VER. 5.-And over it the cherubim of glory, shadowing the mercyseat; of which things we cannot now speak particularly.

The apostle proceedeth in his description of the immediate appurtenances of the ark. He hath declared what was disposed with reference to it, as the golden [censer; what was before it, as the pot of manna and Aaron's rod; what was within it, namely, the tables of the covenant. Now he showeth what was over it, so giving an account of its whole furniture, and all that any way belonged to it. Two things he

adds, namely, 1. The cherubim. 2. The mercy-seat.

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First. He describes the cherubim, 1. By their position they were 'over the ark.' 2. By their title, cherubim of glory.' 3. By their use they shadowed the mercy-seat.'

The making, form, fashion, and use of these Xepovbu, cherubim,' is declared Exod. xxv. The signification of the name, and their original shape or form, any farther than that they were alata animata, 'winged creatures,' are not certainly known. Most, as to the derivation of the name, follow Kimchi, who affirms the letter Caph to be servile and a note of similitude, and the word to signify a youth or a child' Such these images are thought to represent, only they had wings instead of arms, as we now usually paint angels; for their bodies, sides, and feet, are mentioned in other places, Isa. vi. 2; Ezek. i. 5-7, where they are expressly said to have the shape of a man. Wherefore, both as they were first framed for the tabernacle, and afterwards for the temple, when their dimensions were exceedingly enlarged, they were of human shape, only with wings to denote the angelical nature.

1. They were two of them, one at each end of the ark or mercy-seat. Their faces were turned inwards one towards another, so as that their wings touched one another. This posture gave to the whole work of the ark, mercy-seat, and cherubim, the form of a seat, which represented the throne of God. From thence he spake, whence the whole was called 7, 'the oracle.' As to their place and posture, they were over the ark. For these cherubim had feet whereon they stood, 2 Chron. iii. 13. And these feet were joined, in one continued beaten work, to the ends of the mercy-seat which was on the ark. Wherefore they were wholly over it, or above it, as the apostle here speaks.

2. As to the appellation whereby he describes them, it is 'cherubim,' Tns dons, of glory.' That is, say expositors generally, Xepovbu evdoka, glorious cherubim.' If so, this term is not given them from the matter whereof they were made. Those indeed in the tabernacle were of beaten gold, being but of a small measure or proportion, Exod. xxv. 18. Those in the temple of Solomon, were made of the wood of the olive tree, only overlaid with gold. For they were very large, extending their wings to the whole breadth of the oracle, which was twenty cubits, 1 Kings vi. 23; 2 Chron. iii. 10. But such was the matter of other utensils also, as the candlesticks, which yet are not called the candlesticks of glory. Nor are they so called from their shape and fashion. For this, as I have shown, most probably was the human shape with wings, wherein there was nothing peculiarly glorious. But they are so

called from their posture and use. For stretching out their wings on high, and looking inwards with an appearance of veneration, and so compassing the mercy-seat with their wings, all but the forepart of it, they made a representation of a glorious seat or throne, wherein the majestic presence of God did sit and reside. And from between these cherubim, above the mercy-seat, it was that God spake to Moses and gave out his oracles, Exod. xxv. 22. As a man on a throne speaks above the place where he sits and rests. Hence may they be called the glorious cherubim.

But I must add, that by glory here, the majestic presence of God himself is intended; the cherubim of glory, or the cherubim that represented the glorious presence of God himself, as he dwelt among the people. So the apostle, reckoning up the privileges of the Hebrews, Rom. ix. 4, affirms, that to them appertained the adoption and the glory. And therein not the ark is intended, although it may be that is sometimes called the glory, or signified under that name, as 1 Sam. iv. 21, 22; Ps. xxvi. 8; but it is God himself in his peculiar residence among the people, that is, in the representation of his presence which is in Christ, who is Immanuel, and therefore called the glory of Israel, Luke ii. 32. The cherubim being designed to make a representation hereof, as we shall immediately declare, are called the cherubim of glory.

3. As to their use, it is expressed by Karaokιalovra. The Hebrew word in that language is of the masculine gender, but the apostle here useth it in the neuter, as appears by this participle, and so do the LXX. where they make mention of them. This, as some suppose, is done, because, for the most part, they had the form of brute creatures. For so they say they had four faces, of a man, of a lion, of an ox, and of an eagle. But although there was this form in the appearance of them made to Ezekiel, ch. i. 10, yet was it not so of these images in the tabernacle, nor of them afterwards in the temple. But the only reason of this construction is, that the Hebrew word not being translated as to its signification, but literally transformed into the Greek language, is looked on as indeclinable, as all words foreign to a language are, and belonging to the neuter gender. 'Shadowing, covering, protecting,' . Exod. xxv. 20. They shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering over the mercy-seat with their wings;' or their wings covering over the mercy-seat.' But this office of the cherubim we cannot understand, till we have declared what was that mercy-seat which they so covered over, and which the apostle makes mention of in the last place.

