House of this Egyptian Lord about eleven years for he was seventeen years old when he was sold Gen. 37.2 and he was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh Gen. 41.46 If his two years Imprisonment be added to his eleven years Service it makes up the number of thirty made up of thirteen and seventeen Joseph waited till his Word came Psal 105.19 He ran not away from his Service for therein he would have offended his God who at this time would have him a Servant and therein he should have been injurious to his Master who had bought him with Money And had he been taken in the Flight he would then have had double Irons deservedly put upon him This would have been a shunning the Smoke but running into the Flame and with Aesop's Fish a leaping out of the Frying-pan into the Fire The fourth Inference Though God hateth sin yet he permits it as theirs in the Sale of Joseph because he can over-rule it and cause it to serve his own Glorious Ends. Oh how was poor Joseph's Ruin plotted by his Brethren yet God orders both their malice and his misery to become the means of most marvellous Mercy God is so good that he can convert the greatest evil into the greatest good extracting weal out of woe This may comfort us against the Plots of the wicked which God causes to produce Effects contrary to their Intentions c. Thus as God deliver'd Joseph out of the Hands of his Barbarous Brethren that they could neither slay him with the Sword nor famish him in the Pit but Reuben and Judah two of the Conspirators are Gods Instruments to have him Sold as a Slave into Egypt So God was with him there and deliver'd him from his Slavery and made him of a Slave or Skullion to become an High-steward the second-man in his Masters Potiphars House as after he became the second man in King Pharaoh's Kingdom and that by the very means of Dreams too which was the chief means whereby he was brought into all his Troubles but saith St. Stephen God saved him from them all Acts 7.9 When Joseph was advanced thus from the lowest Employ to the highest Office in his Masters House that envious one the Devil took this occasion aforementioned for his Arch-Archers to shoot his fiery Darts and fatal Arrows at him as now being a fairer mark up aloft for him to hit The same Devil who had driven Joseph's Brethren before to hate him now drives his wanton Mistress to love him and that with a lustful love The Temptation on her part was she saw Joseph was a goodly person and well favoured Gen. 39.6 7. being the Beautiful Son of the most Beautiful Rachel this expos'd him as a fair mark for the Tempters Arrows Beauty is a Baneful Bait and Lust is sharp-sighted 'T is dangerous to gaze with carnal Eyes upon a fair Face either in Man or Woman How many have died of a Wound in the Eye which Satan oft improves as a Burning glass to set the Heart on Fire No one means hath so enriched Hell as Fair Faces have done we should therefore take heed that our Eyes become not Loop-holes of Lust and Windows of wanton wickedness to prevent this we must make a Covenant with them as Job did Chap. 31.1 Pray against the abuse of them as David did Psal 119.37 and curb them from looking and lusting after Forbidden Fruit and Flesh as Nazianzen did who as himself saith had Learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to nurture his Eyes unto sobriety None of these things had Joseph's wanton Mistress done 'T is said expresly His Masters Wife cast her Eyes upon Joseph Gen. 39.7 that is ut vidit periit she looked and lusted the Devil threw his Balls of Wild-fire through the Window of the Eyes into her Heart and set it all on Fire she did not shut up the Cinque-ports to secure her self from the Invasion of her Enemy Her five Senses lay open for the Adversaries free entrance on her part Visus Colloquium Contactus Osculum Concubitus in such a case do too frequently follow one another She cast her Eyes upon him this first Inflam'd her but when she laid her Hands upon him this more Inflam'd her and set her agog as it were We may suppose that her sollicitations to that sinful sin were gradual and not at the first in downright Terms of Expression but she began with a favourable Aspect upon him her Eyes being as the Bellows to blow up the Flame that was now as a Fire of Hell burning in her Heart as Virgil saith of Dido's casting her Eyes upon Aeneas Spectando nequit expleri Ardescitque Tuendo She could not satisfie her self with looking but with it lusted Then her smiling looks became wanton Glances beyond the bounds of Modesty thence she proceeded to practice such Familiarity and Friendship with him as was below the Honour of a Lady to her Servant Then she scatters now and then in