the leading doctrines of religion, in a sensible and impressive manner; and to be a defence against idolatry: let us now attend to the third end for which it was given; viz. to prepare their minds for a brighter dispensation. St. Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, calls the Jewish ritual the shadow of good things to come," (ch. x. 1), " figures," or antitypes, "of the true" (ix. 24), "an example and shadow of heavenly things" (viii. 5); "a parable of the time to come" (ix. 9); the whole law" a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ" (Gal. iii. 24); and its institutes "the elements of the world" (iv. 3), or rudiments to teach men the first principles of piety, and of the Gospel, in a manner adapted to the childhood of the world. Nor are there wanting sufficient reasons why God delivered Gospel truths in this mysterious manner.

It suited the state of the Jews, to whom, as to an early and rude people, types, symbols, fables, and parables, were the common modes of instruction. It was consonant to the education of Moses, who was taught in all the hieroglyphics of Egypt. It was fitted to the intermediate nature of the Jewish dispensation; giving it more light than the Patriarchal, but less than the Christian. It was placing the old covenant and its mediator, below the new covenant and its mediator. And as the Jewish law was given to the whole Jewish nation, learned and unlearned, it was proper that there should be truths for the carnal, and truths for the spiritual-minded, 2 Esdras xiv. 26, 44-48. Hence has the ceremonial law often been termed the Jewish Gospel; because it exhibited to those who were exercised to godliness the leading doctrines of the covenant of grace; faith in the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world; acceptance with God through the blood of atonement; holiness of heart, and holiness of life, through the gracious aids of the Holy Spirit; and a future state of rewards and punishments. On all these points the epistle to the Hebrews forms a beautiful commentary. A religion, then, that had such advantages as these to boast of, ought not to be too hastily decried. It was perfect, in that it was suited to the situation and circumstances of the people to whom it was given; it was only imperfect when compared with the more complete economy of the Gospel.

One cannot contemplate the ceremonial law without also reflecting on its gradual abolition. For it was positively binding on every Jew till the death of Christ, in whom its spiritual meaning was fulfilled. Its observance became a matter of indifference between the death of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, and hence those prudential maxims and regulations which are to be found in the Acts of the

Apostles, and the several epistles, with respect to those converts from Judaism to Christianity who had still an attachment to it. But it became criminal after the destruction of Jerusalem, because it could not then be legally observed, since the temple and altar had been destroyed.*

III. For an account of the Ecclesiastical punishments among the Jews, see ch. iii. sect. 5. ante. As these punishments, in consequence of the peculiar character of the Hebrew government, partook of a civil as well as an ecclesiastical nature, it was necessary to notice them when treating of the Judicial law.

* Brown's Jewish Antiquities, vol. ii. part x. sect 2.

440

CHAPTER V.

SACRED FESTIVALS OF THE JEWS.

The Jewish Festivals, which were of divine appointment, were either weekly, as the Sabbath; monthly, as the New Moons; or annual, as the Passover, the Pentecost, the feast of Ingathering or of Tabernacles, and the feast of Trumpets; to which may be added, the annual fast or day of Expiation. Besides these there were others which returned after a certain number of years; as the Sabbatical Year, and the Jubilee.

Independently of the advantages derivable from these institutions in a civil and political point of view, their influence on the religious character of the nation must have been of a most powerful kind. As often as these sacred festivals returned, the people were reminded of the numerous and stupendous miracles which had been wrought by the Creator in their behalf, and of the consequent obligations to virtue and holiness which devolved upon them. Viewed in this light, they also became incontestible vouchers for the occurrences to which we allude, and consequent evidences of the divine origin of the Mosaic economy.

These festivals we propose to consider in the following sections.

SECTION I.

THE SABBATH.

Its institution. — Mode of reckoning the Sabbath.— Preparation of the Sabbath.-Services and Duties enjoined. — Regarded by some as typical of a future state.