The making and frame of ro iλaorηpiov, 'the mercy-seat,' is declared Exod. xxv. 17. In the Hebrew it is called 'capporeth,' or 'cipporeth,' from 'caphar.' The verb in Kal signifies 'to cover, to pitch over,' and thereby to cover, Gen. vi. 14. Thence is capporeth, a covering.' But this 'cipporeth' is rendered by our apostle Xaornolov, 'a propitiatory, a mercy-seat,' as it is also by the LXX. sometimes, and sometimes by εnua, an imposed covering.' But whereas, in allusion hereunto, the Lord Christ is said to be aσrηotov, Rom. iii. 25, and iλaoμos, 1 John ii. 2, that sense must be taken in, and so it is constantly rendered by our translation the mercy-seat.' And in that sense it is derived from 'cipper,' in Pihel, which signifies to remove, to take away,

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and consequently to be propitious and merciful in taking away of sin, as also to appease, atone, reconcile, and purge,' whereby sin is taken away. See Gen. xxxii. 20, to appease; Prov. xvi. 14, 'to pacify;" Ps. lxv. 3, 'to purge away', applied to sin; Ps. lxxviii. 38, 'to forgive iniquities; Deut. xxi. 8, 'to be merciful;' Ps. lxxix. 9, to expiate.' Thence is the day of expiation, the great day of fast to the Jews. This is the fast which was said to be over, in the storm that Paul and his companions were in; for it was on the tenth day of the seventh month, about which season navigation is dangerous. Hence 'cipporeth' is rendered iλaorηotov, a mercy-seat.' Yet if we will have respect also to the first sense of the verb, and its use in Exodus, we may render it 'a covering mercy-seat.' The matter of this mercy-seat was of pure beaten gold; the measures of it exactly commensurate, and answering to that of the ark; two cubits and a-half the length of it, and a cubit and a-half the breadth of it,' Exod. xxv. 10, 17. As to the use of it, it was put by by, ver. 21, above on the ark.' What was the thickness of it there is no mention. The Jews say it was a hand-breadth, which is not likely. However, it was of considerable substance, for the cherubim were beaten out of it, at its ends, ver. 18, 19. For the situation and posture of it, some suppose that it was held in the hands of the cherubim, at a good distance from the ark. And the reason they give for this conjecture is, that so it did best represent a throne. The mercy-seat was as the seat of it, and the ark as the footstool, for so they say it is called when the church is invited to worship at his footstool, Ps. xcix. 5. But this reason indeed everts the supposition which it was produced to confirm. For the ark and mercy-seat being exactly commensurate, and the one placed directly over the other, it could have no appearance of a footstool, which must be placed before the seat itself. Nor is there any mention of the hands of the cherubim, as there is directly of their feet in those made by Solomon. Nor is it probable they had any, but only wings instead of them; although those in Ezekiel's vision, as they served the providence of God, had the hands of a man under their wings, ch. i. 8. Nor could it be called a covering to the ark, if it were at that distance from it, as this conceit will make it to be. It was therefore laid immediately on the ark, so as the cherubim were represented to be above the throne, as the seraphim were in Isaiah's vision, Isa. vi. 2. It had, as we observed, the just dimensions of the ark. But the ark had a crown of gold round about it, that is, on its sides and its ends, Exod. xxv. 11, xxxvii. 2. But this crown or fringe of gold was so placed on the outsides of it, that it diminished nothing of its proportion of two cubits and a-half in length, and a cubit and a-half in breadth. Wherefore, the mercy-seat being exactly of the same measure, it fell in on it, within the border or crown of gold.

It remains only that we inquire whether it were itself the covering of the ark, or whether the ark had a covering of its own which it was placed on. It is certain that the ark was open, when the testimony or tables of stone, with the law written on them, were put into it. And there is no mention of the opening or shutting of it, how it should be closed and fastened when the tables were put into it. These things I suppose would not have been omitted had it had a covering of its own.

