home and be converted but also that we be preserved unto his heavenly Kingdom Joh. 17.15 He prays that we should be kept from the evil Hence sometimes Believers are kept from being tempted But if they be tempted they are either kept from falling by temptations or if they fall from lying in their falls 4. Suppose you meet with troubles oppositions and persecutions from the world Let the world speak evil of us yet Christ speaks well of us or rather for us to his Father and then what need we fear See Isai 51.7 8. 5. Thy Prayers are full of weaknesses and imperfections but the Prayers of Jesus Christ have no weakness and imperfection going along with them Quest But how may I know that Christ prays for me Answ Thou maist know it by two things 1. If thou hast a heart to pray for thy self thy Prayers are the eccho of his Intercession if Christ hath taught thee to pray for thy self Christ intercedes and prays in Heaven for thee Rom. 8.27 2. Hath the Lord taught thee to prize the Prayer and Intercession of Jesus Christ for thee if so it is a sign he is interceding for thee Heb. 7.25 Vse 2. This also makes against the Papists who plead for Mediators of Intercession though not of Satisfaction beside Christ This cannot be for his Intercession is founded in his Satisfaction the Scripture makes him the only Mediator of Intercession Rev. 8.3 It is true the Saints do pray or intercede for one another but yet they are not Mediators because it is not their own Incense nor their own Blood but it is his Incense it is his Blood that makes their Prayers effectual They do not pray in their own name but in his but he prays in his own name by the merit of his own Blood THE GOSPEL of the ARK and its Appertainances in the HOLY of HOLIES Jan. 3. 1668. Hebr. 9.4 5. THe Ark with its appertainances was another of the holy vessels belonging to the Holy of holies and it was the chief of all their holy things as appears in sundry respects as for instance 1. It had many glorious appertainances that related to it many other vessels belonging to this as the Cherubims c. 2. The place of it was the Holy of holies 3. Solomon though he made all other things new in the Temple yet he did not make a new Ark but only introduced the same which Moses had made with great solemnity into the Oracle the place which he had prepared for it 2 Chron. 5.7 Whatever changes and varieties there may be in other things whereby God dispenseth himself unto and amongst mankind other utensils may be made new there may be new Ordinances new Administrations but there is no new Christ Never look for any new or further Administration in this respect as there is no new God so there is no new Christ but Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. It is a blind and blasphemous delusion to speak of Christ as an Administration that is to pass away when the Saints have passed under it for a while 4. In that the Providences about it were very great and glorious and full of teaching and instruction The Ark of God led them through the Wilderness We are to follow the Guidance of Christ through the world It was carried with Bars so is Christ upon the Ministry of the Gospel from one place to another As the Levites did carry the Ark so Preachers may be said to carry Christ to bear his Name among the Gentiles so Paul Act. 9.15 Many great things were done by it Jordan was divided by it so by Christ all obstacles are removed out of the way The Walls of Jericho fell by it so by Christs coming the strong holds of Satans Kingdom are cast down It was the downfall of Dagon So is Christ of Satan and Idolatry While the Ark was amongst the Philistines they were plagued but Obed-Edom was blessed while it was at his House so Christ in the Gospel to some brings wrath being refused to others Salvation Eli and his Daughter died when the Ark was taken and the Bethshemites rejoyced exceedingly when they saw it so the presence of Christ brings comfort but his absence grief and sorrow The Bethshemites were punished for prying into the Ark. It is a dangerous thing to search into inscrutable Mysteries Be wise unto sobriety The Ark after many travels was brought at last to a place of rest in Solomons Temple so Christ after many wearisome journies on Earth was at length taken up into Heaven a place of rest where he sits at the right hand of God But as to this glorious Utensil it self we may observe these things 1. The Ark was the Throne of God on which he did appear sitting on his Throne of Grace and Glory and from whence he spake and gave forth Answers and Oracles Hence we read of a Throne of Grace Heh 4. ult This Throne of Grace is that Mercy-seat that covered the Ark on which God sate and where he is said to dwell between the Cherubims Psal 80.1 1. Here he gave upon special occasions visible appearances of his Glory This is that Shechinah which the Jewish Rabbins speak of And they have it from the Scriptures and the Prophets Ezek. 1. last and cap. 9. and 10. The Glory of the Lord is said to appear and to remove and depart away by little and little There was still less and less of God among them till he was quite gone So Isai 6.1 Rev. 4.2.3 2. Hence the Lord spake with audible voice and gave forth his answers so he promised to Moses Exod. 25.22 so Numb 7. ult The mystery of all which is this that God is to be seen in Christ and that he speaks and reveals his mind to us only in and through Jesus Christ 2. The Mercy-seat which was upon the Ark was a Type of the passive Obedience and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ for our sins whom God hath set forth to be Rom. 3.