Heslup, Jotm Rsiaarks. . . Sunderland, 178i -4 X ' YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ToU He^l'^p REMARK S UPON THE Of' U O % M^ :S. ^ Jti^ JOMN; iiLbi.yj^>40F SUNJpER^A^jrp^ ABOBf HAST THOU PREPAR,Ep ME* — HEB, X. Ji jp R t N T E D; FORTHE AUTHOR, BY J.GRAHAM, SUNDERLAN^i is, a divine In Cornwall, is faid to h'"P been the tljtrj man who fet forth the whole Bible in Engll'/h. Thj next was the famous Mr Tindal!. He tranflated the Five Books of Mofcs ai:J the Ntfw Teftament, in the .year 1527. Afterwards, another di- viiie and liimftlf completed a tranflatioii of the whole BIbk. — ¦ A a iv PREFACE Kotwithftanding we are thus favoured, it is certainly very beco: filing, that evety perfon, who has time dnd bpp'brtunityi (houid endeavour to acquire the knowledge of the original Hebrew, which ¦Was, beyond all doubt* the firft language in the world. This he fhould do, without concerning himfelf at all with what are term ed the vowel-points .^ Moft of the learned, at prefent, tell us, that thefe points are a modern invention. They took their rife, Lord Forbes informs us, fome centuries latef than the days of our Savi our; contrived after the language ceafed to be coriimonly fpoken ty the Jew?, to favour their own conftrufilions; and therefore of no authority to determine the fenfe of aiiy one word in the book of God, The pure Hebrew was beat out of common ufage, du ring the time of the captivity; and the knowledge of it remained only among the few that were learned, and attentive to the true j-eliglon. An fl^^f; in the Hebrew boldly avers, relating to the Greek tranflation, as it was made long aftei- the returii from the Babylonifh captivity, when the genuine fenfe of the Hebrew^ vord» Was* In a great meafure lofl , that It is extremely defei^ive and im- perfed}; ; becaufe the Graek language does not contain fuitable words to convey the full and proper meaning of the Hebrew ex- preffions. A Reverend, Divine i in ihe. eflablt/lfed church, who has been remarkably ufeful for niany years, and whofe knowledge iii the Hebrew tongue is uncommon and furp'rillng, told me, he had fufficient reafon to believe, that the 72 tranflators, when they went into EgyjJt, had not a true copy of the Hebrew Bible; and that, if they had, in faft, given the genuing meaning of every Hebrew word, they muft have vilified the^n^.r of that idolatrous country, and given huge offence to King Ptolemy; which they would be fure to avoid. Neverthelefs, this work has been of great fervictf in tranflating vCbrds, relating to matters, where the tranflators were nnder no bias to rerider falfely.- — To this' day It may be called a good key for conftruing the Hebfew Bible. It appears, from an attentive fnrvey of Mofes' worts, that I'le only republlftied, in writing, what before had been made known 10 Adam and the Patriarchs, by figures and-hieroglyphlcks. Sa crifices ivere obferved long before the days of Jilofes, and graci- oufly accepted; which they never could have been, unlefs God- had commanded them ; notwithftanding what many great names have faid to the contrary — The Reader would do *ell to perufe the xxvth, x'xvlth, and xxvlith chapters of Exodus, when he. is looking over the following pages. They were written for my own jnivatc ufe, but happened to fall Into the hands of a great man, and an eminent fcholar, who highly approved of wfiat I had faid. This induced me to venture them abroad, Suudertatrd, 1 , '. S'M. I (.1789. J ' J. HESLUF. REMARKS UPON THE rABERNACLE of MOSES. THE Gofpel was preached unto the people of Ifrael by fignificant types and elegant figures, inftituted on, purpofe to keep Chrift in view ; and thejr Were patterns, ferving as Copies, to con-vey ideas of their originals, according to what is written, Exod. xxv. 40..." And look, fays God to IVlofes, that thou make thern, namely, the tabernacle and all its vefTels, afrer'their pattern, which was fhewed thee in the mount." They Were the patterns of heavenly things, ias St Paul, feafoning upon this paflage, has aflured us, Heb. viii. 5, " who ferve unto the exam ple arid fhadow of heavenly things, as Mofes was ad- moniflled of' God, when he was abo^it to make the