of the precise Synod †Lang. de annis Christi l. 1. c. 10. Selden de anno Civili Judaeorum cap. 13. 27 hours and ½ for to give the Moon a visible Phasis according to which day of its first appearance the Jewish New Moons were vulgarly celebrated If I should perform this at present it would swell this Treatise too much for which it is not of any great moment to insist and therefore we shall proceed briefly to describe the pompous Solemnity of this Dedication In the first place we read that King Solomon for this rare Festival assembled the Elders the Heads of the Tribes 2 Chro. 5.2 1 Kin. 8.65 and the chief of the Fathers of Israel and a mighty Congregation of all the Nation from the entring in of Hamath to the River of Egypt 2 Chro. 7.7 After this Solomon hallowed the middle of the Court because the Brazen Altar would have proved insufficient to contain the multitudes of the intended Offerings The Elders of Israel being assembled waited upon the King at Mount Zion where the Ark of God's Covenant was yet resident which the Priests took up upon their shoulders 1 Kin. 8.3 4. The Levites mean while according to their several designed Ranks carryed the Tabernacle of Boards and Curtains wherein the Ark stood with all the Holy Vessels of Moses 2 Chro. 5.2 Thus in a pompous Holy Procession they walked leisurely from the City of David the Ark being brought up to the sacred Mountain the King and all the Congregation sacrificed before it Sheep and Oxen without number Ver. 6. Ver. 7. Then the Priests conveyed the Ark of the Covenant into the Oracle or most Holy Place and set it under the Wings of the Golden Cherubims which being done and the Priests returned out of that mysterious place one hundred and twenty of them with silver Trumpets for Moses his were of silver sounded in the Court and near to them the Singers Asaph 1 Chron. 6.33 Ver. 12. Hëman the Grand-son of Samuel the Prophet and Jeduthun with their Sons and Brethren being arrayed in White Linnen and accommodated with Cymbals Psalteries and Harps stood at the East End of the Altar lift up their Voices and sung this Verse For He is good For His Mercy endureth for ever While this admirable Consort of Vocal Pneumatical and Organical Musick 2 Chron. 5.13 made a joyful sound throughout the Temple its Courts and the Neighbouring City Behold a Cloud of Glory filled the House of God with such bright and shining Beams that the Priests could not stand to minister by reason of its Radiant Majesty Immediatly upon this King Solomon standing upon his Brazen Scaffold before the Altar and looking towards the Cloud of Glory thus bespake the Divine Majesty 2 Chron. 6.1 2. Ver. 3 4 c. The Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick Darkness But I have built an House of Habitation for thee and a place for thy dwelling for ever Then the King turns his face to all the people as they stood makes a short but elegant and pithy Oration and gives them His Royal Blessing After this He turns His face West again to the Temple and the Altar directing His Eyes stedfastly towards that Divine Glory and falling down devoutly upon His Knees 2 Chron. 6.12 c. 2 Chron. 7.1 and spreading out His Hands toward Heaven He powrs out a large and Heavenly Prayer before the Majesty of God riding upon the Chariot of the Cherubims At the conclusion thereof miraculous Fire descends from Heaven consuming the Burnt-Offering and the Sacrifices while the Glory of the-Lord filled the House with such Orient Splendour that the Priests could by no means enter Now when all the Children of Israel saw the Fire from Heaven and the Glory of GOD upon the House they bowed themselves with their Faces to the Ground upon the Payement worshipped and praised the Lord with one Voyce saying For He is good for His Mercy endureth for ever Then the King offered His stately Sacrifice to the Lord of two and twenty thousand Oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand Sheep Thus the King and all the People dedicated the House of the Lord throughout seven days After which followed the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles together with an eighth being the solemn Assembly the 22 day of the moneth The 23 followed which was the Sabbath and that being concluded on the Evening of the 23 day Solomon sent away the people to their Tents 2 Chron. 7.10 Lev. 23.40 42. which were made during this Feast according to the Law of Willows and Palms glad and merry in heart for the goodness which the Lord had shewed to David to Solomon His Son and to His People Israel After which night having slept sweetly on the first day of the Week every one takes up his Journey to his own Habitation according to their various distances from the Holy Temple CHAP. VIII The Temples Duration THis famous Building being thus famously hansell'd and house-warm'd with so many fat Burnt-Offerings we will account its continuance not from the Foundations first laying when it was yet an imperfect Embryo but from the 23 day of the moneth Ethanim in the Julian Year 3710. or of the World 3001. which day according to our Author being co-incident with the 14th day of the Julian Moneth Lev. 25.9 November and being the second Sabbath of the Year of Jubilee now begun