carrying on of the Temple-Work were divided into 24 Courses by Lot according to this ensuing Table in the days of David by his Appointment But these Orders as to their Genealogicall Succession having been much confounded since that time especially under the Captivity possibly the Priests of Nehemiah's List might receive new Names according to a new Lot for their several Stations and therefore it is perhaps that we find the ancient Names somewaat varied and some of the new Courses not to be found Registred according to all the Names of David's Division Howsoever so far as they can be without many Transpositions of Letters clearly set down we may read as follows 1 Jehojarib 1 Chron. 24.7 called Jojarib in Nehem. 12.6 19. 2 Jedajah 1 Chron. 24.7 Neh. 12.7 19. 3 Harim 8 Neh. 10.5 12.15 Or Rehum Chap. 12.3 4 Seorim 8 Perhaps Serajah Nehem. 10.2.12.1.12 5 Malchijah 9 Nehem. 10.3 Or Malluch Neh. 12.2 Or Melicu v. 14. 6 Mijamin 9 Nehem. 10.7 Or Miamin Neh. 12.5 Or Minjamin Neh. 12.17 7 Hakkez 10 Perhaps Hatiush Neh. 10.4 12.2 8 Abijah 10 Neh. 10.8 12.4 17. Luke 1.5 9 Jeshuah 11. 10 Shecaniah 11 Neh. 12.3 Or Shebaniah Nehem. 10.4 12.14 11 Eliashib 12. 12 Jakim 12. 13 Huppak 1 Chron. 24.13 14 Jeshebeab 13. 15 Bilgah 14. Nehem. 12.5 18. Or Bilgai Neh. 10.8 16 Immer 14. Perhaps Merimâ—th Neh. 10.5 17 Hezir 15. Called Ezra Neh. 12.1 13. Or Azariah Nehem. 10.2 18. Aphses 15. 19. Pethahiah 16. 20. Jehezekel 16. 21. Jachin 17. 22. Gamul 17. 23. Delaiah 18. 24. Maaziah 18. Neh. 10. â— or Madiah Neh. 12 5. Moadiah ver 17. Of â—hese twenty four courses The first course entring upon the first Sabbath after the Temple's dedication continued so in the devolution of the work unto each succeeding course from Jehojarib the first untill the captivity and being afterwards fixed in the best order they could did so endure till the daies of our Lord's Incarnation Luk. 1.5 neer which time we read of Zachariah's Ministration at the Altar of Incense being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as we translate it Of the Course of Abiah which was originally the eighth in number it being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some think from this hebdomadicall or weekly entrance into the service Which word if critically insisted upon though it may not yield sufficient ground to build the assertion of this constant revolution of courses at such a set time as a week and if so yet is it not safe to lay stresse upon words the argument from Etymology being very sandy since the fall of the Tower of Babel upon the tongues of our Ancestors yet notwithstanding there are two places of Scripture that help us in this point that we may dismisse verball niceties to their tongues to whom they do movere Salivam The former place acquaints us of the Priests entring in upon the Sabbath and the latter 2 Chr. 23.4 2 Kin. 11.7 of their going forth upon the same day which is sufficient enough at present to our purpose especially Joseph Anti. l. 7. c. 11. p. 248. G. mihi since confirmed by Josephus being himself a Priest in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he ordained speaking of David that one Family or course should minister unto God for eight daies together from Sabbath to Sabbath Of these twenty four Tribes or courses 1 Chr. 24.4 sixteen were of the line of Eleazar and eight of the race of Ithamar The work impendent upon their shoulders since the Tabernacle-Vessels were taken off after the settlement of the Ark in the fixed place of the Temple was various and excellent consisting principally in these following particulars 1 The work of sacrificing with all its rites did lye upon them in all Offerings on the Altar of burnt offering nay 1 Chr. 6.49 2 Ch. 29.22 the whole service of the most Holy place 2 The Government of the Sanctuary and of the House of God was impendent on their shoulders 1 Chr. 24.5 3 They set the new-prepared shewbread on the golden Tables within the Sanctuary every Sabbath and removed the old 4 They ordered the Lamps of the golden Candlesticks every Morning 5 They kindled the daily Incense to make a sweet perfume in the Temple at the time of the dressing of the Lamps 1 Chr. 6.49 that the stench of that work might not be offensive 6 They were rhe unappealeable Judges of Leprosy Lev. 13.2 3. and Jealousy betwixt man and wife 7 They blew the Trumpets to the solemn feasts Joel 2.15 1 Ch. 15.24 16.6 Num. 10.8 31.6 and also before the Ark at its solemn removals and also to accompany the Captains of the Battel in War with their silver Trumpets before the Battel as may be perspicuousâ—y evident out of severall places of the holy Scripture 2 Ch. 13.12 Lev. 6.12 13. Exo. 30.23 1 Chr. 9.30 Mal. 2.7 8 They were to looke to the burning of wood continually upon the brazen Altar that the fire once kindled from heaven might never be extinguished 9 They were to make the holy Ointment with the appointed Spices 10 They instructed the People in the Law of God Of the Levites The Levites distinctly so called were not Priests but such as came from the stemme or root of Levi excepting the Children of Aaron These persons were appointed to wait upon the Sons of Aaron in the Courts and in the Chambers 1 Chron. 23.28 29. c. in the purifying of all the holy things and the work of the service of the house of God Both for the Shew-bread and for the fine flower for Meat-Offerings and the unleavened Cakes and for things baked in Pans or fryed and for all manner of Measure and Cize a good president to learne us of what sacred estimation we should account and what diligent care we should take in the conservation of the standard Vessels for the administration of commutative Justice they were also to stand every Morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise at Evening Yea and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord that is to assist the Priests in case of multitude of Offerings such as were extraordinary in the Sabbaths new Moons and Set-Feasts by number according to the order commanded them continually before the Lord. And that they should keep the charge of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and of the holy place and of the Sons of Aaron their brethren in the Service of the house of the Lord. For which end they were at first numbred at the age of thirty years 1 Chron. 23.26 27. 1 Chro. 23.3 c. but after the daies of David alwaies at twenty Because then they did no more carry the burden of the Tabernacle-implements and Vessels Their number in the latter end of King David's reign was computed at thirty eight thousand whereof twenty four thousand were set off for the work and businesse of the holy House Six
in the after-words accordingly to what he had spoken lib. 8. cap. 2. expresly of Solomons Walls of 400 Cubits height raised out of the Vally as is before cited to be at the top a foursquare work and is here amplified as to the measure of its quadrangular Extent Alas it was not for Herod one under the Romans and vext with continuall wars and inconsiderable as to Solomon's Territories or Riches to do such works as these Wherefore severall have justly suspected whether ever he medled with the Temple unlesse as to Reparations and Ornaments Which was in these Substructions inviolable by time and adorned by former Kings on the East which was a furlong long aswell as the rest Which Court thus foursquare and each side of a furlong extent and built by Solomon is also asserted by Ludov. Cappellus in his Apostolicall History pag. 15â— By what precedes we may perceive it more and more confirmed out of the mouth of Josephus that Solomon built all the vast Foundations round about together with the whole foursquare Wall at the top on the Brow of the Hill each side of the Square being one Furlong in length that is 625 Roman feet cap. 13. lib. 1. cap. 1. lib. 2. cap. 23. according to Censorinus in his Book De die Natali or A. Gellius in his Noctes Atticae or Pliny in his Naturall History Now though this Stadium of Josephus be most properly to be accounted according to the Grecian measures yet it breaks no squares with us for the Stadium of the Romans and the Grecians is accurately noted by Lindebrogius pag. 86. Edit Lug. Bat. 1642. â—0 in his Notes upon that place of Censorinus to be the same if the Calculation be carefully observed where he cites Lucas Petus de Mensuris Ponderibus and Hues de Globis that although the Grecian be but 600 Foot and the Roman 625 Foot yet he gives this reason for their Parallelism Nam pes Graecus excedit pedem Romanum semiunchâ For a Greek foot is longer then a Roman by half an inch So that 600 half inches at 12 inches in a foot make up those 25 Feet in the Roman Stadium beyond the number of feet in the Grecian Moreover from the last cited place of Josephus we may observe that Solomon is mentioned to have built Porches at first on the East end onely which serves to expound the so much vexed and misinterpreted Passage of Josephus which was in Controversy viz. That the Temple was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is It was destitute of Porches on any other side of the Temple at least in the first times of Solomon For the Scripture seems to favour his porching of the Courts of the Lord's house round about at the twenty years end when he had finished the house of Lebanon his Pallace and Throne together with the Queens house according to the order of its Relation 1 King 7.12 Though its certain Preoccupations are frequent in the sacred Leavs as immediately about the Utensils of the Temple after all and therefore we shal not rigidly press upon it from Scripture though Josephus in his 8th book is peremptory in this point as you have read above So that if you will permit Josephus to be his own Interpreter as 't is all the reason in the World he should behold him now joyning hands with our exposition Thus much then may abundantly I hope suffice as to the two first Arguments out of Scripture and out of Josephus to prove two Courts round about the Temple especially out of the last whose Authority was alwayes brought to contradict it The third Argument may turn upon the Hinges of the Temple Gates in the outward Court opening of their own accord for a decision to this controversy which were placed to all the four winds saies Josephus Evidently clearing that the great Court was round about the covered building For he tells us expresly in another place concerning the inward Court of the second Temple according to very judicious Persons it being correspondent in most things to the first that it had no Gate toward the West These are his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then there were Gates to all the winds De Bell. Judaic lib. 6. cap. 6. p. 916. F. and if there was none on the West in the inner Court it followes that the Western Gates of the Temple must be placed in the outward Wall of this great Court compassing the Temple and the inner Court round about Fourthly The Compasse of the wall of the outward Court being four Furlongs according to Josephus his description of Solomon's buildings each furlong taking up a whole side of the Quadrangle doth clearly determine the Gates on the West side to be in the wall of the outward Court which by its largenesse must needs be supposed to compasse the inner I will yet add two probabilities to this purpose that the Court did compasse the Temple The first may be taken from the dimensions and position of Moses his Tabernacle Wherein we read that the Court was set up round about The Tabernacle This might be fully demonstrated from the length and bredth of the Court and Tabernacle Exod. 40.8 The Court is expresly declared to have been 100 Cubits long and 50 broad The covered Tabernacle Torniellus and others do evince Exod. 27.18 from the measures of the Boards and Curtains to have been but 30 Cubits long and 10 broad within Annal. ad ann 2544. Num. 60. and consequently to have been placed within the Court. Now that the Temple did in many things imitate Moses his Tabernacle though generally double to its dimensions is clear to every one being 60 long and 20 broad as to inward capacity the Walls not being considered whereas Moses was but 30 in length and 10 in bredth aâ— abovesaid Wherefore then as Moses his covered Tabernacle stood within its Court inclosing it round on every side so it is somewhat probable that in this particular the Imitation might sort even that the covered Temple stood within the Walls of its Courts The second probability may be deduced from Zorobabel's and Herod's Temple agreeing in most things with Solomon's as very sober Authors upon serious deliberation do hold forth only the Fabrick of the last covered house was somewhat larger But Herod's Courts conceived by many to be praecisely wrought up in the very vestigia or prints of Zorobabel's Walls did compass the Temple round about as may be cleared out of the Jewish writers and particularly out of Codex Middoth and L'Emperour the learned Commentator upon it Which probably being erected according to the pattern of the ancient Temple of Solomon with the consent of severall judicious Writers as I have often hinted may in some measure help to confirm the assertion of its compassing Courts before largely treated of from the testimonies of the sacred Scriptures and our often cited Historian of the Jewish Nation Montania Abulensis Villalpandus c.
and solemn work of Judgment among the people For they coming in and going out by set-numbers every week in 24 Courses did appear but once in 24 weeks at the Temple unless at the three grand Solemnities and so had leisure sufficient in their several Cities and Villages to teach the people the Laws of God to expound the Letter of the Moral Ceremonial and Judiciall Parts thereof and to judge finally in all matters of Controversie about those Laws and of their living according to or the disobeying of them Of the Izharites Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel for Officers and Judges Ver. 29. saith the Text in the Book of Chronicles and moreover that Hashabiah and his Brethren Ver. 30. men of valour among the Hebronites 1700 were Officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan Westward in all businesses of the Lord and in the service of the King On the other side of Jordan Eastward was Jerijah chief among the Hebronites according to the Generation of his Fathers Ver. 31. in the 40th year of the Reign of King David who were found among the mighty men of Valour at Jazer of Gilead which was a City of the Levites in the Tribe of Gad. 1 Chron. 6.81 Of the Brethren of Jerijah men of valour there were 2700 chief Fathers whom King David made Rulers over the Reubenites Gadites and the half Tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and affairs of the King So that we find by Record 1700 of the Linage of Hebron 1 Chron. 26.32 on the West of Jordan and 2700 on the East side of the same Line and Extraction whence may probably follow that the 1600 Judges yet remaining of the number of 6000 mentioned at first that they were of the Posterity of Izhar and were employed on the West side of Jordan which was the greatest part of the Land of Canaan and according to the proportion of nine Tribes a half in that Region had not so many as the two Tribes and half on the East of Jordan possibly because of its nearer vicinity to the Court and the Royal Residence and so needed not so many because of the conveniency of their Appeals unto Jerusalem it self As to their Office the comparing of two places of Scripture will manifest the great Dignity of their Employment and the large extent of their power In the first whereof God himself commands that in matters of difficulty if any strong Emergency did arise in Judgment between Blood and Blood Plea and Plea Stroke and Stroke being matters of controversie within their Gates they were appointed to go to the place which God should choose that is Jerusalem principally Deut. 17.8 c. and any of the Levitical Cities ordinarily where the Judges had their fixed residence and should come to the Priests the Levites who should determine in a Sentence of Judgment and the people were to stand to their Decisions which if any man presumptuously dared to decline that man was to be put to death and evil to be put away from Israel 2 Chron. 19.8 Ver. 10. Besides we read in the History of King Jehoshaphat that He did institute in Jerusalem Levites and Priests to hear and determine Causes for the Judgment of the Lord and for Controversies and charged them that what Cause soever did come before them between Blood and Blood Law and Commandement Statutes and Judgments that they should judicially admonish them not to trespass against the Lord. So that from these and other places it 's easie to collect that the Levites were Judges over Israel in the highest matters concerning Life or Estate or any other Controversie between man and man It being observed by sundry learned Writers that there was but one Court of Judicature among the Jews whereof the Levites were the Judges and the written Law of Moses was their Rule not according to the corrupt Innovations of the Church of Rome in erecting their Curia Christianitatis for the securing of Church-men in all their out-rages from secular power in this and in other Nations and digesting of those Dung-Carts full of Canonical Books distinct from the Civil Law or the Municipals of each Countrey enough by their burden to sink a thousand Asses into the River of Tyber But to proceed To these Levites did appertain the Records and Genealogies For of this Tribe were the Judges Lawyers Scribes Recorders Genealogists in all matters pertaining to the Administration of Justice Exposition of the Laws Writing out of the Copies of the Holy Books to be read in the Countrey-Synagogues the preservation of the Linage of their Tribes the determination of Cases and laying up the Rolls of the Records in relation to things Sacred and Civil either belonging to the King or any of the people Insomuch that the persons of the greatest rank and quality either for dignity of Office or Nobility of Person age excepting the Royal Race of the Tribe of Judah were of these For we find them to be High-Priests and chief Judges of the Land 1 Kin. 2.35 1 Chron. 27.5 1 Chron. 26.14 Generals of the Army such was Benajah the son of Jehojadah in the days of Solomon expresly called a chief Priest in the Book of Chronicles Lord High Treasurers of the Temple and Councellours of State to the King such was Zechariah one of the Porters of the Temple Nay to conclude they were the onely persons that preserved Learning and Knowledge in all the Arts and Sciences wherein those Ages were versed the Schools of the Prophets being under their Cognizance and Institution and particularly the Colledge at Jerusalem mentioned in the days of Josiah Insomuch that the wisdom of our Saxon and Norman Ancestors is highly to be honoured in that they first admitted the Bishops of the Province as skilled in the Laws of God to sit with the Earls of the Counties in their Tribunals to assist them in decision of Causes according to the Word especially such as were co-incident with the Laws of God even as Holy Ambrose in his 32d Epistle tells Valentinian the Emperour concerning Blessed Constantine Qui nullas leges ante pramisit sed liberum dedit Judicium Sacerdotibus which appears by Sir H. Spelman in his Glossary and his Treatise of Tithes and in the first Tome of his Counsels in Seldens Janus Anglorum and other his Pieces in Mr. Sadler's late notable piece of the Rights and Priviledges of the Kingdom and in many other both Antiquaries and Historians that touch the Saxon days The latter I mean the Norman Kings in giving the presidency of the Court of Chancery usually to a Bishop as being presumed to be a man of such Conscience and Knowledge in the Laws of God the Rules of Christian Piety and Policy the Laws of Nature and of Nations that matters appeaâ—able from the ordinary Courts of Justice might find there a speedy safe and righteous Issue It being a Sanctuary to persons
