nor in ecclesiastical fellowship with whorish and Antichristian churches. Always applying to themselves the blood and Spirit of Jesus, they must preach the great atonement, and devote themselves and hearers to God, and of-new every Sabbath exhibit Jesus on the gospel-table as the shewbread of life; daily offer the incense of fervent prayers; blow the gospeltrumpet, calling and beseeching sin They were generally very active in the reformation of Jehoida, or of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxiv. and xxix. and XXX. It seems there returned only four of their orders from Babylon; and of these were 4289, who were divided into 24 courses, Neh. vii. 39, 42. Sometimes, it is said, about 12,000 priests resided in Jerusalem. Seventeen of them put away their strange wives, at the direction of Ezra, Ezra x. 18-22. Twenty-two of them sub-ners to be reconciled to God, sounding scribed Nehemiah's covenant of reformation, Neh. x. 1-8. Did these priests typify our adored Priest of good things to come? How fully attested are his divine generation, and his royal descent! How perfect his person and nature! How free from every corruption and every weakness tending to disqualify him for his work! How solemn his call and consecration by the Holy Ghost, and by his own blood! How sacred his robes of manhood, mediatorial office, and complete righteousness! How extensive is his commission to atone for his people; to illuminate, nourish, order, judge, bless, encourage, and purify his church! How extensive his reward, on which he and his people for ever feast in the church here, or in the heavenly state! How terrible the punishment of such as oppose him, and, by their self-righteous attempts, study to share in his proper work! How proper for such as appear married to him, to depart from iniquity! And shall not such as, professing to be his children, indulge themselves in whoredom and apostacy, depart from him into everlasting fire?-Were not these priests emblems of gospel-ministers? They must be divinely called to their work, and qualified with gifts and grace for it, richly furnished with spiritual knowledge, and be blameless, sober, temperate, holy, and prudent, wholly given to their work, not entangling themselves with the deadening affairs of this life, nor joined in marriage with impious and infamous women, alarms of impending danger, and exciting to make war with sin, Satan, and the world. It is theirs to explain the oracles of God, to snuff off erroneous glosses, and to cast out noisome professors. It is theirs to bless their people, solve their doubts, purge and restore the scandalous, equally caring for the true happiness of the poor as of the rich; and according to their faithfulness and diligence, ought to be their encouragement from their people, and shall be their everlasting reward, Ezek. xliii. and xliv. and xlv. Were they not emblems of the saints? Their spiritual descent from Jesus is certain, and ought to be evident: they are free from the reigning love of every vice; they desire soundness in their heart and life: nor are they stained with habitual scandal; they are married to the virgin law of faith, and ought not to be members of whorish churches, nor to bewail deceased relations as these who have no hope, or indulge themselves in excessive grief as if earthly enjoyments were their portion. Their sacred robes are Jesus's righteousness and grace, evidenced in a holy, humble, sober, chaste, and grave conversation. Bing called of God, and consecrated in soul, body, and spirit, by the blood of Jesus, and the oil-like influence of the Holy Ghost, it is theirs daily to wash themselves therein, and so worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; theirs to offer to God the burnt-offering of their whole man, mortifying every lust, and surrendering their very life to the service and honour of Christ; to offer the peace-offering of praise and thanksgiving, the heaveoffering of prayer and heavenly desires, the wave-offering of universal obedience, the meat-offering of charitable distributions, and the drinkoffering of godly sorrow. An atoned God is the object of their worship; themselves are living temples; Christ is their altar which sanctifies their gifts; his Spirit and love inflame, his blood and grace salt and powder their oblations, his intercession perfumes them. It is theirs daily to present the incense of prayer and praise, and to present their good works, as shew-phod, with the breast-plate of judgbread accepted in Christ; and to grow in grace and spiritual knowledge, shine as lights in the world, snuff off every mistake in principle and practice; and to blow the trumpet, instruct the ig-was consecrated. He had his lodging Borant, warn the unruly, and excite the inactive; and by their intercessions for all men, to bring a blessing on the places where they live; and to try the spirits, and judge themselves, and promote purity in themselves, their families, and all around them.