wickedness My brethren where can you go into what Land Countrey County City Town or Family but you may blush to see the common prophaneness of it to your great grief what swearing lying couzening theeving brawling fighting and revelling is there abounding amongst men how do the most men tumble and wallow in the filth of uncleanness how are some buried up head and ears in their pride how do others glory in their oppression O how are others drowned in their malice how like swines do others reel up and down in their drunkenness what treachery and deceit and falshood dwells there in the mindes of men one against another as the Prophet speaks Micah 7. 4 5 6. The best of them is as a briar and the most upright of them sharper then a thorn-hedge Trust ye not in a friend put ye no confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom for the son dishonoureth the father the daughter riseth up against the mother in law a mans enemies are the men of his own house To this agreeth the words of Paul to the Ephesians chap 2. 2 3 Where in times past you walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom ye had your conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desire of the minde and of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Therefore it is that David when he was forced to flie into Gath among the Philistines because of the prophaneness of the people cryed out Woe is me that I dwell in Mesech and am constrained to live in the tents of ungodliness Secondly As this agreeth with Egppt for prophaneness so for false worship It is natural for men in a carnal concondition to worship God in a wrong manner as a good man said once every man is born with a little Pope in his belly To set up a false worship is the first thing a carnal man puts himself forth in This is the reason that the greatest part of the world lieth drowned in false worship and ante-christianisme it is because they are carnal and blinde and so want the light of God his holy Spirit to guide them into the truth Where will you expect to finde fish but in the water where would you see birds but in the air where would you expect to finde four footed beasts but upon the earth so where would you finde poor blinde carnal men and women worshipping but in their false forms pictures images and rejected ceremonies you may see how stiff the Pharisees stuck unto these things Matth. 15. 1 2. but you may see our Saviours answer Ver. 3. with 8 9. You know Paul the Apostle telleth the Saints in his day that they had been worshippers of stocks and stones dumb idols to this agreeth our Saviours words John 4 22 speaking to the poor carnal woman of Samaria You worship you know not what This is is most certain that the world for want of sight erre in every thing So that you see how well the natural estate of mankinde doth agree with the Land of Egypt for false worship or for worshipping God in a false manner Again Egypt was a place of hard bondage and cruel burthens a place that required brick to be made without straw Exod. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. besides the officers of the place would often beat the people if they failed of ought of their work ver 14. they would also refuse to hear the peoples cryes ver 16 17. This answers unto the covenant of works which every carnal man and woman in the world is bound unto by nature and lives under This covenant even to fulfil it in the exactest measure thereof This covenant was made with us in the state of innocency which requires perfect obedience in thought word and deed and not onely perfect obedience but constant continual obedience to the last breath Deut. 6. 5. with Gal. 3. 10. So that if a man fails but in one point of the Law of Works he is guilty of the breach of the whole Iames 2. 10. Now this Covenant of works doth not onely reach the outward actions of the body as some think but the inward motions intentions and purposes of the minde for so our Saviour expounds this Covenant Mat. 5. 20 21 22 with 27 28. verses Now as the case stands with the creature with respect to his fall this covenant of works may well be compared unto Pharaohs task-masters and those that yet live under it to the Jews in Egypt who were under the power of those Task-masters Exodus 5. 10 11 12 13. 14 15 16 17. verses For first of all they required of the Jews brick to be made without straw ver 10 11. so doth the Law require full and perfect obedience of the soul both in body and spirit as ever it did Saith the Law Bring me forth the full tale of obedience according to my commands let not ought of the works be deminished which ye should do in soul and body I will not abate one jot of it bring forth the full tale of your duties let not one be neglected if there be you shall dye the death and perform them in such a manner as I have required or expect death without mercy what you do see it be perfectly holy without the least stain of sin in it in thy prayings in thy fastings in thy mournings in thy hearings in thy almes in thy works of mercy in all that thou doest see that there be not the least vain thought in it nor the least stain of hypocrisie in it if there be thou shalt be damned to eternity Likewise see that it be constantly so with thee from thy birth to thy death If in all thy life thou shalt but miscarry in a word or thought I will pour out all my plagues and curses upon thee Matth. 12. 36. with Gal. 2. 10. I will not regard any thing that thou hast done in my service before though thou hast served me to the last hour of thy life with all thy strength and with all thy power yet if at last thou shalt offend in one word or deed thou shalt dye the death a death eternal of soul as well as body Ezek. 18. 24. Deut 27. ver 26. Now when the soul comes to be awakened to the voice of the Law how is it overwhelmed with amazement and horrour like the Jews under their task-masters how bitterly doth the soul bewail his condition crying out with Paul Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from so cruel a bondage as this Thus the soul falling down flat on the ground cryeth out of his condition because of the hard usage it hath from the Law that it should require the full tale of brick and yet deny straw O saith the soul
73. 26. And you shall see him tumbling at the hills foot in despair crying out My flesh and my heart faileth me Anon you have him ready to sing My heart is fixed O Lord my heart is fixed Psal 58. 7. But at another time far from that condition but gone quite back again many miles from his Canaan rest Psal 55 4 5 6. My heart is sore pained within me and the terrours of death are fallen upon me fearfulness and trembling are come upon me horrour hath overwhelmed me so was it with the Spouse sometimes she seems she was in the bosom of her beloved Cant. 2 4 5 6. He hath brought me into his Banquetting-house whose banner over it is love stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love his left hand is under my head aâ—d with his right hand he doth embrace me Do but look into the 5th Chapter ver 8. And you shall hear other words uttered saying I have opened to my beloved and 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 Thus it is with the gracious soul led hither and thither up and down back and forth like Israel in the Wilderness over hills and vallies mountains and bottoms sometimes a soul meets with a great deal of courage and comfort in his way to his spiritual Canaan and some other times the soul meets with but a little comfort and sometimes none at all But is apt to cry out oftentimes as the Psalmist did Psal 77. 8 9. God hath cast me off and hath forgotten to be gracious and will be favourable no more and that he is as a dead man cast out of mind Psal 31. 12. And it may be by and by up again so high that he comes to conclude His mountain is so strong that he shall never be moved Psal 306. CHAP. 8. Now the next thing I shall speak of in Israels condition while in their Wilderness state is the Food they there lived upon and were feed with HEre note that although the place was barren and would not afford any thing yet they wanted nothing for God fed them with Angels food from heaven which food they called Manna Exod. 16. 14 15. And their water came to them as strangely for it was what came out of the hard Rock Exod. 17. 5 6 7. Now their Manna was a Type of the woed of God contained in the Scriptures or writings of the Prophets and Apostles by which as with Manna God feeds his people with all along in their way through their spiritual wilderness to their Canaan of eternal rest and comfort This spiritual Manna being opened preached and applied rightly by the Ministers of Christ in the ordinances of the Gospel this feeds Believers and enables them and strengthens to walk from strength to strength every one in Zion appearing before his God Psalm 84. 6 7. How often do sound Christians finde this to be true as that when they have travelled out all their strength by striving against corruption and wrestling against sin temptations doubts and fears How wonderfully have they been strengthned again by the word of God in the several ordinances of it as preaching prayer receiving of the Supper and the like O what renewed strength to duty and to renew their encounters against sin and temptation have the Saints gotten from the Word and ordinances of God what power over corruption and the world what fresh seals of the love and favour of God have the Saints met with this way which hath often refreshed them as with new wine therefore do the Scriptures call these ordinances of the Gospel which issue forth from the Word of God a feast of marrow and fat things of wine well refined upon the Lees Isaiah 25. 6. Hence it is that the word of God is a word in men John 15. 7. and a quickning word Heb. 4. 12. Psal 119. 145. and a word of life Phil. 2. 16. and a word of strength Psalm 119. 81. and a word of comfort Psalm 119. 82. All this is to shew that the word and ordinances of the Gospel is a Believers appointed food or his Manna to live upon in his journeying through the Wilderness of this world to his eternal Canaan of rest and peace therefore saith the Lord in Micha 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly The meaning is as food doth nourish and strengthen the body so doth the word of God the soul it being attended with the Spirit of God Secondly By the water which came out of a Rock to them of which they drank we are to consider these two things First The Rock out of which the water came Secondly the water which came out of the Rock First By the Rock we are to understand Jesus Christ for that Rock was a Type of Christ for so the Apostle expounds it 1 Cor. 10. 4. For we all drank of the spiritual Rock which Rock was Christ Here Paul alludes to the Rock in the Wilderness shewing Christians in that Type that Jesus Christ is that Rock out of which all that refreshing water of life and comfort which comes home to a poor thirsty soul in his painful way to his eternal Canaan of rest and peace therefore saith David When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock which is higher then I Psal 61. 2. For as the water which refreshed the Jews came out of the Clifts of the Rock in the Wilderness so the ground of all true refreshment comfort or satisfaction which spiritually or temporaly comes home to the Saints ariseth from the blood of satisfaction which came out of the wounded sides of Jesus Christ it is from the sides or clifts of the Rock Christ doth that water come which quencheth the wrath of God against an offending sinner It is from this Rock those waters flow forth which cools the scorching heat of an inflamed Conscience From this Rock flows forth those waters of life which revives the poor doubting soul which is ready to faint under his fears and temptations Out of this Rock it is whence those waters comes which washeth and cleanseth the soul from all his spots and pollutions Zach 23. 1. which presenteth the soul pure and without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5. 2. This was the Rock David had recourse unto in a sinning time when he cried out O wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my siâ— And David did not onely flie to this Rock in sinning times to be washed but in fainting times to be refreshed Psalm 28. 1 Unto thee will I cry O Lord my Rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent I become lâ—ke them that go down into the pit Secondly By the water out of the Rock in the Wilderness together with the Manna which fell from heaven may be meant the flesh and blood of Christ which
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
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
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
