Moses and Aaron, Treatise · Chapter 16

Moses and Aaron · Treatise · Chapter 16

p. 141CHAP. XVI.

Clean persons: Types of Christ.

THe fourth ranke of holy persons pointing us unto Christ, Cleansing the unclean a type of Christ.were such persons as were cleansed from any legall uncleanenesse. The person legally uncleane were of severall sorts, and every sort had his severall sort of cleansing, all of them looking towards and leading us to Jesus Chuist. To give some taste in some particulars. Legall uncleannesse was caused. 1. From without, by touching or tasting. 2. From 3. Sorts of uncleannesswithin, 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:1. By meats or creatures that were unclean.

I. The first kind of legall uncleanenesse was by eateing or touching any uncleane meat or creature, Levit. 11. 11. and 28.

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

Answ. The Law of distinction of meates was not therefore Whence this uncleanness.ordained, because those creatures were evill in their nature (for God saw all his workes very good) but prohibited onelyonly in their use. 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 clean and unclean in Noahs time, Gen 7. 2.When it began.

Answ. It was before the writing of the ceremoniall Law, p. 142but not before the being of it, it being delivered to Adam and his posterity by Gods lively voyce. 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.

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

Answ. Now under the Gospel 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 begin-God permitted all other trees to Adam, onelyonly restrained him in the tree of knowledge of good and evill; which therefore ceased not to be 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 sinful eating against the commandement.

Qu. But what ends or reasons were there of this prohibition Meats why prohibited.of meats?

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, he may do with his own 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, goats, doves: God will have his people sacrifice these to his service, and eat those creatures which they (out of their heathenish superstition) might not touch. The heathens used to offer many kinds of beasts to p. 143the Moon, the Queen of heaven, and to Bacchus: God will have his people detest both in sacrifice and meat those which they so offered; all to shew how contrary we ought to be to Idolaters, in whatsoever we may.

5. To distinguish that people of God from all the nations; God esteeming them by his grace in the Messiah a clean people, and all other unclean. And this was a wall of partition between Jewes and Gentiles, till Christ by rending the vaile brake it down also, as in Peters vision, Acts 10. 15.

6. The Lord by this difference of beasts would have them conceive a difference of persons shadowed thereby; of whom some are clean, some are unclean; the former being elect, arè 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.

Ans. 1. The clean are known by the two common marks Marke, of clean beastsof clean beasts, Lev. 11. 3.

1. They divide the hoofe; that is, rightly distinguish of things, between nature and grace, between Moses and Christ, between the Law and Gospell, truth and falshood. They will not receive things in gross 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, Luke 2. 19.

3. The uncleane are known by some naughty and unclean property. Some like the dogs that prophane the most holy things; bark against the word & preachers of it; never chew the cud, nor digest the word. Some like the swine (2 Pet. 2.) having their mouthes allwaies rooting in the earth, cannot look up towards heaven; all for their belly; good for nothing but the knife: neither for plow, nor cart, nor burthens, nor saddle, nor wooll, nor milk; but onelyonly to feed and die; besides (while they live) their filthy wallowing in miery lusts and puddles of corruption. Some like the hare, fearfull creatures, shrinking from faith in God in temptation, and from p. 144profession of it in times of danger and persecution; more fearing crosses and losses than God himselfe, or the losse of salvation. The unclean creatures connot enter into heaven: The fearfull, &c. shall have their part in the lake, &c. Rev. 21. 8. Of the same ranke are the Comes, that burrow and treasure in the earth, and neglect to treasure where theeves neither digg through nor steale, Matth. 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; carry 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.

II. The second legall uncleaneness was caused from within, 2. By an unclean issue.and was by the unclean issue of man or woman; for which were appointed ceremonies of purification, Levit. 12. and Chap. 15. 6. All those uncleane issues (of which we must read and speak modestly) lead us by the hand, 1. Into What it teacheth.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 manner 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, we must know that,

1. Those lawes concerning our uncleane birth and the womans purification after every birth, put both the Jewes and us in mind, how that the common nature of man is horribly polluted by sinne, which is every where called by the name of uncleanenesse; Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity, and in sinne hath my mother conceived me. Isa. 64. 6. We have all been as an uncleane thing, and all our righteousnesse as filthy cl…uts. Joh. 14. 4. Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse? p. 145there is not one. Joh. 3. 6. That which is borne of Generatum sequitur naram ge…erantis.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 stickes to the whole man both in body and soule, polluting the mind with blindnesse, the will with rebellion against the will of God, the conscience with senselessenesse and horrour, the affections with all manner 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 waies polluted: So the Jewes and we are put in mind, that from that filthy puddle and fountaine of originall sinne issue continually many uncleane issues into the life and conversation. Matth. 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. Unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving, is nothing pure, but even their minds 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. The effect of all morall uncleanenesse 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, than 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 uncleanenesse, and that if he separate not from it he shall die in it for defiling Gods Sanctuary, vers. 31. this made him seeke to the remedy: So the true understanding of a p. 146mans forlorn & desperate estate by nature; and that except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost, he can never see the kingdome of God, Joh. 5. 5. This makes a man flye out of himselfe to seek 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 we are to be cured, we are after to see.

Sect. III.

The third Legall uncleannesse was by the disease of the 3. By leprosie.leprosie; than which none was more foule, more hatefull. None so lively resembled the native face of sinne; none had so solemne and significant rites for cure; none did more expressely 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 Jewes and us in this instance to be led by things sensible to things intellectuall; Per sensibilia ad intelligibilia.by an externall and sensible disease to be carried 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 than leprosie; yet it comes farre short of it in the desperate and dangerous properties of it. We must therefore prepare men to Christ by describing the foulenesse and misery of the disease.

1. Leprosie proceeds from poisoned and corrupted humours Sin declared odious.in the body: so sinne is nothing else but the poison and corruption of the soule. And this spirituall leprosie is farre more miserable than the other; for that of the body is onelyonly a punishment, this is a guilt. And who can deny but Poena culpae.the corruption and poison of the soule and spirit, is farre more poisonfull and mortall than poison of the flesh?

2. Bodily leprosie is a disease of some men: sinne is of In all.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 weakned and tainted; there is, not a debility onelyonly, but a p. 147corruption in the understanding, will, conscience, memory, in all affections, in all sences, in all parts; no man, no part of man exempted or excepted.

3. No disease is more stinking, and hatefull to men than God hates.leprosie: So nothing is so hatefull and abhominable to God as sinne; his eyes cannot abide to behold it; he will not endure it in his dearest servants, no nor Angels themselves, unrevenged; he esteems the sinner as dung.

