These words to lore the ear, are rendered in the setagt by others that signify to fit, or prepare a body, ing that the body or person of the slave was no his own, but his master's. The author of the to the Hebrews brings in JUSTS CHRIST making of the same expression, and applies it to his subject Lady, When mention is so often made in the New Testament of the remission of sins, it is undoubtedly poken with allusion to the sabbatical year, which was of remission in all these respects. The jubileet was celebrated at the end of seven times seven, or forty-nine years, that is Oh every fiftieth year. It began on the tenti day of the month Tisri, and was pr dained throughout the country by the sound of a ne , or a trumpet. There is no mention of the jhles, but whilst the twelve tribes were in possesi the cased when thetribes of Gad, Beule, the half of Maneh were carried away into captiv and they are not at all mentioned under the sec temple, though the sabbatical years continued stil to be served. The jubilee had the same prileg the sabbatical year, the ground was not then call and slaves were set at liberty". And besides schlands as had been sold or mortgaged, returned fist owners, if they could not redeem the ; excepting houses in walled towns. The to be redeemed within a year, otherwise they le Laged to the purchaser, notwithstanding the jubile Se lamed men have attempted to prove ly allin, that appears pretty exact, that if the l THE NEW TESTAMENT. jubilees, the fifteenth year of e Baptist first began to preach, bilee, and consequently the last, e Jewish commonwealth was no 3 particular is of some consewith the Jews, who pretend', ill come during the last jubilee. agrees with the design of the of John the Baptist's coming, the grand jubilee, the spiritual of God, foretold by Zechariah'. bilees of the Jews. into the land of Canaan, because they were to be sprovem years making themselves masterstened, and seves more in dividing it among themes. The reckoned, not from Abb or Maree forms. Tam ve September. It was called the year of "eur, je umanji reasons. 1. Because the ground They were not permitted to sow, trees, in a word, to cultivate the groun whatsoever. So that during the six firering vers and especially on the sixth, which was stret dhe me of the sabbatical year, they were obliged to r sions against the ensuing time of need. Th made some believe that when JESUS CHRIST Jews, Pray ye that your flight be not on the vastbesta he meant the sabbatical year, when there was not inte sustenance to be found upon the ground. But another sense may be put on that passage had been contracted during the is proacting vess were remitted. But it may be questurned wartym 1 creditor was not allowed to demand his debt at the ven of the sabbatical year; the Thalmudists are not agreed about it, but thus much is certain, that the sabbatica par was a time of acquittance for debtors. 3. Hebrew were then g the sabbath. the sabbatical ves us an occasion of reflecting N, so famous in the Old and certain that an extraordinary 1 holiness hath ever been as g the heathens, as is evident he seven altars, which Balaam acrifice thereon seven bullocks, learn from Genesis that this ected also by the patriarchs. set at liberty. It is however proberie, that masters were choose seven pairs of clean 1 into the ark". Noah sent 1 out of the ark to see if the raham set apart seven lambs rved Laban twice seven years *. red seven-fold, and Lamech en times seven a. God comffer seven bullocks and seven '. Pharaoh saw in a dream s of corn, which Joseph interThis number was no less end of every seventh year, whether it haggenet obliged to make their series free at the the sabbatical year or not'; unless the saves w willing to remain in the same state for 'ide. n which case, their masters brought them before s and bored their ears through with an awl against the door-posts. To which David alluded when be wand that God did not desire sacrifice or oblation from m but had bored his ears, that he might be his servant for ever, and become always obedient to his voce. Exod. xxii. 10, &e. Lev. m.2,3,4,5. Mantr 1, 12, n. 29. 8. viii. 10, 11, 12. (r) Zech. ix. 14 (t) Numb. xxiii (y) Gen. xxi. 2 (b) Job xlii. 8. the law in this respect, but only fo of corn on the sabbath. Others the Jews called first sabbaths the diately followed their three solem that the first of all was that which over, the second-first after the pe first after the feast of tabernacles is built upon too weak grounds The most probable opinion the commonly received among the 1 by the second-first sabbath is to sabbath after the second day of th bread, when the handful of barl from which the seven weeks betw pentecost were reckoned. confirm this supposition. The lawfully eat ears of corn. Joseph second day of the feast of unleav the sixteenth of the month, they but not before. Besides, the Gre Luke, properly signifies the fi This moreover agrees with the Je the fifty days between the pas The next day after the offering of used to say, this is the first day of till the fiftieth. The Hellenist J the first after the omer, said the