derived unto us beleevers as it was from Reuben unto Iudah and wee partake of the same birth-right with our head For here is a difference betweene the type and truth of the first borne They had all their priviledges for themselves but Christ not for himselfe but for us Whence his elect members are called the Congregation of the first borne written in heaven that is whose names are written in the booke of life And farther the more those first borne had the lesse had the other brethren but the more Christ hath the more have we seeing of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace If he be strong he is strong for us if rich he is so to us If he be Prince and Priest of his family the Church hereby we recover the dignity we had lost by sinne and of slaves and vassalls of corruption are made Kings and Priests that is the first borne to God Rev. 1. 6. If he have a double portion of the spirit so have wee by him Isa. 40. 2. speake to the heart of Ierusalem her iniquity is forgiven she hath received double at the Lords hand for all her sinnes that is a double portion of grace and favour As Ioseph made Benjamins messe to be doubled so our Jesus doubles his spirit on the elect If he have a double portion of glory immortality and heavenly inheritance so have we in him being coheires with him in the same inheritance Rom. 8. 17. 2. Comfort Being Gods first borne through Christ wee are deare unto God So Exod. 4. 22. Israel is my first borne that is deare unto me as the first borne commonly are dearest to their Parents Israel before his receiving into the Covenant was the worst of all people and smallest in it selfe and in Gods eyes Deut. 7. and 9. 4. But afterwards being in the right of the Messiah Gods first borne became deare to him as the apple of his eye Now what a joy is it to the beleeving soule to see God a father looke towards it as a father to his first borne So fareth it now with us being so made in Christ. 3. Comfort God takes notice and revengeth all the wrongs done to the Saints because they are his first borne Let Aegypt offer injury to Gods first borne God will say Slay every first borne of man and beast in Aegypt let them see in the punishment their sinne For can a tender father see an arme or a legge of his first borne cut off Would it not go to his heart to see him dismembred And can the Lord Jesus endure any wrongs and cruelties done to his members and this not pierce his bowels A man may sometime see his child in want and correct his first borne for his farther good send him to bee schooled and trayned in some course under a sharpe discipline but to see him wounded to see him bleed cast off troden under fee◠he cannot endure No more the Lord. Let no man never so great dare to wrong the godly for he will rebuke Kings for their sakes IV. Seeing in Christ the first borne wee attaine the birthright let every Christian beware of prophanenesse and passing away his birthright as Esau who sold his birthright for pottage Heb. 12. 16. and therefore called prophane So doe they that exchange spirituall things for temporall earth for heaven As many who pretend a part in Christ but in Esaus language say Give me my pottage my silver my honour my profit my pleasure let them take their religion their preaching praying and precisenesse a bird in hand is worth two in the bush This contempt of their priviledges robbed the Jewes of them who being cast out of favour of first borne become the last of all people and now wee Gentiles are stept into their birthright Let us be wise in the entertayning our prerogative conscionably expresse our love to Christ and his Gospell not hatred as they least provoking the Lord he deale with us in justice as he did with them For if he spared not the naturall branches Rom. 11. 21. What reason hath he to spare us V. Learne to grow in conformity with our elder brother Christ with whom wee cannot be equall but like as brothers All must have one father one flesh one spirit For the brotherhood stands not in communion of flesh and blood for so every man were his brother but in the spirituall union by regeneration Ioh. 1. 13. We must be like him in affection like him in affliction like him in the combat and like him in the Crowne How like unto Christ is he that resists and despises the spirit of grace that having onely humane nature hath no whit of that divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. When heardest thou this first borne brother to sweare or lye Or be idle in speech wanton in behaviour carelesse of his course or company When was he ashamed of thy cause of thy Crosse yea or curse But thou art ashamed of his Crosse and cause When did he revile rebuke hate Would he be like us in every thing even in our evills sinne onely excepted should not we be like him in grace to be like him in glory CHAP. XIV Priests Types in the deputation to their office OF the rankes and orders of holy persons some were sanctified and seperated to the Lord by office or function As the Priests and high Priests who of all other were most expresse types of Jesus Christ. Heb. 4. 14. We have a great high Priest which is entred into heaven even Iesus the Son of God The Priest a type of Christ 1. In deputatiō to his office wherein 1. his choice 1. for his tribe 2. for his perfections 2. his consecration 3. his apparrell 2. In execution of it Actions 1. Common 2. Ministeriall Sect. I. I. The Choise had respect 1. To the tribe He must come of one onely tribe of Levi which was by God of all the tribes seperated and appointed by God to exercise the Priesthood in the Tabernacle and to performe whatsoever belonged to the holy Ministery This signified Christ our Mediator who must bee a speciall and singular man taken from among men Heb. 5. 1. as they true man as they For he must be true man in nature and affection that must mediate and negotiate mans cause with God and so taken from men to stand in the midst betweene God and man True it is our Lord came not of Levi but out of Iudah Heb. 7. 14. with the reason for he was not to be after the manner of Aaron but of Melchizedek verse 15 and because hee was to change the Priesthood and would doe it in the tribe and was to bee a Priest not after the carnall commandement but after the power of endlesse life verse 16. But yet he was expressely typed by those Priests Neither was it without a spirituall signification that Aaron the first of those high Priests should bee Moses brother For what more brotherly league then of
house and for all the people but not without blood Signifying that Christ by one alone sacrifice of himselfe hath opened the Sanctuary of heaven and by his ascension hath made entrance into it on our behalfe and there appeares before God once for all to make intercession for us See Heb. 10. 12 19. And as he must goe alone without all attendants so Christ must tread the winepresse alone No friend no disciple stands with him no fellow no companion goes with him to make attonement but all feare and flye that we might cast our eye on no other Mediatour but him 1 Tim. 2. 5. IV. He must continually decide the highest controversies he must judge betweene the cleane and unclean he must excommunicate the one out of the congregation and receive in the other when he was legally cleansed Signifying Christ who in the Church and Scriptures is the supreame Judge of all controversies It is his word alone can binde or loose justifie or condemne According to his direction obstinate persons are to be cast out and penitent offendors received in As Pharaoh to Ioseph so God to Christ Without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Aegypt Gen 41. 44. I. Ministers of the new Testament must learne hence to attend diligently on their charges and know that the substance of all these duties lyeth as heavy on their shoulders as upon those Priests of the old Testament Every conscionable Minister is bound 1. To prepare sacrifices to the Lord. In the old Law the Priest presented dead sacrifices but we must offer living ones They dead beasts but we living men quickened by faith alive by the Spirit of God holy and acceptable They externall and unreasonable we reasonable and spirituall such as God who is a Spirit may accept and delight in They must first kill and then sacrifice so we can never present any man an acceptable sacrifice without killing his sin As the poore beast must be killed and cut in pieces and then offered so we must by the sharpe knife of the Law urging repentance and mortification cut asunder the heart-strings of sinne mangle the body of sinne and let out the life-blood of mans lusts and corruptions And as they having slaine the beast must wash the entraile burne the fat cast the filth and dung into the place of ashes so the Minister after his labour in mortifying sinne must bring men to the lavour of sanctification separate them from their foulenesse and bring them to full holinesse in the feare of God 2. The Priest must preserve knowledge his lips must feed many hee must stand in the counsell of God and bee as his mouth And as Jesus Christ brought the whole will and counsell of God from the bosome of his Father So must his Minister declare that whole counsell to the Church and keepe nothing backe 3. The Minister must daily dresse the holy lampes and lights morning and evening and preserve the light from going out he must prouide oile for the continuall feeding of the lights that is by painefull and diligent study of the Scriptures and meditation hee must furnish himselfe to the worke of the Ministery that the light of holy doctrine may shine by him on all occasions that having the tongue of the learned he may be alwayes ready to speake a word to him that is weary and never want words of comfort which may bee as oile to the distressed soule 4. He must daily burne incense before the Lord upon the Altar of sweete perfume that is offer daily prayers as sweet odours in the Name of Christ who is the Altar of sweet perfume both for himselfe and his people He must pray also for the people and blesse them as Samuel God forbid I should sinne against God and not pray for you For his office is to stand betweene God and his people Every man must bee his owne mouth to God but hee must bee the mouth of every man 5. He must weekly set the Shew-bread before the Lord that is propound Jesus Christ the true bread of life the Manna that came downe from heaven the continuall strength and nourishment of the Church of God both in the ministery of the Word and Sacraments which the ancient Church did weekely celebrate as the Priest did weekly set these loaves Nay hee must not onely set them before others but himselfe must feed on them as the Priests did on the Shew bread all the weeke and yeare long lest it befall him as that Prince 2. King 7. 20. that saw plenty of food with his eyes but tasted not of it for being troden under foot he died II. Every Christian as a Priest unto God must 1. Daily labour in his owne mortification Every day kill some beast or other some lust or other that as wilde beasts are untamed and dangerous to the soule 2. Morning and evening dresse his lights and looke to the clearing of his lamps setting himselfe a taske of daily reading the Scriptures for the clearing of his judgement and the informing of his minde and for the reforming of his heart and life that hee may shine every day more clearly then other in holy conversation 3. Every day burne incense before the Lord upon the Altar of sweet perfume both morning and evening Every Christian morning and evening must offer up dayly prayers and praises as a sweet smell unto God That as the smoke of sweet incense goeth upward and disperseth it selfe abroad in the aire so the incense of prayer ascending may disperse it selfe abroad for the benefit of the person family Church at home and abroad What else calls the Apostle for saying Pray continually in all things give thanks but that the Lord should smell the sweet odours of our morning and evening prayer especially when wee rise and goe to rest How this duty is neglected and with manifest contempt and losse every mans conscience can tell him Now in offering this incense 1. See no strange incense be offered that is no prayer without faith 2. None but upon the Altar of incense none but in the Name of Christ. 4. Every weeke on the Sabbath day as the Priests in the Law provide himselfe of shew-bread to serve for his provision all the weeke that is make such conscionable use of the holy Ministery as hee may preserve life of grace and strength of grace which falls to consumption in the soule except it be continually repayred even as the body wasteth without naturall food 5. Every yeare set apart a day of expiation to make an atonement for himselfe for his house and all the people This proportion shewes it not amisse once a yeare to set apart a day of humiliation in serious fasting and prayer to make atonement for our owne and others sinnes The equity of which seemes not onely grounded in that Law Levit. 16. 29. which enjoines the Jew a yearly standing fast wherein once a yeare every
CHRIST REVEALED OR THE OLD TESTAMENT EXPLAINED A Treatise of the Types and Shadowes of our SAVIOVR contained throughout the whole SCRIPTVRE All opened and made usefull for the benefit of Gods Church By THOMAS TAILOR D. D. late Preacher at ALDERMANBVRY Perfected by himselfe before his death HIERON ad PAVLIN In promptu est Leviticus liber in quo singula sacrificia imo singulae penê syllabae vestis Aaron totus ordo Leviticus spirant coelestia sacramenta LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman and L. Fawne at the signe of the Brazen serpent in Pauls Churchyard M DC XXXV TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir MILES FLEETEWOOD Knight Receiver Generall of his Maties Court of Wards and Liveries All welfare in Christ IESVS Noble Sir IT is a truth able to endure the most fiery times trialls None but Christ none but Christ. Ignatius expresseth as much drawing neare to his Martyrdome Let come upon me fire crosse meetings of wilde beasts cuttings tearings breakings of bones rendings of members dissolutions of the whole body and all torments of the devill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only that I may gain Iesus Christ. Thus he intreating the Romans not to intercede for him and hinder his â—uffering for the Gospell And thus the servants of God in these last times when Romanists have thrust them into flames and other calamities Christ is all and in all said the Apostle Look to the Church he supplies all defects of his people heales all their infirmities puts on all comfortable relations and procures all saving benefits In the golden chaine of our salvation which reacheth from eternitie to eternitie we shal observe that Christ is the owke or closure that tyeth every linke together as in these lines He is the foundation of our election Ephes 1. 4. He is the price of our redemption 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. He is the cause efficient of our regeneration Eph. 2. 10. He is the author of our justification Ier. 33. 16. He is the beginner and perfecter of our sanctification Heb. 12. 2. Iohn 15. 4 5. He is the matter of our consolation spirituall and temporal c. 16. 37. Rom. 5. 1. He is the sweetner and sanctifier of all our troubles Rom. 8. 37. c. He is the assurance pledge of our resurrectioÌ„ 1 Cor. 15. 20. He is the procurer producer of our glorificatioÌ„ Iohn 17. 22. Rev. 21. 23. All of theÌ„ good grounds of coÌ„fort set forth the happines of Gods people All of them disgrace merit the worthinesse of the creatures Men and Angels All of them magnifie Gods love and wisedome call unto thankfulnesse and would make us content with little All invite labour to make sure of a portion in Christ without whom all is as nothing And finally all command those that are in Christ to be all unto him do all for him give all suffer all speake live die rejoyce in all through him and with him expect all in his heavenly kingdome Looke to the Word wherein all these things are revealed Christ is evidently the matter and summe of the Gospell and the Apostle affirmes the like concerning the Law Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth First by similitude saith Austin when a man is come to the end of a way he can go no farther so when a Christian is come to Christ he hath no farther excellencie to seek or go unto in Christ there is enough and enough to reconcile him to God and bring him to heaven Secondly for perfection saith Cyril When a thing is finished it is said to come to an end as namely in weaving a garment so Christ hath finished perfected and fulfilled the Law he came not to destroy but establish it so that in him we have a perfect righteousnes to present God withall even as the Law required Gal. 2. 16. 21. Thirdly he is finis intentionis the Law bids us look to Christ in whom only we can live both the Morall Law in the holy precepts of it impossible in this our weaknesse therefore have recourse to Christ Rom. 8. 3 4. together with the curses and threats of it whereby it is a sharpe Schoolemaster leading to Christ Gal. 3. 24. As also the Ceremoniall Law all whose shadowes figure out Christ and his benefits Heb. 10. 1. Now is Christ come saith Tertullian who is the end of the Law opening all the dark matters of it anciently covered under the mists of Types and Sacraments An excellent master an heavenly teacher a setler of truth to the uttermost Austin calls Moses his ceremonies prenunciative or foretelling Observations and saith We are not now constrained to observe things used in the Prophets time Non quia illa damnata sed quia in melius mutata sunt not for any evill in them but because they are changed for the better What they foretold and how they are changed for the better this Treatise in part discovereth and I purpose not now to discourse These glorious times of the Gospel shew evidently how much the truth excelleth the shadow the vertue common to the ancient beleevers as well as unto us Christ Iesus yesterday and to day and the same for ever but as the manifestation is more cleare so the grace is more plentifull and comfortable The same Testator made both Testaments and these differ not really but accidentally the Old infolding the New with some darknesse and the New unfolding the Old with joyous perspicuitie This glorious dispensation of grace as it stands by the good pleasure of God so also by his manifold wisedome who in severall approches of his mercy and goodnesse drawes still nearer to his Church and yet reserves the greatest for his Kingdome of glory Even now in this marvellous light of the Gospell we have our divine ceremonies and sacraments see him afarre off know but in part darkly as in a glasse and receive our best contentment by the acts of faith while the Word and Spirit make us know the things freely given us of God in Christ Iesus But time shall bee when to say nothing of the estate of the Church after the ruine of Antichrist and calling of the Iewes we shall in heaven see him whom we beleeved face to face clearly perfectly immediately without Sacraments or Types in the fullest vision nearest union and absolutest fruition Never till then shall we comprehend wholly what is the marrow of that text I am the Way the Truth and the Life To your Worship I commend this Treatise of that illuminate Doctor excellent sometime in following and opening an Allegory and now more excellent in enjoying the Truth it selfe of whom while here a Preacher you shewed your selfe a joyfull Hearer as of other faithfull Pastors at this day with obedience of the truth religious care of your family integrity in your office love of good men both in the Ministery and private estate and all Christian
wondrous workes of the Sonne of God in the working out of mans salvation and leading them to the heavenly Canaan I. What a fearefull thing it is to bee an enemy of God and his Church Never was Ioshua so mighty against the enemies of Israel not one of whom were he never so strong could stand before him as our Ioshua is to roote out at once all his enemies Art thou an enemie to Jesus an hindrer of any of his people in their way to Canaan looke to thy selfe Suppose thou hadst power above Ioshua the type art thou stronger then the true Ioshua Hee carries victory in his banner Iulian shall cry with his guts in his armes O Galilean thou hast the victory The proudest enemy shall be as lambs greace before a consuming fire Our great Ioshua shall set his feet upon thy necke and make thee the dust of his footstoole nay hee shall set the feet of his despised servants upon thy necke as Ioshua did The power of one and thirty Kings shall not carry it against him If thou art an enemy hasten thy repentance else thou hastenest thy destruction If thou worke not the will of God God will worke his will on thee And what need any man bee offended at the present prosperity of Gods enemies be they never so great seeing our Ioshua shall suddenly blast their power and glory and dash them asunder as earthen vessells II. Comfort All the good word of God for the salvation of his people shall bee accomplished 1. Though the promise may seeme out of minde Ioshua shall performe every word and syllable of that promise made three hundreth yeeres before 2. Though there be never so many hindrances and mighty lets they shall not hinder God promiseth the good land but how should they get thorow Iordan seeing there is no other way Now rather then his promise shall faile he will invert the order of nature Iordan shall stop his course nay runne backward The like in their comming out of Egypt God had said that night they must out and the sea must give way to the promise God promiseth Ioshua to overcome 5. Kings at once an hard taske and one day is too little for it but rather then the night approaching shall dissolve the battell and any of them escape hee will command the Sunne to stand still and lengthen the day that his word may bee accomplished Israel in passing to Canaan must passe the huge and terrible wildernesse fourty yeares Alas what shall they eate or drinke Can a barren wildernesse afford any food or if any for so many hundred thousand men But before the promise faile heaven shall raine Manna the rocke shall give abundance of water Hath God promised thee daily bread helpe in affliction refreshing in wearinesse remission in sense of sinne a blessed issue in every triall Let thy faith give God the honour of truth Heaven shall fall and earth ascend before thou beleeving shalt be frustrate Isai. 54. 10. Hath hee promised thee the heavenly Canaan what if thou seest armies of enemies of discouragements thou being an Israelite shalt not faile For 1. Nothing in nature is so strong as the promise 2. God hath after a sort captivated himselfe and all his creatures to thy faith 3. He may deferre the promise but never deny it or himselfe Wait still III. Is Christ the true Ioshua 1. Acknowledge him our Captaine and head 2. Submit our selves unto him as Israell unto Ioshua Iosh. 1. 11. 17. All that thou commandest us we will doe and whether thou sendest us we will goe as we obeyed Moses in all things so will we obey thee 3. Follow him as our guide into that eternall rest and depend on him for our inheritance there Moses cannot carry us in for himselfe must onely see the land So wee may see the land of promise a farre off in the Law but onely Jesus can bring us in For 1. He alone is entred already to take possession for us 2. He hath undertaken to carry us through our wildernesse to our Canaan IV. What conditions we must observe in comming to heaven as they in comming to the good land 1. The land is theirs and possession given but many Canaanites and Jebusites must dwell in the Land under tribute still ch 15. 63. and 16. 10. So notwithstanding all our promises of rest and possession of peace of conscience in this world are some yea may Canaanites and Jebusites to molest Gods people But at last our Ioshua leaves never an enemy unsubdued There shall nothing which is unholy get within the walls of that City hee sees the last enemy destroyed 2. They must not come into that land till they were circumcised for all the forty yeares in the wildernesse they were not circumcised ch 5. 3. 7. Till the shame of Aegypt was remooved vers 9 Ioshua cannot bring them into the promised land Which shame as Iunius thinks was the prophanenesse of their fathers contracted in Aegypt whereby they grew carelesse of Gods ordinances Our Ioshua brings not us into our Canaan so long as wee are prophane and uncircumcised till he have circumcised our hearts and we be holy and sanctified for without shall be dogs 3. Ioshua must divide their inheritance by lot and so every one must receive it not by right or desert ch 14. 2. And so God commanded Moses Numb 26. 55 So our Ioshua divides to the elect their inheritance in the heavenly countrey not for their merits and deserts but by his rich and free gift If no Israelite could claime of Ioshua one foot out of merit and desert but all of promise and grace much lesse may we our childs part in heaven Gods mercy is mans merit 4. Ioshua gives them the land with this condition that for so great labour and travell in preparing so good a land they affoord him an inheritance among them ch 19. 49. Our Ioshua was not inferiour in labour and paines to Ioshua in purchasing us a better land and we must give him the inheritance he asketh so they did to Ioshua that he may dwell among us or in the midst of us Now the inheritance he asketh among us is our hearts purged by faith He desires no more of thee for all his paines but a little roome in the midst of thee which himselfe will build and dwell in If thou dost not give him his demand besides thy unkindnesse and unthankfulnesse thy heart shall lie as a ruinous wast as a nasty and stinking hoale a cage of uncleane beasts and lusts yea an habitation of Devils 5. Ioshua brings them into the good land and as soone as they eate the corne of the land the Manna ceaseth the next morrow ch 5. 12. So when our Ioshua shall bring us into our good land to eate the fruit of it the good things and meanes of this world shall cease The Manna the preaching of the word celebration of Sacraments faith and hope c.
