accompany the life of a Believer in this life for Christ his sake our Saviour calls it a taking up the Crosse Luke 9. 23. which is a thing most bitter and contrary to flesh and blood therefore saith Paul when he made choice of this Lamb Christ I consulted not with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. For flesh and blood cannot endure the bitterness of that state in which Christ is to be found Nothing but persecution disgrace trouble loss of good name yea and life it self that attendeth the way of Christ therefore saith Paul 2 Tim. 3. 12 He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution he must suffer there is a necessity you see that the Lamb must be eaten with bitter herbs Those that will not eat the sauce shall not taste of the flesh of this Lamb Luke 9. 23. Unless a man deny himself and take up my cross and follow me he caâ—not be my disciple There be a great many would catch at the flesh of this Lamb Chrâ—st were it not for the bitter sauce which lyeth in the dish with Christ many love to shear in a Christ but not in the Cross thay love the Crown but not the sufferings which belong to the Crown therefore saith our Saviour Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth to life and few there be that finde it Job found bitterness in the dish where the Lamb lay Job 13 26. Thou writest bitter things against me but did Job as many do leave the meat for the bitter sauce no no Job 13. 15. Though thou kill me yet wâ—ll I trust in thee O how happy had some been had they with Job still kept to this resolution but the wayes of Christ were too bitter for them but I fear those will finde their sweet meat of this worlds good attended with the bitterest herbs at last Again they were to eat the Lamb with unleavened bread Exod. 12. 8. with Numb 9. 11. This stâ—ll points at a soul eating Christ a right which is the ante-type which shews us thus much 1. That Christ must be really closed with and not feignedly there must not be any thing of the leaven of hypocrisie in it not for any by end but out of love to Christ 2. It must be void of the least love to sin if there be any love reserved to any corruption Christ cannot enter the soul upon such terms 1 Corinthians 5. 8. Let us keep the feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Heb. 12. 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up and trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God therefore saith Peter if you would as new-born babes receive the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby you must first lay aside all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. That is all sin must be forsaken and cast out of the affection or no Christ received into the heart the love of the world the love of lust pride honour pleasure ease whatever hath been near or dear to the soul he must utterly protest against or no Christ Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee So Isa 1. 16. 18. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before me cease to do evil come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet yet I will make them as white as snow though they be red as crimson yet shall they be as white as wool So that you see there must first be a putting away the leaven of sin before there can be a eating of the Lamb Christ Jesus truly therefore such persons as dream of having Christ and yet retain the old leaven of sin are mistaken Fourthly The Jews were to eat the Lamb with their loins girded Exod. 12. 11. Girding of the loins sometimes signifieth resolution to some great work Psalm 18. 32 33 34. Sometimes it signifieth truth and faithfulness in the person so girded Rev. 15. 6. Here it signifieth haste or readiness to be gone from the place where they were in before Exod. 12. 11. Now all which significations may be taken into one head and applied to the eating of the Lamb Christ Jesus For first of all the loins of a souls minde must be girded as to resolution that intendeth to eat the Lamb Christ A soul must resolve to go thorow thick and thin with him through a thousand discouragements with Christ sometimes from within sometimes from without what from inward doubts and what from outward troubles a soul will find it a hard thing to go on in this way for heaven those daily taunts scoffs and jeers that the soul passeth under for Christ from day to day sometimes from its relations sometimes from its fellow servants who live in house with him and so likewise from its wicked deriding neighbours I say these things considered the soul is many times casting away its hope and crying out with the Psalmist Psal 73. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency to no purpose Therefore the loins had need be girded that so the soul might not cast away his confidence which hath great recompence of reward Hebrews 10. 35. Now it is the overcoming soul shall wear the Crown 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Rev. 2. 10. and the soul that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Mat. 24. 13. Therefore saith our Saviour a soul must first count up the cost when he makes out after this Lamb Christ whether he can hold out to the end with him whether he can run the loss of fathers love mothers love brothers sisters husband wife children kinsmen and neighbours love for this Christ whether a soul can part with credit honour riches carnal ease for Christ whether he can follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14. 4. For he that looks back is unfit for the kingdom of God Luke 9. 62. So Heb. 10. 38 If any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him and saith Peter The last estate of such men is worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. Therefore when Peter would exhort against faintings and discouragements â—e bids men gird up the loins their minde and be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 1 13. Secondly take girding of the loins as it importeth truth and faithfulness In this sence the soul ought to gird up his loins if he really intendeth a thorow and full closing with Christ he must resolve to be Christs in faithfulness as the
