Works, Book 1 · Discourse 35
DISCOURSE XXXV.
DEUTERONOMIE 33. 8.
And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One.
THIS Verse is part of that Blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death; and These words are part of the Blessing of Levi; a Blessing which much exceeds those that went before it,Heb. 7. 6. and is far above all that come after it. For as S. Paul proves Melchisedec to be greater than Abraham, Vers. 9…because he blessed Abraham; and worthier than Levi, because he tithed Levi in the loins of Abraham: So may we say of this Blessing, that it is the greatest of all, because it is the Blessing of him who by his Office was to bless all the rest; and the worthiest of all, because by it the party blessed is enabled to bless the rest of his Brethren. foreign, Always that by which another is, that thing it self is more than the other.
In the Words themselves we will consider first The subject blessed, and then The quality of the Blessing it self. The Subject blessed is expressed both by name, and by description: by name, Levi; by description, God's Holy One. The Blessing it self is contained in words few, but for substance plentiful; Vrim and Thummim; nay more than so, Thy Thummim and Thy Vrim: that we might know whence this Blessing comes; how that it is foreign and foreign, a Divine thing, the gift of God, who is the Author and Giver of all good things. And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One.
To begin first with the subject,Deut. 33. 8. Levi. What Levi was is so well known, that it were needless to say much to make it better known. Only this, that Levi was the Tribe which God had especially bequeathed to himself, and set apart for the ministery of the Altar. Concerning whose Name (though Observations drawn from Names are like an House raised upon the Sand; yet because of old, and among the Patriarchs, Names were given by the spirit of Prophecy,) it will not be altogether unworthy our speculation to remember why this Name Levi was imposed, which we shall see as truly verified in that Function to which God did advance his posterity, as it was by his Mother fitly given to himself upon the good hope she conceived at his birth.
For Levi signifies a Conjoyner, an Vniter, or maker of Vnion; For thus said Leah when she bare him,Gen. 29. 34. Now at this time will my husband be joyned to me, because I have born a third son: And she called his name Levi. She called him Levi; but (for ought we read) in regard of her self she sound him no Levi as she hoped: but she prophesied of that sacred Office whereby all the sons of Levi became Conjoyners, became makers of Vnion (not between Iacob and Leah, but) between God and Man, between Christ and his Spouse, between the spiritual Iacob and his deformed Leah, For, as truly as ever Leah spake, might the Church then, and may the Church now, affirm, when she hath born these sons unto her husband, Now I know, my heavenly husband, my Lord, my God, will be joyned to me; because I have born him these foreign, these sons of Vnion, *… Cor. 5. 18.these Ministers of reconciliation. Plato could say, A Priest was foreign, A friend-maker between God and men: Nay, his whole Office is nothing but the Service of peace, and that not only between God and man,…Iohn 4. 20. but between man and his brother; For how can he love God, who loves not his brother? or how can he be at peace with God, who is at variance with his brother? Needs must he therefore that is Minister of the one be Minister of the other also: and he that is so, nay he alone that is so, is a right Levite and a true son of Vnion.
How unworthy then of this holy Name, how unworthy to succeed in the holy Order of Levi, are those who are Ministers of division; who by their lives, doctrine, example, or any other way divide God and his Church, and the Church within it self; who neither have peace with God themselves, nor will suffer others to have it; who neither agree themselves with others, nor suffer others to agree among themselves?Matt. 5. 9. Beati pacifici, Blessed are the Peace-makers, especially in the sons of Peace. This Christ prayed for in his Apostles, Ioh. 17. 11. saying, Holy Father, keep them through thy name, that they may be one as we are one. Christ is so one, that he makes all one who are one in him; so should every son of Levi be one. In sum, the Ministers of God are called Angels, and therefore should sing a song like unto that song of Angels,Luke 2. 14. Glory be to God on high, peace on earth, and good will amongst men. That Church which hath such a Levite, such a Minister, such a son of Union, may truly take up the words of Micah, Iudg. 17. 13. and say, Now I know the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my Priest.
AND thus much of the Name Levi: Now I come unto the Tribe it self; concerning which there may be two things asked. First, Why God did confine the Priesthood to one Tribe alone, and not suffer it to be common to all, as it was before the Law, and is now since the Law. Secondly, Why Levi was chosen to this holy Function rather than any other Tribe.
To the first, Why God did limit this holy Function to one Tribe only, some of the Iews make this answer; That one of the sons of Israel with his whole posterity was due unto God by vertue of Iacob's Vow, Gen. 28. 20, &c. which was, that if God would be with him in his journey, and bring him back again unto his Father's house, Of all that thou shalt give me, saith he, I will give the Tenth unto thee. Now because God gave children, as well as beeves and sheep, therefore they also must fall within compass of his Vow. And that there might be no difficulty about tithing the odd children, because there were more than Ten, they devise this way to make all even. For first, say they, the full number of Iacob's children was fourteen, because that Ioseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, go in the number of Iacob's sons: For Iacob (Gen. 48. 5, 6.) said unto Ioseph, Thy two sons which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came into Egypt, shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are mine; but thy lineage which thou begettest after them, shall be thine. Now of these fourteen, four were the Lord's by his right unto the first-born; for so many there were which first opened the womb of their four Mothers, Rachel and Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, Iacob's two Wives and his two Concubines. Now of the remainder, being ten, one falls to Gods share for Tithe, as being comprized within their Father's Vow.
