The Pattern of the Divine Temple Sanctuary, Preface – Prayer
THE PREFACE.
FOR as much, as I have Labour'd to the utmoſt; Yet not I, but the Grace of God with me; in the ſearch, what, and what manner of Time The Holy Spirit, that was in the Prophets of old did ſignifie; in Setting out the Excellent Majeſty, and Glory of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in his Kingdom; This Great Viſion of Ezekiel, did in my own Thoughts Ʋpbraid me, that I had made no Attempt of Enquiry at the Divine Oracle Concerning it; I Reſolv'd by the ſame Grace therefore to Conſider ſo Stupendious a Model of Divine Truth; And I Can in ſome Humble degree Speak it, That I have Found in it like the waters of the Sanctuary, the Acceſſes of Divine Illumination, Riſing Higher, and Higher; and Becoming a River Overflowing my Thoughts with Ʋnexpreſſible Sweetneſs, and Satisfaction; And though I very Freely Acknowledge; There is in it an Infinite and unſearchable wiſdom, as a Boundleſs River that Cannot be paſs'd by any Humane underſtanding; Or as the Hiding of the Divine Power in a Light that no Man Can Approach, Yet Beams of Light Coming out of his Hand, I have Found to Inſtruct and direct.
Let no Man therefore, I Humbly Beſeech, Blame this Freedom of my Miniſtration in this Dark Scripture; Seeing This Viſion of Ezekiel, as All other Prophetical Scriptures, are Scripture in the Reverentialleſt Confeſſion of All, and therefore are Commanded to be Search'd; And Theſe are They, which Teſtifie of the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt; Theſe are as other Scripture, if duly open'd and Apply'd, Profitable for Correction, Reproof, Inſtruction in the ways of Righteouſneſs; It is Witneſſed particularly of this Viſion; That It is to be Shown; and is herein Profitable to Excite a Shame of our Iniquities; That it is our Duty to Meaſure this Pattern; And as the Apoſtle Peter Aſſures us; No Prophecy of Scripture is of any Private but Publick Interpretation; That All the Servants of God do well in giving Heed to it, as the only Light in ſuch a Mid-night Confuſion as we are yet in under the Apoſtacy; till that Morning Star of the Riſing Witneſſes and this Open'd Temple dawn in upon us; For as All ſuch Prophecy was Given by the Ʋniverſal Publick Holy Spirit; So It leads to the Publick Univerſal Glory of God, and of the Lamb, in the Salvation of his Church.
Further, I am very well Aſſur'd; As the Revelation is Taken out of the Prophet Daniel ſo far as Concerns the Sufferings of the Church of Chriſt under the Pagan Emperors, and then under the Ten Kings, Popes, and other the Antichriſtian Hierarchy; So unto the very Temple and Throne State in Ezekiel, is Daniels Prophecy Adjuſted in the Four Monarchies, as to the Throne; And in the Evens. Morns. and other Notes of Time as to the Accompliſhing the Deſolations of, and Cleanſing the Temple, or Sanctuary, and Final Judgment on the Laſt Deſolator Antichriſt; and ſhewing how Long; And ſo the Temple Repreſentation, Rev. c. 4. c. 5. The Throne of God and of the Lamb, the Seven Lamps, the Rainbow, the Holy Angels, the Elders, the Living Creatures, and Every Creature in Heaven and Earth Applauding and making Acclamation to God and to the Lamb, It is Taken out of this Viſion of Ezekiel; And all Times Dated accordingly by what Befell this Temple. And whereas It ſhould have Immediately Appear'd in Glory at the Lords Reſurrection, and God and the Lamb have Come down to be the Temple of Saints; There was only an Annointing of it in Heaven; As The Sanctuary was Annointed by Moſes when prepar'd to be ſet up; of which Annointing of the Holy of Holies Daniel Propheſied c. 9. 24. together with Viſion Seal'd or Staid; There was yet all along Some Proportion of a Counter point on Earth in Giving the Spirit The Symbols of which are as if Taken out Ezek. c. 47. 9. &c.to the Apoſtles; in an Apoſtolical Miniſtry Appearing, During the Service of the Four Living Creatures, which Reach'd Juſt to the Death of Alexander Severus, at the Third Seal.
