Sword should never depart from his House Solomon was left to the toleration of the publick exercise of Idolatry for which God rent away the Ten Tribes from his Posterity all which came to pass as for other causes so for the Sins of the People As it said in a lesser transgression of David 2 Sam. 24.1 And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah 2. The ten Tribes under Jeroboam forsook the Temple and the House of David which though as to Gods Providence it was a righteous Judgment yet on their part it was a grievous sin it was a complicated Sin many Sins involved in the bowels of it for it was both Rebellion and Schism and Heresie Rebellion against their lawful Prince Schism from the true Church and Worship yea fundamental Heresie For as they say Look to thy House O David so in rejecting Davids House they reject the Messiah who was to come of him 2 Chron. 10.16 3. There were continual Backslidings to Idolatry even in Judah as well as Israel yea when they saw the Ten Tribes carried away before their eyes for this Sin yet the other would not take warning and reform Ezek. 23.10 11 Aholah signifies a Tent this was the House of Israel who were a corrupt Church Aholibah signifies my Tent is in her this was Judah which were the true Church of God but they declined and departed from God so far that he sent them away to Babylon 3. And so we come to the third Dispensation under the Law namely the time of their Captivity and Bondage under the Yoke of Babylon There were three Deportations 1. Jehoiakims in whose time Daniel was carried captive 2. Jechoniahs in whose time Ezekiel was carried captive 3. Zedekiahs in whose time Jeremiah was carried captive They had now an experimental knowledg of the truth of all Gods Threatnings Yet during the time of this Affliction the Lord did not cast off his care of them but gave forth many Evidences of his unchangeable Love and Faithfulness toward them under this sad Dispensation 1. In that he did preserve them from utter Destruction yet not leave them altogether unpunished not make a full end of them Jer. 30.10 11. He restrained the Enemy from wholly rooting out the Nation Psal 106.46 gave them Favour in the sight of them that carried them captive 2. In that he did convince them and left an everlasting Conviction in the Heart of that people against the grosser sort of Idolatry such an indelible Conviction as hath never been blotted out to this day Insomuch that their great stumbling Block at this day against the Christian Religion is the Idolatry of the Popish Christians For the poor blind Jews consider the Christian Religion no otherwise but as corrupted with those Antichristian Abominations and Idolatries and therefore their Conversion and Return is not to be expected till Antichrist that great stumbling Block be removed out of the way Yea 3. The Lord gave them further and glorious Discoveries by raising up excellent Prophets to them as Ezekiel Daniel Jeremy some part of his Prophesies were after the beginning of their Captivity and Bondage to the Babylonians This sad afflictive Dispensation continued about seventy years Jer. 29.10 4. The fourth and last of all the Old Testament Dispensations is that of the second Temple from the time of their Return out of Babylon till the Messiahs coming And herein there are these remarkable passages 1. The Lord breaks the Yoke of Babylon that his people might be delivered by the Hand of Cyrus prophesied of by name some hundred years before his Birth Isai 44.28 And as they were carried away at several times so they returned also at several times and by degrees First Zerubbabel Ezra 1. and a great company with him afterwards Ezra Ezr. 7.1 after these things Lastly Nehemiah 2. They built the Temple and the City of God again Ezr. 3. Nehem. 1 and 2. They met with many Difficulties and Obstructions in the Work but yet at last it was done both begun and finished by Zerubbabel Zach. 4. in forty six years Joh. 2.20 Dan. 9.25 seven weeks that is forty nine years viz. from the Edict of Cyrus after which we may well allow one year of preparation for their Journy another year for their Journy and a third year for preparing Materials for the Temple wherein David and Solomon spent so many years And if we deduct three out of forty nine the remainder will be but forty six as Joh. 2.20 It wanted somewhat of its former Glory as to the Structure thereof the old men wept to see how much Zerubbabels Temple fell short of Solomons Temple in Ezr. 3.12 As to the Utensils belonging to it the Ark was wanting with the things contained in it the two Tables of Stone the Rod of Aaron the Pot of Manna also the extraordinary and miraculous tokens of Gods Presence as Fire from Heaven c. The Lord would have them now to be more spiritual to see his Presence by Faith when they could not see it with their eyes Yet Haggai saith it had a greater Glory that is in regard of the Messiahs bodily presence in it which Solomons Temple never had 3. They renewed their Covenant with God Nehem. 