here how glorious is the Messiah of whom all these were but weak and dark Umbrages He is indeed the chiefest of ten thousands Cant. 5. Vse 2. Look whatever Glory was in any of these Persons by way of Prefiguration of Jesus Christ it is and should be found in every Believer by way of Participation from Christ and Imitation of him Therefore in these Examples we see our own Duty in their Attainments we see what should be our Endeavours our Endeavours did I say I may say also through Grace our Attainments For tho it is true we are not yet perfect neither have we already attained yet there is a time coming when thou and I if we be true Believers shall be more holy than ever Elijah or Elisha were in the days of their pilgrimage here below when we shall serve God better than Zerubbabel and Jehoshuah did when they restored and rebuilt his Temple namely when we come to Heaven Then there is not the least Saint but is more holy than ever the most eminent Saint was here upon Earth For the best of them had a Body of Sin and Death in them but in Heaven there shall be no Sin at all For as these eminent Persons had a typical relation unto Christ so every true Believer hath a mystical Union and Communion with him and by virtue thereof they do partake of his Spirit and Glory So that as we have here a motive unto what we ought to do so we have also Encouragement and Comfort as to what we shall attain We shall attain it then when Jesus Christ shall present all his Members to his Father blameless and spotless and faultless Ephes 5.26 27. Jude 24. before the presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy Who is the Type or Figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 Sept. 26. 1667 THe personal Types of Christ have been referred unto two sorts 1. Individual Persons 2. Religious Orders or whole ranks and kinds of typical Persons The former have been spoken to we shall now proceed to the latter and so finish the Text. The difference between individual Types and religious Orders or kinds and ranks of typical Persons lies chiefly in this That no wicked man could be an individual Type of Christ but he may be involved in a religious Order of Types For the Order is holy though the Man be wicked And here it is not directly the Person but rather indeed the Order that is the Type and the Person as involved and invested in such an Order Quest What were these typical Orders and Ranks of Men Answ I shall instance only in these six 1. That whole Nation and People of Israel 2. The First-born of that Nation 3. Their Nazarites 4. Their Prophets 5. Their Priests 6. Their Kings 1. The whole Nation of the Jews they were a typical People their Church-state being very ceremonial and peculiar to those legal times and therefore now ceased and abolished and did adumbrate and shadow forth two things 1. Christ himself hence Christ is called Israel Isai 49.3 By Israel is meant Christ and all the Faithful as the Members of him their Head 2. They were a Type of the Church of God under the New Testament Hence the Church is called Israel Gal. 6.16 and Rev. 7. The twelve Tribes of Israel are numbred up by Name to shew forth the Lords particular Care of every one of his People in particular That place is not meant properly of old Israel because it relates to the times of the Antichristian Locusts Compare cap. 7. with cap. 9.4 the Analogy lies in this That they were a peculiar people to the Lord chosen and singled out by him from all the world So is Christ the Lords chosen Behold my Servant whom I have chosen mine elect in whom my Soul delighteth So are all the Saints 1 Pet. 2.9 A royal Nation a peculiar People gathered from among all Nations Rev. 5.9 Hence the Enemies of Israel were typical Enemies as Egypt and Babylon under the Old Testament Types of Antichristian Enemies under the New and the Providences of God towards that People of old Types and Shadows of his intended future Dispensations towards his People under the New as you will see further when we come to speak of typical Providences 2. The First-born of that Nation were also a typical sort of persons therefore Esau in despising his Birthright despised a spiritual Priviledge and therefore justly called a profane person Heb. 12.16 And they also typified Christ and the Church Christ For he is the First-born among many Brethren Rom. 8.29 The Church And thence the same Name and Title is given to all the Saints Heb. 12.23 The general Assembly and Church of the First-born The Analogy appears chiefly in two things 1. In regard of the Lords special Interest and Propriety in them 2. In regard of their Preheminence and Dignity above others 1. The Lords Propriety in them as his in a special and peculiar manner The First-born are mine Because he had redeemed them when the First-born of Egypt were destroyed Exod. 13.2 So Christ hath a special relation to God as his first begotten yea his only begotten Son his Son by Nature we are Sons only by Adoption and Grace Primogenitus ante quem nullus unigenitus post quem nullus Joh. 1.14 So the Saints The Lord hath a special relation and propriety in them all manner of ways by Creation by Redemption by Regeneration by his own choice of them by their consent and choice of him c. 2. In regard of their Dignity and Preheminence above others The First-born had many Priviledges above his Brethren he was as it were the second Father of the Family So Christ Isai 9.6 is called the everlasting Father He had the Honour and the Government the Priesthood was his and a double portion of the Estate Deut. 21.17 The First-born at first had the Priesthood Exod. 24.5 Young men sacrificed Afterward Levi was set apart instead of the First-born Numb 8. Therefore Reuben left the Government to Judah the Priesthood to Levi the double Portion to Joseph who was divided into two Tribes Ephrahim and Manasseh So Christ has the Honour above all Creatures Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him And the Saints which are the Lords First-born in a secondary way are honourable persons as being Members of Christ they are precious in his sight and honourable therefore he says I will give Nations and Princes for thy Life Isai 43.3 4. 3. Their Nazarites the Institution of their religious Order with all the Rules and Observations belonging to it you have in the 6th chapter of Numbers It was an Order of much esteem amongst the People of God in those times and is reckoned as a great Honour and Glory to that People Amos 2.11 I raised of your Sons for Prophets and of your Young men for Nazarites Her Nazarites Lam. 4.7 were whiter than Snow There were two degrees of it either for
to be a multitude of little Stars Adam was a Type of Christ in regard of his Headship and Influence Enoch a Type of his Ascension into Heaven Noah of his Preaching and saving the Church by the Covenant and Water of Baptism Melchizedek was a Shadow of the Excellency and Eternity of his Person and of his Priesthood and Kingdom Know these things meditate and consider them more throughly and improve Christ in these Discoveries for your spiritual good Consider him as a common person standing in our stead as a Prophet Priest and King as ascended into Heaven as the Saviour of the Church which is his Body Use 2. Be exhorted to examine your selves and try which of the two Adams you are under For there are but two Men in the World the first and second Adam thou art a Member of one of them Adam and Christ divide the whole World Quest How may we know whether we be under the first or the second Adam Answ Take these Tryals 1. What Birth hast thou only the natural or spiritual Generation Art thou only born or new born For they that come only from Adam by natural Generation belong to him as the first Adam They that come of Christ by spiritual Regeneration are the Seed of Christ and belong to him as the second Adam What Experience hast thou had of this great work Nicodemus though a Doctor in Israel understood little of it 2. What Covenant doth thy Soul cleave to and act under the rule and influence of Works or Grace Works is the first Adams Covenant but Grace is the Covenant of the second Adam To go forth in a mans own Strength to expect acceptance in his own Worth this is a first Covenant Spirit a sign thou growest upon the old Stock upon the root of old Adam But to live in a continual dependance upon free Grace for every thing the free Grace of God in Christ this is the Spirit of the second Covenant and becomes the Sons and Branches of the second Adam Though a godly man may for a fit turn aside to the old Covenant as Abraham did to Hagar yet it is not his way it is not his Spirit to do so and thence he is never at rest till he return to have his dependance and rest on Christ again The Spirit of one under the Covenant of Grace is to have no confidence in the Flesh but to have his rest and rejoycing in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.3 3. What Communications whose Influences dost thou receive Every Branch receives from its Root the Stream from its Fountain Dost thou receive the Communications of the first or of the second Adam this will shew whose thou art and to whom thou dost belong You have heard what it is that each of them doth communicate That old Tree bears no good Fruit at all Art thou under the power of Sin and Death or under the power of Righteousness and Life Sin and Death reigns in the posterity of the first Adam But Righteousness reigns by Grace unto eternal Life in the posterity of the second Adam Rom. 5.21 2 Cor. 5.17 if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Vse 3. Here is Comfort to the Seed of the second Adam against the present troubles they are under There be chiefly three complaints and troubles of Gods People under all which here is matter of support and relief 1. Thou art here upon Earth Christ the Head in Heaven but his poor Saints and Members here below But remember whither Jesus the Forerunner is entred for us As sure as Enochs Body is in Heaven or Elijahs by the virtue of his Ascension of whom they were Shadows so sure shall thine and mine ascend thither if we be his though we sleep in the dust for a time as Chirst himself also did 2. But while in this low valley the floods of great Waters are ready to overwhelm us the floods of Persecution Affliction Desertions the overflowing scourges of common calamities which puts many of Gods people to some cares and fears But as to this consider that true Noah the Lord provides an Ark of safety for his people that the floods of great Waters may not overwhelm them Psal 32.6 see Psal 124 1-5 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when Men rose up against us then the Waters had overwhelmed us the Stream had gone over our Soul then the proud Waters had gone over our Soul But 3. Thou art a poor unworthy creature and God is angry or appears angry and how can I expect such Salvation from him who have sinned against him so as I have done To this remember what an High Priest you have even Jesus who is made an High Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedek Therefore let us come with boldness to the Throne of Grace It is the Apostles Inference Heb. 4.15 16. the Apostle saith of Melchizedek Heb. 7.4 consider how great this man was It may be said much more of Christ consider how great your High Priest is How little soever thou art in thy own eyes how unworthy soever the Greatness and Glory of your Redeemer is enough to remove all discouragement Some entrance Beloved hath been made into the personal Types We are upon the individual persons that were Types before the Law whereof eight were named Adam Enoch Noah Melchizedek Abraham Isaac Jacob and Joseph whereof only two have been spoken to viz. first Adam secondly Enoch We shall now proceed to the rest 3. The third is Noah whom we did but touch upon the last time but shall endeavour now to clear it more fully The Story of Noah is written in the 6 7 8 and 9. Chapters of Genesis And so famous it was amongst his Posterity that the Heathen have some broken Remembrances and Traditions of it they had heard of a Flood as well as of the Creation of the World Ovid speaks of them both in his Metamorphosis And their Bacchus the very name with a little alteration of the Letters comes from Noah Noachus Boachus and Janus from the Hebrew Jajin vinum somewhat they had heard as it seemeth about his planting a Vinyard and making Wine That this History of Noah had a typical respect you may see in 1 Pet. 3.20 21. In what respect was he a Type In two things chiefly 1. In regard of his Preaching 2. His saving his Houshold in the Ark. 1. In regard of his Preaching he was a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 he gave warning to the secure World for a hundred and twenty years together both by his Word and Actions Every stroke in the building of the Ark had a voice and was an alarm to the World every day So Christ who did preach by his Spirit in the Ministry of Noah 1 Pet. 3.19 20. And when he came in the Flesh he did preach and bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 And he hath preached by
