Ioshua gives the land onely to him that overcommeth And he that perseveres to the end shall be saved CHAP. IX 8. Sampson a type of Christ. I. IN person and condition 1. His conception foretold by the Angel of God Judg. 13. 5. So was Christs His office foretold he must be a Saviour So Christ. Borne beyond strength of nature of a mother long before barren Iudg. 13. 3. So was Christ. His mother saluted by the Angel as Mary was that though she was barren she should conceive a sonne a saviour the one shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistims verse 5. the other must save his people from their sinnes And this promise confirmed by a signe to both the mothers Iudg. 13. 4. Luke 1. 30. 2. Both must be Nazarites Sampson by the Law of Nazarites Numb 6. 2. Christ by occasion of the place in which he was educated not by that law But as a Nazarite signified one that was separate and severed from the common course of men to a more holy profession of sanctity and to a stricter care to avoid all manner of impurity such a one the Prophets signified Christ should be not onely holy and seperate from sinners but the author of holinesse And as Sampson was sanctified from the womb So was Christ much more So the Angel The holy thing that is in thee is of the holy Ghost And herein beyond Sampson for in Christ are all sanctified 3. Sampson grew and the spirit waxed strong in him so as he became a Saviour of incomparable strength So Christ grew every way in stature in favour with God and man and the Spirit was so strong in him because it was not measured unto him as unto Sampson as he became a Saviour stronger than the strong armed man He was the true Sampson that overcame many enemies and slew heapes upon heapes And although Sampson the type was at last overcome by his enemies our true Sampson is invincible and hath gloriously triumphed over them all Both of them were great deliverers the one from great thraldome and temporall misery the other from a greater spirituall and eternall thraldome under sinne the Law Satan hell c. II. Sampson was a type of Christ in three especial actions 1. He found meat in the eater and from the strong sweetnesse and brought some of it to his parents Christ by his death which seemed to eat him up brings us meat the bread of life sweeter than honey and out of this dead Lyons mouth that is Christ dead comes sweetnesse Thence sprang whole flocks of Christians like so many swarmes of bees 2. Sampson loved strange women and went among the enemies of God for a wife which might seeme a sinne in him but that the text saith It came of God Iudg. 14 4. A type of Christs love to the Gentiles casting his love on her that was not beloved to make his despised and dispersed of the Gentiles his spouse and wife as Hosea 2. 23. I will have mercy on her c. Where the whole contract on both parties is set down at large 3. Sampson put forth his minde in parables and riddles So did Christ his doctrine to the Pharisees Matth. 13. 34. III. In passion and suffering they were very like in many passages 1. Both sold for money Sampson by Dalilah to the Princes of the Philistims Iudg. 16. 5 Christ for thirty pieces of silver unto the chiefe Priest Both betrayed by their most familiar the one to the Philistims the other to the Pharisees Both under pretence of love Sampson by Dalilah Iudg. 16. 15. Christ by Iudas with a kisse both apprehended by their enemies both led away both bound both brought forth at a great feast both blinded both scorned both fastened to a post the one of the house the other of the Crosse. 2. As Sampson offered himselfe freely unto death among wicked men as a most valiant Captaine being called to be a revenger of Gods enemies and therefore it it is said Heb. 11. he dyed not as a self-murtherer but in faith that is as a faithfull servant of God adventured his owne life for the destruction of the enemies of God and his Countrey as every good subject and souldier pressed to the field ought to do So Jesus Christ voluntarily offered himselfe to death and went out to meet the apprehendors and was content to dye among wicked men and to be hanged between two theeves that he might destroy and scatter the powers of the enemies of his Churches salvation IV. In victory and fortitude 1. His first stratagem which was as a praeludium to his calling in which he assayed his power was that he overcame a stout Lyon in the desert and slew him with his own hand Chap. 14. 6. and tare him as one should have rent a Kid So the first powerfull worke in which our Sampson shewed himselfe was the conquering of the devill that roaring Lyon hand to hand who assaulted him in the wildernesle by three horrible and hellish temptations 2. Sampson flew with his owne hand being alone above a thousand men at once having nothing but the jawbone of an Asse a weake base and insufficient weapon for so great a warre and victory and as it was unfit so it was an unclean weapon of an unclean beast by the Law which his strict profession of a Nazarite should not have touched had it been out of case of necessity So our true Sampson by as weake instruments and as contemptible in the eyes of flesh conquers thousands daily while by the foolishnesse of Preaching by the doctrine of the Crosse by weak earthen vessells he subdues whole countries and kingdomes unto him that the work may be knowne to be his own hand and power and not the instruments 3. Sampson slew more of Gods enemies at his death than in all his life Iudg. 16. 30. And this was the effect of the death of Christ when sinne Satan hell the grave and his enemies seemed to triumph over him and make themselves merry with the Philistims as having in their power their greatest enemy but suddenly he afflicted them more in his death than in all his life This death of Christ pulled Satans house over his head it was the death of death and squeasing of all enemies at once 4. Sampson being in the City Azzah and the Citizens nowlying in wait to kill him and to make an end of so furious an enemy whom they had sure within their gates he arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the City and the two posts and lift them away with the barres and layd them on his shoulders and departed Chap. 16. 3. So when satan and sinners had buried Christ laid a stone on him sealed it and watched him thinking they had him sure enough never to molest them more he like another mighty Sampson rose in his might carried away the gates and barres of death from
onely a purifying of the flesh this of the Spirit and conscience 4. That cleansed from legall and bodily pollution this from morall called dead works 1. Because they proceeded from death of sinne 2. Because they lead to eternall death For the explaining of this ordinance consider four things 1. Whence the Cow must be 2. The properties or qualities 3. The actions about her 4. The use and end of it I. All the congregation must bring an heifer to Moses out of the heard 1. All the congregation for not one in the congregation but needs a meanes of purging 2. This meanes must be a Cow not an Oxe or Bull. The imbecillity of the sexe noteth the great humillity of our Lord Jesus who being the mighty Lyon of the tribe of Judah would so abase and weaken himselfe for our sakes 3. They must take her from the heard so our cleanser must be taken from among our selves being true and perfect man taking our nature and our flesh yea our infirmities as the weak sexe importeth in all things save sinne like unto us II. The properties required in this Cow are four 1. She must be an heifer in her youth and strength Christ offers himself and must be taken for a sacrifice in the flower of his strength at three and thirty yeares He offers his best gifts and dies in his strength and so his offering was more free and acceptable And we also should offer up our youth strength best times and gifts to Jesus Christ who offered himselfe in his best strength to death for us 2. The Cow must be red Signifying 1. The truth of Christs humane nature being of the same red earth that the first Adams body was 2. The grievousnesse of sinne which he was to undertake and the scarlet staine of it 3. The bitter and bloudy passion of Christ and his cruell death The red skin of the Cow resembled the red garments of Christ all besprinkled 1. With his own bloud 2. With the bloud of his conquered enemies 3. Presented unto his father like the coat of Joseph all stained with bloud 3. The Cow must be without spot or blemish to signifie the purity of our Lord Jesus in whom was never any spot or staine of sinne Though he was contented to be counted a sinner yet he was no sinner And though he had sinne on himselfe he had none in himselfe as the Cow was slaine for sinne not being sinful Christ was ruddy through his passion yet most white and spotlesse by his most perfect and absolute righteousnesse 4. She must be without yoke on which never yoke came Signifying 1. That Christ not necessarily but voluntarily took our nature that he might free us from our yoke 2. His absolute freedome from all the yoke of sinne farther than he voluntarily undertook the burthen of it 3. That he was never subject to the yoke of humane precepts and commandements being the Law-giver to prescribe Lawes to all not to receive Lawes from any 4. That none could compell him to suffer for sinne but his whole obedience active and passive was a free-will offering he having power to lay down his life and to take it up againe 5. He was more free from the yoke than any red heifer could be She indeed must be free in her selfe He not onely free in himselfe but he must free all believers from the yoke whom the sonne sets free they are free indeed III. The actions about the Cow were five ver 5. 