left for any excuse If they cannot bring an Ox the Lord will accept a couple of Turtle Doves or young Pigeons the Lord accepteth these smaller Sacrifices from the Poor as well as greater from the Richer sort of people See Vers 17. it is of a sweet savour to the Lord. This Offering was brought by the Parents of Jesus Christ Luke 2.24 As to the building of the Tabernacle he that could not offer Gold or Silk or Purple might bring Goats hair Exod. 35.5 6. Therefore let not poor people be discouraged alas I have no Estate I have no Parts nor Learning it may be so but God accepts of mean services where there is but mean ability For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 I might add that the Burthen is much easier under the Gospel God doth not put us upon such costly service such a chargeable Religion as theirs was under the Law especially in these latter days There is not a Servant in a Family but may be able to buy a Bible and so to read the Word of God Now for the Particulars they were of two sorts lesser Cattel and Fowls Concerning the Offering of the lesser sort of Cattel there is nothing peculiar in the Rites and Ceremonies thereof save only that of killing it at the north side of the Altar which belongs indeed to other Sacrifices also and was therefore spoken to before upon the Burnt-Offering of the bigger sort of Cattel The third and last part of the Chapter is concerning the Burnt-Offering of Birds or Fowls vers 14 to the end We are to note here what Birds they were and what were the ceremonial Actions about them The Birds were not Ravens and Vultures and such like but Doves and Pigeons and Sparrows at least in that peculiar case of the Leprosy Lev. 14. The Dove is often commended in the Scripture for innocency and harmlesness Mat. 10.16 Be ye wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves The Spirit appeared as a Dove Mat. 3.16 So are the Saints Psal 74.19 deliver not the Soul of thy Turtle Dove and often in the Song of Solomon my Love my Dove all the practical application I shall make of it shall be this Believers themselves are living Sacrifices unto God but if thy Sacrifice be accepted thou must be a Dove not a Bird of prey but harmless as Doves The ceremonious Actions about them aim at the same general scope with the ceremonious Actions about the Burnt-Offering of Cattel whereof we spoke before and divers of them are the same There be only three differing Ceremonies in the Burnt Offering of Fowls whereof we are now to speak 1. That the Priest shall wring off his head vers 15. which the old Geneva Note explains thus The Hebrew word signifies to pinch off with the Nail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ungue secuit It occureth only here and in Lev. 5.8 where the same Rule is given concerning the Trespass-Offering The Rule concerning the Burnt-Offering of Cattel is only to kill them that is with the sacrificing Knife to cut the Throat and so let out the life and blood of the Beast and then cut off the head and cut all the parts asunder as vers 5 8. The reason of this difference in the outward Ceremony seems to be from the different matter of the Sacrifice both aiming at the same general scope viz. to shadow forth the Sufferings of Jesus Christ and the violence done to him for and by our sins For as the blood of the Turtle Dove was wrung out with violence so was the blood of Jesus Christ when he made his Soul an Offering for sin Some note further that the Head was not to be quite wrung off as the parts were not to be divided asunder of which by and by 2. The Priest was to pluck away his Crop with his Feathers and cast it beside the Altar on the east part by the place of the Ashes vers 16. Why to the East they had a place on the east side of the Court to which they carried forth the Ashes Because this was the furthest off from the Holy of Holies for the Temple stood directly West as you may see Ezek. 8.16 which the Lord did in opposition to the common Idolatry of those times which were wont to worship towards the East There was therefore a place eastward from the Tabernacle where they threw the filth of the Sacrifices as in reverence of the Divine Majesty as far as might be from the Ark of the Testimony We must abandon whatsoever is unclean when we come into Gods presence all filthiness must be removed far away out of his sight As we come to an holy God in an holy duty so we should come in an holy manner and with holy hearts I will wash mine hands in innocency and so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. Psal 26.6 3. He shall cleave it with the wings but shall not divide asunder vers 17 cleave it that is long ways so as there was a Wing on each side This Ceremony of not dividing the Fowls was very ancient for Abraham used it Gen. 15.10 And in reference to the same Scope it was that the Head and Body were not quite disjoyned but only the