doth more than intimate, that he expects that we Thould do fo, where he faith, "When ye eat that bread, and drink that cup, do this in remembrance of me; in remembrance that I died for your fins, and confequently, that they were the meritorious caufe of the fhedding of my blood." To conclude, let all men remember, that these cruel inftruments are laid upon the tables of their hearts whether they fee them or no. "The fin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond, upon the tables of their heart," Jer. xvii. 1.

A pen of iron will make letters upon a table made of ftone, and the point of a diamond will make letters upon glafs. Wherefore in this faying God informs us, that if we should forbear to read these lines to our converfion, God will one day read them against us unto our condemnation.

CHAP. XLI.

Of the Candlesticks of the Temple.

AND

of

ND he made ten candlesticks of gold, according to the form; and he fet them in the Temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left," 2 Chron. iv. 7.

1. These candlesticks were made of gold, to fhew the worth and value of them.

2. They were made after the form, or exact, according to rule; like thofe that were made in the tabernacle, or according to the pattern which David gave to Solomon to make them by. Obferve, there was great exactness in the fe; and need there was of this hint, that men might fee that every thing will not pass for a right ordered candlestick with God, Exod. xxv. 31.-47. 1 Chron. xxviii. 15, 16.

These candlesticks are faid fometimes to be ten, fometimes feven, and fometimes one, Ten here; feven, Rev, i. and one in Zech. iv. Ten is a mote

of multitude, and feven a note of perfection, and one a note of unity.

Now, as the precious ftones with which the house was garnished were a type of minifterial gifts, fo thefe candlesticks were a type of those

that were to be the churches of the New Teftament. Wherefore he fays," the candlesticks which thou faweft are the feven churches, Rev. i. 12, 13, 20.

1. The candlesticks were here in number ten, to' fhew that Chrift under the New Teftament would have many gospel churches. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, faith he, will draw all men unto me; that is, abundance: for the children of the defolate, that is, of the New Teftament church,', fhall be many more than they of the Jews were," John xii. 32, Gal, iv, 27.

2. in that the candlesticks were fet by the lavers and ftony tables, it might be to fhew us, that Chrift's churches fhould be much in confidering, that Chrift, tho' he was righteous, yet died for our fins; tho' his life was according to the holy law, yet our ftony hearts caufed him to die. Yea, and that the candlesticks are placed there, it is to thew us alfo, that we should be much in looking on the fins by which we caufed him to die, for the candlefticks were fet by thofe tables whereon they laid the inftruments with which they flew the facrifice.

3. Thefe candlesticks being made according to form, feems not only to be exact as to fashion, but also as to work: For that in Exodus, with its furniture, was made percifely of one talent of gold, perhaps to fhew, that Chrift's true fpoufe is not to be a grain more, nor a dram lefs, but juft the number of God's elect. This is Chrift's completeness, his fulness, one more, one lefs, would make his body a monfter.

4. The candlesticks were to hold the lights, and to fhew it to all the houfe; and the church is to let her light fo fhine, that they without may fee the G

light. Matth. v. 15, 16. Luke viii. 16. chap. xi.33. chap. xii. 35.

5. To this end the candlesticks were fupplied with oil-olive, a type of the fupply that the church hath, that her light may thine, even of the spirit of grace.

С НА Р.

XLII.

Of the Lamps belonging to the Candlesticks of the

Temple.

O thefe candlesticks belonged feveral lamps, with their flowers, and their knops, 2 Chron. iv. 21.

1. Thefe lamps were types of that profeffion that the members of the church do make of Christ, whether fuch members have faving grace or not, Matth. xxv. 1.—7.

2. Thefe lamps were beautified with knops and flowers, to fhew how comely and beautiful that profeffor is that adorns his profeffion with a fuit. able life and converfation.

3. We read that the candlesticks in Zecharias had feven lamps belonging to it, and a bowl of gol. den oil on the top, and that by golden pipes this golden oil emptied itself into the lamps, and all doubtless that the lamps might fhine, Zech. iv.

