that is, Save, I beseech thee. By which words, taken out of the hundred and eighteenth pfalm, they prayed for the coming of the Meffiah. Thefe branches bore alfo the name of Hanna, as well as all the days of the feaft. In the fame manner was JESUS CHRIST Conducted into Jerufalem by the believing Jews, who looking upon him as the promised Meffiah, expreffed an uncommon joy upon finding in him the accomplishment of thofe petitions which they had fo often put up to heaven, at the feaft of tabernacles (a). They walked every day, as long as the feast lafted, round the altar with the forementioned branches in their hands (*), finging Hofanna. To this laft ceremony there feems to be an allufion in the Revelations (b), wherein St. John defcribes the faints, as walking round the throne of the Lamb, with palms in their hands, and finging the following hymn, "Salvation cometh from God and the Lamb."

4. One of the most remarkable ceremonies performed on this feaft, was the libations, or pouring out of the water, which was done every day. A priest went and drew fome water (†) at the pool of Siloam, and carried it into the temple, where he poured it on the altar (II), at the time of the morning facrifice, the people finging in the mean time these words out of the prophet Ifaiah (c)," With joy fhall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation." As, according to the Jews themfelves, this water was an emblem of the Holy Ghoft, JESUS CHRIST manifeftly alluded to it, when on the laft day of the feaft of tabernacles, he cried out to the people, "If any man thirst," &c (d).

દ

We must not forget to obferve, that during the whole folemnity, the Jews ufed all imaginable expreffions of an univerfal joy, (till keeping within the bounds of innocence) fuch as feafting, dancing, continual mufic, and fuch vaft illuminations, that the whole city of Jerufalem was enlightened with them (5). The greatness of thefe rejoicings, and their happening in the time of vintage, hath made fome authors believe, that the Jews were wont to fácrifice to Bacchus (e).

(a) Matt. xxi. 8, g.

(*) During which ceremony the trumpets founded on all fides. On the feventh day of the feast, they went seven times round the altar, and this was called The great Hofanna. Lamy. p. 136.

(b) Revel. vii. 9.

(I) Whilft the members fome wine with the water. (c) If. xii. 3. and Iv. 1.

(†) In a golden veffel. ibid.

of the facrifice were upon it. But firft he mixed Id. ibid.

The antient Latin tranflator hath properly enough rendered the lait words of the first paffage here quoted, by, "The wells of the Saviour."

(d) John vii. 37.

(§) It is fuppofed that thefe rejoicings were performed in the court of the women, that they might partake of the public mirth.

(e) Plutarch. Symp. 1. iv. 5. Tacit. Hift. 1. v.

Of the Sabbath.

Of the fabbath. Teft), among the Jews; the fabbath properly fo called, that is, the feventh day in each week; the fabbatical year, or every feventh year; and the jubilee, which was celebrated at the end of feven times feven years. We fhall give an account in the first place of the fabbath properly fo called.

HERE were three forts of fabbaths, or times of

The fabbath is a feftival inftituted by God, in commemoration of the creation of the world, which was finished on the fixth day, as appears from the book of Genefis (g), and alfo from the law (b), wherein it is faid, that "in fix days God made the heaven and the earth, and rested on the feventh day." This inftitution was appointed chiefly for the two following reafons; firft, To keep in men's minds the remembrance of the creation of the world, and thereby to prevent idolatry, and the worshipping of creatures, by fetting that day apart for the service of the Creator of all things: And fecondly, to give man and beaft one day of refpite and rest every week. Befides these two general views, the fabbath was established for a more particular end, with regard to the children of Ifrael, namely, to celebrate the memory of their deliverance out of Egypt, as we find it exprefsly recorded in the book of Deuteronomy (¿). Hence the fabbath is called in fcripture, "a fign between God and the Ifraelites (k)."

This hath given rife to a queftion, that hath very much exercised the learned world, whether the fabbath was appointed from the beginning of the world, and only renewed after the coming of the Hebrews out of Egypt; or whether it be a ceremony instituted with respect to the children of Ifrael, to turn them from idolatry, by putting them in mind of their Creator and Deliverer; in a word, whether the fabbath is a mere ceremonial inftitution, or an univerfal law, which binds all mankind? We shall not determine this question either way, but only fet down the chief arguments that render the first opinion the most probable, and give an answer to the objections that have been advanced againft it. 1. The fcripture does not make the least mention of the fabbath's being obferved before the coming of the children of Ifrael out of Egypt, though there are frequent accounts of the worship which the patriarchs rendered to God. Now, is it probable that the facred hiftorian would have omitted fo holy and folemn a law as that of the fabbath, (a law, the violation whereof was punished with death; a law, which having been delivered from the beginning of the world, ought to have been univerfally received) and not have spoken of it, till two thousand years after its inftitution? Mofes, indeed, when giving an account of the imes that went before him, speaks of the number seven, as if it had been

(f) The Hebrew word fabbath fignifies reft. (g) Gen. ii. 1, 2, 3.

