all the members of his mysticall body the Catholike Church First the Spirit descends and sits on Christs head then on the Apostles in likenesse of fiery tongues running down as it were by Aarons beard and from them upon other inferior persons beleeving their word as unto the skirts of his garment Psal. 133. 2. Now a threefold Application hereof I. In the anointing of the high Priest the eminency of Jesus Christ above all creatures whose very name carrieth in it a note of principality being called the high Priest of our profession And in that this whole consecration of the high Priest in most solemne and stately manner was but a dark shadow of his selemne inauguration into his Office And by this anointing Christ is differenced from the most excellent Priests and Prophets that ever were Aaron Moses Elias Some of them had a most glorious vocation as Moses and in the entry of their callings graced with most divine and powerfull miracles but never any had the spirit sitting on his head but he None of them by their anointing had all graces nor any grace in perfection but onely begun and in small degree Moses a beleever wanted faith sometime as when he smote the Rock which he should have spoken to and the meekest man in the world was sometime to seek of his meknesse Aaron though the oyle was powred on his head was weak as in murmuring against Moses in making the calf But in our high Priest all graces virtues were not inchoate onely but perfect In him knowledge of God was most perfect holiness most perfect and all kind of graces in highest degrees Grace sits in his lips not onely to move the mind but to change it None of them by anointing could receive graces for others but for themselves onely but he receives such a measure as runns over to the sanctifying of the lowest and meanest of his members Hence 1 Joh. 2. 27. the anointing which we have of him dwels in you and teacheth you all things And 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. It is God that anointeth us in Christ and sealeth and giveth us the earnest of the Spirit Thus our Lord Jesus is advanced above all his oyle shines brightest and swimmes aloft above all others II. In Aaron's and Christs anointing and furnishing to their Office Ministers must labour for a greater measure of this ointment than others to run down from them to their skirts They must pray by the Spirit watch by the Spirit walk by the Spirit An unconverted Minister may do another good but he hath no prmise of blessing nor doth any good to himselfe As the holy ointment was kept in the Sanctuary So Christ is the Sanctuary whence this oyle comes The pipes are the Word preached Sacraments Prayer societies of the Saints and Gods people And such Ministers as contemptuously contemne the conduit-pipes through which this oyle drops and flowes scorne to come to Sermons and joyne in holy exercises how doth their oyle dry away Instead of this oyle that should fall from them a deale of pitch and slime froth and filthinesse falls on their skirts III. In the communication of this ointment unto us the skirts we learn that Christ is not for himselfe but for us And therefore 1. Examine if thou beest anointed This is to be a Christian to be anointed as Christ was Scornest thou this holy oyle in thy selfe or others Know thou shalt one day wish the mountaines to fall on thee on whom this oyle falls not 2. Hence draw strength in temptation Remember If sollicited to sinne Oh I have the anointing I am taken up and set apart to Gods use I am for God and his glory Neh. 6. 11. 3. Use meanes to attaine a farther measure and be liker Christ. Thou missest a Sermon or the Sacrament thou knowest not what drops of oyle thou hast missed 4. Have a care to walk as such as are anointed smelling sweet every where in holy lives speeches prayers in all things edifying thy self and others Leave a sweet smell every where behind thee Let it drop down from us to others round about us The third thing in the high Priests consecration was sacrificing Exod. 29 1 2. In which 1. Observe in general that the Priests must be consecrated by offering all sorts of sacrifices for them and therefore they must take a calfe two rammes unleavened bread cakes and oyle verse 1 2. 1. Because of the speciall holinesse and honour of their calling who are to come so near unto God who will be specially sanctified in all that come near him 2. Because sinne in them is more hatefull than in any other and in expiating their sinnes as much is required as for the sins of all the congregation 3. Because they were to offer unto God all the gifts and sacrifices of all the people of all sorts and therefore for them must be offered all sorts to sanctifie them not onely in generall but to their speciall services between God and his people 2. In particular The first of these sacrifices must be a sinne offering verse 10. For which they must 1. Take a calfe and offer him for the expiation of sinne verse 14. This young calfe was a type of Christ who onely by his own oblation expiated our sinne which otherwise made our selves and duties most hatefull 2. This calfe must be presented before the Lord and his Congregation signifying the willingnesse of Christ to offer up himselfe for the sinnes of men Joh. 19. 11. 3. Aaron and his sonnes must put their hands on the head-of the calfe verse 10. not onely to confesse they were worthy to die for their own sins but to professe also that the death which they deserved was by the death of the Messiah the high Priest of the new Testament removed off them and transferred upon the beast And not onely the imputation of our sinnes upon Christ but also is signified that we must lay our hand by a true faith upon Christ our head if we expect any comfort from his death and passion 4. The calfe must be killed before the Lord at the doore of the Tabernacle verse 11. signifying both the death and crucifying of Christ as also the fruit of it by the place That by his death as by a doore an entry is made for us into the Church both militant and triumphant Heb. 10 20. 5. The bloud of that sinne-offering for the Priest must be put on the hornes of the Altar and the rest powred at the foot of the Altar verse 12. signifying 1. The sufficiency of Christs death to purge and reconcile us to God 2. The plenty of grace and merit in it for many more than are saved by it For being sufficient for all it is not helpfull to all nor to any that tread under foot this pretious bloud the extent of the benefit is to all the elect 3. The large spreading and preaching of the Gospel of salvation by Christs bloud through
Sam. 16. 23 Christ by the sweet voyce of the Gospel stills the evill spirits which molest and vexe men and gives them peace and quietnesse in mind and conscience And in the dayes of his flesh how he sought to cure and allay the spirituall madnesse of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees against him is plaine in the story 2. David brings back the Arke to his right place 2 Sam. 6. So did Christ the truth of Gods Law obscured by the false glosses of Scribes and Pharisees and reduced the true sence and meaning of it And freed his Church signified by the Arke from the spirituall thraldome and captivity of the Law 3. David buildes an Altar in the grounds of a stranger 2 Sam. 24. 24. namely Araunah the Jebusite The true David builds up a Church among the Gentiles and sets up Gods worship among them that were strangers from the Covenant 4. David offers a sacrifice and the Lord accepts it sending fire from heaven to consume it 2 Sam 24. 25. Christ offers the most acceptable sacrifice that ever was in which both Davids and all ours must be accepted and in which alone the Lord smels a savour of rest I. As the Spirit of God came on David after his anoynting 1 Sam. 16. 13. So did it on our true David after his baptizing to fit them to their waighty offices Learne 1. That he that is not fitted and furnished with gifts of the spirit in some measure and attempteth any office in the Church or common-wealth is not called by God whose wisedome will not send a blind man for a Seer nor a dumb man on his message or errand Would a man know whether he have received of this spirit for his office A note is when God stirres up his will in that office to performe all the desire of God Isai. 44. 28. he saith to Cyrus Thou art my Shepheard thou shalt performe all my desire The Magistrate is a shepheard he must do in judgement what God himselfe would do in repressing vice and cherishing religion else the spirit who is not contrary to himselfe leads him not The Minister is a shepheard he must speake nothing but what God would speak for the incouraging of grace and disgrace of sinne and sinners God speakes peace to his people and feeds the impenitent with judgenent and he that in his ministery doth speak sweetly to wicked men and broacheth aÌ„ vessell of gall and wormewood for godly men to drink is not sent by God on that errand he crosseth the spirit which he pretendeth 2. Art thou a private Christian see that the same spirit rest on thee and that thou hast received of the same anointing For 1. he that hath not the spirit is none of Christs and 2. wâ—â—t is it to us that the spirit rest and light upon Christ if he should determine all his fruits and graces upon him But in that the sweete oyntment and Balsame poured upon the head of our high Priest runnes down to the skirt of his garment that is to the lowest member of his Church Psal. 133. 