^ tut tftfil^aa . ~s DUTATri-cmrnvr ivr t v'* PRINCETON, N. J. Collection of Puritan Literature. Division Smm0^ Section I J / Number DISCOURSE Concerning the PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST: IN WHICH The Date, and Order of his Priefthood, AS ALSO The Place, Time, and Manner of his performing the Fun&ions thereof, are diftin&ly confider'd. WITH APREFACEin Vindication of the A u - T h o r of the Epiftle to the Hebrews^ Occafion'd by the Mifrepr Mentations of ajate Writer. 0/ whom we have many things I ofay, and hard to be uttered \ feeing ye are dull of hearing, Heb. v. 1 1. L O N D O N: Printed for J. Noon, at the White Hart, near Mercers (Chaple, Cbeapfide. M.DCC.XLVU. [Price Two Shillings.] PREFACE I N Vindication of the Author of the Epijlle to the Hebrews. nr H E credit of the author of the epifile to the Hebrews, JL upon whofe authority my argument chiefly depends, being attacked in a late * Differtation, I find myfelf interefted in his defence. The cafe is briefly thus. He having confidered Abraham as giving tithes * On the hijlory of Mckhifedec. This Preface was written in anfwer, and ftiewn to Mr. Chubb, many months before his death. A3 tQ iv PREFACE. to Melchifedec^ Heb. vii. 2, 4. is charged, by the Dif[ertatory yvixhcon- tradi&ing the Jewijh hijiory or pen- tateuch. To fix which charge upon him, 'tis alledged, " That that hi- " ftory does not yield a proper " ground for fuch opinion to be from his native country, from his kin- dred and from his father's houfe, and who for many years had fojourned with him, till lately obliged to fepa- rate for mutual convenience and ac- commodation, (Chap. xii. 1, 4. xiii. 1, 5, 6.) that he, I fay, fhould be thus pillag'd of his wealth and forc'd into PREFACE. xi into Jlavery, was an affe&ing confi- deration to Abraham. He was great- ly interefted in this event. His ne- phew's welfare was next his own, he being neareft of kin to him ; Abra- ham having no feed of his own at that time. This induced him to engage in the war. When Abraham heard that Lot, the dear remains of his brother, was taken captive^ he armed his trained fervants* This was the true motive to his taking his confederates, Aner^ Efchol^ and Mamre\ and making himfelf the principal in the purfuit of the vic- tors, ver. 13, 14. But Melchifedec who was neuter ', had no fuch family intereft nor concern in the affair ; and therefore ftiles Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, Abrahams enemies •, not his own, ver. 20. Again, After the battle Melchifedec treated Abraham and the peo- ple that were with him, as they pafled through his territory, in a a 2 hofpitable xii PREFACE. hofpit able manner ^ who 'tis granted^, mull have been greatly fatigued by their purfuing after, and fighting with Chedorlaomer and his company : and in this point of view, was not Abraham greatly obliged to Melchi/e- dec, rather than Melchifedec under an obligation of gratitude to Abra- ham f — Again, Melchifedec was the priefl^ the public head and officer in the wor- fhio of the true God in that country, where Abraham was a Jlr anger : and therefore, fuppofe Abraham was himfelf a prieft at home in his own houfe and family ; it is very improbable Melchifedec^ in whofe province he was, liiould give tithes to him. Laftly, It appears that Melchife- dec blefed Abraham in a folemn religious way and manner, and affift- ed or joined with him in blejfing his God for the vi&ory. For the hifto- t Page 8. rian PREFACE. xiii rian tells us He (Melchifedec) was the priest of "the mojl high God : intimating that in this character he performed this lervice : and he blejfed him and /aid, Blejfed be Abram of the mojl high God, pojjejfor of heaven and earth : and blejfed be the mojl high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand) ver. 18, 19, 20. If his blefiing implied no more than interefting his good wifhes with God for Abrahams profperity ; this in a king, and in one of his charac- ter, and on fuch an occafion, was a favour Abraham could not well be infenlible of. Thefe are circumfiances which attended the cafe^ and duly weighed, difcover our critick's rafo- nefs\ who faith j, " there was not the " jhadow of a reafon for Abraham to " have given tithes to Melchifedec \ " whereas there was the flrongefl c c reafon for Melchifedec thus to flie w his : P*ge 13. " gratitude xiv PREFACE. " gratitude to Abraham" But, he proceeds. f " Nor, fecondly, had he (Abra- " ham) any thing in the valley of " Sbaveh of his own, to make a pre- " fent with, or to give tithes of." Well, fuppoiing, but not granting, that s.braham and his fervants when they let out on this expedition took nothing with them but their wea- pons of war, and what was necelTary to annoy the enemy : Had Chedor- laomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellafar, who formed a powerful league and held the balance for twelve years fuccef- fively, no valuable effeEls in their trai7i f no peculiar badges or orna- ments of diJli?t&ion fuited to their cha- racters and the age in which they lived ? — Now fuch things, if found in their camp, or upon them, would f Page 14. be PREFACE. xv be adjudged by civilians to Abraham^ as his legal prize and property. The Differtator therefore being; aware that a queftion of this nature would arife in the mind of his reader, has thrown this note in his margin^ " it is not " to be fuppofed that they needleffly " incumber'd themfelves with goods " and riches , thereby to lay a foun- " dation of fpoil for their enemies ; " nor does the hiftory give any coun- u tenance to fuch a fuppoiition." But whatajbuffle is this ! what has " need- leffly incumber "d" to do in the cafe ? and " thereby to lay a foundation of fpoil for their enemies?" — Tis well known the Eaflern nations were wont in po- licy, fince, if not in thofe early times, to carry their beft effeds with them to battle. And if thefe princes had any effeds with them at all (tho' their apparel and weapons of war, might alone make a valuable booty) 4- Page 15. the xvi PREFACE. the hiftory will countenance, this, that Abraham made himfelf mafier of their camp as well as flaughterd the kings ; for he divided himfelf againji them, he and his fervants by night, andfmote them and purfued them un- to Hob ah, ver. 15. But truth is fhaded by an artful arrangement of words, whilft what is to the point is evaded. The Differtator being con- fcious that to admit the fuppoiition that thefe princes had with or upon them fomething of this quality or kind (no matter in what it confifted) would be to furnifh Abraham with materials whereof to make a prefent of the tithe to Melchifedec, as conque- rors ufually did to the gods and to their friends ; and ; fo to contradict this affertion of his, " that Abraham " had nothing in the valley of Shaveh, " of his own, to make a prefent with, " or to give tithes of:" he, I fay, artfully provides againft it, and goes op—-" Tofuppofe, as the author of 2 " the PREFACE. xvii u the epiftle to the Hebrews does, " that Abraham gave to Melchfedec " a /^^ part of the goods or jjM/ " that had been retaken from Che- " dorlaomer, this fuppoiition appears " to be altogether groundlefs." But, I ask, is not this a groundlefs calum- ny f Where does the author to the Hebrews fuppofe any fnch thing? Does he any where hint or intimate that Abraham accepted of, and appropri- ated the leaft part of the goods reta- ken fromChedorlacmer, that was, an- tecedent to the war, the property of Bera and the vanquished people, to himfelf, or to any fucli ufe? As he does not hint or insinuate any fuch thing, his faying Abraham gave a tenth part of all the fpoils to Melchi- fedec [the word all being evidently the hiftorian's,] will lead any man cf candour to judge that the author to the Hebrews could not poffibly mean more by the tenths of all^ than the hijlorian himfelf did : which, proba- b blv, xviii PREFACE. bly, was only the tenths of his ene- mies effects, which Abraham feized upon as his prey and fpoil\ and not of their effects (viz. Bera's and his people's) which he generouily refufed to take from a thread even to a fhoa- latchet. Thus you have the fubftance of what the DifTertator advances to con- vict the author of the epiflle to the He- brews of error. If it amounts to no more than mifreprefe?itation and abufey (and fuch I think it apparently is) the credit and authority of the aforefaid author will be duly regarded. I obferve upon the whole, — The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews has given no new opinions touching 3 piece of hiftory ; but argues with the fews upon their own received principles. They always underftood the fa£i to be as he considers it. And here I ask, Can it be fairly thought t they, for whofe immediate ufe the Pentateuch was written, who wanted PREFACE. xix wanted for no refped for their great anceftor, nor fkill nor vanity to place him in the moil advantageous light; I fay, can it be fairly thought that they from this hiflory would believe that Abraham payed tithes to Melchi- fedec, if the contrary was therein (as this Differtator pretends) " very par- ticular and exprefs f " But — Af- fuming priefts are not the only men who deal in craft, and handle the fcriptures deceit f idly : The moral phi- lo/ophers of the age, or rather they who would pafs for fuch, are generally difpofed to do the like. Happy would it be if they employed their faculties in removing the ruhbifo the former have caft on revelation, in- ftead of adding more and labouring in vain to undermine revelation it- felf! As to the enfaing Difcourfe, it was occafioned by a furvey of the grand fcheme of the gofpel, and is pub- lifhed folely with a view to obviate b 2 thofe xx PREFACE. thofe difficulties which have been made to attend one part of that fcheme, viz. The death of Chriji. His death, indeed, is not here con- sidered in all its great and important ends, for reafons that will appear in the fequel. Whether I have fairly proved every principle I have ad- vanced therein or not ; I prelum e it will be qranted in favour of the me~ o thod I have purfued, That the true fngle itotion of Chriji 's priefthood ought Jirji to he Jiated and explained, before any account be given of what is or is not his facrifce, — If the fub- jeB be not handled in fo clear and concife a manner as might be wifhed ; it mu ft be remembered that many THINGS and HARD TO BE UTTERED crtain thereto. For that thefe belong to Jefus Chrift, and not to khifedec, is plain from hence — That our writer to the Hebrews fays :hing of the latter but what was I in, or fuppofed by, the jfewifh fcriptures, PREFACE, xxi fcriptures, long before : Whereas, of the former ', many things are faid, concerning his prieflhood, and thofe in fuch a manner [to wit, by the Aaro7ikal pr lefts falling jhorl of per- feElion in their perfons and ncbleft fervice~\ that was not eafy for Jews, with their childifh prejudices, to com- prehend. And in truth, the dodrines of the lafl and mofl finifhed revela- tion of the mind and will of God to mankind, fuch as we allow the writ- ings of the New Teftament to be, will be obfcure and difficult to thofe who fhall judge thereof by wrong principles. ?Tis juftice to acknowledge an obligation to the late learned Doftor Whitby, note on Heb. v. 5. whence I had the fir ft hint touching the date of Chrift's priefthood. I am like- wife greatly obliged to fome reverend f*-*^* ^-*Jj and learned friends , (who did me the * / honour to perufe thefe papers) for ^ av.