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the grace of love. That in Solomon's chariot called "gold" is yet again mentioned by the name "love." Song iii. 9, 10. As it is in the Church, the grace of love is as gold. It is the greatest, the richest of graces, and that which abides for ever. Hence they that show much love to saints are said to be rich. 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18, 19. And hence charity is called a treasure, a treasure in the heavens. Luke xii. 33, 34. Love is a golden grace; let then the churches, as the porch of the temple was, be inlain with love as gold.

Secondly, it had the pillars adjoined to it, the which, besides their stateliness, seem to be there typically to teach example. For there was seen, by the space of four cubits, their lily-work in the porch. 1 Kings vii. 19.

Of their lily-work I spake before. Now that they were so placed that they might be seen in the porch of the house, it seems to be for example to teach the Church that she should live without worldly care, as did the apostles, the first planters of the Church. And let ministers do this: they are now the pillars of the churches, and they stand before the porch of the house; let them also show their lilywork to the house, that the Church may learn of them to be without carefulness as to worldly things, and also to be rich in love and charity towards the brethren.

A covetous minister is a base thing, a pillar more symbolizing Lot's wife than an holy apostle of Jesus Christ; let them, since they stand at the door, and since the eyes of all in the porch are upon them, be patterns and examples of good works. 1 Tim. vi. 10, 11, 12; Tit. ii. 7.

Thirdly, another ornament unto this porch was, that it was an inlet into the temple.

Charity is it which receiveth orphans, that receiveth the poor and afflicted into the Church. Worldly love, or that which is carnal, shuts up bowels, yea, and the church doors too, against the poor of the flock; wherefore look that this kind of love be never countenanced by you. Crave that rather which is a fruit of the Spirit.

O churches, let your ministers be beautified with your love, that they may beautify you with their love, and also be an ornament unto you and to that Gospel they minister to you, for Jesus Christ's sake.

XXII. Of the Ascent by which they went up into the Porch of the Temple.

1. This porch also had certain steps, by

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which they went up into the house of the Lord. I know not directly the number of them, though Ezekiel speaks something about it. Ezek. xl. 38, 39. Hence, when men went to worship into the temple they were said to go up in the house of the Lord. Isa. xxxviii. 22.

These steps, which were the ascent to the temple, were so curiously set and also finely wrought that they were amazing to behold. Wherefore, when the queen of Sheba, who came to prove Solomon's wisdom, saw the house which he had built, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord, she had no more spirit in her. She was by that sight quite drowned and overcome. 1 Kings x. 4, 5.

2. These steps, whether cedar, gold, or stone, yet that which added to their adorn ment was the wonderment of a queen. And whatever they were made of, to be sure they were a shadow of those steps which we should take to and in the house of God. Steps of God. Ps. lxxxv. 13. Steps ordered by him. Ps. xxxvii. 22. Steps ordered in his word. Ps. cxix. 133. Steps of faith. Rom iv. 12. Steps of the Spirit. 1 Cor. xii. 18. Steps of truth. 3 John 4. Steps washed with butter. Job xxix. 6. Steps taken before or in the presence of God. Steps butted and bounded by a divine rule. These are steps indeed. 3. There are, therefore, no such steps as these to be found anywhere in the world. A step to honour, a step to riches, a step to worldly glory, these are everywhere; but what are these to the steps by which men do ascend or go up to the house of the Lord!

He, then, that entereth into the house of the Lord is an ascending man; as it is said of Moses, he went up into the mount of God. It is ascending to go into the house of God. The world believe not this; they think it is going downward to go up to the house of God, but they are in a horrible mistake.

The steps, then, by which men went up into the temple are, and ought to be, opposed to those which men take to their lusts and empty glories. Hence, such steps are said not only to decline from God, but to take hold of the path to death and hell.

The steps, then, by which men went up to the house of the Lord were significative of those steps which men take when they go to God, to heaven, and glory; for these steps were the way to God, to God in his holy temple.

But how few are there that, as the queen of

the South, are taken with these goodly steps! Do not most rather seek to push away our feet from taking hold of the path of life, or else lay snares for us in the way? But, all these notwithstanding, the Lord guide us in the way of his steps: they are goodly steps, they are the best.

XXIII. Of the Gates of the Porch of the Temple.

1. The porch, at which was an ascent to the temple, had a gate belonging to it. This gate, according to the prophet Ezekiel, was six cubits wide. The leaves of this gate were double, one folding this way, the other folding that. Ezek. xl. 48.