9. ult and cap. 10. you have the Articles of this solemn League and Covenant 4. The Lord guides them to the reforming of sundry Corruptions which had crept in amongst them and raiseth them up to an higher pitch of Reformation than ever Gross Idolatry they forsook that for ever of which we spake before The Preaching of the Word was restored and renewed among them Neh. 8 1-8 strengthened by the prophesying of Haggai and Zachary Ezr. 5.1 And the Histories of the Church in those times report also how there was great care to get true and perfect Copies of the Scripture and to review the Copies they had And hither as I suppose belongs that famous work of the Punctation of the Hebrew Consonants Much Dispute there is among learned men about it That it is of a Divine Original and Authority is unquestionable if we do but grant the Divine Authority of the Scripture For otherwise the Sense will be vagus incertus wandring and uncertain Some think it was as ancient as the first Invention of Letters which is referred to Moses But if we suppose that Writing as all other useful Arts are usually was brought to perfection by degrees and that the Consonants might suffice while it was a Mother tongue of so great a People and they in such a flourishing condition not oppressed nor mingled with other People and Languages yet possibly the Points might be added afterwards For when they fell under the Yoke of strangers this help became necessary to be added The Lord therefore did by Ezra and others who were divinely inspired now at least add them For to refer it to an humane Original is to overthrow
the Feast of Expiation Answ They had no more of Gods appointment that were perpetual and religious Feasts It is true we read of some others both in Scripture and in the Jewish Writers but either they were not perpetually recurring every year but meerly occasional upon present emergencies of Providence or else they were not holy and religious Feasts but only civil and political or else lastly they were sinful and unwarrantable as 1. There was Solomons Feast that solemn Feast at the Dedication of the Temple as in 2 Chron. 5. but this was extraordinary and occasional and not a standing yearly Festival 2. They had also those Fasts of the fifth and of the seventh month which are mentioned in Zech. 7 3-5 but these also were but temporary and occasional upon occasion of the calamities of their Captivity in Babylon the Land being laid desolate Jerusalem taken the Temple destroyed Hence they had these Fasts only during the time of their sorrow but they ceased and were turned into rejoycing 3. There was the days of Purim mentioned in Esther 9.21 22. that they kept in the month of Adar on the fourteenth and on the fifteenth day of the month yearly for then it was turned from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a good day This seems not to be a religious but a political constitution so our Divines conclude against the Papists who plead this for their Popish Holidays For there were peculiar Sacrifices appointed for all the holy Festivals Numb chap. 28 and 29. but there was none for this and there is nothing mentioned but civil rejoycing days of Feasting and Joy and sending portions to the needy ver 22. Of this nature is our fifth of November Not but that there may and ought to be upon such times holy rejoycing in God as upon any providential occasion but there ought not to be a religious abstinence from the works of our Callings as upon the Lords day and upon occasional days of Fasting or Rejoycing that ought not to be on any such days Had they been religious Feasts and days wherein they were bound to abstain from the works of their Callings after the nature of religious Feasts we then are to suppose that Mordecai Nehemiah c. had instruction from God about it else they durst not have done it they that had such Light and Holiness 4. We read of two Feasts more appointed in the time of the Maccabees one for the Dedication of the Altar 1 Maccab. 4.56 so they kept the Dedication of the Altar eight days offered Burnt-offerings with gladness and offered sacrifices of deliverance and praise And the other for the Purification of the Temple 2 Maccab. 