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3ubge ^amuef (ttlifPer (jBrecfeinribge
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THE
S E^
SACRED
ESPECIALLY AS ILLUSTRATING AND CONFIRMING THE
GREAT DOCTRINES OF REVELATION.
J
TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED
TWO DISSERTATIONS;
THE FIRST, OV THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE HISTORY CON-
TAINED IN THE PENTATEUCH, AND IN THE BOOK OF JO-
SHUA;— THE SECOND, PROVING TH \T THE BOOKS AS-
CRIBED TO MOSES WERE ACTUALLY WRITTEN B if HIM,
AND THAT HE WROTE THEM BY DIVINE INSPIRATION.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
By JOHN JAMIESON, D. D. F. A. S. S.
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, EDINBURGH.
Vol. I.
EDINBURGH :
PRINTED BY A. NEILL AND CO. FOR THE AUTHOR;
AND SOLD BY W. CREECH, OGLE AKD AIRMAN, EDINBURGH J
M. OGLE, GLASGOW ; MATTHEWS, OGLE, AND
HATCHERD, LONDON.
1802.
A D V E RT I S E M E N T.
IT ha J often occurred to the Author, that
as It could not be without a fpccial de-
licti! that io great a portion of the Holy
Scriptures was call into an Hlftorical fonn^
the principal reafon of this mull be, that It
appeared to Him, who '^ knoweth our frame,"
ihe mofi: proper mode of conveying inflruc-
tion, even on thofe fubjedls in which we are
interefied for eternity. Under the forcible
imprefllon of this idea, the Author engaged
in the following work. Whatever may be
fald w^ith refpedt to the execution, the plan
at lead has the recommendation of novelty.
For, as far as he knows, the ground which
he has taken has been hitherto unoccupied.
It vv'as not originally meant, that the two
DIlTertatlons prefixed fliould be publllhed in
connexion with the work on Sacred Hiftory.
They were written at a time, when the great-
eft exertions were made to dificmlnate the
principles
iv ADVERTISEMENT.
principles of Infidelity. Inftead of pubiifh-
ing thefe by themfelves, the Author, after
the plan of the other work was laid, thought
it might be better to referve them as an In-
trodudlon. This feemed the more neceflaryj
as a difpofition to raze foundations had be-
come fo prevalent, that a work, profefledly
on the Ufe of Sacred HiQory, might to fome
appear defedive, if nothing were premifed
with refpecl to its Evidence.
As every one, who has the Bible in his
hands, is deeply interefted in the fubje6i: of
this work ^ it has been the aim of the Author^
as far as poflible, to adapt the work itfelf to
every clafs of readers. If any thing con-
tained in it, oppofe the prejudices of thofe
who profefs to be the friends of Revelation,
he begs, for their own fake, that they will
not raflily condemn the dodrine, but fairly
try it by the unerring ftandard, with an hum-
ble dependance on that Spirit, who is promi-
fed to guide into all truth.
CON-
CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST.
DISSERTA.TION I. Or^ THE AUTHENTICITY OF THU
HISTORY CONTAINED IN THE PeNTATLUCH, AND
IN THE BOOK OF JosHiiA, - - Page I
'The Ifraelites would never have acknowledged the
Authenticity, far lefs the Infpiratiqn, of the Books
of MofeSy unlefs a {fared of the truth of the Hi-
Jtoiy contained in them concerning themfehcs os
a people, - - 1
This Hijtory could never have gained credit with
them, had it not been indifputahly true, 6
There were many Memorials of the Miracles faid
to have been wrought in the fight of the Ifraelites
by which they -K'ere attefied in fucceeding gene-
rations, - - - 21
Many of the leading FaSis are attefied by Heathen
Writers; by Juflin, Apion, Manetho, Tacitus,
Artapanus, Diodorus Siculus, - 52
Evidence of the truth of thofe prior events which
are recorded in the Perdatcuch, - - 70
Of the Book of Job, - -, - 83
Teflimonies of Heathen Writers concerning the De-
luge ; of Berofus, Abydenus, the Greeks, the Chi-
nefe ; — concerning Creation ; the Phenician Cof-
mogony, the Egyptian, the Indian; — conccrr/ing
our Firjl Parents ; — the Fall, - icj
Dissertation'
vi CONTENTS.
Dissertation II. Proving that the books as-
CRIEED to MOSES WERE ACTUALLY WRITTEN BY
HIM, AND THAT HE WROTE THEM BY DIVINE IN-
SPIRATION, - - 107
Intrinfic Evidence from thefe Books themjelves, io8
l!bis has hcJn acknowledged by the Jews in every
age, - - ' 113
Had Mofes wrote only the principal part of Deuter-
onomy, the Book of the Law mvfl have been im-
perfeEl, - - - 123
Evidence from the Prophecies contained in thefe
Books, - - ib.
Thefe Books filll acknowledged by the Samaritans,
as written by Mofes, - ♦ - 125
Admitted by Heathen I Vr iters, - .127
Ohjchlions anfwered, - - 130
USE OF SACRED HISTORY.
PART L SECTION I,
A GENERAL VIEV/ OF THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY.
This gives an account of — the Origin of all Things ;
the Origijial State of Man ; the Origin of Evil ;
the Reafon of the Change vifihle on the face of
Nature j Origin of the Arts j Hijlory of the
World ; Various Facts attefled by profane Wri-
ters, It contains an Hiflory of — Human Depra^
vity ; the Human Heart ; the Fruits of 'Depra^-
vity ; Providence ; Divine Decrees ; and is a
Key to Prophecy. It gives an Hiflory of the
Church, and Work of Redemption ; J/jewing the
fubferviency of all the other works of God, and
all
CONTENTS. vii
nil the great events among men, to the IVork of
Redemption. It difplays the Unity of the Church ;
it iUuJlrates and confirms the Doctrines, of Scrip-
ture ; and exhibits Patterns for Imitation, and
Beacons for Admonition, - . 2.7
Sect. IT. On the Beauties of Sacred Hijlory. Its
Simplicity, — Concifenefs,— Fidelity, ^Bignity,—.
Unity ;— it gives the lives of Good Men fully, of
the Wicked compendioufly j—lays down Rules and
Models for all ranks ;— delineates Characlers y—
gives a true account of the Springs of yhHionr
^ and Events ;~is all Ufeful ;—furniJIjes nothing
to diflraa the Mind from the great fuhjecl of
Revelation, - _ . ^^
^ECT. III. On the Advantages arifiug from the
Hiflorical Mode of writing. Truths made more
level to the Underflanding.—rhis method calcula-
ted to arrefl the Attention ;~to influence the Af^
feaions;^to make a deeper impreffion on the Me-
mory ;-~to flrike the Imagination ;—to bring the
fubjea nearer to the Reader, than the bare Pre-
cept ;-~ imperceptibly carries Conviclion to the
Mind ;-~exhibits Truth as attefled by Experience j
—gives afuccejtve Evidence of the Truth of Re-
velation, - ^
PART II.
ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL, 27I
Sect. I. The Ifraelites bondmen in Egypt ; — Cho-
fen to be a Peculiar People —At frjl rejecled the
typical Saviour ;— A Redeemed People ;— Had
the
viii CONTENTS.
the Law groen. — Hbeir Worjhip typijied that of
the New-Tejlament Church, - 792
Sect. II. The Government of the Ifraelites of Bi-
•vine Origin. — God himfelf their Judge and King,
— jferufalem chofen as the Seat of Empire. —
God''s Deputies endued with his Spirit. — Bound
to confult the Lord, and miraculouJJy directed by
Him. — He prote5ied and delivered them; — Went
up before them to Battle ; — Did not permit them
to place confidence in an Arm of Flejh, - 308
Sect. III. l^he Covenant made with the Ifraelites ;
— their Adoption, — Separation, — Sojourning,^—
and Sufferings, - - 349
Sect. IV, The Ifraelites called to a Life of Faith.
— Their Mtirmurs and Rebellions. — The Judg-
Tnents infiicled. — Difplay of Pardoning Mercy. —
Entrance into the Land of Promife, - 379
Sect. V. On the Oblation of the Firfl Fruits, as
prefiguring the Refurre£lion of Chrifl. — On the
Feaft of Pentecofl. — Reafon of the Name. — Other
Defignations of this Feafl. — ^Prefigured the Effu-
fion of the Spirit, - - 412
Sect. VI. On the Feafi of Tabernacles. — This pre-
figured the Glory of the Laft Days. — A feafon of
great Joy. — The Ifraelites lived in Booths ; —
carried Palm-branches ; — drew Water; — cried
Hofanna. — Seafon of it. — Conjoined with the Feafi
of Ingathering. — Connecled with the Day of
Atonement. — Lafi day of this feafi a holy Convo-
raticm, - - ^ 43*^
DIS^
DISSERTATION I.
On the authenticity of the history con-
tained IN THE PENTATEUCH, AND IN THE
BOOK OF JOSHUA.
THE fcriptural hiftory conflitutes a leading
part of the evidence of the truth of our hcly
religion. This evidence refts on matters of fad,
as proved beyond all reafonable exception. Mi-
racles and prophecy have (till been confidered as
fupplying two powerful arguments for the truth of
revelation. Both thefe are refolvable into hiitovi-
cal proof. It is the facred hiftory that informs us
of thefe miracles : and the truth of a great part of
the prophecies is incontrovertibly demonftratcd by
the fads recorded in Scripture. For it contains
not merely thofe prophecies which refpeded the
church, or the world, for more than four thoufand
years ; but the hiftory of their completion.
Such is the evidence of the truth of this hiftory,
that it cannot be rationally denied. This will ap-
pear, whether we confider the hiftory of Ifrael as a
nation, or the account given of thofe great events,
of an earlier date, which more immediately con-
cern mankind in general.
Vol. I. B Some
2 Of the Hijlory contained in the
Some of the moft ftrenuous efforts of the adver^
faries of our faith, have been directed againft the
authenticity of the five books of Mofes. One thing,
however, is certain. If it appear, upon impartial
examination, that the great and leading circum-
ftances recorded in thefe books, concerning the If-
raelites, really took place ■; — that they were deli-
vered from Egypt by a difplay of divine power,
that they pafled through the Red Sea as on dry
land, that they received the law from the midft
of the flames of Mount Sinai, that they were mi-
raculoufly fupported for forty years in the wilder-
nefs, and that the waters of Jordan were divided
before ihem ; — there can be no ground to doubt
that their religion was from God. But there is a
variety of evidence, which muft fully fatisfy every
candid and unprejudiced mind, as to the truth of
thefe afloaif king events.
I. Had not the Ifraelites been fully afTured of the
truth of thofe things, which are recorded in the
books of Mofes, concerning them as a people, they
would never have acknowledged the authenticity
of thefe writings, even in an hiftorical light ; far
lefs would they have received them as divinely
infpired, and as the only rule of their faith arid
manners.
It cannot jufllybe faid, that the biblical hiflory
afcribes fuch high antiquity to the Ifraelites as a
nation, that they might hence have been induced
to receive it, although convinced that it was falfe ;
in the fame manner as heathen nations have re-
ceived
Peiitdteuch, and Book of J of ma. 3
reived the fables of their poets, who have flattered
their pride by tracing up their origin to the gods.
For this very hiltory, which records the origin of
Ifrael, afcribes far higher antiquity to the Egyp-
tians, the Babylonians, the AHyrians, the Midian-
ites, the Canaanites, and a variety of other nations
that were enemies to the Ifraclites, and tlie ob-
jedls of their averlion. The account given of their
origin, therefore, fo far from gaining their favour,
mult rather have had a tendency to prejudice
them.
It may be alleged, however, that the diflin-
guifliing honour here afcribed to the I.fraelites, of
being feledcd as a peculiar people to God, and
the relation given of the many mighty works he
is faid to have wrought in their behalf, might
have operated as motives fufficiently powerful, for
making them receive an hiftory which they knew
to be falfe. But it muft be remembered, that this
honour is counterbalanced by a circumllance, than
which nothing can be imagined more humiliating
to man. They are afllired on every occafion, that
God did not choofe them becaufe of any fuperior
excellency in their national characfler, but merely
from his own good pleafure. That doctrine,
the fovereignty of ele6tion, which has in every
age been fo great a ftumbling-block to individuals,
is directed againfl their pride as a nation, without
any exception.
Nor is this all. They are frequently reminded
of their unfpeakable unworthinefs to enjoy the
diflinguifhing honour of being God's peculiaf
B 2 people,
4 Of the Hijlory contained in the
people, and informed, that its continuance is eiv
tirely owing to divine mercy, long -fufFe ring and
forgivenefs. Their hiftory, as a nation, is nearly
an uninterrupted narrative of their murmurings
and rebellions againft that God who had fo fig-
nally manifefted his love to them. The allonifh-
ing deliverances, which make fo diftinguifhed a
figure in this hiftorical exhibition, feem to rife up
in the llriking pidlure, merely to throw a deeper
Ihade on the national charadter and condudl.
While yet a fingle family, in their cruelty towards
the Shechemites, and even to one of their own
brethren, they appear as a nefl of traitors and
murderers. In Egypt, we find them a nation of
abjed flaves. They are reprefented as tempting
God in the wildernefs, during forty years. Nor
does their charadter affume a more favourable af-
pedl, after they are brought to the poffeflion of
Canaan. Whether fubjedl to judges or to kings,
they ftill appear prone to rebel againft their fu-
preme Lord.
Is it by fuch a narrative as this, that a writer of
fiftions would attempt to gain credit with a na-
tion, whofe hiftory he pretended to record ? Is
it thus that he would try to touch the ftrings of
the heart ? Would he in this manner endeavour
to call in their national pride to his aid, hy mor-
tally wounding it in almoft every fad that he re-
lated ? If the hiftorians of Ifrael fucceeded by
fuch means, they afford a folitary inftance in hif-
tory ; — an inftance fo extraordinary, and fo dia-
•metrically oppofite to all the ordinary workings
of
Pcntateuchj and Book of JoJImci. 5
of human nature, that we could fcarcely fuppofe
it to have taken place without the intervention
of a miracle.
What end could an hiftorian mean to ferve, by
giving an account of Jacob's fupplanting Efau,
if it had not been fadt ? It mufl: have had a worfe
effedl than even that of fixing a perpetual lligma
on the charader of one of the moft illuftrious
progenitors of the nation. For it tended to ex-
pofe his pofterity to the hereditary hatred of the
Edomites. Would the Ifraelites have afTented to
fuch a relation, had they not been affured that it
was true ?
The hiftory of this people is interfperfed with
a great variety of the moft fevere denunciations
againil them, if they fliould be chargeable with
thofe very fms which are at the fame time re-
corded. Can it be imagined, that they would
affent not only to fuch an hiftory, but to fuch
denunciations of divine vengeance ; that they
would aflent to both, at the very time that their
condud, on the fuppofition of the truth of thefe
records, expofed them to the threatened punifti-
ment ; had they been convinced that the whole
was a mere fabrication ? Would any people be
at fuch pains to fuborn evidence againft theni-
felves ?
It may be faid, however, that although the
Ifraelites believed the hiftory of the great events
concerning them. as a nation, they were duped by
deligning men who wrought on their ignorance
B 3 and
6 Of the Hiflory co?itamed hi the
and credulity. In reply to this, it may "be ob-
ferved,
II. That the hillory of tliefe things could ne-
ver have gained credit with the great body of the
nation, had it not been indifputably true. The
Ifraelites could never have believed, that they
fojourned in Egypt ; that they were delivered
from their bondage in that country by a ftriking
difplay of divine power ; that the Red fea was
divided to give them a paflage ; that they were
jniraculoully fupported for forty years in the wil-
dernefs ; and that they were made to walk dry-
Ihod through Jordan, in their way to the promi-
fed land ; — they could never have believed thefe
things, unlefs they had adually taken place.
The enemies of revelation pretend, that the
books of Mofes muft have been written in a far
later period than that to which they have been
commonly affigned. They are by no means agreed
as to the period. Some inlinuate, that they were
unknown to the Ifraelites before their return from
the captivity. But it is inconceivable, that they
could have been impofed on the nation in the
time of Ezra. He and his fellows, in a ge-
neral afTembly of the people, " read in the
*' book of the law of Mofes, from the morning
^* until mid-day." This could not have been the
firft time that this book was known to them.
For it was in compliance with the requeft of all
the people that it was brought forth *. We lear;i
froni
a Neh. viii. i. — 3.
Pentateuchy and Book of J of ma. 7
fronrihe book of Ezra, that at tlie time of the
dedication of the cmplc, in the fixth year of Da*
rius, the priefts and Lcvites were fettled in their
diffe'rent funaions, " as it is written in the book of
*' Mofes ^" Now, this could not have been done,
had there been no written copies of the law among
the Jews. But this was about fixty years before
Ezra came to Jerufalem ^ Many of the old men
who had feen the glory of the firfl temple, wept
when they faw the fecond. Had Ezra made any
material alterations in the book of the law, thefe
would not eafily have efcaped them. Their ene>
mies the Samaritans received the five books of
Mofes, and therefore pretended that they fought
the God of the Jews c. Now fo inveterate was
their enmity, that they took every advantage a-
gainft thofe who returned from the captivity, and
ufed every mean to prevent the re-eftabli(hment
of their religion. But had there been the leaft
reafon to fuppofe that Ezra had corrupted, not to
fay fabricated, the Pentateuch, it would have been
a better ground of crimination than any thing
they could have thought of. When they faw all
. the means which they ^employed, with the kings
of Perfia, againft the Jews, eventually fruftrated,
they certainly would not have let flip fo excel-
lent an occafion for dividing them amongft them-
felves. Nay, had any among the Jews had the
leaft reafon to fuppofe, that the minifters of reli-
gion obtruded a fiaitious or adulterated law upon
them •, no bribe could have impoled filence on
B4 the
a Ezr. vi 1=;.- 18. ^ • ,
\ See rrideaux's Con. fart I. book 5. c Ezra iv. 2.
S Of the Hijlory contained in the
the people, when fo many of them were put to
the fevere trial of parting with their wives, and
putting away their children, in conformity to the
precepts of this very law.
But, indeed, it cannot be denied, that there
were copies of the law among the captives while
they were in Babylon. Such was the notoriety
of this fad:, that their heathen oppreflbrs were no
ftrangers to it. Hence Artaxerxes, in the decree
which he made in favour of Ezra, fpeaks of the
law of his God as * in his hands ^.' Long before his
time, Daniel, while in captivity, was provided
with a written copy of the law b.
It cannot be fuppofed that this law M^as fabri-
cated by Daniel, or by any of the captives, du-
ring their reiidence in Chaldea. For Daniel re-
fers to the book of the prophecies of Jeremiah, as
in the hands of the captives in Babylon, and as
the fource of his own information with refpedt
to the duration of the captivity. Now, it is evi-
dent from the whole tenor of thefe prophecies,
the greateft part of which were written before
the pommencement of the captivity, that the law
of Mofes was acknowledged, even by the moft
daring tranfgreffors of it, as exilting at the time
that Jeremiah foretold the defolations of Jeru-
falem. For he frequently declared, that the
calamities threatened would come upon them,
becaufe of their tranfgreffions of this law. He
made this appeal to the law, as confirmed to
their fathers by many figns and wonders. He did
a Ezra vii. 14. b Dan. ix, 11. — 13.
Peutateuch, and Book of Jojhua. 9
ib, not in a corner, but at the gates of Jerufulem ;
that his warnings might be heard by all who en-
tered the city, or went out from it ; by the kings,
princes and people, who came hither for judg-
ment a. Had he appealed to a law, which they
had never feen, thofe whofe meafures he oppofed
could have been at no lofs for a reply. His warn-
ings, it would appear, were in one inftance at-
tended with fo good an effed, that King Zcdekiah
commanded that liberation of Hebrew fervants
which the law enjoined. To this both the
princes and people at firil unanimoufly agreed.
They knew they were bound to it by that law
which they acknowledged as divine. When
their covetoufnefs afterwards prevailed with them
to reclaim their bond-fervants, although Jere-
miah accufed them of a wilful tranfgreflion of the
covenant made with their fathers, we have not
the llighteft evidence that they attempted to vin-
dicate their condudl by a denial of his aflertionb.
Nay, although the whole prophecies of Jeremiah
were read to all the people allembled at Jerufa-
lem, on a day of public falling, and afterwards
to the princes, they never denied the truth of his
accufations. The princes, on the contrary, were
all filled with fear <^.
If the books of Mofes were ever artfully impofed
on the pofterity of Jacob, it could not be under
any of the wicked kings of Judah. For they apo-
Itatized from the worlhip of God, and perfecuted
thofe
a Jcr. xvii. 19. — 12. ; xxxii. 10. — 13. l> Jcr. xxxiv, S. — 1%.
c Jer. xxjcvi. 6. — iCJ.
ID Of the Hijlory contained in the
thofe who adhered to it. As the majority of the
people joined in the apoHacy, it is inconceivable,
that a perfecuted handful could impofe on the
body of the nation. As little could this impoli-
tion take place, during any of the good kings
who fucceeded Solomon in the kingdom of Judah.
They had fo many abufes to reform, fo many mo-
numents of idolatry to demolifh ; and their con-
dud mult have fo deeply affefted the humour,
the fuperltition or the intereft of the greateft part
of their fubjects ; that they could not poffibly
have prevailed on them to receive fictitious books
as true.
From the account given of the finding of the
book of the law in the temple, when it was re-
paired during the reign of Joiiah '^, infidels m.ay
infer, that this was the lirfl: time that any book,
afcribed to Mofes, was known to the Jews, and
that it was then impofed on the multitude by the
policy of the king, or at leall by the influence of
priellcraft. But, although the awful denuncia-
tions of judgments in this book, which were re-
prefented as impending on the nation, fhould not
be fuppofed fiifficient to have prevented them
from fubmitting to the irapofture ; their warm
attachment to that idolatry, which had been fo
firmly eftablifhcd during the wicked reign of Ma-
nafieh, would have prompted them to oppofe any
innovation, had, there been the leaft reafon to fuf-
pe6t impofition. Can it be fuppofed, that this
was a fl;ate trick, or a piece of priellcraft, and yet
that
a a Kings xxii. 8. ; 2 Chron. xxxiv. 14. ^
Pentateuch^ and Book of Jojhua. 1 1
that *' all the idolatrous priefts," the pricfts of
Baal, and of the high places, who were " put
** down" by Joliah% were entirely filent on the
occafion ? " The priells of the high places" did
not embrace the religion eilablilhed by the king,
as appears from their not " coming up to the al-
" tar of the Lord at Jerufalem^ Now, is it cre-
dible, that they fliould not have formed a party
among the people, had they fo much as infinua-
ted, that the book of the law was an impofition ?
But we know, that Jofiah " made all that were
" prefent in Ifrael to ferve, even to ferve the
" Lord their God ;" and that " all his days they
"■ departed not from following the Lord, the God
*' of their fathers <=."
But if any one fliould ftill wonder, that the
book of the law fliould be for a time unknown
even to Jofiah ; let him remember, that on the
fame authority on which he believes this, he is
alio bound to believe, that this very book was
well known throughout Judah, in the reign of
Jehofliaphat, nearly three centuries before. For,
** in the third year of his reign, he fent to his
" .princes, even to Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, and
" to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Mi-
" chaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And
'' with them he fent Levites, even Shemaiah, and
*' Nethaniah, and Zcbadiah, and Ailihcl, and
" Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah,
" and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, Levites ; and
" with theiji Elifliama, and Jchoram, pricfls.
" And
« % Kin^s xjiii. 5.-^10. b a Kings xxiii. 5, c j Chr, xxxiv. 33.
12 Of the Hijlory contained in the
" And they taught in Judah, and had the book
" of the law of the Lord with them, -and went
" about throughout all the cities of Judah, and
" taught the people \" So well known was this
important fad, that not only the very year of the
reign in which it took place, but the orders and
names of all the miffionaries employed, were par-
ticularly recorded in the Jewifli annals.
It is inconceivable indeed, that fuch a forgery
could have been executed any time after the re-
volt of the ten tribes. For fuch was their hatred
of the two tribes which adhered to the worfhip
of Jehovah, and to the family of David, that the
impofition could never have pafled. Nor would
any thing have tended more directly to counte-
nance and fupport their apoftacy, than fuch a
charge againfi: the Jews. But, not to mention
that thofe prophecies, which were addrefled to the
Ifraelites after their apoftacy, contain a vaft varie-
ty of references to the written law of Mofes, it is
an unqueftionable fadl, that thefe very books of
the Pentateuch, which are ftill found in the Sa-
maritan language, were in the hands of the ten
tribes at the time of their revolt.
Some have infmuated, that thefe books were
moft probably forged in the reign of David or of
Solomon. This could not be the cafe during the
reign of the latter. It is utterly incredibje, that
a prince, who for a conliderable time, and in fo
many refpedis, apoftatized from the fervice of God,
fhould attempt to impofe on others a fi6litious
law,
a 4 Chron. svii. 7, — p.
Pentateuch^ and Book of Jajhua. 13
law, which, as he did not himfelf comply with it,
could only ferve to condemn his own conduft.
Although he had wifhcd to do fo, he mull have
tailed in the attempt. Jeroboam, the fon of Ne-
bat, would have urged the forgery as an argu-
ment for his rebellion againft Solomon ^, or, at
any rate, as an apology for his ellablifhment of
falfe worlhip in Ifrael. But it is worthy of ob-
fervation, that the very circumftances attending
Jeroboam's apoftacy from the worfhip of God, con-
tain a ftrong confirmation of the truth of the hi-
llory contained in the Pentateuch. ** Jeroboam
" faid in his heart. Now fhall the kingdom re-
" turn to the houfe of David : if this people go
" up to do facrifice in the houfe of the Lord at
" Jerufalem, then fhall the heart of this people
'* turn again unto their lord, even unto Reho-
" boam king of Judah." Does he therefore re-
folve to impeach the memory of Solomon, or of
David, or of any of the judges, v^^ith the impious
crime of impoling, by means of fpurious books, a
religion that had no authority from God ? Tnis
certainly would have been the plan fo artful a
prince would have purfued, had there been any
profpecl of fuccefs. But he knew, that this was
too grofs to be credited even by the revolted
tribes. Therefore, he utters not a llngle word
againft the law of Mofes. He does not even re-
fufe that Jerufalem was the place chofen by God.
He argues merely from conveniency : and em-
ploys means to attrad the fenfes of a carnal peo-
ple.
a I Kings xi x5
14 Of the Hijiory contained in the
pie. ** The king took counfel, and made tn^o
" calves of gold, and faid unto them, It is too
" much for you to go up to Jerufalem : behold
** thy gods, O Ifrael, which brought thee up out
" of the land of Egypt. And he fet the one in
" Bethel, and the other put he in Dan a." Here we
have an acknowledgment, from an adverfary of the
Jewifh religion, of the truth of Ifrael's deliverance
from Egypt by a divine hand I He addrefles the
people as one fully convinced, not only that they
believed the miraculous works of God in behalf
of their fathers, but that what they believed was
inconteftably true. He does not attempt to de-
tach them entirely from the w^otfliip of Jehovah,
but only wifhes them to w^orfhip him by the ufe
of images. He makes no diredt attack on the
authority of Mofes. He only imitates the tem-
porary apollacy of Aaron. He erects that very em-
blem which Aaron framed in the wildernefs, and
thus confirms the fcriptural accoun1^ of that tranf-
action. So far was he from doubting the hiftory
of that apoftacy, that he feems to have fuppofed,
that the Ifraelites had Itill a hankering after the
abominations of Egypt, and that they would mofi
readily be entangled in their own ancient fnare.
He repeats the very words afcribed to Aaron, af-
ter he had fafliioned the golden calf j he repeats
them as exactly as if he had meant to give a ver-
bal quotation from the facred records of their hi-
ftory : " Thefe be thy gods, O Ifrael, which
" brought thee up out of the land of Egypt ^"
David
a iKingsxii, a5.~2p. b Exod. xxxii. 4. 8.
Pentateuch y ami Book of Joflma^ 15
David could not have forged thefe books. Had
there been any ground of fufpicion that this was
the cafe, it would have been fo diftinclly remem-
bered in the days of Jeroboam, that it could not
have efcaped his notice. But indeed the reign,
of David was too unfettled, and he had too many
enemies, for any fuch attempt. There would
furely have been fome Saul, fome Shimei, or fome
Abfalom, to have difcovcred and proclaimed the
impollure. It will not, I fuppofe, be difputed,
that in the days of David there were many pfalms
and fongs ufcd in the worlliip of God ; or that
thefe were committed to perfons peculiarly fet
apart for and prcfiding over this part of divine
fervicc, and for preferving thefe for the ufe of the
Church in fucceeding times. As, during this
reign, Alaph was fet over the fingers, we are in-
formed that he alfo wrote fome of the pfalms.
This^ was not only admitted as a well-known fadl
after the captivity ; but is alfo mentioned as fuch
in the hiftory of He7.ekiah '. Now, not to refer
to a number of other hillorical pfalms, which
may be as ancient, if not more fo, although they
have no particular infcription ; in the feventy-
eight pfalm, one of thofe which bears the name
of Alaph, we have an enumeration of the prin-
cipal miracles recorded in the Mofaic hiftory ;
which plainly fhews that thefe were firmly be-
lieved by all the Ifraelites, as early as the reign
of David. They would not otherwife have har-
moniouHy
a Neh. xii. 46. \ % Chr zxix. 39.
i6 Of the Hijiory contained in the
monioufly agreed to celebrate thefe events in the
mofl folemn acts of their worfhip.
Saul, the favourite of infidels, becaufe the ene-
my of David, not to fay, becaufe rejedled by the
God of Ifrael, will not be fufpeded of this crime.
He had never fufficient influence in his kingdom
for carrying on fuch a deceit. Belides, he was
rejected becaufe of his condud: with refped: to the
Amalekites. Samuel, in the inftrudions given to
the king, had, in the name of Jehovah, referred
to the hiftory of Amalek, as recorded in the books
of Mofes "^ ; and when Saul returned from the
war, the prophet declared to him, in the prefence
of his army, that God had rejeded him on account
of his difobedience in this matter. Had there
been any fufpicion that Samuel had forged the
hiftory afcribed to Mofes, or that it had been
forged by any other, Saul had his anfwer at hand.
He had only to tell the prophet, that the whole
was impofture ; and in this he w^ould furely have
been fupported by the people, who had been ac-
celTory to his guilt, and who, according to his
account, had been his inftigators. But, inftead
of making any refledlion on the law, he humbly
confelTed his offence. He faid to Samuel, " I
" have linned ; for I have tranfgreffed the com-
" mandment of the Lord, and thy words ; be-
" caufe I feared the people^ and obeyed their
." voice''."
During
a I Sam. xv. z. comp. with Ex. xvii. 8. i<] ; Deut. xxv. 17. — 15,
b I Sam. XV. 24.
Pentatevchy and Book of Jojhua. 17
During the regency of the former judges, there
was too much diflra(5lion in Ifrael for the cxecu-
tion of any fuch fchcmc of deceit. During this
period alfo, the people of Ifrael were ftill far more
ready to depart from the worfhip of Jehovah than
to bind themfelves to it by new ties. They were
ftill apoftatizing, and thus fubjcding themfelves
to the yoke of their enemies : and can it be fup-
pofed, that, in thefe circumftances, they would
have received fuppofititious books, every page of
which condemned their conduft, and denounced
againft them that very vengeance which they
felt ? During this period, had any books been
fabricated, containing relations of events faid to
have taken place with refpedt to that very people,
to whom thefe relations were committed, although
totally deftitute of truth, or highly exaggerated,
their falfity mud have been well known in the
days of David, and even of Solomon. Jefle, the
fiither of David, was only the great-grandfon
of Salmon, one of thofe who, according to the re-
cords of the nation, witneffed the wonders done
in the wildernefs, at Jordan, and in Canaan. For
he married Rahab, who was faved in the deftruc-
tion of Jericho ^ An individual may be influen-
ced by ignorance, weaknefs or credulity, to be-
lieve concerning his great-grandfather what ne-*
ver took place. But, that a whole nation fhould
be brought to believe, not a fingle fad: of an ex-
traordinary kind, but a feries of fuch fa£ls, faid
to have happened only foui* generations before, if
Vol. I. B the
a Matth. i. ^.
i8 Of the Hijl or y contained in the
the whole were a fidlion, is itfelf a fuppofition far
tranfcending the bounds of credibility.
No impoiture with regard to alleged facls could
be carried on in the wildernefs. The Ifraelites
in general could never have been brought to be-
lieve the plagues of Egypt, the miraculous paf-
fage through the Red Sea, the proclamation of
the law by the voice of God from a mountain all
in flames, if thefe things had not really taken
place. For the writer flill appeals to themfelves
as witneffes. He reminds them of Vv^hat their
eyes had feen, -and their ears had. heard. Had
Mofes attempted any impoiture, it muft neceffari-
ly have failed.. He had many opponents, who
attacked his charadter and condud: in a great va-
riety of inftances ; and furely they would never
have drawn a veil over this, which would have
furniflied them with fo jufl an apology for oppo-
fition. They who faid, that he had brought them
into the wildernefs to kill tliem with hunger, that
he took too much upon him, that he killed the
people of the Lord, would certainly on fome oc-
cafion have twitted him with his impofture.
Add to all thefe confiderations, that the Jews
were lefs fubjeft to fuch an impofition than any
nation we are acquainted with. Perverfenefs, in-
credulity and obftinacy, are prominent features in
their national charafter. For nearly eighteen
hundred years, they have almoft univerfally re-
filled fuch evidence of the truth of a religion
built on their own, as has appeared fufficient to
many other nations, and even to the moll acute
and
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojhua. 19
and learned among them. Although, from the
influence of deep-rooted prejudices concerning a
temporal kingdom of the Mefliah, they have A ill
refilled the evidence of Chriftianity ; although
their faith in the Old Tellament has fcarcely any
influence on their praclice ; yet fo fully are they
convinced of the truth of the fads by which it is
atteiled, that there is fcarcely an inllance of a
Jew diflDtlieving the revelation given to his an-
ceft:ors. Even Spinofa, although deeply drench-
ed in atheifm, did not pretend to deny the truth
of the facts recorded in the Jewifli- Scriptures. He
only denied the miraculous nature of fuch as
were generally accounted miracles ; affirming,
that they were all owing to natural caufes, and
that they had the appearance of what men calf
miracles, merely becaufe we are not acquainted
with the fecret caufes by which they were pro-
duced.
Notwithfl.anding all the influence, which the
pride of a peculiar intercourfe with God may be
fuppofed to have had on the Ifraelites, it appears
from their hillory, that they have been by no
means prone to credit the claims made by any*
individuals among them to divine revelation ; if
the matter of this pretended revelation was not
perfedly confonant to their own corrupt preju-
dices or inclinations. They were ready enough,
in various inllances, to acknowledge falfe pro-
phets ; becaufe they " prophefied fmooth things."
But they almoft invariably perfecuted, or at leafl:
diflbelieved, the true ; becaufe they reproved their
B 2 fins.
10 Of the Hijiory contained in the
iins, and threatened divine judgments. Now,
the books of Mofes, for the molt part, con-
lift of burdenfome precepts, of fevere reflraints
on the natural inclinations of men, of threaten-
ings which muft have been exceedingly ungrate-
ful to a carnal people, and of hiflories extremely
humiliating to their pride. From thefe very
books it is undeniable, that nothing but the full-
eft conviction of the divine miflion of Mofes, and
its continued atteftation by the moft fignal judg-
ments on themfelves, retained them in fubjedtion
to his authority. It alfo merits obfervation, that
the Jews in every age have manifefted the ftrong-
eft reludlance to admit any book into their canon,
concerning the authority of which there could be
any reafonable doubt. Hence they have ftill re-
fufed to acknowledge as canonical, or as divinely
infpired, the books called apocryphal ; although
fome of thefe, particularly the two books of the
Maccabees, bring no inconliderable acceflion of
honour to their nation, as they contain an ac-
count of fome of the moft illuftrious adionS re-
corded in hiftory.
From thefe obfervations, the following reflec-
tion naturally arifes ; that God hath remarkably
difplayed his infinite wifdom, in making even
the unworthinefs of church-members to contri-
bute in no inconfiderable degree to the evidence
of revelation. In illuftrating the proofs of Chri-
ftianity, it hath been often obferved, that the
apoftacy of Judas, in all its circumftances, fo far
from being aji argument againft our religion, af-
fbrds
Pentateuch^ and Book of Jojhua, 21
fgrds a very ftrong prefumption in its favour.
For had this man perceived any vcftiges of im-
pofture in Chrill, or in any of his difciplcs, it is
inconceivable, that he fliould not have vindica-
ted his own condu(n: by revealing them. In like
manner, we may reafon in favour of the Jewifh
revelation, from the rebellious conduct of the If-
raelites. Had they, in their fuccefllve genera-
tions, ftridlly adhered to the law of Mofes, and
reverenced its fupporters, there would have been
far more ground to fufpecl a combination to de-
ceive. But we may clearly perceive, that He,
who makes " the wrath of man to praife" him,
permitted their frequent rebellions in the wilder-
nefs, their reiterated apollacies afterwards, and
even the permanent revolt of the greateft part of
the nation from the true religion, to afford us the
moft fatisfying proof, that they had nothing to
objedt to its evidence. Had they, in any period,
made an objection of this kind, it is incredible
that there fliould have been no traces of it in that
volume, which fo faithfully records, not merely
the oppolition of enemies, but the mifcondud; of
its b eft friends.
HI. There were many memorials of the mi-
racles faid to have been wrought in the fight of
the Ifraelites, in the more early period of their
national exiftcnce, by which the truth of thefe
miracles was attcftcd to this people in their fuc-
ceeding generations, and by which it is rendered
indifputable to us.
B 3 Not
22 Of the Hijlory contained in the
Not only were twelve ftones taken out of the
midft of Jordan, and erefted in Gilgal ; but the
fame number of Itones were fet up in the midft of
Jordan, as a memorial of its " waters being cut
*' off." The ftones taken out of Jordan were fuch
that a man might carry one of them on his flioul-
der. But the fame is not faid of thofe fet up in
the midft of the river. Hence it is probable, that
they were much larger, and fo high that they
might be diftindly feen when the water was low ^
Had the ftones, which appeared in the midft of
Jordan, been fet up in any later age, the fraud
muft eaiily have been deteded. Had the queftion
been aftced. What is meant by thefe ftones ? it
would not have been a fatisfadory anfwer to any
reafonable perfon, that they were erected by Jo-
Ihua at the time that their anceftors paifed through
Jordan. He would inftantly have replied, I have
lived fo many years in the vicinity of this river,
and have never feen them before, even when the
water was as low as it is now : nav, 1 have never
found any perfon who either faw or heard of them
till of late.
The writer of the book of Joftiua afcribes the
downfal of the walls of Jericho to a miracle. In
confequence of the Ifraelites having compafled
the city feven days, and io^tw times on the fe-
venth day, while the priefts blew with trumpets
of rams horns, (or, as it may be read, jubilee-
trumpets), and " the people ftiouted with a great
^* fliout, the walls fell down flat, fo that the peo-
" pie
a Jofh. iv. I.— «).
Pentateuch, and Book of jfojljua. 23
** pie went up into the city, every man ftraight
" before him .'* The circumftances are fo fin-
gular, that it cannot cafily be conceived they
fliould have gained credit with a whole nation in
fucceeding ages, had they not really taken place ;
elpccially as they added nothing to tlie military
fame of the Ifraelites, but to the carnal eye rather
reprefented them in a contemptible light.
There were, however, two remarkable fads, by
which the truth of this miracle was attefted in later
times. The family of Rahab the harlot was well
known, as long as the dillindron of families was pre-
ferved among that people. " Jofhua," it is faid,
" faved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's
" houfehold, and all that Ihehad ; and fhe dwelleth
" in Ifrael even unto this day - ." If this account
was written while Rahab herfelf was living, it
proves the very great antiquity of the book of Jo-
fiiua : for in this cafe the writer appealed to an im-
partial witnefs, who was yet alive. If, on the other
hand, the phrafe, even unto this day, be underftood,
as infidels explain it in other places,"" of a period re-
mote from the event ; and if the preceding lan-
guage refped Rahab, not perfonally, but in fier
pofteri ty and kindred; it follows, that the cir-
cumftances conneded with her deliverance were
well known to the liraelites nianv ajces after th -v
are faid to have happened. It cannot be funpo-
fed, indeed, that kings would have reckoned it no
difgrace that this woman's name ftiould be retain-
ed in their genealogy, h.'d they not been convin-
B 4 ced,
> Joflj, vi. fto. c Jolh. vi. 15. ■
24 0/" ^^^ Hijlor'y contained in the
ced, that God had fignally honoured her by giving
her fo great a falvation.
The other fadl I refer to, is that recorded
I Kings xvi. 34. concerning the judgments in-
fiided on the man who rebuilt Jericho. Had
not the whole nation been bound by a folemn ad-
juration '^ ; had not the memory of this been di-
flindlly preferved ; it is incredible that Jericho
fhould never have been rebuilt till the time of
Ahab, efpecially as its fituation was peculiarly
pleafant^*. There can be no good reafon to
doubt the account given of the completion of the
curfe, pronounced by Jofhua, on the fons of Hiel
the Bethelite. Had not this fad; been well known,
w^hen the firft book of Kings was written ;• had
it not been equally well known, that Jericho had
lain in ruins for more than five centuries, and
that no one would venture to rebuild it, left the
curfe fliould fall upon him ; that book would have
been reje(fled, as containing the moft ridiculous
falfehoods, which it was in the power of every
one to contradict.
They had a ftanding pionument of the miracu-
lous deftruclion of Kcrah and his company, in
the prefervation of the two hundred and fifty
cenfers employed by thefe wicked men in offer-
ing incenfe. They were converted into broad
plates for covering the altar of burnt-oifering. As
this was commapded for " a fign," and " a me-
** morial
d Jofli. vl. 26. e 2 Kings ii. ip. ; a Chr. xxviii. 15.
* There was a place called Jericho in the reign of David, as appears
from 2 Sam. x. 5. But it feems to have been only an obfcure village,
which received this name from its vicinity to the ruins of the ancient cilj.
Pentateuch, and Book of Jajhua. 25
** morial unto the children of Ifrael '," it is moft
likely, that they were not beaten into one mafs,
but preferved diitind, lorming as many plates as
there had been cenlcrs ; fo that no worlhipper
could fix his eye on that altar which flood with-
out the tabernacle, without remembering the mi-
racle wrought for the vindication of the divine
authority. This is the more probable, as thefe
cenfers formed a fecond covering of brafs for the
filtar ^.
We are informed, however, that " the chil-
** dren of Korah died not ^*' in this dcftruftion.
Either they were not engaged in their father's
rebellion, or they repented at the warning of
Mofes. They are frequently mentioned after-
wards. Some of them were appointed by David
t:o be fingers, and others to be porters in the houfe
oi the Lord '. Samuel the prophet was one of the
defcendants of Korah '\ Heman and Afaph alfo
acknowledged him as their anceflor '. Now, as
thefe two perfons were " fet over the fervice of
" fong in the houfe of the Loiid," and minifter-
ed firfl in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the
temple ; as many of the pfalms are exprefsly in-
fcribed, " To the fons of Korah ;" it is quite
incredible, that they would have admitted into
the public worfhip of God the hundred and fixth
pfalra, which particularly refers to that rebellion
that proved fatal to their anceftors, had they
not been fully perfuaded, not only of the truth of
the
f Numb. xvi. j'^.— 40. g Exod. ixvii. i, %. h Numb. xxvi. ii.
i I Chr. xxvi. i. k i Clir. yi. 33, 37. comp. w-Jij) j Sam. i. i. jf ,
1 I Chr. vi. 31. 33.-37. 39.
5,6 Of the nijlory contained in the
the rebellion, but of the truth of the miracles
there narrated ". They would not otherwife have
adively contributed to the prefervation of fo deep
a fligma on their name.
The pot of manna preferved uncorrupted ", aid
the rod of Aaron ftill bearing bloflbms and fruit ^,
both of which were laid up belide the ark, were
alfo meant for Handing memorials. Thefe mull
have been vifible, not only to the high-prielt,
when he entered into the moft holy place, but to
the inferior priefts and Levites, nay, to ail the
congregation on particular occalions, as long as
the tabernacle w^as in an ambulatory ftate, that
is, till the days of David, or even till the confe-
cration of the temple.
The perpetual abode of the Shechinah or cloud
of glory on the mercy-feat, and the anfwers given
by Urim and Thummim, were alfo ftanding me-
morials of the truth of the revelation given to
the Ifraelites, as well as permanent atteftations of
all the miracles formerly wrought in confirmation
of it. I fiiall not infill on thefe, however, as it
may be pretended that they were proofs of a more
fecret nature. But it is worthy of obfervation,
that although all the Jews agree in affirming the
continuance of the cloud of glory, and of the re-
fponfes by Urim and Thummim, as well as the
prefervation of the tv/o tables of the law, of the
pot of manna, and of Aaron's rod blofloming,
till the time of the deftrudlion of the firll tem-
ple, not one of them ever infinuated, that thefe
things
m Pfalm cvi. i6.— 18. n Exod. xvi. ^2>- <> Numb. xvii. 10.
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojhua, 27
things were known under the fecond. They al-
fo acknowledge, that they had not the fire from
heaven. This is certainly a ftrong prefumption
in favour of the credibility of their national tef-
timony, in regard to the exiftence of thefe mi-
racles in the preceding period. For, if blind cre-
dulity, or zeal for the honour of their nation,
prompted them to feign fiich ftories, why were
thefe principles wholly confined in their opera-
tion to the period preceding the captivity ? The
renouncing of every claim to fuch allonifhing
difp'lays of the divine prefence, might well feem to
reflecl difgrace on the nation, after its return from
Babylon, great in proportion to the honour afcri-
bed to it in former ages. The clifhonour, arifing
from this fatal deprivation, would thus preponde-
rate againft the glory. Let it not be faid, that
from their greater intercourfe with other nations
after the captivity, any impofiure would have
been more eafily detected. For fuch was their
intercourfe with all the neighbouring nations in
the days of Solomon, that they would have found
more difficulty in any courfe of impofiure then,
than during feveral ages after their return from
Babylon. The Jews, indeed, do not refemble the
Papifts, who ]ay claim to an uninterrupted fuc-
ceffion of miracles. While they firmly believe
the truth of thofg wrought 'ii former times, they
pretend to nothing of this nature now. They do
not even pretend that there was any conftant fuc-
ceflion of miracles in the earlieft periods of their
hiftory. Thus, in one of their mofl ancient wri-
tings,
^8 Of the Hiftory contained in the
tings, we find a firm believer in former miracles,
expr-effing his ailorjifliment that there was no fuch
difplay of divine power in his own time. Gi-
deon faid, " If the Lord be with us, why then is
" all this befallen us ? and where be all his mi-
" racles which our fathers told us of, faying, Did
*' not the Lord bring us up from Egypt ? but
*' now the Lord hath forfaken us, and delivered
" us into the hands of the Midianites P.'*
We have indeed an account of a miraculous
difplay of the divine prefence in the days of So-
lomon, which confirms all the miracles recorded
with refped: to this nation in former times. This
was done in the eyes of all Ifrael, on a very re-
markable occaiion, at the time of the confecra-
tion of the temple. " V/hen Solomon had made
" an end of praying, the fire came down from
" heaven, and confumed the burnt-offering and
" the facrifices ; and the glory of the Lord filled
" the houfe. And the priefts could not enter
^* into the houfe of the Lord, becaufe the glory
♦' of the Lord had filled the Lord's houfe. And
" when all the children of Ifrael faw how the
*' fire came down, and the glory of the Lord
'* upon the houfe, they bowed themfelves with
♦* their faces to the ground, upon the pavement,
" and worfiiipped '." No doubt could remain
with any one who witnefled this, of the truth of
what he had heard or read concerning the pillar
of fire conducing and proteding his fathers, and
{hooting forth dellruclion on their enemies. For
he
p Judg. vi. 13. q a Chr. vii. I.— 3.
Pentateuch, and Book of Jo/Jjim, 29
he faw this very fymbol which had been fo much
celebrated in the hiftory of Ifracl. Had not this
been an indifputable fad, it would never have
been publiihed as a thing done in the eyes of all
the congregation of Ifrael. Had there been any
reafon to doubt of it, Jeroboam, the enemy of So-
lomon, would have found it an excellent handle,
when he fought to turn away the Ifraelites from
the true religion. At what time foever the fe-
cond book of Chronicles was wrote, there were
then extant three other books, which had been
compofcd by contemporary writers, narrating all
the great events of Solomon's reign. Thefe were
** the book of Nathan the prophet ; the prophecy
** of Ahijiih the Shilonite ; and the vifions of Id-
" do the feer, againft Jeroboam the fon of Ne-
" bat '." The writer of the firfl book of Kings,
who alfo mentions the appearance of the cloud of
glory on this occafion % refers to another work,
intituled, ** The Ads of Solomon ^" Now, had
not this been a real miracle, the writer of the
hirtory would never have dared to refer to the
well-known accounts of thofe who lived at the
time when it is faid to have been wrought. It
may be added, that the great miracle afcribed to
the inllrumentality of the prophet Elijah, about an
hundred years afterwards, was a llriking confirma-
tion of the truth of the hiftory given of this. For
the fire in like manner dcfcended from heaven and
confumed the facrifice. The circumftances of this
event are fuch, that it never would have gained'
credit,
r 2 Clir. ix. 19. s I Kings tiii. 10, ir. t Chsp. 11. 41.
3D Of the Hijiory contained in the
credit, if it had not really taken place. For it is
aflerted, that all Ifrael were gathered together^
and that in confequence of the miracle, all the
prophets of Baal, to the number of four hundred
and fifty, were flain by Elijah ". Thefe circum-
ftances are of fo public a nature, that, had they
been falfe, they mull neceffarily have been con-
tradidled. I do* not urge thefe miracles, how-
ever, as permanent memorials. They were only
occafional, but of fuch a nature as to afford a
fucceffive confirmation of the truth of the hiftory
of former miracles.
The Gibeonites were undoubtedly preferved in
Ifrael, as hereditary witneifes of the great things
which God had done for his people. They were
Amorites, and therefore among the nations devo-
ted to deftrudion. But, as we learn from the book
of Jolhua, they fent meffengers to him and to the
princes of Ifrael, who pretended they had come
from a remote country ; and thus by their craft
they obtained a league of amity. The Gibeonites
adled this part, becaufe they had heard what Jo-
lhua had done to Jericho, and alfo what the Lord
" did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two
" kings of the Amorites ^" When Jofhua faid
to them, " Wherefore have ye beguiled us ?" they
gave this memorable anfwer : " Becaufe it was
** certainly told thy fervants, how that the Lord
" thy God commanded his fervant Mofes to
** give you all the land, and to deftroy all the
" inhabitants of the land from before you ; there-
" fore
■fX I Kings xviii. ip.— 40J v Jofli. ix. 3. 9, 10.
Pentateuch y and Book of Jojhua. 5I
" fore we were fore afraid of our lives becaufe of
" you, and have done this thing ' ." We are alfo
informed, that tlie congregation were difpleafed
at the condud: of the princes in this inftance, moft
probably becaufe they confidered it as a tranfgrcf-'
fion of the commandment of God. But the prin-
ces told the congregation, that they " might not
" touch" the Gibeonites, becaufe they had ** fworn
".unto them by the Lord God of Ifrael." They,
however, determined to treat them as bondmen.
Therefore, " Jofhua made them," or *' delivered
" them over that day, to be hewers of wood and
" drawers of water for the congregation, and for
" the altar of the Lord ." Hence they were
called Nethinlms, that is, given or delivered overo
Now, if it appear that this nation was actually pre-
ferred in the land of Canaan, ajid lived in a flate of
friendfliip with the Ifraelites, long after the other
nations were exterminated ; this circumftance muft
remarkably confirm the truth of the hiltory given
of the wonders done by Mofes and Jofhua, on ac-
count of which the Gibeonites are faid to have
fought the friendfliip of Ifrael.
We find, that this people continued to live
among the Ifraelites in the time of David. Saul^.
indeed, had attempted to exterminate them, air
though we know not exadlly from what motive.
This crime was punirt.ed by a famine of three
years duration in the days of David. From the
hiftory given of this event, it appears, that they
had not been wholly deftroyed. For it is faid, that
David " called the Gibeonites '," in confequence
of
tv Joflj. ix. 11,^— 1\. z Ver. ig.^zx. 27. y a Sam. xxi. :, t.
32 Of the Hi/lory cojitained in the
of the anfwer he had received from the oracle of
Jehovah. They are afterwards diftinguifhed
in the facred hiftory by the name of Nethinims ;
which name, as we have feen, expreffed the work
to which they were devoted. David and the
princes confirmed the ancient ordinance, by par-
ticularly ," appointing them for the fervice of the
" Levites ^." Under the name oi Nethinims, they
are frequently mentioned among thofe who re-
turned from the captivity ^ They are claffed with
the other Canaanites, called " the children of So-
** lomon's fervants ' ," becaufe they were the pof-
terity of thofe who remained of the original in-
habitants of the land, whom that king reduced to
the Hate of bondmen ^.
Infidels have argued ftrenuoufly againft the
truth of revelation, from the account given of the
divine command to exterminate the nations of
Canaan, becaufe of their wickednefs ; and from
the pretended cruelty of the Ifraelites in doing fo.
For it is worthy of remark, that, however incredu-
lous in other refpe6ts, they eagerly grafp at the
evidence of Scripture, whenever they think they
can turn it againft itfelf. A vindication of this
awful injunclion belongs not to the prefent argu-
ment. But it is an unqueflionable fact, that the
Gibeonites, although know^n to be Canaanites,
were preferved alive, nay, permitted to do the
fervile work of the temple, during the continu-
ance of the Jewifh Hate. Reafoning, then, on the
ground of that cruelty which infidels afcribe to
the
z Ezra vlii. 2o. a Ezra ii. 43. 58. ; vii. 7. 24. ; Neb. iii. 16. ; x. a8.
&c. b Y.7X^ ii. 55. 58. ; Neh. vii. 57.-60. ; xi. 3. c j Kings ix. ao.--2J»
Pentateuch, and Book of Jofjjua. 3-
the Jews, it fiirpalTesall belief, that they would
have fpared one whole nation which they had in
their power, and thus have adcd fo contrary to
their avowed principles and condud with refped
to the other nations of Canaan ; had not the ac-
count given of the league between Jolliua and the
Gibconites, and of the reafons of it, been to their
convidion indiiputably true. The fevcre punifli-
ment inflided on the poilerity of Saul, on account
of the (laughter of the Gibeonitcs, which infidels
feem willing to admit, that they may afperfe the
tharuder of David, muft have excited the Ifraelites
to inquire if any fuch league really was made,
and for what reafons ; if the leaft doubt remained
in the minds of any on this head.
It pleafed God to choofe another Gentile race
to be Handing witnefTes of the wonders which he
wrought in redeeming his people from Egypt,
and bringing them into Canaan. I mean the race
of the Kenites, They were the pollerity of Reuel
or Raguel, alfo called Jcthro, the father-in-law of
Mofcs, who was ** prieft of Midian." The fame
word alfo fignifies prince, and is frequently ufed
m both fenfes. It would feem that he was a de-
fcendant of Midian, one of the fons of Abraham
by Keturah ^. But by this time the MIdianites
were greatly corrupted, in confcquence of their
connedion with the Moabitcs '. Some think,
that this corruption extended to tliofc only who*
lived in the neighbourhood of Moab. It is evi-
dent, hov\ ever, from Zipporah's great reludance
Vol, I. p
^ to
c Gen. jixv. I A \7
<• ^iim. ,\\v. 17, xS.
34 Of the Hijlory contained in the
to circiimcifion, that her family difregarded this
feal of the covenant made with Abraham *=. When
Mofes alked leave from Jethro to return to Egypt,
he did not once, hint the aflonifhing vilion he had
had, nor the commiffion given him ; but limply
exprelfed his wifh to fee if his brethren were
*' yet alive ^" From the language which Jethro
ufed in reply to Mofes, after he had informed him
of the mighty works of Jehovah, it would feem
that he did not formerly acknowledge him a.8
the true God. He indeed afcribed the deliver-
ance of the Ifraelites from Egypt to Jehovah ;
and declared his full conviclion, in confequence
of the aftonifliing difplay of divine power in the
deflruclion of their enemies, that Jehovah was
fupreme. For he faid, "■ Blefled be the Lord, who
" hath delivered you out of the hand of the
" Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh,
*' who hath delivered the people from under the
*' hand of the Egyptians." But he fpeaks as if
this convidiion were a new thing : " Now I know
" that the Lord is greater than all gods ; for
" in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he
" was above them ^." Sometime afterward, Ho~
bab, his fon, vifited Mofes in the wildernefs *.
- • " Mofes
e Exod. i\'. 26. ; xviii. 2. f Exod. iv. iS. g Exod. xviii. 10.— ir.
* It has been generally fuijpofed, that Jethro was alfo called Hobab.
For fupporting this idea, Reuel has been confideredj pot as th.c father of
Zipporah, the wife of More5,4but as her grandfather. However, as Zip-
porah is called the daughter of Reuel or Raguelf, and as Hobab is called
his fon, it is certainly more natural to fuppofe, that, Jethro, who muft at
any rate have had two names, was the fame \<rith Raguel, than that Jethro-
and Hobab were the fame.
I Exod. ii. 18, ■*
Ptmatcuch, and Book of Jofiua. 35
Mofes iir^ed him to join his lot with the Ifracl-
ites'-. Hobab did not at this time comply with
the rcquell of Moles ; but it is at leail highly
probable that he did lb afterwards. For fliortly
after the death of JoHuia, and while Caleb, the
fon of Jephunneh was yet alive, " the children of
" the Kenite, Moles' father-in-law," are mention-
ed as " dwelling among the people," and one body
of them at leail as efpecially connecting them-
felves " with the children of Judah ;" while ano-
ther branch of the fame race dwelt in the inheri-
tance -allotted to the tribe of Manalfeh ^. God
undoubtedly overruled the preference which they
gave to this tribe, for preferving them, long after
this period, in their adherence to the true reli-
gion, and for retaining them as fpccial witneifes
to its truth, when the ten tribes apoftatized.
Surely, the Kenites had no temporal inducement
to leave their own country : *' Strong was their
" dwelling-place, and they put their neft in a
** rock '." Tlie family of Jethro enjoyed the
principality, or the prieflhood ; both, perhaps, in
tlie land of Midian. What then coidd induce
them to become llrangers in another country, but
an earnell defire to " truft under, the wings of the
" Lord God of Ifrael," from a full convidion of
his almighty power ? It is unnatural to fuppofe,
that on any other account they fliould forfakc the
religious rites of their anceftors, and embrace
thofe of another nation. Tliey were by no means
C 2 a
h Num. X. 29.— 31. i Judg. i. t5. k Judg. iv. ii,
1 Num. xxiv. 21.
36 Of the Hijiory contained in the
a people given to change. For we find them ri-
gidly adhering to the fimplicity of their ancient
manners in the midft of the Ifraelites, and ftriftly
obferving the injunctions of one of their ance-
llors, even as to matters of indifference, in a time
of general apoftacy and depravity among that
people by whom they were furrounded. Not only
did they live in tents, while Deborah judged
Ifrael "% but fo late as the days of Jehoiakim, im-
mediately before the captivity ". That the Re-
chabites were not defcended from Jacob, is evi-
dent from their fpeaking of themfelves ?LsJlr an-
gers °. That they were the pofterity of the Ke-
nites is elfewhere exprefsly declared. " The fa-
" milies of the fcribes which dwelt at Jabez ;
'* the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Su-
" chathites. Thefe are the Kenites that came
*'■ of Hemath, the father of the houfe of Re<:hab."
According to another reading, the office, the cha-
radler, and -he manners of this people, are at once
pointed out. " The race of the fcribes that dwelt
" at Jabez, called porters, obedient, and dwelling
*' in tents, are the Kenites," &c. p. It is gene-
rally admitted, that the two books of Chronicles
were written after the Babylonifh captivity.
Hence it appears, that they were acknowledg'^^^d
as the pofterity of Jethro, from the time of Mofes
till that of Ezra. Saul, although he brake the
league with the Gibeonites, fpared the Kenites,
the kindred of Jethro, who had not joined them-
felves
m Judges iv. 11. n Jer. xxxv. i. — 10. e Jcr. sxxv. 7.
p I Chron. ii. 55.
Pentateuch, and Book of JoJJjua, 37
felves to Ifracl, or who might have retired into the
country of Amalek for a time, during the oppref-
fions of the Philiftines. He faid to them, ** Go,
" depart, get ye down from among the Amalek-
" ites, left I deftroy you with them : for ye fliew-
" ed kindnefs to all the children of Ifrael, when
" they came up out of Egypt ." Thus Saul ap-
pears as a w^itnefs of the truth of the hiftory con-
tained in the books of Mofes, as far as it concern-
ed this people.
Many of the ordinances enjoined on the Ifraelt
ites were (landing teftimonies of the truth of their
religion. As God commanded, that all the males
fhould go up to Jerufalem thrice a-year, to ob-
ferve the three principal feafts, it might feem,
that thus the country would be expofed to inva-
lion from furrounding enemies. But he gave his
people a promife, which might ferve thejn as a
peculiar teft of the truth of their^ religion, while
they continued to obferve its folemn rites. He
allured them, that " no man lliould defire their
" land when they went up to appear before the
** Lord, thrice in the year '." An impoftor
would never have refted the truth of his falfe fyf-
tem of religion on fo improbable a ground. As the
Ifraelites were fo frequently attacked by the hea-
then nations around, had their religion been falfe,
this muft foon have appeared by the failure of
this promife : and it is not eafily conceivable,
that a people fo prone to murmuring and apo-
ftacy, fliould not fome time or other have availed
C 3 themfelves
q X Sam. XV, ^. r Exod. xxxiv. %^
38 Of the Hijlory contained in the
themfelves of this circumftance as an apology for
their condu6t.
Among the ordinances enjoined on Ifrael, that
of the fabbatical year deferves particul;ar atten-
tion. The weekly fabbath had been inftituted,
to remind man that he was God's. He alfo ap-
pointed a feptennial fabbath, to teach the Ifrael-
ites, that even the land which they poffefled was
not their own, but his. According to their law,
the Itrict obfervation of this was to be attended
with a miracle. On the year preceding the fab-
batical, the land was to produce as much as would
abundantly fupport them till the third year after.
For, the Lord commanded Mofes to fay to the
Ifraelites : " When ye come into the land which
" I give you, then fhall the land keep a Sabbath
" unto the Lord. Six years thou fhalt fow thy
*' field, and fix years thou flialt prune thy vine-
" yard, and gather in the fruit thereof. But in the
" feventh year fiiall be a fabbath of refl; unto the
** land, a fabbath for the Lord : thou flialt nei-
** ther fow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard." —
" And if ye fliall fay, What fliall we eat the fe-
*' venth year ? behold, we fliall not fowy nor ga-
*' ther in our increafe : Then I will command
** my blefiing upon you in the fixth year, and it
** fliall bring forth fruit for three years. And ye
" fliall fow the eighth. year, and eat yet of old
" fruit, until the ninth year ; until her fruits
" come in, ye fliall eat of the old fl:ore^"
Ha4
g lev. XXV. a.«»4, ao. — 22,
Tentateuch^ and Book of Jojfjua. 39
Had this extraordinary increafe immediately
iucceedcd the fallow year, it might have been
accounted for, according to the courfe of nature.
But when the land had been exhaufted by being
x:onfl:antly laboured for five preceding years, its
produce on the fixtli, fo tar from being greater,
ought, according to tlie courfe of nature, to have
been lefs than on any of the preceding years.
This miracle was virtually a continuation of that
with refpecl to the manna, according to the dif-
ferent circumilances of the people. No man who
witnefled it, could doubt the truth of thofe re-
cords, by which he was informed, that his an-
ceftors were fed by manna from heaven ; and par-
ticularly, that becaufe " the Lord had given
** them the fabbath, on the fixth day he gave
** them the bread of two days ."
Thus the Ifraelites, if they had any doubt of
the truth of their religion, could eafily put it to
the teft. If, on their doing fo, the promife fail-
ed, they would either have renounced their reli-
gion as falfe, or ever after have abftained from
obedience to this precept. But they did neither.
One of the folemn engagements in the covenant
of thofe who returned from the captivity, was,
that they fliould " leave the feventh year ."
