Ship with one another: And fince they to whom God appeared, faw him appear in Fire, and they acquainted Others with fuch his Appearances, Hence He was conceived to dwell in Fire; and Hence it was that They gave to Him his Share or Portion of Meat and Drink in the Fire And This they would naturally do with fuch a Difpofition of Mind as became fuch as were confcious of having offended, or were afraid left they had offended. This would be a good Foundation for Confeffion of Sins, and for · Repentance, upon fuch Occafions. And as it happens feldom that right Practices continue long pure and uncorrupted, without Additions, or Contrivances of men to exceed one another in what they hope may please the Deity, hence by degrees the world came to be over curious in the Fire that was conftantly to be kept up, and in Things to be facrificed: And hence they proceeded from one Step to another, till at length they filled up the measure of Follies and Niceties, in order to exprefs their fincereft defires and endeavours to make them

felves acceptable to what they worshipped. And hence it was that even Human Sacrifices came to be offered to the Deities, in many parts of the world, particularly in Phoenicia, and in the Colonies derived from thence into Africa and other places: And hence were Children facrificed by their Parents, as being the Beft and Deareft Oblations that could be made; and the strongest Arguments that nothing ought to be with-held from God, with whom there was the fincereft defire at all Events to be in a State of Friendship. The Offerers in all these cases retained the original Intent, and indeed the Design of Sacrifices, which was to be in Friendship with God; but fell into fuch Follies and Superftitions in their Practices, as have covered the Doctrine of Sacrifices with an almost impenetrable Darkness.

Having thus confidered the Nature and Origin of Sacrifices, it may be not improper to examine into the Meaning of fome paffages of Scripture, wherein they feem to be afferted not to have been instituted by God, even under the Mosaic Dif

Difpenfation itself. The Pfalmift in one place fays, Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not defire Burnt Offering and Sin Offering haft thou not required, Pf. xl. 6. In another place- Thou defireft not Sacrifice, elfe would I give it; thou delighteft not in Burnt Offering: The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not deSpife. Did not God require Sin Offering, when it was a peculiar Sacrifice of the Mofaic Law, and never ufed before it was commanded in and by That Inftitution? The Prophets too are frequent in declaring against Sacrifices. To what purpose is the Multitude of your Sacrifices unto me, faith the Lord- when ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your bands, Isaiah i. 11, 12. Again, He that killeth an Ox, as if he flew a Man; he that Sacrificeth a Lamb, as if be cut off a Dog's neck; be that offereth an Oblation, as if he offered Swine's blood; be that burneth Incenfe, as if he bleffed an Idol. Hofeab expreffes it thus; I defired Mercy and not Sacrifice: As if God himfelf had never inftituted or appointed Sacrifices

And Jeremiah I fpake not unto

trifices among the Jews. ftill more explicitly your Fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning Burnt Offerings or Sacrifices; but this thing I commanded them, faying, Obey my Voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my People, ch. vii. 22, 23. And Laftly, Amos fays, I hate, I defpife your Feaft-days, and I will not smell in your folemn Affemblies. Though you offer me Burnt Offerings and your Meat Offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the Peace Offerings of fat beafts, Amos v. 21, 22. Which way are all these Declarations of the Prophets to be reconciled with the known Command in the Law of Mofes ? Are not Sin Offerings and Trefpafs Offerings peculiarly commanded in the Law? How frequent are Burnt Offerings, and all the various forms of Sacrifices enjoined? Are not all the Rites and Ceremonies particularly fet down? Are not the Cffices of the Priefis, as well as thofe of Him that brings his Oblation, defcribed? And was there not a frequent Interpo

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fition of God himself to punish such as any ways violated, or tranfgreffed the Law of Sacrifices? How was Nadab and Abihu punished for offering only Strange Fire, Levit. x. 1. And did not Korah, Da than, and Abibu, go down alive into the pit; and were they not swallowed up, for prefuming to offer incenfe, contrary to God's Appointment?

In order to remove this difficulty, let it be observed,

1. That Sacrifices were the vifible external Expreffions of Friendship with God; and confequently of Repentance, and renouncing whatever was inconfiftent with that Temper of Mind that was neceffary to fuch a State. If therefore Sacrifices were not attended with that Moral Difpofition of the Mind which they implied, and were always to be accompanied with, then they justly became Abominations to God; and it was literally true, that he that killed an Ox was no more acceptable to God than if he flew a man, fince the true Sacrifices of God were at all times a broken Spirit, and a contrite heart. When Therefore