1. Action 1. The Congregation must deliver the Cow to be slaine so was Christ delivered to be slaine by the whole body of the Jewes 2. She must not be delivered to Aaron but to Eleazer his successor signifying that the death of Christ serveth all the successions and ages of the Church and must be taught by the Ministers of all ages 2. Action She must be led out of the Camp and there burnt whole to ashes her skin flesh bloud and dung ver 5. Signifying 1. That Christ must be led out of the gate of Jerusalem to suffer Heb. 13. and there 2. must be crucified by which he was made a whole burnt offering 3. That whole Christ is our comfort his flesh our meat his bloud our drink yea the very base dung of those contumelies cast upon him were a part of his sacrifice offered up in the fire of his passion for us to sweeten and sanctifie ours 3. Action Eleazer must take of the bloud with his finger and sprinkle towards the foreside of the Tabernacle of the assembly seven times vers 4. Signifying 1. The purging of us by the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience 2. That Christs death profits none to whom it is not specially applied for the Cowes bloud must be not shed onely but sprinkled 3. That onely the people and Congregation of God have benefit of the death and bloud of Christ for it was sprinkled directly before the tabernacle 4. The seven times sprinkling noteth 1. That that one oblation hath virtue and merit enough 2. The perfection of justification 3. The need of often application of Christs death 4. The duration of it to all ages 4. Action She must be burnt with Cedar wood scarlet lace and hysope all which must be cast into the fire with her vers 6. Signifying 1. Three things in Christ. 1. The Cedar of uncorrupt life 2. The scarlet of fervent love to mankind 3. The hysop of savoury obedience in all things to his father all which were in all his sufferings and fire of his passion sweetning it 2. They noted three things arising from Christs sufferings 1. Immortality signified by the Cedar which is not subject to putrefaction 2. The scarlet the merit of his bloud applyed to justification 3. The hysope of mortification healing our corruptions aâ— hysope hath a healing quality All these three properly arise from the passion of Christ. 5. Action A clean person must gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them without the Camp in a clean place vers 9. Signifying 1. The buriall of Christ in a cleane and new tombe wherein never man lay a clean place never used before 2. That the merit of Christs death is ever laid before God in the highest and holiest heavens 3. The Christians account of Christs merit and passion who layeth them up as his chiefe treasure in the clean place of a pure heart and conscience an onely fit closet to keep the mystery of faith in IV. The use and end of these ashes was twofold vers 9. 1. They must be kept for the Congregation Signifying that there shall never want supply of grace and merit from the death of Christ to any believer that sees his need of them 2. Of them was made a water of separation thus A clean person took of the ashes of the red Cow burnt and put pure water into a vessell and taking hysope dipped it and sprinkled it upon the tent the persons and vessels and
safe and sound 4. When they did see themselves by the benefit of the Red Sea freed from Pharaohs servitude how easily might they gather that by the bloud of Christ every believer of Jewes and Gentiles are freed from the slavery of hellish Pharaoh and all his Armies of sinnes and corruptions And when they did see how the Egyptians once dead and slain could hurt them no more how could they but gather that all the armies of sin once remitted and buried in the death of Christ can no more rise up to condemnation than a drowned Egyptian to drown an Israelite I. To note the mighty power of God who can still and over-master the mighty raging of the Sea which we see here in that its water dry land sands and shoare observe the providence of God and serve for his peoples safety Israel saw the mighty power of God herein Exod. 14. 31. Let us also behold the glory of God herein and fear before him as they did Let not us be more senseless than the senselesse creatures but hear his voice runne out of our own nature to observe his voice sounding in the Scriptures and Ministry of the Gospel II. To see and consider the state of the Church and people of God Canaan whither they goe is a fine and fertile countrey but the way is asperous and dangerous They are still as it were in the bottome of the sea enemies implacable at their heeles in infinite numbers Seas of waters dreadful to behold on both hands yea rising over their heads as mountaines threatning to fall over them and after a deep sea a terrible wildernesse takes them in which is no meanes for meat drink nor cloath A man would think no man could deal so with his children and yet Gods wisdom sees this the fittest way to Canaan He sees how 1. Every small content glewes us to our Egypt 2 What sluggs we are in the way farther than we are chased out 3. How little we care for dependance on himself when we are full of naturall comforts 4. That Canaan is so rich a land as is worthy all our labour and suffering Apply this note to awake thee out of thy ease and carnall slumber If thy way be so easie and pleasing to flesh sure it leads not to Canaan suspect it The Israelites going into Egypt had no enemies nor troubles meeting them but going into Canaan they had nothing else Strait is the way that leads to life and all the way to heaven is strowed with crosses Apply it also to secure thee in thy troubles Art thou in a deep danger or sorrow like the bottome of the sea It is no worse with thee than with the rest of the people of God No affliction overtakes thee but the same hath befaln the Saints in the world Hold on to Canaan and all is safe Canaan is worth all Happy thou if thou canst get to Canaan though thy passage be through the bottome of the sea III. To observe what a many comforts this great work of God will load us withal that are willing to carry them away For. I. The Lord in strange and unwonted dangers can work new and unwonted remedies for his children As we heard before that fire shall not burn them so here the Sea at his word of restraint shall not drown them He can make a wall of water more strong for them than a wall of Adamant yea himself according to their need will be to them either a wall of fire or water II. What danger can prevail against the Church if all these dangers on all hands above them below them afore them behind them at once cannot sinke them No All the gates of hell cannot prevail against it Every main affliction is like a main Red Sea which threatens to swallow us up but it shall in the issue onely preserve the Church What we have most cause to fear the Lord maketh most helpful and soveraign The very raging Sea rather than they shall perish shall open her lap as a tender mother to recieve them from the rage of Pharaoh and his pursuing army Nay the land of Goshen shall not be half so bountiful to them as these waters which gave them freedome victory and the spoiles and riches remaining upon the dead bodies of their enemies III. How unweariably the Lord sets himself to overcome all difficulties for his servants What had it been to have passed the oppressours of Egypt and to have been swallowed up of the sea Therefore he makes a new way where never any way lay before in the bottome of the Sea Afterwards he makes a dry and barren wildernesse comfortable to them dryes up Jordan as strangely for their passage gives them a daily harvest of Manna from heaven breaks a Rock to give them water and happily in time finisheth their long and tedious journey Even so the godly going out of Egypt departing from the kingdome of the devill and hastning out of the world towards heaven come presently into a deep sea not pursued onely by the fury of tyrants and enemies but every where threatned with dangers wants and death it self yet the Lord breakes for them one toyle after another and happily guides them through a deep sea of miseries and never leaves them till they recover the shoare and arrive safely at the haven of salvation where their songs shall be louder than their cryes were and a mighty deliverance shall swallow up all their danger IV. Here is comfort against the fear of enemies 1. Spiritual enemies For here we have both a confirmation and resemblance of the eternal delivery of the Church from the tyranny of the hellish Pharaoh which in spight of him is led through a sea of tribulation every where ready to overwhelme it into the promised rest of everlasting life Again we see here our sinnes also cast into and drowned in the bottome of the Red Sea Mic. 7. 19. These are the strongest and fiercest enemies that pursued us to death but these our furious sinnes as so many Egyptians are drowned in the sea of Christs bloud and extinct in the waters of Baptisme Aug. Psal. 113. 2. Temporal enemies How can the Egyptians hope to stand before Israel to whom the waters give way so strangely The enemy shall find the same sea a wall and a well a safety and a death Let enemies look here as the heathen did and let their hearts faint as theirs to see God make the Sea a wall a lane yea a lap for his people Let them behold the ordinary work of God who commonly joynes the salvation of his Church with the destruction of the enemies So for Mordecaies advancement and the Churches deliverance Haman must be hanged and his posterity destroyed as in a ballance if one scoal goes up down goes the other IV. The godly to partake of these comforts must learn 1. To labour for increase of faith for by faith they passed thorough the Red Sea Heb. 11. 29.
