red wine I the Lord do keep it and water it every moment Use 2. O then how do this call upon the Ministers of Christ to be vigilant taking all opportunities to hold forth their Lamp lights of truth to the Candlestick the Church Ministers are Lamps and they were set apart by God for the benefit of his people to enlighten and comfort them in needful times you know the charge which is given Ministers in Isa 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem how careful was St. Paul of his duty herein what opportunities did he take on all hands to guide the Church and enlighten the Church with his Lamp light of knowledge Acts 20. 24. Who accounted not his life dear to himself so that he could but finish his Ministry with joy O what a dreadful thing is it for one of these Lamps to wax out or withdraw its shinings when the Church of God lieth ready to perish for his not discharging his duty to them for men to prove faint careless and negligent in the discharge of duty in and to the Church which God calls his Candlestick St. Paul calls this a being guilty of the bloud of fouls Acts 20. 26 You may likewise see what God doth account of this thing read Ezek. 3 20. Use 3. How should this humble Ministers of the Gospel what a blow would this consideration give the old Adam within them and pluck down the pride and confidence of all proud Ministers who may swell high with the conceit of their gifts and parts and so come to think high of themselves beyond what they should or ought to think forgetting that at best they are but bare empty Lamps in themselves who can do nothing nor can say any thing or be of any use to the Church of God without Divine assistance you know a Lamp without Oil in it is of little use in a house or family the house may be full of darkness for all that if the Lamp be without Oil in it O so are Ministers of as little use without the Oil of Gods assisting presence goes along with their labours they can do little good to any soul in point of conversion or comfort gifts and parts and flourished notions will do little in order to the raising of a dead soul to life or to the comforting a of dejected soul in the hour of temptation It was once the saying of Melancthon about a Sermon once preached by him to a Country people who pomised himself upon the well preaching of it a great harvest of Converts but upon his next coming that way and finding the little effect of it crys out old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon Alas Brethren the greatest Aristotle or Learned Philosopher in the world can do nothing here without Gods quickning comforting spirit be with him saith St. Paul our sufficiency is not of our selves but of God yet St. Paul had great parts and abilities but he looks not upon these things but upon God for success If God did not pour oil into him and thereby fitted him for his work as a Minister of the Gospel he knew he should remain but a dark Lamp without the least use to any man or woman therefore how should this make such men think low and mean thoughts of themselves and be humble both before God and man Use 3. This serves to inform Christians about their duty in this case First To keep close to their Ministers and Pastours for spiritual light and knowledge and not to slight them so and to turn the back upon them as some have done I do not intend those who under the notion of Ministers of the Gospel can cunningly undermine the Gospel neither do I mean such as can mind and turn with every turn of state but I mean those Ministers who have given evidence of the uprightness of their hearts and sincerity of soul to God as Joâ—hâ—a and Caleb did in backsliding times to be men of other spirits then to run back again with the stream of the times or the cry of the multitude to the old Egyptian darkness from whence they were delivered I say to slight these Ministers is to slight those burning Lamps of light and truth which God in mercy hath left amongst his people for direction through their wilderness to their spiritual Canaan We have had sufficient experience of this great evil of late years into how many evils and mischiefs and fearful Apostasies have thousands of professours run themselves upon leaving their sound Ministers and Pastours O what horrid darkness hath their over-spread the minds of some professours that would dare to profess an open separation from their Pastors and sound teaching Ministers which were the Lamps of light and comfort which God in mercy held out to them O therefore Christians have a care you do not slight and despise these heavenly Lamps saith St. Paul to Timothy Let no man despise thee you know the exhortation in Mal. 2 7. Thou shalt seek the Law at his mouth the reason is given you in these words for the Priests lips shall preserve knowledge Secondly Let this teach Christians to love the Ministers of Jesus Christ O keep this upon your heart daily that the Ministers of Christ are the Lamp lights to enlighten your souls in the time of darkness our Saviour calls them the lights of the world Mat. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world that is such as are appointed to guide the feet of the Saints into the way of peace the Apostle says that the Ministers of Christ are such as watch for your souls and must give an account for them to God in the last day reade Hebrewes 13. 17. O my Brethren your Ministers they are more to you and can do more for you then the eyes of your bodies and how choice are you of that member your eyes you account your Jewels when that 's gone you account the Mercy next to life is gone But truly great Mercies and greater Jewels are Ministers if good and sound to the people of God whether they know it or not the Gallatians Church were well acquainted with the worth of their Teachers and Ministers of Christ there was once a time when they valued them beyond their bodily eyes Gal. 4. 15. For I bear you record saith Saint Paul that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me Certainly if you loose them you will loose the best of your eyes O therefore bless God heartily who hath yet continued his Lamp lights amongst you which yet maintain their burning and shining lights in the midst of you though it be wholly dark over Egypt yet you have your Lamps burning in Gosher O pray hard for them O let Heaven ring with your cryes about your Ministers O put on for them as you would for your treasure your all that God may yet stay them in the midst
