macta, i. magis aucta, augmented or in- And again: IL. 1. 1. 584 was therefore used to signify the purity | which by that ceremony was said to be and persevering fidelity necessary in the worshippers of God. It was called thesalt of the covenant,' because as salt was incorruptible, so was the cove nant and promise of Jehovah, which on this account is called 2 Chron. 13. 5, a covenant of salt;' i. e. an everlasting covenant. But in order to obtain an adequate idea of the reasons which prompted the use of this article, and made it so indispensable in the services of the Jewish altar, we are to remem. ber that the sacrifices were a kind of feast, in which those who partook of them were for the time being the guests of God, and eating and drinking at his table. But it was by eating and drink. ing together, that all important covenants were anciently ratified and confirmed, and as salt was of course never wanting at such entertainments, it came at length to be regarded as a symbol of friendship, and the phrase "covenant of salt' was but another name for the most firm, enduring, and inviolable compact. In like manner, salt among the ancients was the emblem of friendship and fidelity, and therefore was used in all their sacrifices and covenants. No part of their religious ceremonies is more prominent than that which consists in the use of salt. Thus in Vir. gil, Æn. Lib. II. 1. 133: 'Mihi sacra parari 'Above the coals the smoking fragment burns, And sprinkles sacred salt from lifted urns.' IL. IX. 1. 281. Nearly every traveler who has visited the modern nations of the East, has furnished us with striking anecdotes illus trative of the sacredness with which salt was regarded as an emblem of fidelity in all their compacts. Thus Baron Du Tott, speaking of one who was desirous of his acquaintance, says, upon his departure, 'He promised in a short time to return. I had already attended him half way down the staircase, when stopping, and turning briskly to one of my domestics, Bring me directly, said he, some bread and salt. What he requested was brought; when, taking a little salt between his fingers, and putting it with a mysterious air on a bit of bread, he eat it with a devout gravity, assuring me that I might now rely on him.' And D'Herbelot remarks, that Et salsæ fruges, et circum tempora vittæ.' 'For me the sacred rites were prepared, and the salted cake, and fillets to bind about my temples.' Servius' explana-among other exploits which are retion is, Salt and barley, called salted corded of Jacoub ben Laith, he is said meal, with which they used to sprinkle to have broken into a palace, and having the forehead of the victim, the sacrifi- collected a very large booty, which he cial fire, and the knives.' From the was on the point of carrying away, he 'mola salsa,' salted cake, of the Latins, found his foot kicked something which were derived the words immolo, immo- made him stumble; putting it to his latio, to immolate, immolation, and this mouth, the better to distinguish it, his by synecdoche came to be applied to tongue soon informed him it was a lump the whole process of sacrificing. So of salt; upon this, according to the after the salted meal it was customary morality, or rather superstition, of the to pour wine on the head of the victim, country, where the people considered | with salt; neither shalt thou suffer mthe salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meatoffering with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. 14 And if thou offer a meat-offering of thy first-fruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat-offering of thy first-fruits, green ears of corn dried by the Numb. 18. 19. n Ezek. 43. 24. • ch. 23 10, 14 fire, even corn beaten out of pfull ears. 15 And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat-offering. 16 And the priest shall burn rthe memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. P 2 Kings 4. 42. 9 ver. 1. r ver. 2. sait as a symbol and pledge of hospi-kind concern for the maintenance of of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.' 1 Cor. 9. 13, 14. (8.) 'When it is presented unto the priest.' As none of the ancient sacred offerings were to be presented imme diately to God, but were first put into the hand of the priest, and through him offered upon the altar, so spiritual sacrifices under the Gospel are not available in the sight of God, unless tendered to him through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of the New Tes he was so touched that he left all those who were devoted to ministry in his Gooy, retiring without taking away sacred things. Those who labor in the any thing with him. Neither word are to be competently supported. shait thou suffer, &c. That is, ye are 'Do ye not know that they which min not to imagine, that because the Lord'sister about holy things live of the things share of the offering is to be consumed by dre, and not really eaten, ye may tim refore dispense with seasoning it. ry thing that is offered to him must he the best and most savory of its kind. | 14. Green ears of corn dried by the fire. They dried them in the fire, in the green ear, because that otherwise from their moisture they would not dait of being ground in a mill.¶ Corn beaten out of full ears. Heb. gerės karmel, small broken corn of the green ear. The original Heb. 27 geres, has the import of something crushed, broken, pounded, for which the Chal. has 'broken-grains,' or as we should term it, 'grits.' The Gr. renders the whole clause vaa пeppvypeva Xiópu Epikтa young parched grains broken in the mill. These first fruits had a typical reference to Christ, who is thus denominated, 1 Cor. 15. 