onely a purifying of the flesh this of the Spirit and conscience 4. That cleansed from legall and bodily pollution this from morall called dead works 1. Because they proceeded from death of sinne 2. Because they lead to eternall death For the explaining of this ordinance consider four things 1. Whence the Cow must be 2. The properties or qualities 3. The actions about her 4. The use and end of it I. All the congregation must bring an heifer to Moses out of the heard 1. All the congregation for not one in the congregation but needs a meanes of purging 2. This meanes must be a Cow not an Oxe or Bull. The imbecillity of the sexe noteth the great humillity of our Lord Jesus who being the mighty Lyon of the tribe of Judah would so abase and weaken himselfe for our sakes 3. They must take her from the heard so our cleanser must be taken from among our selves being true and perfect man taking our nature and our flesh yea our infirmities as the weak sexe importeth in all things save sinne like unto us II. The properties required in this Cow are four 1. She must be an heifer in her youth and strength Christ offers himself and must be taken for a sacrifice in the flower of his strength at three and thirty yeares He offers his best gifts and dies in his strength and so his offering was more free and acceptable And we also should offer up our youth strength best times and gifts to Jesus Christ who offered himselfe in his best strength to death for us 2. The Cow must be red Signifying 1. The truth of Christs humane nature being of the same red earth that the first Adams body was 2. The grievousnesse of sinne which he was to undertake and the scarlet staine of it 3. The bitter and bloudy passion of Christ and his cruell death The red skin of the Cow resembled the red garments of Christ all besprinkled 1. With his own bloud 2. With the bloud of his conquered enemies 3. Presented unto his father like the coat of Joseph all stained with bloud 3. The Cow must be without spot or blemish to signifie the purity of our Lord Jesus in whom was never any spot or staine of sinne Though he was contented to be counted a sinner yet he was no sinner And though he had sinne on himselfe he had none in himselfe as the Cow was slaine for sinne not being sinful Christ was ruddy through his passion yet most white and spotlesse by his most perfect and absolute righteousnesse 4. She must be without yoke on which never yoke came Signifying 1. That Christ not necessarily but voluntarily took our nature that he might free us from our yoke 2. His absolute freedome from all the yoke of sinne farther than he voluntarily undertook the burthen of it 3. That he was never subject to the yoke of humane precepts and commandements being the Law-giver to prescribe Lawes to all not to receive Lawes from any 4. That none could compell him to suffer for sinne but his whole obedience active and passive was a free-will offering he having power to lay down his life and to take it up againe 5. He was more free from the yoke than any red heifer could be She indeed must be free in her selfe He not onely free in himselfe but he must free all believers from the yoke whom the sonne sets free they are free indeed III. The actions about the Cow were five ver 5. 1. Action 1. The Congregation must deliver the Cow to be slaine so was Christ delivered to be slaine by the whole body of the Jewes 2. She must not be delivered to Aaron but to Eleazer his successor signifying that the death of Christ serveth all the successions and ages of the Church and must be taught by the Ministers of all ages 2. Action She must be led out of the Camp and there burnt whole to ashes her skin flesh bloud and dung ver 5. Signifying 1. That Christ must be led out of the gate of Jerusalem to suffer Heb. 13. and there 2. must be crucified by which he was made a whole burnt offering 3. That whole Christ is our comfort his flesh our meat his bloud our drink yea the very base dung of those contumelies cast upon him were a part of his sacrifice offered up in the fire of his passion for us to sweeten and sanctifie ours 3. Action Eleazer must take of the bloud with his finger and sprinkle towards the foreside of the Tabernacle of the assembly seven times vers 4. Signifying 1. The purging of us by the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience 2. That Christs death profits none to whom it is not specially applied for the Cowes bloud must be not shed onely but sprinkled 3. That onely the people and Congregation of God have benefit of the death and bloud of Christ for it was sprinkled directly before the tabernacle 4. The seven times sprinkling noteth 1. That that one oblation hath virtue and merit enough 2. The perfection of justification 3. The need of often application of Christs death 4. The duration of it to all ages 4. Action She must be burnt with Cedar wood scarlet lace and hysope all which must be cast into the fire with her vers 6. Signifying 1. Three things in Christ. 1. The Cedar of uncorrupt life 2. The scarlet of fervent love to mankind 3. The hysop of savoury obedience in all things to his father all which were in all his sufferings and fire of his passion sweetning it 2. They noted three things arising from Christs sufferings 1. Immortality signified by the Cedar which is not subject to putrefaction 2. The scarlet the merit of his bloud applyed to justification 3. The hysope of mortification healing our corruptions aâ— hysope hath a healing quality All these three properly arise from the passion of Christ. 5. Action A clean person must gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them without the Camp in a clean place vers 9. Signifying 1. The buriall of Christ in a cleane and new tombe wherein never man lay a clean place never used before 2. That the merit of Christs death is ever laid before God in the highest and holiest heavens 3. The Christians account of Christs merit and passion who layeth them up as his chiefe treasure in the clean place of a pure heart and conscience an onely fit closet to keep the mystery of faith in IV. The use and end of these ashes was twofold vers 9. 1. They must be kept for the Congregation Signifying that there shall never want supply of grace and merit from the death of Christ to any believer that sees his need of them 2. Of them was made a water of separation thus A clean person took of the ashes of the red Cow burnt and put pure water into a vessell and taking hysope dipped it and sprinkled it upon the tent the persons and vessels and
Because he covered himself with a Serpent when he first stung and deceived mankind 2. He is more subtle than any Serpent crafty to insinuate and deceive 2 Cor. 11. 3. 14. 3. As a Serpent dwels and lies among thornes bushes bryars and feeds upon dust so the devill reigns in the thickets and bushes of worldly cares and lusts and feeds upon worldings exercising his chief power against them 4. As a Serpent casts out of his mouth venome and poyson so the devill casts out nothing but virulent words against God and his Saints and spewes out after the Church a flood of poyson to drown her How he blasphemed Job how he is the accuser of the brethren how of the head Christ himself the Scripture declares 5. As a Serpent is cursed above all beasts so is the devill The first cursed creature in the world was this Serpent and hath ever since remained the cursed head of all cursed rebels and wicked ones to whose custody and condemnation they shall all be gathered in the last day Mat. 25. 41. goe yee cursed c. 2. Why called fiery Serpents Answ. 1. From their colour Through abundance of poyson they had a shining and glistering skinne and they seemed as if they had been made of fire A resemblance we have in our Snakes that seem to shine and sparkle against the Sun 2. From their effect For with their sting they infused such poyson into the bodies of the Israelites as stirred up in them an outragious heat and fire Now these diseases are most painful and so tormentful as if a wild-fire were in the bowels feeding upon the bones marrow and members 3. From their end 1. Because they were appointed by God and after a sort inflamed and kindled with desire of revenge of the Lords wrongs and they so fiercely assaulted the Israelites as if a raging and devouring fire had seised upon them which no way they could avoid 2. That in their punishment they might be admonished both what a fearful fire of Gods wrath they had kindled by their sin against themselves as also that they had deserved a more fearful fire in hell to seize upon their whole man everlastingly 3. Why stinging Serpents Answ. To imply unto us 1. That sin is the sting of this old Serpent even a poysoned sting that he hath thrust into all mankind But with this difference in that this poyson is far more general and the wounds infinitely more mischievous than were those of the fiery Serpents For 1. They stung a few Israelites but not all but this Serpent hath stung all mankind none excepted 2. They stung the bodies onely but these souls and bodies also 3. They stung one part of the body this Serpent all parts and whole man 4. They to a temporal death this to an eternal 2. To imply that sin is the sting of a fiery Serpent 1. Set on fire with wrath and cruelty and desire to poyson and destroy us Rev. 12. 17. 2. Setting on us with fiery darts For so his temptations are called Ephes. 6. 16. for three reasons 1. From the manner and custome of souldiers in times past which cast poysoned darts the poyson of which inflamed the wounded bodies and made the wounds incurable As now many out of desperate malice poyson their weapons and bullets to make sure with their enemy So doth Satan by all meanes poyson his darts to speed the Christians soul. 2. Because as fiery darts they inflame and kindle in the heart all manner of burning lusts and sinnes one of them being but as a spark or firebrand to kindle another 3. Because they leave for most part a cauterized and seared conscience behind them as if they were burnt with an hot iron which makes the sinner stung senslesse of his wound Whence is another miserable difference between the stung Israelite and the stung sinner The former was alwayes felt with grief and pain but this often not felt and so more desperate 3. The effect of this stinging was death in many And so the effect of sin is death in all The stung Israelite had death in his bosome and no other could be expected so the guilty sinner is stung to death In his nature is every man the son of death and can expect nothing but death every moment And as the stung person in the wildernesse had no meanes in himself nor from others to avoid either the Serpent or death from it till God appointed them the brazen Serpent So the poor sinner was destitute of all help in himself and others till the Lord appointed Jesus Christ the promised seed to break the Serpents head There is given no name else whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. First Note hence how deceitful are the pleasures of sin It is as a sweet poyson Job 20. 12. sweet in the mouth but poyson in the bowels What wise man would drink a draught of poyson for the sweet taste of it Wicked men hold sin as a sweet morsel but sour sauce follows it Secondly What little cause we have to love our sinnes for that is to love our own bane Prov. 8. 35. He that sinneth against me hurteth his own soul and all that hate me love death No sin but the more pleasing the more poysoning the more delicate the more deadly Sin never so much disguised never the lesse deadly Thirdly That sinners are but dead men while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. An Israelite stung was but a dead man So although the reasonable soul in a sinner makes him a man yet the want of the Spirit of grace makes him a dead man Death waits upon sin as the wages on the work and hell upon death that comes before repentance Fourthly A fool he is that makes a mock of sin Who would play with a deadly Serpent or make a jest of his own death or drink up the poyson of a Serpent in merriment or cast darts and fire-brands about him to burn himself and others and say Am I not in sport See Prov. 26. 18. and 10. 23. and 14. 9. Oh that we could discern our wounds as sensibly as we are certainly stung It would make us run to God and get Moses to goe to God for us and pray that these Serpemts and painful wounds might be removed If we saw death as present and as ghastly in our sins as Israel did in their stinging we would hasten our repentance and seek after meanes of cure Sect. II. The Remedy is First prescribed Numb 21. 8. Secondly applied vers 9. Thirdly in the same verse is the effect they recovered and lived So then in the Remedy are 1. Ordination 2. Application 3. Sanation or Cure I. The appointing hath First the person appointing which was God himself who devised it and prescribed it to Moses for God will save onely in his own meanes So God himself so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Joh. 3. 16.