2. hence are we sweetly and admirably refreshed Findest thou emptinesse or want of grace fly to this fullnesse but observe the diverse manner To the head is given the spirit in all fullnesse to us members of that fulnesse Joh. 1. 16. To him beyond all measure to us according to measure II. That Jesus Christ is the right and undoubted King of his Church of whom David was but a shadow And it will be worth our labour to enquire how farre the truth exceeds the type 1. For originall Davids kingdome and all other Kings and kingdomes are mediately from men either from some meane family as Jshais or some greater house in some corner of the earth But the kingdome of Christ is immediately and unchangeably from heaven Dan. 2. 44. the God of heaven shall raise up a kingdome that is immediately for mediately all kingdomes Kings and power is from him 2. In respect of unction All they are anoynted 1. by men 2. with materiall oyle 3. to be temporary Saviours 4. from temporary dangers But Christs anointing was by the Spirit of God with more divine and excellent oyle above all his fellowes Psal. 45. 7. that he might be a spirituall and and eternall Saviour a Jesus saving his people from their sinnes and such spirituall evils as pertaine to the life to come 3. Their titles are stately and glorious David as an Angell of God as the woman of Tekoah said so Caesar Augustus Charles the great Constantine and Alexander the great to set out their glory But all these are nothing to the true and undoubted title of Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. And if this were too little he hath another for he is God and man in one Person our Emmanuel a stile too high for Pope or Potentate for men or Angels Isai. 7. 14. 4. Their Scepters are of metal gold or silver which they hold in their hands and by them they save or slay innocent or nocent But his Scepter is but verball which he holds in his mouth the word and breath of his mouth more pure than the gold of Ophir more potent than all the Scepters of all Kings put together By this he slayes the wicked Hos. 6. 5. I slew them with the word of my mouth 2 Thes. 2. 8. He shall slay that wicked man of sinne with the breath of his mouth Other Kings by their Scepters can kill men but cannot make them alive againe when they have done but Christ by his word can quicken and make alive dead soules and bodies They by theirs can be dreadfull to men Christ by his drives back devils diseases death and all adversary power 5. In port and state 1. Their banners and ensigns exprese their noble acts and the honourable exployts of them and their progenitors which are glorious in the eyes of men Christs banner for his kingdome of grace is his Crosse or rather the Gospel a doctrine of the Crosse to the world foolishnesse or basenesse but in his kingdome of glory the signe of the sonne of man that is such glory and power as agrees to none else 2. Their servants and attendants must be rich stately noble and the sonnes of great Princes must be nearest to attend them Christ Jesus in contempt of what the world admireth will have his servants poor meek lowly not such losty Lords as so farre excell the Emperour in worldly glory as the Sunne the Moone the Popes ridiculous claime and yet they be Sonnes of God heires of heaven brethren of Christ and of the royalest bloud that ever was 3. When they ride in progresse they shew their state pompe and worldly glory Great Alexander gets upon his Bucephalus Pompey triumphs upon an Elephant Anthony rides upon Lyons Aurelianus upon Harts and Bucks Christ had his kingdome been of this world
private Christians Heb. 13. 9. Be not carried about with divers strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be stablished with grace 3. A bonnet verse 40. A symbole and signe to them of Gods protection still covering them in their faithfull service signifying to us the Lords cover and faithful protection both over our head and over his members for his sake So as every faithfull Minister hath a bonnet Christ carries him as a starre in his right hand and covers him from the rage of Satan and the world else should he not stand a minute And every faithfull member of Christ is so covered as an haire cannot fall much lesse the head without the will of his heavnely father 4. The breeches verse 42. Putting more comlinesse upon the uncomely parts Signifying to them and us 1. What reverence we ought to use in the service of God farre remooving thence every uncomely thing 2. Shaddowing out the true and perfect holinesse with which Christs humanity was cloathed and not onely with that but with the Majesty of his deity which highly graced and honoured the despised and fraile humanity which had no forme nor beauty Isai. 53. 2. 3. Not darkly representing that care and respect which our Lord and Saviour Christ hath of his inferiour base and despised both Ministers and members through the world Isai. 41. 14. Feare not worme Jacob I will helpe thee To the high Priest belonged six peculiar garments First the Ephod verse 4. In which 1. The matter it was not wooll or silk but linne which riseth out of the earth Ezech. 44. 17. Signifying that holy flesh of Christ which vailed his deity as a garment and that it was taken not from heaven but from his mother on earth as the matter of that garment grew immediately out of earth 2. The forme it was a long white garment signifying the long white garment of Christs absolute righteousnesse white innocent and unspotted and long to cover all our nakednesse without eecking and patching of merits 3. The ornament of it In â—it were set two Onyx stones and in them the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraven which Aaron carried upon his shoulders signifying 1. That the names of the godly are not lightly written but fast engraven in the love and memory of Christ as those names were engraven in very hard stones 2. That Christ doth still carry his Church on his shoulders lifting them up out of dust and misery and bearing them upon the shoulders of his power and providence as on Eagles wings Deut. 32. 51. Or as the good shepheard brings home the sheep on his shoulders Luke 15. 5. According to his gracious promise Isai. 46. 4. I have made you I will also beare you and I will carry you and deliver you 4. The use of it The high Priest in this garment carried on his shoulders the names of Israel into the sanctuary before God so our high Priest in the garment of his righteousnesse presents his Church shadowed by the twelve tribes without spot or wrinckle or any such thing and carries into heaven on his shoulders even into the true Sanctuary not made with hands those whose names are written in the book of life 5. Distinction As the high Priest carried the names in severall precious stones and severally engraven so our high Priest takes speciall notice of every particular member of the Church neglects not the meanest but knowes them by name as the head can name every member of the body and contemnes not the meanest Revl 3. 4. the Church of Sardâ— had a few names that is godly persons so well known to Christ as men by their names 6. The property of it It was not lawfull for any but Aaron and the high Priest to use this garment nor might any imitate it for it was the fall of Gideons house Judg. 8. 26. 27. for making an Ephod like that of the sanctuary It is true there were ordinary Ephods holy garments common to inferior Priests as Saul put to the sword fourscore and five Priests that wore an Ephod 2 Sam. 22. 18. And used by the Levits as Samuel very young ministred in an Ephod 1 Sam. 2. 18. And it may be there were some garments caled Ephods which great men did weare and no holy garment as 2 Sam. 6. 14. David danced before the Arke girt with a linnen Ephod But this Ephod was peculiar to the high Priest and in no garment else might he present the names of the twelve tribes signifying that no garment of righteousnesse may be expected or imitated in which God can behold his Church but this of Jesus Christ. And whosoever seeks elsewhere are abolished from Christ to their destruction Gal. 5. 2 4. Oh the fearfull case of Papists that seek to have their names written in another Ephod of their own weaving and making The second garment peculiar no the high Priest was called the brest-plate of judgement ver 15. the most precious part of all his garments I. In respect of the twelve costly and glistering stones which were set in four rowes according to the number of the tribes ver 17 to the 22. In which 1. The shining of these stones signified the shining purity and innocency of Jesus Christ both in himselfe and in his members If they be pure as the Sunne faire as the Moone what is he 2. Their price of great value and worth signifying what a price the Lord Jesus valued his Churth at He counteth not believers as common and base stones but more precious than his own life How vile and despicable soever they seeme to men and trodden under foot here below as common pebles yet Jesus Christ sets another price on them 3. Their place or situation They are set in the pectorall and Aaron must carry them on his heart fignifying that Christ hath as much care of his Church as if it were enclosed in his heart le ts out his bloud to make room in his heart for them 4. Their number Twelve according to all the tribes noting that there is a room in the heart of Christ for every one of the elect None can anticipate or prevent other With him is plentifull redemption The former without the latter shall not be perfected Heb. 11. 40. 5. Their order They stand in four rowes in a comely quadrangle signifying the comely order that Christ hath stablished in the Church some in higher place some in lower some of one ranke and virtues and some of another as those stones but all stand seemely and fitly And this order we must maintaine keepe our rankes as they did 6. The figure The four square ver 16. signifying the stability and firmenesse of the Church as a four square turne it any way is firme Satan and all deceivers shall not pick one stone out of Christs Pectorall The gates of hell shall not prevaile against him
