And in order to meeken your spirits, confider thefe two things I fhall name.

A, What a holy and righteous hand God has even in the most dark and cloudy difpenfations that can befal his church in the world. Should we be angry at what God does?" Who gave Jacob to the spoil, and Ifrael to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have finned?"

2dly, Let us confider what we deferve at God's hand, what a finful hand the beft of us have in bringing thefe gloomy difpenfations on the land and place wherein we live. It was the confideration of this, that made the church, in a very dark day, Mic. vii. 9. to fay, when she was fitting in darkness, when her enemies were infulting her, faying, "Where is thy God?" fays the church, in that cafe, "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have finned against him." Not only they, but I have finned againft him, therefore "I will bear the indignation of the Lord."

AMOS ix. 11. In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.

THE THIRD SERMON ON THIS TEXT.

HAD occafion elsewhere to infift a little upon the context, and the connection of these words with the preceding, and thall not fpend time in refuming what was then delivered. Only I take up the words of this verfe in thefe four particulars. (1.) We have a noble ftructure mentioned, and that is, the tabernacle of David; by which we are to understand the church of Chrift, particularly the New Teftament church; for fo these words are applied by the apostle James, in his speech before the first council at Jerufalem, Acts xv. 16. Chrift is called by the name of David, because he was the root and offfpring of David, he in whom David's horn and throne is perpetuate for ever, Pfal lxxxix. 4. And the church is called his tabernacle, because he is the purchaser, he is the builder, he is the principal inhabitant, of this dwelling. (2.) We may potice the melancholy fituation of this tabernacle of David':

it is fuppofed here to be in a fallen, broken, and ruined condition; the church of Chrift is fometimes fore battered and fhattered by the gates of hell, and its emiffaries, but they fhall never prevail totally to ruin and deftroy her. For, (3.) We fee here God's gracious purpose and promife with reference unto his broken and ruinous tabernacle: 1 will build it, I will raife it up, I will close up its breaches; or, as in the margin, I will wall and hedge it about. God exercifes a particular care about this tabernacle, "the Higheft himself will stablish her." (4.) Notice the time when God will perform this work in mount Zion and in Jerufalem: it is in that day; i. e. in my own stated and appointed time, in the days of the Meffiah, when the voice fhall be heard from heaven, "The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them," Rev. xxi. 3. But more of this day afterward.

By comparing thefe words with thofe immediately preceding, they afford us this doctrine, "That God frequently ushers in the reformation of his church by very dark and cloudy difpenfations of providence." This doctrine I infifted upon already, and fhall fay no more upon it.

The doctrine I defign at prefent is this.

DocT. "That God has his own time and way of rebuilding, or reforming his church, when the is brought to a very low and ruinous condition :" In that day will I build up the tabernacle of David, &c.

The method I propofe, through divine affiftance, is as fol lows.

I. Why the church of Chrift is reprefented under the name and notion of a tabernacle, and why the tabernacle of Da

vid.

II. When this tabernacle of David may be faid to be fallen, or to be in a broken or ruinous condition.

III. How, or by what ways and means, doth the Lord raise up the tabernacle of David, when fallen.

IV. Offer a few thoughts anent the day when the Lord doth this great work.

V. Why the Lord will rebuild his ruined tabernacle, and not allow it to lie in the rubbish.

VI. Offer a few inferences from the whole, by way of application.

I. The first thing in the method is, Why the church of Chrift, particularly now under the New Teftament, is reprefented under the notion of a tabernacle. Anfw. There feems to be a plain al

lufion here unto the tabernacle, which, by God's fpecial command unto Mofes, was reared in the wilderness; it is an Old Teftament ftile applied to the New Teftament church, which is very frequent. Now, that Old Testament tabernacle was a type of the New Teftament church, in these particulars.

1. The tabernacle was God's lodging and habitation in the camp of Ifrael, a fymbol of God's gracious prefence among them: hence Balaam, when he viewed the camp and tents of Ifrael, and the tabernacle of God in the midst of the camp, he cries, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Ifrael! The Lord his God is with him, and the fhout of a king is in the midst of him." Mofes had his tent, Aaron had his, every commander and foldier had his tent, and the tabernacle was the tent or habitation of the great God. In this refpect the church is called a tabernacle, because she is God's lodging or habitation upon earth. With this view Christ the wisdom of God fays, Prov.viii. that "he rejoiced from eternity in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the fons of men." The fymbols of his presence are in his church, and there he holds communication and fellowship with his people: Pfal. lxxvi. 1. 2. "In Judah is God known; his name is great in Ifrael. In Salem is his tabernacle, and his dwellingplace in Zion." Pfal. cxxxii. 13. 14. "The Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath defired it for his habitation. This is my rest, here will I dwell, for I have defired it."

