and Counsel and was ready also to make out Evidence and give Testimony against Transgressours * Mendaz in 1 Reg. 4.11 p. 202. 2 A. Si quis alicujus sceler is conscius accedebat impunitus non abibat If any guilty person did approach it it would not let him depart unpunished When Moses had made a Conquest of the Madianites he made an order that amongst the women that were taken Prisoners Num. 31.17 18 the Virgins onely should be reprieved from death But how did they make the discrimination The Hebrews tell us that being all presented before the Ark the Virgins remained as inviolate as their chastity the rest were struck with an invisible violence and fell before the Majestatick presence of it And such was the Lotery that discovered the Theft and Sacriledge committed at Jericho when all the Israelites marched by as innocent and unconcerned the Ark did deprehend and arrest the guilty Achan Josh 7.14 he could not quit himself of the miraculous seizure nor deny this tacite accusation 3. It is stiled The Ark of God because God was the Authour and Founder of it He prescribed the parts and the matter the form and the fashion the use and the service of it He conferr'd the grace and benefits that did flow from it This was his Seat a Psal 99.1 his Habitation b Psal 74.7 his Court c Psal 84.10 his Throne d Jer. 17.12 his place of residence e Psal 31.20 where he did vouchsafe his gracious presence and is therefore dignified with the title of Jehovah f Num. 10.35 Psal 68.1 And in reâ—erence to the people Israel this Ark was their Glory their Strength their Beauty The Glory is departed from Israel g 1 Sam. 4. saith the wife of Phineas when the Ark of God was taken And the Psalmist saith God delivered their strength into Captivity and their beauty into the Enemies hands h Psal 78.61 If they wanted direction here they had the Oracle i Exod. 25.22 here they were admitted to conference with God himself There I will meet with thee saith the Lord to Moses and I will commune with thee from above the Mercy seat from between the two Cherubins which are upon the Ark of the Testimony of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the Children of Israel And because they were worthily admired among all Nations for the Laws and Ordinances * Deut. 4.6 which they thus received this might very well be called their Glory not to mention the lustre of the Ark it self or the splendour of Divine Majesty that appeared in it If they wanted protection here they had an host of Angels they invincible Chariots of God to pitch their Tents about them represented by the Cherubins over-shadowing the Mercy-seat with their outstretched wings upon which account the Ark is called their strength And if they were defiled and wanted pardon here they had the Propitiatory and the Mercy-seat and because that soul is blessed and amiable in Gods eye whose sin is covered and blotted out therefore the Ark was stiled their beauty This Ark did adumbrate the Mystery of the Incarnation * Nicetus apud Greg. Nazian Orat. 43. Tho. 1 2 ae 102.4.6 in Col. 2. Heb. 1. It was a Type of Christ in whom the course wood was overlaid with pure gold in that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily He is the Oracle of his Church for God spake to us by his own Son in whom were hid not the Tables of the Law only but all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge He is the Mercy-seat and the Propitiatory for God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 And he hath prostrated Dagon and cut off his hands and head 1 Sam. 5.4 in that he hath defeated the designs and dissolved the works of the Devil In him we have the Cherubins adoring him * Heb. 1.6 and their wings to shelter us †John 1. ult The Angels ascending and descending upon the Mystical body of the Son of man Heb. 1. ult to minister to such as shall be Heirs of Salvation He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. Luke 1. and is the glory of his people Israel 2. This Ark is a Type of the Church * Jo. Gerhard Loc. Com. de leg Cer. c. 2. Sect. 2. mihi p. 261. which is the Repository of the holy Scriptures and the Ordinances of divine Worship Where the Angels incamp where the Counsel of God is revealed where Mercy and Pardon are dispenced 3. This is a Type of the Gospel †Jo. Botsac prompt Allegor 1506. 1. which is the word of wisdom and the mind of Christ * 1 Cor. 2.16 1 Pet. 1.12 a mystery which the Angels desire to look into and so it answers to the Oracle It is the pledge of our peace the word of Reconciliation and so answers to the mercy-Seat It is the Magazin and Armory whence we are furnished with arms and strength for our Christian warfare It puts upon us the whole Armour of God the Shield of faith the breast-plate of righteousness the Helmet of salvation This was the Israelites Palladium and Sanctuary It divided the waters of Jordan demolished the Walls of Jericho prostrated Dagon and redeemed it self out of captivity when the wicked Israelites had exposed it to the scorn and triumphs of the uncircumcised representing hereby the Majesly of the