The Leper and the Lepers House Cleansed, Part 10
PART X.
Now we come to the last Particular about the Leprous Houſe, namely, That if nothing of the forementioned Means uſed by the Priest for the Cure of the Houſe would avail, then was the Houſe to be demoliſhed and levelled with the Ground.
LEvit. 14. 43, with 45 Verſe, And if the Plague come again and break ou… in the Houſe, after that he hath taken away the Stones after that he hath ſcraped the Houſe, and after it is plaiſtered, then ſhall be break down the Houſe, the Stones thereof and the Timber thereof, and all the Mortar of the Houſe, and he ſhall carry them forth out of the City into an unclean place.
This leads us to behold the end of all polluted and impenitent Churches, who wilfully perſiſt in their Impenitency; when they hold faſt their Iniquities and refuſe to return, as the Prophet ſpeaks, Jer. 8. 5. Then the next thing to be done is, they muſt be pulled in pieces and caſt down to the Ground, they ſhall ſtand no longer, the great High Prieſt will root them up, even to the laſt Foundation Stone; what he commanded the Levitical Prieſt to do to the Levitical Leprous Houſe, when no means would heal it, pull it down to the Ground, the ſame will he cauſe to be done to his Goſpel poluted Church, which refuſeth to be healed, Rev. 18. 21. Thus with violence ſhall Babylon that great City be thrown down.
From whence we may obſerve this Note for our Information: Doct. That when no Means uſed will heal and help the Leprous Churches of Chriſt, then will Chriſt unchurch ſuch Churches again.
In the handling of this Point, I ſhall firſt prove it; 2ly, Shew you what that Infection is which will endanger the unchurching of Chriſt's Churches; 3ly, Give you the Reaſons of it; And 4ly, apply the whole.
Firſt, For the Proof of this Point, you ſee how evident this appears from the Type it ſelf, where command was given for the pulling down the Levitical Houſe, when ſcraping of the Walls nor pulling out of the Stones would avail to the cleanſing of it: And this holds as true in the Anti-Type, How ſeverely did God make this good upon his Old Teſtament Houſe? Behold (ſaith Chriſt) I ſent unto you wiſe Men, and Prophets, and Scribes, ſome of them ye ſcourged, ſome ye have perſecuted, and killed others of them, Matth. 23. 34. The ſending of theſe Prophets, wiſe Men, and Scribes to them was in order to their Healing, but they would not be healed; then mark what followed hereupon, Verſe 38. Behold your Houſes is left unto you deſolate.
So if you conſider the ſeven Aſian Churches, after they began to be Leprous, Epheſus, Rev. 2. 4. Pergamos, verſes 14, 15. Thyatira, verſe 20. Sardis, Chap 3. 2, 3. and Laodicea, verſe 15, 16, 17. Unto all theſe Churches was John the Divine ſent, as a means to heal them, by bringing them to Repentance, but becauſe they received no benefit by it, at length how hath the great High Prieſt of Heaven and Earth pulled them all to pieces and thrown them flat to the Ground? And what hath he done leſs to the Church of Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, Theſſalonica, and the Church of Rome, but broke them all down to the Duſt, with the Stones thereof, and the Timber thereof, and the Mortar thereof, and hath cauſed it to be carried out of the City into an unclean place; for what uncleaner place can there be, than to lye in the Dregs of Mahometiſin? which is the condition of moſt of the Eaſtern Churches to this day.
Here is one thing more to be obſerved, That this Levitical Rubbiſh muſt be carried without the City, which City was a Type of Chriſt's reformed Churches on Earth in Goſpel-times, for ſo are the Churches of Chriſt compar'd, Pſal. 122. 3. Jeruſalem is builded as a City compact together, which ſheweth us thus much, That ſuch Churches as are left and forſaken by Jeſus Chriſt, ought to be abandoned by the whole City of God.
What though ſuch Churches (with Sardis) may have a Name to live, and may vainly glory in their ancient Title, of being once named a Church of Chriſt; yet in as much as they have loſt the vital Spirit of a Church, in ceaſing to hold Union with Chriſt, the true Head, they thereby forfeit their right of Fellowſhip to the true Churches of Chriſt: alſo, Hoſea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone.
Thus you ſee the Point proved, and ſo we come to ſhew you what kind of Polution it is, (which if Churches perſiſt in) will endanger their being unchurched again.
Firſt of all, a univerſal decay in their Love to Chriſt and one another, ſo ſaith Diodate, in his Annotations upon Rev. 2. 4. Indeed there may be an abatement of Love to Chriſt, in ſome particular Perſons in a Church, and yet no danger of the whole Churches be in; unchurched; God is ſo juſt and righteous, that he will not lay the Stroke upon the whole Church, when the Guilt is only chargable upon the leſſer number, Ezek. 18. 20. The Soul that ſinneth it ſhall die.
