[2dly.] In respect of outward manifestation. God first manifests and declares him, before he laid one stone in this building. Gen. iii. 15. 'The seed,' saith he, 'of the woman shall break the serpent's head :' in that was laid the first stone of this building: then was the 'Lamb slain,' airb ko- rajSoX^C Koa/biov, Rev. xiii. 8. presently 'after the foundation of the world :' and thence is grace in him said to be given to the elect, irpo xoovwv altwiMv, Titus i. 2. 'many ages ago.'
[3dly.] Because in order of nature Christ must be first laid in the heart of every individual stone, before they are laid up in this building. If Christ be not in men, they are aSoKifioi, 2 Cor. XV. 1. altogether useless for this building; try them never so often, they must at last be rejected, and laid aside.
[4thly.] In respect of every particular assembly, and little sanctuary of mount Zion. If he be not first laid in the midst of such assemblies, they will prove to be pinnacles of Babel, not towers of Zion. This therefore was the way of the saints of old, first ' to give up themselves to the Lord Christ, and then to one another, by the will of God;' 2 Cor. viii. 5.
In these respects Christ, the foundation, is first laid in this spiritual building, which is the first property of a foundation.
(2dly,) A foundation must be hidden, and out of sight, linto all those that outwardly look upon the house. They
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cannot perceive it, though every part of the house doth rest upon it. And this hath occasioned many mistakes in the world. An unwise man coming to a great house, seeing the antics and pictures stand crouching under the windows and sides of the house, may haply think, that they bear up the weight of the house, when indeed they are for the most part pargeted posts ; they bear not the house, the house bears them. By their bowing, and outward appearance, the man thinks the burden is on them, and supposes that it would be an easy thing, at any time, by taking them away, to de- molish the house itself. But when he sets himself to work, he finds these things of no value, there is a foundation in the bottom, which bears up the whole, that he thought not of: against that he may waste himself, until he be broken in pieces. Men looking upon the church, do find that it is a fair fabric indeed, but cannot imagine how it should stand. A few supporters it seemeth to have in the world, like crouching antics under the windows, that make some show of underpropping it : here you have a magistrate, there an army, or so. Think the men of the world, can we but re- move these props, the whole would quickly topple to the ground. Yea, so foolish have I been myself, and so void of understanding before the Lord, as to take a view of some goodly appearing props of this building, and to think, how shall the house be preserved if these should be removed : they looked unto me like the mariners in Paul's ship, without whose abode therein they could not be saved : when lo, sud- denly some have been manifested to be pargeted posts, and the very best to be held up by the house, and not to hold it up. On this account the men of the world think it no great matter to demolish the spiritual church of Christ to the ground : they encourage one another to the work, never thinking of the foundation, that lies hidden, against which they dash themselves all to pieces. 1 say, then, Christ, as the foundation of this house, is hidden to the men of the world, they see it not, they believe it not; there is nothing more remote from their apprehension than that Christ should be at the bottom of them and their ways, whom they so much despise.
(3dly.) The foundation is that which bears up the whole weight of the building. What part of the house soever, is
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not directly poised upon it, hath no strength at all. Take a goodly stone, hew it, square it, make it every way lit for your fabric, so that it may seem to be the best of all your materials ; yet if you do not lay it upon the foundation, answerable to that, which may give it a solid basis, and bear up the weight and poise thereof, it will be useless, cumber- some, and quickly fall to the ground.
Let a man be hewed and squared by the word and ordi- nances into outward conformity, never so exactly, that he seems one of the most beautiful saints in the world ; yet if he be not laid rightly by faith upon the foundation, to de- rive from thence strength, supportment, and vigour, he will quickly fall to the ground. What then will become of their building, who heap up all sorts of rubbish to make a house for the Lord?
2dly. Christ is the ark of this house. The ark in the tabernacle, and afterward in the temple, was the most holy thing in the most holy place. There was nothing in it but the two tables of stone written with the finger of God: be- fore it was Aaron's rod that budded, with a pot full of manna ; over it was the propitiatory, or mercy seat, being a plate of gold, as long and as broad as the ark, covering it, being shadowed with the cherubims of glory. Now all this glorious fabric did signify, that unless the law with its con- demning power were hid in the ark, and covered with the mercy seat, no person could stand before the Lord. Besides, the law was the old covenant of works, and being renewed unto them chiefly to be subservient to the gospel, and partly with its appurtenances and carnal administration to be the tenour of the Israelites holding the land of Canaan, and this being in the ark, it was said to contain the cove- nant, and is frequently called ' the ark of the covenant.' Jesus Christ is the ark of this spiritual house. When the * temple was opened in heaven, there was seen in the temple the ark of God's testament;' Rev. xi. 10. Jesus Christ made conspicuous to all, who lay much hid under the old testament. Rom. iii. 25. God is said to set forth Christ to be tXaar/jptoi/, ' a propitiation,' or mercy-seat; for by that very term is the mercy-seat expressed, Heb. ix. 5. He is then the ark, and the mercy-seat covering it. He then dolli these two things :