to be come in the flesh who is the Anti-Christ then think you The next thing we are to take notice of is the plate of Gold which was placed upon the fore-head of the High Priest fastned to the Mitre wherein was engraven in Letters these words Holiness to the Lord Exod. 28. 36 37. The purpose of this very plate with the Letters written in it was for the High Priest to take upon him all the failings imperfections and weaknesses of the peoples duties in the Worship of God The Plate was to bear upon it the peoples sins which they would contract in the Worship of God and the Letters engraven upon the Plate was to bear out the Priest before the Lord that he died not Exod. 28. 36. 37 38. And thou shalt make a plate of pure Gold and grave upon it the engravenings of a signet Holiness to the Lord and thou shalt put it on a blue lace that it may be upon the Mitre upon the fore-front of the Mitre it shall be and it shall be upon Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hollow in all their holy gifts and it shall alwayes be upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. This still looks to Jesus Christ our Gospel High Priest and tells us what he is to do and doth do for Believers he takes upon him all the failings and infirmities of his peoples duties O what a blessed ground of comfort is this to a doubting soul I know some poor souls have had their backs bowed down with this kinde of guilt who when they have been in the Worship of God as in Prayer hearing of the Word or breaking of Bread when they have considered with what sad frames they have been in the Worship how hath that troubled them when they have minded the hypocrisie that appeared in their hearts while in the work those vain wandering thoughts that deadness and dull drowsie tiredness of spirit with which their work was mixed withal besides when they have considered with how much ignorance and little saith and want of love to God and his work in hand they were attended with O how hath this perplexed some poor souls and how deeply hath this sunk others into the pit of despair putting them upon resolving never more to hear the Word or Pray or receive the Sacrament O they never Worship God but they sin against him and make their case worse then it was before All this hath been for want of knowledge in this blessed mystery of the plate fastened upon the fore-front of the High Priests Mitre The Devil keeps them in suspence about this thing shews the soul his guilt but will not suffer him to see the plate upon the fore-front of the Priests Mytre which was appointed on purpose for them to lay up their gilt upon O therefore for thy comfort poor soul when ever thou comest into the Worship of God thou mayest come boldly without fear as to that what guilts thou either hast or shall contract upon thy soul in the Worship of God provided they are not wilful guilts there is a plate of Gold prepared to bear all thou shalt bear none of them thy self O bless God for this great mercy to thy soul and rejoyce in it as thy great favour make much use of it as thy best of priviledges study it as the highest of comforts and live up to the God of this mercy with the greatest of faithfulness and to the highest pitch of holiness Secondly This was to be a standing priviledge at all times for all Believers to such a continual sweetness and comfort from in point of acceptation with God for Aaron the Priest was to wear it alwayes upon the fore-front of the Mitre that they might be accepted before the Lord. This was not to be worn once or twice but alwayes before the Lord so that until Christ puts off his Mitre and layes aside his priestly work thou mayst assure thy self until then those sins of infirmity which will cleave to thy duties shall not render them or thee disacceptable before God if thou reliest faithfully upon this High Priest in this case We now come to speak of the Crown which this High Priest was to wear as well as this Mitre and the Crown was to be set upon the Mitre on the Priests head Exod. 29 6. And thou shalt put the Mitre upon his head and put the holy crown upon the Mitre The Crown upon the Priests head set forth to you the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ which springs from the Priestly office of Christ he is a King to rule in and over his Church because he is a High Priest to the Church therefore the Crown must stand upon the Mitre the Mitre doth keep up the Crown not the Crown the Mitre The Mitre being under the Crown shews you that the Kingly Office of Christ hath its foundation in the Priestly Office of Christ as was shewed you before from the first of the Revelations This shews first that Christ hath power to give out what Laws Rules Customes and Ordinances he please for his Church and people to walk by for he hath a Crown upon his head as well as a Mitre Secondly That all duty and subjection and obedience ought to be given to him both in soul and body for he is a King Psalm 2. 6. I have set my king upon my holy hill Sion We do not read that any of the Priests besides the High Priest did wear a Crown we read that they did wear Bonnets but not a Crown Exod. 28. 