9.15 He is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel He had been a great persecutor blasphemous injurious but when he embraced the Faith of Christ he was made the cheif of the Apostles 3. God of his good pleasure and free grace calls and recalls whom he will These Danites had nothing in them to move God to own them for his people at first nothing to move him to recall them being degenerate and fallen into idolatrous passages unless we make wickedness an argument thereunto and if so there is sufficient of that in the Devils to move the Lord to shew mercy but wickedness provokes to destroy not to shew mercy The best thing in man induceth not God to shew mercy that is from his will Rom. 9.15 It was Gods free grace which took Abraham at first out of an Idolatrous Counrry and Faâ—ily Josh 24.23 It was free grace that he took Isaac not Ishmael Jacob not Esau and so that he took Dan at first and recalled him at last and so the Prodigal Dan and the rest of the Tribes had their several portions being all in captivity both Judah and Benjamin at this time allotted unto them which may represent unto us what the condition of the Jews shall be under Christ however now they be scattered yet doubtless there is a time wheâ— they shall come to Sion and have their several portions in the Church of Christ Johns Vision Rev. 7. addâ— great weight to this Tenet He saw twelve thousand sealed out of every Tribe which he distinguishes from those of other nations who are not said to be sealed hereby strongly intimating they were Jews whose conversion Paul had spoken of Rom. 11.26 So all Israel shall be saved that is all the twelve Tribes shall come in and stand with the Lamb on mount Sion Rev. 14.1 These Tribes had their portions from East to West all of them which was the length of this Land of Canaan and their breadth from North to South which informs us of the large extent of the Church of Christ it reaches to the ends of the earth for the Father gave him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Psal 2.8 His dominion was to be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth Psa 72.8 He was to be Governour among the Nations Psal 22.28 and not onely of some few or many of them but of all them that shall inherit all Nations Psal 82.8 And be King over all the earth Zech. 4.9 He was from eternity appointed heir of all things Heb. 1.2 And he must have possession of all which John in his vision saw accomplished Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ So that Christs Church and Kingdom is large and extends to all quarters The Portion here given to the seven Tribes Dan Asher Naphtali Manasseh Ephraim Reuben Judah and to the other five Tribes Benjamin Simeon Issachar Zebulun Gad in the 23 24 25 26 27 28 and 29 verses of this chapter besides the largeness and unlimitedness of the Church do here inform us 1. That there is sufficiency of meâ—ns and mercies for all that have part in the Church and Kingdom of Christ Rev. 7.15 16 17. 2. That what portion soever any one hath is by divine appointment The Lord allots every one his portion of what kind soever Rom. 12.3 Luke 19.19 and 22.29 3. That there ought to be communion between those who are of Christs Kingdom The Tribes lay near together and their portions and were to have communion one with another Eph. 2.19 4. That as there be several portions here for the Tribes so there are several Mansions for them in the Heavens Joh. 14.2 And not onely for beleeving Jews but Gentiles also Rev. 7.9 Verse 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. And by the border of Judah from the East side unto the West side shall be the offering which they shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth and in length as one of the other parts from the East side unto the West side and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length and of ten thousand in breadth And for them even for the Priests shall be this holy oblation toward the North five and twenty thousand in length and toward the West ten thousand in breadth and toward the South five and twenty thousand in length and the sanctuary of the Lord shal be in the midst thereof It shall be for the Priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok which have kept my charge which went not astray when the Children of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray And this oblation of the Land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites And over against the border of the Priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length and ten thousand in breadth and the length shall be five and twenty thousand and the breadth ten thousand And they shall not sell of it neither exchange nor alienate the first fruits of the Land for it is holy unto the Lord. THe offering of five and twenty thousand reeds of land in length and breadth for the Sanctuary the Priests the Levites the City and the Prince we had in the five and fortieth Chapter â—nd therefore shall say little unto these things Verse 8. The Sanctuary shall be in the midst of it The Sanctuary is the habitation of God and it s in the midst that all may equally have access unto it Ver. 9. The oblation to the Lord was five and twenty thousand reeds in length and ten thousand in breadth which was a great compass and sets out the largeness of the Church in the times of the