golden covering before mentioned . Within this ark or cheft were placed the two tables of the 'commandments written by God himfelfe. Note, That the cherubims were not expofed to the view of the people, much lefs were they to be worshipped; but were as reprefentations or emblems of the angelical hofts about the throne of God.

This ark, containing the two tables of the law, was a visible teftimonial and fymbol of God's fpecial prefence with them, and of the covenant between God and them; for the ark itself, and the golden covering to it, (called the propitiation, or mercy-feat) was what God chofe, as it were, for his feat or throne: And the two tables of the law, within the ark, was that whereby God teftified his will, and which contained the condition of the covenant on the people's part viz. their obedience to God's commandments, and therefore it is called, the ark of the teftimony, and the ark of the covenant *.

Again, the cloud which appeared on the ta. bernacle, and the bright fhining or glory aforementioned, that filled it within, plainly manifefted the prefence of God, and, as it were, his dwelling there; for this glory or bright fhining reprefented the majefty of God himself, as hath been obferved before, and was called by the Jews, bechinah, or fhecinah, that is, an inVOL. I. dwelling,

Ee

d In Ezek. i. 10. are mentioned four faces; of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle; but in chap. x. 14. there is not the face of an ox, but the face of a cherub, with the other three. Hence it is conceived that a cherub had the face of an f Exod. xxv. 22. Judg. xx. 27. n Exod. xl. 34, 35. Levit. ix. 23,

e Exod. xxv. Chap. ii. fect. 5.

24. 2 Chron. vii. 1.

i Ibid.

dwelling, from fhachan, a word that fignifies to dwell, because the majefty of God, as it were, dwelt and was prefent with the church. At first, it filledthe whole tabernacle, or fanctuary ; but afterwards refided most conftantly in the holy of holies, on the ark of the teftimony, with a great luftre fhining from between the cherubims which were thereon, which the apoftle calls the cherubims of glory'.

The next part of the tent or house was the fanctuary, or holy place, like the body of our churches: This was parted from the other by a veil or hanging. In this part was the golden altar of incenfe, on which the priests burnt incenfe every morning and evening throughout the year, and also a table with fhew-bread, (or bread of the face or prefence,) as being fet where God manifefted his prefence; and further, there were dishes, and spoons, and bowls, and a candlestick, all which plainly reprefented God's continual prefence, and, as it were, his dwelling among them ", these being the ordinary furniture of a room and provifions ". Note, the patterns of all things for the fanctuary, &c. were fhewn to Mofes in the mount, whereby he was more inftructed than he could be by words; and the skill of making them was infpired into the workmen, whom God filled with the fpirit of wisdom for that purpofe . And when they were made, they were fanctified or confecrated to a holy ufe, by being anointed with a peculiar oil, to beget in men the greater reverence.

* Exod. xl.

iv. 22.

As

1 Heb. ix. 5. See Lev. xvi. 2. 1 Sam. m Exod. xxv. 8. See Bishop Patrick on Exod. xxv. 8, 30. o Exod. xxv. 40. P Exod. xxviii. 3. 4 So alfo Exod. xxxi. 3, 4.

Exod. xxx. 22, &c.

As for the courts; at firft they were inclofed with pillars and hangings; afterwards, by Solomon, with walls. That court next the tent, or house, was the court of the priests, where was the brazen altar, on which the holy fire, that at first God fent down to confume the facrifice, in teftimony of his acceptance, was by the priests renewed from time to time, and fo kept continually burning. And on this altar the facrifices of lambs and bullocks, &c. were burnt, especially a lamb every morning and evening ". This altar was appointed to be made at the first of wood, overlaid with brass, or elfe of earth, or of Stones; provided they were not polished, perhaps to give no occafion for making any images on them. It was to be five cubits, or two yards and an half square, according to the common notion of a cubit, and three cubits, or a yard and a half in height. But afterwards, Solomon made one far exceeding that, as his temple exceeded the tabernacle; for it was twenty cubits, or ten yards fquare: It is faid to be made of brass, that is, moft likely overlaid with brafs, as the former was ". None but the priests might enter into the fanctuary, or houfe, or into this firft court. Without this was another court, called the court of the people, or the court of Ifrael, whither the people did come to bring their facrifices, to fay their prayers, and perform their vows: And fo where we read of any people, except priefts, to come to the fanctuary or temple, it is not meant, that they came into the houfe or fanctuary properly fo called, no, nor into the first court E e 2

W

Lev. vi. 13.

next

u Exod. xxviii.

and chap. xxvii. 1, 2, 4, and chap. Chron. iv. 1.

next to it, but only into this fecond court laft spoken of.

The daily fervice was thus performed: At the ufual time the third and ninth hours, or as our nine in the morning, and three in the afternoon, the lamb (which was the facrifice) was killed, the blood fprinkled on the brazen altar, and the pieces laid thereon to be burnt; and, in the morning, between the sprinkling of the blood, and the laying of the picces upon the altar: in the evening fomewhat later, between the laying the pieces on the altar, and the drink-offering, the priest, whofe turn was to officiate, burnt the incense on the golden altar in the fan&tuary : At the fame time, the people prayed filently, every one by himself in their court: Which prayers were offerd up by the prieft, in virtue of the facrifice, with that incenfe of his that went up to heaven, through the interceffion of Chrift the real prieft, of whom the Jewish one was a type, (as the fmcke of the incenfe offered by the angel, in the Revelations, which came with the prayers of the faints, afcending before God) . The incenfe-offering, and prayers being ended, and the parts of the facrifice as a lamb each morning and evening, befides thofe which were occafional of divers forts being put upon the brazen altar in the court of the priefts to be burnt, (as hath been faid,) the Levites applied themfelves to the finging of pfalms, and the priests to the founding of trumpets : The fingers are mentioned in the temple-fervice, as the trumpets in that of the fanctuary. And

a

we find that David and Solomon appointed the finging and trumpets at the time of facrificing", and that Ezra reftored this cuftom after the return from the Babylonian captivity, and that the fame continued in after-ages d.

;

This gives fome account of their public worfhip, especially of their daily fervice, both in the tabernacle, and alfo afterwards in the temple, where only the facrifices could be offered. Nor does it plainly appear, what folemn affemblies they had for religious worship in public, fave only at the tabernacle, or temple, when they were fettled in Canaan, till their return from the Babylonian captivity: But no doubt pious perfons worthipped God in private, and in their families wherein they might be affifted by the priests and Levites, who having no diftinct portion of the land allotted to them, were difperfed among all the tribes. There were alfo prophets to affist and direct them in a religious behaviour, fuch as we find in Daniel f, who (according to his ufual course, as well before, as after he was a captive in Babylon) kneeled upon his knees three times a-day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. As for their worship in their Synagogue, after their return, fee the fifteenth general remark on the gofpels. Some understand,

They have burnt up all the fynagogues (or places of affemblies) of God in the land, of courts, that were built like thofe in which they prayed

b Chron. vi. 31. and xvi. 7. 2 Chron. v. 12, 13. Ezra iii. 10, 11. d Ecclus. 1. 15, 16, 17, 18, &c. See Exod. xxix. 38, &c. and chap. xxx. I, to 11. Luke i. 10. and compare Lightf. Hor. in Luc. i. 10. and his Temple-Service, chap. ix. fect. 4, 5, 6.

10.

Pfal. lxxiv. 8.

Chap. vie