A COMMENTARY UPON THE Third Book of MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCVIII A COMMENTARY UPON LEVITICUS THE Third Book of MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS CHAP. I. THE Greeks and Latins give it this Name of LEVITICUS not because it Treats of the Ministry of the Levites properly so called of which the Book of NUMBERS gives a fuller account than this Book doth but because it contains the Laws about the Religion of the Jews consisting principally in various Sacrifices the charge of which was committed to Aaron the LEVITE as he is called IV Exod. 14. and to his Sons who alone had the Office of Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi Which the Apostle therefore calls a Levitical Priesthood VII Hebr. 11. Verse 1. Verse 1 And the LORD called unto Moses That is bad him draw near and not be afraid because of the Glory of that Light which was in the Tabernacle XL Exod. 35. For this is a word of love as the Hebrew Doctors speak who observe that God is not said to call the Prophets of the Gentiles but we only read that God jikar met Balaam not jikra called to him as he did here to Moses Who as Procopius Gazaeus hath well observed upon this word appointed no Service of God in his House which he had lately erected without his order whereas the Worship performed in the honour of Daemons was without any Authority from him Nay there were Magical Operations in it and Invocation of Daemons and certain tacit Obligations which their Priests contracted with them For which he produces Porphyry as a Witness And spake unto him but of the Tabernacle Hitherto he had spoken to him out of Heaven or out of the Cloud but now out of his own House Into which it is not here said he bad him come as he did afterwards when the Glory of the LORD dwelt only in the inner part of the House over the Ark but he stood it is likely without the Door of the Tabernacle till the Sacrifices were appointed as it here follows and the High Priest entred into it with the Blood of Expiation I can find no time in which this can so probably be supposed to have been done as immediately after the Consecration of the Tabernacle as soon as the Glory of the LORD entred into it And so I find Hesychius understood it who observing this Book to begin with the word And which is a Conjunction used to joyn what follows with that which goes before thence concludes that the beginning of this Book is knit to the conclusion of the last and consequently what is here related was spoken to Moses on the same day he had set up the Tabernacle and the Glory of the LORD filled it When Moses might well think as the Hierusalem Targum explains it that if Mount Sinai was so exalted by the Divine Presence there for a short space that it was not safe for him to approach it much less come up into it till God commanded him he had much more reason not to go into the Tabernacle which was sanctified to be God's dwelling place for ever till God called to him by a Voice from his Presence nay he durst not so much as come near the Door where I suppose he now stood without a particular Direction from the Divine Majesty Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them The Tabernacle being erected it was fit in the next place to appoint the Service that should be performed in it which consisted in such Sacrifices as are here mentioned in the beginning of this Book There could not be a more Natural order in setting down the Laws delivered by Moses than this which is here observed If any man of you bring It is the Observation of Kimchi that in the very beginning of the Laws about Sacrifices God doth not require them to offer any but only supposes they would having been long accustomed to it as all the World then was To this he applys the words of Jeremiah VII 21. and takes it for an Indication that otherwise God would not have given so many Laws concerning Sacrifices but only in compliance with the usage of the World which could not then have been quite broken without the hazard of a Revolt from him And therefore they are directed to the right Object the Eternal God and limited to such things as were most agreeable to Humane Nature An offering unto the LORD The Hebrew word Korban which we translate an Offering and the Greeks translate a Gift is larger than Zebach which we translate a Sacrifice For as Abarbinel observes in his Preface to this Book though every Sacrifice was an Offering yet every Offering was not a Sacrifice A Sacrifice being an Offering that was slain but there were several Offerings of inanimate things as those mentioned in the beginning of the second Chapter of this Book which therefore were not properly Sacrifices but were accepted of God as much as the Offering of Beasts when they had nothing better to give And therefore the same Abarbinel will have the Name of Korban to be given to these Offerings because thereby Men approached to God For