This reason, though it be as you see handsomly framed, yet hath no great likelihood, because men use not to be tithed; and therefore this extent of the Vow is beyond the intent of the Vower. And whereas they urge the words, Of all that thou shalt give me; they seem to forget that God gave unto Iacob, besides his sons, great store of man-servants and maid-servants; and yet we read not that any of these were dedicate unto God, or that he challenged any of their posterity.
The only or chief Cause (if I am not deceived) why God restrained the Priestly Function to one Tribe, was for a sign and band of the restraint of his Church to one People: For as the Church cannot be without the sacred Function of the Ministery; so likewise the condition thereof must follow the condition of the Ministery. As long therefore as none could be a Priest but of the Tribe of Levi, so long there could be no Church but of that people whereof Levi was a Tribe. A point of sacred Policy so to order the choice of Ministers as shall be most fit to uphold the present state of an established Church.
The other Question we propounded was, Why God chose Levi before any other Tribe. And of this many Reasons may be given. As
1. For Moses his sake, whom God would honour by advancing the house of his Father to the highest pitch of dignity that mortal man could attain to. For what greater honour than to be Embassador of the Lord of Hosts, to be admitted unto the inspection of his most secret Mysteries, to be God's foreign, his proper and peculiar portion? would God they either knew or believed this who think their house disgraced, and their bloud stained, if any of their Kin become of the Clergy. It was not so in God's opinion, no nor Moses his neither; for had it been, Levi of all the Tribes should not have been God's Holy one.
2. The second Reason was the Nobility of this Tribe? for Levi was enobled both generally, as being the son of a lawful Wife, and not the son of an Handmaid; and specially, as being of kin to Moses the Prince of the Congregation: In the first respect he was nobler than many of his brethren; in the second, more noble than any of them. This example of God's own choice of men for his holy Service if we would look unto, we would not sin the sin of Ieroboam *…1 King. 12. 31, to make Priests almost of no other but of the lowest of the People. I speak not only of the lowest for external condition, but of the lowest for the gifts of their Mind. For I know it is true which the Virgin hath in her Magnificat, Luke 1. 52. That God often puts down the mighty from their seats, foreignand exalteth them of low degree: I know it is true that he often filleth the hungry with good things, and the rich he sends empty away, v. 53. But we should know that whensoever we offer unto him, he requireth the best thing in our hands; and therefore for this worthy Calling we are to give unto him, as far as may be, the worthiest among the sons of m….
3. Another Reason why God chose this Tribe afore other, may be the Smalness thereof, being not above the sixtieth part of the people: A number which God in his wisdom saw fit for that Church, as being both sufficient for instructing the people, and discharge of the duties of their order, and not too great to live of God's ordinary, his Tithes and the other Offerings of the Altar; whereas the least of the other Tribes were as big as three of it.
4. But the last Reason, and as it seems one of the chiefest, is that which Moses intimates in the very verse following my Text, speaking thus of Levi, That he said unto his Father and to his Mother, I have not seen them; neither did he acknowledg his brethren, nor knew his own children; but observed God's word and kept his Covenant. In which words Moses alludes unto their forward zeal to avenge the Lord of the people which worshipped the golden Calf, Exod. 32. 26, &c. where it is said, that Moses stood in the gate of the camp and cried, Whosoever is on the Lord's side, let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves unto him. Then said Moses, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the Camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, &c. For Moses had said. (so it follows in the Text) Consecrate your selves unto the Lord this day … even every man upon his son, and upon his brother, that there may be given you a blessing this day. This Blessing here spoken of is our Vrim and Thummim, the blessing of Sacred Order. So bountifully did God reward them who were so forward to be on his side when Moses called them, that himself vouchsafed to call them unto his side for ever.
Whence, first we may learn whom we are chiefly to prefer unto this holy Function, namely, Those who are zealous for the Lord of Hosts, who prefer the glory of God above all worldly respects whatsoever. This got Phinehas the son of Eleazar the High-Priesthood; this got all the sons of Levi the guerdon of Vrim and Thummim, the blessing of Holy Orders.
Secondly, We may see by the advancement of this Tribe, how merciful our God is. We know that Levi's fury did once as much offend him as his sons zeal now pleased him; and yet for this one action he forgot the sin of their Father in the bloudy slaughter of the Sichemites: He remembred not the curse of Iacob, Into their secret let not my soul come: My glory be not thou joyned with their assembly. Cursed be their wrath, for it was fierce; and their rage, for it was cruel, Gen. 49. 6, 7. Nay he turned the very curse of Iacob into a blessing, by dividing them in Iacob, and scattering them in Israel. Here Mercy and Truth met both together, and Iustice and Peace kissed each other.