*^ feveral fentiments, as well as corredl- ^— nefs *~* xxii PREFACE. nefs of expreflion. If there are points in which I differ from them, and from truth itfelf, as, poffibly, there are ; I can fay, (in the words of Mr. Pierce^ of whom I have taken fome thoughts) " I do it not wilfully, " ana defire to be thankful that I " have fuch an high-prieft as will " bear with the ignorant, and thofe u who are out of the way." The reader will do well to perufe the epiftle to the Hebrews, efpecially the phces referred to in this Difcourfe, before he pronounce fentence. The only favour I ask, is, that I may be accounted one of that number who love the Lord Jefus Chriji in in cor- ruption. CONTENTS I Page NTRODUCTION. i Prop. I. Jefus Chrift is a Pridt. 7 Prop. II. The time when Jefus Chrift was called to, and invefted with, the order of Prieilhood, was at his refurre&ion from the dead, I! Corol. I. There is a wide difference between the order of Chrift' s priefthood, and that of the Aaron ical, in point of duration, fucceffon, and perfonal perfec- tion. 1 6 Corcl. II. Jefus Chrift was not a priefl in his life, nor in his death, nor did he execute any part of that office in his eft ate of humiliation. 2 1 Prop. III. The minijlry of Jefus Chrift, as high pricfi, is confined to Heaven, and there his offering was ?nade. ibid. Corol. The priefthood of Jefus Chrift is founded on the covenant of grace, and not the covenant of grace on his priefthood. 29 Prop. IV. The offering which Jefus Chrift made in heaven, was himfelf. 35 Corol. I. There is fomething peculiar in the miniflry of Chrift, as well as in the place where it is exercifed. 56 Corol. II. The facrifce of Chrift in heaven was a living facrifce. 3 7 Corol. III. The facrifce of Chrift in heaven ivas not a bloody facrifce, or made in, and by, the fprinkling of blood, 4-2 Prop. CONTENTS. Prop. V. // is highly probable that the time, when J ejus Chriji made his offerings was foon after his re- furre&ion from the dead ; and that the manner of it was, by way of (olcmn addrefs^W worfhip. 44 Prop. VI. The offering of Jefus Chriji in heaven, is fitly filed an expiatory or atoning fa crifice. 63 Prop. VII. The offering of Jefus Chriji is but one, and cannot be repeated. 94 Prop. VIII. Jefus Chriji, by being and appearing as a man, in heaven, is the proper advocate and intcr- ceflbry^r mankind with God. IOC General Remarks. Remark I. The claim of a Jhare of Chriji' s priejl- hood in any fet of men is egregioufy ab/urd. 1 13 Remark II. When the death of Chriji is called a fa- crifice, it is to be underflood in a lax, popular fenfe ', and not to be refrained to his priejlhood, and taken as his proper, atoning facrifice. 120 Remark III. When Chrifl fuffered death upon the Crofs, he did not there make " by his one oblation of " himfelf once fuffered, a full, per feci, and fujpeient " facrifice, oblation, and fatisfahion for the ftns of this difcourfe, we mean, not a prejby- tef, elder, or venerable per/on, as it is ufed to denote among prot eft ants $ but a sacri- ficer, or one who is properly qualified to offer, in a publick capacity, for others, a prejent, or gift, to God. A prefent, or gift by him offered, wre call a facrifice ', offering, oblation : which laft mentioned terms we confider as fynonymous. That, in this ftricl: and proper fenfe of the word, Jefus Chrift is a prieji, or, is one who is qualified to offer up a facrifice in a publick capacity, may be proved by the authority and tenor of the epiftle to the hebrews ; from whence we need only fe- ledl at prefent thefe few plain paffages. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, confider the apoftle and high- prieji of our profeJfion% Chrijl Jefus \ For *> Chap. iii. I. z every 8 A Difcowfe concerning every high priejl, taken from among mm, U ordained for men, to offer gijts and jacrifices b : wherefore it is of necejfity that this man have fomeichat alfo to offer c. There are two celebrated orders ofpriejlhood recorded in fcripture, to wit, the order of Melchifedec, and the order of Jar on. Now, as both thefe bear fome kind of refpedl to the priefthood of Jefus Chrift, it will be natural to enquire ; — Is Jefus a prieji of ei- ther of thefe orders ? or, is his prieflhood like to either of thefe ? or, the interposition of God in railing him up from the dead, was an event fo very extraordinary and fignificant, that it fpoke plainly in his behalf, that he was what he profelTed himfelf to be. For this reafon God is fitly introduced on this occafion, ut- tering in the language offaBs (the true arti- culate voice of God) thofe words of the fecond Pfalm, THOU ART MY SON, THIS DAY have I begotten thee. The decree, fo long ago declared in that prophecy of the MeJJiah (for certain it is, St. Paul and our author, if they were not both the fame per- fon, fo underftood that pfalm to be) was now unfolded, fixed and determined for law ; God himfelf proclaiming, in and by the moft expreffive and fignificant action that could be, concerning Jefus of Naza- reth, Thou art my fon , this day have I begot- ten thee. And, in faying this, he acknow- ledged his dignity of the facerdotal kind, or allowed to him the honour and privilege of his brigh-right, what of courfe belonged to him ; fpeaking as it were to this purpofe at the fame time, and in the fame emphatical manner or language of faBs , and thereby fulfilling what David predicted of him in another pfalm r, Thou art a priefl for ever, after the order of Melchifedec. Here we fee 9 John v. 1 8. — xjx. 7. rHeb. v. 6. both the Priejihood of Jefus Chrift. 1 5 both the time, way, and manner of the in- troduction of Chrift into this office. David in fpirit, long after the levitical law was im- pofed, foretold— the grant of the moft emi- nent kind of priefthood, by God, to a fon and fucceffor of his •> a grant, which was made by God upon oath, to fhew its cer- tainty, as the word of the oath, the form and expreffion of it, doth its ftability and perpetuity. The Lord hath fworn and will not repent, Thou art a priejl for ever, after the order of Melchifedec s. This oath of God, prophetically given to David, concerning his fon and Lord, occafioned Jefus Chrift to be confidered as a priejl -, or was the ori- ginal ground upon which his priefthood was founded, as the law was the ground of the Aaronical : And God's raifing him from the dead, was the accomplifhment of his oath j for becaufe he continueth ever, in indhTolu- ble life, he hath, according to the word of the oath, an unchangeable priejihood1. This oath was performed in the inauguration and inftallment of Jefus. Here then commenced the priefthood of Chrift, and from hence it bore date, to wit, at his refttr region. s K ex. 4. * Heb. vii. 24, COROL- i6 A Difcowfe concerning Corollary I, There is a wide difference between the or- der of ChriJVs priefthood, and that of the Aaromcal in point of duration, fucceffion, and perfonal perfection. The Aaronical high prieflhood admitted men of infirmity, fubjecl to mortality and death, and, ccn- fequently, of a change or fucceffion of per- fons therein. But it is otherwife with the high prieflhood of Chrift, inafmuch as it is founded not on the law of a carnal command- ment\ but on the power of an e>idle/s life11. For Chrift being raifed from the dead, dieth no more ; death hath no more domimo-: over him •> fo tha: he can give place t iuc- ceffor, nor admit any change in hi fl> hood as the Aaronical did. They truly . *e many pr lefts, becauf they were not .uffert.* to continue by reafon of death : but this m becaufe he continueth ever, hath an unch nge- able prieflhood. For the law maketh men high priefts which have infirmity \ but the word of the oath which was fince the law, maketh the fon, who is conje crated for ever* more*. In thefe refpects therefore, the Jewiftj high priefthood, and the priefthood of Chrift, will bear no comparison. For which reafon he is not called a prieft after u Heb. vii. 1 6. I x verfes 23, 24, 28. the the Priejihood ofjefus Chrift. 1 7 the order of Aaron^ but, a prieft for ever after the order of Melchifedec, Not that the Melchifedecian is the fame with the prieft- hood of Chrift ; no, they are different : for if it was in all refpe&s the fame, Melchife- dec could not abide a prieft continually7, as by his having the figure of perpetuity in fcripture he is allowed to do 5 but would have a iiicceffor in Chrift. Befides, it is not only derogatory to the honour of Chrift to be the fucceffor of any one in his prieft- hood, but contrary to the plain truth of things ; for he received it by primogeniture and right of inheritance, of him who laid, thou art my fin, this day have 1 begotten thee , the effect of which aft or operation of God being in the power of endlefs life, Chrift, ftri&ly fpeaking, becomes both the firfl and the laji, and the only one of his order. Accordingly he is reprefented in vi- fion, faying, 1 am alpha and omega, the firfl and the laflx. Wherefore he is called a prieft, not of, but after, or according to, the order of Melchifedec. Who this eminent per fon, Melchifedec, was, has puzzled many an inquifitive head. But any farther knowledge of, or a more circumftantial account concerning him, than the fcripture hath given, feems unneceflary if not impertinent, as it might tend to de- J Heb. vii. 3. 2 Rev. i. 11. D ftroy, 1 8 A Difconrfe concerning ftroy, or obfcure, the figure the wifdom of God allotted him to bear in thofe divine books. Our author, after afferting, Jefis is made an higb-priejt for ever, after the order of Melchifedec ; proceeds to give the view he had of him, as he ftands on re- cord, in Gene/is. of a higher concern than the a£l itfeif ? ButT if the high prieft did then and there make a proper oblation, or facrifice, as he cer- tainly didc 5 why is not Chrift's offering of himfelf above, afacrificei n$her than com- hiemorating a facrifice ? the jevpjjh high prieft was ajigure, otjhaditw, of jefus our high prieft, in a greater and more perfect tabernacle : was there more cf immediate, active fervice, in the fiadciv, than in the * D'nlinBiom of 'far: 'feet. p. 104. ° Heb. ix. 7. E 2 fubjlance ? 