gregation, it is said, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask council for him after the judgment of Urim and Thummim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. Num. xxvii. 21, 22. After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up. Judges i. 1, 2. When the children of Benjamin made war against the children of Israel, we are informed, that the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and said, which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first. Judges xx. 18. And when David was apprehensive of Saul's mischief against him, he ordered Abiathar the priest, to bring the ephod to him, to inquire of the Lord saying, will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? And the Lord said, they will deliver thee up. 1 Sam. xxiii. 11, 12. In these several instances, you will perceive, that inquiries were made in cases which could not have been known but by immediate communication from the Lord; and which must have convinced the Israelites of their dependance upon JEHOVAH as their ruler and king. This must have been an high privilege to the Hebrew nation, in times of their extremity; for they were certain of obtaining answers with that light and perfection, which could not possibly admit of an error, and afford a pledge of the favor of their God. Consequently, no greater displeasure could the Lord have manifested to wicked

king Saul, than that he would not answer him whether by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets. 1 Sam. xxviii. 6.

On the manner in which these inquiries were made, there have been various opinions. That which appears the most correct is, that the high priest, on the day of expiation, went alone into the HOLY OF HOLIES, invested with his sacerdotal robes, having on his breast-plate, with the URIM AND THE THUMMIM. When, at other times, it was requisite to consult the mind of God in favor of another person, the priest stood in the holy place, with his face to the curtain or vail, opposite to the ark, while the person for whom the inquiry was made, stood at the remote door; for it was unlawful for him further to enter: and in all the other instances recorded, no inquiry was made without the ephod. Whatever might be the subject of petition, it was made with the greatest solemnity and supplication, having a firm confidence that God would return a clear and explicit answer in judgment and truth. Thus the Lord owned his own appointment of URIM AND THUMMIM; by which he made it the duty of Israel to inquire, and magnified his own perfect wisdom and pleasure, in returning the desired answers.

IV. How and in what manner God answered by the URIM AND THE THUMMIM has likewise been a subject of ancient inquiry. Those who imagine that they were none other than the twelve stones set in the breastplate, say, that by the rays of the Shecinah darting upon the letters, they protuberated, and shone with ineffable brightness, one by one, or altogether, so that the priest could read the answer which the Lord was pleased to return. To this explanation there is a strong objection; for there is not an adequate number of let

ters to form the answers in the instances I have already named. And, although it is said that the Jews added the names of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and this not being sufficient, they added also these words," all these are the tribes of Israel," still it was deficient. But by what authority was this procedure? Not from God. Moses was commanded to set twelve stones and no more; and those twelve filled the breast-plate. This mistaken opinion therefore arises altogether from making the URIM AND THE THUMMIM the same with the breast-plate, between which I have endeavored to prove, there is a positive distinction.-Some writers have maintained, that when the priest went in to inquire before the Lord, with his ephod, breast-plate, and the URIM AND THUMMIM, God was pleased to enlighten his mind in the nature and truth of the answer; accordingly he communicated it to the inquirer. This, to me, blends the spirit of prophecy with God's revelation by Urim and Thummim, and makes the one subversive of the other. To ascertain how God

gave his answers, the most certain way is to recur to the historical instances of inquiry, which I have already cited in the last section. For instance; on Joshua's inquiry, the answer was, at the word of the Lord, they shall go out, or come in. Who shall go up against the Canaanites? The Lord said Judah. In the case of David, the Lord said, they will deliver thee up: and to Saul God was silent; he answered him not. From these instances, I cannot but believe the Lord answered by an articulate voice. Nor can there be any more objection to this, than the Lord's speaking to Moses from Sinai at the giving of the law; his speaking afterwards to him face to face, as a man speaketh to his

friend; or as Jehovah the Father, by voice from heaven, attesting the person of his Son at the water of baptism, and at his transfiguration on the mountain.

I shall conclude this paragraph by saying, that although the URIM AND THE THUMMIM were two exquisitely rich jewels, delivered to Moses by the hand of God, and most admirably expressive of lights and perfections, yet in themselves, they had no intrinsic virtue to communicate any benefit to Israel. They were only emblems, signs, or means, which God had appointed at the time, to be pledges of his wisdom and faithfulness to direct the Israelites in cases of importance. And so long as the priests in succession were in possession of them, they might appear before the Lord with confidence of his favor.

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V. How long the URIM AND THE THUMMIM continued for the benefit of the Israelites, is worth your inquiry. presume we are at liberty to date their existence and use, from the time when Aaron was consecrated high priest to the congregation of the Lord. This was on the first month in the year 2514, and the second year after the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt. The nation of the Jews, especially during the existence of the Tabernacle, was a Theocracy, for God alone was their King; and no wonder that in this case, the URIM AND THE THUMMIM Were the appointed means of inquiring of the Lord concerning peace or war. When this Theocracy ceased, by Solomon, who was the first of the hereditary kings that ascended the throne, it is supposed that God was no longer consulted by URIM AND THUMMIM; if it had been so, we should undoubtedly have recorded some information of their use in his

magnificent temple. The Scriptures, however, assist us to believe that the Jews were without the URIM AND THE THUMMIM when they returned from their captivity in Babylon. This appears from Ezra ii. 63. And the Tirshatha, that is Nehemiah, said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim; and certain it is, that no Jewish priest since has ever been in possession of them. The Talmudest say, " that king Josiah hid the Urim and Thummim under ground in a cave, before prepared by Solomon, together with the anointing oil, the ark of the covenant, Aaron's rod that budded, and the pot of manna; and therefore these things could not be found after their return from BabyJon." Whether this be true or not, it will be more interesting to us to inquire, why the URIM AND THE THUMMIM were laid aside, or lost? I presume to reply-to make way for the promised MESSIAH, who should be a superior Priest, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek; who should possess superlative lights and perfections in his heart-bear his people upon his breast, and approach our offended God with approbation. Adverting again to that passage which I have just cited: Ezra, after searching the genealogy, and finding a defect in the priesthood, said to the people, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. So likewise Moses, when near the close of his life, pronounced his benediction on the tribe of Levi: Let thy Urim and thy Thummim be with thy Holy One, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah Deut. xxxiii. 8. With whom did this people strive? Not with Aaron the priest, who possessed the Urim and Thummim; for Moses