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propitiation 1 Joh. 2.2 he is the propitiation for our sins 3. The Law which was within the Ark is the active Obedience of Christ Psal 40.8 thy Law is within my heart 4. The Golden Pot of Manna is Christ in the Word Exod. 16. Joh. 6.48 49 50 51. He is the true Manna the true Bread of life 5. Aarons Rod that budded is the Ministry blessed with success for the good of Souls Numb 17.10 this was reserved before the Testimony for a token against the Rebels 6. The Cherubims upon the Ark are the Angels ministring to the Lord Ezek. 1. they are there described Is 6.2 they look towards the Ark they pry into the mysteries of the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.12 held forth by the Church Eph. 3.10 The mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God being above their comprehension and their Subjection to Christ as Mediator being not included originally within the Law
here how glorious is the Messiah of whom all these were but weak and dark Umbrages He is indeed the chiefest of ten thousands Cant. 5. Vse 2. Look whatever Glory was in any of these Persons by way of Prefiguration of Jesus Christ it is and should be found in every Believer by way of Participation from Christ and Imitation of him Therefore in these Examples we see our own Duty in their Attainments we see what should be our Endeavours our Endeavours did I say I may say also through Grace our Attainments For tho it is true we are not yet perfect neither have we already attained yet there is a time coming when thou and I if we be true Believers shall be more holy than ever Elijah or Elisha were in the days of their pilgrimage here below when we shall serve God better than Zerubbabel and Jehoshuah did when they restored and rebuilt his Temple namely when we come to Heaven Then there is not the least Saint but is more holy than ever the most eminent Saint was here upon Earth For the best of them had a Body of Sin and Death in them but in Heaven there shall be no Sin at all For as these eminent Persons had a typical relation unto Christ so every true Believer hath a mystical Union and Communion with him and by virtue thereof they do partake of his Spirit and Glory So that as we have here a motive unto what we ought to do so we have also Encouragement and Comfort as to what we shall attain We shall attain it then when Jesus Christ shall present all his Members to his Father blameless and spotless and faultless Ephes 5.26 27. Jude 24. before the presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy Who is the Type or Figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 Sept. 26. 1667 THe personal Types of Christ have been referred unto two sorts 1. Individual Persons 2. Religious Orders or whole ranks and kinds of typical Persons The former have been spoken to we shall now proceed to the latter and so finish the Text. The difference between individual Types and religious Orders or kinds and ranks of typical Persons lies chiefly in this That no wicked man could be an individual Type of Christ but he may be involved in a religious Order of Types For the Order is holy though the Man be wicked And here it is not directly the Person but rather indeed the Order that is the Type and the Person as involved and invested in such an Order Quest What were these typical Orders and Ranks of Men Answ I shall instance only in these six 1. That whole Nation and People of Israel 2. The First-born of that Nation 3. Their Nazarites 4. Their Prophets 5. Their Priests 6. Their Kings 1. The whole Nation of the Jews they were a typical People their Church-state being very ceremonial and peculiar to those legal times and therefore now ceased and abolished and did adumbrate and shadow forth two things 1. Christ himself hence Christ is called Israel Isai 49.3 By Israel is meant Christ and all the Faithful as the Members of him their Head 2. They were a Type of the Church of God under the New Testament Hence the Church is called Israel Gal. 6.16 and Rev. 7. The twelve Tribes of Israel are numbred up by Name to shew forth the Lords particular Care of every one of his People in particular That place is not meant properly of old Israel because it relates to the times of the Antichristian Locusts Compare cap. 7. with cap. 9.4 the Analogy lies in this That they were a peculiar people to the Lord chosen and singled out by him from all the world So is Christ the Lords chosen Behold my Servant whom I have chosen mine elect in whom my Soul delighteth So are all the Saints 1 Pet. 2.9 A royal Nation a peculiar People gathered from among all Nations Rev. 5.9 Hence the Enemies of Israel were typical Enemies as Egypt and