thus arrayed, the holy anointing oil is to be poured on his head. This anointing is called Mashach, from which our Lord is called the Messiah, or anointed. Now, this anointing was fulfilled, when, as was foretold, the Spirit of God, in a bodily shape, descended and abode upon Jesus: this immediately followed his call, This is my Son, and his washing at John's baptism. Thus, immediately after, we hear him in the synagogue applying the words of Isaiah to himself, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,' (it descended and abode upon him), because the Lord hath anointed me,' &c. Isaiah lxi. 1. Luke iv. 18. • Seventy weeks were determined till God should anoint the most Holy • One,' Dan. ix. 25.

From the 8th verse we have the consecration of Aaron's sons to the ordinary priesthood; and here it may be proper to remark, that the word in the 9th verse, and wherever it occurs in the Old Testament, translated consecration, is literally in the Hebrew filling the hand, viz. with those parts of the sacrifice, which, after they were waved in the priest's hand, were burnt on the altar, verses 23-25.

The bullock is to be brought near, in the 10th verse. All the sin offerings for priests were bullocks, which was not the case with others, Lev. iv. 3. 23. 28. Aaron and his sons were then to lay their hands on the head of the bullock. This is a circumstance which is often mentioned afterwards, and of the highest importance. It sets before us the nature of the imputation of sin and righteousness. Isaiah's words expressly refer to this: The Lord laid on him the iniquities ' of us all.'

When the great sin-offering, Jesus Christ himself, suffered without the gate, the glorious design of this often enjoined precept was fu!ly explained. Confession of iniquity was customary on this occasion: the form of Jewish confession is still preserved by Maimonides. I have sinned, I have committed iniquity, I have trespassed, and done thus and thus. 1 return in penitence before thee, O God, ⚫ and thus do I make atonement.' The bullock is said, verse 11., to be killed before Jehovah, thus pointing forth to whom the sacrifice was paid. In like manner, the Great Sacrifice was slain, before, or in the sight of Jehovah, for he gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, of a sweet-smelling savour.' It was killed at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.' This expression is often used; and whatever was done there, points to the fulfilment of it, as to be completed in the sight of all the people. The blood of this sin-offering was put on the horns of the altar, and the remainder poured out below it. The fat, &c. of the bullock was burnt upon the altar; and the flesh, skin, and dung, burnt without the camp, verses 12, 13, and 14. This sin-offering differed from ordinary sin-offerings, the blood of which was generally carried into the holy place. The design of it was evidently to consecrate the altar, which sanctified the gift. We frequently read in the law of

Moses, of the fat which is upon the inward parts,' which they were always enjoined to burn upon the altar. Fat, in scripture, is the emblem of the heaviness which is upon man's heart. Thus, we read of the heart of the wicked being as fat as grease,' Psalm cxix. 70. Jeshurun is said to have waxen fat and kicked.'. • Thou art

waxen fat, thou art waxen gross, &c. then he forsook God,' Deut. xxxii. 15. Isaiah prophesies of Israel, Make the heart of this people fat, &c. lest they should understand,' Isaiah vi. 10. This fat, then, was a figure of the corruption and wickedness of the inward part, which was to be burnt by fire on the altar. In like manner, the inward parts is used for the heart and mind, see Psalm v. 10. Ixii. 5. &c.: the fat upon the inwards appears to us, therefore, in a particular manner, to point out the evil heart of unbelief. In like manner, the word translated kidneys, is, elsewhere, properly called the reins, pointing out the very innermost recesses of the body, corre sponding with, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins,' &c. This gives a striking view of the perfection of the Great Burnt-Offering of the Son of God, purging, cleansing, and atoning for the most secret defilements of the human heart, and all its plagues. The language of Maimonides on this point is worth preserving. There

fore, the kidneys, and the fat which is upon them, and the caul that covereth the liver, were burnt unto God, to make atonement

⚫ for the sins of man, which proceedeth out of the thoughts of the reins, and lust of the liver, and fatness of the heart, for they all 6 consent unto sin.'

