or have to boast of yet you may read under all his highest Attainments what a humbling Consideration this was to him that he still had the remainders of his Leprosie upon him Isai 6. 5. Then said I Wo is me for I am undone because I am a Man of unclean Lips and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips And as this was Matter of Humiliation to that Prophet so should it be to every one else for if a corporal Leprosie be so debasing a thing much more must a spiritual Leprosie be so because the more spiritual an Evil is the more vile and debasing Oh! how Humble should the Thoughts of this make us under our greatest Enjoyments and Attainments in this Life PART II. Thus having spoken to the Disease we next come to speak of the Remedy against it ABout which we may note these three things First There was something to be done by the Leper himself in order to his Cleansing Secondly You have the Person noted by whom the Cure was to be wrought Thirdly You have the Means noted also which was to be used in order to the Cure of the Leper First of all we are to consider what was to be done by the Leper himself in order to his Cure which hath two things in it First He was to go or be brought to the Priest that his Disease might be discovered and lookt into Secondly And if it proved to be the Leprosie then was he to go out of the Camp and be separated from the People First of all He was to go or be brought to the Priest that his Disease might be discovered and lookt into in order to his Recovery Levit. 13. 2. When a Man which shall have in the Skin of his Flesh a Swelling or a Scab or a white Spot in the Skin of his Flesh if it be like the Plague of Leprosie then shall he be brought to the Priest Now the Levitical Priest who was to be the Instrument of this corporal Cure was a Type of Jesus Christ our Gospel High-Priest who alone can heal the spiritual Leprosie of our polluted and defiled Natures and indeed one great part of the Apostle's Work in his Epistle to the Hebrews is to shew the Levitical Priesthood typical of the Priest-hood of Christ not only in the Work of offering Gifts and Sacrifices for the People but also in that compassionating Care that Christ should exercise over his Members in healing and helping them under their Infirmities Heb. 5. 1 2. From whence we shall raise this Observation Doct. That if any have a desire to be healed of their 〈◊〉 Leprosies and Soul-pollutions they must come on be brought to Jesus Christ. Where could the Isâ—â—â—lites go or unto whom could they repair for healing Help against their corporall Leprosies but unto their Levitical Priests Had they â—ayelled through the whole Would for a Cure they could not imagin to obtain it from the Hands of any whom God had not appointed to administer it but God never appointed any but their Priests to be the Instruments in this Work and none but them therefore to neglect the Use of them was to abide still under the power of their Leprosies So in the case of our spiritual Leprosies it is only Jesus Christ which God hath appointed to administer Health and Healing against it it is he alone that is the anointed High-Priest to deal with our Soul-pollution in order to the removing of it Heb. 2. 17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People For in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to Succoâ—â— them that are tempted Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given amongst Men whereby we must be saÌ„ved So that if we seek to this High-Priest for a Cure of our Soul-pollution we need not doubt of healing Grace to our effectual Recovery because he is able to save them to the uttermost which come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. Thus as Jesus Christ is our only High-Priest appointed and anoâ—â—ed of God for Soul-cure so it is our coming to him which gives us the Benefit in order to our Recovery the reason is because our coming to him is made the Condition of it Matt. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy Laden and I will give you Rest. Isai 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth let him come to the Waters He that is a Thrist let him come and he that will let him come and take of the Waters of Life freely Rev. 22. 17. Thus you see though Christ our High-Priest be every way qualified and appointed by his Father for our Healing who hath said of Christ I have laid help upon one that is Mighty yet still it is our coming to Christ for help which effects the Cure in us Mark the leprous Person was to be brought to the Priest Leo. 13. 45. and thou must be brought to Christ or thou must endure thy Leprosie for ever and so I come to make some Application upon this particular Point Vse This informs then whence it is and why it is that we have so many spiritual Lepers amongst us so many Men and Women who live in their Sins walk after the Flesh taking pleasure in Iniquity fulfilling the Desire of their fleshly Minds and are still wandring after the Course of this World yielding up of themselves to the Government of the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that works in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience The reason lieth here they come not to the Priest for a Cure they make no use of Jesus Christ for healing Grace there is a deep Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and Vncleanness Zech. 13. 1. but they will make no use of it which Fountain being the free Grace of God running forth through the Merit of Christ's Blood publishing itself to our Souls by the preaching of the Word and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ this Grace and freely profered Mercy they neglect slight and contemn which is the only ordinary Means of their Cleansing and Healing now of these Christ-slighting and Graceundervaluing Souls there are two sorts First Those who wilfully resufe and slight the Means of their Cleansing which is the Ministry of the Word of such we read in John 5. 40. They would not come to Christ that they might have Life that is as you read in John 6. 66. They went back from Christ that is they turned their Backs upon the Ministry of Christ for 't is said they walked no more with him and Solomon tells you That such as refuse Instruction despise their own Souls Prov. 15. 32. Thus through the pride and haughtiness of their Hearts they ssight
from Father to Son a Disease which hath spread itself over the face of the Earth leaving neither Man Woman or Child untouch'd with the Venom of it saith 1 John 5. 19. The whole World lieth in Wickedness This spiritual Leprosie is a Disease that no Man in the World can possibly escape this taketh hold of the highest King upon the Throne as well as the Beggar upon the Dunghil I do not say That every Man is a Leper in a corporal Sense no but yet the Anti-type of that corporal Leprosie which the Jews were so subject unto which shadowed forth this spiritual Leprosie which I am speaking of which is a thousand times more distructive than the former This is a Leprosie which cleaves to every Man in the World and as it cleaves to every Man so it cleaves to every Part in Man it is a Corruption and Disorder so universal that the whole Soul is bound under it without any supply of its own to rescue itself because the whole Faculties of the Soul are corrupted with this unclean leprous Pollution therefore it is called The Dominion of Sin Rom. 6. 12. A Body of Death Rom. 7. 24. and a Law of Sin bringing the Soul into Captivity Rom. 7. 23. For first of all this Leprosie darkens the Understanding Ephes 4. 18. Having the Vnderstanding darkned being alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance which is in them because of the Blindness of their Heart And from hence the Imaginations of the Heart become Vain Rom. 1. 21. and not only Vain but continually Evil Gen. 6. 5. pursuing unprofitable Curiosities Acts 19. 19. and impertinent Questions Titus 3. 9. vain Deceir Col. 2. 8. it wants a Capacity to discern things of the greatest Concernment 1 Cor. 2. 14. so that the best Habits of the Understanding are corrupted by this leprous Disease the Wisdom of the World is not only Foolishness 1 Cor. 3. 19. but Enmity against God yea earthly sensual and devilish James 3. 15. These and the like doth this spiritual Leprosie produce in the Understanding the Light being either quite out or dim the Actings of the Understanding become irregular and it is one of the great Works of Christ in our Regeneration to give us the Spirit of Power and a sound Mind 2 Tim. 1. 7. 