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 shâ—â—â— 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
dipping of the Hyssop-brush into it this would all as little have wrought the Cure because this would have been a Contradiction to God s Institut on but both of the Means must be used together the Bloud of the Bird with the Hyssop-brush bound fast to the Cedar-wood these three things together would be Healing to the Leper because it was the Means of God's Appointment The Mystery of which when opened shews us thus much That the Bloud of Christ handed out to us by the Word of God and applied to our Souls by Faith it being the Institution of God for our Soul-cure this and only this will Cleanse our Souls of the foulest Leprofie that ever hapned to a Sinner in this Life for we find that it was this which David desired might be applied to him in a time of Soul-defilement and Pollution Psal 51. 7. Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be Clean Wash one and I shall be whiter than the Snow Shall we think that David in this Cleansing-work did look no farther than the bare Hyssop and the typocal Sprinkling there-with for the cleansing of his Soul from the guilt and filth of Sin â—o no doubtless it was the spiritual Hyssop of Faith dipt in the Bloud of Christ which was the chief thing in his Request and the principal thing which his Eye was fixt upon So Soul this is thy great Duty also to pour out thy Soul in Prayer to God as David did for this Grace of Believing Oh! spread thy Leprosie before him open the Plague-sore of thy Heart in his sight take off thy gouty Clouts and lay open thy Wounds and Unclers in his sight and beg him to cast his merciful Eyes towards thee who is the only Physician of Value that can heal thee of thy soul Disease which neither Men nor Angels can Cure besides himself Oh! wrestle with him as Jacob did Gen. 32. 24 25 26. Cease not give him no rest until he hath sent down the Hyssop-brush of Believing into thy Heart that by it thy Heart may be purified from thy Soul-pollution according to Acts 15. 9. A sight of Misery does sometimes in a tender-hearted Physician stir up Bowels of Mercy to a ready Helping of the Distressed but much more in God the greatest Healer and Helper that is in Heaven or Earth and for thy Encouragement to make to him for Healing read often that Text Jam. 1. 5. If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask of God that giveth liberally to all Men and upbraideth not and it shall be given him 2. Lay thyself in the Ways and Walks of God even in those Places where he â—seth to dispense this precious Grace of Faith the Ways and Walks of God are in his Ordinances and amongst his golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. 13. which golden Candlesticks are his Gospel-churches the Places where his Worship and Ordinances are as Prayer preaching of the Word with the Sacraments and Seals of the New-covenant in these things he meets with the Souls of Men Isa 64. 5. He meeteth him which works Righteousness and those that remember him in his Ways Here it is that God maketh the Sorrowful to rejoyce and maketh glad the Hearts of the Righteous here it is in these things that he giveth out the Sense of his Love Grace and Favour in Christ Jesus here it is that he poureth forth the rich Anointings even the Graces of his holy Spirit and amongst them this Grace of Faith Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God Oh! then be admonished to be a constant and diligent Waiter upon these Ordinances of the Gospel neglect no Opportunity of doing thy Soul good this way for thou dost not know how soon God may meet thee with healing and cleansing Grace in these Ways and Walks of his PART V. Thus having finished the Work about the Sprinkling-brush which was made up of Scarlet Cedar-wood and Hyssop we next come to speak of some other things which were used in the Cleansing of the Leper THe Particulars you may read at your leisure as they are noted in Lev. 14. 13 14 15 16 17 and 18 Verses where first of all the Priest was to kill the Lamb in the holy Place then was he to take some of the Bloud of the Lamb and put it upon the right Ear the Thumb of the right Hand and the great Toe of the right Foot of him that was to be cleansed then was the Priest to take some of a Log of Oil and pour it into the Palm of his own left Hand then was he to sprinkle the Oil with his Finger seven times before the Lord. This Work was done by a Synecdochy tipping some parts of the Body for the whole which vertually comprehends the several Parts of the Whole Man which Mistery shadows out these two things to us namely Our Justification and Sanctification by Jesus Christ First The Lamb that was to be killed was a Type of Christ dying for Sinners as the Bird was before the Bloud of both being of one and the same Signification typing out the Bloud of Christ as the meritorious Cause of our being washed and cleansed from the Guilt of all our Sins 1 John 1. 7. 