that is, after the second day of th bread. Every The sabbatical year happened and therefore it was Of the sab- bath, according to t batical year. The first sabbatical y children of Israel was the fourteer The words to lore the ear, are rendered in the same expression, and applies it to his subject as to the sabbatical year, which was es seven, or forty-nine years, that are not at all mentioned under the seem sabbatical years continued s be observed. The jubilee had the same privile on year, the ground was not then cu daves were set at liberty". And besides stands had been sold or mortgaged, returne risers, if they could not redeem the excepting houses in walled towns: Th we be redeemed within a year, otherwise they ged the purchaser, notwithstanding the Se leaned men have attempted to prove The word jubilee is formed fro 'horn, because it was used i jer se from another signifying to reali telestates returned them to the fr THE NEW TESTAMENT into the land of Canaan, because ther years making themselves masters more in dividing it among themse reckoned, not from Abb or Mare September. It was called the ver reasons. 1. Because the round te They were not permitted to sow. trees, in a word, to cultivate the end whatsoever. So that during the six and especially on the sixth, which the sabbatical year, they were sions against the ensuing time of made some believe that when Jests C Jews, Pray ye that your flight be he meant the sabbatical year, when t sustenance to be found upon the grand sense may be T had been contracted during the six put on that passage. 2 were remitted. But it may be creditor was not allowed to derand of the sabbatical year; the Thass about it, but thus much is certain, t was a time of acquittance for debtors. 3. were then set at liberty. It is how masters were obliged to make the end of every seventh rear, whether jubilees, the fifteenth year of e Baptist first began to preach, ilee, and consequently the last, e Jewish commonwealth was no particular is of some consewith the Jews, who pretend', I come during the last jubilee. grees with the design of the John the Baptist's coming, he grand jubilee, the spiritual f God, foretold by Zechariah'. ilees of the Jews. the sabbath. the sabbatical es us an occasion of reflecting N, so famous in the Old and certain that an extraordinary holiness hath ever been as the heathens, as is evident e seven altars, which Balaam crifice thereon seven bullocks, earn from Genesis that this ected also by the patriarchs. choose seven pairs of clean into the ark". Noah sent out of the ark to see if the aham set apart seven lambs ved Laban twice seven years. ed seven-fold, and Lamech en times seven ". God comfer seven bullocks and seven ". Pharaoh saw in a dream of corn, which Joseph interThis number was no less the sabbatical year or not; unless pro willing to remain in the same state from their masters brought them t case, and bored their ears through door-posts. To which Danil aliter e that God did not desire sacrifice or cilat fr but had bored his ears, that he might be s for ever, and become always obedient to act (e) Exod. xxiii. 10, &c. Lev. xv. 2,3,4,5. lema poor and the stranger. Exod. xxiii. 11. Created at that season of the year. To which e aaded, that sabbatical years and jubilees were the month Tisri, for which reason perhaps wed the memorial of the Jubilee. Mention is often made in the sacred writings of the rays ty of the new-moons, which are by the Hebrews Cette beginning of the months". We meet with me footsteps of these festivals in the remotest periods then antiquity', but they were consecrated to the as hath been already said. We have also observed re, that the ancient Jews were not used to have recourse da an astronomical calculation, to find out the -moon, but discovered it by its phasis, or appearance. of the sun begins to emerge out of the was by them observed with a superstitious exact These festivals were celebrated in the same manner as were observed on the first day of the year, bating some few differences, which may be easily di cerned by comparing the twenty-eighth and twenty-nint chapters of the book of Numbers together. We do not find that the feast of new-moons had any typical meaning. It seems moreover not to have been so much a law, as a custom already received, which the supreme. gver did not think fit to oppose, but only to prescribe what ceremonies were to be then observed. When therefore St. Paul ranks the new-moons among observances which were only figures of things to come he means the whole body of the ceremonial law, whereof the new-moons were a part. Law those We are now come to those Jewish festivals, which were of human institution only. The first is that of lots, called in Hebrew purim †, The occasion of which name was taken The feast of para, or lots. (Exod. xi. 2. Numb. x. 10. xxviii. 11. Isai. i. 13, 14 Earp. 12. Troad, Chor. 5. Hesiod, Dier. v. 6. Herodot V Mam. c. 33. A famous Carite doctor samed Elias, imagined that the ner moons were observed even in the time of Noah and Abraham JJ Coloss. ii. 16. ◆ This is a Persian word, but used by the Hebrews. |