Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 13. With all thine offerings thou shah offer salt.] Salt was the opposite to leaven, for it preserved fi'om jmtrefaciion and corruption, and signified the purity and persevering fidelity that were necessary in the worship of God. Every thing was seasoned with it, to signify the purity and perfection that should be extended through every part of the divine service, and through the hearts and lives of God's worshippers. It was called the salt of the covenant of God; because as salt is incorruptible, so was the covenant made with Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs, relative to the redemption of the world by the incarnation and dtath of Je.sus Christ. Among the heathens, salt was a common ingredient in all their sacrificial olferings, and as it was considered essential to the comfort and preservation of -life, and an emblem of the most perfect corporeal and mental endowments, so it was ^apposed to be one of the most acceptable presents they could make unto their gods, from whose.sacrifices it was never absent. That inimitable and invaluable writer Pliny, has left a long cha[)ter on tliis subject, the seventh of the thiiy first book of his Natural History, a few extracts from which, will not displease the intelligent reader. Ergo hercule, vita luumnior sine Sale nequitdegere: adeoque necessarium elementum est iit transierit intellectus ad vohiptal€8 animi quoque. Nam ita S.VLES appellantur omnisque vita; lepos & summa hilarit^is, laborumque requies non alio roa^isvocabulo tonslat. Honohbus etiaui mihtisque inter-

It, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat

1 6 And the priest shall burn " the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the

ponitur, Salariis inde dictis — Maxime tamen in sacris in» telligitur autoritas, quando nulla conficiuntur sine jnola salsa, " So essentially necessary is salt, that without it human life cannot be preserved, and even the pleasures and endowments of the mind are expressed by it; the delights of life, repose, and the highe.st mental serenity are expressed by no other term than sales among the Latins. It has also been applied to designate the honourable rewards given to soldiers, which are called salarii or salaries. — But its importance may be farther understood by its use in sacred things, as no sacrifice was offered to the gods without the salt cake."

So Virgil Eclog. viii. v. 32. Sparge molam. " Crumble the sacred 7no!e oi salt and corn."

And taking sacred salt from the hearth side Where it was treasured, poured it o'er the feast.

Quotations of this kind might be easily multiplied,/but the above may be deemed sufficient.

Verse It. Great ears of corn dried by the /re] Green or half ripe ears of wheat parched with fire, is a species of food in use among the poor people of Palestine and Egypt to the jiresent day. As God is represented as keeping a table among liis people, for the tabernacle was his house, where he had the golden table, sliewbread, &c. so he represents himself as partaking with them of all tiic aliments that were in use, and even sitting down with the poor, to a repast on parched corn! We Ivavc already seen that these green ears were presented as a sort of eucliaristical offering for the blessings of seed time, and the praspect of a plentiful harvest. See the note on ver. \.; several other examples might be added here, but they are not neces.sary.

The command to offer salt «ith every ob'ation, nnd which, was punctually observed by the Jews, will afford, tbc pioua- reader some profitable reflection?. It is flcll known tliat salt has two grami properties. 1. It season* and renders palatable tlic principal alinicnt.^ used for the sujiport of life. '2. Ii urevciits pulrei'action and decay. The covenant of God, that is, his a!i;reeineiit with his people, is ealled a covenunt of.salt, to denote. a>i we have seen above, it.-; stahle undecaying nature, as well as to pi.int out its importance and utility in llie preservation of the life of the soul. The grace of God by.

Christ Jesus, Ts represented under the emblem of salt, (see Mark is. 1-9. Kpii. iv. '29. Col. iv. 6.) because of its relishing, nourishin'f, and preserving-, qudity. Without it no ofl'erin^, no sacrifice, no religious service, no \iork even of charity and mercy, can be acceptable in the si^'ht of God. In all thing* we must come unto the Father THROUGH HIM. And from none of our sacrifices or services must this salt of the covenant of our God be lacking.

The lars of the ■peace-offering in general, 1 — 5. That of the peace-off'erwg taken from the flock, 6—\\. and llie

AND if his oblation be a. " sacrifice of peace ortering, if he ofier it of the herd; -whether it be a male or female, he shall oftbr it ^ without buiiiish before the Lord. •J And " he shall lay his hand upon the- head ot' his oHering, and kill it at the door of the t;i!)crnacle of the congregation: and Aaron's suiis the priests, shall sprinkle the blood upon jthc altar round about>

I 3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the [peace offering an offering made by lire unto the iLoRD; " the ' fiit that covercth the inwards, and all the fat ihat is upon the inwards,

4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks^ and the ' caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he;take away.

I 5 And Aaron's sons ^ shall burn it on the altar 'upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the ■wood that is on' the fire: it is an offering made ■by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

NOTES ON CH-iP. III. Verse 1. Peace-offering] DWli' Shdamim: an offering to make ipface betwef II God and man; see on chap. vii. andCJfii.xiv. 18. I Verse 2. l^iy lus hands upon the lieinl' of his offering] See Ithis rite explained on Kxod. xxix. 10. and Levit. i. 4. As >tbe burnt-offering (Lev. I.) says Mr. Ainsworth, figured our rennciliation to God by the death of Christ; and the mcattoffei ing, chap, ii; our sanctification in him before God; so Uhis peace-offering signified both Christ's oblation of himstlf, Iwlureby iie became our Feace and Salvation, Eph. ii. I'l — 16. Acts xiii. 47. Ileb. v. 9. ix. L'S. and our oblation of praiscj thank.- jji.'in^j, and prayer unio God."

6 ^ And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace ofteriiig unto the Loud be of the flock; male or female, "he shall oflcr it without blemish.

7 If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shallhe offer it before the Lord.

8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar..

9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering, an offering made by fire unto the Lord; the fiit thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and tlie fat that covcreth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

10 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it sluiU he take away..

1 1 And the priest shall burn it upon the altar:

Verse 3. The fat that covcreth the imvards] The omentum, caul or itt'i, as some term it. The fat that in upon the inivanis; probably the mesenterj/, or fatty part of tlie substance whicii connects the convolutiivns of the alimentary canal, or small intestines.

Verse 5. yiaron's sons shall lumi it] As the fnt was deemed the most valuahie part of the animal, it was offered in preference to all other parts: and the heathens probaljly borrowed this custom fiom the Jews; for they burnt the omentum or caul in honour of their gods.

Verse 9. The whole rump, it shall he lake off hard h the backbone} To what has already been said on the tails of the

it is "the food of the offering made by fire unto the Lord.

1 2 ^ And if his offering be a goat, then '' lie shall offer it before the

13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round

14 And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord;

Eastern sheep, in the note on Exod. xxix. 22. we may add the following observation from Dr. Russel concerning the sheep at Aleppo. Their faHs, says he, are of a substance between /n< and marrow, and are not eaten separately, but mixed with the lean meat in many of their dishes, and also often used instead of butter. He states also that a common sheep of this kind, without the head, fat, skin, and entrails, weighs from sixty to seventy English pounds, of which the tail usually weighs Jifieen pounds and upwards; but that those of the largest breed, when fattened, will weigh o)ie Imndred and fifty pounds, and their tails fifty; which corresponds with the account given by Ludolf in the note referred to above. The sheep about Jerusalem are the same with those in Abyssinia, mentioned by Ludolf, and those of Syria mentioned by Dr. Russel.

Verse 11./^ is the food of the offering] We have already remarked that God is frequently represented as feasting with his people on the sacrifices they offered; and because these sacrifices were consumed by that fire that was kindled from heaven; therefore, they were considered as the food of that fire, or rather of the divine Being who was represented by it. In the same idiom of speech, says Dodd, the gods of the heathens are said, Deut. xxxii..38. to eat the fat and drink the wine which were consumed on their altars.

Verse 12. A goat] Implying the whole species, he-goat, she-goat, and kid, as we have already seen.

Verse 17. That ye eat neither fat nor blood.] It is not likely that the. /«< should be forbidden in the same manner and in the same latitude as the blood. The blood was the life of the beast, and that was offered to make an atonement for their souls; consequently, this was never eaten in all their generations, hut it was impo.ssible to separate the fat from the flesh, which, in many part-, is so intimately intermixed with the muscular fibres; but the blood being contained

15 And the two kidneys, and the

the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

16 And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: "all the fat is the Lord's.

n It shall be a "perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwelhngs, that ye eat neither 'fat nor 'blood.

in separate vessels, the arteries and reins, might, with great ease, be entirely removed by cutting the throat of the animal, which was the Jewish method. By the fat, therefore, mentioned here and in the preceding verse, we may understand any fat that exists in a separate or unmixed state, sucb as the omentum or caul, the fat of the mesentery, the fat on tlie kidneysjdind whatever else of the internal fat was easily separable, together with tlie whole of the tail already described. And probably, it was the fat of such animals only, as were offered to God in sacrifice, that was unlawful to be eaten.

As all temporal as well as spiritual blessings come from God, he has a right to require, that such of them should be dedicated to his service as he may think proper to demand. He required the most perfect of all the animals, and the best parts of iheie perfect animals. This he did, not that he needed any thing, but to shew the perfection of his nature, and the purity of his service. Had he condescended to receive the meanest animals, and the meanest parts of animals as his offerings, what opinion could his worshippers hare entertained of the perfection of his nature? If such imperfect offerings were worthy of this God, then his nature must be only worthy of such offerings. It is necessary that every thing employed in the worship of God, should be the most perfect of its kind that the time and circumstances can afford. As sensible things are generally the medium through which spiritual impressions are made, and the impression usually partakes of the nature of the medium through which these impressions are communicated. Hence, every thing should not only be decent, but as far as circumstances will admit, dignified in the worship of God; the object of religious worship, the place in which he is worshipped, and the worship itself should have the strongc.-;t and most impressive correspondence possible.

Tlie laze concerning the sin-offering for transgressions auninitted ihroitgh ignorance, 1, 2. For the priest thus sinnin", 3 — 12. For the sins of ignorance of tite Jthole congregation, 13 — ^21. For the sins of ignorance of a ruler, 22 — 20. Fur the sins of ignorance of any of the common i^ieoplc, 27 — 35.