2% A Difcourfe concerning fubjlance ? The analog) \ that is to be obferv- ed between the Jewijh and ckriflian high priejl, confifts in their refpective work and fta- tion. Now Chrift, in his death upon the crofs, without the gates of Jerufalem, bore no manner of likenefs, or fimilitude to the Jezvijlo high prieft, in his miniftry, with- in the vail. The one was naked and ex- pofed in his painful fufferings to the infults of yews and Gentiles: the other habited like a prince, was fhut up as it were with God, in his prefence chamber. It is plain v/e take the former in a wrong place, here, to find analogy between him and the latter. And if the latter, when within the vail, offered a proper facrifice ; but, Chrift, in heaven, only commemorated a facrifice ; we mall be as much at a lofs for analogy as be- fore ; the fervice of the Jewijh high-priefl not being according to, but beyond, the example and fhadow of the chrljlian high- pricjl. Wherefore as fcripture and analogy are clear that the real and Jpecial facrifice of Chrift was made in heaven > the authority of divines, ancient or modern, who have an intereft to ferve, viz. to make their mini- ftry below, a reprefentation, or kind of ima- gery, of his miniftry above ; I fay, the au- thority of thefe men, in afferting the of- fering of Chrift in heaven to be only com- memorative, muft be r ejected. But this is {peaking more largely to the point than I we the Prieflhood of Jefus Chrift. 29 we need to do : for what facrifice fhould Chrift commemorate in heaven ? He offered none on earth, for on earth he was not a prieft. From this and the preceding Proportions may, I think, be fairly deduced the follow- ing Corollary. Corollary. *the priefthood of Jefus Chrift is founded on the covenant of grace, and not the covenant of grace on his prieft hood. If the covenant of grace had been fixed and eftablifhed on the prieflhood of Jefus Chrift, that priefl- hood of his muft, to fay no more, in the order of nature have preceded the cove- nant. But the prieflhood of Chrift did not commence till his refurreftion from the dead, and the exercife of it is confined to heaven : Whereas the covenant of grace was published and confirmed by him on earth : Therefore the prieflhood of Jefus Chrift is fubfequent to, and founded on thp . covenant, and not the covenant of grace on his prieflhood. To make myfelf intelligible to the reader in this matter, by the covenant of grace, I underftand the new covenant, or go/pel j in which, among feveral truths and duties taught and enjoined, forgivenefs of fins and everlafting life are promifed. It is called a new 30 A Difcourfe concerning new covenant, and ftands directly oppofed to that which was made with the Ifraelites in the wildernefs ; when Mofes told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments : and all the people an/wered with one voice, and faid, All the words which the Lord hath faid, will we do p. This covenant being in its own nature imperfect and de- fective q ; fome better things were, by the prophet Jeremiah r, predicted and promifed, under the character of a new covenant y to wit, afyftcm of rational religion, founded on the true knowledge of God -> forgivenefs of fins, and an eve j lofting inheritance. Our author feems to place thefe two co- venants in oppo/iiion; not only becaufe the one juccecdcd, and fuperfeded the other, as a rule 0} life and manners; but for that he alio obferved in them Jomething analogous to each other. What that was, I take to be in fliort, this. They were each dedicated, or ratified and confinned in blood, and had a priejUwod fubfeqyent to, and founded on them. Let us a little confider this matter. In con- fir mat ion of the new covenant, Jefus flied bis blood. Be it here obferved, that, before they that were called to inherit the promifs of pardon and eternal life could be put inpofefjion of them, 'twas necejjary the death of Chrift jhculd intervene, with fucb circwnfinces, as ' Exod. xxiv. 3 1 ileb. viii. Chap. might the Priejlhood of Jefus Chi ill. 3 1 Plight be a fujpcient proof and evidence ', not only of his fmcerity, but, that he had power given unto him of God, to give fuch good things unto them. This brought the new covenant^ in refpedr. to Jefus, its media- tor, and to thofe who are called, or men- tioned therein as, heirs, fomewhat under the notion of a tefiament, or nature of a will. This may throw fufficient light, perhaps, to difcover the fenfe of our author in the fol- lowing paffage. And for this caufe, viz. fhedding his blood, he is moft eminently the mediator of the new covenant, that, or inafmuch as by means of death for the redemp- tion of the tranfgrefjions that were under the firft covenant, they which are called, might, with a plenary and full pardon, which the law of Mofes could not give, receive the promife of eternal inheritance. [It is here as in a will ox teftament]. For where a tejla- ment is, there mufl alfo of necefjity be the death of the tejlator. For a tefiament is of jorce after men are dead ; otherwife it is of no ftrength at all while the tefator liveth \ $Upon this account then, the death of Chrifl was necefjary, viz. to confirm the covenant , to give force and ftrength to it, that they, who are called to inherit the promifes, might receive and poffefs them, as valid and inconteftible. Accordingly, we find Jefus ? Heb. ix. 15, 1 6, 17. himfelf 32 A Difcourfe concerning himfelf in the inftitution of his fupper, in memory of his death, faying, of the cup, This is the new covenant in my blood \ As for the firji covenant, it did not at all partake of the nature of a teftament, as the fecond feems to have done with relation to Chrift. For its promifes were temporary, and of fuch a nature as did not require the death of Mofes to eftablifh. Some folemn fignificant rite, whereby to admit its authen- ticity, and confecrate it, was fufficient. Whereupon, our author obferves, neither the fir ft covenant was dedicated without blood. For, when Mofes had fpoken every precept to all the people, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and fear let wool, and hyffbp, and fpr inkle d both the book and all the people, faying, This is the blood of the cove- nant, which God hath enjoined to you \ Both covenants, we fee, had this in com- mon, that they were dedicated, or ratified and confirmed, in blood. The blood of the firft covenant was the blood of burnt- offerings, and peace-offerings, that were of- fered on that occafion : Not the blood of an expiatory facrifice, fin-offering or trefpafs- offering \ none fuch being then offered. The blood of the new covenant was the blood of Chrift, its mediator, who published and ra- tified it as God's covenant, and gave force Luke xx-if. 20, 5 Heb. ix. i2, 19, 20 and tie Priejlhood of Jefus Chrift. 33 and ftrength to it, in the manner a teflator giveth force and ftrength to his will, viz. by dying, in order that it might have its full virtue and eftablimment in the world. But farther : A prie/lhood was fubfequent to, and founded on each covenant. The frji covenant was made and folemnized before the confecration of Aaron to the prietlhood. The tribe of Levi performed no miniftry, on this occafion, different from the other tribes. On this occafion, the hifiorian tells us, young men of the children of Jfrael were employed, which offered burnt* offerings, and facrificed peace -offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Mojes took half of the blood and put it in bafons ; and half of the blood he far-inkle d on the al- tar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people : And they [aid, Ail that the Lord hath faid, will we do, and be obedient. And Mofes took the blood, he had put in bafons, and Jprinkled it on the people, and [aid, behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all thefe words x. It was after this folemnity that the Aaronical priefthood was fet up. And, in like manner, as the fir ft covenant was made, and alfo confirmed and dedicated in blood, before the Aaronical priefthood x Exod. xxiv. 5 — 9. F was 34 A Difcourfc concerning was erected -, fo the new and cverlafting co- venant was publifoed, and alfo confirmed in, and by% our Saviour's blood and death, be- fore he was inaugurated a prieft, or had entred on his miniftry in the heavenly fancluary. This is what our author appears to me to iniiniiate, to the notice of the He- brews, in order that they might make a due eftimatiop of the excellency of Chrift's prieft- hcod above the • Aaronical. But now hath he obtained a more excellent miniftry , by how much alfo he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was ejlablifloed upon better promifes Y : giving them to underftand, that by how much one covenant excelleth the other, by fo much one priefthood excelleth the other : By how much a complcat fyfiem of rational religion is preferable to a law of command- ments contained in ordinances, or promifes of Spiritual and eternal bleffings are better than temporal -, by fo much is the priefthood of Chrift fuperior to the levitical priefthood, — But enough of this at prefent, 1 Heb. viii. 6. Propo the Prieflhood of Jefus Chrift. 3 £ Proposition IV. The offerings which Jefus made in heaven, was Himfelf HAving found the place of Chrift's mi' niftry, .we come next to the fubjeffi matter of his offering, which was no other than himself. This propoftion is evident from a variety of paffages in the epiftle be- fore us. Chri/i by H 1 M s k l F purged our fins x. "This he did once, when he offered ^himself1. Who through the eternal fpirit offered him- self without Jpot to God b. He put away fin by the facrifce of himself s As our high priefl was ordained to offer, and was him- self the offering, it feems neceffary that what qualified him for, and constituted him, the former, mould be taken into our eftimate of the latter. If fo, it was himfelf cloaihed in a body, that had been madeup of flefh and blood, but now raifed incorruptible. And his fejh and blood, have a regard and conii- deration had to them herein, being feparately noted by our author d as occafion required, and their fignificancy preferved in the term, body e. Not that it was a rneer bodily Jervice ; 7- Heb. i. 3. a vii. 27. b ix. 14. c verfe 26, d -v. 19, 2c ■ verfe Jo. F 2 no, 36 A Difcourfe concerning no, his foul was engaged in the folemn act, and that principally. This is what Ifaiah (after prophetically defcribing the Offerings, death and burial of Chrift, and God's good pieafure in permitting all this to befal fo in- nocent and holy a perfon) fpeaks of in the fol- lowing words ; When thou fid alt make his foul \ or rather, as the margin has it, when his foul fall make an offering for fin, he pall fee his feed, he f:all prolong his days, and the pieafure of the Lord pad pro/per in his hands \ He pall fee of the travel of his foul, and be fatisfied, fully and compleatly rewarded, &c. It was himself, after the power of an end- lefs life, and not in carnal, or mortal, circumftances. He, through the eternal fpi- rit, offered Himjelf without fpot to God. So that body and foul, all that he was or that conftituted him a prie/l, conftituted his of- fering : Thus it was a facrifice moft rational, fpirilual, and of intrinfich and peculiar ex- cellence, including all the excellencies he porTeffed, and all the good fervices himself was capable of. Corollary I. There is fomething peculiar in the mini ofChrift, as well. as in the p]ace who e it is cifed. He did not offer what was not f Ifai. lit.. his the Priejihood of Jefus Chrift. 