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bylon, and who was murdered by Ishmael at Mizpah (k). That on the tenth of December was in commemoration of the fiege of Jerufalem, which was by Nebuchadnezzar begun upon that day ().

Befides thefe fafts that were fixed to particular days, there were others, and thofe either publick, enjoined in the time of any general calamity, or private, appointed for particular occafions, fuch as were thofe of David, Daniel, Nehemiah, &c (m). Notice was given of the first by the found of the trumpet, that all the people might gather themselves together. And then the chest or ark, wherein the law was kept, was brought out of the fynagogue, in the prefence of the whole affembly, and ftrewed with afhes, in token of forrow and affliction. All perfons were obliged to appear in fack-cloth. And one of the presidents of the fynagogue made a fpeech suitable to the day and occafion, which was accompanied with feveral ejaculations and prayers.

When particular perfons fafted, they were wont likewife to cover themselves with fack-cloth and afhes, and to fhew all other figns of grief, as to forbear washing, and anointing their bodies with oil, &c. The Pharifees having made an ill use of these outward expreffions of forrow, JESUS CHRIST ordered his difciples to take a quite different method when they fhould faft, that their fafting might be concealed from men (n). Particular perfons fafted not only in the times of affliction; but the more devout fort were used to do it twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, as we find the Pharifee boafting in the gofpel (o).

Fafting was unlawful at fome certain times, as on feftivals and fabbathdays, unless the day of expiation fell upon either of them. This cuftom feems to be of a very ancient date, fince we find it related in the book of Judith, that she fafted all the days of her widow-hood, except the fabbaths, and new-moons, with their eves, and the feafts and folemn days of the house of Ifrael (p). It is a maxim among the Rabbins, that fafting was to ceafe upon the coming of the Meffiah. If it be of any great antiquity, as most of the Jewish fayings are, the difciples of John the Baptift, as well as the Pharifees, ought from thence to have learned that JESUS was the Messiah, instead of finding fault with him because his difciples did not faft (9). The answer he made to this objection of theirs, feems to allude to the notion above-mentioned. But here it is to be observed by the way, that the reproach caft on JESUS CHRIST about his disciples not fafting, ought undoubtedly to be understood of frequent and affected faftings, it not being at all probable that the difciples of CHRIST, who, after the example of their divine mafter, were strict obfervers of the law, would have neglected to keep the fame fafts as the reft of their nation did.

JESUS CHRIST himself fafted forty days, but that was a very extraordinary

(k) Jer. xl. xli.

(m) 2 Sam. xii. 16. Pfalm.

(z) Matth. vi. 16.

(p) Judith viii. 6.

(1) 2 Kings xxv.

xxxv. 13. Dan. x. 2. Neh. i. 4.

(0) Luke xviii. 12.

(4) Matth. ix. 14, 15. Luk: v. 33.

ordinary kind of fafting (r). He allowed his difciples to obferve this ceremony (s). The Apoftles fometimes practifed it,and exhorted their followers to do the fame. But it is certain that JESUS CHRIST hath left no pofitive command about fafting, and that this custom hath crept only accidentally into the Chriftian inftitution. Did Chriftians but faithfully obferve the precepts of the Golpel, their ftate would be a continual feast, and they would have no manner of occafion to afflict their fouls (*) by these marks of humiliation and repentance. Or, had God ordered it fo, that the Chriftian church fhould be delivered from thofe calamitous times, in which, if I may fo fpeak, the bridegroom is taken from her, by the violence of her enemies, there would have been no need for her to humble herself under his hand with fafting. For, in a word, nothing can recommend us to God's favour, but true holinefs, and fasting is no farther acceptable to him, than as it leads us thereto.

Of the feaft of tabernacles.

The feast of tabernacles (†) lafted feven days, or eight, as fame authors infer from two or three paffages of fcripture, (t), and began on the fifteenth of the month Tifri (!). It was inftituted by God, for a memorial of the Ifraelites having dwelt in tents or tabernacles while they were in the defert (u), or else, according to others, in remembrance of the building of the tabernacle. The defign of this feast was moreover to return God thanks for the fruits of the vine, as well as of other trees, that were gathered about this time; and to beg his bleffing on thofe of the enfuing year. No feaft was attended with greater rejoicings than this ($), which was owing to the expectation they were in of the Meffiah's coming, and for which they then prayed with a greater earnestnefs (1). The principal ceremonies obferved in the celebration of this feaft, were as follows.

1. They were obliged to dwell, during the whole folemnity, in tents, which they at firft ufed to pitch on the tops of their houfes (x). 2. They offered every day abundance of facrifices, befides the usual ones, of which there is a particular account in the book of Numbers (y). 3. During the whole feaft, they carried in their hands branches or pofies of palm-trces, olives, citrons, myrtles, and willows (z), finging Hojanna,

(r) Matth. iv. 2.

