prophet thought strange for the living to seek to the dead; and therefore, such were dark, and had no morning in them, that were gone both from the law and testimony.

And hath not God given Christ to be a counsellor, and are not all to ask counsel of him, and so not of any dead saint?

And the Lord said, his people asked counsel of their stocks, and their staff hath declared to them, and burn incense upon hills under oaks, and sacrifice with harlots, the spirit of whoredom having caused them to err. And this was when they were gone a whoring from God in the old covenant; and these were the people that were gone from the counsel of the Lord, and from true understanding; therefore, the Lord said they should fall.

And hath not the spirit of whoredom caused them to err, that ask counsel of painted pieces of wood and images? and that pray before the dead pictures and images? but such as do so now, know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel, no more than the apostate Jews did of old. Hosea iv. 11, to 14.

And Christ counselled the Laodiceans, saying, 'I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,' &c. Rev. iii. 18. And therefore, all are to take and ask Christ's counsel for this gold. And Paul said unto the church, 'he had declared unto them all the counsel of God.' Acts xx. 27. And never did the apostle in all the counsel of God (that he had declared,) say, that it was the counsel of God,' that they should set up images, or pray to saints, or go to the graves of the saints for their bones, or set up any saint to be a mediator after they are deceased; or set up crosses, that they should bow before them, or to the images of saints, or pray to the dead; or that the priests or ministers of Christ should shave their heads: he declared no such counsel from God, in all his epistles and preachings.

And in Jer. xlix. 20. he exhorted them there to hear the counsel of the Lord; and the Lord saith, woe unto the rebellious children that take counsel, but not of me; that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.' Isa. xxx. 31.

So these are rebellious children, that take not counsel of the Lord, and cover not with his spirit; such go down to Egypt for strength, and not to the Lord; and therefore, woe proceeds against them in the old covenant, much more in the new covenant, that take not counsel of Christ, whom God hath given for a counsellor, the Prince of peace.' Isa. ix. 6.

But there were people in the old covenant, that professed it, and lived not in it. And so there is now a people that profess the new covenant, and yet live not in it, that set at naught God's and Christ's counsel, and would none of his reproof.' Prov. i. 30. For the Lord saith, they would

have none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.' And these are such as hate knowledge, and choose not the fear of the Lord; and therefore, shall they eat the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices, and so not with the treasure of life.

And Judah, when they kept in the fear of the Lord, they gathered themselves together to ask counsel of the Lord in the days of Jehoshaphat, and the Lord was their counsellor. So they did not go to ask counsel of the witch to raise up dead Samuel, as Saul did, when he had disobeyed the Lord. So Saul that disobeyed, and went to the witch to ask counsel of the dead, and not of the Lord, he had no victory: but these that asked counsel of the Lord, they had the victory. 2 Chron. xx. 4.

And you may see they asked counsel of the Lord, whether their way was to be prosperous or no. Judges xx. 23. So they did not go to ask counsel of the dead.

And Christ saith, whatsoever things ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.' But they must ask of God through him. Matt. xxi. 22. And Christ saith, whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; and if you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.' John xiv. 13.

So here it is clear, that all the true christians must ask in Christ's name; and he hath taught so, and exhorted to it, and not in any saint's name, or angel.

And Christ exhorts again, saying, 'ask, and it shall be given you; and every one that asketh receiveth.' Matt. vii. And Martha's faith was so firm, that she said, 'she knew whatsoever Christ did ask of God, he would give it.' John xi. 22.

So here you may see, Christ was the counsellor, in whose name people were to ask in the new covenant; and God's people in the old covenant were forbidden using enchantments, or observing of times; and were forbidden having regard to wizards, or seeking after familiar spirits,' for I am the Lord your God;' and him they were to seek unto, (saith the Lord.) And likewise in the old covenant the Lord forbids his people from making any cuttings in the flesh, or prints, or marks upon them for the dead. Levit. xix. 28. ' for they were to be an holy people' in the old covenant, so much more in the new.

And the Lord said, 'ye shall not make baldness upon your heads, nor make any cuttings in your flesh.'

Now the Lord did forbid his people from doing these things in the old covenant, so much more in the new. And therefore, all you that shave your heads, and make them bald, and make cuttings in your flesh with whips or otherwise, are not you judged by the law of God, to be out of the practice of the old covenant? and so, short of the new, in the practice of the heathen, and not in the practice of the old covenant nor new?

Object. And now if any of you should object, that Paul did shave his head after he was a christian. Acts xxi.

Answer. The cause of that act of his, was this, viz. there was a report amongst the Jews, that he taught against the law of Moses, and was against circumcision; and therefore, James and the elders did advise Paul, saying unto him, 'purify thyself, and shave thy head,' and the rest that were with him, that they might seem to walk orderly according to the law of Moses: and this they desired him to do, that they might say, ⚫ here is four men which have a vow upon them.' And Paul did so, with the rest that were with him; and they that were with him, entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them, and then the apostle standing up amongst them, pleading his cause when they were offering up an offering for him, against whom he said they had nothing except for this one vow, touching the resurrection of the dead, touching which, said the apostle, I am called in question of you this day.' Acts xxiv. 21.

So, though the apostle did condescend to the Jews, to shave his head, and purify himself. Acts xxi. 24. and Numb. vi. 13, 18. Yet when they came to offer an offering for him, he was made to trample down all that he did in that thing, and to preach Christ the resurrection, who was the offering once for all.

