with the holy Garments and by anointing them with the holy Oyl and by sacrificing and so sanctifying them by the Blood thereof When all this was done they might officiate in the Priests Office all their days And all these things did point unto something of Christ represented by these Performances and may be applied in a secondary and inferior way to Ministers and Believers but first and chiefly unto Christ himself For as the Priests by this Consecration became Priests all their days Exod. 29. v. 9. and the Priests Office shall be theirs by a perpetual Statute for thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his Sons so the Son of God is consecrated a Priest for evermore Heb. 7.28 Confer v. 27. This Consecration of Jesus Christ is the Commission of the whole work of our Salvation into his hand by God the Father But in the Rites of the Consecration of the Priests of old there was as of necessity there must be a disparity between the Type and Antitype there was a great disproportion between Christ and them sundry of those Rites not agreeing to them both in the same direct manner sundry Purifications which they used were rather to make them become fit Types of Christ then that they signified such parallel actions to be done by Christ The Priests by means thereof represented that Purity which is in Christ without those means They were purified but Christ was pure so that in Purity there is an agreement between Christ and them but in the manner and means thereof there is a difference See Heb. 7.26 27. And therefore when any such actions are ascribed unto Christ as when he saith I sanctifie my self Joh. 17.19 it is to be understood rather in regard of the effect then of the action rather of the thing it self then of the means but such active expressions are used partly in relation to the Type the Priests of old and partly in relation to the Church of Christ the Members whereof he is the Head whatever is done to them being first done to him their Head so far as the incommunicable properties of either will permit He is therefore pleased so to speak of himself as being consecrated and sanctified and the like Not as though there had been any defect of Holiness in him but as representing them in himself Moreover we must remember that these things are not to be looked upon by us as terminated in the person of Christ himself but as relating further to his Church and Members for whom he is an High Priest and Mediator with the Lord. Meminerimus quae de Consecratione dicuntur non subsistere in ejus personâ sed referri ad totius Ecclesiae utilitatem Calv. in Exod. 29.6 Now to come to the particular Ceremonies of their Consecration they were those four as beforementioned 1. The first part of their Consecration was their washing with water Exod. 29.4 Levit. 8.6 This intimated and hinted two things 1. The perfect Purity and Holiness of Jesus Christ Heb. 7.26 who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and such an High Priest as behoved us to have For we needed an holyer Priest then those of the Aaronical Order They were typically holy and some of them really but Christ infinitely 2. This pointed also at the Baptism of Christ at his first entrance upon his publick Ministry Matth. 3. Thus this great High Priest was consecrated and initiated by washing with water The first thing he doth to his people is to wash them He findeth them in a wretched and lothsom condition polluted in their own Blood Ezek. 16.9 then washed I thee with water yea I thoroughly washed away thy Blood from thee and I anointed thee with Oyl and so they did to the Priests of old Rev. 1.5 6. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins with his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Therefore sinners are exhorted unto this as the first thing they have to do Isai 1.16 wash ye and make ye clean 2. The second Ceremony of Consecration was the apparelling of them with the holy Garments Exod. 29.5 Levit. 8.7 These Garments are described at large in the precedent Chapter viz. Exod. 28. they were therefore spoken to under a former Head You have heard how they did betoken all those spiritual Graces and Excellencies which our great High Priest is furnished and adorned with And the next work of his Grace upon us after the washing away of sin is to clothe the Souls of his people with the Garment of Holiness and so to make them every way beautiful See that eminent Scripture Ezek. 16.9 and what follows ver 10. I clothed thee also with broydered work and shod thee with Badgers skin and girded thee about with fine Linnen and I covered thee with Silk See also the next following verses viz. 11 12 13. 