understanding will conscience memory in all affections in all sences in all parts no man no part of man exempted or excepted 3. No disease is more stinking and hatefull to men than leprosie So nothing is so hatefull and abhominable to God as sinne his eyes cannot abide to behold it he will not endure it in his dearest servants no nor Angels themselves unrevenged he esteems the sinner as dung 4. No disease more contagious and infectious A leper must meddle with nothing unlesse he would defile it All he can doe is to make others unclean by breathing touching conversing The plague of pestilence is not so infectious as the plague of leprosie so called Levit. 13. 20. infecting houses walls vessells garments Nothing is so infectious as sinne which not onely foules the person or house but heaven and earth and all creatures are subject to the vanity of it Neither can an impenitent sinner doe any thing but make himselfe and others unclean by the filthy breath of his corrupt communication by his wicked example and conversation No leaven is so spreading no pitch so cleaving 5. Leaprosie of all diseases separated the infected persons from the fellowship of all men both in civill and divine ordinances for many dayes and if they proved incurable suppose them Kings they were utterly and for ever excluded the host as Uzziah 2 King 15. 5. Neither might they come to the Temple to joyne in holy things for the Temple was legally the most holy place and no polluted thing might enter into it So in our sinne unrepented we are out of the campe aliens from God Sinne shuts out of the communion of faith and Saints shuts out of the state of grace and Salvation it shuts out of the Congregation of God in earth and heaven No fellowship place or reward with them 6. Of all diseases none is more painfull sorrowfull mortall or incurable and therefore they were enjoyned to put on mournfull garments seeing God had inflicted so lamentable a disease on them so hardly and seldome cured as most did cary it unto death as Gehezi and Azariah In which the Lord as in a glasse would shew us the extream sorrowes and paines that wait on sinne unpardoned sorrowes of this life and of the life to come And that we should put on mourning garments of timely sorrow and afflict our selves for our sinnes seeing we are all poisoned with so incurable a disease as there is no hope to expect any cure in this life for every man carries the running issues of sinne to his death naturall the most to the death eternall 7. The signes and symptomes of leprosie are most correspondent to the symptomes and effects of sinne in the soul. 1. As there is a debility and weaknesse of all parts becuase the spirits are exhausted so sinne weakens all faculties because the spirit of grace is resisted and driven out 2. There is a tumour and swelling in the flesh here a tumour and proud swelling of mind none more proud than he who hath least cause 3. There is burning and thirst through the adust and burnt bloud by melancholy whereof it ariseth here is inflammation and burning of anger of lust and thirst after the world after revenge after prefermentst and this insatiable as every sinne is 4. There is filthy putred matter still breaking forth most loathsomely so here from within breaks out corrupt matter of envie of hatred of goodnesse of uncleanenesse in speeches and behaviour 5. There is an hoarse and weake voice here the voice so weake as it cannot pray or cannot be heard God heares not sinners for either they pray not at all or they are in their sinnes 6. There is a filthy stinking breath and therefore they must cover their lips that by their breath they might not infect others So here is a filhy breath of corrupt communication of uncleane and adulterous speeches swearing and cursing speeches lying and false speeches slanderous and uncharitable speeches and seldome doe such cover their lips being like the uncleane vessells of the Law which were ever open to the corrupting and poisoning of numbers Sect. IV. 1. From the former description of legall uncleannesses note the state of Gods Church and people here upon earth subject unto many sorts of defilements and pollutions within them without them and on every hand of them by foule and uncleane creatures and persons by foule courses and actions which a godly man may not touch or taste but he is presently defiled as he that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled with it Where be they that will see no Church if they see any uncleannesse Or who say that God is in no such society where any pollution is seeing God vouchsafeeth to walk among his owne people who were daily subject to so many legall and morall pollutions God might if it pleased him wholly purge his floore here upon earth but it makes more for his glory to suffer sinne and evill and to set the Saints in the middest of defilements here below 1. There must be a difference between this heaven and earth and the new heaven and new earth in which dwells nothing but righteousnesse for had the Saints no warre there needed no watch there could be no victory if no seed time no harvest 2. Gods mighty power is more manifest in gathering and preserving a Church to himselfe out of sinners and among sinners and he magnifieth his mercy both in covering and curing so great and many corruptions 3. The godly in sence of their uncleanenesse are kept low in their owne eyes and watchfull of their own waies and so are driven out of themselves unto Christ for righteousnesse and unto God for strength continually as privy unto their own continuall weaknesse So to subdue presumption Paul must have a buffeter and to way-lay security comming on Israel all the Canaanites must not be subdued 4. In that they cannot expect freedome from foulenesse and uncleannesse here below they may the rather desire and aspire to that heavenly Tabernacle into which no uncleane thing can enter Rev. 21 27. and wish to be translated thither where righteousnesse shall dwell yea the righteous and holy God shall dwell immediately in the middest of his Saintes and all things together with themselves shall be most absolutely clean and holy II. The Lord by so large a description of legall uncleannesse would have them and us look more nearly and seriously upon our own misery by sinne both in the cause and in the effects of it The former by bringing us to the contemplation of the foulnesse of our natures and uncleannesse even in our birth and originall For howsoever men little esteem or bewaile this uncleanenesse of nature and original sin yet the Apostle better acquainted with the nature of it calls it The sinne and the sinning sinne and the sinne which dwelleth in us and compasseth us about Rom. 7. 17. Neither can a man ever be
safe and sound 4. When they did see themselves by the benefit of the Red Sea freed from Pharaohs servitude how easily might they gather that by the bloud of Christ every believer of Jewes and Gentiles are freed from the slavery of hellish Pharaoh and all his Armies of sinnes and corruptions And when they did see how the Egyptians once dead and slain could hurt them no more how could they but gather that all the armies of sin once remitted and buried in the death of Christ can no more rise up to condemnation than a drowned Egyptian to drown an Israelite I. To note the mighty power of God who can still and over-master the mighty raging of the Sea which we see here in that its water dry land sands and shoare observe the providence of God and serve for his peoples safety Israel saw the mighty power of God herein Exod. 14. 31. Let us also behold the glory of God herein and fear before him as they did Let not us be more senseless than the senselesse creatures but hear his voice runne out of our own nature to observe his voice sounding in the Scriptures and Ministry of the Gospel II. To see and consider the state of the Church and people of God Canaan whither they goe is a fine and fertile countrey but the way is asperous and dangerous They are still as it were in the bottome of the sea enemies implacable at their heeles in infinite numbers Seas of waters dreadful to behold on both hands yea rising over their heads as mountaines threatning to fall over them and after a deep sea a terrible wildernesse takes them in which is no meanes for meat drink nor cloath A man would think no man could deal so with his children and yet Gods wisdom sees this the fittest way to Canaan He sees how 1. Every small content glewes us to our Egypt 2 What sluggs we are in the way farther than we are chased out 3. How little we care for dependance on himself when we are full of naturall comforts 4. That Canaan is so rich a land as is worthy all our labour and suffering Apply this note to awake thee out of thy ease and carnall slumber If thy way be so easie and pleasing to flesh sure it leads not to Canaan suspect it The Israelites going into Egypt had no enemies nor troubles meeting them but going into Canaan they had nothing else Strait is the way that leads to life and all the way to heaven is strowed with crosses Apply it also to secure thee in thy troubles Art thou in a deep danger or sorrow like the bottome of the sea It is no worse with thee than with the rest of the people of God No affliction overtakes thee but the same hath befaln the Saints in the world Hold on to Canaan and all is safe Canaan is worth all Happy thou if thou canst get to Canaan though thy passage be through the bottome of the sea III. To observe what a many comforts this great work of God will load us withal that are willing to carry them away For. I. The Lord in strange and unwonted dangers can work new and unwonted remedies for his children As we heard before that fire shall not burn them so here the Sea at his word of restraint shall not drown them He can make a wall of water more strong for them than a wall of Adamant yea himself according to their need will be to them either a wall of fire or water II. What danger can prevail against the Church if all these dangers on all hands above them below them afore them behind them at once cannot sinke them No All the gates of hell cannot prevail against it Every main affliction is like a main Red Sea which threatens to swallow us up but it shall in the issue onely preserve the Church What we have most cause to fear the Lord maketh most helpful and soveraign The very raging Sea rather than they shall perish shall open her lap as a tender mother to recieve them from the rage of Pharaoh and his pursuing army Nay the land of Goshen shall not be half so bountiful to them as these waters which gave them freedome victory and the spoiles and riches remaining upon the dead bodies of their enemies III. How unweariably the Lord sets himself to overcome all difficulties for his servants What had it been to have passed the oppressours of Egypt and to have been swallowed up of the sea Therefore he makes a new way where never any way lay before in the bottome of the Sea Afterwards he makes a dry and barren wildernesse comfortable to them dryes up Jordan as strangely for their passage gives them a daily harvest of Manna from heaven breaks a Rock to give them water and happily in time finisheth their long and tedious journey Even so the godly going out of Egypt departing from the kingdome of the devill and hastning out of the world towards heaven come presently into a deep sea not pursued onely by the fury of tyrants and enemies but every where threatned with dangers wants and death it self yet the Lord breakes for them one toyle after another and happily guides them through a deep sea of miseries and never leaves them till they recover the shoare and arrive safely at the haven of salvation where their songs shall be louder than their cryes were and a mighty deliverance shall swallow up all their danger IV. Here is comfort against the fear of enemies 1. Spiritual enemies For here we have both a confirmation and resemblance of the eternal delivery of the Church from the tyranny of the hellish Pharaoh which in spight of him is led through a sea of tribulation every where ready to overwhelme it into the promised rest of everlasting life Again we see here our sinnes also cast into and drowned in the bottome of the Red Sea Mic. 7. 19. These are the strongest and fiercest enemies that pursued us to death but these our furious sinnes as so many Egyptians are drowned in the sea of Christs bloud and extinct in the waters of Baptisme Aug. Psal. 113. 2. Temporal enemies How can the Egyptians hope to stand before Israel to whom the waters give way so strangely The enemy shall find the same sea a wall and a well a safety and a death Let enemies look here as the heathen did and let their hearts faint as theirs to see God make the Sea a wall a lane yea a lap for his people Let them behold the ordinary work of God who commonly joynes the salvation of his Church with the destruction of the enemies So for Mordecaies advancement and the Churches deliverance Haman must be hanged and his posterity destroyed as in a ballance if one scoal goes up down goes the other IV. The godly to partake of these comforts must learn 1. To labour for increase of faith for by faith they passed thorough the Red Sea Heb. 11. 29.