Because he covered himself with a Serpent when he first stung and deceived mankind 2. He is more subtle than any Serpent crafty to insinuate and deceive 2 Cor. 11. 3. 14. 3. As a Serpent dwels and lies among thornes bushes bryars and feeds upon dust so the devill reigns in the thickets and bushes of worldly cares and lusts and feeds upon worldings exercising his chief power against them 4. As a Serpent casts out of his mouth venome and poyson so the devill casts out nothing but virulent words against God and his Saints and spewes out after the Church a flood of poyson to drown her How he blasphemed Job how he is the accuser of the brethren how of the head Christ himself the Scripture declares 5. As a Serpent is cursed above all beasts so is the devill The first cursed creature in the world was this Serpent and hath ever since remained the cursed head of all cursed rebels and wicked ones to whose custody and condemnation they shall all be gathered in the last day Mat. 25. 41. goe yee cursed c. 2. Why called fiery Serpents Answ. 1. From their colour Through abundance of poyson they had a shining and glistering skinne and they seemed as if they had been made of fire A resemblance we have in our Snakes that seem to shine and sparkle against the Sun 2. From their effect For with their sting they infused such poyson into the bodies of the Israelites as stirred up in them an outragious heat and fire Now these diseases are most painful and so tormentful as if a wild-fire were in the bowels feeding upon the bones marrow and members 3. From their end 1. Because they were appointed by God and after a sort inflamed and kindled with desire of revenge of the Lords wrongs and they so fiercely assaulted the Israelites as if a raging and devouring fire had seised upon them which no way they could avoid 2. That in their punishment they might be admonished both what a fearful fire of Gods wrath they had kindled by their sin against themselves as also that they had deserved a more fearful fire in hell to seize upon their whole man everlastingly 3. Why stinging Serpents Answ. To imply unto us 1. That sin is the sting of this old Serpent even a poysoned sting that he hath thrust into all mankind But with this difference in that this poyson is far more general and the wounds infinitely more mischievous than were those of the fiery Serpents For 1. They stung a few Israelites but not all but this Serpent hath stung all mankind none excepted 2. They stung the bodies onely but these souls and bodies also 3. They stung one part of the body this Serpent all parts and whole man 4. They to a temporal death this to an eternal 2. To imply that sin is the sting of a fiery Serpent 1. Set on fire with wrath and cruelty and desire to poyson and destroy us Rev. 12. 17. 2. Setting on us with fiery darts For so his temptations are called Ephes. 6. 16. for three reasons 1. From the manner and custome of souldiers in times past which cast poysoned darts the poyson of which inflamed the wounded bodies and made the wounds incurable As now many out of desperate malice poyson their weapons and bullets to make sure with their enemy So doth Satan by all meanes poyson his darts to speed the Christians soul. 2. Because as fiery darts they inflame and kindle in the heart all manner of burning lusts and sinnes one of them being but as a spark or firebrand to kindle another 3. Because they leave for most part a cauterized and seared conscience behind them as if they were burnt with an hot iron which makes the sinner stung senslesse of his wound Whence is another miserable difference between the stung Israelite and the stung sinner The former was alwayes felt with grief and pain but this often not felt and so more desperate 3. The effect of this stinging was death in many And so the effect of sin is death in all The stung Israelite had death in his bosome and no other could be expected so the guilty sinner is stung to death In his nature is every man the son of death and can expect nothing but death every moment And as the stung person in the wildernesse had no meanes in himself nor from others to avoid either the Serpent or death from it till God appointed them the brazen Serpent So the poor sinner was destitute of all help in himself and others till the Lord appointed Jesus Christ the promised seed to break the Serpents head There is given no name else whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. First Note hence how deceitful are the pleasures of sin It is as a sweet poyson Job 20. 12. sweet in the mouth but poyson in the bowels What wise man would drink a draught of poyson for the sweet taste of it Wicked men hold sin as a sweet morsel but sour sauce follows it Secondly What little cause we have to love our sinnes for that is to love our own bane Prov. 8. 35. He that sinneth against me hurteth his own soul and all that hate me love death No sin but the more pleasing the more poysoning the more delicate the more deadly Sin never so much disguised never the lesse deadly Thirdly That sinners are but dead men while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. An Israelite stung was but a dead man So although the reasonable soul in a sinner makes him a man yet the want of the Spirit of grace makes him a dead man Death waits upon sin as the wages on the work and hell upon death that comes before repentance Fourthly A fool he is that makes a mock of sin Who would play with a deadly Serpent or make a jest of his own death or drink up the poyson of a Serpent in merriment or cast darts and fire-brands about him to burn himself and others and say Am I not in sport See Prov. 26. 18. and 10. 23. and 14. 9. Oh that we could discern our wounds as sensibly as we are certainly stung It would make us run to God and get Moses to goe to God for us and pray that these Serpemts and painful wounds might be removed If we saw death as present and as ghastly in our sins as Israel did in their stinging we would hasten our repentance and seek after meanes of cure Sect. II. The Remedy is First prescribed Numb 21. 8. Secondly applied vers 9. Thirdly in the same verse is the effect they recovered and lived So then in the Remedy are 1. Ordination 2. Application 3. Sanation or Cure I. The appointing hath First the person appointing which was God himself who devised it and prescribed it to Moses for God will save onely in his own meanes So God himself so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Joh. 3. 16.
