Blood, but according to Merit, and Virtue; who fhould come from the Nations of the Gentiles, and declare the Glory of the Lord, and be brought upon Horfes, and in Chariots, and in Litters, and upon Mules. So on Ezek. xliv. 30. The first of all that we eat (faith he) is also offered to the Priests, that we may tafte nothing of our new Fruits, till the Prieft bath first tafted of them. And this we do, that he laying up our Bleffings, and Offerings in his Houfe, God may blefs our Houfes, when he prays for us. So on those words of Malachi to the Priefts, Ch. XI. Oye Priefts, if you will not hear, if you will not lay it to Heart, and give Glory to my Name I will curfe your Bleffings. This (faith he) is properly faid to the Priests, that if they will not hear, &c. but on the contrary, caufe his Name to be ill spoken of among the Gentiles, he would fend among them a want of all good Things, and turn their very Bleffings into Curfes. For those Priests who abuse their Health in Luft, and convert their Riches into Luxury, and disgrace their honourable Character with fordid Converfation, they charge the Bleffings of God into a Curfe. Or otherwife, this word is truly directed to Priefts, who when they do not blefs the People of God with true Affection of Heart, as Ifaac bleffed Facob, Facob the Patriarchs, and Mofes the Twelve Tribes, their Bleffings are turned into Curfes. But to return from this Digreffion to the Priestly Mediation, I need not farther infift on the Priestly Acts of Prayer, and Interceffion performed by Prophets Fure Prophetico, upon extraordinary Occafions. So Elijah built an Altar to the Lord on Mount Carmel, and facrificed, and prayed, faying, Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this People may know, that thou art the Lord God. Then the Fire of the Lord fell, and confumed the Burnt-facrifice, and the Wood, and the Stones, and the Duft, and licked up the Water, which was in the Trench. After which he proceeded to intercede with God for Rain after the Drought of three Years. He prayed earnestly [faith St. James) and the Heaven gave Rain, and the Earth brought forth her Fruit. XII. Such were the publick Interceffions of other Prophets, which I pafs over, haftening to my main point, which is to fhew in the fecond place, that Chriftian Liturgs, or Minifters by their Office are Mediators, or Interceffors with God for the People, to make Atonement for their Sins, and impetrate Favours, and Bleffings for them, and by confequence that they are proper Priefts. For tho' other Offices are join'd with the Prieft's Office, and by confequence belong in common to Priefts of all Religions, yet nothing is more effential to the Character of Priests than to be Advocates, or Interceffors for Men with God. For the Office of Teaching, and Preaching belongs to them as Meffengers, or Prophets, and that of Governing the facred Oeconomy belongs to them as Rulers, or Stewards appointed by the God whofe Priests they are, and both have the People for their Objects, or relate to them; but to make Interceffion belongs to a Prieft, as a Prieft, and hath the God with whom he intercedes for its Object, and therefore with regard to this moft proper Office of Priesthood, fome have defined a Prieft to be [ Patronus bominum apud Deum] an Advocate, or Orator for Men with God. Which belongs in the greateft propriety and fulness of Perfection to Chrift, whom the Apostle in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, calls ten times an High Priest, and seven times a Prieft. He is [the "Ag * Outram de Sacrificiis, LiB. II. Cap. I. f Philo de Pont. Max. λέγου + Αρχιερέα, ἐν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ Θεῖον λόγον ἔν), πάντων εχ εκεσίων μόνον, ἀλλὰ κι άλλο slav ådinnμátov detoxov. I speak of an High Priest, who is not a Man, but the Word of God, not only free from all voluntary, but involuntary Sins. 1 cpd's λó] the λó High Preft, who was as a Prieft with his Father before the beginning of the World, and in Virtue of whofe meritorious Sacrifice, to be offered at the appointed time, the Jewish Priests, tho' they knew it not, made Atonement for the Sins of the People. But now more eminently as High Priest of his Church he is our Advocate with the Father, and makes Interceffion for us at the right Hand of God. And * because he continued for ever, and hath an unchangeable Priesthood, he is able to fave them to the ut termoft, who come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them. He entered into the Holy of Holies, on purpofe to appear as an Advocate in the Prefence of God for us, and was therefore made like unto his Brethren, that he might be a merciful, and faithful High Prieft in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the Sins of the People. And because this Mediation with his Father, as our High Priest, is so powerful, and prevalent, therefore are we bid