4. Chrift therefore, who is the high-prieft, and to whom it belongs to drefs the lamps, doth drefs them accordingly. But now there are lamp-carri. ers of two forts, fuch as have only oil in their lamps, and fuch as have oil in their lamps and veffels too, and both thefe belong to the church, and in both thefe Christ will be glorified. And they fhould have their proper places at laft, They that have the oil of grace in their hearts, as well as a profeffion of Chrift in their hands, they fhall go in with him to the wedding; but they who only make profeffion, and have not oil in their veffels, will furely mifcarry at last, Matth. xxv.

5. Wherefore, O thou profeffor! thou lampcarrier have a care and look to thyfelf, content

not thyfelf with that only, that will maintain thee in a profeffion, for that may be done without fav. ing grace. But I advife thee to go to Aaron, to Chrift, the trimmer of our lamps, and beg thy vef. fel full of oil of him, (that is grace) for the iea. foning of that heart, that thou mayeft have wherewith, not only to bear thee up now, but at the day of the bridegroom's coming, when many a lamp will go out, and many a profeffor will be left in the dark, for that will to fuch be a woful day, Lev. xxiv. 2. Matth. xxv.

Some there are, that are neither for lamps nor oil for themfelves, neither are they pleafed if they think they fee it in others. But they that have lamps,. and they that have none, and they which would blow out other folks lights, muft fhortly appear to give an account of all their doings to God. And then they fhall fee what it is to have oil in their veffels and lainps, and what it is to be without it in their veffels, tho' it is in their lamps; and what a difimal thing it is to be a malignant to either; but at prefent let this fuffice..

Of the Shew-bread on the Golden Table in the

T

Temple.

Here was alfo fhew-bread fet upon a golden table in the temple: 1 Kings vii. 48. The fhew-bread confifted of twelve cakes made of fine flower; two tenth deals was to go to one cake, and to be set in order in two rows upon the pure table," Exod. xxix. 33. Lev. iii, 31. chap. xxiv. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

1. Thefe twelve loaves, to me, do seem to be a type of the twelve tribes under the law, and of the children of God under the gofpel, as they present themselves before God, in and by his ordinances, through Chrift. Hence the apoftle fays, "For we being many are one bread," &c. 1 Cor. x. 17. For so were the twelve cakes, though twelve, and fo

are the gospel faints, tho' many. "For we being many are one body in Chrift," Rom. xii. 5.

2. But they were a type of the true church, not of the falfe. For Ephraim, who was the head of the ten tribes in their ap ftacy, is rejected, as a cake not turned. Indeed he is called a cake, as a falfe church may be called a church; but he is called a cake not turned, as a falfe church is not prepared for God, nor fit to be fet on the golden table before him, Hof. vii. 8.

3. Thefe cakes or fhew-bread, was to have frankincenfe ftrewed upon them, as they stood upon the golden table, which was a type of the fweet perfumes of the fanctifications of the Holy Ghoft; to which I think Paul alludes, when he fays, "The offering up of the Gentiles is acceptable to God, being fanctified by the Holy Ghoft," Rom. XV. 16.

4. They were to be set upon the pure table, new and hot; to fhew that God delighteth in the company of new and warm believers. "I remember

thee, the kindnefs of thy youth; when Ifrael was a child, I loved him." Men, at first converfion, are like to a cake well baked, and new taken from the oven; they are warm, and cast forth a very fragrant fcent, efpecially when, as warm, fweet incenfe is ftrewed upon them, Jer. ii. Hof. xi.

5. When the fhew-bread was old and stale, it was to be taken away, and new and warm put in its place, to fhew that God has but little delight in the fervice of his own people, when their duties grow ftale and mouldy. Therefore he removed his old, ftale, mouldy church of the Jews from before him, and fet in their rooms upon the golden table, the warm church of the Gentiles.

6. The thew-bread, by an often remove, and renewing, was continually to ftand before the Lord in his house, to fhew us, that always, as long as ordinances thould be of ufe, God will have a new, warm, and fanctified people to worship him.