more then the whole world is worth Now to prevent these Fears and Objections the Priest was to be taken from amongst his own Brethren it shall be no stranger whom you know not or that knows not you but of your own selves from amongst his Brethren bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh this yields great relief against Fears Suppose the King should send an Army over Sea into some strange Country now if he shall make choice of some Alien or Outlandish man to be General over them how would this discourage the Army in their way and work for who knows but that a stranger may sell them into their Enemies hands or should he not do so yet he being an Alien they not known to him what ever their necessities with respect to want of food clothing or any other necessaries may be he cannot understand their complaints and they perish without remedy but now if the General be one of their own Nation they will not so much fear the being betraid into the hands of their enemies because their General and they are all alike hateful to the enemy they engage against besides when ever they have any request to put up to him or matter of moment to inform him withall they are sure he knows their language and understands their tongue and they his for he is born of the same Nation a General made of his Brethren Now as the High Priest under the Law was a Type of Christ in all respects so in this very respect likewise that so Believers might have great encouragement to apply themselves to him at all times hence it is that Moses alluding to Christ saith Deut. 18. 15. A Prophet shall â—he Lord your God raise up unto you from amongst his Brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things So Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren So that you see the Apostle as well as Moses speaking about Christ alludes to the High Priest under the Law which was to be taken forth from amongst his Brethren Use 2. Oh then what comfort and encouragement should this afford the soul against the former Objections First as to their non-acquaintance with him Oh soul thou needst not fear for thy High Priest is no stranger to thee he is not an Alien which cannot understand thy speech thou maist freely lay open thy mind to him in prayer what ever distress or want thou art in come to him in prayer and thou needst not fear he will well know what it is thou supplicatest him about this it was that encouraged David to come to him and freely pour out his soul to him he knew that Christ was no stranger nor a man of an unknown tongue to him and he knew that Christ could as well understand what he had to express on his part of Christ Psal 139. 4. Lord there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it altogether Besides Christ is so well skilled in our tongue that he can throughly judge of our meaning and broken sighs and groans delivered up before him if we want expressions he can help the soul out in the thing for he doth not only know what we should speak but what we would speak before him and so helps us out in the matter Rom. 8. 26 27. Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God For Christ is made a High Priest for this end to spread the complaints of his people before the Lord therefore is it recorded in Rev. 8. 3. And another Angel stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints So that you see Christ did offer up the complaints sighs and groans of his people to God therefore must he be taken from amongst his Brethren a member of the same Nation born and trained up amongst the people that so he might be fully capable to do them that service for which he was ordained a Priest Use 3. What encouragement should this Doctrine give a soul to adventure his all in the hands of this Christ in point of that faithfulness we may expect to find in him meerly upon this account that he is a High Priest called forth to the work from amongst his Brethren and then this would remove the other Objection which some poor soul may make against Christ O! That which I have to entrust the High Priest withall is of infinite value and if it should miscarry through the unfaithfulness of the Priest I am for ever undone and shall never recover my self more Now to prevent these fears the High Priest was to be taken from amongst his Brethren a man interested with them in all the proyerties together whose happiness is bound up in the peoples one who must stand and fall with those he is a Priest unto who promotes but his own in seeking the peoples good for whom he undertakes therefore must he be taken from amongst his Brethren to assure us of his faithfulness and diligence in the work he hath undertaken for Believers you know that Christ our High Priest is called an Advocate that is one that pleads a case in Law 1 John 2. 1. Now what an encouragement would this afford a person to make use of such a man in his case who is concerned in the same case himself so as that if it goes ill with the Client it must go ill with the Advocate Oh soul thus much maist thou draw out of this particular of the High Priests being taken from amongst his Brethren it is to encourage thee to make use of Jesus Christ for a High Priest to God in the behalf of thy soul thou maist assure thy self that he will be faithful to thee No bribes offered him can pervert or corrupt him therefore is he called a righteous Advocate 1 John 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous the Inheritance which Christ as a High Priest intercedes for and as an Advocate pleads for in Heaven its what Christ and thee are co-heirs and joynt-heirs of together Rom. 8. 17. If Children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ So that thou standest and fallest with Jesus Christ Christ promotes his own Interest in promoting thine if he prove unfaithful it s as well to himself as to thee Oh therefore doubt of nothing put thy all into his hands adventure whole soul and body upon his Priesthood thou canst not do better that which was Peters Exhortation to the Saints in his day is mine to thee Pet. 1. 4 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God
beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth and of his fullness have we all received and grace for grace ver 17. For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Christ is called the head of the body Eph 5 Whose Office it is to give down his supplies to the several members of the same for the mutual benefit of the whole body There was a stock of grace and holiness laid into Christ for this very purpose therefore is Christ called the Saints treasury or store-house Col. 2. 3. So saith our Saviour himself Iohn 17. 19. For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they all might be sanctified through the truth O therefore souls make to Christ for grace and holiness remember the Urim and Thimmim of all perfection both of Doctrine and holiness of life lieth in Jesus Christ on purpose to be given out to those that come for it Here it was David fled for sanctification under the decays of grace Psal 51. 7 10. Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Psal 36. 9. For with thee is the Fonntain of life and in thy light shall we see light Soul dost thou want grace purging grace sanctifying grace wouldst thou be more holy in thy life and conversation then thou hearest where the fountain is make out to him it s his desire to have thee come thou canst not please him in any thing better then to sue to him for grace and holiness therefore saith Christ If any man thirst let him come to me and drink John 7. 37. Therefore come with boldness to the throne of grace to ask grace and mercy to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. Lastly We may draw out this from the Urim and Thummim upon the Priests heart for our comfort to help us in dark erronious times When the Doctrines of the Scripture are by men corrupted as that we cannot drink them any where should we travel from Sea to Sea there is not a Priest or Minister that stands up in the defence of truth but every one perverts and corrupts it I say should we fall into such a season that we cannot find a Minister with the Urim or Thummim upon his breast yet we may comfort our selves in this that our High Priest in heaven is not corrupted he hath the Urim and Thummim still as much upon his heart as ever who taketh care to feed his people with sound Doctrine and with wholesome food however it goes amongst the Priests here below yet this Priests lips shall preserve knowledge if you will seek the Law at his mouth Mal. 2. 7. In the greatest darkness that over-spread Egypt yet he provided a light for his people in Goshen Exod. 10. 23. So when the Anti-christian darkness spread the Roman Empire all over yet Christ took care that his people should have a place of nourishment provided for them Rev. 12. 14. So in the times of Israels Apostasie when all the shepherds were corrupted in Israel when they had trodden down the good pasture of truth and justice both in Church and State and had fould the remainders of it with their feet Ezek. 34. 18 19. Yet then see the care of this Gospel High Priest in those times that although others did perish for want of sound wholsome soul-food yet his people should be fed from himself with the finest of Wheat and Oil read Ezek. 34. 11 12 13 14 O therefore make use of Christ upon this account let him be your stay let errour fill all the publick places in the world yet thy High Priest will provide for the sincere though in holes and corners I will send you the Comforter saith Christ and he shall teach you all things John 14. 26. Men may shut up all thy sound Ministers from thy soul such who have fed thee with knowledge and understanding but be of good comfort they can never shut up from thee this Gospel teaching Spirit this will give thy heart a visit in the most secret places of the earth this was with the Spouse in the secret places of the stairs and in the clefts of the Rocks Cant. 2. 14. This soul teaching Agent is not straitned saith our Saviour its like the wind it bloweth where it listeth men may hear the sonnd of it but cannot tell from whence it comes Iohn 3. 8. There was likewise at the hem of this glorious Robe tied several Bells and Pomgranates a Bell and a Pomgranate a Bell and a Pomgranate round about the hem of the Robe Exod. 39. 25 26 with Exod. 28. 35. The Use of this may be several ways considered First It was for noise or sound when the Priest was to enter before the Lord for this purpose was the Bells for it would have cost the Priest his life if he should have gone in to the presence of the Lord without these Bells ringing at the hem of his Robe Exod. 28. 35. Here we see what little regard God hath to these silent Meetings in Worship as the Quakers and others dream of God loves a laudable sound in his Worship Aarons Bells were to make a sound in the Woship of God But some may say is God taken with Words and Voices I answer would not the same Objection have quarrelled with Aarons Bells would one think God should be taken with the ringing of a company of Bells in his Worship friends have a care you be not such as would be wiser then God let us keep close to the known rule of Worship if we cannot give a reason why we should do this or that or the other thing in the Worship of God let us remember God can And for the Saints meeting together in Scripture I find it was to speak often one to another Mal. 3. 16. And another private Meeting Iohn 20. 19. But our Saviour comes and speaks or preacheth a word of peace to them and in ver 26. Another private Meeting but our Saviour by his speaking keeps it from being a silent one Another private meeting held in Acts 1. 13 14. Where they continued in breaking of bread and in prayer but never read of any such silent meetings as the Quakers keep so likewise if we consider the exhortations which the Scripture gives to the Saints about their meeting together we find it was to provoke one another to love and good works Heb. 10 24 25. And that should spend the time away in their building up of one another in their most holy faith and praying together in the holy Ghost Iude 20. Now can this be done where there is nothing but silence will sitting an hour or two together only looking in the ground in our meetings fulfil these exhortations Alas Brethren God will be served with whole man soul and body the body as well as the soul for God made both for his glory and Christ Redeemed both for the Worship of God
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
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
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
therefore saith Job The heavens shall reveal his sin and the earth shall rise up against him Job 20. 27. Thus you see both the distress and the cause of it upon a poor soul under an awakened conscience and how it answers to the Jews distress at the red Sea 3. We may take notice of the next particular which is this That that means which proved a ground of relief to the Jews in their distress the peoyle were guided thereunto by Moses from whence we may note these things First That though man knows how to sin himself into trouble yet he knows not how to get himself out of it The Jews knew no way out of this trouble therefore begun to cry out for graves to bury themselves in the place so is it with the soul under the sence and sight of sin knows no way to escape out of that dreadful condition in which he seeth himself to be nothing but death on every hand wrath gone out from above against him hell beneath openeth its mouth to receive him and thus the soul is oftentimes put upon to seek out for his grave to bury himself in knows no other way to save himself but eternally to destroy himself both in soul and body like Judas Second If the soul have met with any relief in his distressed condition let him know it came not from himself but he was guided thereunto by a special hand of Christ The Jews were led to their means of refreshment by Moses who was a Type of Jesus Christ Hast thou met with comfort and refreshment from such a Sermon from such a Minister such a Christian Friend such a Meeting or in reading of such and such a Book consider thou wert led unto that means for comfort by the special hand of Christ and thou shouldst eye his hand in it that love and praise and obedience might be rendered him for it therefore saith Christ With loving kindeness have I drawn thee Jer 31. 3. Third If any soul wants relief in such a condition then let him make unto Jesus Christ for it for he is thy leader in this case as Moses was the Jews in the other Read Deut. 18. 15. A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your Brethren like unto me him shall you hear Now where were the Jews to go in a time of danger buâ— to Moses So soul if ever thou wouldst have ease and refreshment thou must go to Christ alone some run to creatures and think to finde comfort there others run to their duties and works of mercy and thinks to get it from thence again there be some that will send thee to thy inward quallifications or work of God within thee as they call it or the light within the soul I am not hereby undervaluing the works of grace as they are signs or evidences of our union with Christ but I send thee to thy true leader Christ who is at the right hand of God to make daily intercession for such as thou art Rom. 8. 24. O look out and look up to him by faith for this is the way to it Isaiah 45. 22. and chap. 44. 3 4. Fifthly The next particular is this Moses stretched out his hand over the waters and the waters divided Exod. 14. 