well knowing those Bitternesses he was to meet withal in his Peregrination upon Earth And lastly Abraham attained by Faith to be called a Friend of God but by Faith in Christ we are made one with God even as the Wife is Bone of the Bone and Flesh of the Flesh of her Husband for as Christ is one with the Father so are we by Faith one with him as it is written And the Glory thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and they in me Lastly Jacob wrestled with an Angel and forc'd a Blessing for himself and Family but Christ being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with Him and obtained a Blessing for the innumerable Family the Church of the First-born So as in the Gospel-Mountain instead of Fear we shall have perfect Love for Water-washings Peace of Conscience for fore-warnings of Evil to come the Evil it self is removed for Promises of good things afar off actual possession of the things promised and for Friendship full Union O that He would rend the Heavens and come that the Mountains might melt away at his Presence 19. There are two other Sister-Texts which agree info full harmony with that we are upon as leaves no place for doubt but that they all mind the same thing and may much conduce to the explaining one of another for no Key more expert in opening Scripture than its own The first Psal 24.3 Who shall ascend into the Mountain of the Lord Who shall stand in his holy Place He that hath clean hands c. Now the Question is expresly the same in effect for the Holy Place and Tabernacle are one for in it were two holy Places the Holy and most Holy which Mystery Paul explains for seeing the second Holy did answer to the Gospel-perfection it necessarily follows the first was a Figure of the Legal For says he there was a Tabernacle the first in which the Candlestick Table and Shew-bread were which was called the Holy the other after the second Vail was called the most Holy into which only the High-Priest went but once a year the Holy-Ghost thereby signifying that the Way into the Holiest yet was not made manifest whilst the first was yet standing which was a Figure for the time then present in which were offered Sacrifices which could not make perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but stood only in Meats c. But Christ being come an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more powerful Tabernacle c. obtained Eternal Salvation Whence again we observe that the preeminence of the Gospel above the Law is further asserted Secondly That in the Tabernacle there was as I may say a Wheel within a Wheel for tho the whole Tabernacle did most eminently figure that Righteousness which was by the Law yet had it a secret regard to the Gospel also as if indeed even in its day and perfection it was not of avail save as it had respect to the Righteousness of Grace And thus far we have the Apostle's warrant But it seems from the course of the Analogy that the Court of the Tabernacle which was without the first Vail and had in it the Altar and Laver did answer to the Worship in Mountains for into it were all the Congregation admitted and so in Mountain-Worship were all Nations here also were the Sacrifices solemnized and they were the only Ceremonial Service used in Mountains But to insist on this would be too long in this place Another difference is that in this Question the Mountain is first which is according to the Legal Order and in our Text the Tabernacle according to the Gospel as if the Prophet spake more legally here and in our Psalm more spiritually Also for dwell there it is ascend here implying there must be a painful or legal working up before a legal Habitation can be had in this Legal Mount Again for sojourn there it is stand here that is able to stand under the Legal Yoak which is hard to do tho under Tabernacle-Coverings The other Text differs much in the Question in expression but not in effect as the Answer assures where the Prophet having shewn the terrible day of God's vengeance upon the Wicked he adjoins thus Isa 33.13 14 15. Hear ye afar off the Gentiles what I have done ye that are near Jews know my Might 14. The Sinners of Zion feared Trembling took hold of the Hypocrite Who shall sojourn in the devouring Fire with us Who shall dwell in the Burnings of the hidden Age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He walking in Righteousness c. Now here by these Fires the same things are in a Mystery signified as I may say in their purer essence for by the devouring Fire God the Father is meant and by the Burnings of the Age the Baptism of Fire by Christ for the Father is a Consuming Fire Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24.9.3.66.18 And our Prophet again Behold the Lord will come with Fire and rebuke with Flames of Fire for by Fire will he plead with all Flesh The Son also came with the Fan in his Hand and will throughly purge his Floor and burn the Chaff with unquenchable Fire Also he will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire As also another saith Behold I send my Messenger which was John the Baptist who bore the former witness of Christ and he shall prepare my Way and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come But who shall abide the day of his Coming