4. No disease more contagious and infectious: A leper Infection.must meddle with nothing unlesse he would defile it: All he can doe is to make others unclean by breathing, touching, conversing. The plague of pestilence is not so infectious as the plague of leprosie, so called, Levit. 13. 20. infecting houses, walls, vessells, garments: Nothing is so infectious as sinne, which not 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 unclean, by the filthy breath of his corrupt communication, by his wicked example and conversation: No leaven is so spreading, no pitch so cleaving.

5. Leaprosie of all diseases separated the infected persons Excommunication-from the fellowship of all men both in civill and divine ordinances for many dayes; and if they proved incurable (suppose them Kings) they were utterly and for ever excluded the host, as Uzziah, 2 King. 15. 5. Neither might they come to the Temple to joyne in holy things; for the Temple was legally the most holy place, and no polluted thing might enter into it: So in our sinne unrepented, we are out of the campe, aliens from God. Sinne shuts out of the communion of faith and Saints; shuts out of the state of grace and Salvation; it shuts out of the Congregation of God in Quoad Consor tium. Locum. Praem….earth and heaven: No fellowship, place, or reward with them.

6. Of all diseases none is more painfull, sorrowfull, mortall, or incurable; and therefore they were enjoyned to put on mournfull garments seeing God had inflicted so lamentable p. 148Paine and danger.a disease on them, so hardly and seldome cured as most did cary it unto death, as Gehezi and Azariah. In which the Lord (as in a glasse) would shew us the extream sorrowes and paines that wait on sinne unpardoned; sorrowes of this life and of the life to come: And that we should put on mourning garments of timely sorrow, and afflict our selves for our sinnes, seeing we are all poisoned with so incurable a disease, as there is no hope to expect any cure in this life; for every man carries the running issues of sinne to his death naturall, the most to the death eternall.

7. The signes and symptomes of leprosie are most correspondent Signes of sin and leprosie.to the symptomes and effects of sinne in the soul.

1. As there is a debility and weaknesse of all parts becuase the spirits are exhausted: so sinne weakens all faculties, because the spirit of grace is resisted and driven out.

2. There is a tumour and swelling in the flesh: here a tumour and proud swelling of mind; none more proud than he who hath least cause.

3. There is burning and thirst through the adust and burnt bloud by melancholy whereof it ariseth: here is inflammation and burning of anger, of lust, and thirst after the world, after revenge, after prefermentst; and this insatiable as every sinne is.

4. There is filthy putred matter still breaking forth most loathsomely: so here from within breaks out corrupt matter of envie, of hatred of goodnesse, of uncleanenesse in speeches and behaviour. 5. There is an hoarse and weake voice: here the voice so weake as it cannot pray, or cannot be heard. God heares not sinners; for either they pray not at all, or they are in their sinnes.

6. There is a filthy stinking breath; and therefore they must cover their lips, that by their breath they might not infect others: So here is a filhy breath of corrupt communication, of uncleane and adulterous speeches, swearing and cursing speeches, lying and false speeches, slanderous and uncharitable speeches; and seldome doe such cover their lips, being like the uncleane vessells of the Law which p. 149were ever open to the corrupting and poisoning of numbers.

Sect. IV.

1. 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 taste but he is presently defiled, as he that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled with it. Where be they that will see no Church, if they see any uncleannesse? Or who say that God is in no such society where any pollution is? seeing God vouchsafeeth to walk among his owne people, who were daily subject to so many legall and morall pollutions. God might (if it pleased him) wholly purge his floore here upon earth; but it makes more for his glory to suffer sinne and evill, and to set the Saints in the middest of defilements here below.

1. There must be a difference between this heaven and And why.earth, and the new heaven and new earth in which dwells nothing but righteousnesse; for had the Saints no warre, there needed no watch, there could be no victory; if no seed time, no harvest.

2. Gods mighty power is more manifest in gathering and preserving a Church to himselfe out of sinners, and among sinners; and he magnifieth his mercy both in covering and curing so great and many corruptions.

3. The godly in sence of their uncleanenesse are kept low in their owne eyes, and watchfull of their own waies; and so are driven out of themselves unto Christ for righteousnesse, and unto God for strength continually, as privy unto their own continuall weaknesse. So to subdue presumption Paul must have a buffeter, and to way-lay security comming on Israel, all the Canaanites must not be subdued.

p. 1504. In that they cannot expect freedome from foulenesse and uncleannesse here below, they may the rather desire and aspire to that heavenly Tabernacle into which no uncleane thing can enter, Rev. 21, 27. and wish to be translated thither where righteousnesse shall dwell, yea, the righteous and holy God shall dwell immediately in the middest of his Saintes, and all things together with themselves shall be most absolutely clean and holy.

II. The Lord by so large a description of legall uncleannesse, would have them and us look more nearly and seriously Note. 2. Look narrowly on the misery of sinne.upon our own misery by sinne, both in the cause, and in the effects of it The former by bringing us to the contemplation of the foulnesse of our natures and uncleannesse even in our birth and originall. For howsoever men little esteem or bewaile this uncleanenesse of nature and original sin; yet the Apostle (better acquainted with the nature of it) calls it, The sinne; and the sinning sinne; and the sinne which dwelleth in foreign.us, and compasseth us about, Rom. 7. 17. Neither can a man ever be 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 seem marvellous filthy and unclean in his own eyes.

1. What is the reason that so many do Pharisaically pride themselves, if not in the goodnesse of their persons, yet in some blind 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 uncleannesse: 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 own 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) p. 151as dung; and conclude that when Aloes and wormwood yeeld a sweet taste, then might their fruits be sweet and tastfull 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, hear sermons, are outwardly clean 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 banks: most dangerous, most secret: hardest to find out, and hardest to cure, and this deceives thousands in their reckonings.

4. Why is the righteousness of faith in the bloud of Christ so much undervalued, and men so hardly driven out of themselves to seek righteousnesse by him? But because they see not their own 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) feels not his sicknesse, nor discerns the depth and dangers of it, seeks not greatly after the Physitian, he applies either no meanes, 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 whether but to the right remedy.

It is fit and fruitfull to look a little nearer this disease of Good to see and know our filthiness, by sin.nature, that we may not onelyonly make conscience of the foulnesse 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 point 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 born children of the devill, enemies to righteousnesse, all of us being in our very birth p. 152sonnes of death: for in Adam all are dead. And as an image of rotten wood must needs be rotten: so we, hewn out of so rotten a stock. 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 uncleane, I am uncleane. The spawne of a Serpent are Serpents; and what are we but the spawn, 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, than sinne in the foreign.soule, which is seated in all the members, so as from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, there is nothing sound: but ataxy or disorder in want of all goodnesse in all parts, and pronenesse to all evill.

