of God among them was either moral, or ceremonial and typical; the performances belonging unto the latter, with all things thereunto conducing, were appropriated to them whom God had peculiarly set apart for that purpose. By ceremonial worship, I understand all sacrifices and offerings, the whole service of the tabernacle, and afterward of the temple: all which were typical, and established merely for the present dispensation, not without purpose of their abrogation, when that which was to be more perfect should appear. Now the several officers, with their distinct employments in and about this service, were so punctually prescribed and limited by Almighty God, that as none of them might, ἀλλοτριπικοπεῖν without presumptuous impiety, intrude into the function of others, not allotted to them, as Numb. xvi. 7-10. so none of their brethren might presume to intrude into the least part of their office, without manifest sacrilege; Josh. xxii. 11, 12. True it is, that there is mention of divers in the Scripture that offered sacrifices, or vowed so to do, who were strangers from the priest's office, yea, from the tribe of Levi, as Jephthah, Judges xi. Manoah, chap. xiii. David, 2 Sam. vi. and again, 2 Sam. xxiv. Solomon, 1 Kings iii. and again, chap. ix. But following our former rule of interpreting the practice by the precept, we may find, and that truly, that all the expressions of their offerings signify no more, but they brought those things to be offered, and caused the priests to do, what in their own persons they ought not to perform. Now hence by the way we may observe, that the people of God, under the New Testament, contrary distinct from their teachers, have a greater interest in the performance of spiritual duties belonging to the worship of God, and more in that regard is granted unto them, and required of them, than was of the ancient people of the Jews, considered as distinguished from their priests, because their duty is prescribed unto them under the notion of those things, which then were appropriate only to the priests; as of offering incense, sacrifice, oblations, and the like, which in their original institution were never permitted to the people of the Jews, but yet tralatitiously and by analogy are enjoined to all Christians: but of these afterward. The main question is, about the duty of the people of God, in per

formances for their own edification, and the extent of their lawful undertakings for others' instruction; for the first, which is of nearest concernment unto themselves, the sum of their duty in this kind may be reduced to these two heads: First, To hear the word and law of God read attively, especially when it was expounded. Secondly, To meditate therein themselves, to study it by day and night, and to get their senses exercised in that rule of their duty. Concerning each of which, we have both the precept and the practice, God's command, and their performance. The one, in that injunction given unto the priest, Deut. xxxi. 11-13.' When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God, in the place that he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God; and that their children which have not known, may hear and learn.' All which we find punctually performed on both sides; Nehem. viii. 2-5. Ezra the priest standing on a pulpit of wood, read the law, and gave the meaning of it, and the 'ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.' Which course continued until there was an end put to the observances of that law; as Acts xv. 21. Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.' On which ground, not receding from their ancient observations, the people assembled to hear our Saviour teaching with authority; Luke xxi. 38. And St. Paul divers times took advantage of their ordinary assemblies to preach the gospel unto them. For the other, which concerns their own searching into the law, and studying of the word, we have a strict command, Deut. vi. 6-9. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and upon thy gates.' Which strict charge is again repeated, chap. xi. 18. summarily

comprehending all ways whereby they might become exercised in the law. Now because this charge is in particular given to the king, chap. xvii. 18, 19. the performance of a king in obedience thereunto, will give us light enough into the practice of the people. And this we have in that most excellent psalm of David, viz. cxix. which for the most part is spent in petitions for light, direction, and assistance in that study, in expressions of the performance of this duty, and in spiritual glorying of his success in his divine meditations: especially, ver. 99. he ascribeth his proficiency in heavenly wisdom and understanding above his teachers, not to any special revelation, not to that prophetical light wherewith he was endued (which indeed consisting in a transient irradiation of the mind, being a supernatural impulsion commensurate to such things as are connatural only unto God, doth of itself give neither wisdom nor understanding), but unto his study in the testimonies of God. The blessings pronounced upon, and promises annexed to, the performance of this duty, concern not the matter in hand; only from the words wherein the former command is delivered, two things may be observed: 1. That the paternal teaching and instruction of families in things which appertain to God, being a duty of the law of nature, remained in its full vigour, and was not at all impaired by the institution of a new order of teachers for assemblies, beyond domestical then established. Neither without doubt ought it to cease amongst Christians, there being no other reason why now it should, but that, which then was not effectual.