them at liberty being cast in bound 5. The power of God makes all the creatures serviceable to his Church the love of God to his Church makes them comfortable and the presence of God with his Church makes them profitable as the presence of the Angell in the bush the presence of a fourth like the Sonne of God in the furnace Dan 3. and the Pillar of fire was a signe of the presence of God in it who made a pillar of dreadfull and unmercifull fire a great mercy to his people yea and most beneficiall 6. The wisedome of God can put understanding into these senselesse creatures to distinguish betweene an Israelite and an Aegyptian The fire shall give light to the Israëlites and deny it to the Aegyptians The sea shall give way to Israel but shut up the way to Aegypt The cloud shall hide cover and comfort the Israelites but deny it to the Aegyptians The fire shall come out and destroy the Captaines and their fifties and send them to hell but a Chariot of fire shal hoyse Eliah to heaven Make use of this observation for the present in the greatest dangers remembring that gracious promise Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the fire I will be with thee and it shall not burne thee no more then the Pillar did the Israelites Doe the enemies come out against us as strong as Pillars as furious and fiery as â—ire it selfe Never was there so hot a Pillar of fire but there was a cooling and covering cloud as neere us The Cloud that makes the Red sea give way can conquer Canaanits too and all the furious enemies that come out against us Were it not for this Cloud of Gods gracious protection there were no standing against the heat and rage of such fiery enemies Lay up this meditation for time to come Time shall bee when our Lord Jesus shall appeare in flaming fire 2. Thess. 1 Heb. 10. 7. hee comes with a violent fire Psal. 50. 3. a fire shall devour before him This shall burne up the studs of heaven and earth and now how shall any man bee able to stand before these great burnings Now know 1. That that dreadfull fire shall attend Christ the head as a servant for the finall salvation of his members 2. It shall bee commanded to bee comfortable to the elect as most dreadfull to the wicked driving them to their wits end even as this Pillar of fire was And as the waters of the deluge which while they drowned the world of the ungodly lifted up the Arke and saved that from drowning III. Who they bee that may expect to partake of all these comforts from this Pillar Answ. The Cloud is not the same to all But the same cloud that lightned Israel cast darknesse on the Aegyptians so Christ is not the same to all not sweet not comfortable to all But to such as are 1. Of mount Sion Isai. 4. 5. true members of the Church sonnes of the Church known by cleaving to the Assemblies Vpon Sion and the Assemblies thereof shall be a cloud In Sion shall be deliverance And as the hills compasse Jerusalem so doth the Lords protection his people 2. Such as be in the Lords wayes gotten out of the Aegypt of their darknesse and earthlinesse and moving still towards Canaan for so did the Israelites So Psal. 91. 11. they shall keepe thee in all thy wayes All the while Israel was in Aegypt they had no Pillar of cloud and Fire and when they came into Canaan they had none nor needed any but while they were walking in the wildernesse in unknowen wayes in danger of enemies We are without protection while wee are in the state of nature not called out of our Aegypt and when wee shall come into our Canaan we shall need none because wee shall be set quite beyond danger and enemies But now in our moving towards heaven in so many dangerous wayes among so many mortall enemies wee need the Cloud and the Lord supplies our need 3. Such as lift up their eyes to this Cloud and Pillar for direction Had Israel refused to move according to the motion of it it would not have sheltred and comforted but revenged them Such onely shall obtaine the mercy of God in Christ who obediently follow Christ and submit themselves to his direction If thou waitest upon him for duty thou mayest waite upon him for mercy for such onely shall attaine it Gal 6. 16. Psal. 121. 1. I will lift mine eyes up to the mountaines and then verse 6. the Sunne shall not smite thâ—e by day nor the Moone by night alluding to this place in which the cloud abates the heat of the Sunne by day and the fire the coldnesse of the Moone by night 4. Such as persevere and goe on forward in grace For therefore was the Pillar light in the night to Israel that they might goe forward day and night And therefore was it a darke cloud to the Aegyptians that they might not hinder the Israelites in their way Gods favour and protection belongs to such as desire to prosper and profit in grace and get every day neerer their happinesse Object But this seemes to be the way to lose all peace and joy of our lives seeing none are more assailed by Satan and wicked men then godly men sonnes of the Church that walke in Gods wayes that take Gods directions and desire to proceed and persever in godlinesse how then are all these promises accomplished Answ. 1. All promises of temporall good things are made with exception of the crosse this exception impeacheth not the promise 2. It is a common condition of good and bad to sustaine many evils and undergoe many difficulties but with this difference that the wicked have no Pillar to sustaine them no cloud no refuge or hiding place but the godly hath God for his refuge his Pillar and Cloud 3. The Pillar still stands over the Tabernacle and saves the Armie of Israel the whole Church is ever saved by Gods protection though some souldiers may fall in the battell as Martyrs who receive not alwaies corporall deliverance to receive a better resurrection 4. If this Pillar put not off some evills it ever supplies some greater good If it deliver not from death it delivers by death If our state seeme not so good it will turne it to good Rom. 8. It led the Israelites to Marah a place of bitternesse but the next remove was to Elim where were twelve fountaines of water Exod. 15. 23 27. It suffers the Israelites to want meat in the wildernesse but to feed them with Manna If to want drinke it is to supply them by miracle to refresh their soules as well as bodies by water out of a rocke IV. In the same Pillar of the Cloud see justice and mercy met together and tempered 1. Mercy to the Church and beleevers that now wee behold Gods presence in a cloud The brightnesse of his goodnesse to us shines in
seeing he was before all worlds eternally begotten of his Father And whereas Melchizedek onely had no beginning or end of life expressed Christ is onely truely without beginning neither shall have any end for hee is the beginning and the ending And although his humanity had genealogie beginning and ending of life yet as he was the word hee had none And although as the Sonne he was from the father yet as God hee was from none but as the word was of himselfe Here also is a difference Melchizedek was without genealogy according to Scripture Christ according to nature IV. In the excellency of his 1. Person 2. Priesthood 1. For excellency of Person 1. Melchizedek was greater then Abraham for he blessed Abraham and the greater blesseth the lesser Heb. 7. 7. signifying Christ the fountaine and originall of all blessing in heavenly and earthly things Ephes. 1. 3. 2. Melchizedek refreshed Abraham and his Army returning weary from the battell and journey with bread and wine Here Abraham was a receiver Melchizedek a giver a manifest type of Iesus Christ refreshing and comforting all his followers and members of his militant Church in their journey and wearinesse with his word and Sacraments Matthew 11. 28. I will refresh you 3. Melchizedek was man onely and sinfull Christ God and man without sinne Melchizedek as the sonne of God Christ indeed the Sonne of God 2. For the excellency of his Sacrifice or his Priesthood which was greater then Aarons For 1. Levi and Aaron paid tythes in Abrahams loines to Melchizedek Heb. 7. 9. and the inferiour payes tythes to the Superiour Such is the Priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek not of Aaron 2. In regard of the entrance Melchizedek was not anointed with materiall oile as Aaron nor received his Priesthood from any other but onely so declared by the mouth of God So Christ succeeded none received his Priesthood from none but anointed by the Spirit of God Luke 4. 18. and made a Priest by the Oath of God Psal. 110. 4. The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek 3. In regard of the continuance of his Priesthood For as hee receives it from none so hee passeth it not to any other nor any can succeed him but hee endureth ever having an everlasting Priesthood Heb. 7. 24. The Leviticall Priesthood ended particularly in the death of every high Priest and universally and finally in the death of our high Priest But Christ is eternall who died but rose againe figured in Melchizedek I. If Christ bee the true Melchizedek then must he needs bee greater then Abraham though the Jewes vainely gainesay it Ioh. 8. 53. To him all our tythes and offerings our sacrifice of praises are due as tythes and offerings due from Abraham to Melchizedek Hee is blessed and Prince onely the King of kings and Lord of lords unto him be honour and power everlasting 1. Tim. 6. 15 16. So the foure and twenty Elders Revel 11. 15 17. And Angels Beasts Elders and all creatures Revel 5. 11 12 13. II. For the comfort of the Church that Christ is the true Melchizedek both a Priest and a King 1. As he is a Priest wee are assured of a perfect reconciliation by his all-sufficient Sacrifice 2. Of sound instruction for the Priest must teach the Law his lips must present knowledge Ioh. 4. 25. When the Messiah is come hee will tell us all things Wee detest the blasphemy therefore that tells us that he hath left an imperfect doctrine that must bee eeked with traditions 3. Of his blessed intercession which is meritorious and acceptable Samuel out of his love to the people 1. Sam. 12. 23. saith thus God forbid that I should sinne and cease to pray for you but I will teach you the good way Christs love to the Church is no lesse therefore he will both teach and pray 4. Of powerfull protection and safety For he is not our Priest onely but our King not our Doctor onely but our defendor not a Priest onely to pray but a King to obtaine for us and bestow on us what he prayes for What if he had never so much power in teaching if he were impotent in defending But he is King of peace in himselfe and unto us We haue a powerfull aduocate in heaven They never tasted the sweetnesse of this doctrine that seeke after any other Mediator III. Hence is the happinesse of the Church As Melchizedek blessed Abraham So Christ our Melchizedek hath blessed all the faithfull posterity of Abraham Eph. 1. 3. with all spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus But with difference Melchizedek onely pronounced blessing Gen. 14. 19. blessed art thou of God possessor of heaven and earth But our Melchizedek meriteth and bestoweth blessings of higher kind also then could Melchizedek For 1. Christ blesseth by meriting blessing through his most perfect sacrifice pacifying his Fathers wrath Melchizedek offered no such sacrifice to no such effect his was accepted by mercy not for merit not for his owne sacrifice but for Christs 2. By actuall procuring the blessing of remission of sinnes and righteousnesse restored a more effectual blessing then Melchidek could procure His sacrifices could onely signifie these in the Messiahs not actually apply them 3. By gathering calling ruling and preserving in spirituall life his whole Church as members of his owne body and by the donation of his spirit none of which blessings Melchizedek could give 4. By bestowing eternall life on beleevers here in the first fruits heereafter in the harvest whereof Melchizedek must be a receiver from him the fountaine not a giver 5. By publishing and pronouncing on beleevers all this blessing in the preaching of the Gospell and sealing it to the hearts of the elect by the daily effectuall voyce of his spirit by the word which Melchizedek could not doe Therefore a greater then Melchizedek is here and a greater blessing then Abraham received from him Let the world curse wicked ones rage and revile against the Church and members yet as Isaac said of Iacob Gen. 27. 33. I have blessed him and therefore he shall be blessed the same will Christ not say onely but accomplish to them IIII. Hence is the stability and perpetuity of the Church and members That Christ is the true Melchizedek that is an eternall Priest the Church must be eternall For a Priest cannot be without a Church nor an eternall Priest without an eternall Church but of Christ it is said thou art a Priest for ever Therefore Tyrants shall not wast it time shall not outlast it death shall not hinder the being and happinesse of it no more then it could the eternity of the Priest himselfe who rose gloriously from the dead so shall the members How happy a thing is it to be of this houshold V. The excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall This
which set thee on worke will hasten thy deliverance CHAP. VI. 5. Ioseph a type of Christ 4. wayes I. IN regard of his person 1. Ioseph was the first borne of the beloved Rahel as Christ was the first borne of the freely beloved Mary 2. Best beloved of his father Genes 37. 3. figuring Christ who was declared the welbeloved in whom his Father delighted Matth. 3. 17. 3. Hee was very beautifull Gen. 39. 6. and his internall beauty was more then his externall Christ was more beautifull then the sonnes of men and making us beautifull in his beauty 4. Ioseph was endued with such a measure of wisedome and understanding as none was like him in whom Gods Spirit was For which cause hee was called Zaphnath-paaneah verse 45. that is an expounder of secrets figuring Christ in whom were treasures of wisedome and the Spirit beyond all measure who is therefore called the great Counseller and the Lambe onely worthy to open the booke who onely hath the key of David to open the secret mysteries of salvation 5. In Iacobs last Testament Ioseph is called a fruitfull bough whose branches runne upon the wall because out of him branched two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh therein hee was a type of Christ who is not a fruitfull bough onely but a root from whom all the tribes of God branch out and flourish And whereas those tribes are come to nothing Christ shall see his seed and prolong his dayes II. In his actions 1. Ioseph was sent by his father to visite his brethren in the wildernesse So was Christ sent to seeke his brethren wandring in the wildernesse he was sent to the lost sheepe of Israel 2. As at thirty yeares Ioseph was preferred to his Office by Pharaoh So at thirty yeares Christ entred his Office 3. As by Pharaoh a virgin was given Ioseph to wife verse 45 So in the Church as a pure Virgin given by the Father to Jesus Christ as his Spouse to sanctifie and save All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out 4. As Ioseph out of Pharaohs garners feeds all Egypt all his fathers house and the nations whence in Gen. 49. 24. he is called the feeder of Israel and a stone that is a rocke or refuge to his brethren So Jesus Christ is the feeder of Israel and of all the family of God in all Nations of the earth not with temporall food onely but with the Manna from heaven the Word and Sacraments and his owne flesh and blood the incorruptible and indeficient bread and water of life 5. As Ioseph in his lowest estate was both a Lord in the prison and a comforter of the prisoners assuring the Butler of his life and recovery of his place So Jesus Christ at his lowest abasement was Lord over death and the grave having command of them and his last breath on the Crosse all most comforted the poore thiefe promising him both life and glory 6. As Ioseph doth all the good he can for his brethren that had ill deserved it For 1. Hee teacheth them how to live together and commends brotherly love and concord fall not out by the way 2. Teacheth them how to speake to Pharaoh and what to demand 3. Goes to Pharaoh and speaks and obtaines for them whatsoever he would and placeth them in Goshen the far of the land till they come to Canaan So Jesus Christ above all lessons commended to us the new Commandement of love a badge of his disciples teacheth us how to pray and what in the Lords prayer himselfe intercedes for us and obtaineth all that good is and provides for us in earth till we come to Canaan III. In his sufferings and passions 1. The archers grieved him Gen 49. 23. that is not his Mistris onely and Master but his brethren also conspire against him although sent from his father in love and comes in love to see how they doe and to know their wants yet they scorn him behold yonder dreamer comes they consult to kill him let us kill him and see what will become of his dreames So Jesus Christ came among his owne sent from his Father in love pitying the wandrings and wants of men but the Jews scorne him for a deceiver plot to kill him conspire against his life 2. As his brethren sold him for twenty pieces stript him naked cast him into a pit sent him as a slave into Egypt where hee being indeed free became a servant So Jesus Christ in his infancy was sent into Egypt sold by the Jews for thirty pieces stript naked of his apparrell and in the forme of a servant cast into the pit of death and the grave whence they thought never to have heard more of him as Iosephs brethren did 3. As in this service Ioseph was tempted to whoredome by his wanton Mistris when they were alone and that often and dayly but by strength of grace stoutly resisted yea conquered her and himselfe So was Jesus Christ in the entrance of his Ministery strongly assailed by Satan to spirituall whoredome when he was alone in the wildernesse and that often set upon yet by the power of the Spirit overcame and conquered so as the evill one found nothing in him 4. As in this service notwithstanding his faithfulnesse and innocency Ioseph was falsely accused condemned cast into prison with the Butler and Baker So was Jesus Christ notwithstanding all his innocency falsely accused they lay things to his charge he never knew as falsely condemned bound yea fastened to the Crosse betweene the thieves and cast into the grave as into a prison till the time of his deliverance came that he was taken out from prison and judgement as Isai. 53. 8. IV. In his advancement and preferment For 1. As Ioseph was separate from his brethren Gen. 49. 26. that is advanced by God to honour above them all So Christ was separate and advanced in glory above men and Angels Heb. 1. 4. hath obtained a farre more excellent name then the Angels 2. Though Ioseph was shot at by the archers yet his arme was strengthened the bonds and fetters were loosed and he not onely brought out of prison but advanced to bee Lord over the whole land and next unto Pharaoh having all administration delivered unto him So Jesus Christ although he was a But or signe of contradiction yet his arme was strengthened to raise himselfe out of the grave to loose all chaines of sin to loose all sorrowes of death and being risâ—n againe was advanced and exalted above all creatures all power given him in heaven and earth his throne set next unto his Fathers the Lord of his Church and ruler of the whole earth to him is committed the governement and his bounds are the utmost hills Psalm 2. yea the whole Church in heaven and earth is his to whom all power belongs 3. As Pharaoh every way
prayer prayses duty endeavour Be encouraged Ioseph will accept small and meane gifts from brethren although he need them not Gen. 43. 15. Our Ioseph despiseth not a graine of grace not smoaking flax CHAP. VII 6. Moses a type of Christ 4. waies MOses was a type of Christ. Deut. 18. 18. A Prophet will I raise up like unto thee Here is a similitude a likenesse no parity no equality This is the difference Christ is worthy of more glory then Moses Heb. 3. 3. For Moses was meere man Christ God as well as man Christ the builder of Gods house Moses but a stone in it Christ a sonne in the house Moses but a servant Christ the Lord of his owne house being the Church Moses a servant in his Lords house Now let us see wherein the similitude is I. In his person and estate 1. Moses was of meane parents and birth So was Christ of a poore decayed and dryed stocke and borne of a poore Virgin who at her purification brought a payre of Doves a gift appointed for poore persons Luk. 2. 24. Whereas rich folkes must bring a Lamb of a yeare old Lev. 12. 6. 2. Moses was no sooner borne but he was exposed to the cruelty of King Pharaoh and sought out to death So Christ in his infancy was sought by Herod to bee slaine But both by Gods extraordinary and especiall providence saved and delivered that both might bee saviours and deliverers the one by her whose sonne he was reputed the other by him whose sonne he was reputed 3. Moses was a shepheard he kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in law Exod. 3. and while Moses was in that private estate wee read of little concerning his life expressed till he was fourty yeares old So Christ was a shepheard sent to seeke and save the lost sheepe of his Fathers fold of whose private life wee read as little as of Moses till he was thirty yeares old 4. Moses was of a most meeke and sweet disposition above al men living yet full of zeale and indignation against sin as at the erecting of the calfe Exod. 32 So Christ a patterne of meekenesse Learne of me for I am meeke but most zealous and earnest at the abuse of the Temple Mar. 11. II. In his office and function 1. Both appointed by God Moses sent and raysed to deliver Israel out of Pharaohs bondage Christ sent to deliver all the Israell of God from the Pharaoh of hell and all his oppression of sinne curse damnation the most heavy taskes and burthens Moses was appoynted to lead Israell towards Canaan So Christ to lead the Church the Israell of God into heaven And whereas Moses was to lead them but into the sight of Canaan and the borders Our Moses leads us into the heavenly Canaan and gives us possession 2. Both were furnished by God to their office 1. Moses was learned in all the learning of Aegypt Christ was learned to admiration His enemies asked whence hath he all this great learning Ioh. 7. 15. And Never man spake like this man Ioh. 7. 46. And at twelve yeares old he sate among the Doctors conferring with them Luk. 2. 46. 2. Moses was furnished with many mighty miracles in Aegypt in the red sea and in the wildernesse for the confirming of his calling all types of the miracles of Christ by sea and land in townes and deserts to manifest his glory Ioh. 2. 11. But with difference Christ wrought by his owne power Moses by Christ. 3. Both joyfully executed their office whether we consider the matter or the manner 1. For the matter 1. Moses brings glad tidings to the Israelites of their deliverance out of Aegypt and that from God Exod. 29. 30. Christ brings from God the glad tidings of eternall salvation and deliverance from the spirituall Aegypt and bondage under Pharaoh of hell to all the elect of God 2. Moses received from God and delivered to his people the Law and was a Mediator betweene God and his people Gal. 3. 19. the Law was delivered in the hand of a Mediator that is Moses as Acts 7. 38. Now Moses was Mediator of the Old Testament not a mediator of redemption but of receiving the law and delivering it to the people standing betweene God and them as his mouth to them and theirs to him But Christ our true Moses 1. not onely receives the Law but fulfils it 2. When Moses had broken the tables to shew how wee in our naturne had broken the Law our true Moses repaires it againe 3. He writes the Law not in tables of stone but in the tables of the hearts of beleevers Iohn 1. 17. the Law was given by Moses but grace by Christ. Moses could not pearce the heart nor supply grace to keep the Law 4. He is Mediator of a new Covenant and surety of a better testament Heb. 7. 22. and 9. 15. 3. Moses gives Israel an excellent patterne of the Tabernacle and all the utensils to the very least pinns about it But our Moses delivers a perfect doctrin from heaven and certaine and perpetual rules for the worship of God to his Church and the wel ordering of it even in the smallest things And as nothing was left which must not be framed to the patterne seene in the mount So hath not Christ left the worship of God in whole or part in great or small matters to the liberty of men for then he should have beene lesse faithfull then Moses 4. Moses instituted the Passeover and sacrifices from God offers the blood of beasts sprinkles the houses of the Israelites with the blood of the Lambe Exod. 12. by which they were saved from a temporall death and the revenging Angell But Christ the true Moses instituted the supper of the Lord sacrificeth himselfe offers his owne blood being the Paschall Lambe who purgeth and saveth from death eternall And as that house onely was exempted which was sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb So in the Church salvation is assured onely where the blood of Christ is sprinkled and apprehended by faith 5. Moses prayeth for Israel with his hands stretched out till the evening and while he prayeth Israel overcommeth Amalek Exod. 17. At Moses prayer Gods wrath is turned away Numb 14. Christ stretcheth out his hands for the elect upon the Crosse and made intercession for them in earth and now continues so to doe in heaven whereby we are both enabled to conquer our spirituall enemies as also Gods wrath is appeased and grace and favour returned Heb. 8. Thus both for the matter faithfully discharged their office in these five things 2. For the manner containing the difference it is in Heb. 3. 5. 6. Moses was faithfull in all the house of God as a servant but Christ as the sonne Moses in his masters house Christ in his owne house Moses by delegate authority Christ by proper power Moses as a servant foretells his masters comming Christ declared the Lord