For the first was one of the days of Tabernacles shall be the first standing day of the Temple and keeping house upon its own Revenues apart from these grand and solemn Festivals being united for the more August and noble Celebration of its Dedication From which day till the Year of the same Julian Period 4126. Aug. 27. being the Sabbath also it stood four hundred and fifteen years Vsser p. 131. two hundred and eighty five days according to the Julian Account which I shall briefly exhibit in this Laterculus or Scheme wherein the Names Reign number of the Kings may be observed at one view under which it stood Not but that it received many sore shakings by many Heathen Kings by the Idolatrous Neighbours of the Kingdom of Israel or the ten Tribes who many a time laid their Sacrilegious hands upon these Divine Materials Nay which is most to be lamented it was wounded in the house of its Friends that should have been even some of the Kings of Judah For all which I refer you to the sacred Annals of the Kings and Chronicles as to the larger view of those Transactions which I have linked in a more compendious Chain before the close of this Chapter Onely before I give in this ensuing Type remember that the Dedication being solemnized in the 11th of King Solomons Reign and that He holding the Scepter 40 years we must set down 29 for Him after this great Dedication  Years  1 Solomon 29
strongly necessitated by want and poverty and the wickedness of those that are able and deny subministration and supply to their wants they ought not to disturb their spirits with the overwhelming and soul-dividinging cares of this life Besides it is necessary for them as the case now stands that they should have a well-furnish'd Library and be well acquainted with the History of the Church all along since the world began especially since the time of Christ to our days Nay there is not one Art or Science in the whole Circle or Compass of Learning but some way or other may contribute to the capacitating of a Minister for his work in the explication and applying of Scripture They ought also to be well versed in controversie that they may be able to oppose gain-sayers and maintain the Truth To this purpose speaks a learned and faithful Dispenser of the Gospel in his days That they ought to have The skill of Arts D. Stoughton Preachers Dignity and Duty p. 87. c. of Tongues the ancient Hebrew the copious Greek the elegant Latine Tongues are necessary for Embassadors and these Tongues are very necessary for God's Embassadors All which must be assisted as the Orb in his motion with his Intelligence or rather informed as the Body with the Soul in all his operations with pithy Logick perswasive Rhetorick profound Philosophy that I may not name others every one of which apart would make a noble Profession in another and yet all together make but a small part of the Noble Profession of Theologie and rather not a part but a Porch of this Royal Building For I have not yet told you of the Scripture in which not a word not a jot not a tittle but hath its weight and must not be suffered to perish the depth of the Scripture left it be said by some scoffing Samaritan The VVell is deep and thou hast never a Bucket Lastly The infiniteness of Divinity there is no infinity in Philosophy but here there is positive controversal Ecclesiastical experimental for the chair for the Schools for the pulpit for the conscience c. All which are necessary for him that would be a worthy Divine 5. He must provide for his own Family or else he will lie under that heavie doom of the Apostle To be worse then an Infidel and deny the Faith which to do as a Man as a Christian as a Scholar as a Minister that is not in a sordid mean base and precarious way lest the Dignity of his Office be objected to contempt in the eyes of carnal vulgar people who generally receive the Truth with the more respect and obedience from such as having some moderate and comfortable estates and are not obliged to unworthy and pedantick shifts and cringings to every insulting Balak nor the ensnaring of their Consciences to satisfie corrupt lusts and humours by intrenching upon their glorious Commissions received from Christ This being certain that converting work is the main and principal work of the Ministry which will be greatly advanced when their persons are not obnoxious to scorn by their meanness which was found fully true in the person of our blessed Lord and his holy Apostles and Disciples 1 Tim. 3.2 Lastly Every Gospel Minister is commanded to maintain Hospitality themselves as well as to preach it Alas they may indeed teach it to others while their Lungs and Heart strings crack for want of supply but are not able generally themselves to go to the cost to practise it in our Nation through inability They are so far from being capable to perform this Duty that many have not for their present necessities much less for their conveniency and refreshment These things being premised and duly considered viz. The noble Provision which God made for his servants under the Law the Dispensation whereof was far inferiour to this under the Gospel Though some will say that the pomp of those Ordinances consisted much in external