is an Orphane the Widow desires it should be your Ward who in your love can best tender it and by your authority defend it sufficiently The God of heaven increase all heavenly graces and comforts in your noble heart abundantly and adde unto your dayes honours and blessings of all sorts till these shadowes flie away and the true Day-star arise upon you in glory the hearty prayer of one who is and desires to be reckoned among Isleworth June 29. 1635. Your Wo truest friends in every good service WILLIAM JEMMAT To the CHRISTIAN READER I Have heard of a demur made as though something were put forth under this Authors name which is none of his I assure thee in the word of a Minister that for the workes that have my Epistle prefixed and I hear of no other published with his name there is not one note nor notion which is not the Authors own according to his papers And the like I affirm concerning this Treatise of Types which now I publish The use of it is manifold To open divers places of Scripture To shew the meaning of legal shadowes and ceremonies To declare the faith of the Elders who received a good report To manifest our faith one with theirs one Faith one Lord one Baptisme one salvation To magnifie and commend Christ to every soul that it may be saved and he honoured To discern and bewail the blindnesse of Gods ancient people the Jewes and pray for their return to the truth not â—atching at shadowes Of whom in present I may say with detestation of their madnesse as he said against the Philosophers Nos qui non habitu c. We Christians whose excellency stands not in outward things but spirituall glory that we have found what they with all their diligence have sought and could not finde Why are we unthankfull Why doe we stand in our own light if the truth of the Deitie hath in this our age attained to maturity Let us enjoy and make use of our own good and follow the truth in truth avaunt superstition be packing all impiety let true religion be preserved and flourish Yet withall seeing there is a promise that all Israel shall be saved let us pray for the performance and that with all earnestnesse as that converted Jew gave exhortation to his son So long pour forth thy prayers for the remnant of Israel till God look from his high habitation and see and have mercy on his people for the Lords sake his Annointed that in our dayes Judah may be saved and the children of Israel may dwell safely in their own land and spend their dayes in good the Lord making his good Spirit to rest upon them WILLIAM JEMMAT A Table of the Contents of this Treatise I. THe Introduction containing five Propositions of the Church Salvation Covenant of grace Christ and the ancient Ceremonies p. 1 Five reasons for those Ceremonies 2 Grace in the new Testament specially how 3 Ceremonies called shadowes for four reasons ibid. Threefold use of them to the Jewes 4 Gods wisdome in appointing them three wayes ibid. II. The Treatise shewing Christ prefigured by holy persons and things 5 I. Adam a type of Christ in creation office soveraignty conjugation propagation 6 The Ministery reverend for antiquitie 8 Antiquity of the doctrine of free grace ibid. Seek life by Christs death 8 Get into Christ the second Adam as thou art surely of the first Motives ibid. II. Noah a type for salvation righteousnesse preaching Ark repairing the world sacrifice of rest and a dove sent out of the Ark. 9 Preserve integrity in the worst times 13 Sinnes which are signes of judgement approaching ibid. Comfort to be had in Christ our Noah 14 III. Melchizedek a type in Etymâ—logiâ— office originall excellency of person and Priesthood 15 16 17 Christ greater than Abraham 18 Comfort by Christ our Melchizedek ibid. We are blessed by our Melchizedek 19 By our Melchizedek the Church abides for ever ibid. Excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall eight wayes 20 Sin not to be accounted slight whose sacrifice is so costly 21 IV. Isaac a type in birth suffering offering escape marriage ibid. A pattern of obedience in 5. things ib. How Christ doth meet his Church 25 Two Rules 26 A type of our resurrection 27 Matter of sweet consolation 28 Look for help though the case be desperate ibid. V. Joseph a type in his person actions â—…ssions advancement 29 No newes for good men to be hated for their excellency 32 All sufferings of the godly come of God ordained and ordered 33 Comfort by Christ our Joseph four wayes 34 Doe to Christ as Joseph's brethren to him 35 VI. Moses a type in person estate office 〈◊〉 suffering sundry actions ib. Our doctrine is of God 40 Be faithfull in doing thy office ibid. Shew faith in the fruit of it contrary to four sorts of men 41 Assurance of our resurrection ibid. VII Joshua a type in saving calling miracles valour actions 42 A fearfull thing to be an enemy of the Church 45 Comfort in our salvation accomplished ibid. Duties we owe to Christ our Joshua 46 Conditions to be observed in going to heaven Six ibid. VIII Sampson a type in person condition actions sufferings stratagems victories 48 Judge none by outward calamities 51 Strange meanes used by God for the Churches good 52 Our victory stands in patience and passion ibid. Fourfold comfort to Gods people 53 In Gods cause contemn greatest perill and prepare for death approaching 54 IX David a type in person vocation wars kingdome office Propheticall and Priestly 55 Enter upon no office without assistance of the Spirit A note of it 61 Christ the true King of the Church Nine wayes more excellent than David 62 How God brings his servants to honour 65 Church ever pestered with home-bred enemies 66 Comfort to the Church in 3. things ib. X. Salomon a type in person condition peace-making wisdome glory temple justice 68 Duties to Christ our Salomon two 73 Fourfold comfort in our Salomon 74 XI Jonah a type in name office death buriall resurrection 75 Repent at the Ministery of Christs servants 77 Motives ibid. Vocation of the Gentiles 78 Our resurrection assured to us 79 Power and wisdome of God to be admired ibid. Terror of sinne even in Gods own children and comfort 80 XII The First-born types as Gods peculiar fathers of the family preferred before brethren double portion 82 Every mercy is the greater engagement unto God 85 Honour Christ as the first-born of God and how ibid. Threefold comfort in the birthright 86 Forfeit not the birthright by sin 87 Resemble Christ our elder brother 88 XIII Priests types in deputation to office and execution choice consecration apparell actions 88 A cover for us in Christ for all deformities of soul and body 90 Qualities requisite in Ministers ib. Eminency of Christ above all creatures 93 Ministers must increase their gifts 94 Duties of private believers ibid.
honoured think it too base for thy self to attend for thy sonnes to intend Neither the first Adam Lord of the earth nor the second Adam Lord of Heaven and earth did so II. To note the antiquity and authority of the doctrine of free grace by the merit of the Messiah which both the first and second Adam taught neither of them ever dreamed of the doctrine of workes and humane merits What Adam learned of God in Paradise he taught to his posterity what his posterity heard of him the same they delivered and left to their children but they never heard nor taught any other way to salvation but by the promised seed so also what the Disciples heard of the second Adam that they taught to the Churches but they heard the same of him Act. 4. 12. And our doctrine being the same with theirs is not new but more ancient then any other For as this is the honour of all truth to be before error and falshood so of this truth to have precedency of all truthes It truely pleadeth antiquity therefore verity III. In that the Church comes out of Christs side being in the sleep of death as Eve out of Adams he sleeping we learn to seek our life in Christs death That death should be propagated by the sinne of the first Adam was no marvell but that life by the death of the second is an admired mystery Here is the greatest work of Gods power fetched out of his contrary of ranke poyson a soveraigne remedy by the most skilfull Physitian of hearts Let the Jewes scorn a crucified God and refuse the life offered by a dead man they know not the Scriptures nor the power of God who can and doth command light out of darknesse life out of death all things out of nothing How easily can he repaire all things out of any thing who can fetch and frame all things out of nothing He is of power to make of clay and spittle fit to put out the sight a remedy to restore sight He can as easily save a world by the death of his Sonne as multiply a world by the sleep of Adam IV. Labour to be ingrafted into the second Adam that as thou hast born the image of the earthly so thou maist bear the image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15. 49. 1. Because the second Adam repaires whatsoever we lost in the first By the first we are enemies to God by the second we are reconciled to him By the first we all dye by the second we are all made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. By the first we are left to Sathans power by the second we are guided by the spirit of God By the first we lost all the Creatures by the second we are restored to the holy use of all By the first a necessity of death is brought in Heb. 9. 27. it is appointed for all men once to dye and then commeth judgement but by the second we have a recovery of the blessing of immortality and life Whatsoever the first Adam brings into the world by sinne the second carries out by his righteousnesse 2. Because by Christ the truth we recover more than we lost or ever should have by the Type For so the Apostle Rom. 5. 16. the gift by the second Adam hath exceeded the offence of the first That as the first Adam by eating the forbidden fruit hath powred all evill into the souls and bodies of all men though they eat not of the forbidden tree So the second Adam by regeneration is made righteousnesse to those who had wrought no righteousnesse and powred all good things into the souls and bodies of his members The first Adam by sinne helps us into misery but the second Adam not onely helps us out of misery but advanceth us to the highest dignity to be of sons of wrath sons of God brethren of Christ members of his body heires of the kingdome of heaven By Adams sinne we are all driven out of Paradise and earthly pleasure in which we should have enjoyed an inconstant happinesse but by Christ we are brought into the heavenly Paradise our Fathers house By Adams sinne we became unjust but by Christs holinesse we are not just onely but sanctified graced confirmed glorified into whom by faith we come to be ingrafted CHAP. III. 2. Noah a type of Christ 7. wayes THe second instance is Noah a manifest type of the true Noah and that in seven respects I. Both were fore-prophesied of to be Saviours Gen. 5. 29. Lamâ—ch begat a son and called his name Noah saying This shall comfort us concerning our workes and sorrow and curse of the earth therefore he called him by a name signifying ceasing or rest So of Christ Mat. 1. 21. thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people He shall be the true Noah that shall cause Gods wrath to cease and bring the afflicted soule to true rest and tranquility II. Both are said to be just and perfect both said to walk with God and both to finde grace and favour with God 1. Noah was just in his generation So was Christ have nothing to do with that just man saith Pilates Wife Mat. 27. 19. But with difference Noahs righteousnesse was imputed being righteousnesse of faith Heb. 11. 7. Christs was inherent a righteousnesse of nature person and heart 2. Noah was a perfect and upright man Gen. 6. 9. that is not defiled with Idolatry false religion opinions or externall crimes but Christ was perfect simply and absolutely Noah but comparatively Noah was perfect but in part Christ perfectly perfect Christ Legally Noah Evangelically Noah perfect by the perfection of another Christ by his own Noah perfect because without open crime Christ being without sinne 3. Both walking with God found grace with God Noah Gen. 6. 8. Christ Luke 2. 40. 52. But Noah found grace by acceptation and imputation Christ by compleat merit and satisfaction Christ found grace by his own perfection and justice but Noah cloathed with Christs III. Both of them were Preachers of righteousnesse But Christ preached his own doctrine Noah Christs Both invited unto repentance Both called men to avoid the Judgement to come Both lived and preached in a most corrupt age when there was a generall defection both in doctrine and manners Both their Ministeries were despised and that despight of both fearfully revenged the one by water the other by fire and sword both by utter desolation as the like never heard of before IV. Both of them makers of an Ark and Masters of it But Noah of a materiall Christ of a spirituall the Church Noah to save sinners from the deluge of waters temporall Christ to save sinners from the deluge of Gods wrath eternall In the making of their Arkes they are very like 1. Both doe all about their Arkes at Gods commandement For as the Lord did not hide from Noah his decree Gen. 6. 13. So he
