was possible for the Jews to travel to their temporal Canaan without their staff O how doth Faith succour and relieve the soul all along in his way to Heaven when the soul is ready to give over and is yielding up the ghost how doth this staff of believing raise him up again and putteth a new life of confidence into the soul again Thus it oftentimes set up David upon his legs again Psalm 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living like a staff under weariness it did stay up and support David O how did this staff of Faith succour and relieve Habbakuck Hab. 3. 17 18. Although there be no fruit in the vine and although the fig-tree doth not blossom and there be no herd in the stalls and the flock should be cut off from the fold yet will I joy in God and rejoyce in the God of my salvation O what a deep ditch did the Psalmist leap over by this staff of believing Psalm 73. 25. My flesh and my heart faileth me but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Hence it is that Habakkuk saith The just man shall live by his faith Hab. 2. 4. That is for the support it gives a soul in dangerous times it is this grace that keeps a soul above water this was it which carried David through all his trouble this was it lifted him up out of the horrible pit Psalm 40. 2 3. this was the staff that led the Jews through the Red Sea this led Jacob over the Jordan of his difficulties Gen. 3â— this staff led him into Egypt and this staff brought out Joseph his bones Jacob his son out of Egypt again Hebrews 11. 22. And this was the staff the Apostles travelled by all along in their journey in this life 2 Cor. v. 7. For we walk by faith not by sight Mark we walk by faith It is what the travelling Christian must carry in his hand at all times in the pilgrimage he spendeth in this life Lastly The Jews had their shooes on their feet Exod. 12. 11. The shooes you know are what greatly helps a man to a comfortable going on in his journey without which well he cannot travel Now Paul shews you what it is to have the feet well shod Ephes 6. 15. Having your feet well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace that is a soul that takes in the Lamb of God and thereby hath bound himself to flye out of his carnal prophane Egyptian sinful life and conversation had need first of all well furnish himself with the word of God with the threatning part of it to drive him and prick him on with the examples of others lives therein written to draw him with the promises therein to perswade him and with the hope of eternal life true joy and sweet felicity to allure him or else he will finde it a hard matter to come quit of his old condition and carnal conversation Therefore saith Paul Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly Col. 3. 16. So saith David Thy word have I hid in my heart Psalm 119. 11. O you young Christians for to you I speak you that would eat the roasted Lamb Christ and would come out of the Egypt of your carnal ignorant blinde conditions O hearken to my advice you must be well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace O saith Christ Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. O be much in reading of your Bibles let them not lie idle get as much of them as you can into your hearts that you may be able to wrestle with flesh and blood against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse got into high places Ephesians 6. 12. O beg hard at Gods hand that he would imprint his word upon your hearts and cause you to grow in the knowledge of it more and more that so you may have to answer every temptation that you shall meet with in your way to your spirâ—tual Canaan You know the shooes are useful to keep the feet from the gauling truly so is the word of God well applyed very useful to keep the conscience from gaulding and corrupting for look how it is with a man with sore feet he halts and tumbles not able to keep his ground so it is with a man under a gaulded conscience he cannot stand steddy in any place but reels from thing to thing from place to place and cannot stand long any where at a time now the word of God will help this either as applyed or eyed 1. As applyed so will it help the gaulded conscience Psalm 107. 20. 2. As it is applyed by the soul as its rule to walk by so it prevents from corrupting for as the shooes keeps the feet from gauling so will the word of God keep the conscience from corrupting if it be carefully observed as the souls rule to walk by So you see what it is to eat the Lamb a Lamb roasted to eat him with the loins girt the staff in the hand and the shooes on the feet CHAP 4. The next thing to be noted in the Type or Hiisory is this the Lamb was to be eaten by every particular Family unless the Family were too big then they were to take the next adjoyning to it and so they were to eat it together Exod 12. 4. THis in the Ante-type shews us thus much by way of information First That all the particular Churches of God in the world have a like right to Jesus Christ for though there be one body or Church Universal spread over the earth yet this universal body is distinguished into so many little bodies or Churches as Providence thinks good Hence it is that you have the Holy Ghost speaking of seven Churches in Asia Rev. 1. 4. Like wise we read of a particular Church which was in Aquilla and Priscilla's house 1 Cor. 16. 15. A slender foundation for a national Church and yet all these distinct societies have all aright alike to Christ as the families of the Jews were all alike to eat the Lamb therefore saith Paul There is one body and one spirit even as ye are called by one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God one Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4. 4 5 6. Through all ages in the world every Church in particular hath had a like benefit by Christ so that the weakest Church in the world if it be a true Church may claim as large a portion in the heart of Christ as the flourishing'st Church in the primitive times when the Apostles were living You see though Israel were a great body yet they must be divided into several little Bodies when they come to eat the Lamb and yet a Lamb for every family or little body of eaters so that none need to doubt in any age of
16. 7. Use 1. Therefore soul if ever thou wouldst have comfort in thy troubled seasons look not for it in any thing below Jesus Christ read that of Isa 50. 11. Behold all ye which kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that you have kindled but this shall ye have at my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow As Israels water springs lay altogether in their Canaan so the believers springs lyeth altogether above in his heavenly Canaan Rev. 22 2. Therefore if thy springs of comfort and refreshment are but few O consider thou art in thy Wildernesse while here a place which affords great droughts but little water but it is enough that thou art travelling to a land of Rivers and Springs of water and fountains of living pleasures which are at the Fathers right hand that runneth for evermore CHAP. 12. The Wildernesse attended with doubts and fears Again the Wildernesse afforded many doubts and fears which arose First From the barrenness of it And secondly on the other hand because of the several attempts which the Inhabitants of the Country daily made in order to their utter Ruine and Destruction THis leads us still to behold the condition of the soul while on this side his Heavenly Canaan of Rest and Peace where do that Christian live that cannot speak more or less of this kind of condition here in this life O the doubts and fears that do arise in the heart of a poor soul about his eternal condition when the soul is under the withdrawings of these sensible enjoyments of the love and favour of God to his spirit when the soul feels not these inward stirrings of the spirit of God as formerly the soul had and could once experience O what doubts and fears do this many a times create upon the heart of the Christian which makes the soul to cry out Now I shall perish now God hath forsaken me and is angry with me and intends to cast me off for ever O I shall never have his love more I thought once that I should never have inherited eternal life O how have my soul been comforted heretofore concerning the truth of this But now all my hope and comfort is gone my grace is gone from within me my God is gone my heart and my flesh faileth me because the favour of God is departed from me and I left a miserable poor wretched soul destitute of all help hope and comfort so that like as the Israelites hearts would fail them for want of bread and water in their Wildernesse so doth the poor soul in his spiritual Wilderness condition when his bread of life and water of life fails him when grace seems weak and comforts fail and the inward springs of supply grows low then the soul dies as it were within himself Thus it was with David Lord saith he â—hou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30. 7. And thus it was with the Spouse in Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called but he gave me no answer Look how it was with the Jews in their temporal and litteral wilderness no longer then they could see their bread and water could they have peace within but were alwayes complaining and murmuring and doubting what would become of their conditions and the condition of their generations to come insomuch that they displeased God oftentimes against them and made him to slay the fattest of them Psal 78. 31 32 For they could not believe for a day but still doubted of Gods faithfulness every moment Thus it is with the soul in the spiritual wilderness no longer then the soul is feeding upon the sensible enjoyments of Gods Holy Spirit the soul is ready to conclude destruction to its self Now the duty of the soul is to believe and to trust God that although we never feel or taste or discern any thing within us yet still to rely upon this promise that God will ever be mindeful of his Covenant so did David 2 Sam. 23. 5. O what a blessed frame of spirit was the Prophet Habakkuk in c. 3. 17. 18 19. When he uttered these words Although the fig-tree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the vine the labour of the olive should cease and the field should yield no meat and the flock should be cut off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation the Lord is my strength he will make my feet like hindes feet and he will make me to walk upon high places Truly my friends the best life is a life of believing O this brings you in the most solid comfort and peace therefore saith Habakkuck cap. 2 4. The just man shall live by his faith and saith the Apostle We walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. O souls my exhortation to you is what was the Apostles to the Hebrewes Heb. 3. 12. Take heed of suffering in you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God O labour to live more and more by believing and lesse by sense because its a life that best suits the state you are in remember you are in the Wilderness a place which affords great grounds of fears and many doubtings and therefore you had need of a great deal of faith in the promises of God and the faithfulnesse of God or you may faint by the way and at last die in the Wildernesse and so never see the good land Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of us should seem to come short of it Now what is it that so much endangers a souls falling short of the good land the Canaan of rest look you into the 3. chap. of this Epistle and the 18. ver You shall see it was want of a believing spirit Again the Israelites fears did arise from those enemies which assaulted them in the Wildernesse as Og King of Bashan and the Amalâ—kites Thus it is with the soul in his spiritual Wildernesse O what out-cries doth the soul oftentimes make with respect to these horrid assaults the souls enemies oftentimes makes against him in his inward man How doth sin and lust and temptation assault the poor soul with what violence and strength doth worldly mindednesse break in upon the soul what sad assaults doth Pride Revenge Concupiscence and Unbelief oftentimes visit the soul withall which makes the soul cry out with David many times I shall one day perish by the hands of these Sauls which pursue my soul night and day like a Partridge upon the Mountains I say what sad fears do the risings of these corruptions oftentimes occasion in the souls of Gods people which makes
was given for the life of the world John 6. 51. And so our Saviour expounds the Type of the Wilderness food read ver 58. with John 4. 14 For as a man cannot live where either of these be lacking so neither can a man live spiritually if either his Manna or water be lacking therefore it is that Christ preacheth and in it presseth both these as necessary to salvation John 6. 57. And Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you that unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you For by the Flesh of Christ which answereth to the Type of the Manna was everlasting righteousness wrought out for the elect in the room of that which they lost in their first Adam 1 Cor. 1. 30. And the Blood of Christ which answereth to the water which came out of the Rock in the Wilderness that was shed to take away the guilt of that sin which the soul lay under in the sight of the Justice of God this John the Divine tells you 1 John 2. 1 2. He is a propitiation in his blood for our sins so 1 John 1 7. And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin Both of which viz the Manna and water must be applied by the soul in a way of sound believing or the soul cannot live either the life of grace here or the life of glory hereafter Now this is it which is a Believers principle food which made David cry out when he was under the thoughts of it what an excellent people the Saints were Psal 16. 3. he gives you the reason of it in Psal 36. 8 9. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them to drink of the rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light There is one thing very remarkable about the Rock in the Wilderness which is this That the water came not out of the Rock until it was stricken by the rod in the hand of Moses which shews us thus much That as all the spiritual benefit light comfort and refreshment which comes home to a Believer comes home to them through this spiritual Rock Jesus Christ so the original cause of it was from Gods striking of him with the stroke of his wrath for sin Isa 53. 10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief and to make his soul an offering for sin Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Use I. O then what a rate should Believers put upon their spiritual and temporal comforts were Believers under the real sence of those dreadful strokes and lashing blows which our dear Sauiour passed under that the door of grace and comfort might be set open to the Saints surely it would both occasion more love to Christ then there is and more highly to value their enjoyments then they do O soul doest thou receive any spiritual or temporal mercy or comfort at Gods hands doest thou meet with any inward light or refreshment in thy soul O then look up to thy rock Jesus Christ and consider with thy self how much he endured and suffered for it e're it could come home to thy soul or body what strokes of the Fathers wrath he endured and passed under before these waters of outward or inward comfort and refreshment could come either to thy soul or body O how wonderfully would the knowledge of this both season and savour the incomes of the Father to your souls CHAP. 9. I come now to speak of the Israelites drinking of the waters of Bitterness called Marah Exodus 16. 22 23. Though I should according to order have placed this back before the stricking of the Rock but because I would not omit it I have placed it here YOu may observe that as soon as the Children of Israel were delivered from the Red Sea and brought into the Wilderness the first waters that they drank of that we read of were waters of Bitternesse or bitter waters Exodus 16. 22 23. But this was done by the appointment of God Moses was to take a Tree which God shewed him Mark that not every Tree would do it onely a tree of Gods chusing and Moses was to cast the Tree into the Waters which done the waters which were bitter before became sweet and pleasant to the taste as before Exod. 16. 5. This leads us to the Ante-type and as in a glass it shews us these things First What portion the soul which hath eaten the Lamb Christ may expect to meet with as soon as ever he enters the wilderness journey in this world he must presently expect to drink of the waters of Marah or bitter waters which waters of Marah they will hold out the state of affliction which accompany godliness in this life how soon do poor souls experience after they have eaten Christ the Lamb of God the drinking of these bitter waters of affliction what opposition doth the soul presently meet with both at home and abroad First at home what cruel threatnings doth the wife meet with from the husband and the husband from the wife the childe from the parent and the parent from the childe and so the servant from the master the brother from the sister and the sister from the brother how reproachfully will they speak of the poor soul which hath eaten the Lamb Christ Jesus what taunts jeers flouts scoffs and mocks doth the soul pass under for Christ in the family where he lives reproaching the soul with the name of the holy Brother or holy Sister and that they are of the order of the Brother-hood though these terms are not matter of reproach but rather of honour yet the wicked use them as words of reproach to reproach the godly withal and if the poor soul be at his devotion to God at any time then he must be termed a house Priest or a Tub Preacher Thus the soul daily drinks of the waters of Marah or waters of bitterness Psal 123. 4. And if the soul goes abroad at any time the same he meets with amongst his Neighbours it s he that can sport himself with the poor soul as the Philistines did with Sampson Judges 16. 25. What mischief doth the wicked plot against such a poor heart as the Psalmist speaks of Psalm 37. 12. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent the bow to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as be of upright conversation Besides our Saviour tells you what his people must expect while in the wilderness Mat. 10. 34. 35 36. saith Christ Think not that I am come to send peace on the earth I am not come to send peace on the earth but a sword I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against the mother and the daughter