4. Miserable are the effects of this close uncleanenesse:

As, 1. In this Image of sinne, no ugly toad can be so hatefull to us, as we unto God.

2. The whole man lies subject under the curse and wrath of God; Rom. 5. 18. the fault came on all men to condemnation.

3. Nothing can proceed from us but what is foule and damnable. What can a Serpent cast out but poyson? Whatsoever our own strength or will can bring forth is tainted with this leprosie, for free will remaineth onelyonly to evill.

4. Nothing without us that we can touch, but we taint, 4. Miserable effects of inward uncleannesse.till we be cleansed, 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 p. 153wrath of God are they liable unto, that do nothing but poison 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 and fellowship of God and Jesus Christ, and that for ever. Sinne properly shuts out of heaven, no unclean 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 lie wallowing in our filthinesse, and delight in it as the swine 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 own disease and need of cure, let us returne to the meanes of our cure in these three severall sorts of uncleanenesse, and in the legall be led to the cure of morall uncleannesse.

Thus of the kinds of legall uncleanenesse.

Next, all Legall uncleanenesse was to be cured two waies.2. Uncleanness cured by washing, and offering

1. By ablution or washing.

2. By oblation or offering. Both these were appointed for all kinds as in particular.

1. For uncleane touchings and tastings, the parties must wash their clothes, Lev. 11. 40.

2. For unclean issues, they must wash themselves and their clothes, Lev. 15. 13.

3. For uncleanness of Leprosie they must wash themselves, their clothes, and besides shave off all their haire, and stay seven daies without the camp, Lev. 14. 8, 9.

Sect. V.

I. The first meanes of purging Legall uncleanenesse is Washing: bloud of Christ.washing; which shadowed out the washing of the sinner p. 154in the laver of Christs bloud, all the water in the sea cannot wash away the least sinne; that great work is appropriated to the bloud of Christ, 1 Joh. 1. 7. the bloud of Jesus Christ his sonne cleanseth us from all sinne: Rev. 1. 5. Who loved us, and washed us from our sinnes in his bloud: which bloud is opposed to all legall washings, Heb. 9. 9.

Object. Levit. 11. 44. This washing is called a sanctification.

Answ. Sanctification is twofold. 1. By the outward sign. Externi symboli et professionis. Veritatis internae.2. By the inward truth. They by washing, symbolically and in outward profession, by these rights sanctified themselves: but thereby beleevers were led to the internall truth, and the laver of the bloud of Christ. All this washing then leades us to the bloud of Christ, by which is meant his whole passion and obedience; by the merit whereof he hath procured both remission of our sinnes, and mortification of them. And herein is no small resemblance.

1. Washing is an applying of water to foule parts: so in Resemblācethe cleansing of sinne must be a speciall application of the bloud of Christ; called, Heb. 9. 14. the sprinkling of Christs bloud upon the conscience. Which is nothing else on Gods part but the imputation of Christs sufferings to us: and on our own part the application of them to our selves by the hand of faith.

2. In Washing is a rumbling and scouring off of uncleannesse which will not easily off; and in some foulenesse they must wash often for the surenesse of the work: noting the paines and true indeavour of the repentant heart in mortification, and afflicting it selfe. It is well contented with any beating and wringing, so he may fetch out the staine of sin, which sticks as close as his flesh to his bones.

3. The unclean party was to wash himselfe, that is, his whole man and every part: which noteth totall sanctification in the whole man and all parts and members, that the washing may be as large and general as the foulenesse is. For whatsoever part is not washed by Christ, hath no part in Christ, which made Peter say, not my feet onelyonly (Lord) but mine hands and head.

p. 1554. In the foulnesse of Leprosie he must wash againe and againe: to note, that after our justification by the death of Christ, we must look to a second washing of sanctification by his spirit. And because we have still washing work with us, we must be still washing our selves by daily labour in our own reformation. This was more lively signified in that other ceremony added to washing in the Leper, that he must shave his haire againe and againe: signifying the paring away of superfluities and lusts as fast as they grew; and a voluntary departing from his own secret corruptions, which were as many as the haires of his head, and no lesse rooted in him; that well he might shave and loppe them, but he was out of hope quite to unroot them as long as he lived. He must keep them under, but cannot be ridde of them: He must shave the first day and the seventh day, and resist his lusts, which daily grow upon him, as haire cut, quickly growes againe.

5. The unclean person must wash his clothes as well as himselfe: signifying that wee must part with all impurity, even the least, at least in endeavour, cherishing none, favouring none. He must hate the very garment spotted by the flesh, all occasions, and appearances of evill, esteeming the least spot of sinne foule and filthy enough. And all this is requisite in purifying of the soule.

I. Labour against the smallest sinnes. Be not a mentall adulterer, Use. 1. Smalest sins to be put away.banish unchastity in the eye and mouth, avoid wanton company, as did Joseph that of his Mistris. Thou art no drunkard, or great swearer, but art thou a companion of such not reproving them? No Papist, but a friend and patron, as seeing no great harme in their superstition; No Atheist, but a scorner of the persons and doctrine of godly teachers? what dost thou but foam out thy own shame? If thou shouldest keep thy selfe never so pure, but partakest in other mens sins, thou art unclean. This reproveth Magistrats, who (though they themselves come to Church, yet) suffer others in time of divine worship to lye in streets, houses, fields, openly, &c. prophaning thus the day of the Lord, which is to be kept holy to our God. Or if they be ordinary abettors of p. 156idle persons and gamesters by example. This brandeth Ministers openly pleading for durnkards and hatefull blasphemers. This defileth masters, parents, husbands, that suffer their families to run into prophaneness or ryot.

II. In all these touches goe to the fountaine opened. Zach. Use. 2. Goe to Christ, wash and be cleā.13. 1. Every Jew had his water-pots to keep water for daily purification, Joh. 2. 6. but now the house of David and Jerusalem, that is, all the godly, have a fountaine opened by the death of Christ. We must every day be washing and cleansing our selves in that fountaine, from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit.

Sect. VI.

II. The second meanes of purging legall uncleannesse is oblation, or offering some attonement to the Lord, this directly Offering. Christ offered himself.leads us to Christ. For howsoever an unclean person must wash himselfe and his clothes, yet no Jew could make an attonement for himselfe: but this was common to all uncleannesses legall, the Priest must make an attonement for the unclean person. For all uncleannesse in generall, Lev. 16. 30. In speciall, for uncleannesse in touchings. Numb. 19. 4. In issues, Lev. 12. 8. and 15. 15. In leprosie, Lev. 14. 53. Noting by the way, that all that we can do, cannot make attonement Washing not sufficient without offering.for the least spot of sinne. Let us wash our selves as often as Naaman in Jordan; yea, let us take snow water to us, and wash our hands most cleane; yet our owne clothes will make us foule, and God will plunge us in the pit, if our Lord Jesus (the high Priest of the new Covenant) make not attonement for us. A fit note against all humane satisfaction and merits.

