Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

kindled on that day, nor any thing bought or fold. No perfon fhall be put to death, for any crime whatsoever; no travelling fhall be allowed on the Sabbaths (A).

r Exod. xxxv. 3. amount to a bare probability, and feem contradicted by fome exprefs texts both in the writings of Mofes, and fome of the prophets (1), which intimate that the Sabbath was given to the Ifraelites for a memorial of their deliverance from Egy ptian bondage, and to diftinguish them from all other nations; the far greater part of Christians, both antient and modern, have declared for the other fide (2); and it must be owned, that if that festival had been instituted and kept from the beginning, we cannot fee why Mofes fhould be fo exact and cautious in the particulars he gives about the inftitution and obfervance of it, especially in his prohibition of gathering manna on that day; unless we fuppofe with Philo, that the Ifraelites had quite loft the memory of it.

We must beg leave to close this note with taking notice of that expreffion in one of the gofpels(3), voal deure paper in the fecond prime Sabbath, or, as our verfion more clearly renders it, on the fecond Sabbath after the firft; which has puzzled a world of commentators, till Jof. Scali

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Ibid. xvi. 29, & alib.

THE

ger did hit upon an explanation (4), which has been univerfally approved and followed ever fince (5). We need not trouble our readers with the various conjectures of the reft.

That of our author carries its own evidence, being founded on the Jewish manner of computing the Sabbaths from the feast of the passover to that of the weeks, or from Eafter to Whitsunday. first of these, namely, that which immediately followed the two great feafts, or the firft and laft day of the paffover, was by them called nav

The

N, Sabbath sbeni-refhon, the 2d prime Sabbath; the next was called the second second, or the fecond after the fecond prime; the third fecond third, and fo on unto the seventh; which last did immediately precede the feaft of the weeks, or pentecoft (6). The fact for which this Sabbath is recorded by the evangelift, namely, CHRIST'S difciples plucking and rubbing the ears of corn, confirms this expofition, their harveft happening always between Eafter and Whitsunday.

(A) Though the text does exprefly fay, that they shall not

(1) Vide Exod. xxxi. 13. Deut. v. 15, & alib. paf. Vide & Jerem. xvii. 22, Ezek. xx. 12, 20. (2) Fuft. dial. cons. Tryph. Tertul. cont. Jud. 1. iv. Iren. cont. bæref. l. iv.& al. Vide Seld. de jur. natural. gent. juxt. difcipl. Hebr. l. iii. c. 13,& feq. Spenc. de leg. rit, Hebr. Jun. Le Clerc, Calm. comm. in Gen. ii. & al. mult. (3) Luke vi. 1. (4) De emend. temp. 1. vi. (s) Vide Lightfoote, Cafaub. Baron. Jun. Grot. in loc. Goodwin's Mof. & Aar. Sir Ifaac Newt. & al. (6) Vide, fi lib. Mishnam tract. NDI), 6. 5• VOL. III.

C

Atir

THE Sabbath-breaker fhall be ftoned; with feveral others, either to the fame purpose, or of lefs moment.

Laws relating to the three grand feftivals, the pallover, the feast of the weeks, and the feast of the tabernacle.

The three THREE times a year fhall all the male children apgrand pear before the LORD their GOD, at the place by him feftivals. appointed; namely, at the feast of unleavened bread, or paffover, at the feaft of the weeks, or pentecoft, and at the feaft of tabernacles. They fhall not come emptyhanded before him; but every man fhall offer unto the LORD according to the ability wherewith he hath bleffed himb (A).

Of

t Ibid. xxxi. 14, 15. b Deut. xvi. 16, 17. Exod. xxxiv.