this abasing of her self to him some wanton words of unchast Intimations At last she comes up to that frontless and shameless Impudency of barely and basely solliciting him to lye with her which was the mark she the Devils Archer shot at in all her foregoing flatteries all which Moses thought meet to express in one word as enough This was undoubtedly a most perillous Arrow pointed in the Devils that Blacksmiths Forge and Poysoned with the worst Venom in Hell shot at good Joseph if all Circumstances be but well considered As 1. These that concern the person tempted Joseph was now about twenty seven years old in the Flower of his Youth which is the most slippery Age of Mankind his Bones were full of Marrow his Body full of Juice and his Veins full of Blood he was a Florid fair young Man of a Sanguine Complexion which Naturalists tell us is most Effeminate and had a sound Body as well as a comely Countenance whereon Austin descants Quò magìis Corpus sanum est eò magìs morbus libidinis insanit The sounder the Body is the stronger is the Disease of Lust in that Body Youth is warm prone and strong to Carnality yet weak to withstand it 2. Consider the person tempting it was his Mistress a Lady of Honour in Pharaoh's Court who sollicited her Servant It might seem unreasonable that the kind Respects of a Mistress so freely offered should in the least be despised by a Servant who is rather obliged by all means with the greatest gratitude to accept of them Thus wanton and wicked Servants would have thought if Unchast and Incontinent 3. Consider the wages this Lady might probably promise Joseph for complying with her in this wicked work She might wheedle her Servant with promising to promote him to greater Wealth and Honour by her Influence upon his Master 4. Consider the opportunity he might have Embraced her Motion and her self too with secresie and security for they two were left alone her Husband Potiphar and all
contrary to this Heathen Shechem's practice here who though he had once enforced as well as enticed Dinah yet would he know her again no more as 't is said of Judah in the like case Gen. 38.26 as an Harlot he would not make that a sin of Custom yet desires to enjoy her as an honest Wife not as a dishonest Whore 5. And lastly Shechem here doth shame those precipitant and preposterous practices of Stealing Wives without Parents Consent This very Infidel would not dare to do so saying to his Father Get me this Damosel to Wife Gen. 34.4 that is with the consent of her Father also he would not make Dinah his Wife without the consent of Parents on both sides He asks Hamor his Fathers Consent and Requests him to be a means of procuring Jacob her Fathers Consent also This pattern in concurrence with many other before as of the Marriage of Isaac of Ishmael c. plainly proves that Law of Nature and of Nations saying Wedlock cannot Lawfully be Contracted without the Authority and Consent of Parents by their Children And that Civil Law wherein the Lawyers say Non concubitus sed consensus nuptias constituit 't is not Copulation but Consent both of Parents and Parties that constitutes a Lawful Wedlock all which three Laws aforesaid have their honourable Descent from the Divine Law as from Exod. 22.17 18. Deut. 22.28 29. afore quoted and many others as in the Fifth Commandment c. Children are a principal part of their Parents Possessions as Job's Children were accounted by Satan yea a piece of themselves as Mat. 15.22 Have mercy upon me cries the Mother that is upon my Daughter c. Meet it therefore must be that Children be dispos'd of in Marriage by their Parents Consent which yet in the Church of Rome is oft-times but a little regarded notwithstanding the Natural National Civil and Sacred Sanction of that indubitable Right and Law It seems even the practice of those Infidels or Pagans was more honest and honourable than that of the Popish Papagans whose ordinary Custom is for Children to Contract and Marry without Consent of Parents provided they have the Popes Dispensation for it whereas no such Bulls or Dispensing Bills of that Roman Beast were in such cases heard of in Jacob's time The second Remark is How this Plot and Project was prosecuted after it was first projected First A Treaty is propounded by Hamor with Jacob about his Son Shechem's Marrying his only Daughter Dinah whom he desires to purchase by Endowing with what Dowry he would please to demand as was the manner of the Eastern Countrey to buy their Wives though it be ours otherwise for Fathers with us buy Husbands for their Daughters by giving both their Persons and some Portions with them in Marriage Dinah here is desired to be bought at any price they would