and externall sensible sacrifices which all had end by Christs onely sacrifice upon the Crosse but spirituall sacrifices such as Calves of the lips Heb. 13. 15. The sacrifice of a broken heart Psal. 51. 17. Of almes with which God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. Of mortification Rom. 12. 1. and of good works and duties of all sorts Of prayer Psal. 141. 2. Now before any of these sacrifices can finde acceptance we must all put on holy and spirituall garments Never was any priest or performance pleasing without his garments the use of which was to cover and adorne Quest. What garments must we put on Answ. Jacob before he could get his fathers blessing must put on his elder brothers garment Gen. 27. 15. so must we put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 13. 14. Quest. How Answ. Put on whole Christ as the Priest all his garments 1. By making him our own we must weare our own garments Speciall faith unites to Christ and marrieth us to him that he is ours and we his 2. Cover thy selfe with the sacrifice of his death Adam having sinned covered his nakednesse with skins of dead beasts signifying that all his sinfull posterity must cover themselves with the sacrifice of Christ dead the righteousnesse and perfection of which is the linnen Ephod in which thou being wrapped must offer up thy sacrifice 3. Array thy selfe with his virtues to adorne and deck thee This is the broydered coat which thou must weare of manifold virtues and graces which as jewels and ornaments must shine in thy life as the many glistering stones did in the brestplate So the Apostle Ephes. 4. 24. Put on the new man created after God in righteousness and holinesse 4. Put on Christ by Christian profession Our apparrell is seen and makes us known to others Servants make themselves known by the cloth they weare whose they are The Priest must put on the Plate on his forehead and we are commanded to carry the name of God and the Lamb on our foreheads Rev. 14. 1. that men may never see our faces but therein read the holinesse and innocency of our conversation 5. Put on the girdle Have thy loines girded Luke 12. 25. Stand in a readinesse 1. To all duties of Christianity 2. To all acceptable sacrifices of faith repentance prayer praises obedience 3. to offer up our selves by life or death to the glory and praise of God We had need be thus begirt that we may stand to the confession and profession of the truth not knowing when or what trialls will come besides that the world nor pleasure nor lusts seldome find us unprepared And can he be a good subject who is alwaies unprepared for his Princes service but ever ready to serve his enemys III. From the being arrayed with these garments the poore members of the Church have a ground of much comfort in respect 1. Of their head so arrayed 2. Of themselves and in respect of themselves considering those garments 1. In the generall 2. In the particulars First in respect of our high Priest Jesus Christ thus gloriously arrayed 1. In the Ephod we see his mighty power who carries his Church upon his shoulders of power and protection Alas where should we lie if our Lord did not lift us up and beare us up But now we never need to discourage our selves by casting what shall become of the Church or religion if such and such projects prevaile for so long as we are on Christs shoulders we are safe 2. In the Pectoral behold the ardent surpassing love of Jesus Christ to his Church For as he carries us on his shoulders by his power so he carries our names on his heart by his love This our true high Priest cannot forget his saints when he seems to turne his back on them but still hath their names before his eye And this is the happinesse of the Church in which she may well rest her selfe that according to her prayer Cant. 8. 6. Christ setteth her as a seale on his heart and as a signet on his arme How is it possible to forget that which is sealed on the heart How can the eye look off the signet on the arme For a signet because it is most precious is most carefully kept and being upon the arme of Christ what arme can pull us off from him Object Oh that I might know my happinesse to be set on Christs heart Sol. If thou wouldest be set as a signet on the Lords arme become the Lords servant and be faithfull in this service See Hag. 2. 23. O Zerubbabel my servant I will set thee as a signet 3. In his Miter we see our high Priest crowned with honour and glory above all men and Angels And all the Church must say as Psal. 132. 18. On him let his Crown flourish And if the dignity of the head be the honour of the members and the power of the head the safety of the members then from hence we have no small consolation 4. In his Plate we see holinesse engraven on his forehead that all our senses and thoughts must be fixed in the forehead of our onely high Priest from whom all holinesse floweth to his Church Oh what matter of joy is it to see that we in our selves so foule every way in our nature in our course and shut out of heaven where no uncleane thing commeth have in him a fountaine of holinesse set open for us For he is made to us of God wisedome sanctification c Secondly in respect of themselves by meanes of Jesus Christ the members of the Church thus arrayed enjoy sure and stable consolation For 1. In generall they all afford us this comfort that through Christ our high Priest we are beautifull and glorious yea our beauty is made perfect through his beauty Psal. 45. 9. The Queen stands in most royall and costly garments Never had Salomons Queen in all her royalty such sweet perfumed and precious garments as hath the spouse of our true Salomon For 1. Those were provided by Salomon Kings daughters in thy precious garments but these provided by Christ out of his wardrobe and will not endure any other garment or ornament brought or procured elsewhere 2. Those were materiall gold silver and precious stuffe out of earth but ours are spirituall and heavenly What the glorious robes of the Church are see Isa. 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord for he hath clothed me with garments of salvation and covered me with a robe of righteousnesse and decked me as a bride with Jewels What is gold silver silk pearles to righteousnesse holynesse life immortality and glory 3. Those were corruptible and soon cast off but these never weare nor teare For all the sonnes and daughters of God are clad with incorruption and immortality and are heires of eternity Now it were no small comfort that we being so naked and foule wallowing in our bloud and filthinesse or covered
his passion rose early in the morning to fullfill the work of his father 3. Neither of them must be offered every where or any where but both in a mountaine and such a mountaine as must typifie Christs humane nature MountMoriah must bear the Temple built by Salomon a type of Christs body Joh. 2. 19. Mount Calvary must bear the body it self and these two hills if they be not one and the same as Augustine thinks and it is not unprobable but that Golgotha was the skirt of Moriah yet could they not be farre distant the one being within the gate of the City and the other not farre without the nearest to the City of all 4. The Father layes first the wood upon both and then both upon the wood both must feell the weight of the wood no small wood to burne a man a whole burnt offering as Isaac but the wood which Christ bore was farre heavier 1. For the greatnesse of the burthen 2. For the burthensomenesse of our sinnes Isai 53. 4. He bare all our diseases And then both by Gods appointment were bound on the wood fastned hand and foot not that either was unwilling but to retaine the manner appointed for a sacrifice 5. Isaac must be offered alone the servants must stay at the foot of the hill a farre off little knowing th businesse and sorrow in hand So Christ must tread the Winepresse alone Isai. 63. 