2. The divine oracles, the law and the teftimony, were preferved and kept in the tabernacle, and from thence they were given out for the use of Ifrael: fo 'to the church pertains the oracles of God, his revealed mind and will in the scriptures of truth is committed to her truft: "He fheweth his word unto Jacob, and his teftimonies unto Ifrael: he hath not dealt fo with every nation." Every jot and tittle of the revealed will of God in his word, is to be maintained and preserved pure and entire by the church, without any addition, diminution, or alteration, and that under an awful certification, Rev. xxii. 18. 19.; hence we are commanded to " contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the faints." And whenever any error in doctrine, corruption in worship, or iniquity in practice, is broached in the church, prefently it is to be brought unto the standard and touchstone of the word, in order to its being condemned as diffonant thereunto: Is. viii. "To the law and to the teftimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Hence heretics, who maintain doctrines repugnant unto the word of God, after two or three admonitions, are to be caft out of the church, and delivered over to Satan.

3. The tabernacle was the place of worship. In the courts of the tabernacle Ifrael were to ftand and do homage unto the great God, the God of Ifrael; and every one was to wor. fhip there, according to God's appointment, and not according to their own fancy. So the church of Chrift is the place where he will be worthipped and fanctified of all that are about him. The ordinances of divine inftitution, particularly public ordinances of preaching and hearing, of prayer and praises, are the courts of the great King, where he will have his people to attend him with their offerings, and to pay him their tribute: If. lvi. 7. " I will bring them to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my houfe of prayer; their burntofferings and their facrifices fhall be accepted upon mine al tar; for mine houfe fhall be called an house of prayer for all people."

4. The pattern of the tabernacle was given by God unto Mofes in the mount, together with all the laws, ftatutes, and regulations thereof. Mofes was not left at liberty to order one pin of the tabernacle otherwife than according to the pattern. So the model of the church, with a perfect system of laws, by which the is to be governed, is given of God in the mount of divine revelation. And for any man to affert, that the government of the church of Chrift is ambulatory and uncertain, or that he has left no orders how to manage in the election of officers to his New Teftament church, is upon the matter to impeach the fcriptures of truth with imperfection; or to affirm, that God has lefs regard to his church now under the New Teftament, than he had about the management of that little portable thing, called the tabernacle. of old.

5. No man was to intrude himself into the service of the tabernacle, or to "take this honour unto himself, but he that was called of God, as was Aaron." If any man had ufurped the priesthood, befides these whom the Lord called, all Ifracl would have been ready to ftone him to death. And what an awful indignation of divine wrath was it against Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, when, for ufurping the priesthood, among other things, the Lord made the earth to open its mouth, and swallow them up alive. All Ifrael, by God's appointment, were ordered to make a feceffion from them, left the anger of God should fall upon them alfo. In like manner, under the New Teftament church, no man is to intrude himself into the facred offices of the church, without he be qualified and called of God unto that work. These who enter into the fold of the church, and affume the name and notion of fhepherds, without entering by the door of a lawful and regular call, are brand

ed with the infamous character of thieves and robbers by Christ, John x. Men in our day are become fo polite, that they think thefe hard names to be given to any man; but fcripture stiles and characters will stand firm, and be in request, when all the pretended politeness and eloquence of men will be buried in the duft of oblivion.

6. The greatest and most facred thing in the tabernacle was the ark and mercy-feat, with the cherubims covering it with their wings, and looking down continually unto it. This pointed out the facred mystery of the incarnation, obedience, and death of Chrift, by which the law is magnified and made honourable, and through whom God declares himself to be a merciful and reconciled God. Thefe facred myfteries, typified in the tabernacle, are now opened in the promulgation of the gofpel: hence, Rev. xi. it is faid, "The temple of God was opened, and the ark of his testament was feen." It is the great business of ministers of the gospel, now under the New Testament, to disclose or open the ark of the covenant of grace, to preach Christ, and the manifold wisdom of God through him, in the falvation of loft finners; " which things the cherubims, or angels, defire to look into.”

7. The ark was a portable or moveable kind of a tent, and was carried about by God's appointment, from one place to another, and never had a fixed abode, until it came to mount Zion, and was fet in its proper place in the temple. In like manner the church of God, while in this world, be not fixed to any particular nation; he lifts it from one nation to another, as beft ferves his glorious ends in gathering in his elect, until the mystical body of Chrift is completed; and then the church militant will be tranfported to the church triumphant in glory.

Other things might be added. The manna was in the ark ; fo the bread of life is in the church. Aaron's rod was in the ark; so ecclefiaftical authority is only to be administered in the church, and by the officers and judges of God's ordination. The candlesticks and the lamps were in the ark; so in the church the light of the Lord thines, therefore called a valley of vifion. Thus you fee on what account the church of Christ is called a tabernacle.

Before I leave this head, I will tell you in a few words, why she is called the tabernacle of David, i. e. of Christ. Anfw. Because of the manifold claim and title he has to her. As, (1.) She is his by his Father's gift and ordination: Pfal. ii. "I will give him the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermoft ends of the earth for his poffeffion." (2.) By purchase. He has redeemed her by the price of his precious blood: Acts VOL. II. 3 F