which is a Portion allotted to the few chofen. Then was the everlafting and everliving Fire openly revealed, which the Prophets had been foretelling in dark and obfcure Expreffions, and in Images more fit to excite Fear and Trembling, than Hope and Expectation of the greatest Bleffing: then was the Mystery of those numberless Paffages in their Writings concerning Fire and Blood, brought to Light, and fhewn to be the Gospel, or glad Tidings of Salvation, which divine Wisdom had wrapt up in Words seemingly denoting Wrath and Vengeance: then was the Blood of the Lamb found to be the Chariot and Vehicle of the holy Fire, and the Caufe and Root of thefe Pillars of Smoke, or Clouds of Heaven, in which Chrift comes, and is known to Man, in his fecond Advent in * Spirit, and in Glory, and not in the Flefh

a

* By Spirit in the Gospel, we are not to underRand a pure Spirit abstracted from all Body, but always clothed with his proper Garment: for by the facred Writings God has given to every Seed its own 'Body; and the Son of the right Hand is clothed with

Body;

Flesh of finful Man, wherein as the A poftle tells us, we are to (k) know him no more: then was the Lord more glorified, than at the Feast of Passover, which was the first and fmalleft Communication of his heavenly Flesh and Blood; because at this fecond Feaft he was multiplied, and had given forth the Seeds of immortal Bodies to a tenfold Increase; and in a mighty Wind, to which he (1) had before compared the being born of the Spirit; and in which Way, as the Truth and the Geniture of God, he (m) breathed on his Disciples, and faid, Receive the baly Spirit. Thus I have endeavoured to explain the Spiritual, and evangelical Senfe of the Law for preferving the Fire continually upon the brazen Altar. The *

falfe

Body; and the whole Ground of Revelation is the Means and Manner of restoring Man to a new Body, or as the Apostle speaks, We having the First-fruits of the Spirit, wait for the Adoption, even the Redemption of our Body, Rom. viii. 23. This Diftinction explains many difficult Paffages.

(k) 2 Cor. v. 16. (1) John iii. 8. (m) John xx. 22.

* The Altar for the Lamb, made of Brafs, and not of Gold, as the Altar of Incenfe was, prefigured in

the

falfe Ideas and Conceptions concerning both the Fire, and the Lamb, as imraporting

the Opinion of † Witfius, the bumble State of Chrift when he expiated our Sins by the Oblation of his own Body. But this Interpretation bears no Agreement in Time, or with the Reafon of the Thing and the perpetual Fire was no Mark of Wrath against the Lamb, or of his fuffering State, but of Delight and Joy in him. Lamy de Tabernaculo p. 927, and 939, fays, That the Altar of Brass was a Figure of the Cross of Chrift. But this Senfe is quite foreign to the Defign of the Inftitution; for the Lamb was not enduring Vengeance in Fire for fo many Centuries under the typical Law, to denote his Sufferings on the sixth Day of the Week at the Feast of Pallover. In this Way of Interpretation go all the Commentators, and are far wide of the spiritual, and, evangelical Sense of the Altar and its Fire: for they fignified the great Love of God in felecting one Son, and preferving the true Fire of eternal Life in his Flesh and Blood, which he fhould give for the Life of the World; and which the Law of Figures fhewed, because no Perfon could pass into the firft boly Place, but by the Means of the typical Rites of that Altar. How much foever the Piety of false Interpretation may be excufed, the Error of it ought not to be defended, for it hinders the Light and Power, and Knowledge of the true Gospel.

+ Mifcell. Sac. de Tabernac. Levitici Myfteriis. Vol. I. 412.

2

porting the Vengeance of God, and the Sufferings of his Son in the Figure, which are adopted by the Generality of Commentators, confound the Gift of Prophefying under the Gofpel, deface the Beauty, and darken the Glory of both Ministrations. And as the true Reason will be more largely given under the fecond Type, and Rite of the daily Service, in the Oblation of the Lamb, I have faid lefs on this Subject, than otherwise I fhould

* A Sense of another Kind, though equally Foreign, is brought by Lamy from Philo, who is for the moft Part an abfurd Spiritualizer of the legal Figures: because the Gifts of God are perpetual, and never cease, or are interrupted in their Course, but Day and Night are given to us Men for our Enjoyment: therefore this facred Fire is a Figure of Thanksgiving, which must be continually fo renewed by us, as it may never be extinguished. In this Paffage the Jew affigns a moral Reason, instead of a physical one; and which has not the leaft Shadow of Agreement with the whole Service performed continually upon that Altar:" for he speaks not a Word of giving Thanks for the' Lamb, his Flesh and Blood, and the Wine and Bread put into that Fire: nor has he any Conception for what End the Lamb was offered up upon that Altar: and as the Fire and the Lamb had fo close a Connection, it is the more astonishing, how this learned Man could so interpret this capital Figure of the Law.

I fhould have done. We proceed therefore to the Explanation of the Rites, refpecting the two Lambs to be offered daily, and the Meat and Drink-Offering attending this Part of the Service. The Law for this Oblation is found in Exodus Ch. xxix. v. 38-42. And this is that which thou shalt offer upon the Altar; two Lambs of the (n) first Year, by the Day, continually: one Lamb thou shalt offer in the Morning; and the fecond Lamb thou shalt offer between the Evenings. And a tenth Deal of Flour, mingled with the fourth Part of an Hin of beaten Oil; and for a Drink-Offering, the fourth Part of an Hin of Wine, for the one Lamb. And the other Lamb thou shalt offer between the Evenings: according to the Meat-Offering of the Morning, and according to the Drink-Offering thereof, thou shalt make for it, for a Savor of Reft, a Fire-Offering unto JEHOVAH. A continual BurntOffering throughout your Generations, at the Door of the Tent of the Congregation, before JEHOVAH: where I will meet with you,

(n) In the Hebrew, Sons of the Year.