_ saying, 2 Speak unto the cliildren of Israel, * It" a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of' the Lord, {concerning things which ought not to be done,) and shall do against any of them:

3 " If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, wliich he hath sinned, 'a young bullock without blemish, unto the Lord, for a sin otit^ring.

4 And he shall bring the bullock "unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before tlie Lord.

5 And the priest that is anointed, Shall take 1 of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the ta- ^bcrnacle of the congregation.

\ 6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times be-

ifore the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary.

7 And the priest shall "^put some of the blood

■ if any man shall do what God has forbidden, or leave undone ' what God has commanded, through ignorance oi' the law

■ and wilfully, and to him there rcnutins no other sacrifice for sin, no other mode by which he can be reconciled to God; but lie has a certain fearful looking for of judgment, which shall devour such adversaries; and this seems the case to wliich the apostle alludes, Heb. x 26, &c. in tlie words above quoted. 'J'lipre have b^en a great number of subule questions

, started on this subject, both by Jews and Christians; but, the above I believe to be the sense and spirit of the law.

Ver.^e 3. If the priest that is anointed] Meaning, most probably, the high-priest. According to the sin of the people; for, although he bad greater advantages than the people could have, in being more conversant with the law of God, and his lips should understand and preserve knowledge, yet it was possible even for hiin, in that lime in which the will ftf God had not been fully revealed, to transgress tlirough pour ^all the blood o: the bullock at [ the bottom of the altar of the burnt ' oflferino- which is at the door of the tabernacle

of the congregation. I 8 And he shall take off from it all

9 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and tlie caul above the liver, with tlie kidneys, it shall he take away.

10 "As it was taken off" from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace otlerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt

1 1 ' And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung.

12 Even the whole bullock shall he carryforth "without the camp unto a clean place, 'where the ashes are poured out, and "burn him on the wood with fire: "where the ashes are poured out shall he bs burnt.

ignorance; and his transgression might have the very worst tendency, because the people might be thereby led into sin. Hence, several critics understand this passage in this,way, and translate it thus: If the anointed priest shall lead the people to sin — or, literally, if the anointed priest stiall sin to the sin of the people; that i.s, so as to cause the people to transgress, the shepherd going astray, and the sheep following alter him.

Verse 6. Seven times'] ■ See the note on Exod. xxix..30. The blood of this sacrifice was applied in three different ways. 1. The priest put his finger in it and sprinkled it seven limes betlire the vail, ver. 6. 2. He put some of it on the horns of the altar of incense. 3. He poured the remaining part at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offerings, ver. 7.

Verse 12. Without the camp] This was intended, figuratively, to express the sinfvdness of this sin, and the availableness of the atonement. The sacrifice, as having the sin of the priest transft rred from himself to it by his confession and imposition of hands, was become unclean and abominable, and was carried, as it wire, out of the Lord's sight; from the tabernacle and congiegation, it must be carried without the camp: and thus its own offensiveness was removed, and

1 3 i[ And ' if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, '' and the thing be hid ti:om the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somexihat agahist any of tliC commandments of the LoKD, concerning tilings whicli should not be done, and are guilty;

1.4 When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congrega-

15 And the elders of the congregation "'shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before tlie Loiio: and the bullock shall be killed -before the Louu.

1 6 "^ And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation.

17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, even before the vail.

18 And he shall put 50??/(? of the blood upon die horns ef the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom ^f the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

19 And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon tlie altar.

20 And he sh.ill do M-ith the bullock as he did * with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do mth this: ^ and the piiest shall make an

tlie sin of the peri^on in whose behalf it was offerert. The apostle (Hell. xiii. II — 13.) ajipUes lliis in the most pointed manner to Chri.st. For the bodies of tho'ie bca.-<ls luhose blood is brounktintn the sar.C'.uury by the!ii'^li-prkxl,for sin, are bumtd without the Cfimji. Wherffore, J^'sue (iho, that he iniglu ■simcl{f)j ■the people wiihhis own blood, suffered ivitJiout the gute. Letus go forth therefore unto him luiihontdhe annp, bearing his reproach. Verse 13. If the 'ahole coni^regalion of Israel sin'] This.jirobabiy refers to some oversi^jht in acts of religious worship, or to some transjrression "f the tetter of the la>v, wiiiih arose ■out of the peculiar cireinnstancis in which they were then foimfl,.siK h as the case mentioned 1 San\. xiv. 32, &c. wlxre ■the people, throii;.^h their long and excessive fatip^ue in llitir combat with the Philistines, being faint, Jlav on the. spoil, and took sheep, oxen, anf\ calves, and stcui them on the ground, iu'.ddid eat vjich the blood: and this was jiartly occasioned

2r And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he bin-ned the first bullock: oMering for the congregation.

22 % When a ruler hath sinned, and ^done some-ivhdt through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord his God, concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty,

23 Or " if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:

24 And 'he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord: it is a sin offering.

25 "And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering wth his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.

26 And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as 'the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: "and the priest shall make an atonement tor him as concerning his siu, and it shall be forgiven him.

27 ^' And " if "any one of the "^ common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth someidiat against any of the commandments of the Lord, coticerning things not to be done, and be guilty;

by the rash adjuration of Said, mentioned verse 24. Curseil be the men that cateth any food until evening.

The sacrifices and rites in this case were the same as tho.«« prescribed in the prece«lin<^; only here the elders of the cons^Tes;ation, i. e. three of the!i<inhedriin, accordin^j to Muimonides, laid their hands on the head of the victim in the n.ame of all the congregation.

Verse 22. When a ruler hath sinned] Under the term N'lW 7iusi, it is probable that any person is meant who held any kind of political dignity among the people, though the Rabbins generally understand it of the king.

A kid of tiu- goals was the sacrifice in this case, the rites nearly the same as in the preceding cases, only the./iiMvas burnt as that ot the peace-offering. — See ver. 26. and ch. iii. 5.

lIoiD the blood is to be sprinkled, CHAP. V.

28 Or "if liis sin, which he hath sinned, come to his l^nowletlgc: then he shall bring his ottering, a kid of the goats, a tcmale without blemish,

tor his sin whicli he hath sinned.

brirg a lamb for a le shall bring it a iemale without blemish. 33 And he shall lay his hand upon

32 And if lie

the head of the sin ortering, and slay it for a 29 " And he shall lay his hand upon the head i sin oftering, in the place where they kill the of the sin offering, and slay the sin oftering in 1 burnt oftering.

the place of the i)urnt offering

30 And the priest shall take of the blood tliercof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

31 And 'he shall take away all the fat thereof, " as the fat is taken awav from oft' the sacriftce of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a 'sweet savour unto the Lord; •^and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

people of the land; that is, any individual who was not a priest, A/?;if or ruler among the people; any of the poor or ordinary sort; any of these having transgressed through ignorance, was obliged to bring a lamb or a kid, the ceremonies being nearly the same as in the preceding cases.

Tlic law relative totlie general ca?esofj^ins committed through ignorance, and the sacrifices to be oflfered on such occasions, so amply detailed in this cliapter, may be thus rerapitulatfd. For all sins and transgreosions of this kind, committed by the pt:ople, the prince, and tlic priest, they must offer expiatory ofleriiigs. The (x-rson so sinning, must bring the sacrifice to the door of the tabernacle, and lay his hands upon its head, as in a case already referred to, acknowledging the sacrifice to be his, that he needed it for his transgression; and thus he was considered as confessing his sin; and the sin was considered as transferred to the animal, whose blood was then spilt to make an atonement. See on chap. i. verse 4. Such institutions as these could not be considered as terminating in ■themselves; tiiey necessarily had reference to somethmg of infinitely higher moment: in a word, they typified Him whose soul was made an offering for sin, Isa. liii. 10. And taken out of this reference, ihcy seem both absurd and I irrational. It is obviou.sly in reference to these imiocent! creatures being brought as sin-ofl'erings to God fur the guilty, ' that St. Paul alludes, 2 Cor. v. 'j 1. where he says, lie (God)

34 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt olicring, and shall pom- out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:

35 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace ofterings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, '' according to the ofterings made by fire unto the Lord: ' and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

made him to he sin (a/jia^Tiav, a sin-offering) for us WHO KNEW NO t>liN', lliat tie 7niglu be made the righteousness of God, holy and pure by the power and grace of God, in or through lam. And it is worthy of remark, that the Greek word used by the apostle, is the same by which the Septuagint, in more than fourscore places in the f'entateuch, translate the Hebrew word nstJPt, cluitah, sin, which in all those places our translation renders sin-offering. Even sins of ignorance cannot be unnoticed, by a strict and holy law: these also need the great atonement; on which account we should oitcn pray, with David, Cleanse thou nie from secret fau/ls; Ps. xix. 12. How little attention is paid to this solemn subject! sins of this kind, sins committed sometimes ignorantly, and more frequently, heedlessly, are permitted to accumulate in their number, and consequently in their guilt; and from this very circumstance, we may often account for those painfiil desertions, as they are called, under which many comparatively good people labour. They have committed sins of?ij)7oruHC(; or heedlessness, and have not oflered the sacrifice which can alone avail in their behalf. How necessaiy. in ten thousand cases, is the following excellent prayer. " That

it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, iici^ligences and ignorances, and to indue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, to amend our lives according to thy Holy Word." — Litany.

^Concerning zcitnesies who, being adjured, refuse to tell the tru'Ji, 1. Of those who contract deJilemeiH by loitrhivg vnclean things or persona, 2. Of those who bind themselves by vows or oaths, and do not fvljil them, 4,5. The trespass offering prescribed in such cases, a Iamb or a kid, 6. A iurtle Jove or tzco young pigeons, 7 — 10; or an ephahofjinejioiirwith oil and frankincense, 11 — 13. Other laws relative to trespasses, through ignorance, in holt/ things, 14 — 16. Of trespasses in things unknown, 17 — 19.

2 Or " if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and " guilty.

3 Or if he touch ' the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.

4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips ^ to do evil, or ^ to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; wlien he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall ^ confess that he hath sinned in that thi7ig:

6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto

the LoED for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.

