But we shall have a very inadequate notion of the breast-plate, unless we understand,
II. Its typical intent —
Few are so ignorant as to need to be informed, that Christ is our great High-Priest. Now the breast- plate, of which we have been speaking, was designed to represent,
1. What Christ is doing for us —
[Christ, in the execution of his priestly office, was to " enter into the holy place," there " to appear in the presence of God for us." Accordingly, after his resurrection, he as- cended to heaven, that he might there complete the work he had begun on earth. On his heart are engraven the names of all his people : on his shoulders he also bears them all : not one of them is forgotten by him : he presents them all before his Father, and is " their memorial before God continually." God cannot even look upon his Son without being reminded, that there is in this lower world a people who need his incessant care. He sees at one view all their states, and all their cir- cumstances. He sees how dear they are to his Son, who bears them ever on his heart ; who sympathizes with them in their afflictions, and desires to have them extricated from all their difficulties. Were he disposed to be unmindful of them, he
d
Judg. xx. 18, 23, 27, 28. e 1 Sam.xxiii. 9 — 12. and xxx. 7. 8.
f 1 Sam. xxviii. 6. 8 Ezra ii. (5.3. Neh. vii. 05.