by the finger of God-the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded. The tabernacle was so constructed, that it could readily be taken down, and carried from place to place. It was situated within a court, a hundred cubits long, and fifty broad, near the western extremity. This court was everywhere surrounded with pillars, on which were suspended curtains, except in the front, where was a wide gate, closed by a curtain. In this court was also placed the altar of burnt-offerings, at no great distance from the entrance of the tabernacle, and between the altar and the tabernacle stood the laver, which was continually replenished with water, where the priests washed their hands and feet, and the pieces of the victims, which were placed on the altar.

SECTION XVIII.

DESIGNATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS TO THE PRIEST'S OFFICE-SACERDOTAL GAR MENTS MATERIALS OFFERED FREELY-WISDOM GIVEN TO EXECUTE THE WORKAMOUNT OF GOLD AND SILVER CONTRIBUTED-WHENCE OBTAINED.

Ac

As there was now to be a sacred edifice for the worship of God, and a great increase of ritual services, it became necessary to have a priesthood entirely consecrated to this service. cordingly, the whole tribe of Levi was selected to aid, as there might be occasion, in the religious services of the tabernacle: but the family of Aaron who belonged to this tribe, were sanctified to be priests, of whom Aaron was chief priest. The priests were consecrated with many ceremonies, and a particular costume was prescribed to them, which they were bound to wear, whilst ministering in or about the sanctuary. The robes of the high-priest were as splendid and rich as the most precious materials and costly work could make them. No prince or potentate ever wore habiliments more elegant and decorous. It is not necessary to describe the several parts of the highpriest's dress. A good painting or print will give the reader a clearer idea of it, than any description which we could give in words. It may, however, be satisfactory to specify the mitre and the breast-plate. The former was an elegant turban encircled with a crown, on the front of which was a golden plate, inscribed with the words "HOLINESS TO THE LORD." The breast-plate was, however, the richest, most splendid, and most important part of the whole. In it were inserted twelve precious stones, each of a different species from the rest; and on each of these was inscribed the name of one of the tribes of Israel; so that the twelve tribes of Israel were engraven on these stones, which were set in ouches of gold. And on the shoulders where the breast-plate was fastened to the other parts of the dress,

there were two clasps containing two very large stones of the most valuable kind, on which also were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes; six on the one, and six on the other. The high-priest wore this precious and splendid dress, when he ministered in the tabernacle, except when he officiated on the day of atonement, on which occasion he put on what were called the linen garments, which he wore in common with the other priests.

The offerings requisite for the costly edifice now erected, and for all the furniture of the court, and the tabernacle, and for the garments of the priests, were made voluntarily by the people, not grudgingly, but willingly, and with so much liberality, that it became necessary for Moses to make proclamation, that materials sufficient for the whole work were already in hand, and to request the people to withhold their hands, and bring no more offerings.

There were also men inspired with wisdom and ingenuity by the Spirit of the Lord, to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary. The chief of these wisehearted men were Bezaleel and Aholiab, to whom the execution of the whole work was committed. There were also wisehearted women, "who did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen." And others spun goats' hair; and to make the laver, the women gave up their brazen mirrors. Thus "the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord; every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses."

The whole amount of gold used in the structure of the tabernacle was twenty, and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels: and the silver, an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels. It has sometimes been inquired, whence had the Israelites, who had just come out of the oppressive bondage of Egypt, resources to supply so much gold and silver and other precious materials, for the building of the tabernacle? To which it may be replied, that some of them, especially the descendants of Joseph, were rich, for we do not read that their property was taken away by the Egyptians. Again, they received large quantities of gold and silver from the Egyptians the night on which they forsook Egypt, as has been before related; and it is exceedingly probable that they found great spoils at the Red Sea; for the bodies of the Egyptians were washed on shore; and the Israelites were thus enriched by their enemies, in more ways than

one.

SECTION XIX.

ERECTION OF THE TABERNACLE-LAWS RESPECTING SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS-SINOFFERINGS-UNBLOODY SACRIFICES-DRINK-OFFERINGS-FLOUR-OFFERINGS.

THE erection of the tabernacle took place in the first month of the second year, and first day of the month, after they left Egypt. When the tabernacle was reared up, and all its furniture disposed in its proper place, "the cloud covered the tent of the congregation; AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE TABERNACLE. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onwards in all their journeys. But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not, till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and a fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.'

The laws now given respecting sacrifices, offerings and various other things, were exceedingly numerous, and need not be recited in detail. Some general remarks, together with a notice of some remarkable statutes and ordinances, will be sufficient for our purpose.

