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First, The golden censer. Secondly, The ark. Thirdly, What was in it, or with it. First, The golden pot that had manna. Secondly, Aaron's rod. Thirdly, The tables of the covenant. Fourthly, The cherubim, which he describes, 1st, From their quality: cherubim of glory. 2dly, Their use: they shadowed the mercy-seat. Fourthly, The mercy-seat itself. But this is mentioned as it were only occasionally, with respect unto the use of the cherubim. And this sufficiently manifests that in the rehearsal of these things, the apostle designeth not accuracy and order. For the mercy-seat was, for glory and signification, far above the cherubim wherewith it was overshadowed.

With respect unto these things among others, he affirms in another place, that the ministration of divine worship under the law was glorious. But withal he adds, that it had no glory in comparison of that which doth excel; namely, the spiritual ministration of divine worship under the gospel, 2 Cor. iii. 9, 10. And this is that which we should always mind in the consideration of these things. For if we yet look after, and value such an outward glory as they did exhibit, we are carnal, and cannot behold the beauty of spiritual things.

The verbal difficulties which occur in this context, have occasioned critical expositors to labour greatly about them. That is the field wherein they choose to exercise their skill and diligence. But as unto the things themselves, and the difficulties that are in the real interpretation of them, little light is contributed by most of their endeavours. Wherefore some of these words have been so belaboured with all sorts of conjectures, that there is no room left for any addition in the same kind. And it were but lost labour to repeat what must be confuted if it were mentioned. I shall therefore take no farther notice of any difficulty in the words, but as the explication of it is necessary unto the interpretation of the context, and so far nothing shall be omitted.

1. The first thing mentioned by the apostle, is the situation of this part of the tabernacle, μετα το δευτερον καταπετασμα, it was after the second vail.' It was so unto them that entered into the tabernacle, they were to pass through the whole length of the first part, before they came unto this; nor was there any other way of entrance into it. And by calling this partition of the two parts of the sanctuary, the second vail, the apostle intimates that there was a former. Howbeit, that former was not a separating vail of any part of the tabernacle, as this was. It was only the hanging of the door of the tent. This the apostle here reckons as a vail, because as by this vail, the priests were hinder ed from entering into, or looking into the most holy place, so by that other, the people were forbidden to enter or look into the first part of the sanctuary, where

into the priests entered daily. The making of the first vail is declared, Exod. xxvi. 36, 37. and it is called nas on, the hanging or covering for the door.' The making of this second vail is declared, Exod. xxvi. 31-33. and it is called the vail or covering. The apostle renders it by xaraжтaμ¤; as also it is, Matt. xxvii. 51. where it is spoken of in the temple. And so it is rendered by the LXX. Exod. xxvi. 31. As the former is called καλυμμα, a 6 covering. From πεταζω, which is to extend,' to stretch out so as to cover that over which it is so extended, is xatatitaoμa, a vail' to be a covering unto any thing; dividing one thing from another; as graμa, is that which covereth any thing round about; such was this vail. The end, use and signification of it, the apostle expressly declares, ver. S. where they must be spoken unto.

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2. He describes this part of the tabernacle by its name; Ay ay ay, it is called the most holy,' the holy of holies.' D' p, so it is called by God himself, Exod. xxvi. 33, 34. the holy of holies; that is, most holy; the superlative degree expressed by the repetition of the substantive, as is usual in the Hebrew. Some give instances of this kind of phraseology in Greek writers, remote enough from Hebraisms; as Sophocles, duhai datwy nuęsis, misera miserarum es ; that is, miserrima. But although the phrase of aya ay may be Greek, the apostle intends to express the Hebraism itself. And holy, in the Hebrew, is of the singular number; holies, of the plural; but in the Greek, both are of the plural number. And what is thus called, was most eminently typical of Christ, who is called by this name, Dan. ix. 24. to anoint the most holy.' The place in the tabernacle which was most sacred, and most secret, which had the most eminent pledges or symbols of the divine presence, and the clearest representations of God in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, is so called.

