is evident, no Israelite was to taste the flesh of any animal of either of these species, unless it had been immolated at the altar. This law ceased on the settlement in Canaan, when the people were dispersed in various places remote from the sanctuary: then every individual was permitted to kill any cattle within his own gates, and to use the flesh for common food.* last II. Of peace offerings the scripture, as we have already stated, mentions three kinds; voluntary, cotive, and eucharistic. † The The former were offered on account of prosperity already enjoyed, the for in reference to prosperity desired and implored. Hence Abarbinel calls eucharistic sacrifices 'praise 6 for good received;' and votive and voluntary ones, prayers for good not yet obtained.' The same idea is conveyed by this author in another place: 'After eucharistic offerings, the scripture mentions ' votive and voluntary sacrifices, which were offered up as vows and prayers in order to obtain prosperity.' Indeed it was the opinion of the patriarchs before the law was given from Sinai, that the divine favour exhibited in the bestowment of prosperity could not be more suitably commemorated, or more easily obtained, than by offering to God some portion of the good things received from him. This sentiment appears to have given rise to the peace offerings (to say nothing of the burnt offerings) which used to be offered before the law was delivered to the Jews. The same sentiment prevailed among the heathens, who thought it unlawful to sit down to meals without oblations of bread and wine, being made to * Deut. xii. 15. In Præf. ad Levit. + Levit. vii. 11, 12. 16. § Ad Levit. vii. their deities which the book of Daniel shews to have been the ancient custom of Chaldea.* III. But though both votive and voluntary sacrices were offered in order to obtain prosperity, yet there was a distinction between them, which gave rise to their different appellations. A person who made a vow is represented as expressing himself to the following purpose: 'I solemnly engage to devote to "God a peace offering, or a meat offering, or the ' value of this animal or flour :'-whereas he who presented a voluntary oblation is affirmed to have expressed himself thus: "I will present to God this peace offering, or this meat offering.' On this subject Maimonides says: What is a votive sacrifice? ' and what is a voluntary one? If any person has said, I solemnly bind myself to present to God a 'burnt offering, a peace offering, a meat offering; or 'the price of this animal for a burnt offering or peace offering;-this is a vow. But if he has said,-I ' will present to God this animal or the price of this animal, as a burnt offering or peace offering; or, 'this tenth of an ephah for a meat offering; this is a ' voluntary sacrifice.' And in another place: He ' who says, I solemnly engage, makes a vow. Whoever says, THIS shall be sacrificed to God, makes a ' voluntary oblation.' Not very different is the account of Abarbinel :§ A votive sacrifice is a sacrifice promised generally, as if any one has said, I solemnly engage that I will present to God a burnt offering or a peace offering. But, when a person 'fixes his eyes on one particular animal, and laying his hand upon it, says, I will offer this animal as a 'burnt offering, or as a peace offering; that is a voDan.i.8. + In Maase Korban. c. 14. Nedarim, c, 1. § Præf. ad Levit. * luntary sacrifice.'-Hence if an animal devoted to be a voluntary sacrifice should happen to die, the person who had declared his intention to offer it would be instantly released from the obligation, without the sacrifice of any victim in its stead. But the case of a vow was very different: nor could any one ever be discharged from a vow that he had made, but by the sacrifice of such a victim as he had vowed.* Voluntary sacrifices, moreover, would frequently be offered by those who were not threatened by any dangers. But vows, whether of burnt offerings or peace offerings, would chiefly be made by persons in imminent danger: as Jephthah on going to battle against the Ammonites,† Jonah in the belly of the fish, and Absalom in exile. This is confirmed by the language of David already quoted: "I will pay "thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my "mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble."|| In another place he says: "Thy vows are upon me, O "God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou "hast delivered my soul from death."¶ From these instances it may fairly be concluded, that votive sacrifices were chiefly promised by persons who were in circumstances of danger. IV. These two kinds of sacrifices, votive and voluntary, were in use likewise among other nations; among whom also they were principally offered by persons involved in dangers, or engaged in important and arduous enterprizes. Thus the mariners in the ship with the prophet Jonah, when they were assailed by a dreadful tempest, " offered a sacrifice, "and made vows.** Read the account of Cæsar § II Sam. xv. 7, 8. Psal. Ixvi. 13, 14. ¶ Psal. Ivi. 12, 13. Jonah ii. 9. ** Jonah i. 16. concerning the ancient Gauls:* 6 Those who are afflicted with grievous diseases, and those who are 'preparing for battles or apprehensive of dangers, either immolate human victims, or vow that they ⚫ will immolate themselves.' From the Scholiast on Euripides it appears, that wars used to be preceded by sacrifices: Kings, when about to go to war, are ' accustomed to sacrifice to the gods.' But sacrifices used also to be vowed by persons who were undertaking any arduous enterprizes. Thus when the Roman consuls were about to go to their provinces, it was the general custom for them to make public vows. The form in which these vows were expressed was repeated by them after the chief priest, and is said to have been in the following terms: Which if ' thou grantest, O Jupiter, then we vow to sacrifice ' to thee a bullock decked with gold.' But whether the votive and voluntary sacrifices in use among the heathens were offered in the manner of peace offerings, or of burnt offerings, or, on different occasions, of both, it is not our purpose to inquire. We must now return to the Jews. V. As votive and voluntary sacrifices were offered in order to obtain prosperity, so the eucharistic were acknowledgments of good received, especially by persons who had escaped and been delivered from great dangers, or had been favoured with signal benefits. This is plain from the language of David: "O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant, and the * De Bello Gall. L. vi. c. 15. Cæsar de Bello Civili, L. i. c. 6. + In Orest. TR.-It appears from Livy, that these vows used to be pronounced in the capitol. In his account of the war against Perseus, king of Macedon, this historian says: 'The consul Publius Licinius, having made vows in the capitol, marched out of the city, arrayed in the military robe." "son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. "I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and "will call upon the name of the Lord."* Hence it was that Hezekiah, after having abolished all idolatrous rites and restored the ancient worship, directed eucharistic sacrifices to be offered.† Such, it is evident, were offered also by Manasseh after his restoration to his country and kingdom. It would appear that every good man, whenever he was about to render solemn thanksgivings to God for deliverance vouchsafed to him, thought it right to give a further evidence of the gratitude of his heart by the immolation of eucharistic sacrifices. Such is the doctrine taught by the Jews concerning this kind of oblations. Aben Ezra says:§ "The design of an eucharistic 'sacrifice is, that every person delivered from trouble may give praise to God on account of it.' Solomon Jarchi: An eucharistic sacrifice ought to be offered to God by every one who has experienced any thing like a miracle; who has sailed over the ocean, or travelled through deserts; who has been delivered from prison, or recovered from disease: for they ' are under the greatest obligations to praise God.' The same sentiment is inculcated by Abarbinel.T VI. But among the eucharistic sacrifices may likewise be numbered those other peace offerings enjoined in the law the ram of the Nazarite, and the sacrifices of festivity and rejoicing prescribed for the grand festivals. For the Nazarite who had fulfilled his vow was commanded to offer a ram for an eucharistic sacrifice, on account of the punctual accomplishment of the vow:** wherefore that victim was to *Psal. cxvi. 16, 17. § Ad Levit. vii. +II Chron. xxix. 30, II Chron. xxxiii. 16. ** Num. vi, 17. |