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Spirit in himself, and by the communication of all spiritual graces and gifts unto others, the only cause of all true saving light unto the church. He is the true light which lighteneth every man coming into the world,' namely, that is savingly enlightened. Upon the entrance of sin, all things fell into darkness; spiritual darkness covered mankind, not unlike that which was on the face of the deep, before God said 'Let there be light, and there was light,' 2 Cor. iv. 6. And this darkness had two parts; first, that which was external, with respect unto the will of God concerning sinners, and their acceptance with him; secondly, on the minds of men, in their incapacity to receive such divine revelations unto that end, as were or should be made. This was the double veil, the veil veiled, and the covering covered, over the face of all nations, which was to be destroyed, Isa. xxv. 7. And they are both removed by Christ alone, the former by his doctrine, the latter by his Spirit. Moreover, there was no light at all in the sanctuary, for the performance of any holy administrations, but what was given unto it by the lamps of this candlestick. And therefore was it to be carefully dressed every morning and evening by a perpetual statute. And if the communication of spiritual gifts and graces do cease, the very church itself, notwithstanding its outward order, will be a place of darkness.

Obs. II. The communication of sacred light from Christ in the gifts of the Spirit, is absolutely necessary unto the due and acceptable performance of all holy offices and duties of worship in the church.--And,

Obs. III. No man, by his utmost endeavours in the use of outward means, can obtain the least beam of saving light, unless it be communicated unto him by Christ, who is the only fountain and cause of it.

4. The table and the shew-bread mentioned in the next place, respected him also under another consideration. The use of the tables which was all overlaid with gold, was only to bear the bread which was laid upon it. What resemblance there might be therein unto the divine person of Christ, which sustained the human nature in its duties, that bread of life which was provided for the church, it may be, is not easy to declare. Howbeit, the head of Christ is said to be as the 'most fine gold,' Cant. v. 11. Wherefore, the matter of it being most precious, and the form of it beautiful and glorious, it might as far represent it, as any thing would do which is of this creation, as all these things were, ver. 11. But that the Lord Christ is the only bread of life unto the church, the only spiritual food of our souls, he himself doth fully testify, John vi. 32, 35. He therefore, he alone, was represented by this continual bread of the sanctuary.

VER. 3-5.Μετα δε το δεύτερον καταπέτασμα, σκηνη ἡ λεγομενη ἅγια ἁγιων χρυσουν εχουσα θυμιατήριον, και την κιβωτον της διαθήκης περικεκαλυμμενην παντοθεν χρυσίῳ, εν ή σταμνος χρυση έχουσα το μάννα, και ἡ ῥαβδος Ααρων ἡ βλαστησασα και αἱ πλακες της διαθήκης. Υπερανω δε αυτης Χερουβιμ δόξης, κατασκιάζοντα το ἱλαστηριον περι ὧν ουκ εστι νυν λεγειν κατα μερος.

Μετα δε το δευτερον καταπέτασμα, σκηνη; but after the second vail or covering, the tabernacle.' Our Latin translation reads, post medium

velum ; that is, after the veil that was in the midst.' For there were not three veils whereof this should be in the midst, but two only. The Syriac somewhat changeth the words, 'The inner tabernacle which was within the face of the second gate.' The same thing is intended, but, 'the inner' is added; and after the second veil,' is expressed by an Hebraism. What кaтажTaσμа is, which is rendered velum, and velamentum, 'a veil, a covering,' and by the Syriac, a gate of entrance,' we shall see afterwards.

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'H λeyouevn; quod dicitur; quod vocatur: Syr.' it was called.' Χρύσουν έχουσα θυμιατήριον : aureum habens thuribulum, having the golden censer: Syr. and there were in it the house of incense of gold;' whereby either the altar or the censer may be understood. Ev Grauvos, Syr. and there was in it;' referring plainly to the ark.

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Περι ὧν ουκ εστι νυν λεγειν κατα μερος; non est tempus: non est propositum: It is not a time or place; it is not my purpose to speak:' non est modo dicendum: Kara μɛpos; 'singulatim ; Vul. Lat. per singula,' Arias, per partes.' Syr. By one and one, apart, particularly, according to the parts laid down distinctly.' The Syriac adds the following words unto these: 'It is not time to speak of these things by one and one, which were thus disposed.' But the original refers that expres

sion unto what follows.

VER. 3-5.-And after the second vail, the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid (covered) round about (on every side) with gold; wherein was the golden pot that had manna; and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; of which (things,) we cannot (shall not) now speak particularly.