3. the Disciples fear and fly and little consider the agony of their Master 6. The Father carrys in his hand the sword and fire against his own sonne the sword signifying the justice of God the fire his burning wrath against the sinnes of men Both bent against Christ both sustained by this Isaac in whom the justice of God is satisfied and the flame of his wrath extinct and quenched IV. In his scape and deliverance 1. The blow is a fetching but Abraham must hold his hand Isaac's flesh must not be pierced or cut The souldiers ready to break the leggs of Christ as of the two theeves must stay their hands not a bone of him must be broken 2. Isaac offered and three dayes dead in his Fathers purpose and minde yet dyed not but his Father received him as from the dead So Christ offered upon his Divinity dyed not and his humanity dead in the belly of the earth after three days he revived and raysed himselfe againe to dye no more So both were delivered from death the third day wherein the Apostle plainly makes him a type Heb. 11. 16. from whence he received him as in a type or resemblance that is to be a type or resemblance of Christs resurrection from death 3. The Ramme that was offered for Isaac was caught by the head among the thornes and hanged in a bush Christ our sacrifice was hanged on a tree crowned with thornes and so hung on the Crosse to expiate our sinnes compared to thornes and bryers which would for ever have held us if they had not held him V. In his mariage 1. Rebeckah was fair and beautyfull so the Church is faire in the beauty of Christ and fair within 2. She was of his own kindred and flesh Gen. 24. 4. so Christs spouse is of the same flesh which himself assumed 3. She was wooed by his Fathers servants and brought forwards towards Isaac so the Church is wooed by Pastors and Preachers the servants of Christ and so brought forwards by his friends towards the bridegroome 4. She resolved to forsake all her friends and comforts to come to Isaac so the Church forsakes all in affection and actually being called to enjoy her head and husband Jesus Christ. 5. She decks her selfe with jewels and trims her self before she comes to Isaac but covers all with a vaile So the Church prepares her selfe as a Bride for a Bridegroome trims her selfe with faith and grace as Jewels but covers and vailes all with humility modesty shamefacenesse as not worthy to be seen much lesse matched to such an husband 6. In her comming towards Isaac Isaac meets her so the Church cōming towards Christ he meets her a far off 1. by his grace of election 2. By his most intire love and affection 3. By most gracious acceptation 4. In person and Incarnation 5. In glory and power at the last Judgement for her finall salvation I. In the type and truth note a pattern by which to frame our obedience Phil. 2. 8. Let the same minde be in us that was in them 1. To be humbly obedient unto our father as they 2. Having never so difficult a Commandement As Abraham rose early to obey God and Isaac as early to obey his Father and Christ was content early in the morning to be prosecuted to death so let us not procrastinate but hasten to our duty especially to our sacrifices of prayer and prayses early in the morning Psal. 108. 2. 3. As Ahraham in offering or Isaac in obeying consulted not with flesh and bloud acquainted neither Sarah nor the servants nor consulted with humane wisedome to hinder obedience no more must we in our obedience So Paul Gal. 1. 16. professeth of himselfe that he communicated not with flesh and bloud after he had a calling If flesh and bloud will object any thing against obedience and extoll it selfe against the knowledge of God bring it captive into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. 4. Obey in suffering as well as in doing dayly take up our crosse as both they carryed the wood of their offering and not repine nor reply We must not think that by carrying our crosse we can performe the work of our redemption for to that end it was carried by Christ onely yet we must carry it so farre forth as he is a patterne for our imitation yea that we may be conformable to the image of Christ Rom. 8. 29. 5. For the measure stick not at heavy crosses and burthens they carried heavie loads of wood We must not love our lives to death if God call us thercto For both they were obedient unto death Phil. 2. 8. Such a testimony is given of the Saints Revel 12. 11. they loved not their lives unto the death Now thus to frame our obedience are required two rules I. A change and renovation of our crooked and corrupt nature which is ever rebelling against the law of the mind Nothing we say is hard to good will But this good will is not to be found but in such as are regenerate by the Spirit of God who hath made it of an unwilling a willing will And till this change be made every commandment is impossible and an intolerable yoke Let Christ give the same commandement to the young man and to the disciples of leaving all and following him it is an impossible taske to the one yet in his naturall estate but an easie yoke to the other who with the commandement receive some secret power to draw them to
2. For undertaking his office 1. In his incarnation he was the first-born of his Mother Matth. 1. 25. till she had broughtforth her first-born Son not in respect of any that his mother had after him but because she had none before 2. For the stranger manner He was the first-born of a virgin and so never had brother 3. He was the first born without sinne 3. For accomplishing his office in his resurrection He is called the first-begotten or first born of the dead two wayes 1. In respect of his Father who first begot him from the dead Whence his resurrection is called a begetting Acts 13. 33. thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee the Apostle applying it to the resurrection of Christ. And had not the Father thus begotten his sonne from the dead we had never been raised from death 2. In regard of himselfe whose priviledge it was to raise up himselfe from the dead by his owne power Rom. 1. 4. As himselfe said I have power to take up my life againe And being risen he was the first that ascended in body and soul into heaven Thus consider Christ as God as Mediator as incarnate as raised and ascended he is the Lords first-born and the birth-right belongs to no other II. The first borne of Israel was the second and next to the father of the family yea after the father instead of the father So is Christ to his family the Church performes all offices of a careful tender father and takes on him not the affection onely of a father but even 1. the name of a father Isa. 9. 6. Father of eternity 2. the office of a father 1. He supplies the meanes of spirituall life as they of naturall 2 He nurtures and teacheth his Church 3. He provides for the present and bestowes the inheritance of eternall life III. The first-born had the preheminence among the brethren and were chiefe in office and authority rulers in the house after their fathers and Priests in the family before the Leviticall order was established Gen. 27. 29. when Isaac blessed Jacob for Esau supposing him the first-born one part of it was Be Lord over thy brethren and let all thy mothers children honour thee So all the sheaves must bow to Josephs And Gen. 49. 8. when Jacob blessed Judah this is added as his right Thy fathers sonnes shall bow down unto thee Herein they were speciall types of Christ who in all things must have the preheminence as first in time in order in precedency first in the excellency and dignity of his person Of whom comming into the world was said Let all the Angels of God worship him And for glory and authority he sits on his fathers throne the onely King of Kings who hath a name above all names Phil. 2. 9. And Heb. 2. 9. we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour the head of the mysticall body the Prince and head of all his brethren And besides he is the high Priest of our profession by offering up himselfe a sacrifice for us Thus Christ is first in order in glory in Priesthood IV. The first-born had a double portion in goods Deut. 21. 17. Signifying 1. The plenitude of the spirit and grace in Christ who was anointed with oyle of gladnesse above all his fellowes 2. The preheminency of Christ in his glorious inheritance advanced in glory and majesty incomprehensible by all creatures I. Out of the occasion of the Law of the first-born learn that the more God doth for any man the more he ought to conceive himselfe to be the Lords and the more right and interest the Lord chalengeth in him For therefore the first-born were his by a speciall right because he had not onely delivered them out of Egypt as others but from the speciall plague of Egypts first-borne Speciall mercies call for speciall service More mercies are more bonds of obedience And new mercies are so many new cords to draw and fasten us to God and duty Is it not reason that the more it pleaseth the Lord to become ours the more we should become his Ought not great benefits become great binders And should not great love be a great load-stone of love Should not strong cords of Gods love draw us strongly to love our God Examine the encrease of Gods mercies on thee in all kindes and whether they have had this fruit to make thee more dutyfull Hath God multiplied blessing on thy head that thou shouldest blesse thy self in wickednesse Hath God continued mercy that thou shouldst continue sinne Art thou the Lords by Creation providence redemption stored with all personall kindnesses pertaining to life and godlinesse to continue a slave to sinne and Satan Remember good Josephs conclusion Gen. 39. 