and Counsel and was ready also to make out Evidence and give Testimony against Transgressours * Mendaz in 1 Reg. 4.11 p. 202. 2 A. Si quis alicujus sceler is conscius accedebat impunitus non abibat If any guilty person did approach it it would not let him depart unpunished When Moses had made a Conquest of the Madianites he made an order that amongst the women that were taken Prisoners Num. 31.17 18 the Virgins onely should be reprieved from death But how did they make the discrimination The Hebrews tell us that being all presented before the Ark the Virgins remained as inviolate as their chastity the rest were struck with an invisible violence and fell before the Majestatick presence of it And such was the Lotery that discovered the Theft and Sacriledge committed at Jericho when all the Israelites marched by as innocent and unconcerned the Ark did deprehend and arrest the guilty Achan Josh 7.14 he could not quit himself of the miraculous seizure nor deny this tacite accusation 3. It is stiled The Ark of God because God was the Authour and Founder of it He prescribed the parts and the matter the form and the fashion the use and the service of it He conferr'd the grace and benefits that did flow from it This was his Seat a Psal 99.1 his Habitation b Psal 74.7 his Court c Psal 84.10 his Throne d Jer. 17.12 his place of residence e Psal 31.20 where he did vouchsafe his gracious presence and is therefore dignified with the title of Jehovah f Num. 10.35 Psal 68.1 And in reâ—erence to the people Israel this Ark was their Glory their Strength their Beauty The Glory is departed from Israel g 1 Sam. 4. saith the wife of Phineas when the Ark of God was taken And the Psalmist saith God delivered their strength into Captivity and their beauty into the Enemies hands h Psal 78.61 If they wanted direction here they had the Oracle i Exod. 25.22 here they were admitted to conference with God himself There I will meet with thee saith the Lord to Moses and I will commune with thee from above the Mercy seat from between the two Cherubins which are upon the Ark of the Testimony of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the Children of Israel And because they were worthily admired among all Nations for the Laws and Ordinances * Deut. 4.6 which they thus received this might very well be called their Glory not to mention the lustre of the Ark it self or the splendour of Divine Majesty that appeared in it If they wanted protection here they had an host of Angels they invincible Chariots of God to pitch their Tents about them represented by the Cherubins over-shadowing the Mercy-seat with their outstretched wings upon which account the Ark is called their strength And if they were defiled and wanted pardon here they had the Propitiatory and the Mercy-seat and because that soul is blessed and amiable in Gods eye whose sin is covered and blotted out therefore the Ark was stiled their beauty This Ark did adumbrate the Mystery of the Incarnation * Nicetus apud Greg. Nazian Orat. 43. Tho. 1 2 ae 102.4.6 in Col. 2. Heb. 1. It was a Type of Christ in whom the course wood was overlaid with pure gold in that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily He is the Oracle of his Church for God spake to us by his own Son in whom were hid not the Tables of the Law only but all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge He is the Mercy-seat and the Propitiatory for God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 And he hath prostrated Dagon and cut off his hands and head 1 Sam. 5.4 in that he hath defeated the designs and dissolved the works of the Devil In him we have the Cherubins adoring him * Heb. 1.6 and their wings to shelter us †John 1. ult The Angels ascending and descending upon the Mystical body of the Son of man Heb. 1. ult to minister to such as shall be Heirs of Salvation He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. Luke 1. and is the glory of his people Israel 2. This Ark is a Type of the Church * Jo. Gerhard Loc. Com. de leg Cer. c. 2. Sect. 2. mihi p. 261. which is the Repository of the holy Scriptures and the Ordinances of divine Worship Where the Angels incamp where the Counsel of God is revealed where Mercy and Pardon are dispenced 3. This is a Type of the Gospel †Jo. Botsac prompt Allegor 1506. 