Mather - Houston-Packer Collection BS478 .M3 1705

The Gofpel ofthe Legal Prieflhood. 4,97 \ rath of God upon a People, when he fets up fuck Minifters among them, Mich. z. i 1, If any Man(hall prophefy of Wine or ofStrong Drink, he fhatl be the Prophet to this People, Ifaiah 56. to, I i, 12. bis Watch- men are blind, they are ignorant, &c. come, fay they, we will fetch Wine and fill our [lves with Strong Drink, and to morrow (hall be as this Day, and much more abúdantly. It is ufuafy the Prologue and Intro - dufion to great Defolations or Land -devouring Judgments, when they have Priefts that love Wine and StrongDrink, it brings Land-devou- ring Judgments. So all Believers likewife ( for it belongs alfo to them) they should be fober,and watch to the difcharge of their Chriftian Duty. Be ye therefore fiber, i Pet.4.7. and watch into Prayer, i Pet5.8. Be fober,be vigilant ; be- caufe your Adverfary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh abo4t,. licking whom he may devour. 6. The Prie1i might not marry a Widow, or a divorced Woman, or a Harlot, but a Virgin of his People. This is another peculiar Obfervation required of Men in that Order under the Law, Lev. 21. 13, 14. And he fhatl take a Wife in her Virginity : AWidow or a divorced Woman, or Profane, or an Harlot, thefe (hall he not take, but he¡hall take a Virginof f his own People to Wife, &c. The fame thing is fpoken alfo in Ezek. 44. 22, neither !hall they take to Wife a Widow, &c. What is the mean - ing of this ? It can not be a moral Precept: It is not unlawful for a Miaifter tomarry a Widow. Therefore look at the High Prieft here- in. The Spoufe of Jefus Chrift ought to be a Virgin, chafte and un- defiled, whofe firft and belt Love is to be beftowed on him, 2Cor. I I, z. ! am jealous over you with godly 7ealoufy, for 1 have efpoufedyou to one Husband, that 1 mayprefentyou as a challe Virgin to ChriTh. And in Mat. 25. we find that in fome Refpeas, Profeffors are all Virgins, tho' there be foolifh Virgins as well as wife : But it is efpecially applied to the Sincere, to the wife Virgins Rev. 14. 4. Thefe are they that are not defiled with Women, for they are Virgins ; thefe follow the Lambwhi- tberfoever he goetb. Purity and Holinefs is the property of true Belie- vers ; an entire Dedication of themfelves to Jefus Chrift alone. The Virgins love thee, Cant. i. 3. 7. The feventh Rule and Obfervation about the Priefthood was this, that he was not to mournfor the Dead ; no not for his Father and Mo! ther ; nor to attend their Funeral, or to go out of the Sanctuary to in- termit his Miniftry, Lev. 21. i 0,11, 12. And he that is the HighPrieTh among his Brethren, hefhall not uncover his Head, nor rent his Clothes; nei- ther(hall be go in to any dead Body, nor defile bimfelffor his Father or for bis Mother ; neither (hallhe go oust of the Sanúuary, nor profane the Sanf1uary Sff or h

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