23, & alib.

ftir out of their place, yet it
could mean no other than a
prohibition of going out to
gather manna; for it is plain
they were obliged to repair to
the tabernacle from all parts of
the camp, and afterwards to the
temple from all quarters of
Jerufalem (1); however, the
Jews understand it of going
out about worldly business, or
for pleasure, and indeed upon
any account, beyond what
they call a Sabbath-day's jour-
ney this distance is not indeed
fixed by Mofes, or any other
prophet; but is determined at
2000 cubits. And though
they differ among themselves
about the length of that mea-
fure, fome making it much
longer than others, yet they
agree, that the fafeft way is,
not to exceed 2000 moderate

[ocr errors]

paces (2); and this feems to be pretty near the distance between Jerufalem and the mount of Olives, which St. Luke calls a Sabbath-day's journey (3), of which we have already spoken: however, he that exceeded that distance was not judged a violator of the Sabbath, but came off with a beating; whereas the breaker of it was to be stoned to death (4).

(A) The Talmud however exempts from this obligation, 1. The women, who were to take care of their families, unless their husbands permitted them to go with them, as in the cafe of Hannah, and the virgin Mary. 2. Boys who were under 12 years of age, who were not under the obligation of the law, or called beve bathorah, that is, the fons or

(2) Vide Maim. tra&. Now, c. 5. §. 27. (3) Alts i. 12.

(1) Vide Levit. xxiii. 3.
Goodwin's Mof. & Aar, l.iii. c. 3. §. so.
Maim. ubi fup.

(4) Vide

difciples

disciples of the law, till they were entered into the 13th; and this feems to be the reafon why CHRIST did not make his first appearance among the doctors at the feast till he had attained to that age. 3. All old men above fixty. 4. All the fick and impotent, lunatics, &c. And lastly, all that either lived at fuch distance from the tabernacle, and afterwards from the temple, or were any otherwise so weak, that they could not perform the journey on foot.

Nothing could be better calculated to preserve the union of the Jewish nation, already fo ftrongly cemented by their religion, laws, weights, meafures, cuftoms, &c. which were fo common to them all, than this frequent and univerfal concourse to the chief place of worship. But here arife two very great difficulties: firft, how Jerufalem could contain fuch prodigious multitudes as did flock to thofe folemnities from all parts of Judea; and fecondly, how the Ifraelites could leave their towns and villages deftitute of males, without the greatest danger from those nations which were ftill left amongst them, and would be ready, no doubt, to embrace every opportunity of retrieving their lands and liberties. Add to this, that those who lived upon the borders of the land, ran ftill a greater risk of being invaded by their neighbours, if they had left their country under no better guard than that of old men, women, and children.

To the first difficulty, befides

what has been hinted in the geography of the land, concerning the capaciousness of Jerufalem, its fuburbs, inns, and other accommodations for all fuch ftrangers; it may be answered, firft, that they did not all appear together on the fame day, but that they took it by turns, and stayed in the city but one night; and on the next morning, having performed their devotions, they departed, and made way for others. This is plain from the inftance of Elkanah; and fecondly, that there were tents, and other conveniencies, for their reception, not only in the empty spaces within, but likewife in all convenient places without the walls of the city. And if this be thought still infufficient for fo vaft a concourse. what is anfwered to the second difficulty of their leaving the country too much expofed to their enemies, will easily remove all that is left of the firft..

And here we need not have recourfe to improbable conjectures, as Cuneus, Bafnage, and others, have done, who think that this obligation lafted no longer than during their abode in the wilderness, when their nearness to the tabernacle eafily admitted of it. For, befides that, if this had been the cafe, there would have been no need for Jeroboam to set up the golden calves to prevent his ten tribes going to Jerusalem; their hiftory furnishes us from time to time with fufficient teftimonies, that these festivals were kept conftantly till after our SAVIOUR's time, as it plainly appears from the vaft multitudes

C 2

"

or

Of the passover.

Eafter, fignal and miraculous deliverance out of their Egy

HIS grand feftival was inftituted in memory of their

pallover.

ptian bondage; of which we fhall speak in the fequel : the laws relating to it are to the following purpose.

Ir fhall be of perpetual obligation, both to the Ifraelites, and to all circumcifed profelytes a.

