The Leper and the Lepers House Cleansed, Part 1
EXPOSITION I.
AN Expoſition upon ſome part of the Fourteenth Chapter of Leviticus, entituled, The Leper Cleanſed: The Myſtery of which, is explained and applied to the State and Condition of a Sinner's becoming a Saint, which is ſeconded with ſome profitable Ʋſes and Application: As alſo what the Chapter may be applied to, the Cleanſing or Deſtroying of any particular Church of Christ, in and under the time of the Goſpel. Written for the Information of thoſe which ſeldom concern themſelves about the Types and Shadows of the Old Teſtament.
IN which Chapter you have theſe two Generals inſiſted upon; Firſt, The Subject. (1ſt. What is ſpoken of the Subject.) Firſt, You have the Subject itſelf, and that is twofold: Firſt, The Man. Secondly, His Houſe.
Secondly, You have what is ſpoken of the Subject, namely, The Man and his Houſe, and that is twofold: Firſt, The Diſeaſe which hapend to either. Secondly, The Remedy preſcribed to both: I ſhall firſt ſpeak of the Man, beginning with him, and in the ſecond place ſpeak of his Houſe, which is the other part of the Subject to be treated of: And here, Firſt, with reſpect to the Man, we may obſerve theſe two things: Firſt, His Diſeaſe, and that was a Leproſie. Ver. 2. This ſhall be the Law of the Leper, in the Day of his Cleanſing. The Myſtery of which, is to lead us into the Knowledge of that ſpiritual Leproſie, which, by original Sin, is begotten in our whole Man, a Diſeaſe derived from Father to Son, a Diſeaſe which hath ſpread itſelf over the face of the Earth, leaving neither Man, Woman, or Child untouch'd with the Venom of it, ſaith 1 John 5. 19. The whole World lieth in Wickedneſs. This ſpiritual Leproſie is a Diſeaſe, that no Man in the World can poſſibly eſcape; this taketh hold of the higheſt King upon the Throne, as well as the Beggar upon the Dunghil. I do not ſay, That every Man is a Leper in a corporal Senſe, no, but yet the Anti-type of that corporal Leproſie, which the Jews were ſo ſubject unto, which ſhadowed forth this ſpiritual Leproſie which I am ſpeaking of, (which is a thouſand times more diſtructive than the former:) This is a Leproſie which cleaves to every Man in the World, and as it cleaves to every Man, ſo it cleaves to every Part in Man; it is a Corruption and Diſorder ſo univerſal, that the whole Soul is bound under it, without any ſupply of its own to reſcue itſelf, becauſe the whole Faculties of the Soul are corrupted with this unclean leprous Pollution; therefore it is called, The Dominion of Sin, Rom. 6. 12. A Body of Death, Rom. 7. 24. and a Law of Sin bringing the Soul into Captivity, Rom. 7. 23. For firſt of all, this Leproſie darkens the Underſtanding, Epheſ. 4. 18. Having the Ʋnderſtanding darkned, being alienated from the Life of God, through the Ignorance which is in them, becauſe of the Blindneſs of their Heart: And from hence the Imaginations of the Heart become Vain, Rom. 1. 21. and not only Vain, but continually Evil, Gen. 6. 5. purſuing unprofitable Curioſities, Acts 19. 19. and impertinent Queſtions, Titus 3. 9. vain Deceir, Col. 2. 8. it wants a Capacity to diſcern things of the greateſt Concernment, 1 Cor. 2. 14. ſo that the beſt Habits of the Underſtanding are corrupted by this leprous Diſeaſe; the Wiſdom of the World is not only Fooliſhneſs, 1 Cor. 3. 19. but Enmity againſt God, yea, earthly, ſenſual, and deviliſh, James 3. 15. Theſe, and the like, doth this ſpiritual Leproſie produce in the Underſtanding: the Light being either quite out or dim, the Actings of the Underſtanding become irregular; and it is one of the great Works of Chriſt in our Regeneration, to give us the Spirit of Power and a ſound Mind, 2 Tim. 1. 7.
