the crimson is of the fire. With respect to the garment of the High Priest, the linen of which, it is composed, represents the whole earth, and its violet colour the heavens. The pomegranates refer to the lightning, and the noise of the bells to the thunder. The ephod, with its four several colours, has a reference to the nature of the universe; and the intermixture of gold to the rays of the sun. The essen, or rationale, which is placed in the middle of the garment, denotes the situation of the earth, in the centre of the universe. The girdle which passes round the body of the priests, is a symbol of the sea environing the earth. The sun and moon may be supposed to be expressed by the two sardonyx stones; and either the twelve months, or the signs of the zodiac by the twelve other stones. The violet colour of the tiara resembles heaven; and it would have manifested a great want of reverence to the Deity to have inscribed his Sacred Name on any other colour. The splendour and majesty of the Supreme Being are signified by the triple crown, and the plate of gold.'

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The same method of inculcating moral and theological truths was used by the Saviour of mankind. This great pattern of all that was good and virtuous, confessed that while he spake to his disciples plainly, and interpreted to them freely the meaning of all the symbols in which his discourses were enfolded, he addressed the people in parables, that "seeing, they might not see, and hearing, they might not understand." He designated himself by various similitudes, to exhibit the different points in his character, or to illustrate the doctrines which he came to teach. If he represented himself under the symbol of a vine, and his disciples as the branches, it was to pourtray his character as the Father of mankind; and to shew the intimate connection which subsists between him and his favourite people. And this emblem was in perfect keeping with the ancient system; for Judea was usually symbolized by a vineyard. A door or a way pointed out the doctrine of salvation through faith in his name; and was further emblematical of the sprinkling which the Jews of old were commanded to perform on the sideMark iv. 11, 12.

7 Jos. Ant. Jud. b. 3. c. 7.

posts and upper door-posts of their houses, that they might be saved, when the destroying angel passed through the land of Egypt to exterminate the first-born. A shepherd denotes the manhood of Christ; light and truth his Godhead. His doctrine was compared to leaven put into a lump of dough; and to figure the unlimited dominion which his religion should ultimately assume, he likened his disciples to a city set on a hill. The kingdom of heaven was a sublime object kept perpetually in view by a succession of striking and significant metaphors; all uniting their aid to confirm the great truth of Christian revelation, a future state of rewards and punishments.

By the emblem of a single eye, he referred to the light of truth; and by a wedding garment, to personal holiness. He compared his church to a grain of mustard seed, because of the smallness and obscurity of its origin, and its gradual enlargement to cover the whole earth; and to a net, which contained both good and worthless fishes, as the church receives members of every kind-but as the fisherman separates them, and casts the bad away, so will the Great Fisherman, at the day of judgment, separate the worthy from the wicked members of his church, and cast the latter into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. He also adopted various emblems to point out the repentant sinner, and the joyful acclamations with which his contrition is received by the hosts of heaven; such as, the lost sheep, the piece of silver, and the prodigal; while impenitent sinners were symbolized by tares, the barren fig tree, and the demoniac. Hypocritical pride and malice, he designated by the emblem of a beam and a mote. If he spake of living waters, he referred to the Holy Spirit of God, which had been frequently represented under that symbol by the Jewish prophets; and if he mentioned a strait gate, the symbol plainly meant a pure and holy life. He described his church under the figure of a pearl; the world as a cultivated field; the angels as reapers; and the final consummation of all things as a harvest. Thus was symbolical instruction used and applied by Jesus Christ. He knew the constitutional indifference of mankind too well to confide in the common method of conveying know

ledge; and adopted the system of association, which is more efficacious in making permanent impressions than any other which philosophy could invent.

I have said that the Jewish religion is a type of Christianity. Let us, then, examine how the early Christian writers allegorized and explained the symbols which they found in the tabernacle or temple worship. The passover was an important ceremony which the Israelites were enjoined to observe with ritual punctuality throughout their generations; and indeed it was a type of the sacrifice of Christ, the true paschal lamb. Every ceremony attending this ordinance has therefore been taken symbolically, and applied to the Christian dispensation. Thus the time of killing the passover, viz., in the fourteenth day, or full of the moon, when nights were light, and darkness superseded, has been considered an emblem of Christ coming as a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of the people of Israel. And it is remarkable that the Messiah was actually slain at the feast of the passover. On the tenth day of the month the Jews were directed to take a lamb, and keep it four days before it was killed. In like manner Christ entered Jerusalem on the tenth day of the same month, and was sacrificed on the fourteenth.

