Exposition of the Whole Bible

has made reconciliation for it; and where this is preached, he, the angel defcending from the eaft, comes; here appears the rifing fun, the fun of righteoufnefs, who arifes on thofe that fear his name, and. love his gofpel, with healing in his wings: this gate /hall be fhut the fix working days which feems to be the fame with the gate of the outward fanctuary, ch. xliv. 1, 2. faid to,be always fhut, and never opened; but by what follows here, it appears that that muft be underftood with fome exception and limitation: the fix working days are the fix days of the week in which men fhould labour, and do all the work and bufinefs of their callings, that they may thereby provide for themfelves and families, and have wherewith to give to the poor; during which time, the public miniftry of the word is intermitted, that men may not be taken off of their neceffary and lawful employments; and that the minifters of the word may have fufficient time to prepare in their ftudies for their minifterial fervice: but on the abbath it fhall be opened, by which is meant, not the Fewi/h fabbath now abrogated in the times pn vifion refers to; but the Lord’s day, called by this Fewi/h name: and this being oppofed to the' fix working days, fhews that it ought to be kept by abftinence from all civil, corporal and fervile works, as well as from dead works or fins, and) in the exercife of all religious duties, private and public; and particularly in attendance on the miniftry of the word, the gate now opened; and which is fometimes exprefled by opening the door gate; of the other gate that led into the énnert court, and where he could fee all that was done in it: or dow‘; which it is obferved he did, when he fell proftrate in the garden, and when he expired on the crofs, and was at the threfhold of the gate of heaven launching into etérnity: worfhip and adoration, or bowing, may be afcribed to Chrift as man; fee Fobn iv. 22: then fhall he go forzh; out of this world to his Father, and be of faith, and is called an open door; and may be faid to be fo when minifters have an opportunity without, and great freedom within themfelves, to preach it; and when the doors of mens hearts are opened to attend to it, and many fouls are gathered to Chrift, and into his churches by it; fee 4%s| xiv. 27. 1 Cor. xvi. 9. 2 Cor. ii. 12: and in the| day of the new moon it fhall be opened; on {tated monthly days, in which the churches of Chrift meet together for religious fervice: the new moon, which is an emblem of new light, and an increafe of it, is very fuitable to exprefs the gofpel-difpenfation; in which, as Cocceius obferves, there are fome particular feafons that may be called fo; as the coming of Chrift into the world; his refurrection from the dead; the pouring forth of the Spirit on the day of Pentecoft, the deftruction of the temple, and temple-fervice; the peace and profperity of the chriftian churches in the times hall not be fhut until the evening; of the fabbath, or new moon; or the evening of the world, the fecond coming of Chrift; the golpel-miniftry and ordinances will continue till then, and no longer; and this is owing to his powerful and prevalent in~ terceffion in heaven, whither he is gone; then the door will be fhut, and not before, Adait, xxv. 1o.¢ y. 3. Likewife the people of the land foall worfoip at the door of this gate before the Lord, 8c¢.| Publickly, and in a {piritual manner; attending the miniftration of the word and ordinances with conftancy and fervency; praying to God, praifing his name, and hearing his word with attention; and of Confiantine; the morning-ftar of the reformation; and the call of God’s people out of Babylon at the deftruction. of it; at all which times there has been, or will be, an opening of this eaftern gate, or a free, public and glorious miniftration of the gofpel. Some think thefe fix working days defign this life, which is the time of working, after which there will be none, but an eternal fabbath or reft; and that for the prefent, faints live and walk by faith, and not by fight; divine and heavenly things are greatly fhut up, and out of fight; but then it will be new moon, as well as fabbath, and all things will be feen clearly; but the former fenfe I think is beft, which yet I leave to the judgment of others. This Kimchi fays is a new thing, that will be in time to come.

y. 2. And the prince fhall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, &c.| That is, by the way of the porch of the eaftern gate, even the outermoft gate of the porch; for, as every gate had a porch, fo every porch had two gates, one at one end, and the other at the other; now this was the outermoft gate of the porch, which looked to the outward court, and not that which led into the inner: and fhall fiand by the pojt of the gate; this denotes the prefence of Chrift, the prince with his people waiting at wifdom’s gate, and watching at the pofts of her door. The allufion feems to be to the king’s pillar in the temple, where he ufed to ftand, 2 Chron, xxiii. 13. Some underftand this of Chrift’s incarnation, of his entrance into the world, and his ftanding before his Father, and praying for his people, as he did in the garden, and a little before his death, recorded Fobn xvii: and the priefs fall prepare his burnt-offerings, and his peace-offerings; that is, fhall offer them. The meaning is, that the minifters fhall preach Chrift and him crucified, who, by his facrifice, has made atonement for fin, and peace for his people; tho’ fome interpret this of the concern the priefts had in the crucifixion and death of Chrilt: and he fhall worfhip at the threfhold of the tho’ this and the preceding may be underftood of who are one with him; and of their departure from public worfhip, when it is over + dut the gate

The allufion is to the people of J/rael meeting at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, Exod. xxix. 42: in the fabbaths, and in the new moons: at their ftated weekly and monthly meet-~ ings; fee Jf. Ixvi. 23.