16. 7. Use 1. Therefore soul if ever thou wouldst have comfort in thy troubled seasons look not for it in any thing below Jesus Christ read that of Isa 50. 11. Behold all ye which kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that you have kindled but this shall ye have at my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow As Israels water springs lay altogether in their Canaan so the believers springs lyeth altogether above in his heavenly Canaan Rev. 22 2. Therefore if thy springs of comfort and refreshment are but few O consider thou art in thy Wildernesse while here a place which affords great droughts but little water but it is enough that thou art travelling to a land of Rivers and Springs of water and fountains of living pleasures which are at the Fathers right hand that runneth for evermore CHAP. 12. The Wildernesse attended with doubts and fears Again the Wildernesse afforded many doubts and fears which arose First From the barrenness of it And secondly on the other hand because of the several attempts which the Inhabitants of the Country daily made in order to their utter Ruine and Destruction THis leads us still to behold the condition of the soul while on this side his Heavenly Canaan of Rest and Peace where do that Christian live that cannot speak more or less of this kind of condition here in this life O the doubts and fears that do arise in the heart of a poor soul about his eternal condition when the soul is under the withdrawings of these sensible enjoyments of the love and favour of God to his spirit when the soul feels not these inward stirrings of the spirit of God as formerly the soul had and could once experience O what doubts and fears do this many a times create upon the heart of the Christian which makes the soul to cry out Now I shall perish now God hath forsaken me and is angry with me and intends to cast me off for ever O I shall never have his love more I thought once that I should never have inherited eternal life O how have my soul been comforted heretofore concerning the truth of this But now all my hope and comfort is gone my grace is gone from within me my God is gone my heart and my flesh faileth me because the favour of God is departed from me and I left a miserable poor wretched soul destitute of all help hope and comfort so that like as the Israelites hearts would fail them for want of bread and water in their Wildernesse so doth the poor soul in his spiritual Wilderness condition when his bread of life and water of life fails him when grace seems weak and comforts fail and the inward springs of supply grows low then the soul dies as it were within himself Thus it was with David Lord saith he â—hou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30. 7. And thus it was with the Spouse in Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called but he gave me no answer Look how it was with the Jews in their temporal and litteral wilderness no longer then they could see their bread and water could they have peace within but were alwayes complaining and murmuring and doubting what would become of their conditions and the condition of their generations to come insomuch that they displeased God oftentimes against them and made him to slay the fattest of them Psal 78. 31 32 For they could not believe for a day but still doubted of Gods faithfulness every moment Thus it is with the soul in the spiritual wilderness no longer then the soul is feeding upon the sensible enjoyments of Gods Holy Spirit the soul is ready to conclude destruction to its self Now the duty of the soul is to believe and to trust God that although we never feel or taste or discern any thing within us yet still to rely upon this promise that God will ever be mindeful of his Covenant so did David 2 Sam. 23. 5. O what a blessed frame of spirit was the Prophet Habakkuk in c. 3. 17. 18 19. When he uttered these words Although the fig-tree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the vine the labour of the olive should cease and the field should yield no meat and the flock should be cut off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation the Lord is my strength he will make my feet like hindes feet and he will make me to walk upon high places Truly my friends the best life is a life of believing O this brings you in the most solid comfort and peace therefore saith Habakkuck cap. 2 4. The just man shall live by his faith and saith the Apostle We walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. O souls my exhortation to you is what was the Apostles to the Hebrewes Heb. 3. 12. Take heed of suffering in you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God O labour to live more and more by believing and lesse by sense because its a life that best suits the state you are in remember you are in the Wilderness a place which affords great grounds of fears and many doubtings and therefore you had need of a great deal of faith in the promises of God and the faithfulnesse of God or you may faint by the way and at last die in the Wildernesse and so never see the good land Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of us should seem to come short of it Now what is it that so much endangers a souls falling short of the good land the Canaan of rest look you into the 3. chap. of this Epistle and the 18. ver You shall see it was want of a believing spirit Again the Israelites fears did arise from those enemies which assaulted them in the Wildernesse as Og King of Bashan and the Amalâ—kites Thus it is with the soul in his spiritual Wildernesse O what out-cries doth the soul oftentimes make with respect to these horrid assaults the souls enemies oftentimes makes against him in his inward man How doth sin and lust and temptation assault the poor soul with what violence and strength doth worldly mindednesse break in upon the soul what sad assaults doth Pride Revenge Concupiscence and Unbelief oftentimes visit the soul withall which makes the soul cry out with David many times I shall one day perish by the hands of these Sauls which pursue my soul night and day like a Partridge upon the Mountains I say what sad fears do the risings of these corruptions oftentimes occasion in the souls of Gods people which makes
