hold the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place; ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place." But Aaron excused himself on account of some impurity contracted by accident; which rendered it unsuitable that he should partake of what was so holy. When Moses heard this he was satisfied.

SECTION XXII.

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN ANIMALS-LEPROSY, LAWS RESPECTING IT.

THE distinction between clean and unclean animals existed anterior to the deluge; for we find it made the ground of a great difference in the number of each admitted into the ark; and there can be little doubt, but that this distinction originated with the divine institution of sacrifices. Those animals which, according to the primitive institute, might be offered in sacrifice, were considered clean, and all others unclean. And this does not exclude the idea that the former were better suited for human food than the latter; for the selection of certain species for sacrifice may have been made with some reference to this very thing. It is true, that sacrifices were only offered from the herd and the flock, and one species of birds; but the obvious reason was, that other clean animals were wild and could not always be had, when any particular sacrifice was required to be offered.

In the Levitical law, all unclean animals are prohibited as articles of food; and all clean animals are allowed. In regard to quadrupeds, the rule of distinction was, that all animals, both dividing the hoof and chewing the cud, are clean, and might be used as food; all other quadrupeds were prohibited, as unclean. In regard to birds, there were no clearly marked criteria, whereby the clean and unclean were distinguished, the law therefore contains an enumeration of the species which were unclean.

In regard to fishes, the criteria were as distinct as of quadrupeds. Those animals, in the water, which were furnished both with fins and scales might be eaten, but all others were unclean. Insects, and all creeping things, in general, were prohibited; yet some few species were allowed to be used as food.

As this distinction of clean and unclean animals originated with the institution of sacrifices, it ceased when they were abrogated; and now nothing is "common or unclean;" although, some animals are much better adapted for human food than others; and generally those animals are most used for food, which, according to the ritual law, were reckoned clean. Some animals are said to be very unsuitable for food in one climate and country, which may be eaten without inconvenience in an

other country, where the climate is different. Thus in the hot countries of Asia, particularly in the sandy regions of Arabia, where cutaneous diseases are frequent, and of a malignant kind, it has been thought, that the flesh of swine is very unfavourable to health.

The leprosy was a disease of so impure, and probably, also contagious a nature, that persons infected with it were carefully separated from the rest of the people; and as some skill was requisite to distinguish this foul disease, in its incipient state, from other cutaneous diseases of a less noxious kind, this whole matter was committed to the priests, who were authorized to determine when it was proper for any one to be sent out of the camp, on the account of the leprosy; and when the cure was so complete, that the leper might be again restored to the society of his friends. And when a leper was pronounced clean, there were certain things required of him, which might on no account be neglected. The signs by which the leprosy might be distinguished are particularly laid down in the 13th chapter of Leviticus; and the ceremonies to be used when the priest pronounced a leper clean, are as particularly detailed in the 14th chapter of the same book.

Rules are also given for detecting a cankerous, consuming disorder, analogous to the leprosy in man, which invaded and destroyed garments and houses, in that climate.

SECTION XXIII.

LAWS OF PURITY AND HEALTH.

A WOMAN, after childbirth, was reckoned unclean for one week, if she had given birth to a male; for two weeks when a female; but for her complete purification, one month must elapse in the former, and two months in the latter case. After which, it was prescribed, that she should offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or turtle dove for a sin-offering: but in case of such poverty as rendered the offering of a lamb impracticable or inconvenient, the law was fulfilled by two turtle doves, or two young pigeons; the one for a burnt-offering and the other for a sin-offering. It may not be improper here to remark, that the Virgin Mary, the blessed mother of our Lord, was so poor, that she was able only to make the offering of two turtle-doves.

Laws were also ordained, declaring that all running issues, and impure discharges, rendered the subjects of them unclean, and showing how they were to be purified.

No ceremonial uncleanness, however, was so great as that

contracted by touching a dead body; or a bone, or the grave of a human being. Whoever, however necessarily, or accidentally, touched the dead body of a man, was unclean for seven days; and in order that he might be clean, at the end of this period he was required to purify himself on the third day, and on the seventh. Whoever was defiled by the touch of a dead body, and entered the sacred enclosure without purification, defiled the tabernacle of the Lord, and exposed himself to the punishment of excision. The death of any person in a tent rendered all who were present unclean, for seven days; and not only the persons but the vessels in the tent were unclean. It is difficult to account for the rigour of this ceremonial law. It probably had its origin in the necessity of counteracting some superstition respecting the relics of the deceased, which is not now known. Certainly, the shameful superstition of Christians in relation to relics, would render any regulation important which would have had the effect of putting an end to it.

