wickedness My brethren where can you go into what Land Countrey County City Town or Family but you may blush to see the common prophaneness of it to your great grief what swearing lying couzening theeving brawling fighting and revelling is there abounding amongst men how do the most men tumble and wallow in the filth of uncleanness how are some buried up head and ears in their pride how do others glory in their oppression O how are others drowned in their malice how like swines do others reel up and down in their drunkenness what treachery and deceit and falshood dwells there in the mindes of men one against another as the Prophet speaks Micah 7. 4 5 6. The best of them is as a briar and the most upright of them sharper then a thorn-hedge Trust ye not in a friend put ye no confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom for the son dishonoureth the father the daughter riseth up against the mother in law a mans enemies are the men of his own house To this agreeth the words of Paul to the Ephesians chap 2. 2 3 Where in times past you walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom ye had your conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desire of the minde and of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Therefore it is that David when he was forced to flie into Gath among the Philistines because of the prophaneness of the people cryed out Woe is me that I dwell in Mesech and am constrained to live in the tents of ungodliness Secondly As this agreeth with Egppt for prophaneness so for false worship It is natural for men in a carnal concondition to worship God in a wrong manner as a good man said once every man is born with a little Pope in his belly To set up a false worship is the first thing a carnal man puts himself forth in This is the reason that the greatest part of the world lieth drowned in false worship and ante-christianisme it is because they are carnal and blinde and so want the light of God his holy Spirit to guide them into the truth Where will you expect to finde fish but in the water where would you see birds but in the air where would you expect to finde four footed beasts but upon the earth so where would you finde poor blinde carnal men and women worshipping but in their false forms pictures images and rejected ceremonies you may see how stiff the Pharisees stuck unto these things Matth. 15. 1 2. but you may see our Saviours answer Ver. 3. with 8 9. You know Paul the Apostle telleth the Saints in his day that they had been worshippers of stocks and stones dumb idols to this agreeth our Saviours words John 4 22 speaking to the poor carnal woman of Samaria You worship you know not what This is is most certain that the world for want of sight erre in every thing So that you see how well the natural estate of mankinde doth agree with the Land of Egypt for false worship or for worshipping God in a false manner Again Egypt was a place of hard bondage and cruel burthens a place that required brick to be made without straw Exod. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. besides the officers of the place would often beat the people if they failed of ought of their work ver 14. they would also refuse to hear the peoples cryes ver 16 17. This answers unto the covenant of works which every carnal man and woman in the world is bound unto by nature and lives under This covenant even to fulfil it in the exactest measure thereof This covenant was made with us in the state of innocency which requires perfect obedience in thought word and deed and not onely perfect obedience but constant continual obedience to the last breath Deut. 6. 5. with Gal. 3. 10. So that if a man fails but in one point of the Law of Works he is guilty of the breach of the whole Iames 2. 10. Now this Covenant of works doth not onely reach the outward actions of the body as some think but the inward motions intentions and purposes of the minde for so our Saviour expounds this Covenant Mat. 5. 20 21 22 with 27 28. verses Now as the case stands with the creature with respect to his fall this covenant of works may well be compared unto Pharaohs task-masters and those that yet live under it to the Jews in Egypt who were under the power of those Task-masters Exodus 5. 10 11 12 13. 14 15 16 17. verses For first of all they required of the Jews brick to be made without straw ver 10 11. so doth the Law require full and perfect obedience of the soul both in body and spirit as ever it did Saith the Law Bring me forth the full tale of obedience according to my commands let not ought of the works be deminished which ye should do in soul and body I will not abate one jot of it bring forth the full tale of your duties let not one be neglected if there be you shall dye the death and perform them in such a manner as I have required or expect death without mercy what you do see it be perfectly holy without the least stain of sin in it in thy prayings in thy fastings in thy mournings in thy hearings in thy almes in thy works of mercy in all that thou doest see that there be not the least vain thought in it nor the least stain of hypocrisie in it if there be thou shalt be damned to eternity Likewise see that it be constantly so with thee from thy birth to thy death If in all thy life thou shalt but miscarry in a word or thought I will pour out all my plagues and curses upon thee Matth. 