The apostle, in these verses, proceedeth unto the description of the second part of the tabernacle, with the things contained in it, or the holy furniture thereof. His design is not to give us an exact description of these things, as he declares in the close of the fifth verse, but only to declare their use and signification. Wherefore he doth not propose an accurate account of their station and relation one to another, but makes such mention of them in general, as was sufficient unto his end, namely, to manifest their use and signification. Wherefore, they deal injudiciously both with him and the text, who rigidly examine every word and passage, as though he had designed an exact account of the frame, position, fashion, and measure of this part of the tabernacle, and every thing contained in it; whereas the use and signification of the whole is all that he intends. A due consideration hereof, renders the anxious inquiry that hath been made, about the assignation of holy utensils unto this part of the sanctuary, and the placing of them with respect unto one another, which was no part of his design, altogether needless. For with respect unto the end he aimed at, the words he useth are exactly the truth.

He describes this part of the tabernacle, 1. From its situation: it was after the second veil. 2. From its name given unto it by God

himself; it was called the holiest of all, or the holy of holies. 3. From its utensils or vessels, which were, First. The golden censer. Secondly. The ark. Thirdly. What was in it, or with it. First. The golden pot that had manna. Secondly. Aaron's rod. Thirdly. The tables of the covenant. Fourthly. The cherubim, which he describes, 1st. From their quality cherubim of glory. 2dly. Their use: they shadowed the mercy-seat. Fourthly. The mercy-seat itself, But this is mentioned as it were only occasionally, with respect unto the use of the cherubim. And this sufficiently manifests that in the rehearsal of these things, the apostle designeth not accuracy and order. For the mercy-seat was, for glory and signification, far above the cherubim wherewith it was overshadowed.

With respect unto these things among others, he affirms in another place, that the ministration of divine worship under the law was glorious. But withal he adds, that it had no glory in comparison of that which doth excel; namely, the spiritual ministration of divine worship under the gospel, 2 Cor. iii. 9, 10. And this is that which we should always mind in the consideration of these things. For if we yet look after, and value such an outward glory as they did exhibit, we are carnal, and cannot behold the beauty of spiritual things.

The verbal difficulties which occur in this context, have occasioned critical expositors to labour greatly about them. That is the field wherein they choose to exercise their skill and diligence. But as unto the things themselves, and the difficulties that are in the real interpretation of them, little light is contributed by most of their endeavours. Wherefore some of these words have been so belaboured with all sorts of conjectures, that there is no room left for any addition in the same kind. And it were but lost labour to repeat what must be confuted if it were mentioned. I shall therefore take no farther notice of any difficulty in the words, but as the explication of it is necessary unto the interpretation of the context, and so far nothing shall be omitted.

1. The first thing mentioned by the apostle, is the situation of this part of the tabernacle; μετα το δευτερον καταπέτασμα, it was ' after the second vail.' It was so unto them that entered into the tabernacle, they were to pass through the whole length of the first part, before they came unto this; nor was there any other way of entrance into it. And by calling this partition of the two parts of the sanctuary, the second veil, the apostle intimates that there was a former. Howbeit, that former was not a separating veil of any part of the tabernacle, as this was It was only the hanging of the door of the tent. This the apostle here reckons as a veil, because as by this veil, the priests were hindered from entering into, or looking into the most holy place, so by that other, the people were forbidden to enter or look into the first part of the sanctuary, whereinto the priests entered daily. The making of the first veil is declared, Exod. xxvi. 36, 37, and it is called пn To, the hanging or covering for the door.' The making of this second veil is declared, Exod. xxvi. 31-33, and it is called the veil or covering. The apostle renders it by kатaжɛтаσμа; as also it is, Matt. xxvii. 51, where it is spoken of in the temple. And so it is rendered by the LXX. Exod. xxvi. 31. As the former is called kaλʊμμa, a ‘covering.'

From Tεraw, which is 'to extend,' to stretch out so as to cover that over which it is so extended, is каTATEтασμа, a veil' to be a covering unto any thing; dividing one thing from another; as TEOITEтаσμа, is that which covereth any thing round about; such was this veil. The end, use, and signification of it, the apostle expressly declares, ver. 8. where they must be spoken unto.

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2. He describes this part of the tabernacle by its name; λeyoμevn âyıa áyɩwv, it is called the most holy,' the holy of holies.' op, so it is called by God himself, Exod. xxvi. 33, 34, the holy of holies; that is, most holy; the superlative degree expressed by the repetition of the substantive, as is usual in the Hebrew. Some give instances of this kind of phraseology in Greek writers, remote enough from Hebraisms; as Sophocles, deλaia deλav KUρEÇ, misera miserarum es; that is, miserrima. But although the phrase of aya ȧyıwv may be Greek, the apostle intends to express the Hebraism itself. And holy, in the Hebrew, is of the singular number; holies, of the plural; but in the Greek, both are of the plural number. And what is thus called, was most eminently typical of Christ, who is called by this name, Dan. ix. 24, 'to anoint the most holy.' The place in the tabernacle which was most sacred, and most secret, which had the most eminent pledges or symbols of the divine presence, and the clearest representations of God in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, is so called.

