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Which, he tells his Countrymen the Hebrews, was a Figure for the Time then preSent; a Type; By which the Holy Ghoft fignified, that the way into the holiest of all (the Kingdom of Heaven open'd by our LORD in the New Teftament) was not yet made manifeft. But was to be fulfill'd and open'd by CHRIST; who, being an High-Priest of good things to come, would, by his own blood, enter, once for all, into the holy place (Heaven) having obtained eternal redemption for us. From whence, we may justly conclude that all the reft of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Old Teftament, however infignificant they may appear to usnow, and tho' they were only impofed until the Time of Reformation, yet were all prophetical of, and received their Completion by, fome Circumftance or other of the New; of which JESUS CHRIST himself is the Mediator; Who is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the True, but into heaven it felf; to appear, in the prefence of God for us.

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Exod. xxix.' 28, &c.

SECT. VII.

The Succeffion to the HIGH-PRIEST's Office.

This Office, at its first Institution, was established and made hereditary, by God himself, to Aaron and his Family. Concerning fome Part of the Sacrifices, there is this Direction, It shall be Aaron's and bis fons by a ftatute for ever, from the children of Ifrael. Again; The holy garments of Aaron fhall be his fons after him; to be anointed therein, and to be confecrated in them. And that fon that is Prieft in bis ftead, fhall put them on, seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation, to minister in the holy place. Again, of Aaron and his Sons, it is faid; Their anointing fhall furely be an everlasting Priesthood, throughout their generations. Numb. Again, The LORD spake unto Moses, sayXXV. II. ing, Phinehas the fon of Eleazar, the fon of Aaron the Priest, was zealous for my fake among the children of Ifrael. Wherefor behold I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his feed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting Priesthood.

ib. xl. 15.

Accord

xx. 28.

xxii. 30.

Accordingly, when Aaron died, he was Numb. fucceeded by Eleazar his Son; and he again by, his Son Phinehas; who seems Josh. to have been a Coadjutor to his Father, fome Time before his Death: and was fo ib. xxiv, highly favour'd of God, that he liv'd and 33. continued in the Office of High-Prieft to a very extraordinary Age. For, at the latter End of all the Judges, we find him standing before the ark of the cove- Judg. xx, nant of God, when the children of Ifrael gathered together unto the LORD in Mizpeh, to ask counfel about going up to battle against the rebellious tribe of Benjamin.

28,

Whether he was fucceeded immediately by Eli (faid, by Jofephus, to be a Defcendent of Ithamar the younger Son of Aaron) the Scripture is filent; though Yofephus places three between them, Abishua, Bukki, and Uzzi; fucceffively defcended from Phinehas; as we find in the Chro- Chron, nicles. However, after fome Years, the vi. 4. Succeffion again took place, in the Family of Eleazar; where it is faid to have continued until their Return from the Captivity. After that, their State was fo often difturb'd by the Kings of Syria,

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I

and other incroaching Powers, that the Succeffion in the Houfe of Aaron was quite fet afide; though the High-Priefthood was ftill confin'd to the Tribe of Levi.

That the High-Priests had a great Share in the Administration of the civil Government, before the Time of the Kings, is very plain; and that they had fome Influence, after the Monarchy took place, is not to be doubted of: witnefs the no2 Kings table Restoration Jehoiada was fo inftru2 Chron. mental in; in relation to Jeboah King of Judah. And, after the Return from the Captivity, it is credible (as Jofephus relates) that they had the chief Management of all publick Affairs.

xi.

xxiii.

When therefore the Family of the Maccabees, who were of the Tribe of Levi, in regard to their fingular Merit, came to be entrusted with the Helm of Government, there were Princes first, and afterwards Kings, who were High-Priefts, at the fame Time; in a manner, till the Birth of CHRIST; the Great * Anointed;

Chrift, in the Greek Tongue, is the Anointed.

both

both King and Prieft: of whom it was prophefied, as St. Paul applies it, That Heb. vii, he fhould be an High-Prieft, for ever, 21. after the order of Melchifedec: Who, we read, was King of Salem, and Prieft of the most high God. Which was a Practice not unusual even among the * Gentiles.

I Sam.

xxii. 16.

The High-Priest held his Office during his natural Life; unless in fome extraor dinary Cafe. As in that of Abimelech the Great-Grandfon of Eli; who, with above fourfcore other Priefts, was put to Death at the Command of Saul, because he had reliev'd David in his Diftrefs. Again, Abiathar the Son of Abimelech, who was the laft of the Houfe of Eli, was depriv'd by Solomon, because he had been Kings an Adherent of Adonijab, who afpir'd to the Throne. In the latter Times, under the Herods and the Roman Governors, they were created and depos'd at Pleafure.

There are few Inftances, if any, of there ever having been more than one HighPrief, at the fame Time. Zadok, indeed,

* Rex Anius, Rex idem Hominum, Phoebiq; Sa
cerdos,

Virg.

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ii. 27.

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