fellowship of a Kings Court such as Pharaohs in riot feasting drinking gaming is hatefull to a sound minde in comparison of the society of the miserable and persecuted Saints though a fleshly eye cannot see it 3. That it will be no great comfort to beleeve the Communion of Saints and not enjoy it 4. That they which despise it here shall never enjoy it in heaven 4. In the type and truth wee have a sure argument of our resurrection Moses dead body hid in the valley of Moab none knew where appeared glorious on the hill Thabor in Christs transfiguration Christs body hid in the grave comes forth glorious and ascends glorious on mount Olivet Both teach that our bodies are not lost but laid up and as sure as laid downe in basenesse shall rise in glory CHAP. VIII 7. IOSHVA A type of our true Ioshua another Moses I. BOth Saviours For Ioshua under the very same name is propounded a type of Christ. Both had the name Jesus both saved their people therefore Ioshua is called Iesus Heb. 4. 8. the type from temporall and externall enemies the truth from spirituall and eternall II. In his calling 1. Both succeeded Moses who makes way to both 2. Both guides going before Gods people The type to the earthly Canaan the truth to the heavenly 3. Both led them into the land Ioshua led the people not onely toward the land but into the promised land What was denied to Moses was granted to Ioshua Moses might not enter nor those that had disobeyed but Ioshua entreth and taketh possession for himselfe and for all the people So our Ioshua hath taken possession and led us into the possession of our heavenly Canaan What Moses Law could not doe for our infirmity Christ by his Gospel hath done for us That may shew us the way but this brings us to the wayes end and gives us all our promised expectation Thus our Ioshua carries us through from this wildernesse to our rest 4. Both divided the land and allotted to every man his portion Ioshua having entred Canaan assignes every one his portion Iosh. 14. 1. Christ ascended into heaven prepares for every beleever a place Ioh. 14. 2. III. Both confirmed their calling with many miracles 1. Ioshua being to passe over Iordan divides the waters and they gave way unto him Christ in the same Iordan divides the heavens Matth. 3. 16. and they testifie unto him verse 17. Ioshua divides waters but he ascribes it to the power of the Lord of all the world Chap. 3. 13. But our true Ioshua being that Lord and God of all the world by his owne power commanded the seas and they obeyed him 2. Ioshua becompassing the walls of Iericho and the long blast of rammes hornes overthrew the walls of it Chap. 6. 5. Our Ioshua by as weake and vile meanes in the eye of flesh even by the sound and blast of the Gospel shakes downe dayly the high and thick walls of the Devill and Antichrists kingdome and of the Iericho of this world which resists the people of God in their passage to Canaan By the preaching of the Gospel typified by the sound of the Trumpets our Ioshua overthrowes the wisedome power seeming sanctity and whatsoever strength of flesh is opposed to the power of the Gospel 3. Whilst Ioshua was destroying the enemies of God the Sunne in the heavens at his word stood still and stayed his course as a willing spectatour of that businesse and deferred the night lest hee should want day to smite his enemies in Chap. 10. 12. So our Ioshua whilst on the Crosse hee was spoiling principalities and powers and opening the way to Canaan commanded the Sunne to stopp his course and hide his face to witnesse to all the world the great worke in hand that day Of both these dayes may be verified Iosh. 10. 14. there was never before day like nor after it shall be IV. In his fortitude victory triumphs Both of them mightily miraculous miraculously triumphant 1. Ioshua was the Judge and Captaine of Gods people the leader of his Armies the mighty conquerour of all the enemies that rose up and resisted them Hee subdued both princes and people of the Canaanites Hee set his foot on the necks of five kings at once and slew them Chap. 10. 24. nay made his men of warre set their feete on their necks and trample them as dung and went on and in small time had slaine one and thirty Kings with their Armies Chap. 12. 10. Never had Israel so many enemies in their passage to Canaan as Gods people have unto that heavenly Canaan their countrey and rest typified by that Even all the gates of hell the rage of Satan the power of sinne the allurements of the world whole armies of temptations a troupe of pleasures honours profits on one hand a whole band of crosses and discouragements on the other a legion of lusts within our selves But our Ioshua the mighty Captaine not onely of the Lords hosts but who is the Lord of hosts is described to sit on a white horse whose name is called Faithfull and true and hee judgeth and fighteth righteously Revel 19. 11. Hee hath valiantly triumphed over all enemies spoyled principalities and powers set his foot on their necks troden Satan under his feet and made us tread him under our feet too If Ioshua have slaine one and thirty Kings Our Ioshua hath slaine so many thousand commanders 2. By meanes of Ioshuas faithfulnesse and fortitude not one word failed of all the good things which the Lord had said unto Israel but all came to passe Chap. 21. 45. and 23. 14. So by meanes of our Ioshua all the promises of God concerning heaven and happinesse are accomplished which are all in him Yea and Amen Heaven and earth may faile but not one jote of Gods promise but this Ioshua will see it accomplished V. In sundry actions 1. Ioshua saved Rahabs house that had the red cord hung out at the window because they had saved the Spies Chap. 6 So Christ saves every penitent sinner that expresseth faith in his blood and love to the true Israel of God especially his Ministers and Seers 2. Hee graciously accepted the Gibeonites when they humbly sued and intreated peace of him So a broken and a contrite heart our true Ioshua never despised Hee that offers repentant sinners grace before they seeke it when they seeke it will not deny it 3. When God by Ioshua had wrought that great miracle of stopping up the river Iordan till they passed over Chap. 4. 2. Ioshua commmanded twelve men of Israel to gather twelve stones out of Iordan and set them up memorialls of Gods great acts to all posteritie So our Ioshua having wrought many mighty miracles for the confirmation of his holy doctrine commanded twelve men his twelve disciples by the preaching of the Gospel to erect through all the world a monument and memory of the
the Nations to the end of the world And so Paul Rom. 15. 9. interprets it of the calling of the Gentiles For David could not doe this literally and in person among whom he never dwelt nor came but onely in him whose type he was V. David was a type of Christ in respect of Christ his propheticall and Priestly office 1. David by his sweet musick allayes Sauls madnesse 1. Sam. 16. 23. Christ by the sweet voyce of the Gospell stills the evill spirits which molest and vexe men and gives them peace and quietnesse in mind and conscience And in the dayes of his flesh how he sought to cure and allay the spirituall madnesse of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees against him is plaine in the story 2. David brings back the Arke to his right place 2. Sam. 6. So did Christ the truth of Gods Law obscured by the false glosses of Scribes and Pharisees and reduced the true sense and meaning of it And freed his Church signified by the Arke from the spirituall thraldome and captivity of the Law 3. David builds an Altar in the grounds of a stranger 2. Sam. 24. 24 namely Araunah the Jebusite The true David builds up a Church among the Gentiles and sets up Gods worship among them that were strangers from the Covenant 4. David offers a sacrifice and the Lord accepts it sending fire from heaven to consume it 2. Sam. 24. 25. Christ offers the most acceptable sacrifice that every was in which both Davids and all ours must be accepted and in which alone the Lord smels a savour of rest I. As the spirit of God came on David after his anoynting 1. Sam. 16. 13 So did it on our true David after his baptizing to fit them to their waighty offices Learne 1. That he that is not fitted and furnished with gifts of the spirit in some measure and attempteth any office in the Church or commonwealth is not called by God whose wisdome will not send a blind man for a seer nor a dumb man on his message or errand Would a man know whether hee have received of this spirit for his office A note is when God stirres up his will in that office to performe all the desire of God Isa. 44. 28 he saith to Cyrus Thou art my shepheard thou shalt performe all my desire The Magistrate is a shepheard he must doe in judgement what God himselfe would doe in repressing vice and cherishing religion else the spirit who is not contrary to himselfe leads him not The Minister is a shepheard hee must speake nothing but what God would speake for the incouraging of grace and disgrace of sinne and sinners God speaks peace to his people and feeds the impenitent with judgement and he that in his ministery doth speake sweetly to wicked men and broacheth a vessell of gall and wormewood for godly men to drinke is not sent by God on that errand hee crosseth the spirit which hee pretendeth 2. Art thou a private Christian see that the same spirit rest on thee and that thou hast received of the same anoynting For 1. he that hath not the spirit is none of Christs and 2. what is it to us that the spirit rest and light upon Christ if he should determine all his fruits and graces upon him But in that the sweete oyntment and Balsame poured upon the head of our high Priest runnes downe to the skirt of his garment that is to the lowest member of his Church Psa 133. 2 hence are we sweetly and admirably refreshed Findest thou emptinesse or want of grace fly to this fulnesse but observe the diverse manner To the head is given the spirit in all fulnesse to us members of that fulnesse Ioh. 1. 16. To him beyond all measure to us according to measure II. That Jesus Christ is the right and undoubted King of his Church of whom David was but a shadow And it will be worth our labour to enquire how farre the truth exceeds the type 1. For originall Davids kingdome and all other Kings and kingdomes are mediately from men either from some meane family as Jshais or some greater house in some corner of the earth But the kingdome of Christ is immediatly and unchangeably from heaven Dan. 2. 44. the God of heaven shall raise up a kingdome that is immediately for mediatly all kingdomes Kings and power is from him 2. In respect of unction All they are annoynted 1. by men 2. with materiall oyle 3. to be temporary Saviours 4. from temporary dangers But Christs annoynting was by the Spirit of God with more divine and excellent oyle above all his fellowes Psal. 45. 7. that he might be a spirituall and eternall Saviour a Jesus saving his people from their sinnes and such spirituall evills as pertaine to the life to come 3. Their titles are stately and glorious David as an Angell of God as the woman of Tekoah said so Caesar Augustus Charles the great Constantine Alexander the great to set out their glory But all these are nothing to the true and undoubted title of Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. And if this were too little he hath another for he is God and man in one Person our Immanuel a style too high for Pope or Potentate for men or Angels Isay 7. 14. 4. Their Scepters are of metal gold or silver which they hold in their hands and by them they save or slay innocent or nocent But his Scepter is but verball which he holds in his mouth the word and breath of his mouth more pure then the gold of Ophir more potent then all the Scepters of all Kings put together By this he slayes the wicked Hos. 6. 5. I slew them with the word of my mouth 2. Thes. 2. 8. he shall slay that wicked man of sinne with the breath of his mouth Other Kings by their Scepters can kill men but cannot make them alive againe when they have done but Christ by his word can quicken and make alive dead soules and bodies They by theirs can be dreadfull to men Christ by his drives backe devils diseases death and all adversary power 5. In port and state 1. Their banners and ensignes expresse their noble acts and the honourable exployts of them and their progenitors which are glorious in the eyes of men Christs banner for his kingdome of grace is his Crosse or rather the Gospell a doctrine of the Crosse to the world foolishnesse or basenesse but in his kingdome of glory the signe of the sonne of man that is such glory and power as agrees to none else 2. Their servants and attendants must be rich stately noble and the sonnes of great Princes must be nearest to attend them Christ Jesus in contempt of what the world admireth will have his servants poore meeke lowly not such lofty Lords as so farre excell the Emperour in worldly glory as the Sunne
Christ bee detained in the grave and lie under buriall three dayes and three nights parts put for the whole as perhaps also in Ionah till the case seemed desperate in both not onely in their owne apprehensions as I have before shewed but in the disciples apprehension Luk. 24. 21. Wee thought this should have beene hee that should have delivered Israel and behold this is the third day IV. Ionah was a manifest type of Christ in his resurrection For 1. As Ionah was taken into the belly of the Whale whole and passed through the ranges and armies of teeth as sharpe as speares without breaking or crushing one bone of him or the least limb of his body So Jesus Christ passed through the strait gate of death but as one bone of him was not broken the speciall and extraordinary providence of God in both of them watching the whole businesse 2. As the Lord spake unto the fish and the fish against his will must cast up Ionah on dry ground So the belly of the earth can keepe Christ no longer then the third day no more then the belly of the Whale could keepe Ionah his blessed body must see no corruption 3. As Ionah returned from his grave with a song of praise and thankesgiving Chap. 2 So Jesus Christ returned to life from his grave with a song of triumph and victory fore-prophecied Hos. 13. 14. and accomplished 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory 4. As Ionah an Hebrew goes not to preach to the Ninivites being Gentiles till after his resurrection out of the belly of the Whale So Jesus Christ an Hebrew not till after his resurrection leaves the obstinate Jewes and by his Apostles ministery and preaching turnes himselfe to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. 5. As Ionah after this delivery went and preached the doctrine of repentance with great fruit and successe to the conversion of all Niniveh and preventing the fearefull wrath denounced to come within fourty dayes So our Lord Jesus after his resurrection and ascension sending out his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sinnes mightily prevailed and suddenly converted many nations of the Heathen and brought them to faith and repentance For Application I. Let us acknowledge a greater then Ionah here Matth. 12. 41. Lest as the Ninivits shall rise up against the Jewes they rise also against us if wee convert not nor repent at Christs doctrine as they did at Ionahs For 1. Who are they to us They barbarous Heathens and Gentiles never instructed before wee have beene trained in the Scriptures from childhood 2. What were their meanes to ours Ionah preached but three dayes to them Christ hath preached not three dayes as he nor three yeeres as to the Iewes but aboue threescore yeares He preached one sermon Christ a thousand 3. What was their Preacher to ours 1. Ionah was a weake man Christ is God and man 2. Ionah a sinful man cast into the sea for his owne sinne Christ an innocent man cast into the sea for our sinne 3. Ionah a Prophet a servant Christ the Lord of all the holy Prophets therefore of Ionah 4. Ionah a stranger to them Christ of our owne kindred and family 5. Ionah preached unwillingly Christ preached freely and spent himselfe for us 6. Ionah preached nothing but destruction of them and their City Christ a sweet doctrine of grace salvation and the promise of a kingdome of heaven 7. Ionah came indeed out of the belly of the Whale but did no miracle for confirmation of his doctrine Christ came both from the bosome of the Father and from the heart of the earth and did innumerable signes and miracles in which wee see his glory 8. Ionah a most angry and impatient man would faine die because the Ninevits did not Christ a mirrour of patience will die least his hearers should 9. To Ionah no Prophet gave witnesse or foretold of him To Christ all the Prophets gaue witnesse Act. 10. 43. and spake before of him Shall now Nineveh repent in sackcloth and ashes by Ionahs Ministery of three dayes and shall not wee by Christs constant Ministery of threefore yeares Shall Nineveh condemne Judea for not acknowledging a greater then Ionah and shall it not condemne us not repenting whose sinne shall bee farre greater then that of the Jews who rejected Christ in his abasement and humiliation but we reject the Lord of glory now exalted II. In the type and truth the freedome of Gods favour in the calling of the Gentiles Ionah was a preacher of grace to the Gentiles and Christ was a preacher of grace not to Jews onely but the Gentiles also being given for a light to the Gentiles that he might be the salvation of Gentiles to the farthest parts of the earth For 1. God is not the God of Iews onely but of Gentiles also Rom. 3. 29. 2. Christ was the promised seed in whom all nations must be blessed Gen. 22. 18. Hence comes in our title to grace and not from any desert of ours For what is amiable in the wilde Olive It is onely Gods free calling who calls her that was not beloved to bee beloved Object If we bee grafted into Christ and received into grace all is well we are in state good enough Sol. Some are grafted into the Church by profession of mouth onely as all were not Israel that were of Israel and some planted into it by the faith of the heart The former are not altered from their wilde nature the other are renewed to the Image of Christ. Therefore let none content themselves with externall profession joyning in the word sacraments and prayer but labour for soundnesse of faith and grace by which onely wee become branches of the true Olive whereas to be hanged as a scien by a thred of profession will not keep it from withering III. In both we have a certaine Embleme and proof of our resurrection Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Ionah and Jesus be in us he shall also quicken our mortall bodies and if the head be risen the members must rise also For as God spake to the fish and the fish gave up Ionah as from the dead so shall God speake to the earth and sea and all creatures and they shall give up their dead Isa. 26. 19. he shall say to the earth give and to the sea restore my sonnes and daughters and they that are as seed under clods shall awake and sing And these dry bones shall be againe covered with sinews flesh and skin as Ezek. 37. 6. For as it was impossible for Christ to be held ever under death Acts 2. 24. as impossible is it for his members Let us comfort our selves in the approach of death to our selves or our friends and by rising before hand from the grave of our sinnes provide for a blessed and joyfull resurrection 2 King 13. 21. a dead
body cast into Elishaes grave quickned so our soules and bodies IV. The wonderfull power and wisdome of God that can draw light out of darknesse Ionahs casting over board into the sea was the occasion of converting the Mariners Even so Christs death converted many of them that were causes and authors of it Acts 2. 36. 41. And as the Mariners lives were saved by casting Ionah into the sea so all beleevers by the death of Iesus Christ. 1. Let us not measure Gods workes by carnall senses This made the two disciples going to Emaus Luke 24. to make but a bad argument Hee is crucified and behold this is the third day therefore though we thought he should have redeemed Israel wee are deceived Whereas faith would have made a cleane contrary conclusion He is crucified and this is the third day therefore he is the Redeemer The Iewes not knowing the Scriptures and power of God are hardned against Iesus Christ expecting a great Emperour as Iulius Caesar or some great Monarch not able to see that by so base a death life could be procured The carnall protestants are held off from the true imbracing of Christ because they see the truth and sincerity of Christ every where so resisted and hated by great Rulers and Doctors as if it had not been so in Christs owne person and Ministery or as if Christ was not set as a sign or butt of contradiction whereas therefore it must needs be he 2. Let us admire Gods power and wisdome and patiently with Ionah expect after darknesse light And seeing God can turne the greatest evill into the greatest good of his Church let us labour to make benefit of all evills hapning to our selves and others 1. Even of our sinnes themselves to make us more humble and watchfull for time to come 2. Of our sufferings as Ionah and Christ learned obedience by the things they suffered V. In the type and truth we have first terror on the one hand secondly comfort on the other 1. Wee see the waight of sinne committed pressed Ionah into the deepest sea of evils and sinne imputed thrust Christ into a deeper sea even the deepest hell Both seem left of God in the hands of death both cry out as left in the depth of hell 1. Doe thou run from God and duty and though thou beest Gods childe thou maist finde God pursuing thee as if he were an utter and irreconcileable enemy 2. Make as light a reckoning of sinne as thou canst the least of them shuts us or Christ out of heaven Doth Christ undertake thy sinne he sees not heaven till he die for it Sinne imputed will not let Christ enter into heaven but by his owne blood yea through Hell Thy sinne repented of held Christ an innocent out of heaven till he dyed for it but where shall ungodly and impenitent sinners appeare 2. This same collation affords us sundry grounds of comfort 1. Both seeme forsaken neither of them was so but both of them goe to his God There is no time nor place wherein the childe of God may not boldly goe to God and pray to his God and say My God my God 2. No deepe is so deepe but Gods hand can reach help into it even into the Whales belly and heart of the earth 3. The extreamest misery and death it selfe worke to good to the godly See it in Ionah Where was feared pâ—rdition there was found preservation The Whales belly was a prison indeed but to preserve him alive a deep gulfe and a sea but to save him froÌ„ drowning Can any man save a man from drowning by casting him into the sea but God can 4. When the case seemes most desperate then the Lord steps in to help when no helpe can bee expected any other way after three dayes and three nights Ionah must be cast up and Christ raised up Never feare extremities but then exercise thy faith most for then is God the nearest however trust in him though he kill thee Iob 13. 15. 5. The deepest sorrowes of Gods children end in greatest joy God hath a dry ground for Ionah after a sea of misery a glorious ascending for Christ after his lowest descent Whatsoever the sorrowfull songs be that Gods people sing here in Aegypt or Babel they shall end in songs of joy and victory and be changed into the songs of Moses and the Lambe Rev. 15. 3. CHAP. XIII The first borne Types of Christ 4. wayes HAving spoken of holy types in sundry special persons now of personall types in some rankes and orders of men sanctified and specially seperated to the Lord. Of whom 1. Some were sanctified by birth the first-borne 2. Some by office Priests especially the High-Priest 3. Some by vow as Nazarites 4. Some by ceremony as cleane persons legally cleansed from uncleanenesse Of these the first borne were speciall types of Iesus Christ. I. As they were Gods peculiar Exod. 13. 2. Sanctifie unto me all the first borne for it is mine Quest. How were they Gods Answ. 1. By common nature But so were all both first and last borne through the world For all the world and inhabitants of it are his Psal. 24. 1. 2. By common grace So all the people of the Jews by reason of common grace were his with whom God had plighted his gracious covenant which was made to Abraham and all his seed wheresoever they were borne of whom hee made choice as his peculiar though all the earth was his Exod. 4. 22. Israel is my first borne that is not only the first people and nation that first professed the true worship of God and had priority of the Gentiles who were yonger brethren but the first borne by a speciall election and choice of that from all other people whom hee would accept as his beloved in the Messiah the first born of all creatures and among whom he would stablish his covenant and raise up his worship thus hee dealt not with other nations 3 By a speciall right The first borne of Israel were Gods by a singular right as no other childreÌ„ of any other family were namely by right of that singular deliverance of all the first borne when he destroyed all the first borne of Aegypt And therefore presently after that destruction he makes challenge of them Exod. 13. 2. Thus is Jesus Christ the Lords first borne by a singular right not common to man or Angell whether we respect his nature or office 1. In his nature he is first born as sonne of God the first begotten of all creatures Col. 1. 15. begot before all Creation And thus he is not onely the first begotten before whom there was none but the onely begotten after whom is none Iohn 1. 14. the onely begotten Sonne of the Father the first borne without a second or brother 2. In his office hee was first borne by speciall prerogative 1. for the kinde 2. for the undertaking 3. for the accomplishing
