Heart Humiliation, Sermon 15
SERMON XV.
Iſai. 64. 6, 7.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteouſneſſes as filthy raggs, &c.
THis peoples condition aggreeth well with ours, though the Lords dealing be very different. The Confeſſory part of this Prayer belongeth to us now; And ſtrange it is, that there is ſuch odds of the Lords Diſpenſations, when there is no difference in our Cohditions: Always, we know not how ſoon the complaint may be ours alſo. This Prayer was prayed long before the Judgment and Captivity came one, ſo that it had a Propheſy in the boſome of it: Nay, it was the moſt kindly and affectionat way of warning, the people could get, for Iſaiah to pour forth ſuch a prayer, as if he beheld with his Eyes the Calamity, as already come: And indeed it becometh us ſo to look on the Word, as if it gave a preſent beeing to things als certain and ſenſible, as if they were really. What ſtrange ſtupidity muſt be in us, when preſent things, inflicted Judgments, committed ſins, do not ſo much affect us, as the forefight of them did move Iſaiah. Always, as this was regiſtrat for the peoples uſe, to cauſe them ſtill look on Judgements threatned, as performed and preſent, and anticipat the day of Affliction by repentance: and alſo to be a Patern to them, how to deal with God, and plead with him from ſuch grounds of Mercy and Covenant Intereſt; So it may be to us a warning, eſpecially when ſin is come to the Maturity, and our ſecure backſliding Condition is with Child of ſad Judgements, when the harveſt ſeemeth ripe to put the ſickle in to it.
There is in theſe two Verſes, a confeſſion of their own ſinfulneſs, from which grounds they juſtify Gods proceeding with them; They take the cauſe upon themſelves, and juſtify him in his Judging, whither Temporal or Spiritual Plagues were inflicted. In this Verſe, they take a general ſurvey of their ſinful Eſtate, concluding themſelves unclean, and all their performances and commanded Duties, which they counted once their righteouſneſs: And from this ground, they clear Gods dealing with them, and put their mouth in the Duſt, and ſo from the Lords Judgment they are forced to enter into a ſearch of the Cauſe, ſo much ſin, and from diſcovered ſin, they pronounce God righteous in his Judgment: perceiving a great difference in the Lords manner of dealing with them and their fathers, they do not refound it upon God who is righteous in all his ways, but retort it upon themſelves, and find a vaſt diſcrepance between themſelves and their fathers, Verſe 5. And ſo it was no wonder that Gods Diſpenſation changed upon them; God was wont to meet others, to ſhew himſelf gracious even to prevent ſtroaks; But now he was wroth with them, Nay, but there is good cauſe for it, They rejoyced and wrought righteouſneſs, but we have ſinned. And this may be ſaid in the general, never one needeth to quarrel God for ſevere dealing. If he deal worſe with one then with another, let every man look into his own boſome, and ſee reaſon ſufficient, yea, more provocation in themſelves then others. Always in this Verſe, they come to a more diſtinct veiw of their loathſome condition. Any body may wrap up their repentance in a general notion of ſin, but they declare themſelves to be more touched with it, and condeſcend on particulars, yet ſuch particulars as comprehend many others. And in this Confeſſion, you may look on the Spirits work, having ſome Characters of the ſpirit in it. Firſt, they take a general view of their uncleanneſſe and loathſome Eſtate by ſin: Not only do they ſee ſin, but ſin in the ſinfulneſſe of it and uncleanneſſe of it. Secondly, They not only conclude ſo of the Natural Eſtate they were born into, and the loathſomneſſe of their many foul ſcandals among them: But they go a further length, to paſſe als ſevere a ſentence on their Duties and Ordinances, as God hath done, Iſai. 1. and 66. The ſpirit convinceth according to Scriptures Light, and not according to the dark ſpark of Natures Light; and ſo that which Nature would