¥. 4. And the burnt-offering the prince foall offer unto the Lord in the fabbath-day, &c.| In the preceding chapter, ¥. 17. it is faid to be the prince’s part to give and prepare facrifices in the feafts, new moons, fabbaths, and all folemnities; and there follows an account of them, for new-year’sday, and for the feafts of paffover and tabernacles; and here an account is given of thofe for the fabbaths and new moons; which is very properly referved for this place, to follow the account of the opening of the eaftern gate at thofe feafons: and the burnt-offering for the fabbath fhall be fx lambs without blemifb, and a ram without blemifh; according to the law of Mo/es, only two lambs were the burnt-offering for this day, befides the continual one, Numb. xxviii, 9,10. here Farchi confefles his ignorance; and Kimchi fays, it is a new thing; and indeed it is, and is a proof of the ceremonial perfect facrifice of Chrift, by which he has per- without blemifh, the purity and holinefS of it; and as the people of God on the fix working days commit much fin, and contract much guilt, the facrifice of Chrift is fignified by fix lambs, which it is neceffary they fhould hear of, and it fhould be fet before them in the miniftry of the word on Lord’s-days, which is meant by the offering of it; that they may by faith apply it to,themfelves, to the removal of fin from their confciences, and take the comfort of it; as the one ram may denote the one facrifice of Chrift, tho” typified by guide of the flock: now, more creatures beir feen no more, until the reftitution of all things;.

Chrift’s myftical worthipping; or of his people, law being now abolifhed. Thefe feven denote the- feéted for ever them that are fan@tified, and being performing all the duties of religious worfhip, — many; and who, like the ram, is the leader and | offered for this burnt-offering than under the law, denotes the clearer knowledge of the facrifice of

Chrift under the gofpel, and the more exténfive efficacy of it, to the removal of the guilt of fin from the Lord’s people.;

¥. 5. And the meat-offering fhall be an ephab for a ram, &c.] See the note on ch. xlv. 24: and the meat-offering for the lambs as he Jball be able to give, or, and be gift of bis band*; it was fixed’ and ftinted under the law, Namd. xxviii. 9g. but now fhould be free and voluntary, and according to the ability of the giver; that is, the preacher of the word, who officiates for the prince, and in his name, and fets before the people the meat, or rather bread-offering, Chrift the bread of life, freely, and according to the ability and meafure of the gift of grace beftowed upon him: and an hin of oil to an ephabh, which was alfo a larger quantity than under the law; denoting the larger meafure of the

- gifts and graces of the Spirit, fignified by oil, given unto the minifters of the word, and the people alfo; fee the note on ch. xlv. 24.

¥. 6. And in the day of the new moon it thall be a young bullock without blemifb, &c.| This is alfo different from the law of Mo/es, which required two young bullocks and a ram, and feven lambs, Numb. xxviii. 11. whereas here only one bullock: and fix lambs and @ ram,’ they fhall be without blemifb; and here Kimchi acknowledges again, that this is a new thing to be done in future time. Some have obferved, that the feven lambs under the law, fhewed that perfection might be hoped for and expected; but there being but fix now, that this is not yet attained, nor will be till the faints get to heaven; tho’ perfection is come by the priefthood of Chrift, whofe facrifice is a perfect and complete one, and by which his people are perfected, and they are complete in him, yet they have not perfection in themfelves.

y. 7. And he foall prepare a meat-offering, an ephab for a bullock, and an epbab for a ram, &c.] See the note on ch. xlv. 24: and for the lambs, according as his hand fhall attain unto, and an bin of ail to an ephab; fee the note on ¥. 5.:

y. 8. And when the prince foall enter, he fhall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, &c.] See the note on ¥. 2: and he fhall go forth by the way thereof; the fame way he came in, he fhall go out; not fo the people; and to introduce the manner of their going in and out, this is repeated concerning the prince.