of Light the Light he gives diffuseth it self through the whole man and has an influence into all his conversation 6. There were many Rooms or Chambers in the Ark and so in the Temple yet all these made up but one Ark this signifies many particular Churches yet all the Churches in the world make up but one Church Catholick which is the mystical body of Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ see Cant. 6.9 My undefiled is but one 7. There were three Stories in the Ark it was three Stories high Gen. 6.16 and so Solomons Temple had three parts an outer Court an inner Court and an Holy of Holies This holds forth the three degrees of the Church There is 1. The visible Church 2. The mystical Church militant here on Earth 3. The Church triumphant in Heaven The Church in her lowest Story is her visible Members here on Earth among whom there be many Hypocrites yet even so she is more excellent than the Mountains of Prey Psal 76.4 Kingdoms are called Mountains of prey that saying being too often true that magna Regna are indeed magna Latrocinia But the Church is more glorious than they The invisible Church is the second Story against whom all the Gates and Powers of Hell shall not prevail Matth. 16.18 It is true in some sense in general concerning the visible Church Christ will always have some visible Societies of Christians in the world that shall make profession of his Name but it holds chiefly concerning the mystical Body of Christ True Believers cannot fall away The third Story is the Church triumphant which is higher than all these and more excellent than all the Kingdoms in the world than all the Churches upon earth 8. They in the Ark were safe and there was no safety but in the Ark so in the Church there is Salvation but no Salvation out of the Church Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4. extra Ecclesiam nou est Salus It is always true of the mystical Church and it is ordinarily true concerning the visible Church Yea the Ark was safest when the Waters were highest Sea-man have an expression in a Storm they use to wish for Sea-room enough Or we may apply it higher to Christ himself and to his mystical Body Without Christ there is no Salvation but as they were safe in the Ark So whosoever is in Christ and a Member of that invisible Society he is safe and shall never perish 9. In the Ark there were both clean and unclean Beasts yet the Ravenousness of their Natures was restrained for the time Gen. 7.2 So in the Church there are both Saints and Hypocrites Hypocrites are unclean Beasts A Cham in the Ark a Judas a Devil in Christs own Family In the visible Church there be sometimes Wolves within and Sheep without though they are Wolves in Sheeps clothing For profane persons may and should be kept out but close Hypocrites cannot For as in the Ark though there were ravenous Beasts yet their Natures were restrained so in the Church such as are Beasts by nature yet the Corruption of their Natures is restrained there is restraining Grace upon Hypocrites in the Church as well as renewing Grace in the Saints Isai 11 6-9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain 10. There issued out of the Ark a Raven and a Dove whereof the Dove returned again but the Raven did not Gen. 8.7 8 9. the Raven is an unclean Bird Levit. 11.15 a Bird of prey and a Bird of darkness Isai 34.11 The Dove is a Bird of Light at the Baptism of Christ the Holy Ghost descended on him in the shape of a Dove Matth. 3. If a Dove go out from Christ and his Ordinances it shall find no rest till it returns again into the Ark and be taken in by the Hand of Noah by the Spirit of Christ But the Raven goes out of the Ark and returns no more and how many Ravens are there in the Church that depart and fall off and return no more 1 Joh. 2.19 they went out from us because they were not of us You Ravens that are going and coming and hovering to and fro Vide the old Geneva Note as the Raven she went and came Gen. 8.7 and might light on the outside of the Ark If you do not get into the Ark into Christ it shews what you are You that are Doves and gone out return again return to your Rest fly as Doves to the Windows Isai 60.9 The Dove is no ravenous Bird she cannot fight as the Raven and she is swift of Wing pray for the Wings of a Dove in this sense Psal 55.6 make haste to Christ Thus you see what a full and plentiful Analogy there is between the Ark and the Church in all these ten particulars 2. The Deluge was a Shadow of the Day of Judgment and the everlasting Salvation of some and Destruction of others at that day The Apostle Peter parallels them 2 Pet. 3.6 7. the World that then was being overflowed with Water perished But the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved for Fire against the day of Judgment It was indeed a lesser day of Judgment and magnum futuri Judicii praejudicium Hence Hell is called the place of the Gyants Prov. 21.16 The man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in caetu Gigantum in the Congregation of the Gyants Prov. 9.17 18. but he knoweth not that the Gyants are there and that her Guests are in the depths of Hell The World will be in a like frame drowned again in deep security Matth. 24.37 38 39. though they see all the tokens appearing and all things fulfilled that have been foretold yet they will not be awakened But when they saw the Flood came indeed Oh the amazement that began to seize upon them when they saw the Cataracts of Heaven opened from above and the Fountains of the great Deep broke up from beneath So at the Day of Judgment every eye shall mourn Rev. 1.7 see Heb. 11.7 Noah prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by which he condemned the World some saved by Noah others condemned by him 3. The Waters that bore up the Ark are made by the Apostle a shadow of the Water of Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 As that Water bore up the Ark and saved them from drowning so doth Baptism save us For though the Flood was a true and real History ye there be typical Histories as you will hear further when we come to the real Types Therefore that Water had a typical respect to the Water of Baptism 4. Noahs Sacrifice when he came out of the Ark was a manifest Type of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ For so indeed were all their Sacrifices Gen. 8.20 21 22. Hence Christ is called a Sacrifice of
greater sin then people do imagine the retaining of such legal Shadows being an implicite denyal of the Truth of the Gospel but men consider not the meaning of their own Actions 7. The last occasional Typical thing which the Lord gave to his People of old was those healing Waters of the Pool of Bethesda which indeed are not mentioned in the Old Testament but in the New John 5. It was a Miracle but yet it had also a symbolical use as many other Miracles had to lead them from the consideration of earthly things unto heavenly things Healing Waters are often spoken of in the Scriptvre with a reference to spiritual healing as Ezek. 47.1 8 9 11 Rev. 21.1 So Christ speaks of Rivers of Waters flowing out of the heart of a Believer Joh. 7.38 which cannot be meant of literal Water but is meant of Metaphorical and Spiritual Waters this in general But to unfold the Allegory a little more particularly that we may see more fully what instructions we may learn out of it 1. Those healing Waters of that Pool of Bethesda may fitly represent the Ordinances of Christ in the Church which is indeed Bethesda an house of mercy for so the word may be interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth chesda Domus misericordiae though others expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domus effusionis The Church of Christ is indeed a spiritual Hospital an house of mercy to the Sick to poor diseased Souls where there be the choisest Waters the Waters of Life and all other Medicines of spiritual help and healing 2. The healing virtue of the Water may hold forth to us the spiritual good of Ordinances the healing of our Souls This is frequent in the Scripture as was said before for bodily healing to teach and represent spiritual 3. The motion of the Angel leads us to take notice of the effectual Operation of the Spirit of Christ in and by the Ordinances in the time of love It is not the Means it is not the Ordinances but the Angel of the Covenant by his Spirit moving and working in them that heals and doth good to souls the Ordinances are not effectual at all times but only when and as they are moved and influenced by the Spirit for it was a place much frequented as appears by the five Porches and its neerness to the Temple and the Text saith many sick lay there He could have healed all as well as some Verùm ut miracula suum habent finem ita modum habere debent Calvin in loc As when there were so many dead and but one raised 2 Kings 4.32 So many Widows and the Prophet sent but to one 1 Kings 17.9 Luk. 4.25 26. Who would have looked for help and healing from troubled Water We must follow God against our own reason the judgment of reason is often contrary to the mind of God 2 King 5.10 Naaman thought washing in Jordan an unlikely means to recover the Leper Elisha 2 King 2.20 healeth the Waters by casting in Salt an unlikely means for Salt is wont rather to cause barrenness The Water here did it not for then it would have healed all and at all times one as well as another He singles out one whose condition was most deplorable his disease inveterate incurable 38. years So he that was born blind and had been so till he grew up to mans estate Cap. 9.1 So Lazarus when dead buried four days Joh. 11.39 The Woman twelve years Mat. 9.20 Another eighteen years Luk. 13.11 4. These times were unknown and uncertain to the people they knew not when the Angel would come to move the Waters So is the day of grace and the opportunities of salvation to Souls because man knoweth not his time Therefore is he snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon him Eccl. 9.12 Oh that thou hadst known Luk. 19.41 42. Therefore Eccl. 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowst not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Lay hold upon all opportunities 5. These excellent Waters did not heal all but only him that was put first into them which was for our instruction that we might learn to lay hold betimes upon seasons and opportunities for our spiritual good They that seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Be at work for God and your Souls betimes lest you come too late Christ asks him vers 6. Wilt thou be made whole He prevents him before he expressed any desire to Christ not as though Christ were ignorant of his desire but to excite and stirr up desire and expectation in him and to stirr up the attention of those who were providentially present at that time that they might mind and take notice of the Miracle Vers 8. Jesus saith to him rise take up thy bed and walk He could have said be whole but he chooses rather to express it by an infallible effect and fruit of it To the Maid arise Mark 5.42 To Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 and vers 44. Let him go To the Paralytick Mat. 9.6 Arise take up thy bed and go unto thine house On the Sabbaoth day that so it might be the more taken notice of the people would wonder to see a man carry his bed abroad and so inquire about it There were beside these we have now handled some other occasional typical things as Noahs Ark but that was spoken to in the History of Noah and some others may occur afterwards but these are all I shall speak unto here Let me conclude with a few words of use to help you to a practical improvement of all that hath been said upon these Typical things 1. We may here see the compleat and perfect fulness of our Lord Jesus Christ to all the necessities of our Souls That spiritual Ladder represents him as the Mediator and means of all the intercourse between Heaven and Earth between God and us The burning Bush shews his presence with and protection of his Church and People in the Fires of Persecution and Affliction The Pillar of Cloud and Fire holds forth that everlasting blessed Conduct and Guidance of his People by his Word and Spirit through the Wilderness of this World to their eternal Rest The Manna and Water out of the Rock holds him forth as our spiritual Food And now lastly the Brazen Serpent and the Pool of Bethesda teacheth us that here is healing also so that he is both Meat and Medicine The same thing is held forth also under other Metaphors Rev. 22.2 The Leaves of the Tree of life are for healing of the Nations so that Christ is all in all 2. Learn from hence not to despise these Truths concerning the Types how weakly soever they may be held forth by him that speaks unto you for you see they are full of Gospel marrow and mystery Any thing of Christ should be sweet and precious and it is so
