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
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
for the over-spreading Nature of it a corporal Leprosie runs over all the parts of the Body so doth this sinful Leprosie as you have seen it spreads itself over all the parts and powers of the Soul leaving no part of it untainted The same which the Prophet spake of the State of Israel as a Body Politick with respect to its Pollution by Sin Isa 1. 6. From the sole of the Foot unto the Head there is no soundness in it but Wounds and Bruises and putrifying Sores they have not been closed neither bound up neither mollified with Ointment Thus having discovered the spiritual Leprosie which cleaves to every Man by Nature I shall next give you the Grounds and Reasons of it Reason 1 FIrst of all the Reason and Ground of this spiritual Leprosie took its rise from the Sin of Adam upon a double account First Naturally Secondly Morally First Naturally as we are the Off-spring of Adam our first Father in the Flesh for we were vertually included in him as a multiplicity of Seeds in the first Seed and so reasonably must partake of the same natural Quality which were in him For if it be granted that his Posterity descending from him by ordinary Generation had partook of the Qualities of Righteousness Wisdom and Holiness from him had he not fallen then is it not as reasonable to conclude that we must necessarily partake of his Sin and Pollution the Effects of his Fall which fastened upon him by his Transgression And that you may see the Attestation which the Spirit of God gives to this as a Truth read Gen. 5. 3. And Adam lived a hundred and thirty Years and begat a Son in his own Likeness after his Image Now for Adam to beget a Son after his own Image if we respect his external Form and parts of his Body this carried no such note of Observation in it for who would expect that it would be otherwise Because ordinary it is not unless the Birth be monstrous but the thing to be noted in the Text is this That as Adam by his Transgression became a poor depraved sinful leprous Creature himself so his Child which naturally sprang from him derived from him the same leprous Pollution which Adam by his Fall procured to himself and unavoidably to every one else which should succeed him But then Secondly It is so upon a moral account because Adam and all his Posterity were in Covenant with God together and in that Covenant both himself and all his Seed made up as it were one entire Man in the Account of God Adam's Person representing under that Covenant every Man Woman and Child that ever did or should spring from him to the end of the World so that when he fell we all fell in him and when he broke Covenant with his Creator we then broke Covenant with him and in him and consequently when the Penalty of Covenant-breach which was the Curse and Death fell upon him it fell upon us in him at the same time So reasons the Apostle Rom. 5. 17. For if by one Man's Offence Death reigned by one So. ver 18. Therefore as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation So ver 19. For as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners See ver 12. also So that upon this moral Account as by Adam's Sin we were made Guilty so by the same Transgression are we become leprously Filthy Ezek. 16. 6. I saw thee polluted in thy Blood Hence saith our Saviour Matt. 15. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts false Witness Blasphemies Reason 2. Why this spiritual Leprosie is so unavoidable it 's because it is an Evil propagated from Father to Child by a natural Generation it runs in a Line from one to another it is such an entailed Evil as cannot be cut off by any thing that Man can do it is as impossible for Man not to beget a leprous sinful Substance as it is for him not to beget a natural fleshly Substance if his Loins be fruitful to beget any thing at all It is the Order which God hath planted in Nature that every Kind should bring forth his like Therefore if a Man be an Instrument to produce any thing by Generation it must be in his own Likeness for though Man originally was not unclean but as Solomon speaks he was made Just and Upright yet as the case now stands with Man he being corrupted with this sinful Leprosie he cannot beget his own Likeness unless he do naturally and instrumentally produce an ugly Leper like himself From hence we infer these two Uses 1st Vse This informs us then of the Ground and Reason of that great Distance that there is betwixt God and Men as the Apostle speaks Ephes 2. 13. We are afar off from God and as we are at a great distance from God so is he at as great a distance from us all which ariseth from the Impurity and Defilement of our Natures upon the account of this Leprosie God is a holy God and â— we are sinful and unholy Creatures the Nature of God will not permit of any Fellowship with sinful Men He is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity Hab. 1. 