7 ^ And ' if " he be not able to lamb, then he shall bring for his which hc hath committed, two ' or two young pigeons, unto the for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt

Verse 1. If u soul sin] It is generally supposed, that tlie case referred to here, is that of a person who, being demanded by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses to tell what he knows concerning the subject — such an oue shall bear his iniquity — shall be considered as guilty in the sight of God of the transgression which hc has endeavoured to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding the iniquity to which he was privy; or suppressing the truth, which being discovered, would have led to the exculpation of the innocent, and the punishment of the guilty.

Verse 2. Any unclean thing] Either the dead body of a clean animal, or the living or dead carcase of any unclean creature. All such persons were to wash their clothes and themselves in clean water, and were considered as unclean till the evening, chap. xi. 24 — 3 1. But if this had been neglected, they were obliged to bring a trespass- ojcrijig. What this meant,.sec the notes on chap. vii.

Verse 4. To do evil, or to do good'] It is very likely that rash pnimise.s are here intended: for if a man vow to do an act that is evil, thou;^h it would be criminal to keep such an

8 And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and "wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder:

9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and " the ' rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.

10 And he shall offer the second Jor a burnt offering, according to the ° manner p-. '' and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

oath or vow, yet he is guilty, because he made it; and therefore must offer the trespass-offering. If he neglect to do the, good he has vowed, he is guilty, and must, in both cases, confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering.

Verse 6. He shall confess that he hath sinned] Even restitution was not sufficient without this confession, because a: man might make restitution without being nuich humbled: but the confession of sin has a direct tendency to humble the soul; and hence it is so frequently required in the Holy Scrip* tures, as without humiliation there can be no salvation.

Verse 7. If he be not able to bring a hnnb] See the conclusion of chapter the first.

Verse 10. He shall offer the second for a burnt-offering} The pigeon for the burnt-offering was wliolly consumed; it: was the Lord's property: that fijr the sin-offering was the priest's property, and was to be eaten by him, after its blood had been partly.sprinkled on the side of the altar, and the. rest poured out at the bollom of the altar. — See also chap. vi. 26.

11^ But if he be not able to bring |i estimation by shekels of silver, after a.m. saw.

" the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trepass ottering

two youngsinned shall bring for his ottering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin ottering; ' he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin ottering.

12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, ^ even a memorial thereof, and biun it on the altar, " according to tlie offerings made by fire unto the Lord: it is a sin ottering.

13 ''And the priest shall make an atonement for him as toucliing his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and ' the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat

14 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

15 ' If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then ^ he shall bring tor his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy

Verse 11. Tcnlli part o/anephalt] About three quarts. The epliah contained a little more than seven gallons and a half.

Vorse 15. In the lioly things of the Loid] This law seems to relate particularly to sacrilege, and defrauds in spiritual matters — such as the neglect to consecrate or redeem the first-born — the withholding of the first-fruits, tythes, and such like; and, according to the llabbins, making any secular gain of divine things, keeping back any part of the price of things dedicated to God, or withholding what a man had vowed to pay. — See a long list of these things in Ainsivorlh.

With thy estimation'] The wrong done, or the defraud committed, should be estimated at the number of shekels it vvas worth, or for which it would sell. These the defrauder was to pay down, to which he was to add a fifth part more, and bring a ram without blemish, for a sin-offering, besides. There is an obscurity in the text; but this seems to be its meaning.

Verse 16. Shall make amends] ]\Iake restitution for the V rong he had done according to what is laid down in the preceding verse.

Verse 19. He hath certainly trespassed] And I.ecause he hath sinned, therefore he must bring a sacrifice. On no othev ground shall he be accepted by the Lord. — Reader, how dost thou stand in the sight of thy Maker.?

On the subject of this chapter, it may be proper to make the following reflections.

When the infinite ])urity and strict justice of God are considered, the exceeding breadth of his commandment, our

16 And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and ' shall add the fvftli part thereto, and give it unto the priest: " and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass ottering, and it shall be forgiven him.

1 7 % And if a ' soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; ™ though he wist it not, yet is he " guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

18 "And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass ottering, unto the priest: '' and the priest

I shall make an atonement for him concerning his I ignorance wherein he erred and w^ist it not, and slowness of heart to believe, and our comparatively cold performance of sacred duties, no wonder that there is sinfulness found in our holy things: and at what a low ebb must the Clnislian life be found, when this is the case! This is a sore and degrading evil in the church of God; but there is one even worse than this, that is, the strenuous endeavour of many religious people to reconcile their minds to this state of inexcusable imperfection; and defend it zealously, on the supposition that it is at once both unazoidable and useful — unavoidable, for they think they cannot live without it— and useful, because they suppose it tends to humble them! The more inward sin a man has, the more pride he will feel: the Ics.s, the more humili/y. A sense of God's infinite kindness to us, and our constant dependance on him, will ever keep the soul in the dust. Sin can never be necessary to the maintenance or extension of the Christian life: — it is the thing which Jesus Christ came into the world to destroy; and his name is called.If.SUS, or Sa7:iour, because he saves his people from their sins. But how little of the spirit and influence of his Ciospel is known in the world! He saves, unto the uttermost, llicm who come unto the Father through him — but, alas! how few are thus saved! — for they will not come unto him, that they might have life. Should any Christian refuse to offer up the following prayer to God? — " Almighty God!

unto whom all heart* be open, and from whom no secrets are iiid; cleanse tiie thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of tliy holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name, through Christ our Lord. Amen." — The Liturgy.

LaKS relative to detention of proper!)/ entrusted to the care of unotlier, to rohherj/ and deceit, 1, d; finding ofgoodH lost, keeping them from tlieir owner, ajidszoearingfahelyr, 3. Such a person shall not only restore zehat he has thus unhmfuUti gotten, but shall add a fiftli part of the value of the property besides, 4, 5. A)id shall bring « ram tcithout blemish, as a trespass-offering to the Lord, 6, 7. Laus relative to the burat-oflering, and the perpetual firp, 8 — 13. Larc; o/" fAe meat-offering, and zchq matf laufullj/ eat of it, 14 — 18. Laws relative to the offerings o/' Aaron and his sons and their successors, on the day of their anointing, 19 — 13. Laws relative, to the sin-offering, and those who 7uight cat of it, 14 — 30.

which he hath deceithilly gotten, or that wliich was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he unto his neighbour in that "which was deli\'ered i found,

2 If a soal sin, and ' commit a trespass against the Lord, and ^ lie

him to keep, or in "^ rcllowship% or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath ^ deceived liis neighbour;

3 Or ^have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and * sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning then in:

4 Then It shall be, because he liath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which

NOTES ON CHAP. VI. Verse 2. Lie imto Ids neighbour, ^c] This must refer to a case in whicli a per.'^on delivered his properly to his neighbour to be preserved for him, and took no witness to attest the delivery of the goods; such a person, therefore, niighl deny that lie had ever received such goods, for he who had deposited them with him, could bring no proof of the delivery- On the other hand, a man might accuse his neighbour of detaining property which he had never confided to him, or after having been confided, had restored it again; hence, the law here is very cautious on these points; and, because in many cases, it was impossible to come at the whole truth, without a direct revelation from God, which should in no common case be expected; the penalties are very moderate; for in such cases, even when guilt was discovered, the man might not be so criminal as appearances miglit intimate. — Sec the law concerning this, laid down and explained on Exod. xxii. 7, &c.

Verse '.i. Have found that Kliich ii-as lost] The Roman l.iwyers laid it down as a sound maxim in jurisprudence, " 1 bat he who found any property, and applied it to his own use, shouhl be considered as a thief, whether he knew the owntr or not; for in their view, the crime was not lessened, suppose the tinder was totally ignorant of the right owner." Sui alienum quidjacens, htcri fiiciendi causa suslulit, fuTti ebstringitur, tive scil, cujtis sit, sive ignoravit; nihil

falsely; he shall even ' restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, (tnd give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, " in ' the day of his trespass offering.

6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, "" a ram without blemish out of the flock, Avith thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the piiest:

enim ad furtum minuendiim facit, quod cujiis sit, ignoret.— DlGESTOR. lib. xlvii. Tit. ii. de furtis. Leg. -sMW. Sect. 4. On this subject every honest man must sa_v, that the man who finds any lost propertj-, and does not make all due enquiry to find out the owner, should, in sound polic}-, be treated as a thief. It is said of the Dyrboeans, a [jeopte who inhabited the tract between Bactria and India, that if they met with any lost property, even on the public road, tliey never even touched it This was actually the case in this kin"- d(im in the time of Alfred the Great, about A. D. 888; so that golden bracelets, hung up on the public roads, were untouched by the finger of rapine. One of Solon's laws was, Take not up, ivhat you laid not doicn. How easy to act b}' this principle in case of finding lost property: " This is not mine, and it would be criminal to convert it to my use, unless the owner be dead, and his family extinct." When all due enquiry is made, if no owner can be found, the lost property may be legally considered to lie the property of the finder.

Verse 5. All that about which he hath ivorn falsely] Thi» supposes the case of a man who, being convicted by his own conscience, comes forward and confesses his sin.

•Restore it in the principal] The property itself if still remaining, or the full value of it, to which a fifth part more xvas to be added.

7 * And the priest shall make an atonement for liini before the Loud: and it sliall be tbrfriven him for any thing of all that he liath done in trespas.sing therein. 8 ^ And the Lord spake unto IMoscs, saying, '9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying. This is the law of the burnt oftering: It is the burnt ottering, '' because ot the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.

10 " And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire luith consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them '' beside the altar.

1 1 And "^ he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp ' unto a clean place.

12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it } it shall not be put out: and the

Verse S. And the Lord spake unto Closes'] At this verse tlie Jew.s besfin the 25th Section of the L.-iw; and liere, un-.doubteiliy, the 6tli chapter should coinuience, as the writer enters upon a new subject, and the preceding verses belong to tlie fftli chapter. The best edited Hebrew Bibles begin the sixth chapter at this ver-e.

. Verse 9. This is the bivj of the bumt-nfferlug'] This law properly refers to that burnt-ofTering, which vvas daily made in v.hat was termed the morning and evening sacrifice: and as he had explained the nature of this bumt-oflerin<; in general, with its necessary ceremowes. as far as the persons who brought them wtie concerned, he now takes up the same in relation to the priests who were to receive them from the hands of the oflerer, and present them to the Lord on the altar of burnt-oHerings.

