Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_200.lzh/6_229.TXT

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of one cubit, and that led into the walk of ten cubits;
and such a way and walk were before these eastern
chambers as were before the southern and northern
ones: even the way directly before the wall toward the
east, as one entereth into them: or, also a way before the
toall direct, a way to the east, as one'goes into them {b};
which seems to describe such a way from under these
eastern chambers as were from under the northern or
southern chambers, ver. 9.
Vet. 13. Then said he unto me, &c.] The divine
Person that measured and described these chambers,
and brought the prophet to take a view of them, said
to him, as f611ows: the north chambers, and the south
chambers, which are before the separate place, they be
holy chambers; these are the two rows of chambers
before described, which were southward and north-
ward to each other, though both in the northern part
of the outward court; these were for holy persons to
dwell in, and for holy things to be done in, as the
churches of Christ are; they consist of holy persons,
men called with a holy calling, and in them the holy
word of God is preached, and holy ordinances admini-
stered: where the priests that approach unto the Lord
shall eat the most holy things; which is to be under-
stood not of the ministers of the Gospel, for whom a
proper maintenance is to be provided, and who should
live of the Gospel they preach; but of all the saints,
who are made priests to God by Christ; and who ap-
proach unto the Lord by him, in his name and righte-
ousness, and by the faith of him, with true hearts, in a
spiritual manner; and which is profitable to them-
selves, and acceptable to 'God; for whom spiritual
provisions are made in his house: these have most
holy things to eat of, the holy word of God, the law
part of which is holy, just, and good; and the Gospel
part is our most holy faith, which is food for faith,
savoury and salutary, milk for babes, and meat for
strong men; and which is found and eaten, and digested
by them: also our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the most
holy, and is the sum and substance of the word and
ordinances, and the food of believers, the bread of life,
the hidden manna, the Lamb of God, and fatted calf;
whose flesh and blood are meat and drink indeed, and
are eaten and fed upon by fifith. There shah they lay
the most holy things; lay up the word of God in their
minds and memories, and rerriember the love of God,
his sufferings and death, and the benefits arising from
them, particularly in the ordinance of the supper: and
the meat-offering; the minchah, or bread-offering, made
of fine flour, typical of Christ, the bread of life: and the
sin,offering, and the trespass-offering; both typical of
Christ, made sin for his people; and who, by one sa-
crifice of himself, has made atonement for it, and an
end of it; see the note on ch. xl. 3.9. these were called
the most holy things, and were laid up in the sanctuary
for the prie. sts and their fam il ies to live upon, Lev. vi. 17:
for the place is holy: the place of these chambers holy,
as the temple itself, where these most holy things and
holy persons were.
Ver. 14. When the priests enter therein, &c.] Into
the holy place, these holy chambers, and approach unto
God, and eat of the most holy things, and minister
therein to the Lord: then shall they not go out of the
holy place into the utter court; denoting, not that the
ministers of the word should not concern themselves
in secular employments, but give themselves up to the
word and prayer, though so to do is right; but the per-
severance of,he saints in the house and worship of
God., in grace and holinesS, and in all the duties of re-
ligion; these should not relinquish their. profession,
desert their station and the service of God, and return
to the world; but continue as pillars in the temple of
God, and go no more out, but abide by the truths and
ordinances of the Gospel: but there they shall lay their
garments wherein they minister, for they are holy; these
signify Christ's robe of righteousness and garments of
salvation, that fine linen, clean and white, which is the
righteousness of the saints; and filly represented by
the linen garments of the priests, in which they mini-
stered in their office, and were like them holy, pure,
and spotless; in these only saints appear betbre God,
and present their supplications to him, not for their
own, but for Christ's righteousness-sake, making men-
tion of that only; and herein they have acceptance
with God now, and shall be introduced into his pre-
sence hereafter, and behold his face, clothed with these
garments, and serve him for ever: and shall put on
other garments, and shall approach to those things which
are for the people; these are the conversation-garments
of the saints, which are not fit to appear in betbre God,
being attended with imperfection and sin; but very
proper to appear in before men, among whom their
lights should shine, and their good works be seen, for
the adorning of the doctrine of Christ, the recommend-
ing of the Christian religion, and the stopping of the
mouths of gainsayers: for this respects' not the dif-
ferent habits of ministers, when they are in their mini-
strations, and out of them; though the allusion is to
the priests under the law, who wore their priestly
garments only in the temple, and whilst ministerlug
there, and never elsewhere, or when among the com-
tnon people on civil accounts: so Josephus says {}, the
priests only wore their holy garments when they mini-
stered; at other times they appeared in the habit of
private persons; with Which agrees what Maimonides {}
says, their garments are not upon them when they are
not ministerlug in the priestly office, but then they are
clothed as laymen; or when, as the Targum here has
it, "they were mingled with the people." There
were places in the temple where they put on and off
their clothes, and where they were laid up. So Adri-
chomius {} says, speaking of the temple, "there were
"rooms, otherwise called treasuries, and priests' apart-
"ments, which were houses on the side of it, like
"towers, long, broad, and high; in which the priests,
"when they went into the sanctuary, put off their
"common woollen garments, and put on their holy
"linen ones; and, when they had perforated their holy
"services, laid them up there again.". And another
writer, quoted by Solomon Ben Virga f, observes, that

{b} \^Nawbb Mydqh Krd hnygh trdgh ynpb Krd\^ viae, inquam, quae
erat ante maceriam rectam orientem versus, qua venitar ad illas, Junius
& Tremellius; Piscator; via ante maceriam recta, via orientis in in-
troitu illarum, Cocceius, Starckius.
{c} De Bello Jud. I. 5. c. 5. sect. 7.
{d} Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 4.
{e} Theatrum Terrae Sanct. Jerusalem, No. 92. p. 161.
{f} Shebet Judah, fol. 43.2. Ed. Gentii, p. 464.