it is derived from a word which signifies to draw near from whence he thinks those words in Deuteronomy IV. 7. What Nation is there that hath God so nigh unto them c. Ye shall bring He speaks in the Plural Number say some of the Hebrew Doctors who have accurately considered these things to show that two Men might joyn together to offer one thing Your offering of the Cattle I do not know what ground Maimonides had to assert in his More Nevochim Pars III. cap. 46. that the Heathen in those days had brute Beasts in great veneration and would not kill them for it is no Argument there was such a Superstition in Moses his time because there were People in the days of Maimonides as there are now who were possessed with such Opinions But he thinks God intended to destroy this false Perswasion by requiring the Jews to offer such Beasts as are here mentioned that what the Heathen thought it a great sin to kill might be offered to God and thereby Mens sins be expiated By this means saith he Mens evil Opinions which are the Diseases and Ulcers of the Mind were cured as Bodily Diseases are by their contraries Yet in the XXXII Chapter of that Book he saith God ordered Sacrifices to be offered that he might not wholly alter the Customs of Mankind who built Temples and offered Sacrifices every where taking care it may be added at the same time that they should be offered only to himself at one certain place and after such a manner as to preserve his People from all Idolatrous Rites Which if they had considered who contemned this Book of LEVITICUS as Procopius Gazaeus tells us some did
polluted to come unto his Sanctuary For there were so many sorts of Pollutions made by the Law that it was very hard to avoid falling under some of them and consequently a business of great care circumspection and labour to approach as they ought into the Divine Presence For if a Man escaped defilement by a dead body yet he could not easily avoid being defiled by some of the eight creeping things which he might chance to tread upon or might fall on his Meat or his Drink And if he escaped these yet he might be defiled involuntarily by the means mentioned here v. 16. or by touching a menstruous Woman or one that had a Flux of Blood or at least by touching their Bed their Seats or something belonging to them c. All which kept a Man from the Sanctuary which he could not enter therefore when he pleased but was to stay a certain time before he could be admitted to worship God there and not then neither till he had washed himself By all which actions reverence affection and devotion was preserved to the Sanctuary and Men were excited to great humility which in this was principally regarded Ver. 32. Verse 32 This is the law of him that hath an issue c. In this and the next Verse he recapitulates the Matter of this Chapter as he did in the latter end of the foregoing sum up the Contents of that Ver. 33. Verse 33 And of him that hath an issue of the man and of the woman Even of the Person that hath an issue whether it be Man or Woman c. CHAP. XVI Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron This Chapter would have naturally followed the Tenth Chapter where the death of those two Persons is related if that had not occasioned the inserting some other Laws about Uncleanness See Preface to Chapter XI which being delivered Moses now goes on to give direction about the great Sacrifice in which the whole Nation was concerned as he treated of lesser and common Sacrifices in the beginning of the Book When they offered before the LORD and died See X. 1. This is mentioned again to make the Priests careful not only to Sacrifice unto the LORD alone but after such a manner as he ordered Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto thy brother Aaron that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail Into the holy place without the Vail he or some of the other Priests were bound to go every day Morning and Even when they offered Incense But into this as none of them might go at all so he not at all times when he went into the other but only upon one particular occasion which is mentioned here in this Chapter Before the Mercy-seat which is upon the Ark. This being the place of God's special Presence none might enter into it but his principal Minister and he no oftner than the Divine Majesty allowed which was only once a year it appears from v. 29. when he offered the great Sacrifice here prescribed And so much was intimated to Moses before XXX Exod. 10. And the Jews add That on this day of the year he might go in but four times once to burn Incense a second time to sprinkle the Blood of the Bullock then to sprinkle the Blood of the Goat and lastly to fetch out the Censer wherein he burnt Incense If he went in a fifth time he died for his presumption as they say particularly R. Levi Barcel Praecept CCLXXXVI Such sacred places the Gentiles had in some