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Thefe, the Cafualties of Life, the Infirmities of Age and Sickness, are very lawful and reasonable Restraints upon us. Our Saviour, 'tis confess'd, commanded the Young Man in the Gospel, to go and fell all Matth. xix. 21, be bad, and give to the Poor. But this was done, as a Trial of his pretended Perfection. It was a Precept Perfonal to Him, not of univerfal Obligation, nor to be drawn into Example rafhly, and at all Adventures. The Primitive Chriftians alfo brought their Goods into one common Fund, from whence Distribution was made, as each of the Brethren had need. But this is commended, only as an Act seasonable Then, not for a Standard of Practice, that should be perpetual. At this rate indeed our Saviour's Declaration, that we shall have the Poor always with us, could not hold true. So that all the Inference, refulting from these Inftances, is, that Men fhould be in a conftant Difpofition of Mind, most willingly to exchange the Treasures of this Life for those of a Better; and to part even with their All, when the Service of God, and the Good of Souls, require it. But, in ordinary Cafes, the Exigencies of Other People are fo to be confidered, as that our Own be not altogether overlook'd; And, while we help Them, care must be taken not to rob, and perfectly ftrip Our Selves.

Again, The very Confideration of the Objects we would relieve, makes this Caution neceffary. For, the Wants and Diftreffes of our Brethren are not of one Day's Production, or Continuance. Fresh Objects, worthy of our Pity, are perpetually prefenting themselves; And therefore we fhould do ill to be fo lavish upon One, or a Few, as thereby to fall under a Difability of fuccouring the Rest. That, which is constantly a Duty, obliges us to fuch prudent Referves, as may keep us in Condition to perform it long and often, even as oft, as fit Occafions fhall call for it at our Hands. These Reasons (to name no more) are fufficient to prove, that Men may, and ought to proceed by a Zeal tempered with Prudence,

Prudence, even in Gifts of Piety and Charity. They should not abandon their Substance, and, by laying out all in a Heat, either cut off their own Power of being charitible for the future, or fo reduce it, as to become Objects of Charity themselves. And therefore I fhall clofe with a few fhort Rules, in which the Example of our Saviour may be Serviceable, for directing our Difpofals, and our Behaviour, in this Point.

We cannot but obferve, that the Multitudes now fed by Him, were in a Place remote from all Accommodations, ready to faint for Hunger, driven to that Neceffity, by following him fo far, and attending him fo long, that they might reap the Benefit of his Miracles, and his Doctrine. Now, fince the Neceffities of our Brethren in Want are by far more and greater, than the Liberality of the Wealthiest and most Open-handed Man can poffibly fupply; It is abfolutely neceffary, that we should give with fome Distinction. Wherein we shall do well to imitate our Lord, in the following Particulars.

1. That we generally bestow our Charity upon Such, as are leaft in a Condition of fuftaining themfelves. For that which the Defart was to these Multitudes, the fame in Effect, are Old Age, Maimed Limbs, Long Sicknefs, Multitude of Helpless Children, and the Calamities, which more immediately and vifibly come from the Hand of God, to the Poor in general. They difable them, I mean, from furnishing themselves, by pain-. ful Labour and honeft Industry; and, in fo doing, they lay them at our Doors, and charge us with them. But as for Them, whom Pride or Profufion, Sloth or Vice have reduced; Them, who continue Poor, only because they will not take any Trouble to be otherwife; the Laws of God have not commanded, and those of Men wifely discountenance, the fame Compaffion for fuch. To Them, who make Wandring and Beggary a Trade, and chufe the Shame, but Eafe, of That, before an ho

13. Nor is it ftrange, that his Blood fhould have fo noble and lafting Effects, to any who

13. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the afbes of an beifer Sprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh:

remember, how that of Beafts heretofore, and the Ashes made of a burnt red Heifer, removed all Legal Pollutions, and restored the Unclean, when sprinkled with them, to the Service of the Tabernacle. (Numb. xix.)

14. Shall not then Chrift's Blood, (whole Perfon is Divine, and fo his Blood the Blood of God (Acts xx. 28.) by the Unity of the fame Eternal Spirit) when He offered himself a most unblemished Sacrifice, be effectual to cleanfe Mens Souls, (as that of Beafts did formerly their Bodies) from the Guilt of thofe Sins that make liable to death, (as that Other from Pollutions contracted by dead Bodies) and qualify them for the Acceptance of their Service to God, (as that Other admitted Men to the Communion of the Sanctuary.)

14. How much more fhall the Blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered bimfelf without spot to God, purge your confcience from dead works to ferve the living God?

