LECT. order of priests, divided afterwards under David and Solomon into four and twenty courfes, all regularly officiating in their turns. Below these there was the order of the Levites, who affifted the priests in all the services of the temple. There were

In

then three orders of priests in the Jewish
Church: there was the high priest, and
the fons of Aaron, and the Levites.
the Church of Chrift there was the order
of the Apostles; befides whom there were
the feventy difciples fent out after them;
and laft of all, the Deacons were ordained,
to ferve under both in the lower offices of
the Church. The fame form is still pre-
served in every regular Church of the
world, which derives its fucceffion and
authority from the Church of the Apostles;
after whom the Bishops fucceeded by their
appointment; fuch as Timothy and Titus
were in their refpective Churches. This
authority has been oppofed in the Chriftian
as it was in the Jewish Church: Corah and
his company rofe up against Moses and
Aaron, for ufurping a lordly authority
over the people: fo, in the later ages of

the

III.

the Chriftian Church, a levelling principle LECT. hath prevailed, which has appeared in many different shapes. In fome it objects to the order of Bishops, as an ufurpation of long standing in the Church: in others, it argues for an equality of authority in all Chriftians, because all the congregation are holy; herein making no distinction between holiness of perfon and holiness of office. Thus hath the authority of the Church been troubled with arguments and objections, the fame as in the times of old, and proceeding from the fame spirit of rebellious oppofition, under the disguise of fuperior fanctity. It was foretold to the church by the Apostle, that of their own felves men fhould arise speaking perverse things to draw away difciples after them, as Corah and his company rofe out of the congregation itself, and drew the people after them. Unless it were fo, the Church of Chrift would not be conformed, as it ought to be, to the Church of Ifrael. Though the cafe is lamentable, yet thus it must be it must be that offences come:

*Acts xx. 30.

the

III.

LECT. the authority of the priesthood must be opposed, and the Church must be divided, if the fcriptures are verified; but woe untó them by whom the offence cometh.

The Church under the gospel hath also been provided for as it was under the law, by the tenths of all the fruits of the earth, fet apart for the maintenance of its minifters. The antiquity of this provifion is fo great, that we cannot trace it up to its beginning. Abraham gave the tenths of the fpoils to Melchizedec, long before the age of Mofes; and therefore the law only established what had been inftituted in the earliest times of the Patriarchs. The Chriftian Church followed the fame rule in all countries, as foon as it obtained a regular establishment; and the apostle argues for the propriety of it from the law of Mofes. Do ye not know, said he, that they which minifter about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even fo hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel fhould live of the

gospel.

III.

gofpel*. Here it is evidently intended, LECT. that the practice of the law fhould be ind taken as a precedent for the times of the

gofpel; and that as it was then, even fo it ought to be now: but the clergy then received the tenths, &c. which were confe crated by God's appointment; therefore it is his ordinance that they fhould receive the fame now; otherwise the cafes would not be parallel.

During the perfecutions under which the Christian Church fuffered at its first appearance, its fupport by pecuniary contribution, and the fale of private property may seem to have authorized a new rule, different from that of the law of Mofes. But we can draw no conclufion, because of the neceffity of that time. In regular times the old rule will take place: and if the Church should again fall into distress, it must again depend upon the devotions of the congregation.

There is likewife a conformity in all the services and miniftrations of the church.

III.

LECT. The law had its washings and purifications, as we have the purification of water baptifm. They had the paffover in figure as we have it in truth; for Chrift our passover is facrificed for us; and we keep that feast as a memorial of our redemption, as they commemorated their deliverance from Egypt by the offering of the Pascal Lamb. He was no Jew who did not celebrate the Paffover; and he is no Chriftian who neglects the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. As they had manna in the wilderness to fupport them, we have the true bread from heaven; without which we cannot pafs through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan. They added their prayers to the incenfe of the temple, as we offer up our prayers through the merits of Chrift, whereby they are recommended and made acceptable. There was a cenfer for incenfe within the veil, as Christ intercedes for us in the prefence of God. Let my prayer, fays the Pialmift, be fet forth in thy fight as the incenfe; thereby fhewing us what was intended in that part of their fervice; and when Zechariah, the father of

John