4 e in Expofttton of the CH A P. I. the conftitution of the 3udaicalChurchand Worfhip, unto the clofe of publick Pio- phecie in the daycs of Malachi., From thence to the dayes of John Baptift, Cod granted no extraordinary Revelation of his Will, as to the 'landingufe of the whole Church. So that this difpenfatiou ofGodsfeaking in the Prophets, continued for the fpace of twenty one .7ubilees, or near eleven hundred years. That it had been now ceafcd for a long time, the Apoftle intimates in this word ; and that agreeably to the coufel?ed Principles of the jars, whereby alto he confirmed his own of the coming of the Meffiab, by the reviving of the gift of Prophecy , as was foretold , Joel 2. 28, 27. And we may by the way a little confider their thoughts in this matter ; For as we have obferved and provedbefore, the Apoftle engageth with them upon their own acknowledged Principles. " The 3ewes then generallygrant unto this day, that Pro- "phecy for the publick ufe of the Church, was not bellowed under the fècond Tcm- " pieafter the dayes ofMalachie ; nor is to be expeEted untill the coming of Elias. "The deluuons that have been put upon them by impoffors, they now labourall they "can to conceal ; and are of late by experience made incredulous towards filch pre- " tenders as in former Ages they have been brought to much mifery by. Now as " their manner is to faften all their conjeftures, be they true or faire, on tome piece, "word, or letter of the Scripture, fo have they done this affertion alto. Obfèrving or " fuppofing the want of fundry things in thefecundHoufá, they pretend that want to " be intimated, Hag. t. 7,8. where God promifing toglorifie himfelf in that Tern- " pie, the word 117N, I will glorifie, is written defeftively, without n, as the ICeri " notes. That letter being the numeral note offive, fignifies, as theY fay, the want "of five things in that Ho*. The field of theft was 0' r t p.n.:, the Ark and "Cherubims; The fecond nnwOri fa), the ar.oimingOÿle; The third niuori ßsÿ, " thewood ofdifjiofirion, or perpetual tire. The fourth =Paun1 Ot11N, Vrim, and n Thummim.: The fifth taipei n11, the Hob, Ghoff, or Spirit ofProphecy. They arenet "indeed all agreed in this enumeration; The Talmud in Mr joma cap. 5. reckons " them fomewhat otherwife : t. TheArkwith thePropitiation andCherubim; : In "Firefront Heaven, which aufwers the third, or wood of difpafition in the former order. " 3. The Divine Majefy, in the room of the Anointing OM : 4. The Hely GheJl ; "5, Vrim and Thumminr. Another order there is according to Rabbi BechaiComment. "inPentateuch. Seilione rain; who places the Anointing Ole diffindtly, and confounds " then?'7ti,or Divine Majeffy with'ttnipn tin,theHoly Gholt,contradtdting theGems- "ra. The Commonly approved-order is that of the Author of Aruch ; in the ",Roòt, 117- "TIN 1ri t 111107 Zt1N, the Ark, Propitiatory, andCherubim!, one. "'. W 11J7w, the Divine Majel y, the fecondthing. «tUJ17tU t7Ni]J N11W ui11¡Jn 1111, the Holy Gh0, which ifPropheccy the third. " tyt71 C]V71n1 [7í11N,Vrint`andThummim thefourth thing. " n'ttwn its 2'N, fireframe Heaven, thefifth thing. "But as this Argument is ridiculous, both ingeneral in wire-d'rawing Conciati. " ons from lettersdeficient or redundant in writing, and in particular in refercpee. to " this word, which in other places is written as in this; asNumb. 24. 12. I Sam. 2.20. "Ifa.66. 5. fo the obfetvation its felt of the want of all there five things in thefe- "cond Houfe isvery queftionable, and teems' to be invented togive countenance to " the confeffed ceafingofProphe'y,. bywhich their Church had been planted, nouri(hed " andmaintained, and now bÿ-its want was fignified to be near expiration. For "although I will grant that they might offer Sacrifices with other Fire, than that " whichwas traduced from the flame defcending from Heaven, though Nadab and "Abihu were deftroyed- for fo doing , becaufe the Law of that Fire attended the " givingofit, whence upon its providential ceafing, it'was as lawful to Life other fire " inSacrifice, as it was before its giving-our; yetas to theArk, theVrim andThurn- "mini, the matter is more queftionable; and as to the anointing'Ogle dutófgoellion, becaufe it being lawful for theHigh Priefftomake it at any time, if Was no doubt "reftored in the time ofEzra's Reformation. IknowAbarbinei on Exod. Chap. 3o. "fir. NW, affirms that therewas noHigh Prieftanointed with'oyle under the fecond "Houfe, for which hegivesthís reafon; nrtwort FOE) all rpm' Mx) t97, becaufe "theanointing Ogle was nowhid; i~7tty11prt =Part iNt0 1=9 ñtw1tl1 1WJJw, for Jofiah hadhid it with the refl. of the holy-things : a talmudical figment ;' to which he "adds, iT11WO'ITTI1 115 P iii fí`11,,. and they'had no raver tá m'àkz it; I"will riot much
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