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
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
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
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
Bread Vers 8. with Numb 9 11. 4. They were to eat it with their Loins girded 5. With their Shoos on their feet 6. With their Staff in their hands 7. In hast for it was the Lords Passover Exod. 12. 11. And lastly This was to be done by every particular Family every family was to chuse a Lamb for its self unless the family were too few in number if it were then the next family were to join wiâ—h them and so they were to eat it together Exod. 12. 4. TYPE II. The second Type was The children of Israel their passing thorow the Red Sea just at their coming out of Egypt Exod. 1. 4. IN which are these things to be considered First The peoples great Distress vers 10 31. Secondly The cause of their Distress which was Pharaoh's great Army Marching behind them very dreadfully with full purpose to destroy them vers 10. Thirdly We may take notice of their Leaders and those were Moses and the Angel which Angel without doubt was Christ Exod. 14. 19. 21. For as Moses conducted the people so the Angel did conduct Moses Fourthly Moses stretched out his hand and the Waters were divided Exod. 14. 21. Fifthly The People go thorow the Waters and by going through are delivered Verse 22. Sixthly The same Waters which were Waters of Salvation to the Israelites were Waters of Destruction to the Egyptians Verse 27. 28. of the same Chapter TYPE III. Another Typical State was their being led into the Wildeâ—ness IN which are these things to be considered First Their cross motion up and down in the Wilderness sometimes this way sometimes that way sometimes towards the good Land sometimes quite contrary and back again as you may Read at large in Numb 33. Secondly The Food they lived upon while in that condition was Manna from Heaven Exod. 16. 4. with vers 14. 15. Thirdly The Water they lived by and drank of was Water out of the Rock which came out by Moses his striking of it Exod. 17. 5 6 7. Fourthly We may not omit this passage As soon as the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians by the Red Sea and brought into the Wilderness the first Waters they drank of were Waters of Bitterness or Bitter Waters which such called Marah Exod. 16. 22 23 But this was done by the appointment of God For the sweetning of those Waters again to the people Moses was to take a Tree which God shewed him Mark that not every Tree would do it but that only which was of Gods directing or chusing and Moses was to cast the Tree into the Waters which done the Waters that were bitter before became sweet and the people could drink of them Exod. 16. 25. Next we are to consider the Nature of the Wilderness It was a place of Rocks and Mountains Hills and Vallies Deut. 8. 5. A place that afforded few Springs or Pools of Water a place that no Corn grew in a place of Doubts and Fears Sometimes assaulted with Enemies as Og Kâ—ng of Bashan the Moabites and Midianites then Balaam comes up with his bitter Curses against them Numb 22. 5 6. This place might likewise be called a place of Wonders because of the great Miracles which God did for them in delivering them out of all their Temptations and in preserving them all along to their Canaan Psal 88. Likewise you may see the Discouragements that they met with in their way to Canaan by the false Spies Numb 13. 28 29 30 31. Likewise you may see the Bunch of Grapes brought from the good Land Numb 13. 23. and yet notwithstanding they could not believe for their comfort There was likewise in the Wilderness-condition other Types held out to them both for their and our Instruction As the Cloud which always led them up and down See Exod 40. 34 36 37 38. compared with Numb 9. 16 17. TYPE IV. The Brazen Serpent which was set up upon a Pole in the Wilderness Numb 21. 6 7 8 9. THe occasion of that Type was this Because of those hot stinging fiery Serpents which the Wilderness did produce which had destroyed many of the People God in mercy to the Jews caused this thing to be made called a Brazen Serpent and it was to be set upon a Pole for this purpose viz. That at what time any of the People should be stung by these stinging venemous Beasts that if they should but look up to the Brazen Serpent set upon the Pole for that purpose they should be presently Cured although it might be that the wounded party might be at such a distance from the Pole as that they might not be able to reach it with a bodily eye yet if in obedience to the Ordinance they did look unto that Point where they conceived the Brazen Serpent stood upon the top of the Pole so doing would procure them immediate health Numb 21. 6 7 8 9. TYPE V. There was likewise another Type given out to them in the Wilderness which was called a Tabernacle the fashion form and manner of it you may see at large set forth to you in Exodus 36. 37 38. Chap. BUt for the better observation of it I shall cast the many particulars of it into a briefer compass then it is handed out to you in those abovesaid Chapters without doubt it was a most glorious piece of work to behold the like could not be produced in all the Earth for glory and excellency as appears by the materials of it Read Exod. 35. 21 22 23. as also if we consider how wonderfully and beyond measure those were fitted by God for the framing of it who were designed for the work read Exod. 35. 25. with 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Verses Now the Tabernacle it self consisted of these particulars First the Tabernacle it self which was the case or Tent which comprehended all the other things in it prepared for the Worship and Service of the Lord Exod. 36. 13. ver which was made of several Curtains of fine twined Linen of blue Purple and Scarlet with Cherubims of cunning work Exod. 36. 8. ver and these were made with loops of one side and tacles of Gold on the other side and so fastned together all round the sides and ends of it Exod. 36. 13. In the which there was a glorious thing made and set which was called the Ark which was overlaid with pure Gold having a Crown of Gold round about it Exod. 37. 1 2. Ver. Likewise in the Tabernacle there was the Mercy-seat placed which had two Cherubims placed at the two ends of it Exod. 37. 6 7. whose faces looked still toward the Mercy-seat ver 9. Now in the Ark did Moses put the Tables wherein the Law was written Exod. 40. 20. And then did he put the Ark with the Tables of the Law in it under the Mercy-seat and covered it over with a veil v. 20. There was likewise in this Tabernacle placed a Table overlaid with pure Gold Exo. 37. 10 11