Secondly, That the people of. God were not only permitted, but enjoined also, to read the Scriptures, and upon all occasions, in their own houses and elsewhere, to talk of them, or communicate their knowledge in them, unto others. There had been then no council at Trent to forbid the one, nor perhaps was there any strict canon to bring the other within the compass of a conventicle. But now for the solemn public teaching and instructing of others it was otherwise ordained, for this was committed to them in regard of ordinary performance, who were set apart by God; as for others before named: so also for that purpose, the author of the treatise I before mentioned, concludeth that the people were not taught at the public assemblies by

priests, as such; that is, teaching the people was no part of their office or duty; but on the contrary, that seems to be a man's duty in the service or worship of God, which God requires of him, and that appertain to his office whose performance is expressly enjoined unto him as such; and for whose neglect, he is rebuked or punished. Now all this we find concerning the priest's public teaching of the people; for the proof of which the recital of a few pertinent places shall suffice: Lev. x. 11. we have an injunction laid upon Aaron and his sons, 'to teach the children of Israel all the statutes that the Lord had spoken to them by the hand of Moses.' And of the Levites it is affirmed, Deut. xxxiii. 10. 'They shall teach Jacob thy statutes, and Israel thy law.' Now though some restrain these places to the discerning of leprosies, and between holy and unholy, with their determination of difficulty emergent out of the law, yet this no way impairs the truth of that I intend to prove by them; for even those things belonged to that kind of public teaching which was necessary under that administration of the covenant; but instead of many, I will name one not liable to exception; Mal. ii. 7. The priest's lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts:' where both a recital of his own duty, that he should be full of knowledge to instruct; the intimation of the people, that they should seek unto him, or give heed to his teaching; with the reason of them both, 'for he is the Lord's messenger' (one of the highest titles of the ministers of the gospel performing the same office); do abundantly confirm, that instructing of the people in the moral worship of God, was a duty of the priestly office, or of the priests as such; especially considering the effect of this teaching mentioned, ver. 9. the turning of many from their iniquity;' the proper end of teaching in assemblies: all which we find exactly performed by an excellent priest, preaching to the people on a pulpit of wood; Nehem. viii. 5-8. Farther, for a neglect of this, the priests are threatened with the rejection from their office; Hosea iv. 6. Now it doth not seem justice, that a man should be put out of his office for a neglect of that, whose performance doth not belong unto it; the fault of every neglect, ariseth from the description of a duty. Until something then

of more force, than any thing as yet I have seen, be objected to the contrary, we may take it for granted, That the teaching of the people under the law, in public assemblies, was performed ordinarily by the priests, as belonging to their duty and office. Men endued with gifts supernatural, extraordinarily called, and immediately sent by God himself for the instruction of his people, the reformation of his church, and foretelling things to come, such as were the prophets, who, whenever they met with opposition, staid themselves upon their extraordinary calling, come not within the compass of my disquisition. The institution also of the schools of the prophets, the employment of the sons of the prophets, the original of the scribes, and those other possessors of Moses's chair in our Saviour's time, wherein he conversed here below, being necessarily to be handled in my observations on the forenamed treatise, I shall omit until more leisure and an enjoyment of the small remainder of my poor library shall better enable me. For the present, because treating in 'causa facili,' although writing without books, I hope I am not besides the truth; the book of truth, praised be God, is easy to be obtained, and God is not tied to means in discovering the truth of that book. Come we then to the consideration of what duty in the service of God, beyond those belonging unto several families, were permitted to any of the people, not peculiarly set apart for such a purpose. The ceremonial part of God's worship, as we saw before, was so appropriate to the priests, that God usually revenged the transgression of that ordinance very severely: the examples of Uzzah and Uzziah' are dreadful testimonies of his wrath in that kind. It was an unalterable law, by virtue whereof the priests excommunicated that presumptuous king. For that which we chiefly intend, the public teaching of others, as to some it was enjoined, as an act of their duty, so it might at first seem that it was permitted to all, who having ability thereunto, were called by charity or necessity. So the princes of Jehoshaphat taught the people out of the law of God, as well as the priests and Levites; 2 Chron. xvii. 7-10. so also Nehemiah, and others of the chiefs of the people are reckoned among them who taught the people; Nehem. viii. and afterward, when St. Paul at any 'Cast him out;' John ix. 34.

2 Chron. xxvi. 19