The method of purifying those rendered unclean by the touch of a dead body was singular. A red heifer on whose neck the yoke had never come, was slain by the priest, and her blood sprinkled seven times towards the tabernacle. Then one took the heifer and burnt her wholly in the presence of the priests, who took cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. The priest then washed his clothes and bathed his flesh, and was unclean until the even. Next, a man who was clean gathered up the ashes of the heifer, and laid them up without the camp, in a clean place; and then it was to be kept for the people, as "a water of separation," "a purification from sin." Whoever then was defiled by a dead body was purified by putting some of the ashes of the heifer into a vessel of running water, which a clean person sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop on the unclean person; or, on the tent and its furniture; and on the seventh day the man was to purify himself and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and at even he should be clean.

Another extraordinary law in the Mosaic code was that relative to the woman suspected of adultery by a jealous husband. A potion, called bitter water, was, after much solemn ceremony, given to the suspected wife to drink, by the priest; the effect of which, if she was guilty, was, that her body swelled in an extraordinary manner, and the woman, according to the awful denunciation of the priest, became a curse among her people. But if she was innocent, no such effects ensued. The whole ceremonial of this appalling transaction may be read in the 5th chapter of Numbers; but these ceremonies the Jewish rabbies multiplied tenfold.

SECTION XXIV.

THE VOW OF THE NAZARITE.

ANY persons who chose might take upon themselves the vow of the Nazarite, "to separate themselves unto the Lord." The person thus separated, was bound to drink no wine, nor strong drink, nor vinegar of wine, or of strong drink; nor to drink any liquor formed from grapes; nor to eat grapes, moist or dried; nor, indeed, any thing from the vine tree, from the kernel to the husk. All the days of his separation, no razor was to come upon his head, but he was to let the locks of his hair grow. And during his separation he was carefully to avoid the touch of a dead body; and even if his father, mother, brother, or sister, should die in the time, he was not to touch their bodies. But if any one happened to die suddenly by him, then he was required to shave his head on the seventh day, and on the eighth day to offer two turtles or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering, and thus make an atonement for him that had sinned by the dead, and hallow his head that same day. And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the day of his separation, and shall bring a lamb for a trespass-offering; but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled. And when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and he shall offer one male lamb for a burnt-offering, and a female lamb for a sin-offering; and a ram for a peace-offering; and the usual offerings of flour, oil, and wine, the accompaniments of the aforesaid sacrifices; "and the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings." And the priest took the shoulder of the ram, and unleavened cakes, and put them on the head of the Nazarite after his hair was shaven, and the priest waved them for a wave-offering before the Lord. When this ceremony was ended, then the Nazarite might drink wine.

There were, however, Nazarites who became such by the vow of their parents, before they were born, as Sampson. These abstained from wine and strong drink all their lives, and suffered their hair to grow, without being shorn or shaven.

SECTION XXV.

GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT.

THE only service performed in the interior recess of the tabernacle, called THE MOST HOLY PLACE, was on the tenth day of the seventh month, which was, "THE DAY OF ATONEMENT," a day of humiliation and fasting; for, although the word for fasting is not found here, nor in the whole Pentateuch, yet the Jews have ever understood, that this "afflicting of the soul" was by fasting; and, therefore, this day obtained the name of THE FAST; as being the only day of this kind prescribed in the law. On this interesting day, the high-priest himself officiated; and to prepare himself for his work, which was not only solemn, but difficult and laborious, he prepared himself for several days before; and in the morning of this day, he put on his linen garments, after bathing himself in water. Then he took a bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. He took also two goats, and presented them before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he cast lots on the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other for azazel, rendered scape-goat, in our version. The goat on which the Lord's lot fell, was to be offered as a sin-offering unto the Lord; but the scape-goat he presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness. And the high-priest took the bullock which was for a sin-offering for himself and his house, and slew it. And he took a censor full of burning coals of fire, from off the altar before before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and brought it within the inner veil, into the Most Holy Place. And he put the incense on the coals of fire on the censer before the Lord, that the cloud of incense might cover the mercy-seat, that was over the ark of the testimony, that he might not die. Then the high-priest took of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkled it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward; and before the mercy-seat he sprinkled of the blood. with his finger, seven times.

Having completed this solemn service, on his first entering the Most Holy Place, he returned and slew the goat which was for a sin-offering for the people, and carried its blood within the vail, and sprinkled that after the same manner, as the blood of the bullock. And this sin-offering was intended to be "an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins." While the high-priest entered within the vail, no man was permitted to be in the other part of the tabernacle, until he