y. 9. But when the people of the land fhall come before the Lord in the folemu feafts, &c.] To worfhip the Lord, to pray and praife; to honour the Lord, and keep the folemn feaft of love, the Lord’s fupper: he that entreth in by the way of the north gate to worfbip, foall go out by the way of the fouth gate; and he that entreth in by the way of the fouth gate, foall go forth by the way of the north gate, that fo fuch as were coming in, and going out, might not meet, and ftop and hinder one another in going out and coming in: no mention is made of entring in by the eaft gate, which was only for the prince, ch. xliv. 1, 2. and there was no entring in, or going out, on the weft: he shall not return by the way of the gate he came in, but frall go forth over-againft it; fignifying, that thofe that come to the houfe of God to worfhip, and join in communion with the faints, fhould not return to their former ways and practices; to their former rites, cuftoms, and ceremonies in religion, ufed by them; and to their former principles and i | © 9 PND donum manus ejus, Cocceius, Starckius, errors in dottrines; and to their former finful

-courfes of life; but’ go ftrait on and thorough- ftitch with it in their profeffion’ of Chrift and his gofpel, and in the practice of {piritual and evan= gelic worfhip’; fee Luke ix. 62. Heb. x: be cali _ ¥. 106 And the prince'in the midft of them, &c.} Chrift in the midft of his people while worfhipping: this ‘fituation of him, agrees with all'the de= feriptions of him; as the angel in thé midft of the bufhon fire, and not confiimed; as among’ the myrtle -trees in the bottom; as walking in the midft of his golden candlefticks; as the tree of life in tke midft of the paradife of God; ‘and as king, prieft, and prophet in his houfe; and with all the declzrations and promifes of his grace; and which is true in fact’: and the phrafe is expreffive of ‘his prefence, ‘not merely of his effential, powerful, and providential prefence, common to all, but of his gracious prefence with his people; he is in the midft 6f them, to affift them in every fervice; to protect them from every enemy; to fympathize with them in all their troubles; ‘to deliver out of them; to fupply them with‘all needful grace; and to rule over them, and defend them:’and his being here fhows, that he is to be feen of all, to be come at and enjoyed by them; than which nothing is more defirable, and nothing more encouraging in the worfhip of God: when they go in, fhall go in, and when they go forth, foall go forth; when they go to the throne of grace, for grace and mercy to help in time of need, he goes with them; their | accefs is thro’ him; he introduces their perfons, prefents their petitions, is their advocate and interceffor for them, and for his fake they are heard and accepted: when they go into the houfe of God, | and:to the ordinances of it; when they go in and out to find pafture, he goes in with them,. and before them, as the fhepherd of the flock, and leads them into green paftures; he teaches them how to go in and out, and to behave themfelves in the church of God; he is their guide, by way of inftruction, both by his word, and by his Spirit: when they go out from public fervice to their own houfes, he goes with them, and by his Spirit brings to their remembrance what they have heard; and when they go forth into the world again, and the bufinefs of it, he goes forth with them, to’ preferve them from the evil of the world, and to keep them from falling; and when they go forth out of the world -at death, he is with them thro’ the dark valley; he fees them fife over Fordan’s river, and introduces them into the heavenly Canaan, into his kingdom and glory, where they are for ever with him. y¥. 11. And in the feafts, and in. the folemnities, &c.] Or, appointed times, for public worfhip, for the miniftration of the word and ordinances, which are feafts and folemn feafons; fee the note on ch. xlv. 15. Kimchi obferves a difference between thefe two; and that tho’ all feafts are called folemnities, or fixed feafons, Zev. xxiii, 4. yet there are fome folemnities that are not feafts, Gez. ji. 14. and xviii. 14: the meat-offering fhall be an ephab to a bullock, and to the lambs, as he is aile to give, and an bin of cil to an ephab the fame to be done on all feafts and folemnities, as on the fabbath-day; fee the note on y. 5. y¥. 12. Now when the prince hall prepare a voluntary burnt-offering, or peace-offerings voluntarily unto the Lord, &c.| ‘That is, on week-days, diaf ftinct 1 Hv qyy93i et ftatis temporibus, Cocceius, Starckius. PPP | ftiné& from fabbath-days, new moons, feafts, and folemnities, of which before; and feems to have refpeét to week-day lectures, in diftinction from the weekly and monthly ftated times, for the miniftry of the word, and adminiftration of the Lord’s fapper; in which lectures, the principal thing infifted on, muft be the atoning facrifice of Chrift, and peace and reconciliation made by his blood; for the gofpel, which is to be preached in feafon and out of feafon, is the miniflry of reconciliation, or the word preaching peace by Jefus Chrift; and which fhould at all times be held forth to the faith of God’s people; which is meant by the preparation of thefe offerings: and being voluntary ones fhew, not only that Chrift’s facrifice was a willing one, and offered without any reluctance, with all readinefs and chearfulnefs; but alfo that week-day lectures are voluntary things, which men are not under neceflary obligation to attend unto, either minifters or people, but is a matter of free choice, as their circumftances will admit; and yet are acceptable to God, and agreeable to the will of Chrift, the prince, faid to prepare thefe free-will offerings: one /hall then open him the gate that looketh toward the eaft; the place where he ftood and worfhipped on the fabbath day; on the evening of which it was fhut, and remained fo the fix days of the week, ¥. 1, 2. only when it was the prince’s pleafure to offer a facrifice, or to have the word preached, it was opened by one of the porters of the gates; or there was an open exercife of the miniftry of the word, by one of the preachers of it: and he fhall prepare his burnt-offerings, and his peace-offerings, as be did on the fabbath day the fame doétrine, refpecting the facrifice and fatisfaction of Chrift, muft be delivered at fuch times, as on Lord’s-days: then he fhall go forth, and after bis going forth, one Jhall fout the gate; on the fabbath day, or the Lord’s-day, it was not to be fhut till the evening, becaufe that day is wholly to be devoted to the fervice of God; men are not to find their own ways, nor do their own work, nor feek their own pleafure; but on week-days, when the lecture is over, the gate is fhut immediately, and perfons may return to their worldly bufinefs directly.