tabernacle, &c." Here is a plain prefcription of the fcopc and defign of the ceremonial law. An infallible interpreter afTures us, that it " ferved for ah exam ple and ihadow of heavenly things." Its ceremonies were examples to fpt thefe heavenly things before men's eyes, and to raife ideas of them ; and they werefhadows to delineate them, and to give an out ward fketeh of them ; and they were patterns, like a good plan or defign of rcprefenting them clearly and diftinftly. This was the nature of the types ; they were inftituted- to prefigure the heavenly things which were, to be in Chriii, and which were to be derived from him to belie vers. B ( 6 ) The iahcrnacte was ^ type of his Body, and evfrfy part ol its fa.rniture was a type and figiire of what was to be in the humanity of the incarnate God ; all its vefTels were apt figures and beautiful pidurei^ of thofe divine graces which were in him, and which believers were to receive out of his fiilnefs- A witnefs of great authority d^pofes (John i. 14.) " the Word was made tlcfli, and dwelt ftabernacledj among us, and we be held his glory, tbe glory as of the only begotten of the Father, .ftill of grace and truth." The hvatjlruduh^ likewife reprefented tlie cbiirch which the Redeemer rules, and in which herefides : It was an-ob;l6ng reft- angular figure, 30 cubits long*, 10 broad, athd loirt height : The name in Hebrew is. Mefhhecen, a dwelh in^-ptace r It oonfifted of three parts ; the eaurl, ihe haly place, and the holy of holies. The court was where the people met for prayers and inftruflion, and where. fbey waited, whilft that was. tranfafting whieh was' performed in the middle-apartment, and in t\\efanc-> turn faniiorUm ; the people being Chriffi's ftiyfticall bo dy, and the pfielt his' perfoiiator. Here \vas there-i fore a promifc that the Meffiah fhould come into the world, and perform really what was typified by facri- fices in the court, &c. and Inwardly., in his own body, and rtiind, what was done in the middle temple, thro' which the prieft carried ineenfe into the h6ly bf holies,^ or heaven, and then, returfled and blefb the people. But it would take up too much time to be particular, and it is pJain enough to any attentive perfon, whop willtake St. Paul's word for it, *' that thefe things were figures of the true." The two fides of the tf^bernacle and one end were Compofcd of boards ftandihg Upright ; this is redorrf-, ed Exod. xxvi. 15. f.' And thou flialt make boards foe. the tabernacle of fhittim wood, ftanding. up. Teit cubits f fliall be the length of a board,, and a cubit and a half \ fhall be the breadth of one bfoard j twenty, * A cubit Is I foot 10 inches, our meafure. — Thirty cubits are 54 feet 9 inchesi — Ten cubits 18 feet 3 inches.' f TeacubltSj 1 8 feet 3 ine"- ( 7 ) boards bn tht foulh fidfej and twenty on the north." verfe 19, 20. — Ihefe were fitted into fockets ; two fockets under every board : They were properly hin ges, on which the doofs were carried, and which di- re^led their motions : Relating to the boardsj they Were bafes into which the bot]Com of them, entered. Hence we read, ibid, verfe 19. '* Thou flialt make 46Todkets of filve^ under the 20 boards ;" again, chap. xxvii. 10. *' and the 20 pillars thereof, and their ao fockets fhall be of brafs." Every board had tvno un der it ; and evefy pillar, to fupport the veils or hang ings, one. We have a ftrikiri^ philofophical qtieftion, ih which this Word '& ufed. Job xxxviii. b. Where- lipoft arc the foundations therfeof fastened ? (fockets made to fink) by what are ife fockets funk or entered into? The pillars of heaven, that" fupport and move the earth, have no bars or foCkets to fupplbrt therti ; thfey ftand without afiy vifible foundation. The boards t)f this celeftial fabric \vere united at the top by links or hai|)s, and on the fides by wooden bars, which ran through rings or ftaplcs. This is called a ring, becaufe it is what the finger is thruft into, and frora the precious ftones fet ift it, and the devices upon it. The ark, fable for the Ihew-bred, altar, &c. were to be caifried by ftaves, through four rings at the cor ners, in token that the four winds carry and circulate the earth ; and that the glad tidings of the Gbfpel fliould be conveyed to every part of the hahitable' globe. By the wife direftion of God, all povvrer in heaven, over the earth, depending bn the circulation of its own parts; and by that cirtiulatibri they wheel ' abblit the globe, give us rain and food, and all other neceflaries. Bars are alfo mentioned, Exod. xxvi. 26." " Thou flialt make bars of Ihittim wood ; five for the boards of the bne fide of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other fide of the tabernacle; and the naiddle bar in the midft of the boards fliall reach from end to end." — This middle bar ran thro^ the hoards, which were morticed for that pvirpofcj-- B a ( 8 > Snd the other four fliot through rings on the boards,-' and held them together. He is commanded, verfe 29.- to " overlay the boards with gold, and to make thcii/ rings of gold, for places for the bars :" So there were four rings for each board, that the bars might run in them. The boards, thus fixed in thtir fockets, repre fented the eftablifliBient of behevers in the pure doc trines and excellent precepts contained in the Gbfpelj and it is a good thing that the heart be eftablifiied with grace, that we know our principles, be pe'rfua- ded of tHeir reality, and invariably abide by them. The tabernacle, thus fitted and reared, had three different coverings, one thrown over the other, which hung down on the fide near to the filver foundation. The firft and loweft carpgt was made of fine linen, richly embroidered with figure* of cherubims, infliades- of blue, purple, and fcarlef. The name, in the origi- lial, h Jl:>efh, rtndered k^s^- twined. (ShezerJ a thread of blue and fcarlet filk were twined together, of which the curtains were wove. The ' fagerdot-ai robes likewife, with a lion-man, inwroaght as thick as the figures could ftand, were corapbfed of the fame materials. This carpet confifted often breadths', which wefejoined together with blue loops (lelaath.) Thefe loops anxi this cover related to the colour of the fliy, and the circulating fluid at the extremities, or more d-iftant firniament to the fight, which covers the great tent of the world. The next covering was made of goats-harr fozem.J The fingular noun is ufed, in the Hebrew tongue, to denote ftrength; and the goat is fo called, becaufe of its boldnefs or impudence, in coTnparifon of flieep, who. are (keehefh) meek. Of this creature's hair was the covering, under confideration, made. 'Ihefe were coupled together with brafs-claifps ; the ftuff beinn- lefs valuable than the former, the tacks were fo alfo. The bonds of unity may be as ftrong between curtains of Bfoats-hair, as between thofe of purple and fcarlet.— i be third carpet \vas made of raons-fkin, died red. 'C 9 ) Tills was the uppermoft of all. What kind pf beafl: this wasi is not certain. Its name in Hebrew is tjpeek- efh. Our tranflators term it a badger. What is here called badger's (kin was of a blue fl-iy-colour. We ufe the flcins of the beaver, fox, otter, martin, and other fuch wild creatures, for warmth and ornament; moft or ail pf which are remarkable for their hvfhing,, as they run, as well as fpeed. This upper covering was a plajn allufion to the azure fl^y, fpotted with ftars. Now obfcrve, the outfide of the tabernacle was coarfe and rough; the beauty of it was, in the inner curtains— -Thofe perfons, in whom God by his Spirit dwells, will labour to be better than they feem to be. Hypocrites put the befl; fide outwards, like whited fe- pulchres; whereas, " the King's daughter is all-glo rious within." ' In the eye of an unconverted world, Ihe is as \" -black as Kedar ;" but, in the eftimation of God, "comely as the curtains of Solonion." — A •real Ghriftian's adorning relates chiefly to the hidden man of his heart. .