rows of precious stones; on which were to be engraved also the names of the tribes. The order of these stones is generally misunderstood. It is supposed that they were in four rows, up and down; but the text says expressly they were placed four square; and the names of the tribes were arranged in the same manner that the tribes were encamped about the tabernacle. When the Holy Ghost has seen meet to enumerate particularly the precious stones used for this purpose, in the same manner as the twelve gates and foundations of the New Jerusalem are described, Rev. xxi. we may rest assured there was a very important design in view; and although we confess ourselves incapable of fully expounding the subject, we have no hesitation in saying, that on this breast-plate there was an exact representation of the church of God; that they are called precious stones, because of the high value in which they are held by the Son of God. Moses is directed, ver. 30. to put the Urim and Thummim in this breast-plate of judgment.' There have been an endless variety of conjectures as to this Urim and Thummim; indeed, infinite wisdom, which saw meet to describe with the most exact minuteness, every pin and cord of the tabernacle, gives no particular account of this mode of divine revelation. The most generally received opinion was, that the shining from the mercy-seat upon the twelve stones of the breast-plate, intimated the sacred answer. But this by no means corresponds with the literal words of the text: Thou shalt put the Urim and Thummim in the breast-plate.' Besides, the answer of Urim could only be attained once a-year, if the high priest received it from the mercyseat; for there he only entered once a-year. Now this we know was not the case. That the judgment of Urim was one of the grandest privileges of the Jewish service is obvious. A priest standing up with the Urim and Thummim, was a matter of the highest importance. See Ezra ii. 63. and Nehemiah vii. 65. We shall therefore hazard a few remarks on this subject, on which our readers will lay no more weight than they find that the word of God seems to

warrant.

We have already stated, that the stones, with the names of the twelve tribes, were arranged in the exact order in which the tribes were encamped; and that therefore the whole church of Israel was thus represented on the breast-plate, and carried by the priest on his heart into the holiest of all. When we examine the appearance which the church of Israel made when thus encamped, we find that she was great indeed, having THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL IN THE MIDST OF HER. In the centre of the twelve tribes thus encamped, appeared the pillar of cloud, the Schechinah, the divine presence, typically displayed. This was the glory which pertained to Israel, and which Eli said was departed when the ark of the covenant was taken. Now Moses is commanded to place the Urim and Thummim in the midst of the twelve stones; and whatever this was, we feel a strong confidence

in asserting, that it corresponded with the more visible Schechinah, and that it was an emblem of the Holy One of Israel. Viewing it in this light, we can understand Moses saying, when blessing Levi, Thy Thummim, and thy Urim, is thy HOLY ONE, whom thou didst prove at Massah, with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah,' Deut. xxxiii. 8. Moses is not commanded to make an image, nor was Bezaleel*, cunning workman as he was, employed to prepare the Urim and Thummim: it appears to have been given Moses by God himself; and whatever it was, it appears to have represented the HOLY ONE; and to have answered the same purpose with the oracle on the mercy-seat. Our idea, therefore, is simply this, that as the high priest could enter into the holiest of all but once a year, and there alone direct communication with God could be had, a similar visible ray of the Schechinah constructed by divine wisdom, was placed in the centre of the breast-plate, and from thence the answer of God was miraculously obtained, on ordinary occasions. The exact appearance of the glory on the mercy-seat, we are not concerned in knowing; nor does the sacred historian tell us more of the appearance of that glory on the breast-plate, but simply that there it was. With this view of the subject, the instances in which God answered by Urim, that are recorded in scripture, exactly correspond. One of the most remarkable we shall find 1 Sam. xxiii. 8.-12. And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, bring hither the ephod. Then' (viz. when the ephod was brought, on which was the breast-plate with the Urim and Thummim, and David considered himself as in the immediate presence of God) said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard, that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake: will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?' &c. And the Lord said, Saul will come down.' And again, And the Lord said, The men of Keilah will deliver thee up.' Is it possible that this passage, which corresponds with many similar ones, can be read without carrying conviction, that the judgment of Urim was an immediate communica tion from God himself? We are in like manner expressly told, 1 Sam. xxviii. 6., that when Saul inquired of the Lord, he answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.' It is not a little remarkable, that as, in the second temple, there were neither ark, mercy-seat, nor cherubim, so no High-priest officiated there, ha

It is very remarkable, that the cherubim were to be of human workmanship: this is alone the strongest evidence that they were not representations of the godhead. But the Urim and Thummim, which Moses was commanded to put in the breast-plate, we have no account of their construction; indeed there can be little doubt that they were framed by God himself!

ving Urim and Thummim. We shall only farther add on this subject, that the Greek Septuagint, for Urim and Thummim, read Dela and Aletheia, LIGHT or MANIFESTATION and TRUTH. Paul expressly adopts these words, 2 Cor. iv. 2—4. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth (corresponding with Urim and Thummim) commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. For if our gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost; in whom the God of this world hath • blended the minds of those who believe not, lest the light (or Urim) of the gospel of the GLORY OF CHRIST, who is the IMAGE OF GOD, should shine into them.' To us, this passage, compared with what is above stated, is very conclusive. In the Urim and Thummim of old, there was what corresponded with Paul's words here; and this, we feel strongly persuaded, was a display of the glory of Christ, as the image of God, answerable to that on the mercy-seat. And as from that glory on the mercy-seat God spake of old, for he answered them from the cloudy pillar,' in like manner he spoke from the Urim and Thummim.