Lastly, Here God verified his own description of himself, That though he be a jealous God, Exod. 20. 5, 6.and visits the sins of the Father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation; yet he is also a merciful God, and shews mercy even unto the thousandth generation of them that love him and keep his Commandments.
AND thus have you seen why of Levi Moses said this Blessing, And of Levi he said. Now I come to The description of this blessed Tribe, in these words, God's Holy one: Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy Holy one. How is Levi here called Holy? how is this Title given to him above the rest of his Brethren? Are not all the Lord's people holy? Certainly whatsoever is meant hereby, it is something more specially belonging to Levi than to any other Tribe. Which that we may the better find, we must take notice of a Threefold Holiness; Essential, Habitual, Relative. Essential Holiness is the Holiness of God, all one with God himself, and this is a glorious Holiness: Who (saith Moses) is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods? who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness? Exod. 15. 11. Habitual I call an Inherent Holiness, such as is the holiness of righteous men, integrity of life, or righteous holiness, whereof Abraham, Iob, David, and all the Patriarchs are called Saints and Holy men. This is that which the Greeks call foreign, the Latines Sanctimonia. Relative Holiness I define a special relation, or relation of peculiarity which a thing hath unto God, either in regard of propriety of possession, or speciality of presence. That which is holy after this manner the Greeks call foreign, the Latines Sacrum. The first of these three is proper to God alone, for he only is essentially holy. The second is proper to reasonable creatures; for they are only habitually holy, or endued with holy qualities. But the last is common to all manner of things; For all things animate or inanimate are capable of relative holiness or peculiarity towards God; Persons, Things, Times, Places. Persons; So the Nazarites of the Law are called holy: thus was Sampson, thus was Samuel holy from their Mother's womb. Things; So the Offerings of the Law, yea and of the Gospel too, are holy things: The Censers of Korah and his company were holy,Num. 16. 38. because (saith the Text) they offered them before the Lord. Times; So the Sabbath-day and other Festival days are holy days. Places; So the Temple of the Lord is an holy Place; Mount Sion an holy Mount; yea the ground about the Bush where God appeared to Moses is called Holy ground. And of these four;Exod. 4. 5. Persons, Things, and Times are holy, because of God's peculiar propriety in them, in that they are his Persons, his Things, and his Times: But Places are holy in another regard, because of God's special manner of Presence in them.
Now let us see in which of all these three ways Levi may be said to be holy. Essentially holy he cannot be, for he was not God, but the holy one of God. Habitually holy the event shews he was not more than the rest, though he should have been. The Tribe of Levi was always Tribus sacra, holy unto the Lord, but was not always righteous before the Lord.Mal. 2. 6. It was not always true of Levi, that he walked before God in peace and equity, and turned many from iniquity; but often, yea too often, they were gone out of the way,Vers. 8. and caused many to stumble at or in the Law. Phinehas the son of Eli was not like Phinehas the son of Aaron. Annas and Caiaphas high Priests, as holy as any for their order, as unholy as any in life and conversation.
It should therefore seem that Levi should be only called Holy by a Relative holiness; namely, because he was God's peculiar one, because his*Num. 8. 10. 11, 13. offered one, because his peculiar of peculiars; that is, his peculiar Tribe of his peculiar people: for in this Levi had a priviledg above the rest, in the other none. And this Ezra gives unto him chap. 8. 28. when he delivered unto the Levites the holy vessels Ye are holy (saith he) unto the Lord, and these Vessels are holy also, that is, Ye are holy as the Vessels are: for he saith not, they were holy before the Lord; for so he had meant holy in life: but holy unto the Lord, foreign, which always implies a Relative Holiness.
But though this be true that Levi was Holy after this manner, yet the word which in my Text is turned Holy, seems scarce to admit of this construction: for the word here used is not foreign, but foreign, which signifies favourable and gracious, and in Religion charitable and godly: All which leans to an Habitual, not to a Relative holiness. But because Levi was not in this sort holy above other, as I said before; it may seem therefore it should be thus construed; that foreign is taken Actively or Passively: Actively, it signifies favourable, benigne and gracious; Passively, he that is favoured or graced. And thus Iunius expounds foreign in this place, virum tuum quem beneficio prosequeris, Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy favoured one; not foreign, as the Septuagint, but foreign. Which word and sense the Angel useth in his salutation to the blessed Virgin,Luke 1. 28. foreign, Hail thou highly-favoured one; Hail thou whom God hath especially graced to be the Mother of his only Son. So Levi is here described to be one upon whom God bestowed a special favour or grace, a special foreign or foreign, the grace of the holy Ministery: for so S. Paul calls this power of Order a grace or favour, foreign & foreign as Eph. 3. 8. VntoUnto me, who am less than the least of all Saints, is this grace given, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 1 Tim. 4 …wprd…And of Timothy the same Apostle speaketh, Neglect not that foreign or grace in thee, which was given by prophecy with the imposition of hands. With this grace was Levi graced, with this favour was he highly favoured, and well might be called foreign God's highly favoured one.
