certainly fail thee in the time of trouble for God will tear it to pieces and thou wilt be found naked then woe woe to thee in the day of Gods wrath when he shall come forth to render vengeance upon all that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks 2 Thes 1. 7. 8 9. O soul who ever thou art that shalt read these lines I beg thee therefore to hearken to that good advice given thee from the Lord in Isa 55. 6. Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near CHAP 15. I come in the next place to speak of the Brazen Serpent another Type which was given out to the Children of Israel in the VVildernesse read Numb 21. 6 7 8 9. THe occasion of which was this because of those hot fiery stinging Serpents which in the Wildernesse had destroyed so many of the Israelites up and down in the Countrey therefore did the Lord out of compassion to the Jews cause a thing to be made called a Serpent and it was to be set upon a pole for this end viz. that if at any time any of the people should be stung by any of the Serpents in the Wilderness if they at the same time should but look up at the Brazen Serpent set upon a pole in the midst of the Camp for that purpose this would bring them home an immediate cure upon their persons at the same instant Now this Type had as to its use special reference to Jesus Christ for such a remedy is Jesus Christ to spiritual stinged souls God in mercy to the elect hath sent his Son into the world and advanced Christ his Son upon the pole of the Gospel that he might cure them of their spiritual stingings occasioned by Sinne and the Devil the worst of Serpents If we look up to this Serpent upon the pole of the Gospel with an eye of faith John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son into the world thaâ— whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting lâ—fe so John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Alluding to the use of the brazen Serpent in the Wilderness which was to be looked up unto or to be beheld so saith John of the Lamb Christ Jesus behold the Lamb or look up to him if you ever intend to be cured of your spiritual stingings therefore for this purpose Christ is called the healer of the nations Rev. 22. 2. Use 1. O then soul whoever thou art that at any time art bit with the guilt of sin or by the prevalent working of any corruption O soul if thou wilt but look up to Jesus Christ the spiritual Serpent by an eye of faith thou mayest as certainly expect a cure to be wrought on thy soul as the Israelites who in looking up to their brazen Serpent in the Wilderness might expect a cure to be done on their bodies therefore is salvation tendred upon this act of the soul in looking up to Christ by an eye of faith Isa 45 22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and you shall be saved O therefore soul have a care thou doest not lose looking up to Christ there is nothing else will or can damn thy soul but this thy not looking up to Christ as a Saviour and Redeemer and resting upon him alone for life and salvation as one that is able to save to the utmost as the Apostle speaks in Heb. 7. 25. CHAP. 16 I now come to speak of the Tabernacle another Type given out to the Israelites in the VVilderness the manner and form of it I have already described to you before THis Tabernacle was typical two wayes or it typed out these two things to us First Christ himself Secondly The Church of Christ First It typed out Christ himself and that in these respects First As to the glory and excellency of Jesus Christ the Tabernacle was exceeding excellent and glorious within for all the inward parts of it were over laid with pure Gold Exod. 35. This was to shew us the richness and worth of the Son of God that so the creature might see cause to desire him love him and chuse him to themselves as their highest portion for ever therefore when the Holy Spirir doth speak of Christ it speaks of him under this consideration as excellent Prov. 3. 13 14 15 16. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of silver and the gain thereof then fine gold she is more precious then rubies and all the things which thou caust desire are not to be compared to her length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Heb. 13. speaking of Christ saith He is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express image of his Fathers person Therefore saith the Spouse Cant. 5. 10. speaking of Christ He is the chiefest to me of ten thousand And to this agreeth the words of Peter speaking of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you which believe he is excellent Secondly As the Tabernacle typed forth Christ in point of beauty or excellency so in point of acceptation for in the Wilderness if the people would worship God acceptably it must be at the door of the Tabernacle see Numb 8. 15. chap. 18. 3 4. 7 8. and at the Tabernacle door were the people to wait until the Priest within had done the service of the Tabernacle for them before the Lord which shews us thus much that if we intend in Gospel dayes to worship the Father acceptably we must come to the Father at the Tabernacle Christ and by the hand of Faith lay down our offerings at the door of his Worth and Merits therefore saith Christ himself John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man can come to the Father but by me Use 1. O therefore soul when ever thou doest any thing of the Worship of God be sure thou come to God alwayes by the door of this Tabernacle Christ if thou meanest to be accepted in and about what thou doest in the service of God offer all thou hast to offer God withal in Christs name in and by his worth and merits onely for his sake and upon his account and be wholly nothing in thy own esteem Come to the door of the Tabernacle under the sence of a meer piece of nothing bring with thee a self-loathing and self-condemning self-abhorring frame of spirit and let Christ be all and in all to thy soul and in thy esteem when thou art before the Lord in point of acceptation Phil. 2. 8 9. I count all things but as dung in comparison of Christ and I desire to be found alone in him Thirdly The Tabernacle was a Type of Christ in point of revelation Exod.