is the Saints Gospel Altar as not daring to offer up any thing to God in his Worship but upon this Altar where the Grate of Net-work is where they may be sure there shall nothing pass up to God but what is pure and acceptable CHAP. 23. I come now to speak of the Horns of this Altar THis Altar had four Horns and they were placed upon the four corners of it The use and purpose of the horns upon the Altar I finde to be two-fold First they were appointed and set up to binde the sacrifice to them that so the sacrifice being kept equally strait by the cords which came from the four corners of the Altar might not start aside as otherwise it might have done there is so much as this to be gathered out of the words of David Psalm 118. 27. God is the Lord who hath shewed us light binde the sacrifice with cords even to the Horns of the Altar Secondly It is very likely that these Horns of the Altar might be a kinde of refuge to the Hebrews as their cities of refuge were performing something of the same use to malefactors as the Cities of refuge did which we read of in Numb 35. with Joshua 20. 2. This seems to be the use of the Horns of the Altar if we consider that place in 1 King 2. 28. with verse 30. when Joab had fled to the Horns of the Altar about his rebelling against King Solomon the King sends forth his Executioner to fall upon him but when the Executioner came and found him hanging about the Horns of the Altar he went back again to the King to report the matter and to know his farther pleasure therein which strongly intimates to us that these Altar Horns did afford men in that kinde of distress some succour and relief against present Execution Both of which uses of the Horns of the Altar leads us to the Lord Jesus Christ for something as our great treasury which may be fetched out of him both for our instruction and comfort First of all for our instruction it shews us thus much That as the Jewish Sacrifices were tied with cords to the Horns of the Altar so should Believers if they would not have their Sacrifices and Duties miscarry binde them fast with spiritual cords to the Horns of their Altar Christ There be five cords which I shall present you with as very necessary to the binding of all our duties to the Horns of our spiritual Altar Christ First the cord of believing this is so necessary a cord that if our duties be not bound fast to the Horns of the Altar Christ with it all our labour will be lost labour do what we can Heb. 11. 6. For without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them which diligently seek him So verse 4. it s said By faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain Here let me admonish two sorts of persons First such as yet have no Faith at all O Sirs what do you mean that you can content your selves to live all this while in the world without Faith Oh! how do you mean to have your duties accepted with God in Heaven when you want Faith Unbelievers are so far from pleasing God as that he hates all they do as an abominable filthy thing and all for want of Faith which is the Cord that should binde your Sacrifices to Christ for whose sake any thing is valued that is offered up to God You see Cain offered his Sacrifice to God as well as Abel yet God regarded onely Abels O friends you may see what respects God hath for your Services while you remain in a state of unbelief Read Isa 66. 3. He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Sheep is as if he cut off a Dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that offereth incense as if he had blâ—ssed an Idol yea they have chosen their own wayes and their souls delight in their abominations O poor souls how are you deluded by Satan who spurs you on in the ways of wickedness and unbelief keeping you all the while in darkness and ignorance as to the grace of believing which is the main necessary Cord that should binde your service to the Horns of the Altar Christ as that if it be wanting all that you do is but as the howling of dogs in the ears of the Lord as the Prophet speaks O therefore you that are Unbelievers leave off your sins and turn to God Oh go and beg of God for true saving justifying faith in Christ Jesus that so you may be accepted in your persons and then God will accept of your performances for God must first like your persons before he can have any regard to your performances and your persons cannot be accepted until you are found in Christ and you cannot be found in Christ until you have faith to put you into him and then when God through believing in Christ accepts of your persons then will he like of your duties and not before then Secondly This serves for instruction touching those which have Faith but are not so careful in the use and exercise of it as they should be in their duties of Worship towards God O be admonished in and about all you do in the Worship of God to set Faith on work O remember that under the Law the Sacrifice was to be tied fast to the Horns of the Altar O labour in the discharge of duty to get up the cord of Faith in your hands and binde your duties fast to Jesus Christ O look up by an eye of believing to Christ when you pray read hear the word ot break bread or what ever you do else hang up all upon this Altar and binde it fast to the Horns of it by this Cord of believing by concluding when you come off from the work that God will hear your Prayers for his Sons sake and upon this account he will accept your duties though weak and poor and that he will in his time feed you and satisfie you and give you the thing you have asked at his hands for his own name sake because you have builded upon the Lord Jesus his worthiness and have tied your duties fast about him for Faith is the uniting grace between Christ and Believers it first ties our souls to Christ and next our duties therefore saith Habakuck 2. 4. The just man shall live by his faith Secondly The Cord with which Believers should and ought to binde fast their sacrifices to the Horns of this Altar Christ is a sound understanding in and about the things they offer to God in sacrifice for want of which Believers do lose very much of the reward of their work with God Under the Law if those sacrifices which the Jews did offer to God had wanted but an
Gospel brazen Laver they are now all accounted priests as well as kings to God Use I. Let it serve for information first concerning those which have not yet washed themselves by believing in the Blood of this spiritual brazen Laver. O Sirs how do you think to be accepted with the Lord either in your persons or performances O you that contend so much about Religion alas to what purpose is it when you your selves were never washed from your uncleanness in the Laver of Christs Blood through believing O my friends that I could perswade you to read and well consider that Scripture Isa 1. 11. 12 13 14. and so on To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he goats when you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread in my Courts bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me the calling of Assemblâ—es with your new Moons and Sabbaths I cannot away with it it is iniquity even your solemn meetings your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them and when you spread your hands forth I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of bloud wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil learn to do well so Verse 18. Then come and let us reason together Thus you see what you must be a people washed and cleansed from your Pollutions through faith in Christs bloud ere ever you can come near God in Worship do not think that God will draw near the Swearing Blasphemer the Whoring Ranter the Sabbath Prophaner the Unjust Oppressour the Justice Wrester the Christian Persecutor I tell thee no no do not deceive thy self be thou never so great or honourabe in this world yet while thou remainest in this condition God regards thy service in his Worship no more then he values the cutting off of a dogs neck Isa 66. 3. So likewise your Worship is abominable in Gods sight you hear God accounts it so let it be put forth in never so glorious a dress or done in never so Princely a Chappel or dished up upon never so good a Velvet Carpet you hear what God accounts of it untill you have washed your soul in the bloud of Jesus Christ by Faith O Sirs labour to draw near to Christ and get your selves washed by his bloud Oh break off from your vile hellish and prophane lives or God will never draw near your Worships while you live you may assure your selves of it the pure God can never commune with such impure souls as you are in his sight you may make your selves as merry as you can when you are in your Worships but you may assure your selves while you remain unwashed with the blould of Christ the great God will be far enough from coming amongst you to cast in any true mirth in the midst of you Use 2. It shews you the danger that will necessarily follow our presumption in daring to meddle with any thing of the holy Ordinances of the Gospel without being washed in the bloud of Christ our spiritual brazen Laver you see if the Priests the Sons of Aaron should do it they should die for it Certainly then if God in his Justice should smite with death all these Priests in England which never yet were washed in the Laver of Christs bloud we should have more Pulpits empty then we should find Priests to supply them in England And how God should make use of such unwashen ignorant fellows to wash the unclean of the times when so many sanctified cleansed Ministers of his own must be thrust out of that work and must stand by as useless the mean while to me it is a great mystery Use 3. If it be threatned with death for any to meddle with the holy things of God without being washed in the blould of the Lord Jesus Oh how should we tremble then to think how many deaths men bring on their heads this day in the world Oh was there ever more medling with the holy things of the Altar by unsanctified men and unwashen Priests then in this day Oh how do the holy Ordinances groan under this intollerable burthen that the Childrens bread must become meat for every Swine Use 4. Lastly Oh you that are the Priests of the Lord indeed I mean Believers Ministers and People would you be accepted in what you do for God would the Minister of Christ be useful in his place to the people what great need have such ere ever they come into the plce of Worship First by the lifting up of an eye of faith through prayer to cast themselves into the brazen Laver of Christs bloud ere ever they cast them-into the Pulpit And you the people would you have the Blessing and miss the Curse which doth or may attend the Ordinance Oh then look up yea get up to the brazen Laver every time you come to the Ordinances of God remember the Priests the Sons of Aaroâ— were to wash every time they were to meddle with such things Now ye are the Sons of Aaron and of the Royal Priesthood Oh labour to come in dropping wet to the Ordinance with the bloud of Christ and that is the way to go out dropping wet with the blessings of God CHAP. 26. Of the anointing of the Tabernacle with with the Vessels therein THus having ended with the several particulars in the Tabernacle I now come to speak of the anointing of the Tabernacle For we find that when Moses had finished the Tabernacle with the several Vessels thereof all this was to be anointed all over with Oil Exod. 40. 9 10. Now the Vessels that were in the Tabernacle as they had reference to Christ as hath been shewed you so also do they refer to the Individuals of the Church of God this you may see in Zach. 14. 20 21. In that day shall there be upon the Bells of the Horses holiness to the Lord and the Pots in the Lords house shall be like the bouls before the Altar for every Pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to the Lord That is every true servant of the Lord shall be under a great spirit of holiness in the latter Ages of the world Use 1. It serves to inform us of these two things First that the least member in the Church of God is appointed for some use you know there were several Vessels and Instruments in the Tabernacle as the Pots the Caldrons the Flesh-hooks the Fire-pans the Snuffers and the like now though these did differ in glory the one from the other for all had not alike measure of glory upon them neither were they all alike employed
Righteousness of Faith or Christs Righteousness soul know this that there is no covering will either protect thee from the wrath of God or present thee or thy duties acceptable with God but this covering shouldst thou make up a covering of the finest duties or works of Righteousness that ever was spun by the finest Pharisee in the world it would prove but rottenness before the Lord alas my friends if God had not provided Adam better coverings then his Fig-leave Righteousness what had there become of Adam and all us in him There is nothing will or can cover thy nakedness but this Righteousness your spots will still appear and shew themselves do what you can you were as good go about to build a ship of Paper to sail through the Ocean withall as to think to sail to heaven in a vessel of your own Righteousness If you will accept of this Righteousness well if not God will accept of no other from you this is of Gods providing for you if you like it 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption God will like nothing but what is of his own making bring him what you will for Righteousness except this of Christs certainly the everlasting burnings will quickly consume it into ashes and peirce through all Therefore labour to get into this righteousness beg hard for it that thou maist be presented to God without spot or blemish it s for the sake of this that the Church is so glorious in Gods eye Cant. 4 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes with one chain of thy neck So Cant 1. 15. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast doves eyes and Cant. 4. 7. Behold thon art all fair my love there is no spot in thee All this is spoken with respect to the righteousness of Christ which is upon the Church of Christ this was the Churches great ground of joy and rejoycing not that she was clothed with the glory of the world but with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ Isa 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation and hath covered me with the Robe of his righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Certainly sad is the condition of these men and women which have left this blessed righteous covering upon what specious pretence soever it may be they think they have found out a better way for their justification before God they think they can provide God a better Robe a Garment made up of their just dealing with their Neighbours adding to it their outward abstination from some meats and drink and superfluity in apparel together with some endeavours to act up to a light within them Oh this they hug and embrace and cry up as the only glorious righteousness crying out lo here is Christ he dwells in this light we cry up he lives in this Robe of righteousness which we have spun come turn to it and hear incline your ears and your souls shall live thus poor blinded yet very confident souls they are just as the Jews were carried out by the Devil being ignorant of Gods righteousness to establish a righteousness of their own in opposition to the righteousness of faith as the Apostle speaks in Rom. 10. 3. Dear friends have a care of parting with that righteousness which is only justifying before God and I do affirm that there is nothing within a man that will justifie him before God there is no light in any man on earth can or will do it take it either for a natural or divine light and that soul that shall make any thing within him a ground for justification in opposition to this Robe of righteousness I say according to the voice of Scripture cannot be saved if he lives and dies in that errour St. Paul and these persons who are for a righteousness within them for justification were of a vast differing judgment these which are faln from the righteousness of faith say for their parts they will have a righteousness found in themselves which shall justifie them but S. Paul saith that he desires that himself may be found in that righteousness which shall justifie him before God Phil. 3 9. Oh soul keep close to the righteousness of faith contend earnestly for it let it not go from thee because nothing can present thee faultless before God if this be wanting CHAP. 31. I next come to speak of these Mysterious things which belonged to the Robe or Garment which the High Priest did wear about him when he was to administer for the people before the Lord FIrst there was a brest-plate made for the Robe made of a plate of Gold four-square in breadth and length about a span every way Exod. 39. 9. In this brest-plate of Gold there was engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel in Letters set in rows with precious stones Exod. 39. 10 11 12 13. 14. There was likewise set in this brest-place the Urim and Thummim Exod. 28 30. This plate was tied about the High Priests long Robe with chains of Gold that so the plate which had the names of the twelve tribes written in it might set strait upon the High Priests heart Exod 39 19 20 21. with Exod 28 29 30. The use and purpose of this brest-plate was to shew all believers for their great Consolation these things First Concerning the deep sense that Christ hath of the several conditions that his people are liable unto in this world for you see that the names of the twelve tribes were written upon this brest-plate which was placed upon the High Priests heart Now by the names of the twelve tribes in Exod. 28. 29. We are not to understand precisely of the Israelites but more generally of the whole body of the Elect both of Jews and Gentiles as elsewhere it is so understood Rev. 7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Now all the names of the body of the Elect was the High Preist to carry upon his heart Exod. 28. 29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel in the brest-plate of judgement upon his heart when he goeth into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually I say it shews us how deeply the several conditions of the Elect are stamped upon the heart of Christ he bears them all upon his heart he keeps to this day though in glory a naked place in his heart to affect himself with his peoples conditions saith David Psal 40. 5. Many O Lord are thy wonderous works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee I would declare and speak of them they are more
onely due to Christ as the Virgin Mary the Mother of God as they can term her and Saint Peter Paul and John besides many other late canonized Saints whom they attribute the honour of the Priesthood unto unto whom they dedicate the Services Pray what Saint or Angel were the Jews to create to themselves in this great work besides their High Priest which was of the Lords own institution by Moses 2. As to the work the High Priest was to do when in the Tabernacle within the rail First he was to take the blood of the sacrifice and to sprinkle the mercy-seat therewith Levit. 16. 14 15. which shews the prevalency and force of Christs intercession now in heaven for us Christ enters heaven with the worth of his Merits and in the vertue of his Blood and shews the Father a sufficient ground for what he intercedes about Lord here is my Blood for this request and for the other petition which I put up to thee in the behalf of my people below if I ask grace or pardon Lord here is my blood upon the mercy-seat if I ask deliverance for them from their enemies Lord here is my blood for it upon the mercy-seat Secondly The Priest was to adde to this strong cryes and prayers by the burning incense Altar for the people praying to God for pardon for them and that he would accept their persons and their sacrifices and would be their God and would bless their souls and would send them help from his holy Sanctuary Levit. 16. 12 13. This is the very work of Christ now in Heaven the blessing of his people with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things is from him it s attributed to Christ Acts 3. 26. Unto you first God having raised up Jesus Christ sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities therefore soul what ever thou wantest of this nature apply thy self to the Priest of Blessings and thou shalt not fail Again then was the Priest to take of the Incense and cast it into the fire which was upon the Incense Altar that so a cloud of Incense might arise before the Lord Lev. 9. 22 23. This was to shew us for our comfort what abundance of acceptable matter goeth up to God in the intercession of Christ a whole cloud of Incense and certainly this must prevail with God in the behalf of his people for that 's the purpose of Christs offering up incense it was not for himself but his people it is the Incense of his own blessed worth and excellency which is in a way of powerful Intercession of fered up to God with his peoples duties to make them and their services a sweet smelling savour to God and after this manner and to this purpose you have our Saviour represented again by the Spirit to John after his Ascention â—eâ— 8. 3 4. Where the purpose of the going up of this cloud of Incense is laid open to you it is as I have said to perfume all the rest of the Saints prayers duties and services as that they may be a sweet smelling savour to God this makes the weakest services of the weakest Believer acceptable to God therefore soul when ever thou art about to perform any duty to God and findest that thou canst not do it but with weakness yea much weakness then take that weak duty and cast it into the Incense fire of intercession which standeth upon the Altar Christ in the vessel of the hot burning coals of his zeal and love to thee and for thy good and then it will ascend up with the rest of Christs and his peoples to God in that great cloud where it will be acceptable indeed CHAP. 34. What the Priest was to do for the people upon all occasions besides his solemn Work in the Tabernacle FIrst the High Priest was to take notice of every uncleanness that should be found amongst the people either in their persons garments or in their houses Levit. 14. from the 3. to the 40. verse as that if any plague or leprosie sore or ulcer should break forth upon the person of any of the people then were they to go to the High Priest and shew it him and he was to look upon it and endeavour their cleansing All this is to be set upon a door of access for a poor doubting soul to come to Christ in the worst of times for look what work the High Priest under the Law was to do for the seed of Abraham according to the flesh the same is Christ a Believers Gospel High Priest to do for Abraham according to Faith and this action of the High Priest to the Israelites in a case of bodily mallodies leads you to Christ in a case of spiritual malladies I believe the want of knowledge into this mystery hath occasioned many doubts and fears in many poor souls who hath not had Satan a little wanting to make the most of their ignorance in this matter in a way of heaping on their trouble vvho stir up corruption in the soul what he can and labours to create guilt upon the conscience and vvhen he hath filled the soul vvith all manner of sores and spiritual plagues and running griefs then doth Satan labour to plaister them abroad upon the conscience to the affrighting of the soul off of Christ and tells the soul that certainly the holiness of Christ vvill never endure to have fellovvship vvith such a soul his nature is too pure to cast an eye upon such an impure piece as the soul is therefore the soul vvere better sit still vvhere he is then to think of going out to Christ for it vvill be but lost labour Thus he labours to over-shoot the Priestly office of Christ and shevvs the soul much of Christ according to his divine Nature not suffering the soul to have the least vievv of considered as a High Priest vvho vvas appointed to be such on purpose to have to do vvith â—linde lame sick sore corrupted deformed desperate and damned sinners that he might heal them Isa 6. 1. 2. and for a demonstration to the point in hand you may observe through the whole Life of Christ in the dayes of his flesh these vvere the most vvhich he for the most part of his time conversed vvithal It vvas for this the Pharisees upbraided Christ as a friend to Publicans and Sinners because he eat and drank mostly vvith such besides our Saviour himself tells you That he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Use 1. O therefore soul be not discouraged for the future let not Satan hinder thee for time to come of making use of Christ in times vvhen thou findest thy sores and plagues and corrupted issues upon thy soul O then above all times come to Christ if thou at such a time as this is standest off from Christ thou art guilty of robbing Christ of one great part of the glory of his High Priesthood thou shut'st out
