Greek. It was undoubtedly a thin plate of gold wrought into the resemblance of the flower-leaf or petal of some splendid flower, extending from ear to ear round the forehead of the wearer, in which were engraven the words, 'KADESH LA YEHOVAH,'' HOLINESS TO THE LORD.' This plate was fastened to the front of the mitre with a lace of blue. This mitre was a sort of turban or tiara peculiar to the high priest, and similar to the turbans which form the usual head-dress of the Turks, Persians, Arabs, and other eastern nations at the present day, consisting of long rolls of muslin wrapped round the head in various manners. As the original word here translated mitre occurs, Job, 29. 14. where it is rendered diadem,' the inference is obvious that the sacerdotal mitre is closely allied with the kingly crown, thus emblematically hinting at the union of those two offices in the person of Christ, who was to sit ' as a priest upon his throne,' being made a priest after the order of Melchizedek, king of righteousness.

How were Aaron's sons, or the inferior priests, to be arrayed? 40-43.

'Bonnets;' these were made of the same materials with the mitre of the high priest, but of different form. So also of the other parts of their dress.- Consecrate them;" Heb. fill their hand;' a phraseology founded upon the circumstance of the flesh of the sacrifice, the bread, &c. being put into their hands at their inauguration as described, ch. 29. 23, 24.- Their nakedness; Heb. ' flesh of their nakedness.' Bear not iniquity;' i. c. bear not the punishment of iniquity.

CHAPTER XXIX.

What was the first thing to be done in the ceremony of consecrating the priests to their office? v. 1-3.

To hallow;' i. e. to set apart and consecrate.-Without blemish; Heb. ' perfect;' i. e. without defect, superfluity, or deformity. Wafers ;' i. e. thin cakes made of

fine flour-Into one basket;' as forming all together one Mincha,' or bread-offering, which was to be brought to the door of the tabernacle, and there presented to the Lord.

What was then to be done to Aaron and his sons? v. 4-9.

6

Wash them with water;' i. e. the water of the laver, which was made, anointed, and set in the court of the tabernacle before the priests were consecrated. By this ceremony were taught the necessity of regeneration, and that those who bore the vessels of the Lord, and presided in the sanctuary, should be holy. And gird.' The verb in the original is Aphad,' to bind, girdle, enclose, from which ephod' is a derivative. The act of girding seems to denote readiness and preparation for active service. So the ministers of Christ, prompt to do his will, are symbolically represented, Rev. 15. 6. by angels coming out of the temple clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles'-"The holy crown; i. e. the plate of gold with the blue lace above mentioned, Ex. 28. 36, 37. It is here called ' Nczer,' separation, from its being a badge of the wearer being separated from his brethren. It is elsewhere used as a denomination of the diadems of kings, 2 Sam. 1. 19. Ps. 89. 40. Pour it upon his head.' Hence it should seem that the mitre did not cover the crown of the head; but was so wrapped round it, as to leave a space bare for the unction.-' Anoint him.' This act we suppose signified the communication of the graces of God's Spirit, as it is said, Is. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me, &c.' The term ' anoint' in Heb. is' Mâshah,' from which both the high priest and king of Israel, who were inducted into office by the ceremony of holy unction, were each called 'Mashiah,' or 'Messiah,' which in Gr. is Christos, Christ, the anointed.-Consecrate, Gr. ' perfect ;' inasmuch as the priest was truly and perfectly authorized and qualified to execute all the functions of the sacerdotal office. The same term taken hence is also employed by the apostle, Heb. 7. 18. in speaking of the priesthood of Christ; who is perfected (i.`e. consecrated) for ever.'

What was the next ceremony in order? v. 1014.