Because of the burning upon the altar all nighl'\ If the burnt-offering were put all upon the fire at once, it could not be burning all night. We may therefore reasonably conclude, that the priests sat up by turns the whole night, and fed the fire with portions of this offerinsf till the whole was consumed; which they would take care to lengthen out till the time of the morning sacrifice. The same we may suppose was done with the morning sacrifice: it was also consumed by piecemeal throuEjh the whole day, till the time of offering the evening sacrifice. Thus there was a continual offerm^f by fire unto the Lord: and hence, in ver. 13. it is said. The fire shall ever be burning upon the attar; it shall mver go out. If at any time any extraordinary oflerings were to be made, the daily sacrifice was consumed more spcedilj', in order to make roo/n for such extra offerings,— hiee more on this subject in the note on ver. 20.

priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon ^ the fat of the peace offerings.

l;3 Tlie fire shall ever be burning upon the altar •, it shall never go out.

14 ^ " And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar.

15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meatoffering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat ofl'ering, tuid shall bum it upon the altar Jur a sweet savour, even the ' memorial of it, unto the

16 And "the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: ' with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation tliey shall eat it.

The Hebrew doctors teach that no sacrifice was ever offered in the morning, before the morning sacrifice: and none, the pass-oxer excepted, ever ofiered in the evening, after the evening's sacrifice; for all sacrifices were made by da^-light. The fat seems to have been chiefly burned in the night season, for the greater light, and conveniency of keeping the fire alive, which could not be so easily done as in tiie day time.

Verse 1 1. Shall piu on other garments] The priests approached the altar in their holiest garments: when caiTying the ashes, &c. from the altar, they put on other garments, the holy garments being only used in the holy place.

Clean place} A place where no dead carcases, dung, or filth of any kind, was laid; lor the ashes were holy, as being the reinains of the offerings made by fire unto the

Verse 1 3. The fire shall be erer burning] See on ver. 9. and ver. 20. In imitation of this perpetual fire, the ancient Persian Magi, and their descendants tlie Farsees, kept up a perpetual fire; the latter continue it to the present day. This is strictly enjoined in the Zend Avesta, which is a code of laws, as sacred among them, as the Pentateuch is among the Jews.

Verse 15. His handful of the Jlotir.] An o;Hfr of flour, which was the tenth part of an ephah, and equal to about three quarts of our measure, was the least quantity that could be oftered even by the poorest sort, and this was generally accompanied with a log of oil, which was a little more than half a pint. This quantity, both of flour and oil, might beincrcased at pleasure, but no less could be offered.

A. M. 2514. 17 ^It shall not be bakeu with j leaven. " I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by iire; " it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 18 ■* All the males

the children of Aaron shall eat of it. ' It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the ofierings of the Lord made by fire: ' every one that toucheth them shall be holy.

19 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

20 ^ This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall ofter unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of it: '' in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the

stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the Lord; ^ it shall be wholly burnt.

23 For every meat offering for the priest shall be whoUy burnt: it shall not be eaten.

25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, ' This is the law of the sin ottering: "^ In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord: " it is most holy.

26 ° The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat

an * ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.

21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and •when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: a7id the

27 ■" Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy

for a sweet savour unto the Lord.! 28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden

22 And the priest of his sons ' that is anointed

Verse 20. In the day luhen he is anointed] Not only in that (lay, hut from that day forwartl; for this was to them and their successors, a statute for ever. — See ver. 22.

Verse 23. For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt] Whatever the priest offered, was ivholly the Lord's, and therefore must be entirely consumed: the sacrifices of the common people were offered to the Lord, but the priests partook of them; and thus, they who ministered at the altar, were fed by the altar. Had the priests been permitted to live on their own offerings, as they did on those of the people, it would have been as if they had offered nothing, as they would liave taken again to themselves, what they appeared to give unto the Lord. Theodoret says, that this marked, " The high perfection which God required in the ministers of his sanctuary," as his not eating of his own sin-offering, supposes him to stand free from all sin: but a better reason is given by Mr. Ainsworth. " The people's

meat-offering was eaten by the priests that made atonement for them, ver. l.j, 16. chap. vii. 1. but because no priest, being a sinner, could make atonement for iiimsclf, therefore his meat-offering might not be eaten, but all burnt on the altar, to teach him to expect salvation, not by his legal service or works, but by Christ: for the eating of the sinoffering, fiLjured the bearing of the sinner's iniquity." — Ch.

Ver.=e 25. In the place ichere the burnt-offering was killed, &c.] The place iiere referred to, was the North side of the altar. — See chap. i. 1 1.

*■ shall be bi^oken: and if it be sodden in a brasen

of Moses with Aaron, chap. x. 1 1. we learn that the priest, by eating the sin-offering of the people, was considered as bearing their sin, and typically removing it from them: and besides, this was a part of their maintenance, or what the Scripture calls their inheritance, see Ezek. xliv. 27 — 30. This was afterwards greatly abused; for improper persons endeavoured to get into the priest's office merely that they might get a secular provision, which is a horrible profanity in the sight of God. — See 1 Saai. ii. 36. Jer. xxiii. 1, 2. Ezek. x.xxiv. 2 — 4. and Hos. iv. 8.

Verse 27. Whatsoever shall touch the Jlesh thereof shall be holy] The following note of Mr. Ainsworth is not less judicious than it is pious:

" All this rite was peculiar to the sin-offering, (whether it were that which was to be eaten, or that which was to be burnt) above all the other most holy things. As the sinoffering in special sort figured Christ, who was made sin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21. so this ordinance, for all that touched the flesh of the sin-oilering, to be holy; the garments sprinkled with the l)iood, to be washed; the vessels wherein the flesh was boiled, to be broken, or scoured and rinsed: taught a holy use of this mystery of our redemption, whereof they that are made partakers ought to be washed, cleansed, and sanctified by the Spirit of God; that we possess our vessels in holiness and honour, and yield not our members as instruments of unri;;liteousness unto sin." 1 Thess. iv. 4, Rom. vi. 13.

Verse 28. The earthen vessel — shall be broken] Calmet states, that this should be considered as implying tjie vessels brought by individuals to the court of the tample or taber-

29 * All the males among the priests ^all eat thereof: " it is most

30 " And no sin offering, whereof am/ of the blood is brought into the tabernaclfof the congregation, to reconcile idthalm X\\c\\o\y place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire

naclc, and not oF the vessels tliat belonged to the priests for the ordinary service. That the people dressed their sacrifices sometiints in the court of the tal)ernacle, he gathers from 1.Sam. ii. 13, 14. to wiiich the reader is desired to refer.

nauTuiAa haTTavTo;, all cast niucii light on Heb. vii. 25.

just slain, standing before the throne, Rev. v. 6. Heb. x. I 9 — 22. AnJ. cs the fire on the altar must be perpetual, so should the influences of the Holy Spirit in every member of the church, and the flame of pure devotion in the hearts of believers be ever energetic and permanent. A continual sacrifice, for continual successive generations of sinners, was essentially necessary. Continual influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men were essentially necessary to apply and rendtr eflectual this atonement, to the salvation of the soul. And, incessant gratitude for the ineftable love of God, manifested by his unspeakable gift, is surely required of all those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. — Reader, dost thou feel thy obligations to thy Maker? Does the perpetual fire burn on the altar of thj/ heart? Art thou ever looking unto Jesus, and beholding, by faith, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world? And dost thou feel the influences of his Spirit, at all times witnessing, with thy spirit, that thou art his child, and exciting Ihee to acts of gratitude and obedience? If not, of what benefit has the religion of Christ been to thee, to the present day } Of a contrary state to that referred to above, it may be well said. This is not the way to heaven, for the way of life is above to the wise, that they may depart from the snares of death beneath. Arise, therefore, and shake ihy.sclf from the dust, and earnestly call upon the Lord thy God, that he may save thy soul, and ilut thou fall not into the bitter pains of an eternal death.

V/.t hno of the trespass-offering, and the priest's portion in it, 1 — 7-.^a' «/w "< tl't^ sin-offerings and meaf'offe rings 8 — 10, The law of the sacrijice of peace-offering, 11, xchether it teas a thanksgiving o^mHg, 12 — Ij. Or a vow or voluntary offering, l6 — 18. Concerning thefesh that touched any unclean thing, \[), 20, and the person Ziho touched am/ thing unclean, 21. Lazes concerning eating of fat, 22 — 25, and concerning eating of blood, S6, 27. Farther ordinances concerning the peace-offerings and the priest's portion in them, 28 — 36. Conclusion of the lazi's and ordinances relative to bunit-off'erings, meat-offerings, sin-offerings and peace-offerings, delivered in this and the preceding chapters,,'57, "S.

IKE WISE Uhis is the law of the trespass ofl'cring: '' it is most holy. 2 " In the place where they kill

the burnt offering, sliall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.

Verse 2. In the place ivltere they kill the bunit-offering'\ Viz. on the North side of the altar, chap. i. 1 1.

3 And he shall offer

that covereth the inwards, 4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away:

5 And the priest shall burn them upon the Rharjbr an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a trespass offering.

6 " Every male among the priests shall eat

Verse 3. T/ic rump] See the notes on chap. iii. 9. where the principal subjects in this chapter are explained, being nearly the same in boll).

Verse 4. The fat that is on theni] Chiefly the fat that was found in a detached slate, not mixed with the muscles; such as the omentum or caul, the fat of the mesenteiy, the fat about the kidneys, &c. — See the notes on chap. iii. 9, Sec.

Verse 8. The priest shall hare to himself lite skin^ Bishop Patrick supposes, that this riyht of the priest to the skin, commenced with tlie oflering of Adam: " For it is probable," says lie, " tliat Adam himself offered the first sacrifice, and had the skin given him by God, to make garments for him and his wife: in conformity to which, the priests ever after had the skin of the whole burnt-ofierings for their |ioriion; which was a custom among the Gentiles as well as the Jews, who gave the skins of their sacrifices to their priests, when they were not burnt with the sacrifices, as in some sin-oflTering they were among the Jews, see chap. iv. 1 1. And they employed them to a superstitious use, by lying upon them in their temples, in hopes to have future things revealed to them in their dreams. Of this we have a proof in Virgil's viith.Sneid, ver. 86—95.

hue dona sacerdos

Cum tidit, If caesarum ovium sub node siknti Peilibus incubuit stratis, somnoscjue petivit; 3Iulta niodis sirindacra videt votitanlia miris: El varias audit voces, fruiturque deorum Colloquio, atcjue iinis Acheronta affatur Avemis. Ilic ^ turn pater ipse petens responsa Lntir.us, Centum lanigeras mactabat rite bidentes, Atque haiMU effuttus tergo stratisque jacebat Velleribus. Subita ex alto vox reddita luco est.

