Christ Revealed, Scriptural typology · Chapter 16

Christ Revealed · Scriptural typology · Chapter 16

p. 159CHAP. XVI.

Cleane persons: Types of Christ.

THe fourth ranke of holy persons pointing us unto Christ,Cleansing the uncleane a type of Christ. were such persons as were cleansed from any legall uncleanenesse. The persons legally uncleane were of severall sorts, and every sort had his several sort of cleansing, all of them looking towards and leading us to Iesus Christ. To give some tast in some particulars. Legall uncleanenesse was caused.3. Sorts of uncleannesse. 1. from without, by touching or tasting. 2. from within, as unclean issues. 3. from within and without, as Leprosie. Order requireth that we should speake, I. of the severall uncleannesses. II. of the severall cleansings.

Sect. I.

I. The kindes of legall uncleanenesse were three:

I. The first kinde of legall uncleanenesse was by eateing or touching any uncleane meat or creature,By meats or creatures that were uncleane. Lev. 11. 11. and 28.

Qu. How did the creatures become uncleane, which God had made good?

Ans. The Law of distinction of meats was not therefore ordained because those creatures were evill in their nature (for God saw all his workes very good) but prohibited onelyonly in their use.Whence this uncleannesse. Neither doth the Lord pronounce them uncleane by their creation, but by a temporary institution which restrained their use and touch.

Object. It seemes they were so by creation: for before the ceremoniall Law, there was a distinction of cleane and uncleane in Noahs time, Gen. 7. 2.

p. 160Answ. It was before the writing of the ceremoniall Law,When it began but not before the being of it, it being delivered to Adam and his posterity by Gods lively voice. Besides, by that institution they were forbidden onelyonly for sacrifice: but by this forbidden for common use and food, yet still cleane in their owne nature.

Quest. But how can these creatures defile a man, and that of our Saviour be true, Mat. 15. 11. That which goeth into the mouth, How it could be.defileth not the man?

Answ. Now under the Gospell whatsoever goeth into the mouth defileth not, in respect of lawfull and limited use: And under the Law it was not the creature that defiled; but the transgression of Gods institution in it. In the beginning God permitted all other trees to Adam, onelyonly restrained him in the tree of knowledge of good and evill; which therefore ceased not to bee good of it selfe, but became evill in Adams use, because of the commandement: not the apple, not the eating were in themselves defilements, but sinfull eating against the commandement.

Quest. But what ends or reasons were there of this prohibition of meates?Meates why prohibited.

Answ. Very many. 1. To shew the Lords soveraignty over his creatures, who hath liberty to permit or forbid any creature at his pleasure without impeachment of himselfe or the creature, hee may doe with his owne as he will. 2. To teach all persons to depend on God and his word of allowance for and in the use of all things, even for meats, and drinks, and all comforts; seeing man liveth not by bread, but by every word of God. 3. To traine up his people in temperance and obedience by restraining them so many creatures in earth, ayre, and sea, as good as any other. 4. That his people might professe open detestation of the heathenish superstition about them. The Aegyptians took for gods, oxen, sheep, goates, doves: God will have his people sacrifice p. 161these to his service, and eate those creatures which they (out of heathenish superstition) might not touch. The heathens used to offer many kindes of beasts to the Moone the Queene of heaven, and to Bacchus: God will have his people detest both in sacrifice and meate those which they so offered; all to shew how contrary we ought to bee to Idolaters in whatsoever wee may. 5. To distinguish that people of God from all the nations; God esteeming them by his grace in the Messiah a cleane people and all other uncleane. And this was a wall of partition between Iewes and Gentiles till Christ by rending the vaile brake it downe also, as in Peters vision, Act. 10. 15. 6. The Lord by this difference of beasts would have them conceive a difference of persons shadowed thereby; of whom some are cleane, some unclean; the former being elect are cleansed by faith from their pollution of sinne, the other remaine foule and filthy still.

Quest. How shall we know the cleane from the uncleane?

Answ. 1. The cleane are knowne by the two common markes of cleane beasts,Marke, of cleane beasts. Lev. 11. 3. 1. They divide the hoofe; that is, rightly distinguish of things, between nature and grace, between Moses and Christ, betweene the law and Gospell, truth and falshood. They will not receive things in grosse, and hand over head; but being spirituall discerne all things, 1 Cor. 2. 15. 2. They chew the cud, that is, after hearing and reading the word, they meditate, ponder, apply, and digest it: as Mary laid up the words in her heart, Luk. 2. 19. 2. The uncleane are knowne by some naughty and uncleane property. Some like the dogs that prophane the most holy things; barke against the word and preachers of it; never chew the cud nor digest the word. Some like the swine (2 Pet. 2.) having their mouthes alwayes rooting in the earth, cannot look up towards heaven; all for their belly; good for nothing but the knife: neither for plough, p. 162nor cart, nor burthens, nor saddle, nor wooll, nor milk; but onelyonly to feed and dye; besides (while they live) their filthy wallowing in miery lusts and puddles of corruption. Some like the hare, fearefull creatures shrinking from faith in God in temptation, and from profession of it in times of danger and persecution; more fearing crosses and losses then God himselfe, or the losse of salvation. These uncleane creatures cannot enter into heaven: The fearefull, Revel. 21. 8.Rev 21:8&c. shall have their part in the lake, &c. Of the same ranke are the Conies, that burrow and treasure in earth, and neglect to treasure where theeves neither digge through nor steale. Mat. 6. 19, 20. Some like the Ravens, black and unnaturall, feeding on carrion. Some like the Ostrich, grosse hypocrites, with faire wings but cannot flye. Some like the Sea-meaw, partly living on water, partly on land: partly will be saved by faith, partly by workes; cary fire and water, blow hot and cold, of any or no religion. And so much might be said of the properties of the rest.

Sect. II.

2II. The second legall uncleanenesse was caused from within, and was by the unclean issue of man or woman;By an uncleane issue. for which were appointed ceremonies of purification, Lev. 12. and cha. 15. 6. All those uncleane issues (of which we must reade and speake modestly) lead us by the hand,What it teacheth. 1. Into our selves and the consideration of our naturall corruption, the running issues of which meet us every where. 2. Out of our selves to the remedy, which is by Jesus Christ our sanctifier. The description of this foulenesse shewes what we are by nature, and in the first Adam. The maner of the cleansing shewes what we are by grace, and in the second Adam, in whom alone we attaine cure and remedy. To explaine which, wee must know that▪ 1. Those lawes concerning our uncleane p. 163birth, and the womans purification after every birth, put both the Jewes and us in minde how that the common nature of man is horribly polluted by sin, which is every where called by the name of uncleanenesse; Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity, and in sinne hath my mothor conceived me. Isa. 64. 6. We have all beene as an uncleane thing, and all our righteousnesse as filthy clouts. Iob 14. 4.Generatum sequitur naturam generantis. Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse? there is not one. Iohn 3. 6. That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh; because that which is begotten, participateth of the nature of that which begetteth. And this uncleanenesse is not in any one part, but sticks to the whole man both in body and soule, polluting the minde with blindnesse, the will with rebellion against the will of God, the conscience with senselesnesse and horrour, the affections with all maner of disorder, the whole outward man with resistance and repugnancy to the Spirit. Rom. 8. 7. 2. As from these inward issues the outward man was many wayes polluted: So the Jewes and we are put in minde, that from that filthy puddle and fountaine of originall sinne issue continually many uncleane issues into the life and conversation. Mat. 15. 19. Out of the heart come evill thoughts, murthers, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, slaunders: These are the things which defile the man. 3. As these uncleane issues defiled whatsoever they touched, Lev. 15. 4. to the 15. so herein is noted to them and us, the infection of sinne and spreading of it, and that the corruption of nature (which will put forth it selfe in every thing) polluteth all that we touch: Tit. 1. 15. VntoUnto them that are defiled and unbeleeving, is nothing pure, but even their mindes and consciences are defiled. 4. As those uncleane issues excluded and shut them out of the campe and society of Gods people till they were staid: so the foule issues of naturall corruption (till stopped and stayed by grace) estrange us from God, and from the common wealth of Israel. Ephes. 2. 12. p. 164The effect of all morall uncleannesse is to thrust every man and woman under the curse of the Law and wrath of God; who can no more abide a man in the foulenesse of his nature, then men can the spawne of a most venemous serpent. In Adam all died. 5. As the description of those issues brought the Jewes to the legall purification; for when the Jew saw the danger of his uncleannesse, and that if he separate not from it hee shall die in it for defiling Gods Sanctuary, vers. 31. this made him seeke to the remedy: So the true understanding of a mans forlorne and desperate estate by nature; and that except a man bee borne againe of water and the holy Ghost, he can never see the kingdome of God, Iohn 5. 5.John 5:5this makes a man flie out of himselfe to seeke righteousnesse and purity in the meanes which God hath appointed. And thus by the very description of our uncleannesse we are led unto Christ, by whom how wee are to bee cured, wee are after to see.