Had not the people been fidly convinced, that
this was a divine ordinance, fuch a propofal,
on the part of their leaders, muft have appeared
extremely unreafonable, efpecially fo foon after
the land had lain wafle for feventy years. In the
C 4 time
t £x. xvi. jj. sj. wNeh. X. ->!,
4d Of the Hijlory contained in the
time of the Maccabees, this year was " a year
" of reft to the land ' ." Jofephus, when giving
an account of the liege of the caftle of Dagon,
near Jericho, in the reign of Antiochus Soter,
and the pontificate of Hyrcanus, the fon of Si-
fnon, fays, that the fiege was *f protradled till the
" arrival of the fabbatical year, which put a pe-
" riod to the war. Every feventh year," he adds,
'* as well as every feventh day, is obferved by the
'^ Jews as a time of reft ^\" It is incredible that
the Jews, a people fo much attached to temporal
intereft, fhould have obferved this law, had not
the promife connected with obedience been ful-
filled in their experience.
This law was alfo fanftioned by a penalty, to
"be inflicted on the Ifraelites, in cafe of difobe-
dience. If they denied themfelves that comfort-
able proof of the truth of their religion, which
confifted in the completion of the promife ; they
were affured, that this fnould be demonftrated to
th'^m by one in relation to this very ordinance,
tvhich fliould fill them with terror. For their law
Contains this awful threatening : " If ye walk
'* contrary unto me, — I will bring the land into
" defolation, — and I will fcatter you am.ong the
" heathen, and will draw out a fword after you :
" and your land fiiall be defolate, and your cities
** 'wafte. Then {haW the land enjoj her fabbaths,
*' as long as it lieth defolate, and ye be in your
** enemies land ; even then ftiall the land reft, and
** enjoy her fabbaths. As long as it lieth defolate,
'' it;
V I Mac. vi. 49. 53, w Antiq. lib. 13. c, 15.
Pentateuch^ and Book of JoJJjua. 41
*' it fliall rclt : hecaufe it did not rejl in your fuh-
** batJis when ye dwelt upon it '■■.'*
As it is generally admitted, that the two books
of Chronicles were written after the captivity,
they are alfo afcribed to Ezra. The latter part
of the fecond hook cannot have an earlier date ;
and it affords a very llrong prefumption, that Ezra
was the writer, that the book which bears his
name begins with the very words with which the
fecond book of Chronicles concludes. The cre-
dibility of this writer docs not feem to be difpu-
ted even by infidels, as far, at leaft, as he relates
events which he might himfelf be acquainted
with. But he, in the plained manner, accufes his
countrymen of difobedicnce to their God, in ha-
ving ncgleded to obferve the fabbatical year.
When fpeaking of the continuance of the Jews
in Babylon for fo long a time, he fays, that this
was to " fulfil the word of the Lord, by the
" mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed
" her fabbaths : for as long as fhe lay defolate,
" file kept fabbath, to fulfil threefcore and ten
'* years ^" Would the writer have dared to ex-
hibit fuch a charge, had not the fadt been indif-
putable ? Would not his contemporaries, and of
confequence their fucceffors, have rejected his hif-
tory, had they known this to be a falfe accufa-
tion, or had they been afilired that no fuch law
exiltcd among their anceftors, and that no fuch
cuftom had been obfervcd by them in any pe-
riod ? Such a calumny, fo far from giving force
to
X Lev. Kxvi. ar. 37.-35. y i Chr. xxxvi. ir.
42 Of the Hijlory contained in the
to a new, to a fuppolititious ordinance, would moft
certainly have excited the Jews to reject it with
indignation.
If the language necefiarily implies, that the
years of defolation were exadlly to correfpond to
the number of the fabbatical years, which had
been formerly omitted ; and that thofe had beer^
omitted in uninterrupted fucceffion ; we muil
conclude, that this .ordinance had not been obfer-
x^ed for four hundred and ninety years before the
captivity. This would carry us as far back as
the time of Samuel. It has been obferved, how-
ever, that if " we date the defolation of the land
" from the murder of Gedaliah, at which time
*' thofe few Jews that were left there, fled into
" Egypt, to the firft year of Cyrus ; the number
" of fabbatic years will be juit fifty-two, and
" will carry us back three hundred and fixty-four
*' years, that is^ to about the beginning of Afa's
" reign ; from which time the people began to
*' be very remifs in this and many other particu-
" lars of the Mofaic law ''." The reafon given
for adopting this mode of calculation, is, that it
feems fcarcely credible that the fabbatical year
fhould have been negledled during the reign of
David and other pious kings.
If it be deemed neceflary to interpret the lan-
guage of Scripture, already quoted, as fignifying
that the captivity endured till the exact number
of fabbatical years due to the land was fulfilled ;
I would rather fuppofe that this ordinance was no;
totally
2 Univ. Hjft» to], jj. p. 178, NeU.
Pentateuch^ and Book of Jojhuci. 43
totally negleded, cither for four hundred and
ninety, or for three hundred and fixty-four years ;
Uut that this was the cafe only during the govern-
ment of the judges, and the reigns of the wicked
kings, or of thofe who were more deficient in re-
formation. Hence it would follow, that fome of
this debt was incurred before the age of Samuel.
And furely it is more r^afonable to fuppofe, that
this ordinance would be negleded in the frequent
apoftacies of the preceding period, than that it
fliould be obferved then, and totally difregard-
ed during the prefidency of Samuel, the reign
of David, of Afa, of Joiiah, and other kings of a
limilar charader. There feems to be no reafon to
doubt, that at lead one fabbatical year was obfer-
ved in the reign of Hezekiah. For we learn, both
from the fecond book of Kings, and from the pro-
phecy of Ifaiah, that God gave the king of Judah
this lign of deliverance from the AlTyrians : " Ye
*' lliall eat this year fuch things as grow of thcm-
" felves, and in the fecond year that which
" fpringeth of the fame, and in the third year fovv
" ye and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the
" "fruit thereof-'." The fecond year mentioned
was undoubtedly the fabbatical year ; for the lan-
guage here ufed is that of the law by which it was
enjoined ''.
Another ordinance, refp-ding the fabbatical
year, deferves our attention. On this year, du-
ring the feafl of tabernacles, when all Ifrael came
CO appear before God, the law was to be " read
" in
a J Kin^s xix. i^. ; Ifa. xxxvii. 30. b Lev. xkv. 5,— 7*
44 Of the Hijlory contained in the
*' in their hearing, that they might learn, and
" fear the Lord their God, and obferve to do all
*' the words of this law ; and that their children,
** which had not known any thing, might hear,
" and learn to fear the Lord their God \" Thus,
not to mention the continued inftructions of the
Levites, who were difperfed through the land for
this very purpofe ; once every feven years, all
thofe who were affembled to obferve the feaft of
tabernacles, had an opportunity of becoming ac-
quainted with that law which was faid to have
been written by Mofes. This was the moft pro-
per time that could have been chofen. For du-
ring this year the minds of the people mult have
been lefs occupied with worldly concerns than
during any other. They had neither to fow nor
to reap. It was alfo " the year of releafe.''
Hence the poor, thofe efpecially whofe fervices
had been adjudged for debt, would find them-
felves deeply interefted in that law, which pro-
claimed liberty to them ; and would not tamely
fubmit to the negled: of this ordinance, as they
would probably afcribe it to a defign to deprive
them of their imprefcriptible rights. Had the
priells begun to obferve this ordinance only in
fome late period ; the people, thofe at leall whofe
intereft was affecled, either by the releafe of their
captives, or by the apprehended lofs of their har-
yefts, would inftantly have faid ; " How can ye
** prefume to impofe on us a law that we have ne-
" ver heard of before ? If this was written by
" Mofes,
a Deut. xsxiy io» — 13-
Pentateuch, and Book of JoJIma. 45
•' Mofes, why have we never heard it read in any
" former period, at the time of this fcall ; al-
" though you acknowledge, by the precept ycu
** now publifh, that it fliould have been read cve-
*' ry feven years ?" Or, fuppoiing that the law
had been regularly read every fabbatical year ; if
any material alteration was at any time introdu-
ced, can it be imagined that this would not be
perceived by one individual among the many thou-
fands of llrael ?
The feparation of the tribe of Levi affords a
llriking proof of the truth of the miracles record-
ed in the Mofaic hiftory. Men in general do not
eafily part with their privileges, efpecially if thcfe
have the fandtion of antiquity. No nation has
ever appeared more tenacious of thefe than the
Ifraelites. It is certain that among them the ho-
nour of the priefthood, and fcrvice of the fan(flu-
ary, was, under pain of death, reftriclexi to one
tribe. It cannot be fuppofed that all the other
tribes would have fubmitted to this, had the pre-
ference given to the tribe of Levi reded on a falfe
ground. Among other ancient nations, the priell-
hogd was an honourable appendage of the primo-
geniture. It was confidercd indeed as one of its
chief privileges. Before the feparation of the
tribe of Levi, this was alfo the cafe among the
Ifraelites. Matters continued on this footing for
fome time after they left Egypt. For Mofes
" fent young men o.f the children of llrael," or
as the Chaldee renders it, " the firft-born, wliich
" offered burnt-oticrings, and lacrificed peace-
" oflcring^;
46 Of the Hijiory containe'd in the
" offerings of oxen unto the Lord." This vv^a;?
done on a very important occalion. With the
blood of thefe very facrifices was the book of
the covenant to be confecrated *^ Now, what
is the reafon given for this important change ?
It is thus exprefled by the Supreme Lawgiver :
" 1, behold I, have taken the Levites from among
" the children of Ifrael, inllead of all the firft-
*' born that openeth the matrix among the chil-
" dren of Ifrael : therefore the Levites fliall be
" mine : Becaufe all the firft-born are mine : for
" on the day that I fmote all the firll-born in the
" land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firll-
" born in Ifrael, both man and beaft : mine they
" fhall be : I am the Lord^^." Had not the reafon
afligned for this feparation been an incontellable
truth, can it be fuppofed, that, in all the mur-
murings and rebellions of Jfrael, it fhould never
have been denied, or fo much as difputed ? In
the rebellion of Korah, when the infurgents af-
fembled againft Mofes and Aaron, pleading that
" the congregation were holy ;" is it not unac-
countable, that if this deliverance was a mere
pretence, not one of them fliould have thrown out
fuch an infinuation ^ ? If it be fuppofed that the
Levites, who wiflied to participate in the prieft-
hood, would not make any fuch objecSlion, was
there the fame reafon for the filence of the fons
of Reuben, who were leaders in this rebellion ?
As they might reckon themfelves more injured
than others, Reuben being the firit-born, inftead
of
a Exod. xslv. 5.—- S. b Nutnb. iii. Ii, 13.; fee alfo ver. 40, 41.
c Numb. xvi. i. — 5.
Petitateucb, and Book of Jojhua. 47
<?5f joining with the Levites, they would undoubt-
edly have ridiculed the reafon given for their
coniecration, liad there been the leaft ground to
doubt of the fact. But although they deny the
claim of Mofes to the principality, and of Aaron
to the prielthood, they quarrel not with the ho-
nour conferred on the Levites. They attempt
not to deny the fad given as the reafon of their
feparation, though this would have been the belt
argument they could have employed, had there
been the leaft ground for it. Thus, it appears to
have been the will of God, that in all the gene-
rations of Ifrael, every Levite Ihould be a living
memorial of the miraculous prefervation of the
firft-born.
It is evident indeed, that the law with refpedt
to the redemptirm of the firjl-born was meant to
ferve the fame end. According to this law, all
the firft-born of man and of unclean beafts were
to be redeemed ; and the firft-born of clean beafts
were to be offered in facrifice. That the ordi-
nance was meant »s ^a perpetual memorial of the
miraculous deliverance of the Ifraelites, is evi-
dent from the direction given with refpecl to the
information tliey were to communicate to their
children on this head : *' It ftiall be when thy fon
" alketh thee, in time to come, fiiying, What is
" this ? that tliou ftialt fay unto him, By ftrength
** ot hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt,
" and from the houfe of bondage And it came
" to pafs, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, /
*' that tile Lord licw all the firft-born in the Luid
'' of
4^ Of the Hijlory contained in the
" of Egypt, both the firfl-born of man, and the
" firit-born of beaft : therefore I facrifice to the
" Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males ;
" but all the firfl-born of my children I redeem •'."
Had there not been the fuUelt conviction of the
truth of the deliverance referred to, when this
ordinance was firft inflituted, it cannot be belie-
ved that the Ifraelites would have fubmitted to
it ; for two reafons. Firft, It was a very expen-
five ordinance. This lingle law deprived the If-
raelites of a fifth or fixth part of their property
in cattle. It might feem very hard that they
fliould be obliged to break the neck of a beaft,
which w^ould have been very ferviceable to them,
but could not be accepted in facrifice if they did
i^ot redeem it by another ' . For the redemption
of every firft-bcrn of man, they had to pay five
fliekels, amounting to about twelve ftiillings of our
money ^. Now, it is inconceivable that a people,
fo remarkably attached to riches, fliould have fub-
mitted to fuch a law, had they made the leaft
doubt of the fad afligned as the reafon of it. But
we know, that to this very day it is obferved
among them.
This was alfo a very humiliating ordinance.
It reprefentcd all the firft-born of Ifrael as in a
lower ftate than that of flavcs ; as devoted per-
fons, who had no claim to deliverance from the
fword of divine juftice, but by making a purchafc
of their lives. It muft therefore have been ex-
ceedingly ungrateful to men of carnal minds, and
efpecially
a ExoJ. xlii. il. — 15. b Ver. 13. t Numb, xviii. 16.
Pentateuchy and Book of yoJJjua. m
efpecially to thofe young perlons who w.'.r. fin-
glecl out from otiicrs, as peculiarly indebted to
divine clemency for the prefcrvation of life.
The obfervution of the FaJJover among the If-
raelites, affords another incontcllable proof of the
truth of fomc of the principal events recorded in
their hiftory. This is indeed intimately con-
nected w ith what has been lalt mentioned. The
pafibver was obferved in commemoration of the
deflru^ion of all the firft-born of Egypt, both of
man and bcafl, and of the ialvation of the llraelites.
It alio fuppofed the truth of the other miracles
fa id to have been wrought for their deliverance
from captivity in that land. We have differefit
accounts of the inftitution of this feafl ; but they
all agree in this, that it was inftituted on the very*
night of this fignal deliverance.
If it be admitted that the pafTover was inllitu-
ted as early as the Scripture-hillory declare^ it
mull follow, that the account of the deftrudion
of the Egyptian firft-born, and of the deliverance
of the Ifraclites, is true. For no good reafon can
be given, why a whole nation Ihould commemo-
rate a deliverance which they were certainly af-
fured never took place. Far lefs can it be belie-
ved, that they fhould commemorate it in the wil-
dcrnefs, only one year after it is faid to have hap-
pened % when they muft all have known tliut
there was not the Icait. reafon for fucii a folem-
nity.
Vol. I. I> Ig
t Nutnb. ix. I.— c.
5o Of the Hijlory conta'med In th:
Is it pretended, that the paflbver muft havf?
been iirfl obferved in fome later period ? Then it
mud follow, either that all the Ifraelites were
impofed on by fome artful deceiver ; or that they
unanimoufly confpired to frame and to propagate
a grofs and ridiculous falfehood. It is incredible
that, in any future period, they fhould in this re-
fped become the dupes of an impoftor. For in
what period foever the book of Exodus, which
contains the inflitution of the paffover, was made
known- to the Ifraelites, they mufl by it have re-
ceived information, that the obfervation of this
feaft in their nation had been coeval with their de-
parture from Egypt. Now^ if this was falfe, as the
law was to be read once every feven years, in the
hearing of all Ifrael, it was in the power of every
individual to deted: and proclaim fo palpable an
impolition. They would never be induced to be-
lieve, that the iiril palTover had been celebrated
in Egypt, when they were affared that it was un-
known in Ifrael till v/ithin a few years.
As little can it be fuppofed that, at any future
period, they would miiverfally confpire to frame
and to propagate a falfehood. As a nation, they
were prone to perverfenefs and difcord, Hov/
then lliould they all agree in this ? efpecially as
the paffover virtually fealed, in the moil folemn
manner, that inlVitution, already m.entioned, which
reduced all their hrft-born to the ftatc of devoted
perfons, and fubjecled them to the cxpence of gi-
ving a price for their redemption, and of facri-
ficing all the firlt-born of their cattle.
Befides,
Pentateuch J and Book of Jofiua. 5!
Befides, fappofing fuch a combination in any
later period, the people mufl alio have unani-
moully agreed to tell the moil impious falfchood
to their children •, although it docs not appear
that they could have any fufficient temptation to
luch condud. They were to lay to their chil-
dren, at the celebration of this feaft : " This is
*' done, becaufc of that which the Lord did unto
*' me, when I came forth out of Egypt. — It is the
** facrifice of the Lord's paflbver, who palTed
*' over the houfes of the children of Ifrael in
** Egypt, when he fmote the Egyptians, and de-
" livered our houfes ^."
It cannot be doubted, that parents have often
told their children fables with refpcd to falfe fyf-
tems of religion. But they have generally done
fo, under the perfuafion of their being true, and
becaufe they trulled to vague and corrupt tradi-
tion. But in this cafe it rauft be fuppofed^ that
the whole nation agreed folemnly to declare to
their children, concerning an a(fl of divine wor-
fliip, what they mufl have known to be falfe :
and the hiftory of mankind affords not one ex-
ample of fuch concord in unprofitable depravity.
We might argue in the fame manner from the
feajl of Tabernacles, obferved in commemoration
of their fathers dwelling in tents in the defert ',
and from the feafl; of Pentecofl, which referred to
the giving of the law from Mount Sinai : but it
is unneceffary. The authority of the law indeed,
in all its ** teflimonies, ftatutes and judgments,"
D 2 rcl>s
a Exod. xii. 17. ; xlii. 8.
5^ Of the Hijlory contained in the
t
rells in a fpecial manner on facls. God demands
the obedience of this people, not fimply on the
ground of his fovereign authority as Jehovah ;
but more immediately on that of the allonifh-
ing proofs he had given of his claim to this
character, by his mighty Vv'orks ". Now, as there
is fcarcely an age in which the Ifraelites did not,
in fome fhape or other, forfake the law, whence
is it that they never denied this foundation ; if
it was not from a full convidlion of the truth of
the fad;s recorded in their hiilory ?
IV. Many of the leading fafls recorded in the
facred hiftory concerning the Ifraelites, are atteft-
ed by heathen writers.
The teftimony of Juflin the hiflorian, who wrote
in the fecond century, merits particular attention,
?ilthough it differs in a variety of inftances from
the Mofalc hiftory. Jullin only abridged the
work of Trogus Pompeius, a Greek writer, whrcli
is now loft ; having mod probably been neglect-
ed becaufc of the elegance of the compend.
" The Jews," fays this writer, " had their ori-
" gin from Damafcus, a moft noble city of Syria ;
" whence alfo proceeded the Allyrian kings, the
" defcendants of Qiicen Semiramis. The city
" received its name from King Damafcus, in ho-
** nour of whom the Syrians worfliipped at the
"fepulchre of his wife Arath, and thence recei-
" ved her as one of their deities. After Bamaf-
** cus reigned At^Ius, then Adores, and Abra-
" ham,
a Deut. vi. 20. — 15,,
Pc-ntateuchf and Book of Mofes, ^^
" ham, and Ifrucl. But a happy progeny often*
" Ions rendered Ifrael more illullrious than any
" of his anceflors. Therefore, he delivered to
" his fons a people divided into ten kingdoms,
" calling them all Jews, from the name of Juda,
" who died after the divilion ; and he command-
" ed, that all the furvivors fliould revere the me-
" mory of him, whole portion fell to all. The
" youngclt of thefe brethren was Jofcph. His
" brethren, fearing his fuperior genius, having
" fecretly furprifed him, fold him to foreign mer-
" chants. By them he was carried into Egypt,
" There, when from the acutenefs of his capa-
" city, he acquired a knowledge of magical arts,
" he foon became a great favourite with the king.
" For he was not only moil fkilful in prodigies,
** but acquired a perfed underftanding of dreams.
** Nothing, indeed, either human or divine, feem-
*' ed hid from him ; lb that he even forefaw a
** fterility of the lands many years before it took
** place : and all Egypt would have periflied by
** famine, had not the king, at his inftigation,
** publiflied an edid, requiring that grain fliould
'* be prcferved for many years : and fuch were
** the proofs of his wifdom, tliat they did not
*' feem to be anfwers given from man, but God.
•' His Ion was Mofes, wh*?, belides inheriting his
*' father's wifdom, was diftinguiflied by his beau-
*' tiful form. But, as they laboured under a le-
*' prous fcall, the Egyptians, being warned by
•' an oracle, expelled him, togetlier with thofc
D 3 " who
♦ Some copit* read t-u-'i^je, liavirj duodccitn inftcad of *Vrr/«.
54 Q/' i'^^^ ^''J^^^y contained in the
*' who were infecled, from the confines of Egypt,
" left the plague fhould extend further. He
*' therefore, being made the leader of the exiles,
** clandeftinely carried off the facred things of
" the Egyptians ; which the Egyptians feeking
*' to recover by arms, they were forced by tem-
" pefts to return home. Mofes, therefore, wifli-
*' ing to regain his native country of Damafcus,
" took poiTefiion of Mount Sina ; where, when
*' he had at length arrived, after he and the
" people with hirn were worn out with faft-
" ing for feven days in the deferts of Arabia,
*' he fet apart the feventh day, according to the
. " cuftom of that nation, called the Sabbath, to
** be obferved as a faft in all fucceeding ages,
*' becaufe that day had terminated their fa-
" mine and their wanderings. As they recol-
" leded that they had been banilhed from Egypt,
*' from the fear of their infedion fpreading to
*' others, that they might not be objects of hor-
*' ror to the people among whom they had now
" fettled, they made a law, that they fhould have
*' no communication with ftrangers. This, at
^* firft adopted from policy, became afterwards
<^ an article of their religion. After the death
*' of Mofes, his fon Aruas was firft made prieft of
" the Egyptian rites, and immediately after king.
*' Hence it became an invariable cuftom among
" the Jews, that the royalty and the priefthood
" fhould be united in one perfon. This conjunc-
" tion of civil juftice with religion has given an
f incredible ftability to their government ^."
Azeliis
9. Lib, XTXvi. cap, ?.
J
Pentateuch, and Book of Jopma. 55
Azclus and Adores, the kings of Damafciis here
mentioned, feem to be the fame perfons with Ha-
7,nel and Ben-hadad of Scripture, the hitter being ^
called Adad and Adcr by Jofephus. If this be*
the cafe, it is a remarkable anachronifm to place
them before Abraham. Trogus Pompeius is not
the only hiftorian who afferts, that this patri-
arch reigned at Damafcus. Nicolaus of Damaf-*
cus a Peripatetic philofophcr, and celebrated
writer of the Auguflan age, relates, that Abra-
liam, " after leaving Chaidea with an army, re-
" fidcd for fome time at Damafcus, and reigned
" there : but that he afterwards removed to Ca-
" naan, now called Judaea, where he dwelt with
'* his people, and where his pofterity have great-
** ly increafed ." This flory, if it proves no-
thing elfe, proves the celebrity of Abraham in the
Eall. It is not unlikely, that it had its origin
from his victory over the five kings. At this time
he redded at no great diilance from Damafcus ;
for he purfued them to Hobah, in the neighbour-
hood of that city ''.
In the account given from Trogus, we find a
ftrange mixture of truth and falfehood. But the
very errors in this narrative render it more unex-
ceptionable as a collateral confirmation of the fa-
crcd hifiory. For thus it appears, that the au-
tlior did not borrow from the Jews, but from
heathens.
Tiie Jews might in a certain fenfe be called
Syrians. For Jacob was the fon of a Syrian wo-
D 4 jiian :
a A[). Jofcpli. Antiq. lib. i. c. 8. L Ctn. xiv. IS-
56 Of the Hijlory contained in the'
man : he fojourned twenty years in the country
of Syria : and his pollenty were inftrucled to fay,
when offering their firft-fruits, *' A Syrian, ready
^ to periih, v\'as uiy father '."
That part of the hiltory wliich exhibits Ifrael
as dividuig his kingdom among his fons, may at
fi;ft view appear entirely fabulous. Buj: it bears
ilrong marks of a traditionary alluiion to his pro-
pheUcal divifion of the iaiid of Canaan on his
deathbed ; efpecially as wiiat is related concern-
ing the patriarcli's requiring the reft of his fons
to '* revere tiie memory of Judali," is almoft a
commentary on that ftriis.ing part of his prophecy ;
" Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren fliall
■" praife ; — thy father's children iliall bow down
" before thee ^." As the heathen hiftorian re-
lates, that Ifrael " called all his fons Jews, from
" the name of Judah," the verlion of the pafTage
referred to, in the Targum of Jerufalem, is very
limilar : " Judah, to thee fhall all thy children
" confefs, and by thy name fliall all the Jews be
" called."
The account given of Jofeph, although by mif-
take he is called the youngcft of Jacob's fons, is
juit fuch as a heathen would give, if he related
the facts recorded in Scripture in his own way y
and clearly fliows, that the hiftory of Jofeph was
vi''ell known to the neighbouring nations. The
mention made by Trogus of the beauty of Mo-
fes, illuftrates the accuracy of the Scripture-hif-
tory, even in more minute circumltances '^. From
this
» Dent. ^ivi. 5. b Gen. xllx. ?. c Exod. ii. 2-
PentatcuLh, and Book of Jujlnia. 57
tliis account, it alio appears that his wifdom was
greatly celebrated.
No one who reads this hiftory, can doubt tlic
departure of the Ilraelites from £gypt. A falfc
reafon is indeed alVigncd for their departure. But
the falfity of the reafons given for remote events,
forms no fuflicient objedlion to the truth of thefc
events themfelves : for it is obvious, that it is far
more eafy for tradition to preferve the memory of
a remarkable fad, than the caufes of it. Let
dift'erent hillorians give an account of any great
tranfaclion, even in modern times ; although they
all agree as to the leading fa^ls, perhaps there
will be as many theories, as there are writers, with
refped: to the fprings or caufes.
The llory of the Ifraelites bqing expelled, be-
caufe of their being infected with leprofy, is con-
tradidled by unqueftionable fad. One of their
laws excluded every leprous pcrfon from the camp.
This law could not have been made, but when
the people dwelt in a camp, having no fixed ha-
bitations. It murt, therefore, have been made,
before they were in poileflion of Canaan ; and of
confequence, while they were on their way from
Egypt to that country. But it is abfurd to fup-
pofe, that they would have framed fuch a law,
Jiad they been all leprous, or had this difeafe pre-
vailed to fuch a degree as to form the reafon for
their expuliion from Egypt. For if it did not ex-
clude all, it mult have excluded the majority :
and can it be fuppofed, that the majority would
confcnt to a law, which excluded themfelves t
The
$8 Of the R'ljlory contained in the '
The fact feems to be this. One of the plagues
inflided on the Egyptians, was that of " a boil
" breaking forth with fcalding blains * ;" the de-
fcription of which correfponds greatly with that
given of the leprofy\ This is elfewhere called
*' the boil of Egypt," and reprefented as incu-
rable \ We are informed that " the magicians
" could not Hand before Mofes, becaufe of the
" boil : for the boil was upon the magicianSy and
" upon all the Egyptians ." Now, it is mod
probable, that thofe here called magicians, and
elfewhere wife-rmen ^, were the priells of Egypt,
who were alfo her hiftorians. As they could not
conceal a fad fo well known as that of the depar-
ture of the Ifraelites, they might, from fliame, or
from revenge, endeavour to throw the odium
of this plague, by which they had fuffered fo fe-
verely, upon the Ifraelites themfelves. It con-
firms this hypothecs, that Manetho, an Egyptian
prieft and hiflorian, who lived near three hundred
years before Chrift, during the reign of Ptolemy
Philadelphus ", as cited by Jofephiis, reprefents
the Jews as baniOied from Egypt, becaufe they
were infected with leprofy. Chasremon, another
hiflorian of that nation, refers to the fame cir-
cumftance ^'. This itory would in fucceeding times
be propagated by the Egyptians among neigh-
bouring
* Exod. ix. TO. The language of Jiiftin approaches very near to this:
" iEgyptii fcabrem et vitiliguiem patercntur." Sume copies read pruri-
ginein, others, uliginem. But thej all convey the f.nne idea.
a Lev. xiii. iS. — 20. b Deut. xxviii. 27. c ExofJ. ix. 11.
d Exod. vii. 11. e Fabricii Eibl. Grseca, vol. V\, c. 2c.
f Jofeph. cont. Apion, 1. i.
P^ntateuchy and Book of Jojljiia. 5^
bouring nations. But however fiUie the reafon
afligned for the expulfion of the Ifraclites, it mi jht
in one fenfe be faid with truth that they were ex-
pelled. For, according to the facred hiuorian,
" the Egyptians were urgent upon the people,
" that they might fend them out of the land in
" halle : for they fiiid, We be all dead men."
Hence it is added, that the Ifraclites " were thriijl
*' out of Egypt ■'." Thus, in the llory of the ex-
pulfion of the Ifraclites " left the plague fliould
** extend farther," we may plainly trace the facts,
recorded in Scripture, concerning the plague of
boils, the terror of the Egyptians left they fliould
all perifli, and their urgency with the Ifraclites
for their departure. The account given by Tra-
gus agrees with that of the Scripture in tvvo cir-
cumftances, apparently fo oppofite, that they
would fcarcely have been invented by any hifto-
rian. The Egyptians arc reprcfented as purfuing
the Ifraclites, after having expelled them. In the
reafon given for the purfuit of the Ifraclites, that
they had " carried off the facred things of the
" Egyptians," there is an evident allufion to the
circumftance of the Ifraclites fpoiling the Egyp^r
tians ^ As the account of Trogus clearly im^^
plies, that a number of Egyptians were expelled
with the Ifraclites ; it might be founded on the
traditions prefcrvcd concerning ** the mixt mul-
" titude," which accompanied the Ifraclites out
of Egypt ^
The
a Exod. xii. ,'!3. ^p. fc Fr.od. iW. 35. 35.
cFjcod. xii. 5?
6o Of the Hijlory contained in the
The ftory of the Egyptians being forced by
temtejls to return from the purfuit of the Ifrael-
ites, is evidently a difguifed account of the fate
of Pharaoh and his hoil. As rehited by the hea-
then hiltorian, it is felf-contradidory. How could
a leprous multitude brave thofe llorms, which de-
feated the army of Egypt ? Did their boils make
them more able to fly, than the healthy Egyptians
were to purfue ?
Tlie ridiculous idea of the Ifraelites travelling
for feven days without food, feems to argue a con-
viction on the part of its authors, that this peo-
ple had no ordinary means of fupport in the wil-
dernefs. In the heathen accounts, days feem to
have been fubilituted for weeks : for the law was
given from Mount Sinai feven weeks after Ifrael
left Egypt ^ This account, however, plainly fliews
that it was generally believed among the fur-
rounding heathen, that the Ifraelites received
their law at Mount Sinai. I fliall only further ob-
ferve, that, although a falfe reafon is here affigned
for the inllitution of the fabbath, as well as too
late an ^ra ; this inftitution is afcribed to a very
early period in the hiftory of Ifrael.
On the whole, when we conilder the remote
antiquity of the events narrated ; the confufion
and frequent abfurdity of the accounts given by
the moll celebrated heathen writers, concern-
ing the more early periods of their own hiftory ;
the little intercourfe they had with the Jews ;
^nd their great prejudices againft them ; fo tar
from
a Eiod. xix. i. Lev. xxiii. 15, 16.
Pentateuch, and Book of JoJJjiin. Ct
from wondering that this account varies in many
circumftances tVom that given in the Jewifli re-
cords, we have much more reafon to wonder that
there is fo remarkable a coincidence.
Apion, an Egyptian writer, altliough a bitter
enemy of the Jews, afcribes great aiitiquity to
their nation. He fays, that ** in the reign of
** Amofis,. king of Egypt, they departed from that
" country under Mofes as their leader.'" This
Amofis he makes contemporary with Inachus the
founder of the Argive kingdom in Greece. Ac-
cording to Clemens Alcxandrinus, Inachus lived
four hundred years before the Trojan war ^. La-
ter chronologers make his reign much earlier.
It is evident from this, however, that even the
Egyptian writers admit, that the Ifraelites left
Egypt in a very early period.
Many learned writers have fuppofed, that the
Ifraelites were the //jr/c?/ or fliepherd-kings, who,
according to Manetho, held all Lower Egypt in
fubje^lion for 259 years. Others, becaufe there
is fo little agreement between the Scripture-hif-
tory and the circumilances mentioned by Mane-
tho, fuppofe that thefe fhepherds were feme other
people. But not to fay that tlic number of years
affigned to their ufurpation agrees very nearly
with the period which elapfc-l from the advance-
ment of Jofeph to the departure of the Ifraelites ;
it feems to fettle the difputc, that Manetho him-
felf afferts, that a great body of thefe fliepherds,
during the reign of Themofis, " retreated to a
" ^country
> Strom, lib. I. p. 135.
62 Of the Hijlory contained in the
*' country now known by the name of Judea,
" where they built the city of Jerufaiem." He
alfo fays, that during the reign of Amenophis,
whom he places long after Themolis, the rem-
nant of thefe Ihepherds " united under Ofarliph,
" a prieft of Heliopolis, .whofe commands they
*' fwore to obey, on condition of not being obli-
" ged to worfliip the Egyptian gods ; that they
" fhould marry with their own people, and eat
*' fuch m.eats as they deemed holy. Ofarliph,"
he adds, " was the founder of that polity : he
*■'■ was fo named from Ofiris, a god worfhipped at
** Heliopolis. When he changed his religion he
*' took the name of Mofes ^." However much
the truth is difguifed in this account, it feems
unnatural to underftand it of any other nation
than the Ifraelites. As Jofeph, who was next in
dignity to the king, " bought all the land for
*' Pharaoh," and removed the people " to cities
" from one end of the borders of Egypt even to
*' the other end thereof^ ;" it was natural enough
in fucceeding ages to afcribe fuch changes to con-
queft by a ftrange people who led the life of fhep-
herds, a life extremely odious to the Egyptians.
ManetliD evidently refers to the charader of Mo-
fes as a legiflatbr ; and it is difficult to conceive
how he fhould have conneded Mofes with thefe
fhepherds, had he not found fuch a connexion al-
ready eflabliihed in the ancient annals, or at leafl
in the ancient traditions, of Egypt. Befides,
Themofis is generally viewed as the fame Vvith
Amofis,
a Joi'cph. coDt. Ap. lib. i b Gen. xlvii, 30, ^r.
PeTithteucby and Book of JoJJjua. ^j
Amofis, in whofe reign, according to Apion, the
Ifraelites left Egypt. As Moles " was learned in
" all the wifdom of the Egyptians," there is
every rcafon to fuppofe,,that he had been educa-
ted by their pricfts ; and as he did not " vifit
" his brethren" till he was " full forty years
" old ','' we need not wonder that in fuccced-
nig times he was not only confidered as a prieft,
but called an apoltate, in confeqiicnce of his join-
ing himfelf to the Ifraelites. We learn from Ta-
tian the Ailyrian, that in his time the annals of
the Egyptians were extant, moll diligently com-
piled by Ptolemy, a pried of Mendes in Egypt.
According to Ptolemy, *' in the reign of Amofis,
" the Jews departed from Egypt into their own
" country, under Mofes as their leader." He al-
fo reprefcnts Amofis as contemporary with' Ina-
chus ^'.
Tacitus, the Roman hiftorian, gives a very par-
ticular account of the Jews. " It is related," he
fays, " that the Jews, being exiles from the illand
*' of Crete, took poflcflion of the moft remote
*' parts of Lybia, at the time that Saturn was
" Violently expelled by Jupiter from his king-
** dom. An argument is borrowed from their
*' name. It is laid, that Ida, being a famous
*' mountain in Crete, the inhabitants, thence call-
** ed Ida;i, were, by a barbaric change of the
" name, denominated Judai. According to fome,
" during the reign of Ifis, a great multitude in-
" undatin^
a AAs vii. 11, 13. b Tsilan. coiit. Graec. p 171. edit. T-rif.
an. 1615. Vid. ctiatn.Thcopliil. ad Amulyc. I'b. iii. p. 130, 131.
64 Of the H'ljl or y contained in 'the
*' undating Egypt under Hierofolymus and Jnda
*' as their leaders, fettled on the nearefl lands."
Having mentioned other accounts, he adds, " The
" moil of authors agree, that a bodily conta-
" gion making its appearance in Egypt, when
** King Occhoris inquired concerning the means
" of cure, he was commanded by the oracle %)f
" Hammon to purge the kingdom, by expelling
" fuch men as were deteftable to the gods. A
" great rabble being collected, — they were warn-
" ed by Moles, one of the exiles, that they could
" expect no help either from gods or men, as
" they were deferted by both ; but^ that they
" might be delivered from their prefent miferies,
" by implicitly confiding in him as a heavenly
" leader. To this they affented, and blindly fet
" out on a journey by chance. Nothing diftreff-
" ed them fo much as the want of water. And
" now% not far from deftrudion, they all lay fiat
" on the ground ; when a flock of wild affes, lea-
" ving their pafture, climbed a rock fhaded with
" wood. Mofes, forming- a conjedure from the
" verdure of the foil, followed them, and difco-
" vered abundant fprings of water. Having ob-
" tained this refrefhment, and continued their
** journey for fix days, on the feventh they took
" poflefiion of lands, in which they built a city
" and temple, having expelled the former inha-
" bitants. Mofes, in order to fecure the natiorv
**■ to himfelf in fucceeding times, inftituted new
" rites, which were contrary to thofe of other
** nations." He afterwards affigns the fame rea-
fon
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojfjua. 65
fon with Trogus for the confecration of the fe-
venth day of the week, obferving, that ** they de-
" voted the fcventh year alio to idlenefs. Others,"
he fays, " apprehend that this honour belongs
" to Saturn, and that we have either received the
*' firft principles of religion, as handed down by
*' the Idaeans (or Jews), who were cx])elled with
" Saturn, and were the founders of the nation :
" or becaufe the ftar of Saturn poPcires the high-
" eft orb and the greateft power among the fe-
*■' yen planets, by which men are governed, and
*' the moil of the heavenly bodies exert their
" power and finifli their courie by the number
*' feveti. But, in what manner foever thefe rites
** were introduced, they have the fim<Stion of an-
/' tiquity."
Thus it appears from Tacitus, that fome earlier
writers carried back the exiftence of the Jews as
a nation, nearly to the very commencement of
the fabulous hiftory of the Greeks. It is evident,
that there was alfo a general belief, that the If-
raelites received their law from Mofes, very foon
after they left Egypt, and that it had the high-
eft antiquity. Nor is it lefs clear, that there
was a general tradition, that the Sabbath was in-
ftituted even before the exiftence of the liraelites
as a nation. Many learned writers have produ-
ced very ftrong reafons for fuppofmg, that the Sa-
turn of the heathens was the Noah of Scripture.
According to this opinion, it would feem that the
Jicathen nations traced back the confecration of
Vol. I. E the
• Tacit, hift. lib. 5.
66 Of the Hijlory contained in the
the feventh day at leaft *o the aera pf the deluge.
Without dwelling on thefe ciici::T fiances in which
the account of Tacitus agrees with thofe already
confidered, I fhall only further obferve, that in
"what he fays concerning the people being in dan-
ger of perifhing by thirft, and the means by
which they obtained relief, we may trace feveral
of the fadls recorded in Scripture, but blended
together and mingled with fidtion. Here there is
an obvious allulion to what we are told concerning
the Ifraelites travelling three days before they
found water, as well as to their murmuring and
deje(5tion on this account. In the flory concern-
ing the rock fhaded with wood, we have evident-
ly a mixture of the circumftaiices related in Scrip-
ture, concerning the rock which was fmitten by
Mofes, and the twelve fountains of Elim, where
there were threefcore and \t\\ palm-trees'^.
The names of none of the Egyptian magicians
are mentioned in the Pentateuch. But, from what
the Apollle Paul fays concerning " Jannes and Jam-
'* bres withftanding Mofes b," there is no reafon
to doubt, that the names of thefe perfons, as be-
ing the chief of the magicians, and fome other
particulars concerning them, not recorded in
Scripture, had been preferved among the Jews
by tradition. Their names indeed are found in
the Chaldee paraphrafe of the Pentateuch. Jo-
nathan thus renders Exod. vii. ii. " Jannes and
" Jambres, Egyptian magicians, alfo did in like
*^ manner, by the muttering of their- inchant-
" ments."
a Exod. xs'. 27. .b z Tim. iii. 8.
Pentateuc'hy and Book of Jojljua. 67
*' ments." The names of thefe magicians are alfo
mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud, in the
book of Zohar, in Schalfchelcth, and in Tanchu-
rau •'.
But it deferves our particular attention, that
thefe magicians feem to have been nearly as well
known to heathen writers. Eufebius quotes a
paflage from Numenius, an ancient Pythagorean
philofopher, which not only atteits the fcriptural
account concerning the oppofition of thefe magi-
cians, but plainly fliews a general belief, that
Egypt, by the inftrumentality of Mofes, had been
vilited with fevere plagues. " Jannes and Jam-
*' brcs," he fays, " fcribes of the religion of Egypt,
^* at the time that the Jews were expelled from
" that country, were univerfally deemed inferior
*' to none in acquaintance with magical arts.
'* They were therefore both chofen, by the com-
" mon confent of the Egyptians, to oppofc them-
"felves to MufcEUs," for thu§ Mofes is fometimes
called by the Greeks '', " the leader of the Jews,
" a man whofe prayers were remarkably preva-
** lent with God. Thefe perfons were reckoned
" able to remove the calamities which Mufaeus
** had brought upon Egypt '." Eufebius gives a
limilar teftimony from Artapanus, who calls them
*' priefts above Memphis," relating, that the king
" threatened them with death, if they did not
** perform things equal to thofe done by Mofes ''."
Pliny, whofe inforn-iation has been lefs diftindt,
E 2 mentions
a Viil. Fabric. Cod. Apoc. V. T. p. 8i6.— .S19. Eustoif. Lex. Talm.
P 945- b Moue-ariof. c Apud. Eufcb. Pi'SBpar. lib. viii. c. 0,
(Fabr. Cod. Apoc. V. T. vol. i. p. 817.) d Id. lib. ix. c. iy
68 Of the Hijiory co7itained in the
mentions Mofes and Jamnes as Jewifh magi-
cians*"'. Apuleius alfo introduces Joannes, who
is generally allowed to be the fame as Jannes,
among the chief magicians ^\
Artapanus, already mentioned, in his work con-
cerning the Jews, gives the following relation :
*' Mofes was fhut up in prifon by Nechephres,
*' the king of the Egyptians, becaufe he demand-
" ed the liberation of the Ifraelites. By night,
" the prifon being opened by the will of God, he
" went forth, entered into the royal palace, Hood
" before the fleeping monarch, and awaked him,
'' He, being aftonilhed at what had taken place,
" commanded Mofes to tell him. the name of that
" God who had fent him. Mofes, approaching
" the ear of the king, told him this name. Upon
" hearing it, the king was llruck dumb ; but,
** when Mofes laid hold of him, he revived '^."
The leading circumilances here mentioned are
entirely different from thofe recorded in the fa-
cred hiftory. There feems indeed to be an allu-
iion to what was done by Mofes, in declaring to
Pharaoh the name of Jehovah, as the <* God of
** the Hebrews '';" and to Pharaoh's calling for
Mofes and Aaron by night ^ But what efpecially
deferves our notice, is, that the paifage affords a
fatisfaftory proof of a general tradition among the
heathen, that Mofes had wrought miracles in the
prefence of the king of Egypt, and even fuch as
particularly affefted himfelf.
The
a Hift. Nat. lib. Xxx. c. r. b Apolog. 11. c Ap. Clem. Alex-
Sndrin. Strom. lib. i. p. 251, tl Exod, v. i.— 3- ^ ^^'^^- *"' 3^'
Pentateuch f and Book of Jopnia, 69
The learned Allix has obfervcd, that the me-
mory of the dellrudtion of the tirft-born was pre-
ferved among the Egyptians till after the birth
of Chrift. '* For till then," he lays, *♦ they iifed
" to mark with red their flieep, their trees, their
*' houfes and lands, the day before the paffovcr,
" as one may fee in Epiphanius ; which cuftom
" could proceed from no other caufe, than from
" the Egyptians fear of the like plague and mor-
" tality, that was once inflicted upon their fore-
** fathers ; and from the hope of preventing it
" by fuch a kind of talifman, whereby they
" thought Mofes had formerly faved the Ifrael-'
" ites harmlefs from that great plague, only by
" fprinkling the blood of the lamb of the paflT-
" over on the upper door-poft of their houfes-'."
Allix does not quote the place, and I have not
been able to find it in Epiphanius. But, at any
rate, I would not lay much ftrefs on this tefti-
mony, as it does not fo properly belong to the
prefent argument, being that of a Chriftian wri-
ter. Nor does it appear, that his evidence is fup-
ported by that of any other witnefs.
I proceed, therefore, to fubjoin the teftimony
of two heathen writers, with rcfped: to the mira-
culous paiTage of the Red Sea. Artapanus, as quo-
ted by the celebrated Alexander Polyhiftor, fays,
that the Egyptian priells were not agreed, whe-
ther the fea was divided by a fupernatural power,
or whether Mofes and the Ifraelites only crofTed
over a fmall nook of it at low water, hitting the
E 3 time
a Reflc(fl»on3 on the Book} qf Scripture^ vol. i. p. 157, 1 5S.
70 Of the Hijiory contained in the
time fo well, that Pharaoh, following their ex-
ample, perifhed in the attempt. This writer
informs us, the priefls of Heliopolis adopted the
former opinion, and thofe of Memphis the lat-
ter ^
According to Diodorus Siculus, a heathen hi-
florian of great charader, the Ichthyophagi, who
dwelt along the coafts of the Red Sea, towards
the farther end of it, had a conftant tradition,
that that .fea had been formerly divided by a
ilrong wind ; and that the waves being parted
into two heaps, the bottom, which was left na-
ked, had appeared full of verdure ^.
Thus it appears, both from the internal evi-
dence of the facred books, and from collateral
teftimony, that there is no reafon to doubt the
truth of thofe miraculous events, which are re-
corded concerning the Ifraelites, in the firft pe-
riod of their hiftory as a nation. I have former-
ly obferved, that there is as little reafon to doubt
the fcriptural account of thofe prior events, which
more immediately concern mankind in general.
We may juftly infer the truth of the one from
that of the other. As it appears unqueftionable,
that the religion contained in the books of Mofes
was given by God, being attefted by thofe won-
derful works which we have already confidered ;
the trlith of the facred hiftory, as far as it refpeds
events of an earlier date, follows as a natural and
nerccflary confequence. It is incredible, that God
fhouid
a Eufeb. Pr«par. lib, iv. cap. 27. b Lib. iii. c. j.
Pentateuch y and Book of jfajhua. yi
ibould miraculoully attefl a religion in one refpc(S|
and allow it to have a falfe foundation in ano-
ther. For indeed, it was neceifary that the great
events recorded in the book of Genefis fnould be
true, in order to the truth of the Jewifli religion
in general. They are recorded, not as detached
fadts, which have no proper connexion with the
law contained in the following part of the Pen-
tateuch, but as the very foundations on which
this law refts. From an attentive conlidcration
of fome of thefe fa6ls, it will appear that the law
would have been imperfedl, without the hiftory
in vv'hich thefe are recorded ; that the reafons,
exprefsly given for many of its precepts, if not
unknown to the Ifraelites, when the law was re-
vealed, muft otherwife have been foon loft: in the
obfcurity of tradition ; and that the law would
thus alfo have wanted fome of its moft; powerful
motives to obedience. If, therefore, it appear in-
difputable that the law, ftridly fo called, was
given by God, and at his command written by a
perfon, whofe milfion was attefted by miracles ;
it follows, that we have the fame evidence of the
divine original of the book of Genefis, which
may be viewed as the foundation of the law.
This book contains a very ftriking and import-
ant concatenatioju of events. Som.e of thefe, as
the hiftory of creation, of the fall of man, and
of the promife of a Saviour, have a primary
place : others appear in fubordination. ^Eut both
are neceifary. The ingenious artift, in imitating
nature, does not merely exhibit the moft promi-
K 4 nent
72 Of the Hijlory contained in the
nent features or principal figures ; but alfo intro-
duces the more delicate lines and more minute
objeds. For he knows, that without thefe, his
piece, fo far from pleafing the eye, would be only
a difgufting mafs of imperfedlion. From want
of attention to the defign of the Holy Spirit, in
recording fome of the greater events which ap-
pear in the facred hiftory, and alfo to the con-
nexion, which thofe that are comparatively lefs
have with the greater ; many, who believe the
truth of revelation, continue blind to one of its
peculiar beauties.
Some may rafhly fuppofe, that it was unnecef-
fary to carry back the Scripture-hiftory to the
creation of the world. The principal fads, may
they fay, muft have been well known to the pof-
terity of Jacob, by tradition. But the book of
God was ultimately meant for the ufe of all na-
tions. It was therefore highly proper that its
hiftory fhould commence with time itfelf. When
Mofes wrote, corruption had made a very great
and general progrefs. Hence it was necelTary,
that the hiftory of creation ftiould be recorded by
an unerring hand, that the memory of it might
not be loft among the fables of the heathen. That
men might compare their prefent ftate with that
which they had loft, and have the fulleft evi-
dence of their need of redemption ; it was equal-
ly neceftary that they fliould be fupplied with a
faithful account of the fall. The hiftory of the
promife of redemption was alfo neceflary ; that
Uien might expedl a Saviour j and that, when he
{hould
Pentateuch f and Book of Mofes. 73
{hould adually appear, they might certainly dif-
tinguifh the perfon, efpecially as made knowm by
his exclufive charader, ** the feed of the wo-
** man ;'* and by his divine work, of repairing
the ruins of the fall, and thus " deftroying the
•* works of the devil."
Although, as may afterwards appear, the great
events from the creation, downwards, mufl have
been known to the Ifraclites, it v/as neceffary
that they Ihould have the fandion of divine au-
thority, by means of a mcflcnger whofe miflion
God was pleafed to atteft ; that thefe events might
be known, not merely by human teftimony, but as
matters of faith. It is not meant that this hif-
tory refted on no ground but human teftimony,
before it was committed to writing. For the
knowledge of it was tranfmitted, in former ages,
by Patriarchs, who had the gift of inspiration.
But from the death of Jofeph, till the miflion of
Mofes, we have no evidence that any of the If-
raclites were thus endowed. At any rate, it was
the will of God, at this time, to transfer the faith
of his church from the traditionary inftrudtions
even of infpired men, to a written revelation.
It was alfo neceflary that thefe great events
ihould be particularly fet before the Ifraelites, in
fubverviency to that further revelation with which
God favoured them, and the peculiar difpenfation
to which they were fubjecled. They arc all to
be viewed as fo many motives to faith and obe-
dience. Did not the facrcd volume contain hif-
tory, as well as dodlrine, we fliould be at a lofs to
perceive
74 Of the Hijlory contained in the
perceive the reafonablenefs and propriety of many
dF the laws enjoined on the Ifraelites. It needs
fcarcely to be obferved, that the principal ordi-
nances of the law have an immediate refpedl to
the great events which took place in their fepa-
ration as a people. The hiftory of the deftruc-
tion of all the firft-born of Egypt, and of the
falvation of the Ifraelites, fhows the propriety of
the confecration of the firft-born to God, and of
their redemption by a price ^. Had there been
no record of that awfid judgment brought on
the Egyptians, and of the means by which the
Ifraelites were delivered, the ordinance of the
palTover would appear in a very different light.
We perceive, not only the propriety of obferving
the feaft of Pentecojl, but of the feafon of it ;
Vv'hen we learn from the hiftory of Ifrael, that the
law was revealed fifty days, as the word Pentecofl
fignifies, after their departure from Egypt ''. It
is plainly declared, indeed, that the various ordi-
nances of the law were themfelves meant as hif-
torical monuments of the illuftrious works of God
in behalf of his people, for preferving the memo-
ry of thefe in all fucceeding generations. Thus
Mofes explains the defign of the law given by
him : " When thy fon afketh thee in time to
*' come, faying. What mean thefe teftimonies, and
" the ftatutes, and the judgments which the Lord
" our God hath commanded you ? Then thou
" fhalt fay unto thy fon. We were Pharaoh's
** bondmen in Egypt, and the Lord brought us
" out
a Exod. xiii. ii. — 15. b Exod. xii. 2. 6. ; xlx. i. 16. corop.
Pentateuch J and Book of JoJJma. 75
** out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the
" Lord flic wed figns and wonders, great and fore,
" upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his
** houfehold, before our eyes : And he brought us
" out from thence, that he mi^t bring us in, to
" give us the land which he fware urito our fa-
** thers. And the Lord commanded us to do all
" thefe flatutes, to fear the Lord our God, for
" our good always, that he might preferve us
" alive, as it is at this day '."
But it was- not enough that they fhould be fur-'
niflicd with the hillory of the great events which
peculiarly concerned->them as a nation. It was of
the greatefl importance to this people, that the
creation of the world fliould be fet before them
in the mod fl:ri"king light. Thus they were taught,
that He, who gave the law by Mofes, was indeed
the Maker of heaven and earth ; and were guard-
ed againft that foolifh idea, fo common among the
heathen, that the god of one country had no fort
of power over another. Being, by this means,
brought back to their very origin ; they might
fee, in the clearell manner, the abfolute autho-
rity that God had over them, and his indifputable
right to prefer i be to them what laws loever he
pleafed. He at the fame time magnified the fo-
vcreignty of his grace, in choofing the Ifraelites ;
as by this important record, he fliowed them that
all the other nations of the earth flood in the
fame relation to him as a parent. We, therefore,
iind that thefe two ideas of his authority, as Lord
of
• Dent. vi. 73.-14,
^6 Of the Hiftory contained iri the
of heaven and earth, and of his fovereignty in
choofing this people, are fometimes conjoined, as
arguments to obedience. " Now, Ifrael, what
** doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to
** fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways,
" and to love him, and to ferve the Lord thy
" God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul,
" to keep the commandments of the Lord, and
" his flatutes which I command thee this day for
" thy good ? Behold, the heaven, and the heaven
" of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth al-
" fo with all that therein is. Only the Lord had
** a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he
** chofe their feed after them, even you above all
" people, as it is this day ^"
As the law with refpeft to the fabbath referred
to the work of creation, the recorded hiftory of
this work afforded a powerful argument to obe-
dience in this refped. The very language in
which this precept was revealed from Mount
Sinai, fijppofes that the Ifraelites were not only
acquainted with the hiftory of creation, but with
this as *' an old commandment from the bcgin-
** ning." We know, indeed, that God has a
right to require obedience from all his rational
creatures, without giving any reafon but his own
will ; and that this is the formal reafon of all
obedience. But when we read the hiftory of
creation, and confider the unfpeakable importance
of a conftant remembrance of this great work, we
are under the neceflity of admiring the wifdom
of
% Deut. X, 12.— z^.
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojhua. *jy
of God, in not only appointing a weekly fabbath
for the commemoration of it, but in enjoining the
Ifraelites to obferve a fabbath once in feven years,
and another at the end of feven times feven.
God called his ancient people to confide iij
him as a Redeemer, who fhould deliver them
from their enemies, and put them in poiTellion of
the promifed land. Now, we cannot conceive a
more proper mean for confirming their faith, than
to trace back their hiftory, through its various
links, to the creation of all things. In this man-
ner he fhewed his right as well as his power to
redeem ; becaufe they were the work of his own
hands. He manifertcd his claim to their confi-
dence as " a faithful creator." They had great-
ly forgotten him in Egypt, and been polluted
with her abominations. But by this conneded
hiftory, as attcfted by miracles, he gave them the
fulleft afTurance that the God who now called
them to a ftate of feparation from the rellofthe
nations, and to his fervice, was indeed the God
who formed the world, and who alone had been
worfliipped by all their religious anceftors.
.A particular account of the covenant made with
Adam, of the fall, and of the coniequent curfe,
was peculiarly ncceflary ; becaufe the law of
Mofes had fo peculiar a relation to that covenant,
both in its precept and in its penalty. The ltri6t-
nefs, as well as the vaft: extent of the preceptive
.part of the Mofaic law, aiforded a conftant me-
morial of the perfedion of obedience required by
the covenant of works. The " juft recom pence
*' of
78 Of the Hijlory contained in the
*' of reward," connected with every tranfgrefiion,
and which left no hope of mercy, expreffed the
certainty and feverity of that ciirfe procured by
the fall. They might ftill read the fentence of
tieath pronomiced on man, in thole awful images
of bloodfhedding and burning which were con-
ilantly held up to their view.
It was necelTary that they Ihould be acquaint-
ed with the hiftory of the firil promife. This
was of the greatell importance for illullrating the
propriety of their Reparation from all other na-
tions. For thus the promife of the diftindlion to
be preferved between the feed of the woman and
that of the ferpent, was typically fulfilled. Thus
alfo they might learn the defign of their redemp-
tion from Egypt, and of the deftruction of Pha-
roah and his army. For this redemption was
meant to confirm their faith in the firft promife,
and to affure them of the future deftruftion of
that dragon, of whom Pharaoh was merely a
type.
The whole hiftory contained in the book of
Genefis, from the creation till the time of the fe-
paration of Ifrael as a people, was necelTary ; that
they and that all to whom the Scripture (hould
eventually come, might perceive the propriety
of this feparation, and mark the gradual prepara-
tion made for it, in the feparation of the pofteri-
ty of Seth from that of the wicked Cain, — of
Noah from the whole world lying in wickednefs,
— of Abraham from the reft of the defccndants
of Noah, — of Ifaac from the reft of Abraham*s
- pofteritY;,
Pentateuch, and Book of JoJJjun. 79
poftcrity, — of Jacob from that of tfie profane
Efau ; that thus the Church in all fucceedinj^
ages, might know the wonderful fteps that God
had taken' for the prcfervation of a holy feed.
A particular account of the call of Abraham, and
of his feparation from His own kindred, was efpe-
cially necelTary for illuftrating the intention of
God in giving the Ifraelites a law, and enjoiiiing
fo many rites, which from their peculiarity form-
ed a wall of partition between them and all
neighbouring nations. All thx: ceremonial inllT-
tutions, indeed, mull have appeared as unmean-
ing and unprofitable fervices, without the light
of the promife. They could have no juft idea of
their facrifices and other rites of the fame nature,
without knowing that they all refpedted the brui-
Jing of the heel of the promifed feed. On this
great promife, did the various regulations, appa-
rently fo unimportant in themfelves, with refped:
to the dillindion of tribes and families, depend.
It was indeed a key to all the other promifes
given to the pofterity of Jacob. They could have
no juft apprehenlions concerning him who was
foretold as *' the Shiloh, as the Star,*' that fhould
*' arife out of Jacob," and as a prophet like unto
Mofes ; they could not know either his charader
or his work, without having rccourfc to the pro-
mife given in paradife.
The law of Mofes contains many other refe-
rences to the antediluvian and patriarchal hifto-
ries. As the law, which pronounced him accur-
fc4
8o Of the Hijlory contained in. the
fed who hung on a tree =^, efpecially looked for^
ward to the death of that glorious Surety by
whom the curfe was to be removed ; it might be
alfo meant to remind the church of the means by
which the curfe was introduced ^\ The threaten-
ing, in cafe of difobedience, that the land fhould
not yield her increafe , evidently refers to the
curfe brought on the earth by the fin of man ^.
The law againft intermarriages with the heathen %
is illuflrated by the fatal confequences of this af-
finity in the cafe of thofe antediluvian profeflbrs
of the true religion who married among the pof-
terity of Cain ^ ; and by the account we have of
the care exercifed by Abraham and Ifaac in this
xefpedt g. The laws making a diftindion betv/een
fome beads as clean, and others as unclean^',
evidently refpeds the hiftory of that diftindtion
•which had been known before the deluge ». The
prohibition of the eating of blood ^, is only a re-
vival of that precept given to the fons of Noah ^
In like manner, the command to kill any beafl
that had gored a man "\ is founded on what God
faid to Noah : " Surely your blood of your lives
** will I require : at the hand of every beafl will
'* I require it "." The law ordaining that there
fliould be no expiation for murder, but by the
death of the murderer, was merely a repetition of
another law given immediately after the deluge o.
The
a Deut. xxi. %^, %%. b Gen. iii. 17. c Lev. xxvi. ao.
d Gen. iii. 17, iB. e Deut. vli. 3, 4. f Gen, vi. 2. 4.
g Gen. xxiv. 3. ; xxviii. 6. h Lev. xi. i, &c. i Gen. vii. 1
Y. Lev. xvii. 10, ll. 1 Gen. ix. 4. m Exod. xxi. j8,
q Gen. ix. 5. o Numb. xxxv. 3:, 33 ; Geu. ix. 6,
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojljua. %1
The very language of that prohibition, *' Thou
*' (halt not take u wife to her lifter to vex her%'*
feems to be fo cxprelTed, as to remit the reader
to the account given of the difturbances in the fa-
mily of Jacob, which were owing to tliis circum-
llance ^ Had not the hiftory of Jacob's fojoilrn-
ing and hardlhips been dillindly preferved, his
poilerity would at length have loft: the meaning
of that confeftion they were to make, when of-
fering their firft-fruits : ** A Syrian, ready to
" perifti, was my father '-." The law, enjoining
kindncfs to the Edomites, evidently refers to the
hiftory of their deicent from Efau, the brother of
Jacob : " Thou fhalt not abhor an Edomite : for
" he. is thy brother ''." AVas it commanded, that
the land of Canaan fliould be divided by lot " ?
It icems to have been one fpecial defign of this
injunction, to verify thofe predictions of Jacob on
his deathbed, in which he had fo particular-
ly defcribed the local fituation and diftinguifti-
ing properties of the poireftions of fome of the
tribes ',
Thus, the hift:ory contained in the Pentateuch and
the Law remarkably elucidate each other. While
the hiftory is a commentary on the legal inftitutions,
thefe inftitutions at the fame time atteft the truth
of the hiftory. It may be obferved by the way,
that as the hiftory recorded in the book of Gene-
fis, feems intended as a preparation for the Law,
the jfrincipal part of the other hiftories of the
Vol. L F Old
a Lev. xvili. iS. b Gen. xxx. tj. c Deut. x-Kvi. 5.
d Dciit. xxiii. 7. e Num. xxvi, 53. f f'C"- xlix.
8:2 Of the Hijlory contained in the
Old Teftament, is evidently meant as a confirma'
tion of it. The certainty, both of the threaten-
ings, and of the promifes of the law, is in a fpe-
cial manner illuftrated by the book of Judges.
For it is a continued narrative of the multiplied
and fevere punilhments which God inilided on
the Ifraelites becaufe of their apoltacy ; and of
the lignal deliverances he gave them, by " rai-
" fing up faviours," as foon as they returned to
duty.
It has been feen, that the Ifraelites could not
rejed the book of Genelis, without denying the
authority, of a writer, whofe miflion had been
attefted by unqueftionable miracles, without in-
deed virtually rejeding the law that God had
given them, which Vv^as in an eminent degree
founded on the important* fads recorded in that
book. But although the million of Mofes had
■not been fo wonderfully attefted, there is every
reafon to apprehend that the Ifraelites muft have
found themfelves under a neceffity o*^ acknowled-
*ging the veracity of this hiitory. For it would
appear, that the principal events recorded in it
were well known to them, fo late as the period of
their fojourning in the wildernefs. Mofes, in
his fong, delires the Ifraelites to appeal to their
fathers with refped: to the great events of former
times, and particularly that of the divilion of
the various nations of the v/orld : " Remem-
*' ber," he fays, '< the days of old, confider the
** years of many generations : alk thy father, and
f' he will fhew thee : thy elders, and they will
♦*tell
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojbua. 83
•< tell thee. When the moll High divided to the
" nations their inheritance, he let the bounds of
'' the peop e, according to the number of the chil-
" dren of Ifrael •'." Elfcwhere, he fpeaks of the
hiftory of creation, as generally known in his time
by tradition : " Alk now of the days that are
'' pad, which were before thee, fmcc the day that
** God created man upon the earth, and alk from
♦* the one end of heaven unto the other'','* &.c.