now then in Pharaohs time and his arm is not shortned he is as well able to reach such a Nation now as then O where this kind of sin dwells the good Lord give that Nation sound Repentance for it before he comes to tear them in pieces A 2d thing about the Ark which we are to take notice of is this you read in Exod. 37. 2. That the Ark was overlaid with pure gold which sheweth us both the excellency and purity of the Worship of God for as gold is both excellent and pure so is the Worship of God it is both excellent and pure therefore when that holy Ghost speaks of the Worship of God he compares it to a Sea of Glass as clear as Crystal Revelations 4. 6. Meaning for the worth and purity of it A third thing about the Ark is this there was a Crown of gold round about above upon it Exod. 37. 1 2. This Crown upon the Ark denotes the Authority which God hath stamped upon his Worship Gods Worship hath his Authority set upon it for such is the Import or signification of the word Crown or the thing called Crown it signifies Rule and chief Authority which commands obedience and subjection to its Law Will and pleasure Use 2. The use we should make of this Mystery will teach us this Lesson First to their peril who ever they be that shall dare to alter any part or Tittle of this Worship of the Altar or shall mix it with any of their own whorish hellish Inventions or Romish fopperies Deut. 12. 32. What thing soever I command you that observe to do it thou shalt not add thereunto nor diminish from it Hence it is that Moses in the giving out of the Worship of God to the people was admonished that he should not vary from the pattern shewed him in the mount we are to take notice of the pattern laid down in the word of God and by that Rule to build Gods house and only according to that to steer our compasse in and about the Worship of God Isa 8. 20. To the Law and the Testimony if any man speak not according to this Rule it s because there is no light in him Besides the Crown upon the Altar shews us thus much that none are left to their wills as arbitrary in the performing of Worship to God so as to do it when we please as none are left in this case so to their own wills to do it how they pleased so likewise none are so left to their wills to do it or perform it when or at what time they please neglects in this case are dangerous not to attend the Worship of God either in publick or private where and when God requires is to sin against the Crown upon the Altar which is the Authority of God and to incur the displeasure of God and indeed to be guilty of any wilful rashness or neglect in this business is the ready way for a man to lay himself open to great punishments from the hand of the Lord Jer. 11. 3. Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant so Jer. 48. 10. Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully O therefore soul remember that the Altar-worship hath its Crown above upon it which signifyeth the Authors Authority or Law which requireth thy submission or subjecton to it so as to be careful thou provest not a wilful corrupter or neglector of the Worship of God Again in the Tabernacle was the Mercy-seat placed which had two Cherubims at the two ends of it whose faces looked towards the Mercy-seat Exod. 37 67 89. First By the Mercy-seat placed in the Tabernacle I understand to be meant the Lord Jesus Christ whose bloud and merits is the ground of Gods great manifestations of love and grace to the Elect saith the Apostle 2 Cor. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ Reconciling the world to himself Mark God was in Christ that is in his humane nature appearing through it to men as he did through the Mercy-seat of old Rom. 5. 9 10. We are saved from wrath through Christ by being justified by his bloud for when we were enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life so that you see Christ the Mercy-seat is the ground of all the grace love mercy and Reconciliation which from the Father comes home to the Elect I mean a procuring ground not the efficient or first moving ground In a word this Mercy-seat shews us what Christ is in all respects to believers could we pick it out of this Mystery and it takes in all that Christ is or was anointed to be or to do for his Church and people it takes in Christs bloud Christs sufferrings Christs righteousness Christs satisfaction given to the Father Christs Life Christs Death Christs being in the Grave Christs Ascension Christs Priesthood Christs present work of Intercession now in Heaven Christs Offices as King Priest and Prophet to and for his people for their good and comfort forever all this and more do the Mercy-seat in Exod. 37. Comprehend and shadow forth to us for our instruction so that believers should look on all the dispensations of God towards them be they sweet or bitter always flowing forth to them from the Mercy-seat or place of Reconcilement the seat where God always sits when he hath to do with believers as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5. 19 God in Christ Reconcâ—ling the world to himself so Rom. 8. 32. He that spareth not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things It s all mercy love and grace which comes from God to his people because it comes forth from God through the Mercy-seat Christ though the providence may be mixed with never so much sharpness or bitterness yet it shall end in mercy for it comes in mercy Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose Again whereas it is said that the faces of the Cherubims still looked towards the Mercy-seat it shews us how the whole Trinity doth agree together and accord in the good of Gods Elect for I look on this Figure as an Emblem of the belssed union of the three persons of Father Son and holy Spirit my looking on this is by way of allusion the Mercy-seat to be meant of Christ the second Person the two Cherubims to be meant of the Father and holy Spirit proceeding both from Father and Son so that as the faces of the two Cherubims were placed with their eyes towards the Mercy-seat it shews us thus much that what good God the Father did will the Elect before time and what grace and mercy and love the holy Ghost did manifest make known and reveal to the Elect in time by spiritual application all