1.18 we are now purposed to keep the Purification of the Temple upon the five and twentieth day of the month Chesleu Now if these had been only particular and occasional Feasts these things God had left with the Church to appoint but seeing the Jews say they were yearly Feasts they were thererefore superstitious and unwarrantable things for they had no such extraordinary persons amongst them that could give them authority from God for such a thing Thus we have gone through the first word Feast days their Holy days or Feast days Their holy times we referred to three heads their Holy days New Moons and Sabbaths Now a word concerning their New Moons Let no man judge you in respect of the New Moons 2. New Moons 2. The second word in the Text is New Moons of which we read in Numb 28.11 in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a Burnt-offering unto the Lord c. and Numb 10.10 in the beginnings of your months ye shall blow with the Trumpets over your Burnt-offerings c. To open this a little that so you may understand the mind of the Holy Ghost in it you must observe that their computation of the year was not as ours is meerly Solar but partly Lunar for their month always began with the New Moon and the days remaining to fill up their Solar year which are eleven they were wont to intercalate at the appointment of their High Prests and Rulers at the years end Or as some write after the second or third year in an intercalatory month which they called Veader consisting of eleven or one and twenty or three and thirty days Their month still began with a New Moon and the Lord did appoint that it should be a season religiously observed by them you shall offer such and such Sacrifices ye shall blow with Trumpets c. There were four things observable in the solemnizing the New Moons for they did solemnize this season with such religious Rites and Observations as these 1. A holy Convocation and abstaining from the works and business of their Callings Therefore in Amos 8.5 they are brought in as saying when will the New Moons be gone that we may sell Corn c. 2. By repairing to the Prophets for Teaching and Instruction to inquire of God and to hear his Word 2 Kings 4.23 3. With sounding or blowing of Trumpets every New Moon as well as the New Moon of the seventh month Numb 10.10 4. With peculiar Sacrifices yea a greater number of Sacrifices then on the Sabbath day They had peculiar Sacrifices then to be offered on the first day of the month Numb 28.11 Some add fifthly the keeping solemn Feasts of Love and Amity 1 Sam. 20.5.6 Now this Solemnity doubtless had some Divine mystery in it it aimed at some good thing to come something of Christ in the Gospel for the Text saith expresly they were a shadow of things to come And the Worship of God in Gospel-times is expressed under this phrase Isai 66.23 from one New Moon to another so Ezekiel in his Vision of the Temple-worship under the Gospel speaks of it under the name of New Moons Ezek. 46.1 6. But what then did it signifie what was the meaning of all these things Doubtless they were written for our Instruction there was a Gospel-mystery in these legal Institutions In these things principally lay the substance of these shadows 1. Their acknowledgment of God in the Creature that God must be acknowledged in the renovation of the Creatures in the course of Providence as when the Moon begins increases and is renewed then Gods Providence is acknowledged and taken notice of he renews the course of nature and every mercy we enjoy There is no Light to be seen at first in the Moon but it increases till it come to the full Moon Thus God renews every creature and every comfort in the way of his Providence Psal 104.30 thou sendest forth thy Spirit and they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth They must not bless God in this Solemnity for the Moon when it was at the full then more of the Creature is seen but when there is least of the Creature then God must be owned even in the least of mercies 2. The Renovation of the Church in a way
which is sinful are not unlike the Laws made by King Henry the Second in the times of Popish Profaneness and Darkness for the Regulation of Stews and Whorehouses as that no Stewholder should receive any mans Wife nor keep any Woman against her Will if out of remorse of Conscience she would leave that leud life c. upon which a late Historian well observes that such Canons and Constitutions could not make them who were bad in themselves to be good though they might happily keep some who were bad Dr. Fullers History of the Church book 5. pag. 240. from being worse For though natural Poysons may by art be so qualified and corrected to make them cordial yet moral Poysons viz. things sinful of themselves can never be so ordered and regulated but that still they will remain sinful and unlawful the only way to order and amend being to remove and extirpate them And therefore King Henry the Eighth did utterly suppress those Brothel-houses