Exposition on the Seven Psalms of Repentance, Exposition 51 · Verse 7
Verſe 7. Purge me with hyſſope, and I ſhall be cleane: waſh me, and I ſhall be whiter then ſnow.
HE is not contented ſimply to craue pardon once or twice, but many times; yes he multiplieth his ſuites by metaphors; allegories, and ſuch borrowed ſpeeches, ſignifying how deeply he was wounded with his ſin, that he would hauehave himſelfe aſſured and confirmed in the remiſſion thereof: and now he borroweth a ſimilitude from the waſhings and purgations vſed in the Leuiticall law, deſiring that God would looke on his miſeries, who was a leprous man by ſin, and a filthy polluted ſinner, that hee might be waſhed in the blood of Chriſt, prefigured by the Moſaicall waſhings.
Purge me with hyſſope. There is made mention of hyſſope, where it was vſed,Three times made mention of hyſop. Exo. 12.…. in three places: firſt, in the 12. of Exodus, at the inſtitution of the Paſſeouer, where the blood of the Lambe was appointed to be ſprinkled vponupon the doore cheekes with a bunch of hyſſope bound with a ſcarlet lace. The blood ſignified Chriſts blood, the bunch of hyſſope the ſauing, and the ſcarlet lace his blood died, which bound the bunch▪ all hauing their ſpirituall ſignifications. For the blood no doubt ſignified the blood of that vndefiled Lambe, ſhed from the beginning of the world. The hyſſope, the inſt…ument applying his blood by faith. The ſcarlet lace, the communion of the Saints, who are bound by louelove the bond of perfection, and ſprinkled with that ſame blood to the remiſſion of ſins. And ſo the blood which waſheth faith which applieth, and the lace that coupleth, are all one; Chriſt by faith and louelove receiued to the purgation of all Chriſtians.
The ſecond place, Leuit. 17. is the purgation of the Leper, wherein the blood of the ſparrow, the bunch of hyſſope and the ſcarlet lace are likewiſe mentioned, and differeth nothing but in this, in the firſt was the Lambe, here the Sparrow, which is all one: for euen as the Lamb is among beaſt…, ſo is the Sparrow bate and ſimple amongſt fowles; to which Dauid compar…th himſelf, I am as a ſparrow on the houſe top ſitting alone: Pſal. 102.7.ſo we muſt be ſprinkled with his blood, which being contemptible to men, was acceptable to God.
The third was, Numb. 19. about the red Cow, which muſt hauehave hyſſope dipped in the b…ood thereof. And Chriſt is compared to the Cow or fat calfe, which being in ſo great a price with the Father, was giuen to death for the ſaluation of our ſoules.
The hyſſope hath many things wherein it repreſenteth Chriſt very nigh:Wherein hyſop repreſenteth Chriſt. 1. Kin. 43▪ for firſt it is obſeure, humble and abiec…; ſo that Salo…o… is ſaid to hauehave written of all trees, from the Cedar the higheſt tree, oppoſed to the hyſſope ſpringing out of the wall, that is to be baſeſt and moſt common growing amongſt ſtones, not ſtanding of mans induſtr…e to plant them, as other trees doe. So Chr…ſt in whom we beleeue was contemptible, a worme, not a man, deſpiſed,Pſal. 2… ▪ in him was no beaurie, riches or earthly honours, which maketh men to come in credit and account.
Next▪ the hyſſope is bitter and ſowre, not pleaſant to the drinkers: ſo the croſſe of Chriſt, by which our affections are mortified, is very odious to the fleſh, and agreeth not with its taſte. His croſſe is therefore a ſtumbling blocke to the Iewes, and folly to the Gentiles.
Thirdly, albeit it be ſowre, yet it is moſt wholeſome: ſo albeit the doctrine of repentance be irkſome and vnſauory to the fleſh yet it is wholeſome to the ſoule. Naturall men eſteeme this doctrine to be an enemie to them, Simil. which would ſlay their corruptions and luſts. Medicine, which at firſt ſeemeth bitter, afterward becommeth more comfortable: ſo the doctrine which is ſalted with ſalt and hyſſope, is fitter for vsus then that which is ſweetned with hony; for hony was neuer appointed to be vſed in the Lords ſacrifices, but ſalt omnis victima ſale ſaliatur.
An obſeruation of Cyvillus concerning hyſop.Cyrillus obſerueth in the hyſſope an hot operation, whereby it ſha…pneth the groſſe humors, and purgeth the concretion of the priuitie; ſo grace maketh vsus feruent in the ſpirit.
Moreouer, hyſop purgeth the lungs, ph…iriaſis, reſts,The propertie of hyſop. Plin. lib. 20. cap. 4. nour…ſh…th the natiue colour of the bodie, killeth filth and vermine growing on man, cureth the bites of ſerpents, prouoketh appetite, ſharpneth the ſight, is enemie to ſeuers; of which it is written,
Parua calens, pectus purgans, petroſa ſtreatrix
Ius ſapidat pleurae congrua, ſpargit aquam.
