purpose of ordinary food. This gift may be looked upon as a sort of first-fruits of every man's meat, before it might be used for the table. It was not necessary, however, that this should be carried away to the sanctuary; it was enough if it was given to some one of the priests in any place; and, accordingly, every individual used to give it to any one who lived near him, as convenience or personal regard determined his inclination.

2. The FIRST-BORN. Ever after the awful night in which the Lord, for the deliverance of his people, smote all the first-born of Egypt with death, all those of Israel that were males, in commemoration of that event, and in acknowledgment of the mercy that overwhelmed them not at that time with the same desolation, were consecrated to be, in a peculiar manner, the property of God. (Ex. xiii. 2, 12-15.) When the Levites were separated, for the service of the sanctuary, they were substituted, as far as their number reached, for the first-born males of the whole people of that generation, and the cattle which they then owned, for all the firstlings of the cattle belonging to the nation; and thus, at the same time, the priestly office, which originally was the right of the first-born, was transferred and confined to this tribe. As on that occasion, however, the number of the first-born was found to be somewhat larger than that of the Levites, it was required that the 273 persons that were thus left without substitutes, should be redeemed by the payment of a certain price in money for every one. (Numb. iii. 12, 13, 40-51.) So, ever after, all the first-born of man were required to be redeemed in like manner; and the redemption money became a part of the sacred revenue appointed for the support of the priests. (Numb. xviii. 15, 16.) A child could not be redeemed before it was a month old, and generally was not, until the time when its mother's purification offering was to be presented, which, in the case of sons, was at the end of forty days. Thus, when the infant Jesus was brought for the first time to the temple, two duties enjoined by the law were attended to; the mother's sacrifice was offered, and the child was redeemed. (Luke ii. 22-24.) The first-born of such beasts as might be used in sacrifice, were to be yielded to the Lord, without the liberty of redemption; and after their blood and fat were

given to the altar, their flesh was all appropriated to the priests. (Numb. xviii. 17, 18.) The first-born of other animals, such as it was unlawful to sacrifice, might be redeemed; though a man was not obliged to redeem them, as in the case of a first-born son. If they were not redeemed, they might be sold or destroyed. (Ex. xiii. 13. Lev. xxvii.27.)

3. TYTHES. A tenth part of all the produce of every Israelitish farmer, was to be consecrated, in addition to the tribute already noticed, to the support of the national religion. These tythes were appropriated to the Levites, as their salary, who in their turn were required to give a tenth of all that they thus received, to the priests. (Numb. xviii. 21-32.) In the case of the fruits of the earth, the owner might redeem the tythe that was due, by adding a fifth part to what was considered its proper value; whereby, we may suppose, he might save himself the trouble of transporting the articles to the place where they were to be received. In the case of cattle, the same privilege was not allowed. Animals were tythed by being made to pass one by one, out of some enclosure, before a person appointed to number them, who held in his hand a rod, with which he touched every tenth one as it came along in its order, and thus designated it for the Levites: hence the expression to pass under the rod, applied to cattle that underwent tything. No animal thus designated might be changed for another; if a man was found guilty of making such an exchange, he forfeited both. (Lev. xxvii. 30-33. Jer. xxxiii. 13.) Religious tythes were in use long before the time of Moses; as we may learn from Abraham's homage to Melchisedek, and from Jacob's vow on his way to Padan-Aram. They were in use also among almost all nations, in those carly times, as we are taught by ancient history.

We have already had occasion to state, that the law required a tenth part of every husbandman's agricultural produce, and a portion of its first-fruits also, together with the firstlings of his flock and herd, to be devoted to God as peace offerings, and so turned into sacred feasts for the entertainment of the owner himself, with his family and others recommended to his hospitality. This we are clearly taught in Deut. xii. 17-19. xiv. 22-29. and xv. 19-22. But how are we to reconcile this with the posi

