The Gofpel of the Sea and Layers in the Temple. 38r we are Paid to be born of-Water andofthe Spirit, John 3. s. that is, of the Spirit working and acting like Water to wafh and cleanfe us. 3. There is a Laver of Baptifm : For God hath inftituted fuch am Ordinance as waffling with Water under the Gofpel, Matth. 28. 1.9 Go reach all Nations, baptizing them. And as there is this general Ana- logy in the nature of the Thing ; fo likewife in this Circumf1ance; that as this Sea and Laver was placed in the Courts of the Hóufe of the Lord, and they were to wafh therein before they went about the Bull- nefs and Service of the Temple: So Baptifm is the initiating Seal and Ordinance of the New Teftament. 4. Here is fome Shadow law-rife of all Gofpel-Ordinances in general : For look, as this Veffel did contain the Water for the Ufe of the. Priefts ; fo do theOrdinances fpiritually contain the Blood of Chrift for the Ufe of Believers. The Laver was made of the molten Looking- Glaffes . and Solomon of bright Brafs, wherein as they might fee their Faces ;, fo in the Ordinances a Believer fees Chrift as in a Glafs, which. is the Difference between the State of Grace andGlory, r Cor. i 3. i a.. for now we fee through aGlafs darkly, but then Face to Face, as the Apo-. file there exprefï'eth it. S. The Oxen under the molten Sea, are the Minihers ofthe Gofpel; and efpecially the twelve Apoftles, as. the Number it Pelf intimates ; for there were twelve Oxen looking towards all the four Quarters of the. World : So the Apoftles and Minifters of the Gofpel carry this Cry.; ftal Sea of the Blood of Chrift, and the Laver of Regeneration and Baptifm throughout the World. Minifters are often compared inScrip- ture to Oxen, becaufe of the ftrength and labourioufnefs of that Crea ture ; as t Corinth. 9. 9. thou (halt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn, Doth God take care for Oxen? Saith the Apoftle there. I may fay fo in reference to this Type now in hand. Did God regard the Shapes and Pictures of Oxen to be fet under this Temple- Sea ? Or rather did he not fet them there altogether for our fakes ? For our fakes no doubt this was done, as the Apoftle there fpeaks. The Lavers alto had their Bafes, with their Wheels which ferved` for the carrying of the Water from Place to Place, and fo ferved for the fame Ufe really, whereof the Oxen were but an Emblem. The ta- king of thefe away is noted as an A& of audacious Wickednefs andi Profanenefs in Ahaz, 2 Kings 16. 17. And King Ahaz cut of the bor- ders of the Bafes, and removed the Laver from off them, and took downi, the Sea from the Brazen Oxen that were under it, andfet it upon a Pave- ment of Stones : He having as it feemeth no Underftanding at all, nor no Senfe in him of the Spiritual Myftery and Signification of thefo.' Whe
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