is sacrificed for us where you see he gives Christ the very name that was given to the Paschal Lamb. So Peter in his Epistle when he is a treating about the price of mans redemption 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. verses saith Peter in the 18. verse We were not redeemed with silver and gold from our vain conversations received by traditions from our fathers but by the pretious blood of Christ as a lamb slain without spot or blemish verse 19. for so it was required of the Jews in offering of the paschal Lamb that it should be a Lamb without blemish Exod. 12. 5. So read Revel 6. This title of Lamb is given unto Jesus Christ Rev. 6. 15 16 17. The rich men and the great men and the chief Captains cryed to the hills fall on us and cover us from the presence of the Lamb for the great dâ—y of his wrath is come What is the reason think you here that Jesus Christ should be so much dreaded by the great men as well as the poor men at his next coming for these words have relation to his next coming I will not here undertake to determine whether this appearing here of Christ be at or before the general Judgement day as to that I shall refer you to abler judgements who have commented on the thing but without doubt the reason why our Lord is by John in that place set forth so dreadful to men under the metaphor of a Lamb is because the Lamb was a type of his Priestly Office which includeth the greatest of grace and offers of love to mankinde that can be Now for the men of the earth be they rich or poor yet if they shall live or dye abusing of and trampling upon this freely proffered grace and richly offered love this turns this grace and rich love and mercy into the dreadfullest of judgements against men Read Matth. 11. 21 22 23 24 with chap. 12. 42. and 2 Thes 1. 8 9. Thus you see that the Lamb in Exod. 12. was a type of Christ CHAP. 2. I now come to shew you how the action of the Jews in eating the Lamb together with the place time and manner of eating the Lamb doth agree to the work of God upon the souls of his people while on this side Heaven together with his various dealings with their conditions in this life which as in a glass those that are spiritual may see it answer face to face FIrst the place that the people were in when God provided this Lamb for them It was Egypt a Land of darkness abounding with all manner of idolatry and prophaneness a Land which knew not God Exod. 5. 2. a land of bondage of heavy burdens of cruel task-masters that required brick to be made without straw Exod. 5. 6. 7 8 9 10 11 12. the officers of which place would often beat the people of the Jews ver 14. besides so cruel were the Task-masters to the poor Israelites that they would not hear the peoples cryes Exod. 5. 16 17. To this agreeth as in the ante-type the estate or condition that the creature is in before he comes to Jesus Christ which estate or condition we call natural or carnal which simbolizeth very well with the land of Egypt in which the children of Israel were when they did eat the Lamb. For first of all Egypt was a place of darkness so is the natural condition of mankinde it is full of darkness and ignorance it is wholly deprived of the saving knowledge of God and Christ A man by nature knows little of that blessed life light power which the true knowledge of God teacheth a soul he knoweth not what it is to have Christ dwelling in him by his spirit nor what it is for a man to live in Christ by believing much less doth he know that great and blessed mystery which Paul speaketh of 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Alas to tell a carnal man of living by believing what a mystery is this to him of worshipping God in the Spirit of praying in the Spirit of making the Blood and Flesh and Spirit and promises of Christ his daily food of eating the hidden Manna of having the white stone with a new name written in it that none can read but he that hath it Rev. 2. 17. Alas what a paradox is this to a carnal man to tell such a man of Christ within him and of a spiritual Kingdom within him and a light within him and so from hence to bid him turn to it and live obedient thereunto and to hearken to the teachings of it for salvation Alas one had as good stand over the grave of a dead man and bid him arise or one had as good speak to a blinde man and bid him see therefore I think that such a doctrine preached by many in our dayes is an empty doctrine to help blinde men to see or dead men to a state of spiritual life therefore saith Paul 1 Cor. 2. 14. The carnal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned also Paul tells you speaking of a carnal man that his understanding is darkened and alienated from the life of God through the ignorance which is in them through the blindeness of their heart Ephes 4. 18. therefore when the Scripture speaks of the bringing home of a soul to God it calls it a deliverance from the power of darkness Col. 1. 13. a state that affords no light no knowledge of God in Christ it giveth us no acquaintance with God as a reconciled God in Christ to a poor soul therefore it may well be compared to Egypt for the darkness of it that is the first particular Secondly Egypt abounded with all manner of prophaneness and false worship for they knew not God Exod. 5. 2. how well doth this agree with the state or the natural condition of fallen mankinde O what kennel so vile so noâ—some what jakes so foul what Goal so loathsome what hell so black as the hearts and lives of wicked men therefore when our Saviour gives a description of the inward parts of such men saith That out of their hearts proceedeth evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness and blasphemies Mat. 15. 19. and to this agreeth the 14. Psalm ver 2. 3 which saith The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good no not one the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God they are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one so saith John 1 John 5. 19. The whole world lieth in
I want strength to perform the least service or duty O Law saith the soul what no mercy no pity consider my weaknes how unable I am in my self to perform the least duty as I ought O Law I pray thee accept of what I can do no saith the Law I take no notice of what thou art not able to do but what thou art bound to do Luke 17. 10. I require no more then is my due if you cannot give it me look you unto that for my part I will have my full tale of perfect and constant obedience here in this life or you shall give me satisfaction in hell to all eternity Do not tell me you want strength or ability to perform go get you that where you can look you out the straw your selves I shall give you none but let not me misse of my tale of brick Gal. 2 10. with Ezek. 18. 24. Thus you see how parallel the language of the old covenant runs with the voice of the Egyptian task-masters to the Israelites under them Besides in Exod. 14. we finde thâ—t Pharaohs task-masters did beat and abuse the Israelites very much in their work This very well suits with the old covenant of works O what lashes and blows does it give those that live under it First In the conscience within O what thunder claps have some men had within them from the Law O how hath it made some men to roar and to cry out at midnight upon their beds for their breach of it How dreadfully did it lash the conscience of Cain and how did it dog Judas until it dogged his neck into a halter therefore doth the Scripture pitty those that are under it crying out a wounded conscience who can bear those that have been under the lash of the Lâ—w in the conscience can say never was poor man in Turkey in the like misery they would have exchanged conditions with the veriest slave in all the world night and day terrified with dreadful sounds of the wrath of God and the judgement day to come shewing the soul his portion in everlasting burnings where he shall seek for death but death shall be far from him Although the soul runneth to his duties and doth what he can to pacifie the Law but alas all to no purpose for the Law quarrels with him about every duty so that here is the Dilemma the Law hath all his in they shall suffer one way or other if they do not live holy and strict in their lives then he comes upon them with his curses and plagues If they do live holy and as unblameable as they can yet the Law curseth them that way because it is an obedience full of spots and defilements Luke 17. 10. Secondly The Law lasheth men externally as well as internally in the conscience O what plagues and punishments upon body estate and relations hath it brought home on some men for their disobeying of it You may see a whole file of curses plagues punishments judgments and afflictious hang up upon the bar of the Law against its offenders Deut. 28. from ver 15. to 38. Lastly The officers of Egypt would not hear the bitter cryes of the poor Jews under their burthens ver 16 17. how well doth this agree with the old covenant of works what little mercy doth that shew any that are under it how little is it affected with their cries and tears could men cry to it for mercy as loud as ever heaven thundered it would be to no purpose could men weep so much blood out of their eyes as there is water in the Sea the Law would not take any notice of it Ezek. 18. 24. This Esau tried Heb. 12. 16 17. For after he had sold his birth-right he found no repentance although he sought it carefully with tears Alas friends the Law knows no repentance repentance is a fruit of the new covenant of grace not of the old Thus you see both how the Land of Egypt with its task-masters together with their carriages towards the Israelites doth agree as the type with the state of nature in which carnel men are in together with the old covenant and his carriage toward those that live under him CHAP. 3. I next come to speak of the eating of the Lamb together with the circumstances belonging thereunto which agreeth very well with the Ante-type as we shall shew you in the next place IN which there are these three things to be considered First The occasion of the Lamb. Secondly The manner of eating it Thirdly The benefits the people had by eating the Lamb. First The occasion of the Lamb which was to save the people from that generall judgement which was to passe over the whole Land of Egypt This shews the exceeding love and mercy of God to the whole world who by Adams Garden transgression and their own actual sins all are lyable to the destroying Angel of Gods Justice which will certainly pass over the whole earth with a flaming sword of God vengeance to execute it on offenders Rom. 1. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who with-hold the truth in unrighteousness Heb. 10. 36. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary so Jude 14. 15. The Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him 2 Thes 1. 7. 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flames of fire rendring vengeance on those that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Thus you see the whole world lyeth open to the destroying Angel of the justice of God which will pour it self forth to the scorching of the earthly minded with the most dreadfullest of fires 2 Pet. 3. 10. Now that men might escape this dreadful storm which the heavens look black with over the heads of sinners God in mercy hath provided poor sinners which are in their Egyptian state of sin and uncleanness I say he in mercy hath provided them a Lamb to eat which Lamb is his Son Jesus Christ upon eating of which they really escape the hands of the Justice of God John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begoteen Son that whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life and not perish which Sonne of God is else-where called the Lamb of God John 1. 36. the which whosoever takes and receiveth and eateth in as their food by believing shall live by him and so be free from the destroying Angel John 6. 54. Secondly As to the manner of eating the Lamb we may note
these things but first it was a Lamb without blemish this Lamb relates as you have heard to Christ which shews the spotlessness of his nature which was innocent and pure free from the least tincture of sin for though our Saviour took our nature upon him that so he might become a sacrifice to God for sinners yet he took not our nature upon him as sinful Luke 1. 35. Therefore doth Peter entitle our Saviour a Lamb without spot and blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19. For if he had not been so it had not been possible that ever the Law could have been satisfied therefore it is said that there was no guile found in his mouth But then as to the manner of eating this Lamb. Exod. 12. First they were to roast the flesh with fire ver 8. This is that dreadful portion which Jesus Christ past under for sinners in standing under the curse of the Law which bitter agony conflâ—cted so in his soul as if all the torments of all the damned in hell had been upon him at once Luke 22. 24. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground A sight of which sufferings of Christ Abraham had presented unto him Gen. 15. 9. with 17 18. verses for when God made a Covenant or rather confirmed the Covenant with Abraham God caused a burning lamp and a smoaking furnace to pass between the sacrifices shewing of us that none can partake of the Covenant of Grace but such as have satisfied the old Covenant by presenting it a sacrifice which will endure the wrath of it Now none but Christ can do this for the soul and this was Christ which Abraham in this Type saw by the eye of Faith which as a Lamb was roasted in the smoaking furnace and burning lamp of Gods wrath for sinners Therefore when the soul would take in Christ he must take him as a Lamb rosted with fire which shews the sufferings of Christs soul for sinne Secondly They were to eat all the Lamb head and legs with all the other parts belonging to the Lamb nothing of the Lamb was to be lef to the morrow Exod. 12. 9 10 11. verses This shews us after what manner Christ the Lamb of God is to be closed with by a soul that intendeth to have real benefit by Christ not a piece or a part of Christ will serve the turn but a whole Christ or no Christ at all Christ is distinguished in a three-fold respect as a Priest Prophet and King the prophane will accept of one part of Christ the hypocrire of two parts of Christ but none but the gracious soul cries for a whole Christ The prophane wicked Esau would close with the Priestly office of Christ that so the guilt of his sin might be purged away and the anger of God for sin mittigate but to subject to the Kingly office of Christ here he sticks he cannot endure Christ should reign over his soul he loves his sins too well then to part with them for Christ so that although with Cain and Judas they that are wicked may sometime seem to cry out under sin you must know that they are not so much offended with sins nature as sins punishment so when they seem to desire a Christ it is not for love but fear it is not that Christ should rule in them but that he should deliver them from Hell which they fear they are falling into 2. The Hypocrite can go farther then this he can take Christ in two parts of him both in his Priestly and Prophetical Office First In his Priestly that sinne may be pardoned he better agreeth with sinnes nature then sinnes punishment though he likes it not upon his back as the prophane person doth yet he is not much in dislike with it in his heart there is some secret sin which is his dellilah in affection though he seem to be an enemy to it in conversation yet however he could be glad if Christ would by his blood get it pardoned but he loves not that Christ as a King should get it murthered Secondly He takes Christ in the other office as a Prophet if that would do Now Christ as a Prophet his work is to reveal and make known the deep things of the Father to men Now some hppocrites love to know much though not to practice any farther then his credit prompts him to it yet being given to ostentation he may covet out after many notions that so he may advance himself in the spreading of them as Simon Magus Acts 8. 18 19. but no farther of Christ can the Hypocrite make choice of But now the sound Beleiver takes a whole Lamb. O give all Christ and every part of Christ saith a poor soul which taketh Christ aright O not onely Christ to dye for me but to live in me by his holy Spirit not onely Christ to save me but Christ to reign over me and to rule and govern me by his royal Law in my heart O a Christ to get down the power of sin in me as well as a Christ to raze out the guilt of sin against me O every part of Christ is precious to a sound Believer 1 Pet. 2. 7. So saith the Church Cant. 5. 10. Christ was the chiefest to her of ten thousand because he was white as well as ruddy Christ was precious for his holiness as well as his merits and sufferings So that this is the thing as to eating the Lamb the manner of it the Lamb Christ he must be wholly closed with a soul must take a full of Christ or no Christ at all Thirdly The sauce with which they were to eat the Lamb was bitter herbs Exod. 12. 8. which sheweth the frame of Spirit the soul is usually in that truly closeth with Jesus Christ that is he is under a real repenting frame of heart because of sin O how bitter is the least sinne to a soul which truly receiveth Christ that which was the darling of the soul before is now gall and wormwood to the soul the soul looks on his sins as that which pierced a dear Saviour therefore it is what pierceth the soul Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn over him and be in bitternesse as one for her first-born Those that think they have eaten the Lamb Christ without the bitter herbs of repentance it is much to be doubted whether they ever eat of Christ at all it is not a bare notional work in the head but a work attended with a heart broken for sin a heart full of godly sorrow and repentance for its rebellion and stubbornness against Christ Peter wept bitterly for his sin Matth. 26. 75. David and others have eaten much of this kinde of bitter sauce with the Lamb it is the believers continual sauce all his life long Secondly The bitter herbs is meant those afflictions and temptations which do
accompany the life of a Believer in this life for Christ his sake our Saviour calls it a taking up the Crosse Luke 9. 23. which is a thing most bitter and contrary to flesh and blood therefore saith Paul when he made choice of this Lamb Christ I consulted not with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. For flesh and blood cannot endure the bitterness of that state in which Christ is to be found Nothing but persecution disgrace trouble loss of good name yea and life it self that attendeth the way of Christ therefore saith Paul 2 Tim. 3. 12 He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution he must suffer there is a necessity you see that the Lamb must be eaten with bitter herbs Those that will not eat the sauce shall not taste of the flesh of this Lamb Luke 9. 23. Unless a man deny himself and take up my cross and follow me he caâ—not be my disciple There be a great many would catch at the flesh of this Lamb Chrâ—st were it not for the bitter sauce which lyeth in the dish with Christ many love to shear in a Christ but not in the Cross thay love the Crown but not the sufferings which belong to the Crown therefore saith our Saviour Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth to life and few there be that finde it Job found bitterness in the dish where the Lamb lay Job 13 26. Thou writest bitter things against me but did Job as many do leave the meat for the bitter sauce no no Job 13. 15. Though thou kill me yet wâ—ll I trust in thee O how happy had some been had they with Job still kept to this resolution but the wayes of Christ were too bitter for them but I fear those will finde their sweet meat of this worlds good attended with the bitterest herbs at last Again they were to eat the Lamb with unleavened bread Exod. 12. 8. with Numb 9. 11. This stâ—ll points at a soul eating Christ a right which is the ante-type which shews us thus much 1. That Christ must be really closed with and not feignedly there must not be any thing of the leaven of hypocrisie in it not for any by end but out of love to Christ 2. It must be void of the least love to sin if there be any love reserved to any corruption Christ cannot enter the soul upon such terms 1 Corinthians 5. 8. Let us keep the feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Heb. 12. 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up and trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God therefore saith Peter if you would as new-born babes receive the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby you must first lay aside all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. That is all sin must be forsaken and cast out of the affection or no Christ received into the heart the love of the world the love of lust pride honour pleasure ease whatever hath been near or dear to the soul he must utterly protest against or no Christ Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee So Isa 1. 16. 18. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before me cease to do evil come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet yet I will make them as white as snow though they be red as crimson yet shall they be as white as wool So that you see there must first be a putting away the leaven of sin before there can be a eating of the Lamb Christ Jesus truly therefore such persons as dream of having Christ and yet retain the old leaven of sin are mistaken Fourthly The Jews were to eat the Lamb with their loins girded Exod. 12. 11. Girding of the loins sometimes signifieth resolution to some great work Psalm 18. 32 33 34. Sometimes it signifieth truth and faithfulness in the person so girded Rev. 15. 6. Here it signifieth haste or readiness to be gone from the place where they were in before Exod. 12. 11. Now all which significations may be taken into one head and applied to the eating of the Lamb Christ Jesus For first of all the loins of a souls minde must be girded as to resolution that intendeth to eat the Lamb Christ A soul must resolve to go thorow thick and thin with him through a thousand discouragements with Christ sometimes from within sometimes from without what from inward doubts and what from outward troubles a soul will find it a hard thing to go on in this way for heaven those daily taunts scoffs and jeers that the soul passeth under for Christ from day to day sometimes from its relations sometimes from its fellow servants who live in house with him and so likewise from its wicked deriding neighbours I say these things considered the soul is many times casting away its hope and crying out with the Psalmist Psal 73. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency to no purpose Therefore the loins had need be girded that so the soul might not cast away his confidence which hath great recompence of reward Hebrews 10. 35. Now it is the overcoming soul shall wear the Crown 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Rev. 2. 10. and the soul that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Mat. 24. 13. Therefore saith our Saviour a soul must first count up the cost when he makes out after this Lamb Christ whether he can hold out to the end with him whether he can run the loss of fathers love mothers love brothers sisters husband wife children kinsmen and neighbours love for this Christ whether a soul can part with credit honour riches carnal ease for Christ whether he can follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14. 4. For he that looks back is unfit for the kingdom of God Luke 9. 62. So Heb. 10. 38 If any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him and saith Peter The last estate of such men is worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. Therefore when Peter would exhort against faintings and discouragements â—e bids men gird up the loins their minde and be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 1 13. Secondly take girding of the loins as it importeth truth and faithfulness In this sence the soul ought to gird up his loins if he really intendeth a thorow and full closing with Christ he must resolve to be Christs in faithfulness as the