1st So for the Will this Leprosie hath as much perverted that as it hath darkened the Understanding and that upon a double account First By reason of that Corruption which is in the Understanding for the Prosecution or Aversation of the Will is much qualified and ruled according to the Light that is in the Understanding and if that Light be Darkness then there must necessarily follow a great miscarriage in the Will 2dly By reason of that Captivity that the Will lieth under to the Law of Sin and the Flesh God gave to Man a righteous Law which was to be a Law and Rule to his Mind planted in him to direct and guide him in all things answerable to the revealed Will of God but by reason of this Leprosie's corrupting the Will it is now not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. nay the Will is so much mastered and pressed down by being possessed of this Leprosie through this powerfull Law of Sin which it wher 's into the Soul insomuch when it meets with the Law of God coming into the Heart it takes an occasion thereby to work in the Soul all manner of Concupiscence Rom. 7. 6. and all this meerly out of Malice and Policy to make the Law of God which should restrain the Soul from Sin and rescue the Soul more odious to the Soul and the Soul to it as Conquerers use to do who introduce Laws Customs and Languages of their own the more to estrange the Conquered from any Memory of their former Duty and Freedoms but now when Christ comes into the Soul he rescues the Soul from the Dominion though not from the being of Sin Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have Dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace 3dly This Leprosie hath not only darkned our Understandings and corrupted our Wills but it hath poisoned our Affections also The great and Master-piece of our Affections is Love and the prime Object of it is God and in our original Creation our Love was rightly placed upon God the only Discerner of our Love and when our Love was rightly qualified it was most intense Love according to the Law and Command of God Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and withal thy Might But now this Leprosie though we have lost the proper Object of this Affection yet not the Affection itself but in as much as our Love hath lost its Guide hence it is that it wanders after something else like Noah's Dove seeking rest amongst the Creatures and Pleasures of the Flesh but findeth none and at last takes up in ourselves making them the sole Objects of our Love and Affection so that as our Love is misplaced with respect to its Object so it mistakes in the pursuit of that Object for no Man doth truly love himself who doth not truly love God because the true Effect of Love is to do all the good we can to the Thing we Love Now the chiefest Good to ourselves lieth in our Conformity unto the Will of God wherein indeed lieth the beauty happiness and blessedness of the Soul Thus when a Man hath lost the true Object of his Love no wonder he wanders up and down in a Wilderness of Mistakes and so at last makes himself the sole Object of his Affection Rom. 1. 25. Who hath changed the Truth of God into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever Amen So that that Man who terminates his Love upon himself Serves and Worships himself Thus the Order and Beauty which God at first planted in Man it being corrupted and turned into so much Disorder in the Soul by this Leprosie this makes that Confusion in all the other Affections and Passions of the Mind But this is not all But 4thly As Paul speaks to Titus Tit. 1. 15. This Leprosie hath defiled the Consciences of Men it hath first darkned the divine Light of God in the Soul in a great measure which hath much weakned the Evidence that Conscience should give in for God and made it so much the more uncertain in its Testimony so also hath it weakned it in its Power that it stirs not as otherwise it would do like a Man over-powered and benumbed with much heaviness to Sleep Hence in some Men 't is said to be feared as with a hot Iron as seared Flesh is dead Flesh so are the Consciences of some Men in their Breasts dead powerless unable to act or speak Therefore this spiritual Leprosie is very lively shadowed out by the Jewish corporal Leprosie
First Of the Socinians Secondly Of the Quakers who betwixt them both deny the pure Water in the earthen Vessel and the earthen Vessel in which the pure Water is First of all The Socinians who deny the God head of Christ Secondly The Quakers who deny the Manhood of Christ in Being for if Christ be not God and of the same essential Nature with the Father as the Socinians affirm and on the other hand if Christ retain not his Humane Body now in Heaven as the Quakers affirm then is he neither God nor Man and consequently he is nothing at all who thereby make good what the Apostle said of old speaking of a sort of Men which should spring up in the latter Ages of the World that should deny the Lord that bought them bringing thereby swift Destructioâ—â—pon themselves 2 Pet. 2. 1. with Jude 4 Ver. PART IV. Thus you see the Mistery of the earthen Vessel with the runâ—â—ing pure Water in it opened to you we next come to speak of the rest of the Things which the Priest was to use in the Cleansing of the Leper which was the Scarlet the Câ—daâ—-wood and the Hyssop THe Assemblies Annotations speak to this purpose That the Sâ—arlet Cedar-wood and the Hyssop these three things together made up the Brush wherewith the Loper was to be sprinkled in order to his Cleansing the Cedar-wood made up the Handle of the Brush the Hyssop made up the Brush itself and the Scarlet which was a Scarlet Thread with this Thread the Hyssop was bound fast to the Cedar-handle Now the Mystery of which I conceive to be this The Handle of the Brush which was made of Cedar-wood may signifie the Word of God the instrumental Means of our spiritual Cleansing for as Cedar is sweet and durable so is the Word of God First of all The Word of God is like Cedar for sweetness Psal 19. 10. The Word is more to be desired than Gold yea sweeter than the Hony-comb thus you see how sweet the Word is to the Pallate for Taste and it is no less sweet in the Nostrils for smell Cant. 1. 2. Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth that is the Name of Christ published or poured out in the Preaching of the Gospel 2. The Word of God may be compared to Cedar for the durableness of it 1 Pet. 1. 25. But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached to you 2dly By the Hyssop-brush we may understand the Grace of Faith another instrumental Means of our Cleansing from our spiritual Leprosie For as Hyssop is sweet and not so subject to corrupt and wither so soon as other Herbs are so the Grace of Faith is a most sweet and precious Grace it is called precious Faith for the sweetness and uncorruptibleness of it 2 Pet. 1. 1. Good Education natural Parts and moral Gifts may wither and come to nothing but true Faith is a â—race that never loseth its Life Sap or Savour 3dly And by the Scarlet Thread we may understand the Purchasing-bloud of Christ which is the Procuring-cause of that Vertue and Healing-property which we find and feel in the Word and Faith in order to our spiritual Cleansing Now the Sprinkling-brush being thus finished the Scarlet Thread binding the Hyssop to the Cedar-handle with this Brush the Priest was to sprinkle the Leper seven times the Sum of which holds out to us our Justification and Sanctification which is procured for us by our High-Priest Jesus Christ From all which we may observe this Point of Doctrine Doct. That who-ever intends to be Justified from the Guilt of Sin and Sanctified from the Filth of Sin must get himself sprinkled with the Bloud of Christ through the Word of God by the Hyssop of Faith and Believing Hence the Scripture attributes both our Justification and Sanctification to the Bloud of Christ as the meritorious and Procuring-cause of it First For our Justification Rom. 5. 9. Much more then being now Justified by his Bloud 2dly Our Sanctification is meritoriously procured by the same Means Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God 2. As the Scriptures do direct us to the Bloud of Christ alone as the meritorious Cause of our Justification and Sanctification so doth it direct to Faith as the Means which only can make the Application of both to the Soul Rom. 5. 1. Being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not that Faith can Justifie of itself a part from the Object of it which is Jesus Christ but only as Faith apprehends and applies the Bloud and Obedience of Christ to the Soul which is the alone Matter of our Justification and as Faith is the Instrument of our Justification so it is of our Sanctification also Acts 15. 