CHAPTER XI. Description of the Altar of Incense. (Exod. XXX.) You shall also make an altar to burn incense, etc. If the altar of burnt offering, mentioned above, generally signifies the life of the just, who daily crucify their flesh with its vices and desires, and offer it as a living sacrifice to the Lord; what does this altar made for burning incense signify, except the special life of certain perfect ones? For it is not in vain that on the former altar the flesh of animals was burned, while on this one incense was burned; because on that altar were figured those who do not walk according to the desires of the flesh, but, as if sacrificing these to the Lord, dedicate all the senses of their body to His will through the fire of the Holy Spirit: whereas on this altar is expressed the type of those who, with greater perfection of mind, having extinguished and lulled all the allurements of the flesh, offer only the vows of prayers to the Lord: having nothing of the flesh to contend with, nor any consciousness of sin to disturb and terrify them, but desiring to come and appear before the face of God by the shedding of sweet tears. Hence this altar is appropriately placed inside near the veil and the ark, while the other is placed outside before the tabernacle; because those evidently shine before the holy Church as examples of virtues to all; while these, with the higher fervor of desire, even though still detained bodily, draw near to the contemplation of future blessedness. Fittingly, the former is commanded to be covered with bronze, while this one with gold: for bronze is more resonant and durable than other metals; while gold, though it falls short in sound, surpasses bronze in splendor. Clearly, therefore, the bronze altar, on which the flesh was burned, and the blood of the victims was poured, represents those who, having subdued and as if sacrificed the pleasures of the flesh to God, perseveringly pursue the path of truth which they have once begun, and also frequently proclaim this path to others by the word of preaching. The golden altar, on the other hand, is fittingly adapted to those who are more illuminated by the grace of heavenly brightness; but who, less than others, disclose by speaking what sweetness they taste internally in the secret contemplation of the face of God: they are less capable of expressing in words the sweetness with which they are internally refreshed in the hidden presence of God.
Fittingly also, the altar of incense excelled as much in the brightness of its metal as it was smaller in measure; because the holier some are in the Church, the fewer they are. Fittingly, from the same setim wood, which we have said resembles white thorn and is incorruptible, it is commanded that both altars be made: because assuredly there is one steadfastness of unfeigned faith, with which the hearts of all the elect should be fortified, and prepared to receive the fire of love and to offer sacrifices of virtues to God: because the Apostle speaks generally to both the small and the great, saying: "Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. VII): which is to say, in other words. Let us cut off and remove from ourselves the thorns of vices and the stings of titillating pricks, which the soil of our body has been accustomed to produce for us out of the sin of the first transgression, and diligently hewing them away with a certain ax of careful chastisement, let us strenuously cultivate both our inner and outer man, who may become worthy, upon receiving the fire of the Holy Spirit, to offer a sacrifice of virtues in the sight of his Creator. Fittingly, the same fire was not dissimilar, which in this altar consumed the victims, and in that one burned the incense; because assuredly there is one spirit, which enlivens the minds of all the faithful with varying grace of gifts. But the altar of incense was square, having one cubit in length, and another in width, but two in height, to the long-suffering patience, as discussed in the exposition of the altar of burnt offerings, the width pertains to the abundance of love, the height pertains to the sublimity of hope, through which, in the endurance of temporal labors, and in the cheerfulness of sincere love, we rejoice with a pure mind. One cubit in both the length and the width of the altar, signifies when the highest and most perfect men in the Church, with a view to nothing other than eternal retribution, both bear temporal evils calmly and by charity bestow whatever good they can upon their neighbors. Likewise, because love is patient, it is kind. Patient, namely, to tolerate the injury inflicted by a neighbor; kind, so that to him whose adversities it tolerates, it also provides acts of mercy when needed. Fittingly, it is commanded that the altar of incense be made square in length and width; to signify that the mind of the perfect, united in mutual virtues, can equally love a brother and bear with him, and as much as it can endure his trouble with patience, it can also bestow upon him benevolence through the love of its own piety. But it has two cubits in height, because the elect hope to receive a double reward in the future life, namely, one of the rest for their souls, when, putting off this corruptible and mortal body, they will enter the heavenly kingdom; the other, when receiving the same body incorruptible and immortal, they will rejoice more perfectly in the presence of their Creator, with the promise of the prophet fulfilled, which says: "In their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them" (Isa. LXI).
