cient order was frequently adopted. Samuel governed Israel, who officiated in the priestly office. Nor was this order of Melchizedeck, confined to these ancient people; it was also the order of the heathen nations to the time of Cicero, who, though he filled the office of the greatest temporal power in the world, viz. the consulate, was also a priest. It is also written, that Job, who lived in the time of Moses, and who was the king of Idumea, was employed in the priestly office. Ch. i. 5.

We also find that the holy sacrament was instituted in the most ancient church, before the establishment of the Israelitish church, and that the bread and wine were used as sacred symbols; Christ commanded the Apostles to observe it, when "he took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

Deists have frequently amused themselves by attempting to show that there was no necessity for any thing of this nature; and have concluded that if there had, water would have been more proper than wine, as coming pure from the Creator. But they should have recollected, that the scripture treats concerning the inward and spiritual state of man; that this state cannot be obtained without passing through trials, troubles, combats and fightings within, against "the sins which do most easily beset us;" and that by this combat, a new life is given, agreeably to the words of Christ, "the kingdom of heaven is in you." Wine, therefore, was commanded to be used as a proper type, or figure, to represent this new life, having undergone a fermentation, altogether incomprehensible in its nature, by which a pure natural

spirit, or vivifying power is generated. It was therefore a more proper subject than water, to signify the sacred leaven of that divine power, which works in the hearts and souls of all who obey the commands of God, and endeavour to keep a conscience void of offence towards man.

From this, we may observe, that Christ was not a priest after the order of Aaron, who was a priest descended from the tribe of Levi, the priesthood being confined to that tribe; but he was a priest after the order of Melchizedeck, in whose person, and in all the priests of that and the first patriarchal order, the kingly or magisterial, and the priestly, offices were united.

It may be satisfactory to the reader to know, that, at the time of Abraham,

THE WORSHIP OF THE SERPENT

Was the worship of the Chaldeans, from which nation he was called to promulgate the worship of God. A serpent in the Egyptian language is called Oub; and as the language of Babel, or Chaldee, was originally the same as that of Egypt, Oub in the Chaldee dialect had the same meaning. Thus we find that Moses, who was born in Egypt, says, Lev. xx. 27. "A man also, or a woman that hath a (Oub,) familiar spirit, or that is a wizard." Here the translators have rendered the word Oub, 'familiar spirit,' but which should have been translated serpent. Ch. xx. 9. And the soul "that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them;" or "who go worshipping after them," a term used to signify a departure from the worship of God, in allusion to departing from virtue, but which in the original Hebrew is, "and the soul that

turneth after such as have (Oboth) female serpents.'

Deut. xviii. 11. or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits. In Hebrew, the noun is singular, viz. or a consulter with (Ob) a serpent.-1 Sam. xxviii. 3. "And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits." In the Hebrew, "And Saul had put away those that had (Oboth) female serpents."-Ver. 7. " And Saul said unto his servants, seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit." In Hebrew," that hath (Ob) a serpent."-Ver. 9. "how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits." In the original, "that have (Oboth) female serpents."-2 Kings, xxi. 6. " and dealt with familiar spirits." In Hebrew, "and dealt with (Ob) a serpent," in the singular.-Ch. xxiii. 24. "Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the idols." In Hebrew, 66 moreover, (Oboth) the female serpents, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols."-2 Chron. xxxiii. 6. “and dealt with a familiar spirit." In Hebrew," and dealt with (Ob) a serpent.

The apocryphal scriptures are in conformity with the above, for in the narrative which is given concerning the destruction of the idol, Bel and the Dragon, by Daniel, or as it should be rendered, Bel's Dragon, or Bel's Serpent, we have a satisfactory reason given, why he was cast into the den of lions. Daniel had convinced the king, that the worship of this creature was inconsistent with reason, and that he had been imposed on by the priests of this serpent temple; he therefore undertook to destroy the serpent idol.* This being accomplished, the people finding that their religion was in danger of being destroyed, demanded Daniel, and the king reluctantly delivered him up to appease their wrath, and he

*See Apocryph. c. v.

was cast into the den of lions. That this was the principal cause, will appear, if we attend to the book of Daniel; for we there find that idolatry was at this time abolished. The circumstance, however, of being cast into the den, is assigned to no other cause, but that of his worshipping God, and refusing to obey the impious decree of the idolatrous Babylonians. But it is remarkable that both these causes, viz. the destruction of the Dragon Serpent, in the apocrypha, and the non-compliance of Daniel, are said to be at the same period of the history.

It is reasonable to conclude, that the lords of Babylon, who themselves had been accustomed to all that pomp and splendor, which was displayed in their idol worship, and to which they had been brought up from their infancy, were partial to it; and seeing also the effect, which the destruction of their idols had on the superstitious Chaldeans, craftily prevailed on the king to sign a decree, that whoever should ask a petition of any god, or man, save of the king, for thirty days, should be cast into the den of lions; Dan. vi. 7. 8. By this they knew that they should entrap Daniel, that they should be revenged on him for the insult offered to the religion of their fathers, and thus appease the rage of the people. This shows us how valuable the apocryphal scriptures are, for confirming and explaining many particulars in the prophetical books. For here we have the cause of Daniel's being cast into the den of lions, viz. because he had destroyed their idol, and had convinced the king of the folly and wickedness of idolatrous worship; the particulars of which do not appear in the book of Daniel.

In the time of the kings of Israel, the worship of the serpent, which was then the polite worship of the eastern nations, was observed among them; 2 Kings, xviii. 4. "He removed the high places, and brake the images,

and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it." So that we find, this worship of the Egyptian Oub, or Serpent, was general 800 years after the time of Moses; the very serpent he had set up in the wilderness having been preserved among them, to which they burnt incense.

Among the idolatrous nations, who descended from Ham, and who inhabited the principal countries of the east, the serpent was universally worshipped. In the history of the degradation of man, as recorded in scripture, who undignified his nature by bowing to stocks, stones, and inanimate things; there does not appear to be any species of idolatry, so ancient as that of the serpent; which was, no doubt, the most prevailing worship of the Antediluvian world. We have an account of no more than eight persons who were saved in the ark, one of whom began the abomination of the old world, by introducing this worship instead of that of the living God.

To some it may appear wonderful, that the serpent,* an animal so disgusting above all others, should become an object of adoration. But such persons will do well to remember, that things of this nature are not done at once, but by degrees. The history of the subtilty of the serpent in Paradise, was preserved by the posterity of Adam, and in process of time, by way of visible representation, the figure was placed in their temples to remind

* Some writers have said that they cannot believe the serpent is more remarkable for its craft or subtilty, than any other beast of the field; and thus have attempted to invalidate the divine testimony. But for a particular account of the craft or subtilty of the serpent, proving that passage to be true, where it is said, "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field ;" see 'the Ophion, or the theology of the Serpent.'