them as despised as himself is Alas that the wisdome of God shall be a rule onely for our judgements but reason must guide our practise 2. Ordinary hearers think they have reason to professe religion so farre as they may thrive by it and prosper in the world whose godlinesse is gain To trust God so farre as they see him in some sort else not To favour religion and religious persons when times doe else not To avoid pernicious and dangerous sinnes which law revengeth as murther adultery theft but not covetousnesse not usury not swearing not unclean lusts Herod will not part with his Herodias Ahab hath no reason to respect Micah when he prophecies evil to him 3. Tradesmen oppresse cosen lye deceive c. because they have reason to make the best of their own What reason but they may serve a Customer upon the Sabbath so they come to Church They have reason to slip all opportunities of grace all the week because they must walk diligently in their callings the six dayes Thus reason steps in and thrusts aside the practise of that which men in judgement hold not for good and necessary and like Evah still longing after forbidden fruit Thus of the second observation Sect. VI. III. Seeing all of us in this wildernesse are stung with the old Serpent what are we to doe to be cured Answ. We are to doe five things 1. We must feel our selves stung with our sinnes and confesse our selves stung for so must the Israelite before he could be cured We must feel the poyson and pain of sin and First That this poyson hath not seated it self in one place but hath crept and diffused it self through all our parts For therefore it is called venenum quod per venas eat And as the veines and bloud run through every part of the body so sin through every part of the man Secondly As poyson never rests till it come to the heart and there strikes and corrupts the fountain of life So our sin hath mortally wounded our very hearts and strikes at the life of grace in the soul. Thirdly As poyson inflames the party with an incredible thirst having overcome natural moisture and eaten up the spirits so sin in the soul workes an utter defect and dries up all waters of grace and makes the sinner insatiable in drinking up iniquity like water Fourthly As poyson not prevented brings speedy and certain death but not without extream pain and intolerable torture so the poyson of sin unconquered brings certain and eternal death attended with horrour of conscience desperate feares and torments most exquisite Thus must we labour to feel the sting of our sin in all parts farre more mortal than the most venomous stings of most direful Serpents 2. When this people felt themselves stung so deadly they come to Moses for counsel so must thou depend upon the Minister for direction as they upon Moses Never was man sensible of this sting but he would run to the Ministers Acts 2. 37. when they were pricked in their hearts they said to Peter and the rest Men and brethren what shall we doe Acts 16. 30. the poor Jaylor being stung and being sensible of his pain came trembling and humbling himself to Paul and Silas prisoners saying Sirs what must I doe te be saved A conscience truly wounded will seek to God to his Word and Ministers for it knowes that God woundeth and healeth The feet of him that brings good tidings are beautiful to an humbled heart even as an experienced Physitian to a sick party who else were sure to be lost for want of meanes What marvel if a soul truly sensible of his sting and pain can run to Gods Ministers when a counterfeit humiliation can make as hard hearted a King as Pharaoh run to Moses and Aaron and beg prayers of them A marvellous thing then that of so many thousands stung so deadly so few are sensible that so few trouble Moses or the Ministers with questions concerning their estates Some stung and guilty consciences not supported by faith in touch of sin and sence of pain like a Doe shot with an arrow run every way but the right for ease Some with Asa send to the Physitian to purge away melancholy Some with Saul send for musick esteeming soules sicknesse but a sottish lumpishnesse Some run into the house of laughter and wicked play-houses to see and hear the Lords Sampsons and Worthies derided not without haynous blasphemy Others fall a buildding with Cain or set upon other imployments perhaps it is but an idle fancy Some run perhaps to the Witch of End or in the mean time send away Paul as Felix or run against Moses and his Ministers But comfort can they have none but from God and his Word had not thy Word saith David been my comfort I had perished in my trouble All the Physitians in the world all the Musitians and Magicians put together nor any other meanes could help a stung Israelite he must come to Moses when he had done all he could All other by-comforts are worm-eaten and as cold-water to cure a dropsie or as a cold draught to cure a poyson Some few there are that come unto us who we are sure had never sought to us more than others had they had so little sence of their sting as others have as the Israelites had never come at Moses had they not been stung Let them be comforted in that they have gone the right way to fetch their comforts which is from God and his Word and not from carnal men or councels The Lord in mercy hath brought them light out of darknesse for pitty had it been they had wanted the sting of affliction that hath driven them to God and to his Word and Servants 3. Coming to Moses wherein doe they imploy them what questions move they to him Numb 21. 7. Oh their sinne troubles them which they confesse in general we have sinned and in particular we have spoken against the Lord and against thee and then pray him to help them in removing the Serpents So thou being stung when thou comest to Gods Ministers must be conversant in fruitful and edifiable questions thou must be free in confession of such sins as are the likely cause of thy trouble and intent and busie how to be rid of the Serpents and the sting and poyson of thy sins Thou will be careful to know how to get ease of heart and quietnesse of conscience from the pain and sting of sin So the converts Act. 2. and so the Jaylor What shall I doe to be saved The fault of many is when they have meanes of counsel and comfort present with them to waste their time in trifling and curious questions and impertinent to the cure of the sting of the Serpent Questions which are like Crafishes in which is more picking than meat Questions meerly idle the resolution of which helps them no whit to ease or to heaven An
have any end for he is the beginning and the ending And although his humanity had genealogie beginning and ending of life yet as he was the word he had none And although as the Soâ—â—e he was from the Father yet as God he was from none but as the word was of himself Here also is a difference Melchizedek was without genealogy according to Scripture Christ according to nature IV. In the excellency of his 1. Person 2. Priesthood 1. For excellency of Person 1. Melchizedek was greater than Abraham for he blessed Abraham and the greater blessith the lesser Heb. 7. 7. signifying Christ the fountain and originall of all blessing in heavenly and earthly things Ephes. 1. 3. 2. Melchizedek refreshed Abraham and his Army returning weary from the battell and journey with bread and wine Here Abraham was a receiver Melchizedek a giver a manifest type of Jesus Christ refreshing and comforting all his followers and members of his militant Church in their journey and wearinesse with his word and Sacraments Matthew 11. 28. I will refresh you 3. Melchizedek was man onely and sinfull Christ God and man without sinne Melchizedekas the sonne of God Christ indeed the Sonne of God 2. For the excellency of his Sacrifice or his Priesthood which was greater than Aarons For 1. Levi and Aaron paid tythes in Abrahams loines to Melchizedek Heb. 7. 9. and the inferiour payes tythes to the Superiour Such is the Priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek not of Aaron 2. In regard of the entrance Melchizedek was not annointed with materiall oyle as Aaron nor received his Priesthood from any other but onely so declared by the mouth of God So Christ succeeded none received his Priesthood from none but annointed by the Spirit of God Luke 4. 18. and made a Priest by the Oath of God Psal. 110. 4. The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek 3. In regard of the continuance of his Priesthood For as he receives it from none so he passeth it not to any other nor any can succeed him but he endureth ever having an everlasting Priesthood Heb. 7. 24. The Leviticall Priesthood ended particularly in the death of every high Priest and universally and finally in the death of our high Priest But Christ is eternall who died but rose again figured in Melchizedek I. If Christ be the true Melchizedek then must he needs be greater than Abraham though the Jewes vainly gainsay it Joh. 8. 53. To him all our tythes and offerings due from Abraham to Melchizedek He is blessed and Prince onely the King of kings and Lord of lords unto him be honour and power everlasting 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. So the four and twenty Elders Revel 11. 