THE

APPENDIX

CONCERNING THE

Removal of the Afhes from the Altar of Brass.

To

O prevent any Interruption in that Chain of Actions which depended upon each other in the daily Service, I thought it beft to put this Part of the Ministry by itself. And I will give all the fpiritual Senfe in my Power upon this Branch of the Law. Now, though it was the first in the Order of the Day, it could not be firft in the Spirit of the Law, because had not the Fire been appointed before, there could have been no Ashes to Bb 4

remove.---The Charge of this Duty to the Priests runs in thefe Words, Levit. vi.

10, II.

"And the Prieft fhall put on his linen "Raiment and linen Breeches fhall he put "on his Flesh: And he fhall take up the "Afbes, which the Fire has confumed. "with the Burnt-Offering on the Altar, "and he shall put it near the Altar. And "he fhall change his Garments, and put "on other Garments, and carry forth the "Ashes without the Camp into a clean "Place."

The Reason for this Law, was not only neceffary for keeping the Altar clean, which is principally given for this Injunction by most Writers; but it bears too the Shadow and Image of an heavenly Service above, which is now under the Gospel more fully revealed, and the Mystery of it more clearly feen. Each Part of this Duty must be now treated of in order.---As this Altar not only preserved the Fire and the Lamb's Flesh and Blood, as the figurative Meat and Drink for Ifrael, so it fhewed too God under another Type and Cha

Character of a confuming Fire; because at this Altar, all the Sacrifices for the Sins and Trefpaffes of Priefts, Kings and People, were killed and devoured by the Fire, which was in the Figure, the open Mouth and perpetual Hunger of the Lamb, who was taking away Sin, as he destroyed the Flesh of the Beast or Bird, the Memorial and Reprefentative of the Sinner, the Image and Appearance of which was foon fwallowed up into the Fire, and abolished in the Figure. Secondly, as Flesh and Blood by the Will of Man, that is, under the Fall, the Self-will of Sin in Adam, is the Effect of that Sin; the Deftruction of Flesh, though in a Beaft, and the de-. vouring of it by Fire, was a Declaration and Voice in a Figure and Shadow, that the Lord would take away the Flesh and Blood of Man, the true Sinner by the Will of Adam (who firft was clothed with the Coat of Skins, the beftial Flesh of his Sin,). and change it into a (a) Flame of the *

(a) Heb. i. 7.

true

* The Fire of the Altar was a Ladder for the Angels to afcend, as (in Judg. xiii. 20.) the Angel of the

Lord

true Fire of Eternity. For it is in (b) this Flesh that no Good dwelleth, but falfe Defires and corrupt Affections fpring up from the strange Fire of the outer elementary World working in the strange Blood, juft as the Heavens that now are, work upon the Nature of the Beafts, and destroy it by Degrees.

Now, as a great Number of Sacrifices for the feveral Kinds of typical uncleannefs, Sins and Tranfgreffions, must have been daily offered for the Jewish People, the Sacrifices were foon reduced to Ashes. And as whatever was touched by the Fire, was fanctified in the Figure, and brought near to God, fo thefe Afhes were to be gathered

(b) Rom. vii. 18.

Lord afcended in the Flame of the Altar. Baal Hatturim in Lev. vi. cited by Ainsworth. This was fomething of the Mystery, if underflood of the true and eternal Fire, of which the other was only a Type and Figure in the Fire of this World, or the outer Court. For the Fire of the true God tranfmutes into miniftring Spirits, and muft bring Man to their Form. Heb. i. 7.

gathered up by the Prieft in his + miniftering Garments, because it was Part of the daily Service performed unto the Lord God

+ The linen Raiment is the Coat, Mitre and Girdle, which were all Linen, and the Scripture speaketh of them as one Garment, for he is not clothed with one, without the other. Chazkuni fays thus, as cited by the learned Ainsworth on this Place. † Cremer objects to this, but gives no other Reason, than the Silence of Scripture. As this Part was a facred Office, and the first in the Order of the Day, the linen Raiment and Breeches was the white Raiment, the nobleft clothing of their figurative Character and Service. The removal of the Ashes was the first Work of the Day, and the Mystery or fpiritual Senfe appears to be this, fays R. Menachem, cited by Ainsworth on Lev.” vi. to remove away the Spirit of Uncleannefs, that remaineth after the Digeftion of the Members and fat Entrails; therefore it is not done, but in white Garments, becaufe by Mercy, Iniquity is pardoned. Let us ask this Jew, why white should fignify Mercy. It does indeed, because Light is the Glory and the Covering, by which Adam's Nakedness in this dark, hard and heavy Flesh and Blood, must be atoned, and clothed upon by Jefus Chrift, who maketh Sins white as Snow, that is, changeth all Things into Light, or into a Sea of Glass, mingled with Fire, and bright as Cryftal.

‡ Antiq. Mos. Typ. Vol. II. 385.

$ Rev.

iii. 5.