The Leper and the Lepers House Cleansed, Part 4
PART IV.
Thus you ſee the Miſtery of the earthen Veſſel, with the run…ing pure Water in it, opened to you; we next come to ſpeak of the rest of the Things which the Priest was to uſe in the Cleanſing of the Leper, which was the Scarlet, the C…da…-wood, and the Hyſſop.
THe Aſſemblies Annotations ſpeak to this purpoſe, That the S…arlet, Cedar-wood, and the Hyſſop; theſe three things together, made up the Bruſh wherewith the Loper was to be ſprinkled, in order to his Cleanſing; the Cedarwood made up the Handle of the Bruſh, the Hyſſop made up the Bruſh itſelf, and the Scarlet, which was a Scarlet Thread, with this Thread the Hyſſop was bound faſt to the Cedar-handle: Now the Myſtery of which I conceive to be this, The Handle of the Bruſh, which was made of Cedar-wood, may ſignifie the Word of God, the inſtrumental Means of our ſpiritual Cleanſing, for as Cedar is ſweet and durable, ſo is the Word of God.
Firſt of all, The Word of God is like Cedar for ſweetneſs, Pſal. 19. 10. The Word is more to be deſired than Gold, yea ſweeter than the Hony-comb; thus you ſee how ſweet the Word is to the Pallate for Taſte, and it is no leſs ſweet in the Noſtrils for ſmell, Cant. 1. 2. Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth; that is, the Name of Chriſt publiſhed, or poured out in the Preaching of the Goſpel.
2. The Word of God may be compared to Cedar for the durableneſs of it, 1 Pet. 1. 25. But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever, and this is the Word, which by the Goſpel is preached to you.
2dly, By the Hyſſop-bruſh, we may underſtand the Grace of Faith, another inſtrumental Means of our Cleanſing from our ſpiritual Leproſie: For as Hyſſop is ſweet, and not ſo ſubject to corrupt and wither ſo ſoon as other Herbs are, ſo the Grace of Faith, is a moſt ſweet and precious Grace, it is called precious Faith, for the ſweetneſs and uncorruptibleneſs of it, 2 Pet. 1. 1. Good Education, natural Parts, and moral Gifts, may wither and come to nothing, but true Faith is a …race that never loſeth its Life, Sap, or Savour.
3dly, And by the Scarlet Thread, we may underſtand the Purchaſing-bloud of Chriſt, which is the Procuringcauſe of that Vertue, and Healing-property which we find and feel in the Word and Faith, in order to our ſpiritual Cleanſing: Now the Sprinkling-bruſh being thus finiſhed, the Scarlet Thread binding the Hyſſop to the Cedar-handle; with this Bruſh, the Prieſt was to ſprinkle the Leper ſeven times, the Sum of which holds out to us, our Juſtification and Sanctification, which is procured for us by our High-Prieſt Jeſus Chriſt.
From all which we may obſerve this Point of Doctrine: Doct. That who-ever intends to be Juſtified from the Guilt of Sin, and Sanctified from the Filth of Sin, must get himſelf ſprinkled with the Bloud of Christ, through the Word of God, by the Hyſſop of Faith and Believing. Hence the Scripture attributes, both our Juſtification and Sanctification to the Bloud of Chriſt, as the meritorious and Procuring-cauſe of it: Firſt, For our Juſtification, Rom. 5. 9. Much more then, being now Juſtified by his Bloud.
2dly, Our Sanctification is meritoriouſly procured by the ſame Means, Heb. 9. 14. How much more ſhall the Bloud of Christ purge our Conſciences from dead Works to ſerve the Living God?
2. As the Scriptures do direct us to the Bloud of Chriſt alone, as the meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification and Sanctification, ſo doth it direct to Faith as the Means which only can make the Application of both to the Soul, Rom. 5. 1. Being Juſtified by Faith, we have Peace with God, through our Lord Jeſus Christ. Not that Faith can Juſtifie of itſelf, a part from the Object of it, which is Jeſus Chriſt, but only as Faith apprehends and applies the Bloud and Obedience of Chriſt to the Soul, which is the alone Matter of our Juſtification; and as Faith is the Inſtrument of our Juſtification, ſo it is of our Sanctification alſo, Acts 15. 9. And put no difference betweeen them and us, purifying their Hearts by Faith.
Reaſon.] Now, the Reaſon why the Soul is to make uſe of Faith, in his Juſtification from the Guilt of Sin, and in his Cleanſing from the Filth of Sin, is, becauſe God hath ordered Faith to be the Grace, which muſt deal with the Bloud of Chriſt, which is the Procuring-cauſe of both: For as nothing can Juſtifie or Cleanſe the Soul (if applied) but the Bloud of Chriſt, ſo there is nothing which can apply the Bloud of Chriſt to the Soul, but the Hyſſop of Faith and Believing, Heb. 11. 6. But without Faith it is impeſſible to Pleaſe him.
