inconveniences, apparently without any adequate reason. This might be illustrated by many of the ordinances ; but in none so forcibly as in that before us. The kind of defilement which was to be remedied, was as light and venial as could possibly be conceived : it implied no moral guilt whatever; nor could possibly in some cases be avoided: yet it rendered a person unclean seven days ; and every thing that he touched, was also made unclean; and every person who might, however inadvertently, come in contact with any thing that had been touched by him, was also made unclean. Moreover, if any person that had contracted this cere- monial defilement, concealed it, or refused to submit to this prescribed form of purification, he was to be cut off from God's people. We do not wonder, that the proud heart of man should rise up in rebellion against such an ordinance as this: and still less do we wonder that the pious Jews should long for the Messiah, who was to liberate his people from such a yoke.
But if, on the one hand, this was the most burthen- some ordinance, it was, on the other hand, the most, edifying to those who could discover its true import. It may well be doubted whether in any other ordi- nance whatever there can be found so rich a variety of instructive matter, as may justly be deduced from that before us.
To confirm this assertion, we shall state,
I. Its typical import —
On this we shall dwell no longer than is necessary to prepare the way for the instruction which the subject is suited to convey. We will however, for the sake of perspicuity, call your attention to the ordinance under two distinct heads;
1. The preparation of the heifer for its destined use —
[A red heifer was taken from the congregation ; it was to be tvithout spot or blemish ; and it must be one that had never borne a yoke. Being brought without the camp, it was slain in the presence of the priest, who with his finger sprinkled the blood " directly before the tabernacle, seven times" The ivhole carcase was then burned in his presence ; (the skin, the