3. The third Ceremony of consecrating was the anointing them with holy Oil Exod. 29.7 Lev. 8.12 The Composition of which sacred Ointment is instituted and directed in Exod. 30.23 As to the mystery and meaning of it 1. This holy Oil signified the Spirit of God and anointing therewith the Communication of the Spirit in the saving Graces and in the Divine Joys and Consolations of it so Isai 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me the Lord hath anointed me Act. 10.38 He anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost 2. The anointing of the Priests signified the anointing of Jesus Christ with the Spirit beyond measure Psal 45.7 Joh. 3.34 This is called the Resting of the Spirit upon him Isai 11.2 as upon Elisha 2 Kings 2.15 and upon Eldad and Medad Numb 11.26 so 1 Pet. 4.14 the Spirit of God and of Glory rests on the Members of Christ especially when in sufferings it being derived unto them from him Hence he is called the Messias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the anointed one because he chiefly is anointed with the Spirit 3. As this holy Oil stayed not upon Aarons head but descended and ran down upon his Beard and to the skirts of his Garments as is observed Psal 133.2 so the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ distills and is diffused from Christ the Head unto all the Members of his Body so as the meanest Saints have this anointing in their measure 1. Joh. 2.20 27. and do receive of his fulness even Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 hence they bear his name and are called Christians as being partakers of his anointing 4. The Tabernacle and the Altar and all the holy Vessels were anointed with the same sacred Oil when he anointed Aaron at the same time also he anointed them Lev. 8.10 11 12. The mystery of this is evident It teacheth us that all Ordinances and Performances profit not unless they be anointed unless the Spirit be in them with the power and presence of his Grace This makes them most holy and effectual for good Exod. 30.29 and if he breath in them whatsoever toucheth them
previous Rules that may be of some use and give some general Light for your better understanding of them 1. They were all godly men No wicked man individually considered ever was or could be a Type of Christ How could Limbs of the Devil men in whom Satan dwelt be Pictures as it were and Looking-glasses in which to see the Shadow of the most high God who is Holiness it self A man personally wicked may be involved with others in a religious Order For the Order is holy though the man be wicked But if single persons be Types they must needs be holy men 2. Whereas these holy men had their failings They were not Types of Christ in regard of their sinful failings but only in their Graces and Excellencies For Sin cannot be a Type of Holiness Therein they were not like but unlike to Jesus Christ the Antitype 3. When Typical persons had real Types belonging to them as oftentimes they had we shall speak to both together at least where they cannot be better and more conveniently referred to some other place As for instance Noahs Ark was a Type as well as he himself Therefore we shall speak to that when we speak of Noah as being a Circumstance and a part of his History which was though a true and real yet withal a typical History 4. These typical persons the highest and most eminent of them were but partial Types Therefore together with the Analogy between them and the Antitype we shall sometimes where we see it needful note also the disparity and disproportion that was between them That you may see how far the Shadows fell short of the Substance and how the Antitype excels the Type And we shall not mention all but only some of the chief and most illustrious And because there be divers of them we shall rank them for method and memories sake into two Classes 1. The personal Types that were before the Law 2. Under the Law 1. Before the Law Here I shall instance only in eight Persons namely Adam Enoch Noah Melchizedek Abraham Isaac Jacob and Joseph 1. Adam He was the first Type of Christ in the world That he was a Type of Christ is clear from express Scriptures The Text Rom 5.14 Who is the Type of him that was to come and 1 Cor. 15.45 The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit Now to shew you the Analogy wherein Adam did resemble and represent the Lord Jesus Christ It was chiefly in this In regard of his Headship and Influence Adam and Christ both stood instead of all that belonged to them Adam was the Head of the first Covenant Jesus Christ is the Head of the second Covenant Adam was the Covenant-root and Head of all Mankind a publick and common person representing them yea an undertaker for them What they say vainly of the Pope that he is the Church-Representative may be truly said of Adam He was the Representative of the whole World as a Parliament-man acting in the name of the Town or Country that chose him He sinning we sinned in him he being condemned we are condemned in him So Christ is the Head of the second Covenant and of his Elect who are involved and wrapt up therein He hath undertaken for them and presented them to the Father Ephes 2.16 in one body Therefore when he died we died with him when Christ was crucified our Sins were nailed to his Cross and crucified and buried as it were in his Grave If he arise we rise with him to die no more His Influence is to all his Seed For both Adams have a Seed As Adam so Christ Isai 53.10 He shall see his Seed He communicates to them what he hath so doth Christ what he hath Adam conveys and communicates Sin and Death But Christ Righteousness and Life Adam brought in these two great Intruders and Usurpers Sin and Death into the world And as Adam conveys Sin to those that had not sinned actually so doth Christ convey Righteousness to those that had not wrought Righteousness As in the Text Rom. 5.14 with Rom. 9.30 31. The Gentiles which followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness As soon as there is an Union between Soul and Body Adams Sin is imputed to his Seed so as soon as there is a mystical Union between Christ and the Soul by the Spirit of Faith so soon is Christs Righteousness imputed There be some other Considerations may be added unto these 2. The Apostle seems to make his Dominion over the Creatures a shadow of Christs Dominion and Kingdom Gen. 2.19 20. Psal 8.6 compar'd with Heb. 2.6 7 8 9. 