have busked it ſelf with as its Ornament, that which they had covered themſelves with as their Garment, had ſpread their Duties as robs of Righteouſneſſe over their ſins to hide them, all this now goeth under the name of filthineſſe and ſin; They ſee themſelves wrapt up in as vile raggs as they covered and hid; Commanded Duties and manifeſt Breaches come in one Category: And not only is it ſome of them which their own Conſcience could challenge in the time, but all of them and all kinds of them, Moral and Ceremohial, Duties that were moſt ſincere, had moſt Affection in them, all of them are filthy raggs now, which but of late were their righteouſneſle. Thirdly, there is an univerſality; not only of the Actions, but of Perſons, not only all the Peoples or Multitudes performances are abomination, but all of them, Iſaiah and one and other, the holieſt of them come in, in this Category and Rank: we are all unclean, &c. Though the people, it may be, could not joyn Holy Iſaiah with themſelves, yet humble Iſaiah will joyn himſelf with the people, and come in in one prayer: And no doubt, he was als ſenſible of ſin now, as when he began to prophecy; and growing in holineſſe, he muſt grow alſo in ſenſe of ſinfulneſſe: Seing at the firſt ſight of Gods Holineſſe and Glory, he cryed unclean, &c. Iſai. 6. 5. Certainly he doth ſo now, from ſuch a principle of acceſſe to Gods Holineſſe, which maketh him abhore himſelf in Duſt and Aſhes. Fourthly, They are not content with ſuch a general; but condeſcend to two ſpecial things, two ſpiritual ſins, to wit, Omiſſion, or ſhifting of ſpiritual Duties, which contained the ſubſtance of Worſhip: None calleth one thee, few or none, none to count upon, calleth on thee, that is, careth for immediat acceſſe and approaching unto God in prayer, and meditation, &c. Albeit External and Temple Duties be frequent, yet who prayeth in ſecret; or if any pray, that cannot come in compt, the Lord knoweth them not, becauſe they want the Spirits ſtamp on them. This muſt be ſome other thing, nor the general conviction of ſin which the world hath, who think they pray all their days; Here people who though they make many prayers, Iſai. 1. Yet they ſee them no prayers; and no calling on Gods Name now. But Fifthly, to make the challenge the more, and the confeſſion more ſpiritual and compleat, there is diſcovered unto them this ground of their ſlackneſſe and negligence in all ſpiritual Duties, None ſtirreth up himſelf to take bold one thee. Here is the want of the exerciſe of Faith: Faith is the Souls hand and grip, Jo. 1. 12. Heb. 6. 18. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Iſai. 27. 5. No body a waketh themſelves out of their deadneſſe and ſecurity, to lay hold on thee: Lord thou art going away, and taking goodnight of the Land, and no body is like to hold thee by the Garment: No Jacobs here, who will not let thee go, till thou bleſs them; None to prevail with thy Majeſty, every one is like to give Chriſt a free Paſport and Teſtimonial to go abroad, and are almoſt Gadarens, to pray him to depart out of their Coaſts. There is a ſtrange louſneſſe and indifferency in mens ſpirits concerning the one thing neceſſary: Men ly by and dream over their days, and never putteth the Souls Eſtate out of queſtion: None will give ſo much pains, as to clear their intereſt in thee, to lay hold on thee, ſo as they may make peace with thee. Now can there be a more ample and lively Deſcription of our Eſtate, both of the Land and of particular perſons of it. Since this muſt not be limited to the Nation of the Jews, though the Prophet ſpake of the generality of them: Yet no doubt, all mankind is included in the firſt ſix-Verſes; And any ſecure people may be included in the ſeventh Verſe, for Paul applyeth even-ſuch like ſpeeches, (Rom. 13.) that were ſpoken, as you would think, of Davids enemies only; Yet the Spirit of God knowing the mind of the Spirit, maketh a more general uſe of their condition, to hold out the Natural Eſtate of all men out of Chriſt Jeſus.