20, and by whom all the rest of the harvest is sanctified. To the preparatory parching, breaking, and grinding, we see perhaps an allusion in the words of the prophet, Is. 53. 5, 'He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.' tament. (11.) Especial care is to be taken not only that our religious services be cleansed from the leaven of hypocrisy, but that they be thoroughly pervaded by the 'salt' of grace. Col. 4. 6, 'Let your speech be always with salt, sea. soned with grace.' Mark 9, 49, 'Every sacrifice shall be seasoned with salt.' (14.) If the first-fruits' of the har vest field were of old so peculiarly ac ceptable to God, how much more must he be pleased now with the first-fruits of the Spirit, and the expressions of an early piety in the young. The 'green ears' of youthful devotion will naturally 'be followed by the ripened sheaves of a godly old age, and in this form gathered into the garners of eternal life. CHAPTER III. THE PEACE-OFFERING. state of affairs, either obtained and gratefully acknowledged, or supplicated. A sacrifice of peace-offerings' therefore is properly a 'sacrifice of payofferings, of requitals, of retributions, Pursuing the scriptural order of the or pacifications,' and was offered (1.) specified offerings under the law, we Upon the recovery of peace with God in come in the present chapter to that consequence of an expiation for some which is denominated the Peace-offer- sin committed; Hos. 14. 2. (2.) As ing. The Heb. term thus rendered is an expression of thanksgiving for merD¬bu shelâmim, from the root 3 cies received; Lev. 7. 12. Judg. 20. 26. 1 Chron, 21. 26. (3.) On the performshûlam, to make up, make good, restore, ance of a vow, as Ps. 56. 13, Thy vous repay; and thence to make up a difference, to effect a reconciliation, to be at are upon me, O God; I will render peace. The leading ideas, therefore, praises (Heb. ' will repay confessions ') conveyed by the term, are those either unto thee.' Prov. 7. 14, I have peaceof retribution or of peace; and the term offerings with me (Heb. 'peace-offerpeace in the Scripture generally denotes ings are (were) upon me,' i. e. the oblieither the mutual concord of friends, gation of peace-offerings); this day or a state of prosperity. These different have I paid my vows; this kind of senses assigned to the root have led to peace-offering being vowed on condition different expositions of the appellation that a particular mercy were bestowed, derived from it. On the one hand, it is was performed after the condition was held, that the idea of retribution, or granted. By the Gr. the original word is rendered here and elsewhere voia recompence, is prominent in the name given to this class of sacrifices, and that owrnpiov sacrifice of salvation, (or safeit indicates the division or distribution ty); though sometimes by εipnvíen a made of them into three parts, one for pacifying or peace-offering; and by God, one for the offerers, and one for the Chal. a ' a sacrifice of sanctities (or the priests. This opinion is maintained sanctifications),' probably because none by the author of a Jewish treatise en- but clean and sanctified persons were titled Siphra, who says, 'they permitted to eat of it; Lev. 7. 19, 20. were so called because a prescribed Sol. Jarchi, a Jewish Commentator, portion of them fell to the share of each says they are called peace-offerings, party. On the other hand, it is held because they bring peace into the by some, that the other sense of the world, and because by them there is root, namely, that of concord is domi- peace to the altar, to the priests, and nant in the derivative, and that the to the owners.' This, however, is raname of these oblations denotes their ther the effect of the expiatory than of being symbols of friendship between the eucharistic offerings. Yet it is reGod, the priests, and the offerers, to markable that as these sacrifices reeach of whom was allotted a certain ceived their original appellation from portion of them. The opinion, how their being offered in thanksgiving or ever, is more simple and natural and supplication for prosperity, so because therefore more probable, which regards they were employed by the offerers the combined ideas of prosperity and themselves in sacred feasts, they were retribution or requital as prominent in also very frequently designated by anothe term, and that this class of offerings ther name zeba'him, which is is so called because they were always the appropriate term for victims slaughpresented in reference to a prosperous' tered for sacrifices and for banquets. it best to give the most literal render-2. 9, I will sacrifice unto thee with the ing and supply all deficiencies by the voice of thanksgiving, I will pay that I requisite explanations. have vowed; salvation is of the Lord.' 2 Sam. 15. 8, For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur, in Syria, saying, if the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord;' i. e. will serve him with a peace or thank-offering. One of the most striking instances of this kind occurs in the case of the eleven tribes, Judg. 20. 26, who from a zeal of God's house had undertaken to punish the Benjamites for the horrible wickedness confederate tribes gone up against the Benjamites, and twice been repulsed with the loss of twenty thousand men. But being still desirous to know and do the will of God in this matter, as it was As intimated above, the Peace-offerings were of a threefold character, volantary, votive, and eucharistic. The 1st of these was offered in view of specil favors and blessings enjoyed; the two former for inercies desired and implored. In Lev. 7. 11, 12, the Peaceoffering is evidently regarded as an act of thanksgiving for mercies received, and as such is referred to by David, Ps. 107. 