Gospel The Priests had a large portion ver 10. five and twenty thousand reeds of land in length both Northward and Southward and ten thousand in breadth both Eastward and Westward This large provision was made for the Priests who were holy from Zadock which had kept Gods charge and been faithful and constant in Apostatizing times Verse 11. The Levites also had the same length and breadth of Land assigned them vers 13. Now neither Priests nor Levites might sell exchange or alienate the first fruits of the Land because it was holy ver 12 14. So that holy things which are the Lords and not mens are not to be bought and sold and diverted to other uses Those who sell holy things sell what is the Lords not their own and there is no justice in that By these portions of the priests and Levites is prefigured the increase and maintenance of the preachers of the Gospel for as maintenance was due to the Priests by the Levitical Law so now
an honor to the place where they grow Observ 4. True Christians are always fruitful and nothing can hinder their fruitfulness They are trees that bring forth fruit according to their moneths and seasons neither heat nor cold doth blast their leaves no wind or weather doth consume their fruit but they go on and are fat and flourishing and still bring forth fruit in old age Psal 92.14 they are daily adding to their faith vertue to their vertue knowledge to their knowledge temperance to their temperance patience to their patience godliness to their godliness brotherly kindeness and to that charity These things are in true Saints and abound in them 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. The Corinthians abounded in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 Christians must always profess godliness and always practice it their leaf must always be green and their fruit always ripe there should not be a day or an hour wherein they should not be doing good or ready to do good and bear new fruit Jer. 17.8 Observ 5. The true cause of fruitfulness and such fruitfulness in Christians is the Doctrine and Grace of the Gospel Every tree brought forth fruit according to his moneth because the waters issued out of the Sanctuary Other waters had not such vertue such efficacy in them those sit under the heavenly dews and droppings of the Gospel they feel the influences of the Spirit they are most fruitful Observ 6. The holy profession and gracious language of true Saints are medicinable they heal the sores and bruises of sinners Their examples their savoury speeches do good like a medicine Prov. 12.18 The tongue of the wise is health and Prov. 15.4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life it yields good fruit And Women who are gratious win their husbands to the faith 1 Pet. 3.1 2. by their examples and good conversations and so they are healed and brought to Christ their leaves are for medicine Verse 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Thus saith the Lord God This shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve Tribes of Israel Joseph shall have two portions And ye shall inherit it one as well as another Concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers And this land shall fall unto you for inheritance And this shall be the border of the land toward the North-side from the great Sea the way of Hethlon as men go to Zedad Hamath Berothah Sibraim which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath Hazar Hatticon which is by the coast of Hauran And the border from the Sea shall be Hazar-enan the border of Damascus and the North Northward and the border of Hamath and this is the North-side And the East-side ye shall measure from Hauran and from Damascus and from Gilead and from the land of Israel by Jordan from the border unto the East Sea and this is the East-side And the South-side Southward from Tamar even to the waters of Strife in Kadesh the River to the great Sea and this is the South-side Southward The West-side also shall be the great Sea from the border till a man come over against Hamath this is the West-side So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the Tribes of Israel And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you which shall beget children among you and they shall be unto you as born in the Countrey among the children of Israel they shall have inheritance with you among the Tribes of Israel And it shall come to pass that in what Tribe the stranger sojourneth there shall ye give him his inheritance saith the Lord God THese Verses are the second part of the Chapter and contain 1. The bordering of the Land from ver 13. to ver 21. 2. The dividing of it from verse 21. to the end Something was said of the Land Chap. 45. and here that subject is proceeded in Verse 13. speaks in the general and saith the order whereby they were to inherit the Land must be according to the twelve Tribes of Israel East West North and South It is true that Levi had no border no possession Ezek. 44.28 yet twelve lots are spoken of because the Sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh come in for portions Josh 14.4 The children of Joseph were two Tribes Manasseh and Ephraim therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the Land See Josh 17.17 18. 1 Chron. 