40. The Crown was only for the High Priest shewing us as the Priest was a Type of Christ that all Rule and chief Authority belongs to Christ its Christ onely can make or impose any Laws upon the consciences of his people so saith the Spirit Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And yet how common is it to see the inferiour sort of Priests that should content themselves with wearing the Bonnet to catch the High Priests Crown from off his head and to leave the High Priest nothing to wear but their Bonnets and given him to understand if he will not wear them he must sit bare headed before them I mean how do men who pretend to be the Ministers and Vicars of Christ pull his priestly Diadem from off his head and so rob him of his principle glory in arrogating a power to themselves of making and imposing spiritual Laws upon the consciences of his poor people as rules for them to walk by which customs and traditions the word of Christ never knew or spake of in the least O what greater indignity can there be offered to the Crown of Christ then this not onely so but if the poor Lambs of Christ who are as dear to him as
then can be numbred so Jer. 29 11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end so that you may perceive how the Scripture doth make the High Priests carrying the names of the Children of Israel upon his brest-plate and Christ our great High Priest carrying the whole of the conditions of his Church upon his heart now in heaven to agree and simbolize Use 1. Then comfort thy self O poor dejected soul remember what ever thy condition be in this life it hangs upon the heart of Christ in heaven what is it soul that troubles thee is it spiritual troubles is it the weight of thy sins look up this hangs upon the heart of Christ in heaven art thou violently tempted to blaspheme God and Christ or to make away with thy own life look up to Christ thy High Priest he bears this upon his heart in heaven art tempted to deny the faith and quit thy profession this is upon Christs heart too doth lust and corrupion press thee low and oftentimes carry thee away from God look up this is upon the heart of Christ too art thou complaining for the want of the comfortable shinings forth of the presence of God dost thou with David feel the want of the spirit of God the strength of it the light of it the life and comfort of it Psal 51. 10 11 12. Look up this condition likewise is upon the heart of Christ Doth duty seem burthensome and Ordinances seem dry and barren and sapless to thee O look up this is upon Christs heart too Is thy condition a condition of outward trouble or distress all hangs on Christs heart art thou weark and sickly much under pain this hangs on the heart of Christ likewise Is thy family smitten is thy Husband or Wife or Children or Parents or Servants smitten under the hand of God this hangs on the heart of Christ art thou afflicted under the loss of Relations art thou Wifeless Childless Friendless is thy Husband taken from thee by Death or Banishment and thou left with five or six small Children to the wide world and hardly bread to put into their mouths all these conditions Christ bears upon his heart art thou a Prisoner or banished from thy All dear Wife Husband Children Estate and all for thy Conscience sake Assure thy self all this lives upon the heart of Christ now in glory that he might be deeply affected with these conditions which this world affords his people O read that blessed place in Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour those that are temâ—â—ed This leads me to a second thing about the brest-place upon the High Priests heart which was this The Priest was to carry the names of the Children of Israel written upon the brest-plate before the Lord which shews us that Christ doth not as he is our High Priest only carry the sense of Believers conditions upon his heart but it seems it is to good purpose for he carrieth them in before the Lord Exod. 28. 29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel in the brest-plate of judgment upon his heart when he goeth into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually But some may ask me what comfort will that afford a Believer that Christ was to carry their conditions before the Lord Answer O there is much in this Mystery and that in point of prevalency with God who is the great Lord of all the blessings that Believers do enjoy for there is not any special favour which comes from Christ to a Believer but Christ first draws it forth from the Father Iames 1. 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights Now all this in the Type is to assure the Believer that without doubt if he hath hung up his condition upon the heart of Christ it must go well with it in heaven for God the Father is merciful enough in himself for he is called the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort and consolation and one in whom the fatherless findeth mercy so that there is an aptness and readiness in God himself upon the knowledge of his peoples conditions to give out relief and supply to them O but when the wants necessities miseries and afflctions trials and temptationss shall be brought in before God by a High Priest one who was constituted and appointed by the Father for this very end this must needs be effectual otherwise God will render his work in the High Priest of no effect but God never made or set up any thing in vain but the sitting of the High Priest was Gods own act and ancient contrivance Exod. 28. 