1. Every seventh day was appointed a holy festival which was to be held sacred as a day of worship, in commemoration of the creation of the world by JEHOVAH; and also to per

petuate the remembrance of the deliverance of the Israelites from the land of their bondage. Concerning the time when this festival was originally instituted, learned men are by no means agreed. Some are of opinion that it was instituted in the beginning of time, and that the passage in the 2nd chapter of Genesis is to be understood as determining this. But others conceive that it was not given until the time of Moses, and that the passage above referred to is prospective, the Sabbath being only therein mentioned as connected with the subject of which the inspired historian was writing. To discuss the subject here, would be greatly to exceed the limits we have proposed. The reader who wishes to investigate the matter may consult a recently published work, by the Rev. Geo. Holden, in which he will find a fair view of the controversy, with almost all that can be said on either side of the question. It is but right, however, to add, that the "Scripture Magazine," Nos. 36, 37, in an extended review of the work, controverts many of Mr. Holden's positions.

2. The Jews, reckoning their day from evening to evening, were commanded to begin their sabbaths in the same manner: "From even unto even shall ye celebrate your sabbath, Lev. xxiii. 32. This direction is rather obscure, as the Jews reckoned two evenings, the former beginning about the ninth hour of the natural day, and the other about the eleventh hour. -We shall see, that they were required to sacrifice the Paschal lamb "between the evenings," but in one place the time is specified" at even, at the going down of the sun" (Deut. xvi. 6), whence it appears that the whole time comprehended between the two evenings was also called simply the evening. The law requiring the computation of the sabbath from even to even," therefore, implies, that the commencement of the Sabbath was to be reckoned from the termination of the whole time called " the evening," and "between the evenings;" consequently the sacred rest began after sunset on Friday evening, and ended at the same time on Saturday evening.

31 The eve of the Sabbath commenced with the first of the two Jewish evenings, about three o'clock in the afternoon, which was the time of the evening sacrifice, and lasted till sunset. This is also called the preparation, because the people during that time ceased from their ordinary labour, cooked their victuals, and prepared whatever was necessary for the due observance of the sabbatical rest. Some indeed are of opinion that the preparation included the whole of Friday, and the subject is confessedly involved in some degree of

* Hales' Analysis of Chronology, i. 114.

uncertainty. The most probable solution of the difficulty, perhaps is, that the preparation, properly so called, commenced at three o'clock on the afternoon of Friday; but that the whole day was sometimes so denominated.

4. Among the services and duties required on this day, none are so conspicuous as the strictness of the rest which it enjoined. The command is: " In it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates," Ex. xx. 10. This strict and entire rest is enjoined with a frequency which shews the importance attached to it (Ex. xxiii. 12; xxxiv. 21; Deut. v. 14.); and the severest penalties are denounced against its violation, Ex. xxxi. 15; xxxv. 2. Nor is the severity of this prohibition mitigated by any subsequent law in the Old Testament; it is rather sanctioned and enforced. Thus we find in the sacred writings prohibitions against

Buying and selling, Neh. x. 28-21; xiii. 15-22. Kindling fires, Ex. xxxv. 3. This, however, must be understood with some limitation, for fire was absolutely necessary for the sabbatic sacrifices, and it would have been a breach of the divine law of mercy not to kindle a fire for the sick and infirm. The meaning of the precept, therefore, is, that no fire was to be kindled on the sabbath-day, for cooking meat, which is elsewhere forbidden, or for any other servile purpose.

Cooking victuals, Ex. xvi. 23.-This and the former law were, as Michaelis observes, especially calculated for the climate of Palestine. As the Sabbath began at sun-set (and in Palestine the sun in the shortest days never sets before five o'clock, nor in the longest before seven), the Jews there might have their principal meal prepared in the afternoon of Friday; for between the summer and winter months there would only be a difference of about two hours. By lighting good fires on the Friday afternoon, they might also be very comfortable till the sabbath evening. But in our northern climate, these would be very grievous prohibitions. *

Menial work. Besides the general law against all manner of work, there is a further direction given in Jer. xvii. 21, 22. And reference may be given to Numb. xv. 32-36.

Employment of beasts, Ex. xx. 10; xxiii. 12; Deut. v. 13, 14.These, no more than man, were to be deprived of rest, or to be tortured with unremitting toil.

Travelling, Ex. xvi. 29. This statute, which was given in the wilderness, was only intended to restrain the Jews from going out on the sabbath to gather in manna, or to do any

* Comment. on the Laws of Moses, art. 195.