is sacrificed for us where you see he gives Christ the very name that was given to the Paschal Lamb. So Peter in his Epistle when he is a treating about the price of mans redemption 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. verses saith Peter in the 18. verse We were not redeemed with silver and gold from our vain conversations received by traditions from our fathers but by the pretious blood of Christ as a lamb slain without spot or blemish verse 19. for so it was required of the Jews in offering of the paschal Lamb that it should be a Lamb without blemish Exod. 12. 5. So read Revel 6. This title of Lamb is given unto Jesus Christ Rev. 6. 15 16 17. The rich men and the great men and the chief Captains cryed to the hills fall on us and cover us from the presence of the Lamb for the great dâ—y of his wrath is come What is the reason think you here that Jesus Christ should be so much dreaded by the great men as well as the poor men at his next coming for these words have relation to his next coming I will not here undertake to determine whether this appearing here of Christ be at or before the general Judgement day as to that I shall refer you to abler judgements who have commented on the thing but without doubt the reason why our Lord is by John in that place set forth so dreadful to men under the metaphor of a Lamb is because the Lamb was a type of his Priestly Office which includeth the greatest of grace and offers of love to mankinde that can be Now for the men of the earth be they rich or poor yet if they shall live or dye abusing of and trampling upon this freely proffered grace and richly offered love this turns this grace and rich love and mercy into the dreadfullest of judgements against men Read Matth. 11. 21 22 23 24 with chap. 12. 42. and 2 Thes 1. 8 9. Thus you see that the Lamb in Exod. 12. was a type of Christ CHAP. 2. I now come to shew you how the action of the Jews in eating the Lamb together with the place time and manner of eating the Lamb doth agree to the work of God upon the souls of his people while on this side Heaven together with his various dealings with their conditions in this life which as in a glass those that are spiritual may see it answer face to face FIrst the place that the people were in when God provided this Lamb for them It was Egypt a Land of darkness abounding with all manner of idolatry and prophaneness a Land which knew not God Exod. 5. 2. a land of bondage of heavy burdens of cruel task-masters that required brick to be made without straw Exod. 5. 6. 7 8 9 10 11 12. the officers of which place would often beat the people of the Jews ver 14. besides so cruel were the Task-masters to the poor Israelites that they would not hear the peoples cryes Exod. 5. 16 17. To this agreeth as in the ante-type the estate or condition that the creature is in before he comes to Jesus Christ which estate or condition we call natural or carnal which simbolizeth very well with the land of Egypt in which the children of Israel were when they did eat the Lamb. For first of all Egypt was a place of darkness so is the natural condition of mankinde it is full of darkness and ignorance it is wholly deprived of the saving knowledge of God and Christ A man by nature knows little of that blessed life light power which the true knowledge of God teacheth a soul he knoweth not what it is to have Christ dwelling in him by his spirit nor what it is for a man to live in Christ by believing much less doth he know that great and blessed mystery which Paul speaketh of 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Alas to tell a carnal man of living by believing what a mystery is this to him of worshipping God in the Spirit of praying in the Spirit of making the Blood and Flesh and Spirit and promises of Christ his daily food of eating the hidden Manna of having the white stone with a new name written in it that none can read but he that hath it Rev. 2. 17. Alas what a paradox is this to a carnal man to tell such a man of Christ within him and of a spiritual Kingdom within him and a light within him and so from hence to bid him turn to it and live obedient thereunto and to hearken to the teachings of it for salvation Alas one had as good stand over the grave of a dead man and bid him arise or one had as good speak to a blinde man and bid him see therefore I think that such a doctrine preached by many in our dayes is an empty doctrine to help blinde men to see or dead men to a state of spiritual life therefore saith Paul 1 Cor. 2. 14. The carnal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned also Paul tells you speaking of a carnal man that his understanding is darkened and alienated from the life of God through the ignorance which is in them through the blindeness of their heart Ephes 4. 18. therefore when the Scripture speaks of the bringing home of a soul to God it calls it a deliverance from the power of darkness Col. 1. 13. a state that affords no light no knowledge of God in Christ it giveth us no acquaintance with God as a reconciled God in Christ to a poor soul therefore it may well be compared to Egypt for the darkness of it that is the first particular Secondly Egypt abounded with all manner of prophaneness and false worship for they knew not God Exod. 5. 2. how well doth this agree with the state or the natural condition of fallen mankinde O what kennel so vile so noâ—some what jakes so foul what Goal so loathsome what hell so black as the hearts and lives of wicked men therefore when our Saviour gives a description of the inward parts of such men saith That out of their hearts proceedeth evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness and blasphemies Mat. 15. 19. and to this agreeth the 14. Psalm ver 2. 3 which saith The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good no not one the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God they are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one so saith John 1 John 5. 19. The whole world lieth in
way is in the sea and thy path in the great waters and thy foot-steps are not known thou leadest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron CHAP. 6. The Israelites passing into the Red Sea a Type of Christ I Now come to the second Type which was Gods leading the Israelites through the red Sea Exod. 14. which was done just after their eating of the Lamb and coming forth of Egypt In the which are these things to be noted 1. The peoples great distress ver 10. 11. 2. The cause of their distress which was Pharaohs Army marching behinde them with an intent to destroy them verse 10 3. We may take notice of their Leaders which was the Angel and Moses Exod. 14. 19. with 21. Which Angel without doubt was Christ for as Moses guided the people so did the Angel guide Moses 4. Moses stretched out his hand and the waters were divided ver 21. 5. The people go through the waters and by that means were delivered ver 22. 6. The same waters which were waters of salvation to the Israelites became waters of destruction to the Egyptians ver 27. 