his passion rose early in the morning to fullfill the work of his father 3. Neither of them must be offered every where or any where but both in a mountaine and such a mountaine as must typifie Christs humane nature MountMoriah must bear the Temple built by Salomon a type of Christs body Joh. 2. 19. Mount Calvary must bear the body it self and these two hills if they be not one and the same as Augustine thinks and it is not unprobable but that Golgotha was the skirt of Moriah yet could they not be farre distant the one being within the gate of the City and the other not farre without the nearest to the City of all 4. The Father layes first the wood upon both and then both upon the wood both must feell the weight of the wood no small wood to burne a man a whole burnt offering as Isaac but the wood which Christ bore was farre heavier 1. For the greatnesse of the burthen 2. For the burthensomenesse of our sinnes Isai 53. 4. He bare all our diseases And then both by Gods appointment were bound on the wood fastned hand and foot not that either was unwilling but to retaine the manner appointed for a sacrifice 5. Isaac must be offered alone the servants must stay at the foot of the hill a farre off little knowing th businesse and sorrow in hand So Christ must tread the Winepresse alone Isai. 63. 3. the Disciples fear and fly and little consider the agony of their Master 6. The Father carrys in his hand the sword and fire against his own sonne the sword signifying the justice of God the fire his burning wrath against the sinnes of men Both bent against Christ both sustained by this Isaac in whom the justice of God is satisfied and the flame of his wrath extinct and quenched IV. In his scape and deliverance 1. The blow is a fetching but Abraham must hold his hand Isaac's flesh must not be pierced or cut The souldiers ready to break the leggs of Christ as of the two theeves must stay their hands not a bone of him must be broken 2. Isaac offered and three dayes dead in his Fathers purpose and minde yet dyed not but his Father received him as from the dead So Christ offered upon his Divinity dyed not and his humanity dead in the belly of the earth after three days he revived and raysed himselfe againe to dye no more So both were delivered from death the third day wherein the Apostle plainly makes him a type Heb. 11. 16. from whence he received him as in a type or resemblance that is to be a type or resemblance of Christs resurrection from death 3. The Ramme that was offered for Isaac was caught by the head among the thornes and hanged in a bush Christ our sacrifice was hanged on a tree crowned with thornes and so hung on the Crosse to expiate our sinnes compared to thornes and bryers which would for ever have held us if they had not held him V. In his mariage 1. Rebeckah was fair and beautyfull so the Church is faire in the beauty of Christ and fair within 2. She was of his own kindred and flesh Gen. 24. 4. so Christs spouse is of the same flesh which himself assumed 3. She was wooed by his Fathers servants and brought forwards towards Isaac so the Church is wooed by Pastors and Preachers the servants of Christ and so brought forwards by his friends towards the bridegroome 4. She resolved to forsake all her friends and comforts to come to Isaac so the Church forsakes all in affection and actually being called to enjoy her head and husband Jesus Christ. 5. She decks her selfe with jewels and trims her self before she comes to Isaac but covers all with a vaile So the Church prepares her selfe as a Bride for a Bridegroome trims her selfe with faith and grace as Jewels but covers and vailes all with humility modesty shamefacenesse as not worthy to be seen much lesse matched to such an husband 6. In her comming towards Isaac Isaac meets her so the Church cōming towards Christ he meets her a far off 1. by his grace of election 2. By his most intire love and affection 3. By most gracious acceptation 4. In person and Incarnation 5. In glory and power at the last Judgement for her finall salvation I. In the type and truth note a pattern by which to frame our obedience Phil. 2. 8. Let the same minde be in us that was in them 1. To be humbly obedient unto our father as they 2. Having never so difficult a Commandement As Abraham rose early to obey God and Isaac as early to obey his Father and Christ was content early in the morning to be prosecuted to death so let us not procrastinate but hasten to our duty especially to our sacrifices of prayer and prayses early in the morning Psal. 108. 2. 3. As Ahraham in offering or Isaac in obeying consulted not with flesh and bloud acquainted neither Sarah nor the servants nor consulted with humane wisedome to hinder obedience no more must we in our obedience So Paul Gal. 1. 16. professeth of himselfe that he communicated not with flesh and bloud after he had a calling If flesh and bloud will object any thing against obedience and extoll it selfe against the knowledge of God bring it captive into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. 4. Obey in suffering as well as in doing dayly take up our crosse as both they carryed the wood of their offering and not repine nor reply We must not think that by carrying our crosse we can performe the work of our redemption for to that end it was carried by Christ onely yet we must carry it so farre forth as he is a patterne for our imitation yea that we may be conformable to the image of Christ Rom. 8. 29. 5. For the measure stick not at heavy crosses and burthens they carried heavie loads of wood We must not love our lives to death if God call us thercto For both they were obedient unto death Phil. 2. 8. Such a testimony is given of the Saints Revel 12. 11. they loved not their lives unto the death Now thus to frame our obedience are required two rules I. A change and renovation of our crooked and corrupt nature which is ever rebelling against the law of the mind Nothing we say is hard to good will But this good will is not to be found but in such as are regenerate by the Spirit of God who hath made it of an unwilling a willing will And till this change be made every commandment is impossible and an intolerable yoke Let Christ give the same commandement to the young man and to the disciples of leaving all and following him it is an impossible taske to the one yet in his naturall estate but an easie yoke to the other who with the commandement receive some secret power to draw them to
obedience Let the word command an angry furious natural man to forgive his neighbour that wrongs him and blesse him that curseth him and doe good for evill and recompence love for hatred Oh this is an impossible commandment and flesh and bloud cannot possibly brooke it and indeed he must be more than flesh and bloud that can heare it he must have a spirit subduing his will unto the will of God Let God speake as he did to Abraham to a man unconverted Offer me up now not thy sonne but thy sin thy dear lusts thy Usury thy Revenge Swearing Lying thy Herodias thy Dalilah thy Darling thy Pride take the knife into thy hand and with thine own hands kill it sacrifice it let out the life bloud of it Oh what grutching gainesaying rising up against the word and him by whom God commandeth Every naturall mans sinne is his Isaac his childe his best beloved his joy and laughter he cannot spare him he cannot part with him Though the Lord be in never so great haste and earnest they be not so hasty to rise up with Abraham early in the morning to offer up their sinnes a plain evidence that as yet their nature was never changed but they are in their sinnes Rule II. In dangerous and difficult or costly commandements prop up thy faith with consideration of Gods power and truth So did Abraham in this difficult commandement when he might have considered of a thousand strong hinderances he strengthened his faith by this Heb. 11. 19. he considered that God was able to raise him up even from the dead whence after a sort he received him Thus he supported his faith in that word of promise Rom. 4. 20 21. he considered not Sarahs dead body but was fully assured that God whom he beleeved who quickneth the dead verse 17. who hath promised was also able to do it These two props upheld him even the full assurance of Gods truth in promises and power in performing them In duties of apparant danger the casting an eye on Gods truth and power will bring them forward else they never come on Dan. 3. 17. Our God is able to deliver us and he will but if not c. So in the time of danger and deep distrhsse cast thy selfe on the might and truth of God who quickneth the dead who can say to the dead live and they shall live In duties chargeable if thy obedience must cost thee some part or the whole of thy estate looke on Gods power and goodnesse So the prophet to Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 9. what shall we do for the hundreth talents The Lord is able to give thee more than this Object But I know not whether he will Sol. Faith assures it self there is never any losse in obeying God It knowes the way to keep Isaac is to give up Isaac It hath a promise whosoever forsaketh house lands c. for Christ he shall have an hundreth fold II. In both we have a nolable type of our resurrection Isaac was raised the third day as from the dead but Christ indeed raised not as Isaac for himselfe but as an head for his body and members Which assureth us 1. That we shall rise out of all petty deathes and dangers for our head is above water Though the billowes of afflictions inward and outward may rinse us and run over us yet they shall not drown us because our head is aloft They may threaten and affright us but shall not drown and destroy us we shall wade out well enough because they can never go over our head any more 2. That we shall at the last day rise from all the death of mortality and corruption in which argument the Apostle is large to prove that because Christ the head is risen the members must also rise againe For 1. Can or will a living and powerful head be always dismembred and sundered from the body 2. Because Christ rose not as a private person as Isaac did but as the first fruits of them that slept v. 20. 3. Because Christ in his resurrection is opposed to the first Adam v. 21. For as by the first Adam comes death on all so by the second Adam resurrection from the dead This is a sure prop and stay against all the miseries occurrences of this life against the bitternes of death and horror of the grave that we are assured of a better resurrection else were we of all men most miserable verse 19. III. A sweet consolation God watched every motion in both these Isaac's offering how farre Abraham should go how long to the lifting up of the knife and where he should stay and when was fit to say do the boy no hurt So he watched the executioners the crucifiers how farre they should proceed with Christ but stayed them from breaking his bones and kept him from seeing corruption So when Gods time and terme is come the affliction and afflicter shall goe no farther a voyce at length shall come and say Stay thy hand do him no hurt IV. Both were delivered but not till the third day the one when the knife was up the other being dead and hopeles at least in the account of men as appeared by the words of the disciples which were going to Emmaus Hence we learn to make this use for the strengthening of our faith Then to look for helpe and deliverance when the case is desperate and in humane sence we are gone There is life in this comfort which assureth us of life even in death as Hos. 6. 2. After two days he will revive us and in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight In all wants and extreamities let Abrahams voice to Isaac comfort thee God will provide If Isaac see Abrahams sword in the one hand and fire in the other ready to devoure him yet a little while and the sword shall be put up and the fire shall take another object So the faithfull Sonnes of Abraham seeing God the Fathers sword of justice drawn against them and the fire of his fury ready to consume them yet at length shall see by Christ the sword put up and the fire of wrath turned againe into a flame of love and grace Faith hath a cheerfull voyce God will provide Unbeleefe is full of repinings and murmurings Oh how shall I be provided for in this or that I see no meanes c. Here the difference holds which was between the ten spies and the two Numbers 13. If thou see not the meanes for thy deliverance go to the Mountaine there is a Ramme for Isaac hasten thy obedience and God which set thee on work will hasten thy deliverance CHAP. VI. 5. Ioseph a type of Christ. 4. waies I. IN regard of his person 1. Joseph was the first borne of the beloved Rahel as Christ was the first borne of the freely beloved Mary 2. Best beloved of his father Gen. 37. 3.