Neck pinched with the Priests Nail Now what is there in Christ the Anti-type that may answer this Not a bone was broken Joh. 19.33 36. Moreover the divine and humane nature were never totally separated notwithstanding all his Sufferings though his Soul was separated from his Body yet neither Soul nor Body was separated from the Son of God but incomprehensibly and ineffably united when in the Grave and in the dust of Death His Deity as the Head or principal Part was not divided from his humane nature nor was he who is the Head of his Church divided from his mystical Body by all his Sufferings but remains indissolubly and everlastingly united to them So much for the explication of the Burnt-Offering whether of the Herd or Flock or Fowls with the Ceremonies appertaining to them now for the use of all Vse 1. See here the difference between Gods Ceremonies and mens between religious Ceremonies of divine Institution and of humane Invention Divine Ceremonies are full of Light full of Spirit full of Gospel Marrow and Mystery But humane Ceremonies in the Worship of God are full of Darkness and Vanity thick Darkness there is no Light no signification in them as men cannot bless their own Ceremonies and make them effectual for spiritual ends so they cannot so much as make them suitable and significant they are commonly so foolish so impertinent and ridiculous that it is hardly sit to name them in a Pulpit lest they provoke laughter As for instance for I will give you an instance or two because there is an holy scorn and an holy laughter A man must wear a white Garment in a ridiculous manner
out in a new dress given forth in a new manner The Lord adorns his Truths with new Ornaments as it were that men may be excited to Inquiries and Affections suitable Hence in every Age there be in one respect or other new Discoveries or new Dispensations and Dealings of God with his People Or if men be taken with Antiquity 1 Joh. 2.7 I write no new Commandment but an old Commandment for the substance of things The good old way of Faith and Holiness remains which all the Saints of God have gone to Heaven in Heb. 11. he shews the same Race which he sets before them had been run by all the Saints from Abel cap. 12.1 being compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses let us run our race that is set before us as if he should say I exhort you to nothing but what all those Saints of old have done before you and yet ver 40. he professeth God hath better things for them an higher and better Dispensation and cap. 12.18 Ye are not come to Mount Sinai but ye are come to Mount Sion ver 22. here he fetches an argument from this variety of Dispensation and from the preheminence of that which they wore under above former times Reas 2. For his own greater Glory And under this head many things come in to be considered This various and gradual Dispensation tends to his greater Glory divers ways 1. That there may be an harmony between this and the other Works of God 2. To shew the inestimable Worth and Glory of the Mystery of the Gospel of his Son 3. To manifest the variety of his Wisdom 4. His absolute Liberty And 5. His peculiar Goodness 1. That there might be an harmony between this and the other Works of God It is so in other works of God as well as in his speaking and revealing of his Mind As in the Creation of the World he could have made it all at once but he chose rather to make it in six days and he made various and several kinds of Creatures Therefore this variety of Administration in the Discoveries of himself and his Gospel is suitable to all the rest of his Works wherein he ever delights with Unity to mix Variety with Identity Diversity and Disagreement in some respects with Consent in other So we see in the outward Lineaments of mens Faces so in the inward abilities and dispositions of their Minds both in the common and saving in natural and spiritual endowments what a wonderful Composition there is and how great variety and so indeed in every Creature and Work of God Though in conclusion Omnia fiunt ab uno ad unum God is the Author and the End of all So in the Church 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. there are diversities of Gifts differences of Administrations diversities of Operations but from the same Author Calv. in loc Symmetria Ecclesiae multiplici ut ita loquar unitate constat the Symmetry of the Church consists as I may so say in a manifold Unity 2. To manifest the inestimable Worth and Glory of the Mystery of the Gospel of his Son which appears in this in that it is attended with such a multitude of means of divers kinds for the Dispensation of it That so many ordinances Providences Persons and things in several ages of the World should all be subservient to the Exhibition of this one Mystery of Christ and Redemption by him This shews the Glory of it Col. 1.27 3. To manifest the variety