The Types Unveiled, Chapter 21
CHAP. 21. I now come to ſpeak of the ſeven Lamps (which with the Candleſtick) were placed in the Tabernacle.
THere were likewiſe ſeven lamps made of pure gold, Ex. 37. 23. which Lamps were to be lighted, and always to be kept burning before the Lord, Exodus 40. 25. In which, there are theſe things to be conſidered, or it may put us in minde of theſe things.
Firſt, The veſſel it ſelf.
Secondly the oyl in the Veſſel, or Lamp.
Thirdly, The light it gave out to the beholders.
Firſt, By the Lamp or Veſſel it ſelf, it may put us in mind of this great mercy, which by Grace Believers hath received at Gods hands, and that is a ſanctified heart, into which God pours forth the holy oyl of his Spirit in the ſeveral graces of it; by which means the heart is changed, purged, renewed, and made fit for God: Now in this ſence every Believers heart may be ſaid to be a Lamp, therefore ſaith the Lord in the Propheſie of Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their hearts, and write it in their inward parts: ſo Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you, and I will take awaythe ſtony heart out of your fleſh, and I will give you an heart of fleſh.
O how excellent is that heart which is dedicated to the uſe and ſervice of God, that Lamp which was ſet apart for the ſervice of the Tabernacle was worth a hundred Lamps elſewhere, becauſe the uſe and ſervice unto which it was dedicated was both holy and honourable; O ſo is a heart ſet apart for the Lord, its both holy and honourable, its worth a hundred of other hearts in Gods account, Prov. 10. 20. The heart of a wicked man is little w…rth. Let men be never ſo noble, great, learned, or wiſe in the worlds eyes, yet if their hearts are not Veſſels or Lamps dedicated to God for the uſe of Altar worſhip, you may aſſure your ſelves that God values them no more then you value ſo many heaps of Dung, the beſt ſervice which comes from ſuch unſanctified Veſſels or hearts is abominable to God, Prov. 15. 8, 9. Its a ſanctified heart which God calls for in Worſhip, P…ov. 23. 26. My Sonne (ſaith God) give me thy heart. By Son here we are to underſtand a ſoul, whoſe heart is renewed by the graces of the holy Ghoſt Iohn 1. 12. Theſe are the Lamps which God loves ſhould be always flaming and burning before the eyes of his glory, as its ſpoken of the Lamps in the Tabernacle burning and flaming with love and affection to God, with zeal for him, with the flame of fervent prayer before him; therefore is it ſad Prov. 15. 8. The prayers of the upright are his delight.
Uſe 1.
O therefore how ſhould this teach the Lords people to look to their hearts, that nothing but the true Oil of the ſpirit of grace be found in it, you know the exhortation in Jer. 4. 14. O Jeruſalem waſh thine heart from wickedneſs, how long ſhall vain thoughts lodge within thee, for its the pure in heart ſhall ſee God, Mat. 5. 8 Therefore when Temptation, Sin, or Luſt offers it ſelf to thy ſoul for entertainment; O baniſh it upon this very account, O ſay to ſin, my heart is become a dedicated Veſſel or Lamp to God, ſet apart for Altar-worſhip and work, prepared for better matter then ſin is; O therefore ſin and corruption depart and get you hence, here is no entertainment for you, or for ſuch filthy matter as you are, ſaith David Pſal. 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter. O ſo ſay to thy temptations, My heart is inditing a good matter, or better matter then ſin, luſt, or the world doth amount unto; its about heaven and heavenly things that my heart is now upon, its about God, and Chriſt, and glory to come, which my heart is taken withall. O therefore Sin, and Satan, the World, and Temptation, depart, depart, here is no entertainment for you for ever, I have found better food to live upon, and better objects to look unto then you are; therefore farwel for ever, farwel for ever.
Secondly, By the Lamps or Veſſels in the Tabernacle, which did hold the Oil which was to give out the light in the Tabernacle; I underſtand by them the Miniſters or gifted men in the Church, who are principally imployed to hold out the light of Gods holy will to the Church for the benefit and comfort of it; this you may ſee more plainly ſet out unto you in Zachaiahs propheſie, Zach. 4. 2. 3. I looked, and behold a Candleſtick of pure gold with a boul… upon the top of it, and his ſeven Lamps thereon, and his ſeven Pipes to the ſeven Lamps, which were upon the top thereof, and olive-trees by it, one on the right hand, and the other on the left ſide of the boul.
