logue. The sacrifical services, in which the priests were chiefly employed, would not conveniently admit of their wearing gloves; and in public worship to be barefoot seems to have been reckoned a token of reverence even before the giving of the law. For when God appeared to Moses in the bush, he commanded him to "put his shoes from off his feet, because the place whereon he stood was holy ground," Exod. iii, 5. In those days this was an usual token of reverence during Divine worship, when men considered themselves as in the more immediate presence of God. It was fit, therefore, Moses should express the same kind of religious veneration in a place, which God, by manifesting himself in so extraordinary a manner, was pleased to render, pro tempore, a temple, or holy place. For the same reason Joshua is commanded to pay the like homage before the "captain of the host of the Lord," Josh. v, 15, who was undoubtedly "the angel of God's presence, in whom his name is," even the divine Aoyos; for it is said, Joshua "fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped him," ver. 14. This we cannot suppose he would have done, if he had esteemed him only a created angel, or that, if he had done it, his worship would not have met with such a rebuke as the angel gave to St. John, "See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow servant-worship God," Rev. xxii, 9. The Jewish priests, according to the rabbies, were required to be superstitiously exact in this ceremony; for if any thing intervened between their feet and the ground, they imagined their ministry would be null and invalid*. It may not be improper, here, to remark, that as the Jews accounted it a token of reverence to have their feet bare in public worship, so likewise to have their heads covered. This was accordingly the practice, not only of the priests but of the people, as at this day it is, in token of their modesty and humility, and of their accounting themselves unworthy to look up in the more immediate presence of God. Thus, on the Divine appearance to Moses in the bush, it is said, "he hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God," Exod. iii, 6. And on the extraordinary manifestation of the Divine presence * Vid. Mish. tit. Zebhac. cap. ii, sect. i; R. Bartenor. et Maimon. in loc. tom. v, p. 10, edit. Surenhus. ; et Maimon. de Ratione adeundi Templi, cap. v, sect. xvii, xix, p. 202, 203, Crenii Fasciculi Sexti. 人 to Elijah, he “wrapped his face in his mantle," 1 Kings xix, 18. On the same account, perhaps, the angels were represented in vision to Isaiah, as covering their faces with their wings in the presence of Jehovah, Isaiah vi, 2; to have the head uncovered being esteemed a mark of confidence. For which reason, in those places where the Israelites are said to have "marched out of Egypt with an high hand," the Chaldee paraphrast renders it "bareheaded," that is, with boldness and intrepidity. The ancient Romans, likewise, performed their sacred rites with a veil or covering on their heads, as appears from these lines in Virgil: Again, Quin, ubi transmissæ steterint trans æquora classes, Et positis aris jam vota in littore solves; Eneid. iii, 1. 403, &c. Spes est pacis, ait. Tum numina sancta precamur Ibid. 1. 543, &c. The Grecians, on the contrary, performed the sacred rites bareheaded. "Illie (nempe in æde Saturni) Græco ritu, capite aperto, res divina fit," saith Macrobius*. St. Paul, therefore, writing to the Corinthians, who were Greeks, declares, that "every man praying, or prophesying, with his head covered, dishonoureth his head," 1 Cor. xi, 4; thereby teaching us, that though the circumstances of dress, as well as gesture, in Divine worship are in themselves indifferent; yet such are proper to be used as the custom of the country where we dwell has rendered significative of humility and re verence. 5thly, The sacerdotal vestments are all supposed to have a moral and typical signification, though the more immediate design of them, especially of the pontifical vestes aurea, was "for glory and for beauty," Exod. xxviii, 2. For the whole ceremonial worship had "a shadow of good things to come," • Saturnal. lib. i, cap. viii, p. 222, 223, edit. Gronov. Lugd. Bat. 1670. Heb. x, 1; and it is said of the priests in particular, that they "served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things," chap. viii, 5. Concerning the typical and spiritual meaning of these vestments, as pretty commonly represented by Christians, consult Mather's sermon on this subject in his Types unveiled." As for the Jews, they discover a world of philosophy in them. Josephus * makes the high priest's linen garment represent the body of the earth; the glorious robe, heaven; the bells and pomegranates, thunder and lightning. Or otherwise, the ephod of various colours is the universe; the breast plate, the earth in its centre; the girdle, the sea; the stone on each shoulder, the sun and moon; onyx the twelve stones in the breast-plate, the twelve signs of the zodiac, or the twelve months in the year; the mitre, heaven; and the golden plate with the name of God engraven on it, the splendour of the Divine Majesty in heaven. Philo philosophises on them in a similar manner+. But the talmudical doctors assign them a more religious and moral signification; the eight garments denoting circumcision, which was to be performed on the eighth day; and each garment being to expiate a particular