upon his heart continually? The church faw fuch a happiness and fafety therein, that the ardently defired to dwell there, Cant. viii. 6. Set me as a feal upon thine heart. As the heart denotes the ftrength of the affections, fo CHRIST's placing our names upon his heart, proves that his love is stronger than death.

Third, My dear Friendly, you might obferve, that the names of the children of Ifrael were not to be presented to the prieft, neither was the priest to prefent thefe names, but to bear them upon his heart; which was typical of our High Prieft, not waiting for the prefentation of our names unto him, for if he had any thing to do for us he hath our names upon his heart ready before him.

Friendly. But what might I apprehend by the lace of blue that faftened the breaft-plate to the ephod, as in Exod. xxviii. 28. and they fhall bind the breaft-plate by the rings thereof, unto the rings of the ephod, with the lace of blue?

ment.

Truth. These are deep types, things hard to be understood, but under divine teachings I would attempt an answer. I have already obferved that there were two forts of ephods, but this to which the breaft-plate was to be faftened with a lace of blue, was the rich and facred ephod which the high-prieft wore, made of gold, blue, purple, fearlet, and fine twisted linen, with cunning work. The word ephod is from the verb aphad, fuperinduxit cinxit, to cloathe, or fitly to encompafs, as with a garThe Septuagint renders it, a garment upon the fhoulders. The Hebrew doctors fay, "It was of breadth according to a "man's back, from fhoulder to fhoulder, and long behind "down to the feet." However, this is certain, that the ephod and the breaft-plate were made of the fame materials, Exod. xxviii. 15. and thou shalt make the breaft-plate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod shalt thou make it. Now Aaron was to bear upon his fhoulders, engraved in two onyx-ftones, within the ephod, the names of the children of Ifrael; and upon the breaft-plate their names were engraved in twelve flones, which Aaron was to bear upon his heart before the LORD. Now the ephod and the breaft-plate being faftened together with a lace of blue, denotes, First, that the heart and fhoulders, or in other words that the love and power of Curist were jointly engaged to accomplish our falvation; that he not only engaged his heart to approach unto God for us, but he put his fhoulders to the work, to remove every difficulty and obftruction out of the way. CHRIST bearing the imputation of our fins, the curfe of the law, and

the wrath of GOD for them; his triumphant victory over fin, death and hell, to make our redemption fecure, were acts of power, bottomed upon pure love; which makes the church. break forth in fuch a rapturous enquiry, Ifa. lxiii. 1. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of tis ftrength? Second, The breaft-plate and ephod being faltened together with the lace of blue, which is faid to be a colour that feldom fades or decays, might typically point out that the heart and power of CHRIST were united together for our falvation, by the blue lace of everlafting love, as he faith to his church, Jer. xxxi. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee; I drew them with cords of love. Or elfe it may denote that the names of the elect were faftened to CHRIST'S heart, by the happy bonds of eternal love, as the lace of blue faftened the breaftplate to Aaron's heart, upon which the names of the children of Ifrael were engraven. Love is of a cementing and uniting nature, therefore, no fooner did CHRIST love the church, but her name was fet as a feal upon his heart, and a feal upon his arm. Behold, faith he, I have graven thee upon the palms of my bands. From thefe obfervations I would juft obferve what confolation flows to a drooping mind, likewife what ftrong obligations the faints are under to love, praife and obedience.

Firft, What a fountain of comfort does this afford to a drooping mind that is ready to fink with forrow, and overwhelmed with trouble! Dear Reader, if this be thy cafe, let me invite thee to look by faith unto JESUS: As Aaron bore the names of the children of Ifrael in the ephod before the LORD, fo JESUS, the great antitype within the veil, bears thee and thy burthens alfo! Say as the pious Mr. Rutherford, when imprifoned for truth, "My trials can never fink me, while "JESUS bears the heavieft end of them," and caft thy burthen upon the LORD, for he will fuftain thee. Perhaps thou art ready to fay, The Lord hath forgotten to be gracious: but can he forget thee, when he bears thy name upon his heart continually before the LORD? Ifa. xlix. i5. Can a woman forget her fucking child, that she would not have compaffion on the fon of her womb? yea, fhe may forget, yet will I not forget

thee.

Friendly. But furely an uncommon backflider may, with fame colour of truth, fay, CHRIST cannot bear my name upon his heart?

Truth. Though thou art an uncommon backflider, and thy heart is bent to backflide, like a backfliding heifer, days without number, yet hear what thy dear High Prieft faith, Jer. iii. 14. Turn, Obackfliding children, faith the Lord, for I am married to you: And again, Hof. xiv. 4. I will heal their backflidings, I will love them freely. Now his being married to you, proves that your name is upon his heart; and his healing your backflidings, that he loveth you ftill; for he faith, I will love you freely; as freely as though you had never backfliden from

him.

Friendly. But I find fuch vileness in my heart, that furely CHRIST cannot love fuch an one as me?

Truth. CHRIST well knows what thou haft been, what thou now art, what thou wilt yet be, yet he loveth thee notwithstanding all; as he faith, Ifa. xlviii. 8, 9. I knew that thou wouldet deal treacherously, and waft called a tranfgreffor from the womb: For my name's fake will I defer mine anger, and for my praife will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off: Jer. iii. 5. Tho' thou hast done as evil things as thou couldeft. Thus you fee, that for his own name's fake and for his praife, he will not caft thee off, though thou haft dealt treacherously with him, Mal. ii. 16. For the Lord, the God of Ifrael, faith, that he hateth putting away.

