The Types Unveiled, Chapter 17
CHAP. 17. I now come to ſpeak of the ſeveral things in the Tabernacle, and firſt I begin with the Ark.
FIrſt, there was in the Tabernacle a very glorious thing called an Ark, Exod. 37. 1, 2. The ſignification of which we finde to be the Worſhip of God accompanied with his preſence; therefore in 1 Sam. 4. 21. when the Ark was taken by the Philiſtines, its ſaid that the g…ory of God was departed from Iſrael, meaning the Worſhip of God, wherein God was in an eſpecial manner preſent with his people: ſo Pſ. 132 8. For indeed the worſhip of God is the glory of any Nation, and when that is gone their true glory is gone, although it may be they do not ſee it.
Uſe 1.
Then how may we pitty thoſe Nations that are without the true worſhip of God, alas they are without true glory, they have not excellency or beauty upon them, they have not the worſhip of God; whatever they may account of themſelvs, yet God and his word accounts them to be a baſe ignoble nation or people, a whole nation of them not worth one ſingle perſon of that people which have the worſhip of God amongſt them: read Iſaiah, where God is a ſpeaking of theſe perſons that had his worſhip kept up amongſt them, and do but obſerve how God values them in compariſon of others which had not this true worſhip amongſt them, ſpeaking to Iſrael, ſaith thus, Iſa. 43. 3, 4. For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Iſrael thy Saviour; I gave Egypt for thy ranſome, Ethiopia and Seba for thee: ſince thou haſt been precious in my ſight thou haſt been honourable, and I have loved thee: I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. Now Iſrael had the true Worſhip of God amongſt them, but Ethiopia▪ Seba, and Egypt had not: and that is the reaſon that God prefers Iſrael above and beyond the other nations: but when the God of this world hath wholly blinded the eyes of the nations of the earth, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in 2 Cor. 4. 4. As that the light of the glorious Goſpel cannot ſhine in upon their hearts: Its no wonder if the nations of the earth findes not the want of this mercy.
Secondly, O then what a ſad thing is it for a Nation that once had the Goſpel amongſt them ſhining in its luſtre and brightneſſe round about their Tents and Tabernacles to be guilty of driving and forcing the Goſpel away, and the pure Worſhip of God away from them; what worthleſs creatures are ſuch, and what a worthleſs Nation is ſuch a Nation (think you) in Gods ſight, who ſhall in the face of God cry down, and vote down, and thruſt out from amongſt them the Ark of his Worſhip and Goſpel, as a thing not worthy to live or abide amongſt them. Certainly if the Gadarens, Luke 8. 37. Did render themſelves a vile people in Gods ſight in putting Chriſt from their Country (though done with a mild intreaty) how much more vile hath that Nation or people rendred themſelves in the ſight of God, who have not patience with the Gadarens to intereat him civilly to depart from them, but wicked Pharaoh-like, doth violently force him and drive him out of their Coaſts; Certainly I know not a blacker Character can hang over a people or Nation, then this Character which do more ſtrongly witneſſe the Ruine of ſuch a people then this doth, read theſe places, Prov. 1. 25, 26, 27. 2 Chron. 36. 16, 17. Theſ. 1 2, 15, 16. You likewiſe know what became of Pharaoh and his whole Army, together with all the glory of his Kingdom, ſuddenly after he had contracted this kind of guilt upon him and his Nation; and certainly the Lord favours this kind of ſin no more now then in Pharaohs time, and his arm is not ſhortned, he is as well able to reach ſuch a Nation now as then: O where this kind of ſin dwells, the good Lord give that Nation ſound Repentance for it before he comes to tear them in pieces.
A 2d thing about the Ark which we are to take notice of is this, you read in Exod. 37. 2. That the Ark was overlaid with pure gold; which ſheweth us both the excellency and purity of the Worſhip of God, for as gold is both excellent and pure, ſo is the Worſhip of God, it is both excellent and pure; therefore when that holy Ghoſt ſpeaks of the Worſhip of God, he compares it to a Sea of Glaſs as clear as Cryſtal, Revelations 4. 6. Meaning for the worth and purity of it.
A third thing about the Ark is this, there was a Crown of gold round about above upon it, Exod. 37. 1, 2. This Crown upon the Ark denotes the Authority which God hath ſtamped upon his Worſhip, Gods Worſhip hath his Authority ſet upon it, for ſuch is the Import or ſignification of the word Crown, or the thing called Crown, it ſignifies Rule and chief Authority, which commands obedience and ſubjection to its Law, Will, and pleaſure.
Uſe 2.
The uſe we ſhould make of this Myſtery will teach us this Leſſon. Firſt, to their peril who ever they be that ſhall dare to alter any part or Tittle of this Worſhip of the Altar, or ſhall mix it with any of their own whoriſh, helliſh Inventions, or Romiſh fopperies, Deut. 12. 32. What thing ſoever I command you, that obſerve to do it, thou ſhalt not add thereunto, nor diminiſh from it.
Hence it is that Moſes in the giving out of the Worſhip of God to the people was admoniſhed, that he ſhould not vary from the pattern ſhewed him in the mount, we are to take notice of the pattern laid down in the word of God, and by that Rule to build Gods houſe, and only according to that to ſteer our compaſſe in and about the Worſhip of God, Iſa. 8. 20. To the Law and the Teſtimony, if any man ſpeak not according to this Rule, its becauſe there is no light in him: Beſides, the Crown upon the Altar ſhews us thus much, that none are left to their wills as arbitrary in the performing of Worſhip to God, ſo as to do it when we pleaſe, as none are left (in this caſe) ſo to their own wills to do it how they pleaſed; ſo likewiſe none are ſo left to their wills to do it or perform it when or at what time they pleaſe, neglects in this caſe are dangerous, not to attend the Worſhip of God either in publick or private, where and when God requires, is to ſin againſt the Crown upon the Altar, which is the Authority of God, and to incur the diſpleaſure of God, and indeed to be guilty of any wilful raſhneſs or neglect in this buſineſs, is the ready way for a man to lay himſelf open to great puniſhments from the hand of the Lord, Jer. 11. 3. Curſed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant, ſo Jer. 48. 10. Curſed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully.
