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ple, and hate his perfon. Hence, he bids the world take heed what they do to his little ones, "For their angels behold the face of their Father which is in heaven, and are ready at the door to run at his bidding, Matth. xviii. 10.

Sixthly, or laftly, They may be carved upon thefe doors, to fhew that Chrift Jefus is the very fupporter and upholder of angels, as well as the Sa viour of finful man; for as he is before all things, fo by him all things confift: angels ftand by Christ, men are faved by Christ, and therefore the very cherubims themselves were carved upon thefe doors, to fhew they are upheld and fubfift by him, 1 Cor. viii. 6. Col. i. 17. Heb. i. 3.

Secondly, Again, as the cherubims are carved here, fo there were palm-trees carved here alfo. The palm-tree is upright, it twisteth not itself awiy, Jer. x. 5.

1. Apply this to Chrift, and then it fhews us the uprightness of his heart, word, and ways with finners. "Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach finners in the way," in at the door to life, Pfal. xxv. 8. xcii, 15.

2. The palm or palm-tree is alfo a token of victory, and as placed here, it be tokeneth the conqueft that Chrift, the door, thould get over fin, death, the devil, and hell, for us, Rom. vi. 24. viii, 37. 1 Cor. xv. 54, 55, 56. Rev. vii. 9, 10, 11.

3. If we apply the palm-tree to the church, ast we may, for the alfo is compared thereto, Song vii. 8, 9, 10. then the palm tree may be carved here, to thew, that none but fuch as are upright of heart and life thall dwell in the prefence of God. "The hypocrite, fays Job, thall not come before him. The upright, fays David, fhall dwell in thy prefence, Job xiii, 16. Pfal. xxiv, 3, 4.

They are they that are cloathed in white robes, which fignifies uprightnefs of life, that ftand be fore the Lamb with palms in their hands, Rey.

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Thirdly, There were alfo carved upon thefe doors open flowers; and that to teach us, that here is the fweet fcent and fragrant fmell; and that the coming foul will find it fo in Chrift, this door. "I am, faith he, the Rofe of Sharon, and the lily of the vallies." And again," his cheeks are as beds of fpices, and feveral flowers; his lips, likelilies, drop fweet finelling myrrh," Song i. 1. v. 13.

Open flowers, open flowers are the fweeteft, because full grown, and becaufe as fuch, they yield their fragrancy molt freely. Wherefore, when he faith upon the doors are open flowers, he fetteth Chrift Jefus forth in his good favours, as high as by fuch fimilitudes he could; and that both in name and office; for open flowers lay, by their thus opening themfelves before us, all their beauty allo moft plainly before our faces. There are varieties of beauty in open flowers, the which they alfo commend to all obfervers. Now, upon thefe 'doors you fee are open flowers, flowers ripe, and fpread before us, to fhew, that his name and offices are favoury to them that by him do enter his house to God his Father, Song i. 1, 2, 3, 4-6

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"All the fe were overlaid with fine gold." Gold is most rich of all metals; and here it is faid the doors, the cherubims, the palm-trees, and open flowers, were overlaid therewith. And this thews, that as these things are rich in themfelves, even fo they should be to us

We have a golden door to go to God by, and golden angels to conduct us through the world; we have golden palm-trees as tokens of our victory; and golden flowers to smell on all the way to hea

ven..

CHA P.. XXXI.

Of the Wall of the Temple. THE HE wall of the Temple was "ceiled with fir, which he overlaid with fine gold; and fet thereon palm trees and chains, 2 Chron. iii. 5, 6, 7. 5,6,7% The walls were as the body of the house, unte »

which Chrift alluded, when he faid, " Deftroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," John i. 19. 21.

Hence to be, and worship in the Temple, was a type of being in Chrift, and worthipping God by him; for Chrift, as it was faid, is the great Temple of God, in the which all the elect meet, and in whom they do fervice to and for his Father.

Hence again, the true worshippers are faid to be in him, to speak in him, to walk in him, to obey in him, 2 Cor. ii, 14. xii. 19. Col, ii. 6. For, as of old, all true worship was to be found at the Temple, so now it is only found with Chrift, and with them that are in him. 1 he promife of old was made to them that worshipped within thefe walls: "I will give, faith he, to them in my houfe and within my wails," (to them that worthip there in truth) a place and a name better than that of fons and of daughters, Ifa.. v. 5, 6.

