Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 10 · Part 10
Sin an Vncleanneſs.
Ezek. 36.29. From all your Ʋncleanneſſes, &c.
Zech. 13.1. In that day there ſhall be a Fountain opened to the Houſe of David, and to the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, for Sin, and for Ʋncleanneſs.
Eph. 4.19. To work all Ʋncleanneſs, &c.
SIN is compared to an unclean thing, and Man by reaſon of Sin is ſaid to be defiled; who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? the Hebrew Tama, as Mr. Caryl obſerves, comes near the Word Contaminatum, which is uſed by the Latines for Uncleanneſs, and it ſpeaks the greateſt Uncleanneſs, Pollution, Sordidneſs, and Filthineſs imaginable, as of Habit, Goar of Blood, the Muddineſs of Water, or whatſoever is loathſome or unlovely, noiſom or unſeemly; ſuch an Uncleanneſs is Sin.
Note, Sin is an unclean thing: They who ſee the Face of Sin in the Glaſs of the Law, ſee it the moſt ugly and deformed Object in the World: If Vertue could be ſeen, ſhe would attract all Eyes to her, and raviſh all Hearts to behold her, Vertue is an inviſible Beauty; ſo if Sin could be ſeen, all Eyes would turn away from it, and all Hearts loath it. Sin is an inviſible Deformity. The Spirit of God doth as it were ſtrive for Compariſons, to ſet out the uglineſs of Sin, it is compared to the Blood and Pollution of wretched new-born Infants,Ezek. 16. Rom. 3.13. Iſa. 1.5, 6. Jam. 1.27. to the Corruption and Putrefaction of a rotten Sepulchre, to the Scum of a Seething-Por, to loathſome, ſtinking and putrifying Sores, to the ſuperfluity of Naughtineſs, to the Leproſy, &c. all theſe Compariſons ſhew forth the uglineſs of Sin, but alas! 'tis filthy beyond compare.
Parallels.
SOme things are ſo unclean and filthy, that they defile every thing they touch: Sin is ſuch an Uncleanneſs who can touch it, meddle with it, and not be defiled by it? 'tis an infectious Uncleanneſs: as Good is ſo much the better, by how much the more it is diffuſive, ſo Sin is ſo much the worſe, by how much it is the more infectious and diffuſive. Sin is diffuſive two ways. 1. By Propagation from Adam to all his Poſterity. 2. By way of Imitation.
II. Some things are full of Uncleanneſs, they abound in Filth and Pollution; ſuch a Defilement and Uncleanneſs is Sin, it is not in one Part only, but in and upon the whole Man, it goes quite through; there is not the leaſt part free from Head to Heel,Caryl. They are all gone out of the way and become vile, vile all over. There is a double univerſality of this Uncleanneſs. 1. It defiles all Men. 2. All of Man, not one Man in the World but is unclean by Sin, and not one part in Man but is unclean; view him in his Underſtanding, Will, Judgment, Memory, Affection, Conſcience, Eyes, Hands, Tongue, Feet, all parts of the Body, and Powers of the Soul are unclean.
III. Some Uncleanneſs is active, prevailing and powerful, it encreaſeth and grows worſe and worſe, and defiles, and pollutes more and more; ſuch an Uncleanneſs is Sin. Man is unclean as he comes into the World, but this Uncleanneſs grows and prevails more and more upon him, by actual Sin he becomes worſe and worſe, and is more defiled every day; it ſtrives to captivate and bring the Souls of all Men under the defiling Power and Pollution of it.Rom. 7.23.
IV. Some Uncleanneſs is ſo loathſome, that it cauſes ſuch things to ſtink as come near it; Sin makes the Sinner ſtink, his Perſon ſtink, his Life ſtink, and his Services and Prayers, and all his beſt Actions to ſtink in the Noſtrils of God.Prov. 15.8. The Sacrifices of the Wicked are an Abomination to the Lord.
V. Some Uncleanneſſes are inward, hidden, obſcure, appear not to the external Eyes. Sin is not a Spot in the Garment, or viſible Pollution in the Face, or rottenneſs in the Fleſh, tho that's bad, and ſometimes the effects of this Uncleanneſs, but it is rottenneſs in the Heart; all a Man's Intrals are as it were corrupted. Man, as you heard, and every part of Man is defi…ed, and yet externally this uncleanneſs doth not appear, the Sinner ſeems as beautiful and comely to the outward Eyes as other Men, this Uncleanneſs is internal: As Saints internally are glorious and beautiful, ſo Sinners internally are foul, filthy, and deformed, their Heart,Tit. 1.15. Liver, and Conſcience, is defiled.
Diſparity.
WHat Pollution and Filth is ſo fixed and abiding, that all the Nitre and Fuller's Soap in the World cannot waſh it off, nor the hotteſt Fire purify, purge it out, or conſume it? But ſuch an Uncleanneſs and Pollution is Sin, that all the Water in the mighty Ocean cannot waſh it out; nay, could a Man bathe himſelf in b…iniſh Tears of godly Contrition,Jer. 2.22. it will not cleanſe, or take away the Filth of his Tranſgreſſion. Tho thou waſh thee with Nitre, and take unto thee much Soap; yet thy Iniquity is mark…d before me, ſaith the Lord. All the Fire of Hell cannot burn it out; Hell-Fire ſhall never (as ſaith Mr. Caryl) conſume this Filth; thoſe who are not purged in this Life, ſhall never be purged in the next. The Wicked ſhall ever be in punitive Flames, but ſhall not find (as Papiſts dream) any purgative Flames; the Fire and Brimſtone of Hell ſhall never fetch this Uncleanneſs out of the Damned.