Horns proceed from it, etc. Horns often in Scriptures are accustomed to designate the eminence of faith and virtues: through which we must blunt and overcome the attacks of the ancient enemy confronting us, saying with the prophet to the Lord: In you we will knock down our enemies with a horn (Psalm XLVIII). He who soon declared about which horn he said, by adding: And in your name we will scorn those rising against us. Conversely, sometimes the wars of vices, which attempt to conquer us, are accustomed to be indicated by the name of horns. Which both are briefly encompassed by the Lord through the prophet saying: And I will break all the horns of sinners, and the horns of the just will be exalted (Psalm XLVII). Hence, well in the law only animals of the horned kind are decreed to be clean and edible for the people of God. Indeed, it is established that animals which chew the cud and split the hoof are also horned; so that it may be shown mystically that only those can be incorporated into the Church of God with spiritual union, who by the strength of faith are proven invincible against the wars of vices. However, horns proceed from the altar of incense itself, when the chosen do not show the works of virtues to the face of men superficially, but exercise them from the internal root of the mind with a fixed and immovable affection. But hypocrites, as if having horns borrowed from elsewhere, have the appearance of piety, but deny its power. To whom that fable of Aesop aptly fits, which tells of a crow adorned with peacock feathers carried off in bundles, vainly boasting of its beauty, indeed almost stripped of all the feathers and its life by the burning jealousy of the peacocks. The altar is vested with purest gold, when the perfect ones shine with the true light of internal wisdom, when in all they do, the splendor of charity, as if the glory of daily habit, is displayed, when they always show to those seeing or hearing them that they possess the memory of perpetual clarity, when they manifest that they consider and seek the kingdom of God and His justice above all. And well it is commanded that both the grate of the altar and the walls and horns be vested with gold. The grate indeed was inside in the middle of the altar prepared undoubtedly to receive incense. But the walls appeared outside, the horns themselves standing out higher outside with special eminence. The grate is gilded, when the grace of Christ shines through faith in our interior man. The walls are gilded, when the same grace of the Lord's love is extended outward through good works. And the horns are gilded, when the very confidence of the strength of the just, by which they have learned either to endure opponents of truth bravely through patience, or to refute or correct wisely through wisdom, sparkles with the brightness of internal light in all things. And because such ones can rightly say: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness (II Tim. IV), it is fittingly added.
And you shall make for it a gold crown all around. For indeed, a golden crown is made all around the altar of incense when the saints, remembering what they have done for us, await their eternal rewards. And the crown is fittingly made all around the altar, so that it may be shown that everything they have done is worthy of heavenly reward: nor should anything remain in such persons that, after the release of the flesh, ought to be chastised by purgatorial fire. Likewise, the altar of incense has a gold crown all around also in those who, though they are lesser in merits and dare not openly declare, still have a certain reward laid up for them for their good fight and kept faith, yet whatever they do, they act with the intention of pleasing God and with the hope of receiving the same heavenly reward. It follows:
And two golden rings under the crown, etc. Indeed, in these rings by which the altar was carried, just as it was above in the altar of burnt offering, the ark and the table were set forth, the books of the four Gospels can not inappropriately be understood, by whose faith and doctrine the saints are carried and uplifted from earthly thoughts; through the desert of this life, by daily progress in good works, they are borne to the heavenly homeland. However, because it is clearly commanded there to make four circles, namely two on one side and two on the other, but here with the number four not explicitly mentioned, two rings are made on each side: it is certain that there the number of evangelists is more plainly evident, while here also some other spiritual mystery, which mainly concerns the love of God and neighbor, is present. For the altar is surrounded by golden rings on each side; because the heart of the elect is confirmed on both sides by the love of God and neighbor. Which is well compared to rings, because prophecy will be done away with at the end, knowledge destroyed, tongues will cease, but love will never cease. There are, however, two rings on each side; because each commandment of charity is distinguished by a dual virtue. For the love of God is perfected through the sincerity of faith and purity of life (Hebr. II); for without faith it is impossible to please God, and faith without works is dead (James II). Both are embraced by one verse when the prophet says: "But the righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab. II); clearly insinuating that one will come to life only if he has the works of justice along with the faith of truth. Similarly, brotherly love consists in dual virtue, namely of patience and kindness, as the Apostle testifies, saying: "Charity is patient, is kind" (I Cor. XIII). Hence also the Lord says, "Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you" (Luke VI); teaching patience in forgiving debts, and the grace of kindness in giving what is necessary. In one, so that we may bear the inconveniences of others strongly: in the other, so that we may joyfully offer our goods to others. Therefore, the altar has two rings on each side, with the dual perfection of charity, the holy ones are girded both in honor of their Creator and in care and service to their neighbor. And into these rings gilded poles are inserted, so that the altar may be carried, when they receive with the prepared bosom of the mind the most illustrious sayings of the preceding Fathers, by which they are lifted more and more from earthly things to the love of eternal goods. For that such men in both mind and merit approach heavenly things is also mystically signified by the following words, when it is said:
And you shall place the altar opposite the veil, etc. For the Ark, as has been explained in its place, represents the Lord Savior, the veil that hung before the Ark signifies heaven itself, into whose heights the Lord entered after conquering death; so that, as the Apostle says, He might now appear in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 9). And the altar stands opposite the veil that is before the Ark, just as every intention of the just is directed towards entering the heavenly kingdom. It stands before the propitiatory, which covers the Ark, as they approach the vision of their Creator with purity of mind, and although enclosed, still conduct their conversation in heavenly places.
CHAPTER XII. On burning incense on the altar. And Aaron shall burn incense upon it, etc. It is known that incense or thymiama signifies the power of prayer, as the Psalmist says: "Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight" (Psalm 140). And in the Apocalypse of John, he saw the saints holding golden bowls full of incense. Which he immediately explained by adding: "Which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev. 5). And since Aaron, as mentioned above, signifies both the high priest specifically, namely, the Lord Savior, and also the priests of our order: Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on this altar in the morning, whether when the Lord Himself enlightens the hearts of the faithful with a new beam of His grace, urging them to the sweetness of prayer, or when the participants of His priesthood by diligent exhortation stir the faithful to beseech the face of their Creator. The priest also burns incense not only in the morning but also in the evening. Incense is burned in the morning so that at the beginning of every good deed, which we intend to do by the inspiration of God, we may invoke His aid by which we may bring it to completion. And in the evening, so that when we finish what has been well begun, we may return vows of gratitude to Him from whom we received it, for the gifts He granted. Or certainly, because in the morning and with the sun risen, we clearly see everything around us; but when evening comes, with uncertain sight we are veiled in darkness. Therefore, we need the light of a lamp to see what we wish. Those sacraments of our Redeemer or words, which we can clearly recognize even according to the order of human reason to the extent we are able, we now see as if in the day. But in whatever things human reason fails, but the authority of Scripture alone is to be followed by us, there, as if in the night, the eye of our understanding is darkened. But the lamp of God's word helps our feet, lest they stumble and stray from the path of truth. Hence Peter, speaking of the sacrament of the Lord's faith, said: "And we have the more sure word of prophecy, to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts" (2 Peter 1). Therefore, it is well said: "And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it in the morning when he dresses the lamps, he will burn it, and when he lights them in the evening." For Aaron burns incense on the altar in the morning when the Lord inflames the hearts of the faithful to the grace of compunction in those mysteries of truth which they are now able to understand. He burns it in the evening when he lights the lamps, when He teaches from those things which they cannot yet grasp, because they also know these sacred things, as much as they are undoubtedly divine, to love the heavenly where all secrets are revealed. And the incense is fragrant and sweet when touched by sudden divine compunction, they find it sweet to be alone with tears and prayers. It is well followed by:
Perpetual incense will burn before the Lord, etc. Because it is indeed necessary that the soul, after prayer and weeping, should not turn to idle words or deeds, but should keep itself in the same vigor of devotion which it received in prayer, even after the prayer is finished; according to the example of Anna, of whom it is said while praying: And her countenance was no longer changed in different ways (1 Samuel 1).