splendour and they say true but yet thence can by no means be inferred that God requires not the service of our Bodies and Estates under the Gospel for its evident the whole New Testament teaches the quite contrary Besides the necessary and costly provision of all acquired knowledge the enjoyned seclusion of themselves from worldly occupations their required sustentation of their Families and provision of a subsistence for them after their departure The honour and reputation of the Gospel The occurring and obviating the secret designs and machinations of our Popish adversaries who like the Spartans of old to the Athenians did but desire their Orator and then study by all means to ruine Protestant Religion among us and not finding any directer course to steer then this the pulling down of Universities in the which provision is made for able Workmen in the Lord's Vineyard and for such as manage the controversie against them as blessed be God hitherto successfully by Raynolds Whitaker Willet Abbot Davenant and many others and further to subvert the stated and fixed maintenance of the Ministers when come abroad whereby the Divel's ayms will be gratified the enemy overjoyed the Gospel ruined and Ark depart from our Israel But blessed be the Lord who hath fixed his memorial stone in Eben Ezer 1 Sam. 7.12 hitherto hath the Lord helped them and we hope the same mercy will yet continue to make them against those subtle insinuating enemies a fenced brazen VVall Jer. 15.20 21 They shall fight against them but they shall not prevail against them for I am with you to save you and to deliver you saith the Lord. And I will delâ—ver you out of the hand of the wicked and I will redeem you out of the hand of the Terrible Ps 85.9 c. Surely his salvation shall be nigâ— them that fear him that glory may dwell in our Laâ—d That mercy and truth may mee together righteousness and peace may kiss each other Truth shall spring out oâ— the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yeild her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps Though the Kâ—ngs of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel togeâ—her against the Lord and against his anointed yet hath he set his King upon his holy hill of Zâ—on and will gâ—ve him the heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession As for those that break his bands in sunder and cast away his cords from them He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision He shall speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure He shall break them with a rod of iron he shall dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel O then kiss the Sun lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little
the Jewish Paedagogy so came it to passe also in the approaching Evening of the World Nay in the times presently succeeding James told them that (l) Jam. 5.9 the Judge was then at the door and generally throughout the Epistles Gospel-daies are called the (m) Heb. 1.2 last daies The (n) 1 Cor. 10.11 Dr. Whitaker de Sacramentis pag. 109. Edit Francof 1654. ends of the World being come upon us Some there be who conceived that the Passeover did typify and praefigure the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper wherein the soul of a Believer feeds upon Christ the Lamb of God But doubtlesse in the main the Scripture doth therein point at Christ The Sacraments of both Testaments do hold forth the Lord Jesus the former look forward upon him as being not yet come the latter look backward upon him as being already come For hereby we (o) 1 Cor. 11.26 shew forth the Lord's death till he come that is in his last and most glorious Advent to deliver his people and to judge the World of the ungodly The next Annual festivity was the Feast of first-fruits or Feast of weeks being celebrated fifty daies after the Israelites coming out of Egypt and therefore is called in the New-Testament (p) Act. 20 16. Pentecost At the first Pentecost in the wildernesse was the Law given by Moses In the last Jewish Pentecost was the (q) Act. 2.1 Holy Ghost given to the Apostles at Jerusalem and then the first-fruits of the Gospel were offered up to God through Jesus Christ by that miraculous conversion of (g) Act. 2.41 3000 souls by the Sermon of Peter Which was the earnest of the great Harvest to follow in the whole world The Feasts of the seventh moneth were these 1. The blowing of (h) Lev. 23.24 Trumpets on the first day of the seventh moneth and might hint at the preaching of the Gospel most clearly in the latter end of the world as some apprehend The Fast of Expiation on the tenth day of the seventh moneth was a most clear presignification of our blessed Lord's (b) Crames expiating for sin (a) Ribera p. 339. Some apprehend that this and other Fasts among the Jews might denote the solemn fastings for sin under the Gospel the denial of our selves taking up the Cross of Christ and the constant study of the mortification of (c) Gal. 5.24 the flesh and all the lusts thereof The Feast of Tabernacles as it reflected backward on the Jews (a) Lev. 23.42 dwelling in Booths in the Wildernesse so it looked forward likewise on the state and condition of Christians while travelling thorough the wilderness of this World that we are but strangers in this Earth (d) 1 Chron. 