wife takes her husband she takes her husband and onely him she is not to reserve any part of the marriage-bed to any other so in faithfulness is the soul to take Christ resolving that no cursed sin or lust shall shear in the marriage-bed of its affection with Jesus Christ so saith the spouse speaking of Christ her Husband My beloved is the chiefest to me among ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. He is mine and I am his Cant. 2 16. 2. The Wife taketh the Husband to be hers for ever during life not to part and fling him off at her pleasure therefore saith Paul Rom. 7. 2. The woman that hath a Husband is bound by the Law to her husband as long as he liveth So in like manner is Christ to be closed with by a Christian never to part more either in this world or that which is to come to be Christs in sickness as well as in health in poverty as well as in prosperity to be Christs in bad times as well as in good times to winter and summer with Christ There be a great many that can put on Christ and pretend to Saintship and can call him Husband in good dayes but they can as quickly cast their Christ and all away again in bad dayes when Christ seemeth to be cloathed with the riches honours credit and gain of this world then it is he that can court him with some seeming service but when he comes to be uncloathed again of those things and with Job to be set on a Dunghil of reproach and scorn through poverty then they flye back as fast again from Christ as ever they come to Christ and with Peter cursing and swearing they never knew such a man Mat. 26. 73 74. And like the Jews who could cry Hosanna to Christ when he was set by the people upon the Ass colt but when in a suffering state upon the Crosse Crucifie crucâ—fie him but let such know this not to eat the Lamb with the loins girded in truth and faithfulness Lastly Girding of the loins signifieth haste or readiness to be gone from the place where we were before therefore it is observed that the Jews went out of Egypt speedily upon the girding of their loins Exod. 12. 37. This shews the speedy motion souls are to make from that cursed state of nature sin and ignorance after their closing with Jesus Christ the soul is not to stay there one night longer there must be not onely a total but a speedy separation from sin and nature the soul that truly closeth with Christ never looketh back again upon his former condition but he loatheth himself for it he never thinks on it but he hates it as Paul speaks What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 24. O when the soul looks back upon his carnal Egyptian state and seeth what a blinde mad fool he was together when he considereth what sad ignorant works he alwayes brought forth when he looketh back upon his drunken roaring mad singing bouts in the Alehouse his running to so many Wakes Revels Bull-baitings May-pole Dancings O how much doth that soul which eateth the Lamb indeed mourn for it O how doth he blush before the Lord under the thoughts of it wondering at the infinite patience of God that he should be now out of Hell wondering that God should accept of such a rebellious wretch such a sinful slave as he seeth himself now to be to such a blessed Banquet and rich feast as the roasted Lamb comes to now on goes the girdle about his loins and away he goes flying out of this condition as Hell it self an instance you may take for this purpose in Luke 15. 17. In the Prodigal Son And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough and to spare and I perish for hunger I will arise and go to my Father and will say I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants Luke 15. 17 18 19. You see the Prodigal could no longer stay in this condition when he comes to be sensible of the evil of it but he girdeth up his loins and puts himself into a posture fit to be gone from all his old delights and sinful pleasures his old filthy companions he flyes from all he dares not stay an hour longer with them Psalm 45. 10. saith Christ in that Psalm Hearken O daughter and consider encline thine ear forget also thy own people and thy fathers house Thus you see the soul is to leave its old carnal estate and condition if he means to eat the Lamb Christ Jesus Therefore those that are so confident they have taken Christ and yet are not come off their old Egyptian carnal condition truly are much mistaken saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 1. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature all old things are past away and behold all things are become new For a man to make an account he is in Christ and is a good Christian and yet to live a drunkard a swearer and a cheater a hater of Gods people a despiser of godliness to live in adultery and uncleanness to live loose in his family if this man have closed with Christ then so hath the Devil also it cannot be light and darkness cannot dwell together 2 Cor. 6. 15. What concord hath Christ with Belial so ver 17. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing Certainly my Brethren there is no more fellowship wiâ—h the unfruitful works of darkness after eating the Lamb the soul must immediately arise and be gone from his old sinful condition Our Saviour would not allow the young man so much time as to go to bury his Father Mat. 8. 21 22. therefore the language of the Lord to such is Micah 2. 10. Arise ye depart for this is not your rest because it is polluted it shall destroy you with a sore destruction The next thing we are to take notice of before we leave this particular is the other two parts of the Travellers accoutrements which is his staff in his hand and his shoes on his feet Exod. 12. 11. First the staff Now you know the use of a staff in a Travellers hand is to help him on in his journy it succours him it stayes up his body from falling it helps him over difficult and dangerous place This staff leads us to the use of the grace of believing which a soul should beg earnestly for at Gods hands that so after he hath eaten of the Lamb Christ he might be enabled to travel his journey from Egypt thorow the wilderness of this life to his Canaan of rest and glory hereafter for it is less possible that a soul should travel through the wilderness of this world to Heaven hereafter without the grace of believing then it
Red Sea so will all men unavoidably perish by the guilt of their sinnes without they wade by faith through the red Sea of Christ his Blood 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin Rom. 5. 7. Being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Heb. 9. 12. By his own blood he entered once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us so ver 22. Without shedding of blood there is no remission Rev. 1. 5. Who hath loved us and washed us in his own blood from our sins for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us by thy blood unto God out of every kindred tongue nation and people Revel 5. 9. So that this shews us if ever a soul would have deliverance from his sins which dogs him up and down from place to place he must fetch it in from the blood of Christ held out to his soul in the Gospel O my friends you that have the guilt of sin set open to you would you have it washed away and you that have the anger of God and his wrath flaming hot against you would you have it quenched O then fly you in all haste to the bloud of Christ O drink it in by believing and this will give your hearts ease nothing else will do it O look on Christ on the Cross bleeding for you get as near the Cross as you can in your thoughts and strive to get under his wounds and open thy mouth wide and drink thy fill of bloud adding to it this firm perswasion that the worth and efficacy of this bloud will save thee thou maist assure thy self that it will and if ever thou gettest peace into thy troubled soul it will come and must come in this way for that peace which cometh into the soul which came not in by this way of faith will in the end prove the greatest sorrow Isa 50. 11. Sixthly and Lastly The same waters which proved waters of Salvation to the Israelites were waters of Ruine and utter Destruction to the Egyptians Exod. 14. 27 28. It was a full and total Deliverance to the Jews and a full and total Destruction to the Egyptians This leads us to behold the wonderful benefit that those have by the bloud of Christ that wade through it by believing A full Redemption from all their sins at once the Red Sea took off the whole of Pharaohs Army at once not a man left to carry back tidings what became of his fellow so is it a full Redemption that we have by the Red Sea of Christs bloud a Redemption from the guilt of all sin there is not one left to carry back news what is become of the rest all sin past present and to come original sin and actual sin sins of all sorts and sizes publick and private sins sins of Childhood Youth Manhood and Old Age sins committed in all relations conditions and capacities whatsoever yea all sins with all their circumstances John 1. 1. 7. The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin there is not one of them shall rise up to a souls Condemnation more Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to a man in Christ Jesus who walketh not after the flesh but after the spirit Secondly It is a total salvation it is for ever the Jews were never troubled with that Army more therefore said Moses stand still behold the salvation of God The Egyptians whom you see to day you shall see no more for ever Exod. 14. 13. Such a salvation hath the Elect by the Red sea of Christs bloud it is a Redemption from sin for ever not for a year or two or ten but world without end Therefore saith our Saviour it is eternal life which I give my people and they shall never perish John 10. 28. Jer. 31. 3. I have saith God loved thee with an everlasting love so John 13. 1. Where it s said of Christ having loved his own He loveth them to the end CHAP. 7. The next condition the Children of Israel was in after their Deliverance from the Red Sea was their travelling through the Wilderness IN which we may take notice of these things First Their cross motion up and down sometimes this way and sometimes that ways sometimes towards their good land and sometimes the quite contray way back again Just so are the dealings of God with and in the spirits of the people that although they are fully justified from all their sins by passing through the Red sea of Christs bloud yet the after-dealings of God many times are very various with his people in point of comfort what up and down leading of God many times do poor souls find within themselves Sometimes they are well-nigh Canaan as they hope within them and they can rejoyce under the shinings of Gods love upon their hearts and they come to conclude pretty well of their spiritual conditions when they find their desires to run forth after God and their affections and love to move out after Jesus Christ then the soul takes to himself the wings of joy and begins to mount upwards in the air of comfort But at another time the soul is wholly at a loss and knows not what to conclude of himself or his condition he sees nothing but confusion within all things out of order the soul can feel little affection or love working towards Jesus Christ little heart to duty all the souls zeal is gone from him his courage gone his faith gone his taste and spiritual savour gone and all seems to fail the soul which makes his hope to die within him and to cry out with the Psalmist Psal 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth me Insomuch that the soul cannot believe for one days comfort and then the soul concludes that he goeth quite back again even to the borders of Egypt Thus it was with David sometimes he could say the Lord was his shepherd he should not want that he was made to lie down in green pastures and led besides the still waters Psal 23. 1 2. But at another time he is all off his hope and comfort again and crys out his life is spent in grief and his years with sighing his strength fallen because of his iniquity his bones were consumed Psal 31. 10. Again take him at another time and then you shall up upon the hill of comfort again Psal 23. Lasts crying out surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life Look you into the 25. Psalm 17. 18. And there you shall see him down on all four again crying out The troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses so in the 27. Ps 3. v. You have him up in the Mount with God again crying out Though an host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though war arise on every side against me yetiâ—n this will I be confident Look you again into Psal
by it we might hold God to his promise or bargain that so heaven might be good to believers in law for you know in Law a penny given upon bargain or sale as an earnest of that bargain gives strength to the bargain as that the party cannot start from it but in Law is tied by it to make good the same therefore in 2 Coâ— 1 22. the Holy Spirit of God is called the earnest sent down into our hearts yet notwithstanding as Israel could not believe they should come to the good land although God sent them the grapes of the Countrey as the assuring earnest of it so is it likewise with the Lords people in this life notwithstanding they receive from God those many secret witnessings of the Spirit and many blessed refreshings which have been sealed home upon the heart by the blessed Spirit of God Yet how hard a matter doth the soul finde it to bear up with God in a way of believing how doth the Devil labour daily to make the soul to call in question his greatest enjoyments of the Spirit of God thus it was with the good man in the Psalms Psalm 73. 25. My flesh and my heart faileth me so Paul though he could say sometimes he was full of the blessings of the Gospel of God and that he had been caught up into the third heavens where his enjoyments of the Spirit were so large as that he hardly knew whether he were in the body or no yet at another time under the sentence of death in his own esteem even as deep as hell 1 Cor. 2 9. Therefore soul if it be so with thee remember that its the condition which is proper to the Wilderness state in which thou art and though thou canst not alwayes believe Yet God abideth faithful and cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. And that the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his ver 19. And for those men and women which do not experience these ebbings and flowings inwardly of the Holy Spirit of Faith and Comfort upon their souls but boast of the constant sound abiding comfort which they have of heaven and of the love of God in the fence of it upon their souls as some have done in my hearing let them profess what they will yet to me the soudness of their conditions is highly to be questioned I do except some strict close walking humble souls CHAP. 14. I come now to speak of those Types which were handed out to the Jews in the time of their being in the Wilderness THe first was the cloud which alwayes led them up and down in the Wilderness Exod. 40. 3 4. with 36 37 38. verses Now this Cloud was undoubtedly a Type of Jesus Christ in these two respects First In that the cloud guided the people from place to place up and down in the Wilderness so the Lord Jesus Christ he it is that leadeth the Church up and down in the present Wilderness of this World 1 Cor. 10 2. And as the Jews were not to move any way until the Cloud went before them so it should teach all Christians not to move any way in what condition soever they be in until they can say the Lord Jesus Christ their spiritual Cloud goes before them and leads their way for them that soul loseth the honey of the condition he is in that wanted patience to tarry for Christs leadings as in the case of King Saul 1 Sam. 13. 9 10 11. Therefore the advice and councel of the Lord to all his people is this Isa 52. 12. For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight for the Lord will go before you and the God of Israâ—l will be your reward so Isa 28. 16. And he that believeth shall not make haste Secondly The Cloud was a Figure or Type of Christ for its protecting and sheltering use which it afforded the Church in the Wilderness of old by which means they were hid from danger so is Jesus Christ such a cloud of protection to his Church and people in their wilderness condition in this life as that though Satan the world and the flesh set upon the Church with a purpose to overthrow and devour them at once yet they cannot overcome them Hence it is that David calls Christ a defence and a refuge to his people saith David Psalm 58. 16. I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in time of trouble so Psalm 94. 22. But the Lord is my defence my God is the rock of my refuge so saith the Church in Isa 12. 2 Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song he is also become my salvation Therefore doth Paul make it to appear that the Cloud in the Wilderness was a Type of Christs great care of and protection over his Church 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4. For we were all Baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink of the same spiritual rock that followed them which Rock was â—hriist Thus you see not I onely but the Apostle also applies the Wilderness Cloud to Jesus Christ which must hold out and intend the great safety which Christ doth daily administer to his Church as the Saviour of it Use 1. Then this should teach thee soul when ever thou art assaulted by temptation arising either from the Devil the World or thine own corrupt heart then to get in under this Could and there to shelter thy self here wilt thou be covered in the day of battle and thou needest not fear what men or Devils can do against thee Psalm 26. 3. 5. Though an host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though war should arise against me yet in this will be confident for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me upon a rock Thus you see how confident David was and thought himself to be under this covering and cloud of defence O soul so will it be with thee if thou fliest to the Lord Jesus Christ and art careful to make him thy covering and protecting hiding cloud thou shalt then be far from trouble no evil shall come nigh thy tabernacles Job 11. 17. 18 19. Thine age shall be clearer then the noon day thou shalt shine forth thou shalt be as the morning thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety also thou shalt lie down and none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make suit unto thee But if on the other hand thou shalt neglect to get under the spiritual cloud and covering what ever covering else thou shalt hide thy self under it will
