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without wheels, as before observed, is of no ufe; but with wheels is fit for carriage; fuch is the church of Chrift; it is said, king Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon; by king Solomon is not meant literally Solomon king of Ifrael, but a greater than he, Chrift his antitype, the prince of peace : and by the chariot he made for himself, his own ufe, fervice, and glory, may be meant his church; which, as compofed of perfons poffeffed of the fragrant graces of the Spirit, and having the odours of prayer and praife, and being perfevering faints in faith and holiness, may be faid to be made of the fweet-fmelling and incorruptible wood of Lebanon; and in this chariot Chrift rides up and down in the world, and does his work and business: and indeed wherever there are wheels of any fort, and upon any account, there is work to be done; and there is fcarce any manufacture, but there is a wheel made ufe of in one part and branch of it, or another and in and by the churches of Chrift much work is done; here the gospel is preached, the ordinances are adminiftered, the facrifices of prayer and praife are offered up, fouls are converted, and faints edified and comforted, and God in all things glorified. And when wheels are in motion, they make a great rattling and noife: we often read of the rushing of chariots, of the rumbling of their wheels, and of the noise of them on the tops of mountains; fee Jer. xlvii. 3. Joel ii. 5. and when there is any work doing in the churches of Chrift, especially any thing remarkable, it makes a great noife in the world, So in Judea, when the gospel was first preached there, and fouls were in great numbers converted, and churches planted, the Sanhedrim, the elders, scribes, pharifees, and fadducees, were alarmed with it; and in the Gentile world, wherever there was a door opened, a door of opportunity to preach the gospel, and a door of utterance in ministers, and a door of enterance into the hearts of men, there were many adversaries; to oppose Chrift's minifters, to stir up men against them, and give out the cry, thofe that have turned the world upside down, are come bither also3: yea, there are great noifes and fhoutings in ministers of the word, and the churches themselves, when any remarkable and extraordinary work is going forward; fo at the time of the Reformation, which the xth chapter of the Revelation describes, when the voice of Christ was as when a lion roareth, he being the lion of the tribe of Judah; the feven thunders, the Boanergeffes, or fons of thunder, uttered their voices; and when the judgments of God will come down upon antichrift, and upon the antichriftian ftates, and the marriage. of the lamb will be come, and the church, the lamb's wife, made ready for him, and the spiritual reign of Christ will take place, a great voice of much people will be heard in heaven, the church; and a voice out of the throne, and VOL. I.

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the voice of a great multitude, as of many waters, and of mighty thunderings, faying Allelujah, falvation, glory, honour, and power, to the Lord our God: the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, Rev. xix. 1—7.

Secondly, The number of the wheels is next to be confidered. They are called wheels, in the plural number, in our text, and yet according to it were named a wheel, one wheel, as elsewhere in the vision, and yet four; fee chap. i. 15, 16, they feem to be formed in this manner, like two hoops put in a cross and tranfverfe manner, which interfect each other, and make four femicircles; and these four femicircles make one globe or fphere; and fo there were one and yet four, and four and but one. Indeed from ver. 9, 14. it seems as if there were four in this form, fince there was a wheel to every cherub, and every wheel had four faces; that is, on the four femicircles: now confidered as one wheel, they reprefent the church catholic and invifible, the general affembly and church of the first-born, confifting of all the elect that have been, are, or fhall be, even all thofe whose names are written in heaven; and this is but one, of which Christ fays, There are threefcore queens, and fourfcore concubines, and virgins without number; many visible congregated churches, and a great number of particular faints: My love, my undefiled, is but one; he is the only one of her mother, the choice one of her that bare her. There is but one church, of which Chrift is the head, the head of the body, the church; but one church, that he has loved with an everlafting love, and has given himfelf an offering and facrifice for unto God. But particular congregated churches are many; and they are fignified by the number four, partly with respect to the four cherubs, as appears from ver. 9. And when I looked, bebold, the four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub; fo in the first gospel-churches, in every church elders were ordained; and in every city, that is, wherever there was a church, an elder, or paftor was appointed, and constituted over it; and for the most part but one in a church; though in fome churches, which might be very large, there were more: hence we read of the elders of the church at Ephesus, and of bifhops in Philippi; but in the feven churches of Afia, there was but one angel, paftor, or bishop over each church, one wheel by one cherub; and partly the number four may be used with refpect to the four parts of the world, where churches have been, or will be placed. Chrift gave his apoftles a commiffion to preach the gospel to all nations, in every part of the world; and they did go, and their found also, into all the earth, and unto the ends of the world; and multitudes were converted, and churches raised in all parts of it; and fo it will be again, before the end of the world, and the coming of Chrift; the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord; great numbers will be converted in the four

