1. The Difpenfation of the Tabernacle and the Judges.
2. The Difpenfation of the Temple and the Kingdom.
3. That fad Difpenfation of Captivity in Babylon.

4. The Difpenfation of the fecond Temple after their Return.
The first of these was from Mofes to the Temple.

The fecond from the Temple to the Captivity in Babylon.
The third from the Captivity to the Retura.

The fourth from the Return to the Meffiah.

1. The first part of the Lord's Difpenfation to his People under the Law was from Mofes to the building of the Temple: Most of which time they were under the Government of Judges. What the Lord did for them, and how, and what he fpake; what further Discoveries of himself he gave them during this Period, you may fee in thefe five particulars.

1. The Lord, in remembrance of his ancient Promife, delivered them out of Egypt with a high Hand, and with an outstretched Arm, with great Signs and Wonders, and Plagues upon Pharaoh, and all his Hoft, and all his Land, dividing the Sea before them: The Hiftory of all which is recorded in the Book of Exodus in the first fifteen Chapters of that Book, and fo often celebrated with triumphing Praifes in the Pfalms and Prophets; who often speak of all his Wonders in the Land of Egypt, which it is thought were within two months before their departure: And of his dividing the Sea of Edom,that his redeemed might pafs thro upon dry ground: All which was a Type of Spiritual Redemption alfo ; and therefore it was a Difpenfation of much Mystery and Glory.

2. He gave them his Law; By Word of Mouth from Heaven, and in Writing in the Tables of Stone, and in the five Books of Mofes: Both the Moral, Judicial and Ceremonial Law. For the Moral Law, The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai in much Majefty and Terror with an Hoft of Angels; and thundred forth with an audible voice from Heaven thofe Ten Commandments, Exod. 19. 9. that the people might bear : and cap. 20. 22. be talked with you from Heaven: And he wrote them in two Tables of Stone, and in the five Books of Mofes. The Ceremonial and Judicial Laws were delivered in this laft way, viz. by Writing, being left upon Record in the Books of Mofes.

This is celebrated as a choice Mercy, Pfal. 103. 7. He made known his ways unto Mofes, bis Alts unto the Children of Ifrael: yea as a peculiar and diftinguishing Mercy, Pfal. 147 2. laft v. He fheweth his Word unto Jacob, bis Statutes and Judgments unto Ifracl, be batb not dealt fo with any Nation.

And now feems to have been the first Invention of the Art of Writing. The first mention we find of it, is in Mofes his time. In Jacob's time is may feem they had no knowledg of it; because in the Covenant between

him and Laban, instead of any Articles in Writing between them, or figning or fealing of it, they only erect an heap of Stones, as Monuments of remembrance of it, Gen. 31.45. &c. And the Invention is fo admirable, that it feems to tranfcend all humane Wit and Industry. The reducing of all audible and articulate Sounds unto visible Marks; and that in fo familiar and shorta way, by twenty or thirty Letters, without any further. load to the Memory: We may well afcribe it unto God himself, as the blefled Author and Inventor of it; to help his poor People to, and in the knowledg of himself: According to that in Prov. 8. 12. Wisdom dach with Prudence, and find out knowledge of witty Inventions.

3. The Lord accepted the whole Nation to be bis own peculiar People, erecting a glorious Frame and Fabrick of Church and Common-wealth amongst them; wherein the Lord himfelf was King, and did immediately pretide; and therefore it hath been fitly called a Theocracy: fo Gideon Judg. 8. 23. The Lord fhall rule over you: Ifai. 5. 16. that I may plant the Heavens, and lay the Foundations of the Earth, and fay unto Zion, thou art my People.

4. He gave them glorious and visible Symbols and Tokens of his Prefence amongst them, walking before them in a Piliar of Cloud and Fire, Exod. 13. 21, 22. which Pillar refted upon the Tabernacle after it was Built, Exod. ult. ult. which alfo was a Symbol of his Prefence with them: Abd fo was the Ark, and the Manna from Heaven, Exod. 16. 14, 15. with the Rock that followed them, Exod. 17.6. 1 Cor. 104.