9. And put no difference betweeen them and us purifying their Hearts by Faith Reason Now the Reason why the Soul is to make use of Faith in his Justification from the Guilt of Sin and in his Cleansing from the Filth of Sin is because God hath ordered Faith to be the Grace which must deal with the Bloud of Christ which is the Procuring-cause of both For as nothing can Justifie or Cleanse the Soul if applied but the Bloud of Christ so there is nothing which can apply the Bloud of Christ to the Soul but the Hyssop of Faith and Believing Heb. 11. 6. But without Faith it is impessible to Please him And so we come to the Application of the Point Vse This should teach us all to look after Faith yea above all things to labour for this Grace of Believing if ever we mean to be healed of our sinful Leprosie and Uncleanness Oh Friends this is the Means that can only do your Souls good slight this and you slight your greatest Mercy under Heaven because you thereby slight that very Means which God hath appointed for a Soul-cure Neglect this saith Christ and you die in your Sins John 8. 24. This was Israel's Sin and that which kept them in their Sins as the Apostle speaks Rom. 10. 3. They submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God which is else-where called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4. 13. It was not enough for the Jewish Leper only to use the Bloud of the Bird for his Cleansing no but he must dip the Hyssop-brush into the Bloud also he must keep to the Means and the whole Means which God instituted and appointed for his Cleansing Deut. 12. 32. What tâ—â—ng soever I have commanded you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it If the Priest had used the Hyssop-brush without the Bloud of the Bird or if he had dipt the Hyssop-brush in any other Liquor as Water Milk or Wine this would not have been Cleansing to the Leper or if he had made use of the Bloud of the Bird without
Walking in the Ways of God's Commandments Jer. 7. 23. Thus when all these parts of the Body were tipt with the Bloud of the Lamb then the Oil was next to be applied to the same Parts Oil you know is of a mollifying and softning Nature Oil is good to fetch off Rust from Clocks and Jacks making them to go the more freely and nimbly which when clogg'd with Rust became unserviceable before comparatively to the nature of Oil in this case is the Usefulness of Grace held forth in Scripture Isa 1. 6. Thy Sores have not been closed neither bound up neither mollified with Ointment The meaning is they had no Grace which here is compared to Oil to Sanctifie their ulcerated corrupt Natures which like so many Plague-sores were continually issuing from them with this Oil of Grace the cleansed Lepers of Christ were to have their Ears Hands and great Toes of their right Feet anointed From all which we may observe this Note Doct. That as the Bloud of Christ hath bought us for his Vse and Service so the Oil of his Grace is that only which can fit us for it and make us willing to set about it Psal 110. 3. In the Day of my Power thy People shall be a willing People By Nature every Man is averse to every part of Christ's Work and Service Rom. 8. 7. The natural-minded Man is Enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that you might Live Jer. 44. 16. As for the Word which thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee The Ear will not hear the Voice of Christ Jer. 11. 10. the Hand will not Work for Christ Jer. 11. 7 8. neither will the Feet walk in the Way of Christ Psal 78. 10. But now when our High-Priest Jesus Christ hath tipt the Ear the Thumb and Foot of our Souls with the Oil of his Grace and Sanctification then will they be ready for any Work and Service which he shall employ them in or call them unto the Ear which was bought by Christ is now taught by Christ to hear his Voice even his Voice in his Word Works Ordinances and Providences against all which the Ear was deaf and shut up before Psal 58. 4. The Hand which was bought by Christ is now taught to Work for Christ Heb. 13. 21. Working that which is well-pleasing in his sight Isa 54. 13. All her Chrildren are taught by the Lord. They are taught to work the Works of Repentance Faith Love Self-denial Mortification how to be Praying to God and Praising of God Suffering for God and to Walk with God Grace teacheth all this and makes the Heart willing to all this the Spirit shall teach you all things saith Christ John 14. 26. Lastly The Feet which were bought by Christ by this Oil of Grace are now taught to Walk with Christ as Enoch did And Enoch walked with God Gen. 5. 22. And so we come to the Reason of the Point The Reason of all this is because Grace is of a conquering subduing Nature and of and inabling Quality Grace is sent down into the Heart to subdue the Power and Strength of Sin therein Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace And as Grace subdues and weakens Corruption in the Heart so it enables strengthens and empowers the Heart to act for Christ it is a holy Oil that dissolves the corrupt Rust which hath been begotten in it by Sin and as it dissolves the Rust so it mollifies and softens the Heart and thereby it makes it able and willing to run the Ways of God's Commandments Psal 119. 32. So Isa 40. 31. They shall renew their Strength they shall mount up as on Eagles wings they shall run and not be weary walk and not be faint Vse This informs us then what matter of Lamentation it is to consider That though there be so many thousand of Ears Hands and Feet in the World yet that there should be so few of them employed in the Service of Christ that as David speaks of the Idols of the Nations They have Ears but hear not Hands but handle not and Feet they have but walk not The Reason lieth here Because they never had their Ears Hands and Feet tipt with the Bloud and Oil of the Justifying and Sanctifying-grace of Jesus Christ They are yet dead in their Sins and Trespasses Ephes 2. 1. and dead things cannot act of themselves yea they are not only unable to act for Christ but through the Enmity of their Natures they are wholly averse to every part of Christ's Will and Work As the Apostle speaks They are reprobate to every good Work and Word it is not only they cannot but the real Truth is that graceless Souls will not act for Christ if they could let not such deceive themselves any longer for if you have no Ears to hear Christ's Voice no Hands to do his Work nor Feet to Walk in his Paths you are yet in an unjustified and unsanctified State and Condition But would you have your Ears opened to the Voice of Christ so that your Souls might live Would you have your Hands at Work for Christ working that which is well-pleasing in his sight Would you have your Feet made able and willing to run in God's Commandments In the keeping of which is great Reward Psal 19. 11. then lay thy Soul in the Ways and Walks of Christ who is the great High-Priest Oh run to him set thy Soul in his presence be in his sight thrust thy self through the Croud and Throng press in upon him and evermore keep up the Canaanitish Woman's Cry in his Ears Matth. 15. 22. Lord thou Son of David have mercy upon me for my Soul is grievously over-run with a Leprosie thus with Jacob be ever Wrestling with him until he hath tipt thy right Ear Hand and Foot with the Bloud and Oil of his Grace Quest. But why was the Priest to tip the Leper's right Ear right Thumb and Toe of the right Foot with the Bloud and Oil Why the right more than the left Ear Thumb and Toe Ans The Reason may be this To signifie the difference betwixt the Services that Hypocrites and sincere Christians do offer to him and do for him all the Service that comes to him from Hypocrites is but left-ear'd left-handed and left-footed Service which is no way pleasing to him Quest. But when may it be said that we give unto God this left-ear'd left-handed and left-footed Service As first When are we said to bring forth left-ear Service to God I answer first When we content our selves with the bear Hearing of his Will preached neglecting the Practice of it this is the Service of the left Ear indeed of such a sort of Hearers we read in Ezekiel Ezek. 33. 31. And they come unto thee