Besides, it is certain that this propitiatory, and the cherubim belonging thereunto, were never to be separated from the ark; but when the ark was removed and carried by the staves, they were carried on it. This is evident from hence, because whereas all the other golden utensils had rings and staves, wherewith they were borne; these had none, but must be carried in the hands of men, if they were not inseparable from the ark. And when the men of Bethshemesh looked into the ark, it does not appear that they first took off the mercy-seat with the cherubim, and then brake up the covering of the ark; but only lifted up the mercy-seat by the cherubim, which opened the ark and discovered what was therein, 1 Sam. vi. 19. I do judge, therefore, that this mercy-seat was the only covering of the ark above, falling in close within the crown of gold, exactly answering it in its dimensions. Out of this mercyseat, of the same substance of it, and contiguous to it, the cherubim being formed, their wings which were above, some distance from it, being turned towards it, did overshadow it, giving a representation of a glorious throne.

This is a brief description of the utensils of the most holy place. The ark, which was as the heart and centre of the whole, was placed at the west end of it, with its ends towards the sides of the place, the face as to the entrance, and the back part to the west end. Before it was placed the pot of manna, and the rod that budded, as afterwards, at one end of it, was placed the book of the law. In the ark was the testimony, or the two tables of stone, with the law written on them by the finger of God, and nothing else. When they were put into it, it was covered with the mercy-seat, and that shadowed with the wings of the cherubim. At the entrance to it was the golden altar of incense, with the golden censer, which although, as our apostle shows, it did in its use principally respect the service of this part of the tabernacle, yet could not be placed within the veil, because the high priest was not himself to enter till he had raised a cloud of incense, through which he entered.

The apostle having given this account of the sanctuary in both parts of it, and what was contained in them, adds, πɛɩ wv ovk eotɩ vvv deyɛiv Kara μɛpos, of which we cannot now speak particularly,' or rather, 'concerning which things it is not now a season to speak particularly,' or of the several parts of it one by one. And the reason hereof was, because he had an especial design to manage, from the consideration of the whole fabric, and the service of the high priest in it; from which the particular consideration of each part by itself, would have too much diverted him. Howbeit he plainly intimates, that all and every one of them in particular were of singular consideration, as typical of the Lord Christ and his ministry. For to this end doth he reckon them up in order. Only it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, not to give to the church a particular application of them in this place, but hath left it to our humble diligence to seek after it out of the Scripture, according to the analogy of faith, and such rules of the interpretation of those mysteries as himself giveth in the ensuing declaration of their nature, use, and end in general. This, therefore, I shall briefly endeavour, yet so as, according to the example of the apostle, not to divert from the especial design of the place.

As was said before, so must I say again, expositors either pass by these things without any notice, or indulge in various conjectures: without any certain rule of what they assert. Those of the Roman church are generally so taken up with their fourfold sense of the Scripture, literal, allegorical, tropological, and analogical, wherein for the most part they know not how to distinguish one from another, that they wrest this and the like passages to what sense they please. I shall keep myself to a certain rule, and where that will not guide me, I shall not venture on any conjectures.

When Ezekiel had his vision of God in the administration of his providence, he says of it, this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, ch. i. 28. And we may say of this holy place, with its furniture, this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, in the administration of grace.

Why God would in this manner, by these means, represent himself and the glory of his grace absolutely, we can give no reason but his own holy will and infinite wisdom. But this we find he did, and that with great solemnity. For first he made a glorious representation of it, immediately by his own power on the mount. He showed a pattern of it on the mount, which was not only an exemplar of what he would have framed here below, but expressive of the idea in his own mind of good things to come. And thereon he gave command that it should in all things be made exactly according to that pattern, enabling certain persons, with wisdom, skill, and understanding, so to do. And some things we may observe concerning the whole in general.

First, The nature of the things themselves, or the materials of the whole, being earthly, and the state of the church to whose service it was allotted being imperfect, and designed so to be, two things did necessarily follow thereon.

1. That sundry concernments of it, as the outward shape, form, and dimensions, both of the tabernacle and all its utensils, were accommodated to the present state of the church. Hence were they made outwardly glorious and venerable; for the people being comparatively carnal, were affected with such things. Hence were they all portable also at their first institution, to comply with the state of the people in the wilderness; whence alterations were made in all of them, excepting the ark and the mercy-seat, on the building of the temple. In these things, therefore, we are not to seek for any mystical signification, for they were only in compliance with present use. They served, as the apostle immediately declares, to the use of carnal ordinances, which were to continue to the time of reformation only.

2. That the resemblance of heavenly things in them was but dark and obscure, as the apostle expressly affirms, Rom. x. 1. This both the nature of the things themselves, being earthly and carnal, with that state wherein the church was to be kept to the fulness of time, did require.

Secondly. This yet is certain and indubitable, which gives us our stable rule of the interpretation of their significancy, that God chose this way and these means to represent his glorious presence in and with the Lord Christ, to all the ends of his mediation. For with respect to