5. The Lord himself conducted and led them through the Defarts of Arabia by the Hand of Mofes; and into the Land of Promife by the Hand of Jofuah, drying up Jordan for them, fubduing the Inhabitants before them, railing up Judges and Rulers for them; and finally training them up by many inftructing Providences to fit them for the further Mercies he had yet in ftore for them.

One would think all things were now well fetled; but there were two or three things, partly defects in this Difpenfation it felf,and partly fome provoking evils on their part under it; by reafon whereof the Lord brought in a further and an higher Difpenfation afterwards.

1. There had been ftrange Rebellions and Provocations in the Wilderness, which have had an influence into all the forrows and troubles that have befallen them ever fiace. Murmuring against God. Mutinying against Mofes and Aaron, which the Lord took very hainoufly; and therefore deftroyed Corah, Dathan and Aliram by miracle. For to disobey the juft Commands of a lawful Magiftrate, is to rebel against God himself. And above all, Idolatry, Exod. 32. 34, 35. In the day when I vifit, I will vifit their Sin upon them, and the Lord plagued the people, because they made

the

the Calf which Aaron made. From whence the Jews have a Proverb, that in every affliction,in every calamity that comes upon them, there be fome grains of the Molten Calf in it.

There were frequent Degeneracies and Oppreffions under the Judges 3. The Tabernacle was unfixed.

Upon all which accounts the Lord had not yet fatisfied himself, in the expreffions of his own Love towards them; but his Heart was full, and he was refolved to do yet more for them, and fo to try them to the utmost. Therefore he was pleafed to put a period unto this Difpenfation, which began about the year of the World two thoufand five hundred and thirteen, and lafted about four hundred eighty feven or eighty eight Years, 1 Kings 6. 1.

2. The Lord's fecond Difpenfation under the Lam, was from the Temple to the Captivity in Babylon. In this Period the Glory of the Legal Difpenfation rofe up to the greatest height and fplendor; and that chiefly in two particulars, the Glory of the Kingdom, and Temple.

1. The Kingdom was fetled in the Houfe of David, as the Type and Progenitor of the Affiab. And in his days and Solomons it extended to the utmost bounds, that God had spoken of to Abraham : tho' afterwards for their own fins they were cut short; the neighbour Nations fhaking off the yoke, and the Kingdom it felf divided into two parts; two Tribes only left to Solomon's Pofterity. The Lord had promifed Abraham, that bis Seed fhould poffefs all the Land to the River Euphrates, Gun. 15. 18. And it was performed in David's time, and in Solomons, 1 King. 4. 21, 24. 2 Chron. And this Kingdom was a Type of the Kingdom of

Christ.

9 26.

2. The other piece of their Glory was the Temple. Before God had dwelt in Tents; but now he had an Houfe built unto his Name. The Lord turned his flitting Tabernacle into a fixed Temple; for which David made plentiful Preparation; Solomon did erect and fet it up. He did it in feven or eight years time, or more precifely feven years and an half. For he began it in the fecond month, and finished it in the eighth, 1 King. 6. 1, and ult. and he began it in the fourth year of his Reign, and finifhed it in the eleventh Morcover he began it in the 480th year after the coming out of Egypt, and dedicated it feven or eight years after, which fell into the year of the World three thoufand, or three thoufand and one, as you will find, if you take the pains to compute and put all the former Periods together. And their Kingdom and Temple stood in fome degree of outward Glory about four hundred years, from the finishing and dedicating of it, to the beginning of their Bondage under the Yoke of Babylon.

And

And now one would think they had been fettled in fach a condition as might have stood for ever. But the Apoftacies were very great, which brought this high and profperous Dispensation to an end, to a fad end. For,

1. The Peoples hearts being not fo with God as became a people crowned with fuch Glory, God left them and their Princes, the first and wifeft of them, the very Founders of their Kingdom and Temple, unto very great and enormous tranfgreffions. David committed Adultery and Murther, a very unparallel'd cafe; for which the Lord threatneth, the Sword should never depart from his Houfe. Solomon was left to the toleration of the publick exercise of Idolatry, for which God rent away the Ten Tribes from his Pofterity: all which came to pafs, as for other caufes, fo for the Sins of the People. As is faid in a lefs tranfgreffion of David, 2 Sam. 24 1. And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Ifrael, and he moved David against them,to fay, Go number Ifrael and Judah.