You shall not offer incense of another composition upon it. In the following parts of this volume, from which spices this incense ought to be composed are specifically named: namely stacte and onycha, galbanum of good odor, and pure frankincense, all of which pertain to the signification of eternal goods which must primarily be sought from the Lord. Therefore, incense of another composition than what the Lord has prescribed shall not be offered upon the golden altar; because those who pray should seek nothing else from the Lord than what He has commanded and promised to give; and we should believe nothing about Him other than what He has taught.
A sacrifice is not to be offered upon it, etc. For all these things pertain to the outer altar, which designates the life of those beginning and still placed in progress. For the life of the righteous perfect ones is of such great sublimity that nothing carnal, which they might have to sacrifice to the Lord, can be found in it. And indeed the libations of wine are known sometimes to designate the great virtue of spiritual grace, that is, whether it be the cup of doctrine, or the chalice of passion, or the fervor of principal love, or the very perception of the Holy Spirit, or something of this kind. But whenever the wine of libations is offered with the flesh of victims, it certainly designates according to the tropological exposition the sanctity of those who still have something of carnal desires, which are contrary to the purity of the spirit, and which ought to be burned by the fire of the Holy Spirit on the altar of the heart. However, the perfect righteous, who can say: "My heart and my flesh have failed, God of my heart, and God is my portion forever"; as if, with the cessation of the libations of victims, which pertain to the outer bronze altar, they offer only inward on the golden altar the fragrances to the Lord of heavenly desire; because, being made more secure about the remission of sins, they lament only for the delayed entrance into the eternal kingdom, and with the sweet flow of tears they water their bed every single night. Of this very altar, it is still well said:
And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns, etc. For indeed our High Priest offered His blood once a year for the sin of the whole world. In that specific year, of which He speaks through Isaiah: To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Isa. 61); that is, in the whole time in which He deigned to unite the Church to Himself. He also gave to each of the believers once the washing of the holy font, in the mystery of His blood, to loosen the bonds of sins, and with the beautiful diversity of all kinds of figures. The pontiff indeed was commanded to offer atonement on the horns of the altar in the blood of the oblation once a year, but daily to burn fragrant incense upon it; because the Lord and our Savior, who daily renews His faithful by the grace of inner compunction, redeemed them once overcoming death by the sacrifice of His blood. Those faithful, who are usually accustomed to wash away daily sins with daily prayers and tears, once by the sacrament of His passion rejoice that they are freed from all sins. Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of the altar, because He Himself not only lived among men and prayed for men; but also now sitting at the right hand of the Father in the heavens, He intercedes for us, and dwelling in the hearts of the chosen through faith, while He stimulates them to pray, He is rightly said to make atonement. Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of the altar, when the Lord commends His chosen ones to the Father, by the memory of the virtues which they performed. Hence, as if touching the horns of the golden altar, He speaks of the devotion of the disciples: Whom You gave me out of the world, they were Yours, and You gave them to me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that all things You have given me are from You (John 17). For whom, even praying, He added: I pray for them, not for the world, but for those You have given me, for they are Yours (Ibid.). And because for the merits and intercessions of eminent men, the Lord often has mercy on our weakness, it is rightly added:
And he shall propitiate upon it in your generations, etc. For Aaron propitiates upon the altar of incense when, on account of the righteousness of the saints whom we seek as intercessors and patrons for ourselves, the Lord is propitiated. Finally, when Hezekiah was besieged by enemies and called for his help, he said: "And I will save this city and protect it for my sake and for the sake of David my servant" (IV Kings XIX). Likewise, Moses, interceding for the sinning people, made remembrance of the fathers and, as if pleading upon the horns of the altar, sought to placate the Lord: "Let your anger rest," he said, "and be merciful toward the iniquity of your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, saying: 'I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the sky'" (Exod. XXXII). Indeed, we can interpret these altars in such a way that we accept the bronze