¦ . Thus we have feen the outfide 'of the Mofaic tent, jn the manner it was fet up, and as it was placed to •caft and {he weft, Exod. xxvi. 22. The weft end be ing boarded, that which looked eaftward was flielter- ed with an elegant curtain, hung upon five pillars^of fliittim wood. This text does not tell us how low this 4;urtaiii hung. Fhilo makes it touch the ground; yo/^/iZ>w fays it only canje half way down. '1 he inlide of this ftrufture was divided into two rooms, by means of a veil or curtain, hung upon four pillars. This veil was made of lich fluff, both as to its quality and workmanftiip, and adorned with cheru bims, and other ornaments, curioufly embroidered up on it. "' Round the tabernacle there was a fpaciods area or court, 100 cubits long, or 182 feet 6 inches; and 50 cubits, or 91 feet 3 inches broad ; fet Vith pillars, put in bafes of brafs, and filleted with filver, at the diftance of 5 cubits, or 9 feet 2 inches, from one another; fo that there were 20 pillars on each ( ro ) •fide, and lo at each end of the court. Thefe plTlaw .had filver hooks, on which the hangings were faften- ed, that formed the inclofurc of the court. Ihey Were of fine twined Hnen, Exod. xxvii. 9. The ori ginal word, keloifn, imports, that ihey were flung upon the pillars. Someimagine they were ntt-work. Tlieen- .trance into this court was at the ea,ft end, taking the ¦tabernacle, where richer hangings, for the fpace of 20 cubits, were fuppbrted by four. of the pillars, and ;not fattened like the reft, but raade either to draw or lift up. This covering of the facred edifice difco- vers to us the fafety of the myftic body of Ghrift^^ .1 he Prophet Ifaiah, iy. 5, 6. fWee^ly preaches, and ably defends this point. He knew, relating to found -believers, that they were_ in fa^ the flieep of Chrift, .p&rehafed hy his blood, and covered v^itb his everlaft- ing righteoufnefs. " The Lord, fays he, will create .upon every^ dwelling-place of Mourft Sion,' and upon .her affemblies, a cloud of fmoke by day, and the fhi- ning of a flaming fire by night ; ior upon all the glo- .ry fliall be a defence, a covering- And there fliall be a tabernacle, for a fhadow in the day-time from the heat, and, for a place of refuge, and for a covert froni ftorra and from rain." Mofe? was enjoined to piake 1 1 curtains '* of fine twined linen, of blue, and purple, and. fcarlet, with cherubims of cunning work," Exod. xxvi. i. The. length of the curtains was 28 cubits, or 51 feet, each; •their breadth 4 cubits, or 7 feet 4 inches. They were_ coupled together by loops a.nd Caches, according t^ the Divine command. As the boards, fixed in fock- cts and made uniform by bars, imported eftablifhmentj fo the curtains, thus tacked, held forth unity among the members of Jefus, who. are all partakers of the graces of the Holy Ghpfl;^, of one family, and heirs of the fame kingdom. — In the Epif^le to the Ephcfians, chap. iv. 3, 4, 5, 6. St. Paul beautifuMy illufisr^tes the doftrine of Mofes, *' Endeavouring to keep! the unity of the Spirit in the bond oi. peace. There is one ba- B3 ( ?! ) Ay, and one fpirit, even as ye are called in ofle hope ot your calling, (^ne l^ord,, one faith, one baptifm, pne Grvd and Father of all, who is above all, and thraogh all, and in you all." — How little of this be nevolent ^nd gofpel tem]>€r is to be met with, or feen in the Chriftian world ? How many are there among us, "wbo talfc largely or their experience, and fpeak much of love ; who exhibit their own interpretation^ pf Scripture as mfallibly certain, and cruelly cenfure thofe who cannot coincide with them ? — Where is thfe fpirit by which the firft Chriftians were aftuated, Ic^d, and guided ? Q that profe^ors of religion woyld pray inpre, and difpute le*s ! Let us now take notice of the furniture of the ta- tiernacle. — In the court ftobd the altar of burnt-nffer- ing, and the-brazen-lavev- — We meet with the altar, Exod. xxvii. I, &c. " Thou fhalt niake an altar of fliittim wood, &c.'