Contemplationi. Lra.XVII. - them aofwcrcd fpirirually : Io the Porch we finde the regenerate foule enrrino into A thebldTed fociery ofthe Church: In the holy place, the Communion of the rr~e vifible ~urch on carch, fele&ed ftom the 1vo~ld : In the HolyofHolies (whereinto the h•gh-Pncft enrred once a yeare) theglonous heaven, 1n<0 which our true hi•bPrieft, Chrift Iefus, entred once tor all <0 make an atonement betwixt God ~nd man. In all rhefc what a meet correfpondence there is both in proportion mltter ficuation-: ' ' In proponion;The fame rule tlm skilfull carvers obferve in the cuttin• our ofthe erfc& frame ~fa man, ~har ~he height be rhric~ the breadth, and the b~eadth one third ofthe he•ghr,was hkew1fe duely obfervedmthe fabnck ofthe Temple: whofe length was double tothe height,& treble rothe breadtb,as being fixerycubirs Ion• thirty high, and twenty broad ; How exquifite a fymmetry h:ft thou ordained (0 B God) berwixtthefaithfull hearr,and thy Church on earth,with that in heaven: how •ccurate ineach ofthde,io all their powers and parrs compared wicb mhrr~So hath God ordered the bcleeviog foule, that it bath neither too much !horrnelfeof grace nor too much height ofcoceir,nor too much breadth ofpaffion;So bath he ordered his vifible Church, that there is a nccdfary inequality, without any difproporrion . an height ofgovemmenr,a length ofextenr,a breadth of jurisdiction duely anfwera~ ble to eachother; So bath he ordered his triumphant Church above, that it bath a lengthofcteroity, anfwered with an height ofperfc&ion, and a breadth ofincomprehenfible glory. In matter; All was here ofthe bell; The wood was precious, fweet,laflin•> The ftoues beautifull, coftly, infcnlible ofage 1 The gold pure and glittering: So ~re the C graces of Gods childreo,cxcellenr in their nature, deare in their acceptatioo, eternal in thdr ufe: So arc the ~rdinanc~s of God in ~is ~hurch,holy, comfottablc,irrefragable. So IS the perfectiOn of h1sglon6ed Samts mcomparablc, uncooceivable. In firuation1 The olller parts were here more common,the inwardmore holy and pcculiady refcrved: I lindeone Court oftheTemple open to the uncleane, td the uncircumcifed:within that, another,open on<ly to the Ifradires;and of them, to rbc cleane; within thar,yer anorher, proper onely to the Pridls and Levitcs1 where was the Brazen Altar for facrilice,and the Brazen Sea for wafuings: Theeyes oftht Laitie might follow their oblations in hither, their feet might nor. Yet more, in the covered roomes oftheTemple,rherc is, whither the Priefts on· ly maycntcr,not the Levites; there is, whither the high Prieft onelymay enter, nor D his brethren. It is rhus in every r<newed man, the individual temple ofGod; the ounvard parts are allowed common to God and the world,the inwardeft and fccreteft,which is the hcarc, is refcrvcd onely for the God that made it.lt is thus in the Churchvifible,thc falfe and foule hearced hypocrite bath accdfc to the holy ordinances of God, and treads in his coum; oocly the true Cbrillian bath intirc and private converfation with the holy Oneoflfracl: Heondy is admi1ted into the Holy ofHolies,and enters within the glorious vaile ofheaven. Iffromthe wals welooke unto the furniture: What is the Altar whcrcon our facrifices ofprayer and praifes arc offered to the Almighty,but acontrite heart~ What the golden candleftickcs, but the illumincd underllaoding, wherein the light ofthe E kn01vledge of God,and his divine will fuincth for ever~ What rhe Tables ofShewbread butthc fanttified memory, which keepcth the bread of life continually! Yea ifwe 'lhall prefume fo farre as to enter into the very clofet of Gods Oracle; even there 0 God, doewclindc o~r unworthy hearts fo honoured by thee,rhac they are mac: the very Arkc, wherein thy Royalllaw,aod the pot ofthy heavenlyMaooa is kept for ever ; and from whofe propitiatory, fuaded wich the wings of thy glorious Angels, thou giveft thy gracious Teftimonics of thy good Spirit, wjmdling with ours that we are the cliildren of thee the living God. . B~hold if Sai411fDn built aTemple untorhee, thou hall built aTemple untothy felfe in us. We are not only through thygrace living ftones in thy Temple,but living Temples in thy Sion : Ohdoethoucverdwell in this thine houfe, and in this thy houfe
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