15. To this End, (or by this Blood) he hath fealed a new Covenant between God and Us; that fo, in Confideration of his Death for

15. And for this caufe be is the Mediator of the New Tefiament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the first Teftament, they which are called might receive the promife of eternal inberitance.

the Expiation of Sins, which the first Legal Covenant could not expiate, all who are admitted to, and perform their part of it, may receive the Promife of Immortality and Happiness in Heaven. Their Title to which is clear, by their Sins

being thus atoned for and forgiven.

T

COMMENT.

HE Pre-eminence of the Evangelical above the Legal Covenant was afferted in the Epistle for the last Lord's Day. The Church now proceeds to confirm that Affertion, by appointing one for this Day, which instances in fome particulars, wherein that Preeminence confists. An Argument carried on, by fome Comparisons, drawn from that Tabernacle, and the Service of it, in which the Glory of the Levitical Difpenfation principally lay.

I. The Perfon officiating.

II. The Place where he miniftred.

III. The Sacrifices offered.

IV. The Ends and Effects of thofe Sacrifices.

These

These are the Heads of the Apostle's Reasoning, and fall be fo of my prefent Difcourfe, upon this Subject.

I. The First Preference, given here to the GospelCovenant, regards the Perfon officiating in the Chriftian Sacrifice. Those among the Jews were offered by the Succeffion and Pofterity of Aaron, Men in all Points upon a Level with their Brethren, excepting that Diftinction God had put, by the Honour of devoting them to his Altar, and, by Their Ministry, conveying his Bleffings to, and receiving the Homage and Acknowledgments due from, the Body of his People. But ftill thofe Bleffings were, could be, no other, than the Oeconomy they attended upon, had indented for. Which, properly fpeaking, extended no farther, than the Privileges of communicating with God in the Ordinances he had prescribed; and the Mercies of an Earthly Canaan, of which fuch Communion, regularly observed, was made the Condition, and the Pledge.

vii. 26, 27.

The fame high Office does our Jejus execute under the Gospel-Difpenfation. But, (as the Chapters foregoing have proved by feveral Inftances) to much greater Advantage. He was not, like the Jewish High Priefts, taken from among Men, Not of the fame common Frailties and Corruptions, with thofe for whom he mediates but is holy and harmless, undefiled and feparate from Sinners: He confequently needed not, like Them, to offer for his own Sins first, and then for the People. He was therefore a fuccessful Sacrificer for his Peoples Sins, because under no Guilt of his own, to render him obnoxious, and require a Sacrifice. He was not of the Tribe of Levi, or the Order of Aaron, whofe Priesthood was temporary, and the Perfons admitted to it mortal: But of the Order of Melchifedec: Of a Priesthood unchangeable; In refpect of its folemn Institution confirmed by the Oath of God; In refpect also of the Priest himself, who liveth for ever to

vii. 20, 21, 23, 24, 25.

make Interceffion

John i. 14. pitching his

the Veil, through which a Paffage is opened for us into the Holieft; that St. John fpeaking of the Incarnation of the Word, expresses it by Tabernacle among us, or, in our Human Nature; and fays, that thence his Glory was confpicuous: And again, that our Bleffed Lord himself

John ii. 19, 21.

calls his own Body a Temple. Manifeftly alluding by Thefe, to the Jewish Tabernacle, and Temple,and Glory of the Lord exhibiting himself there. Strong Confirmations thefe are, of that Prefence, by which God dwelt thus among his People, being intended as a Type of that real and visible Prefence, by which, in the Body of his Incarnate Son, he actually dwelt with, and exhibited himself to Men. Hence we have a Rational Account, why the Worship of God, and Mens Acceptance in it, fhould be confined to that Place of his Symbolical Prefence; because intimating, that there is no Name given unto Men, whereby they must be faved, but only the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, with whose Human Nature he is Subftantially prefent. And this Sense will likewife correfpond perfectly well, with that Character of this Tabernacle, Not made with Hands, that is to say, not of this building; In regard of Chrift's Human Nature not being brought into the World by Human Means; (which being made with Hands often denotes) nor in the ordinary way; but born of an unblemished Virgin, and conceived by an Almighty and immediate Operation of the Holy Ghoft. In all which Refpects, this Tabernacle too was greater and more perfect than that under the Law; and by it, by the Blood which thus became his, he entred into Heaven, as the High Priest heretofore entred into the Holy Place on Earth. The Manner of Entring was thus far alike in both; but the Blood they carried in, by no means alike. Which brings us to the

III. Third Confideration, upon which the Pre-eminence of our High Prieft is afferted in the Scripture now

at

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