8 9. My master hath dealt thus and thus with me advanced me from nothing to this estate committed all to my trust kept nothing from me but thee How then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God II. If Christ be the true first-born of whom all they are but types we must give him the honour of his birth-right The whole Church and all the sonnes of that mother must honour him all the sheaves of the brethren must vaile and bow to his sheave Let not the basenesse of his birth the humility of his life the ignominy of his death the shame of his crosse the poverty of his professors the weaknesse and frailty of his followers draw our eyes aside from him as the Jewes at this day but acknowledge him the first-born esteeming him as doth the Church the chiefe of ten thousand and with the Apostle esteem to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Question How shall we honour Christ as the first-born Sol. 1. If we honour him with the same honour that is due to the Father Job 5. 23. 2. Advance his estate above our own or other mens confesse and professe his name though with losse and disfavour 3. Depend upon him and make him our chiefe refuge for all the family depended on the first-borne for protection so doe members on the head 4. Grieve to offend him by sinne How pitifully can men women grieve for the death of their first-born So much more should we that our sinns have pierced Gods first-born Zach. 12. 10. III. Here is a ground of much consolation 1. In that Christ being the truth of the first-born from him the birth-right is derived unto us believers as it was from Reuben unto Judah and we partake of the same birth-right with our head For here is a difference between the type and truth of the first-born They had all their priviledges for themselves but Christ not for himselfe but for us Whence his elect members are called the Congregation of the first-born written in heaven that is whose names are written in the book of life And farther the more those first-born had the lesse had the other brethren but the more Christ hath
consumed with fire as the burnt offering was but slaine for the expiation of sinne The use of which was to figure and seale up to the Jews the expiation of their sinnes in Christ. Now Christ is made manifest for the doing away of sinne by the slaine sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 26. and see vers 28. The burnt offering was a sacrifice in which the whole beast or bird was consumed with fire offered up therein to God for a savour of rest namely to appease and pacifie Gods wrath for some sinne or sinnes committed Which signified that Christ was to be a whole burnt offering and to be wholly consumed in soule and body with the fire of his Fathers wrath that he might be a sweet smelling savour for us He gave himselfe for us a sacrifice and oblation for a sweet smelling savour Neither did the believing Jewes think that God was appeased by any virtue in the burnt-offering but through the eternall sacrifice of Christ shadowed therein 2. What were the ceremonies about these foules for they all pointed at Christ. 1. For the sinne offering of foules the ceremonies are appointed Levit. 5. 8 9. and they be three 1. Rite The Priest must wring the neck of the Dove asunder but not pluck it clean off and the same rite in the burnt-offering The neck must be pincht with the naile of the Priest to let out the bloud but the head must not be pluckt off from the body Signifying 1. That although Christ was to die yet his divinity and humanity should not be severed 2. That the death of this innocent Dove should not interrupt his headship of the Church He was to be pinched to death but his head should not be severed from his body and members which is the Church 3. That Christ should die indeed but no bone of him must be broken Joh. 19. 36. Shadowed also in the Passover 2. Rite The Priest must sprinkle the bloud of the sinne offering upon the side of the Altar vers 9. and the like in the burnt offering Chap. 1. 15. Signifying that all the virtue and merit of Christs bloud for the purging of sinne was drawn from the Altar of his Deity He must be God that must purchase the Church with his bloud Act. 20. 28. and 〈◊〉 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ. 3. Rite All the rest of the bloud must be powred out at the foot of the Altar Signifying not onely the powring out of the bloud of Jesus Christ our true sinne offering upon the Altar of the Crosse without which shedding of bloud can be no remission of sinnes but also the bloud powred at the foot of the Altar that is those clots and drops of bloud plentifully flowing from him in his agony before his passion Luke 22. 44. as he was going up to the Crosse. 2. For the Dove appointed for the burnt offering besides the former rites some other are appointed 1. The Priest must pluck out the maw with his feathers and cast them besides the Altar on the East side in the place of the ashes For these were things unclean and signified that Christ should bring no unclean thing to his suffering but present a most spotlesse and holy oblation to the Lord for else had it not been of sweet smell 2. The Priest must divide and cleave the bird with his winges but not asunder signifying Christ who seemed by his death to be burnt extinct and perished for so he was in the esteem of his own disciples as they were going to Emaus but yet he was not quite sundered but rose againe by his own power and ever liveth sitting at his Fathers right hand to make request for us Yea his own words might seem to imply a sundering when he saith Why hast thou for saken me but that the ingemination of his former words my God my God doth strongly prove the contrary 3. This bird must be throughly consumed to ashes to make it a sweet savour to the Lord Levit. 1. 17. signifying that never was any thing so gratefull and acceptable to the Lord as the whole burnt sacrifice of his Sonne in which he smelled a savour of eternall rest To which the Psalmist alludeth Let him smell a savour of all thy oblations and turn thy burnt offerings into ashes Psal. 20. 3. 4. When all these rites were observed the party that was unclean shall be clean Levit. 12. 8. and Chap. 15. 13 28. signifying that a party justified by Christs bloud and exercising true repentance and the study of holinesse and new life is brought in againe into the right and fellowship of God and his people whatsoever his uncleannesse formerly hath been And thus hath the legall cleansing of this person brought us to the Evangelicall in Jesus Christ I. Sundry grounds of consolation to the Church and people of God 1. As Christ seemed clean divided and sundered from his Father from his Church but was not so his members often seem quite sundered from God and all comfort but are not and Ch. 6. 9. A godly man may be in such a streight as David was when thus he brake forth to Jonathan As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth there is but one step between me and death And yet when he can see no passage God makes a passage forth Hence may a Christian with Paul challenge all perills and dangers and contemne them as too weak to separate us from Christ Rom. 8. 39. yea in all things we are not onely conquerours but more than conquerours So was Christ in death and from under the grave more than a conquerour Let a Christian be slain it hinders him not from being a conquerour and what ever he may loose he looseth not the love of God who loveth him to the end whom he once loveth and therefore onely the sound Christian is in a sure estate If sorrow be for a night joy will returne in the morning after darkenesse as sure to see light As Jesus Christ keeps his headship and death cannot sever him quite so the members may be pinched yet not quite off but abide members still 2. As the speciall providence of God watched his own sonne that though he was in wicked hands that wanted no will yet they were kept from breaking one bone of him so doth the same providence watch over his members that howsoever the wicked of the world pinch and presse them yet the promise is made to them Psal. 34. 20. He keeps all their bones not one of them is broken that is without the will of our heavenly Father as Matth. 10. 29. Not an haire shall fall for the same providence watcheth the head and members This consideration is used by Christ to remove excessive fear of men If thou see thine enemies encrease as bees about thee ready to strike and sting Let thy waies please the Lord he can 1. turne their hearts to peace as Esaus to Jacob when he purposed his death and Labans to