Prefiguration of the Rest of the Body of Jesus Christ in the Grave that whole day which was indeed the only whole day of his resting or cessation from the actions of a bodily life For he was in the Grave only some small part of the sixth day and of the first day but he rested the whole Jewish Sabbath So then as they had other legal days and times that pointed them to other things about the Messiah so the Sabbath points to his resting in the Grave And he did not only rest in the humbling of himself under the guilt of our Sins but in his Resurrection from the dead The day of his Resurrection was the day of his entring into his state of rest from his Sufferings but on the Sabbath he rested from the actions of his bodily life therefore the seventh day Sabbath is abrogated and the Lord hath substituted the first day of the week for the Sabbath is moral And there is a ground too for the changing of the day that there should be one day in seven to attend on the Worship of God this is moral and perpetual that it should be the last day in seven this is by Gods Institution made legal and typical Christ entred into his rest of Glory into the state thereof at his Resurrection and into the place thereof when he ascended into Heaven but his resting in the grave was on the seventh day From all which you may see the morality of the Sabbath considered as in general together with the shadowy nature of the Jewish Sabbath of the seventh day having these typical respects relations annexed to it and so therein you see the grounds of the abrogation of it and of the substitution of the Christian Sabbath instead therereof And so much may serve for the typical respects and use of the Jewish Sabbath Now as for the Rites and Observations thereof 1. There were more Sacrifices that day then upon other days Numb 28.9 10. The reason was because there were more Mercies given and commemorated that day as the Creation their Deliverance out of Egypt and their Sanctification by the Spirit It shall be a sign between me and them that they might know that I Jehovah do sanctifie them Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 20. Here learn that the more Blessings God gives to any people the greater thankfulness he expects again It reacheth also that special Holiness that should be upon the Sabbath more exercise of Grace and duties of Worship to be performed upon that day then ordinarily upon any other day there should be that among us on the Christian Sabbath that should answer their double Sacrifice upon their Jewish Sabbath But in Ezek. 46.45 there is appointed for the Sabbath six Lambs for one under the Law to teach us that there should be more Holiness now under the Gospel then there was under the Law 2. They might not kindle a fire on that day Exod. 35.3 as some think to put them in mind of their absolute freedom from their Egyptian Bondage and the fiery Brick-works there or from the fire of Gods Wrath in the world to come when entred into that none of these fires should ever be kindled upon them or hurt them though others think that restraint respected only kindling a fire for the building of the Tabernacle nor is it unlikely 3. They were to abstain from building the Tabernacle that day Exod. 31.12 13 14 15 16 17. and 35.2 to teach them that the six days that is the time of this life is the only time wherein God will build the Tabernacle of his Church this life is the only day of Grace and opportunity of Salvation 4. They might not gather Manna on that day Exod. 16. In this life Christ is offered but in the Sabbath of eternity no Manna no means of Grace no offers of Christ then none could have Manna upon the Sabbath but they that had stored it up upon the week day so none can have Christ in Heaven but they that have stored him up in their hearts on earth These things shew the rigor of the Law as to Sabbath-rest but the Pharisees being deeply possest with the spirit of the Law did strain it a peg or two higher that to do a miraculous work of mercy or works of necessity was unlawful 2. They had also a Sabbatical year viz. every seventh year a Sabbath of the seventh year every seventh year was a Sabbatical year as every seventh day was a Sabbatical day Exod. 23.10 Deut. 15.9 This was celebrated by letting the Land rest from its usual culture and husbandry Levit. 25.4 5. Some alledge a political and philosophical reason for this that the Land by resting one year might be the more fruitful the other six quod caret alternâ requie durabile non est This Sabbatical year was celebrated by giving rest unto the Land from tillage and manuring the hungry ground This was a shadow of things to come this signifies something of Christ and Gospel mystery in which observe four things There was a fourfold Instruction in this Sabbatical year 1. This Sabbatical year told them plainly that both they and their Land was the Lords Lev. 25.23 For the Land is mine 2. This taught them to depend upon Providence without worldly care and trusting to the Creature for supply and support For they must not now sow nor till the Land this year for the sixth year was to bring forth the Fruit of three years both for the seventh year and for the eighth and for the ninth till the Harvest time See Lev. 25.20 21 22. and ver 6. the Sabbath of the Land shall be meat for thee The Land of its own accord that year was to produce sustenance enough both for man and beast It is not enough for us to depend on the ordinary course of means God can over-rule them and over-work them as he doth here 3. The Lord hereby teacheth them and us that great Gospel-lesson and duty of mercy and bounty to the poor Exod. 23.10 11. the Land must rest that the poor may eat and Deut. 15.1 2. Creditors must release their Debtors every seventh year Lev. 25.5 6. there is an Equity a Chancery a bountiful condescension to the necessities of the poor that men exact not their own right in all things but rather remit and abate something thereof Not but that men may take their course and use means to get it especially when persons are able and wilful but in case of poverty there should be mercy shewed in such a case 4. This Sabbatical year was a special season and time of instruction in the Law of God Deut. 31.10 11 12. the Lord would have them instructed and taught to know his Mind and the true Religion and the ways of his Worship Therefore he appointed so many times and seasons for it weekly and monthly and yearly and moreover one year in seven as you see Beside the mystery of spiritual rest by Christ of which further in
other things of like nature that so we may distinguish and discern the things that differ I shall instance here only in four things that are partly of the same nature with the Types but yet not exactly the same 1. The difference between a Type and a Simile A Type doth belong indeed to that Argument or Notion in Logick but with this difference this distinction will shew you the difference between them that there is Typus arbitrarius and Typus fixus institutus An arbitrary Type is a similitude or comparison So Marriage is a similitude or comparison by which the Apostle sets out the mystical union between Christ and the Church Ephes 5. But yet Marriage is not a Type For then we shall make it a Sacrament as the Papists do you know it was instituted for another end before the Gospel came into the world It is a Sign but not a Sacrament For by that Argument we should have a thousand Sacraments So Riders on white Horses are resemblances used in Scripture to set out Christ and the Angels but yet not properly Types of them And the reason is this because they were never instituted and designed by God for that end to represent Christ and the Gospel they are only occasionally made use of There is a wide difference between the occasional use of a thing in the way of a similitude or comparison and the Designment or Institution of it for that end and use As if Christ be compared to a Feast of Bread and Wine as in the Parable of the Marriage-Supper This is a very true and fit comparison but for Bread and Wine to be designed and set apart by the Command of God to represent Christ and his Benefits this is a thing of an higher nature and puts them into a Sacramental nature and relation to him 2. The difference between a Type and a Parable A Parable is nothing else but a sacred Similitude We commonly take it as the Scripture doth for such a similitude wherein not only the Truth and Mind of God is the scope and matter of it but whereof God himself is the Author As in the four Evangelists we read of the Parables of Christ To call them Fables as Grotius doth haec Fabula indicat c. is a slight and an irreverent expression A Parable there is the same with a Similitude only hath God himself for its Author But in a Type the Lord doth not only occasionally use such or such a simile but sets such a thing apart sets a stamp of Institution upon it and so makes it an Ordinance to hold forth Christ and his Benefits 3. What is the difference between a Type and a Ceremony This is only that which is between the Genus and Species For all the Ceremonies were Types but all Types were not Ceremonies The Pillar of Cloud and Fire was a Type but not a Ceremony A Ceremony was some Law or external Observation prescribed unto them to teach and shadow forth some Gospel-Mystery so that a Type is more general a Ceremony is one particular kind of Types 4. What is the difference between a Type and a Sacrament I answer they differed in the number and multitude of them they had many Types we have but two Sacraments But there was no difference in the nature of them further than this that our Sacraments are Signs of Christ already come but their Types were Signs of Christ that was for to come our Sacraments are Signs Christi exhibiti their Types Christi exhibendi 4. As to the Words and Phrases by which it is expressed First we have this very word Type used in the Scripture not only in its native and proper Sgnification Joh. 20.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the print of the Nails But it is used also in this borrowed and spiritual sense whereof we are treating in the Text and 1 Cor. 10.6 these were Types for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 1 Cor. 10.11 all these things happened unto them in Types So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exemplar figura forma â 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aedificavit They are called Shadows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.17 a Shadow of things to come Heb. 8.5 which serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things Heb. 10.1 a Shadow of good things to come They are called Figures or Patterns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 8.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Example and Shadow Heb. 9.23 Patterns They are called Signs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 12.39 the Sign of the Prophet Jonas so is Circumcision Rom. 4.11 the Sign of Circumcision Figures or to render it more emphatically parabolical Figures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.9 a parabolical Figure for the time This answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And some so understand Heb. 11.19 from whence also he received him in a Figure They are called Allegories Galat. 4.24 which things are an Allegory They are called Seals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.11 the Seal of the Righteousness of Faith Also the Law 2 Cor. 3.6 the Letter that is the Law killeth but the Spirit that is the Gospel quickeneth And the Letter 2 Cor. 3.6 the Letter that is the Law killeth but the Spirit that is the Gospel quickeneth The Antitipe or the thing typed and figured is called in Scripture sometimes by this name the Antitype 1 Pet. 3.21 the Antitype whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us The Type being called a Shadow the Antitype is called the Body Col. 2.17 the Body is of Christ The Types are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antytype 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.1 the very Image of the things themselves Future good things Heb. 10.1 a Shadow of good things to come Heavenly things Heb. 9.23 Patterns of things in the Heavens True Heb. 9.24 which are the Figures of the true Joh. 1.17 the Law was given by Moses But Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Lastly they are called Spirit and spiritual things 2 Cor. 3.6 the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Revel 11.8 In the street of the great City which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt There is literal and spiritual Egypt Vse We may receive encouragement from all that hath been said to look into the Types and to study this Subject For that they do adumbrate and shadow forth Jesus Christ and Gospel-Truths and Mysteries exhibited and revealed by him It is not good to despise any part of Scripture knowledg much less such parts as stand in such a direct relation to Jesus Christ Though there is something of difficulty through our own darkness and weakness yet the fruit will countervail the pains and labour though they be difficult yet they are useful to be known I have been desired by my Brethren of the Ministry to speak unto them and I hope to receive assistance from God through your Prayers and I do much desire the help
