» By which it ſeems moſt probable, that the year of jubile was not the forty and ninth year, as ſome learned men think, bur pre- ciſcly the fiftieth year. Which may appear, 1. Becauſe the Jews ac- count it ſo, which is confeſſed by the adverſaries of this opinion, who ſay, that the Jews err in the computation of the Jubile, as they do in Chriſt, the great end and antitype of the Jubile, But it is not probable that the Jews ſhould univerſally err ina matter of conſtant pra- Etice among themſelves, eſpecially when there was nothing of in- tereſt or prejudice in the caſe,as there was in reference to Chriſt. 2. Becauſe it was expreſly called the fftieth year here, and wer: 11: that fiſtieth year, which was nor true, if it was but the nine and fortieth year. It is faid,it is called ſo popularly,and it was ſo, if you take in the foregoing Jubile. Bur it muſt be remembred, that there was not yet any foregoing Jubile, bur the very firſt of the kind is ex- preſly called zhe fftieth year, which intruth it was not, if the Jubile was ended ete the fiftieth year began.3- From the common courſe of computation. The old weekly Sabbath is called zhe ſeventh day, becauſe it truly was ſo, being next after the fix days of the week and diſtin& from them all : and the year of releaſe is called the ſe- wenth year, wer: 4: as immediatly following theſix years, ver: 3: and diſtin& from them all. And therefore in like manner the Jubilee muſt needsbe called the fiftieth year, becauſe it comes next after ſe- even times ſeven or forty nine years, ver: 8. and is diſtin from them all. 4. From wer: 11.12.where it is ſaid, ye ſballnot ſow, norreap, 8c. For it is the Fubile, &c. which looks Jike a vain and uſeleſs repeti- tion, ifthis year were but one of the ſeven years, for this very com- mand was given concerning every ſeventh year, ver: 4: but if this year of Jubile was, as indeed it was,a year diſtin from, and com- ing after the ſeven ſevens of years,then this repetition and applica- tion of that command to it washighly neceſſary, becauſe otherwiſe 3t might ſeem hard and unreaſonable that they ſhould forbear ſow- ing and reaping two years together,which hereby they are command- ed to do. A thingsare objefted againſt this, 1. That the Jubi- Je was only a revolution of fourty nine years. But that ſeems a great miſtake, for it is moſt expreſly diſtinguiſhed from them all, and by way of diſtinCion called 7he fftierh year,therefore ſurely none of the forty nine. 2. Thedifficulty propounded,v.20. concerns on- ly the 7th year,whereasit had been a greater diffticulty,ifit had been extended to the Jubile, and the Jubile had been another vacant
\ year coming next after the ſeventh year. Burt though the difficulty
was greater for the Jubile, yet it was more frequent for the ſeventh year : and the reſolution of the one made the way plain for the ſa- tisfaQtion of the other. For as God promiſed ſo to bleſs every ſixth year,that ir ſhould bring forth fruit forthree years, ver. 21. ſowhen thecaſe was extraordinary, as in the Jubile, it was but reaſonable to expe an extraordinary bleſſing from God upon that ſixth year which went next before the laſt of the ſeventh years, or the forty ninthyear,that ir ſhould then bring forth fruit for four years.oUn- derſtand ſuch as were Jſraelites; principally to all ſervants, even to ſuch as would not and did not go out at the ſeventh year,and to the poor, who now were acquited from all their debts, and reſtored to their poſſeſſions. p So called either from the Hebrew word Jobe! which ſignifies firſt a ram, and then &@ rams horn, by the ſound whereof it was proclaimed; or from Jubal, the inventor of muſica] inſtruments, Gen: 4. 21. Becauſe it was celebrated with Muſick and all expreſſions of joy. q Which had been ſold or otherwiſe alienated from him. This Law was not at all unjuſt, becauſe all Buyers and Sellers had an eye to this condition in their bargains ; bur it was neceſſary and expedientin many regards, as 1. To mind them that God. alone was the Lord and owner and proprietor both of them and of their Jands, and they only his Tenants and Farmers ; a point which they were very apt to forget. 2. That hereby Inheritances, Families, and Tribes, mightbe kept entire and clear until the co- ming of the Meſſias, who was to be known as by other things, ſo by the Tribe and Family out of which he was to come. And this ac- Cordingly was done by the ſingular providence of God until the Lord Jeſus did come. Since which time thoſe Chara&ers are miſe- rably confounded : Which is noſmall argument that the Meſſas is come. 3. To ſer bounds both to the inſatiable avarice of ſome, and the fooliſh prodigality of others, that the former mightnot wholly and finally ſwallow up the inheritances of their brethren, and the
TRYITIC Chap. XXV,
r From whom he was gqhe, being fold to fothe vther Family ei- ther by himſelf or by his. Father.
1x A jubile ſhal chatfijieth year be unto you : ye bal not ſow s, neither reap that which groweth of it ſelf in it, nor gather #begrapes in it of thy vine undreſſed.
s Though it come immediatly after a ſeventh year, wherein alſo this was forbidden to you.
12 Foritzs the jubile; it ſhall be holy unto you r; ye ſhall eat the increaſe thereof « out 6f the field x.
t Soit was, becauſe it was ſequeſtred in great part from worldly employments and dedicated to God, and to the exerciſe of holy joy and thankfulneſs; and becauſe it was a type of that holy and happy Jubile which they were to expe& and enjoy by and under the Meſſias, u Such things as it produced of it ſelf : For the year be- fore nothing was ſowed. » Whence they in common with others might take it as they needed it; but muſt not put it into barns. See wer: 5. and Exod: 23.171.
13 In the year of this jubile ye ſhall return every man unto his poſſeſſion,
14 Andif thou ſell ought unto thy neighbour,or buy- eſt ought of thy neighbours hand, - ye ſhall not oppreſs one another y.
7 Neither the ſellerby requiring more, nor the buyer by taking
the mage from his brothers neceſſities to give him leſs than the worth of it. |
15 According to the number of years after the jubi- 'e, thou ſhalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits z he ſhalſell unto thee.
z Or, Of years of fruits, or, of fruitful years ; for there were ſome
unfruitful years, to wit, ſuch wherein they were not allowed to ſow or reap, Cc.