HOMILETICS. Vera. 36:-38.-The Teachings of the Mitre. The main lesson taught by all the priestly garments is intensified in the mitre, namely, the need of holiness. "Without holiness no one shall see God;" "Holiness becometh thine house for ever." The high priest was to be-- I. HoLY, OFFICIALLY, By his birth, of Levi and Aaron-by his bringing up-by his consecration-by his investiture-by his representative position as priestly head of his nation and type of Christ-he was set apart from all others, dedicated to holy em- ployments, assigned e. holy character. Of these things he could not dispossess himself. Even a Ce.iapha.s " prophesied, being high priest that same year." II. HOLY, PERSONALLY. 'l'o wear holy garments, to be employed a.bout holy thing( and yet to be impure in heart and life, is to be a." whited sepulchre," beautiful out. wardly, but "within full of dead men's bones 9:Ild of ~l un~leanness_" (Matt. uiii. :27~; Nothing can be a greate1 offonce to God. A high pnest, with "holiness to the Lord 1· :2 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. (en. xxvm. 39.
written UJlC'D hiK brow, Rnd unl,,,]ine~~ working in his hrAin and nestling in his heart, was B moral contradiction, e. paradox, R. m•m~t.rosity. Such there may have been, and 1heir olliciRI e.ct!I for the benefit of others God may be.,•e accept.ad and allowed, sinco ntherwi~l' t,he innocent would have suffered for the guilty; but their hatefulness in his sight must have been gree.t, e.nd their punishment will be proportionato. We may lwli<'ve that 1mch ce.808 were few. Not me.ny men can bear to be hypocrites. The holy attire, the holy officM, the profession of holiness upon the brow, must have helped to make the great majority holy, or e.t least he.rmless, in life-true "examples to the flock" (I Pet. v. 3)-holy, not merely officially, but personally. III. A CAU~E OF HOLINESS IN OTHERS. The high priest, e.s the religious leader of the nation, had to help forwa.rd holiness in every possible way--{1) Ceremonially, by bis official actions; (2) Ministerially, by teachings and exhortations; (3) Individually, by the force of example. It wa.s his mission to make the people "accepted before the Lord." The mediation which he offered not only purified from legal defilements, but, by virtue of his typical chara.oter, purged the consoienoe and cleansed the soul from sin. His exhort.ations a.nd example had the natural force of one in authority, and must hiive been potent at all times. It was at his peril if he took life too easily, and rebuked sin too mildly, and W8ll not" a faithful priest," e.s appears from the history of Eli (1 Sam. ii. 22-36; iii. 13; iv. 11-18). Unfaithful priests are, in truth, a.n abomination, and have need to tremble at the "terrors of the Lord." Those who have undertaken a holy office are doubly bound t.o holiness. If mon "corrupt the covenant of Levi," God will " send a curse upon them, and curse their blessings " (MaL ii. 2, 8).
EXPOSITION Ver. 39.-Tm: Tumo AND GnmLB. From gowu or cassock, worn immediately over the the outer gaimentg, which were the most impor- drawers. It reached to the feet, e.nd had tant and djstinetive, a transition is now made tightly-fitting sleeves (Joseph. Ant, Jud,. iii. 7, § 2). Whether it showed beneath the to the inner ones, in which there was nothing "robe of the ephod," or not, is nncertain ; very remarkable. The ilium drawers are for but the sleeves must certainly have been the present omitted, IS not peculiar to the visible. The Utoneth was white. Thou Bhalt high priest. Directions are given for the make the mitre of fine linen.. This direction tonic and the girdle. The fmmer is to be had not been previously given.. It is a little out of place. Thou ahalt make the girdle of woven in some peculiar way--so IS to be needlework. Literally, "of the work of the cliapered, as some think-and the latter is to embroiderer." The girdle was worn directly be "the work of the embroiderer." over the linen shirt, e.nd under " the robe of the ephod." It would seem that it was not Ver. 39.-Thou llhalt emhroihr. Thi& is seen at all, nnless its ends hung dowu below certainly not the mean.iug of the Hebrew. "the robe of the ephod." It was however Some peculiar mode of weaving tbe eoat is to be artistically embroidered (See eh iDt.ended. ne - i . Bather, "the tnaiC N .xixix.29.) or "shirt." The kl!l.6ndh was a long linen
HOMILE'l'ICS. Ver. 39.-The Lesson qf tne Tfl,fl,ic. The tu.rue, or inner vest, was t.o be of fine linen, a.nd of spotless white. Both the material a.nd the hue denoted purity. God's priests must be clothed in purity from top to toe. Purity must wrap them round on every side. This purity may be hidden-unseen of man, or nearly unseen. But God sees it a.n<l honours it. The tunic, though it must be all of white, shall not lack its ornamen- tation. It is to be diapered with a pattern, like the best damask cloths, and so to be rich and oostly. Tlw Lois~ qf the Girdle. (1) Girdles were less for beauty than for use. Men girded themselves for battle, for a race, for active ex:ertion of any kind. The high priest was to have his loins continually girded, that he might be ready at all times for God's service. But he was not to make a parade of this readiness. The girdle was t.o be hidden under the roLe of the ephod. (2) Hidden as it was, the girdle was to be costly rm. XXVIII. 40--43.) THE nooK OF EXODUS. 293