But if it be the Sin of the Church in general, to fall back in their Love to Chriſt and one another, this is a dangerous ſtep to the unchurching of ſuch a Church: Read the threatning of Chriſt in this caſe, Rev. 2. 4, 5. Becauſe thou haſt left thy first Love, remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent, and do the firſt Works, or elſe I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candleſtick out of his place, except thou repent.
2. An allowed Spirit of Formality and Lukewarmneſs, is another Sin which may endanger the unchurching of a Church of Chriſt; this frame of Spirit is very dangerous, if it be found in a particular Soul; a formal indifferent frame of Heart in a Chriſtian, is not only a bad ſign but a bad diſtemper, it's like the Plagueſpots appearing before death, and the diſtemper is like an Ague in the Body, which proves the foundation (ſometimes) of many other mortal Diſeaſes which ſucceed afterwards.
The like is as true of a prevailing formal lukewarm Spirit in a Chriſtian, it uſhers into the Soul ſeveral other ſpiritual Maladies: when Ephraim became like a Cake not turned, Hoſea 7. 8. that is, as we uſe to ſay, halfbaked, viz. formal and luke-warm, then ſuddenly it became proud, idolatrous, treacherous and rebellious againſt God, Hoſea 8. 11. with chap. 9, 10. So that if this evil frame of Heart in a particular Chriſtian, be ſo deteſtable to God, how much more diſreliſhing to God, muſt a whole Society of Chriſtians be, where this evil ſpirit reigns in the power of it, eſpecially when this Diſeaſe in a whole Church is become ſo malignant, that it expels the Virtue of all good Means that ſhall be applied for the recovery of it? This greatly endangers the pulling down of ſuch a Church.
Rev. 3. 16. So then becauſe thou art luke-warm, neither hot nor cold, I will ſpue thee out of my Mouth.
3. The third Sin which endangers the unchurching of a Church of Chriſt, is the ſin of profeſſed Idolatry, Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone. Idolatry is a violating of the Marriage-Covenant betwixt a Church and Chriſt, and a defiling of the Marriage-Bed; which ſin in a Wife called for a Bill of Divorce, to divorce the Wife from her Husband, Matth. 5. 32. So that in Scripture, Idolatry alſo is called Whoredom, Ezek. 16. 20. And it is called playing the Harlot, Jer. 2. 20. Now as the Law allowed a Man to put away his Wife for the ſin of Whoredom, ſo for the ſin of Idolatry, which is a ſpiritual Whoredom, will Jeſus Chriſt put away a whole Church from him, unleſs it repents, Hoſea 1. 6. with 8 and 9th verſes.
4. A fourth Sin which helps forward the unchurching of a Church of Chriſt, is the Looſneſs and Profaneneſs of it: this kind of ſinning was charged upon the ten Tribes, as the ground of Chriſt's unchurching of them, and caſting them out of his ſight, though once a People in Covenant with him, Hoſ. 7. 3, 4, 5. They make the King glad with their wickedneſs, and the Princes with their lies, they are all adulterers as an Oven heated by the Baker, who ceaſeth from riſing after he hath kneaded the Dough, until it be leavened. So Verſ. 2. They conſider not in their Hearts, that I remember all their wickedneſs, now their doings have beſet them about, they are before my face: but becauſe of the unreclaimable looſeneſs and profaneneſs of this Church, Chriſt at laſt utterly renounceth them, Hoſ. 1. 9. Then ſaid God, call his name Loamini, for ye are not my People, and I will not be your God.
The great reaſon why Chriſt takes a People into a Covenantrelation with himſelf, is upon Terms of their Holineſs.
Levit 19. 1, 2. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, ſpeak unto all the Congregation of the Children of Iſrael, and ſay unto them, ye ſhall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
If ever Chriſt chuſeth any to be his peculiar People, it ſhall be upon the ſame Terms which he redeemed them by his Bloud, and that was to be a peculiar People to him, zealous of good Works, Tit. 2. 14. But then when that viſible Holineſs ceaſeth to be in a Church, which was the ground of that viſible Union which was betwixt Chriſt and them at firſt, the Union betwixt them is diſſolved.
Jer. 7. 9. with the 15th Verſe, Will you ſteal, murder, and commit adultery, and ſwear falſly, and burn incenſe unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not, and come and ſtand before me in this houſe, which is called by my Name, and ſay, We are delivered to do all theſe abominations: So 15 verſ. I will cast you out of my ſight, as I cast out all your Brethren, even the whole Seed of Ephraim.
Thus you ſee what the Sins are which do ſo pollute and defile the Churches of Chriſt, as do greatly endanger their being unchurched again: therefore where we find ſuch Pollution reigning in Churches, it's good to avoid them; and ſo we come to the Reaſons of the Point.
The firſt Reaſon why Chriſt will unchurch Leprous Churches, which will not be healed, is, becauſe he will thereby admoniſh all other Churches, that they may hear and fear, and do no more ſo wickedly.
