accompanied with music: after that, followed the feasts, in which they ate the peace-offerings in this magnificent temple. The law itself commanded them to rejoice, and join sensible mirth to spiritual.

We must not wonder, therefore, if it was agreeable news to hear that a feast was nigh, and that they were soon to go to the house of the LORD; that they esteemed those happy that spent their life there; that they went thither in great troops, singing and playing on instruments; and that, on the contrary, they thought themselves unhappy when they could not be there, which David so often laments in his exile."

CHAP. XVII.

Their Fasts and Vows.

FASTING days were quite the reverse of festivals. Upon those they did all that I have related in speaking of mourning: for fasting and mourning with them were the same thing. It did not consist therefore only in eating later, but being afflicted in all respects. They spent the whole day without eating or drinking till night. Thus the Jews still fast, and the Mohammedans, who herein imitate both them and the primitive Christians. They observe a strict

X

Psalm cxxii. 1. lxxxiv. 1, &c.

xliii. 3, 4.

z Isaiah lviii. 5.

y Psalm xlii. 4.

a See an enumeration of the fasts of the Hindoos and Mohammedans, Appendix, No. iv.

silence, put on sackcloth and ashes, and expressed every other sign of affliction. The public fasts were proclaimed by sound of trumpet, as well as the feasts: all the people at Jerusalem met together in the temple, and at other places in the public square: they read lessons out of the law, and the most venerable old men exhorted the people to confess their sins, and repent of them. They never married upon those days; such as were already married separated themselves from their wives.

The law had appointed but one fast day, the tenth of the seventh month, which was the feast of atonement: but from the time of the prophet Zachariah, they reckoned three more, one in the fourth month, one in the fifth, and another in the tenth. They had extraordinary fasts; some in public calamities, as the dearth which Joel speaks of; others upon particular misfortunes, as David's fast for the sickness of his child, that was the offspring of his great crime; for the death of Abner, and upon many other occasions mentioned in the Psalms, In fine, they had fasts which they imposed upon themselves, out of pure devotion, or to perform some vow; for they were very strict in keeping their vows and oaths. As to vows, the instance of Jephthah is but too convincing:" and for oaths, Joshua kept the promise he made

1 Kings xxi. 12. c Lev. xvi. 29, &c.

• 2 Sam. xii. 16.

Joel ii. 15, 16, &c.

f

d Zach. viii. 19.

f Ibid. iii. 31.

Psalm xxxv. 13, 14. Ixix. 10, 11.

Judg. xi. 35.

to the Gibeonites, a manifest fraud,

though it was obtained by because he had sworn to them by the name of the LORD. Saul had resolved to put Jonathan to death for transgressing the order he had made with an oath,* though Jonathan offended only through ignorance; and we see many more examples of it. They entered into such solemn engagements very seriously, and did not allow themselves any latitude in interpreting them. Swearing by the name of GoD was an act of religion; for this oath distinguished the Israelites from those that swore by the name of false gods: this is to be understood of lawful and necessary oaths, such as are taken in a court of judica

ture.

Their vows consisted usually in offering some part of their substance to GOD, either for his service in sacrifices, or to be set apart by itself. Thence came those great treasures in Solomon's temple, which were made up of the offerings of David, Samuel, Saul, Abner, and Joab." It was chiefly of the booty taken from enemies. The Gentiles made such offerings in the temples of their false gods, sometimes upon other occasions: we need no other example than the temple of Delphi, and the rich presents that Croesus sent to obtain favourable oracles,"

The most considerable vow was that of the Nazarites, who obliged themselves for so long

a time to drink no wine nor strong drink, nor to cut their hair, and to keep themselves carefully from all legal impurities, particularly from coming near dead bodies. The rule of the Rechabites seems to be founded upon such Vows. The author of it was Jonadab the son of Rechab, who lived in the time of Jehu king of Israel, and the prophet Elisha. He forbad his children to drink wine, build houses, to plant, have lands, or vineyards. They abode therefore under tents, employing themselves, in all probability, as the Levites did, in breeding cattle, and exactly imitating the pastoral life of the patriarchs; they were married, and inviolably observed this rule in their family, at least one hundred and eighty years, for we cannot tell what became of them after the captivity.

CHAP. XVIII.

Their Prophets.

ANOTHER sort of religious people, and much more considerable (than the Recabites) were the prophets. There was a great number of them from Samuel's time witness that company which Saul met, who prophesied at the sound of instruments, transported by theSpirit of GOD; and that other company which pro

• Numb. vi. 1---21.
1 Jerem. xxxv. 6.

P 2 Kings x. 15.

1 Sam. x. 5.

phesied before Samuel, and seem to have been his disciples. But it does not appear that there ever were so many, as from the days of Elijah and Elisha, to the Babylonish captivity. They lived separate from the world, distinguished by their habit and manner of life; they dwelt upon mountains, as Elijah and Elisha did upon Carmel and Gilgal. The rich woman, who lodged Elisha when he went by Shunem, had a chamber, as I said, built and furnished for him, where he lived so retired, that he did not speak so much as to the person who entertained him, but made his servant Gehazi speak to her for him: and when she came to intreat him to raise her son to life again, Gehazi would not let her touch the prophet's feet." When Naaman, general of the Syrian armies, came to him to be cured of his leprosy, he sent him word what to do, without being seen by him.*

Two other of this prophet's miracles shew that his disciples lived in societies; that of the herb-pottage which he made wholesome, and that of the barley bread which he multiplied;" which shews also the plainness of their food. There were a hundred prophets that lived together in this society, and they wrought with their hands; for, finding their lodgings too strait, they went themselves to cut down wood to build with, and were so poor, that one of them was obliged to borrow a hatchet."

1 Sam. xix. 20.

"Ibid. ver. 27.

2 Kings iv. 10.

* 2 Kings v. 10.

2 Kings iv. 38, 41, 43, 44.

* 2 Kings vi. 5.