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Obs. I. The more of Christ by the way of representation or exhibition, any institutions of divine worship do contain or express, the more sacred and holy are they in their use and exercise. But,

Obs. II. It is Christ alone, who in himself is really the Most Holy, the spring and fountain of all holiness unto the church.

3. The first utensil reckoned unto this second part of the tabernacle is, xevery Dupiaτngior; and the relation of it thereunto, is, that it had it; s. He doth not say, it was in it,' but, it had it.' If any one would see the various conjectures of learned men about this assertion of the apostle, as also about that following concerning what was contained in the ark, he may consult the collections of Mr Poole on the place, where he will find them represented in one view. My design being only to declare what I conceive consonant unto the truth, I shall

not spend time in repeating or refuting the conjectures of other

men.

@ving, we translate, a censer;' but it may as well be rendered, the altar of incense;' as it is by the Syriac, the 'house of spices;' the place for the spices whereof the incense was compounded. The altar of incense was all overlaid with beaten gold, hence it is here said to be xes, of gold.' And whereas it was one of the most glorious vessels of the tabernacle, and most significant, if the apostle intended it not in this word, he takes no notice of it at all, which is very unlikely. And of this altar he says not, that it was in the second tabernacle, but that it had it.' And in that expression he respects not its situation, but its use. And the most holy place may well be said to have the altar of incense; because the high priest could never enter into that place, nor perform any service in it, but he was to bring incense with him, taken in a censer from this altar. Whereas, therefore, there was a two-fold use of the altar of incense; it was to be used by the ordinary priests, to burn incense in the sanctuary every day, and the high priest was to take incense from it when he entered into the most holy place, to fill it with a cloud of its smoke. But as the apostle in this place, peculiarly intended a comparison between the Lord Christ and the high priest only, and not the other priests in the daily discharge of their office, he takes no notice of the use of the altar of incense in the sanctuary, but only of that which respected the most holy place, and the entrance of the high priest thereinto. For so he expressly applies it, ver. 12. And therefore he affirms this place to have had this golden altar, its principal use and end being designed unto the service thereof. This I judge to be the true meaning of the apostle, and the sense of his words. I shall not, therefore, trouble myself, nor the reader, with the repetition or confutation of other conjectures. And that this was the principal use of this altar, is plainly declared in the order for the making and disposal of it, Exod. xxx. 6. Thou shalt put it before the vail, that is, by the ark of the testimony before the mercy-seat, that is over the testimony, where I will meet with them. Although it was placed without the vail, and that for this end, that the high priest might not enter one step into the most holy place, until the smoke of the incense went before him; yet it had peculiar respect unto the ark and mercy-seat, and is therefore reckoned in the same place and service with them, by the apostle.

And this is yet made further evident, in that when the high priest entered into the most holy place, and had no service to perform but with respect unto the things pertaining thereunto, he was to make atonement on this altar with the blood of the sin-offering, as he did on the ark and mercy-seat, Exod. xxx. 10. This is an undeniable demonstration, that as unto the use

of it, it belonged principally unto the most holy place, and is here so declared by the apostle. Wherefore, the assignation hereof unto that place by the author, is so far from an objection against the authority of the epistle, unto which end it hath by some been made use of, as that it is an argument of his divine wisdom and skill in the nature and use of these institutions. The manner of the service of this altar intended by the apostle, was briefly thus. The high priest, once a-year, that is, on the solemn day of expiation, took a golden censer from this altar: after which, going out of the sanctuary, he put fire into it, taken from the altar of burnt-offerings, without the tabernacle, in the court where the perpetual fire was preserved. Then returning into the holy place, he filled his hands with incense taken from this altar, the place of the residence of the spices. And this altar being placed just at the entrance of the most holy place, over against the ark and mercy-seat, upon his entrance, he put the incense on the fire in the censer, and entered the holy place with a cloud of the smoke thereof. See Lev. xvi. 12, 13. The composition and making of this incense is declared, Exod. xxx. 34, 35, &c. And being compounded, it was beaten small, that it might immediately take fire, and so placed on this altar before the ark, ver. 36. And the placing of this incense before the testimony, as is there affirmed, is the same with what our apostle affirms, that the most boly place ' had it.'