15 17. And Angels Beasts Elders and all creatures Revel 5. 11 12 13. II. For the comfort of the Church that Christ is the true Melchizedek both a Priest and a King 1. As he is a Priest we are assured of a perfect reconciliation by his all-sufficient Sacrifice 2. Of sound instruction for the Priest must teach the Law his lips must present knowledge Joh. 4. 25. When the Messiah is come he will tell us all things We detest the blasphemy therefore that tells us that he hath left an imperfect doctrine that must be eeked with traditions 3. Of his blessed intercession which is meritorious and acceptable Samuel out of his love to the people 1 Sam. 12. 23. saith thus God forbid that I should sinne and cease to pray for you but I will teach you the good way Christs love to the Church is no lesse therefore he will both teach and pray 4. Of powerfull protection and safety For he is not our Priest onely but our King not our Doctor onely but our Defendor not a Priest onely to pray but a King to obtain for us and bestow on us what he prayes for What if he had never so much power in teaching if he were impotent in defending But he is King of peace in himself and unto us We have a powerfull advocate in heaven They never tasted the sweetnesse of this doctrine that seek after any other Mediator III. Hence is the happinesse of the Church As Melchizedek blessed Abraham So Christ our Melchizedek hath blessed all the faithfull posterity of Abraham Ephes. 1. 3. with all spirituall blessings in Christ Jesus But with difference Melchizedek onely pronouncing blessing Gen 14. 19. Blessed art thou of God possessor of heaven and earth But our Melchizedek meriteth and bestoweth blessings of higher kind also than could Melchizedek For 1. Christ blesseth by meriting blessing through his most perfect sacrifice pacifying his Fathers wrath Melchizedek offered no such sacrifice to no such effect his was accepted by mercy not for merit not for his own sacrifice but for Christs 2. By actuall procuring the blessing of remission of sinnes and righteousnesse restored a more effectuall blessing than Melchizedek could procure His sacrifices could onely signifie these in the Messiah's not actually apply them 3. By gathering calling ruling and preserving in spirituall life his whole Church as members of his own body and by the donation of his spirit none of which blessings Melchizedek could give 4. By bestowing eternall life on beleevers here in the first fruits hereafter in the harvest whereof Melchizedek must be a receiver from him the fountain not a giver 5. By publishing and pronouncing on beleevers all this blessing in the preaching of the Gospel and sealing it to the hearts of the elect by the daily effectuall voyce of his spirit by the word which Melchizedek could not doe Therefore a greater than Melchizedek is here and a greater blessing than Abraham received from him Let the world curse wicked ones rage and revile against the Church and Members yet as Isaac said of Jacob Gen. 27. 33 I have blessed him and therefore he shall be blessed the same will Christ not say onely but accomplish to them IV. Hence is the stability and perpetuity of the Church and members That Christ is the true Melchizedek that is an eternall Priest the Church must be eternall For a Priest cannot be without a Church nor an eternall Priest without an eternall Church but of Christ it is said thou art a Priest for ever Therefore Tyrants shall not waste it time shall not out-last it death shall not hinder the being and happinesse of it no more than it could the eternity of the Priest himself who rose gloriously from the dead so shall the members How happy a thing is it to be of this houshhold V. The excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall This is the scope of the Apostle in describing Melchizedeks Priesthood so largely For the Leviticall Priests were homagers to this yea to the shadow of it in Melchizedek while they were in Abrahams loines 1. They were men onely of men Christ the Sonne
upon the unclean person the third and seventh day and so he washing his clothes and flesh with water was clean at even ver 18 19. Signifying 1. That the bloud of Christ is the onely water of separation for persons separate to separate them from their uncleannesse The water made of the ashes of Christs death and bloud-shed sprinkled upon the unclean can onely purge the conscience from dead works 2. That this bloud of Christ must be sprinkled with hysope of faith and mortification For hysope hath a cleansing quality and is put sometimes for that which onely and properly cleanseth purge me with hysope that is with the bloud of that eternall sacrifice figured by that which is sprinkled with hysope 3. That this bloud of Christ must be often applied the third day and the seventh day The death and merit of Christ must be often meditated and applied to the heart For it is a perpetuall and eternall purging and sprinkling water in the Church and we must have daily recourse unto it I. That the Lord hath appointed meanes for cleansing all kind of impurity 1. That his people and we might know that by no infirmity and frailty we shall fall quite out of the grace of God 2. That the Lord takes not the forfeit of all the scapes and foule falles of his children utterly to forsake them seeing the Jew that was legally polluted seventy times seven times was as often received in againe as he was cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary 3. That we should not despaire nor the weak Christian be quite dejected in the sence of the multitude of his frailties and foule touches seeing the Gospel affordes us the remedy and meanes to cleanse all morall uncleannesse no lesse certainely and fully than the Law to the Jews to purge their legall II. As the Jew was no sooner defiled by touching a dead man or bone or grave or tent or any thing about him but he must presently repaire to the meanes of legall cleansing So every Christian defiled by the least touch of any dead work must have recourse to the remedy appointed in the Gospel The Law appointed the water of the ashes of a red Cow but the Gospell appoints the red bloud of Jesus Christ sprinkled and applied by faith as by hysope upon the conscience Consider 1. The necessity The person defiled not having this sprinkling upon him shall be cut off from Israel vers 13. So whosoever hath not the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon his soule shall be cut off from the number and inheritance of the Saints Mar. 16. 16. he that believeth not shall be damned 2. Every sin is a separation from God who being a God of pure eyes cannot abide the filth of it and therefore we had need continually to have this water of separation for the washing of our hearts daily and often every day because it is gathering some uncleannesse every hour yea every moment 3. An unclean creature or vessell could not be of any service to man for he must not touch it till it be cleansed So a sinner so long as he is unclean and impenitent cannot be of any good use nor present any acceptable service to God And therefore the Prophet Isa. 〈◊〉 Wash you and cleanse you and then come No man dare present any thing to a King with a foule hand the Lord will accept no such present 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and be a father unto you Implying that the Lord will not receive him that any way communicates with sinne if obstinate and impenitent 4. Nothing else can recover our beauty and first estate of holynesse and happinesse but this laver A cloth once soiled never recovers the beauty and whitenesse but by washing This laver onely brings back a white and unspotted innocency All the holy water in the Sea of Rome cannot wash one sinne for that hath no commandement no institution no promise Besides all legall Ceremonies are dead which in their life time could not cleanse by the meer deed done as they say theirs doth 5. How vaine is it to see men and women curious and carefull in washing their bodies and clothes they will not suffer the least spot on them but wash them weekly and yet go on year by year in the soule defilements of sinne and never desire to be washed and rinsed in the water of separation nay nothing more troubles them than to be called to reformation A cleanly man will have his clothes washed weekly but his hands and face every day A cleanly Christian will not be lesse carefull of his heart III. Seeing there was so much businesse in legall cleansing of the least foulenesse how carefull were the Jewes to avoid those foulnesse and how much more should Christians be to avoid the morall 1. In themselves A good heart will be affected with the least touch of sinne as David to cut Sauls lappet and to avoid the least appearance as well as evill it selfe 2. From others For the Jew might be impured from others as well as by himselfe We must not communicate in other mens sinnes 1 Tim. 5. 22. The just man bewareth not onely sinne it selfe but even the contagion and infection of sinne Watch thy selfe as privie to thine own weaknesse and thy adversaries subtletie and strength Watch against other sinnes as being beset with snares Resolve with good Jacob Gen. 49. 6. Into their secret my soul shall not come This strict watching is counted commonly foolish precisenesse nicety hatefull purity but God esteemes it otherwise It is an apparant losse of mens favour preferments and worldly helps but he onely findes the favour of God and the happinesse to see God Sect. VII The oblation for unclean issues leading us to Christ is appointed Lev. 15. 14 15. In this 1. What foules must be prepared for the offering Two Turtles or two young Pigeons and so for the womans vers 29. Of the clean kind of birds signifying and resembling the purity of Christs humane nature Besides his innocency simplicity meeknesse chastity charity fruitfulnesse of all which virtues these Doves were expresse Emblems 2. What was the use of these foules 1. They must bring them to the Priest No man must offer his own sacrifices but must present them to God by Christ the onely high Priest 2. They must bring them to the doore of the Tabernacle for publick service must not be privately performed and figured our entrance by Christ the doore 3. One must be made a sinne offering the other a burnt offering The sacrifices were types of that onely sacrifice of the Sonne of God our Redeemer performed upon the Altar of his Crosse for the expiating the sinnes and foule issues of the whole world In them both 1. What they were 2. What were the ceremonies about them 1. The sinne offering was a sacrifice in which the whole beast or bird was not