37 his own, or the blood of others, but he of- fered up himfelf. He did not come with things outward and extrinlick ; but made an oblation of his whole felf body, foul and fpirit, to God -> than which a greater facri- fice he could not offer. Corollary II. The facrifice of 'Chrift in heaven was a liv- ing facrifice. 'Twas not like the weak and beggarly elements, with which the legal priefts were concerned ; a dead and inani- mate fubject ; it had fpirit and life. He is a prieft, not after the law of a carnal com- mandment ; but after the power of an end- lefs life. And, as he was a prieft, fo he was a facrifice ; for he offered up himfelf. And it may be faid of Jefus, he was net a facrifice after the law of a carnal command- ment, but after the power of an endlefs life. The law admitted of inanimate things, which are called offerings -y and are diftin- guiihedfromy^cr//?a>5, which were offerings made in, and by, the blood and deflruBion of (lain beafts. ChriiVs facrifice was not of this law ; no carnal commandment ordained him a prieft, nor is his priefthood regulated thereby. No wonder, therefore, if we find his facrifice greatly differing from the legal facrifices ; 'tis what we might juftly expect. His facrifice was not fo made, /. e. directly in 38 AT)ifcourfe concerning in and by the death, blood and deflruclion of the fubject : But of another fafhion, was a livings felf-facrifice ; an offering made of himfelf to God, after his conqueft of death, in the principle and energy of immortal life. Jefus being come a prieft in indiflfoluble life, he, through the eternal fpirit, offered him- fe/f without fpot to God. In this confifteth the fuperior virtue and excellence of his fa- crifice, to thofe that were made under the law, by Jlain beafts. Sin and death, the two great reproaches of human nature, feem to have given occafion to two fpecial ordi- nances in the Mofaic Oeconomy -, that wherein, by the blood of bulls and of goats, the great atonement was made annually for fins -, and that, wherein, by the fprinkling of the afl:es of the red heifer, perfons were purified who had been defiled by the dead, Numb. xix. The reafon why blood was appointed, to make an atonement for the foul, is given, viz. becaufe the life of the fiefi is in the blood, Lev. xvii. 1 1. And it is a probable conjecture, which an eminent perfon was pleafed to favour me with, that the reafon why afhes were prefcribed for the purification of the fie/Jj, was, becaufe they make the ftrongeft lixivium, and, confequently, a fit em- blem of purification from the taint of death. The moral of both feems to be this : The nearer to life, and the farther from death, any thing is, the greater account Gad taketh *f the Priejlhood of Jefus Chrift. 39 of Juch things. Our author hath his eye upon both thefe expiatory fervices, and from them argues to the fuperior worth and effi- cacy of ChrifVs facrifice in heaven. For if the blood of bulls and of 'goats , and the ajhes of an heifer fpr 'inkling the unclean , fanffiifieth to the purifying of the flefh -, how much morejhall the blood of Chrift, who, through the eternal fpirit, offered himfelf without fpot to God, purge your confciences from dead works, to ferve the livifig God z ? What I have here fuggefted, concerning our author, in this remarkable paffage, will lead us to underftand it fomewhat different from thofe expofitors who have thought the legal facrifices were intended to extend no farther than to the removal of ceremonial or outward impurities. A mijlake, I appre- hend, which depreciates the law, and makes a greater difference in the effedls of the blood of bulls and goats, and of the blood of Chrift, than is warrantable from the in- fpired writers, duly compared together. Wherefore it will be no unneceflary digref- fion, in this place, fully to ftate our author's argument. In order to which, I would note, (.1.) That the purification of the fiefh here mentioned, in unclean cafes, that oc- curred by being with, or touching, a dead body, bone, or grave, was effected by the s Heb. ix. 13, 14. fprinkling 4° A Difcourfe concerning fprinkling of the ajhes of the heifer, and not by the blood of bulls and of goats. (2.) That the blood of bulk and of goats, here fpoken of, was that whereby the anrtual atonement was made for all their fins, con- fidered as a nation or people ; at which time the moral, at well as ceremonial and political, guilt was removed, that had been contract- ed the year before. See Levit. xvt. 30. (3.) That our. author had before fpoke of the ufe and virtue of this blood, as that which the high prieft alone, once every year , tffered for himfelf and for the errors of the people, v. 7. i. e. for all forts of fins, ex- cept capital prefumptuous ones, for which the offenders were cut of from the number of Ifrael, called for that reafon dead works y in oppoiition to pardonable errors. (4.) That, when the ufe and virtue of the apes of the heifer are mentioned, and joined to the blood of bulls and goats, as here ; the ufe and virtue of that blood, as before defcribed, muft be underftood and taken into our au- thor's argument . Wherefore let us fupply this paflage with his before given fentiments, and it will run to this purpofe : " For, if tered with the blood in a bafon, and by fpr inkling it with his finger towards and be- fore the mercy feat, be made his offering. " The very root or effence of a facrifice (as # \ Chap. ix. 9. k Heb. ix. 7. the Priefthood of Jefus Chrift. 43 the maxim of the Jews is) lies in the fpr in fi- ling of the blood"\ But Cbrift being come an high prieft of another law and order, en- tered into the holy place, not by the Mood of goats and calves, but by his own blood1. Though the blood of Chrift, as it anivv:rs all the purpofes, and far excels, the blood which Mofes fprinkled on the altar and on the people, and which the high prieft fprinkled in the holy place, is, in allujion thereto, called the blood of fprinkling™ ; yet, howfoever it was fhed on earth, in his iiif- ferings and death, there was no fprinkling of it in heaven : nor can any miniftration of it in that manner be conceived of, without derogating from his facriflce and the honour of his priert hood. It would degrade his fa- crifice from being a rational \ spiritual and intrinfick-facrifice^ and render it a- material^ external one : and it would, in this refpec~t, level his priefthood with the Jewifo Aaroni- cal priefthood, which was chiefly conver- fant in fprinkling of blood. That Jefus brought his blood before the divine Mxjefiy, and applied it to him, or fprinkled it upon his throne and about the court of heaven, is a low and unworthy notion. Nothing can excufe the ingenious author of the following k Patrick on Leviu xvi. j Heb h. it. il. m Chip. xii. 24. G 2 lines, 44 (**&,£, y As I knew nothing of Mr ' Ep y upon tie fe-ze- V** ' (sir ro.lAfcenfionsofChrifi, till finee this was written for the prefs, ^rUtyf^4^-/^ l have a pleafure to find my though.?, on moft of thefe pai- sf J/f * L ^"age?» fim^ar t0 M?« There is one objection to the leveral 0>J yUi fa* afcenfioiij of Chrift, taken from Htb. ix. \z. By h^ own blood he entered in once into tie holy place : Which he has ef- fectually anfwered. The high prieft went once e^v cry year^ i. c. [faith he) " He entered in but upon c;.i dav in the year into •' the moli holy place, which . [tie's meaning here " by once ; tno' he four feveral times that day entered " thereinto. " But that St. Luke, Chap. xxiv. and Acts i. fpeaketh of two different afcenfions, as Mr. IVbifion think?, I cannot grant : Nor does it appear, to me, that any but what is called the final afcenfion or our Lcrd, was lo, 1 come {in the a Chap. viii. 5. b Chap. ix. 25, 26. c Chap. x. 1,2, 3. I 2 volume 6o A Difcourfe concerning volume of the book it is i of me) to do thy will, 0 God. And to make 'it itill more evident, that this relatetfa to Chrift's facer- dotal miniftry, our author adds, verfe io. By the which will we are fanflified, through the offering of the b:dy of J ejus once for all. ii e. This prefentation, or tender, here made of himfelf in our likenefs, fafhion cr habit, as ?nan, to the divine will, has effectually fandtified, both as to body and mind, all who worfhip God through him. As for vtr/i 8, 9. I apprehend they mould be read in a parenthefis, in which our author confiders the words, as utteed by David, and applies them to his purpofe, viz. to ihew that David himfelf was convinced of the infufficiency of the legal facrifices, and did in effect, take them away, that he might eftablim obedience to the di- vine will, in fome farther appointments. After fuch great encomiums on Ch rift's miniftry, and (o n in relation to it, as had been 1, it was natu- ral for the Hi brews to enquire, how the fer- vice was performed, and what pa£:d on the occafion? {< You have told us Chrift is a great high prieli for us in heaven, and hath, by the offering up of himfelf, done that which the legal priefirhood and facrifices could not do : How, and in what ?nanner did he make his offering" ? I fuppofe our author, aware of t.v/s-, provideth for their fatisfa&ion herein, by borrowing the words of the Priefthood of Jefus Chrift. 6 i of a great king and prophet of /Am- own na- tion, and putting them, with a little varia- tion, into the mouth of our Lord. There is no paffage in the whole Jewiftj writings more beautiful and apt to the defign and and fcope of our author's argument, nor per- haps better fuited to give one an idea of that grand tranja&ion. Not to repeat what has been already f.iid under Prop. IV. Corol. I, If, III. to which I refer the reader : let me here obferve, that God was now to eftabliih a firiatal worjhip, under Jefus the great high prieji : wherefore, when he came to prefent himfelf in this character before the throne and make his offering, it muft undoubtedly be conceived of, as a ra- tional fervice, an act of the fablimeji wor- jhip. I will fuppofe it to be thus — When he was brought again from the dead, and •entred into the heavenly fanBuary before the throne of the Majefty on high, he faid, " facrifice and offering have not fufficiently " difcovered thy regard to mankind , and " therefore thou wouldefl not continue them " any longer ; but haft fitted me with a body If he be 'not able to bring t-wo turtle doves or two young pigeons -, then he that finned, fi:all bring for his offering the tenth fart of an epha of fine flour for a Jin-offering ; he fi:all put no oil upon it, neither flail he put any frankincenfe thereon : for it is a fin-offering. And the prie/l fimll make an atonement for hint, as touching the fin that fie hath finned, and tie Priejlhood of Jefus Chrift. 