former Employment and Place to do this Work Exod. 3.10 Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou maist bring forth my people the Children of Israel out of Egypt But by Jesus Christ he redeemeth us out of the spiritual Bondage of Sin and Satan which is worse than Egyptian Bondage and he was sent by his Father and was content to come down from Heaven and to leave his Glory to do this great Work wherein Christ hath the preheminence For Moses was a Mediator only of temporal and typical Redemption but Christ is the Mediator of spiritual and eternal Redemption By Moses his Mediation also the Law was delivered upon Mount Sinai Gal. 3.19 it was ordained in the hand of a Mediator or a middle person that stood and transacted between God and the people Act. 7.38 who received the lively Oracles to give unto us But by Jesus Christ the Gospel is published In this respect he is the Mediator of a better Testament Moses gave the moral judicial and ceremonial Laws But Christ reveals the Gospel and Gospel-Worship Moses appoints the Passover Sacrifices builds the Tabernacle made with hands But Christ gives the Lords Supper a most lively Representation of himself and his own Death the true Sacrifice And he is himself also the true Temple and Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not Man so that Christ hath the preheminence in all things inasmuch as Gospel-worship excels Legal worship and Truth and Substance excels Figures and Shadows Lastly Moses did mediate between God and the people as an Intercessor by his Prayers and Supplications and did prevail for them for the Destruction of Amalek Exod. 17. And again when they murmured upon the evil Report of the Spies Numb 14.12 13 20 and when they made the molten Calf Exod. 32.10 11 14. then with much wrestling he prevailed with the Lord for them Psal 106.23 Moses stood in the breach So doth Christ intercede and pleads for us with the Father when we provoke him by our Sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. yea he lives for ever to intercede Heb. 7.25 2. Moses his Sufferings and Conflicts in the Discharge of his Trust and Exercise of his Office had in them a Shadow of the like to be undergone by Christ Moses fasted forty days and forty nights in the Mount So did Christ in the Wilderness He suffered many Contradictions both from his Enemies and from his Friends professed Enemies Jannes and Jambres and the Magicians of Egypt 2 Tim. 3.8 His Friends the people to whom he was sent rejected him Exod. 2.14 often murmured at him forty years he bore their manners Acts 13.18 yea his neerest friends sometimes Aaron and Miriam So Christ he was rejected of the Builders Psal 118.22 came to his own and his own received him not Joh. 1.11 His own Disciples sometimes thought his Doctrines hard sayings as when he spake against Divorces they thought a man had better never be married than submit to such a yoke and all along how weak and wayward were they But the Scribes and Pharisees like Jannes and Jambres openly resisted and opposed his Doctrine and Miracles 3. The Lords owning and bearing witness to him by Miracles Signs and Wonders Deut. 34.10 11 12. So to Jesus Christ Acts 2.22 a man approved of God among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs some note in all about five and forty of them recorded by the four Evangelists and wrought in the three years and an half of his publik Ministry viz. three in his first year nineteen in his second year and thirteen in his third year and ten in his last half year before Judas betrayed him besides those at his Death and after his Resurrection Only there were these two differences between Moses his Miracles and Christs 1. That Moses his Miracles were wrought in Christs Name but Christs Miracles were wrought in his own Name 2. That Moses his Miracles had more of Terror and Majesty Christs more of Love and Sweetness Christ seldom wrought any Mirales for the hurt of his Enemies in a way of righteous Wrath and Judgment but ordinarily only for the help both of Friends and Enemies as for instance the healing of Malchus his Ear. I remember but two Miracles wrought by Jesus Christ in a way of Wrath and Punishment against his Enemies the suffering the Devil to enter into the Gadarenes Swine and causing his Enemies to fall backward when they came to apprehend him All the rest were Miracles of Mercy and Kindness But by the Hand of Moses there were no less than ten miraculous Plagues upon Egypt There were Thunderings and Lightnings at Mount Sinai The Earth opened her mouth upon Corah Dathan and Abiram and swallowed them up quick with other such dreadful and terrible things in righteousness The reason of this difference was because Moses was the Minister of the Law which is a voice of Words and Terror and Fear and genders unto Bondage but Jesus Christ is the Minister and Author of the Gospel which is Grace and Peace Therefore these two different kinds of Dispensations were attested with two different kinds of Miracles But as to the general the working of Miracles by Moses and so being owned by the Lord and born witness to by him herein there was a resemblance and prefiguration of what was done by Jesus Christ 4. And lastly Moses was a Type of Christ in the end and close of his Life viz. in his Death Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven He dyed willingly he went up to Mount Nebo which was a part of Mount Abarim and there surrendred up his Soul So Christ No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self no man taketh it from me see Joh. 10.18 I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again He went to Mount Golgotha and there gave up his Soul to his Father Moses after his Death and Burial rose again buried he was Deut. 34.6 and that he rose again and ascended into Heaven may be gathered from Matth. 17. For he did appear and talk with Christ at his Transfiguration together with Elias So you know Jesus Christ rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven Thus Moses was a Type of Christ all along In his Birth in his personal Qualifications in the whole course of his Life his Office his Sufferings his Miracles and finally in his Death Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven But yet though there was such a full analogy and so great a resemblance between them yet there was a disparity Christ having the preheminence above Moses Heb. 3.5 6. Moses was faithful as a Servant in his Lords House but Christ as a Son in his own House Thus much as to Moses Now for Joshuah his Successor That he was a Type appears because Christ was called by that name in the Hebrew And Joshuah is called Jesus in the Greek in the New Testament Acts 7.45 Heb. 4.8 that is a Saviour though he be but
a temporal Saviour Christ a spiritual Saviour Author of eternal Redemption Heb. 9. The Analogy appears chiefly in five things 1. Joshuah brought the people into Canaan after Moses his death which Moses could not do being alive He divided the Land among them assigning to every one his Portion So Christ brings us to Heaven which the Law could not do Rom. 8.3 And as Joshuah went in himself before them So Christ to Heaven Joh. 14. I go to prepare a place for you in my Fathers House are many Mansions Heb. 6. ult whither the Forerunner is entred for us And as when Joshuah did this the Cloud and Manna ceased which had been in Moses his time Of the Manna it is expressed and the time when Josh 5.12 of the Pillar of Cloud and Fire that it did cease is evident by many passages afterwards in the sacred History but the time when is not set down Probably it might be after they had passed Jordan being divided by the Ark and were on shoar on the other side So shall Ordinances cease when we come to Heaven Rev. 21. God himself is instead of all 2. Joshuah was a Type of Christ in regard of the Miracles wrought by him we read of three 1. He divided Jordan Josh 3. But herein as in all things Christ hath the preheminence for Christ in the same Jordan divides the Heavens when he was baptized Matth. 3. And he commanded the Winds and Seas and walked upon the waters as upon dry ground 2. Moreover Joshuah threw down the Walls of Jericho by the sounding of Rams Horns a weak and an unlikely means for so great a Work yea ridiculous and contemptible in the eye of Reason Josh 6. but it was done by Faith Heb. 11.30 So Christ by the Foolishness of Preaching subdueth Souls unto himself and throws down strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 5. And as Joshua did it again and again six days seven days before the Walls fell So it is in the preaching of the Gospel There must be Assiduity in that work Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept and at last the strong holds are won and the Sinner subdued unto the Lord. 3. Joshuah commanded the Sun to stand still till he had slain his Enemies Josh 10.12 13 ver 14. and there was no day like that before it or after it that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a Man So Jesus Christ when fighting with Principalities and Powers upon the Cross Matth 27.45 when the Sun was ashamed and the Moon confounded and all the Angels in Heaven stood agast Thus you see how great a Person this Joshuah was in that all the Creatures all the Elements obeyed him the Earth the Walls of Jericho prostrate themselves and fell before him the Waters also viz. in Jordan were at his Command yea the Heavens also the Sun and Moon obeyed him thus God magnified him in the sight of all Israel as it is said Josh 4.14 But behold a greater than Joshuah is here For it is said of Christ That God hath given him a Name above every Name Phil. 2.9 that in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth ver 10. 3. Joshuah was a Type of Christ in regard of his Conquests and Victories over his Enemies We read of five Kings at once subdued by him Josh 10. and he bids his Captains tread upon their Necks and cap. 12. of one and thirty Kings which he smote yet notwithstanding there were some few Enemies left though weak and inconsiderable but not one that durst or could oppose or disturb the publick peace of Gods people yet they were left for a time for their good least the wild Beasts should multiply upon them Deut. 7.22 So Christ Jesus is a mighty Conqueror he subdueth all the enemies of his people see him described Rev. 6.1 2. conquering and to conquer not only five nor one and thirty but thousands of them One man was possest with a Legion of Devils but they are all cast forth by Jesus Christ And as Christ so his Followers are as Joshuahs Conquerors with and through him and he gives Believers to tread upon the necks of their own Lusts and of the Devils Temptations yet however there be some Canaanites left in the Land some Corruptions in the Hearts of Gods people in this Life to exercise their Graces and to keep them humble which yet if it be not through their own careless negligence shall not disturb their Peace with God But there were some Enemies that were devoted unto everlasting Ruine and Destruction irrecoverable by Joshuah in the spirit of Prophesie viz. Jericho cap 6.26 which Curse did not fall to the ground but was fulfilled in Hiel the Bethelite 1 King 16.34 a shadow of the irreparable Ruines and everlasting Destruction of all the implacable Enemies of God and his people and especially Rome and Antichrist Rev. 18.21 Babylon shall be cast down like a Milstone into the Sea never to rise more The Curse of Christ will fall upon such as endeavour to restore Rome again and raise up the Ruines that he hath brought upon it For it is devoted by our Lord Jesus the true Joshuah to irreparable everlasting Destruction 4. Though Joshuah conquered and destroyed resisting Enemies yet he saved those who submitted themselves as Rahab and the Gibeonites Rahab cap. 6. the Gibeonites cap. 9. Though they acted very sinfully they came out of slavish fear and they dissembled but yet they did submit themselves So Christ resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble that yield up themselves unto him though there be a mixture of much slavish Fear and sinful Selfishness and Unbelief in their so doing as Mark 9.24 5. Joshuah gave them rest fulfilling and accomplishing all the good promised cap. 21.45 and 23.14 Joshuah appeals to all their Knowledges and Consciences about it So when we come to Heaven we shall see the Truth and Faithfulness of God we shall have all the Promises accomplished through Christ the true Joshuah and be able to say with Joy unspeakable not a word hath failed and all through Christ the true Joshuah For in him all the Promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 and this will be Rest for ever As they had Rest so now Believers enter into an everlasting Rest Heb. 4.9 10 11. But yet withal there is a great disparity between Christ and Joshuah and the Rest they bring their Followers into Joshuah brought them but into a state of outward Rest in the Land of Promise but this was not the true Rest But Christ gives us an higher Rest in Heaven by bringing us into a state of Grace and Glory Thus you see how eminently Joshuah was a Type of Jesus Christ Sept. 12. 1667. Who is the Type or Figure of him that is to come Rom. 5.14 THe second Conglobation of typical Persons under the Law is Sampson David and Solomon three famous Rulers amongst
greater sin then people do imagine the retaining of such legal Shadows being an implicite denyal of the Truth of the Gospel but men consider not the meaning of their own Actions 7. The last occasional Typical thing which the Lord gave to his People of old was those healing Waters of the Pool of Bethesda which indeed are not mentioned in the Old Testament but in the New John 5. It was a Miracle but yet it had also a symbolical use as many other Miracles had to lead them from the consideration of earthly things unto heavenly things Healing Waters are often spoken of in the Scriptvre with a reference to spiritual healing as Ezek. 47.1 8 9 11 Rev. 21.1 So Christ speaks of Rivers of Waters flowing out of the heart of a Believer Joh. 7.38 which cannot be meant of literal Water but is meant of Metaphorical and Spiritual Waters this in general But to unfold the Allegory a little more particularly that we may see more fully what instructions we may learn out of it 1. Those healing Waters of that Pool of Bethesda may fitly represent the Ordinances of Christ in the Church which is indeed Bethesda an house of mercy for so the word may be interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth chesda Domus misericordiae though others expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domus effusionis The Church of Christ is indeed a spiritual Hospital an house of mercy to the Sick to poor diseased Souls where there be the choisest Waters the Waters of Life and all other Medicines of spiritual help and healing 2. The healing virtue of the Water may hold forth to us the spiritual good of Ordinances the healing of our Souls This is frequent in the Scripture as was said before for bodily healing to teach and represent spiritual 3. The motion of the Angel leads us to take notice of the effectual Operation of the Spirit of Christ in and by the Ordinances in the time of love It is not the Means it is not the Ordinances but the Angel of the Covenant by his Spirit moving and working in them that heals and doth good to souls the Ordinances are not effectual at all times but only when and as they are moved and influenced by the Spirit for it was a place much frequented as appears by the five Porches and its neerness to the Temple and the Text saith many sick lay there He could have healed all as well as some Verùm ut miracula suum habent finem ita modum habere debent Calvin in loc As when there were so many dead and but one raised 2 Kings 4.32 So many Widows and the Prophet sent but to one 1 Kings 17.9 Luk. 4.25 26. Who would have looked for help and healing from troubled Water We must follow God against our own reason the judgment of reason is often contrary to the mind of God 2 King 5.10 Naaman thought washing in Jordan an unlikely means to recover the Leper Elisha 2 King 2.20 healeth the Waters by casting in Salt an unlikely means for Salt is wont rather to cause barrenness The Water here did it not for then it would have healed all and at all times one as well as another He singles out one whose condition was most deplorable his disease inveterate incurable 38. years So he that was born blind and had been so till he grew up to mans estate Cap. 9.1 So Lazarus when dead buried four days Joh. 11.39 The Woman twelve years Mat. 9.20 Another eighteen years Luk. 13.11 4. These times were unknown and uncertain to the people they knew not when the Angel would come to move the Waters So is the day of grace and the opportunities of salvation to Souls because man knoweth not his time Therefore is he snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon him Eccl. 9.12 Oh that thou hadst known Luk. 19.41 42. Therefore Eccl. 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowst not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Lay hold upon all opportunities 5. These excellent Waters did not heal all but only him that was put first into them which was for our instruction that we might learn to lay hold betimes upon seasons and opportunities for our spiritual good They that seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Be at work for God and your Souls betimes lest you come too late Christ asks him vers 6. Wilt thou be made whole He prevents him before he expressed any desire to Christ not as though Christ were ignorant of his desire but to excite and stirr up desire and expectation in him and to stirr up the attention of those who were providentially present at that time that they might mind and take notice of the Miracle Vers 8. Jesus saith to him rise take up thy bed and walk He could have said be whole but he chooses rather to express it by an infallible effect and fruit of it To the Maid arise Mark 5.42 To Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 and vers 44. Let him go To the Paralytick Mat. 9.6 Arise take up thy bed and go unto thine house On the Sabbaoth day that so it might be the more taken notice of the people would wonder to see a man carry his bed abroad and so inquire about it There were beside these we have now handled some other occasional typical things as Noahs Ark but that was spoken to in the History of Noah and some others may occur afterwards but these are all I shall speak unto here Let me conclude with a few words of use to help you to a practical improvement of all that hath been said upon these Typical things 1. We may here see the compleat and perfect fulness of our Lord Jesus Christ to all the necessities of our Souls That spiritual Ladder represents him as the Mediator and means of all the intercourse between Heaven and Earth between God and us The burning Bush shews his presence with and protection of his Church and People in the Fires of Persecution and Affliction The Pillar of Cloud and Fire holds forth that everlasting blessed Conduct and Guidance of his People by his Word and Spirit through the Wilderness of this World to their eternal Rest The Manna and Water out of the Rock holds him forth as our spiritual Food And now lastly the Brazen Serpent and the Pool of Bethesda teacheth us that here is healing also so that he is both Meat and Medicine The same thing is held forth also under other Metaphors Rev. 22.2 The Leaves of the Tree of life are for healing of the Nations so that Christ is all in all 2. Learn from hence not to despise these Truths concerning the Types how weakly soever they may be held forth by him that speaks unto you for you see they are full of Gospel marrow and mystery Any thing of Christ should be sweet and precious and it is so
the Incense and sweet Odours offered up to God under the Law These related to the Prayers of Jesus Christ he offers Incense with the Prayers of the Saints Revel 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne And the smoke of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand They had therefore both the same Gospel-blessings and upon the same Gospel account as we namely from the meer mercy of God through the Mediation of Jesus Christ through his Death and Intercession Reas 2. A second Argument might be taken from an Historical Induction of all those former times and the several Gospel Discoveries which the Lord vouchsafed to them all along from time to time As to Adam in Paradise after his Fall The Gospel was preached to him in that great and blessed Promise that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head This was the first Gospel Sermon that ever was preached Afterwards to Abraham the Gospel was preached Gal. 3.8 when it was promised that in thy seed shall all the Nations of the World be blessed and in Isaac shall thy seed be called To Moses and by Moses to Israel when the Lord said I am the Lord thy God that brought thee forth out of the Land of Egypt For he was a Typical Mediator There were yet further Discoveries in Davids time Christ is the true David Thus I might go through the whole Old Testament and shew you how the Lord from time to time made further and further discoveries of himself to his people in succeeding ages Reas 3. Either the Gospel was preached unto them of old or else it will follow that they were all damned or else that they were saved without Christ which to imagine were infinitely derogatory and dishonorable to the Lord Jesus Christ The Fathers before the coming of Christ were saved and went to Heaven But without Christ there is no salvation For there is no other name under heaven c. Acts 4.12 It is impossible that any Sinner should be saved without Christ Qui salutem cuiquam promittit sine Christo nescio an ille salutem habere potest in Christo Austin He that promiseth any man Salvation without Christ I know not whether he can have Salvation by Christ By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified or saved Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 Jesus Christ therefore is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 that is in all times and ages and so we may apply it thus Yesterday under the Law to day under the Gospel and for ever Jesus Christ is the only Saviour Therefore if the Old Testament Saints were saved it was by Christ and if by Christ they had the Gospel preached to them as well as we So we see the Truth of the Doctrine Obj. 1. But why do we call it the Old Testament if it was Gospel Answ This is only in regard of the manner of Dispensation we do not call the first part of the Bible or the times wherein it was written the Old Testament and the latter part of the Bible and the the times wherein it was written the new Testament as if the former were meer Law and the latter nothing but Gospel No therefore take heed of mistaking here For there is very much of the Gospel and the Grace of God in Christ revealed in the Old Testament many precious Gospel truths in the Old Testament And there is very much of the Law and threatnings thereof declared written down and left upon Record to us in the New Testament Yea there is more of Hell and Damnation there are more dreadful threatnings thereof in the Sermons of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the four Evangelists than is to be found in all the Old Testament But we call it the Old Testament because it was the first Dispensation of the Gospel And the Gospel we call the New Testament because it is the new Dispensation of the same everlasting Gospel therefore the reason is only in the way and manner of their Dispensation and not in the Subjects themselves Obj. 2. But there is a second Objection that the Apostle often speaks of That ancient Dispensation as if it was Law and not Gospel Some Scriptures call that Old Testament Administration Law the Ministration of Death as John 1.17 the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ If it was Law may some say then it was not Gospel so 2 Cor. 3.7 the Ministration of Death Answ We must distinguish between the thing preached and the manner of Preaching between the Shell and the Kernel the Shadow and the Substance Now the thing preached was the Gospel though the manner of preaching it was legal the Kernel was Gospel though the Shell was Law The Spirit and Substance and Mystery of that Dispensation was Evangelical though it was involved in a legal Shell and outside and overshadowed with the Shades and Figures of the Law God never had but one way only to save men by but it had divers fashions and forms divers outward discoveries and manifestations in those times in a more legal manner but afterwards more like it self in a more evangelical manner This Legality of that Administration appears chiefly in five things which were the peculiar Properties and Characters of that Dispensation by which it is distinguished from the Gospel-dispensation as being much inferiour to it So we shall shew you two things at once both the differences of the two Administrations and withal the Preheminence and Excellencies of the New above the Old It was dark weak carnal burthensome and terrible 1. It was dark but the Gospel is clear all things were involved in thick and dark Shadows Though there was a Light in that Mosaical Paedagogy which did appear and shine forth into the minds of Gods Elect yet withal there was a cloud of Darkness as to the outward Administration especially if compared with the Dispensation of the Gospel since the coming of Christ There was and is a double use of Types and Parables and of that whole way of Argument by Similitude and Comparisons they do both darken and illustrate if explained and understood they do exceedingly enlighten and illustrate but if not explained they are like a Riddle they cast a dark mist and cloud upon the thing So was the Law of Moses to all those that were not instructed by the Spirit to understand the Mystery of it The Reason and Meaning of it was hidden to the most of them hence a Veil is said to be upon their Hearts that they could not see to the end of that which is abolished c. 2 Cor. 3.13 14 c. as the Apostle there discourseth it at large 2. It was weak but the
and not of an Angel For he saith the Tree which I commanded c. But the most famous Instance hereof was at the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai Exod 19 and 20. where the Lord spake with an audible Voice from Heaven chap. 19. 9 20. so that the People might hear and chap. 20. 22. and see that the Lord talked with them from Heaven Deut. 5.22 23 24. These words the Lord spake unto all your Assembly in the Mount out of the midst of the Fire of the Cloud and of the thick Darkness with a great Voice And when ye heard the Voice Heb. 12.26 Whose Voice then shook the Earth So Matth. 17.5 A Voice out of the Cloud said this is my beloved Son But they saw no similitude Deut. 4.12 1 Kings 19.12 13. A still small Voice 4. By an inward Instinct by immediate Inspirations and Impulses of the Holy Ghost So to David 1 Chron. 28.12 19. though he had it in Writing also and left it to his Son But it was revealed to him by the Spirit of God So to Philip Acts 8.29 The Spirit said unto Philip To Peter Acts 10.19 The Spirit said unto him and Acts. 11 12. the Spirit bade me go with them To Paul and Silas Acts 16.7 Not to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not 5. By legal Types and Shadows These were speaking things And what did they speak They spake forth Gospel Truths and Mysteries The Ceremonial Law was the Gospel in Types and Shadows Heb. 10.1 The Law having a shadow of good things to come A Type is a legal shadow of Gospel Truths and Mysteries These were the standing Ordinances and Instructions of those times 6. By Signs and Wonders These had a Voice and did speak the Mind of God These were attestations to the Truth and Mind of God and to the Authority of the Messenger See Exod. 4.8 If they will not believe thee nor hearken to the Voice of the first Sign they will believe the Voice of the latter Sign Joh. 3.2 We know that thou art a Teacher come from God For no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him The Lord may work Miracles now But he doth not now send forth any person with a Commission to do it as he did of old 7. By a special and peculiar kind of intimacy and familiarity as it were mouth to mouth without Parable or Riddle without Obscurity with all possible familiarity And this was Moses his Priviledg Numb 12.8 with him will I speak mouth to mouth apparently and not in dark speeches Exod. 33.11 23. The Lord spake to him face to face as a man speaketh to his friend thou shalt see my back parts That phrase of speaking mouth to mouth notes the clearness and certainty and familiarity of it as when Joseph saith ye see it is my mouth that speaketh unto you Gen. 45.12 This was a priviledg peculiar unto Moses Deut. 34.10 There arose no Prophet like him since whom the Lord knew face to face That that comes nearest to it seems to be the ineffable things that Paul saw and heard in the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.1 2 3 4 and the Revelation given to the Apostle John in the Isle of Patmos which is the clearest and yet withal the deepest and most wonderful of all the Prophesies recorded in the Scripture There be two Questions may arise here which would be briefly spoken to Quest 1. Whether there were not counterfeits of these things and if there were how did they discern the Lords voice in these extraordinary dispensations from Satans voice in his delusions Answ It is true there were counterfeits of them there were Visons Dreams seeming Miracles Impulses from Satan as well as from God Diabolus est Dei simia Hence that Caution of Moses Deut. 13.1 And hence are those complaints of the Prophet Jeremy cap. 14. 13 14 15. 1 Kings 22.22 23. That famous Instance of a lying Spirit in the mouths of Ahabs Prophets Therefore to have a Vision to dream strange and supernatural Dreams to have a powerful Impetus and afflatus from a Spirit are not things simply peculiar to the true Prophets of God But though Satan did partly out of Craft to deceive thereby the more effectually and partly out of Blasphemy and Malice to put an affront as it were upon God use ways and means of deceiving that had some resemblance of Gods own ways and Ordinances yet there were manifest and palpable differences between them I shall name but these four 1. The Lord did not usually suffer Satan to transform himself so far into an Angel of Light as to come in these ways unto his own people unto such as were truly Godly Search the Scriptures and you will not find that Satan did appear to give Satanical Dreams and Visions and the like to such as were Godly It is true he did tempt them but in a more spiritual manner as he tempted David to number the people Or by other outward means As when the young Prophet that came from Bethel was deceived by the old one But when Satan did inspire any with Dreams and Visions c. it was done to wicked and ungodly men As to Saul when he raised up the Devil he and and the Witch saw the Gods that is Spirits infernal Spirits ascending up out of the Earth And to the false Prophets of Ahab those four hundred-Idolaters they spake as Prophets and were acted by a Spirit but it was a lying Spirit and they were lewd and wicked men so that there was a great difference in the Person or Subject recipient of Divine Revelations and of Satanical Delusions 2. In Divine Discoveries there was an holy Elevation of their Minds when they did receive them but in the Organs and Instruments of Satan there was only a stupefaction and depression of them As when John did receive the Revelation he was in the Spirit chap. 1. 10. Sometimes they were so far elevated and raised and acted by the Spirit that they did not attend to any other thing but were transported above Sense and sensible things to attend wholly to the Visions and Revelations of God So Peter fell into a Trance Acts. 10.10 Paul was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 22.17 Hence oftentimes they fell upon their Faces being astonish'd at the Majesty and Glory of the Lord both gratious and natural Fear concurring Ezek 1.28 Dan 10.8 9. Matth. 17.6 7. But this Ravishment of Spirit was not a stupefaction but an holy Elevation of their Minds whereby they were taken off and lifted up above all these low things to the highest exercise of Faith and spiritual Reason and so better fitted and composed to receive those Divine Irradiations and Manifestations of God So Daniel 10.1 He understood the thing and had understanding of the Vision So Balaam when the Lord was pleased in an extraordinary case to act him after the manner of a true Prophet Numb 24.4 16. falling into a
