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A67066 The leper, and the leper's house, cleansed being, an exposition upon some part of the XIVth chapter of Leviticus; the mystery of which is explained and applied to the state and condition of a sinner's becoming a saint. With profitable uses and applications. As also, what chapter may be applied to, as to the cleansing or destroying of any particular church of Christ, in and under the time of the gospel. Divided into ten parts. Written for the information of those which seldom concern themselves about the types and shadows of the Old Testament: very useful for all people. By Thomas Worden, author of, The types unvailed. Worden, Thomas. 1695 (1695) Wing W3578; ESTC R218033 86,936 103

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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. PART IV. Thus you see the Mistery of the earthen Vessel with the run●●ing pure Water in it opened to you we next come to speak of the rest of the Things which the Priest was to use in the Cleansing of the Leper which was the Scarlet the C●da●-wood and the Hyssop THe Assemblies Annotations speak to this purpose That the S●arlet Cedar-wood and the Hyssop these three things together made up the Brush wherewith the Loper was to be sprinkled in order to his Cleansing the Cedar-wood made up the Handle of the Brush the Hyssop made up the Brush itself and the Scarlet which was a Scarlet Thread with this Thread the Hyssop was bound fast to the Cedar-handle Now the Mystery of which I conceive to be this The Handle of the Brush which was made of Cedar-wood may signifie the Word of God the instrumental Means of our spiritual Cleansing for as Cedar is sweet and durable so is the Word of God First of all The Word of God is like Cedar for sweetness Psal 19. 10. The Word is more to be desired than Gold yea sweeter than the Hony-comb thus you see how sweet the Word is to the Pallate for Taste and it is no less sweet in the Nostrils for smell Cant. 1. 2. Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth that is the Name of Christ published or poured out in the Preaching of the Gospel 2. The Word of God may be compared to Cedar for the durableness of it 1 Pet. 1. 25. But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached to you 2dly By the Hyssop-brush we may understand the Grace of Faith another instrumental Means of our Cleansing from our spiritual Leprosie For as Hyssop is sweet and not so subject to corrupt and wither so soon as other Herbs are so the Grace of Faith is a most sweet and precious Grace it is called precious Faith for the sweetness and uncorruptibleness of it 2 Pet. 1. 1. Good Education natural Parts and moral Gifts may wither and come to nothing but true Faith is a ●race that never loseth its Life Sap or Savour 3dly And by the Scarlet Thread we may understand the Purchasing-bloud of Christ which is the procuring-Procuring-cause of that Vertue and Healing-property which we find and feel in the Word and Faith in order to our spiritual Cleansing Now the Sprinkling-brush being thus finished the Scarlet Thread binding the Hyssop to the Cedar-handle with this Brush the Priest was to sprinkle the Leper seven times the Sum of which holds out to us our Justification and Sanctification which is procured for us by our High-Priest Jesus Christ From all which we may observe this Point of Doctrine Doct. That who-ever intends to be Justified from the Guilt of Sin and Sanctified from the Filth of Sin must get himself sprinkled with the Bloud of Christ through the Word of God by the Hyssop of Faith and Believing Hence the Scripture attributes both our Justification and Sanctification to the Bloud of Christ as the meritorious and procuring-Procuring-cause of it First For our Justification Rom. 5. 9. Much more then being now Justified by his Bloud 2dly Our Sanctification is meritoriously procured by the same Means Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God 2. As the Scriptures do direct us to the Bloud of Christ alone as the meritorious Cause of our Justification and Sanctification so doth it direct to Faith as the Means which only can make the Application of both to the Soul Rom. 5. 1. Being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not that Faith can Justifie of itself a part from the Object of it which is Jesus Christ but only as Faith apprehends and applies the Bloud and Obedience of Christ to the Soul which is the alone Matter of our Justification and as Faith is the Instrument of our Justification so it is of our Sanctification also Acts 15. 9. And put no difference betweeen them and us purifying their Hearts by Faith Reason Now the Reason why the Soul is to make use of Faith in his Justification from the Guilt of Sin and in his Cleansing from the Filth of Sin is because God hath ordered Faith to be the Grace which must deal with the Bloud of Christ which is the procuring-Procuring-cause of both For as nothing can Justifie or Cleanse the Soul if applied but the Bloud of Christ so there is nothing which can apply the Bloud of Christ to the Soul but the Hyssop of Faith and Believing Heb. 11. 