ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

That part of Palestine in which the celebrated mountains of Lebanon are situated,is the border country adjoining Syria, having Sidon for its seaport, and Land, nearlyadjoining the city of Damascus, on the north. This metropolitan city of Syria, andcapital of the kingdom of Damascus, was strongly fortified; and during the borderconflicts it served as a cover to the Assyrian army. Bunyan, with great reason, supposesthat, to keep them in check, Solomon built a tower house and palace, well furnishedwith munitions of war, called the house in the forest of Lebanon.

As the magnificent temple at Jerusalem was the seat of public worship appointed byGod, it was considered typical of the gospel dispensation, which was intended tosupersede it. All its parts and utensils, sacrifices and services, have been described,in their typical meaning, in Solomon's Temple Spiritualized; but as the lovely systemof the gospel had, with slow and irresistible steps, to conquer the prejudices, passions,and wickedness of mankind, those who bore the brunt of this battle were consideredas the church militant in the wilderness: and Bunyan has, in this treatise, endeavouredto show that this palace and fortress was typical of the churches of Christ whilein a state of holy warfare, defending their Divine dispensation, and extending theline of defence by progressive spiritual conquests. While the churches are surroundedby enemies, they have inexhaustible internal comfort, strength, and consolation.Like the house in the forest of Lebanon, they are also pleasantly, nay, beautifullysituated. If Mount Zion was the joy of the whole earth, the mountains of Damascuswere a picture of the earthly paradise. So beautiful is the scenery, and balmy theair, that one part is called Eden, or the garden of the Lord. It is described byArabian poets as always bearing winter far above upon his head, spring on its shoulders,and autumn in his bosom, while perpetual summer lies sleeping at his feet. It wasupon this beautiful spot, called by Isaiah "the glory of Lebanon," thatSolomon built his house in the forest.

This is the plain matter of fact which Bunyan establishes from the sacred Scriptures,but he was, as to lettered lore, an unlearned man; at all events, no man could sayof him that "much learning has made thee mad." Bunyan's is the plain common-sensescriptural account of this building; but he differs greatly from almost all our learnedcommentators—they imagining that this house was near the temple of Jerusalem. TheAssembly of Divines, in their valuable annotations, suggest that it was so called"because great store of trees, as in Lebanon, were planted about it; and gardens,orchards, and all manner of delightful things were added thereto": to aid thisconjecture, they quote Ecclesiastes 2:4, 6.

Poole says that it was "a house so called, either, first, because it was builtin the mountain and forest of Lebanon, for recreation in summer time; but generallyheld to have been near Jerusalem; or rather, secondly, from some resemblance it hadwith Lebanon for its pleasant shades and groves." Diodati considers it the samewith Solomon's palace, but called the house of Lebanon by reason of the groves plantedabout it; or of the great number of cedar columns brought from Lebanon, and usedin its construction. Even Bunyan's favourite translation, made at Geneva by the Puritans,while it gives two wood-cuts of "The King's house IN the wood of Lebanon,"a marginal note is added—"For the beauty of the place, and great abundance ofcedar trees that went to the building thereof, it was compared to Mount Lebanon."Calmet, in his very valuable translation, accompanied by the Vulgate Latin, givesthe same idea: "Il batit encore le palais appelle la maison du Leban, a causede la quantite prodigeuse de cedres qui entraient dans la structure de cet edifice."[Translation: "Another thing he did was build the palace which was called thehouse of Lebanon because of the prodigious quantity of cedars used in its construction."]Bishop Patrick places this house in or near to Jerusalem, "In a cool, shadymountain, which made it resemble Mount Lebanon."

Dr. Gill was of opinion that this house was near Jerusalem; because it was a magazineof arms, and a court of judicature, and had its name from being built of the cedarsof Lebanon, and among groves of trees. Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews,book 8, chapter 6, section 5, states that when the Queen of Sheba came to Judea,she was amazed at the wisdom of Solomon, and surprised at the fineness and largenessof his royal palace; "but she was beyond measure astonished at the house whichwas called the forest of Lebanon." Matthew Henry follows the opinion of Bunyan;"I rather incline to think it was a house built in the forest of Lebanon itself,whither, though far distant from Jerusalem, Solomon having so many chariots and horses,and those dispersed into chariot cities, which probably were his stages, he mightfrequently retire with ease." Express notice is taken of Lebanon, as the placeof a warlike building, in 2 Kings 19, and in Canticles 7:4.

The tower of Lebanon is described as looking towards Damascus. The ruins of thishouse and tower, in the forest of Lebanon, are probably those seen by Benjamin ofTudela, who describes the stones of which it was built as twenty palms long, andtwelve wide. Gabriel Sionits describes the tower as an hundred cubits high, and fiftybroad. Maundrel saw the ruins in the mountains of Lebanon at a distance. The objectionsmade by our commentators to the plain testimony of the Scriptures are, that Solomonwould not have built this beautiful house at so great a distance from the capital—thathe would not have risked so much treasure nor the munitions of war in a forest—andthat he would not, on the extreme border of the kingdom of Judea, have set up a throne,or seat of judgment. The answer to these objections appears to me to be conclusive.Lebanon possessed the most commanding sites for a border fortress, and thereforean admirable depot for arms, to enable the Jewish warriors to keep out their mostvigilant and dangerous enemies, the Assyrians. The wealth that was deposited in thishouse was calculated to excite greater vigilance to protect so important a pass,while it would divert the attention of an enemy from the still more wealthy templeand fortress at Jerusalem. A throne of justice was well placed there, to save a longjourney to the capital, for the trial of offenders, and the settlement of disputeson the borders of the empire. It appears to me that common sense and the soundestevidence supports the view which Bunyan took, which was far in advance of the agein which he lived.

The way in which this building, with the purposes for which it was intended, is spiritualized,is very ingenious, and admirably carried through in the following treatise. Whetherit was intended by the Holy Ghost to be typical, must be left to the judgment ofthe impartial reader. That Lebanon is used figuratively by the inspired writers therecan be no doubt. "Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down," must be intended asa type of the church, when under the malice of her enemies. So also when Babylon,a type of Antichrist, fell, "the cedars of Lebanon rejoiced"; doubtlessreferring to the joy of God's saints when relieved from the oppressor. Whether thefine old trees, or the splendid house built as a defence to prevent the approachof enemies to the temple, is intended as a type of the Christian warfare, is leftto the impartial consideration of the reader. There is very little reason to doubtbut that we shall adopt Bunyan's view; if we consider the temple to be typical, weshall consider the house in the forest of Lebanon to be typical also.

It has been said, by an author of very great repute (Addison), that had Bunyan livedin the times of the Christian fathers, he would have been as great a father as thebest of them. He stands unrivalled for most extraordinary mental powers for allegoryand for spiritualizing, but to compare him with the best of the fathers is faintpraise indeed. He was as much their superior, as the blaze of the noon-day sun excelsthe glimmer of a rushlight.

In this treatise we find many very admirable illustrations of two important subjects.One is, that temporal governors have nothing to fear from the spread of vital godliness:the other is upon the nature of the strife and antipathy felt by the world againstChrist and his spiritual seed. They are sweet-scented; the fragrant smell of theirgraces excites the enmity of Satan and his followers, who would burn these cedars,because they are pillars of, and angels for, the truth. "Reason, history, andexperience all confirm this truth; that a people, whose profession is directly inopposition to the devil, and antichrist, and to all debauchery, inhumanity, profaneness,superstition, and idolatry," will be hated, persecuted, and, if possible destroyedby Satan and his adherents. The secret is, that the world cannot bear such "livingepistles, known and read of all men," which reflect so severely by their conductupon the vice and profligacy of the worldling. This was a stinging censure upon theprofligate court of Charles II, and therefore the Nonconformists were hated and persecuted;while conformity to soul-benumbing rites and ceremonies was cherished and rewarded.

To render persecution perfectly unjustifiable, Bunyan scripturally and plainly exhibitsthe harmlessness of the Christian character bearing with meekness the injuries heapedupon it; followers of him who, when reviled, reviled not again, but suffered patiently.It is a grievous mistake to suppose that vital godliness caused the great rebellion,and consequent beheading of King Charles I. It was frightful and most insupportabletyranny that drove a nation, headed by their parliament, to arms. The King leviedsevere taxes without the consent of the people's representatives; he perverted justiceby the abominable decisions of the King's judges in the court of Star Chamber; andattempted to introduce Popery through the medium of the Queen and her licentiouscourt, composed principally of the worst class of foreign Papists. And when Leighton,Prynne, Bastwick, and some of the most virtuous and enlightened citizens, justlybut firmly remonstrated, they were seized and tortured in a way that the heart sickenswith the narrative. It was an attempt to reduce the whole nation to the most abjectslavery of both body and soul, that roused the spirit of the people to resistance.

The solemn league and covenant was taken, Cromwell appeared, and the country was,by Divine aid, saved from utter desolation. It was not a war of religious sects;the Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, and others, could never have coalesced;it was a war for liberty or despotism, and the principal of the warriors on bothsides were attached to the religion that was by law established. It is true thatmany Episcopalians, in the reign of Charles II, charged the Puritans, not only asbeing the mainspring, but as possessing the overwhelming force in that awful struggle,forgetting that the Nonconformists were then but a handful of men, neither possessedof wealth nor influence. To attribute victory to so small a band, must refer it tothe immediate interposition of the Most High, as in the case of Gideon in his victoryover the Assyrians. But it was no sectarian fight, except those two great sects offreemen against despots. Bunyan fully proves that no state has anything to fear fromreligion: "She moveth no sedition, she abideth in her place; let her temple-worshippersbut alone, and she will be as if she were not in the world"; "neither shenor her Jesus are for doing them any hurt." "God's armour is no burthento the body, nor clog to the mind, and it being only spiritual, the slaughter mustneeds be spiritual also." "All her privileges are soul concerns, they makeno infringement upon any man's liberties. Let but faith and holiness walk the streetswithout control, and you may be as happy as the world can make you."

"Let not kings, and princes, and potentates be afraid; the saints that are suchindeed, know their places, and are of a peaceable deportment; the earth God hathgiven to the children of men, and his kingdom to the sons of God." The Christianis a pilgrim bound to a far more glorious inheritance: with so bright and gloriousa prospect, he may well apply the encouraging language of Bunyan to his own soul;"I have a bad master, but I have only a year to serve under him, and that makesme serve him with patience. I have but a mile to go in this dirty way, and then Ishall have my path pleasant and green, and this makes me tread the dirty way withpatience."

This treatise is one of the ten "excellent manuscripts" which Bunyan hadprepared for the press, when his unexpected decease prevented his publishing them.It first appeared in the folio volume of his works, printed under the care of CharlesDoe, in 1692. It has since been re- published in every edition of Bunyan's work,but with the omission of the Scripture references, and many errors. It is now accuratelycorrected by the first edition.

GEO. OFFOR.



THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

CHAPTER I.

As Solomon built a house for Pharaoh's daughter, and that called the temple of theLord; so he built a house in Lebanon, called "the house of the forest of Lebanon"(1 Kings 7:2).

Some, I perceive, have thought that this house, called "the house of the forestof Lebanon," was none other than that called the temple at Jerusalem, and thatthat was called "The house of the forest of Lebanon," because built ofthe wood that grew there. But that Solomon built another than that, even one in Lebanon,called "the house of the forest of Lebanon," is evident, and that fromthese reasons:—

First, That in the forest of Lebanon is mentioned as another, besides that calledthe temple of the Lord; and that too when the temple and its finishing is spokenof; yea, it is mentioned with an "also," as an additional house, besidesthe temple of the Lord.

"In the fourth year," saith the text, "was the foundation of the houseof the Lord laid in the month Zif;[1] and in the eleventh year in the month Bul,which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof,and according to all the fashion of it; so he was seven years in building it.""But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished allhis house. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon," &c. (1 Kings6:37,38; 7:1,2).

Can there now be any thing more plain? Is not here the house of the forest of Lebanonmentioned as another besides the temple? he built the temple, he built his own house,he built also the house of the forest of Lebanon.

Second. It is evident by the difference of their measures and dimensions. The lengthof the temple was threescore cubits; but the length of the house of the forest ofLebanon was an hundred cubits; so that the house of the forest of Lebanon was fortycubits more than was that called Solomon's temple: The breadth of Solomon's templewas twenty cubits, but the breadth of the house of the forest of Lebanon was fiftycubits: And as there is odds between threescore and fivescore, so there is also betweentwenty and fifty.

As to their height, they were both alike; but equality in height can no more makethem the same, than can a twenty years' age in two, make them one and the same person.

Their porches also differed greatly; the porch of the temple was in length but twentycubits, but the length of that of the house of the forest of Lebanon was fifty cubits.So that here also is thirty odds.[2] The porch of the temple was but ten cubits broad;but the porch of the house of the forest of Lebanon thirty cubits. Now, I say, whothat considereth these disproportions, can conclude that the house of the forestof Lebanon was none other than that called the temple of Jerusalem. For all thiscompare 1 Kings 6:2, 3 with 7:2, 6.

Third. If you add to these the different makes of the houses, it will sufficientlyappear that they were not one. The house of the forest of Lebanon was built uponfour rows of cedar pillars; but we read of no such pillars upon which the templestood. The windows of the house of the forest of Lebanon stood in three rows, lightagainst light; but we read of no such thing in the temple. The temple had two pillarsbefore the door of its porch, but we read not of them before the door of the porchof the house of the forest of Lebanon. In the sixth and seventh chapters of the firstbook of Kings, these two houses, as to their make, are exactly set forth; so thathe that listeth may search and see, if as to this I have not said the truth.


CHAPTER II.

OF WHAT THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON WAS A TYPE.

That the house of the forest of Lebanon was a house significant, I think is clear;also, if it had not, we should not have had so particular an account thereof in theholy Word of God: I read but of four buildings wherein, in a particular manner, thehouses or fabrics are, as to their manner of building, distinctly handled. The tabernacleis one, the temple another; the porch which he built for his throne, his throne forjudgment; and this house of the forest of Lebanon is the fourth. Now the three first,to wit, the tabernacle, the temple, the porch and throne, wise men will say are typical;and therefore so is this.

[First.] I will therefore take it for granted that the house of the forest of Lebanonis a significative thing, yea, a figure of the church, as the temple at Jerusalemwas, though not under the same consideration. The temple was a figure of the churchunder the gospel, as she relateth to worship; but the house of the forest of Lebanonwas a figure of that church as she is assaulted for her worship, as she is persecutedfor the same. Or take it more expressly thus: I take this house of the forest ofLebanon to be a type of the church in the wilderness, or as she is in her sackclothstate.