Countries which according to this pattern were opened only once a year Particularly Pausanias mentions in his Book Boeotica the Temple of Dindymene which they thought it was not lawful to open more than one day in the year 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same he saith of another in the same Book and in his Eliaca of the Temple of Orcus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is opened once every year See Dr. Owtram's excellent Book De Sacrificiis Lib. I. cap. 3. Lest he die As his Sons had done for their Presumption in offering with other fire than God allowed In the like danger Aaron himself had been if he had come into the Divine Presence without his leave and without such caution as is given v. 13. which is the reason of this order here delivered to Moses and by him to Aaron for the prevention of any such dangerous mistake For I will appear in the Cloud upon the Mercy-seat That was God's own Dwelling-place where his GLORY appeared into which therefore none might enter but when he appointed and as he directed The only difficulty is what is meant by the Cloud wherein he saith he will appear on the Mercy-seat One would think he meant as usually the Cloud wherein the Divine Glory resided XL Exod. 34 35. 1 Kings VIII 10 11. But the Cloud seems to have been on the out-side of the Tabernacle and within a Glory or great Splendor only unclouded And therefore most I think understand this of the Smoak of the Incense that the High-Priest burnt when he entred into the most holy place which was the Cloud wherewith the Mercy-seat was then covered v. 13. And there is great reason for this Opinion for if there had been a Cloud in the most holy place over the Mercy-seat before the High-Priest entred what need had there been to make a new Cloud of Smoak as he is ordered v. 13. when the Divine Glory was sufficiently obscured already Besides in the place before-mentioned XL Exod. the Cloud as I now observed is said to be without the Tabernacle and to cover it the Glory only being within and in the other place of the Book of Kings and 2 Chron. V. 13 14. it is said only to fill the House of the LORD i.e. the Body of the Temple but not to be settled upon the Mercy-seat Where we may very well doubt whether there was any Cloud or no but only the Divine GLORY The only ground that I can see for it is that God is said there to dwell in thick darkness which seems to import that the Divine GLORY was wrapt up in a Cloud But however that be expounded these words which we here translate I will appear in the Cloud upon the Mercy-seat may very well be rendred I will be approached in a Cloud i. e. of Incense For so this word we translate appear is used XXIII Exod. 15. not for God's appearing to them but for the Peoples appearing before him and this sense the 13th Verse seems to inforce as Campegius Vitringa hath observed Lib. I. Observ Sacr. cap. 11. Ver. 3. Verse 3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place As he might come into it only once a year so then with such preparation and in such a manner as is here prescribed And the Jews say that he was separated from his own House and Family seven days before and
others by making Expiation for them when they deserved to perish For so I am commanded These Orders as hath been already observed he received in the holy Mount So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses This was necessary to be added that all Generations might be assured whatsoever was performed by their Ministry would be effectual to the end for which it was appointed they being exactly Consecrated to God's Service without the least omission of any thing that he had required In like manner our great High-Priest was Consecrated to his Eternal Priesthood by fulfilling all the Will of God and that in a far more Solemn and Publick way than Aaron's was it being performed by Suffering such things as nothing but a perfect Filial Obedience to his heavenly Father could have moved him to admit because it was accomplished by shedding his own Blood in a lingring Death CHAP. IX Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND it came to pass on the eighth day He doth not mean on the eighth day of the Month but on the next day after their Consecration which was seven days in doing VIII 33 35. Then it was that the Fire fell down from Heaven and consumed the Sacrifice which Aaron offered and this seems also to have been the first day of unleavened Bread which fell upon the fifteenth day of this Month for on the fourteenth in the Even which was the last day of the Consecration of the Priests the Passover was kept IX Numb 2 5. That Moses called Aaron and his sons and the Elders of Israel Just as he had done before VIII 2 3. that the Rulers and as many of the People as could meet together to behold what was done might see the Glory of the LORD which appeared at this time v. 6. Ver. 2. Verse 2 And he said