Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/77

 that it would be well for us all to remember, and that in time. Now for this confession and satisfaction ordained in the old law, was a figure of the sacrament of penance, this ordinance, the spirit of jealousy was intended to clear the innocent and to prevent jealous husbands from doing mischief to these, as likewise to give all a horror of adultery, by punishing it in so remarkable a manner. Num. 8: 7. "Sprinkle water of purifying upon them," &c; this was the holy water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer. "This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring thee a red heifer without spot wherein is no blemish and upon which never come a yoke." That was appointed for purifying all that was unclean; it was a figure of the blood of Christ applied to our souls by his holy sacrament. "And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting and the children of Israel also wept against, and said Who shall give us flesh to eat."—The mixt multitude; they were the people that came with them out of Egypt, who were not of the race of Israel, who by their murmuring drew also the children of Israel to murmur. To teach us the danger of associating ourselves with the children of Egypt, that is, the lovers and admirers of the wicked world. " And the Lord said unto Moses Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation that they may stand there with thee." The seventy men; this was the first institution of the Council or Senate, called the Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy Senators or Counsellors; even as there were seventy men stood around the bed of Solomon, in order to accomplish the design of God in due time: it was fulfilled by our Lord himself, when he had given commission to his seventy-two disciples, telling them to "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and they that believe and are baptized shall be cured, and he that believeth not shall be damned, the Lord working with them and confirming the works with signs." Mark 16: 16. And now we see the great necessity of the gospel being preached unto the fallen world of man, for he said "Behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves;" and here the