the Law Those antient Types were the silver pictures imbellished with the Golden Apples gathered in Gospel-Gardens They were the pleasant (c) Exod. 38.3 looking-glasses so termed made of pollished brasse wherein the beautiful face of Christ was darkly reflected They were the cloudy and fiery pillars directing the true Israëlites in their way to the holy Land to find out Jesus disputing in the Temple about those lively Indexes of his incarnation To proceed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by two learned verbalists Hesychius and Suidas gloss't upon by two termes much of the same straine viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last of them conceives it to be nothing else but the dark representation of any species mentioning a person who for his fluent eloquence was saluted with a deep Complement as one who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Type or Copy of Eloquent Mercury To this Papias in Martinius adds that a Type is a prophecy in things Lex Philol. and not in words meaning doubtlesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 winged fluid words cannot bear the weight of a Type upon their airy shoulders but persons and material things are to be counted the proper subjects of Types Having done with the name let 's speak to the nature and essence of a Type which may be comprehended in this Definition A Type is an Arbitrary sign representing future and spiritual matters by divine institution The Definitum or the Subject of the Definition is term'd a Type by a metaphor taken from Images Statues or Pictures which are the curious artificial resemblances of their proper Originals The Genus in the Definition is a Sign which being an Adjunct of substantial Beings falls under the Category of Relation and hath the Foundation of its relation in Quality Even such as all Similitudes and Analogies truly are according to the Opinion of the great Philosopher or who ever it was that compiled that Book of Metaphysicks that commonly goes under his Name which seems to limp but not on so learned a Leg Metaph. l. 4. c. 9. as Aristotle did whose words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things are said to be like each other whose quality is one and the same or which agree in quality The Difference of the thing defined is taken from its several constitutive parts which divide and separate it from all other Signes and are these following 1 One part of its difference is taken from the Efficient Cause the Divine Arbitrium or Free-Will of God Himself who instituted and ordained Types they receiving their Esse or Being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the fore-appointment of Heaven Whence may be deduced this ensuing Corollary That the proper and genuine Knowledge of Types together with the solid Explication annexed to them must be deduced out of Scripture onely which contains the Revelation of the Will of God in respect to their imposition 2 Another part is raised from the matter of a Type which is the thing signifying or representing or that Subject wherein the Type doth inhaere and from which the signification is raised in respect to the Antitype that answers to it As for Example The Ark the Brazen Altar the Mercy-Seat the Shew-Bread the Candlesticks or the like 3 Another from the form of a Type It 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse or the Formality of its Essence and Nature lying in its imposed and designed signification in some kind of Analogy or proportion to and with the Spiritual thing that is signified by it As for Example The Formality of the Type of the Oracle lies in this that it should signifie and represent the Glorious Heaven whereinto our High-Priest is entred according to the Doctrine of the Apostle in His Epistle to the Hebrews The Unction of Aaron typically signified the anointing of the Lord Jesus with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows 4 From the end of a Type which was appointed to shadow forth the excellent things of the Gospel which as to the Jewes in their severall Generations during their Legal Administrations were as yet future and appeared not upon the Stage of the World in full view until the Consummatum est till our Lord upon the Cross pronounced IT IS FINISHED declaring a full and final abrogation of all those ancient Jewish Ceremonies Though no doubt those Jews who by an Eye of Faith did look upon Christ as slain upon the Cross in the Types of their Bloody Sacrifices did suck some Gospel-sweetness from them during that Legal Dispensation From all these particulars it clearly follows that there are in every Type these three things mainly and principally to be considered 1. The matter of the Type or the thing signifying 2. The object of the Type or the thing signified 3. The Ratio or the signification interceding betwixt the Type and its respective Antitype Now because that in all Scriptural Types their true and native signification depends upon and flows from the Divine Will Therefore must we adhibite especial care and diligence in the management of Discourses upon these rare and excellent Subjects and proceed with the most precise caution that we attribute and ascribe nothing by way of prefiguration to any things or persons whatsoever but to such as Holy Scripture doth either directly or by strong and clear consequence hand forth to us So that although there may intercede some Moral Physical or Historical Analogy between some Legal Materials and Gospel-Truths yet must they not therefore presently be interpreted under the notion of Divine Types unless there be some fair and probable hint upon rational accounts deducible out of Scripture it self for such a construction Nevertheless it is most certain that the Natural Harmony and coincidencies of things one with another doth not cannot obstruct the interpretation and acceptation of such for Types if Scripture do but darkly insinuate them to be of that Kindred but rather exceedingly promotes advances and inlighten the Mind in the Conception and entertainment of them for such Yet neither on the other side doth any such Natural Harmony warrant them to be construed for Types unless God Himself hath stampt the Seal of Divine Institution upon their Harmony Who will undoubtedly issue forth the Writ of a Quo Warranto out of the Court of Heaven against all such bold Intruders into Divine Mysteries who dare presume to expound them without a Scripture-Guide We must always remember to take up Philip into the Chariot when we are reading Isaiah about the Typical (a) Act. 8.32 Lamb that was dumb before the Shearers and opened not his mouth But many of Old have forgotten to take heed to this Cynosure or Pole-star that shineth in the dark and shady Valleys of the antient Figures having not lookt back with Abraham at the Voyce of a Divine Angel to the Ram in the Thickets even Christ that was held in the Briars of our imputed
after our Lords birth till its dissolution by the Roman armies There be others who considering that the Temple was fully finisht in the 3000th year of the World according to Bishop Ushers Calculation and other nice Chronologers being just a 1000d years before our Lords incarnation and precisely in the middle point of the World 's apprehended-duration viz. of 6000d years according to the received tradition of the sons of the House of Eliah mentioned by the same (e) Ibid. pag. 36. Author in the very words of the Jewish Talmud would out of these Rabbinicall flints extract some choise Mystical Oyl to supple the Wheels of their fancy As if so be a glorious external visible Church must needs from thence be evinced to continue upon the Earth 3000 years even just as many as the world had before continued without it and that this admirable beauty of the Church-militant commenced with the Temple 's compleat erection Besides as the Temple did continue though not without some fatal concussions for the space of a 1000d years So in like manner a glorious Evangelical Church thereby typified should endure also for a 1000d years space after the 6000 years of the world in general shall be consummated and ended when the rage and power of her enemies shall be extinct when the Saints of the most High shall Live and Reign with Christ a (f) Rev. 20.4 1000d years And all this must be accomplished say they before the 2d and most glorious coming of our Lord in the Clouds to passe sentence of condemnation upon the World of the ungodly and to put an Ultimate period to its duration Now forasmuch as the Temple suffered many hard things during its long continuance we must not think according to them that the Saints Reign shall have any sad Chasm of affliction seeing the Antitype must alwayes out-vye and excel its prefiguration in glory and excellency But for my part holding it sufficient to have recounted these things to be left or entertained at pleasure seeing there is no solid basis or foundation for these superstructures of fancy revealed in holy Scripture I had rather resolve the Mystery of the Time of the first fixed state of the Temple if there be any couched under it into the good pleasure of God whose Majesty if he had intended any such rare signification in the time of its building would have delivered the meaning thereof more clearly to us had it seemed good in his holy eyes What is secret belongs to the Lord but things revealed to us and our Children Wherefore I shall proceed to a more material inquiry concerning the place of its situation Concerning the place where the holy Temple was built IN this Section I mean not to tell long stories of Gods choosing the people of Israel above all Nations to serve Him or of Canaan above all Lands for his people to dwell in or of Jerusalem above all Cities to place his name there seeing the Lord loved the (a) Psal 87.2 gates of Zion more then all the habitations of Jacob. But shall rather descend immediately to treat of the holy mountain Moriah it self So frequently called in the holy Books the mountain of the House of the Lord wherein he hath promised to make unto all people (b) Isai 25.6 a feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of marrow of Wines on the Lees well refined whereby no doubt the holy Prophet in the name of the Lord doth insinuate the mountain of Moriah to be a most sublime Type of the Gospel-Church exalted even to heaven by the means of grace and salvation when he assures us in so many words that all Nations should be feasted in that blessed mountain which of it self was not sufficient to entertain within its circuit no not the one only Nation of the Jews at a set banquet whereof more in succeding lines In reference to our present work the denomination of this mountain may yield us some light and information in this matter seeing the very name of it probably was imposed by God himself when he commanded Abraham to get him into the Land of (c) Gen. 22.2 Moriah whose manner in the imposition of names is to read a Lecture worthy the attention of Men and Angels As to the signification whereof there are various Conjectures offered by Learned men and many of them are summed up by an Eminent (d) Nic. Fuller Miscell l. 2. c. 12. Critique of our own Nation Some it seems derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Myrrh as if this tract of ground had bin antiently famous in bringing forth that curious rarity conceiting withall that the mountain of Myrrh mentioned in the Book of (e) Cant. 4.6 Canticles is to be interpreted and understood of this fragrant place Others would fetch it from the Syriack word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mara which signified the Lord as if it noted out the Grand holinesse of that piece of ground as being by peculiar designation The Lords mountain Others deduce it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying fear hinting forth to us a place destinated to the fear of the Lord such as is exprest by his heavenly worshippers in their solemn attendance upon God according to the antient Mosaical injunctions Whereas in truth the most genuine derivation of the word seems rather to be taken from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see declaring it to be the Land of vision Wherefore some translate the former text in Genesis Vade in terram excelsam get thee to the high or hilly Country Aquila turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is perspicuous shining or illustrious Symmachus by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Land of vision which is therefore interpreted illuminating and irradiating according as Learned (a) Edit Ludg. 1530. Vol. 3. p. 216. Jerom in his questions upon Genesis Others apprehend it to have bin so called from the Eminent conspicuousnesse of the place being by reason of its height seen by travellers at a very great distance from whence by such as stood upon it many rare and lovely prospects presented themselves to the covetous eyes of delighted spectators Whereby is shadowed the rare beauty and comelinesse of the Church the spouse of Christ when she is Enammelled with the (b) Ezek. 16.14 glory of her Lord and Husband and when presented to the view of others that passe by in so much that they have bin inamoured with her beauty and have turned in to her habitation to gain acquaintance with her or else in respect to the profound and deep Mysteries the delicious and pleasant prospects of mercy and grace which have bin presented to the view of such persons who have stood upon this holy mountain There be that apprehend it to have bin termed the Land of Vision from the apparition of that holy Angel who accoasted Abraham at the intended sacrifice of his onely son But the Learned man forecited
the Feast of Tabernacles Our blessed Lord when brought forth into the light of this world according to his humane Nature did then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make his Tabernacle with men And so for the other that Easter and Whitsontide did resemble the Passover and Pentecost But I shall not lay stress upon these things That which is somewhat more material for such as do sacredly observe these Festivals to consider is this That at this present day we have utterly lost the true time of the celebration of them and truly a great part of the devotion is thereby extinguisht For as to the usual and common solemnization of the Nativity of Christ though we should grant contrary to the sense of Mr. Mede and several learned Authors that our Lord was born on the 25 of December between 1600. and 1700 years ago yet it may be evident to all that will seriously weigh the Truth that we are now several dayes distant from the supposed time and point of his birth For if so be the motion of the Sun from one fixed point suppose the first degree of Aries through the Zodiack to the same point again be comprehended within this space of time viz. of 365 dayes 5 hours 49. minutes and 4 seconds and other odd scruples not worth naming in this Computation According to Bullialdus or as Longomontanus 365 d. 5 h. 48 min. 55 seconds Long. l. 1. Theor. c. 5. p. 2227. and other eminent Astronomers Then there will fall out 11 min. letting passe the 2 seconds to be reserved every year for a Calculation of certain hours yea and dayes at last wherein the Julian year will transcend the true state of the Sun's mensuration For they reserve every year 6 compleat hours to make a day for the Bissextile-year being every fourth in order which doth not precisely agree with the Sun For it exceeds by 4 times 11 minutes which every fourth year arises to 44′ Or to speak more precisely (a) Buliald Astronom Phololaic ed Par. 1645. l. 2. c. 3. p. 68. The Tropical year according to exact Computation is determined to consist of 365 dayes 5 hours 49′ 4″ 21‴ 3 ' ' ' ' which fals short of 6 houres by 10′ 55″ 38‴ 57 ' ' ' ' in every year Now if we compute to the present vulgar year of our Lords Incarnation 1659 These scruples will arise to 11 dayes 13 hours 58 min. 40″ 41‴ 3 ' ' ' ' Wherein the celebration of this Festivity ought to anticipate the 25 of December in our common Julian year and ought to be celebrated almost 12 dayes before our ordinary time As to which who is so ignorant as not to know that therefore the Pontificians do according to the Gregorian Emendation precede us by 10 dayes in their account which is called the New Style But they went no higher than the time of the Nicene Council in the correction of the year and so fell short in this point of the true time The reason why they went no higher I leave for them to give As for the celebration of Easter it is not unknown to such as are but moderately versed in Ecclesiastical History what stirs there have been in the Church in the 5th 6th and 7th Centuries c. between the Greeks and the Latines nay in our Brittain between the Scots and the Saxons as appears (b) Bede Eccles Hist l. 2. c. 2. l. 4. c. 5. l. 2. c. 22. by the Writings of venerable Bede The Christians studying to conform the time of its celebration to the season of the Jewish Passover What laborious Tables Calendars and Canons were framed by Victorius Hippolytus Anatolius Dionysius Exiguus and many others Whereby it comes to passe that this Festival does so vary every year according to that Sabhath which follows the full Moon next after the vernal-Equinoxe Whereas seeing the design of the Christians was therein to commemorate the time of our Lords Resurrection If they would have kept the exact time they should have considered what day of the year he arose and what time of the morning of that day as near as may be to Scripture and by the best Rules have found out the Sun's place exactly in the Zodiack and when the Sun did Return unto that point in every year to celebrate it accordingly (a) Lang. de Annis Christi p. 415. l. 2. c. 8. Langius a learned and laborious Calculator of Scripture-times hath stated the Resurrection of our Lord in the 4746 the year of the Julian period In the 4th year of the 202d. Olympiad the Cycl ☉ 14 of the ☽ 15. the Indiction 6. and on the 5th of April according to the Julian Calendar in the 33d year from his birth according to our common Computation The Aequinoxe in those dayes fell out about the 22 of March and so the Sun will be found in the 14 of Aries upon the 5th of April at noon in the Meridian of Jerusalem or to come nearer the point having examined it by Calculation out of the late corrected Tables I find the ☉ to have been in ♈ 13° 27′ 25″ in the noon of the Resurrection-day agreeing commonly with the 23 of our March By which in any good Ephemeris every one may judge how far the present Celebration of this annual Festivity errs from the Truth and consequently that of Pentecost which depends upon this But I have insisted too long on these things I shall conclude (b) Rom. 14.6 That he who regardeth the day saith holy Paul regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it As for these things as Paul (c) 1 Cor. 7.25 said in another case we have no commandment of the Lord. But of such as endeavour to conform themselves to Jewish Feasts the Apostle may say as of the Galatians (d) Gal. 4.10 Ye observe dayes and times and months and years I am affraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain But in this point how far Ecclesiastical Sanctions have power and Authority over Christian liberty in matters of indifferency I leave to the decision of able grave learned and holy men But yet however whoso do incline to keep these times certainly they cannot but think their devotion and zeal to be much cooled by the false assignation of the time of their celebration Having thus briefly hinted at the principal Jewish Festivals I shall come to the second thing proposed in the beginning of this Section touching the various sacrifices wiâ—h their Appendancies Which that they did portend and presignifie the great and only satisfactory sacrifice of the Lord Jesus is granted by all sober persons any thing versed in the comparison of the two Testaments For so the Spirit of God testifies expresly concerning him when he is brought in by an Elegant Prosopopoeia speaking to the Father on this wise (a) Psalm 40.6 Heb. 10.5 c. 1 Pet. 2.24 Burnt offering and