¥. 13. Thou foalt daily prepare a burnt-offering unto the Lord, &c.| Called the daily facrifice, Dan. viii. 11, 12, 13. typical of Chrift’s facrifice, which has a continual daily virtue in it, to take away the fins of his people; and which ought to be looked unto by faith, and pleaded by them for that purpofe every day, Yobni. 29: of a lamb of the firft year without a blemifh; a type of Chrift the Lamb of God, without fpot and blemifh, ftrong and able, and fo fit and proper to be’a facrifice for the fins of others: thou /halt prepare it every morning; or, morning by morning ™; this feems to be faid not to the prince, but rather to the prophet, and indeed to every believer; who fhould every morning he rifes look to Chrift as the atoning fa- ¢rifice for fin, whofe blood continually cleanfes from it, and who is always in the midft of the throne as a lamb that had been flain, and ever lives to make interceffion; and as the mercies of the Lord’s people are renewed every morning, they fhould renew their thankfulnefs to God as often, and bring this Jamb with them, thro’ whofe facrifice, their facrifices of praife become acceptable. No mention is made of the evening-facrifice; fee Exod. xxix. 38, 39. which fome think is included in the morning- burnt-offering. Kimchi thinks, that in future time %.

this was not to be offered, only the morning-facrifice; but the true reafon is, Chrift has a. once in the evening of the world, and offered up himfelf; yea, it was ‘literally in the evening, or decline of the day, when he fuffered, or between the two evenings, whereby he anfwered the type of the paffover-lamb; hence no evening-facrifice is mentioned, Chrift’s being offered up.. y. 14. And thou fralt prepare a meat-offering for it every morning, &c.] That is, for the daily burnt— offering, to go along with it; prayer and thankfgiving both for our temporal and {piritual food, which fhould be done every morning: the fixth part of an ephab, and the third part of an hin of oib to temper with the fine flour; to mix with it, and moiften it: under the law, only a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour, and a fourth part of a hin of oil, were ordered to make this meat-offering of, Exod. xxix. 40. wherefore Kimchi obferves, this is a new thing in time to come: the reafon of it is this; to fhew us, that as the bleffings of grace abound under the gofpel-difpenfation, we_fhould abound in our thankigiving to God: @ meat-offering continually, by a perpetual ordinance unto the Lord; thefe forts of facrifices are never to ceafe 5 and fo the Fews * themfelves fay, ‘* in future time, ** or in the days of the Meffiah, all facrifices fhall “* ceafe; but the facrifice of praife fhall not “* ceafe.””

¥. 15. Thus fhall they prepare, &c.| This fhows that not a fingle perfon is meant im the preceding verfes, but all the Lord’s people; who are alk priefts unto God, and who are to offer up daily {piritual facrifices unto him: ¢he lamb, and the meat-offering, and the oil every morning, for a continual burnt-offering; which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and to excite a careful and conftant attention to it.