28. But first we finde the children of Israel greatly distressed this answers to the condition that the soul is in under the conviction of sin full of trouble and despairing thoughts about his condition how often is the heart overwhelmed and drowned in horrour not knowing what to do nor where to go to find any comfort what secret gnawings and pangs of inward travel are there roving to and fro in the soul of one under the conviction for sin night and day it banisheth all comfort from him all his best of outward comforts are imbittered to him no comfort in wife in children in friends estate or treasure he cannot finde any place to rest the sole of his foot upon with ease every moment looking out for the executioner to overtake him if abroad he is afraid the heavens will fall upon him he dreadeth every tree he passeth by every wall he goes along by he leapeth off it fearing it will fall upon him if at home then he dreads every hole in his house expecting a devil in every corner of his house some of which distress you may see upon the hearts of the converted Jews Acts 2. 37. Which made them cry out to the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Likewise you may see it hot upon the Jaylors heart Acts 16. 29 30. Who came forth trembling to the Apostles crying out Sirs what shall I do to be saved David was acquainted very much with this kinde of trouble Psalm 38. 2 3 4 5 6. For thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me full sore there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stinck and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long for my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh Likewise you may read Acts 9. 6. that Paul had his part in this distress Paul trembled under it and being astonished cried out Lord what wilt thou have me to do I must acknowledge this work for the measure of it is not in all alike for it oftentimes falleth out in this thing much according to a persons rate of sinning before his conversion but for the kinde of this work if men and women cannot speak something of it in some measure it is little sign that there hath been a work wrought in truth on that soul you may see when the Scripture points you to the most clearest Gospel work of conversion that we read of in the whole Book of God it points it out by the great distresse that first it bringeth on the mindes of men and women Zech. 12. 10 11 12 13 14 15. 2. The cause of the Israelites distresse it arised from the Egyptians marching behinde them with full purpose to ruine and destroy them Exod. 14 10. The ante-type of this Type sheweth the cause of the souls abovesaid distresse which is the letting in of the souls guilt of sin upon him which doth like a huge army pursue the soul day and night and like so many devouring Lions with open mouths standing ready to devour the soul which makes the soul as the Jews did oftentimes to cry out for a grave to bury his distressed body in judging death to be preferred before lâ—fe and the way to end these endlesse miseries is to lay violent hands on life but that proves but a leaping out of the frying-pan into the fire there is no trouble in the world like to this trouble a man had better stand in the field against all the Armies and Cannons in the world then to stand to behold a guilty conscience O the dreadful shreeks and doleful sounds which it makes in the breast of a man when awakened take an instance or two from the word of God Psalm 32. 3 4 5. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer I acknowledge my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid So Psalm 38. 2 3 4. For thine arrows stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore there is no soundness in my flesh because of thy anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head and as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me so Psalm 40 12. For innumerable evils have taken hold on me and have compassed me round about so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head so that my heart faileth me So Psalm 90. 7 8. For we are consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath we are troubled thou hast set our iniquities before thy face our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Let the poor soul run where he will yet he shall not be able to avoid the thunderings of an awakened conscience but like so many swarms of Bees flying round his ears crying alwayes to him we are thy works and we will follow thee we will follow thee in the field and in thy house we will be with thee at thy table and at thy bed Job 20. 23 24. When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating he shall flee from his iron weapon and the bowe of steel shall strike him through My friends the guilt of a mans sin it will go to the grave with him it will lie down with him in his Sepulchre and his grave shall cast it up again
Red Sea so will all men unavoidably perish by the guilt of their sinnes without they wade by faith through the red Sea of Christ his Blood 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin Rom. 5. 7. Being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Heb. 9. 12. By his own blood he entered once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us so ver 22. Without shedding of blood there is no remission Rev. 1. 5. Who hath loved us and washed us in his own blood from our sins for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us by thy blood unto God out of every kindred tongue nation and people Revel 5. 9. So that this shews us if ever a soul would have deliverance from his sins which dogs him up and down from place to place he must fetch it in from the blood of Christ held out to his soul in the Gospel O my friends you that have the guilt of sin set open to you would you have it washed away and you that have the anger of God and his wrath flaming hot against you would you have it quenched O then fly you in all haste to the bloud of Christ O drink it in by believing and this will give your hearts ease nothing else will do it O look on Christ on the Cross bleeding for you get as near the Cross as you can in your thoughts and strive to get under his wounds and open thy mouth wide and drink thy fill of bloud adding to it this firm perswasion that the worth and efficacy of this bloud will save thee thou maist assure thy self that it will and if ever thou gettest peace into thy troubled soul it will come and must come in this way for that peace which cometh into the soul which came not in by this way of faith will in the end prove the greatest sorrow Isa 50. 11. Sixthly and Lastly The same waters which proved waters of Salvation to the Israelites were waters of Ruine and utter Destruction to the Egyptians Exod. 14. 