Who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like a Refiner's Fire and he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver he shall purify the Sons of Levi the Ministers of the Tabernacle and melt them as Gold then the Offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be sweet to the Lord after the manner of the days of the hidden Age and ancient Years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is the Fire of the hidden Age. Yet hath infinite Wisdom and Love found out a Medium whereby our frail and sinful Mortality shall co-habit with that Fire which if it touch the Mountains they shall smoak in safety as was represented by a Figure to Moses at the Bush which burned but was not consumed for that Fire was the Godhead and the Bramble the Seed of the Woman in Christ a Mystery of Mysteries that the Seed born of Corruptibility should embrace Incorruption and not be consumed so as all Moses's Egyptian Learning was confounded to see the natural Fire not devour the natural Bush but much more astonished in Spirit when he heard that that Fire was Jehovah the God of his Fathers and consquently the Bush human Nature So as God here taught Moses the Mystery of Mysteries namely the Incarnation of Christ where Flesh did not only live unconsumed in the devouring Fire but became one with it even an immortal Fire replenished with the fulness
Iniquities not imputed 12. Who shall dwell in thy holy Mountain This is the second Clause of the Question and doubtless Symbolical as in Scripture it frequently is upon which now to insist would draw forth a too long Discourse But briefly we observe God had many Mountains First Horeb Exod. 3.2 upon which the Worship of the first Patriarchs gave up its Scepter to the Tabernacle as after upon Mount Calvarie the Tabernacle resigned to the Gospel but Horeb is not that we seek because in Allegory it answers for Sinai and it are one to Hagar the Bond-woman and gendreth unto Bondage So also we find Tabor Herman Basan ascribed in peculiar to God also Carmel Lebanon Paran Moriah c. celebrated in Scripture for many great works But above all or at least most frequently Mount Sion comes under lofty Characters into remembrance where I say the Mountain in Allegory refers to a sacred Worship not standing so much in Types and Ceremonies as in the more weighty and fundamental parts of Piety And therefore seeing it must refer to some known Worship which was or had been and yet was not the then Tabernacle it necessarily points at the Worship of the old Patriarchs Noe Melchisedec Abraham Jacob Job c. And besides it is manifest from Scripture that in that Age the Fathers did worship upon Mountains in Faith Reverence Love and the rest consisted more in contemplation upon the high Attributes of God than Ceremonial Duties also without a Law that of Blood and Murder Gen. 9.4 excepted save that writ in the Heart by Nature which yet had then a condemning force for seeing no Law no Sin and no Sin no Death and yet Death reigned from Adam to Moses therefore then both Sin and Death were in Act and consequently a Law Also hence it appears that this Mountain-Institution was established in the Wisdom of the natural Mind yet not perverted by its own reasoning but purged from such in the sweeping Judgment of the Flood and illuminated by God to perceive what was best pleasing to him in the main Fundamentals And the Mind thus inspired was left to it self in point of order to present her best fruits in her best manner for even half debauched Nature knows that its Maker ought to be served out of the first and best stores which consisted more in Reverence Knowledge Prayer contemplative Holiness and Faith than practice of Ordinances in Moses's way For of Noah it is said He walked with God Gen. 6.9 That he was moved with Fear Heb. 11.7 And that he was a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 Which shews him to have bin acceptable for his Fear Wisdom Preaching and Contemplation in Doctrinal Holiness And Abraham through the whole Scripture is celebrated for Faith and as I take it Jacob's wrestling with the Angel and prevailing was by Faith and Prayer So as from those leading Men we may reasonably conclude that the leading Graces in Mountain-Worship were Reverence Knowledg Faith and Prayer naked and simple in themselves without other external performances of Touch not taste not handle not or any thing of that rule of Obedience which consisted in Tabernacle-Ceremonies or Form of Religion And yet did the Patriarchs under these attain to great perfection enjoying a more pacate state than under Tabernacle-Institution For Noah made an everlasting Covenant in behalf of all Flesh and was perfect and just Abraham was the Friend of God and Father of the Faithful who blessed him were blessed and who cursed him were cursed Isaac was the promised Seed in whom all Nations were blessed Jacob wrestled with the Angel the Messiah and prevailed Neither are these ever taxed with any gross Sin or Failing nor any other of the first most eminent Patriarchs But Moses failed and provoked God First refusing to accept of his Ambassage to Pharaoh because it was dangerous to the Flesh secondly in not circumcising his Sons and lastly at the Waters of Strife and therefore was not permitted