Bates - HP BX5200 B3 1700

264___________ ~_h_e_El __ ar_m_o_~ __1_-t_h_e_V__iv_in_e_A_t_tr_i_bu_t_es_________ ~ J, Some were rhings wirhout Life, whole qualities and effeCts lhadowed forth his Chap 2 J- Vertues and Benefits. · ~ o, Things endued with Life and Sen(e. 1· 1\.cafonable Perfons, that either in their Offices, ACtions, or the memorable Accidems that befel them, reprefented the Mejfiah. Of the firfl fort I wil[ briefly confider the M,uma that miraculouOy fell from Heaven, the Roe!{ that by iti frream refrelh'd the lfraclitcs in their Journey to Canaan, and the Brazen Serpent: premifing two things 1. That in comparing them with the Truth, we are to bbferve 'the defign of God, and not to leek for Myl\erics in every thing.. As ir\ Piffutes, Come flrokes of the Pencil are only for Ornament, others for Significitibn. Belides, when Superlative Things are fpoken ofrhem exceeding their Natu'te, arid that cannot be applied to them without a violent Fi• gu~~· ~;n~~}\!~:.'nn~~i~:~~t~~p~n;nt~~d i~Jc~~~i;~[~~he Apoflle declares of the Ifr.e/11" , they did aU eat the fnnie fpiritual Meilt, not in refpefr of its Material, but Sym.Qolical Nature. ' The exprefs Analogy between Manna and Chril\, is vifible in re· fpctt of irs marvelous production, . The Mofaical M•nna was not the Fruit of the Earth protured by humane lnduflry, but formed by the Divine Power, and rained down u~ on them : therel(lte ' ti s called the Com of.H«ven, Pial. 78. 04. This typified the celeflial Ori&inJI of our Redeemer. He is the true Bread from Hettven, givm by the Father, ]oh. 6. lp . He is called· the Gift of God eminwtly, being the richefl and free{\ without any merit or endeavour of Men to procure it. And we may obferve the Truth infinite1y ex· ceeded the Type; for Manna defcended only from the Clouds, therefore our Saviour tells the Je-rvs, Mofes gave ye not that Bretzd from Heaven. But he really came from Heaven where the great and glorious Pre[ence of God is m~nifefled, and appeared under a vili: ble Form in the World. Manna was only fl'·'•d the Bre.d of Angels, to lignify. its excellency above common food; but the fJr eadtrt/ God i1 he which coiJicth down from Heaven. 2. Manna was difpens'd to all the lfraelites equally; not as the delicious Fruits of the Earth, that are the Porrion of a few; but as the Light and Influences of the Heavens that are common to all : And herein 'twas a reprefentation of Chrift, who is offered io ali without diO:intl:ion of Nations, to the Jervs and Gentiles, to the Grecians andB~trbarians; and without the difli nllion of quality, to the Honourable and Mean, the Rich and the Poor , the Lea rned and Ignorant. And here we may ob[erve the Excellency of the Spiritual M,uma above the Mofaical: for that fed but one Nation, but the Bread of God gi ves Life to the World; his infinite Merit is [uflicient for the Salvation of all. 3· i"!aJmtl was a df'licious Food: the taf\:e of it is defcribed to be like wafersmixtwitb honey that have a pure chafl [weetne[s. This typified the Love of Chrifl lhed abroad in the Hems of Believers. Such an exalted ravilhing Plea[ure proceeds from it, that the P[.tl mil\ breaks forth in an Extafy, Pfal. 34· 9· Tafle nud fee how good the Lord ir. 4· M.uma was thei r only [upport in the Wildernefs; flrengthening them to vanquilb their Enemies, and endure the hardlbips to which they were incident in their paifage to Ctaltttw, In this regard 'twas a lively Image of Chrin: who is our Spi ritual Food, whilt we are in rhe defe rt of the lower World, the place of our trial, expofed to dangers. By him alone we G1all be finally viCtorious over the Enemies of our Salvation. And in this allo the Truth is infinitely above the Type that prefigured it. For Manna could only pre[erve the Natural Life for a time. As our Saviour tells the Jews, Yo11r Fathers eaf iYf<uma ;, the Wildernefs, and are dead. But Je[us Chrifl is the li ving Bread that came down from Heave n, and hath a Supernatural Verrue, to convey a Life incomparab1y more noble, and an[werable to the quality of his Original. 'Tis incorruptible, as Hea- ''en from whence He came. lfauy lVIaneatofthisBread, hejbaU livt;for ever, Joh. 6. 611 D eath is [o far from extinguilhing, that it advances the Spiritual Life to its PerfeCtion. 2. The Apoflle teflifies that the Jfraelites dran /z of that SpiritHal Roe!{ that foUorved them, and tb"t llock,_>Ms Chrift, t Cor. 10. 4· That the Miracles was myflerious, is evident from the Circumf\ances related of it. When the Jfraelites were in great diflrefs for Water, The LO/'(lfl,id to Moles, Exod. 17. 6. I wiUjlandbefore thee there upo~t the Roe!{ ill Horeb, and thoH fbalt ji;lite the Roc/z, a11d there fhaU come Water o•t of it, thot the People may drinl{. If there bad been no other deflgn but the relieving their nece!lity, that mi ght have been [upplied by 1\.ain from Helven ; or if only to give a viflble effeCt of the Divine Power, that had been difcovered in caufing new Springs to rife from the Earth, or the Command of God. had been [ullident to flrike the Rock: But he went to it, t,o fignifie the Refpefr it had to himfelf. He was the Son of God that fpake to Mofes,and conduCted the People : Forthi~ rea[on He is fliled the Angel of God's Prefence, not with refpefr to his Nature, but Offices. I will briefly ob[erve the parallel between the Rock and Chrifl. 1. A

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