The earliest kind of sacrifice of which we have any account, was the burnt-offering, which might be of the herd or of the flock; or in case of poverty, doves or pigeons. The ceremonies used in this sacrifice, were the following: the animal, of whatever kind, whether of the herd or flock, was required to be a male, and without blemish. The place of making the offering was at the door of the tabernacle. The person making it did it "of his own voluntary will," and when the animal was presented, the offerer put his hand upon the head of the burntoffering, and it was accepted from him, "to make an atonement for him." When the bullock or the lamb, was killed by the person presenting him, and the officiating priests caught the blood, and brought it and sprinkled it round the altar. The animal was then skinned, and cut in pieces; and the priests having kindled a fire on the altar, placed the pieces in order on the wood, and the whole was consumed; the inwards and legs were, however, first carefully washed in water. This was called, "an offering made by fire, a sweet savour unto the Lord." The place of slaying the burnt-offering was on the north side of the altar.

The next sacrifice, which was in use before the time of Moses, was the peace-offering. Of these, the only part burnt on the altar was the fat; the breast and the right shoulder were waved or heaved before the Lord, and belonged to the officiating

priests, by means of which they received a large part of their support. The remainder of the peace-offering was for the use of the offerer, who made a feast upon the same, and eat it within the sacred precincts of the courts of the Lord, where there were conveniences for cooking, and rooms in which families and select companies might meet. The peace-offering might be male or female, of the flock or the herd.

The sin-offering and trespass-offering are treated of distinctly in the law, but in what the difference between them consisted it is not now easy to say, except that the former was in some cases offered for the whole congregation; the latter only for private persons. It will be sufficient, therefore, to give a brief description of the sin-offering.

When the priest himself sinned, he was required to offer a young bullock, without blemish, for a sin-offering; and he was to bring the animal before the Lord, that is, to the door of the tabernacle, and lay his hand upon his head, and there kill him; the officiating priest then received the blood, and dipped his finger into it, and sprinkled it seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary, and also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense, and poured the remainder of the blood at the bottom of the altar. The fat was burnt upon the altar, as in the case of the peace-offerings, but the skin and the flesh, and other appurtenances of the bullock, were not burnt upon the altar, but carried out to a clean place, entirely without the camp, and there burnt.

When a sin-offering was made for the whole congregation, the ceremonies were the same as now described, except that the elders of the congregation laid their hands on the head of the sacrifice.

The sin-offering of a ruler of the people was different. He was required to bring before the Lord a kid of the goats, a male, and the blood was put on the horns of the altar of burnt-offerings. And the sin-offering of one of the common people differed in nothing from that of the ruler, except that the animal offered was to be a female, instead of a male. In every case, this offering was made on account of some sin committed, of which the offerer was conscious: and when he presented his sacrifice he laid his hands upon its head, and made confession of his sin; and the priest by sprinkling the blood on the altar, made an atonement for him, and his sins were forgiven.

In regard to the trespass-offering, the law provided, that when the offerer was too poor to bring a lamb or a kid, he might present two turtle doves, or two young pigeons; or if he was unable to provide even these, he might bring the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour, on which no oil or frankincense was to be

placed and the priest burned a portion of this offering on the altar, and the remainder fell to him.

But when a man sinned in relation to the holy things of the Lord, he was required to make amends for the injury in the holy thing, and to add a fifth; and to make an atonement for his offence, he was to bring a ram for a trespass-offering.

Besides these bloody sacrifices there were prescribed various offerings of the fruits of the earth. These commonly consisted of fine flour, on which frankincense was poured, and also oil. The officiating priest took a handful of this flour, thus prepared, and burnt it upon the altar, for a memorial. This was an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord. Every offering of flour was seasoned with salt; but neither leaven nor honey were ever permitted to be mingled with these offerings. Sometimes, the flour was baked in a pan, or formed into cakes; the ceremonies were in this case the same as before. The priest burnt a handful on the altar, and the remainder was allotted as a compensation unto him. These offerings of flour or cakes often accompanied the sacrifices, epecially the peace-offering. The offerings of flour, baked and unbaked, which the law enjoined, are, in our version, called meat-offerings, which, as the word meat is now commonly understood, is wrong; they should be denominated bread-offerings, flour-offerings, or grain-offerings. They never consisted of the flesh of animals.

Drink-offerings of wine, also accompanied the various animal sacrifices; the quantity poured out being answerable to the size of the sacrifice.

SECTION XX.

CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES-HOLY FIRE.

AARON and his sons were consecrated to the priest's office with many solemn ceremonies. The whole congregation was assembled at the door of the tabernacle; and Moses washed Aaron and his sons with water; and put on them their sacerdotal robes; and then anointed them with the holy oil; and he also anointed with the same the tabernacle and all its furniture, and the altar and all its vessels, and the laver and its foot, and sprinkled a portion of it on the altar seven times. Then Aaron and his sons put their hands on the head of the bullock for a sin-offering, and slew it; and Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar. And he took all the fat of the inwards and burned it on the altar, with the liver and the two kidneys; and burnt the flesh and skin and other appurtenances without the camp, as in the case of other sin-offerings. Then Aaron