So grace is hot by charitie, purging by contrition, ſpitting forth by confeſſion, ſeaſoning the body by temperance, ſauing the ſoule and inward parts by application of Chriſts blood, which being drunken purgeth our pluriſie and bloodie eyes.
The hyſop of Chriſts blood a medicine for all our corruptiō … ▪Then ſeeing all theſe diſeaſes are in the ſoule of man, are we not much beholden to God, who hath made one ſalue to cure all our ſores; the blindneſſe of our mind is remoued by the water of his blood; the foule c…r up…ions of our heart are euacuate and diſſolu…d▪ that we ſpit them fo…th; our coldnes is warmed, our fie…y feuers and inflammations quenched our ſpirituall vigour & colour is reſtored, which we loſt by ſin.
Waſh me, and I ſhall be whiter then the ſnow. What meant by waſhing.He acknowledgeth that none in heauen or earth is able to purge him, but God onelyonly: He hath that fountaine in his owne garden; he will communicate the glorie of our redemption to none but to himſelfe. For by this waſhing is meant the waſhing of iuſtification and remiſſion of ſins; that as creation belongeth onelyonly to God, ſo doth redemption by Chriſts blood. Wo to them who leauing the waters of life, go to any other, to ſeek water out of theſe rottē ciſterns.
Then ſeeing it is the proper work of God to waſh vsus, let vsus go to the lauer of baptiſme, that there we may be once waſhed; and after daily pray, that he may waſh our feete by ſanctification.
And I ſhall be whi…er then the ſnow He perſwadeth himſelfe of a full purgation by Chriſts blood. Though I were as blacke as the Moore, yet ſhall I be white as ſnow. Nothing can blot out our ſinnes but this blood. If we would waſh our ſelues with ſnow waters, our righteouſneſſe ſhall be as a menſtruous garment. Eſa. 64.6.What is all the righteouſneſſe of man, but an abhomination before God. Yea Chriſt himſelfe if he had b…n onelyonly man, could not hauehave bin able to ſatiſfie the iuſtice of an inſinite God; he muſt be God himſelfe, and therefore it is called the blood of God.
But how ſhall we be whiter then ſnow?Act. 20. …ouct. Solut. I anſwer, our eſtate is more perfect and …u…er by Chriſt, then it was by nature in Adam; foraſmuch as we hauehave our perfection by Chriſt, which cannot faile or alter; and it is the perfection of God which belongeth to vsus: ſo that we ſtand not before God as men, but as gods before God, being co…ered with his perfect obedience who is our Redeemer, bleſſed for ouer. So there is no cauſe why we ſhould feare or deſpaire, ſeeing we are cleanſed perfectly, if we beleeue & be ſanctified. Let vsus put on Chriſt, whoſe garment is white as ſnow.Mar. 17.2. And his Church is made white in him. Who is this that commeth vp white? foreign, Cant. 8.5.Apoc. 7.14 And the Bride hath white garments, made white in the Lambes blood.
The proper office of the holy Spirit is to waſh vsus, and purifie our conſcience by Chriſts blood, leſt our filthineſſe keepe vsus back from acceſſe to God. And this ye were, ſaith the Apoſtle, but ye are waſhed, 1. Cor. 6.11ye are ſanctified, ye are iuſtified in the name of the Lord Ieſus, and by the Spirit of our God. And againe, ſpeaking of the Church, that he may ſanctifie her, purging her by the waſhing of water, by the word, Eph. 5.17.that he may make the Church glorious to himſelf, not hauing ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing, but that ſhe may be holy & blameleſſe. So, it is the onelyonly worke of God to ſanctifie his children & make them clean.
Finally obſerue, that iuſtification and ſanctification are vndeuided companions; Doctr. Iuſtificatiō and ſanctification go together.whomſoeuer the Lord waſheth by the hyſop of his Sonnes blood, he alſo ſanctifieth by his Sp…rit. Studie therefore to get holineſſe, without which none ſhall ſee God. …et holineſſe to the Lord be written on your breſts.Exo. 28.36 Leuit. 20.7. Holineſſe becometh the houſe of God. Be holy, Many ſtudy to attain to knowledg, but not to ſanctification.as I am holy. For what fellowſhip can the moſt holy God hauehave with vncleane and profane people? This miſerable age ſtudieth to attaine to knowledge, but not to ſanctification. Let Atheiſts call you what they pleaſe, ſtudie you to puritie of li…e. A true Chriſtian will make more conſcience of an idle word or filthy thought which wil ariſe in their hearts,Nota. and will correct it more ſharply, then thoſe leud miſcreants will do for adultery and the worſt actions they commit.