But there are in theſe two Verſes, other two things, beſide the acknowledgment of ſin: Firſt, the acknowledgment of Gods Righteouſneſs in puniſhing them, for now they need not quarrel God, they find the cauſe of their ſading in their own boſome, they now joyn ſin and puniſhment together, wheras in the time of their proſperity, they ſeparated puniſhment from ſin, and in the time of their ſecurity in adverſity, they ſeparated ſin from puniſhment; at one time making bare confeſſion of ſin, without fear of Gods Juſtice, at another time, fretting and murmuring at his Judgments, without the ſenſe of their ſin; But now they joyn both theſe, and the ſight and ſenſe of Gods diſpleaſure maketh ſin more bitter, and to abound more, and to appear in the loathſome and provocking nature of it, ſo that their acknowledgement hath an edge upon it. And again, the ſight and ſenſe of ſin maketh the Judgment appear moſt righteous, and ſtoppeth their mouth from murmuring. In the time of their impenitency under the Rod, their language was very indifferent, Ezek. 18. 2. The fathers have eaten ſour graps, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge. They have ſinned and we ſuffer; they have done the wrong and we pay for it: But it is not ſo now, verſe 5. The Fathers have done righteouſneſs in reſpect of us, and thou was good unto them, but we are all unclean, and have ſinned, and ſo we are puniſhed. Secondly, they find ſome cauſe and ground in God of their general defection, not that he is the cauſe of their ſin, but in a righteous way he puniſhed ſin with ſin. God hid his Face, denyed ſpecial Grace and Influence; and ſo they ly ſtill in their ſecurity, and their ſin became a ſpiritual plague. Or this may be ſo read, none calleth on thy Name, when thou hid thy Face from us, and when thou conſumed us becauſe of our iniquities; And ſo it ſerveth to aggravat their deep ſecurity, that though the Lord was departing from them, yet none would keep him and hold him; Though he did ſtrike, yet they prayed not, Affliction did not awake them out of ſecurity, and ſo the laſt words, Thou haſt conſumed us, &c. Are differently exponed and read; Some make it thus, as it is in the Tranſlation, Thou haſt hid thy face, and left us in a ſpiritual deadneſs, that ſo there might be no impediment to bring on deſerved Judgment; If we had called on thee, and laid hold on thee, it might have been prevented, we might have prevailed with God, but now our defence is removed, thou haſt given us up to a ſpirit of ſlumber, and ſo we have no ſhield to hold of the ſtroak, thou haſt now good leave to conſume us for our ſins: Another ſenſe may be (Thou haſt ſuffered us to conſume in our iniquity, thou haſt given us up to the hand of our ſins:) And this is alſo a conſequent of his hiding his Face, becauſe thou hid thy Face, thou letteth us periſh in our ſins; There needeth no more for our Conſumption, but only help us not out of them, for we can ſoon deſtroy our ſelves.
Firſt, ſin is in its own nature Ioathſome and maketh one unclean before God: Sins nature is filthineſs, vileneſs, ſo doth Iſaiah ſpeak of himſelf, Chap. 6. 5. when he ſaw Gods Holineſs; So doth Job abhore himſelf, which is the Affection which turneth a mans face off … loathſome object, when he ſaw God, Job 40. 4. and 42, 6. Look how loathſome our natural condition is holden out by God himſelf, Ezek. 16. You cannot imagine any deformity in the Creature, any filthineſs, but it is there. The filthineſs and vileneſs of ſin ſhall appear, if we conſider firſt: Sin is a tranſgreſſion of the holy and ſpiritual Command, and ſo a vile thing; The Command is holy and good, Rom. 7. And ſin violateth and goeth flat contrary to the Command, 1 Job. 3: When ſo juſt and ſo equitable a Law is given, God might have exacted other rigorous duties from us, but when it is ſo framed, that the Conſcience muſt cry out, all is equity, all is righteous and more then righteous, thou might command more and reward none: It is Juſtice to Command, but it is Mercy to Promiſe Life to obedience, which I owe: What then muſt the offence be, againſt ſuch a Juſt Command and ſo Holy. If Holineſs be the Beauty of the Creation, ſin muſt be the Deformity of it, the only ſpot in its Face.