And ſo Long the Ballances, and Weights of the Sanctuary were Juſt, and Bore up againſt the Apoſtacy, or Miſtery of Iniquity then working; From that Time there was a Declination; Yet after Conſtantine the Elders and Living Creatures Appear under the Sixth Seal, but as it were indirectly, and with a Glance only on the preſent State of the Church; viz. Only in a Prophecy of the New Jeruſalem or Deſcribing it; So that in the Seventh Seale, There was a Retyring to the Altar of Incenſe, and the Daily Sacrifice was Taking away; And then the Temple was ſhut up, and the Court without Trodden under Foot of the Gentiles, viz. Juſt at the Firſt Trumpet; And ſo It Continues a Shut Temple; and no Appearance of the Elders or Living Creatures, nor the Temple Opened till the Days of the Seventh Trumpet; But then It ſhall be ſeen more and more, and ſo onward to the Coming down of God and the Lamb to be the Temple of the New Jeruſalem. Rev. c. 8. c. 9. c. 10. c. 11. till v. 15.
It is therefore no Wonder, that there are not more Ʋniverſal, and Cloſe Reſearches of Holy and Learned Men; and by a Concert of Endeavors; to Spring the Mines, and Break up the Depths of Prophecy, to Cultivate, Till, and Plough up the Fallow Ground of Prophetical Scripture; that Conventions and Convocations are more yet Taken up about the Feſcues of Ceremonies, then about Eekiels and Johns Reeds to meaſure the Temple of God in the New Jeruſalem. Touching which if Any Sober Heathen, on Moral Philoſophers Judgment might be Taken; whether it were not Even Ridiculous, when ſuch Great Scripture Propheſies are before us, that there are ſuch Diſputes about Rituals; I am ſure, They muſt Give it very Diſhonourably to the preſent Chriſtian, Even Reformed Churches; Whoſoever of Them areſo Meanly Engaged, when ſo much Greater Things Stand by Them under the Diſregard of not being with utmoſt Diligence Inquired into.
But certainly As The Jews Although at Herods Summons, They Determin'd aright the Place, but never took Care to Inquire Diligently and Accurately the Time of Meſſiahs being Born, Fell into the Great and Ruinous miſtake of Rejecting Him; Even ſo The not Stating the Kingdom of Chriſt and the Time of it may be the Cauſe of a Grevious Slumber upon the Churches of Chriſt, as Matt. 25. 1. The Jews Great Scandal againſt Jeſus Chriſt Lay here; They Expected a Pompous Meſſiah and an External Glory, without Regard in the Firſt place to the Spirituality of his Kingdom; We pretend on the other ſide, to be altogether for the Spirituality of his Kingdom, and to have no Regard to the Viſible Glory of it; But we Glory in Transferring all ſuch Expectations to the Eternal State in Heaven.
But indeed Both Miſtakes ſpring from the ſame Root; We are Afraid of a Kingdom of Chriſt, that ſhould make an Impreſſion on the preſent State of our Carnal Grandieur, and Enjoyment of this World; and therefore deſire All Things ſhould Run in that Channel, till Death, and Final Judgment, and the State of Eternity; Temporal Princes, and States-men would not have any change in their Powe… ▪ and Politicks, and are Angry, Christ ſhould … told to Take to Him His Great Power, and to Reign; Eccleſiaſtical Grandees would have their Juriſdiction, their Regiment, their Canons, their Dignities, and Revenues Remain in the order, wherein They now Stand; And ſo the ſame Temper Runs down to the loweſt of Both of each ſort.
And thus we, even as They, Tread ſuch Paths, as that not Knowing the Voices of the Prophets, Acts 13. 27. though we Read them (as They did) often; Fulfill them in Condemning Him, or His Kingdom; For the Glory of this Kingdom and World to come, whereof we now ſpeak, is ſo plainly declar'd, and yet we are ſo Averſe to it, that It is Hard to know, whether Theirs, or Ours is the Greater Blindneſs; Only Bleſſed be God, the Error is not ſo damnable in our Caſe, as in Theirs.