We read, before this house was built, that there was a church in the wilderness;and also, after this house was demolished, that there would be a church in the wilderness(Acts 7:38; Rev 12:14). But we now respect that wilderness state that the churchof the New Testament is in, and conclude that this house of the forest of Lebanonwas a type and figure of that; that is, of her wilderness state. And, methinks, thevery place where this house was built does intimate such a thing; for this housewas not built in a town, a city, &c., as was that called the temple of the Lord,but was built in a kind of a wood, a wilderness; it was built in the forest of Lebanon,unto which that saying seems directly to answer. "And to the woman," thechurch, "were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into thewilderness into her place" (Rev 12:14). A wilderness state is a desolate, atempted, an afflicted, a persecuted state (Jer 2:6). All which is more than intimatedby the witnesses wearing of, and prophesying in sackcloth, and also expressed ofby that Revelation 12.

Answerable to this is that of the prophet concerning this house of the forest ofLebanon, where he says, "Open thy doors, O Lebanon! that the fire may devourthy cedars." And again, "Howl, fir-tree; for the cedar is fallen"(Zech 11:1,2). What can be more express? The prophet here knocks at the very doorof the house of the forest of Lebanon, and tells her that her cedars are designedfor fire; unto which also most plainly answer the flames to which so many of thecedars of Lebanon,[3] God's saints, I mean, for many hundred years, have been deliveredfor their profession; and by which, as another prophet has it, for many days theyhave fallen (Dan 11:33). Also when the king of Assyria came up with his army againstJerusalem, this was his vaunting, "I am come - to the sides of Lebanon, andI will cut down the tall cedars thereof" (Isa 37:24).

What was this king of Assyria but a type of the beast made mention of in the NewTestament? Now, saith he, I will cut down the cedars of Lebanon; who are, in ourgospel times, the tall ones of the church of God. And I say again, in that he particularlymentions Lebanon, he intends that house which Solomon built there, the which wasbuilt as a fortification to defend the religion of the temple, as the saints nowin the wilderness of the people are set for the defence of the gospel. But more ofthis anon.

This house therefore was built to make assaults, and to be assaulted, as the churchin the wilderness is; and hence the state of this house is compared to the conditionof a woman in travail, struggling with her pains, as also we find the state of thechurch in the wilderness is—"O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest inthe cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as ofa woman in travail!" (Jer 22:23). And again, "Verily, verily, I say untoyou, That ye shall weep and lament," and have sorrow, as a woman in travail(John 16:20-22). Much answering her case who, in her travails, and while "painedto be delivered," was said even in this case to stand before the dragon, whowith open mouth sought to destroy her fruit, so "soon as it was born" (Rev12:1-6).

Hence, again, when Christ calls his spouse out to suffer, he calls or draws her outof his house in Lebanon, to look "from the lions' dens, from the mountains ofthe leopards," to the things that are invisible; even as Paul said when he wasin affliction, "We look not at the things which are seen" (Cant 4:8; 2Cor 4:18). He draws them out thence, I say, as sheep appointed for the slaughter;yea, he goeth before them, and they follow him thither.

Also, when the prophet foretells the affliction of the church, he expresses it bythe fall of the cedars of Lebanon, saying, The Lord shall cut down the thickets ofthe forest with iron; a little afore called the axe and saw. And Lebanon shall fallby a mighty one (Isa 10:15,34). And again, "The earth mourneth and languisheth:Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down" (Isa 33:9).

Do we think that the prophet prophesieth here against trees, against the naturalcedars of Lebanon? No, no, it is a prophecy touching the afflicted state of the churchin the wilderness, of which Lebanon, I mean this house of the forest of Lebanon,was a figure.

When God also threateneth the enemies of his church in the wilderness with his judgments,for their cruel dealing with her in the day of her desertion, he calls those judgmentsthe violence of Lebanon. That is, by way of comparison, such as the violence doneto Lebanon was. "The violence of Lebanon shall cover thee; and the spoil ofbeasts which made them [Lebanon] afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violenceof the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein" (Habb 2:17). This islike that, "Reward her, even as she rewarded you, and double unto her doubleaccording to her works" (Rev 18:6). This the church doth by her prayers. "Theviolence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zionsay; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say" (Jer51:35). And then shall be fulfilled that which is written, Look what they did untoLebanon shall be done unto them (Oba 15; Eze 35:14,15).

God has his time to return the evil that the enemies do to his church, and he willdo it when his time is come upon their own head; and this return is called the coveringof them with the violence of Lebanon, or that violence showed to her in the day ofher distress. It is yet further evident that this house of the forest of Lebanonwas a type of the church in the wilderness:—

1. For that she is called a tower, or place of fortification and defence; the sameterm that is given to the church in a captivated state (Can 7:4; Micah 4:8-10). Foras the church in the wilderness is compared to a woman in travail, to show her fruitfulnessto God-ward in her most afflicted condition; so she is called a tower, to show herfortitude and courage, for God and his truth, against antichrist. I say therefore,unto both these is she compared in that scripture last cited, the which you may peruseif you please. A tower is a place of receipt for the afflicted, and so is the churchunder the rage of antichrist; yea, and though it is the only place designed by theenemy for ruin and destruction, yet it is the only place of safety in the world.[4]

2. This tower, this house of the forest of Lebanon, it seems to be so built as toconfront Damascus, the chief city of the king of Assyria; and in so doing it wasa most excellent type of the spirit and design of the church in the wilderness, whois raised up, and built to confront antichrist. Hence Christ calls some of the featuresof his church, and compares them to this. "Thy neck," says he "isas a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim;thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus" (Cant 7:4).

Thy nose, that great ornament of thy lovely countenance, is as a tower looking thatway; so set, as Christ says of his, as a flint. And this is a comely feature in thechurch, that her nose stands like a tower, or as he says in another place, like afenced brazen wall against Damascus, the metropolitan of her enemy: "for thehead of Syria is Damascus" (Isa 7:8).

And as Christ thus compares his church, so she again returns, or compares the faceof her Lord to the same, saying, "His legs are as pillars of marble, set uponsockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars"(Can 5:15). Thus in Lebanon, in this brave house, is found the excellency of thechurch, and the beauty of Christ, for that they are both as a rock, with glory andmajesty, bended against the enemies of the truth. "The face of the Lord is againstthem that do evil." Pillars his legs are here compared to, and pillars werethey that upheld this house, this tower, which thus bravely was built with its faceconfronting the enemy's country.

Second. That this house of the forest of Lebanon was a type of the church in affliction,yet further appears, for that at the fall of Babylon her cedars are said to rejoicein special. "The fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us" (Isa 14:8). Thisis at the destruction of Babylon, the type of that called antichrist.

But why should Lebanon, the cedars in Lebanon, in an especial manner here, be saidto rejoice at his downfall: doubtless to show that as the enemy made his inroad uponJerusalem; so in a particular manner Lebanon, and the house there, were made to smokefor it (Isa 37:24; Jer 22:23; Zech 11:1). This answereth to that, "Rejoice overher thou heaven; and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you of her."Hence again, when he speaks of giving glory to his afflicted church, for all thesorrow which she hath sustained in her bearing witness for the truth against antichrist,he calls it the glory of Lebanon. That is, as I take it, the glory that belongs toher, for the afflictions which she underwent for his name. "The glory of Lebanonshall be given unto it" (Isa 35:2). And again, "The glory of Lebanon shallcome unto thee" (Isa 60:13). These are promises to the church for her sufferingof affliction, and they are made unto her as she bears the name of Lebanon, who orwhich was her type in those havocs made in it, when the enemy, as I said, assaultedthe church of old.

Thus by these few lines I have showed you that there was a similitude betwixt thishouse in the forest of Lebanon, and our gospel church in the wilderness. Nor needwe stumble because this word house is not subjoined in every particular place, wherethis sorrow or joy of Lebanon is made mention of; for it is an usual thing with theHoly Ghost, when he directs his speech to a man, to speak as if he spake to a tree;and when he directs his voice to a king, to speak as if he intended the kingdom;so when he speaks of the house, to speak as to the forest of Lebanon. Instances manymight be given.


CHAPTER III.

OF THE LARGENESS OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

The house of the forest of Lebanon was forty cubits longer than was the temple atJerusalem, to show that the church in the wilderness would increase more, and befar larger than she that had peace and prosperity. And as it was forty cubits longer,so it was thirty cubits wider, still showing that every way she would abound. Hencethey that came out of great tribulation, when compared with others, are said to bea numberless number, or a multitude which no man could number, of all nations, andkindreds, and people, and tongues. "These," saith one, "are they whichcame out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them whitein the blood of the Lamb; therefore are they before the throne of God" (Rev7:14,15).

The church, as it respected temple-worship, was confined to the land of Canaan; butour New Testament persecuted one is scattered among the nations, as a flock of sheepare scattered in a wood or wilderness. Hence they are said to be in "the wildernessof the people," fitly answering to this house of the forest of Lebanon (Eze20:35-37).

But though the house exceeded in length and breadth the temple of Jerusalem, yetas to their height they were the same, to show that what acts that in the wildernessdoth, above what they have been capable to do, that have not been in that condition;yet the nature of their grace is the same (Rom 15:27; 1 Peter 1:1).

But, I say, as for length and breadth, the church in the wilderness exceeds morethan the house of the forest of Lebanon did that of the temple at Jerusalem, as itis written; "More are the children of the desolate than the children of themarried wife, saith the Lord." And again: "Thou shalt break forth on theright hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make thedesolate cities to be inhabited" (Isa 54:1-3). This is spoken of the churchin the wilderness, that was made up chiefly of the Gentiles, of which the house ofthe forest of Lebanon was a figure; and how she at last shall recover herself fromthe yoke and tyranny of antichrist. And then she shall shoulder it with her adversary,saying, "Give place to me, that I may dwell" (Isa 49:20).

And I will add, it was not only thus magnificent for length and breadth, but forterror; it was compacted after the manner of a castle, or stronghold, as was saidbefore. It was a tower built for an armoury, for Solomon put there his two hundredtargets and three hundred shields of gold (2 Chron 9:15,16). This place thereforewas a terror to the heathen, on that side of the church especially, because she stoodwith her nose so formidable against Damascus: no marvel therefore if the implacablecried out against them, Help, "men of Israel, help!" And, "Will yerebel against the king?" (Acts 21:28; Neh 2:19).

For it is the terror, or majesty and fortitude, which God has put upon the churchin the wilderness, that makes the Gentiles so bestir them to have her under foot.Besides, they misapprehend concerning her, as if she was for destroying kings, forsubverting kingdoms, and for bringing all to desolation, and so they set themselvesagainst her, "crying, These that have turned the world upside down are comehither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees ofCaesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus" (Acts 17:5-7). Indeed,the very name of Jesus is the very tower of the Christian church, and that by whichshe frights the world, but not designedly, but through their misunderstanding; forneither she, nor her Jesus, is for doing them any hurt; however, this is that whichrenders her yet in their eye "terrible as an army with banners" (Cant 6:10).How then could she escape persecution for a time, for it was the policy of Jeroboam(1 Kings 12:26-28). And it is yet the policy of the nations to secure themselvesagainst this their imagined danger, and therefore to use all means, as Pharaoh did,to keep this people low enough, saying, "Come on, let us deal wisely with them,lest they multiply, and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war, theyjoin also to our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land"(Exo 1:10).

But could the house of Lebanon, though a fortified place, assault Damascus? Couldit remove from the place on which God had set it? It only was a place of defencefor Judah, or for the worship of the temple. And had the adversary let the temple-worshipand worshippers alone, the shields and targets in the house of the forest of Lebanonhad not been uncovered, had not been made bare against them. The same may now besaid of the church in the wilderness, she moveth no sedition, she abideth in herplace; let her temple-worshippers but alone, and she will be as if she were not inthe world; but if you afflict her, "Fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureththeir enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed"(Rev 11:5). And so die by the sword of the Spirit. But because the weapons of thechurch, though none of them are carnal, be so talked of in the world, the blind areyet more afraid of her than they in this manner are like to be hurt by her, and thereforethey of old have peeled,[5] and polled, and endeavoured to spoil her all along, sendingtheir servants, and saying to their bailiffs and sheriffs, "Go - to a nationscattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning, - a nation metedout and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!" (Isa 18:2). But thispeople shall prevail, though not by worldly force; her God will deliver her. Andthen, or at "that time, shall the present be brought to the Lord of hosts ofa people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto;a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, tothe place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the Mount Zion" (Isa 18:7).

Now thus did the house of the forest of Lebanon provoke; it was built defensively,it had a tower, it had armour; its tower confronted the enemy's land. No marvel then,if the king of Assyria so threatened to lay his army on the sides of Lebanon andto cut down the tall cedars thereof (Isa 37:24).

The largeness, therefore, and prowess of the church, by reason of her inherent fortitudeand the valorous acts that she hath done by suffering, by prayer, by faith, and aconstant enduring of hardship for the truth, doth force into the world a belief,through their own guilt and clamours of conscience against them for their debaucheries,that this house of the forest of Lebanon will destroy them all when she shall bedelivered from her servitude. "Come now, therefore," saith Balak to Balaam,and "curse me this people," if peradventure I may overcome them: when hemight have let them pass peaceably by, and they would not have lifted up a fingeragainst him. Wherefore, from all these things it appears that the house of the forestof Lebanon was a type of the church in the wilderness.


CHAPTER IV.

OF THE MATERIALS OF WHICH THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON WAS MADE.

The foundation of the house of the forest of Lebanon was of the same great stoneswhich were laid in the foundation of the temple of the Lord (1 Kings 7:2-11). Andthis shows that the church in the wilderness has the same foundation and supportas had the temple that was at Jerusalem, though in a state of sackcloth, tears, andaffliction, the lot of the church in the wilderness; for she, while there, is tohowl (Zech 11:2). Now since the foundation is the same, what is it but to show alsothat she, though in an afflicted condition, shall certainly stand; "The gatesof hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). Her confronting idolatrousnations is therefore a sign of her troubles, not any prediction of a fall. Her rockis steadfast, not like the rock of her adversaries, the enemy being judges (Deut32:31).

But that which in special I take notice of is, that I find, in a manner, in thishouse of the forest of Lebanon, nothing but pillars, and beams, great timber, andthick beams, and of those was the house builded; pillars to hold up, and thick beamsto couple together, and thus was the house finished. I read not here of any garnishing,either of the pillars, beams, doors, posts, walls, or any part of the house; allwas plain, without garnish, fitly representing the state of the church in the wilderness,which was clothed with sackcloth, covered with ashes, wearing her mourning weeds,with her tears upon her cheeks, and a yoke or band about her neck (Isa 52:1,2, 61:3).

By this kind of description we may also note with what kind of members this house,this church is furnished. Here, as I said, that is, in the house of the forest ofLebanon, you find pillars, pillars, so in the church in the wilderness. O the mightyones of which this church was compacted! they were all pillars, strong, bearing upthe house against wind and weather; nothing but fire and sword could dissolve them.As therefore this house was made up of great timber, so this church in the wildernesswas made up of giants in grace. These men had the faces of lions; no prince, no king,no threat, no terror, no torment, could make them yield; they loved not their livesunto the death. They have laughed their enemies in the face, they have triumphedin the flames.

