520 OF THE TABERNACLE AND ARK. [EXERC. XXII.
John xi. 41, with the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews, which the angels were not able to look into, Eph. 1. 9, 10, and. were therefore said to cover their faces with their wings, as not being able to look into the depths of those mysteries: but in Ezekiel’s vision, when they attended the will of God in the works of his providence, they looked upon them with “open face.” Wherefore, from the diversity in all these visions, it appears that nothing certain concerning the form or wings of the cherubim made by Moses can be collected. Most probably they had each of them only one face, directly looking one towards the other, and each two wings, which, being stretched out forward over the mercy-seat, met each other, and were mere emblems of the divine presence and care over his covenant, people, and worship.
18. And this was the whole furniture of the most holy place in the tabernacle of Moses. In that of the temple of Solomon, which was more august and spacious, there were, by God’s direction, two other cherubim added. These were great and large, made of the wood of the olive-tree, overlaid with gold; and they stood on their feet behind the ark westward, with their backs towards the end of the oracle, their faces over the ark and mercy-seat eastward, toward the sanctuary; their wings extending twenty cubits long, even the whole breadth of the house, and meeting in the midst; their in- ward wings were over the ark, 1 Kings vi. 23-28; 2 Chron. ii. 10-13.
19. And this was that appearance of his glory which the Lord God of Israel granted unto his church of old; which though it was beautiful and excellent, as appointed by himself, yet was it but carnal and worldly in comparison of the heavenly and glorious mysteries of the gospel, especially of Him who, being obscurely sha- dowed out by all this preparation of glory, was in himself the real “brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” as shall further be declared on Heb. i. 3.
EXERCITATION XXIII. OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIESTHOOD.
1. Of the office of the priesthood—The high priest in particular, the most illus- trious type of Christ. 2. The call of Aaron to the priesthood. 3. Things concurring to his call, and separation to his office. 4,5. The garments prescribed to him—Ordinary; 6. Extraordinary. 7. The nature of the office of the high priest——What he performed himself alone ; what with the assistance of other priests; what with the assistance of priests and Levites.
SECT. 18, 19.] THE HIGH PRIEST AND HIS OFFICE. 521
8. His blessing the people—His judging of them. 9. The succession of these priests. 10. How many served under the tabernacle; 11. How many under the first temple; 12. How many under the second temple—The dis- turbance of the succession—Fatal end of the Aaronical priesthood.
1. THE principal glory of all Mosaical worship consisted in the per- son and office of the high priest. The Scripture calls him 157, 25730, [Lev. xxi. 10], “the great priest,” iepeds 6 wiyas, or cpysepeds. This priest, with his attendants of the same family, was the hinge whereon the whole worship of the Judaical church depended and turned ; and therefore our apostle doth undeniably prove that “the law of commandments contained in ordinances” was to be changed, be- cause there was a promise of raising up a Priest that was not of the house of Aaron, nor of the tribe of Levi, which the observation of the law in the worship of God could not consist withal, Heb. vi. 11, 12. Now this high priest being, in his person and his office, the most illus- trious type of the Messiah and his office, and the principal means whereby God instructed his church of old in the mystery of the re- conciliation and salvation of sinners, most things concerning him are expressly and at large handled by our apostle, and must, God assist- ing, come under our consideration in the several places wherein by him they are insisted on. I shall therefore here only, in these pre- vious discourses, give a brief account of some such concernments of his person and office as will not directly again occur unto us.
2. What was the state and condition of the priesthood in the church from the foundation of the world until the time we now treat of, by whom that office was executed, how they came unto it, and wherein it did consist, I have declared elsewhere. The foundation of an especial priesthood in the church of Israel is laid Exod. xxvii. 1. Provision being made of holy things, God proceeds to supply the church with holy or dedicate persons for their administration. The first thing expressed is the call of the high priest. Hereof there are two parts ;—first, God’s revelation and authoritative constitution con- cerning it; secondly, His actual consecration.
The former is expressed, Exod. xxviii. 1, “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.” Aaron was the elder brother of Moses, born three years before him, Exod. vii. 7; and was now eighty-four or eighty-five years of age when God thus calls and appoints him to the office of the priesthood. With him all his sons, all the males of his family, were dedicated unto the service of God in their successive generations, And in this call unto his office he was a type of Christ, who entered not on his priesthood but by the designation and authority of the Father, Heb. v. 4, 5.