Sam. 16. 23 Christ by the sweet voyce of the Gospel stills the evill spirits which molest and vexe men and gives them peace and quietnesse in mind and conscience And in the dayes of his flesh how he sought to cure and allay the spirituall madnesse of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees against him is plaine in the story 2. David brings back the Arke to his right place 2 Sam. 6. So did Christ the truth of Gods Law obscured by the false glosses of Scribes and Pharisees and reduced the true sence and meaning of it And freed his Church signified by the Arke from the spirituall thraldome and captivity of the Law 3. David buildes an Altar in the grounds of a stranger 2 Sam. 24. 24. namely Araunah the Jebusite The true David builds up a Church among the Gentiles and sets up Gods worship among them that were strangers from the Covenant 4. David offers a sacrifice and the Lord accepts it sending fire from heaven to consume it 2 Sam 24. 25. Christ offers the most acceptable sacrifice that ever was in which both Davids and all ours must be accepted and in which alone the Lord smels a savour of rest I. As the Spirit of God came on David after his anoynting 1 Sam. 16. 13. So did it on our true David after his baptizing to fit them to their waighty offices Learne 1. That he that is not fitted and furnished with gifts of the spirit in some measure and attempteth any office in the Church or common-wealth is not called by God whose wisedome will not send a blind man for a Seer nor a dumb man on his message or errand Would a man know whether he have received of this spirit for his office A note is when God stirres up his will in that office to performe all the desire of God Isai. 44. 28. he saith to Cyrus Thou art my Shepheard thou shalt performe all my desire The Magistrate is a shepheard he must do in judgement what God himselfe would do in repressing vice and cherishing religion else the spirit who is not contrary to himselfe leads him not The Minister is a shepheard he must speake nothing but what God would speak for the incouraging of grace and disgrace of sinne and sinners God speakes peace to his people and feeds the impenitent with judgenent and he that in his ministery doth speak sweetly to wicked men and broacheth aÌ„ vessell of gall and wormewood for godly men to drink is not sent by God on that errand he crosseth the spirit which he pretendeth 2. Art thou a private Christian see that the same spirit rest on thee and that thou hast received of the same anointing For 1. he that hath not the spirit is none of Christs and 2. wâ—â—t is it to us that the spirit rest and light upon Christ if he should determine all his fruits and graces upon him But in that the sweete oyntment and Balsame poured upon the head of our high Priest runnes down to the skirt of his garment that is to the lowest member of his Church Psal. 133. 2. hence are we sweetly and admirably refreshed Findest thou emptinesse or want of grace fly to this fullnesse but observe the diverse manner To the head is given the spirit in all fullnesse to us members of that fulnesse Joh. 1. 16. To him beyond all measure to us according to measure II. That Jesus Christ is the right and undoubted King of his Church of whom David was but a shadow And it will be worth our labour to enquire how farre the truth exceeds the type 1. For originall Davids kingdome and all other Kings and kingdomes are mediately from men either from some meane family as Jshais or some greater house in some corner of the earth But the kingdome of Christ is immediately and unchangeably from heaven Dan. 2. 44. the God of heaven shall raise up a kingdome that is immediately for mediately all kingdomes Kings and power is from him 2. In respect of unction All they are anoynted 1. by men 2. with materiall oyle 3. to be temporary Saviours 4. from temporary dangers But Christs anointing was by the Spirit of God with more divine and excellent oyle above all his fellowes Psal. 45. 7. that he might be a spirituall and and eternall Saviour a Jesus saving his people from their sinnes and such spirituall evils as pertaine to the life to come 3. Their titles are stately and glorious David as an Angell of God as the woman of Tekoah said so Caesar Augustus Charles the great Constantine and Alexander the great to set out their glory But all these are nothing to the true and undoubted title of Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. And if this were too little he hath another for he is God and man in one Person our Emmanuel a stile too high for Pope or Potentate for men or Angels Isai. 7. 14. 4. Their Scepters are of metal gold or silver which they hold in their hands and by them they save or slay innocent or nocent But his Scepter is but verball which he holds in his mouth the word and breath of his mouth more pure than the gold of Ophir more potent than all the Scepters of all Kings put together By this he slayes the wicked Hos. 6. 5. I slew them with the word of my mouth 2 Thes. 2. 8. He shall slay that wicked man of sinne with the breath of his mouth Other Kings by their Scepters can kill men but cannot make them alive againe when they have done but Christ by his word can quicken and make alive dead soules and bodies They by theirs can be dreadfull to men Christ by his drives back devils diseases death and all adversary power 5. In port and state 1. Their banners and ensigns exprese their noble acts and the honourable exployts of them and their progenitors which are glorious in the eyes of men Christs banner for his kingdome of grace is his Crosse or rather the Gospel a doctrine of the Crosse to the world foolishnesse or basenesse but in his kingdome of glory the signe of the sonne of man that is such glory and power as agrees to none else 2. Their servants and attendants must be rich stately noble and the sonnes of great Princes must be nearest to attend them Christ Jesus in contempt of what the world admireth will have his servants poor meek lowly not such losty Lords as so farre excell the Emperour in worldly glory as the Sunne the Moone the Popes ridiculous claime and yet they be Sonnes of God heires of heaven brethren of Christ and of the royalest bloud that ever was 3. When they ride in progresse they shew their state pompe and worldly glory Great Alexander gets upon his Bucephalus Pompey triumphs upon an Elephant Anthony rides upon Lyons Aurelianus upon Harts and Bucks Christ had his kingdome been of this world
this is the third day IV. Jonah was a manifest type of Christ in his resurrection For 1. As Jonah was taken into the belly of the Whale whole passed through the ranges armies of teeth as sharpe as speares without breaking or crushing one bone of him or the least limb of his body So Jesus Christ passed through the straight gate of death but as one bone of him was not broken the special and extraordinary providence of God in both of them watching the whole businesse 2. As the Lord spake unto the fish and the fish against his will must cast up Jonah on dry ground So the belly of the earth can keep Christ no longer than the third day no more than the belly of the Whale could keep Jonah his blessed body must see no corruption 3. As Jonah returned from his grave with a song of praise and thanksgâ—ving Chap. 2. So Jesus Christ returned to life from his grave with a song of triumph and victory fore-prophecyed Hos. 13. 14. and accomplished 1 Cor 15. 55. O death where 〈◊〉 thy sting O grave where is thy victory 4. As Jonah an Hebrew goes not to preach to the Ninivites being Gentiles till after his resurrection out of the belly of the Whale So Jesus Christ an Hebrew not till after his resurrection leaves the obstinate Jewes and by his Apostles Ministery and preaching turnes himselfe to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. 5. As Jonah after his delivery went and preached the doctrine of repentance with great fruit and successe to the conversion of all Niniveh and preventing the fearfull wrath denounced to come within forty dayes So our Lord Jesus after his resurrection and ascension sending out his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sinnes mightily prevailed and suddenly converted many nations of the heathen and brought them to faith and repentance For Application I. Let us acknowledge a greater than Jonah here Matth. 12. 41. Least as the Ninivites shall rise up against the Jewes they rise also against us if we convert not nor repentat Christs doctrine as they did at Jonahs For 1. Who are they to us They barbarous Heathens and Gentiles never instructed before we have been trained in the Scriptures from childhood 2. What were their meanes to ours Jonah preached but three dayes to them Christ hath preached not three days as he nor three yeares as to the Jewes but above threescore yeares He preached one Sermon Christ a thousand 3. What was this Preacher to ours 1. Jonah was a weak man Christ is God and man 2. Jonah a sinfull man cast into the sea for his own sinne Christ an innocent man cast into the sea for our sinne 3. Jonah a Prophet a servant Christ the Lord of all the holy Prophets therefore of Jonah 4. Jonah a stranger to them Christ of our own kindred and family 5. Jonah preached unwillingly Christ preached freely and spent himself for us 6. Jonah preached nothing but destruction of them and their City Christ a sweet doctrine of grace salvation and the promise of a kingdome of heaven 7. Jonah came indeed out of the belly of the Whale but did no miracle for confirmation of his doctrine Christ came both from the bosome of the Father and from the heart of the earth and did innumerable signes and miracles in which we see his glory 8. Jonah a most angry impatient man would faine die because he Ninivits did not Christ a mirrour of patience will die least his hearers should 9. To Jonah no prophet gave witnesse or foretold of him To Christ all the Prophets gave witnesse Act. 10 43. and spake before of him Shall now Niniveh repent in sackcloth and ashes by Jonahs Ministery of three days and shall not we by Christs constant Ministery of threescore yeares Shall Niniveh condemne Judea for not acknowledging a greater than Jonah and shall it not condemne us not repenting whose sinne shall be farre greater than that of the Jewes who rejected Christ in his abasement and humiliation but we reject the Lord of glory now exalted II. In the type and truth the freedome of Gods favour in the calling of the Gentiles Jonah was a preacher of grace to the Gentiles and Christ was a preacher of grace not to Jewes onely but the Gentiles also being given for a light to the Gentiles that he might be the salvation of Gentiles to the farthest parts of the earth For 1. God is not the God of Jewes onely but of Gentiles also Rom. 3. 29. 2. Christ was the promised seed in whom all nations must be blessed Gen. 22. 18 Hence comes in our title to grace and not from any desert of ours For what is amiable in the wilde olive It is onely Gods free calling who calls her that was not beloved to be beloved Object If we be grafted into Christ and received into grace all is well we are in state good enough Sol. Some are grafted into the Church by profession of mouth onely as all were not Israel that were of Israel and some planted into it by the faith of the heart The former are not altered from their wilde nature the other are renewed to the Image of Christ. Therefore let none content themselves with externall profession joyning in the word sacraments and prayer but labour for soundnesse of faith and grace by which onely we become branches of the true Olive whereas to be hanged as a scien by a thred of profession will not keep it from withering III. In both we have a certaine Emblem and proofe of our resurrection Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jonah and Jesus be in us he shall also quicken our mortall bodies and if the head be risen the members must rise also For as God spake to the Fish and the fish gave up Jonah as from the dead so shall God speak to the earth and Sea and all creatures and they shall give up their dead Isai. 26. 19. he shall say to the earth give and to the sea restore my sonns and daughters and they that are as seed under clods shall awake and sing And these dry bones shall be againe covered with sinewes flesh and skin aâ— Ezek. 37. 6. For as it was impossible for Christ to be held ever under death Act. 2 24. as impossible is it for his members Let us comfort our selves in the approach of death to our selves or our friends and by rising before hand from the grave of our sinnes provided for a blessed and joyfull resurrection 2. King 13. 21. a dead body cast into Elisha's grave quickned so our soules and bodies IV. The wonderful power and wisdome of God that can draw light out of darknesse Jonahs casting over board into the sea was the occasion of converting the Marriners Even so Christs death converted many of them that were causes and authors of it Act. 2. 36 41. And as the Marriners lives were saved by casting Jonah into
