SECTION XXIV.

THE VOW OF THE NAZARITE.

ANY persons who chose might take upon themselves the vow of the Nazarite, "to separate themselves unto the Lord." The person thus separated, was bound to drink no wine, nor strong drink, nor vinegar of wine, or of strong drink; nor to drink any liquor formed from grapes; nor to eat grapes, moist or dried; nor, indeed, any thing from the vine tree, from the kernel to the husk. All the days of his separation, no razor was to come upon his head, but he was to let the locks of his hair grow. And during his separation he was carefully to avoid the touch of a dead body; and even if his father, mother, brother, or sister, should die in the time, he was not to touch their bodies. But if any one happened to die suddenly by him, then he was required to shave his head on the seventh day, and on the eighth day to offer two turtles or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering, and thus make an atonement for him that had sinned by the dead, and hallow his head that same day. And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the day of his separation, and shall bring a lamb for a trespass-offering; but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled. And when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and he shall offer one male lamb for a burnt-offering, and a female lamb for a sin-offering; and a ram for a peace-offering; and the usual offerings of flour, oil, and wine, the accompaniments of the aforesaid sacrifices; "and the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings. And the priest took the shoulder of the ram, and unleavened cakes, and put them on the head of the Nazarite after his hair was shaven, and the priest waved them for a wave-offering before the Lord. When this ceremony was ended, then the Nazarite might drink wine.

There were, however, Nazarites who became such by the vow of their parents, before they were born, as Sampson. These abstained from wine and strong drink all their lives, and suffered their hair to grow, without being shorn or shaven.

SECTION XXV.

GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT.

THE only service performed in the interior recess of the tabernacle, called THE MOST HOLY PLACE, was on the tenth day of the seventh month, which was, "THE DAY OF ATONEMENT," a day of humiliation and fasting; for, although the word for fasting is not found here, nor in the whole Pentateuch, yet the Jews have ever understood, that this "afflicting of the soul" was by fasting; and, therefore, this day obtained the name of THE FAST; as being the only day of this kind prescribed in the law. On this interesting day, the high-priest himself officiated; and to prepare himself for his work, which was not only solemn, but difficult and laborious, he prepared himself for several days before; and in the morning of this day, he put on his linen garments, after bathing himself in water. Then he took a bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. He took also two goats, and presented them before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he cast lots on the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other for azazel, rendered scape-goat, in our version. The goat on which the Lord's lot fell, was to be offered as a sin-offering unto the Lord; but the scape-goat he presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness. And the high-priest took the bullock which was for a sin-offering for himself and his house, and slew it. And he took a censor full of burning coals of fire, from off the altar before before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and brought it within the inner veil, into the Most Holy Place. And he put the incense on the coals of fire on the censer before the Lord, that the cloud of incense might cover the mercy-seat, that was over the ark of the testimony, that he might not die. Then the high-priest took of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkled it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward; and before the mercy-seat he sprinkled of the blood with his finger, seven times.

Having completed this solemn service, on his first entering the Most Holy Place, he returned and slew the goat which was for a sin-offering for the people, and carried its blood within the vail, and sprinkled that after the same manner, as the blood of the bullock. And this sin-offering was intended to be "an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins." While the high-priest entered within the vail, no man was permitted to be in the other part of the tabernacle, until he

returned. When this part of the service was finished, he went out, and sprinkled of the blood of the bullock and of the goat upon the horns of the altar seven times, "to hallow and cleanse it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." Then the high-priest took the live goat, and laid both his hands upon its head, and confessed over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, and putting them on the head of the goat, sent him away by a fit man into the wilderness. "And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited. And he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." The high-priest, when he completed the work of atonement, changed his garments, laying aside those in which he had administered in this solemn service, he washed his flesh, and put on his official robes, which he usually wore in the tabernacle, and came and offered the burnt-offerings for himself and for the people. But the bodies of the sin-offerings, whose blood had been carried within the vail, were carried without the camp and burnt there; and both he who carried away the scapegoat, and he who carried the bodies of the sin-offerings were required to wash their clothes and bathe their flesh, after which they came into camp. "And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year."

SECTION XXVI.

LAWS RESPECTING THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES-SACERDOTAL BENEDICTION.

