*

not visited them. Both prophet and priest were profane; their wickedness was found, even in the house of God. In opposition to all which, God promises by the prophet, that he would "set shepherds over them, that should feed them ; so that the people should have no more reason to be afraid of their pastors," or of being misled by them; and he promised, upon their return from the captivity, to "give them pastors according to his own heart, who should feed them with knowledge and understanding."

In Ezekiel, we find the solemn and severe charge given to watchmen, twice repeated; that they "ought to warn the wicked from his wickedness; otherwise, though he should indeed die in his sin, God would require his blood at the watchman's hand; but if he gave warning, he had by so doing delivered his own soul." § In that prophecy, we have the guilt of the priests set forth very heinously. "Her priests have violated my law, and profaned my holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and profane, the clean and the unclean; and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths;" the effect of which was, that " God was profaned among them." This is more fully prosecuted in the xxxivth chap., which is all addressed to the shepherds of Israel: "Wo be to the shepherds of Israel, that do feed themselves: should not the shepherds feed the flock?¶ Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool; ye kill them that are fed, but ye feed not the flock."** Then follows an enumeration of the several sorts of troubles that the people were in, under the

*Jer. xxiii. 11. + Jer. xxiii. 4.

Ezek. iii. 17. xxxiii. 7.

¶ Chap. xxxiv. ver. 2.

Jer. iii. 15. Chap. xxii. ver. 26. ** Ver. 3.

figure of a flock, to show how they had neglected their duty, in all the parts and instances of it; and had trusted to their authority, which they had abused to tyranny and violence: "The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them :"* upon which follows a terrible expostulation, and denunciation of judgments against them: "I am against the shepherds, saith the Lord; I will require my flock at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more."+ And in the xlivth chap. of that prophecy, one rule is given, which was set up in the primitive church as an unalterable maxim, that such priests as had been guilty of idolatry should not do the office of a priest any more, nor come near to any of the holy things, or enter within the sanctuary, but were still to bear their shame: they might minister in some inferior services, such as keeping the gates, or slaying the sacrifice; but they were still to bear their iniquity.

I have passed over all that occurs in these prophets which relates to the false prophets, because I will bring nothing into this discourse that relates to sins of another order and nature. In Daniel, we have a noble expression of the value of such as "turn men to righteousness; that they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever." In Hosea, we find among the sins and calamities of that time, this reckoned as a main cause of that horrid corruption under which they had fallen; * Ezek. xxxiv. 4. + Ezek. xxxiv. 10. Dan. xii. 3.

there "being no truth, no mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land; which was defiled by swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." To which is added: "Because thou hast rejected knowledge" (or the instructing the people,) "I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgot the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." That corrupt race of priests attended still upon the temple, and offered up the sin-offering, and feasted upon their portion; which is wrong rendered, "They' eat up the sin of my people ;" for sin stands there, as in the law of Moses, for sin-offering: because of the advantage this brought them, they were glad at the abounding of sin; which is expressed by their setting their heart, or lifting up their soul, to their iniquity: the conclusion of which is, that they "should be given up for a very heavy curse, of like priests like people." In Joel, we find the duty of the priests and ministers of the Lord, set forth in times of great and approaching calamities, thus: They ought to be intercessors for the people, and "to weep between the porch and the altar, and say, Spare thy people, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen (strangers and idolaters) should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God ?" There is in Amos ‡ a very black character of a depraved priesthood: Their priests teach for hire, and their prophets divine for money."§

66

These were the forerunners of the destruction of that nation but though it might be expected, that the cap

6.

* Hos. iv. 1, 2,
Read Micah.-EDIT.

+ Joel, ii. 17.

Chap. iii. ver. 11.

C

tivity should have purged them from their dross, as it did indeed free them from all inclinations to idolatry, yet other corruptions had a deeper root. We find in Zechariah, a curse against the idol shepherd, who resembled the true shepherd, as an idol does the original; but he was without sense and life: "Wo be to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock."* The curse is figuratively expressed: "The sword shall be upon his arm, and his right eye (the things that he valued most): his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened." But this is more copiously set out by Malachi, in an address made to the priests: "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you: If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart."+ Then the first covenant with the tribe of Levi is set forth: "My covenant was with him, of life and peace: The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: He walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many from their iniquity: For 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." All this sets forth the state of a pure and holy priesthood. But then follow terrible words: "But ye are departed out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble at the law: Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, said the Lord of Hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people ; according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." Their ill example made many

*Zech. xi. 17.

Mal. ii. 1, &c.

loathe both their law and their religion. They had corrupted their institution, and studied by a gross partiality, to bring the people to be exact in those parts of the law, in which their wealth or their authority was concerned; while they neglected the more essential and indispensable duties.

Thus far have I gone over the most important places, that have occurred to me in the Old Testament, relating to this matter; upon all which I will only add one remark; that though some exception might be made to those expressions, that import the dignity and sanctification of those who were then consecrated to the holy functions, as parts of that instituted religion, which had its period by the coming of Christ; yet such passages as relate to moral duties, and to the obligations that arise out of natural religion, have certainly a more binding force, and ought to be understood and explained in a more elevated and sublime sense, under the new dispensation, which is internal and spiritual; compared to which, the old is called the letter and the flesh. Therefore the obligations of the priests, under the Christian religion, to a holy strictness of life and conversation, to a diligent attendance on their flock, and for instructing and watching over them, must all be as much higher, and more binding, as this new covenant excels the old one.