circumcision made with hands and were so farre unworthy of Abrahams seed as that they are called Witches children seed of the whore Isai. 57. 3. and Act. 7. 51. So art thou not circumcised which art onely outwardly Rom. 2. 28. A Jew without or outward is as good a worshiper as thou 2. If We cannot say truely that now not the Jewes but we are the circumcision Col. 2. 11. our persons are no better before God than an uncircumcised person in the Law Therefore if thou art not thus circumcised thou art 1. An exceeding hatefull person So David of Goliah by way of reproach and contempt This uncircumcised Philistime 2. Thou hast no part in the promised Messiah no more than he 3. No portion in Canaan not a foot in Heaven all thy portion is in Earth 4. No member of the true Churth but without the Communion of Saints 5. As he was in state of death and judgement Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 4. 4 14. so thou shalt be condemned as surely for want of a sanctified and circumcised heart as he for contemning circumcision of his flesh Col. 2. 13. Ye were dead in the circumcision of the flesh without the life of God in grace without hope of the life of glory CHAP. XIX The Passeover a type THe second ordinary Sacrament of the Jewes lively representing Jesus Christ was the Passeover instituted Exod. 12. to be a lively type of Christ. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us The name of this Sacrament hath in it the occasion for it was by God therefore instituted in memoriall of their great deliverance in Egypt when the destroying angell who slew all the first born in Egypt in one night passed over all the Israelites houses whose doors and posts were striked with the bloud of the Pascall Lamb slain and eaten in that house wherein the godly Jewes were not to fix their eyes in that externall signe or the temporary deliverance signified but to cast their eye of Faith upon the Messiah and true Paschal Lamb by means of whom the wrath and revenge of God passed over all those whose soules are sprinkled with his bloud and who by true faith feed upon him And therefore howsoever the word Passeover hath in Scripture many significations both proper and figurative I understand by it the whole institution of God concerning the Lamb called Paschall In which we shall see Jesus Christ most lively pourtrayed before us and that this one legall Sacrament preached not obscurely to the ancient Jews the whole doctrine of the Gospel and grace of salvation by the onely suffering of Jesus Christ. This will appear in five things 1. In the choice of the Sacrifice 2. In the preparing of it 3. In the effusion of bloud and actions about it 4. In the eating and conditions therein 5. In the fruits and use Sect. I. I. In the choice of the Sacrifice The Lord appointed it to be a Lamb or a Kidd notably signifying Jesus Christ whom John Baptist called the Lamb of God taking away the sinnes of the world Joh. 1. 29. Christ is a Lamb. 1. In name Revel 5. 6. In the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb. 2. In qualities in respect of innocency patience meekness humility obedience to the will of his Father to the death not opening his mouth Isai. 53. 7. in fruitfulnesse and profitablenesse to feed us with his flesh and cloath us with his fleece of righteousnesse 3. In shadows being figured in all those lambs slain especially in the Paschall Lamb. In which shadowes or figures he was not yearly onely but daily held before the eyes of beleevers and so here we consider him In this Lamb for his choice must be four conditions I. Condition It must be a Lamb without blemish ver 5 every way perfect without any spot or defect signifying the most absolute perfection of Jesus Christ who was both in respect of his person and actions without all spot and exception 1 Pet. 1. 19. as of a Lamb undefiled and without spot Heb. 7. 26 Such an high Priest it became us to have as is holy undefiled separate from sinners The reasons are two 1. Because else his ransome were insufficient 2. He must be perfectly righteous that must become a righteousnesse to many II. Condition It must be a male for three reasons 1. Reason To note the excellency strength and dignity of Christ proper to that sex For although he seemed a most weak man in the state of his humiliation yet must he be not effeminate but masculine strong stout and potent to destroy sinne and death and to foile all the enemies of mans salvation Christ indeed must be the seed of the woman but the woman must bring forth a man-child Rev. 12. 5. And though he must be borne of a Virgin yet the Virgin must bring forth a sonne Isa. 9. 6. For he must divide the spoile with the strong Isa. 5. 3. 12. 2. Reason Consider Christ in both his natures it was fit he should be a male as the Lambe was 1. As he was the Sonne of God it was meet he should be of the more worthy sex of men for it was unfit that the Sonne of God should be the daughter of man 2. As being man he was to be the Messiah the seed of Abraham the Sonne of David and so to be circumcised to be a fit Minister of Circumcision 3. Reason Consider him in his office He was to be a King a Priest and a Prophet of his Church all which necessarily require him to be a man a male a the Lamb was We conclude therefore hence that being the head of the whole Church he must be of as worthy sex as any of his members III. Condition The Lambe must be of a year old ver 5. to signifie that Christ dyed at a full and perfect age in his strength and therefore had experience also of our infirmities For a Lambe of a year old is at his state and growth and a Lamb of a year old is acquainted with many miseries Even so our Saviour living to the full strength of a man was a man full of sorrows and acquainted with infirmities See Heb. 4. 15. we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted like us yet without sin IV. Condition He must be taken out of their own flocks and folds For so Moses to Pharaoh Exod. 10. 25. thou must allow us our beasts for sacrifice to offer to the Lord. Plainly signifying that Christ was to be an Israelite and within the fold of Gods own people for he was to be of the seed of Abraham and salvation was of the Jewes Joh. 4. 22. Yea and the Lords own Law requires that the King should be taken from among his brethren Deut. 17. 15. and much more the King of the Church being King of all Kings Sect. II. II. Jesus Christ was as
place of bitternesse but the next remove was to Elim where were twelve fountains of water Exod. 15. 23. 27. It suffers the Israelites to want meat in the wilderness but to feed them with Manna If to want drink it is to supply them by miracle to refresh their souls as well as bodies by water out of a rock IV. In the same Pillar of the Cloud see Justice and Mercy met together and tempered 1. Mercy to the Church and believers that now we behold Gods presence in a cloud The brightness of his goodness to us shines in this dark cloud in which we see him as we are able His Majesty hath attempered himself to ouâ— debility and weakness For such is our infirmity here below that unlesse the glory of God be vailed and covered we can never be able to behold it no more than the Priests could stand before the brightness of the cloud that filled the Temple 1 King 8. 11. nor the Disciples abide the brightness of Christ when a bright cloud shadowed them in his transfiguration For as no man can endure to see the Sun in his brightnesse and strength but in and through a cloud he may so no man can behold the glorious Majesty of God and live Hence hath he pleased to let us behold him here not in his own glory but in his Christ in whom his excellent Majesty is vailed and covered with our humanity This is his mercy that we see now as we may as in a glasse or mirrour preparing us to a farther mercy than which no mercy goeth farther namely to see him as we would and face to face when with our frailty and corruption all clouds and vailes shall be removed 2. His justice against sinners whose misery it is that there is alwayes a cloud between God and them A cloud of ignorance that hinders them from the knowledge of God and holy things they see no true light A cloud of darkness and misery that suffers them not to enjoy one spark of sound comfort or consolation A thick cloud of lusts and sinnes which hinders the passage of their prayers They may truly use that speech of the Church Lam. 3. 44. Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not passe through As this cloud was a means of greatest mercy to Israel so was it of extream misery and destruction to the Egyptians V. Is Christ this Pillar of Cloud and Fire Then we must follow Christ our guide The Saints in earth are as Israel in their pilgrimage marching out of Egypt into the promised land God of his mercy affords us as he did them a comfortable cloud to lead us through to Canaan We must depend on this Pillar For light of instruction against the blindnesse of our minds For light of consolation in sorrows and terrours of heart that we may say with the Church Mic. 7. 8. When I shall sit in darkness the Lord is my light For spirituall heat and warmth seeing this Pillar onely can kindle true love of God true zeal for God and his glory servency in prayer and inflame us with all ardent desires after God We must follow this Pillar for safety security direction c. Quest. How may we follow this Pillar Sol. As the Israelites carefully followed the Cloud in this manner 1. Because the Cloud was placed on high they must still look upwards So must we still look upwards not fixing our eye on any other direction about us or beside us We must not walk by examples of men never so great never so wise never so rich never so near us but onely so far as they follow this Cloud The Sunne of the world and the Sonne of the Church herein agree that both of them are set infinitely above our heads that we should expect our direction from above not from below from the heavens not from the earth 2. As the Israelites contented themselves with that Pillar as being sufficient So must we with the light ftom Christ our Pillar They needed no artificial lights of their own devising the Pillar of fire was sufficient although at midnight to enlighten them The Sunne at noon day was not more useful to them than this Pillar at midnight So Christ in the Scriptures is a most bright and shining light not as the Papists say obscure dark imperfect unlesse there be an addition of traditions Fathers and mens devises As that Cloud was no natural direction so we must not walk by direction of nature dictate of reason or command of our own wills and senses Follow this Pillar onely and as Goshen was light when all AEgypt was darkness thou shalt have light when all the world else sits in darkness Joh. 8. 