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A By J O H N.B U N Y A N. Published by Charles Doe, 1692. Published four years after John Bunyan's death. |
CHAPTER IV.
OF THE MATERIALS OF WHICH THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON WAS MADE.
he foundation of the house of the forest of Lebanon was of the
same great stones which were laid in the foundation of the temple of the Lord (1
Kings 7:2-11). And this shows that the church in the wilderness has the same foundation
and support as had the temple that was at Jerusalem, though in a state of sackcloth,
tears, and affliction, the lot of the church in the wilderness; for she, while there,
is to howl (Zech 11:2). Now since the foundation is the same, what is it but to show
also that she, though in an afflicted condition, shall certainly stand; "The
gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). Her confronting idolatrous
nations is therefore a sign of her troubles, not any prediction of a fall. Her rock
is steadfast, not like the rock of her adversaries, the enemy being judges (Deut
32:31).
But that which in special I take notice of is, that I find, in a manner, in this
house of the forest of Lebanon, nothing but pillars, and beams, great timber, and
thick beams, and of those was the house builded; pillars to hold up, and thick beams
to couple together, and thus was the house finished. I read not here of any garnishing,
either of the pillars, beams, doors, posts, walls, or any part of the house; all
was plain, without garnish, fitly representing the state of the church in the wilderness,
which was clothed with sackcloth, covered with ashes, wearing her mourning weeds,
with her tears upon her cheeks, and a yoke or band about her neck (Isa 52:1,2, 61:3).
By this kind of description we may also note with what kind of members this house,
this church is furnished. Here, as I said, that is, in the house of the forest of
Lebanon, you find pillars, pillars, so in the church in the wilderness. O the mighty
ones of which this church was compacted! they were all pillars, strong, bearing up
the house against wind and weather; nothing but fire and sword could dissolve them.
As therefore this house was made up of great timber, so this church in the wilderness
was made up of giants in grace. These men had the faces of lions; no prince, no king,
no threat, no terror, no torment, could make them yield; they loved not their lives
unto the death. They have laughed their enemies in the face, they have triumphed
in the flames.
They were pillars, they were pillars of cedar: the cedar is the highest tree in the
world;[6] wherefore in that this house was made of cedar, it may be to denote that
in the church in the wilderness, however contemned by men, was the highest perfection
of goodness, as of faith, love, prayer, holy conversation, and affection for God
and his truth. For indeed none ever showed the like, none ever showed higher cedars
than those that were in Lebanon. None ever showed higher saints than were they in
the church in the wilderness. Others talked, these have suffered; others have said,
these have done; these have voluntarily taken their lives in their hands, for they
loved them not to the death; and have fairly, and in cool blood, laid them down before
the world, God, angels, and men, for the confirming of the truth which they have
professed (Acts 15:26; Rev 12:11). These are pillars, these are strong ones indeed.
It is meet, therefore, that the church in the wilderness, since she was to resemble
the house of the forest of Lebanon, should be furnished with these mighty ones.
Cedars! the same that the holiest of all in the temple was covered within, and that
house was a figure of heaven, to show that the church of God in the wilderness, how
base and low soever in the judgment of the world, is yet the only heaven that God
hath among the children of men. Here are many nations, many kingdoms, many countries,
and many cities, but the church in the wilderness was but one, and she was the heaven
that God has here; hence she is called, "Thou heaven. Rejoice over her thou
heaven" (Rev 18:20). And again, when the combustion for religion is in the church
in the wilderness it is said to be in heaven—"And there was war in heaven. Michael
and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels"
(Rev 12:7).
The church therefore loseth not all her titles of honour, no, not when at the lowest,
she is God's heaven still; though she may not be called now a crown of glory, yet
she is still God's lily amongst thorns; though she may not be called the church of
Jerusalem, yet she may the church in the wilderness; and though she may not be called
Solomon's temple, yet she may the house of the forest of Lebanon. Cedars! cedars
are tall and sweet, and so are the members of the church in the wilderness. O their
smell, their scent, it hath been "as the wine of Lebanon" (Hosea 14:5-7).
They that have gone before have left this smell still in the nostrils of their survivors,
as that both fragrant and precious.