And the like course those two and thirty grave learned men who were chosen in King Edwards days to reform Ecclesiastical Laws and Observances thought fit to take with this superstitious Musick which the Church of Rome hath gone a whoring after Vibratam illam operosam Musicam quae figurata dicitur auferri placet It likes us well say they to have this quavering and curious kind of Musick quite taken away De Divino Officiis ca. 5. apud Amesium ubi supra And the reformed Churches abroad have laid it aside with one consent as hath been shewed whereby it is evident that they did not account it a good thing abused but a thing sinful and evil in it self So likewise the great Parliament in their Ordinance of May 9. 1644. in Mr. Scobells Collection Anno 1644. Ch. 38. thus reject them The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament the better to accomplish the blessed Reformation so happily begun and to remove all Offences and things illegal in the Worship of God do ordain that all Organs and Frames or Cases wherein they stand in all Churches and Chappels shall be taken away and utterly defaced and none others hereafter set up in their places whereunto all persons within this Kingdom whom it may concern are hereby required at their peril to yield due obience I have now examined all that I can meet with that hath been objected in this Cause and I know not what can be objected further unless being driven from all their other holds they will fly for refuge to the Authority of the Church as their manner is which if they do we may easily retort the Argument upon themselves and beat them with their own weapons If I held any Opinion according with the Church of Rome but contrary to the concurrent Judgment and Practice of all the choisest Saints and purest Churches I would even desire the Lord to write it in Stars and Sun-beams But such is the Musick now in question It is borrowed from the Church of Rome and they who write for it borrow their Arguments from Bellarmine who disputes for it against Peter Martyr as hath been shewed so that Papists and Semi-Protestants are almost the only Sticklers for it but the reformed Churches have cast it off which though it is not in it self a demonstrative or cogent Argument neither do I so intend it fot the Scripture is the only infallible Judge yet it is enough to confound and stop the mouths of such Objectors as pretend the Authority of the Church for this Chaunting Idol-Service For they take part with the Church of Rome in this particular against all the Reformed Churches To the Reader WHereas the Author in the foregoing Discourse asserts that the Reformed Churches have with one consent laid aside Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God that word Reformed Churches is not to be understood as including either the Lutheran Churches abroad or our Prelatick ones at home And moreover the Reader must consider that he therein speaks according to the declared Judgment of the chief and generality of their Writers For though it appears by learned Voetius Pol. Eccles part 1. l. 2 tr 2 sect 1. c. 3. that some Churches in Holland have Organs yet the Reader may there find the Judgment of the Netherland Synods to have been against them and that they were brought in among them but of late and that too not by any publick Authority but only on the private affection of some particular persons here and there besides a great cloud of witnesses against them not only from amongst Protestant Writers but many of the very Papists themselves and some in the elder ages of Christianity Moreover this Discourse of our Author was written in or neer the time of his unhappy leisure after the memorable Bartholomew 1662. and therefore before that Book of learned Voetius came forth Moreover it is certain that this Musick in the Worship of God is a much later Invention then many other Popish Corruptions are An Organ was long unknown in France or Germany the first of them being brought to King Pipin by Stephen Bishop of Rome and other Embassadors from Constantinus Copronymus as that excellent Historian and Antiquary Aventinus hath it Res adhuc Gallis Germanis incognita Organon appellant Annal. Boior lib. 3. pag. 300 Edit Ingolst 1554. which is seconded by Amoinus who adds that afterwards one George a Grecian Presbyter undertook to make one for Lewis the Emperor His words are these Adduxit vero Baldricus Domino Imperatori Presbyterum quendam Georgium nomine bonae vitae hominem qui se promitteret Organum more posse Graecorum componere Quem Imperator gratanter suscepit quia Deus illi quae ante se inusitata erant Regno Francorum attribuebat gratiarum actiones reddidit ac Tanculfo sacrorum scriniorum Praelato commendavit publicisque stipendiis