2. The Oyl used in this Cleansing-work typed forth to us the Graces of the Spirit of God in our Sanctification of which the Apostle speaks in 1 John 2. 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you all things and is Truth New we need not question but that John the Divine hath referrence to the Anointing-oyl which was poured forth upon the Head of the levitical High-Priest who was a Type of Jesus Christ Lev. 8. 30. of which David speaks more at large in Psalm 133. Ver. 2. which the Apostle applies to Christ Heb. 1. 9. Thus hast loved Rightousness and hated Iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows And one reason that 's given of Christ's being anointed you have in John John 1. 16. That of his Fulness we might all receive and Grace for Grace For as Oyl is beautifying to the Countenance mollifying to the Flesh and cheering to the Heart so is the Oyl of Grace and Sanctification it s beautifying to the Soul Ezek. 16. 14. Thou art Perfect through my Comeliness put upon thee saith the Lord. 2dly It 's softning to the Heart Job 23. 16. For God maketh my Heart soft 3dly And it is comforting and cheering to the Whole Man Psal 4. 7. Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart more than in the time that their Corn and Wine increased One thing more to be observed in the Cleansing the Jewish Leper is this namely That the Priest was to make an Application both of the Bloud and Oil to the Leper not the Bloud without the Oil nor the Oil without the Bloud but both of them together
as soon as the Priest could apply each one after the other the Bloud applied first and then the Oil next From hence we may observe this Point of Doctrine Doct. That when Christ doth Justifie a Soul by his Bloud the same doth he Sanctifie by the Oil of his Grace Look through the whole Book of God and you will find nothing more a truth than this nor can you read of one Person therein who is recorded for a justified Man by the Bloud of Christ but you shall find it affirmed of him that he was a sanctified Man by the Oil of Christ's Grace besides How fully doth the Word speak out the Truth of the thing itself Rom. 8. 30. Moreover whom he did Predestinate them he also Called 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the Fore-knowledge of God through the Sanctification of the Spirit 1 John 5. 6 7 8. This is he that came by Water and Bloud even Jesus Christ not by Water only but by Water and Bloud for there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear Witness in Earth the Spirit the Water and Bloud and these three agree in one 2 Thess 2. 13. Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation thro Sanctification and Belief of the Truth And so we come to the Reason of the Point Reason Now the Reason why where Christ Justifies by his Bloud there he Sanctifies by his Spirit is that the Justified might be made meet and fit Temples for himself to live in here and also that they may be filled and made meet to dwell with him hereafter First Christ must dwell in his People here in this Life Ephes 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Thus as Christ fits the Souls of his People by Grace and Sanctification as Temples for himself to dwell in here so also by the same means doth he prepare them that they may be Company meet to dwell with him in Glory hereafter 2 Thess 2. 14. Whereunto he hath called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 1. 12. Who hath made you meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Now it 's only Sanctification that can fit prepare and qualifie the Soul as a Habitation fit for Christ to take up his Residence in while in this Life and it is nothing short of true Sanctification which can prepare the Soul to live in Glory with Christ when this Life is over Acts 15. 9. Purifying their Hearts by Faith And without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. The second Reason of the Point is this because all those which are Christ's justified Ones are ordained thereby to bring forth Fruit to God this is what our Saviour told his Disciples That the reason why his Father elected them by his Grace and why himself redeemed them by his Bloud and justified them by his Obedience all this was that they might bring forth holy Fruit to God Ephes 2. 10. For ye are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should Walk in them Ephes 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without Blame before him in Love John 15. 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth Fruit and your Fruit should remain Now this Fruitfulness can never be brought forth without Grace and Sanctification be first poured forth upon the Heart for whatever the Fruit be that is brought forth it can be of no other kind than the Root is from whence it springs if the Root be but Nature's Qualification take it in its highest Flourish yet the Fruit which springs from it is but Rottenness and Hypocrisie in the sight of God The best that is spoken of the Fruit which the Children of Nature do bring forth in the Eyes of God is what you have recorded in Deut. 32. 