40. 35. with Levit. 1. 11. Exod. 30 6. For thorow it God appeared to the people and out of which God gave the knowledge of his will and minde as the above Scriptures shew This answereth to the usefulness of Jesus Christ to the Elect of God or it shews us very much of the prophetical Office of Christ for it is Christ onely that can give out the knowledge of his Fathers will and pleasure to the Church of God All the manifestations of the love grace mercy favour and councel of God comes home to the Church through the humane nature of this blessed Tabernacle Christ Jesus therefore saith Christ John 14 24. The word which you hear is not minâ— but the Fathers which sent me John 15. 15. I call you friends for all the things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you John 12. 49 50. For I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his commandment is life everlasting whaâ—soever I speak therefore what the Father said unto me so I speak Hence is Christ called the wonderful councellour Isa 9. because of his revealing office by all which it appears that Christ is the way through which the Father reveals or maketh manifest himself to his people now as he did to the Israelites of old through the Tabernacle Use 3. O therefore soul if thou wouldst have more fatherly grace let out upon thy soul if thou wouldst have more of the knowledge of God more of the love of his Spirit of Light and assurance if thou wouldest know more of his will so as to obey it and live to it O then wait upon God at the door of this Tabernacle Christ for in him it is that the Father will speak with thee and no where else Matth. 3. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased O wait upon him in the meanest of grace break through all discouragements and opposition and temptations to wait upon the ordinances of the Gospel if ever thou intendest to acquaint thy self with the saving knowledge of Gods presence of grace and favour to thy soul O stir not from prayer reading hearing the word meditation Christian conference and communion with the Lords people for thou waitest upon Christ in all these things and in waiting upon Christ thou waitest upon the Tabernacle through which God will discover himself to the people therefore be not discouraged to wait here though thou meetest but with little profit hitherto yet the promise is in Isa 30. 31. He that waiteth upon the Lord he shall mount up as on eagles wings they shall run and not be weary walk and not be faint But to be a little more particular about several things in the Taberuacle as they were many in number yet not a thing there without its special use and signification as they related to Christ and there is not one of these things but had a wonderful deal of glory and excellency laid up in them and were but the ignorant more acquainted with it then they are they would not slight the Books of the old Testament as they do CHAP. 17. I now come to speak of the several things in the Tabernacle and first I begin with the Ark. FIrst there was in the Tabernacle a very glorious thing called an Ark Exod. 37. 1 2. The signification of which we finde to be the Worship of God accompanied with his presence therefore in 1 Sam. 4. 21. when the Ark was taken by the Philistines it s said that the gâ—ory of God was departed from Israel meaning the Worship of God wherein God was in an especial manner present with his people so Ps 132 8. For indeed the worship of God is the glory of any Nation and when that is gone their true glory is gone although it may be they do not see it Use 1. Then how may we pitty those Nations that are without the true worship of God alas they are without true glory they have not excellency or beauty upon them they have not the worship of God whatever they may account of themselvs yet God and his word accounts them to be a base ignoble nation or people a whole nation of them not worth one single person of that people which have the worship of God amongst them read Isaiah where God is a speaking of these persons that had his worship kept up amongst them and do but observe how God values them in comparison of others which had not this true worship amongst them speaking to Israel saith thus Isa 43. 3 4. For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee since thou hast been precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee I will give men for thee and people for thy life Now Israel had the true Worship of God amongst them but Ethiopia Seba and Egypt had not and that is the reason that God prefers Israel above and beyond the other nations but when the God of this world hath wholly blinded the eyes of the nations of the earth as the Apostle speaks in 2 Cor. 4. 4. As that the light of the glorious Gospel cannot shine in upon their hearts It s no wonder if the nations of the earth findes not the want of this mercy Secondly O then what a sad thing is it for a Nation that once had the Gospel amongst them shining in its lustre and brightnesse round about their Tents and Tabernacles to be guilty of driving and forcing the Gospel away and the pure Worship of God away from them what worthless creatures are such and what a worthless Nation is such a Nation think you in Gods sight who shall in the face of God cry down and vote down and thrust out from amongst them the Ark of his Worship and Gospel as a thing not worthy to live or abide amongst them Certainly if the Gadarens Luke 8. 37. Did render themselves a vile people in Gods sight in putting Christ from their Country though done with a mild intreaty how much more vile hath that Nation or people rendred themselves in the sight of God who have not patience with the Gadarens to intereat him civilly to depart from them but wicked Pharaoh-like doth violently force him and drive him out of their Coasts Certainly I know not a blacker Character can hang over a people or Nation then this Character which do more strongly witnesse the Ruine of such a people then this doth read these places Prov. 1. 25 26 27. 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. Thes 1 2 15 16. You likewise know what became of Pharaoh and his whole Army together with all the glory of his Kingdom suddenly after he had contracted this kind of guilt upon him and his Nation and certainly the Lord favours this kind of sin no more
to the Altar of attonement and satisfaction There be three seasons when a Christian should have special regard to the Altar of satisfaction First In guilt seasons Secondly In doubting seasons Thirdly In corruption-prevailing seasons First In guilty seasons when the heart and conscience comes to be stained with the guilt of sin then is it the souls time to run to the Altar of satisfaction when ever the Jews had any guilt broke out upon them they were to take some offering or other in their hands and a way to the Priest with it that he might hasten to the altar of satisfaction and there make an attonement for them by offering up their offering before the Lord. O so should believers do when guilt breaks forth upon them they should flie by faith to their Gospel Altar of satisfaction and attonement saith John 1. 2. 1. 2. My little children if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous for he is a propitiation in his blood for our sins and not onely for ours but for the sins of the whole world Certainly many a poor soul many times lies longer under trouble of spirit then they need to do were they but well acquainted with this truth that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 1. 7. A through acquaintance with and a close application made of this Scripture in doubting times it would wonderfully ease the heart in trouble therefore O troubled soul wouldst thou have thy guilts removed from thy conscience and wouldst thou get thy self into the favour of God again wouldst thou have within in thy soul wouldst thou have the anger of God pacified again whom thou hast offended O then run to the altar of satisfaction take an offering in thy hand go and call upon the Priest and pray him to go into the Tabernacle for thee and there offer upon the Altar of satisfaction thy offering before the Lord I mean take with thee in thy hand of faith the blood merits and righteousness of Jesus Christ and beg him to lay up this upon the Altar of his satisfaction for thee O stand at the Tabernacle door of the throne of grace there call upon thy high Priest Jesus give him no rest day or night until he hath gone in to the Father and made an attonement for thee which done thon mayest assure thy self of that peace of God which passeth all understanding as the Jews in offering what they had to present their High Priest withal might expect a full peace between God and their souls which was obtained by the high Priest for them And you know the obtaining of their peace at Gods hands upon their observing of this rule was very unquestionable so soul in the observation of this rule between thy soul and Christ thou needest doubt of the love and favour of God to thy soul no more then the Jews Secondly A second season when a Christian should have regard to the Altar of satisfaction is in doubting seasons when the Devil shall so far prevail as to discourage the soul from coming to partake of his right to the altar of satisfaction and this the Devil doth oftentimes by telling the soul that the Altar was never set up or prepared for such a vile rebellious wretch as the sinning soul hath been And thus the soul being filled with discouragements is oftentimes almost swallowed up with exceeding grief and despair But let me answer the devil in that soul O Satan thou hast by thy cunning subtle crafty devices deceived many poor souls this way already by which hellish craft thou hast held back many a thousand poor souls from partaking of the priviledges of their Altar Christ bearing them in hand that the Father looks for greater preparations of soul and higher qualifications of heart and life to fit the soul for such a mercy as the Altar Christ is then the soul is yet able to bring with him which design is but to put the soul upon delayes on purpose for his everlasting undoing for he well knows if the soul should stay from Christ until he be fit for Christ the soul never gets Christ to eternity But Satan that thou mayest prevail no more this way upon poor souls I tell thee by the word of the Lord and in the name of my God first of all that the Altar of satisfaction is erected and set up for every comer to it as that let the soul be never so vile unworthy unclean or impure in himself yet he shall be accepted as heartily as ever was Saint in the world if he will but come to the Altar for Satan thou knowest very well though thou thus blindest the eyes of poor souls that the Commission which Christ hath given to all his Ministers is to preach another doctrine in the world then what thoa preachest to men and women which is as follows Isaiah 55. 1 2. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no money come ye buy wine and milk without money and without price wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight its self in fatness Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live come unto me and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even ths sure mercies of David so John 7. 37. And Jesus stood and cried it any man thirst let him come to me and drink Matthew 11. 28 29. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ye shall finde rest to your souls take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burden is light So Revelations 22. 17. The Spirit saith come and the Bride saith come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely so that the souls coming in a way of believing gives him a real right to the Altar of satisfaction for the altar of satisfaction or attonement was erected for the guilty not for the righteous saith Christ I come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Therefore the Apostle tells you that the Altar was set up to make reconciliation for sinnes Hebrews 9. 13. But to perswade a soul that he must not come to the Altar until he is so and so qualified and humbled and mortified to sinne is to make void the great excellency of the Altar and to render it of no effect Thus Satan thou labourest by thy subtleties not onely to destroy the soul for ever by keeping it from Christ but also thy next design is wholly to overthrow the glory of Christs sufferings in the whole world Secondly This Altar is so far from expecting such qualifications in the comers to it as that it stands there on purpose to give out these
things to the comers read Jeremiah 3. 33 34. with Ezekiel 26. 27. Read Proverbs 1. 22. 23. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and scorners delight in scorning and fools haâ—e knowledge turn ye at my reproofs behold I will pour out my spirit upon you and I will make known my words unto you Therefore soul let not the father of lyes keep thee any longer from Jesus Christ thy Gospel Altar but come with the greatest freedom and do not dispute so much thy unworthiness as the Lord Chtists sufficiency in point of righteousness for whatever thy life hath been though never so notoriously wicked yet in the name of God and by special commission from Christ we are to tell thee that neither the number of thy sins nor yet the greatness of thy sinnes can hurt thee but thy coming â—o the Altar of satisfaction where attonement is to be made for sinne this is it that will prove thy soul-destroying sinne for ever if thou take not heed of it Hence it is that David made the greatnesse of sin the onely ground of coming to the Altar Psal 25. 11. Lord pardon my Iniquity for my sinne is wondrous great Thirdly A third season when a Christian should have regard to the Altar of satisfaction is in corruption-prevailing seasons when the heart is overcome with the strength of corruption then is it a fit time for the soul to have much recourse to ths Altar corruption can never live if thou bring it to this place that altar upon which Christ died for sin will of all places in the world yield thee the greatest death to sin this is the sword of Goliah which hath none like it Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this that our old man is Crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin But worthy of note is that place of the Apostle in the 1 John 3. 8. For this purpose was the Son of God manifest that he might destroy the work of the Devil As if the Apostle should say for this purpose was the Son of God manifested or for this purpose was the Altar of satisfaction erected and set up that poor souls might as well get sin and corruption mortified and subdued in them as to have the guilt of sin removed out of their souls O this is the tree of Life which standeth in the Paradise of God the leaves whereof will heal the Nations O therefore soul wouldst get down the power of sin in thy soul as well as to get out the guilt of sin from thy soul O then when ever corruption gets head be sure to bring thy soul to the Altar of satisfaction and atonement and there lay thy soul down at the feet of the Altar and beg of Jesus Christ that he would yield forth the blessed effects of his death upon thy soul that as he died upon the Cross to remove out of the way the guilt of thy sins so likewise he would be pleased out of his infinite mercy and love to drop something of his sufferings some vertue of his death into thy soul which might kill sin in thy mortal body Now this being done adding faith to the work thou needst not doubt but a blessed issue in time will proceed to the great joy and comfort of thy soul only labour for a waiting frame of spirit give God his own time to effect this work in thy soul for in time thou shalt Reap if thou faint not Objection But doth not the Apostle say in Hebrewes 13. 10. That we have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle then it seems all may not come with that boldnesse to the Altar of satisfaction as you say Answer The Apostle is not to be understood so much in treating about the guilt of sin as above the use of Ceremonies Now the dangerous condition of the Hebrewes was two-fold not only was their Case sad with respect to their distance from God upou the account of sinnes guilt But their danger did farther appear in this they having their Ceremonies for a Christ to rest upon this kept them from Christ indeed by which means they were deprived of the benefit of Christs Merits Bloud and Righteousnesse which only takes away the guilt of sin as the Apostle elsewhere saith Galatians 5 4. For Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are iustified by the Law you are faln from grace As if the Apostle should say certainly so long as you stick to your Ceremonies and Jewish Rights you are at a great distance with Christ Christ can profit you nothing for you have Converted the Tabernacle Service into a Christ and you rest here and you live upon the Shadow in the neglect of the true Substance Christ unto which these Types and Legal Shadows should lead you Therefore while you serve the Tabernacle in this sense you have no right to eat of the Altar Christ but otherwise let the souls condition be never so desperate by reason of sinne yet here is an open door for him to step into the Tabernacle and fall upon this Altar Christ with boldnesse according to that word of the Apostle in Hebrewes 9 13 14 14. So that there is no sinne how great soever makes the soul uncapable of partaking of the Altar Christ who hath a desire to make out after Christ but only the souls resting upon some thing else on this side Christ and shall make that and not Christ his bottom for Salvation CHAP. 24 Of the Grate of Network made to this Altar I Now come to speak about the Grate of Network which was made to the Altar and placed under the compass of the Altar which was about the midst of the Altar underneath Exod. 27. 4 5. The use of which was to let forth the Ashes through the small holes of the Grate when the Sacrifice or Burnt Offering should be offered before the Lord upon it Now the Ashes of any thing which is burnt we look on it as the Dross or Excrements of the thing burned so it is in this case therefore was the Grate prepared to convey the Ashes of the sacrifice under the Altar which was to be carried forth without the Camp This shews us this much First of all the exceeding rich usefulness of Jesus Christ every way for Believers First In point of Justification From hence Believers may assure themselves that when Christ became a Sacrifice to God for them in order to their Justification that God was well pleased with it which was for the great comfort of Believers publickly witnessed from Heaven Mat. 3. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased To this agreeth the words of S. Paul Ephes 5. 2. Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour So much as this you may read in this blessed Type for there was nothing which was offered upon this Altar to