Sect. III.

3III. The third Legall uncleannesse was by the disease of leprosie; then which none was more foule,By leprosie. more hatefull. None so lively resembled the native face of sinne; none had so solemne and significant rites for cure; none did more expresly shadow all constitutions as conduce to the purging and removing of sinne; and consequently none more forceably led us to Christ, who is not in any Ceremony more lively figured. The Lord would have the Jews and us in this instance to bee ledd by things sensible to things intellectuall; Per sens…lia ad intelligibilia▪by an externall and sensible disease to be caried to that which is internall and lesse sensible, for the most part. And though of all bodily diseases, none more expresly declareth the disease of sinne in the soule then leprosie; yet it comes farre short of it in the desperate and dangerous properties of it. We must therefore prepare men to Christ by p. 165describing the foulenesse and misery of the disease. 1. Leprosie proceeds from poisoned and corrupted humours in the body:Sinne declared odious. So sinne is nothing else but the poison and corruption of the soule. And this spirituall leprosie is farre more miserable then the other; for that of the body is onelyonly a punishment, Poena. culpa.this is a guilt. And who can deny but the corruption and poison of the soule and spirit, is farre more poison full and mortall then poison of the flesh?In al…. 2. Bodily leprosie is a disease of some men: sinne is of all men, and of all the man. Bodily leprosie spreads over all parts of the body, but cannot reach the soule: but this spreads over the whole man; the soule and all the faculties are weakened and tainted; there is, not a debility onelyonly, but a corruption in the understanding, will, conscience, memory, in all affections, in all sences, in all parts; no man, no part of man exempted or excepted.God hates. 3. No disease is more stinking, and hatefull to men then leprosie: So nothing is so hatefull and abominable to God as sinne; his eyes cannot abide to behold it; hee will not endure it in his dearest servants, no nor Angels themselves, unrevenged; hee esteemes the sinner as dung.Infection. 4. No disease more contagious and infectious: A leper must meddle with nothing unlesse hee would defile it: All hee can doe is to make others uncleane 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 onelyonly 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 uncleane, by the filthy breath of his corrupt communication, by his wicked example and conversation: No leaven is so spreading, no pitch so cleaving.Excommunication. 5. Leprosie of all diseases separated the infected persons from the fellowship of all men p. 166both 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 Vzziah, 2. King. 15. 5. Neither might they come to the Temple to joine 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;Quoad Consortium, Quoad Locum. Quoad Praemium. 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,Paine and danger. 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 extreme sorrowes and paines that wait on sinne unpardoned; sorrows 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 wee 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,Signes of sinne and leprosie. the most to the death eternall. 7. The signes and symptomes of leprosie are most correspondent to the symptoms and effects of sinne in the soule. 1. As there is a debility and weaknesse of all parts because 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 minde; none more proud then hee who hath least cause. 3. There is burning and thirst through the adust and burnt blood by melancholy whereof it ariseth: here is inflammation and burning of anger, of lust, and thirst after p. 167the world, after revenge, after preferments; 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 envy, of hatred of goodnesse, of uncleannesse in speaches 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 filthy breath of corrupt communication, of uncleane and adulterous speaches, swearing and cursing speaches, lying and false speaches, slanderous and uncharitable speaches; 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.

I. From the former description of legall uncleannesses,Note. 1. Church and members, subject to many defilements. 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 tast but hee is presently defiled, as hee that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled with it. Where bee 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 vouchsafeth 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 p. 168below.And why. 1. There must be a difference betweene this heaven and earth, and that new heaven and new earth in which dwells nothing but righteousnesse; for had the Saints no warre, there needed no watch, there could bee no victory; if no seede 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 hee magnifieth his mercy both in covering and curing so great and many corruptions. 3. The godly in sence of their uncleannesse are kept low in their owne eyes, and watchfull of their waies; and so are driven out of themselves unto Christ for righteousnesse, and unto God for strength continually, as privy unto their owne continuall weakenesse. 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 heere 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 bee translated thither where righteousnesse shall dwell, yea the righteous and holy God shall dwell immediately in the midst of his Saints, and all things together with themselves shall be most absolutely cleane and holy.

II. The Lord by so large a description of legall uncleannesse would have them and us looke more neerely and seriously upon our owne misery by sinne,Note. 2. Looke narrowly on the misery of sinne. both in the cause, and in the effects of it. The former by bringing us to the contemplation of the foulenesse of our natures, and uncleannesse even in our birth and originall. For howsoever men little esteeme or bewaile this uncleannesse of nature and originall sinne;foreign. 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 p. 169be truely humbled and prepared for Christ, nor can expect a good estate in him, whose daily corrupt issues from an overflowing fountaine make him not seeme marvelous filthy and uncleane in his owne eyes. 1. What is the reason that so many do Pharisaically pride themselves, if not in the goodnesse of their persons, yet in some blinde hopes and presumptions that they be not so bad as they are, or as some others be: but because they never saw themselves in this glasse; which onelyonly lets a man see himselfe a masse of sinne, a lump of uncle…nnesse; and that no good thing is in his nature, which in no part is free from the running issues of that festred and inbred sinne? 2. Why do many doat upon their owne works and sightly actions; either to Popish confidence in them as meritorious, or at least (with many Protestants) to rest in the civility and morality of them without farther pursuit of the power of religion: but that they see not that so evill trees cannot send forth any good fruit, nor so bitter fountaines any sweet water? which could they but discerne, they would be weary of the best of their righteousnesse, and cast it away (with Paul) as dung; and conclude that when Aloes and wormewood yeeld a sweet taste, then might their fruits be sweet and tastefull to God and themselves. 3. Why do so many thousands contest against grace, stand upon their honesty, good neighbourhood, hospitality, charity; they thanke God they are no blasphemers, no drunkards, adulterers, murderers; they wash the outside, come to Church, heare sermons, are outwardly cleane and formall; no man can challenge them, no nor they themselves? but because they never saw the infection of their soules, nor the inordinacy of their inner man, which is a fountaine ever overflowing all the bankes: most dangerous, most secret: hardest to find out, and hardest to cure, and this deceives thousands in their reckonings. 4. Why is the righteousnesse of faith in p. 170the blood of Christ so much undervalued, and men so hardly driven out of themselves to seeke righteousnesse by him? But because they see not their owne uncleannesse, and therein their hatefull estate before God untill Christ the high Priest have made atonement for them. For as that man who (being sick to death) feeles not his sicknesse, nor discerns the depth and dangers of it, seekes not greatly after the Physitian, he applyes either no means, or some idle and impertinent things to small purpose: so he that sees not the misery of his disease of sinne, sees not the need of Christ, neglects the right meanes, and contentedly deludes himselfe, running any whither but to the right remedy.