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him CHAP. X. OF THE Temples Destruction 2 Chro. 36.12 Ver. 14. Jer. 5.31 WE are now arrived at the fatal and final period of that first and most Magnificent Temple which by reason of the manifold and hainous sins of the Kings and Nobles the Priests and Levites the lying false Prophets and the willingly seduced people of the Land of Judah was consumed with fire and utterly laid waste by Nebuzaradan the Captain of the King of Babylons Guard 2 King 25.8 Jer. 52.13 Joseph contr Apion l. 1. p. 144. Strabo Geog. l. 15 p. 687. Calvis Isag Chronol f. p. 79. Petao-Ration Tem. p. 2 l. 4. p. 234. edit Par. 1656. in the 19th year of the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar his Imperial Master This great and potent Emperour who employed his Captain in that dismal design is called Nabuchodonnosor by Josephus out of Berosus a Chaldean Writer by Strabo in the 15th Book of his Geography Navocodrosor by Ptolomy in that his most Golden Canon of the Assyrian Monarchs Nabocolassar according to a very correct Copy of it communicated by Dr. Overal sometime Dean of Pauls in London to Scultetus living at Heydelberg and since printed by Calvisius agreeing with another of the same kinde published by Petavius out of the Kings Library at Paris The same Canon for substance though different in some letters of the names and the years of their Reigns is presented to us by Eusebius in his Chronicle where this King is called Nabupolasar or Nabuchodonosor But to leave the variation of Authors in the several letters of his name I shall proceed to accommodate the time of the ruine of this once glorious Pile to the year of the worlds Creation wherein it hapned according to the best account yet extant Here because I am not willing at present to trouble any with that controversie I shall follow the calculation of the elaborate pen of the late famous Primate of Ireland Vsserii An. Lat. p 1. p. 131 in his Scripture-Annals accordingly as I have hitherto generally done all along this work First of all it is to be noted that the 19th year of Nebuchadnizzar was coincident with the 160th year current of the Nabonassaraean Aera for although his Father Napopollasar died in the 143 year of that Aera as appeares evident by Ptolomies forecited Canon and therefore the Sons 19th year must fall in with the 162 year of Nabonassar Dan. 1.1 Jer. 25.1.46.2 yet the Scripture doth expresly affirm in one place that the first year of Nebuchadnezzar was the third and in another that it was the fourth of Jehoiakims Reign that is the third ending or ended compleatly and in the beginning of the fourth At what time he went upon an expedition against Pharaoh Necoh at Carchemish by the River Euphrates which Josephus affirms out of Berosus Joseph p. 144 Peta dedoctr Temp. l. 9. c. 61. p. 143. to have been done by his Fathers direction being then alive Although I know the learned Petavius differs in his judgement Yet there seems to be truth in the Primates assertion if we compare the current and compleat years of the Kings of Judah diligently together with this present Assyrian Canon and the Eclypses which confirm it recited by Ptolomy in his Almagest which would take up much room and not tend much to my purpose at present to ampliate in it There are four Eclypses noted by Ptolomy to have been seen at Babylon before the date of the 160 year of this Aera yea before Nebuchadnezzar entred upon Dominion For the last of the four which was of the Moon fell out in the fifth year of Nabopollasar his Father and the 127 of the Aera Bulliald Astron Phil. l. 3. c. 7. p. 151. and all of them are found by calculation from our present Tables to correspond very near with the quantities of the eclypsed digits mentioned by Ptolomy Hence it is that Astronomers have esteemed this Epocha to be one of the firmest Basis of all Chronology Now then to apply the time of this sad Catastrophe and dissolution of the Temple to the Julian period For which purpose we must at present assume some things but yet such are now generally agreed on and demonstrated by able Authors 1. That the first year of the true time of our Lords Incarnation was co-incident with 4710 year of that happily-invented Julian Period and also with the 4000 year of the world 2. That the first of Nabonassars Aera did correspond with the 3967 year of the forementioned Period To which if we adde 159 compleat years of Nabonassar's for it was in the 160 current the Sum brings us to the 4126 year of the Julian Period in which the 19 year of Nebuchadnezzar deduced from his first beginning to reign while his Father was yet alive doth compleatly fall If further we shall substract 4126 from 4710. the year of the Julian Period at our Lords birth the residue will be 584 years before Christs true birth-time or 588 before the vulgar computation which is four years behinde the truth when the Temple was destroyed Lastly If we deduce those 584 years before Christ from 4000 the year of the world wherein Christ was born according to the best computations the residue points out 3416. for the year of the world wherein the Temple was burnt according to this calculation of the times In this deplorable year 2 King 25.8 on the seventh day of the fifth Moneth answering to August the 24 of the Julian year being Wednesday the Great Commander of the King of Babylons Army sets fire to the house of the Lord and the Kings Palace and to all the houses of Jerusalem so that every great mans house was burnt with fire which dismal and flaming consumption continued till it had fully devoured all those forementioned stately Palaces on the 10 day of the same fifth moneth answering to the 27 of August being Saturday Jer. 52.12 and the Jewish Sabboth when the City rested in its cinders for the sins of the Inhabitants who had so greatly polluted the Sabboths of the most High God After this they brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about then they battered in pieces the two famous pillars of Brass the ten Bases with their lavers together with that admirable Brazen Sea all to shivers and carried away all the brass to Babylon with the Cauldrons Candlesticks Cups Snuffers Spoons Shovels Fire-pans Bowls and Basons and all the Vessels of Gold Silver and Brass great and small wherewith they ministred in the house of the Lord yea the treasures of the Temple and of the King and his Princes were conveyed to the Triumphal City So that now the Lamentations of Jeremy the weeping Prophet may well suit the subject of this Chapter seeing the once delicate Daughter of Zion now sits desolate upon the ground while her dear children Jer 6.2 hanging up their harps upon the willows by
v. 10. 1 Kin. 6.23 v. 28. 2 Chron. 3.11 12 13. two other Cherubims standing on the Ground made as we read it of Image-work The material was of Olive-Tree and overlaid with Gold Each Wing of each Cherubim was five Cubits long All four Wings being extended to the length of Twenty Cubits viz. the whole breadth of the Oracle The two inward a Wings touched each other and the two ends of the outward Wings touched the Wall of the House The height of each of Solomon's was Ten Cubits a piece under whose two inward Wings stood Moses his Ark and Cherubims These four Cherubims are likened in Scripture to a Chariot of four Wheels whereon the Divine Majesty did sit and utter his infallible Oracles 1 Chron. 28.18 Psal 99.1 and are called therefore the Chariot of the Cherubims though some think each of these greater Cherubims stood upon a Chariot and therefore called so But the Text doth clearly speak out that they stood on their feet 2 Chron. 3.13 which is conceived to be meant not onely of their Erect Posture 2 Chron. 5.7 but also of their Situation upon the Golden-Floor whereas the other two stood on the Ark. Besides the Ark and these its Appurtenances there seems by the Epistle to the Hebrews that within this most Holy Place was laid the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod that budded Heb. 9.4 Numb 17.10 For so that there may be a clear Reconcilement of Scripture we must understand the Author of that Epistle by the Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a Reference to the Oracle or Holyest of all mentioned in the third Verse and not the Ark which relation of a Pronoun to a remote Antecedent is not altogether unusual amongst even some Learned Authors There be some that think possibly they were in the Ark till Solomon's time and then by Divine Appointment laid in some other place For why should Scripture say expresly in two places they were not in the Ark seeming thereby to imply some change 1 King 8.9 2 Chr. 5.10 as to this particular which if so then the Epistle to the Hebrews speaking of Moses's Tabernacle may consist more Grammatically with it self and other Scriptures if this may be the true mind of the Spirit The Golden Censer of Aaron also was laid up in some place near the Ark for which the fore-cited Text is as clear as for the other We read also of five Golden Emerods and five Golden Mice dedicated by the Lords of the Philistims unto God when they were smitten for their sin which were put up into a Coffer and sent with the Ark as a Memorial of God's Vengeance and of their Deliverance But whether they were conveyed into the Holyest Place with the Ark and reserved unto Solomon's Temple is one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore we must leave it for a clearer Discovery In the time of Moses there was also the Book of the Law called by some the Deuteronomion laid on the side of the Ark But whether or no it was placed there in Solomon's dayes we do not read yet we find in Josiah's Reign when the Temple was purged the Book of the Law was found in the Temple by Hilkiah the Priest though no express mention be made of the Oracle Of the Vessels and Vtensils in the Sanctuary or Holy Place WE shall dispose these in the same order that the Scripture mentions them that is First the Altar of Incense Then the Tables and the Candlesticks as may be seen 1 King 7.48 49. and 2 Chron. 4.19 20. The Altar of Incense As to the Golden Altar of Incense it 's first requisite to clear it up that it was placed in the Sanctuary without the Oracle and its Vail In Moses his Tabernacle it 's clear that it had stood without the Vail For Moses having placed the Ark lets down the Vail and then places the Table Northward the Candlestick Southward and this Altar before the Vail Exod. 40 3 21 23 26. that is at the upper end of this Room just in the middle before the Vail But a clear Inference we have out of Leviticus where upon the Expiation Day the High-Priest was to take a Censer full of Burning-Coals of Fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet Incense beaten small and bring it within the Vail Lev. 16.12 If the Altar stood within the Vail then it were absurd to say thus that Aaron took a Censer of Coals from off the Altar within the Vail and brought it within the Vail But when as its Position was without it 's properly said that with these prepared things he went from the Altar into the Oracle within the Vail to burn sweet Odours Again the Text says that after the High-Priest had done sprinkling the Mercy Seat with the blood of the Bullock and the Goat 7 times that he shall go out unto the Altar that is before the Lord and put blood upon its Horns and sprinkle it 7 times If so be then Aaron must go one of the most Holy Place before he can come to this Altar It 's evident Lev. 16.18 that the Altar did not stand within the Vail Thus much I desired to add to that common and urgent Argument of the daily burning of Incense by every inferiour Priest in his course upon this Altar who could not have admission within the Oracle being open onely once a year and to the High-Priest onely on the solemn day of Expiation For so we find the High-Priest and eighty inferiour Priests with King Uzziah at this Incense-Altar who durst not go into the Oracle 2 Chron. 26.17 Now that Solomon's Altar was placed also in the Holy Place appears by the Text alleadged which says it was situate by the Oracle implying that it was not within it 1 King 6.22 There is nothing worth answering that I know of which can be opposed but that foresaid place of the Apostle where it 's said Heb. 9.4 concerning the Golden Censer that it was in the most Holy Place To which I say either it is to be understood of that Censer that was thus brought into this Oracle within the Vail once a year by the High-Priest and so may be truly said to be in the Oracle though not constantly yet at solemn times or else we must think of some other Interpretation For whereas this may be conceived by some but an evasion because the Apostle seems by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to note a Temporary but constant possession not onely ad usum but ad situm for that the very same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same verse is spoken of the Pot of Manna which who knows not but continued many 100 years within the Pot. There be some therefore would expound the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Altar of Incense it self But are forced to do violence to the word For in all the Septuagint Bible
I think they cannot manifest one place where it is by them put for the Altar whose Greek it 's known that the New Testament Pen men chiefly follow Nay in its native sense it signifies Incense onely and by a Metonomy the Censer wherein it was put But to admit a double Trope to ride upon one word is as harsh as rare Wherefore to reconcile this place to the Old Testament I take it to signifie a Censer For so the Epithete Golden challenges it from its native signification of Incense And I humbly conceive that possibly we may understand by it the Censer of Aaron wherewith he burned Incense when two hundred and fifty men with their Censers were appointed by God to try with him Numb 16.17 who it was that God had appointed to that Office After the two hundred and fifty men were consumed by Fire Ver. 25. Ver. 38. their Censers were hallowed and Plates made of them for the Altar for a sign to the Children of Israel Now though the Text in Numbers does not tell us that Aaron's Censer was particularly laid up yet if we interpret this place in the Hebrews of that Censer it is no way repugnant to any Scripture nor to the Analogy of Faith But helps exceedingly to inlighten and reconcile that place I am the more induced to incline to it because it is joyned with two other things viz. the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod both which were laid up there as a token of their Murmuring and Rebellion against the Lord being two miraculous Effects which God produced presently upon their murmuring to demonstrate the Omnipotent Presence of the Divine Majesty against whom and His instituted Ministers they had so grievously murmured So then after this grand murmure of Korah there being two Miracles produced the one the swallowing up of many in the Earth the other the burning of two hundred and fifty by fire from Heaven for the remembrance of it this Censer possibly was added as another Token together with the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod to be laid up in the Oracle before the Lord. There is nothing to be objected against this sense but that because the Altar of Incense is omitted ver 2. therefore it 's brought in ver 4. and to be understood to be within the second Vail quoad usum onely To this I answer That the Altar standing without the Vail Aaron might take this Golden Censer that lay within the Vail and with it taking Fire-Coals off the Altar and Incense in his hands come and perfume the most Holy Place I dare not be peremptory in this point although that a certain Golden Censer lay in the Oracle constantly within the Vail according to the express terms of the Apostle is the mind of Learned Mr. Weemse in his Exposition of the Ceremonial Laws pag. 48. However it be I submit my Conjecture to all sober and learned persons having I hope before evinced the true Position of the Altar of Incense to be without but near the Vail which we now proceed briefly to describe Exod. 30 1-10 The Altar of Incense which Moses made was for matter of Shittim-Wood and over-laid with pure Gold round about For form four-square For quantity or measure two Cubits high And as for length and breadth one Cubit in each It had a Crown of Gold round about four Horns two Rings and two Staves There be some hold that Solomon cased the ancient one of Moses with Cedar and so made a larger over it A pretty fancy quickly vented Whereas we shall find expresly that Solomon made one compleat 1 Chron. 18.28 1 King 8.4 6. 2 Chron. 5.5 7. For first we read that David prepared refined Gold by weight on purpose for the Altar of Incense Besides when the Scripture says that the Priests brought up the Ark and all the Holy Vessels of the Tabernacle It mentions onely the carrying of the Ark into the Temple though Negative Authority is not absolutely Cogent yet when as Solomon is written to have made another and this is not mentioned to have been brought into the Temple but rather laid up in some of the Chambers I think we may safely shut Moses his Altar out of this pregnant Belly of Solomons That Solomon made one is expresly mentioned in two distinct places and in a 3d place 1 King 7.48 2 Chron. 4.19 1 King 6.20 22. that the inward material was of Cedar and over-laid with Gold How large it was we read not if we may double the quantity of Moses his Altar it may be we may not transcend the limits of Truth but it is best of all to be silent with Scripture The Tables of Shew-Bread IN the next place succeed the Golden Tables of Shew-Bread as to which 1 Chron. 48.16 1 King 7.48 2 Chro. 4.8 we find Gold prepared for them by King David as also Silver for the Tables of Silver whose use of situation we ye◠read not In the Kings we read but of one Table But in the Chronicles we find expresly ten in number together with their Situation five on the right and five on the left side of the Sanctuary The Description of Moses his one Table may be seen at large in the Book of Exod. But the Dimensions of Solomon's we have not though possibly double to his Exod. 25 23-29 accordingly as the place wherein they were set was double to his in capacity Some think that Moses his Golden Table was one and the nine rest were according to that cize wherein we shall be utterly silent 2 Chron. 4.19 Dr. Lightfoot c. 14. §. 5. Lev. 24.7 Exod. 25.29 The use we read was to set the Shew-Bread upon them On each Table there were set twelve Cakes six in a Row one upon another They were square and not round as usually figured with a Golden Dish of Frankincense on the highest Cake with Spoons Covers and Bowls of Gold The Form of this Table exhibited in the Draught is according to Arias Montanus the difference therein being onely as to the length of the Cakes which lay overthwart exceeding the breadth of the Table as some conceive We have added a little Coronet onely to the Brim of the Table as we read Exod. 25.25 The Golden-Candlesticks ten in number the same with this in view The last things to be mentioned are the Candlesticks 1 King 7.49 Exod. 25.31 1 Chron. 28.15 2 Chron. 4.8 1 Chron. 8.15 Their matter was of pure Gold prepared by King David Their fashion probably like that of Moses Their number was expresly ten Their situation was five on the right side and five on the left side of the House that is of the Sanctuary even as in Moses Tabernacle the Lamps are said to shine without the Vail of the Testimony Lev. 24.3 In their height and the extension of their Branches Scripture is silent Besides these there is mention made of Silver Candlesticks designed by David but how large and where placed or