O therefore ſoul remember that the Altar-worſhip hath its Crown above upon it, which ſignifyeth the Authors Authority or Law, which requireth thy ſubmiſſion or ſubjecton to it, ſo as to be careful thou proveſt not a wilful corrupter or neglector of the Worſhip of God.
Again, in the Tabernacle was the Mercy-ſeat placed, which had two Cherubims at the two ends of it, whoſe faces looked towards the Mercy-ſeat, Exod. 37 67, 89.
Firſt, By the Mercy-ſeat placed in the Tabernacle, I underſtand to be meant the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe bloud and merits is the ground of Gods great manifeſtations of love and grace to the Elect, ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Chriſt Reconciling the world to himſelf. Mark, God was in Chriſt, that is, in his humane nature, appearing through it to men as he did through the Mercy-ſeat of old, Rom. 5. 9, 10. We are ſaved from wrath through Chriſt by being juſtified by his bloud, for when we were enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we ſhall be ſaved by his life; ſo that you ſee Chriſt the Mercy-ſeat is the ground of all the grace, love, mercy and Reconciliation which from the Father comes home to the Elect, I mean a procuring ground, not the efficient or firſt moving ground. In a word, this Mercy-ſeat ſhews us what Chriſt is in all reſpects to believers, could we pick it out of this Myſtery; and it takes in all that Chriſt is or was anointed to be or to do for his Church and people, it takes in Chriſts bloud, Chriſts ſufferrings, Chriſts righteouſneſs, Chriſts ſatisfaction given to the Father, Chriſts Life, Chriſts Death, Chriſts being in the Grave, Chriſts Aſcenſion, Chriſts Prieſthood, Chriſts preſent work of Interceſſion now in Heaven, Chriſts Offices, as King, Prieſt, and Prophet to and for his people, for their good and comfort forever; all this and more do the Mercy-ſeat in Exod. 37. Comprehend and ſhadow forth to us for our inſtruction, ſo that believers ſhould look on all the diſpenſations of God towards them, (be they ſweet or bitter) always flowing forth to them from the Mercy-ſeat or place of Reconcilement, the ſeat where God always ſits when he hath to do with believers, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Cor. 5. 19 God in Chriſt Reconc…ling the world to himſelf, ſo Rom. 8. 32. He that ſpareth not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how ſhall he not with him freely give us all things: Its all mercy, love, and grace which comes from God to his people, becauſe it comes forth from God through the Mercy-ſeat Chriſt, though the providence may be mixed with never ſo much ſharpneſs or bitterneſs, yet it ſhall end in mercy, for it comes in mercy, Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things ſhall work together for good to them that love God; to them who are called according to his purpoſe.
Again, whereas it is ſaid that the faces of the Cherubims ſtill looked towards the Mercy-ſeat, it ſhews us how the whole Trinity doth agree together and accord in the good of Gods Elect, for I look on this Figure as an Emblem of the belſſed union of the three perſons, of Father, Son, and holy Spirit, my looking on this is by way of alluſion, the Mercy-ſeat to be meant of Chriſt the ſecond Perſon, the two Cherubims to be meant of the Father and holy Spirit proceeding both from Father and Son, ſo that as the faces of the two Cherubims were placed with their eyes towards the Mercy-ſeat, it ſhews us thus much, that what good God the Father did will the Elect before time, and what grace, and mercy, and love the holy Ghoſt did manifeſt, make known, and reveal to the Elect in time by ſpiritual application; all this ariſeth from Chriſts merits, bloud, and righteouſneſs as the procuring cauſe of all; to this agreeth the words of St. Peter, Pet. 1. 1, 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father (mark there is the act of the firſt perſon) through the ſanctification of the ſpirit, (there is the act of the third perſon) unto obedience and ſprinkling of the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt (there is the act of the ſecond perſon as the procuring cauſe and ground of all) Or thus:
By the two Cherubims at the two ends of the Mercy-ſeat; we many underſtand Chriſts ſtanding between God and the rigour of his Juſtice in our ſtead and for our ſakes, that God might look on the Law through Chriſt as fulfilled by him for our ſakes and in our behalf; yet take this Caution along with you, that although the Mercy-ſeat with its two Cherubims may be alluded unto as a Figure of the concurring agreement of the three perſons (Father, Son, and holy Spirit) in and about the Salvation of the Elect; yet this proves not a ground for any to attempt the making of any Image or ſimilitude of either perſons in the Trinity, ſo as to Woſhip them by, as the Papiſt blindly dream, for its ſaid in Deut. 4. 15 That there was no ſimilitude ſeen in the Mount, ſo that what ever have been ſaid of the three perſons through the above ſaid ſimilitudes, are not to be underſtood as Repreſentations of his Divine Eſſence, but of the works of God, which are thoſe ſeveral manifeſtations of grace, which through Chriſt he applys to the Elect by his ſpirit. So much as to the bleſſed Myſtery of the Cherubims placed in the Tabernacle at the two ends of the Mercy-ſeat.