Now here some may object and say, Since the way to God by these doors was so wide, why doth Christ say the way and gate is narrow?

Answer. The straitness, the narrowness must not be understood of the gate simply, but because of that cumber that some men carry with them that pretend to be going to heaven. Six cubits! What is sixteen cubits to him who would enter in here with all the world on his back? The young man in the Gospel, who made such a noise for heaven, might have gone in easy enough, for in six cubits' breadth there is room; but, poor man, he was not for going in thither, unless he might carry in his houses upon his shoulder too, and so the gate was strait. Mark x. 17-23.

Wherefore he that will enter in at the gate of heaven, of which this gate into the temple was a type, must 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 keep the truth, they shall enter in."

2. They that enter at the gate of the inner court must be clothed in fine linen; how, then, shall they go into the temple that carry the clogs of the dirt of this world at their heels? Thus saith the Lord, "No stranger uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary."

3. The wideness 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 of all for God.

4. Wherefore let such as would go in remember that here is room, even a gate to enter in at, six cubits wide. We have been all this

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XXIV. Of the Pinnacles of the Temple 1. There were also several pinnacles belong ing to the temple. These pinnacles stood on the top aloft in the air, and were sharp, and so difficult to stand upon: what men say of their number and length I waive, and come directly to their signification.

2. I therefore take these pinnacles to be types of those lofty, airy notions with which some men delight themselves while they hover like birds above the solid and godly truths of Christ. Satan attempted to entertain Christ Jesus with this type and antitype at once when he set him on one of the pinnacles of the temple, and offered to thrust him upon a false confidence in God by a false and unsound interpretation of a text. Matt. iv. 5, 6; Luke iv. 9, 10, 11.

3. You have some men who cannot be content to worship in the temple, but must be aloft; no place will serve them but pinnacles, pinnacles, that they may be speaking in and to the air, that they may be promoting their heady notions, instead of solid truth; not considering that now they are where the devil would have them be, they strut upon their points, their pinnacles; but, let them look to it, there is difficult standing upon pinnacles; their neck, their soul, is in danger. We read, God is in his temple, not upon these pinnacles. Ps. xi. 4; Hab. ii. 20.

4. It is true, Christ was once upon one of these, but the devil set him there, with intent to dash him in pieces by a fall; and yet even then told him if he would venture to tumble down he should be kept from dashing his foot against a stone. To be there, therefore, was one of Christ's temptations, consequently one of Satan's stratagems; nor went he thither of his own accord, for he knew that there was danger; he loved not to clamber pinnacles.

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

XXV. Of the Porters of the Temple.

1. There were porters belonging to the temple. In David's time their number was four thousand men. 1 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.

3. The work of the porters, or rather the reason of their watching, was to look that none not duly qualified entered into the house of the Lord. "He set," saith the text, "porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in."

4. The excellency of the porters lay in these three things: their watchfulness, diligence, and valour to make resistance to those that as unfit would attempt to enter those courts and the house of God.

5. These porters were types of our Gospel ministers, as they are set to be watchmen in and over the Church and the holy things of God. Therefore, as Christ gives to every man in the Church his work, "so he commands the porter to watch." Isa. xxi. 11.

6. Sometimes every awakened Christian is said to be a porter, and such at Christ's first knock open unto him immediately. Luke xii. 36, 37, 38, 39.

7. The heart of a Christian is also sometimes called the porter, for that when the true Shepherd comes to it, to him this porter openeth also. John x. 3.

8. This last has the body for his watch-house; the eyes and ears for his portholes; the tongue wherewith to cry, Who comes there? as also to call for aid when any thing unclean shall attempt with force and violence to enter in to defile the house.

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

1. The charge of the porters was, to keep their watch in four square even round about the temple of God. Thus it was ordained by David, before him by Moses, and after him by Solomon his son.

2. The porters had, some of them, the charge of the treasure-chambers; some of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, even to bring them in and out by tale; also the opening and shutting of the gates of the house of the Lord was a part of their calling and office. 1. I told you the porters were types of our

Gospel ministers, as they were watchmen in and over the house of God; and therefore in that they were thus to watch round about the temple, what is it but to show how diligent Satan is, to see if he may get in somewhere, by some means, to defile the Church of God. He goes round and round us, to see if he can find a hoghole for that purpose.