They were pillars, they were pillars of cedar: the cedar is the highest tree in theworld;[6] wherefore in that this house was made of cedar, it may be to denote thatin the church in the wilderness, however contemned by men, was the highest perfectionof goodness, as of faith, love, prayer, holy conversation, and affection for Godand his truth. For indeed none ever showed the like, none ever showed higher cedarsthan those that were in Lebanon. None ever showed higher saints than were they inthe church in the wilderness. Others talked, these have suffered; others have said,these have done; these have voluntarily taken their lives in their hands, for theyloved them not to the death; and have fairly, and in cool blood, laid them down beforethe world, God, angels, and men, for the confirming of the truth which they haveprofessed (Acts 15:26; Rev 12:11). These are pillars, these are strong ones indeed.It is meet, therefore, that the church in the wilderness, since she was to resemblethe house of the forest of Lebanon, should be furnished with these mighty ones.

Cedars! the same that the holiest of all in the temple was covered within, and thathouse was a figure of heaven, to show that the church of God in the wilderness, howbase and low soever in the judgment of the world, is yet the only heaven that Godhath among the children of men. Here are many nations, many kingdoms, many countries,and many cities, but the church in the wilderness was but one, and she was the heaventhat God has here; hence she is called, "Thou heaven. Rejoice over her thouheaven" (Rev 18:20). And again, when the combustion for religion is in the churchin the wilderness it is said to be in heaven—"And there was war in heaven. Michaeland his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels"(Rev 12:7).

The church therefore loseth not all her titles of honour, no, not when at the lowest,she is God's heaven still; though she may not be called now a crown of glory, yetshe is still God's lily amongst thorns; though she may not be called the church ofJerusalem, yet she may the church in the wilderness; and though she may not be calledSolomon's temple, yet she may the house of the forest of Lebanon. Cedars! cedarsare tall and sweet, and so are the members of the church in the wilderness. O theirsmell, their scent, it hath been "as the wine of Lebanon" (Hosea 14:5-7).They that have gone before have left this smell still in the nostrils of their survivors,as that both fragrant and precious.

This house of the forest of Lebanon was builded "upon four rows of cedar pillars"(1 Kings 7:2). These four rows were the bottom pillars, those upon which the wholeweight of the house did bear. The Holy Ghost saith here four rows, but says not howmany were in a row. But we will suppose them to allude to the twelve apostles, orto the apostles and prophets, upon whose foundation the church in the wildernessis said to be built (Eph 2:20). And if so, then it shows that as the house of theforest of Lebanon stood upon these four rows of pillars, as the names of the twelvetribes stood in four rows of precious stones upon Aaron's breastplate when he wentinto the holiest, so this house, or church in the wilderness, stands upon the doctrineof the apostles and prophets (Exo 28:17, 29:10). But because it only saith it stoodupon four rows, not specifying any number, therefore as to this we may say nothingcertain, yet I think such a conjecture hath some show of truth in it, however, Iwill leave it to wiser judgments.

"And it was covered with cedar above, upon the beams that lay on forty-fivepillars, fifteen in a row" (1 Kings 7:3). These pillars, as the others, aresuch upon which the house did also bear; this is clear, because the beams that layupon the four rows of pillars afore-mentioned lay also upon these forty-five.

It seems, therefore, that these four rows of pillars were they that were the moreoutside ones; that is, two rows on this side of the house and two rows also on that;and that those forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row, stood in three rows more inward,and so did bear up with the other the beams that were laid upon them, much like tothose inner pillars that usually stand in our parish churches. If so, then the firstfour rows did seem to be a guard to these, for that, as they stood more to the outsidesof the house, so more to the weather, and nearer to the first approach of the enemy.

And this may show that the apostles in their doctrine are not only a foundation tothe forty-five pillars, but a protection and defence; I say a protection and defenceto all the pillars that ever were besides in the church in the wilderness. And itis to be considered that the four rows are mentioned as placed first, and so werethose upon which the thick beams that first were for coupling of the house were laid;the which most fitly teacheth that the office and graces of the apostles were firstin the church in the wilderness, according to 1 Corinthians 12:18.

These forty-five pillars standing in the midst, by the others, may also be to showthat in the time of the trouble of the church in her wilderness state, there willbe those that will stand by and maintain her apostolical doctrine, though for sodoing they bear the burthen of the whole. But I read of no chambers for ease or restin this house, here is no room for chambering. They that were for being members inthe church in the wilderness, must not look for rest until their Lord shall come(Rom 13:13,14; 2 Thess 1:5-9).

Here therefore was but hard lodging; the house of the forest of Lebanon was not madefor tender skins and for those that cannot lie out of down beds, but for those thatwere war-like men, and that were willing to endure hardness for that religion thatGod had set up in his temple, and is fitly answered by that of the apostle: "Thou,therefore," my son, "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he mayplease him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim 2:3,4). Forty-five pillars!It was forty-five years that the church was of old in a bewildered and warlike conditionbefore she enjoyed her rest in Canaan (Josh 14:10). Now, as there were forty-fiveyears of trouble, so here are forty-five pillars for support, perhaps to intimatethat God will have in his church in the wilderness a sufficient succession of faithfulmen that, like pillars, shall bear up the truth above water all the time of Antichrist'sreign and rage.

The thick beams that lay over-thwart to couple this house of the forest of Lebanontogether, did bear upon these forty-five pillars, to show that, by the burden-bearersthat have and shall be in the church of God in the wilderness, the unity of thathouse is through the Spirit maintained. And indeed, had it not been for these pillars,the sufferers, these burden-bearers in the church, our house in the forest of Lebanon,or, more properly, our church in the wilderness, had before this been but in a poorcondition. Thus therefore this church, which in her time is the pillar and groundof truth in the world, has been made to stand and abide it. "When the blastof the terrible ones has been as a storm against the wall" (Isa 25:4; 1 Tim3:15). "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed againstme" (Psa 129:1,2).

Thus you see how the house of the forest of Lebanon was a type of the church in thewilderness; and you see also by this the reason why the house of the forest of Lebanonhad its inward glory lying more in great pillars and thick beams than in other ornaments.And indeed, here had need be pillars and pillars and beams and beams too, since itwas designed for assaults to be made upon it, since it was set for a butt for themarksman, and to be an object for furious heathens to spend their rage against itswalls.

The glory therefore of the temple lay in one thing, and the glory of this house layin another: the glory of the temple lay in that she contained the true form and modesof worship, and the glory of the house of the forest of Lebanon lay in her many pillarsand thick beams, by which she was made capable, through good management, to givecheck to those of Damascus when they should attempt to throw down that worship.

And as I said before, these pillars were sweet-scented pillars, for that they weremade of cedar; but what cared the enemy for that, they were offensive to him, forthat they were placed as a fortification against him. Nor is it any allurement toSatan to favour the mighty ones in the church in the wilderness for the fragrantsmell of their sweet graces, nay, both he and his angels are the more bent to opposethem because they are so sweet-scented. The cedars therefore got nothing becausethey were cedars at the hands of the barbarous Gentiles—for they would burn the cedars—asthe angels or pillars get nothing of favour at the hands of Antichrist because theyare pillars of and angels for the truth, yea, they so much the more by her are abhorred.Well, but they are pillars for all that, yea, pillars to the church in the wilderness,as the others were in the house of the forest of Lebanon, and pillars they will abidethere, dead and alive, when the enemy has done what he can.

The pillars were set in three rows, for so are forty-five when they are set fifteenin a row. And they were set in three rows to bear. This manner also of their standingthus was also doubtless significant. But again, they, these pillars, may be set,or placed thus in three rows in the house of the forest of Lebanon, to show thatthe three offices of Christ are the great things that the church in the wildernessmust bear up before the world.

The three offices of Christ, they are his priestly, his prophetical, and his kinglyoffices. These are those in which God's glory and the church's salvation are mostimmediately concerned, and they that have been most opposed by the devil and hisangels. All heresies, errors, and delusions with which Christ's church has been assaultedin all ages, have bent themselves against some one or all of these (Rev 16:13,16).Christ is a priest to save, a prophet to teach, and a king to rule his church (Isa33:22). But this Antichrist cannot bear, therefore he attempts to get up into thethrone himself, and to act as if he were one above all that is called God, or thatis worshipped (2 Thess 2:3,4; Rev 19:19-21). But behold! here are pillars in threerows, mighty pillars to bear up Christ in these his offices before the world andagainst all falsehood and deceit.

Fifteen in a row, I can say no further than I can see; what the number of fifteenshould signify I know not, God is wiser than man; but yet methinks their standingthus should signify a reserve; as suppose the first three that the enemy comes atshould be destroyed by their hands, there are three times fourteen behind; supposeagain that they should serve the next three so, yet there is a reserve behind. Whenthat fine one, Jezebel, had done what she could against the afflicted church in hertime, yet there was left a reserve, a reserve of seven thousand that were true worshippersof God (1 Kings 19:18; Rom 11:4).

Always when Antichrist made his inroads upon the church in the wilderness, to slay,to cut off, and to kill, yet some of the pillars stood, they were not all burnt inthe fire, nor cut down. They said indeed, "Come and let us cut them off frombeing a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" (Psa83:4). But what then? there is a difference betwixt saying and doing; the bush wasnot therefore consumed because it was set on fire; the church shall not be consumedalthough she be afflicted (Exo 3:3). And this reason is, because God has still hisfifteens; therefore if Abel falls by the hand of Cain, Seth is put in his place (Gen4:25). If Moses is taken away, Joshua shall succeed him (Josh 1:2,3). And if thedevil break the neck of Judas, Matthias is at hand to take his office (Acts 1:16-26).God has, I say, a succession of pillars in his house; he has to himself a reserve.

Yet again, methinks that there should be forty-five pillars, and besides them fourrows of pillars, and all this to bear up an invisible burden, for we read of nothingupon the pillars but the heavens and roof. It should be to show that it is impossiblethat a carnal heart should conceive of the weight that truth lays upon the conscienceof a believer. They see, nothing, alas, nothing at all, but a beam, a truth, and,say they, are you such fools to stand groaning to bear up that, or what is containedtherein? They, I say, see not the weight, the glory, the weight of glory that isin a truth of God, and therefore they laugh at them that will count it worth thewhile to endure so much to support it from falling to the ground.[7] Great pillarsand beams, great saints and great truths, are in the church of God in the wilderness;and the beams lie upon the pillars, or the truth upon the saints.

The tabernacle and ark formerly were to be borne upon men's shoulders, even as thesegreat beams are borne up by these pillars. And as this tabernacle and ark were tobe carried hither and thither, according to the appointment of God, so were thesebeams to be by these pillars borne up, that therewith the house might be girt together,kept uniform, and made to stand fast, notwithstanding the wind and storm.


CHAPTER V.

OF THE WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

The house of the forest of Lebanon had many windows in it; "And there were windowsin three rows, and light was against light in three ranks" (1 Kings 7:4). Windowsare to let the light in at, and the eye out at, to objects at a distance from thehouse, and from those that are therein.

The windows here are figures of the Word of God, by which light the light of lifeis let into the heart; through that, the glass of these windows, the beams of theSun of righteousness shine into the church. Hence the word is compared to glass,through which the glorious face of Christ is seen (2 Cor 3:18). This, therefore,this house of the forest of Lebanon had; it had windows, a figure of that Word ofGod, through, and by which, the church in the wilderness sees the mind of God, andso what while there she ought to believe, do, and leave undone in the world.

This house had plenty of windows—three rows of windows on both sides the house. Inthree rows; by these windows in three rows perhaps was prefigured how into the churchin the wilderness was to shine the doctrine of the Trinity: yea, to signify thatshe was to be possessed with that in her most low state, and when under her greatestclouds. The doctrine of the Trinity! that is the substance, that is the ground andfundamental of all (1 John 2:22,23, 4:2-4; 2 John 9,10). For by this doctrine, andby this only, the man is made a Christian; and he that has not this doctrine, hisprofession is not worth a button. You must know that sometimes the church in thewilderness has but little light, but the diminution of her light is not then so muchin or as to substantials, as it is as to circumstantial things; she has then thesubstantials with her, in her darkest day, even windows in three rows.

The doctrine of the Trinity! You may ask me what that is? I answer. It is that doctrinethat showeth us the love of God the Father, in giving of his Son: the love of Godthe Son, in giving of himself; and the love of the Lord the Spirit, in his work ofregenerating of us, that we may be made able to lay hold of the love of the Fatherby his Son, and so enjoy eternal life by grace. This doctrine was always let in atthese windows into the church in the wilderness, for to make her sound in faith,and hearty in obedience; as also meek and patient in temptation and tribulation.And as to the substance of Christianity, this doctrine is sufficient for any people,because it teaches faith, and produceth a good moral life. These therefore, if thesedoctrines shine upon us, through these windows of heaven, so as that we see them,and receive them, they make us fit to glorify God here, and meet to be glorifiedof, and with him hereafter. These lights, therefore, cause that the inhabitants ofthis church in the wilderness see their way through the dark pitch night of thisworld. For as the house of the forest of Lebanon, this church of God in the wildernesshad always her lights, or windows in these three rows, to guide, to solace, and comforther.

This house therefore, is thus discriminated and distinguished from all other housesin the world; no house, that we read of in the Bible, was thus adorned with light,or had windows in three rows, but this; and answerable hereunto, no congregationor church, but the true church of God, has the true antitype thereof. Light! windows!A sufficiency of windows was of great use to a people that dwelt in a forest, orwood, as the inhabitants of the house of the forest of Lebanon did. But how solitaryhad this house been, had it had no light at all! To be in a wood, and that withoutwindows, is one of the worst of conditions. This also is the relief that the churchin the wilderness had; true, she was in a wood, but had light, called in anotherplace God's rod, or his Word, which giveth instruction. "Feed thy people withthy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitary in the wood," &c.(Micah 7:14).

To be, as was said, in a wood, and without light too, is a condition very desolate:the Egyptians found it so, for all they were in their houses (Exo 10:21,23). Buthow much more then is that people's case to be lamented that are under persecution,but have not light in three rows to guide them. But this is not the state of thechurch in the wilderness; she has her windows in three rows, to wit, the light ofthe face of the Father, the light of the face of the Son, and the light of the faceof the Holy Ghost; all shining through the windows or glass of the Word, to her comfortand consolation, though now in the forest of Lebanon.

"And light was against light in three ranks." This is an additional accountof the windows that were in the house of the forest of Lebanon. Before he said shehad windows in three rows, but now he adds that there was light against light, lightopposite to light, and that also in three ranks. In that he saith they were in ranks,he either means in order, or insinuates a military posture, for in both these waysis this word taken (Num 2:16,24; 1 Chron 12:33,38; Mark 6:40). Nor need any smilebecause I say the lights were set in a military posture; we read of potsherds strivingwith potsherds; and why may it not as well be said, "light was against light"(Isa 45:9).

