The Types Unveiled, Chapter 28
CHAP. 28. I come now to ſpeak of the High Prieſt under the Law, which was a Type of Jeſus Chriſt alſo.
IN the handling of which, I ſhall obſerve this method: Firſt, Speak ſomething as to the place out of which the High Prieſt was to be choſen.
Secondly, I ſhall ſpeak of the Qualifications which he was to be endued withall.
Thirdly, I ſhall ſpeak of the Conſecrated Garments which he was to adminiſter in.
Fourthly, I ſhall ſpeak of the manner of the Prieſts Conſecration.
Fifthly, Of the Work he was to do for the people when choſen for them.
Firſt, As to the place out of which the High Prieſt was to be choſen, (by being choſen) I do not mean that there was ſuch a Cuſtom or Rule amongſt the Jews (before the Corruption crept into the Jewiſh Church) for the people to chuſe their High Prieſts, but I intend the thing, as it reſpects the firſt ſetting apart of a High Prieſt for the people.
Now the place from whence the High Prieſt was to be taken, it was from amongſt the Children of Iſrael, not from a ſtrange people or Country, Exod. 28. 1. And take thou unto thee Aaron thy Brother, and his Sons with him, from amongst the Children of Iſrael, that he may Miniſter unto me in the Prieſts Office.
This Particular affords us theſe two Uſes.
Uſe 1.
It ſerves to remove out of the way two great Objections, which may abide upon the hearts of ſome tender Souls, who may be unwilling to adventure their caſe in Chriſts hands.
Firſt, Becauſe of their unacquaintance with him, he is too much a ſtranger to them, therefore ſome make no uſe of him for their High Prieſt.
Secondly, Others call in Queſtion his faithfulneſs, therefore others make no uſe of him; that which they have to commit to the High Prieſts care is of an infinite value, its the price of a Soul, which if it ſhould miſcarry through want of faithfulneſs in the Prieſt, they loſe their all, and more then the whole world is worth: Now to prevent theſe Fears and Objections, the Prieſt was to be taken from amongſt his own Brethren, it ſhall be no ſtranger whom you know not, or that knows not you, but of your own ſelves, from amongſt his Brethren, bone of your bone, and fleſh of your fleſh, this yields great relief againſt Fears. Suppoſe the King ſhould ſend an Army over Sea into ſome ſtrange Country, now if he ſhall make choice of ſome Alien or Outlandiſh man to be General over them, how would this diſcourage the Army in their way and work, for who knows but that a ſtranger may ſell them into their Enemies hands; or ſhould he not do ſo, yet he being an Alien, they not known to him, what ever their neceſſities (with reſpect to want of food, clothing, or any other neceſſaries) may be, he cannot underſtand their complaints, and they periſh without remedy; but now if the General be one of their own Nation, they will not ſo much fear the being betraid into the hands of their enemies, becauſe their General and they are all alike, hateful to the enemy they engage againſt, beſides when ever they have any requeſt to put up to him, or matter of moment to inform him withall, they are ſure he knows their language and underſtands their tongue and they his, for he is born of the ſame Nation, a General made of his Brethren. Now as the High Prieſt under the Law was a Type of Chriſt in all reſpects, ſo in this very reſpect likewiſe, that ſo Believers might have great encouragement to apply themſelves to him at all times, hence it is that Moſes (alluding to Chriſt ſaith) Deut. 18. 15. A Prophet ſhall …he Lord your God raiſe up unto you from amongst his Brethren like unto me, him ſhall you hear in all things: So Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren. So that you ſee the Apoſtle as well as Moſes ſpeaking about Chriſt, alludes to the High Prieſt under the Law, which was to be taken forth from amongſt his Brethren.
Uſe 2.
Oh then, what comfort and encouragement ſhould this afford the ſoul againſt the former Objections: Firſt as to their non-acquaintance with him, Oh ſoul thou needſt not fear, for thy High Prieſt is no ſtranger to thee, he is not an Alien which cannot underſtand thy ſpeech, thou maiſt freely lay open thy mind to him in prayer, what ever diſtreſs or want thou art in come to him in prayer and thou needſt not fear he will well know what it is thou ſupplicateſt him about; this it was that encouraged David to come to him and freely pour out his ſoul to him, he knew that Chriſt was no ſtranger, nor a man of an unknown tongue to him, and he knew that Chriſt could as well underſtand what he had to expreſs on his part of Chriſt, Pſal. 139. 4. Lord there is not a word in my tongue but thou knoweſt it altogether. Beſides, Chriſt is ſo well skilled in our tongue that he can throughly judge of our meaning, and broken ſighs and groans delivered up before him, if we want expreſſions he can help the ſoul out in the thing, for he doth not only know what we ſhould ſpeak, but what we would ſpeak before him, and ſo helps us out in the matter, Rom. 8. 26, 27. Likewiſe the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it ſelf maketh Interceſſion for us with groans which cannot be uttered; and he that ſearcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, becauſe he maketh Interceſſion for the Saints according to the will of God: For Chriſt is made a High Prieſt for this end, to ſpread the complaints of his people before the Lord; therefore is it recorded in Rev. 8. 3. And another Angel ſtood at the Altar having a Golden Cenſer, and there was given him much Incenſe, that he ſhould offer it with the prayers of all Saints: So that you ſee Chriſt did offer up the complaints, ſighs, and groans of his people to God, therefore muſt he be taken from amongſt his Brethren, a member of the ſame Nation, born and trained up amongſt the people, that ſo he might be fully capable to do them that ſervice for which he was ordained a Prieſt.