5.12 They had two portions the Hebrew is Lines because the portions were measured out by lines Verse 14. And ye shall inherit it one as well as another The Hebrew for one as well as another is a man as his Brother which is usual among the Hebrews For when they speak of two or more in the masculine gender they say vir frater ejus and when they speak of two or more in the faeminin gender they say uxor soror ejus the sense here is that they should all aequo jure possess the Land and each Tribe have an equal portion which differs much from the division made of old for Numb 33.54 Ye shall divide the Land by lot for an inheritance among the families and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance And if we grant with some that it was so here that a greater portion of land was given to the greater Tribe yet it is conceived from these words of Ezekiel that every one in each Tribe had an equal portion which was not so of old Concerning the which I lifed up mine hand to give it c. Of the Lords lifting up his hand mention was made Ezek. 20.56 15.28.42 and 36.7 and 44.12 and it notes Gods swearing that he would give the Land of Canaan unto their Fathers as Exod. 6.8 I will bring you in unto the Land concerning which I did swear to give it to Abraham to Isaak and Jacob the Hebrew is I did lift up my hand Vers 15. This shall be the border of the land toward the North-side from c. He describes first the borders of the whole Land and so makes way to the division of it more particularly He begins with the North border which was from that part of the great Sea viz. the Mediterranean Sea which lay Northward and so proceeded to Mount Hor and from thence to Hamah and so to Zedad-Ziphron and terminated in Hozar-enan Numb 34.7 8 9. which was in the North-East In this description of the Northern border more Towns are mentioned then in Numbers as Hethlon Berothah Sibraim Hazer Hatticon Henram and Damascus but the extension is the same from the great Sea to Hazar-enan ver 15 16 17. The East border is laid down ver 18. and that is that space which lies between Hauran Damascus Gilead and the Land of
the Gentiles are in and of the Church of God The Gentiles had repentance granted to them unto life Acts 11.18 6. The tenders of mercy and invitations to Sion were first to the Jews and after to the Gentiles The Land of Canaan was first for Israelites and then for Sojourners Christ first tendred himself and all Gospel means unto the Jews John 1.11 Mat. 23.37 he sent his Disciples first to them Matth. 10.5 6 7. afterwards to the Gentiles Mat. 28.19 Hence said Paul and Barnabas Acts 13.46 It was necessary that the Word of God should first be spoken unto you but seeing ye put it from you lo we turn to the Gentiles The Jews were the seed of Abraham the friend of God Isa 41.8 They were his first-born Exod. 4.22 They were the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant and to them God first sent his Son to bless them Acts 3.25 26. 7. That one and the same inheritance belongs to the beleiving Jew and Gentile the same land was both the Jews and the strangers to inherit which prefigured their being in one and the same Church their having the same priviledges the same interest in Christ there is one and the same inheritance to both Col. 1.12 Give thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light All the Saints have but one inheritance and that is reserved in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 This inheritance was typified by the â— and of Canaan So then the partition wall is broken down between Jews and Gentiles all former differences are taken away and they are no more two but one they are both one one new man one body Ephes 2.14 15 16. Jew and Gentile are so united as if there had been no distinction between them Col. 3.11 There is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all The Lord Christ by his death and sufferings hath reconciled those who were at the greatest enmity CHAP. XLVIII Verse 1. Now these are the names of the Tribes from the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon as one goeth to Hamath Hazar-enan that border on Damascus northward to the coast of Hamath for these are his sides east and west a portion for Dan. 2. And by the border of Dan from the east side to the west a portion for Asher 3. And by the border of Asher from the east-side even unto the west a portion for Naphtali 4. And by the border of Naphtali from the east-side unto the west-side a portion for Manasseh 5. And by the border of Manasseh from the east-side unto the west-side a portion for Ephrahim 6. And by the border of Ephrahim from the east-side unto the west-side a portion for Reuben 7. And by the border of Reuben from the east-side unto the west-side a portion for Judah BEing come through the assistance of God to open the last Chapter of Ezekiels prophesie we have in it three parts 1. An assignation or destribution of particular portions to each Tribe in the first seven verses and in 23 24 25 26 27 28.29 verses 2. A description of the offering or holy portion of Land as it it is called chapter 45.1 with the bounds and parts allotted 1. To the Sanctuary ver 8 9. 2. To the Priests ver 10 11 12. 3. To the Levites ver 13 14. 4. To the City and suburbs v. 15 16 17 18 19. 5. To the Prince ver 21 22. Thirdly A description of the City 1. From the dimension of it on each side v. 30. 2. From the gates of it v. 31 32 33 34. 