It is fit and fruitful to looke a little neerer this disease of nature,Good to see and know our filthinesse by sinne. that we may not onelyonly make conscience of the foulenesse of nature, but be thrust out of our selves to the meanes of our cleansing: Considering 1. That this uncleane issue (which the legall issues poynt us unto) is a sinne against the whole Law of God in all branches of it, whereas other sinnes are against one of the Tables, and one of the Commandements. 2. This poyson of nature is the same in all men, that all may be humbled who are borne children of the devill, enemies to righteousnesse, all of us being in our very birth sonnes of death: for in Adam all are dead. And as an image of rotten wood must needs be rotten: so wee, hewne out of so rotten a stocke. Who is it that is not a Leper from the wombe? Let any man thrust his hand into his bosome, as Moses did, Exod. 4. 6. and he shall pull it out againe leprous, and as white as snow. Every man hath cause to cry with the Leper, I am vncleane, I am uncleane. The spawne of a Serpent are Serpents; and what are wee but the spawne, the seed of Adam? 3. This Issue is a generall disorder of the whole man, and of all parts. Neither is bodily leprosie more generall and universally spread over all the members, then sinne in the soule, p. 171which is seated in all the members,foreign. so as from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot, there is nothing sound: but a generall ataxy or disorder in want of all goodnesse in all parts, and pronenesse to all evill. 4. Miserable are the effects of this close uncleannesse: As 1. In this Image of sinne, no ugly toad can bee so hatefull to us, as wee unto God. 2. The whole man lies subject under the curse and wrath of God; Rom. 5. 18, the fault came on all to condemnation. 3. Nothing can proceed from us but what is foule and damnable. What can a Serpent cast out but poyson? Whatsoever our owne strength or will can bring forth is tainted with this leprosie; for freewill remaineth onelyonly to evill. 4. Nothing without us that we can touch, but we taint, 4till we be cleansed,Miserable effects of inwa…d uncleannesse. noted in the infection of houses vessels, garments. Both earthly things, all the creatures, all our comforts, actions, to the unpure all is so: Yea divine actions, the word, Sacraments, prayer, almes, all polluted by us and to us, so long as we be unconverted and in our uncleane nature. 5. An unregenerate man can converse with no man, but (as a Leper) he infects him by example, provocation, corrupt opinions, frothy speeches, fruitlesse behaviour. And if they that poyson mens bodies are worthy extreame punishment, and every man detests them: how much more severe wrath of God are they liable unto, that do nothing but poyson mens soules? 6. No Leper was so worthily cast out of the campe; as all of us by nature are worthily cast out of the society of Saints in earth and in heaven, yea from the presence & fellowship of God and Jesus Christ, and that for ever. Sinne properly shuts out of heaven, no uncleane thing comes there: nothing more hateful to God, nothing but that hated by him. 7. All this misery we our selves can neither discerne nor remedy. It makes us pure in our owne eyes, though we be not washed, Prov. 30. 12. We lye wallowing in our filthinesse, and delight in it as the p. 172swine in the myre, and never are cured till we get out of our selves to the high Priest, in whom onelyonly it is perfectly to cleanse and cure us. Now seeing in this glasse our owne disease and need of cure, let us returne to the meanes of our cure in these three severall sorts of uncleannesse, and in the legall be led to the cure of morall uncleannesse.

Thus of the kinds of legall uncleannesse.

2Next, all Legall uncleannesse was to bee cured two waies:Vncleannesse cured by washing, & offering. 1. by ablution or washing. 2. by oblation or offering. Both these were appoynted for all kinds, as in particular. 1. for uncleane touchings and tastings, the parties must wash their cloathes, Levit. 11. 40. 2. for uncleane issues they must wash themselves and their cloathes, Levit. 15. 13. 3. for uncleannesse of Leprosie they must wash themselves, their cloathes, and besides shave off all their haire, and stay seven dayes without the campe, Lev. 14. 8, 9.

Sect. V.

I. The first meanes of purging Legall uncleannesse is washing;Washing: blood of Christ. which shadowed out the washing of the sinner in the laver of Christs blood. All the water in the sea cannot wash away the least sinne; that great worke is appropriated to the blood of Christ, 1 Ioh. 1. 7, the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth us from all sinne: Rev. 1. 5, who loved us, and washed us from our sinnes in his blood: which blood is opposed to all legall washings, Heb. 9. 9.

Object. Lev. 11. 44, this washing is called a sanctification.

Answ. Sanctification is twofold 1. by the outward signe,Externi symboli & professionis. Veritatis internae. 2. by the inward truth. They by washing, symbolically and in outward profession by these rites sanctified themselves: but thereby beleevers were led to p. 173the internall truth, and the laver of the blood of Christ. All this washing then leads us to the blood 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:Resemblance. so in the cleansing of sinne must be a speciall application of the blood of Christ; called, Heb. 9. 14, the sprinkling of Christs blood upon the conscience. Which is nothing else on Gods part but the imputation of Christs sufferings to us: and on our owne part the application of them to our selves by the hand of faith. 2. In Washing is a rubbing and scowring off of uncleanenesse which will not easily off; and in some foulenesse they must wash often for the surenesse of the worke: 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 hee may fetch out the stayne of sinne, which sticks as close as his flesh to his bones. 3. The uncleane 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 generall as the foulenesse is. For whatsoever part is not washed by Christ, hath no part in Christ, which made Peter say, not my feet onelyonly (Lord) but mine hands and head. 4. In the foulenesse of Leprosie hee must wash againe and againe: to note, that after our justification by the death of Christ, we must looke to a second washing of sanctification by his spirit. And because we have still washing worke with us, wee must be still washing our selves by daily labour in our owne reformation. This was more lively signified in that other ceremony added to washing in the Leper, that hee must shave his haire againe and again: signifying the paring away of superfluities and lusts as fast as they grew; and a voluntary departing p. 174from his owne 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 hee was out of hope quite to unroot them as long as he lived. He must keepe them under but cannot be rid of them: Hee must shave the first day and the seventh day, and resist his lusts, which daily grow up on him, as haire cut, quickly growes againe. 5. The uncleane person must wash his clothes as well as himselfe: signifying that we 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.Vse. 1. Smallest sins to be put away. Be not a mental adulterer, banish unchastity in the eye and mouth, avoid wanton company, as did Ioseph 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 doest thou but foame out thy owne shame? If thou shouldst keepe thy selfe never so pure, but partakest in other mens sinnes, thou art unclean. This reproveth Magistrates, 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 bee kept holy to our God. Or if they be ordinary abettors of idle persons and gamesters by example. This brandeth Ministers, openly pleading for drunkards and hatefull blasphemers. This defileth masters, parents, husbands, that suffer their families to runne into prophanenesse or ryot.