But we will pursue our design. Here is opposition insinuated; in the margin it is"sight against sight"; wherefore the lights thus placed in the house ofthe forest of Lebanon give me another encouragement, to think that this house wasa type of the church in the wilderness, and that she is the seat of spiritual waralso (Rev 12:7). For as this house of the forest of Lebanon was that which was theobject of the rage of the king of Assyria, because it stood in his way to hinderhis ruining Jerusalem; so the spirit and faithfulness of the church of God in thewilderness stands in the way, and hinders Antichrist's bringing of the truth to theground.

And as the enemy brake into Lebanon, and did set fire to her cedars, so the boar,the Antichrist, the dragon, and his angels, got into the church in the wilderness(Psa 80:13; 2 Thess 2:4; Rev 12:7). This being so, here must needs be war; and sincethe war is not carnal but spiritual, it must be made by way of controversy, contention,disputation, argument, reasonings, &c. which were the effect of opposite apprehensions,fitly set out in this house of the forest of Lebanon, for that there was "lightagainst light," "sight against sight," in three ranks. Wherefore inthat he saith "light was against light in three ranks," he suggesteth,to the life, how it would be in the church in the wilderness. And suppose they werethe truly godly that made the first assault, can they be blamed? For who can endurea boar in a vineyard; a man of sin in a holy temple; or a dragon in heaven? Whatthen if the church made the first assault? Who bid the boar come there? What hadhe to do in God's house? The church, as the house of the forest of Lebanon, wouldhave been content with its own station; and bread and water will serve a man, thatmay with peace enjoy his delights in other things. But when privilege, property,life, delight, heaven, and salvation, comes to be intruded, no marvel if the woman,though but a woman, cries out, and set her light against them; had she seen the thief,and said nothing, she had been far worse.

I told you before that by the windows is meant the Word, which is compared to glass(1 Cor 13:12; 2 Cor 3:18; James 1:23-25). What, then, is the Word against the Word?No, verily, it is therefore not the Word, but opposite apprehensions thereabout,that the Holy Ghost now intends; for he saith not that window was against window,respecting the true sense of the Word, but light was against light, respecting thedivers notions and apprehensions that men of opposite spirits would have about theWord. Nor are we to take this word light, especially in the antitype, in a properbut in a metaphorical sense, that is, with respect to the judgment of both parties.Here is the true church, and she has the true light; here also is the boar, the manof sin, and the dragon; and they see by their way, and yet, as I said, all by theself-same windows. They that are the church do, in God's light, see light; but theythat are not, do in their own way see. And let a man, and a beast, look out at thesame window, the same door, the same casement, yet the one will see like a man, andthe other but like a beast. No marvel then, though they have the same windows, that"light is against light," and sight against sight in this house. For thereare that known nothing but what they know naturally as brutes (Psa 92:6; Jer 10:8,14,21;Jude 10).

No marvel then if there is here a disagreement; the beast can but see as a beast,but the church is resolved not to be guided by the eye of a beast, though he pretendsto have his light by that very window by which the church has hers. The beast ismoon-eyed, and puts darkness for light, yea, and hates the light that is so indeed;[8]but the saints will not hear him, for they know the voice of their Lord (Isa 5:20;John 3:20). How then can it be but that light should be against light in this house,and that in a military posture? And how can it be but that here "every battleof the warrior" should be "with confused noise, and garments rolled inblood" (Isa 9:5).

And in that he saith, "light was against light in three ranks," it showstheir preparations one against another; also that they on both sides are resolvedto stand by their way. The church is confident, the man of sin is confident; theyboth have the same windows to see by, and so they manage their matters; yet not sosimply by the windows, as by their divers judgments they make of that which shinethin at them. Each one therefore hath the true and false profession, will be confidentof his own way; he that was right, knew he was right; and he that was wrong, thoughthe was right, and so the battle began. "There is a way that seemeth right untoa man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov 14:12).

Nor is it in man to help it; there has been reasoning, there has been disputing,there has blood also been spilt on both sides, through the confidence that each hadof the goodness of his own way; but no reconciliation is made, the enmity is sethere of God; iron and clay cannot mix (Gen 3:15; Dan 2:42,43). God will have thingsgo on thus in the world, till his words shall be fulfilled: "The deceived, andthe deceiver, are his" (Job 12:16). Things therefore must have their coursein the church in the wilderness, till the mystery of God shall be fulfilled (Rev17:17).

Hence it is said God will bring Gog against his people of Israel, "as a cloudto cover the land" (Eze 38:16). But for what cause? Why, that he may contenda while with them, and then fall by their light to the ground. Therefore he saysalso, that he "will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, and itshall be called the valley of Hamon-gog" (Eze 39:11).

God will get himself great glory by permitting the boar, the man of sin, and thedragon, to revel it in the church of God; for they, by setting up and contendingfor their darkness and calling of it the light, and by setting of it against thatlight, which is light in very deed, do not only prove the power of truth where itis, but illustrate it so much the more. For as black sets off white, and darknesslight, so error sets off truth. He that calls a man a horse, doth in conclusion butfix the belief of his humanity[9] so much the more in the apprehension of all rationalcreatures.

"Light against light in three ranks." The three ranks on the church's sidesignify her light in the Trinity, as was said, and in the three offices of Christ;and the ranks against these three ranks be to signify the opposite apprehensionsof the enemy. They differ also about the authority of the Word, and ordinances, aboutthe offices, officers, and executions of office, in the church, &c. There isan opposition everywhere, even round about the house; there was "light againstlight in three ranks." This house of the forest of Lebanon was therefore a significativething, wisely built and fit for the purpose for which it was designed, which wasto show what afterward would be the state of the church in the wilderness. Nor couldanything in the temple more aptly express itself in a typical way, as to any of thethings concerning New Testament matters, than doth this house of the forest of Lebanon,as to the things designed to be signified thereby. It speaks, can we but hear: itpoints to things, as it were with a finger, have we but eyes to see.

It is not therefore to be wondered at that we hear both parties plead so much fortheir authority, crying out against each other, as those that destroy religion. Sodoth the church, so doth the man of sin. The living child is mine, saith one; nay,but the dead child is thine, and the living child is mine, says the other. And thusthey spake before the king (1 Kings 3:16-22). Now this could not be, were there notdifferent apprehensions here; light against light then is the cause of all this;and here is "light against light in three ranks"; and so will be untilthe beast is dead.

The church will not give place, for she knows she has the truth; the dragon and hisangels, they will not give place, but as beaten back by the power of the truth; forthus it is said of the dragon and his angels, they fought and prevailed not. Thereforethere will, there must, there cannot but be a spiritual warfare here, and that untilone of the two are destroyed, and their body given to the burning flame (Dan 7:11;Rev 19:20).


CHAPTER VI.

OF THE DOORS AND POSTS, AND THEIR SQUARE, WITH THE WINDOWS OF THE HOUSE OF THE FORESTOF LEBANON.

"And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows." The doors,they were for entrance, the posts were the support of the doors, and the windowswere, as was hinted before, for light. Now here they are said to be all square; squareis a note of perfection; but this word square may be taken two ways. 1. Either asto the fashion of the things themselves; or, 2. With reference to the uniform orderof the whole.

In the first sense was the altar of burnt-offering, the altar of incense, and thebreastplate of judgment, square (Exo 27:1, 28:16; 30:2). And so also it is said ofour New Testament New Jerusalem (Rev 21:16). But the square in the text is not thusto be understood, but if I mistake not, as is signified under the second head, thatis for an uniform order. The whole fabric, as the doors, posts, and windows, presentedthemselves to beholders in an exact uniform order, and so right delectable to behold.Hence we may gather that this house of the forest of Lebanon was so exactly built,and consequently so complete to view, that it was alluring to the beholders; andthat the more, for that so pretty a fabric should be found in a forest or wood. Alily among thorns, a pearl on a dunghill, and beauty under a veil, will make oneturn aside to look on it.

Answerable to this, the church, even in the wilderness, or under persecution, iscompared not only to a woman, but to a comely and delicate woman. And who, that shallmeet such a creature in a wood, unless he feared God, but would seek to ravish anddefile her.

Therefore I say, that which is here said to be square, must be understood to be so,as to prospect and view, or right taking to the eye.

Thus therefore they are allured, and think to defile her in the bed of love; butcoming to her, and finding of her chaste, and filled with nothing but armour, andmen at arms, to maintain her chastity, nolens volens—their fleshly love is turnedinto cruel rage, and so they go to variance.

"I have likened," says God, "The daughter of Zion to a comely anddelicate woman" (Jer 6:2). But where is she? O! she is in the field, in theforest among the shepherds. But what will they do with her? Why, because she compliesnot with their desires, they "prepare war against her," saying, "Arise,let us go up at noon. Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces"(Jer 6:4,5). Wherefore the beauty of the house of the forest of Lebanon, as wellas the fortitude thereof, was a temptation to the enemy to come to take it into theirpossession; especially since it stood, as it were, on the borders of Israel, andso faced the enemy's country.

Thus the church, though in her weeds of widowhood, is become the desire of the eyesof the nations; for indeed her features are such, considering who is her head, wheremostly to the eye beauty lies, that whoso sees but the utmost glimpse of her, iseasily ravished with her beauties. See how the prophet words it—"Many nationsare gathered together against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eyelook upon Zion" (Micah 4:11).

The church, the very name of the church of God, is beautiful in the world; and, asamong women, she that has beauty has her head desired, if it might be, to stand uponanother woman's shoulders; so this, and that, and every nation that beholds the beautyof the church, would fain be called by that name. The church, one would think, wasbut in a homely dress when she was coming out of captivity; and yet then the peopleof the countries desired to be one with her. "Let us [said they to Zerubbabel,and to the fathers of the church] build with you, for we seek your God as ye do"(Ezra 4:2).

The very name of the church, as I said, is striven for of the world, but that isthe church which Christ has made so; her features also remain with herself, as thiscomely prospect of the house of the forest of Lebanon abode with it, whoever beheldor wished for it. The beauty therefore of this house, though it stood in the forest,was admirable; even as is the beauty of the church in the wilderness, though in abewildered state.

Hear the relation that the Holy Ghost gives of the intrinsic beauty of the church,when she was to go to be in a persecuted state; she was "clothed with the sun,and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev12:1). And yet now the dragon stood by her (Rev 12:4). But I say, Here is a woman!let who will attempt it, show such another in the world, if he can.[10]

They therefore that have any regard to morality, civility, or to ceremonial comeliness,covet to be of the church of God, or to appropriate that glorious title to themselves.And here, indeed, Antichrist came in; she took this name to herself; and though shecould not come at the sun, nor moon, nor stars, to adorn herself with them, yet shehas found something that makes her comely in her followers' eyes. See how the HolyGhost sets her forth. She "was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and deckedwith gold and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand,"&c. (Rev 17:4). Hence she is called, "The well- favoured harlot," "thelady of kingdoms," &c. (Nahum 3:4; Isa 47:5,7).

But because the chaste matron, the spouse of Christ, would not allow this slut torun away with this name, therefore she gets upon the back of her beast, and by himpushes this woman into the dirt; but because her faith and love to her husband remains,she turns again, and pleads by her titles, her features, and ornaments, that she,and she only, is she whose square answereth to the square of her figure, and to thecharacter which her Lord hath given of his own, and so the game began. For so soonas this mistress became a dame in the world, and found that she had her stout abettors,she attempts to turn all things topsy-turvy, and to set them and to make of themwhat she lists. And now she will have an altar like that which was Tiglath-pileser's.Now must the Lord's brazen altar be removed from its place, the borders of the basismust be cut off, and the laver removed from off them; the molten sea must also nowbe taken off the backs of the brazen oxen, where Solomon set it, and be set on apavement of stone (2 Kings 16:10-17).

Solomon! alas, Solomon's nobody now; this woman is wiser in her own conceit thanseven men that can render a reason. Now also the covert for the Sabbath must be turnedto the use of the king of Assyria, &c. (2 Kings 16:18). Thus has the beauty ofGod's church betrayed her into the hands of her lovers, who loved her for themselves,for the devil, and for the making of her a seat, a throne for the man of sin. Andpoor woman, all her struggling and striving, and crying out under the hands of theseravishers, has not, as yet, delivered her, though it has saved her life (Deut 22:25-27).

But though thus it has been with Christ's true church, and will be as long as hisenemy Antichrist reigns, yet the days will come when her God will give her her ornaments,and her bracelets, and her liberty, and her joy, that she had in the day of her espousals.


CHAPTER VII.

OF THE REPETITION OF LIGHT AGAINST LIGHT IN THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

To be sure it was not superfluously done of the Holy Ghost to make repetition ofthese words, "And light was against light in three ranks," therefore somethingis intended in the adding of them again that was not intended by the first mentioningof them (1 Kings 7:4,5).

I have told you what I thought was intended by the first rehearsal of them, namely,to show how Antichrist got in with his sensuality, and opposed it to the true lightof the Word of God, exalting himself above God, and also above all Divine revelation;this was his light against light. But, I say, why is it repeated? For he saith, "Lightwas against light in three ranks" again. Truly, I think it is repeated to showthe evil effects the first antichristian opposition would have in the church of God,towards the end of her wilderness state. For, "light against light" now,for that it is here repeated, is to show us some new thing, or, as far as wood andwindows can speak, to let us understand what would be the consequence of those antichristianfigments[11] that were brought into the church at first by him.

For can it be imagined but that, since so much confusion was brought into the church,some of the truly godly themselves would be much damnified thereby? The apostle says,"Evil communication corrupts good manners" (1 Cor 15:33). And that "theirword will eat as doth a canker" (1 Tim 2:17). Mischief therefore must needsfollow this ugly deed of the man of sin. If a house be on fire, though it is notburnt down, the smell of the flame may long remain there; also we count it no wonderto see some of the effects upon the rafters, beams, and some of the principal poststhereof. The calf that was set up at Dan defiled that people until the captivityof the land (Judg 18:30).

And I say again, since light against light was so early in the church in the wilderness,and has also been there so long, and again, since many in this church were both bornand bred there under these oppositions of light, it is easy to conclude that somethingof the enemy's darkness might be also called light by the sincere that followed after.For by antichristian darkness, though they might call it light, the true light wasdarkened, and so the eye made dim, even the eye of the truly godly. Also the HolyGhost did much withdraw itself from the church, so the doctrines, traditions, andrudiments of the world took more hold there, and spread themselves more formidablyover the face of that whole church. For after the first angel had sounded, and thestar was fallen from heaven to the earth, and had received the key of the bottomlesspit, and had opened the mouth thereof, the smoke came out amain. This angel was oneof the first dads of antichristianism, and this smoke was that which they call light,but it was "light against light." "And he opened the bottomless pit,and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and thesun and the air were darkened, by reason of the smoke of the pit" (Rev 9:1,2).

The sun I take to be the gospel of God, and the air a type of the breathings of theHoly Ghost. The smoke I take to be the doctrines and traditions of Antichrist; thatwhich was, as I said before, put for light against the true light of the Word. Now,since the sun and the air were darkened by this smoke, yea, and so darkened as thatthe sun, nor moon, nor stars, nor day, nor night, could shine for a third part ofthem; no marvel though the true worshippers here were benighted, or, at least, hadbut little light to walk by; yea, I have known some that have been born and bredup in smokey holes, that have been made, both in smell and sight, to carry the tokensof their so being bred about them.