(¡) Deut. v. 15.

(b) Exod. xx. 10, 11.
(*) Exod. xxxi. 13, 16, 17.

been accounted holy, but fays not the leaft word about keeping the fabbath. Would the fame facred historian, that hath fo carefully and exactly transmitted to pofterity the travels of the patriarchs, not have fometimes taken notice of their stopping to celebrate the fabbath? or, can it be fuppofed, that the patriarchs would have neglecte! to observe so strict a command? 2. The facred writings never repref at the fabbath otherwife than as a fign between God and the children of Ifrael, as a privilege peculiar to that nation, as a reft which God had granted them, and a feftival whereby they were distinguished from the rest of the inhabitants of the world. "Confider," faith Mofes to the Ifraelites (1) "that God hath given you the fabbath," or reft; and in another place (), "My fabbath fhall you keep, for it is a fign between me and you, throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord, who hath fanctified you," that is, feparated you from the rest of mankind. Nehemiah fpeaks of the fabbath, as of a particular favour which God had granted the Ifraelites, and places the ordinance relating to it among thofe other laws, which he had given unto them by the hand of Mofes (7). In the prophet Ezekiel (0) the fabbath is ranked among the special mercies which God had vouchfafed his people, and the marks of diftinction he had been pleased to honour them with. Accordingly the most ancient writers that have spoken of it, have confidered it under no other view. Philo doth exprefsly rank the fabbath among the laws of Mofes (p), and when in another place (g) he calls it the feaft, not of one people or country alone, but of the whole univerfe, it is plain that he there fpeaks figuratively. Jofephus alfo mentions it always as a ceremony peculiar to the Jews, and ftiles it the law of their country (r). The ancient fathers of the church had the fame notion of this matter; Juftin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, tells him (s), that the fabbath was given to the Jews upon the account of their tranfgreflions, and for the hardnefs of their hearts; and Theodoret (*) alfo fays, that the observation of the fabbath was injoined them, with a defign to distinguish them from all the other nations of the world. The Jewish doctors are of the fame opinion, telling us, that their countrymen were fo ftrict observers of the fabbath, that they would not even allow the profelytes of the gate to celebrate it with the fame ceremonies as themselves, because they were not circumcifed (t). 3. The keeping of the fabbath was attended with fuch circumftances, as plainly fhew, that it was a ceremonial inftitution peculiar to one people, and not an univerfal law given from the beginning of the world; as appears from their fuperftitious exactnefs in not doing any manner of work, for the fpace of four and twenty hours, and that under pain of death. Reafon itself will teach us, that one day

(1) Exod. xvi. 29.

(z) Nehem. ix. 14.

(m) Exod. xxxi. 13, 16, 17.

(0) Ezek. xx. 11, 12,

(p) Phil. de Decal. p. 185. de Vita Mofis, p. 529.

(9) De Opif. Mundi, p. 15.

(s) Juft. Mart. Dialog. contra Tryph.

(r) Jof. Ant. 1.

(*) Theodor. in Ezek. xx. To which may be added Cyril of Alexandria, Hom. 6. de Feft. Pafch. and feveral other, both Greek and Latin, fathers.

(1) Seld. de Jur. Nat. et Gent. I. iii. c. 5. 10.

is not more holy in the fight of God than another, and that idleness in itself cannot be acceptable to him. This law therefore must have had for its object, a people confidered under fome particular ideas. The Ifraelites were just come out of Egypt, where not only the ftars, but also men, animals, plants, and all creatures in general were looked upon as deities, and where they had also paid divine worship to them. Now it was neceffary there fhould a day be fet apart, to keep them in perpetual remembrance of the creation; and none could be fitter for that purpose than the feventh, for the reafon before alledged. Befides, they were come out of a country where they had been kept to continual toil and drudgery; and therefore it was but juft and reafonable, that their reft on that day should be an everlasting memorial of the rest God had procured them, and that it fhould be wholly confecrated to his fervice. It is no crime to gather wood on the fabbath-day. The law did not inflict so fevere a punishment upon other faults, that were much more grievous than this, becaufe they might happen to be committed through inadvertence and infirmity. But it would have been an inexcufable ingratitude, a prophanation, and even a very criminal impiety in the children of Ifrael, to break fo eafy a command, and to rob God of one fingle moment of a day, which he had entirely referved to himfelf.