Uſe 3.
What encouragement ſhould this Doctrine give a ſoul to adventure his all in the hands of this Chriſt, in point of that faithfulneſs we may expect to find in him meerly upon this account, that he is a High Prieſt called forth to the work from amongſt his Brethren, and then this would remove the other Objection which ſome poor ſoul may make againſt Chriſt; O! That which I have to entruſt the High Prieſt withall is of infinite value, and if it ſhould miſcarry through the unfaithfulneſs of the Prieſt, I am for ever undone, and ſhall never recover my ſelf more: Now to prevent theſe fears, the High Prieſt was to be taken from amongſt his Brethren, a man intereſted with them in all the proyerties together, whoſe happineſs is bound up in the peoples; one who muſt ſtand and fall with thoſe, he is a Prieſt unto who promotes but his own in ſeeking the peoples good for whom he undertakes, therefore muſt he be taken from amongſt his Brethren, to aſſure us of his faithfulneſs and diligence in the work he hath undertaken for Believers; you know that Chriſt our High Prieſt is called an Advocate, that is, one that pleads a caſe in Law, 1 John 2. 1. Now what an encouragement would this afford a perſon to make uſe of ſuch a man in his caſe, who is concerned in the ſame caſe himſelf, ſo as that if it goes ill with the Client it muſt go ill with the Advocate. Oh ſoul, thus much maiſt thou draw out of this particular, of the High Prieſts being taken from amongſt his Brethren, it is to encourage thee to make uſe of Jeſus Chriſt for a High Prieſt to God in the behalf of thy ſoul, thou maiſt aſſure thy ſelf that he will be faithful to thee: No bribes offered him can pervert or corrupt him, therefore is he called a righteous Advocate, 1 John 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father, Ieſus Chriſt the righteous; the Inheritance which Chriſt as a High Prieſt intercedes for, and as an Advocate pleads for in Heaven its what Chriſt and thee are co-heirs and joynt-heirs of together, Rom. 8. 17. If Children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joynt-heirs with Chriſt: So that thou ſtandeſt and falleſt with Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt promotes his own Intereſt in promoting thine, if he prove unfaithful its as well to himſelf as to thee; Oh therefore doubt of nothing, put thy all into his hands, adventure whole ſoul and body upon his Prieſthood, thou canſt not do better, that which was Peters Exhortation to the Saints in his day, is mine to thee, Pet. 1. 4, 19. Wherefore let them that ſuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their ſouls to him in welldoing, as unto a faithful Creator. Soul, it would be very neceſſary for thee to keep this truth always warm upon thy heart that it may give down its daily comfort to thee, that the High Prieſt is thy Brother, for he was taken from amongſt his Brethren; it would be the choiceſt food thou canſt live upon in thy wilderneſs condition, if thou wert to take up thy quarters at any time in a Dungeon, yet if thou haſt this pot of Manna with thee (viz.) thy Brother is a High Prieſt in Heaven, what more comfortable conſideration in the world then this? David was wonderfully raiſed in his hopes and expectations from hence, Pſal. 23. 1. The Lord is my ſheepherd I ſhall not want; that is, he is a Prieſt, whoſe office it is to ſupply the wants of the ſoul in any condition, for ſo much was expected from the High Prieſt under the Law, he was to procure what bleſſings he could for the people, Numb. 6 23, 24 25, 26. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes ſaying, ſpeak unto Aaron and to his Sons, ſaying on this wiſe, ye ſhall bleſs the Children of Iſrael ſaying, the Lord bleſs thee and keep thee, the Lord make his face to ſhine upon thee and be gracious unto thee, the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. Now that which greatens this mercy is this, (That as its the Place and Office of Chriſt to ſupply the wants of his people) there is no condition whatſoever that his people are in at any time but Chriſt is privy to it, Pſal. 139 2, 3. Thou knoweſt my down ſitting and my upriſing, thou underſtandeſt my thoughts afar off, thou compaſs eſt my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. Herein lay Davids great comfort, and the ſame may be thine, that this want-ſupplying Prieſt that was ſo well acquainted with his peoples ſeveral conditions, he could appropriate him to himſelf as his ſheepherd, The Lord is my ſheepherd ſaith David, that is as if he had ſaid, I draw much of my comfort from the place out of which the Prieſt was to be choſen, which is this, he was to be called forth from amongſt his Brethren, ſo that he is not a ſtranger to me, a man whoſe voice or words I underſtand not, or he mine, but he is my Brother which underſtands my thoughts afar off.