2. This also showeth that the Church itself, without its watchmen, is a weak, feeble, and very helpless thing. What can the lady or mistress do to defend herself against thieves and sturdy villains if there be none but she at home? It is said, When the Shepherd in smitten the sheep will be scattered. What could the temple do without the watchmen?

3. Again, in that the porters had charge of the treasure-chambers, (as it is 1 Chron. ix. 26,) it is to intimate that the treasures of the Gospel are with the ministers of our God, and that the Church, next to Christ, should seek them at the mouth. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels," saith Paul, and they are stewards of the "manifold mysteries of God."

4. These are God's true scribes, and bring out of their treasury things new and old; or, as he saith in another place, "At our gates”— that is, where our porters watch-"are all manner of pleasant fruit, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved."

5. Further, some of them had charge of the ministering vessels, and they were to bring them in and out by tale. 1 Chron. ix. 18.

1. If by ministering vessels you understand Gospel ordinances, then you see who has the charge of them-to wit, the watchmen and ministers of the word.

2. If by ministering vessels you mean the members of the Church, for they are also ministering vessels, then you see who has the care of them to wit, the pastors, the Gospe ministers. Therefore "obey them that have the rule over you, for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account; that they may do it with joy, and not with grief for that is unprofitable to you."

3. The opening of the gates did also belong to the porter, to show that the power of the keys-to wit, of opening and shutting, of letting in and keeping out of the Church--doth ministerially belong to these watchmen.

4. The conclusion is, then, Let the churches love their pastors, hear their pastors, be ruled by their pastors, and suffer themselves to be watched over, and to be exhorted, counselled, and if need be reproved and rebuked, by their

pastors. And let the ministers not sleep, but be watchful, and look to the ordinances, to the souls of the saiuts, and the gates of the churches. Watchmen, watchmen, watch!

XXVII. Of the Doors of the Temple. Now we come to the gate of the templenamely, to that which led out of the porch into the holy place.

1. These doors or gates were folding, and they opened by degrees. First, a quarter, and then a half, after that three quarters, and last of all the whole. These doors also hanged upon hinges of gold, and upon posts made of the goodly olive tree. 1 Kings vi. 33, 34; Ezek. xli. 23, 24.

2. These doors did represent Christ, as he is the way to the Father, as also did the door of the tabernacle, at which the people were wont to stand when they went to inquire of God. Wherefore, Christ saith, "I am the door, (alluding to this:) by me, if any man enter, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture."

1. "I am the door." The door into the court, the door into the porch, the door into the temple, the door into the holiest, the door to the Father. But now we are at the door of the temple.

2. And observe it, this door by Solomon was not measured, as the door of the porch was; for though the door into the court and the door into the porch were measured, to show that the right to ordinances and the inlet into the Church are to be according to a prescript rule, yet this door was not measured, to show that Christ, as he is the inlet to saving grace, is beyond all measure and unsearchable. Hence his grace is called unscarchable riches, and that above all we can ask or think, for that it passeth knowledge. Eph. iii. 8, 19, 20.

3. It is therefore convenient that we put a note upon this, that we may distinguish rule and duty from grace and pardoning mercy; for, as I said, though Christ, as the door to outward privileges, is set forth by rule and measure, yet, as he is the door to grace and favour, never a creature, as yet, did see the length and breadth of him. Eph. iii. 17, 18, 19.

4. Therefore, I say, this gate was not measured, for what should a rule do here where things are beyond all measure?

5. This gate being also to open by degrees is of signification to us; for it will be opening first by one fold, then by another, and yet will never be set wide open until the day of judg

ment. For then, and not till then, will the whole of the matter be open. "For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face; now we know but in part, but then shall we know even as we are known."

XXVIII. Of the Leaves of this Gate of the Temple.

The leaves of this gate or door, as I told you before, were folding, and so, as was hinted, have something of signification in them. For by this means a man, especially a young disciple, may easily be mistaken, thinking that the whole passage, when yet but a part, was open, whereas three parts might yet be kept undiscovered to him. For these doors, as I said before, were never yet so wide open, I mean in the antitype; never man yet saw all the riches and fulness which is in Christ. So that, I say, a newcomer, if he judged by present sight, especially if he saw but little, might easily be mistaken; wherefore such, for the most part, are most horribly afraid that they shall never get in thereat.