1st, So for the Will, this Leproſie hath as much perverted that, as it hath darkened the Underſtanding, and that upon a double account: Firſt, By reaſon of that Corruption which is in the Underſtanding, for the Proſecution or Averſation of the Will, is much qualified and ruled, according to the Light that is in the Underſtanding; and if that Light be Darkneſs, then there muſt neceſſarily follow a great miſcarriage in the Will.
2dly, By reaſon of that Captivity that the Will lieth under to the Law of Sin and the Fleſh, God gave to Man a righteous Law, which was to be a Law and Rule to his Mind, planted in him to direct and guide him in all things anſwerable to the revealed Will of God; but by reaſon of this Leproſie's corrupting the Will, it is now not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be, Rom. 8. 7. nay, the Will is ſo much maſtered and preſſed down, by being poſſeſſed of this Leproſie, through this powerfull Law of Sin which it whers into the Soul; inſomuch when it meets with the Law of God coming into the Heart, it takes an occaſion thereby to work in the Soul all manner of Concupiſcence, Rom. 7. 6. and all this, meerly out of Malice and Policy, to make the Law of God (which ſhould reſtrain the Soul from Sin, and reſcue the Soul) more odious to the Soul, and the Soul to it; as Conquerers uſe to do, who introduce Laws, Cuſtoms, and Languages of their own, the more to eſtrange the Conquered from any Memory of their former Duty and Freedoms; but now, when Chriſt comes into the Soul, he reſcues the Soul from the Dominion (though not from the being) of Sin: Rom. 6. 14. Sin ſhall not have Dominion over you; for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace.
3dly, This Leproſie hath not only darkned our Underſtandings, and corrupted our Wills, but it hath poiſoned our Affections alſo: The great and Maſter-piece of our Affections is Love, and the prime Object of it is God; and in our original Creation our Love was rightly placed upon God, the only Diſcerner of our Love; and when our Love was rightly qualified, it was moſt intenſe Love, according to the Law and Command of God, Deut. 6. 5. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, with all thy Soul, and withal thy Might: But now this Leproſie, though we have loſt the proper Object of this Affection, yet not the Affection itſelf, but in as much as our Love hath loſt its Guide; hence it is, that it wanders after ſomething elſe, like Noah's Dove, ſeeking reſt amongſt the Creatures, and Pleaſures of the Fleſh, but findeth none, and at laſt takes up in ourſelves, making them the ſole Objects of our Love and Affection; ſo that as our Love is miſplaced with reſpect to its Object, ſo it miſtakes in the purſuit of that Object; for no Man doth truly love himſelf, who doth not truly love God; becauſe the true Effect of Love, is to do all the good we can to the Thing we Love. Now the chiefeſt Good to ourſelves, lieth in our Conformity unto the Will of God, wherein indeed lieth the beauty, happineſs, and bleſſedneſs of the Soul: Thus when a Man hath loſt the true Object of his Love, no wonder he wanders up and down, in a Wilderneſs of Miſtakes, and ſo at laſt makes himſelf the ſole Object of his Affection. Rom. 1. 25. Who hath changed the Truth of God into a Lie, and worſhipped and ſerved the Creature more than the Creator, who is bleſſed for ever, Amen. So that, that Man, who terminates his Love upon himſelf, Serves and Worſhips himſelf: Thus the Order and Beauty which God at firſt planted in Man, it being corrupted and turned into ſo much Diſorder in the Soul by this Leproſie, this makes that Confuſion in all the other Affections and Paſſions of the Mind: But this is not all, But,
4thly, As Paul ſpeaks to Titus, Tit. 1. 15. This Leproſie hath defiled the Conſciences of Men, it hath firſt darkned the divine Light of God in the Soul, in a great meaſure, which hath much weakned the Evidence that Conſcience ſhould give in for God, and made it ſo much the more uncertain in its Teſtimony; ſo alſo hath it weakned it in its Power, that it ſtirs not as otherwiſe it would do, like a Man over-powered and benumbed with much heavineſs to Sleep. Hence in ſome Men, 'tis ſaid to be feared, as with a hot Iron; as ſeared Fleſh is dead Fleſh, ſo are the Conſciences of ſome Men in their Breaſts, dead, powerleſs, unable to act or ſpeak. Therefore this ſpiritual Leproſie, is very lively ſhadowed out by the Jewiſh corporal Leproſie, for the over-ſpreading Nature of it; a corporal Leproſie runs over all the parts of the Body, ſo doth this ſinful Leproſie as you have ſeen, it ſpreads itſelf over all the parts and powers of the Soul, leaving no part of it untainted: The ſame which the Prophet ſpake of the State of Iſrael, as a Body Politick, with reſpect to its Pollution by Sin, Iſa. 1. 6. From the ſole of the Foot unto the Head, there is no ſoundneſs in it; but Wounds, and Bruiſes, and putrifying Sores; they have not been cloſed, neither bound up, neither mollified with Ointment.
