It is a good and right thing that you begin with thanksgiving, for the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus are new every morning and it becomes us to praise Him very heartily for every token of His lovingkindness.
We have heard your prayer concerning the pains and sickness in your body, and we join our hearts with yours before the throne of grace. Sickness is one of the worst ills that can happen to a man, for when the body languishes the light is dark in his tabernacle and gold itself is cold and cheerless metal. Yet this Psalm which speaks of bodily sickness teaches us also of soul sickness, and blessed be God, there is a Good Physician for both. Our Lord Jesus on that evening when the streets were turned into a hospital cured all sorts of sickness, and there was not one disease in the whole list which He did not heal, and He can deal with special cases which seem most stubborn. He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses, and the medicine, bitter as it was, He drained Himself that we might be healed. The very leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations, which tells us that the least thing about Christ is healing virtue. If you are sick at heart and sick in body, you may dare to partake of Him by faith.
Remember also that healing and pardon are placed in happy conjunction. When Jesus healed the man taken with the palsy He said first, Thy sins are forgiven thee. So we would have you seek first the healing of the soul, for when the Sun of Righteousness rises upon you with healing in His wings you shall have no need to say, I am sick, because your iniquity is forgiven. The body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness, and though the regenerated spirit has risen into life the body may yet linger under pain and weakness while we are here. This is not always a mark of special sin or of the devil's despite, and we must not cruelly judge those who are afflicted. It is enough to look to Jesus, to establish contact with Him by faith, for He takes us by the hand and lifts us up. Only those who have been healed can tell of His healing power, and we pray that you may be among them and give praise for restoration.
Concerning your business, we pray with you that the Lord would make the work of your hands fruitful and successful, yet we would also remind you of that word which says this is the Christian's business, let him take care that he be not entangled with the cares of this life. It will be bad business if a man should make ten thousand pounds and yet ruin his own soul, and hard business if he toils on and on and throws away his immortal nature. Therefore we ask the Lord not only to prosper your labour in ### but to keep you striving lawfully before Him, that your business may be conducted with honesty and integrity, and that He who feeds the sparrows and has girded you though you knew Him not will furnish you with what you need and make your success to be a means of blessing to your family and to others.
Let us pray together. O Lord our God, Father of mercies, we thank Thee for love and mercy and grace so freely given in Jesus Christ. Look in compassion upon this Thy servant who is pained in body. Arise, O Lord, and fight for him against every cause of affliction, and lay Thy healing hand upon him according to Thy will. Forgive his sins and heal his sickness, for with Thee pardon and healing are one. Restore him that he may praise Thee in the congregation and tell of Thy goodness. Bless also his household and keep them in Thy fear. Prosper the honest labour of his business and keep him from the snare of worldly care, that he may use what Thou givest for Thy glory and for the good of his family. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Physician of soul and body. Amen.
