The Go,feel of Sacrifices. 180, 2. For further Rules of ltluftration, take thefe Propofitions; Prop. I. That the dnftitution. of Sacrifices was prefently after the Sin and Fall of Man : But the Renewed Inftitution and further Ttreilton and Regulation of them, was by Mofes unto lfrael. I fay the ;irsi lnítitutï- on of them, was prefently after the Sin and Fall of Man : For there neither was, nor could be any Ufe of them before. The firft Intima- Lion, -( though fomewhat obfcure ) which we have of them, is in Gen., 3. 2 r. the Lords made, them Coats of Skins and cloatbed them, but they could not -wear the Skins unlit the Beafts were flain : And flain they were (it is like) for Sacrifice, there being no need of them for Food. at that time, no any mention of the Ufe of fuck. Food till Noah's time after the Flood, Gen. 9. But we read of Sacrifices more plainly, Gen. 4. 4. where Abel is faid to have brought an Offering to the Lörd of the firftlings of his Flock, and, of the Fat thereof, which, being a godly Man, he neither would noc durft have done, had not the Lord appointed it : So likewife Noah, Gen. 8. zo, zr . budded an Altar unto the Lord, and took ofevery clean Beaft, and of every clean Fowl, and offered Burnt.Offerings on the Altar. And the Lord finelled a fweetfavour ; fo Abraham, Ifaas, Jacob. God's Acceptance of Noah's Sacrifices, andbefore that of Abets, s a fuffici, ent Proof and Evidence of his having inftituted and appointed them; for Cultos non inflitutus; non eft acceptus, Worfhip not commanded is not accepted.' See likewife Exod. io. 2.5. and r 8. 12. where they were ufed among the yews, before the giving of the Law upon Mount. Sinai. But from this ancient Inftitution, with fome further help from the 'Yews, the Heathen had a . traditional dead Knowledge of . this Truth : But as they forgat and loft the.true Qbje&, to whom. they fhould have offered up their Sacrifices, fo they had nothing but a dead Form of Scrifices, wholly perverted from their true and right End and Ufe ; Therefore God by Mofes, reftores and renews this great Inftitution ; therefore the Text faith, ver, ult. This is the Law, which the Lord comma manded Mofes, in the Day that hecommanded the Children of Ifrael to of- fer. their Oblations canto the.Lord. The Inftitution was fo corrupted, that there was need of fome renewed Light and Reformation about it. But being of fo great Antiquity, before there was any Tabernacle or Temple, or Prieft -hood, or Feftivals appointed ; therefore I put Of- ferings and Sacrifices before the reft, the inftitution of them being much more ancient. Prop. 2. In this renewed i Tititution and Regulation of their Offer- ings andSacrifices, there Ir.n ; radrp Adjunas and Ceremonies' fome where- of:.
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