32 33. For their Vine is as the Vine of Sodom and of the Fields of Gamorrah their Grapes are Grapes of Gallâ— their Clusters are bitter their Wine is the Poison of Dragons and the cruel Venome of Asps So that where the Oil of Grace is not the Root there the best of our Obedience will not pass for Fruit in God's Eyes Matt. 7. 18. A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. Therefore the Root must be Grace and Sanctification or the Fruit will meet with no less than final Rejection Let it be the greatest of Self-denial Patience Temperance Self-mortification Meekness Works of Charity Prayer with the performance of any other Duties done in the Worship of God if it flows not from the Root of true Grace and Sanctification in the Heart all is abominable in the Sight of God Prov. 21. 27. The Sacrifices of the Wicked is Abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked Mind Vse This shews us then how much they are mistaken about their eternal State who think they are Justified by Christ's Bloud and yet were never Sanctified by his Spirit How many Thousands are there of these living in a Gospel-professing Kingdom which are held under the Power of this Soul-damning Delusion who will not believe but they are Justified in the sight of God though they were never yet Sanctified in the fight of Men They are just like a company of Drunkards who dreamed that they were all Feasting in a Royal Palace but when they awoke they found themselves made fast with their Feet in the Stocks Of such a sort of Dreamers James speaks Jam. 2. 18. Yea a Man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works Thou believest there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain Man that Faith without Works is dead Oh never think that the Bloud of Atonement hath been shed for thee if the Oil of Sanctification hath not been poured forth upon thee The second Use is to instruct us how to attain to some hopeful Assurance of our Justification which is by a Trial made of our Sanctification I know that it is much a Query amongst the doubting part of Christians Oh How shall we do to know whether we be in a Justified State and Condition Answ Look into your Hearts and search whether the Oil of Grace be infused into it Grace changeth the Heart Ezek. 36. 26. Grace reneweth the Heart Titus 3. 5. Grace regenerateth the Heart John 3. 3. Grace turns
Walking in the Ways of God's Commandments Jer. 7. 23. Thus when all these parts of the Body were tipt with the Bloud of the Lamb then the Oil was next to be applied to the same Parts Oil you know is of a mollifying and softning Nature Oil is good to fetch off Rust from Clocks and Jacks making them to go the more freely and nimbly which when clogg'd with Rust became unserviceable before comparatively to the nature of Oil in this case is the Usefulness of Grace held forth in Scripture Isa 1. 6. Thy Sores have not been closed neither bound up neither mollified with Ointment The meaning is they had no Grace which here is compared to Oil to Sanctifie their ulcerated corrupt Natures which like so many Plague-sores were continually issuing from them with this Oil of Grace the cleansed Lepers of Christ were to have their Ears Hands and great Toes of their right Feet anointed From all which we may observe this Note Doct. That as the Bloud of Christ hath bought us for his Vse and Service so the Oil of his Grace is that only which can fit us for it and make us willing to set about it Psal 110. 3. In the Day of my Power thy People shall be a willing People By Nature every Man is averse to every part of Christ's Work and Service Rom. 8. 7. The natural-minded Man is Enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that you might Live Jer. 44. 16. As for the Word which thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee The Ear will not hear the Voice of Christ Jer. 11. 10. the Hand will not Work for Christ Jer. 11. 7 8. neither will the Feet walk in the Way of Christ Psal 78. 10. But now when our High-Priest Jesus Christ hath tipt the Ear the Thumb and Foot of our Souls with the Oil of his Grace and Sanctification then will they be ready for any Work and Service which he shall employ them in or call them unto the Ear which was bought by Christ is now taught by Christ to hear his Voice even his Voice in his Word Works Ordinances and Providences against all which the Ear was deaf and shut up before Psal 58. 4. The Hand which was bought by Christ is now taught to Work for Christ Heb. 13. 21. Working that which is well-pleasing in his sight Isa 54. 13. All her Chrildren are taught by the Lord. They are taught to work the Works of Repentance Faith Love Self-denial Mortification how to be Praying to God and Praising of God Suffering for God and to Walk with God Grace teacheth all this and makes the Heart willing to all this the Spirit shall teach you all things saith Christ John 14. 26. Lastly The Feet which were bought by Christ by this Oil of Grace are now taught to Walk with Christ as Enoch did And Enoch walked with God Gen. 5. 