3. From the compass of it v. 35. 4. From the name of it ibid. Concerning the destributions of the Land to particular Tribes they differ much from those were made in Joshuahs days then the Tribe of Benjamins lot was between Judah and Joseph as it is Josh 18.11 but in this Chapter Benjamins lot is between Judah and Simeon vers 22 23 24. Then the Tribe of Simeon had its lot within Judah Josh 19.19 Here it is out of Judah and next to Benjamin v. 24. And so of other Tribes their lot is otherwise in this visional destribution of Ezekiel then it was formerly and many things he had concerning the Temple Sacrifices the lot of the Prince Priests and Levites which Solomon never had and never were had under the second Temple and therefore pointed out the change of Mosaical and Levitical ways and led to a new state of the Church Vers 1. These are the names of the Tribes from the North end c. Of the Twelve Tribes seven were in the North and five in the South as they are set down in this Chapter and the portion of the Sanctuary Priests Levites Cities and Prince lay between the Tribes thus divided Dan is the first Tribe mentioned in Ezekiels division it was not so in Joshua's then Dan was the last Tribe which had his portion as is evident Josh 19.40 49. and because it was too little for them the men of Dan took Leshem or Laish named it Dan and so enlarged their borders This Tribe first fell from God and imbraced Idols for after they had gotten Laish they set up a graven image Judg. 18.29 30 31. and therefore this Tribe is left out of the catalogue when the other Tribes are mentioned 1 Chron. 7. and Rev. 7. In the prophetical blessings of Jacob Dan and Issachar were in the midst Gen. 49.14 16. Here Dan is in the front which gives us to consider 1. The truth of what our Lord Christ hath given out Matth. 19.30 The last shall be first Dan was the last and here he is the first he hath the honor and preheminence above the rest David was the youngest and last of Jesses sons and he was made the first being anointed to be King by Samuel 1 Sam. 16.11 12 13 14. Those workers in the vineyard the Lord ordered that his Steward should pay the last first and the first last Matth. 20.8 16. Mark 10.31 Luk. 13.30 There are last which shall be first the Gentiles were last in the Jews account but God made them first and there are first which shall be last the Jews were first in their own eyes but they were made last and of no esteem in the eyes of God Luk. 18.14 The publican who was last in the account of the Pharisee was first in the account of God 2. Those that have deserted God and his ways gone far and long from him may find mercy repent and be received to favour These Danites met with mercy from God repented them of their Idolatry and returned to him again else they had never been honored so far as to be set in the first place When great sinners come unto God who were looked upon as the last and worst of men God doth not onely pardon them but oft-times honors them and makes them the first as Paul Acts
unto the Jews and the one thousand two hundred and sixty days put for years are drawing to an end and God is about some great things to be done in the world and will ere long break forth That by this City is represented the Church some Rabbins themselves do acknowledge for though they deny our Christ to be the Messiah because he never built them such a Temple and City as Ezekiel describes yet they acknowledge this City and Temple to be understood not corporally or literally but mystically and spiritually And the Talmudists affirm That by Jerusalem we are to understand the gathering of the Gentiles to Christ or the whole body of Christians There be several things observable concerning this City or Church of Christ 1. That it is well and strongly founded usually Cities are built upon hills and mountains which are the strongest parts of the earth and so was this City chap. 40.2 Ezekiel saw the frame of this City upon a very high mountain and on such a mountain is the Christian Cfiurch built on the mountain of Gods Decree and Power on the mountain of Righteousness and Truth it s built upon Christ the rock of ages such a rock as the gates of hell cannot shake or shatter John tells us of this City the new Jerusalem that it had twelve foundations three on every square which were sure firm and would never fail The Lord Christ the holy Scriptures and the Doctrine of the holy Prophets and Apostles must fall to the ground before the Church shall be ruined 2 Tim. 2.19 2. It is comely and beautiful Cities which are built four square especially are so and such was this City it had four thousand and five hundred measures on each quarter there was nothing unfightly on any of the four quarters they were all parallel and had gates alike in them which presented it very delightful to the eye the Church of Christ is comely and beautiful its built not of unhewen stones or timber but such as are well hewen and orderly laid together Hence the Church of Corinth is called Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 and the Church in general the City of the living God Heb. 12.22 The Church is such a building such a City as is full uf comeliness and beauty it s a congregation of Saints Psal 149.1 It s the garden of Christ Cant. 4.12 his Kingdom Matth. 