one, on which the flesh was burned and the blood of the sacrifices was shed, as representing the whole church of this time, in which no one is without sin, even if his life on earth were only a single day. There is no one born carnally from the sin of Adam's transgression who does not need to be reborn in Christ, and his spirit purified by fire. The golden altar, however, signifies the Lord himself, who in a miraculous and ineffable manner took true flesh from Adam, but was truly free from the sin of Adam's flesh; just as both altars were made from the same kind of wood, but not both were covered with gold. On this altar, nothing carnal was offered but only incense was burned; for the Lord, pouring out prayers or tears, did this not for his own sins, of which there were none, but for our salvation. For just as the ark placed within the veil signifies the God-man sitting at the right hand of the majesty in the heights, so too, the altar placed outside the veil but near its entrance can figuratively express the same Mediator of God and men, who indeed conversed among men humanly, but by the power of his divinity penetrated the innermost heavens. The incense altar stood in the sanctuary, where the lampstand and table were; because the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John I). The ark stood within the veil; because the same Lord Jesus, after his passion and resurrection, was taken up into heaven and sits at the right hand of God. Upon whose horns of the altar Aaron intercedes in the blood that was offered for sin, and propitiates upon it, those who pray for the people of God, or for their own ignorance, the priests, trusting to be helped and saved by the only-begotten Son through the sacrament of his passion, as the Apostle instructs and says: "Through him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God" (Hebr. XII), that is, the fruit of lips confessing his name. This can also be suitably accepted of all the elect, that is, members of the high priest, who pray to the Father in spirit and truth. To which altar better than this does it apply what is said: "Holy of holies shall they be to the Lord," of which the archangel said to the virgin mother about the one to be born into the world: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, etc." (Luke I). Described thus far is the making of the incense altar; there still remains the description of the bronze basin, in which the priests washed their hands and feet before entering the tabernacle; but one command of the Lord is preemptively mentioned, which we also should briefly touch upon and explain as best we can.
CHAPTER XIII. On the price for the souls of individuals, the numbered people. When you take the sum of the children of Israel, etc. David had forgotten this command, when he numbered the people, and thus brought a plague upon that people by numbering them. However, in a spiritual sense, the sum of the children of Israel represents the sum of all the elect, whose names are written in heaven. And each gives a price for their souls to the Lord, when they exhibit to Him the service of diligent servitude in good works. Otherwise, there will be a plague upon them when they have been counted; because, without doubt, perpetual vengeance awaits those who, associated nominally with the number of the faithful, refuse to offer the perfect works of faith to the Lord. And it is said of such: They will not give to God their appeasement, nor the price of the redemption of their soul (Psalm 48). For the redemption of a man's soul is his riches (Proverbs 13), as Solomon says: whether temporal, namely, when he has distributed them and given them to the poor, so that his righteousness remains forever; or spiritual, that is, the justice he has done, either by showing mercy to the poor, or by doing other good deeds. But everyone who advances to the name will give a half-shekel, that is, ten obols; which can be understood by us as nothing other than the observance of the Decalogue law. For whoever knows how to understand this rightly has recognized that all the fullness of faith and work, and the promise of future reward, is contained in it. Indeed, in the first three, the love of God, in the following seven, the love of neighbor is comprehended; and as the Apostle testifies: Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13). But also another sacrament, by no means to be passed over, is contained in the same number ten. For the name of Jesus among the Hebrews begins with the letter Yod, among the Greeks with iota; both of which in their respective nations are the sign of the number ten. And they offer ten obols as a price for their soul to the Lord, who, believing in Jesus Christ, bring forth the sign of His name, which begins with the number ten, on their forehead and profession. And perhaps for the grace of this sacrament the Lord testifies in the Gospel that one iota cannot pass from the law (Matthew 5); because the power of the Decalogue, which is contained there, and the faith of His name, which is mystically signified there, can never be corrupted by the perturbation of the unfaithful.