13. neither can Evil dwell with him Isai 50 2. Your Iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you So 2 Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship hath Righteousness with Vnrighteousness and what communion hath Light with Darkness 2d Vse Let it serve to teach us Humility Alas What little cause have Lepers to be proud or to harbour a high-minded frame of Spirit in the least degree What if they wear better Clothes than other Folk and walk with their sweet perfuming Smells about them yet according to the Law about Leprosie Levit. 13. 45. they were to cry out to every one they met Vnclean unclean Vzziah though a King and in his Royal Robes yet when a Leprosie brake out upon him he was driven out from his Throne to live in a separated House alone from the Society of all other Men 2 Chron. 26. 20 21. So that the best that can be said of Lepers let them be never so Rich Noble or gorgiously Attired richly Perfumed yea though they are mounted upon the Throne yet still there is a Leprosie cleaving to them yea when they mount up their Heads at the highest they are but Lepers It may be that thy Gifts and Parts do exceed many of thy Equals in going beyond them for Learning and Knowledge and Utterance yet for all this remember that a Leprosie is upon thee thou art but a knowing learned eloquent Leper at the best and thou hast always cause to rent thy Clothes and to make thy Head bare and to put a Covering upon thy Upper-lip and to cry out Vnclean unclean according to Levit. 13. 45. Isaiah had as large a Portion of Gifts and Parts as the Proudest of you all had
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
did it by a voluntary Dedication and Consecration of himself as an unblemished Sacrifice for his People But the Scripture further tells us That Christ's being Sanctified for his People is meant his receiving a Fulness of Grace for them that with that Fulness they might be made Gracious also John 1. 14 with 16 Ver. The Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his Glory as the Glory of the only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth that of his Fulness we might receive and Grace for Grace Now who is it that the Scripture calls the Head of every spiritual cleansed Leper Is it not Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 11. 3. The Head of every Man is Christ. Col. 1. 18. And he is the Head of the Body the Church Ephes 5. 23. Even as Christ is the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body Now the Oil which was to be applied to the Head of the cleansed Leper that was not to be given out in a few Drops with the tip of the Priest's Finger as it was to the Leper's Ear Thumb and great Toe as before no but when the Oil comes to be applied unto the Head of him that was to be Cleansed here it was to be poured out without measure And the Remnant of the Oil in the Priest's Hand he shall pour it upon the Head of him that is to be Cleansed Ver. 18. Hence the Scripture speaking of Christ the Head of his cleansed Lepers tells you That he received not the Spirit by Measure John 3. 34. And that it pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell Col. 1. 19. And that he was full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. And he was anointed with the Oil of Gladness above his Fellows Psal 45. 7. And that Grace was poured into his Lips Ver. 2. So that this Fulness of the Oil of Grace which was poured out upon Christ the Head of Believers this dwells in Christ for them upon a double account First That the Fruit of it which was his Obedience might be imputed to them for their Justification Secondly That the Grace of it might be imparted to them for their Sanctification as far as they need it and he sees good to impart it First of all That Christ's Obedience unto Righteousness which was the Fruit of his Anointing might be imputed to Believers for their Justification Rom. 5. 18. Even so by the Righteousness of one the Free-gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Secondly That it might be imparted unto Believers for their Sanctification John 1. 16. Of his Fulness we have all received and Grace for Grace Both of these two Benefits Paul sums up together in one Verse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And Paul supposing that the Colossians were invested with these two saving Benefits now saith Paul Ye are Compleat in him Col. 2. 10. Thus you see where a Believer's Perfection lieth as to his Sanctification it lieth and liveth in Christ their Head hence then when Satan shall raise Objections against thee labouring thereby to discourage thy Soul from the lowness and littleness of thy Sanctification then reply to him as a Man would do to those who upbraid him with the course Clothes which he wears on his Back he is ready to answer them O ye Despisers did you know the rich and costly Rayment which I have at Home you would never despise me as you do for the Clothes I now wear So poor drooping Soul reply to Satan in like manner What though the Sanctification which dwells in me be both low and little yet I have better Clothes than these laid up in Christ for me Look not so much upon the Habit which I wear my self but look upon the glorious Robes of Christ my Head and behold the rich Clothing he appears in at the Father's right hand for me all this is mine and for my Use to be put on by me when the fulness of Time is come for then Phil. 3. 