6 7 &UMBERS V 111. Chrift, and of his Minifters, was fignified by the Pricks continual) ordering & trimming of theft lamps;& the lighting of one Lamp from another, (hewed the opening and inlightning of one place of Scripture by another ; and the middle Lamp: lighted from the fire of the Altar , fignified that the fountaine of all light & knowledge commeth from Chrift who hath the feven ffiiritr of God, Rev. 3.1. figuredby the feven lamps offire , Revel. 4.5. The variety of cups knops and flowers , taught the fundry things that are in theScriptures,hifto - ries, precepts, prophefies, parables, &c. And as feven is the number of perfe&ion : fo by the feven branches & lamps,thc ful perfe&ion of the Scrip- tures is (hewed , which are able to make us wife unto falvation, through the faith which u in Chrifilefus; and perfe£), throughly firrnifhec unto every goodwarke, 2Ti1).3,15.16.17. This Candlcflicke,might alfo be a figure of theChurch, fhining as lights in the world, and holding forth the word of life, Phil. 2.15.16. (as the feven goldenCandleflic &s, in Revel. 1.20. were she feven Churches in Alia, in the mid- deft of which,Chrifl our great high Priiek walked to order theirlight, and to powre the oyle of his grace into their lamps: ) which Church is in na- ture one in Chrif, though it hath many particu- larChurches , as branches out of ohe flock ; the chiefe branch whereof was the Church of Ifrael; from whole light we all receive light,they having fink received theOracles ofGod.See Rom.3.z.and 11.16.17.18. &c. 2 Pet. t. i g. So the (late of the Church by the word & fpirit of God is let forth by a vifion of the Candle (lick, whole lamps are filled with oyle from two olive trees,Zach.4.Rev. e i. and Iohn the Baptift a preacher of the word of grace, is called a burningandfhining lamp,Ioh.5. 35. the patterns] Hebr. the flew orseifen,appea- rance, that is; the pattern thewed,as Exod.z 5.40. This teacheth that 14, other ground or forme of doctrine, or of the Church, is to be brought in, than that which is (hewed of God, 2 Tins.1.13. r Tim. r .3.4.. & 3.15. Mat.28.zo. Eccl. r 2.11.1(2. Verf.6. Levites]the refdue of the tribe of Levi, betides thePriefts, whole confecration is defcri- bed in Levit.8.unto whom the other Leviteswere adjoyned to a(fift them in the fervice of Gods Sanlluary, as was fignified before, in Numb.3. 6. &c. but their confecration is (hewed in this chap- ter. from among the fauns] hereupon theLevites, as in office, fo in name are diftinguifhed from the other Ifraelites , as are alto the Pricks from the Levites, i Chron.9. 2. the Ifraelites, ¿he PrieJ?s, the Levites, and the Netbinims. cleanfe them] or puri- fie them, after the manner following. This though it were the duty of all the people,to be clean and pure when they came to the San&tuary,2 Chron. 23. 19. 2 Cor. 7.1. yet in fpeciall manner it be-. longed to the minifters, which did heave the veils of the Lord, Efay 52. r 1. Ezr.6 20. fo the Apoltles among other graces whereby they approved themfelves as the mimfl ers f God,nauteth one to be by purenef e, 2 Cor.6.4.6. Vert: 7. Sin-water ] that is , the water ofpurifi- cation from fene, which was made with the aloes of an heiffer,wherof the Law is after given in Nuns. 19. As the facrifice that maketh expiation for fin, is called the fin ( offring; ) fo this purifying water is called the waterof firme, which the Greeke expoundeth the waterof purification.And thiswater fprinkled on the unclean¢, fanelified to the purifying of the fefh : bttt figured the blood of Cbrift , which purgeth the confeience fiom dead works, te frve the living God, Heb.g.13.14. all their jlefh] in Greeke, all their body,that is,(have off all their haire;which was another ligne of purification,as in the clean- fing of the Leper, he fhaved off all bit haire, Levit. 14.8.9. and in the cleanfing of the polluted Na. zarite , Numb. 6.9. So the Levites which were in then,felves as lepers, that is, finners, are clean- fed through faith in Chrift. their clubes] their garments; an other rite is ufed in purifying the unclean, Exod.19.10. Levit.14.9, and 15.5. By thefe three rites were fignified the purifying from frnne of all forts,inward and outward; from ali flebinef of the f efh and fpirit, 2 Cor. 7. of the heart and confcience, of the body and of the convert Lion , Heb.10.y2. Which pureneffe is in fpeciall required of theminifers,whom the Lord taketh for his fervice as he did the Priefls and Le- vita, Efay íí6.2i, and generally of all Chriftians, called altò the Priefis and Mimfrers of God , Efay 61.6. Revel. r . 6. whole garments are rea fhedand made white in the blood ofthe Lamb(Chrift)that they may ferve him day and night in hiùTemple, Reve1.7.9. 14.15. andeleanf ] or, purifie themfelzet, by re- pentance and faith in God ; without which all outward rites availed nothing. Or,cleanle them. (elves by waffling their bodies in water , as did other uncleane perlons, Levit,14. 8. and 15.5. fo the Chaldee called Ionathans , expoundeth it of cleanfing in water. The Greeke tranflateth, and they (ball be pure. Verf.8.younglingoftheherd] or, young oxe, of the fecond yeare: fee the notes on Exod.29.1.where the like was brought for the Prieks. This was for a Buren -ef (ring, ta make atonement fer the Levites, verle 12. and as Chazkuni here obferveth, for the con fecration of their fervice. The former cleanfings were to take away liane : thefe facrifices after, were alto to reconcile them unto God in Chrift, whom all facrifices figured,Heb.9.12. and Io. bet Meat-offering] fpeaking as of a thing knowne now the ordinary Meate- offeringfor a bullock , was three tenth dealer of fine jlaure ming- led with syle, and for a drinke- offring,ha /(can Hia ofmine,Num.28.12.14 See the annotations there. And of the Meat- offring, fee Lev.2. a fecond bel- locke] that is, an other bsaboeke , which though it is the fecond herenamed, yet was it firft offred,ver. 12. Lev.8.14.18. and 14.19. And no bullock was offered for fin,fave the fin of the high Prieft,orof the congregation,Lev.4.3. 13.14.2 2.23.& the Le- vites now takê for al the firft-born of Iirael,offrcd fuch a finoffring as the whole cógregation fhould. Verf.9. the whole] or, all the congregation, becaefe the thing concerned then[ all to know and to approve, the Levites being now taken in Read of their firfl- borne, verte 1$. 19. So all the congregation 8 9
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