The preceding verses of the chapter should also be read as necessary to an understanding of certain portions of the investiture. They recount how four kings of Assyria, under the leadership of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, attacked five kings living in the vale of Siddim, and having defeated them, took also Lot as their captive. "And there went out the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, (the same is Zoar) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; with Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.”—GEN. xiv. 8, 9.

The following passage of Scripture should be read at this time:

GENESIS xiv. 18-24.

And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons and take the goods unto thyself. And Abram said unto the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoc latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say I have made Abram rich. save only that which the young men

have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eschol and Mamre; let them take their portion.

THE COMMUNION OF BRETHREN.

It was in ancient times a custom religiously observed, that those who sacrificed to the gods, should unite in partaking of a part of the food that had been offered. And in the Jewish church it was strictly commanded that the sacrificer should "eat before the Lord," and unite in a feast of joy on the occasion of their offerings. By this common partaking of that which had been consecrated to a sacred purpose, those who partook of the feast seemed to give an evidence and attestation of the sincerity with which they made the offering, while the feast itself was, as it were, the renewal of the covenant of friendship between the parties.

The anointment of a High Priest is preceded by the following

PRAYER.

Most glorious and eternal High Priest of heaven and earth, in thy mercy strengthen the works of our hands, and grant that we may appear before thy everlasting throne as pure and undefiled, as when we descended from the loins of our father Abraham, thy well beloved. Give us, O most merciful Lord, an abundance of thy divine aid, so that we may be embraced in his bosom in thy heavenly realms. Pour down thy divine blessings on this, thy servant, who is now kneeling before thee, with thy divine

glory, that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies. Make him a true and faithful teacher of the companions over whom he has been chosen to preside, and enable him to perform the duties of his exalted office with fidelity and zeal, and we will praise thee, the Great I AM, forever and ever. So

mote it be. Amen.

From a thread to a shoe latchet.

This was a proverbial expression, which ADAM CLARKE thus explains: Among the Rabbinical writers chut signifies a fillet worn by young women to tie up their hair. As Abram had taken both men and women captives, he says, "I have vowed that I will not receive the smallest portion of the property either of the women or of the men, from a girl's fillet to a man's shoe latchet."

In the same spirit the expression is used in this degree to denote the obligation of a High Priest never to wrong his companion even in so slight a matter as might be represented by these trifling articles of dress.

The Penalty for unlawfully assuming the Priest

hood.

While MOSES was journeying through the wilderness, KORAH, DATHAN and ABIRAM were moved with envy and jealousy, that the priestly office had been restricted to AARON and his descendants. They accordingly appeared before MOSES, accompanied by a numerous band of conspirators, and demanded that the restriction should be removed, and they also be permitted to assume the priesthood. MOSES, shocked at their audacity, determined to leave the matter with the Lord, and therefore summoned them to appear the next day before the tabernacle with their censers, when he assured them that the Lord would show whom he

had consecrated to these holy functions. On the next day, as KORAH, DATHAN and ABIRAM were about to burn incense before the tabernacle, the earth opened and they were swallowed up as a just punishment for unlawfully assuming the priesthood. The account is contained in the 16th chapter of the Book of Numbers, from verse 1 to 35, and is sometimes read in explanation of an important part of the investiture.

BENEDICTION.

When a High Priest is anointed, the following benedi‹ tion should be recited:

NUMBERS Vi. 22-26,

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

The ceremony of anointing with oil preparatory to the assumption of any sacred office, as that of king or priest, was practised both among the Egyptians and the Jews. Among the monuments of the former, many representations are to be seen of the performance of this holy rite. The Scriptures mention three instances particularly in which unction was administered; namely, in the case of Aaron on his introduction into the priestly office, and of David and Solomon at their consecration as kings. The anointing was in all these cases viewed as a symbol of sanctification, of a designation to the service of God, or to a holy and sacred use.

The following passage of Scripture is read as explanatory of the office of the priesthood. It may be very appropriately used as a concluding charge:

HEBREWS Vii. 1-6.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, (who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being, by interpretation, King of Righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of Peace; without father, without mother, without descent; having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God,) abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily, they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people, according to the law, that is of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Ábraham. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek. And inasmuch as not without an oath, he was made priest. those priests (under the Levitical law) were made without an oath; but this with an oath, by him that said unto him, The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.

For

END OF THE ORDER OF HIGH PRIESTHOOD.