Zerubbabels encouragement to finish the temple. A sermon preached before the honourable House of…

Now concerning the first part of this Vision,¹ namely, the Candlestick, with all its Lamps lighted, you may ask how this should come to be a fit Hieroglyphic to betoken this work of finishing and perfecting the Temple? I answer, thus: The Candlestick was one of the chief Utensils and Ornaments of the Temple, and therefore is still first mentioned, as in Exod. 25. 31. and in the 9. to the Heb. ver. 2. where all the sacred household stuff of the Inner Temple are specified, the Candlestick as being chief is ranked first, [wherein was the Candlestick, and the Table, and the Shewbread;] and therefore is here most aptly put for the bringing in all the rest into the Temple; and of all those other best and aptliest served to represent the finishing thereof: for whilst the Temple remained uncovered with a roof, there was no bringing in the Candlestick, as lighted; and till then there needed no light to be brought into it, it being sub dio, under open air: But when the House it self should once be reared, according ⟨p. 9⟩to the pattern, without the Candlestick and its light, it would have been full of darkness, (as some affirm, which I will not now dispute:) For however, the bringing in the Candlestick argued not only the completeness of the edifice, and building it self, but also by a Synecdoche, the introducing all sorts of ordinances that were appointed for the adorning of it. An Altar would not so evidently or necessarily have supposed the Temple perfected; for Ezra 3. 3. an Altar was set up, when yet not so much as the foundation of the Temple was laid, ver. 6. But a Candlestick, and that lighted too, supposes the house built and completely furnished. And therefore under the Gospel their whole Church state, and that as in the Primitive times, under their full perfection, is set forth by seven golden candlesticks, so Revel. 1. 13. which ver. ult. are interpreted to be the seven Churches of Asia. The difference is, that here is but one candlestick, because the Church of the Jews was national, and but one; but there are seven, for the Churches under the Gospel are many.