in prayer to God thy self in the greatest necessity thou mighst comfort thy self in this thy High Priest is praying for thee for saith the Apostle he ever liveth to make Intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. This is the ground why thy barrel of Meal wasteth not and thy Cruse of Oil spend not it self in time of Famine and why the Plague cometh not nigh thy dwelling place in pestilentious seasons Job 5. 17 18 to 23. Secondly The next thing we are to speak of is the time how long this is to last or how long this interceding work of Christ was to continue for Believers not only for the Saints under the Old Testament seasons but for the Saints under the New Testament seasons also even for us saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 34. And such a High Priest became us Heb. 7. 26. And this will further appear if you consider this work in the Type of it as it s held out to you Exod. 30. 8. And when Aaron lighted the lamps at even he shall burn Incense upon it a perpetual Incense before the Lord throughout your Generations Now observe it was perpetually to burn before the Lord throughout their Generations there was not a Generation but must have the benefit of this Altar of Incense so is Christ an Intercessour for the Elect in all Generations and not only for time either of the day or of the night but Christ is pouring out his interceding groans to the Father for his people Therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 7. 25. He ever liveth to make Intercession for us Use 3. O soul then doubt not thy case goeth on in Heaven well enough there is alwayes prayer going up to God for thee to keep thee night and day from danger so long as Moses his hands were kept up by Aaron and Hur it went well enough with Israel Exod. 17. O but here are the hands of Christ lifted up for thee night and day to keep thee from the Arrow that flieth by day and the shaft which flieth by night Read that place Isa 27. 2 3. In that day sing ye a Vineyard of Red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day O Christ is interceding night and day for thee against all evils It may be thou fearest that sin and corruption will undo thy soul that the Devil and temptation will be thy ruine that wicked men will swallow thee up in the end O soul look up to Jesus Christ under all this eye him at the Throne of grace wrestling by his strong crys for thee O soul live upon this in doubting seasons O go on in the way of thy duty with chearfulness O remember the Lord is with thee his Spirit shall be with thee his Prayers with thee O fear not O saith David The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me O soul whatever thy danger be that shall beset thee whether it be from Hell or this World it can never seize thee while Christ is at prayer for thee but Christ as thou hast heard ever liveth to intercede on thy behalf Object But some may say then why are men so strict to enjoyn the people to pray is it not enough that Christ their High Priest prayeth for them in Heaven I answer It is true in point of prevailing with God for the Elect so Christ their High Priest prayeth enough for them And in this sense there is no need of Believers praying I mean so as if their prayers did give any strength to the Priestly work or office of Jesus Christ therefore that cursed Tenent of the Papist is to be abhorred by all true Christians which teacheth that the prayers of the Church meriteth or procureth the grace of God by its own strength or efficacy blindly mistaking that place James 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Now in this sense there is no need of Believers prayers for this will be to destroy the Mediator-ship of Christ and to render his Priestly office of no effect for in point of merit oâ— worth God only accepts of the prayers of Christ and of the Elects for his sake according to that word in Matth. 3. 17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But secondly notwithstanding the Intercession of Jesus Christ yet in point of obedience to God it is a Christians duty to pray So much as this is handed out to you in the Priesthood of old Read Luke 1. 8 9 10. Speaking of Zecharias the Priest While he was executing the Priests office before God in the order of his course according to the custom of the Priests office his lot was to burn Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord and the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of the Incense Now Zecharias the Priest represents our Lord Jesus in the work of his Priestly interceding office for the Elect and you read that nowithstanding Zecharias was interceding at the Incense Altar within the Temple yet the people were to pray at the same time without strongly proving that although Jesus Christ our Gospel High Priest still intercedes in Heaven for the Elect yet notwithstanding it is highly the duty of all the Elect while without the Temple of glory and remain yet in the body to pray This will farther appear if you consider that place in Rev. 8. 3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer in his hand 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 smoak of the Incense which came up with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand If you would know who this Angel was or is you may read Rev. 1. 13. and there you shall as I have said already find him to be Jesus Christ in all his Priestly Formalities as our High Priest And in this Chapter he is set forth to you in the performance of his work of Intercession for the Saints by having a Golden Censer in his hand which was what the High Priest under the Law did administer before the Lord withall Numb 16. 46 47. And the Angel had Incense given him to offer up to God in the Censer which was in his hand which Incense I understand to be meant the infinite worth of his bloud and righteousness which is continually pleaded by Christ as a ground of full satisfaction to God for the Elect It s said there was much Incense given to this Angel that is as the Apostle elsewhere saith in Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell which sheweth the abundant worth and efficacy that lay in the death and righteousness of Christ therefore he is able to save to the uttermost all
those that come to God by him Heb. 7. And to be a propitiation in his bloud for the sins of the whole world John 1. 2 2. That is there was so much Incense given this Angel by the Lord or so much vertue put into the death of Christ that although it was never intended for all the world yet there is a vertue or a sufficiency in his death able to save all the world at once And it s said the Angel offered Incense that is the Lord Jesus Christ was interceding at the Throne of grace for the Saints Now pray observe all this was done with the prayers of all Saints so that the Saints are set forth as a praying people as well as Christ is set forth as an interceding High Priest Christs prayers and his peoples prayers going up together before the Lord make up the great cloud of Incense which went up from the Altar Thus you see the point cleared that Christs interceding in Heaven at his Fathers right hand for Believers doth not give any liberty to the least neglect in prayer here on earth therefore doth our High Priest himself enjoyn prayer to be made by the Saints that live under his Priesthood Matth. 26 41. And farther says that men ought to pray always Luke 18. 1. So likewise the Apostles of Christ they tell you that the subjects of this Gospel Priesthood must pray James 5. 13. and that they must pray every where 1 Tim. 2. 8. and that without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17 and that men should continue instant in it Rom. 12. 22. and that men should pray always night and day Eph 6. 18. Thes 2. 3 10. and for one another James 5. 16. with this advice that it must be in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. likewise this hath been made the Character of a good man Acts 9. 11 and on the contrary a prayerless heart is looked upon in Scripture to be a wicked heart Job 27. 10. Thirdly and lastly I come to speak of the end or main purpose of the work of the Incense Altar or of the work of Christs Intercession which he driveth on in Heaven for Believes Now the purpose of this glorious work of Christs Intercession it was to make Reconciliation for sin or amongst many other things one mainâ— thing was this viz. the keeping up a constant peace between God and the Soul therefore it was called the office for atonement Exod. 30. 10. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of the Incense Altar once a year with the bloud of the sin offering of atonements once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your Generations its most holy to the Lord. This the Apostle applies to Jesus Christ Heb. 2 17. where you have the Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ as our Gospel High Priest succeeding Aaron of old the Apostle hath this saying about it in Verse 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God and that he might make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Note here That he might make Reconciliation for the sins of the people or an atonement which is all one so that this was the end or purpose of the High Priests atonement it was to keep peace between God and the people under the Law this you may see read Numb 16. 46 47 48. And Moses said to Aaron take the Censer and put fire therein off the Altar and put on Incense and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun And Aaron took as Moses commanded him and ran into the midst of the Congregation and behold the Plague was begun among the people and he put on Incense and made an atonement for the people and he stood between the dead and the living and the Plague was stayed Thus you see clearly what the purpose and end of the Priests interceding or making atonement for the people amounts unto it is to interpose between Gods wrath and the people or to keep God at peace with the people which is the proper work of Jesus Christ now in glory to make peace for the Saints and to interpose by his Intercession between the anger of God and their sinning souls who labours by those strong cries sighs and groans with many tears which cannot be uttered to prevail with God that he would be pleased for his own death and righteousness sake to pass by those many sins failings and infirmities which his people are apt to commit And as in the like case we read of Moses Exod. 32. 11 12 13. So doth Christ of whom in the work of Intercession Moses was the Type cast himself at the feet of God praying begging intreating that he would be pleased to pass by the sins and daily infirmities of his people and not remember their iniquities against them but that he would extend his Love Favour and Grace to their souls as afore-time and would lead them and conduct them by his special grace to the good land of Canaan the land of promise which was purchased for them by his own bloud upon the Cross at Jerusalem and begs his Father that he would be pleased to look more upon his bloud and righteousness for them and less upon their sins And doth confess as Moses did that the people are and ever have been a stiff-necked and rebellious people ever since he knew them but yet still crys good Father put up all the injuries done against thy glory by this people and let not thy wrath wax hot against the sheep of thy pasture O remember the promises which thou hast made to me concerning this people That a seed should serve me a Generation of men should call me blessed Psal 22. 30. and Psal 72. 17. And that I should see of the travel of my soul and be satisfied Isa 53. 11. and therefore prays that the Father would consider what loss it would be to him who was his Son should the people miscarry how all his sufferings would be lost the end of his coming in the flesh would be lost the fruit of all his Sermons works of Miracles and works of Righteousness would be lost therefore in John 17. 24. Prays saying Father I will that they whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold â—y glory which thou hast given me for thou hase loved me before the Foundation of the world Use 4. O then soul thou seest where to fly under the guilt of sin O what comfort wlll this afford a poor doubting soul that shall well digest this truth into his soul that Jesus Christ is interceding for him now in Heaven how will the knowledge of this feed the hearts of Gods people in times of doubts O let not the Wolves catch any comfort from hence this is what belongs to the true
sheep of Christ and to none else This is not for him that will catch at any comfort to protect himself in a trade of sin but this truth chiefly belongs to those that are indeed truly humbled under and burthened with the sense of the weight of sin To such only I speak do your sins press you down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves Do your iniquities so weigh down your heads as that you cannot look up Dare not you come to God nor stand in his presence Do you fear that your sins have provoked God against you Do you doubt the Plague is begun against you are you fearful the wrath of God is coming out upon you and that it may prove such a storm as may sink you into the lowest Hell Yet O look up to your interceding High Priest who is now in Heaven for you who labours to prevail upon the heart of God for pardoning grace on your behalf who likewise makes it his business to observe his Fathers countenance towards Believers that if at any time his face of Justice begins to look grim and he perceives that wrath begins to come forth he may as Aaron did step quickly in between God and the people and so by his interposing presence of grac eand powerful Intercession he may allay the anger of his Father again Hence it is that John comforts doubting drooping souls in his day with this truth because indeed it is a truth proper to that end and purpose and farther John the Divine doth not only apply this truth as a Cordial to bear them up under the sense of sin but likewise as a notable preservative against the act of sin 1 John 2. 1 2. My little children I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation in his blood for our sins and not onely for ours but for the sins of the whole world O Soul live upon this blessed truth stay thy self here under all thy doubtings O consider sin may vex and disquiet thee but all cannot hurt thee so long as Christ keeps up his praying hands to God for thee it shall not do thy soul the least injury Christ doth prevail and he will prevail in heaven for thee against sin and wrath Christ lies in the way of his Fathers wrath as it were if any of it run forth it must pass through Christ he stands between the Father and thy Soul in a time of the Fathers displeasure and cryes out good Father stay thy wrath O hold thy hands strike not this poor sinner if thou strikest I am resolved the blows shall alight all on my back I will bear all and suffer all and take all both fault and punishment upon my self This the Father tried once and it proved true when the Father went to strike the Elect the blows fell all upon Christs own back which bruised him very much Isa 52. 1. which leads me to a fifth use of the Point Use 5. Which is to exhort thee O soul from what hath been said about the intercession of Jesus Christ for thee Oh! to love Jesus Christ with all thy heart and with all thy strength and with all thy soul O who can love such a friend as Christ is too much O therefore strive to love with the love of service and obedience with the love of delight with the love of communion and with the love of desire so as to part with Father Mother Wife Husband Children Honours Lands Livings yea all that 's near and dear for Jesus Christ O account nothing too much you do for him in his Worship in his Ordinances as in Prayer Hearing Reading in Meditating Mourning Weeping Repenting Oh account nothing too much you administer unto him in his People in his Ministers in the mannaging of his Cause and Gospel in the world O with Mary think not your Alablaster Box and Oyntment too good to bring forth in a time of need for Jesus Christ Oh account nothing too much you suffer for Christ account no prison to bad to go into for Christ no dungeon too deep to lie in for Christ no death too disgraceful for Christs sake because he thought nothing too much he suffered for you nor any thing too much which he now doth for you CHAP. 25. Of the Brazen Laver. I Now come to speak of the brazen Laver which was for this purpose that the Priests might wash themselves therein before they went into the Tabernacle to perform the Worshp and Service thereof Exod. 30. 18 19 20. Thou shalt also make a laver of Brass and his foot also of Brass to wash withal and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the Altar and thou shalt put water therein for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat when they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation they shall wash with water that they die not or when they come near unto the Altar to minister to burn offerings made by fire unto the Lord. This brazen Laver was a Type of Jesus Christ and the cleansing water which was in it typed out the Blood of Jesus Christ which onely can cleanse poor souls and wash them from their sinful guiltiness and sinful filthiness for as the Priests under the Law were to wash themselves in the brazen Laver before they were thought fit to have to do either with the holy God of Worship or the holy things of the Worship of God so are all the Elect first by Faith to wash themselves in the Blood of Christ this spiritual brazen Laver before they are thought fit to have to do either with God or his Worship Hence is that cleansing attributed to the Blood of Christ so often in Scripture to shew you it performs the same use to the Gospel Priests for so doth the Gospel term every Believer now Rev. 1. 6. as the Laver water did to the legal Priests 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all sin so Rev. 1. 5. To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Now in this chapter of Revelations you may see by the order of the words in verse 5 6. how the Holy Ghost makes the type and the antitipe to agree In Exod. 30. 19. you have the brazen Laver set up now in the 5. verse of this chapter you have Christ set out to you performing the same use and office in washing and cleansing In Exod. 30. 19. you have the subjects spoken of who they should be which should wash in the brazen Laver and these were Aaron and his sons now you know these were Priests Now look into Rev. 1. 6. there the subjects spoken of which must wash in the Laver of Christs Blood they are called Priests likewise which intends all believers in and under the Gospel all those which have washed in the Blood of Christ our
in the opening of it in the Ordinances how have you been made to cry out with Peter Matth. 17. 4. Master it is good to be here what blessed heart-affecting discoveries doth there come out of the Tabernacle sometimes therefore doth David so much prize the Tabernacle or House and Church of God Psal 84. 1 2 4. Oh how amiable are thy Tabernables O Lord of hosts my soul longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God blessed are all they that dwell in thy house for they will be still praising thee Why should those that live in the Tabernacle or house of God so much praise God Answer amongst many reasons so to do this is not a small one because of the exceeding glory God discovers to them in the Church Oh what glorious gifts are there what glorious Ordinances what glorious Ministers are there what a glorious Gospel what glorious discoveries are there made of this Gospel in the Church what a glorious Spirit is there in the Tabernacle of the Church Oh what glorious graces do there live in the hearts of the Materials of this Tabernacle besides the glorious name of God lives there and all this covered over with Rams skins dyed red and coverings made of Goats hair But however let Believers comfort themselves God will have a time to remove the covering made of Rams skins and Goats hair and then the world shall see and know the worth anâ— glory of the Tabernacle or Church There are many precious promises in the word of God about the removing of the Rams skin covering from the Church of God take a few for all one is in Psal 45. That where the Church of God because of her deformity on the out side hath been the scorn of the Earth yet the time shall come when God shall remove her Rams skin and Goats hair covering that the rich men of the Earth shall entreat the Churches favour as ver 12. of that 45. Psalm And the Daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour Isa 60. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee I will make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations So Verse 14. The Sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Zion of the holy one of Israel Verse 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee the Fir-tree the Pine-tree and the Box together to beautifie the place of my Sanctuary for I will make the place of my feet glorious So Verse 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted So Verse 3. For the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising So Isa 54. 11 12. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colours and lay thy Foundation with Saphires I will make thy windows of Aggates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant Stones So Verse 13. 14. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children in righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terrour for it shall not come near thee But the Question wiâ—l be when shall these Prophesies be made good I Answer When Israel shall come to his good land then it shall be then shall God take away the Tabernacle covering made of Rams skins and Goats hair which was upon the Tabernacle all the while of its being in the wilderness and then will God shew the glory of the Tabernacle his Church to all the world Isa 60. 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Is a Metaphor taken from the rising Sun as that when the Sun riseth upon the earth all the earth is filled with the beams of its glorious light so shall the world with the glory of the Tabernacle You know this covering upon the Tabernacle lasted but during their abode in the wilderness for when they came into the land of promise and rest the covering was taken away in a great measure and the glory of it suffered more to appear then formerly as you may perceive when Solomon turned the Tabernacle into a most Magnificent Temple Now this land of rest or the end of the wilderness journey I find to be two ways held out in Scripture either for the ultimate glory above or for that Kingdom of glory which Christ calls his Kingdom as he is the Son of man which he so often promiseth his people as the reward of their sufferings for him for our Saviour makes a clear difference between the Kingdom of ultimate glory above and the Kingdom of glory which Christ hath promised to give his people for their Faith Love and Constancy to him in suffering-times pray read well and consider that passage of our Saviour Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father on his Throne Mark that there is the Fathers Throne of glory and there is the Sons Throne of glory mine saith Christ and my Fathers now one of these Thrones or Kingdoms of glory hath Christ made the proper reward of the Saints sufferings and that is what he calls his Kingdom a Kingdom distinct from the Fathers Rev. 3. 21. I will grant him to sit with me upon my Throne which is promised the Saints so often in the word of truth Math. 19. 28. Rev. 2. 26 27. Rev. 20. 4. Rev. 21. 2 3. Now all these Scriptures relate to the Kingdom of Christ this none will deny Secondly That this Kingdom is held out to the Saints and promised them as the reward of their sufferings it must also be granted Thirdly That this Kingdom thus promised to the Saints as the reward of their sufferings cannot be applyed to the ultimate glory will appear if we look into each Scripture neither can men read these Scriptures so without being guilty of putting meer Nonsense upon the face of Scipture Pray let us look into these places Math. 19. 28. And Jesus said unto them Verily Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon 12. thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Now this very promise is again handed out by our Saviour after his Ascension to John the Divine in the Isle of Patmos Rev. 3. 2. To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me on my throne Look into Rev. 20 4.
