important events of the Creation, the Faft of Man, and of the Deluge, by various fables; yet still, absurd and fanciful as they were, enough of the truth remained to shew from whence they derived their origin. However, the knowledge of the true God, and of the piety and virtue which he required, was still preserved at least in one family, the descendants of Shem, the second son of Noah, which settled after the Deluge in Mesopotamia*. Yet even of this chosen family some went astray after the idolatrous worship of the people among whom they dwelt; and therefore God thought fit to separate from them one good and pious man, whom he sent, by an immediate revelation, into Canaan, afterwards called Palestine (or more properly Philistine †) and the land of promise. From this man was to descend a people more peculiarly dedicated to his

*Jo shua xxiv. 2.

Of which Palestine is a corruption. The Philistines and the Canaanites were descended from different sons of

Ham.

Gen. X.

worship,

worship, and of whom, according to the flesh, should be the promised Messiah.

The name of this distinguished personage was Abram, (afterwards Abraham) the son of Terah. He was born about 352 years after the Deluge, and in the year of the world 2078*. In these ages the duties of religion were extremely plain and simple. In the days of Seth, the son of Adam, men began to call upon the name of the Lord; that is probably, according to some regular form, and at stated times, to offer to him praises, thanksgivings, and prayers, for before that date, we find both Cain and Abel offering to God, the one fruits, and the other sacrifices. Abel brought unto the Lord, of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. The sacrifice was accepted, and the offering of the fruits rejected; and there was, no doubt, some reason for this difference being made, of which we are at present ignorant; some previous notification from God of

* See Shuckford's Connection, Vol. I. Book v. This calculation is according to the Hebrew chronology.

the

the service which would be most acceptable to him, which Cain neglected, and to which Abel attended. Noah also offered sacrifice when he came out of the Ark and it was accepted.

Now there is something extremely remarkable in this rite, and which perhaps we shall never thoroughly understand while we are in this state of existence. Of all religious acts it was the first, (that of Cain alone excepted, which was not likely to be followed) and for some ages probably the only one. And it seems to have been established as the most important ceremony, not only among the Jews, but among all the most civilized nations, till Paganism was abolished. Even to this day traces of it are to be found in the most remote and savage countries, from the South Sea Islands to North America, and from the western coast of Africa to Hindostan and China. This may perhaps be accounted for from the effect of traditionary custom, but it is not so easy to say how a practice at first sight so cruel and unnatural, could enter into the heart of

}

man. How could man first suppose that the blood of his own creatures could be acceptable to a merciful God? How could he ever imagine that the blood of Bullocks, of Lambs, or of He-goats could take away sin? There seems indeed to be no natural analogy between them. We can easily understand that pardon may follow repentance and prayer, but that it should be obtained by an act of cruelty, by killing a Lamb or a Kid, the mildest and most innocent of animals, seems at first sight hardly consistent with the goodness of God, or reconcilable to his nature.

There must therefore be a cause for the practice which in our present state of being we cannot comprehend. There must be a reason, probably only known to the wisdom of God *, why without shed

ding

*It is indeed partly explained in Levit. xvii. 11. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. That is, as blood is the life, and life is forfeited by sin, the atonement must be made by blood which is the life. And

ding of blood there should be no remission of sins*. For this is the great principle which is carried throughout the Bible, and of which the sacrifice of our blessed Lord, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, was the conclusion. His blood was shed for the whole world: and as types of that final and most important offering; and in order to prepare the way for it, were burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin appointed, even from the fall of man §.

This

this also shews the reason why blood is forbidden to be eaten because it is a sacred thing, appropriated to that holy purpose.

*Heb. ix. 22.

+ John i. 29.

A type is a person or an action, by which a person or thing to come is prefigured; and the meaning of which therefore cannot be known, till the antitype (the thing or person thus pointed out) appears. A type is therefore a sort of prophecy by action. Thus Isaac, in Genesis xxii, was the type, and Christ the antitype. And the sacrifices of lambs &c. were types, and that of our Saviour the antitype.

§ No pious Christian, however, need be uneasy if he sees this matter in a different light, since it is a difficult subject, concerning which, even the wise, the good, and the learned,