12. 36. with Gal. 2. 10. I will not regard any thing that thou hast done in my service before though thou hast served me to the last hour of thy life with all thy strength and with all thy power yet if at last thou shalt offend in one word or deed thou shalt dye the death a death eternal of soul as well as body Ezek. 18. 24. Deut 27. ver 26. Now when the soul comes to be awakened to the voice of the Law how is it overwhelmed with amazement and horrour like the Jews under their task-masters how bitterly doth the soul bewail his condition crying out with Paul Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from so cruel a bondage as this Thus the soul falling down flat on the ground cryeth out of his condition because of the hard usage it hath from the Law that it should require the full tale of brick and yet deny straw O saith the soul
out O what manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God CHAP. 19. I shall in the next place speak of the Candlestick which was placed in the Tabernacle IN this Tabernacle there was placed a Candlestick which was made of pure Gold and the fashion of it was thus It parted from a foot high in the stem into six branches three of the branches going one way and three of the branches going another way there were three bowls made like unto three almonds with their knobs and their flowers to every branch but in the stem of the Cnadlestick below their parting were four bowls with their knobs and their flowers Exod. 27. 17. Exod 37. 18 19 20. By the Candlestick in this place we are to understand to be meant the Church of God which Church is made up of true Believers which truly and sincerely profess and own Christ and his Worship being redeemed by his Blood from all the earth Rev. 7. 14. This is the signification of the Candlestick the truth of which you may read Rev. 1. 20. where the seven Churches are compared to seven golden Candlesticks which answereth to the Candlestick in the Tabernacle for that was made of pure beaten Gold Ex. 27. 17. Now the Church of God may be compared to a Candlestick several manner of wayes First As a Candlestick is made to mount or hold up the light that all in a time of darkness may see so doth the Church and people of God they hold up the light of truth and the bright shinings of the word and Gospel that all that are in the dark world who sit in the Region and shadow of death might behold the face of God in Jesus Christ shining through the Saints gifts graces and holy conversations in upon their souls Isaiah 2. 3. The Law shall go forth out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem by which means Isa 9. 2. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light and they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Though this latter prophesie doth principally belong to Christ yet it is to be applied to his Church also for it s through them Christ shineth upon the dark world therefore saith our Saviour to his Dissciples Matth. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world meaning they were the Candlestick prepared of God to hold up and hold out the light of truth to the dark blinde miserable world Use 1. This informs then what a deal of duty lieth upon the Church both Ministers as well as others First For Ministers what care should they take and what pains should they expose themselves unto in order to the keeping up and holding forth the light and word of the Gospel to the dark nations of the earth what care did Paul take to fulfil his ministry and to discharge his duty this way Acts 20. 24. He counted not his life dear unto himself so that he could fulfil his ministry with you which ministration he had received from the Lord Jesus and that he might be useful this way you may take notice of Pauls practice Acts 20. 20. I have kept back nothing which was profitable to you but have shewed you and taught you openly and throughout every house But O good God how few such house preaching lights doth the eart afford us in this our age but contrariwise instead of men that should make it their business with Paul and the rest of the Apostles to go from house to house to enlighten the dark famiâ—ies of the earth in the knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ they rather bend their forces parts wits and purses to darken and put out the light of truth and the knowledge of God in all the families they meet withal where they go like unto those teachers of old spoken of in Ezek. 34. 18 19. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures and to have drunk of the deep waters but you must foul the residue with your feet and as for my flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet How far these or such as these are from being of the true Candlestick appointed to hold up and hold out the light of truth in the world let the reader judge But again this should teach all the Saints for they are a part of the Candlestick also to endeavour in their several places and callings to promote the glory of God in their generations to study godliness and which way they may be useful with their gifts and graces amongst their relations and neighbours and in their families in order to the bringing in of their souls to Jesus Christ therefore saith our Saviour Mat. 5 16. Let pour light so shine before