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four parts of the world; God will bring the fpiritual feed of Chrift, and of his church, from the caft, and gather them from the west; he will fay to the north, Give up; and to the fouth, Keep not back: bring my fons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; who fhall be gathered into gospel-churches; and at the clofe of time Christ will fend forth his angels, and gather together his elect from the four winds, where they have lived in a gospel-church-state.

Thirdly, The fituation of the wheels; they were upon the earth, and by the cherubim.— 1, They were upon the earth; Behold, one wheel upon the earth, chap. i. 15, and where one was, the four were; this is obferved, to distinguish the churches of Chrift here, from the church triumphant in heaven. Chrift's family is partly in heaven, and partly on earth: those whom Chrift redeemed and gathered together in one head, himself, and reconciled unto God, are things in heaven, and things on earth; the chofen, redeemed, and called, are first gathered into Gospel-churches on earth, before they are removed to heaven, from whence they will defcend again, as a bride adorned for her husband. This points out the place where faints for the prefent are; though they are chofen, and called out of the world, yet they are fill in it; and the work done in churches is done by them whilst in the world; here the gospel is preached, and ordinances administered, converfion-work wrought, and edification in the way and manner it is; these are only done on earth': and this may also denote that the moveable and changeable state of the churches of Chrift, before obferved, is only on earth, and in the prefent earth; for in the new earth, the tabernacle of God that will be there and then with men, will be a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken; no removing, no rolling, no wheeling from place to place, no change of ftate, condition, and circumftance; when the ranfomed of the Lord are come to Zion, to the church above, everlasting joy will be upon their heads — and forrow and fighing fhall flee away; though this may likewise signify the firmnefs of gospel-churches; they are not in the air, nor on the fea, where wheels cannot be employed, but on terra firma; and what that is to wheels, Chrift is to his churches, the bafis and foundation of them; the Lord has founded Zion, and it is well founded; he has laid in it for a foundation a stone, a tried Stone, a precious corner-ftone, which is Jefus Chrift; the foundation of the apostles and prophets; of their laying minifterially; and on which gofpel-churches in all ages are laid, a rock firm and fure, against which the powers of hell and earth cannot prevail. 2. The wheels are faid to be by the cherubim, or living PP 2 creatures;

d Ifai. xliii. 5,

■ Ifai. xxxv. 10.

6.

• Matt. xxiv. 31.

f Rev. xxi. 3. Ifai xxxiii. 20.

creatures; fee chap. i. 15. and x. 9, 16, 19. to be put in motion by them. The churches are placed by the minifters of the word, near them, and befide them, to put them in mind of, and to stir them up to the exercise of every grace, faith hope, love, &c. and to put them in mind of every duty both towards God and man; that they be ready to every good work, and careful to maintain them; and to put them in remembrance of the doctrines of the Gospel they have made a profeffion of, that they hold them faft unto the end. They are placed by them to inftruct them in matters of faith, to declare to them the whole counfel of God, and keep back nothing from them that may be profitable to them; and to go before them, and give the lead to them in matters of worship, and to direct them in matters of difcipline; to observe to them the rules of it, that they withdraw from perfons that walk diforderly; and an beretic, after the firft and fecond admonition, reject. They are placed by them to watch over them, to watch for their fouls, for the good of them, and to preferve them from every evil and false way, from immorality and herefy, from every thing dangerous and pernicious. They are called watchmen, in allufion both to watchmen that go about the city, to give the time of night, and notice of any danger; and to watchmen on the walls, fet there to defcry an enemy, and give the alarm of his near approach, to provide against him. They are placed by them, the churches by the minifters, that they may feed them with knowledge and understanding, with the whole fom words of Chrift, with the words of faith and good doctrine, with the fincere milk of the word, and with the bread of life. Wherefore, if any fhould make the inquiry, where Chrift feeds his flocks, let them take the anfwer and direction he gives; Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids befide the shepherds tents; go where the cherubim and wheels be, where minifters and churches meet together for religious exercises.