It has been faid by ibme infidels, both ancient
and modern, that the writer of the book of Job
was a Gentile. This book has even been honour-
ed with the character of a *' deillical compofi-
" tion," and been reckoned " older than any
" book in the Bible <." Writers of this clafs, af-
ter paying fuch high compliments to the book re-
ferred to, cannot reafonably objed: ta its tcfti-
mony. But it would appear they have not weigh-
ed it well. For as it bears all the marks of ha-
ving been wrote in a very early period, in a va-
riety nf inltances it coincides with the hiftory
contained in Genefis.
Here we have an evident reference to the lon-
gevity of the patriarchs, as contrafted with the
great abbreviation of human life by the time that
this book was written. Bildad the Shuhite fays,
♦* Inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and
** prepare thyfelf to the fearch of their fathers.
F 2 " For
a Dcut. xxxii. 7.8.' b Deut. i"v, j^
C Age of Reatbn, P.ut i. p. aj. Part ii. p. 30, Jt.
34 Of the Hijlory contained in the
" For we are but of yefterday, and know no-
*' thing, becaufe our days on earth are as a flia-
*< dow "." But fliort as human life appeared to
Eildad, it is clear from this book, that it was fiir
longer then than it has generally been fince. For
Job, before his afflictions, befides three daughters,
had feven fons, who muft have been come to ma-
turity, as they were refpecliyeiy fettled in houfes
of their own. After his adverlity, he lived an
hundred and forty years : fo that he muil have
feen nearly two centuries. Yet the duration of
his life is not fpoken of as extraordinary. It is
only faid, that he " died old. and full of days '\'*
Eliphaz fpeaks of it as a thing perfedlly known
by uninterrupted tradition, that the earth was
peopled by one race of men. " That which I
*•' have feen," he fays, " I will declare ; which
*•' wife men have told from their fathers, and have
" not hid it : unto whom alone the earth was
*? given, and no flranger palTed among them '^.'^
It dqes not certainly appear, whether he refers to
the peopling of the earth at firft by the pofteritj
of Adam, or to its being given to the family of
Noah after the deluge. For both thefe events
were well known to thefe eaflern fages. Job,
fpeakJDg of what " the hand of the Lord hath
** wrought," fays : *' Behold, he withholdeth the
*' waters, and they dry up : alfo he fendeth them
" out, and they overturn the earth 'V Still more
exprefs is the language of Eliphaz : " Haft thou
" marked
a Job viii. 8, 9. b Ch^p. i. 2. 4. ; xlii. 16, 17. cpmp.
c Chap. XV. T7,— 10. d Chap. xii. 5. 15^
Pentateuch^ and Book of Jopu':i. g-
** marked the old way which wicked men have
" trodden ? which w^re cut down out of time ?
*' whofe foundation was overflown with a flood ?"
A little downward, he feeiYis to refer to the de-
ftru<5lion of the cities of the plain : " The renu
** nant of them the fire confumeth ••." The in-
habitants of thefe cities might poetically be call-
ed " the remnant of -the wicked ;" bccaufc, like
thofe who were dcfliroycd by the deluge, they
" faid unto God, Depart from us'."
Job gives the very fame account of the crea-
tion of man with that which we have in Gencfis.
He rcprefents the body of man as moulded out of
the duft, and his foul as an infpiration from the
Almighty. " Remember, I befeech thee, that
" thou hafl: made me as the clay. The Spirit of
" God hath made me, and the btcath of the Al-
" mighty hath given me life '"." Is it inquired,
whence they had this information ? Wc learn
that their tradition reached back to creation it-
felf. Hence Zophar propofes this quefl:ion ;
" Knowefl: thou not this of old, fince man was
" placed upon earth ^ V Job alludes to the fall
of man, and to his vain attempts to conceal his
guilt from the all-feeing eye. " Doth he not fee
" my ways, — if I covered my tranfgreifion like
" Adam : by hiding mine iniquity in my bo-
" fom «= r" When he fays ; *' Remember, — ^.\v^X.
"■ thou hafl made me as the clay, and wilt thou
" bring me into dufl again ^ ?" he feems to rcfei-
F 3 to
a Job xxii. 15, 16. io. b Vcr. 17. c Chap, x, 9. ; xxxiii. 4.
<i Chap. XX. 4. e Cl»p. xxsL 4. 33. f Cbap x. 9
8^ - Of the Hijlory contained in the
to the very language in which the curfe was de-
nounced ; " Dufl thou art, and unto dufl fhalt
" thou return ^."
There can be no doubt that thefe good men
were acquainted with the promifes of the Mef-
liah, and particularly with the promife given im-
mediately after the fall. Job and his friends fpeak
of him in the fame language with Jacob, although
there is no evidence that thefe patriarchs were
known to each other. Jacob defcribes the Mef-
liah as the Angel-Redeemer '\ They alfo belie-
ved in him as an Angel, a MelTenger, a Kinfman-
Redeemer, as God, and as the Son of Man. Eli-
hu fpeaks of the MciTiah as " a mefienger, an in-
" terpreter, one among a thoufand, a ranfomer ^."
" I know," faith Job, " that my Redeemer li-
" veth, and that he Ihall ftand at the latter day"
(or, as the words may be read, " the laft man,"
the laft or fecond Adam) " upon the earth : And
" though after my Ikin worms deftroy this bo-
" dy, yet in my flelh fliall I fee God ^^ In ano-
ther place, according to the literal meaning of
the language, he exprelTes his full perfualion of
an intereft ni the interceffion of this Goel. " Be-
" hold, my witnefs is in heaven, and my re-
" corder is on high. — And he Ihall plead for
" man with God, even the Son of man for his
" friends"
Thus it appears, that the principal fadts nar-
rated in Genefis, are dillindly referred to in the
book
z Gen. iii. 19. b Gen. xlviii. 16. c Job xxsiii, 23,
d Chap. six. 25, at). e Chap. xvi. x<). zi.
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojlma. 87
book of Job, as well known by tradition at the time
it was wrote. This tertimony is unexceptional)le :
becaufe there is not the lead ground to fuppofc,
that Job and his friends knew any thing of Mo-
fes, of the children of lirael, or, of confequence,
of that revelation with which they were favouretU
So unqueftionable, indeed, is the hiftory given
in the book of Genefis, with refped: to creation,
the deluge, and the other great events which took
place before the feparation of Ifrael, that the ac-
counts of thefe things, w hich are fcattered through
the moll ancient writers of the heathen, bear a
ftriking analogy to the language of Scripture.
From a careful examination of thefe, it will ap-
pear to every impartial reader, that the fcriptu-
ral narrative has indifputablc marks of the great.- x
eft antiquity and authenticity, as being moft con-
fiftcnt with itfelf, moft worthy of God, and moft
confonant to reafon ; and that the heathen wri-
ters, fo far from having furniftied materials to the
facred penmen, have either borrowed their ac-
counts from them, and difguifed them fo as to
fuit their own intereft, or coUeded the fragments
of ancient tradition.
In thefe writings, there are various vcftiges of
the hiftory of the deftruclion of Sodom, and the
other cities of the plain. Strabo, after defcribing
the Dead Sea, fays : " It appears credible, from
*' the accounts received among the natives, that
" there were formerly thirteen cities in this rc-
" gion, of which Sodom was the chief; and of
■F 4 ** which
88 Of the Hijlory contained in the
" which they ftill point out the compafs, extend-.
" ing lixty furlongs : but that, in confequence of
** earthquakes, and of flames and hot bituminous
" waters burfling forth, the lake which is now
** found there was formed, the rocks caught fire,
*.* and fome of thefe cities were fwallowed up,
" while others were abandoned by thofe who
" could efcape from them ^'*
Tacitus alfo, after defcribing the Lake Afphal-
tites, fays : " Not far hence are plains, which, as
" it is reported, being formerly fruitful, and co-
** vered with large cities, were confumed by
*' lightening. They affert, that the marks of this
" deitruclion remain, as the ground, which has a
" burnt appearance, has loft its fertility. For all
" herbs and flowers, whether produced fponta-
" neoufly, or planted by man, as foon as they
** have apparently attained maturity, become
" black and empty, and vanifli into aflies^."
Solinus alfo writes ; " At a conflderable di-
" ftance from Jerufalem, there is a difmal hollow.
** That it has been ftruck from heaven ^, is evi-
** dent, from the blacknefs of the foil, and from
" its being reduced to aflies ^." After mention-
ing the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah, he relates
the common ftory with regard to the apples of
Sodom, that they are externally fair, but filled
w^ith aflies. Other heathen writers relate the
fame ftory ; aflerting alfo, that the waters of this
lake are lb impregnated with fulphur, that no
iilh can live in it, or bird fly over it. Thefe ac-
counts
9 Geog. lib. xvi. b Hiftoi-. lib, v. * "_De coelo tadura.'*
c Hift. cap. 36.
Pentateiichy and Book of JoJJjua. 89
counts have been contradidcd by Ibme modf-rn tra-
vellers. Such, however, being the tellimony of
lo many ancient writers, it may be liippoicd, as
the authors of the Univerfal Hillory obferve, that
the quality of the waters may have been greatly
altered through length of time.
The account given, by fome heathen writers, of
the Deluge, agrees in its leading circumilances
with that of infpiration. Berofus, the Chaldean,
who lived in the time of Alexander the Great,
and wrote the hiilory of the Babylonians, relates,
that the general deluge happened in the reign of
XiJuthriUy the tenth king of Babylon. Accord-
ing to this v/riter, Chronus or Saturn appeared to
Xifuthrus in a dream, and warned him, that on
the fifteenth of the month Dafius, mankind would
be deflroyed by a flood ; and therefore command-
ed him to write down the original, intermediate
ftate, and end of all things, and bury the writings
under ground in Sippara, the city of the fun ;
that he fliould alfo build a fhip, and go into it
with his relations and deareil friends, having firft
furniflied it with provifions, and taken into it
fowls and four-footed bcafts ; and that, when he
had provided every thing, and was aikcd whither
he was failing, he fliould anfwer, " To the gods,
*' to pray for happinefs to mankind." Xifuthrus
did not difobey, but built a veiTel, whofe length
was five furlongs, and breadth two furlongs. He
put on board all that he was directed, and enter-
ed it with his wife, children, and friends. Tlie
flood being come, and foon ceafing, Xifuthrus let
out
po Of the Hijlory contained in the
out certain birds, which finding no food, nor place
to reft: upon, returned again to the fhip. Xifu-
thrus, after feme days, let out the birds again ;
but they came back to the fliip, having their feet
daubed with mud. But when they were let go
the third time, they came no more to the fhip ;
whereby Xifuthrus underftood that the earth ap-
peared again. Thereupon he made an opening
between the planks of the fhip, and feeing that it
refled upon a certain mountain, he came out with
his wife, and his daughter, and his pilot ; and ha-
ving worfhipped the earth, and raifed an altar, and
facrificed to the gods, he, and thofe who went out
with him, difappeared. They who were left be-
hind in the fhip, finding that Xifuthrus, and thofe
who accompanied him, did not return, went out
themfelves to feek for him. But Xifuthrus was
no more feen by them : only a voice came out of
the air, which enjoined them, as their duty was,
to be religious ; and informed them, that, on ac-
count of his piety, he was gone to dwell with the
gods, and that his wife, and daughter, and pilot,
were partakers of the fame honour. It alfo directed
them to return to Babylon, and that, as the fates
had ordained, they fhould take the writings from
Sippara, and communicate them to mankind ; and
told them, that the place where they were was
the country of Armenia. When they had heard
this, they offered facrifice to the gods, and unani-
moufly went to Babylon : and when they came
thither, they dug up the writings at Sippara,
built
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojbua. 91
built many cities, raifed temples, and rebuilt Ba-
bylon ^
This account is evidently mixed with fable,
and call into i'uch a form as would be moll grate-
ful to the pride of the Babylonians, and agree
bed with their fyftem of idolatry. But its co-
incidence with the fcriptural hillory of the de-
luge, not only in the leading fads, but in a va-
riety of minute circumftances, mull flrike every
impartial reader. Not to mention the taking of
fowls and quadrupeds into the ark ; who is there
that does not fee the Mofaic account of the raven
and dove, in that given of Xifuthrus letting out
certain birds ? or that of the ark's refting up07i
the Tnountains of Ararat, in its being here laid to
reft on a certain mountain? The circumftance
of Xifuthrus making an opening between the
planks of the Ihip, and thus feeing that it refled,
plainly refers to the peculiar (Irudture of the ark,
as it had no window on the fide. We know alfo,
that Noah built an altar, and offered up/iirr/-
fices, as foon as he left the ark. According to
Berofus, the mountain on which the fhip relied
was in Armenia. But in this very country the
mountains of Ararat arc generally placed. Is
Babylon faid to be rebuilt by thofe who left the
ark ? The tower of Babel fcems to have been the
firll building, of any importance, undertaken by
the pollerity of Noah. It i', not improbable, that
the ftory of the difappearance of Xifuthrus, of his
not
a Alexand. i' . hiAor, ex Bcrofo, apuJ Sjncell. Ancient Uuiv. Hitt
v»l. i. p. 1^4, 19s
92 . Of the Hijlory contained hi the
not being found by his relations, and of their be-
ing informed, that, on account of his piety, he was
gone to dwell with the gods, might ariie from an
indiltincl tradition concerning Enoch, the great-
grandfather of Noah, of whom it is declared, that
he walked with God, and was not found, becaufe
God had tranjlated him ="■. For nothing is more,
common with the profane writers of antiquity,
than to confound the hiftory of one illuftrious per-
fon with that of another : efi3ecially when they
relate the atchievements of their gods or heroes.
It was natural for Berofus to gratify the pride
of his countrymen, by pretending that Babylon
exifted before the flood, and that when the flood
came, the tenth king of Babylon was on the throne.
But how happens it that Xifuthrus fhould be pre-
cifely the tenth king ? Here the truth is evident-
ly difguifed by national pride. The falvation af-
cribed to Noah in Scripture, is here afcribed to
this king of Babylon ; and v/e know that Noah
was exaftly the tenth from Adam. Thus Berofus,
to give the greater celebrity to his nation, has
made the origin of its empire coeval with crea-
tion^
Let us compare the account given by Bercfus
with that of the Holy Scriptures, and try which
of them is moft worthy of credit. Berofus not:
only reprefents the deluge as a judgment from
God, but declares, that the prefervation of Xifu-
thrus and his companions was in confeqnence ot
a divine revelation. According to this account.
however,
a Gen. V. %\. ; Heb. xi. 5.
Pentateuch, and Bock of Jofljua. 9^
however, this awful jiulgment was intlicled with-
out any previous warninsj bcinu; given to the reft
of mankind, without their having one call of re-
pentance. This is highly derogatory to the di-
vine goodnefs ; and very did'erent from the fcrip-
tural account, which reprefents God as exerciling
his long-fuffcring towards the old world for an
hundred and twenty years, during which time he
favoured them with the miniftry of Noah, " a
*' preacher of righteoufnefs ".'* According to Bc-
rofus, that very man, Avho was fo highly favour-
ed of heaven, fhewcd no compallion to any^of his
brethren of mankind, but to a few relations and
friends. So far from w^arning the reft of men,
and thus difcovering that boldnefs which a reve-
lation from heaven muft be fuppofed to have in-
fpired, although the fovereign of a great people,
he is defcribed as fneaking away from them, like
one under the impulfe of terror, by alTigning a
fulfe reafon for his embarkation. Nay, the hea-
then writer makes his god command Xifuthrus
to act this very part. He makes Saturn himfelf
the author of that cruel lie, which not only de-
prived the grcateft part of mankind of any means
of repentance, but which tantaliy.ed them with
hopes of an incrcal'o of happincfs, when dcftrudion
was haftening upon them.
1 fluill only add, that the ftory of Xifuthrus
worfliipping the eartli, immediately on his deli-
verance, is worthy of the reft of the heathen my-
thology. But the hiftory itfelf feems to give the
lip
a Cen. vi. 3. ; x Tct. iii. 19, z^.
94 Of the Hijlory contained in the
lie to this circumflance. Could this fpecies of
worHiip ever appear more irrational, than at the
very time that man had fiich itriking evidence
of the earth being curfed ^ ?
The accounts given of the deluge by Abyde-
nus, another Chaldean^, and alfo by Alexander
Polyhiftor % agree in almofl every circumflance
with that of Berofus. The hiftory of this event,
as given by the Greeks, harmonizes with thefe.
Only, they call him Deucalion, who by the Chal-
deans is called Xifuthrus. But it was cullomary
with the Greeks, even when narrating fadts which
they had learned from other nations, to change or
to tranflate names* As they called Saturn Chro-
nos, we learn from Philo-Byblius, the tranflator
of Sanchoniatho, that the deity, called Chronos,
received the name of // from the Phenicians.
Now, as the Phenician language was radically
the fame with the Hebrew, it has been inferred,
that the fcriptural name of El, given to the true
God, was transferred to Chronos or Saturn, who
is reprefented as foretelling the deluge.
Various writers, both heathen and Chriftian,
have alTerted, that the remains of the ark were
long preferved on one of the mountains of Ar-
menia ; and that the people of that country ufed
pieces of the wood or pitch belonging to it as
amulets ^.
Sir
a Gen. viii. 21. b Ap. Eufeb. Praepar. lib. ix. cap. 12.
c Ap. Cyril, cont. Julian lib. i. Vid. Bochaiti Phaleg. lib. i. c. i.
d Berofus ap. Jofeph. Antiq. Hb. i. cap. 4. Vid. Grot, dc Veritats^
lib. i. fe<il. J 6. j Bocharti Phaleg. lib. i. cap. 3,
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojhua, 95
Sir William Jones, fpeaking of one of the Chi-
nefe fables, fays : " Although I cannot infift with
** confidence, that the rainbow in the Chinefe
** fable alludes to the Mofaic narrative of the
** flood, nor build any folid argument on the di-
** vine perfonagc Niu-va, of whofe charader,
** and even of whofe fex, the hiftorians of China
" fpeak very doubtfully ; I may neverthelefs af-
'* fure you, after full inquiry and confideration,
** that the Chinefe, like the Hindoos, believe the
" earth to have been wholly covered with water,
" which, in works of undifputed authenticity,
*' they defcribe as Jiowing abundantly, then fuh-
** Jiding, 1^x1(1 feparating the higher from the lower
" age of mankind ; that the divifion of time, from
" which their poetical hiftory begins, juft pre-
** ceded the appearance of Fo-hi on the moun-
" tains of Chin ; but that the great inundation in
** the reign of Yao was either confined to the
** low lands of his kingdom, if the whole ^nrcount
'< of it be not a fable, or, if it contain any allu-
*' lion to the flood of Noah, has been ignorantly
** mifplaced by the Chinefe annalilts ^"
With refped to Creation, we find that, ac-
cording to the Phenician theology, " The firft
*' principles of the univcrfe were a dark and
" windy air, (or a fpirit of dark air, and a turbid
" chaos involved in darknefs). Thefe things
" were infinite, and for many ages had no bounds.
** But when the fpirit was afteded with love to-
" wards
9 Afiatic Refearches, vol. ii, difc. xxv. On the Ckinefe.
p6 Of the Hijiory contained in the
" wards its own principles, and a mixture took
** place, that conjunction was called dejire. Such
" was the beginning of the formation of all
*' things. But the fpirit itfelf acknowledged no
" formation. From this conjunftion of the fpi-
" rit was formed mot, which fome call mud;
** others, a corruption of a watery mixture ; and
" of this came the feed of all creatures, and the
" generation of the univerfe. There were cer-
*' tain animals which had no fenfe, from which
" proceeded intelligent animals, called Zopbafe-
" ?nin, that is, the contemplators of heaven, being
" formed alike in the fliape of an egg : and the
" mud, the fun and the moon, the ftars and the
" greater conllellations, fnone forth"." Eufebius
has obferved that this fyflem tends to introduce
atheifm. But others have viewed it more favour-
ably, and have remarked the coincidence between
it and the fcriptural account of creation, in va-
rious inllances. Cudworth feems to think that
Sanchoniatho teaches the fame do(flrine with
Thales, who was a Fhenician by extraftion, and
held that water was the firil principle of all cor-
poreal things, but that God was that mind which
formed all things out of water. It is probable
that this was the opinion of the Phenician writer,
as he afierts that the fpirit itfelf acknowledged
no formation, that is, was uncreated.
The idea of " a turbid chaos, involved in dark-
" nefs," of which Sanchoniatho fpeaks, is evi-
dently borrowed from Gen. i. 2. <* The earth was
" without
VI Eufeb. Prjepar. lib. i. cap. xa.
Pentateuch, and Book of Jojhua. 97
*' witliout form, and void ; and darknels was upon
" the face of the deep." Bochart obfervcs, that
ifi^cjjff, the word ufcd by the tranllator of San-
choniatho to exprefs the ohfcurity of the chaos,
as it is primarily from r^tSof, darknefs, is origi-
nally from the Hebrew word any, ereh, even-
ing '. When it is faid that " xhc fpir'u was af'*
" fccted with love towards its own principles,"
and that this " was the beginning of the forma-
" tion of all things," it is fcarcely conceivable
that there is not an allufion to the language of
infpiration : " And the Spirit of God moved upon
" the face of the waters." For the Hebrew word
ejni, rahhaphy implies the idea of love, as it ex-
preffes the incubation of a female bird. By the
7jOphafcmin, fome undcrftand angels as meant ;
others, the heavenly bodies, wliich many of the
heathen fuppofed to be intelligent, and therefore
adored as deities. Grotius obferves, that San-
choniatho, after the example of Mofes, has made
light prior to the fun \ and that the mot of the
former, ib merely the ahjjs or deep mentioned by
the latter ''\
The Phenician fyllem of the univerfe is evi-
dently far lefs confonant to reafon, than what we
have in Scripture. Admitting that, according to
this fyllem, the " fpirit of dark air" was uncrea-
ted, flill it is reprelented as material, and thus
eternity and infinity arc afcribed to matter. It
is alfo deltitute of that fimplicity which charac-
terizes the fcriptural account, and which is no in-
Vol. I. G confiderabic
t Gen. 1. £. b De Vcrit. lib. i. fe(ft, xQ.
9? Of the Htjlory contained in the
confiderable proof of its greater antiquity. So
allegorical is the doftrine of Sanchoniatho, as to
indicate that this is not the firft ftate in which it
appeared. IMen in an early ftage of fociety, often
ufe figurative language ; but their ideas are lim-
ple. They ufe fuch language, not for obfcuring
the thought, but for expreffing it with greater
energy. When the very ideas in which they
communicate a doftrine are figurative and emble-
matical, it fliews a more advanced ftate of fociety,
and gives reafon for fuppofmg, either that the
dodrine has been derived from others, or that, al-
though formerly known to all, it has become ob-
fcure through length of time, and that the more
learned wifli to conceal it from the vulgar. It
may aUb be obferved, that the farther we go
back in examining the opinions of any people,
w^e have the greater evidence of their afcribing
almoft every great effed immediately to the Firft
Caufe. It is not till men have for fome time ad-
dicted themfelves to philofophical refearches, that,
in regard to effeds of this kind, they give much
attention to fecondary caufes.
It may be added, that Sanchoniatho acknow-
ledges his obligations, in the compilation of his
hiftory, to Jerombaal, whom he calls " prieft of
" the God 7^0." Now, the name Jehovah has
been thus rendered in Greek. For Diodorus fays,
that ** Mofes among the Jews afcribed his laws
" to the God who is called /<zo^" Hence, as
well as from the refemblance of his cofmogony to
the
a Lib. i.
Pentateuch i and Book of JoJJjua, 99
the fcriptural account of the creation, it has been
fuppofcd, that he pcrfon referred to by the- Phc-
nician h llorian wa Gideon, who was alfo called
Jerubbaal ' ; and that though he was not of the
tribe of Levi, he might by heathens be confidered
as a prieft, becaufe he not only fet up an ephod in
his own city, to which a 1 IlVael rcll ited, but for-
merly, at the exprefs command of God, had offer-
ed facrifice ''.
The Egyptian theology, with refped: to the
creation, was very limilar to the r*henician. Ac-
cording to this, *• When the univcrfe firil coa-
*' Icfced, heaven and earth were of one form,
*' their nature being blended together. But af-
" terwards, the air began to have a conftant mo-
" tion, its fiery particles flew to the upper re-
" gions, and hence proceeded the rapid circular
" motion of the fun and other ftars. The muddy
*' and turbid matter, after being incorporated
" with the humid, fubfided in one place by its
" own weight. Thus, the fea was formed of the
*' watery parts, and the eartli of the more folid.
" The humid matter being fecundated by the
" heat of the fun, all kinds of creatures were pro-
*' duced." Here, although there is no mention
of an efficient caufe, there is no inconhdcrable
agreement, both as to matter and order, with the
Mofaic accoimt. We fmd heaven and earth
blended ; the motion of the earth ; the mud,
deep or abyfs \ the light ; tlien the heavenly bo.-
G 2 dies J
a Judg. vii. t. b Judg. viii. 17. ; ti. 25, a6. Vid. Bocliarti Canaan,
Ub. ii, cap. 17, p. 8^8. \ Fabric. Bibliotli. Crfsc. vol. i. lib. i. cap. aS.
too Of the Hijlory contained in the
dies ; the feparation of heaven, fea and earth ;
then, the formation of living creatures =*.
Megafthenes afcribes the fame doctrine to the
Indians. According to this ancient writer, they
held, that " God created the miiverfe ; that he
*' governs and pervades it ; and that water was
" the firll principle of all things '^." Clemens
Alexandrinus gives a remarkable extract from the
fame writer. ** Megafthenes," he fays, ** who
** lived with Seleucus Nicator, molt plainly
" writes in his third book concerning Indian af-
" fairs : * All the things which have been faid
* by the ancients concerning nature, are alfo ex-
* prefTed by thofe who have philofophized out of
* Greece ; as by the Bramins among the Indians,
* and by thofe who are called Jews in Syria *■.'
The fame coincidence is pbfervable in the wri-
tings of other heathens. All their accounts of a
chaos, are either borrowed from the Jews, or de-
rived from ancient tradition. The heathens them-
felves afcribed this doctrine to the latter fource.
Some of them feem to have attributed it to a
divine revelation. This idea is contained in the
language of Numenius the philofopher, quoted by
Porphyry, who evidently refers to Mofes, when
he fays, that " the prophet hath affirmed, that
" the Spirit of Cod was carried about (f/x^f^so-dai)
" on the waters.'* Plato, in his Timaeus, feems
to acknowledge, that the hints which he and
others had concerning the origin of all things
proceeded at firll from a facred fountain. For
he
a Diodor. Siciil. ap. Crot. ubi fup. b Ap. Strab. lib. xv.
c Strom, lib. i. p. 524,
Pentateuch, and Book of Jofiiia. loi
he fays in his Timaeus : ** It is proper that 1 who
" Ipeak, and that you who hear, fhould remem-
♦* ber that we polfefs human nature only, and
" that therefore we can merely look for lome pro-
" bable fable or tradition. Kor is it lawful for
" us to inquire further."
As all things, according to the fcriptural ac-
count, were created by the word of God, the hea-
then had fome ideas on this head alfo. Thus
TertuUian ; " Your wife men were of opinion,
" that the Word and Wifdom, which they call
'* Logosy framed the world. Zeno fays, That this
•* IVord was the author of order'." To the fame
purpofe the philofopher and poet Epicharmus ;
" From the Logos, or Reafon of God, the reafon
" of man is derived." The language, quoted by
fome ancient writers from the fongs afcribed to
Orpheus, is very remarkable ; " I call to witnefs
*' that voice of the Parent, which he firft uttered
" when he founded the univcrfe by his coun-
" fels '•-."
Sanchoniatlio, the Phenician hiftorian, calls
the firil human pair Protogonus and Aeon.
Thefe, indeed, are only the Greek words, which
Philo-Biblius, who tranllated Sanchoniatho's hif-
tory from the Phenician, ufes to cxprcfs the
meaning of the names given them in the original.
But it is generally admitted, that by thefe are
meant Adam and Eve ; as Protogonus fignifics
jirjl- produced, and Aeon, or Aiwv, life. The lattct
bears a near refemblunce to E^jc, both in fcnfe
G 3 aiid
a Apo!. c. xxi. b Grot, i iQ.
102 Of the Hijlory contained in the
and found. For Havah, in Hebrew, fignifies life^
or living. " The firft men," he fays, " were made
" from the xoX7r»« of the wind." It has been fup-
pofed with the greateft probability, that the word
xoXttio. is formed from the Hebrew rT" ''H) Vlp, Kol-pi-
jah, the voice of the mouth of the Lord. If this be
admitted, the phrafe has a meaning ; for it evident-
ly refpedis the formation of man by the word and
infpiration of the Almighty. If not, no reafon-
able idea can be affixed to the language. Is it
fuppofed that fome peculiar virtue is here afcri-
bed to the wind ? Would this make the fyftem
more rational ? Can the wind animate dead clay ?
Is it not far move natural to afcribe the creation
of man to God, than to the adion of the wind ;
and therefore far more natural to fuppofe, that
the former is the original idea, and the latter only
a corruption of it ?
The ancient heathen reprefented the firft man
as partaking of both fexes. They therefore call-
ed him ai/^^oyvvoi;, literally man-woman. This
evidently alludes to what we have in Scripture.
But it will readily occur to every reafonable per-
fon, that the fcriptural dodrine of the woman,
being formed immediately by divine power out
of a part of the fubflance of the man, has far
more intrinfic evidence of having been the ori-
ginal dodrine, than that of one perfon pofleffing
both fexes, and thus having a natural power of
individual procreation, a power to which there is
nothing analogous in nature. "
According
i
Fentateuchf and Book of JoJInux. 103
According to Sanchoiiiatho, Eve found out the
food which is gathered from trees. Here, un-
doubtedly, there is a traditionary reference to
that fatal difcovery ^vhich was firft made by the
woman ; when " Ihe faw that the tree was good
" for food, and that it was pleafant to the eyes".'*
The name of Eve is alfo fuppofed to have been
preferved in the Grecian worihip. Grotius ob-
ferves, that in the mofl ancient myflerics of the
Greeks, tlie exclamation Eux was uled, and a fer-
pent fhown at the fame time'\
There are various traditions preferved among
the heathen, which are evidently corruptions of
the important hiftory of the Fall. *' The Brach-
*' mans of Perfia," fays M. Bayle, " give a va-
" riety of accounts concerning a great giant, who
" was placed in a beautiful garden, which, upon
" certain conditions, he was to poffcfs for ever.
" But one evening, when it was dufkifh, an evil
** fpirit or devil came to tempt him, and offered
" him a vaft fum of money ; which he refolutely
" refufed, not knowing the value of it. But at
" laft the devil brought him a woman, with whom
" he was fo charmed, that, not any longer obfer-
" ving the conditions propofed to him, he was
" expelled from the garden^." We need not
wonder that the hiftory of the fall has been fo
corrupted by heathens, when many Chriftians
have explained it much in the fame manner ;
G 4 fuppofmg
a Gen. iii. 6. b Grot, de Verit. not. ad lib. i. fedl. x5.
c Di<ft. t. J. p 1106. fabricii Cod. Apoc. Vet. Teft. vol. i, p, lai.
104 Of the Hiftory contained in the
fappofing mofl abfurdly, that the eating of the
tree of knowledge allegorically reprefents the
connexion of the fexes, as if this had been in-
compatible with a ftate of innocence.
Maimonides gives a particular account of various
worts of the idolatrous Sabii, who lived in India
and other countries. He fays, that " they all belie-
'■'' ved that Xht firjl Adam was procreated of man
" and woman, like the reft of men ; that, not-
** withftanding, they highly extolled him, aiirrt-
" ing that he was the Apoftle of the Moon, and
*' called men to her woriliip ; and that he com-
" pofed fome books on the culture of the earth."
He warns his reader againft being milled by the
accounts given in the books of thefe idolaters,,
faying \ " As to what they relate concerning the
" arft Adam, the ferpent, the tree of knowledge
** of good and evil, and garments which were
*' not formerly in ui'e ; beware, left it carry
" away thy underftanding, and thou fhouldeft ap-
" prehend that thefe things happened either to
*' Adam, or to any other." Here he refers to
the following fabulous account, contained in one
of their writings : " It is there narrated," he
fays, " that the firft Adam wrote in his book,
" that there is a certain tree in India, whofe
" branch, when fallen to the earth, creeps like a
" ferpent ; that there is another tree, whofe root
'* has a human form, and a powerful voice, and
** utters diftind: words ; alfo, that there is a cer-
**' tain herb, which, if it be taken and fufpended
'* in the neck, renders a man invilible, fo that it
" cannot
Pentateuch y mid Book of Jofiua. 105
" cannot be perceived into what place he enters,
" nor whence he departs ; but that if it be burnt
" as incenlc in the open air, the mofl: tremca-
'' dous noifes and thunders are heard in the ad-
*' jacent atmofphcre, as long as the fmoke af-
** ccnds'." Although Maimonide's feems to have
been ignorant of the circumftance, they ieem to
have accommodated their fable to the natural
hiftory of that famous tree in India, called the
Banyan tree, the branch of which, when fallen to
the earth, might indeed be faid to creep liku
a ferpcnt.
Grotius alTerts, that the fame hiflory of the fall
is found among the inhabitants of Pegu, and
other idolatrous nations of India j and that the
Bramins are acquainted with the name of Adam •'.
In the Ifland of Ceylon, in the neighbourhood of
the Pcninfula of India, they pretend to point out
the footfteps of Adam on a mountain called Pico
de Adam. The inhabitants make a religious pro-
ccflion round this mountain yearly. The eaftern
tradition is, that v.-hen Adam was driven out of
Paradifc, he fled to Ceylon, and did penance for
feveral years on this mountain ' .
So ftrikii^.g, in a variety of inftances, is the re-
femblance between the facrcd hiftory of thcfc
events, and the heathen traditions, that a belie-
ver could hardly wiih it greater. Did they per-
fedly agree, infteud of confirming, it would wea-
ken the evidence of the necefTity of revelation.
For
« More Nevoclnni Par. ill. c. 19. h IbiJ.
^ I'abricii Cod. Vet. Tcft. p. 30.; Eutych. Annal. ap. Univ. Ilift. i. 149
lo6 Of the Hijlory contained, l^c.
For, had tradition perfedly preferved the me-
mory of thefe important fads, it could hardly be
fuppofed, that it had grofsly corrupted dodtrines.
Infidels, in this cafe, inllead of being convinced,
that divine revelation was neceflary, might ar-
gue, from the integrity of tradition concerning
fadts, with far greater plaufibility than they do as
matters ftand, not only that the writers of Scrip-
ture had borrowed from heathen tradition, but
that the doctrines of heathenifm could not be fo
corrupted as the friends of revelation alTert, while
its hiftory was admitted to be fo entire.
DIS.
DISSERTATION II.
PROVING, THAT THE BOOKS ASCRIBED TO INIOSES
WERE ACTUALLY WRITTEN BY HIM, AND THAT
HE WROTE THEM EY DIVINE INSPIRATION.
I Now proceed to (hew, that Mofes actually
wrote the five books which benr his name,
and that he wrote them by divine infpiration. It
has been already proved, that they could not have
been received as genuine by the Ifraelites, in any
later period than that to which they have been
generally afligned ; that the truth of the great
events recorded concerning themfelves as a na-
tion, muft have been certainly known to them at
the time they received thefe books ; and that
they muft have been pretty well acquainted with
the principal fads regarding the hiftory of the
patriarchs, and of mankind in general. Here I
might leave the argument ; as it neceflarily fol-
lows, that the Jewifli religion had a divine origi-
nal, having been attcfted by the greateft miracles.
But, as it has not been denied by infidels only,
that the Pentateuch was written by Mofes ; as
not a few, who have, profefled Chriftianity, have
injured truth, and perhaps unwittingly weakened
the evidence of revelation, by admitting, that the
books
io8 Mofes the infpired Writer
books of the law, as we have them, were not writ-
ten by Mofes, but compiled by others ; it feems
neceflary to fhew the fallity of this dodrine.
I. It appears from thefe books themfelves, that
they were written by Mofes. After he had '* told
'* the people all the words of the Lord, and all
" the judgments," he *' wrote all the words of
" the Lord." Afterwards, " he took the book
" of the covenant, and read in the audience of
'' the people : and they faid. All that the Lord
*' hath faid will we do, and be obedient ^"
When he thus wrote " the book of the covenant,"
he did fo according to the exprefs command of
God, and therefore under his infallible diredion.
*• The Lord faid unto Mofes, Write thou thefe
*' words : for after the tenor of thefe words, I
" have made a covenant with thee and with If-
" raeP."
He alfo wrote the account of the difcomfiture
of Amalek. For after the hiitory of this event,
it is declared, that " the Lord faid unto Mofes,
" Write this for a memorial in a book, and re-
" hearfe it in the ears of Jofliua ; for I will ut-
" terly put out the remembrance of Amalek from
" under heaven <=." Is it at all probable, that
Mofes Ihould write the hiftory of this war with
Amalek, and ufe no means for recording other
tranfaclions of no lefs importance ? Or that he
iliould be exprefsly commanded to write this ac-
count, and receive no fuch command in other in--
fiances ;
a Exod. xxiy. 3.47, b Exod. xxxiv. 27. c Es'cd. svii. i/ju
of the Pentateuch. lOO
fiances ; although it might not lecm neccflury to
mention the circumftance on every occalion r The
very narrative of this victory bears internal evi-
dence, that it was written in connexion with the
preceding part of Exodus. Jofhua, Aaron, and
Hur, are here introduced, without a fingle hint
with refpedt to the offices or ftations of thefc per-
fons. This undoubtedly fuppofes, that, in the
apprehenfion of the writer, they were already
well known to the reader, as being particularly
defcribed in the preceding part of the book.
" The rod of God" is alfo mentioned, without
any reafon being affigned for the defignation ;
which Mofcs would fcarcely have done, had he
not already given a particular account of it^
He alfo wrote the journeys of the Ifraelites, ** by
" the commandment of the Lord''." After this
is mentioned, there immediately follows a com-
pendious view of thefe. But it is unnatural to
fuppofe, that nothing more is meant than that he
wrote this fummary. Thefe journeys had al-
ready been particularly defcribed, in connexion
with the reft of their hiftory, in the book of Exo-
dus, and in the preceding part of Numbers. Thus
when it is faid, ** Mofcs ivrote their goings out
** according to their journeys," it feems moft na-
tural to conclude, that he fpeaks of what he had
already done ; and that he afterwards proceeds
to give a lliort itinerary, compiled from the lar-
ger account already written, and blended with
the reft of the hiftory. The propriety of giving
fuch
a E«od. xvii. 5. ic. b Numb, sxxiii. z.
no Mofes the infpired Writer
fuch an abftrad: here, appears from this conlider-
ation, that their journeys in the vvildernefs were
now terminated ; they were encamped in the
plain of Jordan ; and had only to crofs this ri-
ver in order to obtain pofleffion of the promifed
land ^.
Near the end of Deuteronomy, it is faid, " Mo-
" fes wrote the law, and delivered it to the priefts,
" the fons of Levi, which bare the ark of the co-
" venant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of
" Ifrael. And Mofes commanded them, faying,
" At the end of every feven years, in the folem-
*' nity of the year of releafe, in the feaft of ta-
** bernacles, when all Ifrael is come to appear
" before the Lord thy God, in the place which
" he fhall clioofe, thou fhalt read this law before
" all Ifrael, in their hearing. — And it came to
" pafs, when Mofes had made an end of writing
*' the words of this law in a book, until they
" were finifhed ; that Mofes commanded the Le-
" vites which bare the ark of the covenant of
*' the Lord, faying. Take this book of the law,
" and put it in the fide of the ark of the cove-
" nant of the Lord your God, that it may be
" there for a witnefs againft thee. — Gather unto
" me all the elders of your tribes, and your of-
" ficers, that I may fpeak thefe words in their
" ears, and call heaven and earth to record againfl
" them, — And Mofes fpake in the ears of all the
" congregation of Ifrael, the words of this fong,
*' until they were ended '\"
From
a "^^'imt x3-xiii. 49. comp. with Deat. ». i. 5.
^ i>eut, x;£.<.'. p. — ji. 24. — 3c,
of the Pentateuch, Hi
From this palfage it is evident, that the term
laWy as ufed in the Pentateuch, is not confined to
tlie precepts, ftatutes and judgments given to the
Ifraelites, but includes other things delivered by
the miniftry of Mofes for their inftrudion. For
there can be no doubt, that the prophetical fong
referred to, was added by Mofes himfelf to what
was formerly written in that book which was to
be laid up befide the ark. He had already writ-
ten the preceding part of the book, and delivered
it to the priefts ^ Afterwards, he received a
command from God to write this fong, which he
immediately obeyed. For it is faid, " Mofes
" therefore wrote this fong the fame day ^."
Now, it appears that he demanded the book of
the law from the priefts, and wrote it there. This
is not only implied in what is afterwards faid of
his " making an end of writing the words of this
" law in a book," although it had been already
declared, that he " wrote this law :" but when
it follows, that he commanded the elders to be
gathered, that he might " fpeak thefe words in
" their ears," it undoubtedly refpeds thefe words
which he had newly written in the book of the
law, afterwards exprefsly defigned, " the words
" of this fong^"
There is every reafon to fuppofe that this
" book of the law," in which Mofes wrote his
fong, was the very fame with that in which he
had formerly written the hiftory of Ifrael's vic-
tory over Amalek. For this was written, not
merely
a Deut, xsxi. 9. b Ver. 15, iz. c Ver. 24. a8. 30, comp.
112 Mofes the infpired Writer
merely for prefent ufe, but for " a memoriar* in
fucceeding generations '\ Now, as there was on-
ly one book committed to the care of the priefls
and elders, only one book laid up belide the ark;
we muft fuppofe, either that Mofes difobeyed God,
in uiing no means for preferving this hiftory, and
making it a memorial, or that it was included in
the fame book which contained the law, ftriftly
fo called, his fong, and whatever elfe he wrote.
^s he alfo wrote the journeys of the children of
Ifrael, the fame care was not exerciied about
this writing, unlefs it was included in the fame
book.
It cannot indeed be rationally imagined, that
Mofes could write all this law, without inter-
mixing hiftory, in various inftances, with pre-
cepts or threatenings. For many of thefe im-
mediately refpecled fa6ts which had recently taken
place, and were delivered in confequence of thefe
fadls. Befides, their propriety could not be fo
well perceived by pofierity, unlefs the facts them-
felves were related, together with the precepts or
threatenings ; nor would the motives to obedience
have been equally flrong. Among thefe we may
reckon the ordinance, that no priell fhould drink
wine or llrong drink before entering into the ta-
bernacle, which was delivered in confequence of
the judgment inflicted on Nadab and Abihu ^'.
Can it be believed that Mofes M^ould barely re-
cord the ordinance, without taking the leaft no-
tice of the mournful occaHon ? Was it not one
of
a Exod. xvii. 14. b Lev. x. i.— !-io»
of the Pentateuch. 113
of the precepts given by God, that the Ifraclites
Ihould " vex the Midianites -' ?" Can wc lup-
pofe that Mofes would record this, and entirely
overlook the occaiion ; of which we have a par-
ticular account in the preceding part of the chap-
ter ? Many examples of the fame kind might be
given \ but thefe may fufficci
II. That all the five books afcribed to Moles,
were really written by him, under divine infpi-
ration, has been acknowledged by the jews in
every age. This is indeed one of the articles of
their creed, the denial of which would fubjecfl
any Jew to the charader of an apoftate. It ii
thus exprelTed : *' The whole law, from the very
" firft word, Berefchit^ (that is, /// the beginning),
" to the laft words, In the fight of all Ifrael, were
" written by Mofes from the mouth of God '\"
This is not merely the faith of tlic modern Jews.
We have fatisfying evidence, that their anceftors,
for fome thoufands of years, were of the fame
fentiments.
It may be neceffary to obferve, that the five
books which conllitute the Pentateuch, are indif-
criminately called by the Jews the law, the law
of Mofes, and the book of the law. There is no
certain evidence that the Pentateuch was origi-
nally divided into five books. For, in the He-
brew, thefe books are named merely from the
firft word of each. book ; which makes it proba-
ble, that the divifions are not of equal antiquity
Vol. I. li with
a Nu:nb. y.\r. 17, iS. , h Witfii Milccll. v. i. fisuf. feJt. v;i.
114 Mofes the infpired Writer
with the books themfelves. This^ it would feem,
had been the opinion of the feventy interpreters ;
as they have not tranflated the Hebrew titles of
the five books, but given them new ones in Greek,
expreffive of the principal fubjed; of each. Al-
though, however, the books had been thus divi-
ded by the original v/riter, it was natural to fpeak
of them, without regard to this diftindtion, as be-
ing all contained in one volume or book, which
was laid up befide the ark. That they did fo
from a very early period, appears from a variety
of evidence.
It is well known, that while our Saviour a-
bode in our world, the whole of the Old
Teftament Scriptures were commonly fpoken of
as confining of three principal parts, the Law,
the ProphetSy and the PJalms. As the PJalms
was the general defignation for all the canonical
writings belide the law and the prophecies, the
whole of the Pentateuch v/as called the law.
On one occafion, our Lord fpeaks of the ivri-
t'lngs of Mofes in the plural number ^ It has
been obferved that the word, which in Hebrew fig-
rifies a hook, is often rendered m the Septuagint by
y^oty-fAXTOi, the word here ufed in the Greek. Whence
t ]Q language may be equivalent to the books of
Mofes. Our Lord might fpeak in the plural, in
reference to the common divifions of the Penta-
tf uch. At any rate, he fpeaks of it as then uni-
verfally admitted, that Mofes was really the ama-
nuenlis of the diiferent books or writings which
bear
3 John V 47.
of the Pentateuch'. 115
bear his name. Had there been any doubt on
this head among the Jews of that age, it is not
probable that his language, efpecially as it was
that pi crimination, would have pjdTed without
contradicflion.
But this was admitted by the Sadducees, as well
as the Pharifees. They, who fcarcely agreed in
any thing elfe, agreed in afcribing the five books
to Moles. For our Lord, when reafoning with
the Sadducees in lupport of the refurredion, fi-
lenced them with thefe words : *' Have ye not
" read in the book of Mofes, how in the bufli,
" God fpake to him, faying, I am the God of
** Abraham ' ?" 8i.c. Now, this quotation is from
the book of Exodus. But if even the Sadducees
had denied that any one of the five books was
written by Mofes, they would undoubtedly have
denied the force of our Saviour's argument. Ac-
cording to their ufual temper, they would at leail
have difcovcred fome occalion for cavilling, as he
called the whole of the Pentateuch *' the book
" of Mofes," while, they only acknowdedged a
part of it as written by him.
So firm, and fo univerfal was this perfuafion,
that all the books of the law were often fimply
called Mofes : *' They have Mofes and the pro*
*' phets ^." The apoftle James, while he ufes this
very language, refers to a {landing practice among
the Jews : " Mofes of old time hath in every ci-
" ty them that preach him, being read in the
" fynagogues every fabbath-day ^.*' It is evi-
H 2 dent
a Mark xii. 2(;. i Lcke XX. 37 40, b Luke xvi. 79. cAtflsAV. ?t
ti6 Mofes the infpired Writer
dent that by Mofes he means all the five boo1c3
which bear his name. For, with the Jews, the
whole Pentateuch is divided into fifty-four fedtions,
that it may be publicly read through every year,
an allowance being made for the intercalated
years, in which there are fifty-four fabbaths. It
cannot be doubted, that this divifion is of great
antiquity, as James refers to it as exifting " of
" old time.*' Some of the Jews afcribe it to
Mofes himfelf ; others, with greater probability, to
Ezra. Now, the apoftle evidently alludes to the
eftabliihed cuftom of reading one of thefe fedlions
in the fynagogue every fabbath. Thus, it is plain,
that he gives the general defignation of Mofes to
all the books of the law, Paul refers to the fame
practice, while he exprefles himfelf in the very
fame manner : " When Mofes is read, the vail
" is on their heart \" Paul, who *' touching the
*' law" was " a Pharifee," certainly expreffes
the conviction of all his brethren, as to the ex-
tent of that defignation, when he reafons in this
manner : " Tell me, ye that defire to be under
" the law, do ye not hear the law ? For it is
*' written, that Abraham had two fons \ the one by
" a bond- woman, the other by a free-woman'',"
8tc. But this quotation isii-om the book of Ge-
nefis : and whatever his own ideas had been, when
reafoning with Jews or judaizing Chriftians, he
w^ould not have laid the fl:refs of his argument on
a foundation to which his adverfaries could have
made the leall objedion. For in this cafe, they
had
a 3 Cor. iii. 15. V> Gal, iv. 31, &r.
of the Pentateuch. iiy
had only to reply, that Paul reafoncd from -a book
which they did not confider as part of the law.
But this fentiment may be traced much farther
back. It was the firm perfuafion of the Jews,
who had returned from the captivity, that all
which was called the law of Mofes was of di-
vine authority. For it is faid of Ezra, that he
" was a ready fcribe in the law of Mofes, which
" the Lord God of Ifrael had given =>." They
w-ere no lefs perfuaded that all the books of the
Pentateuch were written by Mofes, and were
therefore entitled to be called his law. Withre-
fpeft to Deuteronomy, no proof is neceflary ; as
fome, who deny that the other four books were
written by Mofes, fuppofe that the name of the
hw of Mofes is diftinftivcly given to Deutero-
nomy, as having been moftly written by him.
Various paffages m Exodus may be viewed a?
referred to by Ezra and Nehemiah, under the
name of the law, or the law of Mofes. But as
the fubilance of the laws contained in Exodus
is repeated in Deuteronomy, it is uncertain which
of thefe .books is immediately referred to ^
"After the fecond temple was finiflied, " they
*' fet the pricfts in their divifions, and the Levites
*• in their courfes, for the fervice of God, which
*' is at Jerufalem ; as it is written in the book of
*' Mofes ' ." Here there is an evident reference
to wliat we have in the third and eight chapters
of Numbers, where thefe ordinances are to be
H 3 found.
a Ezra vii. 6. h F\od. xxxiii. i6. ; Ezra is. i. ccitip. ; Neh. x. ,?^, 36.;
Extxi. \s\\\. 13.; xiii. 13. comp. c Eziavi. iS.
1 1 8 Mofes the itifpired Writer
found. Leviticus was alfo confidered as a part of
the law. For it is referred to, under the name
of " the law which the Lord had commanded
" by Mofes," with refpecl to the ordinance con-
cerning dwelling in booths, during the feaft of
tabernacles. This ordinance is found only in Le-
viticus ^ The fame proof arifes from what is
faid concerning " the wood-offering ^'."
There is every reafon to fuppofe that the book
6f the law, found in the temple during the reign
of Joliah, was that very book which Mofes had
laid up before the ark. As it is faid, that *^ Hil-
" kiah the prieft found a book of the law of the
** Lord, by Mofes *"," it has been urged that the
original phrafe fignifies that it was in the hand-
writing of Mofes. The language of Jofephus has
been underftood as denoting that this was the re-
ceived opinion among the Jews'^. From his lan-
guage, however, it certainly appears, that, accord-
ing to the general opinion, this copy of the law
contained the different books of the Pentateuch.
For Jofephus fays, that " the high-priell difco-
" vered the facred hooks of Mofes ^" With re-
aped: to the facrifical fervice enjoined by Jofiah,
it is faid, *^ They removed the burnt-offerings,
" that they might give according to the divilions
** of the families of the people, to offer unto the
** Lord j as it is written in the book of Mofes f."
The
a Neh. viii. 14. Lev. xxiii. 42, 43. comp. b Neb, x. 34. ; lev. vi. 12.
comp. c 2 Chr. xxxir. 14. d Spanheim Hift. Vet. Teft. p. i6z.
e T«f ii/i«f /SiCxwf raf Uuwiui . Antiq. Lib. x. c. 5.
f % Chr. XXXV. 12.
of the Pentateuch. 119
The ordinances referred to are in Leviticus •''. In
the account of the reformation under Hczekiah,
there is a reference to what is contained in Exo-
dus, Leviticus, and Numbers, under the general
defignation of what " is written in the law of the
** Lord ''." Jehoiada " appointed the offices of
" the houfe of the Lord, by the hand of the priefts
" the Levites, whom David had diftributed in the
" houfe of the Lord, to offer the burnt-offerings
" of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Mo-i
*' fes^'* Not only in the days of Jehoiada, but
in thofe of David, were the different books of
the Pentateuch generally defigned the ** law of
" Mofes." For the ordinances here referred to
arc recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers ^.
Elfcwhere we are informed, that David " left
" Zadok the prieft and his brethren, before the
" tabernacle of the Lord, — to offer burnt-offer-
" ings unto the Lord, upon the altar of the burnt-
*' offering continually, morning and evening, and
" to do according to all that is written in the law
" of the Lord, which he commanded Ifrael ^'*
But the inftitutions with refpecl to the morning
■ and evening facrifices, are to be found in Exo-
dus*' and Numbers", but not in Deuteronomy.
Now, there can be no reafonable doubt that this
cxpreffion, " written in the law of the Lord," has
the fame meaning with that of David, when he
H 4 fpeaks
a Chap, iij, 4. 10. b a Chr. xxxi. 2,3-; Exod. %x\x. 5S. ; Lev. xsiii. 1. ;
Numb vlii 19. comp. c ; Chr. xxiii. i8. ; Chr. xxiv. xxv. xxvi.
d Exod xxviii. i.; Lev. x. i. ; Numb, xxviii. 3,
% I Chr. Kvi. 37.— 40. i Chap. xsix. 38. g Chap, xxviii. 3, 4.
110 Mofes the infpired JVriter
f|3ealvs of " the charge of the Lord,' — as it ig
** written in the law of Mofes "."
In the days of Jofhua, this defignation, *' the
" hook of the law of Mofes," was ufed with the
fame extent as in fucceeding ages. For it is faid,
that *' he read all the words of the law ; the
*" ble. Tings and curfmgs, according to all that is
" written in the book of the law of Mofes."
Nay, it is added, " There was not a word of all
f' that Mofes commanded, which Joflma read notbe-
- ' fore all the congregation of Ifrael ^." This plain-
ly implies^ that Mofes had committed to Vt^riting
every thing concerning the law ; and that all this
was contained in what was called " the book of
" the law of Mofes." So fnlly were all the If-
raelites convinced of the infpiration of Mofes as
a writer, that the fame book was alfo called " the
*' book of the law of God ^ j" thefe cxprcffions
being ufed as fynonymous.
We have itQi-\ that the apoflle Paul includes
the book of Genefis in the law. But as this book
is almofl: wholly hiftorical, it could not be ex-
pected that there fhould be fo many references to
it as to the reft of the Pentateuch. It has, how-
ever, been formerly fliown, that the great events
recorded in it may be viewed as the very foun-
dations of that peculiar difpenfation given to the
Ifraelites. I may add, that io clofe is the con-
nexion betvv'cen the conclufion of Genefis and the
beginning of Exodus, that it cannot reafonably be
I'uppofed th?,t they were written by different
hand;.
3 t ^^ r-S' \- 3- ^0 JolTi. viii. -I. 34, 35. c Jcfli. .ixiv. 16.
of the Pentateuch. ' \i\
hiinds. The hiftory in the beginning of Exodus
evidently proceeds on the ground of what had
been previouily written concerning the departure
of the liVaelites into Egypt, concerning Jofeph
and Pharaoh . Nothing could be imagined more
llrange and abrupt than the beginnmg of this
book, if it wa^ not a continuation of the hiftory
recorded in Genelis.
The force of this reafoning cannot be confill-
ently rejedled by any who believe divine reve-
lation. For they muft certainly acknowledge, that,
according to the teftimony of the Spirit in a va-
riety of paflages, the different books of the Pen-
tateuch are afcribed to Mofes as the infpired pen-
man. But as little can it be fairly rejecled by in-
fidels. For the many books of Scripture, above
quoted, although not acknowledgeck as infpired
writings, mufl ncceflarily be admitted as expref-
fmg the general belief of the Jewifh nation in
the diii'erent periods in which they were written.
This general belief has been traced up from our
own time to tliat of the fettlement of Ifrael in
Canaan. It has been formerly fhown, that this
nation, in no period of their exiflence, could have
been induced to receive thcfe books as true, had
they not been perfuaded of their truth ; and that
they would never have been perfuaded of their
truth, had they not been actually true. The fame
reafoning applies to the fubjcd immediately in hand.
When the Ifraehtes firil received thefe books,
they mufl have been no lefs perfuaded that they
were
a Exoil, i. — viii.
122 Mofes the infpired Writer
were written by Mofes, than that they gave a juft
account of their law, and of the wonderful events
refpe6ling their nation. For if this univerfal per-
fuafion, that the Pentateuch was written by Mo-
fes, has run through all their generations ; it is
juft as eafy to conceive that they Ihould have
been impofed on as to the books themfelves, as
that they fliould have been deceived with refped:
to the writer.
It is conceivable, that the Ifraelites might have
received the peculiar inftitutions of the law, and
acknowledged the truth of thofe miraculous events
which were honourable to themfelves as a na-
tion, although they had entertained fome doubts
as to the infpiration of the writer. But they
would in all probability have rejected the books
as laid, efpecially as they contain the moft parti-
cular accounts of their own rebellions, and of
the moft fevere judgments infli<^ed on them im-
mediately by the hand of God ; had they not
been fully convinced that Mofes was not only em-
ployed by God as the inftrument of giving the
law, but that he was alfo infpired as an amanu-
enlis. Such has ftill been their veneration for
the law, that it is not credible that they would
have allowed any pofterior writer to reduce it
into another form than that in which they had
received it from Mofes. Had Mofes left them,
in his own handwriting, only the greateft part of
Deuteronomy, the Ihort account of their jour-
neys, and of their vidtory over Amalek, with the
fong which he compofed before his death, they
woul(i
o/ the Pentateuch. 1^3
would not have permitted any later writer to al-
ter thefe precious memorials at his pleafure.
III. The book of the law of Mofes muft have
been imperfed, had he written only the principal
part of Deuteronomy, or that which contains the
repetition of the law. For it has been fecn, that
various precepts are recorded in the books of Ex-
odus, Leviticus and Numbers, which are not re-
peated in Deuteronomy. Let it be fuppofed, that
fome other perfon or perfons had been employed,
by divine authority, for coUeding and recording
thefe other precepts. In this cafe, it might have
been faid, that '* Mofes made an end of wri-
" ting ;" but it could not have been truly faid,
that he " made an end of writing the words of
«* this law in a book, until they 'were jimJJjed^y
For according to this fuppofition, Mofes had ne-
gleded to record many important ordinances. He
had finiflied his book ; but flill the law was in-
complete.
IV. The prophecies contained in thefe books,
while they prove their divine infpiration, alfo in-
creafe the evidence of their being written by
Mofes. The truth of thefe prophecies undeniably
appears from their accomplilhment. " The feed
»' of the woman" hath bruifcd the head of the
ferpent, by deftroying the kingdom of Satan ^
The prophecies of Noah concerning the fubduc-
tion of the Canaanites, and the union of the pof-
terity
% Deut. xxxi. 24. y? Cen. iii. 15.
124 Mofes the infpired Writer
terity of Japhet to that of Shem, in the worfhip
of the true God^ have been remarkably fulfilled ^.
The truth of the orack delivered to Rebekah
concerning Jacob and Efau, has fignally appeared
in the fubjed;ion of the Eiomites to the Ifrael-
ites ^. The Gentiles have been gathered to that
Shiloli who was to fpring from Judah . Not to
mention the predictions of Balaam recorded in
the Pentateuch, have we not in our own day un-
queltionable evidence of the completion of the
prophecies concerning the Iflimaelites and Jews ?
The chara6ter of Iflimael is evidently written in
that of thofe Arabian tribes which are known to be
his pofterity. Their " hand is againft every man,
" and every man's hand againft them." Yet
they have ftill " dwelt in the prefcnce of their
*' brethren 'V The moft powerful nations have
in vain attempted to fubdue them. The Jews
are ftanding witnefTes of the truth of thofe pre-
didlions delivered by Mofes. Themfelves ac-
knowledge their completion ^. They are fo li-
terally fulfilled, that the incredulity, which can
afcribe fuch predictions to mere conjedure, fup-
pofes one miracle in order to avoid another.
That Mofes wrote prophecies as well* as pre-
cepts and hiftories, appears from his recording
that prophetical fong which we have in Deutero-
nomy. But his prophecies are not confined to
this book. We have fome very remarkable ones in
the twenty-fixth chapter of Leviticus. Thofe
which
a Gen. ix, 25. — 27. b Gen. xxv. 13. c Gen. xli.x. 10.
d Gen. xvi. 12. d Deut. xxviii, x,\ix, xx.^.
of the Pentateuch. I2j
tvhich were delivered before his time, were
received by the Ifraclites as authentic, on the
faith of Mofes as an infpired writer. Hence it
became caftomary with them to afcribe to him
all the prophecies recorded in the Pentateuch.
Our Lord expreiles the general fcnfc of the na-
tion, as to all the prophecies contained in thefe
books refpeding the Melhah, when he fays con-
cerning Mofes, " He wrote of me ^" Paul alio
declares the univerfal fiiith of his nation, when he
afhrms in the prefence of Agrippa, who was a
Jew, that he " faid none other things than thofe
" which the prophets and Mofes did fay fhould
*' come ; that Chrilt fliould fuffer, and that he
" fliould be the fird that fhould rife from the
" dead, and fliould fliew light to the Gentiles'."
Now, if Mofes wrote no other prophecy- concern-
ing Chrifl than what is recorded in the eighteenth
chapter of Deuteroi"K)my, he faid none of thefe
things which Paul afcribes to him. For in that
prophecy, Mofes fays nothing of the fufterings of
Chrift, of his refurredion, or of the converlion of
the Gentiles. The enemies of Paul could ealily
have contradidled his afTertion, had they not, as
well as he, attributed to Mofes thofe prophecies
in Genefis, which foretel the bruifing of the Mef-
fiah's heel, and the confcqucnt gathering of the
people to him.
V. The Samaritans have not only ftill acknow-
ledged the divinity of the firll five books of the
Bible, but flill acknowledged them as tlic wri-
tings
a John V. 46. b Ads xxvi. xi, 23.
1 26 Mofes the infpired Writer
tings of Mofes. It is well known that they have
the whole Pentateuch in the Samaritan charac-
ter ; and that this differs very little from the
Hebrew copies. Some fuppofe that this has been
preferved among them lince the time of the cap-
tivity of the ten tribes ^. Others think it more
probable, that they received it from Manaffeh,
the brother of Jaddus, who being high-prieft,
apoftatized to the Samaritans, becaufe he would
not quit his wife, who was daughter of Sanballat,
governor of Samaria ^. According to fome wri-
ters, this Manaffeh was that fon-in-law of San-
ballat, whom Nehemiah chafed from the priefl-
hood '^ ; although his name be not mentioned.
The learned Prideaux is of this opinion, and fup-
pofes that Jofephus is chargeable with an ana-
chronifm, when he relates that this high-prieft
lived during the reign of Darius Codomannus ^.
It is at any rate admitted, that the Samaritan
Pentateuch is very ancient. Conlidering the in-
veterate enmity between the Jews and Samari-
tans, it is not probable that the former would
have furnifhed the latter with a copy of the law.
Nor is it credible, that the Samaritans would
have acknowledged the Pentateuch as written by
Mofes, unlefs they had been fully convinced that
this was the truth ; efpecially as it is generally
believed that they received no other part of the
Old Teftament Scriptures.
VI. The
a Spanheitn, Hifl, Vet. Teft. p. 430, 43T. b Jofeph. Antiq. lib. xi.
cap. 7, c Neb. xiii. a8. d Connecl. vol. i. p. 327. edit, 1720. ;
Calmei's DicT;. v. Manaffeh.
of the Pentateuch. 127
VI. Tlie arguments already brought, ib clearly
fhew, that the books afcribed to Mofes were real-
ly written by him, that no further evidence is
neceflary. Yet it may not be luperfluous to ob-
lerve, that fo general was this periuafion, that the
heathen were no flrangcrs to it.
Jofephus, the Jewilli hillorian, has demonftra-
ted, from the conceflions of heathen \vriters, that
tlie laws of Mofes were penned long before thofe
of any Gentile nation. He juftly obferves, that
" in ancient times the name of laiv was unheard
" of, and that even Homer wanted a word by
** which to exprefs it ". Such was the fame of
Mofes, that Chalcidius, a celebrated Platonic phi-
lofophcr, calls him the prophet ; and Numenius,
another pliilofopher of the fame fchool, the wifeji
of men ^. Artapanus makes Mofes to be the Mer-
cury of the Greeks, who was called Thoyth or
Theut by the Egyptians. " Mofes," he fays,
" the child of a Jev.-efs, but adopted by tlij|.
