the Commandments ver 3. and presently he speaketh of Victory over the World The World is the great Enemy of the Commandments and till it be overcome a Christian can have no Comfort but still be contesting with God as Pharaoh was and slighting every Message 3. This Contest on Pharaoh's part is managed with slightings and contempt of God on God's part with Mercy and Condescension On Pharaoh's part with slightings and contempt of God Exod. 5.2 And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Words of profane Contempt Who is the Lord as if he should say Am not I King of Egypt Who is my Peer much less my Superiour and my Lord I know not the Lord. Ere God hath done with Pharaoh he shall know him to the purpose Mark the Words I know not and then I will not Hardness is the usual effect of Blindness Errors of Mind go on to Errors of Heart I will not know I will not hear of it I care not for such a Duty nor will I weigh or consider what is God's Will concerning me The Eye affecteth the Heart Pharaoh did not consider what it was to deal with God and then doubleth the Burdens of the Israelites But now on God's part it is managed with Sweetness and Kindness God from the beginning foreknew the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart and therefore might have swept him away of a sudden but he giveth him frequent Warnings and Convictions He would have Men convinced e're they are punished Foregoing Mercy sheweth the Righteousness of ensuing Wrath. In all the progress of the Story the first Miracles were before him the next upon him And every Judgment is threatned before it be executed God telleth what he would do to warn Pharaoh In one Plague it is notable that God doth not only threaten the Judgment but sendeth a gracious Warning to bid him take his Cattle out of the Fields Exod. 9.19 Send therefore now and gather thy Cattle and all that thou hast in the Field for upon every Man and Beast which shall be found in the Field and shall not be brought home the Hail shall come down upon them and they shall die To shew that God delighteth not in the Ruine and Destruction of the Creature and to make Pharaoh the more liable to Condemnation and to spare such among the Egyptians as had some Fear of God remaining in them but chiefly to harden Pharaoh the more Exod. 10.1 And the Lord said unto Moses Go in unto Pharaoh for I have hardned his Heart and the Heart of his Servants that I might shew these my Signs before him Moses might say Lord therefore let me never go to Pharaoh but saith God Go in unto him for I have hardned his Heart God continueth the Means though he denieth Grace and the Wicked must be admonished though they will not be reformed In the hardning of Sinners God usually observeth this Course by Mercies and the Meâ—ns of Grace they are convinced and hardned at the same time there is still new matter of glorifying God and hardning the Creature 4. The first Plague on Pharaoh's Heart is Delusion Moses worketh Miracles turneth Aaron's Rod into a Serpent Rivers into Blood bringeth Frogs and the Magicians still do the same God permitteth these Magical Impostures to leave Pharaoh in his wilful Error It is probable that what the Magicians did was not real but a mere Delusion of the Senses but the Lord doth not discover the Cheat because his present Aim was not to shame Satan but to harden Pharaoh therefore he suffered the Devil to imitate the true Miracles without Discovery It is sad when Men chuse false Teachers to themselves and God suffereth them to be blinded Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone They may have some Parts plausible Elocution Gifts of Prayer there may be common Effects wrought by them these things blind Men and their Hearts are set upon Familism and Antinomianism let them alone Exod. 7.22 The Magicians of Egypt did so with their Inchantments and Pharaoh ' s Heart was hardned This was one means of hardning his Heart the Magicians wrought the same Miracles that Moses and Aaron did God suffereth Men to be hardned by their own Choice 5. God was not wanting to give Pharaoh sufficient means of Conviction The Magicians turned their Rods into Serpents but Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods Exod. 7.12 Which sheweth God's supereminent Power They could not deliver him from the Frogs though they could bring Frogs God may suffer the Devil to add to the Judgment but to relieve them is an Act of Mercy the Magicians could add to the Plagues but they could not deliver him from them the Devil can sooner bring a Plague than remove it This was warning enough there was Difficulty enough to harden them and Light enough to convince them Again the Magicians were non-plust in their Art Exod. 8.18 And the Magicians did so with their Inchantments to bring forth Lice but they could not They sought to bring forth Lice and could not being hindred by God's Will They that could bring forth Frogs could not bring forth Lice the greater the Possibility the more are the Magicians abashed this was an easy Miracle All Colour of Excuse is taken away from Pharaoh they confess This is the Finger of God Exod. 8.19 and yet Pharaoh's Heart was hardned as many will not be won to the Truth by the Confession of those that led them into the Mistake Nay afterwards the Magicians themselves were smitten with Boils Exod. 9.11 12. And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils for the Boil was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians