pensive; and put them in mind likewise, that the multitude of sacrifices did not procure their acceptance with God, and that in length of time they would come to nothing, and be utterly abolished, to establish something better in their room*.

Before we dismiss the ceremonies of this feast, we must not forget to mention a very extraordinary one, of which the rabbies inform us, though there is not the least hint of it in the law of Moses, notwithstanding he gives a more particular description of this feast than of any other; namely, the drawing water out of the pool of Siloam, and pouring of it, mixed with wine, on the sacrifice as it lay on the altart. This they are said to have done with such expressions of joy, that it became a common proverb, He that never saw the rejoicing of drawing water, never saw rejoicing in all his life." To this ceremony our Saviour is supposed to refer, when "in the last day, the great day of the feast, he stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink: he that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water," John vii, 37, 38: thereby calling off the people from their carnal mirth, and festive and pompous ceremonies, to seek spriritual refreshment for their souls. The Jews pretend to ground this custom on the following passage of Isaiah, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation," chap. xii, 3. This libation was performed every day of the feast, at the time of the morning sacrifice§; but the greater part of their rejoicing on that occasion was adjourned till evening; when a wild and ridiculous scene of mirth was acted in the court of the temple, by those who were esteemed the wise men of Israel, namely, by the elders and members of the sanhedrim, the rulers of the synagogues, and doctors of the schools, and such others as were most honoured for their

* See Patrick in loc.

+ See this ceremony described in Maimon. de Sacrificiis Jugibus, cap. x, sect. vii, p. 494, 495; Crenii Fascic. Sexti in Annot. Constant. L'Empereur, ad cod. Middoth, cap. ii, sect. v, p. 67—69, edit. Lugd. Bat. 1730; or in Mishn. Surenhus. tom. v, p. 343, 344.

Mishn. tit. Succah, cap. v, sect. i, tom. ii, p. 277, edit. Surenhus. § Maimon. ubi supra, sect. vi.

|| Maimon. in Lulahb. cap. viii, sect. xii, et seq. See the quotations in Talmudis Babylonici codex Succah, by Dachs, not. i, ii, ad cap. v, sect. iv, p. 451, 452, Traject. ad Rhen. 1726.

age and piety. All the temple-music played, and these old men danced, while the women in the balconies round the court, and the men on the ground, were spectators. All the sport was to see these venerable fathers of the nation skip and dance, clap their hands and sing; and they, who played the fool most egregiously, acquitted themselves with most honour; for in this they pretend to imitate the example of David, “who danced before the Lord with all his might, and said, I will be yet more vile than this, and be base in my own sight," 2 Sam. vi, 14, 22. In this manner they spent the greater part of the night, till at length two priests sounded a retreat with trumpets. This mad festivity was repeated every evening, except on the evening before the sabbath which fell in this festival, and on the evening before the last and great day of the feast. It seems, these two evenings were accounted too holy for such ridiculous gambols*.

We can be at no loss for a reason, why the feast of ingathering, which was annexed to the feast of tabernacles, was celebrated at this season of the year, when the vintage, as well as the corn harvest, was newly finished; in respect to which the feast is said, in the book of Exodus, to be "in the end of the year," Exod. xxiii, 16, though it was not celebrated till three weeks after the new civil year began; and so the next words seem to explain it, "in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered thy labours out of the field:" In which sense it comes nigh our autumn, the latter end of the year. Or, perhaps, the phrase пwn n betseeth hashanah, may admit of a different version, for the verb Ny jatsa signifies not only exiit, but ortus est, in which sense it is applied to the rising of the sun, Gen. xix, 23; Psal. xix, 6, and to the birth of man, Job i, 21; 1 Kings viii, 19; Isa. xi, 1. Accordingly betseeth hashanah may be as justly rendered in ortu anni, as in exitu anni; in the beginning as in the end of the year, and may as properly be applied to the first month as the last. But it is not so obvious, for what reason the feast of tabernacles was fixed to this season. One might naturally expect, that the annual commemoration of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness should be celebrated at the same time of the

* See a larger account of this ceremony in Lightfoot's Temple Service, chap. xvi, sect. iv.

year, when either they first betook themselves to tents on their leaving Egypt presently after the passover, or when they quitted their tents upon their entrance into Canaan, a little before the passover, which was kept in the plains of Jericho, Josh. v, 10. Whereas this feast was appointed to be cele brated at near six months' distance from either.

Rabbi Jacob Levita conceives, that, as it was usual with people in warm climates to live much in tents or booths in summer for coolness, God purposely directed the celebration of this feast to be delayed to that season of the year when the cold mornings, winds, and rains, ordinarily obliged them to quit their booths and betake themselves to their houses; that it might appear, their dwelling in booths at this time was not for convenience or pleasure, but in obedience to the Divine command*. Maimonides, on the contrary, observes, that this feast was wisely fixed to that season, when the people might dwell in booths with the least inconvenience, because the weather was then moderate, and they were not wont to be troubled either with heat or with rain+.