* It was 5 cubits, or 9 feet 2 inch es long; and ^cubits broad; the height of it3 cubits, ^r 5 feet and a half, k was placed towards the end of the coi;rt-yard, fronting the entrance of the taber nacle, and at a cojlV(inient dift'^ncc from it, left the iinoke of the fire, which W^as coollantly burning, ihouid fiilly the pretty veils and neat curtains belong ing the lovely place. It had 4 brafs-rings, through which 2 b^rg were put, by which It was, carried upon the pjriefta ihoulders. Horns ar^ faid to have been at the lour cprners of it. There are natural as well as "artificial fe^ms ; as alfo metaphorical, denoting power and fplendjd glory. The glory and ftrerigth of the firmkmeiit- are in thefe rays or horns of light. The blood of thp facrifiees was, put upon the four horns of this altar. The atonement ^t the end of the year was made upon them. The altar reprefented Chrift, and th6 blood, put "upon, the hocns of it, fhewed, to believers his love and obedience, by refifting. unto death. This was his glory, becaufe it gave him power to atone for his brethren to all the ends bf the earth, or in the four Quarters of it j and the horns were undivided parts, o£ ( li ) it, fliewing that Jefus fliould derive hisftrcngth from what he fuffered on the altar: And the. faid altar was four fquare, the horns of it likewife four; which told the fervants of God, that the four corners of the world fhould have an equal right to redemption. Thcliorns of this altar Adonijah caught bold, of, whicli was cry^ ing out, Mercy, for Chrift's fake. , The other confiderable utenfil in the court of the ta-, bernacle, was the brazen laver, Exod. xxx. 1 8. " Thou flialt alfo make a laver of brafs, and his footalfo pfbrafs^ to wafli withal. And thou flialt put it between thq tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thon fhalt put water therein. For A^iron and his fons fliaU wafli their hands and their feet thereat, when they go. into the tabernacle of the congregation ; they f^aU wafli their hands, that they die not." — Qbferve, here is a brazen laver to be made 5 Mofes' is to. rnake it , it is to be put between the tabernacle of the congre gation and the ^Itar. That Being, who ordered hirn to make, as well as the very metaj of lyhicb it was tq be raade, likewife tells him where it was to be placed,' and the ufe that was to be made pf it. Mofes did nothing of his own head ; it wjis not left; to his -own difcretion- , He did not think it becoming to confbrnji to the cuftoms of Egypt, where the Ifraemes had long dwelt, or any other nations with which they were fur- rounded at prefent, Mofes did not think the folemn ordinances of his Maker were things to bg tr.i^e4 with. He was taught better, than to iniagine, tha,t he might praftice different forms of church-government, in different places, to gain the favour of Heather] prin ces; or to make himfelf mprq popular. Mpfes attend ed to the direftions of Jehovah, and regarded not the cuftonis of Pagan rulers', nor the arbitrary injunftions of idolatrous kings, or the fawning fycophants that crouched to them. It is written 2 Chron. iy. 2, &c. that Solomon, by Divine order, made " 10 lavers, and a "molten fca." Mofes is faid to have mad^ hig Jgrer " of brafs, and the foot of it pf b.r?fss" " f^f the ( 13 ;) Toeking-g'affes^ of the women who afTembled at the door of the tabernacle of the (Congregation,'': Exod- xxviii. 3. — The ancient mirrors were generally made of poliftied bra,fs, pr fpme other metal. The learned have forii?ed curious conjciEtures relating to the quali ty qf this metal, of which this laver was niade; and, after all that they have faid on the fybjeft, have left their readers in dpubt apd uncertainty about it. — As the word p£ Gpd does npt mentipn itj,, lye myft not attempt to be wife above what is written. As tp- "->yb- men's affcmbling at the door of the tabernacle," fome derive it fron^ the praftice pf the ladies of Egypt, who, were wont to go to the temple with looking-glaffes in one hand, and a timbrel in the other. — It rather feems that t|iis mpde among the Jev^s was obferyed to flieisr. their love to God, and a pious zeal fpr rehgion. , Having looked about us in thecourt, let us venture with hply awe in^o the taberna,cle itfelf. — As we en-; ter in, we cannot avoi^ faying, '^ This is none other but the houfe of God, and the-gata of heaven." Ho\sf truly venerable I How furprifingly grand ! What, are •thefe lovely olpje^s, that cut fuch a ftriking figure, and make fa auguft an appearance ? They are the golden fandlejijck, th^ ^Itar of ineenfe, and the table of fheW'bread, . .. ' - I . U he golden candleftick was made of pure gold, .iExod. xxv. 31. This was an image of that in our .heavens ; and that reprefents thcfulnefs of light in the heavens of Jehovah- It was very magnificent, and aa ornament to the place. Six branches were drawn* frpni the m«iin fhaft, and! was all of one piece pf beatr en gpld. It was flat, npt rpund like Pur fconces in churches ; and, according tp Jeronie'i piSure pf it, its feven lamps were pf an equal height. The myfle- ry pf the caindleftick was the. true light, Chrift, fill. ing the temple of God, the invifible body of his church, with evangelical illuniination, and profitable ^knowledge. — In the templcj erefted by a kirig noted lot wifdom, there wdre 10 candlefticks, i Kings, y\\. 