And thus the issue will be all one, foreign in this sense will fall out to be God's holy one in the last sense: For to be specially favoured of God is to have a special relation to God-ward, to be God's more especially; and this is to be holy with a Relative holiness. Now which soever of these we take to be here meant, we see that that is in special given to Levi, which otherwise was common to all the other Tribes. If you take it in the first sense, for Holiness in life, as it were to put Levi in mind how it behoved him above all to be holy; were not all the Tribes as holy as Levi? and yet Levi alone is called God's holy one. If you take it in the second sense, for a Relative holiness; were not all the Tribes of Israel thus holy unto God? were not all his own people, his peculiar people, and a chosen Nation? and yet Levi alone is called God's holy one. If you take it in the last sense, for God's favoured one; were not all Israel a Nation favoured of God above all Nations? and yet Levi alone is especially called God's favoured one.
1. We therefore whom God hath set apart to minister about holy things, we who are holy unto the Lord, and God's own in a peculiar manner, we who have a special relation unto God, we who have received a special favour from God; We must remember we owe a special thankfulness unto him. We who are God's peculiars, must demean our selves peculiarly both toward God and man: We are unto God as other men are not, and therefore may not always do as other man do: We cannot reason from others to our selves, no not in things of themselves lawful, Why should not we do as every man may do? For all that is lawful for others will not be seemly for us; for we are the houshold-servants of the most High, we are special men, of whom God requires a special demeanour in life and actions. This was one cause why God enjoyned the Iews so many peculiar Rites and special Observations differing from the fashions of other people, because they were his peculiar people, an holy Nation; because they were toward him as no other was, though all the world were His; and therefore he would have their manners differ from the fashion of all other Nations, as a badge and acknowledgment of that special relation they had to him above others. Levit. 20. 24, 25, 26. I (saith God) am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people: Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, unclean fowls and clean, &c. And ye shall be holy unto me: For I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that you should be mine. This was also a cause why God restrained the Priests of the Law from that which was lawful for the rest of the people: They might drink no Wine; they might not mourn for their kin:Levit. 21. they might not marry a divorced woman: the reason of all this is given, because they were holy unto the Lord; that is, with a Relative holiness, as being God's men in a special manner, and therefore he required they should specially demean themselves in their lives. These Observations indeed were Ceremonial, but there is something Moral in them. And therefore in the New Testament we hear of some special things required in a Minister; as that he should have a good report of those who were without: this was not required in every one who was to be a Christian.1 Tim. 3. 7. Again, S. Paul requires in a Bishop, that*Vers. 2. he should be the husband of one wife: this was not in those times required of every one who was to be a Christian. I shall not need to tell you what special demeanor the ancient Church bound her Clergy unto: But it came to pass at last this Rule was over-practised by them; for hence it was that a Bishop might not marry at all, that Priests and Deacons might not marry being once in Orders, and at last marriage was quite forbidden them all. Thus our Fathers erred on the right hand, but we go aside on the left: They restrained their Clergy from that which was lawful for and beseemed all men; we think almost that lawful for us which is lawful for no man; at least we think that which any man may do, we may do also. But there is a golden Mean between these Extreams; happy is he that finds it, for he alone shall demean himself like himself, like a Levite, like God's holy one.
2. From this special title given to Levi, we may note how causlesly some are offended to hear those who minister about holy Things distinguished from others by names of holiness and peculiarity; to hear them called Clerus, and Clerici, The Clergy, as it were the Heritage of God; for so saith S. Ierome, Clerus dicimur, quia sors Dei sumus, We are called Clerus, or the Clergy, because we are the lot and portion of God. But, say they,1 Ep. ch. 5. 3. are not the People also God's Heritage? Doth not S. Peter call them foreign, when he forbids Presbyters foreign to domineer over God's heritage? I confess he doth: But those who reason after this manner come too near the language of Dathan and Abiram, Numb. 16. 3. Moses and Aaron, you take too much upon you; Is not all the Congregation holy, every one of them? and is not the Lord among them? why then lift ye your selves above the Congregation of the Lord? If this reasoning had been good, wherein had these Rebels offended? It could not be denied them, that all the People were an holy People; for they might have alledged the testimony of God himself, avouching them to be his peculiar People and an holy People unto the Lord their God: All the earth (saith he, Exod. 19. 5.) is mine; but you shall be my foreign my peculiar people, a Kingdom of Priests, and an holy Nation.