Friendly. But can CHRIST bear my name upon his heart, when cannot tell whether I have any love to him in my heart, or not?

Truth. Yes, he may bear thy name upon his heart, though thou can't not tell whether thou haft any love to him or not.

Doft thou not with well to Zion, love to hear the SAVIOUR'S perfon, blood, love and righteousness declared, and that converts are added like the drops of the morning dew; Pfal. cxxii. 6. they shall profper that love her? Doft thou not with it were better with thy fo, that thou couldeft love CHRIST more, delight in his ways, rejoice in his prefence, and walk more to the glory of his name? This then proves that his Name dwells upon thy heart, as the effect of his bearing thy name upon his heart continually before the LORD; therefore, cheer up, O drooping believer! be not afraid, only believe; for thefe defires, though but weak in thy foul, are a fure proof that thou haft tafted that the LORD is gracious, Ifa. xii. 3. Therefore with joy fhall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation.

Second, CHRIST bearing the names of his people upon his heart, fhould engage them to love him more, that his name fhouldd well upon their hearts, in the moft favory, fragrant

and precious manner; to raise their estimation of him, their affections unto him, and their zeal for the honour of his name; for if CHRIST, bearing their names upon his heart, will not engage the faints to love him, I know not what will. Dear Reader, canft thou fee thy name engraved upon thy SAVIOUR's heart, and not love him! If love begets love, here is an unparalleled inftance of it; for faith the Apoftle, 1 John ir. 19. we love him because he first loved us! It fhould likewife animate thy foul with obedience to his ways, by making the folemn affemblies of Zion, the courts of the LORD's houfe, thy Conftant refort; in delighting to hear of him and from him, by the miniftration of the gofpel, as the joyful found to thy foul; which fhould evidence itself by a holy and exemplary walk and converfation, that you may adorn the doctrine of GOD your SAVIOUR in all things.

Third, If CHRIST bears the names of his people upon his heart, this fhould lead them to admire and adore diftinguishing love! As Aaron bare the names only of the children of Ifrael, and not of the Heathens round about, fo CHRIST only bears upon his heart the names of his elect, the true Ifrael of God; which fhould engage them much in the contemplation of dif criminating love; inafmuch as he doth not only love them, and wash them from their fins in his own blood, but bears their names upon his heart continually before the LORD. Friendly. My dear Truth, as I have long wished for, I

happy opportunity of begging the favour of an elucidation upon the URIM and THUMMIM, mentioned Exod. xxvii. 30. And thou shalt put in the breaft-plate of judgment, the Urim and Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord:

Truth. I confefs your request doth not take me unprovided with study, and affiduous enquiry upon the subject; yet after all, I must acknowledge, that this type is fo great, fo deep, and comprehenfive, that it needs the capacity of an Archangel to unfold it; but, being willing to communicate (according to my abject abilities) whatever may be a real pleasure to my dear Friendly, I begin to obferve, that the words, Urim and are rendered by the Greek tranflation, Manifeftation and Truth; but more agreeable they are tranflated by Aquila, Lights and Perfections; or shining and perfect, which is according to the Hebrew. There are a variety of conjectures what the Urim and Thummim were; fome think they were the stones

Thummim,

upon which the children of Ifrael's names were engraven, put into the breaft-plate, and give very probable reafons for it.

They obferve, that in Exod. xxxix. from ver. 8. to ver. 14. there is a particular account of the breaft-plate, and of the ftones within the breaft-plate, but no mention of the Urim and Thummim, which feems to make it evident to me, that the ftones in the breaft-plate were the Urim and Thummim; for if they had not been the Urim and Thummim, they would, very probably, have been diftinctly mentioned, as Mofes mentions things diftinctly more minute and fmall. This idea is likewife ftrengthened in Lev. viii. 8. where there is a particular account of the High Pricft's garments, of the breaft-plate, of the Urim and Thummim, but no mention made of the Stones; which ftill corroborates that the ftones were the Urim and Thummim: That they were called, Urim, because of their brightness and tranfparency; and Thummim, because they were perfect, without any blemish; complete, without any defect.

Others think, that the Thummim and Urim were fomething diftinct from the ftones in the breaft-plate; becaufe in the breaft-plate the ftones were engraven, when the Urim and Thummim is faid to be put in the breaft-plate, Lev. viii. 8. alfo he put in the breaft-plate the Urim and Thummim. They urge, how can Mofes be faid to put in the Urim and Thummim, if the ftones were the Urim and Thummim, because the workmen put in the ftones in the breaft-plate? And why fhould it be required of Mofes to put in the Urim and Thummim, if the ftones were them, which were already in, placed there by the workmen, and could not without a rent be taken from it? To folve this difficulty, fome think that Mofes only mentions what was made by the workmen, and that the Urim and Thummim were distinct from their work; that they were a work purely divine, made by GoD himself, (as the tables of ftone were) engraven upon a plate of gold, and put into the breaft-plate, as the breaft-plate was made double, Exod. xxviii. 16. four Jquare it fhall be, being doubled; like thofe words, Holiness to Jehovah, being engraven on a plate of gold, and placed on the front of Aaron's mitre. Others have thought that it was the incomprehenfible rame, JEHOVAH, written upon a plate of gold, and put in the breaft-plate; and that it was what we call the Urim and Thummim; a name which the Jews fay is unlawful to be expreffed, except by the High Prieft, and then only when he went into the Holy of Holies: Whilft others have thought that they were two golden figures or images, which the High Prieft carried in the folds of the breast-plate;