Christ to Moses of grace to the Law and of the new Testament to the Old 2. To the perfections For in the choice of the Priest were requisite many externall perfections Levit. 21. 17. Whosoever of thy seed hath any blemishes shall not prease to offer the bread of his God Hee must not be blind lame nor mishapen Wherein the Lord would not onely provide for the dignity of that calling in that infancy of the Church which otherwise if the Priesthood had beene in outward shew contemptible many might have drawen not their persons onely into contempt but even all such holy things as they handled But especially to signifie Jesus Christ our high Priest to bee without all blemish the onely immaculate Lambe that takes away the sinnes of the world For although no other mortall man could be without some blemish of sinne or other yet it became us to have such an high Priest as is holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7. 26. And as our Lord was spotlesse and without all blemish so also perfect in all parts and perfections He wanted no part no gift no sufficiency to discharge that function too weighty for men and Angels I. In this our unblemished high Priest wee have a sufficient cover for all our blemishes both of soule and body 1. If never so blemished in soule by sinne by infirmity if wee have a thousand wants and eye-sores if we bewaile and resist them here is helpe and remedy in our high Priest against them all For as those persons that had such blemishes might not stand at the Altar to doe duties there yet they were allowed in the Congregation and to eate from the Altar of the sacrifices as the Preists did Levit. 21. 22 So all defects and weaknesses which the Saints carry as a burthen shall not hinder them from participating in the good things purchased by Christs sacrifice nor cast them out of place of the elect neither here nor for ever 2. Be thou never so blemished and deformed or maimed in body now the truth being come God respects not according to the outward appearance And although the honour of the Ministery must bee respected and the choisest of our children are not too good for Gods service yet now it is farre better a good Minister without an eye or a hand or foot then a Congregation without a good Minister II. All these outward perfections of the body in all the Priests high and low point us to such endowments and gifts of minde which the Lord expects in Ministers before they attempt this high calling 1. He of all men must not bee blind or ignorant Hos. 4. 6. Because thou hast refused knowledge thou art rejected from being a Priest to me How should he be a light to others that himselfe is in darknesse If the eye bee darke so is all the body 2. Hee must not have either a blind or a blemished eye an eye filled with envie at another mans gifts and prosperity Nor a squint eye looking indirectly upon every thing not aiming at Gods glory or the building of Christs Kingdome but his owne glory wrath lusts ends 3. He must not be lame or cripled in his feet but make right steps to his feet Heb. 12. 13. Upright in his way not right doctrine onely but right life also 4. Hee must not have a flat nose that is without discretion or judgement to discerne truth and falsehood good and evill things fit and unfit As the nose discernes smells so to discerne companies and courses 5. Hee must not have a crooked backe bended downwards and almost broken with earthly cares hindering his eye from looking towards heaven and interrupting heavenly contemplations and studye And so in the rest Would God such care were had in the choice and permission of Evangelicall Ministers as in the Old We should not see the Churches pestered with so many unworthy illiterate men fitter for any trade then this so holy calling Sect. II. II. His consecration set downe Exo. 29. 1. wherein were three thiâ—gs 1. Washing 2. Anointing 3. â— Sacrificing and purifying with blood And this consecration to continue seven dayes together Which in generall shadowed the surpassing sanctity and purity of Christ above all other men and Angels Whom the devills themselves call that holy One of God Mark 1. 24. In speciall verse 4. the washing did not onely admonish them to cleanse and purge themselves from the inward defilement of their sinnes before they undertooke that holy calling but plainly pointed at the washing and Baptisme of Christ who undertaking his Ministery went into the water and was baptized Mat. 3. The anointing by the holy Oyle verse 7. signified the anointing of Christ with the holy Spirit without measure Isai. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to preach Psal. 45. 7. God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse above all thy fellowes In which regard Christ was called by eminency the anointed of God and the Priests as types touch not mine anointed In this anointing 1. The matter holy Oile signifying the Spirit of God and his gifts for much similitude and agreement betweene them 1. That was made of the most precious things in all the world Exod. 30. 25 So the holy graces of the Spirit are the best things in the world Luk. 11. 13. there is no gift to this Oile swimmes aloft So the Spirit and graces are highest 2. No stranger had that Oile but onely persons and things sanctified So none but Gods Elect have these precious and saving mercies Ioh. 14. 17. The world cannot receive it that is gifts not common but of sanctification 3. That perfumd all the place where it was It is the Spirit of God that sweetens and perfumes all our actions and natures otherwise most corrupt and loathsome to God 4. That sanctified the thing to which it was applied and set it aside to an holy use Without this Oile the sacrifice of the Jew was as if hee had killed a dog It is the Spirit that sets us apart and sanctifieth to the Lord us our persons our actions 2. Tim. 2. 21. The service that wants the spirit is hatefull to God 5. Oile is cleare and shining and makes other things anointed to shine The holy Ghost within enlightneth the mind and brings in the true light and knowledge of God 1. Ioh. 2. 27. the anointing shall teach you all things 6. Oile hath the force of fire in penetrating and subtly pearcing and is the fuell and feeder of fire and flames So the Spirit of God is a pearcing fire in the heart and kindles and maintaines in it the ardent flames of the love of God Holy thoughts as sparkes flie upward 7. Oile suppleth cherisheth comforteth So the Spirit of consolation anoints with oile of gladnesse Psal. 45. 7. It is he that brings peace and tranquillity into consciences 2. The measure powred in abundance upon Aarons
militant and triumphant Heb. 10. 20. 5. The blood of that sinne-offering for the Priest must be put on the hornes of the Altar and the rest powred at the foot of the Altar vers 12 signifying 1. The sufficiency of Christs death to purge and reconcile us to God 2. The plenty of grace and merit in it for many more then are saved by it For being sufficient for all it is not helpfull to all nor to any that tread under foot this precious blood the extent of the benefit is to all the elect 3. The large spreading and preaching of the Gospel of salvation by Christs blood through all the coasts and corners of the earth as the blood sprinckled on the foure corners and that by the finger hand and ministery of men 6. The fat must bee offered unto God but the flesh skinne and dung must be burnt with fire without the host signifying 1. That Christ offered himselfe and the best parts he had suffering in soule and body 2. That hee must suffer without the host without the gate of Jerusalem Heb. 13. 12. and carried out our sinnes out of Gods sight 3. That nothing but blood comes on the Altar For onely the blood of Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne Note hence that the Priests in the Law must bee put in mind that they were sinners and needed a sacrifice for themselves By which they were to take notice of a difference betweene themselves and our high Priest 1. There was no perfection in their persons for they must offer and lay their hands on the head of the sacrifice confessing guiltinesse 2. Nor in their Ministery in which the high Priest need offer for his owne sins 3. Nor in all their Consecration they could offer no sacrifice to wash away any sinne their owne nor others onely they did point at the sacrifice of Christ but by his consecration he could offer himselfe a meritorious and sufficient sacrifice for the sinnes of his elect Thus is our high Priest advanced above them all The second of these sacrifices in the Consecration of the high Priest was to be a burnt offering or Holocaust The use of which was to signifie the dedication of himselfe and all that he had to be purified by the Spirit as by fire to the use of God in his service as that Holocaust was ver 15 and 19. Most things in this were common with the former 1. The blood must be sprinkled on the Altar round about signifying the full remission of sinnes purchased by the blood of Christ and the communication of all his benefits and the vertue of his whole passion to be applyed to the whole Church for sprinkling still betokens application 2. The inwards and legs must be washed in water ver 17. signifying that Christ should bring no uncleane thing in his offering but he should be absolutely pure within and without in his minde thoughts affections signified by the inwards and in his conversation motions and walkings signified by the legs 3. The burning of the offering wholly ver 18. signified 1. the ardent love of Iesus Christ who was all consumed as it were with the fire of love and zeale towards mankinde upon the Crosse. 2. The bitternesse of his passion in his whole man who was as it were consumed wholly with the fire of his fathers wrath due to the sinnes of man 4. As the burnt offering ascended up to heaven in fire So Iesus Christ having offered himselfe a whole burnt offering ascended up into heaven so obtained an everlasting redemption for his Church From whence also he sends the fire of his Spirit as on the Apostles so on all beleevers in their measure Iohn 14. Note from this sacrifice for the high Priest that first he must offer the sinne-offering and then the other sacrifices for consecration This burnt offering nor the others following could never have been acceptable if the sinne-offering had not gone before and sinne by it expiated Learne hence that so long as we are in our sinnes all our sacrifices and service are abominable Sinne unremoved lyes in the way of thy prayer The blinde man could say God heares not sinners And David If I have delight to sinne God will not heare my prayer Sinne unrepented and unpardoned makes thee hatefull in the house of God thy hearing doth but more harden thee the sacraments become poyson unto thee for thou by thy sinne castest poyson into the Lords Cup and so eatest and drinkest thy owne damnation Let this be our wisdome first to offer our sinne-offering It is the Lords owne counsell Isa. 1. Wash you cleanse you and then come and let us reason And as our Lord advised us in case of reconciliation with man wee must much more practice in case of our recōciliation with God If thou hast brought thy gift to the Altar and thou remembrest that God hath ought against thee first reconcile thy selfe to God and then to man and so bring thy gift There be two graces which we must bring before God in all our services in which we would finde acceptance The former of preparation that is repentance which prepareth aright to the performance of good duties The latter of disposition and that is faith which disposeth the party aright in the whole cariage of them for this purifieth the heart exciteth the will sees the weaknesse seekes a cover and findes acceptance The third sacrifice in the consecration of the high Priest was the peace-offering or the Eucharisticall sacrifice the use of which was both that Aaron should shew his thankfulnesse to God who had advanced him to so high an office as also to obtaine of God by prayer such high and excellent gifts as were needfull for the execution of the same and this pointeth directly at Jesus Christ. 1. The blood of this Lambe was to be put on the lap of Aarons eare upon the thumbe of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot Signifying 1. That all the actions of Christ his hands feet and parts were red with his passion Psal. 22. 16. they pierced my hands and feet 2. The whole obedience of Jesus Christ to his father even to the death called a piercing or boaring of the eare 3. That it is Christ who sanctifieth the eares hands and feet of the Priest and people The eare to heare divine Oracles the Priests must first learne then teach The hands to worke the actions of grace and holinesse The feet to direct and lead into all holy motions and conversation all must be washed by the blood of Christ that we may be wholly cleane As both our Saviour teacheth by the washing of the disciples feet Iohn 13. 5 6. As also in Peters request Lord not my feet onely but my hands and head Iohn 13. 9. 2. A part of this sacrifice went to the Priest part to the offerer signifying that both Priest and people have part and
that our principall mourning may be for our sinnes and binde up our affections for outward and naturall losses and crosses so as wee may have them loosed in spirituall This law tells us that sorow for our onely sonne or brother or the deare wife that lieth in our bosome ought to be no sorow in comparison of sorow for sinne Which 1. separates from God 2. makes Christ absent and stand aloofe 3. grieves the Spirit and makes him heavy towards us 4. seperates soule from body yea without repentance soule and body from heaven and happinesse Let us who have beene excessive in worldly sorow turne the streame against our sinnes and in all crosses set our heavinesse rather upon some sinne in our selves which might cause the crosse then on the crosse it selfe Sect. VII Now it followeth that we shew how the Priests figured Christ in their ministeriall actions Of these kinde of actions some were common to inferiour Priests some proper to the high Priest I. Common actions were six 1. The Priest must kill the sacrifices and none but he signifying Jesus Christ his voluntary action in laying downe his life for beleevers none could take away his life from him And hee was to be aswell the Priest as the sacrifice Iohn 10. 18. I have power to lay downe my life 2. The priests offred the blood of the sacrifices to God and sprinkled it on the Altar for they were ordained for men in things of God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sinnes No man might offer his owne sacrifice but hee must bring it to the Priest there was no comming to God but by the priest Figuring out Iesus Christ who offers up himselfe a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world upon the Altar of his Deity which gives both vertue and merit unto it No other can offer to God bloody or unbloody sacrifice upon this Altar but himselfe Iohn 17. 19. I sanctifie my selfe for them even as the Altar sanctifieth the gift 3. The Priests prepared the body of the sacrifice Lev. 1. 6. flayed it divided it into severall parts washed the intrailes put fire unto the burnt offering consumed the fat cast the filth and dung into the place of ashes Signifying that Christ himselfe alone did the whole worke of redemption He suffered the heate of Gods wrath and justice he puts away all our filth and covers it in his owne ashes he burnes up our fat that is the senselessenesse of our sin and all that savoureth of the flesh by the fire of his Spirit and inwardly purgeth and wholly washeth us in the fountaine of his owne blood 4. The Priest must teach the people His lippes must preserve knowledge and the people must depend on his mouth signifying the action of this great teacher of the Church who brought to us from the bosome of his father the whole counsell of God concerning the redemption of mankinde which could never have entred into the heart of man but by the teaching of this great Prophet Deut. 18. 15. He hath the learned tongue and Grace is poured into his lippes Hee therefore having the words of eternall life we must depend on him and heare him 5. The Priest must pray for the people and blesse them A forme of blessing is prescribed for Aaron and his sonnes laying their hands on the children of Israel signifying the strong prayers and intercessions of Iesus Christ for his Church who was heard in all things as himselfe witnesseth Iohn 11. 42. Father I knowâ— thou hearest me alwaies And accomplished not only in his holy intercession upon earth and now in heaven but manifestly in that blessing of his disciples by laying his hands upon them which was his last action upon earth Luke 24. 50. 6. The Priests were to preserve the Oyle for lights and the incense and for the daily meat offering and the anointing oyle And the oversight of the whole Tabernacle and all in the Sanctuary and all the instruments belonged to their care for the safety in moving carying standing c. signifying Iesus Christ the preserver of all grace in his Church He onely watcheth for the safety of his Church for the upholding of his holy ministery and all holy constitutions which else would quickly be broken up He plants the Ministery and he removes it at his pleasure He hath the seven stars in his right hand Hee is the great Archbishop of soules to the whole Church and no other in this kinde but hee So much of common actions ministeriall II. Actions more peculiar to the high priest were 1. daily 2. weekely 3. yearely 4. continually I. Hee must daily 1. dresse the holy lamps and lights morning and evening before the Lord Lev. 24. 2 3. to preserve the lights from going out Shadowing Christ the true light by whom the light of true doctrine must ever shine in the Church and never goe out by which the true beleevers shall bee delivered from darkenesse and death This was formerly figured by Goshen there was light when three dayes darknesse was over all Aegypt And this was figured by the pillar of fire that never failed till they came to Canaan 2. he must daily burne incense before the Lord upon the Altar of sweet perfume signifying Christ our high Priest daily offering up 1. our duties and services done by his appointment and which through him smell as a sweete incense acceptable to God 2. our prayers called odours of the Saints and a sweet incense And as no incense pleased God but that which was offered upon that golden Altar so no duty or prayer of ours is farther accepted then offered up by him and from him whose golden purity gives merit and worth unto them And as the incense must be offered up by the high Priest morning and evening so the continuall vertue of Christs merit ascendeth daily before God and perfumeth all the Sanctuary neither is there any other way to the father but by him II. He must weekly make the shewbread and set it before the Lord continually Exod. 25. 30. And more expresly Levit. 24. 5 6. Every Sabbath he must set on the table twelve loaves according to the twelve tribes and take the old away to the maintaining of his family for which use they might well suffice every loafe weighing about seven or eight pounds Here was a figure of Christ the true bread of life who sets himselfe in the preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments before the face of God that is in the assemblies gathered together every Sabbath the most sufficient food and refreshing of the Church to continue it in life strength and good estate from Sabbath to Sabbath till that eternall Sabbath come III. He must yearely once and that in the day of expiation goe into the Holy of Holies Exod. 30. 10. and Lev. 16. 2. and 34. to make an attonement for himselfe for all his
this is a guilt And who can deny but the corruption and poison of the soule and spirit is farre more poison full and mortall then poison of the flesh 2. Bodily leprosie is a disease of some men sinne is of all men and of all the man Bodily leprosie spreads over all parts of the body but cannot reach the soule but this spreads over the whole man the soule and all the faculties are weakened and tainted there is not a debility onely but a corruption in the understanding will conscience memory in all affections in all sences in all parts no man no part of man exempted or excepted 3. No disease is more stinking and hatefull to men then leprosie So nothing is so hatefull and abominable to God as sinne his eyes cannot abide to behold it hee will not endure it in his dearest servants no nor Angels themselves unrevenged hee esteemes the sinner as dung 4. No disease more contagious and infectious A leper must meddle with nothing unlesse hee would defile it All hee can doe is to make others uncleane by breathing touching conversing The plague of pestilence is not so infectious as the plague of leprosie so called Levit. 13. 20. infecting houses walls vessells garments Nothing is so infectious as sinne which not onely foules the person or house but heaven and earth and all creatures are subject to the vanity of it Neither can an impenitent sinner doe any thing but make himselfe and others uncleane by the filthy breath of his corrupt communication by his wicked example and conversation No leaven is so spreading no pitch so cleaving 5. Leprosie of all diseases separated the infected persons from the fellowship of all men both in civill and divine ordinances for many dayes and if they proved incurable suppose them Kings they were utterly and for ever excluded the host as Vzziah 2. King 15. 5. Neither might they come to the Temple to joine in holy things for the Temple was legally the most holy place and no polluted thing might enter into it So in our sinne unrepented we are out of the campe aliens from God Sinne shuts out of the communion of faith and Saints shuts out of the state of grace and salvation it shuts out of the Congregation of God in earth and heaven No fellowship place or reward with them 6. Of all diseases none is more painfull sorrowfull mortall or incurable and therefore they were enjoyned to put on mournfull garments seeing God had inflicted so lamentable a disease on them so hardly and seldome cured as most did cary it unto death as Gehezi and Azariah In which the Lord as in a glasse would shew us the extreme sorrowes and paines that wait on sinne unpardoned sorrows of this life and of the life to come And that we should put on mourning garments of timely sorrow and afflict our selves for our sinnes seeing wee are all poisoned with so incurable a disease as there is no hope to expect any cure in this life for every man carries the running issues of sinne to his death naturall the most to the death eternall 7. The signes and symptomes of leprosie are most correspondent to the symptoms and effects of sinne in the soule 1. As there is a debility and weaknesse of all parts because the spirits are exhausted so sinne weakens all faculties because the spirit of grace is resisted and driven out 2. There is a tumour and swelling in the flesh here a tumour and proud swelling of minde none more proud then hee who hath least cause 3. There is burning and thirst through the adust and burnt blood by melancholy whereof it ariseth here is inflammation and burning of anger of lust and thirst after the world after revenge after preferments and this insatiable as every sinne is 4. There is filthy putred matter still breaking forth most loathsomely so here from within breaks out corrupt matter of envy of hatred of goodnesse of uncleannesse in speaches and behaviour 5. There is an hoarse and weake voice here the voice so weake as it cannot pray or cannot be heard God heares not sinners for either they pray not at all or they are in their sinnes 6. There is a filthy stinking breath and therefore they must cover their lips that by their breath they might not infect others So here is a filthy breath of corrupt communication of uncleane and adulterous speaches swearing and cursing speaches lying and false speaches slanderous and uncharitable speaches and seldome doe such cover their lips being like the uncleane vessells of the Law which were ever open to the corrupting and poisoning of numbers Sect. IV. I. From the former description of legall uncleannesses note the state of Gods Church and people here upon earth subject unto many sorts of defilements and pollutions within them without them and on every hand of them by foule and uncleane creatures and persons by foule courses and actions which a godly man may not touch or tast but hee is presently defiled as hee that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled with it Where bee they that will see no Church if they see any uncleannesse Or who say that God is in no such society where any pollution is seeing God vouchsafeth to walk among his owne people who were daily subject to so many legall and morall pollutions God might if it pleased him wholly purge his floore here upon earth but it makes more for his glory to suffer sinne and evill and to set the Saints in the middest of defilements here below 1. There must be a difference betweene this heaven and earth and that new heaven and new earth in which dwells nothing but righteousnesse for had the Saints no warre there needed no watch there could bee no victory if no seede time no harvest 2. GODS mighty power is more manifest in gathering and preserving a Church to himselfe out of sinners and among sinners and hee magnifieth his mercy both in covering and curing so great and many corruptions 3. The godly in sence of their uncleannesse are kept low in their owne eyes and watchfull of their waies and so are driven out of themselves unto Christ for righteousnesse and unto God for strength continually as privy unto their owne continuall weakenesse So to subdue presumption Paul must have a buffeter and to way-lay security comming on Israel all the Canaanites must not be subdued 4. In that they cannot expect freedome from foulenesse and uncleannesse heere below they may the rather desire and aspire to that heavenly Tabernacle into which no uncleane thing can enter Rev. 21. 27. and wish to bee translated thither where righteousnesse shall dwell yea the righteous and holy God shall dwell immediately in the midst of his Saints and all things together with themselves shall be most absolutely cleane and holy II. The Lord by so large a description of legall uncleannesse would have them and us looke more neerely and seriously upon
