Mather - Houston-Packer Collection BS478 .M3 1705

504 The Gofpel of the .Prief's Holy Garments. Effeas of theVoice of Chrift, both in his Mediation with the Lord, and the Preaching of his Gofpel in theChurch. His Mediation is not only .thrill in the Ears of the Lord ; but alfo fragrant in his Noftrils, Ephef 5. z. And the Gofpel of Chrift hath not only a fweet Sound, but a favory Smell, and cordial refrefhing Virtue to refrefh the Heart, i Cor. 2. 15, 16. The Gofpel produceth fuch Fruits as are fweet and favory Therefore the Church is compared to an Orchard of Pomegranates, Cant. 4. 13. the delights Chrift with them, Cant. 8. 2. they are delight- ful toChrift himfelf, It Mould be thus with all the Minifters of Chrift, and in all the Churches of Chrift ; there fhould be not only the found of the Golden Bells, but the pleafant Fruits of an holy Life and Con- verfation ; elfe what good will the found do, if there beno Fruits ap- pearing, the Bells without the Pomegranates ? And whereas there was an hole for the Head to be put in, like the hole of an Habergeon. (An Habergeon is a Coat of Male, a piece of defenfive Armour, made of Iron Wires woven and twitted together, that it be not rent.) Chrift is faid to put on that Garment, ¡fa. 59.17. for he pat on Righteoufnefs as a Breaft-plate, or as an Habergeon. Some accommodate it thus ;That in the Coat of Chrift there fhould beno Rent, yob. r9.z3,24. but an unity of Doarineand good Works, and Fruits of Righteoufnefs amongft his People. Though I confefs this Metaphor of rending the feamlefs Coat of Chrift, hath been weakly ufed and applied by thofe, that having nothing but the Coat amongft them (as the Soul- diers) for their own ends would not rend that, but make no fcruple to rend and crucify his blefl'ed Body,any more than Papifts do to martyr and burn his Members ; for which Luther, in a Oft and holy Scorn,calls them runicafiros. But as to this typical Garment fuch an Allufion may be made. 4. The Epbod r Of which the Expreffion here is, Andhe put the Ephod upon him, Exod. 28. 6. it was made of five Materials, of Gold, Blue, Purple, Scarlet, andfine twined Linnen. The Gold was firft beaten into Plates, and then cut into Wires, and then wrought and woven into, and among the other Materials, Exod. 39. 3. and they did beat the Gold into thin Plates, and cut it into Wires, to work it in the Blue, and in the Purple, &c. The word Ephod is from the Verb Apbad, fuperinduxit, cinxit, to clothe, or fitly to encompafs with a Garment; from whence comes the Greek word "A1-7w to fit. The Septuagint renders it 'e7n..w, the vulgar Latin fuperhunierale, a Garment upon the Shoulders. Some render it Pallium ; fromwhence came the word Pall, a Garment, ta- ken as it feemeth from this, which the Pope was wont to fend to an Archbifhop for his Confecration, or Inftaflment into his Office, as being the High- Prieft over all the ['Hells in fach a Province or Kingdom. This

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