1. which is the word of wisdom and the mind of Christ * 1 Cor. 2.16 1 Pet. 1.12 a mystery which the Angels desire to look into and so it answers to the Oracle It is the pledge of our peace the word of Reconciliation and so answers to the mercy-Seat It is the Magazin and Armory whence we are furnished with arms and strength for our Christian warfare It puts upon us the whole Armour of God the Shield of faith the breast-plate of righteousness the Helmet of salvation This was the Israelites Palladium and Sanctuary It divided the waters of Jordan demolished the Walls of Jericho prostrated Dagon and redeemed it self out of captivity when the wicked Israelites had exposed it to the scorn and triumphs of the uncircumcised representing hereby the Majesly of the Holy Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation pulling down strong holds drying up the inundations of sin and misery which stand in our way to Heaven prompting and pressing and inabling us to work out our own salvation In a word it did not signifie less and it could not well signifie more then God did really exhibit by it It hallowed every place where it stood and blessed every person that was qualified to receive a blessing from it This makes David so enamour'd of it and all his subjects so ready to conduct it So they brought the Ark c. In this Transportation or Conduct of the Ark we have two things to be inquired after 1. Who they were that did conduct it 2. How or after what manner they did conduct it 1. Who they were The Text saith That David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the Lord unto his place which he had prepared for it 1 Chron 15.3 4 5. And David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites So David and the Elders of Israel and the Captains over thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Where we are to consider 1. By whose Authority and example it was Transported By David the King's 2. Under whose Inspection and Ministry The Priests and Levites 3. With what Train and Attendants Here were the Elders and the Captains
over thousands and all their Companies for there were Thirty thousand chosen men of Israel 2 Sam. 6.1 when the Ark was to be Carted to the City of David and sure there were as many now 1. By whose Authority and Example the Ark was Conducted or Translated I. The King The people might not do it of their own head no nor yet the Elders they had no Warrant for it It was done by David's by the Kings Authority and Example It was observed by the Philosopher that the King ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Supreme Governour of things that pertain to divine Worship The Model of this Ark was at first given by God to Moses it was his Concern to see it made being the Supreme Governour and David's to see it kept The highest Honour the Royal Office entitles Princes to is to be Defenders of the Faith Indeed Princes may do much to the advantage of Religion as well by the encouragement of their Example as by their Authority and it is their interest to do their uttermost for 1. Sam. 2. Those that honour me will I honour saith the Lord And it is said of Lycurgus that he commanded nothing in his Laws that he did not confirm by his example and of Agesilaus it is said that he first of all performed that himself which he did injoin to others and David will not only make one but lead the Dance in this holy Solemnity and invite others by the force of his example I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth Psal 34.1 2 3. My soul shall make her boast of the Lord The humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together When such eminent persons shall advance the Standard of Piety Ecclus. 10.2 a plentiful train will follow As the Judge of the people is himself so are his Officers and what manner of man the Ruler of the City is such are all they that dwell therein But the ill president findes most followers men learn soonest to write after a foul Copy Good examples for the most part gain more reverence then imitation It is not enough therefore for a Prince to commend Piety by his Example old Eli did so much He must Imprint it by the Royal Stamp of his Authority And to go regularly to work he must in the first place exercise his Authority in setling the Hâ—erarchy of the Church under whose inspection and Ministry the Ark is to be conducted and thus did David 1 Chron. 15.11 12. And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the Priests and for the Levites for Uriel Asaiah and Joel Shemaiah and Eliel and Aminadab And said unto them Ye are the chief of the Fathers of the Levites sanctifie your selves both ye and your brethren that ye may bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it II. The Hierarchy of Priests and Levites This was the Hierarchy under whose Inspection and Ministry the service of the Ark was to be accomplished wherein three things are considerable 1. Their Consecration and Sanctity 2. Their Subordination and Inequality 3. Their Regulation and Conformity 1. Of their Consecration and Sanctity It was not enough for them to be of the Tribe of Levi though God had taken that Tribe instead of the first-born * Numb 3.6 with 12. of every Family to minister unto him there was a solemn separation of their persons to the sacred Office They were to be solemnly Anointed Consecrated and Hallowed to minister in the Priests Office a Exod. 19. â— Numb 3.3 and the Levites were to be cleansed solemnly dedicated before the Lord that they might execute the service of the Lord b Numb 8.3 11. and this was required indispensably under pain of death c Numb 3.10 And besides this Consecration of their persons there was a prefatory sanctifying by way of preparation unto the address before they did officiate 1 Chron. 