sin; the breeches uncleanness; the girdle, theft; the ephod, idolatry; the breast-plate, perverse judgment; the bells, evil speaking; the mitre, and the golden plate on the forehead, pride and impudence+. The Cocceian divines, who have great talents at allegorizing, find out in them, in a manner, all spiritual blessings and graces. Braunius, in particular, makes the mitre signify wisdom; the robe, righteousness; the breeches, sanctification; and the girdle, redemption: all which "Christ is made of God unto believers," 1 Cor. i, 30. By the other vestments are denoted the principal benefits of the gospel; election and adoption, by the ephod and the pectoral; vocation, * Antiq. lib. iii, cap. vii, sect. ult. tom. i, p. 156, 157, edit. Haverc. + Philo. Jud. de Somniis, apud Opera, p. 463, 464; de Vitâ Mosis, lib. iii, p. 518–521; de Monarch. lib. ii, p. 636, 637, edit. Colon. Allobr. 1613. ↑ Vid. Braun. de Vestitu Sacerd. Hebræor. lib. ii, cap. xxvi, sect. ix, x, p. 878-881, edit. Amstel. 1680; cap. xxvii, sect. dccxlv, dccxlvi, p. 707 -709, edit. 1701. or effectual calling, by the bells; faith, by the golden crown, &c*. These divines, as well as some of the ancients, have permitted their fancies to make excursions beyond the bounds of reason and good sense. Nevertheless those, who will ad mit of no typical meaning in any of these things, go into a contrary extreme. It will be happy, if we can hit the just medium, in attempting which the scripture will be our best guide. Three rites of the consecration, both of the high priest and the common priests, their washing, anointing, and clothing, being considered, there remains a 4th, The offering certain sacrifices according to the prescription in the book of Exodus, chap. xxix. These were a young bullock and two rams, beside unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers, ver. 1, 2; the bullock for a sin offering, one ram for a burnt offering, both which were entirely consumed with fire, ver. 13, 14, 18: and the other ram and the bread in the nature of a peace offering, part only of which was consumed on the altar, and the rest eat by the priests, for whom the sacrifices were offered, ver. 19-28. The first of these sacrifices, which was the sin offering, was to signify, that till their sins were expiated, they were not fit to perform any acceptable service, much less to offer sacrifice, or make atonement for the sins of the people. The second, which was the holocaust, or whole burnt offering, was in the nature of a gift or present, whereby they were recommended to God. The third was a peace offering, on which they made a feast, and by that were initiated into his family+. The ram of the peace offering is called in the Hebrew b eil milluim, aries impletionum, ver. 22: which Ainsworth renders the "ram of filling the hand;" because “the part, which was to be consumed on the altar, was first put into the hands of Aaron, and into the hands of his sons," ver. 24. Rabbi Solomon gives a different reason for the ram's being called op eil milluim, from No malè, plenus vel completus est; because the offering of this sacrifice completed Ubi supra, sect. xvi, xvii, p. 887-889, edit. Amstel. 1680; sect. decliii, decliv, p. 713-715, edit. 1701. † See Patrick on Exod. xxix, 10. the consecration, and thereupon the priests were fully invested in their office. Accordingly the Septuagint renders milluim by reλelwols, consummation; and hence perhaps the apostle, speaking of Christ, under the character of a priest, saith, he is stov alwva Teteλeiwμevos, Heb. vii, 28, consummated or perfected for ever. Godwin takes particular notice of two circumstances in these sacrifices: 1st, That some of the blood of the ram of consecration was put upon the tip of the right ear, and the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, of the priests who were consecrated, Exod. xxix, 20. Probably it was put upon their ear, as denoting the attention they, especially, ought to give to God's word, that they might be thoroughly instructed in the duties of their office, and be fit to be teachers of others; for attention to the word of God, or care and diligence in learning his mind and will, is expressed by "opening the ear," Job xxxvi, 10; Isa. 1, 5. The touching the right thumb with the same blood was to signify, that they were to attend with diligence on the work of their ministry; which is called "the work of their hands," Deut. xxxiii, 11. This phrase is expressive of any sort of active service. It is said in the Acts, that " by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people;" though some of these were wrought only by speaking," ver. 5; and others, by their shadow overshadowing the diseased, ver. 15, 16. Since the right hand only was consecrated by the sacrifical blood, the rabbies say, if a priest made use of his left, instead of his right, in performing any part of the service, it polluted it*. The touching of the great toe with the blood is supposed to signify, that they ought to take great heed, that their conversation might be holy, without blame, and such as became the ministers of God: for the conversation is frequently expressed by walking, Psal. i, 1; xv, 2; Prov. x, 9; Isa. xxxiii, 15; Phil. iii, 17; Gal. ii, 14; and in many other places, both of the Old and New Testament. And the application of the * Mishn. et Bartenor, et Maimon. in loc. ubi supra; Maimon. de Ratione adeundi Temple, ubi supra, sect. xviii. |