And ſo we come to the Application of the Point:
Vſe, This ſhould teach us all to look after Faith, yea, above all things, to labour for this Grace of Believing, if ever we mean to be healed of our ſinful Leproſie and Uncleanneſs. Oh Friends! this is the Means that can only do your Souls good; ſlight this, and you ſlight your greateſt Mercy under Heaven; becauſe you thereby ſlight that very Means which God hath appointed for a Soulcure: Neglect this (ſaith Chriſt) and you die in your Sins, John 8. 24. This was Iſrael's Sin, and that which kept them in their Sins, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 10. 3. They ſubmitted not themſelves to the Righteouſneſs of God, which is elſe-where called the Righteouſneſs of Faith, Rom. 4. 13. It was not enough for the Jewiſh Leper, only to uſe the Bloud of the Bird, for his Cleanſing, no, but he muſt dip the Hyſſop-bruſh into the Bloud alſo, he muſt keep to the Means, and the whole Means, which God inſtituted and appointed for his Cleanſing, Deut. 12. 32. What t…ng ſoever I have commanded you, obſerve to do it, thou ſhalt not add thereto, nor diminiſh from it.
If the Prieſt had uſed the Hyſſop-bruſh, without the Bloud of the Bird, or if he had dipt the Hyſſop-bruſh in any other Liquor, as Water, Milk, or Wine, this would not have been Cleanſing to the Leper; or, if he had made uſe of the Bloud of the Bird, without dipping of the Hyſſop-bruſh into it, this would all as little have wrought the Cure, becauſe this would have been a Contradiction to God s Inſtitut on; but both of the Means muſt be uſed together the Bloud of the Bird, with the Hyſſop-bruſh bound faſt to the Cedar-wood, theſe three things together would be Healing to the Leper, becauſe it was the Means of God's Appointment.
The Myſtery of which (when opened) ſhews us thus much, That the Bloud of Chriſt, handed, out to us by the Word of God, and applied to our Souls by Faith, (it being the Inſtitution of God for our Soul-cure) this, and only this, will Cleanſe our Souls of the fouleſt Leprofie that ever hapned to a Sinner in this Life; for we find, that it was this which David deſired might be applied to him, in a time of Soul-defilement and Pollution, Pſal. 51. 7. Purge me with Hyſſop, and I ſhall be Clean, Waſh one and I ſhall be whiter than the Snow. Shall we think that David (in this Cleanſing-work) did look no farther than the bare Hyſſop, and the typocal Sprinkling there-with, for the cleanſing of his Soul from the guilt and filth of Sin; …o, no, doubtleſs it was the ſpiritual Hyſſop of Faith, dipt in the Bloud of Chriſt, which was the chief thing in his Requeſt, and the principal thing which his Eye was fixt upon. So, Soul, this is thy great Duty alſo, to pour out thy Soul in Prayer to God, as David did, for this Grace of Believing: Oh! ſpread thy Leproſie before him; open the Plague-ſore of thy Heart in his ſight; take off thy gouty Clouts, and lay open thy Wounds and Unclers in his ſight, and beg him to caſt his merciful Eyes towards thee, who is the only Phyſician of Value, that can heal thee of thy ſoul Diſeaſe, which neither Men nor Angels can Cure beſides himſelf: Oh! wreſtle with him as Jacob did, Gen. 32. 24, 25, 26. Ceaſe not, give him no reſt until he hath ſent down the Hyſſop-bruſh of Believing into thy Heart, that by it, thy Heart may be purified from thy Soul-pollution, according to Acts 15. 9. A ſight of Miſery does ſometimes (in a tender-hearted Phyſician) ſtir up Bowels of Mercy to a ready Helping of the Diſtreſſed; but much more in God, the greateſt Healer and Helper that is in Heaven or Earth; and for thy Encouragement to make to him for Healing, read often that Text, Jam. 1. 5. If any Man lack Wiſdom, let him ask of God, that giveth liberally to all Men, and upbraideth not, and it ſhall be given him.
2. Lay thyſelf in the Ways and Walks of God, even in thoſe Places where he …ſeth to diſpenſe this precious Grace of Faith; the Ways and Walks of God are in his Ordinances, and amongſt his golden Candleſticks, Rev. 1. 13. which golden Candleſticks are his Goſpel-churches, the Places where his Worſhip and Ordinances are, as Prayer, preaching of the Word, with the Sacraments and Seals of the New-covenant, in theſe things he meets with the Souls of Men, Iſa. 64. 5. He meeteth him which works Righteouſneſs, and thoſe that remember him in his Ways. Here it is that God maketh the Sorrowful to rejoyce, and maketh glad the Hearts of the Righteous; here it is in theſe things, that he giveth out the Senſe of his Love, Grace and Favour in Chriſt Jeſus; here it is that he poureth forth the rich Anointings, even the Graces of his holy Spirit, and amongſt them this Grace of Faith, Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God. Oh! then, be admoniſhed to be a conſtant and diligent Waiter upon theſe Ordinances of the Goſpel; neglect no Opportunity of doing thy Soul good this way, for thou doſt not know how ſoon God may meet thee with healing and cleanſing Grace in theſe Ways and Walks of his.