1. And the Priest was appointed on purpose by the Lord for this piece of work amongst the rest to produce the several conditions of his people before him in order to a supply surely this must amount to something on which Believers may depend for comfort but besides if we do but mind what the High Priest was to do when he was to carry the several conditions of the people before the Lord it will still add to our comfort and that was this he was in the same place to pour out strong cries to God that he would both look upon and take into deep consideration the Estates of the people now brought into his presence and that by a High Priest a man in office chosen by himself for the purpose to bear the names of the whole Israel of God before the Lord in order to supply Surely this must prevail in heaven for if the Lord was so ready to be moved with compassion at the cries of an Ishmael Gen. 21. 17. Surely much more will God hear the cries of a High Priest who hath the anointings upon him to make him every way prevailing upon the heart of God Exod. 29. 7. Surely methinks this should very much encourage Believers to wait upon God in dark times for supplies besides when this High Priest shall be the Son of God yea his only Son brought up with him from eternity Prov. 8 23. And when the Father shall see that Jesus Christ his Son brings in the wants distresses temptations afflictions of his people upon his heart giving assurance thereby that he hath made their conditions all of them his own for they live upon and in the heart of Jesus Christ as that their wants are his wants their pains are his pains and temptations his temptations for he sympathyzeth with them in all respects Isa 63 9. In all their afflictions he is afflicted And when he shall add to it his strong cries and tears poured forth
commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Soul it would be very necessary for thee to keep this truth always warm upon thy heart that it may give down its daily comfort to thee that the High Priest is thy Brother for he was taken from amongst his Brethren it would be the choicest food thou canst live upon in thy wilderness condition if thou wert to take up thy quarters at any time in a Dungeon yet if thou hast this pot of Manna with thee viz. thy Brother is a High Priest in Heaven what more comfortable consideration in the world then this David was wonderfully raised in his hopes and expectations from hence Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my sheepherd I shall not want that is he is a Priest whose office it is to supply the wants of the soul in any condition for so much was expected from the High Priest under the Law he was to procure what blessings he could for the people Numb 6 23 24 25 26. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto Aaron and to his Sons saying on this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying the Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Now that which greatens this mercy is this That as its the Place and Office of Christ to supply the wants of his people there is no condition whatsoever that his people are in at any time but Christ is privy to it Psal 139 2 3. Thou knowest my down sitting and my uprising thou understandest my thoughts afar off thou compass est my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways Herein lay Davids great comfort and the same may be thine that this want-supplying Priest that was so well acquainted with his peoples several conditions he could appropriate him to himself as his sheepherd The Lord is my sheepherd saith David that is as if he had said I draw much of my comfort from the place out of which the Priest was to be chosen which is this he was to be called forth from amongst his Brethren so that he is not a stranger to me a man whose voice or words I understand not or he mine but he is my Brother which understands my thoughts afar off CHAP. 29. I now come to speak of the Qualifications which were required in the Person which was to be the Peoples High Priest under the Law THe High Priest was to be one of the meekest tenderest mercifullest men exceeding others of his Brethren a man brimful of bowels of tender love and compassion towards those he was to be a Priest unto And secondly he was to be as faithful as merciful Both of which Qualifications in the High Priest under the Law you have the Apostle speaking of in the Epistle to the Hebrews First That he was to be full of bowels and tender compassion towards those for whom he was chosen a High Priest Heb. 5. 1. For every High Priest taken from amongâ—st men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he might offer gifts and sacrifices for sins so Ver. 2. Who can have compassion of the ignorant and them that go out of the way Secondly The Priest was to be a faithful man a man discharging his duty with all faithfulness and sincerity towards his people not seeking his own before their good using all diligence in his place and calling withholding no due right from the people thus much you have from the Apostle in Heb 2. 