of that man is peace This is the difference between Christs Peace and Satans Peace for they both give Peace to their subjects But Satans Peace is a Peace of freedom from trouble and of sinful security in sin Christs Peace is a Peace after and out of trouble by War and Victory over Sin and spiritual Enemies Isai 9.3 His Servants rejoyce as those that divide the spoil after the Victory Quest But how may I know that Peace will be the end of all my present Conflicts Answ Dost thou get the Victory then the end will be Peace Are there any beginnings of Victory whatever thou dost do not lay down thy Weapons but fight still this is the beginning of Victory and the end will be Triumph and Peace and Joy Sept. 19. 1667. Who is the Type or Figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 THe third Conjunction or Conglebation of typical Persons under the Law is those three Prophets Elijah Elisha and Jonah whom I put together because Elijah was a Type of Christs Ascension into Heaven and Elisha of the Continuance of his Presence and Spirit in his Apostles and Messengers ever since and Jonah of his Death and Sufferings the procuring cause of all 1. For Elijah that great Prophet I confess he is omitted by many that have written of the Types and indeed by all that I have seen I know not well how it comes to pass But that he was a Type is certain because John the Baptist is called by his Name therefore he was a Type 1. Of John Yea 2. Of Christ himself 1. He was a Type of the Messiahs Harbinger and Forerunner John the Baptist For the Types as hath been often hinted are not to be restrained always only to the Person of Christ himself but all the things of Christ were typified to them of old There were Types of all New Testament Dispensations therefore John is called Elijah Mal. 4.2 last v. and Christ himself explains it Matth. 11.14 But why is John called Elias Not that he was Elijah personally but mystically he rose up in the Spirit and Power of Elijah So Elijah was John in a Type or Figure John was Elijah in Spirit and Power as Luk. 1.17 There was something of Analogy in his very outward Garb and Deportment an hairy man 2 King 1.8 that is in regard of his Habit or Clothing in a rough hairy Garment So John Matth. 3.4 a Girdle of Hair but chiefly in regard of his Spririt and inward Endowments and of his Work and Office to convert and recall a backsliden Generation 2. Elijah was a Type of Christ himself And that he was so will be very evident if you do consider how great a Person this Elijah was in three respects 1. His eminent and heroick Spirit of Holiness and invincible Courage and Activity for God His very Name signifies God the Lord Elijah or Elijahu in the Hebrew Elias in the Greek in the New Testament He abode with God when almost all the world forsook him 1 King 19.10 he reduced and brought back the people cap. 18.39 he was a man mighty in Prayer Jam. 5.17 18. a man of an invincible Courage who feared not to stand himself alone against four hundred Prophets and against Ahab the King and Jezabel the Queen whose Chaplains these false Prophets were He is brought forth in the sacred History not unlike Melchizedek without Father or Mother without either Birth or Death 1 King 17. 2. The great and wonderful Miracles wrought by him there be twelve recorded in the History of him in the first and second Books of Kings 1. His shutting up the Windows of Heaven that there should be no Rain for three years and an half 1 King 17. whence some have called him Fraenum Caeli the Bridle of Heaven 2. His being fed by a Raven morning and evening at the Brook Cherith beside Jordan This was the effect of his Faith and Prayer and may be reckoned amongst his Miracles English Annot. not that it is likely that he did eat raw Flesh but rather that God by his Providence directed the Ravens to the places where they might have it as to some rich mens Kitchens or the like 3. His miraculous Supply of the Widow of Zarephath called Sarepta in Luke 4.26 that her Barrel of Meal wasted not nor did the Cruise of Oyl fail 4. His raising of her Son from the dead by stretching himself upon the Child This was the first person we read of in Scripture that was raised from the dead and Elijahs fourth Miracle All these are recorded in 1 King 17. 5. In fetching down Fire from Heaven upon his Sacrifice to confound the Priests of Baal 6. His opening the Windows of Heaven and fetching down Rain after he had done justice upon the Priests of Baal these two are in cap. 18. he did this also by Prayer and by persevering in Prayer cap. 18. ver 43. 7. His fasting forty days and forty nights cap. 19.8 In Mount Horeb and in his Journey thither and back again the place where God appeared to Moses Exod. 3.1 2. and where he gave the Law to Israel Deut. 4.10 14. Never any man fasted forty days besides this Elijah and Moses Exod. 34.28 and Christ Matth. 4.2 Herein both Moses and Elijah were manifest Prefigurations of the Lord Jesus Christ This was Elijahs seventh Miracle 8. His calling the Prophet Elisha and causing him to follow him by casting his Mantle upon him which had such an influence that he left all and followed him therefore this may be put into the Catalogue of his Miracles cap. 19. And in the like miraculous influence of the Spirit did Christ call his Apostles to leave all and follow him His ninth and tenth Miracles were the Destruction of the two Captains and their Fifties when Ahaziah sent to take him 2 King 1.1 they both perished alike For like Sins pull down like Judgments The 11th was the dividing of Jordan by his Mantle that he and Elisha might pass over 2 King 2. And the 12. was his Ascension into Heaven in a Chariot of Fire 2 King 2.11 a Prerogative that never any man had but himself and Enoch before the Law and Moses who gave the Law but Moses died first and was translated afterwards as hath been formerly shewed They were all three eminent Types herein of Christ his Ascension into Heaven They that are faithful and zealous for God in times of general Apostacy the Lord is wont to own them in a special manner and to put special Honour upon them one way or other 3. His commissionating Successors after him to carry on the Work of God when he was gone 1 Kings 19.15 16. Elisha to be Prophet Hazael King of Syria Jehu King of Israel So Christ sends forth his Apostles and Ministers Matth. 28. some that are godly and sometimes he imploys others that are not godly but only gifted and makes some use of them as he did of Jehu and of Judas
and Demas for a time 2. Elisha called in the New Testament Elizeus Luk. 4. He was a Type of Christ in three respects 1. In that Elisha in respect of Elijah was as it were a Continuation of the same person For he rose up compleatly in the same Spirit The Prophets discerned it 2 Kings 2.15 the Spirit of Elijah did rest upon Elisha So when Christ departed and ascended up to Heaven he left the Comforter in his stead Joh. 16. and he left the Apostles and Ministers to carry on his Work and poured forth his Spirit upon them for that end Or we may accommodate this with respect to John the Baptist thus As Elisha succeeded Elijah so did Christ come after John the Baptist and so Elisha was in this respect a Type of Christ himself 2. In regard of the remarkable Vengeance and Destruction that came upon his wicked Enemies The Children that mocked him were devoured by two She-Bears 2 Kings 2.23 24. Gehazi his treacherous Servant smitten with Leprosie 2 Kings 5.27 So Despisers of Jesus Christ and the Gospel shall be punished with most remarkable and dreadful Destruction Hear ye Despisers and wonder and perish Acts 13.41 For I work a Work in your days a Work which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you incredible Plagues shall the Despisers and Rejecters of Christ and of the Gospel be punished with And Judas the Traytor his Servant you know what dreadful Destruction came upon him Acts 1.18 his Bowels gushed out through the horror of his Conscience and the Fury of the Almighty rending his very Body in pieces as well as his Soul from his Body 3. In regard of his Miracles He and his Predecessor Elijah were the greatest workers of Miracles except Moses that ever we read of in Scripture or that ever the Lord raised up in his Church For Moses was to be the Founder as it were of that Church-Estate and Worship that was in those days and Elijah and Elisha were the Preservers and Restorers of it in a most degenerate and corrupted Age. The Miracles of Elisha were very great and many they are recorded in the second Book of Kings in the 2 3 4 5 6 and 7th Chapters and one more in chap. 13. They were about one and twenty in all There be three recorded in the second chapter viz. his dividing Jordan with Elijahs Mantle his healing the Waters of Jericho the devouring two and forty scoffing Children of those idolatrous Parents the people at Bethel by two She-Bears In the third Chapter there is another viz. the overflowing of the Wilderness of Edom with Water crp. 3.20 see ver 8. to the Destruction of the Moabites In the fourth Chapter there be five more which are the Analysis and Contents of that Chapter viz. 1. His multiplying the Widows Oyl while she had any empty vessels to fill 2. His giving a Son to that great and good Woman the Shunamite 3. His raising her Son when dead unto life again and this is the second person that ever was raised from the dead 4. His healing the deadly Pottage which had poysoned the Students in the Colledge at Gilgal 5. His feeding of an hundred men with twenty Loaves In the fifth Chapter there be two more the curing of Naamans Leprosie and the smiting of Gehazi with that Disease In the sixth Chapter there be six more 1. His causing Iron to swim 2. His disclosing the secret Counsels of the King of Syria by the Spirit of Prophesie 3. An Army of Angels coming down from Heaven for his defence at Dothan 4. The opening of his Servants Eyes to see them 5. The smiting of the Syrians with Blindness And 6. The opening their Eyes again In the seventh Chapter are three more the hideous which noise was heard and caused such a pannick terror in the Camp of the Syrians that their whole Army fled and the incredible Plenty in Samaria with the Death of that unbelieving Nobleman who had questioned whether God could do it And then lastly cap. 13.21 a dead man is restored to life by touching his Bones And this is the third person that was raised from the dead All these Miracles in general were Presignifications of what the Messiah was to do in that kind and some of them were more particularly fulfilled and answered by the Antitype As that of feeding an hundred men with twenty Loaves You know Christ did that and more feeding five thousand with five Loaves and two Fishes Matth. 14.21 And at another time four thousand with seven Loaves and a few little Fishes Matth. 15.38 His raising the dead to life whereof we have three instances in the Old Testament the Widow of Sarepta her Son the Shunamites Son and the Man buried in Elisha's Grave These were Types and Pledges of what Christ should do in raising the dead As in raising Lazarus Jairus his Daughter the Widows Son of Naim and his own blessed Body out of the Grave and many Saints that arose with him And those which the Apostles raised by his Name And finally the raising all his Elect unto eternal Life and all the Sons of men unto Judgment at the great Day There might also be a spiritual application and accommodation of them as to the quickning of mens Souls the healing of the Diseases of the Soul feeding them with the Bread of Life pouring into empty Vessels empty Souls the Oyl of Gladness the Joys and Graces of his Spirit 3. Jonah him I connect with Elijah and Elisha to make the Type more compleat and full Some have conjectured that Jonah was the Widows Son of Zarephath whom Elijah raised from the dead 1 Kings 17.22 23. but this is but a conjecture without proof it is probable enough he might live about their time or perhaps somewhat after That he was a Type of Christ the Scripture is express Matth. 12.39 No Sign shall be given them but the Sign of the Prophet Jonah You may see how the Type fits the Antitype in four respects 1. In his Death he offered himself willingly unto Death to asswage the Storm Jon. 1. and so he is cast into the Sea and devoured by the Whale So did Christ to appease the Tempest of Gods Wrath. And as upon Jonahs being cast into the Sea the Sea ceased from its raging cap. 1.15 and the Seamen were saved from drowning So upon Christs Death Gods Wrath is pacified and Believers saved from the Wrath to come Jonah had sore conflicts and inward agonies of Spirit when he was under that shadow of death in the Whales Belly cap. 2. So had Christ when he cried My God my God why hast thou forsaken me there were unutterable anguishes in his Soul those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unknown unconceivable sufferings in his Soul 2. He was a Type of Christ in his Burial For look as Jonah was buried in the Belly of the Whale three days and three nights So was Christ in the Belly of the Earth the