close to him with the curious Girdle of the Ephod Lev. 8.7 of Gold Blue and Purple of Scarlet and fine twined Linnen 6 The next thing is the Breast-Plate of Judgment made of cunning-Work just like the Ephod It was four-square being a span each side of the square and it was doubled that is the cunning-work of Gold and Blue and Purple and Scarlet and fine twined Linnen was double that it might be the stronger to bear the stones Exod. 39.9 In it were set four Rows of Stones In the first Row was a Sardius a Topaz and a Carbuncle In the second an Emerald a Saphire and a Diamond Exod. 39.13 In the third a Ligure an Agate and an Amethyst In the fourth a Beryl an Onyx and a Jasper 13 in all each engraven in order with the names of the 12 Tribes of Israel and each was inclosed in Ouches of Gold In the four Corners were Gold Rings The uppermost Corners had two Ouches of Gold two Gold Rings and in them fastned two Golden Chains of Wreathen-Work one at each end which Chains reached up to and were fastned in the two Golden Ouches of the Shoulder-pieces of the Ephod At the two lower corners were two Rings of Gold also which had a Lace of Blue running through them to fasten the Breast-Plate therewith to two other Rings that were set in the Ephod beneath 7 After this there was placed in this Breast-Plate of Judgment Exod. 28.30 the Vrim and Thummim that they might be upon the High Priests Heart when He went in before the Lord to bear the Judgment of the Children of Israel upon his Heart before the Lord continually Some think those words were written Some think there was either two other Stones or pieces of Gold and indeed they knew not what Others think there was nothing added onely it signified the meaning of the 12 Stones that when the Children of Israel or any particular Tribe or the King or any other should enquire the Mind of God then they should receive an Answer from the High Priest in the Name of God which Answer as to future things should be as Vrim that is as Light clear and perspicuous and either concerning past present or future should be Thummim that is perfect and full of all Integrity and Truth As to which it is conceived that when the Lord did answer Positively and Affirmatively the Stones did shine most radiantly but continued in their common hue upon the Negative There is this Reason urged by some Why they did not note any new material added to the Breast-Plate because when Moses relates the making of things according to the given Pattern we read of no such thing made Exod. 39.32 Lev. 8.8 though the Text says expresly that all was done that the Lord commanded Moses yet in Leviticus it says He did which I leave to mature consideration 8 The Mitre lastly was put upon his head and upon the Mitre a Holy Crown of Gold and on the Fore-front of the Crown a Plate of Gold which was fastned to the Mitre with a Blue Lace and on that Plate was engraven as on a Signet these words HOLYNESSE TO THE LORD The inferiour Priests in their order and the High Priest according to His Superiour Dignity being thus set forth in their goodly Array were afterwards anointed with Holy Oyl consecrated and sanctified by the blood of some Sacrifices and so were prepared for the Services of the Temple in the next Chapter CHAP. V. Concerning the Solemn Worship and Service of GOD in the Temple THis Chapter might be distinctly methodized and accordingly handled either as the Worship hath respect to the various Persons or Officers employed in several Sacred Functions Or secondly as to the different Solemn Times of Service and Worship in their Mysterious Solemnities Or thirdly as to the various Sacrifices and Offerings commanded by God to smoak upon His Holy Altar All which Particulars we shall crave leave in as brief a manner as possible to exhibite in their due order and method in three distinct Sections following SECT I. Of the Temple Officers their Names and Employments IN the first place we shall speak of the different sorts of Officers about the Temple which are particularized under five several Names in Scripture viz. Priests Levites Singers Porters Nethinims The Priests are distinguisht into the chief Priests and the other interiour Priests of the 24 Courses Of the chief Priests Ezra 7.24 The chief Priests were two the High Priest and his Second the High Priest was by the Appointment of God that Person who was the Lineall Heir in Aaron's Posterity the eldest living that descended in the most direct Line from his Loins His Office was mainly upon the Expiation Day being the 10th of the 7th Moneth to perform the Solemn Rites of that Service in entring the Holy of Holies not without blood and to persume the Oracle with fragrant Incense Exod. 30.10 Lev. 16.34 Heb. 9.7 Unto which Josephus adds that He assisted in the Work on every Sabbath De Bell. Judaic l. 6. c. 6. p. 9 18. F. in every New-Moon and every Solemn Festival as may appear out of the 1 Chron. 6.49 The second Priest was the most eminent among the rest who in case of Sickness Pollution or other Emergency befalling the High-Priest did supply that Office Therefore is it that some think Moses of old to have beâ—n a substitute to Aaron seeing Scripture doth expresly call both of them the Priests of the Lord Ps 99.6 We read moreover that Moses did officiate in the Priests office at the consecration of Aaron his Brother Levit. 8. Howexer it be wee find for cerain Eleazar and Ithamar c. usually put together in the Days of Moses Hophni and Phinehas in the old Age and blindness of Eli. Zadock and Ahimelech in the days of David 2 Sam. 8.17 Chap. 15.35 2 King 25.18 Luke 3.2 and afterwards Zadeck and Abiathar Serajah the chief Priest and expresly in so many terms Zephaniah the second Priest in the time of Judah's Captivation by Nebuchadnezzar And lastly in the days of our Saviour Annas and Caiphas are called the High Priests not that there were two in that great Office at once as some have conceited through the Jewish Corruption of the Commandements of God at that time but that the one was a present help and constant substitute to the other in case of necessary detention from his actuall service Of the Ordinary Priests The ordinary Priests were such as sprang from the Loins of Aaron and were in a Collateral Line of Kindred allied to the High Priest which were all Levites as flowing from Levi who was the Abavus or Great Grand-Father of Aaron But being separated from the rest of the Levites for some more immediate service unto God are generally termed Priests whereas the term of Levite is restrained to all others of the Posterity of Levi besides the Line of Aaron These Priests for the more easie
out of the 17th verse 11 Azariel or Uzziel of Heman v. 4 18. 12 Hashabiah of Jeduthun v. 3 19. 13 Shubael or Shebuel of Heman v. 4 20. 14 Mattithiah of Jeduthun v. 3 21. 15 Jerimoth v. 4 22. Being all the Sons of Heman 16 Hananiah v. 4 23. Being all the Sons of Heman 17 Joshbekashah v. 4 24. Being all the Sons of Heman 18 Hanani v. 4 25. Being all the Sons of Heman 19 Mallothi v. 4.26 Being all the Sons of Heman 20 Eliathah v. 4 27. Being all the Sons of Heman 21 Hothir v. 4 28. Being all the Sons of Heman 22 Giddalti v. 4 29. Being all the Sons of Heman 23 Mahazioth v. 4 13. Being all the Sons of Heman 24 Romamti-Ezer v. 4 31. Being all the Sons of Heman These persons thus appointed to the Work of the Songs of Zion were freed from any other Service being employed in that Work onely 1 Chron. 9.33 Night and Day Now for the farther knowledge of the deduction of the Levites from the Loins of Levi together with the succession of Moses and Aaron the Children of the former viz. Moses being the Lord High Treasurers of the Temple of the other being High-Priests let us present this Genealogicall Stemme before your Eyes being deduced out of the 6th Chapter of the first of Chronicles and other places of Scripture Jacob or Israel Levi. 1 Gershon Exod. 6.17 2 Libni or Laadan 1 Chr. 23.7 3 Jahath 1 Chr. 6.20 23.10 4 Zimmah 1 Chr. 6.20 Or Zinah 1 Chro. 23.10 5 Ethan or Joah 6 Adajah or Iddo 1 Chr. 6.21 7 Zerah 8 Ethni 9 Melohiah 10 Baasiah 11 Michael 12 Shimea 13 Beraehiah 14 Asaph the chief Singer 2 Shimel or Shimi 3 1 Kohath who lived 133 y. Exod. 6.18 2 Amram Aaron 4 Ithamar 5 Eli 6 Phinees 7 Abiezer 8 Buzi 9 Ozi 10 Eli that brake his neck 11 Ahitub 12 Ahimelech 13 Ahijah 14 Abiathar Put from the High-Priesthood by Solomon 4 Eleazar 5 Phinehas 6 Abishua 7 Bukki 8 Vzzi 9 Zechariah 10 Merajoth 11 Amariah 12 Ahitub 13 Zadock who was High-Priest in the time of K. Solomon in the room of Abiathar 1 King 2.2.35 3 Moses Rehabiah Jeshajah Joram Zicheri Shelomith The great Lord Treasurer of the Temple 2 Chron. 26.25 26. 2 Izhar 3 Korah 4 Ebiasaph Exod. 6.24 Or Asaph 2 Chr. 26.1 5 Assir 6 Tahath 7 Zephaniah 8 Azariah 9 Joel 10 Elkanah 11 Amasai 12 Mahath 13 Eskanah 14 Zuph 15 Toah 16 Eliel 17 Jeroham 18 Eâ—kanah 19 Shemuel or Samuel the Prophet 20 Joel 1 Sam. 8.2 21 Heman the Singer 1 Merari 2 Mahli Numb 3.20 Exod. 6.19 1 Chron. 24.26 Mushi 3 Mahli 1 Chron. 23.23 4 Shamer 1 Chron. 6.46 5 Bani 6 Anezi 7 Hilkiah 8 Amaziah 9 Hashabiah 10 Malluch 11 Abdi 12 Kishi or Kushajah 1 Chron. 15.17 Or Kish 2 Chron. 29.12 13 Ethan probably the same with Jeduthun one of three Masters of Song If we compare these places 1 Chron. 15.19 25.1 2 Chron. 5.12 Obed-Edom 1 Chron. 16.3.8 Hitherto sufficeth it to have discoursed of the melodious Singers of the Temple with the Scheme of their Contemporaries to illustrate the History Let us now walk forth out of the Priests Court toward the Gates and Treasuries and take notice of the great diligence adhibited by these sacred Porters in their several Wards and Watches Of the Porters THE next Officers to be spoken to are the Porters who did watch at the Gates of the Temple day and night The Psalmist calls upon them that stand by night in the House of the Lord to bless His Name and Psal 134.1 in a Psalm indited for the Sons of Korah to tune he tells them He had rather be a Door-Keeper in the House of God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness Psal 84.10 or the Curtains of Alienation from the presence of him that dwelt between the sacred Cherubims The number of these Porters in a gross and full summe 1 Chron. 23.6 are remembred to have been four thousand by the Appointment of King David and seem to have been divided into 24 Courses like as the Priests and Singers were For one Text relates 2 Chron. 8.14 that Solomon did appoint the Porters by their Courses at every Gate according to the Order of David his Father According to which if we examine the account so far as it is brought in by Holy Scripture we shall read of 24 chief persons whose Sons and Brethren seem to come by course after 7 days from time to time out of their Villages 1 Chron. 9.25 to that Service at the several Gates of the Temple To which they were designed by Lot as may appear more particularly by this Draught annexed taken out of 1 Chron. 26. THE GATES 1 On the East The keeping whereof by Lot fell to Shelemiah ver 14. called also Meshelemiah the son of Kore of the sons of Asaph that is Abiasaph the Great Grandchild of Kohath and under him of these Levitical Porters came in by course constantly 6 persons to watch there v. 17. probably the same person who is called Shallum the chief Porter because his Lot fell out to be at the chiefest Gate which appears by the very same account of His Lineage 1 Chron. 9.19 6. 2 On the North. The Lot hit upon Zechariah a wife Counsellor being the son of Shelemiah and under Him at the North-Gate there were appointed 4 to watch by course 4. 3 On the South The Lot came forth to Obed-Edom and those under his Rule Southward verse 17. 4. 4. On the West Toward Asuppim or the Treasury-House which stood at the South-End of the Western-Wall and had two little Gates at each end of the Treasury whereof we have spoken before They were committed to the custody of the Sons of Obed-Edom at each Gate two as it is exprest v. 17. two and two 2. 2. At Shallecheth or at the Causey of the King 4 Porters v. 16 18. 4. At Parbar-Gate two Porters v. 18. and both these Gates were under the custody of Shuppim and Hosah v. 16. 2. Â Â 24 So that hence we may observe that there were 24 Porters constantly fixed by their Courses in their stations for the Watch at the Gates of the Outward Court of the Temple They are recited to have been placed in the four Quarters of the House of God even towards the East West North and South and that they lodged round about the House that is in the Chambers of the Outward Court having the over-sight of the Gates and had the charge lay upon them of opening them every morning Their exact Genealogie in a direct Line from their Ancestors is not precisely and determinately recorded in a methodical manner that I have yet observed Onely the Scripture is pleased thus far to insinuate that the Porters were of the Line of Korah and Merari Of Korah the Grand-Son of Kohath descended Meshelemiah the principal Porter of the Temple being setled at
to the praecise time and punctuall place of the situation of each of these abominable Idols For if the Father had not so soulely praevaricaed his son probably had never felt the weight of the Loins of God's vengeance upon his Kingdom nor the lash of those divine Scorpions that in most righteous and just judgment whipt off ten Tribes at one blow from the Scepter of Judah in his daies whereof we now proceed to speak The state of the Temple under Rehoboam the second King after its Building A.M. 3029. This famous Fabrick stood in its beauty unspoiled of its Ornaments all the daies of Solomon notwithstanding the grand provocations of the divine Majesty 1 Chr. 11.17 cap. 12.1 and so persisted during the three first years of the reign of Rehoboam But having strengthned himself in the Kingdome he forsook the Law of the Lord and all Israël with him denoting to us That unsanctified prospeâ—ity to a carnall Spirit proves many times a sad Temptation to fearfull Apostacy But did not God also forsake Rehoboam yes surely For when he had idolatrously turned his back upon the Temple he beholds in his fifth year Ver. 2. Shishak King of Aegypt marching in the Van of a terrible Army towards Jerusalem probably incited by Jeroboam but certainly by God who under the reign of his Father had resided in Aegypt This potent adversary and his Wars Aut. Iudaic. lib. 8. cap. 4. Lib. 2. p. 127 Edit Paul Steph. A.M. 3026 Pag. 30. Argonaut l. 4. ad ve 272 Josephus peremptorily asserts to be falsly ascribed by Herodotus to Sesostus Concerning whom the latter Historian relates in his Euterpe that in Palaestina of Syria he himself saw stones inscribed with the memoriall of his Victoryes But I rather incline to the Judgment of the learned Primate of Ireland in his Scripture-Annals and Mr. John Greaves in his discourse of the Aegyptian Pyramids who comparing Manetho the Priest with the Scholiast of Apollonius Rhodius Africanus and Eusebius together doth fully agree with Scaliger that this Shishak is the same King called by them Sesochosis or Sesonchis and possibly the same which Josephus de bello Judaic l. 7. c. 18. calls Asochaeus telling us of his taking Ierusalem the same called by Herodstus Asychis reciting some of his Lawes lib. 2. and plainly called Sasyches and related as a famous Lawgiver by Diodorus lib. 1. p. 59. Edit H. Steph. Who came up to the holy City rifled the Temple 1 Kin. 14.26 2 Chr. 12.9 ver 10. and took away the Treasures of the House of the Lord together with the Shields of Gold which his Father Solomon had made In the room whereof Rehoboam was constrained to substitute brazen ones for the Guard to carry before him when he went up to the Temple This was the first plundering Bout which befell that stately piece in this Prince's daies Ver. 12. who having humbled himself lived the remnant of his life in the Sun-shine of peace having reigned seventeen years in Ierusalem at his decease Under Abijah the third King A.M. 3046 Nothing considerable did occurre in his three years reign in relation to the Temple But the Dedication of some Gold some Silver and Vessels of service to the House of God which were carried within its sacred Wals by Asa his godly Son and Successor 1 Kin. 15.15 A.M. 3049 Vnder Asa the fourth King 2 Chr. 24.3 5 It is recorded concerning this good King that he took away the Altars of strange Gods their high places brake down the Images and cut down their Groves among all the Cities of Iudah which was succeeded with serene daies of peace and quietness Nay his Legions in war were attended with fortunate Lawrels in the famous Battel managed against Zerah the Captain of the Arabian Troops as Sir Walter Raleigh excellently manifests him to be Hist of the World part 1 lib. 1. cap. 8. §. 10. †6. 2 Chr. 21.16 and not of the Aethiopians of Africa who came against him with a Million of men Whence we learn That prosperity both in peace and warr doth crown the heads of those Magistrates that promote the purity of God's Worship Asa the famous Conquerour upon admonition of Azariah the Prophet in the fifteenth year of his Rule and the third Month of the sacred year put away all the abominable Idols out of all his dominions 2 Chr. 15.8 and renewed the brazen Altar for Sacrifices in the Court of the Priests gathered all his People to Ierusalem and offered of their victorious spoiles seven hundred Oxen and seven thousand Sheep to the God of Battell At the same time he made a solemn Covenant between God and his People and commanded that whosoever would not seek the Lord should be put to death His Grand-Mother likewise he removed from being Queen of the Idol Beth-peor De diis Syris p. 160. Syntag 1. c. 5. Ver. 18. 2 Chr. 16.1 Anno Mundi 3064. 1 Kin. 15.18 2 Chr. 16.2 as some conceive stamping her Idol to pieces and burning it at the Brook Kidron He brought likewise the Silver Gold and Vessels into the House of God which himself and his Father had dedicated in that famous year of his Reformation In the thirty sixth year of his Kingdome since the revolt of the 10 Tribes but the 16th year of his Reigne as the reverend Primate observes in his Annals he presents all the Silver and Gold that was left in the Treasures of the House of the Lord unto Benhadad the King of Syria to bribe him to a breach of that League which he had contracted with his fatall Enemy Baasha the King of Israël Here we see that Sacriledge and Truce-breaking two enormous sins are linkt together But he that dares put his hand to the Robbing of God of his Temple-Treasures will not fear to be unjust to man as we behold sadly testified of this Prince who being reproved by Hanani the Seer sent from God added yet more sins to the former in putting the Prophet in prison and oppressing the People at the same time But from thenceforth God denounced War against him and In the thirty ninth year smote him in his feet and yet he added to seek to the Physitians and not to the Lord and died in the one and fourtieth year of his Reigne Take heed therefore of being hardned by holy mens sin as well as of despairing by the story of their falls It was no wonder to behold an Aegyptian King spoiling the Temple of God But for an Asa the Protector and Enricher of the Temple to commit such Aegyptian wickedness for a godly King to manifest such heinous impiety demonstrates the Instability of the best without God's manutenency who though not bound to preserve us alwayes from sin yet hath ingaged himself to punish it even in the Children of David when he threatned to visit their Transgressions with the rod Psal 89.32 and their Iniquity with stripes which is manifest
