f

ridicule over these sacred things. It is sufficient for us to be assured that these minute prescriptions were adapted to wise and excellent purposes in the puerile state of the church, in particular that they served the general uses of an emblematical and typical religion, intended to impress moral and spiritual truth by sensible and striking representations.

LECTURE XV.

Answers to various inquiries and objections respecting the Jewish

priesthood.

HAVING AVING given you some account of the Jewish priesthood, I will dismiss this topic after stating and answering a few inquiries and objections, which the subject itself, or sceptical ingenuity has suggested.

First, it is natural to inquire, why such a vast number of men, viz. a whole tribe, should be called off from useful secular employments to the service of the temple? Might not this service have been decently performed by fewer hands, and in a style far more simple and economical? We reply first, it was necessary, for reasons heretofore given, that the religion of the antient Hebrews should embrace many pompous and striking ceremonies, and consequently that many persons should be appointed to superintend and perform them. Secondly, as Jehovah, for important reasons, assumed the twofold character of the political and spiritual Sovereign of that people; so the priests and Levites ministered to Him in both these capacities. They at once served at his court, and attended on his altar. To display his royal dignity, to attach the respect and obedience of his subjects, and thus to secure the great ends of the theocracy, it was requisite that the splendor of his court, and the number of his ministers should bear some analogy to those of other monarchs. Hence third, the duties assigned to the Levitical Order were so numerous and diversified, so critical and momentous, as to furnish a whole tribe with ade quate and useful employment. For while some officiatéd at the temple in Jerusalem, the rest werè occupied in

the several districts of the community, in expounding the law, administring justice, and thus promoting the knowledge, order, and virtue of their fellow citizens. This leads to a

1

Second Enquiry, by what means was this numerous order maintained? Must not the support of so many ecclesiastics have operated as a grievous tax upon their laborious brethren? To resolve this question, I must remind you that the several tribes of Israel, except that of Levi, were settled by lot in so many distinct provinces of Canaan, each having a separate government, subordinate to that of the whole, and each possessing an equal portion of territory according to its number of citizens. But the sons of Levi, instead of living together, like the rest, in one body politic, and proprietors of one district, were dispersed through all the tribes, without any distinct power or property of their own, and consequently depended on their fellow citizens both for subsistence and protection. It was made a perpetual statute, that the Levites, as a tribe, should possess no landed inheritance, but that an annual tithe should be paid them by their brethren, as a reward for that religious service, to which they were separated. The wisdom and equity of this constitution may be easily discovered. As the Levites were charged with those civil and religious services to Jehovah, which would otherwise have been incumbent on the whole nation; so the rest of the tribes were by this expedient released from the expense and toil of personal service, and of course were bound to recompense those, who performed these offices in their stead. The peculiar function of the Levites made it highly unsuitable, that they should be embodied together, possess land, and be subject to agricultural and military duty, like their

fellow citizens. It was necessary that they should enjoy full liberty for their public duties, and that they should be spread abroad through the whole community; that each tribe might equally share in their instructions and services. This order then had a just claim to a generous public support. This claim rested on several grounds. It rested on their dignified character, as ministers of that civil and religious constitution, which was framed and exercised by God himself. It rested on their beneficent services, in teaching the people, and relieving them from a personal attendance on the tabernacle. It rested on this circumstance, that the Levites parted with their own inheritance in territory to the public, and therefore had a right to an equivalent. I have largely stated these claims, to fortify you against those ignorant or malevolent cavils, which hold up the Jewish religion, as an artful contrivance to draw all the wealth of the people into the coffers of a useless and a covetous priesthood. As a further confutation of these cavils, I will distinctly show you the manner and degree of that provision which the law made for the Levites. This provision consisted of two articles; first, a yearly tithe of the produce of the lands, payable by all the tribes; and second, forty eight cities for the residence of themselves and their familjes. The tithe was a tenth part both of the animal and vegetable produce. With respect to the former the law stands thus," concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." The learned Selden informs us, that their mode of tithing agreeably to this law was as follows-" They used to shut the lambs, for instance, in a sheepcoat, where the straitness of the door permitted but one to come out at once. Then open

ing the door, and causing them to run out in succession, a servant standing at the door, with a rod colored with oker, solemnly counted to the tenth, which tenth he marked with his rod; which explains the expression of "passing under the rod." The tithe of cattle then, which was paid to the Levites, was merely the tenth lamb, calf, &c. which were annually produced; and not as some have misrepresented it, a tenth part of all the beasts, which were fed in the Hebrew pastures, and of all the yearly income, which they afforded. The tithe of vegetable produce was a tenth of the product of the arable lands and fruit grounds, which probably were not more than a third part of the whole country; so that this tax, compared with the aggregate yearly produce of the territory, was but one third of a tenth, or a little more than three per cent.

Besides this annual tribute of the Levites, there were other revenues to defray the constant charge of the temple and the national worship, and to support, if I may so speak, the table and household of the King of Israel. For instance, the law directed a second tithe, to be employed by the people in making a yearly feast for themselves and their households in some apartment of the temple, as a to ken of their grateful joy in the divine bounty, and to this entertainment they were commanded to admit the Levites. This was called by the Jews the owner's tithe, because it was chiefly spent in entertaining the proprietors themselves. Every third year it was spent at their own place of abode, and was peculiarly devoted to the refreshment of the poor, the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless.* This was usually called the poor man's tithe. The people were also directed to bring some of their first

* Deut. xii. 17, 18. xiv. 28, 29.