An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

But to pour this oil into the wounds of those that are afflicted, consider,

But to pour this oyl into the wounds of those that are afflicted, consider,

First, That the Lord Christ in all his dispensations, still accommodateth himself ¹to the capacity of his people. He regards what they can bear; like the wise Physician, doth not give the strongest Physic that may be, to expel the disease, but looketh to the infirmity of his Patient. We see Christ did this in the promulgation of the truths of the Gospel; if that Sun of righteousness had appeared at first in his noon-day light, weak eyes would have been offended thereat; he did not enjoin them those high observances of fasting, &c. at first. To which purpose also, (Luk. 5. 27.) he useth that notable similitude, how no man putteth new wine into old bottles, but the bottles break. There is regard to be had to the Auditors. Paul said, 1 Gor. 3. 1. I could not speak ⟨p. 215⟩unto you as spiritual, but as carnal. And indeed, all may observe, that Christ did communicate the knowledge of divine things to the Disciples by degrees: I have many things to say unto you, (Joh. 16. 12.) but you cannot bear them now. As the Nurse cheweth her meat for the Infant, doth not give it whole to him; thus did Christ as a Doctor to his Auditors, still accommodating himself according to the receptivity of the subject. In like manner, thus also God doth in laying afflictions upon us: He takes notice how frail thou art; if this suffering should be brought upon thee, it would bruise thee to pieces; or if it lay longer on thee, it would make thee put out thy hand to wickedness; and therefore he taketh it off in due time. If the fourth day would consume thee, the third day thou shalt be freed from it. The Apostle speaketh fully to this,