in the Iudgments that befell this King 2 Kin. 15.14 whose heart in the main was upright before the Lord all his daies The Spirit of God loves to give a gracious report of Saints when gone into their Graves and weighs their hearts not their actions in the Scales of the Sanctuary Iehoshophat the fifth King A.M. 3090 This pious and victorious King being assailed by the forces of Moab and Ammon makes his application to him that dwelt between the Cherubims for divine assistance and powred out a fervent prayer 2 Chr. 20.5 as he stood in the House of the Lord before the new Court Whether this Court was distinct from the other two or called new only from some late reparations made by his Father Asa in the fifteenth year of his Government As the Hebrew doth not utterly reject it being termed New-made or repaired from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 restaurari as well as De novo If a reall new Court where to fix and describe it or to say when it was built is utterly unfeazible out of Scripture But here finding the mention of it we are obliged to recite it Before which this famous King received an answer of success and victory For which he neglected not to come with Psalteries Harps Ver. 28. and Trumpets to praise the Lord in this Mountain of his Holiness and having reigned twenty five years being stained by joyning affinity with Ahab 2 Chro. 19.3 when the sore temptations of Riches and Honour in abundance intangled his Soul 2 Chron. 18 1 and ver 28. and with helping that ungodly Family cap. 20.33 and permitting some high places to remain he slept with his Fathers in peace Iehoram the sixth King A.M. 3112 The Government of this King was but short and generally very wicked yet we read of some things which he dedicated to the House of God 2 Kin. 12.18 2 Chr. 21.19 ver 11. 2 Kin. 8.18 But of what and how many Scripture is silent Yet of his deplorable disease by the falling out of his Bowels there is a memorable record to terrify sinners in their attempts against the holy Law of God and in joyning affinity with the Enemies of God Ahaziah the seventh King A.M. 3119 A wicked son succeeds a wicked Father being counselled by an ungodly Mother to walk in the sins of Israel yet we find that he also disposed of some Treasures unto the House of the Lord. But it seems 2 Chro. 22.3 2 Kin. 12.18 2 Chr. 24.7 being seduced by his wicked Mother Athaliah he with his Brethren broke up the House of God and bestowed all the dedicate things upon Baalim and having sate in the Throne but one year was slain by the followers of Jehu shewing us how dangerous it is to be found in the society of the wicked at the time of the Execution of divine judgments Athaliah the Queen A.M. 3120 Athaliah the Wife of Ioram and Mother of Ahaziah the daughter of Ahab and Grand-Daughter of Omri seeing her Son slain 2 Kin. 8.18 2 Chr. 21.6 22.10 arose and destroyed all the Seed Royall of the House of Judah except little Ioash who was admirably preserved by his Aunt Iehoshebah the Wife of Iehojadah the Priest in some private Chamber of the Temple from the blood-thirsty fury of his cruell Grand-Mother Who having arrived to the seventh year of his Age was anointed crowned and proclaimed King of Iudah at the appointment of his zealous and godly Uncle Iehojadah At which time the old Murdress comming into the Temple was laid hold on 2 Kin. 11.15 2 Chr. 23.15 carried forth without the Ranges and slain in the Horse-way leading to the King's House Murder we see seldom passes unrevenged of God and Tyranny rarely sayes its dying head upon a dry Pillow Nay sometimes the place where divine wrath finds a sinner is signally fixed to note That the path of beasts is good enough to drink up the blood of an usurping and murderous Queen Joash the eighth King Famous were the Actions at the Inauguration of this young Prince performed by the High-Priest his Uncle in contracting a Covenant between the Lord on the one part Joash and his People on the other part another also between the King and his Subjects The people being encouraged by the example of holy Jehojadah 2 King 11.18 brake down the House Altars and Images of Baal they did their work thoroughly and slew Mattan the idolatrous Priest and offered him as a Sacrifice upon his own Altars to the Justice of the true God So excellent a Mercy is it for a Nation to have a zealous Ruler to goe in and out before them in the pure worship of God such was Jehojadah the Protector of this King in his Non-Age From whom in his ripening years as having enjoyed such admirable Tuition under the wings of the Temple-Cherubims we may justly challenge some notable Transactions towards the repaire of that holy Fabrick so violated and prophaned by his Predecessors Neither doth he frustrate our Expectations 2 Rin. 12.4 but takes speciall care to advance mony from the People hires Masons Hewers of stone and Carpenters to repair the breaches of God's holy mansion For receipt of the mony there was a Chest prepared with a Hole in the Cover Ver. 9. and placed on the South-side of the Altar When it was pretty well lined they put it in bags Ver. 15. Ver. 14. and being told expended it on the workmen never calling the Trustees to account because they were faithfull Now whereas its related in the Book of Kings that of this mony there were no Vessels made for the service of the Temple we find an Explanation of it in the Book of Chronicles 2 Chr. 25.14 that when the workmen were paid by the King and his Uncle for the reparation of the breaches of the remaining mony Vessels of Ministration were made so that till they saw what mony was left of the charges imployed in the great and main work of reparation there were no Vessels made for the particular services But the surplusage was faithfully laid out upon Bowles Snuffers Basons Trumpets Spoons and other Vessels of Gold and Silver Ver. 14.15 After which they offered Burnt-offerings continually all the daies of Jehojadah who lived 130 years But when this holy man was dead Joash forgot his ancient zeal and yeelded his Ears to be anointed with the Oyl of Flattery Manifesting within the compass of a few years what a Mercy it is for a King to have faithfull and godly Counsellours and on the other hand how dangerous it is to give Attention to fawning Parasites who courted him out of his religious service to the house of God and turned him to Groves and Idols Ver. 20.21 The sequacions Nature of Princes is the foundation of deadly changes in a State Behold in Joash a lively example who though warned by Zechariaeh the Prophet his neer Kinsman whose Mother
a former King But of this I have formerly treated Chap. 3. Pag. 53. do incline to think it to have been the great Eastern Gate of the Priests Court which being decaied he new built in a magnificent manner It being called the Upper-Gate in the Book of Kings and the New-Gate in the higher Court of the Lords House 2 Kin. 15.35 Ier. 36.10 by the Prophet Jeremy from this King 's new work about it who having walked religiously reigned victoriously he dyed peaceably and slept quietly in the Sepulchres of his famous Ancestors A.M. 3262 Ahaz the 12th King Now arises up into the Throne one of the most wicked Kings of Judah walking in the ways of the Kings of Israel He made his Son pass through the Fire and burnt Incense in the Valley of Hinnom he erected molten Images to Baalim 2 Kin. 16.3 2 Chr. 28.3 and sacrificed in the high places and on the Hills and under every green Tree Wherefore the Lord sent Rezin the King of Syria and his confederate Pekah King of Israel to besiege him in Jerusalem wherein though they prevailed not to take the City yet Rezin smote his Land and carryed a great multitude away Captive to Damascus and recovered Elath a strong Fortress from Judah 2 Chr. 26.2 which his Father Vzziah had fortified Pekah slew one hundred and twenty thousand valiant men in one day and carryed away captive two hundred thousand with much spoyl to Samaria This King being thus sorely distressed sends a Message to Tiglath-Pilezer King of Assyria with a Present of the Silver and Gold found in the House of the Lord. 2 Kin. 16.8 2 Chr. 28.21 For he was not onely desperately plunged by the two former Kings but sorely afflicted by the Edomites and the Philistins the former carrying some away captive and the latter seizing many of his Towns The Assyrian King upon this invitation falls in upon the Kingdom of Syria slew its King took Damascus the chief City and subdued it under him Whereupon Ahaz meets him at Damascus and takes there the pattern of an Idolatrous Altar and sends it to Vriah the Priest and being returned causes the Brazen Altar of the Lord to be removed and his new Altare Damascenum to be placed in the Court for his own Sacrifices New Inventions of men in God's Worship never thrive for his Confederated Friend out of Assyria falls now upon the King of Iudah himself 2 Chr. 28.19 20. Isai 10.28 For he came up saies Isaiah to Ajath he passed to Migron and laid up his carriages at Michmash mentioning with these other Cities of Iudah and saies he shal shake his hand against the Mount of the Daughter of Zion Ver. 32. 2 Chr. 28.23 In the time of this his great distress he did trespass yet more against the Lord for he sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus that smote him which was his ruine Now he plunders the House of God to purpose and makes mad work in the Temple He gathers together the Vessels of the House of God and cuts them in pieces He pulls away the borders of the Bases and removes the Laver takes the Sea of Brass off from the backs of the brazen Oxen and sets it on the stone-Pavements 2 Kin. 16.17 certainly he was troubled in conscience that they had so long served God in bearing that stately Vessel and pitied their weariness under their long burden out of a sacrilegious madness of Spirit mixt with his distress and necessity The Covert also for the Sabbath which probably was built to shelter the Priests in rainy and tempestuous weather he turns out of doores Nay Dr. Lightfoot harm p. 116. Mr. Fuller 's Pisgah pag. 283. Usher Annal p. 93. 2 Chr. 28.25 Ver. 22. Dr. Lightfoot that stately Passage or Entry of the King to the Temple called the Causey or Shallecheth on the West he either obstructs diverts or destroyes and that either out of fear of surprizal by the Assyrian or rather to manifest his utter rejection of the worship of God in favour to the Emperour's Idolatry Afterwards he put out the Lamps and leavs off burning Incense in the House of God he shuts up the doors and turnes High-Priest to the Devill For he made him Altars in every corner of Ierusalem and in every severall City of Iudah he made high places to burn Incense to other Gods and provoked to anger the Lord God of his Fathers This is that King Ahaz But what followes Most probably deposed for all this by his faut or the King of Assyriae and sees his own son lifted up to the royall Throne in his stead For if his son Hezekiah began to reigne in the third year of Hoshea King of Israël as you read expresly 2 King 18.1 2. Then did he begin in the fifteenth year of his Father Ahaz For Hoshea's beginning to reigne in the twelfth of Ahaz 2 King 17.1 doth determine the fifteenth of Ahaz to synchronize with the third of Hoshea the commencement of Hezekiah's Reigne who hereby must needs prove to be assumed into the Empire by his Father as the learned Bishop Usher would have have it or else introduced by the Assyrian as learned Dr. Lightfoot declares Besides it is distinctly noted in 2 King 18.9 10. that Samaria was taken in the sixth of Hezekiah which was the ninth of Hoshea Therefore the first of Hezekiah is the third of Hoshea and the fifteenth of Ahaz when Hezekiah began to reigne in his Father's life time who died after 16 years dominion whether compleat or current is not exprest 2 Chr. 28.27 But he died ingloriously and was not buried with honour in the Sepulchres of his famous Ancestors Thus this abominable Polluter and Prophaner of the Temple came to an untimely end not being able to tell the hour of God's wrath upon the Diall of his idolatrous Wickedness Though he erected a famous Materiall one in some place of his House or of the Temple much spoken of and contested about by learned Authors yielding a miraculous confirmation to the faith of his pious Successor Vol. 3. in his judicial Laws c. 25. p. 89. Pag. 246. Pag. 162. Concerning this Diall Mr. Weemse hath an exercitation but there speaks not of the place only conceives it to have been a polar one Mr. Gregory of Christ's-Church in Oxen in his posthumous Works seems to assent to Cornel. A lapide that it was placed on a wall of the King's Palace and that it was a South-verticall Diall Adrichomius places it in the Temple and saies it was made of the brazen Altar of the Lord which he removed from its situation but he proves nothing I shall onely leave to consideration as to the place that seeing some Altars are mentioned to be fixt on the top of the Upper-chamber of Ahaz 2 Kin. 23.12 that spoken of in the mids of a Relation concerning two Temple-pollutions whether this Diall might not be supposed to have been placed
of the brazen Altar of the true God and sacrificeth his Peace-and Thank-offerings thereon commanding Judah to serve the Lord God of Israël who having reigned fifty five years slept with his Fathers and was buried in his own House in the Garden of Uzzah 2 Kin. 21.18 A. M. 3361 Amon the 15th King At twenty two years of Age began Amon to reigne in Judah and walked in the wicked steps of the first years of his Father sacrificing to all the carved Images made by him 2 Kin. 21.21 2 Chr. 33.12 disgracing what in him lay the Temple-worship But following him not in Repentance and godly Sorrow For he trespassed yet more and more till he was slain by the conspiracy of his own Servants in his own house having reigned but two years only His life when young being preserved only as may seem for the sake of Iosiah in his Loines and his Dominion to that end that his godly Son might be fostered for a while who was after to succeed him God many times would thunder out his Iudgments against the Sons of Belial were it not for some of his elect that shall flow from them as far as we may with all humility and reverence give conjecture concerning the deeps of divine providence in his dispensations throughout the world A.M. 3363 Iosiah the 16th King Now enters at 8 years of Age into the Kingly Throne the holiest Reformer that ever wore the Crown of Judah The Greeness of his years set a verdant lustre upon his actions like a stately Emerald incircling his Temples For having attained but sixteen years of his life he began to seek after the God of his Father David and at twenty years old he becomes mighty in zeal for the House of his God 2 Chr. 34.3 the Groves he cut down the Altars of Baallm he brake in pieces the Images both carved and molten he stampt to dust and strowed the powder on the Sacrificers Graves he burnt the Bones of the idolatrous Priests upon their prophane Altars and knockt the Altars themselvs in pieces with Mattocks not only in Judah but in Ephraim and Manasseh also even to Naphthali round about In the eighteenth year of his Reign Ver. 7 8. when he had purged the land and returned to Ierusalem he commands some of his chief Officers to summe up the mony brought into the Temple 2 Kin. 23.3 4 5. c. 2 Chr. 35.3 causes Carpenters and Masons to be hired Timber and hewen Stone to be provided and places the Ark again in the most holy place which it seems was removed by Manasseh Meanwhile the Book of the Law being found by Hilkiah the Priest was brought to the King read by Shaphan wept over by Iosiah and a message by him sent to the Prophetess who answered him with a returne of peace because of the tender meltings of his Heart under the denunciation of judgment The Reparations of the House being finished and the Book being carried up into the Temple of the Lord the King himself read it in the ears of the Elders of Judah and all the People and standing by the royall Pillar in the wonted place entred into Covenant with God and caused them all to stand to it After this he commands the High-Priest and his inferior Ministers to bring forth out of the Temple all the Vessels of Baal of his Grove and the Host of Heaven to the Brook burning and stamping them to dust and laid the dust on the Graves of the Children of the People 2 Kin. â—3 7 He proceeds further to break down the Houses of the Sedomites neer the House of the Lord that is possibly of those who were the Officers of the shamefull and bestiall priapeian Ceremonies of Baalphegor not fit to be uttered For as common Idolatry is called Whoredome in Scripture so this abominable Idolatry is probably called by the name of Sodomy For the Text saies that Women did in those Houses weave Hangings for that Grove viz. of Baal that was cast out of the House of God being probably an artificiall imitation of the Idol-Temple of Baal Ver. 6. with a Grove of Trees about it in some solid mettal or stone placed within those sacred Walls He defiles also all the High-places where the Priests had burnt Incense from Gebah to Beersheba together with Tophet in the Valley of Hinnom where the Children were fried in that hellish fire to Mâ—lech Whence it is Chietomaei Graecobarb N. T. p. 54. 2 Kin. 23.11 that the new Testament assumes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shadow forth the intolerable Torments of the bottomless lake of God's aeternal Judgment He took away the Horses of the Sun also and burnt their Chariots with fire which were dedicated by the Princes of Judah to the Prince amongst the Stars of Heaven which had been placed at the entring into the House of God The Altars likewise on the top of the Upper Chamber of Ahaz were dasht in pieces and those of Manasseh in both the Courts of the House were broken down and their dust cast into Kidron The High-places of Solomon together with their Altars and Groves built for Ashtoreth Chemosh and Milcom on the side of Mount Olivet Ver. 13. were utterly ruined and overthrown and their places defiled being filled with the Bones of men Neither did he forget the Altar and High-place at Bethel erected by Jeroboam that great sinner of Israël The Bones also taken out of the Sepulchres in that Mount whereon Bethel was built he burnt on those Altars and polluted their imagined sanctity Thus he did in the other Cities of Samaria slaying the Priests and burning their bones upon their Altars and returned to Jerusalem 2 Kin. 23.23 2 Ch. 34. c. At last he celebrates the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first Month in this eighteenth year of his Reign in most solemn and magnificent manner the like having not been performed since Samuel and the daies of the Judges nor in the time of any of the Kings of Judah or Israël To which purpose the King bestowed on the people thirty thousand Lambs and Kids and three thou and Bullocks out of his own substance the Princes also bestowed 2600 small Cattell and three hundred Oxen. The whole number of Sacrifices being 35900 for the service of the Temple Which was so punctually and strictly managed according to the Law of Moses that like him there was no King before him nor after him rose any King like him 2 Kin. 23.25 that turned to the Lord with all his Hâ—art with all his Soul and with all his Might Yet nothwithstanding after all this saith the holy Spirit the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath kindled against Judah for the high provocations of Manasseh and his other Predecessours But Josiah was in this point happy that he saw not the ruine of his Kingdome but died in peace according to the Prophecy of Huldah of
his conscience say some 2 Chr. 34.28 though more probably of his Kingdome as to utter desolation which was now hastening towards it Though the express words strictly examined do not say he should dy in peace but be gathered to his Grave in peace for though he was wounded in battell in a rash adventure against Pharaoh Necoh who was going up in haste to the war of Assyria having overthrown Jesiah in battell marcht on speedily towards Carchemish and left him to a peaceable buriall after his mortall wounds that were received at Megiddo called Magdolon by Herodotus for he died at Jerusalem and was buried with a most solemn and mournfull funerall in the Sedulchtes of his Fathers the Obsequies being managed by Jeremiah a holy Prophet in sorrowfull Lamentations Law 4.20 weeping out that dolefull Elegy The breath of our Nostrils the anointed of the Lord was taken in their Pits of whom we said Under his shadow we shall live among the Heathen A.M. 3394 Jehoahaz the 17th King After Josiah had reigned thirty one years the People of the Land exalted Jehoahaz his Son into his Fathers Throne 2 Chr. 26.2 Whose Reign was both wicked and short not exceeding three Months For the Aegyptian King after his Victory at Euphrates returning to Jerusalem put him down cast him in fetters at Riblah and carried him away to Aegypt where he died The Conqueror having condemned the Land in a great Tax and set up another son of Josiah in his Room A.M. 3394 Jehojakim the 18th King The conquering Aegyptian set up this King in the royal seat who could do no less then pay the Taxation to his Master at which the Land was set and then falls to the old idolatrous pranks of the preceding Princes But he was invaded by another forreign Prince and bound in fetters to be carried to Babylon 2 Chr. 36.6 Some think the Emperour did not carry him thither but the particle also in the next verse adjoyned to the Vessels of the Temple seems to insinuate that he went along with them But whether he went or no being not fully clear it 's certain that the Babylonian spoyled the holy Temple of many of its rich Vessels and placed them in the Temple of his God in the land of Shinar Ver. 7. Dan. 1.2 2 Kin. 24.6 This is manifest that if the Jewish King were captived he was sent back upon certain conditions for we find him dying at Jerusalem and buried there in the 11th year of his Reign A.M. 3405 Jehojachin or Jeconiah the 19th King The Dominion of this young King was but short yet sowre wickedness being usually disht up with Judgment for he reigned but three Moneths and ten daies and then at the end of the year Nebuchadnezar himself came to Jerusalem 2 Chr. 36.10 2 Kin. 42.14 and carried away ten thousand Captives together with the King and all the Treasures of the Temple and cut in pieces the goodly Vessels which Solomon had made and set Zedekiah his Uncle in his room over the Realm by his very name given him by the Conquerour importing the just Iudgments of God A.M. 3405 Zedekiah the 20th King This was the Augustulus of the Judaean Empire exalted by the proud Babylonian to trundle under his vast Empire But being highly wicked in the sight of God it came to pass through the anger of the Lord that he rebelled against his Master 2 Kin. 24.20 that golden head of the Imperiall Statue of Daniel Whereupon in the eleventh year of his underling Reign he was taken neer Jericho flying from his head-City and was brought to Riblah and there saw his sons slain before his face and after that his own eyes were put out Howbeit though being blind he never saw any more misery yet he felt enough for he was bound in â—etters of Brass and carried to Babylon He that would not see the hand of the Lord lift up in Ieremiah's threatning Messages must now sink under the weight of that iron Rod falne down upon and crushing his Bones into a dismall and utter ruine But he wanted not companions of grief to alleviate his sorrow especially the dolefull ruines of that incomparable Temple enough to qualify his Spirit under his personall Sufferings if they had been mixt with serious repentance and if his blind Bals had been moistned with soul-melting Tears so that with a brave Heroick Spirit he might never have repined at the loss of his own light seeing the Lamps of God's House were extinguished and like good Eli even contented to break his neck when the Ark of God is taken and cry out with a funerall voice and say with the famous Spartan Generall to his surviving Souldiers Diodor. Reserve your selves for better times Vitae est avidus quisquis non vult Templo secum pereunte mori Seneca in Thyeste v. 881. Concerning the deplored ruines of which sacred and magnificent Pile and its finall Catastrophe more shall be spoken in the last Chapter having now continued about 415 years During which space of time it was ten times robbed and plundered viz. 1. By Shishak King of Aegypt and next by five of its own Kings by one of the Kings of Israël and by Nebuchadnezzar three times in the Reigns of its three last Kings as may appear more fully in the foregoing Chronicle But before we come to the last and deplorable Chapter of its Dissolution we shall endeavour with all sobriety to refresh the mind of our pious and devout Reader with those rare evangelicall Mysteries that were vailed under the Shadows and Caeremonies of this royall Structure which we shall crave leave to exhibit in the succeeding discourse CHAP. IX Concerning the divine Mysteries of the Temple THis Chapter containes the Jewish Gospel or the streaming forth of the glorious beames of Christ incarnate whilst he walked under the (a) Exod. 34.33 Vail of Moses The Sun of Righteousness like a (b) Psal 19.4 5. Bridegroome coming out of the caeremoniall Chambers rejoyceth as a strong man to run his race through the empyreall Regions of this mysterious Chapter The forementioned (c) 2 Cor. 3.13 14. c. Vail is buried in Moses Grave The Curtain of the Temple is (d) Mat. 27.51 rent in sunder and divided among the Roman Souldiers The waxen Comb of the ancient Figures and â—ypicall cells is fully melted and rolled up in shining Tapers to illuminate Temple-students in finding out the Hony that couches in the (e) Judg. 14 8. carâ—a's of the slain Lion of the Tribe of Judah Jonathan dipt the top of Moses Rod in the Hony that was found in the wood of the ancient solemnities and behold how his (f) 1 Sam. 14.29 eyes were enlightned (g) Psal 34.8 O! taste and see that the Lord is good in giving to his evangelicall Israel a Land flowing with Milk and Hony The Jewish fleece is now become like the barren heath that (h)
