Aaron rather concurred with the people in tempting. Numb. xx. 10....13. Christ, the great antitype of Moses and Aaron, the true high priest, that was the substance and end of all the ancient sacrifices and offerings, and of all the peculiar ministrations of the high priest of the tribe of Levi, according to Jer. xxxiii. 17....22, may well be called Levi's holy one. For it is there represented as the great honor and privilege of Levi, that his priesthood was to be upheld and completed in Christ. All the honor and privilege that there ever was in having the priesthood of his tribe, arose from the relation of that priesthood to Christ, the glorious things which he should accomplish by the sacrifice of himself, and the eternal bene fits he should procure. Therefore this is properly mentioned in the blessing uttered by Moses with respect to this tribe. The priesthood was not a vain thing, but of unspeakable value, as it stood in relation to the priesthood of Christ, and was to be brought to its infinitely glorious and interesting effect in him. It was by the Urim and the Thummim that the high priest was especially furnished to make intercession for the people, and to reveal the mind and will of God to them. The Urim and Thummin had their principal importance, as they were typical, and represented the perfection, and merit, the light, and glory, there are in Christ.

2 SAM. XV....Absalom seems to have been a type of antichrist. He was the son of David; as the man of sin was originally a Christian bishop, one of the ministers of the gospel, who in a peculiar manner are Christ's sons. Absalom was David's son by Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur, the only wife that he had that was a Gentile. So Popery is a mixture of Christianity with Heathenism. Absalom was the son of a Heathen mother, or one that had been a Heathen. So the Papistical church is the daughter of old Heathen Rome. Absalom usurped his father's authority over his kingdom, his city Jerusalem, and over his house. So the pope usurps the authority of Christ, sets himself up to be king in his kingdom, and takes possession of the church, the true spiritual Jerusalem, sitting in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Absalom was a person of great beau3 P

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ty, and was admired, and praised by the people for his beauty. So it has been with the pope. Whereas Christ appeared in a mean and low condition, without any external splendor, and when the people saw him, there was no beauty in him wherefore they should desire him; antichrist appears in great external pomp and glory, decked with gold and silver and precious stones, fine linen and scarlet, which all the world has admired and wondered after, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Absalom cloaked his rebellion and usurpation with a pretence of religion. Like antichrist, he said to his father, chap. xv. ver. 7, 8, "Let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed," &c. Absalom drove David, and those that adhered to him, out of Jerusalem. So antichrist casts out of the church all the true, and faithful followers of Christ. Da vid went away into the wilderness, and all his faithful subjects went with him, wherever he went. Which is agreeable to what is represented to be the spirit and practice of the true followers of Christ in the time of antichrist, Rev. xix. 4. "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."

1 KINGS xix. 19, 20...." So he departed thence and found Elisha," &c. The truth with respect to what is related in these verses probably was thus. Elijah was directed by the Spirit of God to cast his mantle upon Elisha. But Elijah had not the design of God fully made known to him; supposing it to be intended as a sign that Elisha should be prophet after him, agreeable to what God had said to him at Mount Sinai. But God had a farther meaning in it, which was intimated by his Spirit, which went with Elijah's mantle as it passed over to Elisha; viz. that he should immediately forsake all, and devote himself to the performance of the business of a propher. Elisha, supposing that Elijah had this design of God made known to him, and had been directed to cast his mantle on him, with this view, has at first some reluctance, and desires of Elijah that, by his prayers, he would obtain leave of God for him to go first and kiss his father and mother. Elijah, surprised at this request, as was natural, supposing him thus ignorant, says, Go back; for what have I done that shoul

hinder it? However, Elisha, who understood the mind of God, soon recovers from his reluctance, and went no further back than his oxen; and took them and the instruments, and offered up all to God, signifying by this action, his full consent to make a sacrifice of all his worldly possessions to the great and infinitely important concerns of his ministry.