it from the spirituall servitude of sinne death the devill and damnation 2. It shadowed herein its successor in the new Testament for the Sacrament of the Supper was therefore instituted to keep in remembrance the death of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 11. 26. As often as yee shall eat this bread and drink this cup yee shew the Lords death till he come 3. To be a rule for all Sacraments wherein it is necessary that the word be joyned to the Element I mean the word of Institution and if it may be conveniently of exhortation that the seal may goe with the Charter as even in these shadowes the Lord himself straitly enjoyned these were the Lawes prescribed for the Anniversary Passeover both in Exod. 12. 14. and Numb 9. in neither of which is any mention of any of the former Laws proper to the first Passeover The last condition in eating concerned the measure The Lambe must be whole eaten signifying 1. Our perfect communion with Christ who are as nearly united unto Christ as the meat we eat which is turned into our own substance 2. That nothing in Christ is unprofitable 3. That Christ must be received wholly without dividing of his natures or destroying any of his offices Arrius divides the Lambe in denying his Godhead Manichees impugned his humanity Neither eat the whole Lambe The Papists destroy all his Offices Whosoever deny any fundamentall Article of Religion they divide the Lambe To eat the whole Lamb is to believe whole Christ according to the rule Faith is but one yet a copulative Deny one overthrow all Hitherto served that Injunction that no part of the Lambe must be reserved till the morrow but if any remained it must be burnt with fire verse 10. The Lord in his infinite wisdome would prevent all the occasions of idolatry which is easily admitted in the reservations of holy things As in Popery what a deal of idolatry is crept into the Church by reserving superstitious relicks and especially their consecrated or conjured bread as if this condition did not condemn expresly that Popish reservation of the hoast or breaden god Add hereunto that the Jewes requiring the body of Christ on the Crosse to be taken away that night before the Sabbath Joh. 19. 31. fulfilled against their knowledge this Prophecy Nothing of the Paschall Lambe must be left till the morning Sect. V. V. The Paschall Lambe is an expresse type of Christ in respect of the fruit and use of it which is security and safety from Gods revenge ver 23. For as by the sprinkling of the bloud and eating of the flesh the Jewes were defended from the revenging Angel and the destroyer passed over the house where he espied the bloud sprinkled So the bloud of Christ applied to the conscience causeth the wrath of God to passe by those that are so sprinkled And as they could sit in the house safe and not fear the stroke of the destroyer because of the bloud sprinkled so whosoever by true faith feeds upon Jesus Christ and are died with his bloud rest secure and fear not the destruction and revenge due to wicked men Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience 1. As the Jewes dwelling in Egypt were in great danger of the revenging Angel who was to passe through the land So all the Israel ot God dwelling in the midst of the Egypt of the world and too too much tainted with the fashions of it have no small cause to fear the judgements and revenge of God which must pursue the sinnes of it and also to use meanes for their own safety in the night of trouble and revenge as the Israelites did Quest. What meanes Answ. The same that Israel did We must 1. Sprinkle the house of our hearts with the bloud of the Lambe Heb. 10. 22. sprinkled in our hearts c. Whosoever were sprinkled with the bloud of the Lambe were safe Was there so much power in the bloud of the type and not much more in the bloud of the truth 2. Get into the house of the Church and fellowship of the faithfull for such as are true members of the Church which is the house of Saints are secure from the plagues of wicked men Isai. 27. 3. I the Lord doe keep the vineyard I will water it every momâ—nt lest any assaile it I will keep it night and day and â—sai 37. â—8 My people shall dwell in the Tabernacle of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places Noah can be safe no where in the deluge but in the Ark And out of the Church is no salvation or safety 3. Thou must abide in the house all night and goe not forth Except the Israelites abide in the house they cannot be safe except thou abidest in the ship of the Church thou canst not be safe no more than any of Noahs company if they had stepped out of the Ark. We must adhere constantly to the true Church and not forsake the fellowship or depart from it by Apostacy or revolt which brings certain shipwrack of faith Consider Heb. 10. 25. 4. Patiently wait for the morning even the bright rising and appearing of Jesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse coming again to our deliverance whether publikely to generall judgement or personally in speciall to our selves For he shall bring health under his wings Mal. 4. 2. II. In the whole precedent discourse is a fruitfull direction for Christians for their holy use of the Sacrament of the Supper which is come in place of the Passeover 1. As he must be circumcised that must eat the Passeover so must he be baptized that must be admitted to the Supper that is a reverent professed Christian. For holy things must not be cast to dogs Mat. 7. 6. The Word and Sacraments are childrens bread and must not be cast to dogs that is obstinate enemies scorners blasphemers to men of uncircumcised lips and eares who wilfully repell the meanes of their cleansing So much the more pity is it that all sorts of notorious evill men thrust into the presence chamber of the great King yea sit down at the Lords Table and like swine swill in his cup without controul or any rebuke in many places Open blasphemers common-drunkards scoffing Ishmaels noted adulterers obstinate sinners And where is the care to preserve the holythings of God from pollution contempt and prophanation Would a man spread a table for dogs or swine If the shadows of these holy things might not be cast to dogs is it nothing to expose to them the body and substance it self 1 Cor. 11. 30. for this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep 2. As the Lamb was taken in the tenth day but was not slain till the fourteenth that it might be before their eyes all the four dayes before for the helping of their meditation and due