And the Lord hardned the Heart of Pharaoh and he hearkned not unto them If the hard Heart go to Hell it is not for want of Light but Grace We may wonder as much at the Success as at the Plagues To what a Height of Obstinacy will Man come if he be let alone to Plagues for all this while Pharaoh's Heart was hardened 6. Observe in one of the Plagues Israel might have stolen away whether Pharaoh would or no Exod. 10.22 23. And Moses stretched forth his Hand towards Heaven and there was a thick Darkness in all the Land of Egypt three Days They saw not one another neither rose any from his Place for three Days but all the Children of Israel had Light in their Dwellings They were not only deprived of the Light of Heaven but of Candles and Torches the Air was condensed with thick Clouds and the Mists and Vapors so thick that they would easily have damped them and put them out again Now whilst they were under the Power of three Days Darkness the Israelites might have stolen away and have gone three Days Journey in the Wilderness before they could have made any Pursuit but God had more Miracles to be done When he
Evangelist there explaineth his meaning so that there needeth no further scruple about the sense of the words It followeth that whosoever All Persons are invited without exclusion of any that universal particle comprehendeth Sinners of all sorts and sizes of all ranks and conditions in the World Believeth in him This answereth to looking upon the Brazen Serpent Believing is a looking to Christ a looking upon him by the Eye of Faith Shall not perish but have eternal life He shall escape the present danger which he feareth Souls shall be healed and delivered from Hell and Life Eternal is restored to them Doct. That we ought to consider Salvation by Christ as prefigured and represented by the history of the brazen Serpent As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of Man be lifted up And Christ here propoundeth it to Nicodemus 1. It is useful to consider the Types partly to confirm our Faith when we see the Harmony between the Testaments There are Historical Types and Prophetical Types Historical Types are only Patterns and Examples 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things hapned to them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ensamples or Types so the Providences of God to his Antient People 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents Prophetical Types were instituted to prefigure a thing to come as the Ceremonies of the Law were Figures of better things to come Now we see the Gospel is not a Novel Invention only hatched in that Age when it was first set a foot no it was long since foretold not only by words but things there was a preparation made for it And partly to help our Meditation we reflect upon these things with more delight and sweetness whilest we view the Agreement between the Truth and the Type When we know the Person yet we delight to see the Picture and so we may take a view of things with a grateful variety We see them double when we consider both the Shadow and the Mistery Partly to increase our thankfulness we have not such dark and long prospects through which they only could look to Christ we may see him more clearly in the Doctrines of the Gospel where he is evidently set forth unto us and as it were crucified before our eyes Gal. 3.1 Surely then we are more obliged to mind these things The more clearly and convincingly Christ is represented to us the more will our negligence be aggravated and our contempt the greater if we make light of these things 2. Among other Types the Brazen Serpent must not be forgotten partly because it doth in a most lively and full manner represent Christ Here a word is a Sermon and we cannot think of the Brazen Serpent but the necessity the remedy the means of Application do presently offer themselves to our thoughts And partly because this took off the great scandal and Iewish exception against Christ which was the ignominy of the Cross. Therefore to a Doctor of the Law he doth not produce the Paschal Lamb or other Figures but the Brazen Serpent as clearly representing the Cause Quality and Fruit of his Sufferings 3. To help you in this Consideration I shall 1. Give the History 2. The Typical Use of it First The History in Numb 21.6 7 8 9. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bite the people and much people of Israel dyed Therefore the people came unto Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the â—ord that he take away the serpents from us and Moses prayed for the people And the Lord said unto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it he shall live And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived The Sin occasioning the Judgment was there murmuring at Moses and Aaron and their loathing of Manna for this God sendeth fiery Serpents Observe how God suiteth the Judgment to the Sin venomous Tongues are plagued with venomous Serpents It is said Eccl. 10.11 Surely the serpent shall bite without inchantment and a babler is no better And again Psalm 140.3 They have sharpned their tongues like a serpent Adders poison is under their lips They have a Bag of Water under their Tongues which is most poisonous and inflaming which in biting is broken But this was not the Asp but the Chersydrus a sort of Serpent which abideth on Land as well as in Water whilst it liveth in the Water it is not altogether so venomous