" daughter of Palmanothes, king of Egypt, deli-
" vered many things extremely ufeful to the hu-
" man race. On this account he not only con-
" ciliated the affection of the people, but from
" the priefts eafily acquired honour equal to what
** is given to the gods, fo that they called him
" Hermes^ that is, Mercury or the Interpreter, on
" account of his interpretation of facred letters ^."
We learn from Herodotus, that " thofe Phcni-
" cians,
a Cont. Apion. lib. ii. b V.J. Dcyliiig. Obf. Sic. Par. i. p. 551.
: Ata Ttif rat itpuv yinftfiotTu* (pfni^ttitf. Ap. Eiifeb. Pi.epAr. lib. ijf.
cajt ij. \id. Wilfu /Ejypnac. liu. iii. c»]). ».
12S Mofes the in/pi red Writer
" cians, who accompanied Cadmus, — as they in-
" troduccd many dodlrines, alfo brought letters
*' with them into Greece, which," fays he, " as
'' appears to me, were formerly unknown to the
*' Greeks ^" This indeed is the general lan-
guage of antiquity. With this tellimony let us
compare that of Eupolemus. He fays, that " Mo-
" fes was the firft wife man, and that he firft
" taught the Jews letters ; that the Phenicians
*' received thefe from the Jews, and the Greeks
" from the Phenicians '\''
The moft credible Greek writers acknowledge,
that Mofes was the firll legillator. Thus Diodo-
rus Siculus ; " According to that ancient inftitu-
*' tion of life, which took place in Egypt, under
" the gods and heroes in thofe fabulous times, it
" is related, that the firft who perfuaded the
" people to ufe written laws, and to live accord-
** ing to thefe, was Mofes ; a man celebrated for
" the greatnefs of his foul, and for the regularity
" of his life '^." I fhall only further obferve,
that it feems to have been generally believed
am.ong the heathen, that the hiftories, as w^ell as
the laws, contained in the Pentateuch, were writ-
ten by Mofes. Alexander Polyhiftor, fo denomi-
nated becaufe of his vaft erudition, evidently re-
fers to the bock of Genelis, when he fays, " Cleo-
" demus, the prophet, alfo called Malchas, in his,
*' book concerning the Jews, relates the fame
*' things
a In Terpfichore. b Clem. Alex. Strom, lib. i. p. 253. Vid.
Owen. Theolog. lib. iv. cap. 3. digr. i. Eufebius alfo quotes Eupolemus,
Ptsep. lib. ix. c. 30.
c Lib. i. Vid. Owen. Tbolag. lib. iii. cap. 3. digr, 2.-
of the Pentateuch. 229
" things as Moles their legiflator, that many fon^
" were born to Abraham by Kcturah, three of
" whom were named Afer, Afllir and Afra %" 8cc.
There never was a more inveterate enemy of
Chriftianity than Porphyry the philolbpher. Yet,
after having loaded Mofes and the prophets with
reproaches, he inadvertently leaves a teftimony
to the truth of the Holy Scriptures. Speaking of
Sanchoniatho, the Phenician writer, he fays, that
he manifefts the ihidcll regard t?o truth in the
hiftory which he gives of the Jews, as having re-
ceived the Commentaries on this fubjedt from Je-
rombaal, prieft of the God Jeiio. This hiftory
he dedicated to Abelbal, king of Berytus, which
was approved both by him, and by others, whom
he had ufed as his advifers in inveftigating
the truth. Thefe perfons, he further fays, lived
before the time of the Trojan war, and were
nearly of the fame age with Mofes, as appears
from the fucceflion of the Phenician kings. He
adds, that Sanchoniatho flouriflied in the time of
Semiramis. Eufebius has obferved, that, even
fuppofmg that Mofes had not lived before San-
choniatho, this teftimony gives him very high
antiquity ; for Semiramis lived eight hundred
years before the Trojan war ''. It has been al-
ready obferved, that the Jerombaal here refer-
red to, is generally fuppofed to be Gideon, who
was called Jerubbaal '^ ; as Jeuo^ or JaOy is juft
the name Jebovahy as it would be written by
Vol. I. I a
a Ap. Jofeph. Antiq. lib. i. cap. i6. et Eufeb. Prxp. l;b. ix. cap. ao.
Grot, de Verit. lib. i. § i6.
b Euf. Prep. Jib. x. c. 9. c Judg. vii. i.
130 Mofes the infpired Writer
a Greek ^. Porphyry, finding it an unqueftion-
able fad:, that this Jerombaal fupplied Sancho-
niatho with Commentaries concerning the Jews,
it proves, that, even in this early period, they
were not only acquainted with writing, but
had a facred hiftory of their nation. It does not
indeed amount to a proof, but it affords a very
flrong prefumption, that this hiftory was writtea
by Mofes ; becaufe he is mentioned in immediate
connexion, and evidently as preceding the Pheni-
cian hiftorian. From the notice taken of Mofes,
in connexion with thefe commentaries, it appears
extremely probable, that thefe had been afcribed
to him by Sanchoniatho.
Before leaving this fubjed, we may advert to
fome of the Objections that have been made to
the fentiment affirmed in the preceding part of
this DifTertation.
It has been urged, as of no inconfiderable
weight, that " the whole of thefe books is in the
" third perfon ;" that " it is always. The Lord
" /aid unto Mofes ^ or Mofes f aid unto the Lord ;'*
and that " this is the ftyle and manner that hi-
" ftorians ufe in fpeaking of the perfons whofe
" lives and actions they are writing ^." It has
been juftly obferved in reply, that Xenophon, and
Caefar, and Jofephus, ufe this manner of writing,
when they relate thofe very tranfadions in which
they were themfelves principal agents or parties.
The
a Eufebins writes it Ifoo, and Theoderet law. Quaeft. 15. in Exod
b Age of Reafon, Part II. p. 5.
of the Pentateuch, 131
The reafoning is thus continued : " It may be
*' faid, that a man may Ipcak of himfelf in the
" third perfon ; and therefore it may be fuppo-
" fed that Mofes did : but fuppolition proves no-
** thing \" Fad, however, proves a great deal.
The writer of the Pentateuch evidently intro-
duces Mofes as " fpeaking of himfelf in the third
*' perfon." In this manner is the prophetical
benedidlion of Ifrael recorded : " And this is the
" blefling wherewith Mofes the man of God blef-
" fed the children of Ifrael before his death.
" And he," that is Mofes, " faid. The Lord
" came from Sinai, and rofe up from Seir unto
" them : he Ihined forth from Mount Paran, and
" he came with ten thoufands of faints : from his
" right-hand went a fiery law for them. Yea,
" he loved the people \ all his faints are in thy
*' hand : and they fat down at thy feet ; every
*' one fliall receive of thy words. Mofes com-
" manded us a law ; even the inheritance of the
•' congregation of Jacob. And he was king in
" Jefliurun, when the heads of the people and
" the tribes of Ifrael were gathered together.
*'. Let Reuben live, and not die^," &c. Unlcfs
we would do the greateft violence to language,
we muft neceflarily fuppofe, that all that follows
the introduction, is given as contained in the ad-
drefs of Mofes to the people.
As we are fure that this manner of fpeaking
was very ancient, . no good reafon can be given
why it fhould not be alfo ufed in writing. Jacob,
I 2 in
a Age of Reafon, Part U. p. 5. b Dent, xxxiii. i.— 6.
132 Mofes the infpired Writer
in his bleffing, fpeaks fometimes in the firft, and
fometimes in the third perfon ^ The fame mode
of expreffion is attributed to Balaam : " Balaam
'* lift up his eyes, — and he took up his parable
" and faid, Balaam, the fon of Beor, hath faid,
*' and the man whofe eyes are open hath faid'',"
Sec. Will any one doubt, whether Matthew and
John wrote the gofpels afcribed to them, merely
becaufe they fpeak of themfelves in the third
perfon ?
As it is faid, Numb. xii. 3. " The man Mofes
" was very meek above all the men which were
" on the face of the earth," it has been inferred,
either that Mofes was not the writer, or that he
is without credit becaufe of this felf-commenda-
tion. This objediion has been fo well anfwered
already, that fcarcely any thing further is necef-
fary '^. Only it may be obferved, that, in one point
of view, it is merely a begging of the queftion.
For, as all the true friends of revelation maintain,
not only that Mofes was the writer, but that he
was the infpired writer, of the Pentateuch ; ac-
cording to their hypothefis, he was direded by
the Spirit of God in all that he wrote. This ap-
parent felf-praife is no more an objedlion to the
credibility of the writer, than his unexampled
impartiality in recording his own errors. Both
mull be equally afcribed to fuperior impulfe. If
that felf-love which is natural to all men, and
which prompts the generality of writers to draw
a
a Gen. xlix. 2, 3, 4. 24, 25. b Numb. xxiv. 2, — 5.
c See Watfon'%^ol. Let. 2. Scott's Vinijjcation, B. i. c %,
Cf the Pentateuch. 133
a veil over their faults, did not hinder Mofes
from recording his own obllinacy, unbeliefs, fin-
ful wrath, and judicial exclufion from the land
of promife ^ ; it is unnatural to fuppofe, that he
was under the influence of this principle when
exprefling the lingular meeknefs of his temper ;
efpccially as he muit have viewed it as a gift of
God, qualifying him for his arduous work, and
therefore as no proper ground of boafting. But
it is common with the adverfaries of divine reve-
lation, to feparate one part of its evidence from
the other, although eflentially connedcd *.
It ha« been urged as a very important objec»-
tion, that the name of Dan is found in Gen. xiv.
14. ; whereas the town, formerly defigned Laijfj,
was not called Dan till about the time of Sam-
fon, as appears from Judg. xviii. 27, 28. But
the evidence that the Pentateuch was written by
Mofes, would not be in the leaft degree weaken-
I 3 ed,
a Exod ill. II. ; tv. i. lo. 13. b Numb. xx. ic. — 12.
* An obje£tion of this kind comes with very ill grace from on«, who is
io careful to inform mankind of liis great confequence, both as a jiolitical
and as a tlieological writer, as appears from the following pnfiages : " I
-' wrote Common Senfe the latter end of the year 1775, and publifhed it
" the ift of January 1776. iNDEPtNDENCE," that of America, " was
" DECLARED the 4th of July following f." — " I was feized with a fever.
«« — It was then that I remembered with renewed faiisfacflion, and con-
♦' graiulated rayfelf moft fincerely, on having vvrKten tiie former part of
" the Age of Reafon. — I have produced a work, that no Bible believer,
«' though writing at his cafe, and with a library of church books about
" him, can refute t." Let tUe reader judge, whether this langu»jc, or
that of Mfifes, difccvers " one of the moft rain and arrogant of coxcombs ;"
efpecially if it be at the fame time confjdered, that he who has been at
fuch pains to record bis own excellencies, and ujtfulntjs to fociety, has not
riven an equal evidence of his credibility, by recording his errors.
I Age of Reafpn, Pfut I. p. 35. \ frcf. to Part l\
134 Mofes the mfpired Writer
ed, by the fuppofition that it had been originally
Laifhy and that after this name came to be little
known, that of Dan had been written on the mar-
gin, and afterwards inferted by fome tranfcriber
' into the text. There is no neceflity, however,
even for this fuppofition. The enemies of reve-
lation cannot prove, that there was not a place or
rivulet of the name of Dan in the days of Abra-
ham. The probability is, that there was ; as the
name feems to be retained in that of Jordan $
which, according to ancient writers, fignifies the
river of Dan. Now, there can be no doubt, that,
in the time of Mofes, this river was called Jor-
dan. From the filence of other parts of Scrip-
ture with refpeft to this Dan, it can be no more
inferred that it did not exift, than that there was
no fuch place as Hohah, mentioned in the next
verfe, becaufe the name occurs no where elfe in
Scripture.
In Gen. xxxvi. 31. it is faid, " Thefe ai'c the
" kings that reigned in Edom, before there reign-
'' ed any king over the children of Ifrael." The
fame paffage is found in i Chron. i. 43. Hence
it has been inferred, " that this part of Genefis is
** taken from Chronicles, and that Genefis is not
" fo old as Chronicles ^"
If we compare the two palTages, it will appear
far more natural to conclude, that the genealogy
in Genefis v/as firfl written, ^nd that the other is
an abridgment of it. For the former is more
than double the fize of the latter. It has been
generj?lly
a Age o« Reafon, Part II. p. lo, il.
of the Pentateuch. 135
generally fuppofed, that the words contained in
Gen. xxxvi. 31. have been inferted into the text
by Ezra, or fome other writer, after the Ifraelites
were accuftomed to monarchical government : and
the fuppoiition can afFecl neither the authenticity
nor the infpiration of the book. Such a fuppoii-
tion, however, is quite unneceflary. It was in
the higheil degree confiftent with the defign of
the infpired writer to give a particular account of
the Edomites. He had already recorded the pro-
phecy delivered to Rebekah, that *' the one peo-
** pie fhould be ftronger than the other, and that
" the elder fhould ferve the younger •'.*' That
the completion of this prophecy might eventually
appear the more remarkable, he Ihews, that the
Edomites formed a conliderable nation, under a
regular government, while the Ifraelites, fo far
from having any rulers of their own race, were
in a Hate of flavery in Egypt. The exprellion,
before there reigned any king over the children of
Jfraely may merely fignify, before they had any
regular government of their own. For the word
rendered king, is fometimes ufed to denote a judge
or governor. Thus, in the hiftory of the Judges,
it is faid, " In thofe days there was no king in
** Ifrael, but every man did that which was right
" in his own eyes''." It is evident, that the
term is here ufed to denote a judge. For there
had never been a king in Ifrael in any other
fenfe. The reafon added fliews incontellably, that
nothing more is intended, than that they had no
chief ruler of any kind. For were it meant, that
I 4 the
a Gen. x;cv. 23. b Judg. xvii. 6.
1 36 Mojes the infpired Writer
the anarchy at this time pren-ailing was merely
the confequence of the want of monarchical go-
vernment, it mufl: follow, that the fame anarchy
prevailed during all the time of the government
"of the Judges ; for there was ftill the fame rea-
fon for it ^. In like manner, Mofes calls himfelf
** king in Jefhurun^."
There is another way in which this language
may be fatisfac^orily accounted for. The writer
had already faid, as we learn from the preceding
chapter, that God had declared to Jacob, as he
had alfo done to Abraham ; " Kings fhall come
" out of thy loins ^." But, by giving a particu-
lar account of the priority of the defcendants of
Efau as to temporal dignity, he in effedl fhews
the Ifraelites how God was pleafed to try their
faith in his promife.
From the number of governors mentioned in
this chapter, it cannot juftly be inferred, that
their fucceffion extended to a much later period
than that in which Mofes is faid to have v/rote,
For, according to the judgment of fome learned
writers, a conliderable number of thefe rulers pre-
ceded Efau. The Horites, whofe dukes are here
named, exifted as a nation in the time of Abra-
ham <^. There is no evidence, that the kings
mentioned after them had any affinity to Efau.
It has been fuppofed, that the Horites were firll
governed by different independent chiefs, called
(hikes, but that being eafily conquered, while in
this divided ftate, by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam,
they
. a See alfo Judg. xviii. i. ; xix. z. ; ^1. a.- b Deut. Jfxxiij. 5.
c Gen. xvii. 6. ; xxxv. ii, djpen. xiy, 6,
of the "Pentateuch, 137
they united under a monarchical government : and
that, when Efau's pollerity increafed, this form
of government was changed, and the former re-
flored ^ It would appear, however, that for a
confiderable time at leaft, the country was divi-
ded into two diftridts \ tliat the one was called
*' the land of Seir," and that the other received
the name of Edom, after being poffcflcd by the
pofterity of Efau. The chiefs of the Horite race
were fovcreigns of Seir ^ ; and it feems probable,
that the kingly government fubfilled at the fame
time in the country afterwards called Edom ^. But
though it were poiTible to prove, that all thefe
kings were really defcendants of Efau, it would
not follow, that they did not all reign before the
time of Mofes. They are only eight in number,
and it was not till two hundred and thirty -lix
years after the death of Ifaac, that Mofes entered
on the work of judging Ifracl. As to the dukes
of the family of Efau, it is evident that we have
only two defcents of them. In the firlt, there
were fourteen, each governing his own territory
at the fame time : and eleven in the fecond. I
fhall only further obferve, that, had Genclis been
written after Chronicles, the writer, as a Jew,
would undoubtedly have paid as great a compli-
ment to his own nation as to the Edomites ; and
would therefore have carried down the genealogy
of the family of Jacob, as far as he did that of
the family of Efau.
An argument that Mofes did not write the
Pentateuch,
a Univ. Hift. vol. ii. p. 170. b Gen. xxsvi. a^, 30.
g Yer. 30, 31. corop,
138 Mofes the infpired Writer
Pentateuch, has been derived from thefe words ;
" And the children of Ifrael did eat manna forty
" years, until they came to a land inhabited :
" they did eat manna, until they came unto the.
" borders of the land of Canaan -*." Some learn-
ed Chriftian writers have admitted, that this paf-
fage could not have been written by Mofes, but
muft have been inferted afterwards ^\ But there
is nothing here that Mofes could not fay with pro-
priety. It was incumbent on him as a faithful
hiftorian, not only to relate the miraculous fuf-
tentation of Ifrael, but to tell how long it had
continued to his certain knowledge. Before he
iinifhed his writing, they had been forty years in
the wildernefs ^. All this time had they been fed
with manna. So' far from thinking it unnatural
that Mofes fhould refer to the duration of the mi-
racle, it would have been furprifing indeed had
he mentioned the miracle in any other way. For
undoubtedly its duration afforded far more un-
queftionable evidence of its reality, than if fuch
a circumftance had taken place only once or
twice. When it is faid that this continued " un-
" til they came to a land inhabited," it does not
follovN?- that the writer meant to fay that it im-
mediately ceafed. The prepofition until is often
ufed in a very different fenfe, both by facred and
by profane writers. It is not the defign of the
paffage indeed to fpecify the precife time that
the manna continued with the Ifraelites ; but to
Ihew that God had miraculoufly fed them forty
years,
a Exod. xvi. 35. b Wilfii Mifcell. vol. i. lib. i. cap. xiv, fetl. 44.
c Deut. ii. 7. ; viii. 2. 4.
i
of the Pentateuch. 1 3^
years, while they had no ordinary means of fup-
port. The contrafl is ftated not properly between
Canaan and that whole country, whether delert
or cultivated, which lay between Egypt and it ;
but between a land inhabitedy where food might
have been procured, and the wildernefs, where
they could have found none. This appears un-
deniably from the connexion between the 35th
and 32d verfes : " Mofes faid, This is the thing
" which the Lord cortimandeth, Fill an orner of
*' it, to be kept for your generations, that they may
** fee the bread wherewith I have fed you in the
<* wildernefsy when I brought you forth from the
*' land of Egypt. — And the children of Ifrael did
" eat manna forty years, until they came to a land
<* inhabited.'" Then the writer returns to illuf-
trate what he had faid in verfe 32. concerning
the quantity to be laid up : " Now an omer is the
" tenth part of an ephah," verfe 36.
To me the paiTage carries internal evidence of
having been written before the Ifraelites entered
Canaan. It fcems to be guarded, as if the hif-
torian had meant that it Ihould be thus under-
fiood. Had it been written after the Ifraelites
were fettled in the land of promifc, it would moll
probably have been faid, " They did eat manna
" until they came into the land of Canaan." But
inftead of this it is, " until they came unto the
" borders of the land of Canaan." A late wri-
ter has tried to give the words an unfair turn,
when he fays, that ** Mofes — died in the wilder-
" nefs, and never came upon the borders of the
" land
f 4© Mofes the infpired Writer
" land of Canaan ^'* But he certainly came ilnts^
thefe borders. For before he linifhed his wri-
ting, he was "in the plains of Moab, by Jordan,
** near Jericho ^" Before his death, he ufes limi-
lar language in regard to this miraculous fup-
port, with that in the verfe under confideration.
He addreffes the Ifraelites fas having now finifhed
their peregrinations in the wildernefs, and as being
come to a land inhabited. He fpeaks as if the
miraculous fupply of the manna had been at an
end, becaufe he knew it was to ceafe in a very
fhort time * : " Thou Ihalt remember all the
" way w^hich the Lorj) thy God led thee thefe
** forty years in the wildernefs ; — and he fed thee
** with manna." And again, *' Who led thee
" through that great and terrible wildernefs ; —
** who fed thee in the wildernefs with manna ^.'*
The fame writer has attempted to Ihew, that
fuch language could not be applicable to the If-
raelites during the life of Mofes, by comparing it
with that in Jofh. v. 12. " And the manna ceafed
" on the morrow, after they had eaten of the old
" corn of the land, neither had the children of
" Ifrael manna any more, but they did eat of the
" fruit of the land of Canaan that year." But
the language is very different. It is faid exprefs-
ly that the manna ceaj[ed. Here we do not read
merely of a land inhabited, but of the lafid of Ca-
naan. The phrafeology fuppofes, that the people
were come, not unto the borders of the land of
Canaan,
a Age of Reafon, Part II. p. r^. b Numb, xxxiii. jo.
'* It did aftually ceafe in tlie courfe of a few weeks at fartheft ; as ap-
pears from Deut. i. 3. and Jofli. v. I J. compared,
c Deut. viii. 3. 15, 16.
of the Pentateuch, 14!
Candan, but to this land itfelf. From the other
paflage, there is no reafon to conclude, that tlie
writer meant to infinuate, that the Ifraelites had
no more manna ; for he mentions no fubftitute.
But here we are informed that they made ufe of
corn inftead of it.
Two objedions have been founded on what is
faid, Deut. iii. 11. " For only Og king of Ba-
" flian remained of the remnant of giants ; be-
" hold, his bed-Head was a bed-ftead of iron : is
'* it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon ?
"^ nine cubits was the length thereof, and four
" cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a
" man." The iirft objedion is, that it gives
countenance to ** the fabulous notions about
" giants a." This objedion has been fo well an-
fvvered already ^, that I fliall not fpend time on
it. I (hall only obferve, that the exiftence of in-
dividuals of an extraordinary lize, is a fadt at-
tefted by profane as well as by facred hiftory <^.
The other objection is, that " it could not be
'* Mofes that laid this, becaufe Mofes could know
" nothing about Rabbah, nor of what was in it.
" Rabbah," it is added, " was not a city be-
** longing to this giant king, nor was it one of
" the cities that Mofes took. The knowledge^
" therefore, that jthis bed was at Rabbah, and of
*' the particulars of its dimenlions, muft be refer-
** r6d to the time when Rabbah was taken, and
** this was not till four hundred years after the
" death
a Age of Reafon, Part II. p. 13. b See Bilhop Writfon's Apology,
Let. 3. c Vii. Gfot. d« Vcrit. lib. i. fe<a, x6. Bocharti Tlialeg.
lib, (. cap. ij.
142 ' Mofei the mfpired Writer
** death of Mofes ; for which fee 2 Sam. xii. 16 ^•.'^
This objection, like many others, fhews how ex-
tremely anxious the enemies of revelation are to
grafp at every twig they can lay hold of, and
how much they are at a lofs for argument. It
difcovers indeed, either the grofTeft ignorance of
the fubjedl, or the greateft prefumption. Rabbah
did not belong to Og, nor was it one of the cities
which Mofes took. Does it therefore follow, that
" he could know nothing about it?" By this
kind of reafoning, one who had never read the
hiftory would be apt to conclude, that Rabbah
was at the dillance of fome hundreds of miles
from the fcene of the conquelts of Mofes. But
the kingdom of Og was feparated from that of
Bafhan, only by the river Jabbok. Jazer, one of
the cities conquered by the Ifraelites ^, was with-
in a few miles of Rabbah. The inheritance
which Mofes gave to the tribe of Gad, had for its
border " half the land of the children of Am-
** mon'^." Their inheritance, as well as that of
Reuben, extended to Jabbok'^. Now, it has been
generally admitted, that Rabbah was fituated on
this river, and that thence one part of the city
"Was called the city of waters ^. But this river,
it would feem, mult have had as wonderful an in-
fluence on Mofes, as the poets have afcribed to
Lethe. If it did not drown the palt in oblivion,
it prevented any increafe of knowledge for the
future. Of what took place beyond it, he " could
*' know nothing."
It
a Age of Reafon, Part II. p 14. b Numb, xxxii. 3. c Jofti. xiii. 25,
d Deut. iii. 16. e a Sam. xii. 7. See Well's Geogr. O Teft. vol. ii.
p. 176. Hieronym. Loc. Hebraic, V. Jaboch.
I
of the Pentateuch. 143
It is no Icfs ablurd to fuppofe that the parti-
culars here recorded could not be known till the
time of David. From the hiflory given of the
fiege of Rabbah, there is every reafon to fuppofe
that the city was totally dellroycd by him. Sure-
ly, then, no man would afterwards write, con-
cerning the bed of Og, " Is it not in Rabbah ?"
when Rabbah itfelf had no exiftence. But al-
though it were certain, that this verfe had been
written in the time of David, as it would not
follow that the whole of the Pentateuch was of
as late a date, as little would it weaken the evi-
dence of revelation, in refpect to the exiftence of
giants, which is declared in a variety of other
places. It would have an efTedl diredlly con-
trary. It woijld prove, that the extraordinary
fize of this king was admitted by a neighbour-
ing nation, " four hundred years after the death
** of Mofes ;" and that they ftill preferved his
bed as a proof of the fact ; unlefs it can be fup-
pofed, that the Ammonites were fo friendly to the
religion of the Ifraelites, as to make this bed at
fome later period, for the exprefs purpofe of con-
firming their facred hiftory. Let me add ; was
this circumftance reckoned worthy of fo much
attention in the days of David, and was it im-
poflible that it fhould come to the knowledge of
Mofes, or attradl any attention in his time ?
The objedion derived from the pretended
cruelty of Mofes, has been fo fidly anfwered by
others, that I cannot pretend to offer any thing
new on the fubjedl ^
Some
a See Bp. Watfon'i Apology, Let. 3. Scott's Vindication, p. 15. — 21.
244 Mofes the infpired Writer ^ t^c.
Some have thought that Mofes, before going
up to Mount Pifgah, was employed by the Spirit
of God to write the account of his own death \
This idea will excite the laugh of an infidel ;
but it will not appear incredible to one who be-
lieves the truth of infpiration. As,, however, it
is nowife necellary to the truth of revelation,
that every word of a book ihould have been
written by the perfon whofe name it bears, this
is no where affirmed in Scripture. It was never
fuppofed by any believer, that both the books
which bear the name of Samuel were written by
him. After the death of any infpired writer, it
would feem that his work was continued or con-
cluded by another perfon, endowed with the fame
fpirit, and that the original name was retained,
becaufe the work was only continued. Hence
it is moft probable, that the lall chapter of Deu-
teronomy was added by Jolhua ; efpecially as it
would feem, that, with the exception of the con-
cluding verfes, he wrote the whole of that book
which bears his name, in that very volume which
Mofes had delivered to the priefts, to be laid up
before the ark. For we are informed, that, after
Jofhua had made a covenant with the people, and
fet them a flatute and an ordinance in Shechem,
he wrote tbefe words in the book of the law of
God\
THE
a Pfcifferi Difficil. Script. Loc. Cent. a. loc, 44. b Joflj, xiiv. i6.
THE
USE
OF
SACRED HISTORY.
PART I.
MANKIND have univerfally aicknowledged the
^ advantages arifing from hiftory. Hence^
even thofc nations that have been unacquainted
with writing, have preferved their hiftory in
traditionary fongs, or in emblematical figuresi
When properly managed, it contains a faithful
memorial of both the good and the evil adlions
of men •, and endeavours, as far as poffible, to dif-
cover the fprings of thefe actions. Thus it ope-
tates, both as a fpur to the imitation of what is
laudable, and as a beacon to deter from what is
v/rong. It alfo records the more important works
of the Supreme Caufe, w-hether in the world of
nature, of providence, or of grace. Hiftory gives
a prefent exiftence to the paft, and in ibme mea-
sure makes up for the brevity of human life, by
Vol. i. K. calling
146 GENERAL VIEW OF
calling in the experience of former ages. But
all the advantages that human hiflory can boaft,
are poireffed in a far fuperior degree by that which
has the ftamp of infpiration. It alfo poffeffes
others, which are entirely its own.
There is, perhaps, no part of Sacred Scripture
fo little attended to, or fo little valued, by the
generality of readers, as the hiftorical. Except
what immediately refpeds the life and death of
our Saviour, or the propagation of the gofpel by
his firft minifters ; they confider themfelves as
very little interefted in a narration of fads which
happened fo many ages ago. They feem to think
that the hiflory of ancient heathen nations, re-
corded in Scripture, was merely intended for the
ufe of the Jews, who were their neighbours ; and
that as th^fe nations are in general extind, it can
be of little or no advantage to Chriflians. But
they have not duly confidered that, as " all fcrip-
*' lure is given by infpiration of God," it is all
profitable. To many, even the hiftory of the
Jews feems efpecially meant for the ufe of that
nation. Thofe, however, who entertain this fen-
timent, have not learned, that not only the pro-
phets did " not miniller unto themfelves, but un-
" to us the things which are now reported '" in
the gofpel ; but that the facred hiflorians were
employed principally for this end. A great part
of the Holy Bible is loft to thofe who know not
that " all thefe things," which are recorded im-
mediately in relation to the pofterity of Jacob,
" happened
a I Pet. i. 1%,
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 147
♦* happened unto them for enfamples," and that
" they are written for our admonition, upon whoni
*' the ends of the world are come ''."
So little attention being given to this branch
of revelation, notwithilanding its great utility, it
is the more necelTary that we fhould conlider it
at large. We fliall, lirft, take a more general view
of the ufe of Sacred Hiftory. We may, fecond-
ly, advert to fome of its peculiar beauties. The
fpecial advantages arifing from this fpecies of
writing, may be next conlidered. We fliall then
inquire into the defign of the hiftory of God's
ancient people in particular : and" afterwards en-
deavour to fliow, from a variety of evidence, that
the Sacred Hiftory, in its general tenor, is meant
to illuftrate, confirm, and enforce the great doc-
trines of revelation.
SECTION I.
A General View of the Ufe of Sacred Hlflory,
We are, first, to attend to the ufe of Sacred
Hiftory in general. This is fo various, that we
mean only to make a few remarks, as introduc-
tory to what is principally in view.
I. The Holy Scripture contains a ftriking ac-
count of the origin of all things. It was worthy
of divine wifdom, that the book which was to
contain the annals of the world for lb many ages,
K a fhould
b I Cor. z. I X ,
148 GENERAL VIEW OF
Ihould commence with a declaration of its ori-
gin; that this volume, which carries us forward
to the end of timCy fhould carry us back to its
beginning ; that the important hiftory of the new
creation fhould be prefaced by an account of the
old. Man learns, indeed, from the light of na-
ture, that the world mull have had a beginning,
Thefe very works which proclaim " the eternal
" power and godhead" of the Firlt Caufe, plain-
ly intimate the tem.porat nature of their own ex-
iilence. But it was the will of God, that man
Ihould enjoy a more clear and exprefs teilimony ;
that he Ihould not merely know by reafon, but
*' underftand through faith, that the worlds were
" framed." For it is not enough that we believe
fome things on rational, and others on fcriptural
grounds. It is the pleafure of the Moil High,
that all that we believe concerning him, or his
v/orks, although difcernible by the light of na-
ture, fhould reft direftly on his own teftimony.
He is alfo pleafed to inform us of the manner
in which he created : " Through faith we un-
*' derftand that the worlds were framed by the
** word of God ;" and fo framed, " that things
" which are feen were not made of things which
" do appear ^" Here are two, things which can
be known only by faith ; firft, that the worlds
were framed by God's word of command ; and,
fecondly, that they were not created of pre-ex-
iftent matter, but of nothing. Faith learns the
former, from the language of the infpired hifto-
rian ;
C lieh. xi, 3,
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I49
nan : " God faidy Let there be light ; and there
" was light 'V' ^^' It learns the latter, from the
general ilrain of the hiftory of creation. For it
is declared ; *' In the beginning God created the
" jhcaven, and the earth. And the earth was with-
■** out form, and void'." If God created both
heaven and earth " in the beginning ;" there
was no material principle previouily exifting.
That expreffion, " And the earth was without
'* form, and void," does jiot declare what was the
ftatc of the earth before creation, but what was
its ftate immediately after its firll formation, be-
fore God reduced every thing to order and beau-
ty, by that regular procefs which the hiftorian
proceeds to declare.
Nothing can give us a more exalted idea of
divine power, than the hiftory of the creation.
We cannot conceive any human emblem of the
majefty of God fo proper as that which is here
employed. " He fpake, and it was done : he
" commanded, and it ftood faft ^." Every thing
in this defcription correfponds to the chara6ter
of the glorious archited:. We perceive the moll
perfed; order in the whole. An exilience is firft
given to matter itfelf. Then, at his almighty
word, our earth rifes out of chaos. But as its
beauty muft have been otherwife loft, as it niuft
liave been otherwife a gloomy prifon, unfit for the
reception of an intelligent creature, the light js
created. This earth would ftill have been an
jmfit abode for man, had not an atmofphere been
K 3 formed.
^ Gen. i. 2- ^- Gen. i. r, 5. f Pf»l. xxxiii. ^.
150 * GENERAL VIEW OF
formed. Therefore God made that firmament or
great expanfe, part of which is employed for re-
ceiving our atmofphere, which contains the air
that we breathe ?. Notwithftanding the creation
of our atmofphere, the earth would ftill have been
uninhabitable, had it not been feparated from the
great body of water. Therefore, " the waters
" were gathered together into one place, and the
" dry land appeared^." The earth itfelf wasnow
completely formed ; but it had no capacity of
fupporting any inhabitants. It was llill unpro-
dudive. Therefore " God faid, Let the earth
" bring forth grafs, the herb yielding' feed V' ^c.
That the light might be regular and permanent,
it was necelTary that it Ihould be collected into a
common fource. This could not be done with
propriety, till after the formation of the firma-
ment. But the firmament being formed, God
made the great lights. He made the fiiars alfo K
The fruitfulnefs of the earth would have been
loft, had it not been abundantly ftocked with in-
habitants. Therefore, both the waters and the
earth are made *' to bring forth abundantly ^."
Many have imagined, that the earth, under the
genial influence of the fun, hath of itfelf pro-
duced thofe plants and animals which it bears.
But God guards his cliurch againft this delufion.
We find that the earth was barren, till frudlified
by his word of power. Till then, it had neither
grafs, nor herb, nor tree, nor feed ™ : and thefe
are
g Gen. i. 6, 7. h Ver. 9. i Ver. il, 12.
k Ver, i6. I Vcr, io. 24. ra Ver. ir, iz.
THE USE or SACRED HISTORY. I5X
are produced, before the fun is created. Both
earth and water are without inhabitants, till God
commands them to bring forth ". Thus he teaches
us, that every thing proceeds immediately from
his hand. At length God gives being to his grcat-
eit and bed work in this lower world, after it was
fo completely prepared for his reception. " God
^' faid. Let us make man °." How puerile and
abfurd arc all the hcathenifli fidions concerning
the work of creation, compared with this defcrip-
tion ! Juftly may we adopt the language of the
Pfalmift ; " 0 Lord, how manifold are thy works I
^* in wifdom haft thou made them all : the earth
■** is full of thy riches p." Well may we admire
this wifdom, as it appeared not only in the order
obferved, but in the time employed in creation.
God could as ealily have created all things in one
day, in one moment, as in fix days. But he would
fhew that " he does not acl by necefiity, or by a
*' blind impetuofity, as fome philofophers have
*' imagined. He who adls by iinderftanding, and
" with a fovereign liberty, by making the world
" at different times, demonftrates that he is maf-
.** ter of his matter, of his aclion, and of his whole
" undertaking ; and that he has in acting, no
^* other rule than his own will, ever infallibly
" right in itfelf q."
11. We have a particular account of the origi-
lal Jlate of vian. Reafon afFures us, that this
K 4 muft
'■- ^Om:\. 10. 14. o Vcr. 26. |'p Pfal. cir. 24.
g Boffuct's Univ. llift. vol, i. p. a. ' "*
15 J .^ - GENfiHAL VIEW OF
muft have "been very different from his jyreient
iituation. But we have a more certain t.eilimonv,
in the fcriptural hiftory of the creation. In this
we are inforipcd, that God created man in his
own im^ge, after his likenefs. Their minds muft
be grofs indeed, who can fuppofe that this lan-
guage has any relation to the fafhion of man's
body. Nothing can be more evident than that it
cxclulively refpedls the formation of ihis- foill>
This was created in the image of God, as it was
created fpiritual and immortal. In the fpiritu-
ality of its nature, as well as in its peculiar, frame,
as it polielTes the powers of underftanding and
will, it refembles " the Father of Spirits." In
its immortality, it exhibits an imperfe^ fimili-
tude of Him, " who only hath immortality."
We are informed accordingly, that the foUl of
man had an origin totally difterent from that of
his body. " The LoRp God formed man," or
the earthly man, " of the duft of the ground."
'3ut he had yet to accompliih the principal part
of his work. " lie breathed into his noftrils the
*' breath of life ;" or the fpirit of lives;;' /land
•*' man became a living foul ^" The foul of man
is fuppofed to be called " the fpirit of lives," be-
caufe of its various faculties and operations. The
image of God alfo confifted in man's dominion
over the creatures. This is related in the do-
feft connexion with what has been already men-
tioned : *' God faid. Let us make man in our
^/ image, after our likenefs ; and let them have
" domimon
I Gen. ii. f.
\
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I53
*' dominion over the fifli of the fca, and over the
" fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
" every creeping thing that crcepeth upon the
'f earth ^" The dominion given to man, was a
feeble rcfemblance of the authority of his Ma-
ker, whofe '' kingdom ruleth over all."
But although this image antecedently confifled
in fpirituajity and immortality, and confequcn-
tially in dominion over the inferior creation, it
principally conliftcd in the moral difpoiitions of
the faculties of the foul, or in what has been com-
monly called original righteoufnefs. In this re-
fped it is faid, that •' God made man upright *."
This uprightnefs or rectitude includes knowledge
in his underllanding, righteoufnefs in his will,
and holinefs and regularity in his affeclions. As
the new creation is a relloration of that image
impreffed on the foul of man in the old, the hi-
il:ory of the one throws light on that of the other.
We are therefore informed, not only that " the
" new man is renewed in knowledge, after the
** image of 'him that created him"," but that he
is *' created in righteoufnefs and true holinefs V
God has been pleated to afford us unqucilionable
proofs of the refidence of all thefe qualities in the
firft Adam. He foon put his knmvkdge to the
teft ; and he approved of the evidence of it. For
h(^" brought every bead of the field, and every
" fowl of the air, unto Adam, to fee what he
" would call them ; and whatfoevcr Adam call-
" ed every living creature, that was the name
" thereof."
c Gen. i. zC. t Fed. vii. 19. u Col.iii, 10. v Eph. iv. jj.
1 54 GENERAL VlEW OF
" thereof'^.'* The righteoufnefs of his will ap-
peared by his cordial approbation of the divine
ordinance with refped to marriage, as oppofed to
uncleannefs of whatever defcription. He faid,
** Therefore lliall a man — cleave to his wife '.'*
This was alfo manifefted by his cheerful fubmif-
iion to the will of God, expreffed in the politive
precept as to not eating of the tree of knowledge
of good and evil =^. Both thefe no lefs demon-
itrated the holinefs of his aftedions. As long as
he continued in innocence, his foul knew no de-
iire beyond the limits prefcribed by the Supreme
Lawgiver. He had no inclination to gratify his
fenfes at the expence of rebellion againft God.
The total abfence of fhame, notwithftanding the
nakednefs of our firft parents, may be alfo viewed
as an evidence of the fame purity. " They were
" both naked, and were not alhamed "."
III. Sacred Hiftory accounts, in a fatisfadlory
manner, for the origin of evil, both moral and
natural. Here alfo the theories of heathen phi-
iofophers were very diftant from the truth. The
moll rational was that of Plato, who fuppofed that
evil proceeded from matter, and that the foul was .
corrupted by the body. Some pretended Chri-
llians give an account of this matter fully as ri-
diculous. They affert, that the foul of Adam was
created, not only without original righteoufnefs,
but with a certain corrupt bias leading contrary
to duty. The body, they at the fame time fay,
was
X Gen. ii. 19. y Ver. 24. z Ver. 16, 17. a Ver. i;.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I55
was formed mortal. But their dodrine concern-
ing the foul evidently contains a blafphemous
refledion on its Maker. It throws the blame of
moral evil on that Being who cannot behold ini-
quity. And whatever they pretend in regard to
death being no calamity, but a bleiling, as relie-
ving men from the adverfities of life ; the com-
mon fenfe, as well as the common feelings of man-
kind, will ftill treat their fine-fpun theory with
derifion. Though it were true that death were
a bleiling rather than a calamity, as relieving
men from the evils of life ; the difficulty would
llill recur with all its original force, Whence pro-
ceed thefe evils ? Is it confillent with the cha-
radler of a Being of infinite goodnefs, or as they
fay, of pure benevolence, to fubjecl creatures to
mifery before they have finned ?
The fcripture hiftory fhews the falfity of the
heathenifli fyfl:era, which afcribes the origin of
evil to matter. For *' God faw every thing that
" he had made, and behold it was very good ^.^^
It equally demonftrates the falfity of the other.
For it exhibits death merely as the penal fanction
of'the law. It prefents us with a fyfiem every
way more rational than any one that human in-
genuity has devifed. It informs us, that God
created man after his own image, and therefore
without any inclination to moral evil ; that he
left him to the freedom of his own will ; that his
will being mutable, he fell into fin in confe-
quence of temptation by a being of a fuperior
rank, already fallen ; that this being, in order to
further
b Gen. j. jr,
t^6 ■GENERA'^- VIEW OF
farther his delign, difguifed himfelf, "by employ,
ing one of the brute creatures as his inftrument ;
and that man, having loft the image of God, com-
municated his own depraved image to his pofte-
rity. It is unreafonable to objed, that it feems
unworthy of God to fufpend the happinefs of
mankind on a circumflance in itfelf abfolutely
indifferent. For the will of the Creator is the
fupreme law : and wc cannot conceive tliat God
could give a more fit difplay of his own domi-
nion, and of man's fubjedtion, than by the inter-
ventjon of a politive precept.
rv. It gives a fatisfying account of the reafon
of that univerfal change which is vifible on the
face of nature. Nothing can be more evident
than that this earth appears, in its prefent ftate,
as a vaft ruin. We fee every where traces of
magnificence. But they are fuch as Balbec, and
Palmyra, and Perfepolis, exhibit on a fmaller
fcale. Many parts of the earth are entirely bar-^
ren ; nay, vaft regions are abfolutely uninhabi-
table. Every where we find it more willing to
produce ufelefs or noxious weeds, than the food
that is neceffary for the fupport of its inhabitants.
Can it be fuppofed then, that it continues in that
ftate in which it was formed by a Being of infi-
nite goodnefs, for the habitation of innocent miin ?
Reafon itfelf affirms the contrary. It affures us
that this lower world is mournfully changed.
But reafon cannot fully account for this change.
Some indeed tell us, that the habitable part of
this
tHE ITSE OF SACItED HISTORY. 1 57
this earth has been gradually elevated from the
abvlVcs of the fea, by the force of thofe fubtcr-
ranean tiros which are ftill burning in its bowels.
But this tlieory has no fuflicient fupport from
fadls. Its friends find it necclTary to fix the ex-
jtlence of a former earth far beyond the xm of
fable. Others admit the deftructive influence of
partial deluges. The Scripture alone gives a fa-
tisfadory folution of the difficulty. It informs us,
that 'immediately after the fall, God curfed the earth
for man's fake ^ But although the curfc was par-
tially felt from the moment of its denunciation, God
feems to have fufpended the full execution of it,
till his juftice fliouid be more abundantly vindica-
ted by the univerfal corruption of man. He accord-
ingly poured it forth, in all its temporal fury, in
the univerfal deluge. Such a deluge, as is defcri-
bed in Sacred Hiftory, can alone account for the
univerfal change that is vifible in this earth.
Vegetable fubllanccs, which mull have once grown
on its furface, are now found deeply buried in
its bowels ; and beds of Ihells, that mull have
once been the habitations of marine animals, arc
foimd on the fummits of thofe mountains which
are moft elevated above the level of the ocean.
Thefc etfedls could be produced by fuch a deluge
only as " covered all the high hiUs that were un-
*' dcr the whole heaven '* ;" by a deluge of long
continuance ; nay, by one accompanied with or
occafioned by a general concullion of nature ^
As
< G«n. iii 17.— i^. «i G^m. vii. i«. f Cer. vii. tz.
158 GENERAL VIEW OF
As fhells, Ikeletons of fiflies, marine plants, S^d
are found at immenfe depths in the bowels of the
earth, and inclofed in the hearts of rocks, upon
the tops of the higheit mountains, — inclofed in
rocks of marble and limellone, as well as in
earths and clays ; adually incorporated, intimate-
ly and completely filled, with the very fubllances
with which they are inclofed ; — it has been re-
prefented as impoffible that thefe effecfts could be
owing to the univerfal deluge. It has been faid,
that " fince the relics of marine productions are
" found in marbles, limeftones, chalks, marls,
" clays, fand, in fhort, in all ftrata, and in all
" fituations, even in the hearts of mountains ; we
" muft fuppofe thefe mountains and marbles to
" have been all formed at the very inllant that
" the deluge took place ; and confequently, that
** before this grand revolution, there were nei-
" ther mountains of ftratified matter, nor mar-
** bles, nor clays ; and that during the few days
** the deluge lafted, the waters had overturned
" and diifolved almoft the whole furface of the
" earth to the greateft depths ; fuppofitions which
" are altogether inadmiffible.'*
It is not unufual with thofe who embrace fuch
fyftems as virtually impugn the truth of revela-
tion, to give an unfair reprefentation of what is
found in the facred records ; although perhaps
not intentionally, yet from a moft culpable negli-
gence. Where is it faid that the deluge lafted
only a " few days ?" The waters increafed, or
continued in their full force, for upwards of five
months.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I59
months. It was nearly nine months before the
tops of the mountains were feen. More than ten
had clapfed before the face of the ground was
drv. Noah and his family continued above a
whole year in the ark.
' The changes produced during this time muft
have been very great ; efpecially as the whole
frame of this earth mull have been unhinged,
by a caufe fo extraordinary as that which could
produce an univerfal deluge.
The account of this wonderful event muft be
underilood in coniiftency with itfelf, as it occurs
in various parts of Scripture. Whether, as fome
have fuppofed, the external furface of the earth
formed a great fliell or cruft over the waters faid
to have been under the earth, fo that this being
broken, they found abundant vent, we cannot
pretend to fay. But the apoftle Peter may be
undcrftood as intimating, that there was fome-
thing peculiar in the ftrufture of the earth, as it
exilled before the deluge, which prcdifpofed it
for a watery deftrudion. There were fome in
his time, who " of this vrcre willingly ignorant,
" that by the word of God the heavens were of
" old, and the earth ftanding out of the water,
'* and in the water : whereby the earth that
*' then was, being overflowed with water, perifli-
*' ed." This he diftinguifhes from the heavens,
or atmofphere, and earth "which are now';"
not as referring to any eflential difference, but*,
perhaps to fomething peculiar in their frame.
But.
£z Pet. iii. 5.7.
l6o GENERAL VIEW OF
But although this language, fhould be other-
wife interpreted, it is evident, from the account
given in Genelis, that the deluge mufl neceffarily
have been attended with a very great concuflion
of the frame of this earth. Whatever was the
immediate caufe, the effeds v/ere fuch as might
produce all thofe phenomena that are deemed in-
explicable on this ground.
When it is faid, that " the fountains of the
" great deep were opened," the leaft we can fup-
pofe is, that fome great chafms were made in the
earth, by means of which the waters, formerly
confined in its bowels, rufhed out. As this mull
have been produced bj fome extraordinary caufe,
"Whether properly of a miraculous nature or not,
we are under no neceffity of fuppoling that only
the fofter parts of the earth gave way. As fprings
iiow from mountains and rocks, fuch filTures might
be made in thefe as vrell as in the valleys. They
continued open for an hundred and fifty days.
When it was the divine will that they fhould be
Jiopped, we may fuppofe this to have been accom-
plifhed by means of the fubflances, whether ter-
refl;rial or niarine, that had« been lodged about
their mouths. If we fuppofe that thefe very foun
tains afterwards received the waters they had
formerly difcharged ; they would at the fame
time receive a vail quantity of animal and vege-
table fubftances. They might thus be carried
down to a great depth, in the bowels of the earth ;
difpofed in very various forms, and hence appear
in Jlrata by no means parallel to each other.
. Some
1l
THE VSE OF SACRED HISTORY. l6l
Some of the materials might be laid in a hori-
zontal, others in a vertical form.
It would be nowife furprifing, although more
relics of terrcilrial animals were found on high
than on low grounds, becaufe they would flock
to the mountains for fafety from the fwelling
waters.
There is no good reafon for faying, that " we
" mull fuppofc thefe mountains and marbles to
*' have been all formed at the very inftant that
" the deluge took place." It is evident, from the
Sacred Hiftory, that there were mountains before
the deluge. But this lays us under no neceillty
of fuppoHug that there were mountains contam-
ing all the Jlrata which are to be found now. It
may alfo be difficult to prove, that there were no
other mountains formed by means of the deluge.
Such a ftrange concuffion might have produced
depofites in places formerly level, fo that they
might afterwards appear as mountains. We know
what great changes arc produced even by a very
partial and fliortlived inundation. Might not
malfes, left in a foft Hate by the deluge, be indu-
rated in the courfe of four thouland years ? Can
it be proved, that no marbles or' limeilones have
been formed within* that period ? Till this can
be done, it is prefumption to fay, that " it. is im-
" poffible that thefe effeais could be owing to the
" univerfal deluge."
The fuppofition,. it may be faid, that our earth
exifted long before man was created, carries in it
nothing repugnant to the Sacred Hiftory ; becaufe
the account given by Mofes was efpecially meant
Vol. I. L fur
l62 GENERAL VIEW OF
for the inftruclion of man with refpedt to his own
formation, not to fiipply him with any philofophi-
cal view of the origin of matter, or of the forma-
tion of the univerfe in general. But this will not
ftand the tefl of fair invelligation. For, " in the
" beginning God created the heaven and the
" earth o." That this language refpe^ls not the
mere formation of an atmofphere, ibmetimes call-
ed the aerial heaven, or the new modification of
an earth previoully exiiling, but the creation of
all things, is evident from the reduplication which
follows the hiftory of creation ; " Thus the hea-
" vens and the earth were finiflied, and all the
" boji of them ^'." This, as our Saviour explains
it, was " the beginning of the c?-eatiire which
" God created'." All this was " in the begin-
" ning," that is, at the commencement of time ;
and whatever v/as before time, exifted from eter-
nity. Hence, when it is faid, " In the beginning
*' was the Word," it denotes, that he himfelf
exifled before any creature had a beginning,
that he indeed gave being to all the creatures ;
for he fo *' was in the beginning," that " all
" things were made by him ^."
To fuppofe that the earth exifted in a chaotic
Hate for thoufands of years before the formation
of man, is to adopt a hypothefis not only incon-
fiftent with the fcriptural narrative, but entire-
ly incongruous to divine wifdom. For it is to
fuppofe, that God, in fome very diftant period,
made a fhapelefs mafs, deftitute of light and heat,
of atmofphere, of fertility^ and of inhabitants.
For
gGen. i. I. h Gen. ii. I. I Maik xiii. ap. kjobni. i, 2
THE USE OF SACRED HlSTOR'i^. 163
For all tlicie were the eftcd of the creation de-
fcribcd by Moles. How could theie animals, of
which the relics are found, exift on our earth be-
fore this creation, when all tcrreftrial and marine
animals then firit received their being ?
It cannot reafonably be imagined, that each of
the days mentioned as preceding the creation of
man, may be underftood of a very long period of
time. This would be to iuppofe that God often
*' relied from his work." It would alfo dertroy
the unity and confiftence of the Sacred Hiftory.
For there is no more reafon for fuppofmg, that
the portion of time, thus denominated, exceeded
that of a natural day in any of the firil fix days,
than that it did fo in the fcvcnth, which God fet
apart as a day of fpiritual reft to man. It Icems,
indeed, to be one Ipecial reafon why God appor-
tioned his works through fix iucceflive days, when
he could have accomplilhed the whole in a mo-
ment,— that he might give man the moll illuftrious
pattern of lawful engagement on fix days, and of
refling on the feventh ; and that, in the obferva-
tion of the Sabbath, man might have a conftant
memorial, both of the work, and of the reft, of
his almighty Maker. But, to fuppofc that the
feventh had no analogy to the preceding days, as
to duration, is to deftroy the connexion, and lofc
the force of the argument. It feems incontrover-
tible, therefore, that we muft either view the Mo-
faic hiftory as that of the creation of the univerfe,
or throw iJ: afide, as entirely unworthy of our re-
gard.
L 2 V. Scripture
164 GENERAL VIEW OF
V. Scripture affords us the earlieft and the only
genuine account of the origin of the arts. This
"branch of hiflory feems of ^reat importance to
men of a philofophical mind. But if they defpife
the light of Scripture, they wander in the bound-
lefs wilds of conjecture. Cain was the father of
agriculture j as Abel was the firft who led a paf-
toral life I Cain was alio the firft architedl ; for
he *^ buildcd a city "'." Jubal was the inventor
of mufical inftruments " ; and Tubal-cain was " an
" inftruclor of every artificer in brafs and iron °.'*
It is thought, with great probability, that the
fcriptural account concerning Tubal-cain wa3
the origin of the heathenifh fable with refped: to
Vulcan, as the god who prefided over metals.
Noah feems to have been the firft who " planted
" a vineyard," and who difcovered the ufe of the
grape p. It is- probable that navigation was un-
known before his time, and that the firft idea of
this art v/as fuggefted by the ark that he built at
the command of God. The art of brick-making
feems to have been invented by the builders of
Babel %
vr. It furnifties us with an hijlory of the world,
for the greateft part of its duration. Every
thing related in profane hiftory,. concerning the
antediluvian world, bears the evident imprefs of
fable. Yet, as has been clearly fhewn by many
learned writers, even thefe fabulous accounts are
I Gen. iv. 2. m Ver. 17. n Ver. ai. o Ver. s^.
p Gen. ix. 20, 21. q Geo. xL 3=
• **
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 165
a collateral confirmation of the truth of Sacred Hi-
Itory. Thcfe llrcams, however much corrupted,
■all proclaim a common fountain. The only ac-
count of the general difperlion of the nations is
to be found here. All the velliges of profane hi-
ilory, as far as they throw light on this fubje6l,
confirm the fcriptural narration. Its authenticity
is alib illullratcd by the fimilarity of names, as
far as this fpecies of evidence can help us to pe-
netrate through the gloom of antiquity. The
origin and progrcfs of fomc of the moil famous
nations of ancient times, are here dcfcribed with
a minutenefs and accuracy totally unknown to
their own writers ; and others are folely indebt-
ed to Scnpturc in this refped. A defcription of
■the manners and cujloms of nations, is jullly ac-
counted one of the principal branches of hiilory.
By the knowledge of thefe, we foim an ellimate
of the progrefs of mind. By comparing the man-
ners of one nation, or of one age, with thofe of
another, we are enabled to judge with refped to
the degree of civilization ; we are alfo led to in-
quire into the caufes that give birth to national
manners, and the effeds they produce on fociety.
The influence of different fyltems of religion on
manners, feems efpecially to deferve our atten-
tion ; as well as the intluence of manners on reli-
gion ; for this influence is reciprocal. Now, in
.the Sacred Hiftory, we have not only a particular
.account of the manners of the Ifraelites, but in-
numerable references to thofe of other nations.
There, are allulions in Scripture to many ancient
L 3 cuiiojns.
l66 GENERAL VIEW OF
cuftoms, which are more fully explained in pro-
fane hiftory ; while fome are mentioned, of which
all other records are loft. But, were we better ac-
quainted with the manners of fome of the eaftern
nations ftill exifting, there is reafon to fuppofe,
that much light might be thrown upon fome of
thofe paiTages of Scripture, which now feem co-
vered with obfcurity. The juftnefs of this obfer-
vation is proved by the ufeful difcoveries of fome
modern travellers, who have found the fcriptural
accounts ftridly verified, in refpedl to nations
that have hitherto been little known to the reft
of the world.
Chronology, or the knowledge of times, is an
important branch of hiftory. But had we not
the hiftory of the Bible, we fhould be totally at a
lofs with refpeft to the chronology of ancient na-
tions. That of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, In-
dians and Chinefe, is extremely abfurd, and quite
incredible. The facred chronology, however, as
it is moft confonant to the ftate of fociety, which
oppofes the idea of that high antiquity afcribed
to the world by the accounts of heathen writers,
enables us in fome degree to adjuft fome of thefe
accounts, and to interpret them in conliftency
with fads '',
VII. It is only by means of Sacred Hiftory that
we can account for various fadls^ the truth of
which we know from profane writers. It is un-
deniable, that among almoft all heathen nations,
whether
f See Anc. Univ. Kift. vol. i. p. iy6. &c.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 167
whether in fome degree refined, or in a ftatc of
^Toi's barbarifni, time has been meafured by weeks.
Hence it naturally occurs, that this cullom muil
have prevailed in the carlieft ages, and that it
inuft even have been tranfmitted from the com-
mon parents of our race. It is otherwifc incon-
ceivable, that this cuftom fliould have been fo ge-
neral. The divifion of time into years, and months,
and days, may be eafily accounted for, from the
revolution of the fun and moon. But no natural
reafon can be given for the meafurcment of time
by weeks. It muft, therefore, have been origi-
nally an arbitrary diftindtion. But it feems diffi-
cult to imagine, that a diftinclion, merely of an
arbitrary nature, fliould have been generally re-
ceived, without a fpecial reafon enforcing it.
Here, however, all human hiftory fails us. It
does not even furnifh one probable conjedlure.
But we learn from the volume of infpiration, that
" God blelTed the feventh day, and fanclified it,
" becaufe that in it he had rcfted from all his
" work '." Here we find a fatisfadory account
of the origin of this divifion of time, and of the
reafon of it ; — a reafon, which muft have had
fuch weight with his true worfliippers, that they
would not fail to enjoin on their poflerity a reli-
gious regard to this practice. From the influence
f'f cufiom, we may well fuppofe this mode of di-
viding time to have been prefcrved among many
nations, after the reafon of it was loft. This di-
ftinclion, having been once employed, not merely
L 4 for
9 Gen. ii. t.
l68 GENERAL VIEW OF
for civil purpofes, but in fubfcrviency to religion^
it would naturally be retained, even after their
religious fyftem was greatly corrupted. For men
in general more rigidly adhere to times, and other
external circumllances conneded with religion,
than even to its fubftance.
There is fcarcely one nation known, which has
not in fome period offered hXoodiY facrijices as an
atonement for lin. But the idea of thus expia-
ting guilt is by no means natural. Reafon affureb;
us, that " the blood of bulls and goats cannot
** take away fin ;" that there is no analogy be-
tween the tranfgreffion of man and the fuffering
of an innocent brute. That fuch a cuflom fliould
have taken place in one nation, would not have
appeared furprifing. But that it fhould be gene-
ral, that facrifices fliould prevail among the moll
enlightened and humane, as well as the moft ftu-
pid and favage nations, is a problem, of which
profane hiftory gives no folution. The Holy Scrip-
ture, however, acquaints us with the origin of
facrifices. It proclaims their ufe to be nearly as
ancient as the entrance of fin. We find Abei
** offering of the firfi:lings of his flock*." We
obferve the diflindion of beafts, into clean and
unclean, prevailing before the flood ; as evident-
ly arifing from the ufe of the one, and the exclu-
fion of the other, in this folemn act of religion ".
There feems to be no reafon to doubt that our
firfl: parents offered facrifices ; efpecially as it is
faid, that the Lord God " made coats of fkins,
" and
t Gen. iv. 4. u Gen. vii. %•
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 169
'* and clothed them^'." It is mofl: natural to
think, that tliefe were the fkins of the animals
they had lacriiiced ; and that he covered them
with thefe, as a token of his accepting their of-
ferings, and as a figure of their being covered
with the righteoufnefs of the true facrifice. For
they had no authority to kill brute animals for
food. As Abel oiVered in faith, as God accepted
his offering, it feems unqueftionable that this
mode of worfliip was inltituted by God himfelf.
Thus, the inftitution of facrifices, efpecially as it
is elfcwhere explained, has an evident refpecl to
the bruifmg of the heel of the woman's feed, who
fliould break the head of the ferpent^' : and thefe
offerings, which in themfelves could have no
worth, were acceptable to God, and ufeful to men,
as prefented in relation to the one offering of
Jefus Chrift.
VIII. Here we have a mofl particular and affcdling
hiftory of human depravity. Men, who are llrongly
prejudiced on any fubjecl, are bcft pleafed with
thofe hiftories that, without any nice fcrutiny, ftre-
nuoufly fupport their own fide of the queftion ; and
have not patience, perhaps, to read any other. He
who really fearches for truth, is willing to know the
worft that may be laid of his own fentiments, or of
his own party. To thofe who are determined, in
oppofition to the flrongeft evidence, to entertain a
favourable opinion of human nature, it will be no
recommendation of Scripture, that it gives a re-
prefentation
yCen. iii. 21. w Ceo. iii. i;.
170 GENERAL VIEW OF
prefentation of this diredly the reverfe. But
every one who wifhes to know himfelf as he real-
ly is, and who is already convinced that he is a
fallen and miferable creature, will highly prize
divine revelation for this very reafon, that, as a
faithful mirror, it holds up to him his, own image,
without any flattery, and without any diftortipn.
jSIor does it ferve this end merely in thofe parts
that are ftridlly doclrinal. Its hiftory, whether
it refpedls individuals or colledive bodies, is evi-
dently meant to convey the fame important in-
ftru6lion.
We difcern the rapid progrefs of corruption.
Adam rebelled againft his Maker. His firft-born,
Cain, " rofe up againft his brother, and flew
" him '-." His dciceudant Lamech inherited his
bloody difpofition. For he was alfo a murderer >\
Even before the death of Adam, wickednefs mufl:
have been very general. According to fome, that
paflTage connedcd with the account of the birth
of Enos, ^^ Then began men to call upon the
" name of the Lord," ought to be rendered,
" Then began men to profane the name of thq
^' Lord ^." It iignifies, as they apprehend, that
idolatry had its rife about this time ; and that
men openly fl:ated themfelves in oppolition to the
true God. It feems, however, fully more agree-
able to the force of the original words, to under-
fl;and them in a good fenfe, as referring to the
worfliip of thofe who adhered to the true religion.
It is highly probable, that idolatry prevailed in
Cain's
£ Gen. iv. 6. y Ver, 23. 2 Ver. zC.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I7X
Cain*s family, previous to this. For he " went
** out from the prefence of the Lord "." How-
ever acute they were in the difcovery of thofe
arts which arc ufeful or ornamental ^, they were
blind to the things of God. They difcovered no
inclination to divine ordinances, but continued in
the apoftacy and wickednefs of their progenitor.
From the prophecy of Enoch, ** the feventh from
" Adam," there is every reafon to fuppofe, that
in his time men were very daring in their wick-
ednefs ; that they were not only chargeable with
** ungodly deeds," but that they went lo far as
to utter " hard fpeeches" againft God himfelf ^.
Thofe who had renounced the fear of God, foon
ilicwed that they did not regard man •'. For *' the
** earth was filled with violence*."
The old world was deftroyed by a flood. But
corruption foon brake forth again from that very
family which had been miraculoufly faved, and
with which God had eflabliflied his covenant by
a new revelation. The violence which prevailed
before, vras not long of appearing after, the de-
luge '". By tyranny and perfecution, Nimrod
attempted to eftablifh an univerfal monarchy.
Therefore, the building of Babel is more imme-
diately afcribed to him R ; and we know that the
principal defign of this undertaking was to pre-
fcrve mankind from being difperfed and broken
into feparate focieties ; that, being one body,
they might accomplifh whatfoever they would ''.
Even
a Gen. iv. 16. b Ver. 20. — ix. c Judc, ver. 14, 75.
d Luke xviii. ?. e Gen. vi. ir. f Gen. x. p.