But it might be answered them, Though all the people were God's peculiar people, and therefore his holy ones; yet Levi was his peculiar Tribe of his peculiar people, and therefore comparatively his only holy one. All the Land of Canaan was the Lord's, The Land is mine, Lev… 25. 23.saith he, and therefore it could not be alienate beyond the year of*Vers. 10. Iubilee; and yet for all this there were some parts of the Land specially called Holy unto the Lord. Of the XI. degrees of the Holiness of Places in the land of Israel, see Talmud in K…lim, 1. …. … Maymon. in B…th… habbe…ch…h.All the increase of corn, all the increase of wine, all the fruit of the field was the Lord's; and yet the Offerings alone were called Holy unto the Lord. God himself calls them his foreign, his inheritance, and therefore gave them unto that Tribe alone, which alone he had made his foreign, the Tribe of his inheritance: So the*Num. 8. 10, 11, 13. offered Tribe lived of God's offerings, the holy Tribe on the holy things. Again, why may we not call our Clergy God's inheritance, when God himself calls the Levites his Levites? Thou shalt (saith he, Num. 8. 14.) separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levite shall be mine; that is, my foreign, my Clergy. Why may not we call the Ministers of Christ his foreign or inheritance, when he himself calls them the gift his Father gave him out of the world? for so he saith, Ioh. 17. 6. I have declared thy name unto the men thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me: and again, ver. 11. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, even them whom thou hast given me. If you say he speaks here of all his Elect, the words following v. 12. prove the contrary; for those (saith he) whom thou hast given me, I have kept, and none of them is lost but the child of perdition. Here he plainly affirms, he lost one of those his Father gave him; wherefore he speaks not of his Elect ones, for those no man can take out of his hands. Again, ver. 18. As thou didst send me into the world, saith he, so I sent them into the world: but I hope all the Elect are not sent as Christ was sent by his Father. I conclude therefore, So long as God in the Law says specially of the Levites, They are mine; So long as Christ in the Gospel of his Apostles, They are mine, O Father, which thou hast given me out of the world; it is neither arrogancy nor injury to stile those who minister about holy things by the name of foreign, the inheritance of the Lord.
WHAT LEVI was, and what is meant by this Title [God's Holy one] we have now shewed sufficiently. It remains we should come unto the words containing the Blessing it self, which is called Vrim and Thummim: the words themselves signifie Light and Perfection, Illumination and Integrity: good endowments certainly, whosoever shall enjoy them.
But because they are not only Appellative words, but also Proper names of certain things, we must enquire further what is meant by them; and that in a twofold consideration. First, specially and properly, as they are names of certain things belonging in special unto the High Priest: Then generally, as they are applied by Moses unto the whole Tribe of Levi. The first again shall be twofold. What they were in the High Priest personally; or what they signified in him typically, himself being also a Type.
For the first, What is meant by these things as they belong unto the High Priest personally, is a matter full of controversie; and therefore that we may the better proceed, we will first see the Generals wherein all or the most agree; and after come unto the particulars wherein they disagree.
The first wherein all agree is, that this Vrim and Thummim was something put in the Breast-plate which was fastned to the Ephod over against the Heart of the High Priest. And thus much the Scripture witnesseth, Exod. 28. 30. where God saith to Moses, And thou shalt put in the Breast-plate of Iudgment the Vrim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goeth in before the Lord. And for this cause, as most think, was the Breast-plate made double, that the Vrim and Thummim might be enveloped therein.
The second thing wherein all agree is, That this Vrim and Thummim was a kind of Oracle whereby God gave answer to those that enquired of him; and from hence the Septuagint call the whole Breast-plate foreign, which some turn Rationale, but might more truly be turned Orationale; for an Oracle is as it were foreign, the voice of God, though this Voice or Revelation were of divers kinds; for at sundry times and in divers manners (saith S. Paul) God spake in old time to our Fathers. Hebr. …. ….The Iews therefore make four kinds of Divine Revelation. First, foreign or Prophecy, which was by Dreams and Visions. The second foreign The Holy Ghost, as was in Iob, David, and others. The third Urim and Thummim, which was the Oracle. The fourth foreign a Voice from heaven; which was usual in the second Temple after the Oracle had ceased: as Matt. 3. 17. at Christ's Baptism there came a Voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased; and Ioh. 12. 28. when Christ said, Father, glorifie thy name; There came a Voice from hea… (like *Vers. 29.thunder) saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it again.
But to return again to our purpose; That Urim and Thummim was an Oracle of God, besides the consent of Iews and others, it is plain by Scripture. Num. 27. when God had commanded Moses to put his hands upon Ioshua, and to set him over the congregation in his stead; he addes Vers. 21. And he (that is, Ioshua) shall stand before Eleazar the Priest, who shall ask counsel for him by the judgment of Urim before the Lord. So 1 Sam. 23. when David was to ask counsel of the Lord, he called for the Ephod, wherein the Oracle was: and whereas before he had once or twice asked counsel of the Lord concerning Keilah, to prevent the objection how the Lord answered, it follows in the next by way of a Prolepsis, That Abiathar then Priest, when he fled to David to Keilah, brought the Ephod with him, vers. 6. Lastly, in the second of Ezra, when certain of the Priests which returned from Captivity could not find their names written in the Genealogies, it is said vers. 63. that the Tirshatha commanded they should not eat of the most holy things, till there rose up a Priest with Urim and Thummim, that is, till God should by Oracle reveal whether they were Priests or no: whereby it also appears that this Oracle had then ceased.