3. From the 31st to the 35th verse we have a description of the priestly robes worn under the ephod. The Septuagint notes expressly say that it descended to the feet, coresponding with Rev. i. 13. down to the ground.' Ainsworth considers the expression woven' as answerable to what is said of our Lord's garment, that it was without seam. The priestly robes, both that of the high priest and those of the ordinary priesthood, were evidently typical of that divine righteousness, in which all the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ shall be at last arrayed, Rev. xix. 14. The bell and pomegranate are particularly examined by Pirie, vol. iii. 197-211. to which we refer; only remarking, that the sound of the Great High Priest, when he entered into heaven itself, there to appear in the presence of God for us, was heard on earth on the day of pentecost.

4. From verses 37-40. we have the description of the plate of pure gold affixed to the fore-front of the mitre, with this inscription, Holiness to the Lord,' or, as Ainsworth reads it, The holiness of Jehovah.' Having far exceeded our bounds, we shall not detain our readers farther, on the remarkable account we have of this investiture of the high priest, than to mention, that nothing could more strikingly point out to the Israelitish worshipper that another priest should arise, whom this inscription should truly become; for he is himself alone THE HOLY ONE OF GOD.

From the 40th verse Moses gets instructions as to arraying the ordinary priests, who were all to be anointed also, and consecrated to their office. None of the priesthood durst officiate without their proper garments, otherwise death should inevitably follow. In all this was plainly shewn, that the comeliness put upon them was not their own. They, poor sinful mortals, had no holiness but what was ty

pically affixed to their forehead, or bound about their bodies: their mitre could be laid aside; their garments array another, for they were appointed by the law of a carnal commandment. But THIS MAN, who now officiated in the heavenly sanctuary, is arrayed with no borrowed, changing, humanly-constructed garments! Invested in the glorious garb of his own divine person and righteousness, he has an unchangeable priesthood. The more glorious and beautiful the garments of the earthly high priest were, the more clearly do they serve to point forth, how great the High Priest of our profession

is.

CHAP. XXIX.-We are now called to examine a different kind of typical service; which still more loudly proclaims the necessity that another priest should arise, Aaron and his sons were called and appointed of God to the priesthood: glorious garments were prepared for them; but their pollution, and the divine holiness of their antitype, must be still more clearly displayed. And, indeed, what are the leading points in which all revelation centres? Are they not summed up in, 1. The divine glory and perfection of Christ; and, 2. The abominable defilement of guilty man; or the garments of the great high priest, and the filthy garments of Joshua. Before Aaron or his sons could minister in the priest's office, they must be hallowed; take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, unleavened bread,' &c. then bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the ⚫ tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water,' ver. 4. This was the first step as to the consecration of the priest; and a very important one indeed! Their washings sanctified to the purify. ing of the flesh;' and when our Great Priest appeared, before he entered upon his ministration, he also was washed. It is wonder

6

ful how backward commentators have shewn themselves to attend to the constant reference to the Old Testament that appears in the New. Christ Jesus came the minister of the circumcision, to confirm the truth of God in the promises made unto the fathers.' He fulfilled every jot and tittle of that law, which was added in confirmation and illustration of God's promises. Would it really be believed, that men pretending to the strictest evangelical orthodoxy, would express themselves on our Lord's baptism by John in the following terms, 'Did he, the eternal God, then undertake so, to do? and can any 6 one, who believes him to be God, hesitate or doubt that he did accomplish what he undertook?' Impossible! There is nothing that the mind of man is fitted to receive with more absolute certainty than this, I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it.' If Christ, then, fulfilled all righteousness, nothing can be added to what he did; and as the faith of him implies that the work which he so performed was for his people, as whose representative he spoke of himself at his baptism in the plural number, so it is impossible to believe him to be

God, and yet, at the same time, to doubt or call in question the allsufficiency of his righteousness to justify the most ungodly of mankind.' See Simplex's Letters to Philophilos. Were ever plain words so twisted in order to be forced to say, what men wish they should. The simple account of the baptism of our Lord, as recorded by the Evangelists, is this: That as John was baptising in Jordan, then came Jesus also to be baptised of him; but John forbade him, say ing, I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus < it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.' Matth. iii. 13-15. Keeping the sacred text before us, let us examine three things asserted by our letter-writer, who is only echoing what thousands have said before him. 1st, That Jesus is here undertaking to do something. 2d, That he spoke this as the representative of his people. 3d, That, as speaking in this capacity, he says, it becometh us,' &c. If our blessed Lord is here undertaking to do something not now doing, it is expressed in a manner never before done. He uses not one word implying an engagement, or seeming to have the most distant respect to any thing but what he and John are now doing. No logical subtilty can make more of the expression than this: I acknowledge the force of your objection, that you have • need to come to me, but suffer this at present: all this condescen•sion is necessary; for thus, by so doing, by you washing me, it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.' Again, he is speaking as no representative, farther than all his people are connected in his sanctification; but words must lose their usual meaning, if us can here be applied to any others than himself and John. Lastly, To say that the us is spoken in connection with his people, and that in fulfilling all righteousness, they were connected, borders on doctrine truly profane. He alone finished the work given him to do, and of the people there was none with him. This righteousness fulfilled by him is imputed to them, but it is the Lord's doing, and marvellous it may truly be in our eyes. Our Lord appears in this transaction just about to enter upon his public ministry as the priest of God; and as the law, in the passage we are now considering, shadowed forth the righte ousness of the Son of God, by the washing of the typical priest, Jesus, as the end of that law for righteousness, came to John's baptism, and while washed there, the voice from heaven proclaimed, that now the righteousness prefigured in the law was fulfilled; for This my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' It appears from the following part of the history, that Aaron was washed at the brazen laver, Exod. xxx. 18.

❝ is

Thus washed from typical defilement, Moses is commanded to array Aaron with the sacred garments peculiar to his office. The holy crown mentioned verse 6. is, in the original, Nezer, that is separation this crown, therefore, properly belonged to him who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and NEZER, separated from sinners. After being