384. The Gofpel of the Sea and Lavers in the Temple. theGlory of it. All which agrees well to the juftifyingBlood of Chriff, which is more precious than Gold or Silver, i Pet. i. 18. Forafmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible Things, o Gold and Sil- ver, from your vain Converfation, but with the precious . Blood of fefiis Chrift. Reaf. 4.. From other parallel Places in this Book, where the Sea is fpoken of, where it relates to the Blood of Chrift as difpenfed in the Ordinances ; as in the fecond Trumpet, cap. 8.8. The Corruption and Declenfion of the vifible Church, when declining unto Popery, is fet out by this, that the third part of the Sea became Blood, the Worship and Ordinances were infeEted with deadly Corruption. And in the fecond Vial, cap. t6. 3. when the Popifh Corruptions are difcovered and made to appear, it is faid, the Sea became like the Blood of a dead Man, and every Riving Soul in that Sea died. Salvation is not to be had in the Popifh way of Worship, it is deadly unto Souls : Inftead of conveying Chrift and his Blood to fave and quicken, it exhibits no- thing but the Blood of a deadMan. And hence alto the Saints in the Reformation out of Popery are faid to (land upon this Sea of Glafs mingled with Fire, cap. 15. z. The Proteftant Churches and Reformers have ever infifted upon this; 7uftiftcation by Faith in the Blood of Cbriff, andnot by Works : So in like manner here in this Place ; this Sea of Cryftal before the Throne, is theBlood of Chrift in the Ordinances for walkingand cleanfing. Reaf.' 5. There is no other Interpretation given by Expofitors, fave only that force have taken this Cryflal Sea to be the World ; and fay, 'tis compared to a Sea for tempeftuoufnefs, toGlafs for brittlenefs, and to Cryftal for tranfparency. But, betide that thefe Accommodations are more -ingenious then folid and demonftrative, it is impertinent to the fcope of the Place, thus to bring in the World here : The whole defign of the Chapter being to fet forth the Glory of God in the Church under Temple-Images and Allufions, as hath been !hewed. I !hall therefore now conclude with a fewWords, as by way of ufe from all that hach been faid upon this Temple-Sea. 'Jfe 1. We have here foïne Intimationof the Pre-eminence ofthe Ga/pel above the Law : In that they had the Figures of thefe Myfteries, but we have the things themfelves; and in that the Temple-Sea was but of Brafs, but this in the Text is of Glafs, and not common Glafs, but Cryftal. This may intimate fomething of preference and pre-emi- nence of Glfpel-difpenfations above the Law. "cafe 2. Note, the deadly Corruption of the Popifh Religion, and the lain Difference between a Papift and a Preteftant. The Papifts want this
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