And for more light to that we have in hand, it will not be amiss to observe,How T…raphim answered to Vrim and T…ummim. that Teraphim among the Idolaters was answerable to the Urim and Thummim of the holy Patriarchs. Both were ancient: For*Gen. 31. 19. Rachel is said to have stollen away her Father's Teraphim: and Urim and Thummim seems to have been used among the Patriarchs before the Law was given,Exod. 28. 6, &c. because the making of it is not spoken of among other things of the Ephod; and because God speaks of it to Moses demonstratively,Vers. 30. foreign the Vrim and the Thummim.
Both also were Oracles: For the Iews and others agree, Teraphim were small Images made under a certain constellation, which they used to consult both in things doubtful and things future, supposing they had a power to this effect received from heavenly influence; much like to Puppets made of wax and like matter, which our Wizzards still use unto like purpose. And therefore Ezek. 21. 21. we read that the King of Babylon among other divinations consulted also of Teraphim: And the King of Babel (saith the Text) stood at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he consulted with Teraphim, he looked in the liver. And Zech. 10. 2. Surely (saith the Text) foreign, The Teraphims have spoken vanity, and the Southsayers have seen a lie, and the Dreamers have told a vain thing.
Besides, from this like use of Teraphim with the holy Vrim and Thummim, we may read Ephod and Teraphim joyned both together as things of like kind. As Hosea 3. 4. The children of Israel (saith the Lord) shall remain many days without a King, and without a Prince, and without an Offering, and without an Image, and without an Ephod and Teraphim. Yea of so near a nature was this Teraphim unto the Vrim and Thummim, that Micah, he that had an house of Gods, when he had made an Ephod, because he had no Vrim and Thummim, he put Teraphims instead thereof; as we may gather Iudg. 17. 5. And in ch. 18. we may see also that when the children of Dan enquired of the Lord concerning their journey, it pleased him to give answer by the Idolish Teraphim. So we may gather likewise that the Israelites after Ieroboam's schism, having no Vrim and Thummim, used Teraphim in the Ephod; and therefore it is that Hosea threatens that they shall be without Ephod and Teraphim.
HAVING hitherto shewn how far it is agreed about Vrim and Thummim, in the next place the points of difference ought to be considered; which are either about the matter whereof it was made, or the manner how God answered by it.
For the Matter; Some will have it to be nothing else but the writing or carving of the great name Iehovah, which was put within the folding of the Breast-plate; and that it was called Vrim and Thummim, because by the knowledg of the mystery of Iehovah in the Trinity our minds are enlightned and our understandings made perfect.
Some other there are of the same opinion, but they will have it called Vrim and Thummim, because by the virtue of that name written the High Priest was enabled to return clear and perfect answers. foreignAnd moreover they say the Breast-plate was called foreign *Exod. 28. 15.the Breast-plate of judgment, because by it the Lord gave as it were sentence and judgment what was to be done in hard and doubtful matters. And this is the opinion of Rabbi Salomon.
Some others will have it called the Breast-plate of judgment, because that by it the judgment of the Iudges, if it were amiss, was hereby as it were pardoned; because the High Priest was to bear the sins of the People. The Authors of this opinion are mentioned by R. Salomon.
Aben Ezra saith it was so called, because by it the judgment and decrees of the Lord were known: and he thinks also that Vrim and Thummim were something*foreign … made by the hand of the craftsman.
But Nachmanides and R. Salomon say, it was*foreign opus coeli, … opus divinum, and given to Moses in the Mount; or at least that God shewed him how to make it.
Some think it was nothing but the Stones in the Breast-plate, by the shining whereof God did anauere, favourably answer and grant; by the not shining, abnuere, disallow and refuse. …. in Rad.But Kimchi confutes this, because it is spoken of as a differing thing in the same place where the stones are described:foreign But he himself says, it is not certainly known what the Urim and Thummim were.
*In L…ge….Nachmanides saith it was certain sacred names, by the virtue whereof the letters of the Breast-plate were enlightned and ordered so that the Priest might read the answer of God: and that which caused shining was called Vrim; and that which made them legible, Thummim.
The sum of these Opinions laid together is, That this Oracle was either the Stones of the Breast-plate themselves, or something in the folding of the Breast-plate, which by a divine virtue did cause the Stones to shine, and by the letters of the Tribes names in them as it were to express the answer of God.
For concerning the Manner of this Oracle, Talmud Babylon. in Ioma, c. 7. Vid ctiam Abarben. in Exod. 28.the Talmudists report thus much: First, No private man might consult with Vrim and Thummim, but either the King, or foreign he that was cheif of the Consistory, or foreign the Consistory or Iudges themselves; and that in matters difficult and of great importance.
Secondly,Vid. Tal. Hieros. Ioma in Gemara: & Maimonid. in Hal. Cele hammikdash cap. 10. foreign Maimon. foreign he that enquired must stand with his face looking full upon foreign the Priest whom he asked; and the Priest stood with his eyes fixed upon the Ark, or upon his breast (say some) where was the Vrim and Thummim.
