REEL BRT od EY
grace, he gives more grace: a man clothed with Chrift’s righteoufnefs is upon rifing ground; he is in the way to great honour and glory: or, as fome think, they are the words of the angel of the Lord, the Meffiah, continued, who willed, ordered, and commanded his miniftring fervants to do this, that Jyoua might appear agreeable to the dignity of his office, and look great, as well as clean and neat: or rather they are the words of Zechariab the prophet; and defign either the inward thoughts, and fecret wifhes of his mind; or were an humble requeft of his, and was regarded; who feeing fomething wanting. to make Yo/bua a complete highprieft, intercedes for it: fo one faint rejoices in the reftoration of another; and is fo far trom envying the gifts and graces of the greateft, that he wifhes him more: fo they fet a fair mitre upon bis head; fach as the high-prieft wore; on which was a plate of gold, and on it written, boline/s to the Lord; and was an emblem of Chrift being made fanctification to his people; fee Exod. xxviii. 4, 36. The mitre was a garment of the high-prieft, a fort of covering for the head, a cap or turbant: it was made of linen, and is called the linen mitre, Lev. xvi. 4. and that which Yofbua might have wore before, being ftained and foul, it is requefted that a fair or clean’ one might be fet upon his head. It confifted, as the Yewifh writers fay ™, of fixteen cubits or ells, which were rolled up in the form of a Zurki/h turbant; and has its name in Hebrew from its being thus rolled up. The account Fo/ephus * gives of it is, that it was ‘‘ a cap
‘© or bonnet wore on the head, not rifing up ina ‘* point, nor. encompaffing the whole head, but ‘¢ put on little more than the middle of it; and is “© called Ma/naempthes (it fhould be, Mitznephet); ‘¢ and is formed in fuch a manner, as to look like
© a crown, made of a linen web, like a fwath or
«¢ roller; for it is many times rolled about and “ fewed;” and. with which Ferom’s account of it agrees; who fays °, ‘ the fourth fort of garment ‘* is a round cap or-bonnet, fuch as we fee painted © on Ulyfes, like a globe, circle, or fphere, divided “¢ in the middle, and one part fet on the head: “¢ this we, and the Greeks call, a Tiara; the He- << brews, Mitznephet: it has no point at top, nor “¢ does it cover the whole head to the hair, but “* leaves a third part of the forehead uncovered; *¢ and fo bound with a lace at the back. of the «¢ head, that it cannot eafily fall from it: it is ‘“¢ made of fine linen, and is fo well covered with «a linen cloth, (and which allo Yo/epbus takes «© notice of in the above place) that no traces of ‘* the needle appear without.” It hid the feams,
and the deformity of them: both the high-prieft, and the common priefts wore mitres, as appears from Exod. xxviii. 4, 37, 39, 40. and the: difference between them, according to the Fewih writers”, feems chiefly to lie in the manner of rolling and wrapping them: the mitre of the high-prieft was wrapped about his head, as you roll a broken limb, roll upon roll, and did not rife up to’a point, but was flat on his head; but that of the common _priefts confifted of various folds and rolls, which gradually rofe up to a point, as a night-cap, or high-crowned. hat. ‘Fo/ephus 3, contrary to all wD, Targum. © De vettitu Sacerdotura other writers, makes the high-prieft to have two mitres; for he fays, he had a cap like to the former, fuch as all the reft of the priefts had, upon which another was fewed, variegated with blue, or a violet colour; which Braunius* thinks is a‘ miftake of his, arifing from the blue lace, with which the plate of gold, that had engraven on it, holinefs to the Lord, was faftened to the mitre; or elfe that the place is corrupted, or has been interpolated by fome other hand; fince this would make the high-prieft to have nine garments, and not eight only; but Fortunatus Scacchus* takes the paflage to be genuine, and argues from it for another mitre or cap, more worthy of the high-prieft; and which was peculiar to him, and was very curioufly wrought, and on which the celeftial globe was fizured; and fo Fofephus fays *, that the cap being made of blue or hyacinth, feemed to fignify heaven; for otherwife the name of God would not have been put upon it. The fon of Sirach, Eccl. xly. 12. fpeaks very highly of this covering of the high-prieft’s head, calling it, “* a crown of *¢ ‘cold upon the mitre, wherein was engraved ho- * Finefs, an. ornament of honour, a coftly work, * the defires of the eyes, goodly and beautiful;”. as here a fair mitre: and ‘clothed bim with garments prieftly ones, fuitable to his office, which were in all eight; which were the linen breeches; the coat of linen; an embroidered girdle; a robe of blue; an ephod of gold; a breaft-plate curioufly wrought, in which were the Urim and Thummim; a mitre of fine linen, and a plate of pure gold on it, Zev. viii. 7, 8, 9. and on the day of atonement, he wore the four following extraordinary garments, breeches, coat, girdle and mitre all of linen, Lev. xvi. 4°. all which were typical of the clothing of believers by Chrift, by whom they are made priefts unto God: and clothed bim | with garments; prieftly robes, fuitable to his office:
and he ftill ftood to denote his conftant care of Yofoua, and his regard to him, and as having fomething more to fay to him, as follows:
—¥. 6. Aad the angel of the Lord protefted unto Fofbua, faying.| He not only gave his word, but
_ annexed his oath; he called as it were heaven and earth to witnefs; and this he did to confirm the | faith of Fofbue in the promifes he was about to make, as well as in the bleffings of grace beftowed upon him; as the pardon of his fins, the juftification of his perfon, and acceptance with God.