men that they seeing your good works might glorifie your Father which is in heaven To this agreeth the words of Paul Phil. 2 16. with ch 15. ver 15. He exhorts all true Christians that they would labour to hold forth the word of life and that they would labour to live unblameable in their lives and spotless in their conversations and that they would keep themselves without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation amongst whom they were to shine as lights so verse 16. The reason of the former exhortation is given you viz. because they are to hold forth the word of life even as a Candlestick they are to hold up or hold forth the light of truth Secondly A candlestick is appointed to hold fast as wel as to hold up the light that it fall not down because the fall of which many times puts out the light so is the Church of God prepared and fitted to succour and keep up the light of Gods holy truth in the earth that it might not be thrown down by the malice of the devil and wicked men who labour night and day to put it out in the world There be two wayes by which God fitteth the Church as a Candlestick to keep up the light of truth in the world The first is by pouring forth upon them the gifts of the Spirit by vertue of which they are enabled to discover detect and finde out all errour and whatsoever may be contrary to sound doctrine as in Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars Hence it is that the adversaries of truth are said not to be able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which St. Stephen spake Acts 6. 10. The reason you may perceive lay in this the Church of which Stephen was a member had a very great measure of the gifts of the Spirit which came upon them but a little before read Acts 2. 1 2 3 4. Secondly God fits his Church as
things to the comers read Jeremiah 3. 33 34. with Ezekiel 26. 27. Read Proverbs 1. 22. 23. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and scorners delight in scorning and fools haâ—e knowledge turn ye at my reproofs behold I will pour out my spirit upon you and I will make known my words unto you Therefore soul let not the father of lyes keep thee any longer from Jesus Christ thy Gospel Altar but come with the greatest freedom and do not dispute so much thy unworthiness as the Lord Chtists sufficiency in point of righteousness for whatever thy life hath been though never so notoriously wicked yet in the name of God and by special commission from Christ we are to tell thee that neither the number of thy sins nor yet the greatness of thy sinnes can hurt thee but thy coming â—o the Altar of satisfaction where attonement is to be made for sinne this is it that will prove thy soul-destroying sinne for ever if thou take not heed of it Hence it is that David made the greatnesse of sin the onely ground of coming to the Altar Psal 25. 11. Lord pardon my Iniquity for my sinne is wondrous great Thirdly A third season when a Christian should have regard to the Altar of satisfaction is in corruption-prevailing seasons when the heart is overcome with the strength of corruption then is it a fit time for the soul to have much recourse to ths Altar corruption can never live if thou bring it to this place that altar upon which Christ died for sin will of all places in the world yield thee the greatest death to sin this is the sword of Goliah which hath none like it Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this that our old man is Crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin But worthy of note is that place of the Apostle in the 1 John 3. 8. For this purpose was the Son of God manifest that he might destroy the work of the Devil As if the Apostle should say for this purpose was the Son of God manifested or for this purpose was the Altar of satisfaction erected and set up that poor souls might as well get sin and corruption mortified and subdued in them as to have the guilt of sin removed out of their souls O this is the tree of Life which standeth in the Paradise of God the leaves whereof will heal the Nations O therefore soul wouldst get down the power of sin in thy soul as well as to get out the guilt of sin from thy soul O then when ever corruption gets head be sure to bring thy soul to the Altar of satisfaction and atonement and there lay thy soul down at the feet of the Altar and beg of Jesus Christ that he would yield forth the blessed effects of his death upon thy soul that as he died upon the Cross to remove out of the way the guilt of thy sins so likewise he would be pleased out of his infinite mercy and love to drop something of his sufferings some vertue of his death into thy soul which might kill sin in thy mortal body Now this being done adding faith to the work thou needst not doubt but a blessed issue in time will proceed to the great joy and comfort of thy soul only labour for a waiting frame of spirit give God his own time to effect this work in thy soul for in time thou shalt Reap if thou faint not Objection But doth not the Apostle say in Hebrewes 13. 