of you CHAP. 22. A second thing that I take notice of about the Lamp is the Oil which was in it I Shall speak the less of this because I have been handling the matter in some measure before but for order sake I shall give you a touch here You know as hath been already observed that a bare Lamp without Oil will not produce any light at all to any family or house in the world therefore here is oil poured forth into the Lamp and so it becomes a burning light before the Lord always Now you may easily conceive what this oil did signifie if you will but consider from whence it comes read Zachariahs prophesie chap 4. 2 3. with ver 12. There you have the two Olive-trees standing on the two sides of the Pipes which Pipes reached forth close to the Lamps emptying themselves through the seven Pipes into the Lamps Now by the two Olive-trees though some may conjecture or think by them is meant the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament I understand to be meant Jesus Christ Now that it cannot be the two Testaments of the Scripture which we must take for the two Olive-trees which poured their oil into the Lamps First Because the Scriptures of themselves are not capable of giving out the least drop of moisture to any therefore S. Paul calls them A dead Letter meaning without the spirit Secondly It cannot be so because when Zachariah wrote this Mystery there was but one Testament written for the new was not then given out therefore I say it must be applied to Christ Christ was both these Olive trees both to the Jewish Church then and to the Gentile Churches ever since I mean such of them as are Christs Churches indeed Now let Jesus Christ be considered in his two-fold nature as God-Man and so he will agree for number to the Olive Trees Now it s upon this account that Christ is such a dropping fulness to the Church Christ being thus considered in his two natures make him up to be the dropping Olive-Tree to the Lamps of the Church For first He must be God equal to the Father that he might be capable to receive these communications from God which are necessary for the Candlestick his Church Secondly He must be man as well as God that he might be capable to apply these received communications from God to the Church or these that shall be the Lamps therefore is Christ called the Emmanuel or the God with us Isa 7. 14. and in 1 Tim. 2. 5. He is said to be the middle person between God and us therefore is Christ reported in Scripture to be the treasury and store-house of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2. 3. And one in whom the fulness of the God-head dwelt bodily Col. 2. 9. And that it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell but that of John is full to this purpose John 1. 14. with 16. The word was made flesh and it dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth so ver 16. And of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Thus you see Christ is the Olive Tree that first doth receive from the Father and then drops his spiritual fatness down again to his Lamps the Ministers of the Gospel for the good of all the Church which is called the Candlestick so that by the oyl is meant the rich gifts of the Spirit which Christ gives out to his Lamps the Ministers whereby they are enabled to counsel and instruct the ignorant to comfort the doubting and strengthen the feeble minded to support the weak to feed the hungry and correct the obstinate and warn the unruly as the Apostle speaks in the first of the Thessalonians 5. 14. Use 1. Then this should teach Christians to admire the Lord who hath not with-held the best of supplies from his poor people O what greater love can there be thought on then this who cannot but be swallowed up in the meditations of what God hath done for his Church touching the daily benefits he drops down upon his people O when we do consider the rich droppings of the Spirit of God through Christ which do daily come down on the Churches Lamps for the common good of the whole body how can we chuse but cry out with the Psalmist Psalm 8. 4. Lord what is man that thou act mindeful of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitâ—st him O how largely hath God abounded this way of late years towards his people what a wonderful deal of oyl hath he poured into his Churches Lamps in this our day whatever age could say the like as we can say setting aside the Apostles age O how hath the fountain of light and truth been broken up of late in the midst of us how have the little ones in Sion been made to understand doctrine what a high way hath there been set open in the things of God in our day as that the way-faring men though fools have been kept from erring therein O that the Lords people would admire the love and grace of God herein and that they would cry out with the Apostle O the heighth the depth the length and the breadth of the love of God which passeth knowledge how unsearchable are his judgement and his wayes past finding out Use 2. It informs us what rich food the people of God hath given them to live upon which is better then all the rare dainties in the world beside when I think upon the pourings out of the Spirit of God in the gifts and graces of it to the Churches of Christ I do not so much wonder at the saying of the wise man who tells us that that little which the righteous hath is better then the large revenues of the wicked Psal 36. 16. Not onely because the wicked have not their portion upon a divine account or with such a blessing as the godly have but because all that the wicked do enjoy of this world were it ten times more then it is yet it is nothing compared with the least dram of the grace of the Spirit in the heart of a believer O the honey sweet mansions which believers feed upon O the rare comforts they experience both by day and night saith Paul 1 Cor. 2. 9. 10. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for those that love him which things God revealed to his by his spirit Well one word of the Lamps more and I have done speaking about them and that is It is said that these Lamps were alwayes burning before the Lord in which we may take notice of these two things 1. They were alwayes burning 2. That they were to burn before the Lord. As to the first consideration I understand it to be meant of the assured continuance of the gifts and graces of
