Moses and Aaron. Goodwin Thomas Aiken
the difference between the Jews Synagogue, and the Christian Church. The Tabernacle was moveable, and but for a time: The Temple fixed, and permanent: the state of the Jews vanishing, to continue in their generations; the state of Christians durable, to continue unto the worlds end. More principally it shadowed forth the state of the Church Militant here on earth, and triumphant in heaven: Unto both the Prophet David alludeth; Lord, Who shall sojourn in thy Tabernacle? who shall rest in thine holy Mountain? Psal. 15. 1.
There were in the same tract of ground three hills, Sion, Moria, and Mount Calvary. On Sion was the City and Castle of David; on Moria was the Temple, and on Mount Calvary Christ was crucified. But193 all these three were generally called by the name of Sion; whence it is, that though the Temple were built on Moria, yet the Scripture speaketh of it commonly, as if it were upon Mount Sion.
In their Temple there are these three things considerable: First, the Sanctum Sanctorum, the Holy of Holies; answerable to our Quire in the Cathedral Churches. Secondly, the Sanctum, the Sanctuary; answerable to the Body of the Church. Thirdly, the Atrium, the Court; answerable to the Church-yard.
In the Holy of Holies there were the Golden Censer, and the Ark of the Testament, Heb. 9. 4.
In194 the Ark there were three things: First, the pot of Manna; secondly, Aaron’s rod that budded; thirdly, the Tables of the Testament, Heb. 9. 4. Thus they were in Moses his time; but afterwards in the days of Solomon, onely the Tables of the Law were found in the Ark, 1 King. 8. 9.
The cover of this Ark was called ἱλαστήριον, the Propitiatory, or Mercy-seat, because it covered and hid the Law, that it appeared not before God to plead against man. It was a type of Christ, who likewise is termed ἱλαστήριον, our Propitiation, Rom. 3. 25. and ἵλασμος, a Propitiatory, John 2. 2. At each end of the Mercy-seat stood a golden Cherub, each Cherub stretched forth his wings; and from between them, as from an Oracle, God gave his answer, Exod. 25. 22. Hence it is, that the Lord is said to sit between the Cherubims, Ps. 99. 1. The positure of the Cherubims was such, that their faces were each towards the other, but both looking down towards the Mercy-seat; they fitly shadowed out the people of the Jews and Christians, both looking toward each other, but both expecting salvation in Christ only.
In the Sanctuary, there was the Incense-altar in the middle, and the Table, with the twelve Loaves of Shew-bread on it on the one side, and the Candlestick on the other. The incense-altar was a type of our prayers, Psal. 141. 2. And that this altar must be once every year sprinkled with the blood of the Sacrifice by the High-priest, Exod. 30. 10. It teacheth that our very prayers, except they be purified by the blood of Christ they are unavailable before God. The twelve loaves were a type of the twelve Tribes, and the Candlestick a type of the Word of God. In them all, we may see the necessity of both Ordinances required, Prayer and Preaching, if we would be presented acceptable unto the Lord: The Candlestick was a type of Preaching; Incense, of Prayer.
In Moses his Tabernacle there was but one Table, and one Candlestick: In Solomon’s Temple there were ten Tables, and ten Candlesticks; as likewise in the Court of the Tabernacle, there was but one brazen Laver, in the Court of the Temple there were ten, and another great Vessel wherein the Priests washed: in the Tabernacle there were but two silver Trumpets; in the Temple there were an hundred and twenty Priests sounding Trumpets.
The Courts of the Temple at the first were but two, Atrium Sacerdotum, the Priests Court; and Atrium populi, the Peoples Court.
In the Priests Court were the brazen Altar for Sacrifices, and the Laver for the washing, both of the Priests and the Sacrifices. The Laver, and the Altar scituated in the same Court, signified the same as the water and blood issued out of Christ’s side; namely, the necessary concurrence of these two Graces in all that shall be saved, sanctification, justification; sanctification intimated by the Laver and blood: justification by the Altar and blood.
The Court for the Priests, and the Court for the people were separated195 each from other; by a wall of three Cubits high.
The Court for the people was sometimes called the outward Court, sometimes the Temple, sometimes Solomon’s Porch, because it was built about with Porches, into which the people retired in rainy weather: It had Solomon’s name, either to continue his memory, or because the Porches had some resemblance of that Porch which Solomon built before the Temple, 1 King. 6. 3. Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon’s Porch, John 10. 23. All the people ran unto the Porch which was called Solomon’s, Acts 3. 11. That is, this outward Court.
In the midst of the peoples Court, Solomon made a brazen Scaffold for the King, 2 Chron. 6. 13.
This Court of the people went round about the Temple, and though it was one entire Court in the days of Solomon, yet afterward it was divided by a low wall, so that the men stood in the inward part of it, and the women in the outward. This division is thought to have been made in Jehosaphat’s time, of whom we read, that he stood in the House of the Lord, before the new Court, 2 Chron. 20. 5. that is, before the Womens Court.
There was an ascent of fifteen steps or stairs between the womens Court and the mens,196 upon these steps the Levites sung those fifteen Psalms immediately following the one hundredth nineteenth, upon each step one Psalm, whence those Psalms are entituled, Psalmi graduales, Songs of degrees.
In the Womens Court stood their Treasuries, or Alms-box, as appeareth by the poor Widows casting her two Mites into it, Luk. 21. 1. In Hebrew it is termed קרבן Korban, the Chest of Oblation; the word signifieth barely, an Oblation, or Offering, and accordingly S. Luk. 21. 4. saith, they all of their superfluities cast into the offerings; that is into, the Korban, or Chest of offerings. In Greek it is termed γαζοφυλακεῖον whence cometh the Latine word, Gazophylacium, a Treasury. That set up by Jehoiada, 2 King. 12. 19. seemeth to have been different from this, and to have been extraordinary, only for the repairing of the Temple; for that stood beside the Altar in the Priests Court; and the Priests, not the parties that brought the gifts, put it into the Chest. Sometimes the whole Court was termed Gazophylacium, a Treasury. These words speak Jesus in the Treasury, John 8. 20. It is worth our noting, that the Hebrew word צדקה Tsedaka, signifying Alms, signifieth properly Justice; and thereby is intimated, that the matter of our alms should be goods justly gotten: And to this purpose they called their Alms-box קופה של צדקה Kupha-Sehel-Tsedaka, the Chest of Justice; and upon their Alms-box they wrote197 this abreviature מביא, A gift in secret pacifieth anger, Prov. 21. 14.
In Herod’s Temple there were198 four Porches; the meaning is, four Courts, one for the Priests, another for men, another for women, and a fourth for such as were unclean by legal pollutions, and strangers. This outmost Court for the unclean and strangers, was separated