3. His Relation to Eve She was taken out of his Side while Adam was asleep and afterwards married to him Gen. 2.21 so the Church is taken out of Christs Side while he was in the sleep of Death and joyned to him as his Spouse by the Covenant of Grace 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ Ephes 5.30 â—1 We are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones While Christ dies his Church receives Life and she which lives only by him her hath he espoused to himself in Truth Mercy and Righteousness Hos 2. The Church is both Effectum Objectum Redemptionis the Effect and the Object of Redemption The Effect He died to purchase to himself a Church a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 The Object He gave himself for the Church Ephes 5.25 But yet it follows not that Marriage is a Sacrament though Adams Marriage had such a sacramental or typical notion put upon it he being the common Root of all mankind But this will not suffice to make Marriage a Sacrament no more than the annexing a typical use to the Jewish Sabbath viz. to commemorate their Deliverance out of Egypt will make the fourth Commandment ceremonial And as Adam was a Type of Christ so we may carry the parallel a little further So Eve may be considered as a Type of the Church For the Godly are called her Seed I will put enmity between thy Seed that is the Serpents and her Seed Gen. 3.15 and Adam calls her the Mother of all living Gen. 3.20 So Jerusalem which is above that is the Church is the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 4. And lastly as Adam was a Type himself so he had several Types belonging to him There were divers real Types belonging to the History of this personal Type As Paradise a Type of Heaven For Heaven is often called by that name 2 Cor. 12. that which in ver 2. is called the third Heaven is called in ver 4. Paradise so Luk. 23.43 this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Paradise was a Garden of Pleasure Eden from whence the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pleasure and the Heathenish Poems of the Gardens of Adonis But at thy right hand in Heaven are Pleasures
second Covenant-Spirit is a Spirit of liberty and freedom not liberty to sin but liberty of spirit in and unto Duty The first Covenant-Spirit is a Spirit of Persecution Gal. 4.29 the second Covenant-Spirit is a Spirit of Love Let those Professors look to it and take heed to their Spirits who have a rigid a violent an imposing spirit towards the people of God the Children of the Promise take heed least you prove Hagarites and meer legal Professors 2. It is true as Abraham did turn aside unto Hagar so a Believer that is in the Covenant of Grace may possibly turn aside in some particular actings to a Covenant of Works when through unbelief and neglect of the Promise they act according to the Law in their own strength or in a way of violence not of love to their Brethren 3. But the Bondwoman and her Seed must be cast out Gen. 21.10 Gal. 4.30 Away with the Law of Works we must renounce the old Covenant and get free from the snares of such a Spirit 3. If we consider Abraham as the Head of the Covenant to that Church and People so he is a Type of Christ the Head of the second Covenant You know God covenanted with Abraham for his Seed so he doth with Christ for all his Elect. Gods Promise to Abraham was to give a Seed to him and an Inheritance to his Seed viz. the Land of Canaan the Land of Promise so God did promise to Jesus Christ that he should see his Seed Isai 53.10 11. and to bring them to Heaven Heb. 2.10 Jesus Christ is the true Head of the second Covenant he engageth and undertakes for all his Seed Abraham was but a typical Head thereof 4. Abraham was a Type of Christ in regard of his absolute Obedience to the Will of God coming from his own Land and from his Fathers House submitting to that painful and unto carnal Reason shameful and contemptible Ordinance of Circumcision dismissing Ishmael a thing grievous to a tender-hearted Parent yea which was yet more sacrificing and offering up his Isaac his only Son Isaac there was nothing so difficult but if God require it Abraham will do it there is not such another Example there is not an higher instance of Obedience in all the Scripture than in Abraham save only in Jesus Christ who was obedient to his Fathers Will in all things even unto Death it self Joh. 6.38 8.29 10.18 As God tryed Abraham in his Isaac so will he try every Son of Abraham in what is dearest to him 5. Abrahams