27 28. It was a full and total Deliverance to the Jews and a full and total Destruction to the Egyptians This leads us to behold the wonderful benefit that those have by the bloud of Christ that wade through it by believing A full Redemption from all their sins at once the Red Sea took off the whole of Pharaohs Army at once not a man left to carry back tidings what became of his fellow so is it a full Redemption that we have by the Red Sea of Christs bloud a Redemption from the guilt of all sin there is not one left to carry back news what is become of the rest all sin past present and to come original sin and actual sin sins of all sorts and sizes publick and private sins sins of Childhood Youth Manhood and Old Age sins committed in all relations conditions and capacities whatsoever yea all sins with all their circumstances John 1. 1. 7. The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin there is not one of them shall rise up to a souls Condemnation more Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to a man in Christ Jesus who walketh not after the flesh but after the spirit Secondly It is a total salvation it is for ever the Jews were never troubled with that Army more therefore said Moses stand still behold the salvation of God The Egyptians whom you see to day you shall see no more for ever Exod. 14. 13. Such a salvation hath the Elect by the Red sea of Christs bloud it is a Redemption from sin for ever not for a year or two or ten but world without end Therefore saith our Saviour it is eternal life which I give my people and they shall never perish John 10. 28. Jer. 31. 3. I have saith God loved thee with an everlasting love so John 13. 1. Where it s said of Christ having loved his own He loveth them to the end CHAP. 7. The next condition the Children of Israel was in after their Deliverance from the Red Sea was their travelling through the Wilderness IN which we may take notice of these things First Their cross motion up and down sometimes this way and sometimes that ways sometimes towards their good land and sometimes the quite contray way back again Just so are the dealings of God with and in the spirits of the people that although they are fully justified from all their sins by passing through the Red sea of Christs bloud yet the after-dealings of God many times are very various with his people in point of comfort what up and down leading of God many times do poor souls find within themselves Sometimes they are well-nigh Canaan as they hope within them and they can rejoyce under the shinings of Gods love upon their hearts and they come to conclude pretty well of their spiritual conditions when they find their desires to run forth after God and their affections and love to move out after Jesus Christ then the soul takes to himself the wings of joy and begins to mount upwards in the air of comfort But at another time the soul is wholly at a loss and knows not what to conclude of himself or his condition he sees nothing but confusion within all things out of order the soul can feel little affection or love working towards Jesus Christ little heart to duty all the souls zeal is gone from him his courage gone his faith gone his taste and spiritual savour gone and all seems to fail the soul which makes his hope to die within him and to cry out with the Psalmist Psal 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth me Insomuch that the soul cannot believe for one days comfort and then the soul concludes that he goeth quite back again even to the borders of Egypt Thus it was with David sometimes he could say the Lord was his shepherd he should not want that he was made to lie down in green pastures and led besides the still waters Psal 23. 1 2. But at another time he is all off his hope and comfort again and crys out his life is spent in grief and his years with sighing his strength fallen because of his iniquity his bones were consumed Psal 31. 10. Again take him at another time and then you shall up upon the hill of comfort again Psal 23. Lasts crying out surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life Look you into the 25. Psalm 17. 18. And there you shall see him down on all four again crying out The troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses so in the 27. Ps 3. v. You have him up in the Mount with God again crying out Though an host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though war arise on every side against me yetiâ—n this will I be confident Look you again into Psal
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
certainly fail thee in the time of trouble for God will tear it to pieces and thou wilt be found naked then woe woe to thee in the day of Gods wrath when he shall come forth to render vengeance upon all that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks 2 Thes 1. 7. 8 9. O soul who ever thou art that shalt read these lines I beg thee therefore to hearken to that good advice given thee from the Lord in Isa 55. 6. Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near CHAP 15. I come in the next place to speak of the Brazen Serpent another Type which was given out to the Children of Israel in the VVildernesse read Numb 21. 6 7 8 9. THe occasion of which was this because of those hot fiery stinging Serpents which in the Wildernesse had destroyed so many of the Israelites up and down in the Countrey therefore did the Lord out of compassion to the Jews cause a thing to be made called a Serpent and it was to be set upon a pole for this end viz. that if at any time any of the people should be stung by any of the Serpents in the Wilderness if they at the same time should but look up at the Brazen Serpent set upon a pole in the midst of the Camp for that purpose this would bring them home an immediate cure upon their persons at the same instant Now this Type had as to its use special reference to Jesus Christ for such a remedy is Jesus Christ to spiritual stinged souls God in mercy to the elect hath sent his Son into the world and advanced Christ his Son upon the pole of the Gospel that he might cure them of their spiritual stingings occasioned by Sinne and the Devil the worst of Serpents If we look up to this Serpent upon the pole of the Gospel with an eye of faith John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son into the world thaâ— whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting lâ—fe so John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Alluding to the use of the brazen Serpent in the Wilderness which was to be looked up unto or to be beheld so saith John of the Lamb Christ Jesus behold the Lamb or look up to him if you ever intend to be cured of your spiritual stingings therefore for this purpose Christ is called the healer of the nations Rev. 22. 