There you have the same promise applyed to his proper subjects which were suffering Saints and I saw thrones and they that sate upon them and Judgement was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Iesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his Image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads nor in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Now the Question will be whether this Text do neither relate to the Kingdom of ultimate glory taking its rise from the general Judgment day mentioned Math. 2. 5. 31 32. Or whether it relates to the setting up of Christs Kingdom here on Earth which is mentioned Dan. 2. 44. And in the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Now certainly it cannot relate to that Kingdom which takes its rise from the general Judgment day because we find the general Judgment day pointed at by the Holy Ghost to be a thousand years after this Kingdom begins Rev. 20. Where you read after a thousand years time spent in the management and ordering of the Son of mans Kingdom then the general Judgment day takes its place as appears from Verse 11. 12 13 14 15. Secondly Because this Kingdom is to have an end before the other begins Rev. 20. 7 8 9. Thirdly The great glory resolves this into it self 1 Cor. 15. 24. Then cometh the end meaning the end of the Son of mans Kingdom which answereth to that in Rev 20. 7 8 9 When he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power Fourthly Because this glorious Kingdom of the Son of man promised to the Saints as the reward of their faithfulness in holding out and suffering for him is so far from being any part of the ultimate glory above I mean so as to be enjoyed above that its what is expresly said to come down from that which is above Rev. 21. 2 3. And I John saw the holy City the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband and I heard a great voice saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Another Text of Scripture which speaks of the Son of mans Kingdom of glory here on Earth is in Rev. 2. 26 27 And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I have received of my Father Now Reader pray read well and consider these words then give thy thoughts whether any thing in them can be applied to the ultimate glory not but that I believe the Saints shall enter there at last but whether there be not a glorious Kingdom on this side that for the Saints to enjoy as the reward of their sufferings which hath its foundation in the Scriptures Now observe in the abovesaid words of John it s said in ths Kingdom the Saints shall have power over the Nations so as to rule some and to break others in pieces with rods of Iron Now if this must relate to the glory of the Saints after the last and great general Judgment day behold as I said before what Nonsense we put upon the Scriptures for according to the Description given of the great and general Judgment day the wicked must immediately after sentence given depart into hell and the godly shall be taken up into heaven where each party shall be to eternity and shall never see the face of each other more Math. 25. 33. with 41. Well then according to that of Math. 25. The wicked and the godly shall be so totally separated as that they shall never see the face of one another more then where be the Nations and who are they that the Saints must rule over with Iron rods and break to pieces Besides over whom shall the Saints rule in Heaven for there only God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. Again Iron rods notes severity and bitterness now what of this do you promise your selves in Heaven Heaven knows nothing of that in the least and to say any shall rule with Iron rods there is to say that which the word doth not say Therefore be content Christian to travel to the end of thy appointed wilderness-journey when the time cometh that thou must enter into this good land and much promised Kingdom then expect thy Spiritual Solomon to turn thy Tabernacle state of deformity into a famous Temple of glory CHAP. 28. I come now to speak of the High Priest under the Law which was a Type of Jesus Christ also IN the handling of which I shall observe this method First Speak something as to the place out of which the High Priest was to be chosen Secondly I shall speak of the Qualifications which he was to be endued withall Thirdly I shall speak of the Consecrated Garments which he was to administer in Fourthly I shall speak of the manner of the Priests Consecration Fifthly Of the Work he was to do for the people when chosen for them First As to the place out of which the High Priest was to be chosen by being chosen I do not mean that there was such a Custom or Rule amongst the Jews before the Corruption crept into the Jewish Church for the people to chuse their High Priests but I intend the thing as it respects the first setting apart of a High Priest for the people Now the place from whence the High Priest was to be taken it was from amongst the Children of Israel not from a strange people or Country Exod. 28. 1. And take thou unto thee Aaron thy Brother and his Sons with him from amongst the Children of Israel that he may Minister unto me in the Priests Office This Particular affords us these two Uses Use 1. It serves to remove out of the way two great Objections which may abide upon the hearts of some tender Souls who may be unwilling to adventure their case in Christs hands First Because of their unacquaintance with him he is too much a stranger to them therefore some make no use of him for their High Priest Secondly Others call in Question his faithfulness therefore others make no use of him that which they have to commit to the High Priests care is of an infinite value it s the price of a Soul which if it should miscarry through want of faithfulness in the Priest they lose their all and
commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Soul it would be very necessary for thee to keep this truth always warm upon thy heart that it may give down its daily comfort to thee that the High Priest is thy Brother for he was taken from amongst his Brethren it would be the choicest food thou canst live upon in thy wilderness condition if thou wert to take up thy quarters at any time in a Dungeon yet if thou hast this pot of Manna with thee viz. thy Brother is a High Priest in Heaven what more comfortable consideration in the world then this David was wonderfully raised in his hopes and expectations from hence Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my sheepherd I shall not want that is he is a Priest whose office it is to supply the wants of the soul in any condition for so much was expected from the High Priest under the Law he was to procure what blessings he could for the people Numb 6 23 24 25 26. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto Aaron and to his Sons saying on this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying the Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Now that which greatens this mercy is this That as its the Place and Office of Christ to supply the wants of his people there is no condition whatsoever that his people are in at any time but Christ is privy to it Psal 139 2 3. Thou knowest my down sitting and my uprising thou understandest my thoughts afar off thou compass est my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways Herein lay Davids great comfort and the same may be thine that this want-supplying Priest that was so well acquainted with his peoples several conditions he could appropriate him to himself as his sheepherd The Lord is my sheepherd saith David that is as if he had said I draw much of my comfort from the place out of which the Priest was to be chosen which is this he was to be called forth from amongst his Brethren so that he is not a stranger to me a man whose voice or words I understand not or he mine but he is my Brother which understands my thoughts afar off CHAP. 29. I now come to speak of the Qualifications which were required in the Person which was to be the Peoples High Priest under the Law THe High Priest was to be one of the meekest tenderest mercifullest men exceeding others of his Brethren a man brimful of bowels of tender love and compassion towards those he was to be a Priest unto And secondly he was to be as faithful as merciful Both of which Qualifications in the High Priest under the Law you have the Apostle speaking of in the Epistle to the Hebrews First That he was to be full of bowels and tender compassion towards those for whom he was chosen a High Priest Heb. 5. 1. For every High Priest taken from amongâ—st men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he might offer gifts and sacrifices for sins so Ver. 2. Who can have compassion of the ignorant and them that go out of the way Secondly The Priest was to be a faithful man a man discharging his duty with all faithfulness and sincerity towards his people not seeking his own before their good using all diligence in his place and calling withholding no due right from the people thus much you have from the Apostle in Heb 2. 17. Speaking of Christ saith That in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people To be made like unto his Brethren who are these Answer not only all Believers for they are called Christs Brethren too but also and most principally with respect to office by Brethren is meant all those High Priests which were before his Incarnation who were likewise the fore-running Types of him in the work of the Priesthood and that it was the Priests of old that are mostly intended in this Text as the Brethren which Christ was to be made like unto will appear if we consider the end why the Apostle saith our Saviour must be made like unto his Brethren It was that he might make Reconciliatien for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. A work proper to none under the Law but to the Priests But wherein was Christ to be made like unto his Brethren you may see in the Text it was in point of faithfulness as well as in other respects That he might be a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people So that you see so much as this was expected to be found in and from the High Priest under the Law that he should be faithful Now both of the Qualifications in an abundant measure the Apostle shews you are in Christ our Gospel High Priest for so he applies the thing for our comfort as indeed all this was but to set forth the fulness of grace which from the Spirit of anointing the Father caused to run into Christ to fit him for this great work of the Priesthood read Heb. 5â— 1 2. and Chap. 2. 17. Isa 11 2 3 4. with Isa 61. 1. Use 1. I shall first of all take up the first of the Qualifications and labour to improve it for the encouragement of two sorts of persons First For those who as yet keep themselves off from this High Priest Christ through a sinful fear Secondly For those who have made choice of Christ for their High Priest but still live in continual doubt about their conditions As for the first fort of persons who yet stand off from Christ and are afraid to close with him so as to make him their High Priest Oh soul how long wilt thou doubt and by doubting keep thy soul off from Jesus Christ knowest thou not that there is a necessity for thee to hasten to Jesus Christ art thou not convinced that thou art a sinner and under the Curse doth not the word tell thee that God is angry with thee every day Psal 7. 11. Dost thou not hear the sound of wrath that is gone out against thee are not the first fruits of it upon thee already which is but the fore-runner of the full Winepress which like a dark storm is hastning after and is there not great need that Reconciliation for sin should be made to God for thy poor soul why then dost thou delay thy hastning to Christ the High Priest that he might make atonement for thee to the Lord that so a stop may be put to that wrath which from the Lord is gone out against thee or dost thou know a better way of
Reconciliation and Pacification then by Christ dost thou not read that the Father is only well-pleased in Christ because he is his beloved Son Math. 3. 17. Dost thou not read that he is the way the truth and the life to the Father as that there is no coming to the Father but by him Iohn 14 6. And that there is no other Name given amongst men whereby we can be saved Act. 4. 12. And that if we believe not in him we shall die in our sins Ioh. 8. 24. And the wrath of God shall abide upon us Iohn 3. ult Obj. But methinks I hear thee reply Oh but thou art afraid to come to Christ I pray thee tell me where the stick lieth what it is which hinders and keeps thee back from the greatest of mercies what is it Is it the greatness of thy sins Oh then come to Jesus Christ for he is a merciful High Priest filled brimful of bowels and tender compassion for such an one as thou art which have gone out of the way of God mark the phrase Heb. 5. 2. Who can have compassion on them that are out of the way Oh the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Christ and the Lord hath anointed me to preach liberty to the captive and to open the Prison doors to them that are bound Isa 61. 1. Soul art not thou one of these captives art not thou a captive to sin a slave to Sathan a prisoner to thy own lustful wicked heart as that if the Devil and Lust bid thee to drink untill thou art dead drunk in the place thou must do it if it bid the commit Adultery Lie swear Blaspheme the worthy name of God if it bid thee Rob Kill thou must do it if it bid thee fight against the Gospel of thy Salvation speak evil of good Ministers for their faithful dealing with thy soul if it bid thee abuse and persecute the Lords people meerly for waiting upon him in his Ordinances if it bid thee seek and hunt out their Meetings untill thou hast tired thy self with thy wicked journey all this and more thou must do thou canst not help it thou art not thy own but Satans and Sins slave Now for thee was Christ anointed and with infinite bowels of grace and tender compassion filled that he might set thee at liberty from thy sin and lust and that he might preach the acceptable year of the Lord to thy soul O therefore come in come into Christ do not so much look upon what thou hast been in thy self as upon what Christ is anointed to be and to do for thee as a High Priest if thou wilt come in to him look not so much upon thy sins as upon the infinite compassions of Christ as a High Priest which was so made for them that go out of the way yea and for the ignorant likewise that should not discourage thee neither for if thou comest to Christ as a High Priest he will teach thee the fear of the Lord the knowledge of himself and the exceeding evil of sin which thou didst not know before Isa 29. 24. They also that erred in Spirit shall come to understanding and they that muâ—mured shall learn Doctrine Oh soul throw thy self upon him he will not reject thee for thy sins but pardon thee of them and pity thee under them Oh remember he is the High Priest which is full of compassion look up to him and hasten thy soul thither to the gate of his tender mercy and thou shalt find acceptance with him take his own word for it live upon it as surer then Bill or Bond from the tenderest faithfullest man in the world for it came from the lips of one who never spake an untruth in his life John 6. 37. He that comeâ—h unto me I will in no wise cast out Secondly As for those who have made their choice of Christ but still doubts of their condition Oh soul didst thou know how much comfort and satisfaction thou maist draw out of the Priestly office of Christ thou wouldst never doubt more I do confess that Satan labours to fill the minds of the people of God with great fears and doubtings but would they view this Qualification of compassion in their High Priest it would abundantly fortifie them against all Objections whatsoever Satan could make against them there be these five things which do ordinarily cause doubtings in the hearts of the Lords people First The guilt of sin Secondly The strength of corruption Thirdly The violence of Temptation Fourthly The weakness of Grace Fifthly Their backwardness in duty First If it be the guilt of sin which cometh in upon thee under all this look up to Christ let it not drive thee from but to Christ for he full of bowels and tender compassion on purpose to deal with thee under this distemper take his own words for it Art thou laden with thy sin as that thou canst not hold up thy head saith Christ then come to me and I will freely pardon it for my name sake though your sin be as red as Crimson and as Scarlet yet I will make them as white as snow and as wooll Isa 1. 18. Is it the power of sin troubles thee Oh then look up to Christ thy High Priest who is full of compassion filled up with it to out-vie thy corruption the Father was resolved to bring his elected ones to glory through the Priesthood of Christ therefore filled Christ with infinite affection towards his people that so he might pitty them and have compassion on them in all their distempers the people were in an ill case in the wilderness for want of greater measures of this in Moses who had undertaken the conduct of them Numb 11. 11 12 13 14 15. Moses crys out I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me Oh but it s otherwise with Christ for the Father was resolved to fill Christ with so much compassion as that he should never complain of his burthen in having to do with such corrupted ones as thou art Heb. 2. 17 18. For he was made a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God that he might be able to succour those that are tempted mark that to succour the tempted or burthened not to reject them under it Oh then come to Christ bring thy corruption with thee lie down with it at the feet of Christ and he will unlade thy burthen for thee Math. 11. 28 29. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Oh burthened soul here is thy call what canst expect more at Christs hands then to be bid under this weight of corruption to come away to him But it may be thou wilt say but I am afraid should I come my corruption would stir up fury in my Lord Soul Christ gives answer to it what wilt thou have more and bids thee put him upon the trial for saith
And upon this account we are bid to glorifie God with our bodies as well as with our souls 1 Cor. 6. 20. And we are exhorted to present God with our whole bodies as well as our souls in the Worship of God as living sacrifices which is but our resonable service Rom. 12. 1. Therefore saith David My tongue shall be as the Pen of a ready Writer Ps 45. 1. He would make use of his tongue in the Worship of God to praise him withall So Psal 71. 24. My tongue shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long Psal 27. 7. Ps 28 2. Obj. But some will say the Scripture saith that bodily exercise profiteth little I answer not bodily exercise used in the worship of God excluded but bodily exercise when the soul is excluded out of the worship of God this signisies but little in Gods account else why did the Apostle exhort the Romans to give up the body as well as the soul to God in his service Romans 12. 1. But secondly the gingling of Aarons Bells did signifie the laudable sound that the Priests Doctrine was to make in the ears of the people he was not to be a dumb silent Minister but to make his Doctrine to ring for God in the ears of the people you may see the Charge which is given in this case to Ministers Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sins Use 3. O how few Aaronites can we see or hear now in the world how seldom can the poor people hear the ringing of the Bells of sound Doctrine in their ears in some Parishes not above once a moneth in so much that the poor people have almost forgot that kind of Musick and as for others when they do ring the Aaronite Bells of Doctrine to the people it s so much confounded with the sound of other mixt Bells which they have added to them that when the Minister rings them the people can hardly tell whether they be rung in England or in Rome Lastly The Bells of Aarons garment did signifie the readiness forwardness and aptness which there should be in the Priest to the work which God called him unto he was not to be hauld and dragged to his work he was to act readily from a principle of willingness you may conceive the Bells at the end of the long Robe would gingle with every little motion of the body so should Ministers readily freely and willingly give out the mind of God to the dark blind world this is so in a great measure found upon the Ministers of Christ that have the Aaronite Bells upon their garments read that noble passage of the Apostle in Acts 3. 6. Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have give I thee in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk Therefore saith our Saviour to his Disciples when he sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the world Math. 10. 8. Freely have you received therefore freely give God abhors a lazie idle Preacher they are the worst plants that stands in his Vineyard an idle Minister will quickly grow an ignorant Minister for so the Lord puts them together Isa 56. 10. His watch-men are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber Therefore when the Apostle would give a true Character of an Aaronite indeed one that carryeth the Aaronite Bells to the hem of his garment he tells you in 2 Tim. 2 24. He should be apt to teach that is ready willing or forward in his work one that need not be puld to it with Cart-ropes that acts from a principle of love to and delight in his work saith St. Paul A Dispensation is committed to me and woâ—am I if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 16. Our Saviour tells you that the Gospel shall flow so freely from them that are his Ministers as water from a fountain Iohn 7 38. Use 4. Of Lamentation O how few of such Ministers do the Earth abound with at this time that are apt to teach the Gospel to the poor world yea they are so far from being apt to this work themselves that they labour to stop up the way against others who out of Conscience to their duty though at a low rate would do the work themselves but must stand by as useless and can do nothing The good Lord Judge between party and party in this matter if it be thy blessed will how many poor souls lies now a perishing through this dreadful evil is notorious known to many Countries though not so much laid to heart and bewailed before the Lord as the matter requireth Again There were Pomgranates likewise mixed with the Bells at the hem of the long Robe Now the Pomgranates with the Bells did set forth the glory of the doctrine of the Gospel for the colour of the Pomgranates was very glorious as you may see if you read their complexion in Exo. 28. 33. for they were to be made of sky colour Purple and of Scarlet but the Pomgranate alone did set forth to us the fatness and nourishment which the Gospel doth afford the souls of Believers that live upon the Gospel for so is the Pomgranate set forth in the Scripture to be a very pleasant feeding fruit Canticles 4 13. O so is the Gospel its fatness it self is called a feast of marrow and fat things of Wine well refined upon the Lees as you have it in Isa 25. 6. O this is the refreshing satisfying fatning good in the world O the Gospel what a choice thing is it to the souls of the Lords people which makes them cry out bread and the Gospel is good fare A gracious soul knows no such feasting as preaching no such fatness as the word of God brings forth to them the love of which have made some to throw up all their Estates and good things in this life to purchase it This made the Apostle kick up their fishing Trade and this made Matthew to leave his great place in the Custom-Office and Zacheus to throw up the half of his Estate to the poor O they saw by an eye of faith a better glory in the colour of the Pomgranate truth of the Tabernacle they had heard better Musick in the Bells of the Priesthood and had tasted more fatness in the juice of the Pomgranate Doctrine of grace and Reconciliation with the Father by the blood of Christ then in all the pleasant Musicks glories or rarest feeding dainties which this world could afford them could it give me ten thousand times as much again as its able O saith David whose Court abounded with all worldly pleasures and delights the greatest fatness lieth in the house of God Psal 36. 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of