Christ I am meek and towly in heart therefore come unto me Math. 11. 29. And also tells thee that fury is not in him Isa 27. 4. He means towards such as are burthened with corruption there is no fury in him against such but rather wounderful love and tender pity and compassion yea so much that Christ could and will bear the burthen himself rather then it should sink his poor people therefore if there be no other help or remedy to be had against the burthen of corruption we are by Christs word exhorted to cast the burthen upon his shoulders Psal 55. 23. Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved Is it the violence of temptation makes thee to doubt come to Christ look up to him he is merciful and full of compassion it s not thy temptations shall alienate Christs heart from thee but rather work his heart to compassionate thy condition Christ is so merciful as to distinguish between thy temptation and thy allowing of it and delighting in it as a tender-hearted Husband would do in the like case about his wife suppose a woman should be violently set upon by some wicked person and he should be too strong for her and get her under him and should abuse her body her Husband coming in the mean time and finds her in the act yet when he beholds her strugling and striving with the man to get from him and when he sees the tears which dropt from her eyes about it do you think that this Husband will put her away from him no no but rather embrace her in his arms with all tenderness and affection imaginable Take one comfortable instance for this in our Saviours carriage of old in the like case and assure thy self what he was in his carriage then he is the same ever since and ever will be to his people under their temptations For he is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. The instance you have in Zach. 3. 1 2. Where you have Joshua the High Priest who personates the whole Church of Christ violently set upon by the tempter who was said to resist Joshua that is tempted him and strugled and strived with Joshua to have his pleasure of him to make him sin and transgress against Christ but did Christ reject Joshua for this and cast him off no sure but it rather wrought forth his heart towards him with the greatest pity and tenderness the bowels of Christ wrought toward Joshua all the while of the temptation and pray observe where and upon whom did our Saviour charge the guilt of the temptation was it not upon Satan the tempter or Joshua the tempted not a word spoken against Joshua but all the blows fell upon Satan ver 2. And the Lord said unto Satan the Lord rebuke thee Satan even the Lord which hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire But it may be you will say when Christ stood up so much for Ioshua it was at a time when Christ had nothing to accuse him withall he had kept his garments pure and unspotted but this is not my case I have my filth publickly upon me my temptations have made me very black and uncomely in his presence I answer its true Christ did not accuse him wiâ—h any thing that was the effect of his compassion as a High Priest but that he had nothing to accuse Ioshua withall you may read the contrary Verse 2 3. For first our Saviour was forced to confess that his temptations had made him as black as a brand pluckt out of the fire and you know when a brand is newly pluckt out of the fire it s then a sad thing to look upon it s then full of smoak and filth apt to stain any thing it toucheth Secondly he had then at the same time very filthy garments upon him a great deal of pollution enough to render him as bad in Christs sight as bad may be yet all this was buried up in the bowels of his Priesthood and then why shouldst thou not expect the same grace upon coming for it for all this was to shew the carriage of Christ to his Church for Ioshua was but a Figure of the Church then as it was newly come out of Babylon which came up to Ierusalem with abundance of pollution cleaving to her yet Christ undertakes with the Father that in time he will present it a more glorious Church For he wâ—uld cause her iniquity to pass from her and give change of garment to her and he would put a fair Mâ—ter on her head ver 5. Again is it the weakness of thy grace makes thee to doubt Oh look up to thy High Priest Jesus there is infinite compassion for thee under all this Was Davâ—ds Faith weak which sometime made him to cry out Psal 73. 26. My flesh and my heart fails me and at another time I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul and again when it drove him to feign himself mad to escape the danger which he feared might come upon him amongst the Philistians yet Christ had bowels for these weaknesses and this David could set to his seal that nothing of this nature had made a separation between him and Christ for Christ continued the same in bowels toward him as aforetime Ps 103. 2 3 4. Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies who satisfieth thy soul with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles Was St. Peters grace of faith weak when he began to sink down in the water and had it not a compassionating hand held out to succour and help it Math 14 29 30 31. Was it weak when he denied his Master but was his Masters bowels so close shut up against him for it as to renounce him Oh the care that our Saviour takes to remove out of the way all the discouragements which Satan might throw in St. Peters way to the making any farther use of Christ as High Priest First before ever he came amongst his Disciples when after his Resurrection he sent them word of his rising he sends not the least hint to Saint Peter of his Apostasie or as if ever such a thing had been Iohn 20. 17. Again when he appeared in person amongst the Disciples what care did our Saviour take to prevent Saint Peters fears not one ill word could St. Peter hear from him or ill look could St. Peter discern in him but all his weaknesses forgotten because all forgiven infinite compassion at work for a weak Peter I have prayed that thy faith fail not Luke 22. 32. No no Christ cannot part with his people upon slight terms it s not weakness in grace will out a soul of Christs