21. This act in Moses leads to behold the necessariness of outward means contrary to the opinion of many in our dayes which because we read in the Scriptures of God his teachings within in the heart and of the holy anointing that shall teach them all things from hence they conclude against all outward teaching Question What was the reason that God had not caused the waters to go back without the stretching out of Moses hand Answer Not but that God could have done it but God thereby shews us thus much that it is his pleasure in the effecting of the greatest salvation and deliverance for his people ordinarily to bring it about to them by outward means Our Saviour was able to open the blinde mans eyes without clay and spittle a way more likely to put out a mans eyes then to recover any mans sight John 9. 6. But it is to shew his pleasure touching the use of outward means why could not God have thrown down the walls of Jericho without sounding of the Rams horn and why could not God have caused water to come out of the Rock without striking of it but to shew it is his pleasure ordinarily to use it in his administrations to the sons of men therefore it is our duty to wait upon God in it Now to the stretching out of Moses hand in this outward salvation answers the preaching of the Gospel by God his Ministers which is the outward means of the eternal salvation for therein is the arme of divine grace and love revealed and stretched out to poor sinners This Isaiah calleth the revealing of Gods arme Isaiah 53. 1. Lord who hath believed our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed So that whatsoever some men say to the contrary yet God hath had a special regard in all ages to the outward means of teaching the word If God had been minded onely to have left men to the inward teachings of his Spirit why did he take so much care to supply the ages of the world with Prophets and Apostles was he not as well able to teach the world by those inward teachings onely as now why doth the Apostle say in Ephes 4. 8. with 12. 13. that he gave both gifts and Apostles Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministry until the Saints be perfected and come unto the measure of the fulness in Christ If God were not minded to teach his people that way why did God bid Philip joyn himself to the Eunuchs Chariot to instruct him Acts 8. 29. If God had been minded onely to have left men to the inward teachings was he not as well able to have taught the Eunuch by his Spirit onely Again could not God have taught Cornelius Acts 10. 3 4 5 6. onely by his Spirit and so have saved Peter a labour yet you see God would do nothing until Peter was come I do not plead for outward teaching without the inward but both must go together so that the stretching out of God his arme in the Gospel may well be compared to the stretching out of Moses hand over the red Sea for as the one was a means to let the Israeliâ—es through the red Sea for a temporal salvation so is the other a means to let a soul into the red Sea of Christs Blood for an eternal salvation which leadeth me to the next particular Fifthly The people go through the waters and are saved from their enemies Exodus 14 22. This leadeth us to the usefulness of the Blood of Jesus Christ through which all that are saved do pâ—ss by believing for as the Jews had perished without mercy by Pharaohs Army had they not passed through the
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
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
in law against the mother in law and a mans foes shall be they of his own house therefore saith Paul to Timothy He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must first suffer persecution Besides here is not onely persecution of the tongue which the soul doth pass under for the Lambs sake but persecution of the hand also imprisonment loss of goods banishment yea loss of life it self therefore saith our Saviour You shall be hated of all men for my names sake and they shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my names sake yea saith Christ the time shall come that he which killeth you shall thing he doth God service John 16. 2. therefore saith Peter 1 Pet. 4. 12. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial as if some strange thing had happened unto you No indeed we should not account it a strange thing to suffer for Jesus Christ and to be brought under trails and temptations for the Lamb Jesus it is but a drinking of the waters of Marah which runneth at the mouth or entrance into our wilderness condition which wilderness is our way to Canaan through which all our Fathers went and of which waters all our Fathers have drank of before us for he that will not drink of the waters of bitterness for Christ is never like to drink of the rivers of living pleasures which are at the right hand of Christ Psal 16. 11. Matth. 26. 29. Secondly Moses was to take a tree and cast it into the waters which done the waters became very sweet and pleasant This Tree cast into the waters of Marah types out to us Jesus Christ who is oftentimes compared to a tree Zach. 4 2 3. Rev. 2. 7. Jer. 23 5. It s this tree of life cast into the waters of affliction which makes the Marah waters so sweet to the souls of Gods people The Lord Jesus Christ hath himself dived into the bottoms of this pool of affliction therefore in Isa 53. 3 he is called a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs and saith the Apostle speaking of the Lord Jesus that he was in all points tempted as we are sin onely excepted Heb. 4. 15. That is to say there is no condition of affliction in which a Christian can be found but Christ the tree of life hath gone before him in the same condition of affliction to sweeten and sanctifie that very condition of affliction to that soul Are you troubled with inward fears violent assaults from the Devil so as to be hurried and driven by the violen winds of his temptation Truly in this very condition was Christ himself Mat. 4. 5. with 8. Is it to be tempted to make use of any unlawful means to escape the trouble which the soul may be in Christ himself was in this very condition Mat. 4 3. Are the people of God tempted to blaspheme the name of God his Word or Worship Christ was in this condition before you Mat. 4 9. Where he was tempted to fall down before the Devil and adore him as God what higher blasphemy can there be then this Are Gods people tempted to distrust and despair of the mercy goodness grace and bounty of God Christ was likewise in this very condition himself before you were read Mat. 4. 3. Doth the Devil tempt Gods people to destroy life and doth Satan put a man upon the laying violent hands upon himself and to become his own Butcher and the Author of his own murther You may see Christ himself as in this condition before you read Mat. 4. 5 6. Besides doth the Devil put a soul upon the questioning the love and favour of God to his soul and to call in questiâ—n the truth of his grace and his right to Adoption in the same condition â—as Jesus Christ Math. 4. 3. with ver 6. Twice Satan comes to our Saviour with an If in his mouth saying to Christ I thou be the Son of God Secondly So for outward Afflictions Christ hath gone through them all and had led the Van of all his travelling Army this way Is it to be derided and scorned for fearing God and keeping his Commandments in this condition was Christ himself Mat. 13 45 46 47. Do we loose a good name amongst men so did Christ he was called a Devil and Belzebub the Prince of Devils Is it Poverty Hunger Nakedness and Cold is it to be turned out of doors by friends and acquaintance is it to be hunted up and down the Country from place to place for our Lives is it Imprisonment Condemnation is it to be made to stand to the Bar of Justice amongst the Malefactors is it death it self In all and every of these conditions was Christ himself as the Tree cast into these Marah waters of Affliction that he might sanctifie them to us and sweeten them for our spiritual tasts relish and comfort Use 1. Then what need had the soul in all his Wilderness Trials and Temptations to fix a believing eye upon Christ and to have great dependency on this Tree of Life that can take out every Thorne out of his burthen of Afflictions that only can sweeten his bitter Cup to him and can sanctifie every condition to his soul It s reported of the Beasts in some Countries where the waters are subject to more Venome then ours are that when they come to the water to drink they all wait for the Unicorn that so he might first put in his Horn the vertue of which expels the venemous corruption which was in the water before and then they all drink of the same O so should the Lords people wait in the waters of Affliction upon Christ their spiritual Unicorn who putteth down his long Horn of grace and refreshment to sweeten these conditions of Affliction and Trouble to the soul saith the Apostle to the Hebrews 12. Chap. ver 2. 3. Set Christ before you as an example of suffering and consider him who endureth such contradictions of sinners least you faint and wax weary in your minds O how sweet and comfortable to the soul in all his Trials must it be when the soul considers that Jesus Christ went all along in all these things before him to sanctifie and sweeten them all to the soul Besides when the soul considers that Christ did not only travel through these conditions of Temptation and Affliction to sweeten them to the souls taste But he is the Tree that still lieth in these Marah waters as a Companion with the soul in all his Trials Isa 43. 2. 1. Christ is there with his power to support them Isa 41. 10. 2. Christ is there with his spirit to comfort the soul while in the affliction 2 Cor. 1. 4 5. John 14. and 16. Chap. To which truth I my self can set to my Seal who am at this time a Prisoner for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ I can say Christ is such a Tree in the bitter waters of Marah as that he
the soul to question his condition many times saying surely if I did belong to God why is it thus with me O if I had true grace my corruptions could never be so strong in me as they are O soul remember thou art in thy Wildernesse condition and that affords great enemies and tall Anakins and cursing Balaams which will very often afright thee with their raging blasphemy How often doth the soul find within him not only an opposing warring fighting Og within him but also a cursing dreadful blasphemous Balaam as it were daily cursing the holy seed of God within the soul which often times makes the soul to despair of ever getting home to his â—anaan of rest and peace Thus it was with David Psal 39. 4. All my iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me Psal 65 3. Iniquities prevail against me Thus it was with St. Paul how sensible was he of the wildernesse-assaulting Og and the Amalekites like corruption which very often rose up against him in his travelling through his spiritual wildernesse which made him to cry out in Rom. 7. 24. O wretchedman that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Which leads me to the next particular of the souls condition while on this side his Canaan of everlasting rest and true peace which is this The Wilderness of old was a place of discouragements for there the false spies brought up that discouraging report about the good Land and so weakened the hope and confidence of the people which put them upon chusing a captain to go back again to Egypt How much of this kinde of experience do poor souls meet in their way to their spiritual and eternal Canaan what sad discouraging reports doth the Devil and his agents bring up upon the good Land of Canaan to this very day and hour First The Devil how often doth he tell the soul that he were as good go back again from the good wayes of God as to go on any further in them for all the souls duties shall be as rewardless as they are worthless and that God taketh no notice of him and as for his sins they are too great for God to pardon them and therefore let the soul never think saith Satan to get out of my kingdom and power of darkness for doest thou believe saith the Devil that if God could pardon thy sinnes that ever he would look on such a worthless vile sinful poluted wretch as thou art who doest all things in hopocrisie of heart no no do not deceive thy self thou shalt finde it otherwise and therefore thou wert as good go back again to thy old conversation and live as thou didst before Besides saith Satan doest thou ever think to enter so strait a gate as leadeth to heaven doest thou not know that the Anakims both great and tall are in the way doest thou not know that if thou goest this way any farther thou wilt lose the favour of all thy friends and relations doest not thou see what a gazing stock thou wilt make thy self to all thy neighbours and acquaintance round about thee dost not thou see the taunts flouts scoffs and jeers which they will fling daily after thee besides thou art now pretty well to live in the world and hast things full and whole about thee but by those fines and sequestrations which the world will lay upon thee this will quickly be gone from thee and thou and thine forced to perish in a miserable condition Moreover doest thou not see before thine eyes how some are whipt others imprisoned and at last hanged up by the neck assure thy self this will be thy portion if thou goest any farther this way Come come sayes the Devil I will shew you a better way be advised by me come turn back again save your self and what you have you do but dream of building Tabernacles in the air assure your self by going the way you are a going you do but wade through impossibilities and all shall fail you in the end therefore get thee back again to the Land of Egypt the old carnal condition from whence thou hast been travelling a while and fed upon onyons leeks the garlick and cucumbers which thou hast been a planting for many years and eat the fat of thy flesh pots and take thy pleasure here for there is nothing better under the Sun then that a man should rejoyce in his own works for that is his portion for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him Thus the poor soul hangs in doubt and is oftentimes put to a stand not knowing what to do nor which hand to take whether it be best to go back or forth in the wayes of God because of his discouragements Secondly Satan will not leave the soul thus but labours to set before the eyes of the soul the apostasie of back-sliding professours who have both their principles and practises in the wayes of God from whose conversation he labours to argue the soul into the same practice of leaving the good wayes of God and tells the soul that in so doing or in going back to Egypt he doth no more then others have done before his face persons of greater parts and gifts then ever he yet had and surely such knew well enough what they did and in doing what they have done they have testified themselves to be persons that were acted by a wise prudent spirit such who make provision for their families according to Gods holy ordinance Thirdly If Satan the old Serpent cannot prevail with these secret whisperings upon the soul then he will send in his agents to deal farther with the soul as Father Mother Husband Wife Children and servants too which cry out as Peter did once to Christ Good master save your self And if all these cannot discourage the soul then will Satan adde to all the rest one or two apostatizing professours who with the rest hang all together about the soul crying out Sir what mean you to do what have you a minde to ruine your self and all your family do not you see that the Law of the Nation will not endure your Religion nor those wayes of Worship which you set up and walk in Have not you had warning enough in others who have lost all they had and themselves in prison to desist your work and retreat your ground and come back again Then in comes the prudent apostate not that he is such but he and such as he is thinks themselves so and he undertakes to give the soul arguments from Scripture to save himself his Wife and Children and all his family by telling him that he ought to be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake and that if he be commanded either to do or not to do which conscience at any time cannot let down yet however he may satisfie himself with this consideration that its the Magistrates sin in commanding the thing