2. Use 1. O then soul whoever thou art that at any time art bit with the guilt of sin or by the prevalent working of any corruption O soul if thou wilt but look up to Jesus Christ the spiritual Serpent by an eye of faith thou mayest as certainly expect a cure to be wrought on thy soul as the Israelites who in looking up to their brazen Serpent in the Wilderness might expect a cure to be done on their bodies therefore is salvation tendred upon this act of the soul in looking up to Christ by an eye of faith Isa 45 22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and you shall be saved O therefore soul have a care thou doest not lose looking up to Christ there is nothing else will or can damn thy soul but this thy not looking up to Christ as a Saviour and Redeemer and resting upon him alone for life and salvation as one that is able to save to the utmost as the Apostle speaks in Heb. 7. 25. CHAP. 16 I now come to speak of the Tabernacle another Type given out to the Israelites in the VVilderness the manner and form of it I have already described to you before THis Tabernacle was typical two wayes or it typed out these two things to us First Christ himself Secondly The Church of Christ First It typed out Christ himself and that in these respects First As to the glory and excellency of Jesus Christ the Tabernacle was exceeding excellent and glorious within for all the inward parts of it were over laid with pure Gold Exod. 35. This was to shew us the richness and worth of the Son of God that so the creature might see cause to desire him love him and chuse him to themselves as their highest portion for ever therefore when the Holy Spirir doth speak of Christ it speaks of him under this consideration as excellent Prov. 3. 13 14 15 16. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of silver and the gain thereof then fine gold she is more precious then rubies and all the things which thou caust desire are not to be compared to her length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Heb. 13. speaking of Christ saith He is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express image of his Fathers person Therefore saith the Spouse Cant. 5. 10. speaking of Christ He is the chiefest to me of ten thousand And to this agreeth the words of Peter speaking of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you which believe he is excellent Secondly As the Tabernacle typed forth Christ in point of beauty or excellency so in point of acceptation for in the Wilderness if the people would worship God acceptably it must be at the door of the Tabernacle see Numb 8. 15. chap. 18. 3 4. 7 8. and at the Tabernacle door were the people to wait until the Priest within had done the service of the Tabernacle for them before the Lord which shews us thus much that if we intend in Gospel dayes to worship the Father acceptably we must come to the Father at the Tabernacle Christ and by the hand of Faith lay down our offerings at the door of his Worth and Merits therefore saith Christ himself John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man can come to the Father but by me Use 1. O therefore soul when ever thou doest any thing of the Worship of God be sure thou come to God alwayes by the door of this Tabernacle Christ if thou meanest to be accepted in and about what thou doest in the service of God offer all thou hast to offer God withal in Christs name in and by his worth and merits onely for his sake and upon his account and be wholly nothing in thy own esteem Come to the door of the Tabernacle under the sence of a meer piece of nothing bring with thee a self-loathing and self-condemning self-abhorring frame of spirit and let Christ be all and in all to thy soul and in thy esteem when thou art before the Lord in point of acceptation Phil. 2. 8 9. I count all things but as dung in comparison of Christ and I desire to be found alone in him Thirdly The Tabernacle was a Type of Christ in point of revelation Exod.
above and his people under the Altar Christ so that by all hath been spoken it appears that the Altars in the Tabernacle did intend Christ which was then to come in the flesh Secondly I shall shew you in the next place how the two Altars being of two differing uses did signifie the two great works which Christ was to perform to God for believers I shall begin with the Altar that was overlaid with Brass This Altar signified Christ in the work of making or giving satisfaction to the justice of God for sin for upon this Altar in the Tabernacle were the bodies of those beasts offered which were slain for sin and they were offered to God in hot flaming fire therefore called the burnt offering so was Jesus Christ an Altar to bear the indignation of God for the Elect upon Christs back as upon the Altar did stand both the sins and the burning hot wrath of Gods justice together which like mighty flashes of lightning came upon the soul of our dear and precious Saviour which made the bloudy sweats upon him in the Garden Luke 22. 44. Therefore in Isa 53. The Holy Ghost shews you the Elects sins and Gods wrath both together standing at one and the self same time upon the back of Christ Isa 53. 6 7. We all like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid the iniquities of us all upon him he was oppressed he was afflicted so ver 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin so ver 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and was numbred with the transgressour and did bear the sins of many so 1 Pet. 1 18 19. with chap. 2. 24. For ye know that ye were not redeemed with Silver or Gold but by the precious bloud of Jesus Christ as a Lamb without blemish and without spot who in his own body bear our sins upon the Tree But notable is that place of the Apostle in Heb. 13. 11 12. For the bodiess of those beasts whose bloud is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest for sin are burnt without the Camp wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud suffered without the gate so Eph. 5. 2. saith S. Paul speaking of Christ He gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Thus you see how Christ in his sufferings makes good what the Altar of Brass with the sacrifice upon it did signifie and hold out to the beholders where indeed our Saviour was both the Altar and the Sacrifice too By which offering up of himself as the Altar and Sacrifice to God he hath purchased eternal Redemption for us and hath for ever perfected those which are sanctified as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10. 10 12 14. verses Use 1. O then this should teach all true Believers to rejoyce and sing aloud for joy of soul O Saints lift up your heads and with your voice bless the Lord take with you these words and sing with the Psalmist Psal 118. 20 21. 22 23. I will praise the Lord for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation for the stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes this is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That the soul that was once so far from God as hell is from heaven should have an Altar of satisfaction provided for him yea and a sacrifice to in order to his full justification before the everlasting burnings O saith David Psal 66. 