Sword should never depart from his House Solomon was left to the toleration of the publick exercise of Idolatry for which God rent away the Ten Tribes from his Posterity all which came to pass as for other causes so for the Sins of the People As it said in a lesser transgression of David 2 Sam. 24.1 And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah 2. The ten Tribes under Jeroboam forsook the Temple and the House of David which though as to Gods Providence it was a righteous Judgment yet on their part it was a grievous sin it was a complicated Sin many Sins involved in the bowels of it for it was both Rebellion and Schism and Heresie Rebellion against their lawful Prince Schism from the true Church and Worship yea fundamental Heresie For as they say Look to thy House O David so in rejecting Davids House they reject the Messiah who was to come of him 2 Chron. 10.16 3. There were continual Backslidings to Idolatry even in Judah as well as Israel yea when they saw the Ten Tribes carried away before their eyes for this Sin yet the other would not take warning and reform Ezek. 23.10 11 Aholah signifies a Tent this was the House of Israel who were a corrupt Church Aholibah signifies my Tent is in her this was Judah which were the true Church of God but they declined and departed from God so far that he sent them away to Babylon 3. And so we come to the third Dispensation under the Law namely the time of their Captivity and Bondage under the Yoke of Babylon There were three Deportations 1. Jehoiakims in whose time Daniel was carried captive 2. Jechoniahs in whose time Ezekiel was carried captive 3. Zedekiahs in whose time Jeremiah was carried captive They had now an experimental knowledg of the truth of all Gods Threatnings Yet during the time of this Affliction the Lord did not cast off his care of them but gave forth many Evidences of his unchangeable Love and Faithfulness toward them under this sad Dispensation 1. In that he did preserve them from utter Destruction yet not leave them altogether unpunished not make a full end of them Jer. 30.10 11. He restrained the Enemy from wholly rooting out the Nation Psal 106.46 gave them Favour in the sight of them that carried them captive 2. In that he did convince them and left an everlasting Conviction in the Heart of that people against the grosser sort of Idolatry such an indelible Conviction as hath never been blotted out to this day Insomuch that their great stumbling Block at this day against the Christian Religion is the Idolatry of the Popish Christians For the poor blind Jews consider the Christian Religion no otherwise but as corrupted with those Antichristian Abominations and Idolatries and therefore their Conversion and Return is not to be expected till Antichrist that great stumbling Block be removed out of the way Yea 3. The Lord gave them further and glorious Discoveries by raising up excellent Prophets to them as Ezekiel Daniel Jeremy some part of his Prophesies were after the beginning of their Captivity and Bondage to the Babylonians This sad afflictive Dispensation continued about seventy years Jer. 29.10 4. The fourth and last of all the Old Testament Dispensations is that of the second Temple from the time of their Return out of Babylon till the Messiahs coming And herein there are these remarkable passages 1. The Lord breaks the Yoke of Babylon that his people might be delivered by the Hand of Cyrus prophesied of by name some hundred years before his Birth Isai 44.28 And as they were carried away at several times so they returned also at several times and by degrees First Zerubbabel Ezra 1. and a great company with him afterwards Ezra Ezr. 7.1 after these things Lastly Nehemiah 2. They built the Temple and the City of God again Ezr. 3. Nehem. 1 and 2. They met with many Difficulties and Obstructions in the Work but yet at last it was done both begun and finished by Zerubbabel Zach. 4. in forty six years Joh. 2.20 Dan. 9.25 seven weeks that is forty nine years viz. from the Edict of Cyrus after which we may well allow one year of preparation for their Journy another year for their Journy and a third year for preparing Materials for the Temple wherein David and Solomon spent so many years And if we deduct three out of forty nine the remainder will be but forty six as Joh. 2.20 It wanted somewhat of its former Glory as to the Structure thereof the old men wept to see how much Zerubbabels Temple fell short of Solomons Temple in Ezr. 3.12 As to the Utensils belonging to it the Ark was wanting with the things contained in it the two Tables of Stone the Rod of Aaron the Pot of Manna also the extraordinary and miraculous tokens of Gods Presence as Fire from Heaven c. The Lord would have them now to be more spiritual to see his Presence by Faith when they could not see it with their eyes Yet Haggai saith it had a greater Glory that is in regard of the Messiahs bodily presence in it which Solomons Temple never had 3. They renewed their Covenant with God Nehem. 9. ult and cap. 10. you have the Articles of this solemn League and Covenant 4. The Lord guides them to the reforming of sundry Corruptions which had crept in amongst them and raiseth them up to an higher pitch of Reformation than ever Gross Idolatry they forsook that for ever of which we spake before The Preaching of the Word was restored and renewed among them Neh. 8 1-8 strengthened by the prophesying of Haggai and Zachary Ezr. 5.1 And the Histories of the Church in those times report also how there was great care to get true and perfect Copies of the Scripture and to review the Copies they had And hither as I suppose belongs that famous work of the Punctation of the Hebrew Consonants Much Dispute there is among learned men about it That it is of a Divine Original and Authority is unquestionable if we do but grant the Divine Authority of the Scripture For otherwise the Sense will be vagus incertus wandring and uncertain Some think it was as ancient as the first Invention of Letters which is referred to Moses But if we suppose that Writing as all other useful Arts are usually was brought to perfection by degrees and that the Consonants might suffice while it was a Mother tongue of so great a People and they in such a flourishing condition not oppressed nor mingled with other People and Languages yet possibly the Points might be added afterwards For when they fell under the Yoke of strangers this help became necessary to be added The Lord therefore did by Ezra and others who were divinely inspired now at least add them For to refer it to an humane Original is to overthrow
attending this Rule of understanding and of accommodating typical Scriptures both to Type and Antitype not excluding either they being really meant of both and most fully of Christ the Antitype who is the scope and centre of all the Counsels and Dispositions of God Caut. 2. That the Lord in these occasional and extraordinary Dispensations whereof we speak did aim at sundry ends and intended them to be for several uses namely to be not only Types but other ways also to be instructive and useful and herein his infinite Wisdom appears the more in causing so many ends to meet at once and indeed so it is in all the rest of his Dispensations towards his people and in the world and so in the Ordinances we have at this day they do not serve for one use only Quest But what are these ends Answ Not to insist upon the general Ends of all the Types in this sort we are now upon viz. transient and occasional Types there were three great Ends. 1. For their outward and temporal good they had by these things outward supply and deliverance so the passing through the red Sea the Manna the Water out of the Rock were outward Mercies so the Brazen Serpent gave outward and bodily Healing to them beside that spiritual and sacramental use it had to adumbrate Jesus Christ 2. They were Instructions in moral Duties as indeed all Providences are the Lords giving them Water out of the Rock and Bread from Heaven were instructing Providences to depend upon God in straits and to trust in him at all times 3. The third End was the typical Adumbration of Christ and Gospel-mysteries besides all other ends and uses of them besides outward and temporal good and moral Instruction they did by the positive Intention of the Spirit of God point at Christ and lead to him For this the Text is express all these things happened unto them in Types and ver 4. that Rock was Christ Quest How may we judge what providential Dispensations had such a typical respect and use Answ This hath been formerly partly spoken to and this Rule was given that it is not safe for men to form Allegories out of their own Fancies unless it be some way hinted in the Scripture unless it be either expressed or may be gathered from thence by clear consequence as when by comparing the Scriptures a manifest analogy doth appear as clear as the Sun at noon day But for men to set their Fancies a work to extract Allegories out of every Scripture history as the Popish Interpreters use to do is not safe nor becoming a judicious Interpreter Luth. in Gen. 3. fol. 57. Luther called such Allegories Spumam Scripturae they beat the Scriptures into Froth by allegorizing all things Allegorias esse vanas speculationes tanquam spumam sacrae Scripturae And fol. 57 58. Hoc monuisse sit satis ut qui Allegoriis uti vellent iis utantur quas indicarunt Apostoli quae habent fundamentum certum in ipsa litera seu historia alioqui fiet ut aedificemus super fundamentum paleam stipulas non aurum Paraeus Protogom in Gen. in Gal. 4.24 Parce admodum Spiritus sanctus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost is sparing in the business of Allegories He doth not allegorize every Providence but some he doth And so these Providences were also Ordinances God was pleased to superinduce the nature of an Ordinance upon them Quest What were those typical Providences which we call occasional and extraordinary Types Answ They may be referred and distributed into 2 sorts things and actions A distribution that some have made use of in this Subject who have not well known where to place it but this I take to be the proper place of it It is indeed these occasional Types that are best distributed into things and actions 1. As to occasional typical things we may instance in seven particulars and I shall set them down before you according to the order of time wherein the Lord gave them 1. Jacobs Ladder 2. Moses his burning Bush 3. The Pillar of Cloud and Fire 4. Manna or the Bread that came from Heaven 5. The Rock that followed them and Water out of the Rock 6. The The Brazen Serpent And 7. Some have added also those healing Waters of the Pool of Bethesda These were typical things Occasional typical actions are such as their coming out of Egypt passing through the red Sea c. of which afterward We are to speak to these occasional typical things some whereof were given to particular persons as that visional Ladder to Jacob the burning Bush was shewed to Moses others of them were given to the whole people of Israel as the Pillar of Cloud and Fire and all the rest that were enumerated 1. Jacobs Ladder which he saw at Bethel This was but an occasional Type it was no permanent thing The History of it is in Gen. 28 12-16 That it had a typical respect our Saviour himself seems to insinuate Joh. 1. ult It represented Christ as the means of Intercourse between God and Man Yet it was not to speak properly a Type but rather a typical Vision being not a thing actually existent but only in a Vision of the night however because divers that have spoke upon the Types have made mention of it I shall also speak a word to it Yet even this circumstance some have thought of a typical accommodation for it thus That as Jacob saw this Ladder but in a Vision so we see Christ here but in a Glass darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 till the day-light of Glory in Heaven dawn upon us but then face to face But I shall draw the Parallel only in these five things 1. Here was some dark shadow of the Person Natures and Office of Christ thus In that this Ladder the foot of it stood upon the Earth and the top of it reached up to Heaven whereby Heaven and Earth did meet as it were So Christ in regard of his human Nature toucheth the Earth yet in regard of his Deity he is the God of Heaven And as in this Ladder the top and the foot of it made but one Ladder So both the Natures of Christ are but one Person and by this Union of his two Natures he brings Heaven and Earth together unites God and Man which was the great work for which he came into the world 2. This visional Ladder shews the way to Heaven There is no ascending to Heaven but by the spiritual Ladder Jesus Christ no Salvation but by Christ no comfortable Intercourse and Communion between God and us but only in and through him Men cannot climb to Heaven by their own Works and Merits though they should heap Mountain to Mountain of Duties one upon another yet they would fall short Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 3. We have in
〈◊〉 flayed and cut up Heb. 4.12 13. so all things are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before him with whom we have to do The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God searcheth the heart as the sacrificeing Knife did the bowels of the Beast there is no Skin no cloke of Hypocrisy that can hide thee from the Lord. 4. The Skin of the Sacrifice went to the Priest it was part of his Maintenance see Cap. 7. 8. and the Priest that offereth any mans Burnt Offering even the Priest shall have to himself the Skin of the Burnt Offering which he hath offered As before the Law the Sacrificer had the Skin he enjoyed the benefit of that either to cloth him as Adam and Eve Gen. 3.21 the Lord God made them Coats of Skins and clothed them Or to buy cloathing with or what else he needed And under the Law there was hardly any Sacrifice of which the Priest had not his part It teacheth us that they that serve at the Altar should live of the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 14. from whence the Apostle argues to the care that should be taken for the maintainance of Ministers under the Gospel So much for the fifth Ceremony about the Burnt-Offering namely the flaying it and cuting it in pieces 6. The Pieces were to be salted This indeed is not expressed in Cap 1. but you will find it in other places for as I said at first we must borrow Light from other Scriptures Lev. 2.13 Every Oblation of thy Meat-Offering shalt thou season with Salt neither shalt thou suffer the Salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking Ezek. 43.24 the Priests shall cast Salt upon them The Rule is general to all Sacrifices as well Burnt as Meat-Offerings Mark 9.49 every Sacrifice shall be salted with Salt I find by conference with other Scriptures a twofold Mystery hinted and aimed at in this 1. Salt doth preserve things and keep them from putrifaction this therefore signifies and shadows forth the Perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace Hence is that emphatical expression in the Text Lev. 2.13 the Salt of the Covenant of thy God So Salt is used Numb 18.19 It is a Covenant of Salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy Seed with thee that is saith the Margin sure stable and incorruptible So 2 Chron. 13.5 Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the Kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his Sons by a Covenant of Salt that is Perpetual because the thing that is salted is preserved from Corruption saith the Geneva Note upon the place 2. Salt makes things savoury and wholesome which without Salt would stink and putrify Col. 4.6 let your Speech be seasoned with Salt That is contrary to that corrupt Communication Ephes 4.29 wise and savoury and gracious Speech Mark 9.49 50. when there is no Salt no Savour in a mans words his Speech stinks and is corrupt the Sacrifice is unsalted and so it stinks 7. The Leggs and Inwards must be washed Vers 12. the Feet and the Inwards are the fowlest part of a Beast washing away the filth signifies spiritual washing and cleansing So the bodies of Believers are said to be washed with pure Water and their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 they are made clean both within and without and their filthiness washt away through Jesus Christ 8. The several parts of the Offering must be laid upon the Altar and burnt with Fire till it be consumed and burnt to ashes Seeing the Fire which once fell from Heaven Lev. 9.24 was to be continually kept and preserved upon the Altar Lev. 6.12 and the use of all other Fire forbidden in Sacrifices Lev. 10.1 putting of Fire upon the Altar in this place can signifie nothing but kindling of it Deodat in Lev. 1.7 See Lev. 6.9 the Fire burnt all night The Wrath of God is the Fire and Sin the Wood or Fuel that feeds it This is the Fire of the Justice and Wrath of God from Heaven which seized upon Christ and every part of him as all the parts of the Offering was burnt his Head crowned with Thornes his Side pierced with the Spear his Hands and Feet with Nails his whole body did sweat drops of Blood yea his Soul was heavy unto the Death yea burnt to Ashes as it were brought to the utmost extremity of misery his Saints also endure the fiery tryal 1 Pet. 4.12 Though theirs is not a fire of Expiation as Christs was Heb. 12.10 but only a fire of Purgation which they pass through in this Life to prepare and fit them for Heaven but after this Life there is no Purgatory as the Papists dream 9. The Ashes must be carried out of the Camp into a clean place Lev. 6.10 11. The contrary is said of the Rubbish of a leprous house that the dust and stones thereof should be poured forth into an unclean place Lev. 14.40 41. For they came from a polluted house But these from the Lords holy dwelling place and were the Reliques of an holy thing which the Lord here manifests that he hath a special regard of This Ceremony is applied by the Apostle to Christ Heb. 13.11 12 13. Look as the Ashes of the Sacrifice being burnt signified the dead Body of Christ so the carrying of the Ashes out of the Camp signified how his crucified Body should not be buried within the City but carried into a clean place into a new Sepulchre where never any man lay before Joh. 19.41 So the dead Bodies of all his Saints when they are spent and consumed to Ashes they are regarded and preserved in the dust by God as sacred Reliques and he will raise them up again unto eternal Life So much for the Burnt Offering of the Herd and the Ceremonies appertaining to it There were also some other Actions about it as that in Psal 118.27 of binding the Sacrifice with Cords even unto the Horns of the Altar But this as it is not mentioned in this Chapter so it seems rather to be an Action of natural necessity unto such a work as the slaying of a Beast then to have any special mystery in it Therefore let this suffice for the Burnt-Offering of the greater sort of Cattel Now the other two sorts that follow are the Burnt-Offering of the Flock that is lesser Cattel Sheep or Goats vers 10. And of Fowls viz. Turtle Doves and young Pigeons vers 14. Quest Why the Lord appointed these lesser Sacrifices Ans He did it that so none might be able to plead excuse to be exempted from his service for you know men are very apt to make excuses If the Lord had only appointed Oxen and Sheep some might have pretended Poverty and have said we would offer Sacrifice but we are not able Therefore these lesser Sacrifices were ordained that so both Rich and Poor might serve the Lord so that here is no room
Now to unfold the Mystery of the Incense The Incense that was offered upon this Golden Altar was a Type of Prayer the Prayers both of Christ and of his Saints Both the Prayers which Christ offers up for the Saints and which the Saints offer up for themselves in his Name and Mediation See Rev. 5.8 Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense You may see the fulness of the analogy more at large in seven particulars 1. It was made up of many choise Ingredients Exod. 30.34 so is the Spirit of Prayer as it were a compound of many excellent Graces There must be Faith Humility Fervency c. and indeed all the Graces of Gods Spirit are drawn forth and exercised in Prayer 2. They are strictly forbidden to make another Persume of their own heads like unto it Exod. 30.37 38. so we are not to make use of any other Intercessors or Mediators but Christ only And in like manner for men to make Prayers in the way of stinted Liturgies though there be many of the same Ingredients in the Mass-book that is good expressions for the matter of them and words and notions that are found in the Scripture yet this being not the Incense that is instituted it is not it cannot be accepted 3. These Ingredients whereof the Incense was made were to be beaten very small into fine Powder Exod. 30.36 This teacheth us that Contrition of heart that ought to be in Prayer how the Soul is to be contrite and broken as it were all to pieces by humbling meditations of its own unworthiness when it appears before the Lord in Prayer These are the Prayers that God regards Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Isai 57.15 I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones If a man come with his heart whole and not broken this is to offer the Incense unbeaten unpounded 4. The Incense was to be set on fire and so the smoke went up before the Throne Exod. 30.7 8. This speaks that holy Fervency in Prayer There should be ardent affections inflamed by the Fire of the Holy Ghost Jam. 5 16. the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much We should not come with a dead cold heart before the Lord in Prayer 5. This burning of Incense was a Service performed every day morning and evening Exod. 30.7.8 This teacheth us that Prayer should be a daily work morning and evening David tells us of his praying in the morning Psal 5.3 My Voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up And also in the evening Psal 141.2 The lifting up of my hands as the evening Sacrifice Yea both he and Daniel used to pray thrice a day Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 Anna departed not from the Temple but served God with Fastings and Prayers night and day Luk. 2.37 and we are commanded to pray continually 1 Thess 5.17 Praying always with all Prayer Ephes 6.18 that is every day in the seasons of Prayer And Paul mentions his praying day and night 1 Thess 3.10 2 Tim. 1.3 which may well be understood of evening and morning See also 1 Tim. 5.5 and Act. 26.7 6. The time of burning the Incense was when they dressed and lighted the Lamps of the Sanctuary Exod. 30.7 8. This teacheth us the conjunction of the Word and Prayer in the Church Deut. 33.10 Acts 6.4 But we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word 7. The Smoke of the Incense ascended with a sweet and fragrant smell into the Holy of holies before the Mercy seat as Rev. 8.4 and the Smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand It went up out of the Angels hand This speaks that our Prayers come up before the Lord into his holy place even into Heaven before the Throne of Grace with acceptance through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ Acts 4.10 thy Prayers are come up for a memorial before God Hence that expression 1 Kings 8. hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place For the Holy of holies was a Type of Heaven and the Mercy-seat is that Throne of Grace where the Lord is said to dwell between the Cherubims Psal 80.1 It speaks also that God returns gracious answers to them as it is Zech. 1.13 the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good and comfortable words Sometimes there is a gracious terribleness in them I mean a mixture of Mercy and Terror in the Lords answers and returns of Prayer Psal 65. ver 5. by terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our Salvation Thus Rev. 8.5 when the Angel cast down the Censer upon the earth there were voices and thunderings and lightenings and an earthquake The Lord uttering his voice as it were from the Holy of holies in dreadful dispensations of Providence in the seven Trumpets it is from the Prayers of Saints that those dreadful Trumpets were sounded But one of the strangest instances of the Lords answering Prayer by strange and seemingly contrary Providences is that of the Turks Rev. 9. It is agreed by all Interpreters that the sixth Trumpet is the Turk But did ever any Christian pray for the coming of the Turk into Christendom No but yet they came and the Voice from the four Horns of this Golden Altar of Incense usher'd them in Rev. 9.13 The meaning is this the strange Power of God did answer the Prayers of his people this way it is the Prayers of Gods people that turns the wheel of Providence as it were and brings about all the great and mighty revolutions in the course thereof Vse 1. Of Comfort in five or six particulars This Doctrine of Christs Intercession which is the mystery of this Golden Censer and Altar of Incense is full of Comfort to poor praying Souls thou hast an High Priest which offereth up thy Prayers and they are made acceptable through his Intercession This affords Comfort let thy condition be what it will 1. If thou find thy self unskilful in making application of that part of Christs Priestly Office which consisteth in his Death yet thou maist look up to him to speak a good word for thy Soul this work is doing still though the former be done 2. In case of new sins committed after Grace received here is this Comfort that as Satan puts in new Accusations against thy Soul so Christ puts in new Answers 1 Joh. 2.1 2. if any man sin we have an Advocate c. 3. Many an one is much troubled with fears of future backslidings but Christ prays that thy Faith fail not he prays not only that we should come
Candlesticks are the Churches the seven Stars or Lights in the tops of the Candlesticks are the Angels or Ministers of the Churches Rev. 1.20 yet the Ministry considered barely in it self doth not enlighten but as illuminated by the Spirit Rev. 4.5 4. The Priest was to burn sweet Incense upon the Golden Altar when he dressed the Lamps Exod. 30.7 8. this is Prayer and Intercession and this is Christs work he prays and he perfumes the Prayers of his people with the sweet Incense of his own Merits and Mediation and as they are daily praying so Christ is daily interceding for them Rev. 8.3 4. 5. The Priest was to set the Shew-bread upon the Golden Table before the Lord every Sabbath Lev. 24.8 Every Sabbath shall he set it in order before the Lord continually so doth Jesus Christ present and set the whole number of his Elect before the Lord continually as the Shew-bread upon the Table where his favourable Eye and Face is always upon them 6. The Priest was to bless the people in the name of the Lord and well he might for blessed indeed are such a people who have such an Altar and Sanctuary and such a Sacrifice offered for them amongst whom the Lamp of God shines whose Prayers ascend and come up before him as Incense upon the Golden Altar out of the hand of the true High Priest the Angel of the Covenant and who stand before the Face of God and under the Eye and Care of God continually Numb 6.23 and so on to the end and accordingly they did so when they had performed their other Ministrations Lev. 9.22 23. and God ratified it For the Glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people so 2 Chron. 30.27 Then the Priests the Levites arose and blessed the people and their voice was heard and their Prayer came up to his dwelling place even unto Heaven so doth Jesus Christ bless his people Luke 24.50 and that most really and effectually Acts 3.26 These were the Priestly Ministrations Objct. But now it may be demanded wherein then differed the High Priest from the other ordinary Priests these Ministrations belonging to them as well as him Answ There were three things peculiar to the High Priest wherein he was advanced by God above his Brethren 1. He had a superiority of spiritual Power and Jurisdiction over all the Ministers of the Sanctuary both the Priests and Levites Numb 4.19 also ver 27. see Deut. 17.12 and so Aaron was the Archbishop or Primate as it were to oversee and order all so is Jesus Christ in the Church of God He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away He only is the chief Shepherd 2. The High Priest was clothed with peculiar Garments of Glory and Beauty Exod 28. The inferior Priests the Sons of Aaron had but four Priestly Garments Linnen Drawers and Coats and Girdles and Bonnets Exod. 28.40 but Aaron the High Priest had a Brest-plate and an Ephod a Robe a broydered Coat a Mitre and a Girdle with the Urim and Thummim and precious Stones in his Brest-plate and on the shoulders of his Ephod and a Crown or Plate of Gold upon his Mitre Exod. 28. ver 4. and so is Jesus Christ fairer then the Sons of men more beautiful then any other Psal 45.2 3. The third Prerogative of the High Priest was in his glorious Ministration upon the great day of atonement when he went into the holiest of all to make atonement there before the Lord Lev. 16. which none but he might do Thus Jesus Christ is entred not into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Hebr. 9.24 Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us ibid. ver 12. Here note as a Corollary the wickedness of the Bishop of Rome who calls himself the High Priest amongst Christians as Aaron was amongst the Jews His judaizing antichristian wickedness And all other such Archbishops and Primates and Prelates fall under the same condemnation who differ not specie but only grad◠not in kind but only in degree from the Usurpations of that Man of Sin I know no other High Priest no other Archbishop or chief Shepherd of our Souls under the Gospel but only Jesus Christ Some thus understand that of Paul Acts 23.5 I wist not that he was the High Priest I acknowledg not that there is an High Priest Vide Beza in 1 Pet. 5.4 Against this Primacy which the Pope usurps consider 1. The High Priest in this preeminence above his Brethren was an express Type of Jesus Christ of whom it is said that he was the first-born among many Brethren Rom. 8.29 2. This Ecclesiastical preeminence amongst Ministers is expresly forbidden under the Gospel How often doth Christ reprove his Disciples for it for striving who should be chiefest Matth. 18.1 2 3 4. and Matth. 23.8 10 11. and Matth. 20.25 and Luke 22.24 25 26. And it is the brand set upon Diotrephes 3 Joh. ver 9. that he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he affected the Primacy 3. Thô the Priests Power was ecclesiastical yet the Pope exercises a temporal power and this not as a Commissioner from under the Civil Magistrate but distinct from the Civil Magistrate and without dependance on him yea indeed superior to him and so do the inferior Prelates too not only a Civil power derived from the King as other Barons of the Realm or Justices of the Peace or the like civil Dignities but they make the Clergy a Fountain of Power to themselves even of temporal Power wherein they intrench upon the Prerogative and just Rights of the Civil Magistrate as well as of Ecclesiastical Power having never received any such Primacy of Office from Jesus Christ but usurping it to themselves and so they do intrench both upon God and the King shewing themselves therein to be the true and natural Children of their Father the Pope the great Antichrist of Rome But you see how remote this is from the Spirit of the Gospel and that it is indeed a Judaizing for Ministers to assume a disparity superiority of Power and Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Jurisdiction over other Ministers So much of the Priests and of their Priestly Work and Ministrations 2. The second sort of Temple Officers were the Levites of whom four things are worthy to be considered 1. Who they were they were the whole Tribe of Levi excepting only Aarons Posterity who were preferred to an higher Office of Priesthood yet they were Levites but all Levites were not Priests The Priests were Levites in regard of their Birth and Extraction out of that Tibe but they were not Levites in regard of their Office nor were the Levites Priests