congealed water as upon firme land but they walked in the bottome of the Sea as on dry land Who could deny but it had been a work of omnipotency for the Lord to have made the sea on a sudden a pavement for Israel as hard as Christal to have walked firme upon but because every strong frost congeales the water according to nature that had been lesse glorious more questionable But he provides for the clearness of his own glory by effecting a work above yea against the whole frame of nature 3. That the waters should stand as a solid wall on both sides which are naturally fluid and seeing nothing is so hardly contained within bounds as liquid waters it was exceeding miraculous And that the bottome of the Sea should on the suddain become firme and dry ground Exod. 14. 22. and even as an high way was not the least of these miracles 4. That the same Sea at the same time should be both calm and tempestuous For the mighty winds and tempests were so strong against the Egyptians that it brake their Chariot wheeles and they could hardly move or stirre against it yet all the same time it was a peaceable calm to Israel who were very near them 5. The time of the standing of the waters on so vast an heap whereon learned men agree not any way concluded is most miraculous Some think as Chytraeus that for so many thousands yea hundred thousands of men women and children to walk a soft pace and to drive their cattel so many miles must needs take them four or five dayes time and then the waters to stand so long was admirable Others think they went through in one night for the text mentioneth but one night and then was it no lesse miraculous to convey so much people and cattel so much way in so small time 6. That the same Sea at the same time should be both a gulfe and devourer and yet a saver from devourers That the same Sea at the same time should both retire back and yet return to its course for the Waters returned upon the Egyptians on the one side of the Sea when Israel was not fully over on the other as appeareth by comparing verse 26. with verse 29. That the same Sea at the same time should move and stand with such judgement and distinction as not one Egyptian was saved verse 28. not one Israelite drowned verse 30. II. Now consider this great work of God as a signification and type of Christ which it must needs be as it is a Sacrament which we must consider both in the constitution and in the consequents or effects of it in all directly pointing us to Jesus Christ hereby typified In the first to the Corin. 10. 2. the Apostle saith that all the Fathers were baptized in the sea whence I gather three conclusions I. Conclusion That this was a Sacrament figuring our baptisme and that all necessary institutions of a Sacrament concur in it As 1. The Author was God the Institutor both of the Covenant and seales Exod. 14. 30. 2. The Minister was Moses verse 31. 3. The Covenant sealed was Gods promise and word for their deliverance verse 15. 4. The sign of the Covenant was Moses stretching of his hand both for the dividing of the Sea verse 16. and the returning of it again verse 27. 5. The thing signified was salvation by the Messiah and all spiritual and eternal benefits and deliverances procured by him sealed up in this miracle 6. The faith of the Israelites was the same hand with ours to receive the same benefits and things signified verse 31. They believed God Heb. 11. 29 By faith they passed thorough the Red Sea c. II. Conclusion There was not one of these actions in this temporal deliverance but it signified and sealed such actions to the believing Israelites as both confirmed their faith in the Covenant and set forward their salvation meritted by the Messiah and so still led them to Christ. As in these examples 1. God in leading his people to Canaan made them a safe way through the Sea signifying to their faith that God offered them Jesus Christ the promised Messiah through the red sea of whose death and passion they should find a sure and safe way to passe them through a full sea of troubles to the true celestial Canaan and by him as by a firme way to walk forward to eternal life 2. When they saw the same Jehovah to divide the sea into his division Junius calleth them cuttings off and to drive away the raging waters from overflowing them this action signified to their faith that the Son of God by his merit and mediation would carry them through all difficulties and dangers as deep as the bottome of the sea unto eternal rest and so rebuke the seas of their sorrows and drive back the raging waves of terrors and temptations that threaten their destruction that they shall safely and happily passe through the sea as it were on dry land 3. When they saw Jehovah the Sonne of God present with them in the voyage and that he made the sea return to his force again both to save themselves and to overthrow the Egyptians It signified to their faith the action of Christ freeing his elect from all spirituall forces and armies pursuing them as also by a mighty overthrow swallowing up and devouring in the bottomlesse sea of his wrath all those that come out and stand against them III. Conclusion There is no Evangelicall blessing by Christ sealed to us by baptisme which was not signified and sealed to them in the Red Sea So as Christ was as truly represented to them as to us though not so clearly and the truth and substanre of his merits exhibited to them as to us onely in a manner more obscure and clouded As in examples 1. If the waters of Baptisme seal up to believers that the bloud of Christ alone saveth and defendeth the people of God from eternal death and damnation What could be more plainly signified by the waters of the Red Sea saving Israel from present death and destruction 2. Baptisme signifieth to us that by the bloud of Christ in which Red Sea all believers must be baptised there is a dying and a burial unto sin and a rising unto newnesse of life What could be more plainly signified by the Baptisme of the fathers in the Red Sea who were after a sort buried in the waters but after raised to the shoare and restored to land and life 3. By the benefit of Baptisme in which the Red Sea of Christs bloud is truly applyed our old man and flesh is truly mortified buried and destroyed but the new man is quickned and repaired and now new motions desires affections are stirred up and preserved in the hearts of believers what could be more expresly signified to the Fathers by the overthrow of Pharaoh and his hoste in the Red Sea and the escape of the Israelites
Lev. 14. 8 9. Sect. V. I. The first meanes of purging Legall uncleanenesse is washing which shadowed out the washing of the sinner in the laver of Christs bloud all the water in the sea cannot wash away the least sinne that great work is appropriated to the bloud of Christ 1 Joh. 1. 7. the bloud of Jesus Christ his sonne cleanseth us from all sinne Rev. 1. 5. Who loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his bloud which bloud is opposed to all legall washings Heb. 9. 9. Object Levit. 11. 44. This washing is called a sanctification Answ. Sanctification is twofold 1. By the outward sign 2. By the inward truth They by washing symbolically and in outward profession by these rights sanctified themselves but thereby beleevers were led to the internall truth and the laver of the bloud of Christ. All this washing then leades us to the bloud of Christ by which is meant his whole passion and obedience by the merit whereof he hath procured both remission of our sinnes and mortification of them And herein is no small resemblance 1. Washing is an applying of water to foule parts so in the cleansing of sinne must be a speciall application of the bloud of Christ called Heb. 9. 14. the sprinkling of Christs bloud upon the conscience Which is nothing else on Gods part but the imputation of Christs sufferings to us and on our own part the application of them to our selves by the hand of faith 2. In Washing is a rumbling and scouring off of uncleannesse which will not easily off and in some foulenesse they must wash often for the surenesse of the work noting the paines and true indeavour of the repentant heart in mortification and afflicting it selfe It is well contented with any beating and wringing so he may fetch out the staine of sin which sticks as close as his flesh to his bones 3. The unclean party was to wash himselfe that is his whole man and every part which noteth totall sanctification in the whole man and all parts and members that the washing may be as large and general as the foulenesse is For whatsoever part is not washed by Christ hath no part in Christ which made Peter say not my feet onely Lord but mine hands and head 4. In the foulnesse of Leprosie he must wash againe and againe to note that after our justification by the death of Christ we must look to a second washing of sanctification by his spirit And because we have still washing work with us we must be still washing our selves by daily labour in our own reformation This was more lively signified in that other ceremony added to washing in the Leper that he must shave his haire againe and againe signifying the paring away of superfluities and lusts as fast as they grew and a voluntary departing from his own secret corruptions which were as many as the haires of his head and no lesse rooted in him that well he might shave and loppe them but he was out of hope quite to unroot them as long as he lived He must keep them under but cannot be ridde of them He must shave the first day and the seventh day and resist his lusts which daily grow upon him as haire cut quickly growes againe 5. The unclean person must wash his clothes as well as himselfe signifying that wee must part with all impurity even the least at least in endeavour cherishing none favouring none He must hate the very garment spotted by the flesh all occasions and appearances of evill esteeming the least spot of sinne foule and filthy enough And all this is requisite in purifying of the soule I. Labour against the smallest sinnes Be not a mentall adulterer banish unchastity in the eye and mouth avoid wanton company as did Joseph that of his Mistris Thou art no drunkard or great swearer but art thou a companion of such not reproving them No Papist but a friend and patron as seeing no great harme in their superstition No Atheist but a scorner of the persons and doctrine of godly teachers what dost thou but foam out thy own shame If thou shouldest keep thy selfe never so pure but partakest in other mens sins thou art unclean This reproveth Magistrats who though they themselves come to Church yet suffer others in time of divine worship to lye in streets houses fields openly c. prophaning thus the day of the Lord which is to be kept holy to our God Or if they be ordinary abettors of idle persons and gamesters by example This brandeth Ministers openly pleading for durnkards and hatefull blasphemers This defileth masters parents husbands that suffer their families to run into prophaneness or ryot II. In all these touches goe to the fountaine opened Zach. 13. 