As the heart must be cleansed from all sins, that our consciences may condemn us for, so our bodies likewise must be washed with pure water; it is an allusive expression to the legal custom, which was for all before they drew nigh to the service of God, to sprinkle themselves with pure water, to take off the legal uncleanness of the body; And thus we must still in a spiritual way, that so the body may be fitted for Gods service: As it is said of Christ, Heb. 10. 5. A body thou hast prepared for me, because the Spirit of God did so purify that corpulent mass, of which Christs body was made, that being without all sin, he was thereby fitted for the work of a Mediator; For as for the Socinian Interpretation, who would ⟨p. 376⟩apply it to Christs body, made immortal and glorious, as if it were to be understood of Christ entering into Heaven, the Context doth evidently confute it, that which the Apostle, following the Septuagint in the original, calleth, Preparing the body, out of which it is alleged, Ps. 40. 6. It is, my ears hast thou opened, alluding to the Jewish custom, who when a servant would not leave his Master, his ears were to be bored, and so he was to continue for ever with him; The ears were bored, because they are the instrument of hearing and obedience, and thereby was signified, that he would diligently hearken to his Masters commands: Thus it was with Christ, his ears were opened, his whole body prepared to do the will of God; Now as it was thus with Christ, so in some respect it must be with us; God must prepare and fit a body for us, till grace sanctify and polish it, there is no readiness to any holy duty, The seeing eye, and the hearing ear, God is said to make both, Prov. 20. 12. By these instances out of Scripture, you see what a Leprosy of sin hath spread over the body as well as the soul: Oh that therefore we were sensible of these sinful bodies that are such clogs to us, such burdens to us in the way to Heaven! But let us proceed to show the sinfulness thereof in particulars.
As the heart must be cleansed from all sinnes, that our consciences may condemn us for, so our bodies likewise must be washed with pure water; it is an allusive expression to the legal custom, which was for all before they drew nigh to the service of God, to sprinkle themselves with pure water, to take off the legal uncleanness of the body; And thus we must still in a spiritual way, that so the body may be fitted for Gods service: As it is said of Christ, Heb. 10. 5. A body thou hast prepared for me, because the Spirit of God did so purifie that corpulent mass, of which Christs body was made, that being without all sinne, he was thereby fitted for the work of a Mediator; For as for the Socinian Interpretation, who would ⟨p. 376⟩apply it to Christs body, made immortal and glorious, as if it were to be understood of Christ entring into Heaven, the Context doth evidently confute it, that which the Apostle, following the Septuaginnt in the original, calleth, Preparing the body, out of which it is alledged, Ps. 40. 6. It is, my ears hast thou opened, aliuding to the Jewish custom, who when a servant would not leave his Master, his ears were to be boared, and so he was to continue for ever with him; The ears were boared, because they are the instrument of hearing and obedience, and thereby was signified, that he would diligently hearken to his Masters commands: Thus it was with Christ, his ears were opened, his whole body prepared to do the will of God; Now as it was thus with Christ, so in some respect it must be with us; God must prepare and fit a body for us, till grace sanctifie and polish it, there is no readiness to any holy duty, The seeing eye, and the hearing ear, God is said to make both, Prov. 20. 12. By these instances out of Scripture, you see what a Leprosie of sin hath spread over the body as well as the soul: Oh that therefore we were sensible of these sinfull bodies that are such clogs to us, such burdens to us in the way to Heaven! But let us proceed to shew the sinfulness thereof in particulars.
