96 Q. What was the Feast of the New-Moons? A. In the Beginning of their Months, which they reckoned by New-Moons they were to blow the Silver Trumpets, and offer a special Sacrifice, Num. X. 10. xxviii, 11. 1 Sam. xx. 5. Pfal. lxxxi. 3.

97 Q. What was the Feast of the Paffover? A. It was kept for feven Days in their first Month. Abib, by facificing a Lamb, and eating it in every Family, in Remembrance of God's paffing over the Families of Ifrael, when he flew the Firftborn in every Houfe of the Egyptians, Exod. xii. 18, &c.

Here note, that the first Month of the Jerus, for all the common Affairs of Life which are called Civil Affairs, was Tifri, which in part answers to our September, and is the firft Month after the Autumnal Equinox; and it was always fo to continue for Civil Affairs, as appears from Exod. xxiii. 16. xxxiv. 22. and Lev. xxv. 8, 9, 10. But as to Ecclefiaftical or Religious Matters, the firft Month after the Vernal Equinox, called Abib, which anfwers partly to our March, was defigned to be the Beginning of the Year to the Jews, in Memory of their great Deliverance from Egypt.

98 Q. In what Manner was the Feast of the Paf fover kept? A. On the fourteenth Day of the Month they were to roast a Lamb for Supper, and to eat Unleavened Bread that Evening and seven Days after, Exod. xii. 3, 8, 19. Num. xxviii. 16, 17.

99 Q. Was there any particular Worship performed on thefe feven Days? A. Yes, there were fpecial Sacrifices every Day, a Sheaf of the first ripe Corn, i. e. Barley was now offered to God s and on the first and last Day there was an holy Convocation or Affembly for Worship, Exod. xii. 16. Num. xxviii. 16, &c. Lev. xxiii. 10.

100 Q. What was the Feast of Pentecoft? A:

Į Fifty Days or feven Weeks after the first ripe Corn (or Barley) had been offered to God, there was a particular Sacrifice, and an holy Affembly, and two Loaves of the first Fruits of Wheat were to be offered, Lev. xxiii. 15-21.

Note, This was called the Feast of Weeks, Deut. xvi. 16. compared with Exod. xxiii. 16. 'Twas a Sheaf of Barley that was offered at the Paffover, and two Loaves of Wheat at Pentecoft, both of them as firft Fruits. See Pool's Annot. on Exod. xxiii. 16.

IOI Q. What was the Reason of the Feast of Pentecoft? A. It was kept as a Thanksgiving for the Beginning of Wheat Harveft, Exod. xxiii. 16. and perhaps alfo in Memory of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai; which was feven Weeks, or fifty Days after the Paffover, and their coming out of Egypt, Exod. xx. 1, 11.

Note, They went out of Egypt the fourteenth Day of the first Month, Ex. xii. 17, 18. from thence to the Beginning of the third Month is forty-fix or fortyseven Days, when they came to the Mount of Sinai, Exod. xx. 1, 2. Then they purified themselves three Days, ver. 11, 16. and God gave the Law the fiftieth Day, and this Feaft was called Pentecoft, which in the Greek fignifies Fiftieth.

102 Q. What was the Feast of Trumpets? A. The first Day of the feventh Month blowing of Trumpets was appointed with peculiar Sacrifices, and an holy Affembly, Lev. xxiii. 24. Num. xxix. 1, &c.

103 Q. What are fuppofed to be the two chief Defigns of this Feast of Trumpets? A. (1.) This feventh Month having feveral Holy-Days in it, D 4

'twas

Chap. V. 'twas a fort of Sabbatical Month, or Month of Sabbaths, and was to be begun with an extraordinary Sound of Trumpets. (2.) This was counted the first Month, and first Day of the Year for Civil Matters, as the other was for Things Religious, and was to be proclaimed by Sound of Trumpet. See Pool's Annot. on Lev. xxiii. 24. and xxv. 9.

Note, As the feventh Day was the Sabbath or Day of Reft from Labour, fo the feventh Month was a fort of Sabbatical Month; the feventh Year a Sabbatical Year to let the Land rest from Tillage; and at or after the feventh Sabbatical Year, i. e. once in fifty Years, there was a Year of Jubilee, or Release and Reft from Servitude or Bondage, Lev. xxv. 2, &c. 8, &c.