The paschal lamb was an emblem of Christ. It was without spot or blemish-Christ was without sin. It was a male-Christ was strong and powerful; and a male was further a symbol of perfection; which equally applies to Christ, for he was free from sin. The lamb was to be a year old, and consequently at its full strength-Christ was sacrificed in the vigour of manhood. A lamb is patient-so was Christ. InnocentChrist was the same. The blood of the lamb was shedas was also that of Christ. By this ceremony the Jews were protected from the destroying angel-by Christ's death we are delivered from the power of Satan. The blood of the lamb, in order to be efficacious, was to be sprinkled on the door-posts-the blood of Christ must be sprinkled on our hearts by faith. The lamb was to be eaten whole-Christ is a full and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. There are many and various interpretations of such types; but this specimen will be amply

sufficient to display the general nature of their applicacation and reference.

The construction, furniture, and ornaments of the tabernacle have been a fertile source of allegorical exposition. I have already adduced the opinion of Josephus on the subject; and I shall subjoin that of many eminent Christian writers. By its three divisions were symbolized the three Orders of the Church-Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; and in a more extended sense it has been considered as referring to the whole community of the faithful. As the High Priest only could enter into the Holy of Holies, so this division was emblematical of Christ our High Priest, who is now in the holiest place of heaven as our mediator. The holy place was accessible to the priests; and is thus an emblem of the ministers of the Church. While the third division, or Court, being open to the people, was a type of the whole company of the faithful wheresoever dispersed under the wide canopy of heaven. The large outer Court prefiguring the mission to the Gentiles; while the doors of the sanctuary were composed of fir and olive to signify peace on earth; and the two leaves of that which led to the Oracle symbolized the two theological virtues, Faith and Hope.

In the table for the Shewbread, the shittim wood of which it was composed, was emblematical of the Holy Scriptures; the four feet symbolized the four senses in which they conceived those holy writings ought to be understood; viz. historically, allegorically, tropologically, and anagogically, the four rings referred to the four evangelists. By the divers vessels used in the tabernacle worship, we have been called on to understand the diversity of gifts, communicated by the Holy Spirit; the twelve loaves symbolized the twelve tribes, including the whole Israel of God; the altar of incense, prayer, and thanksgiving; and the crown, eternal life. The golden candlestick was an emblem of Christ; the metal, denoting the purity of divine grace; the seven branches containing lamps, the seven spirits of God; and the knops and flowers, the graces and ornaments of a pious Christian's life. The ten curtains of the tabernacle referred to the Decalogue; the hair covering impervious to the weather, was emblematical of the priests and

ministers who defend the church from heresy; the red skins denoted those who suffered martyrdom for their faith; while the whole four coverings which defended the tabernacle, pointed to the protection which Christ has promised to his church-that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The boards or pillars were symbols of the faithful; the bars, of the pastors of the church; and the foundation, Jesus Christ the Messiah of God.

The inner veil represented the heavens, which Christ hath opened to us by his blood. And, not to follow up this part of the subject till it becomes tedious, the ark of the Covenant was a symbol of the divine presence; the cherubim with which the doors and veils were profusely adorned, were emblematical of ministering spirits who execute the will and pleasure of the Deity; the palm trees denoted patience; and the golden cherubim of the Mercy Seat, referred to the quadruple figure which was revealed to Ezekiel and St. John by visions, composed of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle, facing respectively the south, west, east, and north, and signified the union of fire, light, and air, which were the usual similitudes under which the divine essence had been manifested to man.

The Apocalypse abounds with types and symbols; but as this Lecture has already been extended to an unusual length, and having other matters of great importance to bring forward, I shall merely notice a few. By a crystal river was symbolized the pure doctrines of Christianity; trees of life, signified holy men; and frogs, impurity. By dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, were typified brutal, obscene, and unbelieving men, persecutors, and atheists; by the waters of life, eternal happiness.

From a careful perusal of the writings of the early Christian Fathers, we find a variety of characteristic signs used by the first professors of our faith. Did they wish to express adoration, their eyes and hands were lifted up to heaven. Contrition was symbolized by

It is worthy of remark that the Greek word for a man, avoшños, appears to have been derived from ava✈owv,, sursum aspiciens, looking upward. In Ovid's account of the creation, reference is made to this distínction of man from the beasts.

Pronaque cum spectent animalia cætera terram