Intercession for the Righteous in Sodom and the efficacy of it with the Lord is some shadow and resemblance of the Prayers and Intercession of Jesus Christ and the prevailing efficacy thereof for the Salvation of the Elect Gen. 18.25 For as Lot was saved by means of Abrahams Prayer from the Destruction of Sodom so are we for Christs sake from everlasting Damnation For Sodom was a Type of Hell which is therefore called a Lake of Fire and Brimstone Rev. 21.8 Lastly That he who was the Father of the Faithful should be so great a Souldier and Conqueror of five Kings and indeed Abraham is the first godly Warrior we read of in Scripture It was a good Omen and a Presage what Believers the Sons of Abraham should do and especially in the latter days when the Kingdom of Christ shall prevail as Dan 2. and chap. 7. 2. Isaac the Scripture takes notice of him as a Type of Christ when it calls both him and Christ the promised Seed and saith he rose from the dead and so he dyed also in a Figure or as a Type He was therefore a Type of Christ in three respects 1. In his Birth 2. In his Death and Sufferings 3. In his Resurrection from the dead 1. In regard of his Birth which was extraordinary and incredible not by the power of Nature but by virtue of the Promise of God Isaac was the Seed of the Promise made to Abraham Gal. 4.28 in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed But Christ was indeed the promised Seed he was chiefly and principally intended in that Promise see Gal. 3.16 in whom alone we are truly blessed Psal 72.17 Isaac was born by virtue of the Promise believed on against and above the ordinary course of Nature of Sarahs dead Womb Rom. 4.19 So Christ was born of the Womb of the Virgin Mary in a miraculous unconceivable manner not according to the ordinary course of Nature but by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing her Luk. 1.35 An Angel did reveal the Birth of Isaac to Sarah and she thought in her self it was impossible Gen. 18.11 12. Sarah heard it and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of Women and Sarah laughed within her self saying after I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also So did an Angel reveal to the Virgin Mary that Christ should be born of her and she admires and saith how can this be seeing I have not known Man Luk. 1.34 Isaac's Birth was promised and waited for many years from the first Promise of a Seed made to Abraham to the Birth of Isaac was five and twenty years For he was seventy five years old when he left Haran Gen. 12.4 and he was an hundred years old when Isaac was born Gen. 21.5 So Christ the promised Seed was long expected and waited for from the first Promise of Christ in Gen. 3.15 Vid. Ainsworth in loc to his coming in the Flesh was well nigh four thousand years 2. Isaac was an eminent Type of Christ in regard of his Death and Sufferings Isaac without resistance without repining or reply willingly yields himself to his Father even unto Death So was Christ obedient to his Father even unto Death So each of them was led away like a Lamb to the slaughter as is said of Christ Isai 53.7 Act. 8.32 Isaac carried the Wood whereon he was bound to Moriah Gen. 22.6 so did Christ carry the Cross whereon he was nailed to Golgotha Joh. 19.17 and so the Wood was first laid upon them both and then they were laid upon the Wood. Isaac was to be offered alone the Servants being left behind at the foot of the Hill Gen. 22.5 So Christ must tread the Wine-press alone his Disciples being fled and scattered from him Joh. 16.32 The place where Isaac was offered was Mount Moriah Gen. 22.2 and there was the Temple built a Type of Christs Body and there also his Body was crucified upon another part of the same Mountain And as to the time something of analogy may be noted some accommodated it thus that as Isaac came the third day to the place of his Immolation so Christ came to his Sufferings the thirty third year of his age consisting of three tens and three units And it was three years after his Entrance upon his publick Ministry which is three days putting a day for a year according to the
Now to unfold the Mystery of the Incense The Incense that was offered upon this Golden Altar was a Type of Prayer the Prayers both of Christ and of his Saints Both the Prayers which Christ offers up for the Saints and which the Saints offer up for themselves in his Name and Mediation See Rev. 5.8 Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense You may see the fulness of the analogy more at large in seven particulars 1. It was made up of many choise Ingredients Exod. 30.34 so is the Spirit of Prayer as it were a compound of many excellent Graces There must be Faith Humility Fervency c. and indeed all the Graces of Gods Spirit are drawn forth and exercised in Prayer 2. They are strictly forbidden to make another Persume of their own heads like unto it Exod. 30.37 38. so we are not to make use of any other Intercessors or Mediators but Christ only And in like manner for men to make Prayers in the way of stinted Liturgies though there be many of the same Ingredients in the Mass-book that is good expressions for the matter of them and words and notions that