must all of them be accounted for unto God one day by you that sat under their Ministry Dr. Winter thought the Joy and Glory of Saints in Heaven receives some addition there as their Works while they were on earth do bring forth fruit here below grounding this his Judgment on Jer. 32.19 and the like Scriptures see his Epistle before Mr. Murcots Sermons And there are that think godly Ministers shall at the day of Christ have the presenting unto him those that have been converted and savingly wrought upon by their Ministry The Apostle Paul seems to have an expectation that he should present the Corinthians unto Christ as a chast Virgin espoused unto the Lord by him 2 Cor. 11.2 and he look'd on the Thessalonians as his Joy and Crown of glorying before God not only in this world 1 Thess 3.9 but also hereafter in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 1 Thess 2.19 20. If the affectionate remembrance of your former Teachers which still lives in your hearts and ought so to do shall stir you up to make a fruitful improvement of such monuments of their labours as are yet with you whatever advantage shall accrue to them who are now above a thankless world and cloudy sky certainly you will be gainers unspeakably Those Exhortations of the Apostle do speak unto you Remember those that have had the Rule over you and have spoken to you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever He will be the same to you that he hath been to them You have not yet resisted unto blood but how soon you may be called forth unto it is with him in whose hand are all our times The Churches of the Hebrews in Judaea had stood when the Apostle so wrote to them much what about the same time that you have been in the fellowship and order of the Gospel And as they then might and did see a day of National Calamity approaching Heb. 10.25 so may you discern black threatning Prognosticks Wherefore forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is but exhort incourage one another to it and that so much the more as you see the day approaching lift up the Hands that hang down let the feeble Knees be strengthened and make streight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord looking diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled c. For ye are not come unto the Mount that might be touched ye are not under the old dark legal Dispensation which was full of terror but you are come to Mount Sion and to the City of the living God you are under a far more glorious Gospel Dispensation and have in these Discourses the Gospel and spiritual Glory of that old Dispensation shining out upon you the veil being taken off from it by the Ministry of this Servant of Christ for your sakes For what your Ministers are they are for you Epaphras was a faithful Minister of Christ for the Church at Coloss This Author was inlightned by Christ for you The influences that the Ministers are the Subjects of are for their people If their Consolation abound thrô Christ it is that they may be able to comfort others with the Comforts wherewith they themselves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1.4 6. If they be enabled to walk exemplarily in Gospel-simplicity holiness justness and unblamableness through variety of singular and sore tryals it is for your sakes 1 Thess 1.5 with chap. 2.2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10. their Light and Gifts are yours and for you 1 Cor. 3.22 These Sermons in the preaching of them were in a peculiar manner for you so are they now in this making of them yet more publick So are those that now labour among you in the Word and Doctrine your Servants for Christs sake The Blessing of Heaven go along with both this Book and their Labours Amen And let every one also that reads say Amen ERRATA BEsides some literal and lesser faults mispointing omission or redundancy or transposing of a small word using the Italick letter for the Roman a great for a small or vice versa which the Reader who observes will not be stumbled by and therefore it would be needless exactness to give a catalogue of there are these which the Reader may do himself a kindness to correct Two pages misnumbred page 327 is printed 307 and pag. 511 is printed 411. pag. 9. the two last lines instead of Objection that read Objection viz. that p. 32. blot out the last line p. 39. l. 2. of mind r. of his mind p. 43. l. 19 20. Hebr. 5.10 r. 12. p. 120. l. 18. Soul of r. Soul out of p. 201. l. 15. unto r. under p. 280. l. antep Wheat Quemach r. Wheat but Quemach ibid. blot out but ibid. l. ult r. bread-corn p. 308. blot out viz. in l. 10. and put it in l. 11. p. 384. Hamans r. Hemans p. 421 l. penult ye in r. ye do in p. 422. l. 23. to the r. of the p. 432. l. 5. aforesaid r. aforehand p. 433 l. 30. yenury r. penury p. 434. l. 17 blot out in the foundation p. 445. l. 10. inner cap. 8. r. inner Court cap. 8. p. 460. l. 13. perfect r. perfecting p. 479. l. 26. thou shalt r. thou shalt not p. 511. l. 26. ark in which r. ark on which p. 532. l. 21 22. bring Wheat r. bringing the Wheat ibid. blot out ing the p. 445. l. 7. God to get r. God get p. 447. l. 7. indeed that this was r. that this was indeed p. 557. l. 22. saith it r. saith of it p. 566. l. antep on the day r. on the tenth day l. penult the great r. that great p. 572. l. 7. have r. having p. 625. the r. our p. 639. l. 14. Saints are that r. Saints that are ibid. l. 21. indeed r. indowed p. 668. l. antep blot out any Pag. 204. read lin 17. before l. 15. p. 573. read the fifth and sixth lines before the third and fourth The Date of the Sermons omitted in the former part of the Book may be thus supplyed pag. 1. March 23. 1666. p. 27. June 27. 1667. p. 43. July 4. p. 56. July 11. p. 65. July 18 p. 79. July 25. p. 90. Aug. 8. p. 115. Aug. 32 and Septemb. 5. p 123. Sept. 5. THE TYPES OR FIGURES OF THE OLD-TESTAMENT BY WHICH Christ and the Heavenly things of the Gospel were preached and shadowed to the People of God of old Hebrews 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in
can see but created Manifestations and Representations of his Glory he did appear in So Exod. 20.18 and 19.18 19 20 Jehovah descended symbolically in regard of the glorious tokens and symbols of his Presence But then they saw no similitude only Fire and Smoke and the Mountain shaking Deut. 4.12 Exod. 24.10 11. And they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a Saphire stone also they saw God and did eat and drink Exod. 34.5 6. And the Lord descended in the Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord and the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed c. It seemeth by the expressions Deum humanâ effigie pertranfijsse that God passed by in an humane shape All the three Persons of the Trinity have appeared distinctly in visible Representations God the Father and the Son Dan. 7.9 13. I beheld till the Thrones were cast down and the ancient of days did sit I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven to the ancient of days Revel 4.1 compared with Chap. 5.7 where we find that the Lamb took the Book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the Throne So that here be two of those glorious Persons distinctly appearing Ezek. 1.26 Above the Firmament there was the likeness of a Throne and upon it the likeness as the appearance of a Man about it It seems to be meant of God the Father because Ezek. 9.2 4. He is distinguished from the Man with a Writers Inkhorn by his side who is thought to be our only High Priest the Lord Jesus Christ The second Person Jesus Christ To Moses Exod. 3.2 4. For he is called the Angel which agrees not so well to the first Person And Moses prays for his Good will Deut. 33.16 Therefore it was not any created Angel but Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant of Grace as a praeludium to his Incarnation So to Isaiah 6.1 he saw the Lord. It is the Lord Jesus Christ so it is interpreted John 12.41 So Gen. 32.24 And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day that is God in the form of a Man as the old Geneva Note hath it The Prophet Hosea saith it was God Hos 12.3 4. and Jacob wept and made supplication unto him and there he or God spake with us The third Person the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove at the Baptism of Jesus Christ Matth. 3. 2. Sometimes Angels have appeared sometimes in Bodies of humane shape provided for them by the Power of God either created of nothing and after the Apparition annihilated or compacted of the four Elements and especially of Air condensed and then resolved again after the Appearance was past into the matter of which they were compounded As to Lot Gen. 19.1 10. And there came two Angels to Sodom and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them and bowed himself with his Face to the ground These Angels vers 10. are called Men. To David 2. Sam. 24.17 And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the Angel that smote the People and said Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly c. He saw the Angel Which is further explained 1 Chron. 21.16 And David lift up his eyes and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the Earth and the Heaven with a drawn Sword in his hand At Christs Resurrection divers Angels appeared in the shapes of Men Matth. 28.2 3. An Angel rolled back the Stone from the door of the Sepulchre and sate upon it c. Luke 24.4 Behold two Men stood by them in shining Raiment So at his Ascension Acts 1.10 Behold two Men stood by them in white Apparel Sometimes the Angels did appear not only in humane shapes but with other Representations accompanying them as Horses and Chariots of Fire that is with Riders upon them 2 Kings 6.17 Behold the Mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha Zach. 1.8 Behold a Man riding upon a red Horse and behind him there were red Horses speckled and white and 6.1 there came four Chariots out from between the two Mountains ver 5. These are the four Spirits of the Heavens 3. Sometimes other things were represented and shewn in Vision to them to signifie to them the Mind of God as Jerem. 1.11 13. The Prophet there seeth the Rod of an Almond tree and a seething pot with the face thereof toward the North So Amos cap. 7. ver 1 4 7 8. has several things presented in Vision to him And this is one of these divers manners of the Lords speaking viz. by Visions or Representations to the eye waking 2. Another manner was by Dreams that is by Representation of things to the Fancy in sleep and they had not only things presented but usually Words spoken to interpret them Sometimes the Lord gave divine Dreams to wicked men as to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar but they knew not what they meant and so were not Prophets but the Lord sent the Interpretation by others who were his faithful Servants But the Prophets and Servants of God usually had both the Dream and some further light for the Perception and Interpretation of it As to Abraham Gen. 15.12 And when the Sun was going down a deep sleep fell upon Abram and lo an horrour of great Darkness fell upon him and he said unto Abram know of a surety c. ver 13. And to Jacob Gen. 28.12 13. the Dream of the Ladder ver 12. is interpreted to him by God in the following verses and 31.11 12. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Jacob in a Dream and speaks unto him and 46.2 God spake unto Israel in the Visions of the night So to Daniel cap. 7. 1 7 13. the divers night Visions he had there are afterwards interpreted to him ver 15 c. To Joseph Matth. 1.20 An Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a Dream saying fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife and Matth. 2.13 19. An Angel of the Lord appeareth in a Dream to him saying arise and take the young Child and his Mother and go into the Land of Israel This way and manner of speaking seems to have been very frequent and usual in those ancient times as those words of Elihu intimate Job 33.14 15 16. For God speaketh once yea twice in a Dream in a Vision of the night See Aynsworth on Gen. 20.3 and Gen. 37.5 when deep sleep falleth upon Men in slumbers upon the bed then he openeth the Ears of Men c. 3. A third manner was by Voices by an audible Voice uttered either by God himself immediately or the Angels And these audible Voices are accompanied sometimes with visible Appearances to the eye but sometimes the Voice alone without any visible apparition To our first Parents Gen. 3.3 It was the Voice of God
disputable But it is probable enough that it might be altogether new yea though we suppose the Rainbow to arise from natural causes For a years Deluge could not but cause a great alteration in all the Elements and in the Clouds and in the Air whereby there might new Phaenomena new appearances in the Heavens which never were before Moreover it might be produced by a new creating Power of Providence beyond the force of any natural causes and also instituted for a Sign of the Covenant It could not have afforded any great assurance to them if they had only the seeing and beholding of it which was all that was to be done in this Sacrament to see nothing but what they had seen before could yield but small comfort and assurance to that new World And that this Covenant had a further Mystery in it than meerly outward Preservation from another Deluge See Caryl on Job 37.15 See Isai 54.9 For this as the is Waters of Noah unto me The Covenant of my Peace shall not be removed The Rainbow therefore was a Sign of the Covenant of Grace Hence Revel 4.3 Behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sate on the Throne and there was a Rainbow round about the Throne Confer on Rom. 5.14 of Noah as a personal Type Revel 10.1 Christ the Angel of the Covenant is described as having a Rainbow upon his Head 3. He inlargeth their provision of Food to eat by giving them a Commission to eat the Flesh of the Brute creatures Gen. 9.3 At first there is no mention of any other provision but the Fruits of the Earth Gen. 1.29 But there was need of some further supply because it is probable that the Vigor of the Earth and the Virtue of the Herbs and Plants and Fruits thereof could not but be somewhat impaired and decayed by that whole years Winter Therefore for men upon a Religious account to forbid the eating of some Meats as the Papists forbid Flesh in Lent it is a superstitious Infringement of the Liberty here granted and given by the Lord unto all the Sons of Noah 4. The Blood was wholly reserved and excepted Gen. 9.4 But Flesh with the Life thereof which is the Blood thereof shall ye not eat This seems to be done partly upon a moral and partly upon a spiritual and Ceremonial account Moral for mans Health and to prevent that Ferity and Savageness which Mankind is so apt to degenerate into as in some barbarous Nations they would drink the living Blood out of the Horse they rode upon opening a Vein with an Instrument when they were thirsty This is barbarous and savage and this Prohibition here given excludes and forbids such a Practice which those Gyants of wickedness before the Flood it is not improbable but that to other barbarous and raging sins they might add the eating of living Creatures alive therefore the Lord doth so directly and expresly interdict and forbid it And it is the Judgment of some very learned men that the eating of Blood cold and drest as other Meat was not at all forbidden For the Prohibition lies not directly against Blood but against the eating of living Flesh Flesh animated with the living Blood For the Blood is the Seat and Chariot of the Life and Vital Spirits Some think it was done upon a Ceremonial account The Blood was reserved as a sacred thing unto the Lord till such time as that precious Blood was shed which hath put an end to all Types and Shadows This is expressed Levit. 17.11 I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your Souls For it is the Blood that maketh an atonement for the Soul as the former moral Reason is expressed v. 14. It is true the Ceremonial Law came by Moses but the meaning is not that there were no parts at all of it before his time for there were Sacrifices from the Fall of Man But the meaning is that Moses did incorporate and sum them all up together with many divine enlargements and additions into that great body of Ceremonial Laws by him established and setled in that Church and People of Israel Therefore there might be a Ceremonial Prohibition of Blood even from Noahs time 5. The Lord now gave unto Mankind that great Ordinance of Magistracy Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth Mans Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed Of which Divines say truly that it is Remedium corruptae Naturae But yet corrupt Nature so far as appears out of the sacred History never had the Use and Benefit of it till now but rather on the contrary the Lord secures Cain as it were by special Dispensation Gen. 4.15 The Government of the World before seems to have been only domestical and paternal which might easily be Parents then living so long as to see whole Towns and Cities of their own Children and Posterity But this paternal way of Government was so mild that it was not effectual and sufficient to restrain Vice and Wickedness but it grew to such Gigantick strength and height that there was a necessity to cut them down with a Flood But therefore now to prevent the like Degeneracy and Destruction the Lord puts a stronger Bridle of Restraint upon the outragious Wickedness and Corruption of mans Nature namely this of Magistracy or Civil Government whereby some are intrusted with the Power of the Sword to take away the Lives of others in grosser cases especially that of Murther 6. God divided the World amongst them Gen. 10. which consisted of three parts then known though not by these names to wit Asia Africk and Europe whereof Sems Posterity dwelt chiefly in Asia Chams in Africk and to Japhets Posterity Europe fell known in Scripture by this name The Isles of the Gentiles Gen. 10.5 of whose Posterity we our selves are And now one would think Mankind was happy when God thus sets them up again begins with them upon a new score as it were But there were three or four things especially that did ruine all and brought this Dispensation to an end 1. The Apostacy of Cham and his Posterity Gen. 9.22 an unnatural sin to despise and dishonour his Parents Calvin apud Wallet in Cor. and himself not a Child when he did this but above a hundred years old ver 25. the Curse is thundred forth against Canaan so the Punishment answers the Sin Cham is an ungratious Son to his Father therefore he hath a cursed Son And perhaps Canaan might be present and Partner in his Fathers Sin or the most delightful of his Children being the youngest and so the Cursing him would be most likely to pierce and grieve his Fathers hard Heart and it may be so express'd for the greater comfort of the Israelites that the Nation they were to expel were a Generation of the Curse of God But certain it is that C ham himself was intended and cursed in that Curse This fell out about forty years as some reckon after the
which you made to your selves contra ver 44 of Act. 7. the Tabernacle which Moses made as he had appointed And it seems by the sacred History that they had something of the notion of a Type in their heads in that Invention For they say Make us Gods that may go before us and they proclaim an Holy day to Jehovah therefore they intended the Calf to be an outward and visible Sign to them of his Presence Here ariseth a Question How may we know when a thing is a Type and that the Lord did ordain and design it to that end and use The Answer is We cannot safely judg of this but by the Scripture 1. When there is either express Scripture for it As Adam here in the Text is called a Type of him that was to come So the whole Ceremonial Law is said to have a Shadow of the good things to come under the Gospel Heb. 10.1 The Buildings and holy places of the earthly Temple are said to be Figures of the true even of Heaven it self Heb. 9.24 The Land of Canaan the Country that Abraham and the Fathers sought for it is said they desire a better Country that is an heavenly Heb. 11.16 2. When there is a permutation of Names between the Type and the Antitype this is a clear Indication of the Mind of God As for instance Christ is called David Ezek. 34.23 and 37.24 Hos 3.5 this shews that David was a Type of him and Christ was the true David So Christ is called Adam the second Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 So he is called Israel Isai 49.3 He is called that Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World Joh. 1.29 and our Passover that is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 this shews that the Paschal Lamb was a Type of him He is called the Bread of Life and the true Bread from Heaven Joh. 6.32 35. this shews that the Manna did relate to him So the Church of the New Testament is called Jerusalem Gal. 4.26 but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all Rev. 21.2 I saw the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven We may hence conclude that Jerusalem was a Type of the Church So it is said that the Odours or Incense are the Prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 Incense therefore was a Type of Prayer The Gospel-Church is called Israel Gal. 6.16 Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God Therefore that People were a Type of the Church of God under the New Testament Gospel-Ministers are called the Sons of Levi Mal. 3.3 the Prophet there speaking of the coming of Christ he saith He shall purifie the Sons of Levi that is raise up a purer Ministry There is nothing more frequent in the Scripture than for the Antitype to be called by the name of the Type and sometimes on the other side the Type bears the Names and Titles belonging indeed and more properly to the Antitype So Moses is called a Mediator Gal. 3.19 So when a Sheep or a Goat is called a Sacrifice and said to make attonement or to expiate Sin there the Work of the Antitype is ascribed unto the Type For those things could not take away sins Heb. 10.4 it is not possible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins they were but a shadow of a Sacrifice of Christ the true Sacrifice 3. When by comparing several Scriptures together there doth appear an evident and manifest analogy and parallel between things under the Law and things under the Gospel we may conclude that such legal Dispensations were intended as Types of those Gospel Mysteries whose Image they bear In such a case Res ipsa loquitur For the Type must be made like the Antitype as the Apostle speaks of that illustrious Type Melchisedec Hebr. 7.3 he was made like unto the Son of God As the Deliverance out of Egypt and Babylon if we read the History thereof in the Old Testament and compare it with the Prophesies in the New Testament concerning the Churches Deliverance from Antichristian Bondage we shall clearly see that it was a Type thereof there is such a resemblance the one answers the other so remarkably Hence Divines generally make Sampson a Type of Christ there is such a fair and full Analogy in sundry particulars of his Life and Death between him and Christ So likewise Joseph is generally lookt upon as a Type of Christ though there be no Scripture that doth expresly call him so but if the History of Joseph in Genesis be compared with the History of Jesus Christ in the four Evangelists the Analogy will be very clear and evident The Old Testament and the New should be compared together The Protasis or Proposition of these sacred similitudes is in the Books of Moses and in the Old Testament but the Apodosis the Reddition or Application is to be found chiefly in the New Sometimes the Types are not so explicitly taught but implyed and then a thing may be known to be a Type by diligent observing and comparing the Phrase of the Prophets in the Old Testament and of the Apostles in the New Men must not indulge their own Fancies as the Popish Writers use to do with their Allegorical Senses as they call them except we have some Scripture ground for it It is not safe to make any thing a Type meerly upon our own fansies and imaginations it is Gods Prerogative to make Types And so much for that first Rule Rule 2. The Types were not only Signs but Seals not only Signs to represent Gospel Mysteries unto them but also Seals to assure them of the certain and infallible exhibition thereof in Gods appointed time As we say of our Sacraments Sacramentum est verbum visibile the Sacrament is a visible Promise and holds forth the Covenant of Grace to the Eye and other Senses as the Word to the Ear so it was with the Types of old The Types were visible Promises and not only Signs but Pledges and Assurances of the good they represented They did represent those great Mysteries not only by way of resemblance to the understandings but by way of assurance to the Faith of Gods People Reasons to prove this that the Types were Seals 1. The Apostle saith it expresly concerning Circumcision Rom. 4.11 he received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith And there is a parity of Reason in this respect between Circumcision and other Types 2. If they were Signs that did certainly foresignifie they were Seals But the Types were Signs that did certainly foresignifie therefore they were more than Signs even Seals also They did not shew what a one the Messiah might happen to be but what a one he should certainly be they were so many Divine Testimonies to the coming of Christ 3. If they were not Seals and Pledges to assure it will follow that it would have been no disappointment to Gods People and
no reflection at all upon his Truth and Faithfulness if the Messiah had been quite another manner of Person than the Types held forth But to admit such a supposition to suppose that the Messiah might have been quite another manner of Person than the Types hold forth is to take away the Analogy between the Type and the Antitype and so by consequence to deny that they were Types or else to make them all Lyes and false Images Therefore if it be but granted that they were true Signs it follows even from thence that they were Seals or sure and certain Pledges of Christ and Gospel-Mysteries in him See Calvin in 1 Cor. 10.3 11. Beza in Col. 2.17 Erant enim vera pro ratione ac modo Sacramentorum efficacia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were both Signs and Seals and true and efficacious Signs and Seals after that manner of efficacy that is in Sacraments Rule 3. The Types relate not only to the Person of Christ but to his Benefits and to all Gospel Truths and Mysteries even to all New-Testament-Dispensations I mention this the rather because I have observed that it doth much darken the thoughts of many that they study to accommodate every Type directly to the Person of Christ because we commonly call them Types of Christ But that expression is not meant of his Person exclusively to his Benefits but of both together Christ and the good things of Christ the Types shadowed forth Christ and all the good that comes by him So the Apostle Heb. 10.1 they are a shodow of good things to come he doth not limit or restrain them to the Messiahs person only As the Cherubims were Types not directly of Christ but of the Angels that stand before the Lord and minister to him and to his People Hence before the Gospel there were no Gospel Types before the first Promulgation of it Genes 3. there could be no Types of Gospel Blessings There were some things extant before which were made Types afterwards but they had not that Schesis that habitude and relation to Christ and the Gospel till there was a Gospel or a Promise of Life by Christ that blessed Seed Yea as they had Types of Christs Person and of his spiritual and saving Benefits so they had Types even of all New-Testament Dispensations Our very Sacraments were shadowed forth by theirs As Baptism by Circumcision and by their passing thorough the Red Sea and the Lords Supper by their Passover Yea they had Types not only of the Blessings and Benefits of Christ but of our Miseries without him As they had their Ceremonial Uncleannesses as the Leprosie for instance was a Type Of what Neither of Christ nor of his Benefits but of our natural Pollution So they had a Type of the Covenant of Works viz. Hagar and Ishmael They had a Type of the Church of Rome viz. Babylon So Antiochus may pass for a Type of Antichrist Doeg and Achitophel of Judas Pharaoh for a Type of the Devil Sodom and Gomorrah for a Type of Hell For as the Types look chiefly and principally at Christ and his Benefits in the clear and full Exhibition and Communication of them under the Gospel so they represent other things also though not by way of Primacy and principal intention but by way of concomitancy and illustration of the Principal Therefore these Types of New-Testament-evils it will not be necessary always to handle them by themselves For the most of them will come in better under the several Types or Shadows of good things the further illustration whereof by the contrary was the thing chiefly aimed at in them Rule 4. As there is a Similitude a Resemblance and Analogy between the Type and the Antitype in some things so there is ever a dissimilitude and a disparity between them in other things It is so in all similitudes It is a Rule in Reason There is a mixture of Consentaneity and Dissentaneity or else instead of Similitude there would be Identity So here in these sacred Similies it is not to be expected that the Type and the Antitype should quadrare per omnia that they should agree in all things Therefore the Apostle though he makes Adam a Type of Christ whom he calls the second Adam yet he shews the disparity also and that the second Adam did infinitely transcend and excel the first 1 Cor. 15.47 the first man is of the Earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven So the Priests of old they were Types of Christ but Christ did infinitely excel them and his Priesthood was infinitely more glorious as the Apostle disputes at large in the 7 8 9 and 10. of the Hebrews see particularly chap. 7. v. 23 24 27. There is more in the Antitype than in the Type Hom. 61. in Genes Oportet figuram minus habere quam veritatem Chrysost For such is the Glory and Excellency of Christ the Antitype that no Type could reach it Hence that Distinction of Types partial and Types total must be understood with some limitation thus That some things or persons were only Types of Christ in some one particular thing others in many things but there never was any that did or could possibly resemble him perfectly in all things So Jonas is called a partial Type because he shadowed forth the Messiah in that one thing his abiding two or three days in the Grave and then rising again David some call him a total Type in regard that the whole History of his Life hath so great a shadow and representaton of Christ the true David But yet if we speak rigidly and properly David himself was but a partial Type For he was only a Prophet and a King he was not a Priest but Christ was both Prophet Priest and King Moses indeed was both a Prophet a Priest and a King but his Priesthood continued only till Aaron was consecrated then Moses laid it down And Moses did mediate between God and the People as a Prophet to interpret the Mind of God to them and as a King or a Judg to govern them and as an Intercessor to pray for them but not by giving himself a Sacrifice unto death for expiation of their sins He was a Mediator ob interpretandi docendi officium but not ob satisfaciendi beneficium as some express it Therefore Moses himself was but a partial Type a Type only ratione rei in regard of Redemption and Deliverance but not ratione modi he did not do it by shedding his Blood and laying down his Life as Christ did Hence we must take heed of straining the Types too far to make them agree in that wherein indeed there is a disparity or disagreement If the Type go with us one mile or rather with the Antitype one mile we must not constrain it to go twain 3. The third thing propounded to be spoken to was the Differences and Agreements between a Type and