or forbidding the thing to be done by in the worship of God if the thing commanded or forbidden be in its self an evil but not the subjects in obeying the thing commanded or forbidden Thus you see how difficult the Devil labours to render the poor souls way to the good Land and how Satan fills the souls paths with discouragements and how much Satan is like to prevail without the infinite power of God be put forth to help and bear up the poor soul in his way to the good Land which leads me to the next particular which is this The wilderness of old might well be called the place of wonders because of the great miracles which the Lord did work for the Jews in their travels in that notwithstanding all the seeming deaths dangers the people past under in the Wilderness yet the Lord by a powerful hand brought them to their promised Land in safety So soul take this for thy comfort that whatever the opposition be that thou meetest with in the way to thy eternal Canaan yet bear up fear not for God will at last deliver thee out of the hands of all thy enemies and carry thee safely through to thy appointed rest of glory that thou mayest serve him in righteousness and true holiness in bliss to all eternity Luke 1. 74 75. O soul therefore hold up thy head the work is the Lords and although he suffers thee to tug with fearful difficulties and great oppositions yet know this that the battle is the Lords and he will fight it in thee for thee its true it may be as with Gideon thou art ready to cry out of thy own weaknes thy family is the smallest in Israel and thou the least in the family but let me speak to thee in the words of the Angel to Gideon Judges 6 12. Up for God is with thee thou mighty man of valour O soul the Lord is engaged to bring thee home to glory God hath sworn by his holiness that it shall be so therefore it must be so read Psalm 89. 33. 34 35 36 37. O therefore arise go out againâ—â— thy enemies fear them not but look them boldly in the face O look a corrupt proud lustful revengeful unbelieving worldly fearful dead backward heart in the face and look all the Devils in hell and wicked men in the world boldly in the face look all thy relations in the face look a wicked world in the face look â—ubtle inticing Apostates in the face O fear none of these things assure thy self there shall nothing of these prevail against thee for God will fight for thee and will be with thee in the battle he will do all thy works in thee and for thee Phil 2. 13. So that the gates of hell shall not prevail against thee O hearken to the voice of the Spirit of God in thy soul which will speak to thee as once Joshua and â—aleb did to the Israelites Numb 14 6 7 8. Fear not the Land which we passed over to search is an exceeding good Land if the Lord delight in us then he wiâ—â— bring us into this good Land a Land which floweth with milk and honey onely rebel nâ—t agaâ—nst the Lord neither fear ye the people of the Land for they are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us ear them not therefore for a close to this particular take these two places of Scripture and the God of heaven make them of use to the fainting doubting dying soul Deut. 31. 8. The Lord he is he that doth go before thee he will be with thee he will not fail thee neither forsake thee fear not neither be afraid Deut. 33. 27. The eternal God is thy refuge underneath thee are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out thine enemies before thee and shall say destroy thou them O therefore soul let me advise thee not to yield to thy temptations for assure thy self in time thou shalt reap if thou faint not Let the gates of Hell do what they can yet they shall go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again bringing their shears with them Psal 126. 56. And the raâ—sommed of the Lord shall return to Zion with songs and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads and they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flye away Isa 35. 10. CHAP. 13. The next thing that we are to take notice of is their bunch of Grapes which was brought them from the good Land by the hands of their Spies yet notwithstanding they could not believe THis bunch of Grapes which were brought out of Canaan by the Spies might lead us to the sheddings abroad of the Holy Spirit of God upon our hearts if we truly believe for the end why God sent the Grapes of Canaan to the Israelites while they were in the Wilderness it was to assure their hearts to the making good those promises which God before made to their Fathers concerning their certain arrival at the Land of promise and so it was to be an earnest or pledge to them which believed of their right to the Land of promise that assuredly as they did eat of that bunch of grapes which came from â—anaâ—n so assuredly if they would believe the Lord would bring them safe home to the full vintage Now of the same use is the Holy Ghost which God sends down into the hearts of the faithful You may call the breathings of the Spirit of God in the hearts of the godly the fore-running bunch of Grapes of the eternal Canaan which doth yield forth his blessed refreshing comforting chearing juyce into the hearts of the people of God God gives out the holy Spirit to assure the godly that the Land is a good Land unto which they are a travelling God gives his people the sweet sensible tastes of glory to come before-hand O how hath God drenched the souls of his people with draughts of this salvation sometimes when in an ordinance of God This made David prize so much the house of God Psalm 27 4. It was the coming down of those heavenly Grapes or spiritual Dews from the Spirit of God which did so much draw and atttact his heart thither-ward so much Psalm 36 8. For thou shalt abundantly satisfie them with the fatness of thy house and make us to drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures The work of which heavenly dews of the Spirit is to witness to and in our hearts about the great right we have by free Grace to the good Land of promise which is Heaven Rom. 8. 16 The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the people of God so 1 John 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by his Spirit which he hath given us That is the Holy Spirit is given us to assure us of the right we have to heaven the Father gives it to his as the imagining pledge that
certainly fail thee in the time of trouble for God will tear it to pieces and thou wilt be found naked then woe woe to thee in the day of Gods wrath when he shall come forth to render vengeance upon all that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks 2 Thes 1. 7. 8 9. O soul who ever thou art that shalt read these lines I beg thee therefore to hearken to that good advice given thee from the Lord in Isa 55. 6. Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near CHAP 15. I come in the next place to speak of the Brazen Serpent another Type which was given out to the Children of Israel in the VVildernesse read Numb 21. 6 7 8 9. THe occasion of which was this because of those hot fiery stinging Serpents which in the Wildernesse had destroyed so many of the Israelites up and down in the Countrey therefore did the Lord out of compassion to the Jews cause a thing to be made called a Serpent and it was to be set upon a pole for this end viz. that if at any time any of the people should be stung by any of the Serpents in the Wilderness if they at the same time should but look up at the Brazen Serpent set upon a pole in the midst of the Camp for that purpose this would bring them home an immediate cure upon their persons at the same instant Now this Type had as to its use special reference to Jesus Christ for such a remedy is Jesus Christ to spiritual stinged souls God in mercy to the elect hath sent his Son into the world and advanced Christ his Son upon the pole of the Gospel that he might cure them of their spiritual stingings occasioned by Sinne and the Devil the worst of Serpents If we look up to this Serpent upon the pole of the Gospel with an eye of faith John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son into the world thaâ— whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting lâ—fe so John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Alluding to the use of the brazen Serpent in the Wilderness which was to be looked up unto or to be beheld so saith John of the Lamb Christ Jesus behold the Lamb or look up to him if you ever intend to be cured of your spiritual stingings therefore for this purpose Christ is called the healer of the nations Rev. 22. 2. Use 1. O then soul whoever thou art that at any time art bit with the guilt of sin or by the prevalent working of any corruption O soul if thou wilt but look up to Jesus Christ the spiritual Serpent by an eye of faith thou mayest as certainly expect a cure to be wrought on thy soul as the Israelites who in looking up to their brazen Serpent in the Wilderness might expect a cure to be done on their bodies therefore is salvation tendred upon this act of the soul in looking up to Christ by an eye of faith Isa 45 22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and you shall be saved O therefore soul have a care thou doest not lose looking up to Christ there is nothing else will or can damn thy soul but this thy not looking up to Christ as a Saviour and Redeemer and resting upon him alone for life and salvation as one that is able to save to the utmost as the Apostle speaks in Heb. 7. 25. CHAP. 16 I now come to speak of the Tabernacle another Type given out to the Israelites in the VVilderness the manner and form of it I have already described to you before THis Tabernacle was typical two wayes or it typed out these two things to us First Christ himself Secondly The Church of Christ First It typed out Christ himself and that in these respects First As to the glory and excellency of Jesus Christ the Tabernacle was exceeding excellent and glorious within for all the inward parts of it were over laid with pure Gold Exod. 35. This was to shew us the richness and worth of the Son of God that so the creature might see cause to desire him love him and chuse him to themselves as their highest portion for ever therefore when the Holy Spirir doth speak of Christ it speaks of him under this consideration as excellent Prov. 3. 13 14 15 16. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of silver and the gain thereof then fine gold she is more precious then rubies and all the things which thou caust desire are not to be compared to her length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Heb. 13. speaking of Christ saith He is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express image of his Fathers person Therefore saith the Spouse Cant. 5. 10. speaking of Christ He is the chiefest to me of ten thousand And to this agreeth the words of Peter speaking of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you which believe he is excellent Secondly As the Tabernacle typed forth Christ in point of beauty or excellency so in point of acceptation for in the Wilderness if the people would worship God acceptably it must be at the door of the Tabernacle see Numb 8. 15. chap. 18. 3 4. 7 8. and at the Tabernacle door were the people to wait until the Priest within had done the service of the Tabernacle for them before the Lord which shews us thus much that if we intend in Gospel dayes to worship the Father acceptably we must come to the Father at the Tabernacle Christ and by the hand of Faith lay down our offerings at the door of his Worth and Merits therefore saith Christ himself John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man can come to the Father but by me Use 1. O therefore soul when ever thou doest any thing of the Worship of God be sure thou come to God alwayes by the door of this Tabernacle Christ if thou meanest to be accepted in and about what thou doest in the service of God offer all thou hast to offer God withal in Christs name in and by his worth and merits onely for his sake and upon his account and be wholly nothing in thy own esteem Come to the door of the Tabernacle under the sence of a meer piece of nothing bring with thee a self-loathing and self-condemning self-abhorring frame of spirit and let Christ be all and in all to thy soul and in thy esteem when thou art before the Lord in point of acceptation Phil. 2. 8 9. I count all things but as dung in comparison of Christ and I desire to be found alone in him Thirdly The Tabernacle was a Type of Christ in point of revelation Exod.