Babylon under the Old Testament Types of Antichristian Enemies under the New and the Providences of God towards that People of old Types and Shadows of his intended future Dispensations towards his People under the New as you will see further when we come to speak of typical Providences 2. The First-born of that Nation were also a typical sort of persons therefore Esau in despising his Birthright despised a spiritual Priviledge and therefore justly called a profane person Heb. 12.16 And they also typified Christ and the Church Christ For he is the First-born among many Brethren Rom. 8.29 The Church And thence the same Name and Title is given to all the Saints Heb. 12.23 The general Assembly and Church of the First-born The Analogy appears chiefly in two things 1. In regard of the Lords special Interest and Propriety in them 2. In regard of their Preheminence and Dignity above others 1. The Lords Propriety in them as his in a special and peculiar manner The First-born are mine Because he had redeemed them when the First-born of Egypt were destroyed Exod. 13.2 So Christ hath a special relation to God as his first begotten yea his only begotten Son his Son by Nature we are Sons only by Adoption and Grace Primogenitus ante quem nullus unigenitus post quem nullus Joh. 1.14 So the Saints The Lord hath a special relation and propriety in them all manner of ways by Creation by Redemption by Regeneration by his own choice of them by their consent and choice of him c. 2. In regard of their Dignity and Preheminence above others The First-born had many Priviledges above his Brethren he was as it were the second Father of the Family So Christ Isai 9.6 is called the everlasting Father He had the Honour and the Government the Priesthood was his and a double portion of the Estate Deut. 21.17 The First-born at first had the Priesthood Exod. 24.5 Young men sacrificed Afterward Levi was set apart instead of the First-born Numb 8. Therefore Reuben left the Government to Judah the Priesthood to Levi the double Portion to Joseph who was divided into two Tribes Ephrahim and Manasseh So Christ has the Honour above all Creatures Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him And the Saints which are the Lords First-born in a secondary way are honourable persons as being Members of Christ they are precious in his sight and honourable therefore he says I will give Nations and Princes for thy Life Isai 43.3 4. 3. Their Nazarites the Institution of their religious Order with all the Rules and Observations belonging to it you have in the 6th chapter of Numbers It was an Order of much esteem amongst the People of God in those times and is reckoned as a great Honour and Glory to that People Amos 2.11 I raised of your Sons for Prophets and of your Young men for Nazarites Her Nazarites Lam. 4.7 were whiter than Snow There were two degrees of it either for
make atonement for him concerning his sin and it shall be forgiven him Levit. 5.6 He shall bring his Trespass-Offering unto the Lord for the sin which he hath sinned c. and the Priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin and ver 10. He shall offer a Burnt-Offering according to the manner and the Priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he had sinned and it shall be forgiven him Hence it is that we find the Saints under the Old Testament were so full of confidence and holy boldness in seeking and pleading with God for pardon and forgiveness of sin As we see in the Psalms and other Scripture-Prayers what strong and eminent actings of Faith they had this way Which to expect had been a presumptuous thing if they had had no promise to ground their Faith upon But they had very plentiful assurances and promises of it in those times and that is a second Gospel-blessing revealed and assured to them as well as to us the remission of all their sins III. Everlasting life and salvation in Heaven This is not a truth revealed only by the Gospel but was well known clearly revealed and firmly believed by the Saints of old They had assurance of this that they should live with God for ever in Glory When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness Psal 17.15 Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory Psal 73.24 In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psalm 16.11 They looked for another Country whereof Canaan was but a Type and Shadow as the Apostle shews in this Epistle to the Hebrews cap. 11.16 They knew there was an eternal State of Happiness for the Saints as well as an eternal State of Misery for the Wicked they did believe this in those days Thus we see they had the same Gospel-blessings preached unto them of old that we have at this day and these blessings and good things are demonstrations that it was Gospel because these blessings are not promised in the Law It knows no remission or regeneration of a lost Soul no salvation of a Sinner This was the first branch of the Argument But for a more clear and full eviction of it the second part of the Argument was this 2. Because they had these blessings upon the same account and in the same way as we have them now I speak as