They were memorials of the sin of our first parents, and of the way of mercy provided for Adam and Eve, and their descendants. It is probable that these sacrifices were whole. burnt-offerings, and that there seldom were any others till the giving of the law by Moses.

The sacrifices mentioned in the Bible were generally made by taking beasts or birds of some particular kinds, depriving them of life in a solemn manner, and then burning their bodies on a heap of earth or stones, called an altar. As the sacrifices are mentioned very often, and evidently were matters of great importance, we will here inquire what was meant by them, and what first gave rise to them? Without stating the different opinions which have been given upon the subject, that which appears the only correct one may at once be mentioned, and given in the words of Archbishop Magee. He says, "It requires but very little acquaintance with Scripture, to know that it everywhere teaches us that man, by disobedience, is fallen under the displeasure of his Maker; that to be reconciled to his favor, and restored so as to be able to obey him in a manner he would accept, a Redeemer was appointed; and that this Redeemer laid down his life to procure forgiveness and acceptance for repentant sinners. The surrender of life has been called, by the sacred writers, a sacrifice; and the end attained by it, expiation or atonement.' several texts, particularly Heb. x, 1, 12, and ix, 9–14, it appears that this sacrifice, or death of Christ, was the real or proper sacrifice to which the sacrifices directed by the law of Moses alluded, or of which they were, as it is called, types and shadows. Since this was so clearly the case as to all sacrifices under the second dispensation, we are warranted in believing the RITE to have been ordained by God also under the first, or patriarchal dispensation, as a type of that ONE SACRIFICE which was alluded to, or pointed to, by all the other sacrifices.

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That sacrifices must have been first appointed by God's express command, appears from their nature and design, which has been just stated; and also from the distinct manner in which we read that God accepted them, when offered by Abel, Noah, and Abraham. In the Book of Job, which probably contains the account of events that happened before the time of Abraham, we find that God

expressly directed the friends of the patriarch to offer sacrifices, that they might be forgiven, when God was displeased with them because they had not spoken of him in a right manner, chap. xlii, 8.

The first mention of sacrifice in the Bible, is that of Abel, Gen. iv, 4; and the manner in which the history is related, implies that there was a stated time for the performance of this duty, and that it had been often observed before. We must, therefore, conclude that Adam offered sacrifices; and it is generally supposed that the skins of beasts, which were given to Adam and Eve for clothes, (Gen. iii, 21,) were the skins of beasts which had been slain for sacrifices.

As it is declared that the plan of redemption, by the death of the only and beloved son of God, was determined from the beginning, we learn a very important lesson from this account of the origin of sacrifice, which is applicable to the sacrifices of the heathens, as well as to those of the Jews. For the apostles, in their discourses recorded in the Acts, did not reprove the heathens for offering sacrifice, the RITE which had been derived from the common parents of all mankind, but for offering sacrifice to men of like passions with themselves, or idols, "vanities," "gold, silver, and stone, graven by art and man's device," instead of " the living God which made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein," Acts xiv, 15; xvii, 29.

The laying on of hands confessed sinfulness in the offerer, and desired that it might be transferred to the victim. The slaying of the animal that was sacrificed, gave an instance or example of that death which had been denounced as the consequence of man's disobedience. It exhibited an awful lesson of death, which is the wages of sin, and at the same. time represented that death which was actually to be undergone by the Redeemer of mankind. Hereby were shown at once the two great events in the history of man, the FALL and the RECOVERY-the death denounced against sin, and the death appointed for that Holy One who was to lay down his life to deliver man from the consequences of sin. Thus the appointment of the sacrifice of animals seems to have been a very significant RITE; it contained in effect all the main facts of religious knowledge. And to adopt this rite with sincere and pious feelings, implied an humble sense of the unworthiness of the person who made the offering; also

it was a confession that the death inflicted on the victim was deserved, by the sin that had proceeded from man's transgression; it also showed a full reliance upon the promises of deliverance made after the fall.

Doubtless some particulars of the death or sacrifice of Christ were made known from the time when the Redeemer was promised, Gen. iii, 15; but, as this is not expressly stated in the Bible, it is sufficient for us to understand, that the sacrifice of animals was enjoined as a mark, or proof, that the offerer believed in the promised redemption, or way of salvation, although without having a precise knowledge how it was to be accomplished.