In verse 14. we have the first instance of that which frequently afterwards occurs, and on which Paul so strikingly comments, Heb. xiii. 11, 12, and 13. the burning of the flesh, his skin, and dung, without the camp. Dare any man, professing regard to the word of God, hesitate to acknowledge, after such an instance, that the most minute circumstance of the law had a most important figurative de sign. Thus far, then, we see how the law made men high priests who have infirmity, and who needed purging, atonement, and forgiveness first for their own sins; as the glorious end of all this priesthood, we have the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. In verse 18. we find the whole ram was to be burnt upon the altar, as a whole burnt-offering to Jehovah. The Hebrew calls it an ascension, because it went up by fire to God. This offering was a savour of rest, or, as Paul expresses it, a sweet-smelling savour, Eph. v. 2. Divine justice rested in the one offering of the Son of God, in whom the Father is well pleased. The offerings made by fire unto the Lord, prefigured the fire of divine justice which appeared in its fiercest flames, taking hold of the Son of God's love.

The second ram was for consecration. His blood was put upon the tip of the ear, hand, and foot of the priest. When this blood was put on the top of their right ears, it seemed to point out the sanctifying of their ears to hear the word from the mouth of the Lord, which they should teach unto the people, Ezek. iii. 17. 1 Cor. xi. 23. Isaiah 1. 5. Mark vii. 33. The thumb of their right hand was touched with blood, that their work and administration might be blessed and sanctified by the blood of Christ, and so acceptable to God, Deut. xxxiii. 11. In like manner their right foot, that their walk and conversation might be sanctified by the same blood, Phil. iii. 17. Gal. ii. 14. With this blood of the ram of consecration, Aaron, his sons, and their garments, were sprinkled and sanctified. The fat and portions of the second ram, which, in the first, were burnt on the altar, and offered for a wave offering. Of these wave offerings we shall afterwards have occasion to speak more particularly. We shall only observe here, that persons, as well as things, were sometimes waved before the Lord, Numb. viii. 11. For wave, the Greeks read separate; and, it is not a little remarkable, that this is the word by which Paul expresses his appointment to the work of an apostle, Rom. i. 1. Separated unto the gospel of God.'

In verse 26. we find, that the part given afterwards by the law to the priest, Levit. vii. 34. is here assigned to Moses. The breast and shoulder consecrated as the wave offering, were also called heave offerings, because they were heaved up, and thus given to the Lord. In the 29th verse, we are told that the holy garments now consecrated, in which Aaron was invested, should afterwards descend to his son, who was to officiate in his stead; but, before he should enter into the holy place, he should be seven days arrayed in the garments. By comparing this passage with Levit. viii. 33. and 35. we find, that these seven days they were to abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, day and night, to keep the watch of the Lord. It is thus evident, that they entered on the eighth day: on this circumstance we need not enlarge, as the reader who has paid the least attention to our remarks on the number seven, will be at no loss to discover the fulfilment of this at our Lord's ascension; and here, again, let us record the words even of a Jewish Rabbi: Great is the Sabbath day, for the high priest entereth not upon his service, after he is anointed, until the Sabbath pass over him, as it is written in Exod. xxix. 30.'

What is called the holy place' in verse 31. is evidently the courtyard of the sanctuary, from verse 32. compared with Levit. viii. 31. The stranger in verse 33. is one not of the lineage of the priesthood. All that remained till the morning was unlawful to be eaten, as polluted, and so to be burnt, Levit. vii. 18, 19.

U

Verse 36. directs Moses to offer a sin-offering every day for atonements, viz. for Aaron and his sons and the altar. The original word is sometimes translated expiation, propitiation, reconciliation. It implies, not only the turning away of the wrath of God, but his covering transgressions. There was one day annually, which we shall afterwards be led to examine, called the great day of atonements, Lev. xvi. 30. The altar, by this atonement and cleansing, every day, which verse 37. tells us means seven days, was to be an altar most holy, in the original holiness of holinesses. It was not only holy in itself, but sanctified the gifts which were offered upon it, and thus was a figure of Him, who is called the holy of holies, Dan. ix. 24.; who sanctified himself for his church, and who, though he knew no sin, became a sin-offering for his people. He is the true altar, Heb. xiii. 10., 'which sanctifieth all his people's offerings to God.

