The Leper and the Lepers House Cleansed, Part 3
PART III.
WE are next to ſpeak to the earthen Veſſel, over which the Innocent Bird was to be killed, in which Veſſel was the running Water, Lev. 14. 5. And the Priest ſhall command that one of the Birds be killed in an earthen Veſſel, over running Water. (Mark,) It muſt be running Water, which ſignifies the Purity and the Livelineſs of it, in oppoſition to ſtanding Water, which is uſually dead and corrupt; therefore this Water in the earthern Veſſel, muſt be running Water, it muſt be Water that hath Life and Purity in it.
But firſt of all, to begin with the earthen Veſſel, which may ſignifie the reality of the Humane Nature of Jeſus Chriſt, from whence our Healing comes: You ſee that the Leper was cleanſed by the Bloud of the Bird, and ſo muſt we be cleanſed (from ou… Soul-leproſie) by the Bloud of Chriſt, if ever we be cleanſed indeed, 1 John 1. 7. Now this Bloud could not proceed from Chriſt, as he was only God, abſtracted from his Manhood; for as he was God only, he was no way capable either to ſuffer or to ſhed Bloud; therefore the Godhead of Chriſt aſſumes an earthen Veſſel, even our Humane Nature to his Divine, anſwering the earthen Veſſel, over which the Sparrow was to be killed, that ſo out of that Humane Nature, he might iſſue forth the Bloud of our Cleanſing: He was born of a Virgin, he took her very Nature upon him, but not the Sinfulneſs of it in the leaſt degree, no, he left all that behind; and this Humane Nature was very earthly, for from the Earth it came, and to the Earth it muſt return again: And, inaſmuch as the Body of our Saviour was made up of this earthy Nature, he (as to his Body) may well be called an earthen Veſſel, ſignified by the Veſſel over which the Bird was killed.
Secondly, By the running Water, in this earthen Veſſel, is underſtood by ſome, the Water of Sanctification, which comes from him, for, ſaith John, He came by Water and Bloud: But this cannot be excluſive of the Divine Nature of the Son of God, which rendred the whole Sacrifice of Chriſt, only ſufficient to Cleanſe us from our ſpiritual Leproſie, and Soul-pollution, in the ſight of God. For as the Godhead of Chriſt, could not iſſue forth Bloud to Cleanſe us, (apart from his Manhood) ſo neither could the Bloud of Chriſt (apart from his Godhead) have been any way availing to our Cleanſing from the Guilt or Filth of Sin in our Souls; ſo that the Union of the two Natures, in the Perſon of Chriſt, became ſo wonderfully efficacious to our Juſtification and Sanctification, wherein lieth the Leper's ſpiritual Cleanſing; hence, Chriſt's Bloud is called the Bloud of God, Acts 20. 28. becauſe of the Union of the two Natures in the Perſon of Chriſt. Thus you ſee how the earthen Veſſel and the pure Water muſt go together in our ſpiritual Cleanſing.
From whence we ſhall obſerve this Note:
Doct. That the Bloud of Jeſus Christ, who is very God, and very Man, is the only appointed Means to Cleanſe our Souls from our ſinful Leproſies and Pollutions in the Sight of God.
The Truth of this cannot be called in queſtion by any, who queſtion not the Truth of Scripture, Rev. 1. 5. And from Jeſus, who is the faithful Witneſs, the first Begotten from the Dead, unto him that hath loved us, and waſhed us from our Sins in his own Bloud. Rev. 5. 9. For thou wast Slain, and hast Redeemed us unto God by thy Bloud. 1 John 1. 7. And the Bloud of Jeſus Christ cleanſeth us from all Sin. Heb. 9. 14. The Bloud of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himſelf without Spot to God, purge your Conſciences from dead Works to ſerve the Living God.
And ſo we come to the Reaſons of this Truth, and the firſt is this:
Reaſon 1.] It muſt be ſo, becauſe the Bloud of Chriſt is the only Means which God hath appointed to be uſed for this Purpoſe, in oppoſition to all other Means whatſoever, Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under Heaven, whereby we must be ſaved.
Reaſon 2.] And it muſt be ſo, becauſe, as God hath only appointed this Means for Soul-cleanſing, ſo hath he (only) fitted this Means for Soul-recovery: Iſa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek; he hath ſent me to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and to open the Priſon Doors to them that are Bound.
Therefore, whoever they are that ſhall make uſe of nay other Means, beſides this, for the Cure of their Souls, will find it ſo far from Cleanſing, that himſelf will be found guilty of the higheſt Preſumption, becauſe it is a ſlighting of the Bloud of the Covenant, and counting it a common thing, as Paul ſpeaks, Heb. 10. 29. and then, upon ſo doing, the ſame Apoſtle tells you, that ſuch Men who are found guilty of ſuch a Sin, will find it a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God, Ver. 31.
And ſo we come to the Application of the Point: Vſe, This ſerves to inform us then of the dangerous Principles of two ſorts Perſons, (Firſt, Of the Socinians. Secondly, Of the Quakers;) who, betwixt them both, deny the pure Water in the earthen Veſſel, and the earthen Veſſel in which the pure Water is.
Firſt of all, The Socinians, who deny the God head of Chriſt. Secondly, The Quakers, who deny the Manhood of Chriſt in Being; for if Chriſt be not God, and of the ſame eſſential Nature with the Father, as the Socinians affirm; and, on the other hand, if Chriſt retain not his Humane Body now in Heaven, as the Quakers affirm, then is he neither God nor Man, and conſequently he is nothing at all; who thereby make good what the Apoſtle ſaid of old, ſpeaking of a ſort of Men which ſhould ſpring up in the latter Ages of the World, that ſhould deny the Lord that bought them, bringing thereby ſwift Deſtructio…pon themſelves, 2 Pet. 2. 1. with Jude, 4 Ver.