4. Were all men, and all the nations in the world, bound to ob ferve the fabbath, then it would never have been abrogated, as it actually was; and the Chriftians ought to have kept it throughout all ages, as they at firft did, out of condefcenfion to the Jews. Befides, JESUS CHRIST would never have faid of a like injunction as the fabbath, that he was at liberty to obferve it, or not; that the fabbath was made for man, and not man for the fabbath (u). From his anfwer to the Pharifees, when they found fault with his difciples for plucking fome ears of corn on the fabbath-day, these three particulars are to be obferved. First, That he fets the fabbath upon the fame foot with the command, whereby all forts of perfons, befides the priests, were forbidden to eat the fhew-bread. Secondly, That the fervice of JESUS CHRIST, who is the true temple of God, difpenfes men from the obfervation of the fabbath, and drives it away, to ufe the Jewish expreffion. Thirdly, That by JESUS CHRIST'S faying the fabbath is made for man, and not man for the fabbath, it is plain he looked upon it only as a ceremony appointed for the ufe of man; whereas mankind was made for the noble duties of justice and holinefs, because they do not depend upon inftitution, but are enjoined by reafon as well as fcripture. Thefe reflections of JESUS CHRIST fet the fabbath in the fame rank with the Jewish ceremonies. St. Paul alfo places the fabbath-days among thofe ceremonies, wherewith he would not have Chriftians think themselves bound, because they were a fhadow of things to come (x).”

It may perhaps be imagined, that funday having fucceeded to the fabbath, the law concerning the fabbath is confequently still in force. It must indeed be owned that there is fome conformity between the Jewif

(4) Matt. xii. 8. Mark ii. 27.

(*) Coloff. ik 16, 17.

Jewish fabbath and our funday; and that the defign of the primitive church was to make the latter infenfibly fucceed the former, as to what was of moral obligation in the fabbath; but we ought to take care upon feveral accounts, not to confound the one with the other. For, 1. 'The keeping of funday is not a ceremony, but a duty which we are bound to perform for thefe two reafons; that we may fet apart one day in the week for the fervice of God; and fecondly, that we may enjoy ourselves, and give our dependants fome reft from their labours. 2. Sunday is not of divine, but of human inftitution. It is true that there is mention of this day in the New Teftament under the name of the first day of the week (y), and the Lord's day (z), and it is moreover manifeft from thofe places, that it was a day reckoned more confiderable than the reft, and fet apart for the exercifes of religious duties; but ftill there is no exprefs command to keep it holy. 3. We do not find, either in holy fcripture, or ecclefiaftical history, that there is an obligation of abftaining from all work on fundays, which was one of the chief articles relating to the fabbath. If people do no work on fundays, it is because they may not be taken off from religious duties, but may have leifure to meditate on holy things, which is the end for which this day was appointed. 4. Sunday is the first day of the week, and not the feventh, which was effential to the fabbath. 5. Sunday is inftituted upon a quite different view than the fabbath was. This latter was appointed in remembrance of the creation of the world, and the deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt; on the funday, we celebrate the refurrection of Jefus Chrift, and meditate at the fame time on our chriftian hopes, and the truth of our holy religion, which was fully proved and confirmed by Jefus's rifing again.

There are notwithstanding fome reafons which would incline one to believe that the inftitution of the fabbath is of a longer standing than the law of Mofes, that it is an appointment calculated not only for the Ifraelites, but for all men in general, and that it is almost of the fame nature as the moral law. It seems indeed, that the defign of the fab bath being to keep in men's minds, and celebrate the memory of the creation of the world, it ought to be univerfally received, and for ever obferved. But on the other hand, the fcripture making no mention of the keeping of the fabbath, for the space of two thousand years, ferves very much to clear this difficulty, as hath been already obferved. Befides, a legiflator is feldom known to enact any laws, except in case of neceflity. Now this provision against idolatry (*) was the lefs needful in thofe early times, when the remembrance of the creation was still fresh in men's minds, and upon the account of the long lives of the patriarchs, might be preferved for feveral ages, fince they had been in a manner witneffes thereof. The cafe was altered, when the remembrance of the creation came to be worn out of men's minds, and they began to worship creatures. And if God thought it proper to leave other nations in the hand of their counfel, nothing could be more worthy

(y) Acts xx. 7. I Cor. xvi. 2.

(*) Viz. the inftitution of the fabbath.

(z) Revel. i. 10.

of