of your Prayers that you would remember me to the Lord that he would carry me through this work that he would enlighten and enable me by his Spirit to speak unto them with clear light and not only so as may be clear and convincing to my own Conscience and Judgment but with such evidence of light as may be satisfying and illuminating to yours also even in the evidence and demonstration of his Spirit Some have not unfitly called the Ceremonial Law one of the richest Cabinets of Divinity full of inestimable Jewels But many things in their Religion will seem strange and uncouth and useless if we consider them without their scope and meaning All the Ceremonial Law if a man knows not the meaning of it looks like an heap of unprofitable Burthens The Temple appears but like a Shambles or Butchers Slaughter house and the Priesthood a vain useless Occupation but consider them in their sense and meaning and every thing is full of Light and Glory A great part of the Scripture especially the old Testament Exodus and Leviticus and other places will be like a Sealed Book unto you if you have not some insight into the Types But if the Lord give you a little insight into them you will read the Old Testament with more profit and spiritual understanding For the Prophets do comment upon them yea so do the Apostles also and indeed the whole New Testament is a large and full Exposition of the Types If you ask how may we so search and look into them as to understand them and profit by them Take but three Rules for this and I conclude Rule 1. Search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 for they are they which testifie of me saith Christ the Scripture is the best Interpreter of it self We cannot judg of these legal Shadows but by Scripture-light If either express words or change of Names or a clear analogy and proportion do appear these are Intimations of the Mind of God that such things are Types Go no further than we see the Scripture going before us Rule 2. Study the Covenant of Grace Faedus gratiae clavis totius Scripturae Look diligently into the Gospel get a clear and spiritual insight and understanding into that this is the best help to the understanding of the Types For he that well understands the Antitype will more easily and readily discern the analogy and see the resemblance it hath with the Type Rule 3. As you find the Lord letting in any thing of further light into your minds be sure you act Faith and exercise Grace with renewed vigour upon those Truths and Mysteries as you find any Beams of further Light coming in concerning them If a man have all Knowledg and understood all Mysteries and hath not Fath and Love what is he the better for his Light 1 Cor. 13.12 When you see things more clearly and fully you should endeavour to believe more strongly and to grow in Grace as you grow in Light Quest Why the Lord spake so much in this way by Types and Shadows Answ Something may be gathered as to this out of what was formerly spoken in general concerning the Reasons of the Lords using so great variety of Dispensation from that Text Heb. 1.1 therefore I shall but touch upon some few things now and that very briefly R. 1. There is a general suitableness in such a way of speaking unto mans Nature as a sensitive Creature consisting of a Body as well as a Soul Hence in all times and ages even before Sin entred the Lord gave unto mankind some outward and sensible things to be Signs and Representations of spiritual things Hence were these two Sacramental Trees the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledg of good and evil And now much more since the Fall Man being fallen much lower hath greater need of such Instructions Man is not only a sensitive but a sense loving Creature R. 2. It was particularly suitable to that Infant age and state of the Church it was suitable to their Nonage to be taught by such visible and carnal things The whole way of Gods Dispensations See Galv Instit l. 2. c. 11. s 1 11. both Gods Blessings and Judgments were much more external and sensible than they are now Children must have their A. B. C. weak and rudimental Instructions These are called Elements or Rudiments yea weak and beggarly Rudiments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4.9 Tota legis Oeconomia veluti rudis quaedam erat disciplina rudibus conveniens Beza in Gal. 4.3 Like a Horn-book to a Child R. 3. That they to whom it was not given might not understand R. 4. That his People might soe and understand the better These two Reasons are assigned by Christ himself for his own teaching so much by Parables and there is some affinity between a Type and a Parable as you heard the last time Matth. 13.11 13. why speakest thou to them in Parables Because it is given to you to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and because they seeing see not c. Similitudes not understood are Riddles and clouds of Darkness upon the understanding But if once interpreted and understood they are like bright Candles they give a clear light Comparata etiam ficta arguunt fidemque faciunt It is not a true and sound Rule that of the Schoolmen Theologia symbolica non est argumentativa What! shall we say that all the Parables of our Saviour did argue nothing when indeed they did not only argue but demonstrate and that so as did convince and cut the hearts sometimes of his greatest enemies and opposers Was not Nathans Parable argumentative yea demonstrative and convicting unto David Their Rule may be true concerning their own allegorical Senses and mystical Froth which may be found in their Interpretations but concerning Scripture-Types it is most false You have seen the Nature of a Type what it is and some short hints of reasons of the Lords speaking this way we shall now enter into particulars and go through the Types and open to you as the Lord shall enable something of the Gospel-Truths and Mysteries adumbrated and shadowed forth by them depending upon the help and assistance of him of whom we are to speak Now the first and most general Distribution of them is into Types personal and Types real holy persons and holy things The terms of which distinction are so plain that it needs no further explication therefore we shall not make any tarrying here you know the difference between persons and things Personal Types are such as Adam Noah David and others Real Types are the Temple the Ark the Manna the Sacrifices and such like whereof hereafter We shall begin with the personal Types and they may be subdivided into two sorts 1. Individual Persons 2. Typical Ranks and Orders of Persons which we may call Religious Orders such as the Priests the Nazarites c. 1. Typical individual Persons Concerning these there be some
to be a multitude of little Stars Adam was a Type of Christ in regard of his Headship and Influence Enoch a Type of his Ascension into Heaven Noah of his Preaching and saving the Church by the Covenant and Water of Baptism Melchizedek was a Shadow of the Excellency and Eternity of his Person and of his Priesthood and Kingdom Know these things meditate and consider them more throughly and improve Christ in these Discoveries for your spiritual good Consider him as a common person standing in our stead as a Prophet Priest and King as ascended into Heaven as the Saviour of the Church which is his Body Use 2. Be exhorted to examine your selves and try which of the two Adams you are under For there are but two Men in the World the first and second Adam thou art a Member of one of them Adam and Christ divide the whole World Quest How may we know whether we be under the first or the second Adam Answ Take these Tryals 1. What Birth hast thou only the natural or spiritual Generation Art thou only born or new born For they that come only from Adam by natural Generation belong to him as the first Adam They that come of Christ by spiritual Regeneration are the Seed of Christ and belong to him as the second Adam What Experience hast thou had of this great work Nicodemus though a Doctor in Israel understood little of it 2. What Covenant doth thy Soul cleave to and act under the rule and influence of Works or Grace Works is the first Adams Covenant but Grace is the Covenant of the second Adam To go forth in a mans own Strength to expect acceptance in his own Worth this is a first Covenant Spirit a sign thou growest upon the old Stock upon the root of old Adam But to live in a continual dependance upon free Grace for every thing the free Grace of God in Christ this is the Spirit of the second Covenant and becomes the Sons and Branches of the second Adam Though a godly man may for a fit turn aside to the old Covenant as Abraham did to Hagar yet it is not his way it is not his Spirit to do so and thence he is never at rest till he return to have his dependance and rest on Christ again The Spirit of one under the Covenant of Grace is to have no confidence in the Flesh but to have his rest and rejoycing in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.3 3. What Communications whose Influences dost thou receive Every Branch receives from its Root the Stream from its Fountain Dost thou receive the Communications of the first or of the second Adam this will shew whose thou art and to whom thou dost belong You have heard what it is that each of them doth communicate That old Tree bears no good Fruit at all Art thou under the power of Sin and Death or under the power of Righteousness and Life Sin and Death reigns in the posterity of the first Adam But Righteousness reigns by Grace unto eternal Life in the posterity of the second Adam Rom. 5.21 2 Cor. 5.17 if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Vse 3. Here is Comfort to the Seed of the second Adam against the present troubles they are under There be chiefly three complaints and troubles of Gods People under all which here is matter of support and relief 1. Thou art here upon Earth Christ the Head in Heaven but his poor Saints and Members here below But remember whither Jesus the Forerunner is entred for us As sure as Enochs Body is in Heaven or Elijahs by the virtue of his Ascension of whom they were Shadows so sure shall thine and mine ascend thither if we be his though we sleep in the dust for a time as Chirst himself also did 2. But while in this low valley the floods of great Waters are ready to overwhelm us the floods of Persecution Affliction Desertions the overflowing scourges of common calamities which puts many of Gods people to some cares and fears But as to this consider that true Noah the Lord provides an Ark of safety for his people that the floods of great Waters may not overwhelm them Psal 32.6 see Psal 124 1-5 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when Men rose up against us then the Waters had overwhelmed us the Stream had gone over our Soul then the proud Waters had gone over our Soul But 3. Thou art a poor unworthy creature and God is angry or appears angry and how can I expect such Salvation from him who have sinned against him so as I have done To this remember what an High Priest you have even Jesus who is made an High Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedek Therefore let us come with boldness to the Throne of Grace It is the Apostles Inference Heb. 4.15 16. the Apostle saith of Melchizedek Heb. 7.4 consider how great this man was It may be said much more of Christ consider how great your High Priest is How little soever thou art in thy own eyes how unworthy soever the Greatness and Glory of your Redeemer is enough to remove all discouragement Some entrance Beloved hath been made into the personal Types We are upon the individual persons that were Types before the Law whereof eight were named Adam Enoch Noah Melchizedek Abraham Isaac Jacob and Joseph whereof only two have been spoken to viz. first Adam secondly Enoch We shall now proceed to the rest 3. The third is Noah whom we did but touch upon the last time but shall endeavour now to clear it more fully The Story of Noah is written in the 6 7 8 and 9. Chapters of Genesis And so famous it was amongst his Posterity that the Heathen have some broken Remembrances and Traditions of it they had heard of a Flood as well as of the Creation of the World Ovid speaks of them both in his Metamorphosis And their Bacchus the very name with a little alteration of the Letters comes from Noah Noachus Boachus and Janus from the Hebrew Jajin vinum somewhat they had heard as it seemeth about his planting a Vinyard and making Wine That this History of Noah had a typical respect you may see in 1 Pet. 3.20 21. In what respect was he a Type In two things chiefly 1. In regard of his Preaching 2. His saving his Houshold in the Ark. 1. In regard of his Preaching he was a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 he gave warning to the secure World for a hundred and twenty years together both by his Word and Actions Every stroke in the building of the Ark had a voice and was an alarm to the World every day So Christ who did preach by his Spirit in the Ministry of Noah 1 Pet. 3.19 20. And when he came in the Flesh he did preach and bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 And he hath preached by
of Light the Light he gives diffuseth it self through the whole man and has an influence into all his conversation 6. There were many Rooms or Chambers in the Ark and so in the Temple yet all these made up but one Ark this signifies many particular Churches yet all the Churches in the world make up but one Church Catholick which is the mystical body of Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ see Cant. 6.9 My undefiled is but one 7. There were three Stories in the Ark it was three Stories high Gen. 6.16 and so Solomons Temple had three parts an outer Court an inner Court and an Holy of Holies This holds forth the three degrees of the Church There is 1. The visible Church 2. The mystical Church militant here on Earth 3. The Church triumphant in Heaven The Church in her lowest Story is her visible Members here on Earth among whom there be many Hypocrites yet even so she is more excellent than the Mountains of Prey Psal 76.4 Kingdoms are called Mountains of prey that saying being too often true that magna Regna are indeed magna Latrocinia But the Church is more glorious than they The invisible Church is the second Story against whom all the Gates and Powers of Hell shall not prevail Matth. 16.18 It is true in some sense in general concerning the visible Church Christ will always have some visible Societies of Christians in the world that shall make profession of his Name but it holds chiefly concerning the mystical Body of Christ True Believers cannot fall away The third Story is the Church triumphant which is higher than all these and more excellent than all the Kingdoms in the world than all the Churches upon earth 8. They in the Ark were safe and there was no safety but in the Ark so in the Church there is Salvation but no Salvation out of the Church Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4. extra Ecclesiam nou est Salus It is always true of the mystical Church and it is ordinarily true concerning the visible Church Yea the Ark was safest when the Waters were highest Sea-man have an expression in a Storm they use to wish for Sea-room enough Or we may apply it higher to Christ himself and to his mystical Body Without Christ there is no Salvation but as they were safe in the Ark So whosoever is in Christ and a Member of that invisible Society he is safe and shall never perish 9. In the Ark there were both clean and unclean Beasts yet the Ravenousness of their Natures was restrained for the time Gen. 7.2 So in the Church there are both Saints and Hypocrites Hypocrites are unclean Beasts A Cham in the Ark a Judas a Devil in Christs own Family In the visible Church there be sometimes Wolves within and Sheep without though they are Wolves in Sheeps clothing For profane persons may and should be kept out but close Hypocrites cannot For as in the Ark though there were ravenous Beasts yet their Natures were restrained so in the Church such as are Beasts by nature yet the Corruption of their Natures is restrained there is restraining Grace upon Hypocrites in the Church as well as renewing Grace in the Saints Isai 11 6-9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain 10. There issued out of the Ark a Raven and a Dove whereof the Dove returned again but the Raven did not Gen. 8.7 8 9. the Raven is an unclean Bird Levit. 11.15 a Bird of prey and a Bird of darkness Isai 34.11 The Dove is a Bird of Light at the Baptism of Christ the Holy Ghost descended on him in the shape of a Dove Matth. 3. If a Dove go out from Christ and his Ordinances it shall find no rest till it returns again into the Ark and be taken in by the Hand of Noah by the Spirit of Christ But the Raven goes out of the Ark and returns no more and how many Ravens are there in the Church that depart and fall off and return no more 1 Joh. 2.19 they went out from us because they were not of us You Ravens that are going and coming and hovering to and fro Vide the old Geneva Note as the Raven she went and came Gen. 8.7 and might light on the outside of the Ark If you do not get into the Ark into Christ it shews what you are You that are Doves and gone out return again return to your Rest fly as Doves to the Windows Isai 60.9 The Dove is no ravenous Bird she cannot fight as the Raven and she is swift of Wing pray for the Wings of a Dove in this sense Psal 55.6 make haste to Christ Thus you see what a full and plentiful Analogy there is between the Ark and the Church in all these ten particulars 2. The Deluge was a Shadow of the Day of Judgment and the everlasting Salvation of some and Destruction of others at that day The Apostle Peter parallels them 2 Pet. 3.6 7. the World that then was being overflowed with Water perished But the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved for Fire against the day of Judgment It was indeed a lesser day of Judgment and magnum futuri Judicii praejudicium Hence Hell is called the place of the Gyants Prov. 21.16 The man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in caetu Gigantum in the Congregation of the Gyants Prov. 9.17 18. but he knoweth not that the Gyants are there and that her Guests are in the depths of Hell The World will be in a like frame drowned again in deep security Matth. 24.37 38 39. though they see all the tokens appearing and all things fulfilled that have been foretold yet they will not be awakened But when they saw the Flood came indeed Oh the amazement that began to seize upon them when they saw the Cataracts of Heaven opened from above and the Fountains of the great Deep broke up from beneath So at the Day of Judgment every eye shall mourn Rev. 1.7 see Heb. 11.7 Noah prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by which he condemned the World some saved by Noah others condemned by him 3. The Waters that bore up the Ark are made by the Apostle a shadow of the Water of Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 As that Water bore up the Ark and saved them from drowning so doth Baptism save us For though the Flood was a true and real History ye there be typical Histories as you will hear further when we come to the real Types Therefore that Water had a typical respect to the Water of Baptism 4. Noahs Sacrifice when he came out of the Ark was a manifest Type of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ For so indeed were all their Sacrifices Gen. 8.20 21 22. Hence Christ is called a Sacrifice of
second Covenant-Spirit is a Spirit of liberty and freedom not liberty to sin but liberty of spirit in and unto Duty The first Covenant-Spirit is a Spirit of Persecution Gal. 4.29 the second Covenant-Spirit is a Spirit of Love Let those Professors look to it and take heed to their Spirits who have a rigid a violent an imposing spirit towards the people of God the Children of the Promise take heed least you prove Hagarites and meer legal Professors 2. It is true as Abraham did turn aside unto Hagar so a Believer that is in the Covenant of Grace may possibly turn aside in some particular actings to a Covenant of Works when through unbelief and neglect of the Promise they act according to the Law in their own strength or in a way of violence not of love to their Brethren 3. But the Bondwoman and her Seed must be cast out Gen. 21.10 Gal. 4.30 Away with the Law of Works we must renounce the old Covenant and get free from the snares of such a Spirit 3. If we consider Abraham as the Head of the Covenant to that Church and People so he is a Type of Christ the Head of the second Covenant You know God covenanted with Abraham for his Seed so he doth with Christ for all his Elect. Gods Promise to Abraham was to give a Seed to him and an Inheritance to his Seed viz. the Land of Canaan the Land of Promise so God did promise to Jesus Christ that he should see his Seed Isai 53.10 11. and to bring them to Heaven Heb. 2.10 Jesus Christ is the true Head of the second Covenant he engageth and undertakes for all his Seed Abraham was but a typical Head thereof 4. Abraham was a Type of Christ in regard of his absolute Obedience to the Will of God coming from his own Land and from his Fathers House submitting to that painful and unto carnal Reason shameful and contemptible Ordinance of Circumcision dismissing Ishmael a thing grievous to a tender-hearted Parent yea which was yet more sacrificing and offering up his Isaac his only Son Isaac there was nothing so difficult but if God require it Abraham will do it there is not such another Example there is not an higher instance of Obedience in all the Scripture than in Abraham save only in Jesus Christ who was obedient to his Fathers Will in all things even unto Death it self Joh. 6.38 8.29 10.18 As God tryed Abraham in his Isaac so will he try every Son of Abraham in what is dearest to him 5. Abrahams Intercession for the Righteous in Sodom and the efficacy of it with the Lord is some shadow and resemblance of the Prayers and Intercession of Jesus Christ and the prevailing efficacy thereof for the Salvation of the Elect Gen. 18.25 For as Lot was saved by means of Abrahams Prayer from the Destruction of Sodom so are we for Christs sake from everlasting Damnation For Sodom was a Type of Hell which is therefore called a Lake of Fire and Brimstone Rev. 21.8 Lastly That he who was the Father of the Faithful should be so great a Souldier and Conqueror of five Kings and indeed Abraham is the first godly Warrior we read of in Scripture It was a good Omen and a Presage what Believers the Sons of Abraham should do and especially in the latter days when the Kingdom of Christ shall prevail as Dan 2. and chap. 7. 2. Isaac the Scripture takes notice of him as a Type of Christ when it calls both him and Christ the promised Seed and saith he rose from the dead and so he dyed also in a Figure or as a Type He was therefore a Type of Christ in three respects 1. In his Birth 2. In his Death and Sufferings 3. In his Resurrection from the dead 1. In regard of his Birth which was extraordinary and incredible not by the power of Nature but by virtue of the Promise of God Isaac was the Seed of the Promise made to Abraham Gal. 4.28 in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed But Christ was indeed the promised Seed he was chiefly and principally intended in that Promise see Gal. 3.16 in whom alone we are truly blessed Psal 72.17 Isaac was born by virtue of the Promise believed on against and above the ordinary course of Nature of Sarahs dead Womb Rom. 4.19 So Christ was born of the Womb of the Virgin Mary in a miraculous unconceivable manner not according to the ordinary course of Nature but by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing her Luk. 1.35 An Angel did reveal the Birth of Isaac to Sarah and she thought in her self it was impossible Gen. 18.11 12. Sarah heard it and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of Women and Sarah laughed within her self saying after I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also So did an Angel reveal to the Virgin Mary that Christ should be born of her and she admires and saith how can this be seeing I have not known Man Luk. 1.34 Isaac's Birth was promised and waited for many years from the first Promise of a Seed made to Abraham to the Birth of Isaac was five and twenty years For he was seventy five years old when he left Haran Gen. 12.4 and he was an hundred years old when Isaac was born Gen. 21.5 So Christ the promised Seed was long expected and waited for from the first Promise of Christ in Gen. 3.15 Vid. Ainsworth in loc to his coming in the Flesh was well nigh four thousand years 2. Isaac was an eminent Type of Christ in regard of his Death and Sufferings Isaac without resistance without repining or reply willingly yields himself to his Father even unto Death So was Christ obedient to his Father even unto Death So each of them was led away like a Lamb to the slaughter as is said of Christ Isai 53.7 Act. 8.32 Isaac carried the Wood whereon he was bound to Moriah Gen. 22.6 so did Christ carry the Cross whereon he was nailed to Golgotha Joh. 19.17 and so the Wood was first laid upon them both and then they were laid upon the Wood. Isaac was to be offered alone the Servants being left behind at the foot of the Hill Gen. 22.5 So Christ must tread the Wine-press alone his Disciples being fled and scattered from him Joh. 16.32 The place where Isaac was offered was Mount Moriah Gen. 22.2 and there was the Temple built a Type of Christs Body and there also his Body was crucified upon another part of the same Mountain And as to the time something of analogy may be noted some accommodated it thus that as Isaac came the third day to the place of his Immolation so Christ came to his Sufferings the thirty third year of his age consisting of three tens and three units And it was three years after his Entrance upon his publick Ministry which is three days putting a day for a year according to the