Here you ſee the Prophet puts a clear difference between the Candleſtick and the ſeven Lamps, the Candleſtick and the Lamps are not one and the ſame thing: Now by the Candleſtick (as have been ſhewed already) is meant the Church of God, and by the ſeven Lamps on the Candleſtick muſt be meant the Miniſters and gifted men in the Church, which are gifted by the ſpirit of God for the accompliſhing of the Worſhip and Service of the Goſpel-tabernacle, both as to Doctrine and Diſcipline, for as the two Olive-trees, (Zach 4. 11, 12) Standing on each ſide of the Lamps, did convey their Oil through the ſeven Pipes into the ſeven Lamps, to continue their burning always in the Candleſtick, ſo do Jeſus Chriſt by his ſpirit (for Chriſt is called the tree of life, nd the apple tree, and the tree in the midſt of the Paradiſe of God) conſtantly conveying the ſap and oil of light and truth into his Lamps (the Miniſters) through the Pipes of the Scriptures, or the writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles, for the information of the Candleſticks his Churches, therefore ſaith St. Paul to Timothy, 1. Tim. 4. 13. with 15. Untill I come give a tendance to Reading, Exhortation, and Doctrine, meditate on theſe things, give thy ſelf wholly to them that thy profitting may appear to all.
Now if you compare Zach. 4. 2. with Rev. 1. 20. It will the more appear that the ſeven Lamps do intend the Miniſters of the Church, and ſuch as are gifted for Church work, they are called there the ſeven Stars of the ſeven golden Candleſticks, that as Stars are fixed in the Firmament for the help of mankind (in the abſence of the Sun) againſt temporal darkneſs, ſo are the Miniſters ſet in the Firmament of the Church to help men in the abſence of …hriſt the Son of Righteouſneſs againſt ſpiritual darkneſs, therefore ſaith the Apoſtle 2 Cor. 5. 20. We are Embaſsadours in Chriſt ſtead, that is, we as the leſſer Lights are left with you in ſtead of Chriſt the great Light, who is the Son of Righteouſneſſe, ſo Eph. 4. 10, 11, 12, 13. He gave ſome Apostles, ſome Prophets, ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtours and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt, untill we all come to the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt.
Laſtly, They are ſaid to be ſeven Lamps, this number ſeven was given them, or the reaſon why the Lamps were ſeven in number, its with reſpect to the plentifulneſs of the gifts of the ſpirit, which the Lord Jeſus doth pour out into his Church through theſe Lamps; for the word or number ſeven was a note of perfectneſs amongſt the Hebrews, which they called a perfect number, ſo that by the ſeven Lamps we underſtand ſuch a plentiful meaſure of the ſpirit, and through ſupply of gifts as that there ſhall not be any wanwant of it in the Church upon any occaſion whatſoever, either to enlighten, guide comfort, and ſtrengthen it unto its journeys end; therefore you have it Iſa. 27. 2, 3. A vineyard of red wine, I the Lord do keep it, and water it every moment.
Uſe 2.
O then how do this call upon the Miniſters of Chriſt to be vigilant, taking all opportunities to hold forth their Lamp lights of truth to the Candleſtick the Church, Miniſters are Lamps, and they were ſet apart by God for the benefit of his people, to enlighten and comfort them in needful times, you know the charge which is given Miniſters in Iſa. 40. 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith the Lord, ſpeak ye comfortably to Jeruſalem; how careful was St. Paul of his duty herein, what opportunities did he take on all hands to guide the Church, and enlighten the Church with his Lamp light of knowledge, Acts 20. 24. Who accounted not his life dear to himſelf, ſo that he could but finiſh his Miniſtry with joy.
O what a dreadful thing is it for one of theſe Lamps to wax out, or withdraw its ſhinings when the Church of God lieth ready to periſh for his not diſcharging his duty to them, for men to prove faint, careleſs, and negligent in the diſcharge of duty in and to the Church, which God calls his Candleſtick; St. Paul calls this a being guilty of the bloud of fouls, Acts 20. 26 You may likewiſe ſee what God doth account of this thing, read Ezek. 3 20.
Uſe 3.
How ſhould this humble Miniſters of the Goſpel, what a blow would this conſideration give the old Adam within them, and pluck down the pride and confidence of all proud Miniſters, who may ſwell high with the conceit of their gifts and parts, and ſo come to think high of themſelves, beyond what they ſhould or ought to think, forgetting that at beſt they are but bare empty Lamps in themſelves, who can do nothing, nor can ſay any thing, or be of any uſe to the Church of God without Divine aſſiſtance; you know a Lamp without Oil in it is of little uſe in a houſe or family, the houſe may be full of darkneſs for all that, if the Lamp be without Oil in it; O ſo are Miniſters of as little uſe without the Oil of Gods aſſiſting preſence goes along with their labours, they can do little good to any ſoul in point of converſion or comfort, gifts, and parts, and flouriſhed notions, will do little in order to the raiſing of a dead ſoul to life, or to the comforting a of dejected ſoul in the hour of temptation.