unto Aaron take thee a young Calf This is the first Sacrifice that was offered to God by the Priests of the Order of Aaron It differed from that which was offered by Moses for Aaron and his Sons as Egel a young Calf doth from Par a young Bullock by which his Sin was expiated at his Consecration And Maimonides saith that the former signifies a Calf of one year old the latter one of two Others say a Calf was called Egel till his Horns budded and then it was called Par. For a sin-offering For his sins in general not for any determinate Offence like that IV. 3. which therefore was something different from this The Jews fancy that a young Calf was appointed for the first Sin-offering to put Aaron and the People in mind of the Golden Calf which they worshipped So Maimonides reports the Opinion of their Wise men in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. Where he also hath this conceit that it was to expiate that Sin And a Ram for a burnt-offering For none but Males were accepted for Burnt-offerings I. 10. There is no Peace-offering ordered for him as there is afterward for the People v. 4. because it was not fit he should have all the Sacrifice as he must have had according to the Law of such Sacrifices being both the Priest and the Offerer between whom and the Priest after the Fat was burnt all was to be shared Ver. 3. Verse 3 And unto the Children of Israel thou shalt speak saying Unto all the Elders v. 1. who were to bring the following Offerings in the Name of all the People of Israel and that by Aaron's direction who was now to act as God's High-Priest and gave out this Order Take ye a Kid of the Goats for a sin-offering The Hebrew word Seir signifies a He-goat Concerning which Maimonides in his Book concerning Sacrifices delivers this opinion That all Sacrifices for sin whether of private Persons or the whole Congregation at their three principal Feasts New Moons and the Day of Expiation were He-goats For this reason because the greatest Sin and Rebellion of those times was that they sacrificed to Daemons who were wont to appear in that form For which he quotes XVII 7. They shall no more offer their Sacrifices lasseirim which we translate unto Devils but the word Seirim is but the Plural Number of the word Seir which signifies a Goat And further he adds That their Wise men think the Sin of the whole Congregation was therefore expiated by this Kid of a Goat because all the Family of Israel sinned about a Goat when they fold Joseph into Egypt XXXVII Gen. 31. And such reasons saith he as these should not seem trifles for the end and scope of all these Actions was to imprint and ingrave on the Mind of Sinners the Offences they had committed that they might never forget them According to that of David LI Psal 5. My sin is ever before me This Sin-offering was different from that IV. 14. being not for any particular Sin as that was but in general for all the Offences that the High-Priest might have committed A Calf and a Lamb both of the first year c. When they were in their prime Ver. 4. Verse 4 Also a Bullock and a Ram. These also were no doubt to be without blemish as is prescribed in the two foregoing Offerings And the Hebrew word Sor which we translate a Bullock often signifies a well grown Ox as in XXI Exod. 28. XXV Deut. 8. As Ajil a Ram the Hebrews say signifies a Sheep of above a year old These made very large Peace-offerings and consequently a liberal Feast upon them For peace-offerings The very same order is here observed that was at Aaron's Consecration First Sin-offerings then a Burnt-offering and then a Peace-offering was offered to the LORD VIII 14 18 22. And a meat-offering mingled with oil Which was to compleat the Peace-offerings on which they were to feast that Meat might not be without Bread to it For to day the LORD will appear to you Give you an illustrious Token of his Presence by sending Fire from Heaven or from the Brightness of his GLORY to consume the Sacrifice v. 23 24. Whereby they were all assured that both the Institution of this Priesthood and the Sacrifices offered by it were acceptable to the Divine Majesty Ver. 5. Verse 5 And they brought that which Moses commanded Both Aaron v. 2. and all the Congregation v. 3. brought all the Offerings which Moses required Before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where these Sacrifices were to be offered And all the Congregation drew near and stood before the LORD Approached to the door of the Tabernacle and stood there by their Sacrifices looking towards the Holy Place and worshipped the LORD Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Moses said Unto the Congregation This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do I require this of you by the commandment of God who will demonstrate by a visible Token his Presence among you And the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you That Glory which filled the Tabernacle when it was erected