II. In all these touches goe to the fountaine opened. p. 175Vse. 2.Zach. 13. 1.Goe to Christ, wash, and be cleane. Every Iew had his waterpots to keep water for daily purification, Iohn 2. 6. but now the house of David and Ierusalem, 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,Offering. Christ offered himselfe. or offering some attonement to the Lord, this directly leads us to Christ. For howsoever an uncleane person must wash himselfe and his clothes, yet no Iew could make an attonement for himselfe: but this was common to all uncleannesses legall, the Priest must make an attonement for the uncleane 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.Washing not sufficient without offering. In leprosie, Lev. 14. 53. Noting by the way, that all that we can doe, cannot make attonement for the least spot of sinne. Let us wash our selves as often as Naaman in Iordan; yea let us take snow water to us, and wash our hands most cleane; yet our owne cloths will make us foule, and God will plunge us in the pit, if our Lord Iesus (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, 1was done by the sacrifice of a red cow,Red Cow. and the sprinkling water made of the ashes of that red Cow, prescribed by God to this purpose, Numb. 19. called water of expiation.Christ. Pro Christoaries, pro Christo agnus pro Christo vitulus, pro Christo …ircus, totum Christus. Aug. That all this ordinance typified Christ to the Iews, the Apostle expresseth, Heb. 9. 13, 14. when from the blood of this red cow he leads us to the blood of Christ, saying: If the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling them that are uncleane, sanctifieth as touching p. 176the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead workes; wherein he not onelyonly compareth but infinitely advanceth the truth above the type.Difference. For 1. that was symbolicall and figurative: this spirituall and substantiall. 2. that was externall and temporary: this internall and eternall. 3. that onelyonly 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 proceed from death of sinne.Dead workes, why. 2. because they lead to eternall death.

For the explaining of this ordinance consider foure things. 1. whence the Cow must be. 2. the properties or qualities. 3. the actions about her. 4. the use and end of it.

1I. 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 humility of our Lord Jesus; who being the mighty Lion 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.

2II. The properties required in this Cow are foure. 1. She must be an heifer, in her youth and strength: Christ offers himselfe, and must be taken for a sacrifice in the flower of his strength, at three and thirty yeares. He offers his best gifts, and dyes in his strength, and so his offering was more free and acceptable. And wee 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 p. 1771. 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.Isay 1. 18.Isa 1:18 3. the bitter and bloody passion of Christ,Isa. 63. 1.Isa 63:1 and his cruell death. The red skin of the Cow resembled the red garments of Christ all besprinkled: 1. With his owne blood. 2. with the blood of his conquered enemies. 3. presented unto his father, like the coat of Ioseph, all stained with blood. 3. The Cow must be without spot or blemish: to signifie the purity of our Lord Iesus, 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 slain for sin, not being sinfull. Christ was ruddy through his passion,Cant. 5. 10.Song 5:10 yet most white and spotlesse by his most perfect and absolute righteousnesse. She must be without yoke, on which never yoke came: signifying, 1. that Christ (not necessarily, but) voluntarily tooke our nature, that he might free us from our yoke. 2. his absolute freedome from all the yoke of sinne, farther then he voluntarily undertooke the burthen of it. 3. that he was never subject to the yoke of humane precepts and commandement, 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 freewill offering, hee having power to lay downe his life, and to take it up againe. 5. he was more free from the yoke then any red heifer could be. She indeed must be free in her selfe: he not onelyonly free in himselfe, but he must free all beleevers 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 p. 178whole body of the Iews. 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, blood, and dung, ver. 5. Signifying 1. that Christ must be led out of the gate of Ierusalem 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 meate, his blood our drinke, 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 blood with his finger, and sprinkle towards the foreside of the Tabernacle of the assembly seven times, ver. 4. Signifying 1. the purging of us by the blood of Christ sprinkled on the conscience. 2. that Christs death profits none to whom it is not specially applyed: for the Cowes blood must be not shed onelyonly, but sprinkled. 3. that onelyonly the people and congregation of God have benefit of the death and blood of Christ, for it was sprinkled directly before the Tabernacle. 4. the seven times sprinkling noteth 1. that that one oblation hath vertue 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 bee burnt with Cedar wood, scarlet lace, and hysope, all which must be cast into the fire with her, ver. 6. signifying 1. three things in Christ. 1. the Cedar of uncorrupt life. 2. the scarlet of fervent love to mankinde. 3. the hysope 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. p. 1792. the scarlet, the merit of his blood applyed to justification. 3. the hysope of mortification, healing our corruptions, as hysope hath an healing quality. All these three properly arise from the passion of Christ. 5. Action. A cleane person must gather the ashes of the heifer, and lay them without the Campe in a clean place, ver. 9. signifying 1. the buriall of Christ in a cleane and new tombe wherein never man lay, a cleane 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 cleane place of a pure heart and conscience, an onelyonly fit closet to keep the mystery of faith in.

IV. The use and end of these ashes was twofold, 4ver. 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 beleever that sees his need of them. 2. Of them was made a water of seperation, thus: A cleane person tooke 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 upon the uncleane person the third and seventh day, and so he (washing his clothes and flesh with water) was cleane at even, ver. 18, 19. signifying 1. that the blood of Christ is the onelyonly water of seperation for persons separate, to seperate them from their uncleannesse. The water made of the ashes of Christs death & bloodshed, sprinkled upon the unclean, can onelyonly purge the conscience from dead workes. 2. that this blood of Christ must be sprinkled with hysope of faith and mortification. For hysope hath a cleansing quality, and is put sometimes for that which onelyonly and properly cleanseth,Psal. 51. 7.Ps 51:7 purge me with hysope, that is, with the blood of that eternall sacrifice, figured by that which is sprinkled with hysope. 3. that this blood of Christ p. 180must bee often applied; the third day, and the seventh day: The death and merit of Christ must be often meditated and applied to the heart. For it is a perpetuall and eternall purging and sprinkling water in the Church, and we must have daily recourse unto it.

I. That the Lord hath appointed meanes for cleansing all kind of impurity:Note. 1. There is a way to cleanse every uncleannesse. 1. That his people and we might know, that by no infirmity and frailty we shall fall quite out of the grace of God: 2. That the Lord takes not the forfeit of all the scapes, and foule falls of his children, utterly to forsake them: seeing the Jew that was legally polluted seventy times seven times, was as often received in againe as he was cleansed, according to the purification of the Sanctuary: 3. That we should not despaire, nor the weake Christian bee quite dejected in the sence of the multitude of his frailties and foule touches, seeing the Gospel affoords us the remedy and meanes to cleanse all morall uncleannesse, no lesse certainly and fully, then the Law to the Jews, to purge their legall.

II. As the Jew was no sooner defiled by touching a dead man,Note. 2. Have recourse to the meanes. or bone, or grave, or tent, or any thing about him, but hee must presently repaire to the meanes of legall cleansing: So every Christian defiled by the least touch of any dead worke must have recourse to the remedy appointed in the Gospel. The Law appointed the water of the ashes of a redd Cow: but the Gospel appoints the redd blood of Jesus Christ, sprinkled and applied by faith (as by hyssope) upon the conscience. Consider,Motives. 1. The necessity: The person defiled not having this sprinkling upon him shall be cut off from Israel, verse 13. So whosoever hath not the blood of Christ sprinkled upon his soule, shall bee cut off from the number and inheritance of the Saints, Mark. 16. 16, hee that beleeves not shall be damned. 2. Every sinne is a separation from God, who being a God of pure eyes cannot abide the filth of it; and therefore wee had need continually p. 181to have this water of separation for the washing of our hearts daily, and often every day; because it is gathering some uncleannesse every houre, yea every moment. 3. An uncleane creature or vessell could not bee of any service to man, for hee must not touch it till it be cleansed: So a sinner so long as he is uncleane and impenitent cannot be of any good use, nor present any acceptable service to God.Isai. 1.Isa 1 And therefore the Prophet, Wash you, and cleanse you, and then come. No man dare present any thing to a King with a foule hand: the Lord will accept no such present. 2. Cor. 6. 17, 18. touch no uncleane thing, and I will receive you, and bee a father unto you: Implying that the Lord will not receive him that any way communicats with sinne, if obstinate and impenitent. 4. Nothing else can recover our beauty and first estate of holinesse and happinesse but this laver. A cloth once soiled never recovers the beauty and whitenesse but by washing. This laver onelyonly brings backe a white and unspotted innocency. All the holy water in the Sea of Rome cannot wash one sinne; for that hath no commandement, no institution, no promise. Besides, all legall Ceremonies are dead, which in their life time could not cleanse by the meere deed done, Ex opere operato.as they say theirs doth. 5. How vaine is it to see men and women curious and carefull in washing their bodies and clothes, they will not suffer the least spot on them, but wash them weekely: and yet goe on yeare by yeare in the foule defilements of sinne, and never desire to be washed and rinsed in the water of separation; nay nothing more troubles them then to be called to reformation? A cleanly man will have his clothes washed weekely, but his hands and face every day: A cleanly Christian will not be lesse carefull of his heart.Note. 3. Be very careful to avoid spirituall uncleannesse.