¥. 7. Thus faith the Lora of bofts, &c.] For this angel was no other than the Lord of armies in heaven and in earth: if thou wilt walk in my ways; prefcribed in the word of God, moral, ceremonial, and evangelical, in Chrift the grand way, and indeed the only way of falvation; and in the paths of faith, truth, righteoufnefs, and holinefs; in the ways of God’s commandments, which are pleafant, and attended with peace; fuch a walk and converfation, and fuch obedience the grace of God teaches, and obliges to: and if thou wilt keep my charge; the things he gave in charge, all his commands and ordinances, particularly fuch as belonged to the prieftly office and Levitical fervice; ' fee Numb. iii. 7, 8. all which might be expected ill. ¥. 6—8. after fo many favours granted: then thou foalt alfa - judge my houfe, and foalt alfo keep my courts, prefide in the temple, be governor in it, and have the care of all the courts belonging to the people and the priefts, and the advantages arifing from thence. — The meaning is, that whereas the office of the priefthood was in difufe thro’ the captivity, and was become contemptible thro” the fins of the priefts, it fhould now be’ reftored to its former honour and glory: to have a place in the houfe of God, the church, is a great.honour, and ftill more to be a governor and ruler in it: and I will give thee places to walk among thofe that fland by; either among fellow-priefts, or fellow-faints;-or rather among, the angels that ftood before the angel of the Lord, and miniftred to him; fignifying that he fhould enjoy their company, be like unto them,» and join in fervice with them in heaven, in a future flate: and walking places among them, denote the pleafures of: the heavenly ftate, as well as the fafety and’ glory of it; fee J lvii. 2. Rev. iil. 4. and xxi. 24. The Targum very agreeably pataphrafes the words thus, ‘* and. in the refurreétion ‘< or quickning of the'dead, I will raife or quicken ‘© thee; and I will give thee feet walking among ‘© thefe Seraphim.” ‘The allufion is to thofe walks ‘that were in the temple, fuch as Chrift walked in, Fobn x. 23. and the pavement in Ezekiel’s temple, ch. xl) 17, 18.) y¥.. 8. Hear now, O Fofbua the high-priof, Bcc.) “What he was about to fay further concerning the’ bringing forth of the Meffiah, the antitype of him, — and of all the priefts: shou and thy fellows, that fit before thee; the Fews interpret thefe, of Hananiah, Mifbael, and Azariah, for whom wonders - were wrought in delivering them from the fiery furnace; but rather they defign the priefts, and the prophets, and chief men that came up with ‘Yofoua out of the captivity; and efpecially the young, and the angel of the Lord ftood by; to fee all done 'priefts that fat betore him as his difciples, to according to his order; and not as a mere {pecta- | a ‘... ji tor, for he was concerned in clothing him himfelf;
inftructed by him in things belonging to the prieftly office: for they are men wondered at, Or, men of @ jen *, or wonder; typical of Chrift the great highprieft, they were men wondered at, as all the peo-— ple of God are: they are wondered at by them- {elves, that God fhould have any love to them, any thoughts concerning them; make a covenant with them in his Son; fend him to die for thems call them by his grace; make them fons and heirs of his, and at laft bring them to glory: and they are wondered at by the men of the world; that’ they fhould make fuch a choice as they have; that
| they thould bear afflictions with fo much chearful- - nefs and patience; that they fhould be fo fupported — under them, and even thrive and flourifh amid them. The life of a believer is all a myftery, ar wonderful: and they are wondered at by the angels, as they are the chofen of God, the redeemed of the Lamb, and called from among men; and they fhall be the {pectators of wonderful things themfelves, which they will be fwallowed up in the admiration of to all eternity. The Targum paras phrafes the words thus, ‘‘ for they are men worthy _ ‘© to have miracles wrought for them” ai deed, tho’ they are not worthy, yet mirac grace are wrought for them, and one follows behold, I will bring forth my fervant the BRAN not Zorobabel, as fome interpret it; but the |: ~ “ va me es "> ‘ '§ Sacr. Eleochrifm. Myroth. 1. 3. ¢. 