of his Wisdom that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 variegata sapientia It is like a party coloured Garment Ephes 3.10 As in the works of Creation and Providence so it is in the Dispensations of his Grace the Wisdom of God cannot be sufficiently manifested in any one or in a few things or in one manner of working And therefore it refracts it self into many parcels and scatters its Beams every manner of way that all put together may argue unto Man the inexhaustible depth and infinite largeness thereof Hence he hath found out many ways and means to convey the same Grace and every several manner hath some peculiar Beam of Wisdom and Worth in it This great variety and change of his Dispensations was not because in process of time God found out a better way and so relinquish'd the old as in the work of Creation he did not profit by Experience though he made Man last the most perfect Creature last For the Inequalities and Degrees of things came from the Wisdom of God as well as the divers kinds of them and every thing is best in its place and kind and proportion to the whole though not simply and in it self It is best that in a body there should be a Foot as well as an Head though simply and in it self the Head be more excellent The Wisdom of God appears not only in the individual natures of things but in their references and proportions to other things and to the whole whereof they are parts so it is better and the Wisdom of God appears more in that there was both a Legal and a Gospel Dispensation of Christ and his Benefits though the Gospel Dispensation be in it self far the more excellent Therefore this is a third Beam of his Glory that shines forth herein viz. his manifold Wisdom As there is infinite Wisdom in every thing God doth so he would have us see it 4. This variety of Dispensation manifests the Lords absolute Freedom and Liberty and Soveraignty in the use of Means and Instruments that he is not tyed to any of them He can work by little or by great means by few or many He can dispense the same Grace to his Church either in a Family-way or in a Nation or in all Nations For the Church of God was first a Family then in populo Israelitico and now in populo Catholico He can reveal himself either by ordinary or extraordinary persons either in a more immediate way or in a mediate way He hath not limited himself to one way or time or manner of speaking lest we should ascribe the Glory to the Means to the Tools rather than the blessed Workman and Author Therefore he is pleased ever and anon to change the Means to break his Tools as it were and throw them away and make new ones Hence if men begin to think that a Temple at Jerusalem hath any Salvation in it he will burn it up and be worshipped in spirit and truth in every Cottage as Joh. 4. pure Incense every where Mal. 1.11 5. The fifth Beam of Divine Glory that shines forth in this variety of Administration is this the Glory of peculiar Goodness which the Lord will receive by this means from every Saint of his according to his peculiar dealing with him Some will bless him for Multitude and Excellency of Means others will admire his Power and Grace in working by small and weak means some will praise him for one kind of
Asham though it is used for sin in general yet it seems to imply in a more special sense sins of an higher nature such as are committed with more deliberation or with more consent of will or against more light or with less of temptation or more of injury unto others sins of a more grievous and heinous nature for the same word signifies also desolation and laying waste Isai 24.6 therefore hath the Curse devoured the earth and they that dwell therein are desolate vajeshmu And in the same sense is this word used elsewhere e. g. Psal 5.10 destroy them O God desolato eos tanquam reos Buxtorf Moreover there be Instances given here in the Trespass Offering of gross sins against light and knowledg conscience-wasting soul-desolating sins as lying cheating perjury Cap. 6.2 3. And we may therefore render Asham piaculum The issue then is this That the Sin Offering relates to those involuntary infirmities which are unavoidable while there is a body of sin and death dwelling in us and which are consistent with assurance and sincerity But the Trespass-Offering to those greater conscience wasting and soul-desolating sins which are inconsistent with assurance and true Communion with God though it includes some lesser sins yet it extends to these also 2. The second Law of the Sin-Offering is this That there is a various matter of this Offering for four sorts of persons that sin and miss the way which indeed are the Analysis of this Chapter 1. For the anointed Priest a young Bullock vers 3. 2. For the whole Congregation a young Bullock vers 13. 3. For the Ruler a Kid of the Goats a Male without blemish vers 22. 