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
red wine I the Lord do keep it and water it every moment Use 2. O then how do this call upon the Ministers of Christ to be vigilant taking all opportunities to hold forth their Lamp lights of truth to the Candlestick the Church Ministers are Lamps and they were set apart by God for the benefit of his people to enlighten and comfort them in needful times you know the charge which is given Ministers in Isa 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem how careful was St. Paul of his duty herein what opportunities did he take on all hands to guide the Church and enlighten the Church with his Lamp light of knowledge Acts 20. 24. Who accounted not his life dear to himself so that he could but finish his Ministry with joy O what a dreadful thing is it for one of these Lamps to wax out or withdraw its shinings when the Church of God lieth ready to perish for his not discharging his duty to them for men to prove faint careless and negligent in the discharge of duty in and to the Church which God calls his Candlestick St. Paul calls this a being guilty of the bloud of fouls Acts 20. 26 You may likewise see what God doth account of this thing read Ezek. 3 20. Use 3. How should this humble Ministers of the Gospel what a blow would this consideration give the old Adam within them and pluck down the pride and confidence of all proud Ministers who may swell high with the conceit of their gifts and parts and so come to think high of themselves beyond what they should or ought to think forgetting that at best they are but bare empty Lamps in themselves who can do nothing nor can say any thing or be of any use to the Church of God without Divine assistance you know a Lamp without Oil in it is of little use in a house or family the house may be full of darkness for all that if the Lamp be without Oil in it O so are Ministers of as little use without the Oil of Gods assisting presence goes along with their labours they can do little good to any soul in point of conversion or comfort gifts and parts and flourished notions will do little in order to the raising of a dead soul to life or to the comforting a of dejected soul in the hour of temptation It was once the saying of Melancthon about a Sermon once preached by him to a Country people who pomised himself upon the well preaching of it a great harvest of Converts but upon his next coming that way and finding the little effect of it crys out old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon Alas Brethren the greatest Aristotle or Learned Philosopher in the world can do nothing here without Gods quickning comforting spirit be with him saith St. Paul our sufficiency is not of our selves but of God yet St. Paul had great parts and abilities but he looks not upon these things but upon God for success If God did not pour oil into him and thereby fitted him for his work as a Minister of the Gospel he knew he should remain but a dark Lamp without the least use to any man or woman therefore how should this make such men think low and mean thoughts of themselves and be humble both before God and man Use 3. This serves to inform Christians about their duty in this case First To keep close to their Ministers and Pastours for spiritual light and knowledge and not to slight them so and to turn the back upon them as some have done I do not intend those who under the notion of Ministers of the Gospel can cunningly undermine the Gospel neither do I mean such as can mind and turn with every turn of state but I mean those Ministers who have given evidence of the uprightness of their hearts and sincerity of soul to God as Joâ—hâ—a and Caleb did in backsliding times to be men of other spirits then to run back again with the stream of the times or the cry of the multitude to the old Egyptian darkness from whence they were delivered I say to slight these Ministers is to slight those burning Lamps of light and truth which God in mercy hath left amongst his people for direction through their wilderness to their spiritual Canaan We have had sufficient experience of this great evil of late years into how many evils and mischiefs and fearful Apostasies have thousands of professours run themselves upon leaving their sound Ministers and Pastours O what horrid darkness hath their over-spread the minds of some professours that would dare to profess an open separation from their Pastors and sound teaching Ministers which were the Lamps of light and comfort which God in mercy held out to them O therefore Christians have a care you do not slight and despise these heavenly Lamps saith St. Paul to Timothy Let no man despise thee you know the exhortation in Mal. 2 7. Thou shalt seek the Law at his mouth the reason is given you in these words for the Priests lips shall preserve knowledge Secondly Let this teach Christians to love the Ministers of Jesus Christ O keep this upon your heart daily that the Ministers of Christ are the Lamp lights to enlighten your souls in the time of darkness our Saviour calls them the lights of the world Mat. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world that is such as are appointed to guide the feet of the Saints into the way of peace the Apostle says that the Ministers of Christ are such as watch for your souls and must give an account for them to God in the last day reade Hebrewes 13. 17. O my Brethren your Ministers they are more to you and can do more for you then the eyes of your bodies and how choice are you of that member your eyes you account your Jewels when that 's gone you account the Mercy next to life is gone But truly great Mercies and greater Jewels are Ministers if good and sound to the people of God whether they know it or not the Gallatians Church were well acquainted with the worth of their Teachers and Ministers of Christ there was once a time when they valued them beyond their bodily eyes Gal. 4. 15. For I bear you record saith Saint Paul that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me Certainly if you loose them you will loose the best of your eyes O therefore bless God heartily who hath yet continued his Lamp lights amongst you which yet maintain their burning and shining lights in the midst of you though it be wholly dark over Egypt yet you have your Lamps burning in Gosher O pray hard for them O let Heaven ring with your cryes about your Ministers O put on for them as you would for your treasure your all that God may yet stay them in the midst
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
God but was pure I mean that of the Sacrifice which ascended up to God that was very pure for the Ashes which was the Dross and Impurity of the Sacrifice that was conveyed away through the Grate of Net-work which was made and placed under the Altar for that purpose I say this should exceedingly comfort Believers with reference to the foundation of their Justification their Altar-Sacrifice was a Sacrifice full of purity without the least spot or stain in it an offering without blemish to God yea a sweet smelling savour Use This informs us then of the sad condition of two sorts of persons amongst us First those that dare offer God with any other offering then Christ for their Justification or shal offer any thing to God in any other name then in Christs name know you that the best Sacrifices which you can offer God of your own or in your own names or in the names of any Saint or Angel hath too much of their Ashes and Dross in them then to have any acceptance with God you have no Grate made of Net-work to sever the Ashes from your Sacrifices What ever a soul shall offer God in sacrifice if it doth carry the least impurity or dross in it it will be so far from justifying of you before God as that it will but sink you deeper and deeper into hell Gal 3. 10. O therefore be not deceived any longer ye self-righteous persons in thinking that your duties and works of Righteousness will bear you out before God! no no there is no man is justified in the sight of God by the deeds of the Law saith Paul Gal. 3. 11. the reason is given you by the Church in Isaiah 64. 6. For we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Secondly It informs us of the sad condition of those which were once enlightned into the excellency of this Altar-Sacrifice as that they wholly lived upon him for life and would onely fetch in their peace and comfort and refreshment this way and in this light they rejoyced for a season but are now gone back again and have left their Altar-Sacrifice and will only offer God their own duties and works of righteousness mixed with the Ashes of impurity Oh! the condition of these men and women is worse then the former because these are fallen from Grace it self And therefore although they may talk much of Christ within them yet Christ shall profit them nothing Gal. 5. 4. But I shall refer these back-sliding souls to read that dreadful place in Heb. 6. 4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and have put him to open shame Thirdly And more principally the Grate of Net-work in the Altar through which the Ashes of the Sacrifice was conveyed it may allude to the Priestly Office of Christ which is to present for us our Sacrifice to God as a sweet smelling savour for that is the proper work of Jesus Christ as a High Priest to and for his people who stands at the Altar on purpose to sever the Ashes from the imperfect duties which his people do offer up to God for as the Grate of Net-work in the Altar did convey the Ashes from the Sacrifice which was offered upon it so doth Jesus Christ convey away out of sight all the weaknesses and infirmities of the Saints duties which ascend up to God therefore in Mal. 3. 3. it is said of Christ That he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they might offer to God an offering in righteousness So that you see it is Christs work to sever the dross from the pure metal both as to the persons of his people and their performances that so their duties might smell pleasant in the nostrills of God Christ is the Altar with the Grate of Net-work in it that casteth away through himself all the pollutions of our duties therefore the Apostle in Heb. 13. having spoken of the Altar Christ under the Levitical type ver 10. tells you in the 12. ver Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie they people suffered without the Gate That is Christ as the Altar did both sanctifie the persons and the duties of his people that their sacrifices as well as their persons might be a sweet smelling sacrifice to God Use This should teach believers where to bring their duties in the worship and service of God that they might be accepted with God O soul wouldst thou have thy prayers thy praises thy duties thy services all accepted with God in Heaven O then direct them all to this spiritual Altar Christ There is the Grate of Net-work in Christ that will carry away and convey out of sight all thy defilements impurities weaknesses and infirmities of thy duties which would have displeased God greatly for God is a God of purer eyes then to behold the least sin therefore when ever thou hast any thing to do with God in the duties of his Worship be sure to eye Jesus Christ O beg of him that he would perform the office of the Altar with the Grate of Net-work in it for the wellfare of thy soul Desire him to sever the ashes of thy duties from thy duties and that he would shake out the ignorance of thy duties from thy duties together with the unbelief Hypocrisie Pride Deadness Drowsiness and backwardness of Spirit besides that formality spiritual Pride and wandring Thoughts which cleaves so fast to duty as the flesh cleaves to the bones but possibly many a poor soul may not be acquainted with their danger in miscarrying in duty as it were to be wished they were Take a Scripture or two Malachy 1. 13 14. Ye brought that which was torn and the lame and the sick thus ye brought an offering should I accept this at your hands saith the Lord but cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Host and my name is great amongst the Heathen So Jer. 48. 10. Cursed be the man that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully By which we may understand these two things First that its very possible that men and women may deeply miscarry in their duties towards God Secondly That so to do is a very dangerous thing O then if corrupt things may be offered to God in Worship and so to do is so dangerous as appears by these Scriptures before alledged O then what infinite reason is there that all Believers should make constant use of Jesus Christ who