our owne misery by sinne both in the cause and in the effects of it The former by bringing us to the contemplation of the foulenesse of our natures and uncleannesse even in our birth and originall For howsoever men little esteeme or bewaile this uncleannesse of nature and originall sinne yet the Apostle better acquainted with the nature of it calls it The sinne and the sinning sinne and the sinne which dwelleth in us and compasseth us about Rom. 7. 17. Neither can a man ever be truely humbled and prepared for Christ nor can expect a good estate in him whose daily corrupt issues from an overflowing fountaine make him not seeme marvelous filthy and uncleane in his owne eyes 1. What is the reason that so many do Pharisaically pride themselves if not in the goodnesse of their persons yet in some blinde hopes and presumptions that they be not so bad as they are or as some others be but because they never saw themselves in this glasse which onely lets a man see himselfe a masse of sinne a lump of uncleâ—nnesse and that no good thing is in his nature which in no part is free from the running issues of that festred and inbred sinne 2. Why do many doat upon their owne works and sightly actions either to Popish confidence in them as meritorious or at least with many Protestants to rest in the civility and morality of them without farther pursuit of the power of religion but that they see not that so evill trees cannot send forth any good fruit nor so bitter fountaines any sweet water which could they but discerne they would be weary of the best of their righteousnesse and cast it away with Paul as dung and conclude that when Aloes and wormewood yeeld a sweet taste then might their fruits be sweet and tastefull to God and themselves 3. Why do so many thousands contest against grace stand upon their honesty good neighbourhood hospitality charity they thanke God they are no blasphemers no drunkards adulterers murderers they wash the outside come to Church heare sermons are outwardly cleane and formall no man can challenge them no nor they themselves but because they never saw the infection of their soules nor the inordinacy of their inner man which is a fountaine ever overflowing all the bankes most dangerous most secret hardest to find out and hardest to cure and this deceives thousands in their reckonings 4. Why is the righteousnesse of faith in the blood of Christ so much undervalued and men so hardly driven out of themselves to seeke righteousnesse by him But because they see not their owne uncleannesse and therein their hatefull estate before God untill Christ the high Priest have made atonement for them For as that man who being sick to death feeles not his sicknesse nor discerns the depth and dangers of it seekes not greatly after the Physitian he applyes either no means or some idle and impertinent things to small purpose so he that sees not the misery of his disease of sinne sees not the need of Christ neglects the right meanes and contentedly deludes himselfe running any whither but to the right remedy It is fit and fruitful to looke a little neerer this disease of nature that we may not onely make conscience of the foulenesse of nature but be thrust out of our selves to the meanes of our cleansing Considering 1. That this uncleane issue which the legall issues poynt us unto is a sinne against the whole Law of God in all branches of it whereas other sinnes are against one of the Tables and one of the Commandements 2. This poyson of nature is the same in all men that all may be humbled who are borne children of the devill enemies to righteousnesse all of us being in our very birth sonnes of death for in Adam all are dead And as an image of rotten wood must needs be rotten so wee hewne out of so rotten a stocke Who is it that is not a Leper from the wombe Let any man thrust his hand into his bosome as Moses did Exod. 4. 6. and he shall pull it out againe leprous and as white as snow Every man hath cause to cry with the Leper I am vncleane I am uncleane The spawne of a Serpent are Serpents and what are wee but the spawne the seed of Adam 3. This Issue is a generall disorder of the whole man and of all parts Neither is bodily leprosie more generall and universally spread over all the members then sinne in the soule which is seated in all the members so as from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing sound but a generall ataxy or disorder in want of all goodnesse in all parts and pronenesse to all evill 4. Miserable are the effects of this close uncleannesse As 1. In this Image of sinne no ugly toad can bee so hatefull to us as wee unto God 2. The whole man lies subject under the curse and wrath of God Rom. 5. 18 the fault came on all to condemnation 3. Nothing can proceed from us but what is foule and damnable What can a Serpent cast out but poyson Whatsoever our owne strength or will can bring forth is tainted with this leprosie for freewill remaineth onely to evill 4. Nothing without us that we can touch but we taint till we be cleansed noted in the infection of houses vessels garments Both earthly things all the creatures all our comforts actions to the unpure all is so Yea divine actions the word Sacraments prayer almes all polluted by us and to us so long as we be unconverted and in our uncleane nature 5. An unregenerate man can converse with no man but as a Leper he infects him by example provocation corrupt opinions frothy speeches fruitlesse behaviour And if they that poyson mens bodies are worthy extreame punishment and every man detests them how much more severe wrath of God are they liable unto that do nothing but poyson mens soules 6. No Leper was so worthily cast out of the campe as all of us by nature are worthily cast out of the society of Saints in earth and in heaven yea from the presence fellowship of God and Jesus Christ and that for ever Sinne properly shuts out of heaven no uncleane thing comes there nothing more hateful to God nothing but that hated by him 7. All this misery we our selves can neither discerne nor remedy It makes us pure in our owne eyes though we be not washed Prov. 30. 12. We lye wallowing in our filthinesse and delight in it as the swine in the myre and never are cured till we get out of our selves to the high Priest in whom onely it is perfectly to cleanse and cure us Now seeing in this glasse our owne disease and need of cure let us returne to the meanes of our cure in these three severall sorts of uncleannesse and in the legall be led to the cure of morall uncleannesse Thus of the
beasts for sacrifice to offer to the Lord. Plainly signifying that Christ was to bee an Israelite and within the fold of Gods owne people for he was to be of the seed of Abraham and salvation was of the Jewes Ioh. 4. 22. Yea and the Lords owne Law requires that the King should bee taken from among his brethren Deut. 17. 15 and much more the King of the Church being King of all Kings Sect. VII II. Iesus Christ was as evidently expressed in the preparation of the Paschall Lamb wherin the Iews were tyed to sixe observations I. Observation The Lambe must be severed from the flocke ver 6 to signify Iesus Christ seperated by God the Father to the office of Mediator and that two waies 1. by Gods eternall decree hee was a chosen servant of God to the most excellent service in heaven and earth Isa. 42. 1 My elect servant And thus is called a lambe seperated from before the foundation of the world 1. Pet. 1. 20. 2. In due time actually seperated from all the rest of the flocke by 1. a supernaturall conception by the holy Ghost whereby he became an high Priest seperated from sinners all the rest of mankinde remaining sinners 2. by a miraculous birth of a Virgin being the seed of the woman 3. by an unconceivable union of the two natures divine and humane in one person by which he became our Immanuell God with us 4. by a solemne and heavenly inauguration into his office at the brinke of â—ordaine by which he was openly proclaimed the chiefe Doctor and Prophet of his Church Thus it became this lambe of God to be actually seperated from all the rest of the flock because for all the rest he was to pay a greater ransome and price then any other that could be found amongst all mankinde II. Observation The lambe thus seperated must be reserved and kept alive foure daies even from the tenth day of the first month till the fourteenth day of the same month ver 6 Wherein was signified the very particles of time of Christs both Ministery and passion 1. for his Ministery Christ must not bee sacrificed presently so soone as he is borne nor so soone as he is baptised and seperated but after that seperation must live about foure yeares to preach the kingdome of God and then be offered up that his death might not be as a seale to a blancke but might confirme all that holy doctrine delivered by his owne mouth and Ministery to the world 2. For his passion The time of it depended not on the will of man for his enemies sought many a time before to slay him as Herod in his infancy Mat. 2. 16. the Jewes tooke up stones to stone him Ioh. 8. 59 the Nazarites would breake his necke from an hill Luk. 4. 29. And many other attempts were made against his life but his time was not then come the lambe must be reserved foure daies And this very moment of time was determined and registred in Gods most certaine and unchangeable computation Act 2. 23. being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Whose wisdome so ordered that 1. as the lambe was taken in the tenth day of the first month so Christ came into Ierusalem about the tenth day of the same month to suffer as appeares Ioh. 12. For upon the sixth day before his passion he came to Bethany ver 1. and the next day he went to Ierusalem which was the fifth day before his passion ver 12. 2. as the lambe must be slaine the fourteenth day of the first month which answereth to our March and at the full of the Moone So that no man might be deceived in our Paschall lambe he must be sacrificed at the Passeover the same day that the lambe must be slaine In the full Moone to note the fulnesse of time now come which was so long before appointed and in such a month as when light prevailes against darkenesse and every thing revives and springs to signifie that Christ by his suffering chaseth away our darkenesse and death and brings in light and life and a blessed spring of grace and glory III. Observation The Lambe must be slaine ver 6 signifying that Jesus Christ being as that Lambe of a yeare old in his vigour and strength who by reason of his age and strength might have lived longer must not onely dye but by a violent death and that by Israell Noting 1. that Christ must be put to death by the Jews 2. that the benefit and merit of his death redounds to his Church onely The Redeemer must come unto Zion Isa. 59. 20. Object How was hee then a lambe slaine from the beginning of the World before the Iewes were in beeing Sol. Two waies 1. in regard of Gods decree whereof a promulgation was made in promises and types and an acceptation as if it had beene already done 2. in regard of man He was slaine onely one time as to the act but in all times as to the fruit because the perpetuall power and efficacy of Christs sacrifice was begunne with the world and extended to all beleevers of all ages who onely diversly apprehend it IV. Observ. The lamb must be slain between two evenings 1. to put them in remembrance of their deliverance in Aegypt which was in the evening 2. to note that our Paschall lambe should be slaine towards the evening of the world that is in the last times Heb. 9. 26. 3. that Christs sacrifice was to succeed in the same time of their evening sacrifices which were daily to be offered Exod. 29. 41. and so to put end to them Dan. 12. 4. to note the very houre as well as the day of Christs suffering on the Crosse. To understand which we must know that the Jewes distinguished their artificiall day into foure parts From sixe to nine from nine to twelve from twelve to three from three to sixe This last part was counted the evening of the day and the next three houres the evening of the night In this fourth part of the day used the Paschall lamb to be slaine and the rest of and all their heaviest burthens 3. All that sprinkling of blood in their houses so long as they despise the blood of Jesus Christ shall never get them protection from the revenging Angel We must pray that God would please at length to remove their vaile from their hearts that they may submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 3 that so all Israel may bee saved by acknowledging the deliverer out of Zion of whom was prophecied Isai. 59. 20 That he shall turne away the ungodlinesse from Iacob Sect. III. III. The Paschall lamb directly aimed at Christ our true Passeover in respect of the blood and actions about it which were three 1. The blood of the lamb must be saved in a basen verse 22. It must not bee shed upon the ground to
bee troden under foot signifying the preciousnesse of the blood of Christ 1. in respect of God 2. of Christ 3. of the Church For 1. God the Father highly prizeth this blood and saves it in a golden vessell that it may be ever before him and that the streames of it may pacifie his displeasure and confirme the Covenant of grace with his Church Whence it is called the blood of the Covenant Heb. 9. 18 2. It was precious in regard of Jesus Christ seeing every drop of it was the blood not of an innocent man onely but of one that was God as well as man Act. 20. 28. God with his owne blood purchased the Church and therefore it was a blood of infinite vertue and infinite merit 3. Every true member of the Church doth most highly esteeme it as the most precious thing in all the world and with great care and reverence receives it into the vessell of precious and saving faith and there keepes it safely as men doe their most precious commodities 2. The blood of the lamb must be sprinkled upon the lintell and side posts of the doores of the Israelites vers 22. 1. In that it must be sprinkled it signified that the blood of Christ must be applied unto us for our righteousnesse stands not in the shedding of Christs blood but in sprinkling and application of Christs blood shed and sprinkled upon our soules and consciences to purge them from dead works 2. It must be sprinkled upon the posts and doores so as the Israelites could neither go out of doores nor in but they must see on all sides the blood of the lamb signifying that they and wee should both at home and abroad going forth and comming in and on all occasions have the passion of Jesus Christ before our eyes in the holy meditation and deep contemplation of it 3. It was not enough for the Jew that the lamb was slaine and the blood shed within the house but it must be sprinkled without doores that every man might see it and signifyed that if Christ blood and the merit of it be shed in the houses of our hearts for justification and righteousnesse the sprinkling of it will appeare and bee seene without in holy life and practise of sanctification 3. This blood of the lamb must not bee sprinkled with the bare hands but with a bunch of hyssope dipt in the blood vers 22 which signified that every one which puts forth his hand is not sprinkled with Christs blood unlesse he have provided this bunch of hyssope Hyssope is faith and faith resembles this herbe in foure things 1. It is a ground herbe low and weake so faith in it selfe and in us is weake fraile feeble and of most despised Neither hath every man that hath hyssope in his garden this bunch of hyssope in his heart 2. Rooting in a rocke for so it used among the Jews whence some thought it to bee Pellitory of the wall Faith roots it selfe upon the rocke Jesus Christ and cannot grow or prosper in any other soile Other hyssope roots in earth this in heaven 3. It is an herbe cleansing and curing Faith onely is an herbe of soveraigne vertue both to purifie the heart Act. 15. 9 and to heale all the wounds of conscience Act. 16. 31. the Gaoler wounded and pricked in heart must beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and bee saved Our Lord himselfe was wont to say to distressed persons According to thy faith bee it to thee 4. It was fitter then other herbes for the receiving and sprinkling of liquor so faith although a low and weake plant is onely fit to receive the precious liquor of the blood of Christ. Onely faith draws vertue from Christ as in the poore woman that stood behind Christ Marke 5. 34. And the want of this bunch of hyssope disables Christ from doing thee any good Christ could doe nothing in Capernaum for their unbelief I. Note hence how wee are to prize and magnifie the blood of Christ. For if the shadow of this precious blood must be so preserved so carefully saved in a costly vessell how much more ought the blood it selfe Quest. How may I prize the blood of Christ Answ. 1 Consider with the dignity of the person the infinite value of it That it is able to purchase the whole Church of God Act. 20. 28. which a thousand worlds of wealth could not doe No wealth in heaven or earth besides this can redeeme one soule And therefore the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 19. sets this precious blood against all corruptible things as gold and silver and things so much set by amongst men 2. Consider the precious things which it procures us both in earth and in heaven 1. Here below it procures us foure things 1. Reconciliation and peace with God Rom. 3. 25. and Ephes. 2. 13. wee which were farre off are made neere by the blood of Christ. 2. A sweet tranquillity of mind and peace of conscience which all worldly treasure cannot purchase because now wee are within the Covenant of God living in his love which is better then life and in this love is no lacke but an abundant supply of all needfull things All which Covenant of grace is made and ratified by this blood therefore called the blood of the Covenant Heb. 9. 3. Victory against all the malignity of our spirituall enemies even the greatest Satan himselfe who is overcome by the blood of the lamb Revel 12. 11. 4. Immunity and safety from all the judgements and dangers threatned against our sinnes else had we died without mercy for despising Moses law Heb. 10. 28. For if there were such force in the blood of the type that by the effusion of it the Israelites lay safe and untouched of the revenging Angel Heb. 11. 28 much more in this blood of Jesus Christ to cover beleevers in his Name from the hand of Gods revenge due to our transgressions 2. This precious blood now in heaven procures us the most needfull and excellent good things above all that wee can imagine Especially two wayes 1. By opening heaven for our prayers for this blood pleads for us now in heaven and speaks better things for us then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. That called for vengeante against the sinner this intreateth for daily grace for daily sinnes and procures daily mercies for daily supplies 2. As to our prayers so this blood openeth heaven to our persons This blood onely rents the vaile asunder and makes a way into the holy of holies and gives entrance into the kingdome of heaven Heb. 10. 19. by the blood of Jesus we are bold to enter into the holy place This blood is the onely key that unlocks heaven for else the Lord dwells in light which no flesh can have accesse to 1 Tim. 6. 16. namely without Christ and the shedding of his blood II. Is the blood of Christ so precious
