5. The Oxen under the molten Sea are the Ministers of the Gospel and especially the twelve Apostles as the number it self intimates for there were twelve Oxen looking towards all the 4 quarters of the world so the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel carry this Crystal Sea of the Blood of Christ and the Laver of Regeneration and Baptism throughout the world Ministers are often compared in Scripture to Oxen because of the strength and laboriousness of that creature as 1 Corinth 9.9 thou shalt muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn. Doth God take care for Oxen saith the Apostle there I may say so in reference to this Type now in hand Did God regard the shapes and pictures of Oxen to be set under this Temple-Sea or rather did he not set them there altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this was done as the Apostle there speaks The Lavers also had their Bases with their wheels which served for the carrying of the water from place to place and so served for the same use really whereof the Oxen were but an emblem The taking of these away is noted as an act of audacious wickedness and profaneness in Ahaz 2 Kings 16.17 And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the Bases and removed the Laver from off them and took down the Sea from the Brazen Oxen that were under it and set it upon a pavement of stones he having as it seemeth no understanding at all nor no sense in him of the spiritual mystery and signification of these Wheels and Oxen nor no fear and reverence of Gods Institution who did ordain and appoint them 6. The use of it being to wash in both the Priests and Sacrifices were washed in the water of these typical vessels the Sea and Lavers that they dye not Exod. 30.19 20 21. 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 dye not or when they come neer to the Altar to minister to burn Offering made by Fire unto the Lord so they shall wash their hands and their feet that they dye not and it shall be a Statute for ever to them even to him and to his Seed throughout their Generations You see with what emphasis and earnestness it is required and ingeminated This teacheth us that both our persons and our duties and services must be washed and made clean in the Blood of Jesus Christ or else we dye eternally that they dye not it is twice repeated as both the Priests and Sacrifices so both our persons and our services must be washed or else the same disaster that befel Nadab and Abihu may befall us of whom it is said they dyed before the Lord Levit. 10.2 It is a fearful thing for men to come before God in their sins in their uncleannesses unwashed and uncleansed from them They shall wash that they dye not 7. The Laver was never covered but always open when the rest of the vessels were folded up Ainsworth on Numb 4. v. 14. hath this Note It seemeth to be not without mystery that Moses mentioning Fire-pans Flesh-hooks and other less things should quite omit the Laver which usually is reckoned amongst the holy things of the Sanctuary Exod. 35.16 and 38.8 and 39.39 and 40.30 And as in Melchisedeks History Gen. 14. he omitted his Parentage Kindred Birth and Death from which silence in the Story the Apostle reasoneth as if he had been without Parents or Kindred beginning of days or end of life Heb. 7. so here if it may be lawful to conjecture the like the Laver is left uncovered and always open to the eyes of the people that it might be a lively representation of Gods Grace in Christ continuing and opened as an ever springing Fountain that by the washing of the new Birth by Repentance and Faith in the Blood of Christ we may in all our travels at all times cleanse our hands and feet our works and ways as the Sacrificers did from the Laver Exod. 30.19 20. that albeit the face of the Church is sometimes hid as the Tabernacle wrapped up and the Light of the Word shineth not nor publick Worship performed yet always Gods Elect having Faith in him may wash and purge themselves in Christ his Blood unto forgiveness of sins and Sanctification of the Spirit and Salvation It may be the Holy Ghost hath some allusion hereto in that phrase Zech. 13.1 a Fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleanness Certainly this point of our washing and cleansing by the Blood of Christ is of that weight and moment that it was not without cause said of it by Luther Hic articulus regnat in corde meo this Article reigns in my heart which he also styled Stantis aut cadentis Ecclesiae articulum the point upon which the Church doth either stand or fall So much for the Explication of this Type You see how full it is of Gospel-teaching and instruction Nor should it seem strange that one Type should have such a various and manifold aspect to so many several Truths at once For it is usual as you have formerly seen and it suits best with the infinite Wisdom of the Holy Ghost that one of his teaching signs should teach many things at once