dried grapes together; by which they signified that their vineyards were consecrated to Ceres and Bacchus, and recommended to the protection of those heathen deities. Lev. xix. 27, refers to customs which we know, from the testimony of profane authors, as Homer, &c., as well as from Scripture (Jer. xvi. 6; 1 Kings xviii. 28), were religious rites of the heathen. Honey was probably forbidden for the same reason, and seething the kid in the mother's milk (Exod. xxiii. 19).

3. Its spirituality.

That is, it regarded principally the thoughts, and not the outward conduct only; requiring obedience from an inward principle.

The Tenth Commandment," Thou shalt not covet," &c., clearly shews this. It was by the right understanding of this commandment (Rom. vii.), Paul was led by the Holy Spirit so forcibly to feel his need of a Saviour.

4. Its principle.

The great inward principle it required, that on which all the law and the prophets hung, was love to God with all the heart, as the first and great commandment (Deut. vi. 5; xi. 13; xxx. 6); and the second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18). The poor, the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, were to be especially the object of their regard. Enemies were to be the objects of their kindness (Exod. xxiii. 4, 5). They were particularly forbidden to abhor even an Egyptian, though the Egyptians abhorred them, and were the most cruel of their oppressors (Deut. xxiii. 7).

A merciful temper towards brutes was urged upon them as one of the conditions on which they were to expect the divine blessing on themselves in the land of promise (Deut. xxv. 4. xxii. 7).

5. Its impartiality.

Again and again Moses declares, God is no respecter of persons (Deut. x. 17). The idolatrous Hebrew city was to be given over to the same destruction as that denounced on the nations of Canaan. (Deut. xiii. 12, &c.)

As the love of God was the great principle every where enforced, so the want of this love, Moses forewarns them, would cause their rejection: "See, now, I have set before thee," &c.; "love the Lord," &c.; "but if thine heart

66

turn away," &c., " perish," &c. (Deut. xxx. 15, &c.) And again: "As the nations," &c., (Deut. viii. 20.)

so shall ye perish," &c.

6. Its subserviency to the Gospel.

It made no alteration in the mode of man's acceptance with God. We are informed, that it was added, not to set aside the promise, but "because of transgressions" (Gal. iii. 19). In the awful circumstances of its promulgation (Exod. xix. xx.; Heb. xii.), and in the general severity of its enactments (Numb. ix. 9—13; Levit. vii. 20, 21, &c.), it forcibly pointed out man's exposure to the wrath of God, and the insufficiency of any thing which he could do to atone for sin; and thus, by deepening men's convictions of the evil of sin, it became a schoolmaster to lead to Christ (see Gal. iii. 24, and Epist. to Hebrews). Its perfection chiefly appears in its adaptation to this object; which having accomplished, like the morning star it gradually disappeared before the rising light of the Sun of Righteousness.

iii. The Sabbatical Year, and the Jubilee, as illustrating their Government and Laws.

These institutions place the peculiarity of the constitution of the Jewish nation in a very striking point of view.

The Sabbatical Year.

This was observed every seventh

year, when,

1. The ground was to remain uncultivated in every respect; neither ploughing, sowing seed, planting, nor pruning the vineyard, &c., being permitted. What the ground produced of its own accord was to be devoted to charitable purposes (Exod. xxiii. 11). God, however, graciously promised, on their obedience to this command, so to bless the sixth year that it should yield fruit enough for three years (Levit. xxv. 2-21). Thus while the kind consideration of the stranger, the poor, the fatherless, the widow was enforced, they were reminded that their land was His property, and that His providence, and not their fruitful soil, was their security for its preservation.

2. Debts were to be remitted (Deut. xv. 1, 2).

3. Hebrew slaves were then set at liberty unless they voluntarily chose to remain in servitude (Exod. xxi. 2).

4. The Law was appointed to be read publicly in the ears of the people (Deut. xxxi. 10); and being a season of leisure from the cessation of agricultural employments, it was peculiarly favourable for religious instruction.