sheep of Christ and to none else This is not for him that will catch at any comfort to protect himself in a trade of sin but this truth chiefly belongs to those that are indeed truly humbled under and burthened with the sense of the weight of sin To such only I speak do your sins press you down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves Do your iniquities so weigh down your heads as that you cannot look up Dare not you come to God nor stand in his presence Do you fear that your sins have provoked God against you Do you doubt the Plague is begun against you are you fearful the wrath of God is coming out upon you and that it may prove such a storm as may sink you into the lowest Hell Yet O look up to your interceding High Priest who is now in Heaven for you who labours to prevail upon the heart of God for pardoning grace on your behalf who likewise makes it his business to observe his Fathers countenance towards Believers that if at any time his face of Justice begins to look grim and he perceives that wrath begins to come forth he may as Aaron did step quickly in between God and the people and so by his interposing presence of grac eand powerful Intercession he may allay the anger of his Father again Hence it is that John comforts doubting drooping souls in his day with this truth because indeed it is a truth proper to that end and purpose and farther John the Divine doth not only apply this truth as a Cordial to bear them up under the sense of sin but likewise as a notable preservative against the act of sin 1 John 2. 1 2. My little children I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation in his blood for our sins and not onely for ours but for the sins of the whole world O Soul live upon this blessed truth stay thy self here under all thy doubtings O consider sin may vex and disquiet thee but all cannot hurt thee so long as Christ keeps up his praying hands to God for thee it shall not do thy soul the least injury Christ doth prevail and he will prevail in heaven for thee against sin and wrath Christ lies in the way of his Fathers wrath as it were if any of it run forth it must pass through Christ he stands between the Father and thy Soul in a time of the Fathers displeasure and cryes out good Father stay thy wrath O hold thy hands strike not this poor sinner if thou strikest I am resolved the blows shall alight all on my back I will bear all and suffer all and take all both fault and punishment upon my self This the Father tried once and it proved true when the Father went to strike the Elect the blows fell all upon Christs own back which bruised him very much Isa 52. 1. which leads me to a fifth use of the Point Use 5. Which is to exhort thee O soul from what hath been said about the intercession of Jesus Christ for thee Oh! to love Jesus Christ with all thy heart and with all thy strength and with all thy soul O who can love such a friend as Christ is too much O therefore strive to love with the love of service and obedience with the love of delight with the love of communion and with the love of desire so as to part with Father Mother Wife Husband Children Honours Lands Livings yea all that 's near and dear for Jesus Christ O account nothing too much you do for him in his Worship in his Ordinances as in Prayer Hearing Reading in Meditating Mourning Weeping Repenting Oh account nothing too much you administer unto him in his People in his Ministers in the mannaging of his Cause and Gospel in the world O with Mary think not your Alablaster Box and Oyntment too good to bring forth in a time of need for Jesus Christ Oh account nothing too much you suffer for Christ account no prison to bad to go into for Christ no dungeon too deep to lie in for Christ no death too disgraceful for Christs sake because he thought nothing too much he suffered for you nor any thing too much which he now doth for you CHAP. 25. Of the Brazen Laver. I Now come to speak of the brazen Laver which was for this purpose that the Priests might wash themselves therein before they went into the Tabernacle to perform the Worshp and Service thereof Exod. 30. 18 19 20. Thou shalt also make a laver of Brass and his foot also of Brass to wash withal and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the Altar and thou shalt put water therein for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat when they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation they shall wash with water that they die not or when they come near unto the Altar to minister to burn offerings made by fire unto the Lord. This brazen Laver was a Type of Jesus Christ and the cleansing water which was in it typed out the Blood of Jesus Christ which onely can cleanse poor souls and wash them from their sinful guiltiness and sinful filthiness for as the Priests under the Law were to wash themselves in the brazen Laver before they were thought fit to have to do either with the holy God of Worship or the holy things of the Worship of God so are all the Elect first by Faith to wash themselves in the Blood of Christ this spiritual brazen Laver before they are thought fit to have to do either with God or his Worship Hence is that cleansing attributed to the Blood of Christ so often in Scripture to shew you it performs the same use to the Gospel Priests for so doth the Gospel term every Believer now Rev. 1. 6. as the Laver water did to the legal Priests 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all sin so Rev. 1. 5. To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Now in this chapter of Revelations you may see by the order of the words in verse 5 6. how the Holy Ghost makes the type and the antitipe to agree In Exod. 30. 19. you have the brazen Laver set up now in the 5. verse of this chapter you have Christ set out to you performing the same use and office in washing and cleansing In Exod. 30. 19. you have the subjects spoken of who they should be which should wash in the brazen Laver and these were Aaron and his sons now you know these were Priests Now look into Rev. 1. 6. there the subjects spoken of which must wash in the Laver of Christs Blood they are called Priests likewise which intends all believers in and under the Gospel all those which have washed in the Blood of Christ our
