DISSERTATION XIV. ON THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND HIS CHURCH, IN THE DAYS OF NEHEMIAH. NEHEMIAH ix. 38. x. 1-39. THIS is the laft Tranfaction transmitted to us in the Old Teftament; but by no means the leaft fignal. The .facred hiftorian afcertains,-I. The Perfons Covenanting.-II. The Character of the Minister, by whofe inftrumentality they were brought to perform this duty.-III. The Matter of this Covenant.IV. The Manner in which they performed it. -V. The Occafions of this Tranfaction.-VI. The Solemn Confirmations of it.-After a fhort furvey of each of thefe, we fhalt fubjoin fome Improvement. FIRST, I fall attend unto the PERSONS Covenanting. 1. THE first order of perfons is, “Our Princes *." This is the fame order with thefe mentioned Differtation VI. 2. THE "Levites." The whole tribe of Levi, except the family of Aaron. The pecu liar conftitution of this tribe deferves more particular confideration than I can here undertake. Let it fuffice, in this place, to obferve, That God took them inftead of the first-born, and fet them apart to the fervice of the temple; as alfo, affigned them their task in inftructing the reft of the tribes,-appointing them cities to live in,-tythes for an honourable maintenance, fecing they were excluded from having any inheritance among their brethren. As this tribe was devoted to God's fervice, fo it was proper they fhould be forward in his work, They were divided into three claffes: The first waited on the Priests, the fons of Aaron, to purify the holy things,-to prepare the fhewbread, flour, wine, oil, and every thing else for the facrifice; and to kill the facrifices, if there were more work of this kind than the Priests could accomplish. The next clafs formed the temple choir, confifting of both fingers and players on inftruments. The third are styled porters, who kept the doors of the temple, and had the charge of it; and probably received fuch oblations as. were offered at it. Neh, ix. 38. 3. A THIRD order of perfons covenanting at this time are, "Our Priefts." This comprehended the whole family of Aaron, even to the exclufion of that of Mofes: For, though he was the first man in the kingdom, he fuffered his feed to fink down among the reft of the Levites. 4. THE next order fpecificd is that of "Nethinims *." This defignation is not to be found but in books written after the captivity; for fuch, I prefume, are the books of Chronicles. The order of perfons unto which it belonged, however, was much more ancient. They were originally the Gibeonites, who, by fraud, obtained a league with the Ifraelites foon after they came into the land of Canaan: For which Joshua condemned them to the most laborious offices of the tabernacle; fuch as, hewing of wood and drawing of water for the facrifice. But it is conjectured that David added fome other ftrangers to their number, when he appointed them unto the fervice of the Levites. Thofe Nethinims who returned, were certainly the best of that order: The reft having preferred a place in Chaldea unto the service of *, , DEDITI. "Erantque Gibeonitæ, qui ob fraudem populo Ifraelitico facta a Jofua fervi publici conftituti Jof. ix. 21. Et poftea Davide ad ministerium Levitarum DEDITI, Ezr viii. 20." HENRIC. OPITIT. in vocem. the the temple; but thofe Nethinims choofe rather to ferve God, in a ftate not greatly different from that of flaves, than ftand on an equal footing with the reft of the children of the captivity in Babylon. Few, comparatively,' were of this fpirit, as Jofephus declares *: The better part being the finaller number in almost every order of men. 5. THE NOBLES of Judah are another order of perfons covenanting at this time. They appear to have taken the lead in this duty: The reft are faid to cleave unto their brethren the NOBLES. This is a defignation of general import; if we confult the Scripture use of the term, we will find it applied to a vast variety of objects. Here it may denote the principal Jews; for it appears that the nobles of Judah, at that time, were ringleaders, like our nobles at the Reformation from Popery, in the work of the Lord. 6. AGAIN, the facred hiftorian mentions fuch as "had feparated themselves from the people of the land." Their fin confifted in mixing with them, and learning of them their way: Hence, there was a particular article in this covenant respecting their feparation from them. This people entered into covenant with God, JOSEPH. De Bello Judaico, Lib. II. cap. xvii. male male and female, their fons and their daughters, who had arrived at the exercife of their reafon, even fuch as were capable of doing it with knowledge and understanding. SECONDLY, I fhall now attend unto the CHARACTER of the Minister, by whose inftrumentality they entered on this work. The ministers adminiftering it were the Levites, indeed; but Nehemiah had a principal fhare in the reformation, and covenant-renovation which followed it. The congregation was affembled by his orders, and animated by his example. Nehemiah was probably of the tribe of Levi; but, as far as I have been able to judge, his genealogy cannot be reckoned. There are other things, however, of which we may be abundantly certain: He filled an high office at the Perfian court; and, at the fame time, poffeffed a qualification rarely to be met with in courtiers: He was frequently employed in ejaculatory prayer, even in the prefence of the Perfian monarch: He is the moft fignal example of this duty in all the book of God: His ardour for the welfare of the Church was equal to his piety; and this made him improve his high ftation for her benefit and advantage. Having obtained leave from Artaxerxes Longimanus to go unto Jerufalem, and authority to govern the returned captives, he gave equal proof of his courage and diligence, as well as his |