39- p- 99 7 « Maimon, Cele Hamikdath, c. § * FIDO WIN viri porterti, Montanus, Calvin, - 4 > eae fiah, as the Targum of Fonathan pataphtafes it} and which is the fenfe of fome.other Fewifh writers. » Kimchi, tho’ he interprets the branch of Ze rubbabel, yet obferves, there are fome of their interpreters who explain it of the Meffiah; and it:is as if it was faid, tho* I bring you this falvation, yet J will bring youva greater falvation' than this, at the time I fhall bring forth my fervant the branch: and again they interpret it of «him, becaufe’ the name of the Meffiah is Menachem, i.e. the comforter; and which is numerically the fame with Tzemach the branch; and Aben Ezra, who firkt explains it the fame way as Kimchi, yet adds, but many interpreters fay this branch is the Meffiah; and he is called Zerubbabel, becaufe he is of | his feed, seven ashe is called Davids; and David my fervant fhall be their prince for ever, Ezek, xxvii. 25. likewife another Fewi/b writer, R. Abraham Seba ¥, underftands it of the Meffiah. The heathens wed to call their heroes the branches of the gods; the branch of Fupiter, and the branch of Mars, &c. are frequently met with in the poets +, and perhaps taken from this name of the Meffiah; whois the fervant of God as Mediator; and became fo by being made of a woman, and made under the law; and is a fervant of God’s choofing, fending, and rewarding; the chief of whofe fervice lay in the ~redemption of -lis people; and who was an obedient, diligent, prudent, and faithful fervant. The name of the branch is given him elfewhere, J iv. 2. Fer. xxiii. 5. and defigns his defcent as man, and the meannefs of it; and yet his fruitfulnefs in himfelf, and to his people: the dringing him forth, intends his incarnation; and fhews that he exifted before, and was with God, and is brought forth by him as an inftance of his grace and love to men; and becaufe this was a matter of great moment, and’ very wonderful, and would certainly be done, and deferved attention, the word, behold! is prefixed to it. The Septuagint render this word by avaoan, the rifing fun, or that part of the heavens where the fun rifes, the eaft; and the Vulgate Latin verfion has Orientem, the eaft: hence~another Zechariah calls the Meffiah, the day-/pring from on high, Luke i, 78. and one of his titles is, the fun of righteoufne/s, Mal.iv.2. The eaftern. part of the heavens was attributed by the heathens to their gods, and reckoned their feat and abode *; and from hence the Meffiah came, that man from heaven; he was born in the eaftern part of the world. Some render the words, in Mic. v. 2. bis goings forth are out of theeaft”; and it was from the mount of Olives, which was to the eaft of Ferufalem, that he went up to heaven; and from the fame point of the heavens will he come again, fince his feet will ftand on that mountain, és i: 11, 12. Zech. xiv. 4. he is the angel faid to afcend from the eaft, Rev. vii. 2. and perhaps it is owing to this verfion of the word here, and elfewhere, when ufed of the Meffiah, that he came to be known among the Gentiles by this name; to which it is thought Tacitus “ has refpect, when he fays, «* many were perfuaded, that in the ancient books “ of the priefts, were contained a prophecy, that s¢ at that time Oriezs, or the eaft, fhould prevail;” that is, fuch an one fhould exift, or rule in the world, whofe name is Oriens, or the rifing fun,
Sore Fofoua, 8c.) Not the’ plummet in the hand> of Zerubbabel; nor the firft and foundation-ftone of the temple Jaid by him in the préfence. of Fo/bda;’ but Chrift the ftone of J/rae/, whom thé builders refufed; the foundation and corner-ftone of the piritual building the church: and this was Jaid ‘be-’ fore Fofbua to build his faith upoa, to view tis’
fafety and fecurity on it, and to take comfort from it for himfelf'; ‘and to lay it before others, and it-? ftruct them inthe nature and ufe of it, for their’ comfort alfo. “It was prophetically laid before -hiny in the prophecies of Chrift, ‘that went before; and: typically, when the foundation of the temple was‘ laid, Ezra iii. 9, 10. the temple being a type’ of the church, and the foundation of it a°type’of
‘Chrift: and this: being done ‘by’ ‘¥ebovah, fhews that he is the’chief builder; that’ this ftone mutt be an excelleif one, that is of his laying; that that building ‘mutt ftand, which’ this is the foundation of; and that under-builders have great en- on the place referred to, interprets Fo/bua of Tjaiah, who prophefied of this ftone in the faid place, and’ before whom it was laid by a fpirit of prophecy;! Tfaiah and Fofoua being words of the fame °figni*: fication and formation: but’ J/aiah was no higli*? prieft; for there is no room'to think that’ Fojhua’ in this verfe, is another, and diftin& from, fohua the high-prieft, in the former: upon one stone fhall be feven eyes, meaning either'the eyes of Chrift himfelf,’ which he has, and are in him; for-Chrift® is not only a living ftone, but a feeing one, even: all-feeing; he is all eye» “This may be an allu-’ fion to iuch ftones that have the refemblance of:
eyes upon them: fucha ftone’is that which Scheuchzer * {peaks of, and calls Siliculus Ommatias, being found in the river Sila; which reprefénts the fore~ part of the bulb of the eye; and the black pupil’ of the eye in a inowy white; and after a fmall.interftice, as furrounded with another black Circle;: with which may be compared the Achates, in the middle of which is an onyx, refembling an eye, and is therefore named by Vel/chius *, Achates Ommatias, and Onych-Ophthalmos. Some ftones have’ on them the figures of the eyes of animals, and have their names from them; «as the Zgophthalmos, which is very much like to the eye of a goat; and Lycopthalmos, in the middle of which the black is furrounded with white, as the eyes of wolves, and in all refpects like unto them; and Ayophthalmos, which bears the likenefs of the eyes of {wine: and fome refemble human eyes; there is one called’ Triophthalmos, which is bred with the onyx, and repreients three eyes of a man together; all which are made mention of by Pliny ‘: but here is a ftone with feven eyes in it, denoting perfection of fight in himas a divine perfon, {pecial overfight of his people, and fulnefs of grace in him as Mediator; for the fulnefs of the gifts and graces of the Spirit in him, for’ the ufe of his people, is fignified by feven eyes, Rev. v. 6, they may defign ‘the omnifcience of Chrift in general, which reaches to all perfons and things, and greatly. qualifies him to be the head of the ahurchead judge of theworld; and likewife his fpecial knowledge, care, ahd watchfulnefs of his own people, from everlafting, in time, at, and before, and after - $9. p. §20- after converfion, under all their trials and exercifes: or they defign the eyes which are looking to him, and are. intent on him; and the fenfe is, that all eyes are upon him: the eyes of God the: ®ather were upon him in the council and cove-. ant of peace, and under the Old Teftament, as.
the furety of his people, to make fatisfaétion for them; and when the fulnefs of time was come to fend him forth; andduring his infancy, and through-' out his life, to preferve him; and in the whole of his. humiliation, {ufferings and death, his eye was on him, with pleafure and fatisfaction; and when in the grave, to raife him up; and now in heaven, for the acceptance of his people: the eyes of the holy Spirit are on him, to take of his things, and fhew them to his people: the eyes,of angels are upon him, in point of ‘dependence, fervice and worfhip; their eyes were upon him when -here on earth, as he! afcended to.heaven, and now he is there: the eyes of all the faints, under the;Old Teftament, were upon him, expecting him, and looking to his perfon, and to his blood, and facrifice,» that were to be offered; the eyes of all believers, under the New Teftament, in all times and places, are to him for pardon, righteoufnefs, life, and falvation; and the eyes of all, good and bad, will be faftened on him, when he comes a fecond time, inthe clouds of heaven; and the eyes of all the glorified ones will be upon him to all eternity, beholding his glory; to this fenfe agrees the Targum, which renders the words, upon one fione, feveu eyes look to it. R. Fofeph Kimchi interprets thefe eyes of feven men, Fofbua, Ezra, Zorobabel, Nehemiah, and the three prophets, Haggai, Zechariab, and Malachi: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, faith the Lord of hofts; either with the names of his elect, which are not only written in the book of the Lamb; but their perfons are put into his hands, and engraven there; and are bore upon his fhoulders, he having the care and government of them; and are upon his breaft-plate, and on his heart, he being their reprefentative, and prefenting them for a memorial before the Lord; as the names. of the tribes of J/rae/ were on the ftones, on the fhoulders, and on the breaft-plate of the shigh-priett; in all which Jehovah is concerned:‘or elfe with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, like a carved or polifhed ftone; his human body was prepared and formed