guages, rendering books written in those languages intelligible; of the folution of ingenious riddles, 1 Cor. xiii. 12.; not to fpeak of ancient hieroglyphics, the true meaning of which might poffibly, in fome cafes, be capable of convincing proof. But one of the kinds of reafoning that feems to come nearest to that in view is, that which convinces us, in many cafes, that a picture, refembling to a certain degree a known original, must have been defigned to reprefent that original.

The congruities of the ceremonial law to gospelmyfteries being infifted on at large in various ufeful treatifes, it is fufficient in this fummary to give the following hints.

The appointment of a tabernacle first, and afterwards of a magnificent temple, not merely as a fynagogue for public worship, but as the houfe or fpecial refidence of the God of Ifrael, and fymbol of his gracious prefence among his people, tended to inftruct the church in the moft fundamental doctrines concerning our chief end and chief good; by fhewing, that it is our chief good to draw near to God, and that our true happiness lies in communion with him: befides the fitnefs of this vifible habitation of the invifible God, to typify the future incarnation of him who is called Immanuel, God with us, in whom the fullnefs of the Godhead dwells bodily, being to be made flefh, that he might dwell (or tabernacle) among us, John i.

The mercy-feat covering the ark in the most holy place, where were the tables of the moral law, being reprefented as the throne of God; this tended to give finners fuitable views of the throne, or fovereign authority of God, as ruler, lawgiver, and fovereign judge of the world, of whom it is fo truly faid, that juftice and judgement are the habitation of his throne, Pfal. Ixxxix.; and to make finners approach God, with penitential impreffions of their own fintulnefs, of his infinite holinets, his broken

M m

law,

law, and offended juftice. Such impreffions tended to produce that felf-annihilation that becomes guilty finners in approaching fo great and fo holy a God. But this might produce terror and alienation from God, without fome fuitable relief. The Levitical fervice fhowed that fuch relief was provided. The work belonging to the priesthood, taken complexly, had a fitnefs in it to teach finners, on the one hand, "That fin was the caufe of diftance "and feparation from God; that finners had no ac"cefs to God immediately, or without the inter"pofition of a Mediator and his atonement ;" and, on the other hand, "That through fuch interpo"fition the throne of God was acceffible to fin"ners." All the ceremonial purifications that were required in approaching to God, in his tabernacle or temple, fhewed the need of applying to God for remiffion and fanctification, and the influence of the Mediator's atonement on both thofe parts of falvation.

As to more particular inftitutions, 1. The facrifices were to be offered up without the fanctuary; they were to be spotlefs; men were to offer the firftlings of their flocks, and heifers on whom no yoke had paffed. 2. The high pricft was to enter through the vail into the holisft of all, which was in a manner an invifible place; he was to fprinkle the blood of the facrifice towards the mercy-feat; he was to fill the holy place with incenfe; he was to appear there before God's throne, with the names of the tribes of Ifrael on his breaftplate; he was also to fprinkle the blood of the facrifices on the people. As to what was required on their part, they were to lay their hands on the facrifices that were offered up for them; they were to perform worship towards the most holy place, and with a particular regard to the high prieft's making atonement * for See much more on this fubject in Witfius, De myfteriis taber naculi Levitici.

them,

them. With regard to that facerdotal action, they were in a special manner required to afflict their fouls for their fins. In feveral cafes they were admitted to feast on the facrifices; and what was offered up for the people to God, was given back, as it were, by God, to the people to feaft on.

Thefe inftitutions had a manifeft fitnefs to reprefent the principal things which are in fome meafure revealed in the Old Teftament itself, concerning the Meffiah's priesthood; fuch as, his foul's being made a facrifice for fin, a facrifice without fpot; his being a woman's first-born †; the voluntarinefs of his oblation ; his making interceffion for tranfgreffors || at the right hand of God, or in heaven, which is called the high and holy place; his applying purchafed redemption, fprinkling many nations with his blood ++; their acquiefcing in his fubftitution and mediation; their founding their hope and pleading on it; their performing acknowledgement of guilt, prayers for mercy, and all other parts of worship, with a due regard to it; and their being abundantly fatisfied with the goodnefs of God's houfe, with the fealt of fat things made for all people **, in being filled with joy and peace in believing.