Holy Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation pulling down strong holds drying up the inundations of sin and misery which stand in our way to Heaven prompting and pressing and inabling us to work out our own salvation In a word it did not signifie less and it could not well signifie more then God did really exhibit by it It hallowed every place where it stood and blessed every person that was qualified to receive a blessing from it This makes David so enamour'd of it and all his subjects so ready to conduct it So they brought the Ark c. In this Transportation or Conduct of the Ark we have two things to be inquired after 1. Who they were that did conduct it 2. How or after what manner they did conduct it 1. Who they were The Text saith That David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the Lord unto his place which he had prepared for it 1 Chron 15.3 4 5. And David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites So David and the Elders of Israel and the Captains over thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Where we are to consider 1. By whose Authority and example it was Transported By David the King's 2. Under whose Inspection and Ministry The Priests and Levites 3. With what Train and Attendants Here were the Elders and the Captains
a lamentation and name that Ichabod for the glory is departed from Israel and we the true Sons of the Church of England in the condition that Israel was in when they sate by the waters of Babylon and wept they hung up their Harps which were now grown uselesse because their sorrows for the desolations of Zion had silenced all their melody And yet we are call'd upon to believe that all these violences were design'd but to shake the dust out of the Badgers skins and to brush the Curtains and to Reform the Tabernacle that the pure gold of the Ark might shine the brighter in the simplicity of its own lustre That is just as the Souldiers came with Swords and Staves from the High Priests to apprehend and secure the Lamb of God and brought him before Pilate out of kindness that he might have the honour to clear and acquit himself But what became of the Ark of God in the midst of these disorders Why we heard of the same at Ephrata we found it in the wood Psal 132.6 some harmless Country people would tell us some tydings of it but it was in the wood like one bewildered strip'd of its due Attendants and Solemnities And yet as forlorn as it was its Captivity was a punishment not only to the Jews but also to the Philistims to them that triumph'd over it as well as to them that had lost the possession and forfeited the blessings of it The adversaries could not destroy it nor could they court it into their assistance The Dagon which they set up for themselves to worship fell before it with the loss of hands and head deprived not of strength only but of counsel too They provided a new Cart for it such was the new Discipline hewn out and rudely put together by Mr. Calvin and others in this last Century and the Classes were the Wheels of it and this the Faction drove on furiously for a while and stop'd not no not at the Red Sea they drove it into a Sea of blood but the Cattle that were yoked together to hurry it away were so unreasonable and head-strong they could not agree where or how to set it up and that they might not hurry it into utter ruine God was pleased to look thorow a frightful Cloud upon them Exod. 14.24 25. and took off their Chariot-wheels to trouble and discomfit them At last David the King being preserved and returnâ—n by as great a miracle of providence as the Ark it self in order to his own settlement he gives order to prepare the Tabernacle for the settlement of the Ark and summoneth all the heads of the Priests and Levites with the Nobles and Elders of the people So they brought the Ark of God c. We are no less happy then they in the decent situation of our Ark I pray God we may be no less dutiful in our gratulation for it To which purpose me â—hinks every devout soul should be a breathing out that Quaere of the Psalmist Psal 116. Quid Retribuam what shall I render unto the Lord for this great this signal benefit done unto us you can do no better than resolve with him I will come into thy house with burnt offerings I will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips Psal 66.13 14. and spâ—ke with my mouth when I was in trouble for the Ark of God And because God takes no pleasure in the flesh of beasts neither will he drink the blood of Bulls or Goats but requires of us a spiritual a living and a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Having nothing else that can be acceptable to him who gave himself for us we should have the same devotion the same mind that was in the holy Martyrs we should have our hearts and wills prepared if duly call'd to it to be made a sacrifice by others in the mean time we should make an Oblation of our selves have our whole spirits souls and bodies devoted to Gods service and the service of his Church Such a devotion was in the great Apostle Phil. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I be offered up as a libamen a liquid oblation upon the Sacrifice and Liturgy of your faith I joy and rejoyce with you all But Here is a twofold oblation recommended to us by the example before us in the Text. 1. A burnt sacrifice And 2. A peace-offering and such we must offer in a spiritual sense and we must offer 1. A burnt sacrifice and that upon a double account as such sacrifices use to be offered up upon 1. To acknowledge Gods Power and Dominion and Revere his signal Goodness herein demonstrated David hath furnished us with a Psalm to this purpose Psal 124. wherein the Church blesseth God for a miraculous deliverance of her self and the Ark of God setled in her possession If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us Then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Then the water had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul Then the proud waters had gone over our soul Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are escaped Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Non nobis Domine non nobis therefore not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name be the praise Thou art worthy to receive glory and honour and praise but to us there belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face for we contributed only to the reproach and captivity of Gods Ark and solemn worship its happy restitution and settlement we ow to thy signal power and goodness great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Rev. 15.3 4. 2. A second design of our spiritual burnt sacrifice must be to make an atonement for those miscarriages which forfeited our interest in the Ark and betrayed it into captivity It was good advice of the Priests and Diviners to the Philistims when they consulted them about returning the Ark of God 1 Sam. 6.3 Oh! send it not away empty said they but in any wise return God a trespass-offering with it that you may be healed The captivity of that Ark wrought a strange conviction in the Philistims as well as in the Jews The Philistims saw clearly they had no reason to triumph in this defeat they had given Israel for though they had won the field they had got no
Charges to praise and minister before the Priests 2 Chron. 8.14 as the duty of every day required Not a Non-Conformist amongst them What part of the holy Function was assign'd them they carefully observed and kept their station and decorum exactly according to the tenour of the sacred Canon And that they might have no incouragement or pretence to do otherwise this Hierarchy of the Church was supported by a double provision 1. Of Maintenance 2. Of Discipline 1. Their Maintenance did not depend upon the liberality of the people they had an honourable allowance setled by Law by a divine inviolable right So that they had no temptation to hurry the Ark after the humour of the people to gratifie either their needs or their avarice Having the Lord for their portion they disdain'd with a generous contempt to betray the honour and interest of the Ark or the confidence and good meaning of well disposed people to gain the little imposts and bribery and filthy lucre And 2. In case of Exorbitancy there was a Coercive power in that Hierarchy to punish the disorderly person according to the quality of his offence not only with spiritual penalties as suspension from the holy Function a Fzra 2.62 and Excommunication from the holy Offices of the Church b Eze 10.8 John 12.42 but with corporal punishments also as imprisonment c Jer. 10.2 Cap. 29 26. and in some cases with pain of death d Deut. 17.12 This Maintenance and Discipline kept up Order and Conformity amongst them So that under the Authority and influence of David the King you have the Priests and Levites marshalled the Hierarchy of the Chuâ—ch ready to attend the procession and solemn service of the Ark. III. The Train and Attendants But a privaâ—e Office perform'd by the Priest and Levite or the Priest and his Clerk will not serve Davids turn He must have the Ark conducted in such an Equipage as becomes the divine Majesty it represented and to this end he summon'd his Elders and Captains and the chosen men of Israel to make up a Train of Attendants for this great Solemnity First The Elders Christs Government differs from that of other Princes Nicet in Greg. Naz. Orat. 19. The Government was upon his shoulders but the Government is too great a burden for the feeble shoulders of other Princes Mose's shoulders did shrink under it They are glad therefore of Auxillaries to assist them and such are their Elders and their Captains But judgement is to be used in the choice of These For in the Machina or Engine of Politie the lower Wheels to which the people are more immediately affixed have the strongest impulse into their motion The great Wheel of Sovereign Authority let it move never so orderly if the motion of subordinâ—te Magistratâ—s be irregular the force of their ill example will hâ—ve a more powerful influence upon the people and carry their inclinations after it Hereupon Jethro adviseth Moses to make choice of men fearing God to be suboâ—dinate Magistrates and David exhorteth not only Kings in their own persons but such as are put in Authority under them Psal 2. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye that are Judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and kiss the Son lest he be angry Princes are the more conceâ—n'd to have an eye to Piety and virtue in their Officers because the people think for the most part that they may read the Princes inclinations in their practises †Syrae 10.1 Spots in the Sun and Moon are better discovered by observing them in their Reflexes and Images in the water then by looking upon their own bodies in their Motions In consideration whereof as well for reason of staâ—e as conscience David might resolve as he doth Psal 101.6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me It is to be presumed that as it was in Ezekiels Vision Cap. 1. these Wheels of Subordinate Governours do move according to the motion of the Spirit that is in the living Creature the original and vital Fountain of Authority God takes of the spirit of Moses and puts it upon those Elders that were to share with him in the burden of the Government under him Some other giddy spirit might have â—…t the whole frame of Government into disorder and confusion but being acted by the same spirit with Moses they aime at the same end and carry on the same designe to Gods glory and the well-fare of the people Numb 11.25 Lopid 16. When the spirit of Moses rested upon them they Prophesied and did not cease that is Ex Dei instinctu Deum Deâ—que laudes celebrabant they were inspired to celebrate the praises of the Almighty The Elders that Rule well under a pious Prince they do correspond and comply with him in his Devotions as those Elders in the Revelation did with the four Beasts which are conceived to be the four Evangelists when those Beasts gave glory and honour to him that sate upon the Throne Then the twenty four Elders fell down before him that sate upon the Throne Revel 4.9 10. and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever Such were these Elders here they did comply with David to attend the Ark in this Solemn Procession 3. The Captains And so did the Captains too not for fashion sake I wist or meerly to pay a civil homage to their Prince like Naaman when he went into the house of Rimmon but out of devotion For Souldiers may be Religious we read of one Centurion that had a prodigious faith I have not found so great faith no not in Israel of another commended for his worthy piety He loveth our nation and hath built us a Synagogue of another whose devotions soared so high upon the wings of his almes and fasting Acts 10. that they procured him an extraordinary visitation of kindness from Almighty God Souldiers are the sinews of a Kingdom if they be lax and dissolute through intemperance and effeminacy the state of that Kingdom is but feeble if they be cut asuâ—der by Factions and Divisions it has no strength at all but enough to enabâ—e it to tumble and wallow in its own gore To strengthen these sinewes there is no such Anodyne as Religion and indeed if Souldiers be not Religious how will they serve their Prince either for the Lords sake or for conscience sake Atheism cancels the two strongest obligations of a subjects duty and Allegiance Gallantry will carry but few to the Gates of death for the safety and honour of their Prince and if interest be all the engagement he hath upon his Souldiers that may be bought off the best Exchequer the fullest Purse will carry it If his Captains be not Religious the Prince cannot be so confident of their fidelity to be sure not of their valour and
over thousands and all their Companies for there were Thirty thousand chosen men of Israel 2 Sam. 6.1 when the Ark was to be Carted to the City of David and sure there were as many now 1. By whose Authority and Example the Ark was Conducted or Translated I. The King The people might not do it of their own head no nor yet the Elders they had no Warrant for it It was done by David's by the Kings Authority and Example It was observed by the Philosopher that the King ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Supreme Governour of things that pertain to divine Worship The Model of this Ark was at first given by God to Moses it was his Concern to see it made being the Supreme Governour and David's to see it kept The highest Honour the Royal Office entitles Princes to is to be Defenders of the Faith Indeed Princes may do much to the advantage of Religion as well by the encouragement of their Example as by their Authority and it is their interest to do their uttermost for 1. Sam. 2. Those that honour me will I honour saith the Lord And it is said of Lycurgus that he commanded nothing in his Laws that he did not confirm by his example and of Agesilaus it is said that he first of all performed that himself which he did injoin to others and David will not only make one but lead the Dance in this holy Solemnity and invite others by the force of his example I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth Psal 34.1 2 3. My soul shall make her boast of the Lord The humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together When such eminent persons shall advance the Standard of Piety Ecclus. 