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
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
was possible for the Jews to travel to their temporal Canaan without their staff O how doth Faith succour and relieve the soul all along in his way to Heaven when the soul is ready to give over and is yielding up the ghost how doth this staff of believing raise him up again and putteth a new life of confidence into the soul again Thus it oftentimes set up David upon his legs again Psalm 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living like a staff under weariness it did stay up and support David O how did this staff of Faith succour and relieve Habbakuck Hab. 3. 17 18. Although there be no fruit in the vine and although the fig-tree doth not blossom and there be no herd in the stalls and the flock should be cut off from the fold yet will I joy in God and rejoyce in the God of my salvation O what a deep ditch did the Psalmist leap over by this staff of believing Psalm 73. 25. My flesh and my heart faileth me but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Hence it is that Habakkuk saith The just man shall live by his faith Hab. 2. 4. That is for the support it gives a soul in dangerous times it is this grace that keeps a soul above water this was it which carried David through all his trouble this was it lifted him up out of the horrible pit Psalm 40. 2 3. this was the staff that led the Jews through the Red Sea this led Jacob over the Jordan of his difficulties Gen. 3â— this staff led him into Egypt and this staff brought out Joseph his bones Jacob his son out of Egypt again Hebrews 11. 22. And this was the staff the Apostles travelled by all along in their journey in this life 2 Cor. v. 7. For we walk by faith not by sight Mark we walk by faith It is what the travelling Christian must carry in his hand at all times in the pilgrimage he spendeth in this life Lastly The Jews had their shooes on their feet Exod. 12. 11. The shooes you know are what greatly helps a man to a comfortable going on in his journey without which well he cannot travel Now Paul shews you what it is to have the feet well shod Ephes 6. 15. Having your feet well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace that is a soul that takes in the Lamb of God and thereby hath bound himself to flye out of his carnal prophane Egyptian sinful life and conversation had need first of all well furnish himself with the word of God with the threatning part of it to drive him and prick him on with the examples of others lives therein written to draw him with the promises therein to perswade him and with the hope of eternal life true joy and sweet felicity to allure him or else he will finde it a hard matter to come quit of his old condition and carnal conversation Therefore saith Paul Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly Col. 3. 16. So saith David Thy word have I hid in my heart Psalm 119. 11. O you young Christians for to you I speak you that would eat the roasted Lamb Christ and would come out of the Egypt of your carnal ignorant blinde conditions O hearken to my advice you must be well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace O saith Christ Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. O be much in reading of your Bibles let them not lie idle get as much of them as you can into your hearts that you may be able to wrestle with flesh and blood against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse got into high places Ephesians 6. 12. O beg hard at Gods hand that he would imprint his word upon your hearts and cause you to grow in the knowledge of it more and more that so you may have to answer every temptation that you shall meet with in your way to your spirâ—tual Canaan You know the shooes are useful to keep the feet from the gauling truly so is the word of God well applyed very useful to keep the conscience from gaulding and corrupting for look how it is with a man with sore feet he halts and tumbles not able to keep his ground so it is with a man under a gaulded conscience he cannot stand steddy in any place but reels from thing to thing from place to place and cannot stand long any where at a time now the word of God will help this either as applyed or eyed 1. As applyed so will it help the gaulded conscience Psalm 107. 20. 2. As it is applyed by the soul as its rule to walk by so it prevents from corrupting for as the shooes keeps the feet from gauling so will the word of God keep the conscience from corrupting if it be carefully observed as the souls rule to walk by So you see what it is to eat the Lamb a Lamb roasted to eat him with the loins girt the staff in the hand and the shooes on the feet CHAP 4. The next thing to be noted in the Type or Hiisory is this the Lamb was to be eaten by every particular Family unless the Family were too big then they were to take the next adjoyning to it and so they were to eat it together Exod 12. 4. THis in the Ante-type shews us thus much by way of information First That all the particular Churches of God in the world have a like right to Jesus Christ for though there be one body or Church Universal spread over the earth yet this universal body is distinguished into so many little bodies or Churches as Providence thinks good Hence it is that you have the Holy Ghost speaking of seven Churches in Asia Rev. 1. 4. Like wise we read of a particular Church which was in Aquilla and Priscilla's house 1 Cor. 16. 15. A slender foundation for a national Church and yet all these distinct societies have all aright alike to Christ as the families of the Jews were all alike to eat the Lamb therefore saith Paul There is one body and one spirit even as ye are called by one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God one Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4. 4 5 6. Through all ages in the world every Church in particular hath had a like benefit by Christ so that the weakest Church in the world if it be a true Church may claim as large a portion in the heart of Christ as the flourishing'st Church in the primitive times when the Apostles were living You see though Israel were a great body yet they must be divided into several little Bodies when they come to eat the Lamb and yet a Lamb for every family or little body of eaters so that none need to doubt in any age of