To all which we may add, that among other things in the holy place, either in the ark, or, as fome think, near it, was Aaron's rod bloffoming; which being originally a divine atteftation of Aaron's priesthood, was a very fit emblem of the Meffiah's future refurrection from the dead, as declarative of his divine miffion, and of his priesthood's being acceptable to God; nothing being more fit to reprefent one raifed from the dead, than a dead branch, or a branch cut off from a tree, restored to

vegetable life, and made to bud and bloffom, and bring forth fruit, If. xxvii. 6. Ezek. xvii.

Though no regard were had to the declared experience of the most upright Chriftians in all ages, as to the advantages refulting from the most ancient reprefentations of the Meffiah, illuftrated by fubfequent explications, and from the many lively expreffions in the prophecies applying the facrifical tyle to the Meffiah's work and office; it is evident from the nature of things, that vitible figns are useful means of ftrengthening mens impreflions of the most important invisible objects; as it is evidently fuitable to the wifdom of him who is the author both of nature and grace, to have regard to the frame of our nature, in the way of promoting the purpofes of his grace.

7. It is not only from other parts of the Old Teftament, but from the Mofaic revelation itfelf, that it can be proved, that making real atonement for fin was to be the peculiar work of the Meffiah. For feeing that revelation fhews, that it was he that was to bruife the ferpent's head, or that was to be the great deliverer of mankind from fin, the redeemer from all evil, and the fource of the bleffedness of finners of all nations; all thefe things fhew, that he was to be the author and purchafer of remiffion of fin, which is a chief eficct of real atonement for it, a chief thing included in redemption from all evil, a chief part of the true bleffedness of finuers, and neceffarily fuppofed in all the other parts of it.

To afcribe prop r atonement to the blood of the Levitical facrifices, would infer, in effect, that it was that blood that was to bruife the ferpent's head, to redeem from all evil, and, to blefs all nations: fo that the grofs explication of the atoning efficacy of thefe facrifices, afcribes to them the very principal things that are exprefsly afcribed to the Meffiah *. * See more on this fubject below, in applying to the Meffiah the 40th palm. VIII. Whereas

VIII. Whereas the famous paffage in Job xxxiii. 23. 24. appears at firft view involved in much obfcurity, feveral things that have been already obferved from the books of Mofes and Job serve in fome good measure to remove that obfcurity; and that whether we follow our prefent tranflation, or another which is very natural and literal, making the 24th verfe to run thus, "And fupplicates for him, "and fays, Deliver him ;" and fo to exprefs the interceffory prayer of him whom the former verfe calls the interpreter and meffenger.

The word rendered meffenger is the fame that is fo oft rendered angel. The word rendered interpreter is the fame that is fo rendered Gen. xlii. 23. and ambaffador, 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. The expreffion One among a thousand naturally imports, the chief among a thoufand; or a meffenger, angel, and interpreter of extraordinary and fingular dignity. As to the words expreffing this interpreter's inftructions, Shewing to man his uprightnefs," though they feem capable of different meanings, it is fufficient to the purpofe in view, that all thefe meanings are applicable to the Meffiah. Whether thefe words be meant of the righteoufnefs or juftice of God, the righteoufnefs of the Meffiah, the afflicted penitent's own fincerity, evidencing his intereft in God's covenant, or in general the right way of relief from fear and trouble; it belongs to the work of the Meffiah to fhew all these things in that light that leads moft effectually to the relief mentioned in the context.

All the characters contained in this paffage are not only really applicable to the Meffiah, but more naturally applicable to him, and in a more eminent degree, than to any other whatever. He is called an Angel or Meffenger in many fcriptures already cited. His being an interpreter, is implied in the Old-Teftament doctrine concerning his prophetic and particularly in the paffages above cited' from

office;