THANKSGIVING DAY. 
397 
their ancestors in the wilderness, they were also enjoined, at tlie 
same time, to " rejoice before the Lord their God," and celebrate 
his infinite mercies to an miwortliy race by especial thanksgivings. 
The last, or eighth day of the celebration, " that great day of the 
feast," as St. John calls it, was particularly devoted to thanks- 
givings for the "in-gathering" of the fruits of the earth, This 
was, indeed, the great harvest-home of Judea. 
Each of these three greater festivals to which we have particu- 
larly alluded, the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Taber- 
nacles, independently of other associations, had also a connection 
with the mercies of God, in bestowing upon man the fruits of the 
earth. Their harvest was solemnly commenced the day after 
the Passover by a peculiar religious observance : three sheaves of 
barley were gathered in three different fields of the territory of 
Jerusalem, and carried to the temple, where tliey were threshed 
in the court, and were then solemnly offered to the Lord by the 
priest, in the name of the nation. This ceremony was enjoined 
in Leviticus, and before it had been performed, no man was al- 
lowed to put the sickle to his barley, the first grain reaped. At 
Pentecost again, when the wheat harvest was over, two loaves 
were offered in the temple by the priest, in the name of the na- 
tion. And the Feast of Tabernacles, as we 'have already seen, 
concluded with especial offerings and sacrifices, and thanksgivings 
for the great national harvest, now fully completed. 
But independently of these general public observances, there 
were others enjoined upon the Jews of a private nature. Every 
one was commanded to offer personally the first-fruits of his OAvn 
portion to the Lord. The women, when making the bread of the 
family, set apart a portion for the Levite, which was considered 