104 Q. What was the great Day of Atonement? A. The tenth Day of the feventh Month was appointed as a general Day of publick Fafting and Humiliation, Repentance and Atonement for all the People, Lev. xxiii. 27. and xvi. 29. and Num. xxix.

105 Q. What was to be done that Day? A. This was the Day when the High-Prieft, dreffed in his richest Garments, was to enter into the most Holy Place with the Blood of a peculiar Sacrifice, and fprinkle it upon the Mercy-Seat before the Lord to make Atonement for the Sins of the whole Nation, and to offer Incense on the golden Cenfer. See feveral more Ceremonies belonging to this Day, Lev, xvi. Let it be obferved alfo, that in the Year of Jubilee, on this great Day of Atonement, the Trumpet of Jubilee was to be founded through the Land, to proclaim Liberty to all the Inhabitants, Lev. xxv. 8, 9, 10.

106 Q. What was the Feast of Tabernacles? A At the fifteenth Day of the feventh Month, at the End of all their Harveft, they begun this Feast, and dwelt seven Days in Booths made of the Boughs of Trees, Deut. xvi. 13.

107 Q. What was the Defign of this Ceremony? A. To keep in Memory their dwelling in Booths. in the Wilderness, when they went out of the Land of Egypt, Lev. xxiii. 39-44.

108 Q. How was this Feaft obferved? A. By peculiar Sacrifices every Day of the Feaft, and a holy Affembly on the first Day and on the eighth Day, Num. xxix. 12.

109. Q. At what Hour did their Sabbaths, and all their Feafts begin and end? A. The Jews. counted their Days, and particularly their HolyDays, from the Evening at Sun-fet to the next Evening, Gen. i. 5. Lev. xxiii. 5, 32.

110 Q. At what Place were the Feafts to be kept? A. At the Place which God fhould chufe for the Refidence of the Ark and Tabernacle; which was first at Shiloh, afterwards at Jerufalem; though the blowing of Trumpets to proclaim the Beginning of the Year was practifed in all the Cities of Ifrael. See Deut. xvi. 16. and Pool's Annot. on Lev. xxiii. 24. 2 Kings xxi. 4.

IIIQ. How then could all Ifrael keep thefe Feafts? A. At the three chief Feafts, (viz.) the Paflover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, all the Males were to appear before God in one Place with fome Offering, Exod. xxiii. 14-17. Deut. xvi. 16. !

112 Q. What was the Offering they were to bring unto God when they appeared before him at thefe Jolemn Feafts? A. The Tithe or tenth part of their Corn, Wine and Oil and the First-born of

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their

their Cattle; but they themselves were to partake in eating of it, Deut. xiv. 22, 23. though the Bulk of it were to be given to the Priefts and Levites. See Chap. VI. Quest. 15, 16.

113 Q. Was it not dangerous for them to leave their own Dwellings in Towns and Villages which bordered on their Enemy's Country? A. God promised them, that when they fhould go up to appear before him thrice in the Year, no Man fhould defire their Land, Exod. xxxiv. 23, 24, which was a ftanding Miracle during that Difpenfation.

114 Q. Having heard this Account of Holy Perfons and Places, Things and Times, let us now enquire what were the holy Actions? A. All those Actions may be called Holy, which were appointed to be a part of this Ceremonial Worship; but the Actions relating to the Natural Worship of God, fuch as Prayer and Praife, are in themselves holy and religious.

SECT. VI. The Ufe of the Jewish Ceremonies.

115QHAT were the chief Uses of all these: ceremonial Commands? A. Thefe. three; (1.) To diftinguifh the Jews from all other People as a holy People, and God's peculiar vifible Church, who eminently bore up his Name and Honour in the World, Lev, xx. 22—26.

(2.) To employ that People who were fo much! given to Idolatry, in many Varieties of outward Forms and Rites of Religion, left they should be tempted to follow the Superftition and Idolatry of: the Nations round about them, Deut. vi. 1, 2, 14, 17. Deut. xxix, 1, 9-18,

(3.) To