73 and it ft: all be for given him. Now, if the outward and vifible fign prefiguring, was the blood and death of the fubjecl ; this facrifice, being deftitute of blood and death, could not prefigure the facrifice of Chrift. And, if atonement was made by a facrifice that had no typical refpecl to Chrift, (for the pri eft's taking and burning his handful of the meal, will make as poor a figure for the purpofe, as the miller's grinding and dreffing it) it is plain its atoning force and virtue mud be derived elfewhere : For it could not a rife from a relation it had not. And, if atone- ment was made, where no blood, nor any re/pecJ to blood, was ; we may conclude, that the atoning virtue in thofe offerings, where was blood, lay not in the blood, nor in any thing peculiarly adumbrated thereby. By the way ; what has been above faid may affift us to underftand our author in the following paffage. Jnd ahnoft all things are by the law purged with blood ; and k without floedding of blood is no remiffon \ If the laft claufe be extended to the law of fin- orferings in general, it is not true : For, without fheddins; of blood, there was re± mifjion. The prieft made an atonement for the poor man, as touching the fin that k A perfon of great abilities is pleafed to inform me, that the word almoft fhould here be repeated.— And almofVav/Y^- out (hedding of blood is tiq remijjlon. 1 Chap. ix. 22. L he 74 p Tillotfon m, had very early and cc univerfaliy obtained among mankind, con- cc cerning the expiation of fin, and appeaf- n ing the offended deity, by facrifices : By •' He fcarce hath finn'd, but reckon'd in- nocent, jl preaching the go/pel ; before he was ordained a pried : I fay, he was mediator before he was priejl : for, tho' every prieft be a mediator, every mediator is * i Cor, viii. 5. * Whithy on CV. ii. 1 not the Priejibood of "Jefus Chrift. 107 Hot a prieft. This I defire may be noted, in order that we do not confound and jumble things together, which are in themfelves feparate and diftindh And, as Jefus took upon him the mediatorial cha- racter, when he entred on his prophetic mi- niftry, and publifhed the new covenant -, he afterwards rofe in that character, being, by his exaltation to the Father's right hand, with reipect to the Jews, a mediator fuperior to Angels, to Mofes, and to their high prieft ; and, with refpecl to both Jews and Gentiles, the one Lord- agent and only mediator between God and men. The church is compleat> fill'd and perfected, with every kind and fa- lutary work and office, necelTary to its wor- ship of, and communion with, God, in him, who is the head of all principality and power. He is above all lord-agents and prieft- mediators, that ever were, by divine, or human appointment, regarded in the world ; angels, authorities, and powers bei?ig made fubject unto him". God hath employed upon us who believe, the working of the might of his power, even that which he exerted in raifing Chrift from the dead, and in fetting him at his own right hand, in the heavenly offices, or places, which were occupied and filled by dignitaries of one kind and another, for above all principality, and power, arid might, and dominion, and every name that is h i Pec. iii. 32, P 2 named, 108 A Difcourfe concerning named, not only in this world, but alfo in that which is to come y and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his bodyy the fulnefs of him that filleth all in all\ Jefus is the only mediator, the prince and patron, Lord-agent and advocate, in the court of heaven, for the family of mankind. His elevation to the father's right hand both proves, and prefents, him to us, as fuch : and, if unprejudiced reafon can fay nothing againft the fitnefs, and decency, of finners being made acquainted with, or approach- ing, God, by means of fome third per [on % it cannot objed: to the honour, which is here done to Jefus Cbrift, who really hath merited the place and ftation. We are un- der infinite obligations to him : he hath loved us, and wafied us from our fins by his blood -7 and hath made us kings andpriefls to God and his father -y and is worthy to receive glory and dominion over us for ever and everk. His jurifdi&ion over us is founded in right of purchafe : we are redeemed from a vain i'onverfation9 or the idolatrous life of our forefathers, to the pure and fpiritual worfhip of God, not with corruptible things as filver and gold, wherewith flaves were wont to be freed ; but with the precious blood of Chrijl, which, tho' fpilt as bafe, or as the blood of 1 Eph. i. 19. k Rev. i. 5, 6. a capital the Priefthood of Jefus Chrift. 109 a capital offender, was, neverthelefs, as that of a lamb 'without bkmifh and without Jpot\ And he hath obtained it of God, his Father, as a reward of his moft perfect obedience and exalted virtue. He had a glory with the Father before the world was, in refpedt of which, tho' " he was in the form of God, death, and when he was not liable to death : what is this but two offerings, inftead of one oblation of himfelf once offered ? The plain truth is, as above taken notice of; the death of Jefus is improperly called his facri- fice. 'Twas rather zjewiff facrifice, a fa- crifice of their making, than his : A facri- fice, in which was filled up the meafure of the fins of that diffolute people, rather than by which atonement and fatisfacftion was made, for the fins of the whole world. That which is emphatically called Chriffs facrifice , of his own fpecial work and office, whereto cur fanctification and abfolution is afcribed, was made in heaven. Remark IV. That rite, which was ordained to be a memorial of the death of Chrift ^ was not or- dained to be a memorial of his facrifice. This is plain and evident : The [upper was infti- tuted in memory of Chrift's death ; and if his death was not his facrifice, it was not inftituted in memory of his facrifice. It was in memory of him once prefent ; not in memory of any after tranfaction to be per- formed by him in his abfence. If the fup- per 126 A Difcourfe concerning per be a commemoration of afacrifice, 'tis only of a nominal and figurative one ; not of that grand jacrifice, which was Chrift's aBively confidered in his jacer dotal capacity. Wherefore, to call the Lord's table an altar ', and partaking of the Eucharift, feajiing upon his jacrifice, is highly improper and unwar- rantable. 'Tis true, our Author tells the Hebrews, we have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat, which ferve the tabernacle0. But, if it be difficult to know what he here means, by altar (as is generally allowed,) it would ren- der the context and fcope of his argument more difficult, if not abfurd, to apply that term to the Lord's table. Let us fuppofe he means, by it, the Crofs of Chrifi, as learned men have conje&ured ; the Lord's table cannot, even in afecondary fenfe, bear the epithet of an altar, that not coming in the place of the crofs, whereon Chrift fuffered, but in the place of the table, upon which the Jfraelites did eat the pafchal fupper* . We might, perhaps, get fome light into this obfcure paffage, if by altar, we under- ftand the fervice performed by a prieft : a fenfe of the word, that feems to have fome countenance from Lam. ii. 7. and other places of fcripture. It is certain that, with- out the camp, and within the vaily the two 0 Chap. xiii. 10. ? See Plain Account, p. 47 — 57» 3 places the Priejlhood of Jefus Chrift. 127 places mentioned by our author, and which he makes to anfwer, the one, to the place where Jefus fuffered $ the other, to the place where he minijireth as a prieft, no al- tar was ere&ed. Let us take a view, then, of his argument — Be not carried about with divers and ft range doctrines : for it is a good thing that the heart be ejiablijhed with grace , not with meats , which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar ', &c. q. d. We chiiftians have fuch afervice performed by Jefus our high prieft, in which meats (about which fome make an undue ftir among you) have no concern. The grace, cr favour, of God, refulting from thisfervice to us, is what you are to partici- pate of, and be eflablifhed in. And that this his fervice excepteth meats, is apparent from the levitical law itfelf ; for that or- dained that the bodies of thofe beajls, whofe blood is brought into the fanBuary, by the high prieft for fin, Jhould be burnt without the camp, and not be eaten of. Wherefore Jefus alfo, that he might anfwer the end of thofe great expiatory facrifices, and fanffify the people with his own blood, by bringing of it into the true tabernacle, as I have already mentioned, firft fuffered in his body, with- out the gate > and confequently left no room for us to expect any meats to avail under his difpenfation. Let us^ therefore, go forth unto him, without the camp 5 (where there is no- thing 128 A Difcourfe concerning thing to be eaten ; but all is confumed that was for meats, in other facrifices) bearing his reproach. For here, under this legal dif- penfation, we have no continuing city, no place to abide in, long, where any facrifi- ces fhnll be offered ; but we feek one to come, under Chrift. By him, therefore, who is the high prieft of our profeffion, let us, in- ftead of regarding meats, offer the facrifice ofpraife to God continually, that is, not the fruits of the earth and firftlings of the flock and herd, but, thejruit of our lips, giving thanks to bis name. But, when I fay this, I I do not mean that this is all ; for to do good and communicate forget not-, for with fuch facrifices, God always was, and always will be, well pleafd!' Whether this, or fome- thing like it, be not the true* fcope of our author's argument, is fiibmitted to better judgments. If we underftand this text in a literal fenfe, and allow of a proper altar in the chrifiian church ; by juft confequence, " we muft c< have a facrifice, and priejls to offer that " facrifice. " And no wonder, the Melchi- fedecian priefis, who are greatly interefted herein, are concerned to have it fo under- ftood. ct I pray you, Reader, (fays one of cc them,) to take notice, that the apoftle, by ct eating off, or from the chriftian altar, ,f means eating orally (/. e. with the mouth) " a material facrifice -, becaufe, he fays, the Jews the Priefthood of Jefus Chrift. 