The offering for the Legall uncleannesse by touching, was done by the sacrifice of a red cow, and the sprinkling water 1. Red Cow.made of the ashes of that red Cow, prescribed by God to this purpose, Numbers, 19. called water of expiation. That all this ordinance typified Christ to the Jewes, the Apostle expresleth, Heb. 9. 13, 14. when from the bloud of this red Cow he leads us to the bloud of Christ, saying: p. 157If the bloud of bulls and goates, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling Pro Christo aries, pro Christo agnus, pro Christo vitulus, pro Christ…hircus, totum Christus Aug. Difference.them that are unclean, sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our conscience from dead works; wherein he not onelyonly compareth, but infinitely advanceth the truth above the type. For, 1. that was symbolicall and figurative: this spirituall and substantiall. 2. That was eternall and temporary: this internall and eternall. 3. That 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 proceeded from death of sinne. Dead wo… why.2. Because they lead to eternall death.

For the explaining of this ordinance consider four things.

1. Whence the Cow must be.

2. The properties or qualities.

3. The actions about her.

4. The use and end of it.

I. All the congregation must bring an heifer to Moses out 1.of the heard.

1. All the congregation, for not one in the congregation but needs a meanes of purging.

2. This meanes must be a Cow, not an Oxe or Bull. The imbecillity of the sexe noteth the great humillity of our Lord Jesus; who being the mighty Lyon of the tribe of Judah, would so abase and weaken himselfe for our sakes.

3. They must take her from the heard: so our cleanser must be taken from among our selves, being true and perfect man, taking our nature and our flesh, yea, our infirmities as the weak sexe importeth, in all things save sinne like unto us.

II. The properties required in this Cow are four.2.

1. She must be an heifer, in her youth and strength: Christ offers himself, and must be taken for a sacrifice in the flower of his strength, at three and thirty yeares. He offers his best gifts, and dies in his strength, and so his offering was more free and acceptable. And we also should offer up our youth, strength, best times and gifts to Jesus Christ, who offered himselfe in his best strength to death for us.

p. 1582. The Cow must be red: Signifying, 1. The truth of Christs humane nature, being of the same red earth that the first Adams body was. 2. The grievousnesse of sinne which he was to undertake, and the scarlet staine of it. 3. The bitter and bloudy passion of Christ, and his cruell death. The red skin of the Cow resembled the red garments of Christ all Isa. 1. 18. Isa. 63. 1.Isa 1:18Isa 63:1besprinkled: 1. With his own bloud. 2. With the bloud of his conquered enemies. 3. Presented unto his father, like the coat of Joseph, all stained with bloud.

3. The Cow must be without spot or blemish: to signifie the purity of our Lord Jesus, in whom was never any spot or staine of sinne. Though he was contented to be counted a sinner, yet he was no sinner. And though he had sinne on himselfe, he had none in himselfe: as the Cow was slaine for sinne, not being sinful. Christ was ruddy through his passion, yet most white and spotlesse by his most perfect and Cant. 5. 10.Song 5:10absolute righteousnesse.

4. She must be without yoke, on which never yoke came: Signifying, 1. That Christ (not necessarily, but) voluntarily took our nature, that he might free us from our yoke. 2. His absolute freedome from all the yoke of sinne, farther than he voluntarily undertook the burthen of it. 3. That he was never subject to the yoke of humane precepts and commandements, being the Law-giver to prescribe Lawes to all, not to receive Lawes from any. 4. That none could compell him to suffer for sinne, but his whole obedience active and passive was a free-will offering, he having power to lay down his life and to take it up againe. 5. He was more free from the yoke than any red heifer could be. She indeed must be free in her selfe: He not onelyonly free in himselfe, but he must free all believers from the yoke; whom the sonne sets free, they are free indeed.

III. The actions about the Cow were five, ver. 5.

1. Action. 1. The Congregation must deliver the Cow to be slaine: so was Christ delivered to be slaine by the whole body of the Jewes. 2. She must not be delivered to Aaron but to Eleazer his successor: signifying that the death of Christ serveth all the successions and ages of the Church, p. 159and must be taught by the Ministers of all ages.

2. Action. She must be led out of the Camp, and there burnt whole to ashes; her skin, flesh, bloud, and dung ver. 5. Signifying, 1. That Christ must be led out of the gate of Jerusalem to suffer, Heb. 13. and there 2. must be crucified, by which he was made a whole burnt offering. 3. That whole Christ is our comfort, his flesh our meat, his bloud our drink, yea, the very base dung of those contumelies cast upon him were a part of his sacrifice offered up in the fire of his passion for us, to sweeten and sanctifie ours.

3. Action. Eleazer must take of the bloud with his finger, and sprinkle towards the foreside of the Tabernacle of the assembly seven times, vers. 4. Signifying, 1. The purging of us by the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience. 2. That Christs death profits none to whom it is not specially applied: for the Cowes bloud must be not shed onelyonly, but sprinkled. 3. That onelyonly the people and Congregation of God have benefit of the death and bloud of Christ, for it was sprinkled directly before the tabernacle. 4. The seven times sprinkling noteth, 1. That that one oblation hath virtue and merit enough. 2. The perfection of justification. 3. The need of often application of Christs death. 4. The duration of it to all ages.

4. Action. She must be burnt with Cedar wood, scarlet lace, and hysope, all which must be cast into the fire with her, vers. 6. Signifying, 1. Three things in Christ. 1. The Cedar of uncorrupt life. 2. The scarlet of fervent love to mankind. 3. The hysop of savoury obedience in all things to his father, all which were in all his sufferings, and fire of his passion sweetning it. 2. They noted three things arising from Christs sufferings. 1. Immortality, signified by the Cedar, which is not subject to putrefaction. 2. The scarlet, the merit of his bloud applyed to justification. 3. The hysope of mortification, healing our corruptions, a… hysope hath a healing quality. All these three properly arise from the passion of Christ.

5. Action. A clean person must gather the ashes of the heifer, and lay them without the Camp in a clean place, p. 160vers. 9. Signifying. 1. The buriall of Christ in a cleane and new tombe wherein never man lay, a clean place never used before. 2. That the merit of Christs death is ever laid before God in the highest and holiest heavens. 3. The Christians account of Christs merit and passion, who layeth them up as his chiefe treasure in the clean place of a pure heart and conscience, an onelyonly fit closet to keep the mystery of faith in.