2. The ten Tribes under Jeroboam forfook the Temple and the House of David; which, tho' as to God's Providence, it was a righteous Judgment; yet on their part it was a grievous fin; it was a complicated Sin, many Sins involved in the bowels of it; for it was both Rebellion, and Schifm, and Herefie; Rebellion against their lawful Prince, Schifm from the true Church and Worship: yea fundamental Herefie : For as they say,Look to thy Houfe O David: fo in rejecting Davids House, they reject the Meffiah, who was to come of him, 2 Cbrox. 10. 16.

3. There were continual Backflidings to Idolatry, even in Judah, as well as Ifrael; yea when they faw th: Ten Tribes carried away before their eyes for this Sin; yet the other would not take warning and reform, Ezek. 23. 10, 11-Abolab fignifies a Tent; this was the Houfe of Ifrael, who were a corrupt Church: bolibab fignifies, my Tent is in her; this was Judah, which were the true Church of God; but they declined and departed from God fo far, that he fent them away to Babylon.

3. And fo we come to the third Difpenfation under the Law, namely, the time of their Captivity and Bondage under the Yoke of Babylon. There were three Deportations.

1. Jehoiakims, in whofe time Daniel)

2. Jechoniabs, in whofe time Ezekiel was carried captive. 3. Zedekias, in whose time Jeremiah

They had now an experimental knowledge of the truth of all God's Threatnings. Yet during the time of this Affliction, the Lord did not caft off his care of them; but gave forth many Evidences of his unchangeable Love and Faithfulaefs toward them, under this fad Difpenfation.

1. In that he did preferve them from wtter Deftruction; yet not leave them altogether unpunished, nor make a full end of them, Jer. 30. 10, 11. He reftrained the Enemy from wholly rooting out the Nation, Pfal. 106.46gave them Favour in the fight of them that carried them captive.

2. In that he did convince them, and left an everlasting Conviction in the Heart of that people against the groffer fort of Idolatry: fuch an indelible Conviction as hath never been blotted out to this day. Infomuch, that their great stumbling Block at this day against the Chriftian Religion is, the Idolatry of the Popish Chriftians: For the poor blind Jews confider the Christian Religion no otherwife, but as corrupted with those Antichriftian Abominations and Idolatries: And therefore their Converfion and Return is not to be expected till Antichrift, that great tumbling Block, be removed out of the way.

3. The Lord gave them further and glorious Discoveries, by raising up excellent Prophets to them: as Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremy, fome part of his Prophefies were after the beginning of their Captivity and Bondage to the Babylonians.

This fad afflictive Difpenfation continued about feventy years, Jer.

29. 10.

4. The fourth and last of all the Old Testament Difpenfations is that of the fecond Temple, from the time of their Return out of Babylon, till the Meffiahs coming. And herein there are these remarkable paflages.

1. The Lord breaks the Yoke of Babylon, that his people might be delivered by the Hand of Cyrus, prophefied of by name fome hundred years before his Birth, Ifai. 44. 28. And as they were carried away at feveral times, fo they returned alfo at feveral times, and by degrees. First Zerubbabel, Ezra 1. and a great company with him: Afterwards Ezra, Ezr. 7. 1. after these things Laftly, Nehemiab.

2. They built the Temple and the City of God again, Ezr. 3. Nehem. 1, and 2. They met with many Difficulties and Obftructions in the Work; but yet at laft it was done; both begun and finifhed by Zerubbabel, Zach. 4. in forty fix years, Job. 2. 20. feven weeks, Dan. 9. 25. that is, forty nine years; viz. from the Edic of Cyrus: after which, we may well allow one year of preparation for their Journey,another year for their Journey,and a third year for preparing Materials for the Temple, wherein David and Solomon spent fo many years: And if we deduct three out of forty nine, the remainder will be but forty fix, as John 2. 20.

It wanted fomewhat of its former Glory. As to the Structure thereof; the old men wept to fee how much Zerabbabels Temple fell fhort of Solomon's Temple, in Ezr. 3. 12. As to the Utensils belonging to it; the

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