they began to fing, and to praise, the LORD
fet ambushments against the children of Am-
mon, Moab, and mount Seir, and they were
Smitten.

IO.

So at the Building of the fecond Temple; When the builders laid the foundation Ezra. ii, of the temple of the LORD, they fet the Priefs, in their apparel, with trumpets, and the Levites, the fons of Afaph, with cymbals, to praife the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Ifrael. And they fung together, by course, in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever, &c. Again, it is faid; In the days of David and Neh. xii. Afaph, of old, there were chief of the 46. fingers, and fongs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

Encourag'd by thefe Examples,therefore, and because the Worship of God ought to be folemniz'd, in the best manner we are able to devife, (not because God wants any of our Services, but because it behoves us to exert our felves upon all fuch Occafions, to the utmoft and beft of our Skill; however when we have done our best, we may be but unprofitable Servants) The Church

U 3

Rev. xiv.

2.

Church of England, in all those Places, where they may conveniently be had, gives Thanks to God, with the best Voices and Inftruments fhe can procure. It shews 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.

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 Gofpel; 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 should not imitate these Examples as well as they

can,

can, there feems to be no Reason: But, on the contrary, many good ones, why they should.

SECT. XIV.

The PORTERS or DOORKEEPERS. Next, we are to speak of the Doorkeepers; whose Business it was, to be posted up and down at all the feveral Avenues and Doors of the Tabernacle and Temple, and of all the Chambers and Offices thereunto belonging; to have the Charge and of them, upon all Occafions; to open shut them, Morning and Evening; to keep conftant Watch and Ward about them, that no unclean or otherwise suspicious Perfons, might have Admittance: and, probably, 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, probably, might be done according to a Scheme communicated to him by Samuel.

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

U 4

ix. 17,

Akkub, &c.

Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was Chief; who hitherto waited in the king's gate eaftward. They were porters in the companies of the children of Levi. And Shallum the Son of Korah, and his brethren the Korahites, were over the work of the fervice; keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: And their fathers being over the boft 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 hundred and twelve. Thefe were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages: Whom David and Samuel the feer did ordain in their fet office. So they, and their children had 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 villages, were to come after feven days, from time to time, with them. For thefe Levites, the four chief porters, were in their fet office; and were over the chambers and trea

furies of the house of God. And they lodg

ed

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

It is reasonable to believe they were employ'd in feveral of the fervile and inferior Offices, as well as in thofe 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.

They were divided into Claffes, by Lot; and came into waiting, every week, by their Couries. We read that Jehoiada the High-Prieft, (who, during the Minority of his Nephew King Joah, probably

had

10.