come unto him. Once, when he wm going up 
 to Jerusalem surrounded by great multitudes, who were 
 hanging with breathless interest upon his words; and 
 $pre soon .to shout to him hosanna in the highest, there 
 was sitting On the way side a blind beggar. As the crowd 
 marched on. this beggar, hearing the noise of the multitude, 
 
asked what it meant They told him — J, . zareth 
 
 passeth by;'- He immediately cried out, Lord, thou 
 son of David, have mercy on me. They rebuked him that 
 he should hold his peace.; but he still cried out. Lord, 
 thou son of David, have mercy on me. When Jesus came 
 up he stopped, called for the beggar, and healed him. He 
 w.-i.-s a poor, sick man. needing a physician and the Physi- 
 cian would him without ministering to his relief. 
 But, to jftftce^the matter beyond all dispute^ Jesus, himself 
 hus left upon record the promise. Ifim thai comeih 
 trie I will in ho wise cast out. 
 
 3. U i> lithout charge. It is sad to think how 
 
 many of our race annually perish because they cannot pay 
 for medical attendance. Physicians too often rush with 
 haste to the call of the rich; but -turn with indiffer- 
 ence away from those who have nothing to pay. But the 
 richest is no more able to reward .this physician than the 
 It \< his own boundless love that prompts him 
 td regard either. We may all expect a welcome even 
 though we have to say: 
 
 or 
 
 Nothing In my hand I br^g 
 Simply to thy cross I cling. 
 
 " Nothing but sin have I to give, 
 Nothing but love shall I rea 
 
 4'. 11- is always accessible. Some physicians havo^ so 
 large a practice that they can devote but a little time to 
 each patient; and often after they are sent for it is hours 
 before they can come. In some of our hospitals, more 
 than a hundred sick and wounded are under the care of a 
 single Surgeon. Some of them must necessarily wait A 
 weary time; and some, perhaps, die before their turn 
 
comes around. But this physician in always near; you 
 need not wait for luin. He is ever waiting for you. 
 
 Behold a stranger at the door, 
 He knocking now, has knocked before : 
 Has waited long — is waiting still ; 
 You treat no other friend so ill. 
 
 lovely attitude ! he stands 
 With melting heart and bleeding hands. 
 matchless kindness ! and he shows 
 That-matchless kindness to his foes. 
 
 But will he prove a friend indeed ? 
 He will— the very friend you need ; 
 The Friend of sinners — yet, tis he 
 With' garments dyed from calvary. - 
 
 Kise, touched with gratitude divine 
 Turn out his enemy and thine, 
 The soul-destroying monster, sin, 
 And let the heavenly stranger in. 
 
 Admit him, e'er his anger burns 
 His feet departed ne'er return. 
 Admit him, or the hour's at hand 
 You'll at his door rejected stand. 
 
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