In the mean time We Pray for, and Profeſs to deſire better Things; Even ſuch as the Prophets have Foretold; But what Hopes can there be of ſuch a Betterneſs, without a Higher Oeconomy or Adminiſtration from Heaven, when the faireſt Appearances that ever have yet been upon Earth, have been Blaſted, Faded and Wither'd, as a Flower in the Field, when It hath moſt ſpread its Glory?
Even This is a Demonſtration beyond denial, that either there is a Deſpair of any better State, or elſe ſome Great Propheſies muſt be Fulfill▪d according to the High Eloquence of Scripture, concerning a Reſtitution of All Things by the Second Adam, from the Time of the Fall of the Firſt Adam, and a Spirit pour'd out from on High, Suitable to it.
Oh that therefore by this, and other Concurrent Diſcourſes, I might, however unworthy, be Inſtrumental to perſwade; That we might with One Conſent, Give our ſelves by Books to Underſtand, when the 1260 Years, which God will have Accompliſh'd for the Deſolations of his Sanctury, ſhall come to an End; And that we would Set our our Faces to the Lord, to Seek by Supplication, Faſting, and Aſhes, as the True Witneſſes of Chriſt, that They may come to an End; Even if it may be ſooner, then 1697. And I am moſt aſſur'd, that at that Time at leaſt, we ſhall prevail, and the Tabernacle of Teſtimony, and the Ark of the Teſtament ſhall Begin to be ſeen by us in the Temple open'd in Heaven; and It will be Filling with the Smoak of Divine Purification by the Spirit of Jugdment, and of Burning, juſt before the Glory of the Lord Returning to it; For the Time given for the Bringing Ezekiel's Viſion into Effect must be at Hand, and the New Jeruſalem ſhall come down as the Lord hath ſpoken, Amen.
… A…juſtment of the Lords Prayer to th… Viſion.
O…R Father which art in Heaven, whom yet the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain; Hallowed be thy N…e, Bow thy 1 Kings 8. 27.Heavens, come down, and place the Glory of thy Name in thy ſelf, and the Lamb, the Temple of thy Holy City, the New Jeruſalem; Filling Heaven, and Earth with it; Thy Kingdom Rev. 21. 22.come, Thy Will be done as in Heaven, and on Earth: Let thy Throne be Eſtabliſhed in the New Heaven above; Reaching Ezek. 43. 7.down to the New Earth, the place of the Soles of thy Zach. 14. 20.Feet; So that an entire Obedience may be Rendred to Thee, even Holineſs to JEHOVAH throughout: Give us this day our Ezek. 41. 22.daily Bread; and Forgive us our Treſpaſſes, as we Forgive them that Treſpaſs againſt us. Fix then the Table before the Lord of John 6. 33.the Super-ſubſtantial Bread, the Lamb, united with the Rich Ezek. 44. 25.Perfumes of his Interceſſion, Ariſing from the Seven Times Purified Altar of his whole Burnt Offering of Himſelf, once Heb. 13. 10.for All; By which is made an Univerſal Reconciliation of All Things in Heaven, and Earth, in Him, even in Him: Coloſ. 1. 20.Lead us not into Temptation, But Deliver us from Evil; And this Thy dwelling place we ſhall no more defile by our Whoredoms, Ezek. 43. 7. 8.and Abominations, by the Carcaſſes of our Kings, by our Poſts, Threſholds; Or the Uncircumciſion of our Heart, c. 44. 7. c. 45. 9.and Fleſh; Nor any more Violence, Curſe, or Death Heard of in the Holy City of our Melchizedec; the Serpent, and his Rev. 20. 1. Ezek. 41. 18. &c. Rev 19. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 28. Rev. 21. 6.Seed being Seal'd up in the Abyſs: For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, The Cherubims, and Palm-Bearing Company ſhall ſing Everlaſting Hallelujahs, The Lord God Omnipotent Reigns: For Ever and Ever, In a Kingdom deliver'd up to God and the Father throughout Eternity of Ages, Amen. So be it, and So it ſhall be; So It ſhall be done.