to the principal and internal causes of them For in the outward way and manner of dispensation there was a difference but not in this For upon what account have we these precious benefits and good things of the Gospel you will find if you consider it aright that it was then as now We receive all from the meer mercy and free grace of God in Christ and this was the fountain of their supplies also If they had received pardon of Sin and Grace and Glory on the account of their own merits and works of Righteousness then it had not been Gospel But they had it in the same way we have it as to the internal cause from whence all blessings come even from the Mercy and Free Grace of God a very glorious Attribute of God and most abundantly yea continually held forth throughout the Old Testament That he is the Lord the Lord God gracious and merciful How many Prayers and Psalms and Songs of Praise unto him for that his mercy endureth for ever How sweetly how pathetically do the Prophets teach and preach it to them this all the Saints of old had recourse unto David Psal 51.1 when seeking pardon Have mercy saith he upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions and Daniel 9.8 9. when he besought the Lord on behalf of the Jews O Lord to us belongeth confusion of faces c. because we have sinned against thee To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him We do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies ver 18. and for thine own sake ver 19. This then was that they had recourse unto as the Fountain of all the good whereof they stood in need and of all their supplies even the infinite mercies of God Moreover it was the mercies of God in Christ his mercies through the mediation of Jesus Christ For only through him is mercy communicated to Sinners so alone is mercy communicated Therefore Daniel there prays Dan. 9.17 Look upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake that is for the Lord Jesus Christs sake Hence they did so often make mention of Abraham Isaack and Jacob as being the Types of Christ in their Prayers and especially of David For thy servant Davids sake Psal 89. not as resting in David litterally but looking beyond the shadow unto him that was the truth thereof for by David they meant Christ Christ is oft called by that name because David was so eminent a Type of him And what is it in Christ that procures all these blessings in the Gospel for us It is his Blood and Satisfaction that atones Justice his Prayers and Intercession that prevails with mercy for us and so it was of old both these had an influence into their mercies as well as ours 1. The death and blood and satisfaction of Jesus Christ This all their Sacrifices pointed at For it was impossible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins Heb. 10.4 Yet it sanctified to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ c. Heb. 9.13 14. See how clearly the Prophet Isaiah preacheth this Isai 53. throughout the Chapter but look especially to ver 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This was the mystery of all the Sacrifices wherein blood was shed they were Types and Shadows of the blood of Christ 2. His Prayers and Intercessions For look as mercy is purchased by the merit of his Death so it is communicated and applied through the vertue of his Intercession Justice is satisfied by his Death and mercy intreated in his Intercession and so both those great Attributes are acknowledged and glorified in Zach. 1.12 Then the Angel of the Lord that is Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant that appeared he answered and said how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and with comfortable words ver 13. here the prevailing power of his Intercession is set forth And as the merit of his Blood was shadowed by the Sacrifices so the efficacy of his Intercession was shadowed forth by
the Incense and sweet Odours offered up to God under the Law These related to the Prayers of Jesus Christ he offers Incense with the Prayers of the Saints Revel 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne And the smoke of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand They had therefore both the same Gospel-blessings and upon the same Gospel account as we namely from the meer mercy of God through the Mediation of Jesus Christ through his Death and Intercession Reas 2. A second Argument might be taken from an Historical Induction of all those former times and the several Gospel Discoveries which the Lord vouchsafed to them all along from time to time As to Adam in Paradise after his Fall The Gospel was preached to him in that great and blessed Promise that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head This was the first Gospel Sermon that ever was preached Afterwards to Abraham the Gospel was preached Gal. 3.8 when it was promised that in thy seed shall all the Nations of the World be blessed and in Isaac shall thy seed be called To Moses and by Moses to Israel when the Lord said I am the Lord thy God that brought thee forth out of the Land of Egypt For he was a Typical Mediator There were yet further Discoveries