4 Jn ExPosiTION ~· Memorial of his Covenant of Grace ; that as the Rain-bow was the fign of the P A • T I. Covemnt of Nature, to put God and Us in mind, he would not deftroy the ..... .rv~ World any more by Water; fo this Rain-bow is to God a Memorial of his Covenant of Grace to his Church, [This is to me a< the Waters of Noah; for a< I h . .ve jivom, the Waters f/Jould no more go over the Earth; .Jo h"ve I fworn not to be rcrflth w1th t/Jee, faith God in lfaiah.J Which Covenant 1~ round abo11t his Throne, fo to put him in mind, in all his Difpenfations towards hts Church, to rememb~r /;is Covenant ; that let htm go forth any way m hts Dtfpenfauons towards hts Church, he may ftill be minded of Mercy; and his Church again in all their In– tercourfes with God, and all Difpenfations fro~ God, and Occa!ions coming ~o him, may be put mmmd of Mercy alfo, and hts Covenant of Grace, to truft m it ; and that the Prayers of the Church may fttll pals from them through the Rai11-bow, as all God's Difpenfations to the Church.do come through the faid Rain·bow alfo. Pirf 4· Pirf. 5· Now for the Situation of the Church : Both Elders and Beafis are about the Throm, VcrC 4, 6, 7. it is formed after the enquartering of the People of lfrael about the Tabernacle in the Wildernefs; Numb.~. The Levites were next to the Tabernacle, and the Tribes about the Levites. So here, the Beafis (the Officers) were (as in verf. 6. ) in the midft of the Throne, tmd roHnd aboHt the Throne ; that is (as Beza interprets it) their ftation is between the Throne, and thefe Elders, \yho did furround the Throne about the four Bea!l:s. The phrafe [in the midfl] in Scripture being put for [between] or [among]. So Gen.23.6. The Bca!l:s, though neare£1: the Throne, yet are mentioned after the Elders ; for though their place be nearer, yet they are but the Churches Servants, and the radical Power is in the Church, here fignified by the 24 Elders. \ To begin with the Elders, who as (was faid ) do fignifY the Church. Firjl, They are called Elders; I. Becaufe the Church, under the New Te– fiament, is grown up to an elderly Age, in oppofition to the Church under the Old Tefiament, who are termed Children under Age, Gal. 4· 1,2, 3, &c. As al– fo, 2. for that Gravity that !hould be in all Church-Aifemblies, and in their Proceedings and Admini!l:rations. Seco11dly; For their Number; They are 24, in Allufion to the 24Heads of thofe Orders of Levites who were Porters, andSingers, deablifhed byDavid in the Temple, I {hron, 24, and 25 Chapters, and Chap. 31. ver[.25, 26, And this, to fi1ew the encreafe of the Church under the New Tefiament, in comparifon of that under the Old,whereof that proportion made by David, was a Type. The Heads ofthe twelve Tribes then were multiplied to 24. Now in like manner Solo– mon's Temple had a double proportion to that of the Tabernacle ofMofes; that alfo being an After-type of the Churche's encreafe under the Gofpel. Thirdly"; They are cloathed in white Raiment, fignifying that they are Prie£1: 5, Exod. 2 8. 40. Fourthly; They had on their H..ds Cri!WI1s of Gold, to !hew their Kingly Power ; and that it belongs to them to judg Matters in the Churc~ ; as I C fiT. 5· 12. Do not JOlt j•dg them that are within, Fifthly; They were round about the Throne: the meaneft Saint is as near and dear to God as the greate£1:. Therefore the word inCant. r. I2. is a ro•nd Table which the Saints fit at with Chri£1: ; it !hews alfo their equality. And Chrift He is in the mid£1: here, and· will be fo in Heaven: We !hall eat of the Tree ~hich is in tbe midf1 of the Paradife of God. .And'"' oftbe Throne proceeded Lightnings, and Thunderingr, and Voices.] By Thunderings and Lighmings, are meant the Judgments of Ood, (Pf1l.t8.t3,14. The L'll'd afjo thundered m the Heavetu, and the Highefl gave his Voice; Hailftoner •nd
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