tive and explicit declarations found in other places, as we have just seen, that the tythes, firstlings, and first-fruits, were to be given to the Levites and priests? Could they be thus appropriated, and yet feasted upon by those that presented them? There seems to be no way of getting clear of this difficulty, but by inferring that there was a double appropriation of each of these sorts of offerings-the first for the use of the priests and Levites, and the second for sacrifices of thanksgiving to be celebrated in the way that has been noticed, by the owners themselves. Thus we are to suppose, that the Jewish law required second tythes, second firstlings, (if we may be allowed the term,) and second first-fruits. That we are not told any thing expressly about the appointment of these, as distinct from those of the first class, but are made acquainted with their existence merely in the notice that is given of their nature and use, may be accounted for by supposing that they were in common use before the time of Moses, and did not need, therefore, to be formally distinguished. They are spoken of as being well known; and in no danger, accordingly, of being confounded at that time with the other sort, that were instituted for the support of religion, and so exalted to hold a rank of importance above them. What we are thus taught indirectly from the law itself, we find confirmed by later testimony more explicit. In the apocryphal book of Tobit, mention is made of two sacred tythes: "The first tenth part of all increase," says the writer, describing his own piety, "I gave to the sons of Aaron, who ministered at Jerusalem another tenth part I sold away, and went and spent it every year at Jerusalem." (Tobit i. 7.) Jewish tradition, however, allows such a double tythe to have had place only in the case of the increase of the fields; while it affirms that the tythe of animals, which was single, was not given to the Levites at all for their use, but employed altogether in those peace-offering feasts that have been mentioned. And, indeed, there is no intimation in the law of more than a single tythe of cattle: but it seems most reasonable to suppose, that this, if it was the only one, was consecrated to the Levites, and that these offering-feasts found no victims in this way; especially, since in the enumeration of the offerings to be used for the feasts, we meet

with no mention of such animal-tythes, where it would seem, if the Jewish notion on this subject were correct, they ought not to have been left without notice. It appears, that every third year the people might, instead of carrying their second tythes to the sanctuary, make a feast of them at their own houses; unless we suppose, with some, that the tythe which was required to be thus consumed at home each third year, was really a third one, which on every such year was to be paid, over and above the two regular tenths that have just been noticed. In the latter part of the 26th chapter of Deuteronomy, we have an account of a particular solemnity that was to be observed on these occasions. The beautiful and impressive form with which the second sort of first-fruits was required to be presented before the Lord, is described in the first part of the same chapter.In addition to the regular small portion of first-fruits which was consecrated in this way, to be used in the joyful peaceoffering entertainments, the law directed that the whole produce of all manner of fruit-trees, after the three years during which it was considered uncircumcised, and might not be used at all, were over, should be in the fourth year devoted to religious use, in like manner. It was to be holy, it is said, to praise the Lord withal. (Lev. xix. 23—25.)

4. Vow-GIFTS. A vow is a solemn voluntary promise to God, either to do or abstain from doing something, or to give something, for his service and honour. Such religious engagements were not rare among the Jews. Of the first sort, we have an instance in the vow of Nazaritism, an account of which may be found in the sixth chapter of Numbers. Those of the second sort, such as bound persons to make some kind of sacred gift, more particularly claim our attention at present. We have already seen, that one class of peace offerings, noticed in the law, were such as men presented in consequence of vows made to the Lord in seasons of danger or distress. But these were only a part of what it was in some degree customary to consecrate to God in this general way. A man might thus sanctify to him at any time, not only common property of every sort, houses, lands, money, animals clean or unclean, &c. but servants also, and children, and even his own person. Animals so consecrated, that were fit for sacrifice, became victims for

the altar; those that could not be so used were sold, if not redeemed by the original owners themselves. Human persons became servants about the tabernacle or temple; with the privilege of being redeemed, however, when it was desired to embrace it. Other things in like manner, were rendered in this way holy to the Lord, to be employed for the support of religion, unless at any time recovered by redemption according to certain regulations. (Lev. xxvii. 127.) The vow of an unmarried daughter, was not allowed to have force, if her father disapproved of it when it was made; so also that of a wife, if in like manner opposed by her husband. (Numb. xxx. 1-16.) In Matt. xv. 3-6, and Mark vii. 11, we have notice of a wretched abuse that was sometimes made of sacred vows in later times. An unprincipled man would say to his parents, "Be it Corban, or a consecrated gift, whatsoever you shall receive of me!" and then, the Pharisees taught, he was not only not required to give them any help, but could not do it without sin; because after such a vow, any present that he might ever make them, although it was not holy or consecrated to the Lord before, immediately became so by the very act, and consequently would bring upon him the guilt of sacrilege as well as perjury, by being disposed of in this way. Such a manner of binding themselves in relation to certain things, by indirectly imprecating guilt of this sort upon their heads, if they failed to regard what they vowed, was not uncommon among the Jews, as we learn from other sources. Thus one would say, for instance, 'Let all the wine I ever drink be consecrated!' or, 'Consecrated be whatever of such a thing I ever taste!" and thus he laid himself under a curse, as it were, not to drink or taste in either case, because the moment he might do so the things became holy, and so unlawful to be so used. It was as if a man should say among us, 'The Lord destroy me, if I do this or that! So foolish and wicked was the imprecation with which a man insulted his father or mother, in the case which our Saviour notices, in direct opposition to God's holy law.

There was one sort of consecration, of an awful character, from which there could be no redemption in any case. It was called by the Jews Cherem. Enemies were in some