and Demas for a time 2. Elisha called in the New Testament Elizeus Luk. 4. He was a Type of Christ in three respects 1. In that Elisha in respect of Elijah was as it were a Continuation of the same person For he rose up compleatly in the same Spirit The Prophets discerned it 2 Kings 2.15 the Spirit of Elijah did rest upon Elisha So when Christ departed and ascended up to Heaven he left the Comforter in his stead Joh. 16. and he left the Apostles and Ministers to carry on his Work and poured forth his Spirit upon them for that end Or we may accommodate this with respect to John the Baptist thus As Elisha succeeded Elijah so did Christ come after John the Baptist and so Elisha was in this respect a Type of Christ himself 2. In regard of the remarkable Vengeance and Destruction that came upon his wicked Enemies The Children that mocked him were devoured by two She-Bears 2 Kings 2.23 24. Gehazi his treacherous Servant smitten with Leprosie 2 Kings 5.27 So Despisers of Jesus Christ and the Gospel shall be punished with most remarkable and dreadful Destruction Hear ye Despisers and wonder and perish Acts 13.41 For I work a Work in your days a Work which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you incredible Plagues shall the Despisers and Rejecters of Christ and of the Gospel be punished with And Judas the Traytor his Servant you know what dreadful Destruction came upon him Acts 1.18 his Bowels gushed out through the horror of his Conscience and the Fury of the Almighty rending his very Body in pieces as well as his Soul from his Body 3. In regard of his Miracles He and his Predecessor Elijah were the greatest workers of Miracles except Moses that ever we read of in Scripture or that ever the Lord raised up in his Church For Moses was to be the Founder as it were of that Church-Estate and Worship that was in those days and Elijah and Elisha were the Preservers and Restorers of it in a most degenerate and corrupted Age. The Miracles of Elisha were very great and many they are recorded in the second Book of Kings in the 2 3 4 5 6 and 7th Chapters and one more in chap. 13. They were about one and twenty in all There be three recorded in the second chapter viz. his dividing Jordan with Elijahs Mantle his healing the Waters of Jericho the devouring two and forty scoffing Children of those idolatrous Parents the people at Bethel by two She-Bears In the third Chapter there is another viz. the overflowing of the Wilderness of Edom with Water crp. 3.20 see ver 8. to the Destruction of the Moabites In the fourth Chapter there be five more which are the Analysis and Contents of that Chapter viz. 1. His multiplying the Widows Oyl while she had any empty vessels to fill 2. His giving a Son to that great and good Woman the Shunamite 3. His raising her Son when dead unto life again and this is the second person that ever was raised from the dead 4. His healing the deadly Pottage which had poysoned the Students in the Colledge at Gilgal 5. His feeding of an hundred men with twenty Loaves In the fifth Chapter there be two more the curing of Naamans Leprosie and the smiting of Gehazi with that Disease In the sixth Chapter there be six more 1. His causing Iron to swim 2. His disclosing the secret Counsels of the King of Syria by the Spirit of Prophesie 3. An Army of Angels coming down from Heaven for his defence at Dothan 4. The opening of his Servants Eyes to see them 5. The smiting of the Syrians with Blindness And 6. The opening their Eyes again In the seventh Chapter are three more the hideous which noise was heard and caused such a pannick terror in the Camp of the Syrians that their whole Army fled and the incredible Plenty in Samaria with the Death of that unbelieving Nobleman who had questioned whether God could do it And then lastly cap. 13.21 a dead man is restored to life by touching his Bones And this is the third person that was raised from the dead All these Miracles in general were Presignifications of what the Messiah was to do in that kind and some of them were more particularly fulfilled and answered by the Antitype As that of feeding an hundred men with twenty Loaves You know Christ did that and more feeding five thousand with five Loaves and two Fishes Matth. 14.21 And at another time four thousand with seven Loaves and a few little Fishes Matth. 15.38 His raising the dead to life whereof we have three instances in the Old Testament the Widow of Sarepta her Son the Shunamites Son and the Man buried in Elisha's Grave These were Types and Pledges of what Christ should do in raising the dead As in raising Lazarus Jairus his Daughter the Widows Son of Naim and his own blessed Body out of the Grave and many Saints that arose with him And those which the Apostles raised by his Name And finally the raising all his Elect unto eternal Life and all the Sons of men unto Judgment at the great Day There might also be a spiritual application and accommodation of them as to the quickning of mens Souls the healing of the Diseases of the Soul feeding them with the Bread of Life pouring into empty Vessels empty Souls the Oyl of Gladness the Joys and Graces of his Spirit 3. Jonah him I connect with Elijah and Elisha to make the Type more compleat and full Some have conjectured that Jonah was the Widows Son of Zarephath whom Elijah raised from the dead 1 Kings 17.22 23. but this is but a conjecture without proof it is probable enough he might live about their time or perhaps somewhat after That he was a Type of Christ the Scripture is express Matth. 12.39 No Sign shall be given them but the Sign of the Prophet Jonah You may see how the Type fits the Antitype in four respects 1. In his Death he offered himself willingly unto Death to asswage the Storm Jon. 1. and so he is cast into the Sea and devoured by the Whale So did Christ to appease the Tempest of Gods Wrath. And as upon Jonahs being cast into the Sea the Sea ceased from its raging cap. 1.15 and the Seamen were saved from drowning So upon Christs Death Gods Wrath is pacified and Believers saved from the Wrath to come Jonah had sore conflicts and inward agonies of Spirit when he was under that shadow of death in the Whales Belly cap. 2. So had Christ when he cried My God my God why hast thou forsaken me there were unutterable anguishes in his Soul those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unknown unconceivable sufferings in his Soul 2. He was a Type of Christ in his Burial For look as Jonah was buried in the Belly of the Whale three days and three nights So was Christ in the Belly of the Earth the
the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ The fourth I say was the Manna or the Bread that came from Heaven the History whereof we have in Exod. 16.14 15. Behold upon the face of the Wilderness there lay a small round thing as small as the hoar frost on the ground And Moses said unto them this is the Bread which the Lord hath given you to eat which that it was indeed a Type and that the Truth and Mystery of it was Christ himself as the Bread of Life and the Food of our Souls Christ himself assures us in Joh. 6.32 Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that Bread from Heaven but my Father giveth you the true Bread from Heaven And ver 48. I am that Bread of Life And ver 51. I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven and so the Apostle a little before the Text instanceth in this 1 Cor. 10.3 They did all eat the same spiritual Meat This then was the general scope of it to hold forth Christ as the Food of our Souls But now to let you see a little more particularly the excellent Correspondence between the Type and the Antitype the clear and full Analogy that is between the Shadow and the Truth prefigured by it You may discern it in these five particulars 1. This Manna was a Portion prepared of God and given down from Heaven to an unworthy murmuring rebellious people When the Children of Israel first saw it they said one to another It is Manna for they wist not what it was Exod. 16.15 This word Manna your Margent tells you it may be rendred what is this or it is a Portion a prepared or distributed Portion from the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 numerare and in piel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeparavit because God prepare and distribute it among them and it was ready to their hand to be eaten as they found it though they might also bake it if they would The Hebrew word Manna is retained in the New Testament in the Greek Joh. 6.31 and from thence and in our own and other Languages there is another thing known by the same name of which Writers say that it is a Syriack Dew but it will neither melt with the Sun nor putrefie in the night nor is it fit for Food but for Physick only so it differs wholly from this Hebrew Manna whereof we speak which God in a miraculous way did rain down from Heaven Psal 78.23 24. He commanded the Clouds from above and opened the doors of Heaven and rained down Manna upon them and gave them of the Corn of Heaven And this without any care or pains or Industry of theirs a Food which they neither sowed nor laboured for but had it for the taking up And this he did for an unworthy murmuring sinful people when they were in a most rebellious frame when they were murmuring and said Exod. 16.3 Would to God we had died in the Land of Egypt when we sate by the Flesh-pots Hereupon the Lord promiseth ver 4. I will rain Bread from Heaven for them So is Christ a Portion and a Food prepared for every hungry Soul and he came down from Heaven and is sent and given of God even to rebellious Sinners He gave Gifts to men even to the rebellious Psal 68.18 2. This Manna was outwardly and seemingly despicable and contemptible yet indeed the choicest Food and most excellent in all respects both as to Colour and Figure Taste and Use It was but a little thing in quantity Exod. 16.14 It is called Angels Food Psalm 78.25 men did eat Angels Food The Figure of it round Exod. 16.31 like Coriander Seed which Philosophers note to be of the best and most perfect Figure The Colour white ibid. and Numb 11.7 like to the Colour of Bdellium The Taste sweet like fresh Oil or Wafers baked with Honey Numb 11.7 And it sustained six hundred thousand fighting men besides Women and Children They might eat it either as they found it or grind and bake it Numb 11.8 Yet the Murmurers loathed it and grew weary of it Numb 11.6 they called it this light Bread Numb 21.5 for which they were destroyed In like manner Jesus Christ as to his outward appearance is despicable and contemptible and despised by the world Isai 53 though in himself most precious and excellent Cant. 5. ult 1. Pet. 2.7 to you that believe he is precious Christ in the Promises and Ordinances is precious to the spiritual Taste 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gratious and sweeter than the Honey or Honey-comb Psal 119.103 Their grinding and baking it some apply to the Sufferings of Christ whereby he was prepared to be unto us the Bread of Life And he fills and satisfies the desires of all Believers the whole Israel of God But as in other Types there is not only a resemblance in part but withal a disparity and pre-eminence of the Antitype above the Type so in this Christ infinitely excels the literal Manna as the substance doth the shadow For that did but feed the Body but Christ feeds the Soul that preserved only the natural Life of the Body and that only for a time but could not give Life but Christ preserves spiritual Life yea gives spiritual and eternal Life to Souls that were dead in sins and trespasses and as he gives it so he maintains and preserves it for ever Your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead Joh. 6.49 but he that eats this true Bread shall never die ver 51.58 so that in this as in all things Christ hath the pre-eminence 3. Something of Mystery may be observed in the quantity they were to gather an Homer full Exod. 16.22 now an Homer was about two Quarts or as others express it three Pints and an half of our measure God gave them a liberal Allowance The Homer was the Vessel which did contain and wherein they were to put the Manna The Vessel that holds Christ is the Heart and Soul and so to get the Vessel full of Manna is to get the Heart full of Christ And he that gathered had none to spare Exod. 16.18 for it seems their manner was when they had gathered it to distribute to every one the same proportion quoted by the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.14 15. to perswade them to a liberal communication of outward supplies to one another It might also figure that spiritual Equality that is among Believers all sorts of Believers having an equal portion in Christ the true Manna Gal. 3.28 29. 2 Pet. 1.1 them that have obtained like precious Faith with us We are all one in Christ Jesus as to relative priviledges Justificatio non suscipit magis minus The Virgin Mary her self though she be Sanctificatior yet she is not Justificatior quam altera All Saints are equally justified
shall Christ remain and all the Dispensations of him in this life they shall remain in precious remembrance with the Saints in Heaven before the Lord to all eternity Christ shall be laid up as it were in the Golden memories of the Saints like Manna in the Golden Pot for a memorial before the Lord the Love of Christ and all the Dispensations of himself They had likewise Aarons Rod blossoming laid up to the same end and purpose The Saints shall remember in Heaven how the Rod of Aaron budded how the Ministry was blessed and made fruitful to them when they were in this World So much as to the Manna or Bread from Heaven You see how full it was of Christ and Gospel Mysteries A Fifth Typical thing of old was the Rock that followed them with Water issuing forth out of the Rock The History of this Type is in the 17th Chap. Exod. see verse 6. That it was a Type is expressed by the Apostle a little before the Text 1 Cor. 10.4 which Rock was Christ This Rock and the Water issuing out of it was a Type of Christ and of His Spirit It was a Dispensation often Celebrated by His people to the praise of God in after times But wherein did the Rock represent Christ I shall but instance in four Respects 1. As to strength and firmness and stability He is indeed the Rock of Ages Isai 26.4 The Rock of eternity Everlasting strength as it is not unfitly interpreted by our Translators Isai 33.16 His defence is the Munitions of Rocks Impregnable safety to his people Their bread shall be given them Their waters shall not fail 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner stone elect precious and he that believeth in him shall not be confounded The Church is built upon this Rock Mat. 16.18 Hence a wise Hearer is said to build his house upon a Rock Mat. 7. 2. As to shadow and refreshment Isa 32.2 As the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land this World is a weary Land Psal 121.6.5 The Sun shall not scorch by day nor the Moon by night Those that dwell under the shadow of this Rock those that are in Christ 3. He is fitly resembled to a Rock for offence and scandal accidentally not in himself but only accidentally through the prejudices and lusts of Men. Hence he is called a Rock of offence and a stone of stumbling 1 Pet. 2.8 Rom. 9.33 As it is writen Isa 8.14 and 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and Rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed 4. He is a Rock as to meanness and unlikelihood of that supply of Water Who would expect or look for water out of a Rock Therefore it is so often remembred with admiration Psal 78.20 The Rock was of no great pomp to see to but only a rude thing standing in a vast Desert So in Christ to outward view there is no beauty that we should desire him Isa 53. Neither is there any likelihood of salvation to be had in Christ if men behold him only in his meanness and look only at his abasement with an eye of sense and carnal reason as the Jews of old did And as the Rock represented Christ unto them So 2. the water out of it represented the Spirit of Christ Joh. 7.37 38 39 Out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit There is nothing more frequent in Scripture then to express the Spirit by water Isa 44.3 and that most fitly because of the cleansing and refreshing vertue of it But let us here consider it in reference to the Rock from whence it came and in this there is a four-fold Analogy observable 1. As the water issued out of the Rock So the Spirit proceeds and comes from Christ The Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father Joh. 15.26 To refresh the weary soul when ready to faint away 2. The water came forth out of the Rock when smitten with the Rod of Moses Exod. 17.6 So the Spirit proceeds from Christ being smitten as it were with Moses his Rod with the curse of the Law for our sins Isa 53 he was smitten of God and afflicted Had not Christ dyed and suffered we had never had any refreshing water never any Rivers of Joy and Consolations from his Spirit 3. The next time the Rock must be spoken to Numb 20.8 It seemeth that God in his unsearchable Wisdom and Providence did so order it That the Waters did cease at this time which had followed them Thirty eight Years Hereupon the people murmur and their murmuring causes Moses himself to stagger at the Promise through unbelief Though in this Moses did miss it too for that he smote the Rock in stead of speaking to it But this we may learn from it Christ must be preached as well as suffer for us and in and by the speaking and preaching of the Gospel he doth communicate his Spirit Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith As Christ smitten is the procuring cause of sending the Spirit so Christ preached is the instrumental cause 4. There is yet a fourth Analogy in this that the Rock followed them either the Rock it self or as others the Rock in regard of the rivers and streams of water issuing from it So doth the Spirit of Christ follow his people in all their changes and travels up and down in the wilderness of this world when we run from Christ he follows us This Water of the Rock the Spirit of God pursues and follows them up and down from place to place and from one condition to another I shall close with a threefold Improvement of this Truth Vse 1. We may here see that they had the Gospel preached unto them as well as we For this spiritual Bread was Christ and the Rock that followed them was Christ If they had not all that I have preached to day and ever since I begun upon the Types it is all false Doctrine for you know the scope of all hath been to let you see what of Christ and what of Gospel Grace and Truth was held forth under those legal Types and Shadows Vse 2. This should render Jesus Christ precious exceeding precious to us for that he is every way suitable to our necessities He is a Rock for support He is the Bread of Life and the Water of Life for Food and Nourishment Vse 3. Here is Comfort and Direction to poor weak hungry thirsty Souls whither to go and to whom to repair for help and for supply here is a Rock and sure Foundation for thy weak and weary Soul to rest upon here is spiritual Bread and spiritual Drink Therefore feed upon Christ by Faith and this will fill thy Hunger and quench thy Thirst and stay and support thy weary Soul But thou hast been rebellious and murmuring and questioning the Truth
Zerobabel others afterwards with Ezra and others lastly with Nehemiah So is the Reformation out of Popery The first Reformers were not infallible therefore could not reform all things at once 2. It met with much opposition and was carried on through great difficulties and of all their Enemies the Samaritans did most obstruct them of whom you read 2 Kin. 17. that they served the Lord and other Gods and Ezra 4.1 2. When rejected then they brake out into open opposition and again in the New Testament Joh. 4.9 whereby it appears that they did believe and expect the Messiahs coming as well as the Jews Joh. 4.20 and again Rev. 3.9 they are there described The Sum is they had a kind of mongrel Religion made up partly of Judaism and partly of Paganism So now when the Church of God under the New Testament is coming forth out of spiritual Babylon There is a mongrel Generation risen up whom some have fitly called Calvino Papistas Calvinian Papists who are for the Protestant Doctrine and for Popish Worship I refer it to every ones Conscience to judge whether it may not be fitly applied to our late Innovators who are for a Linsey-woolsey Religion a mixture of sound and wholsome Doctrine with Antichristian popish worship their Wine is mixt with Water the Protestant Faith with popish Ceremonies and Superstitions they build Hay and Stubble upon the Foundation The Foundation of our Church is right which is Jesus Christ and Justification by Faith in his blood but the Superstructure they build upon it is humane Inventions and Superstitions which is not Gold and Silver pure Worship and wholesome Discipline but Hay and Stubble and the day will discover it 1 Cor. 3. 2. Typical vengeance and destruction upon the Enemies of his people For as the Jews were a typical people and did prefigure and represent the whole Church of God under the Gospel So the neighbour Nations with whom they had to do were also Typical of Gospel Enemies to the Church and their Sins and Judgments did prefigure and shadow forth something Analogous under the New Testament I shall refer them to 2. sorts Typical Prefigurations 1. Of Rome and 2. Of Hell it self 1. Types of Rome There be 5. places and people in the Old Testament that seem to be Types of Rome and Antichristian abominations 1. Sodom Rev. 11.8 for their monstrous Lusts and unnatural filthiness and uncleanness 2. Egypt for their Idolatry and cruelty to Gods People Therefore the Plagues of Rome are described with allusion to the Plagues of Egypt Rev. 16. Here is noisome boyles and Rivers of blood and darkness and Locusts c. 3. Jericho Hence that Curse of Joshua upon the Rebuilders of it Josh 6.26 27. This City was the first that stood out against the People of God which Curse was not in vain 1 Kin. 16.34 This seems to have had a further meaning to hold forth the irreparable ruines and everlasting destruction of all the implacable Enemies of God and his People and especially Rome and Antichrist which is to perish like a Milstone cast into the Sea never to rise more Rev. 18. Vid◠on Joshua among the personal Types This Curse of Joshua will come upon all such as shall attempt to Rebuild Rome and restore Popery when the Lord hath cast it down 4. Edom and Bozra the chief City thereof that is Italy and Rome therefore the same expressions which belong to Babylon and are spiritually understood of Rome Isa 13.19 21. are also used concerning Edom. Isa 34.11 and vers 4. The ruine of Idumea is set forth with expressions like unto those Rev. 6.12 13. The land shall become burning Pitch vers 9 10. the meaning is dreadful vengeance hideous indignation Isa 63.1 Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed Garments from Bozra Christ is there set forth as cloathed with Garments dipt in the blood of his Enemies 5. Babylon For this the Scripture is express Rev. 17.5 and vers 18. From all which we should learn both to know and to take heed of Antichrist seeing the Lord hath so many ways declared and foresignified him unto us Shall we look back toward Sodom Remember Lots Wife Shall we return into Egypt again Shall we Rebuild Jericho Would we be found in Bozra or Babylon in the day of the Lords fury 2. Types of Hell For as they had Types of Heaven and spiritual Glory so they had likewise of Hell and spiritual Torment and Misery They had all things taught and represented to them by things outward and visible And the visible expressions of divine vengeance upon Wicked Men of old led the People of God further to see and take notice of that eternal Wrath that is to come I shall instance therefore in 4. Prefigurations of Hell 1. The Deluge or destruction of the Old World by Water The Apostle parallels this and the destruction that shall be by Fire at the great Day together 2 Pet. 3.6 7. Hence Hell is called in the Old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quahal rephaim Coetus Gigantum Prov. 21.16 Prov. 2.18 Isa 14.9 10. It stirreth up the Rephaims for thee God that hath overthrown the Gyants of the old World and cast them upon their backs in Hell Those men of Renown are now roaring and wailing under the Waters as the vulgar Latine reads that place Job 26.5 6. Gigantes gemunt sub Aquis he hath conquered those Gigantine Sinners who were cut down with a Flood as Job 22.16 He is able to deal with other Rebels Never any hardened himself against God and prospered Job 9.4 2. Sodom Therefore Hell is called the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 20.10 and 21.8 3. Egypt when under the ten Plagues especially that of darkness Exod. 10.21 22. For Hell is a place of utter darkness Mat. 25.30 In stead of darkness the Psalmist doth not mention that but saith He sent evil Angels amongst them Psal 78.49 A lively prefiguration of Hell wherein there is utter darkness but yet light enough to see affrighting apparitions of Devils and evil Angels 4. Tophet an horrid and cursed place wherein they were wont to Sacrifice their Children in the fire to Molech It was in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom Hence Hell is called in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi Vallis Hinnom This Tophet was a place every way execrable both for the hideous Wickedness there committed and for the hideous Plagues and Judgments there executed There they did Sacrifice their Children to the Devil with an hideous noise to drown their Crys and Skreetchings Vid. my Notes on the Creation Gen. 1. Mede Disc 7. For an external detestation whereof King Josiah polluted it and made it a place execrable ordaining it to be the place where dead Carcasses Garbage and other unclean things should be cast out for the consuming whereof to prevent annoyance a continual Fire was there burning Yea the Lord himself as it were Consecrated this
so much for the explication of this Distinction of the Types into Occasional and Perpetual You see the true sense and meaning of it and what clear Scripture ground there is for it These perpetual Types or everlasting Statutes are no other but that which we call the Law of Moses or the Ceremonial Law whereof this Text speaks and lays down this Proposition Doct. That the Law hath a shadow of future good things but not the very Image of the things themselves The same thing is asserted and held forth though in other words but to the same scope and sense in other Scriptures As Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Joh. 1.17 The Law came by Moses that is the Law as opposed to Grace and Truth but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ Truth here is not opposed to falshood for Moses spake no lyes but to Shadows and shadowy Promises and so the truth of them is the performance or accomplishment of them in opposition to the bare shadow and typical Promise of them And this is called Grace because there is so much of that in the Gospel and so little of it but on the contrary much of rigor and terror in the Law of Moses So the sense amounts to thus much That Moses delivered Law that is Shadows and Ceremonies which were but legal and dark and rigorous but Christ brought in Grace and Truth that is the real and sweet accomplishment and performance of all the good that Moses had promised in that dark and low and legal way which is consonant to that we have here in the Text that the Law hath the shadow but not the very Image of the things themselves Here be Four things to be cleared 1. What is meant by the Law 2. What by these future good things 3. What by the Shadow which the Law hath and the very Image of them which the Law wanted 4. What are the particular several parts of this Law of Ceremonies these perpetual or everlasting Statutes Quest 1. What is here meant by the Law Ans A Law is a rule of Acting given by a Superior who hath Authority and Power of commanding to his Inferior this is the general nature of a Law God therefore being the supreme Lord and absolute Sovereign over all his Creatures is the Great Law-giver James 4.12 There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy All those to whom God commits Power over others may be said to give Laws to them except ordinary Officers in the Church whom he hath intrusted no further but only with the execution of his Laws promulgated and recorded by himself by his extraordinary Officers in the written Word But Magistrates may be said to be Legislators as to Civil Laws of whom Moses was the first that delivered Laws in Writing to the People under him which he received from the Mouth of God Now the Laws delivered by Moses are referred in the Scripture to three Heads Moral Ceremonial and Judicial which are expressed by three words Thorah or Mitsvah Chuquim and Mishpatim which words are sometimes used and put together in the Scripture to signifie these three sorts of Laws Deut. 6.1 Mitsvah Chuquim and Mishpatim the same words Deut. 26.17 see Ezra 7.10 Mal. 4.4 Thorah Asher Tsivithi the Law which I commanded The first sort of Laws viz. Moral respects them as Men the second as a Church the third as a Common-Wealth The first sort viz. the Moral Laws are still in force and binding unto all men in all Ages The third sort viz. Judicial Laws are of a mixt nature some being Hedges as it were and Fences to the Moral Law and some to the Ceremonial and so they participate of the nature of those Laws to whose defence they serve The Judicials that serve to the defence of the Moral Law have something of moral equity and reason in them and so are still in force As that he that sheds mans blood by man shall his blood be shed this is a Fence which God hath set about the sixth Commandment and so remains in force in all Nations to all times and Ages unto this day But others of these Judicials are set as Fences about the Ceremonial Law and so must needs be fallen together with it Now the Law of which the Text speaks it is not the Moral nor the Judicial as such but the Ceremonial Law of Moses called Ephes 2.15 the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances and Col. 2.14 the Hand writing of Ordinances This Text cannot intend the Moral Law for that had no shadow of Gospel benefits nor the Judicial Law as such for part of it was an Appendix to the Moral Law and the other part was only for the defence of the Ceremonies But the Ceremonial Law is here intended for that was of a shadowy nature it had a shadow of good things to come Quest 2. What are these future good things Ans It is the good things of the Gospel which may be said to be future upon a double account 1. Future in respect of the Law and Old Testament times 2. Future in respect of this life So future good things is eternal good things Calvin in loc see 1 Joh. 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be Though we have the foretastes and beginnings of them already yet the perfection of them is future reserved in Heaven for us Quest 3. What is meant by the shadow of these future benefits And what by the very image of the things themselves Ans In a word a Shadow here is a dark and weak resemblance and representation of things But the very Image of the things themselves is a clearer and better representation of them The Apostle useth this Metaphor of a shadow concerning the Mosaical Ceremonies Col. 2.17 In opposition to Christ the body and substance thereof Here he opposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alluding as it seemeth to the rude draught and first delineation of a Picture by the Painter and to the full perfection thereof when drawn forth in all its Lineaments and Colours and whole Proportion So the Shadow is the first rude Draught The Image is a more lively and exact representation So the dark Shadow is ascribed to the Law The more lively Image to the Gospel The things themselves are in Heaven So some Interpreters carry it Vid. Mayer Calvin in loc And the Apostle hath some expressions looking that way in other Scriptures as when he saith that here we see but in a Glass darkly that is the Glass of Gospel Administrations wherein we see the lively Image and Picture as it were of Christ crucified Gal. 3.1 2. Cor. 3.18 see as in a Glass He is there comparing the Law and the Gospel But in heaven we shall see face to face see 1 Cor. 13.12 Under the Law they had no more but the Shadow but now under the Gospel we have the very Image we