S "^'fr- i^- h Hen, xi. 4. 6
172 GENERAL VIEW OF
Even fo early as the time of Abraham, the
moll unnatural crimes were openly perpetrated,
not by individuals only, but by a whole people ;
as we learn from the hillory of the cities of the
plain. So general was the corruption in worfhip,
that God faw it to be neceflary to feparate Abra-
ham from his father's family, and to call him
away from his own country. For that very fa-
mily, in the line of which the church was to be
preferved, was contaminated with idolatry. Jo-
fhua refers to this, as a fadl well known to the
Ifraelites. " Your fathers," he fays, " dwelt on
*' the other fide of the flood, in old times, even
" Terah the father of Abraham, and the father
** of Nahor : and they ferved other gods '." By
the flood, he means the great river Euphrates.
Some have fuppofed that the family of Abraham
were fire-worfhippers ; as Ur, the name of that
city whence he was brought, fignifies fire S It
is certain that idolatrous worlhip was retained
in the family of Laban. For he accufed Jacob
of ftealing his gods '. As thefe are called Tera-
phim or images '^, it would feem that they had
been originally formed, though unwarrantably,
for the purpofe of inquiring of the true God by
means of them. Thus they were afterwards ufed
by Micah, even while he piofefled to retain the
worlhip of Jehovah. His mother declared that
ihe had " wholly dedicated her lilver unto the
" Lord, to make a graven image, and a molten
" image.'*
i Jolh. xxiv. s. k Gen. xv. 7. 1 Gen. xxxi. 50.
m Ver. ip.
THE U9E OF SACRED HISTORY. 17 J
'* image.** We are informed accordingly, that
Micah ** had an houfe of gods, and made an
•* ephod, and tcraph»m." But there is no evi-
dence that he meant to renounce the worfliip ot
the true God, although lie prefumed to worlliip
him in a way which was exprcfsly prohihited.
For after all he fays ; '* Now know I that Je-
" HOVAH will do me good, feeing I have a Le-
" vite to my prieft ." It is highly probable,
that this was the origin of imagc-worfliip •, and
that images, though originally ufed only for
confulting the true God, were tlicinfclves foon
converted into objects of worfliip. So grofs was
the idolatry of the Egyptians, even in that early
period during which the Ifraelites fojourned
among them, that they worfhipped beails. For
Mofes refufes to comply with the requefl of Pha-
roah, that they fliould worlhip God in the land,
becaufe they would be under the neceffity of fa-
crificing " the abomination of the Egyptians,"
the very objecl of their idolatry". Nay, it ap-
pears that this bafe religion was eftablilhcd among
them in the days of Jacob. For even then " it
•' was an abomination to the Egyptians to eat
" bread with the Hebrews P ;" becaufe the He-
brews fed on the cattle which the Egyptians wor-
lliipped. This part of Sacred Hiftory Ihews us,
how mournfully the mind of man is debafcd and
brutified by fin. He who can worfliip a bead,
mult indeed be " like the beails that perifli h."
AVhile
n Judg. xvii. 3. 5. 13. o rxod. viii. 15, t(5.
p Gen. jdiii. 31. ; xlvi. 34. q r.'al. xlix n.
174 GENERAL VIEW 01*
While Ifrael abode in the wildernefs, cortup-
tion had advanced i^o far among the Moabites,
the pofterity of Lot, that they worfhipped Baal-
peor, an idol to whom the vileft proftitution was
accounted the moft acceptable oblation. The very
figure of this idol is generally fuppofed to have
been fhockingly indecent. Hence that language
feems to be ufed by the prophet , " They went to
" Baal-peor, and feparated themfelves unto that
*' Jhame ^" It was by means of this fenfual wor-
Ihip that the artful and wicked Balaam hoped to
fubjed: Ifrael to that curfe, which he could not
bring on them by all his incantations ^ The
fcheme was fo far fuccefsful, that " Ifrael joined
" himfelf unto Baal-peor ^" Thus, we fee the
fatal fuccefs of fin in defiling the mind. It has
made men perfuade themfelves that the vileft
crimes were not merely innocent actions, but ac-
ceptable worfhip. Under the government of " vile
*' affedions ", they have formed the idea, and even
the likenefs, of a god " altogether fuch a one as
" themfelves \" It has not only debafed and dc^
filed the mind in the higheft degree ; but blunt-
ed all the common feelings of humanity. The
moft exquifite and refined fenfibilitics of our na-
ture are excited towards our children. But the
depravity of man hath made him more cruel than
the fea-monfters, or the oftriches in the wilder-
nefs'". Before Ifrael entered into the land of Ca-
naan, its inhabitants had defiled it by human fa-
crifices,
r Hof. ix. lo. s Numb. xxxi. i5. t Num. xxv. i, 3,
u Rom. i, a6. v Pfal. 1. ai. w Lam. iv, r.
THE USE OF SACRF.D HISTORY. I 75
crifices. They made their [ons and their daugh-
ters to " pafs through the fire to Molech "'."
IX. Here we have the hillory of the human
heart. Of all hillory, that of man is moft inte-
relling to man : and of all the hillory of man, the
moll important branch is that of the heart. In tra-
cing its various workings, what is called the philo-
Ibphy of hillory efpecially conlifls. To exhibit
thefe in the moft ftriking light, as if the field of
real hiftorv were too narrow, manv enter into the
fairy land of fidlion. But in the facred volume,
we find a variety unknown to any real or ficti-
tious hillory. When we viev/ it as unfolding the
operations of the heart, may we not jullly fay,
that it contains the fubflance of all that has ever
been written on the fubject, with unfpeakablc ad-
vantage ? .
"Without a difplay of the heart, the hillory of
man would be exceedingly imperfedl. It would
be otherwife only a barren narrative of fads.
But, in the Holy Scriptures, the heart is exhibited
* in all its exceedingly varied operations, traced in
all its windings, and llript of all its difguifes. It
is reprcfentcd in its different ftates : in its ori-
ginal purity, as formed after the image of God ;
as it is depraved by fin ; and as partially renew-
ed by grace. We learn its operations, as under
the power of that evil fpirit, who " now worketh
" in the children of difobedience ;" or of that
Bleflcd Spirit who worketh effedually in them
who
X Lev. xviii. ai. 24. ; Deut. xviii. 9, 10.
176 GENERAL VIEW OF
who believe. We perceive it in various fitua-
tions ; in folitude and in fociety ; as working in
the prince, and in the beggar. In a word, we
find it traced through a long fucceffion of ages,
and difcern its adtings in a vaft variety of indi-
viduals.
Many are befl pleafed with thofe writings,
which are moll calculated to touch the more de-
licate firings of the heart. Some even go fo far
as to bring all human adlion to the tell of fenti-
ment. With thefe philofophers, feeling is the
fupreme flandard. But where are the nicer fen-
libilities of the foul more beautifully delineated
than in the page of infpiration ? Let any impar-
tial perfon fay, if he ever faw the tendernefs of
brotherly affe£lion more finely painted than in
the hillory of Jofeph ? What heart fo callous,
as not to be moved by the diiTnterellcdnefs of the
afflided Naomi, the more than filial attachment
of Ruth, or the unaflfeded benevolence of Boaz ?
Even while the underllanding difapproves the con-
du6l of David, on occafion of the death of Ab-
falom, the heart takes a deep interefl; in his pa-
ternal forrow. We overlook the folly of the king,
in feeling for the afilidion of the father.
That branch of the hiftory of the heart, which
conveys the moft humiliating leflbns, is very large-
ly handled. I mean, that of its depravity. To
unfold this, is evidently one of the principal de-
figns of Sacred Hiftory. A great part of it is
clearly a commentary on that affedling text ;
" God faw that the wickcdnefs of man was great
" on
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. Ijy
*' on the earth ; and that every imagination of
** the thoughts of his heart was only evil conti-
** nually .*' This humbling characflcr of man is
given, not merely before the deluge, but alfo im-
mediately after it '■'. As the hiftory of the old
world is concluded, the hidory of the new is in-
troduced, with this rcfledlion. It forms the fune-
ral dirge of the antediluvians, and the mournful
birth-fong of their pofterity. The waters of the
flood could wafh away the corrupt, but c^ould not
remove corruption. They could cleanfc the earth,
but not the heart of man. God " fmelled a fa-
" vour of reft" from the earth ; but he never
found a place of reft, worthy of his purity, in any
heart, till he found it in the Firft born of the
new creation '.
As Scripture fupplies us with the hiftory of the
progrefs of corruption among mankind in gene-
ral, we alfo learn from it the progrefs of corrup-
tion in the heart of an individual. Let us take
for example that of our firft parents. In the hif-
tory of their cGndu<5t, immediately after the fall,
we may obferve the rapid progrefs of fin, and its
aftonifliing influence in debailng the foul. Shame
inftantly Uicceeded fin, and terror at Cod as an
enemy, which plainly flic wed that they had be-
come " enemies in their minds." What a dark
cloud immediately overfprcad their underftand-
ings ? How could they othcrwife have thought
of concealing themfelves from the all-ieeing eye
amidft the thick trees of the garden ? How much
Vol. I. M muft
Y Cen. vi. 5. 3 Chap. viii. 11 a Ifa. Uvi. 1,2.
178 GENERAL VIEW OF
mull confcience have been hardened, when they
could offer fuch filly excufes for their rebellion !
Adam dilfembles the true reafon of his fear. He
afcribes it to the nakednefs of his body, while it
was that of his foul. He fecms already in a great
meafure dead to natural affection. To extenuate
his own guilt, he accufes her, whom he had a lit-
tle before called " bone of his bones, and flefh of
** his flefli." He had foretold that a man fliould
" cleave to his wife," at the cxpence of forfa-
king father and mother. But although he did
cleave to her in fin, he willied to be parted from
her as to punifhment.- Nay, v/hat arrogance and
obduracy appear in that language ; *' The woman
*' whom thou gavefi me,'''' &c. as if the blame had
been God's I
We alfo learn the progrefs of the heart towards
the commiffion of one outward adt of fin, and
the various fccret iniquities which pave the way
for it. In the hiftory of Cain, we perceive his
failure in duty to God preceding his want of re-
gard for his brother. Envy gives birth to refent-
ment, and both ifllie in murder. Indeed, from
the fcripture-hiftory in general, we learn this im-
portant truth, that from the heart of man all the
evil of his condu6l proceeds. The fame hiftory
affords us a flriking proof of the hardening na-
ture of fm. Cain lies in the face of God, in an-
fwer to that qiieftion ; " Where is Abel tby bro-
" ther ?" He boldly replies, " I know not." He
denies the primary bonds of fociety, and virtual-
ly accufes God of want of wifdom in his govern-
ment,
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I79
ment, by that prefumptuous quellion ; " Am I
« my brother's keeper?" He arraigns divine
juftice, with refped to the fentence pronounced,
when he fays ; " My punifliment is greater than
« I can bear." Inftead of fupplicating mercy,
he endeavours to filence any remains of convic-
tion, by building a city ''.
X. We have here an hiftory of the mournful
fruits of human depravity. Does it feem ftrange
that a confiderable part of the hiftory of Scrip-
ture fliould be occupied about the cruel and de-
ftruclive wars carried on by ancient nations ?
What is the hiftory of mankind in general, but a
narrative of the crimes of men, and of their fa-
tal confequences ? This could not be a juft hiftory
of mankind, were thefe overlooked. Are the feel-
ings fliocked at fuch defcriptions ? It is God's de-
fign that our feelings fliould be fliocked at the
caufe, from a due conftdcration of its native ct-
fefts. It is his will that we fliould hate fin, which
produces all thefe mifcries. He teaches us that
the lufts of men are the true fource of " wars and
"• fightings '^ ;" that, notwithftanding the veil of
myftery thrown over them, they in general pro-
ceed from a favage wifli to deftroy ■\ from the fe-
rocity of revtnge, or at leaft from the rcftleflhefs
of ambition.
It has been faid, that the Bible is the moft impro-
per book that can be put into the hands of youth ;
that it diredly tends to harden the tender mind,
M 2 by
1) Gen. iv. 9. 13. 17. c Jam. iv. i. i Ifa. x. ",■
l8o GENERAL VIEW OF
by giving fuch a fhocking view of human na-
ture, by exhibiting fo many fcenes of murder and
devaftation. But while this is equally an argu-
ment againfl hiftory in general, we boldly avow,
that to give fuch a reprefentation, was one prin-
cipal end for which the Holy Scriptures were
written. They are a glafs in which man may
difcern his own likenefs. We talk of its being
neceflary, that young perfons Ihould fee a little of
the world, and become acquainted with the ways
of men. Send them to the word of God. There,
if their eyes be opened, they will moft certainly
learn the natural ilate and true character of man.
Its very order and connexion feem defigned to
give us the moil humiliating and impreflive view
of human depravity. — But this fhall be illuftrated
in another place.
XI. The Scripture contains an hiftory of Pro-
vidence. The whole hiftory of mankind is in-
deed nothing elfe ; though few underftand it a-
right. The truth of divine providence is fo evi-
dent from the government of the world, that it
has been generally acknowledged even by thofe
who had not the benefit of revelation. Thofe
only, who are " brutifh among the people," can
deny, that he who " planted the ear fliould hear,
" that he who formed the eye fliould fee." Does
impicus man dare to deny this ? What is the re-
fled:ion that divine wifdom makes on his condudl ?
" The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that
" they are vanity £.'»
We
e Pfal. xciv. 8. — lu
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. l8l
We learn from fcripture-hiflory, not merely
the great outlines of God's providential conduct ;
but are made acquainted with the fpecialitics of
his operation. Wc are not left to conjecture the
connexion between the caufe and the eliect. This
is clearly pointed out. — But we referve a more par-
ticular conlideration of this fubjcdt till afterwards.
XII. An hiftory of the divine decrees. The
whole hillory of Proridence is merely an hiftory
of God's purpofcs. We know that nothing takes
place by chance, as far as it refpeds him ; and
we are equally alTured, that he docs nothing in
confequenceof any unforefeen exigency. " Known
'* unto God are all his works from the beginning
" of the world '." And how known, but be-
caufe he has determined to effe(fl them ? There-
fore, he is faid to " work all things according to
" the counfel of his will y." Many of thcfe pur-
pofes lie hid in the Eternal Mind, till they arc
declared by Providence. Others arc cxprefled in
prophecy, and fo known before the event. This
\yas the cafe as to the temporary defolation of
Judea by Sennacherib, therefore called a " con-
" fumption decreed'' ;" the captivity o^ the Jews
in Babylon ', and a vaft variety of events record-
ed in Scripture. Often is the hand of God clear-
ly feen in thofe providential operations of which
there has been no previous intimation. But when
he not only ftamps the ordinary charadlers of di-
vine operation on the work itfelf, but difplays his
M 3 faithfulnefs
fAdlsxT. i8. g £pb. i. 12. hL'a. X. 2z. i Dan. ix. 24.
1 82 GENERAL VIEW OV
faithfulnefs in the completion of prophecy, the
purpofe and providence of God refleft a beauti-
ful luftre on each other. The purpofe, as previ-
oully declared, illuflrates the providence •, and the
providence clearly manifefts the immutability of
the purpofe. When the predidion is of the na-
ture of a promife, the event not only difplays im-
mutable faithfulnefs, but infinite love.
XIII. The hiftory of the Bible is a key to pro-
phecy. It ferves this important purpofe in va-
rious refpeds. For, firft, it in the clearelt man-
ner demonftrates the truth, and illuflrates the
meaning of many predidtions. By giving a par-
ticular account of the events which are foretold,
it affords us an opportunity of bringing prophecy
to the touchftone of fadls ; and by acquainting
us, in a variety of inftances, with the date of the
prediction, enables us to trace its exadl verifica-
tion even as to the time. Thus, we have the mofl
fatisfying evidence of the faithfulnefs of that God,
who declares '* the end from the beginning, and
" from ancient times the things that are not
" yet done ." We have alfo the greatefb en-
couragement to truft him, as to all that concerns
us, or the church in general ; and particularly, to
affure ourfelves, that he will, in his own time,
fulfil all the prophecies which are yet to be ac-
complifhed.
Secondly, The prophecies are full of allufions
to the facls recorded, and to the manners and cu-
Itoins
k Ifa. xlvi. le:
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 183
floms defcribcd in Scripture. The knowledtre of
both the ancient and modern manners of the
oriental nations, derived from profane hillcry,
may be very ufeful for illullrating the language
of prophecy. But the Sacred Hillory will be
found fufFicient for obviating the moft of thofe
difficulties which arife from prophetical language ;
efpccially if we view it in connexion with the
explications which the prophets themlelves give
of the figurative expreffions they ufe.
Thirdly, " It is cuftomary with the prophets,
" in defcribing the latter enemies of the church,
" to call them by the names of her former perfe-
" cutors. — Thus, Rome is called Babylon, for her
" oppreffion of the people of God, Sodom for her
" impurity, Egypt for her idolatry : and, by the
" Old. Teftament propher'?, Tyre for her traffic,
" Idumca or Edom for her carnal relation to
" ChrifticMis, by profcffing their religion ^." The
ancient enemies of the church were indeed figures
of thofe in our own times. It is therefore of im-
portance to us to be well acquainted with their
.hillory, as in their characlers we have a delinea-
tion of the charadlers of thofe who now oppofe
the kingdom of Chrift.
Again, many of the prophecies refer to difle-
rent events, which were to take place at periods
very remote from each other. Thofe prophecies,
which declare the fufferings of God's ancient
church from literal Babylon, have a further and
M 4 fpecial
1 Frazei's Key to ibe Propliecicj of ilic Old and New TelUmcnt, v>.: ^^
arc net yet accomplilhcd, p. 34 36.
184 GENERAL VIEW OF
fpecial reference to her fufferings from myftical
JBabylan. In like manner, the predidions con-
cerning her deliverance from the former, ulti-
mately refpedt her deliverance from the latter.
Therefore, the hiftory of the afflid:ions and li-
beration of the church from ancient Babylon,
throws great light on the prophecies with refpedt
to Antichrilt. Particularly, from the primary il-
luftration of thefe prophecies by the hiflory of the
Jewifli church, we may gather many important
circumflances in regard to their future accom-
plifhment in the deftrudion of " the mother of
" harlots."
In fine, the hi (lory of the Bible throws a beau-
tiful light around its predictions, by acquainting
us with a variety of circumflances refpedting the
delivery of thefe, which lignally illuftrate the
wifdom, juftice, goodnefs, and other perfections
of God. How true, how excellent foever thefe
predidtions in themfelves, they would lofe much
of their beauty, did we not know the concomi-
tant circumftances. What a precious prophecy
is that concerning " the feed of the woman !'*
But it would contain a far lefs confpicuous dif-
play of the mercy of our God, were we not af-
fured, that it was uttered immediately after man
had rebelled againft him '^^ The hiftory of thou-
fands of years verifies the prediction of Noah
with refped to the fervile fi:atc of the pofterity of
Canaan. But, as the predidion ftands in the Sa-
cred Hifi:ory, we difcover that they were to be
reduced
{n Gen. iii. 8. 15.
THE USE 0F SACRED HISTORY. 185
reduced to this defpicable condition, as the pu-
nifliment of the iniquity (jf their progenit r. We
at the fame time obferve, that the piety of Ja-
phet to his father is rewarded, by the admilhon
of his pofterity into a participation of the blclfing
of Shem '. The Spirit of God hath not deemed
it fufficient to record the beautiful and flriking
prophecy of Balaam. He haih alfo given us tlie
hiftory of this wicked man. Our acquaintance
with his charader, condudl and fate, inftead of
depreciating his prophecy in oureflimation, great-
ly enhances its worth. It appears as the teftimony
of an enemy •, who was hired for the very pur-
pose of curfing Ifrael ; who had come a great
"Way, and had tried every art of divination in his
power, in order to gain his end ; who was under
the dominion of covetoufnefs ; who was impelled,
by every motive of intereft, to the accomplilli-
ment of his defign ; who, in a word, would never
have given this teftimony, had it been poflible
for him to have withheld it ".
XIV. The facred volume contains an hiftory of
the church for more than four thoufand years. If
we view the *' fure word of prophecy'* as a fup-
plcment to the narrative of fadls, this hiftory may
be faid to extend from the firft planting of tlie
church in this world to her complete tranfplanta-
tion to heaven, her native country. Here we fee
her in her various fituatiqns, whether profperous or
advcrfc. At firft flic appears, as afterwards did
her
n Gen. u. zj. 17. o Numb. zxii. utii. zxiv.
1 86 GENERAL VIEW OF
her Glorious Head, " as a plant fpringing out of
" a dry ground." This gradually increafes, till
at length " the hills are covered with the Ihadow
" of it, and the boughs thereof are like the good-
" ly cedars. She fends her boughs to the fea,
" and her branches unto the rivers." But often
is this vine wafted by ** the boar out of the
" wood," and devoured by " the wild beaft of
"the field P." At times it feeras to be burnt
" with fire, and cut down ^." Or, the church pre-
fents the appearance of a tree ftript of all its beau-
tifuLfoliage, by the cruel blaft of winter. She is
" as a teil-tree, and as an oak, whofe fubftance
" is in them, when they caft their leaves ^"
We find, that God condefcends to affume the
charadler of an hufbandman, and obferve innu-
merable evidences of his love to'his vineyard. It
is evident, that he fays not in vain, " My vine-
" yard which is mine is before me. — I the Lord
" do keep it, I will water it every moment ; left
" any hurt it, I will keep it night and day ^"
Thus we perceive, that one important end that
God had in view, in committing to the church
the oracles of truth, was to " make his wonderful
" works to be remembered ^"
XV. An hiftory of the work of redeviption. This
is the moft glorious of all the works of God.
Therefore, we need not wonder, that it is the
great fubjedt of Sacred Hiftory. This is traced
back
p Pfal. Ixxx. 10, II. 13. q Ver. 10. r Ifa. vi. 13.
s Song viii. xz. ; Ifa. xsvii. 3. t Pfal.'cxi. 4.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 1 87
back to its inconceivable origin, in the coimfel of
peace, in the eternal covenant among the perfons
of the adorable Trinity. In this refpcd, the Re-
deemer declares, '* I was fet up from everlafting-,
" from the beginning, or ever the earth was "."
•All the " Ipiritual blcflings" of redemption are
exhibited as the dreams flowing from the eternal
and infinite fountain of fovereign love in the
heart of God ^ The Scripture unfolds the arto-
nifliing preparation made, through a long fuccef-
lion of ages, for the adual accomplilhment of this
work. Sin, we fee, is fufl'ered to enter, that
** where fni abounded, grace might much more
*' abound '." Immediately on this melancholy
event, the purpofe of God to fave fome of lofl
mankind is proclaimed, and the aftonifhing re-
medy is pointed out, in the firfl: gofpel-promife.
We fee the fpecial providence of God exercifed,
in preferving a holy feed, during the antediluvian
aera, by means of whom the promifc jfhould be
tranfmitted to pofterity. When human wicked-
nefs had fo greatly increafcd as to threaten the
very exiftencc of the church, the wicked world
was deftroyed by means of that deluge of water
by which the church was faved. When the re-
vealed do(5lrine and inftituted wordiip were great-
ly corrupted, God feparated Abraham from his
father's family, and afterwards his pofterity, by
Jacob, from all th<? families of the earth, for the
prefervation of his truths. To them he gave his
ftatutes, and his judgments. He brought them
under
u Prov. viii. ij. ▼ Eph. i, 3, 4. 7. \v Rem. v. xz.
l88 GENERAL VIEW OF
under the yoke of the ceremonial law, as " a fha-
" dow of good things to come \" He fubjedled
them to himfelf as their Sovereign, as a prelude
of the fubjedlion of |:he fpiritual Ifrael to the King
of Zion. He gave them a typical Mediator, a
typical redemption, and a typical inheritance.
When this people apoftatized from him, he vifited
them with fevere judgments, and at length caft
them into the hot furnace of Babylon ; to reclaim
them from idolatry, that the truth might not pe-
rifh, and that the great promife concerning the
coming of the Meffiah might not be buried in ob-
livion.
In thefe tranfadlions, indeed, we have a parti-
cular hillory of the Covenant of Grace. We fee
it firft revealed in the promife made to our com-
mon parents, immediately after the fall. We find it
renewed with Noah, after the flood. On this oc-
cafion, God appoints the rainbow to be a fymbol
of the perpetuity of his covenant : and gives to
Noah a new grant of the earth in relation to this
covenant, after he had offered a facrifice, accept-
able to God, as prefiguring the facrifice of Chrift,
which takes away the curfe from man, and makes
him " an heir of the worlds." We have after-
wards an account of the renovation of the fame
covenant with Abraham ^, with Ifaac =*, and with
Jacob ^ ', with Ifrael, when God brought them
up out of Egypt ^ ; and with David, under the
figure
X Heb. X. r. y Gen. viii, ao, 31.; is. i. — 3. n. — 17-
2 Gen. xvii. a.— 8. a Gen, xxvi. 3. b Cen. xxviii. 13, 14.
c £xod. vi. 4. 5.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 189
figure of a covenant of royalty with him and his
feed ''.
The gradual increafe of the light of revelation,
with refped to the Saviour, particularly defcrves
our attention. The firft gofpel promife may in-
deed be viewed as a fummary of all that was af-
terwards communicated to the church. In it, a
Deliverer is promifcd, who fhould be a partaker
of our nature, and a dcfcendant of Eve; who
fliould deftroy the power of the old ferpent that
had deceived her ; and who fliould himfelf fuffer
in the conflid. Here was enough for faith. But
it was the plcafure of God gradually to open up
the import of this promife to the Church, and to
increafe her light with refped to the glorious De-
liverer promifed. Accordingly, he was afterwards
made known to Abraham, as that feed in whom
« all the families of the earth," finners of the
Gentiles, as well as his pofterity, " fliould be
" blefled ^." This promife was a commentary on
the prophecy of Noah ; that God fhould " en-
" large," or perfuade ** Japhet, and make him to
** dwell in the tents of Shem '." Chrifl is fore-
told by Mofes, not merely as a Prophet, but as
one who fliould give a new difpenfation to his
church, and whom Ihc was to " hear in all things,"
in preference to himfelf, and all other prophets -?.
By David, he is revealed as an eternal pricft '', as
a divine king '■ ; and yet as condemned by the
great council, and crucified s as riling again',
afcending,
d a Sam. xxiii. 5. c Gen. xxii. 18. f Gen ix. 27.
g Deut. xv.ii. i3. h Pfal. ex. 4. * Pfal. xlv. 6.
Jt Ffal. xxii. 16. 1 Pfal. xvi. 10. ; Ads ii. 31.
\
19^ GENERAL VIEW OF
afcending f", and fitting down at the right-hand.
of God ". He is prophefied of by Ifaiah as the
fon of a virgin ". While his character as a fure-
ty, and the expiatory nature of his fufferings, are
more particularly declared p, by the miniftry of
Daniel ; the Meffiah is pointed out by name, as
" cut off, but not for himfelf ;" the effeds of his
death are more plainly exprelTed ; and the very
time of it is limited 1. By Malachi, the laft of
the prophets, his people are forewarned, that " the
*' Lord whom they feek, fhall fuddenly come
" to his temple." He is diftinguifhed by a new
charadler, that of " the meflenger," or " angel
" of the covenant;" and the fpirit and work of
his harbinger are particularly foretold ■.
Thus, the revelation concerning the Saviour,
which feems at firft as a feeble fpring breaking
forth in a dcfert, becomes gradually deeper and
wider, by the acceffion of many tributary ftreams,
till at length it fwells into " a river, which can-
*' not be paiTed over'." In the firll promife, it
appears as a fingle ray of light, darted from heaven
in pity to our benighted world. Although many
emblems of night ftill remain, yet the clouds and
darknefs gradually difappear before the increafmg
light, till at length " the fun of righteoufnefs
*' arifes with healing in his wings f." The whole
of his " going forth is evidently prepared as the
" morning ". When he appears, the Church en-
*' joys a morning without clouds'." But had we
not
m Pfal. Ixvlii. 18. n Pfal. ex. i. o Ifa. vli. 14. P U"*- li'i-
q Dan. ix. 24. r Mai. iii. 1.-3.; iv. 5, 6. s Ezek. xlvii. 5.
t Mai. iv. 2. u Ilof. vl. 2. V 2 Sam. xxiii, 4.
THE USE OF SACRED IIISTUKV. I()I
not the hillory of the Church recorded by the
Spirit of God, we flioidd not only want many
precious prophecies, which are interwoven with
It, but be unable to trace the beautiful progrefs
of this divine light.
The truth of the predictions concerning the
Mefliah is fully demonllrated by the liiftory of
Scripture. As God was pleafed to promife a Re-
deemer, nothing could be of more importance
than to identify his perfon, to point him out fo
cxadly that the Church could not miftake him.
At firfl view, no part of Scripture feems more
unintcrefling than the Genealogies. But even
this part, as well as prophecy, is the teflimony of
Jefus. It was predided, that the Meffiah fliould
be the " feed of the woman." The promife was,
many ages after, rellrided to the feed of Abra-
ham ; afterwards, to the tribe of Judah ; and at
lad, to the family of David. Had not God exer-
cifed the greatcft care about the genealogies of
the Jews, fo as to preferve thofe of the different
tribes diitinct, it could not have been known that
Jefus was that feed promifed to David, and thus
defcending from Judah. It was equally necef-
fary that the genealogy of Abraham fliould be
traced up to Adam, that it might be evident that
the Melliah was defcended from *' the mother of
•' all living," and thus of " one blood" with
thofe whom he was to redeem. The enemies of
Jefus often reproached him with being a Naz.a-
rene, bccaufe he had been brought up at Naza-
feth, a contemptible village of Galilee. But they
never
192 geni:ral view of
never prefumed to deny that he was of the royal
line. Nothing could have been eafier than to
have proved that he had no claim to that title,
" the fon of David," had this been indeed the
cafe. They had only to refer to their genealo-
gies. Providence had provided an unqueftionable
proof of the truth of Chrift's defcent from Da-
vid, in the enrolment of Jofeph and Mary in the
records of their own city of Bethlehem, in confe-
qiience of the decree of Auguftus, that all the
empire fliould be taxed ^. A minute defcription
is given of the circumilances of the conception of
Jefus, that we might know that he was indeed
the " feed of the woman,V at Immanuel who
Ihould be born of virgin.
Here we have alfo t hift ry of the purchafe
of redemption, and a particular account of the
means more immediately connedted with it. The
circumilances refpeding the conception a,nd birth
of Jefus, muft affed the mind of every impartial
reader with a convidlion of the fuperior dignity
of the perfon. So much light is thrown on this
aftonifhi jt pifSlure, as to lliew that the remaining
fliide is entirely voluntary. Wh n " the true
*' Light" rifes on the Church, although he rifes
under a cloud, fuch rays of divine fplendour break
fonh from him, as to demonftrate, in the cleareft
manner, that this cloud is occafioned, not by his
weaknefs, but by ours. " The form of a fervant,**
like a thin veil thrown over the body, feems only
fo far to hide " the form of God," as to fhew
that
w Luke ii. s, Scc^
THE USE OK SACRED HISTORY. IpJ
that the firft is voluntarily afTuined, and that the
fecond is neceflUry. AngL-ls proclaim his concep-
tion. Jehovah himfelf gives his Church this
lign ; — a virgin conceives, and bears a fon ^. He,
who fliould be his harbinger, leaps in his mother's
womb for joy at the approach of his Lord. An-
gels announce his birth in anthems of praife.
All thefe hofts of heaven '* worfhip him." A
ftar, unknown to aftronomers, is kindled in the
firmament by this glorious Light in his riling ;
and fervcs as a fignal for pointing out to the wife
men that humble temple where they fhould wor-
fhip. Fear not, O ye fages, that ye fliall be found
guilty of the crime imputable to your lefs en-
lightened brethren of the Euft. They worfhip
the natural fun, or fire as his emblem. But the
objedl of your adoration is " the Sun of righte-
" oufnefs.'* Ye " have feen his ftar in the Eaft,
" and are come to worftiip him." And what is
the fun himfelf but his ftar ; one of thofe lumi-
naries, which are all *' the work of his fingers ?"
In the hiftory of the life of Chrift, we have the
moft perfecl pattern of holinefs. His condud: is
not merely charadlerized by fpotlefs innocence.
Divine wifdom ftiines forth in his dodrine, and
divine goodnefs in his works. We find him tef-
tifying, that " it became him to fulfil all righte-
" oufnefs :" And had he not doile fo, he could
not have been " fuch an high-prieft as became us."
The gofpel-hiftory alfo contains a moft minute
account of the circumftances of his death. Al-
VoL. L N . though
z Ifa. vii. 14. ; Mat. i. az.~2£. y Luke ii. 13. ; Htb. i C.
194 GENERAL VIEW OF
though this was the lowed depth of his humilia-
tion, there are a variety of circumftances which
fhew in the cleareft manner, that all this humi-
liation was voluntary, and that the fufferer was
" truly the Son of God." Even when he deli-
vered himfelf as a captive into the hands of his
enemies, he Ihewed his infinite power over them.
Such was the efficacy accompanying thefe words,
♦* I am 7:?^," that they went backward, " and feU
*' to the ground '^." When hanging in the moft
ignominious manner on the accurfed tree, he ref-
cued a finner from the powder of the fecond death.
When his hour was come, he voluntarily gave up
his fpirit. By crying with a loud voice, immedi-
ately before his exit, he fliewed that his death
was not merely his fuifering as a facrifice, but his
adl as the great high-prieft. As a new light ap-
peared in the firmament to announce his birth,
the great luminary of heaven put on a covering
of blacknefs at his death. " The rocks rent," as
if they would accufe the more obdurate hearts of
his murdering enemies.
But we derive no benefit from this important
hiftory, unlefs we duly attend to thofe circum-
ftances which refpect the expiatory nature of his
death. That aftonifhing prayer, which preceded
it, illuftrates this in the cleareft manner. Thence
we find that it was entirely for the fake of his
people that he fanclified himfelf ^ Before he
" gave up the ghoft," he faid, " It is fmifhed."
The prophecies and other parts of Scripture ex-
plain
z John xviii, C, a John xvii. 15.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. IC)^
plain tile meaning of this language. From them
wc learn that, as Mcfliah the Prince was cut oft)
it was " not for himfelf ;" but that the defigii
of his excifion was, that he might " finifli the
" tranfgrefrion, make an end of fins, make recon-
" ciliation for iniquity, .and bring in everlafting
" righteoufnefs ''." The expence of the purchafe
of our redemption efpecially appears from the fc-
verity of the fufterings fuftained by this glorious
perfon. Overwhelming as his bodily agony mull,
have been, it could not be compared with that of
his foul. So violent was this, even while he had
no fullering in his body proceeding from any
other fource, that " his fweat was as it were great
" drops of blood falling down to the ground ^."
It was only of the trouble and forrow of his foul
that he complained. A comparifon of the hiflory
with the prophecies clearly fliews that the righ-
teous Judge " made his foul an offering for fin '*."
In other fufferers, the agonies of the body have
often occafioncd its feparation from the foul. In
this fuifcrer, the agony of the foul alone threaten-
ed a diflblution of its union with the body. There-
fore he faid ; '* My foul is exceeding forrowful,
" even unto death '^^."
The hiilory of the refurredlion and afccnfion of
our Saviour fupplies us with the llrongeft proofs
of the perfection of his facrifice, and therefore of
the truth of his purchafe of redemption. The
fuccefs of this work efpecially appears frt-m that
ftriking hiilory which we have of the propaga-
N 2 tion
b Dan. is. 14. c Luke xxii. 44. d Ifa. liii. 10. e Mat. xxvi. 3?.
196 GENERAL VIEW OF
tion of Chriflianity in the A6ls of the Apoftles,
Only a few days after the afcenlion of Chrift, the
power of his death, and the efficacy of his " in-
" terceffion for the tranfgreffors," are fignally
difplayed in the converlion of many thoufands of
thofe who embrued their hands in his blood. The
hiflory of the converlion of Saul has been jnftly
confidered as one of the ftrongefl evidences of the
truth of Chriftianity. We cannot conceive that
one could have been acSluated by a more inve-
terate hatred againft this religion, or by a more
ardent zeal for its deitruftion. Yet, by the power
of divine grace, he becomes a " preacher of that
*' faith which once he deftroyed." In a word,
fuch was the power attending the gofpel, that, in
lefs than thirty years after our Saviour's afcenlion,
his religion was propagated through the greateft
part of Alia and Europe.
xvr. We alfo perceive the fuhfervieticy of all
the other works of God, and of all the great
events among men, to the work of redemption.
We perceive their fubferviency in a twofold re-
fpecl ; either as preparing for the purchafe of re-
demption, or as conducing to its fuccefs. This is
that centre in which all the great lines of Provi-
dence meet. So early as the general difperlion of
the nations, God allotted to each of them their
inheritance, fo as to leave the land of Canaan for
the Ifraelites. " When the Moft High divided
** to the nations their inheritance, when he fepa-
** rated the fons of Adam, he fet the bounds of
"the
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I97
" the people, according to the number of the
" children of Ifrael '." He did not indeed fuf-
fer this land to lie wafte. He prepared it for his
people, by giving the temporary polTcfiion of it
to the pofterity of Canaan, whom he had previ-
oufly devoted, becaufe of their iniquities, to ex-
termination, to expulfion, or to fervitude. He in
the mean time employed them as ploughmen and
vine-dreflers for thofc who were the proper heirs.
He gave them their inheritance in this pieafant
land, in preference to every other, in fubfervi-
ency to the work for which he defigned them.
They were to be his witnclfej to the heathen na-
tions,— witnefles to the truth of revelation, and
particularly to the great doctrines of the divine
unity, and of falvation through a promifed Mef-
liah. Therefore he placed them in a country
fituatcd about the middle of the then known
world. Thence the Mediterranean fea, which
ikirted the land of Paleftine, received its name,
as being that fea which was fuppofed to be /// the
middle of the earth. The church feems to refer
to this circumftance, when flie fays ; ** For God
*' is my king of old, working fiilvation, in the
. ** midft of the earth ^.'* Her fituation was pecu-
liarly adapted for the difplay of her teilimony
for God, in oppolition to the polythcifm, idola-
try, and other abominations of the furrounding
heathen. It was no lefs proper for the manifef-
tation of God's wonderful works in her behalf.
They could not poffibly be ftrangers to the many
N 3 temporal
fOeut. xuii. 9. ^ g Pral. Ixxiv. 12.
IpS GENERAL VIEW OF
temporal deliverances which he wrought for her.
That fpiritual falvation, which all thefe prefigured,
was not lefs expofed to their view. We could not
imagine a more proper fcene for fuch a glorious
work. Therefore the Church fings ; '* The Lord
^' hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed
*' Jerufalem. The Lord hath made bare his ho-
'■■^ ly arm in the eyes of all the nations ■\"
Abftradlly it may feem a ftrange difpenfation,
that this people, preferred to every other, fhould
be fubjecled by God to " a yoke of bondage,"
to which no other people was ever fubje6led. But
this was merely in fubferviency to the great work
of redemption. For " the law was added be-
" caufe of tranfgreffions, till the feed lliould
" come, to whom the promife was made '." It
was meant as a bridle, to reftrain the lufls of a
ftubborn and rebellious people. It was alfo in-
tended as a *' fchoolmafter, to bring them to
" Chrilti^;" that by its fe verity they might be
convinced that they could not be faved by it.
The deltruclion of the Babylonian monarchy
was a great ^vent in Providence. But we learn
from Scripture, that it was efpecially meant for
the good of the church. God had prepared Ba-
bylon as a furnace for her. But that Ihe might
not periih in it, after Ihe was fufficiently melted,
tried and refined, he delivered her by the deftruc-
tion of Babylon. Therefore he fays ; " For thy
" fake, I have fent to Babylon, and brought down
** all her nobles '." Such were the means which
he
h Ifa. Hi. 9, lo. i Gal. iii. 15). k Ver, 24. 1 Ifa. xliii, 14.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. I99
he was pleafed to employ tor the prefervation of
this people, in order to the completion of the pro-
mife, that the Mefliah lliould defcend from them,
according to the flefli.
This fiibferviency to the work of redemption
is not merely to be difcerned in the difpenfations
of Providence. It is evident that even the work
of creation ultimately had a limilar refpecl. The
fame language is ufed ; not as if the work of re-
demption were merely likened to that of creation,
as the lefs is often likened to the greater ; but
becaufe the tirfl creation prefigured the fecond.
Therefore we find the latter preferred to the for-
mer ; " Behold, I create new heavens, and a new
" earth : and the former fhall not be remember-
" ed, nor come mto mind •"."
XVII. In the hiftory of the Bible, we have a
Itriking difplay of the unity of the church in all
her fucceflive ages. Here we trace her progrefs,
like that of a river. At firll flie makes but a poor
appearance. She owes her exiftence to a flender
fpring. For a long time Ihe is confined within
very narrow banks. But we fee her gradually
difFufing herlelf, till at length flic appears as " a
'* broad flowing ftream." But as it is with a li-
teral river, fo is it here. Although it be not the
felf-fame water that flows, as it proceeds from the
fame fountain, and runs in the fume channel, the
river is ftill accounted the fame. In like manner,
we perceive the perpetuity of the church. How
■N 4 weak
m Ifa. Irv. 1-
200 GENERAL VIEW OF
weak are her beginnings ? During the antedi-
hivian, the patriarchal, and the Mofaical periods,
ihe is confined to very narrow limits. Bat no-
thing can be more plain than that all her true
members, during thefe periods, were faved in a
way elTentially the fame with that in which Chrif-
tians are faved. As we efpecially learn from that
beautiful compend of ecclefiaftical hiftory con-
tained in the eleventh chapter of the epilUe to
the Hebrews, they were all faved by faith. This
faith Hill refted on a divine tellimony. It ftill
refpeded afpiritual falvation, a Divine Perfon in-
carnate, an atonement to be made by him. It
flill looked forward to a better inheritance than
any that this world could aftbrd. It ftill produ-
ced good works as its natural fruits. It was uni-
formly produftive of a feparation from the feed
of the ferpent.
XVIII. The hiftory of Scripture illujlrates and
confirms many of its moft important doclrines.
For " whatfoever things were written aforetime,
*' were written for our learning ; that we, through
*' patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might
" have hope •." Thus we find, that a principal
reafon of the hiftory of Abraham being fo parti-
cularly narrated, was that the Church might be
inftruded in the great dodrine of juftification by
imputed righteoufnefs. Let us attend to the lan-
guage of the apcftle Paul on this head. " What
'* faith the Scripture ? Abraham believed God,
" and
p Rom. XV. 4.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 20X
'* and it was counted unto him for righteoufncfs.
« Now it was not written for his fake alone,
** that it was imputed unto him ; but for iis al-
*' foy to whom it fliall be imputed, if we believe
" on him that raifed up Jefus our Lord frpm the
" dead ".'* Sacred Hiftory contains a flriking and
copious illuftration of the dodrinc of the divine
perfedions. Thefe are moil clearly exhibited in
the whole hiftory of creation, of providence, and
of redemption. His wifdom and power, his ho-
linefs and juftice, as well as his long-fuflering and
faithfulnefs, are lignally difplaycd in his conduct
towards the enemies of the church. The fame
perfedtions, together with his love, appear in all
their glory in his conduct towards the church
herfelf. When God '' makes his wonderful works
" to be remembered," it is to manifeft that " he
" is gracious and full of companion. He hath
** fhewed his people the power of his works, that
** he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
" The works of his hand are verity dvA judgment.
" He fent redemption unto his people, he hath
" commanded his covenant for ever : holy and
** reverend is his name p." But on this ufe of
Sacred Hiftory, as illuftrating and confirming re-
vealed truths, I enlarge not at prefcnt ; as \'i. u^
meant to take an extenftvc view of it in the pro-
grefs of this work.
XIX. I ftiall only further obferve, that the hif-
tory of Scripture exhibits many patterns for our
\mitationy and many beacons for our admonition.
It
p Rom. iv. 3. 13. 14. p Pfal. cxi. 4.-5.
202 GENERAL VIEW OF
It does not merely illullrate dodrines *, it recom-
mends duties, from a great variety of the moft
engaging examples. It deters us from fin, by a
reprefentation of its bitter confequences, as rea-
lized in the experience of the unbelieving and
difobedient. The worthies, whofe hiflory is re-
corded in Scripture, are reprefented as " a gteat
" cloud of witneffes, with whom we are compaf-
" fed about," whofe example fhould excite us to
*' lay afide every weight, and to run with pa-
" tience the race that is fet before us i." Con-
cerning the judgments inflided on the Ifraelites,
we are informed, that " thefe things were our ex-
'' amples, to the intent that we fnould not lufl
" after evil things, as they alfo lulled ^"
From the preceding obfervations it follows, as
a native inference, that it is only from Sacred Hi-
flory that we can learn the proper ufe of all other
ancient hiftory. In the writings of the heathen,
indeed, we may find the fame facts related. They
contain an account of the fame crimes, and of the
fame confequences. But here they are exhibited
in fuch a light, as tends to m.ake a far deeper im-
preflion on the mind. The crimes of mankind
are all traced to the polluted fountain of fin in
the heart. The origin of this pollution is alfo
pointed out. We perceive the gradual operation
of* this poifon, as contaminating the whole mafs
of mankind, and bringing deftrudlion on a world.
— When we read the heathen accounts of the
conqueft of the Babylonians by Cyrus, or of the
Perfians
eb. xii. I. r 1 Cor. x. 6.
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. 20$
Pei-fians by Alexander, or of the Greeks by the
Romans, while we at the fame time believe an
over-ruling Providence, we are at a lofs to per-
ceive any dcfign worthy of God, in fuccellively
fubjecling different monarchies to the power of
others, that were not in themfelves more bene-
fit ial to men. We do not fee that fociety gained
any thing by the fucceffive fubverfion of the Ba-
bylonian, Perfian and Grecian empires. But when
we turn up the volume of infpiration, we find,
that Cyrus ^vas raifed up, and that Babylon was
deflroyed, for the liberation of God's captives.
We admire his Providence, in eftablifliing the
Grecian on the ruins of the Perfian monarchy,
that he might prepare the way for the propaga-
tion of the gofpel, by the diffufion of one language
throughout the Eail ; of that language in which
it was his will that the New Teftamcnt fiiould be
•written. We fee ftill more reafon to admire his
wifdom in eilablifhing the Roman empire, and
giving it greater extent than any of thofe that
preceded it ; that thus the way might be more
• open for his meflengers, in their glorious work of
publifliing peace to the nations. In a word, by
the fucceflive overthrow of fuch mighty empires,
we fee that he means to exhibit to men the mod
llriking contraft between thefe and that domi-
nion that " fliall never be given to another peo-
'' pie ;" — a contraft the more ftriking, as in its
origin it refcmbled ** a ftone cut out of a moun-
f^ tain without hands j" dcftitute of all the ad-
vantages
204 GENERAL VIEW OF
vantages of the preceding empires ; yet vidori-
ous, though oppofed to them all.
It is an important confideration on this fubjedt,
which is taken notice of by the great Edwards ;
that the Sacred Hiftory contains very particular
accounts of thofe periods to which profane hiftory
does not reach, while it is lefs particular with re-
fpect to fucceeding times, concerning which wc
have authentic records of human compofure.
Speaking of the period from the Babylonifh cap-
tivity to the coming of Chrift, he gives it as
one reafon why there is no infpired hiftory of
it ; that " God in his providence took care,
" that there fhould be authentic and full ac-
*' counts of the events of this period preferved
" in profane hiftory. It is remarkable," he
adds, " and very worthy to be taken notice of,
" that with refped to the events of the five pre-
" ceding periods, of which the Scriptures give
" the hiftory, profane hiftory gives us no account,
" or at leaft of but very few of them. There
" are many fabulous and uncertain accounts of
" things that happened before ; but the begin-
** ning of the times of authentic profane hiftory
** is judged to be but a little before Nebuchad-
** nezzar's time, about an hundred years before.
" The learned men among the Greeks and Ro-
" mans, ufed to call the ages before that the fa-
" buloiis age ; but the times after that they called
" the hijlorical age. And from about that time
" to the coming of Chrift, we have undoubted
<* accounts in profane hiftory of the principal e-
" vents ;
THE USE OF SACRED HISTORY. "20^
** vents ; accounts that wonderfully agree with
" the many prophecies that we have in Scripture
" of thofe times.
" Thus did the great God, that difpofes all
" things, order it. He took care to give an hif-
" torical account of things from the beginning
** of the world, through all thofe former ages
" which profane hiflory does not reach, and cea-
" fed not till he came to thofe later ages in which
" profane hiftory related things with fome cer-
** tainty : and concerning thofe times, he gives
" us abundant account in prophecy, that by com-
" paring profane hiftory with thofe prophecies,
** we might fee the agreement ."
Thus the Deift has no reafon to object, that
the hiftory of former periods is unworthy of cre-
dit, becaufe it is not fupported by the teftimony
of other writers. For if the events of latter pe-
riods, which are recorded by uniiifpired hifto-
rians, are found perfedly to agree with the fcrip-
tural predidions, as will be admitted by every
impartial inquirer ; it affords a convincing proof
of the credibility of fcripture, in thofe accounts
which precede the acra of profane hiftory.
We perceive great encouragement to " fearch
•' the Scriptures." We are not merely to read
particular felcdl portions, but to fearch the Sacred
Writings in general. We muft not confine our
attention to the dodlrinal parts, but extend it to
the hiftorical. Even in thefe, which at firft view
may feem to be little interefting to us, we ftiall
find
« HiAory of RedeiDptiDn, pp. 1:3, 124.
2o6 OfENERAL VIEW, &.C»
fiiid much that is " profitable for dodrine, for re^
" proof, for corrediion, for inftrudtion in righ-
" teoufnefs '."
Wc may alfo learn, from what has been al-
ready obferved, that infinite love to the church
chara6lerizes all the divine operations/ In the
whole of God's management of the kingdoms of
this world, nay, in the whole of his conduct to-
wards manlcind in general, he difplays his tender
care of that kingdom that fhall never have an
end. Such is his love to the fubjeds of it, that
he " fuffers no man to do them wrong ; yea, he
" reproves kings for their fakes ; faying. Touch
" not mine anointed, and do my prophets no
" harm -." He avows his preference of the church
to every other fociety. He counts other king-
doms but a fmall price for her liberation : " I
" gave Egypt for thy ranfom, Ethiopia and Seba
" for thee. Since thou waft precious in my fight,
" thou haft been honourable, and I have loved
" thee : therefore will I give men for thee, and
" people for thy life ^"
SEa
r 2 Tim. iii. 16, S Ifa. cv. 14, 15. t Ifa. atUii. 3. 4^
ON THE BEAUTIES, &.C. 207
SECTION II.
On the Beauties of Sacred H'ljlory,
Let us now attend to fome of the peculiar
beauties of Sacred Hiftory.
I. The firft I lliall take notice of is its uncom-
mon yZw/^Z/ViVy. No art appears in the framing
of the narrative. Every thing is related in the
plaincfl manner. No attempt is made to engage
the reader by ornate didion, or to intereft his paf-
fions by what has been called hiftorical painting.
Facls are left to fpeak for themfelves. Even this
fimplicity has an effedl that has never been pro-
duced by the mofl polilhed compofition. The
ftyle of Sacred Hiftory evidently bears a charac-
ter that is altogether inimitable, and that plainly
declares its divine origin.
II. Its concifenefs conftitutes a farther recom-
mendation. No human hiftory, of the fame com-
pafs, contains fuch a vaft variety of information.
No tedious narration fatigues or difgufts the rea-
der. The fulnefs of Scripture extends even to its
hiftorical ftyle. A few words often contain more
than is found in whole pages of human writings.
The more it is examined, the more it is admired.
While it poflefles all the advantages of an abridg-
ment, it wants its dryncfs. Nothing of real im-
portance is omitted.
III.
loS ON THE BEAUTIES
III. The Sacred Hiflory is eminently diftin-
guifhed for its fidelity and impartiality. Truth is
the great recommendation of hiltory. Nothing
deferves the name that wants this charader ; nor
can any thing elfe fupply its place. But the hi-
jftory of the Bible poflefles it in a degree unknoM^i
to any other writing. The adverfaries of our
holy religion, notwathflanding the great variety
of their attempts, have never been able to prove
the charge of faliity. In many of thofe human
hiftories, v»?hich are moft read, and moll valued,
vice is veiled or extenuated. To that it lofes much
of its native deformity ; and adlions truly virtu-
ous, are exhibited in fuch a light as to excite the
ridicule, or the difguft of the reader. Evil ac-
tions are afcribed to the bed of principles, and
good aftions to the worll. A good charadler is
often exhibited as if it had no alloy of imperfec-
tion ; and a bad one, as if it abfolutely excluded
any degree of praife. But the language of infpi-
ration always paints wickednefs in its own co-
lours, and exhibits righteoufnefs in a moft attrac-
tive light. If, in particular inftances, there be
no exprefs condemnation of what is finful, it is
never vindicated or palliated. If an immoral ac-
tion is related, without any particular intimation
of its turpitude ; either the reader is left to learn
this from the immutable ftandard of the divine
law, or fome circumftances in the narrative itfelf,
or in the following hiftory of the perfon, afford
the moft fatisfying evidence of the divine difap-
probation. In the account given of the difgrace-
fid
OF SACRED HrSTORf. lOg
fill confequenccs of Noah's drunkennefs, the evil
of his conduca is plainly reproved ". Abraham
is not cxprefsly condemned for taking Hagar to
his bed. We are left to learn the linfulnefs of
the action, not only from its contrariety to the
original law, but from its puniftiment, in the
courfe of Providence, in the quarrels introdu-
ced into his family in confequence of it. The
account of the fin, and that of the punilhment,
are in the clofeft connexion. Abraham " went
" in unto Hagar, and llie conceived : and when
" fhe faw that flie had conceived, her miftrefs
" was deipifed in her eyes. And Sarai faid un-
" to Abram, My wrong be upon thee \" &c.
Many years after, was Abraham's tranfgreflion
reproved by the condu6t of Iflimael. The wor-
thy patriarch, by this fin, proceeding from the
impatience of unbelief, raifed up in his own fa-
mily a perfecutor of tlie promifed feed. Ifhmael's
mockery of Ifaac mull have proceeded from a
very bad principle '-. For an infpired apoftle
makes this rcfleftion on it : " He that was born
" after the flefh, perfecuted him that was born
*' after the Spirits"
There is no exprefs condemnation of the guilt
of Jacob in telling a lie to his father, in order to
procure the bleffing. But how remarkable is the
retribution of Providence, as related in the fcrip-
ture-hiilory ! He deceived his father, when his
eyes were covered by the darknefs ot age ■■', La-
Vol. I. O ^an
u Grn. ix. 21.-23. ' Gen. xri. 4— «• ^ Grn. xxl 0.
X Gil. iv. 2<j. jr Gen. xxvii. 1. 19.
2IO ON THE BEAUTIES
ban deceived him, by means of the darknefs of
night ^ Jacob put on the raiment of Efau, in or»
der to favour the deception ^. In like manner
did his fons deceive him by means of Jofeph's
coat '\
When the good kings of Judah are commend-
ed, it is Hill with a referve as to what was repre-
henlible in their conduct ; and even the partial
repentance of the wicked Aliab is recorded, as
having occafioned a delay of the vengeance de-
nounced \
Mofes wrote the hiftory of Ifrael primarily for
the ufe of that nation. But he does not flatter
their pride. He does not, like many other an-
cient writers, afcribe to them a very honourable,
nay, a divine origin. He fliews, that they were
the immediate pofterity of flaves, and that their
moll honourable progenitors had been merely pil-
grims in a land that was not their own. He re-
minds them, that, at their folemn feafts, they
were Hill to recolledl, and humbly to acknow-
ledge, the meannefs of their national origin ; that
they were to ufe this mortifying language, " A
" Syrian ready to perifh was my father '■."
No human hiftory can be compared with that
of infpiration, in refpcdt of impartiality. The
bafe treachery and barbarous cruelty of the fons
of Jacob to the Shechemites, was difgraceful to
the name of Ifrael. Yet it is particularly record-
ed. What could give a more flriking reprefenta-
tion
z Gen. xxix. 23. 25. a Gen. xxvii. 15. b Gen. sxxvii. aj. 51^
c I Kings xxi. 27.-25. d Deut. x.\vi. 5.
OF SACRED HISTORY. 211
tion of the verfatility, the ingratitude and rebel-
lion of that people, tlian their making a golden
calf, and worfliipping it, fo foon after God had
" executed judgment againlt all the gods of
" Egypt %" and delivered them from their llave-
vy in that land by fuch altoniihing miracles ?
Yet the hiftorian does not cover the national
Ihame. He particularly defcribes the activity of
his brother Aaron iji this fliocking apoftacy L
But what efpeclally defcrves our attention, is
the impartiality of the facred writers in recording
their own infirmities, errors *and tranfgreflions.
Mofes impartially narrates the various objedions
which his unbelief made to the divine call, and
his prefumption and obftinacy in adhering to them,
notwithftanding all that God condefcended to fay
in reply s. He tranfmits to pofterity an account
of the reafon why he was not fuffered to conduct
Ifrael into the land of promife. He records his
guilt in difobeying the divine command ^. Sa-
muel, when defcribing his miflion to the houfe of
Jefle, to anoint a fuccelTor to Saul, honeftly relates
his miftake in judging of the object of the divine
choice from the outward appearance, and the re-
proof that he received from God on this account '.
John the Divine mentions the great danger he
was in of falling into idolatry, by worOiipping an
angel, and the check that he received from this
heavenly melTenger '\ I might mention a variety
O2 of
e Exod. xii. ii. f Exod. sxxiii. i, Sec. g Exod. iii. 11. — 2a.;
iv. I. — 17. b Numb. xx. 8.— iz i i Sara. xvi. 6. 7.
k Rev. xix. 15.
212 ON THE BEAUTIES
of inftances of the fame kind. But I enlarge not
on this point, having treated of it elfe where K
IV. The digtiity of Sacred Hiftory conllitutes
another of its beauties. We have already conli-
dered that fimplicity which charadlerizes the page
of infpiration. It feeks no foreign ornaments.
The writers do not comment or defcant even on
the moll aftonifhing fads. They barely relate
them. Although the flyle of Scripture furpafles
every other in fimplicity, it is unparalleled in dig-
nity. Its dignity, indeed, eminently lies in its
inimitable fimplicity. The very language in which
the hiftory of creation is written, feems to partici-
pate of the majefty of the Creator. Even a hea-
then could give this teftimony : " The legillator
" of the Jews, a man by no means to be defpifed,
" with this elevation of mind made known the
" power of God according to its dignity. For he
" thus fpeaks, in the very beginning of the book
" of his laws ; God /aid. What ? Let light bCj
" and it was ; Let earth be^ and it was ^."
There is another charadter of dignity imprelTed
on the Sacred Hiftory, The writers of it do not
go about to feek for atteftations of the truth of
what they relate, however extraordinary it be.
They write as men fully aflured of the truth of
all that they declare. Such is their confcioufnefs
of veracity, that they difcover no anxiety as to
their own characters. They appeal not to others,
with
k Alarm to Britain, oi an Inquiry into tie Caufes of the Rapid dowth
of Infidelity, p. T59 — 161. 167.
1 Longin. de Sublimitate, fedt. iz.
OF SACRED HISTORY. 2I3
with refped: to tliclr credibility as witnefles ;
even when, to ordinary writers, fuch an appeal
might have feemed moft neceflary. They feem
perfedly fatisfied, that their characters fliould reft
entirely on the truth of the doftrines and facts
which they relate. They deign not to confi-
der, or even to mention, the objections that un-
believers might make to the miracles which they
record. They write with an air of authori-
ty, which could only arife from the fulleft per-
fuafion ; and difcover an elevation of mind total-
ly unknown to thofe who are under the influence
of their own fpirits.
The fame dignity appears in the choice of the
^natter. It has been juftly obferved by critics,
that the dignity of hiftorical writing is not pre-
ferved, if trivial and unimportant fadts are admit-
ted. Many events are recorded in Scripture, and
many circumftances are related, which, to a care-
lefs or prejudiced reader, may feem unimportant.
But fadts, which are comparatively of little mo-
ment, become highly important by their connexion
with thofe that are fo, by reafon of their typical
meaning, or their ufefulnefs in proving greater
fadts. The grcateft events alfo are often feen
to depend on the moft minute circumftances. The
difcord between Hagar and Sarah is of itfelf a
matter of no great importance. But it aflumcs ano-
ther afpedt, when viewed as not merely a reproof
to Abraham, but as making way for the declara-
tion of a moft important prophecy concerning the
pofterity of Hagar "'. The fame faCt was alfo of
O3 a
ID Gen. xvi. II,
214 ON THE BEAUTIES
a typical nature. For we learn froni the apoftle
Paul, that " thefe things are an allegory"." A
fa6t is mentioned, in the hiftory of the refurrec-
tion of our Saviour, which at firft view may feem
of very little confequence. We are informed,
that when Peter and John went into the fepulchre,
they faw"" the napkin that was about his head,
** not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped
" together in a place by itfelf "." Yet this fad,
apparently fo unimportant, afforded the cleareft
evidence that the body of Chriil: had not been car-
ried off from the fepulchre, but that he had really
rifen from the dead. This great exadnefs plain-
ly Ihewed, that every thing had been condudled
with the greateft order and deliberation. Such
an effect had this fingle conlideration on one of
thefe difciples, that he was fully fatisfied of the
truth of the refurreftion. Therefore it is faid,
" He faw, and believed p." What did he fee ?
Not his rifen Lord. He faw only the memorials
of his death, the clothes in which his dead body
had been wrapped. But as thefe were left, and
left in fuch perfect order, it was evident that the
fepulchre had not been robbed : nor could a doubt
remain, that Jefus had at the fame time put off
mortality and its badges.
V. Uniiy is juflly reckoned a great beauty in
hiflorical writing. Without this a mafs of fa<^s
may be collected ; but they do not form one
whole. In every good hiltory, there is fome prin-
cipal
^ Gal. iv. 14, 0 John xx. 7. p Ver. 8.
OF SACRED HISTORY. 21 5
cipal objed, to which all the events narrated have
either a more immediate or a more remote rela-
tion. In this refped, the hiftory of infpiration
will not merely (land the tcft of compariibn wiih
the bed human compofure, but unlpeakably ex-
cels all that the wifdom of ages has produced. It
includes, indeed, a great variety of fads, which
have no immediate connexion with each thcr.
But all thefc, however various, have one general
centre. They all refpect the vSaviour and his
work. This leading object furpafles any that was
ever propofed in profane hiftory, as much as eter-
nity furpaffes time, the immortal foul the perifli-
ing body, or the work of God that which is mere-
ly human. The hiftory of the corruption of our
nature, and of the wickednefs of man in a great
diverfity of lights, is ultimately meant to ftiew
the necefllty of a Saviour. This alfo is the prin-
cipal end of the hiftory of the judgments of God
recorded in Scripture. As it is evident that thefe
have never really -reformed men, we perceive the
neceflity of a divine operation. The hiftory of
other nations is introduced, becaufe of its con-
nexion with that of the church. When we read
that of the Egyptians, of the Moabites, i f the
Ammonites, of the different nations of Canaan, of
the Philiftines, of the Syrians, and of the Baby-
lonians, we muft not confider it as an hiftory in
which we have no concern. For thus we become
acquainted with the fignal difpays of divine power
and love towards the church in former times, and
with thofe deliverances that were merely figura-
O 4 tivc
Il6 ON THE BEAUTIES
tive of a more glorious falvation. In this refpedl,
the Bible is " the book of the wars of the Lord.''
We learn *' what he did in the Red Sea, and in
" the brooks of Arnon 'i."
VI. It is no inconiiderable beauty of Sacred Hi-
ftory, that the lives of ^ood men are given fully,
whereas we have only a compendious view of
thofe of the wicked. For this obfervation I ara
indebted to a writer, who, although an adherent
to the Romifh church, might, by that pious reve-
rence for the Holy Scriptures which he uniformly
difplays, well extort a blufli from many Proteilant
hiflorians. I cannot fo well illuftrate the idea, as
by tranfcribing his ov/n words : " The Scripture,"
he fays, *' cuts off in few words the hiltory of the
*' ungodly, how great foever they were in the
" eyes of. the world ; and, on the other hand,
" dv/ells long upon the fmalleil actions of the
" righteous. The finl: book of Kings is the
" hillory of Samuel ; the fecond that of Da-
" vid ; the third and fourth of Solomon, Jeho-
" fhaphat, Hexekiah, Elijah, Elifha, and Ifaiah*.