-ren in their work. Perhaps he alone How rich their reward! they live on Jesus, our divine and all-comprehensive oblation; and to them angels and men do service; and even troubles and temptations work an exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9. Rev. i. 6. ||lation, however near. Besides his suit of apparel common to him with his brethren, and which he wore on the day of expiation, he had other robes called the golden garments, and which he wore while attending his ordinary employ. This suite consisted of breeches, and an embroidered coat of fine linen, with a girdle of silk and fine twined linen to fasten it. Over this was a blue robe hanging down to his feet, and its lower hem hung round alternately with bells and embroidered pomegranates: Above this was put on the short robes of the e ment; and on his head was a golden mitre, inscribed with Holiness to the Lord. Eve y high-priest had his head plentifully anointed with oil when he in an apartment of the tabernacle or temple, or near to it. Besides his right to interfere with the work of the other priests, he was the supreme judge of all controversies in the Jewish church, and directed all his breth made atonement for other priests. It is certain he alone entered the Holy of holies, and performed the whole work of expiation for Israel on their annual FAST, Exod. xxviii. and xxix. 6. Lev. xxi. 10, 11, 12. and viii, and ix. and xvi. From the death of Aaron to the last destruction of Jerusalem, the highpriesthood.except for about 120 years, continued in the family of Eleazar. Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, and Uzzi, were of this line: but instead of Ze Sometimes we read as if there were several CHIEF PRIESTS at once, for the leaders of the 24 classes were so called: the second priest, or sagan, who officiated instead of the highpriest in case of his sickness or defilement, was also called a chief priest.||rabiah, Meraioth, Amariah, and AbiAbout the time of our Saviour, too, as the high-priests were put in and out by the civil governors, there was sometimes a variety of persons in life who had been high-priests. But according to order, there was but one HIGH-PRIEST at once. He was the most honourable person of the sacerdotal family, and was allowed to marry none but a respectable virgin, nor to mourn or defile himself for any re tub, their descendants; Eli, Ahitub, Ahiah, Ahimelech, and Abiathar, of the family of Ithamar, had the office of high-priesthood. When Abiathar was deposed, it reverted to the family of Eleazar. Zadok, Ahimaaz, Azariah, or Amariah, Johanan, or Jehoiada, Azariah, perhaps the same as the Zechariah murdered by Joash Amariah or Azariah who withstood king AZARIAH, Ahitub, Zadok, Urijah who made the idolatrous altar for A-ed a pure and virgin nature into perhab, Shallum, Azariah, Hilkiah, Se-sonal union with himself, none but raiah, Jehozadak, Jeshua, Joiakim, virgin saints and churches are really 'Eliashib, Joiada, Jonathan, Jaddua, his people. On his head are many officiated from A. M. 2514 to 3682. crowns; and by him, as our righteTo these succeeded Onias, Simon the ousness and sanctification, are we Just, Eleazar, Manasseh, Onias, Si-sanctified, and made holiness to the mon, Onias, Jason, Menelaus, Lysi- Lord. He is the great High-Priest machus, Alcimus, the last four of of our profession, and of good things which were most abandoned wretch-to come. His person God-man, is es, and bought the office over one a-infinitely dignified in the sacrificing nother's head from the heathen mo- and intercessory work thereof; his narch of Syria. To them succeeded, priesthood is the great foundation in the family of the Maccabees, Ju-and object of our gospel-profession, das, Jonathan, Simon, Hircanus, A-and the cause of all the precious blesristobulus, Janneus, Hireanus, Aris- sings that come upon us in time and tobulus his usurping brother, and An-eternity, Heb. iii. 1. and viii. 1. If tigonus his usurping nephew: these Christ had remained on earth, he were both high-priests and civil ru- could not have been a priest: being delers, but had not by birthright a claim scended of the tribe of Judah, he had to the office. To them succeeded, || no right to officiate in the sacerdotal from A. M. 3964 to 4072, 27 others, || work of the earthly tabernacle or noted for nothing but disorder in temple; and if he had remained our their entrance, or wickedness in their || earth after his oblation of himself, he management, viz. Ananeel, Aristo- could not have shewed himself the bulus, Jesus, Simon, Matthias, Boe- true Messiah, nor by his intercession thus, Joazar, Eleazar, Jesus, Annus, finished his work, and rendered the Ishmael, Eleazar the son of Annus, shedding of his blood effectual, Heb. Simon, Caiaphas, Jonathan the son of viii. 4. Annas, Theophilus, Simon, Matthias PRIESTHOOD; (1.) The office of the son of Annas, Elioneus, Anani- a priest, Numb. xvi. 10. The anointas, Ishmael, Joseph, Ananias the soning of Aaron and his sons was ais of Annas, Jesus, Matthias, and Pha- everlasting priesthood; it secured to nias. Since the last, there has been them and their seed the office of no occasion for priests either su- priests for many generations, Exod. preme or subordinate, their city and xl. 15. Numb. xxv. 13. Christ's temple having lain in ruins. Were priesthood is unchangeable, as it never not the Hebrew high-priests notable passeth from him to another, Heb. types of our Redeemer? He is the vii. 24. (2.) the execution of this first begotten, an elder brother of office and the iniquity of the priestGod's spiritual family of chosen hood is what was committed in perpriests. He directs his people, offers forming the work of that office, sacrifice for them, and by his blood Numb. xviii. 