If, as it is poffible, facrifices were not originally of divine appointment, we may fuppofe, that the natural foundation, or original of them, was the fame, in general, with that of prayer, viz. a method which mankind thought of, to exprefs the fenfe they had of their gratitude and obligation to God for the gifts and protection of his providence, and to procure farther favours from him; and no kind of action was fo proper for this purpofe as the devoting to him fome part of their fubftance, and efpecially fuch articles as contributed to their daily fupport.

It is to this day a custom throughout the Eaft, never to approach any fuperior, or patron, without a prefent. And, in this cafe, the value of the prefent is not fo much confidered, as its being a token of respect and homage. Thus we read, that when a Perfian peafant was furprised by the approach of his prince, fo that he had nothing at hand to prefent to him, he ran and fetched a handful of water from a neighbouring brook, rather than accoft him with

out any offering. It is probable, that, in conformity to thefe general ideas, which are fill prevalent in the Eaft, the Ifraclites were forbidden to appear before the Lord empty.

When mankind thought of giving any thing to God, they would, probably, at first, only leave it in fome open place, and abstain from making any farther use of it themfelves; but afterwards, obferving many things wafted away, or confumed by the heat of the fun, which is the great vifible agent of God in this world, and other things fuddenly confumed by lightning, which was always confidered as more immediately fent by God; they might naturally enough fall into the notion, that confumption by fire was the manner in which God took things. They might, therefore, imagine, that burning things, at the fame time that it moft effectually alienated them from the use of man, would likewife be the most proper, and the most decent method of devoting them to God; efpecially, as nothing was left to putrefy, and become offenfive after burning; and in fome cafes, as in the burn

ing

ing of incenfe, little or nothing would remain afterwards.

Confidering the very low conceptions which mankind in early ages had of God, we do not wonder to find that they confidered him as, in fome manner, partaking with them of their facrifices; and, therefore, that they confidered them more especially as an expreflion of reconciliation and friendfhip; which idea is naturally, and efpecially in the East, conne&ted with that of eating and drinking together, and particularly eating the fame falt. In this view it is obfervable, that no facrifice among the Jews was to be made without this ingredient.

Thus,

This account of facrifices is, in fome measure, illuftrated and confirmed by the history of the Greeks and Romans, whofe facrifices; originally, confifted of fuch things only as were their cuftomary food. it is acknowledged, that all their facrifices were at first bloodless, confifting of vegetables only; and that this practice continued till they themselves procured a fufficiency of animal

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animal food, upon which they began to facrifice animals. The Greeks alfo exprefsly fpeak of temples as the houfes of their Gods, of altars as their tables, and of priests as their fervants,

The fame general ideas we find among the Jews, and the divine being plainly alludes to them when he is reprefented as faying, Pf. 1. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls,

or drink the blood of goats?" Which reproof was not intended to cenfure or change the general idea which they had annexed to facrifices (as a transferring of their subftance from themfelves to God) but to reftrain the very grofs ideas which fome of them might have entertained in pursuance of it, to prevent their laying too much ftrefs upon thefe ceremonies, and to remind them of the greater importance of things of a moral nature, as being infinitely more pleafing to God.

There was not, originally, any particular order of men employed in the business of facrifices, but every man facrificed, as well

as prayed, in perfon, being prieft as well as king in his own family; and in those primitive patriarchal times, it does not appear that any part of a facrifice was eaten by the offerer, but that the whole was devoted to God, and intirely confumed with fire. But when, under the Mofaic difpenfation, a particular order of men was appointed for the purpose, they were confidered as the more immediate fervants of God; and there being a manifeft propriety, that fervants fhould be fed from their mafter's table, these priests were allowed a certain share in moft facrifices. Such, at leaft, is the opinion of the Jewish Rabbi's with refpect to the custom of facrificing before and under the law.

Sacrifices, being of the nature of a gift, prefented as a token of refpect or homage, they naturally accompanied every folemn address to the divine being, as the moft decent and ceremonial in approaching proper him; and being likewife confidered as a convivial entertainment, at which the divine

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being