*.' The wicked feem to be mentioned only with
*' regret, by accident, and on purpofe to be con-
*' demned. If we compare what is faid of Nim-
^* rod, who built the two mighty cities of the
f world % and founded the greatefl empire that
<* ever was in the univerfe, with what is reported
" of
q Numb. xxi. 14.
* According to this mode of defignalion, the two books of Samuel arc
viewed as the Firtt and S> cond books of the Kings.
r Kir.eveh ai.u Babylon.
OF SACRED niSTORY. 11*]
•* the firft patriarchs, we know not why the very
♦* important tadts, which muft have rendered the
*' life of that famous conqueror fo particular, and
" given fo much light and ornament to ancient
" hiftory, (hould be paft over with fuch rapidity,
** to dwell fo long upon the minute and feeming-
" ly unneceflary circumftances of the life either
♦* of Abraham, or Jacob, which was ftill lefs il-
" luftrious than that of his grandfather. But God
" points out to us herein, how different his
" thoughts are from ours, in letting us fee in the
" firft what men admire and wifli for, and in the
^* others what he is well pleafed with, and thinks
" worthy his approbation and our attention ^"
VII. " The Scripture," according to the obfer-
vation of the fame beautiful writer, " lays down
" rules, and prefcribes models for all ranks and
" conditions. Kings and judges, rich and poor,
'* hufljands and wives, f^uhers and children, all
** find there the moft excellent inftrudions upon
" every branch of their duty ."
VIII. The delineation of r/^rt/Y7t7^/- J- is one prin-
cipal part of hiftory. The mind is foon fatigued
by a mere detail of fads. It wiflies to become
familiar with the perfons \\ho pafs before it in
review. One good hiftorical portrait is more in-
Itruclive than whole volumes of dry narrative.
The facred hiftorian does not profeftedly draw the
charaders
s Rollin's Belles Lettres Book IV. Part II. chap. i. ait. i.
t Ibid. u 2 Tim. iii. i6.
21 8 ON THE BEAUTIES
charaders of the perfons whom he defcribes. But
often is the charader perfectly feen by a fingle
flroke of his pencil. Nothing can be more de-
fcriptive of the chai-acler of Pharoah's chief but-
ler, than thefe fimple words j " Yet did not the
** chief butler remember Jofeph, but forgat him^'*
The mofl laboured differtation could not half fo
emphatically exprefs his ingratitude, his infenfi-
bility, and the fatal influence of profperity on his
foul. How ftriking is that parenthelis, introdu-
ced in the hiflory of one of the kings of Judah ;
" This is that king Ahaz''!" We could not
have a more pidlurefque view of the character of
Haman, than what his own language affords :
** Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as I fee
" Mordecai the Jew luting at the king's gate •'."
On the other hand, the charaders of the juft
are often emphatically drawn in a few words.
When it is faid of Enoch, that he " walked with
*' God ," we fee at one glance his feparation
.from the wicked world, the holinefs of his con-
verfation, and he fpirituality of his mind, which
rendered him fitter for being an inhabitant of
heaven than of earth. We do not wonder that
" he was no?," in the fame fenfe in which it is
alfo faid, that " God took him." For, long be-
fore his tranllation, ** he was not," as to " the life
" of this v/orld," or even as to the life of the ge-
nerality of faints. How ftriking is the character
given of Abraham I As if it were too little, that
he
V Gen. xl 23. w 2 Chron. xKviii. %%. s Efther V. 15.
jr Glen. V. 24.
OF SACRED HISTORY. 2I9
he fhould be called " the father of all them that
" believe %" he is alfo called " the friend of
" God =>." In this fingle delignation, we have a
full view of the venerable patriarch ; we have a
compend of his whole hillory. It at once exhi-
bits the almighty God entering into covenant
with his creature, as a man with his friend ; his
infinite condcfcenfion in fwearing to Abraham, be-
caufe he loved hihi ; his munificence, in not only
giving him the whole of that land in which he
was a ftranger, but in alTuring him of a far better
inheritance ; the aftonilliing familiarity to which
he was admitted ; and the wonderful proof of the
confidence which God repofed in him, by reveal-
ing to him the fecrets of his purpofe. We at the
fame time fee Abraham's Heady and implicit con-
fidence in God ; his holy boldnefs in interceding
with him ; and the evidence he gave of the fin-
cerity of his friendfliip, by the extent and cheer-
fulnefs of his obedience.
IX. It is the province of hifiory to give a true
account of the fprhigs of actions and events. It
has been jullly obferved, that the hillorical writer
fhould be well acquainicd with human nature,
and have an extenfive political knowledge. With-
out the one, he cannot give a juft view of the
conduct of individuals ; without the other, he
cannot rationally account for the revolutions of
colledive bodies. Often, however, the moll acute
uninfpired writer can only guefs at the fccret
fprings
; Kom. iv, II. a James ii. 13.
110 ON THE BEAUTIES
fprings of human conduct. But in the Holy
Scriptures, they are certainly declared by him
who " alone knoweth the hearts of the children
" of men," who " knoweth the fecrets of the
" heart," and who is certainly acquainted with
all thofe motives of adion, which are not only hid
from the world, but perhaps in a great meafure
imperceptible to the agent himfelf. Men, from
natural ingenuity, joined with fufficient opportu-
nity and application, may acquire an eminent de-
gree of political knowledge. But how limited the
knowledge of the moft confummate earthly politi-
cian, compared with that of " the Governor among
" the nations !" Men talk of the balance of
power. But who can truly know this, but he to
whom alone " power belongeth ;" who holds in
his almighty hand a balance for weighing kings
and kingdoms ; in whofe eye they are often
*' found wanting," when no deficiency can be
perceived by the dim eye of human difcernment ?
By him alone can the various relations of itates
and empires, in refpedl to each other, be truly
difcemed ; becaufe he only knows the relation
that each of them bears to his juftice, and their
appointed fubferviency to the fulfilment of his
pleafure. The fcheme of divine government is
too intricate for the wife men of this world. How
often are they deceived in their eftimates of the
paft, and their calculations with refpeft to the
future ! With what contempt doth He, who ma-
nages the fecret wheels of government, view their
feeble conjedures I How cutting his irony! *' Sure-
" ly
OF SACRED HISTORY. 22l
** ly the princes of Zoan are fools, the counfel of
*' the wife coiinfellors of Pharaoh is become bru-
" tifli : how fay ye unto Pliaraoh, I am the ion
" of the wife, the fon of ancient kings ? Where
" are they ? where are thy wife men ? and let
" them tell thee now, and let them know what
" the Lord of hofts hath purpofed upon E-
" gypt"."
X. The whole of this hiftory is ufeful. As " all
" Scripture is given by infpiration of God," it is
" all profitable ^." What is true of the whole, muft
be equally true of every part of revelation. There
is not a fmgle portion of its hiftory, which, if
fairly viewed in its connexion and defign, does
not contain an important moral ; while nothing
fuperfluous is admitted, nor any thing to minifter
to vain curiolity. It has been often obferved,
that wifdom is the great end of hiftory. It is
meant to fupply the want of experience, not mere-
ly in individuals, but in particular generations.
Here we have the aggregate of human knowledge,
as far as it is derived from experience. It is
brought into a common ftock, for the benefit of
mankind in general ; that the deficiency of one
age may be fupplied from the abundance of others,
which have preceded it. With refpcd:, then, to
the end of all hiftory, it may fuperlativcly be Aiid
of that which bears the imprefs of infpiration,
" Here is wifdom." For in the hiftory of his
word,
b Ifa xii. ir, II. ■ 1 1"'f" '■'- "^'-
121 ON THE BEAUTIES
word, the Lord " layeth up found wifdom for the
*' righteous '^."
XI. We may juftly reckon it one of the beau-
ties of Sacred Hiftory, that it furnifhes nothing to
dijlradl the mind from that which is the great
fubjed: of revelation, and which is exhibited to
us as demanding our principal attention. So prone
is the mind to ftart aiide from this, that we may
well admire both the wifdom and the goodnefs
of God, in withholding from us whatfoever might
prove a temptation.
Some modern philofophers quarrel with reve-
lation, becaufe it does not contain a fyllem of
fcience, or perfectly agree, in its modes of ex-
preffion, with that fyltem which is generally ad-
opted. But had it been formed on fuch a plan,
it would ftill have been expofed to objedlion from
fome quarter. For the fyftem of philofophy, which
is adopted in one age, is rejedled and ridiculed in
another. There is no age, in which all, who
claim the delignation of philofophers, are agreed
as to any one fyftem. It was therefore molt con-
liftent with divine wifdom, to exprefs the opera-
tions of nature, according to the common lan-
guage of men. This was efpecially neceflary, as
the Scriptures were meant for mankind in general,
of whom by far the greateit part are illiterate,
and could not therefore have underftood the lan-
guage of Scripture, had it been widely different
from that in common ufe. In this method, there
is
d Prov. ii. 7.
OF SACRED HISTORY. 223
IS nothing more inconfiftent with truth, jthan in
that obferved by the greateft philofophers. Does
not everyone of them fpcak, in the common ftyle,
of the tun rifing, and of the fun fetting ; al-
though fuch expvelUons are diametrically oppofite
to his own fyftem with refped to the nniverfe ?
It has been objeded to the account given of
the miracle recorded in the bookof Jofhua % with
refped to the fun Handing Hill, that it is repug-
nant to the known fyftem of the heavens ; and
that, had the miracle really taken place, the mo-
tion of the earth, and not that of the fun, lliould
have been fufpended. It would fatisfy any can-
did mind, although we could give no other reply,
than that the miracle is expreffed according to its
apparent effedl ; and that there is no more im-
propriety in its being faid, that the fun Jloodjlill,
than that he goes down. But it merits obferva-
tion, that, bating the neceflary accommodation of
the phrafeology to the common language of men,
there is no paiTage in any ancient writer that har-
monizes fo well with what is called the Coper^
nican Syjlem. For as both fun and moon had
been above the horizon at this time, Joflma called
upon both to Hand Hill : " He faid, ni the fight
** of Ifrael, Sun, Hand thou Hill upon Gibeon ;
" and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." Now,
as the moon could not be neceifary to give light
in the day-time, this language fliews, not only
that the effeft was fuch as perfedtly to corrcfpond
with the modern fyllem concerning the heavenly
bodies,
e Jofli. «. It, 13.
224 ON THE BEAUTIES
bodies, but that Joflma M'as direded by the Spi-
rit of God to call for a difplay of divine power,
in terms confiftent with the phyfical fad. For
according to the received fyftem, the fun could
not h-A-YQ. flood Jlill, unlefs the moon had ?i\io flay-
ed ; that is, both muft have feemed to do fo, in
confequence of the celTation of the diurnal mo-
tion of the earth.
The objedion, however, which is made to re-
velation, that it is not fufhciently philofophical,
is merely a branch of a far weightier objection,
or a veil thrown over it. God, who difcerns that
the thoughts of man are vanity, well knows that
the efFecl of human wifdom is to carry man far-
ther away from Himfelf. It is undeniable, that
the greatefl part of thofe called philofophers, have
been much more inclined to empty fpeculation,
than to faith ; far more difpofed to feek fuel for
their natural pride, than to endeavour to mortify
it. But the revelation, w ith which God favours
man, is adapted to his fallen nature, and is meant
to humble him in his own eyes. Hence it con-
tains nothing that can minifter to the pride of his
underftanding. It reprefents him as " foolilh and
** ignorant, as " brutifh in his knowledge," as
ready to periih, and as needing fupernatural illu-
mination. It calls his attention to thofe things
which belong to his eternal peace. It is given
for this very end. It would therefore be incon-
fiftent with the very defign of revelation, did it
fupply mail with new objeds, to divert his atten-
tion from his principal concerns , from which al-
moft
OF SACRED HISTORVi 225
moil every objedt around him, in confequencc of
his own depravity, tends to abilract liis mind.
This then is the true, the full objedion againft
divine revelation, however much it may be veiled,
or frittered away by human ingenuity. It ftains
the pride of human glory, by requiring that man
fliould " deny himfelf," and not " lean to his
'* own underitanding."
SECTION III.
On the Advantages arlfing from the Hijiorkal
Mode of fiYiting,
We are now to inquire into the fpecial ad-
vantages arifing from this mode of writing.
I. By this means many important truths are
made more- level to the Undcrjlatidhig. The ope-
rations of our own minds are often of an abftraft
nature. We are therefore at a lofs, not merely
to delcribe, but to inveftigate them. If they re-
fpecl divine things, the difficulty is greater, be-
caufe of our natural darknefs and llupidity *. How
Vol. I. P many
* " Civil Hiftory i? properly the hiftory of the human mind, the Icicnce
" of the he^rt, and the fchool of focieiy. There \rc many people of merit,
" who fet a grea*er value upon a pood maxim, or a judicious faying, than
'• upon a ferics of fatfls : and who will, at any time, rirher choole to put
" into the hands of youth collections of morals, th.^n hiftarical fadls.
" Their intention in this, is to for.ji the judgment by the truths rcfuUing
" from a(ftions, rather than fill up young minds with battles, or othct
" event?,
126 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
many Chriftians are bewildered in their appre-
henlions about faving faith I The nature of this
grace, however, is not merely pointed out in the
doftrine of revelation : it is alfo moll clearly ex-
emplified in the hiftory. We can neither truly
know what faith is, nor exercife it, unlefs it be
given us from above. But he, from whom *' every
" good and perfect gift cometh," compallionates
our weaknefs, and employs the mofl fuitable means
for our inftrudtion. We have a limple and beautiful
reprefentation of the nature of faith in the hif-
tory of Abraham. We learn that God promifed
him a fon in his old age, and that he credited the
divine teftimony. We perceive his faith termi-
nating on Him, who was to fpringfrom him ** ac-
" cording
•' events, tbat fecm not fit to convey any inIlrn(flion. But be pleafed to
" put the Adages of Erafmiis in oppofition to the hiftory oi Alexander, or
, •• of the VifcQunt Turemie : Erafrnvs, with his heavy quinteffence of
" rules, maxims, and moral refledlions, fhall have nobody on his fide.
" They either will not pcrufe him at all, or they will yawn at reading
" him. — Nor is it enough, indeed, when you defire to improve minds, and
" render them fruitful, that the things you propofe to them be good in
" themfelves. They ought chiefly to be le-jel to, and fit to make an
" impreffion cti men of the narroiuejl capacity. Now, this is the peculiar
" prerogative of hiftory. It enchants the reader, by offering to his re-
•' fle(fticns a chain of fadis, which, although they have not the air of lef-
" fons, yet are the feeds of the beft precepts, and, in reality, contain all
" the moral truths which the raind does herfelf extradl from them in a
*♦ much more, beneficial manner. I own that a fingle word of Monfieur
•« Turennt is fometimes more affecfling and inftrudtive than the recital
" of his battles. But the merit of that word, the vafue of the noble fen-
" timent it exprefles, is never felt completely, without the help of the
" faa that occafioned it. You ntwy not only admire the calmnefs of
" mind, and good order that reign in all his battles, but reap much benefit
" likewife from the cautions that precede each glorious day, and the
•' utility he derives from them. Great benefit may be reaped alfo from
" the very confeffions he makes of his miftakes." Abbe de la Pluchf^'j
Nature Difphyed, Vol. v. Dial. 13.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 227
'^ cording to the flefh," as that feed in whom
alone he could be blefled. We fee the neceffary
connexion of hope with faith, in his patient wait-
ing for the fulfilment of the promife. We dif-
cern the diftinguidiing charader of faith " of
** the operation of God," that the fubjed of it
•* againil hope believes in hope." We find how
faith and works neceflarily co-operate ; that al-
though they have no connexion as to merit, they
are infeparably conneded with refpec^ to evi-
dence. From this hiftory, we clearly fee, that
Abraham was juftified, before he had done any
works acceptable to God : but that works were
afterwards required of him, as evidences of the
fipxerity of his faith, and of the truth of his juf-
tification.
The Apoftle defines faith to be " the fubftance
" of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
" feen <"." But he does not ftop here. He pro-
ceeds to give an account of this grace, as illuftra-
ted in the hiftory of the faints, in a great variety
of operations. Why does he obferve this me-
thod ; but becaufe he well knew, by " the wif-
" dom given him," that fuch an illuftration from
fads was far better adapted to the ufe of Chrif-
tians in general, than the moft accurate defini-
tion ?
II. This method is peculiarly calculated for en-
gaging the Attention. Unlefs the attention be en-
gaged, truth cannot find its way to the under-
p ^ ftanding,
f Heb. xl. I.
228 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF^
Handing, nor make any impreffion on the heart.
Few minds are capable of giving the fame atten-
tion to truth delivered abftraclly, as when it af-
fumes the form of hiftory. Many can fcarcely
read any thing in another form. This may be
partly owing to the prefent Hate of the foul. It
is fo intimately conne(n:ed with matter, that it
flill wilhes, if poffible, to fix on a fenfible objeft.
But it muft be principally afcribed to our depra-
vity. Naked truth has not charms enow for the
corrupt mind. Therefore it muft alTume the garb
of character ; and be endued with life and a6lion.
" Infinite wifdom," as a judicious writer ob-
ferves, " inftead of always employing plain max-
" ims, or cold generalities, delights in making
** men difcover the wholefome truths in a recital^.
*' and in the appearance of a matter of fadl §."
Some may imagine, that it had been more defi-
rable, if the great doctrines of revelation had
been delivered in their order and connexion, with-
out being interfperfed with fo much hiftory. But
while fuch accufe the wifdom of God, they dif-
cover their ignorance of man. For the Scrip-
ture is indeed far more beautiful, and far more
adapted to general ufe, in that form which God
hath given it, than if all its doctrines had been
propofed in the form of a regular fyftem. Facta
are employed to awake, and to preferve the at-
tention. Thefe have dodtrines mingled with them,
that they may be profitable. The mind of the
reader is relieved by the pleafmg variety. He at
the
g N^ure Difplayed, Vol. v. Dial. 15.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 229
the fame time receives the beft entertainment,
and the moft Iblid inftrudion. Precept and ex-
ample are Teen at once, in their beautiful rela-
tion, and in their mutual influence.
III. This manner of writing has a native ten-
dency more powerfully to influence the Affections.
Thefe, in mofl: infl:ances, are the immediate fprings
of human adion. Almofl: in every country, and
in every age, fables or allegories have been em-
ployed, as more eligible means for communicating
infl:ru(ftion than mere precepts or prohibitions.
In this manner, have the wifefl heathens endea-
voured to recommend virtue, and to reprove vice.
If mere fable has been reckoned fo infl:rud:ive,
furely genuine hiftory mufl: be preferable in this
refped.
When righteoufnefs or wickednefs appears in
the form of charader, it tends mofl; powerfully to
engage our afFcdions. If our fouls are not en-
flaved by fin, we take an interefl: in all that hap-
pens to a good man. We feel a fincere pleafure
• in his profperity. We tremble for him in ad-
verfity. We enter into his various feelings, and
make his particular fituation our own. We re-
joice when he rejoices ; we weep when he weeps.
On the other hand, the crimes of a wicked man
excite our detcflation. Wc are afraid Icfl: he
fhould ** profper. in l>is way." We are grieved
if he triumphs. While we pity the man, we ad-
^re jjie righteous judgment of God in his pu-
P ^ nifliment
^3© ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
oilhment as a tranfgreflbr. That heart mufl be
nearly as obdurate as Saul's, which does not take
a deep intereft in the afRiclions of the unoffend-
ing David. He mufl have an equal love to " the
" wages of unrighteoufnefs" with Balaam, who
does not rejoice in the difappointment of that fpe-
jcious hypocrite in his various attempts to curfe
Ifrael.
Many afBrm that they are mofl affeded by
truth when exhibited in a tragic form ; that vir-
tue makes mofl imprelTion on their affedions,
tvhen reprefented as flruggling with adverfity.
If fo, they have no occafion to feek to the theatre.
In the Holy Scriptures, God himfelf hath ereded
a flage^ on which the mofl flriking tragedies are
reprefented. Here, there is the greatefl poffible
variety of charadlers ; and men of all ranks make
their entrance. So very various are the reprefen-
tations, that virtue and vice are exhibited in every
imaginable form. There is fomething fuited to
every fpeclator. No fictitious adlors make their
appearance here. Every characler is real. The
fcenes have been all delineated by the pencil of
truth. And they are fcenes which truly tend to
ftrike the mind of a rational being. Heaven in
all its joys, and hell in all its terrors, terminate
the profpecl.
Are you inflru6led by feeing virtue flruggling
with adverfity ? Attend to it, then, in the pa-
tience of Job, in the hiflory of Jeremiah, and
above all in the life and death of the Son of God.
Here
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 23I
Here alone can you fee fpotlels innocence triumph-
ing over the moft aggravated miferies.
IV. I need fcarcely fay, that truth, in an hif-
toric form, makes a far deeper impreffion on the
Memory y than when communicated in a dodrinal
manner. This power is fo formed, as to take a
firmer hold of fads, than of precepts. We fee
this every day with refpect to children. When
they cannot retain any abftrad; truth, they eafily
receive inftruftion in the form of hiftory. Now,
our condefcending Father treats us as only older
children. He communicates truth in that way
which is moil adapted to the impcrfedion of our
faculties in this ftate of minority.
The Ifraelites were commanded to inftrud: their
pofterity, not merely as to doctrines, but fads.
The fathers were to tell their children, what God
had done, as well as what he had fpokcn ''. Some
of their moft folemn ordinances, as has been for-
merly feen, were inftituted, for the exprcfs pur-
pofe of preferving the remembrance of fads. la
like manner, the principal feaft, under the New
Tellament, is appointed as a perpetual memorial
of the grcateft event that ever took place on the
theatre of this world, — the death of *' the Prince
** of Life." " As often," fays the great infti-
tutor, " as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
" ye do fliew the Lord's death, till he come."
V. This method tends in a fpecial manner to
P 4 ftrikr
b Pfdl. sliv. :.— 3.; Ixxviii. 4, 5.
lyi ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
ftrike the Imagination. This is the inventive
power of the foul. Here, as in a prolific womb,
the molt of our thoughts receive their firft for-
mation. Hence are they at length ufhered in-
to light, and afTume the form of external adions.
This is, indeed, the leading faculty ; which fup-
plies matter for the judgment of the underfland-
ing, and for the choice or rejeftion of the will.
This is that power of the foul, which has the moft
immediate connexion with objeds of fenfe, and
receives its impreffions by means of our bodily
organs. It is, therefore, of the greateft import-
ance, that fuch objedts be prefented to it, as tend
to make proper and ufeful impreffions. In its na-
tural ftate, it is under the power of vanity. There-
fore the Gentiles are faid to ** walk in the vanity
^* of their minds," or imaginations, *' having the
" underftanding darkened i." This vanity of the
mind efpecially appears by its ardent purfuit of
vain objects, and by its great inftability. The
natural darknefs of the underftanding is greatly
increafed by the habitual vanity of the imagina-
tion. Flying from fpiritual objecls, and eagerly
purfuing thofe that correfpond to its own vanity,
it obfcures the underftanding with a multitude of
ideas v^^hich bear this charader, and which there-
fore tend to pervert its judgment.
As this power is changed by grace, God, in the
external revelation he hath given us, is pleafed to
employ means which are adapted to its peculiar
frame. He does not merely make ufe of conlider-
ations
i Eph. iv. i"^.
THE HISTORICAL I\TODE OF WRITING. 233
ntions fuited to the nature of the undcrftanding,
and motives which have a tendency to influence
the will : he alfo exhibits fuch objedls as are mod
apt to imprefs the imagination, and exhibits them
in fuch a way as is moll likely to produce the
deepelt impreffion. Bccaufe this power of the
foul is inferior to the underllanding, and ought to
fubmit to its decifions ; becaufe it is of itfelf
wild and ungovernable, and very fubjed: to illu-
iion ; many perhaps give it far lefs attention than
it deferves, and may be apt to imagine that very
little regard is paid to it in Scripture, or in gra-
cious operation. But the more wild it is, the
greater is the necelTity of its being tamed. The
more that it is fubjech to illulion, the greater is
the occafion for fupplying it with proper anti-
dotes. Accordingly, to an attentive obferver, it
will be evident that a great part of Scripture is
meant in a particular manner for the ufe of this
faculty. Well knowing its propenfity to catch
at the moft trivial things, he fubllitutes in their
place thofe of the greatcft moment. As it is
"capable of being aft'cded by what is great and
fublimc, he holds up to its view, on the page
of revelation, events which are far more cal-
culated to aftonifli, by their grandeur, than any
that are recorded in profane hiftory. Thofe
great and ftupendous works, which we call mira-
cles, were immediately addrclTcd by God to the
fenfes of carnal men, that by mens of them they
might be excited to attention, and have the moft
ponvincing evidence of his prefence, power, and
greatnefs.
2-34 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
greatnefs. Did the Supreme Being ftoop fo low ;
and needs it feem furprifing that he fhould alfo
adapt himfelf to that mental faculty, which, as
we have feen, has the molt intimate connexion
with objects of fenfe ?
Is the imagination naturally unftable ? He, in
fome degree, condefcends to its weaknefs in this
refpecl, by prefenting it with a pleafing variety ;
while he at the fame time arrefls its attention, by
the magnitude, and by the connexion of the va-
rious events. Is this power, in its ftate of im-
perfeftion, fubjed to fuch impreffions as produce
fear, and thence very apt to embrace fuperllitious
ideas ? He indeed exhibits fuch objects as tend
to excite fear ; but that fear which is " the be-
** ginning of wifdom," and which is infeparably
connedled with true religion. Thus, although the
whole efficacy depends on the drawing of his Spi-
rit, he even externally " draws," in a variety of
refpedis, " with cords of a man ''^." How much
foever, indeed, the mind may be ftruck by any
thing in revelation, it can have no faving effed:,
unlefs it be received by faith, refling on a divine
teftimony. For without this, there can be no ge-
nuine reception, or right underftanding, even of
the hiftorical parts of Scripture ^ But God may
thus work on the imagination, before he commu-
nicate faith, as a mean of exciting the attention
to fpiritual objedls. When he hath given faith,
he fanctifies this power as well as any other.
This is one way in which the Holy Spirit ope-
rates
k Hof. li. 4, 1 Heb. si. 3.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 235
rates in eftablifhing the heart. He fills the mind with
divine things, exhibited in the moft ftriking light,
and fixes it on thefe. Therefore David difcovcrs
his knowledge, both of the heart of man, and of
the gracious operation of God, when, in reference
to the folemn offering that he and Ifracl had made
of their fubfl:ance to the great Giver, he prefcnts
this fupplication ; " Keep this for ever in the
*' imagination of the thoughts of the heart of
" thy people, and prepare," or ** JlahliJJj their
" heart unto thee '"."
Whether we confider the mattery or the form
of Sacred Hiftory, we will find that it is admi-
rably adapted for imprefilng the imagination.
With refpetl to the matter^ we may take the
hiftory of the Deluge for an example. No ab-
ftradt defcription of the evil or defert of fin could
be equally ftriking. We are not merely inform-
ed of the corruption of the viHiys or condudl of
men, but of the univerfality of this corruption.
" All flej[h had corrupted his way upon the
" earth "." This depravity extended not only to
all men, but to all that is in man. His heart was
corrupted, as well as his way. Nor was this de-
pravity fancied and complained of by fome vi-
fionary and melancholy men, who viewed every
thing in the worft light ^ or by a few felf-righ-
teous perfons, who willicd to extol themfelves at
the expence of all around them. Nor, as extend-
ing to the foul, was it merely of a partial nature.
We have the teftimony of the Searcher of hearts,
of
111 X Chron. xxix. 18, n Gen. vi. ra.
236 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
of the infallible Judge of the univerfe, both as to
its reality and its extent. " God faw that the
" wickednefs of man was great in the earth, and
" that every imagination of the thoughts of his
" heart was only evil continually °." This evil
is attributed to every figment of the heart ; to all
its firft adtings, purpofes, or defires. Here the
mind has a portrait presented to its view ; a por-
trait of itfelf, drawn by the finger of God, which
may well produce aflionilhment and felf-abhor-
ren^ce !
God claims it as an cflential property, necefla-
rily flowing from the independence and immuta-
bility of his nature, that he cannot repent : " I
" am Jehovah, I change not ; ." But more ener-
getically to exprefs his infinite hatred of fin, and
the aflionifiiing change of his condud in confe-
quence of this hatred, he fpeaks of himfelf as if
he had been agitated by the diftrefsful feelings of
a mortal creature : " It repented Jehovah that he
" had made man on the earth." He ufes no fuch
language concerning any other creature that he
had made. God is eflentiaily " blefiTed for ever."
But, with the fame defign, he reprefents himfelf
as if he had been affedted by that keen anguifii of
heart to which finful man is fubjedled : — " and it
" grieved him at his heart ." What an affeding
pidure of the evil of fin ! It caufed him to re-
pent, who is not " the fon of man, that he fhould
** repent." It " grieved Jmji at his heart," whofe
felicity is abfolutely independent.
The
p Gen. vi. 5, p Mai. iii. 6. q Gen. vi. 6,
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 237
The awful determination of God with refpedt
to the deftrudion of man is alfo declared : '* And
" the Lord faid, I will deftroy man." Was this
a creature who had been thruft in upon God's
earth by an enemy to his glory ? No. He was
God's own creature ; — '* man, whom I have crea-
'* ted ;" and created with fuch divine pomp and
majefty. He had created him on the earth, and
given this as his dominion. Now he fays, *' I
" will deftroy," literally " blot man out from
" the face of the earth ^'* The deftrucHiion is to
be fo general and complete, that thofe who fur-
vive can fcarcely be mentioned as an exception ;
and they can furvive only by being exiles " from
" the face of the earth," by being lifted up to-
wards that heaven, whence alone their protec-
tion can come.
But this deftrudion is not confined to man. It
is extended to the irrational and the inanimate
creation, to the earth itfelf and all its inhabitants.
" The Lord faid, I will deftroy — both man and
" beaft, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of
. *' the air : for it repenteth me that I have made
" them \" — Behold, I will deftroy them with the
" earth "." Why are thefe innocent creatures in-
volved in the fame punifliment with guilty man ?
Although he failed to anfvver the end of his crea-
tion, had not they anfwered theirs ? They had
been in part prevented from doing fo by lils
apoftacy. They had been " made fubjedl to va-
" nity " i" and converted into " inftrumehts of
" unriglitcoufnefs."
r Gen. vi. 7. t Ibid. t Vcr. rj. u Rom. viii. zo.
238 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
" unrighteoufnefs." Even the good creatures of
God had thus been made the " minifters of fin."
He therefore fpeaks as if he looked back on their
formation with regret : " It repenteth me that I
" h-ave made them." The earth had been given
to man as his pofTeffion ; and the inferior crea-
tures as his fubjedts. By fin he had forfeited his
right to both. As in other infl:ances recorded in
Scripture, the goods of the tranfgreflbr perifh
with him \ When it is faid, " that the earth was
" corrupt before God ^'," the language can only
be underltood, in Itrid: propriety, of its inhabi-
tants. But this fl:rong metaphor is ufed, in con-
formity to the context, to exprefs that fin is fo
abominable in the eye of Infinite Purity, that he
views the earth itfelf as if it were " defiled under
" the inhabitants thereof'^' ;" as if it were un-
worthy to be acknowledged as his footfi:ool, till it
be cleanfed by a flood of waters.
In this hifl:ory we have an affeding reprefenta-
tion of the hardening effedt of fin. We fee the
whole world under the power of obduracy. Noah
doubtlefs proclaimed the divine purpofe, made
known to him by revelation. Had he not done
fo, it could not have been faid with propriety,
that by the " preparing of an ark for the faving
" of his houfe," he *' condemned the world y."
But with what indifference are the awful tidings
received I Neither the predidions of Enoch, nor
the v/arnings of Noah, have any effc6l. The fears
of
V Numb. xvi. 32. ; Jolh. vii. 15. 24. w Gen. vi. ii.
K Ifa. xs.lv. c, y Heb. xi. 7.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 239
of the generation are nowife alarmed ; though
they fee the full perfuafion which " that righteous
" perfon" has of the truth of his doflrine, exem-
plified in his prafticc. Wc do not read of fo much
as a fingle convert. There is every reafon to fup-
pofe, that his fear was the objeft of univerfal ri-
dicule. " They were eating and drinking, marry-
" ing and giving in marriage, until the day that
" Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until
" the flood came and took them all away ^" We
have no evidence that any one, without the ex-
tent of his own family, ufed any preparatory
means for prefervation, or made application to
him.
We fee the very brutes proclaiming the folly
of rational creatures, and giving a new warning
to them, by fleeing from that earth which fin had
defiled, and their Maker had deferted. We fee
the whole of nature rifing up in God's quarrel ;
the heavens and the earth confpiring for the dc-
flrudion of rebellious men. While the earth finks
under the load, the heavens purfue them from
above.
There is fomething very awful in the gradual
nature of their deftrudion. It rained " forty days
*' and forty nights upon the earth ^" After this,
" the waters were increafed, and bare up the
" ark." Wc are informed in fuccclfion, that they
" prevailed," that they *' increafed greatly," and
that " they prevailed exceedingly, till all the
** high mountains, that were under the whole
" heaven,
2 Mat. xx'iv, 36, ,^9, . a Cm. vli. 17.
240 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
" heaven, were covered '\" God could eafily have
deftroyed the world in a moment ; or he could
have brought this deflrudion by water far more
fpeedily upon them. But it was his pleafure,
that thofe, who had finned fo long on this earth,
fhould have their punifhment prolonged on it ;
that, as its produdions had been their idols, they
fhould live to fee them perifli. Thofe who would
not be reclaimed by God's gracious calls, now
become involuntary witnelTes of the flow but cer-
tain approach of his judgments. They had long'
defpifed an offered falvation ; now, for a confider-
able time, they fee the awful advances of inevi-'
table deilru6lion. There would m.ofi: probably be
a progrefs in the means employed by them for ob-
taining deliverance, bearing fome analogy to the
progreflive nature of the calamity. While they
might fuppofe that the inundation would be only
partial, they would feek protedlion on the roofs
of their houfes. Thence they would flee to rifing
grounds ; and, as the waters prevailed, afcend
ftill higher and higher, till they reached the fum-
mits of the loftiell mountains ; ftill vainly hoping
for deliverance.
Thus, they fupply us with a llriking picture of
the vanity of all thofe refuges to which guilty
linners naturally betake themfelves, while reject-
ing the only true refuge ; of what is often the
cafe, their being driven from one to another, till
they are at length overtaken by remedilefs de-
ftrudion. Protedion could be no where found
but
a Gen. vii. 18, ip.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRltlNG. 1^1
but in that contemptible ark, which had been fo
long the laughing-llock of unbelievers. Such is
the deftrudive nature of fin, that every one pe-
rifhes, who is not hid in the ark of God's church,
who does not liften to the true Noah, and come
in to him by faith, becoming an heir of his righ-
teoufnefs .
1 fliall only add on this branch, that God feems
to have fuffered the deluge to continue much
longer than was necelTary for the deftrucHiion of
every living thing, that the whole face of nature
might be changed. He was not only to deftroy
man and bead, but " to dellroy them with the
** earthJ'"' We, therefore, fee him infcribing on the
earth, with his own almighty hand, the imprefs
of his curfe, in chara<5ters fo deep and full, that
they fliould be abundantly legible to every fuc-
ceeding generation.
The form or order of Sacred Hiftory, corre-
fponding with the connexion of the events, is of-
ten nearly as ftriking as its matter. This hiftory
commences with an account of creation. Here
we fee the Omnipotent with the greateft folem-
nity calling nothing into exiftence \ creating this
lower world, and adapting it for the reception of
man ; nay, cafting the whole univerfe into fuch a
mould, as to be moft fiibfervient to his ufe ; form-
ing the fun to rule by day, and the moon by
night. We fee him amply furniftiing this earth
with inferior creatures, both animate and inani-
Vol. I. Q^ mate.
Z^2 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
mate. With ftill greater folemiiity does he give
being to that creature, for whom he had already
fo liberally provided. For the formation of all
the other creatures, he had merely interpofed his
word. But here his word precedes the formation.
Formerly, " he fpake, and it was done ;" here he
fpeaks to declare the peculiar manner in which
this work fhould be done. " God faid, Let us
*' make man in our image, after our likenefs."
He is exhibited as giving exiftence to all his other
creatures by a word. Man appears as if he were
more immediately the work of his hands : " Ttie
^' Lord God formed man '^." To put the great-
er honour on this creature, his creation is repre-
fented as confifling of two ads ; the one refpedl-
ing his body, the other his foul. Heaven and
earth feem both to concentrate in the formation
of this more noble creature. While his body is
moulded of the duft of the ground, he receives
his foul by immediate infpiration from his Ma-
ker.
When man is thus formed, his beneficent Crea-
tor conflitutes him lord of all the lower world, gi-
ving him the ufe of every thing that it contains
but one, which he referves in his own hand, as a
token of his rightful fapremacy. In a word, to
exprefs the perfedion of his works, the delight
he hath in them, and the apparent impoffibility
that there fliould be any neceffity of a renewed
operation, he folemnly pronounces them to be
" all very good ;" and on the feventh day ^rells
fr'Qra
d Cen. ii. y.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 243
from all his work, and confecrates it as a day of
facred reft, in commemoration of his.
But, what an aflonilhing reverfe I This reft is
immediately fucceeded, if not interrupted, by the
rebellion of that very creature whom he had fo
highly honoured ; by a daring attempt to rival
his Maker ; by the lofs of the divine image ; by
an afTecling fenfe of guilt ; and by the moft con-
fummate mifery I
It might be fuppofed, that, if any thing would
reclaim man from his apoftacy, a difcovery of the
pardoning mercy of his offended Sovereign would
have this effedl. Accordingly, no fooner has man
rebelled than God proclaims forgivcnefs, promi-
fmg a feed who fliould bruife the head of the fer-
pent, or deftroy the works of the devil. But nei-
ther the denunciation of the curfe, nor the decla-
ration of the bleffing, can of itfelf wean man from
fin. When we advance another ftep, we perceive
the total degeneracy of that nature which feemed
fo peculiarly the object of divine attention. We
fmd the path of the firft man born of woman,
whom, indeed, flie feems at firft to have taken for
the promifed Deliverer, marked with the blood of
his own brother.
In the compendious account that we have of
the antediluvian Patriarchs, we may be ftruck
with the idea of their longevity. But there is a
circumftance, which is undoubtedly meant ftill
more to arreft our attention. The account of
each of them, one excepted, is clofed with thefe
words ; " And he died." This is no " vain re-
Qjl '' petitioD."
^44 ^^ "^^^ ADVANTAGES OT
" petition." The fame thing would not be fo
frequently mentioned by the facred hiftorian,
efpecially where the narrative is fo concife, were
it not meant to have peculiar emphafis. Thus,
we fee ** death reigning from Adam to" Noah ;
and at length reaching thofe who were the long-
ell exempted from its llroke. This is, in lliort,
an hiftory of the curfe. Here we fee its regular
fucceflion. We perceive its natural effedl in tem-
poral death, even on thofe who were delivered
from its power.
In a little, we fee the whole world filled with
violence and corruption. The fupreme Lord again
appears upon the flage. He fpeaks as if he had
" made all men in vain." He who faid, " Let
" us make man," now faid, ** I will deftroy man
« whom I have created."
As the matter of this part of Sacred Hiftory is
very ftriking, fo alfo is its order or connexion.
We have firft an account of the multiplication
of men upon the earth '\ But, as has been gene-
rally the cafe ever fince, iniquity increafed with
them. We are particularly informed of the firft
great defedion of the feed of Seth. They ming-
led with the world '* lymg in the wicked one."
" The fons of God," or the profcflbrs of the true
religion, ^* faw the daughters of men," the pofte-
rity of Cain, who had no other image than that
of the firft man, the earthy Adam ; " and they
** took unto them wives of all which they chofe '."
An intimate connexion with " the children of this
" generation;,"
c Gen. vi, i. f Ver. 3.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 24^
" generation," efpecially by marriage, has in eve-
ry age of the church been marked as a procurmg
caufe of the difpleafure of God, and been careful-
ly avoided by his faithful fervants ^ If any of
them have adted otherwife, it has been to theit
hurt ".
When men were thus determmed to mmgle
themfelves with the profane world, God ceafed to
contend with them by the common operations of
his Spirit. " And the Lord faid. My Spirit Ihall
- not always llrive with man." For what rea-
fon ?— « for that he alfo is fleih ' i" the profeffors
of the true religion, as well as the idolatrous po-
fterity of Cain, arc carnal men. This judgment,
although only of a fpiritual kind, was, in fad, far
more fevere than many temporal calamities, which
make a deeper imprelTion, as affeding the fenfes :
and, as in this inftance, it is generally the fore-
runner of temporal deftrudion.
To iUuftrate thejuftice of God in puniHiing, to
Aiew that there was no reafon to exped a refor-
mation, and to teach us the courfe we ought to
•obferve with refpeft to all outward fins ; " the
♦* wickcdnefs of man in the earth," that is, hia
pradical wickedncfs, is traced to his heart . It
is not till the great Revealer hath thus proclaim-
ed the extent and malignity of human corruption,
that he declares his awful purpofe to " deftroy
" man from the face of the earth'."
g Gen. xxiv. 3.-6. ; xxvi. 34, 35- i 't''^'"- »•
h Exod. iv. 24.-16. } I Kings xi 4- ' ^'"'^ "'■ '*
kVer. 5. iVer.j-
246 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
But we obferve a difplay of mercy even in the
midfl: of wrath. " Noah found grace in the eyes
" of the Lord "\" But why is this man exempt-
ed from the general deftrudlion of the human
race ? " Noah was a juft man, and perfedl in his
" generations." He was not abfolutely perfedl ;
but perfedl, compared with that generation. *' And
" Noah walked with God ''." What a llriking con-
traft between the way that Noah chofe, and that of
the refl of mankind I " All flefli had corrupted his
" way °." We read only of another perfon to
whom this character is given. Both receive fig-'
nal marks of divine approbation. Enoch is tran-
llated to heaven. Noah is lifted above this earth,
and furvives its deftrudlion. No abftrad: reafoning,
in favour of a blamelefs and fpiritual deportment,
can have equal force with this fimple narrative.
Notwithftanding the greatnefs of human cor-
ruption, and its univerfal prevalence, we have a
wonderful difplay of divine forbearance. " The
" long- fuffering of God waited in the days of
" Noe, while the ark was a preparing!'." This
was for no fhorter a period than a hundred and
twenty years. To this period did he now reftricl
the life of nian. Yet fo unwilling is he to punilh,
that he gave the refpite of a long life to thofe
very men who had already lived fo long in rebel-
lion. He allowed them a longer time for repent-
ance, than he was to allow the generality of
Noah's pofterity for living. During all this time
did
m Gen. vi. 8. n Ver. 9. 0 Ver. 11. pi Pet. iii. 2?.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 247
did Noah adl the part of " a preacher of righ-
teoufnefs 'i."
I fliall only further obferve, that when Noah
had finilhed his teftiraony, the beads, birds and
creeping- things, give theirs, by making a fpon-
taneous and public entrance into the ark.
VI, The hiftorical mode of inftru6lion brings
its fubjecl, whether it be (in or duty, nearer to the
reader, than the bare precept. We fee not only
what we fliould, but what we may do. From the
precept, we learn what ought to be done. In the
hiflory of the faints, we fee the adion itfelf. It
lives and fpeaks. It filences all our vain excufes,
from the imperfedion of human nature, or from
the peculiar difficulty of the fervice. It not only
exhibits the adlion, but the ftrength : and when
we turn our eye to the promife, mc difcern, that
this is as really ours, in the free and unlimited
exhibition, as it was Abraham's, or Jacob's, or
David's ; and that we are equally welcome to
embrace it for fupplying our fpiritual wants. We
often learn, from the hillory itfelf, that a promife,
primarily made to an individual, was by no means
reftrided to him ; but that it is 'fucceffive and
permanent, as really directed to all who have a
call to limilar duty, nay, a call, although of an
ordinary kind, to any duty. Thus, the Lord laid
to Jolhua ; " As- I was with Moles, fo I will be
" with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forfake
" thee ^" From the application made of this pro-
0^4 mife
q 2 Pet. ii. 7. r Jofli. i. 5.
248 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
mife to the Hebrews, we learn that all are wel-
come to believe and plead it, to whom it is exter-
nally directed, whatever be the peculiar nature
of their neceffities, whether they be fpiritual or
temporal. *' Let your converfation be without
** covetoufnefs ; and be content with fuch things
" as ye have : for he hath faid, I will never leave
" thee, nor forfake thee '."
The hiftory of Enoch is a far more flriking lef-
fon of the beauty of holinefs, than any bare pre-
cept could have been. We naturally extend our
minds to the contemplation of the various branch-
es of that fpiritual condud, fo emphatically called
walking with God. We perceive the poffibility
of attaining, by the power of divine grace, an
eminent degree of fpirituality, from the hiftory of
this patriarch ; — of faith, from that of Abraham ;
— of mceknefs, from that of Mofes ; — of patience,
from that of Job. The example of worthy pro-
genitors has, in every age, been confidered as a
peculiar excitement to their pofterity. This mode
of writing muft have had an eminent tendency to
afFe€l thofe who were the literal defcendants of
the patriarchs. It is with this view, doubtlefs,
that God, who is perfectly acquainted with all
the fprings of human adion, fo often reminds his
ancient people of their relation to pcrfons who
were fo truly illuftrious. He excites them to the
fame condud^ by honouring them with their very
names. Can any language be more en,8:aging than
that ? " Thou Ifrael art my fervant, Jacob w horn
''I
9 H«b. xiil. ^.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF UTIITING. 249
** I have chofen, the feed of Abraham, my friend,
" Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the
" earth, and called thee from the chief men
" thereof ."
Nothing can be added, in point of authority, to
thefe precepts, " Thou llialt not kill ; — Thou flialt
" not commit adultery." But the language of
the law does not affect the mind with fuch hor-
ror at thefe crimes, as when wc fee them exem-
plified in the condud of David. There they ap-
pear with all pollible aggravation. We arc alfo
(truck with the connexion between the one crime
and the other ; and more clearly perceive the
hardening nature of fin in general.
He, who views thefe great iniquities as forbid-
den in the precept, may think that he is in no
danger whatfoever of committing them. He fees
them, perhaps, as at a great diftance. But let
him turn his eye to this highly-favoured prince,
and the diftance may not feem fo great. How
often haft thou been idly and unfeafonably gad-
ding or gazing about, and thus thrown thyfelf in
the way of temptation ? Haft thou never, in
fuch circumftances, ** looked upon a woman to
" kift after her?" If thou halt done fo, " thou
" haft committed adultery with her already in
" thy heart ." Nothing perhaps has been want-
ing, on thy part, to the completion of this crime,
but opportunity. Or, nothing might have re-
ft rained thee, but the want of that power which
David pollcflcd. Hadft thou, like him, had the
ftrong
t Ifa. xli. 8. 9. u 1 Sattl. xi. », v Mit. v. ;8.
250 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
ftrong temptation of arbitrary power, fome Bath-
ilieba might long ere now have become a prey
to thy luft.
But although it may be impoffible for thee to
exculpate thyfelf from the charge of impure in-
clinations ; " Murder," mayeft thou fay, " is fo
*' iliocking a crime, that the idea of it never once
" entered into my heart." But hall thou never
covered one lin by another ? Halt thou never told
a lie, in order to conceal a previous tranfgreflion ?
This is the natural progrefs of iniquity. No
man is completely wicked at firft. When Da-
vid defiled Bathlheba, he had no more idea of
murder than thou mayeft have. He tried a va-
riety of other methods for concealing his crime.
He fent for Uriah from the fiege of Rabbah, un-
der pretence of learning by him how the war fuc-
ceeded. He commanded him to go and lodge at
his own houfe. The hardy foul of this faithful
fervant would not deign to accept of this indul-
gence, while " the ark, and Ifrael, and Judah
** abode in tents." He " llept at the door of the
*' king's houfe, with all the fervants of his lord."
-When challenged for his condudt by David, he
folemnly fwore that he would not go down to his
own houfe. But David tried another plan. He
called Uriah, caufed him to " eat and drink be-
*' fore him, and made him drunk." Yet Uriah
ftill perfifted in his refolution. As far as appears
from the hiftory, it was not till David faw every
other method of covering his fin fruftrated, that
he entertained the horrid defign of having Uriah
given
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 25I
given up to the llaughter ; and thus ot taking
Bathlhcba to wife, that he might throw the veil
of marriage over the fruit of adultery. How fit-
ly does this portion of Sacred Hillory illuftrate
the propriety of that precept ; " Take heed, left
" any of you be hardened through the deceitful-
" nefs of fin." So much was the confcience of
David hardened by his aggravated guilt, that for
nearly a year he remained a ftrangcr to genuine
repentance.
VII. Inftruclion, conveyed in the form of hif-
tory, carries convi^ion to the mind, without feem-
ing to do it. When truth is communicated in a
doclrinal form, the heart, under the power of fin,
endeavours to fortify itfelf againft any impreflion,
in confequence of being forewarned of its unwel-
come approach. But, in the path of hitlory, this
precious monitor fi:eals in upon the mind, and gets
hold of it imperceptibly. The reader is led on,
ftep by ftep, till he is under a neceflity of giving
an aflx^nt which he would very probably have
withheld, had that been laid down as a firft prin-
ciple, M hicli forces itfelf upon him as a native
conclufioii.
Fadts, indeed, afford the moft convincing dif-
play of human corruption. Man is fo partial to
himfelf, that he is extremely unwilling to admit
that human nature is fo depraved as it really is.
Therefore, he exerts himfelf to the utmoft, to ex-
plain away the genuine fenfe of dodrinal afler-
tions. But he finds it more difficult to relift the
evidence
'1^2 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
evidence of fadts. He may deny the inference to
be a principle univerfally applicable. But he is
under a neceflity of admitting it, in all its ex-
tent, as to a multitude of individuals. Even thus,
a great point is gained. For if it be evident that
fome individuals, who have gone the greateft
lengths in fin, could not have been tainted by the
influence of example ; it would feem to require
a great ftruggle with reafon, to refufe that they
were born with a principle of corruption. If
this be admitted as to a lingle perfon, it will be
impofiible to aflign a fatisfying reafon, why it
Ihould be the cafe with him, and not with all man-
kind.
It might feem incredible, that the heart of man
were capable of fo great a degree of obduracy,
had we not the hiftory of Pharaoh fo minutely
recorded. But we learn from this affecling in-
ftance, that the moft faithful warnings, followed
up by inconteftable difplays of divine power, to
the conviction of the finner himfelf, that even
a feries of the moft tremendous judgments, will
only have a tranfient effed on that heart, from
which God is pleafed to withhold his grace ; that,
inftead of being broken under a fenfe of guilt, the
perfon will become more obdurate, and more da-
ring in the praftice of iniquity ^"'.
The moft elaborate diflertation on the hateful
charadler of malice, cannot exhibit it in fo ftri-
king a light as the hiftory of David's perfecution
from Saul. The only ground of offence againft
David,
V Ezod, iz. 34,
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 253
David, was that " the Lord was with him, and
" had departed from Saul*." How many fnares
did he lay for the life of David ? How often did
he attempt to be himfelf his executioner ? Did
he not feek to murder his own fon, becaufe he
afked the reafon of his wrath againft David ? Did
he not actually deftroy fourfcore and five priefts,
with all the inhabitants of their city, becaufe one
of hem only had fupplied David with bread,
when he and his men were ready to perifh with
hunger ; and when Ahimelech, although he had
been fo difpofed, niuft have known that he could
make no refiftance to a band of armed men ? For
how many years did Saul continue this cruel per-
fccution ? Into how many forrqs did he vary it ?
And did he not difplay all this malice againft Da-
vid, although David repeatedly fpared him, even
when inftigated by his companions to take away
his life, when apparently his own fafety required
this facrifice ; although he knew, that David was
anointed to be king, by the very fame authority
by which he had himfelf been anointed, and af-
terwr-rds rcjcdcd ; although he knew that David
would ** farely be king, and that the kingdom of
" Ifrael would be eftablillied in his hand ;" al-
though obliged, on ditferent occalions, to acknow-
ledge that he had linned, and that David was
more righteous than he ?
The hardening eHtd of revenge remarkably
appears in the hiftory of Jezebel. The impofture
of
X t Sam. xviii. (2. y i Ssoi. xxiv. )0.
% Vei. 17. chap. xzvi. 21. 35.
254 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
of her pretended prophets, and the divine mif-
lion of Elijah, had been miraculoufly manifefted,
in confequence of an immediate appeal to God,
by fire from heaven ; and afterwards, by an abun-
dance of rain, in anfvver to the prayers of Eli-
jah, after an uninterrupted drought of more than
three years duration. Yet, becaufe he procured
the deftrudion of the prophets of Baal, Jezebel
fent him this meflage ; *' So let the gods do fo
" to me, and more alfo, if I make not thy life as
" the life of one of them, by to-morrow about
" this time ."
Pride is a great barrier againft inflruclion. How
many are there who will receive inftru6lion, when
communicated in the third perfon, who would
fpurn at it, if immediately addrelTed to them in
the fecond I On this principle did the prophet
Nathan proceed, when the Lpvd fent him to Da-
vid, to awake in his confcience a fenfe of guilt
with refpedl to his great trefpafs ^\ The prophet,
moft probably directed by the Spirit of God as
to the very manner of addreffing the king, deli-
vered his meiTage, at firft inftance, in a paraboli-
cal form ; as if he had been relating a recent
fad, which did not otherwife refped David, than
as being fubjed to his judicial cognifance. In
fuch glowing colours did he paint the crime, that
without the leaft hefitation the king gave judg-
ment againft " the man that had done this thing,"
that he " fhould furely die." He was filled with
horror and indignation at his own crime, when he
viewed
a I Kings xviii. 21.— ^6. ; xix, a. b 2 Sam. xii. i. — 14.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 2^$
Viewed it as that of another, although exhibited
in a diminiflied form. His " anger was greatly
" kindled againfl: the man." While he feemed
only to condemn another, he palled fentencc on
himfclf. His own judgment made way for the
prophet's particular application of the parable,
in that plain and energetic language, '* Thou art
" the man I" The heart of David was greatly
hardened ; and, as we have feen, had been long
in this fituation. But without immediately calling
into account the operation of the Spirit of grace,
as we prefently reftridl our attention to means ; it
was fcarcely polTible for David to refill the force
of conviction, even in a natural point of view.
It ruflies on him like a thunderbolt. No time is
left for the operations of deceit, in fetting afide
the charge. Out of his own mouth is he already
condemned. All that remains, therefore, for the
prophet, is to fhew the full application of the pa-
rable in David's cafe ; to exhibit his guilt in all
its aggravations, as greatly furpafling that of the
fiditious perfon concerning whom he had given
judgment ; to declare the commiflion he had from
God, and thus to endeavour to imprefs David's
confcience with a fenie of the divine authority ;
and to denounce judgments againft his houfe.
To a carelefs reader, the facred hillorian feems
to have no particular defign in the manner in
which he relates the origin of fome of the moll
celebrated heathen nations, or introduces their
founders. The circumflances preferring to thcfe
appear to be mentioned merely by the way. They
niflv
2$6 ON THE ATIVANTAGES OF
may even feem to have no immediate connexion
with the general texture of the hiflory. But
when we attentively coniider the whole frame and
the uniform defign of this hiftory, thefe very
parts, which at firll Itrike us as leaft coherent, car-
ry the moft evident imprefs of wifdom worthy of
God. Some of the heathen nations were diftm-
guifhed for pride. They in general poured con-
tempt on the worlhippers of the true God. Ever*
that people, to whom God had given his ftatutes
and judgments, difcovered a conflant propenfity
to imitate the manners, and to adopt the idola-
trous worfliip of the furrounding nations. To
reprefs the pride of the former, and to correct
the folly of the latter, the facred hiftoriaa occa-
iionally drops the moll ftriking hints with refpedl
to the defpicable origin, both of thofe nations,
and of their religion. Thus he fhews the mean
fource not only of the Egyptians themfelves, but
of their worfhip. They were the pofterity of the
wicked Ham, who was worlhipped under the name
of Hammon <^. The Ifraelites, inftead of being
allured by the obfcene rites of the Moabites,
might well have felt a double abhorrence at
them ; as not only the very reverfe of thofe pure
ordinances, commanded by God, but as bearing,
in his righteous judgment, a ftriking imprefs of
the horrid impurity of their origin as a people 'K
In the hiftory of the Patriarch Noah, we have 9
particular account of the curfe which he pro-
nounced, efpecially as aiiedling the race of Ca*
naaQ«
C Otn. X. 6. d Numb. xsv. j. 3. comp. with Gen. xix. 36. — 38.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OV WRITING. 257
haan^ We do not perceive the reafon of this
from the immediate connexion. But we fee the
propriety, when we afterwards learn, that the
country firll: poflcHed by the pofterity of Canaan
was to be given to tlic fons of Abraliam, and that
its inhabitants were devoted to deftrudion. We
remark, that this part of Noah's hiftory was meant
to convey tlK moft important inftruclion to the
Ifraelites, for whofe ufe it was more immediately
written. It taught them, that they had no rea-
fon to be afraid of the Canaan ites, notwithftand-
ing the greatncfs of their (lature, or the number
of their fenced cities ; becaufe they were a race
whom God had curfcd. It alfo warned them a-
gainit the impiety of imitating their idolatrous
worfliip, or of intermarrying with them. For
what fellowfliip could there be between the mife-
rable objedsof the curfe of Cod, and thofe whom
he had bleffed ? Plow is the pride of Babylon
ftaincd, by the account given of her origin I The
foundations of that city, which gave its name to
the kingdom, were laid in pride, prefumption, and
virtual rebellion againft God ^. The charader of
Nimrod, its firft fovereign, fecms to correfpond to
his name, which lignifies a rebel. It is faid that
" he was a mighty hunter before the Lord s." This
language is generally, and we apprehend moft natu-
rally, underftood in a bad fcnfe ; as denoting that he
was a great tyrant and perfecutor, one who hunted
men. He was a hunter of men, in open contempt and
Vol. I. II defiance
e Gfn. Ik. It.— 16. i Oen. xi. 4 — 9. . g Gen. x. 9.
258 ON THE A»VANTAGES OF
defiance of Jehovah. In this fenfe is the fame
language elfewhere ufed in Scripture ^ To this
metaphorical fignification the expreflion feems tO
be reftrided by what immediately follows : " And
" the beginning of his kingdom was Babel." If,
as many learned writers fuppofe ?, Nimrod was the
fame with Belus, the great god of the Chaldeans ;
what a contemptible view is given of the objedt
of their worfliip I
VIII. By means of hiflory, truth appears attefl-
ed by experience. This is one great fource of
knowledge to the human mind. Experience, it
is proverbially faid, " is the befl teacher." Hence,
indeed, in the common affairs of life, the genera-
lity of mankind derive the greatell part of their
knowledge. They have little time for reading.
They are not much accuftomed to refledlion. Even
what they learn from refledlion, rauft be traced
to experience as its principal fource. They com-
pare the various fadls they have obferved, and
thence deduce certain principles. Now, what is
hiftory, but an authentic record of the experience
of individuals, or of colledive bodies ? What is
the hiftory of Scripture, but the aggregate of the
experience of mankind lince the world had a be-
ing ?
It muft ba admitted, that the bulk of m^n de-
rive little advantage from experience, unlefs it be
perfonal. Almoft every individual muft buy it
for himfelf. Where is the nation, or the age,
that
f See Jer, xvi. 16. ; Lam. iv. 18, g Bochart. Phaleg. 264. 478.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 259
that will take the benefit of the experience of
other nations, or of former ages ? But this is the
folly of our nature. When God is pleafcd to fup-
ply us with fo ample a ftore of experience, he
communicates knowledge in fuch a way as pecu-
liarly to recommend it to our attention. If wc
refufe to profit by it, we can never complain of
the want of means.
The experience of the Church is more nearly
allied to perfonal experience, than any other. It
is not the experience of individuals, unconnected
with each other, but that of one body. It is not
like the experience of political focieties, who are
connedcd merely by proximity of fituation, fame-
nefs of government, fimilarity of manners, or uni-
ty of intereft. For, in a fenfe pecidiar to herfelf,
the Church is faid to be one body. One member
is connected, not merely with others prefently on
earth, but with all believers who have ever exilt-
ed. They are all animated by one fpirit. So
intimate is their union, that if " one member
" fulfer, all the members fuffcr with it ; or if
*' one member be honoured, all the members re-
*' joice."
IX. More particularly, in the Sacred Hiitory,
we have a fuccejjlvc emdence of the truth of rc-
velation^ an evidence of the molt obvious and ir-
refiftible kind. It is of a twofold nature, corre-
fponding to the two great branches of this hif-
tory. It arifes from the lives both of the good
and of the bad men, whofe charaders are here
R 2 held
i6o ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
held up to view. This evidence is not lefs cor^
refpondent to the great defign of revelation in
general, which is alfo of a twofold nature ; — to
give a juft reprefentation of man's ruin, and of his
recovery.
It has been obferved by the great Pafcal, with
refpedl to the conducl both of fceptics and of
avowed infidels, that ** their oppofition is of fo
*' little danger, that it ferves to illuftrate the
*' principal truths which our religion teaches ;"
and that " thefe oppofers, if they are of no ufe
" towards demonftrating the truth of our re-
" demption, by the fandlity of their lives, yet are
" at leaft admirably ufeful in fhewing the cor-
" ruption of nature, by their unnatural fentiments
" and fuggeftions ' ."
This remark, founded on obfervation, is abun-
dantly verified by Scripture. It exhibits many
wicked men, as giving an involuntary teftimony
to its truth. While they deny that human na-
ture is fo depraved as revelation reprefents it, or
that it needs any fuch remedy as it difcovers ;
the fottiflmefs and inconfiftency of their condud
clearly prove the truth of the one, and the necef-
lity of the other. They cannot entirely excul-
pate themfelves from the charge of guilt. They
feel that they are expofed to many miferies.
While they admit that their fouls are immortal,
they muft be confcious that they are not abfolute-
ly fecure againft perdition. What courfe, then,
do they take ? Do they ad in confonancy to fuch
convidions
I) -Tiioughts on Religion, Sc6l. i.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 26I
convidions as they have ? Do they endeavour to
provide tlic molt proper means for their eternal
lafety ? On the contrary, they adopt that brutilh
maxim ; " Let us eat and drink ; for to-morrow
" we die.'* Wc fee Cain confcious of guilt and
mifery. Yet he does not prefent a tingle peti-
tion for mercy '. Pharaoh confelVcs his fin, and
earncftly entreats Mofes and Aaron to pray for
him. Yet after all, he obilinately continues in
that very fin which he had confeffed, and which,
he was alfured, had already fubjecled him to fe-
vere puniiliment K Jehu acknowledges the truth
of the prediclions of Jehovah by his fervant Eli-
jah. Yet he embraces the dcfpicable worfliip of
the calves at Dan and Bethel '. Although his
conduct fliould not be afcribed to ignorance, but
to intercft, it difcovers the fame ftupidity. It
fliows that the foul mud be dreadfully depraved,
that can prefer the tranfient and uncertain intcrell
of the prefent moment, to that which involves
eternity. It difplays the blinding inliucnce of
this depravity. For, while Jehu admitted that
God had fo feverely puniflied the houfe of Ahab
for idolatry, had he reafoncd juftly, he mufl have
concluded that his only true intereft, even with
xefpetft to fecurity in his kingdom, was faithfully
to fervc him whom he acknowledged to be the
true God.
The Pharifees, and their abettors, while they
refufed that they were " born in fin," or iiatu-
R 3 rally
i Ocn. iv. 13— 16. k Exod. x, 16, 17. ao.
1 2 Kinj;* ix, 25, 16. ^6, 37. ; x. 31.
