antly faulty. But when, in any particular passage, an apostle thus remarkably varies and corrects the diction of the Septuagint, ought we not to think he observed an impropriety, and designed to amend it? Suría is in many places of the Septuagint version used to signify inanimate offerings; but the Septuagint were not inspired writers, and therefore ought to stand corrected by those who were. The word Juría occurs frequently in the New Testament. But although, after the legal sacrifices of the Old Testament were done away, the sacred writers of the New adopted the word Juría, using it in a spiritual sense, to express the making our bodies a living sacrifice;" to represent our charity as being a sacrifice acceptable unto God; to exhort to offer the sacrifice of praise,' &c. I say, although, after animal sacrifices had ceased, the one real sacrifice being offered, which alone could take away sin; inspired writers did use the word Juría w Rom. xii. 1. * Phil. iv. 18. z See Heb. x. in a spiritual sense, to signify our giving ourselves up to perform many of the commanded duties of the Christian religion, sacrificing ourselves in them truly to serve God in spirit and in truth; yet, I think, they did not use the term Juría of any sacrifices of the Old Testament, but of such only, wherein there was the shedding of blood;* * See Matth. ix. 13. xii. 7. Luke ii. 24. xiii. 1. Acts vii. 41, 42. 1 Cor. x. 18. Heb. v. 1. vii, 27. viii. 3. ix. 9, &c. I know but one place in the New Testament, where voia may seem to be used of an inanimate offering of the law; where our Saviour says, every sacrifice (aga dvoía, are the words of the Evange list,) shall be salted with salt, Mark ix. 49. The law here referred to, is Levit. ii. 13. which may be thought to be the law of the meat-offering. But I would observe, that the text in Leviticus first provides, that the meat-offering, which was indeed inanimate, should be salted. But having ordered this, it adds further, with all thy offerings thou shalt offer salt. The word for thine offerings is 7, a word used of a sacrifice of an animal, Numb. xxviii. 2. as nonan anp, Levit. i. 2, So that the text provides, first, that all offerings inanimate shall be salted; and then further, that salt shall be also used in all sacrifices; and the word Suria is used by St. Mark, referring to the law given in the latter part of the verse. preserving it an allowed truth of all revealed religion from the beginning of the world, that without shedding of blood there had been no declared remission of sin II. The second point I am to consider is, that Abel's offering his sacrifice, was in obedience to some divine command, some explicit injunction given by God. And, I confess, that to me a most unanswerable argument that it was so, is Abel's being said by the apostle, to have made his offering by faith, Heb. xi. I have already argued, that the faith, concerning which the apostle wrote this chapter, supposes in all the instances he gives some express declaration or direction from God, the believing and paying obedience to which is the faith set forth and recommended to us. I have shewn that this was the fact in the case of Rahab, when she entertained the spies at Jericho. My ingenious adversary thinks otherwise; but with how little reason, I must entirely submit to Vol. iii. b. xii. Connect. vol. i. b. ii. the reader's impartial consideration. Ile would argue about Enoch, as he reasons about Rahab. He supposes that Enoch obtained his translation to heaven, not upon account of his receiving and believing any particular declaration by an express revelation from God, but upon account of the general tenor and conduct of his life; that he was a man of eminent virtue, faithfully attached to perfect holiness in the fear of God, assuring himself, that he should have a reward for thus doing. I answer, had the hopes of Enoch been only the general and rational expectations arising from a moral life; he had not been herein in any wise. above others eminent for faith, which is not an act of mind paying regard to arguments arising from considering what may appear intrinsically, without external testimony, to be in reason true; but faith cometh by hearing; faith is the believing something that is testified or declared to us." Accordingly, ⚫ Phil. to Hydasp. letter v. p. 39. Rom. x. 17. Vide quæ sup. the author of Ecclesiasticus, who observes, concerning Enoch, that he pleased God and was translated, does not ascribe his being translated, to his being more and above others a man of a righteous or moral life; but tells us he was made an example of repentance unto all generations." We should perfectly understand what is here suggested, if we may say a special revelation was made to Enoch, that men should have life for ever in another world, if they sought it believing, through his name, by repentance, to receive remission of sins.' If Enoch embraced and testified unto others this faith, and it pleased God to confirm unto the world, that what he had declared by Enoch, was true; by granting to Enoch not to die and fall like other men, but, without tasting death, to be received to the life to come which was published, and by him believed, and declared. according to the word of God, made known to him; herein we shew that Enoch has been literally, according to the words of the Ecclus. xliv. 16. See Acts x. 43. |