by him, and his human foul was filled with him; and he, as Mediator, was full of grace and truth; which is one branch of his glory, and draws the eyes of believers to him: or thee’ engravings may intend the fufferings of Chrift; the wounds and marks in his flefh; or, the openings *, in his feet, hands, and fide, as it may be rendered; the incifions and cuts made there by the nails and fpear; which were according to the determination, will, and pleafure of God; according to his purpofing and commanding will, which Chrift was obedient to; and are pleafing to God, as being the accomplifhment of his counfel and covenant; fatisfactory to his law and juftice; what procured the falvation of his people, and brought glory to him: unlefs this is rather to be underttood of the exaltation and glorification of his human. nature in heaven; of his being beautified, adorned, and crowned with glory and honour there, and made the head-ftone of the corner; and indeed all thefe things may be included. The allufion feems to be to engraving of ftones, either by nature, or by
Ch. itt. ¥. 10» art; fome have forms and figures on them, which are not engraven by art, or man’s device, but-are of God, and by nature; fuch as ‘thofe ftones. before-mentioned, that have the refemblance of eyes upen them; and the Achates, which was wore in the ring of Pyrrbus. king of Epirus, in which were feen the nine mules, and po/lo holding an harp 3 and which were not engraven by art, as Pliny » obferves; but the {pots of nature’s own accord were fo placed, as that to each mufe its proper enfign was given: others are engraven by the art of men; as the onyx-ftones, which had the names of the children of J/rae/ on'them, wore on the fhoulders of the high-prieft; by which inftance it appears, that the art of engraving on precious ftones is very antique, and in which the ancients are faid to excel; their engravings on agates, cornelians, and onyx, furpafs any thing of that kind produced by the moderns. Pyrgoteles.in the times of Alexander, and Diofcorides under the firft Roman: emperors, were the moft eminent. engravers we read of.; This art, with other. polite,arts, was buried under the ruins of the Roman empire 5 until. it was,retrieved in /taly at the beginning of the:1 5th: century, by two Jéalians; and from that time has sbeen common enough in. urope': but fince this ftone here was for building, rather the allufion:is to the en= graving and polithing of corner-ftones and frontif=, pieces in edifices; and particularly to -thofe coftly, curious, and carved ftones ufed and laid in the temple; fee Mark xiii. 1. Luke xxi. 5. or to the firft ftone laid in the foundation, in which little orbs were engraven,;.and medals of gold. or filver put in them, bearing the name,-country; and de- {cent of the builder, and the day, year,,and reign in which the ftructure was begun; which little orbs are thought to be called eyes, becaufe of the orbicular form of the eye“: fo Grofius thinks, the engraving of the feven eyes on the, ftone is here referred to; which ftone he takes to be the plummet in the hand of Zorobabel, when.the formation of the temple was laid, ch, iv. 10. at which time thefe feven eyes were caufed fuddenly to appear on it, and is the wonder fpoken of, ¥. 8: and I will remove the iniquity of tbat land in one day; not Judea, nor Chaldea, but Immanuel’s land, the church and people of God, J/: viii, 8. even all the ele& and covenant-ones, for whom Chrift fuffered.and died, and who are laid upon this ftone, their fins Jehovah removed from them to Chrift their furery; and Chrift by bearing them, and. the punifhment of them, took them away; and God removed them, both from him and them, upon his; be-.
coming a facrifice for them; and that wholly out of fight, fo as that he never will impute them to them, nor condemn them for them; and this was all done i# one day. Farchi upon the text, fays,
‘* J know not what day this is;” but we chriftians — know it was the day on which Chrift fuffered and died, and offered himfelf a facrifice for fin; by which one offering of himfelf, once for all, he.
away fin for ever; it was all done in one re Heb, vil. 27. and ix. 26, 28. and x. 10, 12, 14. on the day he fuffered, when he expiring on the plete falvation from it. a Ft ¥. 10. In that day, faith the Lord of bofts, &c.} The gofpel-difpenfation, which began with the incarnation, fufferings, death, and refurrection of
Chrift, and ftill continues; called fometimes the: Bi! gest day