to enter into the Land of Rest When the Father of the Faithful never staggered but at the first word left Father Mother Kindred and Country and followed God he knew not whither neither did he delay to sacrifice a dearer Son than Gershom was nor ever failed to believe in the Promise tho against hope So David failed exceedingly in the matter of Vriah and numbring the People yet these two were the great Pillars in Tabernacle-Worship and for their failings many Afflictions befell them And in like manner Eli Sampson Jephtha Solomon and others had their failings and afflictions Neither is this to be wondred at for the Knowledg and Fear of God are the foundation of Piety and Faith and Prayer the Spirit thereof and the Ceremonial part and rule of Typical Obedience but the formal the first stable and firm the second liable to Spiritual Whoredoms which in Scripture-Language is Superstition and Idolatry which are the beginning cause and end of all Evil Wisd 14.27 Besides it was a Yoak neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear So that Tabernacle and Mountain-Worship comprehend the whole Body of Religion which consists in two parts Contemplative and Practical the first excelling in Knowledg Doctrine Preaching opening the Word Prophecy Gift of Tongues and the other in Obediences Works Duties and Performances of the Things which the first teach Which also are twofold some referring to God as most Types do and are not simply by themselves holy but by the Command sanctified so as in their seasons they required an obedience which was necessary unto Salvation other referring to our Neighbours the sum of which is Charity and Justice in their lovely effects and indeed are more incumbent on the Gospel-Church now than they were upon the Legal before for then it was Love your Friends and hate your Enemies but now Love your Enemies c. Both briefly taught by our Saviour Love thy Neighbour as thy self and again Do unto others as thou wouldest others should do unto thee These are again signified to us in the two great Commandments but in a little different method the first referring to our Duty to God and Comprehending as well Tabernacle as Mountain-Worship for the first is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul and mind in which Obedience to all Rites Seals or Types as well Legal in their season as Evangelical in our day was comprehended and was both contemplative and practical Mountain and Tabernacle-Piety The first is as our Lord saith the great Commandment and the second is like unto it Love thy Neighbour as thy self Which is wholly practical and as I said of more especial force in our Gospel-day So as indeed David's Tabernacle and Mountain differ not much from contemplative Piety and practical nor much from the two great Commandments for to love God is contemplative and to exercise Charity is practical and obedience to Typical Commands consists in both for to sacrifice to wash baptize c. is
that Death and giving Life Eternal The second part of the Parallel hath respect unto their Houses Now Moses's House was a dead Tabernacle the Service of which stood in the sprinkling of Blood Meats Drinks and external Ordinances but Christ's Temple is built of living Stones a living House a Service in Spirit and Truth an holy Priesthood a chosen Generation even the Hearts of the Elect in which God himself vouchsafes to dwell And hence often the Elect Church is called the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 6.19 Eph. 2.20 c. From whence how great the preeminence of the Antitype over the Type is in part appears and also how part of the Question of David is Evangelically to be understood 17. The next Scripture is Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-Priest that is after the order of Aaron but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Before Christ was compared with Moses who was the Legislator and Prophet and now with Aaron the Administrator of the Sin-covering Ordinances where the difference is that Aaron was but a Servant that could make nothing perfect but every day offered Sacrifice to keep in remembrance the hope of a full Mediation to come but Christ is a Son a beloved Son in whom fully and in whom alone God was well pleased who needed not daily to offer Sacrifice first for his own Sin and then for the Peoples but at once by offering up himself wrought Salvation to the uttermost And whereas the other Priests were often removed by Death Christ's Priesthood is eternal according to the Order of Melchisedec without beginning without end of days King of Righteousness King of Peace Look Heb. 8.5 6. 