13.41 his Spouse whom himself saith is fair yea the fairest among women Cant. 1.8 pleasant verse 16. and beautiful 7.1 the Church is Christs body Eph. 1.23 the Spirits Temple 1 Cor. 3.16 and therefore hath curious work in it very glorious and beautiful What David said of Sion Psal 50.2 that it was the perfection of beauty is most true of the Church under Christ and in Christ it s the perfection of beauty Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 3. The greatness and amplitude of this City it had four thousand and five hundred measures Eastward West North and Southward it was eighteen thousand measures in compass which sets out the greatness and vast extent of the Church of Christ Zach. 10.10 God saith he will bring the Jews from Egypt and Assyria and so multiply them that place shall not be found for them Isa 49.20 The children shall say in thine ears that is in the ears of the Church the place is too strait for me give place that I may dwell The Christian Church is spoken of which should multiply so that their habitation must be enlarged as it is Isa 54.1 2 3. Now the tents and curtains of Sions habitation are stretched to the ends of the earth Psal 2.8 Mal. 1.11 From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof 4. The City hath access unto it from all parts great Cities have many gates East gates West gates North gates and South gates so had this City twelve gates in every quarter three which signifies unto us the great access should be unto the Church of Christ from all parts not onely Jews should come out of the twelve Tribes to enter and dwell in this City and be under the Government of it but multitudes of Gentiles out of all nations and quarters of the world should do so Rev. 7. John saw not onely twelve thousand Jews enter in at each gate but a great multitude also which no man could number of all Nations kindreds peoples Tongues The Jews were numerable forty four thousand but the Gentiles were above so many millions the number of them which entered by the gates was innumerable 5. The happiness of this City which is from the Lords inhabiting there and giving it its denomination the name of it shall be Jehovah Shammah The Lord is there Alexandria was not so happy in Alexander nor Constantinople so happy in Constantine nor Jerusalem in Solomon as this City shall be in Jehovah We read in sacred Scripture of a golden City Isa 14.4 of a Royal City 1 Sam. 27.5 of a renowned City Ezek. 26.17 But their glory and happiness was a shadow to the glory and happiness of this City they were cities without God Jehovah was not there but here will the Lord himself be These words Jehovah Shammah import 1. The presence of God in the Church and that is a happiness to have his presence when God left the Temple and City of Jerusalem that was their great misery Hos 9.12 His presence in Heaven makes it Heaven and his presence in the Church makes it happy Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Sion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy mountain Gods presence makes it a City of Truth and an holy mountain and that City is happy which hath truth and holiness in it Zech. 8.3 2. His continuance in it he will not be ut hospes in diversorio sed ut haeres in patrimonio he will dwell there he will not leave this city nor depart from it as he did from Jerusalem of old and as he did from the Jews after their captivity Jer. 32.40 I will not turn away from them to do them good Ezek. 37.26 I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore Rev. 7.15 He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell with them It is the happiness of a Saint to have the Comforter and his great happiness to have the same abide with him and that for ever Joh. 14.16 So it s the happiness of the Christian to have Christs presence and exceeding happiness to have it for ever 3. His upholding and preserving of it the Church is Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 He said in Isaiahs days I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires I will make thy windâ—ws of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy border of pleasant stones Isa 54.11 12. and when the Lord shall do this he will
Rocks Thieves and Robbers in this way all which the Church of God meets with sooner or later Rev. 7.14 These are they came out of great tribulation these suffered heavy and many things for Christs sake they were in the one-Cubit-way Vers 5. The Galleries were higher then these The Hebrew is did eat up or prevaill that is as Montanus renders the word Capiebant angulos ex ipsis they took away some room from the uppermost Chambers There is difference between particular Churches some are higher some are larger then others Vers 6. Had not Pillars The strength of this Temple was not every where a like some parts had Pillars some had none or not equal to others the Chambers had not Pillars as the Pillars of the Court. So in the Church of Christ some parts of it have strong Pillars eminent Teachers whereas other parts are destitute wholly or have such as are weak the Church at Jerusalem had strong Pillars in it all the Apostles who were full of the Spirit and taugh infallibility Other Churches had not such Pillars Those in Macedonia wanted help and therefore Paul had a vision of a Macedonian in the night begging of him to come thether and help them Act. 16.9 The Primitive Churches had able gratious and wise Officers such as were Pillars of a truth in them and sometimes since have been strong Pillars in some parts of the Church Pillars of Marble Brass yea Gold but in others none or weak ones The Building was straitned more then the lowest and the middlemost from the ground Some Buildings are broadest at the top this was not so but more strait upwrtds It 's harder with some parts of the Church then others Those are highest in the Church meet with more storms troubles temptations then those are lower the upper parts of the house are more obnoxious to winds and weather Paul was high in the Church and what hardships what tempests did he meet with See 1 Cor. 4.11 12 13. 