III. Seeing there was so much businesse in legall cleansing of the least foulenesse; how carefull were the Jews to avoid those foulenesses? and how much more p. 182should Christians bee to avoid the morall? 1. In themselves. A good heart will be affected with the least touch of sinne, as David to cut Sauls lappet, and to avoid appearance as well as evill it selfe.Iustus metuit non solum a peccato, sed & a contagione & la…e peccati. Ambr. de institut. virg. 2. From others. For the Jew might bee impured from others as well as by himselfe. We must not communicate in other mens sinnes, 1. Tim. 5. 22. The just man bewareth not onelyonly sinne it selfe, but even the contagion and infection of sinne. Watch thy selfe; as privie to thine own weaknesse, and thy adversaries subtlety and strength. Watch against others sinnes; as being beset with snares. Resolve with good Iacob, Gen. 49 6. Into their secret my soule shall not come. This strict watching is counted commonly foolish precisenesse, nicety, hatefull purity: but God esteemes it otherwise. It is an apparant losse of mens favour, preferments, and worldly helps: but hee onelyonly finds the favour of God, and the happinesse to see God.

Sect. VII.

2The oblation for uncleane issues, leading us to Christ, is appointed,Birds. Levit. 15. 14, 15. In this, 1. What fowles must bee prepared for the offering; two Turtles, or two young Pigeons; and so for the womans, vers. 29. Of the cleane kind of birds: signifying and resembling the purity of Christs humane nature. Besides his innocencie, simplicity, meeknesse, chastity, charity, fruitfulnesse; of all which vertues these Doves were expresse Emblems. 2. What was the use of these fowles: 1. They must bring them to the Priest: No man must offer his owne sacrifices, but must present them to God by Christ the onelyonly high Priest: 2. They must bring them to the doore of the Tabernacle; for publicke service must not bee privately performed; and figured our entrance by Christ the doore: 3. One must bee made a sinne offering, the other a burnt offering. The sacrifices p. 183were types of that onelyonly sacrifice of the Sonne of God our Redeemer, performed upon the Altar of his Crosse, for the expiating the sinnes and foule issues of the whole world. In them both, 1. what they were, 2. what were the ceremonies about them. 1. The sinne offering was a sacrifice in which the whole beast or bird was not consumed with fire (as the burnt offering was) but slaine for the expiation of sinne: The use of which was to figure and seale up to the Jews the expiation of their sinnes in Christ.Heb. 9. 26.Heb 9:26 Now Christ is made manifest for the doing away of sinne, by the slaine sacrifice of himselfe; and see verse 28. The burnt offering was a sacrifice in which the whole beast or bird was consumed with fire offered up therein to God for a savour of rest; namely to appease and pacifie Gods wrath for some sin, or sinnes committed: Which signified that Christ was to bee a whole burnt offering, and to bee wholly consumed in soule and body with the fire of his Fathers wrath, that hee might bee a sweet smelling savour for us. Hee gave himselfe for us, Ephes. 5. 2.Eph 5:2a sacrifice and oblation for a sweet smelling savour. Neither did the beleeving Jews thinke that God was appeased by any vertue in the burnt offering, but through the eternall sacrifice of Christ shadowed therein. 2. What were the ceremonies about these fowles, for they all pointed at Christ. 1. For the sinne offering of fowles, the ceremonies are appointed, Levit. 5. 8, 9. and they bee three. 1. Rite. The Priest must wring the necke of the Dove asunder, but not plucke it cleane off;Levit. 1. 15.Lev 1:15 and the same rite in the burnt offering: The necke must bee pincht with the naile of the Priest to let out the blood, but the head must not bee pluckt off from the body: Signifying. 1. That although Christ was to die, yet his divinity and humanity should not bee severed. 2. That the death of this innocent Dove should not interrupt his head-ship of the Church. Hee was to bee pinched to death; but his head should not bee severed p. 184from his body and members, which is his Church. 3. That Christ should die indeed, but no bone of him must be broken, Ioh. 19. 36. shadowed also in the Passeover. 2. Rite. The Priest must sprinkle the blood of the sinne offering upon the side of the Altar, vers. 9. and the like in the burnt offering, Chap. 1. 15: signifying that all the vertue and merit of Christs blood for the purging of sinne, was drawen from the Altar of his Deity. He must be God that must purchase the Church with his blood,Act. 20. 28.Acts 20:28 and 2. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ. 3. Rite. All the rest of the blood must be powred out at the foot of the Altar: signifying not onelyonly the powring out of the blood of Jesus Christ our true sinne offering upon the Altar of the Crosse, without which shedding of blood can bee no remission of sinnes: but also the blood powred at the foot of the Altar, that is, those clots and drops of blood plentifully flowing from him in his agony before his passion, Luke 22. 44. as hee was going up to the Crosse. 2. For the Dove appointed for the burnt offering (besides the former rites) some other are appointed.Levit. 1. 16.Lev 1:16 1. The Priest must plucke out the maw with his feathers, and cast them besides the Altar on the East side in the place of the ashes: For these were things uncleane; and signified that Christ should bring no uncleane thing to his suffering, but present a most spotlesse and holy oblation to the Lord; for else had it not beene of sweet smell. 2. The Priest must divide and cleave the bird with his wings, but not asunder: signifying Christ, who seemed by his death to bee burnt, extinct, and perished; for so he was in the esteeme of his owne disciples as they were going to Emmaus: but yet hee was not quite sundred, but rose againe by his owne power, and ever liveth sittting at his Fathers right hand to make requests for us. Yea his owne words might seeme to imply a sundring, when he saith; Why hast thou forsaken mee: but that the ingemination of his former p. 185words (my God, my God) doth strongly prove the contrary. 3. This bird must bee throughly consumed to ashes, to make it a sweet savour to the Lord, Levit. 1. 17: signifying that never was any thing so gratefull and acceptable to the Lord, as the whole burnt sacrifice of his Sonne; in which hee smelled a savour of eternall rest. To which the Psalmist alludeth,Psal. 20. 3.Ps 20:3 Let him smell a savour of all thy oblations, and turne thy burnt offerings into ashes. 4. When all these rites were observed, the party that was uncleane shall bee cleane, Levit. 12. 8. and Chap. 15. 13, 28: signifying that a party justified by Christs blood, and exercising true repentance, and the study of holinesse and new life; is brought in againe into the right and fellowship of God and his people, whatsoever his uncleannesse formerly hath beene. And thus hath the legall cleansing of this person brought us to the Evangelicall in Jesus Christ.