IV. The use and end of these ashes was twofold, vers. 9.4.

1. They must be kept for the Congregation: Signifying, that there shall never want supply of grace and merit from the death of Christ to any believer that sees his need of them.

2. Of them was made a water of separation, thus: A clean person took of the ashes of the red Cow burnt, and put pure water into a vessell, and taking hysope dipped it and sprinkled it upon the tent, the persons, and vessels, and upon the unclean person the third and seventh day, and so he (washing his clothes and flesh with water) was clean at even, ver. 18, 19.

Signifying, 1. That the bloud of Christ is the onelyonly water of separation for persons separate, to separate them from their uncleannesse. The water made of the ashes of Christs death and bloud-shed, sprinkled upon the unclean, can onelyonly purge the conscience from dead works.

2. That this bloud 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, purge me with hysope, that is, with the bloud Psal. 51. 7.Ps 51:7of that eternall sacrifice, figured by that which is sprinkled with hysope.

3. That this bloud of Christ must be 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 Note. 1. There is a way to cleanse every uncleannesse.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.

p. 1611. 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 falles 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 weak Christian be quite dejected in the sence of the multitude of his frailties and foule touches, seeing the Gospel affordes us the remedy and meanes to cleanse all morall uncleannesse, no lesse certainely and fully, than the Law to the Jews, to purge their legall.

II. As the Jew was no sooner defiled by touching a dead Note. 2. Have recourse to the means.man, or bone, or grave, or tent, or any thing about him, but he must presently repaire to the meanes of legall cleansing. So every Christian defiled by the least touch of any dead work must have recourse to the remedy appointed in the Gospel. The Law appointed the water of the ashes of a red Cow; but the Gospell appoints the red bloud of Jesus Christ, sprinkled and applied by faith (as by hysope) upon the conscience.

Consider, 1. The necessity: The person defiled not having Motives.this sprinkling upon him shall be cut off from Israel, vers. 13. So whosoever hath not the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon his soule, shall be cut off from the number and inheritance of the Saints, Mar. 16. 16. he that believeth not shall be damned.

2. Every sin is a separation from God, who being a God of pure eyes cannot abide the filth of it; and therefore we had need continually to have this water of separation for the washing of our hearts daily, and often every day; because it is gathering some uncleannesse every hour, yea, every moment.

3. An unclean creature or vessell could not be of any service to man, for he must not touch it till it be cleansed: So a sinner, so long as he is unclean and impenitent, cannot be of p. 162any good use, nor present any acceptable service to God. And therefore the Prophet. Isa. …. 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 unclean thing, and I will receive you, and be a father unto you: Implying, that the Lord will not receive him that any way communicates with sinne, if obstinate and impenitent.

4. Nothing else can recover our beauty and first estate of holynesse and happinesse but this laver. A cloth once soiled never recovers the beauty and whitenesse but by washing. This laver onelyonly brings back 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 meer deed done, as they Ex opere operato.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 weekly: and yet go on year by year in the soule defilements of sinne, and never desire to be washed and rinsed in the water of separation; nay, nothing more troubles them than to be called to reformation: A cleanly man will have his clothes washed weekly, but his hands and face every day: A cleanly Christian will not be lesse carefull of his heart.

III. Seeing there was so much businesse in legall cleansing Note. 3. Be very carefull to avoid spirituall uncleannesse.of the least foulenesse; how carefull were the Jewes to avoid those foulnesse? and how much more should Christians be 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 the least appearance as well as evill it selfe.Iustus metuit non solum a peccato, sed & a contagione & labe peccati. Ambr. de institut. virg.

2. From others. For the Jew might be 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, p. 163and thy adversaries subtletie and strength. Watch against other sinnes; as being beset with snares. Resolve with good Jacob, Gen. 49. 6. Into their secret my soul 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 he onelyonly findes the favour of God, and the happinesse to see God.

Sect. VII.

The oblation for unclean issues, leading us to Christ is appointed, 2. Birds.Lev. 15. 14, 15. In this,

1. What foules must be prepared for the offering; Two Turtles, or two young Pigeons; and so for the womans, vers. 29. Of the clean kind of birds: signifying and resembling the purity of Christs humane nature. Besides his innocency, simplicity, meeknesse, chastity, charity, fruitfulnesse; of all which virtues these Doves were expresse Emblems.

2. What was the use of these foules.

1. They must bring them to the Priest: No man must offer his own 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 publick service must not be privately performed; and figured our entrance by Christ, the doore.

3. One must be made a sinne offering, the other a burnt offering. The sacrifices were 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. Now Christ is made manifest for p. 164the doing away of sinne, by the slaine sacrifice of himselfe, Heb. 9. 26. and see vers. 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 sinne, or sinnes committed. Which signified, that Christ was to be a whole burnt offering, and to be wholly consumed in soule and body with the fire of his Fathers wrath, that he might be a sweet smelling savour for us. He gave himselfe for us, a sacrifice and oblation for a sweet smelling savour. Neither did the believing Jewes think Ephes. 5. 2.Eph 5:2that God was appeased by any virtue in the burnt-offering, but through the eternall sacrifice of Christ shadowed therein.

2. What were the ceremonies about these foules, for they all pointed at Christ.

1. For the sinne offering of foules, the ceremonies are appointed, Levit. 5. 8, 9. and they be three.

1. Rite. The Priest must wring the neck of the Dove asunder, but not pluck it clean off; and the same rite in the burnt-offering. The neck must be pincht with the naile of the Priest to let out the bloud, but the head must not be pluckt Lev. 1. 15.Lev 1:15off from the body.

Signifying. 1. That although Christ was to die, yet his divinity and humanity should not be severed.

2. That the death of this innocent Dove should not interrupt his headship of the Church. He was to be pinched to death; but his head should not be severed from his body and members, which is the Church.

3. That Christ should die indeed, but no bone of him must be broken, Joh. 19. 36. Shadowed also in the Passover.

2. Rite. The Priest must sprinkle the bloud 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 virtue and merit of Christs bloud for the purging of sinne, was drawn from the Altar of his Deity. He must be God that must purchase the Church with his bloud, Act. 20. 28. and …. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ.

p. 1653. Rite. All the rest of the bloud must be powred out at the foot of the Altar: Signifying, not onelyonly the powring out of the bloud of Jesus Christ our true sinne offering upon the Altar of the Crosse, without which shedding of bloud can be no remission of sinnes: but also the bloud powred at the foot of the Altar, that is, those clots and drops of bloud plentifully flowing from him in his agony before his passion, Luke. 22. 44. as he was going up to the Crosse.