262 ON THE AD'CaNTAGES OF
rally under the power of mental blindnefs •", de-
monftrated the truth of revelation, as far as it
refpefts this important doctrine, by the fhocking
perverfenefs and irrationality of their reafonings,
and by the grofs inconfiflency of their condud
with their convidions. Upon the ftridleft fcru-
tiny, they found that it was impoflible to deny
that Jefus had opened the eyes of one who had
been born blind. But they, with the moft con-
temptible puerility, attempted to avoid the force
of the argument, in behalf of his being the true
Meffiah, by pretending that they knew " not
" whence he was"." On this point, indeed, the
unbelieving Jews could reafon any way, as it
ferved their prefent purpofe. For fome of them
faid, on another occafion ; " We know this man
" whence he is ; but when Chrifl cometh, no
" man knoweth whence he is °." At times, they
afcribed his miracles to diabolical power ; while
they muit have been convinced, that the devil
would never do any thing toward the deftru6tion of
his own kingdom, which was evidently the direct
tendency of the whole of Chrifl's dodrine and
life. While there was nothing that they more
anxioully wifhed, than that the Mefliah lliould
come and free them from the Roman yoke ; they
argued, that if they " let him alone, all men
" would believe on him ; and the Romans would
?' come and take away both their place and
" nation P." They mufl have been convinced of
the
m John ix. 34. 40, 41. n Ver. 16. 26. ap. 0 Chap. vii. 17.
p Chap. xi. 4S.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 263
the felf-contradidlion contained in this rcafoning.
For if they knew that Jefus meant to cred a tem-
poral kingdom ; the nation, iii " believing on
" him," would only do what themfelves fo ear-
neftly wiflied, and what, according to their prin-
ciples, it was their indilpcn fable duty to do. If,
on the contrary, they were afiured, that Jefus had
no fuch defign, that the kingdom he meant to
ereft was wholly of a fpiritual nature, which was
indeed the principal ground of their rejeding
him ; they could not but be confcLous, that the
faith of the nation would give no offence to the
Roman government, becaufe it could expofe it to
no danger. They expeded, that when Chrift
fliould come, he would be attefted by miracles ;
and they were convinced that Jefus " did many
*' miracles'!." Yet when his miracles feemed to
become more numerous and fplendid, and, ac-
cording to their own acknowledgment, were ab-
folutely inconteftable ; fo far from giving them-
felves any concern ferioully to examine the proofs
of his mifTion, or to bring their expeftations con-
cerning the Mefliah to the tell of revelation ;
they refolved to be more diligent in feeking his
deftru(flion ^ To them the language of God by
Jeremiah feems to be efpccially addrciled. It is
imdoubtedly a prophecy expreflive of the guilt
and flupidity of thofe " mailers of Ifrael" who
rejeaed the true Mefliah. " How do ye fay,
*' Wc arc wife, and the law of the Lord is with
'• us ? Lo, certainly in vain made he it, the pen
R4 "of
q John si. 47. r Ver. 53.
264 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
** of the fcribes is in vain. — Lo, they have rejed-
*' ed the word of the Lord, and what wifdom is
" in them^?"
Now, if we confider that felf-prefervation is
the firft principle of human nature, and that the
prefervation of the foul mufl appear to every
thinking perfon to be of unfpeakably greater mo-
ment than that of the body ; even on rational
principles, it mull feem impoffible to account for
the total indifference of fome, who indulge them-
felves in ple^fure and gaiety, without any con-
cern for their fouls ; and for the Itrange contra-
didlion in the condud: of others, who adt in dia-
rrietrical oppolition to their own convictions ;
unlefs wc admit, that the foul of man is as com-
pletely perverted by fin as revelation declares.
It is otherwife inconceivable, that men fliould be
entirely unconcerned about what they acknow-
ledge to be an immortal principle ; or purfue
fuch meafures, as, if their convid;ions be juft,
mufl plunge them into everlafting deftruclion.
The truth of revelation, as it refpeds the re-
covery of loft m.an, is no lefs attefted by the lives
of the faints. In Scripture-hiilory we have' the
moft ample and the moil fatisfying evidence of
the pov.'er of divine grace. Many, who *' by na-
*' ture were children of wrath even as others'^;"
who " were fpmetimes foolilh, difobedient, de-
• * ceived, ferving divers lulls and pleafures,' living
** in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one
^' another^ j" who were extortioners, or thieves,
whoremongers
f Jer. yiii. 8, 5. t F.ph. ii. 3. u Tit. iii. 3.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 265
whoremongers or harlots, adulterers, murderers,
blafphcmers and perfecutors, appear fo wonder-
fully changed, as not only to abandon and deteft
thofe courfes to which they were formerly ad-
dicted, but to live in fuch a manner as to glorify
God, and prove a blefling to fociety. They do
not appear as weak foolifli men, who might be an
cafy prey to impoflure or fuperftition, but as men
of equal reafon with others, nay, in various in-
ftances, diilinguiflicd by their natural powers, and
by their acquired learning. They were not in-
fluenced by interefl; ; but made choice of reli-
gion, knowing well, from the firft, that they
would be called to fuffcr the lofs of all things
which were naturally moil dear to them ' ; that
inflead of cafe or pleafure, riches or honour, they
muft lay their account with labour and fuffering,
poverty and difgrace, and that, in all probability,
they would be required to offer their lives as a
facrifice in the fervice of Chrift, and of the gof-
pel. We cannot julUy confidcr them as hurried
into a choice of this as their portion, by the fur-
•prife of the moment. They evidently prefer it
to every other, in confcquence of mature delibe-
ration '^'. Nor is there the leall indication, that
any of them, after a fair trial, repent of their
choice ^^ On the contrary, they ftill avow, that
their blifs overbalances all their apparent mifery ;
and, even in the mofl abjed fituation, prefer their
portion to all the blandiilimcnts of life r.
Thus
V Phil. iii. 7. w Ads is. 16. ; lleb. xi. 24. — 26.
a Hcb. si. 15. y 2 Cor. i. 4, 5. ; iv. S, p. 16. — 18. ; Ads xx. 23, 24.
266 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
Thus, we have a ftriking difplay of the infinite
condefcenjion of God, in the plan of revelation.
This he accommodates to the frame and neceffi-
ties of men. He deals with us as rational crea-
tures, although fallen. In what a variety of ways
does he reveal himfelf I "I have fpoken," fays
he, " by the prophets, and I have multiplied vi-
" lions, and ufed limilitudes, by the miniftry of
" the prophets 2." He gives us not only " line
" upon line, precept upon precept," but example
upon example, one important fad following ano-
ther. When the great Prophet appeared in our
nature, he moft commonly delivered doctrine in
the form of hiitory. He often adopted th& para-
bolical plan. Now, he exhibits himfelf as a fower,
w^ho throws his corn into grounds differently pre-
pared ; then, as the father of a family, who fends
into his vineyard the labourers he finds upon the
place, at feveral hours of the day. Sometimes,
he inflruds by the refemblance of a fon reclaim-
ed from a long courfe of prodigality ; or by any
iimilar event, intelligible to men of all capacities,
and calculated to invite them to unriddle the
truth wrapt up in the fimilitude ^.
Chrill's fpeaking in parables, proved to many
obdurate hearers, through their own corruption,
an occaiion of greater blindnefs''. But his great
defign in adopting this plan, was to convey in-
ftrudion in the moft plain and fimple manner to
the rude and ignorant. " With many parables
" fpake he the word to them, as they were able
" to
z Hof. xii. 10. a See Nature Dilplayed, uhifup. b Luke viii. i».
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. iGj
*' to bear it '^." He made known heavenly things,
by fliadows borrowed from thofe that are earth-
ly'. He ufed this method alfo, in order to ftir
them up to a diligent learch after divine truth.
Therefore, when he delivered the parable of the
fower, he concluded with this arouling call ; " He
" that hath ears to hear, let him hear^."
Our Saviour often taught by examples. Thefe
difter from parables, as being parts of real hiftory,
while in the other there is only the refemblance
of it. Thus, he defends the condudl of his dif-
ciples in plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath-
day, from the example of David eating the fhew-
bread ^ He aggravates the guilt of the Jewilh
nation, by appealing to the hiftory of the repent-
ance of Nineveh, and to the account given of the
Queen of the South 5.
When he fent forth his apoflles, the great work
he alTigned them was that of being witnefTes of
certain fadls. Thefe, indeed, were facts of the
lafl: importance. They were to be " witnefTes of
" all things which he did, both in the land of the
*.* Jews, and in Jerufalcm '\ They were particu-
larly to be witnefTes of his rcfurreclion '.
What is the Gofpel itfelf, but the divine tefti-
mony concerning the greateft fadts that were ever
made known to men ? Thus it is compendioully
defined by a heavenly preacher : " I bring you
** good tidings of great joy, which fliall be to all
" people. For unto you is born — a Saviour,
" which
c Mark iv. 33. d John iii. n. e Mat. xiii. 9.
f Mat. xii. a.— 4. g Ver. 4r. 4a. h A(fl5 x. 39.
^ A(flsi. J J,; iv. 33.
268 ON THE ADVANTAGES OF
" which is Chrift the Lord^" The gofpel is
juft the newSy publiHied by the authority of the
King of heaven, concerning his wonderful works
in behalf of the children of men.
We have no lefs reafon to admire the infinite
'w'ljdom of God, difplayed in giving fuch a form
to revealed truth. How ufeful foever fyftems
may be, for exhibiting a connedted view of the
truths of God, for fetting the various arguments,
in defence of particular doctrines in the Itrongefl
light, and for giving them their combined force ;
the doctrines of revelation are far better adapted
to general ufe, in that diverfified form in which
they have been communicated by the Spirit of
God. Syftems in general are directed folely to
the underltanding. But truth, in the fcriptural
form, lays hold of all the avenues which lead to
the heart. It is fo varioufly difpofed, as to be
capable of touching every nerve of the foul.
I am far from meaning, that the word of reve-
lation can accomplijfh this of itfelf. No one can
derive any faving benefit from it, but in confe-
quence of the efficacious working of the Spirit.
But God, although infinitely powerful, manifefts
his wifdom, in the general tenor of his operation,
by the ufe of means ; of means, in themfelves na-
turally mofl; adapted for producing the end. When
he is pleafed to work favingly, he employs thefe
means according to their nature. When he opens
the uriderftanding, he employs fuch means as are
mofl fubfervient to a communication of light.
When
k Luke ii. lo. ii.
THE HISTORICAL MODE OF WRITING. 269
When he changes the will, he operates upon it in
a manner fuited to its natural frame. When he
captivates the affcdions, he employs thole allu-
ring difcoveries which the gofpcl prclents.
How culpable are thofe who overlook the hi-
Jiory of the Bible ! Is it pofTiblc that any can ha-
bitually do fo, from the idea that it is not fpiritual
enough for them ? If fo, they plainly fliew the
want of fpirituality. Otherwife, they would know,
that " whatfoever things were written aforetime,
" were written for our learning, that we, through
" patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might
" have hope." By fuch neglcd, we deprive our-
felves of one eminent mean of an increafe of pa-
tience. This is, the illuftrious example of thofe
who " through faith and patience do now inherit
" the promiles." We remain ftrangers to that
abundant fource of confohition, which is opened
in the experience of the faints. We Icfe fome of
the beft means for increafing Chriftian hope. For
this is greatly confirmed, by a confideration of
the fuccefs of patience ; and by a view of the va-
rious comforts, adminiilered by the Spirit, to
thofe who have waited on the Lord.
In a word, how inexcufable is the guilt, how
great the obduracy of thofe, who rejijl fuch a va-
riety of means, fuch a fulnefs of evidence I They
may juftly be compared to the unbelieving Jews,
who continued to rejeft the gofpel, although, in
the circumftance.of its publication, adapted o
men of the mod diir'irent humours, and eve. jf
difpolitions diredly co;/rary to each otijcr. ihe
language
270 ON THE ADVANTAGES, &C.
language of Chrift, concerning thefe Jews, may-
be juilly applied to thofe who rejed the gofpel in
our day. " Whereunto fhall I liken the men of
" this generation ? and to what are they like ?
** They are like unto children fitting in the mar-
" ket-place, and calling one to another, and fay-
" ing, We have piped unto you, and ye have not
" danced : we have mourned unto you, and ye
" have not wept. For John the Baptill came
" neither eating bread, nor drinking wine ; and
" ye fay, He hath a devil. The Son of man is
" come eating and drinking ; and ye fay, Be-
" hold, a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a
" friend of publicans and finners. But Wifdom
*' is juflified of all her children '."
PART
1 Luke vii. 31. — 35.^
PART II.
ON THE
HISTORY OF ISRAEL.
THE hiftory of ancient Ifrael forms an ample
fource of inftrudlion to the Chriftian church.
While we are allured that '* whatfoever things
" were written aforetime, were written for our
" learning," this holds true with refpcdl to the
Ifraelites in a peculiar fenfe. It was the will of
the all-wife God to give a national exiftence to
this people, to call them into fuch a mould, and
to regulate every thing concerning them in fuch
a manner, that they might prefigure that true If-
rael which he hath gathered out of " every kin-
** dred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Thus,
the names by which they were diflinguiflied as a na-
tion, arc transferred to the New-Teftament Church.
Were they called Ifraely and Judah, and the feed
of Jacob ? Thefe defignations, in their higheft and
mofl proper fcnfe, are appropriated to the church
of Chriil under the gofpcl. Concerning her it is
foretold, as expreflivc of her blclTednefs under thq
government
1']1 ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL.
government of the antitypical David ; " In his
" days, Judah fliall be faved, and Ifrael fnall dwell
" fafely "\" " In the Lord fhall all the feed of
" Ifrael be jullified, and fhall glory "." The fpi-
ritiial kingdom of Chrift is that " houfe of Ja-
" cob" over which he " fhall reign for ever°."
Its true members are " the Ifrael of God," who
are partakers of his " peace and mercy p," as con-
tradiftinguifhed from Ifrael after the flefh ^." In
comparifon with them, thefe peculiar names "are
denied to the literal pofterity of Abraham. " For
" he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither
" is that circumcifion which is outward in the
" flefh : but he is a Jew, who is one inwardly ;
^' and circumcifion is that of the heart, in the
" fpirit, and not in the letter, whofe praife is not
" of men, but of God''." To fhew that the
church of Chrift is the antitype of God's ancient
people ; her faithful members, in a time of gene-
ral apoftacy, are reprefented as an hundred and
forty-four thoufand, fealed out of the twelve
tribes of Ifrael '. For this very reafon indeed,
all the reprefentations which are given of the true
church of Chrift, in the fymbolical book of Reve-
lation, are borrowed from the temple fervice, or
from the hiftory of the Old-Teftament Church.
Such charafters were conferred on literal Ifrael,
as were meant to have their full accomplifhment
only in the New-Teftament Church. Thus God
faid to his ancient people : " If ye will obey my
** voice
m Jer. xxiii. 6. n Ifa. xlv. 15, o Luke i. 33. p Gal. vi. ifi.
q 1 Cor. X. 18. r Rom. ii. iS, 9. s Rev. vii. 4.
ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. 273
" voice indeed, and ktep my covenant, then ye
" flmll be a peculiar treafure unto me above all
*' people : — and ye lliall be unto me a kingdom
'* of priefts, and an holy nation'." In them we
fee a delineation of that peculiar people, who are
not of the world, but are chofcn out of it " ; of
thofe fpiritual prielb, who by Jefus Chrift " offer
** the facrificc of praife to God continually " ;"
of " them that are fanditied in Chrift Jefus, called
" to be faints "'." The language, therefore, ori-
ginally applied to literal Ifrael, is by the Holy
Spirit transferred to them, as adopted inftcad of
that carnal people, who " ftumbled at the word,
" being difobedient." Hence it is faid to the
fpiritual, as contradiftinguiflied from the literal,
Ifrael : " But ye are a chofen generation, a royal
" priefthood, an holy nation^ a peculiar people ;
*' that ye fhould fhew forth the praifes of him,
" who hath called you out of darknefs into his
" marvellous light "•."
The typical charader of this people appears
from many other confiderations. The divine con-
duct towards them was a ftriking figure of his
conducfl towards the New-Teftament Church. The
matter of her faith and obedience, her mercies
and judgments, are delineated in their hi(tory. A
type properly lignifies a more rude and imperfedl
exprelfion of any thing, in order to a more accu-
rate and complete delineation of it. In this re-
fped: the Ifraelites were types. In their conllitu-
, Vol. I. S tion,
t ExoJ. xix. s, 6. u John xv. ig. v Hcb. xiii. 15.
w I Cor. i. a. x i Pet. ii. 8, 9.
274 ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL.
tion, as a fociety, partly political, and partly ec-
clefiaftical, we have an image of the fpiritual
kingdom of the Mefliah. In their privileges as
church-members, we have a reprefentation of the
ftate of an heir, who, " as long as he is a child,
" differeth nothing from a fervant, though he be
" lord of alb." Their ordinances are called
" elements" or " rudiments of the world ;" be-
caufe they were of a carnal nature, and confifled
of emblems borrowed from the things of this
world, containing a dark reprefentation of fpiri-
tual bieflings, by means of which the church, in
her infant ftate, was prepared for a clearer reve-
lation, and a more full enjoyment of thefe bief-
lings. They are alfo denominated " weak and
" beggarly elements ^ ;" becaufe the foul could
derive no, benefit from them, except in as far as
they fhadowed forth that " better thing which
^ God hath provided for us." In this refpedl,
God's ancient people " without us could not be
" made perfedl ='." For the law had only " a
" fnadow^of good things to come, and not the
" very image of the things i\" " The body is of
" Chrift c." The priefts " ferved imto the ex-
" ample and Ihadow of heavenly things '^" The
tabernacle, v/ith its ordinances, " was a figure for
* the time then prefent, in which were offered
" both gifts and facrifices, that could not make
" them that did the fervice perfe€b, in things per-
** taining to the confcience ^"
The
-j Gal. iv. I. z Ver. 3. 9. a Heb. xi. 40. b Heb. x. i.
c Col. ii. 17. & Heb. viii. 5. e Heb. ix. 5>.
ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. 2^^
The temporal mercies, which the Ifraclitcs re-
ceived, were typical of thole that arc fpiri-
tual. In the general tenor of their conduct, we
have a pidure of our own. The judgments pro-
cured by their fins, prefigured thole which we
defcrve. Hence it is laid ; " Thele things were
" our examples ; — All thele things happened un-
" to them for enfamples : and they are written
" for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
.** world are come '.*' The things immediately
referred to, according to fome, are only the judg-
ments inflicted. But as the apofllc, in the pre-
ceding verfes, enumerates feveral of the privileges
of the Ifraclitcs, others apprehend, that in ver. 6.
he particularly refers to thefe ; a§ aflerting, that
the fathers, in being under the cloud, and pafiing
through the fea, &c. " were our examples ;" and
that in ver. ii. he has his eye principally direct-
ed to the judgments mentioned in the verfes im-
mediately preceding. Whatever be the particu-
lar fcope of this paflage, we are afl\n-ed from other
places, that the Ifraclitcs fuftaincd a typical cha-
radler, botli as to privileges and judgments.
It is the fiime word in the original, which is
iifcd in both verfes. It properly denotes fuch ex-
amples as were meant, not merely for infiru(5lion
in general, according to the intention of all the
e^iamples recorded in Scripture, but fuch as were
cxpref^ly defigned .to be emblems or figures. The
werd may be mod literally rendered types. It
has been obferved, that the apollle, in the ufe of
S 2 this
f I Cor. X. C. II.
276 ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL.
this term, borrows an image from a flatuary, who
makes a model in wax or clay, of an intended
marble or golden ftatue of a king, or fome di-
flinguifhed perfonage. All thofe, of whom we
read in Scripture, are examples to us, in confe-
quence of their hiflory being recorded by the Spi-
rit of infpiration. But the Ifraelites are not " our
" examples," merely becaufe their hiftory is re-
corded ; but their hiftory is recorded, becaufe
they were primarily defigned to be in a fpecial
manner " our examples." The things which are
written, " happened unto them for enfamples," or
" befel them in a figure." The difpenfations of
Providence towards them were principally meant
as patterns ofvthe divine condud towards the
Chriftian church^ And in confequence of this
original delign, regulating the events themfelves,
" they are written for our admonition, upon
*' whom the ends of the world are come." The
idea conveyed by the word admo?iitio?i, is very
beautiful. It denotes, that wholefome admoni-
tion, when fuccefsful, reftores the mind, which
was formerly fluftuating and difturbed, to a ftate
of compofure and ferenity. How great is the tu-
mult excited in the foul, by its " lufting after
" evil things, as they alfo lufted 1" But the awful
evidences of the divine difpleafure, in their pu-
nilhment, are defigned as means in the hand of
the Spirit, for ftilling this tumult in the hearts of
Chriftians, and for deterring them from fimilar
provocations. It is thought that, in this expref-
fioii, " upon whom the ends of the world are
" come,"
ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. 277
« come/* there is an allufion to the manner in
which the Jews divided the period of the world's
duration. They ipoke of three ages ; the firft,
before the law ; the fecond, under the law ; and
the third, after the law. The apoftle, in the very
language in which he charaderizcs Chrillians,
feems to urge the neccflity of their profiting by
thefe examples. " The ends of ages," he fays,
" arc come upon" them. He reprefents the age,
under which they live, as the complement of both
the ages which preceded it ; and the former dif-
penfations as perfeded in that of the New Tefta-
ment. Therefore, as the light of the church is
greatly increafed, and as the doctrines and events
of former times are now meant to have their full
eftecl, her guilt muft be greatly aggravated, if Ihe
refufe to take warning*.
But before proceeding to a more particular con-
fideration of the hiftory of the church of Krael, it
may be neceffary to obierve, that the types or
examples, exhibited to us in Scripture, arc of
two forts ; either of exprefs inftitution, or of pro-
• vidential ordination. Many of thefe were cx-
prefsly injiituted by God, for rcprcfcnting Chrift
and the bleffings of the gofpel. Thefe were ei-
ther perfons or things. There were many per-
fons, who were typical of Chrift, as being invert-
ed with particular offices, which had their com-
pletion in him only as Mediator. Such were Mo-
fes and Aaron, David and Solomon. Many things
3 2 were
• T.xdf is ufed in the fame fenlc. « denoting completion or perfeftion,
«hen it is faid, that " Chrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs unto
^ fvcij one ibat belicveib," Rom. x. 4- See »lfo Luke xsn. 37.
37^ ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL.
were alfo typical by exprefs inftitution ; as the
whole of the fervice of God under the law. But
belides thefe, there were many things and adions,
which, although not capable of a Iblemn inilitu-
tion, were providentially ordained to be typical of
future events. Some of thefe are particularly ap-»
plied by the Spirit of God, in the New Tefta-
rnent, to things pertaining to the gofpel. Others
may be thus applied, according to that general
rule already conlidered, that " all things happen-
" ed unto them for enfamples ?."
It may alfo be obferv^d, that while the Ifrael-
ites, as a people, prefigured the New-Tcllament
Church, they muft not be viewed, according to the
vain irrjaginations of fome, as if their character had"
been merely figurative. *' This people," to adopt
the language of an eminent writer, " was fo a fi-
" gure of the Chriftian church, as to be itfelf a
" true church. Its ftate fo delineated ours, that
** it Vv^as peverthelefs a ftate proper for the church
" at that period. The promifes given to the If-
*■'• raelites, fo fhadowed forth the gofpel, that they
" contained it. While their facraments prefigu-
" red ours, they -v/ere notwithftanding for that
" time true facraments of prefent efficacy. They
" enjoyed the fame fpirit of faith, who then right-
^' ly ufed both the doctrines and the figns^."
SEC-
g See Owen on Htb. iii. 7."-ii. Vol. ii. p. 72. — 77.
h Calviii. Coniment. in i Cor. x. ii.
ON THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. 2/9
SECTION I.
The IfraeUtes bondmen in Egypt. — Chojhi to be a
peculiar people, — At jirjl rejeEled the typical Sa-
"jiour. — Pajfed through the Red Sea. — Had the
law given. — Their worjijip typified that of the
New-Tejlamcnt Church.
Let us now more particularly inquire, in what
refpedls the hiftory of Ifrael contains inllrudion
for us. This fubjedl would admit of very ample
dilcullion. But we mean only to take notice of
fome particulars in their hiftory, which may ferve
as a key to the whole.
I. The literal Ifraelites were all in a ftate of
bondage in Egypt. The Lord had faid to their
father Abraham ; " Know of a furety, that thy
" feed (hall be a ftranger in a land that is not
" theirs, and fliall ferve them, and they fhall af-
" flict them four hundred years '." When the
time appointed was come, the prophecy was exact-
ly fulfilled. They were not only reduced to a
ftate of fervitude, but treated as the vileft (laves.
'' The Egyptians made the children of Ifrael to
" ferve with rigour. And they made their lives
" bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in
" brick ^," They were employed in the meaneft
and dirtieft work. It was impolfible for them t.o
S 4 pleafe
i G:d. sv, 13. k Esod. i. 13, I4.
280 THE ISRAELITES BONDMEN
pleafe their cruel tafkmafters. They rofe in their
demands. Not fatisfied with their former labour,
they required the full tale of brick M'ithout al-
lowing ftraw K Thefe tafk.mallers only fulfilled
the orders of their unfeeling tyrant Pharoah, who
feems to have been divided between fear and ava-
rice. ' He was afraid of the growing power of the
Ifraelites, Yet, from his avarice, he was unwill-
ing to lofe their labours '". He would neither
fuffer them to live as the reft of his fubjecls, nor
confent that they fhould leave his dominions. To
W'Caken their power, he commanded that all their
male children fhould be deftroyed.
Inflead of relaxing from his feverity, after Mo-
fes had demanded the liberation of Ifrael in the
name of Jehovah, he increafed their bondage.
From the eagernefs of this people to embrace the
firft opportunity of making to themielves a golden
calf, we might reckon it in the higheft degree
probable, that they were fo far in love with their
bondage as to worfhip the gods of Egypt. But
we are not left to mere conjedure on this head.
Many ages after their deliverance from Egypt,
the Lord exhibits againft them the charge of ido-
latry in this refpedl. To the prophet Ezekiel he
delivers this command ; " Say unto them, — In
" the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them,
?* to bring them forth of the land of Egypt, —
■ " then faid I unto thcm,'Caft ye away every man
^* the abominations of his eyes, and defile not
^' yourfelves with the idols of Egypt : I am the
" LORQ
\ Exod. w 8. in Exod. i. o, ic.
IN EGYPT. 281
" Lord your God. But tlicy rebelled againft mc,
" and would not hearken unto me : they did not
" every man call away the abomination of their
" eyes, neither did they forfake the idols of E-
" SyP^ "•" The church of Ifrael is, by a ftriking
metaphor, exhibited as an harlot. That idola-
trous country is reprefcntcd as the bed in which
Ike was firfl: defiled : and to her debafemerit there,
all her fubfequent impurities are traced ^.
Here we have a lively picture of the natural
ftate of the true Ifrael. They are all bondmen.
For " whofoever workcth lin, is the bond-fcrvant
" of fm i\" How defpicable their fituation, and
how vile their employment I They are in '' the
** miry clay''." They ** lie among the pots'.'*
They " lade tliemfelves with thick clay ." They
. are totally defiled in the fervice of lin ; " alto-
" gether as an unclean thing." They reckon
themfelves free, but *' they are the fervants of
" corruption." According to the number of their
lulls are their tafkmafters. Thefe require the
moft implicit obedience to their orders. The
wretched finner exerts himfclf to the utmoft, to
fatisfy his lulb. But they are infatiable. The
more they are indulged, the more do they de-
mand. Even when he has no prefent means of
gratifying them, they infill for the full tale of gra-
tifications. Like the Egyptian talkmaftcrs, they
virtually fay,." Go, get ye ftraw where ye can
^* find it : yet not ought of your work lliall be
" diminiflied."
p Ezek. XX. 5 — 8. See alfo Lew. xvii. 7 o Ezek. xxiii. 3. 8. 10. 17,
J) John viii. 34. q Pfal. xl. a. r Pfal. Ixviii, 13. sHab. ii. C.
282 THE ISRAELITES BONDMEN, &-C.
" diminiflied ^" All thefe lulls are under the do-
minion of Satan, " the fpirit that now worketh
" powerfully in the children of difobedicnce '^ ;"
that " leviathan, the piercing ferpent, even levi-
" athan that crooked ferpent," that " great dra-
" gon," of which Pharaoh was only an emblems
Under his influence, blinded finners drudge hard
for their own deftrucftion. They fpend their
ftrength in his fervice, although death be their
only wages. Do they at any time difcover a de-
fire to quit his fervice ? Are they awakened by
the Lord's meffengers ? Their hard mafter affigns
them more work. He throws in new fuel to their
lulls. He tries to bind them faller " with the
" cords of their fms." As Pharaoh commanded
that every male-child^ as foon as it was born,
fliould be cafl into the river ^"^ ; this cruel tyrant,
as fcon as he perceives any thought ariiing in
their hearts, which threatens the fecurity of
his kingdom, does his utmoil to drown it in the
filthy torrent of corruption. Thus, often after
partial awakenings, their bondage feems greater
than ever.
Every fpiritual Ifraelite, while in his natural
fituation, ferv^es the gods of Egypt. This prefent
evil world is his god ; and, in ferving it, he ferves
" the god of this world." He keeps a firm hold
of " the abominations of his eyes." How con-
temptible were the deities of the Egyptians I
They worlhipped calves, and Ciits, and crocodiles ;
the
t Exod. V. II. u Eph. ii, 2. , v Ifa. xxvii. i. comp. with
Ezek. xslx. 3. w Esod. i. 22.
ISRAEL A CHOSEN PEOPLE. 283
the mcancft and the moft dc(lru(flive animals. Such
deities litly reprcfent the objeclis of the linner'.s at-
tachment. They are all not merely vile, but de-
flrudive. They are pleafures which " war againft
** the foul." All the partial apoilacies of the
children of God, after they arc delivered from the
dominion of lin, mull be traced to the depravity
of their natural Hate *' in the land of Egypt."
They are alio under bondage to the law as a
covenant of works. This demands perfecl: obe-
dience to its precept. It requires the full tale of
duties ; but it allows no ftraw. Nor can it be
accufed of injullice. For it views every man in
that ftate, in which all mankind were fubjeded
to its rightful authority in the firft Adam. " The
*' law is holy, and the commandment holy, and
*' juft, and good ;" although we are " carnal,
*' fold under lin •'^." As the Ifraelites were beaten
by their tallvmallers, when they did not fulfil
their work >, the law ftrikes with the rod of its
curfe all who do not obey its precept. For this is
its awful denunciation ; *' Curfed is every one
" that continueth not in all things written in the
" book of the law, to do them."
II. The Lord chofe Ifrael to be a peculiar peo-
ple, although they had nothing to recommend
them to his love : He " avouched them to be his
*' peculiar people, — and to make them high above
*' all the nations he had made, in praile, and in
*' name, and in honour 2." Nothing refpeding
their
X Rom. vii. is. i^. y Exod. v. 14. z Dciit. xsvi. iS, 15,
284 THE TYPICAt SAVIOUR
their origin as a people, their fituation, qualities
or conduct, at the time of his feparating them
from other nations, or their future condudl, could
in the leaft procure his love. His choice, as he
often informs them, was abfolutely fovereign.
** The Lord fet his love upon them, and chofe
" them, — becaufe the Lord loved them ^" In
this choice, and in the fovereignty of it, Ifrael
was a type of the church of Chrill, under the New
Teftament. To her members are the charaders
of God's ancient people applied ; " Ye are a
" chofen generation, — a peculiar people ; that ye
" Ihould fhew forth the praifes of him who hath
*' called you out of darknefs into his marvellous
" light : which in time paft were not a people,
" but are now the people of God : which had not
" obtained mercy, but now have obtained mer-
" cy'.*' — But we mean to illuftrate this point
afterwards, when we come to fpeak more parti-
cularly of divine fovereignty.
III. When the Lord was pleafed to raife up a
typical Saviour for Ifrael, they at firfl rejecled
him. Tiie pro:o-m:irtyr Stephen, in his ftriking
fummary of the hiftory of Ifrael, takes particu-
la^ notice if this circumftance, as an evidence
of their national obduracy : " This Mofes, whom
" they refufed, faying, Who made thee a ru-
" ler and a ju.'.ge ? the fame did God fend to
" be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the
" angel who appeared to him in the bufh ." Ste-
phea
a Deut. vii. 7, 8. b i Pet. ii. 9, lo. c Ads vii. 35,
REJECTED BY ISRAEL. ^85
Tjhen refers to the account given of the firft pub-
lic appearance of Mofes, when " it came nU.) his
- heart to vifit his brethren the children ot If-
.. ricl " We are informed that, " feeing one of
« them fuffer wrong, he defended him, and a-
" veneed him that was opprclTed, and f^iote
" the Egyptian : For he fuppofed his brethren
« {hould'have underftood, how that God by his
- hand would deliver them ; but they underftood
« not. And the next day he fhewed himielf un-
" to them, as they ftrove, and^ would have fet
« them at one again, faying, Sirs, ye are bre-
" thren, why do ye wrong one to another ? But he
- that did his neighbour wrong thrull him away,
" faying Who made thee a ruler and a judge
" over us ' Wilt thou kill me, as thou didll the
- Egyptian yeflerday '^ ?" Mofes had not yet tor-
mally received his miffion from God, nor been en-
dowed with thofe miraculous powers by which it
was to be attefted. But are we to fuppofe that
he did wrong in vindicating the caule ot his
brethren ? On the contrary, Stephen " being tuU
- of the Holy Ghoft," evidently narrates the con-
' duc^ of Mofes with approbation. He declares,
that Mofes himfelf fuppofed that the Ilraelites
" (liould have undcrftood, that God by his hand
" would deliver them." Thus it appears that
Mofes aded from a perfuafion of his being raifed
up by God for judging Ifrael. It would feem,
indeed, that, in killing the Egyptian, he aded by
an immediate impulfc of ti.. Holy Spirit ; efpc-
cially
d Afts vii. 13 — 18. ; Exod. ii. 11 —I4-
286 THE TYPICAL SAVIOUR
cially as his choice at this period is elfewhere a-
fcribed to faith. " By faith Mofes, when he was
" come to years, refufed to be called the fon of
" Pharaoh's daughter." Now, it was at this very
period, ** when Mofcs was grown, that he ivent
" out unto his brethren, and looked on their bur-
" dens^"
Stephen afcribes this refufal to the Ifraelites in
general : and, indeed, there is no evidence that
any of them difapproved of the conduct of him
who treated Mofes opprobrioully. Their rejec-
tion of this deliverer manifefts their ingratitude,
both to God and to his fervant. It alfo fhews,
that, how much foever they complained under
their oppreffions, they had no proper defire of de-
liverance. They knew not the worth of this
bleffing, when it was in their offer. The reluc-
tance tfhey difcovered on this occalion, was cer-
tainly a chief reafon of the great unwillingnefs
of Mofes to fubmit to the work of delivering If-
rael, forty years afterwards. Otherwife, it feems
unaccountable that he, who was formerly fo for-
ward in the fervice, fliould now make fo ma-
ny objections to it, although exprefsly called of
Godf.
When Mofes, at the command of Jehovah,
had left Midian, and when he and Aaron had de-
livered the divine meffage to Pharaoh, with re-
fped: to the liberation of Ifrael, he, inftead of di-
minijQiing, increafed their burdens s. What was
the
e Heb. xi. 14. comp. with Exod. ii. 10, 11, f Exod. ir, i. — 14.
2 Esod, V. I.— p.
REJECTED BY ISRAEL. 287
the confeqiicncc ? The Ifraelites acciife thcfe
fervants of God as the authors of their troubles.
*' They faid unto them, The Lord look upon you,
" and judge," or " be avenged ; becaufc ye
** have made our favour to be abhorred in the
" eyes of Pharoah, and in the eyes of his fer-
" vants, to put a fword in their hands to flay
" us'\" Such was their condudt, although Aaron
had informed them, in a public alTcmbly, of all
that the Lord had fpoken to Mofes concerning
their deliverance, and had " done the figns"
which he was empowered to do " in the fight of
" the people '."
In their condudl we may fee that of the fpiri-
tual Ifrael before converfion. Their hearts are
totally unaiTecled by the altonifliing difplay of
divine love in raifmg up for them a Saviour.
When this compafllonate Saviour looks on their
aifliclion, and begins to judge them, by the ope-
ration of his Spirit in conviction, when he " re-
" proves them of fin," or lays his hand on fome
particular corruption, they virtually fay, " Who
'* made thee a ruler and a judge ovqr us ?"
' They " fet at nought his counfel, and defpife
'* all his reproof." When he ** brings forth
" judgment," in the difpenfation of the gofpel,
exhibiting to them his complete and everlailing
falvation ; they fay, ** Depart from us, for v. e
** defire not the knowledge of thy ways." They
■will " not fubmit themfelves to the rightcoufncfs
*' of Jefus Chrifi." '' What :" fays the vain
worldling,
h F.xoJ. V. »t. i EkocI. iv. :S — -jO.
288 THE TYPICAL SAVIOUR
worldling, " muft I become dead to fociety ?
" Muft all my hopes of pleafure and preferment
" be ftrangled in the birth ? Muft I become a
" gloomy, melancholy perfon, like fuch a one ?"
When the confciences of eledl iinners are fo a-
wakened, by means of the word, that they find
the burden of fin fuch as they never found it be-
fore ; often do they, like the ancient Ifraelites,
afcribe all their troubles to the faithful fervants
of God ; fuppofing that they might ftill have li-
ved in peace, had they not heard this or that mi-
nifter, this or the other fermon. They " will
" not come," they *' incline not to come to
" Chrift, that they may have life." They wifli
to be delivered from wrath. But they have no
genuine delire of deliverance from their worlt
bondage. For they continue in love with fin.
Could the juftice of God have been impeached,
although he had left unbelieving and ungrateful
Ifrael to groan under the yoke of Pharaoh, after
they had fo contemptuoufly treated the deliverer
whom he had fent and miraculoufly attefted ?
Such is the perverfenefs which the eleft often
difcover, after God begins to deal with their fouls,
as plainly to fhew, that all he does for them, is
merely the fruit of fovereign mercy. Such is the
guilt of their unbelief, in refifting the common
operations of his Spirit, and rejedting the offered
Deliverer ; that of itfelf it would be a fuflicient
ground of eternal condemnation, although they
were not chargeable with the guilt of any other
fin.
IV. The
1-RAEL A REDEEMED PEOPLE.. 289
IV. The Lord redeemed Ifracl from Jilgypt by
a wondertul difplay of his power. Therefore it
is often faid, that he *' brought them out by
♦' flrength of hand." He had declared to Abra-
ham concerning his pofterity ; ** That nation
*• whom they fliall fcrve will I judge ; and after-
*' ward fliall they come out with great fub-
** llance ''." He began his work of judgment,
by bringing his plagues on Pharaoh, and on his
fervants, and on all the Egyptians. After they
had endured nine fevere plagues, flill they were
unwilling to let Ifrael go. The Lord warned
them of one more awful than any of the prece-
ding ; the deftrudion of all the hrft-born in the
land. He prepared his people for their deliver-
ance, by the obfervation of the Palfover ; a/id
preferved them from the general calamity, by the
fprinkling of blood '. So much were the Egyptians
affedted by the plague of the firft-born, that
they " were urgent upon the people that they
'• might fend them out of the land in halle : for
** they faid. We be all dead men." They " were
" thruft out of Egypt "\" On that Rital night
did the Lord " execute judgment againll all the
" gods of Egypt''." He caufed his people alfo
to "fpoilthe Egyptians <"." The Ifraelites had
not gone far, before Pharaoh and his fervants re-
pented that they had allowed them to depart.
They faid, " Why have we done this, that we
*' have let Ifrael go from ferving U3i^:" Pha-
VoL. L T raoh
k Gen. xv. 14. 1 F.xod. xii.i— 13. m Ver. ;,3. 3^.
n \tt. 12. 0 Vcr. 35, 26. p £iod. xiv. 5.
290 ISRAEL A REDEEMED PEOPLE.
raoh accordingly made ready a great army, and
purfued them with the mofl infolent boaftings*
When the holt of Pharaoh approached, fuch was
the fituation of the Ifraelites, that it is not fur-
prifing that he fliould confider them as complete-
ly entangled, and that unbelief (hould reprefent
their cafe as hopelefs. For they were inclofed
by high mountains on either hand, while the
Egyptian army preffed them behind, and the Red
Sea lay directly before them. They had no
choice, but either to be at the mercy af Pharaoh,
or to enter into the devouring deeps of the fea.
At the command of God they went forward,
Mofes lifted up his rod,, and ftretched his hand
over the fea. By means of a ftrong eaft wind,
God caufed the fea to go back, and made it dry
land. " The waters were divided. And the
" children of Ifrael went into the midfl of the
" fea upon the dry ground ; and the waters were
" a wall unto them on their right hand, and on
** their left ^'* The Egyptians purfued the If-
raelites into the fea. But Mofes, at the command
of God, again ftretched out his rod over the fea,
and it covered the Egyptians, fo that not fo much
as one of them efcaped. They who fought the
deftruction of God's people, were themfelves com-
pletely deftroyed.
What Chriftian perceives not, in this intereft-
ing hiftory, many ftriking features of our fpiritual
redemption ? Often the Lord, when he means gra-
cioully to vilit the " velTels of mercy," pours out
his
<; E]R>d. xiv. 16. ax, 92.
ISRAEL A REDEEMED PEOPLE. ipl
his plagues on tlicir lulls. Their way is hedged
up with thorns. They i'eck their lovers, but they
cannot find them. He takes away their corn,
and their wine. He deftroys their vines and
their lig-trees ; the things that miniilered to cor-
ruption ■. After all, lin retains its hold of the
heart. He perhaps inflicts dill more fevere ftrokes.
They tremble under awful apprehenfions of eter-
nal deftru(ftion. As the Egyptians tbni/i out the
Ifraelitcs, fin as it were contributes to its owa
dellruclion. When the confcience is awakened
by means of the word, fin raifes fuch a tumult in
the foul, as more fully to unfold its true charac-
ter, and difplay its defperate wickednefs, than it
had done before. " Sin," as in the experience
of Paul, " works all manner of concupifccnce."
The very attempts which it makes for retaining
its dominion, are overruled for haftening its
deftrudion. For by means of them, the finner
is made to perceive both its atrocity, and its af-
tonifliing power in tlic heart. He is perhaps in
the fame fituation with the Ifraelites on the bor-
ders of the Red Sea. He is brought to the brink
of defpair, having no profpecl but that of being
eternally a prey to fin, and to its dreadful confe-
quences. Sin not only wrought in Paul *' all
" manner of concupifcencc •," but " deceived
" him, and flew him: — that it might appear fin,
" it wrought death in him by that which is
" good ." But in the time of greateft extre-
mity, the Lord works deliverance. His people
T 2 . are
t Hof. ii. 6.«i-ii. s Rom. vii. 9. ii. 13.
2^2 ISRAEL A REDEEMED PEOPLE.
are " fliut up unto the faith." They fee no way
of efcaping from dellrudion, but by an immedi-
ate obedience to " the command of God," in
" believing on the name of his Son Jefus Chrifl."
They have indeed been formerly redeemed by
the price of Ghrifl's blood, by the blood of that
fpotlefs Lamb, who is " our PalTover facrificed for
" us." But their enemies retain the dominion
over them till they be alfo redeemed by the
power of his Spirit. Chriil faves them not by
blood only, but alfo by water. Of this falvation
we have an illultrious type in the deliverance of
Ifrael at the Red Sea. This deliverance, indeed,
may be viewed as at once prefiguring the merit
of Chrift's death, and the power of his Spirit ;
the deliverance of his people, both from their
guilt, and from the dominion of their fpirjtual
enemies.
We learn from an infpired writer, that all the
Ifraelites were baptised unto Mofes " in the cloud,
" and in the fea ^" This may literally refer to
the drops of water which might fall upon them,
from the over-lliadowing cloud, and from the fea
which flood in heaps on both fides, as they pafTed
through. The language lignifies, that they were
baptized unto Mofes as a typical mediator ; and
thus bound to fabmit to that covenant, which
God was afterwards to reveal to them by his mi-
niflry. But it alfo plainly denotes, that in the
pafTage of the literal Ifrael through the Red Sea^
we have a figure of the fame kind with the ini-
tiating
t I Cor. X. 2
ISRAliL A REDEEMED PEOPLE. 203
t lilting feal of the covenant of grace ; a type of
** the wafliing of regeneration," and fprinkling
of the blood of Jefus, of which baptifin is only the
iign.
As baptifm refpcds the removal both of the
guilt, and of the power and pollution of fin, it is
natural to think, that the baptifm of Ifracl in the
fea refpeded both. Was the Red Sea dried up
by means of the rod of Mofes ? By the crofs of
the antitypical Mofes, a way is opened for his
fpiritual Ifrael to the land of promife. Did the
waters form walls for the defence of Ifrael ? It is
by the blood of Jefus that they are delivered
from eternal deftruclion. Did the fame rod which
divided the waters for the falvation of Ifrael,
bring them back for the deftrudion of the Egyp-i
tians ? The crofs of Chrift is " to them who are
*' called, the power of God ;" although to others
** a Humbling block." That very gofpel, which
to fome is the favour of life unto life, is to others
the favour of death unto death. Was the Red
Sea dried up, not only by the ftretching out of
the rod of Mofes, but by the blowing of a flrong
wind F The Lord Chrilt fends forth his word,
which is '* the rod of his mouth ;" " the rod of
" his flrength " ;" he accompanies it by the ope-
ration of his Spirit, that wind which ** bloweth
" where it lifleth '' •" and his chofcn people
" pais from death unto life." They who before
faw infuperable dilliculties in the way of their
coming to Chrift, now find them all removed.
T3 "By
u Ifa. xi. 4. ; Pfa. ex. 3 v ^obn iii. 8. See alfo, Ifa. xi. 15.
294 ISRAEip A REDEEMED PEOPLE.
'* By faith, they pafs through the Red Sea as on
'' dry land -^ ."
As God began to judge the enemies of his peo-
ple, when he infliclJled his grievous plagues on
them, he finifhed this work by their complete
deftrudtion in the Red Sea. Then was his pro-
mife fulfilled ; " The Lord fliall fight for you,
" and ye fliall hold your peace ." The Lord
redeems his fpiritual Ifrael, by a deliverance re-
fembling that of his ancient people, when he
brought them out of Egypt. Therefore he fays,
" iSccording to the days of thy coming out of the
*^ land of Egypt, will I fhew unto him marvel-
" Ions things." And how does the church inter-
pret this gracious promife ? By an evident allu-
fion to the deftrudlion of Pharaoh and his hoft.
" He will fubdue our iniquities ; and thou wilt
" call all our fins into the depths of the fea >'."
The " old man" is deitroyed in the work of rege-
neration. The dominion of fin is as certainly bro-
ken, as its guilt is removed ; fo that the Chrif-
tian has no more reafon to fear that it Ihall re-
gain its power, or rife" up againfl: him to condem-
nation, than the Ifraelites had to fear that Pha-
raoh and his hoft fliould again tyrannize over
them, after they faw them drowned in the Red
Sea. Here alfo we have a type of the final de-
ftrudlion of fin.
Chrift alfo judges " the prince of this world,"
and *• cafls him out-^" of their hearts, delivering
them
w Heb. xi. 29. x Esod. xiv. 14, y Mic. vii. 15. 19.
z John xii, 31.
THE LAW GIVEN, &C. ^95
them from his tyranny ; as he huth deftroyed his
power on the crofs. Thus he " wounds the dra-
** gon '." For their fakes alfo he judges this
world, by delivering them from its dominion.
In the deftruiftion of Pharaoh, indeed, we have a
type and pledge of the final overthrow of Satan,
and all the enemies of the church; ofthatfer--
pent and his feed, who have flill fought to de-
ftroy the feed of the woman. In this great work
they are made to '* ftand itill, and fee the falva-
*' tion of their God." They have no merit in
the work. Although made adtive in turning to
God, the change is wholly the eft'ed: of divine
power, and accomplifhed by the Spirit of God
working in them.
In the deftrudion of the Egyptians, we have
in general alfo a type of the fate of all who are
finally impenitent.
V. The law was given to the Ifraelites from
Mount Sinai. It was the purpofe of God to em-
ploy a mediator between him and them in this
tranfaclion. But he fo ordered matters, that the
people themfelves fliould earneflly dclire this pri-
vilege, in confequence of a deep convidtion of its
neceflity. Accordingly, when, in the proclama-
tion of the law, they heard the awful voice of
God, accompanied with thunderings, lightnings,
and an earthquake, they were fo tilled with ter-
ror, that they faid unto Moles, " Speak thou with
** us, and we will hear : but let not God fpeak
T 4 *' with
^ lu. li. 9.
296 THE LAW GIVEK
" with US, left we die""." God approved of their
propofal. Therefore he faid to Mofes ; " I have
" heard the voice of the words of this people,
*' which tliey have fpoken unto thee : they have
*' well faid all that they have fpoken. — Go, fay
" unto them, Get ye into your tents again. But
*f as for thee, ftand thou here by me, and I will
^' fpeak unto thee all the commandments, and
" the ftatutes, and the judgments which thou
" fhalt teach them, 'that they may do them in
f the land which I give them to poffefs it '^."
Hence the apoftle Paul declares, that the law was
*' ordained by angels in the hand .of a media-
*' tor^'." By the niediator, here mentioned, fome
fuppofe that our Lord himfelf is meant. But it
feems more natural to underdand the language
with refpecl to Mofes, who was evidently em-
ployed as a typical mediator ; efpecially as it is
elfewhere faid, that " the law was given bj Mo-
*' fes %'^ and that the ftatutes, and judgments,
and laws, were " made between the Lord and the
*' children of Ifrael, in Mount Sinai, hj the fmn4
" of Mofes f."
On this occafion, there was a promulgation of
the law as a covenant of works, with its promife
and threatening annexed. The great body of
that ignorant and obdurate people feem to have
underftood it entirely, in a legal ^enfe. However,
it never was the intention of God to give life to
man, fince the fall, by that broken covenant.
Man could not receive life in this way ; for the
law
b E?:oJ. XX. i8, 15, c Deut. v. 28. — 31. d Gal. iii. ^9.
e John i. 17. f Lev. xxvi. 46.
TO THE ISRAELITES. ft97
law was " weak through tlic flefh," or corruption
of our nature. But in the repetition of the law
in its covenant form, God had various important
ends to ferve. He judged this neceflary for ma-
nifelling the immutability of the law in its foede-
ral requifitions. He at the fame time meant, by
an awful difplay of its llriclnefs and feverity, to
rcrtrajn that fliti-necked people from going to
fuch excefs in iin as they Would otherwife have
done ; *' for the law was added becaufe of tranf-
" grellionss." Thus alfo he difplayed to man
his guilt as a tranfgrefibr. For " by the law is
** the knowledge of fin \" He, by the fame
means, proclaimed the condemnation of the lin-
ncr. For " what things foever the law faith, it
" faith to them, who arc under the law," not that
any mouth may be opened for felf-jullification,
but ** that every mouth may be flopped, and all
*' the world become guilty," that is, evidently
appear to be guilty " before God '." The lan-
guage which the law fpoke to the Ifraelites, fb
far from giving ground for any hopes of juftifica-
tion, was diredly calculated to convince them of
their condemnation. For it faid, " Curfed is evc-
" ry one that continueth not in all things *"." From
the ftrictnefs of its demands, and the feverity of
its denunciations, the law was meant to {hew the
ncceflity of a Saviolir. Therefore the apoftle
fays ; ** The law was our fchoolmaller, to bring
*• us unto Chrift, that we might be juflificd by
'* taith/'
g Ga], iii. 19. h Rom. iii. lo. i Rom. iii. 19.
k G»l. iii. 10.
■ •298 THE LAW GIVEN
** faith '." The law, as it was " ordained in the
<* hand of a mediator," looked forward to its full
completion in due time. For as rea-lly as Mofes
Hood between God and the people, that glorious
Perfon, whom Mofes prefigured, was to ftand in
the relation of a Mediator, and " fulfil all righ-
" teoufnefs," by perfedlly obeying the precept of
the law, and completely fuftaining its curfe.
The precept of the law, as a covenant of works,
wa's revealed not only for difcovering fin, and
fliewing the necefiity of falvation, but in dired:
fubfervi.ency to the appearance and work of the
promifed Mefliah. We are fure that the curfe
of the lavy was executed on him as our furety.
He was " made a curfe for us ""." He was prefi-
gured, and diredtly pointed out, in all the facri-
fices, as the fin- offering for his people. In this re-
fpedl, he is " the end of the law for righteouf-
** nefs^." But in order to the completion of a
juftifying righteoufnefs, on the part of our Re-
deemer, it was indifpenfablyneceffary, not only that
the curfe of the law fiiould be fuftained, and thus
removed, but that its precept, as a covenant,
ihould be fulfilled. We certainly know that the
curfe, as revealed to Ifrael, bore a relation to him.
This remarkably appears from the malediction de-
nounced againfi: the man that fliould hang on a
tree. Some view thefe words, '* The law was
** added, becaufe of tranfgrefTions," as fignifying
that the law was added to the covenant made
with Abraham, in relation to the finifliing of tranf-
grefiiun
1 Gal. iii. 24. m pul. ui. 13. ti Rom. x. 4.
TO THE ISRAELITES. 099
grcflion by the furetilhip of Chrift ; efpeciully as
it is labjoined, — " until the promifed feed fhould
** come," which rellrids this ufe of the law to
the period preceding the incarnation and death of
the Surety.
Now, as the curfc of the law referred to Chrifl,
it is reafonablc to conclude that its precept had a
iimiUir refpe6l. Otherwife, there would have been
a legal reference to one branch of his furety-
rightcoufnefs only. In regard to the precept, as
well as the curfe, he is the end of the law for our
jullification. Accordingly, God revealed the pre-
cept with a promife of life. For it was faid ;
** The man that doth thcfe things fhall live in
*' them." This undoubtedly had an ultimate re»
fped: to eternal life ; as appears from our Lord's
referring the young man, who fought to " inhe-
*' rit eternal life," by his own doings, to the law.
But did God therefore reveal the precept of the
law with a delign that men fhould expect eternal
life by their own obedience ? By no means. This
revelation was in fubferviency to the perfedl obe-
dience of the Saviour, that man who was to do thefe
things, and to live in them, nay, in this way to give
life to all whom he reprcfented. The law, there-
fore, was revealed at jVIount Sinai as a covenant
of works, promifing eternal life, and threatening
eternal death ; as the obfervation of its precept,
and the bearing of its curfe, conftituted the con-
dition of the covenant of grace to our glorious
Surety. To this purpofc it has been faid, that
♦* the Sinai covenant was a covenant of works,
" as
3CO THE LAW GIVEN
" as to be fulfilled by Jefus.Chrift, reprefented
" under an imperfedl adminillration of the cove-
" nant of grace to Ifrael :" or, that it is " the
" covenant of grace as to its legal condition,
" even for eternals, to be performed by Jefus
" Chrift, held forth under a ferviie, typical, con-
" ditional adminillration of it for temporals unto
" Ifrael-."
The law was alfo given to Ifrael, as the rule of
their obedience. God thus taught them, that they
were not fo become their own mailers, hy their
deliverance from Egyptian bondage, that they
might henceforth live as they pleafed : but that
their obedience was thereby transferred to him ;
and that the more free they were from the yoke
of others, the more they were bound to his fer-
vice. Hence the great argument which he em-
ploys, for enforcing obedience to his command-
ments, is derived froin the confideration of this
merciful deliverance : " I am the Lord thy God,
" which have brought thee out of the land of
*' Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage p." He
not only prefaces the moral law with this power-
ful argument, but ufes it oq other occalions for
enforcing precepts of a ceremonial or judicial na-
ture '^. He lliil reminds them, that they are un-
derthe flrongefl obligations as " a people faved
" by the Lord."
In all this they were a remarkable figure of the
fpiritual Ifrael. While they are yet in an unre-
newed
o Petto's DifFeience between the Old and New Covenant, p. 124.
p Exod. XX. 2, q Lev. xix. 36. ; Numb. xv. 41.
TO THE ISRAELITES. 3^*
nexved Rate, the Lord employs his law for re-
ftraining their lufts. He fays to each of his
el a "Live m thy blood -' He particularly
prefe'rves them from committing the " fin which
" is unto death." When he is about to deliver
them from the dominion of fin, he fends his law
for conviction. He makes the commandment to
come, by difcovering to them its fpirituahty and
extent. He brings home the curfa of the law on
their confciences. Hence they die to all legal
l,opes of falvation % They " through the law are
" dead to the law" as a covenant, that they " may
« live unto God \" Often he brings them, under
the operation of the fpirit of bondage, to the toot
of Mount Sinai, " to the mount that burns with
« fire, and unto blacknefs and darknefs, and tem-
" peft and the found of a trumpet, and the voice
« of words, which they that hear entreat that the
« word may not be fpoken to them any mo'^e" T'
Then are they aduated by the fame defire as God s
ancient people. They perceive the abfolute ne-
celhty of - a days-man," who can " lay his hand
" upon both ■ ." In fovereign mercy the Lord
■ reveals a Mediator, infinitely able for this work.
As even the repetition of the law, at Mount Sinai,
in its covenant form, was meant in dired fubfer-
viency to a better covenant, Chriil makes no other
ufe of the law, in dealing with the elecfl before
convcrfion, than in order to his bringing tliem to
himfelf. They are " concluded," or - Ihut up as
" prifoners,
rEzclcxvi.6. .Rom.vTi.9. t Gal. ii. zj-
u Heb. xli. iS, 19- v Job. ix. 33
302 THE LAW GIVEN
" prifoners, all under fin, that the promife by
" faith of Jefus Chrift might be given to them ■."
If merits our fpecial attention, that, in the mofh
particular prophecy delivered by Mofes concern-
ing the Meffiah, he not only defcribes him as a
Mediator, but as his own antitype in that charac-
ter which he fuftained at Mount Sinai, in confe-
quence of the earneft defire of Ifrael, and the ex-
prefs approbation and ordination of Jehovah. In
the folemn repetition of the law, he dire6ts the
eyes of all the tribes to this moft important cir-
cumilance, " The Lord thy God," he fays,
*' will raife up unto thee a Prophet from the midfl
" of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; — ac^
*' cording to all that thou dejiredjl of the Lord
*' thy God in Horeb, in the day of the alTembly,
** faying, Let me not hear again the voice of the
*' Lord my God ; neither let me fee this great
" fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord
" faid unto me, They have well fpoken that
" which they have fpoken. I will raife them up
** a Prophet from among their brethren, like un-
*' to thee '^^^ &.C. This Prophet was to be like
unto Mofes, particularly as correfponding to all
the dejire of Ifrael, when they faw the necefiity
of a Mediator >'. And fo completely is he quali-
fied for the work of Handing between God and
guilty men, that his charadler is commenfurate
to all the defire of every foul awakened to a fenfe
of his fin and mifery. To this Mediator are all
the
w Gal iii. 2S. x Deut. xviii. 15. — 18.
y See this paflage more fully explained, Vindication of the Dodlrine of
Scripture, and of the Primitive Faith concerning the Deitj of Chrift, in
reply to Dr Prieftley's Hiftory of Early Opinions, Sec. vol. i. p. 496.-501-
TO THE ISRAELITES. 1^03
the elccl enabled to come, in the day of their ef-
fcdual vocation. Convinced that they have no
rightcoufneis of their own ; by faith in his blood,
" they are made the rightooulnefs of God in him."
They, wjio in their own pcrfons can neither ful-
fil the precept of the law% nor bear its curfe, are
viewed, as foon as they believe, as having pcrfed:-
ly done both in the perfon of their Surety. For
they are *' crucified with ChrilL"
Was the law given to ancient IfracI, " in the
** hand of a Mediator," as the rule of their obe^
dience ? In this rcfpecl alio did they prefigure
the true feed of Abraham. As redeemed from
fpiritual Egypt, they receive the law as a rule of
life. They are indeed eternally delivered from it
as a covenant of works. Yet they are not there-
fore " without law to God, but under the law to
" Chrift .'* They do not acknowledge it, as pro-
mifmg life and threatening death. But they re-
ceive it from the hand of their loving Redeemer,
who hath delivered them from death, and given
them eternal life. The law, as a covenant, has
led them to Chrift as a Mediator ; and Chrift the
Mediator leads them back to the law, as the eter-
nal rule of their conduct. The great motive to
their obedience, is the confideration of his ado-
rable love, in bringing them " out of the land of
** Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage." For they
are afPured, that he hath " delivered them out of
** the hands of their enemies, that they might
'* ferve him, without fear^ in holinefs and righ-
" tcoufnef'i
z I Cor. is. 2X.
304 THE 'WORSHIP OF ISRAEL.
" teoufnefs before him, all the days of their life^"
They know that they are perpetually bound to
" give thanks unto the Lord, becauie his mercy
" endureth for ever ;" and becaufe he hath gi-
ven them fo wonderful an evidence of it, in " re-
** deeming them from the hand of the enemy a."'
VI. The worJJjip of Ifrael typified that of the
New-Teftament Church. All the ordinances of
worfhip were of divine appointment. The people
of Ifrael had no right either to add or to diminifli .
in any refpedl. Therefore the Lord faid to Mo-
fes, in regard to the tabernacle ; " See that
" thou make all things according to the pattern
*' fhewed to thee in the mount." Now " thefe
" things ferve unto the example of heavenly
" things, as Mofes was admonifhed of God,"
when he gave him this charge '^. We learn from
it, that " in vain thofe worfliip" God, who *' teach
** for dodlrines the commandments of men." The
ordinance of facrifice inftituted imm.ediately af-
ter the fall, was continued among the Ifraelites.
They were taught that atonement could be made
only by blood. A variety of facrifices, more ex-
prefsly figurative of the one offering of our Lord
Jefus Chrift, were enjoined. As he was the great
object pointed out in all thefe facrifices ; the peo-
ple of Ifrael, in offering them, were flriking types
of all the true Ifrael of God in New-Teftament
times. Were the Ifraelites unto God " a king-
" dom
a Luke i. 74, 75. b Pla!. cvii. i. 2. c Exod. xxv. 40 ;
Heb. vlii. >.
THE WORSHIP OF ISRAEL. 3°5
.' dotn of priefts'i ?" They were not all employ-
ed in this charnaer. For the priellhood was con-
fined to one tribe, and to one family in that tnbe.
But they were " a kingdom of pr.cfts," .nalmuch
as in their colUaive capacity they typified th.t
fpiritual church, confiiling of all thofe who are
"elea according to the foreknowledge ot God
" the Father, through fanflification ot the Sp.nt
" imto obedience, an<l Iprinkling of the blood o
" Tcfus Chrift," whom Veter deiigns " a royal
" miefthood." Kveu during the fubfirtence of
the legal difpenfation, God tre.iuently .nlormcd
that people of the comptnative unaeceptab enefs
of their ritual worfliip, and prepared h.s church
for its abolition. This feems to be the principal
def.gn of the Spirit in the Fiftieth Pfalm. 1 here
he informs his profeffmg people, that he prelcrs
" thankfgiving" to " the fleih of bulls" and the
" blood of goats ;" and that the oflering ot pra.ie
is more glorifying to him than any other which
men can prefent ^ Elfewhere be pours contempt
on the oblations of calves, and others of the fame
nature ; when he foretells, that his people in rc-
■ turning from their apoftacy, Ihould " render the
" calves of their lip. '." To the fame purpole,
the infpired writer of the Epiltle to the Hebrews,
after iUuftrating the vanity of legal facrifices in
themfelves, and (hewing that they had all recei-
ved their accomplilhment in Clnrift, declares the
fuperior honour of the New-Teftameut Church,
Vol. I. U
dF..«d.»i..«. cl'C.i..,. fPW.1..3.>4.'3-
I Hof. »iv. ).
^6 TfiE WORSHIP OF ISRAEL.
in thefe words : " By him therefore," that is, by
Chrift, M^ho ** fuffered without the gate," as our
only atoning facrifice, " let us offer the facrifice
" of praife to God continually, that is, the fruit
'' of our lips, giving thanks to his name''." This
fecrifice indeed, in its full extent, includes the
offering of ourfelves, of the whole man, of the
body, not as a lifelefs oblation, but as animated
by a foul quickened by his Spirit, and wafhed in
that meritorious blood in which is the life. There-
fore faith the apoflle Paul : " I befeech you bre-
" thren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent
-' your bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable
" unto God, which is your reafonable fervice '."
Thus, he " who hath loved us, and waflied us
" from our fins in his own blood," hath " made
" us kings and priefls unto God and his Father '^."
It is not, either as cleanfed by our own fervices, or
as wafhed in our own blood, but as purified by his,
that we are admitted to this high honour. Every
real believer, through his glorious High-Prieft,
hath the fame dignity with the high-priefl under
the law. His privilege indeed is unfpeakably
greater. He was permitted to enter into the holy
of holies ; but it was only once a year : and he
could not, according to the nature of the difpen-
fation, do it without fear. But we, at all times,
*' have holdnefs to enter into the holiefl by the
" blood of Jefus." We are called to *' come bold-
^^ ly to the throne of grace I"
The
h Heb. xiii. 15. i I^om. xii. X. Ic Rev. i. fi.
