a So called, as not appointed for, nor :elonging to, the preſent wok; fie not tak-a fr m the Altar, as 1t ougat, bur from ſ.-me commr'n fire. 6 Upon the Altar of Incenſe. c For ſcing Moſes himſelf neither did, nor might do any thing in God's Worſhip +ithour God's Command, which | is oft noted of him ; f-r theſe to doit, was a more unpardonable and inexcuſable perſumprion. Beſides, nor commanding may ve "ere put for forbid- ding, as it is Jer: 32 35. Nov as this was forbidden implicitly, Levit: 6. 12, eſp:cially when G-d himſelf made a Comment upon that Text, and by ſending fire from Heavei declared of » hat fire he there ſpake ; ſo it is more than probable it was forbidden expreſly, though that be not here mentioned, nor was it neceflary it ſhould be.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD 4, and devoured t''em e, and they died before the LORD. -
d From Heaven, or rather from the Santuary. See chap: 9: 24. e Deſtroye? their Lives ; for their Bodies and Garments were not conſumed, as it appears from verſe 4, 5. devour, 2 Sam: 2: : withour any hurt to their Bodies or Garments.
3 Then Moſes ſaid unto Aaron, This 5s it that the LORD ſpake f, ſaying, I will be ſancified g, in them that come nigh me h, and before all the people I will
be glorified ; : and Aaron held his peace &.
f Though the expreſs words be not recorded in Scripture, where only the heads of Sermons and Diſcourſes are contained, yet it 1s probable they were uttered by Moſes in God's name Howſoever the ſenſe and ſubſtance of them is in many places. See Exod: | g: 22:and 29:43. Levit: 8: 35g This may note,cither 1. their duty co ſan&ify God, 7. e. to demean themſelves with ſuch care,and reve-
rence, and watchfulnels, as becomes the Holineſs of the God
LEVITICUS.
and his hearty detire of it for |
| when he had neither his Miter nor any of the Holy Garments
Thus t!:e Sword is ſaid to | 26. Thus lightning many times kills perſons, |
q
whom they ſerve, and of the Worſhip in which they are engaged ; whence he leaves them to gather the juſtice of the preſent judg- ment for their groſs negle& herein. Or 2. Gods purpoſe to ſan-
ify himſelf, 7. e. to declare and manifeſt himlelf to be an holy and righteous God by his ſevere and impartial puniſhment of all Tranſgreſſors, how near ſoever they are to him. kh (#.e.) Who draw near to me, or to the place where I dwell, and are admit- | ted into the holy place, whence others are ſhut out. Ir
- | 1s a deſcription of the Prieſts, And this Bleffing
See Exod: 19: 22. Levit: 21; 17: Ezek; 42: 13, 14. # As they have ſinned publickly and ſcandalouſ- ly, fo T will vindicate my Honour in a publick and examplary manner, that all men may learn to give me the glory of my So- veraignity and Holineis by an exatt conformity to my Laws, k Partly throng exceſſive grief, which is ſometimes ſignified by ſilence, as Ta: 47; 5: Lam: 2: 10; and principally in acknov ledg» ment of God's Juſtice and ſubmiſſion to it. Compare Pſal: 39: io: Ezck: 24: 179: He murmured' not, nor replied againſt God, nor againſt Moſes ; wiſely coniidering that rheir fin was dire&ly againſt God, and in that which is moſt dear and honcurable in G- ds ac- count, to wit, in his Worſhip ; and that Gods honour o::ghr ro be dearer to him than his Sons ; and that this b-ing the firſt viol:tion of the Law newly given, and committed by thoſe who ſhould have been the ftrifteſt Obſervers and Ailertors of it, did deſerve a very ſevere puniſhment.
4 And Moſes called Miſhael and E!zaphan 7 the ſons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron *, and faid unto them,
Come near, carry your brethren m from before the Sanctuary, out of the-camp »-
7 For Aaron and his Sons had ſcarce finiſhed their Conſecration« work, and were imployed in their holy Miniſt:ations, frota which they were not to be ca'led fyr Funeral Solemnities, See Levit: 21:1, Occ * See Exod:6. 17.Numb: 3: 19. m(i. e.) Kinſmen, as that word is oft uſed, as G2n:13+ 8: and 24:27. » Where t..e burying_ places of the Jews were, that the living might neither be annoyed by the un« png ſcent of the dead, nor defiled by the touch of their raves.
5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats 0 out of-the camp, as Moſes had ſaid. | 0 in the holy Garments wherein they miniſtred ; which might be done either 1. as a teſtimony of a re{pe& due tro them, not- withſtanding their preſent failure ; and that God in judgment re- membred mercy, and when he took away ti:eir Lives, ſpared their Souls. Or 2. becauſe being polluted both by their ſin, and by the touch of their dead Bodies, God would not have them any more uſed in his ſervice
6 And Moſes ſaid unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar, and unto Ithamar his ſons, # Uncover not your heads p, neither rend your clothes q, left you die and leſt wrath come upon all the people : ler your brethren, the whole houſe of Iſrael bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled 7. |
? Either 1. by putting off your Miters and Bonnets, or Orna+ ments, and going bare-headed, as mourners ſometimes did. See
your heads and beards, as mourners did. ' See {6 1: 20: Jer: 7: 29. and 4 + 5+ Ezek: 44; 20; Mic: 1: 16. This latter may ſeem to be principally intended, 1. becauſe this Ceremony of uncov'r' ag the head being uſed by the People as well as by the pricſts in caſe of mourning, as tie places now alledgQ ſhew ; and the other Cere. mony here joyned ith ir, of renaing the clothes, being alſo com- mon to rhe People, ſeems to imply that he ſpeaks not of that un- co'ering of the Head which was peculiar to the Prieſts, but of that which was common borh to prieſts and people, eſpecially ſcing that which is here forbidden to theſe Prieſts, is in the following words allowed to the People, to bewail their Death, which as at other times it was, ſo now probably might be performed by theſe ſame Ceremonies. 2. Becauſe tie High-prieſt is forbidden to uncover bis hend in way of Mourning for the Dead, not only at that rime when he was in aCGtua] Miniftration, bur at all times, even
uphs on him, Zevit, 21: 16. q Give no ſignification of your nes. ; mourn n't for them ; part'y leſt you ſhould ſeem tro juſtifie and approve of your Brethren, and tacitly refle& upon God as tog ſevere in his Proceedings with them, and pr:tly leſt thereby you ſhould be diverted from, or diſturbed in your . preſent Service, which God expeGs ſhould be done chearfully. r Not ſo much in compaſſhon to them againſt whom God hath ſhewed ſuch great and