The Jubilee

was every seventh sabbatical, or fiftieth ordinary, year (Lev. xxv. 8). This great sabbath of the Jubilee was to be kept as other sabbatical years. The ground was to remain uncultivated, &c. But the peculiar rite of the Jubilee, as distinguished from other sabbatical years, was this every Hebrew slave was then set at liberty, and returned home; and such lands as had been sold or mortgaged returned to their first owners, no one having the power to alienate his property from his family beyond this period. "Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you, and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man to his family," Lev. xxv. 10. The jubilee commenced by the sound of a trumpet on the evening of the Day of Atonement (Lev. xxv. 9); a time, Bishop Patrick remarks, peculiarly well chosen, as the Jews would be better disposed to forgive their brethren their debts, when they had been imploring pardon of God for their own transgressions. The benefits of such an institution were many :

1. It was a check on oppression, and the inordinate desire of adding house to house and field to field; while it rescued every family from those peculiar temptations of abject poverty, which the misconduct of their ancestors might otherwise have entailed upon them.

2. It preserved their distinction of tribes; giving to each the strongest motive of interest to keep his genealogy, that he might prove his right to the inheritance of his forefathers.

3. By thus preserving the distinction of tribes, it was calculated to prepare for the promised coming of the Messiah, whom Jacob's prophecy, more than 1600 years before he came, had identified with the tribe of Judah. (Gen. xlix.)

4. It was typical of the spiritual liberty to be introduced by the Gospel dispensation. (Isa. Ixi. 2, with Luke iv.)

5. It was one of the many proofs of the Divine authority under which Moses acted. If a legislator had dared to demand such a surrender of property every fifty years, would a people in actual possession of such property have yielded it up, but under the fullest conviction that it rested on a Divine command? The same remark applies to the provisions of the Sabbatical Year. That a people whose characteristic was stubbornness, and who was so characterised by the very man who gave the law (Deut. ix. 6), whose subsistence was derived from agriculture and pasturage, should have submitted to laws apparently so contradictory to their interests, is a striking evidence and illustration of the miraculous providence by which they were governed, and which formed the peculiar feature of their government as a Theocracy. (See Stillingfleet.)

QUESTIONS ON CHAP. V.

The distinguishing feature of the government of the Jews was a Theocracy-explain what is meant by this. [pp. 112, 113.]

What was the religious state of the world and of the Jews, which peculiarly called for such a form of government? [p. 111, 112.]

Shew that the great doctrine which this form of government proved and illustrated was the doctrine of Providence. [p. 112.]

As illustrating the spirit of the Mosaic law, shew (1), its adaptation to the circumstances of those for whom it was made-(2) the moral object of its rites and ceremonies-(3) that it required obedience from an inward principle-(4) shew what that principle was-(5) that it was impartially applied; and that (6), even in the general severity of its enactments, the Mosaic Law was subservient to the Gospel. [pp. 113-117.]

What were the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee ?—(2) How were they observed ?(3) Mention some of the benefits of these institutions; and particularly (4) what proof do they afford that the laws of Moses were the laws of God? [p. 117-119.]

CHAP. VI.

THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF THE JEWS.

CONTENTS. § i. Its distinguishing feature. § ii. The persons conducting it. § iii. The places where it was conducted. § iv. The seasons when conducted; daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.

As the leading object of this little work is to direct the reader to the Scripture, and the subjects of this chapter are derived almost entirely from Scripture, it has been thought desirable to put the information intended to be conveyed by it chiefly in the form of a question, referring to the Scripture for an answer.

Si. Distinguishing feature of their Public Worship.

The Jews had many ceremonies of purification, washing with water, &c. (Lev. xi.-xv.) What were these to represent to them?-A. How much care the people of God should take to be separated and purified from every sin.

But what was the distinguishing feature of their public worship?-A. The offering of sacrifices.

How may these sacrifices be divided?-A. 1. Those when an animal was killed. 2. Those taken from the vegetable kingdom (as ears of corn, parched grain, frankincense, meal, bread, cakes, &c.) 3. And as accompaniments to these, a drink offering of wine. (Exod. xxix. 40.)

Of these, which were the most important?-A. Animal sacrifice.

What animals were sacrificed?-A. Oxen, sheep, goats, pigeons, and turtle-doves. (Lev. i. 3. xiv. 22.) What was it particularly

xxii. 20; 1 Pet. i. 19.)

required they should be ?—Lev.

What is there in the disposition of the sheep or lamb which reminds you of the disposition of our Blessed Lord? (Matt. xi. 29; Isa. liii. 7; 2 Cor. x. 1.)

Is this the disposition you should cultivate ?—(1 Pet. ii. 21.)

What were the three kinds of animal sacrifice?-A. 1. Whole burnt-offerings (Lev. vi. 9). 2. Trespass or sin offerings (in which there was no material difference), offered