6. But without Faith it is impessible to Please him And so we come to the Application of the Point Vse This should teach us all to look after Faith yea above all things to labour for this Grace of Believing if ever we mean to be healed of our sinful Leprosie and Uncleanness Oh Friends this is the Means that can only do your Souls good slight this and you slight your greatest Mercy under Heaven because you thereby slight that very Means which God hath appointed for a Soul-cure Neglect this saith Christ and you die in your Sins John 8. 24. This was Israel's Sin and that which kept them in their Sins as the Apostle speaks Rom. 10. 3. They submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God which is else-where called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4. 13. It was not enough for the Jewish Leper only to use the Bloud of the Bird for his Cleansing no but he must dip the Hyssop-brush into the Bloud also he must keep to the Means and the whole Means which God instituted and appointed for his Cleansing Deut. 12. 32. What t●●ng soever I have commanded you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it If the Priest had used the Hyssop-brush without the Bloud of the Bird or if he had dipt the Hyssop-brush in any other Liquor as Water Milk or Wine this would not have been Cleansing to the Leper or if he had made use of the Bloud of the Bird without
in holy Ministrations as also in miraculous Operations 2 Kings 5. 10 14. and also it had a sound of Perfection in it as witnessing the Perfection of the Creatures made in six Days before so that there was no need of any more to be done See the Assemblies Annotations upon the place So then by the Priest's sprinkling of the Oil seven times before the Lord denoted that the Work was perfectly done which Action of the Priest teacheth us thus much if we consider him as a Type of Christ in the Cleansing of his spiritual Lepers That as Jesus Christ hath undertook to go thorow with the Work of the Elects Justification and Sanctification so by his sprinkling of the Oil seven times before the Lord which he did in the Person of the Levitical Priest it was to assure his Father for his Satisfaction and to assure his People for their Consolation that the Work of their Justification and Sanctification is compleat and perfectly done according to his last Words when he suffered upon the Cross John 19. 30. then he said It is finished From whence we may observe this Note of Observation Doct. That Jesus Christ a Believer's High-Priest hath perfectly finished and compleated the Work of their Justification and Sanctification before the Lord. The Truth of this Observation is attested both by himself and his Father also First By Christ himself John 17. 4. I have glorified thee on the Earth I have finished the Work which thou gavest me to do Now the great Work which the Father gave his Son to do and finish was the Work of the Justification and Sanctification of the Elect Isa 42. 1 2 3. Behold my Servant whom I uphold my Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him and he sh●●● bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles 2dly This Truth is also witnessed unto by the Father as well as by the Son Isa 53. 10 11. He shall prolong his Days and the Pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands he shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied That is the Father shall see his Son's Work finished to his full Contentment Reason Now the Reason of the Point is this Because Christ was God as well as Man and because he is so therefore he wanteth no Sufficiency to accomplish whatever he takes in hand nor never yet did he begin any Work but he always finish'd it before he left it He made the Heavens and the Earth and he did it compleatly he made Man upon the Earth and made a perfect Piece of him and when he had finished his whole Work he beheld it and it was very good good for Matter and good for the Form of it and the ending of it was a glorious Work Psal 19. 1. hence saith Moses Deut. 32. 