being himself was prefent, there was a peculiar propriety in their accompanying petitions for the pardon of fin, as expreffive of reconciliation and friendship. At the fame time, the facrifices being provided at the expence of the offending party, they indirectly answered the purpofe of mulēts, or fines for offences.

Though I have faid, that it is poffible that mankind might of themfelves have had recourfe to facrifices, as a method of expreffing their dependence upon God, &c. yet, when we confider how improbable it is, that mankind fhould even have attained to any tolerable and useful knowledge of God himself, without some particular inftruction, at leaft for a long space of time; it is moft natural to fuppofe, that when the divine being communicated that moft important knowledge to the first race of men, he also inftructed them in those methods by which he chofe that they fhould exprefs their homage, gratitude, and obedience. But whether we fuppofe facrifices to have been

of

of human, or divine origin, it makes no difference with refpect to the general idea of their nature and ufe.

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3. Of the Jewish ritual.

ESIDES the precepts and obfervances which it has pleafed the divine being to enjoin with refpect to the whole human race, he provided, what we may call, a much ftricter, and more fevere difcipline for the Hebrew nation, whom he diftinguished by frequent revelations of his will, by many interpofitions in their favour, and a peculiar conftitution of civil government, in which he himself more immediately prefided.

They were reftricted in their diet, being confined to the ufe of certain kinds of food; but they are fuch as are now generally efteemed to be the most innocent in their

nature, mild in their qualities, and leaft apt to become fatiating by frequent ufe. They would therefore tend to imprefs upon the

minds of those who were confined to them an idea of their obligation to greater purity and innocence, and make them confider themselves as a holy nation, peculiarly devoted to God. The ufe of fuch food would alfo, of itself, probably, incline them to a peaceful inoffenfive life, as it is thought that the ranker kinds of food tend to make mankind fierce and cruel.

A great part of the ritual of the Hebrews feems to have been intended to preferve upon their minds a fenfe of their immediate relation to God, and of their obligation to a conftant intercourfe with him. There was one particular place within their country, to which they were to refort, where the divine being was to be confulted by them, and where he manifefted himself in a more especial manner. In this place, which was firft a moveable tabernacle, and afterwards the temple at Jerufalem, he had a conftant habitation, keeping, as it were, a regular court, with fuitable attendants. Here he received their gifts and homage, and here he gave them inftructions and advice on a variety

variety of occafions, when they applied to him in a proper manner.

More especially, the great object of the Hebrew ritual feems to have been to inspire the minds of that people with an abhorrence of the idolatry of the neighbouring nations, and to preferve among them the pure worfhip of the one only living and true God. For this reafon many of their rites were the very reverfe of thofe of their neighbours, fo as to be altogether incompatible with them, and must confequently have tended to make them averfe to them. Upon every occafion the importance of their adherence to this precife mode of worship was strongly inculcated upon them, a particular and remarkable providence attended them through the whole courfe of their hiftory (and ftill attends them) giving them profperity and fuccefs while they were obedient, and making the hand of God vifible in their punishment, when they departed from his worship, and relapfed into idolatry, or when they became, in other refpects, profligate and wicked,

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To prevent, as far as poffible, the abuse and corruption of this religion, nothing of the leaft confequence was left to the difcretion of the people, but every minute particular, as thofe relating to the structure of the tabernacle, and the building of the temple, the kinds of facrifices, the ceremonies attending them, and every thing that was to be done on their public feftivals, was rigidly prefcribed to them, and they were not allowed to make the leaft deviation. For the fame purpose, and alfo to preferve a proper degree of union among a people who were originally to have had no temporal head, they were allowed to have but one altar, and no facrifice was to be made but at that one place, and by certain perfons appointed for that purpofe; and three times every year, viz. at their public feftivals, every male was to make his appearance before the Lord, at the place of his refidence, in the tabernacle or temple.

Several things in the Hebrew ritual were perhaps intended to ferve as types of Chrift,

or