How sayest thou, young comer?—is not this the case with thy soul? So it seems to thee that thou art too big, being so great, so tunbellied a sinner. But, O thou sinner, fear not: the doors are folding doors, and may be opened wider and wider again after that; wherefore when thou comest to this gate, and imaginest there is not space enough for thee to enter, knock, and it shall be wider opened unto thee, and thou shalt be received. Luke xi. 9; John ix. 37. So, then, whoever thou art that art come to the door of which the temple door was a type, trust not to thy first conceptions of things, but believe there is grace abundant: thou knowest not yet what Christ can do. The doors are folding doors: he can do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Eph. iii. 20.

The hinges on which these doors do hang were, as I told you, gold, to signify that they both turned upon motives and motions of love, and also that the openings thereof were rich. Golden hinges the gate to God doth turn upon,

The posts upon which these doors did hang were of the olive tree, that fat and oily tree, to show that they do never open with lothness or sluggishness, as doors do whose hinges wanteth oil. They are always oily, and so open easily and quickly to those who knock at them. Hence you read that he that dwells in this house gives freely, loves freely, and doeth us good with all his heart. Yea, saith he,

"I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul."

Wherefore the oil of grace, signified by this oily tree or these olive posts on which these doors do hang, causes that they open glibly or frankly to the soul.

XXIX. What the Doors of the Temple were made of.

1. The doors of the temple were made of fir, that is so sweet-scented and pleasant to the smell.

2. Mankind is also often compared to the fir tree, as Isa. xli. 19.

3. Now, since the doors of the temple were made of the same, doth it not show that the way into God's house and into his favour is by the same nature which they are of that thither enter, even through the veil "his flesh ?" Heb. x. For this door, I mean the antitype, doth even say of himself, "I am as a green fir tree, from me is thy fruit found."

4. This fir tree is Christ-Christ as man, and so as the way to the Father. The doors of the temple are also, as you see here, made of the fir tree, even of that tree which was a type of the humanity of Jesus Christ.

5. The fir tree is also the house of the stork, that unclean bird, even as Christ is the harbour and shelter for sinners. As for the stork, saith the text, the fir tree is her house: and Christ saith to the sinners that see their want of shelter, Come unto me and I will give you rest. He is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble.

He is, as the doors of fir of the temple, the inlet to God's house, to God's presence, and to a partaking of his glory. Thus God did of old by similitudes teach his people his way.

XXX. How the Doors of the Temple were Adorned.

And Solomon carved upon the doors cherulims, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them all with gold. 1 Kings vi. 35; Ezek. xli. 15.

He carved cherubims thereon. These cherubims were figures or types of angels; and forasmuch as they were carved here upon the door, it was to show

First, What delight the angels take in waiting upon the Lord, and in going at his bidding, at his beck. They are always waiting servants at the door of their Lord's house. Secondly, It may be also to show how much

pleased they are to be where they may see sinners come to God. For there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth and comes to God by Christ for mercy. Luke xv. 10.

Thirdly. They may be also placed here to behold with what reverence, or irreverence, those that come hither to worship do behave themselves. Hence Solomon cautions those that come to God's house to worship that they take heed to their feet, because of the angels. Paul also says women must take heed that they behave themselves in the church as they should, and that because of the angels.

Fourthly. They may also be carved upon the temple door, to show us how ready they are, so soon as any poor creature comes to Christ for life, to take the care and charge of its conduct through this miserable world. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"

Fifthly. They may also be carved here to show that they are ready, at Christ's command, to take vengeance for him upon those that despise his people and hate his person. 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. Matt. xviii. 10.

Sixthly, or lastly. They may be carved upon these doors to show that Christ Jesus is the very supporter and upholder of angels, as well as the Saviour of sinful man; for as he is before all things, so by him all things consist: angels stand by Christ, men are saved by Christ, and therefore the very cherubims themselves were carved upon these doors, to show they are upheld and subsist by him.

Secondly. Again, as the cherubims are carved here, so there were palm trees carved here also. The palm tree is upright, it twisteth not itself awry. Jer. x. 5.

1. Apply this to Christ, and then it shows us the uprightness of his heart, word, and ways with sinners. "Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach sinners in the way"in at the door to life.

2. The palm or palm tree is also a token of victory, and as placed here it betokeneth the conquest that Christ, the door, should get over sin, death, the devil, and hell for us. Rom. vii.

24.

3. If we apply the palm tree to the Church -as we may, for she is also compared thereto, (Song vii, 8, 9, 10,)—then the palm tree may

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