as when it cometh to live on the dry Land and in this part of the thirsty howling Wilderness these kind of Serpents were most fiery and burning and at that time of the year when the Israelites were there which was about the end of August For Aaron dyed in the first day of the fifth moneth Numb 33.38 which was about the Tenth of Iuly and the Children of Israel mourned thirty days before they journeyed Numb 20.29 And when they journeyed from Mount Hor then we read of their murmuring and Gods plaguing them with fiery Serpents Observe again that God that bringeth Manna from Heaven can also send Serpents God is not all Honey abused Mercy is turned into fury and when his favours are despised he hath Judgments to sting us and if Men will loath their Food God will chastise them with poison But again to the History These Serpents which God sent are called fiery serpents partly for their colour being of a shining glistring skin the word in the Original is Seraphim-burners a Name given to the Angels Isa. 6.2 Above it stood the Seraphims which Angels are called elsewhere flames of fire Psalm 104.4 Partly because their venomous stinging and biting did cause a raging heat and grievous burning in the Bodies of the Israelites And it seemeth they were a kind of Serpents with Wings not of Feathers but of a cartilaginous substance like the Wings of a Bat and did here and there seize upon them and bite them or at least they are said to flie because of their swift Motion whereby suddenly jerking they shoot themselves forward or dart themselves out of Trees on Men or Beasts as they pass by them There is a plain allusion to those flying Serpents Isa. 14.29 Out of the serpents hole shall come forth a cockatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent And indeed that Wilderness through which the Israelites passed did abound with many sorts of these Serpents Therefore it is said Deut. 8.15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions Well then they go to Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against God and against
Children 2 Kings 2.24 And then for Grown men God will have Judgments for them It is a sad time and it calls for much Weeping Lamentation and Grief that we live in an Age wherein Moral wickedness abounds Drinking Whoring Swearing Murdering Stealing and such like Abominations Take this Observation God doth not usually punish in this World for Unbelief and want of Love to Christ he leaves it to the World to come but for breaches of the Moral Law he doth Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men When the two Tables are violated by Ungodliness and Unrighteousness then the Wrath of God breaks out by some notable Judgment So Heb. 2.2 Every transgression and Disobedience of Moses received a just recompence of Reward And Hos. 4.1 2. The Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land by Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break out and Blood toucheth Blood There are Sins against the Moral Law reckoned up which provokes the Lord's Anger As in Temporal Favours God expresseth love to those that are morally Righteous so in Temporal Judgments he hath expressed his Hatred against Immoralities I confess some Gospel Provocations God doth punish in this World as for Instance when men persecute the Profession of the Gospel or when they grow weary of the Gospel after they have long had it then it concerns God as Governour of the World to punish such the Good of the World being very much concerned But chiefly his Judgments are for Sins against the Moral Law of God when these are broken in our Streets there ought to be much Weeping and Lamenting before the Lord in a sense of these things 4. It Condemns those that will pretend to the peculiar Love of Christ when they are not Moral but froward undutiful in their Relations unconscionable in their Dealing and have not learned to be sober to possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour what do you talk of being Christians when they are not so good as Heathens Never think of the higher Mysteries of Religion of Believing in Christ and Communion with God when you live so contrary to the Light of Nature as the Apostle speaks of the Natural Branches and the Branches contrary to Nature Rom. 11.24 It is in vain to think of grafting things that are contrary to Nature if the Natural Branches be not grafted in There are certain who are doubly dear both in the Flesh and in the Lord not only in the Lord upon the Account of Religion but in the Flesh upon the Account of Nature as Onesimus was dear to Philemon when Converted Philemon 16. There were many Moral Heathens of a sweet Nature that had great Command over their Passion Many civil Carnal Men will rise up in Judgment against high-flown Christians that pretend to great heights of Faith and Love to Christ but are defective in Morals As it was said of the Men of Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba that they shall rise up in Iudgment against this Generation and condemn it Mat. 12.41 42. so will these Heathens Men morally Just Exact Punctual in their Dealings rise up in Judgment against many that pretend to believe in Christ Si non praestat fides quid praestitit infidelitas How should this put you to shame when those that are graceless cannot be taken Tardy in those things wherewith you are charged I say if their Moral Principles and Civil Institutions binds them to the Peace and good Behaviour and will not