And I say again, as to what is now under our consideration, no marvel if they thatbreathed in this church in the wilderness, after the smoke came out of this pit,sucked in the smoke with the air until it became natural to them. A house annoyedwith smoke is a great offence to the eyes, whose light being thereby impaired, thejudgment also, since that, as to visibles, is guided by the eye, must needs be indanger of being in part misled. And this being the effect of light against lightat first, is the cause of what to this day we see in the church among the true brotherhood.For as a cause produceth an effect, so oftentimes an effect sets on foot anothercause.

Now, therefore, we have light against light among the godly, as afore there was antichristianagainst the Christian light. Not that light against light is now godly in the allof it. It is antichristian that opposes the Christian light still. But, as before,the darkness that opposed the light was in the antichristians, now that darknessis got into the Christians, and has set them against one another. Light thereforeagainst light now is in the Christians, truly prefigured by that which was in thehouse of the forest of Lebanon. Witness the jars, the oppositions, the contentions,emulations, strifes, debates, whisperings, tumults, and condemnations that, likecannon-shot, have so frequently on all sides been let fly against one another.

Shall I need to mention particularly contests many years past, and presented to usin print? Words and papers now in print, as also the many petty divisions and namesamongst us, sufficiently make this manifest. Wherefore light against light in thislast place, or where it is thus repeated, cannot, I think, be more fitly appliedthan to that now under our consideration; that is to say, than to the opposite persuasions,different apprehensions, and thwart conclusions, that are constantly drawn from thesame texts to maintain a diverse practice. Though we are to acknowledge with thankfulnessthat this opposition lies not so much in fundamentals as in things of a lesser import.

The godly all hold the head, for there Antichrist could never divide them; theirdivisions therefore are, as I said, only about smaller things. I do not say thatthe antichristian darkness has done nothing in the church as to the hurting it inthe great things of God. But, I say, it has not been able to do that which couldsever their Head from them, otherwise there appears even too much of the effect ofhis doings there. For even, as to the offices of our Lord, some will have his authoritymore large, some more strait. Some confine his rules to themselves and to their moreoutward qualification, and some believe they are extended further. Some will havehis power in his church purely spiritual, others again would have it mixed. Somecount his Word perfect and sufficient to guide in all religious matters, others againhold that an addition of something human is necessary. Some are for confining ofhis benefits, in the saving effects of them, only to the elect, others are for astretching of them further. I might here multiply things, but that light againstlight is now among the godly as light against light was in the house of the forestof Lebanon, is not at all to be questioned.

This therefore may stand for another argument to prove that the house of the forestof Lebanon was a type of the church in the wilderness. As to the number here, thatis to say, in three ranks, it is also, as I think, to show that, though, as was saidafore, this darkness could not sever the true church from her Head, yet it has eclipsedthe glory of things. By two lights a man cannot see this or that thing so exactlyas by one single light; no, they both make all confused though they make not allinvisible (Matt 6:22,23).

As, for instance, sun-light and moon-light together, fire- light and sun-light together,candle-light and moon-light together, make things more obscure than to look on themby a single light. The Word reflecting upon the understanding, without the interposingof man's traditions, makes the mind of God to a man more clear than when attendedwith the other. How much more then when light shall be against light in three ranks?Christ in his offices, blessed be God, is to this day known in his church, notwithstandingthere is yet with us light against light in three ranks. But in these things he isnot so distinctly, fully, and completely known, as he was before the church wentinto the wilderness. No, that knowledge is lost to a "third part" of it,as was also showed before (Rev 8:12).

Things therefore will never be well in the church of God so long as there is thuslight against light therein. When there is but one Lord among us and his name One,and when divisions, by the consent of the whole, are banished, I mean, not persecuted,but abandoned in all by a joint consent, and when every man shall submit his ownsingle opinion to those truths, that by their being retained are for the health ofall, then look for good days, and not until then. For this house of the forest ofLebanon, in which, as you see, there is "light against light in three ranks,"was not built to prefigure the church in her primitive state, but to show us howwe should be while standing before the face of the dragon, and while shifting forourselves in the wilderness.

And although by her pillars, and beauty, and tower, aye, and by her facing the verymetropolitan of her enemies, she showeth that the true grace of God is in her, anda strength and courage that is invincible, yet for that she has also affixed to herstation "Light against light in three ranks." It is evident her eye isnot so single, and consequently that her body is not so full of light, as she willbe when her sackcloth is put off, and as when she has put on her beautiful garments.For then it is that her moon is to shine as the sun, and that the light of her sunis to be sevenfold, even as the light of seven days, then, I say, "When theLord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound"(Isa 30:26).

You know that a kingdom flourishes not so long as it is the seat of war, but whenthat is over peace and prosperity flourishes. This house, as has been hinted, wasa type of the church in a wood, a forest, a wilderness.


CHAPTER VIII.

OF THE SHIELDS AND TARGETS THAT WERE IN THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

As this house of the forest of Lebanon was that which, in the general, prefiguredthe state of the church in the wilderness, so it was accoutered with such militarymaterials as suited her in such a condition, that is to say, with shields, and targets;consequently with other warlike things. "And king Solomon made two hundred targetsof beaten gold, six hundred shekels of gold went to one target, and he made threehundred shields of beaten gold; [three pound] or three hundred shekels of gold wentto one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon"(1 Kings 10:16,17; 2 Chron 9:15,16).

This supposes that the house of the forest of Lebanon would be attacked by the enemy.And good reason there was for such a supposition, since it was built for defenceof that worship that was set up in the church. Hence it is said, when the enemy usedto come with his chariots and horsemen against them, that they "did look inthat day to the armour of the house of the forest" (Isa 22:7,8). That was, tosee how they were prepared at Lebanon, to make resistance against their foes, andto secure themselves and their religion from that destruction that by the enemy wasdesigned should be made upon both. And thus again, or in this thing, the house ofthe forest of Lebanon shows that it was a figure of the church of the wilderness;for she also is furnished with such weapons as were counted by the wisdom of Godnecessary for the security of the soul, and Christian religion, to wit, "theweapons of our warfare," "the whole armour of God" (2 Cor 10:4).

For though this house of the forest of Lebanon was a place of defence, yet her armouris described and directed too, both as to matter and to measure. It was armour madeof gold, such armour, and so much of it. And it was made by direction of Solomon,who was a type of Christ, by the power of whose grace and working our armour is alsoprovided for us, as in the texts afore-mentioned may appear. By this description,therefore, of the armour of the house of the forest of Lebanon we are confined, thatbeing a type to the armour of God, in the antitype thereto for the defence of theChristian religion. We then may make use of none but the armour of God for defenceof our souls, and the worship of God; this alone is the golden armour provided byour Solomon, and put in the house of the forest of Lebanon, or rather in the churchin the wilderness, for her to resist the enemy withal.

Two hundred targets. There is but little mention made of targets in the Bible, norat all expressly how they were used, but once; and that was when Goliah came to defyIsrael, he came, as with other warlike furniture, so "with a target of brassbetween his shoulders" (1 Sam 17:6). A target, that is, saith the margin, agorget. A gorget is a thing wore about the neck, and it serveth in that place insteadof a shield. Wherefore in some of your old Bibles, that which in one place is calleda target, in another is called a shield.[12] A shield for that part. This piece ofarmour, I suppose, was worn in old time by them that used spears, and it was to guardthe upper part of the back and shoulders from the arrows of their enemies, that wereshot into the air, to the intent they might fall upon the upper part of the body.

The shields were for them which drew bows, and they were to catch or beat off thosearrows that were levelled at them by the enemy before. "Asa had" at onetime "an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundredthousand, and out of Benjamin that bare shields, and drew bows, two hundred and fourscorethousand" (2 Chron 14:8).

I cannot tell what the target should signify here, unless it was to show that thosein the type were more weak and faint-hearted than those in the antitype: for in thatthis gorget was prepared for some back part of the body, it supposed the wearerssubject to run away, to flee. But in the description of the Christian armour, wehave no provision for the back; so our men in the church in the wilderness are supposedto be more stout. Their face is made strong against the face of their enemies, andtheir foreheads strong against their foreheads (Eze 3:8,9). The shield was a typeof the Christian faith, and so the apostle applies it. The which he also countetha principal piece of our Christian armour when he saith, "Above all taking theshield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of thewicked" (Eph 6:16). These targets and shields were made of gold, to show theexcellent worth of this armour of God; to wit, that it is not carnal but spiritual,not human but divine; nor common or mean, but of an infinite value. Wherefore James,alluding to this, saith, "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosenthe poor of this world rich in faith," (hath he not given them this golden shield)and made them "heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that lovehim?" (James 2:5).

Faith! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more precious than isgold that perisheth. If so, then what is that worth, or value, that is in the graceitself? (1 Peter 1:7). This also is that which Christ intends when he says, "buyof me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich" (Rev 3:18).

And methinks the apostles and the Lord Jesus Christ do in all these places alludeto the shields, the shields of gold, that Solomon made, and put in the house of theforest of Lebanon; which house, as I have showed, was that which indeed prefiguredthe state of the church in the wilderness; and these shields a type of faith.

Obj. But here is mention made of nothing but shields and targets.

Answ. True, and that perhaps to show us that the war that the church makes with Antichristis rather defensive than offensive. Shields and targets are weapons defensive, weaponsprovided for self-preservation, not to hurt others with. A Christian also, if hecan but defend his soul in the sincere profession of the true religion, doth whatby duty, as to this, he is bound. Wherefore though the New Testament admits him toput on the whole armour of God, yet the whole and every part thereof is spiritual,and only defensive. True, there is mention made of the sword, but that sword "isthe Word of God" (Eph 6:17). A weapon that hurteth none, none at all but thedevil and sin, and those that love it. Indeed it was made for Christians to defendthemselves, and their religion with, against hell and the angels of darkness. Thesetwo pieces of armour then that Solomon the king did put into the house of the forestof Lebanon, were types of the spiritual armour that the church in the wildernessshould make use of. And as we read of no more that was put there, at least to betypical, so we read of, and must use no more than we are bid to put on by the apostle,for the defence of true religion.

Obj. But he that shall use none other than this, must look to come off a loser.

Answ. In the judgment of the world this is true; but not in the judgment of themthat have skill, and a heart to use it. For this armour is not Saul's, which Davidrefused, but God's, by which the lives of all those have been secured that put iton, and handled it well. You read of some of David's mighty men of valour, that their"faces were like the faces of lions, and" that they "were as swift"of foot "as the roes upon the mountains" (1 Chron 12:8). Being expert inhandling spear and shield.

Why, God's armour makes a man's face look thus, also it makes him that useth it morelively and active than before. God's armour is no burden to the body, nor clog tothe mind, but rather a natural, instead of an artificial, fortification.

But this armour comes not to any but out of the king's hand; Solomon put these targetsand shields into the house of the forest of Lebanon. So Christ distributeth his armourto his church. Hence it is said it is given to his to suffer for him. It is givento his by himself, and on his behalf (Phil 1:29).

That is, that they might with it fight those battles which he shall manage againstAntichrist. Hence they are called the armies in heaven, and are said to follow theirLord "upon white horses clothed in fine linen, white and clean." But, asI said, still their war was but defensive. For a little further do but observe, andyou shall find the beast fall upon him. "And I saw the beast, and the kingsof the earth, and their armies gathered together, to make war against him that saton the horse, and against his army" (Rev 19:14,19). It is they that fall on,it is they that pick the quarrel, and give the onset. Besides, the armour, as I said,is only spiritual; wherefore the slaughter must needs be spiritual also. Hence ashere it is said the Lamb did slay his enemies, by the sword, spirit, or breath ofhis mouth; so his army also slays them by the fire that proceedeth out of his mouth(Rev 1:16, 19:21).

Here is therefore no man's person in danger by this war. And I say again, so faras any man's person is in danger, it is by wrong managing of this war. True, thepersons of the Christians are in danger, but that is because of the bloody dispositionof an antichristian enemy. But we speak now with reference to the Lamb and the armythat follows him; and as to them, no man's person is in danger simply as such. Wherefore,it is not men but sin; not men, but the man of sin, that wicked one, that the Sonof God makes war against, in and by his church (2 Thess 2:8; Heb 12:4).

Let us therefore state the matter right; no man needs be afraid to let Jesus Christbe chief in the world, he envies nobody, he designs the hurt of none: his kingdomis not of this world, nor doth he covet temporal matters; let but his wife, his churchalone, to enjoy her purchased privileges, and all shall be well. Which privilegesof hers, since they are soul concerns, make no infringement upon any man's liberties.Let but faith and holiness walk the streets without control, and you may be as happyas the world can make you. I speak now to them that contend with him.

But if seasonable counsel will not go down, if hardness of heart and blindness ofmind, and so perishing from the way, shall overtake you, it is but what you of oldhave been cautioned of. "Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, yejudges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss theSon, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled buta little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" (Psa 2:10-12).

Now let this also that has been said upon this head, be another argument to provethat the house of the forest of Lebanon was a type of the church in the wilderness.


CHAPTER IX.

OF THE VESSELS WHICH SOLOMON PUT IN THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

Solomon did also put vessels into the house of the forest of Lebanon. "And allking Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house ofthe forest of Lebanon were of" gold, "pure gold, none were of silver; itwas nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon" (1 Kings 10:21; 2 Chron 9:20).

Since it is not expressed what those vessels of pure gold were which Solomon putin the house of the forest of Lebanon, therefore, as to the affirmative, no man canbe absolute; vessels of gold, vessels of pure gold, the Holy Ghost says they were,and so leaves it to the prudent to make their conjectures; and although I may notput myself among the number of those prudent ones, yet let me take leave to say whatI think in the case.

First then, negatively, they were not vessels ordained for Divine worship, for asthat was confined to the temple, so the vessels and materials and circumstances forworship were there. I say, the whole uniform worship of the Jews now was confinedto the temple (1 Chron 2:4, 7:12,15,16). Wherefore the vessels here mentioned couldnot be such as was in order to set up worship here, for to Jerusalem they were tobring their sacrifices; true, they had synagogues where ordinary service was done,there the law was read, and there the priests taught the people how they should servethe Lord; but for that which stood in carnal ordinances, as sacrificings, washings,and using vessels for that purpose, that was performed at Jerusalem.

This house, therefore, to wit, the house of the forest of Lebanon, was not builtto slay or to offer burnt-offerings or sacrifices in, but as that altar was whichthe two tribes and an half, built by Jordan, when they went each to their inheritance,namely, to be a witness of the people's resolutions to preserve true religion inthe church, to themselves, and to their posterity (Josh 22:21-29). Since this housetherefore was designed for defensive war, it was not requisite that the formalitiesof worship should be there.[13]

The church in the wilderness also, so far as she is concerned in contention, so farshe is not taken up in the practical parts of religion (1 Thess 2:2); for religionis not to be practised in the church in the moments of contention. Let us practisethen our religion in peace, and in all peaceable ways, and vindicate it by way ofcontention, that is, when asked or required by opposites to render a reason thereof(Phil 1:7,17; Acts 22:1). But my contention must be, not in pragmatic languages orin striving about words to no profit, but by words of truth and soberness, with allmeekness and fear (Acts 26:24,25; Titus 3:1,2; 1 Peter 3:15).