'Shall put their hands, &c.' signifying the transfer of their guilt to the head of the victim, as a prefiguration of the sins of men being, in the economy of redemption, imputed to Christ, upon whom the Lord hath laid the iniquity of us all.' Is. 53. 6-8. The same ceremony was enjoined upon every man who brought a sacrifice for his sins; Lev. 4. 24, 29. Thou shalt kill;' i. e. shalt cause to have killed. It is not necessary to suppose that Moses, who was not strictly a priest, killed the bullock in person.'Horns of the altar.' This first sin-offering differed from those ordinarily presented by the priests, in which the blood was carried into the tabernacle, and applied to the horns of the golden altar of incense, Lev. 4. 3, 7. whereas in the present instance the blood was put upon the horns of the brazen altar of burnt-offering which stood in the court. But the design of this first oblation was to make atonement for the altar itself, and to sanctify it, that it might afterward be fit to sanctify the offerings of the people laid upon it, as is intimated v. 36, 37. and still more plainly taught, Ezek. 43. 25, 26. Besides this, the ceremony did not in this respect differ at this time from that observed by common persons, inasmuch as Aaron and his sons did not become full priests till the period of their seven days' consecration was ended. All the blood;' Gr.' the remainder of the blood;' correctly.-' Bottom of the altar;' where there is supposed to have been a trench made to receive it. Fat.' Although in many instances the fat' is said to denote the best or choicest part of any thing, as is observed upon Gen. 4. 4. yet in other cases it is evidently used as equivalent to that which is evil, from the fact that fatness is naturally understood to imply an obtuseness of sensibility. Thus it is said of the wicked, Ps. 119. 70. Their heart is as fat as grease.' So Deut. 32. 15. 'But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him.' Again, Is. 6. 10. Make the heart of this people fat, &c. lest they understand, &c.' The 'fat,' therefore, as a signal of man's corruption, God ordered to be consumed with fire on the altar, teaching

perhaps the necessity of the mortification of our earthly members by the work of the Spirit of Christ.-' The caul above the liver; Heb. ' the redundance of the liver.' The Gr. renders it the lobe of the liver.' It means probably the greater lobe of the liver, together with the gall-bladder attached to it. Parkhurst remarks; If the great excellency of this bilious juice, and its importance to the wellbeing of the animal, together with its influence and instrumentality in the passions, both concupiscible and irascible, are duly considered, we shall see the reasons why the gall bladder was especially ordered by God to be taken off and consumed on his altar.' Of the moral design of this part of the Jewish ritual the early Jewish commentators say; "Therefore the kidneys and the fat which is on them, and the caul that covereth the liver, were burnt unto God to make atonement for the sins of men, which proceedeth out of the thoughts of the reins, and the lust of the liver, and the fatness of the heart, for they all consent in sin.''Burn.' The original here is not the word usually employed to signify consuming by fire. Kâtar,' the Heb. word, in its native import, implies the making a fume by incense, and when applied to sacrifices denotes the rising up of their smoke as the vapor of incense, from their peculiar acceptableness to him to whom they are offered. From the same root comes Miktoreth, a censer, an instrument for fuming incense; and in the participle Niktor,' perfumed, we trace the origin of the classic Nectar, the fabled beverage of the gods, from their inhaling the perfumed odor of incense as if it were a delightful drink. Without the camp; thus applied by the apostle in its typical bearing to Christ; Heb. 13. 12, 13. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth, therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.' Gr. Without the parembole.'-A sin-offering;' inasmuch as Aaron and his sons, until their own sins were expiated, were not duly qualified to act as mediators in procuring the remission of the sins of others.

What and how many other animals were to be employed on this occasion, and what was to be done with their blood? v. 15-21,

"A sweet savor; Heb. 'a savor of rest;' i. e. an appeasing odor, from its supposed efficacy in quieting and pacifying the divine displeasure, and rendering the offerer acceptable. It is rendered in the Greek 'a sweet-smelling savor,' an expression adopted by the Apostle, Ephes. 5. 2. As Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.' -The tip of the right ear.' By this was probably indicated the cleansing and sanctifying the ear of the priest to hear the word from the mouth of the Lord, which he was to teach to the people. The hand' and the 'foot' partook in this consecration, to signify that the works, and the walk and conversation of the holy people should be duly sanctified and kept from the pollution of sin.

What was to constitute the wave-offering presented on this occasion? v. 22-28.

'Shalt wave; Heb. 'shalt shake to and fro;' signifying perhaps that that which was thus waved was set apart to a sacred use.

What is said respecting the holy garments of Aaron? v. 29, 30.

What allowance was made to the sons of Aaron as to their food? v. 32-34.

How long a time was to be occupied in the ceremony of consecration, and what was to be done upon each successive day? v. 35-37.

What were to be the daily offerings upon the altar v. 38-42.

With what especial promises does the chapter close? v. 43-46.