y¥. 16. Thus faith the Lord God, &c.] Having finifhed the account of the facrifices of the prince and people, the monthly, weekly, and daily ones 5 here his gifts are treated of, which are two-fold; fome given to his fons, others to his fervants: if the prince give a gift to any of his fons; Chrift, the prince, has fons; he that,is the prince of peace is the everlafting Father; he has children given unto him, whom he preferves; a feed promifed him in covenant, which fhall always endure; a family he is mafter of, and cares for; for whofe fake he became incarnate, fuffered, and died: they are fons by adopting grace, and in their adoption he has a great concern; they are predeftinated to it by him; they receive it through him; he gives them — power to become the fons of God, and they are manifeftatively fo thro’ faith in him; they appear to be his fons, or are evidenced as fuch by their regeneration, which alfo is of him: it is by his Spirit they are regenerated; it is his grace that is implanted in them; it is he himfelf that is formed in them, and his image that is inftamped upon them; it is owing to his word and gofpel as the means, and to his refurrection as the virtual caufe of it; it is in his church they are born, yea, of her, te whom he ftands in the relation of an hufband, and fo they - are fons brought forth to him by her; and thef are princes by birth, have a free and princely fpirit, and are brought up and provided for as fuch: now to thefe Chrift gives gifts; gifts of f{pecial gift of righteoufnefs; pardoning grace; adopting grace; all fupplies of grace; fpiritual ftrength, peace, joy, and comfort; and perfevering grace, to hold out to the end: and he alfo gives glory or eternal life; this is with him, in his hands; he has a power to give it, and he does give it, to all his fons; all which, being once given, ever continue. The inheritance thereof fhall be his fons, it fhall be their poffeffion by inberitance; that is, it fhall ever remain with them, fhall never be taken away from them; thefe are gifts and calling without repentance, irreverfible bleffings, which are for ever: fanctifying grace is a well of living water, fpringing up unto eternal life; faith, hope, and love, always abide; Chrift’s juitifying righteoufnefs is an everlafting one; pardon of fin is of all fin, paft, prefent, and to come, and is never made void or called in; once children of God and always fuch; and the inheritance of heaven is incorruptible, never-fading, and eternal; and all this flows from the unchangeable love of God and Chrift, to thefe fons of the prince. y¥. 17. But if be give a gift of bis inheritance to one-of bis fervants, &c.| Who are not his fons, but his hired fervants, and who ferve him in a mercenary way; fuch are unregenerate minifters of the word, whg preach Chrift in pretence, and not in reality, for bye ends, to ferve themfelves, and not him, or to advance his glory; and all carnal profeffors, who have only an outfide of religion, a form of godlinefs without the power of it: to thefe Chrift gives gifts, the gifts of nature, wealth and riches to fome, to whom he gives not grace; thefe are his left-hand-bleffings, which are given to the men of the world, who have their portion in this life: to others external means, the word and ordinances, but not internal fpecial grace, yea, to fome, gifts for the miniftry, fo as to be able to prophefy.or preach in his name, which are meant by the talents and pounds in the parable; fome of which were given to flothful and unprofitable fervants; fee Matt. vii. 22, 23. and xxv. 14, 15, 30. Then it fhall be bis to the year of liberty, the fervant’s, to whom it is given, as long as the prince pleafes; who when they make no ufe, or an ill ufe of them, takes them away in life-time, and gives them to thofe that have more, and employ them to better purpofe, Zech, xi. 17. Matt, xxv. 28, 29. or however at death, which is a time of liberty from civil bondage, the fervant is free from his mafter; and when good men are freed from the oppreffion of others, and from fin, fatan, and the world, and are delivered into the glorious liberty of the children of God; this isa year of liberty indeed to them; and then all external gifts to others, as riches, are held no longer; the word and ordinances no more enjoyed; prophefying, {peaking with tongues, and all mere natural knowledge, ceafe, and vanifh away, 1 Cor. xiii. 8. the allufion is to the year of jubilee, when liberty was. proclaimed throughout the land, and every man returned to his poffeffion, and to his family, Lev. xxv. 10. and fo the Targum, Farchi, and Kimchi, interpret it of the year of jubilee; a type of the heavenly glory, and of the joy of the Lord, which Chrift’s faithful fervants enter into; and when there will be a manifeft difference between them and flothful fervants, and the gifts of the one and of the other, and of their ufe of them, as well as between fons and fervants: after it fhall return to

° sy YD? ~ wN wo ideo ne difpergantur populus meus, Starckius.