Thirdly, The voice was to be a soft still voice, and*Vid. Talmud Babylon Ioma c. 7. not above one thing to be asked at one time: But if they asked two things at once, the answer was only unto the first; but in case of extremity, unto both. And such was David's case, 1 Sam. 30. 8. when he asked concerning the Amalekites who had burnt Ziklag, Shall I follow this company, (saith he) and shall I overtake them? The Lord answers, Follow, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and recover all without fail.
Now if you ask how the Priest knew the answer of the Lord: First, you must remember there were twelve stones in the Breast-plate, and in those stones the twelve names of the Sons of Israel, either set or carved; and that there might be a full Alphabet of letters, there was also,*Vid. Ialkut ex libro Siphre, & Talm. Babylon Ioma. say they, written upon the Breast-plate, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and these two words foreign, the Tribes of Ieshurun or Israel. Now when the Lord answered, the letters expressing the answer, by the divine virtue of the Vrim and Thummim became foreign, i. prominentes; that is, they shewed forth themselves with a splendor, that the Priest might read the answer of God. As 2 Sam. 2. 1. when David asked the Lord foreign Shall I ascend into any of the Cities of Iudah? the letter foreign in Shimeon, foreign in Levi, and foreign in Iehudah, put themselves forth, or shone forth with a splendor, that the Priest might read foreign Ascend. Though some of the Iews say the letters became foreign that is, joyned themselves together and made a word: which as I cannot conceive how it should be, so I think it less probable.
And thus hitherto have you heard the diverse Opinions of the matter and manner of this Oracle of Vrim and Thummim. Here is variety enough; I leave to every one to make his own choice which he will believe: only give me leave to add thus much in way of censure of them, which is, That they all seem against reason and likelihood to confound Vrim with Thummim, in making them one and the same thing called by diverse names in regard of diverse effects and uses: which I can the less believe, because I find Vrim alone used in matter of consultation with God, whereby it seems Thummim had some other use. In the 27. of Num. 21. Moses commands Ioshua in all business to consult the High Priest by the judgment of Vrim before the Lord; but no speech of Thummim. Again, 1 Sam. 28. 6. it is said that Saul asked counsel of Lord, when he was to go against the Philistines; but the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Vrim, nor by the Prophets. Here also is Vrim spoken of, but no word of Thummim.
If I may therefore speak what I think, I would say, That Vrim and Thummim were a twofold Oracle, and for a twofold use. And that Vrim was the Oracle, or part of the Oracle, whereby God gave answer to those who enquired of him in hard and doubtful cases; therefore called Vrim or Lights, because as ignorance is called darkness, so is all knowledg a kind of illumination or enlightning; and that which bringeth knowledg is fitly called a Light, because it dispels the darkness of our minds.
But Thummim was that Oracle or mean whereby the High Priest knew whether God did accept the Sacrifice or no; therefore called Thummim, that is, Integrity, because those whose Sacrifice God accepted, were accounted Thummim, that is, just and righteous in the eyes of God; because their Sacrifice was a shadow of Christ's Sacrifice, by acceptation whereof we are justified and made righteous before God. For without doubt the Patriarchs and Legal Church had some ordinary mean to know when their Sacrifice was accepted; else had they been behind the Gentiles, for they had a sign to know when they did Litare, that is, when their false Gods accepted their false sacrifice: and as the Devil was God's Ape in giving Oracles, so I verily believe he was in this also. Nay*Amiqu… I…d. lib. 3. cap. …9. Iosephus expresly affirms it of the Iews, though for the particular I suppose he is mistaken: For he saith, that whensoever God did accept the Sacrifice, the Onyx-stone on the Priests left shoulder shone with an admirable splendor; but this, saith he, ceased foreign two hundred years before his time. And no wonder; for when the Sun of righteousness drew near unto his rising, those dimmer Vrim and smaller stars must needs lose their light. Now that which Iosephus affirms of the Onyx-stone on the left shoulder, I suppose was mistaken for the Thummim on the left part of the Breast-plate,
And lastly, as I said before of Vrim, so I think of Thummim, That it was in use among the Patriarchs of old; and that by some such means as this Abel knew that God accepted his Offering, and Cain that his was refused.
And thus much of Vrim and Thummim considered Personally in the High Priest; now I come to consider it Typically: for as the High Priest himself was a Type of Christ, so must these Adjuncts of his also be Types of something in Christ. Which we shall not be long a finding out, if we remember again the signification of the words, and the use of the things themselves: Vrim is Light and Illumination; Thummim Integrity and Perfection. By Vrim the Iews were ascertained of the counsel and will of God; by Thummim of his favour and good will towards them. All this agrees to Christ both in himself, and in regard of us.
In himself. His Breast is full of Vrim, full of Light and Understanding: In him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg, as S. Paul saith;Col. 2. 3. He is the Wisdom of the Father*Heb. 1. 2. Iohn 1. 3. by which the world it self was made. His heart is also endowed with Thummim, with all kind of Perfections: He was conceived without Original sin, lived without Actual sin; fulfilled the whole Law of God, which is the Law of Thummim, the Law of all Perfection.