wickedness My brethren where can you go into what Land Countrey County City Town or Family but you may blush to see the common prophaneness of it to your great grief what swearing lying couzening theeving brawling fighting and revelling is there abounding amongst men how do the most men tumble and wallow in the filth of uncleanness how are some buried up head and ears in their pride how do others glory in their oppression O how are others drowned in their malice how like swines do others reel up and down in their drunkenness what treachery and deceit and falshood dwells there in the mindes of men one against another as the Prophet speaks Micah 7. 4 5 6. The best of them is as a briar and the most upright of them sharper then a thorn-hedge Trust ye not in a friend put ye no confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom for the son dishonoureth the father the daughter riseth up against the mother in law a mans enemies are the men of his own house To this agreeth the words of Paul to the Ephesians chap 2. 2 3 Where in times past you walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom ye had your conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desire of the minde and of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Therefore it is that David when he was forced to flie into Gath among the Philistines because of the prophaneness of the people cryed out Woe is me that I dwell in Mesech and am constrained to live in the tents of ungodliness Secondly As this agreeth with Egppt for prophaneness so for false worship It is natural for men in a carnal concondition to worship God in a wrong manner as a good man said once every man is born with a little Pope in his belly To set up a false worship is the first thing a carnal man puts himself forth in This is the reason that the greatest part of the world lieth drowned in false worship and ante-christianisme it is because they are carnal and blinde and so want the light of God his holy Spirit to guide them into the truth Where will you expect to finde fish but in the water where would you see birds but in the air where would you expect to finde four footed beasts but upon the earth so where would you finde poor blinde carnal men and women worshipping but in their false forms pictures images and rejected ceremonies you may see how stiff the Pharisees stuck unto these things Matth. 15. 1 2. but you may see our Saviours answer Ver. 3. with 8 9. You know Paul the Apostle telleth the Saints in his day that they had been worshippers of stocks and stones dumb idols to this agreeth our Saviours words John 4 22 speaking to the poor carnal woman of Samaria You worship you know not what This is is most certain that the world for want of sight erre in every thing So that you see how well the natural estate of mankinde doth agree with the Land of Egypt for false worship or for worshipping God in a false manner Again Egypt was a place of hard bondage and cruel burthens a place that required brick to be made without straw Exod. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. besides the officers of the place would often beat the people if they failed of ought of their work ver 14. they would also refuse to hear the peoples cryes ver 16 17. This answers unto the covenant of works which every carnal man and woman in the world is bound unto by nature and lives under This covenant even to fulfil it in the exactest measure thereof This covenant was made with us in the state of innocency which requires perfect obedience in thought word and deed and not onely perfect obedience but constant continual obedience to the last breath Deut. 6. 5. with Gal. 3. 10. So that if a man fails but in one point of the Law of Works he is guilty of the breach of the whole Iames 2. 10. Now this Covenant of works doth not onely reach the outward actions of the body as some think but the inward motions intentions and purposes of the minde for so our Saviour expounds this Covenant Mat. 5. 20 21 22 with 27 28. verses Now as the case stands with the creature with respect to his fall this covenant of works may well be compared unto Pharaohs task-masters and those that yet live under it to the Jews in Egypt who were under the power of those Task-masters Exodus 5. 10 11 12 13. 14 15 16 17. verses For first of all they required of the Jews brick to be made without straw ver 10 11. so doth the Law require full and perfect obedience of the soul both in body and spirit as ever it did Saith the Law Bring me forth the full tale of obedience according to my commands let not ought of the works be deminished which ye should do in soul and body I will not abate one jot of it bring forth the full tale of your duties let not one be neglected if there be you shall dye the death and perform them in such a manner as I have required or expect death without mercy what you do see it be perfectly holy without the least stain of sin in it in thy prayings in thy fastings in thy mournings in thy hearings in thy almes in thy works of mercy in all that thou doest see that there be not the least vain thought in it nor the least stain of hypocrisie in it if there be thou shalt be damned to eternity Likewise see that it be constantly so with thee from thy birth to thy death If in all thy life thou shalt but miscarry in a word or thought I will pour out all my plagues and curses upon thee Matth. 12. 36. with Gal. 2. 10. I will not regard any thing that thou hast done in my service before though thou hast served me to the last hour of thy life with all thy strength and with all thy power yet if at last thou shalt offend in one word or deed thou shalt dye the death a death eternal of soul as well as body Ezek. 18. 24. Deut 27. ver 26. Now when the soul comes to be awakened to the voice of the Law how is it overwhelmed with amazement and horrour like the Jews under their task-masters how bitterly doth the soul bewail his condition crying out with Paul Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from so cruel a bondage as this Thus the soul falling down flat on the ground cryeth out of his condition because of the hard usage it hath from the Law that it should require the full tale of brick and yet deny straw O saith the soul