for the People and Blessing them We find an Example of it in XIV Gen. 18 19. And not long after Aaron's Consecration Moses delivered from God a form of words wherein the Priests should bless the People VI Numb 24. And at this day there is nothing done among the Jews with such Solemnity and in which they place so much Sanctity as this For when the Blessing is pronounced in their Synagogues they all cover their Faces believing they would be struck blind if they should look up because the Divine Majesty at that time sits upon the hands of the Priest So the same Wagenseil observes in the place above-named which shows not only how laborious they have been to maintain in the Peoples minds an opinion that God is still as much present with them in their Synagogues as he was anciently in the Tabernacle and Temple but how high a value they set upon the Divine Blessing pronounced by his Ministers And came down from offering the sin-offering and the burnt-offering and peace-offerings He pronounced the Blessing before he came down from the Altar which stood upon raised Ground though there were no steps to it XX Exod. 26. that all the People might the better see what was done while he offered all these Sacrifices for them and lift up his hands to implore God's Blessing upon them Ver. 23. Verse 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle of the Congregation The Sacrifice being ended it is likely Moses went with Aaron into the Sanctuary to instruct him how to sprinkle the Blood and to burn Incense and order the Shew-bread and such like things as were to be done only in the Holy Place And came out and blessed the people I suppose that all the Sacrifices before-mentioned might be offered after the Morning Sacrifice v. 17. which took up a great deal of time before they were all compleated After which Moses and Aaron went into the Sanctuary and stayed there till the time of the Evening Sacrifice and then came out and dismissed the People with a new Blessing when the Evening Sacrifice was finished And the Glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people That Glory which filled the Tabernacle XL Exod. 34 35. now appeared without either at the door of it or upon it in the sight of all the People as Moses had foretold v. 6. Ver. 24. Verse 24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD Either out of the Sanctuary from the Holy of Holies or from that Glory which now appeared unto them and sent out flashes of fire which burnt up the Sacrifice In either of these senses it may be said to come from the face of the LORD as the Hebrew phrase is And consumed upon the Altar the burnt-offering and the fat It seems to me most natural and easie to take this Burnt-offering and its Fat for the Evening Sacrifice which concluding the work of this day God gave a special Token of his acceptance of all the other Sacrifices by consuming this and likewise publickly testified his approbation of all the fore-mentioned Rites of the Ministry of Aaron whose Authority was hereby established in a miraculous manner To confirm this it may be noted that as the place which God chose for his Worship and Service was afterward designed in the time of David after the very same manner 1 Chron. XXI 26. So it was at the time of the Evening Sacrifice as may be gathered from 2 Sam. XXIV 15. where it is said the Pestilence continued from Morning to the time appointed that is to the Evening and then David saw the Angel who commanded Gad to bid him set up the Altar in the Threshing-floor of Araunah where God answering him by fire from Heaven it made him say This is the House of God and this is the Altar of Burnt-offering 1 Chron. XX. II. 1. And when Solomon built the Temple in that very place it was thus consecrated by fire coming from Heaven and consuming the Burnt-sacrifice as well as by the Glory of the LORD filling the House 2 Chron. VII 1 2 3. And it is very probable also that this was at the time of the Evening Sacrifice for the former part of the day had been spent in bringing the Ark into the House of the LORD and in Solomon's Prayer as we read in the two foregoing Chapters Certain it is that the Authority of Elijah to restore God's true Religion and Worship was thus justified 1 Kings XVIII 38 39. and it was at the time of the offering the Evening Sacrifice v. 36. From whence that Prayer of the Psalmist CXLI Psal 2. Let the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice All this was so notorious that Julian himself acknowledges that fire came down from Heaven in the time of Moses and again in the days of Elijah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consuming the Sacrifices as we find his words related by St. Cyril L. X. contra Julianum And this gave such a Divine Authority to the Jewish Religion that it is no wonder to find that the Pagans indeavoured to get credit to their Religion by the