2. For undertaking his office 1. In his incarnation he was the first-born of his Mother Matth. 1. 25. till she had broughtforth her first-born Son not in respect of any that his mother had after him but because she had none before 2. For the stranger manner He was the first-born of a virgin and so never had brother 3. He was the first born without sinne 3. For accomplishing his office in his resurrection He is called the first-begotten or first born of the dead two wayes 1. In respect of his Father who first begot him from the dead Whence his resurrection is called a begetting Acts 13. 33. thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee the Apostle applying it to the resurrection of Christ. And had not the Father thus begotten his sonne from the dead we had never been raised from death 2. In regard of himselfe whose priviledge it was to raise up himselfe from the dead by his owne power Rom. 1. 4. As himselfe said I have power to take up my life againe And being risen he was the first that ascended in body and soul into heaven Thus consider Christ as God as Mediator as incarnate as raised and ascended he is the Lords first-born and the birth-right belongs to no other II. The first borne of Israel was the second and next to the father of the family yea after the father instead of the father So is Christ to his family the Church performes all offices of a careful tender father and takes on him not the affection onely of a father but even 1. the name of a father Isa. 9. 6. Father of eternity 2. the office of a father 1. He supplies the meanes of spirituall life as they of naturall 2 He nurtures and teacheth his Church 3. He provides for the present and bestowes the inheritance of eternall life III. The first-born had the preheminence among the brethren and were chiefe in office and authority rulers in the house after their fathers and Priests in the family before the Leviticall order was established Gen. 27. 29. when Isaac blessed Jacob for Esau supposing him the first-born one part of it was Be Lord over thy brethren and let all thy mothers children honour thee So all the sheaves must bow to Josephs And Gen. 49. 8. when Jacob blessed Judah this is added as his right Thy fathers sonnes shall bow down unto thee Herein they were speciall types of Christ who in all things must have the preheminence as first in time in order in precedency first in the excellency and dignity of his person Of whom comming into the world was said Let all the Angels of God worship him And for glory and authority he sits on his fathers throne the onely King of Kings who hath a name above all names Phil. 2. 9. And Heb. 2. 9. we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour the head of the mysticall body the Prince and head of all his brethren And besides he is the high Priest of our profession by offering up himselfe a sacrifice for us Thus Christ is first in order in glory in Priesthood IV. The first-born had a double portion in goods Deut. 21. 17. Signifying 1. The plenitude of the spirit and grace in Christ who was anointed with oyle of gladnesse above all his fellowes 2. The preheminency of Christ in his glorious inheritance advanced in glory and majesty incomprehensible by all creatures I. Out of the occasion of the Law of the first-born learn that the more God doth for any man the more he ought to conceive himselfe to be the Lords and the more right and interest the Lord chalengeth in him For therefore the first-born were his by a speciall right because he had not onely delivered them out of Egypt as others but from the speciall plague of Egypts first-borne Speciall mercies call for speciall service More mercies are more bonds of obedience And new mercies are so many new cords to draw and fasten us to God and duty Is it not reason that the more it pleaseth the Lord to become ours the more we should become his Ought not great benefits become great binders And should not great love be a great load-stone of love Should not strong cords of Gods love draw us strongly to love our God Examine the encrease of Gods mercies on thee in all kindes and whether they have had this fruit to make thee more dutyfull Hath God multiplied blessing on thy head that thou shouldest blesse thy self in wickednesse Hath God continued mercy that thou shouldst continue sinne Art thou the Lords by Creation providence redemption stored with all personall kindnesses pertaining to life and godlinesse to continue a slave to sinne and Satan Remember good Josephs conclusion Gen. 39. 8 9. My master hath dealt thus and thus with me advanced me from nothing to this estate committed all to my trust kept nothing from me but thee How then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God II. If Christ be the true first-born of whom all they are but types we must give him the honour of his birth-right The whole Church and all the sonnes of that mother must honour him all the sheaves of the brethren must vaile and bow to his sheave Let not the basenesse of his birth the humility of his life the ignominy of his death the shame of his crosse the poverty of his professors the weaknesse and frailty of his followers draw our eyes aside from him as the Jewes at this day but acknowledge him the first-born esteeming him as doth the Church the chiefe of ten thousand and with the Apostle esteem to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Question How shall we honour Christ as the first-born Sol. 1. If we honour him with the same honour that is due to the Father Job 5. 23. 2. Advance his estate above our own or other mens confesse and professe his name though with losse and disfavour 3. Depend upon him and make him our chiefe refuge for all the family depended on the first-borne for protection so doe members on the head 4. Grieve to offend him by sinne How pitifully can men women grieve for the death of their first-born So much more should we that our sinns have pierced Gods first-born Zach. 12. 10. III. Here is a ground of much consolation 1. In that Christ being the truth of the first-born from him the birth-right is derived unto us believers as it was from Reuben unto Judah and we partake of the same birth-right with our head For here is a difference between the type and truth of the first-born They had all their priviledges for themselves but Christ not for himselfe but for us Whence his elect members are called the Congregation of the first-born written in heaven that is whose names are written in the book of life And farther the more those first-born had the lesse had the other brethren but the more Christ hath
enjoyning single life to the Clergy sent for fish to his ponds and had six thousand heads whereupon sighing he said it is better to marry than to burn Bede denies the story although of Huldericus Bishop of Augusta to Pope Nicholas III. A third Law for common actions He must be very moderate in mourning for the dead Levit. 21. 2 3. the ordinary priest must mourne onely for his mother father sonne daughter brother or his sister if a maid because she was yet in the house and family but without the family he might not lament for any no not for the Prince verse 4. Qu. Might he not mourne for his wife For some think not because she is not named neither in that Law nor in the repetition of it Ezech. 44. 25. Answ. I think he might but the wife is not named because 1. she is one with himselfe 2. If for our daughter and sister much more for wife which is nearer 3. The Prophet Ezechiel was charged not to mourne for his wife being a Prophet and Priest Ezech. 24. 16. which seems an exception from the ordinary manner But for the high Priest Levit. 21. 12. he might not mourne for any of them named neither in likelyhood for his wife nor uncover his head nor rent his clothes nor go to any dead body nor go out of the Sanctuary for the crown of the anoynting oyle of his God is upon his head This Law had in it both ceremony and perpetuity in substance of it In the ceremony the Priest might not mourn for the dead 1. Because mourning for the dead was counted a Legall uncleannesse vers 11. 2. The oyle of holy ointment was upon his head being oyle of gladnesse 3. They must be contrary to the foolish manner and fashion of the Priests and People of the Gentiles who were so passionate and excessive in their affected and sometimes forced mourning as they fell into indecent and unlimited behaviours 4. The Priest and especially the high Priest was to be a type of eternity and therefore must shew no such sign of weaknesse and corruption as weeping is Hence it is that we read not of the death of an high Priest but ever before his death another was appointed and installed So before Aaron dyed Eleazer was installed and before his death was Phinias Numb 20. 28. Hence it is that we read not of their raignes and times and how long or how short any of them lived as of the Judges and Kings which closely noteth and implyeth unto us that they were types of eternity and immortality 5 In the Ceremony this Law had a speciall ayme and respect to Jesus Christ our high Priest in whom was no blot no spot or morall pollution as that high Priest most carefully was restrained from every Legall pollution He wept indeed sundry times for the dead as Lazarus c. because he was to abolish the Legall ceremonies and this among other It being in him sufficient that most perfectly he preserved himselfe from morall pollution In which sence he never uncovered his head that is was never so weak or inglorious by passion but that he ever maintained union with his father and abode the powerfull head of his Church Neither did he rent his garments that is his holy flesh baked as it were in the oven of afflictions extended and rent on the Crosse cast aside in the grave was never rent off from his divinity but was ever from the first moment of Hypostaticall union present with it and shall be for all eternity He never goes out of the Sanctuary to mourne for the dead for the Crown and oyle of God is upon him For as in his life he being mosth oly was not subiect to be quite subdued in the house of death so now after his resurrection he hath attained all excellency of glory and happinesse free from all misery and sorrow never to be interrupted any more by any griefe or adversary power The Crowne of God is set upon his head for ever Revel 4. 9 10. The perpetuity and substance of this Law concernes both Ministers and people 1. To teach both the one and the other not to grow into excesse of sorrow or passion but to be examples of gravity moderation and well wielding of affections and to be patterns of patience and holy obedience in suffering extream adversities as well as in the actions and exercise of practick virtues 2. To give testimony of their hope and assurance of the happy resurrection of their friends for whom they must not sorrow as men without hope 1 Thes. 4. 13. 3. To shew that no occasion or naturall affection no not the nearest and greatest change befalling their outward estate might distract them from their charge and duty or so disquiet the peaceable tranquility of their mindes as any part might be hindered for matter or manner And therefore in this case our Saviour confirming the perpetuall equity of this Law saith Let the dead bury their dead follow thou me Mat. 8. 22. And the Lord is so strict in this case Levit. 10. 6. that when Aarons sonnes were so strangely slaine before his face he must not mourne nor stir a foot out of his Ministery least he dye and therefore the text saith Aaron held his peace vers 3. So no outward respect of duty to friends must call us from duty to God Object If the Priest must not weep how could they seriously repent of their sins Answ. The Priest must not weep for any temporal losses nor for personall losses and in naturall regards he must be impassionate but for his sinnes he might Jeremy a Prophet and Priest wisheth his head a fountaine of tears Jer. 9. 1. The high priest must weep for his own and the peoples sinnes in the day of expiation and if he weep not he must die So Joel 2. 17. all the Priests must howle and cry and weep between the porch and the Altar Christ wept often and all for sinne as for Lazarus on the Crosse over Jerusalem Whence we note 1. That the proper cause of mourning is sinne He that must not shed a teare for any other cause in the world must shed teares for his sinne upon paine of death Oh that they would think of this that glory in their sinne 2. Let us so order our affections as that our principall mourning may be for our sinnes and bind up our affections for outward and naturall losses and crosses so as we may have them loosed in spirituall This Law tells us that sorrow for our onely sonne or brother or the deare wife that lieth in our bosome ought to be no sorrow in comparison of sorrow for sinne Which 1. Separates from God 2 Makes Christ absent and stand aloofe 3. Grieves the the Spirit and makes him heavy towards us 4. Separates soule from body yea without repentance soule and body from heaven and happinesse Let us who have been excessive in worldly
