especial government and protection, these very appointments were every one of them intended to shadow forth the dispensation of his spiritual kingdom in the times of the gospel.

Among these appointments there were none inore remarkable than the sabbatical and jubilee years, of which an account is contained in this twenty-fifth chapter of Leviticus. They were ordinances peculiarly calculated to impress upon the minds of the Israelites, that they and their possessions were the Lord's; that they had received all from him, and that he had made such dispositions of them as he pleased. But let us remember that they also represent the peculiar privileges, mercies, and blessings of the gospel of Christ.

We will enquire into the nature and intention of these remarkable appointments. The text indeed refers only to the year of jubilee, but I shall take occasion from it to consider the sabbatical year also. I will endeavour then, in the first place, to give the scripture account of these ordinances, and, in the

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second place, to shew in what manner they represented the mercy and grace of the gospel. May the God of sabbaths and ordinances give his blessing on the subject.

I. The account of the sabbatical year is given us in the preceding verses. And the first thing to be observed of it is this, that it was to be a year of rest to the land. As on the seventh day of the week, so on each seventh year, there was to be no tilling, ploughing, mowing, or reaping, of any kind. The land was also to lie open for the common use of all the people. That which grew naturally and spontaneously of itself, or was the produce of seed scattered or left in the preceding year, might be gathered and used for food by all. It was for the poor, as well as for the owner, and for the sustenance of the beasts of the field. Evidently one principal intention herein was to put an additional honour on the sabbath day, as a memorial of the rest of God from his work of creation. In the next chapter we find several grievous threatenings against the people if they should walk contrary to God, and not obey his

commandments and statutes, and especially that they should be carried away captive into an enemy's land, during which time their own land should lie desolate; and we find in the thirty-fifth verse, that this judgment should be inflicted upon them for their neglect of the rest of the sabbath and the sabbatical year, for the Lord there says, “As long as the land lieth desolate, it shall rest; because it did not rest on your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it." it." And when that captivity came, and the Jews were carried away to Babylon, it is expressly said that they were servants unto the king of the Chaldees and his sons, " until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths, for as long as she lay desolate, she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." All this is a manifest proof of the jealousy with which God regards the observance of his sabbaths.

Another remarkable circumstance in the Jewish law respecting the sabbatical year was the remission of all debts that were owing to the Israelites by any of their brethren. We find it in the beginning of the

fifteenth chapter of Deuteronomy," At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release every creditor that lendeth ought to his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour or his brother; because it is called the Lord's release." The creditor might exact his debt at any time previous to the year of release; but when that arrived, it was to be remitted by him.

I now proceed to state to you the circumstances respecting the jubilee year, to which the text especially refers. It returned every fiftieth year. "Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year." When they had numbered seven times seven, or forty-nine years, then they were to cause the trumpet to sound throughout the whole land, proclaiming that the approaching year was the jubilee, to be observed with peculiar ceremonies. It is from this sounding of the trumpet that its name is derived, the Hebrew word, jubilee, meaning a sonorous and joyful sound. On this year, as on every seventh or sabbatical year, they were forbidden either to sow or reap, and assured

that the land should bring forth sufficient fruit in the preceding years to meet this deficiency. In this respect it was the same as every sabbatical year, but there were other circumstances peculiar to itself alone, of a very remarkable nature. These were, the universal restoration of their lands, and the universal restoration of their freedom.

If any of the Israelites, through misfortune, imprudence, or misconduct, had been obliged to sell his patrimonial lands, or any part thereof, they returned to him free at the year of jubilee, if he could not redeem them sooner. The whole country was held by them under a particular tenure. Jehovah himself was the Lord under whom they held it. They could not alienate it, or sell it out entirely for ever; it could only be disposed of till the next ensuing jubilee, and then every man and every family entered again on his original possessions. Their land was a grant to them from God himself with this reservation upon it. Thus we read in the twenty-third verse, "The land shall not be sold for ever; for the land is mine; for ye