22. And so we come to the Reason of the Point The Reason of all this is because Grace is of a conquering subduing Nature and of and inabling Quality Grace is sent down into the Heart to subdue the Power and Strength of Sin therein Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace And as Grace subdues and weakens Corruption in the Heart so it enables strengthens and empowers the Heart to act for Christ it is a holy Oil that dissolves the corrupt Rust which hath been begotten in it by Sin and as it dissolves the Rust so it mollifies and softens the Heart and thereby it makes it able and willing to run the Ways of God's Commandments Psal 119. 32. So Isa 40. 31. They shall renew their Strength they shall mount up as on Eagles wings they shall run and not be weary walk and not be faint Vse This informs us then what matter of Lamentation it is to consider That though there be so many thousand of Ears Hands and Feet in the World yet that there should be so few of them employed in the Service of Christ that as David speaks of the Idols of the Nations They have Ears but hear not Hands but handle not and Feet they have but walk not The Reason lieth here Because they never had their Ears Hands and Feet tipt with the Bloud and Oil of the Justifying and Sanctifying-grace of Jesus Christ They are yet dead in their Sins and Trespasses Ephes 2. 1. and dead things cannot act of themselves yea they are not only unable to act for Christ but through the Enmity of their Natures they are wholly averse to every part of Christ's Will and Work As the Apostle speaks They are reprobate to every good Work and Word it is not only they cannot but the real Truth is that graceless Souls will not act for Christ if they could let not such deceive themselves any longer for if you have no Ears to hear Christ's Voice no Hands to do his Work nor Feet to Walk in his Paths you are yet in an unjustified and unsanctified State and Condition But would you have your Ears opened to the Voice of Christ so that your Souls might live Would you have your Hands at Work for Christ working that which is well-pleasing in his sight Would you have your Feet made able and willing to run in God's Commandments In the keeping of which is great Reward Psal 19. 11. then lay thy Soul in the Ways and Walks of Christ who is the great High-Priest Oh run to him set thy Soul in his presence be in his sight thrust thy self through the Croud and Throng press in upon him and evermore keep up the Canaanitish Woman's Cry in his Ears Matth. 15. 22. Lord thou Son of David have mercy upon me for my Soul is grievously over-run with a Leprosie thus with Jacob be ever Wrestling with him until he hath tipt thy right Ear Hand and Foot with the Bloud and Oil of his Grace Quest. But why was the Priest to tip the Leper's right Ear right Thumb and Toe of the right Foot with the Bloud and Oil Why the right more than the left Ear Thumb and Toe Ans The Reason may be this To signifie the difference betwixt the Services that Hypocrites and sincere Christians do offer to him and do for him all the Service that comes to him from Hypocrites is but left-ear'd left-handed and left-footed Service which is no way pleasing to him Quest. But when may it be said that we give unto God this left-ear'd left-handed and left-footed Service As first When are we said to bring forth left-ear Service to God I answer first When we content our selves with the bear Hearing of his Will preached neglecting the Practice of it this is the Service of the left Ear indeed of such a sort of Hearers we read in Ezekiel Ezek. 33. 31. And they come unto thee
out the Dust that they scraped off without the City into an unclean place Which leads us to the second General namely To the Remedy it self about which we may observe these things First The Healer or the Person healing and that was the Priest Ver. 36. Secondly We are next to observe what was to be done by the Priest in order to the Healing of the leprous House where first he was to scrape off that part of the Wall which was infected Secondly If that would not do then was he to take out the infected Stones and to place other Stones in the room of the former Ver. 40 41 42. Which leads us to the last thing viz. If nothing of all this Means used will prove healing to the House then was the Priest to break down the House the Stones thereof the Timber thereof and the Mortar thereof and carry it out of the City into an unclean place Ver. 45. But first of all we are to take notice of the Person who was the Healer and that was the Priest Ver. 36. 37. The Priest shall go into the House and shall look on the Plague Which Priest in this Work was a Tipe of Christ who is our great Gospel High-Priest whose Office it is to heal his Gospel-houses of their spiritual Leprosies which they are subject unto whilst in this World From whence we may observe this Note Doct. That Jesus Christ is the great Healer of all the spiritual Leprosies Pollutions and Defilements which happens to his Churches in this Life Jer. 3. 22. Return ye back-sliding Children and I will heal your Back-slidings Exod. 15. 