29.15 as all our Fathers were Our dayes flee away like a shadow we have here no abiding City The Lord himself alone is (e) Jerom. Tom. 6. in Zach. p. 347. cum solice Psalm 90.1 the dwelling place of Saints in all generations as holy Moses speaks of himself and the children of Israel while wandring in the howling Desart of Sinai Wherefore Abraham and all the Blessed Patriarchs dwelt in Tents (f) Heb. 11.14 15 16. plainly declaring that they sought a Country which is Heavenly To which God of his infinite mercy bring us through the propitiatory blood of the (g) Heb. 13.20 Great Shepheard of the sheep the Lord Jesus whom he raised from the dead On the seventh day of this great Feast of Tabernacles there was offered the smallest number of Sacrifices to note the declining of that antient legal and Ceremonial Worship (h) Sheringham in Codicem Joma p. 39. and that a more perfect sacrifice was ready to be introduced in their room Besides the presignification of some Gospel-Excellencies by these Feasts It is noted by a learned Man that there was a reason for their celebration among the Jews referring to the impetration of some particular blessings upon the Earth according to the several seasons of the Year wherein they were solemnized There was an offering of the quantity of a Homer given up at the Passover to beg a blessing on the Harvest The first-fruits they offered up at Pentecost to obtain a blessing on the fruits of their trees at the Feast of Tabernacles they (a) 1 Sam. 7.6 powred out water to beg the blessing of Rain upon the Earth it being then the seed-time in the land of Judea These Waters were drawn out of the Fountain of Shiloah Whence it is that the Evangelical Prophet complains of the Jews that they refused the (b) Isa 8.6 waters of Shiloah that go softly not trusting in Gods gracious promise that he made to King Ahaz of the true Shiloah He that was to be sent to them the Messiah Isa 7.14 which was given as a firm word for him to rest upon against the Kings of Israel and Syria For it was plain that the Race of David should continue till the coming of that Immanuel who was to be born of a Virgin and therefore the enemies should not prevail to extinguish the Royal Race of Judah Hence is it that our blessed Lord alluding to this Libation or powring out of Waters at the Feast of the Tabernacles cryes out in the last and great day of the Feast John 7.37 that they should come to him as the true Fountain of Shiloah that gives forth living waters which thing he spake concerning the Spirit For he that believeth on him as the Scripture saith that is he whose Faith is grounded on Scripture-promises for we are not to understand that Text of any citation there being no such place extant out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living-waters i. e. There shall be within him a Heavenly spring of Grace that shall flow into the Ocean of Glory The Heathen had an apish imitation of this great Festivity Plut. Thes gr p. 19. Edit 1. Steph. 80. Plut. Romul p. 66. gr Aedit H. Steph. as Plutarch remembers in the life of Theseus that the Athenians had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in memory of the deliverance of their City by Theseus and to implore a blessing on the fruits of the earth and moreover concerning the Romans at set times dwelling under Fig-trees as the same Author hath recorded in the life of Romulus and in the fourth of his Symposiacks mentioning this Feast foolishly compares it with the Heathenish Feast of Bacchus qu. 5. Here before I conclude give me leave to treat a while upon the Conjecture of some persons who conceive the 3 solemn Festivals celebrated among the Christians to have been pre-exemplified in those 3 Eminent Feasts of the Jews The birth of our Saviour answering to the Feast of Tabernacles For so a very Learned man of our Nation and others viz. Beroaldus Mede Vol. 1. p. 618. Scaliger and Calvisius conceive and seem to prove it by good arguments that our Saviour was born in September the time answering to
g 1 Cor. 10.25 Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no Question for Conscience sake Every thing that is wholesome or nutritive food certainly may be used h 1 Tim. 4.4 Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused If it be received with Thanksgiving It is evident that things offered to Idols and i Act. 15.29 things strangled are conjoyned in that place with blood where abstinence from it is commanded because of the Jews whose Communion with the believing Gentiles was interrupted by their liberty in those things As for things Offered to Idols the Apostle Paul counts it a meere indifferency k 1 Cor. 8.4 8. Rom. 14.3 20. unless in the case of scandall or offence to weak brethren Then indeed there is an Hypoheticall necessity imposed upon our abstinence for we must not by an unreasonable use of our liberty give occasion of offence unto others Then indeed we must not eat a 1 Cor. 10.28 For his sake that shewed it and for Conscience sake The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof But this question is more fully spoken to by Chamier Panstrat Cathol Tom. 3. lib. 