Obs. I. The more of Christ, by the way of representation or exhibition, any institutions of divine worship do contain or express, the more sacred and holy are they in their use and exercise.-But,

Obs. II. It is Christ alone, who in himself is really the Most Holy, the spring and fountain of all holiness unto the church.

3. The first utensil reckoned unto this second part of the tabernacle is, xovoovv Ivμarnpiov; and the relation of it thereunto, is, that it had it; exovoa. He doth not say, it was in it,' but, it had it.' If any one would see the various conjectures of learned men about this assertion of the apostle, as also about that following concerning what was contained in the ark, he may consult the collections of Mr. Poole on the place, where he will find them represented in one view. My design being only to declare what I conceive consonant unto the truth, I shall not spend time in repeating or refuting the conjectures of other men.

Aviation, we translate, 'a censer;' but it may as well be rendered the altar of incense;' as it is by the Syriac, the house of spices ;' the place for the spices whereof the incense was compounded. The altar of incense was all overlaid with beaten gold, hence it is here said to be xovoovv, ' of gold.' And whereas it was one of the most glorious vessels of the tabernacle, and most significant, if the apostle intended it not in this word, he takes no notice of it at all, which is very unlikely. And of this altar he says not, that it was in the second tabernacle, but that it had it.' And in that expression he respects not its situation, but its use. And the most holy place may well be said to have the altar of incense; because the high priest could never enter into that place, nor perform any service in it, but he was to bring

incense with him, taken in a censer from this altar. Whereas, therefore, there was a twofold use of the altar of incense; it was to be used by the ordinary priests, to burn incense in the sanctuary every day, and the high priest was to take incense from it when he entered into the most holy place, to fill it with a cloud of its smoke. But as the apostle, in this place, peculiarly intended a comparison between the Lord Christ and the high priest only, and not the other priests in the daily discharge of their office, he takes no notice of the use of the altar of incense in the sanctuary, but only of that which respected the most holy place, and the entrance of the high priest thereinto. For so he expressly applies it, ver. 12. And therefore he affirms this place to have had this golden altar, its principal use and end being designed unto the service thereof. This I judge to be the true meaning of the apostle, and the sense of his words. I shall not, therefore, trouble myself, nor the reader, with the repetition or confutation of other conjectures. And that this was the principal use of this altar, is plainly declared in the order for the making and disposal of it, Exod. xxx. 6, Thou shalt put it before the vail, that is, by the ark of the testimony before the mercyseat, that is over the testimony, where I will meet with them.' Although it was placed without the veil, and that for this end, that the high priest might not enter one step into the most holy place, until the smoke of the incense went before him; yet it had peculiar respect unto the ark and mercy-seat, and is therefore reckoned in the same place and service with them, by the apostle.

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And this is yet made further evident, in that when the high priest entered into the most holy place, and had no service to perform but with respect unto the things pertaining thereunto, he was to make atonement on this altar with the blood of the sin-offering, as he did on the ark and mercy-seat, Exod. xxx. 10. This is an undeniable demonstration, that as unto the use of it, it belonged principally unto the most holy place, and is here so declared by the apostle. Wherefore, the assignation hereof unto that place by the author, is so far from an objection against the authority of the epistle, unto which end it hath by some been made use of, as that it is an argument of his divine wisdom and skill in the nature and use of these institutions.

The manner of the service of this altar intended by the apostle, was briefly thus. The high priest, once a year, that is, on the solemn day of expiation, took a golden censer from this altar: after which, going out of the sanctuary, he put fire into it, taken from the altar of burnt-offerings, without the tabernacle, in the court where the perpetual fire was preserved. Then returning into the holy place, he filled his hands with incense taken from this altar, the place of the residence of the spices. And this altar being placed just at the entrance of the most holy place, over against the ark and mercy-seat, upon his entrance, he put the incense on the fire in the censer, and entered the holy place with a cloud of the smoke thereof. See Lev. xvi. 12, 13. The composition and making of this incense is declared, Exod. xxx. 34, 35, &c. And being compounded, it was beaten small, that it might immediately take fire, and so placed on this altar before the ark, ver. 36. And the placing

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