Rev. 2. 21, with 23. I gave her ſpace to repent of her fornication and ſhe repented not, I will kill her Children … death, and all the Churches ſhall know that I am …e which ſearcheth the Reins and Hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Chriſt's Severity upon ſome Offenders, will make others the more affraid to offend; when the angry Father takes up the offending Child to correct it, this makes the reſt of the Children to quake and tremble.
The ſecond Reaſon, It is ſo, becauſe Chriſt will perform the Truſt which is repoſed in him by his Father, with relation to the Churches, and that with the greateſt circumſpection: all the Churches of Chriſt in the World, were originally the Fathers, John 17. 6. Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me: That is, the Father gave them to Chriſt, to be kept, watch'd over, governed and ruled in his Father's Name, as Verſ. 12. ſheweth; and one ſpecial purpoſe why the Father hath …ntruſted Chriſt with the care of his Churches, is, that God might have fruitful ſervice from them, John 15. 8. In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. The Church is God's Vineyard, and Chriſt is made the Vine-dreſſer of it, with this Commiſſion, That if any of the Vines proves ſo rotten, that inſtead of bringing forth of good Fruit, they bring forth nothing but wild Grapes; then muſt he cut down ſuch unfruitful Vines, Iſa. 5. 1, 2. with Verſ 5. My Beloved hath a Vineyard in a very fruitful Hill, and he looked that it ſhould bring Grapes, and it brought forth wild Grapes; now I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard, I will take away the Hedge thereof, and it ſhall be eaten up, and I will break down the Wall thereof, and it ſhall be trodden down.
And this Truſt our Lord Jeſus diſchargeth with a world of Juſtice on each hand; firſt of all, he diſchargeth this Truſt in order to the making of his Vineyard fruitful, Iſa. 27. 2, 3. In that day ſing ye to her a Vineyard of red Wine; I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment, leſt any hurt it; I will keep it night and day. Secondly, And he is as righteous to fulfil his Commiſſion upon them, if they prove unfruitful, Verſ. 5. of the 26th Chapter, For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty City he layeth low, he layeth it low even to the Ground, he bringeth it even to the Dust: So that if Churches will not be Trees of Righteouſneſs, Chriſt will fell them to the Ground for Trees of Rottenneſs; if they will not yield him Fruit for his Father's Table, they muſt be Fuel for his Father's Fire, Luke 3. 9. Now the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree, every Tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and caſt into the Fire.
Chriſt is his Fathers Servant in this great Work, and the Will of his Father he muſt and will do, both in the preſervation of ſome, or deſtruction of other of his Churches in this Life, according as they prove either fruitful or unfruitful in his ſight; for he came not to do his own Will, but the Will of him that ſent him, John 6. 38.
The third Reaſon. It muſt be ſo, becauſe Chriſt will manifeſt to all the World the Righteouſneſs of his Government over his Churches whilſt here on Earth. In Iſa. 9. 6. it's ſaid, that the Government ſhall be upon his Shoulder, and his Name ſhall be called the wonderful Counſellor; and as it ſhall not be ſaid, that ſo wonderful a Counſellor Rules indiſcreetly, ſo neither ſhall it be ſaid, that he rules his Churches unrighteouſly: It is ſaid, that Chriſt our Lord will order his Kingdom, and eſtabliſh it with Judgment and Juſtice for ever; therefore let thoſe Churches which will not be ſubject to the Government and Diſcipline of this high Governour, know their doom, Deut. 32. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. And when the Lord ſaw it, he abhorred them, becauſe of the provoking of his Sons and of his Dvughters; and he ſaid, I will hide my Face from them, I will ſee what their end ſhall be, for they are a very froward Generation, Children in whom is no Faith; they have moved me to jealouſie with that which is no God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities, and I will move them to jealouſie with thoſe which are not a People: I will provoke them to anger by a fooliſh Nation, for a fire is kindled in my anger and ſhall burn to the loweſt Hell, and ſhall conſume the earth with her increaſe, and ſhall ſet on fire the foundation of the Mountains; I will heap miſchief upon them, I will ſpend my Arrows upon them, they ſhall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with a burning heat, and with bitter deſtruction; I will ſend the teeth of wild Beaſt upon them, with the poyſon of Serpents of the duſt, the ſword without and terror within ſhall deſtroy thy young Men, and the Virgin, the Suckling alſo, with the Man of gray Hairs. This will our Lord do to his polluted Churches, to vindicate his righteouſneſs in the Government which he exerciſeth over them.
So that I ſhall conclude with this hearty Prayer, That God would give you the Spirit of Wiſdom and Revelation in the knowledge of theſe things, that ſo you might have a clear diſcerning of the fatal Ruine which is like to light upon our Luke-warm Congregations, who have the Leproſie of ſo much Formality upon them, who with Sardis have a Name to live, but are dead, and that you may be of the few Names in Sardis, which have not defiled your Garments, and having your Lamps trimmed, your Lights burning, and Garments ſhining, and ſo accounted worthy to walk in white with your dear Lord Jeſus, both now and for evermore. Amen.
FINIS.