10.2 a plentiful train will follow As the Judge of the people is himself so are his Officers and what manner of man the Ruler of the City is such are all they that dwell therein But the ill president findes most followers men learn soonest to write after a foul Copy Good examples for the most part gain more reverence then imitation It is not enough therefore for a Prince to commend Piety by his Example old Eli did so much He must Imprint it by the Royal Stamp of his Authority And to go regularly to work he must in the first place exercise his Authority in setling the Hâ—erarchy of the Church under whose inspection and Ministry the Ark is to be conducted and thus did David 1 Chron. 15.11 12. And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the Priests and for the Levites for Uriel Asaiah and Joel Shemaiah and Eliel and Aminadab And said unto them Ye are the chief of the Fathers of the Levites sanctifie your selves both ye and your brethren that ye may bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it II. The Hierarchy of Priests and Levites This was the Hierarchy under whose Inspection and Ministry the service of the Ark was to be accomplished wherein three things are considerable 1. Their Consecration and Sanctity 2. Their Subordination and Inequality 3. Their Regulation and Conformity 1. Of their Consecration and Sanctity It was not enough for them to be of the Tribe of Levi though God had taken that Tribe instead of the first-born * Numb 3.6 with 12. of every Family to minister unto him there was a solemn separation of their persons to the sacred Office They were to be solemnly Anointed Consecrated and Hallowed to minister in the Priests Office a Exod. 19. â— Numb 3.3 and the Levites were to be cleansed solemnly dedicated before the Lord that they might execute the service of the Lord b Numb 8.3 11. and this was required indispensably under pain of death c Numb 3.10 And besides this Consecration of their persons there was a prefatory sanctifying by way of preparation unto the address before they did officiate 1 Chron. 15.14 So the Priests and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel 2. For their Subordination and Inequality this commenced with the Ark it self by Gods own immediate Order Aaron as a Type of Christ was head of all but Eleazar and Ithamar no such Types to be sure in Aarons life time though under him had very large jurisdictions all the Levites were under their inspection and command Numb 3.4 Besides the family of Aaron there were the Families of Cohath Gershon and Merari Of Cohath there were four Families and each family had its Chief or Ruler and over all these was Elizaphan d Numb 3.30 Of Gershon there were two families and each of them had its head and over both these was Eliasaph e Numb 3.24 Of Merari were two families and each of them had its hiad and over these was Zuriel f Ib. vers 35. Now all the Gershonites with their Heads or Presidents which were 2630. And all the Merarites with their Guides or Presidents which were 3200. were under Ithamars inspection Numb 4.28 33. Eleazar had his own family with the Fathers and Heads thereof And the Cohathites with the Rulers thereof in number 2750. as his peculiar Diocess But besides this he had a general jurisdiction over all the rest He was Primate under Aaron over 8580. Priests and Levites and therefore he is stiled Princeps Principum or Prelatus Prelatorum the Prelate of the Prelates or which is all one Chief over the Chief Numb 3.32 And all matters that belonged to the service of God were generally under his care and inspection Numb 4.16 This Subordination and Inequality did continue to the days of David as appears in the place before mentioned 1 Chron. 15.11 12. Zadok and Abiathar the Priests were above all the Heads of Levites and there was an inequality between the two Priests too Abiathar attended the Ark at Jerusalem 2 Sam. 15.29 1 Chro. 16.39 the higher function and Zadok the Tabernacle at Gibeon There was a first and second even amongst the high Priests 2 Kings 25.18 And how exactly David setled this Hierarchy in its state of Subordination and Inequality when 38000. were put into 24. Courses under so many Presidents and all these under the Jurisdiction and Government of Zadok and Ahimelech you may finde at large 1 Chron. 23 24 25 26. Chapters more particularly and concisely 1 Chron. 24.3 4 5. verses The Governours of the Sanctuary and of the House of God were of the Sons of Eleazar and of the Sons of Ithamar and the Offices were distributed for the sacred service But of the Sons of Eleazar there were sixteen Chiefs under Zadok and but eight of the Sons of Ithamar under Ahimelech This leads us to 3. Their Regulation and Conformity The Priests in their Courses applied themselves to their service and the Levites to their