Juftice is more acceptable to the Lord than Sacrifice. And our Saviour's determination is exprefs, and more than once declared, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice.

As to the Other part, it is certain that fuch Rites and Ceremonies attended all Sacrifice as implied or manifefted the Moral Difpofition of the Offerer. Every thing was fo ordered, as would naturally raise a right difpofition or Sentiment, in him that made his Offering.

1. When Aaron and his Sons went into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, they were to wash with Water, that they die not: Or when they came near to the Altar to minifter, to burn Offering made by fire unto the Lord, They were to wash their hands and their feet, that they die not, Exod. xxx. 19—21. This was to be a Statute to them for ever, even to him and to his Seed throughout their Generations. Accordingly this was fo ftrictly obferved, that the Jewish Priests always washed their hands and feet, before they cleared the Altar, or took away the Cin

ders from it *.

He that had a mind to do this Office was obliged to rife early in the Morning, and fanctify himself: Nor was he allowed to touch any Veffel before he had washed his Hands and Feet. They did not indeed wash themselves between every particular Office; but every day they were obliged to wash : And it was a general Rule that no man was permitted to do any part of the Prieft's Office before he had washed his Hands and Feet.

The Levites too, that bare the Veffels of the Lord, were obliged to be all clean: nor could they go in to do the Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, till after they had purified themselves, and wafked their cloaths, Numb. viii. 7—21.

This was all done by the Inftitution of the Law of Mofes : But afterwards when the Temple was built, the Priests obferved a much more nice and curious cleanfing of themselves, and they washed

* Unufquifque qui volebat purgare Altare, furgebat mane, et lavabat fe antequam veniffet Præfectus. Mishna, De Sacrificio Jugi. Vol. V, p. 286.

Qui dignus habebatur ad purgandum Altare ille purgabat Altare. Illi autem dixerunt ipfi, Caveto ne forte attingas inftrumentum aliquod, antequam fan&tificaveris Manus et Tedes tuos ex labro, Ibid. p. 288.

their whole Bodies. This was done, not merely with a view of having their Bodies clean, or to wash away all dirt; but with a defign to put them all in mind of That Purity of Life, which alone could make them acceptable unto God. How these Purifications, (fimple and plain at first) came by degrees amongst the Gentiles to degenerate into the most senseless Superftitions, is foreign to my purpose. But certain it is, that the Heathen world were come to that degree of Stupidity, as to imagine that Murder, and Perjury, and Inceft, and every Crime of the deepest Die, might be expiated, or washed away by Luftral Waters.

2. Every man was to bring his Victim to the Door of the Tabernacle, or (after the Temple at Jerufalem was built) to the Altar, and there to prefent, or offer it Himfelf. And hence it was that any Sacrifice had the name of 12p, Corban,

Ritus ille quo corporis fordes abftergebantur, Vita puritatem tam clare fignificavit, quod illius mentem et fcopum quivis intelligeret, et illius ufus folennis quemvis, Deo præfertim et facris vacaturum, ad feipfum ab omni carnis et fpiritus inquinamento Mundandum, excitare poffit. Spencer De Leg. Hebr. Lib iii. c. 2. p. 781.

C 4

from

from the perfons making it approach, or bringing it, as commanded, whatever it was, to the Altar or to the Houfe of God. If it were an Animal that was offered, it was to be free from all Lameness, Bruife, or Imperfections: it was to be fit and proper to be presented unto God. And this could not but raise in the Offerer's Mind a due sense of the Obligation to Moral Perfections, if natural Imperfections were fo strictly prohibited to be brought before God; and he must think that all Moral Imperfections were highly disagreeable, if natural ones could not be accepted by an All-perfect Being.

3. He that brought his Sacrifice to the Tabernacle to offer it, was, before it was flain, to put his hands upon the Head of it. The Perfon who made the Offering, alone was obliged to do this: He shall put his hand upon the Head of the Burnt Offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make Atonement for him, Lev. i. 4. The Meaning of this paffage is, That the man that brought his Offering was to put his hands upon its head; and This would be acceptable, or highly pleafing to God,

fa

so as to induce him to pardon him that offered it.

It was made then a point of abfolute neceffity for every man that brought his Sacrifice to lay his hand upon the Head of it. If it was a Burnt Offering, the Command about That has just been mentioned. If it were the Sin Offering of any Private Man, and a Bullock was to be offered, (as it is commanded, Levit. iv. 4.) Or if the Sin was of the whole Congregation; in the first case the Private Man himself; in the other cafe, the Elders as Reprefentatives of the whole Congregation, were to lay their Hands upon the Head of the Bullock, before the Lord, Lev. iv. 15,

24, 29.

Mojes has not exprefsly told us the meaning of this Rite; but having faid, Levit. xvi. 21, Aaron fhall lay Both his Hands upon the head of the Live Goat, and confefs all the Iniquities of the Children of Ifrael, and all their Tranfgreffions in all their Sins, putting them upon the head of the Goat, hence it is ufually inferred, that Impofition of hands was defigned to fignify a transferring of Sins from the

Offender