21. He changes our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself This was it which caused the Spouse to hold up Heart and Head above Water in opposition to all the Discouragements that the Malice of Hell could cast into her about the littleness of her Sanctification Cant 1. 5. Though I am black yet comely O ye Daughters of Jerusalem as the Tents of Kedar and the Curtains of Solomon That is though she were black with Affliction and Persecution for which the World derided her and though she were black in her self with Corruption for which the Devil objected against her yet she still comforted her self with what she was in Christ there she was more comely than the Curtains of Solomon And the same Testimony Christ gives of all his cleansed Lepers Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all Fair my Love there is no Spot in thee In a word as little as that Grace is which seems to be in thee yet the Scripture calls it glorious Grace Psal 45. 13. The King's Daughter is all glorious within her Clothing is of wrought Gold PART VII Lastly when all the foregoing Particulars were applied to the Leper in order to his Cleansing then was the Lâ—per by orders from the Priest to shave off the Hair of his Head Beard and Eye-brows Levit. 14. 9. because in the Hair of the Head Beard and Eye-brows might much of the Filth and Scurf of the Distemper lie and might prove Hiding-places to the same whcih might much anticipate and hinder the Cure and grèatly hazard the breaking out of the old Distemper upon the Leper again THerefore the Leper was to shave the Hair wholly off from his Head Beard and Eye-brows Ver. 9. the Mystery of which is to shew us what his Duty is who is Cleansed from the Guilt and Filth of Sin by Jesus Christ namely to endeavour ever afterward the Mortification of the same which is called the Cutting off or Circumcising the Fore-skin of your Hearts Deut. 30. 6. which the Apostle makes to agree with the Work of mortifying the Lusts of the Flesh Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry The Words thus opened afford us this profitable Observation Doct. That as Jesus Christ in love to the Souls of his People hath washed them in his own Bloud from the Guilt of Sin and by the Oil of his Grace removed the dominion of Sin from them so it is the Duty of every Christian to endeavour ever afterwards the Mortification of the remains of Sin in their Hearts and Lives continually This is so clear a Truth that nothing shines with more brightness in all the Scripture Rom. 8. 13. If ye Sin after the Flesh ye shall Die but
own way every one for his Gain from his quarter Hence it is that though we read of so much Corruption breaking forth upon the Seven Churches of Asia yet the Ground and Cause of it in some Measure was charged upon the Ministers of those Churches which were called the Angels of the same when Ministers are given up to an idle lazy Life to be remiss in nothing more than in and about their Duty to God and the Souls of their People no wonder if their Hearers do decline and wither as to the Spirit Life and Power of Godliness under their Hands Ministers are called Physicians and you know when a Physician grows careless and negligent in his Office towards his Patient no wonder if the Body of such a Patient abounds with corrupting Humours and the Malignity of their old Distempers returns back upon them again He that reads the Conversation of Israel's Pastors Isa 56. 10 11 12. need not wonder at Israel's Corruption which is exprest in Isa 1. 4 5 6. Secondly A second Ground of the Churches Corruption ariseth from the earthly-mindedness of their Ministers when Ministers through Covetousness shall make Merchandize of the Souls of their Hearers and set their everlasting Happiness to sale to fill their Treasures with worldly Gain I mean when they shall mind more their own worldly Wealth than their Peoples spiritual Health this opens a Door to let in bad Diseases upon their People it is a very rare thing to find a Minister greedy of the Churches Wealth in worldly things and the People to grow spiritually Wealthy under such a Minister Thirdly A third Ground ariseth from the Debauchery and bad Lives of Ministers this excludes the Presence of God and his Blessing from their Labours and leaves a Curse in the room of it such a Minister may Preach until he hath preach'd out his Heart before he shall do any good upon his People Jer. 23. 14 32. I have seen also in the Prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing they commit Adultery and walk in Lies they strengthen also the Hands of Evil-doers that none doth return from his Wickedness they are all unto me as Sodom and the Inhabitants of Gomorrah Ver. 32. They cause my People to err by their Lies and by their Lightness yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this People at all saith the Lord. Fourthly A fourth Ground ariseth from the Superstitiousness of a Minister when the blind Zeal of a Minister shall incline him to a greater eagerness to promote the Superstition of the Church than faithfully to promote the pure Institutions of Christ woe to that People which lives under the Charge of such a Man Matt. 15. 