the divine graces of the Spirit or else it must be a holiness arising from a Church state and in this sence were the Jews called a holy nation and a peculiar people which arose from their being set apart by God to holy uses and purposes to God himself or if you will take it in St. Pauls terms 1 Cor. 7. 14. A holiness in opposition to uncleanness which uncleanness is elsewhere proved to consist of not being of a professed Church state to God read Isa 52. 1. with Acts 10. 14. For it could not be a holiness with which the whole body of Israel were made holy that consists of the divine qualifications of the Spirit of grace I think but few are of that opinion that the whole body of Israel were in such a sence holy then it must be a holiness arising from a Church State as if he had said If the first fruit be holy that is if Abraham with his Isaac and Ishmael together with the rest of his family who were first with all their succeeding little ones taken into a Church state and so became the first fruits of such a work to God The lump is holy that is then the whole body of that people is holy with reference to a Church state they need not call it in question But if they keep close to God certainly God accounts the issue of Abraham for many generations after as much in a holy state as to a Church state and as much a Church to himself both they and their little ones as ever he accounted it in the first fruits of it meaning in Abrahams time The lump saith Paul is also hâ—ly Then he comes to conclude that if the first fruits were holy which were the parent and the childe And if the lump be holy that is if God to this day have accounted the whole body of the Jews ever since in the same Church state which admitted of the parent and the childe then are the branches holy viz. The Gentile Churches which were ingrafted in upon the same stock then the childe as well as the parent being set on upon this stock as formerly are likewise hily still so that from what hath been spoken doth to me clearly warrant the congregational people the giving of their Children membership amongst them and consequently baptism Let not any mistake me I did not this to revive any part of the old contention or to beget any new quarrel between us and those Christians which dissent from us in this thing but as I conceived things lay so in my way that I must have leapt quite over a clear truth if I had left it and so passed by Object But some may say upon the same account will a national Church be proved to be lawful even the same way that the membership of Infants will come in I answer first I know no absolute necessity lying upon the thing so as that we must not dispute for or practice the one but the other must come in you see in the practice of the Congregational Churches both here and in New England that the connexion is not forcible but that we may give our Children Membership and Baptism amongst us and yet be far enough from building our Churches upon a National bottom But secondly And that which will lead me to the other consideration in the Candlestick which is this The candlestick you know had one stem out of which came six branches The stem of the Candlestick signifies the Jewish Church and the little Candlesticks which came out of that signifies the Gentile Churches under the Gospel the stem of the Candlestick was but one individual shewing that the Church of the Jews was to be national But the branches above in the Candlestick were several in number signifying that the Churches under the Gospel day should be no more national but congregational To this agreeth the two Prophesies of Zechariah and John who writing both about one and the self-same thing viz. about the two Witnesses Zach. 3. 3. with Rev. 11. 3 4. Onely Zachariah sayes That at that time when he writ about the two Witnesses belonging to the Jewish Church he saw but one Candlestick Zach. 3. 2 Because then the Church was national but when John writ of the Witnesses in the Gentile or Gospel Church he saw two Candlesticks or several Candlesticks Rev. 11. 4. Because now the Churches of Christ were no more to be national but congregational or many Churches in one nation There is one thing more to be spoken to about the Candlestick and I have done with it You may observe in reading Exod. 37. 18 19 20 21. This plain difference about the Candlesticks which is that the main Candlestick had four bowls with his knobs and his flowers belonging to it but the lesser Candlesticks which branched themselves forth of the great Candlestick had but three Bowls with their knobs and their flowers Now you must observe as hath been already said that the bowls knobs and flowers added to the Candlestick it was to set sorth the glory of it then where the most of the bowls knobs and flowers were there was the greatest glory but now the most of these things were about the great Candlestick which shews us thus much that although the Jewish Church did at first fall short of the Gentile Churches in glory and brightness yet the time shall come that the glory of the Jewish Church shall far excel all the Gentile Churches in the world Isa 54. 11 12. O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundation with saphires I will make thy windows of agats thy gates of carbuncles and all â—hy borders of pleasant stones This is a Prophephesie which relates to the latter day glory of the Church of the Jews when they shall be brought into Jesus Christ CHAP. 21. I now come to speak of the seven Lamps which with the Candlestick were placed in the Tabernacle THere were likewise seven lamps made of pure gold Ex. 37. 23. which Lamps were to be lighted and always to be kept burning before the Lord Exodus 40. 25. In which there are these things to be considered or it may put us in minde of these things First The vessel it self Secondly the oyl in the Vessel or Lamp Thirdly The light it gave out to the beholders First By the Lamp or Vessel it self it may put us in mind of this great mercy which by Grace Believers hath received at Gods hands and that is a sanctified heart into which God pours forth the holy oyl of his Spirit in the several graces of it by which means the heart is changed purged renewed and made fit for God Now in this sence every Believers heart may be said to be a Lamp therefore saith the Lord in the Prophesie of Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their hearts and write it in their inward parts so Ezek. 36. 26. A