4. His Work is perfect So that this is the Reason that a Believer's Justification and Sanctification is so compleat and perfect it is because it was carried on by Jesus Christ who is very God as well as very Man and there is nothing too hard for the Lord. And so we come to Application Vse Let this serve for Comfort to the doubting People of God who are very apt to be dejected and cast down in their Spirits their Doubt is not so much whether Christ were able to finish the Work of Justification and Sanctification for them that 's put beyond Question with them but their Trouble ariseth from their Darkness as to their Interest in this Justification and the Littleness if they have any at all of the Grace of Sanctification First As to their Darkness about their Interest in this Justification many there are because they cannot read the Lines of their Justification upon the Book of their own Consciences are apt to fear whether it were ever written for them upon the Book of Christ's Records in Heaven There be three things which makes some Christians to doubt about their Interest in their Justification 1st A sight of old Sins upon the Book of their Consciences 2dly A natural Proneness to commit new Sins 3dly A want of Skill to distinguish between the old Reckoning as it stands upon the Book of God's Accounts and as it stands upon the Memory and Conscience of the Soul First of all The sight of old Sins as they stand upon the Book of their Consciences They think because the sense of Sin remains upon their Consciences uncancelled therefore the guilt of Sin must needs remain upon the Book of God above unpardoned Ans But this doth not always follow but rather the contrary For where Sin is unpardoned there the Heart as to the sense of it is mostly hardned Look over all the Justified Men which you can find in Scripture and you will find none more under the Conscience of Sin than those who were truly Pardoned and Justified from their Sins as David though Nathan told him that his Sin was pardoned yet how did the sense of it bleed in his Conscience Psal 51. 2 3. Wash me throughly from my Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin for I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before me The like we find in Job though God himself testified of him that he was a pardoned Man one that feared God and eschewed Evil yet how did Job charge home the Guilt of Sin upon his own Conscience Job 13. 23. How many are my Iniquities and Sins make me to know my Transgression and my Sin So good Heman Psal 88. 15. I am afflicted and ready to Die while I suffer thy Terrours I am Distracted So that this should rather be thy Cordial than a Corrosive to thee that with those good Men the sense of Sin is made to visit thy Conscience A sense of Sin is necessary to help on Repentance Repentance is the Fruit of a justified State Rom. 8. 30. Moreover whom he did Predestinate them he also Called that is by Repentance and whom he Called them he also Justified Secondly A second Ground of doubting in Christians about their Justification ariseth from their Proneness in Nature to commit new Sins Certainly saith a doubting Soul if I were ever Justified from the Guilt of my Sins I should never be so apt to commit Sin as I do Ans It is one thing to have the guilt of Sin acquitted to the Soul and another thing to have the filth of Sin removed out of the Soul the one belongs to Christ's Justifying and the latter to Christ's Sanctifying Grace the Act of Christ's Justifying of the Soul is done at once upon the very Act of the Soul 's believing Acts 13. 39. By him all that do Believe are Justified from all things from which ye could not be Justified by the Law of Moses But the Act of Christ's Sanctifying a Soul is done by degrees and is a Work of Time so that a Soul may be fully Justified from all his Sins and yet the Nature very prone to commit it Paul had no cause to doubt of
his Justification yet he deeply complains of his readiness and proneness Rom. 7. 21. I find a Law in my Members that when I would do Good Evil is present with me There is this difference bewixt a Justified and an Unjustified Man's Inclination to Sin a Justified Man always Sins with Reluctancy but the other with Allowance the Justified Man is ever renewing his State by Repentance Psal 51. 1 2 3 4. And the other is adding of Sin to Sin without Repentance Jer. 8. 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no Man repented him of his Wickedness saying What have I done Every one turned to his Course as the Horse rusheth into the Battle Sin is squeezed forth from a Justified Man but it comes freely without let or hindrance from the other Now look into thy Heart though thy sinful Nature works in thee yet is it with Regret Is it with due Repentance Doth it not come freely from thee Is it the Evil thou wouldst not do as Paul speaks and doth it oftentimes make thee to cry out as he did in Rom. 7. 