Others have therefore endeavoured to prove, that this was the time of the year when Moses came down the second time from the mount, and brought them the joyful news, that God was appeased for the sin of the golden calf; and that he had accordingly ordered the tabernacle to be reared, in token that now he no longer disdained to dwell among them, in memory of which this feast is supposed to be appointed. However, this is assigning a quite different reason for their dwelling in booths or tabernacles from that which the scripture assigns; for according to the scripture this appointment was designed, not in commemoration of God's dwelling in the tabernacle among them, but of their "dwelling in tents forty years in the wilderness."

The learned Joseph Mede's opinion seems to be the most probable, as well as the most ingenious‡, namely, that this feast was affixed to the time of the year when Christ was to be born, and the dwelling in tabernacles was intended as a type of

Meyer. de Temporibus et Festis Hebræor. part. ii, cap. xvi, sect. iv,

p. 318, 319.

+ Maimon. Moreh Nebhoch. lib. iii, cap. xliii.

Mede's Diatrib. disc. xlviii, p. 268 of his Works, edit. 1677.

his incarnation; as St. John seems to intimate, when he saith, "the word was made flesh, xa GXYYISEN EV quy, and tabernacled in or with us," John i, 14.

We are assured by the apostles, that the law in the general had "a shadow of good things to come," Heb. x, 1, or a typical reference to Christ and the gospel dispensation. It is, therefore, incredible, that any of the three grand festivals should be without some illustrious type of him, or should not point to some principal circumstance concerning him; as we know the passover and the pentecost did, the former being a type of his passion, the latter of his sending the first fruits of his Spirit, on his setting up the gospel kingdom. And can it be imagined, that the third principal feast, which was more solemn than either of the others, having a more extraordinary course of sacrifices annexed to it, should not typically point to some grand event concerning him and his kingdom? And to what can we so naturally apply it, especially after the hints St. John has given us in the passage before quoted, as to the incarnation and birth of our Saviour? The events, then, that were typified by the two former feasts, falling out at the very time of those festivals, it is probable the case was the same as to the feast of tabernacles, and that Christ was born at this festival*.

Of the Time of Christ's Nativity.

As to the vulgar opinion, that the birth of Christ was on the twenty-fifth of December, there is not only no good reason for it, but the contrary.

It is certain, this day was not fixed upon in the Christian church, as the day of our Saviour's nativity, till after the time of Constantine, in the fourth century; and then it was upon a mistaken supposition, that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was the high priest, and that the day when he burnt incense upon the altar in the temple, while the people were

On the feast of tabernacles, besides the Mishna, tit: Succah, and Dachs, Talmudis Babylon. codex Succah, sive de Tabernaculorum Festo passim, see Meyer. de Temporibus et Festis Diebus Hebræor. part. ii, cap. xvi; Reland. Antiq. part. iv, cap. v; Ainsworth on Levit. xxiii, 34-43; Lightfoot's Temple Service, chap. xvi; Leidekker. de Republ. Hebr. lib. ix, cap. vii.

waiting without, was the day of expiation, or the tenth of the month Tisri, which fell out that year about the middle of September. As soon as Zacharias had fulfilled the days of his ministration, John the Baptist was conceived, that is, towards the end of September. Our Saviour was conceived six months after, that is, towards the end of March, and consequently his birth must fall out towards the end of December. This is the ground upon which the feast of our Saviour's nativity was fixed to the twenty-fifth of December*. However, that it is erroneous is very evident; for Zacharias was not in the holy of holies, into which the high priest only entered, when the angel appeared to him; but by the altar of incense, which stood in the sanctuary without the veil, Luke i, 11; at which altar the common priests performed their daily ministry. Neither was Zacharias the high priest; for we are told, that "he was of the course of Abia," and that his lot "was to burn incense," ver. 5, 9; whereas the high priest was of no course at all, neither did burning incense in the most holy place fall to him by lot, but was part of his proper and peculiar office. Accordingly there is no reason to conclude, that the day when the angel appeared to Zacharias was the day of expiation, which is the foundation of the common opinion concerning the time of the birth of Christ.

I add further, that not only is the vulgar opinion of the season of his nativity destitute of any just ground; but there are good and valid arguments against it. For instance,

There was a decree from Cæsar Augustus issued and executed at this season, that all persons, women as well as men, should repair to their respective cities, to be taxed, or enrolled. This occasioned the Virgin Mary to come to Bethlehem at that time; where she was delivered. But surely this decree was not executed in the middle of winter, which was a very severe season in that country, and highly inconvenient for travelling, especially for such multitudes, and in particular for women in Mary's condition; as may be inferred from what our Saviour saith in the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Matthew, concerning the difficulties to which his disciples would be exposed, if their flight, previous to the siege and

Spanhem. Histor. Eccles. secul. i, sect. ii; de Nativitate, sect. iii, p. 523, 524; et secul. iv, sect. vi, de Ritibus, p. 855, edit. Lugd. Bat. 1701.