according to the reckoning of God, it is but a little while fince he went into the holiest to intercede. A thousand years with the Lord is but as one day; and after this manner of counting, he has not been gone yet two full days into the holieft. "The Lord is not flack concerning his promife, as fome men count flackness; he will come quickly, and will not tarry," 2 Pet. iii. Heb. x. 37.

CHA P. LXIX.

Of the Cherubims, and of their being placed overthe Mercy feat in the inner Temple.

THERE were alfo cherubims in the most holy place, which were fet on high above the mercy.1 feat. See 1 Kings vi. 23, 24, 25, 25, 27, 28.1. Thefe are called by the apoftles, "The cherubims of glory.covering the mercy-feat," Heb. ix. 5. 2. Thefe cherubims were figures of the angels of God, as in other places we have proved.

3. It is faid, the fe cherubims were made of image work, and that in fuch manner as that they could, as fome think, move their wings by art:: Wherefore it is faid, they ftretched forth their wings; the wings of the cherubims fpread themfelves; and that the cherubins fpread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the ftaves thereof above, 1 Kings vi. 27, 2 Chron. iii. 13. chap. v. §.

4. I read alto of thefe cherubims, that they had chariots and wheels; by which is taught us how ready and willing the angels are to fetch us when: commanded unto the paradife of God; for thefe chariots were types of the bofoms of the angels ; and these wheels,. of the quickness of their motion to come for us when fent, "The chariots of God. are twenty thoufand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place," Chron, xx, 28. Ezek. xvi, 9, 15, 10, 18,,

19, 28. 1 Kings vi. 17. Pfal. lxviii, 17. 2 Kings ii. 11. Dan. ix. 20.

5. What difference, if any there is, between cherubims and feraphims, into that I fhall not now enquire; though I believe that there are diverse orders and degrees of angels in the heavens, as there are degrees and diverfe orders among men in the world. But that these cherubims were figures of the holy angels, their being thus placed in the holy oracle doth declare; for their dwelling-place is heaven, though they, for our fakes, are converfant in the world, Heb. i.

6. It is faid, that thefe cherubims, in this holy place, did ftand upon their feet, to fhew,

1. That the angels of heaven are not fallen from their station, as the other angels are.

2. To fhew alfo that they are always ready, at God's bidding, to run with fwiftnefs to do his pleafure.

3. To fhew alfo that they fhall continue in their ftation, being therein confirmed by Jefus Chrift, by whom all things confift, Col. i.

7. It is faid, their faces were inward, looking one to another; yet withal fomewhat afcending, to fhew that the angels both behold and wonder at the mysteries of grace, as it is difplayed to usward from off the mercy.feat. "The faces of the cheru. bims fhall look one to another; toward the mer. cy-feat fhall the faces of the cherubims be," Exod. xxv. 20. 2 Chron. iii, 13. 1 Pet. i. 12. Eph. m. 10.

1. Towards the mercy-feat: They are defirous to fee it, and how from hence (I fay) mercy doth look towards us.

2. They look one towards another, to fhew that they agree to rejoice in the falvation of our fouls, Luke xv. 10,

3. They are faid to ftand above, the mercy feat, (perhaps) to fhew that the angels have not need of thofe acts of mercy and forgiveness as we have, who ftand below, and are finners. They tand

above it, they are holy, I do not fay, they have no need that the goodness of God fhould be extended to them, for it is by that they have been, and are preferved; but they need not to be forgiven, for they have committed no iniquity.

4. They ftand there alfo with wings ftretched out, to fhew how ready, if need be, the angels are to come from heaven to preach this gospel to the world, Luke ii. 9,14.

5. It is faid in this, that thus ftanding, their wings did reach from wall to wall, from one fide of this holy house to the other; to fhew, that all the angels within the boundaries of the heavens, with one confent, and one mind, are ready to come down to help and ferve, and do for God's elect at his command.