First, on the fleeces of the slaughter d sheep J5y night the sacred priest dissolzes in sleep: \\ hen in a train, before his slumb'ring eye, Thin airy forms, and wondrous visions, fly. He calls the power.s who guard th' iiiltrnal floods. And talks, inspir'd, familiar with the gods. To this dread oracle the prince withdrew. And first a hundred sheep the monarch slew; Then on their fleeces lay; and from the wood He heard, di.stinct, these accents of the god.

thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: " it is most holy.

7 As the sin offering is, so is ■* the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh the atonement therewith shall have it.

8 And the priest that offereth any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered.

9 And ' all the meat offering that is baken in

The same superstition, practised precisely in the same way, and for the same purposes, prevails to the present day in the Highlands of Scotland, as the reader may see from the following note of Mr. Scott, in his Lady nf the Lake.

" The Higiilanders of Scotland, like all rude people, had various superstitious modes of enquiring into futurity. One of the most noted was the toghnrm. A person was wrapped up in the skin of a newly slain bullock, and deposited beside a water-fall, or at the bottom of a precipice, or in some other strange, wild, and unusual situation, where the scenery around him suggested nothing but objects of horror. In this situation, he revolved in his mind the question proposed; and whatever was impressed upon him by his exalted imagination, passed lor the inspiration of the disembodied spirits w ho haunt these desolate recesses. On way of consulting this oracle, was by a party of men, who first retired to solitary [)laccs, remote from any house, and there they singled out one of their number, and wrapt him in a big cow's hide, which they folded about him; his whole body was covered with it, except his head, and so left in this posture all night, until his invisible friends relieved him, by giving a proper answer to the question in hand; which he received, as he fancied, from several persons that he found about him all that time. His consorts returned to him at break of day; and then he communicated his news to them, which often proved fatal to those concerned in such unwarrantable enquiries.

" Mr. Alexander Coooer, present minister of North-Virt, told me, that one John Erach, in the Isle of Lewis, assured him, it was his fate to have been led by his curiosity with some who consulted this oracle, and that he was a night within the hide above-mentioned; during which time he felt and heard such terrible things, that he could not express them: the impression made on him, was such as could never go oil'; and he said, for a thousand worlds, he would never jigain be concerned in the like performance, for it had disordered him to a high degree. He confessed it ingenuously, and with an air o( great remorse, and seemed to be very penitent under a just sense of so great a crime: he declared tliH, about five years since, and is still living in the Isle of Lewis, for any thing I know." — Description of the fVesiem Isles, p. 110. See also Pennant's Scottish Tour,' VoL II. p. 301. and Mr. W. Scott's Lady of the Lake.

Coyicerning the peace-offerings, CHAP

A.M.vsi}. the oven, and all that is dressed in B. c. i-*yo ^jjg fpyin^ pan and " in the pan, sliall

AKibuvMiu,,. jQ ^jjj every meat offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another.

1 1 IF And " this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall oiier unto i

1 2 if he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers ' anointed with oil, an;! cakes mingled with oil, of fine flower, tried.

1^ Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his i offering '^ leavened bread with the sacrifice of | thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

14 And of it he shall ofier one out of the tn'hole oblation for a heave offering unto the | LoHD, ^ and it shall be the priest's that sprink- 1ft h the blood of the peace ofl'erings.

l.T ' And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace oiterings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

16 But ^ if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:

Vtriic 12. // he offer it for a tlianksgiviiigl See the notes at the end of this chapter.

Verse 15. Jh sliall not leave ttmj of it until l/ie moniirt^'] Because, in siuli a liot country, it *• a< apt to putnly; and as it w;-.s considered lo be li'ty, it would have hcin very improper 1(1 (XpiKt that lo piitrct'aclion vvhicli had heen consecratu'd to t!',c Divin'- Heing. Mr. Mariner sii|iposcs, that llie few iiere retLrs rather to the cn.stom o\' drijiii'^ jleih, which had been devoted lo religious purposes, whirh is practised anionof the Mohammedans lo the present time. 'I'hi.s he thinks, niipiit have ^wtn rise lo the proliihiiinn, as tlie sacred tlesh tliiiR preserved, misjht have been abused lo superNtitioiis purpo.CH. 'I hi rc'bre God savs, ver. 18. If riiiy of llie Jlesh nf the snc) ificc—ie eiilni at till on the third tlai/, it shall not be aiccp/ed, neither shall it be impitttd unto him thiit offenih it; it is au ubcminatinn, tind the soul that eateih of it shiill bear his iniquity, 'that \s, on Mr. Harmcv's hypo'hrsis, this

18 Aiidif rt;.'.y of the flesh of the """j'"'/'^""': sacrifice of Iiis peace offerings be eaten at all on the third d;iy, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be "imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an 'abomination, and the soul that eatcth of it shall bear his iniquity.

19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it.^^hall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.

20 But the soul that eateth of the fiesli of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto l\\c Lord, " having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul ' shall be cut oft" firom his people.

21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as "" the uncleanness of man, or any " unclean beast, or any ° abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, wliich pertain unto the Loud, even that soul '' shall be cut off iiom his people.

22 ^ And the Lord spake unto MoSes,

23 8peak unto the children of Israel, saying, '' Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.

sacred flesh shall avail nothing to him that eats it after the first or.seoond day, on which it is offered: however consecrated before, it shall not be considered sacred afler that time. See Hariiier's Observat. vol. i.^p. 394. edit. 1808.

Ver.se 20. Having; his uncleanness upon liini'\ Having touched any un<-lean ihing by v.liich he became legally defiled, and had not washed his clothes, and bathed his fle.>h.

Verse 21. The itnclcanness of man] Any nicer, sore, or leprosy — or any sort oF ciiitaneous disorder, either loltilisome or infectious.

Verse 2'.i. Fat, of ox. or of sheep, or of goat.] Any oilier fat, they might eat — bui the fat of the.se was sacred, because they were the only animals which were ofl'ered in sacrifice, tiioiioh many otlu rs ranked amoiit; t\\p clean animals as well as ilie.^e. Hut it is likely that this prohibition is to be undersioofl of these animals •.vhe-'i olTored in sacrifice, and then only in relerence to the inuiurd fat, as mentioned on ver. 4. Of the fat in any oiber circumstances, it cannot be intended, as it was one of the eapecial blessings whicli

24 And the fat of the * beast that dieth of itself, and the fiit of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.

25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire, unto the Loud, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.

LuiVITICUS. offering, meat-offering, sin-offering, S^c the priest yor a heave offering of the

33 He among the sons of Aaron, that oifereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the shoulder for his part.

34 For ' the wave breast and the heave shoul der have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and

26 '' Moreover ye shall eat no manner of) have given them unto Aaron the priest, and blood, lihether it he of fowl or of beast, in unto his sons, by a statute for ever, from among any of your dwellings. i the children of Israel

27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any man- I 35 IF This is the portion of the anointing of ner of blood, even that soid shall be cut off; Aaron, and of the anoindng of his sons, out

; of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, in i the day "when he presented them to minister unto the Lord in the priest's office, 36 Which the Lord commanded to be given

He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace them of the children of Israel, '^ in the day offerings unto the Loud, shall bring his obla- that he anointed them, by a statute for ever

tion unto the Lord, of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.

SO " His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that ' the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the Lokd.

31 ^ And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: ^ but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'.

32 And " the right shoulder shall ye give unto

•with FAT of LAMBS, and RAMS of the breed of Bashan, and

Verse 21. Wli/ttsoezer soul that eateth any manner of blood"], See the note on Gen. ix. 4. Shall be cut off — excommunicated from the people of Goil, and so deprived of any part in lluir iniieritance, and in their blessings. See the note on Gtn. xvii. 14.

Verse 29. Shall bring his ohlation'] Meaning those things whii'li were given out ol the j.eace-offerings, to the Lord and to the priest. Aimuorih.

Verse 3t>. In the dai/ that he anointed thmt} See the note on Esod. xl. 15.

37 This is the law ' of the burnt offering, " of the meat offering, "and of the sin offering, " and of the trespass offering, '' and of the consecrations, and '^ of the sacrifice of the peace offerings,

38 Which the Lord commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel "■ to offer their oblations unto the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai.

Verse 38. In the ■wilderness of Sinail The.se laws were proliably given to Moses while he was on tiie mount u ith (ioil; the lime was quite sulhciint, a^ he was tiiere with God not Irs'i than fourscore days in all — forty days at tiie i;ivi:>g, and furty days at the renewing of the law.

As in the course of this book, the difFerent kinds of Siicii-, fices commanded to be offered, are repeatedly occurring, il think it hest, once for all, to give a general account of thi-m, and a definition of the original tf rms, as well as of all others relatiie to this subject whicli are used in the Old Testament, and the reference in which they all stood lo the great sacrifice ottered by Christ..

1. ai^N ASAM, TRESPASS-qffering, fiom ZZWH aiam, to be cuilty, or liable to punishment; for in this sacrifice the guilt was considered as being transferred lo the animal of- i fered up to God, and the ofTerer redeemed from the penally of his sin, ver. 37. Christ is said to have made his soul an olTcnng for sin, aiTN. Isai. liii. 10.

2. nii'N ISHEH, riRE-o/Ztr/n^, probably from VTS^ asfiaih, b)be i;rieved, ani^aed, inJiamcJ; either pointing- out the ilistressinif nature of sin, or its property of incensin;^ divine justice against the odender, who, in consequence, deserxinu; tdroino- for his offence, made use of this sacrifice to be freed from the punishment due to his transgression. It occurs Exud. xxix. 18. and in many places of tliis book.