8 9. Ye Hypocrites well did Esaias Prophesie of you saying This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouth and honour me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me but in vain they do Worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. Secondly The Reasons are also drawn from the Churches themselves that there is so much Corruption amongst them First of all It ariseth from their Negligence in not exercising of their Faith in the hearing of the Word Heb. 4. 2. For unto us the Gospel was preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Secondly It ariseth from a Peoples not receiving the Truth in the Love of it when a People shall rather hear the Word to please their Fancy than to feed their Faith when they shall hear more to get Head-notions than warm Affections or to grow in Gifts rather than to grow in Grace let such beware of that fearful Judgment spoken of in 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth but had pleasure in Vnrighteousness Mark There was a receiving of the Truth but not to a right end many there are and but too too many which are sick of this Disease viz. To hear much and read much to increase their Parts but not their Piety to be admired of Men rather than to be approved of God but when Men from a Spirit of Vain-glory attend the Ministry of the Word but not aiming at the Glory of God wonder not if such Mens Knowledge prove at last like the Wilderness-manna to the Israelites when â—athered and unlawfully kept Exod. 16. 20. It bred Worms and stank So woful have been the Effects of an unsanctifying hearing of the Word upon some Men. Thirdly It ariseth from the Peoples Unfruitfulness under the Word which they hear this was Israel's Sin which greatly increased their Corruption even the same Means which was sent to soften them turned to their hardning through their unfruitfulness under it Isa 5. 1 2. My Beloved had a Vineyard in a very fruitful Hill and he looked for Grapes and it brought forth wild Grapes But what was the Issue of this Read Isa 6. 9 10. Go and tell this People hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the Heart of this People fat and their Ears heavy shut their Eyes lest they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Hearts and convert and be healed Thus having given you the Grounds and Reasons whence it is that the spiritual Houses of Christ are so subject to their Defilement and Corruption in this Life we next come to the Application of the Point 1st Vse This serves then in the first place to inform us of the Duty both of the Ministers and Hearers First Of the Ministers who under Christ are the Owners of his spiritual Houses or Churches Would you know what his Duty was that was the Owner of the Levitical House when the Plague of Leprosie broke forth in it Read Lev. 14. 35. He was to go to the Priest and tell the Priest that it seemed to him that there is as it were a Plague in the House so in like manner ought every Pastor or Minister to do even by Prayer Fasting and true Humiliation to acquaint Jesus Christ the great High-Priest with the leprous Distemper which is broken forth in his Churches This is the Advice which the Spirit of God gave the Old Testament-churches as a means to cure them of their Pollution and Defilement Joel 2. 16 17 18. Gather the People sanctifie the Congregation assemble the Elders gather the Children and those that suck the Breast let the Bridegroom go forth of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet let the Priests and Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O Lord and give not thy Heritage to reproach then will the Lord be jealous for his Land and pity his
which shall smart their Backs to recover their Hearts Isa 27. 9. By this therefore the Iniquity of Jacob shall he purged this shall be the Fruit thereof I will take away their Sin Oh! therefore all ye that are the Seeds of Jacob be you thankful to God that he hath given you his Word and will not suffer you to want his Rod they being both appointed in his divine Wisdom as a healing Means against your spiritual Leprosies whenever they shall break out upon you How should the thoughts of this abundant Care of God over you make you to cry out with David Psal 103. 