I shall prove each Particular out of plain Scripture 1. That great Seed that was not only the Seed of the Woman but the Son of God this was the first and chief Seed here intended Gal 3.16 He saith not as to Seeds but to thy Seed which is Christ such a Seed in whom all Nations are blessed Now it is in Christ only that all Nations are blessed therefore he was this promised Seed The Lord had not before limited the Seed Messiah to any particular Family but left it at large so far as appears among the whole Race of Mankind It was said to Adam the Seed of the Woman there was then no further limitation till Noahs time and then in Abrahams time the Lord limits the Covenant to his Seed It was afterwards confined to Judah one of the twelve Tribes at last the Lord went further to one Family in Judah namely Davids but here he limits it to Abraham that of him should come that great and blessed Seed This was the main thing indeed as without which all other Promises could never be bestowed and fulfilled but through him they are Yea and Amen Abraham saw my day and rejoyced he saw the Messias was to come of his Loyns this was the Seed in whom he believed and by which he was saved 2. There was a Church-seed promised the meaning is this That the Church of God should be continued in his Race and Posterity the true Religion should be setled there There were other godly persons before and after we read of Melchisedech and Job and his Friends and it is very like there might be others and when God had setled Salvation to Abraham it was the duty of all others to joyn themselves to that Church The Lord entailed by Covenant all his Ordinances to Abraham and his Posterity He gave them his Statutes and Judgments he chose them to be a peculiar People a People to the Lord and that is a Church a Society intrusted and invested with the Ordinances and thus he dealt with them he shewed his Statutes to Israel this is no small priviledge and mercy to enjoy the Ordinances this is called the Kingdom of God This Christ threatned the Jews that it should be taken from them and given to other people Mat. 21.43 that is God would settle his Church among the Gentiles and give them his Ordinances And that this is a Priviledge we see by that expression of the Apostle to the Ephesians wherein he mentions it as a part of the dreadful misery of the Ephesians that they were Aliens to the Common Wealth of Israel 3. There was a third thing intended and that is a believing Seed such as should be truly Godly and of this the Apostle speaks in Gal. 3.7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith are the Seed of Abraham so that all true Believers are his Seed in that sense He is called the Father of the Faithful all Believers are his Posterity There were Multitudes that were truly Godly of Abrahams Seed and all that are Godly are his Seed they walk in his steps they are the Seed of the Covenant they are spiritually related to him He was the Pattern and typical Head of that Covenant in which we do all believe the Pattern of Faith to us He is called our Father It is said of him that he believed against sense and reason this was not writen for his sake alone but for us also that we might follow his steps 4. There was included in this Covenant an ingrafted Seed it is the Apostles expression in Rom. 11.17 I mean a Seed not only of the Jews but of the Gentiles God did not only engage to Abraham that there should be Church of his own natural Seed and that there should be Saints of his natural Seed but that the Gentiles should be ingrafted into his Covenant and so become his Seed Thou being a wild Olive Tree wert grafted in among them and partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive Tree God did above and beyond the ordinary course of things ingraft the Gentiles into that Covenant that he had once made with Abraham And thus you see what the Seed is which the Lord did promise in the Covenant whereof Circumcision was the Seal He did promise to give to Abraham that Seed firstly and chiefly that Seed who was the Son of God and a Church Seed and a believing Seed and not only a Seed of the Nation of the Jews but a Seed ingrafted into that Grace and Covenant from among the Gentiles We have gone through two Branches of the Covenant the third is this 3. That God would give an Inheritance to him and them this was the third part of Gods Covenant with him It is the greatest desire in nature to have Children and it is a good desire it is of God And what do Parents desire next a comfortable Inheritance for them and this did the Lord promise to Abraham And in that Text which hath been so often alledged God first promises to make him exceeding Fruitful and then I will give to thee and thy Seed after thee the Land wherein thou art yet a Stranger The Lord promised an Inheritance and that Inheritance was the Land of Canaan Now the Question is whether this was a temporal or spiritual Inheritance Doubtless the Lord did not promise to Abraham Canaan meerly as a temporal Inheritance but as a spiritual Inheritance Canaan was not as other Lands are a meer outward thing but it was a typical Land it was the Land of Emmanuel it is the Land of Glory Canaan was a Type of Heaven and in that respect it was that they did so earnestly prize it and look upon it as being Heaven in an earthly Shadow therefore Jacob and Joseph must needs be buried there therefore the Apostle assures us they did seek a better Country they professed themselves Strangers and Pilgrims here upon Earth They that say such things declare plainly they seek another Country which is an heavenly one wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God It is a heavenly City whose Builder and Maker is God so that under that Shadow the Lord did promise Heaven to Abraham and this was the third part of this Covenant This Land of Canaan is called the Mountain of Holiness what expression can be higher Dan. 11. and therefore the Saints did look beyond that to another Country You see what the Covenant was and what were the principal things and Branches of it That God should be his God that God should give him a Seed and that God should give an Inheritance to him and them You see what the Covenant is that Circumcision doth relate to Now the last thing that was propounded was this what respect it is that Circumcision hath to this Covenant He gave him the Covenant of Circumcision For this Note these five things 1. Circumcision respects the Covenant as the Seal or Sacrament of Initiation into the Covenant The reason of
and answered See the blood upon the Horns of the Incense-Altar Would you see Heaven Gates opened and way made for you into the Holy of Holies an abundant entrance opened for you into Heaven See the blood sprinkled before the Vail See the blood of Jesus Christ influencing all the concernments of your Souls 4. The fourth Law of the Sin-Offering is concerning the burning of it vers 8 9 10 11 12. And again vers 19 20 21. The inward parts of it were to be burnt upon the Altar as in the Ordinance of the Peace-Offering All the rest the whole Bullock was to be burnt in a clean place without the Camp This Law is peculiar to the Sin-Offering of a Bullock whether for the Priest or for the whole Church But in the Sin-Offering of Goats or Sheep for the Ruler and for any individual of the common people this Ceremony of burning without the Camp was not required There is this reason given for burning the whole Sin Offering if it were a Bullock and not allowing any of it to be eaten namely because the blood of it was brought into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place Lev. 6.30 You may see the practice of this Ceremony in the Sin Offering at the Consecration of the Priests Exod. 29.14 And as it was burnt without the Camp in their present unfixed posture so when the Temple was fixed at Jerusalem it was burnt without the Gates of the City The Apostle explains it at large Heb. 13.10 11 12 13 14. and educeth three great Gospel Truths and Mysteries out of it 1. That they which serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of our Altar under the Gospel vers 10. Our New Testament Altar is Christ To eat of the Altar is to partake of the Offerings offered upon it They that serve the Tabernacle that is the old worldly Tabernacle such as serve that that is such as adhere still to legal ways and Observations have no right to Christ the Altar and to the Sacrifice he hath offered and to Salvation by him Such as cleave to their own Righteousness and to their own Wisdom in the things of God they deprive themselves of Communion with Christ 2. As the Sin Offering was burnt without the Camp where they did cast forth the Ashes so Christ suffered without the Gates of the City They carried him out of Jerusalem to Golgotha to the place of dead mens Sculls Mat. 27.33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha that is to say a place of a Skull which is called Luk. 23.33 Calvary That as it is said of the Sin-Offering in the place where they pour out the Ashes there shall it be burnt Lev. 4.12 So Christ suffered without the Gate Heb 13.12 3. This Ceremony teacheth also the mystery of our Communion with Christ in bearing his Reproach Heb. 13.13 For it was because sin was upon the Offering which carries shame along with it that it was carried forth Malefactors were to be put to death without the Camp so the Blasphemer Lev. 24.14 so the presumptuous Profaner of the Sabbaoth Numb 15.35 If you cannot be content to bear the disgraces and reproaches of the world to be accounted a simple Heretick a Fanatick no true Son of the Church but a Schismatick against the Church and a Rebel against the King an enemy to Caesar for so they said of Christ you refuse to go forth with him out of the Camp bearing his reproach The Apostles were accounted the very filth of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 4.9 to 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as by sweeping is gathered together saith the marginal Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod detergere significat Beza Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets Luk. 6.26 To these add 4. Whereas he that did perform this Ministration about the Sin-Offering was to be unclean until the Even so in the Sin-Offering of the yearly Feast of Expiation Lev. 16.27 28. The same Law we find concerning the red Heifer whereof they made the water of separation Numb 18.9 And he that burneth her shall wash his Cloaths in water and bath his Flesh in water and shall be unclean until the Even Hereby was shadowed forth not only the imperfection of the legal Priesthood and Ministrations in that the Priests themselves which prepared the Means of Sanctification for the Church were themselves polluted in the preparing and doing of them so Ainsw in Numb 19.8 9. But it may instruct us also in a more general Truth concerning the Iniquity of our holy Offerings our best duties and services There is something of secret spiritual defilement cleaving to them even when we are making our Peace with God when we are atoneing or receiving the Atonement and acting about it Lava lachrymas meas Domine Lord wash even my tears 5. The last Law of the Sin-Offering is concerning the eating of it of this see Cap. 6. vers 24 to the end This did not concern those Sin Offerings whose blood was brought into the holy place and whose flesh was burnt without the Camp but only the Sin-Offerings of the Ruler and private persons as Lev. 6.30 There be three Ceremonial Laws and Ordinances about this 1. The Priests are to eat it in the holy place vers 26. Moses expostulates with Aaron for the neglect of this Lev. 10.19 20. And he there hinteth at some part of the mystery of it vers 17. The Priest by eating the Sinners Offering did typically bear the iniquity of the Sinner and so abolish it as in a figure It holds forth our Communion with Christ our Sin-Offering as the Food of our Souls whom by Faith we eat and feed upon Joh. 6.56 2. Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy vers 27. This Rite was peculiar to the Sin-Offering and seeing the Sin-Offering was a Type of Christ who was made sin for us This teacheth us the holiness that should be in them who have any thing to do with Christ God reproves the Priests as Hos 4.8 they eat up the sin or the Sin Offering Chattaah of my people The old Note is this the Priests seek to eat the peoples Offerings and flatter them in their sins Every one of us should know how to possess our Vessels in holiness and honour 1 Thess 4.4 3. The Vessel wherein it is boyled must be cleansed by rinsing with Water or by breaking it in pieces Vers 27 28. The like Levit. 11.32 33. and 15.12 The earthen Vessels were to be broken in regard of the cheapness of them the loss would not be great the more costly to be scoured and rinsed The Apostle speaks of those Heb. 9.10 divers Washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them till the time of Reformation The Pharisees in such Observations as these went beyond the Rule as Superstition is apt to do but Christ severely rebukes them for
up the Leper seven days And Mat. 5.24 Leave thy gift before the Altar And Mat. 18. The Church must be told of his sin and of his obstinacy under the former steps of proceeding with him and it must appear that he doth not hear the Church before he may be made an Heathen and a Publican Quest But how long must they delay the sentence of Excommunication Answ There cannot be a particular time limited because of the infinite variety of particular Cases Circumstances Therefore whether an Offender should lie under suspension a week or a month or a longer or shorter time God hath left it to Christian wisdom It is dangerous to limit and make particular Rules when God hath made none The general Rule which is sufficient to guide and give light in all particular cases is this That till it do appear that the Offender sins presumptuously the Church should not proceed to Excommunication If the Case be dubious and uncertain whether he be a leprous a presumptuous sinner or no as Levit. 13. then shut him up seven days more till it do appear that he is a Leper and a Presumptuous sinner The same Rule is given concerning lesser private offences in Mat. 18.15 16 17. If thy Brother offend thee tell him between him and thee If he will not hear thee take with thee one or two more And if he shall neglect to hear them then tell it to the Church Tell it What is meant by the word it It must needs relate to the private offense before mentioned This Text therefore speaks not of publick Scandals but of such Offenses as are private till the Offenders impenitency necessitate the making of them publick The same Rule is given in case of corrupt Opinions Titus 3.10 There must be a first and a second Admonition before Rejection The Reason is because it may be hoped in these Cases that the mans sin may have been for want of Conviction and therefore not of Presumption unless he resist light when means and matter of Conviction is held forth And in private Offences the matter may possibly be healed privately Rule 2. In other cases there is no need of such delatory proceeding If it be evident and apparent that the Sinner doth not sin for want of Light but presumptuously against Light And if the thing be already publick so that it cannot be hid nor healed privately as in the case of publick scandals When the Offense is so hainous that it cryes to heaven for vengeance wasteth the Conscience and is generally scandalous the Censures of the Church may proceed with more expedition See Scobels Collect of Acts and Ordinance an 48. cap. 118. pag. 119. Thus ordained that great reforming Parliament by the advice of that Assemby of Divines that sate at Westminster upon their Call The Reasons to prove this viz. that the proceedings with Offenders ought to be more speedy and summary in Cases of atrocious wickedness are such as these Reas 1. From Lev. 13. The Priest is directed to suspend or shut him up seven days if the Case be doubtful But if it be evident that the man is a Leper and presumptuous sinners may well be accounted Lepers the Rule is to shut him out of the Camp not to suspend him seven days but shut him out immediatly See vers 3 and 46. Reas 2. From the Case of the Incestuous person in 1 Cor. 5. The Apostle doth not warn them to take heed of Excommunicating him and to suspend him first and then to wait meekly and mercifully for him till he repent No but he declares he had already determined the Case that he should be delivered to Satan vers 3 4. And indeed there is a general silence throughout the Scripture concerning such gradations and delays in case of publick flagrant scandals There is no Caution no direction given for such previous Admonitions to be given to such persons in order to the preventing of Excommunication Reas 3. From the strange impenitency and hardness of heart that is in scandalous sinners To instance in the sin of Uncleanness which is the Case that now lyes before us it is a very blinding hardning sin Prov 9.18 But he knows not that the dead are there and that her Guests are in the depths of Hell It is the fruit of a seared Conscience a Conscience past feeling Ephes 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work uncleanness This meets with that Objection should the Church censure a repenting sinner I will not now dispute that question whether Repentance be always enough to prevent Church Censures Some think it is not for doubtless Aaron and Miriam repented Numb 12.11 12. See how Aaron there confesseth and bewails the sin and he speaks in the plural Number for them both But here was a very scandalous sin insolent and seditious speeches against the chief Magistrate and Prophet of God who was exceeding faithful in his place for which God smites her with Leprosie and notwithstanding their own confessions and Moses his Intercessions for them the Lord would have her shut out Vers 14. And the Lord said unto Moses if her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days Let her be shut out from the Camp seven days So we may say of Fornicators or of any other flagitious sinner if his Father had but spit in his face should he not be ashamed seven days And shall he not be shut out of the Church at all for Fornication But there is no need to debate that for all scandalous sinners are impenitent persons and are so to be accounted by all that fear God till full proof and evidence do appear that they have forsaken those scandalous and wicked ways And this neither doth nor can appear ordinarily till after there hath been a sufficient space and time and tryal and experience how they walk Confession of a publick Scandal when the Evidence of the Fact is undeniable is no sufficient Evidence of repentance for Pharaoh and Saul and Judas did this And no man that hath the use of his Reason can or will do otherwise for to what purpose is it to deny that which all men know Or to seek to conceal that which cannot be hid In the Confessions of such persons it is observeable That they are either meerely forced and extorted by the hand of God upon them as Pharaohs was when he confessed the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked and Judas his by the horror of his Conscience Matth. 27.3 4 5. Or else their Confession is extorted by the undeniable Evidence of the Fact and mingled with manifest discoveries of Pride even when they seem to be taking shame to themselves as Saul 1 Sam. 15. Or which is worst of all their Confessions are mingled sometimes with Invectives against those which reprove them As Matth. 7.6 They turn again and rent you Instead of an humble broken hearted Confession you
come into the Tabernacle and have Communion with God in his Ordinances This holds forth Souls being sprinkled with the blood of Christ and with the Spirit which is often compared to Water as when it is said I will pour water on the dry ground and my Spirit on your Off spring Isai 44.3 see also Ezek. 36.25 and Joh 7.38 39. So they that have this sprinkling by the blood of Christ they have access to and fellowship with God by the blood of Christ And so much for the meaning of the Ceremonial actions relating to this Heyfer Now for Use and Application a little and so we shall conclude Vse Learn this Instruction See the Sovereign vertue transcendent excellency of the blood of Christ and it gives direction and incouragement to unclean souls to have recourse to Jesus Christ for cleansing If these things did so avail to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God The vertue and excellency of his blood appears as to the purging of our Souls and Consciences in a fourfold respect 1. If compared with Ceremonial blood of which the Text speaks The Sacrifices were but shadowy cleansings but a shadowy purification But the blood of Christ cleansing the Conscience is the thing aimed at These were the means to shadow out this spiritual cleansing This is the end the substance aimed at They gave an outward holiness no inward holiness When they were made Ceremonially clean they did not change the mind they removed but the shadow of Moral uncleanness for Ceremonial uncleanness was no sin but only a shadow of it But the blood of Christ removes the sin it self the guilt of sin in Justification and the power of sin in Sanctification So the blood of Christ hath a surpassing excellency being compared with the blood of Bulls and Goats c. 2. Compare it to the blood of Souls and Sinners The blood of Jesus Christ brings more glory to God than if all the Elect themselves had suffered to all eternity more glory to God And it is more efficacious for the good of Souls If the Elect had suffered and their blood had been shed for their own sins God had wanted much of that glory which he hath by the blood of Jesus Christ And more efficacious for good to them For they could never have been saved by their own sufferings The worth of the blood of Christ appears 1. In regard of the worth of the Person 2. In regard of the speedy satisfaction 3. In regard of the full satisfaction 1. The worth of the Person This is often taken notice of in Scripture as belonging to the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ that it is the blood of God As Acts 20.28 and Zach. 13.7 He is the Man that is the fellow of the Lord of Hosts Therefore the Apostle having spoken in Coll. 1. how that we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sin In vers 14. he falls into a description of the glory of the person of Christ Who is the Image of the invisible God by him were all things made The dignity of his Person puts an infinite value on his blood and sufferings mounting the blood of Christ to a higher satisfaction of Divine Justice than the blood of all the Elect. The Righteousness of Jesus Christ is a more glorious Righteousness than if all the Elect had suffered for themselves that had been but the blood of Sinners this the blood of God 2. The speedy satisfaction that is made to Divine Justice Christ paid all the Debt at once which Sinners must have been paying for ever And this is more satisfactory to the Creditor than to have the Debt long a paying If a man owe an hundred pounds and must lie in Prison till the Debt be paid paying ten pounds every year this Debt will be long in paying and it will not be so satisfactory to the Creditor as if a Rich Man should come and set the Prisoner free by paying the Debt presently 3. He satisfied fully and paid the whole Debt Joh. 19.30 Our Saviour saith Now it is finished He hath made full and perfect satisfaction to Divine Justice So that the Law of God hath more honor and the Justice of God more glory by the sufferings of Christ than if all the Elect had suffered 3. Compare the blood of Christ with the Righteousness of Saints and Angels his Righteousness and their Righteousness There is a greater Glory of Jesus Christ his obedience Active and Passive then in the Righteousness of all the Angels in Heaven though they had never sinned For theirs is but the Righteousness of Creatures in whom is a negative imperfection Job 4.18 He chargeth the Angels with folly and the Heavens are impure in his sight Christs Righteousness is more worth then all the Righteousness of all the Creatures 4. If compared with the power of sin in its kind to defile and damn souls there is a far greater power in the blood of Christ to cleanse and save then in sin to defile and destroy Rom. 8.3 The Law became weak to do good but it hath power to condemn The strength of sin is the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 The Law gives a strength to sin because by virtue of the curse of the Law sin reigns and defiles the souls of men through that righteous Curse The Soul that sins shall dye But the blood of Jesus Christ hath greater power to save then sin together with the Law hath to condemn for the blood of Christ takes away and abolishes it utterly Where this blood is applied and brought home sin it self cannot ruine that Soul The Soul is poysoned and corrupted by sin but the blood of Christ takes away that poyson and makes the Soul pure and holy as if it never had sinned therefore as to those discouragements I shall never get power against these sins against these Corruptions they will be my ruine These are deep reflectings on Jesus Christ as if sin were stronger then he as if thy sin were more powerful to damn thee then Christ is to save thee Therefore be encouraged how unclean soever thy heart and life have been make use of this Atonement which hath been made to God by the blood of Jesus Christ What is the preaching of the Gospel but the sprinkling of this blood It holds forth Christ and if men will refuse this blood their destruction is of themselves they perish not under the Gospel because there is no means of Salvation no means to help no means to cleanse and purifie them but because they will not make use of it And what a woful thing is this when light is come into the world and help brought by Jesus Christ for sinners to refuse it For sinners to stand on their own Objections this is to bid defiance to the Gospel and to say that Jesus Christ is no sufficient Saviour But apply it
nature so there is a remedy and purification by Jesus Christ And as there is an Ordinance of Ejection of scandalous Sinners and Lepers out of the house of Israel So there is for re-admission of healed Lepers into the Church again This confutes the Novatians The 13. Chapter of Leviticus reproves promiscuous Communions This 14. reproves that Novatian Error of them who would not re-admit and receive repenting Sinners into the Church again The Scripture is clear for both Binding and Loosing Binding Impenitent sinners and loosing and restoring the Penitent THE GOSPEL OF THE HOLY PLACES Deut. 12.5 6. October 11. 18. 1668. But unto the place which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your Tribes to put his Name there even unto his habitation shall you seek and thither thou shalt come And thither ye shall bring your Burnt Offerings and your Sacrifices c. WE have been endeavouring beloved to take off the Veyl from Moses face and to unfold and open to you the Types and Shadows of the Ceremonial Law they are dark Shadows but there are glorious Mysteries adumbrated and shadowed forth by them They are hard Shells but there are sweet Kernels within if the Lord help us to break the shell and to understand the mystery and meaning of them You have seen divers of these Shells broken and what precious Kernels of Gospel-truths are contained in them You may remember we did refer this Law of Ceremonies to five general heads 1. The Initiating Seal of Circumcision 2. The Legal Sacrifices and Purifications 3. The Tabernacle and Temple and other Holy places 4. The Priesthood with all the rest of the legal Ministry 5. Their Festivals or holy Times and Seasons We have formerly spoken to the two first of these to wit the Initiating Seal of Circumcision and their Legal Sacrifices and Purifications We are now to proceed in the help of Christ unto the third namely 3. Their Tabernacle and Temple and other Holy places of which this Text gives you this Doctrinal Assertion Doctrine That God was pleased to chuse out certain places to stand in a special relation of Holiness unto himself under the Old Testament See again in this Chapter ver 11 14 18 Psal 68.35 Thou art terrible oh God out of thine holy places And ver 17. As in Sinai in the holy place But it is needless and would be easie to multiply quotations For this phrase holy place and holy places doth occur in the Scripture above threescore times Let me explain and open a little to you the nature of this holiness of places that was under the Law You all know there is a two fold Holiness Inherent and Relative Holiness Inherent Holiness is nothing else but those saving Graces of Sanctification in the Souls of men Now this is only in persons it is a thing which places are no way capable of But the Holiness that is in places is a Relative holiness and it doth consist in a separation or setting them apart for God to be peculiarly his That this is the Scripture notion of Holiness and that particularly in reference to Holy places you may see in Deut. 19.2 7. compared with Joshua 20.7 That which in the one place is called Separation in the other is called Sanctification Thou shalt separate three Cities for Cities of Refuge saith the Lord by Moses And they sanctified Kedesh and Sechem saith the Text in Joshuah The contrary to Holiness is that which is Common or Unclean Acts 10.14 God hath a special propriety in that which is holy it belongs to God as his peculiar Exod. 13.2 Sanctifie unto me all the first-born it is mine Hence the neerer to God any place or thing is the more of Separation to his use the more holy Thus you see the general notion of it Now to descend to some particulars This Holiness of places was twofold either transient and meerly for the present time or else more permanent and abiding 1. The transient Holiness of places was where the Lord gave visible appearances of himself in his glorious Majesty to the eyes of his Servants such places were holy during the time of such divine appearances So when the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning Bush Exod. 3.5 the place whereon thou standest is holy ground and he saith the like to Joshuah cap. 5.15 So Mount Sinai was holy and therefore might not be touched Exod. 19. Upon the same account the Mount where Christ was transfigured is called the Holy Mount 2 Pet. 1.18 I call this a transient kind of Holiness because it continued no longer but while that extraordinary Presence continued There is no more Holiness in Mount Sinai or Mount Tabor now than in any other place The Apostle calls it the holy Mount from what it was not that it is so still Therefore it is but a superstitious thing in the Papists to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to visit the holy Sepulchre and the like there is no Holiness in them now 2. But secondly there was also a more permanent and abiding Holiness of places under the Law during that whole legal Dispensation Quest What were these Places Answ I shall instance chiefly in four particulars 1. The Land of Canaan was an holy Land so called Zach. 2.12 the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy Land It was a Type of Heaven Heb. 11.14 16. they sought another Country a better Country that is an heavenly thine eyes shall see the Land that is very far off Isai 32.17 glimpses of Heaven and Glory And some special places in the Land were holy as 2. The Cities of Refuge whereof there were six three on this side and three on the other side Jordan The Institution and Ordinance for it you have in Deut. 19. the performance in Josh 20. where these Cities are said to be sanctified And that there was a Gospel Mystery in this Ordinance and what it was the Apostle insinuates Heb. 6.18 who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us The Souls flying to Jesus Christ and finding safety and shelter there when pursued by the Law as the avenger of Blood is the Gospel mystery of that Ordinance 3. The Tabernacle the Temple the Ark and all the places where they came 2 Chron 8.11 The places are holy whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come The Ark did as it were consecrate them and so there was a reverence due to them The Tabernacle you know was made in the Wilderness by Moses and so was the Ark it marched before them to seek rest for them till they came into the Land of Canaan The first place where it was pitched there was at Gilgal Josh cap. 4.19 there it continued about six or seven years till Joshuah had conquered the Land and then it was set up at Shilo Josh 18.1 there it continued as some compute 300 years from Joshuah's time to Eli's and then the people in a carnal confidence carrying the Ark