to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy thro him who is the one Mediator between God, and Man. And as he intercedes for us, as our fupreme Advocate, and Orator in Heaven, and prefents our Prayers to his Father, in Virtue of his own Merits: So do his Minifters upon Earth intercede for us in his Name, and therefore they must be Priefts in this refpect, as with refpect to teaching, and govern n s Philo de vita Mofis: ̓Αναγκαῖον ἦν ἢ ἱερώμενον τω τῷ κόσ με παλεί παρακλήτῳ χρῆσθαι τελειο]αίῳ ἢ ἀρήτὴν ὑῷ πρὸς τε ἀμνηςίαν ἁμαρλημάτων, καὶ χορηγίαν αφθονο]άτων ἀγαθῶν. Ιε is neceffary for him, who facrifices to the Father of the World to use the Son, who is most perfect in all Virtue, as Mediator, or Advocate, both to obtain Pardon of Sins, and the grant of those gracious Bleffings, which he defires. h John xi. 1, 2. k Hebr. vii. 24, 25. a Hebr. iv. 16. i Rom. viii, 34 1 Hebr. ix. 24. Hebr.ii. 17, 18. ing the People, they are Prophets, and spiritual Rulers over them in their feveral Ranks. They must be Priests in this Refpect, as much as the Ministers,or Liturgs of the Patriarchal,and Jewish Churches were, who made Atonement for the People by Sacrifice, and Prayer, and often by Prayer without Sacrifice, for what belonged in common to God's Ministers under both these Difpenfations, must needs belong to his Minifters of the most perfect, and excellent Evangelical Oeconomy, unless it can be imagined it was his Pleasure, that the most noble Church, and Inftitution, fhould have the meaneft, and leaft noble Ministry, without the facerdotal Power of making Interceffion for the People, which the Minifters of his Church before, and under the Law had. But why do I fay, unless it can be imagined? I ought rather to fay, unless it can be proved. For as thofe who have written in Defence of Infant Baptifm, argue for it from the right that Infants had to be admitted into the Covenant of Grace in the Jewish Church, and tell the Adverfaries of it, that the Condition of Children would be worfe under the Gospel, than it was under the Law, if they might not be baptized under the one, as well as circumcifed under the other, and when the Antipado-baptifts require a Precept for it, tell them it lies upon them to bring a Precept against it: So it is an excellent Argument to prove the Ministers over the Chriftian Church to be proper Priefts, and as fuch to have the Power, and Dignity of making folemn Interceffion for the People, becaufe the Minifters of God, over his Church in the Patriarchal, and Jewish Difpenfations, were fuch Priefts. The Sacerdotal Power which was common to the Minifterial, or Liturgical Office in fuch different Difpenfations, muft therefore belong to it now, unless fomething to the contrary can be fhewn in the Gofpel; but, Sir, until until that is fhewn, we ought to prefume, that Chriftian Liturgs are proper Priests, who are not inferior to the Patriarchal, and Jewish Ministers in the Effentials of the facerdotal Office, and Power. For they are taken from among Men, as they were, and like them are ordained for Men to minifter for them in things pertaining to God, and fo have the fame common Office, and Miniftry, though not the fame Ceremonies, Rites, and Forms of Praying, and Entreating, and Propitiating, and Expiating God's Anger, and Deprecating his Judgments, and making Reconciliation for Sinners; which are the feveral Terms in the Latin Tranflation for what we render Atonement, and making Atonement, and aptly exprefs the Office of an Advocate, which is to pray, and entreat, and plead for his Criminal Client, whofe Orator he is; to propitiate the King, or Judge, in whofe Prefence he ftands for him, and to procure Pardon for his Offences. Pray not thou for this People (faith God to the Prieft, and Prophet Feremiah) nor lift up Cry, or Prayer for them, neither make Interceffion to me, for I will not bear thee. That is, do not thou be their Advocate, to intercede, and pray, and plead for them, do not come to me about them, for I will not hear thee. I r XIII. In P Exod. xxix. 36. ad expiandum. xxx. 10. Deprecabitur Aaron, placabit, v. 16. propitietur animabus eorum. xxxii. 30. Si quo modo qui vero eum deprecari pro fcelere veftro. Lev. i. 4. In expiationem ejus, iv. 20. rogante pro eis Sacerdote, the Prieft praying for them. So v. 27. rogabit pro eo Sacerdos, v. 6. Orabit pro ea Sacerdos, & pro peccato ejus, vi. 7. rogabit pro ea coram Domino. Numb. xv. 25. rogabit Sacerdos pro omni multitudine filiorum Ifrael. Lev. xvi. 10. ftatuit eum (Caprum emissarium) vivum coram Dɔmino, ut fundat preces fuper eo, to make an Atonement with him. Cap. vii. 16. · Μὴ προσέλθης μοι πεὶ αὐτῶν LXX. The fame Phrafe is ufed of the Priests, Deut. xxii. 5. and I cannot but obferve, that Phrafes of that kind are fpecially applyed by the Gentiles to their Priefts, to fet forth the Interceffions they believed they had Power |