them, and he bare them and carried them all the days of old." Isai. lxiii. 9.

Aaron had in his breast-plate of judgment, the urim and the thummim. These words sig nify lights and perfections. Some learned per sons think the urim and thummim were the precious stones in the breast-plate, which being prepared and properly fitted, Moses himself fixed them in it. Doubtless, the light and effulgency of glory which were reflected from the precious jewels, must have been very great; and they might be designed to point out the eternal and personal, native and inherent glories and perfections of the God-man, Christ Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our profession; in his person dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead; in him, as Mediator, it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell; and in him, as the head of his body, the church, is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The breast-plate was called the breast-plate of judgment, because by it the high priest enquired of the Lord on behalf of the people, and received answers. Christ is our high priest, with him is the urim and thum min, and by him we enquire the mind and will of God, and he is the interpreter of the whole mind and will of his Father to us; and all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit come from him. The high priest was a public person, and he

entered as such into the holy and most holy place, representing all the people. Our Jesus lived, acted, bore sin, suffered, died, rose from the dead, ascended and entered into heaven, as the public head and representative of all the chosen and elect people of God. As the high priest shone forth most gloriously in all his golden robes to an eye of sense, so our Jesus shines forth in his person, office, qualification, and glory far beyond him to the eye of faith; and his church, in him, shines also with rays of refulgent brightness, far exceeding, and everlastingly transcending the jewels on Aaron's breast and shoulders; she is on his heart, deeply engraven there; she is on his arm, and he bears her up as his beloved, and will present her before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. In him the Father beholds her complete: he views his people in Christ with inconceivable joy.

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Believers in Jesus, look on him your high priest, view yourselves in him, consider how he represents you in himself, immutably holy, righteous, and sinless; see your names engraven on his heart, your persons accepted in him; behold yourselves in him complete, and may your minds be perfectly satisfied therewith; he is in heaven. your intercessor; he offers up the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar before the throne, and they come up with acceptance, being pre

sented by him, and perfumed with the odour of his mediation.

May the Lord the Spirit bless these brief hints and observations unto you, and make Christ thereby increasingly glorious and precious to your souls. Grant this, holy Father, for the honour of thy co-equal Son, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be co-equal and co-eternal praise, now and ever. Amen.

SERMON XII.

ON THE

CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR INVESTITURE INTO THEIR OFFICES; WHICH WAS A SACRED SHADOW AND FIGURE OF THE ANOINTING OUR JESUS TO THE OPEN EXECUTION OF HIS PRIESTLY OFFICE.

EXODUS xxix. 35.

"And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron and his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee; seven days shalt thou consecrate them."

AARON and his sons being divinely called and appointed by the Lord, the one to the office of high priest, the others to that of being priests, directions are given concerning their consecration, and these orders are contained in this chapter before us. Both high priest and priests were to be inaugurated into their priesthood, by

washing their bodies, arraying them with their priestly robes, anojnting them with blood and oil, which was sprinkled upon Aaron and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon their garments, and with the oblation of a sin-offering, burnt-offerings, and consecration-offerings, toge. ther with unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers, anointed with oil, all which were to be got ready against the day of their dedication to the service of the Lord.

My design in this discourse being to shew, that Aaron and his sons, in their consecration to the priests' office were figures and symbols of Christ, and shadowed forth our Lord Jesus in his anointing and consecration to the discharge of his priestly work and office, I shall aim to collect • all the particulars concerning the rites and ceremonies observed in the consecration of Aaron and his sons, and set them before you under some general heads. And to the intent that none of these particulars may be omitted, 1 will here observe, that when the tabernacle was finished, erected and sanctified, by the Lord's taking up his residence therein, by dwelling between the cherubim in a cloud of glory, which rested on the dwelling-place of the Most High, and was seen by all the Israelites, after the Lord had given out what is recorded in the first seven chapters of the book of Leviticus; then Moses received from Jehovah commandment to set imme