I. Sundry grounds of consolation to the Church and people of God.Note. 1. Comfort to the godly. 1, As Christ seemed cleane divided and sundred from his Father and from his Church but was not: so his members often seeme quite sundred from God and all comfort, but are not, 2. Cor. 4. 8. and Chap. 6. 9. A godly man may bee in such a straight as David was, when thus he brake forth to Ionathan; As the Lord liveth, and as thy soule liveth, there is but one step betweene me and death: and yet when hee can see no passage, God makes a passage forth. Hence may a Christian (with Paul) challenge all perills and dangers, and contemne them as too weake to separate us from Christ, Rom. 8. 39. yea in all things wee are not onelyonly conquerours, but more then conquerours. So was Christ in death, and from under the grave more then a conquerour. Let a Christian be slaine it hinders him not from being a conquerour; and what ever hee may lose, he loseth not the love of God; who loveth him to the end, whom hee once loveth; and therefore onelyonly the sound p. 186Christian is in a sure estate. If sorrow be for a night, joy will returne in the morning; after darkenesse as sure to see light. As Jesus Christ keepes his headship, and death cannot sever him quite: so the members may bee pinched (yet not quite off) but abide members still. 2. As the speciall providence of God watched his owne sonne, that though hee was in wicked hands that wanted no will, yet they were kept from breaking one bone of him: soe doth the same prouidence watch over his members; that howsoever the wicked of the world pinch and presse them,Psal. 34. 20.Ps 34:20 yet the promise is made to them, He keepes all their bones, not one of them is broken, that is, without the will of our heavenly Father, as Mat. 10. 29. Not an hayre shall fall; for the same providence watcheth the head and members. This consideration is used by Christ to remoove excessive feare of men. If thou see thine enemies encrease as bees about thee, ready to strike and sting: Let thy waies please the Lord, he can 1. turne their hearts to peace as Esaus to Iacob when he purposed his death; and Labans to Iacob when he intended evill intreaty towards him. 2. He can turne their counsell to folly, and bring it on their owne heads, as in Haman and Achitophel. 3. He can turne their evill to thy good and salvation, according to the saying of Ioseph to his brethren, Yee intended evill against me, but God turned it to good as this day. 4. He can take them off at his pleasure; he hath an hooke for Zenacherib; and Balaam shall not curse though he would never so faine. 3. In that Christ brought no uncleane thing to his sacrifice (figured in pulling out the maw and feathers, and casting them beside the Altar in the place of ashes) wee have comfort in the offering of all our service and sacrifices of prayer,Note. 2. Affect purity of heart and life. prayses, almes, duties, all unclean in and from us: but presented in Christs sacrifice no uncleannesse is in them.

II. How carefull the Lord is that his people preserveMotives. p. 187purenesse among them, that the holy God may walke amongst an holy people: And teacheth how carefull we Christians should be to cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. And that we should be ever stopping up those uncleane issues which disturbe our chastity of body or mind, which these Legall issues specially aime at. Oh this chastity of minde and body is a singular grace. For 1. It stands with the will of God; 1 Thes. 4. 3, 4, This is the will of God even your sanctification; and that every one possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour. Casta Deus mens est, casta vult mente vocari.2. It stands with the nature of God, which is most holy and pure; God is a pure chast Spirit, and will bee prayed unto with a pure and chast heart. How can foule fornicators and adulterers thinke that their prayers can get into heaven, and themselves shut out? 3. By holinesse and chastity of mind and body thou becommest a Temple of the holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6. 19: Without which thou art no better then a swinesty, fit for foule spirits and devils, that delight in uncleannesse to harbour in 4. It stands with the honour of the body; which 1. is for the Lord, that is, created for the glory of the maker. 2. the Lord is for the body, namely to redeeme it, so as the body also is a part of Gods purchase. 3. the Lord is the head, and the bodies are members of Christ. Oh what a great wickednesse (as Ioseph calls it, Gen. 39. 9.) to make it a member of an harlot? 5. Follow holinesse and chastity; without which thou shall never see God either in grace, or in glory, Heb. 12. 24. What makes the harlots so sottish, so gracelesse in the middest of powerfull meanes, but that their hearts are taken away, Hos 4▪ 12.Hos 4:12Gods plague hath already seised upon them in great part, for they cannot see God in grace offering repentance, and therefore they shall never see him in glory. Now the best directions for stopping these running issues, are:

I. Direction.Begin with the heart: why. Begin at the fountaine; labour for p. 188inward purity first. For 1. Whence issue these but from a wicked and impenitent heart? 2. God lookes first at the cleannesse of the heart, knowing that if hee find that uncleane nothing is cleane. 3. Morality and cleanlinesse make a man care for the cleannesse of his face, but grace and religion must make him looke to the cleannesse of his heart, Ier. 4. 14. Because he knowes that no beauty of the face can allure a man so much, as the cleannesse of heart allureth. 4. Get grace into thy heart, and it cannot choose but send out, as Christ saith, According to that which is within. According to the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake, the eye will looke, the hand will worke, the foot will walke. Get thy heart purged and washed, and it is impossible that thy life should be foule. 5. In vaine do men struggle and strive to cast off some wast boughs of sinfull actions, if they seeke not to strike up the roote. Thou wouldst avoyd oathes and lyes in thy tongue, but shalt never doe it while thou hast a swearing and lying heart. Thou wouldst avoid fornication and adultery in the act, in the eye, in the speech, but never shalt thou stop this issue, if thou hast an adulterous heart: And so in other sinnes.

Quest. How may I cleanse my heart?How the heart may be cleansed.

Answ. Cleannesse of heart is in two things. 1. Justification by the blood of Christ imputed and applyed, Ioh. 15. 8. 10. 2. Sanctification by the spirit, which stands in two things. 1. In parting with our filthinesse, as evill thoughts, pride, hypocrisie, stubbornnesse, malice: in a mortification of all inward lusts. 2. In attaining a new estate in all the inward faculties, a planting and cherishing of all graces. Thus (as our Saviour saith) he that is washed is all cleane.

II. Direction.Proceed in cleansing the life. From the foundation come to the streams. If the heart at any time be inflamed with the fire of concupiscence, and begin to boyle over, stay the issue with all expedition.

p. 189Quest. How?

Answ. 1. Covenant with all thy parts that none of them shall fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Specially, covenant with thine eye, as Iob, with thy tongue not to name any filthinesse, as it becommeth Saints, Eph. 5. 3, with thy hand not to execute any inordinate desires. 2. Threaten thy members; that thou wilt plucke out thine eye, cut off thy hand and foot rather then by them offend God and thy conscience. If this will not serve, beat downe thy rebellious members (as Paul) with labour.

3. Direction.Avoid occasions of defilement. Avoid occasions of defilements by the uncleane issues of others, so did the Jewes. As 1. Come not neere uncleane persons, 2 Cor. 6. 17. Avoid swearers, drunkards, gamesters, wantons, Prov. 4. 14. 2. Avoid the seate they sit on; A place of shorter rest, Psal. 1. 1. Blessed is he that sits not in the seat of wicked men; Lev. 15. 6. 3. Shunne the bed they lye on, Lev. 15. 5; A place of longer rest with them; as one delighting in their fellowship, and tumbling with them in filthinesse.Vt salivaore excutitur, sic sermo. 4. Beware of their spittle, ver. 8. Words are cast out of the mouth as spittle. Neither assent to their speeches and perswasions, (which are still against God) nor be dismaid from good things by their threats and reproches. This filthy froth and spittle daily pollutes many that are carelesse to avoid it.

Object. Alas it is impossible then to avoid uncleane issues. I cannot but daily and hourely touch some filthinesse, unlesse I runne out of the world, and from my selfe.