From the 38th to the 42d verse, we have the institution of the daily morning and evening sacrifice. It was accompanied with an offering of flour and oil, more fully mentioned afterwards, as the meatoffering. This was a continual burnt-offering, at the door of the ta bernacle of the congregation where I will meet with you.' Christ was the end of this law for righteousness, when he suffered without the gate; and because of his sacrifice, God meets with and speaks with his people. There, viz. in this burnt-offering, God met with the guilty, and sanctified his tabernacle by his glory. It was his glorious presence which truly sanctified the congregation and altar, as well as Aaron and his sons. And thus it became God's tabernacle, when he dwelt and foreshewed his being made flesh and dwelling among his people, in that body which God prepared for him, and which was truly sanctified by his glory; for that holy thing which was born of the Virgin, was called the Son of God. It is to be noticed, that the Hebrew word here translated dwelt, is Shacan. Thus the divine glory in which he dwelt among his people of old, which resided between the cherubim, and which the whole congregation were repeatedly honoured to see, at the door of the tabernacle, was called Schechinah. By this display of God, they were taught to look forward to the time when his glory should visibly appear dwelling among men. By this Schechinah, the God of Israel, who redeemed them from Egypt, was known as dwelling among them.

CRAP. XXX.The first ten verses of this chapter give us a particular account of the altar of incense, one of the most interesting articles in the holiest of all, within the vail. It is called the altar of incense, or perfume, because the odours offered on it were resolved into fume or smoke; and thus we read of a cloud of incense. It was to be made of shittim-wood, which the Greek correctly translates, incorruptible wood. It was to be overlaid with gold, verse 3. and is therefore called frequently the golden altar, Numb. iv. 11. Rev. viii. 3.; in like manner as the altar of sacrifice, being covered with brass, is called the brazen altar. This altar had also a crown of gold; and was an eminent type of his divine glorified person, as the incense was of his intercession. But as the brazen altar respected his appearance and ministration on earth, when he gave himself for us; so the golden altar respects his office in heaven, where he ever liveth to make intercession for us. Therefore is it within the, vail; and therefore has it a crown of gold; for he who now pleads, the advocate of his guilty people, is crowned with glory and honour at God's right hand for

evermore.

This altar was to be placed before the mercy seat, ver. 6.; for because of the incense of this altar, mercy flows to the guilty. Nay, more, because of this incense, God meets with his people. The Greek translates this passage, I will be known to thee there.' The Chaldee says, I will prepare my word for thee there.' The great use of this altar was to point out the acceptance of the prayers of the people of Christ, through his all-powerful intercession; and the consequent meeting, or communion which they have in prayer. On this account, their prayers are compared to incense, Psal. cxli.

2.

Aaron is commanded to burn sweet incense on this altar every morning and evening at the dressing of the lamps; and all strange incense is prohibited, that is, all incense not compounded as the Spirit of God directs downwards. And here we may remark, that as the sweet-smelling savour of this incense, respected the divine righteousness of Christ also, the smallest mixture of any thing in our prayers with this righteousness, is strange incense, and death is the consequence. It is most remarkable how carefully all corruption of this righteousness is guarded against in the law of Moses. Atonement was to be made on this altar only once a year, viz. on the tenth day of the seventh month, Lev. xvi. 18. 29. 30, as to which we shall there speak more particularly.

From the 12th to the 16th verse of this chapter, we have an account of a very remarkable institution of the law, the ransom of ، the soul by money. We have the best authority to say, that

the redemption of the soul is precious,' and that no man can pay to God a ransom for his brother;' yet it is here particularly enjoined, that when the people were summed or numbered, every one was to pay a ransom for their soul to the Lord, that no plague might be upon them. The numbering of the people had a particu