I long for blifs above the skies, For fprings of blifs that never dies, A fountain full and free; In constant streams, that knows no bound, A fea of life to me. Imight further obferve, that the fruit of the pomegranate tree is of an healing nature, but I fear being tedious, therefore thus much for the pomegranate upon the hem of the robe. Friendly. But what may I apprehend by the bells upon the hem of the robe, Exod. xxxix. 26. A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate round about the hem of the robe to minifter is, as the Lord commanded Mofes? Truth. The bells upon the hem of the High Priest's robe, I humbly conceive, we may understand as a rich type of the promulgation of the gospel, the glad tidings of great joy, Pfal. Ixviii. 11. The Lord gave the word, great was the company of thefe that published it. Rom. x. 18. Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their found went into all the earth, &c. As the people in the fanctuary were to hear the found of Aaron's bells, left they had died, fo finners are to hear the found of the gospel, the proclamation of life and peace. The minifters of the gospel are trumpeters in Zion, whofe office is to found forth the fweets of falvation, the meffage of life to loft finners, to proclaim the LORD GOD gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness; keeping mercy for thoufands, pardoning iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin; therefore the HOLY GHOST faith, Pfal. lxxxix. 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful found, they fball walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. And it might well be called a joyful found, for what can afford more folid joy to a condemned malefactor, at the place of execution, than to hear the King's meffenger found pardon! pardon! So the gofpel is a joyful sound of life to dead finners, of pardon to the guilty, of redemption to them that are in bondage and flavery, Ifa. Ixi. 2. to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. Second, Bells, as they are a kind of mufical inftruments, fpread (upon occafion) a congratulating joy in thofe towns, cities, and places where they are rung; fo the gofpel found (preads a congratulating joy in the affemblies of Zion, the cities of our GOD; for what greater joy can there be than to hear the truths opened in their clearness, defended with ftrength and ftedfaftnefs, brought home by experience to the heart, and evidencing themselves by an agreeable walk and converfation? 2 John i. 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Friendly. What may I apprehend by the bells being made of gold? Truth. The bells being made of Gold, I apprehend, was a lively prefiguration of the worth, glory, and preciousness of the word of God. Gold is accounted the most valuable treasure in this world by fome, fo the faints account and esteem the word of GOD the most valuable and precious treasure upon the earth, as it reveals the knowledge of a precious SAVIOUR, of precious promifes, of precious bleffings, of precious confolation and glorification: which made the Pfalmift break forth in a kind of rapture, Pfal. cxxxix. 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the fum of them! Friendly. What may I apprehend by the bells of gold between the pomegranates, Exod. xxviii. 33. and bells of gold between them round about? Truth. The bells of gold being between the pomegranates, point out the neceffity there is of the gospel being between CHRIST and finners. As we make the knowledge of our minds known by words, fo the mind of CHRIST is known to us by his word, as it is the copy of his will, the grand charter of Heaven, the volume of his love, the epitome of his heart, the contents of his counfel, the plan of all his grand designs, and the rule of walk for his people. And as faith comes by hearing, fo it makes the word of GOD abfolutely neceflary for our falvation ; for without it what can we know more than the Heathens, of whom faith the Apoftle, Rom. x. 14. How then fhall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And bow fhall they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how fhall they hear without a preacher? Friendly. What might be the meaning of the plate of gold upon which was engraven, Holiness to the Lord? Truth. The plate of gold, as it was faftened to the mitre, even the front of it, might be typical of the royal dignity, and mediatorial crown of glory upon CHRIST, called a golden crown, Rev.. xiv. 14. And I looked, and beheld a white cloud, and upon the cloud one fat like unto the Son of Man, having on his bead a golden crown: The Jews obferve, that it was a plate of gold, that reached from one ear of the Prieft to the other, and the engravings thereon was quodefh la Jehovah, which we english holiness to the Lord: But it may be rendered more emphatically the Holiness of Jehovah: The Greeks translate it, Hagiafma Kurio, the fanctification of the Lord: these words (as the Hebrews fay) might be in one line or two, and the letters were fo engraven, that they ftood out above the plate; which I apprehend might be typical of the holiness of CHRIST'S human nature, being called the Holy One; and the holiness of his life, and the perfection of his death, as he did no fin neither was guile found in his mouth; a lamb without fpot and blemish. It might likewise be typical of the holiness of his divine nature, as it is a perfection of his Godhead. Some think it might point out, the abfolute neceffity there is for the qualification of true holinefs, in all thofe that are concerned in the work of the fanctuary; and as the holiness engraven upon the plate of gold, was to appear in the front of the mitre, fo holiness in their lives and converfation fhould appear visible to their people. This is beautiful in its place, as they are the ornaments of the earth, and the lights of the world: But, I rather think, it was typical of CHRIST and of his holiness covering all the iniquities of the holy obedience of his people, as it follows v. 38. And it fhall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquities of the holy things, which the children of Ifrael fhould hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord; which makes it an eminent type of CHRIST, and of rich usefulness to his