Sol. 1. Therefore as the woman having the bloody issue, thrust in daily to touch the hemme of Christs garment, Marc. 5. that his blood may heale thy bloody issues. 2. As seeing need of daily mercy, to true watch joyne prayer,2 Chron. 30. 18, 19, 20.2 Chr 30:182 Chr 30:192 Chr 30:20 as Hezekiah, The good Lord be mercifull to him that is sanctified, although not according to the purification of the Sanctuary: And the Lord heard him: So p. 190will he thee, where he findes a true endeavour after cleannesse.

Sect. VIII.

3Now followes the oblation for the uncleannesse of leprosie. The cleansing of the Leper is in Lev. 14. where we read of two sorts of oblations prescribed.Leper two wayes cleansed. 1. For the cleansing of him that hee might come into the tent. 2. After his cleansing and comming into the tent, hee must offer three Lambes, one for a trespasse offering, one for a sinne offering, another for a burnt offering, with a number of ceremonies about the Lambes, all leading to Christ. But in this place we are onelyonly to speake of the former, concerning his cleansing, Lev. 14. from ver. 2. to 8. Where 1. The Leper to be cleansed must bee brought to the Priest. For he onelyonly must discerne and pronounce of it, whether it be cured or uncleane: signifying that the sinner that desires to be cleansed, must hasten to Jesus Christ the onelyonly high Priest of the new Testament, who onelyonly is able to cleanse and heale our leprosie of sinne, and herein is farre beyond all those types. The Priest could discern of bodily leprosie, and pronounce them cleane if they were so, but hee could not make them cleane if they were not. But Iesus Christ can properly forgive sinne, the soules leprosie, being the healing God, and onelyonly Physitian of soules. 2. The Priest must goe out of the campe unto him to consider him: to signifie, how Iesus Christ findes us when he first comes unto us, namely such as (having the most loathsome leprosie running upon us) have no right to the communion of Saints, nor to any of the priviledges of Gods people, but outcasts and aliens from God, from the faith, and from the common wealth of Israel, Ephes. 2. 12. 3. The Priest must first see him healed, and then proceed to the exact cleansing, ver. 3. signifying a twofold p. 191action of Iesus Christ in the curing of the leprosie of sin. For, 1. he must heale the sinner by the grace of justification and sound conversion: but this is not all, for there remains a great deal to do before we can be foūdly cleansed. And therefore 2. he must bestow on us his Spirit, to worke in us a daily growth and proceeding in sanctification, before we can be pronounced cleane. 4. The Priest must prepare 1. two little live birds of the clean kinde, ver. 4. 1. two birds, to note the twofold nature of Iesus Christ, his deity and humanity. 2. two little birds, to note the humility and meane esteeme of our Lord and Saviour Christ. 3. two cleane birds, to note the unspotted and surpassing purity of both his natures. 4. two live birds, one to die and the other to live, to note that Christ had one nature to dye in, another not subject to death: As also the twofold estate of our Lord Iesus, his suffering and dying estate, and his glorious and exalted estate. 2. he must prepare Cedar wood, scarlet, and …ysope: noting (as we have heard) the excellent graces that Christ brings to his oblation, both in regard of himselfe, his Church, and his father: And signifying that Christ and his graces are inseperable: And teacheth that no man can thinke to bee cleansed by the blood of Christ, that is carelesse to receive his graces; which thou must as eagerly desire as himselfe. 5. The use of these materialls of cleansing, concerne 1. the dying bird. 2. the living bird. 3. the party to bee cleansed.

First concerning the dying birde. 1. One of the birds must be slaine: pointing at the death of Christ, without which is no purging or cleansing of sinne, Heb 9. 22. But one bird onelyonly dyed▪ so Christ was put to death concerning the flesh. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 2. It must bee slaine over running water, that the blood might fall into the water. The blood falling into the water signified: 1. that a fountaine of grace by the death of Christ is opened p. 192both for justification and sanctification. For water and blood here meet, shadowing the streames of water and blood issuing from the side of Christ in his passion, 1 Iohn 5. 6. 2. The bird slaine over running water signified the innocency of the death of Christ, for though he must dye, yet his blood is in pure streames, as running water is. 3. That this water must be running water, not standing; signifying that there is a continuall cocke and conduit of grace overflowing from this fountaine, ever running and issuing from Christ to the refreshing of thirsty and weary soules beleeving in his name. 4. By the falling of the blood into running water might also be signified, that the death of Christ should run into the Ministery of the Gospell, as the waters from under the Sanctuary every way. As Christ spake of Maries fact preparing him to his death: so much more of his death it selfe, what he hath done and suffered shall bee every where preached to the worlds end. 3. This water must be in an earthen vessell. Not onelyonly to signifie that Christ must sweat and powre forth in his death, water and blood according to his humane nature, (which for the time of his abasement was a fraile and brittle vessell, subject to infirmities and contempt, and in all things like unto ours onelyonly sinne excepted) but also that this blessed treasury of the Church should bee retained and held in earthen vessells, that is, the faithfull ministers of Christ; how contemptible soever they are in the world, yet these shall cary and disperse these blessed mysteries unto men, as 2 Cor. 4. 7.

Secondly, concerning the live Sparrow. The generall signification of it was Christ now alive raised from the dead, who can dye no more, but ever liveth, and sitteth at the right hand of God, and that by the power of his divinity. And 1. This Sparrow must be used also to the cleansing of the Leper. For neither the humanity of Christ without his deity, nor his deity without his humanity p. 193can cleanse or justifie the sinner. Neither the life of Christ without his death, nor his death without his life can availe us to righteousnesse. Acts 20. 28. God shed his blood to purchase the Church to himself. 2. The Priest must dip the live bird, and the Cedar, and scarlet lace, and hysope in the blood of the Sparrow slaine and pure water, ver. 6. signifying 1. That the deity of Christ (which is impassible in it selfe) can yeeld us no comfort alone, had it not been joyned to an humanity subject to passion, which is plainly meant by dipping the live bird in the blood of the slaine. For therefore the sonne of God must take our nature, to better our nature, and take our flesh,Heb. 2. 14.Heb 2:14 that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death. 2. The scarlet, cedar and hysope must be dipped also, to shew that all the graces we receive from him must be dipped in his blood, by which alone we have both accesse unto grace, and acceptation into grace. For by the dipping and union of this live bird and slaine, we come into the grace and favour of God, being united first to his 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 goe into the broad field, ver. 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 then the heavens, Heb. 7. 26. 3. The publication and manifestation of righteousnesse purchased by the death of Christ, in the broad & open field of the Church, and this in the daily ministery of the Gospell.

Thirdly, concerning the party to whom this cure must be applyed. The Priest must sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed, this blood seven times: signifying 1. That only Christ Jesus doth sprinkle his blood on penitēt soules, from whom only they must expect pardon & purging from sins. 2. That Christs blood must be particularly p. 194applyed to every beleever, 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 blood of Christ, the number of seven times, perfect sprinkling; he is able perfectly to save all that come unto him,Heb. 7. 23.Heb 7:23 and needeth no other seeking of other merits to satisfie or justifie. 2. To put the uncleane person in minde how hardly he parts from his foulenesse: and us, that it is no easie thing to be rid of sinne. 3. How weakly and imperfectly our selves apply the blood 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,Vse. 1. No easie matter to be rid of sinne. in generall teach us two things.