2. For the Dove appointed for the burnt offering (besides the former rites) some other are appointed.

1. The Priest must pluck out the maw with his feathers, and Lev. 1. 16.Lev 1:16cast them besides the Altar on the East side in the place of the ashes: For these were things unclean: and signified that Christ should bring no unclean thing to his suffering, but present a most spotlesse and holy oblation to the Lord; for else had it not been of sweet smell.

2. The Priest must divide and cleave the bird with his winges, but not asunder: signifying Christ, who seemed by his death to be burnt, extinct, and perished; for so he was in the esteem of his own disciples as they were going to Emaus: but yet he was not quite sundered, but rose againe by his own power, and ever liveth sitting at his Fathers right hand to make request for us. Yea, his own words might seem to imply a sundering, when he saith; Why hast thou for saken me? but that the ingemination of his former words (my God, my God) doth strongly prove the contrary.

3. This bird must be 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 he smelled a savour of eternall rest. To which the Psalmist alludeth, Let him smell a savour of all thy oblations, and turn thy burnt offerings into ashes. Psal. 20. 3.

4. When all these rites were observed, the party that was unclean shall be clean, Levit. 12. 8. and Chap. 15. 13, 28. signifying, that a party justified by Christs bloud, and exercising true repentance, and the study of holinesse and new p. 166life; is brought in againe into the right and fellowship of God and his people, whatsoever his uncleannesse formerly hath been. 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 Note. 1. Comfort to the godly.people of God.

1. As Christ seemed clean divided and sundered from his Father & from his Church, but was not: so his members often seem quite sundered from God and all comfort, but are not, 2. Cor. 4. 82 Cor 4:8and Ch. 6. 9. A godly man may be in such a streight as David was, when thus he brake forth to Jonathan; As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but one step between me and death. And yet when he 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 weak to separate us from Christ, Rom. 8. 39. yea, in all things we are not onelyonly conquerours, but more than conquerours. So was Christ in death, and from under the grave more than a conquerour. Let a Christian be slain, it hinders him not from being a conquerour; and what ever he may loose, he looseth not the love of God, who loveth him to the end, whom he once loveth; and therefore onelyonly the sound Christian 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 keeps his headship, and death cannot sever him quite: so the members may be pinched (yet not quite off) but abide members still.

2. As the speciall providence of God watched his own sonne, that though he was in wicked hands that wanted no will, yet they were kept from breaking one bone of him: so doth the same providence watch over his members; that howsoever the wicked of the world pinch and presse them, yet the promise is made to them, Psal. 34. 20. He keeps all their bones, not one of them is broken, that is, without the will of our heavenly Father, as Matth. 10. 29. Not an haire shall fall; for the same providence watcheth the head and members. This consideration is used by Christ to remove excessive fear of men. If thou see thine enemies encrease as bees p. 167about thee, ready to strike and sting: Let thy waies please the Lord, he can 1. turne their hearts to peace as Esaus to Jacob when he purposed his death; and Labans to Jacob when he intended evill intreaty towards him. 2. He can turn their counsel to folly, and bring it on their own heads, as in Haman & Architophel. 3. He can turn their evill to thy good & salvation, according to the saying of Joseph to his brethren, Ye intended evill against me, but God turned it to good as this day. 4. He can take them off at his pleasure, he hath a hook for Zenacherib; and Balaam shall not curse, though he would never so faine.

3. In that Christ brought no unclean thing to his sacrifice (figured in pulling out the maw and feathers, and casting them besides the Altar in the place of ashes) we have comfort in the offering of all our service and sacrifices of prayer, praises, 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 preserve Note. 2. Affect purity of heart and life. Motives.purenesse among them, that the holy God may walk amongst an holy people: And teacheth how carefull we Christians should be to cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh & spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. And that we should be ever stopping up those unclean issues which disturbe our chastity of body or mind, which these legall issues specially ayme at. Oh this chastity of mind 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.

2. It stands with the nature of God, which is most holy Casta Deus mens est, casta vult mente vocari.and pure; God is a pure chast Spirit, and will be praied unto with a pure and chaste heart. How can foule fornicators and adulterers think that their praiers 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 than a swine-sty, 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. p. 1682. The Lord is for the body, namely to redeem 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 Joseph calls it, Gen. 39. 9.) to make it a member of an harlot?

5. Follow holinesse and chastity; without which thou shalt never see God either in grace or in glory, Heb. 12. 24. What makes the harlot so sottish, so gracelesse in the middest of powerfull meanes, but that their hearts are taken away, Hos. 4. 12. Gods 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 at the fountaine; labour for inward Begin with the heart: why.purity first.

For, 1. Whence issue these but from a wicked and impenitent heart?

2. God looks first at the cleannesse of the heart, knowing that if he find that unclean, nothing is clean.

3. Morality and cleanliness make a man care for the cleanness of his face, but grace and religion make him look to the cleannesse of his heart, Jer. 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 speak, the eye will look, the hand will work, the foot will walk. 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 boughes of sinfull actions, if they seek not to strike up the root. Thou wouldst avoid oathes and lyes in thy tongue, but shall never do 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.

p. 169Quest. How may I cleanse my heart?How the heart may be cleansed.

Answ. Cleannesse of the heart is in two things.

1. Justification by the bloud of Christ imputed and applied, Joh. 15. 8, 10.

2. Sanctification by the Spirit, which stands in two things.

1. In parting with our filthinesse, as evill thoughts, pride, hypocrysie, stubbornnesse, mallice: 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 clean.

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

Quest. 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 Job. 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 pluck out thine eye, cut off thy hand and foot rather than by them offend God and thy conscience. If this will not serve, beat down thy rebellious members (as Paul) with labour.

3. Direction. Avoid occasions of defilements by the Avoid occasions of defilement.unclean issues of others, so did the Jews.

As, 1. Come not near unclean persons, 2 Cor. 6. 17. Avoid swearers, drunkards, gamesters, wantons, Proverb. 4. 14.

2. Avoid the seat 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.

4. Beware of their spittle, v. 8. words are cast out of the mouth p. 170Ut saliva …re excutitur, sic serme.spittle. Neither assent to their speeches and perswasions, (which are still against God) nor be dismaied from good things by their threats and reproaches. This filthy froth and spittle daily pollutes many that are carelesse to avoid it.

Object. Alas it is impossible then to avoide unclean issues. I cannot but daily and hourly touch some filthinesse, unlesse I run 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, Mar. 5. that his bloud may heal thy bloudy issues.

2. As seeing need of daily mercy, to true watch joyne prayer, as Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 30. 18, 19, 20. The good Lord be mercifull to him that is sanctified, although net according to the purification of the Sanctuary: And the Lord heard him. So will he thee, where he findes a true endeavour after cleannesse.

Sect. VIII.

Now followes the oblation for the uncleannesse of leprosie. 3. Leper two waies cleansed.The cleansing of the Leper is in Lev. 14. where we read of two sorts of oblations prescribed.

