The Temple of Solomon Portrayed, History · Chapter 9 · Section 1 · Part 3
Concerning the Myſteries of the ſtately Porch of the Temple.
BY the Porch is to be underſtood that ſtately forefront of the Temple, which ſacred mount Olivet, and the Eaſtern parts of the World.
The ſituation whereof toward the Eaſt was therefore injoyned by God, as(d)Molin. de Altar. & Sacrif. p. 94. ſome apprehend to diſtinguiſh the Jews from the manners and cuſtomes of the Heathens; whoſe Temples generally were ſo built, that the Adyta or more ſacred and inward parts, where their idols ſtood, were in the Eaſt end of their buildings, and the entrances or gates were weſtward, that their Gods might appear to them, as ariſing out of the Eaſt: and therefore the Prophet Ezekiel receiving a viſion of the Idolaters in his daies, beheld 25 men(e)Ezek. 8.16. with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the Eaſt, worſhipping the riſing-Sun. Hence is it, that the Chriſtians of old did worſhip toward the Eaſt, not in imitation of the Heathens whom they abhorred, but in hatred to the Jews their other fatal enemies; who conſtantly worſhipped towards the Weſt, according to the ſite of the Moſaical Tabernacle, and of this Temple of Solomon. But to enlarge upon this point any further, I ſhall deferre till I am arrived to the Eaſt gates of the Courts of the Temple, whereof in their due place hereafter.
As to the Myſtical ſignification of this preſent part of the building, (now before us); The holy Scripture doth no where inlighten us in diſtinct and expreſſe termes: we muſt herein therefore ſpeak only by permiſſion and alluſion; not willing to paſſe it over in ſilence, becauſe of its Connexion to the Sanctuary, and upon the account of its extraordinary magnificence, being a grand Ornament to the whole building.
For if the Sanctuary (which I ſhall endeavour to clear up in the next place) did ſignifie the Church of Chriſt, and Goſpel-communion with God in his holy Ordinances: then may this part of the edifice, as yielding admiſſion into the Sanctuary, be expounded (according the 6th Canon beforementioned) of ſome Goſpel excellencies.
For as much then, as the Porch gave acceſſe to thoſe, that were to enter into the Sanctuary or Holy place: who were all to paſſe through this previous building which was ſet before the other. We may thence learn that men ought not raſhly and rudely to ruſh and preſſe into participation in divine Ordinances: but muſt be ſtopt a while by the intermediation of a Porch, for the preparation and ſetting their hearts in frame for ſuch holy communion.
We read of a myſterious Inſcription upon the Gates of the Delphian Temple, ſituated under the famous Hill(a)Heliodor. Aethiopic. l. 2. p. 106. Edit. Franc. 1631. 8o. Parnaſſus, in the Country of Phocis in Greece: mentioned by Plutarch in a diſtinct Commentary upon it. Where after the recenſion of 7 ſeveral opinions concerning that famous [EI.] He fixes at laſt upon this definitive ſentence of Ammonius, (b)Plutarch foreign. Edit. Hen. Steph. 1572. moral. Vol. 1. p. 697.[foreign, &c. foreign.] It is the ſelf-ſufficient compellation and denomination of GOD, which together with the word ſettles in the minde of the pronouncer; a true notion of the power of God, &c.] After a few words he goes on to tell us, that thoſe that uſe it, do attribute a true, unerring and ſole appellation of eſſence, competent to him alone. For there is nothing of eſſence really to be aſcribed to us. Which together with many admirable and divine paſſages concerning the fluid nature of man, and the ſtable and unchangeable eſſence of God, gives a riſe for a conception, that the ancient Heathens (before the World was totally involved in the miſts of darkneſſe and ſtupid idolatry) did retain ſome memorials of the Revelation†Dickins. Delph. Phaen. p. 97. of Gods name to Moſes in that famous place of Exodus, where the Lord commanded him to tell the Iſraelites that foreign (c)Exod. 3.14.I am that I am, &c. had ſent him to them. Ehejeh, or as Plutarch afterwards calls him, (d) foreign, Iejus as the one and onelyonly God.(e)Plut. ibid. p. 699.
Beſides this Title at Delphos, There was antiently likewiſe at the*Porphyr. de abſtin. l. 2. p. 155. Temple Epidaurus, an inſcription in theſe words, foreign
He to this fragrant Temple haſtes in vain,
Who doth not in his breaſt chaſt flames maintain.
foreign. And that's Chaſtity befitting a Temple (ſaith Porphyry in that place) when our thoughts are onelyonly exerciſed and buſied about holy matters.