It was once the ſaying of Melancthon about a Sermon once preached by him to a Country people, who pomiſed himſelf (upon the well preaching of it) a great harveſt of Converts, but upon his next coming that way and finding the little effect of it, crys out, old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon.
Alas Brethren, the greateſt Aristotle or Learned Philoſopher in the world can do nothing here without Gods quickning, comforting, ſpirit be with him, ſaith St. Paul our ſufficiency is not of our ſelves but of God, yet St. Paul had great parts and abilities, but he looks not upon theſe things but upon God for ſucceſs.
If God did not pour oil into him and thereby fitted him for his work as a Miniſter of the Goſpel, he knew he ſhould remain but a dark Lamp without the leaſt uſe to any man or woman; therefore how ſhould this make ſuch men think low and mean thoughts of themſelves, and be humble both before God and man.
Uſe. 3.
This ſerves to inform Chriſtians about their duty in this caſe.
Firſt, To keep cloſe to their Miniſters and Paſtours for ſpiritual light and knowledge, and not to ſlight them ſo and to turn the back upon them as ſome have done. I do not intend thoſe who under the notion of Miniſters of the Goſpel can cunningly undermine the Goſpel, neither do I mean ſuch as can mind and turn with every turn of ſtate; but I mean thoſe Miniſters who have given evidence of the uprightneſs of their hearts and ſincerity of ſoul to God (as Jo…h…a and Caleb did in backſliding times) to be men of other ſpirits then to run back again with the ſtream of the times or the cry of the multitude, to the old Egyptian darkneſs from whence they were delivered; I ſay, to ſlight theſe Miniſters is to ſlight thoſe burning Lamps of light and truth, which God in mercy hath left amongſt his people for direction through their wilderneſs to their ſpiritual Canaan.
We have had ſufficient experience of this great evil of late years, into how many evils, and miſchiefs, and fearful Apoſtaſies have thouſands of profeſſours run themſelves upon, leaving their ſound Miniſters and Paſtours; O what horrid darkneſs hath their over-ſpread the minds of ſome profeſſours that would dare to profeſs an open ſeparation from their Paſtors and ſound teaching Miniſters, which were the Lamps of light and comfort which God in mercy held out to them.
O therefore Chriſtians have a care you do not ſlight and deſpiſe theſe heavenly Lamps, ſaith St. Paul to Timothy, Let no man deſpiſe thee, you know the exhortation in Mal. 2 7. Thou ſhalt ſeek the Law at his mouth (the reaſon is given you in theſe words) for the Prieſts lips ſhall preſerve knowledge.
Secondly, Let this teach Chriſtians to love the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt; O keep this upon your heart daily, that the Miniſters of Chriſt are the Lamp lights to enlighten your ſouls in the time of darkneſs, our Saviour calls them the lights of the world, Mat. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world, that is, ſuch as are appointed to guide the feet of the Saints into the way of peace; the Apoſtle ſays that the Miniſters of Chriſt are ſuch as watch for your ſouls, and muſt give an account for them to God in the laſt day, reade Hebrewes 13. 17.
O my Brethren, your Miniſters they are more to you and can do more for you then the eyes of your bodies; and how choice are you of that member, your eyes you account your Jewels, when thats gone you account the Mercy next to life is gone: But truly, great Mercies and greater Jewels are Miniſters (if good and ſound) to the people of God, whether they know it or not, the Gallatians Church were well acquainted with the worth of their Teachers and Miniſters of Chriſt, there was once a time when they valued them beyond their bodily eyes, Gal. 4. 15. For I bear you record (ſaith Saint Paul) that if it had been poſſible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me: Certainly if you looſe them, you will looſe the beſt of your eyes; O therefore bleſs God heartily, who hath yet continued his Lamp lights amongſt you, which yet maintain their burning and ſhining lights in the midſt of you, though it be wholly dark over Egypt, yet you have your Lamps burning in Goſher. O pray hard for them, O let Heaven ring with your cryes about your Miniſters, O put on for them as you would for your treaſure, your all, that God may yet ſtay them in the midſt of you.