upon the altar, and the victim was divided between the priest and the offerer, as before mentioned.

In the offering of consecration, Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the victim, and he slew it, and Moses took some of the blood, and put it on the tip of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the great toes of their right feet, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about; and taking the rump, the fat, and the right shoulder, and laying thereon an unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and a wafer, he put all upon Aaron's and is sous hands, and waved them before the Lord, and afterwards burnt them; he also took the breast and waved it, for it was his part; then taking of the anointing oil and of the blood from the altar he sprinkled it upon their garments, and thus were they sanctified.

The sacrifice of oblation, was either fine flour, or incense cakes of fine flour, and oil baked, or the first fruits of new corn. Oil salt, wine aud frankincense, went always with every thing that was offered; all the frankinceuse was cast into the fire, but of the other things, the priest only burnt a part, and the rest he reserved to himsclf.

S. How long did the ceremony consecration last?

of

S. Was this priesthood hereditary in the family of Aaron?

T. Yes and it was never interrupted, but in times of oppression and violence.

S. Did not God set rpart the whole tribe of Levi to officiate in the tabernacle?

T. Yes: but to understand this appointment rightly, it must be observed, that the tribe of Levi consisted of three chief branches whose heads were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Now the priesthood was given only to the family of Aaron, which was a small branch of Kohath; and the other branches remained in the common rank of Levites, and were only admitted to inferior functions of the ministry, being subordinate to and dependent on the priests, both tn the tabernacle and in the temple.

S. Why did God select the Levites for sacred functions, or to be his own tribe?

T. God chose them in the room. of the first-born of Israel, who were holy to the Lord, in remembrance of his sparing them, when his angel. destroyed the first-born of Egypt, and appointed them for the service. of the tabernacle and temple.

S At what age did they enter upon this office, & what rites were observ cd in the consecration ofthe Levites?

T. They entered upon the easiest functions of their ministry at the age of 25, upon the most laborious at 30, and when they arrived at 50. they were excused from those offices that required strength or vigour. The consecration of them was performed without much ceremony; they wore no peculiar habits, but were washed with water of expiation; their hair was shaved, as that

of Nazarenes & lepers : the children of Israel, or chief of their families, laid their hands upon their head, as an indication, that they offered them unto the Lord, in the stead of the first-born among them. Then there were two sacrifices offered, one for the sins of all those that were consecrated to divine service; and the other for a burnt-offering. The number of those whom Moses consecrated, were 22,000.

S. Were these rites and ceremonies derived from the Egyptians, or any other nation?

T. No: for it was God's positive injunction and command to them not to do any thing to resemble either the manners of the Egyptians or Canaanites: and the Israelites had so cautiously observed this command, that Tacitus expressly remarks, that their religious rités were so contrary to all the world besides; that, what in others was most sacred, they accounted prophane; and allowed, as lawful, what other nations were wont to abominate which testimony ought to weigh against all chimerical allusions, which may be brought to the contrary.

S. Did God shew any visible to ken of his approbation of Aaro. and his sons being consecrated to the preisthood, and service of the tabernacle?

T. Yes the first acts of their priestly office were confirmed by a miracle; for, on offering the burntoffering, there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed the sacrifice; which when the Ifraelites saw, they were confirmed of the divine institution of their ministry, and shouted, and fell on their faces.

S. Was any care taken to preserve that miraculous fire, and how long did it continue?

T. It was by divine command kept perpetually burning, and ordered to be used in their sacrifices; and, as the children of Israel journeyed, it is thought to have been preserved in a portable conservatory made on purpose; as may be inferred from the injunction of removing the ashes from off the altar, and spreading a purple cloth over it, when the altar was moved. This fire continued till the captivity of Babylon.

S. Did any attempt to violate these laws and ordinances, and how were they punished?

T. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, for offering incense with strange fire unto the Lord, were instantly struck dead: a blasphemer was, by God's express command, stoned: and another man was put to death inthe same manner, for gathering sticks on the sabbath-day, contrary to the law of God. Yet all these instances of severity did not produce in the Israelites a truc submission to the divine will; for many of them provoked the Almighty so much with their repining and complaints, that he consum-' ed many of them with a miraculous fire, which at the intercession of Moses was extinguished.

