122 rv/n ExPos 1T 1oN ~ lhippers, the wod1: of the Heathen upon them, to tread them down by Vio– p ART 11. lence, either of Conquefl: over their Bodies, (as in Gernuny) or over their ~ Confciences, in making them again to fubmit to their Superfl:itions and !dolatric~, (as they !hall go on to do in other places). And obferve the glorious Wifdom thlt is in God·s proceeding herein, as tho reafon of it: For God intending to have a Church mofl: Holy unto himft!f, un– der the feventh Trumpet, in which the Arh..f/Jnll be Jew, (which notes out the Holy of Holies) as it is vnf ult. of this I tth Chapter; and his manner being, to carry on his Church unto perfection, by degrees; he cloth therefore, about the rnidf1: of that Time, between the firfl: Reformation long fince ma.de, and that feventh Trumpet (in an Age or fo foregoing it) fet his Builders on work (whom Jobn here reprcfents) to endeavour to ereCt a new Frame, and a Refor– m~tion of that Rtformation; and to take the Reed, and meafure over anew, both Temple, Altar, and Worfhippers, an.d to caf1: out that Outward Court of Wor!hippers, w!lh thofe.Corrupttons of them whtch hmdred that ~borough Reformation; and fo, to contract hiS Temple mto a narrower compa(s (as the proportion of the Inner Temple to the Outward was) yet purer and more re– fined: He delighting more in Truth, and punty of Wor!hip, then in. magni– tude or multitude of Sacrifices and Wor!htppers: And fo, to make to htmfelf a Church that £l1all conl!fl: of Pritfl:s, and an Inward Temple feparated from that Outward Court, into which the True Worfhippers are called up from the ot\Jer, which afore lay common to both. And how elegant is this Alluiion here! whereby he fets forth the feveral States and Conditions of his Church, growing up unto Perfection. The firfl: Reformation he fets out by an Inner Temple, more imperfefr, unfurni!h'd, and befidcs, defiled by the adjoining of an Outward Court unto it. . The fecond Reformation more pure, he reprefents by the Inner Temple mea– Cured again, to be fini!h"d and cleanfed from that Mixture. And then, in the lafl: Verfe, he opens the Holy of Holies, into which noun– clean Thing !hall enter, as it is chap. 21. 27. For though their Cecond Refor– mation, and the Reed thereof, keeps out Men civil and prophane, whom vifi– bly fo to be Godly Men (whom ]oh11 here reprefents) may judg; yet many an Hypocrite that maketh a lie, may fcape and croud into this Inward T,emple fl:ill; whilf1: the Judgment of Men (who often err) applies this Reed. But into the other Temple to come, under the New Jerufolem, !hall none of thefe enter. There !hall be a Golden Reed then, as chap. 2 1. verf. 26. whereas now there is butan"ordinary Cane, Reed, or Staff, which thoughinitCelfit be fl:reight, yet being to be applied by Men, they may be deceived. Now having given this more general view what is meant by the Temple and 011trvard Court;· I will more particularly explain, what it is to meafore the Tem– ple, Altar, and Wor!hippers therein; and what it is to leave out this Outward Court. t. To this end Chrifl:· putJ a Reed into John", Hand,, (who reprefents the Builders of this Age); that is, puts into their Hearts and Hands the Word, and the Light thereof, as alone a fufficient Rule to fquare Churches (both Wor!hip– pcrs and Worfhip) by. Other Reeds Men would have, but God hath given us 1\.ules in his Word, to fquare the whole Frame and Model of this Temple by. And this is 10 be bid as a Principle, that we admit of nothing in Matters of the Church, which the Word does not warrant. Which Principle was never yet fo fully taken up and practifed by our Reformers hitherto; though it bath long been contended for, as the fundamental Ground-work of this Build– ing. 2. By Temple here I underfl:and, not only the Church of the Eletl:, (for they are all one and the fame with them that wor!hip God in Spirit and Truth; whereas here, in this enumeration, Temple and Worf/Jippers therein feem to im– port dif1:inct ConGderations at leaf1:). But l rather underfl:and, Churches or Congregations of Pnblick Wor!hippers confidered as G1ch; Church-FeUowfhip, (as you call it), which as well as the Company of the EleCt, was typified out, and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=