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The occasion of the words is set down in the context; Levi was called from the receipt of custom (he was a custom-house man), but Christ called him, and there went out power with the word, "he left all, rose up, and followed Him." "Levi made Him a great feast in his own house"; a better guest he could not invite. Levi feasted Christ with his cheer, and Christ feasted him with salvation.

I. THE DYING PATIENTS. They that are sick. Whence observe —

Doct. 1. That sin is a soul-disease — "He hath borne our griefs"; in the Hebrew it is our sicknesses. Man at first was created in a healthful temper, he had no sickness of soul, he ailed nothing; the soul had its perfect beauty and glory. The eye was clear, the heart pare, the affections tuned with the finger of God into a most sweet harmony.

I. In what sense sin is resembled to sickness.

1. Sin may be compared to sickness for the manner of catching.

(1) Sickness is caught often through carelessness: some get cold by leaving off clothes.

(2) Sickness is caught sometimes through superfluity and intemperance. Excess produceth sickness.

2. Sin may be resembled to sickness for the nature of it.

(1) Sickness is of a spreading nature, it spreads all over the body, it works into every part, the head, stomach, it disorders the whole body: so sin doth not rest in one part, but spreads into all the faculties of the soul, and members of the body — "The whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint." The memory is diseased; the memory at first was like a golden cabinet in which Divine truths were locked up safe; but now it is like a colander, or leaking vessel, which lets all that is good run out. The memory is like a searcer, which sifts out the flour, but keeps the bran. So the memory lets saving truths go, and holds nothing but froth and vanity. Many a man can remember a story, when he hath forgot his creed. Thus the memory is diseased; the memory is like a bad stomach that wants the retentive faculty, all the meat comes up again: so the most precious truths will not stay in the memory, but are gone again. The will is diseased; the will is the soul's commander-in-chief, it is the master-wheel; but how irregular and eccentric is it! The affections are sick: the affection of desire; a sick man desires that which is hurtful for him, he calls for wine in a fever; so the natural man being sick, he desires that which is prejudicial for him; he hath no desire after Christ, he doth not hunger and thirst after righteousness; but he desires poison, he desires to take his fill of sin, he loves death: the affection of grief; a man grieves for the want of an estate, but not for the want of God's favour; he grieves to see the plague or cancer in his body, but not for the plague of his heart: the affection of joy; many can rejoice in a wedge of gold, not in the cross of Christ. Thus the affections are sick and distempered. The conscience is diseased; "their mind and conscience is defiled."(2) Sickness doth debilitate and weaken the body; a sick man is unfit to walk: so this sickness of sin weakens the soul — "When we were without strength Christ died." In innoceney Adam was, in some sense, like the angels, he could serve God with a winged swiftness, and filial cheerfulness; but sin brought sickness into the soul, and this sickness hath cut the lock where his strength lay; he is now disarmed of all ability for service; and where grace is wrought, though a Christian be not so heart-sick as before, yet he is very faint.

(3) Sickness doth eclipse the beauty of the body. This I ground on that Scripture, "When Thou with rebukes dost correct man, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth." The moth consumes the beauty of the cloth; so a fit of sickness consumes the beauty of the body. Thus sin is a soul-sickness, it hath eclipsed the glory and splendour of the soul, it hath turned ruddiness into paleness;that beauty of grace which once sparkled as gold, now it may be said, "How is this gold become dim!" That soul which once had an orient brightness in it, it was more ruddy than rubies, its polishing was of sapphire, the understanding bespangled with knowledge, the will crowned with liberty, the affections like so many seraphim, burning in love to God; now the glory is departed. Sin hath turned beauty into deformity; as some faces by sickness are so disfigured, and look so ghastly, they can hardly be known.

(4) Sickness takes away the taste; a sick man doth not taste that sweetness in his meat; so the sinner, by reason of soul-sickness, hath lost his taste to spiritual things.

(5) Sickness takes away the comfort of life; a sick person hath no joy of anything, his life is a burden to him.

II. WHAT THE DISEASES OF THE SOUL ARE. Only I shall name some of the worst of these diseases. Pride is the tympany of the soul, lust is the fever, error the gangrene, unbelief the plague of the heart, hypocrisy the scurvy, hardness of heart the stone, anger the phrenzy, malice the wolf in the breast, covetousness the dropsy, spiritual sloth the green sickness, apostasy the epilepsy; here are eleven soul-diseases, and when they come to the full height they are dangerous, and most frequently prove mortal.

III. The third thing to be demonstrated is, THAT SIN IS THE WORST SICKNESS. To have a body full of plague sores is sad; but to have the soul, which is the more noble part, spotted with sin, and full of the tokens, is far worse; as appears.

1. The body may be diseased, and the conscience quiet: "the inhabitant of the land shall not say I am sick." He should scarce feel his sickness, because sin was pardoned; but when the soul is sick of any reigning lust, the conscience is troubled — "There is no peace to the wicked, saith my God."