I. That it is no small businesse to be rid of the leprosie of the soule, and 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 sicknesse, but the infection and sicknesse of the soule? As in Gehezi, Mariam, Vzziah; 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 soules leprosie by sinne, in that hee committeth the knowledge and discerning of this disease of leprosie to the Priests, sending them to the Physitians of their soules and not to the Physitians of their bodies, whom one would thinke, it more specially and properly concerned? This should admonish us all, that if there be so much adoe to get cleane bodies, cleane faces, cleane skins; how p. 195great our care and businesse should be to get clean soules, the soile of which cleaves not to the skin onelyonly, but sticks closer to us then our skin or bones; and yet wee thinke 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 carefull the Lord is to sever the cleane from uncleane for feare of generall infection.Separate betweene the precious and the vile. Teaching 1. the Magistrate, that as the Lord puts difference betweene 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 feare 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 cleane and uncleane together, nay runne with the uncleane, and 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, Ier. 15. 19. The Priest in the Law must pronounce him cleane that is so indeed. He durst not pronounce a foule person to bee cleane, nor a cleane person foule. Then how dares a man that stands to judge between the Lord and his people, scandalize or scorne such as endeavour most to be clean? How comes it that we doe not heare drunkards, adulterers, theeves, swearers, blasphemours 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 seeme as white as lawne, who all their life were white as Lepers? Well, let not the despised members of Christ be discouraged; p. 196we know that the judgement of Christ shall passe righteously betweene 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 cleane. 3. Every good man must and will be glad of this separation, rejoyce in that arbitrement that differenceth clean and uncleane, as most savoury. Wicked men can abide nothing lesse then this shedding & differencing of men. Whence are so many tumults? Oh you are more holy then all other, you are the pure ones, you are all cleane, &c? but because they have learned a trick to deceive themselves, and to hide their foulenesse (as they thinke) by crowding all into one confusion. Now is that doctrine onelyonly 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, then for the society of Saints and beleevers.

II. Note in speciall.Vse. 2. Christ discerns the leprosie of sinne. 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-leafe 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 profane person; he will judge thee a Leper. Thou canst not sinne (though never so secretly) but thou art sure to be discerned and tryed, 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 appeale from, but must stand to his judgement. What if men applaud and commend thee for an honest man, a good neighbour, a just man, if he judge thee a leper? What had it beene 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 p. 197and his Saints, till thou be est seasonably cleansed. Men may faile in their censures, and shut out the cleane for vncleane (as Ioh. 9. 34. the Jews did the man that was borne blind) and hold in the uncleane for base respects: but Jesus Christ he shuts him out unpartially, whom hee pronounceth a leper.

II. Then was the leper healed, when in the judgement 2of the Priest hee was so; and then the Priest must pronounce him so.OnelyOnly they are cleansed from sinne, whom Christ accounts so to be. The Priest could not make him clean, but pronounce him cleane: Even so, thou art then cleansed from thy sinne, when in the judgement of Christ (our high Priest) thou art so; who not onelyonly can pronounce thee cleane, but make thee so.

Quest. But how may I know that Christ accounts mee cleane?

Answ. When his word by the mouth of his servant pronounceth thee cleane, accounts thee so. Whatsoever yee bind or loose in earth, shall bee bound and loosed in heaven, Matth. 16. 19. with Ioh. 20. 23. Christ onelyonly properly pardons sinne, and remits it, 1. by merit; 2. by efficacy of conferring; and no Minister can thus remit sinne: But every Minister must pronounce and declare pardon to penitent sinners; and when he doth this in Christs Name, Christ from heaven pronounceth the leper to be cleane.

Object. But there may bee errour in the Priests sentence, and the Ministers judgement is not infallible.

Sol. The sentence of the Priest was infallible, if hee kept him to the rules of inquisition: And the Minister pronouncing pardon upon penitent sinners cannot be deceived; though thou mayest deceive thy selfe in applying promises and grants of pardon not belonging unto thee.

Quest. What are the rules of inquisition of direction?

Answ. 1. If by rubbing the place hee see it grow red the leprosie is in way of cure;Marks of one cleansed from sinne. if it bee not red by p. 198rubbing, it is incurable: So if the sinner be ashamed and blush at his sinne, if godly abashment hath begun his repentance, it is a good signe of cure. 2. If the spot pricked with a needle, there come forth blood, it is in the way of cure: So sinners pricked with the needle of the Law, if they have sence of paine which makes them cry out of themselves, and see the need of Christ, it is a good signe. Men pricked now adaies, stirre up their blood against the Physician; but such are farre from cure. 3. A leper was healed when his leprosie was stayed, and went no further: So hee is to be pronounced cleane who truely turnes to God; sinne hath lost dominion in him; sinne growes lesse and lesse; the stirrings of corruptions are abated; hee cannot doe as he hath done, or would doe; nor forget that he was cured. 4. When the conscience is bathed in that fountaine in which water & blood have met, then is the leper clean. When by the merit of Christ the sinner is fully justified, & by the Spirit of Christ he is in part sanctified, & riseth up towards full sanctification; then is he truly pronounced clean.

Object. Alas! I am then vncleane still; I find much foulenesse and folly present with me.

Sol. 1. The leper and sinner may be truely cleansed, never fully in this life; for every day will make him foule even after true repentance: but wee must daily renue our repentance for daily cleansing. 2. Remember, that the leper must shave his haire againe and againe, but hee leaves the roots behind; yet hee was pronounced cleane, though the haire was still growing, and for all the roots. 3. The running water in the basen for the cure of the leper, signified a continuall flowing of a fountaine of grace from Christ to the heart of the sinner, for his continuall washing.

3III. What every man must doe in sence of his spirituall leprosie. Something is to bee done before the cure: something after.

p. 199I. Before the cure. 1. As the leper discerning his 1owne misery,What is to be done before this cure. esteemed him an happy man that was cleane: So thou seeing this disease, must judge thy selfe most unhappy and miserable of all men, as Paul, Rom. 7. and never thinke thy selfe happy till thou hast got a cure, Psal. 32. 1. Every leper cried out, I am uncleane: the same must bee thy complaint and cry. 2. Get thee to the Priest: Goe to Christ in humility, as that leper (Matt. 8. 2.) Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; and the least touch of Christ shall make thee clean, ver. 3. 3. Naaman, being strucke with leprosie, must wash and bee cleane: So must thou bewaile and lament thy estate; wash thy selfe in the salt sea of teares, that God may wash thee with a sea of mercy. Especially in greater sinnes (as in a deeper leprosie) take up deeper humiliation and repentance; as David washed his couch with teares.

II. After the cure. 1.And what afterward. If God have healed thy leprosie, 2be thou thankefull; so Naaman, 2. King. 5. 15. Not as the nine lepers, of whom none returned backe to give thankes.Luke 17.Luke 17 Would to God one of ten were as thanfull as we ought, for so great a cure. 2. Bring thy gift to the Lord for the curing, for so the lepers were enjoyned: that is, pay thy vows; offer up thy selfe and all thy obedience, an acceptable sacrifice unto God, Rom. 12. 1. Resigne unto God; present all thy sacrifices by the high Priest Jesus Christ, in whom alone thou canst finde acceptance.

Object. Alas, I have nothing worthy giving unto God.

Sol. 1. Thou canst give no lesse then true endeavours of obedience; and then, be they never so weake, hee that accepts the will for the deed, will accept them. 2. God prescribed a smaller offering fo… the poore then for the rich; the poore man must provide a sacrifice according to the labour of his hands: To comfort the p. 200weake Christian, who offering according to his ability, is respected according to that he hath, not according to that hee hath not. 3. The third thing after the cure is to avoid the company of lepers, 1. Cor. 5. 11. If a man be an incorrigible sinner, let him be to thee as an heathen or Publicane, Matt. 18. 17. A good lesson for Masters of families to cast out leprous persons from the rest. It is incredible what mischiefe one swearer, one drunkard, one wanton, one profane beast may doe in an house. We have not more usually seene an whole house infected, and poisoned up by one plaguie person: then whole houses corrupted by some one leud person; which suffered (as one swine in a garden) roots up all that is good.

So much of holy persons: Now follow holy things.