129 c Jews had no right to eat of the chriftian ' altar ; becaufe, by their own law, they ' were not to eat of a fin-offering. If he c means an oral eating (/. e. with the mouth) • in the one cafe, manifeft it is, that he 1 muft mean the fame, in the o:her: but c we have no facrifice, in the chrifcian £ church, that can be eaten orally it. e. with ' the mouth) but the facrifice of the Eucha~ 1 rift alone, the facrifice of bread and wine, 4 ©V.q" Had this writer prayed his Reader to have blotted out the foregoing verfe [be not carried about with diverfe and Jlrange doctrines 5 for it is a good thing that the heart be ejlablijhed with grace, not with meats, to be eaten orally (/. e. with the mouth) which have not profited them, that have been occupied therein :) before he had attempted to give him (what he calls) his " plain conjlruclion of the text", he would have gained one confiderable point. — But, even then, I would ask, in the perfon of a Hebrew, you fay, cc the chriftian facrifice of " the Eucharift is a fin- offering, a propitia- cc tory oblation, to procure pardon, by vir- <£ tue of the grand facrifice :" How can you pretend that your go/pel was typified, in our law ; when that exprefsly/irZ>/;/r any part of a fin-offering, whofe blood is brought into the holy place to reconcile withal, to be * Sacrament of the Altar, p. 59. r Lev. vi. 30. S eaten ? 130 A Difcourfe concerning eaten ? Wherefore did Jefus, in conformity (you fay) to our law, of burning, without the camp, the bodies of thofe beafts, whofe blood was brought into the fandtuary, for fin, fuffer without the gate, if you have a right to eat and jeaft on his Jin-offering ? The burning without the camp, in our pro- pitiatory facrinces, which you call the type, was prefcribed, that it might not be eaten of: yours, to anfwer as antitype, fuffered without the gate, but to be eaten of : what is this but a type and no type, likenefs and no likenefs ? But, to clear this paffage of all obfcurity, the judicious reader will pleafe to obferve (1.) That (as I intimated above) there was no literal altar to be ufed, in the grand expiatory facrinces for the prieft and people. The bodies, without the camp, were confumed upon the ground. Lev. iv. 12. xvi. 27. and the blood, within the vail, was fprinkled, before the mercy feat, on the floor. There was no altar ereded in either place, or requifite to the fervice. (2.) If Chrift conformed to this pattern, as it appears by our author he did, no literal, proper altar was ufed, or to be ufed, in his fervice ; neither was there any thing material, not even his crofs, whereon he fuffered, that anfwered to a material, proper altar; much lefs can his table. (3.) Our author does not fay, that we chriftians, who have this altar, have a right to eat of it: the Priefthood of Jefus Chrift. 1 3 1 it : but that they, the Jewijh priefts, who might and did eat of many facrifices under the law, even they (much lefs the church in general) had no right to eat of fuch a facrifice, as this of ours is. If I fhould fay, " We chriftians have a fervice, which "priefts have no right to deprave;" no feniible man would conclude, that we have a right to deprave it. — On the whole, this text, inftead of affording any fupport to the doctrine of a facrifice and altar, in the Lord's fupper, is, considered in its conne- ction, plainly and fully againft it. We have nofeajis upon facrifices : If this be a reproach > let us bear it well, considering whofe it is, namely, the reproach of Chrifl. 'Tis no difficult matter, to account for thofe ufurpations, in the chriftian church, which conftitute, as it is called, zfpiritual hierarchy. After the death of the Apoftles, grievous wolves foon appeared ; and, as they faw the chriftian priefthood was the common privilege of all chriftians, who were truly, in a peculiar and emphatical fenfe, God's heritage, or clergy ; their firft attempt was to monopolize it to themfelves : But, as the common right was too glaring to be totally fuppreffed, they had an expedient for a compromife -, and which they are ftill ready to propofe, on all occafions of difference and difpute 3 and it runs to this effect : S 2 "All 132 A Difcourfe concerning ct s All good christians fhall be allowed, in a We may learn hence to efieem the true chrifiian fcheme, as infinitely preferable to the law of Mo/es, and to any Jc heme of re- ligion in the world, in point of its high prieft hood. Let us confider how great this man is, who executed? this office ; and, in whofe perfon alone, it is immutably fixed. He is one, far furpaffing Aaron and all the levitical tribe ; greater than Melchijedec, to whom the patriarch, Abraham, payed tithes -, yea, above Angels, he being, in a diftin- guifhed, peculiar fenfe, the f on of God, heir of the Priefthcod of Jefus Chrift. 137 of all things, by whom alfo he made the worlds : the brightticfs of hii Father's glory, the exprefs image of his Father's perfon, who upholdeth all things by his Father s pcwer. This, this is the Apoftle, who firft inftituted, and is now become the High Prieft of our profeffion. — Let us confider the place of his miniftry. He is a prieft, pajfed into heaven for its, to the throne of the Majefty on high, whereto he hath opened a way for our worfhip, without turning our bodies to the eafl, or paying any deference to altars, tabernacles, temples, and ftateiy edifices* made with hands. — Let us confider his mi~ nijlry, and the effefts of it. He was faith- ful to him that appointed him, and duly difcharged his office ; doing that, by his one, living, felffacrifce , which all the bloody facrifices in the world could not procure,, He faves or fanctifies, not in part, but per- feBly and to the uttermojl ; not for a finite duration, but for ever : And he ever liveth to fecure a holy freedom to his church and people. — Let us confider, that he difcharges the functions of this office for us freely : 'Tis the heavenly gift, and obedience to him will entitle us to all its benefits, with- out money and without price. The thou- sands of rams, and ten thoufands of rivers of oil, and even human ficrifices, that have been offered by priefts iu other religions, at the expence of the people, are here abfo- lutely excluded and forbidden, Bleffed be T God 138 A Difcourfe concerning God for Jefus Chrift ! The Jewijlo reli- gion did not more excel the old pagan, than it&lf is excelled by the chrijlian. Tho' the Jews had great advantages, and giound of hope toward God, by their prieft hood > the proportion it bears to what we have by Chrift, is, not that of an image, or copy, to an ori- ginal, but that ofafiadow to a fubjlance. Secondly, We may learn hence the obliga- tions to gratitude and duty, which chriflians lie under, to Jefus Chrijl. His dignity coft him dear. He had a glory with the Father betore the world was, and emptied himfelf of it -, went thro* a tedious and painful ex- ercife in fiefh and blood, and endured a great fight of afflictions, from principalities, and powers, and fpiritual wTickedne(Tes in high places ; before he could make a fpoil of them, and take the priefthood to himfelf. For the joy, that was jet before him, in ar- riving at this faving office, to be the finift:cr, ashe was the author of our faith, he endured fhe crofs, defpifing the flame, and is now fat down at the right hand of the throne of God ; having made reconciliation and obtained eternal redemption for us. By him it is, .we have accefs into this grace, wherein we {land, as children of God, and rejoice in hope of a fui table glory. 'Thirdly, Let us be excited Jleadily to adhere to Jefus, and to purfue the advantages of his minijhy. Seeing that we have a great High Prieft, that is palled into the heavens, Jefus the the Priefihood of Jefus Chrift. 139 the fon of God, let us hold f aft our prof effiony and oppofe all men on earth, who dare en- croach on his prerogatives, or vainly pretend, with their facrifices, benedictions and abfolu- tions, to exercife his priefthood and Irs power. Having therefore, brethren, bold- nefs to enter into the holieft, by faith in the blood of fefus ; — a liberty given to every one of us who are chriftians to per- form facred fervice, in the divine preience ; by a new and living way, which he bath con- fecrated jor us, through the veil ; within which the Jewiftj high prieft alone was allowed to wormip ; that is to fay, a way to the immediate prefence of God, new made for us, by hisfieftd, of which he partook, in common with us ; and by his obedience and fufferings in which, he is feated at his Fa- ther's right hand : And having in him an high prieft over the houfe of God ; let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith, having our hearts fprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies waftjed with pure water. Let us employ no proxy, to tranfacl our fpiritual intereils ; bat come, ourfelves, boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. — Let our facrifice be, an imitation and copy of that which Jefus offered, a living, j elf facrifice : Such is bed expreffive of true piety, and moft accepta- ble to the God and father of all rational be- ings. Therefore leaving the rudiments of the T 2 doflrine 140 A Difcourfe concerning doftrine of the priefthood of Chrijly which were (like as milk is fuited to babes) adapted to the fcwijk noviciate-date, let us go on un- to perjeSzion, and conform ourfelves entirely to that fervice within the vail. I befeech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prejent your bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your rea- fonablefervicex. In fine, Hence let us learn to guard our fehes againjl any defleclion, or apofiafy, from the chriflixn religion. 'Tis an heavenly calling ; a profeffion, that does unfpeakable honour to the human nature. The high priefr of this religion appears in the prefence of God for us. To a true and upright heart let us join a firm and well grounded perfua- iion of his rcfurrection and glory ; that full affiirance of faith, which is abfolutely re- quisite to our receiving the benefits of his miniftry, or to the having our bodies and minds purified for communion with our fu- preme Father and God. Jefus has not only opened a free paflage for our filial addrefl'es to [he throne of divine Majefty now, but as our forerunner is for us entred to prepare a place for our perfonal reception ; that, where he is, we may be alfo. Let us then hold faft the profeffion of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that promifed— Let thofe be QJhamedofi, Ghrifttanity, who make it a bafe ? x Rom. xii. 1. fecular the Priefthood of Jefus Chrift. 141 fecular intereft, a worldly kingdom > or who take the idle conceits of men for Chrift's gofpel, and the tricks of priejls for his mini- ftry : We have not fo learned Chrijl.—A fet of abjurd doBrines and cunningly devifedfa- tiles, invented and fupported by weak or crafty men, under the guife of chriftian my- Jleries, may have a run with the commonal- ty, and occafion the truth to be flighted, difefteemed, and evil fpoken of: or the wild enthufiafm, fuperflition, bigot try, and immoralities of Chriftians, may bring the profef/ion into contempt, ^ with extravagantly nice people : but men, who have their fenfes rightly exercifed, will diftinguifh things, and fcorn to renounce their allegiance to Jefus, much lefs to libel his revelation upon account thereof. Shall the prevalence of fraud and impofture turn us from the truth ? The abufe of Chrift/s name, induce us to difrelim and reject his gofpel ? Innovations in his worfhip, occafion us to deny and renounce what is pure, primitive, and apoftolical ? Let us not forjake the affembling of ourfehes together, as the manner of feme is. The omiffion of pub- lic and fecial duties, among Chriftians, has an ill afpect and tendency.