This house of the forest of Lebanon was builded "upon four rows of cedar pillars"
(1 Kings 7:2). These four rows were the bottom pillars, those upon which the whole
weight of the house did bear. The Holy Ghost saith here four rows, but says not how
many were in a row. But we will suppose them to allude to the twelve apostles, or
to the apostles and prophets, upon whose foundation the church in the wilderness
is said to be built (Eph 2:20). And if so, then it shows that as the house of the
forest of Lebanon stood upon these four rows of pillars, as the names of the twelve
tribes stood in four rows of precious stones upon Aaron's breastplate when he went
into the holiest, so this house, or church in the wilderness, stands upon the doctrine
of the apostles and prophets (Exo 28:17, 29:10). But because it only saith it stood
upon four rows, not specifying any number, therefore as to this we may say nothing
certain, yet I think such a conjecture hath some show of truth in it, however, I
will leave it to wiser judgments.
"And it was covered with cedar above, upon the beams that lay on forty-five
pillars, fifteen in a row" (1 Kings 7:3). These pillars, as the others, are
such upon which the house did also bear; this is clear, because the beams that lay
upon the four rows of pillars afore-mentioned lay also upon these forty-five.
It seems, therefore, that these four rows of pillars were they that were the more
outside ones; that is, two rows on this side of the house and two rows also on that;
and that those forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row, stood in three rows more inward,
and so did bear up with the other the beams that were laid upon them, much like to
those inner pillars that usually stand in our parish churches. If so, then the first
four rows did seem to be a guard to these, for that, as they stood more to the outsides
of the house, so more to the weather, and nearer to the first approach of the enemy.
And this may show that the apostles in their doctrine are not only a foundation to
the forty-five pillars, but a protection and defence; I say a protection and defence
to all the pillars that ever were besides in the church in the wilderness. And it
is to be considered that the four rows are mentioned as placed first, and so were
those upon which the thick beams that first were for coupling of the house were laid;
the which most fitly teacheth that the office and graces of the apostles were first
in the church in the wilderness, according to 1 Corinthians 12:18.
These forty-five pillars standing in the midst, by the others, may also be to show
that in the time of the trouble of the church in her wilderness state, there will
be those that will stand by and maintain her apostolical doctrine, though for so
doing they bear the burthen of the whole. But I read of no chambers for ease or rest
in this house, here is no room for chambering. They that were for being members in
the church in the wilderness, must not look for rest until their Lord shall come
(Rom 13:13,14; 2 Thess 1:5-9).
Here therefore was but hard lodging; the house of the forest of Lebanon was not made
for tender skins and for those that cannot lie out of down beds, but for those that
were war-like men, and that were willing to endure hardness for that religion that
God had set up in his temple, and is fitly answered by that of the apostle: "Thou,
therefore," my son, "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may
please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim 2:3,4). Forty-five pillars!
It was forty-five years that the church was of old in a bewildered and warlike condition
before she enjoyed her rest in Canaan (Josh 14:10). Now, as there were forty-five
years of trouble, so here are forty-five pillars for support, perhaps to intimate
that God will have in his church in the wilderness a sufficient succession of faithful
men that, like pillars, shall bear up the truth above water all the time of Antichrist's
reign and rage.
The thick beams that lay over-thwart to couple this house of the forest of Lebanon
together, did bear upon these forty-five pillars, to show that, by the burden-bearers
that have and shall be in the church of God in the wilderness, the unity of that
house is through the Spirit maintained. And indeed, had it not been for these pillars,
the sufferers, these burden-bearers in the church, our house in the forest of Lebanon,
or, more properly, our church in the wilderness, had before this been but in a poor
condition. Thus therefore this church, which in her time is the pillar and ground
of truth in the world, has been made to stand and abide it. "When the blast
of the terrible ones has been as a storm against the wall" (Isa 25:4; 1 Tim
3:15). "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against
me" (Psa 129:1,2).
Thus you see how the house of the forest of Lebanon was a type of the church in the
wilderness; and you see also by this the reason why the house of the forest of Lebanon
had its inward glory lying more in great pillars and thick beams than in other ornaments.
And indeed, here had need be pillars and pillars and beams and beams too, since it
was designed for assaults to be made upon it, since it was set for a butt for the
marksman, and to be an object for furious heathens to spend their rage against its
walls.
The glory therefore of the temple lay in one thing, and the glory of this house lay
in another: the glory of the temple lay in that she contained the true form and modes
of worship, and the glory of the house of the forest of Lebanon lay in her many pillars
and thick beams, by which she was made capable, through good management, to give
check to those of Damascus when they should attempt to throw down that worship.