and have many spiritual lessons and instructions thus included in it And now from the Type thus explained we may gather some further light to confirm and settle the true interpretation of the Text. What is meant by this Sea of Glass like unto Crystal I argued before from the allusion that is carried on all along in the context to the Types of the Temple therefore this Crystal Sea in the Text is the same with that molten Sea of Solomons Temple which shadowed forth the Blood of Christ for Justification Now to add some further arguments A 2d May be this Here are other priviledges and benefits of Christ mentioned in the context which do accompany Justification through his Blood and go along with it As in ver 5. here are seven Spirits before the Throne that is the sanctifying Spirit of Christ And again ver 6. here are four living creatures And cap. 5.11 many Angels round about the Throne Here is the Ministry and a Guard of Angels and the Spirit of Sanctification therefore it is not incongruous that the Blood of Christ for Justification should be also mentioned And this therefore seems to be intended in this Crystal Sea Reas 3. From the properties and circumstanâ—es belonging to this Sea in the description of it which cannot well be otherwise accommodated I shall mention but these two 1. It is said to be before the Throne so we are said to be justified before God this is one of the blessed effects and manifestations of his Glory in the Church so Heb. 12.23 24. we are said to come unto God the Judge of all
Flood 2. That impious attempt of building the Tower of Babel Gen. 11.4 whether to secure themselves from another Deluge through their unbelief and distrust of Gods Promise or thinking to climb into Heaven a mad Project but Sinners act sometimes at a strange rate of Madness not knowing what they do or that they were moved and acted by Pride and Vain glory to get them a Name This the Text expresseth being probably the end most generally aimed at by them though it is like they had various motives and inducements and those very foolish and wicked This Defection was from that of Chams about sixty two years as some compute 3. There was a ruining Judgment came upon them for this sin viz. the Confusion and Division of Tongues a just and severe punishment the Hebrew being retained among the godly Seed of Heber which was so denominated from him because his Posterity were the chief Preservers of it which was a punishment that did increase the Apostacy For it made the Communication and Propagation of the Light and Knowledg of God amongst them more difficult 4. That provoking sin of Idolatry I mean that grosser sort of it worshipping the Creatures and Images That the rise of this Abomination was in this Period may appear thus If it had been before the Flood doubtless the Lord would have mentioned it amongst the Causes of that Destruction he mentions other lesser sins but not this Moreover it was amongst Abrahams Ancestors when they dwelt beyond the River Euphrates Josh 24.2 The place where this Delusion first arose seems to be Babylon which is called the Mother of Fornications which is meant of Idolatry and Spiritual Fornications as well as bodily Revel 17.5 And Chaldea the Land of graven Images Jer. 50.38 therefore it is likely the first rise of this sin was at Babel not long after the building of the Tower of Babel it being an usual stratagem of Satan when his Kingdom hath received some deadly stroke in one form to find out some new Appearance some new Device to appear in to recover his Losses and to seduce corrupted man again as Revel 12. when the Dragon was cast down when Paganish Idolatry was destroyed then he raiseth up Popish Idolatry cap. 13. Beast-worship instead of Dragon-worship So here Atheistical Prophaneness being testified against by God from Heaven by the Flood and then again by confounding the Builders of Babel Satan betakes himself to this stratagem that if there must be some Religion and some Worship amongst men he would deceive them with a false Object and so seduce them from the Knowledg and Worship of the only true and living God by presenting a multitude of false Gods But thus this second Dispensation was corrupted and lost whereupon the Lord sets his Church and true Religion as it were upon a new bottom in Abraham and his Seed This second Dispensation under Noah continued about four hundred twenty seven years as you will find it if you compare the Lives of the Patriarchs Gen. 11. But you must remember in the computing of it that Terah was a hundred and thirty years old at Abrahams Birth as appears out of cap. 11.32 compared with cap. 12.4 For Abraham was but seventy five when his Father Terah died being two hundred and five Now if seventy five be deducted out of two hundred and five there remains one hundred and thirty In the rest of the Computation and Chronology there is no difficulty 3. And so we come to the Lords third Dispensation which was that to Abraham