righteoufnefs will never ftand together in the matter of juftification before GD; for falvation is either all of grace, or all of works, though there are fome, (I wish from my heart they were but few, but I fear they are the generality of profeffors) that look upon CHRIST's righteoufnefs but as an example, orat moft but to make up the deficiency of theirs. But this is an idea that is difhonourable to CHRIST, and deftructive (I fay, eternally destructive, if grace prevents not), to their immortal fouls; for as Dagon and the ark could not ftand together, fo neither will our righteoufnefs and CHRIST'S, as CHRIST'S righteoufnefs was never intended to make up the creatures deficiencies, but as a compleat robe and garment of falvation; for faith our LORD, Matt. ix. 16. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for there is fuch a difproportion and unfitnefs between the one and the other, that they are not fit to be cemented together, as is obferved, the rent is made worse thereby. Now this is the very cafe, for faith the prophet, Ifa. Ixiv. 6. all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and no wonder, for fin and Satan, nay, and our own wicked hands too, have been tearing it every moment, for almost fix thousand years; and it would be a miracle indeed if it kept whole, when it is thought by fome, that Adam's righteousness in innocency did not keep whole one day. But it is not only rags, but filthy rags, as it was the hands of fin that first tore it, it then left the pollution of hell upon it, and the Ethiopian may as foon change his fkin, and the leopard his fpots, as we can remove the pollution of fin from the works of righteoufnefs which we have done; for in the pureft ftreams of love to CHRIST, there arifeth the fcum of felf, therefore, faith GoD, Ifa. lvii. 12. I will declare thy righteoujnefs, and thy works, for they fhall not profit thee; and, faith the apostle, Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law fhall no flesh be justified in his fight.

From hence I would obferve in the firft place, That the chriftian fhould hold in the utmost deteftation, the thought of expecting CHRIST's righteoufnefs to make up the deficiency of his; for will a Prince build a palace to make up the deficiency of a cottage? Will a King adorn adunghill with his crown? Or the embroiderer embellish rags with gold lace? And can you think that the King of glory would spend his life and death, only to adorn and make the rags of a creature lucid? Is not his righteousness compleat, and his obedience infinite? If we want any addition, let us, with humility, renounce our own, in point of dependance, and heartily accept of CHRIST's righ

CHRIST'S coat,

troufnels for our falvation, and fay of it, as the foldiers faid of They said therefore among themselves, let us not rend it, &c. Our that was made without feam, John xix. 24. works of righteoufnefs have indeed their proper place, and are commendable before GOD and man; but as a man's mark doth not give him a right to his fheep, but the valuable price or confideration which he paid for them; only this, it is an evidence to him and others, that they are his fheep. In heaven, but are only an evidence and mark of our right unto our works of righteoufnefs give us no right to the bleffings of the everlasting covenant, for it is CHRIST'S righteoufnefs and death, that give us a right to heaven, and make us meet for the enjoyment of it. As

like manner,

his fpirit and

grace

it may be obferved of good trees, that fome years they bear no fruit at all, through nipping frofts, or blafting winds; in like

manner it may be obferved of chriftians, that through the nipping difpenfation of Providence, the fharp temptations of an, the allurements of the world, and the vanities of their own hearts, they feem, at times, to bear no fruit; no evidences of heaven in their own fouls, yet they are real christians

fill, though

not fruitful. The branches of the chriftian's con

verfation and conduct, we could with were more richly adorned with a lively faith in the LORD JESUS, fresh obedience to his ways, and love to one another; this is the only way to adorn the Golpel of GOD their SAVIOUR in all things, for the ftreams of comfort are preferved by the banks of obedience, but heaven and happiness is beftowed upon us as the fruit of his fovereign pleafure, Eph. i. 11. In whom also we have obtained an eritance, being predeftinated, according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the council of his will.

Second, The typical fignification of the ark affords rich relief to a diftreffed foul, who fees the holiness and fpirituality

of the law of GOD, yet finds no ftrength to fulfil it; but reember, the decalogue was put into the ark, Exod. xl. 20. de took and put the testimony into the ark: So that if the law t wrote in thy heart, it is wrote in CHRIST's heart for ; if it doth not fhine to perfection in thy obedience, befe of the debility of thy nature, yet remember, it fhineth perfection in the fteps and obedience of CHRIST, who eyed it for thee. The holiness of his heart, the obedience

fhis life, was a perfect delineation of the law of GoD; and

he

be obeyed it in thy nature, in thy room and ftead, thou mayeft Com an intereft therein as thy own; for as thy fins were made

Μ

his by imputation, fo his righteousness is transferred and made over to thee by imputation alfo; and thou art one of those blef fed fouls, to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works, Rom. iv. 6. Works will follow as evidential of the truth of it, before men and angels; as when a tree beareth good fruit it gives a fatisfaction to the owner and to others, that it is a good tree, though the good fruit doth not make it a good tree, but is only an evidence of it; therefore faith our LORD, Matt, vii. 20. by their fruits ye fhall know them.

Friendly. But what am I to understand fpiritually by the table and the fhew-bread, mentioned in Exod. xxv. 23, 24.1 Thou alfo fhalt make a table of Shittim-wood, and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, &c. verfe 30. and thou shalt Jet upon the table Shew-bread before me always?

