ately perceived from what hand it came, and confessed that this was the finger of God.

4. The plague of flies (Exod. viii. 20-32.), which was inflicted in the midst of winter, and not in the midst of summer, when Egypt swarms with flies, would show the Egyptians the folly of the god, whom they worshipped that he might drive away the gad-fly, whose sting is extremely painful.

5. The fifth plague—the murrain among cattle (Exod. ix. 1-7.) destroyed the living objects of their stupid worship. The sacred bull, the cow, or heifer, the ram, and the he-goat, fell dead before their worshippers. When the distemper inflicted by this judgment spread irresistibly over the country, the Egyptians not only suffered a severe loss, but also beheld their deities and their representatives sink before the god of the Hebrews.

6. As the Egyptians were celebrated for their medical skill, and their physicians were held in the highest repute, the sixth plague, the infliction of boils accompanied with blains (Exod. ix. 8-12.), which neither their deities could avert, nor the art of man alleviate, would further show the vanity of their gods. Aaron and Moses were ordered to take ashes of the furnace, and to scatter them towards Heaven, that they might be wafted over the face of the country. This was a significant command. The ashes were to be taken from that fiery furnace, which in the Scripture was used as a type of the slavery of the Israelites, and of the cruelty which they experienced in Egypt. (Deut. iv. 20.) The process has still a farther allusion to an idolatrous and cruel rite, which was common among the Egyptians, and to which it is opposed as a contrast. They had several cities styled Typhonian, such as Heliopolis, Idythyia, Abaris, and Busiris. In these, at particular seasons, they sacrificed men. The objects thus destined, were persons with bright hair, and a particular complexion, such as were seldom to be found among the native Egyptians. Hence, we may infer that they were foreigners; and it is probable, that whilst the Israelites resided in Egypt, they were chosen from their body. They were burnt alive upon a high altar, and thus sacrificed for the good of the people. At the close of the sacrifice, the priests gathered together the ashes of these victims, and scattered them upwards in the air, with the view probably, that where any atom of this dust was carried, a blessing might be entailed. The like was, therefore, done by Moses, though with a different intention, and to a more certain effect.

7. The plague of hail, rain, and fire, (Exod. ix. 13-35.) demonstrated that neither Osiris, who presided over fire, nor Isis, who presided over water, could protect the fields and the climate of Egypt from the thunder, the rain, and the hail of Jehovah. These phenomena were of extremely rare occurrence, at any period of the year: they now fell at a time when the air was most calm and serene.

8. Of the severity of the ravages, caused by the plague of locusts, (Exod. x. 1-20.) some idea may be conceived from the account of

1 Plutarch, Is. et Osir. v. i. p. 380. D.

The Egyptians had

those insects in Volume III. Part I. § X. 4. gods, in whom they trusted to deliver their country from these terrible invaders. They trusted much to the fecundity of their soil, and to the deities, Isis and Serapis, who were the conservators of all plenty. But by this judgment they were taught that it was impossible to stand before Moses the servant of God. The very winds, which they venerated, were made the instruments of their destruction; and the sea, which they regarded as their defence against the locusts, could not afford them any protection.

9. The ninth plague consisted in three days' darkness, over all the land of Egypt, (Exod. x. 21-27.) The Egyptians considered light and fire, the purest of elements, to be proper types of God. They regarded the sun, the great fountain of light, as an emblem of his glory, and salutary influence on the world. The sun was esteemed the soul of the world, and was supposed with the moon to rule all things and not only to be the conservators, but the creators of all things. Accordingly they worshipped them, as well as night and darkness. This miraculous darkness would therefore confirm still further (if further confirmation were wanting,) the vanity of their idoldeities.

