God) even my first born. And 1 fay unto thee, Let my fon go [Pharaoh], that he may serve me and if thou refuse to let him go, I will flay thy fon, even thy firft born, Exod. iv. 22, 23.

Elders are magiftrates that used to fit on feats, at the city gates, to hear debates, try causes, fettle difputes, and bear witness to contracts; hence you fo frequently read of the gates of the elders, Prov. xxx. 23. and of the elders at the gates bearing witness to Boaz's redeeming Naomi's inheritance, and betrothing Ruth, Ruth iv. 11.

And if you read the defcription of the wonderful city called the Heavenly Jerufalem, you will fee elders there. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and fhewed me that great city, the holy Jerufalem, having the glory of God; and her light was like a stone most precious; and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written therein, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Ifrael; which fhews that the twelve patriarchs, fathers of the twelve tribes, whofe names the tribes bore, who all fprung from Jacob, and were called Ifraelites, a name which is now entailed on every believer, who may call himself by the name of Jacob, or firname himself by the name of Ifrael, Ifa. xliv. 5. being a fon of peace, and of the Ifrael of God, Gal. vi. 16. I fay, thefe elders having their names at the twelve gates of this city, inclines me to think, that in the gospel-fignification of their names, they are one half of thefe four and twenty

elders

elders who reprefent the whole Ifrael of God in the various gofpel-characters that their names fignify.

The twelve gates, three east, three west, three north, and three fouth, Rev. xxi. 13. is to fhew, that many fhall come from the east, west, north, and fouth, and shall fit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God, Luke xiii. 29. If thefe twelve names, at the twelve gates of this city, are twelve of the elders, as representatives of the church, in the gospel-fignification of their names, it is to fhew that none can pafs thefe elders, or enter into the gates of the city, by them, unless they are Ifraelites indeed, as Nathanael was, John i. 47. or a part of God's Ifrael, which is a name and an everlasting fign that shall not be cut off, Ifa. lv. 13.

The name of this city is Jerufalem, righteousnefs and peace, to fhew that none but justified fouls, in a state of peace and reconciliation with God, can enter therein. It is the royal city of the Great King, in which he refides-And the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there, Ezek. xlviii. 35. If fo, a dead finner cannot enter there, nor live in the prefence of God; for in his favour is life, and in his prefence fulness of joy, Pfal. xxx. 5. which fhews that they must be quickened by the Holy Ghoft, and find favour with God, that enter thefe gates. And if these twelve patriarchs whofe names the twelve tribes bore, being written on thefe gates, are

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twelve of the elders of this city, as I really believe, they are, they do represent the church of God in her twelve different ftates and conditions, fignified by the gofpel fenfe of their names; and they appear to be elders by their names at the gates of this city. Three gates north; one gate of REUBEN, one gate of JUDAH, one gate of LEVI; On the eaft fide, one gate of JOSEPH, one gate of BENJAMIN, one gate of DAN; on the south fide, one gate of SIMEON, one gate of ISSACHAR, one gate of ZEBULUN; on the west fide, one gate of GAD, one gate of ASHER, one gate of NAPHTALI, Ezek. xlviii. 31 -34.

I come now to the fignification of these names, by which these twelve patriarchs reprefent the whole Ifrael or church of God.

ift, REUBEN, by his name, represents the family of God as children of light. The children of this world are wifer in their generation than the children of light. Reuben reprefents, by name, the fraternity of God as children of light. And when the Lord SAW that Leah was hated, he opened ber womb; and he bare a fon, and called his name REUBEN; for he said, Surely the Lord hath LOOKED upon my affliction, Gen. xxix. 31, 32.

2dly, JUDAH reprefents the church of God as God's own workmanship, created in Christ Jefus unto good works, which God bath before ordained This that we should walk in them, Eph. ii. 10. people have I formed for myself, they shall fhew forth my PRAISE, Ifa. xliii. 21. Judah fignifies PRAISE

GOD.

GOD. And he conceived again, and bare a fon; and fhe faid, Now will I PRAISE Jehovah; therefore be called his name Judah, Gen. xxix. 35.

LEVI, by name, reprefents the church of God in the character of the Lamb's wife, who is made one with Chrift; for they that are joined to the Lord are of one fpirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17. We are of the Saviour's flesh and of his bones. This is a great myflery, but I speak concerning Chrift and his church, Eph. v. 32. Levi fignifies JOINED, united, or in union. And she conceived again, and bare a fon; and faid, Now this time will my husband be JOINED to me: THEREFORE was his name called LEVI.

JOSEPH was a type of the church, as a fruitful mother, or an increafing kingdom. His name fignifies ADDITION, or increase; as the kingdom of Christ must increase. And she conceived and bare a fon; and faid, God hath taken away my reproach: and fhe called his name JOSEPH; and faid, The Lord fball ADD to me another fon, Gen. xxx. 23, 24. Zion shall be prolific. Shall I bring to the birth, and not give ftrength to bring forth? Before he travailed, fhe was delivered of a man-child. Shall a nation be born at once? Before Zion travailed, she brought forth her children, Ifa. lxvi. 7, 8. Nor shall she ever be barren. God fhall add to her many fons, and daughters too. She fhall have five wife virgins marriageable, that fhall be taken into the marriage chamber, when the Bridegroom cometh to judgment.

BEN

BENJAMIN, by his name, reprefents the safety of the church in the hand of God the Father, and God the Son; out of which hands Chrift fays they fhall never be plucked. None shall pluck them out of my hands. My Father is greater than ail, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's bands. I and my Father are one. They are righthand fons; and at the right hand of the Judge they fhall appear at the great day, when the goats fhall ftand on the left. Benjamin fignifies the And he is called the

SON OF THE RIGHT HAND.

beloved of the Lord, who shall dwell in fafety by him ; the Lord fhall cover him all the day long; and be fball dwell between his fhoulders, Deut. xxxiii. 12. And Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, as her foul was in departing (for she died), that he called his name BEN-ONI (the son of my forrow), but his father called him BENJAMIN (the fon of my right hand), Gen. xxxv. 16-18.

DAN, by his name, reprefents the church of God in a juftified state, whose judgment is already paft-and they are a righteous nation, who have taken their trial, been judged at the bar of the law, brought in guilty by it, condemned and filenced, and justified by an act of grace which paffed upon them, through faith in Chrift Jefus, and they are justified from all things from which they never could be justified by the law of Mofes. Dan fignifies JUDGMENT, and may reprefent the church of Christ upon the feat of judgment with the Judge,