cepted men's persons on the ground of moral excellence. chap. xlii. 7, 8. Which passage teacheth that a man's person must be acceptable to God before he will receive an offering at his hand; an idea directly opposite to the popular notion that those whom he disapproves are rendered acceptable to him by sacrifice. The Almighty is represented as saying that he would accept Job, but not accept his friends because they had not spoken of him the thing which is right, as he had done.

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Some ages after we find covenants confirmed by sacrifices. The first time any thing like this presents itself to view is in the days of Abraham: Gen. 15 chap. when the covenant which God gave to him seems to have been confirmed over the dead bodies of sacrificed animals. The covenant between Laban and Jacob appears to have been confirmed by a sacrifice. Gen. xxxi. 54.

The offering which Abraham proposed making of his son Isaac appears in the light of a gift, or present; for the LORD said to him, Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld from me thy son, &c. In this instance he showed his readiness to present what was most dear to him as a tribute due to the Almighty.

Thus it appears that sacrifices were offered long before we have any account of their divine institution: we must account for their existence in the best manner we can. We have no account of their institution, as a regular appendage to the worship of God prior to the giving of the law. In one or two instan

ces they were commanded before that time; but not as a regular or necessary part of divine worship: generally, it seems, the faithful worshipped without either sacrifice or offering: and we find they existed ages before we read of any command being given relative to them. We can discover nothing concerning them in the earliest times but that they were of fered as a tribute of gratitude, or an expression of des pendance and subjection, and that their. being atcepted was regarded as a manifestation of approba-, tion and favor. In later ages they were considered as giving a religious sanction to covenants and ens gagements. This seems to be the whole of what can be known concerning them prior to the jewish instim tution.

Properly to understand many of the ordinances of Moses, it may be necessary to consider the peculiáv relation in which God was supposed to stand to the house of Israel; as their king and governor: the priests and levites, were regarded as his houshold and ministers among them: the tythes and offerings were a kind of tribute to him, in the particular cha racter of their national king, and formed the chief provision made for the tribe of Levi, who were to be constantly employed about the service of the tabernacle. To argue from the particular economy of the Jews, which was founded on very peculiar cir cumstances, and local relations, what must be the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, which has nothing to do with those peculiarities, or local relations, but rests upon the broadest principles of divine

wisdom, goodness and mercy, would be very absurd: it would be like arguing from the discipline of the nursery to the government of a mighty empire.

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Another idea which associates itself with the jewish sacrifices is, that they were a continued confirmation of the covenant between God and the people. When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people, according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people. Saying, this is the blood of the (ann) covenant which God hath enjoined unto you. Heb. ix. 19, 20.

1. Hence another thought arises, which is very prominent in the levitical code, that their sacrifices were intended to bring them nigh to God, according to the tenor of the sinai covenant, and separate and cleanse them in a ceremonial way, as a peculiar people devoted to him: to confirm to them the promises of mercy and favor, contained in the law, and to im press on their minds the obligations they were under to adhere strictly to the faith and worship of the one God, and to obey him as their king.

Sacrifices and ceremonial worship had obtained general footing in the world, before they were estabFished by divine institution, in the ministry of Moses. The design of the mosaic œconomy was to separate Israel from the idolatrous nations, and preserve them from their idolatrous practices: to this point the whole of their ritual service was directed. The designs of God were not at that time sufficiently ripened, nor the people prepared, for such a puré

and spiritual worship as the gospel teaches hence the sacrificature was imposed until the times of reformation, the people were placed under such a state of things as was calculated to prepare them gradually for a more pure and perfect economy.

An idea arose among the Heathen that in offering and partaking of the sacrifices they kept up an intercourse with the gods. To this Paul refers; 1 Cor. x. 20, 21. and hence the controversy among the first christians about things offered to idols. The same idea obtained among the Jews, their sacrifices were considered as a medium of intercourse with the Almighty. To this reference seems to be made, Heb. xiii. 10. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the tabernacle: i. e. they have no claim to our way of access to God, opened by the gospel, who adhere still to the jewish eco-›

nomy.

That sacrifices never were absolutely essential to the worship and acceptable service of God, but only made relatively essential, in the jewish code, in subserviance to things of far greater importance, is clear from the declarations of scripture. Psa. xl. 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire-burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thon not required. Jer. vii. 22, 23. I spake not unto 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 saying, obey my voice. These passages prove that sacrifices pov

were appointed but in the subserviance to moral rectitude, as tests of obedience.

The Prophets speak of no intrinsic value, or vir tue, in sacrifices abstractedly considered: they exalt repentance above them, and represent obedience as of far greater value. 1 Sam. xv. 22. 1 Sam, xv. 22. Hath the LORD as much delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. They seldom insist on the necessity of sacrifices: sometimes they speak of them as useless, when offered by immoral persons as abominable, and always as being of no value any further than connected with moral purity. Isa. i. 11-13. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices nnto me saith the LORD, I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of the he-goats. When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts. Bring no more vain oblations. Chap. lxvi. 3. He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, ac if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines' blood. On purity of heart, and rectitude of conduct, they lay the greatest stress: righteousness, goodness and mercy they insist on as things of the first importance. Isa. i. 16, 17. Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Verse 19. If ye be willing and