LETTER VI.

Winchefter.Row.

My dear Son,

YOURS I received with great delight, I approve much of your letter; you seem therein to put away childish things, and appear quite a man in divinity. I fhall not answer that letter yet, as I intend to continue my comment on this chapter, which I hope you will not be displeased at. You know we have many minifters, who appear in the pulpit fcripture-corrupters; therefore, do not marvel if God turns coal-heavers into commentators.

Thummim and Urim, or light and perfection, we proved to be Chrift, the true light, and that Saviour who is perfect; fo let the Thummim and Urim be with the Father's Holy One, whom he hath proved at Maffah, or with temptation; and with whose unparalleled love to finners, Justice strove at the waters of Meribah, or with whom he difputed and quarelled, Deut xxxi, 8; until vindictive Juftice had spent his fhafts in the Saviour, and retributive Justice appeared in the behalf of finners. And be put a mitre on bis head, Lev. viii. 9.--This mitre was ornamental. The best ornament for a minister is a head stored with inftructions from God, Prov. i. 8, 9.-That minifter, who cordially embraces Christ,

D 3

Christ, our wisdom, in his affections, and extols him with his tongue, fhall never know the want of an ornament of grace to his head, Prov. iv. 8, 9. Even upon his fore-front did he put the golden plate. Saving purifying, and tried faith, which is more precious than gold which perifheth, will cafe over our foreheads with divine fortitude against every oppofition; even as the adamant is harder than a flint, fo doth God make his fervant's foreheads against the foreheads of the wicked; without this plate we shall be awed by the fear of man, Ezek. iii.

9.

The Holy Crown.-A crown is an head ornament of state worn by fovereign princes. Chrift hath made us kings and priests unto God, Rev. i. 6. and as kings we muft reign over the flesh, and keep it in fubjection; left, after we have preached reigning grace to others, fin reign over us, 1 Cor. ix. 27. It is requifite alfo that devils fhould be fubject to us, through Chrift's name, Luke x. 17. It must be foul-diftreffing work, to preach falvation from the tyranny of Satan, while the preacher is led captive by him at his will; but we have fome fuch living contradictions. If Satan reign in us, we must not pretend to pull this cockatrice out of his den ; if we put our hand there, he will ask us that old, taunting, infolent queftion, though coupled with an honeft confeffion, Jefus I know, but who areyou? A&ts xix. 14, 15. That foul must be weaned from the love of fin, and refreshed with the breafts of divine confolation, that plays on the hole of the afp, Ifaiah

ix.

xi. 8.-A preacher who reigns over the world by faith, can with comfort preach that faith which overcometh it: this world is like fire and water, excellent fubjects, but terrible fovereigns. If the Lord crown my fon with loving-kindness and tender mercy, he will be able to preach sovereign mercy to others; and the love of Chrift will constrain him to it, Pfalm ciii. 4, 2 Cor. v. 14; and the feal of God communicated to fouls by our preaching faith, is a crown put on our labours, and a foulfatisfying proof of our being ministers of the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 6; and we may call fuch fealed fouls our joy and crown in the Lord, Phil. iv. 1.

And Mofes took the anointing oil, Lev. viii. 10. A type of the Holy Ghoft; which is the promise of the Father, received by Jefus without measure, and fhed abroad, in a measure, in every believing heart.-And anointed the tabernacle, and all that was therein, Lev. viii. 10.-This anointing was typical of the oil of gladness, that first annointed Chrift-to his kingly and prieftly office; and all believers who are in him, the true Temple of God, and in which God dwells, are anointed with the fame oil; yea, every veffel of veffel of mercy, from the bowls to the flaggons, to fanctify them, Zech. xiv. 20, 21.

And he Sprinkled the altar feven times, Lev. viii. 11. This altar was a type of the divinity of Chrift, which fanctified the humanity, and stamped infinite dignity on all he did; though he was born of a woman, and born under the law, yet he thought it no robbery

D 4

robbery to be equal with God the Father, Phil. ii. 6. The humanity being united to the Godhead of Christ, made his obedience sufficient to honour the law, and to be a divine and everlafting righteousness to justify us poor finners, Dan. ix. 2. 4. It was through the eternal Spirit he offered himself to God; and his humanity being offered on the altar of his divinity, his blood was fufficient to appease the wrath of God, and purge us from fin, Heb. ix. 14. The altar was sprinkled seven times with oil, to fhew that the feven Spirits of God, or all the feven-fold gifts of the Holy Ghoft, were upon Christ, Rev. i. 14, Ifaiah xi. 2.-This bleffed Jefus was fanctified and fent into the world by God the Father, who annointed God the Son with God the Holy Ghoft; and by his own blood, Christ sanctified himself, and that for our fakes, that we might be fanctified through the truth

minifters, fanctify this Lord God

and we muft, as

of hofts in our

hearts, and let him be our fear, and let him be our dread, Ifaiah viii. 13. We are faid to fanctify him, when we preach him as the Holy One of Ifrael, by the Holy Ghoft, and judge him holy in all his ways, Pfalm cxlv. 17. We are faid to justify him, when we preach him as the only righteousness of every true believer, and judge him righteous in all his fovereign acts of mercy and judgment, Mat. xi. 19. And we are faid to glorify him by the Spirit, when we worship him, acknowledge ourselves indebted to his grace and pro

vidence

vidence for all that we have and are; as also when we fear him as a fovereign, honour him as the everlafting Father, and love him as a friend; and give all the glory of our falvation to him.

And he poured the anointing oil upon his head, Lev. viii, 12.-Before the apoftles were to go forth to teach all nations, they were to be endued with power from on high; they were to wait for the promife of the Father; and on the day of Pentecoft our divine mediator poured that facred unction on them all. We have received an unlion, fays John. Now be, that bath anointed us is God, fays Paul, 2 Cor. i. 21; and has the Lord anointed thee, my fon? Thou mayeft burn with a false zeal, and fhine with a falfe light, but wilt never burn with love to Chrift, until this oil burn in thee. Begin not to build till thou hast got materials from heaven; all daubers with untempered mortar, however high imagination may carry the building, will furely leave it ridiculous, as the Babel-builders did, and caufe many to mock, faying, This man began to build, but had not wherewith to finish; and the reason is, because he began at his own expence, Luke xiv. 28, 29, 30. Thou mayeft found an alarm from Sinai, and apparently alarm many by crying fire, and then trump them all to fleep again, as Lot did his fons. Up, up, get you out, is not fufficient; Lot was led out by the arm of Omnipo. tence, and we must preach the arm of the Lord. No man can preach the law lawfully, till he is made a partaker of the Holy Ghost. The law is spiritual,