difference of character and situation between Christ the spiritual, and the literal, high priest.

Philo has discussed this question with the utmost clearness and precision; and his language and sentiments are so like those of St. Paul, that he could hardly have said what he has done, unless he had, as Eusebius asserts, the epistle to the Hebrews before his eyes. The Esseans is another name for the Hebrew believers. In the midst of the Egyptian Esseans Philo lived, and published his works. He could not, therefore, but be in possession of an epistle which was addressed to his brethren, and to himself in the number. Hence his writings, when properly investigated, will appear not only in unison with, but a beautiful comment on the writings of the apostles.

In Numbers xxxv. 25.-it is said that the guilty person, who fled for his crimes, to a city of refuge, should remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. On this subject our author comments in his book De Profugis; and has the following words: "The fourth remaining article of these propositions is the ordinance concerning the return of those who had fled for refuge, which was to be at the death of the high priest. The consideration of this, in the express letter, has created to me a difficulty in

which I cannot acquiesce. For the punishment appointed is not equally distributed; as some must have been confined for a longer, and some for a shorter season; and as some of the high priests were of a longer, others of a shorter date; and some arrived at the dignity when young, others when old. And those who were accidentally guilty of bloodshed, must have sought this shelter, some at the beginning of the priest hood, and others when the high priest was near his death. I maintain, therefore, that the high priest alluded to was not the man (who in the literal sense was the high priest) but the sacred Logos, the word of God; who is incapable either of voluntary or involuntary sin, Accordingly, it is my opinion, that it was his lot to have parents the most pure and incorruptible, having for his father God, who is father of all, and Divine Wisdom for his mother, by whom all things came into being. These things are said by me not without reason; but that I might inculcate that the most natural period for the fugitive's return is the death of the high priest. For while this high priest, I mean the most sacred Logos, lives and predominates in the soul, she cannot harbour any voluntary sin (for then she becomes naturally disposed neither to entertain, nor to commune with any sort of evil). But if the Logos dies in the soul, not that he perishes, but separates from

her, then admission is given to voluntary offences. While he continues in full health and vigour within us, sin departs, and again returns by his departure. An unblemished high priest for our judge is a distinguished blessing; as he inherits the peculiar privilege of being liable to no oversight or error. It is therefore meet for us to pray that in our soul should live he, who is our high priest, and reprover, and judge, and king; who, sitting in judgment over our thoughts, discerus all that come before his tribunal *."

* Τεταρτον και λοιπον ην των προταθεντων, ἡ προθεσμία της των πεφευγότων καθόδου, του αρχιερέως Javaτος, πολλήν εν τῷ ῥητῳ μοι παρέχουσα δυσκολιαν. Ανισος γαρ ή τιμωρία κατα των τα αυτα δρασαντων νομοθετειται, είχε δι μεν πλείω χρονον αποδράσονται, οι δε ελαττώ. μας κροβιωτατοι γαρ (οι μεν), οι δε ολιγοχρονιωτατοι των αρχι ρέων εισι. και δι μεν νεοι, οι δε πρεσβυται καθίςανται· και των εαλωκότων επ' ακουσιῳ φονῳ, δι μεν εν αρχή της ιερωσυνης εφυγαδεύθησαν, οι δε ηδη μελλοντος τελευταν του ἱερωμένου

λεγομεν γαρ τον αρχιερέα ουκ ανθρωπον, αλλα λογου θείον είναι, παντων ουχ εκουσίων μονον, αλλα και ακουσίων αδικημάτων αμετοχον . . . διοτι, οιμαι, γονεων αφθαρτων

...

καθαρωτάτων ελαχεν, πατρος μεν θεού, ός και των συμπαν των εξι πατηρ, μητρος δε σοφίας, δι ἧς τα όλα ήλθεν εις γενεσιν Ταυτα δε ουκ απο σκοπου μοι λέλεκται, αλλα ύπερ του διδαξαι, ότι φυσικωτατη προθεσμία καθόδου

This passage is a specimen of the manner in which Philo comments on the ritual law. On every occasion he endeavours to set it aside, representing its most material articles as of no avail in themselves, and useful only as they were either external symbols of some moral truths, or types of some spiritual object yet to be fulfilled. This is the ground, on which Jesus and his apostles proceeded in rejecting the letter, and unfolding the spirit, of judaism ; and it is the very ground which divided the believing from the unbelieving Jews. St. Paul represents Jesus, the word of God, as our high priest; and Philo is more express in saying,

και

φυγάδων, ὁ του αρχιερέως εςι θάνατος. έως μεν γαρ ὁ ἱερω τατος δυτος λογος ζη, και περιεσιν εν ψυχή, αμήχανον τροπην ακουσιον εις αυτην κατελθειν αμέτοχος γαρ απαραδεκτος παντος είναι πεφυκεν αμαρτήματος, εαν δε αποθανη, ουκ αυτος διαφθαρεις, αλλα εκ της ημετέρης ψυχης διαζευχθείς, καθοδος ευθυς δίδοται τοις έκουσίοις σφαλμασι. Ει γαρ μένοντος και υγιαινοντος υγιαίνοντος εν ήμιν, εξω κίζετο μετανισαμένου παντως εισοικισθησεται. Γερας γαρ εξαιρετόν ὁ αμιαντος αρχιερευς, ελεγχος, εκ φύσεως κεκαρ πώται, το μηδέποτε εις αυτον παραδέξασθαι γνώμης ολιστ θον. Διόπερ άξιον ευχεσθαι ζην εν ψυχη τον αρχιερέα, όμου και βασιλέα, και δικαςην και ελεγχον, ὃς ὅλον ἡμων το διανοιας αποκεκληρωμένος δικαςήριον, ὑπ' ουδενός των απαγομένων εις κρισιν δυσωπείται. Vol. I. 561, 562, 563. or p. 464, 465.

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that the temporal high priest was not himself the real high priest, but a type of the Logos, or the son of God.

The apostle says of Jesus, that, as our high priest, he had neither father nor mother among men, see Heb. vii. 3.; and Philo writes that it was his lot to have parents the most pure and incorruptible, having for his father God, the father of all, and Divine Wisdom for his mother. When our author speaks of Jesus as the word of God, he could not help alluding to him as a man; and hence it is, that in speaking in one place of the Logos, Philo says that he was in the image of man*, and that this is one of the names by which he was called. In this passage too he virtually speaks of the death of Christ: for he speaks of the death of the high priest, and unequivocally asserts, that the high priest was the most holy Word of God. Nor could he represent the death of the temporal high priest, as a type of the real and spiritual high priest, unless the latter, as well as the former, was known to have died.

The cluster of beautiful metaphors, which Philo uses on this subject, shews the propriety of the apostle's language in a preceding passage; and

Και αρχή, και όνομα Θεού, και λόγος, και ὁ κατ' εικονα ανθρωπος προσαγορεύεται. De Confus. Ling. p. 341. Similar to this is the following language of St. Paul, ομοιώματι άνθρωπος γενομενος, Phil. ii. 7.