the worship in the synagogues began with Psalm xcii.; then seven persons read portions of the Pentateuch; next a child read a portion of the prophets; and the service concluded with prayer and benediction. Sermons were delivered only in the afternoon.

when it occurred.

Sabbatical year, The SABBATICAL YEAR occurred every seventh year, when it was unlawful to plough, sow, or plant; whatever the earth produced was common. Workmen ceased from all labour, and all debts were cancelled.

All slaves were manumitted on the Sabbatical year. If, however, any one chose to remain in bondage, his ear was bored with an awl to the door of his master's house, in testimony of his attachment thereto. Alexander the Great exempted the Jews from tribute every Sabbatical year. No inconvenience No inconvenience whatever arose entailed thereby. from this ordinance, as God provided abundance of everything for the year of rest, without the instrumentality of labour. The jubilee. The JUBILEE was celebrated every half century, and lasted for 12 months. At this festival all patrimonial estates, which had been sold, returned to the original owners; and every bond-servant was restored to his own family.*

* It will be observed that the Sabbath occurred every seventh day; the Sabbatical year every seventh year; and the Jubilee every seventh week of years, or 7 times 7 years.

These customs tended greatly to preserve the demarcation of tribes, and the pedigree of families, as it was needful to prove both before the privileges of the Jubilee could be enjoyed.

The jubilee The JUBILEE was a TYPE of the GOSPEL, "the acceptable year of the

a type.

Lord:"

(1.) It gave liberty to the slave; and the gospel proclaims freedom from the bondage of Satan, sin, the law, and death;

(2.) It restored the inheritance, which had been either sold or forfeited; and the inheritance which we have lost by sin is restored by grace through Jesus Christ;

(3.) Debts were all cancelled on the year of Jubilee, as sins are forgiven to those who believe the gospel;

(4.) It was a year of rest, to prefigure "that rest which remaineth for the people of God;"

(5.) God provided all things spontaneously; and the believer shall lack no good thing, for God loveth him more than the flowers of the field which he clotheth, and the birds of the air to which he provideth food;

(6.) It was announced by a great blowing of trumpets, as the day of salvation is announced by the preaching of the gospel.

4.-SUPPLEMENT FOR SENIOR PUPILS.

CITIES OF REFUGE.

NUMBERS XXXV.-DEUT. IV.-JOSHUA XX.

Murder, how

Murder was punished with death; punished. but six places, called CITIES of REFUGE, were appointed by Moses to protect those persons who had slain a fellow-creature by mere accident.

Where these The cities of refuge were placed three on the east and three on the west side

cities were.

of the river Jordan.

The three east were Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan; and the three west-Kadesh-naphtali, Hebron, and Shechem.

escape

The law of The man-slayer was to make his refuge. to one of these six cities, and remain there till the death of the high-priest. If he ever ventured beyond the walls of the city, or was even overtaken on the road, he might be slain by the avenger.

His escape To facilitate his escape the roads facilitated. thither were broad, smooth, and kept in excellent order. At each cross-way was a direction-post, with the word Refuge. And bridges were laid across all streams.

O

How he was maintained.

The fugitive was maintained free of all expense; and whoever dared to

violate him, was punished with death.
Cities of refuge
were typical.

These CITIES of REFUGE were
TYPES of JESUS CHRIST:

(1.) The man-slayer represented the sinner; the avenger of blood pursuing him to kill him represented the law; the road to the city, the way of salvation through grace; and the city of refuge, Jesus Christ;

(2.) As the man-slayer must be actually in the city to be safe, so the sinner must be "in Christ" to be saved by Him:

(3.) By the death of the high priest the fugitive was free, and the guilty sinner is set free by the death of Christ;

(4.) The cities of refuge offered their protection gratis, and the salvation of Jesus is" without money and without price;"

(5.) The roads to the cities of refuge were broad and smooth; and the way to Christ is easy every hill has been levelled, every valley filled up, every stumbling stone removed;

(6.) The man-slayer who fled for refuge fled from death, and was urged to do so by fear; so the sinner flees to Christ from everlasting death, and is urged to do so by an upbraiding conscience;

(7.) The cities of refuge were free to all strangers dwelling among the people, as well as to the Jews themselves; so the gospel salvation is for heathen as well as Hebrew, for bond as well as free.

A.C. 1447.]

PERIOD V.

CHAPTER I.

JOSHUA.

From B.C. 1447 to 1439.

COTEMPORARY EVENTS.

About this time the Indians in the province of Delhi were divided into four castes: viz., the Brahmans or priests, the Xattryas or soldiers, the Vaicyas or civilians, and the Sudras or foreigners.

The Book

of Joshua.

The Book of Joshua is so called because it narrates the acts of Joshua, the successor of Moses.

The period it comprised.

It comprises a period of about eight years, beginning with the passage across the river Jordan, and ending with the death of Joshua himself.

written.

By whom It was probably compiled by Samuel, or Ezra, from copious notes kept by Joshua. The compiler added