Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

There was brought to Eleazer the priest a read cow, without spot which never felt the yoke, and that was out of hand carried out & slain without the host. Part of the blood was saved by the priest, and with his singer he sprinkled it seven times towards the tabernacle of appointment. But the whole Cow he burnt with fire, so that no part of it was left, and into the fire he cast Cedar wood, hyssop, and a scarlet lace. This being once done, the priest did wash him self in water, and in his stead came another that was clean, who gathering the ashes did lay them up in a clean place. Therefore so often as need required, they did put off those ashes into an earthen vessel, into which they poured running water, & in that sort was the holy cleansing water always prepared, which they did sprinkle with a sprinkler made of hyssop upon all such as were defiled. This was the manner and ceremony of the cleansing, the use and end whereof doeth immediately follow.

There was brought to Eleazer the prieste a redde cowe, without spot which neuer felte the yoake, and that was out of hande carried out & slayne without the hoast. Parte of the bloud was saued by the prieste, and with his singer he sprinckled it seuen times towardes the tabernacle of appointment. But the whole Cowe he burnt with fire, so that no parte of it was lefte, and into the fire hee cast Cedar wood, hysope, and a scarlet lace. This being once done, the priest did washe him selfe in water, and in his steede came another that was cleane, who gathering the ashes did lay them vpp in a cleane place. Therefore so often as néede required, they did put off those ashes into an earthen vessel, into which they powred running water, & in that sorte was the holie cleansinge water alwayes prepared, which they did sprinckle with a sprinckler made of hysope vppon all such as were defiled. This was the manner and ceremonie of the cleansinge, the vse and ende whereof doeth immediately followe.

The Apostle Paul doeth testify ⟨p. 377⟩that the circumstances of this Ceremony did lay before us a most evident type of Jesus Christ: for in the ninth to the Hebrews he saith, If the ashes of a young Cow sprinkled doeth sanctify them, that are partakers of it, to the purifying of the flesh, how much more the blood of Christ? Therefore both the priest and the cow did bear the type of Christ. The female kind in the cow doth note the infirmity of mans nature: the red colour doth admonish us of the Lord his blood, by which we are washed from our uncleanness. There was no spot to be found in Christ: for he was the holy of holies, and altogether free from, and without all sin. He was not brought to death by the yoke of necessity. For he offered himself unto it of his own free will. Yea he offered himself willingly to go to his death, and that too without the host or walls of the city in the mount of Calvary: which thing the Apostle Paul doth touch in the 13. to the Hebrews. Christ both God and man was wholly offered in body and soul: whose blood is wholesome for us, if by the Holy Ghost it be sprinkled in our harts. The faithful also must die with Christ, they must be humbled, and burn in love to Godward as red as Scarlet: and that was the meaning of the Cedar wood, the Hyssop, and the Scarlet lace, which were cast into the fire. Moreover the ashes which came of the sacrifice were gathered up and preserved to purify and cleanse withal. Those ashes were nothing else but the type or figure of the effect of Christ his death or sacrifice, I mean, the very cleansing and remission of our sins. For therefore did blood and water gush abundantly out of the pierced side of Christ, that we might learn that out of the death of Christ doeth flow our cleansing and our life. For in blood life doeth consist, and water purgeth, and is a sign of cleansing. The ashes were gathered by a man that was clean, who nevertheless was made, and did remain, unclean until the evening. Finally the water was sprinkled with a sprinkler made of Hyssop upon the defiled, to the end that thereby he might be sanctified or purged. The water was kept in an holy place. For Margarites and that which is holy ought not to be caste to dogs, and filthy swine.