And his so yielding to their weakness, was the means of his being taken prisoner, and like to have been killed also, by his persecutors, the Jews; and so he was tossed up and down, till he was brought prisoner to Rome. But the command of the Lord was, that they should not shave their heads, but only pole them;' and therefore there is an express command of God against shaving of their heads. Ezek. xliv. 20.

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Now Paul shaving of his head under a vow, was according to the Nazarites shaving of their heads under a vow. Acts xviii. 18. For all the days of their separation, there was 'no razor to come upon their heads,' neither were they to come near any dead body, no, not so much as their father or mother, sister or brother; for the consecration of his God was upon his head;' and if a man died suddenly by him, he defiled his head of consecration; and then he was to shave his head in the seventh day of his cleansing.

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And again, Numb. vi. the Nazarite shall shave his head at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of his head of his separation, and shall put it into the fire, which is under the sacrifice of his peace-offering.' So this was the law of God to the Nazarites, who were under a vow to shave their heads,' else by the law of God, the priests were not to shave their heads, as may be seen in Ezek. xliv.

So, for priests to shave their heads, is neither a gospel command, nor law of God, except such as were under a vow, as aforesaid.

But do all the priests, and others, that shave their heads now, do it as under the vow of the Nazarites? and do they not come near any dead, let them be ever so near a kin? and when they shave their heads, do they shave them at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,' the place of shaving? and do they burn their hair under the sacrifice of the peace-offering? and if so, do not they deny Christ come in the flesh, who hath offered up himself once for all? who cleanses with his blood, and washes with the water of his word; with which they must be cleansed, before they can come into his tabernacle and congregation.

So shaving of heads, to priests and others, and making bald their heads, was forbidden by the law of God, except it was such as were under the vow before-mentioned, and the Nazarites: and when they did shave their heads for their separation, they were to burn it under the sacrifice of the peace-offering, as aforesaid. And this shaving of these Nazarites, and those under this vow, it was to be done before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,' and not in a private house. So this was the cause of the shaving of heads; else the law of God was against it, by which the priests were not to shave their heads. Ezek. xliv. 20.

And the Lord commanded Moses to take the Levites from amongst the children of Israel, and cleanse them;' and they were to 'shave their flesh, and wash their clothes.' And when they were cleansed, they offered a young bullock for a meat-offering, and another bullock for a sinoffering; and then Aaron offered the Levites before the Lord, for an 'offering for the children of Israel, that they might execute the service of the Lord.' So here you may see, all the Levites must be washed and cleansed, and they must offer up for themselves before they could be offered up to the Lord; and then they might offer the clean offerings for the people.

So they were not fit for the service of the Lord, till they were cleansed, Numb. viii. 6. And so the Levites were separated from the children of Israel, and the Lord said, they are mine.' And now this Levitical priesthood being changed, and the law also, by which they were made, with all its services, and shavings, and washings, and sprinklings, and the commandment disannulled that gave him his tythes, by Christ Jesus: and so the Levitical priesthood is not to be followed by the true christians; but Christ is to be followed, who came not after the order of Aaron, but of the tribe of Judah, who is to be followed and heard in all things.

Now, making baldness on the head, was a judgment to some, as you may see in Micah i. 16. For the Lord saith, 'I will turn your feasts into mourning, and your songs into lamentation, and I will bring sackcloth

upon your loins, and baldness upon every head.' So that baldness was the judgment which the Lord brought upon them, Amos viii. 10. and they shall cast dust upon their heads, and wallow themselves in ashes; and they shall make themselves utterly bald.' Ezek. xxvii. 30, 31. and vii. 17, 18. all hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them, and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness shall be upon all their heads.' And in Jer. Ixviii. 37. every head shall be bald, and every beard shall be clipped, and upon all hands shall be cuttings, and upon all loins sackcloth,' &c. So here their baldness was a judgment upon them, there was so great a lamentation. And in Isa. xxii. 12. ' in that day did the Lord of hosts call to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth.' And again, in Isa. xv. 2. was not misery the cause of their baldness there? and in Isa. iii. 24. when he had reckoned up the vanities of the children of Israel, and reproved them; he told them, that instead of well-set hair, they should have baldness, and instead of a stomacher, a girdle of sackcloth,' &c. And in Job i. 20. when he was in his trials, sufferings, and misery, he rent his mantle and shaved his head,' &c.

So this manner of shaving heads, was sometimes as a judgment, and sometimes through trials and troubles, &c. and also there was another case and example of the women's shaving their heads: when a young woman who was not of the Jews, was taken captive, if a man did marry her, she was to shave her head, and pare her nails, &c. and put off her captive raiment, and bewail her father and mother a whole month,' and then a Jew in the old covenant might marry her. Deut. xxi. 12, 13.

Now, concerning the law of cleansing of lepers, they that were to be cleansed, were to wash their clothes, and shave off all their hair, and wash themselves in water, Levit. xiv. 8, 9. ' on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head, and his beard, and his eye-brows; even all his hair he shall shave off, and shall wash his clothes, and his flesh he shall wash in water and shall be clean, and the eighth day the priest shall offer two lambs without blemish for him.' So here you may see the ground of the lepers' shaving of their heads, &c. in the old covenant: but you may see by the law of God, they were not to make baldness upon their heads, Levit. xxi. 5. and x. 27. saying in express words, 'ye shall not make baldness upon your heads, nor cuttings in your flesh.' And in Ezek. lxiv. 20. there it was said, 'the priests were not to shave their heads.' So here was an express command of God against the priest's shaving of their heads; though in some cases, as aforesaid, there was the use of shaving in the old covenant. But where did ever Christ, who sent forth the apostles, give a command, that they should shave their heads? or where did ever the apostles, after Christ, give any such VOL. V.-56