new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take awaythe stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh O how excellent is that heart which is dedicated to the use and service of God that Lamp which was set apart for the service of the Tabernacle was worth a hundred Lamps elsewhere because the use and service unto which it was dedicated was both holy and honourable O so is a heart set apart for the Lord it s both holy and honourable its worth a hundred of other hearts in Gods account Prov. 10. 20. The heart of a wicked man is little wâ—rth Let men be never so noble great learned or wise in the worlds eyes yet if their hearts are not Vessels or Lamps dedicated to God for the use of Altar worship you may assure your selves that God values them no more then you value so many heaps of Dung the best service which comes from such unsanctified Vessels or hearts is abominable to God Prov. 15. 8 9. It s a sanctified heart which God calls for in Worship Pâ—ov 23. 26. My Sonne saith God give me thy heart By Son here we are to understand a soul whose heart is renewed by the graces of the holy Ghost Iohn 1. 12. These are the Lamps which God loves should be always flaming and burning before the eyes of his glory as it s spoken of the Lamps in the Tabernacle burning and flaming with love and affection to God with zeal for him with the flame of fervent prayer before him therefore is it sad Prov. 15. 8. The prayers of the upright are his delight Use 1. O therefore how should this teach the Lords people to look to their hearts that nothing but the true Oil of the spirit of grace be found in it you know the exhortation in Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee for its the pure in heart shall see God Mat. 5. 8 Therefore when Temptation Sin or Lust offers it self to thy soul for entertainment O banish it upon this very account O say to sin my heart is become a dedicated Vessel or Lamp to God set apart for Altar-worship and work prepared for better matter then sin is O therefore sin and corruption depart and get you hence here is no entertainment for you or for such filthy matter as you are saith David Psal 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter O so say to thy temptations My heart is inditing a good matter or better matter then sin lust or the world doth amount unto it s about heaven and heavenly things that my heart is now upon it s about God and Christ and glory to come which my heart is taken withall O therefore Sin and Satan the World and Temptation depart depart here is no entertainment for you for ever I have found better food to live upon and better objects to look unto then you are therefore farwel for ever farwel for ever Secondly By the Lamps or Vessels in the Tabernacle which did hold the Oil which was to give out the light in the Tabernacle I understand by them the Ministers or gifted men in the Church who are principally imployed to hold out the light of Gods holy will to the Church for the benefit and comfort of it this you may see more plainly set out unto you in Zachaiahs prophesie Zach. 4. 2. 3. I looked and behold a Candlestick of pure gold with a boulâ— upon the top of it and his seven Lamps thereon and his seven Pipes to the seven Lamps which were upon the top thereof and olive-trees by it one on the right hand and the other on the left side of the boul Here you see the Prophet puts a clear difference between the Candlestick and the seven Lamps the Candlestick and the Lamps are not one and the same thing Now by the Candlestick as have been shewed already is meant the Church of God and by the seven Lamps on the Candlestick must be meant the Ministers and gifted men in the Church which are gifted by the spirit of God for the accomplishing of the Worship and Service of the Gospel-tabernacle both as to Doctrine and Discipline for as the two Olive-trees Zach 4. 11 12 Standing on each side of the Lamps did convey their Oil through the seven Pipes into the seven Lamps to continue their burning always in the Candlestick so do Jesus Christ by his spirit for Christ is called the tree of life nd the apple tree and the tree in the midst of the Paradise of God constantly conveying the sap and oil of light and truth into his Lamps the Ministers through the Pipes of the Scriptures or the writings of the Prophets and Apostles for the information of the Candlesticks his Churches therefore saith St. Paul to Timothy 1. Tim. 4. 13. with 15. Untill I come give a tendance to Reading Exhortation and Doctrine meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profitting may appear to all Now if you compare Zach. 4. 2. with Rev. 1. 20. It will the more appear that the seven Lamps do intend the Ministers of the Church and such as are gifted for Church work they are called there the seven Stars of the seven golden Candlesticks that as Stars are fixed in the Firmament for the help of mankind in the absence of the Sun against temporal darkness so are the Ministers set in the Firmament of the Church to help men in the absence of â—hrist the Son of Righteousness against spiritual darkness therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 20. We are Embassadours in Christ stead that is we as the lesser Lights are left with you in stead of Christ the great Light who is the Son of Righteousnesse so Eph. 4. 10 11 12 13. He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ untill we all come to the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Lastly They are said to be seven Lamps this number seven was given them or the reason why the Lamps were seven in number it s with respect to the plentifulness of the gifts of the spirit which the Lord Jesus doth pour out into his Church through these Lamps for the word or number seven was a note of perfectness amongst the Hebrews which they called a perfect number so that by the seven Lamps we understand such a plentiful measure of the spirit and through supply of gifts as that there shall not be any wanwant of it in the Church upon any occasion whatsoever either to enlighten guide comfort and strengthen it unto its journeys end therefore you have it Isa 27. 2 3. A vineyard of