(s) Matth. vi. 16.

that

(*) This is the phrafe ufed in fcripture to denote a faft. (i) Or of booths. For the tents used in this feaft were made of branches of (†) Lex. xxiii. 36. Nehem. viii. 18.

trees.

(II) Which answered to part of our September and October.

(u) Lev. xxiii. 43.

(§) For which reafon it was named chag, i. e. a day of rejoicing. It was befides called the feaft of in-gathering. Exod. xxiii. 16. Deut. xvi. 13.

(1) The days of the Meffiah were ftiled by the Jews, the feaft of tabernacles. () Nehem. viii. 16. Which in that country were flat, and like terraffes. (y) Numb. xxix.

(≈) Lev. xxiii. 40. Nehem. viii. 15. 2 Macc. x. 7. These they tied with gold and filver lines, or with ribbons; and did not leave them all the day, but carried them with them even into the fynagogues, and kept them by them all the time they were at prayer. Lamy's Introd. p. 135.

that is, Save, I beseech thee. By which words, taken out of the hundred and eighteenth pfalm, they prayed for the coming of the Meffiah. Thefe branches bore alfo the name of Hofanna, as well as all the days of the feaft. In the fame manner was JESUS CHRIST conducted into Jerufalem by the believing Jews, who looking upon him as the promised Meffiah, expreffed an uncommon joy upon finding in him the accomplishment of thofe petitions which they had fo often put up to heaven, at the feast of tabernacles (a). They walked every day, as long as the feaft lafted, round the altar with the forementioned branches in their hands (*), finging Hofanna. To this laft ceremony there feems to be an allufion in the Revelations (b), wherein St. John defcribes the faints, as walking round the throne of the Lamb, with palms in their hands, and finging the following hymn, "Salvation cometh from God and the Lamb.'

4. One of the most remarkable ceremonies performed on this feast, was the libations, or pouring out of the water, which was done every day. A priest went and drew fome water (†) at the pool of Siloam, and carried it into the temple, where he poured it on the altar (II), at the time of the morning facrifice, the people finging in the mean time these words out of the prophet Ifaiah (c), "With joy fhall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation." As, according to the Jews themfelves, this water was an emblem of the Holy Ghoft, JESUS CHRIST manifeftly alluded to it, when on the laft day of the feaft of tabernacles, he cried out to the people, "If any man thirst," &c (d).

We must not forget to obferve, that during the whole folemhity, the Jews ufed all imaginable expreffions of an univerfal joy, (ftill keeping within the bounds of innocence) fuch as feafting, dancing, continual mufic, and fuch vaft illuminations, that the whole city of Jerufalem was enlightened with them (). The greatness of thefe rejoicings, and their happening in the time of vintage, hath made fome authors believe, that the Jews were wont to facrifice to Bacchus (e).

(a) Mátt. xxi. 8,

9.

(*) During which ceremony the trumpets founded on all fides. On the feventh day of the feaft, they went feven times round the altar, and this was called The great Hofanna. Lamy. p. 136.

(b) Revel. vii. 9:

() Whilst the members fome wine with the water. (c) If. xii. 3. and lv. 1.

(+) In a golden veffel. ibid.

of the facrifice were upon it. But firft he mixed Id. ibid.

The antient Latin tranflator hath properly enough rendered the last words of the first paffage here quoted, by, "The wells of the Saviour."

(4) John vii. 37.

($) It is fuppofed that thefe rejoicings were performed in the court of the women, that they might partake of the public mirth.

(e) Plutarch, Symp. 1. iv. 5. Tacit. Hift. 1. v.

VOL. III.

P

Of

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Of the Sabbath.

Of the fabbath.
HERE were three forts of fabbaths, or times of
reft (ƒ), among the Jews; the fabbath properly
fo called, that is, the feventh day in each week; the fabbatical year, or
every feventh year; and the jubilee, which was celebrated at the end of
feven times feven years. We fhall give an account in the first place of
the fabbath properly fo called.

The fabbath is a feftival inftituted by God, in commemoration of the creation of the world, which was finished on the fixth day, as appears from the book of Genefis (g), and alfo from the law (b), wherein it is faid, that "in fix days God made the heaven and the earth, and rested on the feventh day." This inftitution was appointed chiefly for the two following reafons; first, To keep in men's minds the remembrance of the creation of the world, and thereby to prevent idolatry, and the worshipping of creatures, by fetting that day apart for the service of the Creator of all things: And fecondly, to give man and beast one day of respite and reft every week. Befides these two general views, the fabbath was established for a more particular end, with regard to the children of Ifrael, namely, to celebrate the memory of their deliverance out of Egypt, as we find it exprefsly recorded in the book of Deuteronomy (i). Hence the fabbath is called in fcripture, "a fign between God and the Ifraelites (k)."