10. That we have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle then it seems all may not come with that boldnesse to the Altar of satisfaction as you say Answer The Apostle is not to be understood so much in treating about the guilt of sin as above the use of Ceremonies Now the dangerous condition of the Hebrewes was two-fold not only was their Case sad with respect to their distance from God upou the account of sinnes guilt But their danger did farther appear in this they having their Ceremonies for a Christ to rest upon this kept them from Christ indeed by which means they were deprived of the benefit of Christs Merits Bloud and Righteousnesse which only takes away the guilt of sin as the Apostle elsewhere saith Galatians 5 4. For Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are iustified by the Law you are faln from grace As if the Apostle should say certainly so long as you stick to your Ceremonies and Jewish Rights you are at a great distance with Christ Christ can profit you nothing for you have Converted the Tabernacle Service into a Christ and you rest here and you live upon the Shadow in the neglect of the true Substance Christ unto which these Types and Legal Shadows should lead you Therefore while you serve the Tabernacle in this sense you have no right to eat of the Altar Christ but otherwise let the souls condition be never so desperate by reason of sinne yet here is an open door for him to step into the Tabernacle and fall upon this Altar Christ with boldnesse according to that word of the Apostle in Hebrewes 9 13 14 14. So that there is no sinne how great soever makes the soul uncapable of partaking of the Altar Christ who hath a desire to make out after Christ but only the souls resting upon some thing else on this side Christ and shall make that and not Christ his bottom for Salvation CHAP. 24 Of the Grate of Network made to this Altar I Now come to speak about the Grate of Network which was made to the Altar and placed under the compass of the Altar which was about the midst of the Altar underneath Exod. 27. 4 5. The use of which was to let forth the Ashes through the small holes of the Grate when the Sacrifice or Burnt Offering should be offered before the Lord upon it Now the Ashes of any thing which is burnt we look on it as the Dross or Excrements of the thing burned so it is in this case therefore was the Grate prepared to convey the Ashes of the sacrifice under the Altar which was to be carried forth without the Camp This shews us this much First of all the exceeding rich usefulness of Jesus Christ every way for Believers First In point of Justification From hence Believers may assure themselves that when Christ became a Sacrifice to God for them in order to their Justification that God was well pleased with it which was for the great comfort of Believers publickly witnessed from Heaven Mat. 3. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased To this agreeth the words of S. Paul Ephes 5. 2. Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour So much as this you may read in this blessed Type for there was nothing which was offered upon this Altar to
sheep of Christ and to none else This is not for him that will catch at any comfort to protect himself in a trade of sin but this truth chiefly belongs to those that are indeed truly humbled under and burthened with the sense of the weight of sin To such only I speak do your sins press you down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves Do your iniquities so weigh down your heads as that you cannot look up Dare not you come to God nor stand in his presence Do you fear that your sins have provoked God against you Do you doubt the Plague is begun against you are you fearful the wrath of God is coming out upon you and that it may prove such a storm as may sink you into the lowest Hell Yet O look up to your interceding High Priest who is now in Heaven for you who labours to prevail upon the heart of God for pardoning grace on your behalf who likewise makes it his business to observe his Fathers countenance towards Believers that if at any time his face of Justice begins to look grim and he perceives that wrath begins to come forth he may as Aaron did step quickly in between God and the people and so by his interposing presence of grac eand powerful Intercession he may allay the anger of his Father again Hence it is that John comforts doubting drooping souls in his day with this truth because indeed it is a truth proper to that end and purpose and farther John the Divine doth not only apply this truth as a Cordial to bear them up under the sense of sin but likewise as a notable preservative against the act of sin 1 John 2. 1 2. My little children I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation in his blood for our sins and not onely for ours but for the sins of the whole world O Soul live upon this blessed truth stay thy self here under all thy doubtings O consider sin may vex and disquiet thee but all cannot hurt thee so long as Christ keeps up his praying hands to God for thee it shall not do thy soul the least injury Christ doth prevail and he will prevail in heaven for thee against sin and wrath Christ lies in the way of his Fathers wrath as it were if any of it run forth it must pass through Christ he stands between the Father and thy Soul in a time of the Fathers displeasure and cryes out good Father stay thy wrath O hold thy hands strike not this poor sinner if thou strikest I am resolved the blows shall alight all on my back I will bear all and suffer all and take all both fault and punishment upon my self This the Father tried once and it proved true when the Father went to strike the Elect the blows fell all upon Christs own back which bruised him very much Isa 52. 