they shall not be bound by it, if either the Father, or the Husband, difallow of it: otherwise they shall.

What they usually vowed, was, either themselves, in Perfon; or their Houses, or Eftates; or fome Beaft, or other. If Themselves, their Houses, or Estates, they might pay the Vow in Money; to be valued at the Discretion of the Prieft, under certain Restrictions; as alfo, in case it were an unclean Beaft that was vow'd. All which may be seen in the Law; and is rather too long to be tranfcrib'd from thence. There was likewise a Vow relating to thofe that intended to be Nazarites. Of which we shall treat in another Place. The Things paid upon account of Vows, like the other facred Gifts, were brought to the Temple. Free-will-Offerings, were fuch as every man gave willingly with his heart. They were distinguish'd from Vows, as in others, fo in this Particular; Either a bullock, or a lamb, that bath any thing fuperfluous, or lacking, in his parts, that thou mayeft offer a free-willoffering; but, for a vow, it shall not be accepted.

Lev.

xxvii

Exod.

XXV. 2.

Lev.

xxii. 23.

SECT.

SECT. XXIV.

Sacred Donations not abolish'd.

One Thing more is to be obferv'd in relation to these sacred Gifts, whether appointed by the Law, or becoming due from Vows, or given out of mere Free-Will; that they did not take their Rise from the Mofaical Inftitution originally, nor should be suppos'd to be abolish'd with the ceremonial Rites thereof. The Ufe of them was allow'd, and confirm'd by that temporal Covenant; and they were taken in to make a Part of it: and when that, and the Obligation thence arifing ceas'd, they stood juft as they did before.

Making Donations, either by Vow or Free-Will, of that which was to provide for and adorn the Worship of God, to raise an Awe and Admiration of it, in the Minds of Men, and thereby promote the Growth of Piety and Virtue, was either apparent by the Light of Nature or a very old and early Revelation. We find Gen. xiv. Tythes were paid, in the Days of Abraham. And Jacob fays; This ftone, which I

20.

Gen.

xxviii.22.

have

have fet for a pillar fhall be God's house; and of all that thou fhall give me, I will furely give the tenth unto thee. And

have read much inform us,

those who that it has

been a Custom, time out of Mind, for Kings and Generals of Armies, among Heathen Nations, when they had subdued their Enemies, and taken the Spoil, to confecrate the tenth Part thereof to the Service of their Gods.

SEC T. XXV.

FASTING and HUMILIATION.

The last holy Rite we have to inquire into, is their manner of Fafting and Humiliation. Upon fuch Occafions; they afflicted and mortified themselves various Ways; by abstaining from all the Pleafures and Comforts of fenfual Enjoyment: They put on Sackcloth, ftrew'd themfelves over with + Afhes, threw their Bodies upon the Ground, and wept and mourn'd feverely. The Days of their

Grotius, De jure Belli & Pacis.

Whence our Ashwednesday,

Q

keeping

ap

keeping them, were either public and stated, or private and arbitrary. The public, were either fuch as the Law had pointed, or the common Exigence of the Nation occafionally requir'd; which were fometimes, feven Days; fometimes, three; fometimes, only till the Evening of the fame Day. If they were private, they continued, according to the Will of those that undertook them.

There was but one ordinary legal Faft; and that was, The Day of general Atonement; kept, every Year, upon the Tenth of September. Of extraordinary Fafts, appointed by Authority of the civil Magiftrate, we have feveral Inftances. When the Children of Moab, and the Children of Ammon were coming against Jehoshaphat King of Judah, to Battle; we are told, 2 Chron. He feared, and fet himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a faft throughout all Judah. Jer. Again; It came to pass in the fifth year of xxxvi. 9. Jehoiakin the fon of Jofiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a faft before the LORD, to all the people in Jerufalem; and to all the people that came from the Cities of Judah to Jerusalem.

XX. 3.

Alfo,

Alfo, upon their Return from the Captivity, Ezra fays; Then I proclaimed a faft Ezra. viii. there, at the river Ahava, that we might afflict our felves before our God; to feek of him, a right way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our fubftance.

As to the Manner of their keeping these Fafts, we have likewife feveral Inftances. When the reft of the Tribes were incens'd against that of Benjamin for their inhuman and inhospitable Behaviour, and had met with ill Succefs in their Endeavours to correct them for it; Then all the children Judg.xx. of Ifrael, and all the people,

went up, and 26.

came unto the house of God, and wept, and fate there before the LORD, and fafted that day until even.

1 Sam.

vii. 6, 5.

Samuel fays, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fafted on that day, and faid there, We have finned against the LORD. Again, after the Captivity, when they were under Perfecution from Antiochus, we read, that they fafted, and put on Sackcloth, 1 Mac. and caft afhes upon their heads, and rent