This hath given rife to a queftion, that hath very much exercised the learned world, whether the fabbath was appointed from the beginning of the world, and only renewed after the coming of the Hebrews out of Egypt; or whether it be a ceremony inftituted with respect to the children of Ifrael, to turn them from idolatry, by putting them in mind of their Creator and Deliverer; in a word, whether the fabbath is a mere ceremonial inftitution, or an univerfal law, which binds all mankind? We shall not determine this question either way, but only fet down the chief arguments that render the first opinion the most probable, and give an anfwer to the objections that have been advanced against it. 1. The fcripture does not make the leaft mention of the fabbath's being obferved before the coming of the children of Ifrael out of Egypt, though there are frequent accounts of the worship which the patriarchs rendered to God. Now, is it probable that the facred hiftorian would have omitted fo holy and folemn a law as that of the fabbath, (a law, the violation whereof was punished with death; a law, which having been delivered from the beginning of the world, ought to have been univerfally received) and not have spoken of it, till two thoufand years after its inftitution? Mofes, indeed, when giving an account of the times that went before him, fpeaks of the number feven, as if it had been

(f) The Hebrew word fabbath fignifies reft.
(g) Gen. ii. I, 2, 3.

(i) Deut. v. 15.

(b) Exod. xx. 10, 11.
(k) Exod. xxxi, 13, 16, 17.

been accounted holy, but fays not the leaft word about keeping the fabbath. Would the fame facred hiftorian, that hath fo carefully and exactly transmitted to pofterity the travels of the patriarchs, not have fometimes taken notice of their stopping to celebrate the fabbath? or, can it be supposed, that the patriarchs would have neglected to obferve so ftrict a command? 2. The facred writings never reprefent the fabbath otherwise than as a fign between God and the children of Ifrael, as a privilege peculiar to that nation, as a rest which God i ad granted them, and a feftival whereby they were diftinguifhed from the reft of the inhabitants of the world." Confider," faith Mofes to the Ifraelites (1) "that God hath given you the fabbath," or reft; and in another place (m), "My fabbath fhall you keep, for it is a fign between me and you, throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord, who hath fanctified you," that is, feparated you from the rest of mankind. Nehemiah speaks of the fabbath, as of a particular favour which God had granted the Ifraelites, and places the ordinance relating to it among those other laws, which he had given unto them by the hand of Mofes (n). In the prophet Ezekiel (0) the fabbath is ranked among the fpecial mercies. which God had vouchfafed his people, and the marks of distinction he had been pleased to honour them with. Accordingly the most ancient writers that have spoken of it, have confidered it under no other view. Philo doth exprefsly rank the fabbath among the laws of Mofes (p), and when in another place (q) he calls it the feaft, not of one people or country alone, but of the whole universe, it is plain that he there speaks figuratively. Jofephus alfo mentions it always as a ceremony peculiar to the Jews, and ftiles it the law of their country (r). The ancient fathers of the church had the fame notion of this matter; Juftin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, tells him (s), that the fabbath was given to the Jews upon the account of their tranfgreffions, and for the hardnefs of their hearts; and Theodoret (*) alfo fays, that the obfervation of the fabbath was injoined them, with a defign to diftinguifh them from all the other nations of the world. The Jewifh doctors are of the fame opinion, telling us, that their countrymen were fo ftrict obfervers of the fabbath, that they would not even allow the profelytes of the gate to celebrate it with the fame ceremonies as themselves, because they were not circumcifed (t). 3. The keeping of the fabbath was attended with fuch circumftances, as plainly fhew, that it was a ceremonial inftitution peculiar to one people, and not an univerfal law given from the beginning of the world; as appears from their fuperftitious exactnefs in not doing any manner of work, for the fpace of four and twenty hours, and that under pain of death. Reafon itself will teach us, that one day

(1) Exod. xvi. 29.

(2) Nehem. ix. 14.

(m) Exod. xxxi. 13, 16, 17.
(0) Ezek. xx. 11, 12.

(p) Phil. de Decal. p. 185. de Vita Mofis, p. 529.

(9) De Opif. Mundi, p. 15.

(5) Juft. Mart. Dialog. contra Tryph.

(r) Jof. Ant. 1.

(*) Theodor. in Ezek. xx. To which may be added Cyril of Alexandria. Hom. 6. de Feft. Pafch, and several other, both Greek and Latin, fathers.

(r) Seld. de Jur. Nat, et Gent, 1. iii. c. 5. 10.

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