Mather - Houston-Packer Collection BS478 .M3 1705

The Gofpel ofCleaning from the Leprofy. 317 What this means, our Saviour himfelf interprets 7obn 4. t o, r4.., where he fpeaks of fpiritual Living Waters. And the Blood thus falling into, and being mingled with the Wa- ter ; points us clearly to him, who carne to ckanfe us andfave usfrom Water and Blood, r John 5. 6. For as Water and Blood here meet ; fo there were Streams of both iífuing out of his Side, when he was Hain for us, john 19. But this Water and Blood, is the Blood ofYuflification, and the Wa- ter of Sanitification, both plentifully flowing from Chrift our Purifica- lion. There is an ever flowing Fountain of thefeWaters of Life in and from the Lord Jefus Chrift, for the cleanfing of finful and leprous Souls. 3. This 'null be in an EarthenVeffel. The like, Numb. 5. 17. The Senfe of this part of the Allegory, may be eafily gathered from the for. mer. That Soul- cleanfing Blood and Water ifl'ued out of his ble(l'ed Body ; therefore his Body was this Earthen Veil-el, which was frail and brittle, and accordingly broken by Death at lait ; and mean and contemptible amongtt Men, as Earthen Veffels ufe to be. The Mi. nifters of the Gofpel alto are compared to Earthen Veffels, 2 Cor. 4.7. God ufeth contemptible Inftruments many times, for the effeúing of great Things. Thefe are the Ceremonies relating to the flain Bird ; it muff bekil- led, and it moft be killed over LivingWater, and this is in an Ear- then Veffel. 2. The Ceremonies belonging to theLiving Bird, are alto three. i. The Living Bird mu.l be dipt in the Blood of the flain Bird, Verf. 6. A molt evident and excellent Reprefentation of the Union of the Divine and Humane Nature of Jefus Chrift, and the Influence of that Union into the Concernments of our Peace. Had not the Deity fop- ported and influenced the Humane Nature in its Sufferings, they could not have been available with God for us. Upon the Account of this Divine Union and dipping of the Living Bird in the Bloodof the flain, the Apoftle calls the Sufferings of the Humane Nature, the Blood of God, A&s 20. 28. 2. The Cedar, Scarlet and Hyffop, muff be dipped alto with it. Verf. 6. That is, all the Concernments of our Salvation do receive a Tinaure, an Influence from the Blood of Chrift. Whether we refer the My.- fiery of thefe Plants to the Graces and Excellencies that are in him as our Saviour, or to the Graces we receive from him : All mull be con- fidered with relation to his Blood. Take. it in thelatter, all theGraces, Virtues,

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