suffer them to do wrong and all the Laws of Christ will not confine you within your Duty how great will your Condemnation be see that you be not exceeded by them I may represent it thus when a School-boy knows more and better of Arts and Sciences than a University-man is not this a great shame to him I remember it is said of Sarah Gen. 20.16 Abimelech said Behold I have given thy Brother a thousand Pieces of Silver behold he is to thee a covering of thine Eyes unto all that are with thee and to all other thus was she reproved Here is no word of Reproof how was she reproved Why here a Pagan King dismisseth her untouched with Gifts to her Husband he provides for her safety and this was a reproof of Sarah's dissembling his Morality was a reproof to her that was acquainted with the true God and a Professor of the true Faith and yet was found tardy You are shamed and Christ is put to shame in you 5. It invites us to go so far for Jesus loved this Young Man est aliquid prodire tenus What was in this young Man Here 's his Care to seek after Eternal Life his reverend Esteem of Christ's Person his outward Conformity to the Laws of God his abstaining from all gross sins from his Youth O these are amiable Properties and Qualities and those that are endowed with them Christ loveth them Obj. But here 's an Objection How is this a Motive Christ was Courteous and Respectful to this Young Man but now he is in Heaven what Love doth Christ shew now upon Earth to those that are Moral 1. Moral Vertues will at least procure a Temporal Reward Christ loves Vertue so that he rewardeth the Shew of it it keeps off many Temporal Judgments and procures many Temporal Benefits as the Ninevites Repentance though not real kept off the Judgment Ionah 3.10 and Ahab's Humiliation kept off the Judgment in his days 1 Kings 21.29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me Because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the Evil in his days but in his Son's days will I bring the Evil upon his House It encourageth us to seek him since he rewardeth a Temporal Repentance with Temporal Favours O what will the hearty Humiliation of a true Penitent do when a Counterfeit one is thus far accepted with God And so that kind of Zeal that was in Iehu was not without its Reward 2 Kings 10.30 Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy Childâ—en of the fourth generation shall sit on the Throne of Israel though he did it with an imperfect Heart The Egyptian Midwives when they saved the Children of the Israelites though it were by a Lye the Lord multiplyed them and blessed them Exod. 1.20 Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives and Ver. 21. It came to pass that because the Midwives feared God that he made them Houses So Austin observes that the Romans as long as they did excell in Justice and Temperance were rewarded by God with Victory and Prosperity as long as that Empire kept honest in Civil Vertues it had eminent Success and their Common-wealth prevailed and overtopt the Nations but when they degenerated into Beasts
keepeth up Joy in the Soul and no Violence of Temptation is able to break it and remove us from the Truth Rom. 8.24 25. We are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it They are Confident that in God's Time they shall have Salvation and final Deliverance tho' it be not to be seen any where but in God's Promise by Jesus Christ. Well then the fewer External Comforts we need the stronger is our Faith the more the weaker Weak Christians must be carryed in Arms dandled on the Knees fed with sensible Pledges and ocular Demonstrations or else they are ready to faint 2. The Imperate Acts or Effects of Faith they are produced by Vertue of this Property Faith's prevailing over Sight and Sense I shall name four 1. To promote Holiness and reduce us and reclaim us from the false Happiness Surely none will accomplish the Work of Faith with Power and so glorifie God and Christ in the World that is live in all holy Conversation and Godliness but those that have that Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen those that live always as in the sight of an Invisible God are the thorow Christians What greater Check can there be to Temptations to Sin than to live always in the Sight of an Invisible God Gen. 39.9 Or to Temptations to the World than an Invisible Glory Or to the Troubles and Molestations of the World Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Afflâ—ction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory If Godliness expose us to Difficulties Molestations and Troubles Faith seeth the Final Rest Glory and Happiness If we are inclined to the Honours and Pleasures of the World Faith seeth the most shining Glory will soon burn out and end in a Snuff Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandment is exceeding broad And 1 Ioh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever If Sense present the Bait of present Profit Pleasure or Honour Faith seeth the Final Shame Ignominy and Loss and so we are guarded on all sides against Right-hand and Left-hand Temptations This is a General I shall speak of more particular Effects 2. To keep the Heart tender and in awe of God's Word Surely 't is a Blessed frame of Spirit and very useful to us to tremble at the Word of God Isa. 