The Types Unveiled, Chapter 9
CHAP. 9. I come now to ſpeak of the Iſraelites drinking of the waters of Bitterneſs, called Marah. Exodus 16. 22, 23. Though I ſhould (according to order) have placed this back before the ſtricking of the Rock; but becauſe I would not omit it, I have placed it here.
YOu may obſerve, that as ſoon as the Children of Iſrael were delivered from the Red Sea, and brought into the Wilderneſs, the firſt waters that they drank of (that we read of) were waters of Bitterneſſe, or bitter waters, Exodus 16. 22, 23.
But this was done by the appointment of God: Moſes was to take a Tree (which God ſhewed him) Mark that (not every Tree would do it) onelyonly a tree of Gods chuſing; and Moſes was to caſt the Tree into the Waters: which done, the waters which were bitter before, became ſweet and pleaſant to the taſte as before, Exod. 16. 5.
This leads us to the Ante-type, and as in a glaſs it ſhews us theſe things.
Firſt, What portion the ſoul (which hath eaten the Lamb Chriſt) may expect to meet with as ſoon as ever he enters the wilderneſs journey in this world: he muſt preſently expect to drink of the waters of Marah, or bitter waters; which waters of Marah they will hold out the ſtate of affliction which accompany godlineſs in this life: how ſoon do poor ſouls experience (after they have eaten Chriſt the Lamb of God) the drinking of theſe bitter waters of affliction: what oppoſition doth the ſoul preſently meet with, both at home and abroad.
Firſt, at home, what cruel threatnings doth the wife meet with from the husband; and the husband from the wife; the childe from the parent, and the parent from the childe, and ſo the ſervant from the maſter, the brother from the ſiſter, and the ſiſter from the brother; how reproachfully will they ſpeak of the poor ſoul which hath eaten the Lamb Chriſt Jeſus, what taunts, jeers, flouts, ſcoffs, and mocks doth the ſoul paſs under (for Chriſt) in the family where he lives, reproaching the ſoul with the name of the holy Brother, or holy Siſter, and that they are of the order of the Brother-hood; (though theſe terms are not matter of reproach, but rather of honour, yet the wicked uſe them as words of reproach, to reproach the godly withal) and if the poor ſoul be at his devotion to God at any time, then he muſt be termed a houſe Prieſt, or a Tub Preacher. Thus the ſoul daily drinks of the waters of Marah, or waters of bitterneſs, Pſal. 123. 4.
And if the ſoul goes abroad at any time, the ſame he meets with amongſt his Neighbours; its he that can ſport himſelf with the poor ſoul, as the Philiſtines did with Sampſon, Judges 16. 25. What miſchief doth the wicked plot againſt ſuch a poor heart as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of, Pſalm 37. 12. 14. The wicked have drawn out the ſword, and have bent the bow, to caſt down the poor and needy, and to ſlay ſuch as be of upright converſation.
Beſides, our Saviour tells you what his people muſt expect while in the wilderneſs, Mat. 10. 34. 35, 36. ſaith Chriſt, Think not that I am come to ſend peace on the earth, I am not come to ſend peace on the earth, but a ſword, I am come to ſet a man at variance againſt his father, and the daughter againſt the mother, and the daughter in law againſt the mother in law, and a mans foes ſhall be they of his own houſe, therefore ſaith Paul to Timothy, He that will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus must first ſuffer perſecution.
Beſides, here is not onelyonly perſecution of the tongue which the ſoul doth paſs under for the Lambs ſake; but perſecution of the hand alſo; impriſonment, loſs of goods, baniſhment, yea, loſs of life it ſelf; therefore ſaith our Saviour, You ſhall be hated of all men for my names ſake, and they ſhall ſay all manner of evil againſt you falſly for my names ſake: yea (ſaith Chriſt) the time ſhall come that he which killeth you ſhall thing he doth God ſervice, John 16. 2. therefore ſaith Peter, 1 Pet. 4. 12. Think it not ſtrange concerning the fiery trial, as if ſome ſtrange thing had happened unto you. No indeed, we ſhould not account it a ſtrange thing to ſuffer for Jeſus Chriſt, and to be brought under trails and temptations for the Lamb Jeſus: it is but a drinking of the waters of Marah which runneth at the mouth or entrance into our wilderneſs condition; which wilderneſs is our way to Canaan, through which all our Fathers went, and of which waters all our Fathers have drank of before us: for he that will not drink of the waters of bitterneſs for Chriſt, is never like to drink of the rivers of living pleaſures, which are at the right hand of Chriſt, Pſal. 16. 11. Matth. 26. 29.
Secondly, Moſes was to take a tree and caſt it into the waters, which done, the waters became very ſweet and pleaſant. This Tree caſt into the waters of Marah types out to us Jeſus Chriſt, who is oftentimes compared to a tree, Zach. 4 2, 3. Rev. 2. 7. Jer. 23 5. Its this tree of life caſt into the waters of affliction which makes the Marah waters ſo ſweet to the ſouls of Gods people. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath himſelf dived into the bottoms of this pool of affliction: therefore in Iſa. 53. 3 he is called a man of ſorrows and acquainted with griefs; and ſaith the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of the Lord Jeſus, that he was in all points tempted as we are, ſin onelyonly excepted, Heb. 4. 15. That is to ſay, there is no condition of affliction in which a Chriſtian can be found, but Chriſt the tree of life hath gone before him in the ſame condition of affliction to ſweeten and ſanctifie that very condition of affliction to that ſoul.