12. But as for such as kindle themselves a fire or set up a Pillar to themselves and walk in the light of it and in the sparkes themselves have kindled the Lord threatens what they may expect from his hands They shall lie down in sorrow Isaiah 50. 10. 3. As Israel must watch this Pillar night and day and frame their whole course unto it for motion or station for action or for rest so must we to Christ our Pillar in the Scripture Blessed is the man that meditates in the Law of the Lord night and day And as they must give diligent heed both day and night to be ready for their journey whensoever the Cloud should move and therefore are said to keep the Lords watch Numb 9. 19. so must we alwayes watch and be in a readiness because we know not when the Master of the house will come at even or at midnight at the cock-crowing or in the dawning Mar. 13. 35. Remember for conclusion that blessed shall that servant be and he onely whom his Master when he cometh findeth well doing CHAP. XXI The Red Sea a type THe second extraordinary Sacrament of the Old Testament pointing unto Jesus Christ was the Red Sea which being miraculously divided by God the Israelites pursued by the Egyptians passed through the midst of it Exod. 14. 22. Now for our profitable and fruitful beholding this great work of God we will consider it 1. As a miracle in it self 2. As a type and signification of Christ. 3. As applyable to our selves in some profitable observations I. In this great miracle are many miracles As 1. That so vast a sea should be divided with the lifting up of a rod. For the breadth of that Sea where Israel went over was by computation of Ptolomy and other Geographers twelve or fifteen German miles at least thirty six of ours so Chytraeus upon this place 2. That the Lord should open a way and lead Israel through the deep as in the wildernesse for their passage was not over the Sea but through it Neither did they walk upon the waters as upon the land which had not been so much for in cold countries it is ordinary for men and cariages to passe upon the Ice and
Because he covered himself with a Serpent when he first stung and deceived mankind 2. He is more subtle than any Serpent crafty to insinuate and deceive 2 Cor. 11. 3. 14. 3. As a Serpent dwels and lies among thornes bushes bryars and feeds upon dust so the devill reigns in the thickets and bushes of worldly cares and lusts and feeds upon worldings exercising his chief power against them 4. As a Serpent casts out of his mouth venome and poyson so the devill casts out nothing but virulent words against God and his Saints and spewes out after the Church a flood of poyson to drown her How he blasphemed Job how he is the accuser of the brethren how of the head Christ himself the Scripture declares 5. As a Serpent is cursed above all beasts so is the devill The first cursed creature in the world was this Serpent and hath ever since remained the cursed head of all cursed rebels and wicked ones to whose custody and condemnation they shall all be gathered in the last day Mat. 25. 41. goe yee cursed c. 2. Why called fiery Serpents Answ. 1. From their colour Through abundance of poyson they had a shining and glistering skinne and they seemed as if they had been made of fire A resemblance we have in our Snakes that seem to shine and sparkle against the Sun 2. From their effect For with their sting they infused such poyson into the bodies of the Israelites as stirred up in them an outragious heat and fire Now these diseases are most painful and so tormentful as if a wild-fire were in the bowels feeding upon the bones marrow and members 3. From their end 1. Because they were appointed by God and after a sort inflamed and kindled with desire of revenge of the Lords wrongs and they so fiercely assaulted the Israelites as if a raging and devouring fire had seised upon them which no way they could avoid 2. That in their punishment they might be admonished both what a fearful fire of Gods wrath they had kindled by their sin against themselves as also that they had deserved a more fearful fire in hell to seize upon their whole man everlastingly 3. Why stinging Serpents Answ. To imply unto us 1. That sin is the sting of this old Serpent even a poysoned sting that he hath thrust into all mankind But with this difference in that this poyson is far more general and the wounds infinitely more mischievous than were those of the fiery Serpents For 1. They stung a few Israelites but not all but this Serpent hath stung all mankind none excepted 2. They stung the bodies onely but these souls and bodies also 3. They stung one part of the body this Serpent all parts and whole man 4. They to a temporal death this to an eternal 2. To imply that sin is the sting of a fiery Serpent 1. Set on fire with wrath and cruelty and desire to poyson and destroy us Rev. 12. 17. 2. Setting on us with fiery darts For so his temptations are called Ephes. 6. 16. for three reasons 1. From the manner and custome of souldiers in times past which cast poysoned darts the poyson of which inflamed the wounded bodies and made the wounds incurable As now many out of desperate malice poyson their weapons and bullets to make sure with their enemy So doth Satan by all meanes poyson his darts to speed the Christians soul. 2. Because as fiery darts they inflame and kindle in the heart all manner of burning lusts and sinnes one of them being but as a spark or firebrand to kindle another 3. Because they leave for most part a cauterized and seared conscience behind them as if they were burnt with an hot iron which makes the sinner stung senslesse of his wound Whence is another miserable difference between the stung Israelite and the stung sinner The former was alwayes felt with grief and pain but this often not felt and so more desperate 3. The effect of this stinging was death in many And so the effect of sin is death in all The stung Israelite had death in his bosome and no other could be expected so the guilty sinner is stung to death In his nature is every man the son of death and can expect nothing but death every moment And as the stung person in the wildernesse had no meanes in himself nor from others to avoid either the Serpent or death from it till God appointed them the brazen Serpent So the poor sinner was destitute of all help in himself and others till the Lord appointed Jesus Christ the promised seed to break the Serpents head There is given no name else whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. First Note hence how deceitful are the pleasures of sin It is as a sweet poyson Job 20. 12. sweet in the mouth but poyson in the bowels What wise man would drink a draught of poyson for the sweet taste of it Wicked men hold sin as a sweet morsel but sour sauce follows it Secondly What little cause we have to love our sinnes for that is to love our own bane Prov. 8. 35. He that sinneth against me hurteth his own soul and all that hate me love death No sin but the more pleasing the more poysoning the more delicate the more deadly Sin never so much disguised never the lesse deadly Thirdly That sinners are but dead men while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. An Israelite stung was but a dead man So although the reasonable soul in a sinner makes him a man yet the want of the Spirit of grace makes him a dead man Death waits upon sin as the wages on the work and hell upon death that comes before repentance Fourthly A fool he is that makes a mock of sin Who would play with a deadly Serpent or make a jest of his own death or drink up the poyson of a Serpent in merriment or cast darts and fire-brands about him to burn himself and others and say Am I not in sport See Prov. 26. 18. and 10. 23. and 14. 9. Oh that we could discern our wounds as sensibly as we are certainly stung It would make us run to God and get Moses to goe to God for us and pray that these Serpemts and painful wounds might be removed If we saw death as present and as ghastly in our sins as Israel did in their stinging we would hasten our repentance and seek after meanes of cure Sect. II. The Remedy is First prescribed Numb 21. 8. Secondly applied vers 9. Thirdly in the same verse is the effect they recovered and lived So then in the Remedy are 1. Ordination 2. Application 3. Sanation or Cure I. The appointing hath First the person appointing which was God himself who devised it and prescribed it to Moses for God will save onely in his own meanes So God himself so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Joh. 3. 16.