10. The infliction of the tenth and last plague,—the destruction of the first-born (Exod. xi. 1—8. xii. 29, 30.) was most equitable; because, after the Egyptians had been preserved by one of the Israelitish family, they had (contrary to all right, and in defiance of the stipulation originally made with the Israelites when they first went into Egypt,) enslaved the people to whom they had been so much indebted; had murdered their children, and made their bondage intolera ble. We learn from Herodotus,' that it was the custom of the Egyptians to rush from the house into the street, to bewail the dead with loud and bitter outcries: and every member of the family united in the bitter expressions of sorrow. How great then must their terror and their grief have been, when, at midnight, the Lord smote all the first-born of the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle; and when Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house where there was not one dead!

SECTION IV.

ON THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS.

I. Title, author, and date.-II. Scope. III. Synopsis of its contents.

I. THE third book of the Pentateuch (by the Jews termed

ויקרא

va-YIKRA, and he called, from its initial word) is in the Septuagint styled AETITIKON, and in our version Leviticus, or the Levitical

1 Lib. ii. c. 85, 86.

-

book, not because it treats of the ministry of the Levites, strictly so called, (of which we have a fuller account in the book of Numbers) but because it principally contains the laws concerning the religion of the Israelites, which chiefly consisted of various sacrifices; the charge of which was committed to Aaron the Levite (as he is termed Exod. iv. 14.) and to his sons, who alone held the priestly office in the tribe of Levi; which St. Paul therefore calls a "Levitical priesthood." (Heb. vii. 11.) In the Babylonish Talmud it is called the law of the priests, which appellation is retained in the Arabic and Syriac versions.

The author of this book, it is universally admitted, was Moses; and it is cited as his production in several books of Scripture. By comparing Exod. xl. 17. with Numb. i. 1. we learn that this book contains the history of one month, viz. from the erection of the tabernacle to the numbering of the people who were fit for war, that is, from the beginning of the second year after Israel's departure from Egypt to the beginning of the second month of the same year, which was in the year of the world 2514, and before Christ 1490. laws prescribed upon other subjects than sacrifices, have no chronological marks by which we can judge of the times when they were given.

The

II. The general scope of this book is, to make known to the Israelites the Levitical laws, sacrifices, and ordinances, and by those "shadows of good things to come," to lead the Israelites to the Messiah (Heb. x. 1. with Gal. iii. 24.): and it appears from the argument of St. Paul, that they had some idea of the spiritual meaning of these various institutions. (1 Cor. x. 1-4.) But, more particularly, the Levitical law was designed, (1.) To preserve the Israelites, (who, from their long residence in Egypt, were but too prone to idolatry) a distinct and independent people from the surrounding Gentile nations, by means of such burthensome, costly, and various ceremonies, that nothing but a conviction of their divine original could induce any people to submit to such a yoke. — (2.) By expiatory sacrifices to lead them to Christ, the only true propitiation for our sins, and who alone is able perfectly to purge the conscience, (Heb. ix. x.) —(3.) By eucharistical or thanksgiving sacrifices, to lead them to spiritual thankfulness to God for all his benefits. (4.) By the institution of the high priesthood, to conduct them to Jesus Christ, the great "High Priest," who hath an unchangeable priesthood, and is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. (Heb. vii. 24, 25.)— And lastly, to instruct them, by meats forbidden as unclean, to avoid what God prohibits; and, by various kinds of uncleannesses, with their correspondent expiations, to illustrate the necessity and importance of internal purity and righteousness.

This book is of great use in explaining numerous passages of the New Testament, especially the epistle to the Hebrews, which in fact would be unintelligible without it. In considering, however, the spiritual tendency of Leviticus, care must be taken not to apply the types too extensively the observation of Jerome as to its spiritual import

:

is undoubtedly very pious and just, but few persons will acquiesce in his remark, that "almost every syllable in this book breathes a spiritual sacrament."