2 CHRON. v. 12, 13, 14....When the priests and Levites were as one to make one sound, in praising God with singing and instruments of music, saying, He is good, for his mercy endureth forever, then the glory of the Lord came and filled the house, So, when it shall come to that in the latter days, that the ministers of the gospel shall generally be united in preaching the true doctrines of it, those doctrines that are in a peculiar manner evangelical, by which is manifested the glory of God's eternal mercy; free, sovereign, and immutable grace, through Christ Jesus, and shall be united in affection, and act in union, as fellow laborers and fellow helpers, then shall the glory of God remarkably appear; the Spirit of God, as a spirit of light, holiness and joy, shall descend from heav en in a very new and glorious manner, and remarkable success attend the preaching of the gospel every where; and then shall be the proper commencement of the church's rest, peace and glory upon earth. The peaceful reign of Solomon, in the possession of unparalleled wisdom, riches and glory, after the militant and tumultuous reign of David, is evidently typ ical of the peaceful, joyous, and glorious reign of Christ in the latter day: And God's dwelling in the temple, as the settled place of his rest, after removing to and fro in a tabernacle, is typical of the glorious manner of his dwelling with his church in the latter day, as compared with preceding times. The largeness of the temple compared with the tabernacle, represents the vast increase of the church; and the cloud of glory filling the temple, represents the filling of the whole earth with God's glory.

PSAL. lxxxii. 8...." Arise, O God, judge the earth, for thou shalt inherit all nations." The design of these words, in their connexion with the foregoing verses, confirms, that the princes of Israel are there called Gods, and sons of God, with refer

ence to Christ, the true King of Israel, and as being types of him The three verses in their connexion import thus much. ....God has given these princes and judges the name of Gods or sons of God, as they are exalted to the place of kings and saviours of his people, who are God's heritage or kingdom, but they die like men; whereby it appears, that they are no Gods, nor are the true sons of God; but mere men, and no more than images and shadows of him. But oh! that he who is truly God, who is indeed the Son of God, the true king, judge and saviour of God's people, the antitype of these, would come and reign, not only over the land of Israel, but over the whole earth; when God's Israel shall fill the earth, and all nations shall be God's people. It is observable that when it is said in this verse," Arise, O God," the word God is Elohim, the same that is used verse 6th, “ I have said ye are Gods." They were called Elohim; but Christ is the true Elohim; just as the manna in the wilderness was called bread, but, Christ is the true bread from heaven.

PSALMS Ixxiii. 4...." There are no bands in their death.” In the original the words are, "Ein, chartzabbuth Lemotham," which might more properly have been rendered, their death hath no bands; the Hebrew of the Latin verb sum, with the prefix lamed, being used for have. The meaning seems to be, that they appear to be at liberty from death, as though they were out of his reach. Their death is here represented as a person that is indeed their enemy, or an officer of vengeance, that they greatly deserve to be delivered up to, and that has a commission against them, and would fain seize them, and make them his prisoners, but has no bands to bind them. They live long, and live without the fears of death, which are, as it were, the bands of death. That this is the meaning is confirmed by the following words of the sentence. "But their strength is firm."

JER. XXXI. 32...." Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt." That cove nant was, as it were, founded in the redemption out of Egypt. Therefore when God made it with the people, he prefaced it

thus: "I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage." It is hence natural to suppose, that the covenant of which the prophet here speaks, would not be one founded on that redemption; but on some other, far better, and more glorious redemption. ZECH. xiv. 4...." And his feet shall stand that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem, on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof towards the east, and towards the west, and there shall be a very great valley," &c. The mountains were round about Jerusalem like a wall; of which Mount Olivet was the chief. This stood on the east, between Jerusalem and the greatest Gentile nations; those nations that were the most malignant and formidable enemies of Israel. The dividing of this mountain under the feet of Zion's Redeemer, and making such a wide valley or plain on the east of Jerusalem, whereby there would be an easy access for the Gentile nations, signifies the breaking down of the partition wall between the church of God, and those that were without, and afar off; and that remarkable removing of obstacles signified by God's causing that every mountain and hill should be brought low; and the drying up of the river Euphrates, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. The mountain's being thus divided, by Christ's treading on it, significantly and beautifully represents the ease with which, in the exercise of his sovereign and mighty power, he overcomes the strongest and proudest enemies that oppose the salvation of his elect; agreeably to what is said in the fourth chapter of this book, verse 7th. "Who art thou, O great mountain! Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain." And chap. viii, 6. "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in my eyes, saith the Lord of Hosts?" The opening made through the mountains here is represented as very wide, to signify the abundant grace, and free and open access for vast multitudes; agreeably to Isai. Ix. 1 1, and Rev. xxi. 25.

MATTH. xii. 30. "He that is not with me is against ine." The true reason of Christ's making this observation