and his Seed Wherein the Lord spake forth something more of mind than ever formerly There were now brighter Beams of Gospel-Light shining forth upon the Church of God than ever before I shall instance but in four particulars 1. The Lord calls him forth out of his own Countrey and from his Fathers House and so plucks him like a Brand out of the Fire from the midst of Idols and Idolaters Gen. 11.31 from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran and Gen. 12. from Haran into Canaan Isai 41.2 who raised up the Righteous man from the East 2. He promised him a Seed a blessed Seed that of him should come that great and blessed Seed so much expected and longed for by all the Saints ever since the first Promulgation of the Gospel to our first Parents in Paradise that Seed in whom both he and all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Genes 22.18 Till then we do not find any particular and express mention of what Family the Messiah should come But now this Promise of this Seed is renewed and repeated seven or eight times over in the History of Abraham in Genesis and it is a Promise not only of a numerous Posterity and a Church-Seed viz. his Posterity to be the only Church of God on Earth but which is more a Promise of that great and blessed Seed 3. He promised him also the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance unto his Seed after him when they had suffered and been in an unsetled condition as strangers and pilgrims four hundred and thirty years Gen. 15.13 18. which was a typical Land and did relate unto another and a better Countrey beyond that as Hebr. 11. 4. The Lord gave him Circumcision as a Seal of this Covenant and of the Righteousness of Faith Gen. 17.10 This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy Seed after thee Every manchild shall be circumcised Rom. 4.11 He received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith The duration of this Dispensation under which Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the twelve Patriarchs and their Posterity continued and enjoyed God till the Lord provided further Mercies for them by the hand of Moses of which afterwards I say this Period and State of the Church continued about four hundred and thirty years Gen. 15.13 We have now gone through the three first pieces the three first steps and degrees of the Lords gradual Patefactions and Manifestations of his Mind before the giving of the Law Those other pieces of Discovery under the Law we sall speak to the Lord assisting afterwards Mean while let us reflect a little upon this that hath been said in order to some practical Improvement of it in some practical Inferences and Instructions from it Vse 1. See the Infant state of the Church and true Religion how low and weak the first beginnings of it were Christ compares it to a Grain of Mustard Seed Matth. 13.31 32. in the first beginnings under the New Testament It is true also of the old times Instruct 2. We may here see how prone Mankind is to degenerate and fall from God God no sooner sets them up again but they fall again The Church of God had stood but a matter of a hundred and thirty years in Adams Family which included all Mankind when Cain falls into open Murther Well he is turned out and a matter of a hundred years after things
Sword should never depart from his House Solomon was left to the toleration of the publick exercise of Idolatry for which God rent away the Ten Tribes from his Posterity all which came to pass as for other causes so for the Sins of the People As it said in a lesser transgression of David 2 Sam. 24.1 And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah 2. The ten Tribes under Jeroboam forsook the Temple and the House of David which though as to Gods Providence it was a righteous Judgment yet on their part it was a grievous sin it was a complicated Sin many Sins involved in the bowels of it for it was both Rebellion and Schism and Heresie Rebellion against their lawful Prince Schism from the true Church and Worship yea fundamental Heresie For as they say Look to thy House O David so in rejecting Davids House they reject the Messiah who was to come of him 2 Chron. 10.16 3. There were continual Backslidings to Idolatry even in Judah as well as Israel yea when they saw the Ten Tribes carried away before their eyes for this Sin yet the other would not take warning and reform Ezek. 23.10 11 Aholah signifies a Tent this was the House of Israel who were a corrupt Church Aholibah signifies my Tent is in her this was Judah which were the true Church of God but they declined and departed from God so far that he sent them away to Babylon 3. And so we come to the third Dispensation under the Law namely the time of their Captivity and Bondage under the Yoke of Babylon There were three Deportations 1. Jehoiakims in whose time Daniel was carried captive 2. Jechoniahs in whose time Ezekiel was carried captive 3. Zedekiahs in whose time