3. ^,^3n H.ABEHAB, iterated or repeated offerings, from an' yahab, to supply. The word occurs only in Hos. Tiii. 13. and probably means no more than the continual rep^iition of the accustomed offerings, or continuation of each part of the sacred service.

4. nat ZEBACH, a SAC'KIFICE; in Chaldee, Pim dcbach, the T zaiii being changed into n dalelli, a creature slain in Mcrifice, from 1131 zubacli, to xlmj; hence tiie altar on which «uch sacrifices were offered, was termed najD mizbeach, the place of sacrifice. See the note on Gen. viii. 2. Zebuch is a common name for sacrifices in general.

5. jn CHAG, a festival, especially such as had a periodjical return, from iiT\ chagag, to celebrate u festival, to dance I round and round in circles. See E.xod. v. 1. xii. 24. The [circular dance was probably intended- to point out the revojlution of the heavenly bodies, and the exact return of tiie i different seasons. See Parkburst. ' tx nStan CHATAATH and HiSan CHATAAII, Slti- offer ins;, from ft\St\c bat (I, to miss the mark: it aUo signifies sin in general, and is a very apt term to express its nature by. A sinner is continually aiming at, and seeking happiness; but as lie does not seek it In God, hence the Scripture represents him as missing his aim, or missijig the mark. This is precisely the meaning of the Greek word a^iapTia, translated sm and sin'Offcringt in our version 5 and this is the term by which the Hebrew word is translated both by the Septuaginl and the inspired writers of the New Testament. The sin-oflering was at once an acknowledgment of guilt, in having forsaken the fountain I of living waters, and hewed out cisterns that coijd hold! none; and also of the firm purpose of the offerer to return 10 God, the true and pure fountain of blessedness. This word often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 7. ixiii. 13.

1. 1D3 COPHER, the EXPIATION or.-VTONEMENT, from "l£3 capliar, to cover, to smear over, or obliterate or annul a coii'ract. Used often to signify the atonement or expiation made for the pardon or cancelling of iniquity. See more in the note on Exod. xxv. 17.

S. npTO MOED, an APPOINTED annual festival, from TD' ydtul, to appoint or constitute, signifying such feasts as were instituted in commemoration of some great event or deliverance, such as the deliverance from Egypt. See Exod. xiii. 10. and thus diiiering from the chag mentioned above. See the note on (.nn. i. 14.

pliiase, had their bands filled. See the note on Exod. xxix.

settle after toil. It generally con>isled of things without life, such as green cai's of corn, full ears of corn, flour, oil, and frankincense; see on chap. ii. I, &c. And may be considered as having its name from that rest from labour and toil, wiiich a man liad when the fruits of the autumn were brought in; or when, in consequence of obtaining any rest, ease, &c. a significant offering or sacrifice was made to God. It often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 3. The jealousy-offering. Numb. v. 1 5. was a simple minchab, consisting of barley meal only.

11. 1D0 MESEC and "[DOD MIMES AC, a MlXTUKE-o/fern;^', or MIXED UB.ATION; Called a DRINK-o^mw^, Isai. Iv. 11. from ^DO musac, to mingle: it seehis in general to mean, old wine mixed with the Ices, which made it extremely intoxicating. This offering does not appear to have had any place in the worship of t!ie true God; but from Isai. Ixv. 1 1. and Frov. xxiii. 30. it seems to have been used for idolatrous purposes, such as the Baichanalia among the Greeks and Romans, " when all got drunk in honour of the god."

12. TS&Vm MASEOTH, an OBLATION, things curried to the temple to be presented to God, from NU?3 nasa, to bear or carry, to bear sin; typically, Exod. xxviii. 38. Lev. x. 17. xvi. 21. really, Isai. Iiii. 4, 12. The sufferings and death of Christ were the true maseoth, or vicarious bearing of the sins of mankind, as the passage in Isaiah, above referred to, sufficiently proves. See this alluded to by the Evangelist. John i. 29. And see the root in Parkhurst.

13. naiJ NEDABAH, FREE-WILL Of so/u»/fl/3/ p/fmn?, from 313 nadab, to be free, liberal, princely. An offering not commanded, but given as a particular proof of extraordinary gratitude to God for especial mercies; or on account of some vow or engagement voluntarily taken. Ver. 1 6.

14. "JW NESEC, LIBATION or \)K.\HK-offering, from ^DJ nasac, to diffuse or pour out. Water or wine poured out at the concjusion or confirmation of a treaty or covenant. To this kind of offering there is frequent allusion and reference in the New Testament, as it ty|)ified the blood of Clirist, pound Out for the sin of the world; and to this our Lord himself alludes in the institution of the holy Eucharist. I'he whole gospel ceconomy is represented as a covenant or treaty between God and man, Jesus Christ being not only the mediator, but the covenant sacrifice, whose blood was poured out for the ratification and confirmation of this covenant or agreement between (jod and man.

15. rhv OLAH and nSv OOLAII, BURNT-o^mn^, from rhv dlah, to ascend, because this ofter-ing, as being wholly consumed, ascended as it were to God in smoke and vapour. It was a very expressive type of the sacrifice of Christ; as nothing less than his complete and full sacrifice could make atonement for the sin of the world. In most other ofli^rings, the priest, and often the oflerer, had a share, but in the whole burnt-ollering, all was given to God.

16. niDp ICAIORETH, INCENSE or PERI UME offering, from Itap katar, to burn; i. e. the frankincense, and other aromatics used as a perfume in diflerent parts of the divine service. To this St. Paul compares the agreeableness of the sacrifice of Christ to God, Kph. v. 2. Christ hath given himself for us an offering — to God for a.SWEET-SMELLLNG savour. From Rev. v. 8. we learn, that it was intended also to represent the prayers of the saints, which, offered up on that altar

Clirist Jesus, that sanctifies every gift, are highly pleasing in the siglit of God.

n. pip KOREAN, the CilTT-offerin^, from 3lp karab, to driiw nigh or approach. See this expla ned on chap. i. 2. Ko'bdn was a general name for any kind of offering, because through these, it v/a.- supposed, a man iiad access lo his IMaker.

1«. a'cViS' SHtL.AMlM, PEACF.-o^'frin^, tram ZD^tlf shalam, to com])!eie, make v:hcie, for, hy these offerings, tiiat which \ras lucking was considered as being; now jnude up; and tliat vhicli was broken, \\i. the covenant of God hy his creature's transgrtS!ion, was supposed to be made uhole; so that after such an ofierinij, thesincert and conscientious mind had a righl to consider, tiiat the breach was made up between God and it, and that it rri'ffiit lay confident hnld on this covenant of peace. To this the Apostle evidently allvides, Eph. ii. 1 4 — 1 9 He is our peace, (i. e. our shtilam or ptace-ofl'erinff) lu/io Itas made both one, and broken down iheviiddtc uall; hating abolis/u a in hi.fjieffi ihecnmiiy, &c. See the whole passage; and see the note on Gen. xiv. 18.

19. min TOB.^TH, I'HAisK-.'ffering, from m» yadah, to confess; offerings made to God with public confession of his po«tr, L'oc aliens, mercy, &c.

!20. n^yn TF.NUPHAH, WAVE-offering, from i^ napk, to stretch vuc; an ofiisring of the first-fruits stretched out before

God, in acknowledgment of his providential goodness. This offering was moved from thi right hand to the lefi. See the nole on Exod. xxix. 2*7.

21. noiin TEKUMAH, HEAVK-ojfer/n^, from JD"I rant, to lift up, because the offermsc was lifed up towards heaven, as the tU'-ife-offering, in token of the kindness of God in granting rain and fruitful seasons-, and filhn;^ the heart with fond and gladness. As the wave-tflVring vias moved from right to left, so the hea^'e-ot}ering was moved vp and dow.i; and in both cases, this was done several times. These oflerings had a blessed tendency to keep alive in the breasts of the people a due sense of their dependance on the divine providence and bounty; and of their obligation to God for big continual and liberal supply of all their w^nts. See the note on F.xod. xxix. 27.

. In the above collection are comprized, as far as I can recollect, an explanation of all the terms used in the Hebrew Scriptures which signify sacrifice, oblation, atonement, offering, &c. &c. as well as the reference they bear to the great and only sufficient atonement, sacrifice, oblation, and satis- 'action, made by Christ Jesus, for the sins of mankind. Larger accounts must be sought iii authors, who treat professedly on these subjects.

Moses is commanded to consecrate Aaron and his sons, 1 — 3. Moses convenes the congregation, zctTsIies, clothes, and anoints Aaion, A — 12. He also clothes Aarous sons, 13. Offers a bullock for them ^ as a sin-offering, 14— 37. And a ram for a burnt-offering, 18 — 21. And another ram for a consecration offering, '2.1 — 24. The fat, zcith cakes of unleavened bread, and the right shoulder of the ram he offers as a wave-offering, and afterwards burns, 25— '-8. The breast, zehich was the part of Moses, he also waves, 29. And sprinkles oil and blood 'upon Aaron and his sons, 30. The Jiesh of the consecration ram is to be boiled and eaten at the door of the tabernacle, 31, 32. Moses commands, Aaron and his sons to abide seven days at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, which they do accordingly, 33 — 3(i.

ND the Lord spake unto Mo- ■ ses, saying, 2 ' Take Aaron and his sons Avith him, and '' the garments, and "^ the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

3 And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

4 And Moses did as the Lord commanded

NOTES ON CHAP. VUI. Verse 2. Take Aaron and his sons] The whole subject of this chapter has been anticipated in the notes on Exod. J detail j and to those notes the reader is relerred.

him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5 And Moses said unto the con- ' gregation, '' This is the thing which the Lord

6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons^ ' and washed them with water.

7 'And he put upon him the ^coat, and girded him with tlie girdle, and clothed him i with the robe, and put the ephod upon him,;

xxviii. 1, &c. and xxix. 1, &c. in which all the sacrifice*, rites, and ceremonies have been explained in considerabltt

Ver?e S. He put in the hreaslplate the Vriiii unci the Thtimrttim.^ Tlie Uriiii and Tluuiimhn are here supposed to lie soiiieiliinjf difterent froiu the brecistplate itselt". See tli<' notes on Exod. xxviii. 15, lb, and 30. It is only neressary to observe, that Aaron and his?ons were not anointed untd now. Before, the thing was commanded; and twji, first peiformed.

