on folding this way, the other folding that, Ezek, xl. 48.

Now, here fome may object, and fay, "fince the way to God by thefe doors were fo wide," why doth Chrift fay, "the way and gate is narrow ?".

Anfwer. The ftraitnefs, or the narrownefs, muft not be understood of the gate fimply, but because of that cumber that fome men carry with them that pretend to be going to heaven. Six cubits! what is fixteen cubits to him who would enter in here with all the world on his back? The young man in the gofpel, who made fuch a noife for Hea. ven, might have gone in eafy enough; for in fix cubits breadth there is room; but, poor man, not for going in thither unless he might carry in his houfes upon his fhoulder too; and fo the gate was trait, Mark x. 17.-23.

he was

Wherefore, he that will enter in at the gate of Heaven, of which this gate into the Temple was a type, muft go in by himself, and not with his bundles of trash on his back; and if he will go in thus, he need not fear, there is room. The righteous nation that keepeth the truth, they fhall enter in," Ifa. xxvi. 2.

2. They that enter in at the gate of the innercourt must be cloathed in fine linen; how then thall they go into the Temple that carry the clogs of the dirt of this world at their heels?" Thus faith the Lord, No stranger uncircumcifed in heart, or uncircumcifed in flesh, fhall enter into my fanctu ary," Ezek. xliv. 19.

3. The widenefs therefore of this gate is for this. cause here made mention of, to wit, to encourage them that would gladly enter thereat, according to the mind of God, and not to flatter them that are not for leaving off all for God,

*

4. Wherefore, let fuch as would go in, remem ber that here is room, even a gate to enter in at, fix cubits wide. We have been all this while but

on the outside of the Temple, even the courts of the houfe of the Lord, to fee the beauty and glory that is there. The beauty hereof made men cry out, and say, “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hofts! My foul longeth, yea fainteth for the courts of the Lord :" and to fay, "A day in thy courts is better than a thousand," Pfal. lxxxiv. 1, 2, &c.

CHA P. XXIV.

Of the Pinnacles of the Temple.

1. THERE was alfo feveral pinnacles belong ing to the Temple. Thefe pinnacles stood on the top, aloft, in the air, and were fharp, and fo difficult to ftand upon: what men fay of their number and length I wave, and come directly to their fignification.

2. I therefore take thofe pinnacles to be types of thofe lofty, airy notions, with which fome men delight themselves, while they hover like birds, a• bove the fold and godly truths of Chrift. Satan. attempted to entertain Jefus Chrift with this type and antitype, at once, when he fet him on one of the pinnacles of the Temple, and offered to thrust him upon a falfe confidence in God, by a falfe and found interpretation of a text, Matth. iv. 5, G. Luke iv. 9, 10, II.

3. You have fome men cannot be content to wor fhip in the Temple, but must be aloft, no place will ferve them but pinnacles, pinnacles; that they may be speaking in and to the air, that they may be promoting their heady notions, inftead of folid truth; not confidering that now they are where the devil would have them be, they ftrut upon their points, their pinnacles; but let them look to it, there is difficult standing upon pinnacles, their neck, their foul is in danger. We read, God is in his Temple, not upon these pinnacles, Pfal. xi. 4. Heb. ii. 20...

4. It is true, Christ was once upon one of thefe; but the devil fet him there, with intent to have

dafhed him in pieces by a fall; and yet even then told him, if he would venture to tumble down he "fhould be kept from dafhing his foot against a ftone." To be there therefore, was one of Chrift's temptations, confequently one of Satan's firatagems; nor went he thither of his own accord, for he knew that there was danger, "he loved not to clamber pinnacles."

5. This fhould teach chriftians to be low, and little in their own eyes, and to forbear to intrude into airy and vain fpeculations, and to take heed. of being puffed up with a foul and empty mind,

I.

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CHA P. XXV.

Of the Porters of the Temple.

HERE were porters belonging to the Temple. In David's time their number was four thousand men, Chron. xxiii. 5.

2. The porters were of the Levites, and their work was to watch at every gate of the house of the Lord. At the gate of the outer court, at the gates of the inner court, and at the door of the Temple of the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxv. 15.