-— Let us confider, to how deplorable a ftate and condition a defection from Chrift and his gofpel leadeth men. There remaineth no more jacrifice for Jins-, but a certain fearful looking for of judg- ment, and fiery indignation, which Jkall de- vour 142 A Difcourfe concerning vour the adverfaries\ This, 'tis true, was fpoken of thofe of the Hebrews, who after embracing the chriftian faith, apofta- tized therefrom. Upon the received princi- ples of thefe men, God at fundry times, and in divers manners, /pake ' unto the fathers by the prophets ; and had given to their na- tion, in particular, 2.fyjlem of laws by Mo- fes : So that they could not be prejudiced againft revelation in general, as a thing im- poffible and abfurd. 'Twas well known to them that he, who defpifed Mofes's law, died without mercy ; and therefore 'twas fitly re- commended to their confederation, of how much forer punifiment he Jliould be thought worthy , who tr ode under foot the fon of God, treated him in a bafe contemptuous manner, and who counted the blood of the covena?it wherewith he was fanBified, abfolved from fin, and fitted to worfhip God acceptably, an unholy thing, common blood, or, what is worfe, the blood of a blafpkemer and im- poflor -, and who did defpite unto the fpirit of grace, oppofing its tejlimony to the truth of the gofpel, by prophecy and miracles, with envy and malice. Their crime is of an enor- mous nature, and their punimment will be in proportion. But there are fome, who perhaps may not come under the name of apojlates, as ha- ving never acknowledged the baptifmal en- gagement 3 and yet cannot be diftinguifhed r Heb. x. 26—30. from the Priejlhood of Jefus Chrift. 143 from the above reflection. Our age can pro* duce thofe, that openly treat the fin of God with indignity, who even ridicule that fa- cred character of his, and count his fuffer- ingsand death the juft demerit of his preten- fions to it ; and who oppofe the gracious fpirit of God, that witneffeth to the truth of the chriftian fcheme, and runs through the whole. Whether fuch will be perfuaded, or not, their cafe is deplorable. Unreafona- ble doctrines, impofition, and prieftcraft, let them oppofe : but, in oppofing Chrift and his miniftry, they oppofe the only means, which God hath, or ever will ordain, to con- vey pardon and eternal life to them. There- fore it is, at their greateft peril and hazard, that they crucify to themfilves the fin of God a- frejh^ and put him to openjhame -, or approve of, and, as it were, act over the very part, which the Pharifees, the Saducees, the Priefls, and the Jewijh rabble acted. There remaineth no more facrifice for fins. — Chrift: will never repeat his courfe. Theyrnuft either fubmit to, believe, and obey, his gofpel ; or, in the dark, uncomfortable ftate of nature and guilt, perijh like the beafts, without any rational y well grounded hope of pardon that i fues in life and immortality. After this melancholy reflection, I cannot fupprefs one pieafure, which arifes to my mind from the confideration that thefe men are fecure in their perfins and properties under the wife and good government of our Sove- reign 144 ^ Difcourfe concerning reign Lord, King George. Their condition is bad, without the infliction of fines and imprifonments, and corporal pwiijhments. The high-priefl; of our profeffion wanteth no jorce from civil powers to fupport his miniftry. If any will trample upon, and offer indignity to, this character, the/on of God ; will count the blood of the gofpel-co- venant bafe and unholy , and in fpiteof the interna! and external evidences of the truth of the chrifiian religion, will treat it with contempt and bujfoonry , we muft, after the example of our author to the Hebrews, leave them to him who hath faid, vengeance be- longeth unto me, I willrecompenfe, faith the Lord : and again, the Lord Jh all judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Godx. Other things might be taken notice of > fuch as the grounds of thofe dijjentions that are among Protejlants, concerning the priefthood and facrifice of Chri/l : The great reafon there is to exercife moderation, love and charity among themfelves -, and the like ; all which the judicious reader will colled him- felf. I dole with faying, that, from falfe notions of thz Priefthood ofjefus Chrifi, the devil has played more engines, and with greater fuccefs, againft the fpread of the gofpel, than from all the quarters of Atheism and Infidelity. 2 Keb. x, 30, 31. F 1 N I S. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FIRST VISION OF St. J O H N. SHEWING The particular Formation, Nature, and Use of the Prophetic Scheme therein exhibited. As for my Interpretation, — where 1 leave others and take a Way of mine own, I do it to maintain an Uniformity of 'Notion in the prophetical Schemes and Allegories throughout the Scripture ; •which, 1 am perfuaded, were once no lefs familiar and ufual to the Nations of the Orient, than our poetical Schemes and Pictures are to us. Mede's Works, Book IV. Ep. XIV. LONDON: Printed for John Noon, at the White Hart \ near Mercers-Chapel> Cheapfidt Ut MDCCL. To the Reverend Arthur Ashley Sykes, D. D. Dean of St. B ERIAN. Reverend SIR, T F I am fufpe&ed of a Defign, to J^ recommend thefe Papers by pre- fixing to them your Name ; the Dis- couragements, to which the Publicati- on of Things of this Sort is liable, may be an Apology. So much Forgery and Impofture have been introduced into the World, under the fpecious Pretext of Vifions and Divine Revelations^ that every Thing of that Character is not only become questionable, but is actually fallen into Contempt with fome Per- fons, as mere Illufions and impertinent Fancies, the proper Entertainment only of weak and credulous Minds. And as to the Bulk of Believers, who cannot or who will not fearch after Truths of difficult Accefs, or to whom A 2 any iv DEDICATION. any Degree of New Light in the Myfte- ries of the Sacred Books is offenfive, — it cannot be expe&ed fiich fhould defire to look into prophetic Schemes, or trouble themfelves to diftinguifh. the Vifions of God from wild Reveries. Incomprehenfibility is a fort of Cha- racter fome good People affix to what- ever comes from God ; and as they, therefore, approve and admire the more the Things they do not underftand ; an Attempt to explain and render hard Things intelligible, in Revelation, is highly diftafteful to them ; and he, who attempts it, comes off well, if he does not incur their Difpleafure. But, whilft I recount Difcourage- ments, I muft not conceal the Favour I have met with, from fome eminent Perfons, in the Courfe of making thefe Obfervations. It bids fair for the fpreading of Knowledge in the Scrip- tures, when able Divines will become Advocates for the Liberty of Prophe- fying, and will condefcend to aid the Spirit of free Inquiry, in the Laity. This noble and generous Temper have you, DEDICATION. v you, among others I have the Honour to know, who ground your Reputati- on, not on the Ignorance, but on the Inftru&ion and Improvement of Man- kind. Your early Appearance for Liberty Civil and Religious : Your juft De- fence of the Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion : Your rational Vin- dication of the Truth of the Chriftian Religion in particular, and the many ufeful Lights you have thrown on fe- veral important Subje&s relative there- to : — Thefe, and other your Labours, joined with an uniform Conduct in Life, fteady and confiftent, — have juft- ly procured you Veneration and Efteem from wife and good Men* of all Parties. Even the ableft Adverfary, that has appeared in this Age againft Revelation, was pleafed to obferve, that, of all, who wrote againft him, you alone advanced a conftftent Scheme of Things, which you propofed with g?~eat Clearnefs, Po- litenefs, and Moderation. Prophecy and Miracles, conjoined, afford an Argument, in behalf of our great vi D EDIC ATIO N> great Teacher and his Religion, which you. Sir, are perfectly Mafter of. As it is to your excellent Writings I owe my little Knowledge and Acquaintance with the State and Force of that Argu- ment, you have a Right to my grateful Acknowledgments, and the beft Title of any to thefe Papers. When the prophetic VHions inter- fperfed in our Sacred Books fhall come to be examined with Accuracy, I do not doubt but a curious Composition and Structure, with fuch internal Marks of Wifdom and Goodnefs, will be confpi- cuous in them, as will be fufficient to diftinguifh real divine Infpiration from the Flights of a warm diftempered Fancy, or the cunning Art of Man. Whether the Method I have taken, in examining and ftridtly adhering to the Imagery and Ground-Plot in Vifion, carefully avoiding of typical Senfes and forced Allufions, be likely to promote a clear Difcovery of the Notions, Na- tural or Moral, that this Part of the Majler-Piece of myftical Prophecy (as it has been called) is intended to con- vey, DEDICATION. vii vey, is humbly and with all due De- ference fubmitted. Where I differ from you, or any other great and learned Perfon, I muft plead the Privilege you grant to fober Inquiries into Subje&s of a difficult and abftrufe Nature, where Error is almoft unavoidable. And if I am miftaken in fome of my Conjectures, touching the particular Formation, Nature, andUfe of the prophetic Scheme exhibited in St. Johns jirjl Vijion ; the Miftake will be excufed, and the Perfon not thought worfe of, by you ; in whofe Judgment and Practice, all Knowledge, and all Mystery, and all Faith, is Nothing to Charity. That you may long continue to adorn your Country, and the eftablifh- ed Church, is the unfeigned Wifh of, Reverend Sir, Your very obliged, Mojl obedient Humble Servant, Thomas Moore. [viii] ADVERTISEMENT. (rjT>H ES E Papers were drawn upy in order -* to have been publi/hed the Beginning of May , but as a DifTertation on Prophecy, with an Explanation of the Revelation of St. John, by the Lord Bijhop of Clcgher, was then in the Prefs 3 they were detained as what might pojfi- bly be rendered ufeJefs and unnecejjary. But fince his Lordflnp proceeds upon a Plany which excepts the three firft Chapters of the Revela- tion (the entire Subjefl of thefe Obfervations) from a Jlriffi prophetical Confideration, they may be f iff ere d to appear ; and the rather ', as it is hoped they may in fotne Meafure fubferve the good Defign of his Lord/hip, "to contribute " towards making this Book of the Revelation " to St. John more frequently read by the Learn- " edy than it hath hitherto been:' The Dif- fertation on the Olympic Games, which I have feen in the Interval, has given me great Plea- fure. That learned and ingenious Writer (whofe Obfervations on the Hiftory and Evi- dence of the Refurredtion of Jefus Chrijiy fujjiciently demon/irate his Regard to Revelation) will not be difpleafed at the Ufe I have made of bis Writings. O&ober n, O B S E R- fronting Pa (x) ► OBSERVATIONS O N T H E FIRST VISION O F ■~ St. J O H N. o i. ^*""NV ^ t^ie ^r^ ^ay °f tne Week, more efpecially fet apart for Chrijlian Worfhip> called the Lord's Day, St. John, during his Exile in Pat- mosy an Ifland in the Icarian Sea, was in the Spirit -y being, like fome of the ancient Pro- phets, Ezek. xi. 24. xxxvii. 