people. Firft, It points out CHRIST bearing the iniquities of our holy things. There are many real Chriftians that are often in deep diftrefs, on the account of the infirmities of their duties; of the fins of their hearts which cleave unto them; they find fuch wanderings in prayer, and hearing the word of Gon, that make them look upon their hearts as the feat of hypocrify; when they would do good, evil is prefent with them; which doth spread fuch darkness and diftrefs upon their minds, that they have been ready to give over praying and hearing. Nay, they have been brought fo low, that they have been ready to defpair of mercy thereby, finding fuch deadnefs, ignorance, and contamination taking place in their minds, that they have been ready to fay, my hope is perished from the Lord; and when it hath not prevailed fo far, it has never failed to discourage them, and to make them weary in waiting upon GOD, thinking fo much vanity, and vilenefs taking place in the hearts, muft render both them and their fervices abominable in the fight of GOD. To which I anfwer, O foul! it certainly would, did not the LORD JESUS, thy great High Prieft, bear the iniquities of thy holy things before the LORD; for Aaron was not only to bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Ifrael, but fuch things as were hallowed or fanctified in all their holy gifts. So the LORD CHRIST bears the iniquity of thy most folemn approach to GOD, either at his throne or in his fanctuary, or at the table of thy LORD, though, perhaps, thou haft found fuch diftraction, and wanderings in each of these folemn duties, that thou hast been more diftreffed than comforted by them. Though thefe natural enemies of thy heart may diitrefs thee, they fhall never deftroy thee; because JESUS, thy High Prieft, before the throne, bears all the contamination and vilenefs of thy heart away from before the LORD, and engraves HOLINESS TO THE LORD upon them; what if I should say, he stamps his own holiness upon them, and thereby renders them acceptable to GOD, Heb. iv. 15. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Thus Aaron, bearing the iniquities of the children of Ifrael, in all their fervices and attendances upon the fanctuary, with HOLINESS TO THE LORD, was typical of CHRIST's bearing away the fins of our moft holy duties, and rendering them acceptable to GOD in the perfection of his holiness. Second, This affords rich confolation to a drooping mind, that is afraid of doing any thing for God because of the imperfections of its obedience. Remember this for thy comfort, that as the children of Ifrael faw all their obedience typically accepted, (though there was iniquity in it) by the holiness to the LORD, that was engraved upon the plate of gold; fo fee all the obedience of thy heart (though there is iniquity in it) accepted by the perfect holiness of CHRIST, and rendered thereby as compleat as the obedience of an angel. Did I fay, as compleat as an Angel? Give it me back, for CHRIST, by his perfect holiness to the Lord, ftamps an infinite value upon thy imperfect obedience, and thereby renders it far more glorious than the obedience of angels. Therefore be encouraged, O foul! to take thy ufual walks with thy GOD, in meditation, obedience, faith and prayer. Meditation is the door to all the treasures of thy FATHER'S love; obedience is the way thereunto; faith is the key that unlocks it, and prayer wrestles with GOD for it. Whatever thou doft, keep up the banks of medi tation; it is the channel in which thy FATHER's bleffings flow; the chamber of divine familiarity with thy God, by which means thou mayeft converfe with Heaven, and rejoice in hope of the glory of GoD. Be obedient to his ways, how ever defpifed of men, for they are ways of pleafantnefs. Let thy zeal take the earlieft opportunity of attending at Zion's gates; don't let thy GOD and thy minifter wait for thee there; then, as fome fay, add faith, I would rather fay, with the Apoitle, look unto Jefus, the author and finisher of thy faith, for fresh increase of it; fay with the Difciples, Lord increase our faith; clofe all with prayer; faying, with Jacob, I will not let thee go except thou blefs me; thy GOD will hear and anfwer thee, as faith the Prophet, Ifa. Ixiv. 4, 5. For fince the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye feen, O God, befides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meeteft him that rejoiceth, and worketh rigteousness; thofe that remember thee in thy ways. Friendly. My dear Truth, I thank you for this feasonable elucidation of this point; for I acknowledge I have been often caft down, on account of the mean and abject performances of my foul; they have been fuch, that I have been afhamed of them before GCD and man; but, fince I fee that Holiness to the LORD, which was engraved upon the plate of gold, and fixed upon the front of Aaron's mitre, was typical of the fanctification, and holiness my foul receives from CHRIST, and that he bears the iniquity of my obedience, and renders my works of faith and love acceptable in his holiness, my foul animated thereby, fhall follow the Lamb whitherfoever he goeth. Give me leave, therefore, to enquire, what I may apprehend by the mitre upon Aaron's head, Lev. viii. 9. And be put the mitre upon his head. Truth. The mitre feems to me, to point out, the peculiar dignity of the High Prieft under the law, upon which there was a golden plate, with holiness engraven to the Lord; and fome obferve, there was likewife a crown above it, from those words, Exod. xxix. 6. And thou foalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Mitre in the Hebrew is Miftnepheth, or Mitznephet, which fignifieth a thing wrapped about the head; it was a garment or covering for the High Prieft's head, made of linen, after the manner of a cap, or turban, which the Turks wear. Jofephus fays, "That it was a cap or bonnet, wore on the head, not rifing up "in a point, nor encompaffing the whole head, but put on a "little more than the middle of it, and was formed in fuch a "manner as to look like a crown, made of a linen web, like "a fwathe or roller, for it was many times rolled about and "fewed, that no traces of the needle appear without." We find that all the priests wore mitres, Exod. xxviii. 4. but with |