15.14 So the Priests and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel 2. For their Subordination and Inequality this commenced with the Ark it self by Gods own immediate Order Aaron as a Type of Christ was head of all but Eleazar and Ithamar no such Types to be sure in Aarons life time though under him had very large jurisdictions all the Levites were under their inspection and command Numb 3.4 Besides the family of Aaron there were the Families of Cohath Gershon and Merari Of Cohath there were four Families and each family had its Chief or Ruler and over all these was Elizaphan d Numb 3.30 Of Gershon there were two families and each of them had its head and over both these was Eliasaph e Numb 3.24 Of Merari were two families and each of them had its hiad and over these was Zuriel f Ib. vers 35. Now all the Gershonites with their Heads or Presidents which were 2630. And all the Merarites with their Guides or Presidents which were 3200. were under Ithamars inspection Numb 4.28 33. Eleazar had his own family with the Fathers and Heads thereof And the Cohathites with the Rulers thereof in number 2750. as his peculiar Diocess But besides this he had a general jurisdiction over all the rest He was Primate under Aaron over 8580. Priests and Levites and therefore he is stiled Princeps Principum or Prelatus Prelatorum the Prelate of the Prelates or which is all one Chief over the Chief Numb 3.32 And all matters that belonged to the service of God were generally under his care and inspection Numb 4.16 This Subordination and Inequality did continue to the days of David as appears in the place before mentioned 1 Chron. 15.11 12. Zadok and Abiathar the Priests were above all the Heads of Levites and there was an inequality between the two Priests too Abiathar attended the Ark at Jerusalem 2 Sam. 15.29 1 Chro. 16.39 the higher function and Zadok the Tabernacle at Gibeon There was a first and second even amongst the high Priests 2 Kings 25.18 And how exactly David setled this Hierarchy in its state of Subordination and Inequality when 38000. were put into 24. Courses under so many Presidents and all these under the Jurisdiction and Government of Zadok and Ahimelech you may finde at large 1 Chron. 23 24 25 26. Chapters more particularly and concisely 1 Chron. 24.3 4 5. verses The Governours of the Sanctuary and of the House of God were of the Sons of Eleazar and of the Sons of Ithamar and the Offices were distributed for the sacred service But of the Sons of Eleazar there were sixteen Chiefs under Zadok and but eight of the Sons of Ithamar under Ahimelech This leads us to 3. Their Regulation and Conformity The Priests in their Courses applied themselves to their service and the Levites to their
success for through faith the servants of God waxed valiant in fight Heb. 11.33 34. put to flight the Armies of the aliens and subdued Kingdoms They got not the victory 0141 0110 V 3 through their own strength neither was it their own arme that saved them but it was the aid and favour of the Deity whom they adored Hereupon the Psalmist saith I will not trust in my bow it is not my Sword that shall help me but it is thou O God that savest me and puttest them to confusion that hate me Non eripio Magistratui arma non praecido Consilia Typotius de Salut Reipub. p. 242. His enim Resp stat illis defenditur I do not disarm the Magistrate of his Militia nor cut off his Counsel for the Common-weal is upheld by the one and defended by the other At quovis rerum Statu absque Dei Numine nihil recte geritur desperatis rebus quid subsidii reliquum est Si non Deus praepotens atque immortalis In the best state of things nothing is well done without Gods assistance but when things are grown desperate what Anchor to hold is steady what Sanctuary to flee to but only the defence of the Almighty Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God They are brought down and fall'n Psal 20.7 8. but we are risen and stand upright David therefore will have no Souldiers to be of his Guard but such as have a devotion for the Ark of God And where there is such a Prince after Gods own heart such a conformable Priesthood such Religious Elders such devout and zealous Souldiers we may be