3. The work of the porters, or rather the reafon of their watching, was to look that none, not duly qualified, entered into the houfe of the Lord. "He fet, faith the text, porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in any thing fhould enter in," 2 Chron. xxiii. 19.

4. The excellency of the porters lay in the fe three things; their watchfulness, diligence, and valour, to make refiftance to thofe that as unfit: would attempt to enter those courts, and the house. of God, I Chron. xxvi. 6. Mark. xiii. 34

5. These porters were types of our gofpel-minifters, as they are fet to be watchmen in and over the church, and the holy things of God. Therefore, as Chrift gives to every man in the church his work," he commands the porter to watch,"

Ifa, xxi, 11. Ezek. iii. 17. chap xxxiii. 7. Acts xx. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. 2 Tim. iv. 5. Rev. iii. 2, 3.

6. Sometimes every awakened Chriftian is faid to be a porter, and fuch at Chrift's first knock open unto him immediately, Luke xii. 36, 37, 38, 39.

7. The heart of a Chriftian is alfo fometimes. called the porter, for that when the true Shepherd comes to it, to him this porter openeth also, John

x. 3.

8. This laft has the body for his watch-house the eyes and ears for his port-holes; the tongue therewith to cry, "Who comes there?" as alfo to call for aid, when any thing unclean fhall attempt with force and violence to enter in to defile the house.

CHA P. XXVI.

Of the Charge of the Porters of the Temple more particularly.

I.

THE charge of the porters was, to keep their watch, in four fquare, even round about the temple of God. Thus it was ordained by David, before him by Mofes, and after him by So. lomon his fon, 1 Chron, ix. 24. Numb. iii. 2 Chron, xxiii. 19. XXXV. 15

2. The porters had fome of them the charge of the treasure chambers, fome of them had the . charge of the miniftring-veffels, even to bring them in and out by tale. Alfo the opening and fhutting of the gates of the houfe of the Lord was a part of their calling and office.

1. I told you the porters were types of our gof. pel-minifters, as they were watchmen in and over the houfe of God; and therefore in that they were thus to watch round about the temple, what is it, but to fhew, how diligent Satan is to fee if he can find a hog hole for that purpose.

2. This alfo fheweth, that the church of itself, without its watchmen, is a weak, feeble, and very helpleis thing. What can the lady, or miítrefs do,

to defend herself against thieves, and fturdy villains, if there be none but the at home? it is faid, when the fhepherd is fitten, the fheep fhall be fcattered." What could the temple do without its watchmen?

3. Again, in that the porters had charge of the treafure-chambers (as it is, i Chron. ix. 26.) it is to intimate, that the treasures of the gospel are with the minifters of our God; and that the church, next to Chrift, fhould feek them at their mouth. "We have this treafure in earthen veffels, faith Paul; and they are ftewards of the manifold myf. teries of God," 1 Cor. iv. 1. 2 Cor. iv. 7. 1 Pet. iv. 10. Ephef. iv. 11, 12, 13.

4. These are God's true fcribes, and bring out of their treafury things new and old; or, as he faith in another place," at our gates, that is where our porters watch, are all manner of pleafant fruit, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved, Matth. xiii. 52. Song vii. 13.

5. Further, fome of them had charge of the mi. niftring-veffels, and they were to bring them in and out by tale, 1 Chron. ix. 18..

1. If by miniftring.veffels you understand gof pel ordinances, then you fee who has the charge of them, to wit, the watchmen and minifters of the word; Luke i. 12. 2. Theff. ii. 15. 2 Tim. ii. 2.

2. If by miniftring-veffels you mean the menbers of the church, for they are alfo miniftring veffels, then you fee who has the care of them, to wir, the paftors, the gospel-minifters.

Therefore" obey them that have the rule over you, for they watch for your fouls as they that mult give an account; that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you;" Heb. xii. 17.

2. The opening of the gates did alfo belong to the porters, to fhew, that the power of the keys, to wit, of opening and fhutting, of letting in and