The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. The ninth Argument.
THat ought to be in every ſetled, well-ordered Arg. 9 Church, which God hath promiſed, not only in words, but alſo in Figures, Types, and modelled Repreſentatives, where the eye doth give in evidence, as well as the eare; when God doth not only ſay but ſhew, not rehearſe only, but alſo repreſent and pourtray, paint and engraven to be expoſed to the view as well as hearing. When God was ſerious that Jeruſalem ſhould be beſieged, and would have the people be aſſured of it, hee commands the Prophet to expreſſe it in a picture (q)Ezek. 4. 1, 2, 3.; for God knows, that words are but windywinged Creatures, that ſtay not when they have done their errand, foreign, as the Poet often calls them, nocte volat caeli medio terraeque per umbras, as another ſayes of Fame, a flying report, Curſe not the King, no not in thy thought, and curſe not the rich in thy bed-chamber, for the bird of the aire ſhall carry the voice, and that which hath wings ſhall tell the matter (r)Eccleſ. 10. 20.; that is, ſome rumor or report will fly abroad, and Kings have long eares as well as hands. Chriſt told the Apoſtles often of his dying at Jeruſalem, but his words flew away, before they underſtood them (s)Luk. 18. 31, 32, 33, 34.; and therefore when he was to dye indeed, and reſolv'd they ſhould remember it, he cloſeth thoſe expreſſions in the amulets and earings of the holy Sacrament, that might hang as pendents at their eares continually (t)1 Cor, 11. 23, 24, 25, 26.; we confeſſe, one way of chayning and confining words unto there proper office and employment, of ſerving and ſecuring of the memory, is to record and write them down; ſome think the reaſon of that great Apoſtacy and irreligion that was among the Sons of Noah after the Flood, was want of writing, for tradition was very eaſie and apt to be corrupted; and therefore Moſes was enabled and commanded to write all down, and God himſelf began unto him in the Tables of the Law (u)Deut. 9. 10.; but this was not enough to ſee the Characters and Letters, but Portraitures and Pictures were annexed and written alſo, and imprinted, becauſe they made a deeper and more palpable impreſſion on the ſenſes; when you have a ſtory or fable, not onelyonly written, but alſo pictured, and drawn in lively repreſentatives before you, as all the Prophecies of the ſucceding times are unto John, from the fourth Chapter of his Revelation, unto the end.
But God hath promiſed a Goſpel-Miniſtry, ſome to attend and act in holy things, not onelyonly in words, but in viſible and reall Types, Delineations, and Repreſentations; for when the City and Temple at Jeruſalem were ſmitten, as the Prophet ſpeaks (w)Ezek 40. ….; thoſe graceleſs Jews were apt to think God had forgotten all Religion: as Gardiner, that bloody Biſhop, told Henry the eighth, when he had pull'd down the Monaſteries, and ſeized their Lands unto his own uſe, that now he would be thought the moſt Atheiſticall and irreligious King in all the world, and that would have an evill influence upon his diſcontented Subjects, whereby he wrought him to a willingneſs to enact and execute thoſe ſix Statutes, whereby ſo many conſcientious perſons of both Religions were deſtroyed. So the Jews now began to whiſper, that God now cared not, nor looked after any thing, but had forſaken all (x)Ezek. 8. 12, and ſo fell to the worſhip of other Gods: the Lord therefore was now engaged to make it known and certain unto all men, that the Jews had not ſtumbled that they ſhould fall, but rather, that through their fall, ſalvation was to come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealouſie, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (y)Rom. 11. 11., that, though the bricks were fallen, yet he would build with hewen ſtones, though the Sicomores were cut down, yet he would change them into Cedars (z)Iſa. 9. 10., though the City and Temple were deſtroyed, yet he would raiſe a greater and more glorious ſtructure among the Gentiles, (a)Iſa. 54. 11, 12.I will lay thy ſtones with fair colours, and thy foundations with Saphires, and I will make thy windows of Agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleaſant ſtones; that is, I will erect and raiſe my Church and Temple among the Gentiles, and adorn and deck it with luſtre and variety of precious graces.
But it was not now enough to ſay, but ſhew, words would not be took, therefore he gives them deeds; deſcribes and ſets out another houſe, and ſets it down in all the parts, dimenſions, and reſpects, that they might ſee he was not now in jeſt, that he would not nugas agere tanto conatu, take pains and care to pourtray and deſcribe what never was intended; and the Prieſts, even the Sons of Zadock are expreſly mentioned (b)Ezek. 40. 45, 46.; neither may we think it was intended for a directory to the building of the Temple of Zerubbabel, for the directions given unto Solomon by God, were on record; and there were many yet alive that ſaw the former Temple, and could have given ſufficient directions, if that had been required; and if it be true that this in Ezekiel was ordered in relation to that of Solomon, then was it not a pattern to Zerubbabells, for they differ not only in the direction Cyrus gives (c)Ezra. 6. 3., but in the event and execution alſo (d)Ezra. 3. 12, 13., and therefore muſt relate unto that Spirituall Houſe which God had then determined to build among the Gentiles, as the Apoſtle called thoſe believers (e)1 Pet. 2. 9.a choſen Generation, a royall Prieſt-hood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People, that ye ſhould ſhew forth the praiſes of him that hath called you, out of darkneſſe, into his marvelous light.