propound Ask me never so much Dotem Donum Dowry and Donative Hebrew Multiply ye upon me vehemently saith Shechem I will spare no cost to purchase her using other suasory Arguments to accomplish the Match Gen. 34.8 9 10 11 12. Note here 1. A fond Father seeks to satisfie the Lust of a loose Son whom rather he should have severely punished Such Parents saith Bernard are peremptores potiùs quà m parentes killing their Sons Souls with fond kindness to their Bodies like Apes who kill their Brats with cuddling them too vehemently This young Prince had but a Licentious Education usually with such quod libet licet what they list is judg'd lawful but alas unruly Youth oft-times put their Aged Parents to much Travel and Trouble as Shechem did Hamor here Sampson after did his and the Trojan Paris to his and to his City Troy which was destroy'd by his Licentiousness as the City Shechem was here by Prince Shechem's Loosness which two Stories run alike in many parallel Lines 2. Note here That Shechem compared with Amnon and our Debauch'd ones as before seems an honest Man he appears praise-worthy and commendable as loose as he was in some respect for though his Lust had been lewd to Dinah in Deflouring her yet now it was his Love not Lust he will Treat for Marrying her and his Affection set such an high price upon her Person after her prostitution that he would now put a punishment upon himself and fix a great Fine upon his own Head in both a Dowry as a satisfaction for the injury done her Deut. 22.28 29. and a Donative as a purchase for a better Propriety in her for Shechem ver 12. useth two words Harabbu Mohar u Mattan he was in Wedding-haste as we say to satisfie all Objections for his former word Mohar signifies 1. Satisfaction and 2. A Dowry as his Mulct or Amerciament he lays upon himself and leaves the sum it self to their Mercy bidding them multiply it as much as they pleased as the word Harebbu signifies together with Mattan or Gift and all because he had rob'd her of that her Virginity which was not in his power to restore to her Shechem in a word makes this double offer here that he might more honestly make amends for his dishonesty and the better buy to himself a right in Dinah for the future whom by his former abuse of her he had unjustly as well as unchastly possessed How will all this Candour and Kindness as well as honesty in this poor Infidel rise up in Judgment against the Dammee-Roaring-Whoring Youngsters of our day If the wrath of God did fall so foully upon him and his City notwithstanding all this appearance of good what can our ungodly Sinners who should know better things than he could as being nominal Christians yet practise nothing but evil and wickedness with a witness expect If God chastis'd this Heathen with such severe Rods though he acted thus honestly after assuredly God will scourge our Pseudo-Christians our Mock-Musulmans who want nine parts of ten of Shechem's shew in retracting his Exorbitancy with the most Mortal-stinging Scorpions This Infidel acts this villany but once and seems to make a plausible Retractation but the Debauchees of our day do thus villanously not once only but often they do it daily and drive the Trade of wickedness without any remorse or regret yea they glory in their shame Phil. 3.19 What can come in prospect of such but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour those Adversaries Heb. 10.27 Of how much sorer punishment than that which betel Shechem shall they be supposed worthy of ver 29. 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God ver 31. Alas that they know it not they are hanging over the very Chimneys of Hell and that by a rotten Thread of a Frail yea the more so because a flagitious Life if that once break down they drop into pain without pity into misery without mercy and into torments without end and beyond imagination The second part of the Prosecution
called the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Surely that must needs yet more be an excellent House which the Spirit of Holiness designeth to dwell in 1 Cor. 3.16 17. The Spirit of God is Res delicata a great thing a good thing and a delicate thing Psal 143.10 it necessarily follows then that the Body must be a stately structure which is thus Templify'd by the Holy Ghost as is the man poor or rich so is his House a mighty Prince lives not in a mean Cottage 2ly Some of the Antient Fathers were of an opinion that Christ made mans Body with his own hands according to the form and fashion of that Body which himself would afterwards take up and suffer in that was full of glory Job 1.14 Whether this conceit hold or no I know not however this I am sure will hold That the Son