17. Speaking of Christ saith That in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people To be made like unto his Brethren who are these Answer not only all Believers for they are called Christs Brethren too but also and most principally with respect to office by Brethren is meant all those High Priests which were before his Incarnation who were likewise the fore-running Types of him in the work of the Priesthood and that it was the Priests of old that are mostly intended in this Text as the Brethren which Christ was to be made like unto will appear if we consider the end why the Apostle saith our Saviour must be made like unto his Brethren It was that he might make Reconciliatien for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. A work proper to none under the Law but to the Priests But wherein was Christ to be made like unto his Brethren you may see in the Text it was in point of faithfulness as well as in other respects That he might be a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people So that you see so much as this was expected to be found in and from the High Priest under the Law that he should be faithful Now both of the Qualifications in an abundant measure the Apostle shews you are in Christ our Gospel High Priest for so he applies the thing for our comfort as indeed all this was but to set forth the fulness of grace which from the Spirit of anointing the Father caused to run into Christ to fit him for this great work of the Priesthood read Heb. 5â— 1 2. and Chap. 2. 17. Isa 11 2 3 4. with Isa 61. 1. Use 1. I shall first of all take up the first of the Qualifications and labour to improve it for the encouragement of two sorts of persons First For those who as yet keep themselves off from this High Priest Christ through a sinful fear Secondly For those who have made choice of Christ for their High Priest but still live in continual doubt about their conditions As for the first fort of persons who yet stand off from Christ and are afraid to close with him so as to make him their High Priest Oh soul how long wilt thou doubt and by doubting keep thy soul off from Jesus Christ knowest thou not that there is a necessity for thee to hasten to Jesus Christ art thou not convinced that thou art a sinner and under the Curse doth not the word tell thee that God is angry with thee every day Psal 7. 11. Dost thou not hear the sound of wrath that is gone out against thee are not the first fruits of it upon thee already which is but the fore-runner of the full Winepress which like a dark storm is hastning after and is there not great need that Reconciliation for sin should be made to God for thy poor soul why then dost thou delay thy hastning to Christ the High Priest that he might make atonement for thee to the Lord that so a stop may be put to that wrath which from the Lord is gone out against thee or dost thou know a better way of
favour he is called a shepherd Psal 23. 1. Now you know a shepherd doth not throw away his weak Lambs but rather takes up such as are weak and cannot go and carry them in his arms and lodgeth them in his bosom Oh so doth Christ make much of weak Lambs such as cannot go of themselves Christ will carry Isa 40. 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those which are with young Oh see with what heart burnings Christ parts with any of his weak ones Ephraim was a weak lamb and Ephraim would be gone from Christ but observe how Christ parts with Ephraim Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I seâ— thee as Zebaim my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And Christ is the same to thee that ever he was to Ephraim his arm of mercy is not shortned Oh therefore come to him with joy and comfort for he will never leave thee nor forsake thee Lastly Art thou weak in duty O look up to him as thy High Priest full of compassion and love and pity toward weak souls Oh do not despair Christ cannot cast thee off because of thy infirmities in duty for then he would have carried but very few home to heaven for the best that ever were have been very infirm in duty and have had cause to cry out with the Church All our Righteousnesses are but as mâ—nstruous cloths and as filthy rags in thy presence O Lord Isa 64. 6. But Christ is called a Father yea an everlasting Father Isa 9. 6. Doth a Father in the flesh reject or despise the work a weak child doth because it is not done with so much strength as he expects or rather doth he not pity him under his weakness and favour him in his work and considering he seeth the child doth what he can the Father likes it as well as if it were a great deal more Oâ— so it is with this High Priest oh he is so full of compassion that he will not reject thee for thy weakness in performance of duty though the duty be done with little strength or a weak hand yet if it be right for sincerity and truth Christ will accept it kindly hear what he saith about it Zach. 4. 10. For the whole hath despised the day of small things Therefore labour for sincerity of heart that those things thou dost for Christ may be done in truth and fear not Christ hath great compassions he will rather help thee in the work then reject thee for it read Rom. 8. 26. Thus you see what that Qualification in the Priest if well improved will afford us in a doubting season I now come to the second Qualification in the High Priest and that is his Faithfulness This will afford us comfort three manner of ways First In point of supply as to grace Secondly Against falling off from grace Thirdly Against the evil of affliction and persecution First In point of supply with grace I know the Lords people do find the want of that many a time Cant. 2 5. Supporting grace under affliction strengthning grace against wearisomness in duty mortifying grace to sin and corruption and comforting grace in the hour of temptation now here is a fulness of this laid into Christ 〈◊〉 1. 