And, upon Hezekiah's purifying and refitting the Temple, after it had been long neglected, or polluted with Idolatry; a

mong the rest of the folemn Preparations * Chron. upon that Occafion, The Levites food with xxix. 27. the inftruments of David, and the Priests with the trumpets: And when the burntoffering began, the fong of the LORD began alfo, with the trumpets, &c. And all the congregation worship'd, and the fingers fang, and the trumpeters founded: And all this continued until the burnt-offering was finifhed.

The fame Solemnity was ufed at the laying of the Foundation of the fecond Ezra iii. Temple. The Priefs in their apparel, with trumpets, and the Levites with cymbals, were plac'd in order to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Ifrael. And they fung together, by course, in praifing and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is Good, for bis mercy endureth for ever.

Luke i,

46,

The Book of Psalms contains several of thefe Gratulatory Hymns. And the Gofpel has two very fine ones; that of the Bleffed Virgin, My foul doth magnify the

LORD2

68.

LORD, &c. and of Zacharias, Blessed be Luke 1. the LORD God of Ifrael, &c. But of this, more in its proper Place; when we come to discourse upon that Part of the Levitical Office.

SECT. XII.

Jofephus's Account of Sacrifices.

But, before we dismiss the Subject of Sacrifices, it may be proper to take a View of what Jofephus the Jewish Historian delivers upon that Head; and to compare it with the Scripture Account. He fays, "There are two Ways of offering "Sacrifice; one, when it is made for "the whole Body of the People; the other, when for private Perfons. And

again, each of these is of two Sorts; one, when the Sacrifice is wholly con"fum'd by Fire, and is what we call a Burnt-Offering; the other, when it is a Peace-Offering, made for a Thanksgiving, and is eaten by thofe that offer < it.

"When a private Perfon offers a Burnt"Offering, what he brings upon that OcN 2 cafion,

cafion, is a Bullock, a Lamb or a Kid " of a Year old (the Bullocks indeed fome"what older) and all of the Male Kind. "When they are kill'd, the Priests pour "their Blood round about the Altar; and

taking away from them every unclean "Part, they cut them up into Joints; and,

ftrewing Salt over them all, lay them " upon the Wood which is pil'd upon "the Altar, and quickly kindled with the "Fire thereof. The Feet and the Fat of "the Victim, nicely cleans'd, are likewise "laid upon the Altar, with the other "Parts: The Hide being the Fee of the "officiating Prieft: This is the BurntOffering.

"But those who offer a Peace-Offering " for Thanksgiving, bring indeed the same "Creatures as thofe beforemention'd, but "older; that is, quite full-grown; and "either Male or Female, as it happens. "When they are kill'd, their Blood is

pour'd out upon the Altar; the Cawl, "the Kidneys, and all the Fat of the "Rump, is burnt thereon. The Breast " and the right Shoulder is the Prieft's "Fee; and the reft, they who bring the

« Offering

"Offering may eat, and have two Days "allow'd for it; but, whatever is left"after that Time, they burn with Fire.

"And the Sin-Offering is made much "in the fame manner. But, if it should "happen that any one cannot afford to "bring the larger Sort of Creatures re"quir'd in Sacrifice, they may offer two "Pigeons or Turtles; one for a BurntOffering to God, the other for a Fee "to the Priest.

"When any one fins unknowingly, he "brings a Yearling Lamb and a Kid of "the female Kind, and the Priest pours "the Blood thereof upon the Altar; not as beforemention'd, but only tingeing "the extreme Parts of the Corners of it

(call'd in Scripture the Horns:) then the "Priest, burning all the Fat, as before, "takes the Hide as his Fee, and may eat "the Remainder of the Flesh, that fame Day; but is not allow'd to keep any " of it till the Morrow.

66

"But he who fins knowingly, tho' no one is privy to it befide himself, must “offer a Ram, according to the Law: "whose Flesh is, in like manner, to be

Jofh.

viii. 30. 31.

eaten by the Priests, in the Temple, "the fame Day.

re

"When Princes or Rulers have com"mitted any Sin, they must offer in the "fame manner that private Perfons do; "but must make their Atonement, by offering a Bullock and a Kid of the "Male Kind. The Law moreover quires, in all Sacrifices as well private as publick, a Quantity of the finest "Flour to go along with it; if it be a "Lamb, one Measure; if a Ram, two; if (6 a Bullock three: which mixed up with "Oil, is prefented upon the Altar. As " for the Oil, it must be, for a Bullock the one half of a † Hin; for a Ram, a third part; and for a Lamb, a fourth Part."

SECT. XIII.

Scripture Examples of Sacrifices. Let us next inquire what Examples we have in other Parts of Scripture, befide the Law, of the Use of these Sacrifices. Joshua, after he had brought the Children of Ifrael over Jordan, and had begun his Conquefts in the Land of Canaan, built an

Hin was about five Wine-Quarts.

altar