EK OT OE L: 243 the prince; fignifying, that fuch gifts are not durable; they are revertible to the donor of them; who will call thefe fervants to an account for them at death or judgment, if not in time of life‘ ut bis inheritance fhall be his fons for thems the prince’s inheritance fhall be theirs; for being fons they are heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chritt: or that which is given them for ah inheritance fhall always continue; it fhall never be taken from them or returned; but it fhall be their own; for themfelves, and enjoy it for ever; which is a confitmation of what is faid in the preceding verfe.. ¥. 18. Moreover, the prince shall not take of the peoples inberitance by oppreffion, to thruft them out of their poffeffion, 8cc.] Chrift, the prince; will never do this; he'will never take any part of his peoples inheritance from them; or thruft them out of the pofleflion of any benefit or bleffing of grace; they have chofen that good part which fhall never be taken from them, Luke x. 42. this is faid, not as a direction to the prince, as a law enjoined him, or a caution to him againft oppreffion; but as exprefling his clemency, grace, and goodnefs to his fubjects, and their fafety and fecurity under him: but he fhall give his fons inheritance out of his own poffefion; whatever Chrift gives his fons; whether prefent grace, or future glory, it is out of his own poffeffion; for all that the Father has are his; all the bleflings of goodnefs are with him; all the fulnefs of grace is in him; the eternal inheritance is referved with him in heaven; and it is all his, own, he gives, and not another’s: shat my ‘people be not [catered every man from his poffefion; or, that there-_ fore my people may not be fcattered° every man from his poffefion; becaufe what is given them, and they are in poffeffion of, was Chrift’s own, and not another’s; and which he had a right to difpofe of; and therefore they need not fear being difpoffefied by another claimant. ¥. 19. After he brought me through the entry, which was at the fide of the gate, &c.], The north gate of the inner court, where the prophet was laft, ch. xliv. 4. thro’ an entry, by the fide of that, he was brought by the man his guide: into the boly chambers of the priefis, fee ch. xlii. 13: and bebold there was a place in the two fides weftward; or, on their fides weftward »; on the weft fide of the chambers; the Targum is, at the weft end of them: the ufe of this place follows, ¥. 20. Then faid he unto me, &c.] Declaring what this place was, and what it was for: +his is the place where the priefts fhall boil the trefpafs-offering, and the fin-offering; this was the priefts kitchen, in which they prepared the facrifices that were to be eatén; and which were typical of Chrift, who was made fin, and became a facrifice for the fins of his people, whether prefumptuous ones, or fins of ignorance; the doctrine of whofe facrifice and fatisfaétion, is a principal part of the gofpelminiftry; and which fhould be delivered, not in a raw, crude, and indigefted manner; but the fcriptures fhould be diligently fearched into, to get a clear and diftiné&t underftanding of it; and thefe fhould be conftantly meditated on, and thoroughly ftudied: minifters fhould examine their doétrine by the word of God before they deliver it; and take heed unto it that it is right, according to the oracles of God, and the proportion of faith; and take care to deliver it in the beft manner, not in a cold, lukewarm way, but with fervency of ate a

P [M53 in lateribus ejus vel

244 | all which may be meant by the boiling of thefe facrifices: it feems to defien the laborious and diligent employ of gofpel-minifters in their ftudies, preparatory to their public work in the houfe of God; and fuggefts, that they fhould not come thither unprepared, and deliver out unpremeditated matter; or fet before the Lord’s people indigefted food; or offer that in the fan@tuary of the Lord, which coft them no pains or trouble: this place, and fo the boiling places in y. 24. are to be‘underftood of the clofets, {tudies, and places of -retirement, where the minifters of the word employ their time and thoughts, in preparing for’ their ‘public miniftry; for thefe were without the fanétuary, on the fide of the priefts chambers, and in the corners of the outward court: ‘where ‘they shall bake the meat-offering 5 or, bread-offering?, made of fine flour and oil; typical of Chrift the bread of God, the food of believers, who is fet forth as fuch to them in the miniftry of the gofpel: the baking of this, fignifies the fame as the boiling of the other before; fee Lev. ti. 1, 4, 5, 7: that they bear them not out in the utter court, to fanétify the people, that they might not be carried’ thro’ the outer court, where the common people were; left they fhould think ic was lawful for them to eat of them, as Kimchi obferves, when they belonged to the priefts only; or left they fhould: touch them, and become holy thereby, and fo for the future be employed in facred fervice, and obliged to quit the duties of their calling, which would introduce confufion in the commonwealth; fee Hage. ii. 12. the Targum is, ‘* left they be mixed with the people.” The defign feems to be-to fhew, that the doétrine of peace, pardon, atonement, and fatisfaction for fin, is only to be preached, as belonging to fuch that truly repent of fin, and believe in Chrift; and particularly that the ordinances of the Lord’s fupper, in which the facrifice of Chrift is held forth and commemorated, is to be adminiftered, not to men in common, but to holy and regenerate perfons; to do otherwife would be. to caft pearls before fwine, and give that which is holy to dogs. ¥. 21. Then he brought me forth into the utter court, &c.]: From the holy chambers of the priefts, and from viewing the place where they boiled the facrifices, and baked the meat-offering: and caufed me to pafs by the four corners of the court; in each of the four corners of the outward court, there was another court; fignifying, that there will be courts or churches in the feveral parts of the world in the latter day. ¥. 22. In the four corners of the court there were courts joined, &c.} ‘To the fide-walls of the outward court, which metiin right angles: or, were - made with chimnies*, as fome render it; that the fmoke of the fire of the kitchens in them, and the fteam of the boiled flefh, might afcend thro’ them. So the Yer) writers, as Farchi and Kimchi, from the Mifnab*, generally interpret the word, that thefe courts were made fo as to let out the fmoke, and were not roofed or floored over *; and in which treatife, and alfo by Maimonides", the ufes of them in the fecond temple are obferved: for in anfwer to the queftion, what do they ferve for? it is faid, at the fouth-eaft was the chamber of the Nazarites, where they boiled their peace-offerings, and fhaved their hair, and put them under the pot: ‘at the that had blemifhes wormed the wood; and any wood, in which'a worm was found, was rej from the altar: at the north-weft was the chamber of thé lepers: of that which was at the fouth-weft, faith R. Eliezer Ben ‘facob, I have forgot (for render it, found) of what ufe it is; but Abba fays, there they put. the wine and oil, wherefore was called the oil-chamber. Thefe four chamb according to the fame ‘treatife, were in the fo corners of the court of the women, and confifted north-eatt' was the wood-chamber, where a of forty cubits long, but were not roofed; and fo they fay, they will be in future time, or this paffage of fcripture. Thefe places, as Dr. Lightfoot “ obferves, are’ called by the he courts, and in every one of them places to boil the facrificés in; and yet they are allotted to other ufes‘in the Mifnab, and which feem to require that they fhould be roofed’; all which may confift together, he fays: for grant every one of thefe paces to be built within, with chambers round about, there might be very fair chambers, and yet a goo handfome open court in the middle; at either end chambers of ten cubits broad, and yet an open fpace of twenty cubits between; and on eithér fide chambers of feven or eight cubits broad, and yet an open fpace of fourteen or fixteen cubits between:

thus therefore, adds he, it feems to be, that there ° were fair chambers round about, which were roofed’ over as other buildings; and in the middle was an open court, round about which were boiling ranges, whofe chimnies went up in the inner walls of the chambers, or the walls to the open place: thus the inner court ferved for boiling places, and the rooms _ round about for other ufes; fee the two following verfes. The meafure of the courts were, of forty cubits /ong, and thirty broad, afi oblong quadrangle: sthefe four corners were of one meafure, the courts that were in thefe four corners, were of the fame meafure, as to length and breadth; denoting the equality of gofpel-churches, being of the fame faith, order and. difcipline, power and authority.

¥. 23. And there was a row of building roand about in them, &c.| Within the courts, not on the outfide of them: thefe were either chambers to eat the facrifices in when boiled; or they were fheds which covered the cooks, and the meat they were boiling, from the rain, &c. the Targum renders it, ‘‘ and walls were made to them round *¢ about;” to the court: and fo Farchi and Kimchi interpret this row of building of a ftone-wall: round about them four, the four courts at the four corners: and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about; under thefe rows of building, chambers or fheds; or under thefe ftone-walls were furnaces, and coppers, and caldrons, fet on them, for the boiling of the facrifices.. oa y. 24. Then faid he unto me, thefe are the places of them.that boil, 8cc.] The kitchens, in which thofe whofe bufinefs it was to boil the facrifices did it; and who they were, are next declared: where the minifters of the houfe foall boil the facri of the people, thefe feem to be the. Levites, ftin& from the priefts before-mentioned; tl this prophecy they are both uféd of the fai fons; fee ch. xliv. 15. the facrifice of the | were the peace-offerings, which the pea eat of, but were fife to be boiled;

peace and reconciliation made by Chrift,. forth in the miniftry of the word, called from thence the word of reconciliation: of the boiling held of factifices, fee the note on ¥. 20. The Targiim ' is, “ the holy facrifices of the people;” feé Ram. xii. 1. Hed, xiii. 16. 1 Pet. ii. 6.

