people should be careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The high priest making a sound with his bells, when he ministered before the Lord, was expressive of Christ's being heard and accepted of the Father in his mediation in heaven, and of the evidence. his church hath of it on earth. The everlasting gospel is a joyful sound; as one expresses it, ''tis music to the ear, honey in the 'mouth, melody in the beart.' It is owing to Christ's intercession that it is continued on earth; and when accompanied by the energy of the Holy Ghost, it produces fruit unto life eternal. Pomegranates were produced in the land of Canaan, there they grew very large; they are very fruitful trees; the fruit they bear is full of a delightful juice, and also of grains, or kernels. So those on the robe of the high priest, might be expressive of the fruit of Christ's death, of the life which would flow from it to his people, of their numbers being countless by man, and of their flourishing, as being one with him.

The ephod, which was the outermost of these holy garments, was made of gold thread, wrought with the three bloody colours, blue, purple, and scarlet, on fine twined or twisted linen: it was a short jacket, without sleeves; it had shoulder pieces, which were sewed to it; on them were placed, in bosses of gold, two onyx stones, on which were inscribed, the names of the children of Israel, six on one stone and six on

burnt the fat, and the two kidnies, with the caul, upon the altar. The flesh of the bullock, his skin and dung, were burnt with fire without the camp. This sacrifice was a figure of Christ, as substituted in the room and stead of his people. Aaron and his sons laying or putting on their hands on the head of the bullock, was in effect laying their sin thereon; it pointed out the Lord's laying on Christ the iniquities of us all. The killing the bullock before the Lord was expressive of the violence of Christ's death, and also that it was by divine appointment. The blood put upon the horns of the altar, pointed out the blood of Christ as the only remedy for purging away sin, and that it affords an effectual plea for us before God, and when applied by the Spirit of God unto our minds, speaks and proclaims peace. The pouring all the blood at the bottom of the altar, shewed how Christ would pour out his soul unto death, and thereby obtain eternal redemption for us. The burning the inwards, fat, and kidnies on the altar, shewed how the heart and inward feelings and affections of his soul, were towards his people, and how he would have his whole soul engaged in offering up himself as a sacrifice for sin. The remaining part of the sin-offering, with its skin, and dung, carried forth and burnt without the camp, shewed how Christ would suffer without the gate; it was also expressive of his dolors and

shoulders and breast. It shewed how the heart and power of Christ were deeply engaged, and truly interested in the salvation of his people. He loves them with a perpetual love: he bears them up, with all their concerns, by his invincible power. The stones on the shoulder pieces being precious, pointed out that the church is precious in Christ, and to him. The engraving the names of the children of Israel, like the engraving of a signet, on these stones, shewed the love and esteem Christ hath for his church; how firmly they are borne up by him; how he sustains them by his Almighty power; and keeps them up in everlasting remembrance before God. They shew also that Aaron was a figure of Christ, that the children of Israel represented all saints. The two onyx stones, square, and of equal size, pointed out the like dignity, and precious faith that all the elect have before God in Christ; also the power Christ hath over the whole church, with the presentation he makes of his people, as pure and holy, through his divine mediation, was hereby shewed forth: that they are in everlasting remembrance before God, was in this figurative manner most freely declared.

The breast-plate, so called, because it hung over the breast of the high priest, was a double piece of linen, of a span square, woven with blue, and purple, and scarlet colours; in it were placed ouches, or inclosures of gold, in which

The breast

were fixed twelve precious jewels, in four rows: these stones were set in these ouches of gold just as a diamond is set in a ring. They were a sardine, a topaz, and a carbuncle; this was the first row. An emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond, was the second row. A ligure, an agate, and an amethyst, was the third row. A beryl, an onyx, and a jasper, was the fourth row. plate had four rings of gold at the ends of it, and chains of wreathen gold were fastened to them; and the breast-plate was tied with a lace of blue to the rings of the shoulders of the ephod, and to the curious girdle of it, so as that it might remain over the breast of the high priest firm and steady. This sacred ornament was always to be on Aaron's heart in his ministration before the Lord. And thus as he bore their names on two stones of equal worth on his shoulders, so he bore them also on the breast-plate, to shew they were near his heart, deeply sculptured there, on twelve precious jewels, for a memorial before the Lord continually.

The mitre of linen on the head of the high priest, which is sometimes stiled a bonnet, when the other mitres of the priests are mentioned, was a wrap of linen like a high pole cap, on which was fixed a plate of gold, which reached from ear to ear, on which was written, "Holiness to the Lord," and was worn by him in his minis

This was the sacrifice of the ram of consecration; its blood thus put on the ears, toes, and thumbs of Aaron and his sons, and put by command on their right ones, pointed out the cleansing and sanctifying these members, which were instead of the whole body, to the service of God. The ear was sanctified to hear the word of God; the' hand, that their work and administration of God's service, might be acceptable unto the Lord; the foot, to denote that their conversation ought to be such as becometh the gospel of Christ; the sacrificial blood, taken from the altar, pointed out Christ, whose Godhead gives an infinite virtue and efficacy to his most precious blood-shedding: this blood with oil mixed with it, and sprinkled on Aaron's and his sons' garments, pointed out that these persons and their garments could be completely sanctified only by the blood and death of Christ, and the grace of the Holy Ghost.

After this was finished, then Moses took some parts of the ram of consecration, viz. the breast and shoulder, with one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread, these he put into the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved and heaved them before the Lord. The waveoffering, or moving these offerings to and fro round about, signified, as Ainsworth thinks, the trials and afflictions of God's ministring servants.