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
I want strength to perform the least service or duty O Law saith the soul what no mercy no pity consider my weaknes how unable I am in my self to perform the least duty as I ought O Law I pray thee accept of what I can do no saith the Law I take no notice of what thou art not able to do but what thou art bound to do Luke 17. 10. I require no more then is my due if you cannot give it me look you unto that for my part I will have my full tale of perfect and constant obedience here in this life or you shall give me satisfaction in hell to all eternity Do not tell me you want strength or ability to perform go get you that where you can look you out the straw your selves I shall give you none but let not me misse of my tale of brick Gal. 2 10. with Ezek. 18. 24. Thus you see how parallel the language of the old covenant runs with the voice of the Egyptian task-masters to the Israelites under them Besides in Exod. 14. we finde thâ—t Pharaohs task-masters did beat and abuse the Israelites very much in their work This very well suits with the old covenant of works O what lashes and blows does it give those that live under it First In the conscience within O what thunder claps have some men had within them from the Law O how hath it made some men to roar and to cry out at midnight upon their beds for their breach of it How dreadfully did it lash the conscience of Cain and how did it dog Judas until it dogged his neck into a halter therefore doth the Scripture pitty those that are under it crying out a wounded conscience who can bear those that have been under the lash of the Lâ—w in the conscience can say never was poor man in Turkey in the like misery they would have exchanged conditions with the veriest slave in all the world night and day terrified with dreadful sounds of the wrath of God and the judgement day to come shewing the soul his portion in everlasting burnings where he shall seek for death but death shall be far from him Although the soul runneth to his duties and doth what he can to pacifie the Law but alas all to no purpose for the Law quarrels with him about every duty so that here is the Dilemma the Law hath all his in they shall suffer one way or other if they do not live holy and strict in their lives then he comes upon them with his curses and plagues If they do live holy and as unblameable as they can yet the Law curseth them that way because it is an obedience full of spots and defilements Luke 17. 10. Secondly The Law lasheth men externally as well as internally in the conscience O what plagues and punishments upon body estate and relations hath it brought home on some men for their disobeying of it You may see a whole file of curses plagues punishments judgments and afflictious hang up upon the bar of the Law against its offenders Deut. 28. from ver 15. to 38. Lastly The officers of Egypt would not hear the bitter cryes of the poor Jews under their burthens ver 16 17. how well doth this agree with the old covenant of works what little mercy doth that shew any that are under it how little is it affected with their cries and tears could men cry to it for mercy as loud as ever heaven thundered it would be to no purpose could men weep so much blood out of their eyes as there is water in the Sea the Law would not take any notice of it Ezek. 18. 24. This Esau tried Heb. 12. 16 17. For after he had sold his birth-right he found no repentance although he sought it carefully with tears Alas friends the Law knows no repentance repentance is a fruit of the new covenant of grace not of the old Thus you see both how the Land of Egypt with its task-masters together with their carriages towards the Israelites doth agree as the type with the state of nature in which carnel men are in together with the old covenant and his carriage toward those that live under him CHAP. 3. I next come to speak of the eating of the Lamb together with the circumstances belonging thereunto which agreeth very well with the Ante-type as we shall shew you in the next place IN which there are these three things to be considered First The occasion of the Lamb. Secondly The manner of eating it Thirdly The benefits the people had by eating the Lamb. First The occasion of the Lamb which was to save the people from that generall judgement which was to passe over the whole Land of Egypt This shews the exceeding love and mercy of God to the whole world who by Adams Garden transgression and their own actual sins all are lyable to the destroying Angel of Gods Justice which will certainly pass over the whole earth with a flaming sword of God vengeance to execute it on offenders Rom. 1. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who with-hold the truth in unrighteousness Heb. 10. 36. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary so Jude 14. 15. The Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him 2 Thes 1. 7. 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flames of fire rendring vengeance on those that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Thus you see the whole world lyeth open to the destroying Angel of the justice of God which will pour it self forth to the scorching of the earthly minded with the most dreadfullest of fires 2 Pet. 3. 10. Now that men might escape this dreadful storm which the heavens look black with over the heads of sinners God in mercy hath provided poor sinners which are in their Egyptian state of sin and uncleanness I say he in mercy hath provided them a Lamb to eat which Lamb is his Son Jesus Christ upon eating of which they really escape the hands of the Justice of God John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begoteen Son that whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life and not perish which Sonne of God is else-where called the Lamb of God John 1. 36. the which whosoever takes and receiveth and eateth in as their food by believing shall live by him and so be free from the destroying Angel John 6. 54. Secondly As to the manner of eating the Lamb we may note
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
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