1. which leads me to a fifth use of the Point Use 5. Which is to exhort thee O soul from what hath been said about the intercession of Jesus Christ for thee Oh! to love Jesus Christ with all thy heart and with all thy strength and with all thy soul O who can love such a friend as Christ is too much O therefore strive to love with the love of service and obedience with the love of delight with the love of communion and with the love of desire so as to part with Father Mother Wife Husband Children Honours Lands Livings yea all that 's near and dear for Jesus Christ O account nothing too much you do for him in his Worship in his Ordinances as in Prayer Hearing Reading in Meditating Mourning Weeping Repenting Oh account nothing too much you administer unto him in his People in his Ministers in the mannaging of his Cause and Gospel in the world O with Mary think not your Alablaster Box and Oyntment too good to bring forth in a time of need for Jesus Christ Oh account nothing too much you suffer for Christ account no prison to bad to go into for Christ no dungeon too deep to lie in for Christ no death too disgraceful for Christs sake because he thought nothing too much he suffered for you nor any thing too much which he now doth for you CHAP. 25. Of the Brazen Laver. I Now come to speak of the brazen Laver which was for this purpose that the Priests might wash themselves therein before they went into the Tabernacle to perform the Worshp and Service thereof Exod. 30. 18 19 20. Thou shalt also make a laver of Brass and his foot also of Brass to wash withal and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the Altar and thou shalt put water therein for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat when they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation they shall wash with water that they die not or when they come near unto the Altar to minister to burn offerings made by fire unto the Lord. This brazen Laver was a Type of Jesus Christ and the cleansing water which was in it typed out the Blood of Jesus Christ which onely can cleanse poor souls and wash them from their sinful guiltiness and sinful filthiness for as the Priests under the Law were to wash themselves in the brazen Laver before they were thought fit to have to do either with the holy God of Worship or the holy things of the Worship of God so are all the Elect first by Faith to wash themselves in the Blood of Christ this spiritual brazen Laver before they are thought fit to have to do either with God or his Worship Hence is that cleansing attributed to the Blood of Christ so often in Scripture to shew you it performs the same use to the Gospel Priests for so doth the Gospel term every Believer now Rev. 1. 6. as the Laver water did to the legal Priests 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all sin so Rev. 1. 5. To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Now in this chapter of Revelations you may see by the order of the words in verse 5 6. how the Holy Ghost makes the type and the antitipe to agree In Exod. 30. 19. you have the brazen Laver set up now in the 5. verse of this chapter you have Christ set out to you performing the same use and office in washing and cleansing In Exod. 30. 19. you have the subjects spoken of who they should be which should wash in the brazen Laver and these were Aaron and his sons now you know these were Priests Now look into Rev. 1. 6. there the subjects spoken of which must wash in the Laver of Christs Blood they are called Priests likewise which intends all believers in and under the Gospel all those which have washed in the Blood of Christ our
thy pleasures And for all his Kingdom-glory here below in all the plenty and fatness of it yet upon the account of these tastes which he had had of the far exceeding fatness and richness and sweetness he found in the Pomgranate truths of the house of God he doth protest in the Psal 84. 10. That one day in the Courts of the Lord were better then a thousand and that he had rather be a Door-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickedness There was likewise a glorious girdle made for the Priest which was wrought with Purple Blue and Scarlet fine twined Linen this the Priest was to wear about his loins Exod. 39. 5. with Exod. 29. 5. This girdle of the High Priest doth hold forth these things to our consideration the girding up of the loins doth import these things to us 1. It denotes the resolution of the will to action Jer. 1. 17. Thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces least I confound thee before them 2. Sometimes it denotes the strength which God gives to his servants by which means they are enabled to perform that work he imploys them about Psal 18. 39. For thou girdest me with strength unto the battel thou subduest under me those that rose up against me 3. Sometimes it s put down in Scripture to denote the sincerity and faithfulness of the mind in the work a man sets about Eph. 6. 14. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth Now all these considerations about the girding of the loins do all agree unto and meet together in the Golden girdle of our Gospel High Priest But first let me shew you that Jesus Christ our Gospel High Priest is set forth to you as the Anti type of the legal High Priest with respect to the garments which the High Priest was to wear and amongst which this of the Golden girdle is not omitted in Dan. 10. 5. 6. Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose loins were girded about with a Golden girdle his body also was like the Beryl and his face as the appearance of lightning his eyes as lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished Brass and the voice of his words like unto the voice of a multude So Rev 1. 13. And in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks one like unto the Son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a Golden girdle Now both Daniel and John had their Revelation from Jesus Christ and they both speak of him as the person who with his own hands gave it out to them And that it was he appears by the garb and dress in which they set him forth to you he was clothed in linen saith Daniel and clothed with a garment down to the foot saith Iohn which was as the High Priest did use to wear of which Christ was the Anti-type Now it can be none but Christ can be intended here by these two Prophets and that it was Christ it farther appears by Iohn who gives him the Title of the Son of man which Title was proper to Jesus Christ Besides both Daniel and Iohn tells you that the same person w ch gave out the prophesie to them which was clothed in linen and a garment down to the foot he was girt about the loins with a golden girdle Thus you see that Christ is set forth to you as a High Priest with respect to the garments which the High Priest did wear of which the girdle as you see was a part 2. I am to shew you that all the former considerations about the girding about of the Priests loins did all meet together in the Golden girdle of our Gospel High Priest First of all it denotes the resolution which was in Christ to the work of mans Salvation and Redemption Oh nothing could hinder the Lord Jesus from undertaking the thing although sin Satan the Curse of the Law the wrath of God Grave Death and Hell stood in the way yet he goes through all and makes his way thorow the highest difficulties that he might accomplish the thing he adventures soul and body glory happiness and all that was near and dear to him in order to the effecting it Luke 12. 50. I have a Baptism to be baptized with and oh how am I straitned untill it be accomplished which Baptism was not the Baptism with Water for in that sense he was baptized before Math. 3. 16. But it was the Baptism of his sufferings which he had so much a desire to finish and a resolution to go through Secondly He hath as great a resolution to bring forth sanctifying grace in the Saints by his Spirit as he had to bring forth justifying grace by his Death Zack 3. 4. And he answered and said unto those that stood before him take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass away from thee and I will cloth thee with change of garments This was spoken by Christ concerning his Church ver 1 2. But mark the resolution of Christ to the procuring of sanctifying garments which is that inward grace and holiness he fills them with which he sees his people stands in need of saith Christ I will do it It must and shall be so I am resolved as I have procured justifying grace for them so they shall be made holy I will give them sanctifying grace nothing shall cross my will in this matter Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. Then will I sprinkle you with clean water and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Mark the resolution of Christ to the sanctifying of his people he will do it take notice of the many Repetitions of his will there are in this place Thirdly So for the saying of his Church out of danger when begirt about with trouble Christ is resolved upon the business though sometimes the Devil and wicked men may think to make their Market upon the Saints that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against his Church and people saith Christ Psal 12. 5. For the oppression of the poor and for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith Christ and I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Mark how much the will and resolution of Christ lieth in this work of saving and delivering his Church out of the hands of men and Devils Use 5. O then how should this comfort and encourage
the people of God O Sirs study the girdle of your High Priest Jesus Christ do you doubt of Justification do you doubt of Sanctification do you doubt of deliverance from Sin Satan the wrath of God the malice of Devils and wicked men O look up to the girdle of resolution about the High Priests loins and wait patiently upon him for he is resolved to get all this for you in a time of need Secondly As the girding of the loins do imply the strength which God doth afford his servants in the work he imploys them in or about so is this abundantly made good in Christ our great High Priest our Saviour had a very great work to do and a weighty burthen to bear therefore it was necessary he should be filled with infinite strength First The work he was to do would have discouraged all the men in the world and Angels in heaven had they been put together to have engaged in it for he was to conflict with four enemies the least of which hath driven the whole world before it These are Satan Sin the World with all its temptations and the justice of God for the breach of his royal Law what power force or strength was there ever in the world that could bear up against one of these enemies besides Christ was to deal with death it self what strong Samson or valiant Alexander in the world could grable with this one enemy yet did our Saviour bring this enemy at his feet with case therefore saith the Apostle speaking of Christ Acts 2. 