in the opening of it in the Ordinances how have you been made to cry out with Peter Matth. 17. 4. Master it is good to be here what blessed heart-affecting discoveries doth there come out of the Tabernacle sometimes therefore doth David so much prize the Tabernacle or House and Church of God Psal 84. 1 2 4. Oh how amiable are thy Tabernables O Lord of hosts my soul longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God blessed are all they that dwell in thy house for they will be still praising thee Why should those that live in the Tabernacle or house of God so much praise God Answer amongst many reasons so to do this is not a small one because of the exceeding glory God discovers to them in the Church Oh what glorious gifts are there what glorious Ordinances what glorious Ministers are there what a glorious Gospel what glorious discoveries are there made of this Gospel in the Church what a glorious Spirit is there in the Tabernacle of the Church Oh what glorious graces do there live in the hearts of the Materials of this Tabernacle besides the glorious name of God lives there and all this covered over with Rams skins dyed red and coverings made of Goats hair But however let Believers comfort themselves God will have a time to remove the covering made of Rams skins and Goats hair and then the world shall see and know the worth anâ— glory of the Tabernacle or Church There are many precious promises in the word of God about the removing of the Rams skin covering from the Church of God take a few for all one is in Psal 45. That where the Church of God because of her deformity on the out side hath been the scorn of the Earth yet the time shall come when God shall remove her Rams skin and Goats hair covering that the rich men of the Earth shall entreat the Churches favour as ver 12. of that 45. Psalm And the Daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour Isa 60. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee I will make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations So Verse 14. The Sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Zion of the holy one of Israel Verse 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee the Fir-tree the Pine-tree and the Box together to beautifie the place of my Sanctuary for I will make the place of my feet glorious So Verse 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted So Verse 3. For the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising So Isa 54. 11 12. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colours and lay thy Foundation with Saphires I will make thy windows of Aggates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant Stones So Verse 13. 14. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children in righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terrour for it shall not come near thee But the Question wiâ—l be when shall these Prophesies be made good I Answer When Israel shall come to his good land then it shall be then shall God take away the Tabernacle covering made of Rams skins and Goats hair which was upon the Tabernacle all the while of its being in the wilderness and then will God shew the glory of the Tabernacle his Church to all the world Isa 60. 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Is a Metaphor taken from the rising Sun as that when the Sun riseth upon the earth all the earth is filled with the beams of its glorious light so shall the world with the glory of the Tabernacle You know this covering upon the Tabernacle lasted but during their abode in the wilderness for when they came into the land of promise and rest the covering was taken away in a great measure and the glory of it suffered more to appear then formerly as you may perceive when Solomon turned the Tabernacle into a most Magnificent Temple Now this land of rest or the end of the wilderness journey I find to be two ways held out in Scripture either for the ultimate glory above or for that Kingdom of glory which Christ calls his Kingdom as he is the Son of man which he so often promiseth his people as the reward of their sufferings for him for our Saviour makes a clear difference between the Kingdom of ultimate glory above and the Kingdom of glory which Christ hath promised to give his people for their Faith Love and Constancy to him in suffering-times pray read well and consider that passage of our Saviour Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father on his Throne Mark that there is the Fathers Throne of glory and there is the Sons Throne of glory mine saith Christ and my Fathers now one of these Thrones or Kingdoms of glory hath Christ made the proper reward of the Saints sufferings and that is what he calls his Kingdom a Kingdom distinct from the Fathers Rev. 3. 21. I will grant him to sit with me upon my Throne which is promised the Saints so often in the word of truth Math. 19. 28. Rev. 2. 26 27. Rev. 20. 4. Rev. 21. 2 3. Now all these Scriptures relate to the Kingdom of Christ this none will deny Secondly That this Kingdom is held out to the Saints and promised them as the reward of their sufferings it must also be granted Thirdly That this Kingdom thus promised to the Saints as the reward of their sufferings cannot be applyed to the ultimate glory will appear if we look into each Scripture neither can men read these Scriptures so without being guilty of putting meer Nonsense upon the face of Scipture Pray let us look into these places Math. 19. 28. And Jesus said unto them Verily Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon 12. thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Now this very promise is again handed out by our Saviour after his Ascension to John the Divine in the Isle of Patmos Rev. 3. 2. To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me on my throne Look into Rev. 20 4.