19. chap. 2. 9. And he made the steward of it Oh go to Christ for it Obj. But some may say if we should he may deny it to us and keep it to himself as many Stewards have done who have been intrusted with a treasure in the behalf of others yet they have been defrauded of it through the unfaithfulness of the Steward Oh soul be not discouraged as to that but put him upon the trial there is not one jot of grace that the Father hath given Christ for thee which he can keep from thee I must confess all the supplies of grace which the Father hath given forth for the use and benefit of his Elect he hath intrusted Christ with it and hath made him the disposer of it Iohn 1. 14. with 16. But to be sure of it he will not yea he cannot diminish one jot or mite of it and that for these two reasons First Because in his own nature he is faithful it s abundantly more easie for the Sun to cease shining then it is for Christ to cease being faithful therefore in the Revelations the holy Ghost gives him this name Rev. 3. 14. The faithful and true witness Therefore soul what ever supply of the grace of the Spirit thou wantest assure thy self thou shalt have it if thou makest use of Christ for it he will not withhold one drop of it from thy soul Oh therefore come with boldness to the Throne of grace to ask grace and mercy to help in time of need plead with Christ for it tell him that thou hast heard that the Father hath laid in a stock of justifying pardoning and sanctifying grace into his hands for poor naked sinful unclean miserable sinners and hath made him the Lord Treasurer of it and tell him that thou art come to him as a miserable poor sinner for a portion of it for a portion of pardoning grace and sanctifying grace then see whether Christ will deny it thee Oh he is so far from withholding from a sinner what is his due by gift from the Father that he hath taken great care and pains to possesse the soul of it upon every occasion read that place in Proverbs which relates to Christ as a Steward intrusted in this great work of giving out grace to the Lords people Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Wisdom hath buâ—lâ—ed her house she hath hewen out her seven pillars she hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath furnished her table she hath sent forth her maidens she crieth upon the highest places of the City who so is simple let him turn in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eat of my bread and drink of my wine which I have mingled for sake the foolsh and live and go in the way of understanding Farther you may see how intent Jesus Christ was in this work of distributing freely and faithfully to men the portion given them as sinners by and from the Father Iohn 7 37. In the last day of the Feast which was their great day Jesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Mark he chose the great day of the Feast when the company were greatest he did not take a time to proclaim what treasure he had received from the Father for poor sinners when there were but few in place to hear him but when the most of the people were met together besides he did not whisper the matter but cryed aloud that all
Righteousness of Faith or Christs Righteousness soul know this that there is no covering will either protect thee from the wrath of God or present thee or thy duties acceptable with God but this covering shouldst thou make up a covering of the finest duties or works of Righteousness that ever was spun by the finest Pharisee in the world it would prove but rottenness before the Lord alas my friends if God had not provided Adam better coverings then his Fig-leave Righteousness what had there become of Adam and all us in him There is nothing will or can cover thy nakedness but this Righteousness your spots will still appear and shew themselves do what you can you were as good go about to build a ship of Paper to sail through the Ocean withall as to think to sail to heaven in a vessel of your own Righteousness If you will accept of this Righteousness well if not God will accept of no other from you this is of Gods providing for you if you like it 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption God will like nothing but what is of his own making bring him what you will for Righteousness except this of Christs certainly the everlasting burnings will quickly consume it into ashes and peirce through all Therefore labour to get into this righteousness beg hard for it that thou maist be presented to God without spot or blemish it s for the sake of this that the Church is so glorious in Gods eye Cant. 4 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes with one chain of thy neck So Cant 1. 15. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast doves eyes and Cant. 4. 