and Goodness of the Lord so was Israel Moses indeed stuck at this and so could not enter into Canaan But we should believe that there is Water for Rebels 1 Cor. 10.11 April 23. 1668. A Sixth typical thing amongst them of old was the Brazen Serpent the History whereof we have in Numb 21.5 6 7 8. The mystery and meaning of it we have by that infallible Interpreter our Lord Jesus Christ himself in Joh. 3.14 15. And so the paralleling and laying these two Scriptures together the one whereof declares the History of the Type and the other reveals the Mystery intended and aimed at therein will be a great part of my Discourse at this time You see in the History there be two things the bodily Disease and the Remedy Now this shadows forth the spiritual Disease and Remedy for the Soul I shall speak first to the Disease which was the deadly stinging of fiery Serpents for their Ingratitude and Murmurings against the Lord. In this Disease there was a shadow of the spiritual Sickness of the Souls of men And let it not seem strange that they should have a typical representation of spiritual Evils For it hath been formerly shewed when we opened the Nature of a Type from Rom. 5.14 that all the Types are not to be restrained only to the Messiahs person or to his Benefits but they had dark and legal Adumbrations under the Old Testament of all those things and truths which are more clearly revealed under the New That this was indeed a Typical Disease is evident from the coherence that must needs be between the Disease and the Remedy I mean thus Such as the Remedy was such was the Disease An outward Remedy supposes and implies a bodily Disease a spiritual Remedy must needs relate to a spiritual Disease but the Remedy here was spiritual and typical for this our Saviour is express Joh. 3.14 therefore so was the Disease Now for the Particulars wherein it was so Having this general ground and foundation in the Scripture for it as to the Particulars we must beg of God Spiritual Wisdom to accommodate and apply things rationally and scripturally and not in a way of loose and wanton wit and fancy In the hope of whose assistance through the help of your prayers I shall instance only in 5. Particulars of spiritual Instruction out of this Type as to the diseases of our Souls 1. That Satan is indeed the Old Serpent 2. That he is a fiery Serpent 3. That sin is the sting of this Serpent 4. This sting of sin is painful and deadly 5. The Lord suffers those most of all to be tormented and plagued by it who despise Manna as a light Food 1. That Satan is indeed the Old Serpent For this the Scripture is express Rev. 12.9 He is so represented in Prophetical and Typical Scriptures both because that was the first Shape wherein he did appear as a Devil in tempting and destroying our first Parents and for the subtilty and venome of that Beast and the curse inflicted upon him in that appearance In darker places as amongst the Pagans of old and amongst the Americans of late he hath delighted to appear unto them in that Shape of a Serpent Therefore the Pagan Temples were wont to be haunted with Serpents in so much that it grew into a Phrase of Speech amongst them Sacer anguis 2. The Devils are fitly called Seraphims or fiery burning Serpents The Serpents wherewith they were stung in that Wilderness were such Deut. 8.15 The Prophet Isaiah speaks of fiery flying Serpents Isa 14.29 and 30.6 The word in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hane chashim haseraphim Serpents burners Numb 21.6 or burning Serpents The Root is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 urere The name Serapis that Egyptian Idol may be derived from hence Some derive from the Hebrew Saraph by Inversion of Letters the Greek word Praester which signifies a kind of venemous Serpent which is also called Dipsas and Causon with which he that is bitten is tormented with such a burning heat and thirst that though he drink never so much Diascor l. 6. cap. 38 and 40. apud Aynsw in loc his thirst will not be quencht or satisfied and the bitings of these Serpents were lest off by the most ancient Physicians as altogether incurable They are also fitly called fiery Serpents from their Colour For they had a shining and glistering Skin as if it had been made of Fire And we see it in our ordinary Snakes that seem to shine and sparkle against the Sun So Taylor on the Types pag. 305. Satan is fitly so called as being a Serpent of the worst kind a most terrible and deadly Serpent Hence he is elsewhere compared to a great red Dragon Rev. 12. upon the same account as here to a fiery Serpent because he is such a dreadful enemy This name Seraphim that is here used is applyed to the holy Angels Isa 6.2 For the spiritual brightness and burning heat and zeal and love to God that is in those blessed Spirits those pure flames He hath made his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Heb. 1. And Satan himself was such a one at first though now by his fall he is but a fiery Serpent He is a Seraphim debased and fallen below himself 3. The sting of this Serpent is sin Therefore the temptations of this fiery Serpent are called fiery Darts Ephes 6.16 with which he stings the soul to death He hath thrust his Sting into the nature of man and poysoned it and made it like himself And he is continually tempting and thrusting in his Sting Sin is called a Sting 1 Cor. 15. The sting of death is sin 4. Sin the Sting of this Serpent is painful and deadly poyson it both torments and kills It is true it is sweet poyson while under the tongue but withal it is tormenting and mortal in the Bowels Job 20.12 13 14. Though sweet in his mouth it is the poyson of Asps within him sweet in the commission but tormenting and destructive afterward Oh the pain it puts the Conscience of a sinner too Deadly pain and anguish there is no anguish like it no poyson so inflaming so tormenting to the Body as Sin is to the Soul 5. The occasion of all this misery was their slighting and murmuring against the Manna wherewith the Lord had fed them from Heaven There had been many murmurings before upon other occasions but now they come to slight and despise Manna wherewith the Lord had fed them so miraculously for about eight and thirty years together for so some Interpreters compute the time of this murmuring All the while till now though that Wilderness through which they travelled was full of fiery Serpents and Scorpions and Drought as Deut. 8.15 Yet the Lord had not suffered any of them to be stung But now he lets loose these fiery Dragons to fly upon them as Amos 9.3 I will command the Serpent and he
the Arrows of the Bow the Shield the Sword and the Battel Psal 76.2.3 It is spoken of temporal Deliverance and may be applied to the Church there is a protecting Presence of God there But it is true in an higher sense concerning Christ Christ is the true Sanctuary from whence all our strength and help cometh Thou therefore my Son be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 Nay in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 This is the reason you conquer not but Sin and Lust prevails and you are worsted by Corruption and Temptation from time to time There is a secret distance by unbelief from Jesus Christ did you come to the door of the Tabernacle the Lord would send you help from the Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Sion but men are loth to leave their own home or loth to break through difficulties they faint and tire by the way before they get thither and so never come to receive those blessed influences those reviving Soul-strengthening Soul-refreshing influences See Psal 84.5 6 7. It is a description to the people in their journeys to the Temple They went through thick and thin as we use to say through drought and heat till they came before God in Sion and there they found what they went for They met with God there ver 10.11 better a day there than a thousand elsewhere for there the Lord will give Grace and Glory Instruct 3. Remember that there is a Church-worship As there was a moral Worship which they were to perform every where for it was personal and not meerly publick so they had their publick Church-worship viz. their Sacrifices and other Institutions which were limited to the Tabernacle as it was a Type of the Church As no Service is to be offered out of Christ so some Services are not to be offered out of the Church for the Tabernacle as you have heard was a Type of the Church And therefore as Gods end in this Institution was to lead out their thoughts and desires and expectations to Jesus Christ and so to prevent Idolatry and Unbelief in that respect so likewise to prevent Schism and to keep them in the unity of that Church which he had then instituted and appointed So now in Gospel-times look that you partake of the Ordidances in Gospel-Churches for these are the New Testament-Tabernacles wherein God dwells and vouchsafes his blessed Presence It is often noted as a great corruption of Worship among the Jews that they sacrificed in the high places yea though they did it to the Lord their God only So in Manasseh's time 2 Chron. 37.17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places after some beginnings and degrees of Reformation yet unto the Lord their God only And the reason they were not taken away is sometimes noted to be the perversness of the people so in Jehosaphats time 2 Chron. 20.33 howbeit the high places were not taken away for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers Yea there were some good people in those times who were unconvinced of this truth that they ought to sacrifice only at the Temple and Tabernacle though they were against the Worship of Baal yet they were not against the high places so we have some in our days that are against Popery but they are not against mixt Communions They are not convinced that they ought to present their Services and Sacrifices their publick Worship unto God in Gospel-Temples that is in pure Churches and not among profane people It is strange to see the supine carelesness and scepticism of some mens spirits in this particular they regard not they care not with whom they join whether it be a true Church or a false Church whether a pure or an impure Church whether a Church or no Church Search the Scriptures and you will find no instance that ever the Lords Supper was dispensed but in Churches Gospel-Churches pure Churches The first Institution of that Ordinance was in the first Gospel-Church sounded by Christ himself the chief Pastor who did dispense this Ordinance himself to the twelve Apostles who were the Foundation stones of the first Gospel-Church at Jerusalem then again Acts 2.42 they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Breaking of Bread is there mentioned amongst other Ordinances and therefore not to be understood of common but sacred Bread Acts. 20.7 it is said of the Church of Troas that they came together on the first day of the week to break Bread The same Ordinance also was observed in the Church of Corinth 1. Cor. 11. and whereas corruptions and corrupt members were crept in the Apostle spends a whole Chapter in exhorting them to purge out the old Leven 5. ch of 1. Epistle Professors that lie amongst the Pots never joyning themselves as fixed members in any particular Church though they have opportunity for it do live in the neglect of a duty a known duty yea such a neglect as doth infer and carry along with it the neglect of many other duties also For how can Church-Discipline be exercised but in the Societies of Gods People therefore tnis neglect it exposeth the Ordinances of Christ to contempt and prostitution It is as great a sin to receive the Lords Supper in an Assembly of ignorant and profane people as it was to offer Sacrifices in the high places yea it is indeed the very same thing For let thy Conscience speak Are such Assemblies the Temples of the Holy Ghost Are they the Tabernacles of the most High Doth God dwell there Is this to go to the door of the Tabernacle with thy Sacrifice when thou knowest thou goest into a dunghill of Profaneness into a dungeon of Ignorance into an Assembly of wicked and ungodly men Art thou a Soul that desirest communion with Christ Then take his own direction for the obtaining of it Cant. 1.7 8. Go forth by the footsteps of the flock this is Church society Feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents Make use of the Ministry and Ministers of the Word who are set in particular Churches Instr 4. Labour every one that his own Soul may be an habitation for the Lord a Temple of the Holy Ghost For the Temple signified not only the whole Church in general but every Saint in particular as hath been shewed Let not thy own Soul be as it is said of Rome Rev. 18.2 It is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a Cage for every unclean and hateful Bird. But let the Spirit of God dwell there be restless in thy self give God in Heaven no rest nor thy own Heart within thee any rest till thy Soul be an habitation of the Holy Spirit Say as it is said of David Psal 132.4 5. I will not give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to