22,Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving (they had committed. Twice had the yizbe'hu zib'hë todëh), and declare his works with rejoicing. So also Ps. 116. 16, 17, O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacri-his quarrel only that they were aveng fice of thanksgiving (1770 Mat zeba'h ing, they went up to the house of God todëh), and will call upon the name of and wept and fasted until even, and the Lord.' Hence it was that Heze- offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerkiah, 2 Chron. 29. 20, after having abol-ings unto the Lord;' and thus God deished all idolatrous rites, and restored | livered the Benjamites into their hands, the ancient worship, directed eucharistic sacrifices to be offered. Such too, it is evident, were offered by Manasseh, 2 Chron. 33. 16, after his restoration to his country and kingdom. The general doctrine held by the Jews in respect to this kind of oblations is thus expressed by Aben Ezra; 'The design of an eucharistic sacrifice is, that any person delivered from trouble may give praise to God on account of it.' Equivalent to this is the language of Sol. Jarchi; 'An eucharistic sacrifice ought to be offered to God by every one who has ex-in all ages and all nations. perienced any thing like a miracle; who The material of the Peace-offering so that with the exception of six hundred only, who fled, the whole tribe of Benjamin, male and females, was extirpated. So Jacob, Gen. 28. 20–22, and Jephthah, Judg. 30. 31; and so David, Ps. 66. 13, 14, I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble.' From this it appears that this kind of sacrifices was very ancient, and was grafted upon that innate desire to testify a mind grateful for divine bene fits, the traces of which are discoverable was to be either of the herd or the flock, | self and his family and friends, if cerethe greater or lesser animals, but never | monially clean, as a social and hospitaof the fowl, probably because their ble meal. If the Peace-offering were diminutive size did not admit of the of the eucharistic class, it was to be three-fold division between God, the eaten the same day it was offered, and priest, and the people. Like the holo- none of it was to be left until the morn caustic offerings, it must be without ing. But if the sacrifice of the offering blemish; but unlike to them, it might were a vow or a voluntary offering, part be either male or female. Of the rites of it might be eaten on the day on and ceremonies pertaining to the obla- which it was offered, and part of it on tion, some were in common with the the next day; but if any of it remained other sacrifices, and some peculiar to unto the third day, that part must not itself. It must be brought to the door be eaten, but must be burnt with fire. of the tabernacle; the owner must lay The reason of the difference in the two his hand on it; it must be killed, and cases is perhaps this: the tribute of the blood shed and sprinkled on the altar | love and gratitude was far more pleasround about; and finally it must be ing to God, as arguing a more heavenly burnt upon the altar, except the reserved frame of mind. In consequence of its parts. In these respects the details of superior excellence the sacrifice that the oblation are very similar to those was offered as a thanksgiving must be of the burnt-offering. But peculiar to eaten on the same day; whereas the itself was the division of the offering sacrifice offered as a vow or voluntary into three parts-the limitation of the offering might, being less holy and actime for eating it-the addition of leaven ceptable, be eaten also on the second -and the prohibition of fat and blood; | day. each of which particulars will be duly considered in its proper place. The victim of the Peace-offering was to be divided between God, and the priest, and the people; to each a portion. The part to be burnt before the Lord upon the altar, upon the burntoffering,' consisted of all the suet pertaining to the inwards, the two kidneys, the caul upon the liver, and all the fat. This was the Lord's portion. Another was assigned to the priest. This consisted of the breast and the right shoulder. The breast was to be waved to and fro, and the shoulder was to be heaved upwards before the Lord, in token of their being appropriated to his house and service. The breast was then given to the priests in general, while the shoulder remained the perquisite of him who officiated. A portion also of the leavened bread was to be given to the priest. All the remainder of the oblation, which was by far the greatest part, belonged to the offerer himself, and was to be eaten by him As to the occasions on which the Peace-offerings were presented, some of them were fixed by divine appointment, and some were altogether optional. The fixed occasions were at the consecration of the priests, Ex. 29. 28; at the expiration of the Nazarite's vow, Num. 6. 14; at the dedication of the tabernacle and temple, Num. 7. 17; and at the feast of first-fruits, Lev. 23. 19. In addition to these, the people were at liberty to offer them whenever a sense of gratitude or of need inclined them to it. It is to occasions of this kind that the directions in the present chapter mainly have respect. Having thus explained the nature of the Peace-offering, and the various rites and ceremonies connected with it, it remains to advert briefly to the moral lessons which it was calculated to im part. And in the outset we may remark, that the rendering of the original adopted in our version suggests the idea of a pacifying effect as wrought by this species of sacrifice, which is to be attrib. |