We may now proceed to notice what is related as to the offering of Cain and Abel, Gen. iv;-why Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's rejected. Abel, firmly relying on the promise of God, and obeying the Divine command, sacrificed some of his lambs or kids, which he had been taught was a RITE that expressed his faith in a promised Saviour. Cain either cared not for this gracious promise, or was unwilling to adopt the method appointed for showing his belief of it. It is right to thank God for the daily mercies we receive. It is our duty and our privilege to bless God for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but, above all, for his inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And when we think that general thankfulness is enough, or that our good actions are such as will procure for us forgiveness of our bad acts, we are very like Cain, when he thought that the fruits he had raised were a sufficient sacrifice and offering to God.

Here the account of the meaning and of the origin of sacrifices may be closed. It is a most important subject; for all religious worship is, and ever has been, founded on that all-important truth which is pointed out by it, the necessity of an atonement by Him who is the great Offering. These particulars were necessary to show the reason for the religious observances described in the following pages.

CHAPTER II.

SACRIFICES UNDER THE PATRIARCHAL DISPENSATION. PLACES FOR SACRIFICES.

THE sacrifices mentioned under the patriarchal dispensation are, the whole burnt-offering, the thank-offering, and the sacrifice by which covenants were confirmed. An instance

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of one of each of these will be found, on referring to Gen. viii, 20; xxxi, 54; xv, 9-17. By the account respecting the sacrifices of Cain and Abel, the latter being accepted while the former was rejected, we must infer that laws or rules had been given respecting such sacrifices, the want of the due observance of which caused the offering of Cain to be refused. But few or no particulars are given of the ceremonies with which these sacrifices were offered. For the burnt-offering, the patriarchs raised an altar, or heap of stones or earth, on which wood was piled, Gen. xxii, 9. The animal being killed, probably its skin was taken off, the carcass laid upon the wood, and a fire kindled, by which the animal was consumed. Or the animal, if a lamb, may have been bound, laid upon the wood, and then killed. the thank-offering, a part only of the offering would be consumed; the rest was eaten by those present, as when Jacob and Laban covenanted together, and were reconciled, Gen. xxxi. We read in the margin of verse 54, that they killed beasts and ate bread together; thus their meal doubtless was a feast upon a sacrifice. The heap of stones then raised to commemorate the event might serve as an altar. The offering upon the confirmation of a covenant is described more fully in Gen. xv, 9, 10. A heifer and a ram were divided, and the pieces laid apart, but opposite to each other. A similar sacrifice is mentioned, Jer. xxxiv, 18, 19. In that case, the parties who covenanted, or agreed together, passed between the pieces of the sacrifice. By this ceremony was denoted, that if either of them broke the covenant, they might expect in like manner to be cut asunder by Divine justice. Such appears to have been the view taken by the Jews, and by the heathens among whom this sort of sacrifice was common. And in the account of Abra

ham's sacrifice, (verse 17,) we find that a "smoking furnace and a lamp of fire" passed between the divided carcasses, as a testimony that the Lord accepted the sacrifice, and confirmed the covenant. It is very probable that, in this instance and in some others, the offerings were consumed by fire from heaven, as a token that they were accepted; though that such was not usually the case, appears from Abraham's carrying fire with him, when preparing to sacrifice his son. In the offering described Gen. xv, 9, each

sort of animal is mentioned that was afterwards directed by the law of Moses to be used in sacrifices, Lev. i, 3, 10, 14.

The distinction between clean and unclean beasts before the flood (see Gen. vii. 2,) has been noticed as a proof that a revelation had been made respecting an appointed public worship, which is confirmed by the account of Noah sacrificing immediately after the flood, without any new direction: see Gen. viii, 20. The statement that Abraham kept the charge, commandments, statutes, and laws of the Lord, (Gen. xxvi, 5,) may also have reference to this subject; for the word rendered "statutes," afterwards is applied to the rules, decrees, and ordinances about God's worship. Although there is not a particular account of any ceremonies with which the patriarchs accompanied these offerings, it is very plain that they were seasons of prayer and thanksgiving. And if, as already noticed, there is reason to believe that the patriarchs had some idea of the nature of the Great Atonement prefigured by these actions, we cannot doubt but that they called upon the name of the Lord with a lively faith upon these occasions, looking for the promised Saviour, and for the better country, the heavenly inheritance God had prepared for them.

A very minute and particular account is given in Leviticus, of the rites and ceremonies with which the sacrifices were offered under the second, or Mosaic dispensation. These will be noticed when we describe the tabernacle and

temple services. Hitherto we have spoken of the nature and design of the sacrifices. We have seen that they distinctly had reference to the promised Saviour, and thus the first two dispensations had the very same object in view as the third; all true religion has been the very same, in its object and leading principles, from the time when our