Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 6
Of pollution by the dead.
Num. 29.11. He that toucheth the dead body of any man, ſhall be uncleane ſeven dayes.
THe pollution of man above other creatures,Man more uncleane than any other creature. ſheweth the effects of ſinne which cauſeth death, Rom. 6.23. Hee that touched a dead beaſt was but uncleane untill the even, Levit. 11.24. but he that touched a dead man, was uncleane for ſeven dayes. So he that touthe grave or the bones of a dead man was uncleane, and therfore they were cōmanded to bury the bones of the dead, when they found them in the way. Ezek. 39.15. And the paſſengers that paſſe through the land, when any ſeeth a mans bone, then ſhall he ſet up a ſigne by it, till the buriers come and bury it. This ſignified ſuch as were dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes, Eph. 2.1. and ſuch as have their conſciences defiled by dead workes, Heb. 9.13.14. thoſe are uncleane.
What the legall pollutions taught the Iewes.And thoſe legall pollutions taught the people of God how carefull they ſhould be that they defile not themſelves with ſinne, or communion with dead and ſinnefull workes as the Apoſtle ſaith, touch no uncleane thing, 2 Cor. 6.17. and be not partakers of other mens ſins, keepe thy ſelfe pure, 1 Tim. 5.22.
The Iewes adde to many of the Lawes of God.Whoſoever toucheth one that is ſlaine with a ſword in the open fields, ſhall be uncleane ſeven dayes, Num. 19.16. And the Iewes adde, he that toucheth the ſword which killed the man, ſhall be uncleane; but this is an addition of their owne. So the Lord commanded that the Nazarit ſhould drinke no wine, & they adde, nor come nere unto a Vineyard. So the Lord commanded that they ſhould not cary burdens upon the Sabbath, Iere. 17. but they added, that it was not lawfull for a ſick man to take up his bed upon the Sabbath. Ioh. 5. So the Lord commanded that they ſhould goe no further but a Sabbath dayes journey upon the Sabbath, but they added that it was not lawfull to ſtirre out of the place upon the Sabbath. So the Lord commanded them that they ſhould abſtaine from the drinke offerings of the heathen; but they added that they ſhould abſtaine from the wine of the Gentils. So here the Lord ſaith that Whoſoever toucheth one that is ſlaine with a ſword, ſhall be uncleane untill the even. But they adde, whoſoever ſhall touch the ſword which killed the man, ſhall bee uncleane untill the even.
The touching of the bodies of the dead ſhewes us what unregenerate men are in the ſight of God, they are dead while they are alive. 1 Tim. 5.6. they are like rotten graves, their throte is an open ſepulchre, Rom. 3.13. and they are like whited Sepulchres which indeed appeare beutifull outwardly, but within are full of dead mens bones, and all uncleanneſſe, Matth. 23.27.
What are we to thinke of the bodies of the Saints, Queſt. when they are lying in the grave, whether are their bodies, corpora pura, or impura? Anſ.
They are neither corpora pura, nor impura, Whether the dead bodies of the Saints in the grave be pure or not.ſed non pura; they are not impura, becauſe their ſinnes are pardoned; they are not pura, becauſe they are as yet under the corruption and puniſhment of ſinne, but the wicked, who lye downe with their ſinnes in the duſt, their bodies are impura, filthy and uncleane.
The bodies of the Saints being not impura, therefore the ſoules of the glorified might come to ſuch bodies againe, as Moſes in the transfiguration was there in ſoule and body, his glorified ſoule came to his body againe, becauſe it was not a ſinnefull body now, but a body lyeing under corruption as yet, but when Lazarus ſoule returned to his body, we muſt not thinke that Lazarus ſoule was a glorified ſoule (for a glorified ſoule returneth not to a ſinful body to dwel in it againe) but the vinon betwixt the ſoule and the body was looſed at this time,A difference betwixt the glorified ſoules, and ſinfull ſoules, enio…ning into their bodies againe, Sumus de purgatorie. and the ſoule was ſtill in the ſinfull body, tanquam in ſede, non tanquam in organo, that is, it was ſtill in the body, although it did not animate the body.
Queſt. Whether did he Iewes commit ſinne when they touched a dead body or not?
Anſw. There was irregularitas here, ſed non peccatum, for for there is not a ſinne where there is not a law forbidding it,In what caſe the Iewes ſinned when they touched a dead body. for ſinne is the tranſgreſſing of the Law. The Lord ſaith not, yee ſhall not touch the dead, but he ſaith, he that toucheth the dead ſhall be uncleane untill the even, Then there is a Commandement added, that a cleane perſon ſhall ſprinkle him with water upon the third day, and upon the ſeventh, Num. 19.19. So that although he be not commanded, not to touch the dead, yet if he have touched the dead, he is commanded to waſh himſelfe. So there is not a Commandement forbidding a man to touch a Leper, but if he had touched a Leper there was a Commandement given that he ſhould not enter into the congregation untill he was purifieth, and if he did enter before he was purifieth, he tranſgreſſed the Commandement and ſinned.