24. He hath loosed the bands of death because it was not possible he should be holden by it Secondly There must needs be infinite strength in Christ if we consider the weight of that burthen he was to bear upon his shoulders And that was all the sins of all the Elect in the world a weight which makes the whole earth to groan under the burthen of it as the Apostle speaks in Rom 8. 22. For all our sins were laid upon and charged on Jesus Christ Isa 53. 6. The Lord hath laid the iniquities of us all upon him so St. Peter speaking of Christ saith 1 Pet. 2 24. Who his owâ— self bear our sins in his own body on the tree Samson did never carry away the gates of the City with more ease then Christ did our sins upon his shoulders Therefore is Christ called a Rock Deut. 32. 31. And the Rock of strength and refuge Psal 62 7. Now all this was Christ as he was and is our High Priest for this lieth in the girdle of Christ which girdle he weared as our High Priest therefore you are to look upon all this as yours upon believing Christ needed not this himself but this strength was put into him for believers 1. To do the great work of saving of them out of the hands of their enemies 2. That as their Head he might give it down to them to help them out in all their duties whether they be Active or Passive Use 6. This should inform us then where our strength lieth it s not in our selves but in our High Priest he is our Treasury and Store-house of it and to him we must come for it and in coming we shall have it saith David Psal 18. 2. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortness and my Deliverer my God my Sâ—rength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower In this Use I would commend two things to thee for thy peace and comfort wouldst thou see all thy spiritual enemies conquered and brought down at thy feet then look to Christ and he hath done it for thee and in thy room and the glory of the conquest he imputes to thee as Ioshua in the wilderness did who was a Type of Christ in this thing he fought Israels battels for them and conquered all their enemies for them and when done gives the glory of the conquest to the Israelites for he causeth the chief of the enemies to be brought before him and makes them lie down and bids the Jews to set their feet upon their necks Ioshua 10. 24. So hath Christ done for believers 2. If thou wouldst get the mastery over the remainders of corruption within thee and the Devil and World without thee then look up to Christ thy High Priest and draw out strength from him for he is girded about with strength on purpose to give it out to thee saith S. Paul I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. 3. Lastly the girdle in the High Priest denotes his faithfulness and sincerity in the work he undertakes to do for so we shewed you did the girding of the loins implyed so much as this is applied to Jesus Christ who is our Gospel High Priest Isa 11. 5. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins so saith the Apostle speaking of the faithfulness of Christ saith Heb. 3. 5 6. And Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken afterward but Christ as a Son in his own house whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm to the end Observe these two things in the words First Moses his faithfulness was a testimony of those things which should be spoken hereafter Now what were these things which should be spoken after Moses his time it is what all the Prophets and Apostles have written about the faithfulness of Christ to his Church and people as he is their High Priest 1. That he would certainly become bond to the justice of God as their surety to give full satisfaction for all the wrong they have done the justice of God so saith David Psal 40 6 7 8. 2. That he would stand in the room of his people and take upon him every part and parcel of their guilt this wrote Isa of him Isa 53. 6. 3. That he would as certainly bear every part of that punishment which justice would have else poured forth upon the Elect I say he would bear this himself as really as he did their guilts so writes Isa also ver 5. 4. That he would certainly call home to himself by the means of the Ministry of the word and spirit every elected soul to the embracement of him this writes Luke of him Luke 14. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 So Iohn writes Iohn 10. 16. 5. And that there shall never be wanting to the ages of man a sufficiency of means in order to the bringing in the Elect of God in every age Mat. 28. 19 20. 6. That as by his bloud and righteousness he hath taken care to get them justified before God so as certainly will he give out with his sanctifying grace the testimony of this in his time into their consciences so writes St. Paul of him Rom. 5. 1. Isa 26. 3.