stones of King Solomon's building It being most absurd and irrational to place so divine a quality in Subjects inanimate and artificial But if we understand the holinesse to be ascribed to it upon the account and under the notion of consecration as things or persons which are separated from profane or civil use and dedicated to God we may then safely allow of that famous place that it was in the most solemne splendid and heroick manner imaginable devolved over to Gods holy Majesty by King Solomon If again we shall consider that place as which God himself did choose and pick out from among all the dwellings of Jacob to be the (l) 1 Chron. 28.2 Psal 99.5 132 7. Lam. 2.1 footstool of his holy presence among his people and in which he was pleased to dwell for many generations smelling a savour of rest in their sacrifices and delighting in communion with them so long as they kept up the beauty and lustre of his divine worship If we consider moreover that this was the very place whither (m) Psal 122.4 the tribes went up the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord three times in the year and that there the choisest and most fragrant flowers of legal worship did smell most sweetly even in the Courts of that most famous building We may safely hence apply to it the words of holy Jacob concerning Bethel (n) Gen. 38.17 This was none other then the house of God this was the gate of Heaven Finally when we seriously call to mind the admirable divine Mysteries which were engraven upon its stones enammelled upon its gold carved in its Cedar infolded within its doors retired behind its veils and laid up in its most holy Ark we must not we cannot but break forth into solemn and joyful songs of its praise Seeing that this Mountain of holiness was not only (a) Psal 48.1 2. beautiful for situation the joy of the whole Earth but that God himself was also known for a refuge within her stately Palaces and sacred Chambers The divine signification whereof I shall proceed to explain with all submissive reverence and adoration of the Divine Majesty residing within those Mystical walls most ardently imploring that (b) Dan. 2.28 29 47. God of gods and Lord of Kings who is the onely revealer of secrets to cause the (c) Act. 9.18 scales of ignorance to fall from the eyes of my understanding and to grant me graciously the visions of truth within his Sanctuary The covered body of this Sacred Building I shall then proceed to treat of in its three members or divisions following 1. The Porch 2. The Sanctuary or holy place 3. The Oracle or holy of holies Of each in their distinct order Concerning the Mysteries of the stately Porch of the Temple BY the Porch is to be understood that stately forefront of the Temple which sacred mount Olivet and the Eastern parts of the World The situation whereof toward the East was therefore injoyned by God as (d) Molin de Altar Sacrif p. 94. some apprehend to distinguish the Jews from the manners and customes of the Heathens whose Temples generally were so built that the Adyta or more sacred and inward parts where their idols stood were in the East end of their buildings and the entrances or gates were westward that their Gods might appear to them as arising out of the East and therefore the Prophet Ezekiel receiving a vision of the Idolaters in his daies beheld 25 men (e) Ezek. 8.16 with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord and their faces toward the East worshipping the rising-Sun Hence is it that the Christians of old did worship toward the East not in imitation of the Heathens whom they abhorred but in hatred to the Jews their other fatal enemies who constantly worshipped towards the West according to the site of the Mosaical Tabernacle and of this Temple of Solomon But to enlarge upon this point any further I shall deferre till I am arrived to the East gates of the Courts of the Temple whereof in their due place hereafter As to the Mystical signification of this present part of the building now before us The holy Scripture doth no where inlighten us in distinct and expresse termes we must herein therefore speak only by permission and allusion not willing to passe it over in silence because of its Connexion to the Sanctuary and upon the account of its extraordinary magnificence being a grand Ornament to the whole building For if the Sanctuary which I shall endeavour to clear up in the next place did signifie the Church of Christ and Gospel-communion with God in his holy Ordinances then may this part of the edifice as yielding admission into the Sanctuary be expounded according the 6th Canon before-mentioned of some Gospel excellencies For as much then as the Porch gave accesse to those that were to enter into the Sanctuary or Holy place who were all to passe through this previous building which was set before the other We may thence learn that men ought not rashly and rudely to rush and presse into participation in divine Ordinances but must be stopt a while by the intermediation of a Porch for the preparation and setting their hearts in frame for such holy communion We read of a mysterious Inscription upon the Gates of the Delphian Temple situated under the famous Hill (a) Heliodor Aethiopic l. 2. p. 106. Edit Franc. 1631. 8o. Parnassus in the Country of Phocis in Greece mentioned by Plutarch in a distinct Commentary upon it Where after the recension of 7 several opinions concerning that famous EI. He fixes at last upon this definitive sentence of Ammonius (b) Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edit Hen. Steph. 1572. moral Vol. 1. p. 697. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the self-sufficient compellation and denomination of GOD which together with the word settles in the minde of the pronouncer a true notion of the power of God c. After a few words he goes on to tell us that those that use it do attribute a true unerring and sole appellation of essence competent to him alone For there is nothing of essence really to be ascribed to us Which together with many admirable and divine passages concerning the fluid nature of man and the stable and unchangeable essence of God gives a rise for a conception that the ancient Heathens before the World was totally involved in the mists of darknesse and stupid idolatry did retain some memorials of the Revelation †Dickins Delph Phaen. p. 97. of Gods name to Moses in that famous place of Exodus where the Lord commanded him to tell the Israelites that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (c) Exod. 3.14 I am that I am c. had sent him to them Ehejeh or as Plutarch afterwards calls him d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
appointment from God Oh did men but know and understand the weighty work of an Evangelical Minister how that their Rod ought to bud as did Aarons with a heavenly prognostick or sign of ministerial fruit and accordingly to prophesie of Gods mercy or judgement to a Nation How that it ought to blossom as did Aarons in doctrines of comfort joy and assurance to broken souls How that it ought to bear Nuts for the people to feed upon in spiritual knowledge surely they would not dare to venture on such holy things Shall Uzzah be smitten for toucning the Ark Shall the men of Bethshemech for prying too curiously into it be dismayed with so sore a slaughter Shall Dathan Abiram and the rest of his company be swallowed up alive for contemning the Ministry instituted of God Shall Vzziah the King be smitten with (a) 2 Chro. 26.19 Leprosie for daring to offer Incense because it did not appertain to him Nay shall Nadab and Abihu Priests by Call and Profession be slain upon the place for offering with strange fire (b) Mat. 4 20. and yet shall dry stumps to please their vain humours puft up with conceit and pride turn blossoming Rods let them take heed of Divine blasting We read the Apostles left their nets their particular callings when they were called to the Ministry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The counsel and command of Paul to Timothy and in him to every Gospel-Minister is (c) 1 Tim. 4,15 Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all But as to the people Too delicate and nice are those ears that cannot bear the smiting of Aarons Rods they love to smell the Blossoms of Rhetorick only But such must remember that Aarons Rod was a Scepter of Rule and Discipline and btought forth Almonds also of knotty truths There are sons of Thunder as well as of Consolation Aarons Bells must sometimes ring the knell of the Law as well as the marriage peales of Gospel-grace and love to weary souls Some would fling all Aarons Rods without the Camp and wait upon Inspirations from Heaven in a more immediate way On how grievously do they tempt God and oppose Christ who when he ascended up to the Oracle of Heaven gave Apostles Teachers Pastors to the Church For what (a) Eph. 4.12 for the work of the Ministry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For how long till we all come in the unity of the faith to a perfect man Ministry is a plant of Gods own right-hand an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a semper-vive For such hath God (b) 1 Cor. 12.28 set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plac'd constituted and established in the Church as the Rod of Aaron alwayes to continue in all ages green and blossoming in the Oracle Whereas some ignorantly object those (c) John 6.45 Heb. 8.11 1 Joh. 2.27 places wherein 't is promised that we shall be all taught of God and that we need not that any man teach us nor for any to learn of his Neighbour They consider not of a mediate teaching wherewith God doth â—oncur Ministers are Instruments in the work only (d) Luke 2.17 and teach but the ear 't is God is the principal Efficient and reacheth the heart Why did John and others write their Episâ—â—â—s else if this conceit had been the true meaning of the Apostles We shall observe therefore even under the new Testament whereunto those Promises did look that God was pleased still to use the mediate teaching of his Ministers but still reserving the grand prerogative of moving the heart to himself and that in a more copious manner than of ancient times therein fulfilling the promise more abundantly Wherefore its observable that though God himself could have revealed the birth of his Son to the Shepheards by immediate suggestion yet he uses the Ministry of Angels to them and of the Shepherds themselves to the people of Bethlehem God hath appointed Shepheards and Pastors in his Church to reveal his mind (e) Acts 8.29 Philip was sent by the Spirit to expound the Prophet Isaias to the Eunuch (f) Acts 9.11 Ananias was sent by God to Paul And the Angel bid (g) Acts 10.16 Cornelius send for Peter All to shew that God is pleased now to teach mediately and Instrumentally by his Ministers How happy then is such a people who have the true and genuine Rods of Aaron alwayes blossoming in their streets Happy are the people that are in such a case whose God is the Lord Thus much concerning the mysterious Things laid up in the Oracle I shall now descend to the Sanctuary and view the three famous Utensils therein contained The Mysterie of the Vtensils in the Sanctuary In the next place the stately Rarities of the Sanctuary or Holy place command from us a diligent and humble survey as to the excellent significations concluded in them There were in this place an Altar of Incense ten tables of Shew-bread and ten Golden Candlesticks whereof in their due order In general it is conceived of them that as the three Offices of Christ were exhibited in the Oracle which we have before-mentioned so also here in the Sanctuary we find the like viz. The bread on the Table noting Christs Kingly Office in sustaining his Church The Candlestick his Prophetick in illuminating and teaching of his people The Altar of Incense his Priestly in mediating for them As to the former I shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspend at present only as to the last it will appear very clear I hope by what may succeed in the particular handling of it Dr. Lightf p. 58.35 Temp. First I shall endeavour to speak to the golden Altar of Incense which challenges our first attendment as standing nearest to the holy Oracle The Altar of Incense This golden Utensil was famous in its generation a Vessel of Honour and Renown It stood a nearest of all to the Oracle and therefore comes first in order of dignity to be handled The Description of this golden Altar we have heard related before Two things more I would speak to a little before I descend to the Mysterie 1. The Censer 2. the Composition of the Incense As to the Censer it is thought to be a little pan made of Gold with a handle to it which as to the brazen Altar is called a fire-pan Exod. 27.3 and a censer Lev. 10.1 16 12. As for the Composition of the Incense we read according to our Translation that it was made of a like quantity of several ingredients and thereof they burnt (a) Ainsworth Exod. 30. v. 8. 50 drams in the morning and 50 at night i.e. one pound of incense every day What the Hebrew dram is may be seen page 2. of this Treatise The Composition was of sweet spices (b) Exod. 30.24 Stacte Onycha Galbanum and sweet Frankincense They are called in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arias Montanus turns them by Gutta
almost in every Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews His Unction and many of his rare endowments being there mentioned Cap. 1.9.2.17.3.1.4.14 15. 5.1 2 3 5 6 10.6.20.7.1 3 17 21 26 28.8.1 3 9.7 11 24 25.10.12 21.12.24 13.11 12. We shall then consider our blessed Lord as shadowed by the Type of the High-Priest in three things 1 His Election 2 His Rayments or Vestures and 3dly his Consecration 1. As to the Election or choice of the High-Priest and therein we are to look upon the Tribe out of which he was to be extracted and 2dly the Compleatness and comliness of his body wherewith he was to be qualified 1. As to the Tribe It s known that the Jewish High-Priest was alwayes taken from the Tribe of Levi of old the eldest of the Family was the High-Priest But Reuben had forfeited the right of primogeniture by going up to his Fathers Couch and therefore Jacob prophesied of him that he should not (a) Gen. 49.4 excell Simeon and Levi had bin Brethren in iniquity in the matter of slaying the Shechemites and lost their dignity and therefore great was Jacobs (b) Gen. 34.30 anger against them and sad his (c) Gen. 49.7 doom upon them But Levi recovered in some measure his priviledge when the people of that Tribe (d) Exo. 32.26 27 28. slew 3000 of their Brethren upon the account of their worshipping the Golden Calf while Moses was in the Mount with God For he (e) Deut. 33.9 said to his Father and Mother I have not known thee neither did he acknowledge his Brethren c. Therefore they shall teach Jacob thy Judgements and Israel thy Law they shall put incense before thee and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine Altar God was pleased to set them (f) Numb 3.12 13. Exod. 12.29.13.2 instead of the first-born of Israel whom God had hallowed to himself in the day when he smote all the first born in the Land of Egypt Christ the first-born of every Creature was our High-Priest Now out of the Tribe of Levi God appointed Aaron and his sonnes in a direct line to be High-Priests But you 'l say Our Lord came (h) Heb. 7.14 See Pareus in Mat. and Suidas In voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edit Aurel. Allobr p. 1228. 1619. of Judah I answer with the Apostle This was to shew the change of the Priesthood and that our Lord was a royal High-Priest not after the Order of Aaron but of Melchizedeck the King of righteousness and Prince of Peace As for the story produced by Suidas concerning our Lord and Saviour that he was descended of the Tribes both of Judah and Levi they being sometimes mixed by Marriage into the High-Priests Family and what he further recites of his being actually admitted into the number of the 22 Priests in the room of one deceased at that time I shall leave as a futilous and idle story seeing Scripture in the preceding Prophesies all along mention him as coming of the royall House he being the (k) Rev. 5.5 Lion of the Tribe of Judah and springing out of the Root of David 2. To speak a little to the comliness and excellency of his body as to which because all the other Priests were to have the same compleat perfections therefore I shall conjoyn them both together To this purpose the Lord gives instruction unto Moses in the 21 Chapter of Levit. beginning at the 16th Verse and so forward Now because all these things which hapned to them as Types or Examples were (l) 1 Cor. 10 11. written for our admonition Give leave to resemble them to those rare endowments and perfections wherewith Christ the Evangelical High-Priest is fully accomplished and Gospel-Ministers should be qualified in a spiritual manner according to their degree and measure wherefore the spots and blemishes to be avoided in Priests are by Jerom compared to spiritual infirmities Precipitur Sacerdotibus c. ne truncis auribus laeso oculo simis naribus claudo pede cutis colore mutato quae omnia referuntur ad animae vitia Jerom. Fabiolae de vest Sacerd. Tom. 3. p. 58. It is injoyned concerning Priests that they should not be cropâ—eard blemisht in the eye flat-nos'd lame-footed or the skin discoloured all which are to be referred to the vices of the minde The first blemish mentioned is (m) Lev. 21.18 blindness with which if any person of the line of Aaron was afflicted he was not admitted to perform the Functions of a Priest As to this it is sufficiently known that ignorance is set forth in Scripture by blindness His Watchmen are (n) Isa 56.10 blind saith the Prophet Isay they are all ignorant Our Lord calls the Scribes and Pharisees (o) Mat. 23.16 blind Guides and the Apostle Paul sayes that the God of this World hath (p) 2 Cor. 4 4. blinded the eyes of unbelievers that the light of the truth should not shine upon them But of all it is the greatest shame for a Minister to be blind such a one God would have to be (q) Hos 4.6 rejected A second imperfection was lameness a very unseemly thing in a Priest who was to be a Guid to others in the wayes of God Ministers must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (r) Gal. 2.14 walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel They must teach with their feet as well as their mouths being (s) 1 Pet. 5.3 examples to the flock and above all others to (*) 1 Joh. 2.6 walk even as Christ the great High-Priest hath walked before them in the dayes of his flesh As the (t) Eccles 5.1 feet in Scripture sometime note the affections of the soul and sometimes the ordeâ—ing the conversation aright in both these respects they ought to make (u) Heb. 12 13. straight paths for their feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Another blemish is a (w) Levit. 21.18 flat nose whereof as well as of the rest †Dr. Gell. on the Pentateuch p. 315. a learned Authour hath lately treated who out of Gregory interprets it of folly imprudence and stupidity or dulness of spirit such as are called * Horat. Epod. 12. naris obesae one of a thick nose it being a note of hebetude and flatness of parts as Physiognomists have observed The God of nature hath placed this member over the mouth to be a censor of what things are taken into the body whether putrid or sweet and fit for aliment It fits between the eyes as a Judge of what is proper nourishment The eye may deem that good which when brought to this discerning faculty may prove offensive So should Ministers study for acuteness of judgement and to exercise their senses to judge betwixt good and evil and to discern the spirits An instructor of others out of the Law should have skill (x) Heb. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prove and make trial of and give