2. A man may have bodily diseases, yet God may love him. "Asa was diseased in his feet." He had the gout, yet a favourite with God.

3. Sickness, at worst, doth but separate from the society of friends; but this disease of sin, if not cured, separates from the society of God and angels.

2. If sin be a soul-sickness, then how foolish are they that hide their sins; it is folly to hide a disease!

3. If sin be a soul-sickness, then what need is there of the ministry? If sin be a soul-sickness, then do not feed this disease; he that is wise will avoid those things which will increase his disease; if he be feverish, he will avoid wine which would inflame the disease; if he have the stone he will avoid salt meats; he will forbear a dish he loves, because it is bad for his disease: why should not men be as wise for their souls? Thou that hast a drunken lust, do not feed it with wine; thou that hast a malicious last, do not feed it with revenge.

Doct. 2. That Jesus Christ is a soul-physician. Ministers (as was said before) are physicians whom Christ doth in His name delegate and send abroad into the world.

I. That Christ is a physician; it is one of His titles — " I am the Lord that healeth thee."

II. Why Christ is a physician.

1. In regard of His call; God the Father called Him to practise physic, He anointed Him to the work of healing — "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel: He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted."

2. Jesus Christ undertook this healing work, because of that need we were in of a physician. Christ came to be our physician, not because we deserved Him, but because we needed Him; not our merit, but our misery, drew Christ from heaven.

3. Christ came as a physician out of the sweetness of His nature; He is like the good Samaritan, who had compassion on the wounded man. A physician may come to the patient only for gain; not so roach to help the patient as to help himself: but Christ came purely out of sympathy.

III. The third particular is, that Christ is the only physician — "Neither is there salvation in any other," &c.

IV. How CHRIST HEALS HIS PATIENTS. There are four things in Christ that are healing.

1. His word is healing — "He sent His word, and healed them."

2. Christ's wounds are healing; "with His stripes we are healed." Christ made a medicine of His own body and blood; the physician died to cure the patient.

3. Christ's Spirit is healing; the blood of Christ heals the guilt of sin; the Spirit of Christ heals the pollution of sin.But if Christ be a physician, why are not all healed?

1. Because all do not know they are sick; they see not the sores and ulcers of their souls; and will Christ cure them who see no need of Him?

2. All are not healed, because they love their sickness — "Thou lovest evil"; many men hug their disease.

3. All are not healed, because they do not look out after a physician.

4. All are not healed, because they do not take the physic which Christ prescribes them; they would be cured, but they are loath to put themselves into a course of physic.

5. All are not healed, because they have not confidence in their physician; it is observable when Christ came to work any cure, He first put this question, " Believe ye that I am able to do this?" Millions die of their disease, because they do not believe in their physician.

V. The fifth and last particular is, THAT CHRIST IS THE BEST PHYSICIAN. That I may set forth the praise and honour of Jesus Christ, I shall show you wherein He excels other physicians; no physician like Christ.

1. He is the most skilful physician; there no disease too hard for Him — "Who healeth all thy diseases."

2. Christ is the best physician, because He cures the better part, the soul; other physicians can cure the liver or spleen, Christ cures the heart; they can cure the blood when it is tainted, Christ cures the conscience when it is defiled; "How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works?"

3. Christ is the best physician, for He causeth us to feel our disease.

4. Christ shows more love to His patients than any physician besides.

5. Christ is the most cheap physician.

6. Christ heals with more ease than any other: other physicians apply pills, potions, bleeding; Christ cures with more facility. Christ made the devil go out with a word.

7. Christ is the most tender-hearted physician. He hath ended His passion, yet not His compassion.

8. Christ never fails of success.

9. Christ cures not only our diseases, but our deformities. The physician can make the sick man well; but if he be deformed, he cannot make him fair. Christ gives not only health, but beauty. Sin hath made us ugly and misshapen.

10. And lastly, Christ is the most bountiful physician. Other patients do enrich their physicians, but here the physician doth enrich the patient. Christ prefers all His patients; He doth not only cure them, but crown them. Christ cloth not only raise from the bed, but to the throne; He gives the sick man not only health, but heaven. But mine is an old inveterate disease, and I fear it is incurable. Though thy disease be chronical, Christ can heal it. But after I have been healed, my disease hath broken out again; I have relapsed into the same sin; therefore, I fear there is no healing for me. It is rare that the Lord leaves his children to these relapses. If Jesus Christ be a spiritual physician, let us labour to hasten the cure of our souls. Consider(1) What a little time we have to stay here, and let that hasten the cure.

(2) Now is properly the time of healing, now is the day of grace, now Christ pours out His balsams, now He sends abroad His ministers and Spirit; "now is the accepted time."

(T. Watson.)

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KJV: And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

WEB: Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.