II. What Uncleanneſs, and abominable Filth and Pollution is enſnaring? Men and Women are ſhie of, and ready at all turns to flie from, and avoid any external, horrible Uncleanneſs: But Sin is a bewitching and enſnaring Uncleanneſs. All the bodily Beauty in the World did never entice ſo many, as the Deformity and foul Face of Sin hath. Beauty and Comelineſs are the Attractives, the Loadſtone of Love; Chriſt was not loved by many, becauſe he did not appear beautiful, he vail'd his glorious Beauty: Luſt is loved, tho it be altogether unbeautiful. Chriſt is the Mirror of Beauty; tho ſome ſee no Comelineſs in him, he is fairer than the Children of Men: But there is no Form or Comelineſs in Sin, nothing indeed why it ſhould be deſired; yet how is it admired and eſteemed by all Sorts of Men! They dote upon it, and run mad with love to it, ('tis ſo bewitching) as the choiceſt Beauty in the World.
III. Wh…t Filth, Uncleanneſs, or Pollution, is of ſuch a murthering, killing, and deſtroying Nature, as Sin? It is true, ſome horrid Pollution is of a corrupting, poyſonous, and deſtroying Quality, but not like Sin: This Venom, this Uncleanneſs, is worſe than any, more mortal than any; it kills both Body and Soul too; it deſtroys eternally. O there is no finding out the curſed Nature of it; there is nothing can ſave from the killing Power of it, nor cleanſe from its Pollution, but Chriſt's Blood.
Inferences.
O What a woful Condition is Man in by Nature, how unclean in God's ſight! Well might Eliphaz ſay,Job 15.16. How abominable and filthy is Man, who drinketh in Iniquity like Water! The Word foreign notes that which is moſt abhorring to the Nature of Man; that which is not only ſo nauſeous that the Stomach cannot digeſt it, but ſo baſe, that the Mind is burthened to think upon it; yea, the Word imports that which is rejected by all the Senſes, that which the Eye cannot endure to look upon, that which the Ear cannot endure to hear of, that which is a Stink in the Noſtrils, and which the Hand will not touch, ſuch a a thing is Man in God's Sight, by reaſon of Sin. Filthy, foreign, the Word is derived from a Root that ſignifies,Caryl on Job 15.16. corrupt, rotten, putrified, the Scum of a Pot, the Ruſt of Metals, the Dung or Excrement of Man and Beaſts. There are no Words (ſaith Caryl) filthy enough to expreſs the Filthineſs of Man. The Word is found, ſaith he, but three times in Scripture, in this Conſtruction, and in all of them 'tis applied to ſhew the abominable Wickedneſs of Man: The firſt is this, Job 15.16. Pſal. 14 3. Pſal. 53.3. as if this were a Word pick'd out on purpoſe, as a Glaſs, to ſhew Man his Face and natural Complexion in, &c.
Job 7.17.II. O what is Man, that God ſhould be mindful of him! What Beauty is there in him, that the Almighty ſhould ſet his Heart upon him!
III. What little reaſon have wicked Men to be proud? And how ſadly are they miſtaken, who think to adorn themſelves with Sin? How do Sinners pride themſelves in their filthy Garments, and Cloak of Unrighteouſneſs? He is no Gallant now a days, unleſs he can ſwear and curſe, and cry, Damn-him, and, Sink-him. Lord, what an Age is this! They ſhew their Sin, as Sodom, and hide it not; they glory in their Shame.
IV. Let us learn from hence to be fully ſenſible of our Birth-Pollution, I mean, Original Sin,Job 25.5. Job 14.4. that which we brought into the World with us: Can he be clean that is born of a Woman? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Can the Stream be clean, when the Fountain is ſo unclean? All that are born by natural Generation, are unclean. Adam's particular Act or Breach of the Law of God was ours, we being in him; he ſtood as the common Root of all his Poſterity; 'tis alſo by the Almighty imputed to us: The natural Pravity or Corruption which iſſueth from thence, paſſeth from Generation to Generation.
V. We may infer from hence, that every Man and Woman hath need of waſhing; ſay not therefore with Peter, Thou ſhalt never waſh my Feet, when every part is defiled, &c.
VI. Go, polluted Soul, go to the Fountain, 'Tis the Blood of Jeſus Chriſt, that cleanſeth us from all Sin.
VII. Bleſs God, there is a Fountain to waſh in, a Fountain opened for Sin and Uncleanneſs. [See Fountain in the Firſt Volume.]
VIII. You that are clean, praiſe the Almighty: Ye were as filthy as others: Such were ſome of you, &c. Saints may be ſaid to be clean four manner of Ways: (1.) Clean meritoriouſly, by the Blood of the Lord Jeſus. (2.) Efficaciouſly, by the Spirit uniting them to Chriſt, and ſanctifying their Hearts. (3.) Clean inſtrumentally, by the Word: Now are you clean, through the Word which I have ſpoken unto you. (4.) Clean impulſively, and attractively by Faith: — Purifying their Hearts by Faith.