Jeremiah was carried captive They had now an experimental knowledg of the truth of all Gods Threatnings Yet during the time of this Affliction the Lord did not cast off his care of them but gave forth many Evidences of his unchangeable Love and Faithfulness toward them under this sad Dispensation 1. In that he did preserve them from utter Destruction yet not leave them altogether unpunished not make a full end of them Jer. 30.10 11. He restrained the Enemy from wholly rooting out the Nation Psal 106.46 gave them Favour in the sight of them that carried them captive 2. In that he did convince them and left an everlasting Conviction in the Heart of that people against the grosser sort of Idolatry such an indelible Conviction as hath never been blotted out to this day Insomuch that their great stumbling Block at this day against the Christian Religion is the Idolatry of the Popish Christians For the poor blind Jews consider the Christian Religion no otherwise but as corrupted with those Antichristian Abominations and Idolatries and therefore their Conversion and Return is not to be expected till Antichrist that great stumbling Block be removed out of the way Yea 3. The Lord gave them further and glorious Discoveries by raising up excellent Prophets to them as Ezekiel Daniel Jeremy some part of his Prophesies were after the beginning of their Captivity and Bondage to the Babylonians This sad afflictive Dispensation continued about seventy years Jer. 29.10 4. The fourth and last of all the Old Testament Dispensations is that of the second Temple from the time of their Return out of Babylon till the Messiahs coming And herein there are these remarkable passages 1. The Lord breaks the Yoke of Babylon that his people might be delivered by the Hand of Cyrus prophesied of by name some hundred years before his Birth Isai 44.28 And as they were carried away at several times so they returned also at several times and by degrees First Zerubbabel Ezra 1. and a great company with him afterwards Ezra Ezr. 7.1 after these things Lastly Nehemiah 2. They built the Temple and the City of God again Ezr. 3. Nehem. 1 and 2. They met with many Difficulties and Obstructions in the Work but yet at last it was done both begun and finished by Zerubbabel Zach. 4. in forty six years Joh. 2.20 Dan. 9.25 seven weeks that is forty nine years viz. from the Edict of Cyrus after which we may well allow one year of preparation for their Journy another year for their Journy and a third year for preparing Materials for the Temple wherein David and Solomon spent so many years And if we deduct three out of forty nine the remainder will be but forty six as Joh. 2.20 It wanted somewhat of its former Glory as to the Structure thereof the old men wept to see how much Zerubbabels Temple fell short of Solomons Temple in Ezr. 3.12 As to the Utensils belonging to it the Ark was wanting with the things contained in it the two Tables of Stone the Rod of Aaron the Pot of Manna also the extraordinary and miraculous tokens of Gods Presence as Fire from Heaven c. The Lord would have them now to be more spiritual to see his Presence by Faith when they could not see it with their eyes Yet Haggai saith it had a greater Glory that is in regard of the Messiahs bodily presence in it which Solomons Temple never had 3. They renewed their Covenant with God Nehem. 9. ult and cap. 10. you have the Articles of this solemn League and Covenant 4. The Lord guides them to the reforming of sundry Corruptions which had crept in amongst them and raiseth them up to an higher pitch of Reformation than ever Gross Idolatry they forsook that for ever of which we spake before The Preaching of the Word was restored and renewed among them Neh. 8 1-8 strengthened by the prophesying of Haggai and Zachary Ezr. 5.1 And the Histories of the Church in those times report also how there was great care to get true and perfect Copies of the Scripture and to review the Copies they had And hither as I suppose belongs that famous work of the Punctation of the Hebrew Consonants Much Dispute there is among learned men about it That it is of a Divine Original and Authority is unquestionable if we do but grant the Divine Authority of the Scripture For otherwise the Sense will be vagus incertus wandring and uncertain Some think it was as ancient as the first Invention of Letters which is referred to Moses But if we suppose that Writing as all other useful Arts are usually was brought to perfection by degrees and that the Consonants might suffice while it was a Mother tongue of so great a People and they in such a flourishing condition not oppressed nor mingled with other People and Languages yet possibly the Points might be added afterwards For when they fell under the Yoke of strangers this help became necessary to be added The Lord therefore did by Ezra and others who were divinely inspired now at least add them For to refer it to an humane Original is to overthrow