cord of sincerity that you may find favour in the eyes of God touching what you do in his Worship O this is as the Gold about the Temple which made it so glorious to the beholders so doth this grace wonderfully adorn the Temple of our Souls to God in which God delights to dwell therefore are the prayers of the upright so delightful to God Prov. 15. 8. Never think your duties fast bound to the Altar Christ unless they are tied to the Horns of it with this cord O consider well that place in the 1 Chron. 28. 9. Davids words to Solomon and thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever A Fifth cord with which Believers should bind their duties to the Horns of the Altar Christ is a zealous fervent Spirit in the work and Worship of God as the Apostle speaks Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. A Soul that acts carlesly in the Worship of the Lord is like a Cord let loose or slackt it gives liberty to the thing tied to role or start at pleasure A careless heat in Worship destroys all in hand and brings a Curse upon the person found under so filthy a frame of Spirit Many Christians insensibly perish and die to their growth in Sanctification and yet ignorant of the Reason of it alas it lieth here viz. in their giving way too much to a careless frame of Spirit in the work of God who can think or imagine that God will bless the means appointed for our growth in Sanctification when we come to the means and Ordinances of the Gospel void of hearts and serious spirits which should fit them for the blessing of it Luke 1153. The hungry are filled with good things but the rich are sent empty away We use to say that Gold is better worth then to give to Children to play withall so doth God account the precious things of the Spirit better worth then to give out to careless Children who rather play with holy things then truly prize them as it too too often appears by these two great evils First what respect to persons carelesness in coming to the Worship of God who can take their own times in coming as if it lay in their power to make it subject to their carnal interests in the world The second Evil is in persons slight behaving themselves when before the Lord in his Worship so that as men do behave themselves in this case accordingly are the dealings of God with them As to those spiritual things which God gives out to men in their waiting upon him in his Ordinances according to that word in Jer. 5. 25. Your iniquitiâ—s have turned away these things c. Use O then labour for this Cord of a fervent Spirit that you may fasten your sacrifices with Zeal to the Horns of the Altar Christ Friends beg of God for it O give not over asking and crying and praying untill you have got it let there be no neglect on your part in the getting of this mercy into your souls assure your selves that God will not be wanting to you if you will not be wanting to your selves I mean God will not be wanting in the giving out this Gospel-frame of a fervent Spirit to you if you be not wanting to your selves in the asking and seeking of it at Gods hands God hath pawned his Word for it and he cannot deny his word nor cease to make it good to the souls of those which shall plead his word with him for any spiritual mercy Read often that place in James 1. 5. If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not My friends its worth your while to consider that place in the 3. of Revel 16. where you may see how the want of this Cord of a zealous fervent Spirit did render the Laodiceans services altogether loathsome to God as that when their work was done God tells them he could spue both it and them out of his mouth the Reason is given you because what they did in the Worship of God was done from a luke-warm spirit O be afraid of this ye careless heedless souls which can pray and read and hear themselves fast asleep in the Worship and Ordinances of God and others that can suffer their eyes and hearts to wander after every vain object while in the Worship of God of such a sort of people did God complain of long ago in Ezek. 33. 31. God saith This people draweth near me with their lips and with their mouths they seem to honour me but their hearts run after their covetousness Secondly I come now to speak of the second particular of the Horns on the Altar as they lead to Christ and that is what affords the soul as much comfort as the other did Instruction If we consider the Protection Believers have by Christ while in his Service and Worship if they with Joab do fly to Christ the great Altar for it It cannot be denied but that these souls whose hearts God hath awakend to behold their danger while in the Worship and Service of Christ have great cause to dread and fear what may befall them or become of them before they come off the duty now that danger which attends the people of God while they are engaged in the work of God may be three ways considered First With respect to the Justice of God Secondly With respect to the Malice of the Devil Thirdly With respect to the Malice and Hatred of wicked men here below First With respect to the Justice of God which cannot bear with the least sin committed any where much less in his Worship and service As to that did not the bloud and merits of Christ interpose between the justice of God and the soul in the performance of his duties it were impossible that ever the soul should come off alive again because of these stains weaknesses impurities and defilements our best of duties are accompanied with an instance you may take for this in the two Sons of Aaron Levit. 10. 1 2. Secondly It is so if we consider the Malice of the Devil who like a Roaring Lion is going up and down the earth seeking whom he may devour whose devouring Rage and Malice is mostly bent against the soul when the soul is engaged for God in the performance of some spiritual duty a figure of which you may see in Zach. 3. 1. where no sooner was Joshua the High Priest ingaged in the performance of the work of the Priesthood but presently you have Satan at his right hand to resist him whose work was to hinder him in and to unfit Joshua for the work of God what
he could therefore saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober be vigilant for your adversary the Devil like a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour Thirdly It s so with respect to the Rage and Malice of wicked men who out of an implacable hatred against the work of God labour to take all occasions that might be to endeavour the utter ruine and destruction of the people of God what tumults and commotion have the Children of this world in all ages raised up against the godly for their zealous attending upon the pure Worship and ways of God How many thousands of Innocent souls have the seed of Cain brought down to the dust for their keeping close to the ways and Worship of God And to this day how do the wicked plot against the just seeking all occasions against them to bring them down to the dust both as to Life and Estate How often in our days have the wicked run together in whole heaps upon the godly to disturb them and to divide and confound them in and about the Worship of God How have some with drawn Swords and cockt Pistols violently broken into the Assembles of the Lords people on purpose to destroy them in the place How have the ungodly in our days halled out some of their Meetings and dragged forth others by the heels through the streets of our Cities and Towns to Prison not sparing any either for sex or age How full have the Prisons been at a time of the godly meerly for their being found in the Worship and Service of God How have some been Sequestred from their Estates others condemned to die in open Sessions meerly upon the account of their being found in the Worship and Service of God together for their refusing to comply with any other Worship else Put all this together and have not the godly cause to fear and dread when in the Worship of God who are exposed to all these dangers to danger from Heaven to danger from Hell and the danger from this wicked world below O then what cause is there for the people of God when in the Service and Worship of God to have great recourse to the Horns of the Altar Christ for safety with respect to soul and body And with Joab to take hold of them and shelter there O make much use of Christ for this end and purpose for he is the Horns of the Altar that thou shouldest flie unto for its Christ administreth safety to the soul when in his work and service as well as procureth acceptation for thy work and service to God therefore when ever thou settest about Altar-work be sure to take hold of the Altar Horns Therefore saith David Psalm 96. 6. Honour and Majesty are before him Strength and Beauty are in his Sanctuary Hence it was that David could so willingly Worship God and desired so much to be found in his service he knew that the Horns of the Altar Christ could afford him all manner of Protection either against the Justice of God the Malice of the Devil or the Rage of the wicked and ungodly in this life Psal 84. 10 11. I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of God then to dwell in the tents of wickedness for the Lord is a sun and a shield So saith Solomon Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run there and are safe O you see what Protection the Horns of this Altar Christ did afford the Israelites in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the Wilderness all along to their Canaan what a covering cloud was be to his people by day and what a Pillar of fire was he to them by night for the safety of all these in the Wilderness which by faith took hold of him as their Horn of strength and safety insomuch that the people never miscarryed untill they let go their hold-fast in him as you may see in Psalm 106. from 34. to the 42. Verse O therefore soul wouldest thou be preserved from the storm and blast of the terrible One which beateth against the wall which affrights thee in the Worship and Servive of God O then when ever it be thou art about to Worship God either in publick or private be sure as soon as thou drawest near to the Altar of Worship to take fast hold of the Horns of it I mean lay fast hold by the hand of Faith of the promised strength and Protection of Christ and be sure to hang there O lift up thy soul to him and beg him that he would now hide thee from the Justice of God that for the stains and infirmities and pollutions thy duties are clothed with all thou mightest escape the portion that Nadab and Abihu was once in the like case overtaken withall Levit. 10. 12. And beg of him that he would be a refuge for thee against the Malice of the Devil who will be at thy right hand to resist thee Zach. 3. 1. And that he would hide thee from the malice and fury of the wicked of the Earth who are hunting up and down from place to place like so many dogs to find out such as are attending the service of God That if possible they may undoe them either in or for their work this made Paul so earnestly intreat the Saints in his day that they would pray that he might be delivered from unreasonable men For all men have not faith 2 Thes 3. 2. So Ephes 6. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud bue against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness got into high places CHAP. 24. I come to speak of the Incense Altar overlaid with Gold as it differed from the former which was overlaid with Brass THe use of the Incense Altar was to offer Incense upon for a sweet smelling savour to the Lord Exod. 40 26. 27. which Incense offered upon the Altar overlaid with Gold did make the other offerings that were offered upon the Altar overlaid with Brass so savory and sweet before the Lord. This the Apostle applies to Jesus Christ in Ephes 5. 2. In which words he takes in the use of both the Altars and shews you that the Incense Altar overlaid with Gold was set up to make the sacrifices of the slain beasts which were offered upon the Altar overlaid with Brass very sweet and delightfull to God Pray observe well the words consist of two parts First Of what relates to the Altar overlaid with Brass Secondly What relates to the Altar overlaid with Gold which was called the Incense Altar First Of what related to the Altar overlaid with Brass upon which was offered the slain beasts Exod. 40. 29. This is set forth to you in these words of Ephes 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God This part of the Verse agrees
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