But whether or no there were any ſuch like inſcription on the front of this famous Porch of the Temple, though I am not able to reſolve by reaſon of Scripture-ſilence [where as Joſephus relates of pillars ſtanding in one of the walls of the Temple in latter ages of 3 cubits high, ingraven with certain letters declaring(e)De bell. Judaic. l. 6. cap. 6. ſec. Ruffin. p. 916. foreign, that no ſtranger might be admitted within that holy place.] Yet this I am ſure of, that the counſel of Paul is moſt ſafe and wholeſome, that he that cometh to God, and draweth nigh in a way of holy worſhip(f)Heb. 11.6. ſhould believe, foreign, that HE IS, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him. Whether no the antient Temple had any ſuch inſcription of an Ehejeh upon it or not, to bring to mind the unutterable eſſence of God, whoſe face they ſought that drew nigh to him in his ſacred ſervices; it is not much material, ſeeing now it is not in the mountain of Samaria, not in Jeruſalem that God will be worſhipped: but we muſt endeavour to preſerve the memorials of his fear, and the indelible Characters of his infinite eſſence upon our hearts; when we come to worſhip him in ſpirit and truth. For the(a)Joh. 4.23. Father now under the Goſpel ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him.
We muſt remember to caſt a watchful eye upon the(b)Eccl. 5.1. feet of our affections, before we approach to the houſe of God and ſeriouſly conſider, whether we have taken ſtraight ſteps in the paths of his commandements: and whether they are ſet in due order, and cleanſed(c)2 Chr. 30.19. according to the preparation of the Sanctuary. For we muſt(d)Heb. 10.22. draw near with a true heart in full aſſurance of Faith, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evil conſcience, and our bodies waſhed with pure water, viz. our converſations cleanſed with the water of the ſpirit in the laver of(e)Tit. 3.5. regeneration: as the antient Prieſts of the Temple did waſh their bodies in the water of the brazen-ſea, that ſtood in the inward Court, before they entred the Sanctuary to officiate in their ſacred functions.
We are to obſerve further, that there were ſeveral ſteps, by which they were to aſcend into this Porch; before they could enter the holy place: to ſhew the divine elevation of the ſouls of ſpiritual worſhippers, even as Jacobs ladder had ſeveral rundles; which the aſcending Angels were to climb before they could arrive(f)Gen. 28.13. near to God, who ſtood at the top thereof in that myſticall Viſion: In like manner, in reſpect to our drawing nigh to God in divine worſhip, Soul-exalting humiliation, deep and ſerious Meditation, ſearching Examination, ſelf-judging condemnation by reaſon of our infinite unworthineſſe to converſe with ſo holy a Majeſty, together with ardent Ejaculations of our hearts in prayer, toward heaven his holy place, are the ſeveral ſteps by which we mount up into the Porch of Praeparation, that gives us admiſſion into fellowſhip and communion with God, in his Sanctuary-worſhip.
We read concerning Peter and John, (g)Act. 3.1.[foreign] that they aſcended or went up, to the Temple at the hour of prayer, (grant leave to an alluſion) thereby to ſhadow forth the elevation and lifting up of our minds in the heavenly Climax or Scale of praeparation, for the ſpiritual worſhip of his Majeſty, in the aſſembly of his Saints.
Theſe Stairs or ſteps, in their extent from North to South, were of ſufficient length to admit many Prieſts in a joynt aſcenſion up to the Porch, and ſo into the Sanctuary, if the occaſional Service did ſo require, (as at the time(h)2 Chr. 26.17. of King Uzziah's intruſion into the Prieſtly function, we read of the High-Prieſt and fourſcore of the inferiour, at once with the King at the Incenſe Altar): The convenient copiouſneſſe of which Aſcent, may hint to us, that in Goſpel daies many, with the voice of gladneſſe, ſhall ſay one to another, Let us (i)Pſ. 122.1.go, yea,(k)Iſa. 2.3. let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the Houſe of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us of his waies, and we will walk in his Paths. Which places, together with many other in Scripture, may reflect upon all the ſpacious and ſtately aſcents at the ſeverall Gates of the Courts, and of the Mount Moriah itſelf, where the legall Services were performed.
