The Types Unveiled, Chapter 22
CHAP. 22. I now come to ſpeak of the Snuffers which did belong to the Lamps in the Tabernacle.
ANd there were Snuffers likewiſe made of pure gold, which belonged to the Tabernacle, as well as the Lamps and Candleſtick, Exod 37. 23.
Now the uſe of that inſtrument; you know it is to correct, or to remove out of the way any thing that ſhall offend the burning of the light, that ſo the light might ſhine with the more brightneſs, and clearneſs: Now if you obſerve the thing, the ſnuffers are put together with the lamps, Exod. 37. 23. And he made ſeven lamps, and his ſnuffers, with his diſhes of pure gold; which gives us to underſtand, that the ſnuffers were appointed for the uſe of the Lamps; which Lamps, as I have ſaid, ſignifies the light of truth (which through the pourings out of the gifts of the Spirit, into the hearts of the gifted men of the Candleſtick, the Church) God intends by them to keep up in all ages of the world. Now by the adding the ſnuffers to the ſeven Lamps, we the better come to underſtand their property, which is as I have ſaid, to correct all thoſe ſuperfluities, which in cleaving to the lights of the Lamps are apt to hinder its ſhining.
This ſhews us the great care which God doth and will take to the keeping up of the purity of truth, in its glory and luſtre in the Church, do what men and devils will to the contrary: it ſhews us likewiſe the great proviſion which God hath prepared to his peoples hands, for the removing out of the way any thing that might tend to the darkening or hindering the light from burning in his Churches, and that is it which we are to underſtand by the Snuffers which were added to the Lamps.
Now here two things are to be noted.
Firſt, What it is which hinders the light of truth from ſhining in the Churches of Chriſt.
Seeondly, What that proviſion is (which as the Snuffers) is given forth by God on purpoſe to correct it, and remove it out of the way.
For the firſt, what it is which offends the light of truth in the Churches of Jeſus Chriſt,
Firſt, Its all that corrupt doctrine, and unſound opinions which falſe teachers labour to uſher into the Church of God and of Chriſt, by the cunning craftineſs of men, which handle the word of God deceitfully: of ſuch the Apoſtle ſpeaks of in his time, who laboured to bring in damnable errours into the Church of God, Jude 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained unto condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into wantonneſs, and denying the onelyonly Lord God, and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Hence it is that Paul gives ſuch a charge to the Elders of Epheſus, Acts 20. 28, 29, 30. Take …e…d brethren unto your ſelves, and unto the flock over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made you over ſeers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchaſed with his own bloud, for I know that after my departure, ſhall grievous wolves enter in amongſt you not ſtaring the flock, alſo of your own ſelves ſhall men ariſe ſpeaking perverſe things, to draw away Diſciples, after them; ſo likewiſe do the Apoſtle ſhew us that it will be the portion of the latter ages of the world to be peſtered in the Churches of Chriſt by men of very baſe and corrupt principles, to the eclipſing and darkning of the Lamp lights of truth in the midſt of them, theſe are S. Paul, words unto Timothy, 2 Tim 3. 1. with ver. 8. This know, that in the laſt days perilous times ſhall come, for there ſhall ariſe men, ſuch as Jannes and Jambres, who withſtood Moſes, ſo ſhall theſe reſiſt the truth, Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith, ſo Rev. 9. 1, 2, 3, 4. And the fifth Angel ſounded, and I ſaw a ſtar fall from heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomleſs pit, and he opened the bottomleſs pit, and there aroſe aſ make out of the bottomleſs pit like the ſmoke of a furnace, and the Sun and the Air was darkned by reaſon of the ſmoke of the pit. By the Sun and the Air here ſpoken of, I underſtand the Lamp light of truth, which did once burn in the Romiſh Church before its falling away, for it is the condition of the Church of Rome which the holy ſpirit intends in this Chapter, who intimates to you that as ſmoke darkens the Air, as that you cannot ſee the Sun in the Heavens, ſo this ſmoke of Errour and Antichriſtianiſm which aroſe from Hell, did wholly put out the Lamp lights of truth amongſt them, every where through out the Romiſh Church, ſo that this is one way of offending the light in the Churches of Chriſt, which hinders it from ſhining forth for the profit of others.
Secondly, A thing that hinders the light in ſhining, is the corruptneſs of the Teachers hearts, men that are ambitious of honour, or are covetous of gain being greedy after much of this world; theſe are ſuch as prove offenſive to the light of truth and very much hinder the ſhinings of it in the Church, ſuch were the Sons of old Eli the Prieſt, whoſe filthy, greedy, covetous converſation made the ſacrifices of the Lord to be abhorred in Iſrael, 1 Sam. 2. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. ſo Ezek. 34. 2. 3. with 18. 19. Likewiſe Jude tells you of a ſort of greedy Teachers, who run greedily after the way of Balaam for reward, and periſhed in the gainſaying of Corah, you ſee the Apoſtle makes the covetouſneſs of Balaam and the gainſaying of Corah to link together, and well he may, becauſe the one is ſuch a notable Introduction into the other ſin; for a man to grow greedy of gain with Balaam, is the ready way for him to become the truths gainſayer with Corah, D…than, and Abiram. Now by ſuch things as theſe is the light of Gods pure work oftentimes darkned in the Church.
But ſecondly, what theſe ſnuffers are, or what that proviſion is which God hath provided to correct theſe corruptions in order to the keeping pure the light of truth in the Churches of Chriſt, and this conſiſts of three things.