2 3. O bless the Lord O my Soul and all within me forget not his holy Benefits who forgiveth all thy Iniquities and healeth all thy Diseases 2d Vse Let this Truth serve to perswade all the cleansed Lepers of Christ to carry the Matter as they ought to do towards the means of their Cleansing which as you have heard consists of these two things First The Word of Instruction Secondly Of the Rod of Correction First of all See to it that you carry the Matter well towards the Word of Instruction so as not to imprison it in your Heads make not your Heads as too many do a Jayl to the Word there be but too many that will hold the Truth in Unrighteousness who are unwilling that the Light of the Word which is got into their Heads should come down into their Hearts for fear lest its shining Light should become a perplexing Heat within them to prevent that they strive to hold fast the Doors against the Truth as a Man who fears an Arrest bolts fast the Doors of his House against the Bailiffs but if ever you mean co have benefit by the Word so as to be cleansed from your sinful Leprosies you must let the Truth out of Prison and give it a free Passage that it may be glorified in you Let it run from Room to Room from the Head to the Heart and from the Heart to the Will and from the Will to the Conscience and from thence to the Affections that so it might have an uninterrupted Out-let into the Conversation so to do is co carry the Matter as you ought towards the Word of Instruction Secondly Be sure you carry the Matter well towards the Rod of God's Correction when Afflictions do light upon you do not fret repine nor murmur at them as if some sore Evil had hapned to you for your Hurt but rather rejoyce under them that God by them is about to scrape and cleanse you from that Heart-naughtiness which cleaveth to you and if the Rod seems to smart do not say to God as Jonah did Jonah 4. 9. I do well to be angry to Death But rather to say with David Psal 119. 75. In faithfulness hast thou afflicted me And instead of muttering at the length or strength of your Affliction you should reason thus It seems that our Lusts are strong and our Corruptions are rooted fast in us which makes our dear Redeemer to put the greater strength into our Afflictions for where the Disease in a Body is more malignant than ordinary there the Ingredients must be the stronger in the Medicine to work it forth again Christ had rather his People should be preserved in Brine than rot in Honey and you may be sure of this that when Christ by his Rod hath done his Work upon you then may you expect the removal of it from you Isa 4. 4 5. When the Lord shall have washed away the Filth of the Daughter of Zion then will be create upon the Dwelling-places thereof a Cloud and a Smoke by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night and a Glory with a Defence upon it Thus you have seen what the Priest was to do in order to the Cleansing of the Levitical leprous House and how well it shadowed out the Way Instruments and Means which our great Gospel High Priest useth in Cleansing of his Churches from their spiritual Leprosies and Defilements We now come to a second Work which the Priest was to do in order to the preserving of the Levitical House that was infected his Work was to pull out the infected Stones thereof and to put other Stones in the room of them Lev. 14. 40 with 42 Ver. Then the Priest shall command that they take away the Stones in which the Plague is and be shall take other Stones and put them in the place of those Stones and he shall take other Mortar and plaister the House Thus you see if scraping of the Walls wherein the Infection lay would not serve the turn then the infected Stones must be pulled out and cast away into an unclean Place which Action in a most lively manner leads us to behold the sacred Order which our Lord Jesus Christ observes in the Cleansing and keeping Clean of his Gospel-churches who in like manner if the Means he hath already used will not do as his scraping of them by his Word of Instruction and the smarting of them with his Rod of Correction if nothing of this Means will heal then out must the Stones be pluckt in which the Infection lay Quest. But some may ask What or who may we understand by the Stones of Christ's spiritual Houses Ans They are the visible Members of Christ's Churches 1 Yet 2. 5. Ye also as lively Stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priest-hood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So that the Meaning will amount to this That if any of these Stones shall be so leprous as that neither the Word nor Rod will procure their Amendment wherein they walk contrary to sound Doctrine either in Judgment or Practice then ought they to be separated from the rest of their Brethren by a Church-excommunication You see how clear this appears in the Tipe the infected Stones were to be pulled out of the House to shew us that the incurable infected Members of Christ's House which Peter calls the Stones thereof must be pulled out from thence also From whence we may observe this Note Doct. That when ordinary Means have been used to reclaim offending Church-members but all to no purpose then is the Church to cast out such corrupt Members by an Act of Excommunication This is such a necessary Rule to the keeping of the Churches clean that it is an established Rule by our Saviour himself Matt. 18. 15 16 17 18. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go to him and tell him his Fault between thee and him alone and if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it to the Church but if he shall neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen Man and Publican The