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word And to stand in awe of his Word Psal. 119.161 My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Now this can never be unless we have that Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen for many times the Word threatneth Evils which are not likely to come to pass if we look to the visible face of things and all that part of God's Discipline is lost unless we can believe unseen things See Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the World and became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith The World was then in a Jolly Condition and little dreamt of a Flood The Earth flourished as much as ever and there was Building and Marrying and Planting but God had told him of an universal Destruction of all things by a Deluge therefore he admonisheth the careless World and provideth for his own and Family's Safety So we read of Iosiah when he heard of the words of the Book of the Law he rent his Cloaths 2 Kings 22.11 We do not read of any actual Trouble that was then in the Land or any Danger nigh When an Age is very corrupt and ripe for Judgment God giveth Warning But alas few take it or lay it to Heart for the World is led by Sense and not by Faith they are not affected with things till they feel them Few can see a Storm when the Clouds are in gathering but securely build on the present Ease and Peace tho' God be angry But in the Eye of Faith a sinful Estate is always dangerous therefore they fall a Praying and humbling themselves and cry to God mightily and use all means of Safety while a Judgment is but yet in its Causes 3. To support us against the greatest Dangers and Terrors Heb. 11.27 By Faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him that is invisible To depend upon God's Aid and Succour in a time of great Extremity and Danger needeth a strong Faith as to appearance he was ready to be swallowed up being pursued by a wrathful and Puissant King The Sea was before him the Egyptians behind him and the Craggy and unaccessible Mountains on each side but the Terrors of Sense may be easily vanquished by those Invisible Succours which Faith relyeth upon An Invisible God can bear us out against Visible Dangers 4. To teach us how to carry an equal Mind in Prosperity and Adversity in Prosperity when we are born up by the Chin we have but too much Confidence and when we are lessened and but short in the World we are full of Diffidence and distrustful Fears Psal. 30.6 In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved When a Child of God hath gotten a Carnal Pillow under his Head he lyeth down and sleepeth sweetly dreaming many a pleasant Dream of uninterrupted Felicity in the World but if God taketh away his Pillow from under his Head then he is as diffident as formerly confident then God will be favourable no more God is the same his Promises the same the Covenant the same the Mediator the same but our Condition is changed because we look to things seen live upon things seen and still imagine of things according to what we see and feel So for supplies of Maintenance and Provision if we have them not in View and sight how little can we depend upon God If Sense be against the Promises the Promises do us but little good How few can comfort themselves in God when all faileth Hab. 3.18 or make his All-sufficiency their Store-house Gen. 17.1 No they must have a full heap in their own keeping How few can take his Promises for their Heritage Psal. 119.11 No they must have Lands and fixed Revenues or else they know not where to have Food and Raiment for themselves and Children How few can be contented to trust the Purse in God's Hands and be contented to take their daily Allowance from him which yet is a necessary Point of Faith of
this mutual bond to precede that he and his creatures might come near to each other with the greatest familiarity and bind themselves to each other by reciprocal ingagements and consents II. That no Covenant can be made with God without the interposing of and respect unto a sacrifice 1. In the old Church when Israel entred into Covenant with God there were solemn sacrifices The manner you have described Exod. 24. from vers 4. to the 10 th And explained by the Apostle Heb. 9.19 20. When Moses had spoken every Precept unto all the People according to the Law he took the blood of Calves and of Goats with Water and scarlet Wool and Hyssop and sprinkled both the Book and all the People saying This is the Blood of the Testament which God hath enjoined unto you In this Action you may observe that after the writing of the Law Moses built an Altar under the Hill and twelve Pillars according to the Twelve Tribes of Israel Exod. 24.4 The Altar represented God the first and chief party in the Covenant And the twelve Pillars of stone represented the other confederate Party the People of Israel who were to come before the Lord as his obedient People Now both the parties were not only thereby dead representation or in Image and Figure but there were also lively Types of the Glory and Presence of the God of Israel for it is said vers 10. They saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved Work of a Sapphire Stone and as it were the Body of Heaven for clearness God was there in great Majesty to Solemnize the Covenant You know Heaven is his Throne and the Church his Foot-stool Therefore when the Church was desolate it is said Lam. 2.1 God remembred not his footstool in the day of his Anger On Israels part there were present Moses and Aaron and Nadab and Abihu and Seventy of the Elders