IV.

might be fit to attend upon the service of the LECT. sanctuary, for which they were difqualified and in a state of excommunication*, fo Thus in long as their uncleannefs lafted.

the new teftament we read, that Jefus was anointed of God with the Holy Ghost and with power; in confequence of which he went about doing good, and healing all that were oppreffed of the devil, for God was with him. A leper, who had faith in his power, came and worshipped him, faying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. When this man was cleanfed of his leprofy, he was commanded to shew himself to the priest, and to make the accustomed offering, for a teftimony unto them: and as it was the office of the priest to cure this disease, this cure was a legal proof and testimony to the priesthood of the time, that there was a greater than themselves amongst them; who, though not literally anointed to the ministry, had the true anointing from the spirit of God, which had defcended upon him after his baptifm; and who fhould fuperfede them

* Lev. xv, 31.

Acts x. 38.

in

LECT. in their office: but it doth not appear

IV.

what inference they made from the cafe.

As the gift of the fpirit was communicated at the anointing of the high priest, and the spirit is the author of love and unity to the church, who are to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: we find a beautiful allufion, with an application of this rite to its myftical sense, in the 133d pfalm; Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity: it is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his garments. It was always an undoubted truth in every ftate of the church, that unity is from the fpirit of God; beginning in those of fuperior authority, and fpreading itself with a progress of descent from the highest to the lowest members of the community : but the thing is most evident to us under the gospel; who are taught, that the church is the body of Chrift; that he himfelf is the head of it; and that the divine

spirit

IV.

fpirit first shed upon him, is from thence LECT. diffused to all orders of Chriftians, to the leaft and loweft members of the church.

The fcripture has numberlefs other references to the facrifices and priesthood of the law, more than the plan of these lectures will admit: for I do not undertake to explain all that is referred to in the law: my meaning is to fhew, by feveral examples, in what manner the scripture itfelf applies the inftitutions of the law; and by fo doing, I put a light into the hands of those who read the bible, with which they may go farther and examine things for themselves. Yet, among the offerings of the tabernacle and temple, there are two more for which I fhall have room in this difcourfe; I mean the first fruits and the burning of incenfe.

In 1 Cor. xv. Chrift, as rifen from the dead, is called the first fruits; but now, faith St. Paul, is Chrift risen from the dead, and become the firft fruits of them that fept. From the term thus applied he

con

LECT. confirms, and opens in a wonderful man

IV.

ner, the doctrine of the Refurrection; and therefore it is proper we should have a right understanding of it. When the harvest was ripe and ready for the fickle, a first fheaf was reaped and carried into the temple, where the priest waved it before the Lord to be accepted; and till this was done, the reft of the harvest was not fanctified to the ufe of the people, nor had they any right to partake of it.

The ufe the apoftle makes of this is very extensive. In the first place, the growing of grain from the earth where it was buried, is an exact image of the refurrection of the body: for as the one is fown, fo is the other, and neither is quickened, except it first die and be buried. Then the whole harvest, from its relation to the first fruits, explains and enfures the order of our refurrection. For, is the fheaf of the first fruits reaped? Then is the whole harvest ready. Is Chrift risen from the dead? Then fhall all rife in like manIs he accepted of God as an holy

ner.

offering

IV.

offering and lifted up in his heavenly fanc- LECT. tuary? Then shall every fheaf that has grown up with him be taken from the earth and fanctified in its proper order; Chrift the firft-fruits, afterward they that are Chrift's at his coming.

If there seems any impropriety in making Chrift the first fruits, when we know that others were raised to life before him; as the Shunamite's fon by Elisha, and Lazarus by Chrift himself: it is to be observed, that they were raised; he only rofe from the dead by his own power, as the grain fpringeth from the ground of itself. Befides, though they were raised, they died again; but Chrift, being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him: He was the first who rofe to life eternal. Nothing followed to mankind from the refurrection of others; but He fanctified the harveft of the whole field, and had the efficacy as well as the appearance of the first-fruits.

Saint Paul in his apology before King

Agrippa