like reports of fire from an invisible Power consuming their Sacrifices which perhaps was sometimes really done by the Prince of the Power of the Air as the Apostle calls the Devil However that be there are several Instances of this in Pausanias Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Valerius Maximus and Pliny But Servius may serve instead of all who upon those words of Virgil in Aeneid XII faedera fulmine sancit saith that anciently they did not kindle fires upon their Altars sed ignem divinum precibus eliciebant c. but they procured by their Prayers Divine fire which inflamed their Altars And Solinus saith cap. 11. that the flame sprung out of the Wood by a Divine Power Si Deus adest si sacrum probatur Sarmenta licet viridia ignem sponte concipiunt c. If God be present if the Sacrifice be acceptable the Faggots though green kindle of themselves and without any one to set them on fire a flame is raised by the Deity to whom the Sacrifice is offered Thus there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed Gideon's Sacrifice VI Judg. 21. They that would see more of this out of Pagan Writers may consult J. Dilherrus Dissert Special de Cacozelia Gentil cap. 11. But especially Huetius in his Alnetanae Quaestiones L. II. cap. 12. n. 21. But whether this Fire which now came from before the LORD consumed Aaron's Sacrifice instantly or only set it into a flame which consumed it leisurely in the sight of all the People cannot certainly be determined The Jews seem to suppose the latter the heavenly fire being now kindled which continued ever after by a constant supply of Fewel whereby it was kept perpetually burning as is ordained VI. 12 13. See Note on that place Where to me it seems very observable that this Law of keeping in the fire perpetually is ordered to
which is for himself c. This former part of the Verse is word for word the same with v. 6. which shows that offering there as we translate it was nothing else but bringing it to be offered or presenting it before the LORD to be a Sacrifice for himself and for his Family But now his bringing it was that it might be killed immediately as it follows in the latter part of this Verse And shall make an atonement for himself and his house By killing it as the next words tell us And shall kill the Bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself He was first to offer for himself before he could acceptably offer for the People as the Apostle observes V Hebr. 3. IX 7. And as the Jews tell us in Massechet Joma cap. 4. sect 2. he again put his hand upon the head of the Bullock and made the Confession and Supplication before-mentioned upon v. 6. And when he had done then he killed the Bullock with his own hands For though all other Sacrifices might be killed by any person yet the High-Priest himself was bound to kill this as they say in the same place of the Misna sect 3. And having received the Blood of the Bullock in a Bason he delivered it to another Priest to keep it in continual agitation till he had offered Incense in the holy place that so it might not grow thick and be clotted but be kept liquid and thin fit to be sprinkled before the Mercy-seat Ver. 12. Verse 12 And he shall take a Censer full of burning coals of fire Which he held in his right hand From the Altar before the LORD From the brazen Altar where the Bullock was slain for Coals were burning before God no where else but there And his hands full of sweet Incense beaten small With his left hand he took as much of the Incense mentioned XXX Exod. 34 36. as his hand would hold besides the Incense which he burnt every Morning and Evening which was a whole pound and put it into a Cup. And bring it within the vail With both these the Censer of Coals and the Cup of Incense the former in his right hand the other in his left he went within the Vail which divided the holy place from the most holy And set down the Censer and then as it follows in the next Verse see there threw the Incense upon the burning Coals This the Hebrew Doctors take to have been so difficult a work that in the Gemara upon Joma cap. 1. they say some of the elder Priests were sent to him before-hand to show him how he should fill his hand with the Incense And the Misna there says that they adjured him in these words We are the Legates of the great Sanhedrim and thou art our Legate and theirs we adjure thee we adjure thee by him whose name dwells in this House that thou change not any one thing of all that we have said unto thee And so they parted with tears on both sides The reason of which solemn Adjuration they say was That the Sadduces affirmed he might burn the Incense without the Vail and so enter into the most holy place directly contrary to this Text which required him to do it within where no body could see what the High-Priest did and consequently could not tell whether he performed the Service there aright Therefore they