But now, in New-Teftament times, "all the promifes in him are yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God by us, 2 Cor. i, 20.

This is yet further hinted to us, in that it is faid, thefe walls are ceiled with fir; which, as was fhewed before, was a figure of the humanity of Jesus Christ.

A wall is for defence, and fo is the humanity of Jefus Chrift It is, was, and will be, our defence for ever. For it was that which underwent and overs came the curfe of the law, and that in which our everlasting righteoufnefs is found. Had he not in that interpofed, we had perished for ever. Hence, we are faid to be reconciled to God in the body of his flesh thro' death, Col. i. 19, 20. Rom. v. 8, 9, 10

Now this wall was overlaid with fine gold. Gold here is a figure of the righteousness of Christ, by which we are juftified in the fight of Ged; there fore you read, that his church, as juftified, is faid to stand at his right-hand in cloth of Gold. Upon thy right hand did ftand the queen in gold of O. phir; and again, her cloathing is of wrought gold,

Pfal. xlv. 9, 13. This the wall was overlaid with; this the body of Chrift was filled with. Men, while in the temple, were cloathed with gold, even with the gold of the Temple; and men in Chrift are cloathed with righteoufnefs, the righteoufnefs of Christ, Wherefore this confideration doth yet more illuftrate the matter.

In that the palm-trees were fet on this wall, it may be to fhew that the elect are fixed in Jesus, and fo fhall abide for ever.

Chains were also carved on thefe walls, yea, and they were golden chains. There were chains on the pillars, and now alfo we find chains upon the walls, Phil. i, 12, 13.

1. Chains were ufed to hold captives, and fuch did Paul wear at Rome, but he called them his bonds in Christ.

2. Chains fometimes only fignify great afflictions which God lays on us for our fins, Pfal. cvii. 9, 10, 11. Lam, i. 14. iii. 7.

3- Chains alfo may be more myftically underftood, as of those obligations which the love of God lays upon us to do and fuffer for him, Acts

XX. 22.

4. Chains do fometimes fignify beauty and comely ornaments: "thy neck, faith Chrift to his fpoufe, is comely with chains of gold :" and again, "I put bracelets upon thy hands, a chain about thy neck," Song i. 10. Ezek. xvi. 8, 9, 10, 11. Prov. 1. 9.

5. Chains alfo do fometimes denote greatnefs and honour; fuch as Daniel had when the king made him the third ruler in the kingdom, Dan. v. 7, 16, 29.

Now all thefe are temple-chains, and are put upon us for good; fome to prevent our ruin, fome to difpofe our minds the better, and fome to dignify and make us noble. Temple chains are brave chains. None but Temple worshippers must wear Temple chains.

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CHAP. XXXII..

Of the garnishing the Temple with precious Stones. ND he garnished the house with precious ftones for beauty," 2 Chron. iii. 6, 7.

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1. This is another ornament to the temple of the Lord; wherefore, as he faith, it was garnished with them; he faith, it was garnished with them for beauty. The line faith garnifhed, the margin faith covered.

2. Wherefore, I think, they were fixed as ftars, or as the stars in the firmament; fo they were fet in the cieling of the house, as in the heaven of the holy temple..

3. And thus fixed, they do the more aptly tell. us of what they were a figure; namely, of the mi nifterial gifts and officers in the church. For minifters, as to their gifts and office, are called ftars of God, and are faid to be in the hand of Chrift, Rev. i. 20.

4. Wherefore, as the ftars glitter and twinkle in: the firmament of heaven, fo do true minifters in the firmament of his church. 1 Chron. xxix. 2. John v. 35. Dan. xii. 3.

5. So that it is faid again, thefe gifts come down from above, as fignifying,, they diftill their dew from above. And hence again, the minifters are faid to be fet over us in the Lord, as placed in the firmament of his heaven, to give a light upon hisearth. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies,, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel,” Prov. xx. 15.

Verily it is enough to make a man in this houfe look always upward, fince the cieling above head do thus glitter with precious ftones.

Precious ftones, all manner of precious ftones; ftones of all colours: "For there are divers gifts, differences of adminiftrations, and diverfities of operations but it is the fame God which workethis all in all," 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6,

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