the Mountains of delights of Holiness as Dan. 11.45 No account can be given hereof but the good Pleasure of his Will 4. The Materials and Preparations of them there were the choicest Materials and the most plentiful Preparations for them the people contributed to the Tabernacle very liberally Exod. 35.21 29. Exod. 36.5 6 7. So that Proclamation was made for them to cease And for the Temple was prepared Gold Silver Brass Iron Wood Stone all in great abundance and vast Sums by David and Solomon 1. These rich and choice Materials instruct us that we must give God the best we have and give it plentifully and liberally 2. There must be a preparing time and work for the building of the Temple which to do is Gods free Gift therefore we must acknowledge and admire him for it as David did 1 Chron. 29.14 who or what am I or my people that we should offer so willingly And the way to continue this frame is to beg it of God as there David also doth ver 18. keep it for ever in the hearts of thy people 5. The Parts which I shall mention now but deferring the interpretation of them to another time they were three the House the Courts and the Vessels all these were parts of the Temple take it in the largest sense for all the holy Buildings and appertainances thereof 1. The House or Building the covered Temple Of this there are the common parts that belong to every House namely the Foundation the Walls the Doors the Windows the Floor the Roof The peculiar parts of this house as it was the house of the Lord were the Porch the Sanctuary and the Oracle with the side-chambers belonging to them These are the parts of the House it self or the covered Temple 2. The second general part of the Temple is the Courts about it for they were holy ground as well as the covered Building and they were two the outward and the inward Court or the Court of the People and the Court of the Priests 3. The Vessels they were many I shall instance only the chief and such as were significant of Gospel-mysteries and they are either belonging to the Sanctuary or to the Oracle 1. To the Sanctuary and that either sub dio or sub tecto without or within doors There were four without doors and three within without the Brazen Altar of Burnt-offering the molten Sea the Lavers and the Pillars of Brass within the Altar of Incense the Table of Shew-bread and the Candlesticks 2. To the Oracle wherein was the Ark and the appertainances thereof Heb. 9.1 to 5. Vse Exhortation unto Temple-work It is prophesied that even the Gentiles Zech. 6. ult they that are far off shall come and build in the Temple of the Lord. We are all by nature far off Ephes 2. but brought nigh by the Blood of Christ and built up into an holy Temple to the Lord as it there follows ver 13 17 19 c. to the end Take these Rules about Temple-work 1. Be sure you build according to the Pattern shown in the Mount to Moses Exod. 25.9 Heb. 8.5 It is eighteen times repeated in the two last Chapters of Exodus as the Lord commanded Moses so did he as the Lord commanded Moses And in like manner David and Solomon See the Geneva Note upon it 1 Chron. 28.11 12 19. they had both the Word and Spirit of God to direct them If you ask how may we know the Pattern These are the means of knowing it the Word and the Spirit Hag. 2.5 and they give light in this matter in the way of effectual Humiliation and Repentance especially repent and be humbled for Temple-sins Temple-defilements for your Church-sins Church-defilements sins against the Worship of God see Ezek. 43.10 11. so Rev. 11.1 a Reed is given at the restoring of the Churches and Worship of God from the Antichristian Apostacy to measure the Temple the Altar and the Worshippers Get this measuring Reed into your hands the Word of God Revel 21.15 2. Leave out the outer Court Rev 11.2 that is nominal Christians Look to the matter of the Church else it will be like rotten timber in the foundation of a Building Not that I do exhort you to rigour and severity I know there may be an extream on both hands but take heed of extreams and of admitting persons visibly unfit These two Directions are of that weight that I have thought they are enough as to Communion of Churches If they own the Scripture for their Rule of Worship and Discipline if they build by the golden Reed and if they leave out the outer Court if there be care taken to keep off promiscuous Administrations But if they slight the Scripture as the rule of their Walking or of their Worship and Administrations Or if they be not in a capacity to keep the Ordinances pure I do not see how we can have comfortable communion with them 3. Let there be no noise of Axes and Hammers in building the Temple It was built entirely of hewed and squared stones whereof every one was perfectly fitted for its place the length of the stones some say being the thickness of the Wall 1 Kin. 6.7 It is not to be too rigorously understood but the meaning is is as some express it no sound that was obstreperous to a publick disturbance no laborious sound from the hewing or squaring of timber but only a more cheerful yea melodious harmony from the conjunction and compacting of matter aforeâ—â—â—d fitted and prepared Doubtless this was not without a mystery it may be divers ways applied as that the matter of the Church should be well prepared before their admission as members and that the Saints are aforehand fitted and prepared unto Glory so that when they come to dye they have nothing else to do but to dye for the Temple was a Type of Heaven and of the Church triumphant But the Application that I would make of it is this There should be no noise of strife no contention no collision of mens spirits in Church-society And the means to avoid this is the well preparing of the matter when the Soul is well prepared by an humbling work in its first conversion when hewed and squared it will lye even in the building else not For by Pride only comes Contention 4 Build the House of the Lord before your own Houses so Solomon did The Lords House was finished in seven years but his own was not finished till thirteen years 1 Kings 6. ult with cap. 7. 1. not that he regarded his own House more but less and therefore finished the Lords House before his own And the Jews after their return from the Captivity are greatly reproved for this neglect Hag. 1.4 and 2.19 It is indeed the general scope of the whole book of Haggai It brings a Blessing upon all your concernments Matth. 6.33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added But if this be
the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing There were dark shadows then of the mysteries of the Gospel 4. The rending of the Veil when Christ died represents his Sufferings in the Flesh or humane nature Matth. 27.51 the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom If the Veil be the Flesh or the Humane nature of Christ then the rending of the Veil must needs be the breaking of his Body and the sufferings of his Humane nature 5. As by this the Holy of holies was open to the view of all that came to the Temple so under the Gospel the mysteries of Salvation are made manifest Rev. 11.19 and the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Clear discoveries of God in Christ 6. As the Priest entred into the holy place through the Veil so hath Christ into Heaven and made way for us all to enter after him and with him through his Sufferings Heb. 9.12 neither by the Blood of Bulls and Goats but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us and Heb. 6.2 last which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entred into that within the Veil that is into the Holy of holies whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus This is the first accomodation of this Type even unto Jesus Christ himself 2. The Temple signified also the Church and the several parts of the Temple may be considered here also 1. We learn here that there is a threefold distinction of the Church into visible militant and triumphant The outer Court signified the visible Church into which all the people came that were clean according to the Law so into the visible Church come all that make a fair outward profession though they are not all sincere as all were not Israel that were of Israel The Sanctuary and the inner Court signified the Church militant of true Believers who are indeed spiritual Priests unto God And lastly the holiest of all was a Type of Heaven and of the Church triumphant there so the Apostle often Heb. 9.24 for Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self 2. Whereas there was a Wall about the great Court to keep out the Gentiles for none but Jews were admitted the Apostle shews that Christ hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us Ephes 2.14 which he hath done by converting the Gentiles and repealing the Ceremonial Law 3. The outer Court must be left out in Church-reformation Rev. 11.1 2. that is when the matter of the visible Church is wholly corrupted these Gentiles must be cast out or left out 4. Whereas the Materials of the Sanctuary and of the Oracle were the same Cedar-boards and Gold and garnished with precious Stones c. as was shewed before when we spake of the Walls of the Temple hence we may learn this Instruction that Grace and Glory differ not in kind but only in degree Grace is Glory begun Glory is Grace perfected Heb. 12.23 the Spirits of just men made perfect A Believer hath eternal life begun in him in this world 1 Joh. 3.15 5. The side-chambers and all the buildings about the Chambers wherein the Priests and Levites had their several Lodgings and stations appointed them may instruct and mind us of those Mansions that are prepared for us in Heaven Joh. 14.2 in my Fathers House are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you 6. Whereas in these Chambers were kept and laid up the Standards of all Weights and Measures for so some understand that place 1 Chron. 23.29 speaking of the Levites work in their several places and stations it is said their Office was to wait on the Sons of Aaron as for other things so for all manner of Measure and Size that is as some expound it that unto their Trust were committed the Standard measures of things and here laid up under their custody as in a most safe and sacred Repository and these were called the Measures of the Sanctuary as with us the Standards and Measures are laid up in the Tower We may here learn that God regards Justice amongst men next to his own Worship To unjust persons he saith as Isai 1.11 to what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts v. 12. The reason is given v. 15. your hands are full of Blood And would you know that there are Mansions prepared in Heaven for you you may take this as one evidence of it Psal 15.1 Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill He answers in the second verse He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart And let me add this further do not judge of your spiritual estate by your getting into the outer Court for hypocrites may get in there if they be but outwardly clean But art thou admitted as a spiritual Priest into the Sanctuary to enjoy true communion with God in his Ordinances and to worship God in the Spirit art thou a member of the Church militant as well as of the visible Church The Church militant shall be at last triumphant they shall pass from and through the Sanctuary into the Holy of holies even into Heaven it self whither Jesus our fore-runner is entred for us THE GOSPEL of the TWO BRAZEN PILLARS in the TEMPLE 1 Kings 7.21 22. Novemb. 8. 1668. And he set up the Pillars in the Porch of the Temple and he set up the right Pillar and called the name thereof Jachin and he set up the left Pillar and called the name thereof Boaz. And upon the top of the Pillars was Lillie-work so was the work of the Pillars finished SO much of the House and the Courts Now follows the Vessels or Utensils of the Temple the sacred Houshold stuff or Furniture of this House of God they were many We read in Ezra 1.11 all the Vessels of Gold and Silver were five thousand and four hundred We may distinguish the Vessels of the Temple into two sorts 1. Such as were of natural necessity and conveniency for the Worship that was there to be performed as Knives Pots Flesh-hooks c. which had not their particular mystical significations But yet thus much we may observe from them that the meanest instrument in the Church of God is of some use and therefore not to be despised And of this sort there were some larger Vessels as the Kings Scaffold 2 Chron. 6.13 on which he stood when he came into the Priests Court to present his Sacrifices before the Lord or upon any other occasion For you