2 Cor. 4.8 9. Chap. 11.23 24 25 26 27. These Chambers were some greater some lesser vers 5 6. plainly intimating that in the Church of Christ from what part soever men came there should be entertainment and suitable accommodation for them If the Kings of the East come in Rev. 16.12 there shall be Chambers for them Let men come from North South or West there be Gates to let them in and Chambers to receive them when they are in Isa 60 8. Men shall come flying from all parts as Doves to a Dove-house in which are many Lookers Holes or Chambers for all the Doves So in the Church of Christ when men come thither they shall find Chambers good accommodation Vers 7. The Wall over against the Chambers the length thereof was fifty Cubits This Wall was answerable to the Chambers which were fifty Cubits in length vers 8. The Wall of God's protection extends as far as the Church doth or any part thereof Vers 8. Before the Temple were an hundred Cubits Fifty Cubits in the inner Court and fifty in the outer Court saith Junius Vers 9. The entry on the East-side Some read the words thus When he that brought me from the East The Prophet was led by a Divine hand from one place to another Chap. 40.3 Vers 10 11 12. There Chambers towards the East North and South are mentioned These Chambers were some greater c. Vers 13 14. 13. Then said he unto me The North-chambers and the South-chambers which are before the separate place they be Holy chambers where the Priests that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most Holy things there shall they lay the most Holy things and the Meat-offering and the Sin-offering and the Trespass-offering for the place is Holy 14. When the Priests enter therein then shall they not go out of the Holy place into the outward Court but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister for they are holy and shall put on other garments and shall approach to those things which are for the people Of the Chambers and the Priests in the 13 14. verses The Chambers and the Priests are the two principal things in these verses 1. For the Chambers they are described 1. From their situation they were North South and before the separate place 2. From their Holiness they were Holy Chambers 3. From their use which was 1. For eating of Holy things 2. For custody of Holy things 2. For the Priests here is 1. Their duty which is 1. To approach unto God 2. To lay up the Holy things 2. A direction what garments they are to Minister in how to dispose of them and what they must use at other times The building where these Chambers were was very large as appeareth from Chap. 41.12 it was seventy Cubits broad and the Wall of the Building five Cubits thick round about and the length thereof ninety Cubits and it was before the separate place Some make the separate place the Temple but it 's better understood of the space of ground at the west-West-end of the Temple and lay next to the Chambers joyned to the Temple or between those Chambers and the Priests-chambers In time of the Gospel great numbers in the Western parts from Jerusalem have come in to Christ and imbraced the Gospel which was prefigured by the great Building and the separate place which were at the West-end of Ezek. Temple and ever since the Gospel came into these Western parts and Christ hath had a Church here there hath been a thick wall of protection about it so that neither Heathenish nor Anti-Christian Powers could destroy it Here be many things considerable about the Ministers of the Gospel who are represented by the Priests what they did and had The Priests did approach unto the Lord it was their office to do so and to minister unto him Ezek. 43.19 Aaron and his Sons ministered unto God in the Priests office Exod. 28.1 41 43. And it 's the office of the Ministers under the Gospel to approach unto the Lord to offer up prayers unto him for the people 1 Tim. 2.1 They are so near unto God that they are call'd his Stewards Tit. 1.7 H s Servants Act. 16.17 They approach unto God as Stewards and Servants to their Lords and Masters The Elders were near the Lamb and had golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 they presented the requests of the Saints unto the Lord In all administrations of the Gospel the Ministers approâ—ch near unto God and in all their approaches he looks to be sanctified by them The Priests who were in God's service had good accommodations they had Chambers and were to eat of the most holy things this signified the care God would have of the Ministers in the days of Christ and the good provision he would make for them they should not be without accommodations and means Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that