4. For any particular person a Kid or else a Lamb a Female without blemish vers 27. And so the Chapter divides it self into these four parts 1. The Sin Offering for the anointed Priest is a young Bullock c. vers 3 to 13. There is some difficulty upon this Who is meant by the anointed Priest Some restrain it to the High Priest only because none but he was anointed with material Oyl The word in the Text is Hachohen hammashiach the Priest that is anointed vers 3. But if this be restrained to the High Priest only the question will be what shall become of the other inferior Priests Is there no Sin Offering Is there no Expiation for their sins and sailings Doubtless there is But we cannot well refer them amongst the common people of the Land the Priests and people being so continually distinguished every where throughout the Scripture Therefore it seems more congruous to conceive as some do that all the Priests are here included and that the word anointed intends no more but dedicated consecrated set apart unto that work and office or that it may refer to that first Consecration of them in Aaron their Fore-father Exod. 29.7 And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl and pour it upon his head and anoint him The Law is if he shall sin le ashamath hyam according to the sin of the people as our Translation renders it that is like one of the common people For the Priests were not made infallible or impeccable by their Office and therefore had need to offer for their own sins as well as for the peoples Heb 5.2 3. It is not to be restrained only to such sins of his as wherein he seduceth and draws the people aside to sin with him or whereby he brings publick Judgments upon them as some have rendred it si delinquere fecerit populum and others si deliquerit in populi noxam For then here were no relief for him as to all his other failings in the discharge and execution of his trust and office in the house of God and in his own private and personal walkings Therefore it must be understood in the largest and most comprehensive sense for any sin or failing of weakness in any of the Priests Let him bring a young Bullock for his Sin Offering 2. For the whole Congregation a Bullock vers 13. the whole body of the people collectively taken the same that was appointed for the Priest though with some difference in the Rites There the Priest but here the Elders as in the name of the people being to lay their hands upon the Head of the Sacrifice 3. For the Ruler a Kid a Male vers 22. Nasi Princeps quasi elatus super alios from Nasa exaltavit tulit that is any Civil Ruler that is raised or lifted up above others The word is used not only concerning Kings and chief Magistrates as Ezek. 34.24 but concerning inferior Rulers also Exod. 16.22 And all the Rulers of the Congregation came and told Moses c. Numb 16.2 4. For any of the common people their Sin Offering is a Kid a Female vers 27. or else a Lamb a Female vers 32 to the end of the Chapter Now from this second Law of the Sin-Offering namely this various matter of it for so many sorts of persons that sin we may learn these Instructions before we proceed to the third Law 1. That the anointed Priest may err Therefore the Bishop of Rome if he were an Officer of Christ he might err and miss his Mark though being Antichrist it may be granted to him that he seldom errs from his Scope it being to promote the Devils Kingdom and to obstruct the Kingdom and oppress the Church of Christ I must confess I have wondred at this error of Popery that the Pope cannot err I wonder why he may not err in Doctrine as well as in life Why may he not deny God in words as well as in his works That he may and doth err in his life and that his works are evil themselves have not the impudence to deny therefore he may err in his Faith as well as in his life in his words as well as in his works And if you do but look into a weekly News book you will ever and anon find mention of the Popes Nephews what they do and what preferments he provides for them But who are these It is fit you should know the meaning of it The word Nephew it is an Italian Phrase of Speech for a Bastard and so indeed the Popes Nephewes is nothing else but the Popes Bastards this is he that cannot err Among the Papists Priests you know must not marry and the Pope is not so humble as to own others of his poor Kindred But yet we must believe in this unclean Beast and we must call him his Holiness forsooth whose Leprosy is written in his Forehead and who declares his sin as Sodom and hides it not as Gomorrah For they are not ashamed of all their uncleannesses and abominations having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron and yet this sinful doleful Creature cannot err when his Bones are full of the sins of his youth which shall ly down with him in the dust 2. The second Instruction is this That there are degrees of
