Or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us
More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths.
XXXVI. Of the molten sea that was in the Temple.
There was also a molten sea in the temple; it was made of brass, and contained three thousand baths (2 Chron 4:2-10). This sea was for the priests to wash in when they came into the temple to accomplish the service of God; to wash their hands and feet at, that they might not, when they came thither, die for their unpreparedness. The laver also which was in the wilderness was of the same use there (Exo 30).
1. It was, as may be supposed, called a sea, for that it was large to contain; and a sea of brass, for that it was made thereof. Revelation calls it a sea of glass, alluding to that in the wilderness, which was made of the brazen looking-glasses of women that came to worship at the door of the tabernacle (Rev 4:6, 15:2; Exo 38:8).
2. It was also said to be molten, because it was made of that fashion, by fire; and its antitype therefore is said to be a sea of glass mingled with fire (Rev 15:2). (1.) This sea was a figure of the word of the gospel, in its cleansing virtue; which virtue it then has when mingled with the fire of the Holy Ghost. And to this Christ alludes, when he saith, 'Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you' (John 15:3). (2.) It was a figure of the word, without mixture of men's inventions; hence it is called 'pure water.' Having your 'bodies washed with pure water.' And again, He sanctifies and cleanseth his church 'with the washing of water by the word' (Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5). All these places allude to the molten sea, which they washed in of old when they went into the temple to worship. Therefore, saith he, being washed, let us draw near to God (Heb 10:22).
3. This sea from brim to brim was complete ten cubits; perhaps to show that there is as much in the word of the gospel to save, as there is in the ten words to condemn.
4. From under this sea round about appeared oxen, ten in a cubit did compass it round about (2 Chron 4:3). Understand by these oxen ministers, for to them they are compared in 1 Corinthians 9:8-10. And then we are taught whence true ministers come; to wit, from under the power of the gospel, for this sea breeds gospel ministers, as the waters breed fish.
5. It is also said in the text that these oxen were cast when the sea was cast; insinuating that when God ordained a word of grace to save us, he also in his decree provided ministers to preach it to us to that end. Paul tells us that he was made a minister of the gospel, 'according to God's eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Eph 3:9-11; Col 1:25).
6. This sea is said to have a brim like the brim of a cup. It invites us also to drink of its grace, as to wash in its water. For the word and Spirit, when mixed, have not only a cleansing, but a saving quality in it (2 Chron 4:1-5; 1 Cor 15:1,2).
7. This brim was wrought with lilies, or was like a lily flower; to show how they should grow and flourish, and with what beautiful robes they should be adorned, who were washed, and did drink of this holy water. Yea, that God would take care of them, as he also did of lilies, and would not fail to bestow upon them what was necessary for the body, as well as for the soul (Matt 6:28-34).
XXVII. Upon what the molten sea stood in the Temple.
1. This molten sea stood upon the backs of twelve brazen bulls or oxen (2 Chron 4:4).
2. These oxen, as they thus stood, looked three towards the north, three towards the west, three towards the east, and three towards the south.
3. These twelve oxen were types of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, who, as these beasts, stood looking into the four corners of the earth, and were bid to go preach the gospel in all the world.
4. They were compared to oxen, because they were clean; for the ox was a clean beast. Hence the apostles are called holy. They were compared to oxen, because the ox is strong; and they also were mighty in the word (Prov 14:4; 2 Cor 12:12).
5. The ox will not lose what he has got by drawing; he will not let the wheels go back; so the apostles were set to defend, and not let that doctrine go back, which they had preached to others; nor did they, they delivered it pure to us.
6. One of the cherubs of which you read in the vision had a face like an ox, to show that the apostles, these men of the first order, are most like the angels of God (Eze 1:10).
7. In that they stood with their faces every way, it was, as I said, to show how the apostles should carry the gospel into all the world (Matt 28:19,20; Mark 16:15-18).
8. And observe, just as these oxen were placed looking in the temple every way, even so stand open the gates of the New Jerusalem to receive those that by their doctrine should be brought into it. 'And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God' (Luke 13:29; Rev 21:13,14).
9. These oxen bear this molten sea upon their backs, to show that they should be the foundation workmen of the gospel, and that it ought not to be removed, as was the molten sea of old, from that basis to another.
10. It is also said concerning those oxen that thus did bear this molten sea, that all their hinder parts were inwards, that is, covered by that sea that was set upon their backs; their hinder parts, or, as the apostle has it, 'our uncomely parts' (1 Cor 13:23,24).
11. And, indeed, it becomes a gospel minister to have his uncomely parts covered with that grace which by the gospel he preached unto others. As Paul exhorts Timothy to take heed unto himself, and to his doctrine (1 Tim 4:6).
12. But alas! there are too, too many who, can they but have their hands covered with a few gospel notions, care not though their hinder parts are seen of all the world. But such are false ministers; the prophet calls them 'the tail.' 'The prophet that speaketh lies, either by word or with his feet, he is the tail' (Isa 9:15; Prov 6:12,13).
13. But what a shame is it to hide his head under this molten sea, while his hinder parts hang out. Such an one is none of Christ's oxen; for they, with honor to their Master, show their heads before all the world, for that their hinder parts are inward, covered.
14. Look to thy hinder parts, minister, lest, while thy mouth doth preach the gospel, thy nakedness and shame be seen of those which hear thee. For they that do not observe to learn this lesson themselves will not teach others to believe the Word, nor to live a holy life; they will learn of them to show their shame, instead of learning to be holy.
No comments:
Post a Comment