confident of an orderly well-affected people for it is the Irregular Priest and the Seditious Elder and the Factious Souldier that does distract and imbroil a Kingdom and fill it with disorder and confusion In a word to shut up this Scene of our Discourse When a Prince comes newly to his Throne and the possession of his Kingdom all Degrees and Orders of men under his Dominion address themselves to make their recognition of his Authority and pay their homage to him Why now the Ark of God was a going to be inthroned in Sion and take possession as it were of its Kingdom and therefore David will have all his Subjects of what rank or quality soever present themselves to acknowledge and perform their respective Duty the Priests to devote their zeal and diligence the Elders their Counsel and Authority the Captains their strength and valour and all the people their fidelity and obedience to the Royal Prerogative thereof Thus we have given you an account of the first Quaere who they were that did Transport or Conduct this Ark in this pregnant Relative They So They brought 2. How they did Transport and Conduct it 1. With what Carriage or Instruments 2. With what Pomp and Solemnity in which as in the other general parts that are to follow I must be more brief that I may come timely to the pitch of my designe the Application 1. With what Carriage and Instruments To set the Ark of the Covenant upon a Cart and commit it to the blind conduct of a pair of Kine was somewhat tolerable in the Philistims who had no Priests that were rightly dedicated to the most high God And they had so much reverence to it as to set it upon a Cart that had not been over-worn in the service of the world in the drudgery of their secular imployments a new Cart will less profane it then the shoulders of an old uncircumcised Philistine They had so much care and reverence too as to commit it to the conduct of such Kine as being sent from their Calves would be sure not to hurry it on too fast to run it into the danger of an utter over-throw It might have fall'n into the hands of some men much more rash unreasonable and head-strong But yet that this new Cart and those Kine should carry it as they did was not without a miracle as the Learned think When the Ark is within the confines of Israel where there are Priests anointed and hallowed to attend upon it to Cart it then whether out of sloth or negligence out of irreverence or carelesness out of Faction or Inconformity is such an intolerable contempt and prophanation as God will not let go unpunished David doth acknowledge that the breach which was made upon them by the death of Uzzah was for this disorder 1 Chron. 15.13 for God will have things performed in their due order in his service and that affliction was an instruction to him and mâ—de him apprehend that none ought to carry the Ark but the Priests and Levites * 1 Chron. 15.2 2 Chron. 5 4 5. and Josh 3.6 whom the Lord had chosen for that Ministry And well might they undertake it for the Ark of God was not like the Idols of Egypt aburden to the weary Beast †Isa 46.1 it did not oppress or wring the Priests shoulders for the Text saith The Lord helped them to bear it 1 Chron. 15.26 Such is Gods goodness if we will but seriously endeavour it we cannot want a sufficient assistance to perform our expected duty Thus you see with what Carriage or Instruments the Ark was transported But 2. With what pomp and solemnity and of this we may observe that it was very great but withal very pious very decent very delightful and very cordial 1. A pious solemnity It began with an accustomed Form of Prayer for so Moses had taught them when the Ark advanced to say * Num. 10.35 Psal 68.1 2. Rise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered To their Prayers they added Sacrifice 1 Chron. 15.26 A Sacrifice of thanksgiving that God did vouchsafe not only to spare the Levites whereas he had smitten Uzzah but also to assist them in their Ministry and that their devotions might be the more rational they make them intelligible by a Psâ—lm of praise newly penn'd on purpose to adorn the pomp of this solemnity 1 Chron. 16.7 c. 2. It was a decent Solemnity 1 Chron. 15 2â— for David was clothed with a robe of fiâ—e linen and all the Levites that bare the Ark and the Singers and Chenaniah the Master of the Song with the Singers David also had upon him an Ephod of linen See Eng. Annot. on Judg. 8.27 1 Sam. 2.18 on 2 Sam. 6.14 The Ephod was an habit appropriated to Gods Service And there were two sorts of them one very rich and costly peculiar to the High-Priest made of blew purple scarlet and twined linen cunningly wrought and embroidered with gold of which Exod. 28.4.6 the other was a vestment of linen for Priests and Levites which others might freely use also though we finde it no where prescribed to them and such a one David used at this time on 2 Sam 6.14 say the English Annotators
