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ftand on the fea of glass, with the harps of God in their hands, Rev. xv. ii.

In fhort, the Saviour, as the only mediator between God and man, had took the book of the law, and preached it, fulfilled it, magnified it, and redeemed his people from the curfe of it: As a prophet he had taken the book of life and published it, and both were gone forth: The law was gone forth out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem. It was on the coronation of Chrift, his afcenfion to his throne, and the reception of this book of the Revelation, or the copy of his kingdom, that the beafts, elders, and angels, fing their anthems, and found these harps; which leads me to my fixth general head, which is a description of

Their golden vials, and why fo called.

ift. Let it be observed, that under the old law there was a golden table and many more facred things, which are mentioned in this admirable book of the Revelation: For there was a tabernacle made, the first wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the few bread; which is called the fanctuary, Heb. ix. 2. This court prefigured Chrift

in his ftate of humiliation, and the church in its militant ftate; where the candlestick reprefented the church, Rev. i. 20. The golden table, typified the fleshly tables of the believers hearts, where the law is written by the Spirit of the living God, 2 Cor. iii. and in which Chrift dwells by faith, Eph. iii. 17.

3.

The

The fhew bread reprefented Chrift the bread of life, that a man may eat thereof and never die, John vi. 50. this fhew bread is called the bread of faces, which likewife prefigures the faints of God, who being many are one bread, 1 Cor. x. 17. and, by feeding on Chrift by faith, they shall appear at laft in the true tabernacle, or heaven itself, and in the prefence of God, or before his face; blessed are the pure in beart for they fhall fee God, Matt. v. 8.

On this golden table, on which was fet the golden candlestick, reprefenting the church of God with its fix branches, or the feven churches of Afia, Rev. i. 4. were fet fome golden vials, or bottles, filled with incense, as are mentioned by Jofephus in his histories of the Jews, and in the fecond chapter of Efdras, which golden vials full of incenfe prefigured the hearts of believers, who are blessed with the spirit of grace and fupplication. And this was the number of them, a thousand golden cups, and a thousand of filver; cenfers of filver, twenty nine; VIALS OF GOLD, thirty, 1 Efdras ii. 13. Mention is made again of this mysterious article: And the table of fhewbread, and the pouring veffels, AND THE VIALS, and the cenfers of gold, and the vail; all which he [Antiochus] pulled off, Macc. i, 22. This was to fulfil an ancient prophecy concerning Antiochus, who was to magnify himself even to the prince of the boft, and by him the daily facrifice was to be taken away, and the place of God's fanctuary to be cast down, Dan. viii. 11. Thus it appears that the golden vials in my text are mentioned in allufion

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to the vials that were placed in the fanctuary of the Lord, which were made of gold, and filled with incenfe. Thefe golden vials of fweet incenfe, being placed on the golden table in the fanctuary, ferved to typify the fpiritual prayers that should go up from the fileshly tables of believing hearts in gospel times, when the divine fire of love from Chrift the altar, fhould make prayer a rich perfume; when the church fhould become the true tabernacle that God himself pitched, and in which the Spirit of grace and fupplication would refide, as in his own fanctum.

Sometimes in fcripture a believing heart, blessed with the unction of the Holy Ghoft, is called the veffel of a lamp with oil, but the wife took oil in their veffels; which divine unêtion feeding the believer's profeffion makes him a burning and a shining light in the world; yea it caufes his light to fine before men, and his good works to appear in the fight

of them.

Sometimes a believing heart filled with the comforts of the Spirit is compared to new wine in new bottles, Matt. ix. 17. and that on the account of the unutterable joy and delight which the believer feels and experiences in communion with the Saviour, which makes religion the delight of his foul, and the joy of his heart.

But in the words of my text, a tried, believing, infpired heart, is called a golden vial, &c. which I will attempt to explain to you in the following

manner.

ift. Why called a vial.

2dly. Why a golden one, and

3dly. What the odours are.

Firft, A believing or faithful heart filled with odours, which are faid to be the prayers of faints, is called a golden vial of prayers, to distinguish a believer's prayers from the petitions of a mere formalift, whofe prayers are in his book, in his pocket, or else carried after him under the arm of his footman, that every body may see that the mafter is going to work, or to perform his irksome task. There is a difference between a praying heart and a prayer book; a vial of odours, and a pocket of papers are two things; for want of thefe vials of odours the Lord complains; This people draweth night unto me with their mouth, and bonoureth me with their lips; but their heart (there is the vial) is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, Matt. xv. 8, 9.

The golden vials full of odours, called the prayers of faints, are intended to diftinguish them from the hafty and violent devotions of an alarmed hypocrite, who moves by fits and ftarts, juft as the fears of death or gripes of conscience roufe him. God never hears from him unless he is convulfed Will Ged hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? will be delight bimfelf in the Almighty? will be always call upon God? Job. xxvii. 9, 10. No, in their affliction they will feek God early, Hofea v. 15, and fay, arife and fave us, Jer. ii.

27. Many vows and prayers are put up, which is compaffing their maker about with lies, or flattering with their lips, or fpeaking with a double heart, Pfalm xii. 2. But when his deliverance is obtained, they fay, we are Lords, we will come no more nigh thee, Jer. ii. 32. We may say of fuch violent devotions, as we fay of fome people's love, it is too hot to hold. O Ephraim what fhall I do unto thee? O Judab what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away, Hofea vi. 4.

All these prayers fpring from the fear of damnation; not from any hatred to fin, love to God, or defire after holinefs. The finners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness bath furprized the hypocrites, who among us fhall dwell with devouring fire, who shall dwell with everlasting burnings, Ifai. xxxii. 14.

The golden vials of odours diftinguish the fpiritual worship of faints from the pompous fhew of devotion, which is carried on by thousands only for the fake of applause, a livelihood, or a benefice. The wolf is obliged to put on the fheep's fkin, before he can fheer the fheep or get at the fleece: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, Matt. vii. 15. Woe unto you fcribes and pharifees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows boufes, and for a pretence make long prayers; therefore ye fhall receive the greater damnation, Matt. xxiii. 14. But the believer has got the fpirit of prayer in his heart; it lays not in his book only, as the formalists; nor in a ftorm, as the convulfed hypo

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