9.7 8 c. But that which most fully reacheth our intention is Heb. 11.18 For we are not come to the Mount which might not be touched and that burned with Fire nor unto Blackness Darkness and Tempest and the sound of the Trumpet and Voice of Words which they that heard desired that the Word should be spoken to them no more And so terrible was the Sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake But you are come to Mount Zion and unto the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable Company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judg of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling which speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel See ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much less shall we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from Heaven Now I say this Scripture fully answers our end states the Parallel shews the Gospel's preheminence and sets before us David's Question in the first part in its Evangelical Glory For this Mount that might not be touched was Sinai where Mountain-Worship gave up the Scepter to the Tabernacle and at this time were the Ten Commandments and Measures of the Tabernacle and all its Vessels given to Moses with this Charge See thou make all things according to the Patern shewed thee in the Mount And the Blackness Tempest and Majestick Voice of Words shew that awful Yoak which Jehovah in the Counsel of his Will thought fit to impose upon his Elect People only allowing a hiding-place in the Tabernacle till the evil day was past And on the other hand the Heavenly Jerusalem the General Assembly of the First-born from the Dead and Spirits of Just Men made perfect are those which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb and are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night So as the Tabernacle of Moses is become the Elect Church of the First-born and the purifyings and washings thereof changed for that fulling Soap which can make the Spirits of just Men perfect and the Wings of the covering Cherub are made a hiding-place which can save to the uttermost and which is more give a Kingdom which can never be shaken For they that are dead to Tabernacle-Worship are hid Col. 3.3 with Christ in God and when Christ their Life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in Glory So as the first part of David's Question in the mouth of the Followers of Christ is Lord who is he that thou wilt raise from Death and making his Spirit perfect wilt hide in the Bosom of thy Christ until he and they appear in that Glory he had with thee before Time was 18. Now concerning the latter part of the Question it must also be in the same manner sought after Now the Beauty of Mountain-Worship consisted in those Graces wherein the Worshippers were Types of Christ And first Noah figured him as he was the Preacher of Righteousness and forewarned of the Evil to come for it was not the Man Noah that preached to the Spirits then in Prison but Christ then figuratively spake by him 1 Pet. 3.18 whereby the World was condemned and only eight Persons saved But in the fulness of time Christ preached himself was heard seen and handled filling the Poor and Hungry with good things made the broken Hearts whole gave deliverance to Captives Luke 4.18 Eyes to the Blind and Light to them which sate in Darkness published the acceptable Year of the Lord to all Nations and Languages and teaching the Mystery of Salvation laid open a sure Path to the innumerable Companies of the Church of the Living God and to the making perfect the Spirits of Just Men. So also the Waters of Noah was a Type of Baptism by Water not as putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the Baptism of Christ was with the Holy-Ghost giving the Answer of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.20 21. Again Noah taught a reverential Fear of God but Christ perfect Love And Abraham the next Heir of Grace was a Type of Christ as both were Fathers of the Faithful but he according to the Flesh and Christ according to the Spirit And Abraham tho every where justly celebrated for his never-failing Faith yet so far did Legal Faith fall short of Evangelical as Abraham only attained to offer up the Promise in Isaac and by Faith to receive him in a Figure Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.1 2. Gal. 3.6 9. Heb. 11.17 But Christ freely and really that is not in a figure offered up himself to an ignominious Death bore the Wrath of God kindled by our Sins and pacified it by his Blood obtained the promised Glory and made us Co-heirs thereof Again Abraham left his Country and by Faith followed God he knew not whither but Christ left his Possessions in Heaven
of Happiness If they who would not hear him who spake from Earth escaped not how wilt thou escape him that speaks from Heaven to thee if unregarded To taste free Grace and to return to thy wallowing is to crucify Christ afresh Greater Love than he greater Ingratitude than thou can no Man shew by his Death he bought thee to everlasting Peace and for a moment of Vanity thou wilt sell him Do not therefore O thou Moth set Thorns and Stubble in Battel against the consuming Fire but fear nay tremble with the Elders of Bethlem at this my Embassy from God and again look back and tremble that thou durst so much as admit of such a kind of Parly as this was And now this I judge is the proper task of regenerate fear and though never out of season yet now of most especial use steading the Soul as ballast in Ships and also by Anchors on every side that is legal fear drawing by threat and Evangelical alluring by Love and hence I suppose the reason was why the Psalmist ranked this Precept here 19. Swearing to a or the Friend and changeth not This is the ninth Precept but how to understand it according to usual readings and glosses seems difficult The 70 Arab and Vspel who swears to