Firſt, Sound Arguments preached and preſt upon the Conſciences of men from the word of God, convincing men of the errour of their notions, who ſhall endeavour to vent any thing of an unſound or hurtful concernment in the Church of Chriſt, by holding forth to them the judgments of God, as they are laid down in his word againſt ſuch as ſhall perſiſt and go on in their obſtinacy: hence you have theſe words from S. Paul to Titus, Tit. 1. 9. Holding faſt the faithful word as have been taught, that he may be able by ſound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainſaver. You may adde unto this of Titus, the whole Epiſtle of Jude, which may very well be compared for its uſefulneſs this way, which (to me) doth wonderfully agree with the end of the ſnuffers of gold in the Tabernacle, which was made to preſerve the Lamp light while ſhining in the Churches of Chriſt.
Secondly, That means which in a ſecond place is to be added to the former, in order to the making up the ſnuffers in the Tabernacle of Gods Church, is a faithful admoniſhing of the erroneous perſon for his errours and miſtakes, not favouring of him either for his place or greatneſs, you are to know truth is the greateſt of all, he is not worthy to be a profeſſour of truth, much leſs a Preacher of truth, who regards not truth above the perſon of any man in the world, this is the rule, 2 Theſ. 3. 14, 15 If any man obey not our word by this Epiſtle, note that man and have no company with him that he may be aſhamed; that is, be not ſo intimate with him as you are, and ought to be with thoſe that are ſound Chriſtians, that he may underſtand by your carriage that he is not right in the faith of our Lord Jeſus, Yet count him not as an enemy, but admoniſh him as a friend.
Thirdly, The third and laſt thing to be added to the making up the ſnuffers in the Goſpel tabernacle is this, that if nothing of the above ſaid means will prevail to the correcting of errour in the maintainers thereof, then caſt him out for a Heretick, that he may do no more miſchief in the Church of Chriſt, giving notice to all the Churches what hath been done to ſuch a one, that the Churches may avoid and ſhun him where ever they meet with him; therefore is this rule given the Saints, Ti…us 3. 10. A man that is a heretick after the firſt and ſecond admonition reject. Were this rule carefully obſerved in the Churches of Chriſt, how wonderfully would it conduce to the keeping truth free from thoſe mixtures of errour, which otherwiſe will cleave to it, do men what they can.
Uſe 1.
O Brethren, how infinitely ſhould we admire the wiſdom of God in theſe things, O how much of the Divine pollicy of heaven is there which lieth wrapt up in theſe golden Miſteries; O who can read theſe ſecrets, and not have a heart deeply affected with them.
My dear Friends, let not Gods ancient contrivements from eternity go void of its great obſervations amongſt us; O peep a little into theſe great Miſteries of the Tabernacleworſhip, and ask your ſelves what infinite reaſon you have to admire God in all, ſurely if ſome of the heathen Phyloſophers could ſo gaze (in a way of admiration) on that Divine wiſdom of God, which ſo gloriouſly compacted the frame of the whole world.
O what cauſe have Chriſtians to adore the wiſdom of God, in framing together ſo glorious a piece as the Tabernacle, with the ſeveral veſſels of it, as that there was not a veſſel in the whole Tabernacle without its ſpecial ſignification, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in Heb. 10. 1. Ther were all ſhadows of good things to come, ſo likewiſe how much is the love and goodneſs of God ſeen to his poor people in this world, that he ſhould provide them with ſuch ſpiritual neceſſaries to help them out in all exigencies, and to relieve themſelves by upon all occaſions, if they want light and comfort, they know where to have it, he hath fixed his burning Lamps amongſt them if they ſhould find their oil to grow ſlack, their oil of comfort, their oil of peace and refreſhment, they know where the Olive-tree (Chriſt, ſtands, they have him with them, Thy name is in the midſt of us, ſaith the Prophet, its but to call upon him and he hath promiſed to hear, Pſal. 50. 15. And if their Lamp light at any time prove dimme through any corruptions cleaving to it, they have their ſnuffers made up of ſound Scriptural Arguments, together with theſe two Ordinances of admonition and excommunication, to correct the evil at pleaſure, that the lights may keep their ſhining in the midſt of them ſtill.
Uſe 2.
Laſtly, The Uſe of lamentation, O how little of this means have the Lords people made uſe of, for the protecting of the light of truth in the midſt of us; how have the ſnuffers been laid by as wholly uſeleſſe of late years, by which means errour hath gotten the ground of truth in an aboundant meaſure, inſomuch by the neglect of Chriſtians herein (though truth was ſent into the world to get ground of errour) the truth is, errour hath almoſt weeded out truth, truly (for redreſs in this caſe) God hath not been ſo much wanting to his people in the means, as Chriſtians have been to themſelves about the faithful uſe of means; if errour have prevailed above truth, the fault hath been ours not Gods: We have wanted hearts to deal plainly with our offending Brethren in this caſe, beſides the great liberty which hath been given to ſome of our green, raw, raſh members of Churches to vent their undigeſted notions in publick, and that before themſelves well skilled in the knowledge of the Scripture, and the form of ſound words; I am not pleading againſt a Chriſtians exerciſing his gifts to the building up his fellowmembers in the faith, provided they keep their bounds, and act within their compaſs, untill their growth be ſuch (in the judgment of the wiſe) as that they may be adventured upon publick work; for want of uſing the golden ſnuffers, ſure I am, that many a poor ignorant ſoul hath been carried away with groſs opinions, to their utter undoing without the infinite mercy of God prevent it; Therefore if we would have our Lamps burn clearly in the midſt of us, let us more uſe the golden ſnuffers (which were appointed to remove that which ſhould hinder the light in its ſhining) with more diligence then yet we have done.
I ſhall conclude this type of the ſnuffers, with that good word of the Lord in Prov. 36. 6. Adde thou not unto his word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar, for every word of God is pure.