For what was Uzzah's crime Oz a percussus est quòd attigisset arcam Domini Id enim ne Levitis quidem fas erat Arcam enim ab illis tantùm gestari non contingi aut spectari oportuit saith Peter Martyr Uzzah was smitten In 2 Sam. 6.6 7 8. because he touch'd the Ark of God for the Levite's Office was to carry the Ark but they were under a severe prohibition neither to touch it not to look into it for so the Lord had ordained Numb 4.15 When Aaron and his Sons have made an end of covering the Sanctuary and all the vessels of the Sanctuary as the Camp is to set forward after that the Sons of Kohath shall come to bear it but they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die and Ver. 20. They shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered lest they die But it might have been alledged on the behâ—lf of Uzzah that what he did was upon an extraordinary occasion in a case of necessity and out of zeal to save the Ark from falling Ibid. but as Peter Martyr hath very well observed his touching the Ark is assigned by many as the cause why he was so suddenly smitten Sed erat alia causa prior major quòd ille arcam imposuisset in currum dedisset causam huic necessitati But there was another a former and a greater cause for it his putting the Ark upon a Cart and so betraying it to that danger and necessity So the English Annotations The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah because he had caused his holy Ark to be carried in a Cart which they should have born on their shoulders and for touching it with his hand being but a Levite and no Priest On 2 Sam. 6.7 The Levites might not be their own Carvers in the holy function might not invade what part of it they had a fancy to no Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden †Numb 4.19 If they had an ambition to usurp any other part of the sacred Office that was not so assigned them by their Superiours though they did create a present necessity for it yet that necessity of their own making could not justifie them in such their Sacrilegious Usurpation And this is directly the Case of the Presbyterians It was their duty we confess to bear the Ark of God to Minister unto it in some parts of the sacred Office such as were assigned them by their Superiours but they could not keep their hands off the Ark their ambition spur'd them on to Usurp other parts of that Office to lay on hands for the Ordination of others lest forsooth the Ark of Gods worship should fall to the ground for lack of a Ministry to attend it which they had no Commission for no Warrant at all but a pretended necessity of their own making by pulling down Aaron and his Sons the holy Order of Bishops who alone were invested with that power So that these Presbyterians have followed Uzzah in the imitation of his errour and temerity and hath not a suitable judgment overtaken them a punishment Analogical to that of Uzzah are not those hands that were stretched out without any Authority to perform this Office are they not withered hath not the anger of the Lord as Mr. Calamy in part confesseth smitten them for this Sacrilegious Usurpation we see they are dead before the Ark in this capacity and therefore you must not invade and profane the Ark that is the third Caveat 4. You must not slander and belie the Ark. There are and have been in all Ages false Prophets who have suggested their own Dreams Fancies and Designs for the Oracles of God The Prophets Prophesie lies in my name as the Lord himself complains by the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 14.14 I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spake I unto them they prophesie unto you a false vision and divination and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart Jâ—r 14.14 and Chap. 23 16 17. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts hearken noâ— unto thâ— words of the Prophets that prophesiâ— unto you they make you vain they speak a vision of their own heart and not ouâ— of the mouth of the Lord they say still unto them that despise me the Lord hath said ye shall have peace and they say unto every one that walketh after the stubbornness of his own heart No evil shall come upon you And hath not the lying spirit given out his Oracles by the mouths of a multitude of such Prophets amongst us in these times of our distraction One of them gâ—ve out this for an Oracle * Mr. John Goodwin's Anti-Caval See Dr. Ham. of Resisting the lawful Magistrate c. pag. 22. c. about 18 or 19 years ago that the King though Head of all and singulis Major yet he was universis Minor though above all single persons yet inferiour