his friend deceiveth not but his is not in the Original The Targ. he swearing to afflict himself and changeth not but neither is himself in the Text nor the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hithpahel Other who sweareth to his Hurt and changeth not Others who swear to do Evil and recompenseth it not Now verily upon the best judgment I can make of Laws and Precepts touching Oaths and Vows some of these are displeasing to God and in the best but an indifferent thing not required by God nor under a promise of Blessing but a liberty left to a Man to oblige himself to a voluntary Humility and not to sin in so doing provided he performed his Vow only the Daughter without her Father's nor Wife without her Husband's consent were restrained for none were obliged to swear but having sworn he was as straitly bound under penalty to perform as he was to any other Precept of the Law so as threats of penalties hung after Oaths but no promise of Blessings Again it made that thing a real sin which in it self was no sin adding to that yoak which was already so weighty as who could bear it Yet I do not say that Vows were not of good and holy use for else God would not have permitted them and I suppose were to hasten and perfect that Humiliation the Law was to bring upon all flesh or that if any strong zealous Professor thought he could be more obedient than the Law required and put too much confidence in the merit thereof it was permitted to him to impose such services as were not against the Law upon himself to the end he might the more earlier find with Solomon Vanity of vanity all is vanity on this side the Messiah But the thing I say is that taking them in their most excellent use they are not necessary causes of attaining the immovable state for many thousands have sojourned and have had their sin covered in the Tabernacle of God who were not conversant in Vows as I presume because we do not find any Exhortations by the holy Writers to encourage men to be Votaries but to the contrary Eccl. 5.5 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin that is to make that a sin to the flesh which is no sin of it self Secondly In the Historical Scripture we find not any Oath celebrated for good save one by Jacob at Bothel which was most warily circumstantiated as we shall further observe and not to a friend but unto God but many which tended to great loss as Jephtha's And lastly in the very dawning of the Gospel our Lord positively forbad all Oaths Matth. 5.30 Of old it was said Forswear not thy self but perform thy Vows to God but now I say unto you swear not at all And now to come to those in particular which the several glosses of Interpreters from our Text give the most ligible amongst them seem to fall short of David's intent Who sweareth to afflict himself of which nature some Oaths were of pious institution Numb 30.13 namely to afflict the soul which was by fasting and abstinence from anointing and outward refreshments wearing sack-cloth going bare-foot and such manner of penance which doubtless were good in fit seasons and occasions of Humiliation and often used by leading men as David Psal 33.13 Dan. 10.3 But that any ever did thus upon Vows or when occasions required not is not recorded as memorable and exemplary that I find Secondly Who swears to his friend c. which is of good moral use So Abraham sware his Servant and so he made a Covenant with Abimelech and Joshuah and the Spies to Rahab which are still alwful And doubtless to break Faith so solemnly given is to forseit mutual converse and even Humanity but to make such voluntary Oaths is not required but are only of humane Institution and for worldly and temporal advantages Lastly Who swears to his own hurt or to do evil to another are both great Sins whether kept or broken ending in wounds The Rabbies say such were well beaten for their pains and me judging deservedly and therefore if perchance a man thus sinned by Swearing ignorantly when it is known to him he was to make confession thereof and bring a Trespass-Offering and hence seeing this Oath in our Text is ranked amongst eminent Graces and under the greatest of Blessings I judge our Prophet did not refer it to any of the Oaths aforementioned 20. But perhaps Jacob's Vow compared with the Gospel Precept touching Vows Let your communication be yea yea Nay nay for what is more than so cometh of Evil may be a good guide unto us in our search Now Jacob's Vow was conditional with God and not in his own strength but in a dependance upon God Gen. 28.20 Jacob vowed a Vow If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers House in peace then shall Jehovah be my God and this Stone which I have set a Pillar shall be the House of God and of all that thou wilt give me the tenth shall be thine And now this Oath draws to something of excellent purpose and will suit as a befitting link to the last of our Golden Chain For first The occasion that led him to this Vow was agreeable to the former exposition of our Psalm For first he was a Man of Tummin banished from his Fathers House his Staff his Portion a Stone his Pillow where in a mystery God taught him good things made a new discovery of himself as Jehovah to him whom I take it he hitherto knew only by the Name