Secondly, look upon ſin in the ſight of Gods Holineſs and Infinit Majeſty, and O how hainous will it appear; And therefore no man hath ſeen ſin in the vileneſs of it, but in the Light of Gods Countenance. As Iſai. 6. 5. Job 40. and 42. God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, he cannot look on it, Hab. 1. 13. All other things beſide ſin, God looketh on them as bearing ſome mark of his own Image, all was very good, and God ſaw it, Gen. 1. and 2. Even the baſeſt Creatures God looketh on them, and ſeeth himſelf in them: But ſin is only Gods Eye-ſore, that his Holineſs cannot away with it is moſt contrary unto him. And as to his Soveraignty, it is an high contempt and rebellion done to Gods Majeſty, it putteth God off the Throne, will take no Law from him, will not acknowledge his Law, but (as it were) ſpitteth in his Face, and eſtabliſheth another God. There is no puniſhment ſo evil, that God will not own as his work, and declare himſelf to be the Author of it, but only ſin; his Soul abhorreth it, his Holy Will is againſt it, he will have no fellowſhip with it: It is ſo contrary to him, contradicteth his Will, debaſeth his Authority, deſpiſeth his Soveraignty, vilipendeth his Truth. There is a kind of infinitneſs in it: Nothing can expreſs it, but it ſelf, no name worſe then it ſelf to ſet it out; The Apoſtle can get no other Epithet to it, Rom. 17. 13. Sinful ſin, ſo that it cometh in moſt direct oppoſition unto God. All that is in God, is God himſelf, and there is no Name can expreſs him ſufficiently; If you ſay God, you ſay more then can be expreſt by many thouſand other words; So is it here, ſin is purely ſin. God is purely Good and Holy, without mixture, Holineſs it ſelf: Sin is ſimply evil, without mixture, unholineſs it ſelf; Whatever is in it, is ſin, is uncleanneſs: Sin is an infinit wrong, and an infinit and boundleſs filthineſs, becauſe of the infinit Perſon wronged, it is an Offence of infinit Majeſty: and the Perſon wronged aggravateth the Offence; If it be ſimply contrary to infinit Holineſs, it muſt be in that reſpect, infinit unholineſſe and uncleanneſſe.
Thirdly, look upon the ſad Effects and Conſequences of ſin, how Miſerable, how Ruinous it hath made man, and all the Creation, and how vile muſt it be? Firſt, Look on mans Native Beauty and Excellency, how Beautiful a Creature? But ſin hath caſt him down from the top of his Excellency: Sin made Adam of a Friend an Enemy, of a Courtier with God, an open Rebel: was not mans Soul of more price, nor all the world, ſo that nothing can exchange it? Yet hath ſin de baſed it, and proſtitute it, to all vile filthy pleaſures, hath made the Immortal Spirit dwell on the Dunghil, feed on Aſhes, catch vanities, lying vanities, pour out it ſelf to them, ſerve all the Creatures, where as it ſhould have made them ſervants, yea a ſlave to his own greateſt enemy, to the ground he treadeth upon: O what a degenerat Plant! It was a noble Vine once in Paradiſe, but ſin hath made it a wild one, to bring forth ſour Graps. What is there in all the world could defile a man? Mat. 15. 20. Nothing that goeth out or cometh in, but ſin that proceedeth out of the heart. Man was all Light, his Judgment ſhined in to his Affections, and thorow all the Man: But ſin hath made all Darkneſſe, cloſed up the poor captive Underſtanding, hath built up a thick Wall of groſſe corrupted Affections about it, ſo that Light can neither get in nor out. The Soul was like a clear running Fountain, which yielded freſh clear ſtreams of holy Inclinations, Deſires, Affections, Actions, and emptied it ſelf in the Sea of Immenſe Majeſty, from which, theſe Streams firſt flowed. But now it is a ſtanding putrified Puddle, that caſteth a vile ſtinck round about, and hath no iſſue towards God. Man was a Glorious Creature, fit to be Lord over the work of Gods own Hands, and therefore had Gods Image in a ſpecial manner, Holineſſe and Righteouſneſſe; Gods Nature, a peece of Divinity was ſtamped on man, which outſhined all Created Perfections; The Sun might bluſh when it looked on him; For what was material Glory, to the Glory of Holineſſe and Beauty of Gods Image? But ſin hath robbed poor man of this Glorious Image, hath defaced man, marred all his Glory, put on an helliſh likeneſſe on him: Holineſſe only putteth the differenc between Angels in Heaven and Devils in Hell: And ſin only hath made the difference, between Adam in Paradiſe, and ſinners on the curſed ground, Rom. 3. 23.