and amongst the rest they had one great Idol called the Rood which if it was as some now think the Picture of an old Man from thence the poor ignorant people came to conceive of God the Father as an old Man sitting in Heaven though it seems rather to be a Wooden Image of Christ hanging on the Cross See Acts and Monuments vol. 2. pag. 302. or a Wooden Cross only without any Image hanging on it From whence is the term Roodmas used still in some parts of England by which they mean the first or third of May the Pope having made that an holy day and called it Inventio Crucis because forsooth on that day the Cross on which Christ was crucified was found if you will believe the Fable Masse or Messe signifying in the old Saxon a Feast or a set time of holy rejoycing and Rood as it seems a Cross But this is to be observed that in all the Ceremonial Worship the Lord took special care to keep his people at a distance from the heathenish Idolatries of those times he would not suffer them to conform at all to those false Worships nor to comply with them in the least And it is a good spirit to be zealous against such things but where there is a slight loose indifferent sceptical frame of spirit in the matters of Gods House and Worship this spirit is not of God this spirit is not of him that calleth you So much for the House it self 2. Now secondly for the Courts of the Temple there were two of them the Scripture mentioneth so many and no more 2 Chron. 33.5 and he Manasseh built Altars for all the Host of Heaven in the two Courts of the House of the Lord. About the Tabernacle we read but of one Court Exod. 27.9 for the whole Camp of Israel was the outer Court But about the Temple there two called the outward and the inner Court The outward Court being the larger is called the great Court 2 Chron. 4.9 and the Court of the people because here the people came together to be taught Ezra 10.9 But though the people came into it yet it was part of the Temple and an holy place For none might enter that were unclean in any thing for it was the Office of the Porters to keep them back 2 Chron. 23.19 And hence it was that the Jews took so much offence at Paul when they thought he had brought Greeks into the Temple and so polluted that holy place Actt 21.28 There was also another Court called the inner Court 2 Kings 6.36 and the higher Court Jer. 36.10 and the Court of the Priests Vid. plura on Rev. 11.12 This Reference in the Authors Notes shews he had written a Discourse on that Text and indeed so he had which may be published in time if God will 2 Chron. 4.9 Both these Courts as it seemeth did compass the Temple on all sides round about and they were four square The length of each side of the outer Court was a furlong as the Jewish Witers report and the whole about half an English mile in compass There were also as they report some other Courts added unto these in after times but because the Scripture takes no norice of them I shall not do it neither Neither shall I say any thing of the Walls about the Courts and the Gates and other Buildings belonging to them as Chambers Porches and Treasuries to lay the Vessels and other things in and for the Priests and Levites to lodge in For there is mention 1 Chron. 28.11 of the Porch and of the Houses therof and the Treasuries thereof c. and ver 12. of the Courts of the House of the Lord and of all the Chambers round about of the Treasuries of the House of God and of the Treasuries of the dedicate things Neither need I speak particularly to the mystical significations of the House and the Courts The whole as considered together may be divided into three parts 1. The outer Court 2. The inner Court with the Sanctuary 3. The Oracle or the Holy of holies Some apply these three parts of the Temple to the three parts of a Christian mentioned by the Apostle 1 Thess 5.23 the Spirit Soul and Body The Body say they is signified by the open Court where all may see what is done The Soul say they may be compared to the Sanctuary which as it was more holy than the outward Court so is the Soul of man an higher and more divine part than the Body where by the Lamp of Gods Spirit the Reason and Understanding is enlightened The Spirit say they is as the most holy place where God dwelleth in secret by Faith which saith the Apostle is of things not seen nor comprehended by Reason Others apply it to the three parts of the World thus The outward Court to this inferiour World where all things lye open to the view and use of man The Sanctuary to the starry Heaven which is full of Lights and Stars as the Sanctuary had the seven Golden Candlesticks and Gems and Jewels shining in it The Holy of holies to the third Heaven wherein God dwelleth and indeed the Apostle himself makes it a Type of Heaven Heb. 9.24 There is something of analogy in the thing as to all these But the best accommodation of a Type is from Scripture and from the hints and intimations which the Scripture gives which as hath been formerly shewed makes the Temple a Type of Christ and of the Church Let us consider then what Instructions these parts of the Temple do afford as to both these 1. As to Christ himself The Temple was a Type of Christ especially in regard of that chief part of it the Holy of holies wherein there was a figure or weak representation both of his divine and humane Nature Therefore Christ is called the Holy of holies Dan. 9.24 seventy weeks are determined to anoint the most holy or the Holy of holies that is to initiate and inaugurate the Lord Jesus Christ into his Mediatorial office The Veil of the Holy of holies typified his humane nature Heb. 10.20 through the Veil that is to say his Flesh We may draw forth the analogy more at large in these particulars 1. The Humane nature did veil the Glory of his Deity as the Veil of the Temple did conceal the Holy of holies from the eyes of men 2. There was curious Embroidery of Cherubims and other Ornaments upon the Veil Exod. 26.31 thou shalt make a Veil of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined Linnen of cunning work with Cherubims shall it be made So Chron. 3.16 This is not unfitly applied to those excellent Graces of the Spirit wherewith the Humane nature of Jesus Christ was filled and adorned 3. The Veil shutting up the Sanctuary from the sight and entrance of the people signified the shutting up the mysteries of the Gospel while the old Temple stood Heb. 9.8 the holy Ghost this signifying that
the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing There were dark shadows then of the mysteries of the Gospel 4. The rending of the Veil when Christ died represents his Sufferings in the Flesh or humane nature Matth. 27.51 the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom If the Veil be the Flesh or the Humane nature of Christ then the rending of the Veil must needs be the breaking of his Body and the sufferings of his Humane nature 5. As by this the Holy of holies was open to the view of all that came to the Temple so under the Gospel the mysteries of Salvation are made manifest Rev. 11.19 and the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Clear discoveries of God in Christ 6. As the Priest entred into the holy place through the Veil so hath Christ into Heaven and made way for us all to enter after him and with him through his Sufferings Heb. 9.12 neither by the Blood of Bulls and Goats but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us and Heb. 6.2 last which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entred into that within the Veil that is into the Holy of holies whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus This is the first accomodation of this Type even unto Jesus Christ himself 2. The Temple signified also the Church and the several parts of the Temple may be considered here also 1. We learn here that there is a threefold distinction of the Church into visible militant and triumphant The outer Court signified the visible Church into which all the people came that were clean according to the Law so into the visible Church come all that make a fair outward profession though they are not all sincere as all were not Israel that were of Israel The Sanctuary and the inner Court signified the Church militant of true Believers who are indeed spiritual Priests unto God And lastly the holiest of all was a Type of Heaven and of the Church triumphant there so the Apostle often Heb. 9.24 for Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self 2. Whereas there was a Wall about the great Court to keep out the Gentiles for none but Jews were admitted the Apostle shews that Christ hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us Ephes 2.14 which he hath done by converting the Gentiles and repealing the Ceremonial Law 3. The outer Court must be left out in Church-reformation Rev. 11.1 2. that is when the matter of the visible Church is wholly corrupted these Gentiles must be cast out or left out 4. Whereas the Materials of the Sanctuary and of the Oracle were the same Cedar-boards and Gold and garnished with precious Stones c. as was shewed before when we spake of the Walls of the Temple hence we may learn this Instruction that Grace and Glory differ not in kind but only in degree Grace is Glory begun Glory is Grace perfected Heb. 12.23 the Spirits of just men made perfect A Believer hath eternal life begun in him in this world 1 Joh. 3.15 5. The side-chambers and all the buildings about the Chambers wherein the Priests and Levites had their several Lodgings and stations appointed them may instruct and mind us of those Mansions that are prepared for us in Heaven Joh. 14.2 in my Fathers House are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you 6. Whereas in these Chambers were kept and laid up the Standards of all Weights and Measures for so some understand that place 1 Chron. 23.29 speaking of the Levites work in their several places and stations it is said their Office was to wait on the Sons of Aaron as for other things so for all manner of Measure and Size that is as some expound it that unto their Trust were committed the Standard measures of things and here laid up under their custody as in a most safe and sacred Repository and these were called the Measures of the Sanctuary as with us the Standards and Measures are laid up in the Tower We may here learn that God regards Justice amongst men next to his own Worship To unjust persons he saith as Isai 1.11 to what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts v. 12. The reason is given v. 15. your hands are full of Blood And would you know that there are Mansions prepared in Heaven for you you may take this as one evidence of it Psal 15.1 Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill He answers in the second verse He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart And let me add this further do not judge of your spiritual estate by your getting into the outer Court for hypocrites may get in there if they be but outwardly clean But art thou admitted as a spiritual Priest into the Sanctuary to enjoy true communion with God in his Ordinances and to worship God in the Spirit art thou a member of the Church militant as well as of the visible Church The Church militant shall be at last triumphant they shall pass from and through the Sanctuary into the Holy of holies even into Heaven it self whither Jesus our fore-runner is entred for us THE GOSPEL of the TWO BRAZEN PILLARS in the TEMPLE 1 Kings 7.21 22. Novemb. 8. 1668. And he set up the Pillars in the Porch of the Temple and he set up the right Pillar and called the name thereof Jachin and he set up the left Pillar and called the name thereof Boaz. And upon the top of the Pillars was Lillie-work so was the work of the Pillars finished SO much of the House and the Courts Now follows the Vessels or Utensils of the Temple the sacred Houshold stuff or Furniture of this House of God they were many We read in Ezra 1.11 all the Vessels of Gold and Silver were five thousand and four hundred We may distinguish the Vessels of the Temple into two sorts 1. Such as were of natural necessity and conveniency for the Worship that was there to be performed as Knives Pots Flesh-hooks c. which had not their particular mystical significations But yet thus much we may observe from them that the meanest instrument in the Church of God is of some use and therefore not to be despised And of this sort there were some larger Vessels as the Kings Scaffold 2 Chron. 6.13 on which he stood when he came into the Priests Court to present his Sacrifices before the Lord or upon any other occasion For you
Prefiguration of the Rest of the Body of Jesus Christ in the Grave that whole day which was indeed the only whole day of his resting or cessation from the actions of a bodily life For he was in the Grave only some small part of the sixth day and of the first day but he rested the whole Jewish Sabbath So then as they had other legal days and times that pointed them to other things about the Messiah so the Sabbath points to his resting in the Grave And he did not only rest in the humbling of himself under the guilt of our Sins but in his Resurrection from the dead The day of his Resurrection was the day of his entring into his state of rest from his Sufferings but on the Sabbath he rested from the actions of his bodily life therefore the seventh day Sabbath is abrogated and the Lord hath substituted the first day of the week for the Sabbath is moral And there is a ground too for the changing of the day that there should be one day in seven to attend on the Worship of God this is moral and perpetual that it should be the last day in seven this is by Gods Institution made legal and typical Christ entred into his rest of Glory into the state thereof at his Resurrection and into the place thereof when he ascended into Heaven but his resting in the grave was on the seventh day From all which you may see the morality of the Sabbath considered as in general together with the shadowy nature of the Jewish Sabbath of the seventh day having these typical respects relations annexed to it and so therein you see the grounds of the abrogation of it and of the substitution of the Christian Sabbath instead therereof And so much may serve for the typical respects and use of the Jewish Sabbath Now as for the Rites and Observations thereof 1. There were more Sacrifices that day then upon other days Numb 28.9 10. The reason was because there were more Mercies given and commemorated that day as the Creation their Deliverance out of Egypt and their Sanctification by the Spirit It shall be a sign between me and them that they might know that I Jehovah do sanctifie them Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 20. Here learn that the more Blessings God gives to any people the greater thankfulness he expects again It reacheth also that special Holiness that should be upon the Sabbath more exercise of Grace and duties of Worship to be performed upon that day then ordinarily upon any other day there should be that among us on the Christian Sabbath that should answer their double Sacrifice upon their Jewish Sabbath But in Ezek. 46.45 there is appointed for the Sabbath six Lambs for one under the Law to teach us that there should be more Holiness now under the Gospel then there was under the Law 2. They might not kindle a fire on that day Exod. 35.3 as some think to put them in mind of their absolute freedom from their Egyptian Bondage and the fiery Brick-works there or from the fire of Gods Wrath in the world to come when entred into that none of these fires should ever be kindled upon them or hurt them though others think that restraint respected only kindling a fire for the building of the Tabernacle nor is it unlikely 3. They were to abstain from building the Tabernacle that day Exod. 31.12 13 14 15 16 17. and 35.2 to teach them that the six days that is the time of this life is the only time wherein God will build the Tabernacle of his Church this life is the only day of Grace and opportunity of Salvation 4. They might not gather Manna on that day Exod. 16. In this life Christ is offered but in the Sabbath of eternity no Manna no means of Grace no offers of Christ then none could have Manna upon the Sabbath but they that had stored it up upon the week day so none can have Christ in Heaven but they that have stored him up in their hearts on earth These things shew the rigor of the Law as to Sabbath-rest but the Pharisees being deeply possest with the spirit of the Law did strain it a peg or two higher that to do a miraculous work of mercy or works of necessity was unlawful 2. They had also a Sabbatical year viz. every seventh year a Sabbath of the seventh year every seventh year was a Sabbatical year as every seventh day was a Sabbatical day Exod. 23.10 Deut. 15.9 This was celebrated by letting the Land rest from its usual culture and husbandry Levit. 25.4 5. Some alledge a political and philosophical reason for this that the Land by resting one year might be the more fruitful the other six quod caret alternâ requie durabile non est This Sabbatical year was celebrated by giving rest unto the Land from tillage and manuring the hungry ground This was a shadow of things to come this signifies something of Christ and Gospel mystery in which observe four things There was a fourfold Instruction in this Sabbatical year 1. This Sabbatical year told them plainly that both they and their Land was the Lords Lev. 25.23 For the Land is mine 2. This taught them to depend upon Providence without worldly care and trusting to the Creature for supply and support For they must not now sow nor till the Land this year for the sixth year was to bring forth the Fruit of three years both for the seventh year and for the eighth and for the ninth till the Harvest time See Lev. 25.20 21 22. and ver 6. the Sabbath of the Land shall be meat for thee The Land of its own accord that year was to produce sustenance enough both for man and beast It is not enough for us to depend on the ordinary course of means God can over-rule them and over-work them as he doth here 3. The Lord hereby teacheth them and us that great Gospel-lesson and duty of mercy and bounty to the poor Exod. 23.10 11. the Land must rest that the poor may eat and Deut. 15.1 2. Creditors must release their Debtors every seventh year Lev. 25.5 6. there is an Equity a Chancery a bountiful condescension to the necessities of the poor that men exact not their own right in all things but rather remit and abate something thereof Not but that men may take their course and use means to get it especially when persons are able and wilful but in case of poverty there should be mercy shewed in such a case 4. This Sabbatical year was a special season and time of instruction in the Law of God Deut. 31.10 11 12. the Lord would have them instructed and taught to know his Mind and the true Religion and the ways of his Worship Therefore he appointed so many times and seasons for it weekly and monthly and yearly and moreover one year in seven as you see Beside the mystery of spiritual rest by Christ of which further in
break Bread every Lords day And in the primitive times the Sacrament was the concluding Ordinance But Man did not eat of the Tree of Life for then he had been confirmed and lived for ever Gen. 3.22 therefore it is not likely that he stood in his integrity to the end of the Sabbath And as to the time of the day wherein he sinned it seems to have been about eating time at dinner about noon eating what they should not being the thing wherein they sinned And after his Fall it is said that God came and spake to them in the cool of the day Gen. 3. ver 8. This seems to have been about that time of the day which the Scripture calls the ninth hour which is after our reckoning about three a clock in the afternoon So long they were in darkness and under guilt of their Sin before the Promulgation of the Gospel to them Wherein some have observed a congruity in that Jesus Christ was under those his infinite Sufferings upon the Cross the same space of time from the sixth hour to the ninth Matth. 27.45 46. And it being thus Man in his first sin and fall did break all the Commandments at once as he brake all the rest so he sinned upon the Sabbath day This seems by all the circumstances of the Story to have been the time of his Fall But to think that he fell on Tuesday the tenth day from the Creation there is nothing in the History to evince it Others think this Fast on the day of the seventh month was appointed in remembrance of the great Sin the Idolatry of the Golden Calf Exod. 32. But we may rest in that the Text mentioneth as the occasion of this Ordinance viz. the Sin and Death of Nadab and Abihu And there is a threefold Instruction we are here to learn Obs 1. Here we are taught first That there must be holy fear and reverence in approaching to God in his Ordinances an holy fear and dread of sinning in the manner of his Worship and that it is a dangerous thing to worship God otherwise then he hath appointed Men should take heed of it that they die not as Nadab and Abihu did for this sin they incur the danger of Death both Death temporal and eternal Though God doth not usually smite men with visible Judgments but when they are first in any transgression yet there is a spiritual fire and wrath upon their spirits for it which is worse then outward Judgments Obs 2. The Lord takes hold of the saddest occasions to bring in Dispensations of the greatest good and mercy to his people Light out of Darkness Heaven out of Hell good out of evil to those that he hath set his Love upon Obs 3. When some are slain and die in and for their sins the Lord provides for the Salvation of others that they die not Now to come to the thing it self Moses is to charge Aaron that he come not into the Holy of holies at all times nor in any manner but at Gods appointed times and in such manner as he requireth This manner is here described at large It consists chiefly in three things 1. His washing himself 2. His holy Garments And 3. His propitiatory Offerings 1. That the Priest must wash before he put on his Garments and before he present his Offering is an intimation of his Purity and Cleanness Hence that expression of the Apostle Heb. 10.22 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water This is the first thing he is to do So Christ Matth. 3.16 was baptized before he entred upon his Ministry and he was perfectly holy and pure not having the least defilement of sin upon him though he had taken on him our Nature and all the other Infirmities of it Vid. On the Priests Consecration Exod. 29. 2. As to his Attire here be two sorts of holy Garments mentioned in the Services of this day the holy Garments ver 4. and other holy and most costly Garments ver 23.24 Some call the former his White Garments and the other his Golden Garments 1. This Priestly Attire was an emblem of spiritual clothing Psal 132.9 Let thy Priests be clothed with Righteousness and let thy Saints shout for joy and ver 16. I will also clothe her Priests with Salvation Job 29.14 I put on Righteousness and it clothed me my Judgment was as a Robe and a Diadem This then speaks the Grace and Holiness that was in Jesus Christ and ought to be in Ministers such Garments Ministers should be clothed with 2. Those two sorts of Attire the White and the Golden Garments signified the different estate and condition of Jesus Christ when he performed the great work of our Redemption and made atonement for us he did it in much meanness and abasement Isai 52.14 his Visage was marred he was without external Pomp and worldly Glory in the form of a Servant made himself of no Reputation Phil. 2.7 though with Holiness and Purity and Innocency He had white Garments on though they were but plain But as there is a clothing of Grace so there is a clothing of Glory 2 Cor. 5.2 4. And after his Resurrection when he had been in Heaven and returned again and arose and appeared from the dead he did change his Raiment He wore the garments of Holiness here but when he entred into the holy place even into Heaven he did put on garments of Glory These were the holy Garments on this day of Expiation Now the third thing is the Offerings of Atonement and they were of two sorts for the Priest and for the People 1. For the Priest himself and for his own House ver 3 6. This teacheth us the insufficiency and imperfection of the legal Priesthood Heb. 5.1 2.3 we need a better High Priest and we have one Heb. 7.26 27 28. The Priest was first to make atonement for himself and for his own sins that so he might be fit as a figure of Christ the true High Priest to make atonement for the people They that lie under unpardoned guilt themselves are not fit to be Mediators and Intercessors for others The Priest had three things to do in reference to his own Sacrifice 1. He was to kill it and so to make atonement with it v. 11. This was a Type of the Death of Christ the true Sacrifice 2. He was to offer Incense in the Holy of holies v. 12. This is a Type of the Prayers and Intercessions of Jesus Christ in the virtue of his Satisfaction Here are four particulars observable 1. As the High Priest did this before he sprinkled the Blood in the Holiest of all so Christ prepared his own way into Heaven by his Prayers and Intercessions Joh. 17. 2. The Incense was beaten small to intimate the anguish and contrition and brokenness of heart wherewith Christ prayed and interceded for us those agonies of spirit in his Prayers before his Death which he offered
Ceremonies about these Goats are severally spoken to from ver 15 c. 1. He begins with the sacred actions about the slain Goat and then speaks 2. Of the scape Goat 1. The sacred Actions and Ceremonies about the slain Goat were such as these 1. The sprinkling of the Blood thereof upon the Mercy seat and before the Mercy-seat c. ver 15. This represents the Blood of Jesus Christ which made way for him and us into Heaven into the presence of God as the Blood of the Bullock for the Priest beforementioned was ver 14. where the meaning of this Rite was opened 2. The Priest hereby must make an atonement for the holy place for the Tabernacle because of the uncleanness of the Children of Israel ver 16. This teacheth us that the very Ordinances of God and our holy Services therein have a secret defilement cleaving to them through our being exercised in them If the Tabernacle be pitch'd in the midst of an unclean people the Tabernacle it self must be atoned How should this beat down our being proud of Ordinances and haughty because of Gods holy Mountain as the Prophets phrase is Zeph. 3.10 those carnal boastings that we are subject to such as those of theirs that said the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer. 7. If the Ordinances were not sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ they could never be accepted they could be never be effectual for good unto us Not that Duties and Ordinances are unclean or impure in themselves but we defile them by the mixture of Corruption that is in us 3. The Priest must enter alone into the holy place when he doth this ver 17. So Jesus Christ was alone in the work of our Redemption and purging away of our sins Heb. 1.3 He by himself purged our sins It is an horrible and dreadful error of the Papists that joyn other Mediators with him this is to send others to go along with the High Priest when he atones the holy place 4. He must go out from the Brazen Altar of Offerings to the Golden Altar of Incense and atone it by putting the Blood of the Sin-offering upon the Horns thereof ver 18 19. There are many things here 1. That Christs Intercession is founded in his Oblation for the Golden Altar is a Type of his Intercession Now this must be sprinkled with Blood to teach us that by the virtue of Christs Death and Blood his Prayers and Intercessions are available and effectual with God And look whom he died for those he prayed for To separate his Death and Intercession is to divide what God hath joyned To think that he died for some for whom he doth not pray is as if the High Priest should neglect or forget one part of his Office which requires not only that he kill the Sacrifice but that he sprinkle the Blood of it upon the Altar of Incense Therefore if Christ hath shed his Blood for Reprobates he will not forget to sprinkle it upon the Golden Altar for them If he hath died for them he will pray for them But it is confessed he doth not pray for some and himself asserts it Joh. 17.9 therefore he did not die for them 2. This teacheth us how it is that our Prayers come to be accepted it is because sprinkled with the Blood of Christ they need cleansing and purging the Incense Altar must be atoned Lava lachrymas meas Domine Lord wash my tears 3. The Horns of the Altar of Incense sprinkled with Blood denotes the efficacy and strength of Prayer when sprinkled with the Blood of Christ both his Prayers for us and ours also in his name Hence Revel 9.13 we read of a Voice from the four Horns of the Golden Altar which is before God that is answers and returns of Prayers from the power of God awakened and improved by Prayer But this third particular belongs rather to the Altar of Incense as the proper place to which it should be referred 2. The Rites and Ceremonies of the scape-Goat whereto some other things also are annexed from ver 21 c. I shall put them altogether in seven particulars some concerning the scape Goat and some other Rules and Observations in this day of Expiation most of them mentioned in this Chapter 1. The Priest must confess their sins over the head of the scape Goat ver 21. This scape Goat was a Type of Christ God laid on him the iniquities of us all Isai 53.6 and we are to do it by Faith confessing our sins with an eye to him as being born by him in our stead Many of the damned have confessed their sins but not over the head of a dying Saviour 2. The scape Goat carries their sins afar off into the land of Oblivion ver 21.22 far from the sight and presence of God in the Temple A most lively shadow and representation this is of that great mystery of the Pardon and Forgiveness of Sin for so Christ carries our Sins away into the land of oblivion Psal 103.12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us that though they be sought for they cannot be found Jer. 50.20 If Conscience seek for them it cannot find them for Conscience is pacified when sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ If Satan seek for them he cannot find them for they are gone and lost in the Wilderness Yea if Justice it self seek them yet they cannot be found for Justice is satisfied by the Death and Blood of Christ 3. The High Priest is now to go into the Tabernacle and there to change his Raiment and there to wash himself and to come forth and offer the Burnt-offering and burn the fat of the Sin-offering according to the Ordinance ver 23 24 25. I put all these together because they have all been formerly opened in the several places to which they appertain and therefore it may suffice now only thus to bind them up together as it were in one bundle for the help of memory and so pass on to the next The mystery of the Priests Attire was opend on ver 4 and 23 24. The Burnt-offering on Levit. 1. pag. 244. The burning of the Fat on Levit. 3. in the Peace-offering pag. 285. where this Rite is first mentioned It was there shewed how it signifies the giving unto God the best of our Spirits and Services and in another accommodation of the metaphor the consuming and burning up of sinful Corruption See p. 299 300. 4. He that carried away the scape Goat must wash his Clothes and so come into the Camp ver 26. And the like again ver 28. He that is the Minister of these holy actions must wash himself as having contracted guilt which denotes not only the imperfection of the Levitical Priesthood but also it may instruct us in the iniquity of all our most holy actions See of this upon the Sin-offering on Lev. 4. pag.
