Gospel Public Worship, Exposition · Analysis 2
Aarons young Bull, or Calf of a year old, or yearling Bull, or Bull-rite, Sacrament, or Idol.
AAron as ſupream Inſtituter and Conſtituter of that Idolatry, Exod. 32. by the general provocation, conviction, and encouragement of the people of Iſrael, ver. 1, to 5. eſpecially of his own high Prieſthood thereof, and of the ſacrificing Prieſthood and their Levitſhip with all their Functions, even the ſame in kind, ſtate, and order that they were before, but onelyonly in the new intervening Sign, Image, Repreſentation, Sacrament, and Memorial of the ſame ultimate Object, Deity, or Perſon of God, whoſe they were before that, and whom they then and thereby intended to worſhip, and that as the ſole bringer of Iſrael from Egypt, v. 1, 5. whereby they all became in their own account the true inſtituted cultive Miniſtry of God in that new Function, or cultive Ordinance ſo erected, and did accordingly exerciſe that Miniſtry, as of, through, and for God, v. 4, 5. whereto all the people conformed by their acting their parts, which were preſcribed to them, v. 6. and thereby became the joynt active Worſhippers of God in that falſe order and form; and ſo joynt falſe Worſhippers with them, by their inſtituted reſpect and relation to that inſtituted Bull-Sacrament, molten and graven Image of a yearling Bull or Bull-calf, Steer, or young Ox, or Bullock, as ſuch in age and food of eating graſs, Pſal. 106.20. but not in maimedneſs or gelding; inſtituted to be an Image, reſemblance, repreſentation, memorial, ſign, and ſeal of God and his viſible and diſcernable preſence with them as his Inheritance, (or Clergy) People (or Church) Saints, faithful and regenerate ones (or ſpiritualty,) v. 4. Thy Gods, O Iſrael, the promiſed Seed and peculiar people of the God of Iſrael that brought thee out of Egypt; for it is not thy God foreign, but foreign thy Gods, which ſignifieth Gods Deputies, divine cultives, adorands, venerables, or things to be worſhipped and reverenced in Gods ſtead, repreſentation and deputation, as if he were there, therein, or the ſoul thereof in his own perſon; which being a ſpirit, and they fleſh, they thought that they could not worſhip him, but by ſome external notion or image (in their own judgment) of him. See Judg. 17.3, to 13. Now I know that the Lord, &c. as the Papiſts do by their Crucifixes and Images of Chriſt, Mary, God the Father, the Holy Ghoſt, Peter, &c. as Lay-mens books and Teachers, but none of them as God objectively, the Altar, Holy-day, v. 5. the Sacrifices, burnt-offerings, Peace-offerings, feaſting with part of them, dancing, ſinging, and obſervance of that Holyday, yea and the teaching, exhorting, and ruling ordinances of thoſe officers, ſubordinate or aſſociate to them, became parts of that Idol-Worſhip, or Bull-worſhip, and ſo of Devil-worſhip; and ſo none of Gods, but in Gods account, a deſpiſing and rejecting of him. Therefore Aarons and the other Prieſts, and the Levites accepting, killing, and ſacrificing thoſe burnt and peace-offerings for themſelves, the whole Church, and for any particular; and their eating, drinking, ſinging, dancing, and ſolemnizing that holy day in any of thoſe caſes; and the peoples doing ſo with them in their allotted works and obſervances of Worſhip ſo inſtituted, conſtituted, and executed; Alſo, the teaching, exhorting, and ruling of thoſe Prieſts and Levites, and the Iſraelites hearing, learning, purpoſing, obeying, and coming to their ſet places for thoſe ends, and joyning with them in their prayers, before and after that their teaching and exhorting, and in their ſacrificing: Yea, all the Sacraments, Sacrifices, Services, and obſervances performed by Aaron and thoſe Prieſts, Levites, and People, as Worſhippers of God by the ſaid new Sacrament, or teaching and repreſenting Image, and in that other form of Divine Worſhip inſtituted inſtead of that of Moſes, v. 1. which is there expreſſed to be fruſtrate; and that therefore a new one was to be erected, which extended to all the particulars thereof, eſpecially to the ſpeciall one of the Prieſthood; which being thereby altered, became a new Bull-Prieſthood, and therefore all their Prieſtly ſervices were changed, Heb. 7.12. Luke 10.16. Matth. 10.40. John 13.20. and ſo made a new unparticipable eſtate which therefore made all their Prieſtly works unparticipable, though their Sacraments, ſacrificing, preaching, praying, and the things ſacrificed, preached, and prayed for, were otherwiſe parts of the very true Divine Worſhip of God; yet thereby they were Idolatrous, and the ſame with that Prieſthood, and that with the Bull-worſhip whereof they were newly made Prieſts; for hearing Luke 10.16. is receiving Joh. 13.20. and honouring Luke 10.16. by the rule of oppoſites; and ſo the refuſing to hear thoſe Sermons, receive thoſe Sacraments and their Diſcipline, &c. was to refuſe and deſpiſe an Idol and falſe Miniſtry, and ſo to honour God.
With theſe things ſort 2 Cor. 11.13. to 16. which calleth the like Inſtruments of Satan in this ſtratagemical counterfeiting a Miniſtry of Chriſt, and deceitful working thereby; Falſe Apoſtles, Miniſters of Satan, transforming themſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt, and Miniſters of Righteouſneſs; as their Lord and Maſter, Satan himſelf metamorphoſeth himſelf into an A…gel of light. What can we conceive the ſcope of the Holy Ghoſt in theſe ſayings, but to incenſe the Saints of Corinth againſt theſe falſe Apoſtles, not ſimply, as men of wickedneſs, but for covering their Wolviſh diſpoſition and intent, with the ſheepskin of a Chriſtian profeſſion, and pretence of a Miniſtry of righteouſneſs? nor againſt Satan ſimply, as an Angel of darkneſs; but properly as ſending his diſguiſed Seminaries to pretend a Miniſtry of Chriſt, and to practice and intend the maſtery of Chriſts Army and Church, and ſo of Chriſt in his encorporate body, which he could not do in his perſon, Matth. 4.10. Nor in his Apoſtles, as I have ſhewn in Paul, Act. 16.16. 2 Cor. 11. they ſeeing Satan through all his Viſards: But his Wizards and Sooth-ſayers now are as wiſe as the Pythoniſſe, to ſay and ſooth the wiſe and true ſervants of Chriſt in their love of the doctrine and rites of ſalvation, and true way unto life, as of the bread of life ſimply conſidered, (without the order of the Word of God, which God hath ſet to diſpoſe it to that end, and us to ſeek and ſerve him by in his due order) that is, without the Church and Miniſterial order of the Word, and ſo they take them alſo in the firſt tryall, Matth. 4.3, 4. to the diſhonour of their Head and themſelves: and in Sauls tryal, by their preferring Sacrifice before obedience, and fat of Rams, (their zeal in their worſhipping) before their liſtening to the utmoſt order of Gods Worſhip.