Secondly, ſin hath ſo redounded through man unto all the Creation, that it hath defiled it, and made it corruptible and ſubject to vanity, Rom. 8. 20. &c. So that this is a ſpot in all the Creatures Face, that man hath ſinned, and uſed all as weapons of unrighteouſneſſe, ſo that now the Creature groaneth to be delivered.
Thirdly, It hath brought on all the Miſery that is come on man; or that is to come; It hath brought on Death and Damnation as its wages, and the Curſe of the Eternal God, Gal. 3. 13. Rom. 6. 23. How odious then an evil muſt it be, that hath ſo much evil in it, yea all evil in the boſome of it: Hell is not evil in reſpect of ſin, for ſin deſerveth Hell: it hath ruined man, and made all the beautiful order of the Creation to change.
Fourthly, It ſeparateth man from God, which is worſt of all; And this is included in the Text, We are all as an unclean thing, or man, as a leprous man ſet apart, becauſe of pollution, that may not come to the Temple, or worſhip God, ſo hath iniquity ſeparated between God and us, Iſai. 59. 2. And O how ſad a Divorcement is this, it maketh men without God in the world, in whom we live and move and have our beeing, in whoſe favour is life, and at whoſe right hand are pleaſures for evermore. Now poor man is made Miſerable, deprived of his Felicity, which only conſiſted in enjoyment of God: Sin as a thick partition Wall is come in between; Enimity alſo is come in, and divideth old friends, Eph. 2. 14, 15, 16, 17. And now no heavenly, or comfortable Influence can break thorow: The Night of Darkneſſe is begun, which muſt prove everlaſting, except the partition Wall be removed, all muſt wither and decay as without the Sun.
Fifthly, Look on the Price paid for ſin, on the cleanſing that waſheth it away, and you may ſee unſpeakeable deformity and vileneſſe in it: The Redemption of the Soul is precious, Silver and Gold and precious Stones will not do it, that would be utterly contemned: What (ſaith God) preſumptuous ſinner, will thou give me a farthimg in payment of a ſumm, which all the world ſold at the deareſt, would not diſcharge, Pſal. 49 7, 8. 1 Pet. 1. 18. It is no corruptible thing, but the blood of the son of God. O what muſt the Debt be, when the price is ſo infinit? The Son of God muſt dy; Nay, It is not ſacrifice or offering, lo, I come to do thy will, it is Chriſt himſelf that is the Ranſom, Pſal. 40. 6, 7. And it is not much Sope or Nitre, it is not much repentance and tears that will waſh away this filthineſſe, No; it is of a deeper dy, it is crimſon ingrained filthineſs, Jer. 2. 22. And Iſai. 1. 6. Blood of bulls and goats cannot do it, but only the blood of the immaculat Lamb, offered up by himſelf, Heb. 10. 4, 5. the blood of him who, by the eternal Spirit offered up himſelf without ſpot unto God, Heb. 9. 14. What muſt ſin be, that muſt have ſuch a Fountain opened for it? It muſt be ſtrange uncleanneſſe, when the Blood of Chriſt only can cleanſe it, Zech. 13. 1.