That in general by incense, prayer is signified, the Scripture expressly testifieth. 'Let my prayer come before thee as incense,' Psal. cxli. 2. And there is a four-fold resemblance between them. 1. In that it was beaten and pounded before it was used. So doth acceptable prayer proceed from a broken and contrite spirit, Psal. li. 17. 2. It was of no use until fire was put under it, and that taken from the altar. Nor is that prayer of any virtue or efficacy, which is not kindled by the fire from above, the Holy Spirit of God, which we have from our altar Christ Jesus. 3. It naturally ascended upwards towards heaven, as all offerings in the Hebrew are called by, ⚫ ascensions,' risings up. And this is the design of prayer, to ascend unto the throne of God: I will direct unto thee, and look up; that is, pray, Psal. v. 3. 4. It yielded a sweet savour, which was one end of it in temple services, wherein there was so much burning of flesh and blood. So doth prayer yield a sweet savour unto God; a savour of rest, wherein he is well pleased.

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In this general sense, even the prayers of the saints might be typified and represented in that daily burning of incense which was used in the sanctuary. But it must be granted that this incense is distinguished from the prayers of the saints, as that which is in the hand of Christ alone, to give virtue and

efficacy unto them, Rev. viii. 4. Wherefore, this golden altar of incense as placed in the sanctuary, whereon incense burned continually every morning and evening, was a type of Christ, by his mediation and intercession, giving efficacy unto the continual prayers of all believers.

But that to which alone the apostle in this place hath respect, was the burning of the incense in the golden censer on the day of expiation, when the high priest entered into the most holy place. And this represented only the personal mediatory prayer of Christ himself. Concerning it, we may observe,

Obs. III. That the time of it was after the sacrifice of the sin-offering. For the high priest was to take along with him, the blood of that sacrifice, to carry with him into the holy place, Lev. xvi.

Obs. IV. That the incense was kindled with fire taken from the altar, where the blood of the sacrifices was newly offered. And two things in the mediatory prayer of Christ, are hereby intimated unto us.

1. That the efficacy of them ariseth from, and dependeth on the sacrifice of himself. Hence, intercession is best apprehended, as the representation of himself, and the efficacy of his sacrifice in heaven before the throne of God.

2. That this prayer was quickened and enlivened, by the same fire wherewith the sacrifice of himself was kindled, that is, by the eternal Spirit, whereof we shall treat on ver. 14.

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Yet we must not so oblige ourselves unto the times, seasons, and order of these things, as to exclude the prayers which he offered unto God, before the oblation of himself. Yea, that solemn prayer of his, recorded John xvii. (wherein he sanctified himself to be an oblation) was principally prefigured by the cloud of incense which filled the most holy place, covering the ark and mercy-seat. For by reason of the imperfection of these types, and their accommodation unto the present service of the church, so far as it was carnal, they could not represent the order of things as they were to be accomplished in the person of Christ, who was both priest and sacrifice, altar, tabernacle and incense. For the law had only a shadow of these things, and not the perfect image of them. Some obscure lines of them were drawn therein, but their beautiful order was not represented in them. Although, therefore, the offering of incense from the golden altar in the most holy place, was after the offering of sacrifice on the altar of burnt-offerings, yet was the mediatory prayer of Christ for the church of the elect, wherein he also prepared and sanctified himself to be a sacrifice, thereby typified. So also the beating or bruising of the incense before its firing, did represent the agony of his soul, with strong cries and supplications that he offered unto God therein. And we may observe,

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