a sound judgement upon things that (y) 1 Cor. 12 10. Rom. 2.18 Phil. 1.10 differ Besides he must not be broken-footed or broken-handed The feet are for walking the hands for working Gospel-Priests must not cease and leave off walking in holy wayes or performing of holy works If others must not be (z) Gal. 6.9 2 Thes 3.13 weary of well doing how much lesse they No nor walk or work by halfs not having fit Organs or Instruments for service Many and great are the inconveniences of the defect in these members but far sadder when those that are imployed in sacred functions tread awry and halt between God and Baal or put forth their hands to any iniquity He must not be (a) Rev. 21.20 Crook-backt or a dwarf or that hath a blemish in his eye or be scurvy or scabbed or unfit for Generation and one word in the Hebrew signifieth crooked and deceitful The crookedness of the body is an usual Index of a perverse spirit They are a (b) Deut. 32.5 perverse and a crooked generation as Moses complained of the Jews Therefore Paul exhorts the people of God to be blameless and harmeless in the midst of a (c) Phil. 2.15 crooked and perverse Nation There is an old saying Take heed of them whom God hath marked which may be heeded in a sober and serious sense It 's observable that Homer brings in crooked (d) Iliad 2. v. 212. Thersites yet alone did unmeasureably brawle Thersites as one full of uncomely Garrulity and as a mover of Sedition in the Army 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And afterwards giving in his description of him saies thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He was the most deformed man tâ—at came to Troy goggle-eye â—ame of one foot crook-shouldered his breast bending forward Besides this natural deformity which some bring along with them into the World there is another cause of it that 's accidental viz. a spirit of infirmity and weaknesse through some diseases as the poor woman in the Gospel that had bin (e) Luk. 13.11 bowed together 18 years Sometimes through constant bearing of weighty burdens As (f) Gen. 49.15 Issachar is represented couching down between two burthens and bending down his shoulders to impositions Hence is it that sorrow and mourning and oppression of spirit is resembled to (g) Psal 44.25 145 14. c. bowing or bending down to the Earth In all which respects such as serve at God's Altar should be persons of generous erect spirit calme (h) 2 Tim. 2.24 gentle easie to be intreated full of kindnesse overcoming by meekness those that oppose themselves Neither should yield their shoulders to the weight of worldly cares which depresse the mind down to the Earth and hinder the soul's contemplation of divine Mysteries Neither must he be a (i) Horat. Serm. l. 2. Sat. 3. v. 309. Dwarf such as by way of contempt were called by the ancients moduli bipedalis pigmies of two-foot high Although it be a great sin for any to mock and jeer at natural imperfections for such (a) Prov. 17.5 reproach the Maker more then those who contemn the poor yet because that Dwarfs in stature more low then ordinary are usually taunted at by wicked and profane spirits The wisdome of God thought fit that no such should be exercised in Temple-services Though God might sometimes order it in the course of nature that such deformed persons might proceed from the line of Aaron yet they were not to be advanced to the dignity of service Our Lord may invite little Zacheus to the Gospel-feast yet we read not of his being sent into the work of the Ministery The Children of Aaron though afflicted wich any of these deformities were yet admitted to enjoy sustenance to (b) Lev. 21.22 eat of the most holy things But certainly the intention of his was to signifie of what spiritual growth the Ministers of the (c) 2 Pet. 3.18 Gospel are required to be Men well grown in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Further he was to be void of any blemish in his eye Many are the Blemishes Distempers Diseases of the eyes reckoned up by the Learned (d) Riolani System part 2. p. 119. Edit Basil 1629. Physitians The word in the Hebrew for blemish is usually translated Suffusio from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confound or mixe confusedly and it signifies either that disease which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suffusion or a Cataract vulgarly being a humour ingendred betwixt the two coats or membrans of the eye the Cornea and the Uvea so called by Anatomists or that which is called (e) Id Anat. p. 281. Iudg. Bat. 1649. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Albugo a white spot or Cicatrice after the cure of an Ulcer which is seen in the black of the eye or in the Iris that little fibrous circumference about the Pupil We see what great care there is taken about the eyes of the Priests As they must not be blind so neither have any imperfections in their eyes Seers ought to be qualified with acutenesse of eye-sight spiritual watchmen have need of clear and bright knowledge Ordinary Christians may perhaps make shift to get to heaven though with confused knowledge but Ministers must beg for a distinct and choise visive faculty The eye that 's blood-shot can't see clearly The mind that 's vexed with Cholerick suffusions cannot discern in Judgment If (a) Act. 9.18 Paul be sent of the Gospel-messages behold scales do fall from his eyes If any be Angels of Churches let them pray to (b) Rev. 3.18 Christ for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oyntment for their eyes that they may understand the truths of God fully and clearly Again the Priests of old were not to be tainted with (c) Lev. 21.21 scurvy or scab The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arias turns them by purulenta scabies and scabies perpetua The Vulg. jugis scabies impetigo the 70 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first is translated a (d) Deut. 28.35 sore botch If the 70 have rightly expounded it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then it is the dry Itch as (e) P. 269.6 Riolanus explaines it and so Buxtorf out of Rab. Solomon calls it the Malignant-Scab dry within and without The other is the foul creeping Scab which the last expounds to be the Scab that cannot be healed of near kind to the Leprosie But the matter is not great about terms The meaning seems to be that Priests ought not to be infected either with the ordinary Itch or the incurable Scab which is seldom-healed Now as Itching-eares are (f) 2 Tim. 4.3 tokens of men of corrupt lusts and full of novel fancies every day new itches and lustings after strange things and new doctrines So a Priest that is itchy is much more abominable who is defiled with
and Thummim called by the Septuagint and Philo Iudaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manifestation and Truth But to leave these stories of the Heathens apish imitation and descend to the signification of these Stones in the general Wherein we may observe that as the High-priest carried the 12 Tribes on two stones upon his shoulder so it might denote the Government and imperial Rule of Christ over his Church on whose shoulders the Government is laid And whereas the same Names are engraven on stones which were placed on his Breast (e) Isa 9.6 so might they denote how near the Church is to the heart of Christ He being a most compassionate High-priest a Shepheard that (f) Isa 40.11 carries his Lambs in his Bosom His love is so strong and ardent that the Church his Spouse is set as a (g) Can. 8.6 seal upon his heart Even as the gravings of the Names of the children of Israel on the precious stones is related in the Scripture to have been after the manner of a Seal (h) Exod. 28.21 or Signet With these stones he entred into the Sanctuary and bore them upon his heart before God in prayer So that as Christ was the Exemplar and pattern of every Gospel-Minister to follow In like manner must they alwayes mind the spiritual state of their flock before God in their supplications Besides as these stones were not only precious for value and worth but radiant and shining also So must the vertues and graces of a Minister be manifestative and resplendent before others wherefore the stones of the new Jerusalem which as we have observed do hold an allusion to and a parallelism with those of the Breastplate were graâ—en with the names of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb (a) Gerhard loc Commun Tom. 9. p. 546. Edit Genev. 1639. are by a learned German Divine interpreted to hold forth so many rare and excellent gracious endowments of his soul whereof I cannot stand to recite the particulars But now I shall descend to the difficultest point of my whole Task and that is to endeavour the opening of the meaning of the Vrim and Thummim which Moses was commanded to put into the Breastplate The words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arias Montanus turnes it Et dabis in pectorali judicii Vrim Thummim (b) Exod. 28.30 And thou shalt give on the Breastplate of Judgement the Urim and Thummim The 70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou shalt adde or put to or place upon c. Now if we take the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strictly in his first and primitive signification it is to give though it must be acknowledged that it often signifies to set fix place or apply to any thing To this end I speak it because it is the judgement of many learned Authors that there was no material added but a consecrated blessing given to it by Moses from God that when the High Priest did with Reverence holy and humble submission appear before God to crave the manifestation of his Will in a dubious point enquired after that God would then declare his blessed mind to the people by the High Priest standing before him with this Breast-plate of Urim and Thummim The answers being for clearnesse and perspicuity like Urim lights and for truth and integrity like Thummim most perfect and unerring Here I might tire my kind and ingenuous Reader as well as my self if I should take the pains to transcribe the multitudes of various opinions upon this point which I have collected together in my observations But I shall not be so bold with his patience not conceiving that it would redound to much profit in conclusion when all the opinions are marshalled in their parti-coloured garments before them which would but confound the weaker judgements and give occasion to the Learned either to scorn or pitty so needlesse a labour Therefore I shall only mention some of the Authors where those that please may consult the varieties and take what likes him best Philo Judaeus Josephus Origen Jerome do all go in one Tract in the several places before cited Dr. Rivet on Exodus p. 11.46 Mr. Shecingham on Jima p. 181. Amama in his Antibarbar Biblic p. 566. Edit prior Dr. Prideaux Cunaeus de Rep. Hebr. p. 130. Sckickard Jur. Reg. Hebr. p. 11. 12. c. Harphius in Myst Theolog Gregor Pholos Nicol Fuller c. of the Aaronical Vestments Mr. Ainsworth on the place Dr. Gell on the Pentateuch p. 259. Ribera of the Temple p. 210. c. Dr. Molin in his Vates l. 1. c. 22. Mr. Mede Vol. 1. p. 372. c. Dr. Taylor of Types p. 106. Besides many others who have either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the way in other Tracts or else as Commentators have written directly on the place I am not willing to insist any longer on the very nomination of them Herein I shall not presume to infringe upon the limits of modesty so far as to determine I am sure it is most safe and sober 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haesitate in this point But if I may without offence and that with all humble submission declare onely that which likes me best and savours to me most probable It is the Judgment of Molin and Rivet much to the same purpose with that whereof I spake before the recitation of the Authors viz. That there were no stones names words or any new materials added to the Breast-plate by this Urim and Thummim But that for as much as in the former part of that 28th Chapter of Exodus we have related to us the forme and fashion of the Breast-plate its materials woven work Golden Ouches and precious stones so here in the addition of these two termes the Lord was pleased to signifie the end for which it was assigned and appointed that when Aaron or the successive High-Priest (a) Exod. 28.30 should go in before the Lord he should bear upon his heart the Judgment of the Children of Israel continually The meaning whereof may possibly be this that when the Priest did enquire of God concerning Warre or Peace and all matters of great concernment he should stand before his Majesty in the Sanctuary with this glorious Breast-plate upon him that the Lord either vivâ voce by a lively voice or by immediate suggestions upon his Spirit would give a clear distinct answer illuminating his mind with the Urim or the light of the knowledge of the divine will in such particulars and satisfying his dubious perplexed thoughts with the Thummim of a perfect and compleate determination of the difficult matter in question before the Throne of God If it were for the revealing of some unknown truth or the predicting and foretelling of some future event or issue it was a most infallible and unerring Oracle which God gave forth by the Priest unto his people whereof they might rest so perfectly assured as if it were fulfilled
assigne to each of these some distinct Church-Offices under the Gospel But I shall not loâ—e time and offend the sober with such niceties I know that several of the Ancients as Jerom * Prudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hymn 3. p. edit Hanov. 1613. Rein. adv Hart. 84. p. 463. Prudentius and others do assign the Deacons Office under the Gospel to the Levites of old I confesse the work of the Gospel-Deacon mentioned by Luke in the first designation of their Office is to †Act. 6.1 2. serve Tables and to look after the daily ministration to the poor as there were among the Levites anciently Treasurers that managed the disbursements of the Temple But of these and other inferiour Officers as Hewers and Drawers though some may conceit a parallel betwixt them and inferiour servants of the Church yet I rather referr them to the Grandeur and Pomp of the ancient Temple which needed many servitors and attendants in respect to the great and arduous imployments of Sacrifices and all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and services of that ancient Worship If any shall bring more light into the world concerning these things conformable to Scripture and the dictates of the holy Spirit I shall rejoyce to light my dimm Lamp at their more splendid and radiant Luminaries being desirous in the mean while to be a Door-keeper of the House of God rather then to dwell in the Tents of wickednesse SECT V. The Services of the Temple spiritualized THis Section I shall divide into two Paragraphs according to the preceding History and speak very briefly to each because this would require a large Volume of it self if compleatly and fully handled and therefore I shall but succinctly touch at things in this following method and order 1. Of the several Services and Solemnities according to stated times 2. Of the various Sacrifices with several attendant Rites and Ceremonies As to the first particular the Services may be distinguished into such as were constant without intermission or such as fell out in their several appointed stations and periods The constant Service was that of the Porters in watching at the Temple-gates night and day Blessed is the man saith Wisdom (a) Prov. 8.34 that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Happy are they that like holy Anna depart not from the Temple (b) Luke 2.37 but serve God with fasting and prayer night and day Such as wait for the consolation of Israel and look for Redemption in Jerusalem shall have their expectations satisfied with the marrow and fatnesse of his House The daily Service of the Temple was the Juge Sacrificium the daily Sacrifice of a Lamb morning and evening Which hinted at the constant and daily approaches of the People of God to the Throne of Grace night and day The Lamb signified Christ (c) Joh 1.29 taking away the sins of the World who is represented in the Revelation-Visions as a (d) Rev. 5.6 12. slain Lamb slain from (e) Rev. 13.8 Tertull. de pudicitiâ— p. 475. Edit Par. Tom. 2. 1566. Heb. 13.20 the foundation of the World in all the Sacrifices of the ancient Patriarchs and of the Jewish Paedagogy To note that all our prayers and addresses to God must be put up in the name of this holy Lamb of God if ever we expect to find acceptation at the door of heaven Tertullian mentions the ingraving on the Cups of the Primitive Christians the figure of a Shepheard carrying a Lamb on his shoulders He that was the Lamb of God was slain that he might rise from the dead an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Chief-Shepheard to carry his poor Lambs some in his bosome some on his shoulders to heaven We in our daily Sacrifices must look up to this Lamb as onely able to carry away all the defilement of our prayers and reader us as unspotted before the Father through his mediation The weekly service was on the Sabbath or seventh day and therein the Sacrifices were doubled to set forth a more extraordinary service unto God in the publick Ordinances on that day under the Christian dispensation As for the change of the day from the seventh to the first day of the week it is not my work to handle that controversy here But whoso pleaseth to be setled and confirmed in the truth about this matter may consult that Learned and Judicious Treatise of Mr. Herbert Palmer and Mr. Daniel Cawdry who have given a Supersedeas to other mens labours in that particular where they may receive abundant satisfaction who are capable of rational arguments and clear proofs from Scripture and the practise of all the primitive Churches Besides this Sabbath we are now upon Heb. 4.9 might shadow the eternal Sabbatism of rest which our spiritual Joshua or Jesus will bring his people to at the great day The Monthly service was performed on every New-Moon which might signify the Churches renovation and reformation The Church hath her spots and vicissitudes Eclipses and various Aspects while here below Yet when at the full of her Glory all is but by a borrowed light from Christ the Gospel-Sun she being fair as the Moon Cant. 6.10 and perfect through his comlinesse Ezek. 16.14 Under the Gospel she is clothed (f) Rev. 12.1 with the Sun and hath the Moon all the Jewish festivals under her feet The Annual Festivities follow and none must come to them empty handed but bring Vitulum petulantiae Bovem superbiae Arietem luxuriae Tho. A-kemp par 1. pag. 119. The Calfe of Petulancy the Oxe of Pride the Ram of Luxury First The Passeover which signified God's passing us over for the sake of Christ and bringing us out of spiritual Egypt Christ (g) 1 Cor. 5.7 Cloppenb p. 142. 144. our Passeover being sacrificed for us For as it was in the Paschal Lamb so in Christ was it verified a bone of his was not broken As the Paschal Lamb was slain in the Evening so Christ died in the Evening (h) Joh. 19.36 (i) Mat. 27.46 about the ninth hour of the day If we divide the day of (k) Joh. 11.9 twelve hours according to the computation of those times they being unequal houres according to the various length of daies throughout the year into four parts then our Lord's death falling out about the ninth hour of the day his passion was finished about the end of three fourths or in the Evening answering about Easter in that year when as the Sun was in a vernal signe past the Equinoxe to our Afternoon between three and four of the clock as we terme it Furthermore according to the Rabbinical account of the World's duration for the space of 6000 years whereof I have given a hint before Our Lord dying in the 4000th year of the World by the computation of Bishop Vsher and other exact Computators as he finished his life by dying for sinners in the end of