Whoever is counted in the number from twenty years old and above, shall give the price. The number twenty signifies the conjunction of both Testaments, namely, the law which is written in five books, and the Gospel, which is four; for four times five make twenty. Therefore, anyone is counted in the number of the people of God from twenty years old; because he is worthy of the fellowship of the elect, who, having spiritually understood the decrees of the law, aided by the grace of the Gospel, fulfills them according to his measure and capacity, and awaits the eternal rewards in heaven promised by the same grace.
The rich shall not add to the half shekel, etc. Because whether one is great in merits and perfect, or still tender and placed in the progress of virtues, the same law of the Decalogue is imposed on all, by which they love God and their neighbor.
And the money received, which is collected from the sons of Israel, etc. The money received from the sons of Israel is brought as a memorial before the Lord, when whatever good we do is kept in eternal memory with our Creator and Judge; so that from what we have offered to Him, by the fruits of good works, He may deign to be propitious to us. And the same money is kept for the use of the tabernacle, when the habits and acts of subsequent believers in Christ are confirmed by the good deeds of the righteous; and the lesser ones strive to become such as they know those to have been, whom they recognize as reigning with the Lord. Indeed, it is to be noted that the aforementioned money was to be given not according to the assessment of the people, but according to the measure of the temple. For the measure of the temple is the disposition of the divine law, which the Lord commands to be kept in His Church, and whose observance He promises eternal rewards in the future. However, if anyone tries to serve God according to the pleasure of human will, he who does not offer the money of his devotion according to the measure of the temple, with a rejected and cast away offering, will be struck by the punishment of the final reprobation.
CHAPTER XIV. Description of the bronze laver. The appearance and rim, etc. This laver or basin, as it is called in the following passages, can principally be understood as the water of baptism; through whose washing it is necessary for all who enter the gates of the Church to be cleansed. But since it was placed between the tabernacle of testimony and the altar of holocausts, and since the same priests were commanded to wash in it twice daily, that is, morning and evening, when they entered the altar to offer incense to the Lord, and because we can only be washed once with the water of baptism; this laver commends to us the washing of contrition and tears, which we always need, especially when we approach to minister the heavenly mysteries. For the altar of holocausts, on which the flesh of the victims was burned to the Lord, signifies the extinguishing of carnal desires by the fire of the Holy Spirit; but the altar of incense signifies the purity of those who, having subdued the allurements of the flesh in every way, and pacified the struggle with vices, shed tears out of expectation and desire for the heavenly entrance. Rightly, then, is the laver placed near the altar of holocausts, in which the washed priests may enter the tabernacle and burn incense to the Lord. For the state of tears and contrition is distinguished in two ways; first, it is necessary for everyone converted to the Lord to implore pardon with tears for the sins they have committed. If this is accomplished over a long time with the fitting fruits of repentance, it remains that, made more secure by the acceptance of pardon for sins, they must already come with longing desires to the time when they may deserve to see the face of their Creator among the most blessed choirs of angels. He who truly does this does not at all tolerate without tears either the length of this life or the delay of that one, saying of this life: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! I dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar (Psalm 119), that is, with those who wander in the darkness of errors and crimes; which the name Cedar signifies, he already longing for the joys of perpetual light: the more I thirst for the heavenly homeland, the more I dread the proximity of the wicked, among whom I converse as a sojourner. Saying again of that life: My soul thirsted for the living God, when shall I come and appear before the face of God (Psalm 42)? This thirst, which he could not bear without tears, the following words declare: My tears have been my bread day and night. As if he were openly saying: The longer I am deferred from seeing the face of God, for whom I ardently thirst, the more sweetly I am refreshed with the bread of tears, which I shed in his memory. Therefore, the altar of holocausts suggests the tears of penitents for the sins they have committed. The altar of incense expresses the weeping of those rejoicing in the good works they have completed with the Lord's help; and desiring the rewards which they trust they will receive from the Lord as their remunerator. This weeping indeed excels the former as much as gold excels bronze, as much as the holy of holies, where the ark of the Lord was, is known to have surpassed the first tabernacle, in which the lampstand and table of the Lord stood.