to be come in the flesh who is the Anti-Christ then think you The next thing we are to take notice of is the plate of Gold which was placed upon the fore-head of the High Priest fastned to the Mitre wherein was engraven in Letters these words Holiness to the Lord Exod. 28. 36 37. The purpose of this very plate with the Letters written in it was for the High Priest to take upon him all the failings imperfections and weaknesses of the peoples duties in the Worship of God The Plate was to bear upon it the peoples sins which they would contract in the Worship of God and the Letters engraven upon the Plate was to bear out the Priest before the Lord that he died not Exod. 28. 36. 37 38. And thou shalt make a plate of pure Gold and grave upon it the engravenings of a signet Holiness to the Lord and thou shalt put it on a blue lace that it may be upon the Mitre upon the fore-front of the Mitre it shall be and it shall be upon Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hollow in all their holy gifts and it shall alwayes be upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. This still looks to Jesus Christ our Gospel High Priest and tells us what he is to do and doth do for Believers he takes upon him all the failings and infirmities of his peoples duties O what a blessed ground of comfort is this to a doubting soul I know some poor souls have had their backs bowed down with this kinde of guilt who when they have been in the Worship of God as in Prayer hearing of the Word or breaking of Bread when they have considered with what sad frames they have been in the Worship how hath that troubled them when they have minded the hypocrisie that appeared in their hearts while in the work those vain wandering thoughts that deadness and dull drowsie tiredness of spirit with which their work was mixed withal besides when they have considered with how much ignorance and little saith and want of love to God and his work in hand they were attended with O how hath this perplexed some poor souls and how deeply hath this sunk others into the pit of despair putting them upon resolving never more to hear the Word or Pray or receive the Sacrament O they never Worship God but they sin against him and make their case worse then it was before All this hath been for want of knowledge in this blessed mystery of the plate fastened upon the fore-front of the High Priests Mitre The Devil keeps them in suspence about this thing shews the soul his guilt but will not suffer him to see the plate upon the fore-front of the Priests Mytre which was appointed on purpose for them to lay up their gilt upon O therefore for thy comfort poor soul when ever thou comest into the Worship of God thou mayest come boldly without fear as to that what guilts thou either hast or shall contract upon thy soul in the Worship of God provided they are not wilful guilts there is a plate of Gold prepared to bear all thou shalt bear none of them thy self O bless God for this great mercy to thy soul and rejoyce in it as thy great favour make much use of it as thy best of priviledges study it as the highest of comforts and live up to the God of this mercy with the greatest of faithfulness and to the highest pitch of holiness Secondly This was to be a standing priviledge at all times for all Believers to such a continual sweetness and comfort from in point of acceptation with God for Aaron the Priest was to wear it alwayes upon the fore-front of the Mitre that they might be accepted before the Lord. This was not to be worn once or twice but alwayes before the Lord so that until Christ puts off his Mitre and layes aside his priestly work thou mayst assure thy self until then those sins of infirmity which will cleave to thy duties shall not render them or thee disacceptable before God if thou reliest faithfully upon this High Priest in this case We now come to speak of the Crown which this High Priest was to wear as well as this Mitre and the Crown was to be set upon the Mitre on the Priests head Exod. 29 6. And thou shalt put the Mitre upon his head and put the holy crown upon the Mitre The Crown upon the Priests head set forth to you the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ which springs from the Priestly office of Christ he is a King to rule in and over his Church because he is a High Priest to the Church therefore the Crown must stand upon the Mitre the Mitre doth keep up the Crown not the Crown the Mitre The Mitre being under the Crown shews you that the Kingly Office of Christ hath its foundation in the Priestly Office of Christ as was shewed you before from the first of the Revelations This shews first that Christ hath power to give out what Laws Rules Customes and Ordinances he please for his Church and people to walk by for he hath a Crown upon his head as well as a Mitre Secondly That all duty and subjection and obedience ought to be given to him both in soul and body for he is a King Psalm 2. 6. I have set my king upon my holy hill Sion We do not read that any of the Priests besides the High Priest did wear a Crown we read that they did wear Bonnets but not a Crown Exod. 28. 40. The Crown was only for the High Priest shewing us as the Priest was a Type of Christ that all Rule and chief Authority belongs to Christ its Christ onely can make or impose any Laws upon the consciences of his people so saith the Spirit Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And yet how common is it to see the inferiour sort of Priests that should content themselves with wearing the Bonnet to catch the High Priests Crown from off his head and to leave the High Priest nothing to wear but their Bonnets and given him to understand if he will not wear them he must sit bare headed before them I mean how do men who pretend to be the Ministers and Vicars of Christ pull his priestly Diadem from off his head and so rob him of his principle glory in arrogating a power to themselves of making and imposing spiritual Laws upon the consciences of his poor people as rules for them to walk by which customs and traditions the word of Christ never knew or spake of in the least O what greater indignity can there be offered to the Crown of Christ then this not onely so but if the poor Lambs of Christ who are as dear to him as
young and lively is better then that which is old and feeble It was first to shew the High Priest under the Law that God expected he should be lively and strong for the Lord in all he did for him he was to consecrate the best of his years and the best of his time strength and abilities for the Lord that the worship of God called for the best of our all for its service therefore was he to be consecrated with a young Bullock not an old or feeble one 2. It shews us that time or age never enfeebles our great High Priest in heaven the Priest was to be consecrated with a young Bullock shewing you that the Priest Believers have in heaven grows never old he is not subject to tire or faint in his employment he is as lively and active in his work for his people now as at the first day he entred heaven as their Priest and so is it lookt upon by the Father that makes our High Priest still so prevallent upon the Heart of God he is the same yesterday to day and for ever Lastly We might make this use of it to perswade all young persons to dedicate themselves to God betime in the prime of their dayes when the marrow is warm in the bones A young Bullock not an old must be offered to God in sacrifice O so should it be with you my friends would you offer up your selves as an acceptable sacrifice to God O then let it be in your youth minde that exhortation of Solomon Eccles 12. 1. Remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt saâ— I have no pleasure in them It was Timoâ—hies honour and it is spoken to his great praise that that he had consecrated his soul and body to God in the time of his youth at a time when he was mostly capable to act for God 1 Tim. 4. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Alas Sirs when we live so long in sin as to spend the marrow of our bodies in the service of the Devil How do we think God should be pleased with the offering up of our old dry bones for a sacrifice upon his Altar There is nothing doth more ingage God to take care for a soul in old age then when a soul is careful to consecrate himself to God in his youthful dayes Then was Moses to take a vessel of oyl and pour it on the Priests head which was called the anointing of him Exod. 29. 7. The oyl of anointing poured forth upon the High Priest signified these three things First It signifieth the great endowments of the Priest with respect to the gifts of the Spirit which should be upon him as necessary to the work he was to do for the people for so is the anointing understood sometimes 1 Sam. 10. 1. 6. And Samuel took a vial of oyl and poured it upon the head of Saul and kissed him and said Is it not because the Lord hath annointed thee to be captain over his inheritance Now look into the 6. verse and there you shall see the gifts of the Spirit spoken of that should fit him for government an office unto which he was anointed And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou shalt prophesie with them and be turned into another man And look you into the 10th verse and there you shall see the gifts of the Spirit upon him This shews us what infinite gifts of all manner of perfections fell upon Christ to fit him for the great work of the Priesthood saith Christ Isa 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me A Spirit of counsel that he might be able to give sound advice at all times to his Church Isa 9. 6 A Spirit of courage and strength that he might go through all oppositions for his people therefore is he called the mighty God Isa 9. 6. A Spirit of wisdom that he might be able to out-wit his subtle adversaries in hell or on the earth 1 Cor. 1. 24. A Spirit of love and tenderness that he might not reject for but pitty his people under their temptations weaknesses and infirmities Heb. 2. 17 18. A Spirit of pardon that he might be able to pass by his peoples sins iniquities and transgressions Nehemiah 9. 17. A Spirit of faithfulness as not to neglect his people in any condition nor wanting in the giving out to them any supply to his people which the Father hath both given the Saints by promise and laid into Christ as their store-house of grace and wisdom for that purpose Psalm 36. 5. All this was in Christ the Head for the use of the Body mystical as the streams are in the fountain not onely to be imployed for them but to be given down to them into their souls according as they shall draw it out of this Well by the vessel of believing so saith the Church who made use of Christ upon this account Isa 12 2 3. Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and song and is become my salvation therefore saith Christ with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation Secondly It denotes the perfection of grace and holiness which was to dwel in Christ for so much may we understand by the pouring forth of the anointing saith the Apostle It pleased the father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1. 19. A fulness of grace and holiness that from him we might derive it for our use and benefit in this life Thirdly The anointing of the High Priest did signifie that legal right he had to administer in the Priests office above another man hence is that of the Apostle Heb. 5. 4. And no man taketh this honour upon him but he that was called of God as was Aaron Now this would afford great comfort to a soul if well considered that the Lord Jesus Christ was not only a Priest or an Advocate but he was an anointed Priest and Advocate one who had a legal right to the place he came not in the wrong way therefore no Thief or Robber we need not doubt no one can invalue Christs work when it s done for believers meerly for want of right to officiate you know if a Councellour at Law undertake to plead a mans case for him and should dispute it never so ably and should carry it in Law yet if this can be objected against the Councellour that he is not lawfully inducted to the place as a Councellour all will be invalued that hath been done and said and looked upon as of no force O therefore soul if Christ intercedes as a High Priest and pleads as an Advocate at the Throne of grace for thee thou needst not fear of thy Case there is not any enemy thou hast can hurt thee in this Case should the Law object the Justice of God object
Christ of doing that work which as a Priest he was sent into the world to do O where wilt thou go to have thy case bettered or who shall cure these wounds sicknesses sores leprosies and guilts which Sin and Satan hath created upon thee if thou come not to Jesus Christ O this is the good Samaritan that takes up the soul wounded by the spiritual thieves and bounds up his wounds and pours oyl into his griefs and healeth all his diseases Luke 10. 36. O therefore come to Christ make use of him as thy High Priest bring thy soul with all its corruptions sores and plagues and running griefs upon thee to him lay it down at his door tell him that thou hast brought a soul full of the plague and leprosie full of unbelief full of the sores of pride hardness of heart impenitency revenge hypocrisie lust worldly mindedness a soul full of the issues of vain thoughts and plead with Christ for a cure tell him that he is the High Priest appointed by the Father for this very end and purpose not to reject thee for thy misery but to pitty thee under it and to shew mercy to thee about it and to help thee out of it Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren in all things that he might be a merciful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people in that himself hath suffered being tenâ—ted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 5. 2. Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the war for that he himself also is compassed with infirmities Here it was David run in the like case when his sores and griefs of corruption run upon him He did not do as a great many troubled souls have done namely then to run from Christ Ps 38 3 4. 5 6 7 8. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thy anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me My wounds â—stinck and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long for my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundnesse in my flesh But did this drive David from Jesus Christ no surely but rather put a necessity upon him to make the more haste towards him in order to cure therefore in the 9. Verse and 15. Verse Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee for in thee Lord do I hope thou wilt hear O Lord my God Secondly As the Priest was to take notice of their personal uncleanness so also of the uncleannesse in their houses Lev 14 35 36. And he that oweth the house shall come and tell the Priest saying it seemeth to me that there is as it were the Plague in the house then the Priest shall command that they empty the house before the Priest goeth into it to see the Plague that all that is in the house be not made unclean and afterward the Priest shall go into see the house Now the end for which the Priest was to view the house you may see in the same Chapter it was that he might endeavour the cleansing of it if the plague were in it of the same use is Christ to his Gospel-house which is his Church if the plague enter into it the plague of discention and discord the plague or leprosie of formality or the plague of a luke-warm spirit or the plague of errour and unsound Doctrine its proper to Jesus Christ to take notice of this in his Churches and he doth so read Rev. 2. 1 2 3. 4 5. with Rev. 3. 16 17 18. Therefore in all such Cases it s the duty of the Churches of Christ to apply themselves to him for redress if Christians in the use of fasting and fervent prayer would more press upon Christ for help in this case I doubt not but we should have more purer and unstained Churches by far then we have amongst us Was there ever more need for Churches to make use of Christ upon this account then now had ever the Israelite more cause to go to the Priest and say it seemeth to me the plague is in the house then Christians have to go to Christ and say it seemeth to me the plague is in the house is not the plague of a formal cursed lukewarm spirit in the Churches of Christ are not the walls of it over-spread with the hollow greenish and reddish strakes to be seen there Levit 14. 37. Are they not over-spread with the plague of Contention and Discord was there ever more of this plague reigning over the Churches of Christ then at this day O how deeply have this plague rooted it self in the hearts of the Lords people that four years affliction will not yet fetch it out but God will fetch it out of their hearts or else he will fetch their bodies out of their warm houses besides what a fearful spirit and plague of Apostasie have their over-spread the minds of the Churches of Christ I will not say this hath leavened every one but sure I am too many of them Then what cause have the Church and house of Christ to make to Christ with all haste for cure and were it the will of God how could it be wished that Christ our High Priest were more visited upon this account by his people Fifthly If any man had sinned either ignorantly or wilfully the Priest upon his coming to him was to offer sacrifice for him and it was pardoned Levit. 5. 17 18. The same work is Christ to do for believers for he is their High Priest for this very purpose saith the Apostle speaking of Christ he is to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. It s as much the mark and office of Jesus Christ to do so for believers as ever it was the work of the legal High Priests to do it for the Israelites therefore soul when ever thou hast been over taken in a fault do not fly from Christ but away to him for he is thy High Priest in Heaven on purpose to make an atonement for that sin and Reconciliation to God for that sin only when thou hast been with Christ believe that for his sake it shall be pardoned and the father will be pacified and doubt not of it it will be so soul thou maist apply as really as the Jews that very word in Levit. 5. 18. And the Priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist not and it shall be forgiven him to this agreeth the words of the Apostle in 1 John 2. 1 2. If any man sin we have an Advocaâ—e with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our