3 4 S NUMBERS XVIII, 109 Efth.9.z7. fò in the New Teftaniené, A&.5. t4. 1 I. 24. & 2. 41,47. minifer unto thee] fo in um. 3.6. the Levites are appointed to minifter to Aaron: elfwhere they are faid to minifter 14 the congregation; Num. t 6.9. and unto the. Lord, Dent. i o.8. t Sam.3.r. 2 Chro.29.1 X. and in the name of the Lord, Dent.18.6,7. and are -called the minifters of his houle, Ezek. 45.5. before the Tent] herein is the difference betweene the Pricks and Levites office that the Pneus ferved at the Altar, and in the holy place ; the Levites fer - ved the outer fervices,helped to kill,flay,take the blood, &c. and gave it to the Priefts,who (prink - led the blood received from their hands,2 Chro. 30.16. & 29.i4. I Citron. 23. 28,-32. oftbe Tefimonie] that is, of theLaw, written on the two Tables kept Bi an Arke within the Tent or Tabernacle ; and thereof it had this name, as is noted on Exod. 25. t6, . Verfe 3. (ball keepe thy charge] or, oblirve thy ob- fervation; thy cuff odie, or, shy ward; at thy appoint- ment doing their Cervice : fee Numb. 3.7. the. tefelsofholine ]inGreeke,theholyvefls: to come nigh unto them, to ferve with them at the Altar, or in the holy place the Levites might not: which the HebrewCanons explain thus ; All the Levites are forbidden the fervice at the Altar, at it te Aid (in Num. 18.3.) Bru they (hall not come nigh unto the veils, &c. They fhall not come nigh to the[eervice; but ta touch them it was lawful!. Maimeny, [orn. 3. in Cle hamikdafh, chaP.3, fe &.9. Soin Num.3.8. the Levites were appointed to keepe all the vefel, of the Tabernacle. both th ,y endwise] they for doing fo , you for fuffering it. But from thefe words the Hebrews fay, As the Levites are forbidden te doe the fervice of the Friefs; fo the Priefs are forbidden to doe the fèrvice of the Levites, ar it is written , Both they and you. Maimotry in Cle bamikdafh, chapter 3. fe&ion lo. Verfe 4. the charge] or, the eufledie ; in Greeke, the cue ,dtes, or the wards, watches : fèr Co the word is ufed for keeping watch by night alfo,as in Pfa. 90.4. See thenotes on Exo. 14,24. a franger] any of Ifrael that is not a Levite , is counted a ftranger in this bufnetfe : and in the Prides af- faires, the Levites themfelves were counted kran- gers, v.7. See the notes on Num.3.t o. Verfe 5. keepe the charge of the holy place] Hebrew, obferve the obfervation of the belinefe ; which the Greeke tranflateth, oftbe holies : by this name the Apokle talleth the fiat 2 abernade,wherin was the Candlekicke, Table, and Shew-bread ; vs the in- molt part of the Tabernacle is called holy of belies, that is, the holielt of all, Heb. 9.2,3. To keepe the charge, or ob crre the obfeervatian, is to have conti- nuall care day and night , that all things be kept pure and uncorrupted, and adminiftred accor- ding to the wil of God: as they that kept the charge (or ward) oj'the bowie of Saul ,' were fuch as endea- soured to keep & maintain the kingdom in Saute family, 1 Chron..12.29. This duty of the Prieles and Levites in theTabernacle, continued affix in the Temple, where Come were Porters, keepers of the gates, and lodged round about the boufee of God; force had charge of the miniflring ve f felt, that they. fhould bring them in C¢ out by tale: few of thefine floovre,and the wine,and the cil,and thefrankincenfe, and of the goices,and of the Sheen- bread: Come were ftngers,impl oyed in that worke day and night,ic. 1.0hrou.9.19,23,-33. Of their manner of kee- ping the Temple , the.Hebrewcs have thus recor- ded : The keeping of the Santluarie, is a thing Caen. mended, yea though there be no feare of enemies,or of theevet; for the keeping thereof 14 but for the honour thereof: fifnd this keeping to commanded to be all the night andthe keepers are the priefls and the Levites , as it is faid, And thou and thy fonnet with thee ((hall be) before the Tent of the Teflimo- nie, (Num.18,2,) as if he fhould fay, you flea/i be the keepers (or watchmen) thereof. Moreover it is faid of the Levites , And they hall keepe the charge of the Tent, (Numbers 18.4-) le is alfa faid, e-ind they that encampe before the Taberna- ele, fore -muff before the Tent of the Congregation Eaffward, (fball be) Moles and Aaron, and his fennel , keeping the charge of the holy place, (Num. 3.3 8.) And if they leave of the keeping of it, they tranfgreffe againg a prohibition. The commande- ment of keeping it, is that the Priefs be the kee- pers in the inner (places) and the Levites in the sitter. And twentie fone companies kept it every night continually in twenty foursplaces;the Prt fis in three places,and the Levites in one d- twenty placer, &c.The Priefs that warded,fleet not in their prieff- lygarments,bue folded them up, & laid them at their bead.e,and put an their own garmentt,and fept on the ground, as is the manner of all that ward Kings courts, that they feepe not on beds. And they fet one Provoff over all the wards (or eufadies) of the kee_ pert, and he was calledthe man of the mauntaine of tie houfe (of God) And he Went round about unto every ward,all the right,wsth tor-doer-burning before him ; and every warder that did not fend andray, Thou man of the rmuntaine of the bottle , Peace be unto thee, it was knowne that be was afleepe , and be did beat him with boa f affe, And be hadauthoritie to borne his garment , Jo that (fometimet) they faid in Jcrttfàlem,what rife Min the Court ? It lithe cry of a Levitethat is beaten, andhis garmentsburnt; be. caufe he fept at hiswatch, In the morí gtheProvoff of the 3'aniluary came and knocked at the gate for the Priefes that were intbe place ofburning(the holy things,) and they opened unto him. He Cooke a key and opened the little gate,that was between the place of burning andthe courtyard, and went from the bur- ningplace into the courtyard, and the Prieles went in after him. And two torches of Ire were in their hand, and they divided themfelvet into twocompanies; one company ment Eaflward,and another ;ref/ward; and they fearched and went therm all the courtyard, till both companies came to the place where they made the Pries Meat - offering (Bookers of in Lev. 6. 20, 21.) When both fides came thither, they raid, Peace, all is peace, and they fee thole that made the Meat- offering, to make the fame., After this order did they every night, Pave the nights of the Sabbath: for then they basset fire( torches)in their band, butfearched with the lamps that were lighted there on the evening Kkkk of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=