of God did assume the Body of Man in one person to his Godhead which was a Dignity the Angelical Nature was not dignifyed wâ—thal for verily he took not on him the nature of Angels Hebr. 2.16 and after the making of Man he left nothing unmade but to makâ— himself Man and the excellency of the very ruines of this Temple to wit of faln Man doth plainly shew what a curious piece of work mans Body was in the state of Innocency for since the Fall Moses was exceeding fair Act. 7.20 Samson was exceeding strong Judg. 14 15 16. David exceeding lovely 1 Sam. 16.12 Asahel exceeding 〈◊〉 even swift as a Roe so as to outrun an Horse 2 Sam. 2.17 and Absolom was so exceeding beautiful that there was not a blemish found in him from top to toe 2 Sam. 14.25 All those Excellencies undoubtedly forfeited by the Fall being joyned together in one Body oh what an excellent rare body would they make and such a choice Composition was Mans Body in the state of Innocency As one finding the length of Hercules foot gathered from it the proportion of his whole Body so may we gather from those very Relicks found in faln Man what a goodly thing the body of Man had been before the fall 't was the Master-piece of Gods handy-work Sun Moon and Stars were but the works of Gods fingers Psal 8.3 but Mans Body was the work of Gods hands Psal 139.14 Job 10.8 God as it were took most special pains and laid out his choicest skill in fashioning of Mans Body in the Inner Chambers of the Earth Eph. 4.9 like curious workmen when they have some choice piece in hand they perfect it in private and then bring if forth to publick view Oh what Divine Lectures may be read upon all the External and Internal parts and members of Mans Body and what Seraphick raptures may seize upon the Soul in a serious Contemplation of God in them As the great world is a whole bundle of wonderful works so is this little world the Epitome of the great no less a little Volume of wonders in respect of the body As 1. That such an excellent piece of work should be made out of such sordid and base matter as dust or dirt How doth that mean Original of the Body serve to exalt the wisdom and power of the Creator as well as to humble proud man who out of such indisposed Materials made up such an excellent Fabrick Man who is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common workman can make his work no better than the matter he works on will afford he always uses probable Materials as Gold for Golden and Silver for silver vessels c. but God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 11.10 a skilful Artist can out of very stones raise up Children unto Abraham Matth. 3.9 and can out of the basest Matter make up a most beautiful body here 's the true Philosophers stone 2ly That out of one Homogeneal matter to wit dust which is all of one kind in all its parts such an Heterogeneal Edifice should be erected as the Body of Man is which consists of such strange variety both of shape and substance as the Similar and Dissimilar parts do to wit the tender skin the soft flesh the tough sinews the strong bones and all out of one material dust Whereas when Man builds an House he must have many Materials as Stone Timber Iron Lead c. to make up his House 3ly That this great work of God upon Mans Body should be Internal as well as External work when a Carver Engraves the Image and Pourtraiture of Man his work is all External all the Excellency of it is outward and obvious to the eye he cannot make Internal Members Deest Intus said the Philosopher in Plutarch there wants life spirits and blood within no Anatomy Lecture can be read on the inside of any Image but the greatest part of Gods work in making Mans Body is Internal to wit in Brain Heart and Liver wherein he hath placed the Animal Natural and Vital Spirits the Animal Spirits are carried by the Nerves from the Brain the Natural by the Arteries from the Heart and the Vital by the Veins from the Liver The Motion of the Watch-wheels of Mans life is out of sight and within doors and all wonderful 4ly That there should be such a Sympathy Symmetry and comely proportion in all the parts and members of the Body every one placed after the most commodious manner The Eye is seated in the Head as a spye on a Watch-tower and the Smell is placed aloft and on the foreside that it might not be offended with the stench of the Excrements proceeding from below and on the backside A thousand more such Remarks may be made of particular Members which for brevity sake I omit adding onely that the Bulk of Mans Body is the Model or pattern for all Buildings whether of Ships or Houses and from the parts and members of it Men have learnt to make many useful