to the body of his people that they have a power and right to resist him And because this is contradicted expresly by the lively Oracles of the holy Scripture and the writings of all the primitive Fathers therefore that lying bloody Oracle said further in effect that God did hide this liberty from the primitive Christians lest the use of it should cause an abortion in the birth of Antichrist God caused a dead sleep saith he to fall upon these truths the hiding of them being necessary to help Antichrist up to his throne yea he saith that God by special dispensation suffer'd him the said Antichrist to make such truths his footstool till he had advanced himself to his highest pitch in the world But now that this Antichrist is to be destroyed and cast out and the Commonalty of Christians as he pretended being the men that must have the principal hand in executing Gods judgments upon the whore for bringing this to pass now saith he in these our times God hath given out this Revelation to us he hath manifested the Doctrine of Resistance and Christians may act contrary to the will of their Superiours And for this you have Mr. John Goodwins asseveration To a like effect you have another that blows the Trumpet of Sedition and to raise up the people in Arms against their lawful Sovereign He does shamefully pervert and blaspheme the sacred Text Judg. 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty And this was Mr. Marshal * See Mr. Ed. Symons Confutation of that Sermon A third tells some of the House of Commons in a Sermon at Westminster 1641 that now is the time that God is beating down the walls of proud Babylon Mr. William Bridge Babylons downfall pag. 10. Pag. 33. that are raised up in every Kingdom
Churches to chastise them yet the Vials are intended for the Whore of Babylon and shall at last be all poured out upon Her to ther wine of Antichrist and all his Adherents Why truly these men are much beholden to the Beast and do make much use of his Throne to uphold their seditious doctrines and practices For Antichrist is their stalking horse when the present Government is their quarry For by Antichrist they understand not onely the Pope of Rome or the Great Turk but the very Hierarchy of the Church with the Solemn Service of God which is performed and upheld by it And by amuzing the people with the sudden and certain expectation of this Antichrists ruine they keep them in a posture for sedition that when they see their advantage to give the word they may be ready to arme and give fire upon their Governours But for this pretence of pulling down Antichrist it is a saddle that will fit any back Hath not the Presbyterian party been called Antichrist yes and that in Print too and perhaps they had had a war made upon them upon that account had they insisted stifly upon their pretentions to that Government But for my part I think it more then probable that the great Antichrist the Apostle speaks of * 2 Thes 2.7 8 9 10. See Dr. Hammonds Annotations is destroyed already If not yet the question is not sufficiently determined by them who are in expectation of his ruine who he is much less when his Kingdom is to have an end And when men have been engaged to the expence of so much blood and treasure to the ruine of so many Persons and Families in pursuance of such a design and there comes nothing on 't but their supposed Antichrist or his supposed Adherents continue still and appear to be so much less Antichrist then themselves in that they desire to live in peace and to render unto God the glory due unto his Name which the real Antichrist certainly does not who shall answer for all the horrible outrages that have been committed to no purpose but to the dishonour of God and the scandal of mankind to the reproach of our Christian Profession and the just indignation of our Superiours Who I say shall answer this at Gods Tribunal Will that excuse serve the turn which is all that can be pretended to That the promoters of these confusions were mistaken and do now begin to think that the Church the woman they fancied to be all this while in travel with the designs of their own begetting has not yet gone her full time Mr. Arrowsmith ubi supra as one of them is pleased to word it I say will this excuse serve the turn before the dreadful Judge But suppose there were an infallible discovery of Antichrist yet where is the Commission where do we finde any warrant to levy war against him It is said of that Beast and his Complices Revel 17.14 That they shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them But where do we finde that the Lamb makes war upon them It is with the Spirit of his mouth that he consumes them and with the brightness of his coming not by the mouth of the glittering sword 2 