16. Come hither and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul Why what 's the matter David what is it that God hath done for you O I that was a poor sinful wretch and accursed miserable creature a condemned Malefactor before God for the breach of his royal law and could never possibly have redeemed my self by all that ever I could do of my self or in my own strength O I was one who was under the guilt of sin and a slave to Satan an heir of Hell a childe of darkness a fire-brand of the bottomless pit a son of perdition a lost perishing soul in my self for ever Oh I that was alien to the promise a stranger to the Covenants and Commonwealth of Israel and without hope of God in the world am now again made nigh by the Blood of Christ and thereby taken again into the reconciled love and favour of God through this altar of grace and satisfaction which the Father in mercy hath set up for my soul upon which all my sins are laid past present and to come Isâ— 53. 6. So that through the rich mercy of God I can say I am delivered from the law wherein I was held through the satisfaction and full payment the Father received from my Altar Christ Rom. 7. 6. And although before I had any interest in this Altar Christ I feared death and hell every day before yet now I can say there is therefore now no condemnation to me who am resolved not to walk after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. Now can I come with boldness to the throne of grace to ask grace and mercy to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. O this Altar Christ by his sufferings hath opened a new and living way to the Father for me a way consecrated through the vail of his flesh Heb. 10. 18 19 20. By which means although I durst not look up to the Father before I can come into his blessed presence as a childe and call him Father and I can come to him upon the account of purchase and demand my adopted rights and purchased priviledges at my Fathers hands and that upon the account of altar attonement which was made and done by my Altar Christ when he offered up himself a sacrifice to God without spot and blemish for me Eph. 5. 2. And although I was as black as hell and as full of spots as the Leopard in Gods sight yet now shall I be found of God compleat in Jesus Christ not having spot or wrincle Col. 2. 10 Ephes 5. 27. O thus may every true Believer say and sing with David for the weakest and least of the Children of God hath as large and as full and as ample a satisfaction laid down for him to God as David and his priviledges by this Altar and his right unto this Altar Christ is as large and altogether as full as David's was so saith Paul Rom. 10. 12. The same Lord over all is rich unto of that call upon him for he is no respecter of persons Use 2. Let this teach Christians to have great recourse
in the opening of it in the Ordinances how have you been made to cry out with Peter Matth. 17. 4. Master it is good to be here what blessed heart-affecting discoveries doth there come out of the Tabernacle sometimes therefore doth David so much prize the Tabernacle or House and Church of God Psal 84. 1 2 4. Oh how amiable are thy Tabernables O Lord of hosts my soul longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God blessed are all they that dwell in thy house for they will be still praising thee Why should those that live in the Tabernacle or house of God so much praise God Answer amongst many reasons so to do this is not a small one because of the exceeding glory God discovers to them in the Church Oh what glorious gifts are there what glorious Ordinances what glorious Ministers are there what a glorious Gospel what glorious discoveries are there made of this Gospel in the Church what a glorious Spirit is there in the Tabernacle of the Church Oh what glorious graces do there live in the hearts of the Materials of this Tabernacle besides the glorious name of God lives there and all this covered over with Rams skins dyed red and coverings made of Goats hair But however let Believers comfort themselves God will have a time to remove the covering made of Rams skins and Goats hair and then the world shall see and know the worth anâ— glory of the Tabernacle or Church There are many precious promises in the word of God about the removing of the Rams skin covering from the Church of God take a few for all one is in Psal 45. That where the Church of God because of her deformity on the out side hath been the scorn of the Earth yet the time shall come when God shall remove her Rams skin and Goats hair covering that the rich men of the Earth shall entreat the Churches favour as ver 12. of that 45. Psalm And the Daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour Isa 60. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee I will make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations So Verse 14. The Sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Zion of the holy one of Israel Verse 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee the Fir-tree the Pine-tree and the Box together to beautifie the place of my Sanctuary for I will make the place of my feet glorious So Verse 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted So Verse 3. For the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising So Isa 54. 11 12. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colours and lay thy Foundation with Saphires I will make thy windows of Aggates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant Stones So Verse 13. 14. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children in righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terrour for it shall not come near thee But the Question wiâ—l be when shall these Prophesies be made good I Answer When Israel shall come to his good land then it shall be then shall God take away the Tabernacle covering made of Rams skins and Goats hair which was upon the Tabernacle all the while of its being in the wilderness and then will God shew the glory of the Tabernacle his Church to all the world Isa 60. 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Is a Metaphor taken from the rising Sun as that when the Sun riseth upon the earth all the earth is filled with the beams of its glorious light so shall the world with the glory of the Tabernacle You know this covering upon the Tabernacle lasted but during their abode in the wilderness for when they came into the land of promise and rest the covering was taken away in a great measure and the glory of it suffered more to appear then formerly as you may perceive when Solomon turned the Tabernacle into a most Magnificent Temple Now this land of rest or the end of the wilderness journey I find to be two ways held out in Scripture either for the ultimate glory above or for that Kingdom of glory which Christ calls his Kingdom as he is the Son of man which he so often promiseth his people as the reward of their sufferings for him for our Saviour makes a clear difference between the Kingdom of ultimate glory above and the Kingdom of glory which Christ hath promised to give his people for their Faith Love and Constancy to him in suffering-times pray read well and consider that passage of our Saviour Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father on his Throne Mark that there is the Fathers Throne of glory and there is the Sons Throne of glory mine saith Christ and my Fathers now one of these Thrones or Kingdoms of glory hath Christ made the proper reward of the Saints sufferings and that is what he calls his Kingdom a Kingdom distinct from the Fathers Rev. 3. 