It is faid alfo, that their wings are stretched on high, to fhew that they are only delighted in thofe duties which are enjoined them by the high and lofty One, and not inclined, no not to ferve the faints in their fenfual or fleshly defigns. It may be alfo to fhew, that they are willing to take their flight from one end of heaven to the other, to ferve God and his church for good, Matth. xiii. 48, 49. chap, xxiv. 31, chap. xxv. 31. 2 Theff. i. 7, 8.

СНАР. LXX.

Of the Figures that were upon the Wall of the inner Temple.

THE wall of the inner Temple, which was a type of heaven, was, as I have already told you, ceiled with cedar from the bottom to the top. Now, by the vifion of Ezekiel, it is faid, this wall was carved with cherubims and palm-trees; so that a palm-tree was between a cherub, and every che. rub had two faces: fo, that the face of a man was toward the palm-tree on the one fide, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other fide. It was made through all the houfe rom

about, from the ground to above the door, where the cherubims and palm-trees were made, Ezek. xli. 17,-20.

1. As to these cherubims and palm trees, I have already told you what I think them to be figures of. The cherubims are figures of the holy angels, and the palm-trees of upright ones: We therefore here are only to difcourfe of the placing of them. in the heavens.

2. Now you fee the palm-trees in the holiest are placed between a cherub and a cherub, round about the houfe; which methinks fhould be to fignify, that the faints fhall not there live by faith and hope, as here, but in the immédiate enjoyment of God;: for to be placed between the cherubims, is to be placed where God dwells: for holy writ fays plain. ly, He dwells between the cherubims, even where, here it is faid, the fe palm-trees, or upright ones, are placed, I Sam, iv. 4. 2 Kings xix. 15. 1 Chron. xiii. 6. Pfal. lxxx. 1. lf. xxxvii, 16.

The church on earth is called God's houfe, and he will dwell in it for ever; and heaven itself is called God's house, and we fhall dwell in it for ever; and that between the cherubims. This is more than grace, this is grace and glory, glory indeed.

3. To dwell between the cherubims, may also be to fhew, that there we fhall be equal to the angels. Mark, here is a palm-tree and a cherub. Here we are a little lower, but there we fhall not be a whit behind the very chief of them. A palm-tree and a cherub, an upright one between the cherubs, will then be round about the houfe; we fhall be placed in the fame rank; neither can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels, Luke xx. 36.

4. The palm trees thus placed, may be alfo to fhew us, that the elect of God fhall there take up the vacancies of the fallen angels: they for fin were caft down from the holy heavens, and we by grace fhall be caught up thither, and be placed be

tween a cherub and a cherub. When I say their places, I do not mean the fickleness of that ftate that they, for want of electing love, did ftand in, while in glory; for the heavens, by the blood of Chrift, is now to us become a purchafed poffeffion; wherefore, as we fhall have their place in the heavenly kingdom, fo, by virtue of redeeming blood, we fhall there abide, and go no more out; for by that means that kingdom will stand to us unfhaken, Heb. ix. 12. chap. xii. 22, 23, 24, 28. Rev. iii, 12

5. These palm-trees, I fay, feem to take their places who for fin were caft from thence. The elect therefore take that place in poffeflion, but a better crown for ever. Thus Ifrael poffeffed that of the Canaanites; and David Saul's kingdom; and Matthias the apoftleship of Judas, Acts i. 20. 11, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,

6. Nor were the habitations which the fallen angels loft, exepting that which was accepted before, at all inferior to theirs that stood; for their captain and prince is called Son of the Morn ing, for he was the antitype thereof, Ifa. xiv. 12.

7. Thus you fee they were placed from the ground up to above the door; that is, from the lowest to the highest angel there. For as there are great faints and finall ones in the church on earth, fo there are angels of divers degrees in heaven, some greater than fome; but the falleft faint, when he gets to heaven, fhall have an angel's dig. nity, an angel's place : from the ground, you find a a palm tree between a cherub and a cherub,

8. And every cherub had two faces; fo here; but I read in chap. x. that they had four faces a-piece : The firft was the face of a cherubim, the fecond the face of a man; the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle,

9. They had two faces a piece, not to fhew that they were of a double heart, "for their appearance and themselves was the fame, and the went every one straight forward, Ezek. x. 23,