Are you troubled with inward fears, violent aſſaults from the Devil ſo as to be hurried and driven by the violen winds of his temptation,
Truly in this very condition was Chriſt himſelf, Mat. 4. 5. with 8.
Is it to be tempted to make uſe of any unlawful means to eſcape the trouble which the ſoul may be in, Chriſt himſelf was in this very condition, Mat. 4 3. Are the people of God tempted to blaſpheme the name of God, his Word, or Worſhip,
Chriſt was in this condition before you, Mat. 4 9. Where he was tempted to fall down before the Devil and adore him as God, what higher blaſphemy can there be then this. Are Gods people tempted to diſtruſt and deſpair of the mercy, goodneſs grace and bounty of God;
Chriſt was likewiſe in this very condition himſelf before you were, read Mat. 4. 3. Doth the Devil tempt Gods people to deſtroy life, and doth Satan put a man upon the laying violent hands upon himſelf, and to become his own Butcher and the Author of his own murther? You may ſee Chriſt himſelf as in this condition before you, read Mat. 4. 5, 6. Beſides, doth the Devil put a ſoul upon the queſtioning the love and favour of God to his ſoul, and to call in queſti…n the truth of his grace and his right to Adoption, in the ſame condition …as Jeſus Chriſt, Math. 4. 3. with ver. 6. Twice Satan comes to our Saviour with an (If) in his mouth, ſaying to Chriſt, I thou be the Son of God.
Secondly, So for outward Afflictions, Chriſt hath gone through them all, and had led the Van of all his travelling Army this way.
Is it to be derided and ſcorned for fearing God and keeping his Commandments, in this condition was Chriſt himſelf, Mat. 13 45, 46, 47.
Do we looſe a good name amongſt men, ſo did Chriſt, he was called a Devil, and Belzebub the Prince of Devils; Is it Poverty, Hunger, Nakedneſs, and Cold, is it to be turned out of doors by friends and acquaintance, is it to be hunted up and down the Country from place to place for our Lives, is it Impriſonment, Condemnation, is it to be made to ſtand to the Bar of Juſtice amongſt the Malefactors, is it death it ſelf?
In all and every of theſe conditions was Chriſt himſelf, as the Tree caſt into theſe Marah waters of Affliction that he might ſanctifie them to us, and ſweeten them for our ſpiritual taſts, reliſh, and comfort.
Uſe 1.
Then what need had the ſoul in all his Wilderneſs Trials and Temptations, to fix a believing eye upon Chriſt, and to have great dependency on this Tree of Life, that can take out every Thorne out of his burthen of Afflictions, that only can ſweeten his bitter Cup to him, and can ſanctifie every condition to his ſoul.
Its reported of the Beaſts in ſome Countries (where the waters are ſubject to more Venome then ours are) that when they come to the water to drink, they all wait for the Unicorn, that ſo he might firſt put in his Horn, the vertue of which expels the venemous corruption which was in the water before, and then they all drink of the ſame.
O ſo ſhould the Lords people wait in the waters of Affliction upon Chriſt their ſpiritual Unicorn, who putteth down his long Horn of grace and refreſhment, to ſweeten theſe conditions of Affliction and Trouble to the ſoul, ſaith the Apoſtle to the Hebrews 12. Chap. ver. 2. 3. Set Chriſt before you as an example of ſuffering, and conſider him who endureth ſuch contradictions of ſinners, leaſt you faint and wax weary in your minds.
O how ſweet and comfortable to the ſoul (in all his Trials) muſt it be when the ſoul conſiders that Jeſus Chriſt went all along in all theſe things before him, to ſanctifie and ſweeten them all to the ſoul.
Beſides, when the ſoul conſiders that Chriſt did not only travel through theſe conditions of Temptation and Affliction, to ſweeten them to the ſouls taſte,
But he is the Tree that ſtill lieth in theſe Marah waters as a Companion with the ſoul in all his Trials, Iſa. 43. 2.
1. Chriſt is there with his power to ſupport them, Iſa. 41. 10.
2. Chriſt is there with his ſpirit to comfort the ſoul while in the affliction, 2 Cor. 1. 4, 5. John 14. and 16. Chap.
To which truth I my ſelf can ſet to my Seal who am at this time a Priſoner for the word of God and the teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt.
I can ſay Chriſt is ſuch a Tree in the bitter waters of Marah, as that he comforts thoſe that are in tribulation for his work and ſervice.
Thus you have had a ſight of the bitter waters of Marah, together with the Tree of Life caſt into theſe waters; for the ſanctifying and ſweetning of them to the Wilderneſſe travelling ſoul, who hath ſet forward to his Canaan of Reſt and Peace.