21. I will grant him to sit with me upon my Throne which is promised the Saints so often in the word of truth Math. 19. 28. Rev. 2. 26 27. Rev. 20. 4. Rev. 21. 2 3. Now all these Scriptures relate to the Kingdom of Christ this none will deny Secondly That this Kingdom is held out to the Saints and promised them as the reward of their sufferings it must also be granted Thirdly That this Kingdom thus promised to the Saints as the reward of their sufferings cannot be applyed to the ultimate glory will appear if we look into each Scripture neither can men read these Scriptures so without being guilty of putting meer Nonsense upon the face of Scipture Pray let us look into these places Math. 19. 28. And Jesus said unto them Verily Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon 12. thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Now this very promise is again handed out by our Saviour after his Ascension to John the Divine in the Isle of Patmos Rev. 3. 2. To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me on my throne Look into Rev. 20 4.
There you have the same promise applyed to his proper subjects which were suffering Saints and I saw thrones and they that sate upon them and Judgement was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Iesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his Image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads nor in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Now the Question will be whether this Text do neither relate to the Kingdom of ultimate glory taking its rise from the general Judgment day mentioned Math. 2. 5. 31 32. Or whether it relates to the setting up of Christs Kingdom here on Earth which is mentioned Dan. 2. 44. And in the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Now certainly it cannot relate to that Kingdom which takes its rise from the general Judgment day because we find the general Judgment day pointed at by the Holy Ghost to be a thousand years after this Kingdom begins Rev. 20. Where you read after a thousand years time spent in the management and ordering of the Son of mans Kingdom then the general Judgment day takes its place as appears from Verse 11. 12 13 14 15. Secondly Because this Kingdom is to have an end before the other begins Rev. 20. 7 8 9. Thirdly The great glory resolves this into it self 1 Cor. 15. 24. Then cometh the end meaning the end of the Son of mans Kingdom which answereth to that in Rev 20. 7 8 9 When he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power Fourthly Because this glorious Kingdom of the Son of man promised to the Saints as the reward of their faithfulness in holding out and suffering for him is so far from being any part of the ultimate glory above I mean so as to be enjoyed above that its what is expresly said to come down from that which is above Rev. 21. 2 3. And I John saw the holy City the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband and I heard a great voice saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Another Text of Scripture which speaks of the Son of mans Kingdom of glory here on Earth is in Rev. 2. 26 27 And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I have received of my Father Now Reader pray read well and consider these words then give thy thoughts whether any thing in them can be applied to the ultimate glory not but that I believe the Saints shall enter there at last but whether there be not a glorious Kingdom on this side that for the Saints to enjoy as the reward of their sufferings which hath its foundation in the Scriptures Now observe in the abovesaid words of John it s said in ths Kingdom the Saints shall have power over the Nations so as to rule some and to break others in pieces with rods of Iron Now if this must relate to the glory of the Saints after the last and great general Judgment day behold as I said before what Nonsense we put upon the Scriptures for according to the Description given of the great and general Judgment day the wicked must immediately after sentence given depart into hell and the godly shall be taken up into heaven where each party shall be to eternity and shall never see the face of each other more Math. 25. 33. with 41. Well then according to that of Math. 25. The wicked and the godly shall be so totally separated as that they shall never see the face of one another more then where be the Nations and who are they that the Saints must rule over with Iron rods and break to pieces Besides over whom shall the Saints rule in Heaven for there only God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. Again Iron rods notes severity and bitterness now what of this do you promise your selves in Heaven Heaven knows nothing of that in the least and to say any shall rule with Iron rods there is to say that which the word doth not say Therefore be content Christian to travel to the end of thy appointed wilderness-journey when the time cometh that thou must enter into this good land and much promised Kingdom then expect thy Spiritual Solomon to turn thy Tabernacle state of deformity into a famous Temple of glory CHAP. 28. I come now to speak of the High Priest under the Law which was a Type of Jesus Christ also IN the handling of which I shall observe this method First Speak something as to the place out of which the High Priest was to be chosen Secondly I shall speak of the Qualifications which he was to be endued withall Thirdly I shall speak of the Consecrated Garments which he was to administer in Fourthly I shall speak of the manner of the Priests Consecration Fifthly Of the Work he was to do for the people when chosen for them First As to the place out of which the High Priest was to be chosen by being chosen I do not mean that there was such a Custom or Rule amongst the Jews before the Corruption crept into the Jewish Church for the people to chuse their High Priests but I intend the thing as it respects the first setting apart of a High Priest for the people Now the place from whence the High Priest was to be taken it was from amongst the Children of Israel not from a strange people or Country Exod. 28. 1. And take thou unto thee Aaron thy Brother and his Sons with him from amongst the Children of Israel that he may Minister unto me in the Priests Office This Particular affords us these two Uses Use 1. It serves to remove out of the way two great Objections which may abide upon the hearts of some tender Souls who may be unwilling to adventure their case in Christs hands First Because of their unacquaintance with him he is too much a stranger to them therefore some make no use of him for their High Priest Secondly Others call in Question his faithfulness therefore others make no use of him that which they have to commit to the High Priests care is of an infinite value it s the price of a Soul which if it should miscarry through want of faithfulness in the Priest they lose their all and