And as I said before, these pillars were sweet-scented pillars, for that they were
made of cedar; but what cared the enemy for that, they were offensive to him, for
that they were placed as a fortification against him. Nor is it any allurement to
Satan to favour the mighty ones in the church in the wilderness for the fragrant
smell of their sweet graces, nay, both he and his angels are the more bent to oppose
them because they are so sweet-scented. The cedars therefore got nothing because
they were cedars at the hands of the barbarous Gentiles—for they would burn the cedars—as
the angels or pillars get nothing of favour at the hands of Antichrist because they
are pillars of and angels for the truth, yea, they so much the more by her are abhorred.
Well, but they are pillars for all that, yea, pillars to the church in the wilderness,
as the others were in the house of the forest of Lebanon, and pillars they will abide
there, dead and alive, when the enemy has done what he can.
The pillars were set in three rows, for so are forty-five when they are set fifteen
in a row. And they were set in three rows to bear. This manner also of their standing
thus was also doubtless significant. But again, they, these pillars, may be set,
or placed thus in three rows in the house of the forest of Lebanon, to show that
the three offices of Christ are the great things that the church in the wilderness
must bear up before the world.
The three offices of Christ, they are his priestly, his prophetical, and his kingly
offices. These are those in which God's glory and the church's salvation are most
immediately concerned, and they that have been most opposed by the devil and his
angels. All heresies, errors, and delusions with which Christ's church has been assaulted
in all ages, have bent themselves against some one or all of these (Rev 16:13,16).
Christ is a priest to save, a prophet to teach, and a king to rule his church (Isa
33:22). But this Antichrist cannot bear, therefore he attempts to get up into the
throne himself, and to act as if he were one above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped (2 Thess 2:3,4; Rev 19:19-21). But behold! here are pillars in three
rows, mighty pillars to bear up Christ in these his offices before the world and
against all falsehood and deceit.
Fifteen in a row, I can say no further than I can see; what the number of fifteen
should signify I know not, God is wiser than man; but yet methinks their standing
thus should signify a reserve; as suppose the first three that the enemy comes at
should be destroyed by their hands, there are three times fourteen behind; suppose
again that they should serve the next three so, yet there is a reserve behind. When
that fine one, Jezebel, had done what she could against the afflicted church in her
time, yet there was left a reserve, a reserve of seven thousand that were true worshippers
of God (1 Kings 19:18; Rom 11:4).
Always when Antichrist made his inroads upon the church in the wilderness, to slay,
to cut off, and to kill, yet some of the pillars stood, they were not all burnt in
the fire, nor cut down. They said indeed, "Come and let us cut them off from
being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" (Psa
83:4). But what then? there is a difference betwixt saying and doing; the bush was
not therefore consumed because it was set on fire; the church shall not be consumed
although she be afflicted (Exo 3:3). And this reason is, because God has still his
fifteens; therefore if Abel falls by the hand of Cain, Seth is put in his place (Gen
4:25). If Moses is taken away, Joshua shall succeed him (Josh 1:2,3). And if the
devil break the neck of Judas, Matthias is at hand to take his office (Acts 1:16-26).
God has, I say, a succession of pillars in his house; he has to himself a reserve.
Yet again, methinks that there should be forty-five pillars, and besides them four
rows of pillars, and all this to bear up an invisible burden, for we read of nothing
upon the pillars but the heavens and roof. It should be to show that it is impossible
that a carnal heart should conceive of the weight that truth lays upon the conscience
of a believer. They see, nothing, alas, nothing at all, but a beam, a truth, and,
say they, are you such fools to stand groaning to bear up that, or what is contained
therein? They, I say, see not the weight, the glory, the weight of glory that is
in a truth of God, and therefore they laugh at them that will count it worth the
while to endure so much to support it from falling to the ground.[7] Great pillars and beams,
great saints and great truths, are in the church of God in the wilderness; and the
beams lie upon the pillars, or the truth upon the saints.
The tabernacle and ark formerly were to be borne upon men's shoulders, even as these
great beams are borne up by these pillars. And as this tabernacle and ark were to
be carried hither and thither, according to the appointment of God, so were these
beams to be by these pillars borne up, that therewith the house might be girt together,
kept uniform, and made to stand fast, notwithstanding the wind and storm.
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