Secondly, I will relate what was particularly enjoined, and more especially what respected the high priest. Thirdly, the time in which these services were performed and renewed, and these persons consummated for the discharge of their offices. And in going through these particulars, I will shew how Christ was represented by these services and persons. I will first begin with the command given, concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons. The Lord's command, concerning these persons, and their consecration, is expressed in the beginning of this chapter. Moses was at this time in the mount with God, and Jehovah said unto him, "And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them, to hallow them to minister unto me in the priest's office. Take one young bullock, and two rams, without blemish. And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened, tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil; ; of wheaten flour shalt thou make them, and thou shalt bring them in the basket with the bullock and the two rams." It would reflect divine light and glory to consider all that is commanded concerning the call and separation of Aaron and his sons to the office and work of priesthood, with the command concerning the rites, ceremonies, sacrifices, anointings, clothing them, and sprinkling their garments with blood and oil, tipping their right ears, thumbs, and toes with the blood of the ram of consecration, and filling their hands with some parts of the sacrifices which they waved and heaved before the Lord, which were given by him, whilst Moses was in the presence-chamber of the Most High. This would fully confirm our minds that the offices into which Aaron and his sons were called and invested, and their consecration, with the rites, sacrifices, ceremonies, and services attending it, were shadows of heavenly things, and served to be examples of them. With respect to the things commanded for sacrifices on this inauguration of Aaron and his sons, the bull, or bullock, was for a sin-offering. The rams, one was for a burnt-offering, the other for a consecration-offering. These animals were slain, and offered in sacrifice unto the Lord, as memorials of Christ; they shewed how Christ was to be made sin; how he was to bear the fire of divine wrath, which was to parch him through and through; by which means he was to make peace for us through the blood of his cross. His whole church and people were to be sanctified by the offering up of his body and soul, in union with his person, as a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God. The bread offerings, under their various forms, shewed how Christ, the bread of life, would be broken and bruised for the iniquities of his people. Their being anointed with oil, was expressive of our Lord's being anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Thus, as Jehovah himself appointed the priesthood in the jewish church, and the persons who should be exercised therein; so he also commanded what sacrifices and services should be offered and performed at their anointing and introduction into the priest's office. This served to shew his authority and lordship over his house, the church, and was also a symbolical representation of the unction and consecration of our great high priest, Christ Jesus, whose call was from his divine Father: he called, appointed, and set him apart to his office and work of Mediatorship. When Aaron and his sons were invested and sanctified to their office, all the congregation were assembled, to point out their interest and concern therein. These persons being appointed to minister and draw nigh to God on their behalf, and offer gifts and sacrifices for them, represented our Lord Jesus Christ, who is one with his church; he is united unto, and interested in all his people; he acts in his mediatorial and priestly office on their behalf; and they are all and each individual of them, equally united unto, and interested in him; he offered himself, his body and soul in union with his person, for them. Aaron and his sons were types of Christ. The latter, as well as the former, had garments made by the Lord's command for them to minister in, for glory and for beauty. The difference of the high priest from the rest of the priests, was especially in his superiority above them in his anointing, or being clothed with his golden garments, and in the services performed by him on the day of annual atonement. I proceed, Secondly, to relate what was particularly enjoined, and more especially what respected the consecration of the high priest. As the garments, oil, and oblations for the high priest, and his sons the priests, were divinely prescribed, so whatever actions, ceremonies, and sprinklings were to be performed, are also expressed. They were all of them to be washed, anointed, sprinkled with blood and oil, and clothed: their right ears, thumbs, and toes were to be tipt with sacrificial blood; sin-offerings, burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, or, as they were on this occasion stiled, consecration-offerings, were to be sacrificed for them, and they were to feed upon a portion of these peace-offerings; their hands were to be filled with the wave and heave-offerings. And all these rites, ceremonies, sacrifices, and services, were to be performed and repeated over seven times, once on each of the seven days of the consecration; this is com |