Truth. I confefs this is one of the deep typical myfteries of grace, fo deep that faith, meditation and prayer, may fwim therein. Moft commentators make the type two-fold, both of Chrift and his church, (for I have perufed fix upon this type) First, they apply the fhew-bread to the church, 1 Cor. x. 17. For we being many are one bread, and one body; by its being unleavened bread, it may denote the truth and fincerity of the faints, and their freedom from hypocrify; the loaves or cakes being twelve in number, may reprefent the twelve tribes of Ifrael, and thereby the whole Ifrael of God. This bread being fet upon the table, may denote the faints being fet upon CHRIST, where they are fafe and always acceptable, with GOD; the bread being always before the LORD, may denote that the eye of the LORD is conftantly upon his people, that he remem bereth them with the dearest affection, and with continual kindness; and the loaves being fet in rows, may denote the order of the faints in the church of God; thefe loaves being removed and fresh ones placed, may fignify the removal of the faints to glory, and young converts filling up their places in the church. And I add, by the loaves being placed upon the table hot, it may denote that heat of affection and warmth of love, wherewith the foul at firft embraceth the ordinances of GOD's houfe, and that life of zeal it has for the caufe of CHRIST. But I rather think, by the table may be meant the word of GOD; by its being made of the wood of Shittim, may denote the duration and incorruptiblenefs of the word of GOD; the table being covered with pure gold, may fignify precioufnets, value and glory of the word of God, as it contains treasures of the moft interefting nature. The table having a crown of gold round about it, may adumbrate the

the

crown of bleffings, and fuccefs of the word preached, in the converfion of finners, and in the confolation of the faints; but the bread being fet upon the table, I apprehend it was typical of CHRIST, the bread of life, being fet upon the table of the word, in the ordinances of his houfe. As bread is the ftaff of life, and that which ftrengtheneth man's heart, Pfalm civ. 15. fo CHRIST is the believer's life, by him their life is maintained, from him their life of faith, love and obedience flows, they feed upon him as the bread of life that came down from heaven, and their hearts are ftrengthened thereby; as there is fuch nourishment, life and joy, contained in his flesh, which is meat indeed; in his incarnation, life and fufferings, that the christian fays, Lord, evermore give us this bread. The fhewbread being placed in rows upon the table, may denote the order and economy of preaching CHRIST and him crucified, and of holding forth the word of life to the faints. The fhewbread being made of fine flour, and fet new every fabbath-day upon the table in the fanctuary, by the priest, points out to us the perfection of CHRIST as mediator, and that the priests, the minifters of the word, fhould fet forth CHRIST in the glory of his person, the dignity of his office, the riches of his grace, and the fulness of his merits. And the bread was to be new to fet upon the table, which may denote that there is always fomething fresh and new in CHRIST, fresh glories in his perfon to be feen, new glories in his love to be difplayed; which made the pious Mr. Rutherford fay, "I find my CHRIST a "new CHRIST every day.” But by the fhew-bread being appointed only for the priest, Lev. xxiv. 9. and it shall be Aaron and his Sons, and they shall eat it; this prefigurated that CHRIST is only defigned for believers to feed upon, who are filed, a royal priesthood, 1 Pet. ii. 9. But ye are a chofen generation, a royal priesthood; and indeed no other but believers have any appetite to feed upon CHRIST, they have tafted that the LORD is gracious, therefore defire the fincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. To them CHRIST is a feaft of fat things, they feed upon him as manna from above, as the bread of life that came down from heaven, as their fpiritual meat, they have meat to eat that the world knows not of, and are thereby replenished with joy that the ftranger intermeddleth not with.

But as the fhew-bread was to be fed upon every week, this may point forth the duty and privilege of the faints, who have CHRIST fet before them every Lord's-day in the miniftration

of the word, that they are to feed upon it the enfuing week, count over the promises of grace, ruminate upon the bleffings of the everlafling covenant, meditate upon what they have heard in Zion, as faith the pfalmift, my meditations of him shall be fweet, and I will be glad in the Lord. As it was counted a great neglect when the fhew-bread was not eaten; in like manner how great is the fupineness of the faints, when they neglect to digeft the word they have heard preached, by faith, prayer and meditation thereupon; they ought not to think it enough to be careful to hear the truth on the fabbath preached, but be affiduous to feed upon it the enfuing week, that they might grow thereby.

I would obferve, that they were to put pure frankincense with the fhew-bread upon the table, Lev. xxiv. 7. Thou shalt put pure frankincenfe upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial. Now frankincenfe was reckoned among the fweet fpices, Ex. xxx. 34. And as the frankincense was to be upon the bread for a memorial, it may denote the sweetness and delight of the Saviour's love, the fragrancy of his blood, the odoriferoufnefs of his grace upon the mind, when the believer feafteth upon him, whofe flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed.

The loaves being twelve in number, may denote that plenitude of provifion which there is in CHRIST, a promise for every cafe; a fuitable help for every need; a fupply for every want; bread enough and to fpare-none need perifh for hunger. But fome there are that apply the fhew-bread as typical of the interceffion of CHRIST, as it may be rendered the bread of faces, which may point forth CHRIST reprefenting the faces, perfons and names of his people. As the fhew-bread was to be continually fet before the Lord, it may denote CHRIST'S Conftant interceffion for his people, as he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. And the frankincenfe upon the fhew-bread, may prefigure the fragrancy of his blood before the throne, and the acceptance of his interceffion with GOD; if he fay, Father I will; the thing is granted, this is my beloved fon (faith he) in whom I am well pleafed.

Friendly. But what am I to understand by the Mercy-feat, mentioned in Exod. xxv. 17, 18, 19, 20, 22. And thou shalt make a Mercy-feat of pure gold; two cubits and a half fhall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof; and thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the Mercy-feat. And make one Cherub on the one end, and the other Cherub on the other end;