The Gofpel of the Peace-Offering. 289 5. The lafl Ceremony was the forbidding of Blood, verf.io. This Pro- hibition was more general than the former of Fat ; for that was only fome kinds of Fat : But all manner of Blood is forbidden, without any reftraint or fpecification of this or that kind. The firft Prohibition of Blood that we read of in Scripture, was to Noah's Sons, Gen. 9. 4; But Fiefh, with the Life thereof, which vs the Blood thereof, ye (hall not eat. And now again by Mofes here, and afterwards in other places; As Cap. 7.26, 27.. and Cap., 17. from verf. to. to the end ; very largely and vehemently under the foreff Pains and Penalties, even utter ex- termination, and cutting off by the immediate Hand of God. Bat that Prohibition in Noah's Time, feems to differ from this by Mofes ; in that it was livingBlood which was there forbidden: But here it is all manner of Blood, As to the Myfleries and. Reafons of . it, there be two things exprefl'ed in Lev. 17. it. r. Becaufe the Blood is the fife of the Beaft, verf i Y. Li.. that is, It is the Seat and Vehicle of the Spirits, which are the Soul and the Life of it, as Philofophers fay. Anima rationalis equitat in fenfitiv4 fenfstiva equitat in vegetativá. The fenfitive Soul is the Chariot of the rational Soul, and the vegetative of the fenfitive : So Blood is the Chariot of the vegetative and vital Spirits. The fcope feems to be this, to forbid and prevent Cruelty : It argues too much greedinefs, and it tends to make the Spirits of Men falvage and barbarous, todrink living Blood,. or to eat the Fleih, if it be not fully killed and cleanfed of the Blood, i Sam. x4.32, 33,34. Some report, that it hath been a Cuftom ufed in fome barbarous Nations, amongft the Old rartarians : They would with an Infirument, open a Vein in the Beaft they rode upon, and fo quench their Thirft by drinking warm Blood out of the Veins of a living Creature. This is forbidden to Noah's Sons, Gen. 9. as a falvage cruel thing. Cruelty is abominable at all Times, but efpecially when you come with your Peace-Offerings before the Lord. It concerns you, then efpe daily, to take heed of Harthnefs towards your Brethren. How can, Men expe& Peace fromGod, when ready to drink the Blood of their Brethren. A violent perfecuting Spirit, is as black a Mark as any I know:" To ufe Violence to Men's Confciences, this is to Eat or. Drink their Blood; which God abhors. 2. The fecond Reafon there affigned is, Becau( I have given it to you upon the Altar, to make an Atonement for your Souls, Lev. 17. I I. that is, Typically, as reprefenting the Blood of Chriff. So that here is a myftical Intimation of Reverence to that precious Blood, to keep Men in a reverend Expe$ation of it . Therefore they tuft abftain from Blood, as facred to the Lord. As
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