Thus having diſcovered the ſpiritual Leproſie, which cleaves to every Man by Nature, I ſhall next give you the Grounds and Reaſons of it.
Reaſon 1 FIrſt of all, the Reaſon and Ground of this ſpiritual Leproſie, took its riſe from the Sin of Adam, upon a double account: Firſt, Naturally. Secondly, Morally. Firſt, Naturally, as we are the Off-ſpring of Adam, our firſt Father in the Fleſh; for we were vertually included in him, as a multiplicity of Seeds in the firſt Seed, and ſo reaſonably muſt partake of the ſame natural Quality which were in him: For if it be granted, that his Poſterity, deſcending from him by ordinary Generation, had partook of the Qualities of Righteouſneſs, Wiſdom, and Holineſs from him, had he not fallen, then, is it not as reaſonable to conclude, that we muſt neceſſarily partake of his Sin and Pollution (the Effects of his Fall) which faſtened upon him by his Tranſgreſſion? And that you may ſee the Atteſtation which the Spirit of God gives to this as a Truth, read Gen. 5. 3. And Adam lived a hundred and thirty Years, and begat a Son in his own Likeneſs, after his Image. Now for Adam to beget a Son after his own Image, (if we reſpect his external Form, and parts of his Body) this carried no ſuch note of Obſervation in it, for, who would expect that it would be otherwiſe? Becauſe ordinary it is not, unleſs the Birth be monſtrous; but the thing to be noted in the Text is this, That as Adam, by his Tranſgreſſion, became a poor, depraved, ſinful, leprous Creature himſelf, ſo his Child, which naturally ſprang from him, derived from him the ſame leprous Pollution, which Adam by his Fall, procured to himſelf, and unavoidably to every one elſe which ſhould ſucceed him: But then, Secondly, It is ſo upon a moral account; becauſe Adam and all his Poſterity were in Covenant with God together, and in that Covenant, both himſelf and all his Seed, made up (as it were) one entire Man in the Account of God. Adam's Perſon repreſenting (under that Covenant) every Man, Woman, and Child, that ever did or ſhould ſpring from him to the end of the World; ſo that when he fell, we all fell in him; and when he broke Covenant with his Creator, we then broke Covenant with him and in him, and conſequently when the Penalty of Covenant-breach (which was the Curſe and Death) fell upon him, it fell upon us in him at the ſame time. So reaſons the Apoſtle, Rom. 5. 17. For if by one Man's Offence, Death reigned by one. So. ver. 18. Therefore as by the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation. So ver. 19. For as by one Man's Diſobedience many were made Sinners. See ver 12. alſo. So that, upon this moral Account, as by Adam's Sin, we were made Guilty, ſo by the ſame Tranſgreſſion, are we become leprouſly Filthy, Ezek. 16. 6. I ſaw thee polluted in thy Blood. Hence ſaith our Saviour, Matt. 15. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, falſe Witneſs, Blaſphemies.
