| 1. IT had three places therein: the outward Court, wherin the brazen Lauer, and brazen Altar stood. | Representing the visible Church, wherein is outward Baptisme, and externall exercise of worship common to all Called and Elect, Mat. 13. |
| Secondly, the Holy place, wherein was the Candlesticke, the table of Shew-bread, and the Altar of perfume. | Representing the inuisisible true Church, consisting of the elect onelyonly, militant on earth, wherein is the light of the Spirit by the Word, the true participation of Christ, the bread of life, and the sincere acceptable sacrifice of true prayer and praise. Within this place enters onelyonly the Royall Priesthood of God, Rom. 12. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 5. |
| Thirdly; the Holiest of all, wherein was the Mercy-Seat, the glory of GOD betweene the Cherubims, | Representing the triumphant Church in the heauens, wherein is seated Christ Iesus in glory, the societie of the blessed Angels, and the praise of the |
| and the golden Censor. | glorified spirits, with the continuall intercession of our Sauiour for his Saints on earth, Heb. 8. |
| 2. The entry to the Holiest, was by the Holy place, and to the holy place, was by the vtter Court. | So our entry to the heauens is by beeing members of the i…uisible Church, through faith in a good conscience, and our entry to be members of the inuisible Church, is by associating our selues to the visible Church professing Word and Sacraments in the Primitue Apostolike sinceritie. |
| 3. The fixed Pillars of the holy place, | Signifieth the Apostolike doctrines, in respect of the ministerie whereof, the Church it selfe is called, the Pillar of Truth, 1. Tim. 3. 17. |
| 4. The diuers ornaments and instruments thereof, | Typeth the diuersitie of spirituall gifts and functions in the Christian Church, Rom. 12. 6. |
| 5. The seuerall co…erings thereof, | Doth note the Lords sure protection of his Church by his power and Angels, Heb. 1. 14 |
| 6. Gold vvithin, and skinnes without, | Shaddoweth the spirituall and inward glory of the Church, and her account before God, albeit contemptible to the world in outwards, Cant. 1. 4. |
| 7. The Tabernacle & all the instruments thereof: yea the very Ash-pans & Snuffers of the Candlesticke, must be made according to the patterne in the Mount, Exo. 25. 40. Heb. 8. 5. | Shewing thereby that the Church, and all the exercise of worship that is therein, whether doctrine or discipline, must be conformed vntounto the written Word, Gal. 1. 8. |
| 8. The voluntarie oblation of the people to build the Tabernacle, | Represents that willing allotment and portion that Christians should giuegive for the vpholding of Gods worship and ministerie amongst them, and for the maintenance of the poore members of Christs mysticall body, 2. Cor. 9. 8. |
| 9. The principall builders of the Tabernacle, were Bezaleel p. 91and Aholiab, extraordinarily indued with cunning in eueryevery worke, and the secondary, was eueryevery skilful workman in whose minde God had put skill, and will to assist the worke, Exod. 36. | These figuring the Apostles, as Master-builders laying the foundation of the Christian Church, and the p. 91other the ordinary Pastors building on their foundation aright, beeing gifted and fitted for that effect, 1. Cor. 3. 10. Ro. 12. 6. Ephes 11. 28. |
| 10 The parts of the Tabernacle were so made, that they might bee ioyned or separate when they list, Deut. 12. 9. | To shew the faithfull in this Tabernacle of their body, which is to bee laid downe, and raised againe, to be farre from their resting place, while they be in that gloricus Temple of the heauens settled and seated with Christ, 2. Cor. 5. 4. |
| 11. The Curtens of the Tabernacle imbroidered with Cherubims, | Signified the seruice and protection of the Church by the holy Angels, Isa 6. |
| 12. These Curtens were coupled by their strings and golden hookes, that it might p. 92bee one Tabernacle, Exod. 36. 13. | Shewing, th… th… d…uers members of the Church, (whether triumphant or militant, and eueryevery where dispersed, make vp but p. 92one Tabernacle, Eph. 4. 8. Heb. 9. 11. |
| 13. The glorious doore of the Tabernacle, | Shaddowed Christ Iesus, who saith of himselfe expressely, I am the doore, Ioh. 10. 7. by whom wee get entry either to grace or glory. |
| 14. The Tabernacle thus by all the couplings thereof being erected. | Did signifie the knitting together by every ioynt, of the whole body of the Church in Christ the Head by the truth in charitie, for the furniture whereof (according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of eueryevery part) it receiueth increase of the bodie, vntounto the edifying of it selfe in louelove, Ephes. 4. 16. |
| 15. EueryEvery boord of the Tabernacle, signified each seuerall member of Christ and his Church, of Sittim wood: that is, chosen and sanctified, ouerlaid with gold, that is, made glorious in Christ, standing vpright, by the erection of hope, fixed by the tenons of Faith, and founded on the socket Christ, as also ioyned by barres, which is the …itie of one Spirit, and louelove: the couerture p. 93of this Tabernacle, is Christ, the linnen represents his innocencie, the Goates haire, his afflictions (the Penitentiars garment beeing vsually made of such) the third couering dyed red, figuring his bloud couering our sins, and the fourth of broken skinnes, his abasement and humilitie. The doore of the Tabernacle was not of any hard or debarring matter, but of a vaile, easily penetrable, to shew our easie accesse to grace in Christ, and acceptation in the bosome of his Church. |