you, to set forth the death of Christ, the great atonement or reconciler between God and man; and the other was let free into the wilderness, bearing the people's sins, to show that all those were to be forgotten through him, and lost like the goat in the wilderness, and that through his life we should not die.

The Jews, besides keeping every seventh day as a day of rest, were also commanded to keep every seventh year, called on that account the Sabbatical Year. This was an additional remembrancer of the Sabbath day. In that year, therefore, they neither sowed nor reaped, but only gathered anything the ground produced of its own accord, just as they wanted it; leaving the rest for the poor, for servants, for strangers, and cattle. Thus they were taught compassion towards servants and cattle, and benevolence to the poor; thus they were instructed to depend upon God's providence for their support, who could, if they obeyed his commands, provide for them without labour, or bless their labour; and thus they were reminded of a better rest, which this was to signify-a never-ending Sabbath in heaven.

There was another remarkable privilege enjoyed by the Jews, and that

was the Year of Jubilee.

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This was every fiftieth year. After spending seven times seven years," which make forty-nine, the Jews were to keep the fiftieth year, or, some think, the last year of the forty-nine.

In this year there was neither sowing nor reaping; but the earth brought forth fruit of itself. All estates which had been bought were restored to their first owners, so that no family could be finally made poor by a father's selling the property for ever. Hebrew slaves, with their wives and children, were set free; and even all foreign slaves enjoyed the right of the jubilee. The first nine days were spent in joyful feasting; on the tenth, which happened always to be the great day of the annual atonement, the trumpets were sounded, and at that moment the slaves were declared free, and the lands returned to their ancient owners. Houses and other buildings in walled towns only, did not return to the old proprietor in the jubilee.

By this wise law, the rich could not oppress the poor, by getting possessed of all the property in the country; and debts could not last always, for the jubilee made them void; and the slave had a hope of a final release.

In making purchases, therefore, this law was always remembered, and a proportionable value was given as the year of jubilee drew nigh.

But this year had a spiritual signification. It was a type or representation of the redemption of sinners, by Christ, from the slavery of sin and Satan, and the restoring of man, who by transgression has lost his title to eternal blessedness, so that he becomes the heir of heaven-that "inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away."

In many religious assemblies they often sing a hymn which refers to this Jewish institution, and which partly explains its meaning; it is too long to be inserted here, but a few verses may assist in explaining the subject, and impressing it on your memory. It begins with alluding to the preaching of the Gospel, which is often compared to the blowing of the jubilee trumpet, which proclaimed liberty to the captive; and so does the Gospel proclaim deliverance to all those who are the slaves of sin, and would desire deliverance through the great Saviour of sinners.

"Blow ye the trumpet, blow!

The gladly solemn sound,
Let all the nations know,

To earth's remotest bound.

The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home.

You will wonder to read about slaves among the people who were the particular people of God; this must therefore be explained to you before this book is closed, and perhaps this is the best time.

The Hebrews had a great number of slaves. These differ from servants, in this way a servant may do the same work, but is not his master's property, and may leave him whenever he likes; but a slave is his master's property, as much as his horse or his ox, and durst not run away; nor is another allowed to keep him, for he keeps stolen goods. I am sorry to write as if slaves still exist for they do; and in the West Indies, belonging to England, till very lately there were slaves. There they have black people to manage the growing of sugar, because the country is too hot for whites to work, who are used to a colder climate; and these people were, not long since, stolen from their own country in Africa, and sold as slaves, and cruelly treated by their masters—indeed, some of them are very rough to them still. But Jewish slaves were not liable to the same evils. Those taken in war were bought, sold, or exchanged, like goods; but this was a special punishment of the Almighty on idolaters, and none of these were stolen; for he that stole a man was to be put to death. The Hebrew slaves were poor persons, who sold themselves, just as a man now takes what is called a bounty, or a sum of money, to become a soldier for many years; or they had run in debt without thinking how they were to pay, and were obliged to sell themselves for want of money; or they were delivered as slaves by their parents, who were not able to keep them, and so were a kind of apprentice for a

number of years. So you see, that though the Jews were allowed to have slaves, they were under very strict regulations to treat them with kindness; and all, except the heathen slaves, were set at full liberty in the year of jubilee. Those who had kind masters often returned to live with them a second time; when they went to the judges, told them they wished to live with their good old masters all their days, and then, in token of it, had their ears bored with an awl against the door-posts of their master's house; when they became his property till another year of jubilee, which probably few ever lived to see. The account of this ceremony you will find in the twentyfirst chapter of Exodus.

Vows.
LEV. XXVIII.

A row was a promise made to God of doing some good thing hereafter. The meaning of the first verse of this chapter is this: if any one has vowed to give any person or thing to the Lord, if he wishes to ransom it, or to give its value instead, for the benefit of the house of God, the priest in that case may set a value upon it, and take that value in money instead of the person or thing vowed.

You will read here of the value of a male, and of a female, and of a beast, and of a house, and of a field; for all these a man might, perhaps, vow to give to God.

But why should he so vow or promise? and what need had God of them? I will tell you. A man might have received some very great kindness from God, beyond the bounty and goodness which we all receive every day. Under the fresh recollection of this, with a heart full of gratitude, he might say, "O, what shall I do in return, to show how much I thank God? I will give my servant for the service of his house for ever: there he shall work and help the priests. Or, I will give a bullock as a proof of my gratitude, and it shall be offered on his altar." So, when Jacob went into Mesopotamia, he vowed to God a tenth part of his estates; that is, as if a man who has ten fields, should vow one of them, which would be the tenth; or have a hundred cattle, should vow ten of them, which would also be the tenth, and he promised to offer it at Bethel to the honour of God.

Now, a man, when he thought more about it, might have wished that he bal not vowed what he had-perhaps even a daughter. In that case, a value was set upon the vow, and he paid that value.

There was, however, a more rigid vow, in which nothing could be redeemed; but the things vowed were to be devoted entirely and at once to the service of the Lord. So we read-"No devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord, of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possessions, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord."

We read in this chapter about tithes. These were a tenth part of what the earth brought forth, which God commanded to be given to the support of religion; and also a tenth part of the flocks and herds which fed upon the fruits of the earth. You will read, in the thirty-second verse, of a curious way of taking this tenth: "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." Now, when a man was to give the tithe of his sheep or calves to God, he was to shut up his flock in one fold, in which there was one narrow door, capable of letting out one at a time. The owner, about to give the tenth to the Lord, stood by the door with a rod in his hand, the end of which was dipped in vermilion-a very red colour, or red ochre, with which you sometimes see sheep now marked; the mothers of these lambs or calves stood without. The door being opened, the young ones ran out to join themselves to their dams; and as they passed out, the owner stood with his rod over them, and counted one, two, three, four, five, and so on to ten; and when the tenth came, he touched it with the coloured rod, by which it was distinguished to be the tithe calf, sheep, &c.; and whether poor or lean, perfect or blemished, that was received as the proper tithe. This is the account the Jews give of taking the tithe, and it is believed to be correct.