that end 2. The Leper must wash his Cloaths and himself and shave his Hair and then come into the Camp but not yet into his Tent. vers 8. The like Ceremony is required in other Cleansings As at the Consecration of the Levites Numb 8.7 they were to cause a Rasor to pass over all their flesh And Deut. 21.12 Of the Captive Woman it is said she shall shave her head and pare her nails Some allegorize this in a plain and a good way thus That it was a figure of casting away all remainders of malice and filthiness James 1.21 Those excrescencies and superfluities of sinful Corruption it shadows out and teacheth the work of Mortification or paring away of sinful superfluities of Lusts and Corruptions as fast as they grow which we cannot be quite rid of but must be paring and cutting them off continually This Expression is used Isai 7.20 in a metaphorical way to signifie the Lords consuming and weakning their strength for much hair argueth strength of nature Hence in age when there is a decay of strength the hair falls off and baldness comes in stead of hair Therefore in a leprous person it seems to argue strength of the Disease therefore the shaving it off is thought to signifie the cutting off and taking away the strength of the Disease and plague of the heart And as to washing this was often required therefore the Apostle speaks of divers washings Heb. 9.10 And the Holy Ghost refers them to the blood of Christ Rev. 1.5 And they respect also the Spirit of Christ often compared to water Isai 44.3 This is that Fountain set open Zach. 13.1 for the house of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleanness A sinner must wash and bath himself in this Fountain if ever he will be made clean We read of the washing of Regeneration Titus 3.5 which is an allusion to these Ceremonial washings rather than to Baptism And the Leper was to wash his whole body not some part only because Sanctification is a cleansing of the whole man 1 Thes 5.23 And he must wash his clothes as well as himself To teach us that we must purge our selves from all manner of filthiness and every thing that defileth hating the very garment that is spotted with the flesh Any thing of uncleanness the least degree of it Jude ver 23. hating even the garments spotted by the flesh An amplification saith the Margin taken from the forbidden things in the Old Law that did defile that is all appearances occasions any thing that hath the least touch of sin It is a worse sign of a leprous graceless heart for a man to dally with his lust and to allow himself therein than one particular fall into a grosser act of uncleanness if it be abhorred and repented of Thus the Leper must be washed He and his Clothes and his Hair shorn and yet after all this he is not to return to his Tent. The reason is Lest there should be any thing of infection in his Tent. For the very Houses and Garments sometimes were infected with Leprosie 3. The third Ceremony or his after-duty is this After seven days he must use the same Ceremony of shaving and washing over again ver 9. This plainly teacheth us that cleansing work must be renewed from time to time The mortifying and purging out of Corruption it is a gradual work and a frequent work For the Leper is not made clean at once in the first moment nay after all his former observations he is not perfectly clean though he be begun to be made clean but here are seven days must intervene and then he must wash and shave again So that it is a gradual work We should do so in Spiritual Cleansing especially upon the Sabbath day which is the seventh in this sense that is it is one of seven and it is and should be a day of Spiritual washing and cleansing Thus you have seen the first part of this purifying Sacrifice for the Leper viz The two Birds with the several Ceremonies and Ceremonial actions and performances appertaining to them both to the slain Bird and to the living Bird and to the Leper himself 2. The second part of the purifying Sacrifice appointed for him is that of three Lambs with the Ceremonies thereunto belonging and this is declared at large from ver 10. to 32. of that 14. Chapter of Leviticus The Materials of this are two He Lambs the one for a Burnt-Offering the other for a Trespass Offering and an Ew-Lamb for a Sin Offering and fine Flower for a Meat Offering and a log of Oyl These are the Materials Now what must be done with them The Ceremonies about them are chiefly these three 1. The Sacrifices must be slain and offered according to the manner and institution ver 12 13. But this having been opened formerly we shall not insist upon it 2. The Priest must put some of the blood of them upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed ver 14. and some part on the thumb of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot You have the like Ceremony Exod. 29.20 injoined in the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons The sprinkling these parts did represent and was instead of sprinkling the whole body The sprinkling of a part of the body was appointed by God as significative of universal cleansing of the whole man Engl. Annot. on Exod. 29.20 Our Annotators have this Note upon it The Ear was to be sanctified for holy hearing and against the hearing of any corrupt communication And the Hand for working and the Foot for walking that his Conversation might be holy and his Person sanctified from head to foot So in Baptism there is no necessity of plunging the whole body in water but the sprinkling of it on the Forehead may suffice to signifie the mystical meaning intended by it where by a Sacramental Synechdoche though but a part be sprinkled the whole is washed and cleansed This is the second Ceremony some of the blood in these Sacrifices of the three Lambs must be put upon the Leper The 3d. is That the Priest is to take the Oyl and sprinkle part of it before the Lord and with part to anoint the Leper his Ear Thumb and Foot in the place where he had put the blood before and pour the rest upon his head ver 15 16 17 18. This mystical Oyl whereof they had such continual use under the Law we have often heard that it typifies the Holy Ghost and therefore the Son of God is said to be anointed with the Spirit Isai 61.1 And Act. 10.38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power Therefore the putting of the Oyl upon these parts signifies the saving Graces of the Spirit of Christ whereby they are cleansed and sanctified and comforted who have been justified and reconciled by his blood As to the putting it upon
the matter to this head of the Jewish Festivals subjoined as an Appendix those two Discourses as they were found amongst the Authors Papers Farewell THE GOSPEL of the JEWISH FESTIVALS Jan. 14 17. 1668. Coloss 2.16 17. Let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath-days Which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ Obs 1. THat the Jewish Holy days were of three sorts and may be referred to three Heads Feasts New Moons and Sabbaths 2. That these were Shadows of things to come but the Body or Substance is of Christ 3. That therefore Christians should not suffer any man to condemn them for their not observing of these Days I shall handle the two first together in one shewing under each of these legal Holy days what the substance and thing signified was what of Christ was signified and shadowed forth by them Obs 1. That the Jewish Holy days were of three sorts and may be referred to three heads viz. Feasts New Moons and Sabbaths This Distribution of them doth frequently occur in the Scripture in other places as well as in this Text 2 Chron. 2.4 I build an House saith Solomon for the Burnt-offerings on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the solemn Feasts of the Lord our God Ezek. 45.17 And it shall be the Princes part to give Burnt-offerings c. in the Feasts and in the New Moons and in the Sabbaths even in all the solemnities of the House of Israel that is in their appointed or solemn Assemblies Where Solemnities or solemn Assemblies is the general and this Genus is distributed into three particulars Feasts New Moons and Sabbaths so likewise Hos 2.11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease her Feast-days her New Moons and her Sabbaths even every holy Assembly of hers The first word is Feasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew moyed set times because they came at set times of the year This is meant of their annual Festivals which were in number five The three principal were the Feast of the Passover the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles which continued the two former each of them seven days the last for eight days together and the first day and the last day of them were holy Convocations wherein they were to do no servile work but to be wholly vacant for the Word and Worship of God The first mention of them is in Exod. 23 14-17 They are more largely spoken to in the 23. chap. of Leviticus and again in Deut. 16. and briefly recapitulated and summed up in ver 16. These were the principal because then all the males were to go up to Jerusalem and therefore these three are so often mentioned together There were also two more the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Expiation There are five general Rules observable concerning all these yearly Feasts 1. That they were all to be celebrated at the place the Lord their God should choose which was Jerusalem Exod. 23.14 Deut. 16.16 That which we are to learn therein is this that there is a Church-worship There are some Ordinances of Gods Worship which are not to be enjoyed but in Church-society As there is a personal and family-worship so there is publick or Church-worship of this kind is the Lords Supper If this be not an Ordinance of publick Worship