4g J 'which was faying iri figures, what the Apoftle does in words ; " that all the fulnefs of the Godhead, ot light, dwelt in Chrifl," and was by him communica ted to the church. " Of his, fulnef?, fay believers, have all we received:" Yor feven denotes fulnefs, and ten. all. From the beginning Chrift has been the oidy tight of his people. The grave Prophets and zealous Apoftles baa all their lightfrom this candleftitk ; and, to this day, both minifters and people, fpeakers and bearers, are illuminated by the bright beams and re splendent ^Jiys bf this ceieftial lamp. We have na light in onrfelyes ; it comes from the inimaterial fun, held forth in type, by the feven lamps in the taberna cle. True Chriftians were " onee darknefs, now they are light in, the Lord, and it becomes them ttj wa:lk as children of light.'* 2. The ekdr of ineenfe was made of fhittim. wopd^ and overlaid •with gold. Of this we are informed,. Exod. XXX. 1, %.. " A.eubit, or i. foot lo inches, fha^ be the length thereof, an^ a, cybit the breadth, thereof, and two cubits, or 3 feet 8 inches, fhall be tlie height thereof." It was covered ¦with gold, in the natiTre of a carved nioulding round the top of it. Upon this.^ altar ineenfe ¦was bijrnt every moi;ning-and evening. it was alfo to be fprinkled v;ith the blood o^ the facri- fices, ¦yijhich were offered for fins of ignorance, comr- tnitted either by particular perfons, pr by the people in gro,f?. la the book of Exodus, chap. xxx. i o. this inftitution is to be found, in manner and form follow ing : " And Aaron fliall make an atonement upon the horns of it once In a year, with the blood of the fin- offering of atonement." — Again, Lev. iv. 7. fpeaking of a fin of the prieft, occafiojied by ignorance, in or der to atone for it, the facred command runs thus : *' The pi-ieft fhall put fome of the blood upon the horns of the altar of fwcet ineenfe before the Lord, ¦&c." — As to ineenfe, God enjoins Mofes, Exod. xxx. 1. as follows : " Thou fhaft make an altar to burn in eenfe upon,^ — The fmoke of it was q^uite agreeable. It typified the nfediatipn and interceflron of our great High Prieft ; and the efficacy of his vicarious bufinefe ist finely written, Rev. yiii. 3, 4. '-', Ani^ another-an- gel came and ftood at the altar, bating a golen cen- fer, and there ¦was given unto him mu^b incc«fe; thaet he ftjould offer it with the prayers of all faints uppn the g^ldeiti iVltar, y;hieh was before the throne. And the fino^ of the ineenfe, which came with the prayen? of the faints, afcended up before God, out of the aii- gel's band." 3. Another piepe of furniture, in tbjp holy pWc, was the table o{ Jhew-bread. — We find, in i Kings*, chap. yli. 48. that there \yeie ten tables in Splpmbn's J;e«*plc ; and yet they arc called a table, a Chroit. xiii. II. It was made of fhittim wood, two cubits^ pr 3 fi^t 8 inches, long; anil a cybjt, or i foot r© inches, broad ; and a ciibit and a half, or 2 feet 9, inehes, high y covered with gold, had 9 border found it, and a crown upon the border, to hpld the fhew- bread, for the children of tlie royal prieft to feed up on. This vas near Jis high as our common tables, and fuited to the reach of the hand, as they la,y down by it tp eat, Le,v. xxiv. 5. On this were fet twelve cakes, in tw^, rows ; fij? ir\ a, row ; twelye, according -to the nymher of the twelve tribes. In allufion pro bably to this, the Royal Prophet, thus addreffes his. Benefaftpr, Pfal. xxiii. 