Reconciliation and Pacification then by Christ dost thou not read that the Father is only well-pleased in Christ because he is his beloved Son Math. 3. 17. Dost thou not read that he is the way the truth and the life to the Father as that there is no coming to the Father but by him Iohn 14 6. And that there is no other Name given amongst men whereby we can be saved Act. 4. 12. And that if we believe not in him we shall die in our sins Ioh. 8. 24. And the wrath of God shall abide upon us Iohn 3. ult Obj. But methinks I hear thee reply Oh but thou art afraid to come to Christ I pray thee tell me where the stick lieth what it is which hinders and keeps thee back from the greatest of mercies what is it Is it the greatness of thy sins Oh then come to Jesus Christ for he is a merciful High Priest filled brimful of bowels and tender compassion for such an one as thou art which have gone out of the way of God mark the phrase Heb. 5. 2. Who can have compassion on them that are out of the way Oh the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Christ and the Lord hath anointed me to preach liberty to the captive and to open the Prison doors to them that are bound Isa 61. 1. Soul art not thou one of these captives art not thou a captive to sin a slave to Sathan a prisoner to thy own lustful wicked heart as that if the Devil and Lust bid thee to drink untill thou art dead drunk in the place thou must do it if it bid the commit Adultery Lie swear Blaspheme the worthy name of God if it bid thee Rob Kill thou must do it if it bid thee fight against the Gospel of thy Salvation speak evil of good Ministers for their faithful dealing with thy soul if it bid thee abuse and persecute the Lords people meerly for waiting upon him in his Ordinances if it bid thee seek and hunt out their Meetings untill thou hast tired thy self with thy wicked journey all this and more thou must do thou canst not help it thou art not thy own but Satans and Sins slave Now for thee was Christ anointed and with infinite bowels of grace and tender compassion filled that he might set thee at liberty from thy sin and lust and that he might preach the acceptable year of the Lord to thy soul O therefore come in come into Christ do not so much look upon what thou hast been in thy self as upon what Christ is anointed to be and to do for thee as a High Priest if thou wilt come in to him look not so much upon thy sins as upon the infinite compassions of Christ as a High Priest which was so made for them that go out of the way yea and for the ignorant likewise that should not discourage thee neither for if thou comest to Christ as a High Priest he will teach thee the fear of the Lord the knowledge of himself and the exceeding evil of sin which thou didst not know before Isa 29. 24. They also that erred in Spirit shall come to understanding and they that muâ—mured shall learn Doctrine Oh soul throw thy self upon him he will not reject thee for thy sins but pardon thee of them and pity thee under them Oh remember he is the High Priest which is full of compassion look up to him and hasten thy soul thither to the gate of his tender mercy and thou shalt find acceptance with him take his own word for it live upon it as surer then Bill or Bond from the tenderest faithfullest man in the world for it came from the lips of one who never spake an untruth in his life John 6. 37. He that comeâ—h unto me I will in no wise cast out Secondly As for those who have made their choice of Christ but still doubts of their condition Oh soul didst thou know how much comfort and satisfaction thou maist draw out of the Priestly office of Christ thou wouldst never doubt more I do confess that Satan labours to fill the minds of the people of God with great fears and doubtings but would they view this Qualification of compassion in their High Priest it would abundantly fortifie them against all Objections whatsoever Satan could make against them there be these five things which do ordinarily cause doubtings in the hearts of the Lords people First The guilt of sin Secondly The strength of corruption Thirdly The violence of Temptation Fourthly The weakness of Grace Fifthly Their backwardness in duty First If it be the guilt of sin which cometh in upon thee under all this look up to Christ let it not drive thee from but to Christ for he full of bowels and tender compassion on purpose to deal with thee under this distemper take his own words for it Art thou laden with thy sin as that thou canst not hold up thy head saith Christ then come to me and I will freely pardon it for my name sake though your sin be as red as Crimson and as Scarlet yet I will make them as white as snow and as wooll Isa 1. 18. Is it the power of sin troubles thee Oh then look up to Christ thy High Priest who is full of compassion filled up with it to out-vie thy corruption the Father was resolved to bring his elected ones to glory through the Priesthood of Christ therefore filled Christ with infinite affection towards his people that so he might pitty them and have compassion on them in all their distempers the people were in an ill case in the wilderness for want of greater measures of this in Moses who had undertaken the conduct of them Numb 11. 11 12 13 14 15. Moses crys out I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me Oh but it s otherwise with Christ for the Father was resolved to fill Christ with so much compassion as that he should never complain of his burthen in having to do with such corrupted ones as thou art Heb. 2. 17 18. For he was made a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God that he might be able to succour those that are tempted mark that to succour the tempted or burthened not to reject them under it Oh then come to Christ bring thy corruption with thee lie down with it at the feet of Christ and he will unlade thy burthen for thee Math. 11. 28 29. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Oh burthened soul here is thy call what canst expect more at Christs hands then to be bid under this weight of corruption to come away to him But it may be thou wilt say but I am afraid should I come my corruption would stir up fury in my Lord Soul Christ gives answer to it what wilt thou have more and bids thee put him upon the trial for saith
beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth and of his fullness have we all received and grace for grace ver 17. For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Christ is called the head of the body Eph 5 Whose Office it is to give down his supplies to the several members of the same for the mutual benefit of the whole body There was a stock of grace and holiness laid into Christ for this very purpose therefore is Christ called the Saints treasury or store-house Col. 2. 3. So saith our Saviour himself Iohn 17. 19. For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they all might be sanctified through the truth O therefore souls make to Christ for grace and holiness remember the Urim and Thimmim of all perfection both of Doctrine and holiness of life lieth in Jesus Christ on purpose to be given out to those that come for it Here it was David fled for sanctification under the decays of grace Psal 51. 7 10. Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Psal 36. 9. For with thee is the Fonntain of life and in thy light shall we see light Soul dost thou want grace purging grace sanctifying grace wouldst thou be more holy in thy life and conversation then thou hearest where the fountain is make out to him it s his desire to have thee come thou canst not please him in any thing better then to sue to him for grace and holiness therefore saith Christ If any man thirst let him come to me and drink John 7. 37. Therefore come with boldness to the throne of grace to ask grace and mercy to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. Lastly We may draw out this from the Urim and Thummim upon the Priests heart for our comfort to help us in dark erronious times When the Doctrines of the Scripture are by men corrupted as that we cannot drink them any where should we travel from Sea to Sea there is not a Priest or Minister that stands up in the defence of truth but every one perverts and corrupts it I say should we fall into such a season that we cannot find a Minister with the Urim or Thummim upon his breast yet we may comfort our selves in this that our High Priest in heaven is not corrupted he hath the Urim and Thummim still as much upon his heart as ever who taketh care to feed his people with sound Doctrine and with wholesome food however it goes amongst the Priests here below yet this Priests lips shall preserve knowledge if you will seek the Law at his mouth Mal. 2. 7. In the greatest darkness that over-spread Egypt yet he provided a light for his people in Goshen Exod. 10. 23. So when the Anti-christian darkness spread the Roman Empire all over yet Christ took care that his people should have a place of nourishment provided for them Rev. 12. 14. So in the times of Israels Apostasie when all the shepherds were corrupted in Israel when they had trodden down the good pasture of truth and justice both in Church and State and had fould the remainders of it with their feet Ezek. 34. 18 19. Yet then see the care of this Gospel High Priest in those times that although others did perish for want of sound wholsome soul-food yet his people should be fed from himself with the finest of Wheat and Oil read Ezek. 34. 11 12 13 14 O therefore make use of Christ upon this account let him be your stay let errour fill all the publick places in the world yet thy High Priest will provide for the sincere though in holes and corners I will send you the Comforter saith Christ and he shall teach you all things John 14. 26. Men may shut up all thy sound Ministers from thy soul such who have fed thee with knowledge and understanding but be of good comfort they can never shut up from thee this Gospel teaching Spirit this will give thy heart a visit in the most secret places of the earth this was with the Spouse in the secret places of the stairs and in the clefts of the Rocks Cant. 2. 14. This soul teaching Agent is not straitned saith our Saviour its like the wind it bloweth where it listeth men may hear the sonnd of it but cannot tell from whence it comes Iohn 3. 8. There was likewise at the hem of this glorious Robe tied several Bells and Pomgranates a Bell and a Pomgranate a Bell and a Pomgranate round about the hem of the Robe Exod. 39. 25 26 with Exod. 28. 35. The Use of this may be several ways considered First It was for noise or sound when the Priest was to enter before the Lord for this purpose was the Bells for it would have cost the Priest his life if he should have gone in to the presence of the Lord without these Bells ringing at the hem of his Robe Exod. 28. 35. Here we see what little regard God hath to these silent Meetings in Worship as the Quakers and others dream of God loves a laudable sound in his Worship Aarons Bells were to make a sound in the Woship of God But some may say is God taken with Words and Voices I answer would not the same Objection have quarrelled with Aarons Bells would one think God should be taken with the ringing of a company of Bells in his Worship friends have a care you be not such as would be wiser then God let us keep close to the known rule of Worship if we cannot give a reason why we should do this or that or the other thing in the Worship of God let us remember God can And for the Saints meeting together in Scripture I find it was to speak often one to another Mal. 3. 16. And another private Meeting Iohn 20. 19. But our Saviour comes and speaks or preacheth a word of peace to them and in ver 26. Another private Meeting but our Saviour by his speaking keeps it from being a silent one Another private meeting held in Acts 1. 13 14. Where they continued in breaking of bread and in prayer but never read of any such silent meetings as the Quakers keep so likewise if we consider the exhortations which the Scripture gives to the Saints about their meeting together we find it was to provoke one another to love and good works Heb. 10 24 25. And that should spend the time away in their building up of one another in their most holy faith and praying together in the holy Ghost Iude 20. Now can this be done where there is nothing but silence will sitting an hour or two together only looking in the ground in our meetings fulfil these exhortations Alas Brethren God will be served with whole man soul and body the body as well as the soul for God made both for his glory and Christ Redeemed both for the Worship of God