the sweet and cloth themselves with the wooll But for the fatness of sound Doctrine and the sweetness of truth the Church of God may perish and rot and die for any thing they eare or are thoughtful about surely the Urim and Thummim was never upon the breasts of these sacred Priests as they would be owned Secondly As for the other qualification which is holiness of life and conversation this ought to be in and upon the Ministers of the Lord They ought to be exemplary in their lives and conversations for others to imitate them that so they might not build for God with one hand and throw it down again with the other hand this is our Saviours exhortation to all Ministers of the Gospel Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works might glorifie your Father which is in heaven therefore saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 5 3. Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock Use 2. O Then how unhappy are the people of some Countries in the World with respect to the want of this great qualification in their Ministers or pretended such how hard a thing is it to find the Urim and Thummim upon their Priests methinks to see men and meet men with their loins girt so seemingly devout and yet to see these casks so empty either of sound Doctrine or a holy Conversation it is to me a piece of unparallel'd hypocrisie It s known to all that know any thing that the generallity of the world are apter to walk by examples then by precept the Authority of precepts depends very much upon the good lives of those which preach them alas Brethren what is it if a man go into a Pulpit and preach a very good Learned Sermon and as soon as he is come forth of the place to spend the rest of the Sabbath with his Parishioners in an Alchouse it may be untill they are all drunk in the place or to some ungodly sport or other to the very shame of nature it self if their be any Bull-baiting or Bear-baiting any Hurling Wrestling or Cudgel-playing any Crowding Dancing May-pole or Church Ale-gaming who more fritcher and forwarder in the work then the Parson of the Parish Thus the poor people are made Sermon proof and shut up against all convictions of truth through the scandalous conversations of their idle profane Priests which they have amongst them how far are such from being the Priests of the Lord bearing the Urim and Thummim upon their brests let the world Judge Lastly Where as it s said that the Urim and Thummim was written in the brest-plate and placed upon his heart it shews us how much the work should be upon his spirit that the Priest doth for God and how near he should set it to his heart so should it be with all the Ministers of the Gospel they ought to set those truths which they preach very near their hearts yea such as are true Ministers of Jesus Christ they do set those truths which they preach to others nearest their hearts of any thing in the world God hath ordered it that it shall be so he gives them that he sends forth as Ministers the little Book of truth to eat into their bowels that it might live in their hearts Rev. 10. 9 Hence it is that Jeremiah tells you that the word of God lived in his heart Jer. 20 9. And David a Prophet of the Lord also could tell you that the word of God and the truths he was to deliver were dearer to him then thousands of Gold or Silver Psal 119 72. The Lord makes it so to them that they may take delight in the preaching of it 2. That they may be careful of corrupting of it you know things that are dear and near our hearts we are very apt to keep pure but such things as we regard not we throw into any hole so that it easily corrupts and rusts 3. That if need be they may lay down their lives in defence of it this it was made St. Paul cry out he was not only ready to be bound but to die in the defence of truth Acts 21. 13. It was the nearness of truth to his heart but how few of them are there in the world that call themselves Ministers that in any sense wears the Urim and Thummim upon their hearts 2. As this qualification did relate to the Type which was the High Priest and so in him all the succeeding Ministers of the Gospel so it relates to Christ who was the Anti-type of it And so the Urim and Thummim shews us these two great things for our comfort which are infinitely to be considered in Jesus Christ First The infinite perfection of holiness and sanctification which is in Christ John 1. 14. He was full of grace and truth Col. 1. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell This teacheth us these two things 1. What believers are in the sight of God through Christ a people full of holiness for Christ is the Vine and believers the Branches now by vertue of this union God looks upon all alike God in the wise dispensations of his grace hath so ordered it that believers and his Son shall make up but one body that so God might account for the Heads sake all the members holy not that they are so in themselves but I say God is pleased to account it so that believers are as holy as his Son they being of him and in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And God would have us to reckon so too for our comfort mark that place in Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon your selves to be also dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord There is not any man in the world dead to sin or perfectly alive towards God its true the Saints are a dying to sin daily and a labouring out after life towards God saith St. Paul I press hard after the mark Phil 3. 14. But for any to say he is perfectly dead to sin and perfectly alive to God in himself he saith not the truth I speak of perfection in the degree yet you see God would have believers look upon themselves so reckon it to be so saith God that is as they are in Christ and by the Father there apprehended for Christ was so in himself fully yet not for himself but for believers read 1 Cor. 1. 30. He was made of God Wisdom Righteousness and Sanctification for us 2. It informs the Saints from whom they do derive their holiness and sanctification and to whom they should go for it O friends you drive it all from Jesus Christ he is the fountain of all your grace of holiness and sanctification John 1. 14 16 17. The word was made flesh and it dwelt amongst us and we