Aegyptian and cover thee 3. To get God their guide and to follow him Neither Noah upon the top of a world of seas nor Israel in the bottome of the sea shall miscarry if God become the Pilot. Follow thy guide goe on forward feare not rest in God for safety in extreame danger and thou art the fittest for his helpe and deliverance See 2. Chro. 20. 12. We know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee CHAP. XXII Manna a Type of Christ. THere were among the Jewes two extraordinary Sacraments which sealed up unto beleevers their continuall nourishment and preservation in grace by the free Covenant of God in the Messiah The former was Manna from heaven the latter the water out of the rock Both of them most lively setting forth Jesus Christ the true bread and water of life to ancient and present beleevers In which sense the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 3. 4. calleth them spirituall meat and spirituall drink The Story of Manna is recorded Exod. 16. 14. The proper application of which is in Ioh. 6. 32. 48. where our Saviour shewes that he is the true Manna of which the other in the wildernesse was but a shadow and dark resemblance Now for opening this type we shall fruitfully consider two things I. CHRIST prefigured by it where we shall see an admirable and pleasant correspondence of the type with the truth and how Christ was not obscurely preached even in this one shadow to old beleevers II. CHRIST far preferred before this figure as became the truth to be set above the type I. For the resemblance consider Manna 1. in it selfe in 1. Quality 2. Quantity 2 in the Jews in their 1. Gathering 2. Use. Sect. I. I. The qualities of Manna considered in it selfe were sixe many of them miraculous 1. The Manna came down from heaven God in heaven prepared this food to satisfie the Jewes hunger so Jesus Christ is the true bread that came downe from heaven all other bread is from earth but Christ is from heaven he hath God for his Father from whose bosome he is sent into the wildernesse of this world to satisfie the spirituall hunger of his people And as that was an admirable gift prepared by God for them and therefore they called it Manna so nothing was more freely prepared and given by God then Jesus Christ for the life of the world hee came without the worlds seeking without merit and deserving yea or accepting for he came to his owne and his owne received him not And was not this miraculous above that that he which sent the Manna was the Manna which he sent â— The taste of Manna was sweet and tasted like fresh oyle Numb 11. 8. or wafers baked with honey Exod. 16. 31 So nothing is so sweet as Jesus Christ to an afflicted and hungry heart The sweet promises of grace are sweeter ther honey Psal. 19. 10. No fresh and sweet oile can so cherish the face as they doe the heart which is able to apprehend the sweet consolations and joyes of the Spirit And as Manna tasted alike to all tastes and every whit of it was sweet and every mouth tasted the same sweetnesse as it never was in any other food in the world So onely Christ is the same to all that taste him and every whit of him is sweet even his yoake his Crosse and every mouth that tastes him can confesse him so to be 3. The figure of it was round a figure of perfection signifying Jesus Christ without beginning or end the first and the last most simple and sincere without any guilefull corner or angle most infinite most perfect and fit to containe all perfections of grace meet for the head of the Church 4. The colour was white Exod. 16. 31 signifying the most holy and immaculate purity of Jesus Christ in his nature person and actions The holy One of God fairer then all the sonnes of men Psal. 45. 2. 5. The generality It was common to all the Israelites of what state soever So Jesus Christ is the common Saviour to rich and poore to master and servant bond and free and to all beleeving in his Name without respect of persons Act. 10. 34. There is neither male nor female but all are one in Christ Gal. 3. 28. 6. The continuance of it This was all the while they were in the wildernesse So Christ continues alwayes with his Church to the end of the world Matt. 28. 20. But when they came into Canaan it ceased for where ordinary bread was was no need of miraculous So when wee come to our Canaan wee shall gather no more Manna by the meanes of the word and Sacraments neither yet shall we lose our Manna but immediatly enjoy Christ and see him face to face which the Apostle calls an open face 1. Cor. 13. 12. II. The quantity of Manna considered in it selfe resembled Christ in foure particulars 1. It was a small graine as a little seed of Coriander vers 14. but full of yeald sweetnesse and nourishment So Jesus Christ was little and humble in his owne eies and in other mens eies liker a worme then a man Little in his birth in his life in his death in his followers Uery weake in shew and appearance but full of power strength and grace to sustaine and uphold his Church full of nourishment sweetnesse and comfort to refresh his Church to eternall life 2. It was freely and abundantly given to Israel as the raine and fell downe with the dew So Jesus Christ is freely given to the Church and in him abundant grace and plentifull redemption God never expressed such bounty nor ever opened the treasury of his rich grace in any thing so much as in giving his Christ who never comes any where without the sweet dewes of comfort joy and happy graces which distill from him into every beleeving heart 3. Manna fell every morning round about the campe and no where else and so much every morning as was sufficient for sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children signifying that Jesus Christ is no where to bee found without the campe and bounds of the Church and that of his fulnesse all beleevers receiue grace for grace and that in Christ is sufficiency of merit for all his Church and there need no other supply for health and safety of soule but out of this heape 4. It fell on the evening of the Sabbath in double quantity because they must not breake the Sabbath in gathering any signifying the double diligence that we must use to get Christ while wee are in this life which is as the Even of our eternall Sabbath and the incessant labour after a farther degree of grace giving all diligence to make our election sure before we goe hence for when that eternall rest commeth there is no more gathering but a ceasing from all labour And upon condition of our diligence and care here below wee shall have
supply enough of all grace without labour and gathering when Christ shall be all in all to all Israel gathered unto him Sect. II. Now wee are to consider this miraculous food both in the Jews gathering of it as also in their use of it I. In their gathering are three things the place the time the measure 1. The place where It was about the campe and tents of the Jews in the wildernesse signifying that Christ the heavenly Manna is given to us in this our wildernesse and while we are in this world wee must procure him to our selves or never And farther that his grace is rained downe in the Church and no where else is saving grace ordinarily to bee found Onely the Israel of God enjoy Christ in the meanes his abode is among the tents of shepherds 2. The time of gathering is 1. The weeke day the sixe dayes not the Sabbath for it came not on the Sabbath but as knowing and distinguishing times it would as feed them so teach them namely to rest on the Sabbath day as it did and signified that in that eternall Sabbath wee shall enjoy Manna without meanes and shall eate our fill of that hidden Manna laid up and prepared for the Saints Revel 2. 17. 2. Every day in the weeke to signifie that we must daily feed on Christ and his grace and that wee must daily renew the care of the salvation and sustenance of our soules 3. Every morning of every day early must they gather it the first thing they did To signifie that wee must embrace Christ speedily while the meanes last and offer themselves Christ is worth our first care and his commandement is first to seeke the kingdome of God The foolish virgins sought Oile and Manna too late 3. The measure 1. Every man hath a measure out of the common heape signifying that Christ is the same treasury to poore and rich small and great and every beleever and Israelite hath his portion and measure measured out unto him for he must live by his owne faith and a severed measure of knowledge and sanctification from others 2. Every man hath the same measure There was one measure for all a Gomer for every person So every Christian hath his Gomer and the same measure For although there is difference in the graces of sanctification some being in the higher formes of knowledge some in lower some of little faith some of great faith some whose zeale is as a smoaking flaxe in some a bright flame yet justification by Christ is equall to all and doth not admit a more or a lesse The youngling in grace is as truely and fully justified as the ancient beleever though not so fully sanctified 3. Every man hath a full Gomer a full measure to signifie that in Christ is no want but wee are compleat in him Col. 2. 10. And as the gathering Israelite though he gathered lesse then some other had his Gomer full so hee that hath the weakest grace and weakest faith if true and sound shall attaine the same salvation which the stronger beleever attaines For the same precious faith attaines the same common salvation II. Wee must consider this Manna in the Jews use of it 1. In respect of the dressing It must be ground and baked before it could bee fit food for the Israelites signifying that Jesus Christ must first be ground and broken upon the Crosse and pounded with passion before hee could become a â—it food and Saviour of his Church Every graine of Manna must be ground and broken so must Christ bee broken and bruised in the wine presse of Gods wrath Every graine of Manna must bee baked in the Oven so must Christ bee parched and baked yea and dried up in the Oven of his Fathers displeasure And this was extraordinary and above nature in it that one heate namely of the Sunne melted it another heate namely of fire baked it very strange but significative of the same in Christ. The heat of his love to mankind melted him but the heat of his Fathers wrath as hot as fire baked him and fitted him for our spirituall food 2. The Manna being dressed must be eaten that is applied to their substance and digested for their nourishment signifying Jesus Christ who although like the Manna he must be gathered in common and must bee received whole as Manna must bee gathered whole yet he must be eaten in severall that is specially applied to every beleever for his food and strength by which application hee becomes food in our hunger and physicke in our weakâ—â—esse as the Manna was to them and other had they none 3. They must use it all and reserve none till the morning for if they did it putrified and wormes grew in it vers 19. 20 To signifie that not the profession of Christ profits any thing without faithfull applying of him Yea and as Manna reserved putrified so Christ becomes a scandall and a rocke of offence to the unbeleeving of the world that content themselves to heareof Christ and have the word among them but apply it not to their hearts and lives The sweetest Manna becomes a rottennesse and a favour of death to carnall professours Quest. But why did the Lord cause the Manna daily to putrifie if kept Answ. 1. He will have them daily depend upon his hands and provision that was no time nor place to shift covetously for themselves neither was there any need seeing every day supplied them with a new harvest 2. To signifie to them that man lived not by bread onely but by every word of God How could they thinke that such corruptible food could preserve them that it selfe could not be preserved above a few houres but by Gods institution 3. That they might acknowledge God a free and extraordinary worker in all his administration with them For even this Manna which kept an houre beyond a day suddenly rotted if God command to keep it two dayes every weeke for his worship sake it shall bee miraculously preserved sweet and savoury Yea if for a monument of his mercy he shall command to lay a sample of it in the Arke it shall last and bee kept in the Holy of holies many ages yea many hundreds of yeares sweet and savoury as at first And all this not without signification that although Jesus Christ was in his flesh and humane nature subject to sorrow death and passion yet even in that humanity now glorified he is set in the Holy of holies as the Manna in the golden pot before the Lord for ever Exod. 16. 33. and abides for ever in the heavens for all eternity not subject to corruption any more as that golden pot of Manna was Sect. III. II. Now let us see how Christ is infinitely preferred before this type or figure in sixe severall advancements 1. That Manna had no life in it selfe but this hath Ioh. 5. 26. As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he
thou refusest Christ himselfe V. We must beware of being weary of this manna The Jewes esteemed manna sweet at first and went out cheerefully to gather it yea the Sabbath and all which was a prohibited time so greedy were they of it but within a little while although it retained the sweetnesse they waxed weary of it Wee must take heed of this ficklenesse in goodnesse which hath ever bewrayed it selfe in most forward people At the first building of the Tabernacle men brought too much but after tooke it away as fast againe Iohn was a burning and shining light and they rejoyced in his light but it was but for a season and few shining lights but find it so The Galatians at first received Paul as an Angell but soone revolted from him What flocking and thronging was there after Christs doctrine and miracles that the kingdome of God suffered violence but soone they had enough of him and in short time did tumult as fast against him The like was observed in our owne land at the first falling of this manna and beginnings of the Gospell men were earnest glad joyfull forward then was a sweet time of the happy welcome of this Manna happy was hee could get his Gomer first and fullest But now what voices heare wee other then of the ungracious Israelites Oh our soules are dryed up with this manna here is nothing but manna so much preaching so many Sermons and it was better with the world in Aegypt before all this preaching And whereas our fathers would have ridden far to a Sermon wee their lazie off-spring will scarce steppe over our thresholds Let us consider here for our incitement 1. how hard it is to begin well but harder to hold out and not holding out we lose all our labour 2. that manna is as sweet as ever though wee see not our owne neede which if we did see wee would be no more weary of Gods word were it daily preached then wee are of our bread we daily eate VI. We must be so far from wearinesse as that we must highly esteeme this true Manna as the sweetest gift that ever God gave from heaven and never forget so miraculous a mercy That Israel might not forget Gods extraordinary mercy in this type they must for ever keepe a pot of Manna which was preserved so long as the Temple stood for many hundred yeeres And that wee might not forget this mercy in the true manna hee hath and doth for ever preserve his word preached and instituted Sacraments in which he perpetually holdeth this mercy before the eyes of the Church Let us raise monuments of Gods mercies to our selves and not forget lesser favours if we would not forfeit them But such a mercy as this is in Jesus Christ the true Manna let it live in our hearts in our memories sences affections actions in walking worthy of it for thus it becommeth the just to be thankefull CHAP. XXIII Water out of the Rock a type THe second extraordinary Sacrament sealing up to Israel their nourishment and strength in the Covenant was the water out of the Rocke After the Lord had brought Israel through the dangerous Sea hee brings them to Elim a sweet and fruitfull place where were twelve fountaines of water and seventy Palme trees there they camped and breathed Exod. 15. 27. Not long after they must come into the dry desart of Sin where they want both bread and patience for they murmure against God and exclaime against Moses and Aaron At this time the Lord feeds their bellies and fills them with miracles of which Manna was full Thence at Gods commandement must they come unto Rephidim Exod. 17. 1. Here have they bread from heaven but no water Now contend they as fast with Moses for water as before for bread And as thirst is the more eager appetite so it ineagers their affections that Moses complaines to God they are ready to kill him God sees their rebellion and puts it up and instead of revenge of their horrible obstinacy and ingratitude satisfies their thirst as miraculously as formerly hee had done their famine and hunger Hee commands Moses to take his rod and speake to the Rock and then should issue waters in abundance to satisfie all the Campe both man and beasts and so he did Exod. 17. 6. Now wee may not thinke that this fact concerned onely Israel in the wildernesse but even all the Church and Israel of God passing through the wildernesse of this world And that for these reasons 1. The Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 4. calleth it a spirituall rocke both for being miraculous in effects and for being a type of what was to come It was both miraculous and significant and therefore called spirituall 2. The same water which they drank we also drink as in the same Chap. and ver because in the holy Supper of the Lord the matter of our spirituall drink is the same with theirs and that is the blood of Christ resembled by theirs The difference is onely in the maner of drinking 3. Including this water of the Rock the Apostle saith they are all types to admonish us and are written for vs vers 6. 11. 4. Most plainly he affirmeth vers 4 and that Rock was Christ not in substance but in signification saith Aquinas Now wee having as much to doe with Christ as they wee must farther enquire into this type 1. To parallel it with the truth by comparing them 2. By applying it in some fruitfull observations to our selves The Rock was a type of Christ three wayes 1. As it was a Rock 2. As out of it issued water 3. In the manner of obtaining I. As a Rock it elegantly typed out Jesus Christ fitly compared to a Rock in five resemblances 1. For the despicable appearance The Rock is in appearance dry and barren the most unlikely thing in all the world to afford water so as it was incredible to Moses and Aaron themselves to fetch water out of a Rock If God had commanded them to have beaten fire out of a flinty rock it had not been so unlikely but to distill water out of a flint or rock must be miraculous Even so Jesus Christ was for outward forme and appearance in the world most unlikely of all men to afford any such waters of grace and salvation Isai. 53. 2 3. hee was as a dry root without forme or beauty as an hard barren and despised rock the most abject of men the refuse of the world a worme and no man of whom when the Prophets preached they could finde none almost that would beleeve their report 2. A Rock for exaltation and advancement A Rock is a promontory lifted up above the earth Such a Rock was Christ advanced above the earth yea and the heavens advanced above all men and creatures 1. In holinesse and purity 2. In power and authority 3. In place and dignity So Ioh. 3. 31
Sacraments that can bring one drop of true water of comfort but by the presence and word of Gods blessing The efficacy of grace depends not on any meanes or worke wrought but it is Gods word and presence that doth all in them Ob. Then we may give up the use of all meanes and pray at home for grace Sol. Not so for meanes must be used Moses must speake to the rocke God appoints no meanes in vaine but we must not insist and dwell in them but looke beyond them to Gods blessing and successe Moses must use the Rod though a word without the rod might have done it so we must use the meanes as being tyed to them though God be not but not stick in them seeing the abuse of them may make them hurtfull not helpefull The people of Moses the Jewes strooke this rocke pearced him with thornes and speares saw with their eyes the precious fountaine opened in his side a priviledge in which they were beyond all people of the earth but partly ignorant what they did partly malicious treading this precious blood under foot not attending not beleeving the word this reall striking of this rocke was unprofitable yea and damnable unto them 5. The waters of the rock smitten followed the Israelites 1. Noting the abundance of water not only for their present supply but also for future so in Christ his blood is abundant and plentifuil redemption and consolation 2. The rock following them that is following or satisfying their desires It followed them every where where they desired followed their necessities followed their desires So Christ Jesus is to the faithfull heart all it can desire He followes them with all sweet and needfull desires He is above all that heart can thinke alwaies present with us through our wildernesse especially in most needfull times 3. It followed them in signifying the truth which was to follow It signifyed plainely that Christ was to follow it as the truth the type and so it followed them with instruction and admonition so Christ the true Rock followes the Church with instruction His whole life Ministery miracles actions passion and speeches was a reall instruction And now by his Ministery he followes us with daily directions 4. It followed them through the wildernesse even unto Canaan All the drynesse of that dry and barren wildernesse could not dry it up So the waters of grace streaming from the Rocke Jesus Christ follow the beleeving Israel of God through the wildernesse of the world to the heavenly Canaan All the persecutions and parching heats and droughts in the world can never dry it up Let all the wildernesse besides want water in Israels campe is enough Where God begins with a man in sound and saving grace here it will carry him into the land of promise True grace must end in glory Hence arise observations twofold I. In respect of God to confirme our faith in the assurance of his 1. presence 2. power 3. mercy to the Church I. His presence He that before was present in the Pillar of the cloud and fire for their safety and in the manna for their sustenance is now present in the Rocke for their satiety in their extreame thirst The presence of Christ is all in all to the Church his presence is a present supply of all wants His eye is alwaies present for although it goe over all the world yet it is alwaies fixed on the Church His eare is present they cannot call to Moses for bread or water but he heares and supplyes His hand is ever present with and for his Church and is not shortned Himselfe is ever present with his in life in death and after for good for grace and glory Onely keepe thou these conditions 1. Be with him 2 Chr. 15. 2 that is walke with him as Henoch 2. Keepe in thy waies for so long he hath promised his comfortable presence 3. Rejoyce in his presence in the presence of his spirit in the signes and meanes of his presence And then feare not want sicknesse nor to walke in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death for God is with thee Psa. 23. 4. He will also prepare a table for thee in the sight of the adversary ver 5. II. Here is a testimony of such mighty and miraculous power in God for his people that even Moses himselfe staggered and could scarce conceive a worke of such power from God Here is a worke of omnipotency in cleaving the hard rocke Psal. 78. 15. To shew 1. That he is a free worker not tied to second causes but at his pleasure can hinder alter or change the power of nature Psa. 115. 3. 2. That he can worke by contraries and out of most unlikely yea contrary meanes effect his owne pleasure Luk 1. 37 Is any thing impossible to God 3. That we should cast our eyes on this power Psa. 62. 11 Once have I heard it yea twice that power belongeth to God And hence learne 1. Not to limit the holy one that made heaven and earth of nothing 2. Faithfully to depend on this power when we see no meanes of safety or supply but all the meanes contrary For the rocke shall yeeld water rather then thou shalt want what hee seeth good for thee 3. In thy fainting and wearinesse when thy weaknesse tells thee thou art not able to goe on in this wildernesse for want of water of comfort and consolation nay art hopelesse in thy selfe or any meanes thou canst make now hope above hope Gods power is sufficient in thy weakenesse Sampson shall get both victory and water by a jaw-bone the most unlikely thing in the world for either And though this power now worketh not miracles ordinarily yet before thou that waitest on him shalt miscarrie hee will miraculously sustaine thee III. Heere is a testimony of Gods admirable mercry to his people Israel deserved to be smitten for their murmuring and rebellion but the rock is smitten for them The rock is not smitten for it selfe but for Israel In stead of a revenging power which they might have expected they find a gracious power which they could not expect Even so all maâ—kinde was to be smitten by the Law but the Rock must be smitten for us Our Rock suffered nothing for his owne sinnes who was purer in his nature and actions then all the Angels of God but all the stroke he suffered was for the Israel of God that they might draw out of this well-head waters of joy and abundant consolation The mighty power of God which we had deserved to be turned all against us is all turned to the salvation of the Church where mercy rejoyceth against judgement Thus of God From this Rock and water we are also to observe some things concerning our selves I. Wee have heere the accomplishment of that Prophecy Zach 13. 1 A fountaine is opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of
