In 1858 Rev Dr F R Anspach produced a translation of some of Caspar Schwenckfeld's writings from seventeenth century German. His hope was to place the teachings of Schwenckfeld in an accessible form for laity. Over the next few months, we will be sequentially reproducing some of these sermonettes from his work entitled The Heavenly Balm and the Divine Physician or Jesus Christ, the True Physician, and Poor Sinful Man, the Wounded and Sick Patient (Baltimore: Abraham Heydrick, 1858). This is the second discourse in this book. It reads a little heavy, but bear with it!

In the same manner as a faithful physician of the body takes in charge the sick and wounded; comforts and prescribes for them, using his best efforts to help them; eats and drinks with them; is considerate in respect to everything that can promote their recovery, or refresh and alleviate their minds, and patiently endures the unpleasant air of the sick-room, so that he may be of service to them - thus also has Jesus, our faithful soul-physician, subjected himself to the humiliations incident to our humanity, that He might deliver us from our woes. He compassionated the misery of depraved man, and was not ashamed of calling the humble His brethren. Even now He is present with every weeping penitent, neither does His love shrink from communion with the fallen, for whose sake He laid aside His glory and honor in heaven and descended to the dust of the earth; yea, He humbled himself to the death of the cross that He might heal mankind.

The fact that we are permitted to enjoy, without interruption, his offices and his spiritual balm, should greatly contribute to the comfort and assurance of the timid conscience. Our gracious Lord Jesus manifested in the commencement of His miracles, wrought for the benefit of man, the purposes of his mission. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, made the lame walk, cleansed the impure, set free those possessed of devils, and restored the dead to life, that by these outward benefits to man, He might symbolize those spiritual deliverances and mercies which the soul obtains through Him. He healed all manner of disorders among the people that He might thereby show that, after the accomplishment of His sufferings and His ascension to heaven, where He opened the treasury of grace, He would, through the operations of the Holy Spirit, do for sin-sick souls what He had done for the bodies of men.

For in truth men are not otherwise constituted in the sight of God, in that which pertains to their spiritual nature, than those afflicted with divers disorders, such as lunatics and those possessed of evil spirits, whom Jesus healed according to the flesh. By nature, man is dead in sin, is possessed of the evil spirit, is blind, is deaf to the voice of God, dumb and offensive in the sight of the Lord; that is, he is morally diseased, miserable, and full of sin. These inward woes, connected with the depravity of the carnal man, were fully exposed by the Redeemer, and while healing the bodies of men, He assured them that He was also prepared to cure the spiritual maladies of the soul.

The Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, therefore assumed our nature and died, that He might awaken the soul from its death in sin, and deliver it out of that eternal condemnation into which it was plunged by the fall of Adam. It was the gracious purpose of our Lord to deliver man from the dominion of evil. He desired to open the eyes of his mind and the ears of his understanding, and enrich him with a perfect righteousness, with Divine wisdom and truth, that his conscience might rejoice in the assurance that Jesus had made him efficient to every good work to the praise of God.

What other meaning can we attach to the parable in Luke, concerning him who fell among thieves and murderers? Poor, afflicted man should console himself with the fact that that which the unfortunate man experienced in bodily comfort from the good Samaritan, the wounded soul receives like care and greater mercy from Jesus, for it is the privilege of all to enjoy the healing virtues of that balm which our heavenly Physician has brought to earth.

That the Redeemer performs these offices and is ready to bestow these blessings, is evident from that exhibition of love and compassion manifested in that amazing condescension which led Him into fellowship with afflicted and wretched sinners. He associated with the poor, the despised and ignorant; He taught them, walked with them, and did eat and drink with publicans and sinners, as the gospel bears witness. Thus had the Son of God to risk the good opinion of men, and as a faithful physician He had to endure the reproach and all that was disagreeable in the fallen, so that He was held and adjudged, in the estimation of the Pharisees, as the companion of these men, and was regarded also as a sinner, a Samaritan, and as one allied with the devil. John 8:48. O, the amazing greatness of the love wherewith Christ Jesus loved us! Would that we might cherish a corresponding love in return, and that we might have hearts forever overflowing with gratitude to Him and our heavenly Father for such transcendent goodness.

Click HERE for Part 1