in Davids time Christ is the true David Thus I might go through the whole Old Testament and shew you how the Lord from time to time made further and further discoveries of himself to his people in succeeding ages Reas 3. Either the Gospel was preached unto them of old or else it will follow that they were all damned or else that they were saved without Christ which to imagine were infinitely derogatory and dishonorable to the Lord Jesus Christ The Fathers before the coming of Christ were saved and went to Heaven But without Christ there is no salvation For there is no other name under heaven c. Acts 4.12 It is impossible that any Sinner should be saved without Christ Qui salutem cuiquam promittit sine Christo nescio an ille salutem habere potest in Christo Austin He that promiseth any man Salvation without Christ I know not whether he can have Salvation by Christ By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified or saved Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 Jesus Christ therefore is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 that is in all times and ages and so we may apply it thus Yesterday under the Law to day under the Gospel and for ever Jesus Christ is the only Saviour Therefore if the Old Testament Saints were saved it was by Christ and if by Christ they had the Gospel preached to them as well as we So we see the Truth of the Doctrine Obj. 1. But why do we call it the Old Testament if it was Gospel Answ This is only in regard of the manner of Dispensation we do not call the first part of the Bible or the times wherein it was written the Old Testament and the latter part of the Bible and the the times wherein it was written the new Testament as if the former were meer Law and the latter nothing but Gospel No therefore take heed of mistaking here For there is very much of the Gospel and the Grace of God in Christ revealed in the Old Testament many precious Gospel truths in the Old Testament And there is very much of the Law and threatnings thereof declared written down and left upon Record to us in the New Testament Yea there is more of Hell and Damnation there are more dreadful threatnings thereof in the Sermons of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the four Evangelists than is to be found in all the Old Testament But we call it the Old Testament because it was the first Dispensation of the Gospel And the Gospel we call the New Testament because it is the new Dispensation of the same everlasting Gospel therefore the reason is only in the way and manner of their Dispensation and not in the Subjects themselves Obj. 2. But there is a second Objection that the Apostle often speaks of That ancient Dispensation as if it was Law and not Gospel Some Scriptures call that Old Testament Administration Law the Ministration of Death as John 1.17 the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ If it was Law may some say then it was not Gospel so 2 Cor. 3.7 the Ministration of Death Answ We must distinguish between the thing preached and the manner of Preaching between the Shell and the Kernel the Shadow and the Substance Now the thing preached was the Gospel though the manner of preaching it was legal the Kernel was Gospel though the Shell was Law The Spirit and Substance and Mystery of that Dispensation was Evangelical though it was involved in a legal Shell and outside and overshadowed with the Shades and Figures of the Law God never had but one way only to save men by but it had divers fashions and forms divers outward discoveries and manifestations in those times in a more legal manner but afterwards more like it self in a more evangelical manner This Legality of that Administration appears chiefly in five things which were the peculiar Properties and Characters of that Dispensation by which it is distinguished from the Gospel-dispensation as being much inferiour to it So we shall shew you two things at once both the differences of the two Administrations and withal the Preheminence and Excellencies of the New above the Old It was dark weak carnal burthensome and terrible 1. It was dark but the Gospel is clear all things were involved in thick and dark Shadows Though there was a Light in that Mosaical Paedagogy which did appear and shine forth into the minds of Gods Elect yet withal there was a cloud of Darkness as to the outward Administration especially if compared with the Dispensation of the Gospel since the coming of Christ There was and is a double use of Types and Parables and of that whole way of Argument by Similitude and Comparisons they do both darken and illustrate if explained and understood they do exceedingly enlighten and illustrate but if not explained they are like a Riddle they cast a dark mist and cloud upon the thing So was the Law of Moses to all those that were not instructed by the Spirit to understand the Mystery of it The Reason and Meaning of it was hidden to the most of them hence a Veil is said to be upon their Hearts that they could not see to the end of that which is abolished c. 2 Cor. 3.13 14 c. as the Apostle there discourseth it at large 2. It was weak but the