under the Gospel there is none therefore to carry it to private persons upon their death-beds as the Papists doe is unwarrantable and superstitious 2. It is to be observed that they were all in the Summer time and not in Winter for the Passover was upon the fourteenth day of the first month Pentecost was seven weeks after and the Feast of Tabernacles was upon the fifteenth day of the seventh month Hence is that expression Acts. 27.9 Sailing is now dangerous because the Feast was now already past that is the Feast of Tabernacles The Instruction we are here to learn is this namely to see the tenderness of God towards his people even as to the outward man As he will have Mercy rather then Sacrifice so he orders the matters of Sacrifice and Worship with tenderness and mercy even to the bodies of his people yea the Spirit of God vouchsafes to dwell in their very Bodies as well as in their Souls and he preserves the dust thereof as precious reliques in the treasures of his Providence and will gather those dispersed atoms and bring them forth again and raise them up to everlasting life How great is his Goodness to us It shews there is a Duty incumbent upon us in reference to our Bodies and how great a sin it is in men to wrong and hurt their bodies when the Lord himself is tender of them 3. They were not to come empty handed Exod. 23. Deut. 16.16 17. true Religion is bountiful Duties of Worship are to be accompanied with duties of mercy and bounty so upon the Christian Sabbath there should be Collections for the poor 1 Cor. 16.2 Hypocrisie divides these it is willing to serve God but in the cheapest way hypocrites are all for a cheap Religion 4. Whereas there was danger of Invasion by their Enemies when all the Males were absent the Lord secures them by a promise of special Protection Exod. 34.24 Neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year Learn here that while we are in our Duty God will take care of our Safety the way of Duty is the way of Safety When the Church of the Jews was gone from God and had crucified the Lord of Life this protecting Providence forsook them For at the Passover it was that the Romans took and destroyed Jerusalem This Ordinance which was at first and ever after a means of safety to them the Lord now makes it a snare to bring them all together as it were into a pound that the Romans might take them and cut them off But while they abode with God in purity of Worship and Obedience he abode with them in his protecting Providence This should be a great encouragement to us in the Work and Worship of God to run all hazards and to fear no colours but be resolute in the discarge and performance of Duty The Lord is with us in such a case and then who can be against us 5. These Feasts as to their end and use were both commemorative of former Benefits and also prefigurative of future It may be said so of other holy times and holy things also but it holds eminently true concerning these three solemn anniversary Feasts The first of these yearly Feasts was the Passover which began upon the fifteenth day of the first month answering chiefly to our March The first Institution of it is in the 12th chap. of Exodus There were three things which were the peculiar observations of this
1668. Coloss 2.16 17. Let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath-days Which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ THere are three Doctrines in the words 1. That the Jewish Holy days are of three sorts or may be referred to three general heads Feast days New Moons and Sabbaths 2. That these their holy seasons were shadows of things to come but the Body is of Christ 3. Therefore no Christian should suffer any man to judg him or condemn him for not observing these Jewish times and seasons We are endeavouring to open the substance of these shadows and what were those things to come those things about Jesus Christ and the Gospel which were shadowed forth in them We began first with their Holy days or their Feast days that is their annual Festivals whereof we heard they had five 1. The Passover 2. Pentecost 2. The Feast of Tabernacles 4. The Feast of Trumpets 5. The Feast of Expiation These three the Passover Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles were the three great Festivals which were more solemn then the rest because then all the Males of Israel were to assemble together out of the whole Nation and to appear before the Lord in the place that he should choose in a general Church Assembly We heard something that these things pointed to The Passover did point them to the Death and Sufferings of Jesus Christ as the true Paschal Lamb who fulfilled this Type even as to the very season and holy time it self for he suffered at the Passover The Pentecost pointed at the time of the effusion of the Holy Ghost after his Ascension The Feast of Tabernacles pointed them to