S. Did the cloud over the tabernacle serve to guide the Israelites as it had done before?

T. Yes with this farther advantage, that it became a signal for them, when to march, and when to rest; for, when the cloud was taken up from overthe tabernacle, the children of Israel journeyed; but if the cloud was not taken up, they continued in their place.

S.

WHEN did the Israelites de

camp from before Smai?

T. Soon after the feast of the passover; which by the command of God was appointed to be renewed, after the dedication ofthe tabernacle, and the consecration of Aaron and his sons.

S. To what number were they increased at this time ?

T. Upon a general muster which God commanded to be made, there were numbered 603,550 men fit to bear arms, from twenty years old and upwards, without including the Levites, who amounted to 22,000; to which number, if we add those that might have died in the journey, those killed in the battle with the Amelekites, and the 3000 slain for worshipping the golden calf, it may be easy to compute the vast increase of this people, within little more than a year from their coming out of Egypt.

on the east thereof pitched the camp of Judah, whose standard was a lion; and consisted of the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. On the south the camp of Reuben, whose standard was a man's head, and contained the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad. On the west, the camp of Ephraim, whose standard was an ox, aud contained the tribes of Epraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. And on the north the camp of Dan, Naphthali, and Asher, whose standard was an eagle, with a serpent in its talons.

S. What reason may be assigned for the devices of these standards?

T. These four are generally accounted the most perfect animals. The lion, the king of wild beasts; the ox, the chief among-beasts of labour; the eagle, the most noble among birds; and all creatures are subject to man.

T. They were divided into four large bodies, and so disposed, as to inclose the tabernacle on every side;

T. Moses and Aaron, and Aaron's sons, encamped on the east side, between these great camps and the tabernacle. The Levites, that de

scended from Kohath, the son of Levi, pitched on the south side. The Levites, descended from Levi's eldest son, Gershon, were on the west side. And the Levites, descended trom Merari, Levi's youngest son, were placed on the north side of the tabernacle.

S. On what day did the Israelites decamp from mount Sinai ?

T. On the 20th day of the 2d month, in the second year after their departure from out of Egypt, having continued eleven months on that

ztation, when the pillar of the cloud ascending from the tabernacle, gave the signal to decamp.

S. What order did they observe in marching?

T. When the pillar of the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the trumpet sounded a march; and immediately those encamped under the standard of Judah, took the lead, and set forward; and the tabernacle and its appurtenances being taken down, and attended by the Gershonites and Merarites, followed in waggons: then the trumpet gave notice to the camp of Reuben to advance, who were followed by the Kohathites who carried the sanctuary upon their shoulders: next marched the standard of Ephraim; and the camp of Dan brought up

the rear.

S. How did the Israelites behave after they left Sinai ?

T. In three days time they for got the mercies of God, pretended to be fatigued with their journey, and by their murmurings provoked the Lord to destroy with lightning those that loitered, and were found in the extreme parts of the camp; from whence that place was by Mo ses called Taberah, or burning.

S. What new measures did Moses take to keep this stubborn and rebellious people in order?

T. Perceiving there was no end of their discontent, Moses, by God's direction, erected a supreme court of seventy elders, men of renown for their wisdom and integrity, by whose assistance he might be the more capable of governing and restraining the licentiousness of a people become so numerous and muti

nous.

S. How did it appear that Moses made this choice by God's appoint

ment?

T. God imparted to them all a portion of the same spirit that he had given unto Moses, to enable them to decide all weighty and difficult points; and to determine last appeals, which hitherto had been

reserved to Moses alone.

S. Did this management prevent future discontents and mutinies? 7. No for they were no sooner removed from Taberah, than we find them murmuring at the manna sent them from heaven, regret. ting their loss of the flesh-pots of Egypt, and, in a tumultuous manner, demanding flesh from Moses. But God punished their lust, by sending large quantities, of quails about their camp, of which they cat so greedily, that many died of the surfeit, as well as by a sore plague, occasioned by God's anger against them for this sin; wherefore Moses called that place, Kibroth-hattaavah, or the graves of gluttonous people: here they stayed a little more than a month.

S. What sort of birds were these quails?

T. With us they are excellent food; but, it is said, that those in