SECT. II. The Veil.
THE Veils were two, as was observed before, and the reason given why; a 1.1 and these two Veils were renewed every year, the old ones taken away, and new ones put in their room: It was woven of four colours, blew, purple, scarlet, and fine white linnen yarn, every one of these threds twisted six double, and woven upon hair for the warp, of seventy two hairs twisted into every thred. These two Veils rent at our Saviours death from the top to the bottom, Matth. XXVII. 51. and gave demonstra∣tion of the laying open and common of those Ceremonious things which had thitherto been reserved in such recluseness and singularity. The Evangelist indeed calleth it by the name of One Veil, and so also doth Josephus, when he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, b 1.2 It was parted by a Veil. For, 1. Though they were two, yet hung they up to be but as one partition. 2. Had they known where the proper place of one Veil had been, there had been but one in this second Temple and no more.
Imagine what an amazement it would prove to the two Priests that were that Evening that our Saviour suffered, to mend the Lamps, and to burn the Incense, to see, and for the rest of the people to hear that the Veils rent of their own accord from the top to the bottom, and no Hand upon them. Had not a Veil been upon the Eyes of that Na∣tion, they might have seen more in this matter than they did, and made a better use of it than they made. Whether that story that is both in Josephus and in the Talmudicks, about the Gate of the Temple opening of its own accord, which we shall relate ere long, refer not to this story in the Gospel, be it referred to the Reader to judge. The Apostle himself gives us the typical application of this piece of the Sanctuary, Heb. X. 19, 20. Having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the Veil, that is to say, his flesh.