if through the Spirit ye mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall Live Ephes 4. 22. That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is Corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry Tit. 2. 11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching them to deny Vngodliness and wordly Lusts to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World 1st Reason The Reason of the Point lieth here because this was one special Purpose of Christ in satisfying the Law for us and thereby in reconciling of his Father to us it was that Sin might be destroyed in us Rom. 5. 10. with Rom 6. 6. For when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son Knowing that our Old Man is Crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin 2d Reason It must be so because our Lord Jesus Christ designed and intended that every one of his Redeemed and Cleansed Lepers should hold a holy Communion with himself both in the Life that now is and in the Life which is to come John 14. 20 21. At that Day ye shall know that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and I will manifest my self to him Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and Purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Christ is the Prince of Purity his Eyes are Eyes of Purity that cannot look upon Iniquity his Nature is a Nature of Purity he is called the Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts whose Glory filleth the whole Earth Isa 6. 3. therefore he cannot live in an impure Heart nor have communion with impure Souls that are no way washed from their Iniquities Surely then this makes it highly the Duty of every Christian to be Cleansing of himself from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit and to be perfecting of Holinâ—ss in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. Thus having given you the Reasons of the Point we next come to the Application of what hath been said upon it Vse If this be so let it serve then for Matter of Examination to every Christian whether we are of the number of Christ's Cleansed and Healed Lepers Oh! what a blessed thing would it be if upon trial and search we might appear to be such not in shew but in substance not in appearance only but in reality also an Israelite in deed and in truth as Nathanael was in whom was no Guile There be not a few but would fain perswade themselves that they are the Men in whom the Leprosie is cured they hope that the Bloud of the Lamb Christ hath been applied to the Ear Thumb and Toe of their Souls but let me ask such Men whether the Priâ—st's Razor have yet been upon them Oh! bethink your selves and remember that those which were healed Lepers were shaved Lepers the Hair of their Heads Beards and Eye-brows is all shaved off which were the parts and places in which the Scurf and Filth of the Disease lay and hid it self before The same is spiritually true of thee if thou art a healed Leper indeed the Scurf of thy Corruption which hath lain hid in thy Heart as to the Dominion of it is shaved off and â—emoved out of thy Soul Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have Dominion over you Christ will have clean Work made in the Heart wherein he begins to Work Rev. 21. 5. Behold I make all things new saith Christ and so saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any Man he in Christ he is a new Creature all old things are dâ—ne away and all things become new So that there is a univeâ—sal Change made in the whole Man of every one that are the cleansed Leâ—ers of Jesus Christ the Judgment Will and Affections are all new and renewed by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. â— 5. Now Soul what Shaving-work hath there been upon thy Heart and Life Reflect upon thy former Conversation Hast thou not been a loose Liver a Swearer a Blasphemer an unclean Person a Sabbath-breaker a Harer of Godliness a wicked Scoffer and cruel Persecutor of those which have truly feared God But is this shaved off from thee Is this filthy Scurf gone and removed from thy Heart within and thy Life without Thou knowest that thou hast been a common Drunkard an unjust Dealer a known Lyer a wretched Worldling a greedy covetous Oppressor thy whole Life hath been a prayerless Life an irreligious Life casting the Word Worship and Ordinances of God behind thy Back spending of thy precious Time which should have been spent in the Service of thy God Oh! this precious Time which thou canst never recal more hast thou laid out in the satisfying of thy Lusts and sensual Appetite Oh! but hath the Razor oâ— thy High-Priest shaved all this away and canst thou now say in the Words of Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Be not deceived there was never a healed Leper came out of Christ's Hands but he was a shaved mortified and sanctified Leper the Bloud the Oil and the shaving Razor always went together the Bloud to justice the Oil to sanctifie and the Razor to mortifie the Affections and Lusts Redemption from the Guilt of Sin is only proved by our Mortification to the love and power of Sin in our Natures Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Mark There is therefore no Condemnation there is Guilt removed who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit there is the Truth of it proved the shaving of the Head Beard and Eye-brows were evident Signs what the Man had been and with whom he had been they were Signs that the Man had been a Leper and secondly That he had been with the Priest for a Cure and is now come off healed and cleansed of his Distemper So likewise if thou hast been with Jesus Christ indeed he hath fixed these visible Signs upon thy Soul 2 Cor. 5. 17. Thou art come of a new Creature all old things are done away and all things are become new in thee but if the Signs of thy Cleansing be not upon thee thou hast still cause with the Leper Lev. 13. 45. to rent thy Clothes and to go with thy Head bare and to put a Covering upon thy Upper-lip crying out to every one which thou meetest Vnclean unclean PART VIII
dipping of the Hyssop-brush into it this would all as little have wrought the Cure because this would have been a Contradiction to God s Institut on but both of the Means must be used together the Bloud of the Bird with the Hyssop-brush bound fast to the Cedar-wood these three things together would be Healing to the Leper because it was the Means of God's Appointment The Mystery of which when opened shews us thus much That the Bloud of Christ handed out to us by the Word of God and applied to our Souls by Faith it being the Institution of God for our Soul-cure this and only this will Cleanse our Souls of the foulest Leprofie that ever hapned to a Sinner in this Life for we find that it was this which David desired might be applied to him in a time of Soul-defilement and Pollution Psal 51. 7. Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be Clean Wash one and I shall be whiter than the Snow Shall we think that David in this Cleansing-work did look no farther than the bare Hyssop and the typocal Sprinkling there-with for the cleansing of his Soul from the guilt and filth of Sin â—o no doubtless it was the spiritual Hyssop of Faith dipt in the Bloud of Christ which was the chief thing in his Request and the principal thing which his Eye was fixt upon So Soul this is thy great Duty also to pour out thy Soul in Prayer to God as David did for this Grace of Believing Oh! spread thy Leprosie before him open the Plague-sore of thy Heart in his sight take off thy gouty Clouts and lay open thy Wounds and Unclers in his sight and beg him to cast his merciful Eyes towards thee who is the only Physician of Value that can heal thee of thy soul Disease which neither Men nor Angels can Cure besides himself Oh! wrestle with him as Jacob did Gen. 32. 24 25 26. Cease not give him no rest until he hath sent down the Hyssop-brush of Believing into thy Heart that by it thy Heart may be purified from thy Soul-pollution according to Acts 15. 9. A sight of Misery does sometimes in a tender-hearted Physician stir up Bowels of Mercy to a ready Helping of the Distressed but much more in God the greatest Healer and Helper that is in Heaven or Earth and for thy Encouragement to make to him for Healing read often that Text Jam. 1. 5. If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask of God that giveth liberally to all Men and upbraideth not and it shall be given him 2. Lay thyself in the Ways and Walks of God even in those Places where he â—seth to dispense this precious Grace of Faith the Ways and Walks of God are in his Ordinances and amongst his golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. 13. which golden Candlesticks are his Gospel-churches the Places where his Worship and Ordinances are as Prayer preaching of the Word with the Sacraments and Seals of the New-covenant in these things he meets with the Souls of Men Isa 64. 