We all, &c.] Mark, Secondly, ſin hath gone over us all, and made all mankind unclean, Rom. 3. 22. and 10. Every one of Adams poſterity is born unclean, For who can bring an clean thing out of an unclean, Job 14. 4: Conſider firſt, how ſin defaced innocent Adam, how one ſin made him ſo vile, and ſpoyled him of the Divine Nature, and ſo the root was made unclean, and the branches muſt follow the root, and ſo are we all born and conceived in ſin, Plal. 51. 5. We carry in us Original Corruption, flowing from the firſt actual ſin of Adam, and this maketh poor Children before they do good or evil, to be abominably vile in Gods ſight, even as the Child is ſet out, Ezek. 16. Every one cometh of evil Parents, all come of Adam the Rebel: What a loathſome ſight would a Child be to us ſo deſcribed, caſt out in the open field to the loathing of its perſon in the day it is born: And what muſt it all be before God, who is of purer eyes then to behold ſin? Secondly, Unto all this we have added innum…rable actual tranſgreſſions, as ſo many filthy ſtreams flowing out at the menbers, from the inward puddle of Original Corruption; And ſo how much more vile are we all, nor infants can be, or Adam was in the day he was caſt out of Paradiſe? And thus Rom. 3. from verſ. 10. are the Branches ſet down, in Word, Thought and Deed, ſo that all the Incli…ations and Motions and Actions of the man are only evil continually. Every man ſhall find his Compt paſt counting: One days faults would weary you, but what will your whole life do? Known ſins are innumerable, what muſt unknown be? Every mans heart is like the troubled Sea, that caſteth up mire and dirt dayly, and cannot be at reſt. The heart is dayly flowing and ebbing in this Corruption, it cometh out dayly to the borders of all the Members; And there are ſome high ſpring Tides, when ſin aboundeth more. When in one Member of the Tongue a world of evil is, What can be in all the Members? And what in the Soul, that is more capable then all the world? Well then, every man hath ſinned in Adam, and hath ſinned alſo in his own perſon, and ſealed Adams firſt rebellion, by ſo many thouſand Actions like it: Every man hath approven the ſin that firſt ruined man, and made himſelf much more loathſome nor Adam was: Therefore all mankind may ſay, we all are as an unclean thing. Now from all this, we we would gladly diſcover unto you, what yo… condition is by ſin; If the Lord would ſhin… how vile would you be? Always we m…ſt declare this unto you in the Lords name, you a… all unclean, not only born in ſin and iniquit… not only have you a body of Death Within you… that hath all the Members, but all theſe Members have one time or other acted and broug… forth fruit unto Death: How vile then mu… you be in Gods ſight? It is a ſtrange love th… you have to your ſelves, that you cannot apprehend how God can hate you? But if h… find ſin in you, wonder rather how he can loo… upon you: We would then have you to kno… this, that there can be no fellowſhip betwee… God and you in your Natural Eſta…e: Amen cannot inhabit a vile perſons houſe, … more can God enter in your Souls. There is a… abſolute neceſſity of waſhing, before you can … his Houſe and Temple. Hath that one ſin o… Adam made that Glorious Perſon ſo deformed, that he could not look on himſelf, bu… cover himſelf; And hath it been of ſo defiling a Nature, that it hath redounded in all th… Poſterity: And as unclean things under th… Law, defiled all they touched, ſo hath tha… ſin ſubjected all the Creatures to Corruption? O then imagine what an unſpeakeabl… defilement muſt be on us all, who are no… only guilty of Adams ſin, but of many thouſands beſide. If one ſin have ſo much loathſomneſe in it▪ what muſt ſo many out … number, united in one perſon, even as in u… all? No unclean thing can enter in Heaven above: Know this for a truth, you cannot ſee God… Face in the caſe you are born into. You know nothing of ſin, who wonder that any ſhould go to Hell. No, if you knew any thing of ſin, you would wonder that ever God ſhould look on ſuch caſt out in the open Field, in their blood.