all pains of body or decrepidness of limbs Isa 35. 5 6. Revel 21. 4. Revel 22. 3. Lastly And that which will crown all will be this they shall be under the constant shinings of Gods face of glorious love and mercy which will never admit of any withdrawings more Rev. 22. 4 5. Object But some may say doth not our Saviour say That my kingdom is not of this world 1 John 18. 36. and that the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation Luke 17. 20. and that the kingdom of God is within you ver 21. How is it which you say the kingdom of Christ shall be on earth in this world To which I answer That there is a three-fold kingdom which is attributed to Jesus Christ 1. A kingdom of providence or his providential kingdom 2. And a kingdom of grace 3. A kingdom of glory here on earth As for his providential kingdom of that I shall say but little But there is his kingdom of grace in the heart This Kingdom cometh not with observation indeed and this is not of this world for nothing in the world can procure or effect it in the heart of any creature The strongest Caesar or wisest Philosopher or richest Nabal in the world should they put all their strength and parts and riches together can do nothing in this case without the mighty power of God This kingdom of grace is within in the heart indeed and it affords no signs or fore-running tokens of it in the least but as the winde bloweth where it listeth so is the spirits coming upon a soul at the time of its conversion you hear the sound of it but know not from whence it is so saith our Saviour John 3. 7 8. But thiâ—dly There is his glorious Kingdom or Kingdom of Glory and that is what is of this world and that which cometh with signs and tokens of observation that Christ is to have a Kingdom in this world a Kingdom of external glory hath been the business which we have proved already but for better satisfaction take this Scripture Revel 11. 15. And there were voices in heaven saying The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lords and of his Christs And that the coming of this kingdom is with observation that is it s attended with its fore-running signes and tokens there is nothing more clear read Mat. 24. from the 1. ver to the 30. You shall meet with little else but matter of observation touching the coming of this kingdome into the world ver 30. So that Christ saying My kingdom is not in this world and my kingdom cometh not with observation and my kingdom is within you doth not in the least fight against this truth if we consider the various administrations of the Kingdom I grant all this to be properly applied to the kingdom of his Grace but not to the Kingdom of his Glory which he shall have here as he is the Son of man Further Now the Jews Canaan was an inheritance which God gave the people freely Deut. 19. 1. So is it in this case to have a right to this Kingdom or Gospel Canaan of rest and peace it is the free gift of God without any desert on our part at all take the kingdom as it is of grace here in the heart or of glory in the Nations or of ultimate glory above to have a portion in it it s of free gift therefore saith Christ Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Likewise Canaan it was an inheritance which was divided to the children of Israel proportionably to every one by lot Numb 26 54 55 56. So is it in this case of the Gospel Canaan every true Israelite shall have his portion of grace and glory in this kingdom none shall say then that his field shall yield no meat or that his flock be cut off the fold no no but rather with David to cry out Psalm 16. 5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot the lines are fallen in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage Again The Jews were to march in an armed state to their Canaan of old so should all the Saints get on about them their spiritual armour as the Apostle speaks in Ephes 6. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Wherefore take on thr whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and when you have done all to stand stand therefore having your loins girt about with â—ruth and having on the brest plate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace above all things take on the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be abâ—e to quench the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God praying alwayes with supplâ—cation in the spirit watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Without this armour on about you never think to march safe to this good Land take it either for the kingdom of glory here on earth or the kingdom of glory above with the Father Your enemies are worse then those which stood in Israels way to their Canaan saith Paul Eph. 6. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but agaâ—nst principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spirital wickedness got into high places Likewise the Jews were to fight for the good Land they were not onely to put on their armour but they were to use it Deut. 7. 19 20 21 22 23 24 So must Christians not onely put on their spiritual armour but they must use it against the Devil sin and temptation Armour signifies but little if a man make no use of it therefore saith Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art called Lastly They were to fight under their captain Joshua So this sheweth Christians under whose banner they should fight and who they should engage with them in the quarrel their spiritual Joshua in whose strength alone they are more then conquerors Rom. 8. 37. Nay in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us Saints your enemies are great and politick and truly they contend with you for things of a very great concernment it s for your souls things of more worth then the world and in your selves you are poor weak things but Christ is the power of God yea the Lion of the Tribe of Judah be sure if you intend to overcome and prevail get under the shadow of Christs wing set Christ before you make him the captain and he will fight your battle for you and make the necks of your stout enemies to lie under your feet CHAP. 37. Of their Cities of Refuge THese Cities were six in number