Instruments as Bellows from the Lungs c. Also all measures are borrow'd from the Body as Inch Foot Palm and Cubit c. Yea several of its Members God ascribes to himself as Head Heart Eyes Ears Hands and Feet which must needs much commend the Bodies Excellency so much admired by the wisest of Heathens insomuch that Galen gave Epicurus an hundred years wherein to study and contrive a more commodious Composition or correct the place or fashion of any one part of it This famous Physician though an Heathen very well observed how the Body of Man was made Numero Pondere Mensurâ by Number Weight and Measure God indeed made all things so especially his Master-piece who was Divini Ingenii Cura Consilium made by mature Counsel and care of the whole Trinity insomuch that if all the Angels in Heaven had held a most serious Consult from their Creation to this day they could not have cast Mans Body into a more curious Mould or more exact frame nor could they have found out a fairer form or Edition 5ly That
his workmanship it must needs be a complete piece of work which came out of the skilful hands of the most Wise God as is said before of the Body Their Stature proportion their feature lineaments were all yea altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 Their Voices were sweet and their Countenances were comely Cant. 2.14 seeing since the Fall such a dazling splendour and bewitching Beauty remains still in some of the Sons and Daughters of men Assuredly the Image of God who is Beauty and loveliness it self did shine forth in their Bodies as well as in their Souls and even while they were naked they were Clothed with Majesty and Glory Psal 8.5 6. yea their nakedness made them not ashamed Gen. 2.25 There was then no need of shame for sin and shame came in both together and there was as little need of Cloathing then for their Bodys being then glorious the bravest Apparel would but have been as a cloud that darkens the shining Sun or as a black mask which covers a most beautiful face undoubtedly they had both that goodly Gracefulness presence and personage as to be not onely most delightful companions each to other but also capable of communion with the Holy Angels to whom they were made but a little inferiour Psal 8.5 yea and with the Holy God himself who rejoiced in the habitable part of his Earth and took much complacency in the work of is own hands Prov. 8.30 31. Adam more than Enoch and Abraham c. walked Arm in Arm with God The 2. External endowment God gave them was the place of their Habitation in Paradise Gen. 2.8 15. God did not build them any Marble monument there or an Ivory Pallace to dwell in such as the Luxury of men in the faln estate hath framed for themselves as that none-such Sinner Ahab built for himself 1 Kin. 22.39 but God planted them a Garden or Orchard choicely furnished with all manner of delicate fruits and hedged round about wherein they might have lived in a condition of Dignity and delectation without the least impairing of their Health and strength for a thousand years yet it being but an earthly place or a Terrestrial Paradise thereby they were admonished not onely of frugality and modesty but also that there was a better place even a Caetestial Paradise into which they should have without tasting Death been translated no doubt but the whole Earth was exceeding pleasant and fruitful as a Garden before the Sin of Man brought upon it the Curse of God Gen. 3.17 yet so kind so good was God to Adam that he planted a Paradise for him wherein he had an affluence and confluence of all good things to make him happy hence it is called the Garden of Jehovah Gen. 13.10 and of Eden which in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify Pleasure and this place of pleasure and pleasantness was by was of eminency the Glory of all Lands Ezek. 20 6â— That Paradise was a most pleasant place is demonstrated by those few following Arguments As first from that large description and commendation of it by the Holy Ghost himself in Moses his Pen-man Gen. 2. from v. 8. to v. 16. 