HilS chapter gives an account of the vifion of the holy waters, and of the borders of the holy land, and the divifion of it to J/raelites and ftrangers. The waters are defcribed by the original and {pring of them, y¥. 1, 2. by the progrefs and increafe of them, ¥. 3, 4, 5. by the healing and quickening nature of them, and the places where they were fo, and were not, ¥. 8, 9, 10, 11. and by the. trees which grew upon the banks of them, ¥. 6,7, 12. The borders of the holy land are fixed, ¥. 13, 14. the northern border, ¥. 15, 16, 17. the eaftern border, ¥. 18. the fouthern, ¥. 19. and the weftern, ¥. 20. which is to be divided by lot to the tribes of J/rael, and the ftrangers that fojourn among them, y. 21, 225 2-Ze

¥. 1. Afterward be brought me again unto the door of the houfe, &c.] The door of the temple, even of the holy of holies; hither the prophet is faid to be brought again, or brought back*; for he was laft in the corners of the outward court, viewing the kitchens or boiling places of the minifters; but now he was brought back into the inner court, and to the door that led into the holieft of all: and bebold! for it was matter of admiration, as well as of obfervation and attention: waters ifjued out from under the threfbold of the houfe eafrward; this is a new thing, to which there was nothing like it, either in the firft or fecond temple. driffeas ’ indeed relates what he himfelf faw, ‘‘ a never failing conflux of water, ‘* as of a large fountain, naturally flowing underneath, and wonderful receptacles under-ground; ** to each of which were leaden pipes, thro’ which ‘ the waters came in on every fide, for five furlongs ‘* about the temple, and wafhed away the blood “* of the facrifices;” and fo the Talmudijis * fay, there was an aqueduct from the fountain of Etam, and pipes laid from thence to fupply the temple with water, for the wafhing and boiling of the facrifices, and keeping the temple clean: but thefe waters are quite different; they are fuch as came out of the temple, and not what were carried by pipes into it; nor were they a common-fewer to catry off the filth of it, but formed a delightful and uleful river. The fountain of them is not declared, only where they were firft feen to iffue out, under the threfhold of the houfe eaftward; the threfhold of the door of the moft holy place; fo that they feem to take their rife from the holy of holies, the feat of the divine majefty, and throne of God, with which agrees Rev. xxii. 1. and fo the Talmudifts * fay, that this fountain came firft from the, houfe of the holy of holies, under the threfhold of the door of it, which looked to the eaft: for the fore-front of the houfe ftood toward the eaft; the holy of holies was at the weft end of the temple; but the front of it, and fo the door into it; was to the eaft, and from hence thefe waters flowed: and the waters came down from under, from the right fide of the houfe; they are faid to come down, becaufe the temple was high built upon the top of a mountain; and from under, that is, the threfhold of the door of it; or rather in « fubterraneous paflages, till they appeared from under that; and this was on the right fide of the houfe; that is, on the fouth fide: for fuppofe, a man ftanding with his face to the eaft, as the prophet did, when he turned himfelf to fee which way the waters flowed, having his face to the weft when he firft faw them come out; the fouth then muft be on his right hand, and fo it follows: at the Jouth fide of the altar; of the altar of burnt-offerings, which ftood before the houfe. ¥. 2. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, &c.) Out of the inward court where he was, by the way of the north gate, the eaftern gate being fhut: and led me about the way without unto the utter gate, by the way that looketh eaftward; and from thence he had him round to the outward eaftern gate, where he was at firft, ch. xl. 6. to meet the flow of waters that came thro’ the inward and outward courts eaftward: aud behold, there ran out waters on the right fide, that is, on the fouth fide of the gate, in a {mall quantity, and in a very ftill and eafy way, like water out of the mouth of a vial; as the word ° fignifies. So Bartenora*, who underftands this gate of the water-gate, interprets’ the right fide of the fouth; and. obferves, that the prophet firft faw the waters come out very fmall, like the horns of a locuft; but when they came to this gate, they be+ came like water as it flows out of the mouth ofsa fmall pitcher: and from this whole account of the waters, *tis plain they cannot be underftood literally, but figuratively; and which confirm this to be the fenfe of the whole vifion. They may be applied unto, and ferve to illuftrate, the love of God; the fecret fpring of which is in the heart and will of God; ran under ground from all eternity; channelled in Chrift; broke up, and iffued forth in the miffion of him into the world, under the threfhold of him, the door of the church; and in, and by him, the altar, facrifice and propitia+ tion; wherein the love of God in an efpecial manner is manifefted; and which has its heights and depths, immeafurable and unfathomable, Zp. iii. 18, 19. Pf xlvi. 4. Rev. xxii. 1. thefe waters alfo may be applied to the grace of the Spirit of God in regeneration and converfion; which is compared to water, for its cleanfing, fructifying and refrefhing nature; to waters, for the abundance of it; and this flows from the God of all grace thro’ Chrift, and out of his fulnefs is gradually increafed, and becomes a well, yea rivers of living water, Fobu vii. 37, 38, 39. but it feems beft to underftand them of the gofpel, and the do¢trines of Y Hift. 70. Interpret. p. 32, 33- 2 'T. Bab. Yoma, fol..77. 2.