1. For the cleansing of him that he might come into the tent.

2. After his cleansing and comming into the tent, he 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 speak of the former, concerning his cleansing, Lev. 14. from ver. 2. to 8.

Where 1. The Leper to be cleansed must be brought to the Priest. For he onelyonly must discern and pronounce of it, whether it be cured or unclean: 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 heal our leprosie of sinne, and herein is farre p. 171beyond all those types. The Priest could discerne of bodily leprosie, and pronounce them cleane if they were so, but he could not make them clean if they were not. But Jesus Christ can properly forgive sinne, the soules leprosie, being the healing God, and onelyonly Physitian of soules.

2. The Priest must go out of the campe unto him to consider him: to signifie, how Jesus Christ finds 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 or Gods people, but out-casts 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, vers. 3. signifying, a twofold action of Jesus Christ in the curing of the leprosie of sinne. For,

1. He must heal the sinner by the grace of justification and sound conversion: but this is not all, for there remaines a great deal to do before we can be soundly cleansed. And therefore 2. he must bestow on us his spirit, to work in us a daily growth and proceeding in sanctification, before we can be pronounced clean.

4. The Priest must prepare 1. two little live birds of the clean kind, vers. 4. 1. two birds, to note the twofold nature of Jesus Christ, his deity and humanity. 2. Two little birds, to note the humility and mean esteem 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 die in, another not subject to death; As also the twofold estate of our Lord Jesus, his suffering and dying estate, and his glorious & exalted estate. 2. He must prepare Cedar wood, scarlet, and hysope: 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 inseparable: And teacheth, that no man can think to be cleansed by the bloud of Christ, that is carelesse to receive his graces; which thou must as eagerly desire as himselfe.

p. 1725. The use of these materialls of cleansing, concern, 1. the dying bird. 2. The living bird. 3. The party to be cleansed.

First concerning the dying bird. 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 be slaine over running water, that the bloud might fall into the water. The bloud falling into the water signified: 1. That a fountaine of grace by the death of Christ is opened both for justification and sanctification. For water and bloud here meet, shadowing the streames of water and bloud issuing from the side of Christ in his passion, 1 Joh. 5. 6. 2. The bird slain over running water signified the innocency of the death of Christ, for though he must die, yet his bloud is in pure streames, as running water is. 3. That this water must be running water, not standing; signifying, that there is a continuall cock and conduit of grace overflowing from this fountaine, ever runing and issuing from Christ to the refreshing of thirsty and weary soules believing in his name. 4. By the falling of the bloud into running water might also be signified, that the death of Christ should run into the Ministery of the Gospel, 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 self, what he hath done and suffered shall be every where preached to the worlds end. 3. This water must be in an earthen vessel. Not onelyonly to signifie that Christ must sweat and powre forth in his death, water and bloud 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 be retained and held in earthen vessels, that is, the faithfull Ministers of Christ; how contemptible so ever they are in the world, yet these shall carry and disperse these blessed misteries unto men, as 2 Cor. 4. 7.

Secondly, concerning the live Sparrow. The generall signification p. 173of it was Christ now alive raised from the dead, who can die 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 can cleanse or justifie the sinner. Neither the life of Christ without his death, nor his death without his life can availe us to righteousnesse. Act. 20. 28. God shed his bloud to purchase the Church to himself. 2. The Priest must dip the live bird, and the Cedar, and scarlet lace, and hysope in the bloud of the Sparrow slaine and pure water, vers. 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 bloud of the slaine. For therefore the sonne of God must take our nature to better our nature, and take our flesh, that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death. Heb. 2. 14.

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 bloud, 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 go into the broad field, vers. 7.

Signifying, 1. Christs escape and deliverance from death, and the power of the grave.

2. His exaltation after he was once consecrated, his ascending on high, and being made higher than the heavens, Heb. 7. 26.

3. The publication and manifestation of righteousnesse purchased by the death of Christ, in the broad and open field of the Church, and this in the daily ministery of the Gospel.

p. 174Thirdly, concerning the party to whom this cure must be applied. The Priest must sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed this bloud seven times.

Signifying, 1. That onelyonly Christ Jesus doth sprinkle his bloud on penitent soules, from whom onelyonly they must expect pardon and purging from sinnes.

2. That Christs bloud must be particularly applyed to every believer, to every thing that is to be cleansed: partly by Gods imputation of Christ and his merits to the penitent sinner: Partly by his Ministers in the publishing and speciall applying the particular promises to every soule that is weary.

3. Seven times sprinkling noteth,

1. Perfect justification by the bloud of Christ, the number of seven times, perfect sprinkling; he is able perfectly to save, Heb. 7. 23. all that come unto him, and needeth no other seeking of other merits to satisfie or justifie.

2. To put the unclean person in mind how hardly he parts from his foulenesse: and us, that it is no easie thing to be rid of sinne.

3. How weak and imperfectly our selves apply the bloud of Christ, that have need of so many sprinklings: to humble us for our weaknesse of faith, and slow progresse in sanctification.

Sect. IX.

I. All these ordinances and ceremonies in discerning Use. 1. No easie matter to be rid of sin.and curing this disease, in generall teach us two things.

I. That it is no small businesse to be rid of the leprosie of the soule, and the infection of sinne; which was but shadowed in that, as that was occasioned by this. For whence is bodily leprosie, but from leprosie of the soule? Or what is it that strikes the body with such contagious sickness, but the infection and sicknesse of the soule? As in Gehezi, Miriam, Uzziah; Whose bodies were so fouly infected and deformed p. 175by the leprosie of the soule, and corruption of heart. And who sees not how the Lord would lead them and us to take speciall notice hereby of the souls leprosie by sinne, in that he committeth the knowledge and discerning of this disease of leprosie to the Priests, sending them to the Physitians of their souls, and not to the Physitians of their bodies, whom one would think it more specially and properly concerned? This should admonish us all, that if there be so much adoe to get clean bodies, clean faces, clean skins; how great our care and businesse should be to get clean souls, the soile of which cleaves not to the skin onelyonly, but sticks closer to us than our skin or bones; and yet we think every slight sigh, or Lord have mercy, or three words at our death sufficient to rid us of our sinnes, and soules leprosie.

II. How careful the Lord is to sever the clean from the unclean Separate between the precious & the vile,for fear of generall infection.

Teaching, 1. The Magistrate, that as the Lord puts difference between him that sweareth, and him that feareth an oath: so should they to incourage and countenance the clean person, that is, the godly and faithfull. David set his eyes on the godly in the land, not to maligne or wrong them, but to cherish their persons, and help up religion and the fear of God in them: As also to discountenance and terrifie the foule blasphemer, the drunkard, Sabbath breaker, idle persons and gamesters, that thrust themselves out of their calling all the week long. But if a man by his course shuffle clean and unclean together, nay run with the unclean, & countenance gamesters, swearers, bibbers, how doth he execute the judgements of God?