the Birth and Nativity of Jesus Christ when he should come to tabernacle and pitch his Tent in our Nature We heard indeed that this was the time of Christs Birth and not as it is commonly computed to be in December in the depth of Winter It is not like the Shepherds would be watching their Flocks all night then and that Augustus would command his Subjects to travel to their own Cities to be taxed at such a time and that John would choose that time to baptize in There be two more of the Jewish Feasts to be spoken to which were great and solemn Feasts yet not so great as these three because the people were not all bound to come up to Jerusalem to the Temple namely the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Expiation they were both in the seventh month as was also the Feast of Tabernacles the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of it the Feast of Expiation on the tenth day and the Feast of Tabernales on the fifteenth day and from thence to the two and twentieth day which is therefore accounted the greatest of all their Feasts being in the seventh month which was also the first in their old account the chiefest of all the months in the year and called by some the Sabbath of months as the seventh day is the Sabbath of days 4. This month began with the Feast of Trumpets which was upon the first day of the seventh month The first Institution of it we have in Lev. 23.23 24 25. and the Lord spake unto Moses saying c. It was celebrated as a Sabbath they were to do no servile work therein This Feast also had its peculiar Sacrifices appointed for it as in Numb 29. the six first verses It was also solemnized with the blowing of Trumpets which being the special Rite of this Festivity it had its Name from thence Here therefore the old legal Musick may fitly be considered this being as it were their Feast of Musick The Institution of these Trumpets we read in Numb 10. the ten first verses mentioned long after as a very solemn Ordinance in Psal 81.3 4 The first mention we have of Musical instruments in the Worship of God is in Exod. 15.20 21. where we read that Miriam used Timbrels and they praised God therewith and they sang the Song of Moses when they were delivered from Pharaoh And Miriam the Prophetess the Sister of Aaron took a Timbrel in her hand and all the Women went out after her with Timbrels and with Dances And Miriam answered them Sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea Moses afterwards by order from God appointed these Trumpets to be made and we read of a further increase of such Instruments in after times As to the use and signification of them there be many Gospel Instructions to be considered in this legal shadow we shall mention seven 1. The general scope of them was to signifie and shadow forth the sound of the Gospel the blessed sound of the Gospel which is called the joyful sound Psal 89.15 the Gospel is called glad tidings it is a joyful pleasant sound indeed Hence the Ministers of the Gospel are said to lift up their voice like a Trumpet Isai 58.1 the Tongue of the just is as choise Silver Prov. 10.20 these Trumpets were of Silver the faithful discharge and execution of their Office is expressed by blowing of the Trumpet Hos 8.1 Ezek. 33.3 4 5. it is said in the day when the Jews shall be converted in that day the great Trumpet shall be blown and they shall come which were ready to perish c. Isai 27. last when God shall gather them one by one ye shall be gathered one by one ver 12. in that day the great Trumpet shall be blown c that is saith Calvin the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel to the conviction and conversion of the Jews God will have his Church instructed not by sight only but by voice not by the eye only but by the ear Even under the Law the Lord would not have his people always to look for miraculous and immediate Guidance but they were to order themselves according to the sound of the Trumpet both in War Peace according to the rule of the Word so according to the rules of the Gospel according as that Trumpet sounds so are you to act This is the first namely the joyful sound of the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel 2. The Joys and Graces of the Spirit of God is another thing intimated by this Trumpet and instrument of Musick that spiritual melody of the Joys and Graces of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of Gods people Psal 98.6 with Trumpets and sound of Cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord the King Ephes 5.18 19. There is a melody and joyful voice in the Consciences of Believers the Spirit of God both sanctifying and comforting of them so the Apostle Col. 3.16 Grace and Joy the fruit of Grace so this Musick remains in the Antitype of it the heart-strings of Believers making melody suitable to the profession of their Lips and to the gracious and peaceable