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
sheep of Christ and to none else This is not for him that will catch at any comfort to protect himself in a trade of sin but this truth chiefly belongs to those that are indeed truly humbled under and burthened with the sense of the weight of sin To such only I speak do your sins press you down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves Do your iniquities so weigh down your heads as that you cannot look up Dare not you come to God nor stand in his presence Do you fear that your sins have provoked God against you Do you doubt the Plague is begun against you are you fearful the wrath of God is coming out upon you and that it may prove such a storm as may sink you into the lowest Hell Yet O look up to your interceding High Priest who is now in Heaven for you who labours to prevail upon the heart of God for pardoning grace on your behalf who likewise makes it his business to observe his Fathers countenance towards Believers that if at any time his face of Justice begins to look grim and he perceives that wrath begins to come forth he may as Aaron did step quickly in between God and the people and so by his interposing presence of grac eand powerful Intercession he may allay the anger of his Father again Hence it is that John comforts doubting drooping souls in his day with this truth because indeed it is a truth proper to that end and purpose and farther John the Divine doth not only apply this truth as a Cordial to bear them up under the sense of sin but likewise as a notable preservative against the act of sin 1 John 2. 1 2. My little children I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation in his blood for our sins and not onely for ours but for the sins of the whole world O Soul live upon this blessed truth stay thy self here under all thy doubtings O consider sin may vex and disquiet thee but all cannot hurt thee so long as Christ keeps up his praying hands to God for thee it shall not do thy soul the least injury Christ doth prevail and he will prevail in heaven for thee against sin and wrath Christ lies in the way of his Fathers wrath as it were if any of it run forth it must pass through Christ he stands between the Father and thy Soul in a time of the Fathers displeasure and cryes out good Father stay thy wrath O hold thy hands strike not this poor sinner if thou strikest I am resolved the blows shall alight all on my back I will bear all and suffer all and take all both fault and punishment upon my self This the Father tried once and it proved true when the Father went to strike the Elect the blows fell all upon Christs own back which bruised him very much Isa 52. 1. which leads me to a fifth use of the Point Use 5. Which is to exhort thee O soul from what hath been said about the intercession of Jesus Christ for thee Oh! to love Jesus Christ with all thy heart and with all thy strength and with all thy soul O who can love such a friend as Christ is too much O therefore strive to love with the love of service and obedience with the love of delight with the love of communion and with the love of desire so as to part with Father Mother Wife Husband Children Honours Lands Livings yea all that 's near and dear for Jesus Christ O account nothing too much you do for him in his Worship in his Ordinances as in Prayer Hearing Reading in Meditating Mourning Weeping Repenting Oh account nothing too much you administer unto him in his People in his Ministers in the mannaging of his Cause and Gospel in the world O with Mary think not your Alablaster Box and Oyntment too good to bring forth in a time of need for Jesus Christ Oh account nothing too much you suffer for Christ account no prison to bad to go into for Christ no dungeon too deep to lie in for Christ no death too disgraceful for Christs sake because he thought nothing too much he suffered for you nor any thing too much which he now doth for you CHAP. 25. Of the Brazen Laver. I Now come to speak of the brazen Laver which was for this purpose that the Priests might wash themselves therein before they went into the Tabernacle to perform the Worshp and Service thereof Exod. 30. 18 19 20. Thou shalt also make a laver of Brass and his foot also of Brass to wash withal and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the Altar and thou shalt put water therein for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat when they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation they shall wash with water that they die not or when they come near unto the Altar to minister to burn offerings made by fire unto the Lord. This brazen Laver was a Type of Jesus Christ and the cleansing water which was in it typed out the Blood of Jesus Christ which onely can cleanse poor souls and wash them from their sinful guiltiness and sinful filthiness for as the Priests under the Law were to wash themselves in the brazen Laver before they were thought fit to have to do either with the holy God of Worship or the holy things of the Worship of God so are all the Elect first by Faith to wash themselves in the Blood of Christ this spiritual brazen Laver before they are thought fit to have to do either with God or his Worship Hence is that cleansing attributed to the Blood of Christ so often in Scripture to shew you it performs the same use to the Gospel Priests for so doth the Gospel term every Believer now Rev. 1. 6. as the Laver water did to the legal Priests 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all sin so Rev. 1. 5. To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Now in this chapter of Revelations you may see by the order of the words in verse 5 6. how the Holy Ghost makes the type and the antitipe to agree In Exod. 30. 19. you have the brazen Laver set up now in the 5. verse of this chapter you have Christ set out to you performing the same use and office in washing and cleansing In Exod. 30. 19. you have the subjects spoken of who they should be which should wash in the brazen Laver and these were Aaron and his sons now you know these were Priests Now look into Rev. 1. 6. there the subjects spoken of which must wash in the Laver of Christs Blood they are called Priests likewise which intends all believers in and under the Gospel all those which have washed in the Blood of Christ our