took this Oath of him in the latter Ages of their State when some of the Faction of the Sadducees were thrust into the Priesthood as Mr. Selden probably conjectures Lib. III. de Synedriis cap. 11. n. 2. This was the first time of the High-Priests going into the Holy of Holies on this great Day Ver. 13. Verse 13 And he shall put the Incense upon the fire before the LORD He entred as the Misna saith in Joma cap. 5. with his Face towards the South and so went side-ways for he might not look upon the Ark where the Divine Glory was till he came to the Staves of the Ark where he set down the Censer and put on the Incense And having filled the House with a Cloud of Smoak he went out backward out of reverence to the Divine Majesty into the holy place without the Vail Where when he was come he made this short Prayer May it please thee O LORD God that this year may be hot and also wet that the Scepter may not depart from the Family of Judah nor thy People Israel want food and that the Prayer of the wicked may not be heard And then he presently went out of the Sanctuary and showed himself to the People that they might not suspect he had done amiss and miscarried in his Office For so they say it sometimes hapned that the High-Priest having violated these holy Rites appointed by God was struck dead in the holy place The Incense which was burnt every day in the holy place at the Golden Altar representing the Prayers of the Saints as St. John teaches us VIII Rev. 3 4. this Incense which was burnt in the Holy of Holies may well be thought to represent the Prayers of the High-Priest himself which he made upon this occasion as our blessed Saviour did before he offered the great Sacrifice of himself XVII John of which more hereafter with the Blood of which he now appears in the Heavens before God for us That the Cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy-seat that is upon the Testimony So that nothing of it might be seen it being the place of the Residence of the Divine Majesty XXV Exod. 21 22. whose Glory was inaccessible That he die not By gazing on the Divine Glory See v. 2. and XXXIII Exod. 20. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And he shall take of the blood of the Bullock Having done what is commanded in the foregoing Verses he came out of the Sanctuary and went to the Priest whom he left at the Altar of Burnt-offering stirring the Blood in the Bason which he delivered to him as I observed v. 11. And taking it from him went with it the second time within the Vail and standing where he did before when he burnt the Incense sprinkled it as is directed in the words following And sprinkle it with his singer The very root or essence of a Sacrifice as the Maxim of the Jews is lies in the sprinkling of the Blood Vpon the Mercy-seat One would think by this Translation that he sprinkled the Mercy-Seat it self with some of the Blood But all the Jews understand it quite otherwise and indeed the Hebrew words are Al pene over against the Face i. e. as they interpret it in the Misna before-mentioned cap. 5. towards the Mercy-Seat And so it follows in the next words and before the Mercy-seat shall he sprinkle Only this difference there was in the sprinkling that this Particle al they think imported that he was to make the first sprinkling here mentioned toward the top of the Mercy-Seat The Vulgar Latin wholly omits this part of
you have to my Majesty make you obedient to my Laws Ver. 4. Verse 4 Then will I give you rain in due season Here follow the Promises of all things that Men naturally most desire for their happy living here in this World And first he assures them they should have fruitful Seasons which depended upon Rain in due time V Jerem. 24. For Canaan was not a Country like Egypt which was watred and made fertil by the overflowing of their River but without Rain was quite barren And the Land shall yield her Increase Corn for the use of Men and grass for the Cattle And the Trees of the Field shall yield their Fruit. Which was very various every one knows such as Figs Pomegranates Dates Apples c. which he promises they should never want Ver. 5. Verse 5 And your threshing shall reach unto the Vintage c. This is a promise of such plenty of Corn that before they could have reaped it all and threshed it out the Vintage would be ready and call for their labour about it and before they could have pressed out their Wine it would be time to sow again As much as to say they should have such abundance that they should have scarce time enough to receive and lay up one blessing before another came upon them And ye shall eat your bread to the full Have no want of any sort of Provision which is comprehended under the name of Bread but as much as you can desire Which promise may seem to have a peculiar regard to the Command lately given XXV 4 11. though there he took care to secure them by a special Promise that they should not want in those year v. 20 21. and therefore much less in any other And dwell in your Land safely Plenty would have been little satisfaction to them if they had been in danger to lose it or to be disturbed in it and therefore he promises to defend and protect them in the secure injoyment of it See XXV 18 19. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And I will give peace in your Land There shall be no Insurrections or Seditions in your Country which are wont to arise from Poverty and Discontent For this seems to relate to Peace among themselves as the latter end of the Verse to Freedom from the Desolations their Enemies might make among them And ye shall lye down and none shall make you afraid It is a promise to preserve them from House-breakers and Robbers And I will rid evil Beasts out of the land Which as it will appear from v. 22. made lamentable havock when they increased and were let loose upon them but these God promises to extirpate if they would be obedient either by hindering their breed or making them devour one another or driving them out of their Country Neither shall the Sword go through your Land Their Enemies should not be able to penetrate their Country to make any Ravage there Ver. 7. Verse 7 And ye shall chase your Enemies and they shall fall before you by the Sword This supposes their Neighbours might Invade their Country but should fail in their attempt and be driven away with shame Ver. 8. Verse 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight That is a few shall be too hard for a great multitude as it proved in the Conquest of Canaan Insomuch that Joshua saith XXIII 10. One man of you shall chase a thousand Which was fulfilled in the days of Gideon who with three hundred Men put to flight a vast Army VII Judg. 22. And your Enemies shall fall before you by the Sword Which commonly made a greater slaughter in their flight then was made in the battle Ver. 9. Verse 9 For I will have respect unto you The reason of which great Success as well as of the Plenty before mentioned he would make them sensible was God's great kindness and favour towards them as the reward of their obedience This Joshua most thankfully acknowledges XXIII 9. And make you fruitful and multiply you Make you a populous and consequently a powerful Nation And establish my Covenant with you Keep it inviolably and most certainly perform it See VI Gen. 18. Ver. 10. Verse 10 And ye shall eat old store Have a great deal of old Corn left when the new is come in And bring forth the old because of the new Have so much of it left as to want room for it when the new is to be laid up Ver. 11. Verse 11 And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you This is the great promise of all that his Tabernacle wherein he dwelt among them should remain and abide with them For it was set already among them but now he promises it should be fixed that is his Divine Presence should continue with them And my soul shall not abhor you I will not cast you off because of your Offences for which I have appointed an Expiation Ver. 12. Verse 12 And I will walk among you Conduct you from place to place all the time you are in this Wilderness For he dwelling in the Tabernacle in the Cloud of Glory which covered it when that Cloud was taken up the Ark presently moved to go before them and led them to the next Station where they should pitch their Tents X Numb 11 12. See XXV Exod. 8. This is given as the reason why they should keep their Camp from all Impurities See XXIII Deut. 12 13 14. And I will be your God and ye shall be my People Bring you to the Land of Canaan and there continue with you and bless you as my peculiar People Ver. 13. Verse 13 I am the LORD your God which brought you forth out of the Land of Egypt I will not leave my own work imperfect but as I delivered you from the Egyptian Slavery so I will continue to preserve your Liberty and Happiness That ye should not be their Bondmen Remain any longer their Slaves as they intended to make you for ever And I have broken the bands of your yoke When you could not deliver your selves I set you free from the heavy burdens which oppressed you And made you go upright They were so loaded with insupportable burdens in Egypt that they could not look up but hung down their Heads with heaviness till God by setting them free made them go out from thence not with dejected but with chearful Countenances For that 's the meaning of making them go upright as Freemen not bowed down with Oppression but lifting up their Heads for Joy at their Deliverance See XIV Exod. 8. Ver. 14. Verse 14 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments After the promise of these extraordinary Blessings as the Reward of their Obedience he threatens them with as extraordinary Plagues and Calamities if they were disobedient And as nothing moves us more powerfully than hope of some Good or fear of some Evil so there