thirst no more Lord faith she give mee this water that I may no more thirst nor come hither to draw Ioh. 4. 15. So let it stir up our desires after it also that wee may get within the well that springeth up to eternall life 3. What meanes may we use for the attaining of water out of this rock Answ. 1. Be an Israelite That rock was smitten onely for them This rock is laid in Sion not in Aegypt No Aegyptian no Canaanite no Romish Aegyptian that drinkes of that Popish puddle no profane worldlings taste of these waters swill and draffe is good enough for such swine 2. Come to the place Israel must goe out of their houses as well to fetch water out of the rock as to gather Manna The place whence the rock sends water is the threshold of the Sanctuary Ezech. 47. If wee will not stirre out of our dores wee may justly starve 3. Avoid letts and hindrances that damme up these waters As 1. Ignorance of their worth and of thy owne neede Ioh. 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God thou wouldest have asked c. Good reason thou want it who thinkest it a thing thou mayst best want Many among us like Tantalus in the midst of water die for thirst 2. Hardnesse of heart which keepes the soule dry and barren and abiding in the naturall hardnesse of a rock all the waters of this spirituall rock are lost upon it 3. A quenching and grieving of the spirit this turns the stream another way that it finds another channell Greeve not the spirit but grieve rather that thy selfe art so strait-necked a vessell 4. Secure neglect of meanes A man that will be rich followes the meanes so he that meaneth to be rich in grace whereas he that meaneth to die a begger casts up all and makes holy day at his pleasure 4. Provide 1. the bucket of faith to draw for the well is deepe and without this bucket thou gettest none Ioh. 4. 11. 2. Find a fit vessell to put these waters in As 1. a cleane vessell of a pure heart Who would put Aquavitae or Balme water in a fusty and stinking bottle 2. a whole vessell that it leake not out againe This whole vessell is a whole and sincere heart but broken all to pieces No vessel here can hold but a broken and contrite heart God fils the humble the haughty and proud are sent away empty CHAP. XXIV The Brazen Serpent a Type THe History of the Brazen Serpent is in Numb 21. 6 7 8. where are two things I. The disease II The remedy The disease is set downe 1. in the occasion ver 5. 2. in the kind by fiery Serpents sent by God to sting them 3. in the effect many dyed In all which Story wee must not stick in the letter or barke but breake through to the kernell and truth The rather because our Lord Jesus an interpreter beyond all exception brings us hereby to himselfe and to the consideration both of our disease and of the remedy and the application of it Ioh 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift up the serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lift up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternall life It will be now both pleasant and profitable to looke a little while upon the apt resemblance of the type with the truth both in the disease and remedy and first of the occasion of the disease Sect. I. I. The occasion of the disease was the peccant humor of ingratitude and murmuring against the grace of God miraculously manifested in the wildernesse Never had any people upon the face of the earth the like mercies from God the like experience of God Never any fed and feasted with so many miracles as it were in ordinary They have water following them every where out of a rock They have read from heaven delicate even to a miracle but this Angels food is too light and no bread will serve them but from earth God gave them abundance of it for the gathering he rained it most bountifully round about their tents but their unthankfull souls loathe it and tread it under foot And therefore rising up against God and tempting him they were destroyed of Serpents 1. Cor. 10. 9. Note here by the way 1. The Justice of God Hee that brought Manna from heaven to feed them for contempt of his grace now brings serpents out of the earth to revenge and destroy them Rom. 2. 4. 5. The despising of Gods bountifulnesse treasureth up wrath See the same Justice on our selves How lightly did wee in our first parents regard that upheaped measure of bounty and grace conferred by God in our Creation and innoceny And how justly were we stung to death by the old serpent for it The unthankfull person is the greatest robber that is 2. See the equity of this Justice on the Israelites They not contented to murmur against the Lord set also upon Moses and Aaron his servants Why have ye brought us into the wildernesse to die Now their punishment is answerable to their sinne They transgresse in hot and fiery tongues and are punished by hot and fiery stings Venemous words against God and his servants are revenged by the mouthes of poysoned and venemous serpents Doe thou at thy perill sting God and his servants with bitter words God will have some serpent or other to sting thee I am out of doubt that many great plagues have lingred and doe amongst us in this land for the poysoned and reviling speeches cast against God and his servants every where We sting his holy profession and servants incessantly and he stings us with the scorpions of his Judgements 3. Beware of being weary of manna Never did man complaine of plenty of manna but was justly stung with want of it Doe thou complaine without cause and thou shalt have cause to complaine Israel that complaines of too much manna shall shortly change their note and cry out of too many serpents II. The kind of the disease The Lord sent fiery serpents to sting them Where 1. why serpents 2. why fiery 3. why stinging 1. This disease by serpents lively resembles our disease of soule which is no other then the fiery sting of the old serpent which is the devill Rev. 12. 9. Our spirituall disease is hence noted to come from that old serpent at first Now satan is aptly compared to a serpent in five respects First because he covered himselfe with a serpent when he first stung and deceived mankind Secondly he is more subtle then any serpent crafty to insinuate and deceive 2 Cor. 11. 3. 14. Thirdly as a serpent dwels and lies among thornes bushes bryars and feeds upon dust so the devill raignes in the thickets and bushes of worldly cares and lusts and feeds upon worldlings exercising his chiefe power against them Fourthly as a serpent casts out of his mouth venime
preach that doctrine which hee had persecuted had hee consulted with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16 What other reason can bee given that the word powerfully preached is so generally fruitlesse but that men think they have reason not to obey it at least not in all things They see no reason to bee so precise nor is there any wisdome to bee so forward Reason tells them they see few great men so strict and but a few despised men are so earnest 4. Hee shall never attaine heaven 1. Cor. 15. 50. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven neither doth corruption inherit incorruption By flesh and blood is meant the vitiate and corrupt estate of man or flesh and blood severed from the spirit and grace of God or the man unregenerate having onely flesh and blood So Matt. 16. 17. Blessed art thou Simon Ionas for flesh and blood hath not reveiled it unto thee but my Father So as here is not required an abolition of flesh and blood in the being and substance of it but an addition of new qualities As in Christs transfiguration was not an extinction of his body but an accesse of incredible glory without which change none can get to heaven Ioh. 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God The Apostle adds the reason 1. Cor. 15. â—0 Gods kingdome is incorruptible flesh and blood in it selfe is corrupted and so not capable of that kingdome Therefore to come to heaven thou must bee changed in thy will reason wisedome and all Sect. V. To apply this I. Labour to bring the eye of faith to the word else shall we be ready to reject holy doctrine as absurd and impossible as Nichodemus did the doctrine of regeneration Why else doe most men live no other then a naturall life in the midst of so many supernaturall and divine meanes but that their reason resists the Spirits perswasions Why are many wholesome doctrines daily distasted and quarelled against by our witty men but that they think they have better reason to do as they do then any that we can bring out of Gods booke Why else doe so many fall back to Popery and idolatry but because they cast off the teaching of the Spirit and give themselves to another teacher agreeing with naturall corruption and reason If a man were to bee led onely by reason and it were lawfull to cast off religion I would choose to bee a Papist by which doctrine it is lawfull to be every thing but a sound Christian. Therefore though some Apostats are gone from us wee need not care how many such turne Papists for such were and are their gracelesse and lawlesse courses that it were pity they should bee of any other religion then that which yeelds men so much liberty II. Pray for that eyesalve wherewith to anoint our eyes that wee may see Revel 3. 18. This eyesalve is nothing but the spirit of illumination working sound and saving knowledge in the mind by which their naturall darknesse is enlightned as eyesalve sharpens and cleares the dim sight This is proper to the regenerate that they have received the anointing which teacheth them all things that is al needfull things III. See what need we have to captivate our owne wisedome and reason being one of the highest turrets and holds in us exalted against God 2. Cor. 10. 5. If this be not brought into subjection unto God we can never become his servants The Apostle in the same verse sheweth what must be cast downe and captivated his words are Casting downe reasonings and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. These reasonings and cogitations the froth of humane reason must bee resisted yea removed Thou must become a foole to be wise As a full vessell cannot hold any more and no wise man will offer to powre any thing into it if hee would not spill it So an heart filled with carnall wisedome is an uncapable vessell for the Lord to powre his wisedome into He fils the empty vessell and teacheth the humble Obey without reasoning or disputing though the commandement bee never so difficult or seeme unreasonable Abraham left his owne countrey and went hee knew not whither at Gods commandment One would have thought that this had been folly in him but that the Scripture acquits him and saith hee did it by faith Heb. 11. 8. And in a more difficult commandement hee rose early to slay his sonne not reasoning the case with himselfe nor with Sarah nor his sonne nor his servants The disciples when Christ bade them leave all and follow him did so presently Here let us consider 1. How reasoning with flesh resists the commandement 2. King 5. 12. Naaman being commanded to wash seven times in Iordan growes angry and falls into comparison of the waters of Israel and Damascus Are not Arbana Pharphar better then al the waters in Israel c. But had not his servants been wiser then hee to perswade him to so small a thing his reason had returned him without his errand The yong man that came so hastily to Christ hearing a commandement goe sell all and give to the poore went and consulted with himselfe but Christ heares no more of him 2. To follow reason is to follow a crooked rule But admit it were straight yet is it defective and too short for mysteries above reason And if it were straight and large enough yet it is a party and so unfit to be a Judge in cases betweene God and man And therefore there is no fit Judge in divine things but the word which stands equally affected betweene God and man 3. Wee reade much of the blinde obedience of Papists in their works to their rules and Superiours of things scarce credible but that themselves have published them in writing One Masseus a Franciscan tumbled himselfe in the dust and crawled like a childe because St. Francis said they could not bee converted unlesse they were as little children Another of our Countrey called Throkmorton even in the Article of death was so dutifull to his Superiour as he would not die without his leave asked as Everard a Papist writeth in his commendation Another called Barcen as Diego a great Jesuit relates was so humble and dutifull that when the Devill appeared unto him hee ranne to meet him and prayed him to sit downe in his chaire because hee was more worthy then himselfe The Jesuits are so formed to obedience by Ignatius his rules that whatsoever service they are set upon by their Superiour suppose it never so mischievous they must fly upon it without question asked So as if one of them were talking with an Angel if his Superiour call him he must instantly come away Yea if the blessed Virgin vouchsafe her presence to one of the brethren if his Superiour call him hee must presently break away from her and obey him as he writes to the brethren of Lusitania
of that of this sinne and of that How may I doe to get mastery of my corruptions In going to Gods Ministers let thy errand bee the same with the Israelites in their going to Moses how to be rid of the Serpents 4. Moses directs them to the brazen Serpent erected for their cure for Moses himselfe cannot helpe them Moses law cannot cure them that rather sharpens the sting and thrusts it deeper into the flesh and spirit He directs them to no merits or works of their owne to cure them for their merits brought in those poysoned stings among them but he sends them quite out of themselves to Gods ordinance which was the brasen Serpent Thou art never in the way of cure till thou art sent out of thy selfe out of the Law and works of it which now cannot justifie till thou commest to the Evangelicall brazen Serpent there is no hope of cure As the Israelite could never be cured till hee acknowledged the brazen Serpent the onely meanes so no more canst thou till thou acknowledge JESUS CHRIST the onely healing God and that there is no other name in heaven or earth to be saved by but the name JESUS Onely Christ onely Christ said that Martyr for he onely can give a perfect righteousnesse he onely can cover our imperfection hee onely being no sinner could conquer sinne he onely by dying could conquer death he onely by entring into the grave could sweeten it he onely by sustaining the sorrowes of hell could shut hell for all beleevers Had Moses sent the Israelites any whither but to the brazen Serpent he had deluded them and they had lost all their labour Who now is so void of judgement that cannot discerne whether our religion or the Roman be the ancient and true religion of Moses and the people of God If a man stung with the serpent come to us for counsell and cure as they to Moses we send him as Moses out of himselfe to Christ onely the true brazen Serpent Our doctrine leads him out of himselfe out of his owne merits out of externall works and ceremonies unto Christ who is our peace and left his peace unto beleevers and by this meanes through Gods blessing the patient attaines true tranquillity of mind and inward peace of conscience and rejoyceth with an unspeakable and glorious joy for his recovery as the Israelites did in theirs But let a man stung in conscience goe to a Roman teacher hee leads him any way but the right any whither so not to Christ. In stead of Gods certaine direction in the words of the Prophets and Apostles which testifie of Christ the onely brazen serpent they send him to unsound and uncertaine speculations fables traditions equall say they to Scripture and some of them say farre better In stead of Christs satisfaction and merit they send him home to his owne merits and satisfactions by which say they he may apply the satisfaction and merit of Christ. But in case he be so bad as he have no merits of his owne the Church hath a Treasury of other mens merits to dispense by taile so he will come to the price So he may buy oyle enough to fill his lampe out of the Popes Exchequer or Burse filled to the top with workes of supererogation But if he make some scruple of this least the wise virgins have not enough for themselves and others then they may have the sacrifice of the Masse not to faile but never apply that one and only sacrifice upon the Crosse it selfe Now whether of us agree with Moses 5. As the Israelite must looke up to the Serpent lifted up so must thou looke up and behold Christ lifted up This must thou doe two waies First on the wood of the Crosse secondly on the throne of the Kingdome both of grace and glory Behold Christ lifted up not in his abasement onely but in his advancement First in the Kingdome of grace as hee is lifted up in the word and Sacraments In which Christ is mightily declared the Son of God and preached the Saviour of the world Gal. 3. 1 among whom Christ was crucified Secondly in his kingdome of glory raysed from the dead ascended into heaven and exalted at the right hand of God above all principalities and powers Phil. 2. 9 God hath given him a name which is above every name Now the looking on Christ thus lifted up is the act of faith not a bare intuition sight or vision as to beleeve that Christ was thus exalted on the Crosse and in his Kingdom but it is apprehensive and applicatory and to beleeve in CHRIST crucified and glorified This looking hath three things in it 1. To beleeve that hee was the Sonne of God and sonne of man our Immanuel 2. That he being so was lift up for the salvation of beleevers 3. That my selfe assuredly trust and depend on him alone as the onely author meritour and bestower of salvation This is Evangelicall looking on the Serpent Now because this looking is the principall thing in the cure we will consider 1. How this looking cures us 2. How wee know wee are cured by our looking 3. Motives to stirre us up still to looke on our Serpent Sect VII I. When the Israelite comes to Moses and asketh Oh what shall I doe to be saved from death being so deadly stung A full answer to this question was goe looke upon the brazen Serpent thou shalt be whole So if an humble soule suppose the Jaylor shall come to the Minister as Paul or Silas Sirs what may I doe to be saved the direct answer to this question is Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and yee are saved by faith and Thy faith hath made thee whole Quest. But how doth faith save us Answ. Not as it is an excellent grace nor as any work of ours We are not saved and cured for beleeving but by beleeving 1. Because faith is the condition of the Covenant and of our cure as looking was the condition of the cure of the Israelite For it was not the having of a Brazen Serpent nor the lifting it up could cure but the Israelites looking upō it so it is not the hearing of Christ nor the lifting of him up in the Ministery nor knowledge of his merits can save unlesse they be received by faith A potion never so vertuous is fruitlesse if not taken As meat uneaten so is Christ not digested and applied by faith 2. Faith cannot cure considered simply in it selfe as a quality or vertue or gift or habit but considered relatively with his object which is Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousnesse for faith is the eye of the soule But as it was not the eye of the Israelite but the eye set upon the brazen serpent that cured him so here faith upon his object cureth because onely faith draweth vertue from Christ as in the Syrophoenician who touched Christ and was cured but
not by touching but by beleeving More plainely in this comparison As a jewel included in a ring enricheth a man or healeth him it is not the ring doth it but the jewell and yet none have the jewell without the ring So Jesus Christ is the onely jewell and antidote aginst the deadly poison of sinne This jewell is included in the ring of faith Now it is apparently Christ the jewell that justifieth enricheth cureth but wee cannot have him without the ring of faith which includeth him So as faith saveth and justifieth us onely as a meanes suppose the hand of the soule to convey Christ to us for justification which no other grace can doe So not faith but Christ applied by faith that saveth and cureth us 3. As no Israelite could bee cured but by his owne sight of the Serpent and no man could bee cured by another mans looking or seeing it So must every just man live by his owne faith Hab. 2. 4. No man can be saved by anothers faith or the faith of the Church but by his owne speciall faith beleeving in particular upon assured grounds the remission of his owne sinnes II. By what marks may I know that I have looked on this brazen serpent for cure Answ. By foure marks 1. If thine eye have beene rightly affected which will appeare in foure particulars First if it be a discerning eye cleared to see in Jesus Christ two things the first his power the second his will to cure That hee is able to helpe being the mighty God and that hee is willing to cure being a compassionate Saviour who himselfe was stung to death that he might have compassion on them that are stung Heb. 2. 18. Secondly if it bee a mournefull eye Hee that had seene the Israelites running about the brazen serpent should have seene many a teare falling and heard many a deepe groane and pitifull complaints of their deadly paine and poison Hast thou come to Jesus Christ with sorow in thy heart with teares in thy eyes with lamentable groanes and complaints of thy misery by sinne this is to looke upon him for cure Zach. 12. 10. the members of the Church shall behold him and mourne as a man for his onely sonne Such lookers on him he looketh upon and easeth Matt. 11. 28. Come unto mee all that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Thirdly if it bee a wishing and craving eye for there is affection as well as vision in the eye As the lame man that lay in Solomons porch Act. 3. 5. wistly looked on Peter and Iohn expecting to receive something from them so no doubt did the Israelites on the Serpent And so must thou hold on waiting and expecting sound cure from Christ take no deniall till thou bee fully cured for so did the Canaanitish woman prevaile Fourthly if it be a faithfull stedfast eye a beleeving eye carries cure from Christ. Christ was wont to aske some of his patients that came for cure if they did beleeve he could helpe and in the cure According to thy faith bee it unto thee and after the cure goe thy way thy faith hath made thee whole and much more works hee the cure of soules by meanes of the parties faith and not without it 2. If the sting were gone and the poison of the serpent abated this was an infallible signe that the Israelite was cured Consider if the power and rage of sinne be removed the guilt of it gone by justification if the poyson and staine of it bee abated and daily abolished now art thou in the way of cure But if the poison remaine that sinne lives in thee prevailes and raignes in thee and commands thee as formerly thou hast not yet looked on the serpent for cure Justification and sanctification are inseparable 3. A ceasing of paine and ease and comfort restored which when the Israelite felt it was a signe he was cured So if after sense of paine and griefe of spirit thou hast received sound peace of conscience joy of the holy Ghost and comfort of a good estate in Christ that thou art able upon good grounds to challenge thy righteousnesse in Christ and maintaine thy selfe stedfastly assured and cheared in Gods mercie and the goodnesse of an excusing conscience thou hast now looked upon Christ and Christ upon thee for perfect cure 4. When the sting with the paine was gone the Israelite could goe as strongly and chearefully about his businesse as ever before he had new life new strength new motions by which he might be sure he had looked upon the serpent So if thou canst find so happy a change in thy soule as new life new motions new actions new affections and in a word the whole renewed nature all these are the fruits and effects of thy faith and faithfull beholding of Christ and of his looking upon thee Of this new obedience and renewed strength of a Christian having lately spoken I passe it over more briefly III. Motives to stirre us up to this looking upon our Serpent are 1. Nothing else can cure us but Christ. The Israelits had gold silver Manna from heaven water out of the Rock yea the Arke the Oracle but none of all these can helpe them onely the Serpent must cure them no sight else can cure Thou mayest see gold silver lands friends playes pleasures nay couldst thou see heaven it selfe without Christ there were no helpe or cure in it In respect of this sight the Apostle counted all things losse and dung and desired to see and know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified and lifted on the wood 2. No not Christ himselfe can cure without this looking and faithfull beholding him as the brazen serpent not looked on healed not The want of the eye or sight disabled the Israelites from cure though the serpent were by them so the want of faith disableth God after a sort and Christ himselfe from doing a man any good Mark 6. Christ could doe no great cure in Capernaum because of their unbeliefe Neither can any ordinance of God doe him good that wants faith no more then this serpent ordained by God could doe a blind Israelite good If wee should send a man to the word it must be a word of faith must doe him good that is not onely because it is a begetter of faith but because it must be mingled with faith else it proves unprofitable Heb. 4. 2. If to the Sacraments if hee bring not faith they are not to him the seales of faith but as seales set to blanks If to prayer it must be a prayer of faith that is availeable Iam. 5 15. If to good works and good life it must be a life of faith led by faith for the just must live by his faith If to the Church of God hee must bee of the houshold of faith else he shall be but as Iudas among the Disciples Faith must be every where diffused to walk by faith
