The Types Unveiled, Chapter 34
CHAP. 34. What the Prieſt was to do for the people upon all occaſions beſides his ſolemn Work in the Tabernacle.
FIrſt, the High Prieſt was to take notice of every uncleanneſs that ſhould be found amongſt the people, either in their perſons, garments, or in their houſes, Levit. 14. from the 3. to the 40. verſe. as that if any plague, or leproſie, ſore or ulcer, ſhould break forth upon the perſon of any of the people, then were they to go to the High Prieſt and ſhew it him, and he was to look upon it and endeavour their cleanſing. All this is to be ſet upon a door of acceſs for a poor doubting ſoul to come to Chriſt in the worſt of times: for, look what work the High Prieſt under the Law was to do for the ſeed of Abraham, according to the fleſh, the ſame is Chriſt, a Believers Goſpel High Prieſt, to do for Abraham according to Faith: and this action of the High Prieſt to the Iſraelites, in a caſe of bodily mallodies, leads you to Chriſt in a caſe of ſpiritual malladies. I believe the want of knowledge into this myſtery hath occaſioned many doubts and fears in many poor ſouls, who hath not had Satan a little wanting to make the moſt of their ignorance in this matter in a way of heaping on their trouble, vvho ſtir, up corruption in the ſoul what he can, and labours to create guilt upon the conſcience; and vvhen he hath filled the ſoul vvith all manner of ſores, and ſpiritual plagues, and running griefs, then doth Satan labour to plaiſter them abroad upon the conſcience, to the affrighting of the ſoul off of Chriſt, and tells the ſoul, that certainly the holineſs of Chriſt vvill never endure to have fellovvſhip vvith ſuch a ſoul; his nature is too pure to caſt an eye upon ſuch an impure piece as the ſoul is; therefore the ſoul vvere better ſit ſtill vvhere he is, then to think of going out to Chriſt; for it vvill be but loſt labour: Thus he labours to over-ſhoot the Prieſtly office of Chriſt, and ſhevvs the ſoul much of Chriſt, according to his divine Nature, not ſuffering the ſoul to have the leaſt vievv of, conſidered as a High Prieſt, vvho vvas appointed to be ſuch, on purpoſe to have to do vvith …linde, lame, ſick, ſore, corrupted, deformed, deſperate, and damned ſinners, that he might heal them, Iſa. 6. 1. 2. and for a demonſtration to the point in hand, you may obſerve through the whole Life of Chriſt, in the dayes of his fleſh, theſe vvere the moſt, (vvhichwhich he for the moſt part of his time) converſed vvithal. It vvas for this the Phariſees upbraided Chriſt, as a friend to Publicans and Sinners, becauſe he eat and drank moſtly vvith ſuch: beſides, our Saviour himſelf tells you That he came not to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance.
Uſe 1.
O therefore ſoul be not diſcouraged for the future, let not Satan hinder thee for time to come of making uſe of Chriſt, in times vvhen thou findeſt thy ſores, and plagues, and corrupted iſſues upon thy ſoul. O then above all times come to Chriſt; if thou at ſuch a time as this is ſtandeſt off from Chriſt, thou art guilty of robbing Chriſt of one great part of the glory of his High Prieſthood: thou ſhut'ſt out Chriſt of doing that work (which as a Prieſt) he was ſent into the world to do. O where wilt thou go to have thy caſe bettered, or who ſhall cure theſe wounds, ſickneſſes, ſores, leproſies, and guilts, which Sin and Satan hath created upon thee if thou come not to Jeſus Chriſt. O this is the good Samaritan that takes up the ſoul wounded by the ſpiritual thieves, and bounds up his wounds, and pours oyl into his griefs, and healeth all his diſeaſes, Luke 10. 36.
O therefore come to Chriſt, make uſe of him as thy High Prieſt, bring thy ſoul with all its corruptions, ſores, and plagues, and running griefs upon thee to him, lay it down at his door, tell him that thou haſt brought a ſoul full of the plague and leproſie, full of unbelief, full of the ſores of pride, hardneſs of heart, impenitency, revenge, hypocriſie, luſt, worldly mindedneſs, a ſoul full of the iſſues of vain thoughts, and plead with Chriſt for a cure: tell him that he is the High Prieſt appointed by the Father for this very end and purpoſe, not to reject thee for thy miſery, but to pitty thee under it, and to ſhew mercy to thee about it, and to help thee out of it, Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren in all things, that he might be a merciful high prieſt in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the ſins of the people, in that himſelf hath ſuffered, being ten… ted he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted, Heb. 5. 2. Who can have compaſſion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the war, for that he himſelf alſo is compaſſed with infirmities. Here it was David run in the like caſe, when his ſores and griefs of corruption run upon him: He did not do as a great many troubled ſouls have done, namely, then to run from Chriſt, Pſ. 38 3 4. 5, 6, 7, 8. There is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh, becauſe of thy anger, neither is there any reſt in my bones, becauſe of my ſin, for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me: My wounds …ſtinck and are corrupt, becauſe of my fooliſhneſs, I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long, for my loins are filled with a loathſome diſeaſe, and there is no ſoundneſſe in my fleſh.