Verse 14. The bullock for the sin-offerini;] This was offered eai h day during the seven days of consecration..See Exod. xxix. 36.

Ver.-ie '23. J'ut of the blond on the tip of Aaron's ri^ht ear, &c.] See tills significant ceremony explained in the note on Exud. XX. X. 'JO C'ainict remarks that the con.*ecration of the high-priest among tlie Romans, bore a considerable re-

and he girded him with the curious girdle ot the ephod, and bound it i unto him therewith. 8 And he put the breastplate upon [ him: also he ' put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thuinniim. i

9 '' And he put the mitre upon his head; also; upon the mitre, eirn uj)on his ibrefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LoKD " commanded Moses.

10 '' And Mo>es took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that a'cs therein, and sanctified thein.

11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar^ seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctiiy tliem.

1 2 And he ' poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify

13 'And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and ^ put bonnets upon them; as the Loud commanded Moses.

14 ^ "And he brought the bullock for the sin ofi'ering: and Aaron and his sons ' hiid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin

15 And he slew it; "and ^lo.ses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of

the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.

16 ' And he took all the fat that « was upon the inwards, and the caul ^'*^";N'"»'™- ahoxe the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar.

17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord "commanded Moses.

1 8 ii" " And he brought tlie ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

19 And he killed it; and Mo-;es.sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

21 And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Mo.ses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it aas a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by lire unto the Lord;. " as the Lord commanded

22 ^ And " he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

23 And he slew/7; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right car, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

24 And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right

semblance to the consecration of the Jewi.<h hijrh-priest. "The Roman priest th)tlied with a garment of silk, his head covered with a crown of gold, adorned with sacred ril>batid,«, was conducted into a subten-anean place, over which there wa.« a floor of planks pierced through with many holes On this floor tluy sacrificed a bullock, whose blood was fi-eely poured out on the planks or floor, which running through the holes, fell upon the piie.^t, who stood under to receive this sacred aspersion, and who, in order to be compktely covert d With the blood, took care to present the whole of his body, his clo.'hes, face, eyes, nose, lips, and even his tongue, to receive the drops of blood falling throujib the pierced floor above. Being completely covered with this sanguineous shower, he ascended from this subterranean place, and was acknowledged and adored by the people as Pontifex Maiimus, or supreme high-priest." These rites which bear

ear, and upon the thumbs of their right Hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

23 ^ And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the tt\t that zoas upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:

26 '' And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that 'was before, the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:

1 27 And he put all ' upon Aaron's

a striking allusion to 'those used in the consecration of Aaron, and from wliich Ihej' were probably borruwed, and disguised by the introduction of their own superstitions, are particularly described by Aurdius Pnulentius in his poem, entitled, Roinani MurlyrJs Suppliciiim, Irom which I shall select those verses, the substance of which is given above, as the passage is curious, and the work not common.

Siminms snceidos nempe sub tcrram scrobe Acta in profundum consecrandiis mergitur, Mireinfidatus, festa vittis tempora Nectms, corona turn npexus aurea, Ciuclu Gabino sericam fidliis togam.

Tabulib superne strain teiunt piilpita, Rimosa rari pirgnmtis compuj^ibus, Scindtinl subinde vel terebrant nrenm, Crebroque lignum perforant ucumine, I'tUeiU minutis ut frequcns hiatibus. —

IIic lit statuta est imniolanda belliia. Pectus surrata dividiint renubido, Eructut iimplum vulnus undain sanguinis — &c.

Turn par frequentcs uuUe riuiarum vias Illa|)sus imber, tabidum roreni pluit, Defossus intus quern sacerdos excipit, Quttus ad onmes tutpe subjecians caput,,Et veste et omni pulrefactus corpore:

Siuin OS supinut, ohvias offert genas, Si/pponit aures, labra, nares objicit, Oculos et ipsns perluil liqrwribus,

Nee jam palato parcit, et linguam rigat.

Donee cntorcm tolus atriim combibat. —

Proeedit inde pontifex visn Itorridus — &c.

Omnts saUitant alque adorant emimis,

Vilis <niod ilium fansuis, et bos ii ortuus

Fccdis latentem sub cavcrnis laverint.

Of thfSP lines, the reader will not be displeased to find the following poetical version.

" For when with sacred pomp and soleirui state Their great high priest the Romans consecrate.

hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave fore the Lord. 28 " And Moses took them from

hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt oiiering: they ivere consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire uiji I to the Lord.

i 29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord: for of the j ram of conseciation it was Moses' ''part; as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 And "^ Moses took of the

His silken vest in Gabine cincture bovmd, A festal fillet twines his temples round: And, while aloft the gorgeous mitre shines, His awful brow a golden crown confines. In a deep dyke, for mystic ritual made. He stands, surrounded with terrific shade. High o'er his holy head a stage they place. Adorn with painting!^, and with statues grace; Tiien with keen piercers perforate ihe floor Till thronging aperlures admit no more. Thither the victim ox is now convey'd, To glut the vengeance of Ihe thir.-ly blade. The sacred spear his sturdy throat divides, Down, instant streaming, gush the gory tides. Through countless crevices the gaping wood Distils corrupted dew and smoking blood Drop after drop, in swift succession shed. Falls on the holy pontiff's mitred head. \Vhile to imbibe the iianctifying power, FJis out-spread garments drink the crimson shower; Then on his back in reeking streams he lies. And laves in livid blood his lips and eyes; Bares every limb, exposes every pore To Catch the virtueof the streaming gore. With open niouth expects the falling flood. Moistens his palate and liis longue vvith blood Extends his ears to meet the putrid rain. Nor lets a single drop descend in vain. Then from the filthy cave comes forth to light. Bathed in black blood, and horrible to sight! — By the vile torrml, and the victim slain. In the dark cavern cleansed from mortal stain. Their pricsl, enveloped in atoning gore. With trembling awe surrounding tlirongs adore."

Prudentiuf. was born about ihe middle of the fourth century, and was no doubt intimately acquainted with the circumstances he describes.

Concerning the offerings of Aaron and and of the blood which tvas upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, a)id upon his c;annents, and garments wiUi him; and sanctified Aaron, and his g;u-iiicnts, and his sons, and his sons' gai'- nients with him.

' 31 ^ And Moses said unto Aaron and to his so I-, ^ Boil the flesh al the door of the taberie of the congregation: and there eat it V, iUi the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

32 '' And that wliich remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn M'ith fire '33 And ye shall

CHAP. IX. his sons on the eighth days, the tabernacle of the congregation in se\en days, until the days of your conseration be at an end: for " seven days shall he consecrate

34- " As he hath done this day, so hath commanded to do, to make ment for you.

35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and " keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so 1 am commanded.

36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of

not go out of the door of chature of this and the heave-offering, in the note on Exod... 27.

CISC 30. Ani Moses took — the blood — and sprmkted it v: •! JaroH, &c.] ' Tims we find that the hi^^h-priest himself id Lord, of whom Aaron \va.^ a ty; e, was sprinkled with n- own blood. 1. In his ai^ony in the jj-arden. 2, In h> ijCin;; crowned with thorn*. 3. In tlie piercing of his hands and his fret And 4. In his side beinu- pierced wiih the spear. All these were so many acts of atonement per- e-d by the liioh-priest. \ erse 33. For seven days slinll he consecrate you ] This number, was the number of perfection ainoiiij the Hebrews; •an<l the seven days' consecration, implied a pei/ect and full consecration to the sacerdotal office. See the note on E.x.id. Jfxix. 30.

Verse 36. So Aaron and his sons did^ This chapter shews the exact fultiiment of the conmiands delivered to Mo^es, Fvod. xxix. And constqutntly, the complete preparat on I Aaron and his sons, to fdl the awfully important office of jjnots and mediators belwc-eii God and i>rael, to nffer sacrifices and make atonement (or the sins of the people.

hood was confirmed unio the tribe of Levi, in Aaron and Ills sons, which covenant was life and peace, Mai. ii. 5. But these are made pri-sts without an oath; alsoj there were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; and they served unto the example and shadow of bea.'enly things, ofttrmi^ gifts and sacrifii es which could not make him who did the service perfect, as pertainin;^ to the conscience; for they were carnal ordinances imj)Osed upon them till the time of reformation, that is, until ihe time of Christ, who was made a priest of God with an oath, and made surety of a better covenant, established on better promi^es. And because he continneth for ever, he hath a priesthood wliirh passetli not from one to another, and is a minisier of the true tabernacle, which God pitched and not man. Not by the blood of bulls and of floats, but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place, having found everlastuiif redempiion for us; and is therefore able to save to the utterniost them who come unto God through him, as he ever liveth to make intercession for theni." Taken in reference to his priesthood and sacrifice, all these rites and ceremonies are significant and edifying: but taken out of this relation, they would be as ab>urd and nugatory, as the consecration of the Roman Pontifex Maximus, mentioned above by Prudenlius.

Aaron ts commanded to offer, on the eighth dai/, a sin-offering and a burnt-offering, 1, 2. Tlie people are commanded also to ojer a sin-oj/ering, a burnt-offering, peace-offerings and a meat-offering, 3, 4. Tliey do as ihei/ zcere commanded; and Moses pivmises that God s/uill appear among them, 5, 6. Aaron is commanded to make an atonement for tlie people, 7- He and his sons prepare and offer the different sacrifices, 8—21. Jaron and Moses hless the congregation, '12, 23. And the fire of the Lord consumes the sacrifice, 24.

The sin-offerhg, bumf-offcr'mgy and LEVITICUS, peace-offering of the priests and the people.

A..\i.y.ii4 ^ ]\j[> » it came to pass, on the the people, and make an atonement a m vsu.

-Aaron and his eonsand the elders of j 8 ^ Aaron therefore went unto t!ie Israel; '2 And he said unto Aaron, '' Take thee a vonn'T calf for a rin cfFcrinr, "^ and a ran'', for a

3 And unto the children of Israel thcu shalt speak, saying, '^ Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both cf the first year, witlicut blemish, for a buiTit offering;

4 Also a bullock and a ram for pe^ce offerings, to sacri&e beiore the Lear; and ' a meat onei^ins mingled v/ith oil: for ' to diiv the Lord -.■/ill apipear unto you.