1, in an extraordi- nary Way and Manner *, prefented with at B Vijioriy * As to the Manner of a Divine Rapture, whether the Images of Things are caufed to appear to the external Senfes, or to the Mind only, we know not : And in re- fpedt to this Point, it feems, St. Paul himfelf could not tell the Manner of his Vifions and Revelations, whether what he/aw and heard, was in and by the Organs of the Body, or without it's Inftrumentality, 2 Cor, xii. 2, 3, Neither is it of any Confequence to us, as long as we are certain. 2 Obfervations on the jirjl Vifion Vifion, the noblefl Kind or Degree of pro- phetic Revelation. 2. This Vifion was ufhered in with Solem* nity, by a great Voice, ftrange and awful, like the Sound of a ^Trumpet, expreffing the An- gular Dignity of the Perfon fpeaking, and par- ticular Inftrudtion to certain Churches which the Vifion concerned : I a?n Alpha and Omega , the firfl and the laji * ; And what thou feejt write in a Book, and fend it unto the feven Churches which are in Afia ; unto Ephefus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadel- phia, and unto Laodicea, Chap, i. 10, 1 1. certain, St. John retained a found Mind, or was not de- prived of his Reafon, and other Faculties of Senfe and Per- ception, which were all rationally converfant about the Objects he was prefented with. Here was nothing like a temporary Madnefs or Divination by Fury, as it was called among the Gentiles ; nor were Distortions, and Convul- fivc Agitations of the Body, neceflary to the Part he acted, in receiving and giving the Revelation, as we {hall fee in the Sequel. * " That is, before whom no Man ever was that which I " am, nor ever jh all be \ who neither had any PredeceJJbr, nor tc fliall have any to fucceed me. This is a Phrafe taken out lc of^fc.xli. 4, where it is ufed of God the Father. Itisex- w£ plained in the fame Prophet, Chap, xliii. io. xliv. 6. God " feems to have had Refpeft to the Opinion of the Hea- 46 thens, who feigned Succeffions of Gods, of which fome " came and dethroned others, and reigned in their {read, " and which feems to have prevailed among the Eaftern " Nations, as it did among the Greeks''. Vid. Le Clerc in Loc. In this Senfe Chrift, the Perfon reprefented fpeak- ing, is the firji and the lajl, the only one of his Order and Dignity. 3- The of St. J O H n. 3 3. The Scene of Vifion, or Place where St« John thought himfelf to be, was, probably, that Part of the Sanctuary, called the fir ft Ta- bernacle, Heb. ix. 2. where the Service of God, in the JewiJJj Church, was daily per- formed in the Wildernefs : And in this, the principal Things which he faw, or the moft remarkable Objedls prefented to his View, were fuch as appertained to this Holy Place, namely, feven golden Candlefticks, and one like unto the Son of Man, in the Midfi, habited Ufa the High-Prieft,v. 12, 13. 4. The feven golden Candlefticks feem ma- nifeftly correfpondent to the Golden Lamp* Sconce, which was placed on the South Side of the Tabernacle, over-againft the Table of Shew-Bread, Exod. xxv. 31. xxvi. 35. and which afforded the Sandtuary all its Light. And tho' it was but one beaten Work of pure Gold, Exod. xxxvii. 22, it is here beheld, by St. John, in its feveral Parts, or Branches, as feven golden Candlefticks. 5. As for the Make of this Lamp-Sconce, it confifted of a Shaft or Trunk, in which were four Bowls, made like unto Almonds, with their Knops and their Flowers , out of the Sides whereof irTued fix Branches, e. i. three Bran- ches of the Candleftick out of the one Side, and three Branches of the Candleftick out of the * other Side ; a Knop being under every two of the fix Side-Branches, Exod. xxv. ( which Sides, according to its Pofition in the Taber- nacle, flood Eaft and Weft ;) and one, which B z was, 4 Obfervations on the Jirjl Vifion was the middle Branchy arofe from the upper- moft Bowl, and was at the Top of the Shaft, or main Trunk. 6. If thefe Branches were alike, /. e. of equal Length and Size, as it mould feem they were, by the like three Bowls, Knops, and Flowers, to each Branch, Excd. xxv. 33. they could not meet in a Line at Top, as they are gene- rally reprefented in Cuts, (Vid. Blomes, Calmefs, Houbrakeris, &c.) but the Heads of the two, which iiTued from the lowermoft, which, by way of Diftinction, I mall call the firft Knop in the Shaft, were beneath thofe that iffued from the fecondy and the Heads of thofe from the fecond were beneath thofe from the thirds and that which arofe upright from the fourth Knop in the Shaft was elevated above them all*. 7. As * I own the Candle/lick defcribed on Titus's Triumphal Arch, as well as that mentioned by Jofephus, Antiq. B. iii. Chap, vi, may be an Objection; fince that, according to Mr. Whijlon, " terminated in feven Heads, in one Row, sc all (landing parallel to one another." Whether that anfwers the Model of Solomon's Candlejiicks, I cannot tell ; it does not this of Mofes. Mofes fpealcs only of three Sorts of Ornaments on his, Bowls, Knops, and Flowers ; whereas 'Jofephus mentions a fourth, viz. Pomgranates, which per- haps were the proper Form of the Knops. Befides, Jofephus himfelf, B. vii. oftheJVar, Chap, v, concerning the Candle- flick that was carried in Triumph at Rome, fays, ** its 4' Conftructionwasnow changed from that which we made " ufe of. For its middle Shaft was fixed upon a Baf.s ; and *4 the fmail Branches were produced out of it to a great \* Length : having the Likenefs of a Trident in their Pofi- *\ don." of St. J O H N. 5 7. As for the other ObjeB of Vijion, a Per- fonage in human Figure, or Shape, in the Midft of the fpreading Branches of theCandle- ftick, it is plainly anfwerable to Aaron, or one of his Sons, when officiating in the Sanctuary ; when they flood, as they were appointed, to light the Lamps and drefs or trim them there. Exod. xxx. 7, 8. Levit. xxiv 3, 4. He appears, therefore, habited like a Prieft, nay and even an High-Prieft, he being cloathed with a Gar- ment down to the Foot, and girt about the Paps with a golden Girdle. A Defcription of the Robe of the Ephod, and the curious Girdle interwoven with Gold, mentioned Exod. xxxix, which the High-Prieft wore in the Sanctuary. 8. There was, however, fomething very extraordinary, awful, and glorious in this Perfonage, which St. "John took a particular Notice in one particular Church, fee Phil. i. 1. are of St. John. 23 are otherwife termed, to St. John, the Things which thou hajifeen, and the Things which are, and the Thi?2gs which /hall be after them, v. 1 gM Thefe all go together, and make up one intire Scheme of prophetic Revelation. 29. In examining the epijiolary Part, it is, therefore, neceffary that we bear in our Eye, and Mind, the two former, i. e. the Things that arefeen, and the Things that are expreffed; placing all in their proper Order, annexing each Schedule to the Star, or Angel, after whom it is written. For it is evident, that, the Scene is kept open *, and each Church is here addrefled to, by Chrift, under fome Character, or Imagery, appropriate to his myjlic Form ; and the Churches are de- fcribed, and have Motives given to them, in AU lufions and Metaphors taken chiefly from the Sce- nery. 30. Wherefore, the better to initiate our- felves in, and comprehend, the My fiery before us, where every Thing, or Appearance, is Jig- nificant, and bears fome Connection with, or is illuftrated by, the inftruclive Epijlles, Unity of Time, Place, and Action mud be regarded, with every Circumftance we can collect. And, befides what has been noted already, of the par- ticular Work and Bufinefs which the Sacerdotal * The inaccurate and unhappy Divifion of the Book of the Revelation into Chapters, that here follows, in a good Meafure obftru&s our View of this Vifion, and fpoils that Connection of the Parts, what God hath joined, that ought not to be put afunder. Form 24 Obfervations on the fir ft Vifion Form was about, to wit, trimming the Lamps *y it is highly probable, that, of the feven Lamps, which burnt all Night, only three were renewed in the Morning : See Patrick on Exod, xxvii. 20*. " The Priefts were obliged, faith Jofe- " phus, Antiq. Book m.Ckap. 8, twice a Day c< (i. e. before the Sun rofe, and before it fet) " to renew the Lamps with purified Oil ; three /- phanius, he ever took her again, but, " as he was inform- 4t ed, he never cohabited with any other Woman." (2.) That he juftified this Action, faying, " that the Flefh *' ought to be abufed." This, Clement fays, was one of his apophthegms or pithy Speeches, whereby he taught Continence, and an Abftaining from Pleafures. (3.) That bis Example was followed by his Children and others : u As for his Son and his Daughters, faith Clement, who 46 lived very long, they always remained in perfect Vir- M ginity. But fuch, as were glad to ufe the Pretence of «* his Authority, vindicated themfelves by what he had *c done, in order to abandon themfelves to all Sorts of Ir- Tp HESE Things faith thefirfi and the furies for Jews, literally (which we may do con- fidently with the Language of Prophecy, be- caufe of their Rejection, as well as with the then State of Things*) is not the following a Prophecy, of fome greater Sufferings, of this Church, from, or by Means of them, but covertly exprefled, under the Name or Notion of the Devil, the Patron, and fymbolical Head, of Perfecutors? — As alfo of the Space of Time, that would determine the Violence of their Rage? to whom the third Seftion is infcribed. Here let us obferve one Circumftance, to wit, If the Candleftick was the Height of a Man (and lefs we cannot well fuppofe it to be) as the glorious and Prieft-like Form flood in the Midft, holding the Shaft in his Rigbt-handy when St. John firft beheld the Vtfion, this Branch mufl be fronting his Face, and pretty near in a direft Line with the Sword from his Mouth. This Circumftance, we (hall find, is obfer ved, and alluded to, among the fol- lowing Things, Unto the Angel of the Church in Pergamos. of St, John. 39 ger, they were cxpofed unto, from the Dif- pleafure of Jefas Chrijl, the Lord and Head of the Church, in Figures taken from the moil awful Part of the Scenery : —