and office submitting himselfe to sorrow curse c. Besides what courage and fortitude did he express through his whole function and office in overcomming Sinne Death Satan the Crosse Hell and all adversaries Sampson the strongest of all Nazarites was but a weakling to him his adversaries flesh not spirit his power faint and failing yea changed into weaknesse IV. Nazrrites must not come near the dead to touch them nor defile themselves by them nor meddle with the funerall of father mother brother sister or any of their kindred though they might pretend never so much piety affection or good nature By which Law the Lord would teach them two things 1. That no changes of this life nor losses of their dearest friends should turne them aside from their duty or from the observation of the Law of their profession 2. To teach them constancy patience and magnanimity of spirit in the greatest outward afflictions and not to shew a weaknesse or passion in open and excessive lamentation Our Lord although he did touch the dead and was at funeralls and wept at the raising of Lazarus and so observed not the ceremony of Nazarites because he was no Legall Nazarite but was called a Nazarite as being the truth and substance of all the Legall Nazarites as in all other things so in this For he onely was the Master and had the true command of all his affections never exceeded measure in any thing never was defiled by any person dead in sinne never by any dead work never touched or came neare any such defilement which Legall Nazarites could not avoide V. The Nazarites must be absolved and released from their Vow by comming to the doore of the tabernacle of the Congregation with their offering Numb 6. 13. plainely by that figure leading us unto Christ the onely doore by which we enter and have liberty to come into the presence of God and obtaine freedome from the sinne and weakness of any duty we performe before him Now for Applycation I. Acknowledge Christ the true Nazarite Upon his head let his Crowne flourish As it was said of Joseph Gen. 49. 26 he was separate from his brethren so was Jesus Christ separated from all other men and Angels 1. In holinesse and purity being advanced in holinesse above all creatures He alone in propriety and perfection is a Nazarite purer than snow and whiter than milk yea his measure runs over to his Church Ephes. 5. 26. 2. In excellency and perfection of all virtues and graces he is that Netser Isai. 11. 1. the branch or flower which alwaies flourished in all kinds and perfections of virtue and graces and casts from him farre and near a most sweet smell sweet and acceptable to God and men 3. In power and authority The kingdome is his and power and glory all power is given him in heaven and in earth He hath power 1. To do us good 2. To withstand our evill 3. To tread down Satan sinne death 4. To rescue his Church to confound Antichrist and all enemies 5. To finish the grace and glory of his Saints Object Why must Christ be so pure a Nazarite Answ. 1. Because his passion could not have been acceptable if his person had not been as pure as the sunne 2. He was to be not onely righteousnesse in himselfe as other Nazarites or righteousnesse in part but he must be a perfect righteousnesse unto many Ob. But how could he be so pure comming of Adam as they did Sol. He came of Adam not by Adam as they did that is he came not by naturall propagation from Adam but was conceived by the holy Ghost and so all originall impurity was stopped in the very first moment of his holy conception Ob. But did not he take the same infirmities comming of Adam as they did Answ. No he tooke such infirmities as he pleased to fit him for a mercifull high Priest not to hinder him and therefore he took such infirmities from Adam as were miserable but not damnable and so remained a pure Nazarite without all sinfull frailty II. Christ the true Nazarite being come all shadowes must fly away and therefore this order of Nazarites gives no colour or approbation to any order of Popish votaries or monasticall persons now in the new Testament Besides that white is not more contrary to black than monasticall vowes to this For 1. The Nazarites were appointed by God himselfe their 's devised by themselves 2. Their vowes were of things possible in their power and temporary these are of things impossible without their power and during life be the party never so unable to endure it 3. Their vowes though appointed by God were not able to merit remission of sinne and eternall life but these say that they merit for themselves and others that their vowes are parts of Gods worship which never came in his mind or book and a state of great perfection Whereas a Nazarite was not more righteous than others but better fitted for his duty 4. Nazarites might not cut their haire their order stands in cutting and shaving that they may still look neate and effeminate 5. Nazarites drink no wine nor strong drink and they are very temperate in their diet these Belly gods eat up the fat and poure in the sweet till they be monsters that the very fasts of â—riers for the delicacy and abundance is become a proverbe 6. Nazarites might not come at funeralls these follow them as flyes do fat meat and suck out thence their greatest profit and sweetest morsels 7. Nazarites notwithstanding their vow lived in holy wedlock but Popish Votaries abhorre marriage not lust or whoredome Yet from this order they would establish their disordered orders as contrary as darknesse to light III. The shadow of the Law is vanished away and the truth of the Gospell is broken forth as the light saith the Canon Law Every Christian must be a Nazarite not by vow of separation but by imitation and resemblance of Christ the true Nazarite For I. He must be separate from others 1. He must see that â—e be separate from ungodly ones as one advanced to a happy estate in Christ. 2. That now his mind affections speeches and whole course be contrary to the course of the world and so as Joseph separate himselfe from the evill behaviour and manners of his brethren yea complaine of them to his father 3. He must be content if his brethren separate from him as did Josephs brethren when they sold him into Egypt This is to be a Christian Nazarite II. This Christian Nazarite must strictly keep the rules of his profession i. e. he must labour 1. To preserve the vow of holinesse made in Baptisme study and follow after sanctification This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thes. 4. 3. he must resigne himselfe wholy to God 2. Carefully to avoid the least defilement of sinne The Lord made a Law Numb 6. 9.
Lev. 14. 8 9. Sect. V. I. The first meanes of purging Legall uncleanenesse is washing which shadowed out the washing of the sinner in the laver of Christs bloud all the water in the sea cannot wash away the least sinne that great work is appropriated to the bloud of Christ 1 Joh. 1. 7. the bloud of Jesus Christ his sonne cleanseth us from all sinne Rev. 1. 5. Who loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his bloud which bloud is opposed to all legall washings Heb. 9. 9. Object Levit. 11. 44. This washing is called a sanctification Answ. Sanctification is twofold 1. By the outward sign 2. By the inward truth They by washing symbolically and in outward profession by these rights sanctified themselves but thereby beleevers were led to the internall truth and the laver of the bloud of Christ. All this washing then leades us to the bloud of Christ by which is meant his whole passion and obedience by the merit whereof he hath procured both remission of our sinnes and mortification of them And herein is no small resemblance 1. Washing is an applying of water to foule parts so in the cleansing of sinne must be a speciall application of the bloud of Christ called Heb. 9. 14. the sprinkling of Christs bloud upon the conscience Which is nothing else on Gods part but the imputation of Christs sufferings to us and on our own part the application of them to our selves by the hand of faith 2. In Washing is a rumbling and scouring off of uncleannesse which will not easily off and in some foulenesse they must wash often for the surenesse of the work noting the paines and true indeavour of the repentant heart in mortification and afflicting it selfe It is well contented with any beating and wringing so he may fetch out the staine of sin which sticks as close as his flesh to his bones 3. The unclean party was to wash himselfe that is his whole man and every part which noteth totall sanctification in the whole man and all parts and members that the washing may be as large and general as the foulenesse is For whatsoever part is not washed by Christ hath no part in Christ which made Peter say not my feet onely Lord but mine hands and head 4. In the foulnesse of Leprosie he must wash againe and againe to note that after our justification by the death of Christ we must look to a second washing of sanctification by his spirit And because we have still washing work with us we must be still washing our selves by daily labour in our own reformation This was more lively signified in that other ceremony added to washing in the Leper that he must shave his haire againe and againe signifying the paring away of superfluities and lusts as fast as they grew and a voluntary departing from his own secret corruptions which were as many as the haires of his head and no lesse rooted in him that well he might shave and loppe them but he was out of hope quite to unroot them as long as he lived He must keep them under but cannot be ridde of them He must shave the first day and the seventh day and resist his lusts which daily grow upon him as haire cut quickly growes againe 5. The unclean person must wash his clothes as well as himselfe signifying that wee must part with all impurity even the least at least in endeavour cherishing none favouring none He must hate the very garment spotted by the flesh all occasions and appearances of evill esteeming the least spot of sinne foule and filthy enough And all this is requisite in purifying of the soule I. Labour against the smallest sinnes Be not a mentall adulterer banish unchastity in the eye and mouth avoid wanton company as did Joseph that of his Mistris Thou art no drunkard or great swearer but art thou a companion of such not reproving them No Papist but a friend and patron as seeing no great harme in their superstition No Atheist but a scorner of the persons and doctrine of godly teachers what dost thou but foam out thy own shame If thou shouldest keep thy selfe never so pure but partakest in other mens sins thou art unclean This reproveth Magistrats who though they themselves come to Church yet suffer others in time of divine worship to lye in streets houses fields openly c. prophaning thus the day of the Lord which is to be kept holy to our God Or if they be ordinary abettors of idle persons and gamesters by example This brandeth Ministers openly pleading for durnkards and hatefull blasphemers This defileth masters parents husbands that suffer their families to run into prophaneness or ryot II. In all these touches goe to the fountaine opened Zach. 13. 1. Every Jew had his water-pots to keep water for daily purification Joh. 2. 6. but now the house of David and Jerusalem that is all the godly have a fountaine opened by the death of Christ. We must every day be washing and cleansing our selves in that fountaine from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit Sect. VI. II. The second meanes of purging legall uncleannesse is oblation or offering some attonement to the Lord this directly leads us to Christ. For howsoever an unclean person must wash himselfe and his clothes yet no Jew could make an attonement for himselfe but this was common to all uncleannesses legall the Priest must make an attonement for the unclean person For all uncleannesse in generall Lev. 16. 30. In speciall for uncleannesse in touchings Numb 19. 4. In issues Lev. 12. 8. and 15. 15. In leprosie Lev. 14. 53. Noting by the way that all that we can do cannot make attonement for the least spot of sinne Let us wash our selves as often as Naaman in Jordan yea let us take snow water to us and wash our hands most cleane yet our owne clothes will make us foule and God will plunge us in the pit if our Lord Jesus the high Priest of the new Covenant make not attonement for us A fit note against all humane satisfaction and merits The offering for the Legall uncleannesse by touching was done by the sacrifice of a red cow and the sprinkling water made of the ashes of that red Cow prescribed by God to this purpose Numbers 19. called water of expiation That all this ordinance typified Christ to the Jewes the Apostle expresleth Heb. 9. 13 14. when from the bloud of this red Cow he leads us to the bloud of Christ saying If the bloud of bulls and goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are unclean sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our conscience from dead works wherein he not onely compareth but infinitely advanceth the truth above the type For 1. that was symbolicall and figurative this spirituall and substantiall 2. That was eternall and temporary this internall and eternall 3. That
