THE MYSTERY OF THE MEAL AND THE
THE bread prefigur'd Abra'm's blessed race,
The bread of faces, in the secret place;
Abra'm, Isaac, Jacob, chosen men,
Were typify'd by Sarah's measures then.
Three strikes were bak'd and plac'd beneath the tree
To represent the former chosen three.
These sires and promis'd seed He will restore;
He calls himself their God for evermore.
But when the tribes to numbers great increas'd,
And from the yoke of Egypt were releas'd,
The Lord appear'd to own his rescu'd guest,
And pitch'd his sanctum in the wilderness.
Twelve cakes were order'd weekly to be made,
And plac'd upon the golden table spread;
Each cake presents a chosen tribe restor❜d,
And plac'd, like Sarah's cakes, before the Lord.
Each Sabbath-day this bread must be remov'd,
To shew that stale devotion's not approv'd;
The loveless heart, that ne'er to Jesus burn'd,
Is but, like Ephraim, call'd a cake not turn'd.
The bread remov'd the death of saints might show, How they by death must leave the courts below; The stale shew-bread none but the priest must have, The food of Him that lov'd, and dy'd to save.
Fresh bread was plac'd in order once a week;
And fresh devotees God will daily seek.
This shews succession of the chosen race
From age to age to stand before his face.
The blessed Saviour entertain'd his guest
By metaphorics ta'en from Sarah's feast;
Compares his kingdom, which he would reveal,
To leaven hid in Sarah's strikes of meal.
By leaven here the grace of God is meant,
That runs, and works, and spreads its sweet ferment, Till all the ransom'd close with Christ their head, And Jew and Gentile both become one bread.
This leaven hid, in time shall leaven all
The chosen remnant whom the Lord shall call ;
By grace renew'd, and purg'd from guilt by blood,
Shall eat one bread, and be one bread for God.
The sanctum built, fram'd by Jehovah's mind,
Did represent the holiest divine,
Where Abraham, with all his blessed race,
Shall dwell, and shine before Jehovah's face.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MILK, AND THE USE OF IT.
ABRAHAM's house consists of weak and strong;
Young men and fathers, babes, and children young;
Each craves his food, and each must be supply'd;
All sue for Christ, nor is their suit deny'd.
The sires must have their sav'ry dish to please,
And meat that's strong young men digest with ease;
But Benjamin must have his usual mess,
His comforts often rise above the rest.
The babe in grace will never seem content
Unless the breast afford it nourishment;
When bastards rude insult the heir and mock,
Then Sarah gives the son of laughter suck.
The heart in which the Saviour Christ is form'd
Must needs be fed, be swaddled, nurs'd, and warm'd;
Divine conception needs a food divine;
Christ eats his honey, drinks his milk and wine.
The little stranger craves the flowing breast;
Depriv'd of this 'twill neither grow nor rest;
The lawful princess loves the children free,
Borne on her sides, and dandled on her knee.
Thus pious Sarah shew'd her tender care
When to the breast she plac'd the promis'd heir:
'My God has made me so to laugh,' said she,
'That all who hear will surely laugh with me.
Who would have told my hoary aged lord
That Sarah's womb to life should be restor❜d?
A barren wife at ninety years to breed;
My lord an hundred when I bore the seed!'
But Zion has two thousand years been wed,
And oft seems barren, to her Spouse's bed;
Yet num'rous sons of her have been foretold,
And they come forth as promises unfold.
From age to age she wears her hoary hairs,
And still prolific bears her promis'd heirs ;
While blood divine can ransom from the curse,
She ne'er shall want a babe in grace to nurse.
Some of her sons are creeping to the tomb;
Some on the knee, and thousands in the womb.
Thus Hephzibah till time's no more shall bear,
Th' Ancient of Days shall own each promis'd heir.
Let Zion's infant race be nurs'd and fed,
As Sarah and the virgin mother did.
Who feeds the saint? the Saviour Christ must feed, He dwells by faith in each believing seed.
The tender wife, with parent's love possess'd, Will feed with bread before she takes the breast: Thus Abraham and Sarah both conven'd
To make a feast the day that Isaac's wean'd.
Thus saints to Jesus shew their tender love
When to his little ones their bowels move;
They feed, they suckle, yea and wean them too,
As Sarah did, and then her Isaac grew.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BUTTER.
ESSENCE of herbage, thus distill'd, by kine
May figure out God's unctuous grace divine;
It cheers the mind, makes stubborn spirits soft,
And callous hearts by hope are rais'd aloft,
The Lord compares his own reviving word
To verdant fields with richest pasture stor❜d;
By God enclos'd is this eternal mead,
In which the pastors and the flocks shall feed.
Food brought from hence, digested and prepar'd,
Gives satisfaction when by faith 'tis heard ;
From hence the brook to Zion's household flows,
Like milk and butter, drawn from grass by cows.
This unction moves the scales from off the sight,
And brings the plan of sov'reign grace to light;
A precious balm, an unctuous oil of joy,
With which the saints of God can never cloy.
With milk and butter Jacob's seed were fed;
Of brooks of this in pious Job are read;
It makes the bolt of unbelief to yield,
While faith applies the truths that Christ reveal'd,
THE Tree, with its extended branches grown,
Might represent the plant of great renown;
The righteous Branch, the Olive Tree divine,
Beneath whose shade the saints of God recline.
This highest branch from David's cedar lopt,
This tender slip from off his twigs was cropt,
And set by God on favour'd Zion's hill,
Beneath whose boughs believing tribes shall dwell;
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