7 done amiss; and instead of revenging his Folly upon his own Head, out of Envy and Malice, He murthered his Brother, because his own Works were Evil, and his Brother's Righteous, 1 John 3. 12. Now, I fay, it was very probable, that from the beginning God fignified his Pleasure, that all Mankind should make an Offering of a Tenth unto him, as an Homage for his Right to all the Increase that a Man had, and as a fufficient Motive to engage Him to fend down a continual Stream of Bleffings upon him, without which, he could neither be Profperous, nor Succefsful, nor live with Efteem in the World. This is the only Caufe can be af figned, why the Practice of this Duty fhould become afterward fo univerfal; that not only the Jewish Nation were enjoined by the Law of Mofes to do fo: But the Gentile Nations round abour, which were not within the Covenant of Promife did the fame Thing; and were altogether as Strict and Cautions, and Exact about the PerforC mance mance of a Duty, which even the Finger of God pointed out unto them, that they ought to do: And that the Omiffion of it was a very great Sin, from which they could not Excufe themselves without making Satisfa&tion. If then, in the beginning, and ever fince God laid a claim to an Oblation out of the Increase of every Man's Substance, we have a fufficient Affurance of the. indifpenfable Neceffity is incumbent upon us to pay it: If we do expect a Bleffing from him, or hope to increase our Store, this is the readieft Courfe we can take. This is to Honour Him with our Subftance, and to pay him a religious Worthip and Service with a part of the abundance He has bestowed upon us. us. It is a Compliance with the Pfalmift's Injunction. Pfalm 29. 2. To give the Lord the Honour due unto his Name, to worship the Lord with Holy Worship. Or, with that Part, which is Holy unto the Lord, Lev. 27. 30. 2. I come Secondly to fhew, That this Cuftom of paying First fruits or $ or Tithes, which commonly in the Whenever was the Original of this Duty, unless we allow it to be from the Divine Institution, and a particular Command Revealed to Adam at firft, as I have mentioned above: There is no beginning of it to be found, but the Practice of it is to be found long before, there is any exprefs mention made of a Law for it; and therefore we may well fuppofe it to have been always known. The first Time that we find, in the Scripture, an exprefs Command for it; or, a Declaration of its being the Lord's, is Exod. 22. 29. Where it is faid, Thon fhalt not delay to offer: the first of thy ripe Fruits. And Lev. C 2 27.30. 27.30. And all the Tithe of the Land, whether of the Seed of the Land, or of the Fruit of the Tree is the Lord's; it is Holy unto the Lord. Confequent hereunto, it is enjoined as a Pofitive Law, Deut. 14. 22, 23. The Contents whereof calls it Tithes of Divine Service. Thou shalt truly Tithe all the Increase of thy Seed, that the Field bringeth forth Tear by Year: And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God The Tithes of thy ·Corn, of thy Wine and of thine Oyl, and the Firftlings of thy Herds, and of thy Flocks: That thou mayst learn to fear the Lord thy God always. But that the Practice of this Duty is often mentioned before; appears, in that of Abraham's paying Tithes to Melchizedec, who was God's High Priest. Of Jacob's vowing a Tenth of all his Goods unto the Lord. These Two are exprefly mentioned in the Book of Genefis, which gives but a fort History of thofe early Times. And +3 .4 And the Learned Doctors among the Dr. Comber's Hiftory Jews in their molt credible Traditions of Tithes, affirm; that the reft of the Patriarchs, Part 1. Chap. 1. did liberally give their Tithes to the Lord's Priests. That faae did so, and therefore he measured the Fruit of the Land, that he might be just in that Matter. That alfo Job, among other Holy and Devout Men, according to the general Practice, paid his Tithes, and we know he lived before the Days of Mofes. And the fifth Precept of Noah, against Theft and Rapine, was thought efpecially to be a good Security to God's Portion. 1 The First of those inspired Patriarchs, that the Holy Scripture mentions for paying of Tithes, is of Abraham, Gen. 14. 19, 20. Where Abrabam returning from the Battle against four Kings, he brought back all their Goods, and gave Tithes of all to Melchizedec, who was the Prieft of the most High God. And he blessed him, &c. Which Place St. Paul refers to, Heb. 7. when he fets forth the Honour and Dignity of Chrift's Priesthood before C 3 |