curare jussit ea quae huic operi necessaria forent praeparare mandavit de Gest Franc. lib. 4. cap. 64 cap. 114. This is placed by Calvisius in the year 826. and that sent to Pipin was about threescore and ten years before Though withall I know some Writers give them somewhat an older standing The Centurists of Magdeburg have these words Cent. 7. cap. 6. Tandem anno 666. in pleno numero Bestiae Apocalypsis 13. cantum latinum cum Organis Ecclesiae â Vitaliano Pontifici susceperunt missamque deinde c. At last in the year 666. in the full number of the Beast in the 13th of the Revelations the Churches they speak of the Churches in England received Latine Singing with Organs from Pope Vitalian and thereafter began to say Latine Mass and set up Altars with idolatrous Images from whence followed both Prayers to the Dead and Exorcisms and other prodigious practices of the Papists For which they there cite Bale For my part I suspect they and he were therein deceived both because of what is before mentioned from Aventinus
done the morrow after the Sabbath of the Passover and fifty days after at the Feast of Pentecost they were to offer two Wave-Loaves vers 17 20. Thus you see the matter of these Offerings The Rite and Ceremony with which they were offered was Waveing and Heaveing from whence they have their names of Wave-Offering and Heave-Offering Waveing that is moving it to and fro round about towards the East West South and North. Tenuphah agitatio from the Verb Nuph which in Hiphil is agitavit ventilavit Heaveing that is lifting it up towards Heaven Terumah from Rum elevari extolli These were Gestures some may think somewhat strange and hardly grave enough in the Worship of God But what was the mystery and meaning of them You will find that clearly expressed in Numb 8.11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an Offering of the Children of Israel that they may execute the service of the Lord. The Hebrew reads it as your Margin tells you thus and Aaron shall wave the Levites befor the Lord for a Wave-Offering of the Children of Israel This then was the end and the meaning of these Gestures to present and dedicate the thing to the Lord who if he will have it done by such or such a Gesture who or what is vain man that he should controle or find fault with the unsearchable Wisdom and sovereign Authority of the Lord God Almighty These words are used generally concerning all things given or dedicated to God as Exod. 35.22 And every one that offered offered an Offering of Gold unto the Lord Heniph Tenuphath agitavit agitationem he waved a Wave-Offering of Gold unto the Lord even Land it self Ezek. 48.8 9 10 20. Persons also are said to be waved as a Wave-Offering when dedicated to the Lord. Numb 8.11 For Wave the Greek translateth separate which word Paul useth speaking of his Designation to the Ministry Rom. 1.1 Some have observed something more in these Gestures especially that of waveing to and fro round about The original word is sometimes used for sifting in a Sieve Isai 30.28 That signifies Tryals and Afflictions Luk. 22.31 And so the Prophets apply this word unto Troubles Isai 10.32 and 13.2 and 30.28 The sense then will amount to thus much That the Saints and Ministers are spiritual Priests are consecrated to the Lord through sufferings As it is said of Christ the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 so the Saints 2 Cor. 6.4 10. As the Wave-Offering was tost and waved to and fro and thereby dedicated to the Lord. There is some Controversy upon these Mede Disc 49. pag. 384. started by a learned man and one of much Light in other things however he mist it in this there being aliquid humanum in the best of men and humanum est errare no man but is subject to error and mistakes The Question is whether they were Ceremonial and ceased or Moral and Perpetual But the case is clear and easy concerning them both both the Heave-Offerings and the Wave-Offerings they were Ceremonial and they are abolished Object They were not Types of Christ Ans If they were Types or legal adumbrations of Christian duties or of any of the Benefits of Christ this sufficeth and is enough to make them Ceremonial and consequently abolished For the Types as hath been often said and proved and must be now again repeated do not relate only to the person of Christ but to all Gospel Truths and Mysteries Object They might be eaten by others besides the Priests and in other places not in the holy place only therefore could not be typical unless all the people and every Corner of the Land were typical Ans So might the Peace-Offerings in this Chapter Lev. 7.15 16. The Offerer had a share in them and yet they were Ceremonial and not Moral Moreover not only the