favour he is called a shepherd Psal 23. 1. Now you know a shepherd doth not throw away his weak Lambs but rather takes up such as are weak and cannot go and carry them in his arms and lodgeth them in his bosom Oh so doth Christ make much of weak Lambs such as cannot go of themselves Christ will carry Isa 40. 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those which are with young Oh see with what heart burnings Christ parts with any of his weak ones Ephraim was a weak lamb and Ephraim would be gone from Christ but observe how Christ parts with Ephraim Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I seâ— thee as Zebaim my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And Christ is the same to thee that ever he was to Ephraim his arm of mercy is not shortned Oh therefore come to him with joy and comfort for he will never leave thee nor forsake thee Lastly Art thou weak in duty O look up to him as thy High Priest full of compassion and love and pity toward weak souls Oh do not despair Christ cannot cast thee off because of thy infirmities in duty for then he would have carried but very few home to heaven for the best that ever were have been very infirm in duty and have had cause to cry out with the Church All our Righteousnesses are but as mâ—nstruous cloths and as filthy rags in thy presence O Lord Isa 64. 6. But Christ is called a Father yea an everlasting Father Isa 9. 6. Doth a Father in the flesh reject or despise the work a weak child doth because it is not done with so much strength as he expects or rather doth he not pity him under his weakness and favour him in his work and considering he seeth the child doth what he can the Father likes it as well as if it were a great deal more Oâ— so it is with this High Priest oh he is so full of compassion that he will not reject thee for thy weakness in performance of duty though the duty be done with little strength or a weak hand yet if it be right for sincerity and truth Christ will accept it kindly hear what he saith about it Zach. 4. 10. For the whole hath despised the day of small things Therefore labour for sincerity of heart that those things thou dost for Christ may be done in truth and fear not Christ hath great compassions he will rather help thee in the work then reject thee for it read Rom. 8. 26. Thus you see what that Qualification in the Priest if well improved will afford us in a doubting season I now come to the second Qualification in the High Priest and that is his Faithfulness This will afford us comfort three manner of ways First In point of supply as to grace Secondly Against falling off from grace Thirdly Against the evil of affliction and persecution First In point of supply with grace I know the Lords people do find the want of that many a time Cant. 2 5. Supporting grace under affliction strengthning grace against wearisomness in duty mortifying grace to sin and corruption and comforting grace in the hour of temptation now here is a fulness of this laid into Christ 〈◊〉 1. 19. chap. 2. 9. And he made the steward of it Oh go to Christ for it Obj. But some may say if we should he may deny it to us and keep it to himself as many Stewards have done who have been intrusted with a treasure in the behalf of others yet they have been defrauded of it through the unfaithfulness of the Steward Oh soul be not discouraged as to that but put him upon the trial there is not one jot of grace that the Father hath given Christ for thee which he can keep from thee I must confess all the supplies of grace which the Father hath given forth for the use and benefit of his Elect he hath intrusted Christ with it and hath made him the disposer of it Iohn 1. 14. with 16. But to be sure of it he will not yea he cannot diminish one jot or mite of it and that for these two reasons First Because in his own nature he is faithful it s abundantly more easie for the Sun to cease shining then it is for Christ to cease being faithful therefore in the Revelations the holy Ghost gives him this name Rev. 3. 14. The faithful and true witness Therefore soul what ever supply of the grace of the Spirit thou wantest assure thy self thou shalt have it if thou makest use of Christ for it he will not withhold one drop of it from thy soul Oh therefore come with boldness to the Throne of grace to ask grace and mercy to help in time of need plead with Christ for it tell him that thou hast heard that the Father hath laid in a stock of justifying pardoning and sanctifying grace into his hands for poor naked sinful unclean miserable sinners and hath made him the Lord Treasurer of it and tell him that thou art come to him as a miserable poor sinner for a portion of it for a portion of pardoning grace and sanctifying grace then see whether Christ will deny it thee Oh he is so far from withholding from a sinner what is his due by gift from the Father that he hath taken great care and pains to possesse the soul of it upon every occasion read that place in Proverbs which relates to Christ as a Steward intrusted in this great work of giving out grace to the Lords people Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Wisdom hath buâ—lâ—ed her house she hath hewen out her seven pillars she hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath furnished her table she hath sent forth her maidens she crieth upon the highest places of the City who so is simple let him turn in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eat of my bread and drink of my wine which I have mingled for sake the foolsh and live and go in the way of understanding Farther you may see how intent Jesus Christ was in this work of distributing freely and faithfully to men the portion given them as sinners by and from the Father Iohn 7 37. In the last day of the Feast which was their great day Jesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Mark he chose the great day of the Feast when the company were greatest he did not take a time to proclaim what treasure he had received from the Father for poor sinners when there were but few in place to hear him but when the most of the people were met together besides he did not whisper the matter but cryed aloud that all
men might hear him touching what he had received from the Father for them if they would come to him for it 2. Reason why Christ cannot withheld any supply of grace from the Lords people is because of these relations he stands in to the Saints 1. He is their friend Iohn 15. 15. Now a friend is so far from withholding what is due that he will rather add something of his own to what was given 2. He is their Husband Jâ—r 3. 14. Now is it usual for the Husband not to seek the good of his Wife 3. He is their head and they his body Eph. 5. 23. Can the head withhold any thing from any one of the members of the body doth he not give down his supplies to every part of the body freely truly no more can Christ withhold any supply of grace and mercy from his members which as their head he hath received for them Secondly How should this Qualification of faithfulness in Christ secure our hope and comfort against falling away totally from grace Oh how many poor souls are there in the world which are under tremblings about this thing Oh but I fear I may be cast totally out of the grace and favour of God Oh soul look up to Christ under this doubt if there be any Interest in heaven to be made against thy falling away from a state of grace thou maist be sure not to want it Soul remember will a poor mortal man when his Wife stands upon the trial of her life strive and tug and labour by Purse and Petition to make an Interest for his Wife both wâ—th Judge and Jury to save her life and dost thou think that Christ will fall short in this to thee who hast given up thy self to him as his Wife behold his interceding and advocating work in heaven for thee at this hour on purpose to preserve thee from this evil thou so much fearest and doth not the Apostle tell thee that he is heard in all he prayed for read these two places of Scripture Zach. 3. 1 2 3 4. 5. with Heb. 5. 7. And doth not our Saviour say that he is alwayes heard in heaven John 11. 42. Therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 13. 5 6. So that we may boldly say that the Lord is our helper and I will not fear what man can do unto me for he hath said I will never leave thee nor for sake thee Fear it not it can never be if ever he took thee into Covenant all the Devils in hell can never out thee more for he takes none into Covenant but such whom he loves and those whom he begins to love he loves to the end John 13. 1. And it s with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. It s true a Christian may lose the sense and sight of the love of God many days if not years But he can never lose the being of the love of Christ to his soul and as much as some talk of falling away from grace thou needst not trouble thy self much about that point but leave it to others that can better judge of the thing then thou canst besides if the notion were rightly understood by weak Christians viz. about falling from grace I think there would not be so many vain Disputations Doubts and Fears amongst them about it as there is Grace in Scripture is taken four manner of ways First For the state of grace into which a soul is placed through his believing in Christ by an indissolvable Covenant which is never to be violated or broken or altered more Psal 89. 34. This is the thing the Apostle is speaking of Rom. 3. 24. When he saith We are justified by his grace that is Believers are put into a justified state by the blood of Jesus Christ which we call a state of grace Rom. 5. 2. Secondly There is the means of grace that is all that provision which God hath provided in his word for the calling home of poor lost creatures to himself of this the Apostle speaks likewise 2 Cor. 6 1. Thirdly There are the habits of grace which are those divine dispositions or qualities of sanctifying grace placed in the heart at the time of our Conversion of which Iames speaks Iam. 4. 6 Fourthly There is the exercise or actings of this habitual grace which St. Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 3. Lastly now if by falling from grace men do intend by it grace in the second sense viz. from the means of grace so I say too and am so far an Arminian for our Saviour was of this Judgement Math. 13. 19 20 21 22. with Luke 14. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. Of this judgment was St. Paul 2 Cor. 6. 1. with Heb. 2. 3. That men and women may enjoy the means of grace in common with others and yet have no benefit by it Again they may go farther with that in Heb. 6. 4 5 6. To have great enlightnings and great tasts of it and by the powerful convictions of it made with Herod to do many good things but our Saviour tells you that they were such as were never truly rooted hence it is that the word was never truly rooted in their hearts Math. 13. 21. Now to be truly rooted is elsewhere expounded a rooting in Christ by Election Math. 24. 24. Luke 18. 7. Rom. 9. 11. Rom. 11. 5. Peter 1. 1 2. Again There are the actings or there is the exercise of grace now in this sense a Child of God may fall from grace that is he may go downd the win for a time he may abate in the degree of his love to and zele for and faith in Jesus Christ Thus it was with David and St. Peter and the Spouse Cant. 5. 2 3. And with Ephesus Rev 2 4. 5. Again Take grace in the habits of it now in this sense an Elected called soul can never fall from grace that is he can never lose the roots of his grace more they may be buried up with corruption as the fire is with its ashes sometimes but it can never be extinguisht or put out in the soul more but it will now and then appear as roots may lie many moneths in the Earth unseen in a Winter season but when the heat of the Sun draws near the Earth they will Spring again so though grace in the heart may have its Winter season and so lie hid under the clods of corruption for a time when Christ the Sun of Righteousness shall draw near the heart with his heating beams grace will then spring again Cant. 1. 12. When the King sitteth at his Table my spicknard sendeth forth the smell thereof I will give you one reason why grace in the heart can never be wholly extinguished because its a branch of the Covenant of grace which God hath made with the Elect in Christ Ier. 31. 33. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my