5. He meeteth him which works Righteousness and those that remember him in his Ways Here it is that God maketh the Sorrowful to rejoyce and maketh glad the Hearts of the Righteous here it is in these things that he giveth out the Sense of his Love Grace and Favour in Christ Jesus here it is that he poureth forth the rich Anointings even the Graces of his holy Spirit and amongst them this Grace of Faith Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God Oh! then be admonished to be a constant and diligent Waiter upon these Ordinances of the Gospel neglect no Opportunity of doing thy Soul good this way for thou dost not know how soon God may meet thee with healing and cleansing Grace in these Ways and Walks of his PART V. Thus having finished the Work about the Sprinkling-brush which was made up of Scarlet Cedar-wood and Hyssop we next come to speak of some other things which were used in the Cleansing of the Leper THe Particulars you may read at your leisure as they are noted in Lev. 14. 13 14 15 16 17 and 18 Verses where first of all the Priest was to kill the Lamb in the holy Place then was he to take some of the Bloud of the Lamb and put it upon the right Ear the Thumb of the right Hand and the great Toe of the right Foot of him that was to be cleansed then was the Priest to take some of a Log of Oil and pour it into the Palm of his own left Hand then was he to sprinkle the Oil with his Finger seven times before the Lord. This Work was done by a Synecdochy tipping some parts of the Body for the whole which vertually comprehends the several Parts of the Whole Man which Mistery shadows out these two things to us namely Our Justification and Sanctification by Jesus Christ First The Lamb that was to be killed was a Type of Christ dying for Sinners as the Bird was before the Bloud of both being of one and the same Signification typing out the Bloud of Christ as the meritorious Cause of our being washed and cleansed from the Guilt of all our Sins 1 John 1. 7. 2. The Oyl used in this Cleansing-work typed forth to us the Graces of the Spirit of God in our Sanctification of which the Apostle speaks in 1 John 2. 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you all things and is Truth New we need not question but that John the Divine hath referrence to the Anointing-oyl which was poured forth upon the Head of the levitical High-Priest who was a Type of Jesus Christ Lev. 8. 30. of which David speaks more at large in Psalm 133. Ver. 2. which the Apostle applies to Christ Heb. 1. 9. Thus hast loved Rightousness and hated Iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows And one reason that 's given of Christ's being anointed you have in John John 1. 16. That of his Fulness we might all receive and Grace for Grace For as Oyl is beautifying to the Countenance mollifying to the Flesh and cheering to the Heart so is the Oyl of Grace and Sanctification it s beautifying to the Soul Ezek. 16. 14. Thou art Perfect through my Comeliness put upon thee saith the Lord. 2dly It 's softning to the Heart Job 23. 16. For God maketh my Heart soft 3dly And it is comforting and cheering to the Whole Man Psal 4. 7. Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart more than in the time that their Corn and Wine increased One thing more to be observed in the Cleansing the Jewish Leper is this namely That the Priest was to make an Application both of the Bloud and Oil to the Leper not the Bloud without the Oil nor the Oil without the Bloud but both of them together
as soon as the Priest could apply each one after the other the Bloud applied first and then the Oil next From hence we may observe this Point of Doctrine Doct. That when Christ doth Justifie a Soul by his Bloud the same doth he Sanctifie by the Oil of his Grace Look through the whole Book of God and you will find nothing more a truth than this nor can you read of one Person therein who is recorded for a justified Man by the Bloud of Christ but you shall find it affirmed of him that he was a sanctified Man by the Oil of Christ's Grace besides How fully doth the Word speak out the Truth of the thing itself Rom. 8. 30. Moreover whom he did Predestinate them he also Called 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the Fore-knowledge of God through the Sanctification of the Spirit 1 John 5. 6 7 8. This is he that came by Water and Bloud even Jesus Christ not by Water only but by Water and Bloud for there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear Witness in Earth the Spirit the Water and Bloud and these three agree in one 2 Thess 2. 13. Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation thro Sanctification and Belief of the Truth And so we come to the Reason of the Point Reason Now the Reason why where Christ Justifies by his Bloud there he Sanctifies by his Spirit is that the Justified might be made meet and fit Temples for himself to live in here and also that they may be filled and made meet to dwell with him hereafter First Christ must dwell in his People here in this Life Ephes 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Thus as Christ fits the Souls of his People by Grace and Sanctification as Temples for himself to dwell in here so also by the same means doth he prepare them that they may be Company meet to dwell with him in Glory hereafter 2 Thess 2. 14. Whereunto he hath called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 1. 12. Who hath made you meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Now it 's only Sanctification that can fit prepare and qualifie the Soul as a Habitation fit for Christ to take up his Residence in while in this Life and it is nothing short of true Sanctification which can prepare the Soul to live in Glory with Christ when this Life is over Acts 15. 9. Purifying their Hearts by Faith And without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. The second Reason of the Point is this because all those which are Christ's justified Ones are ordained thereby to bring forth Fruit to God this is what our Saviour told his Disciples That the reason why his Father elected them by his Grace and why himself redeemed them by his Bloud and justified them by his Obedience all this was that they might bring forth holy Fruit to God Ephes 2. 10. For ye are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should Walk in them Ephes 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without Blame before him in Love John 15. 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth Fruit and your Fruit should remain Now this Fruitfulness can never be brought forth without Grace and Sanctification be first poured forth upon the Heart for whatever the Fruit be that is brought forth it can be of no other kind than the Root is from whence it springs if the Root be but Nature's Qualification take it in its highest Flourish yet the Fruit which springs from it is but Rottenness and Hypocrisie in the sight of God The best that is spoken of the Fruit which the Children of Nature do bring forth in the Eyes of God is what you have recorded in Deut. 32. 32 33. For their Vine is as the Vine of Sodom and of the Fields of Gamorrah their Grapes are Grapes of Gallâ— their Clusters are bitter their Wine is the Poison of Dragons and the cruel Venome of Asps So that where the Oil of Grace is not the Root there the best of our Obedience will not pass for Fruit in God's Eyes Matt. 7. 18. A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. Therefore the Root must be Grace and Sanctification or the Fruit will meet with no less than final Rejection Let it be the greatest of Self-denial Patience Temperance Self-mortification Meekness Works of Charity Prayer with the performance of any other Duties done in the Worship of God if it flows not from the Root of true Grace and Sanctification in the Heart all is abominable in the Sight of God Prov. 21. 27. The Sacrifices of the Wicked is Abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked Mind Vse This shews us then how much they are mistaken about their eternal State who think they are Justified by Christ's Bloud and yet were never Sanctified by his Spirit How many Thousands are there of these living in a Gospel-professing Kingdom which are held under the Power of this Soul-damning Delusion who will not believe but they are Justified in the sight of God though they were never yet Sanctified in the fight of Men They are just like a company of Drunkards who dreamed that they were all Feasting in a Royal Palace but when they awoke they found themselves made fast with their Feet in the Stocks Of such a sort of Dreamers James speaks Jam. 2. 18. Yea a Man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works Thou believest there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain Man that Faith without Works is dead Oh never think that the Bloud of Atonement hath been shed for thee if the Oil of Sanctification hath not been poured forth upon thee The second Use is to instruct us how to attain to some hopeful Assurance of our Justification which is by a Trial made of our Sanctification I know that it is much a Query amongst the doubting part of Christians Oh How shall we do to know whether we be in a Justified State and Condition Answ Look into your Hearts and search whether the Oil of Grace be infused into it Grace changeth the Heart Ezek. 36. 26. Grace reneweth the Heart Titus 3. 5. Grace regenerateth the Heart John 3. 3. Grace turns