1. (3.) A class of and Spirit consecrates them to God. priests: so the saints are an holy and How transcendent his unction to, and royal priesthood; a company of spipreparation for his work! He wears ritual priests, washed in Jesus's blood, his manhood, and executes his office, sanctified by his word and Spirit, and in the double estate of debasementkings and priests to God, 1 Pet.ii. 5,9. and glory. How shining are his PRINCE; one who, whether as robes of righteousness and garments the son of a king or otherwise, is of salvation! and how fixed for ever, possessed of high rule and authority. as on his shoulder and heart, are all When the Hebrews came out of Ethe Israelites indeed! As he espous-gypt, they had twelve princes to gov : een their twelve tribes. These prin- || called princes, Eccl. x. 7. Isa. x. 8. ces, on twelve several days, offered and xix. 11. For the transgression their oblations for the dedication of of a land, its princes are many; the the tabernacle. The offering of each pretenders to royalty or high power was one silver charger of 130 shekels are numerous, and soon cut off, Prov. weight, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, xxviii. 2. The princes and thousands both of them full of fine flour min- of Judah denote the same thing, the gled with oil, for a meat-offering; one governor being put for the governgolden spoon of ten shekels full of ed, or whole body, Matth. ii. 6. Mic. incense, one bullock, one ram, and v. 2. God is called the Prince of the one lamb, for a meat-offering; one host, and Prince of princes: he rules kid for a sin-offering; and two oxen, over all, and in a peculiar manner five rams, five he-goats, and as many was the governor of the Jewish nalamb, for a peace-offering, Numb. i. tion, Dan. viii. 11. 25. Jesus Christ 5-16. and vii. 12-89. Ten prin- is the Prince of the kings of the earth; ces of the congregation, along with in his person, he surpasseth every Joshua and Eleazar, were appointed creature in excellency, and he beto divide the land of Canaan west- stows rule and authority on men as wards of Jordan, Numb. xxxiv. 17, he sees meet, Rev. i. 5.* He is the 18, 19. David had twelve princes, Prince of life: as God, he is the auwho commanded the standing militia thor and disposer of all life, temporal, in their respective months; and So- spiritual, and eternal; as Mediator, lomon had twelve princes, who pro- he purchases, bestows, and brings vided for his family. These perhaps men to everlasting happiness, Acts represented the twelve apostles of our iii. 15. He is the Prince of peace, he Saviour, who were the chief govern-is the God of peace; he purchased ors and providers of provision to the peace between God and men, he made Christian church: perhaps also, Da-peace between Jews and Gentiles, he vid's mighties, though not all princes, might represent the apostles and evangelists so noted for the establishing of the Christian church, 1 Chron. xxvii. 1 Kings iv. 2 Sam. xxiii. Da-principalities; how excellent is their vid's princes contributed largely toward the expenses of building the temple; Jehoshaphat's were active in reforming the country; and these of Joash active in corrupting it with idolatry. Hezekiah's princes were active in his reformation; and gave to the people for offerings at the solemn passover, 1000 bullocks and 10,000 sheep. Josiah's princes did Josiah's princes did much the same, 1 Chron. xxix. 6, 7, 8. 2 Chron. xvii, and xix, and xxiv. 17, 18. and xxx. xxxiv. xxxv. After Josiah's death, some of the princes were furious persecutors of Jeremiah and other prophets, and some of them were not, Jer. xxvi. and xxxvi. to xxxviii. Persons of great excellen-course towards supernatural ends. By his mediatory government he makes all things subservient to the interest of his church and people. cy and worth, chief officers of an army, and counsellors in a state, are left peace to his disciples and people, and he governs his church in the most peaceable manner, Isa. ix. 6. Angels are called chief princes, and nature! and how high their station ! and how great their influence in ruling the world! Dan. x. 13. The devil is called a principality, the prince of this world, and of the power of the Jesus Christ is a King or Prince, as he is God. He, who is Mediator, though not as Mediator, but as God, says of himself, By me kings reign, and princes decree justice, even all the judges of the earth, Prov. viii. 15, 16. He is also a King or Prince as Mediator. By his Divine government he orders and disposes all persons and things in their natural course to their natural ends. But, by his mediatory government, he orders and disposes them in a supernatural |