humanity then to his divinity and so are knit to his whole person and by him we come to the father 3. The Priest must let the live bird go into the broad field vers 7. Signifying 1. Christs escape and deliverance from death and the power of the grave 2. His exaltation after he was once consecrated his ascending on high and being made higher than the heavens Heb. 7. 26. 3. The publication and manifestation of righteousnesse purchased by the death of Christ in the broad and open field of the Church and this in the daily ministery of the Gospel Thirdly concerning the party to whom this cure must be applied The Priest must sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed this bloud seven times Signifying 1. That onely Christ Jesus doth sprinkle his bloud on penitent soules from whom onely they must expect pardon and purging from sinnes 2. That Christs bloud must be particularly applyed to every believer to every thing that is to be cleansed partly by Gods imputation of Christ and his merits to the penitent sinner Partly by his Ministers in the publishing and speciall applying the particular promises to every soule that is weary 3. Seven times sprinkling noteth 1. Perfect justification by the bloud of Christ the number of seven times perfect sprinkling he is able perfectly to save Heb. 7. 23. all that come unto him and needeth no other seeking of other merits to satisfie or justifie 2. To put the unclean person in mind how hardly he parts from his foulenesse and us that it is no easie thing to be rid of sinne 3. How weak and imperfectly our selves apply the bloud of Christ that have need of so many sprinklings to humble us for our weaknesse of faith and slow progresse in sanctification Sect. IX I. All these ordinances and ceremonies in discerning and curing this disease in generall teach us two things I. That it is no small businesse to be rid of the leprosie of the soule and the infection of sinne which was but shadowed in that as that was occasioned by this For whence is bodily leprosie but from leprosie of the soule Or what is it that strikes the body with such contagious sickness but the infection and sicknesse of the soule As in Gehezi Miriam Uzziah Whose bodies were so fouly infected and deformed by the leprosie of the soule and corruption of heart And who sees not how the Lord would lead them and us to take speciall notice hereby of the souls leprosie by sinne in that he committeth the knowledge and discerning of this disease of leprosie to the Priests sending them to the Physitians of their souls and not to the Physitians of their bodies whom one would think it more specially and properly concerned This should admonish us all that if there be so much adoe to get clean bodies clean faces clean skins how great our care and businesse should be to get clean souls the soile of which cleaves not to the skin onely but sticks closer to us than our skin or bones and yet we think every slight sigh or Lord have mercy or three words at our death sufficient to rid us of our sinnes and soules leprosie II. How careful the Lord is to sever the clean from the unclean for fear of generall infection Teaching 1. The Magistrate that as the Lord puts difference between him that sweareth and him that feareth an oath so should they to incourage and countenance the clean person that is the godly and faithfull David set his eyes on the godly in the land not to maligne or wrong them but to cherish their persons and help up religion and the fear of God in them As also to discountenance and terrifie the foule blasphemer the drunkard Sabbath breaker idle persons and gamesters that thrust themselves out of their calling all the week long But if a man by his course shuffle clean and unclean together nay run with the unclean countenance gamesters swearers bibbers how doth he execute the judgements of God 2. A good Minister then stands in the counsell of God when he severs the precious from the vile Jer. 15. 19. The Priest in the Law must pronounce him clean that is so indeed He durst not pronounce a foule person to be clean nor a clean person foule Then how dares a man that stands to judge between the Lord and his people scandalize or scorn such as endeavour most to be clean How comes it that we do not hear drunkards adulterers theeves swearers blasphemers so rated and disgraced as them Or how dare men sell praises of religion to foule Atheists swearers haters and despisers of goodnesse as if men should gild rotten posts or wash dead bricks making them at their death seem as white as lawne who all their life were white as Lepers Well let not the despised members of Christ be discouraged we know that the judgement of Christ shall passe righteously between the cleane and uncleane If thy heart be upright let all men cast the foule brand of an hypocrite on thee Jesus Christ shall pronounce thee clean 3. Every good man must and will be glad of this separation rejoyce in that arbitrement that differenceth cleane and uncleane as most savoury Wicked men can abide nothing lesse than this shedding and differencing of men Whence are so many tumults Oh you are more holy than all other you are the pure ones you are all clean c. but because they have learned a trick to deceive themselves and to hide their foulenesse as they think by crowding all into one confusion Now is that doctrine onely intolerable that fetcheth them out of their holes and casts them out among their uncleane fellowes for whose company they be a great deale fitter than for the society of Saints and beleevers II. Note in speciall 1. In that the Leper must bee sent to the Priest to have his leprosie discerned we see that our Lord Jesus who was typified by the high Priest can discerne our leprosie Thou maist hide thy sinne from man but thou canst not deceive him no idle excuse or fig-leaf can cover thee If he see thee an adulterer a swearer an unjust person a covetous or proud person if he see thee an enemy a prophane person he will judge thee a Leper Thou canst not sin though never so secretly but thou art sure to be discerned and tried by him whose eyes are as a flame of fire And if he judge thee a Leper he will pronounce thee a Leper and thou canst not apeale from but must stand to his judgement What if a man applaud and commend thee for an honest man a good neighbour a just man if He judge thee a Leper What had it been better if all the congregation had taken part with a Leper if the Priest pronounced him uncleane And if he pronounce thee uncleane he will shut thee out of the campe out of the society of God and his Saints till thou beest seasonably cleansed Men may
upon the Crosse wherein the Circumcision of Christ was fully accomplished 3. Was shadowed their duty also that having shed the first fruits of their bloud in Circumcision in obedience to God they should be ready to shed all their bloud for him whom they expected to shed all his bloud for them 3. A distinguishing signe of the Jewes from all other people who were without God without Christ and they onely a chosen seed in that blessed seed in whom all their prerogatives were conferred and established 4. A demonstrative signe 1. Of the naturall sinne and disease of man and therefore it was placed in the generative part to admonish Abraham and his posterity of their uncleannesse for things clean need no Circumcision nor ablution Abraham and his seed must be led out of themselves 2. To demonstrate the cure and remedy by the Messiah to come cleansing our natures two waies 1. By bearing upon himselfe the imputation of our impurities 2. By healing them in us partly by his merit and bloudy death bestowing a perfect righteousnesse upon us partly by his Spirit daily sanctifying and circumcising our hearts thus hath this Sacrament preached Christ unto us Now the observations to make it usefull 1. Take notice of our own estate to humble us both in state of nature and in state of grace 1. In our nature we are all sprung out of a corrupted seed which although we would forget yet the Lord in this Sacrament took care that his people should carry upon their bodies the signe of sinne and death seizing upon their whole nature In place of which comes our Baptisme presently after our birth shewing that a man in his very first frame is filthily polluted and goeth astray even from the womb Psal. 58. 3. Whence also it is called Originall sin 1. Because it hath been from the beginning of the world 2. Because it is the originall and beginner of all sinne in us it is the first of all our sinnes 3. From our beginning even from our conception Psal. 51. I was conceived in iniquity and we from it called the childeren of wrath that is laid under wrath even from our childhood Eph. 2. 3. 2. After grace received see the weaknesse of our faith Abraham the father of the faithfull needed this pledge and seale to support his weak and shaking faith Who can say my faith is strong enough which is ever imperfect in the best who know but in part and believe but in part Why else did the Lord appoint the use of Sacraments to the strongest believers and that all their life long but to put them in mind of the weaknesse of their faith which needeth such continuall props and supports Neither is it marvel that men are so heavy to the reverent receiving of the Sacrament because they see no want no need no benefit of faith they feel not the weaknesse of faith which would breed desire of strength and drive them to the diligent use of the meanes II. If Christ be the truth of Circumcision then every Christian in the new Testament must be circumcised as necessarily as the Jewes in the old And though the ceremony and act of Circumcision be worn out yet the truth of circumcision as neerly belongs to us now a dayes as of old it did unto them In whom we are circumcised through the circumcision of Christ speaking of the Gentiles converted unto Christ. In which words the Apostle plainly distinguisheth between Jewish circumcision and Christian between Legall circumcision and Evangelicall between Moses his circumcision and Christs Here 1. What this Evangelicall circumcision is 2. The difference from Legall 3. The marks and notes of it 4. The motives This Christian Circumcision is described Col. 2. 11. to bee a putting off the sinfull body of the flesh that is in plaine tearmes the mortification of the body of sinnes that are in the flesh For the truth and kernell of Circumcision never stood in the cutting off a piece of skin that was but the shell of it but in cutting off the lusts of the heart life parting from corruptions of nature which rebell against the Spirit And this we have in Christ alone being as farre beyond the Circumcision of the old Testament as the truth useth to excell the type as farre as Christ is beyond Moses or heaven above earth This renovation of mind was 1. Signified by that Ceremony 2. Promised by every Circumcised person The difference between this Evangelicall and that Legall Circumcision is 1. In the efficient That was appointed by God to be made with hands but this is a wonderfull work without hands done by the finger of God himselfe The mortification of sinne is so honourable a work as the hand of man and Angels cannot do it 2. In the subject That was wrought upon the seed of Abraham according to the flesh this onely upon Abrahams seed according to the faith upon believeres and members of Christ. That upon the Jew without this upon the Jew within That upon Ismael as well as Isaac here no Ismaelite is circumcised That was Circumcision of the naturally born and males onely of Jewes onely this is of the supernaturally born againe male or female Jew or Gentile for in Christ all are one 3. In the proper seat That was ceremoniall in the flesh this morall in the heart In that a natural part was wounded in this the very corruption of nature That dealt with flesh in substance this with the body of flesh in quality 4. In the end In that every man was circumcised in himselfe and his bloud shed to fulfill the rite of the Law In this all believers men and women are in Christs bloud once circumcised to fulfil the rigour of the Law 5. In the effect By that the person was received into the society of Gods people according to externall profession by this the sinner is received into inward and eternall fellowship with God and into communion with Gods people 6. In the latitude or extent In that the Priest circumcised in one part of the body in this Christ our high Priest circumciseth the whole man In that one beloved part was cast away with griefe and sorrow in this the whole corruption of nature and all beloved sinnes with no lesse griefe and sorrow of heart for them 7. In the durance and continuance That was temporary but till the coming of Christ who razed the type and raised the truth but this is to continue for ever till the second coming of Christ and is most perfectly finished and consummate in heaven The notes or markes to know inward circumcision attained by Christ are these 1. The party to be circumcised was presented and offered to this ordinance of God as willing and contenttd to part with his flesh and bloud in obedience to God so here thou hast begun thy circumcision if thou hast offered up thy soul body and all a