burning upon the Altar by addition of continual fuel and therefore all culinary fire is called strange and that which the Lord will not own in his Sacrifices This was the reason of the sore punishment of Nadab and Abihu the Sons of Aaron because they offered k Lev. 10.1 strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not And therefore excellent is that place in the Psalmist according to the l Psal 20.4 Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him remember all thine Offerings and thy burnt Sacrifice turn to ashes that is inflaming of it with his celestial fire in token of acceptation This may hint to us what special care we ought to adhibit that we draw not nigh to God with the culinary fire of our own corrupt passions we must not lift up hands to Heaven in m 1 Tim. 2.8 wrath If John the meekest of the Apostles shall desire of Christ to call for fire from Heaven to eonfume the wretched Gadarenes who loved their swine better then a Saviour even he shall meet with a rebuke together with the rest a Luk. 9.55 Ye knew not what manner of spirit ye are of It is observed by b V. ibid. p. 63. Concerning Cain Cloppenburg that Jerom's question is not rashly answered out of Theodotio's Translation in these words * Hieronym Tom. 3. qu. in Gen. p. 206. Vnde scrire potuit Cain quod Fatris ejus munera suscepisset Deus sua repudiasset nisi illa Interpretatio vera esset quam Theodotio posuit Et inflammavit Dominus super Abel super Sacrificium ejus super Cain vero super Sacrificium ejus non ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inflammavit How could Cain know that God had accepted the Offerings of his Brother and rejected his own unless that Interpretation were true which Theodotion hath given And the Lord sent down fire upon Abel and his Sacrifice but not on Cain's The descent of fire from Heaven upon the Sacrifices of old d Id. p. 65. was a visible token of the presence of the holy Spirit who is in Scripture compared to fire and therefore in the day of Pentecost e Act. 2.3 the Spirit did sit upon the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues And our Lord is said by f Mat. 3.11 John Baptist to baptize with the holy Ghost and fire Hence is that metaphorical expression in the Apostle Paul commanding the Saints of g 1 Thes 5.19 Thessalonica to take heed of quenching the Spirit whose warming and inflaming motions are necessary for the offering up of all our spiritual Sacrifices unto God even as the continual fire upon the Altar was for these of the Jewish Ordinances Of this Burnt-offering concerning which we are treating I shall at present observe but one thing more and that is that there was nothing of it reserved from the fire but the skin only and that was given to the h Lev. 7.8 Priests In like manner when the Heads of Families were Priests before the giving of the Law the Sacrificer had the skin As i Origen Ho. 6. in Levitic p. 145. Origen observed of old concerning Adam that the skins wherewith he was cloathed were of the Beasts which were offered in Sacrifice To signifie that by the clothing of Christs righteousness the great Sacrifice for sin our nakedness is hidden from the sight of God But why must the Priest in following times after the solemn introduction of the several Rites of the Mosaical Law have the skin of the Sacrifice To shew thereby that in the first place God would have the pains and labour of his servants in his worship to be alway rewarded We learn also hereby that every mans Offering is to have the outward skin of profession pulled off God looks to the heart and inwards of our duties what fat and flesh there is upon our services But the Priest he must have the skin he is to take care of and look to the very externals of worship that they be managed according to the prescript forme of Gods will and is to have recompence for such his service 'T is not the skin that will satisfie or please God in our Offerings He that searches the heart expects we should worship him in spirit and truth The performance of the solemnity of this Offering consisted in eight particulars as you may read pag. 116. of this Treatise whereupon I shall briefly gloss only by allusion craving a favourable and candid Interpretation for I press not my own apprehensions rigidly at any time and then shall retire to the second the Sin-offering 1. We are to confess our sins over the head of the Offering that God may lay them upon and impute them to Jesus Christ Prov. 28.13 Confession must go before pardon Confess and forsake and ye shall find mercy b Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithfull to forgive us and the c Verse 7. bloud of Christ his Son shall cleanse us from them 2. As the person did slay his Offering so 't is we that by our sins have crucified the Lord of life 3. As the Priest sprinkled the bloud round about the Altar so Christ who offered up himself sprinkles his meritorious bloud upon the Altar and makes his Sacrifice acceptable Nay all our Spiritual Sacrifices are only pleasing to God through the sprinkling of his precious blood This d Heb. 12.24 bloud of sprinkling speaks better things then that of Abel Abel's bloud cried for vengeance against his wicked Brother this bloud of our elder Brother cries for mercy atonement and pardoning grace for such as are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and e 1 Pet. 1 2. sprinkling of the bloud of Jesus Christ 4. As the Priest flayed off the skin So our great Highpriest by the power of his Divinity did lay down his life he did exuere Tabernaculum lay aside the thin a 2 Cor. 5.1 4. 2 Pet. 1.13 14. Tabernacle of his body for a while when he gave up the Ghost to the Father and commended his Spirit to him b Heb. 10.20 The vail of his flesh was rent insunder in the day when he made his c Isa 53.10 Soul an Offering for sin 5. As the Sacrifice was cut in pieces Oh how was his blessed Body mangled by the nails and spear his head pierced with thorns d Psa 22.16 They pierced his hands and feet Oh how was his blessed soul under flaming agonies in that hour when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 6. Fire was laid upon the Altar and fuell to preserve it The wrath of God was the fire and sin the fuel to keep it burning till this blessed Saviour had fully satisfied for all the sins of the elect 7. All the parts were laid in order upon the Altar even as Christ our Lord was stretched out upon
the Camp or without the precincts and limits of the Temple which the Apostle explains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in expresse termes As the bodies of the Beasts e Heb. 13.11 12. were burnt without the Camp so Jesus also suffered without the gate even upon Mount Calvary And therefore those that will stand to the Levitical Law can have no share in Christ according to the Apostles Argument drawn from the peoples having f Heb. 13.10 Weem vol. 3. p 66. no part or share in that Sacrifice which was burnt without the Camp After the Priest had ended those services he puts on his linen cloathes washes his flesh a Lev. 16.24 in the holy place and puts on his own gorgeous raiment and appears to the people in his rich attire This might signifie the death buriall and resurrection of Christ His death by the putting off his inconspicuous vestments His buriall by the washing and continuing for a while hid and obscured in the holy place b Act. 9 37. To wash the body after death was the manner of the Jews preparation for its Sepulture His coming forth with glorious rober shewed his resurrection when he rose out of the grave with his glorious body These things I dare not press but mention them only allusively with submission When these Solemnities of expiation were finisht then the c Lev. 16.3 5 24. High-Priest offered up the two burnt Offerings one for himself the other for the people after sin was fully expiated then they present their Burnt-Offerings which were wholly burnt upon the Altar except the skin whereof I spake before and signified the dedicating of our souls wholly to God in the newnesse of life and holy obedience Our blessed Lord was a whole Burnt-Offering he came to do the will of God fully in his compleat obedience He offered up himself to the Father in all waies of compleat righteousnesse and so should we d Rom. 12.1 present our bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is our reasonable service These are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore the Apostle citing the Psalmist speaks in the name of Christ e Heb. 10.6 c. Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me In Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure Then said I lo I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God Above when he said Sacrifice and Offering and Burnt Offerings and Offering for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst pleasure therein which are offered by the Law then said he Lo I come to do thy will O God Our Lord Jesus saw that the Scribe answered f Mark 12.33 34. discreetly when he said To love God with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and withall the strength and to love the neighbour as himself is more then all whole Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices The persons that burnt the two Sin-Offerings without the Camp and the other who carried the Scape Goat into the Wildernesse were to wash their cloathes and bath their flesh in water before they could be admitted into the Camp again To shew that though we by our sins are the crucifyers of Christ yet we may be received into favour if baptized and washed in the Name of the Lord Jesus and afterward be admitted into the communion of the faithfull So the Apostle Peter tels them who a Act. 2.23 by wicked hands crucifyed and slain the Lord of life yet if they b Vers 38. did repent and were baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Thus was the great work of this reconciling day finisht the sins of Priest and people pardoned the Holy place Altar and Tabernacle purifyed through the blood of sprinkling So God in the day of our Lords most meritorious death was in and through him c 2 Cor. 5.18 reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their transgressions to them To conclude It was in this glorious day as I mentioned in the fore-going story of this service that the Trumpets were blown for the year of Jubilee to d Isa 61.1 2. signifie that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ the Lord anointed him to preach good tydings to the meek he sent him to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that were bound To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord e Zech. 9.11 and by the blood of the Covenant to send forth his Prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Behold f 2 Cor. 6.2 3. now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation 3. Of the Trespasse-Offering Hitherto let it suffice to have spoken of Sin-Offerings and especially concerning the great and pompous day of expiation The next that follows is the Trespasse-Offering of which I shall only say thus much that as thereby there was an atonement and reconciliation made for more gross and hainous sins the Law and manner about the Sin-Offering and the Trespasse-Offerng being all one in the main we may observe that the greatest sins for which God is pleased to grant repentence are pardonable through the blood of Christ Only as under the Law there was no Offering for sins of presumption such persons must die themselves and their own blood must lie upon them So under the Gospel presuming sinners are under a most dangerous state especially if they presume to sin against the holy Spirit a Heb. 10 26 27. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sins but a certain fearfull looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall restroy the adversaries c. He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace b Mat. 12.32 For whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghpst it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Having thus briefly glanced upon this I come next to speak some words about the Peace-Offering 4. Of the Peace-Offerings The Causes of the Peace-Offering are at large recited Chap. 5. of this Treatise I shall only spiritualize some things about them and so conclude In this Sacrifice principally were the joyfull Feasts exhibited For usually they were divided into three parts or Portions the first part was Gods who is the great Peace-maker and makes a c Psal 50.5 Covenant with his people in this Sacrifice Another was the Priests as a reward of his service and to shew his communion
of eight years But yet says one he gives in some couchant expressions whence we may gather that he did not build all the body of the covered Temple anew but perhaps raised it higher adorned and beautified it with many rare Porches and other external buildings As to this point at present I shall enter no contest though to me it seems very evident from cap. ult Of his 15. book that Josephus doth directly assert it from these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That taking away the foundations he did substitute others in their room upon which he raised the Temple and then in the following words plainly declares both the length and height of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for its length 100 cubits and in height 20 more that is above 100 being 120. in all But how this will stand with the assertion of the Prophet Haggai Hag. 2.9 that the glory of this latter house speaking of Zorobabel's Temple shall be greater then the former Why Because in that house the Lord promised to gâ—ve peace which is plainly spoken of Christ Luk. 2.14 Hieron in Hagg. 2. Vol. 6. p. 279. who brought peace upon earth especially seeing the word in the Hebrew Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the 70. translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Paguine and the Vulgar Latine as we have it and the ancienter of Jerome himself in his own works set forth more purely it is turned by Novissima the last House Hag. 2.7 Mal. 3.1 and so the word will bear it But not to lean upon any versions the seventh verse speaks plainly that therein the glory of that House should consist and excel that other of Solomon's because the desire of all Nations should come and fill that very House with glory which by the Jews themselves is interpreted of the Messiah This as it is a most strong Argument against the Jews to prove that the true Messiah is long since come because that Temple is long since ruin'd so it seems also to evince that Zorobabels Temple should not be pull'd down before the coming of Christ for how could he come into that very Temple if it were pluckt up by the very foundations as to its self and all its Buildings and another more pompous built by Herod before Christ appeared in the flesh Besides the Jews who had little reason to maligne the glory of Herod Joh. 2.20 as a great Benefactor to and adorner of their land with sumptuous Buildings do plainly reply to our Lord concerning the Temple then extant in his days that it was 46. years in Building whereas Herod's by the testimony of Josephus was but 8. Casaubon in Baron execr 13. num 38. p. 203. This I leave to be solved by others as Tarnovius and Chemnitius cited by him who think that the same Temple stood in its entire body but sumptuously repaired and adorned by Herod with great magnificence Insomuch that Josephus and the Jewish Author of the Codâ—â— Middoth do seem to ascribe it wholly to K. Herod So likewise Tacitus in the fifth book of his Histories Tarnov in Joh. p. 223. cited by L. Empereur seems to manifest That the Temple which Pompey invaded and Titus destroyed were the same Although that learned Author in his Comment on Middoth thinks that Herod did build one anew from the very foundations Tacit. l. 5. Hist p. 626. Edit Lugd. Bat. 1640. but because it was done with the free consent of the Jews to whom he makes an Oration extant in Josephus and for as much as the old materials were used in the frame of the work they still counted it one and the same Temple with the former of Zorobabels and with him the learned Primate agrees Usser Anna. part 2. Lat. p. 516. Though the former speaks in conclusion somwhat dubiously in these words Non dest tuuntur argumentis qui asserunt Templum ab Herode non de integro exâ—ructum sed immutatum auctum veteri conservaâ—o fuisse They want not arguments who do assert the Temple not to have been wholly built anew by Herod L'Empereur praefat in Middoth p. 20. but changed and augmented the old being conserved But leaving this to the fuller disquisition of others we are sure that the last Temple by who ever it was built was destroyed by the Roman Army of Titus who was that Prince prophesied of by Daniel that should come and destroy the City and the Sanctuary the end whereof should be with a flood and unto the end of the War desolations were determined Dan. 9.26 Sacrifice and Oblation was then utterly to cease when the over-spreading of abominations should make all desolate v. 27. even till the consummation and that which was determined should be poured upon the desolate when the ships of Chittim should afflict Eber Num. 24.24 and he should perish for ever when God brought a Nation from far Deut. 28.49 v. 53. Greg. Thol Hist Mir b. Vol. 2. p. 167 ex Babylon Talmud Ezek. 11.23 from the end of the Earth as the Eagle flyeth even under the Banners of the Roman Eagle a Nation whose Tongue they knew not and of a fierce countenance so that they should eat the fruit of their own bodies by reason of that strait siege wherewith they should be girt in all their gates A Prophesie most fully accomplished in the days of Jerusalems final ruine as is wofully and sadly related by Hegesippus and Josephus then the ten miracles finally ceased such as the Jews usually relate concerning their Temple Then the glory of the Lord indeed departed fully from the Temple and stood upon Mount Olivet on the East side of the City the place from whence Christ our Lord ascended up into heaven to shew to us that upon Christ's Ascension that all the glory of an external Temple was then consummated and fully ended Of these and the like matters I might have enlarged copiously But when I reflect upon the Title of this Treatise which leads me to speak only of the Temple of Solomon that being finished manum de Tabula my poor labours must also receive their period which I humbly commit to the blessing of God whose gracious hand hath enlarged my life through his abundant mercy to arrive at length to the conclusion of this present work for which with all adoration of the Divine Majesty I give most humble and hearty thanks to his holy name and freely submit my self and all my endeavours to the iudgement of pious learned candid and ingenious breasts Only for a peroration of the whole work give me leave to observe the admirable fulfilling of the Prophesie of our blessed Lord concerning the irreparable ruine of the last Temple which although Julian the Apostate Emperour endeavoured with all his might to enervate and invalidate yet his designe by the most just judgment of God could never take effect Two witnesses whereof I shall alledge the one of a heathen the