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prieft took a cheft, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and fet it befide the altar; and the prieft that kept the door, put therein all the money that was brought into the house of

the LORD. In another Place, it is faid; 2 Chron. At the king's commandment, they made a xxiv. 8. cheft, and fet it without, at the gate of the bouse of the LORD. And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerufalem, to bring in to the LORD, the collection that Mofes the fervant of God laid upon Ifrael in the wilderness.

A confiderable Time after, in the Reign of King Jofiah, mention is again made of this Money upon the fame Account. He fends a Scribe to the House of the 2 Kings LORD, faying, Go up to Hilkiah the priest, that he may fum the filver that is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people.

xxii.

4.

We hear no more of it, till after the Building of the fecond Temple; when, instead of Chefts, we read of a* TreasureHouse, confifting of feveral Chambers, in

Perfico-Græcè Talopundnser. Syriacè Corban.

x. 38.

which the Offerings were repofited, And Nehem. the Levites fhall bring up the tythe of the tythes, unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure-house.

Then Nehem.

brought all Judah the tithe of the corn, and the new wine, and the oyl unto the treasuries. And I made treasurers over the treafuries.

xiii. 12.

And fomething of this kind had been z Chron. done, in the Time of the firft Temple, by xxxi. 11. order of King Hezekiah. As, no doubt but there were Conveniencies of this fort all along, even in the Time of the Tabernacle. We read that Mofes and Eleazar Numb. the priest took the gold of the offering, that xxxi. 54. the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds offered up to the LORD, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, &c. And Joshua fays, that all the Jofh. vi. filver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron (taken in the City of Jericho) are confecrated unto the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

19.

The best Interpreters think that, this Taxation, was what they came to demand of our LORD in the Gospel; what is Mat. there render'd Tribute-Money, being, in xvii. 24.

the

Lev.

xxiii. 38.

the Original,* fuch a Sum as is juft equivalent to a Half-Shekel; and that which

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Peter was to find in the Fifh's Mouth, and give for his Mafter and Himself, being likewise express'd by another Word, which fignifies a Sum equal to a + whole Shekel. Of the Treasury, in the Temple, we also find mention, in feveral parts of the Gospel,

SECT. XXIII.

Vows and Freewill-Offerings.

The Sacred Gifts, hitherto spoken of, were fuch as the Law appointed; there were others made, either by Vows, or out of mere Free-Will. Mofes, mentioning the several Festivals of the Year, fays, Thefe are the feafts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations; befide the Sabbaths of the LORD, and befide your gifts, and befide all your vows, and befide all your free-will-offerings, which ye give

unto the LORD.

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Deut.

Vows, were Refolutions folemnly made, in Times of Difficulty or Want, of Offering fuch and fuch Things to God, by way of Thanksgiving, in case their Wishes were crown'd with Succefs; and, to neglect the Performance of them, was look'd upon a's a most impious profane Thing. The Law speaks of it, thus; When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not xxiii. 21. Jack to pay it; for the LORD thy God will furely require it of thee; and it would be fin in thee. That, which is gone out of thy lips, thou shalt keep and perform; even a free-will-offering, according as thou haft vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou haft promised with thy mouth.

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Of the manner, in which thefe Vows were usually made, we have an Inftance in that famous one of Jephthah. He vowed Judg. xi, a vow unto the LORD and faid; if thou 30. fhalt, without fail, deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, Then shall it be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, fhall furely be the LORD's; and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

Another

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Another Instance is, in Hannah the Mo

1 Sam. i. ther of the Prophet Samuel; She vowed a vow, and faid; O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD, all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

2 Samoy XV. 8.

XXX. 2,

&c.

Abfalom fays to David; I pray thee let me go, and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD in Hebron. For thy fervant vowed a vow, while I abode at Gefhur in Syria, faying, If the LORD fhall bring me again indeed to Jerufalem, then I will ferve the LORD.

Swearing, is likewise mention'd in the Law, as a way by which they fometimes bound themselves, as well as by vowing: Numb. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or fwear an oath to bind his foul with a bond; be fhall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedetb out of his mouth. At the fame time, it is faid; That, if a fingle Woman, who lives with her Father, or a married Woman, who lives with her Husband, fhall either of them vow a vow,

they

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