Fourthly, The form, figure, colour, and appearance of the Wheels, the description of which is various. 1. They are faid to have four faces, as in the following verfe; ver. 14. And every one had four faces; the first face was the face of a cherub, and the fecond face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle; the fame with the faces of the cherubim. Minifters and churches are, or fhould be, of the fame mind, of the fame judg ment, and of one accord; they should have the fame face and look, and draw the fame way; and then they are like a company of borfes in Pharaoh's chariot'; they will put shoulder to fhoulder, and ferve the Lord with one confent. The first face was that of a cherub, that is, of an ox, as appears from chap. i. 10. which has its name from plowing, in which the ox was employed, and gives the denomination to the whole figure; now this is a proper emblem of the members

h Cant. i. 7, 8.

i Cant. i. 9.

of

of gospel-churches, it being a clean creature that chews the cud; and fo defcribes fuch who ruminate on the word, who meditate in the law and doctrine of God night and day, conftantly, as they have leifure and opportunity; and their meditation is fweet when they are led to the nature, perfections, and promifes of God, to his everlasting love, and the covenant of grace, to the person, offices, and grace of Chrift. The ox is patient under the yoke when accustomed to it; and fo are faints who have learnt, and have been inured to bear the yoke in their youth; whether the yoke of Chrift's commands, which is eafy and light; or the yoke of affliction, reproaches, and perfecution, which they bear patiently for Chrift's fake; tribulation works patience in them, and patience has its perfect work. The ox is a laborious creature, ftrong to labour, and conftant in it; and fo fitly represents the members of gospel-churches, who are, or should be, stedfaft, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; as the members of the first gospel-church were, who continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The Second face was the face of a man; fignifying that they were knowing and understanding perfons; were, in understanding, men, and had attained to a large measure of knowledge of divine and fpiritual things, and were still grow ing in grace, and in the knowledge of Chrift; and that they were, or fhould be, humane, kind to one another, tender-hearted, and put on bowels of compaffion and tenderness to each other; and forgive one another any quarrel they had, as God for Chrift's fake forgave them; and that they were fympathizing with each other in every condition and circumftance; wept with thofe that wept, and rejoiced with thofe that rejoiced.

The third face was the face of a lion; denoting courage, boldness, and intrepidity in the faints, who are, and should be, as bold as a lion in the cause of Christ, and in the profeffion of him, holding faft his name, and not denying his faith, even where Satan's feat is; not being afraid of the faces of men, as they have no reason; for if God is for them, and on their fide; if he is their light and life, their falvation and strength, they have nothing to fear from men or devils.

The fourth face was that of an eagle, a bird that has a piercing eye, and foars aloft, and describes fuch who mount up with wings as eagles, in the exercife of faith and love; who dwell on high, in God and Chrift, and upon everlasting things; who seek after, and fet their affections on things above, where Jefus is. 2. The appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl ftone, ver. 9. so in chap. i. 16. which was one of the precious ftones in the high priest's breaft-plate,. and. one of the twelve foundations of the new Jerufalem, and with which the hands of Chrift are faid to be adorned. This may denote the preciousness of the members of gofpel-churches, what worth and value they are of in the esteem of Chrift; these precious fons of Sion are not only comparable to fine gold, for their luftre,

fplendor,

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