84

THE PRIESTS’

GARMENTS.

XLVI.
Tue PRIEST S PARMENTS,

SIH EN-the people were still
at Sinai, after the taber-
nacle was set up, God
8{ spoke again to Moses,

and gave him many com-
mands about His worship and ser-
vice. God commanded that Aaron
and his sons should be His priests
or ministers. They were brought
into the tabernacle, and there con-
secrated for the holy work. So
now, ministers of the Gospel are
ordained and set apart, before they
begin to teach and preach to the
people. It isa holy office, and min-
isters ought to think much about
it, and to pray to God for His help
and blessing; and the people ought
to pray, too, that God would give
holy wisdom and power, to His
ministers, and make them faithful
teachers of His word. All the
Israelites stood at the door of the
court of the tabernacle; and Moses
brought Aaron and his sons to the
great laver, and there washed them
with water. The water in the laver
had power only to wash their bodies;
but it was a type of the blood which
cleanseth from sin, and of the Spirit
which sanctifies, or makes holy.
Ministers should be washed in the
blood of Christ, and have their
_ hearts made clean by the Holy
Spirit.

Then Moses put upon Aaron the
holy garments which God com-
manded to be made; the coat, the
girdle, the robe, the ephod, the
breastplate, and the mitre. The
coat was a long linen robe, with
sleeves, and with a girdle worked in

  

 

 

blue, and purple, and scarlet. The
robe was a long, blue, linen gown,
without sleeves; round the bottom
were golden bells, and figures of
pomegranates; the bells sounded
when the High Priest went into
the Holy Place. The ephod was a
short robe, worked in blue, and
purple, and scarlet and gold; it was
made of linen, and round it was
worn a beautiful girdle worked like
the ephod. The breastplate was
made of cloth and was very thick.
It had four rings of gold to join it
to the ephod ; twelve beautiful stones
were set in the breastplate, three in
a row; there were four rows of
stones, and every stone had the
name of one of the tribes of Israel
written or cut upon it. The tribes

_of Israel were the descendants of the

twelve sons of Jacob. These stones
in the breastplate were called Urim
and Thummim, that is, very light,
perfect and beautifulthings. Aaron
wore the breastplate upon his heart
when he went into the Holy Place,
because he was to remember the
people there, and pray for them to
the Lord.

The mitre was a linen turban,
and in the front of it was a plate
of gold, on which was written,
“Holiness to the Lord;” because
the priests. the ministers of the
Lord, must be holy in all they do
and say, wherever they are. Aaron’s
sons did not wear all the beautiful
robes which their father wore. Only
the High Priest had the ephod, and
breastplate, and robe, and mitre.
But Moses put upon the other