with deep sighs and groans crying out O Father these are all of my body for whom I intercede if thou lovest me have regard to their conditions they are my own flesh and bones in helping them and relieving them and easing them out of pain thou relievest me and helpest me and easest me out of pain for in all their afflictions I am afflicted Therefore I pray thee let the Angel of thy presence save them Lord look upon my heart and here thou shalt see the names of the twelve tribes even all my Israel engraven in the Letters of my own blood thou shalt never see thy Son but with their conditions engraven upon his heart And what think you souls will not this prevail may not Believers safely adventure their all upon the work of this Priesthood Oh study this more and your comfort will be infinite Obj. But some may say it may be thought the High Priest under the Law did do so for the people I mean carry their names upon his heart before the Lord yet it s a question whether Christ doth do this always now he is in heaven Is always for so much as this lieth in the Type Exod. 28 29. The Priest was to bear the names of the people upon his heart for a Memorial before the Lord continually which sheweth that this Priesthood piece of service of bearing the names of the people before the Lord was to continue for ever for it was to be a Memorial before the Lord continually not only was this work of the High Priest in the Type to remain for a for ever so long as there will be any need of Christs Intercession but always for ever for so the word continually doth likewise import therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 7. 24. But this man because he continueth ever hath aâ— unchangeable Priesthood ver 24. He ever livetâ— to make Intercession for them so that we may safely say that Christ our High Priest is always in heaven lifting up holy hands as it were to God for Believers in a way of presenting their conditions before him whether thou sleepest or wakeest whether thou art able to pray or not yet Christ is at prayer for thee he intercedes night at day for thy welfare He ever liveth to make Intercession for thee Hence it is that David could so comfortably lie down in his bed and take his rest so securely by night he knew that Christ had his condition upon his heart Psalm 4. 8. I will both lay me down to sleep for the Lord only maketh me rest in safety Lastly We may learn this from it that the High Priests going into the presence of the Lord with the names of the twelve tribes upon his heart it shews uâ— that Christ enters he presence of the Father in the names of all true Believers Christ doth it for them and intercedes for them in their name as well as for their sake As the High Priest under the Law was chosen for the people so Christ was sent forth to agitate for Believers and tells the Father as it were that he is come to him in the form of a servant to discharge his duty to God for Believers If I pray Petition intercede for any spiritual mercy for them it is but to fulfil thy will in this case from eternity for this was the great design that thou hadst before the world was that I should come down from glory and take upon me the form of a servant and die the bitter death of the Cross that the Elect might be saved and then to go up to glory again on purpose to make Intercession for them and therefore if I ask any spiritual favour for them it s no more then I was appointed to do by thee from everlasting Oh what a deal of comfort may a poor soul draw from this consideration of the brest-plates being upon the High Priests heart wherein the names of the Elect of God are engraven Oh methinks if a soul were assured he were upon no bodies heart in the world either Husbands heart Wives heart Fathers heart Mothers heart Brothers heart Sisters heart Friends or Neighbours heart yet to be in so eminent a manner upon Christs heart this is enough to bear up the soul in the worst of times There was likewise placed in the brest-plate the Urim and Thummim Exod. 28. 30. This of the Urim and Thummim was to be understood two ways First As it had relation to the Type it self 2. As it related to the Anti-type which was Christ First As it related to the Type it self which was the High Priest called to office a principal part of whose office it was to teach and instruct the people in the Doctrine of God as to the Worship and Service of him its true there were others of the inferiour Priests did this work of expounding to and teaching the people also but the High Priest was not exempted from this great duty Mal. 2. 7. The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Now the Urim and Thummim did signifie those two qualifications to be in the Priest was which the soundness of his Doctrine which he was to deliver to the people and the holiness of his life as a pattern and example amongst them the Priest was to preach to or press upon the Consciences of the people nothing else but the sound substantial truths of God not his own novels or brainish fancies or dreams but the wholsome Doctrine of God Ezek. 3. 17. saith God Son of man I have made thee a watch-man unto the house of Israel therefore hear the word of my mouth and give them warning from me Oh what care should the Ministers of the Lord take in this matter that they feed the flock of God with sound and wholsome food therefore is the exhortation from St. Peter to all the Ministers of the word in the world 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God It s true there are many men passing under the name of Ministers of Christ now a days in the world but how few of them make it their faithful and painful labours in their studies to bring forth pure truth but on the contrary wrest it and stretch it and puts it upon a rack to make it bend every way to serve their ungodly wicked ends and purposes And so instead of feeding the flock of God which was purchased with his own blood with sound wholsome food they feed them with Gall and Wormwood who rather pervert then convert any they have to do withall Take the most sober sort of them I mean the most Idle and Laze sort such who love neither to feed the fold of Christ either with Gall or Honey that is as the Prophet speaks they are dumb dogs such as will not bark lying down loving to slumber yet they can feed themselves with the fat and
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
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
their use was for this purpose that if any man had committed murder accedentally yet if he did immediately repair to any one of these Cities before the officer that was appointed for execution did overtake him then he was not to die provided he did not get out of the City untill the death of the present High Priest Numb 35. 11 12 13 14. These Cities as to the use of them they were all types of Jesus Christ with respect to the safety Christ administers to poor guilty sinners in a way of protecting of them from the wrath of God Look as the avenger of blood did pursue the murâ—herer in open field so doth the Justice of God the sinner every day Psalm 7. 11. God is angry with the wicked every day so ver 12 13. If he turn not he will whâ—t his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he hath ordained his arrows against the persecutors But if the soul can make to Christ before the justice of God hath overtaken him he will be safe fot Christ is the great City of refuge there is no kinde of evil can enter the gates of this City saith Solomon Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run thereat and are safe therefore it is said in Isaiah where the prophet is speaking of Christ Isa 25. 4. For thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible one is as a storm against the wall Therefore soul if thou wouldst be protected from the blast of the terrible one from the stroke of Gods justice maste haste to the City of refuge which is Christ get into him and thou wilt be safe CHAP. 38. Of the scape-Goat offered to God for the People THere was likewise a live Goat which that the Priest was to take upon the head of which he was to lay his hands and there to make a publick confession to God of all the peoples sins and when so done the Priest was to lay all the sins of the people upon the head of the Goat then was the Goat to be sent away into the Wilderness never to return with them more Leviticus 26. 7 8. 9. with 21 22. verses This Type as well as the rest was to set forth the wonderful grace of God in Christ to sinners who hath prepared a scape Goat for them to carry away their sin upon his own head which scape Goat is Christ his onely Son O this is wondeâ—ful love saith the Spirit John 3. 16. God so loved the world as that he sent forth his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life O look to Christ he is this scape Goat he bears all the sinnes of his people they are confessed over Christs head and translated upon Christs head Isa 53. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 24. And so made his sins not ours and he hath carryed them into the wilderness of forgetfulness where they shall never come into mind more Jer. 31. 34. From the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember the sin no more Christ will leave all the sin and guilt which he took upon him behind him in the Wilderness saith God I will cast away their iniquity behind my back And assure your selves when ever Christ comes again he will come without sin to Salvation Heb. 9 28. CHAP 39. Of the other smaller Sacrifices in use amongst the people THere were other Sacrifices which they offered to God besides what have been mentioned all holding forth something of a Christ to come now these sacrifices were of two sorts First Of things solid Secondly Of things liquid or moist Those solid things which they offered to God in sacrifice they were likewise of two sorts First Of things living Secondly Of things dead Now the living sacrifices or the sacrifices of those things that were living They were either Bullocks Levit. 16. 11. Goats Levit. 16. 15. Rams Levit. 16. 3. Lambs Exod. 12. 3. And young Pigeons Levit. 1 14. Now all these living sacrifices were to be put to death which answers to the death of Christ pointed out to them as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9. 26. That Christ towards the latter end of the world should appear to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And these sacrifices were not only to be put to death but their bloud was to be shed forth that so an atonement might be made to God by it Levit. 1. 14. Levit. 16. 15 16. Which answers to that of the Apostle touching Jesus Christ Heb. 9. 13 14. And where as well these sacrifices were to be without spot or blemish Levit. 3. 6. This answers to the Apostles pure nature of our Gospel-sacrifice Christ as the Apostle speaks in Heb. 9. 14. Secondly As for these sacrifices which were of things sollid but of a dead matter it was Meal or Flower and this was to be bruised or broken which answers to that of Christ which the Prophet speaks of him in Isa 53. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin As for these sacrifices which were liquid they were either of Oil Wine or Water and this was to be poured out upon the ground Exod. 29 40. Which answereth to that of Christ which the Prophet speaks in Isa 53. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the greaâ— and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death Thus soul I have spoken my thoughts of these great mysteries of the Gospel and I hope that I was not wholly left to my own spirit in the thing I found much of the presence of the Lord going along with me in the work the foundation of which was laid in prison when I was shut up for Jesus Christ Jâ—has Isle of Patmos brought him in his great Revelations from God and I hope that my impisonment was attended with somethng of a Patmos blessing if thou receivest any benefit by it give God the glory and say the Lord hath brought whom light to thee out of the midst of ignorance it self and thou hast met with instruction from the mouth of a mere Babe But what 's there too hard for the Lord who when he will work who shall let him who brings to nought the things that are by the things that are not and by foolishness to confound the wise and prudent My desire is that as I have laboured in the strength of God to bring this forth for thy spiritual profit and advantage thou wouldst not content thy self only with the keeping of this piece in thy house and the letting of it stand upon thy shielf or to let it lie in thy window but be much in the reading and meditation of it things no farther profit us then we are diligent in the use of them Remember that Timothies spiritual profit came in by much reading and meditation on the word 1 Tim. 4. 13. with ver 15â— Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages world without End Amen FINIS THese are to inform the Reader That whereas the Covenant mentioned amongst the TYPES is left out and nothing spoken of it the reason is the Author intends to publish it in another Treatise By reason of the Authors Remoteness from the Press there are several Mistakes in this Book Wherefore the Reader is desired to compare such places as are doubtful with this following ERRATA Pag. line  3 14 FOr such read they 8 8 for strength r. streight 11 4 for executioner r. execution 17 14 leave out so no some 27 10 leave out of 32 4 add is 36 10 leave out the 69 6 leave out never inherited 73 26 leave out who have 76 20 for shall r. that 78 19 for imagining r. ingaging 84 17 for loose r. leave 87 32 for meanest r. means 90 33 for that r. the 96 3 add it 109 30 for Church r. Gentile 120 26 leave out thoughts 121 3 for mind r. wind 134 11 for work r. word 137 11 add were 142 25 add an 144 29 add eace 147 29 add not 180 9 leave out pride 187 36 add what with 189 30 leave out comma at with an instance 202 27 for times r. sometimes and at the last line of page 202 add for his people in all ages Therefore 207 10 for tears r. words 209 6 leave out all 216 32 for sacrifice r. house 220 21 for his r. this 223 32 add may 228 17 for neither r. either 233 6 for will r. doth 245 35 r. who hath despised c. 266 31 for careful r. fearful 270 26 for laudable r. audible 273 2 for laudable r. audible 274 29 for me r. them 300 32 for he r. here 301 8 add not  9 for whom r. home 304 18 r. a view of him as 307 28 for mark r. word 317 last for administration r. admiration 325 9 leave out well
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