of ·the Covenant. 69 hereof was Aaron's bearing before the Lord the names · of the children. of Ifrael, the twelve tribes~ upon his , two lhoulders, in the ilioulder-pieces of the Ephod; thefe names being engraven on two Onyx ·~ones fet therein by Divine appointment 11 Exod. xxviii. 9, Io, 12. As alfo his bearing them in the breafi-plate, be-. ing engraven on tWelve fiones fet therein, ver. 15.- 29. Thus J1aron; the high-priefi, wa? all l(rael re– prefentatively ; an illufirious type of Chrifi the Prieft of the covenant, the fpiritual lfra~l reprefentative, !fa. xlix. 3. , The neceffity ofChrifi the fecond Atlam his becotn– ing a Pricfi, appears in thefe following things jointly confidered. Firfl, Thefe -whom he reprefented were finners : . and there could not be a riew covenant, without pro.. vifi9n made for removing of their fin; and that re– quired a prieil:. The firfi covenant was made ~ without a p'riefi, becaufe then there was no fin to take away '; the parties therein reprefented, as well as the rep~etentative, were confidered as innocent perfons. But - the fecond covenant was a covenant of peace and re– .conciliation between an offended God and finners, . not to be made but by the mediation of a ptiefi, who fuould be able to remove fin, and repair the injured honour of God, Zech. vi • .t 3• .' He iliall be a Prieft .upom his throne, and the counfel of peace lhall be be.;. tween them both.' And thet·e was none fit to bear that charaCl:er, but.Chrifi himfelf. No man was fit to bear it; becaufe afl men were finnets. themfelves, and. ·' fuch an .High·priefi became ·us, ·as was undefil'd, feparated from firtners;' Heb. vii. ~6~ 'Tis true the . ' eletl: angels were indeed undefiled ; but ·yet ·none of them could be priefi of the covenant: becaufe, Secondly, Sin could not be removed without tt fa:;. ~rifice of fuffide11t value, which they were not able to afford. The new covenant behoved to be a covenant by facrifice, acovenant written in blood: ,' and with~ · E 4 . - out
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