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(1st.) In behalf of this house, and every stone thereof, he hides the law with its condemning power, that nothing from thence shall be laid to their charge. If a man have a suit to be tried in any court, and a powerful friend engage him- self, that the only evidence which is against him shall not be produced, will it not give him encouragement to proceed ? In that great and tremendous trial, which is to be above, there is but one principal evidence against us, which gives life to all others, which if it be removed all the rest must fail : this is the law. Christ, as the ark and mercy-seat, hides this law ; it shall not (I speak in respect to this house) be produced at the day of trial. Will not this be a great en- couragement to them to appear at the throne of God? Christ hides the law as being ' the end' of it, Rom. x. 4. 'that the righteousness thereof might be fulfilled in us;' Rom. viii. 4- He hath so far answered all that the law re- quired, that none from thence can ' lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ;' Rom. viii. 33, 34. Let not poor sinners fear, it will not be with them, as with Uzzah: he touched the ark, and died : touch this ark, and live for ever. And,
(2dly.) He is the ark of this house, as containing in himself the new covenant; it is made with him originally, established in him irreversibly, made out through him in all the grace of it faithfully.
3dly. He is the altar of this house. There were two al- tars in the old tabernacle, and temple : an altar for sacrifice, and an altar for incense; Exod. xxix. and xxx. The first was the great brazen altar, that stood without the holy place, whereon the burnt-offerings, and all sacrifices of blood for remission were offered. The other less, made of shittim wood, all overlaid with pure gold, and a crown of beaten gold upon it, on which they were to burn pure in- cense unto the Lord always. And they were both most holy, sanctifying the gifts with legal sanctification that were offered on them; Matt, xxiii. 19. Now both these doth our Saviour supply in this house. He is the great altar of sacri- fice, the altar of offerings for expiation and atonement. ' We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, who serve at the tabernacle,' Heb. xiii. 10. that is even he, who * sanctified the people with his own blood, and suffered
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without the gate ;' ver. 11. The good will and soul of Christ offering up himself, ' through the eternal Spirit, a pure obla- tion and sacrifice, by one offering to perfect for ever them that are sanctified,' is all our altar. He is also the golden altar of incense. Incense is prayer : Psal. cxli. 2. ' Let my prayer come before thee as incense.' Jesus Christ is the golden altar whereon that incense is offered. Rev. viii. 3, 4. even that altar which is always before God; Rev. ix. 13. As by being the former he makes our persons accepted, so by the latter he makes our duties accepted. And all the living stones of this house are priests to offer sacrifice on these altars ; by him, as priests, they have approximation to the holy place; there they have a share and participation in all the sacrifices that are offered upon or by him.
4th. He is the candlestick of this house. The making, fashioning, and use of the candlestick, in the holy place of the tabernacle, you have, Exod. xxv. 31, &c. It was one of the most glorious utensils of that frame, made of pure and beaten gold, with much variety of works, knops, flowers, and lamps. The use of it was, to bear out light for all the worship of God in that most holy place. The tabernacle was made close, without any window. It was not to receive lio-ht from without, it had all its own light from within. It is [true, this candlestick with its seven lamps, did seconda- rily represent the churches of Christ, which hold out his light among themselves, and unto others. Rev. i. 20. * The seven candlesticks thou sawest are the seven churches.' Therefore Solomon made * ten candlesticks of pure gold,' 1 Kings vii. 49. to set out yet farther the increase and multi- plying of the churches of God. Upon this account also the two witnesses are said to be ' two candlesticks,' Rev. xi. 4. and ' the two anointed ones, that stand before the God of the whole earth,' Zech. iv. 3. whence that in the Revelation is taken. There is mention indeed of two anointed ones, but of one candlestick ; the Holy Ghost plainly intimating, that though the churches and witnesses of Christ are also candlesticks in a second sense, yet there is one eminent candlestick, which hath light originally in itself, which also it communicates unto all others. And this is that which is mentioned in Zech. iv. which hath the 'two olive-trees,' or the two anointed churches of Jews and Gentiles standing by