III. Leviticus is divided by the Jews into nine parasches, which in our Bibles form twenty-seven chapters: it consists of four leading topics, comprising

PART I. The laws concerning sacrifices, in which the different kinds of sacrifices are enumerated, together with their concomitant rites;

as,

SECT. 1. The burnt-offering, (Lev. i.) which prefigured the full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice of Christ, "to put away sin;" and who by his "one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.' (Heb. ix. 26. x. 14. 1 John i. 7.) SECT. 2. The meat-offerings. (Lev. ii.)

SECT. 3. The peace-offering. (Lev. iii.) which represented both Christ's oblation of himself, whereby he became our peace and salvation, (Eph. ii. 14-16. Acts xiii. 47. Heb. v. 9. ix. 28.) and also our oblation of praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to God. SECT. 4. The offering made for sins of ignorance, (Lev. iv. v.) which, being consumed without the camp, signified Christ's suffering" without the gate, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood." (Heb. xiii. 11-13.)

SECT. 5. The trespass-offering for sins knowingly committed, (Lev. vi. vii.) in which sacrifice the guilt was considered as being transferred to the animal offered up to Jehovah, and the person offering it, as redeemed from the penalty of sin. Thus Jesus Christ is said to have made his soul an offering for sin. (Isa. liii. 10. with 2 Cor. v. 21.)

PART II. The institution of the priesthood, in which the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the sacred office is related, together with the punishment of Nadab and Abihu. (Lev. viii.--x.)

PART III. The laws concerning purifications both of the people and the priests. (Lev. xi.-xxii.)

Among these, the regulations concerning leprosy (xiii.) as representing the universal taint of sin, and those concerning the scape-goat and the great day of atonement, (xvi.) demand particular attention; as typifying the death and resurrection of Christ, and the atonement, made thereby (Heb. ix. 7—12. 24— 27.); while they at the same time inculcate the hatefulness of sin, and the necessity of internal purity. Chapters xviii. and xix. contain various cautions to the Israelites to avoid the sinful practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites, with laws adapted to the peculiar circumstances and situations of the children of Israel, interspersed with several moral precepts inculcating the duties of humanity and mercy, and the necessity of strict integrity.

PART IV. The laws concerning the sacred festivals, vows, things devoted, and tithes.

1 In hoc libro singula pene syllaba celestia spirat sacramenta; quia ad Christum unicum Novi Testamenti summum sacerdotem figuræ illius nos deducunt. Epist ad Paulinum.

Chapter xxiii. treats of the seven great festivals, viz. the sabbath, the passover, the feast of first-fruits, the feast of Pentecost, the feast of trumpets, the great day of atonement, and the feast of tabernacles. The celebration of these solemn festivals was of singular use for maintaining the system of divine worship among the Israelites, for distinguishing them from all other people, for the solemn commemoration of the many and great benefits conferred on them by Jehovah, for the preservation and continuance of the public ministry, for preserving purity and unity in divine worship, and lastly, for prefiguring the manifold and great blessings bestowed on mankind by the Messiah. In chap. xxiv. various ceremonial and judicial rites are enjoined; and in chap. xxv. is recapitulated the law respecting the sabbatical year which had before been given (see Exod. xxiii.); the observance of the jubilee is enjoined, with various precepts respecting mercy, benevolence, &c. The jubilee was typical of the great time of release, the Gospel dispensation. (See Isa. xxvi. 13. and Ixi. 1-3. with Luke iv. 19.) Chap. xxvi. presents, various prophetic promises and threatenings which have signally been fulfilled among the Jews. (Compare v. 22. with Numb. xxi. 6. 2 Kings ii. 24. and xvii. 25. with Ezek. v. 17.)1 The preservation of the Jews to this day as a distinct people, is a living comment on v. 44. The twenty-seventh and last chapter comprises regulations concerning vows, and things devoted, as well as the tithes which were to be dedicated to the service of the tabernacle.

1 In prophetic language, lions and bears denote tyrannical governors. The accomplishment of the prediction in v. 34. which was also denounced by Jeremiah, (xix. 9.) has been noticed in the first volume of this work