No circumcifed perfon, whether of the feed of Abrabam, or admitted into the commonwealth by circumcifion, unless hindered by ficknefs, journeying, or fome legal impurity, fhall omit the annual celebration of it, under the penalty of being cut off from his people b (B).

a Exod. xii. 14, 24, & alib.

multitudes that were at Jeru-
falem, from all parts of the
world, at the feast of pentecoft,
when the Holy Ghost fell upon
the apostles. Neither need we,
fecondly, fuppofe with others,
that they only fent a certain
proportion of men, as one in
ten, or twelve, to Jerufalem,
to be, as it were, the repre-
fentatives, and to offer the gifts
of the reft, whilst thefe kept
the folemnity in their own
towns. For if any fuch thing
had been either allowed or
practifed, we should certainly
have met with fomething of it
in holy writ; whereas the con-
trary doth rather appear, from
the inftances above-mentioned.
But fince there was a permiffion
from God, that they that were
unable to celebrate the paffover
on the first month, fhould do it
in the fecond, as we shall fee
in the next note; will it not
be more reasonable to fuppofe,
that they might extend this in-
dulgence alfo to the other fefti-
vals; fo as that one half of the
males fhould stay at home to
guard their houfes, whilft the

b Numb. xix. 13, 14.

No

others went up; and, at their return, to go and partake of the folemnity of the second month? It is indeed urged, that there was a promise from GoD, that none should defire their lands whilft they went up to appear before him: but, befides that their natural backwardness in believing him gives us little reafon to think, that they would commit their wives, children, and all that was dear to them, to his fole care, whilft they went fo far from them to worship him; it is plain, that those promises were only conditional, that is, as long as they continued ftedfast in their obedience; which was fo feldom their cafe, that had their faith in his promises been stronger than it was, yet their disobedience woula have given them but small encouragement to lay hold on them.

(B) It being the principal end of this inftitution not only to perpetuate the memory of all the wonders which GoD did in Egypt and at the Red Sea, but alfo to make it a standing and irrefragable

No fervant or stranger fhall eat of it, unless he become circumcifed c.

THE feaft (C) fhall begin on the eve of the fourteenth day of the month Abif, or, as the original expreffes it, be

• Exod. xii. 43, & feq.

ex

irrefragable monument to all pofterity of the truth and certainty of thofe amazing works; nothing could be more pedient than to enforce the obfervation of it under fome fevere penalties. However, it is evident by the fequel, that they did not understand it of a capital punishment, fuch as was to be inflicted on blafphemers, idolaters, Sabbath-breakers, and the like, feeing they not only omitted to celebrate it during their abode in the wilderness, without any vifible excufe, as will be feen in the fequel, but were afterwards guilty of a most fhameful neglect of it, during feveral wicked reigns, till Hezekiah, and after him Jofiah, revived it (3), as we fhall fee in its proper place.

As for those who, by reason of any legal impurity, whether accidental or voluntary, were unfit for, and those who were hindered by any lawful impediment from celebrating this festival with the reft of the people on the month Nifan, they were ordered to keep it with the ufual ceremony on the following month, called Fair. This indulgence was granted by GOD himself, in favour of fome men who had defiled

tween

themselves by affifting at the burial of fome relation (4); and was afterwards made ufe of by the priests and Levites, who, being under fome legal impurities when the king commanded them to revive this festival at its ufual time, were forced to poftpone it to the. next month (5).

(C) This feftival is called in the original pa pefach, from the verb passach, which fignifies to pafs by, or leap over, and not from the Greek doxa, to fuffer, as if it had been prophetical of CHRIST's fuffering at that feast, as fome antient fathers have imagined for want of understanding Hebrew (6). GOD himself explained the etymon,where he commanded them to tell their children, that this was the facrifice of the LORD'S paffover, MDD WN, afher-paffach, who paffed by, or leaped over the houses of the Ifraelites (7). It was to beginy ben-haharvaim, between the two evenings (8) of the 14th of the month called by Mofes Abif, which properly fignifies the stalk that bears the ear of corn, because wheat begins to be ripe about this time. This month was afterwards called Nifan, and anfwers to our

(4) Vide Num. ix. 6, & feqq. (6) Tertul. cont. Jud. c. 10. Ambrof. lib. de myfter. (7) Exod. xii. 27. (8) Ibid. ver. 6.

(3) 2 Chron. xxx. & xxxv. pass (s) 2 Chron. xxx. 3. pasch. & al.

C 3

March

« AnteriorContinua »