of Israel and they were to worship afar off vers 1. To express their reverence to this great God who was to enter into Covenant with them Moses alone was to come up to Iehovah but the Elders went up but half way Moses went up unto the top of the Mount in a Dark Cloud as the Mediator and the People abode beneath at the foot of the Mount and the Elders went up but half way Well then the Covenant is propounded to the People Moses came and told the People all the words of the Lord and all the judgments And they make Answer All the words which the Lord hath said will we do vers 3. But before the full confirmation of his Covenant you read that Moses sent the Young men of the Children of Israel who offered Burnt-offerings and sacrificed Peace-offerings of Oxen unto the Lord v. 5. The Young men that is the first-born who had the right of Priest-hood before the Levites were chosen and taken instead of the first-born of Israel Numb 3.41 And by their Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings it was declared that we cannot enter into Covenant with God without sacrifices These sacrifices did Figure the Death of Christ and the benefits thence accrueing to us There were Burnt-offerings to shew the means of their propitiation with God and Peace-offerings to shew their thankfulness for the peace and Salvation which by it they obtained The next thing in this Action was that Moses took half the blood and put it in basons and half the blood he sprinkled on the Altar vers 6. And then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the Audience of the People and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient vers 7. Then he took the rest of the blood and sprinkled it on the People He sprinkled it on the Altar to shew that God took upon him an obligation to bless And the reading of the Book of the Covenant in the Audience of the People sheweth That those that will enter into Covenant with God should understand their Duty and be ready to fullfil it Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the People and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words vers 8. The blood sprinkled on the People may be meant of the twelve Pillars set up to represent the People They take an obligaâ—â—â—n to obey One Party is not bound and the other free but both bound to each other Thus the first Covenant was not dedicated without the blood of a sacrifice Well then God is the principal Party covenanting and binding himself to the People by his Promises And the People binding themselves to his precepts that they might avoid the penalty threatned and obtain the blessings promised And this Covenant was confirmed by blood and this blood sprinkled and so made inviolable There is but one circumstance more and that is Vers. 11. And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel he laid not his hand also they saw God and did eat and drink That is these select and chosen men the Elders spoken of before were not hurt and affrighted by God and did feast in his presence in token of their reconciliation with him and joy in his grace This was the way of entrance by the Jewish Church all which are Mysterious and Typical God that otherwise driveth a sinner from him is made propitious to us that we need not be afâ—righted at his presence yea may hope for all good things from him yea we mâ—y feast chearfully in his presence 2. The Christian Church doth also make a covenant with him by sacrifice This will appâ—ar in three things 1. thaâ— Christs death hath the true notition and vertue of a sacrifice 2. That this sacrifice hath respect to the covenant of Grace 3. That our manner of entering into Covenant with God is by the same moral acts by which they were to be Conversant about a sacrifice 1. That Christ's Death hath the true Notion and full vertue of a Sacriâ—â—ce 1. The true notion Ephes. â— 2. He hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour His death is a mediatory sacrifice a propitiatory sacrifice for the expiation of the sins of his People In all the sacrifices of the Law there was shedding of blood without which was no remission of sins All were killed â—layed Some were burnt some rosted some fryed on coals some seethed in pots All which were but shadows of the painful sufferings of our Lord Christ which he indured for our sins Christ is the only true and real sacrifice wherein provoked justice doth rest satisfyed Christ in this sacrifice was the Priest who as God did offer up himself Heb. 9.14 Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God As man he was the sacrifice Heb. 10.10 By which will we are Sanctified through the offering of the Body of Iesus Chrâ—st once for all We may add