2. from its being made a Type of the third Heaven and synonymical with it Luke 23.43 2 Cor. 12.3 4. Revel 2.7 3. from that aggravation of the evil that is put upon their expulsion out of Paradise if it were so great an evil to be banished himself and all his posterity out of this Pleasant place and to have the Garden-door locked against him yea and Guarded also by a Cherubim with a flaming sword Gen. 3.22 23 24. this is a clear evidence that some great good was lost thereby 4. from the restitution of the true Paradise unto faln man by Christ which is a most unspeakable good the first Adam shut Paradise the second Adam opened it by the Key of his Cross or Cross-key and he quenched the flames of that flaming sword which Guarded the Door by powring upon it his meritorious Bloud paving thereby a new and living way to that Paradise which is above Hebr. 10.20 18. herein also the transcendent goodness of God to man is marvelously manifest that God should upon the third day of the Creation when he made the Trees plant a Paradise for mans pleasure before Man was Created which was not until the sixth day Man was made out of paradise on that day and then God took man by the hand and led him into Paradise to take possession of it as the Angel led Lot out of Sodom by the hand for a dispossession Gen. 2.15 19 16. God made not Paradise for the Beasts to spoil but for man to dress which he did as without necessity so without either pains or weariness 't was rather his Recreation than his Occupation his labour was then as an Ordinance but after inflicted as a Punishment Gen. 3.19 This place of delight was prepared for man before it was conferred upon him yea before he was that he might live a life of pleasure there How much greater is Gods goodness unto Adams Posterity who are given to Christ for whom both a life of Grace and a life of Glory is prepared not onely long before they were born but also before the foundation of the World 2 Tim 1.9 Tit. 1.2 c. All those things do teach us these truths 1. That God hath a right Fatherly care of his creatures thus to make provisions for them before they be created 2. that all opinion of merit is hereby overthrown for Adam could not merit this Earthly Paradise before he was made nor we the Heavenly one 3. God led Adam into Paradise that he might know he held it not as Lord of it but as Gods Husband-man and his Tenant at will so long as he behaved himself well which if he forfeited by doing ill he could have no just cause to complain for Gods banishing him out of it who had given it him so freely and so kindly led him into it 4. that Earthly Paradises be not Mans home and Countrey here no abiding City Hebr. 11.10 16. The 3. External favour God gave them was their Dominion over all Creatures Gen. 1.26 28. subdue the Earth and have Dominion c. God made man the supreme Lord of all created things here below all creatures are mans Servants and Houshouldstuffâ—â— God put all things under mans feet as so many stirrops or steps of a Stair-case that Man might raise up himself thereby unto God his Maker David celebrates Gods praise for giving this Dominion over all to Man Psal 8.5 6 20. All things are made for Man and Man is made for God to know and acknowledge him And while Man did so all things also did own and acknowledge Man as their Lord and Soveraign Adam exercised the Centurions Authority Luke 7.8 when all Creatures did come to him for Names and go from him when named Gen. 2.19 All then did reverence Man and were ready to come
were only External whereof mention hath been made already I shall now apply my self to such only as were Internal the Inward Ornaments and Furniture of the House of God and they are reducible to three Heads as to the three Courts of the Temple Mark 1. To begin with the noblest Court first to wit the Oracle or Holy of Holies wherein Solomon settled the Ark of God after all its manifold wandrings in its proper and peculiar Resting Place N. B. The Ark of God before this settlement had been tossed about 1. From the Desart to Gilgal 2. From Gilgal to Shiloh 3. From Shiloh to the Cities of the Philistins 4. From thence to Bethshemesh 5. From Bethshemesh to Kirjath-jearim 6. From thence to the House of Obed-edom 7. From thence to Gibâ—on 8. To the City of David And Lastly From thence at this Time to the most Holy Place in Solomon's Temple whereof we have an account Chap. 8.1 2 3 to 9. and 2 Chron 5. 1 2 3 to ver 9. N. B. Over the Ark thus settled stood two Cherubims which this Hiram had made c. described in their Number Matter Stature Posture c. Chap. 6.23 to 29. and 2 Chron. 3.10 11 12 13. There were two Cherubims which Moses made of Gold and inseparably fixed to the Ark of God Exod. 25.18 19 20. These Cherubims of Solomon's say Lavater and Peter Martyr did cover the two Cherubims of Moses which were far less and stretch'd forth their Wings East and West being two Giant-like Statues five Yards high stretching their vast Wings North and South and looking with their Faces towards the East as if they had an Inspection upon all that entred into the Temple beside Moses's Cherubims were made of Gold but the Matter of Solomon's was Olive-wood which is most durable and because of their Gigantick Stature were therefore made of Wood not Gold but only overlaid with Gold and all to advance Magnificency And