Lev. xxiii. 15 — 17. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering ; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord. Ye shall bring out of your habitations tivo wave-loaves, of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour ; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the first-fruits unto the Lord.
THERE is no blessing which is not enhanced by a sense of reconciliation and acceptance with God. An ungodly man has his very provisions cursed to hima; whilst to the righteous " God hath given all things richly to enjoy." Indeed, it is to present, no less than to future, happiness, that God calls his people. He bids us weep, it is true; but he no-where bids us to be always mourning: on the contrary, he commands us to " rejoice in him always, yea, to " rejoice evermore:" and assures us, that, though our " weeping may endure for a night, joy shall come in the morning." We have this beautifully exemplified in the appointments under the law. One day in the year was appointed for national humiliation, namely, the day of atonement, wherein all were commanded to afflict their souls : but the very next day, and the whole week following it, was appointed for a feastb; by which appointment it was clearly intimated, that they who had obtained reconciliation with God through the atonement of Christ, had reason to re- joice throughout the whole remainder of their lives. The week succeeding the Passover was called " the feast of unleavened bread:" on the first day of which they were to present to God a sheaf of newly reaped barley; and, fifty days after that, two loaves of wheaten bread; both of them being the first-fruits, the one of the barley harvest, and the other of the wheat. Hence these two periods were called the feasts of " first-
a Deut, xxviii. 16 — 19. b ver. 5, 6.