are found in the Scripture yet this being not the Incense that is instituted it is not it cannot be accepted 3. These Ingredients whereof the Incense was made were to be beaten very small into fine Powder Exod. 30.36 This teacheth us that Contrition of heart that ought to be in Prayer how the Soul is to be contrite and broken as it were all to pieces by humbling meditations of its own unworthiness when it appears before the Lord in Prayer These are the Prayers that God regards Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Isai 57.15 I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones If a man come with his heart whole and not broken this is to offer the Incense unbeaten unpounded 4. The Incense was to be set on fire and so the smoke went up before the Throne Exod. 30.7 8. This speaks that holy Fervency in Prayer There should be ardent affections inflamed by the Fire of the Holy Ghost Jam. 5 16. the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much We should not come with a dead cold heart before the Lord in Prayer 5. This burning of Incense was a Service performed every day morning and evening Exod. 30.7.8 This teacheth us that Prayer should be a daily work morning and evening David tells us of his praying in the morning Psal 5.3 My Voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up And also in the evening Psal 141.2 The lifting up of my hands as the evening Sacrifice Yea both he and Daniel used to pray thrice a day Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 Anna departed not from the Temple but served God with Fastings and Prayers night and day Luk. 2.37 and we are commanded to pray continually 1 Thess 5.17 Praying always with all Prayer Ephes 6.18 that is every day in the seasons of Prayer And Paul mentions his praying day and night 1 Thess 3.10 2 Tim. 1.3 which may well be understood of evening and morning See also 1 Tim. 5.5 and Act. 26.7 6. The time of burning the Incense was when they dressed and lighted the Lamps of the Sanctuary Exod. 30.7 8. This teacheth us the conjunction of the Word and Prayer in the Church Deut. 33.10 Acts 6.4 But we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word 7. The Smoke of the Incense ascended with a sweet and fragrant smell into the Holy of holies before the Mercy seat as Rev. 8.4 and the Smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand It went up out of the Angels hand This speaks that our Prayers come up before the Lord into his holy place even into Heaven before the Throne of Grace with acceptance through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ Acts 4.10 thy Prayers are come up for a memorial before God Hence that expression 1 Kings 8. hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place For the Holy of holies was a Type of Heaven and the Mercy-seat is that Throne of Grace where the Lord is said to dwell between the Cherubims Psal 80.1 It speaks also that God returns gracious answers to them as it is Zech. 1.13 the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good and comfortable words Sometimes there is a gracious terribleness in them I mean a mixture of Mercy and Terror in the Lords answers and returns of Prayer Psal 65. ver 5. by terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our Salvation Thus Rev. 8.5 when the Angel cast down the Censer upon the earth there were voices and thunderings and lightenings and an earthquake The Lord uttering his voice as it were from the Holy of holies in dreadful dispensations of Providence in the seven Trumpets it is from the Prayers of Saints that those dreadful Trumpets were sounded But one of the strangest instances of the Lords answering Prayer by strange and seemingly contrary Providences is that of the Turks Rev. 9. It is agreed by all Interpreters that the sixth Trumpet is the Turk But did ever any Christian pray for the coming of the Turk into Christendom No but yet they came and the Voice from the four Horns of this Golden Altar of Incense usher'd them in Rev. 9.13 The meaning is this the strange Power of God did answer the Prayers of his people this way it is the Prayers of Gods people that turns the wheel of Providence as it were and brings about all the great and mighty revolutions in the course thereof Vse 1. Of Comfort in five or six particulars This Doctrine of Christs Intercession which is the mystery of this Golden Censer and Altar of Incense is full of Comfort to poor praying Souls thou hast an High Priest which offereth up thy Prayers and they are made acceptable through his Intercession This affords Comfort let thy condition be what it will 1. If thou find thy self unskilful in making application of that part of Christs Priestly Office which consisteth in his Death yet thou maist look up to him to speak a good word for thy Soul this work is doing still though the former be done 2. In case of new sins committed after Grace received here is this Comfort that as Satan puts in new Accusations against thy Soul so Christ puts in new Answers 1 Joh. 2.1 2. if any man sin we have an Advocate c. 3. Many an one is much troubled with fears of future backslidings but Christ prays that thy Faith fail not he prays not only that we should come