on, and not turn back whatever they met with in the way. "He that entereth in by the way of the north-gate to worship fhall go out by the way of the fouth gate; and that entereth in by the way of the fouth gate, he fhall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but fhall go over against it," Ezek. xlvi. 9.

8. These courts were places of great delight to the Jews, as both feigned and fincere profeffion is to those that practise therein. Wherefore when the Jews did enter into thefe, they did ufe to do it with praife and pipe, as do both hypocrites and fincere ones. So then, when a man thall tread in both these courts, and fhall turn what he seems to be, into what he would be in reality; then, and not till then, he treads them as he fhould, for then he makes the outward court, and his treading there, but a paffage to that which is more inward and fincere. But he that ftays in the outward one, is but fuch an one as pleases not God, for that he wants the practice of what he professes with his mouth.

CHAP. XI.

Of the great brazen Altar that stood in the Inner-Court of the Temple.

IN

N the inner court ftood the great brazen altar which Solomon made: this is evident; for that when he kneeled upon the fcaffold there to pray, he kneeled before this altar; fee Exod. xl. 6, 29. 2 Chron. vi. 13. 2 Kings xvi. 14. Joel ii. 17.

2. This altar feems to be placed about the middle of this court, over against the porch of the house : and between it and the temple was the place where Zachariah was flain. This altar was called the altar of burnt offering; and therefore it was a type of Chrift in his dignity; for Chrift's body was our true burnt offering, of which the bodies of the facrificed beafts were a type. Now that altar upon which his body was offered, was his divinity or godhead; for that, and that only, could bear up that offering

in the whole of its fufferings; and that therefore, and that only, was to receive the fat, the glory. Hence it is faid, "He, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without fpot to God," Heb. ix. 14.

3. For Chrift is prieft, and facrifice, and altar, and all. And as a priest he offered, as a facrifice he fuffered, and as God he fupported his humanity, in that fuffering of all the pains it underwent, Gal. i. 4. chap. ii. 20. 1 Pet. iii. 18. Heb. ix. 13.

4. It was then Chrift's godhead, not the tree, that was the altar of burnt offering; or that by which Chrift offered himself an offering and a facrifice to God for a fweet finelling favour.

5. That it was not the tree is evident, for that could not fanctify the gift, to wit, his body; but Christ affirmeth, That the altar fanctifieth the gift:" and by fo faying, he affirmeth, that the altar on which he offered his offering was greater than the offering itself, Matth. xxiii. 19.

Now the body of Chrift was the gift; for fo he faith, "I give my flesh for the life of the world," John vi.

But now, what thing is that which is greater than his body, fave the altar, his divinity on which it was offered; the tree then was not the altar which fanctified this gift, to make it of virtue enough to make reconciliation for iniquity, John vi. 15. chap. xvii. 19. Heb. ix. 14. Col. i. 19.-21. Now, fince this altar of burnt-offering was thus placed in the inner-court, it teacheth us feveral things.

First, That those that come only into the outward court, or that reft in a bare appearance of Christianity, do not, by fo doing, come to Jefus Chrift; for this altar ftands not there. Hence John takes notice only of the temple and this altar, and them that worship therein, and leaves out the outward court, and fo them that come no farther, Rev.

xi, 1, 2.

Secondly, This teaches us alfo, that we are to

enter into that temple of God by blood. The altar, this altar of burnt offering ftood as men went into the temple: they must go by it, yea, there they must leave their offering, and fo go in and worship, even as a token that they came "thither by facrifice and by blood."

Thirdly, Upon this altar, Solomon, at the dedi. cation of the temple, offered thoufands, both of oxen and of fheep, to fignify furely the abundant worth, and richness that would be in the blood of Chrift, to fave when it should be fhed for us; for his blood is fpoken of with an how much more; "For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead works, to ferve the living God," Heb. ix. 14. 2 Chron. vii. 5, 9, 7, 8. Heb.

X. I, 12.

Let us then not dare to ftop, or stay in the outward court, for there is not this altar; nor let us dare, when we come into this court, to be careless whether we look to this altar or no; for it is by blood we must enter; "for without fhedding of blood there is no remiffion." Let us always then, when we come hither, wash our hands in innocency, and fo compafs this holy altar." For that by Chrift, who is the altar indeed, we are reconciled to God; "this is looking to Jefus," this is coming to God by him, of whom this altar and the facrifice thereon was a type.

Of the Pillars that were before the Porch of the Temple.

T

HERE were divers pillars belonging to the Temple. But in this place we are confined to speak of only two; namely, thofe which ftood before the temple.

The pillars ftood before the porch or entrance into the Temple, looking towards the altar, the court, and them that were the worshippers there : alfo they were a grace and a beauty to the front of the house.

1. These pillars ftood, one on the right hand, and the other on the left, at the door of the porch of the Temple, and they had names given them (you may be fure) to fignify fomething. The name of that on the right hand was called Jachin (God fhall establish :) and the name of that on the left. hand was Boaz, (in its strength) 1 Kings vii. 21. 2 Chron. iii. 17.

2. These two pillars were types of Chrift's apostles, of the apostles of circumcifion, and of the uncircumcifion. Therefore the apostle Paul alfo calleth them pillars, Gal. ii.; and faith, that that pillar on the right-hand was a type of himself and his companions, who were to go to the uncircumci. fed, and teach the Gentiles the way of life. "When James, Cephas, and John, faith he, who feemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave unto me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the Heathen, and they unto the circumcifion, Gal. ii. 9.

So then these two pillars were types of the fe two orders of the apostles, in this their divers fervice for God.

3. And that Paul and Barnabas were fignified by those on the right hand, to wit, to be the apoftles of the Gentiles, he fheweth again, where he faith, "Lam the minifter of Chrift to the Gentiles, miniftring the grace of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being fanctified by the Holy Ghoft," Rom, xi. 13. chap. xv. 16.

4. And fince the name of this pillar was Jachin, (God fhall establish,) as it fheweth that oppofition hall attend it; fo alfo, that God would blefs his word preached by them to the Gentiles, to the con C

verfion of numbers of them, maugre all the oppofition of the enemy.

5. This is further implied, for that they were made of brafs: as he faith of the prophet, "I have made thee a fenced brazen wall, an iron pillar;" and their fighting against thee fhall nothing at all prevail. Wherefore Paul fays of hirfelf, I am fet for the defence of the gospel, that the truth thereof might continue with you," Phil, i. 17. Gal. 1.5.

Of the Height of thefe Pillars that thus stood before the Porch of the Door of the Temple.

HE pillars were eighteen cubits high a piece.

and that is as high, yea, as high again, as the highest giant that ever we read of in this world; for the higheft of which we read was but six cubits and a span.

True, the bedstead of Og was nine cubits long, but I trow the giant himfelf was fhorter, Deut. iii. 11. 2 Chron. iii. 15. But put the longest to the longeft, and fet the one upon the fhoulders of the other, and yet each pillar was higher than they.

We have now, as I know of, but few that remain of the remnant of the giants, and tho' they boaft as if they were higher than Anak, yet thefe pillars are higher than they.

Thefe pillars are the higheft; you may equal them, "and an inch above is worth an ell below." The height therefore of these pillars is, to fhew us what high dignity God did put upon thofe of his faints whom he did call to be apoftles of the Lamb; for their office and call thereto is the highest in the church of God. These men, I fay, were made thus high by their being caft in fuch a mould. that which added yet further to their height, we will speak anon We only speak now of the high call, by which they, and only they, were made capable of apostolical authority. The apostles were

Of