Reaſon 2.] Why this ſpiritual Leproſie is ſo unavoidable, it's becauſe it is an Evil propagated from Father to Child, by a natural Generation; it runs in a Line from one to another; it is ſuch an entailed Evil, as cannot be cut off by any thing that Man can do; it is as impoſſible for Man not to beget a leprous ſinful Subſtance, as it is for him not to beget a natural fleſhly Subſtance, if his Loins be fruitful to beget any thing at all. It is the Order which God hath planted in Nature, that every Kind ſhould bring forth his like: Therefore if a Man be an Inſtrument to produce any thing by Generation, it muſt be in his own Likeneſs; for though Man originally was not unclean, (but as Solomon ſpeaks, he was made Juſt and Upright) yet as the caſe now ſtands with Man, he being corrupted with this ſinful Leproſie, he cannot beget his own Likeneſs unleſs he do naturally and inſtrumentally produce an ugly Leper like himſelf.
From hence we infer theſe two Uſes:
1ſt Ʋſe, This informs us then of the Ground and Reaſon of that great Diſtance that there is betwixt God and Men, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Epheſ. 2. 13. We are afar off from God; and as we are at a great diſtance from God, ſo is he at as great a diſtance from us; all which ariſeth from the Impurity and Defilement of our Natures, upon the account of this Leproſie. God is a holy God, and … we are ſinful and unholy Creatures; the Nature of God will not permit of any Fellowſhip with ſinful Men, He is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, Hab. 1. 13. neither can Evil dwell with him. Iſai. 50 2. Your Iniquities have ſeparated betwixt you and your God, and your Sins have hid his Face from you. So 2 Cor. 6. 14. What fellowſhip hath Righteouſneſs with Ʋnrighteouſneſs, and what communion hath Light with Darkneſs.
2d Ʋſe, Let it ſerve to teach us Humility. Alas! What little cauſe have Lepers to be proud, or to harbour a highminded frame of Spirit in the leaſt degree? What if they wear better Clothes than other Folk, and walk with their ſweet perfuming Smells about them, yet according to the Law about Leproſie, Levit. 13. 45. they were to cry out (to every one they met) Ʋnclean, unclean. Ʋzziah, though a King, and in his Royal Robes, yet when a Leproſie brake out upon him, he was driven out from his Throne to live in a ſeparated Houſe alone, from the Society of all other Men, 2 Chron. 26. 20, 21. So that the beſt that can be ſaid of Lepers, let them be never ſo Rich, Noble, or gorgiouſly Attired, richly Perfumed, yea though they are mounted upon the Throne, yet ſtill there is a Leproſie cleaving to them, yea when they mount up their Heads at the higheſt, they are but Lepers. It may be that thy Gifts and Parts do exceed many of thy Equals, in going beyond them for Learning, and Knowledge, and Utterance; yet for all this, remember that a Leproſie is upon thee, thou art but a knowing, learned, eloquent Leper at the beſt; and thou haſt always cauſe to rent thy Clothes, and to make thy Head bare, and to put a Covering upon thy Upper-lip, and to cry out, Ʋnclean, unclean, according to Levit. 13. 45. Iſaiah had as large a Portion of Gifts and Parts, as the Proudeſt of you all had or have to boaſt of, yet you may read, under all his higheſt Attainments, what a humbling Conſideration this was to him, that he ſtill had the remainders of his Leproſie upon him, Iſai. 6. 5. Then ſaid I, Wo is me, for I am undone, becauſe I am a Man of unclean Lips, and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips. And as this was Matter of Humiliation to that Prophet, ſo ſhould it be to every one elſe; for if a corporal Leproſie be ſo debaſing a thing, much more muſt a ſpiritual Leproſie be ſo, becauſe the more ſpiritual an Evil is, the more vile and debaſing: Oh! how Humble ſhould the Thoughts of this make us, under our greateſt Enjoyments and Attainments in this Life.