To practise and defend a practice you know are two things; I practise religion inmy closet, in my family, in the congregation, but I defend this practice before themagistrate, the king, and the judge. Now the temple was prepared for the practiceof religion, and the house of the forest of Lebanon for defence of the same (Rev11:1). So far then as the church in the wilderness worships, so far she is comparedto the temple, and so far as she defends that worship, so far she is called an army(Rev 19:14). An army terrible with banners (Cant 6:4). For God has given a bannerto them that fear him, that it may be displayed because of the truth (Psa 60:4).Hence she says to God, "We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name ofour God, we will set up our banners" (Psa 20:5). But here is in all this nohurt to the world, the kingdom, the worship, the war is spiritual, even as the armouris.[14] I have spoken this to distinguish worship from contending for worship, andto make way for what is yet to be said.

If the vessels of the forest of Lebanon, or those put in that house, were not suchas related to worship, to worship simply as such, then it should seem—

These vessels therefore were for some other use than for formal worship in the houseof the forest of Lebanon. The best way then, that I know of, to find out what theywere is first to consider to what they are joined in the mention of them. Now I findthem joined in the mention of them with Solomon's drinking vessels, and since asthey were made of fine or pure gold, I take them also to be vessels of the same kind,namely, vessels to drink in. Now if we join to this the state of the church in thewilderness, of which, as we have said, this house of the forest of Lebanon was atype, then we must understand that by these vessels were prefigured such draughtsas the church has, when in a bewildered or persecuted state; and they are of twosorts, either, First, Such as are exceeding bitter; or, Second, Such as are exceedingsweet; for both these attend a state of war.

First. Such as are exceeding bitter. These are called cups of red wine, signifyingblood; also, the cup of the Lord's fury, the cup of trembling, the cup of astonishment,&c. (Psa 75:8; Isa 51:17,22; Jer 25:15; Eze 23:33).

Nor is there anything more natural to the church, while in a wilderness condition,than such cups and draughts as these. Hence she, as there, is said to be clothed,as was said afore, in sackcloth, to mourn, to weep, to cry out, and to be in pain,as is a woman in travail. See the Lamentations and you will find all this verified.See also Revelation 11:3, 12:2.

And whoso considers what has already been said as to what the house of the forestof Lebanon met with, will find that what is here inferred is not foreign but natural.For, can it be imagined, that when the king of Assyria laid down his army by thesides of Lebanon, and when the fire was to devour her cedars, also when Lebanon wasto be cut down and languish, that these vessels, these cups, were not then put intoher hand. And I say again, since the church in the wilderness, Lebanon's antitype,has been so persecuted, so distressed, so oppressed, and made the seat of so muchwar, so much blood, of so many murders of her children within her, &c., can itbe imagined that she drank of none of these cups? Yes, yes, she has drank the redwine at the Lord's hand, even the cup of blood, of fury, of trembling, and of astonishment;witness her own cries, sighs, tears, and tremblings, with the cries of widows, children,and orphans within her (Lam 1, 2, 4, 5).

But what do I cite particular texts, since reason, histories, experience, anythingthat is intelligible, will confirm this for a truth; namely, that a people whoseprofession is directly in opposition to the devil and Antichrist, and to all debauchery,inhumanity, profaneness, superstition, and idolatry, when suffered to be invadedby the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, and whore, must needs taste of thesecups, and drink thereof, to their astonishment.

But all these are of pure gold. They are of God's ordaining, appointing, filling,timing, and also sanctified by him for good to those of his that drink them. HenceMoses chose rather to drink a brimmer of these, "than to enjoy the pleasuresof sin for a season" (Heb 11:25). The sourness, bitterness, and wormwood ofthem, therefore, is only to the flesh that loveth neither God, nor Christ, nor grace(Psa 75:8; Phil 1:28).

The afflictions, therefore, that the church in the wilderness hath met with, thesecups of gold, are of more worth than are all the treasures of Egypt; they are needfuland profitable, and praiseworthy also, and tend to the augmenting of our glory whenthe next world is come (1 Thess 3:3; Rev 2:10; 1 Peter 1:6). Besides they are signs,tokens, and golden marks of love, and jewels that set off the beauty of the churchin the sight of God the more (Gal 6:17; Rev 3:19; Heb 12:6). They are also a meansby which men are proved sound, honest, faithful, and true lovers of God, as alsosuch whose graces are not counterfeit, feigned, or unsound, but true, and such aswill be found to praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ(Isa 27:9; Heb 12:7-10; 1 Peter 2:19; 2 Cor 4:17,18; 2 Thess 1:5).

And this has been the cause that the men of our church in the wilderness have gloriedin tribulation, taking pleasure in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, andin distresses for Christ's sake (Rom 5:3; 2 Cor 12:9,10). Yea, this is the reasonwhy they have bidden one another rejoice when they fell into divers temptations,saying, Happy is the man that endureth temptations, and behold we count them happythat endure (James 1:2,12, 5:11). And again, "if ye be reproached for the nameof Christ, happy are ye" (1 Peter 4:14).

These therefore are vessels of pure gold, though they contain such bitter draughts,and though such as at which we make so many wry faces before we can get their liquordown.

Do you think that a Christian, having even this cup in his hand to drink it, wouldchange it for a draught of that which is in the hand of the woman that sits on theback of the scarlet-coloured beast? (Rev 17:3,4). No, verily, for he knows that hersweet is poison, and that his bitter is to purge his soul, body, life, and religion,of death (2 Tim 2:11,12).

God sends his love tokens to his church two ways, sometimes by her friends, sometimesby her enemies. When they come by the hand of a friend, as by a minister, a brother,or by the Holy Ghost, then they come smoothly, sweetly, and are taken, and go downlike honey. But when these love tokens come to them by the hand of an enemy, thenthey are handed to them roughly; Pharaoh handed love tokens to them roughly; theking of Babylon handed these love tokens to them roughly. They bring them of malice,God sends them of love; they bring them and give them to us, hoping they will beour death; they give us them therefore with many a foul curse, but God blesses themstill. Did not Haman lead Mordecai in his state by the hand of anger?

Nor is this cup so bitter but that our Lord himself drank deep of it before it washanded to his church; he did as loving mothers do, drink thereof himself to showus it is not poison, also to encourage us to drink it for his sake and for our endlesshealth (Matt 20:22, 26:39,42).

And, as I told you before, I think I do not vary from the sense of the text in callingthem cups; because, though there they have no name, they are joined with king Solomon'sdrinking vessels, and because as so joined in the type, so they are also joined here;therefore the cup here is called Christ's cup. "Are ye able to drink of thecup that I shall drink of?" "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup" (Matt20:22,23). Here you see they are joined in a communion in this cup of affliction,as the cups in one and the same breath are joined with those king Solomon drank in,which he put in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

[Second. Such as are exceeding sweet.]

But these are not all the cups that belong to the house of the forest of Lebanon,or rather to the church in the wilderness; there is also a cup, out of which, attimes, is drunk what is exceeding sweet. It is called the cup of consolation, thecup of salvation; a cup in the which God himself is (Psa 116:13; Jer 16:7). As hesaid, the Lord is the portion of my cup. Or rather, "The Lord is the portionof mine inheritance, and my cup" (Psa 16:5). This cup, they that are in thechurch in the wilderness have usually for an after-draught to that bitter one thatwent before. Thus, as tender mothers give their children plumbs or sugar, to sweetentheir palate after they have drank a bitter potion, so God gives his the cups ofsalvation and consolation, after they have suffered awhile. "For as the sufferingsof Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ" (2 Cor1:5).

Hence the apostle assureth himself concerning the affliction of them at Corinth;yea, and also promiseth them, that as they were partakers of the sufferings, so shouldthey be of the consolation (2 Cor 1:7). Some of these cups are filled until theyrun over, as David said his did, when the valley of the shadow of death was beforehim. "Thou preparest a table before me," said he, "in the presenceof mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" (Psa23:5). This is that which the apostle calls exceeding; that is, that which is beyondmeasure. "I am," says he, "filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyfulin all our tribulation" (2 Cor 7:4).

Now he has one answering the other. Thou hast made summer and winter. Thou hast madethe warm beams of thy sun answerable to the cold of the dark night. This may be alsoyet signified by the building of this house, this type of the church in the wilderness,in so pleasant a place as the forest of Lebanon was (Cant 4:8). Lebanon! Lebanonwas one of the sweetest places in all the land of Canaan. Therefore we read of thefruit of Lebanon, of the streams from Lebanon; the scent, the smell, the glory ofLebanon; and also of the wine and flowers of Lebanon (Psa 72:16; Hosea 14:6,7; Isa35:2, 9:13; Nahum 1:4).

Lebanon! That was one thing that wrought with Moses to desire that he might go overJordan; namely, that he might see that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. The glory andexcellent beauty of the church, Christ also setteth forth, by comparing of her toLebanon. "Thy lips, O my spouse," says he, "drop as the honey-comb:honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garment is like the smellof Lebanon" (Cant 4:11,15). This house, therefore, being placed here, mightbe to show how blessed a state God could make the state of his church by his blessedgrace and presence, even while she is in a wilderness condition.

We will add to this, for further demonstration, that letter of that godly man, PomponiusAlgerius, an Italian martyr; some of the words of which are these:—

"Let," saith he, "the miserable worldly man answer me; what remedyor safe refuge can there be unto him if he lack God, who is the life and medicineof all men: and how can he be said to fly from death, when he himself is alreadydead in sin. If Christ be the way, verity, and life, how can there be any life thenwithout Christ?

"The sooly[15] heat of the prison to me is coldness; the cold winter to me isa fresh spring-time in the Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire, howwill he fear the heat of weather? Or what careth he for the pinching frost, whichburneth with the love of the Lord?

"The place is sharp and tedious to them that be guilty; but to the innocentand guiltless it is mellifluous. Here droppeth the delectable dew; here floweth thepleasant nectar; here runneth the sweet milk; here is plenty of all good things.And although the place itself be desert and barren, yet to me it seemeth a largewalk, and a valley of pleasure; here to me is the better and more noble part of theworld. Let the miserable worldling say, and confess, if there be any plot, pasture,or meadow, so delightful to the mind of man, as here. Here I see kings, princes,cities, and people; here I see wars, where some be overthrown, some be victors, somethrust down, some lifted up. Here is Mount Sion; here I am already in heaven itself.Here standeth first Christ Jesus in the front; about him stand the old fathers, prophets,and evangelists, apostles, and all the servants of God; of whom some do embrace andcherish me, some exhort me, some open the sacraments unto me, some comfort me, othersome are singing about me: and how then shall I be thought to be alone, among somany, and such as these be, the beholding of whom to me is both solace and example.For here I see some crucified, some slain, some stoned, some cut asunder, and somequartered, some roasted, some broiled, some put in hot caldrons, some having theireyes bored through, some their tongues cut out, some their skin plucked over theirheads, some their hands and feet chopped off, some put in kilns and furnaces, somecast down headlong, and given to the beasts and fowls of the air to feed upon. Itwould," said he, "ask a long time, if I should recite all.

"To be short, divers I see with divers and sundry torments excruciate; yet notwithstanding,all living and all safe. One plaster, one salve cureth all their wounds, which alsogiveth to me strength and life; so that I sustain all these transitory anguishesand small afflictions with a quiet mind, having a greater hope laid up in heaven.Neither do I fear mine adversaries which here persecute me and oppress me, for hethat dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall deride them.I fear not thousands of people which compass me about. The Lord my God shall deliverme, my hope, my supporter, my comforter, who exalteth up my head. He shall smiteall them that stand up against me without cause; and shall dash the teeth and jawsof sinners asunder, for he only is all blessedness and majesty.

"The rebukes for Christ's cause make us jocund; for so it is written: if yebe rebuked and scorned for the name of Christ, happy be you; for the glory and spiritof God resteth upon you (1 Peter 4). Be ye therefore certified (said he, by thishis letter to his friends) that our rebukes, which are laid upon us, redound to theshame and harm of the rebukers. In this world there is no mansion firm to me; andtherefore I will travel up to the New Jerusalem which is in heaven, and which offerethitself to me, without paying any fine or income. Behold I have entered already inmy journey, where my house standeth for me prepared, and where I shall have riches,kinsfolks, delights, honours, never- failing.

"As for these earthly things here present, they are transitory shadows, vanishingvapours, and ruinous walls. Briefly all is but very vanity of vanities, whereas hope,and the substance of eternity to come, are wanting; which the merciful goodness ofthe Lord hath given, as companions to accompany me, and to comfort me; and now dothe same begin to work, and to bring forth fruits in me. I have travelled hitherto,laboured and sweat early and late, watching day and night, and now my travails beginto come to effect. Days and hours have I bestowed upon my studies. Behold the truecountenance of God is sealed upon me, the Lord hath given mirth in my heart: andtherefore in the same will I lay me down in peace and rest (Psa 4). And who thenshall dare to blame this our age consumed; or say that our years be cut off? Whatman can now cavil that these our labours are lost, which have followed, and foundout the Lord and maker of the world, and which have changed death with life? My portionis the Lord, saith my soul, and therefore, I will seek and wait for him.

"Now then, if to die in the Lord be not to die but live most joyfully, whereis this wretched worldly rebel, which blameth us of folly, for giving away our livesto death? O how delectable is this death to me! to taste the Lord's cup, which isan assured pledge of true salvation; for so hath the Lord himself forewarned us,saying, the same that they have done to me, they will also do unto you. Whereforelet the doltish world, with his blind worldlings (who in the bright sunshine, yetgo stumbling in darkness, being as blind as beetles), cease thus unwisely to carpagainst us for our rash suffering, as they count it. To whom, thus, we answer again,with the holy apostle, that neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor hunger, nor nakedness,nor jeopardy, nor persecution, nor sword, shall be able ever to separate us fromthe love of Christ; we are slain all the day long; we are made like sheep ordainedto the shambles (Rom 8).

"Thus," saith he, "do we resemble Christ our Head, which said thatthe disciple cannot be above his master, nor the servant about his Lord. The sameLord hath also commanded that every one shall take up his cross and follow him (Luke9). Rejoice, rejoice, my dear brethren and fellow-servants, and be of good comfort,when ye fail into sundry temptations; let your patience be perfect in all parts.For so it is foreshowed us before, and is written, that they which shall kill youshall think to do God good service. Therefore, afflictions and death be as tokensand sacraments of our election and life to come. Let us then be glad and sing untothe Lord, when as we, being clear from all just accusations, are persecuted and givento death; for better it is that we in doing well do suffer, if it so be the willof God, than doing evil (1 Peter 3). We have for our example Christ and the prophetswhich spake in the name of the Lord, whom the children of iniquity did quell[16]and murder. And now we bless and magnify them that then suffered. Let us be gladand joyous in our innocency and uprightness; the Lord shall reward them that persecuteus; let us refer all revengement to him.