is no Gospel-mystery therefore no need it should be typified by so great a Type If there be any thing of old that may any way relate to it it must be some small circumstance of some Tye but not such a great and principal a Type as the Altar 2. The Altar is greater than the Gist Matth. 23.19 but the wooden Cross is not greater or more excellent than the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for us nor doth it sanctifie or make Jesus Christ accepted Therefore the wooden Cross is not the Altar There hath been also another weak and impertinent application of it which is to be found in some books of Devotion viz. the Altar of our Hearts But wherein the Heart is like an Altar I cannot tell The same argument confutes this also It is not thy Heart that sanctifies thee or thy Services But then what is the Altar The Answer is that the Altar is Christ himself so the Holy Ghost himself expounds it Heb. 13.10 Quest But how doth the Altar represent Christ Answer In two respects in regard of his Deity and Priestly Office 1. It is Christ in regard of his Divine nature Reas 1. Because his Humane nature was the Sacrifice therefore his Deity is the Altar for in offering Sacrifice there must be both a Sacrifice and an Altar And so in Christ there are two natures his Deity and Humanity whereof the Humane nature being the Sacrifice that was slain and offered for us it remains that his other nature was the Altar Reas 2. Because it is the Altar that sanctifies the Gift Matth. 23.19 Exod. 29.37 But it was the Deity of Christ that gave that infinite vertue and value to his sufferings It was his Deity that sanctified his Humane nature to be such an acceptable Sacrifice to the Lord. Reas 3. Because the Altar did support and bear up the Sacrifice But it was his Divine nature that did support his Humane nature in those unutterable Sufferings Heb. 9.14 through the eternal Spirit he offered up himself unto God What did that piece of Wood do It did but cruciate and torture his blessed Body it did not bear up his Spirit It is true that Tree did lift up his Body from the earth but it was another manner of support that was necessary to our Salvation 2. The Altar typifies Christ in regard of his Priestly Office You know he hath a threefold Office he is a Prophet Priest and King The Altar looks chiefly at his Priestly Office and the concernments of that for as a Priest he offered Sacrifice and it is the Altar that doth support and sanctifie the Sacrifice Both the Natures of Christ have an influence into all his Offices and so into his Priestly by which he made satisfaction for our sins To open it a little more particularly all the concernments of the Altar are full of mystery and teaching I shall instance in seven particulars about it wherein you may see something of Christ and of the Gospel 1. There was but one Altar the Lord forbad all others though intended to himself 2 Kings 18.22 so there is but one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 The Papists have other Mediators Saints and Angels c. this is to have many Altars whereas the Lord accepts none but this nor no Sacrifice but what is offered upon this Altar 2. The Altar had four Horns upon the four corners of it they are called Horns because they were made like Horns upwards but bending towards the top Ezek. 43.15 upward shall be the four Horns The use of them was not only for Ornament but to keep things from falling off the Altar and to bind the Sacrifice to them when they were to slay it as Psal 118.27 Horns is an emblem of power Jer. 48.25 the Horn of Moab is cut off that is his strength and power saith your Marginal note Lam. 2.3 he hath cut off in his fierce anger all the Horn of Israel 1 Sam. 2.1 Mine Horn is exalted in the Lord it is applied to God Hab. 3.4 he had Horns coming out of his hand and there was the hiding of his power These four Horns of the Altar signified the Power and Glory of Christs Priesthood for the Salvation of his Church gathered together from the four corners of the earth Ainsw in Exod. 27.1 If the Altar be his Deity the Horns of this Altar is the Power of his Deity the Horns of an almighty Power Fly for refuge thither and thou art safe enough Joab fled to the Horns of the Altar but he was pluckt from thence and slain 1 Kings 2.31 according to the Law Exod. 21.14 But he that flies to Christ and hangs upon the Horns of this Altar shall never be pluckt thence he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6.37 3. The Altar was anointed and so sanctified unto its Office Numb 7.1 Exod. 40.9 this is the Sanctification or Inauguration of our Lord Jesus Christ into his Office he was anointed with the Spirit above measure not only the Graces thereof in his Humane nature but that glorious Person himself goes forth by commission from the Father and the Son as the Son by commission from the Father to reconcile and save sinners 4. There were divers Vessels of the Altar belonging to it for the use and service of it Numb 4.14 of Brass 1 Kings 7.47 of Gold 1 Chron. 28.17 also pure Gold for the Flesh-hooks Of which they being necessary instruments for the work of sacrificing we need not seek a particular mystery and signification in every Vessel only in general some apply them to the Ordinances of the Gospel the means of Grace which do attend upon the Altar upon the Service of Jesus Christ in his Church As we have an Altar under the Gospel so we have Vessels belonging to this Ordinance Gospel-Ordinances whereof there is great use As the Priests could not sacrifice and officiate about the Altar without Knives and Flesh-hooks and Shovels c. so we cannot have communion with Christ without means and Ordinances 5. The Altar was furnished with Fire from Heaven which was to be kept always burning Now what is the mystery of this sacred Fire 1. The Wrath of God against Sin He is a consuming Fire an everlasting burning against sin and sinners Heb. 12. ult Isai 33.16 2. The Spirit of God is compared to Fire Matth. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with Fire Isai 4.4 When he shall have purged the Blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of Judgment and by the spirit of burning And it is a sacred Fire that never goes out We should be careful to keep this Fire burning take heed of grieving of quenching the Spirit 1 Thess 5.19 3. The Word and Ordinances are like unto Fire Jer. 23.29 they will burn up and consume what opposeth them Rev 11.5 it s said of the two Witnesses that Fire goes
Heaven who are compared to Chariots and fiery Chariots Psal 68.17 the Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels which suits with that expression of the Chariot of the Cherubims in the Oracle 1 Chron. 28.18 and with that of the Apostle Peter who saith 1 Pet. 1.12 the Angels bow down their heads to pry into the mysteries of the Gospel alluding to the posture of the Cherubims over the Ark. 2. Kings and Magistrates are called Cherubims in Scripture so it is spoken of the King of Tyre Ezek. 28.14 Thou art the anointed Cherub that covereth and I have set thee so thou wast upon the holy Mountain of God It speaks forth both their Dignity and Duty The Magistrate is to protect the true Religion and the Worship of God as the Cherubims did cover the Ark. 3. Ministers are called Cherubims so in Revel 4. those four living Wights are nothing else but four Cherubims as you will clearly see if you compare that with Ezekiels Vision Ezek. 4. But these Cherubims or four living Wights in the Revelation cannot be interpreted concerning the Angels in Heaven because they are said to be redeemed by the Lambs Blood Rev. 5.8 9. which the Angels in Heaven were not And moreover the four living Wights are expresly distinguished from the Angels in Heaven ver 11. therefore it must needs be meant of a lower sort of Angels the Angels of the Churches that is the Officers and Ministers of the Church who should be men of Angelick Spirits for industry and zeal and vigilancy in the Lords work 6. The sixth and last part of the Ark here mentioned is the Mercy seat The Cherubims of Glory overshadowing the Mercy seat The Mercy-seat was the Cover of the Ark of which Exod. 25.17 The Hebrew word for it is Capporeth from Caphar to cover with pitch and in another Conjugation to expiate atone appease It implyeth a merciful covering of our sins The Septuagint call it sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propitiatory covering and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lid or covering laid on The Apostle applies it to the Blood of Christ and the satisfaction made thereby to the Justice of God for our sins Rom. 3.25 1 Joh. 2.2 Vse 1. See the Glory of the visible Church and of the Presence of God there For all these glorious things are in the Temple in the Holy of holies there And therefore your should see God himself there and hear his voice though not visibly and audibly but spiritually yet really and powerfully and effectually speaking to the heart You should see these things by the eye of Faith When you come to a Meeting though the World revile and call them Conventicles you should see a guard of Angels and Cherubims round about you c. Vse 2. See the fulness of supply and spiritual relief that is in Jesus Christ in the Gospel for poor lost Souls Here is something to answer all their cases and necessities here is God appearing and speaking in Christ here is passive and active Obedience here is the Word the Ministry the Guard of Angels the workings of Providence for the Churches good There be two things which an enlightned Conscience needs and cries for 1. I cannot keep the Law I want a perfect legal Righteousness to appear before God in Therefore Christ hath done it Here is the Law kept in this blessed Ark of the Covenant He hath fulfilled all Righteousness c. 2. But I want a Propitiation for the sins that have been committed But therefore here is a Mercy-seat upon the Ark a propitiatory Covering in the passive Obedience of Jesus Christ whereby he hath not only kept the Law but satisfied for our breaking of it Draw neer to God in the faith and meditation of this mystery An Advertisement to the Reader THe observing Reader will remember that in the method proposed by the Author the Legal Ministry should have come in the next place to be treated of But the Author in his course of preaching handled this Head before that which alteration of his first designed method and thus transposing these two heads of the Legal Ministry and the Legal Festivals is by himself accounted for in the entrance on that of the Legal Ministry and therefore no more shall be said of it The Reader will also doubtless observe his Entrance on this subject of the Legal Festivals to be more abrupt then in the rest of which this account may be given That on this head the Authors Notes which he left behind him were less perfect then on any of the foregoing and thence as it cost more labour to bring them to what is here presented so the judicious Reader will perhaps discern a difference between his Discourses on this and on the other heads as not being spun with an even thred And we have therefore been necessitated to use a greater liberty here then we allowed our selves elsewhere to insert in their properest places as neer as we could sundry notions which we found noted down in the Authors broken Papers relating to this subject some whereof perhaps were not his own yea it may be not according to his Judgment though we do not know of any such inserted but only noted down by him as they came into his mind or as he met with them in reading to be better considered of at further leisure For it is certain it was his manner thus to do Moreover we do find many imperfect hints of Notions amongst his Papers which we could not find where to insert nor indeed as to some of them well tell what to make of them or how to express them as the Author designed and therefore they are lost with him Lastly we may advertise the Reader that we find the Author had thoughts of re-assuming and going over this whole head of the Legal Festivals again in somewhat another method the first rude lineaments whereof were thus drawn by himself viz. he designed first a brief delineation of the whole and when instituted namely their Feasts to wit the Passover Pentecost the Feast of Tabernacles the Feast of Trumpets and the great Day of Expiation their New Moons and their Sabbaths to wit the seventh day of the week the seventh year amd the fiftieth year Next he designed to go over them all again and shew how they made up a rude draught or a dark shadow of better things and here he would have made the first Institution to be his Text for the several Heads and for the Sabbath the 12 13 14 15. verses of the fifth of Deuteronomy because the typical Reason is there annexed to the Command And in the last place he intended to have spoken more fully to the unwarrantableness of Popish Holidays and Musick And indeed he had many years before written two brief Discourses on that Argument the main Materials whereof we suppose he would have brought in here perhaps with some considerable Additions and therefore we have for the affinity of