Caves of the earth So 1 Cor. 4.11 We both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place This God doth 1. Partly to correct and humble them for the abuse of their Mercies and the dishonours done to him in their dwellings God hath reserved in the Covenant a liberty to correct his wanton children Psal. 89 30 31 32 33. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Iudgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments Then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes c. And by Moses Law the Rebellious Son was to be put out of doors This kind of correction God himself useth for great sins Mark the emphatical phrases of Scripture Sometimes our dwellings are said to cast us out Ier. 9.19 Sometimes he is said to sling out the Inhabitants of the Land out of their dwellings Ier. 10.18 as easily readily and irresistibly as a Stone is cast out of a Sling Sometimes God is said to pluck us out Psal. 52.5 He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place We are apt to root there and to dream of such a fixing as not to be moved Sometimes to spew us out Levit. 18.28 That the Land Spew not you out also when ye defile it as it Spewed out the Nations that were before you Surely it is a great offence which provoketh a loving Father to turn a Child out of doors God did not turn Adam out of Paradise for eating an Apple as ignorant people talk There is a long Bill brought in by Divines Or if not for great sins yet God thus punishes them though in some more moderate way for lesser sins As for their little sense of God's love and merciful provision of so great a comfort as an habitation for them Surely we should shew more thankfulness when we enjoy the effects of God's bounty in this kind That he should give us any repose or place to rest in not vouchsafed to Christ Matt. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head He had no certain place of residence not so much as a Foxe's hole or a Bird's Nest So considering our condition God's people are strangers and so must look to be ill-treated by the Men of the World Religio scit se peregrinam esse in terris Religion is a stranger in the earth Ruth 2.10 Why have I found grace in thy sight that thou shouldest take knowledge of me seeing I am a stranger a kind word was much Now that God should give us a resting-place in our Pilgrimage is a great Mercy and if we are not thankful for it God may make us to wander Or their little compassion to other exiled and shiftless ones provokes God that he thus Corrects them and maketh their abode more uncertain Till we have felt misery our selves we cannot pity others Israel learned to pity strangers by being a stranger in the Land of Egypt Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt Experience sheweth us more than guess and imagination 2 For their Trial. To see how they will bear it for God's sake and when God's will and pleasure is so As those in the Hebrews God trieth the strength of our resignation Mark 10.29 30. There is no Man that hath left House or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospel but he shall receive an hundred fold in this life Houses and Brethren c. Not in kind as Porphyry and Iulian scoffed but in value The fortitude and courage of God's children is seen upon these occasions when they are shiftless and harbourless or threatned by Men to be cast forth of House and Home 1 Cor. 4.13 We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things to this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sweeping of the City The Apostle saith Heb. 13.13 Let us go forth unto him without the camp bearing his reproach The good Levites left their possessions 2 Chron. 11.14 The Levites had left their suburbs and their possession and came to Judah and Jerusalem for Jeroboam and his Sons had cast them off from executing the Priests Office unto the Lord. When we are thrust forth contemptibly and rejected of the World let us bear it with patience Eudoxia threatned Chrysostom with Banishment He replied Nihil timeo nifi peccatum I fear nothing but sin The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof God is our habitation An Heathen could say Ibi exilium ubi virtuti non est locus There is Banishment where there is no place for vertue where a Man hath no service to do and no opportunity to own or glorifie God 3. Sometimes to shew his Soveraignty over us and all our temporal Interests and Concernments So by noisom Diseases God sees fit to drive us for a while from our dwellings and we are exposed to sad scatterings as in the case of the Leper Lâ—v 13 46. All the days wherein the Plague shall be in him he shall be defiled he is unclean he shall dwell alone without the Camp shall his Habitation be 4. Sometimes to spread Knowledge to scatter the Seeds of the Word among those that are strangers to God The good Figs were put into the Basket to be carried out of the Country for Food Ier. 24.5 The Disciples that were scattered abroad went every where Preaching the Word Act. 8.1 God scattereth his Enemies as Smoak is scattered by the Wind but he scattereth his People as Corn is scattered by the Hand of the Sower Micah 5.7 The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as Dew from the Lord to refresh and make others fruitful towards God So Zech. 10.9 I will sow them among the People and they shall remember me in far Countries God would make their scattering to be a means to bring in the fulness of the Gentiles Well then this may be and often is the condition of the People of God Thirdly In this appellation and title a Metaphor is ascribed to God and so there is implied that whatever may be expected from an habitation and dwelling-place that may be and eminently is found in God An House serveth for three uses 1. For our defence and shelter from the Storms 2. It is the seat of our blessings and the store house of our comforts 3. It is the place of our rest and repose Now all these a Believer findeth in God Protection Provision and Peace and Comfort yea whatever a Soul can wish for therefore here a Child of God may and must dwell 1. Here is defence or the warm and comfortable Protection of God Almighty We have many Enemies Spiritual and Bodily we need a defence and God