Thus to Christ himself agrees both Vrim and Thummim: and so it doth also in regard of us; for he is an Vrim and Thummim both to us and for us. To us he is Vrim, Iohn 1. 9.a Light which enlightneth every one which cometh into the world: He is the Light which shone in darkness, but the darkness could not comprehend it: He was that Light by which the people (as it is said in Matthew 4. 16.) which sat in darkness saw great light. Vers. 5.And of this Light Iohn came to bear witness, that all might believe in him, Iohn 1. 7. In sum, Christ is foreign & foreign Patris, the Word and Oracle of his Father, by whom we know and learn the Father's will: for so S. Iohn saith, ch. 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him unto us.
Neither is Christ only an Vrim, but also a Thummim to us. For as by Thummim the Iews were ascertained of God's favour toward them in accepting their Sacrifice; so by Christ coming in the flesh is revealed the unspeakable Mercy of God to Mankind, in that he would accept his Sacrifice once offered for the expiation of the sins of the whole world. This is that Good-will toward men which the Angels sung of as soon as he was born;Luke 2. 15. Glory be to God on high, Peace on earth, and Good-will towards men: Yea, Glory be to God on high for this Peace on earth, and for this Good-will towards men.
Thus we see Christ an Vrim and Thummim to us: now let us see how he is the same for us; and that is when his Wisdom and Righteousness is made ours by imputation. So his Vrim becomes our Vrim, his Thummim our Thummim; that is, his wisdom is made ours, his righteousness and favour with God made ours; for, This is my well-beloved Son (said a Voice from Heaven) in whom I am well pleased. Matt. 3. 7.In brief, S. Paul comprehends both these together, where he saith, Christ Iesus is made unto us Wisdom,1 Cor. 1. 30. Sanctification, and Redemption. And so, Lord, Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy Holy One.
AND thus much for the special consideration of this Vrim and Thummim, both Personally and Typically: Now I come unto the general meaning thereof, as it concerns not the High Priest only, but the whole Tribe of Levi; for this is the Blessing of that whole Tribe. And in this large respect the meaning cannot be Proper, for so it belongs unto the High Priest to have Vrim and Thummim; nor Typical, because the Priests only, and not the under-Levites, were Types of Christ: but the sense must be Analogical, signifying some endowments common to all Levites which resemble the Vrim and Thummim upon the Breast of the High Priest.
Now what these are the words themselves import: namely, Light of Vnderstanding and knowledg, this is their Vrim; and Integrity of life, this is their Thummim. The first makes them Doctores Teachers, the second Ductores populi Guides and Leaders of the People. He that wants either of these two, wants the true ornament of Priesthood, the right character of a Levite.
For though these endowments may well beseem all the Tribes of Israel; yet Moses specially prays for them in Levi, because by him they were to come to all the rest: and the want of them in him could not but redound to all the rest: Ita populus, sicut sacerdos, Such as the Priest is, such will the People be; the Priest cannot erre, but he causeth others to erre also; the Priest cannot sin, but he causeth others to sin also.Mal. 2. 6, 8. And this is it that Malachi saith from the Lord unto the Priests of his time, Ye are gone out of the way, and have caused many to stumble at, or in, the Law. But the Levites of old, (saith the same Prophet) The Law of Truth was in their mouth, and iniquity was not found in their lips: they walked with God in peace and equity, and turned many from iniquity. Here you see when the Levites erre, the people erre also; when the Levites walk in equity, the people are turned from iniquity.
The Ministers of Christ must be Lux mundi, Matt. 5. 14.the light of the world; Vos estis lux mundi, Ye are the light of the world, Ye are the world's Vrim, faith Christ unto his Apostles:Mal. 2. 7. For the lips of the Priest should preserve knowledg, and they should learn the Law at his mouth. This light of knowledg, this teaching knowledg is the Vrim of every Levite; and therefore Christ when he inspired his Apostles with knowledg of heavenly mysteries,Acts. 2. 3. he sent a new Vrim from above, even fiery tongu…s, tongues of Vrim from Heaven: He sent no fiery heads, but fiery tongues; for it is not sufficent for a Levite to have his head full of Vrim, unless his tongue be a candle to shew it unto others. There came indeed no Thummim from heaven, as there came an Vrim; for though the Apostles were secured from errors, they were not freed from sin: And yet we who are Levites must have such a Thummim as may be gotten upon earth,Tit. 2. 7. for S. Paul bids Titus in all things to shew himself an example of good works: and this is a Thummim of Integrity.
But besides this Thummim, the Ministers of the Gospel have received from God more especially another Thummim, like unto that which was proper to the High Priest; namely, the power of binding and loosing, which is as it were a power of Oracle to declare unto the people the remission of their sins by the acceptance of Christ's Sacrifice. And this directly answers to Thummim in the first sense.