No man could be admitted to the priesthood who was not of the family of Aaron: Providence stood pledged therefore to preserve this family from extinction as long as the Levitical priesthood continued; and the event corresponded with the pledge; for although the office of high-priest was transferred from one branch of Aaron's family to another, the succession continued without interruption until the destruction of the second temple. As every priest must be a legitimate descendant of Aaron, it was necessary that every one claiming a participation in this sacred office should be able to show by undoubted genealogical tables his regular descent; hence the great importance of such tables. And to this the Apostle refers in the epistle to the Hebrews, when treating of Melchisedek, whom, says he, was "without father, without mother, having neither beginning of days nor end of life;" which was as much as to say, his name is no where found in the genealogical tables of the priests.

But a regular descent from Aaron was not sufficient to entitle a man to this office, if he had any deformity or bodily defect. Every thing of this kind was considered a complete disqualifica

tion for the priesthood. And that there might be no doubt respecting the kind of defects which were intended, a particular enumeration of them is given in the law, which the curious reader may find in the 21st chapter of Leviticus.

As the priests, when on service at the tabernacle, lived upon the holy things which had been offered on the altar, it became necessary to point out the persons who might partake of this sacred food, and the state of ceremonial purity requisite in the priest himself, to qualify him to eat of the holy things. These regulations may be found in the 22d chapter of Leviticus.

The priests were not required to lead a life of celibacy, but there were some restrictions in regard to their marriage which were peculiar. A priest was required to marry a virgin, or the widow of a brother priest. And their families were bound to be peculiarly studious of purity; and a violation of chastity by the daughter of a priest was visited with a severity of punishment unknown to the Mosaic law, in other cases. She was ordered to be burnt with fire.

Besides the service of the altar, where the priests officiated by rotation, and by lot, it belonged to them to instruct the people in the law of the Lord. "The priest's lips should keep knowledge;" and on public occasions to pronounce a solemn benediction on the people; which was in the following form: "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee! The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!" And the Lord said, "They shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

The remainder of the tribe of Levi, although not priests, were solemnly consecrated to the service of God, and were given to the family of Aaron as assistants in carrying the tabernacle and its furniture; and in keeping guard around the sacred precincts; and in conducting the music used in the public service of the sanctuary. This tribe received no allotment of land with the other tribes, but had forty-eight cities with their suburbs, assigned to them, of which thirteen were appropriated to the priests, and thirty-five to the Levites. They were much occupied in giving instruction through the tribes, and in administering justice. They were under peculiar obligations to be holy men, "Let them that bear the vessels of the Lord be holy."

SECTION XXVII.

LAWS RESPECTING INCEST.

ALTHOUGH in the family of Adam, brothers and sisters must have intermarried, and hence it is evident that there can be nothing simply immoral, or repugnant to the feelings of nature, prior to education, in such a connexion; yet, as soon as the human race became numerous, reasons both moral and political would readily suggest themselves, against marriages between very near relatives. It would, however, have remained a perplexing and difficult subject, and much corruption and confusion might have ensued, had not positive directions been given to regulate this matter. Some rules relative to this point doubtless were in force before the time of Moses; but now it seemed good to the great Legislator, to draw a distinct and definite line between the lawful and incestuous intercourse of the sexes. It has, indeed, been doubted how far this law extends in its prohibitions; and it has also been questioned, whether these laws are now in force, or were abrogated with the ceremonial part of the Levitical economy. On this subject it may be sufficient for our purpose to remark, that the institution of marriage is not one which can be considered of a fluctuating or variable nature. There could be no reason why stricter laws should be prescribed to the Jews, than are now necessary. It may be presumed, therefore, that if we can ascertain what the divine will was, under one dispensation relative to this matter, this should be considered as still obligatory; except when it can be shown, that some special regulation had relation to the political condition of a people peculiarly situated. The laws in Leviticus, chap. 18, respecting the degrees within which marriage was prohibited, had no connexion with the ceremonies instituted by Moses; but were given to preserve the people of Israel from conforming to the corrupt customs of the Egyptians, and Canaanites. And, if we conclude that these laws are not now in force, the consequence will be, that we have no positive laws whatever, in the whole Bible, forbidding incest; and if so, marriages are lawful, so far as the Bible is the rule, between the nearest relatives; not excepting parents and children. Some are willing to go the full length of the law, so far as the relationship is one of consanguinity, but they are unwilling to admit, that persons related by affinity only, are guilty of the crime of incest, when they marry within the limits prohibited to blood relations. But if we take the law as a rule, we must take it as a whole, and sub