5. ^'* Fhou preparefl a table before me, in the prefence of mine enemies." Jefu^ Chrift is the bread of life ; his domeftics feed upon him, rejoice in him, ^nd are b'effed by him. Between the holy plao^ a.nd the moft holy., hung a veil, (Exod. xxvi, 31.) comp^jfed of the fame mate rials as the veftments of the high prieft. The com mand of God gave Mofes aythority to make it : — " Thou flialt make a veil of blue, and, purple, aij4 fcarlet, and fine twined linen, of cunning work, witb xherubims fhall it be made. And thou fhalt haiig it .upon ^ur pillars of fhittim' wood, overlaid with gol4 ppoa the four fockets of filver."— This veil exhibited ( i6 ) in figure the body of the Redeemer, and was rent frora .top to bottom at the memorable period of his deaths Matt. xxvi. 51. — All within this veil reprefented the heaven of heavens, and what the ever bleffed Trinity are now doing with regard to man ; and what was without, taught believers what Chrift was and did on earth ; which could not but afford real fatisfaftion and lafting peace. . As we have paffed through the holy .place, and made what obfervations we judged neceffary for the prefent thefe ; we will now take the liberty to view the holy of holies. • , Here we fee the ark of the tejlimony, and its cover^ called the mercyrfeat. We fliould be at a great lofs, even at our wit's end, in this bufinefs, had we not aii excellent guide, and a noble inftruftor ; his name is,. "And he fliall take of the blood of the bullpck, and fprinkle' ¦with his- finger, .upon: tht merey-feat, eaftward, and. before the mercy -feat ; fliall he fprinkle of the blood- with his finger, feven times." And an infpired au thor, who had been a jPiUrney tP the third heavens, gives us his opinipn pn the fubjeft,. Heb. ix. 3,4, 5. *' And after the fecbnd veil, the tabernacle, which is called the holieft pf all ; which had- the golden ccn- fer, and the ark of the covenant, overlaid round a-{ t ^0 ) bout with gold ; wherein was the golden pot that had the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenants. , And over it was the cherubims of glory, fhadpwing the mercy-feat, of which we cannot now fpeak particularly. Now, ¦R'hen thefe things were thus ordained, the priisfts went always into the firft tabernacle, accomplifliihg the fer vice of God. Biit into the fecond went the high prieft alone, bnce every year, not withoiit blood, which he offered for himfelf, and forthe errors of the people." He offered the blood, not to an angel, or to any num ber of thofe celeftial fpirits ;-^this -rt'ould have been' flagrant idolatry, and a giving that glory to the crea ture, from which men have been prohibited from the beginning; In the times of the Apoftles, among fcve- ral claffcs of philofppherS, the wprfliip pf angels was; much encpilraged ; againft-which St Paul, in his E- piftle to the C^lbffians, chap. 'ii. i8. boldly appears^ *' Let no man, fays he, .beguile" ydu pf yput reward^ in -a voluntary humiHty, and worfliipping of angels ; ititrtiding into thofe things which he hath not feen, vainly puffed Up by 'his fleflily mind." — As angel- "wprfliip is here, and in other places of holy writ, ex-i- pirefsly forbidden, it canrtotbe imagined, that the high prieft of the Jews,, on on^ of their moft folemn days, fhould offer the blood of the facrifices to angelic be ings ; therefore he muft have oSered it to the trinity,* reprefented by the cherubims. — We may add furtherj' when God raifed the humanity from the dead, " he fet hira at his own right hand, in the heavenly places. Far above all principality and pOwer, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, hut alfo in that which is to come, Eph. i. 21, " Angels and authorities being made fubjeft umoi him," I Pet, iii, 22.