Temple and the Priests there but the whole Land of Canaan and the people of Israel were a typical Land and a typical people and as hath been formerly and shall be further shewed all the Fruits of the Land had a typical Holiness the First Fruits being virtually the whole they were a typical dedication of the whole Object The Scripture expresly rejects other Sacrifices and Offerings and doth not mention these Ans Yet these are included by a parity of reason if the chief be rejected much more the lesser and inferior Object But Christians under the New Testament are bound to give part of their substance to the Lord and to his use and service therefore these are Moral Ans I answer it follows not for this is a moral duty to give part of our substance to the Lord but yet the Heave-Offerings and Wave Offerings are ceased that is the Ceremony is ceased but the substance or thing signified remains The formalis ratio of these Offerings did not consist as some have thought in prayer and thanksgiving for there was prayer and thanksgiving in other Offerings also as well as these yea in all their Offerings Are they not commanded to lay their hands upon the Sacrifice of Atonement by way of prayer and confession Cap. 1.4 But the formalis ratio of this and other Offerings doth consist chiefly in the Ceremonies ordained to be used about them which is a great part of that which distinguisheth one Offering from another as you have formerly heard therefore if Waveing and Heaving be not to be used under the Gospel as sacred and significant Ceremonies in the presenting and dedicating of our substance to the Lord the Wave and the Heave Offering are ceased But the Gestures of waving and heaving are not to be used as sacred and significant Ceremonies under the Gospel therefore the Wave and Heave Offering are ceased Vse 1. Remember those great Gospel Mysteries which are the scope of all Sacrifices which as you have heard are chiefly these two Atonement and Thanksgiving 1. Atonement and Reconciliation this was the great Mystery taught and held forth in all the propitiatory Sacrifices that we are reconciled unto God by the death and sufferings of his Son and that they had so great a multitude and variety of Sacrifices plainly taught them two things 1. The imperfection of all those legal Sacrifices it taught them to look beyond these for a more perfect Sacrifice then any of these which might serve once for all The Apostle expresly spells out this Lesson to us from the multitude and iteration of the Sacrifices Heb. 10.1 2. 2. This great variety of Sacrifices taught them also the various and manifold Benefits of Christ and of his death and blood Though Christ be one and dyed once for all yet the Benefits that come by him are many no one thing alone was sufficient to represent the fulness that is in Christ 2. The second great thing held forth by their legal Offerings is Praise and Thankfulness This was the intent of the holy Offerings as Atonement was of the most Holy This was the meaning of the Heave-Offering
All this pointed them to and was most eminently fulfilled in Jesus Christ the only true High Priest in and by whom alone God speaks his mind and works his Image in us In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 and he is holy and harmless and separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners He wears the true Vrim and Thummim always upon his heart Illuminations and Perfections Lights and Graces in the highest And we have nothing of either but what we have from him Our Lights are from him 2 Cor. 4.6 Matth. 11.27 our Graces are from him Joh. 1.16 of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses ver 17. these legal shadows of terror and darkness but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace instead of legal terror and rigour Truth that is accomplishments and performances instead of shadows and promises came by Jesus Christ It follows ver 18. no man hath seen God at any time that is by any Light or Grace or Power of his own but the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him The true Vrim and Thummim is in the Pectoral of Jesus Christ all our Illuminations and Perfections are in him 4. Whereas this Vrim and Thummim were lost in the Captivity in Babylon and wanting in the second Temple Ezra 2.63 Nehem 7.65 They wanted this as they did some other vessels and monuments as the Golden Pot of Manna Aarons Rod that budded some think also the Ark and the two Tables of Stone were wanting in the second Temple but as to the Vrim and Thummim those Texts seem clear for it nor had they the Cloud of Glory as in the Tabernacle and in the first Temple or Fire from Heaven The end of all this Dispensation was to teach them to look and