Rev. xiv.

2.

1

Church of England, in all thofe Places, where they may conveniently be had, gives Thanks to God, with the best Voices and Inftruments fhe can procure. It fhews an earnest and hearty Intention to please God, however short it be of having any real Effect, when Men offer up to Him the Sacrifices of their Lips, in that Manner, which is accounted the most noble, fublime, and every way agreeable, amongst themselves.

CIS

Befides, we may obferve, that this Practice has an Advantage by its not having been a Mofaical Institution; and cannot, upon that account, be fuppos'd to have been only temporary, or typical, and to have receiv'd its Completion in, and been abolish'd by the Gospel; for we find it was inftituted, by David; a Man, in respect to his Zeal for the true Religion, faid to be, after God's own Heart. And, after the Gospel had taken Place, St. John bears the voice of harpers harping with their harps, in heaven; and finging, as it were, a new fong, before the Throne of God. Why, therefore,good Chriftians fhould not imitate these Examples as well as they

C.

can,

2

P

t

can, there seems to be no Reason: But,
on the contrary, many good ones, why

they fhould.

SECT. XIV..

The PORTERS or DOORKEEPERS. ,,!,,,

1

-I Next, we are to fpeak of the Door-
keepers; whofe Business it was, to be posted
up and down at all the feveral Avenues
and Doors of the Tabernacle and Tem-
ple, and of all the Chambers and Offices
thereunto belonging; to have the Charge
ofs them, upon all Occafions; to open and
fhut them, Morning and Evening; to keep
conftant Watch and Ward about them,
that no unclean or otherwise suspicious Per-
fons, might have Admittance: and, pro-
bably, to be ready, and at hand to affift
upon any occafional Call or Exigency,
They were regulated and establish'd by
David, at the fame Time that the Priests,
Levites, and Singers were; which, proba-
bly, might be done according to a Scheme
communicated to him by Samuel.

I

ix. 17,

JoThe Account we have of them is, as follows; The porters were Shallum, and Chron.

U 4

Akkub, &c.

+

Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman,and their brethren Shallum was Chiefs who hitherto waited in the king's gate \eaft == ward. They were porters in the companies of the children of Levi. And Shallum the fon of Korah, and his brethren the Kora hites, were over the work of the fervice; keepers of the gates of the tabernacle And their fathers being over the host of the. LORD, were keepers of the entry: And, Zechariah, the fon of Mefhelemiah, was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. All thefe, which were chofen to be porters in the gates, were two bundred and twelve: These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages: Whom Dai vid and Samuel the feer did ordain in their fet office. So they, and their children bad I the overfight of the gates of the house of the LORD. In four quarters, were the porters, toward the east, weft, north and fouth. And their brethren, which were in their villa ges, were to come after seven days, from time to time, with them. For thefe Levites, the four chief porters, were in their fet d office; and were over the chambers and treafuries of the boufe of God.

1

J

And they lodge

2

:

aed round about the house of God; because the charge was upon them; and the opening thereof, every morning, pertained to them. And certain of them had the charge of the miniftring vessels; that they should bring them in and out, by tale. Some of them = alfo, were appointed to oversee the veffels, and all the inftruments of the fanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oyl, and the frankincense, and the spices. And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite, 1 bad the fet office over the things, that were made in the pans.

It is reasonable to believe they were em-' ploy'd in feveral of the fervile and inferior Offices, as well as in those of Credit and Importance; › though, mean as their Employment was, we find David faying, I Pfal. bad rather be a doorkeeper in the house of lxxxiv. my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

10.

They were divided into Claffes, by Lots and came into waiting, every week, by their Couries. We read that Jehoiada the High Prieft, (who, during the Mino

1

rity of his Nephew King Jaah, probably

had

=

xxiii.

2 Chron. had the Regency of the Kingdom) fe porters at the gates of the houfe of the LORD, that none which was unclean, in any thing Should enter in.

19.

L

10, &c.

•

In the Grand Paffover, kept by King Jofiah, we have Inftances of the Priests, Levites, Singers and Porters, all acting in their respective Stations; which deferves tranfcribing; and with which, I fhall close the Account upon thofe Heads. ib. xxxv, The fervice was prepared, and the Priefs ftood in their place, and the Levites in their courfes, according to the king's commandment. And they killed the paffover. And the -Priefts Sprinkled the blood from their bands, and the Levites flayed them. And they removed the burnt-offerings, that they might give according to the divifions of the families of the people, to offer to the LORD; as it is written in the book of Mofes. And they rosted the paffover with fire, according to the ordinance: But the other holy offerings fod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans; and divided them spee dily, among all the people.

A

.

And, afterward, they made ready for themselves, and for the Priests: Because, the

L

Priefts,