26. I am the Lord that healeth thee 2 Chron. 30. 22. The Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the People First He healeth his Churches of the Guilt of Sin by the sprinkling of his Bloud upon them 1 John 1. 7. The Bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin Secondly He healeth them of the Prevalency of Sin Rom. 6. 14. Thirdly He healeth them of the Fruits and Effects of Sin as first he healeth his Churches of their erronious Doctrine Prov. 8. 20. Isa 42. 16 with Chap. 29. 24. Fourthly He healeth his Churches of their Lukewarmness Mal. 4. 2. Fifthly He healeth them of their Barrenness and Unfruitfulness under the Means of Grace which consists of his Word of Instruction and Rod of Correction Hos 14. 4 5 6 Ver. Sixthly Christ healeth his Churches of their Divisions and that unhappy contentious Spirit which the Devil is always kindling amongst them Isa 11. 13. Seventhly Are the Churches of Christ sometimes torn and rent to pieces with Errour and violent Persecution Christ will have his time when to heal his Churches of all these Rents and Wounds which they have suffered for his Name and Glory in this World Ezek. 34. 16. In a word he hath not only Healing in himself for his Churches who is their Tree of Life for that purpose but the Leaves which hang about him brings Health and Healing to the Nations of the Earth Rev. 22. 2. because where-ever he goeth he carrieth Healing in his Wings Mal. 42. 2. And so we come to the Application 1st Vse Is this so that Jesus Christ is the great Healer of the spiritual Leprosies of his Churches this serves to inform them then where to go and unto whom to repair for spiritual Healing when their spiritual Leprosies do at any time break out upon them You have seen that it was the Levitical Priest which was appointed to heal the leprous House under the Old Testament so it is Jesus Christ our Gospel-Priest and only him which is appointed to heal the spiritual Houses of the Lord under the New Testament and as God the Father appointed him to this Healing Work so did he fit him with all unspeakable Accomplishments for it Isa 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tydings to the Meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken Hearted and to proclaim Liberty to the Captives and to open the Prison-doors to them that are bound And saith John The Fulness of Grace is in him John 1. 16. not only a fulness of Grace but a fulness of Grace and Truth too Ver. 17. Certainly we do but run from the Living to the Dead when we go for a Cure of Church-pollution to any means primarily but Christ in this case Yet how common is it to hear some Christians relieving their dying Hopes under Church-decays and Disorders in looking to some outward Means for help at this side Christ Oh their great Hopes have been that the King or such and such a Parliament Synod or Convocation would set things in better order and give us a Cure to all our Church-devisions and Distempers But alas Princes Parliaments Synods and Counsels may pity but little profit the Churches under their spiritual Maladies but to cure them they cannot because the Gilead-balm which should do the Work they have not with them Constantine the Great laboured as much to heal the Churches of the Arian Heresie as ever did any Emperour but he found it a Task for no earthly King to perform Oh! no it was only Christ that was appointed and fitted for this Work it is Christ and not Man that hath the Honour to be the Repairer of Zion's Breaches and of raising up the decayed Tabernacles of David it 's none but he that can close up the Breaches of his divided People Amos 9. 11. At that Day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen down and clâ—se up the Breaches thereof and I will raise up his Ruins and I will build as in the days of old Hence then we need not wonder at so many sick and sore Churches which we hear and see to be in the World some almost over-spread with the Leprose of Superstition others sick with a proud haughty Spirit ruling with Rigour over the Consciences of their Brethren others again full of the boils and botches of Prophaneness others blister'd all over with the sores of a contentious and dividing Spirit the Cause of all this even from whence these Maladies do arise lieth here viz. These leprous Churches either labour not for Healing at all or seek not to the true and right Physician for help they seek not to Christ but to Creatures for a Cure their Help standeth not in the Name of the Lord but rather in the Name of worldly Powers in Synods Convocations and Parliaments and if their Help and Succour come not in this way to them they will seek it no where else or if they do it shall not be to Christ But whenever or where-ever we hope to see such Churches in a better Condition without the use of better Mâ—ans then the most have hitherto used in the neglect of Christ you may plainly see what the Portion is which such Churches may expect at Christ's Hands Jer. 17. 5 6. 2d Vse Let what hath been said perswade the