present Moses in types and shadows Christ in body and truth Moses to one nation the Jews Christ taught all nations the true worship Moses doctrine accuseth woundeth Iohn 5. 45. Christs doctrine justifieth healeth c. III. In his passion and suffering 1. Moses being to deliver the Law fasted forty dayes and forty nights in the Mountaine alone Christ being to preach the Gospell fasted so long in the wildernesse alone 2. Moses comming armed with authority for the Hebrews good was rejected both in his person and doctrine and message The Hebrew could say who made thee a iudge Exod. 2. 14. And Pharaoh will not hearken Exod. 7. 4. Nay Pharaoh raged and oppressed the more Our true Moses comming to save the Jews sped no better for thus they protested aginst him Wee have no King but Caesar Ioh. 19. 15. And we will not have this man to raigne over us Yea his gracious words and potent works were still contemned and envyed by the wicked Scribes and Pharisees as at this day by all the wicked in the world and there is no stilling of the rage of the Devill and his instruments where Christ is truely preached 3. Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and left the Court of Pharaoh to be partaker of the afflictiōs of Gods people Heb. 11. Christ descended from the glory of Heaven to save his elect and to suffer with them and for them as Moses could not doe Yea he tooke on him our infirmities and sorrowes and on earth refused his right to be a King when they would have made him because his Kingdome was not of this world 4. Both were willing to dye at Gods commandement both went up into a mount to dye Moses on mount Abarim Christ on Golgotha Both carefull to supply their absence to their people Moses by appoynting Ioshua his successor Christ by sending his spirit to lead his people into all truth IV. In sundry particular actions 1. Moses lift up the Serpent in the wildernesse So was Christ lift up Ioh. 3. 14. 2. Moses obtained flesh in the wildernesse to feede many thousands So Christ in the desert fed many thousands with a few loaves and fishes 3. Moses marryed an Aethiopisse a stranger blacke Christ marrieth the Gentiles strangers and in the Encomium of his Church it is said I am black but comely Cant. 1. 4. 4. Moses sweetened the bitter waters of Marah by the tree cast in Exod. 15. 25. Christ sweetens our afflictions by the wood of his Crosse Heb. 2. 10. 5. Moses was called a God Aarons God for directing him in things of God Exod. 4. 16. and Pharaohs God Exod 7. 1. for executing on him as God Gods judgements But Christ is indeed God most wise in counsell most potent in revenge 6. Moses delivered Israel thorow the Red-sea by his Rod Exod. 14 So Christ his Church from death by his Crosse through the red-sea of his blood 7. Never was God so clearly seene by the eye of flesh as to Moses who talked face to face But never did creature see his face but Christ Ioh. 1. 18. 8. As Moses was transfigured on an hill Sinai and so glorious as Israel could not behold his face So was Christ on mount Thabor so as his disciples were amazed and wist not what they said 9. As Christ after death rose most gloriously So Moses body after his death was most gloriously raised in which hee was talking with Christ on the Mount in his transfiguration Matth. 17. 2. 10. Moses face was covered with a vaile Our Moses with the vaile of his flesh hid the glory of his Deity and put on vilenesse instead of majesty that men might behold him and see and heare him and beleeve I. The doctrine of religion which wee teach is of God 1. Wee teach no other then what Moses taught nor no other then what Jesus Christ taught the one being faithfull as a servant the other as the sonne in the house For as there were not two Churches of the old and new Testament So is there but one faith one doctrine in substance onely differing in manner of delivery 2. This doctrine was perfectly fully and faithfully delivered to the Church seeing both were so faithfull If there be a doctrine of traditions unwritten if a doctrine of merits of purgatory of intercession of Saints then was Christ unfaithfull and did not reveale the whole will of his Father Paul a servant revealed the whole will of God Acts 20. 27. Was the Sonne lesse faithfull 3. This doctrine is fully and sufficiently confirmed by many and mighty miracles both in Moses the servant and in Christ the Sonne and being no new doctrine it needs no new miracles It is too idle to call for other miracles when they cannot proove that wee bring any other doctrine If wee should bring in strange and lying doctrines never knowen to Moses or Christ as they doe wee would cast about for lying wonders and pretend fabulous miracles to prove them as they doe II. Whatsoever office or function God sets thee in bee faithfull so was Moses the servant so was Christ the Sonne Hast thou an high place in Gods house as Moses be faithfull see 1. Tim. 1. 12. Art thou but a doore-keeper in Gods house bee faithfull in faithfull performing of whatsoever God reveales to bee his will Hast thou received any talent lay it out to thy Lords advantage else canst thou not bee faithfull Let thy care and study be to bee found not onely faultlesse but faithfull in all things according to thy Christian profession that faithfulnesse may bee thy praise and crowne in Magistracy Ministery private life in the whole practise of religion and also thy comfort living and dying when the Lord shall witnesse unto thee as to Moses in his life time Numb 12. 7 8. and dead Deut. 34. 5 10. Moses the servant of the Lord died and there arose no such Prophet III. Labour to expresse the fruit of faith Heb. 11. 26. to preferre the state of Gods people above all earthly profits and prerogatives account the despised condition of the Saints above the admired happinesse of wicked men Moses would joyne himselfe to them when hee might have beene in the height of honour Christ would not be in heaven without them but endured more affliction then Moses could to enjoy them Hence observe foure sorts of people that are not of Christs nor of Moses minde 1. Politicians who take the honour and profit of the Gospel but will none of the afflictions of Christ. 2. Proud persons who will not looke so low as on afflicted Christians 3. Temporizer◠that looke a squint on them if any suffer for well-doing 4. Scorners that despise the society and exercises of Gods people as too base company and courses for them Let all such know 1. That Christ in heaven scornes them not nor withdraws himselfe from them yea heaven would not please him without them 2. That the
the Moone the Popes ridiculous claime and yet they be sonnes of God heires of heaven brethren of Christ and of the royallest blood that ever was 3. When they ride in progresse they shew their state pompe and worldly glory Great Alexander gets upon his Bucephalus Pompey triumphs upon an Elephant Anthony rides upon Lyons Aurelianus upon Harts and bucks Christ had his kingdome beene of this world could have imitated them But while he was in the world to shew that his kingdome had no similitude nor correspondency with the pomps of earthly kingdomes in his progresse hee gets on an asse and instead of a saddle of state he had poore mens clothes spread under him But when he shall shew his glory he shall ride upon the Clouds as on an horse with such attendants and majesty as all the Potentates on earth were never capable of nor shal be able to behold 6. In amplitude and absolutenesse They will be free Monarchs and commanders their will and every word of theirs must be a Law But never was any kingdome absolutely Monarchicall but Christs al earthly Kings ever held in fee of him By me Kings raigne Never any other included all kingdomes of the world in it and under it but this Never any to whom all Princes were subiect but this Never was there any of them which shall not be broken to peeces by this little stone if it stand in opposition against him Dan. 2. 45. 7. In dispensing justice 1. They must judge by evidence and proofe by the sight of their eyes and hearing of their eares but he shall not doe so Isa. 11. 3. For he shall try and discerne the reynes and secrets of all hearts and shall judge things as they be not as they seeme David judged according to the hearing of his eare rashly against Mephibosheth Christ shall not doe so 2. They can pronounce their subjects just and innocent but he can make them innocent and just communicating his owne righteousnesse to them which no Prince can doe 1. Cor. 1. 30. He is made to us righteousnesse 8. In meanes of upholding and maintaining 1. They must winne holds as David Sions for t and enlarge themselves by force of armes dint of sword multitude of souldiers But Christ sends but twelve unarmed poore men who wonne and subdued the whole world with the word onely in their mouths such a word as was the greatest enemy to the world and corrupt fashions of it This is the weapon mighty under God to cast downe holds 2. They if they want men money munition must despaire of attaining or retaining their rights But Christs kingdome being neither set up nor held up by military power shall be upheld by the invisible and secret power of the spirit If all worldly power be against it never despaire it thrives best in opposition 9. In things to be attained In them the best things are honour pleasure externall prosperity and this for a time But Christs Kingdome stands not in meat or drink but in righteousnesse peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost in grace here and glory hereafter The wealth of Christs subject is to be rich in grace rich in good works his honour to be of the stock and linage of Christ his pleasure a patient and painfull expectation of the pleasures at Gods right hand And these being eternall the kingdome of Christ must needs be eternal now this being the glory of the kingdom of Christ we have need of faith to discerne it and a great measure of humility before wee can resolve to become subjects of it The theefe on the Crosse asking Christ to remember him in his Kingdome Augustine askes him What Royalty doest thou see Seest thou any other crowne then that of thornes any other Scepter then Iron nayles any other purple then blood any other Throne then a wooden Crosse any other gard then executioners Was there now so great faith in Israel Let our faith touch the top of this Scepter let us submit our selves to his word for the present and cast our eye beyond the present upon his second comming when wee shall see him ride upon a white horse not upon garments but upon the Clouds in power and great glory entring not Jerusalem but the stage of the whole world to render unto every man even Kings according as they have done in the flesh good or evill III. David was called and annoynted to bee King but betweene that and the installing or enjoying of his Kingdome he had many troubles doubts and feares that made him stagger and say I shall surely one day fall by the hand of Saul So was the true David Jesus Christ annoynted with the fulnesse of the Spirit and called to be King of his Church but before his installation into his Kingdome many afflictions persecutions feares yea death it selfe overtooke him for our sakes Isa. 53. Wherein he said My God why hast thou forsaken me So must it be with us who must be content to suffer before we can raigne to be crowned first with thornes as Christ was and stand with Christ on Mount Golgotha before we come to Mount Olivet see Acts 14. 22. It is so ordained by God that we should make our way through a straite to state through thornes to Roses through troubles to rest through stormes to the haven through vertue to glory through conquest to triumph through warre to peace through the Crosse to heaven And this processe God the father strictly observed with his beloved son as was necessary Luk. 24. 26. Phil. 2. 8 9 he was humbled therefore God exalted him And this is the Lords honour to honour his servants raised from the dunghill that they may know the way to glory lyes by humility IV. It was ever the lot of the Church to have in it secret and inbred enemies as David and Christ had even such as eat bread at his table and dipped in the dish and these have alwaies prooved more mischievous then open and forraigne enemies The Church ever had hypocrites and false brethren Satans spyes who professing the same Christ and religion eating bread at the same table of the Lord and making shew of friendship in the communion of Saints joyning in the hearing of the word and prayer yet watch the haunts of Gods servants to spy their weakenesse and where they lye open to advantage Every one sees they advantage not themselves but by all meanes undermine the Gospell and professors so as the silly dove of Christ can find no rest for the soale of her foot And never was the Church so wounded as in the house of her friends Cant. 1. 5. The sonnes of my mother were angry against me This being the estate of the Church to be hunted as the silly hare from one Mush to another and no where safe it must make us 1. more wary 2. desire our rest 3. love that promise Come with me from Lebanon
enough but be daily gathering and answering the daily meanes afforded by Gods gracious wisdome as did the Jews III. His wisdome is seene in that he giveth them no manna on the Sabbath but for the Sabbath a double portion on the day before For 1. the Sabbath day is not to seeke temporall food and manna but spirituall and eternall 2. He will not have his Sabbath and service interrupted therefore he gives them a double portion the day before 3. Hee will not have them losers by being intent in his service but as a liberall paymaster allowes them as largely as any other day Let this teach us 1. to nourish the care of Gods worship above the care of our life and more intend the businesse of the soule then of the body So our Saviour first seeke the kingdome of God and then other things 2. to become more conscionable in the keeping of the Sabbath not seeking this day after earthly but heavenly things alone For consider 1. The Lords liberality in giving thee not a sixt day but sixe whole daies wherein to gather earthly manna and wilt thou encroach his day too 2. his liberality in giving thee manna for the seaventh day blessing the labour of the sixe daies and thereby binding thy hands from labour on the seventh IV. His wisedome is seene in giving to every man his Gomer and every man hath his measure 1. to measure their desires by Gods measure 2. that no man should have just cause of discontent for hee had a sufficient measure for necessity and God was not bound to provide for their wantonnesse 3. that no man might envy another mans disproportion seeing no man had want no man might have superfluity Let us learne hence 1. To gather no more of this earthly Manna then God would have us to gather Quest. How shall I know Gods measure for me Answ. 1. That which his blessing by good and warrantable meanes affordeth is his measure and to transgresse Gods word in seeking or getting wealth is to goe beyond Gods measure 2. Neither to lay up nor to keep any of this manna without or against God Goods well gotten shall stand and prosper as manna gathered in the sixe dayes But gather this manna on the seaventh day or lay up without and against Gods commandement that is to say that which thou gettest falsly or well gotten which thou shouldst expend for Gods glory and the charitable reliefe of the poore members of Jesus Christ but doest not all that shall rot and stinke as stolen manna did Sect. 6. II. In respect of our selves also we learne sundry instructions from the consideration of both the mannahs the typicall and the true manna These instructions concerne 1. our estate 2. our duty 1. Concerning our estate To note how senselesse and void of understanding every man is by nature in the things of God and Jesus Christ Exod. 16. 15. None of the Jewes knew what the manna was No more doth any man know by nature the things of the Spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiveth not the things of God If he perceive them not in his understanding much lesse can he receive them in his affection Tell the Jew of Christ or let the Jew heare Christ himselfe speaking of himselfe the manna and bread of life they conceive he is bread for the belly they must eate him up straight Ioh. 6. 52. Tell Nicodemus of the new birth he can conceive no second nativity but of going into his mothers wâ—mbe againe being old Ioh. 3 4. Tell the Samaritan of the water of life she cannot conceive whence to have it if not out of Iacobs well which hee and his cattell dranke Ioh. 4. 12. Nay such is our palpable blindnesse in spirituall things as we cannot onely not finde them but even offered unto us as the manna to them we cannot apprehend them nay wee cannot but reject them as that woman of Samaria Jesus Christ offers himselfe unto her she scorns him and will not make nor meddle with him Ioh. 4. 9. The reason whereof is partly in the things themselves and partly in our selves 1. The things are things of Gods spirit and cannot be reached or judged by any rule in nature For the things of creation the heathen knew them in part from God as God Rom. 1. 19 But for the things of Sanctification as that God the Father by his Sonne made the world or that God the Sonne by his Spirit made a new world here they are blind as moles Nay even in this part of knowledge the naturall man asketh what engines or tooles could God get to reare such a frame and will not beleeve it could be made with a word It will aske of what prejacent matter and will not beleeve that so great a thing could be made of nothing whereas we by faith understand that the world was framed by the word of God Heb. 11. 3. How blind then must they needs be in spirituall things that are blind in things naturall 2. The reason in our selves is that we are wedded to our own apprehensions and not easily led out of our conceits as vessels hardly let goe the savour of the first liquor wee will measure all by the standard of naturall reason and by the scantling of our owne senses Apply this observation 1. To see our impotency nay the contrariety of our nature to Gods grace Where is our free will to good In what disposition stands darknesse to entertaine light which fights against it But yee were darknesse saith the Apostle not darke or darkned but darknesse it selfe Nay yee were dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2. 5. not halfe dead as the Samaritan but whole dead Now let all the Papists in the world teach us how a dead man can dispose and prepare himselfe to life And let us know how a privation of it selfe can regresse to an habit 2. To see what neede wee have of the Ministery to helpe us unto the true Manna Moses must tell the people Exod. 16. 15. This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eate So must the ministers of the Gospell acquaint all the Israel of God with Christ the true manna by the word preached and say This is the bread of life which came downe from heaven in whom aloneis full nourishment to eternall life Nothing is good to salvation but by Gods revelation If the word preached doe not teach thee Christ the true manna thou never knowst him of thy selfe Let us pitty and pray for the lamentable blindnesse not of Popish recusants only but of wilfull and carelesse absenters of themselves from the house of God whose Judgement is just if they never come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 3. Hath Christ beene made knowne to thee that thou hast tasted the sweetnesse of him in the Gospell As Christ said to Peter so I say to thee Happy art thou for flesh and blood hath
not revealed him to thee but the Father which is in heaven Sect 7. 2. Concerning our duty we learn sundry instructions which may be reduced to sixe heads I. To get in us an hunger and thirst after Jesus Christ in whom alone is full nourishment and without whom we are farre more miserable then Israel had been without manna For 1. Onely this hunger makes us value him and see our need of him It is hunger that is the best sawce that makes manna sweet and without hunger a full belly despiseth an hony combe It is hunger that makes the prodigall sonne looke towards home 2. It is the note of a blessed man to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5. 6. And this man will not rest till he be satisfied David was an happie man in such hungry desires when hee desired after God as the chased Hart after the waters This thirst would eate out and thrust out the thirst after the world that dropsy thirst after gold and silver which is never satisfied As also the thirst after the puddlewater of earthly pleasures And this thirst would devoure and consume the thirst after revenge as Moses his rod consumed the rods of the sorcerers II. To goe out of our tents and take paines to gather our manna daily as Israel did theirs For 1. Christ enjoynes labour for this unperishing food Ioh. 4. 14. and 2. Pet. 1. 10. give all diligence to make your election sure 2. It is worth much paines and cost to procure Christ to our selves and others In bodily famine how farre will men runne and ride for corne Iacob sends all his sonnes out of Canaan into Aegypt for food Gen. 42. 2. 3. Idlenesse is every where blameworthy especially in matters of greatest importance God might have rained manna into their laps or mouthes as well as about their tents if he had pleased but would not for the tryall of their diligence besides he is well acquainted with our corruptions who think that worth nothing which costs us nothing Give me leave to apply this to many idle Christians among us who have this sweet manna round about their tents but will not stir out of doores for it If it raine not downe within their owne tents though it doe round about they will not stir out of their tents Like idle husbandmen that would have a harvest but will not stirre out into the fields to plow nor sow nor reape unlesse it grew at their owne doores or in their owne streets Alas how lamentable and unanswerable to God is our high unthankfulnesse who with lesse labour then the Jewes may gather better food and have as expresse a commandement as they gather every man of this manna according to his eating But in stead of gathering we ingratefully reject it yea thrust it off with both hands as the Jewes did Act. 13. 46. Take heed in time lest the doome come out against us as did against them Because you have made your selves unworthy of eternall life we turne from you to the Gentiles III. As Israel so must wee daily and diligently observe the times and places of gathering manna 1. The place is the wildernesse not Canaan and all the while that they are in the wildernesse they must gather manna So we so long as we are in this world must gather this true manna Many seeme to gather when they be young but are weary and give up when they are elder But even the oldest man of the Israelites must gather if he would eate hee must starve here that ceaseth to gather Many have gathered enough know as much as the best Preacher of them all have strong faith are sound Christians and so was the Church of Laodicea But be it known to thee thou canst scarce gather enough of this manna for the day and he that sees his daily weaknesse will conclude with me that his faith hope love knowledge and all his graces need daily repairing and that he hath got but a little of Christ that feares to get too much Againe the place of seeking true manna is about the tents of the Israelites it is confined to the Camps of the true Church where two or three are gathered there is Christ to be found his parents found him in the Temple Therefore 1. it is no marvaile if Christ be not to be met with among Antichristian Synagogues If men had learning to admiration and above the Angels they should not finde the truth of Christ but among the tents and congregations of Christ. No marvaile if an Aegyptian misse of manna be he never so learned 2. Let us learne to wait in the Temple as the ancient beleevers Anna and Elizabeth if we would meet with the consolation of Israel 2. The time and season of gathering manna was while it lay on the ground We must apprehend the season of grace that is while the Church hath peace make use of the peace of the Gospell as the Churches did Act. 9. 31. Little know wee how soone the sunne of persecution may arise and melt away our manna But Christ may make as pittifull a complaint over us and with weeping eyes as that over Jerusalem O Ierusalem Oh England if in this thy day thou knewest the time of thy visitation Oh how rich in grace hadst thou beene by knowing this season but it hath beene in great part hid from our eyes IV. As Israel must bring home the manna and bake and grinde it and feed upon it for else what had it beene better for them that manna had laine about their tents in never so great abundance had they not brought it home and sustained their lives with it so must every Christian specially apply to himselfe Christ crucified and by the faithfull application of Christ and all his merits become one with him as the meat or bread wee eate becomes one with our bodies thus will an hungry Christian doe An hungry man is not content with onely comming to a Cooks shop where meat is it is not the sight smell or handling of meat which contents him he must eate and fill his belly So it is not a bare comming to the place of the word and Sacraments which yet many doe not to see and heare and taste but thou must feed by faith or starve to death eternall Heb. 4. 2. The word they heard was unprofitable because not mingled with faith Quest. How may I know if I apply Christ crucified to my selfe Answ. 1. The right application of Christ crucified is not to know that Christ was crucified but when we are crucified with him Gal. 2. 19. as Elisha 2. Kings 4. applyed his eyes face and hands to the dead child that it might quicken 2. So much as thou truely beleevest so much thou eatest of Christ saith August Looke how much strength thou gettest by the word so much nourishment thou receivest from Christ. And so much as thou refusest contemnest or neglectest that so much