Thess 2.8 It is said also Revel 17.16 that the ten horns which are interpreted to be ten Kings v. 12. shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire But in all this I can see no warrant nothing that looks like it for Subjects to take up Arms without much less against the Kings Authority There is a Prophesie indeed that Antichrist shall fall and be destroyed but that will not justifie what is done against Gods Command For there is a Prophesie likewise that the Devil should cast some of the Servants of God into prison Revel 2.10 and yet he is a Devil still A Prophesie that Jeroboam a 1 Kin. 11.31 should have ten parts of Rehoboam's Kingdom and yet he was a Rebell b 1 Kin. 12.19 and an Usurper c 1 Kin. 11.17 and he made Israel to sin d 1 Kin. 15.26 34. We must frame our lives and actions not by dark Prophesies but by clear Precepts And we are no where informed who is Antichrist no where enjoyned to fight against him but earnestly exhorted To be quiet and to do our own business e 1 Thes 4.11 To follow peace with all men and holiness without which pair of virtues no man shall see the Lord f Heb. 12.14 Certainly therefore our wisest course is not to trouble our heads about Antichrist but leave Christ himself do deal with him and to betake our selves to Prayer and Fasting with other pious exercises to prepare for the Advent of Death and Judgment This is the fifth Caveat not to intrude or pry into the Ark. 6. The sixth and last Caveat is you must not rifle and plunder the Ark. The Apostle tells us Heb. 9.4 That with the Ark there were not only the Tables of the Covenant but also the golden pot that had Manna and Aarons rod that budded The Tables of the Law are of indispensable necessity to salvation for the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him to such as keep his Covenant and think upon his Commandments to do them Psal 103.17 18. And Aarons Rod is requisite to excite and quicken the Pot of Manna to strengthen and encourage unto the duty There is a mixture of severity and sweetness Lib. 2. pastoral Cressol Anthol Dec. 2.161 as Gregory hath observed Rigor disciplinae dulcedo humanitatis quae sacrosanctas legum Tabulas custodiunt There must be Discipline and there must be Sacraments else the Law cannot be observed The one to awe the other to enable us to that observation All the Service performed before the Ark under the Law was not Typical though the Sacrifices of fowls and beasts be out of date and abolishâ—d yet the Sacrifice of hearts and souls is in force still There was incense to be offered and God was to be solemnly thank'd and praised Morning and Evening * 1 Chron. 23.30 and this continues still though the other be extinguished Nay as they had their Sacrifice prefigurative to protest their hâ—mage and devotion to awaken their repentance upon a suggestion of their guilt and their demerits and to excite their faith to lay hold upon the passion and death of Christ to come for their expiation and atonement so we have our Sacrifice representative to protest our devotion to awaken our repentance and to excite our Faith to lay hold upon the Passion and Death of Christ already past Mal. 1.11 See Mr. Meade upon this Text and the Ancient Fathers by him cited For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense
holiness to the Lord. But there must be holiness not upon Aarons Bells only in the purity of his Doctrine but the inscription upon his forehead must be so too Holiness to the Lord Psal 132.9 let the Priests be clothed with righteousness he must be white and pure in his conversation as well as in his vesture And 2. Because Sancta sanctè holy things must be performed after a holy manner therefore a special sanctification is requisite unto the address if a beast should rush in to the holy Mount Heb. 12.10 he should be transfixed with some dart or other for it hereupon the Psalmist I will wash my hands in innocency Psal 26.6 and so will I compass thy Altar O Lord. And now for Directions to the people All the mysteries of the Ark are comprehended and unfolded in the Festivals of the Church and such as do constantly frequent them can be ignorant of nothing that is necessary to their Salvation But your address must be duly qualified that it may find a gracious acceptation You must approach with Humility with Alacrity with Unanimity with Uniformity These four will make your approach welcome to the Ark or Ordinances of God 1. It must be with Humility and Reverence There are some that bear no more reverence to the Ark of Gods worship then if it were but an Ark of Bull-rushes But holinesse becometh thy house for ever saith the Prophet Ye shall observe my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord Lev. 19.31 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Psal 