24. O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Then doubt not because thou hast no more reason to question thy Justification than David Heman Paul or Peter had The third Ground of a Christian's doubting about his Justified Condition ariseth from his want of Skill to distinguish betwixt the old Reckoning as it stands upon the Book of God's Accounts and as it stands upon the Book of God's Accounts and as it stands upon the Book of his own Conscience It is just with such Christians as it is with some ignorant Servant who is sent to a Shop-keeper to buy such and such Commodities the Shop-keeper sets it all down in his Shop-book the next Week the Servant comes and dischargeth the Debt the Week following the same Servant comes again for new Commodities the Shop-keeper books down all again as before but as the Shop-keeper is writing down of the new Debt the Servant looking over his shoulder espies the Items of the old Reckoning upon the Book which was discharged before this sends the Servant away with a Heart loaded with Grief and Trouble fearing that the Debt which he had discharged will be demanded again It 's true he saw some strokes crost over the Particulars upon the Book but being wholly ignorant that the crossing of the Book was a full Discharge of the Debt in Law this keeps the poor Servant under his Fear and Trouble still Thus stands the Matter with many a doubting Christian about their Justification though the Book of Accounts in Heaven be discharged and crost above with the red strokes of the Bloud of Christ the Vertue of which dischargeth the whole in Law 1 John 1. 7. The Bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin Yet the Soul being unaquainted with this Mystery he beholding the Items standing yet upon his own Conscience thinks that the whole Debt is still to be exacted from him as if there had never been any Satisfaction made for his Debt at all But O doubting Soul if thou wouldst have Peace in thy Soul thy Work must be to acquaint thy self with the nature of a Believer's Discharge as to his Debt in the Court of Heaven above Labour by an Eye of Faith to see the red Strokes of Christ's Bloud with which the grand Book above is crost for thee for ever and then whatever the Items are which stands upon the Book of thy Conscience yet they can do thee no hurt because now they signifie nothing against thee in Law Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall condemn It is God that Justifies Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is Christ that Died. So that you plainly see that God justifieth a Believer upon the account of Christ's Death the Bloud of whose Death dischargeth his Debt and gives such a Satisfaction to the Law of God that nothing can condemn the Soul for ever thus you see what these Doubts are which do darken a Christian's Interest in his Justification and also the Grounds and Reasons from whence these Doubts and Fears do arise But here lieth thy Comfort Christ thy High-Priest hath compleated this Work for thee though thou canst not apprehend thy Interest in it by a clear sight of Faith yet he by one Offering hath perfected this Work for thee and that for ever if thou be truly Sanctified Heb. 10. 14. 2dly This affords ●●mfort to Believers against their Doubts arising from the littleness of their Sanctification Oh saith a doubting Soul who is sensible of the weakness and littleness of his Grace Oh! if I have any Grace at all yet it is so little I fear it will never last long and so I shall never be able to hold out Oh! my Faith in God my Love to God my Zeal for God my Sincerity before God my Patience under Trials my Self-denial and Holiness is so little that I fear all my Religion will end in meer Formality and my Profession conclude in Hypocrisie when all is done Ans Oh! Soul against all these Fears thy Duty is to look up to Jesus Christ who is thy mystical Head and in him thou shalt see thy Soul compleatly Sanctified as well as compleatly Justified I do not say that Christ hath compleated the Work of Sanctification in a Believer's own Person while in this Life No no while a Believer is in the Body the Flesh will be lusting against the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. and Believers again through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body Rom. 8. 13. which is one special part of Sanctification And further I do not say that the Spirit in his working of Mortification doth so kill and subdue Sin in Believers as that it shall never trouble grieve or defile them more No that Freedom belongs to the perfect State in Heaven but though Christ hath not perfected this Work in a Believer yet Christ hath perfected Sanctification in himself for the Believer Doth not the Apostle say 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption First It must be acknowledged that by Nature thou art in thy self a Fool Luke 24. 25. O Fools and slow of heart to believe Secondly It is as true that thou hast no Righteousness of thy own Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean Thing our Righteousness is as filthy Rags Thirdly Thou art by Nature a perfect Slave and Vassel to Sin and the Devil therefore is Christ said to proclaim Liberty to the Captives even to such as thou art Isa 61. 1. Fourthly And it is as true that thou art as void of Sanctification Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thy own Bloud But now thou seest that Christ is made over to thee by God the Father to be Wisdom for thy Foolishness Righteousness for thy