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evidence on this head.-The only text the Dr. quotes, in this paragraph, as a proof of it, is, Pfalm cxli. 2. Let my prayer be fet forth before thee as incenfe, and the lifting up of my bands as the evening Jacrifice.Here, it is obfervable, that the pfalmift, in this text, fays nothing about facrifice, as being a fymbol of prayer; nor gives any manner of hint, from which fuch a notion of facrifice can be fairly inferred. In the latter part of it, where he alludes to the evening-facrifice, he doth not say one word about prayer; but only speaks of the lifting up of his hands in the performance of that duty. And the only thing he prays for, is, that the lifting up of his hands, in prayer, might be fet forth before God as the evening-facrifice in which petition there is a manifeft allufion to the evening-facrifice which was burnt upon the altar, and afcended up towards heaven in a cloud of fmoke; but not a word about facrifices being an emblem of prayer. This text, therefore, comes not up to the Dr's purpofe. However the Dr. has abundance of other fcripture-evidence in ftore. And his next paragraph, which I now proceed to examine, is crowded with it.

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Scripture-evidence, produced by Dr. Taylor,

continued.

§. 9. THE Dr. goes on with his fcriptureevidence in the following manner, "This "(i. e. this notion of facrifices being a fymbolical addrefs to God) is implied I Sam. xiii. 12. Therefore, faid I, the Philiftines will come down upon me to Gilgal, " and I have not made fupplication to the "Lord: I forced myself, therefore, and offered a burnt-offering. Prov. xv. 8. The

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facrifice of the wicked is an abomination to "the Lord; but the prayer of the upright is "his delight. Hence the bullocks offered "in facrifice, are fometimes elegantly put "for verbal prayer, or addrefs to God. "Hof. xiv. 2. Take with you words, and turn "to the Lord, and fay unto him, take away "all iniquity, and receive us graciously: fo "will we offer up the bullocks of our lips. "Hence alfo fuch expreffions as thefe, "Pfalm iv. 5. Offer unto God the facrifices of righteousness. Pfalm 1. 14. Sacrifice unto God thanksgiving. ver. 23. Whofo facrificeth praife, glorifieth me. "Pfalm li. 17. The facrifices of God are a "broken heart. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye are an boly priesthood to offer up fpiritual facrifices, acceptable unto God. Heb. xiii. 15. By him "let us offer up the facrifice of praife to God

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"continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name

EXAMINATION.

§. 10. THE texts, contained in this paragraph of the Dr's book, are all quoted in order to prove, that facrifices were fymbolical or emblematical addreffes to God, or, an address to him by fymbol or emblem. And, in order to difcover how far they amount to a proof of this point, I shall examine the first three of them separately, and the rest of them conjunctly.

§. 11. THE firft text, which the Dr. exhibits as a proof of this point, is, 1 Sam. xiii. 12. Therefore faid 1, the Philistines will come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made fupplication to the Lord: Iforced myself, therefore, and offered a burnt-offering-In these words, king Saul excufes himself to the prophet Samuel, for his having taken upon him to offer a burnt-offering, from the neceffity he was brought under to make fupplication to the Lord, by the danger wherewith he was threatened. And, from his excufing himself, after this manner, to the prophet, the Dr. would infer, "that burnt-offering was a symbol of fupplica

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See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. II. §. 21.

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"tion," or, "that burnt-offering and fup"plication are equipollent terms." Let us then suppose, with the Dr. that king Saul, in this apology, used the word burnt-offering, in either of the two fenfes mentioned; and we shall presently fee, how ridiculous. the excufe which he made for his fin, muft have appeared not only to Samuel, and to every other thinking perfon, but even to himself. If king Saul, in this apology, did really use the words, burnt-offering and fupplication as fynonimous terms, 'tis clear, that the thing for which he excuses himself, was no other, than his making fupplication to the Lord, which, as it was not a fin, needed no apology. On the other hand, if king Saul, in this apology, made ufe of the term, burnt-offering, in the fenfe of its being a fymbol of fupplication; then the excufe, which he made for himself, was this, that the danger he was in, making it proper and requifite, that he fhould make fupplication to the Lord, he, therefore, found himself under a neceffity to offer up to the Lord, not fupplication, but the fymbol or emblem of it. Apologys thefe ridiculous enough! although king Saul was a very wicked perfon, yet he was a man of wit and underftanding; and, therefore, cannot well be supposed to have made fuch apologys for his fin, as could have anfwered no end, but to expose his own folly, and his want of com

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mon fenfe. What I take to have been real fact in this cafe, is this; king Saul in his prefent danger, was defirous to obtain the pardon of his great fins, as fearing that they might now provoke God to deliver him, and his army, into the hands of the Philistines. The pardon of these fins, according to the rules of the law of Mofes, was not to be obtained, but by a penitent confeffion of them, and prayer for pardon, in conjunction with the oblation of a piacular facrifice and, therefore, king Saul, as he had no priest with him, judged it neceffary, both to make public confeffion and fupplication, and, likewife, to offer a burnt-offering. And he thought, that the neceffity of his affairs, in the prefent dangerous conjuncture, might excufe him to the prophet Samuel, and all reasonable men, for his invading the priest's office, on this occafion. And this is what he tells Samuel, as thinking that the motive, upon which he had acted, might juftify what he had done. This interpretation of the text, or account of the cafe, is confiftent with the method and means appointed by Mofes for the expiation of fin: and it makes king Saul apologize for his fin, like a wicked man of wit and fenfe, and not like a fool or idiot but it is no way favourable to the Dr's idea of Jewish facrifices.

§. 12.

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