7. Behold thon art all fair my love there is no spot in thee All this is spoken with respect to the righteousness of Christ which is upon the Church of Christ this was the Churches great ground of joy and rejoycing not that she was clothed with the glory of the world but with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ Isa 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation and hath covered me with the Robe of his righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Certainly sad is the condition of these men and women which have left this blessed righteous covering upon what specious pretence soever it may be they think they have found out a better way for their justification before God they think they can provide God a better Robe a Garment made up of their just dealing with their Neighbours adding to it their outward abstination from some meats and drink and superfluity in apparel together with some endeavours to act up to a light within them Oh this they hug and embrace and cry up as the only glorious righteousness crying out lo here is Christ he dwells in this light we cry up he lives in this Robe of righteousness which we have spun come turn to it and hear incline your ears and your souls shall live thus poor blinded yet very confident souls they are just as the Jews were carried out by the Devil being ignorant of Gods righteousness to establish a righteousness of their own in opposition to the righteousness of faith as the Apostle speaks in Rom. 10. 3. Dear friends have a care of parting with that righteousness which is only justifying before God and I do affirm that there is nothing within a man that will justifie him before God there is no light in any man on earth can or will do it take it either for a natural or divine light and that soul that shall make any thing within him a ground for justification in opposition to this Robe of righteousness I say according to the voice of Scripture cannot be saved if he lives and dies in that errour St. Paul and these persons who are for a righteousness within them for justification were of a vast differing judgment these which are faln from the righteousness of faith say for their parts they will have a righteousness found in themselves which shall justifie them but S. Paul saith that he desires that himself may be found in that righteousness which shall justifie him before God Phil. 3 9. Oh soul keep close to the righteousness of faith contend earnestly for it let it not go from thee because nothing can present thee faultless before God if this be wanting CHAP. 31. I next come to speak of these Mysterious things which belonged to the Robe or Garment which the High Priest did wear about him when he was to administer for the people before the Lord FIrst there was a brest-plate made for the Robe made of a plate of Gold four-square in breadth and length about a span every way Exod. 39. 9. In this brest-plate of Gold there was engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel in Letters set in rows with precious stones Exod. 39. 10 11 12 13. 14. There was likewise set in this brest-place the Urim and Thummim Exod. 28 30. This plate was tied about the High Priests long Robe with chains of Gold that so the plate which had the names of the twelve tribes written in it might set strait upon the High Priests heart Exod 39 19 20 21. with Exod 28 29 30. The use and purpose of this brest-plate was to shew all believers for their great Consolation these things First Concerning the deep sense that Christ hath of the several conditions that his people are liable unto in this world for you see that the names of the twelve tribes were written upon this brest-plate which was placed upon the High Priests heart Now by the names of the twelve tribes in Exod. 28. 29. We are not to understand precisely of the Israelites but more generally of the whole body of the Elect both of Jews and Gentiles as elsewhere it is so understood Rev. 7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Now all the names of the body of the Elect was the High Preist to carry upon his heart Exod. 28. 29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel in the brest-plate of judgement upon his heart when he goeth into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually I say it shews us how deeply the several conditions of the Elect are stamped upon the heart of Christ he bears them all upon his heart he keeps to this day though in glory a naked place in his heart to affect himself with his peoples conditions saith David Psal 40. 5. Many O Lord are thy wonderous works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee I would declare and speak of them they are more
his own blood will not comply with their Canons they violently run upon them with ruine and destruction both to them and theirs without the least dram of mercy shewed them Should a Subject deal thus with his Prince who would advocate such a ones case at the Bar but how much Christ thinks himself bound to these men for this piece of service both to himself and his people let the world judge Again whereas 't is said that the Crown was set upon the Mitre it is to shew Believers how sweet the Kingly Office Power and Authority of Christ is sweetned to them by the Priestly Office of Christ It s the Priestly Mitre makes the Kingly Crown so sweet and lovely to men The grace which flows from Christ as Priest makes the Law which flows from Christ as King so delightful and precious What strange prejudicated opinions have men of the Law of the Crown of Christ when they look on it apart from the Mitre of Christs Priest-hood how formidable and cruel doth the Law look to them how do men shun