But did this drive David from Jeſus Chriſt, no ſurely, but rather put a neceſſity upon him to make the more haſte towards him in order to cure, therefore in the 9. Verſe and 15. Verſe, Lord all my deſire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee, for in thee Lord do I hope, thou wilt hear O Lord my God.
Secondly, As the Prieſt was to take notice of their perſonal uncleanneſs, ſo alſo of the uncleanneſſe in their houſes, Lev, 14 35, 36. And he that oweth the houſe, ſhall come and tell the Prieſt, ſaying, it ſeemeth to me that there is as it were the Plague in the houſe, then the Prieſt ſhall command that they empty the houſe before the Prieſt goeth into it to ſee the Plague that all that is in the houſe be not made unclean, and afterward the Prieſt ſhall go into ſee the houſe.
Now the end for which the Prieſt was to view the houſe, you may ſee in the ſame Chapter, it was that he might endeavour the cleanſing of it if the plague were in it; of the ſame uſe is Chriſt to his Goſpel-houſe, which is his Church, if the plague enter into it, the plague of diſcention and diſcord, the plague or leproſie of formality, or the plague of a lukewarm ſpirit, or the plague of errour and unſound Doctrine; its proper to Jeſus Chriſt to take notice of this in his Churches, and he doth ſo, read Rev. 2. 1, 2, 3. 4, 5. with Rev. 3. 16, 17, 18.
Therefore in all ſuch Caſes, its the duty of the Churches of Chriſt to apply themſelves to him for redreſs, if Chriſtians in the uſe of faſting and fervent prayer would more preſs upon Chriſt for help in this caſe, I doubt not, but we ſhould have more purer and unſtained Churches by far then we have amongſt us.
Was there ever more need for Churches to make uſe of Chriſt upon this account then now, had ever the Iſraelite more cauſe to go to the Prieſt and ſay, it ſeemeth to me the plague is in the houſe, then Chriſtians have to go to Chriſt and ſay, it ſeemeth to me the plague is in the houſe; is not the plague of a formal, curſed, lukewarm ſpirit in the Churches of Chriſt, are not the walls of it over-ſpread with the hollow, greeniſh, and reddiſh ſtrakes to be ſeen there, Levit. 14. 37.
Are they not over-ſpread with the plague of Contention and Diſcord, was there ever more of this plague reigning over the Churches of Chriſt then at this day; O how deeply have this plague rooted it ſelf in the hearts of the Lords people, that four years affliction will not yet fetch it out, but God will fetch it out of their hearts, or elſe he will fetch their bodies out of their warm houſes; beſides what a fearful ſpirit and plague of Apoſtaſie have their over-ſpread the minds of the Churches of Chriſt, I will not ſay this hath leavened every one, but ſure I am too many of them.
Then what cauſe have the Church and houſe of Chriſt to make to Chriſt with all haſte for cure, and were it the will of God, how could it be wiſhed that Chriſt our High Prieſt were more viſited upon this account by his people.
Fifthly, If any man had ſinned either ignorantly or wilfully, the Prieſt upon his coming to him was to offer ſacrifice for him, and it was pardoned, Levit. 5. 17, 18. The ſame work is Chriſt to do for believers, for he is their High Prieſt for this very purpoſe ſaith the Apoſtle ſpeaking of Chriſt, he is to make Reconciliation for the ſins of the people, Heb. 2. 17. Its as much the mark and office of Jeſus Chriſt to do ſo for believers, as ever it was the work of the legal High Prieſts to do it for the Iſraelites, therefore ſoul, when ever thou haſt been over taken in a fault, do not fly from Chriſt, but away to him, for he is thy High Prieſt in Heaven on purpoſe to make an atonement for that ſin, and Reconciliation to God for that ſin; only when thou haſt been with Chriſt, believe that for his ſake it ſhall be pardoned, and the father will be pacified, and doubt not of it, it will be ſo, ſoul thou maiſt apply as really as the Jews that very word in Levit. 5. 18. And the Prieſt ſhall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance, wherein he erred and wiſt not, and it ſhall be forgiven him; to this agreeth the words of the Apoſtle in 1 John 2. 1, 2. If any man ſin we have an Advoca…e with the father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our ſins in his own bloud, and not only for ours, but for the ſins of the whole world.
Sixthly, The Prieſt was to interpoſe between Gods wrath, and the people in a time of ſin, and by his interceſſion to endeavour to pacifie God again, read Numb. 16 46, 47, 48. This is proper to Chriſt alſo, and it did but Type out Jeſus Chriſt in the great work of reconciling God to the creature, together with his preſent interceding work, whereby he ſtandeth to this hour between the Father and the Church, this ſaith St. Paul of our Saviour to Timothy, 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Chriſt Jeſus.
Therefore when ever ſin and ſatan preſents the with an angry God for ſin, labour to affect thy heart with the thoughts of it; repent and be humbled about, but be not out of hope, look up to thy High Prieſt and there thou maiſt ſee him interpoſing between Gods anger and thy ſoul in order to pacification.