pened to the ancient people of God, were defigned to point out, as in a figure, parallel occurrences, which fhould afterwards take place in the accomplishment of man's redemption, and the rife and progrefs of the Christian church: And as we are to view in the fame light the various provocations and punishments, captivities and restorations of the tribes of Ifrael, which we are affured, "happened unto "them for enfamples," "types or figures," and were written for our admonition; fo we are to understand in the fame figurative fense. what is faid of the law, and its ceremonies; of the tabernacle and temple, with the fervices therein performed, and of the whole economy of the priesthood of Aaron. All this the well inftructed Chriftian will easily transfer to the new law of the gospel, to the oblation of Chrift, to the true tabernacle or temple not made with hands, and to what was done therein for the falvation of the world, by Him, who was in one respect a Sacrifice, in another a Temple, and in a third, a "High Priest for ever after the order "of Melchizedek ;" after a certain order, form, or regulation, which was to be the rule, and model of the Chriftian priesthood for ever.

That the Christian church was to have a priefthood, duly and regularly ordered, according to a form

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"hand, granting me the knowledge and utterance neceffary to make it fer"viceable to the church!" Let any perfon of judgement perufe the work, and he will fee how well the author has fucceeded, and kept up the fpirit of it to the end.

form appointed for that purpose, is abundantly evident from the whole of St. Paul's reafoning on this fubject, in his Epiftle to the Hebrews; in which the figurative economy of the law is reprefented as brought to perfection under the gofpel, and the fervice of the temple as furnishing a typical resemblance of that of the Chriftian church. If the faithful Jews were allowed to draw near to God, through the appointed miniftrations of the tabernacle; " we have "an altar," fays the apostle, " from which they "had no right to eat, while they ftill adhered to "that unavailing fervice:" And if as Chriftians, we have an altar, we must also have a priesthood to minister at the altar; for thefe are correlative terms; and St. Paul certainly confidered them as fuch, when he was at fo much pains to point out the analogy in this respect between the law and the gofpel, and laid it down as a fettled rule, that "no man "ever taketh this honour" (of the priesthood)" un"to himself," or can ever receive it, but from the hands of thofe who have power to give it, "those "that are called of God as was Aaron." The apostle, it is evident, meant to fhew, that the Chriftian and Jewish churches were not two different` dispenfations, as to their original plan and purpose, but a continuation of the one church of God, and one Divine economy for the falvation of man: And things were thus regularly ordained, and uniformly carried on, because it is of infinite importance to man, that he should always be able to know, if he

will but diligently inquire, where and with whom he is to find the commiffion, which has been faithfully handed down to thofe, who are appointed to minifter in holy things.* If ever fuch an appointment took place, and we are well affured it did take place by Divine authority, it must certainly be continued, and carried on, to answer the end defigned by it: And how can it poffibly be continued in a right and regular manner, but by keeping it within the lines marked out for its prefervation. and in the proper channel, through which it may pass on to future ages; juft "as a river, whilst confined "within its banks, flows on full and far in its def"tined courfe; but if its mounds are broken down, "and its waters fcattered and diffufed beyond their "natural limits, it ceafes to be a river, it lofes its "force, its beauty and usefulness, and becomes "unable to reach the diftant ocean, to which its "courfe was directed." Such muft have been the cafe with the Chriftian miniftry, had no limitation been prescribed, no exclufive rights afligned to it, and

N 2

See this matter, and others of fimilar importance, recommended to the attention which they justly deserve, in a small TraЯ, lately published, called a "Layman's Account of bis Faith and Practice, as a Member of the Epif"copal Church in Scotland" and of which the British Critic, for December, 1801, fays-"The principles which the Author labours to establish, are "certainly found, his reafoning is cogent without fubtlety, and his piety "ferious without morosenefs."

*

† See a Sermon, entituled, " A Due Ordination as neceffary as a Due "Call to the gospel Priesthood." By the Rev. C. C. Church, rector of Gosforth, and minister of Trinity, Whitchaven.

and no provifion made for tranfmitting these from the fountain-head, through streams of regular fucceffion, to the end of the world. But as all this has been happily attended to, by the wisdom of our bleffed Redeemer, it follows of course, that this part of the gracious scheme of redemption must be ftrictly adhered to by us; no attempt must be made to "add to, or diminish from it." The means of grace, the channels of communication, through which the benefits of the gofpel are conveyed to those who are called to partake of them, must be preserved whole and entire, without any breach or interruption, as the current of revelation itself; otherwise, the people of God may be accufed now, as they were formerly, of "commiting two evils"forfaking the fountain of living waters, and hew

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ing out to themselves cifterns, broken cifterns "that can hold no water.' In our Lord's converfation with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well, the fame figurative language is made use of, to fhew that Chrift being the only fountain of "living wa"ters," there is no other way of partaking of this life-giving fpring, but by the means which he has appointed for imparting to us its falutary virtue: and for preferving it pure and entire, having hewn us out a ciftern, even his church upon earth, he is faid to have given "this treasure in earthen veffels, "that the excellency of the power may be of God,

and

* Jer. ii. 13.

St. John, iv. 10-14.

"and not of us."* In conformity to which, he tells Ananias concerning the appointment of St. Paul to the ministry-"Go thy way, for he is a chofen vessel

unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, "and kings, and the children of Ifrael;" just as the fame Lord had fhewn the neceffity of his making a fimilar choice for the fame purpose, when he thus addreffed his apoftles, "Ye have not chofen me, but "I have chofen you, and ordained you, that you "fhould go, and bring forth fruit, and that your "fruit fhould remain." But the fruit or effect of their apoftolic commiffion could not have long remained, tar lefs could that commiffion have extended "even unto the end of the world," if it had not been understood and exercised by them to this effect, that as they themselves were chofen and fent, fo were they appointed to choofe and fend others, with the fame ordinary powers which they had received, for carrying on the work of the ministry, and the continued edifying of the body of Chrift.

It would be deemed a very bold and defperate attempt to think of altering the circulation of the blood through the human body, and turning it into new channels: Yet even this hopeless undertaking could not exceed that height of folly and prefumption, which would propofe to divert the progrefs of divine grace from the channels appointed for conveying it through the mystical body of Chrift; or give

2 Cor. iv. 7.

Acts, ix. 15.

St. John, xv. 16.