it and avoid it as death it self it s an unreasonable Law it requires impossibilities such things as can never be obtained or performed by me it affords me no assistance no strength let me do what I can it damns me at last This the soul instead of subjecting to it fights with it as his worst of enemies so saith Paul Rom. 8 7. The carnal minded man is not subject to the Law of God neither indeâ—d can be But when the soul is brought in to close with Jesus Christ as his High Priest and hath tasted of the grace of the Priesthood and is made to see the Mitre under the Crown which it did not see before and understands that all the terrour of the Crowns Law is suckt in by the Mitres grace O then the soul comes to have other thoughts of the Law of God then ever it had before O saith the soul how miserably was my understanding darkened that I should so wickedly conclude of it as an unreasonable Law and a cruel Law a Law which required brick to be made without straw O but now I see it was my mistake and great ignorance O it requires no more then it will help in the doing it s a Law which hath the spirit of life in it Rom. 8. 2. That will quicken to its own performances a Law flowing from the Crown but it s a Crown upon the Mitre which is so far from killing of me that it giveth me spiritual life and frees me from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8. 2. Therefore saith Paul Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man so saith David Psalm 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better then ten thousands of gold or silver So Psalm 19. 10. More to be desired is thy law then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the honey and the honey comb O every part of the work and worship of Christ is sweet now when the soul sees its the Law of a reconciler the work of an advocate the worship of a blessed High Priest which he is imployed in and about O it s the Law of one who hath shed his dearest blood for me to satisfie Justice it s the work of a High Priest which presents me in himself without spot to God and hath clothed me with the Robe of his Righteousness and made me an heir of Glory a childe of God a citizen of the new Jerusalem O this makes the work of Christs Kingdom delightful work to the soul now CHAP. 32. I now come to speak of the fourth general which is the manner of the Consecrating of the Priest which is as followeth THe High Priest being thus attired then was Moses to take a young Bullock and two Rams without blemish and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes tempered with oyl and offer this with the two Bullocks and tvvo Rams unto God for the Priest Exodus 29. 1 2. with 19. 20. Then was Moses to take a vessel of oyl and pour it on the Priests head and anoint him ver 7. In which consecration we may note two things 1. Something which related to the Type it self 2. What related to the Ante-type Jesus Christ First What of this consecration related to the Type or High Priest himself and what was this the materials made use of about his Consecration did highly testifie that he himself was but a poor weak frail man and that although he were called to so great an Office as to interpose between God and the people to make reconciliation for them yet he vvas no farther efficacious then as he vvas the Type of him that onely could take avvay sin vvhich vvas Jesus Christ held forth in him Thus much both himself and the people likevvise might inform themselves in the manner of his conseeration for there vvere tvvo Rams and a young Bullock must be slain and offered to God in sacrifice for him before be could stand in Gods presence to administer for the people Some sacrifices of pacification and attonement must be offered to God for the Priest himself as well as for the people vvhich taught both the Priest and People that there vvas no reconciliation vvith God to be had by the High Priests means any further then both Priest and people had an eye of Faith upon Jesus Christ held out by him so reasons the Apostle in Heb. 7. 26 27. For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher theâ— the heavens who needeth not daily as those High Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the people So that you see the legal Priest stood in need of a sacrifice for himself and he was to offer a sacrifice for himself as well as for the people there salvation and reconciliation could not be wrought out by the Priest but by another which was only Christ 2. As the thing related to Jesus Christ it shews us thus much that whatever our Lord Jesus Christ hath done doth do or yet shall do in heaven as our great High Priest it takes its rise from the Death and Passion of himself You see the High Priest under the Law could not be a High Priest without he were consecrated so in the death of something which must be slain as a sacrifice to God So did Christ lay down his life as a sacrifice to God here upon the Cross before he could act as our great High Priest in Heaven before ever he could perform the work of Intercession within the Tabernacle he must first offer himself up a slain sacrifice to God for pacification without the camp Heb. 13. 12. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Quest But why was Moses to take a young Bullock to make a sacrifice for the Priests consecration Answ Because any thing when its