the old Man into a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Grace purifieth the Heart Acts 15. 9. And purgeth the Heart from dead Works Heb. 9. 14. Grace works Desires after Christ Psal 42. 1 2. Grace imbitters Sin to the Soul Jen 2. 91. Grace crucifies the World with the Affections and Lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. Gal. 6. 24. Grace puts the highest Value upon Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 8. Grace makes the Word sweeter than the Honey-comb Psal 19. In a word The gracious Soul can better live without its appointed Food than it can without Prayer Psal 55. 17. Psal 109. 4. Grace is a living Principle which never will lie still but will be working stirring acting and moving in the Soul Grace cannot be idle it will still be bringing forth things new and old here you have a Looking-glass before you present your Hearts before this Glass and see what you can espy of these Signs of Grace within your Souls in order to the finding out of your Justification by the Bloud of Christ the Lamb slain for the Cleansing of your spiritual Leprosie 2. Thus after the Priest had poured out the Oil into the Palm of his Hand we next come to take notice of the Parts of the Leper's Body which the Priest was to apply the Oil unto and that was to the Tip or Lap of the right Ear the Thumb of the right Hand and the great Toe of the right Foot which Parts viz. The Ear Thumb or Hand and Foot are the three principal Members of Service to the whole Body and you find that the Bloud of Christ which was typed out by the Bloud of the Lamb and the Bird the Apostle calls it the Price which Bought us Now the Purchase which Christ made for us is twofold 1st From the Curse and Condemnation of the Law Rom. 8. 1. with Gal. 3. 13. 2dly He by the same Price bought us for his Use and Service 1 Cor. 6. 20. For ye are Bought with a Price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Souls which are the Lord 's So that the Priest's putting of the Bloud and Oil upon the right Ear Hand and Foot of the Leper that was to be Cleansed shadowed out these Mysteries to us First of all as to Priest's applying of the Bloud of the slain Lamb to the right Ear Hand and Foot which are the three principal Members of Service to the whole Body it notes to us this Truth for our Observation That the same Bloud of Christ which redeemed us from Wrath to come did also purchase us for that Work and Service which he commands us to do for him for so much as this I gather from the Priest's tipping of the right Ear Thumb and Toe of the right Foot of the Leper with the Bloud of the slain Lamb which Lamb was a Type of Christ which Action held a Congruity to the levitical Manner of making Men perpetual Servants to the Jewish Masters Exod. 21. 5 6. If the Servant shall plainly say I love my Master my Wife and my Children I will not go out free then his Master shall bring him unto the. Judges he shall also bring him unto the Door or to the Door-post and his Master shall bore his Ear through with an Awl and he shall serve him for ever So in like manner the Leper that was to be Cleansed was to have the Bloud of the Lamb tipt upon his Ear to be a professed Servant of the levitical Administration by which he was Cleansed for ever Now inasmuch as the Bloud of the Lamb by which the corporal Leper was Cleansed was a Type of the Bloud of Christ and the corporal Leper a Figure of a spiritual Leper and his corporal Cleansing binding him to perpetual Service typocal of that perpetual Obligation which every spiritual-cleansed Leper lies under to Christ altogether affords us this Note Doct. That he which intends to be redeemed from Sin the Curse and Condemnation of the Law and Wrath to come must become willing to give up himself to the Service of Christ for ever For the proof of this Truth read 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. You are not your own you are bought with a Price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Spirits which are God's As if the Apostle had said O ye Corinthians remember that the Bloud of your Redemption hath been put upon the tip of your right Ears your Hands and Feet in token of your perpetual Service to Christ as the Levitical-servant had his Ear bored through with an Awl to be his Master's Servant for ever Oh so hath the Bloud of Christ been upon your Ears also to make you his perpetual Servants for ever you are bought with a Price you are not your own therefore glorifie him in your Bodies and Spirits which are his Have a care that you rob him not of his Right in you in giving that Service to the Devil World and the Flesh which is only due to him And so we come to the Reason of the Point Reason Why that Soul who would have Redemption by Christ must be willing to become a perpetual Servant to Christ is because Christ redeems none but upon that Condition Isa 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good things of the Land Heb. 5. 9. He is the Author of eternal Salvation to as many as obey him Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live So Ver. 6. For to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Thus you see how Conditional the Promises are which speak out a Soul's Benefit by the Redeeming-bloud of Christ which do all call upon us for a willing chearful and sincerc Obedience to Christ though we grant That it is not an old but a New Covenant-condition even such a Condition that the Grace and gracious Aid which only can enable us to perform the Condition is graciously given into the Soul by Jesus Christ and who will as graciously accept our Endeavours though clothed with many Weaknesses and Infirmities so that our Obedience to him be but sincere 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing Mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath and not according to that he hath not And so we come to make some Application of this Matter 1st Vse This informs us then why the Number is so small which comes under the Yoke of Jesus Christ the Reason is because there are so few that are willing to come up to the Terms he propounds which is a willing Subjection to the Government of his Word and Spirit which is the Condition he propounds to all that would have an Interest in his Salvation They would willingly accept of his Bloud to wash away the Guilt of Sin from their Souls but they like not to have it tipt or applied to their Ears to engage them to his Work and Service
there are which walk by the Rule of enthusiastical Inspirations Visions and pretended Revelations casting off the written Word of God which was formerly their Rule and Guide and now account themselves more happy in walking by these Guides though this latter Age have abounded with but too many of these filthy Dreamers as St. Jude stiles them Jude 8. Verse yet it is no new thing but a thing as ancient as the Prophet Jeremiah's Days Jer. 23. 32. I am against them that Prophesie false Dreams saith the Lord and do tell them and cause my People to Err by their Lies and by their Lightness yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this People at all It appears that the Design of these ancient enthusiastical Dreamers and Pretenders to Divine Revelations was on purpose to weaken the Authority of the Word of God in the Mouths of the Prophets of the Lord inasmuch as God doth plead the Efficacy of his Word in opposition to these chaffy Dreams and pretended Revelations so much cried up by these ancient Deluders Jer. 23. 28 29. The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream and he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat Is not my Word like as Fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock to pieces It is a very dangerous thing when Persons through their slighting of the written Word shall thereby provoke God to give them over to wander after these satanical Delusions because many times what Ways Men do sinfully chuse to walk in and deluded Rules to walk by the same Ways and Rules God will judicially chuse for them 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the Truth in the Love of it that they might be saved for this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions to believe Lies that they might be damned Therefore have we that Rule given us in Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if any Man speak not according to this Rule it 's because there is no Light in him and saith Peter 2 Epist 1. 