Christ of doing that work which as a Priest he was sent into the world to do O where wilt thou go to have thy case bettered or who shall cure these wounds sicknesses sores leprosies and guilts which Sin and Satan hath created upon thee if thou come not to Jesus Christ O this is the good Samaritan that takes up the soul wounded by the spiritual thieves and bounds up his wounds and pours oyl into his griefs and healeth all his diseases Luke 10. 36. O therefore come to Christ make use of him as thy High Priest bring thy soul with all its corruptions sores and plagues and running griefs upon thee to him lay it down at his door tell him that thou hast brought a soul full of the plague and leprosie full of unbelief full of the sores of pride hardness of heart impenitency revenge hypocrisie lust worldly mindedness a soul full of the issues of vain thoughts and plead with Christ for a cure tell him that he is the High Priest appointed by the Father for this very end and purpose not to reject thee for thy misery but to pitty thee under it and to shew mercy to thee about it and to help thee out of it Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren in all things that he might be a merciful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people in that himself hath suffered being tenâ—ted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 5. 2. Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the war for that he himself also is compassed with infirmities Here it was David run in the like case when his sores and griefs of corruption run upon him He did not do as a great many troubled souls have done namely then to run from Christ Ps 38 3 4. 5 6 7 8. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thy anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me My wounds â—stinck and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long for my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundnesse in my flesh But did this drive David from Jesus Christ no surely but rather put a necessity upon him to make the more haste towards him in order to cure therefore in the 9. Verse and 15. Verse Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee for in thee Lord do I hope thou wilt hear O Lord my God Secondly As the Priest was to take notice of their personal uncleanness so also of the uncleannesse in their houses Lev 14 35 36. And he that oweth the house shall come and tell the Priest saying it seemeth to me that there is as it were the Plague in the house then the Priest shall command that they empty the house before the Priest goeth into it to see the Plague that all that is in the house be not made unclean and afterward the Priest shall go into see the house Now the end for which the Priest was to view the house you may see in the same Chapter it was that he might endeavour the cleansing of it if the plague were in it of the same use is Christ to his Gospel-house which is his Church if the plague enter into it the plague of discention and discord the plague or leprosie of formality or the plague of a luke-warm spirit or the plague of errour and unsound Doctrine its proper to Jesus Christ to take notice of this in his Churches and he doth so read Rev. 2. 1 2 3. 4 5. with Rev. 3. 16 17 18. Therefore in all such Cases it s the duty of the Churches of Christ to apply themselves to him for redress if Christians in the use of fasting and fervent prayer would more press upon Christ for help in this case I doubt not but we should have more purer and unstained Churches by far then we have amongst us Was there ever more need for Churches to make use of Christ upon this account then now had ever the Israelite more cause to go to the Priest and say it seemeth to me the plague is in the house then Christians have to go to Christ and say it seemeth to me the plague is in the house is not the plague of a formal cursed lukewarm spirit in the Churches of Christ are not the walls of it over-spread with the hollow greenish and reddish strakes to be seen there Levit 14. 37. Are they not over-spread with the plague of Contention and Discord was there ever more of this plague reigning over the Churches of Christ then at this day O how deeply have this plague rooted it self in the hearts of the Lords people that four years affliction will not yet fetch it out but God will fetch it out of their hearts or else he will fetch their bodies out of their warm houses besides what a fearful spirit and plague of Apostasie have their over-spread the minds of the Churches of Christ I will not say this hath leavened every one but sure I am too many of them Then what cause have the Church and house of Christ to make to Christ with all haste for cure and were it the will of God how could it be wished that Christ our High Priest were more visited upon this account by his people Fifthly If any man had sinned either ignorantly or wilfully the Priest upon his coming to him was to offer sacrifice for him and it was pardoned Levit. 5. 17 18. The same work is Christ to do for believers for he is their High Priest for this very purpose saith the Apostle speaking of Christ he is to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. It s as much the mark and office of Jesus Christ to do so for believers as ever it was the work of the legal High Priests to do it for the Israelites therefore soul when ever thou hast been over taken in a fault do not fly from Christ but away to him for he is thy High Priest in Heaven on purpose to make an atonement for that sin and Reconciliation to God for that sin only when thou hast been with Christ believe that for his sake it shall be pardoned and the father will be pacified and doubt not of it it will be so soul thou maist apply as really as the Jews that very word in Levit. 5. 18. And the Priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist not and it shall be forgiven him to this agreeth the words of the Apostle in 1 John 2. 1 2. If any man sin we have an Advocaâ—e with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our