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In these words you have —

1. The cause of this visitation, and of all the grievance he speaks of: "transgression and iniquity."

2. The kind of this visitation: "sickness."

3. The extremity, in two branches: "Their soul abhorreth, all manner of meat"; and secondly, "They draw near to the gates of death."

4. The carriage of the affected and sick parties: "They cry unto the Lord in their distress."

5. The remedy of the universal and great Physician: "He saves them out of their distress."

6. The manner of this remedy: "He sent his word and healed them"; His operative and commanding word, so as it works with His command.

7. The fee that this high Commander asks for; all the tribute or reward that He expects is praise and thanksgiving. "Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for His goodness," etc.

I. THE QUALITY OF THE PERSONS HERE DESCRIBED. Why are wicked men fools? and God's children, so far as they yield to their lusts?

1. For lack of discerning in all the carriage and passages of their lives.

2. A fool is led with his humour and his lust, even as the beast.

3. He is a fool that will play with edged tools, that makes a sport of sin.

4. He is a fool that knows not or forgets his end.

5. He is a fool that hurts and wounds himself.

II. THE CAUSE. "Because of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities." "Transgression" especially hath reference to rebellion against God and His ordinances in the first table. "Iniquity" hath reference to the breach of the second table, against men; and both these have their rise from folly. For want of wisdom causeth rebellion against God, and iniquity against men. All breaches of God's will come from spiritual folly. Why doth He begin with transgressions against the first table, and then iniquities, the breach of the second? Because all breaches of the second table issue from the breach of the first.

III. THE EXTREMITY.

1. "Fools for their transgressions are afflicted." We by our sins put a rod into God's hand — "a rod for the fool's back" (Proverbs 26:8); and when we will be fools, we must needs endure the scourge and rod in one kind or other. Those that will sin must look for a rod.

2. "Their soul abhors all manner of meat." This the great Physician of heaven and earth sets down as a symptom of a sick state, when one cannot relish and digest meat. Experience seals this truth, and proves it to be true.

3. "They draw near the gates of death." Death is a great commander, a great tyrant; and hath gates to sit in, as judges and magistrates used to "sit in the gates."(1) "They draw near to the gates of death"; that is, they were "near to death"; as he that draws near the gates of a city is near the city, because the gates enter into the city.

(2) Gates are applied to death for authority. They were almost in death's jurisdiction. Death is a great tyrant. He rules over all the men in the world, over kings and potentates, and over mean men; and the greatest men fear death most.

(3) The power of death. It is the executioner of God's justice.

IV. THEIR CARRIAGE IN THEIR EXTREMITY. "They cried to God in their trouble." This is the carriage of man in extreme ills, if he have any fear of God in him, to pray; and then prayers are cries. They are darted out of the heart, as it were, to heaven. Extremity of afflictions doth force prayers: "In their affliction they will seek Me early." When all second causes fail, then we go to God. Nature therefore is against atheism.

V. THE REMEDY.

1. "He saved them out of their distress." God is a physician, good at all manner of sicknesses. Other physicians can cure, but they must have means. Other physicians cannot cure all manner of diseases, nor in all places, but God can cure all. "He saved them out of their distress." Other physicians cannot be always present, but God is so to every one of His patients. He is a compassionate, tender, present Physician.

2. "He sent His word and healed them." What word? His secret command, His will.

VI. THE DUTY.

1. The persons who must praise God: "Oh that men would praise the Lord."

2. The duty they are to perform: "to praise God," to "sacrifice to God," to "declare His works" — one main duty expressed by three terms.

3. For what they should praise Him: "for His goodness." It is the spring of all, for all particular actions do come from His nature. Why is He gracious, and merciful, and longsuffering? Because He is good. This is the primitive attribute. And then another thing for which we must praise Him: "for His wondrous works for the children of men."

4. The manner how this should be done: "with rejoicing and singing," as the word signifies, "declare His works with rejoicing." "God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7), much more a cheerful thanksgiver, for cheerfulness is the very nature of thanksgiving.

VII. HELPS AND MEANS TO PERFORM THIS DUTY THE BETTER.

1. Consider our own unworthiness.

2. Dwell not on second causes.

3. Consider the necessity and use of the favour we pray for.

4. Again, if we would praise God, let us every day keep a diary of His favours and blessings: what good He doth us privately, what positive blessings He bestows upon us, and what dangers He frees us from, and continues and renews His mercy every day; and publicly what benefit we have by the state we live in.

( Sibbes, Richard.)

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KJV: Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

WEB: Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience, and because of their iniquities.