This Porch (into which we have now brought our devout Reader) is generally conceived to have been open and without doores on all ſides on which it was not annexed to the body of the Temple, poſſibly intimating to us the open-heartedneſſe of God's Grace and Mercy under the Goſpel, the freeneſſe of his Goodneſſe, inviting all poor diſtreſſed Sinners to draw nigh to Him, ſo be it they make their addreſſes in a holy and pure Evangelicall manner. For(l)Prov. 9.1, &c. Wiſdom hath hewen out her ſeven Pillars, hath built her Houſe, hath ſlain her Beaſts, hath mingled her Wine, and furniſhed her Table of Shew-bread within the Sanctuary, hath ſent forth her maidens of honour, the Virgin-Embaſſadours of her pleaſure, to cry with a loud voice, Whoſo is ſimple let him turn in hither? (m)Iſa. 55.1.Ho, Every one that thirsteth, (n)Rev. 22.17.The Spirit and the Bride ſay COME. For the Gates of the Temple of the (a)Rev. 21.25.new Jeruſalem are never ſhut, yielding conſtant admiſſion for thoſe that are ſaved out of the Nations to walk in the light thereof.
The coſtly and beautifull gilding, that adorned this holy Entrance, denoted the Splendor and admirable Excellency of divine and ſpirituall worſhip, even at our firſt initiation into Society with God in his bleſſed Ordinances. Oh! how much of God doth a humble and holy Soul find within him, when he doth but ſett his heart aright toward his teſtimonies? What ſweet experienced taſtes of God's goodneſſe hath ſuch a Soul enjoyed? With what divine irradiations upon his underſtanding hath he been enlightned and enlivened, when coming (ſenſible of his own emptineſſe and unworthineſſe) to hold ſpiritual converſe with his holy Majeſty. The very(b)Pſal. 119.130. Entrance of his Word giveth light and a bleſſed underſtanding to the Simple.
The fear of the Lord is the(c)Pſal. 111.10. Beginning of Wiſdom, when we approach near the Foot-ſtool of his holineſſe in ſolemn Worſhip, even in the very entrance of this bleſſed work. The great God having declared, that he will be ſanctified by all them that(d)Lev. 10.3. draw nigh to him, and by all the people he will be glorified.
The extraordinary height of this ſtately and pompous building, (the Porch of the Temple) ariſing even to an 120 Cubits, as we have heard before in the former deſcription, ſo famous for its pleaſant and capacious Proſpect before remembred; ſhews forth to us the excellent ſublimity of divine contemplation: Wherein the Souls of heavenly Worſhippers being intenſly converſant, look down upon the Earth as beneath a Saint, and contemn(e)Mat. 4.8. all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them. The Heart of a Saint is moſt humble and lowly, who though exalted into divine communion, yet is the moſt noble, heroick, high-minded perſon in the whole world: being ſuch a one as whoſe heart cannot be filled with the vaſt Empire of the whole Globe, or the Dominion of all the conceited and imagined worlds in the Univerſe:(f)Col. 3.1. He whoſe affections are ſet upon things above, is like unto the Church that treadeth(g)Rev. 12.1. the Moon under her feet.
Upon the Top of this ſtately Tower (which the ſide walls of the Porch ſuſtained), called by the Evangeliſt Matthew (h)Mat. 4.5.foreign, The Pinacle or wing of the Temple, the bleſſed body of our Lord poſſibly was(i)D. Lightf. Temp. p. 58. arrived, when he triumphed over the Devil, there tempting him to preſumption. He was now it ſeems raiſed by the power of Satan (permitted to him by God) above the place of the Solemnities of ſacred Worſhip: which may yield us this glance by the way, That it is a diabolical Tentation, a helliſh deluſion, when any poor Souls are elevated and lifted up in their hearts above the inſtituted Ordinances, wherein God hath appointed that we ſhould worſhip him under the Goſpel. Beſides, it exhibits to our conſideration the extream danger of ſpirituall Pride, when we are even exalted to heaven by the means of Grace. Our dear Lord, in his tranſaction with, and conqueſt over Satan, yielded us an Example, that as he himſelf did not, ſo neither might we dare to preſume upon the protection of, or communion with Angels, unleſſe we walk in all the(k)Pſal. 91.11. waies of God, who hath promiſed therein to keep us; and becauſe he hath ſet his love upon us,(l)Ver. 14. he will deliver us, and ſet us on high, becauſe we have known his name.