89.7 Psal 89.7 and Psal 68. O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places Psal 68. ult c. therefore serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce before him with trembling Psal 2. We will go into his Tabernacles we will worship at his footstool Psal 132.7 Psal 132.7 and Psal 99.5 Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his footstool And as that expression had reference to the Ark then * See Josh 7.6 so hath it to the holy Sacrament now as we are taught by St Ambrose a Dè Spir. Sancto l. 3. c. 12. and St Austin Per scabellum terra intelligitur per terram autem caro Christi quam hodie quoque in mysteriis adoramus By footstool we are to understand the earth and by the earth the flesh of Christ which at this very day we adore in the sacred mysteries And St Austin b In Psal 98. to the same purpose Quaero quid sit scabellum pedum ej us dicit mihi Scriptura terra scabellum pedum meorum Not to do it at his name nay at the holy Mysteries c. Bishop Andr. Serm. 9. of the Resur Fluctuans converto me ad Christum quiaipsum quaerohic invenio quomodo sine impietate adoretur terra sine impietate adoretur scabellum pedum ejus Suscepit enim de terra terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem accepit Et quia in ipsa carne hic ambulavit ipsam carnem nobis manducandam ad salutem dedit NEMO AUTEM ILLAM CARNEM MANDUC AT NISI PRIUS ADORAVERIT inventum est quemadmodum adoretur tale scabellum pedum Domini non solum NON PECCEMUS ADORANDO sed PECCEMUS NON ADORANDO I demand what is his footstool and God in the holy Scripture tell me the earth is my footstool But being in some fluctuation and doubtfulness I turn me unto Christ for him I am to seek here and in him I find how the earth may be adored without any impiety how without any impiety I may adore his footstool For he took earth from the earth for flesh is of the earth and of the flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary the took flesh And because in that flesh he conversed here amongst us and gave that flesh to us to eat for our salvation AND NO MAN EATETH THAT FLESH UNLESSE HE HATH FIRST ADORED We have here found how such a footstool of the Lord may be adored and we should not only NOT SIN IN A DORING but WE SHOULD SIN certainly IN NOT ADORING Thus St Augustine And above all others the Apostle expecteth that this service should be worthily perfomed 1 Cor. 11. otherwise sad effects did many times follow for whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Ver. 27. He eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Ver. 29. and for this cause saith the Apostle many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep that is they are struck dead Ver. 30. It is considerable in the Bethshemites they took notice that the Ark of God had been in Captivity amongst the uncircumcised Philistines that they had set it up in the house of Dagon and had committed it to the conduct of Oxen upon a new Cart and this homely usage of it gave them incouragement never considering the judgments that had been inflicted upon those Philistines to be Familiar with it and to gaze upon it without any reverence at all 1 Sam. 6. as if it had been alienated from Gods care and service and was become an ordinary common thing But God does dreadfully vindicate this their prophanation he strikes more than 50000 of them dead upon the place that the sharpnesse of his severity might recover that respect and veneration to the Ark which he saw was not like to be paid to it otherwise Men have made themselves very familiar with Almighty God in these late times and his dreadful Ordinances having been held in a kind of Captivity and sullied by the reproaches of ignorant and prophane persons they have been looked upon as sleight and common things but be not deceived God is not mocked neither will he always suffer himself to be affronted in his sacred Assemblies and holy Institutions if you have not ingenuity enough to render all due reverence to Gods Ark if the arguments of Reason and Religion cannot prevail with you to this effect if severity must be used to procure this from you which concerns your own eternal good no less then Gods glory believe me in the end when all must stoop you will find that severity very sharp and costly too Rom. 14.10 11. therefore approach the Ark of God with Humility and Reverence 2. You must approach it with Alacrity and Chearfulness It is admirable in devout souls to consider how passionately affected they are with Gods solemn worship and the place where it is performed When they are sequestrated from it they breathe out their devotions in fits of longing If I forget thee O Jerusalem if I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy Psal 137.5 6 7. How