15. c. 10. p. 528. Hornbeck Sum. Controvers lib. 11. de graecis p. 841. c. and Grosted our Countryman de cessat legal p. 134. c. with others who determine it in the affirmative that it is lawfull to eat blood so it be without offence or scandall to weak Brethren But I shall leave this and proceed to parallel the effusion of Blood out of the Sacrifice with Christs shedding his Blood upon the Cross He hath b Rev. 1.5 washed us in his Blood for our sins The Blood came out of the heart of Christ our Gospell Sacrifice to cleanse us from our impurities The Speare opened a passage into his brest that we might enter in at the doore of his Wounds and be healed by him and united to him This is the c Zech. 13.1 Fountain opened to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Besides in every Sacrifice d Lev. 3.16 the fat was the Lords It is the best of the Creature and e Theophrast Charact. p. 249. perishes not so soon as the lean To signifie that we ought to give the choicest and most excellent of our services unto God The inwards also with the heart and reins were to be washt and then Offered to God by Fire we must cleanse our hearts and then dedicate them to God The Head also and the Taile or Rump were to be offered up to God the Head f Spelman Tithes p. 72. as principium the Taile as finis Actionis Both the principle and beginning of all our actions and services as well as the end must be consecrated to God The dung was to be cast away into an unclean place to shew that there is impurity in our choicest services and that we ought to fling it away when we approach and draw nigh to God All the filth and defilement of sin is to be removed as possible from all our approaches unto God But putting an end to Generals I shall descend to some particular Sacrifices which though they were various yet they did all in severall waies either allude to Christ or else to somewhat of our Gospell Services For as our judicious a Grosted de Cessat Legal p. 167. Grosted a great light considering the times wherein he lived doth observe Vt res una multis signis ita Christus multis Sacrificijs the same thing may be noted by many signs so Christ by many Sacrifices 1. Of the burnt Offering 1. The burnt Offering was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ascend because being wholly burnt it did ascend up to Heaven in smoak and vapour By the Septuagint it is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a whole burnt Offering There was therefore a constant fire maintained upon Gods Altar to this purpose b Lev. 6.13 The Bullock Lamb or Kid which was thus Offered upon the account of the sinner did note our corruptibility even like the bodies of these Beasts obnoxious to the consuming wrath of God and the punishment justly due to us even to be tormented in the fire of his indignation And as the vapour ascended up to Heaven to cry for propitious mercy so it shewed the place from whence alone we can expect redemption and expiation for sin even from Heaven in the acceptation of Christs offering who was scorched in the fire of Gods wrath for sin Hereby likewise the meanes of obtaining pardon and grace are signified by the two properties of Fire Light and Heat The Light of Faith whereby the ancient Jewes did foresee Christ the promised Sacrifice and the Heat of ardent prayers breathed from the Altar of an inflamed heart whereby they did in the name of the foreseen and hoped for Sacrifice obtain the remission of sin Besides these were often reiterated for a constant memorial of the c He. 10.14 great Sacrifice once to be offered for the sins of many forasmuch as they were of themselves never able to purge the conscience from sin Fire was used in the consumption of these typical Sacrifices and what might that signifie Sometimes in Scripture it signifies d Grost ibid. p. 123. Virtutem Divinitatis nestrorum vitiorum rubiginem consumentis The force and power of the Divinity destroying the rust of our sins and vices as it is exprest in Deuteronomy saith our Grosted a Deut. 4.24 The Lord thy God is a consuming fire Sometimes it signifies Gods indignation as the Prophet Jeremy expresses it against unjust oppressors b Jer. 21.12 Lest my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it Sometimes it signifies the words of God proceeding from the mouth of the Prophets c Jer. 5.14 Behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shab devour them The words of the Law have the force of fire burning d Cramer Schol. proph 5 ta par p. 17. the hearts of men and stirring up in them the sense of the just wrath and fury of God against sin Now as the fire consumed the Sacrifices it noted the justly demerited wrath of God to consume us for our sins and was a type of the anger of God that fell upon Christ our Surety on the behalf of sinners * Cloppenb Schol. Sacri p. 62. c. It was anciently the token of the acceptation of their Sacrifices when fire came down from Heaven to consume them as in the Sacrifice of e Gen. 15.17 Abraham f Lev. 9.24 Aaron g Judg. 6.21 Gideon h 2 Chr. 7.1 Solomon i 1 King 18 38. Elijah It was unlawfull to use any other fire then celestial for when once God had answered by fire from Heaven the Priests office was to conserve it perpetually