"I am accused of foolishness, for that I do not shrink from the true doctrineand knowledge of God, and do not rid myself out of these troubles, when with oneword I may. O the blindness of man, which seeth not the sun shining, neither remembereththe Lord's words. Consider therefore what he saith, you are the light of the world.A city built on the hill cannot be hid; neither do men light a candle and put itunder a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine, and give light to themin the house. And in another place he saith you shall be led before kings and rulers.Fear ye not them which kill the body, but him which killeth both body and soul. Whosoevershall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is inheaven; and he that denieth me before men, him will I also deny before my heavenlyFather.

"Wherefore, seeing the words of the Lord be so plain, how, or by what authority,will this wise counsellor then approve this his counsel which he doth give? God forbidthat I should relinquish the commandments of God and follow the counsels of men.For it is written, Blessed is the man that hath not gone in the way of sinners, andhath not stood in the counsels of the ungodly, and hath not sit in the chair of pestilence(Psa 1).[17] God forbid that I should deny Christ where I ought to confess him; Iwill not set more by my life than by my soul, neither will I exchange the life tocome for this world here present. O how foolishly speaketh he which argueth me offoolishness!"

And a little farther he saith, "And now let this carnal politic counsellor,and disputer of this world, tell wherein have they to blame me. If in mine examinationsI have not answered so after their mind and affection as they required of me, seeingit is not ourselves that speak, but the Lord that speaketh in us, as he himself dothfore-witness, saying, When you shall be brought before rulers and magistrates, itis not you yourselves that speak, but the Spirit of my Father that shall be in you(Matt 10). Wherefore, if the Lord be true and faithful of his word, as it is mostcertain, then there is no blame in me; for he gave the words that I did speak, andwho was I that could resist his will?

"If any man shall reprehend the things that I said, let him then quarrel withthe Lord, whom it pleased to work so in me; and if the Lord be not to be blamed,neither am I herein to be accused, which did that I purposed not, and that I fore-thoughtnot of. The things that there I did utter and express [he means when he was beforethe magistrates], if they were otherwise than well, let them show it, and then willI say that they were my words, and not the Lord's. But if they were good and approved,and such as cannot justly be accused, then must it needs be granted, spite of theirteeth, that they proceeded of the Lord; and then who be they that shall accuse me—peopleof prudence? Or who shall condemn me—just judges? And though they so do, yet, nevertheless,the word shall not be frustrate, neither shall the gospel be foolish or thereforedecay, but rather the kingdom of God shall the more prosper and flourish unto theIsraelites, and shall pass the sooner unto the elect of Christ Jesus, and they whichshall so do shall prove the grievous judgment of God. Neither shall they escape withoutpunishment that be persecutors and murderers of the just.

"My well-beloved," saith he, "lift up your eyes and consider the counselsof God. He showed unto us a late an image of his plague, which was to our correction;and if we shall not receive him he will draw out his sword and strike with sword,pestilence, and famine, the nation that shall rise against Christ."

This, as I said, is part of a letter writ by Pomponius Alerius, an Italian martyr,who, when he wrote it, was in prison, in, as he calls it, his delectable orchard,the prison of Leonine, 12 calend. August, anno 1555. As is to be seen in the secondvolume of the book of martyrs.[18]

This man was, when he wrote this letter, in the house of the forest of Lebanon, inthe church in the wilderness, in the place and way of contending for the truth ofGod, and he drank of both these bitter cups of which I spake before, to wit, of thatwhich was exceeding bitter, and of that which was exceeding sweet, and the reasonwhy he complained not of the bitter was because the sweet had overcome it—as hisafflictions abounded for Christ, so did his consolations by him. So, did I say? theyabounded much more.

But was not this man, think you, a giant, a pillar in this house? Had he not alsonow hold of the shield of faith? Yea, was he not now in the combat? And did he notbehave himself valiantly? Was not his mind elevated a thousand degrees beyond sense,carnal reasons, fleshly love, self- concerns, and the desires of embracing temporalthings? This man had got that by the end that pleased him; neither could all theflatteries, promises, threats, or reproaches, make him one listen to or desire toinquire after what the world or the glory of it could afford. His mind was captivatedwith delights invisible; he coveted to show his love to his Lord by laying down hislife for his sake; he longed to be there where there shall be no more pain, nor sorrow,nor sighing, nor tears, nor troubles; he was a man of a thousand (Eccl 7:28).

But to return again to our text. You know we are now upon the vessels of the houseof the forest of Lebanon, which, I have told you, could not be vessels for worship,for that worship that was ordained to be performed at the temple was also confinedto that, and to the vessels that were there. Therefore they must be, in all probability,the vessels that I have mentioned, the which you see how we have expounded and applied.If I am out I know it not; if others can give me better light here about for it Iwill be thankful.

There was also added to this house of the forest of Lebanon, store-cities, chariot-cities,and cities of horsemen, unto which king Jotham added castles and towers (2 Chron8:4-6, 27:3,4).

These might be to signify by what ways and means God would at times revenge the quarrelof his church, even in this world, upon them that, without cause, should, for theirfaith and worship, set themselves against them. For here is a face of threateningrevenge, they were store-houses, chariot-cities, cities of horsemen, with castlesand towers. And they stood on the same ground that this house was builded upon, evenin the forest of Lebanon. We know that in Israel God stirred up kings who at timessuppressed idolatry there, and plagued the persecutors too, as Jehu, Hezekiah, Josiah,&c. And he has promised that, even in gospel times, kings "shall hate thewhore, - make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire"(Rev 17:12,16).

Here now are the store-houses, chariot-cities, cities of horsemen, with towers andcastles, for the help to the house of the forest of Lebanon, for the help of thechurch in the wilderness, or, as you have it in another place, as the serpent castfloods of water out of his mouth after the woman, "that he might cause her tobe carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth openedher mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth"(Rev 12:15,16). Thus the Medes and Persians helped to deliver the church from theclutches and strong hand of the king of Babylon.

This Lebanon, therefore, was a place considerable and a figure of great things; thecountenance of the Lord Jesus is compared to it, and so is the face of his spouse,and also the smell of her garment (Cant 4:11, 5:15, 7:4).


CHAPTER X.

OF THE PORCH OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.

Solomon also made a porch to this house of the forest of Lebanon. He made severalporches, as one for the temple, one for the house which he dwelt in, one for thethrone of the kingdom, and this that was for the house of the forest of Lebanon,of all which this last is that mentioned.

"And he made a porch of pillars, the length thereof was fifty cubits, and thebreadth thereof thirty cubits; and the porch was before them, and the other pillars,and the thick beam were before them" (1 Kings 7:6). This porch was famous bothfor length, and breadth, and strength, it was able to contain a thousand men. Itwas like that of the tower of David, otherwise called the stronghold, the castleof Zion, which is the city of David (2 Sam 5:7; 1 Chron 11:5; Micah 4:8).

This tower of David was built for an armoury, whereon there hanged a thousand bucklers,all shields of mighty men. It was fifty cubits long and thirty broad, a spaciousplace, a large receptable for any that liked to take shelter there. It was made ofpillars, even as the house within was, or it stood upon pillars. The pillars, youknow I told you before, were to show us what mighty men, or what men of mighty grace,God would have in his church in the wilderness furnished with. And it is worth yourobserving here also we have pillars, pillars. And he made the porch of pillars, thatis, of pillars of cedar, as the rest of the pillars of the house were.

"And the porch was before them." That is, as I take it, an entering porch,less than the space within, so that the pillars, neither as to number nor bigness,could be seen without, until at least they that had a mind to see entered the mouthof the porch. And by this was fitly prefigured how unseen the strength of the churchunder persecution is of all that are without her. Alas! they think that she willbe run down with a push, or, as they said, "What do these feeble Jews? Willthey fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Willthey revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are bunt?" Alas!"if a fox go up he shall even break down their stone wall" (Neh 4:2,3).

But do you think these men saw the strength of the Jews now? No, no, their pillarswere within, and so were shadowed from their eyes. David himself could not tell whatjudgment to make of the way of the world against the people of God, until he wentinto the sanctuary of God (Psa 73:16,17).

How then can the world judge of the condition of the saints? Alas, had they knownthe church's strength, surely they would not, as they have, so furiously assaultedthe same. But what have they got by all they have done, either against the head orbody of the same? She yet has being in the world, and will have, shall have, thoughall the nations on earth should gather themselves together against it. Nor is itthe cutting off of many that will make her cease to flourish. Alas, were she notsometimes pruned and trimmed her boughs would stand too thick. Those therefore thatare taken away with God's pruning-hooks are removed, that the under branches maygrow the better.[19] But, I say, to extinguish her it is in vain for any to hopefor that. She stands upon pillars, on rocks, on the munition of rocks; stand thereforeshe must, whether the world believes it or no.

"And the other pillars - were before them," or, as the margin has it, "accordingto them." The other pillars, that is, they more inward, those that were in thebody of the house. Christ doth not, as the poor world doth, that is, set the bestleg before; the pillars that were more inward in the house were as good as thosein the front. It is true some are appointed to death to show to the world the strengthof grace, not that he can help nobody to that strength but they. The most feebleof his flock, when Christ shall stand by and strengthen them, are able to do andbear what the strong have underwent. For so he saith.

And "the other pillars and the thick beams were" according to them; nay,"before them." Indeed, they that are left seem weak and feeble if comparedto them that have already been tried with fire and sword and all the tortures ofmen. But that grace by which they were helped that have done such mighty acts already,can help those who seem more weak yet to go beyond them. God strengtheneth "thespoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress"(Amos 5:9). Or, as another scripture has it, "The lame take the prey" (Isa33:23). So that you see here is all substance. All here are pillars and thick beams,both in the house and in the porch.

The conclusion therefore is:—The true members of the church in the wilderness arestrong, mighty, being made able by the grace of God for their standing, and beingalso coupled and compacted together with the biggest bands or thickest beams thatthe Holy Ghost puts forth to bind and hold this church together. And there is reasonfor it. The church is God's tower or battery by which he beateth down Antichrist,or if you will have it in the words of the prophet, "Thou art my battle-axeand weapons of war; for with thee [saith God] will I break in pieces," &c.(Jer 51:19,20). Wherefore, since the church is set for defence of religion, and tobe as a battery to beat down Antichrist, it is requisite that she should be madeup of pillars of strong and staunch materials.[20]

The largeness of the porch was commodious; it was the next shelter, or the placewhereunto they of the house of the forest of Lebanon, when pursued, might resortor retreat with the less difficulty. Thus the church in the wilderness has her porch,her place, her bosom, whereunto her discouraged may continually resort, and takeup and be refreshed. As Abiathar thrust in to David and his men in the wilderness,in the day when Saul had slain his father, and of his brethren, even "four-scoreand five persons that did wear a linen ephod" (1 Sam 22:17-23).

When the apostles were persecuted "they went to their own company," becausethe Lord was there (Acts 4:23). There we find the pillars, and have both solace andexample. There, as Pomponius said of his person, stands Christ Jesus in the frontas Captain of the Lord's host, and round about him the old fathers, prophets, apostles,and martyrs. This porch, therefore, I take to be a figure of those cordial and largeaffections which the church in the wilderness has to all, and for all them that lovethe truth, and that suffer and are afflicted for the sincere profession thereof.

This porch was bigger than that which belonged to the temple by much, to show thatthose that are made the objects of the enemies' rage most are usually most preparedwith affection for them that are in the same condition. Fellow-feeling is a greatmatter. It is said of the poor afflicted people that were in Macedonia "in agreat trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty aboundedunto the riches of their liberality;[21] for to their power, - yea, and beyond theirpower," they showed their charity to the destroyed church of Jerusalem (2 Cor8:1-4).

And a porch in a forest, or a bosom in a wilderness, is seasonable to them that inthe wilderness are faint and weary. Nabal shut up his doors against David, and thereforehe died like a beast. Poor David! thou wast bewildered, but this churl had no compassionfor thee (1 Sam 25:5-13, 25- 39). Blest Obadiah, thou hadst a bosom, and bread, andhiding-places for the church, when rent and torn by the fury of Jezebel, and thouhast for it thy reward in heaven (1 Kings 18:3,4; Matt 10:42). Ebedmelech, becausehe had compassion on Jeremiah when he was in the dungeon, God did not only give himhis life for a prey, but promised him the effects of putting his trust in the Lord(Jer 38:7-11, 39:15-18).

And he made a porch of pillars. The porch is but the entrance of the house, whithermany go that yet step not into the house, but make their retreat from thence; butit is because they are non-residents, they only come to see; or else, if they pretendedmore, it was not from the heart. "They went out from us," said John, "butthey were not of us; for if they had been of us they would, no doubt, have continuedwith us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not allof us" (1 John 2:19).

And forasmuch as this porch was fifty cubits long, men may take many a step straightforward therein and be but in the porch yet.[22] Even as we have seen men go, asone would think, till they are out of view in the porch of this church in the wilderness,but presently you have them without the door again.

True, this porch was made of pillars, and so to every one, at first entrance, itshowed the power of the place; the church in the wilderness also is so builded thatmen may see it is ordained for defence. Men also, at their first offer to step overthe threshold there, with mouth profess that they will dwell as soldiers there. Butwords are but wind; when they see the storm a-coming they will take care to shiftfor themselves. This house, or church in the wilderness, must see to itself for allthem.

As the house therefore is a figure of the church in the wilderness, so, so greata porch belonging to it may be also to show that numbers may there be entertainedthat, if need be, will quickly whip out again. Although therefore the porch was madeof pillars, yet every one that walked there were not such. The pillars was to showthem, not what they were, but what they should be that entered into this house.

The church also in the wilderness, even in her porch or first entrance into it, isfull of pillars, apostles, prophets, and martyrs of Jesus. There also hang up theshields that the old warriors have used, and are plastered upon the walls the braveachievements which they have done. There are also such encouragements there for thosethat stand, that one would think none that came thither with pretence to serve therewould, for very shame, attempt to go back again; and yet, not to their credit beit spoken, they will forsake the place without blushing, yea, and plead for thistheir so doing. But I have done with the explicatory part, and conclude that fromthese ten particulars thus handled in this book, the house of the forest of Lebanonwas a type, or figure, of the church in the wilderness.

Nor do I know, if this be denied, how so fitly to apply some of these texts whichspeak to the church, to support her under her troubles, of the comforts that afterwardsshe shall enjoy, since they are presented to her under such metaphors as clearlydenote she was once in a wilderness, for instance,

1. "Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it [that is, redeemed his servantJacob from his sins and from the hand of the enemy]: shout, ye lower parts of theearth [or church once trampled under feet]: break forth into singing, ye mountains,O forest, and every tree therein [here is comfort for the church under the name ofa forest, that in which the house we have been speaking of was built]: for the Lordhath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel" (Isa 44:23). To what,I say, can this text more fitly be applied, than to the church in the wilderness,put here under the name of a forest as well as under the title of heaven? Yea, methinksit is cried here to her, "O forest," on purpose to intimate to us thatthe house in the forest of Lebanon was the figure of the church in this condition.