1. Every Jew had his water-pots to keep water for daily purification Joh. 2. 6. but now the house of David and Jerusalem that is all the godly have a fountaine opened by the death of Christ. We must every day be washing and cleansing our selves in that fountaine from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit Sect. VI. II. The second meanes of purging legall uncleannesse is oblation or offering some attonement to the Lord this directly leads us to Christ. For howsoever an unclean person must wash himselfe and his clothes yet no Jew could make an attonement for himselfe but this was common to all uncleannesses legall the Priest must make an attonement for the unclean person For all uncleannesse in generall Lev. 16. 30. In speciall for uncleannesse in touchings Numb 19. 4. In issues Lev. 12. 8. and 15. 15. In leprosie Lev. 14. 53. Noting by the way that all that we can do cannot make attonement for the least spot of sinne Let us wash our selves as often as Naaman in Jordan yea let us take snow water to us and wash our hands most cleane yet our owne clothes will make us foule and God will plunge us in the pit if our Lord Jesus the high Priest of the new Covenant make not attonement for us A fit note against all humane satisfaction and merits The offering for the Legall uncleannesse by touching was done by the sacrifice of a red cow and the sprinkling water made of the ashes of that red Cow prescribed by God to this purpose Numbers 19. called water of expiation That all this ordinance typified Christ to the Jewes the Apostle expresleth Heb. 9. 13 14. when from the bloud of this red Cow he leads us to the bloud of Christ saying If the bloud of bulls and goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are unclean sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our conscience from dead works wherein he not onely compareth but infinitely advanceth the truth above the type For 1. that was symbolicall and figurative this spirituall and substantiall 2. That was eternall and temporary this internall and eternall 3. That
they might call in their neighbours to a competent number which might be about a dozen as in our Saviours family to signifie 1. That the Gentiles in time by the voice of the Gospel should be called in to the participation of Christ the Lambe of God and to the fruition and feeding of the same Lambe with the Israelites 2. No number is assigned because the Lord onely knowes who are his 3. Because there were many Lambes to be slain they must be eaten in many houses so as no man must abstain from the Passeover in pain of death signifying the speciall application of the same Christ to severall persons families and houses that every one might taste the sweetnesse of Christ in his own heart and no man expect to be helped or saved by another mans cating that is by the faith and devotions of others without his own This is contrary to Romish doctrine The Persons 1. Onely Israelites no stranger from the Covenant For what have they to doe with the seales that are excluded the writing To signifie that none without the bounds of the true Church have any part of the redemption of Christ neither are capable of the priviledges of Gods people This Lambe gives his life for his sheep onely the merit of his death is childrens bread onely 2. No uncircumcised person might eat the Passeover signifying that no unsanctified person can truly partake of Christ and his merits and that none is fit to come to the Lords table our Evangelicall Passeover that is not first baptised which Sacrament is come in the room of Circumcision 3. Yet a stranger Proselite if he would be Circumcised and joyn himself to the people of God might eat the Passeover as a Jew to signifie both the calling in of the Gentiles of whom divers came in still as Jethro Rabab Ruth the Queen of Saba Job as first fruits of them as also that the Lord is no accepter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him is accepted of him Acts 10. 34 35. Gal. 3. 27 28. The Manner which was twofold 1. Proper to the first Passeover in AEgypt 2. Common to that and all other that followed I. Proper to the first Passeover in four things 1. They must eat it standing now on the suddain departing out of Egypt This was a law of the first Passeover for Christ and his Disciples sate and stood not in celebrating the Passeover and yet broke no law as all the Evangelists observe to signifie that Christians must stand before God as prest and intent upon his service but especially at the time of our departure out of this AEgypt See we be in a readinesse to receive our full deliveries from the servitude of sin Satan and all their present oppressions of which theirs was but a type 2. They must eat it in haste To admonish them not to stay or dwell any longer in that AEgypt And to teach us 1. To hasten out of our spirituall AEgypt quickly least we partake of her plagues and 2. To hasten to our Canaan and Countrey even that heavenly Countrey as they must to their earthly 3. They must eat it like Pilgrims with their loynes girt staves in their hands and shooes on their feet ver 11. signifying how we must eat and enjoy Christ our Paschall Lambe esteeming our selves strangers and pilgrims here in the AEgypt of the world to stand with our loynes girt with verity and truth Eph. 6. 14. alluding to this very occasion with the shooes of the preparation of the Gospel on our feet and with the staffe of Gods heavenly Word in our hands both to strengthen us in our way to defend our selves in our right and propulse whatsoever is in doctrine or manners contrary to heavenly doctrine Thus must Christians acknowledge their condition on earth and frame themselves to it as the Rechabites Jer. 35. 7. not forgetting the commandement of our Father This was the third condition proper to the first Passeover of which we read nothing in Christ and his Apostles 4. They must not goe forth of the house all night till the morning nor ever mingle themselves again with the AEgyptians ver 22 23. This was also proper to that Passeover for our Saviour Christ after the Passeover went out into the garden This signified 1. Our perseverance and continuance in the family of Christ the Church of God not going out any more in action or affection to the AEgypt of this world 2. That we can lie hid and safe onely under the bloud of Christ and in the house of Christ the Church of God whereon and wherein that bloud is sprinkled the revenging Angel is abroad and out of the Church is no salvation 3. In the night of errors heresies afflictions and persecutions for the truth when God revengeth the worlds contempt of his grace if we would be safe we must keep our selves within the Church not departing from the particular house or Church in which we are to joyn to Idolatry or errors least Gods revenge overtake us as the waters overwhelmed all that were without the Arke II. The manner prescribed to all Passeovers ensuing stood in three observations 1. They must eat it with unleavened bread signifying that if we would feed on Christ our Passeover we must purge out all old leven and become a new lumpe 1 Cor. 5. 7. This old leaven is the fusty swelling and spreading corruption of our own wicked nature the leaven of sinne false doctrine heresie corruption of manners soure and tart affections that will not stand with the receiving of Christ and his benefits All this we must purge out and study for sincerity and truth in judgement in affection in action 2. They must eat the Passeover with soure hearbs as sauce signifying 1. True repentance and godly sorrow of heart to be inseparable with the true apprehender of Jesus Christ 2. That Christ and his Crosse are inseparable and that afflictions as soure hearbs are the most wholsome sauce of Christianity Soure indeed and unpleasing to the flesh but profitable 1. To prepare and provoke the appetite with more chearfulnesse and ardency to all godly duties of Prayer Hearing Sacraments Mercy Patience Hope c. Rom. 5. 3 4. 2. To whet and provoke to the practise of all Christian duties of mercy and love 3. To excite the desire to be fully fed with that sweet tree of life and that blessed Mannah in which is no sourenesse in the kingdome of glory Rev. 2. 17. 3. They must alwayes in eating repeat and conferre of their deliverance out of AEgypt and in memory of that benefit provoke their thankfulnesse to God ver 26 27. adding as it were to the Sacrament a word of instruction signifying 1. That we should alwayes remember the death and passion of Christ with due thankfulnesse for so great a deliverance by it if they must still speak of their temporall deliverance much more we of so great and eternall deliverance by