the sweet and cloth themselves with the wooll But for the fatness of sound Doctrine and the sweetness of truth the Church of God may perish and rot and die for any thing they eare or are thoughtful about surely the Urim and Thummim was never upon the breasts of these sacred Priests as they would be owned Secondly As for the other qualification which is holiness of life and conversation this ought to be in and upon the Ministers of the Lord They ought to be exemplary in their lives and conversations for others to imitate them that so they might not build for God with one hand and throw it down again with the other hand this is our Saviours exhortation to all Ministers of the Gospel Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works might glorifie your Father which is in heaven therefore saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 5 3. Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock Use 2. O Then how unhappy are the people of some Countries in the World with respect to the want of this great qualification in their Ministers or pretended such how hard a thing is it to find the Urim and Thummim upon their Priests methinks to see men and meet men with their loins girt so seemingly devout and yet to see these casks so empty either of sound Doctrine or a holy Conversation it is to me a piece of unparallel'd hypocrisie It s known to all that know any thing that the generallity of the world are apter to walk by examples then by precept the Authority of precepts depends very much upon the good lives of those which preach them alas Brethren what is it if a man go into a Pulpit and preach a very good Learned Sermon and as soon as he is come forth of the place to spend the rest of the Sabbath with his Parishioners in an Alchouse it may be untill they are all drunk in the place or to some ungodly sport or other to the very shame of nature it self if their be any Bull-baiting or Bear-baiting any Hurling Wrestling or Cudgel-playing any Crowding Dancing May-pole or Church Ale-gaming who more fritcher and forwarder in the work then the Parson of the Parish Thus the poor people are made Sermon proof and shut up against all convictions of truth through the scandalous conversations of their idle profane Priests which they have amongst them how far are such from being the Priests of the Lord bearing the Urim and Thummim upon their brests let the world Judge Lastly Where as it s said that the Urim and Thummim was written in the brest-plate and placed upon his heart it shews us how much the work should be upon his spirit that the Priest doth for God and how near he should set it to his heart so should it be with all the Ministers of the Gospel they ought to set those truths which they preach very near their hearts yea such as are true Ministers of Jesus Christ they do set those truths which they preach to others nearest their hearts of any thing in the world God hath ordered it that it shall be so he gives them that he sends forth as Ministers the little Book of truth to eat into their bowels that it might live in their hearts Rev. 10. 9 Hence it is that Jeremiah tells you that the word of God lived in his heart Jer. 20 9. And David a Prophet of the Lord also could tell you that the word of God and the truths he was to deliver were dearer to him then thousands of Gold or Silver Psal 119 72. The Lord makes it so to them that they may take delight in the preaching of it 2. That they may be careful of corrupting of it you know things that are dear and near our hearts we are very apt to keep pure but such things as we regard not we throw into any hole so that it easily corrupts and rusts 3. That if need be they may lay down their lives in defence of it this it was made St. Paul cry out he was not only ready to be bound but to die in the defence of truth Acts 21. 13. It was the nearness of truth to his heart but how few of them are there in the world that call themselves Ministers that in any sense wears the Urim and Thummim upon their hearts 2. As this qualification did relate to the Type which was the High Priest and so in him all the succeeding Ministers of the Gospel so it relates to Christ who was the Anti-type of it And so the Urim and Thummim shews us these two great things for our comfort which are infinitely to be considered in Jesus Christ First The infinite perfection of holiness and sanctification which is in Christ John 1. 14. He was full of grace and truth Col. 1. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell This teacheth us these two things 1. What believers are in the sight of God through Christ a people full of holiness for Christ is the Vine and believers the Branches now by vertue of this union God looks upon all alike God in the wise dispensations of his grace hath so ordered it that believers and his Son shall make up but one body that so God might account for the Heads sake all the members holy not that they are so in themselves but I say God is pleased to account it so that believers are as holy as his Son they being of him and in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And God would have us to reckon so too for our comfort mark that place in Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon your selves to be also dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord There is not any man in the world dead to sin or perfectly alive towards God its true the Saints are a dying to sin daily and a labouring out after life towards God saith St. Paul I press hard after the mark Phil 3. 14. But for any to say he is perfectly dead to sin and perfectly alive to God in himself he saith not the truth I speak of perfection in the degree yet you see God would have believers look upon themselves so reckon it to be so saith God that is as they are in Christ and by the Father there apprehended for Christ was so in himself fully yet not for himself but for believers read 1 Cor. 1. 30. He was made of God Wisdom Righteousness and Sanctification for us 2. It informs the Saints from whom they do derive their holiness and sanctification and to whom they should go for it O friends you drive it all from Jesus Christ he is the fountain of all your grace of holiness and sanctification John 1. 14 16 17. The word was made flesh and it dwelt amongst us and we