2. Again, "Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned intoa fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in thatday shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall seeout of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy inthe Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the holy One of Israel. For theterrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watchfor iniquity are cut off" (Isa 29:17-20). Lebanon was a forest, but now shemust be a fruitful field. What means he here by Lebanon but the church under persecution,and the fruitful field? Mistress Babylon shall become as a forest, that is, as thechurch under distress. But when shall this be? Why, when the terrible one is broughtlow and the scorner is consumed, &c.

What can be more plain than this to prove that Lebanon, even the house in the forestof Lebanon, for that is here intended, was a figure of the church in the wilderness,or in a tempted and persecuted state. For to be turned into a fruitful field signifiesthe recovering of the afflicted church into a state most quiet and fruitful; fruitfulfields are quiet because they are fenced, and so shall the church be in that day.

3. "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desertshall rejoice, and blossom as the rose" (Isa 35:1).

What are we to understand by these words if they be not a prophecy of the flourishingstate of Christ's kingdom, who, in the days of her persecution, is compared to awilderness, to a desert, and to solitary places. And she "shall be glad forthem"; for what? for that she is rid of the dragons, wild beasts, satyrs, screechowls, great owl, and vulture, types of the beasts and unclean birds of Antichrist(Isa 34:13-15).

She shall be glad for them that they are taken away from her and placed far away,for then no lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast; yea, it is the habitationof dragons, where each lay, shall be grass, with reeds and rushes, as it is, Isaiah35. And now "the lame man shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing;for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." Readthe whole chapter.

For that the desert and wilderness is thus mentioned, and that to express the stateof the church in trouble by, it is clear that Lebanon is not excluded, nor the thingthat is signified thereby, which, I say, is the church in her low estate, in herforest, or wilderness condition.

4. "I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah-tree, and the myrtle,and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, and the pine, and the box-treetogether" (Isa 41:19).

Can any think that trees are the things taken care of here? They are the men thatAntichrist has murdered in his heat and rage against Christ, the which God will restoreagain to his church, when Antichrist is dead and buried in the sides of the pit'smouth. And that you may the better understand he meaneth so, he expresseth againthe state of the church as like to a wilderness condition, and promiseth that inthat very church, now so like a wilderness, to plant it again with Christians, flourishingwith variety of gifts and graces, signified by the various nature and name of thetrees spoken of here.

5. "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not knowit? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beastof the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters inthe wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen"(Isa 43:19,20). Here God alludes to the condition of the children of Israel in thewilderness of old, and implies they shall be in a wilderness again; and as then hegave them water, and delivered them from serpents, cockatrices, vipers, dragons,so he will do now, now to his people, his chosen.

6. "The Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and hewill make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joyand gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody"(Isa 51:3).

See here are Zion's waste places, Zion's wilderness, forest, or Lebanon. Next hereis a promise that he will comfort her; and what doth this suppose but that she wasin her wilderness state, uncomfortable at least as to her outward peace, her liberty,and gospel privileges and beauties? Then here is the comparison, by which he illustrateshis promise as to what degree and pitch he will comfort her. "He will make herwilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord." The effectsof all which will be she will have joy and gladness; she will be thankful, and bemelodious in her voice, in her soul to the Lord. This, I say, will follow upon herdeliverance from her desert, her wilderness, her desolate, and comfortless state:all which is more fully expressed by her repeated hallelujahs (Rev 19:1- 6). Whichhallelujahs there are the effect of her deliverance from the rage of the beast andgreat whore, of whose greatness and ruin you read in the two foregoing chapters.Now, I say, since the church was to be in a wilderness condition under the gospel;and since we have this house of the forest of Lebanon so particularly set forth inthe Scriptures; and also since this house, its furniture, its troubles, and state,do so paint out this church in this wilderness state, I take it to be for that verything designed, that is to say, to prefigure this church in this her so solitaryand wilderness state.


[CONCLUSION.]

We will now therefore here make a brief conclusion of all.

First. This may inform us of the reason of the deplorable state of a professing people.It is allotted to them in this world to be so. The world, and men of the world, musthave their tranquility here, and must be possest of all; this was foreshown in Esau,who had of his sons many that were dukes and kings before there was any king in Israel(Gen 36:31). God so disposing of things that all may give place when his Son shallcome to reign in Mount Zion, and before his ancients gloriously, which coming ofhis will be at the resurrection, and end of this world, and then shall his saintsreign with him; "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye alsoappear with him in glory" (Col 3:4).

Let not therefore kings, and princes, and potentates be afraid; the saints that aresuch indeed, know their places, and are of a peaceable deportment; "the earthGod hath given to the children of men," and his kingdom to the sons of God (Psa115:16; Matt 25:34; Luke 12:32).

I know there are extravagant opinions in the world about the kingdom of Christ, asif it consisted in temporal glory in part, and as if he would take it to him by carnalweapons, and so maintain it in its greatness and grandeur; but I confess myself analien to these notions, and believe and profess the quite contrary, and look forthe coming of Christ to judgment personally, and betwixt this and that, for his comingin Spirit, and in the power of his word to destroy Antichrist, to inform kings, andso give quietness to his church on earth; which shall assuredly be accomplished,[23]when the reign of the beast, the whore, the false prophet, and of the man of sinis out (2 Thess 2:8; Isa 49:23, 52:15, 60:3,10,11,16, 62:2; Rev 21:24).

Second. Let this teach men not to think that the church is cursed of God, becauseshe is put in a wilderness state. Alas, that is but to train her up in a way of solitariness,to make her Canaan the more welcome to her. Rest is sweet to the labouring man. Yea,this condition is the first step to heaven; yea, it is a preparation to that kingdom.God's ways are not as man's. "I have chosen thee," saith he, "in thefurnace of affliction." When Israel came out of Egypt, they were led of Godinto the wilderness; but why? That he might have them to a land, that he had espiedfor them, that he might bring them to a city of habitation (Eze 20:6; Psa 107:1-7).

The world know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of our God. Do you thinkthat saints that dwell in the world, and that have more of the mind of God than theworld, would, could so rejoice in God, in the cross, in tribulations and distresses,were they not assured that through many tribulations is the very roadway to heaven(Acts 14:22).

Let this then encourage the saints to hope, and to rejoice in hope of the glory ofGod, notwithstanding present tribulations. This is our seed-time, our winter; afflictionsare to try us of what mettle we are made; yea, and to shake off worm-eaten fruit,and such as are rotten at core. Troubles for Christ's sake are but like the prickof an awl in the tip of the ear, in order to hang a jewel there.

Let this also put the saints upon patience: when we know that a trial will have anend, we are by that knowledge encouraged to exercise patience. I have a bad master,but I have but a year to serve under him, and that makes me serve him with patience;I have but a mile to go in this dirty way, and then I shall have my path pleasantand green, and this makes me tread the dirty way with patience. I am now in my rags,but by that a quarter of a year is come and gone, two hundred a year comes into myhand, wherefore I will wait, and exercise patience. Thus might I multiply comparisons.Be patient then, my brethren; but how long? to the coming of the Lord. But when willthat be? the coming of the Lord draws nigh.

"Be patient," my brethren, be long patient, even "unto the comingof the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth,and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be yealso patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh"(James 5:7,8).



FOOTNOTES:

[1] The second month in the Hebrew calendar began April 7.—Ed.

[2] A common expression for difference.—"What's the odds between us?"—Ed.

[3] The churches of Christ have suffered under bitter persecution, and been in awilderness state, from the primitive times, through Popish days, and under the relentlesscruelties suffered by the Covenanters and Nonconformists from the Church of England.As the gospel spreads, it humanizes and softens the hearts even of the rebellious.The dread fire no longer consumes the cedars of Lebanon. Still there remains thecontemptuous sneer, the scorn, the malice of the soul, against Christ and his spiritualseed. Not many years since the two daughters of an evangelical clergyman, a D.D.,came out, from strong and irresistible conviction, and united with one of the straitestsects of Dissenters—the Plymouth Brethren. The unhappy parent could not brook theinsult to his order, and died insane.—Ed.

[4] Bunyan not only experienced the richest enjoyments in jail, but it is very probablethat his life was saved for a few years by his having lain in prison during the violentheat and storm of persecution which raged in the early part of the reign of CharlesII. Thus God mysteriously restrains the wrath of man, and makes it to praise him.The damp unwholesome dungeon, intended for his destruction, crowned him with peculiarhonour, because, as in his Patmos, he there wrote his immortal book.—Ed.

[5] Pill, to rob; poll, to exact, to extort. "The church is pilled and polledby its own flocks."—South, Ser. 11. v. 5.—Ed.

[6] Maundrel measured a cedar which was thirty-six feet six inches in girth, andone hundred and eleven feet in the spread of its boughs; the foliage is ever green,and it mounts up to an enormous height.—Ed.

[7] It is one of the strongest proofs that the human mind is disordered by sin, thatman is by nature senseless to the sublime truths of Christianity—the beam, the truthwhich saves the world from utter moral desolation. What wonders open before the eyesof the young convert, stretching far away into that heavenly and eternal felicitywhich had been shut out from his vision by the gloom of death! Life and immortalityis brought to light. His life, and all other things, become but dross, that he maywin Christ, and maintain his cause in the world.—Ed.

[8] All men have the same Bible, but all have not sought for spiritual discernment.The Beast, whether of Rome, Greece, or England, that looks through the Word to findsome plausible means of tyrannising over the soul, by preventing man from using hisown eyes in seeking salvation, whether it be by church canons or acts of Parliamentinterfering with the exercise of private judgment, is an enemy to, and hater of,the true light.—Ed.

[9] Humanity, in its usual acceptation, means the inferiority of man to the divineor angelic nature, but superiority to the mere animal or brute creation. "Thenature of man, wherein he is lesse than God Almighty, and excellynge not withstandyngal other creatures in erth, is called humanitie."—Sir T. Eliot. Bunyan's illustrationof the word is curious.—Ed.

[10] A common mode of picturing the virgin Mary for the devotee of Popery to worship,is a whole length beautiful woman, with rays as of the sun shooting out all roundher, standing upon the moon, and upon her head a splendid crown ornamented with twelvestars. Under such a disguise, who would expect to find "the well-favoured harlotestablishing a throne for Satan?"—Ed.

[11] Inventions, fictions, fables.—Ed.

[12] The Hebrew words translated in the authorized version of the Bible, "Anda target" or gorget "of brass," are rendered, in all the earlier versions,"And a shield of brass." Perhaps a cuirass; it was evidently defensivebrass armour, worn between the shoulders.—Ed.

[13] No formal service such as that of the temple. While the churches are in thewilderness, suffering under the fangs of Antichrist, religious services must be adaptedto their circumstances. At times fervent silent prayer, unheard on earth, but recordedin heaven; at other times in an upper chamber or a forest, afraid to sin, lest itshould bring the enemy upon them. How ought we to bless God for giving us the fullenjoyment of public worship, even while in the wilderness.—Ed.

[14] One of the popular delusions of our day is, that all sects have been intolerantand persecutors when they had the opportunity. This is a gross falsehood. Who cancharge the Waldenses, Albigenses, or Lollards with that spirit of Antichrist? Whodares charge the Quakers with a persecuting spirit? They had the full opportunitywhen governing Pennsylvania. Who can accuse the Baptists with injuring those whodiffered from them when Roger Williams and his Baptist brethren obtained the charterof Rhode Island, with full power to rule themselves by any form of government theypreferred? His magna charta concludes with these words, "And let the saintsof the Most High walk in this colony without molestation, in the name of Jehovahtheir God, for ever and ever." And it has never been violated. Persecution hasnever sullied its annals. Freedom to worship God was the desire of its founder—forhimself and of all; and he nobly endured till it was accomplished.—Ed.

[15] This word was used by Fox in translating the letter of Algerius; I cannot findit in any dictionary. It probably refers to this poor prisoner for Christ being confinedin a "soler," or room, close under the roof of his prison, in which anItalian sun must have rendered the heat intense. The word "sooly" may bederived from the Anglo-Saxon "swool," sultry; the Dutch use swoel, zoel,and zoelheid, for heat and sultry heat.—Ed.

[16] The obsolete verb, to kill.—Ed.

[17] This is a curious mode of expressing the awful gradation of a sinner. 1. Togo in the way of sinners. 2. To enter into their counsels. 3. To sit in the scorner'sseat, here called "the chair of pestilence." This is from the vulgate Latin,which renders it pestilentiae.—Ed.

[18] Pomponius Algerius, born in Capua, a young man of great learning, was studentin the University of Padua, where he, not being able to conceal the verity of Christ'sgospel which he learned by the heavenly teaching of God's grace, ceased not, bothby doctrine and example of life, to inform as many as he could in the same doctrine,and to bring them to Christ; for which he was accused of heresy, and brought to Rome,where he was burned alive. He wrote this letter while in prison at Venice.—See Fox'sActs and Monuments, edit. 1631. vol. ii. p. 181.

Mr. Southey thought that this letter gave Bunyan some germ of his Pilgrim's Progress!!He takes it from the words, "In this world there is no mansion firm for me,and therefore I will travel up to the New Jerusalem, which is in heaven."—Lifeof Bunyan, p. xc.—Ed.

[19] Thus the blood of the martyrs was the seedtime of the church, and it producedan abundant harvest. That God suffered the choicest of his saints to pass throughsuch dreadful sufferings in their way to glory, is a proof that God's ways are notour ways, but they are infinite in wisdom and mercy.—Ed.

[20] Consult Bunyan's admirable treatise, Of Antichrist and his Ruin.

[21] How easily is this riddle resolved by those who visit the afflicted. The Christianpoor beat the rich out and out in charity. The poor mother rises long before herusual time, and having fitted her own children for school, runs to her sick neighbourto do the same for her little ones, frequently sharing with them her own children'sfood; and then, like an angel of mercy, watches over and comforts her sick neighbour.Such is the unostentatious Christian charity found among the Christian poor. O thatit may more and more abound.—Ed.

[22] These home-thrusts at conscience, so constantly met with in Bunyan's works,should have the effect of exciting us to solemn self-examination. May we never becontented with the porch, but enter and enjoy the riches of Divine grace.—Ed.

[23] The gradual spread of the gospel, like the leaven, must eventually leaven thewhole. How astonishing has been its progress since Bunyan entered the celestial city.If his happy spirit hovers as a guardian angel about the saints at Bedford, how musthe rejoice in the change. The iron hand of despotic oppression laid low; his oldprison swept away; the meetings in dells, and woods, and barns, exchanged for largeand commodious places of worship. How he must wonder at our want of gratitude, andlove, and zeal, in return for such mercies.—Ed.