dered "goodly;" and in the Lamentations* we read, "the adversary hath spread out his hand upon all our pleasant things," where the Temple is again understood, as the context proves. In other places it occurs in a bad sense, as relating to what was held sacred by Heathens only, but still what was held sacred-" The oaks which ye have desired," "all pleasant pictures," + objects of idolatry, as the tenour of the passage indicates-" their delectable things shall not profit," § that is, their idols. I may add too, that the roλn of the Septuagint, (for this answers to the "raiment” of our version,) though not limited to the robe of the altar, is the term used in the Greek as the appropriate one for the robe of Aaron; and finally, that the care with which this

*Lamentations, i. 10. Isaiah, ii. 16.

† Isaiah, i. 29.

§ Ibid. xliv. 9.

vesture had been kept by Rebekah, and the perfumes with which it was imbued when Jacob wore it, (for Isaac "smelled the smell of his raiment,") savour of things pertaining unto God.

But if there were Patriarchal Places for worship-if there were Priests to conduct. the worship-if there were decent Robes wherein those priests ministered at the worship; so do I think there were stated Seasons set apart for it: though here again we have nothing but hints to guide us to a conclusion.

4. I confess that the Divine institution of the Sabbath as a day of religious duties, seems to me to have been from the beginning; and though we have but glimpses of such a fact, still to my eye they present themselves as parts of that one harmonious whole which I am now endeavouring to develop and draw out-even of a Patri

archal Church, whereof we see scarcely any thing but by glimpse.

"And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man, and all the rulers of the congregation came, and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, to-morrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Six days ye shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none."* And again, in a few verses after, "And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days." Now the transaction here recorded is by some argued to be the first institution of the Sabbath. The inference I draw

* Exod. xvi. 22.

from it, I confess, is different. I see in it, that a Sabbath had already been appointed -that the Lord had already given it; and that, in accommodation to that institution already understood, he had doubled the manna on the sixth day. But even supposing the Institution of the Sabbath to be here formally proclaimed, or supposing (as others would have it and as the Jews themselves pretend,) that it was not now promulgated strictly speaking, but was actually one of the two precepts given a little earlier at Marah,* still it is not uncommon in the writings of Moses, nor indeed in other parts of Scripture, for an event to be mentioned as then occurring for the first time, which had in fact occurred, and which had been reported to have occurred, long before. For instance, Isaac and Abimelech meet, and swear to do each other no injury.

* Exodus, xv. 25, and compare Deuteronomy, v. 12.

"And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water; and he called it Shebah, therefore the name of the city is Beer-Sheba unto this day."* Now who would not say that the name was then given to the place by Isaac, and for the first time? Yet it had been undoubtedly given by Abraham long before, in commemoration of a similar covenant which he had struck with the Abimelech of his day. "These seven ewe-lambs," said he to that Prince," shalt thou take at my hand, that they may be a witness unto thee that I have digged this well; wherefore he called the place Beer-Sheba, because they sware both of them." Or, as another instance:" And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padan-Aram, Genesis, xxvi. 32. + Ibid. xxi. 31.