Moreover, they divided their Days into four principal Parts; which were diftinguifh'd by the first, the third, the fixth, and the ninth Hours. Therefore in the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard; Mat. xx. fome are hired early in the morning, which was the first Hour; others, at the third 1 Hour; others, at the fixth, and others, at the ninth: and fome, at the eleventh Hour, which was the latest that could be: The fixth Hour being always Midday, and exactly answering to our Twelve o' Clock at Noon.

SECT. VI.

The Daily SACRIFICE.

These Days were all to be obferv'd with religious Worship of one kind or other; fome more, fome lefs. But, as they were allow'd to work on fome, and forbidden fo to do, on others; the former, may, not improperly, be call'd ordinary or Work Days; and the latter, Festival or Holy. For Example, on every Day, as well Work Days, as Feftival or Holy, the daily Sacrifice of the Burnt-Offering was

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to

xxix.38.

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T

to be offer'd, at the Altar appointed for that Purpose. After Directions are given to prepare and fanctify it, follows this Exod. Order; Now this is that which thou shalt Numb. offer upon the Altar; two Lambs of the xxviii. 3. first year, day by day, continually, &c. q That this Oblation was to be, Morning and Evening, we are told by Solomon, where he acquaints Hiram King of Tyre, with his pious Design of building the 2 Chron. Temple. Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to burn before him fweet incenfe, and for the continual fhew-bread, and for the burnt-offerings, morning and evening, and on the new moons ; To which he adds, This is an ordinance for ever to Ifrael. And when (after their Return from the Captivity) they had erected Ezra. iii. a new Altar, we are told, they offer'd burntofferings thereon, morning and evening; and the continual burnt-offering of the new

ii. 4.

3, 5.

moons.

SECT

This SE CT VII.

Tasimog

108 210 211

The NEW MOONS.
Įmoda dopdas

TA..

Their New-Moons (that is, the first

day of every Month) tho' they did not require a Ceflation of Work, yet were to be #observ'd by Sacrifices of a peculiar Kind. Numb. In the beginnings of your months, ye shall xxviii. offer a burnt-offering unto the LORD; two :bullocks, &c. These the Prophet Ifaiah Ifaiah. i. likewife calls the new-moons.

II.

13, 14.

SE CT VIII.

2

The SABBATH S.

Their Festivals or Holydays, on which they were to do no manner of fervile Work, were feveral ;' firft, every* Sabbath or feventh Day throughout the Year: Concerning the Obfervation of which, there are repeated Precepts. Upon this day they were to do no manner of work; not fo much as to kindle any fire in their habitati- &c.

Exod. xx. 8.

Exod.

XXXV. 3.

* Sabbath fignifies a Refting from Labour: And therefore other Feftivals, on which no fervile Work was to be done, are often call'd Sabbaths. Lev. xxiii.

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ons.

ons. But this was not all; they were moreover, to keep it holy: That is, to employ their Minds in religious Exercise, after the beft manner, that either divine Revelation or human Wifdom could inftruct them."

And more especially, (as* the Sabbath was inftituted in Imitation and Commemoration of God's refting on the Seventh Day, after he had been employ'd, the other fix, in the Work of the Creation) to adore and admire his infinite Goodness, Wisdom, and Power, for his fo graciously bringing Mankind into Being; making them capable of eternal Happiness after this short tranfitory Life; and, in the mean Time, furnishing them with all Things requifite to make their living in this World, eafy and pleasurable: provided, they would but do their Part; the Part of rational Creatures; be honeftly industrious in the Procurement of them; freely temperate in the use of them; and religiously thankful in the Enjoyment of them; that

*Which probably was the Reason why God chofe to be fo long, and no longer, in creating the World: viz. that it might be a ftanding Rule for the Sabbath, and an everlasting Subject for Man to contemplate his Attributes by.

is, endeavour, to the utmost of their Power, to live agreeably to the Will of God, howsoever made known to them; whether by any extraordinary Revelation, or by, the Dictates of natural Reason.

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7

That the Jews did actually observe it by fuch religious Exercife of the Mind, as well as by a Ceflation of Work, we may learn from that Paffage, when our LORD is faid, to have went, as his custom was, Luke iv. into the fynagogue, on the fabbath-day. And 16. &c. there was deliver'd to him (as the course of the Scriptures requir'd) the book of the prophet Ifaiah; which, when he had read, he redeliver'd to the minister of the Congregation. So Paul and Barnabas went into the Aas Synagogue, at Antioch, on the fabbath-day, xiii. 14, and fate down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, &c. Again, it is said, the voices of the prophets which are read every fabbath day. And, the next fabbath day, came almost the whole city together to . bear the word of God. To frequent the Synagogues therefore, among their Brethren of the fame District or Congregation, and hear the Law and the Prophets read and expounded, was what they look'd K 3

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upon