quantity of flour, oil, and wine, was offered with it for a meat offering, and a drink offering; the whole was completely consumed, except the skin of the animal, which belonged to the priests. On the Sabbath, two lambs were offered morning and evening, and a double quantity of flour, oil and wine.*

Incense was also burnt upon the altar of incense in the Holy Place, every morning and evening.

Besides this continual or daily sacrifice, there were other burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, and peace-offerings, appointed for different occasions. Some were to make atonement for having committed sin; either for an individual, or for the whole nation these were sin-offerings. If a man had broken any one of the ceremonial laws, he brought his offering to the priest, confessed his sin, and the priest had power to pronounce his pardon. The offering differed according to the offence, and also according to the wealth of the offerer: it might be a bullock, a sheep, a goat, a pigeon, or only a small quantity of oil, or flour. No part of this sin-offering returned to the person who offered it: it was partly consumed on the altar, and part was the portion of the priest who offered it.

The peace-offerings were presented on various occasions, to express a sense of gratitude for God's goodness: these also consisted either of animals, or oil, frankincense, flour, &c., according to the inclination and ability of the offerer. Of

these, a part was burnt on the altar, a part given to the priests, and the remainder returned to the offerer, to serve as a feast to him, and his family and friends; but it was not to be kept longer than two days at farthest : if eaten on the third day, the sacrifice was accounted as worse than not offered; it was a sin.

Meat-offerings usually attended the burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, and sin-offerings; though they were also offered alone, and were then voluntary. The meat-offering consisted of flour, oil, frankincense, cakes, &c.: a small portion was consumed on the altar; the remainder was eaten by the priests within the precincts of the Tabernacle.

Drink-offerings were never offered alone: they consisted of wine.

It should be carefully observed, that these sacrifices did not exempt the offerer from the punishment due to crime. If a man stole, he was obliged to restore what he had stolen, and many fold more with it. If a man wilfully murdered another, he was put to death; and if he injured another, he was obliged to make reparation: the sacrifices were enjoined chiefly for breaking the ceremonial law, and for offences unintentionally or carelessly committed, and also to express the inward repentance of the heart towards God, after the offender had suffered the due punishment of his crime, as appointed by law. If the offering was an animal, the offerer laid his hand upon its head, confessed his sin,

and asked forgiveness of God: he was then pardoned in His name by the priest.

THE FEASTS."-Three principal feasts were appointed, at which times all the men were to appear before God. When settled in the land of Canaan, the Israelites were to leave their usual habitations and come up to Jerusalem to worship; and, as this left the country, which was surrounded by enemies, unprotected, God promised that they should never be invaded during their feasts, and that "no man should desire their land," when they went up to appear before the LORD, thrice a-year. This promise was remarkably fulfilled; and, in the whole course of their history, the Israelites were never attacked during their absence at Jerusalem.

The Feast of the Passover was the greatest and most important of their festivals. It commemorated their deliverance from Egypt, when the Angel of Death passed over their doors, and slew the first-born of the Egyptians it lasted seven days, and was kept nearly in the manner described in the seventh chapter. The feast commenced at the full moon in the month of March: the next fifty days (or seven weeks) were occupied with getting in the harvest, and then followed the Feast of Pentecost.

The Feast of Pentecost+ commemorated the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai, which

*Levit. xxiii. Exod. xxiii. 14.

+ Called also the Feast of Weeks; the Feast of Harvest; and the Feast of the First Fruits.