Amoinus and also because of Aquinas his Judgment of Instrumental Musick in Gods Worship Secund. secundae Quaest 91. by whom it sufficiently appears they were not then in general use and Durandus Ration Div. Off. l. 4. c. 34. who lived and wrote for them about the same time or a little before saith that in his time Organs used to creak in some Churches in quibusdam Ecclesiis Organa concrepare solita which he pleads for from the Practice of David and Solomon to which Reason of Durandus Aquinas answers as the most learned Dr. Reynolds judgeth Cens lib. Apocr tom 2. prael 187. And moreover the Romish Synagogue it self in the presence of the Pope useth not Organs as Voetius ubi supra informs us from Navarrus Molanus and Cardinal Cajetan he forsooth being in this tenacious of the primitive simplicity So far do those among us vary from the Pope who have introduced them not into Cathedrals only but into their Parish Churches though they have neither Injunction from the Kings Majesty nor Statute of Parliament nor Canon of their own Convocations or Synods nor any countenance thereto from any Rubrick or syllable in their own Books that I can call to mind But these men who glory in their own Conformity to the publick Establishment can thus notoriously transgress it themselves and their Lordships the Bishops can connive thereat in such an instance as this When any of the Conforming Clergy shall be as forward to swerve from the publick Establishment on the other hand in a way of departure from the Popish manner of Worship as they are in this to transgress against it in a way of approach to the Papists mode we shall see whether their Lordships the Bishops will be as indulgent towards them or not In the mean time we may take it for granted that the King and Parliament never intended the Act of Uniformity should be violated in compliance with the Papists manner of Worship and serve as an Engine to bring affliction upon great numbers of other loyal peaceable and useful Subjects who from Conscience though supposedly weak and mistaking dare not conform to it in those things wherein it injoyns Conformity with the Papists And what wonder is it if many be strengthened in their Non-conformity when the zealous Pleaders for Conformity shall give instances neither few nor small of their little regard to their own avowed Rule THE GOSPEL OF THE LEGAL PRIESTHOOD Hebr. 4.14 Jan. 31. 1668. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens let us hold fast our Profession THe perpetual Statutes of the Ceremonial Law we referred to five Heads 1. The initiating Seal of Circumcision 2. The Legal Sacrifices and Purifications 3. The Temple with all the Vessels and Utensils thereunto belonging 4. The Legal Administration Lastly The Legal Festivals or legal times and seasons Four of these five Heads we have spoken to The last was that of the Festivals or Jewish Holy days which we spake to before this of the Priesthood because of these superstitious times yet continued amongst us which we borrow from the Jews all whose Ceremonial holy times are abolished and ceased The fifth thing remaining to be spoken to is the Priesthood or the whole Legal Ministry Of the Priesthood and Legal Ministry we may consider 1. The several sorts or kinds of them 2. Their Maintenance 1. As to the first there were three sorts and degrees of Temple-Officers 1. The Priests the chief of which was the High Priest 2. The Levites 3. The Nethinims Now first of the Priesthood Three Doctrines are obvious before us in the words Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ the Son of God is the great High Priest of whom the Priests under the Law were but types and shadows Doctr. 2. That he is passed into the Heavens as the High Priest of old did into the holy places made with hands so Christ into Heaven it self Doctr. 3. That our having such an High Priest under the Gospel should be an effectual motive to Believers to hold fast their Profession As times of Prosperity to the Church use to produce many Hycrites so times of Persecution commonly produce many Apostates as it was formerly so it is now in this regard Therefore a great part of the scope of this Epistle is to perswade them to hold fast their Profession It is the first of these we are to speak unto That Jesus Christ the Son of God is the great High Priest of whom the Priests under the Law were but types and shadows We shall endeavour to open this a little and give you the meaning of this Type the Priesthood under the Law and that under two heads 1. What of Christ was typified by the Priests and especially by the High Priest of old 2. How or wherein did the High Priest typifie and shadow forth these things Quest 1. What of Christ was typified by the Priests and especially the High Priests under the Law Answ Take it in three things the legal Priesthod was a Type 1. Of Christ himself in his own Person 2. In his Ministers 3. In his Members All which I shall endeavour to make out unto you with what evidence of Scripture-light the Lord shall enable me when we come to the particulars wherin the High Priest did typifie and shadow forth Christ there will be occasion to accommodate them all these ways both to Christ to himself and his Ministers and his Members 1. The Priest was a Type of Christ himself in his own person therefore Christ is so often called a Priest and an High Priest especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews And he doth appear and is presented unto John as officiating in the Office of a Priest Rev. 8.3 and another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given him much Incense This Angel is Jesus Christ the great High Priest of his Church who stands with the Golden Censer having much Incense given him that he should offer it up before the Throne Here is Jesus Christ doing that great part of his Priestly Office namely making Intercession for us For the Incense was a Type of the Prayers and Intercession of Jesus Christ as we have heard This is the first thing typified by the High Priest the Priest was a Type of Christ himself 2. The Priests were Types of Gospel-Ministers we read Mal. 3.3 He shall fit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi c. It is spoken concerning Jesus Christ when he should come what he should do and the meaning is he shall set up a pure Gospel-Ministry In the last Chapters of Ezekiel as the holy City there is the Church of God under the Gospel so the Priests and Levites are the Ministers and Officers of the Church And in that famous Prophesie of the Conversion of the Gentiles Isai 66.19 20 21. as the converted Gentiles are here called a Meat-offering to
3. The Priest must be free from gross deformities and blemishes though he was subject to common humane infirmities Lev. 21 17. Say unto Aaron whosoever it is that hath any blemish let him not approach to offer Sacrifice for whatsoever man it is that hath any blemish he shall not approach a blind or lame or broken-footed or broken-handed c. he shall not come to offer the Offering of the Lord made by fire he hath a blemish he shall not come nigh to offer the Bread of his God These natural infirmities which the Priests under the Law must be free from taught us the absolute freedom of Jesus Christ from moral infirmities there is no blemish no spot found in him He wants no parts no gifts or sufficiency to discharge his whole Office and Function For such an High Priest becomes us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heavens Heb. 7.26 as they were to be free from those natural blemishes and defects so is Jesus Christ free from all sinful defects and blemishes That is a third Rule as to the qualifications of the Priests 4. They must be called unto this Office and must not intrude and thrust themselves into it The Lord said unto Moses take Aaron and his Sons with him from among the people that they may minister unto me in the Priests Office Exod. 28.1 The Apostle applies this also to Jesus Christ Heb. 5.4 5. he doth not take this honour to himself as no man should take the honour of the Priesthood to himself but he that was called as was Aaron so Jesus Christ was called of God the Father to this Office as the Priests were by Moses to their Levitical Ministry Christ glorified not himself to be made High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son 5. The Priest must abstain from the use of Wine and Strong Drink when he is to do the Service of God in the Sanctuary and to minister before the Lord Lev. 10.9 And the Lord spake unto Aaron saying do not drink Wine nor Strong Drink thou nor thy Sons with thee when ye go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation lest he die c. so it is said in Ezek. 44.21 neither shall any Priest drink Wine when they enter into the inner Court The end of this was that they might be sure to administer and execute their Office aright lest they drink and forget the Law Prov. 31.5 lest they should err through Wine and be out of the way through Strong drink and stumble in Judgment Isai 28.7 Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the heart Hos 4.11 Thus they were to abstain from the use of Wine and Strong drink This represents that undisturbed Sobriety and Wisdom of Jesus Christ in the whole execution of his Office as the great High Priest of his Church He was never forgetful of or unready for any part of his Office but he had clearness of Judgment and Wisdom at all times So the Ministers of the Gospel there is a secondary application of these things to them though first and chiefly it is applied to Jesus Christ himself Whatsoever is set forth concerning Jesus Christ doth secondarily point at Ministers and Christians in whom the Graces and Excellencies of Jesus Christ appear The Ministers of the Gospell must be sober and not men given to Wine 1 Tim. 3.3 A Bishop must not be given to Wine no striker or given to filthy lucre c. and the Apostle requires it also in other places that they should take heed of that sin they must be sober and watchful in all things 2 Tim. 4.5 But watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry So all Believers likewise for it belongs likewise to them they should be sober and watch to the discharge of their Christian duty Be ye therefore sober 1 Tim. 4.7 and watch unto Prayer 1 Pet. 5.8 be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour It is a woful thing and a shameful thing when Ministers are given to Wine and Strong drink these are not Gods Ministers these are such as do not correspond with the Type And it is the fruit of the Wrath of God upon a people when he sets up such Ministers among them Mich. 2.11 If any man shall prophesie of Wine or of Strong drink he shall be the Prophet to this people Isai 56.10 11 12. his Watchmen are blind they are ignorant c. come say they we will fetch Wine and fill our selves with Strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundantly It is usually the prologue and introduction to great Desolations or Land-devouring Judgments when they have Priests that love Wine and Strong drink it brings Land-devouring Judgments And that is a fifth Rule concerning these Levitical Priests that they must abstain from Wine and Strong drink when they were to minister before the Lord. 6. The Priest might not marry a Widow or a divorced Woman or a Harlot but a Virgin of his people This is another peculiar observation required of men in that Order under the Law Lev. 21.13 14. And he shall take a Wife in her Virginity a Widow or a divorced Woman or profane or an Harlot these shall he not take but he shall take a Virgin of his own people to Wife c. The same thing is spoken also in Ezek. 44.22 neither shall they take to wife a Widow c. What is the meaning of this it cannot be a moral precept It is not unlawful for a Minister to marry a Widow Therefore look at the High Priest herein The Spouse of Jesus Christ ought to be a Virgin chaste and undefiled whose first and best Love is to be bestowed on him 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you with godly Jealousie for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ And in Matth. 25. we find that Professors in some respects they are all Virgins though there be foolish Virgins as well as wife but it is especially applied to the sincere to the wise Virgins Rev. 14.4 These are they that are not defiled with Women for they are Virgins these follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Purity and Holiness is the property of true Believers an entire dedication of themselves to Jesus Christ alone The Virgins love thee Cant. 1.3 7. The seventh Rule and Observation about the Priesthood was this that he was not to mourn for the dead no not for his Father and Mother nor to attend their Funeral or to go out of the Sanctuary to intermit his Ministry Lev. 21.10 11 12. And he that is the High Priest among his Brethren he shall not uncover his head nor rent his clothes neither shall he go in to any dead body nor defile himself for his Father or for his
All this pointed them to and was most eminently fulfilled in Jesus Christ the only true High Priest in and by whom alone God speaks his mind and works his Image in us In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 and he is holy and harmless and separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners He wears the true Vrim and Thummim always upon his heart Illuminations and Perfections Lights and Graces in the highest And we have nothing of either but what we have from him Our Lights are from him 2 Cor. 4.6 Matth. 11.27 our Graces are from him Joh. 1.16 of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses ver 17. these legal shadows of terror and darkness but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace instead of legal terror and rigour Truth that is accomplishments and performances instead of shadows and promises came by Jesus Christ It follows ver 18. no man hath seen God at any time that is by any Light or Grace or Power of his own but the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him The true Vrim and Thummim is in the Pectoral of Jesus Christ all our Illuminations and Perfections are in him 4. Whereas this Vrim and Thummim were lost in the Captivity in Babylon and wanting in the second Temple Ezra 2.63 Nehem 7.65 They wanted this as they did some other vessels and monuments as the Golden Pot of Manna Aarons Rod that budded some think also the Ark and the two Tables of Stone were wanting in the second Temple but as to the Vrim and Thummim those Texts seem clear for it nor had they the Cloud of Glory as in the Tabernacle and in the first Temple or Fire from Heaven The end of all this Dispensation was to teach them to look and long the more earnestly after Jesus Christ the true spiritual Glory of the Temple and Church of God whose coming was now approaching and drawing on apace These abatements of that former outward Glory were preparations for more spiritual Dispensations under the Gospel wherein those outward Glories were not to be expected and in the mean time they had the Law of Moses and the written Word of God in the Old Testament which they were to cleave and stick close unto Mal. 4.4 But when Christ came he restored to his Church in a more glorious manner the true Vrim and Thummim Light and Grace was poured forth abundantly even upon such who by reason of the long intermission of those extraordinary Operations of the Holy Ghost had not so much as heard whether there was an Holy Ghost or no. Acts 19.2 6. The Jewish Writers have a saying and a tradition amongst them that after the latter Prophets Haggai Zechariah and Malachy the Holy Ghost went up and departed from Israel They mean in those extraordinary operations of it and they reckon Vrim and Thummim as one of the degrees of the Holy Ghost inferior to the Spirit of Prophesie but superior to that Bath-qol as they call it the Daughter of a Voice or an Eccho from Heaven which was heard sometimes in the second Temple and which they say took place in the second Temple when Prophesie and Urim ceased We read of such Voices from Heaven to Jesus Christ Matth. 3.17 Joh 12.28 29. 2 Pet. 1.17 18. and he adds in the next verse we have a more sure Word of Prophesie This Bath-qol or Voice from Heaven it was a Prologue and a Preface and Type as it were of that true Voice of the Father the eternal Word of God Jesus Christ who came down from Heaven by whom God hath in these last days spoken to us who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in former times unto the Fathers but now only by his Son Heb. 1.1 2. 8. The eighth piece of the holy Pontifical attire was the Mitre of which the Text saith And he put the Mitre upon his head And it is said Exod. 28.39 thou shalt make the Mitre of fine Linnen This was one of the last Garments that was put on therefore Zechariah desires this in the clothing of Jehoshuah as the perfecting of the Mercy Zech. 3.5 and I said let them set a fair Mitre upon his head so they set a fair Mitre upon his head As to the shape and fashion of this Garment it was not unlike that which the other Priests wore and is called a Bonnet It was made of Linnen-cloth wrapped about the head in a round and high-crowned fashion after the manner of the East Some compare it to the Turkish Turbants or Tullibants some translate it a Hat As to the outward form and inward mystery of it there is little difficulty For a Mitre or a Hat upon the Head was an Ornament of Authority and Superiority over others Ezek. 21.26 Remove the Diadem Job 29.14 My Judgment was as a Diadem in which places is radically the same word as here in Exod. 28. The Mitre therefore was an Ornament and Ensign of illustrious sacred Eminency and Superiority in the High Priest over others It pointeth us to the Princely Dignity and Kingly Office of Jesus Christ He is the great High Priest and indeed both Priest and King of his Church the true Archbishop the chief Shepherd as Peter calls him 1 Pet. 5.4 Believers are called a royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 but Christ is so much more He is not only a Priest but a Prince and a Prevailer with the Lord on our behalf 9. The ninth and last piece of the holy Priestly attire is the Golden Plate of which the Text saith Also upon the Mitre even upon his forefront did he put the Golden Plate the holy Crown It is called Exod. 39.30 the Plate of the holy Crown so called for that it was made say some somewhat like a Crown Compare Exod. 29.6 The use and nature of it is described fully in Exod. 28.36 37 38. The Inscription Quodesh la Jehovah may be rendred more emphatically the Holiness of Jehovah It speaks three things 1. The Royal yea the Divine Holiness of Jesus Christ that absolute Holiness whereby he sanctifies both himself and us Joh. 17.19 wherein he doth that really which Aaron did typically He is indeed the Holines of Jehovah Jehovah tsidkenu the Lord our Righteousness is his Name Jer. 23.6 Hence he often appears with a Crown of Gold upon his Head as Rev. 14.14 2. His bearing our iniquities and taking away our sins which are found even in our holy things Exod. 28.38 There is a mixture in the best we do Many Believers are apt to be discouraged about it My Prayers are so full of unbelief and deadness and wandrings they deserve abhorrence and not acceptance Well but the High Priest here bears the iniquities of all the holy things of the Children of Israel 3. His causing us to be accepted
on foot about it as if a man should say he had rather lye or steal or whore or be drunk or kiss the Pix or bow to an Idol or go to Mass then not preach the Gospel For I beseech you consider either it is a sin or it is not a sin If it be not a sin to preach in a Fools Coat or in a Surplice prove this and then use it and wear it in the name of God But if it be a sin it is not a supposed good intent to save a Soul that will justifie an evil action though it be not so foul an evil as some others If a Minister would fain do good to Souls and therefore is very loth to be silenced let him observe this rule let him take heed of conforming lest God silence him lest God stop his mouth or blast his endeavours that he shall never speak with any great evidence and demonstration of the Spirit nor with any great success for the good of Souls For I see but few Surplices or Circingle men that do much good Vse 2. To confute the Popish Allegorizers who tell us the literal sense of these Garments is such as this namely That the disposition and frame of the World is expressed in them and that the High Priest did thereby profess himself the Minister or Servant of the Creator of Heaven and Earth For of the significations of these holy Garments thus they descant see Aquin. 1. 2â— â—st 102. art 5. ad 10. and Becan tom 3. Opusc 7. cap. 5. q. 1. 〈◊〉 lintea significabant terram ex quâ linum nascitur Balceus Oceanum qui cingit terram the Linnen Breeches signifie the Earth out of which Flax groweth the Girdle the Ocean because it compasseth the Earth like a Girdle Tunica hyacinthina Aerem quia hyacinthini coloris est the sky-coloured Coat the Air because it is of a sky-colour The Golden Bells of it the Thunder in the Air The Pomegranates the Lightenings The Ephod the starry Heavens The two Onyx-stones the two Hemispheres or the Sun and the Moon The twelve Precious Stones in the Ephod the twelve Signs in the Zodiack The Mitre the Empyrean Heavens The Golden Plate God the King of all This they call the literal account of these holy Priestly Garments Well then they come to the mystical sense and there they tell us That the Linnen Breeches signifie Chastity the Linnen Coat purity of Life the Girdle moderation of Discretion the Mitre a right Intention which they say are virtues necessary for all Ministers over and above which Bishops they say must have four others which they fancy to be signified by the other Garments of the High Priest But these are too vain to insist on a large Confutation of them As these Interpretations and Applications of theirs have no footing in Scripture nor the least countenance given them from thence so there is a profound silence concerning Christ therein passing him over wholly when as indeed He and his Performances and Endowments are the great thing taught and shadowed forth by them all Vse 3. See and behold in these holy Pontifical Vestments the spiritual Glory of Jesus Christ the true High Priest For all this did represent plusquam Angelicam Splendorem Calvin that more then Angelical Splendor of Jesus Christ who is clothed indeed with Glory and Beauty Let me but briefly run over and recapitulate the heads of things according to the Explications given 1. Here is the white and pure Linnen of his perfect Righteousness imputed to us in Justification For that is one great thing intended by it as well as the Garments of Holiness and Grace inherent 2. He is girded with Strength and with Truth and Faithfulness for our Salvation and is always ready to do us good 3. He hath a glorious Robe the Golden Bells whereof have sounded in the holy place and their sound is gone forth into all the earth and the Fruits thereof are sweet and fragrant as a Garden of Pomegranates 4. He wears a glorious Ephod in the shoulders whereof he doth support his Church and lifts up them and their concernments out of the dust of death and sin and misery and bears them up before the Lord as upon the shoulders of an infinite and almighty Power 5. He hath a Brest-plate of Love upon his Heart continually our Names and our Concernments are written there even upon the Heart of Jesus Christ like the Names of the Children of Israel upon Aarons Brest-plate 6. Here is the true Urim and Thummim all Divine Illuminations and Perfections in the Heart of Jesus Christ and Emanations of Light and Holiness from him to us 7. He hath a Mitre upon his Head He is a Royal Priest both King and Priest He reconciles us effectually and intercedes with Power as a Prince prevailing with the Lord. 8. And lastly he wears a Golden Crown of Holiness upon his Forehead before the Lord. And having such an High Priest Is not all this enough to strengthen Faith and to encourage you not only to believe but to rejoyce in believing even to rejoyce and triumph in Jesus Christ THE GOSPEL of the CONSECRATION of the PRIESTS Exod. cap. 29. ver 1 c. to 38. Feb. 21. 1668. THe Contents printed in your Bibles give you the true Analysis of this Chapter for there be three things in it 1. The Consecration of the Priests to ver 38. 2. The continual Burnt-offering ver 38 c. 3. The Lords Promise of his gracious Presence with the Children of Israel ver 45. It is only the first of these viz. the Consecration of the Aaronical Priests unto their Office that we are now to speak unto There be four things wherein those Priests of old were Types 1. In their Priestly Qualifications and other Rites and Rules observed by them 2. In their Apparel 3. In their Consecration to their Office 4. In their Priestly Ministrations The two former of these viz. their Priestly and ritual Qualifications as also their holy Garments have been spoken to That which follows next is their Consecration to their Office which is declared at large in two places almost two whole Chapters of holy Scripture The Direction of it in this 29th of Exodus and the Execution of it in the 8th Chapter of Leviticus This Consecration was the solemn Investiture of them in their Office which was done by sundry sacred and mystical Rites and Ceremonies ordained and appointed of God for that end They were chiefly these four all mentioned in both these places Exod. 29. and Levit. 8. 1. Washing them 2. Apparrelling them with the holy Garments 3. Anointing them with the holy Oyl 4. Sacrificing and so sanctifying them by Blood All which I shall put together in one general Proposition or point of Doctrine which will indeed contain the sum of this whole Chapter as far as to ver 38. Doctr. That the Consecration of the Priests of old was done by washing them and by apparrelling them