After the altar of burnt offering, the basin was placed, in which those who entered the altar of incense would wash: for no one becomes the highest suddenly, but with advancing merits, each person ought first to overcome the battles of vices, and then, with compunction of tears, humbly beseech their Creator, to be able to shed sweet tears for the entrance into the kingdom, who previously shed bitter tears for fear of punishments. But what is more fitting than to take the base on which the same basin was placed as the very desire for the kingdom and heavenly life? Certainly, it is for this cause that even perfect and highest men daily wash themselves in a fountain of tears; and though they cannot yet fully see the joy of inward peace, at least through sighing they taste it. For that in this laver, placed between the tabernacle and the altar, the tears of the perfect are symbolized, the very words testify, in which it is said: And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it. For no one of the people was permitted to wash there; but the high priest and his sons, namely the priests of lower rank, were commanded, showing that with great men, as their life is more perfect, so also their compunction is loftier. We do not say this, as if only the ministers of the altar could or ought to have such compunction; but mindful of the words of the blessed apostle Peter, who speaking to all the faithful about the cornerstone, which is Christ, said: And you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. II). And what John says in Revelation: Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ (Rev. XX). We urge all the faithful to be counted under the mystical name of priests, as members of Christ, namely the eternal priest. The blessed apostle Paul also shows what sacrifices they should offer, saying: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God (Rom. XII). Therefore, Moses set this laver not only for the ministers of the sacred altar, but also for all perfect individuals in any rank; because the law of God generally preached the grace of saving compunction to all the faithful. If we want to take the great high priest, our Lord Savior, in the person of Aaron, it is also clear that he was washed with the water of this basin before entering the altar to offer; for before he offered the incense of His most holy body on the altar of the cross for our salvation, He also wept for our love, as was well known in the resurrection of Lazarus. It is well added:
That they may offer incense to the Lord, etc. For the death of the spiritual soul is truly to be feared, and eternal, if anyone chosen for the ministry of the altar neglects to render the incense of prayers to God. Death is to be feared, if anyone presumes to enter the holy mysteries without the special cleansing of compunction, and to handle the holy things of the Lord with common hands. Therefore, let them wash their hands and feet in the water of the bronze basin, and thus approach the altar. Let them wash their deeds and steps with tears, and then extend their hands to touch the mysteries of Christ, and place the steps of their feet in the courts of the Lord. I equally consider this commandment to be for those who are to be cleansed by receiving these same sacraments, that they first examine, winnow, and purify their deeds and thoughts with more careful diligence, and thus proceed to partake of the sacraments of faith, lest they deserve to hear that saying of the Apostle: For anyone who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord (I Cor. XI); that is, not discerning the food of the living bread from the common food with a cautious and diligent mind. These things about the basin and the approach to the altar can also be very usefully taken in this way; although principally that altar signifies the internal vows of spiritual prayers. But it must be more diligently considered what is added in the conclusion:
It will be a perpetual statute for him, etc. For even if the basin, or altar, which Moses made is taken away, if the priesthood which he established is changed to the new priesthood of the Church, nevertheless the legitimate washing and spiritual incense remains perpetual in the life of the faithful; which was typically signified by the incense of that altar, and the water of that basin; just as many other things, which the law commanded to be done or warned to be observed perpetually, have ceased to be observed literally; but according to typological understanding will never cease to be spiritually observed by the saints, as the one who did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it testifies: Because one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law until all things are accomplished (Matthew V). For our humility also pertains to that seed, about which it was said: Because it will be a perpetual statute for him and for his seed through generations; not indeed by being born from the line of Aaron, but by believing in him, in whom Aaron with his saints of that age believed; about whom it was promised to Abraham, Because in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis XXV). Mentioning these families, Isaiah says: All who see them will recognize them; because these are the seed which the Lord has blessed (Isaiah LXI).