things as they handled But especially to signifie Jesus Christ our high Priest to be without all blemish the onely immaculate Lamb that takes away the sinnes of the world For although no other mortall man could be without some blemish of sinne or other yet it became us to have such an high Priest as is holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7. 26. And as our Lord was spotlesse and without all blemish so also perfect in all parts and perfections He wanted no part no gift no sufficiency to discharge that function too weighty for men and Angels I. In this our unblemished high Priest we have a sufficient cover for all our blemishes both of soul and body 1. If never so blemished in soul by sinne by infirmity if we have a thousand wants and eye-sores if we bewaile and resist them here is help and remedy in our high Priest against them all For as those persons that had such blemishes might not stand at the Altar to doe duties there yet they were allowed in the Congregation and to eat from the Altar of the sacrifices as the Priests did Levit. 21. 22. So all defects and weaknesses which the Saints carry as a burthen shall not hinder them from participating in the good things purchased by Christs sacrifice nor cast them out of place of the elect neither here nor for ever 2. Be thou never so blemished and deformed or maimed in body now the truth being come God respects not according to the outward appearance And although the honour of the Ministery must be respected and the choysest of our children are not too good for Gods service yet now it is far better a good Minister without an eye or a hand or foot than a Congregation without a good Minister II. All these outward perfections of the body in all the Priests high and low point us to such endowments and gifts of mind which the Lord expects in Ministers before they attempt this high calling 1. He of all men must not be blind or ignorant Hos. 4. 6. Because thou hast refused knowledge thou art rejected from being a Priest to me How should he be a light to others that himselfe is in darknesse If the eye be dark so is all the body 2. He must not have either a blind or a blemished eye an eye filled with envie at another mans gifts and prosperity Nor a squint eye looking indirectly upon every thing not ayming at Gods glory or the building of Christs kingdome but his own glory wrath lusts ends 3. He must not be lame or cripled in his feet but make right steps to his feet Heb. 12. 13. Upright in his way not right doctrine onely but right life also 4. He must not have a flat nose that is without discretion or judgement to discerne truth and falshood good and evill things fit and unfit As the nose discerns smells so to discern companies and courses 5. He must not have a crooked back bended downwards and allmost broken with earthly cares hindering his eye from looking towards heaven and interrupting heavenly contemplations and study And so in the rest Would God such care were had in the choice and permission of Evangelicall Ministers as in the Old We should not see the Churches pestered with so many unworthy illiterate men fitter for any trade than this so holy calling Sect. II. II. His consecration set down Exod. 29. 1. wherein were three things 1. Washing 2. Anointing 3. Sacrificing and purifying with bloud And this consecration to continue seven dayes together Which in generall shadowed the surpassing sanctity and purity of Christ above all other men and Angels Whom the devils themselves call that holy one of God Mark 1. 24. In speciall verse 4. the washing did not onely admonish them to cleanse and purge themselves from the inward defilement of their sinnes before they undertooke that holy calling but plainly pointed at the washing and Baptisme of Christ who undertaking his Ministery went into the water and was baptized Matth. 3. The anointing by the holy Oyle verse 7. signified the anointing of Christ with the holy spirit without measure Isai. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to preach Psal. 45. 7. God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above all thy fellowes In which regard Christ was called by eminency the anointed of God and the Priests are types touch not mine anointed In this anointing 1. The matter holy oyle signifying the Spirit of God and his gifts for much similitude agreement between them 1. That was made of the most pretious things in all the world Exo. 30. 25. So the holy graces of the Spirit are the best things in the world Luk. 11. 13. there is no gift to this Oyle swimmes aloft So the Spirit and graces are highest 2. No stranger had that Oyle but onely persons and things sanctified So none but Gods Elect have these precious and saving mercies Joh. 14. 17. the World cannot receive it that is gifts not common but of sanctification 3. That perfumed all the place where it was It is the Spirit of God that sweetens and perfumes all our actions and natures otherwise most corrupt and loathsome to God 4. That sanctified the thing to which it was applied and set it aside to an holy use Without this oyle the sacrifice of the Jew was as if he had killed a dog It is the Spirit that sets us apart and sanctifieth to the Lord us our persons our actions 2 Tim. 2. 21. The service that wants the Spirit is hatefull to God 5. Oyle is cleare in shining and makes other things anointed to shine The holy Ghost within enlighteneth the mind and brings in the true light and knowledge of God 1 Joh. 2. 27. the anointing shall teach you all things 6 Oyle hath the force of fire in penetrating and subtly pearcing and is the fuell and feeder of fire and flames So the Spirit of God is a pearcing fire in the heart and kindles and maintaines in it the ardent flames of the Love of God Holy thoughts as sparkels flie upward 7. Oyle suppleth cherisheth comforteth So the Spirit of consolation anoints with oyle of gladnesse Psal. 55. 7. It is he that brings peace and tranquility into consciences 2. the measure powred in abundance upon Aarons head Not dropped but powred signifying the abundance of gifts and graces most plentifully conferred upon Christ our head For as it was proper to the high Priest to be anointed on the head whereas the common Priests were anointed but in their hands not on their heads So was Christ as the head anointed with oyle above all his fellowes and received the spirit beyond measure signified by powring on the head 3. The communication of this oyle It stayed not on Aarons head but ran down his beard even to the skirts of his garments signifying that the Spirit of grace distills from the head unto