Next, You muſt know the inſufficiency of all things imaginable, to waſh away ſins filthineſſe, except the Blood of Chriſt. Since you are unclean, do you not ask, how ſhall we be waſhed? Indeed many have an eaſy anſwer, and paſſe it lighty. The multitude know no way to cleanſe in, but the Tears of Repentance and Mourning; And ſo, many think themſelves clean, when they run and pour out a Tear as Eſaw did for the bleſſing. But what ſaith the Lord? Though thou waſh the with Nitre, and take thee much Sope, yet thine iniquity is marked. Can ſuch an ingrained uncleanneſſe, can ſuch an infinite ſpot in the immortal Soul, be ſo lightly daſhed out? Many think Baptiſm cleanſeth them, but was not this people Circumciſed, as ye are baptized? And Peter tells us, it is not the waſhing of Water, 1 Pet. 3: 21. Sacrifice and Offering will not do it: This people thought ſure they had ſatisfied God, when they brought a Lamb, &c. but all this is abomination. Would not many of you think your ſelves cleanſed from ſin, if you offered all your Subſtance and the Fruit of your Body for the ſin of your Soul? Nay, but you muſt ſee an abſolute neceſſity of the opened Fountain, of Chriſts Blood, that cleanſeth from all ſin.
Then we would have you abhorre you… ſelves in Duſt and Aſhes, ſee nothing in all the Creation ſo vile, as you; Look o… ſin in the ſight of Gods Face, and how unholy will it appear? There are many ſins, little ones, that in our practice paſſe for venial and uncontrolled: But look on the filthy loathſome Nature of all ſin, and hate the leaſt offence, for it hath a kind of infinitneſſe in it, and blotteth the Soul, defileth the perſon. How great a neceſſity is there of continual application to the Fountain, of dwelling beſide it, that you may waſh dayly. Davids ſo often repeated, and inculcated prayer, Waſh me, cleanſe me, &c. Pſal. 51. Declareth that he hath apprehended much uncleanneſſe in ſin, that it needeth ſo many applications of the precious Blood. And you who have come to Jeſus and are clean, O how much owe you to free Grace, that paſt by you in your blood, and ſaid, Live, it is a time of love. How ſtrange is it, that Glorious Majeſty cometh to own Deformity, and cometh to cloath it with his own Garments: Praiſe the vertue of that Blood, that is more precious nor the Blood of Bulls and Goats, that can ſo throughly purge, as you ſhall have no more Conſcience of ſin.
Unclean ſinners waſh you, make you clean, there is a Fountain opened, though ſin were as Scarlet, it can perfectly change the colour of it. If you waſh not while the Fountain is open, it will quickly be ſealed on you, and then it ſhall be ſaid, when the Angel ſweareth by him that liveth for ever, that time ſhall be no more, then ſhall it be ſaid, let him that is unclean, be unclean ſtill. Now cleanſing is offered in the Goſpel, if you will love your loathſomneſſe ſo well, as not to dip your ſelves in this Fountain, then let the unclean be ſo ſtill: Your repentance will never change your colour, though you ſhould melt in ſorrow: And therefore you who have found a way to be ſaved otherways nor by Jeſus Chriſt, you ſhall be deceived; Your Tears and Mourning that you might have had, though Chriſt had never come in the world, is all you uſe to ſpeak of, and build your hope on: and if you ſpeak of Chriſt, it is in ſuch terms as to buy him by ſuch repentance, ſo that the truth is, you uſe but Chriſts Name as a ſhadow, you make no uſe of him: He needed not to have come in the world, for many of you could have done als well without him. But as many of you as cannot find cleanſing, who ſee filth increaſe by waſhing, come to Chriſt Jeſus, and ſay, If thou wilt, thou canſt make me clean, Math. 8. 2. Nothing beſide Jeſus can do it, believe his ſufficiency; nothing beſide him Will do, believe his willingneſſe; for, for this cauſe he is an opened Fountain that all may come and draw.