5 And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the Loud.

6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do: and * the glory of the Lord shall appear unto

7 And Moses said unto Aaron, Go. unto the altar, and '' offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, ' sin, as the first.

altar, and slew the calf of the sin of- ^^'^''^'^'"''"- fering, which "was for himself.

9 " And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and ' put it upon the horns of" the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar:

10 " But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver, of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; " as the Lord commanded Moses.

11° And the flesh and the hide he burnt with 5re without the camp.

j 1 2 And he slew the burnt offering; and ' Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, I •' which he sprinkled round about upon the ' altar.

I 13 ■* And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.

J 4 ' And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt tliem upon the burnt offering on the altar.

15 ^ ' And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which tims the sin offering

for the people, and slew it, and offered it for

and for the people: and ' offer the offering of

Verse 1. On rlic cinhih </«(,] Tliis was the first rlay after tiltir consccrjtKin, belore wliiih they were deemtd unfit fo ministt-r in lioly iliinus, beiiijr considered as in a state of.imperfection. "All creatures," says Ainsworlli, "for the ■inoci part were in their unc!eanness and imperliection seven days, and perfei ted on the e.inliih — as diildrtn by circumcision, [.6v. yii. 2, 3. — young beaMs (inr sacrifice, chap. xxii. 21. persons that were unclean by lepmsifs. issues, and the like, chap. x.v. 8 — 10. and xv. 13,!4. Numii. vi. 9, 10. So he e, the pric-l.s, unid tiie eighth day, wtre not admitted to niini>it'r in their office."

Vtrse 2. Take thee a yiuiie; calf, &c.] As these sacrifices V7ere for Aaron hiin-clf, they are furnished by himself and not bv the people, for they wCre di sigr.i d to make atonemf-nt for his own sin. Afe cliap. \v. 3. And this is supposed by the Jet*s to have been intended to make an atonement for his sm in the nuiiter of the p^nldcn calf. 'J his is very probaWe, as no formal atonement for that transgression, had yet been made.

16 And he brought the burnt offering, and

Ver>e 3. Take ye a kid'] In chap. iv. 14. a yonng; bullock i.s conmianded to be ottered for the sm of the (leople; but here, the offering is a kid, which was the sacrifice appointed ibr the sm of the ruler, cha|). iv. 2_', 23. and hence some thmk that the readmg of the Samtiritan and the SeplU' agint, is to be preferred. Spenk unto the KLDF.KS of Israel, these bein^ the only priiices or lukrs of Israel at Jhat time, and for them, it is possible, this sacrifice was designed. It is however.supposed, that the sacrifiie appointed, chap. iv. 14. was for a />.(ri7CM/ar sin, bwi t las, for sm in penerut; and that it is on this account, tliat ihe sacrifices diHer.

Verse 6. And the glory nj the Lord fhuU appeal-] God shall ijive the most -sensible sitjns of his presence amnno; you; this he did in general by the cloud on the tabernacle; but in this case, the particular proof was the fire that came out from befiire the Lord, and consumed the burnt- ollering; see ver. 23, 2 ^.

Verse 1. Make an atonement for thyself] This shewed the imperfection of the Ltviucal l4w; the hisli-pricst was obliged to make an expiation lor his own sins betbre be could

^i,5.r,v..™. f^.,.|nrr, ami Hook a hiinu ail tiiereofjj breasts, -and'he burnt the lat upon

0 And they put the fat upon the

IS He slew also the bullock and the ram^/o/' I' Aaron waved ^Jor a wave offering before ths ''a r, orifice of peace ofierings, which ^cas tor i Loud; as ^Iq^es commanded, the people: and Aaron'.s sons presented unto i 22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the

hiui the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round al)out;

19 And the flit of the bullock and of tiie ram, the rump, and that which coveretli. the ■ in-

make one for the sins of the i>eopIe. See;Uc U'Jc made of this by the Ai)Oslle, Hah. v. 3. vii. '21. and ix. 1.

Verse '22. AndAuronlifeduji liii hand tnn-iird the people, and blessed theni] {)n hflini; up tlie haiuU in pmvtr; st-e Fxi>il. ix. 29. '].\rforiit (fllie h!^s^inp; we have in Kiun. vi. ■2:5, &e. The I/^rd I'less thee nnl hep il-ee! Th: Lord iitdke his ■face shiiu upon li.ee, and be gracious unto ihee.' Tht Lord lift ui) hh cnuntenaiiee iiptm thee, and give thee pej.ce! See the notes on these pai^sages.

And Clime donit from oiTerinz of tlie fin-nfi'^rinir, &<■] A *iii-offirin^, a hurnt-oflll iin;r, a inpat-oft'c-riiii;, and ptareoflerincr?, were n\ade to God tiiat Ills fflory ini'^ht appearfo the who'.e ron^ie'^atir.n. ' This was the end of all sacrifice and reliijio'i* service; not to confer any obligation on God. but to make an atonement for sin, and to engage liim to drt'ell amon;^ and induence his worshippers.

Verse 23. Mosei and Airon went into the tahrntcle^ It is supposed tliat Moses accoiiipanit<i Aaron into the tabern.irle to shew liim how to ofler the incense, prepare the lamps and the perltiine, adjust the shtnv-hread, &c &c..

And the e:iori/ of the Lord appeared] To stiew thit every t'liBij was done ticoorriin<r to the riivine mind, 1. The sl"'T of Jehovah appears (into all the people: 2. a fire canje out front before the lx>rti, and consii.ued the bunit-offcring. This was the proof whith God gave, upon extraordinary occasions, ot'iii-i acceptance of the sacrifice. This was ()one, (probably), 1. In the case of Abel, Gen. iv. 4. 2. in the case of Aaron; see above, vcr. 34. 3. in the case of Gideon, Judges vi. 21. 4. in the case o!' ^^anoah and his v/ife. Compare Judges xiii. 19 — 23. 5. in the case of David dedicating ibe threshing-floor of Oman, 1 Chron.TXi. 2»5. 6. in the case o'"Solo- ' luoii dtdicatiiig the temple, 2 Chron. vii. 1. 7. in the ca.'^e of Klijah, 1 Kinjs xviii. 38. Hence to (xprtss the accepting •f an o{R-rin;jr. sac-ifite, he. the verb J'.^'T dushan is used, which signifies, to reduce to mhes, i. p. by fire I'roin h'^aven. ivre Psalm XX. 3. In such a case as this, it was necesisary that the fire should appear to be divinely sent, and should tome in such a way, as to preclude the supposition that any art or deceit had been pracii.>-ed on the occasion. Hcuce it is not intiii.ated that Moses and Aaron brought it out of the

I people, and ' blessed Ihcni, and came dov-n • from of^eri:\g of the sin offering, and the ' burnt Oiit-ring, and peace oAeriiig.s. i 23 ^ And iiloses and Aaron went into the tabernacle, professina: that God had kindled it iltere for li'iem, but the./jVc ClMfi OUT /roni BEFORE tlie Lord, and.\1.L ilm FKOr-LF. SAW it. The victims were consumed by a fire, evidently of no /((wiflfi itinrf/iw^. Josepbus says, that "afire proceedcu from tiie vicllcns ihei!i>eVvr.s, of its own aciord, which h:id the apptaranci- of a (lash of lightning-;" c?, ««Tuy jrup avrifSn avrcfiarov, y.ai o/iciov csffaT'iff \a,u,7itihtnu opantYOV zr.<f?^yi. and consumed ^11 that wai upon the ailar: jlnliq. lib. iii. c. 8. s. 6. erlit. Hav re. And it is veiy likely that by the agency of the cMcrca/ or t/rc/r/c upark, sent iintntdiatcly from the divine presence, the victims were consumed, 'i he heathens, in order to "ive credit to their worship, imitated this miracle, and pretended!h:it Jupiter testified his appro^ balion of tiie sacrifices of], red to him by thundei an<l li<,'iitniiig: to this VlKGlL.seems to alhtde, lliuiigh the vords ha\e been understood differently.

" Let Jupiter hear, who sanctions covenants by his thnndtr."

on which words Servins makes this remarkable comment.

Quia cum fiunt fcedera, si coru.-catio fueril, confirnianltir. Vel certe qnia apud majores arae non incendt l>antur, t^td ittnem divinuui precibus fiiciebant q'ji inc» ndt-bant aliaiia-

" To.sanction the covenant signifies to confirm it; for when a covenant was made, il th.ie were a flash of ligiUiiitiff, ic was considered to be thereby confirmed: or rather, because our ANCESTORS lijihted no fiie upon the altars; but obtcined by their supplications divine fire, &c." The expressiotj, apitd mojures, among ovr (tncsiiors, shews that they could boast of no such divine fire then, nor could they ever before, as ti.e whole account was borrowed from tI.e Jew.s. Srtlimis foiyhistor, gives u.s an sccount to the samcctlict; for speak mfl; of the hill of Vidcan in Sicily, he say.s, — m quo, qui di\inje

rei operantiir, liana vilea super aras.struunt, nee i^iii* aupo, ^ nitur in haiic conoericin: ciKi> prosicias iotnlercnt, si ade.-st Deus, si sacrum probatur, sarnitnia licet viridia,.-ponte rrncipiunt, & nullo inflagrante halitn, ab ip.io numine fit acccn,

Uiiiin, cap. v. in fine. "They who ptr'.'ortn sacrrd rites "> h's place, put a bundle of vint-;rce wood upon the altar, but put no fire to it; for, when they lay the pieces of the v;ct;ia 3 T

tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: * and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. 24 And *" there came a fire out from before the

Lord, and consumed upon the altar, the burnt offering and the fat; which, when all the people saw, " they shouted, and fell on their faces.

upon it, if the Deity be present, and he approve tlie sacrifice, the bnnf'le, aithoiis;h of green wood, takes fire of itself, and viliiout any other means, the Deiiy himself kimiles thv flame." The<e are reniarkaliie instances, and shew hov, exactly the liealiien writers have borrowed trom the sacred records. And in larthrr iii.itation of this miracle, they had their perpetual f re in the temple of Vesta, whicli they feigned to lia're Jescended at fir?t from heaven, and which they kept with ihe most religions veneration.