thy pleasures And for all his Kingdom-glory here below in all the plenty and fatness of it yet upon the account of these tastes which he had had of the far exceeding fatness and richness and sweetness he found in the Pomgranate truths of the house of God he doth protest in the Psal 84. 10. That one day in the Courts of the Lord were better then a thousand and that he had rather be a Door-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickedness There was likewise a glorious girdle made for the Priest which was wrought with Purple Blue and Scarlet fine twined Linen this the Priest was to wear about his loins Exod. 39. 5. with Exod. 29. 5. This girdle of the High Priest doth hold forth these things to our consideration the girding up of the loins doth import these things to us 1. It denotes the resolution of the will to action Jer. 1. 17. Thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces least I confound thee before them 2. Sometimes it denotes the strength which God gives to his servants by which means they are enabled to perform that work he imploys them about Psal 18. 39. For thou girdest me with strength unto the battel thou subduest under me those that rose up against me 3. Sometimes it s put down in Scripture to denote the sincerity and faithfulness of the mind in the work a man sets about Eph. 6. 14. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth Now all these considerations about the girding of the loins do all agree unto and meet together in the Golden girdle of our Gospel High Priest But first let me shew you that Jesus Christ our Gospel High Priest is set forth to you as the Anti type of the legal High Priest with respect to the garments which the High Priest was to wear and amongst which this of the Golden girdle is not omitted in Dan. 10. 5. 6. Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose loins were girded about with a Golden girdle his body also was like the Beryl and his face as the appearance of lightning his eyes as lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished Brass and the voice of his words like unto the voice of a multude So Rev 1. 13. And in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks one like unto the Son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a Golden girdle Now both Daniel and John had their Revelation from Jesus Christ and they both speak of him as the person who with his own hands gave it out to them And that it was he appears by the garb and dress in which they set him forth to you he was clothed in linen saith Daniel and clothed with a garment down to the foot saith Iohn which was as the High Priest did use to wear of which Christ was the Anti-type Now it can be none but Christ can be intended here by these two Prophets and that it was Christ it farther appears by Iohn who gives him the Title of the Son of man which Title was proper to Jesus Christ Besides both Daniel and Iohn tells you that the same person w ch gave out the prophesie to them which was clothed in linen and a garment down to the foot he was girt about the loins with a golden girdle Thus you see that Christ is set forth to you as a High Priest with respect to the garments which the High Priest did wear of which the girdle as you see was a part 2. I am to shew you that all the former considerations about the girding about of the Priests loins did all meet together in the Golden girdle of our Gospel High Priest First of all it denotes the resolution which was in Christ to the work of mans Salvation and Redemption Oh nothing could hinder the Lord Jesus from undertaking the thing although sin Satan the Curse of the Law the wrath of God Grave Death and Hell stood in the way yet he goes through all and makes his way thorow the highest difficulties that he might accomplish the thing he adventures soul and body glory happiness and all that was near and dear to him in order to the effecting it Luke 12. 50. I have a Baptism to be baptized with and oh how am I straitned untill it be accomplished which Baptism was not the Baptism with Water for in that sense he was baptized before Math. 3. 16. But it was the Baptism of his sufferings which he had so much a desire to finish and a resolution to go through Secondly He hath as great a resolution to bring forth sanctifying grace in the Saints by his Spirit as he had to bring forth justifying grace by his Death Zack 3. 4. And he answered and said unto those that stood before him take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass away from thee and I will cloth thee with change of garments This was spoken by Christ concerning his Church ver 1 2. But mark the resolution of Christ to the procuring of sanctifying garments which is that inward grace and holiness he fills them with which he sees his people stands in need of saith Christ I will do it It must and shall be so I am resolved as I have procured justifying grace for them so they shall be made holy I will give them sanctifying grace nothing shall cross my will in this matter Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. Then will I sprinkle you with clean water and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Mark the resolution of Christ to the sanctifying of his people he will do it take notice of the many Repetitions of his will there are in this place Thirdly So for the saying of his Church out of danger when begirt about with trouble Christ is resolved upon the business though sometimes the Devil and wicked men may think to make their Market upon the Saints that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against his Church and people saith Christ Psal 12. 5. For the oppression of the poor and for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith Christ and I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Mark how much the will and resolution of Christ lieth in this work of saving and delivering his Church out of the hands of men and Devils Use 5. O then how should this comfort and encourage