--rhefe argument^ may be fuf ficient to fhew to every perfon, not overgrown with prejudice, the defign ofthe cherubims in the moft ho ly place, before which the confecrated blood was fprin-' kled. Indeed the Jews themfelves eonfefs, that the ( 21 > fetietiiblc-exhibitlon was the foundation, ro£5t, heii% and marrpw pf the whple tabernacle, ¦ and the Levi tical fervice. The wprd cherubim, as to its original conftruftion, teftifies why they were fet up ; rab, a great one, a final m denoting the plu"ral number r^^OT, and caph, like as the great ones ; pr a ftmilitude ef the great oh/s : A figure pf the Majefty, anfwering to St Paul's megalevfunees of the Divine Nature. This great title was wrote upon thefe figures with a fun-beam (fays Mr Bates) by placing them in the centre of the beams of tbe fun, encirled with its glory. It was wri ting God upon them, vphich this derivation of the i(vord confirms. This might be ifluftrated from many, fa cred texts ; take one, Ifaiah xix. 20. " He fhall fend them a Saviour, and rab, a great one; if we prefix caph, then it wiU he, like as a great on'e ; add mem, then it wilLrun; like as the great ones. I appeal to any perfon, acquainted with the hplytpngue, if this be npt the true derivation 6f the word ? This bcantiful figure tvas inlaid in gpld, pn the walls iand dpors of the temple ; and embrpidered in the fa- cerdbtal veftments, Svithout which the principal ecclefi- aftic bfficer had no-power; more efpecially the lion-i man and palm-tree in bloom. A profound fcholar, pf our pwn nation, well verfed in priental learning, tells his readers, " that this wprd pccurs only as anouny and is the name of the hieroglyphical-compound figure of the four animals on the ark ; as alfo of the three agents of the firmament (fire, light, and fpirit) when fpoke of as figures of the Divihe iPerfons, and their power aad agency. The whole fcheme of redemption ^ and t?he attributes, and the diftinct parts of the per.^ fons in Jehovah, in the cefconqmy pf the Chriftian co venant, and fo the whole Bible, were defcribed in this, the firft way of writing." This hieroglyphic was A- dam's Bible, Gen. iii. ult.—rit was to keep a way t-o the tree of life. Ihere could be no atonement without thera. Adam and his children made the atonement, and were accepted ; confequently, had an' ark, with ( *2 ) cherubs upon it fbr that purpofe. Mofes fuited Bis itb the fize and proportion of his tabernacle— Solo mo nl his to that of his temple ; which were the fame, only oh a larger fcale. Hezekiah, at a time of troublcj in a feafon of diftrefs, fefcms to have had this view of the chernbims, or he would not have pfefented an abufive letter, which had been fent him by a pragi matical infolent enemy, to them. He knew their em-- blematical fighification, and was a i^ealous worfliippei: of the Trinity, three Perfons in one God, in covenant for his fal'vatioh. , . , We have now raade fome remarks iipoh the Mofa ic tabernacle, have viewed the court, and in it the al tar of burnt-offering, as well as the la'ver filled with water ; the fornier rcprefenting the death of Chrift j the latter fetting forth the purifying virtue of his in finitely precious blood, to cleanfe tranfgreffors fixiin the pollution of fin. , We have likewife taken the freedoini to walk into the holy place, where the golden candleftick, altar of incdife-, and the table bf fhew-brcadj prtfented the mi ifclves before ou'rcyesin an exhiferating point of view. Before we left the room, we were taught the myfti- cal fignification t>i thefe emblems :-'-the candleflick fet forth Chrijilj the true li^^ht, the i^ncenfe his inter- ceffion, and the fhew-bread the foul-nouTilhmeiit ¦\Vhich he affords to believers. As to the holy of holies, we haVe obferved it to bd all lined with gold ; and taken particular notice of the ark of the covenant, and got a fhort peep into it.— * When we had done this, we admired the mercy-fear^ and were almoft overwhelmed with the gr.ind ap pearance, and aiiguft fpcftacle of the cherubims. — We are, from all that we have feen itt this apart ment, fully fatisfied, that it was a figure of heaven ; and in particular, that tbe cherubims, overfnadow- ing the mercy -feat, diftin^ly indicated, that the Eter nal Three are united in a compafl: for the prefent falvation, and everlafting redemption of fmi'al nraii. ( 23 ) From all which, yre cannpt but difcern the gpoct. nefs of God, the beauty pf religion, and the happinefs which neceffarily attends thofe of mankind, who are effedtually called by grace, and conftitutcd heirs of that houfe, \vhich is madfe without hands, eter^i^V jn the heavens ! FINIS, YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 08844 4295 Ml ¦¦¦ -C":..,. ''fr- , 1-. 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