It is called the Feast of Weeks because they were to reckon seven weeks from the morrow after the Passover and then they were to offer to the Lord their two Wave-loaves Lev. 23.17 there was a threefold mystery in this Feast 1. To testifie their Gratitude and Thankfulness unto God for the Land of Canaan and for the Harvest of the Fruits of the earth therefore they were to present the first Fruits thereof to him at this Feast Hence it is called the Feast of Harvest Exod. 23.16 and the Feast of First Fruits Numb 28.26 and the Feast of Weeks of the first Fruits of the Wheat-harvest Exod. 34.22 As in the former the first Fruits of their Barley-harvest so in this the first Fruits of their Wheat-harvest must be offered to God This was as it were the compleating of that There are four Instructions to be learned from hence 1. That God must be acknowledged in outward mercies in the Fruits of the Earth we must pay him the Rent of Thankfulness as our great Landlord and that is all the Rent that he requires He is in giving so liberal that he gives us all things richly to enjoy but in taking so sparing that he requires but a Sheaf for the whole Harvest For Act. 14.17 it is he that giveth us Rain and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness and would it not be strange ingratitude to receive from God whole harvests of his Benefits and return nothing not not so much as one Sheaf to him 2. The second Instruction is this this Feast instructs when it is that the Soul becomes truly fruitful and thankful to acknowledg God indeed namely when the Blood of Ghrist hath been sprinkled upon the Soul when his Death hath been applied and not before For they were first to eat the Passover and so to begin that Feast and then upon the morrow after the Passover they were to offer the first Fruits of Barley and from thence to reckon fifty days to the Feast of Weeks so that their first expression of their thankfulness to God for the Fruits of the earth was immediately after they had killed and eaten the Passover It is that which many complain of a carnal dead insensible unthankful frame of heart but you see here both the cause of it and the cure and remedy against it The Soul will come to own God to dedicate it self and all it hath unto God when first sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God but not till then 3. They were to begin these their acknowledgments of God on the sixteenth day of the first month Lev. 16.10 11. for then Barley was ripe in those climates at another season then in these Northern Countries Then they were to begin their acknowledgments of God they were not to delay their thankfulness till they had gotten in their whole Harvest but they must bring the first unto God It is a lovely thing to see men acquaint themselves with God betimes to give him the first ripe Fruits and it is but equal reddere illi prima qui nobis dedit omnia that we should render the first unto him who giveth all unto us 4. As they begun betimes so they were to proceed as in their Harvest so in their Thankfulness for they offered first but a Wave-sheaf of Barly Exod. 16. but now two Wave-loaves of Wheat then but one Lamb now seven Lambs Lev. 23.18 far greater Offerings then the former To teach us that a Christians Thankfulness and Fruitfulness should be increasing till at last he be made perfect We should not sit down in some imperfect beginnings but go forward and make continual progress in the ways of God as their time goes on so should their thankfulness The greater Gods Blessings are to us the greater must our Thankfulness be to him as he doth increase his Benefits so should we augment and increase our Obedience A good Note saith one writing upon this Feast for all them to think of to whom God hath extended a more liberal hand then to their brethren Many rise up early go to bed late and part from their beloved sleep yet fare hardly eat brown Bread as we say and drink the Water of Affliction Is thy condition better then theirs art thou fed with the finest of the Wheat instead of their Barly Remember then that to whom much is given of him shall be required much Luk. 12.48 seven Lambs for their one and for their one Sheaf two Loaves 2. A second end and mystery of this Feast of Pentecost was in reference to the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai That this was one part of the mystery of this Feast of Pentecost the time it self speaks with other circumstances For they came out of Egypt to serve the Lord and to keep a Feast to him in the Wilderness Exod 5.1 3. And they had the Law first given to them at this time of the year for it was in the third month after they came out of Egypt Exod. 19.1 2 3. Now they came out at the Passover which was on the fourteenth day of the first month from whence if you reckon fifty days from the sixteenth day of the first month it will bring you to the sixth day of the third month in which they received the Law at Mount Sinai the memorial whereof was celebrated by this Feast For God to give his Law and Ordinances to a people and to reveal his Mind and make known his Will to them it is an inestimable mercy to be kept always in precious remembrance and to be celebrated with everlasting thankfulness especially for them who before were tyed to the cruel Laws of Egyptian Tyrants and Taskmasters now to receive not only a Law of their own but a Law from Heaven a Law from God was an ineffable mercy 3. A third mystery of Pentecost was the pouring forth of the Spirit at this time Acts 2.1 2 3 4. as at this time God gave the Law under the Old Testament so it pointed us to the time when he would give the first fruits of his Spirit under the New which he poured forth upon the Apostles who thereupon went forth to preach the Gospel and to gather that which the Prophets before had sown reaping fruit unto eternal life and bring Wheat of God into his Garner As at this Feast he gave the Law by Moses so at the same time he gave his Spirit by Jesus Christ To teach us that under the Gospel we receive the Spirit of Christ to enable us to 〈◊〉 fulfil the Law and do the Will of Christ Vnto this Feast there was added another Precept of leaving for the poor Lev. 23.22 teaching them that with their Sacrifices to God they should joyn love to their brethren and that as Gods hand opened to them so their hands should be opened to the poor and needy But this was a general rule in all the yearly Feasts not to appear before the Lord empty-handed as
break Bread every Lords day And in the primitive times the Sacrament was the concluding Ordinance But Man did not eat of the Tree of Life for then he had been confirmed and lived for ever Gen. 3.22 therefore it is not likely that he stood in his integrity to the end of the Sabbath And as to the time of the day wherein he sinned it seems to have been about eating time at dinner about noon eating what they should not being the thing wherein they sinned And after his Fall it is said that God came and spake to them in the cool of the day Gen. 3. ver 8. This seems to have been about that time of the day which the Scripture calls the ninth hour which is after our reckoning about three a clock in the afternoon So long they were in darkness and under guilt of their Sin before the Promulgation of the Gospel to them Wherein some have observed a congruity in that Jesus Christ was under those his infinite Sufferings upon the Cross the same space of time from the sixth hour to the ninth Matth. 27.45 46. And it being thus Man in his first sin and fall did break all the Commandments at once as he brake all the rest so he sinned upon the Sabbath day This seems by all the circumstances of the Story to have been the time of his Fall But to think that he fell on Tuesday the tenth day from the Creation there is nothing in the History to evince it Others think this Fast on the day of the seventh month was appointed in remembrance of the great Sin the Idolatry of the Golden Calf Exod. 32. But we may rest in that the Text mentioneth as the occasion of this Ordinance viz. the Sin and Death of Nadab and Abihu And there is a threefold Instruction we are here to learn Obs 1. Here we are taught first That there must be holy fear and reverence in approaching to God in his Ordinances an holy fear and dread of sinning in the manner of his Worship and that it is a dangerous thing to worship God otherwise then he hath appointed Men should take heed of it that they die not as Nadab and Abihu did for this sin they incur the danger of Death both Death temporal and eternal Though God doth not usually smite men with visible Judgments but when they are first in any transgression yet there is a spiritual fire and wrath upon their spirits for it which is worse then outward Judgments Obs 2. The Lord takes hold of the saddest occasions to bring in Dispensations of the greatest good and mercy to his people Light out of Darkness Heaven out of Hell good out of evil to those that he hath set his Love upon Obs 3. When some are slain and die in and for their sins the Lord provides for the Salvation of others that they die not Now to come to the thing it self Moses is to charge Aaron that he come not into the Holy of holies at all times nor in any manner but at Gods appointed times and in such manner as he requireth This manner is here described at large It consists chiefly in three things 1. His washing himself 2. His holy Garments And 3. His propitiatory Offerings 1. That the Priest must wash before he put on his Garments and before he present his Offering is an intimation of his Purity and Cleanness Hence that expression of the Apostle Heb. 10.22 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water This is the first thing he is to do So Christ Matth. 3.16 was baptized before he entred upon his Ministry and he was perfectly holy and pure not having the least defilement of sin upon him though he had taken on him our Nature and all the other Infirmities of it Vid. On the Priests Consecration Exod. 29. 2. As to his Attire here be two sorts of holy Garments mentioned in the Services of this day the holy Garments ver 4. and other holy and most costly Garments ver 23.24 Some call the former his White Garments and the other his Golden Garments 1. This Priestly Attire was an emblem of spiritual clothing Psal 132.9 Let thy Priests be clothed with Righteousness and let thy Saints shout for joy and ver 16. I will also clothe her Priests with Salvation Job 29.14 I put on Righteousness and it clothed me my Judgment was as a Robe and a Diadem This then speaks the Grace and Holiness that was in Jesus Christ and ought to be in Ministers such Garments Ministers should be clothed with 2. Those two sorts of Attire the White and the Golden Garments signified the different estate and condition of Jesus Christ when he performed the great work of our Redemption and made atonement for us he did it in much meanness and abasement Isai 52.14 his Visage was marred he was without external Pomp and worldly Glory in the form of a Servant made himself of no Reputation Phil. 2.7 though with Holiness and Purity and Innocency He had white Garments on though they were but plain But as there is a clothing of Grace so there is a clothing of Glory 2 Cor. 5.2 4. And after his Resurrection when he had been in Heaven and returned again and arose and appeared from the dead he did change his Raiment He wore the garments of Holiness here but when he entred into the holy place even into Heaven he did put on garments of Glory These were the holy Garments on this day of Expiation Now the third thing is the Offerings of Atonement and they were of two sorts for the Priest and for the People 1. For the Priest himself and for his own House ver 3 6. This teacheth us the insufficiency and imperfection of the legal Priesthood Heb. 5.1 2.3 we need a better High Priest and we have one Heb. 7.26 27 28. The Priest was first to make atonement for himself and for his own sins that so he might be fit as a figure of Christ the true High Priest to make atonement for the people They that lie under unpardoned guilt themselves are not fit to be Mediators and Intercessors for others The Priest had three things to do in reference to his own Sacrifice 1. He was to kill it and so to make atonement with it v. 11. This was a Type of the Death of Christ the true Sacrifice 2. He was to offer Incense in the Holy of holies v. 12. This is a Type of the Prayers and Intercessions of Jesus Christ in the virtue of his Satisfaction Here are four particulars observable 1. As the High Priest did this before he sprinkled the Blood in the Holiest of all so Christ prepared his own way into Heaven by his Prayers and Intercessions Joh. 17. 2. The Incense was beaten small to intimate the anguish and contrition and brokenness of heart wherewith Christ prayed and interceded for us those agonies of spirit in his Prayers before his Death which he offered