2. A good Minister then stands in the counsell of God, when he severs the precious from the vile, Jer. 15. 19. The Priest in the Law must pronounce him clean that is so indeed. He durst not pronounce a foule person to be clean, nor a clean person foule. Then how dares a man that stands to judge between the Lord and his people, scandalize or scorn such as endeavour most to be clean? How comes it that we do not hear drunkards, adulterers, theeves, swearers, blasphemers, p. 167so rated and disgraced as them? Or how dare men sell praises of religion to foule Atheists, swearers, haters and despisers of goodnesse, (as if men should gild rotten posts, or wash dead bricks) making them at their death seem as white as lawne, who all their life were white as Lepers? Well, let not the despised members of Christ be discouraged; we know that the judgement of Christ shall passe righteously between the cleane and uncleane. If thy heart be upright, let all men cast the foule brand of an hypocrite on thee, Jesus Christ shall pronounce thee clean.

3. Every good man must and will be glad of this separation, rejoyce in that arbitrement that differenceth cleane and uncleane, as most savoury. Wicked men can abide nothing lesse than this shedding and differencing of men. Whence are so many tumults? Oh you are more holy than all other, you are the pure ones, you are all clean, &c. but because they have learned a trick to deceive themselves, and to hide their foulenesse (as they think) by crowding all into one confusion. Now is that doctrine 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, than for the society of Saints and beleevers.

II. Note in speciall. 1. In that the Leper must bee Use. 2. Christ discerns the leprosie of sinsent to the Priest to have his leprosie discerned: we see that our Lord Jesus (who was typified by the high Priest) can discerne our leprosie. Thou maist hide thy sinne from man, but thou canst not deceive him, no idle excuse or fig-leaf can cover thee. If he see thee an adulterer, a swearer, an unjust person, a covetous or proud person if he see thee an enemy, a prophane person; he will judge thee a Leper. Thou canst not sin (though never so secretly) but thou art sure to be discerned and tried, by him whose eyes are as a flame of fire. And if he judge thee a Leper he will pronounce thee a Leper, and thou canst not apeale from, but must stand to his judgement. What if a man applaud and commend thee for an honest man, a good neighbour, a just man, if He judge thee a Leper? What had it been better, if all the congregation had taken p. 177part with a Leper, if the Priest pronounced him uncleane? And if he pronounce thee uncleane, he will shut thee out of the campe, out of the society of God and his Saints, till thou beest seasonably cleansed. Men may faile in their censures, and shut out the clean for unclean (as Joh. 9. 34. the Jewes did the man that was born blind) and hold in the uncleane for base respects: but Jesus Christ he shuts him out unpartially, whom he pronounceth a leper.

II. Then was the leper healed, when in the judgement of 2. OnelyOnly they are cleansed from sin, whō Christ accounts so to be.the Priest he was so; and then the Priest must pronounce him so. The Priest could not make him clean but pronounce him clean: Even so, thou art then cleansed from thy sin, 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 me clean?

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

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

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

Question, What are the rules of inquisition or direction.Marks of one cleansed from sin.

A. 1. If by rubbing the place he see it grow red the leprosie is in the way of cure; if it be not red by rubbing, it is incurable: So if the sinner be ashamed and blush at his sin, if godly abashment hath begun his repentance, it is a good signe of cure.

p. 1782. If the spot pricked with a needle, there come forth bloud, it is in the way of cure: So sinners pricked with the needle of the Law, if they have sence of pain which makes them cry out of themselves, and see the need of Christ, it is a good sign. Men pricked now adayes, stir up their bloud against the Physician; but such are far from cure.

3. A leper was healed when his leprosie was stayed, and went no further: So he is to be pronounced clean, who truly turnes to God; sinne hath lost dominion in him; sinne growes lesse and lesse; the stirrings of corruptions are abated; he cannot doe as he hath done, or would doe; nor forget that he was cured.

4. When the conscience is bathed in that fountain in which water and bloud have met, then is the leper clean. When by the merit of Christ the sinner is fully justified, and by the Spirit of Christ he is in part sanctified, and riseth up towards full sanctification; then is he truly pronounced clean.

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

Sol. 1. The leper and sinner may be truly cleansed, never fully in this life; for every day will make him foul even after true repentance: but we must daily renue our repentance for daily cleansing.

2. Remember, that the leper must shave his hair again and again, but he leaves the roots behind; yet he was pronounced clean, though the hair 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 fountain of grace from Christ to the heart of the sinner, for his continuall washing.

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

I. Before the cure. 1. As the leper discerning his own 1. What is to be done before this cure.misery, esteemed him an happy man that was clean: So thou seeing this disease, must judge thy self most unhappy and miserable of all men, as Paul, Rom. 7. and never think thy self p. 179happy till thou hast got a cure, Psal. 32. 1. Every leper cried out, I am unclean: the same must be thy complaint and cry.

2. Get thee to the Priest: Go to Christ in humility, as that leper (Matth. 8. 2.) Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; and the least touch of Christ shall make thee clean, vers. 3.

3. Naaman, being struck with leprosie, must wash and be clean: So must thou bewaile and lament thy estate; wash thy selfe in the salt sea of teares, that God may wash thee with the 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. If God have healed thy leprosie, 2. And what afterwards.be thou thankfull; so Naaman, 2 King. 5. 15. Not as the nine lepers of whom none returned back to give thankes. Would to God one of ten were as thankfull as we ought for Luke 17.Luke 17so great a cure.

2. Bring thy gift to the Lord for the curing, for so the lepers were enjoyned: that is, pay thy vowes; offer up thy selfe and all thy obedience, an acceptable sacrifice to God, Rom. 12. 1. Resigne unto God; present all thy sacrifices by the high Priest Jesus Christ, in whom alone thou canst finde acceptance.

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

Sol. 1. Thou canst give no lesse than true endeavours of obedience; and then, be they never so weak, he that accepts the will for the deed, will accept them.

2. God prescribed a smaller offering for the poor than for the rich; the poor man must provide a sacrifice according to the labour of his hands: To comfort the weake Christian, who offering according to his ability, is respected according to that he hath, not according to that he 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 Publican, Matth. 18. 17. A good lesson for the Masters of families to cast out p. 180leprous persons from the rest. It is incredible what mischief one swearer, one drunkard, one wanton, one prophane beast may do in an house. We have not more usually seen an whole house infected, and poisoned up by one plaguie person, than 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.