2 Chron. had the Regency of the Kingdom) fet

xxiii.

19.

10, &c.

porters at the gates of the boufe of the LORD, that none which was unclean, in any thing, Should enter in.

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 shall close the Account upon thofe Heads. ib. xxxv, The fervice was prepared, and the Priests 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 hands, 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 passover with fire, according to the ordinance: But the other holy offerings fod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans; and divided them fpeedily, among all the people.

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

Priests, the fons of Aaron were bufy in offering the burnt-offerings, and the fat, until night; Therefore the Levites prepared for themfelves, and for the Priests, the fons of Aaron.

And the fingers, the fons of Afaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Afaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's feer.

And the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their fervice; for their brethren, the Levites, prepared for them.

So, all the fervice of the LORD was prepar'd the fame day, to keep the pallover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Jofiah.

SECT. XV.

The NET HINI MS,

Among thofe that were employed in the Service of the Temple, next to the Porters, we read of the Nethinims: In that Order, Ezra mentions them after the Ezra ii. Return from Babylon. The most slavish 43. and dirty Work, of all Kinds, fell to their

Lot;

Lot; and they were to be fubfervient and affifting to the Levites, in all the lefs defirable and heavy Parts of Duty; as the Levites were to the Priests.

The whole People of the Land, were divided into four Ranks; First, the If raelites, or whole Body of the Laity; Secondly, the Priefts; Thirdly, the Levites; and Fourthly, the Nethinims: Singers and Doorkeepers being included in the Word Levites. And thus we find them number'd, both before, and after, the Capti1 Chron, vity. Before; it is faid; Now, the first inhabitants that dwelt in their poffeffions in their cities, were the Ifraelites, the Priests, Ezra ii. 7. the Levites, and the Nethinims. And, after; we are told, that, The Priests and the Levites, and fome of the people, and the fingers, and the porters, and the Nethinims dwelt in their cities.

ix. 2.

These were not of the Tribe of Levi; but originally Gibeonites, of the Land of Canaan; who, coming to understand, that the LORD had commanded Mofes to give Joh. ix. the children of Ifrael all that land, and to deftroy all the inhabitants of it, from before them (doubtless, because their grofs Immoralities

24.

moralities requir'd an immediate and exemplary Punishment) being fore afraid of their lives, work'd wilily; and fent Men to the Ifraelites, who pretended that they were Ambaffadors from a far Country; and having heard of the Name of the LORD, and all that he did in Egypt, and what he had done to the Nations beyond Jordan, were defirous to make a League with the People, who were so highly favour'd by him. This Stratagem fucceeded; Joshua made peace with them, and Joh. ix. made a league with them, to let them live; 15. and the princes of the congregation fware

5 unto them.

But, when the Cheat came to be dif cover'd, and all the congregation murmur'd against the princes; and there was no undoing what had been done, because the Princes had worn; Joshua, (defirous, in fome Meafure, to appeafe the People, and provok'd by this unfair Dealing of the Gibeonites) called for them, and spake unto them, faying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, faying, We are very far from you, ye dwell among us? Now, therefore, ye are curfed; and there shall none of you

when

be

23.

z Sam.

be freed from being hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the house of my God. Upon which they furrender'd themselves at Difcretion, and faid; Now, behold, we are in thine hand; as it feemeth right and good unto thee, to do unto us, do. And fo he did unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they flew them not. And Joshua made them, that day, hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he Should choose.

Yet, afterwards, we find Saul, in a prexxi. 1, 2. tended Fit of Zeal to his own Countrymen, had made an Attempt to destroy them all. Which inhuman Cruelty God refented fo far as to fend a Famine upon the Land for three Years; till David took care to make Atonement for it; and to give the Gibeonites, fuch Satisfaction as they requir❜d.

Thefe, therefore, without Question, were the People, whom we find appropriated, by David, among the rest of his Regulations, to all the fervile Employ

ments