besides these two greater Cherubims of Solomon's and the two lesser of Moses there were many more Cherubims engraven upon the Walls and Doors Chap. 6.29 32 35. and upon the Bases also Chap 7.29 36. N. B. All which was to shadow forth the presence and Protection of Angels in the Worship of God Eph. 3.10 1 Cor. 11.10 And as these two great Cherubims were made of Olivewood which is the Emblem of Peace so it represents the praise-worthy Practice of Gospel-Ministers those earthly Angels who should be at Peace among themselves and promote Peace all they can among others and be like those two Cherubims uniform and unanimous N. B. In what a comely Symmetry hath God placed Man's two Eyes Ears Arms Hands Thiâ—hâ— Legs and Feet in the natural Body For the same double Use Christ sent out his Apostles by two and two Their mutual Agreement is a great Grace to that Mystical Body the Church 1 Cor. 12.18 Psal 133.1 Act. 2.46 Mark 2. Concerning the middle Court of the Priests this was divided from the most Holy with a Veil call'd a Partition Chap. 6.21 that hanged upon two Golden Chains 2 Chron. 3.14 with Exod. 26.31 c. This Rent in twain at Christ's Death Matth. 27.51 as is aforesaid The Vessels which Hiram made for the Holy Place were many to furnish the House of God most fully As First The Altar for Burnt offerings whereof no mention is made of Hiram's melting Brass for the making of it in this Book of Kings though of Solomon's using it for that end there is 1 King 8 22 31 54 64. and 9.25 but to supply this Omission The making of this Brazen Altar is expresly mentioned 2 Chron. 4 1. which Book was writ after for that end c. Moses had made a small one for the Tabernacle Exod. 27.1 But this was as much larger as the Temple was than it being fifteen Foot high at the least so that the People might behold the burning and smoaking of the Sacrifice to Mind them of their Sins and of their Saviour offered up on the Cross who is also call'd the Altar it self Hebr. 13.10 The Ceremonial Law was the Jews Gospel N. B. That Law of not going up by steps Exod. 20.26 was a Temporary Law and Vseless when the Priests used Linen Breeches Exod. 28.42 This Altar is call'd Ariel Isa 29.1 That is the Lion of God for as the Lion devoureth Flesh so this Altar of God consumed the 〈◊〉 â—s by a Fire that came down from Heaven N. B. So 't is said by way of Allusion that this Altar was God's Table to Dine and Sup upon to which Psal 50.10 11 12. alludeth more especially in the Chaldee Paraphrast reading it thus My Sacrifices when I am hungry I will not seek of thee to Dine and Sup upon after the same manner is Wine said to chear God Judg. 9.13 Spoken only Parabolically and after the manner of Men. N. B. This Altar was first prophaned by Ahaz who removed it from its Place and set the Altar of Damascus in it's Room 2 King 16.10 11 12 13 14 and afterwards by Pilate who mingled the Blood of the Galileans with their Sacrifice upon this Altar Luk. 13.1 2. The Second Vessel of this Holy Place was the Brazen Laver call'd the Molten Sea the making of this is mentioned 1 King 7.23 though that of the Brazen Altar be not so and 2 Chron. 4.2 3 c. The vastness of this Vessel is described of so great a Capacity and wide Comprehension here ver 26. That it commonly contained two thousand Baths which amounts to five hundred Barrels of Water and if filled to the Brim could comprehend three thousand as 't is said 2 Chron. 4.5 N. B. This prodigious Collection of Waters as the Hebrews call'd it therefore a Sea so it was to signifie to them the exceeding filthiness and sinfulness of Sin Rom. 7.13 requiring a Sea to cleanse it and the infinite Value and Vertue of Christ's Blood c. This vastly weighty Vessel in it self with such a vast weight of Water in it was supported with Twelve Oxen ver 25. figuring forth the Twelve Apostles who likewise look'd every way and went into all parts of the World teaching the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of Sins This Brazen Altar was set up in the Priests Court Chap. 6.36 at the very entrance of it out of the Court of the People c. N. B. Moses made his Brazen Laver of the Women's Brazen Looking-glasses Exod. 38.8 These devout Women that used to Assemble by Troops at the door of the Tabernacle to pray and serve God see Luk. 2.37 1 Tim. 5.5 did frankly and freely give those Instruments whereby they dress'd their Bodies to make that an Instrument whereby through Faith they might sanctifie their Souls I doubt there be but few such Elect Ladies so devout in our Day 'T was once grave Counsel given to Ladies of Curiosity often viewing their looks in their Looking-glasses Art thou fair Be not like an Egyptian Temple Varnish without and