19. But we have a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well to take heed as a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts Thus you see what the false Rules are which the most of Men do propound to themselves as their Guides to walk by which will appear at length to be nothing else but left-footed Obedience in the Eyes of God and Jesus Christ 3dly We give unto God left-footed Service when we walk not constantly with him when we are off and on with God when we play fast and loose with God some there are when affrighted by strong Convictions and grieved by and with sore Afflictions will then for a fit be Religious then they will Pray and Read good Books and frequent the Worship of God and set about the Practice of religious Duties in their Families but when the sense of the Conviction is abated and the smart of their Affliction a little worn off then like Ephraim all their Righteousness appears like the morning Cloud and all their Goodness like the early Rain that passeth away This kind of inconstant Obedience the Israelites gave unto God in the Wilderness Psal 78. 36 37. Nevertheless they flattered him with their Mouth and lied unto him with their Tongues for their Hearts were not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant This inconstant Service was never yet acceptable Service with God nor will it ever be esteemed otherwise than left-footed Service offered unto him 4thly When we walk not sincerely with God then we give him left and not right-footed Service this was the Service Amazia gave to the Lord 2 Chron. 25. 2. He did that which was right in the sight of God but not with a perfect Heart All the Ways of God saith David are Mercy and Truth Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach Sinners his Ways Psal 25. 8. So that you see there is Truth and Uprightness in the Lord towards us and he expects to find the same in us towards himself again Truth is the Nature of God and he cannot but hate the contrary where-ever he sees it let Men clothe themselves with never so much out-side Holiness yet if Truth and Sincerity be found wanting all is but glittering Hypocrisie in the Eyes of God Rev. 3. 1. Thou hast a Name to live and art dead The Scribes and Pharisees had as much of an outward Holiness upon them as most Men living but their want of Sincerity turned all their painted shew of Holiness into perfect Rottenness in the Eyes of Christ Matt. 23. 27. It 's not the Matter of our Services only which commends us to God but the Manner of our performing of them If our Ends and Aims 〈◊〉 more for our own Praise Honour and Profit than for the Honour and Glory of God we shall never hear more of it unless it be to our Shame and Sorrow David was well instructed in this therefore prays he that God would make his Heart sound in his Statutes Psal 119. 80. Thus you have seen the Reasons why the Priest was to tip not the left but the right Ear right Thumb and the great Toe of the right Foot of the Leper with the Bloud of the Lamb and Log of Oil the Bloud to purchase the Leper for the Work and Service of the Purchaser and the Oil of Grace to make him fit for it and willing to set about it Now Soul if thou wouldst hear the Voice of Christ in a saving manner if thou wouldst hear when he speaks to thy Soul in his Works Word Ordinances and Providences if thou wouldst work the Works of Righteousness as the Work of Repentance before God Faith in God Love to God with the Works of Holiness in his sight together with the Works of Justice and Mercy towards Men and if thou wouldst Walk with God as Enoch did walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of God Blameless and without Rebuke as did Zacharias and Elizabeth then be not satisfied until thou hast gotten thy right Ear thy right Thumb and the right Foot of thy Soul tipt with the Bloud and Oil which drops out of the Palm of the Hand of the High-Priest Jesus Christ Who is willing to save to the uttermost them which come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. PART VI. Thus after the Priest had tipt the right Ear the Thumb of the right Hand and the great Toe of the right Foot of the Cleansed Leper with the Bloud of the Lamb and the Log of Oil then as in Levit. 14. 16. the Priest was to dip his right Finger in the Oil that is in his left Hand and sprinkle of the Oil with his Finger seven times before the Lord. THis number Seven was of a sacred Use amongst the Hebrews is was used
People The same Counsel was given to the New Testament churches in order to their healing when the Plague of Leprosie at any time broke out upon them Rev. 2. 4 5. Nevertheless I have some what against thee because thou hast left thy first Love remember from whence thou art fallen and repent But alas how far are the Guides and Ministers of most Christ's Churches from acquainting our great High Priest by Fasting Prayer and Humiliation with the great Pollution which hath lately broken forth in many of their Congregations Where can we find one Minister amongst them that goeth to Christ and says It seems to me that there is as is were a Plague begun in my Congregation yea so far are some from making an open Discovery of it that they labour to hide and cover it what they can like Persons whose Houses are insected with the Plague endeavour to hide it from the Searchers to avoid the Affliction of being shut up How common is it to hear how some Men will palliate and lessen the Corruption of their Churches by making great Corruptions to appear to be little and those that are of the lesser sort to be nothing at all but this is not the way to a Cure no more than the hiding and keeping secret an Ulcer in the Bowels is the way to save a Man's Life Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his Sin shall find Mercy but he that hideth his Iniquity shall not proâ—per Secondly We maâ— learn hence what the Duty of the Hearers and Members of Churches is as well as what we heard is the Duty of Ministers and Pastors First of all Their Duty is this viz. To be earnest with God by Prayer that he would continue his special Presence of Grace with their Ministers and give them a double Portion of his Spirit that the Uâ—m and Thumâ—â—n might never depart from their Heads and Hearts so long 〈◊〉 live with you â— Your Ministers are your â—eedsmen and if they through their Unfaithfulness or Uâ—skilfulness should â—ow Hemlock instead of Wheat what a sad disappointment would this be to your Souls Your Ministers are your Watchmen and if they should fall under the Power of a sleepy Lethargy how speedily will the Devil sow his Tares amongst you Your Ministers are your Angels and if they through a Spirit of Debauchery turn Devils how soon may your Churches be turned from so many Beâ—hels into so many Bethavens Your Ministers have large Opportunities to do you a great deal of Good or a great deal of hurt they may be great Blessings or great Curses to you and you may expect them to be to you as you make them either with or without your Prayers Col. 4. 3 4. Withal praying for us that God would open unto us a door of Vtterance to speak the Mystery of Christ that I might make it manifest as I ought to speak And so we come to the second Observation 2d Doct. That the Defilements and Pollutions which the Churches of Christ are subject unto while in this Life are many times very open and visible In the prosecution of this Note I shall first prove it 2dly Give you the Reasons of it And 3ily apply it But First for the Proof of it if you look back to the Old Testament-church how open and visible were the Pollutions and Desilements of it Ezek. 24. 7. For her Bloud is in the midst of her she set it upon the top of a Rock she poured it out upon the Ground to cover it with the Dust. Hos 4. 13. They Sacrifice upon the tops of the Mountains and burn Incense upon the Hills Zeph. 1. 5. And them that Worship the Host of Heaven upon the House tops Now what could be more open and visible than to commit their Iniquity upon high Hills high Mountains and House-tops So the Church of Rome who was once stiled the Beloved of God and called to be Saints Rom. 1. 7. yet at last how open and publick was the Pollution of that Church Rev. 17. 5. And upon her Forehead was written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abomination of the Earth And so we come to the Reasons of the Point Reasons The first is drawn from Satan The second from God and The third from the Churches themselves The first Reason is drawn from the Devil who out of a perfect Enmity to God and Hatred to his Honour and Glory labours to drive on the Corruption by the corrupt Inclinations of the People of God to the highest pitch what he can He knows that the Honour of God never suffers so much by the Sin of a profane World as it doth by the Sin of one of God's Churches in the World and this is that which makes God so severe with his People in punishing of them when they offend him with their Transgressions Amâ—s 3. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you for your Iniquities Secondly The Devil doth it in Policy that he might thereby so much the more stablish the Hearts of his own Children in their Wickedness besides he knoweth that it will abundantly stumble weak Christians in their way to Sion hoping thereby to bring them back again into their old Snareâ— The second Reason is taken from God himself who in a way of Judgment to a People that shall take a liberty to Sin in any one degree and refusing to be reclaimed then God gives them up to a greater freedom to Sin Hos 8. 11. Because Epâ—raim hath made many Altars to Sin therefore Altars shall be unto Ephraim to sin So that what Choice Mâ—n will make for themselves sinfully God sometimes will make the same Choice for them judicially The third Reason is drawn from the Churches themselves with respect to the unmoâ—tifiedness of their Luits â—ome there are which have such great swelling Lusts that if God should suffer them to break out they would make open as well as woful Work upon the best of Men You may read how viâ—lently the Corruption of David run forth when a little let slip by the Lord and how visibly and open it shewed it self to the World So Peter What could be more visible and open than to Curse and Swear that he knew not his Master So good Aaron How open was his Sin in making the golden Calf And so we come to the Application 1st Vse Is this so that many times the Defilement and Pollution of the Churches of Christ are so open and visible while in this Life Let it serve then to stir up the Churches and People of God to labour after a spotless holy Conversation that they may regain the Honour which God hath so often lost through the careless walking of the rest of God's professing People You hear how industrious the Devil is to endeavour the polluting the spiritual Houses of Christ whilest they are in this World which ariseth from his Malice and Hatred to his Creator
Churches of Christ in general and every Christian in particular to give the whole Honour of their spiritual Cure to Christ alone have a care of thrusting him out of his Work by thrusting in of any thing into it or by employing of any one else about this Work which is only proper to him there is no Man ought to take this Honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron was Aaron was â—ut a Typical Healer to the Church of the Jews it 's true he was a visible Healer of their Plagues Pestilence Sins and Sufferings which they were subject unto but still the principal Healer was Christ in the Person of Aaron Oh! take not away this Honour from Jesus Christ either by not making use of him or by making use of others for help in opposition to him which is worst of all For he will not give his Glory to another nor his Praise to Graven Images Isa 42. 8. Christ is the Head of his Church and who should the Members make use of for Healing if not him as 〈◊〉 once said John 6. 68. Lord to whom shall we go for thou hast the Words of eternal Life Christ is the good Shepherd John 10. 11. and unto whom should the Sheep repair for Help but to theâ—r Sâ—epherd Christ is the good Physician and unto whom should his â—â—ick Paâ—ients have recourse unto for Health and Healing if not to him In a word He is that Sun of Righteousness which carrieth that Healing in his Wings which makes the feeblest of his People to grow up as Fat as the Calves of the Stall Mal. 4. 2. Thus having viewed the Healer of the leprous House which was the Priest we next come to consider what was to be done by the Priest in order to the Healing of the House First He was to scrape off that part of the Wall in the House which was infected with the Leprosie Ver. 41. He shall cause the House to be scraped within round about This Action of the Levitical Priest doth livelily Type out the Work of Christ who is our Gospel High-Priest in the cleansing of his Gospel Spiritual-houses we need not doubt but the levitical Priest had his Instruments and other Means to use in the cleansing of the leprous House So Jesus Christ he hath also his Instruments and Means to use in the cleansing of his leprous Churches no doubt but the Levitical Priest had his Levites to assist him in scraping off the infected Plaister of the House so hath Jesus Christ his Ministers to work by in the scraping off the Pollution of his Churches Hence they are called Work-men 2 Tim. 2. 15. and Labourers such as labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 1â— even such by whose Labours they present Men perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 2. 28. Secondly The Means which Christ useth in cleansing of his Churches is the Preaching of the Word with the Power of the Holy Ghost working with it John 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you By this it is that Christ scrapes his Churches clean from that leprous Filth which is apt to cleave unto them by this it was which hâ— healed his diseased Church in the Wilderness from those frequent Rebellions which so often broke out amongst them Psal 107. 20. He sent his Word and healed them and delivered them from their Destruction By this it was which he healed by scraping his People in Babylon from that Uncleanness which they went away Foul and Filthy withal from their own Land He sent his Word and Prophets to them to scrape them clean of that Defilement Ezek. 3. 11. â—o get thee to them of the Captivity unto the Children of thy People and speak unto them and tell them thus saith the Lord God Whether they will hear or whether they will forbear So Ezek. 36. 33. Thus saith the Lord In the Day that I shall have cleansed you from all your Iniquities I will cause you to dwell in the Cities And by the same Means it was which our Lord endeavoured to cleanse the seven Churches of Asia as Ephesus from their coldness of Love to him Pergaâ—os of its unsound Doctrine Thyatra of its Neglect in Discipline Sardis of its spiritual Deadness and Laodicea of its Lukewarmness he sent his Word to them all by his Servant John to cleanse them from their spiritual Leprosies and Pollution Rev. 1. 4 5 Verses Secondly But if the use of this means will not do Christ will use other means that shall and that is Affliction If the Word will not scrape the â—â—od shall rake until Christ hath fetch'd off the Rust from his People the Rod sometimes effâ—cts and brings to pass what the Word doth not the Word may and doth shew Men their Duty but it 's the Rod which drives Men to it many a Man which hath leapt over the Word yet at last hath been fetcht back again by the Rod Afflictions if sanctifyed are as necessary for the People of God as Physick is for a diseased Body they are purging Means in order to a healthful Constitution David found much good by his Afflictions Psal 119. 71. Afflictions makes way for the entrance of the Word into the Affections which have lain for some Years as lifeless upon the Heart as Seed upon the Ground that wants Rain Joseph's Brethren who sinfully sold him into Egypt lay under the unrepented Gilt of that Sin for twenty Years together until the Rod of Affliction awakened it in their Consciences Gen. 42. 21. So we come to the Application 1st Vse This then should teach the Churches of God great Thankfulness to him who hath made such gracious Provision against their spiritual Maladies he might have suffered you all to have perished in your Pollutions and Defilements and have took as great Satisfaction in the glorifying of his Justice in your final Destruction as in magnifying of the Riches of his Grace and Mercy in your Recovery Oh! but on the other Hand what cause have we all to adore the Riches of boundless Grace with a thankful Admiration that a Fountain of Mercy is sound out and set wide open for the worst of Lepers and leprous Churches to Wash in and be Clean Are you liable to the Leprosie of Pride Passion Lukewarmness Errours Earthly-mindedness Doth a Spirit of Discord Backbiting and Envy break forth amongst you Lo here is the Word and Ordinances of the Gospel in Place to scrape and cleanse off all this from you which if attended with a divine Blessing it is a quick and powerful Means sharper than a two-edged Sword to divide asunder the Joynts and Marrow the Soul and Spirit and is a Discerner of the Thoughts of the Heart Heb. 4. 12. And you have heard if this Means will not do rather than God will suffer his People to Perish and Rot in their Corruption he will use his Rod of Correction to set home his Word of Instruction upon their Souls