long the more earnestly after Jesus Christ the true spiritual Glory of the Temple and Church of God whose coming was now approaching and drawing on apace These abatements of that former outward Glory were preparations for more spiritual Dispensations under the Gospel wherein those outward Glories were not to be expected and in the mean time they had the Law of Moses and the written Word of God in the Old Testament which they were to cleave and stick close unto Mal. 4.4 But when Christ came he restored to his Church in a more glorious manner the true Vrim and Thummim Light and Grace was poured forth abundantly even upon such who by reason of the long intermission of those extraordinary Operations of the Holy Ghost had not so much as heard whether there was an Holy Ghost or no. Acts 19.2 6. The Jewish Writers have a saying and a tradition amongst them that after the latter Prophets Haggai Zechariah and Malachy the Holy Ghost went up and departed from Israel They mean in those extraordinary operations of it and they reckon Vrim and Thummim as one of the degrees of the Holy Ghost inferior to the Spirit of Prophesie but superior to that Bath-qol as they call it the Daughter of a Voice or an Eccho from Heaven which was heard sometimes in the second Temple and which they say took place in the second Temple when Prophesie and Urim ceased We read of such Voices from Heaven to Jesus Christ Matth. 3.17 Joh 12.28 29. 2 Pet. 1.17 18. and he adds in the next verse we have a more sure Word of Prophesie This Bath-qol or Voice from Heaven it was a Prologue and a Preface and Type as it were of that true Voice of the Father the eternal Word of God Jesus Christ who came down from Heaven by whom God hath in these last days spoken to us who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in former times unto the Fathers but now only by his Son Heb. 1.1 2. 8. The eighth piece of the holy Pontifical attire was the Mitre of which the Text saith And he put the Mitre upon his head And it is said Exod. 28.39 thou shalt make the Mitre of fine Linnen This was one of the last Garments that was put on therefore Zechariah desires this in the clothing of Jehoshuah as the perfecting of the Mercy Zech. 3.5 and I said let them set a fair Mitre upon his head so they set a fair Mitre upon his head As to the shape and fashion of this Garment it was not unlike that which the other Priests wore and is called a Bonnet It was made of Linnen-cloth wrapped about the head in a round and high-crowned fashion after the manner of the East Some compare it to the Turkish Turbants or Tullibants some translate it a Hat As to the outward form and inward mystery of it there is little difficulty For a Mitre or a Hat upon the Head was an Ornament of Authority and Superiority over others Ezek. 21.26 Remove the Diadem Job 29.14 My Judgment was as a Diadem in which places is radically the same word as here in Exod. 28. The Mitre therefore was an Ornament and Ensign of illustrious sacred Eminency and Superiority in the High Priest over others It pointeth us to the Princely Dignity and Kingly Office of Jesus Christ He is the great High Priest and indeed both Priest and King of his Church the true Archbishop the chief Shepherd as Peter calls him 1 Pet. 5.4 Believers are called a royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 but Christ is so much more He is not only a Priest but a Prince and a Prevailer with the Lord on our behalf 9. The ninth and last piece of the holy Priestly attire is the Golden Plate of which the Text saith Also upon the Mitre even upon his forefront did he put the Golden Plate the holy Crown It is called Exod. 39.30 the Plate of the holy Crown so called for that it was made say some somewhat like a Crown Compare Exod. 29.6 The use and nature of it is described fully in Exod. 28.36 37 38. The Inscription Quodesh la Jehovah may be rendred more emphatically the Holiness of Jehovah It speaks three things 1. The Royal yea the Divine Holiness of Jesus Christ that absolute Holiness whereby he sanctifies both himself and us Joh. 17.19 wherein he doth that really which Aaron did typically He is indeed the Holines of Jehovah Jehovah tsidkenu the Lord our Righteousness is his Name Jer. 23.6 Hence he often appears with a Crown of Gold upon his Head as Rev. 14.14 2. His bearing our iniquities and taking away our sins which are found even in our holy things Exod. 28.38 There is a mixture in the best we do Many Believers are apt to be discouraged about it My Prayers are so full of unbelief and deadness and wandrings they deserve abhorrence and not acceptance Well but the High Priest here bears the iniquities of all the holy things of the Children of Israel 3. His causing us to be accepted