1 Kcb. X. 19. ; Iv. 16.
THE WORSHIP OF ISRAEL. 3C7
The Ifraclitcs, in all their ritual vvorfliip, were
conlined to one altar '". To build another altar of
burnt-offering, was rebellion againft the Lord ".
Few of that carnal people could underftand the
true reafon of this relbidion. It was written
efpecially for our fakes •, and points out to us the
unity of our gofpel -altar, the Lord Jefus Chrift.
This is that altar which alone can " fandify the
" gift ;" that altar, from which thofe who ad-
here to the law are excluded. For " we have
" an altar whereof they have no right to cat,
" which ferve the tabernacle "." Hither muft
we bring all our fpiritual offerings. Here only
can " the facrifice of praife be acceptable." And
on this altar, which God by way of eminence
calls his, even the offerings of pQor fmners of the
Gentiles are accepted. For, concerning " the
" fons of the flrangers," he hath faid, " Their
" burnt-offerings and their facrifices fliall be ac-
" ccpted upon mine altar p."
In a word, the people of God were ftill to wor-
Ihip towards the mercy-feat, or propitiatory 9.
.This was that covering of pure gold which was
fpread over the ark, in which the two tables of
the law were kept. The cloud of glory reilcd
above it. Towards this, the Ifraelites, in all their
difperfions, were ftill to prefent their fupplications ^
Need I Tay that it was an illuftrious figure of our
Lord Jefus Chriit, who intervenes between the
majefty of God and his guilty people, covering
U 2 from
m Lev. xvii. 8, 9. ; Dent. xii. 11.-14. n Joni. xxii. 16.
o Heb. xiii. 10. p lu. Ivi. 7. q Exod. »xv. 17-22.
r I Kings viii. 29, 30. 33.
308 ON THE GOVERNMENT
from the eye of jiiftice all their tranfgreffions of
liis holy law. Therefore it is declared, that
** he is our propitiation %" and that he is " fet
" forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
" blood, to declare the righteoufnefs of God in
" the remiliion of fins ^
SECTION II.
mje Government of the Ifraelites of divine ori-
gin.— God himfelf their Judge and King. — Je-
rufaleni chofen as the Seat of E?npire. — God^s
Deputies endued ivith his Spirit. — Bound to con-
fult the Lord, and miraculoufly direBed by him.
— He protected and delivered them. — Went up
before them to battle. — Hid not permit them to
place confidence in an arm of flejb.
VII, Israel, as a nation, in refpect of govern-
ment, eminently prefigured the New-Teftament
Church. This requires our particular attention,
that we may know in what refpedls the Ifraelites
are exhibited to us as patterns ; and, at the fame
time, by duly adverting to the difference between
the old and the new difpenfation, may be able to
** look to the end of that which is aboliflied.'*
When the children of Ifrael are called *' a king-
" dom of prieftL', and an holy nation," in confe-
quence of their being fet apart or confecrated to
Jehov \H ; it is evident that this confecration re-
fpedted Lhtm, not merely as a church but as a flace.
Therefore
"■'I'n ii. 2, t Rom. iii. 25.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 3^9
Therefore flicy arc dcrcribed in terms exprellive of
civil relations. Thefc very charaaers beinc,- by the
Spirit transferred to the people of God under the
New Teftamcnt ; it is no lefs evideat that IlVucl,
even in their national or political charadcr, ty-
pified the Church of Chrill. Hence, we are not
fo to diainguidi between the churcli and ftate
of Ifracl, as to conilder the one as a hgure of the
New-Tertament Church, and the other as a pat-
tern for kingdoms or nations confifting of profcf-
Iing Chriltians ; but to view that people in their
coUeaive capacity, both as a political and as an
ecclefiattical fociety, as one figure of the true 11-
rael.
I. The government of Ifrael was wholly of di-
vine origin. Its form, whether as civil or eccle-
liaftical, and all its ordinances, were given imme-
diately by God. He was their Lawgiver. He
'* fpake with them from heaven, and gave them
" right judgments, and true laws, good ftatutes
" and commandments,— by the hand of Mofes
" his fervant".'* Nothing pertaining to their
government was left to their own wifdom, or to
the fpur of the occalion. They had not, like
any other nation, a right to alter their form of
government, in any inftance whatfoever. The
care which God, in this reiped, exercifcd a-
bout Ifracl, was. undoubtedly a figure of the di-
vine origin of the New-Tcftament Church, in her
whole conftitution. Thus our Lord declares.
u Neh. is. 13, 14.
U 3 V ^^'^^^
3IO ON THE GOVERNMENT
with refpedl to her frame and origin, ** My king-
" dom is not of this world ;" — " my kingdom is
" not from hence \" Many good men have fup-
pofed, that Chrift hath appointed no particular
form of government for his Church under this
difpenfation, but hath left this to be modelled by
men, as it fhall be molt agreeable to their own
ideas, or moft fuitable to particular times^ and to
the circumftances of her local lituation. But this
fuppofition implies a manifeil abfurdity ; nay, a
multitude of abfurdities. Were this the cafe,
Chrifl would have a kingdom, but a kingdom
without any definite form. God muft have ma-
nifefted far more regard to '' the patterns of hea-
" venly things," than to thefe heavenly things
themfelves. Mofes muft have been more faith-
ful " as a fervant" in his Matter's houfe, than
Jefus as *' a Son over his own houfe.'* The
Church, it is granted, is " God's building." But,
according to this fyftem, it muft be a building
without any regular plan, without any fymmetry
or order. It is fuppofed that God hath laid the
foundation of this houfe, but that it is his plea-
fure that the whole fuperftradture fhould be the
creature of human fancy.
2. According to the peculiar nature of the
government given to the Ifraelites, God himfelf
was th^iv judge and king. Even in their politi-
cal capacity, they fuftained a relation to him, to
which there never was, and. never will be, a pa-
rallel,
V John xviii. 35.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 3II
rallel. Therefore has their government, as a na-
tion, been juftly called u theocracy, becaufe God
was their Supreme Ruler. The judges, to whom
during feveral centuries the power was imme-
diately committed, were merely his deputies. He
" gave unto them judges ^' ," not limply in the
ordinary courle of his providence, which he ex-
tends to all nations ; but by raifing up, in an ex-
traordinary way, particular perfons for the work
of judgment. His people had no choice left
them. They were bound to obey whomfoever
he appointed. Thefe judges knew that they were^
mere reprefentatives. When the Ifraelites feem-
ed to forget this, when they propofed to Gideon,
as an evidence of their gratitude to him, for his
inftrumentality in their deliverance from the Mi-
dianites, to eftablifh an hereditary authority in
his family, he at once rejected the idea with pious
abhorrence. *' Rule thou," faid they, " over us,
« both thou, and thy fon, and thy Ion's fon alfo."
But Gideon replied, " I will not rule over you,
" neither lliall my fon rule over you : the Lord
'' fliall rule over you ." Not merely by their
wifii to tranlmit the power to his poftcrity, but
even by propofing to fecure it to himfelf during
life ; he faw that they had forgotten God's fo-
vcreign right of nominating, and alio of fetting
aiide, one whom he had been pleafcd to employ
for a time. Therefore he faid, " The Lord J^ull
" rule over you. I will not even take the name
« of a ruler? If he, who has called me to his
U 4 " fervice,
w A(.Ti xiiL M. * J^'ig- viii. n, JJ-
312 ON" THE GOVERNMENT
" fervice, pleafe to continue me as his deputy, I
" am fatisfied. If not, let him fet me alide, and
*' appoint whomfoever he will in my ftead."
When, during the adminiftration of Samuel,
the Ifraelites demanded a king, the Lord con-
fidered it as rebellion againft himfelf in this
charader. " The thing difpleafed Samuel, when
*' they faid. Give us a king to judge us : and
" Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the
" Lord faid unto Samus], Hearken unto the
" voice of the people in all that they fay un-
*' to thee : for they have not rejected thee, but
*' they have rejected me, that I fliould not reign
" over them^." But they could not by this re-
quifition have rejected the Lord, if he had not
Hood in the relation of a fupreme political head
to Ifrael. For they made no propofal of renoun-
cing fubjediion to him in any other refpect. They
delire not a change in their worfliip. They alk
not a new fyllem of civil laws. All that they
demand, is an alteration as to the executive form.
The reafon given by the Ifraelites for perlifting
in their demand, after Sarhuel fhewed them the
confequenccs of its being granted, clearly demon-
ftrates that they were fenfible of the peculiarity
of their civil government, as in this refpedt dif-
fering from that of every other peoplfe. " They
" faid. Nay, but we will have a king over us :
** that we alfo may be like all the nations^ and
" that our king may judge us, and go out before
" us, and fight our battles ." Had not Jehovah
done all this for them ? Yes j but they wifhed a vi-
fible
y I Sam. viii. C, 7, z Ver. ip, lo.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 3I3
jihle head. Afterwards, we find Samuel charging
them with great wickcdnefs in alking a king.
He proves this charge from the relation in which
God flood to them : " Ye faid unto me, Nay, but
** a king fhall reign over us ; when the Lord your
" God was your king ."
The people iinned in making this requeft. But
even their guilt was permitted and overruled for
the accomplifliment of God's imrhutable purpofe.
It was his will to give them a king. He might
julHy have rejedted them as a people from this
time forward, as they had rejcded him. And
indeed, fome funpofe that the theocracy was at
this time aboliflied. But the idea is evidently un-
founded. The people were brought to confefs their
guilt ; and the Lord continued their relation to
himfelf. They faid to Samuel ; " Pray for thy
" fervants, that we die not : for we have added
" unto all our fins this evil, to afk us a king. And
" Samuel faid unto the people, Fear not : (ye
" have done all this wickednefs : yet turn not
" afide from following the Lord, but ferve the
** Lord with all your heart ; and turn ye not a-
" fide : for then fliould ye go after vain things,
" which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are
" vain) : For the Lord will not forfake his peo-
•' pie, for his great name's fake : becaufe it hath
" pleafed the Lord to make you his people ■^."
It is evident that the theocracy was continued,
although the charader of the vifible ruler was
changed. The kings were ftill, in a peculiar man-
ner,
I I Sam. xii. IX. 17, b Ver. 19.-72.
314 on THE GOVERNMENT
ner, God*s deputies. They were not chofen by
the people, but appointed by him in art extraor-
dinary way ; and they were depofcd at his plea-
fure. He gave Saul " in his anger ;" yet, when
the lot fell on him, Samuel laid to the people,
" See ye him, whom the Lord hath chofen .'*
It was not by the Ifraelites, but by God himfelf,
that this difobedient prince was afterwards re-
je6ted. David, his fucceflbr, was immediately ap-
pointed by God, and employed merely as his de-
puty. " The Lord faid to him, Thou Ihalt feed
" my people Ifrael, and thou fhalt be a captain
" over Ifrael '." His commiffion runs in the ftyle,
of that of an inferior officer. The people were not
David's ; they were ilill God's. Even when he
made the throne hereditary in the houfe of Da-
vid, he exercifed his right of eiedion, in prefer-
ring Solomon to all his brethren. It is faid of
Solomon, that he *' fat on the throne of Jeho-
** VAH ^." How could this language have been
ufed with propriety, had the theocracy been abo-
lillied ? In this refpeft, undoubtedly, Solomon
prefigured Him, who hath " fat down with the
** Father upon his throne '." The kingdom " in
" the hands of the fons of David," is in like
manner called by Abijah " the kingdom of the
" Lords."
Although the theocracy ftill continued, God did
not always exercife his power in the fame man-
ner, or manifeft his fuperintendence in the fame
degree*
c T Snm. X. 24. d 2 Sam v. 2. e i Cluon. xxix. 23.
f Rev. iii. %i. g a Chron, xiii. 8,
OF THE ISRAELITES. 315
degree. He did not renounce his kingly relation
to his people, when they Ibrfook him. He only
deprived them of the more clear and ftriking evi-
dences of it. But when they returned to their
duty, he favoured them with the fame proofs of
his royal care and clemency, that they had for-
merly enjoyed. While all the princes of the race
of David were God's deputies with refped to their
officey thofe who acknowledged his fupreme au-
thority received fpecial tokens of the continuance
of his prelidency. The throne of David itfelf
was ftill typical of the throne of the MefTiah :
but a peculiar honour was referved for thofe
princes who followed the Lord. They were ge-
nerally, if not all, perfonal types of the Son and
Lord of David. Ifrael, in this refpedt, eminent-
ly prefigured the New-Teftament Church. *' The
" Lord is our judge, — the Lord is our king."
It was never meant that the type fliould be ful-
filled in any earthly kingdom. This honour ex-
clulively belongs to the Church, which is " the
•' kingdom of heaven." Chrift is her only Head
and Sovereign. He is " the Judge of Ifrael '."
Under the law, he prefided over " an holy na-
** tion." He Hill retains the charadcr of " King
" of faints." As, according to the human nature,
he was lineally defcended from David ; " the
" government is upon his lliouldcr." He Ihall lit
** upon the thfone .of David, and upon his king-
*' dom, to order it and eltablifli it with judgment
** and with jullice, from henceforth even foi:
ever.'"'
h Mic. V. I.
3l6 ON THE GOVERNMENT
" ever '." He employs men in managing the con-
cerns of his kingdom. But their power is pure-
ly minifterial. They have no dominion over the
confciences of others. Their work is to declare
whatfoever he hath commanded, and to judge
according to his laws. No man, whether in a fa-
cred or a civil character, has any right to exer-
cife dominion over his Church. Did he account
it rebellion in his ancient people' to aik a king ?
He accounts it rebellion againft his authority, for
any one to ufurp fupremacy over his Church, or
even to fubmit to this ufurpation. He will have
all his fpiritual fubjeds to know, that it is better
to obey God^ than man. Chrift himfelf anfwers
all the purpofes of a vifible head to his kingdom :
and it is worthy of inquiry, whether folicitude, on
the part of the church, to be fecured in her coU
leSlive capacity, by the fanftion of human laws,
and by the fword of the civil magiftrate, favour
not too much of the fpirit of the Ifraelites, when
they demanded a king, that they might be " like
" all the nations," and that this *' their king might
" fight their battles ?" Is the church adually in-
corporated with the ftate ? Is flie not, in this cafe,
like the rtjl of the nations ?
It is with the Chriftian Church as it was wath
Ifrael. In a time of apoftacy, the Lord with-
draws the tokens of his prefence. He reftrains
the influences of his Spirit. Then " the land of
" the daughter of his people" brings forth only
" briers and thorns." Her enemies may be ready
to
i Ifa. ix. 6, 7.
or THE ISRAELITES, 317
to triumph, as if there were " no king" in her,
as if her " coiinfellor were perilhcd." But when
Ihe returns to the Lord, he favours her anew with
the comfortable evidences of his gracious pre-
fencc. He ** renews her days as of oUl." He
" caufes his glorious voice to be heard" by his
enemies, " and flicvvs the lighting down of his
" arm, with the indignation of his anger '^."
All true Chrillians not only acknowledge fub-
jedtion to Chrift as their king, but have his
throne erected in their hearts. " The Lord" in-
deed " rules over them." Pie hath fubdued
them to himfclf. His arrows have been fliarp
in their hearts. They fubmit to his fceptre of
righteoufnefs, and cheerfully obey his holy pre-
cepts. They daily give him the revenue of
praife. He fights their battles for them, " fub-
" duing all their iniquities," and " undoing all
** them that afflicl" their fouls.
D-
5. The feat of empire was Jerufalem. God
chofe Jerufalem to be his *' holy citv." In
7/ion he ereded his royal palace, and the throne
of his majelly. He faid, *' This is my rell ; here
*' will I dwell : for I have deiired it." It was
indeed *' the city of the great king." All
church-members, according to their charadler as
Chriftians, are " come to the Mount Zion, and to
'' the city of the living God." This is the real
attainment of all who believe. They are " the
** children of Zion." Therefore the faithful ad-
herent*^
^ Ifa. XKX. 3?.
3l8 ON THE GOVERNMENT
herents of Jefus are reprefented as {landing " on
** the Mount Zion '." The name of Jerufalem
and of Zion is, under the New Tellament, trans-
ferred to the whole church of the living God.
This is that *' Jerufalem which is above." With
refped to her is that fure decree accomplifned ;
** Yet have I fet my king upon my holy hill of
" Zion." The typical holinefs of this place was
merely an emblem of the true holinefs of the
church of Chrift,
God had often aflured his people, even while
they were in the wildernefs, that he would after-
wards make known to them a " place where he
" would put his name." But his ark was ftill in
an ambulatory ftate, and he had not told them
where it fhould reft, till the fon of JelTe arofe.
The defignaticn of this" place as the feat of the
kingdom, and the choice of David as his deputy,
are intimately connefted, as circumftances Avhich
had a fpecial relation to each other. The Lord
faid to David ; " Since the day that I brought
*' forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I
'^ chofe no city among all the tribes of Ifrael to
<' build an houfe in, that my name might be
" there, neither chofe I any ?.uan to be a ruler
" over my people Ifrael : But I have chofen Je-
<* rufalem, that my name might be there, and
** have chofen David to be over my people If-
" rael '"." He makes no account of Saul, becaufe
he was " given in anger." David was the mofl
remarkable perfonal type of Jefus Chrift. He is
therefore
I Rev. xiv. I. m 2 Chron, vi. 5, 6. ,
OF THE ISRALLITEB. ^ip
therefore not only called " the Son of David/*
but he bears his name ". The throne of the kingr
doni was not pointed out, till he appeared who
was the moll illullrious figure of that glorious
Perfonage who fliould fit on it " for ever and
'* ever." Many great and good men had God
employed in his work. But his ark mull be
brought to its reft by no other than that " man
" after his own heart," who fo eminently pre-
figured }jim, who alone could truly fay, " Thy
*' law is within my heart," and in whom only
Jehovah found " the place of his reft"."
The honour of " finding out a place for the
*' Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Ja-
" cob," was referved for him, who was not only
born in Bethlehem -Ephratah, and in this refped:
a figure of that ruler who ftiould " come out of"
it ; but whofe afflidions, before he came to the
throne, in confequence of his being anointed of
God, fo eminently typified thole of his fon and
Lord, in the purchafe of his fpiritual kingdom p.
Many faviours and conquerors had formerly
appeared in Ifracl. But Jerufalem remained
in the hands of the heathen till David came
to the throne ^. Nor could he take pofleftion of
it as his royal city, till he won it from the Jebu-
fites by his fvvord ; and vanquifhed thofc blind
and lame gods, which its inhabitants worlliippcd,
and in which they trufted ^ For in this refpcd",
■alfo, it was neceflliry that he fliould prefigure
him,
n Ezek. xxxiv. 73, ^4. ; xxxvii. 24, 25. o Ifa. Isvi t, i.
P Pfal. cx-txii. 1.--6. c Joffi. XV. 63. r 2 Sarp. v. 6. — 8,
320 ON THE GOVERNMENT
him, who, by his almighty power, was to redeem
his Church from her *' vain converfation," from
the fervice of " the god of this world," and from
the dominion of all her fpiritual enemies.
4. Thofe, whom God raifed up for judging
Ifrael, he endued with his Spirit. This was emi-
nently the cafe with Mofes. When the feventy
elders were appointed to aflift Mofes in his work,
the Lord faid ; I xvill take " of the fpirit which
** is upon thee, and will put it upon them ^ and
" they fliall bear the burden of the people with
" thee, that thou bear it not thyfelf alone." The
Jews obferve that the language here ufed does not
fuppofe any diminution of the gifts of Mofes.
Taey explain it by the comparifon of one candle
being lighted at another, without any decreafe of
its light. As an evidence of their call to this
work, " the fpii'it relied upon them, and they
" prophefied \" When he raifed up judges" m
fucceffion, he qualified them for the work to which
they were called by gifts of the Spirit. Thefe
gifts, although extraordinary, were generally of
a civil or political nature. They were vark)us,
according to the exigencies of his people. Some
w^ere endued with a fpirit of wifdom. Others
were filled with extraordinary courage. Thus
the Lord looked upon Gjdeon. and faid, " Go in
" this thy might, and thou flialt fave lirael from
" cUe band of the Midianites : have not I fent
^* tjee'r" Samfon and others he fupplied with
miraculous
« Numb. xi. .;7. 25. t Judg. vi. 14.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 321
miraculous flrength ". When there \vas u call
for it, as in preparing the tabernacle, extraordi-
nary qualiticutions even in the mechanical arts
were communicated. Thus the Lord faid to
Moles ; " See, 1 have called by name Bez,alcel,
" the Ton of Uri, — and 1 have filled him with the
" Spirit of God, in wifdom, and in underftand-
** ing, and in knowledge, and in all manner of
" workmanfliip, to dcvife cunning works. — And
" I, behold I, have given with him Aholiab, the
•' fon of Ahifamach : and in the hearts of all
" that are wifehearted 1 have put wifdom, that
*' they may make all that I have commanded
*' thce>."
Thefe extraordinary gifts efpccially prefigured
the qualification of Chrift, in his human nature,
for the work of judging his people. On him did
" the Spirit of the Lord refl:," in all his gifts and
graces ; " the fpirit of wiflom and underllandiug,
•* the fpirit of counfel and might, the fpirit of
" knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Thefe
extraordinary gifts, which were parcelled out
.among his types, are all united in him. They
were conferred on others in a certain degree. To
him the Spirit is not given " by meafurc." Others
enjoyed the Spirit only occafionally. But he refls
on the King of Zion. By means of them, he was
fully qualified for the difcharge of his work. For
the Spirit " made him of quick underllanding in
" the fear of the Lord :" fo that he " judges not
** after the fight of his eyes, nor reproves after
Vol. I. X " the
u Judg. xiv. 6. ; rv. i4- x Exod xxxi 2.-6.
322 ON THE GOVERNMENT
" the hearing of his ears ; but with righteoufnefs
" does he judge the poor, and reprove with equi-
" ty for the meek of the earth >'."
Thefe men of God, whom he raifed up for
judging Ifrael, efpecially prefigured the MeiTiah.
But they might alfo, in an inferior refped, be fi-
gures of the miniflers whom he employs in his
kingdom. This idea feems agreeable to what
our Lord prcmifes to his apoftles, that they fliould
'* fit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
." of Ifrael'." Their number, as judging the
fpiritual Ifrael, correfponded to that of the pa-
triarchs, of the tribes which fprung of them, and
jof " the princes of the tribes, heads" or ** go-
" vernors of thoufands in Ifrael \" As it is faid,
that the Lord took of the fpirit which was on Mo-
fes, and put it on the feventy elders ; it is that
Spirit, who refled on the New-Teftament Media-
tor, who in his gifts and graces is communicated to
his fervants. As the extraordinary gifts of the Spi-»
rit were various under the law, they have been no
lefs fo under the gofpel. For, faith the apoftle
Paul ; " There are diverfities of gifts, but the
" fame Spirit. — For to one is given by the Spirit
" the word of wifdom ; to another, the word of
*' knowledge by the fame Spirit^," &.c. Chrift
hath " given gifts unto men. He gave fopie, a-
" poflles : and fome, prophets : and fome, evan-
" gelifts : and fome, paftors and teachers." Ho
confers thefe gifts for the benefit of his fpiritual
kingdom,
y Ifa. xi. I — 4. z Mat. xix. 28. a Numb. i. 16.
b I Cor. jtii, 4. — 8.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 3^3
kingdom, of his - holy nation :"— " for the per-
" feeling of the faints, for the work of the mini-
*♦ ftry, for the edifying of the body of ChrilV."
In confequence of thefc gifts, the princes of hiii
fpirituul tribes are repvefented as judging his peo-
ple. For in the fixty-eighth Pfalm, which is an
illuflrious prophecy concerning the Saviour, he is
firll exhibited as " afcending on high, and rccei-
" ving gifts for men." Then his people are de-
fcribed as affembling at Jerufalem, as " blcfs-
" ing God in the congregations, even the Lord
" from the fountain of Ifrael." In thefe af-
fcmblies, fome appear diflinguifhed above the reft.
'• There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the
*' princes of Judah, and their council, the princes
*' of Xebulun, and the princes of Naphtali 'i."
It has been obferved, that the tribes here men-
tioned are thofe from which the apollles were
moftly, if not all, chofen. Benjamin, although the
leail of the tribes, is fuppofed to be lirft mention-
ed, becaufe of the peculiar honour conferred on
Paul, who was of this tribe. The Septuagint
reads, *' Benjamin, a young man, in an ecftacy."
This is applied by fome to Paul's being called,
while yet a young man, or called laft of the apo-
llles, and to the miraculous manner in which he
was converted, as well as to the revelations which
were afterwards made to him, when he was
" taken up into the third heavens, and heard
" things which it was not lawful for a man to
" utter." Others read the words ; " There is
" little Benjamin ruling them j" and underdand
^ 2 theiu
c Eph. IV. o. II, i».
3^4 ON THE GOVERNiAIENT
them as denoting that diflinguiflied place con-
ferred on him, as an inftruder and ruler in the
church of Chrift, and as labouring more abundantly
than all the apoftles. *' The princes of Judah and
" their council" are next mentioned. As our
Lord came of this tribe according to the human
nature, James the lefs, and the other apoftles,
called " the brethren of our Lord," muft alfo
have belonged to it. Peter, Andrew and others,
feem to be deligned " the princes of Zebulun
" and Naphtali ;" becaufe they were called in
the coafts poffelTed by thefe tribes ^.
5. They were bound to confult the Lord in all
important matters of government ; and when they
did fo, he gave them direclion in an extraor-
dinary manner. The high-prieft alked counfel
by Urim and Thummim. Some render thefe
words Lights and Berfccilons ; others, Manifejla-
tion and Truth. According to fome interpreters,
thefe terms merely denote the precious ftones of
the high-priell's breaft-plate. Others view them
as pointing out fome particular ornament, dillind:
from the breaft-plate itfelf, not formed by the
hand of man, but given to Mofes immediately by
God. This feems to be the moft probable opi-
nion. For Mofes is commanded to *' put the
" Urim and Thummim in the breaft-plate of
" judgment '■ ;" and in the account given of the
confecration of Aaron, after we are informed that
" Mofes
e See Ainfw. on the place. Vitringas Obf. Sac. torn. i. lib. 3. cap. 3.
f Exocl. xxvjii. 30.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 325
** Mofcs put the bicaft-plate upon him," it is
added f " Alfo he put in the bread-plate the Urim
*• and Thunimiin '^." There are alfo diflerent
views with regard to the manner in which the
anfwcr was given by God, when thus confulted
by the high -pried. It is generally admitted, that
dreffed in his pontifical ornaments, he went into
the holy place ; and danding immediately before
the vail, with his face towards the holy of holies,
propofed the quedion. It is the opinion of fome,
that the letters, contained in the bread-plate,
which formed the words of the anfwer, were
made to appear more bright than the red, and as
if raifed above them. But it feems more pro-
bable, that this anfwer was given by a voice from
the holy of holies. For it is called '* inquiring
" at the mouth of the Lord '^ ;" and " inquiring at
" his ivord ." But whatever was the peculiar
form of the Urim and Thummim, or the parti-
cular manner in which the anfwer was given ;
the mydery has received its full accompli flnnent
in our Lord Jefus Chrid. He is our High-pried,
who, as he bears the names of all his fpiritual If-
rael on his heart before the throne of God, hath
a fullnefs of Spirit adequate to all their poflible
neceflities. He is " the true Light'''' of his church.
He is alfo her PerfeEilon. For ** we are complete
" in him." He hath the ligl^t of all knowledge,
and the perfedlion of all grace. He is " full of
** grace and truth." In him " are hid all the
*' treafures of wifdom and knowledge." He glo-
X 3 riouily
5 Lev. viii, C. h Jofli. ix. 14. i 1 Kings xxii. 5.
32^ ON THE GOVERNISfENT
rioully difcovers his grace, in the manifeftation of
his truth. He is that ** Holy One" of God, with
whom his Thummim and his Urirp continually
are '^.
It feems to be generally admitted, that this fo-
lemn inquiry was not to be made for a private
perfon ; but only for the king, the general of the
army of Ifrael, or him on whom the charge of the
congregation lay.
When any cafe occurred, in the management
of their civil concerns, which had not been ex-
prefsly provided for ; they M-ere bound to afk
counfel of their Supreme Ruler. Thus it v/as with
refpecl to the fabbath-breaker. It had been pre-
vioully declared by God, that every one who de-
filed the fabbath fliould be put to death ', yet
Mofes put the tranfgrelTor in ward, till he fliould
confult the Lord as to the manner of his death "\
No particular law had been given with refped:
to daughters inheriting after their deceafed fa-
ther. When, therefore, the daughters of Zelo-
phehad applied for a polTellion among their bre-
thren, Mofes durft not decide according to the dic-
tates of his own judgment', nor might he refer
the matter to the tribes. He " brought their
" caufe before the Lord "." Thus the temporal
rulers of Ifrael had not authority to make even
what may be called by-laws.
It was not enough that any, whom God ap-
pointed as his deputies, had received a portion of
the
k Deut. xxxiii. 8. 1 Exod. sxxj. 14. ; xxxv. s. xn Numb, xv, 34, 35.
n Numb, xxvii. i, — 5.
OF THE ISltAELIThS.' 327
the Spirit. They were not therefore to truft to
their own judgment ; but in the management of
Ifracl, in all diflicult matters, to afk counfel of
the Lord. Mofes, in profped of his own death,
entreated that the Lord would " fet a man over
•• the congregation, who might go out before them,
" and go in before them, who might lead them
" out, and bring them in ; that the congregation
" of the Lord might not be as flieep which have
*♦ no flicphcrd." The Lord anfwered ; " Take
" thee Jofluia the Ion of Xun, a man in whom is
" the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him ; and
" fet liim before Elcazar the prieft, and before
" all the congregation : and give him a charge
" in their figlit. And thou flialt put Ibme of thine
*' honour upon him, that all the congregation—
" may be obedient," literally, " may hear." But
was Jofhua to truft to his own judgment, or even
to thofe gifts of the Spirit he had already recei-
ved ? No. Li the whole of his public condudt,
he was to ad merely as the minifler of God, and
therefore to wait for his inftruclions : — " And he
■ " fhall fland l>cfore Eleazar the prieft, who fhall
" alk counfel for him, after the judgment of Urim
" before the Lord : at his word," that is, at the
word of the Lord, as delivered by Eleazar, " fliall
" they go out, and at his word they (liall come
*• in, both lie," Joflma himfelf, ** and all the chil-
" drcn of Ifrael with him, even all the congrc-
" gation o."
X4 As
0 Numb, xxvii. 13. — 21.
328 ON THE GOVERNMENT
As Jofhiia, that is Jefus, typically bore the name
of our Saviour ; the former is here fet forth as an
illullrious type of the latter in his' work. As the
true Shepherd of llrael, he makes all his Iheep to
hear his voice. He " leadeth them out ; and
" when he putteth them forth, he goeth before
" them, and the Ihccp follow him. They go in
" and out, and find paflureP,." The Spirit of the
Lord refted on him, that his Ifrael might obey
him. He *' received from God the Father ho-
" nour and glory, Avhen there came fuch a voice
** to him from the excellent glory, This is my
" beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed -,
" hear ye him^."
Jofhua could do nothing without Eleazar ; that
wherein the type fell fhort in the one, it might
be fupplied in the other. Jefus is both the lead-
er of Ifrael, and that Counfellor who alone knows
the will of the Father. In the characler of Me-
diator, he manages all the concerns of the Church,
" as the Father gave him commandment ^ :" and
the word of the Lord, as declared by him, is the
only rule of faith and duty to all her members.
The vicegerents of Jehovah, in the govern-
ment of Ifrael, could make war or peace, only at
his command. Hence Jofhua and the princes of
Ifrael are blamed for making peace with the Gi-
beonites without " afking connfel at the mouth
" of the Lord-." Nor durft they engage in war
without his exprefs commiffion. The Ifraelites
were
p John X. 3, 4, 9. q 2 Pet. i. 16, 17. comp. Mat. xvii. 5.
r John xiv. 31. s Jofh. ix. 14.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 329
were fmitten before the Amalekites, becaufe they
went to battle without regard to the authority of
tlieir divine Sovereign ^ When engaged in war,
they were bound to aik counfel as to every battle,
and the very fquadrons which were to go out.
In the war againlt the Benjamites, we find their
brethren inquiring ; " Which of us fliall go up
" firll to the battle againlt the children of Benja-
'' min ?" They afterwards made this inquiry,
** Shall I yet again go out to battle againfl the
" children of Benjamin my brother, or fliall 1
" ceafe " ?" Sometimes their Sovereign particu-
larly fixed the day of battle ; as when he inform-
ed the tribes that " to-morrow he would deliver
" Benjamin into their hand'\" Nay, he occa-
fionally prefcribcd the very plan of attack. Thus,
he ordered Joflma to " lay an ambufli for the city"
ofAi^^. When he had rejected Saul, he would
not give him any anfwer '.
While the liVaelites were in the wildernefs,
the Angel-JEHOVAH, who manifefied his pre-
fence in the pillar of cloud and fire, dircded them
us to the whole of their courfe. To expreis the
unparalleled relation which God fullained to this
people, Mofes thus addrefics them : " The Lord
" thy God walkcth in the midft of thy camp •."
To Joflma the Angel-jEHOVAii faid, " As cap-
*' tain of the holl of the Lord am J come \"
Here we have a moll lively rcprcfentation of
the peculiar ftate, of the diilinguiflied privilege.
and
t Numb. xiv. 40.-45.
u Jurfg. XX. i3. 13. j8.
V Ver. iS,
w Jofli. viii. 2.
Z Jofli. V. 14.
X I Sam. xxviii, 6.
y Dcut. ixiii. 14.
330 ON' THE GOVERNMENT
and of the indilpenfable duty, of all the true If-
rael of God. His ancient people, as to their ftate,-
may efpecially be viewed both as fojourners and
as warriors. It is the lall of thefe charadlers
which chiefly demands our attention here. Even
in the wildernefs, where the Ifraelites might feem
fecure from attack, they were to live in a mi-
litary ftyle. They pitched their tents in the form
of a camp. The Lord was preparing them for
a life of warfare. He calls his redeemed people
to be foldiers. Mofes and Aaron were command-
ed to " take the fum of all the conprer>;ation of
" Ifrael, — with the number of their names, every
" male by their poll : from twenty years old and
" upward, all that were able to go forth to war.'*
They were to " number them by their armies ^.**
Here we have a pattern of the tender care e3{:er-
cifed by God with refpedl to his beloved Ifrael.
Not only their perfons, but '* the very hairs of
** their head are all numbered''." His ancient
people were numbered by their armies. This
points out the work allotted to all the fpiritual
feed of Abraham. They are called to " fight the
" good fight of faith." Only the ??iales were
numbered. For the Lord requires that we fliould
all be " ftrong in the Lord, and in the power
" of his might." Thus the church, in her tra-
vail, is reprefented as bringing forth a man-
child ^. It is their diftinguifhed privilege, that
they enjoy the perpetual prefence of the Angel of
the Covenant. Whether his people are met to-
gether
a Numb. i. 2, 3. See Ainfvv. on the place. b Luke xii. 71
c Rev. xii. 5, ; Ifa. Ixvi. 7.
OF THE ISRAELITES. ;^3|
gethcr for worfliip, or ciders are aflembled tor
judgment ; he alVords them the ample conlolation
arilinff from hib promife ; " 1 am in the midil of
" of you. — Lo, 1 am with you always*'." Are
they fojourners ? Kvery true Ifraelite can fay
with David, " I am a ihanger with thee, and a
*' fojourner'."
Here we alfo learn our duty. The Ifraelites
could not make peace or war but at the pleafure
of Jehovah. *' He whom we ferve, is the Prince
" of Peace." We mult not attempt to make
peace for ourfelves. Any peace of our own, ei-
ther as rcfj^eding God or confcience, would be
diflionouring to him, and deflructive to us. Our
Sovereign faith, " My peace I give unto you \"
We can have no folid peace but that which he
creates ?. Nor may we make peace with his ene-
mies. We mud have war with Amalek from ge-
neration to generation. We may not make peace
even with his friends, at the expcnce of truth ; but
only " according to the word of the Lord." Are wc
called to a flate of warfare ? We mull endure
" hardnefs, as ^ood foldiers of Jefus Chrift." We
muft fight under no other banner than his. He is
" the Captain" or ** Prince of our falvation^\" In
fighting againft the world, the devil, and the
flefli, we mult Hill have our eye fixed on him. For
it is he who '* teacheth our hands to war." Were
the Ifraelites to follow the Lord, and his taber-
nacle going before them, in their war againil the
inhabitants of Canaan ? Even fo muft we, in our
fpiritual
d Mat. xviii. 23 \ xxviii. lo. t Comp. Pul. xxxix. 12. ^vilh
Lev. XXV. 23. f John xiv. 17 g Ifa. Ivii. ip. h Hcb. ii. 10.
332 ON THE GOVERNMENT
fpiritual warfare, " follow the Lamb whithcrfo-
" ever he goetli '." We mufl beware of enter-
ing into the field of battle in our own ftrength.
We can " fight the good fight," only ** by the
" word of truth, by the power of God, by the
" armour of righteoufnefs on the right hand and
*' on the left'." We muft ufe every weapon,
provided for us in the fpiritual armoury, in the
unremitted exercife of prayer. Therefore it is
commanded, " Take unto you the whole armour
" of God ; — praying always with all prayer and
" fupplication in the Spirit '." In all our con-
tendings for what we reckon truth or duty, we
ought to be well afTured that we are engaged in
" the wars of the Lor.d ;" and deeply concerned
that we fight his battles with a right fpirit, know-
ing that " the wrath of man worketh not the
" righteoufnefs of God." Ere we enter the field
with our brethren in Chrifl:, it Ihould be our fin-
cere and importunate inquiry at the throne of
grace ; " Shall I go up to battle againft the chil-
*' dren of Benjamin my brother ?" ^
6. Jehovah exercifed his kingly poM^er in the
proteBio7i and deliverance of his people. Other
kings, in order to the protection of their fubjefts,
need in the firfi; infl:ance to be protected by them.
For this purpofe, guards and armies are requifite.
This King alone gave protedion to his people,
without requiring any from them. Did he " walk
" in the midfl; of their camp ?" It was " to de-
" liver
i Rev. xiv. 4. k 2 Cor. vi 7. \ Epl»' vi. 13.—- 18.
OF THE Israelites; 333
*' liver tliem, and to give up tlicir enemies be-
" fore them'"." The pillar of cloud and fire, in
which he went before them, was not only a fym-
bol of his prcfence as a proted:or, but was itfelf
a real defence. On the borders of the Red Sea,
it " came between the camp of the Egyptians
" and the camp of Ifracl, — fo that the one came
'* not near the other ail the night ." It alfo
protected them from the burning heat of the fun,
in thefc parched defarts. Hence, it is recorded,
as an evidence of the care of God with relpedt
to his people, that " he fpread a cloud for a co-
'* veringo."
Here we learn the unfpeakable privilege of the
kingdom of Chrilt. He who of old " walked in
" the midft of the camp" of Ifrael, " walketh in
" the midft of the feven golden candiefticks ;
** and holdeth the feven ftars in his right hand ;."
All true Ifraelites are the " temple of the living
" God," concerning whom he fulfils that great
promife, *' I will dwell in them, and walk in
** them ; and I will be their God, and they fhall
" be my people ." The Lord is to his Church
" a wall of fire round about'," to protect her, and
to confume her adverfarics. That the pillar of
cloud efpecially refped:ed the privileges of the
New-Teftament Church, is evident from the ap-
plication of the type in the language of prophecy •.
*' The Lord will create upon every dwcUing-
" place of Mount Zion, and upon her allcmblios,
** a
m Dcut. xxiii. 14. n Exod. xiv. to, o Ffal. cv. 39.
[) Rev. ii. I. q 2 Cor. vi. 16. r Zcch. li. 5.
334 ON THE GOVERNMENT
" a cloud and fmoke by day, and the fhining of
** a flaming fire by night : for upon all the glory
" fliall be a defence. And there fhall be a ta-
" bernacle for a fhadow in the day-time from the
" heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert
" from ftorm and from rain^" Our Lord Jefus,
who went before Ifrael in the typical cloud, de-
fends his people from the rage of Satan, and the
violence of their own corruptions ; which, like
the Egyptians, feek their deftrudtion. He is alfo
" a fhadow from the heat" of perfecution, or of
any afflidion which threatens to overpower them.
The Ifraelites, after they were feated in Canaan,
were furrounded by implacable enemies. But the
Lord afliired them, that no man fhould " defire
" their land," when they went up thrice a-year
to appear befDre hfm in their folemn feafts ^ This
fame gracious Protedlor " creates a cloud upon
" every dwelling-place of Mount Zion." Thus
he affords the greateft encouragement to his fer-
vants and people, when called to wait On him in
the duties of his inllitution ; efpecially when the
circumllances of their families, or their worldly
concerns, prefent various difficulties, which unbe-
lief and carnality may be eager to lay hold of, as
infuperable bars in their way.
7. The King of Ifrael went up to battle on their
head. The armies of Ifrael were " the holt o,f
** the Lord"." Balaam acknowledges, with re-
fped to Ifrael, " The fhout of a Kmg is among
'' them."
$ Ifs. iv. 5, 6. t Exod. sxxiv. 34. u Jofh. v. 14.
OF T1I£ ISRAELITES. 335
" them^^" This agrees with the promife which
God had made to his people : " If ye go to war
" in your h\iul againft the enemy that opprefleth
** you, then ye Ihall blow an alarm with the
" trumpets ; and ye lliall be rcraembered before
" the Lord your God, and ye fhall be faved from
" your enemies ■ ." When Abijuh, the fon of
Rehoboam, drew up his army againft Jeroboam,
the foft*of Ncbat, he thus addrcfled Jeroboam and
all Ifrael : " Ye think to w-ithftand the kingdom
" of the Lord in the hand of the fons of David.
** — Behold, God himfelf is with us for our Cap-
" tain, and his pricfts with founding trumpets,
" to cry an alarm againft you. O children of If-
" rael, light ye not againft the Lord God of your
" fathers, for ye fliall not profper^" What was
it that infpired the ftripling David with fuch
boldnefs, when he -went out againft the gigantic
Philiftine ? " All this aflcmbly," fays he, " iliall
" know that the Lord favcth not with fword
" and fpear : for the battle is the Lord's ^." It
was he who protected his deputies, as he faid to
Jofhua ; ** Be ftrong, and be of a good courage ; —
*' for the Lord thy Cod is with thee whithcrfo-
♦< eygj. jj^Qu goeft '." It was he, w ho delivered
their enemies into their hands, or overthrew them,
often without the ftroke of a fword. The Egyp^
tians, obdurate as they were, faw fuch clear evi-
dences of divine agency, that they could not con-
ceal their convictions : " Let us Hec," they cried,
" from
w Num. xxiii. 11. X Num. x 9. y 2 Chron ziii. S. 12.
7 I Sam. xvii. 47. a Jofli. i. p.
336 ON THE GOVERKMENT
" from the face of liVael ; for the Lord fighteth
*^ for them againft the Egyptians ^" When his
ancient people were not blinded by ingratitude
and unbelief, they in the flrongeit terms ac-
knowledged the aftonilhing difplays of his kingly
power. They confeffed not only the truth of this
relation, but its permanency ; not only his incli-
nation to deliver them, but hk irrelillible might.
To afcribe unlimited power to an earthly fove-
reign, is at the fame time to rob God, and to ri-
dicule man, under the pretence of doing him ho-
nour. They afcribed this to their King, becaufe
they knew that he had every kind of falvation at
command. " Thou art my king, O God, com-
*' mand deliverances for Jacob ^"." Literally,
" Thou art he my king ;" that fame glorious and
powerful fovereign, who " drove out the heathen,
" and planted" our fathers ^. Elfewhere they ce-
lebrate his unchangeablenefs in this very lan-
guage ; "Thou art the fame j^^ or " Thou art he,
" and thy years fliall have no end ^." So fully
was Mofes convinced that the whole defence of
Ifrael was owing to God, that he taught the peo-
ple to praife Jehovah as their banner. For on
occafion of the vidory over Amalek, he built an
altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-Nissi ^.
. Jefus, in his fpiritual kingdom, Hill appears as
*' the Captain" or "Prince of our falvation." In
the book of Revelation, which is indeed " the
** book of the wars of the Lord," he appears as
fitting
b Exod. xiv. 25. c Pfal. xliv. 4. d Ycr, i.~3. e Pfal. cii. 27.
f Exod. xvii. 15,
OF THE ISRAELITES; ^37
fitting " on a white horfe," and as " in rightcouf-
** nefs judging and making war." Tlic armies
in heaven follow him as their leader ". From the
whole tenor of this prophecy, it i3 evident, that
the Church is indebted to him for all her vidorics.
Therefore flie ftill afcribes the whole of her fal-
vation to Him that fitteth on the throne, and to
the Lamb. When Ihe triimiphantly fmgs, " Now
*' is come falvation and rtrength," wc find that
the only reafon of her triumph is, that " now h
" come — the kingdom of our God, and the power
*' of his Chrill:''." It is " the root of JelVe," who
" Hands for an enfign of the people '." By him,
not only the Church in general, but every genuine
member of it, is crowned with victory. Are his
people alTaulted by Satan, or by the working of
their own corruptions ? He not only defends
them, but makes them to tread down their ene-
mies. They are taught by experience, that they
are not fufiicient of themfelves. But " his grace
" is fufficient for them ; his ilrcngth is made per-
" fed in their weaknefs." Thus, often when they
feel mod of their own weaknefs, they have the
fullcll experience of the all-fufliciency of their
Lord ; fo that they can fay with Paul, " When
** 1 am weak, then am I ftrong ^." They are not
merely conquerors, but " more than conquerors,
*' through him who hath loved tliem." They
know that their king alfo difcharges the office of
a prieil. He " fits as a pricll upon his throne.'*
Vol. L Y In
g Rev. xix. II. 14. )i Rev. vii. ic ; xii. 10, i Id. .xi. 10.
k 1 Cor. xii. S. — 10.
33^ ON THE GOVERNMENT
In the battle with the Amalekites, it was only
** when Moles held up his hand," that " Ifrael
** prevailed .** Our King hath called us to a
perpetual war with Amalek ^', with Satan, and
the lufts of our own hearts. But we can prevail
in this conflict, only as our New-Teftament Mo-
fes holds up his hands, by interceding for us with-
in the vail. He may fuffer Amalek to prevail
for a time. But the viftory is eventually fecured
to us. Satan may be allowed to ** fift us as wheat.'*"
But our Mediator " prays for us that ouf faith
** fail not."
8. God would not permit his ancient people to
adopt methods of defence^ which implied confi-
dence in an arm of JleJJj, or which might lead to
this. Therefore, by Mofes he prohibits their fu-
ture king from multiplying to himfelf horfes,.
from caufing the people to return to Egypt with
this defign, and from greatly multiplying filver
and gold ". When they adually took this courfe^
God denounced his judgments againft them, and
afTured them of defeat by the very means which
they employed for fecurity. Thus he fpeaks by
Ifaiah : " Wo to them that go down to Egypt for
" help, and ftay on horfes, and trull in chariots,
** becaule they are many ; and in horfemen, be-
** caufe they are very ftrong : but they look not
** unto the holy One of Ifrael, neitlier feek the
" Lord. — ^Now, the Egyptians are men and not
" God, and their horfes flelh and not fpirit -, when
" the
1 £sod. xvii. II. to. Ver. i6v n Deot. xvii. li'— 17>
OF THE ISRAELITES. 339
" the Lord fliall ftrctch out his hand, both he
" that helpcth fhall fall, and ho that is holpen
" fliall fall down, and they all (hall f^iU together «."
By the pattern of this tyjiical kingdom, the Lord
inftruds his church in the nature of her defence.
He fliews her the vanity, the iniquity, of trufting
to an arm of defh. He teaches her members to
fay ; " Some truft in chariots, and fome in horfes :
" but we will remember the naii^e of the Lord
*' our God." He enables them to believe, that
in this way " the King will hear them when they
** call i'." Thus he informs us, that, as his king-
dom is 1 pi ritual, its defence muft be fo alfo ; that
his work is carried on, " not by might, nor by
** power, but by his Spirit ''." He teaches us
alfo, that we are " not to truft in uncertain riches,
" but in the living God •," and that '* the cares
*' of this world, and the deceitfulnefs of riches,
** choke the word."
It was incumbent on the kings of Ifrael, by
means of the temporal fword, to piinijh all who
made innovations in religion, or othcrwife tranf-
grefled the Mofaic law, even in things not imme-
diately affecling civil fociety. This, however, did
not properly originate from their ofiice as civil
rulers, but from the peculiarity of their charac-
ter, as the immediate deputies of God, in the
lingular relation which he fuftained to that people
over whom they prefided. This power was not
the confequence of the choice of the people. For
although their kings had adually been chofen by
Y 2 them,
o Ila, xxxi. I. n f Pfal. u. 7. g. <l Zcch. it. 6.
34° ON THE GOVERNMENT
them, they could have had no right to inveft thenl
with a power of this kind. It was the fruit o-f
the fovereign will of God, by whom their lawful
kings were cbofen. It conflitutes no pattern for
magiftrates under the New Teftament. For the
power, in this refpect, conferred on David and
his fucceflbrs in the kingdom, was llridly figura-
tive of the power of that glorious Perfon, who
fhould " fit on the throne of David to order and
" eftablifh it." In him the type was to be perfectly
fulfilled, and as it were abforbed ; fo that he
fhould not henceforth employ any civil rulers in
the fame kind of work, becaufe he was himfelf
" to order and eftablifh his kingdom — -from hence-
;" forth even for ever '."
If the chara6ter of thefe kings be a pattern for
civil governors in our times, then it ought to be
urged, that they have alfo a hereditary and inde-
feafible right ; fuch a right, at leaft, that the fa-
mily may on no account be fet afide. Nay, with
equal propriety might it be urged, that modern,
kings ought to be anointed with oil. Kings, un-
der the law, were thus anointed, becaufe they
"\vere immediately the vicegerents of God, whom
tie fet " over his inheritance," " over his people,"
his " peculiar treafure ^ ;" and becaufe they were
typical of Him whom God hath anointed to be his
king over his holy hill of Zion ^ The folemn
unclion of modern kings is not more abfurd, than
the idea of their pofleffing that power which is
now confined to the illuflrious Antitype.
It
t Ifa. ix^ 7. SI Sam. x. i. ; sy. \. \ Exod. xix, 5. t JTaL ii. 6.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 34I
It cannot juftly be argued, that the jiulicial
Inw is binding on Chriftians, becaufe it was* re-
vealed by the only wife God, and miift therefore
be the bell that can be deviled. For it was a fyi'-
tcm adapted to the particular fituation of Ifrael
as under a theocracy, and to the typical character
of that people in other refpeds. All that can
therefore be juftly inferred from its being given
by God, is, that it was the bell fyftem which
could be devifed for that people in their peculiar
fituation. Such precepts of the judicial law as
neceffarily flow from the law of nature are ftill
obligatory ; becaufe the law of nature ought to
be the foundation of all national laws. Eut the
formal reafon of this obligation does not confift in
their being embodied in the judicial law, but in
their being taught by the law of nature.
The temporal punifliments inflicled by the in-
ftrumentality of typical rulers, on account of tranf-
greflions in matters of religion, were themfelves
typical, either of the fpiritual cenfures infli6led
by the New-Teilament Church, or of the eternal
punifhment of unbelievers, if not of both. It has
been allerted by fome learned writers, that the
denunciation, (o frequently repeated in the law,
" That foul fliall be cut oil from his people," pro-
perly denotes the fentence of excomunication, as
inflicled under that difpenfation. They have fup-
pofcd, that it folely refpecls a judgment to be im-
mediately inflidled by God, in the cafe of tranf-
greflions of the law, of which there was no exter-
iial evidence. But it is unqueilionablc, that in
Y 3 fome
342. ON THE GOVERNMENT
feme paflkges it muft be underftood of temporal
puniiliment, to be inflicled by the hand of man.
Thus, with refped to the Sabbath, it is faid,
*' Every one that defileth it, fhall furely he put
** to death : for wholoever doth any work there-
" in, that foul fliall be cut off from among his peo-
" pie '." The latter claufe cannot be viewed as
containing a reafon for what is declared in the
former ; unlefs it be fuppofed, that in every in-
flance in which the fentence of excommunication
was pronounced, it was to be fucceeded by a vio-
lent death : and this would prove, no lefs than
the other interpretation, that, according to the
Mofaic lav/, temporal punifhment was inflicted, in
various inltances, where the tranfgreffion was pro-
perly in matters of religion. The meaning of this
language evidently is, that the Sabbath -breaker
fliould be cut off from among his people, by being
put to death by the hands of men. For the fe-
cond expreffion is merely expletive of the firft.
It feems abundantly clear that this phrafe did
not refer to any eccleiiciftical cenfure ; but figni-
lied that the tranfgrelTor fhould be J)uniihed with
death, either by the power of the magiftrate,
when the crime was known ; or if the crime was
hid from others, or overlooked by civil rulers, by
the immediate judgment of God. This, indeed,
is virtually admitted even by thofe who under-
ftand the expreffion as denoting excommunica-
tion. For it is faid that this excifion, in extraor-
dinary cafes, and particularly when men negledl-
ed
u Exod. xxxi. 14.
Oy THE ISRAELITES. 343
ed to punifli the ofTender, was the work of God,
according to the threatening '^ : '* If the people
" of the land hide their eyes from the man, when
*' he giveth of his feed unto Molech, and kill him
** not : then I will fet my face againft that man,
*♦ and againft his family ; and will cut him ofT^.'*
It is unreafonablc to fuppofe that the very fame
phrafe, when ufed to denote the judgment of
God, fhould bear a fenfe fo very different from
that which belongs to it, as expreffmg what was
required of man ; that in the one cafe it fliould
fignify nothing lefs than excifion from the land
of the living, and in the other merely excifion
from church memberfliip. This is contrary to all
the rules of found criticifm. The very paiTage
quoted fhows the falfity, of the idea. For the ex-
preffion, cut him off^ in the fecond claufe, is equi-
valent to kill him in the firfl:. And in the fame
fcnfe muft the phrafe be interpreted elfewhere ;
unlefs it can be proved that, when God is fpoken
of as the agent, it neceffarily denotes a punifh-
ment entirely different from that which is meant
when it expreffes what he required of man.
This very phrafe is ufed to denote the punifh-
ment of the greatefl tranfgreffions, as the worlhip
of Molech, and crimes againfi nature- " For who-
" foever fliall commit any of thefe abominations,
" even the fouls that commit them fhall be cut
*' off from among their people ." From the more
full declaration of the law with rcfpcd to one of
Y 4 thefe
V Lpv x\ 4. 5. w CiUefpici's Amod's Rod, p. 44, 45.
I Lev. xviii. zx.— ij- ip.
544 ^^ THE GOVERNMENT
thefe crimes, the horrid worfliip of Molech, we
have a clear proof that cutting off a foul from
his people denoted, either the work of the civil
magiflrate, or, in cafe of his negligence, that of
God himfelf : " Whofoever he be of the chil-
" dren of Ifrael, or of the ftrangers that fojourn
** in Ifrael, that giveth any of his feed to Mo-
" lech ; he fhall furely be put to death ; the peo-
*f pie of the land fliall flone him with Hones.
*' And I will fet my face againfl that man, and
** will cut him off from among his people : becaufc
" he hath given of his feed unto Molech, to defile
*' my fanduary, and to profane my holy name.
V And if the people of the land do any ways
*f hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth
*.' of his feed unto Molech, and kill him not :
" then I will fet my face againll that man, and
*' againll his family, and will cut him off, and all
*' that go a- whoring after him, to commit whore-
*' dom with Molech, from among their people >'."
Death was ftill the punifliraent, whether God or
man Vv'as the immediate agent. I do not reafon
from the particular nature of the crime : for in
a ci\il point of view, as implying murder, it mull
flill have merited temporal death. The argu-
ment is founded on the explanation of the lan-
guage, by which the punilhment is exprefied. For,
if in this inilance it denoted death, it mull be ex-
tremely diihcult to prove that, as ufed with refpecl
to tranfgrcffions of a lefs heinous nature, it bore a
fenfe totally different.
y Lev. XX, 1. — 5,
OF THE ISRAELITES. 345'
The fiimc expreflion denotes the punifliment
of fome tranfgreflions that immediately refpeded
the ceremonial worlhip •, and is ufed in fuch con-
nexion as to fhew that temporal death is meant.
This law was given to Ifrael ; " What man fo-
" ever there be of the hoiife of Ifrael, that killeth
** an ox, or lamb, or goat in the camp ; or that
*' killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not
" to the door of the tabernacle of the congrega-
" tion, to offer an offering unto the Lord before
*' the tabernacle of the Lord ; blood fliall be im-
*• puted unto that man, he hath flied blood ; and
" that man fliall be cut off from among his peo^
"/>/c^'* This tranfgreffion is reprefented in the
light of murder, and was to be punilhed in the
flime manner ; becaufe the blood flied, although
not that of a man, was notwithftanding blood de-
voted to an holy ufe. To this law it is thought
there is an allulion in the language of the pro-
phet ; <' He that killeth an ox, is as if he flew a
" man^"
The following fecms to be the mod plaufible
' objedlion that has been made to this view of the
phrafe under confideration : " He that in his un-
" cleannefs did eat of an unholy [1. holy] tiling,
*' was to be cut off'' ; yet for fuch a one was ap-
" pointed confeffion of fin, and a trefpafs-offering,
" by which he was reconciled and atonement made
" for him, as Mi- Ainfworth himfelf tells us on
** Lev. V. 2., whence I infer, that tlic cutting off
" fuch a one was not by death inflided, either
" from
2 Lev. xvij. 3. 4. ajia. UvJ. 3. b Lev. vli, ao, a;.
34^ ON THE GOVERNMENT
" from the hand of the magiftrate, or from the
*^ hand of God, but that the cutting off was
** ecclefiaftical, as well as the reception or recon-
** ciliation ^'." This learned writer afterwards
rejeds the diftindlion made by Ainfworth be-
tween fins of ignorance or infirmity, and thofe
that were wilful. But it is evident that the
fins referred to. Lev. v. i. — 4., are fuch as pro-
ceeded from ignorance. For when mention is
made of a man touching any unclean thing, it is
faid, " And it be hid from him ;" and after-
wards, ** When he knoweth of it, then he fhall
" be guilty." In this cafe, atonement might be
made. On the contrary, in the cafes mention-
ed, Lev. vii. 20, 21., there is every reafon to be-
lieve that prefumption was fuppofed. For there
is no limitation, as in the former inflance ; and
one of the cafes fpecified '^, could not be un-
known to the perfon. When, therefore, with re-
fped to any fin it is faid, that the foul that com-
mitteth it fliall be cut off, it appears that we are
fi:ill to underftand what is faid as refpeding a fin
of prefumption ; and to view the particular pre-
cept as explained by this general one ; " The foul
" that doth ought prefumptuoufly, — fiiall be cut
*' off from among his people ; becaufe he hath
" defpifed the word of the Lord ." This re-
ceives confiderable light from the language of the
infpired writer to the Hebrevvs, who ufes the very
term employed in this precept, and exprefsly
points out the fenfe in which fuch tranfgreffors
were
b^Aaron's Rod, p 56. c Lev. vii. ao, f Num. xv. 30, 31,
OF THE ISRAELITES. 347
were to be cut off : " They who defpifed Mofes'
" law, died without mercy ."
It has been iirgucd, indeed, that death coidd
not be the punilhment meant by this expreflion,
becaufe we have evidence from Lev. vi. i. — 8. that
even for wilful fms, immediately committed a-
gainft the moral law, atonement might be made ^
But from this exception, in fomc cafes particu-
larly dated, no good argument of a general na-
ture can be deduced. The fupreme Lawgiver
had an unqueftionable right, if he pleafed, to re-
lax the rigour of his law in fome cafes, although
he did not in others. Certain it is, that we have
no proof of any fuch relaxation, 98 to lins wil-
fully committed in regard to his worfhip. Un-
der that difpenfation, God peculiarly manifeft-
ed his jealouiy with refpeft to his altar. And if
he faw meet to admit of an atonement for tranf-
greffions of the moral law, and to prefcribe none
for prefumptuous profanation of his worfhip ; we
have no right to infer the one from the other,
and Hill Icfs to fay unto him. What doeft thou ?
Tlie phrafeology employed in the law, is trans-
ferred by the apoftle of the Gentiles to the fpi-
ritual cxcificn of thofe who trouble the kingdom
of Chrift, by the eccleliaflical fentcnce of excom-
munication. For, fpeaking of falfe teacher?, he
fays, " I would they were even cut o^'that trouble
" you." That he refers to a fpi ritual fentence,
to be infl!(flcd by the Clmrch, is evident from
what he had laid a little before : " I have confi-
** dence
J Hcb. X. i8. b Aaron's Rod, p. ^5.
34^ ON THE GOVERN'MENT
" dence in you through the Lord, that ye will
" be none otherwife minded : but he that tron-
" bleth you, fliall bear his judgment, wholbever
" he be i." And in the ufe of the term, expref-
five of the caufe of this fpiritual excilion, he evi-
dently alludes to thofe who, by any great tranf-
greffion, had troubled Ifrael ''.
With refpedl to the falfe prophet, or the ido-
later, it is enjoined, that the congregation fhall
put him to death. " So," it is added, " thou
" ilialt put the evil away from among you^."
The Greek tranllation renders this : " Put ye
" away from among yourfelves that wicked per-
" fon'"." This very language the Apoftle Paul
ufes with refped to the excommunication of that
church-member who had been guilty of inceft :
" Put away," he fays, " from among yourfelves
" that wicked perfon "."
From the feverity of the punifliments infli6led
under the law, the infpired writer of the epiftle
to the Hebrews, pleads not for fimilar punifli-
ments, of a temporal kind, under the gofpel ; but
confiders thefe as emblems of the far feverer pu-
nifhment to be inflided on the finally impenitent.
He argues from the lefs to the greater. *' He
*' tiiat defpifed Mofes' law, died without mercy,
** under two or three witnefles. Of how much
" forer punifliment, fuppofe ye, fliall he be
** thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot
" the Son of God, and hath counted the blood
" of
i Gal V, 10. 12, k Jofli. vi. i8.; vii. 25.; t Chron. ii. 7.
1 Deut. xvii. -. See alfo chap. .\iii. 5. m E^ocpm rov xovy^pov
t\ vtAui etv7uv. n E^xpuTt 7-5V xov>tpi^ (% vfiuy auTuy* I Cor. v. 13.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 34^
" of the covenant, wherewith he was fanclificd,
" an unholy thing, and hath done dclpitc unto
" the Spirit of God ?" He gives not the rcmo-
teft hint for the diredion of church-membcus
who might be inverted with civil power, in fuc-
ceeding ages, tliat apoftacy or other fuch crimes
lliould be temporally puniflicd. He refers the
puniflmient of it to Him who hath faid, " Ven-
" geancc bclongcth unto mc ; I will rccom-
*' pence "."
SECTION III.
The Covenant made with the Ifraelites ; — their
Adoption^ — Separation^ — Sojourning^ — and Suf-
ferings.
VIII. The ancient Ifraelites were a people in
€Ovenant with God. — It is not meant fully to en-
ter into that difficult queftion, \\hich has been
much agitated even among found divines. Whe-
ther the covenant made at Mount Sinai was mere-
ly a legal difpenfation of the covenant of grace,
or a covenant of a temporal nature, ditVerent from
the covenant of grace, and peculiarly adapted to the
Hate of the Church during that period. It is evident
that this tranfadlion, however it be denominated,
did not, and could not difannul that ** covenant
*' which
• Ilcb. X. aS. — 30. ,.
350 THE COVENANT MADE
** which was confirmed before of God in Chrift p,"*
when the promife was made to Abraham and to
his feed. It is no lefs evident, that the Sinaitic
<fc)venant or difpenfation was given in direct fub-
ferviency to the covenant of grace, and to the
clear and glorious revelation of it under the New
Teftament. Nor can it be doubted, that belie-
vers in every age, even under the law, were faved
in a way fubftantially the fame with that reveal-
ed in the gofpel, by virtue of the covenant of
grace made known to the patriarchs.
Confiderable difficulties attend the determina-
tion of this quefi:ion. Yet fuch modes of expref-
fion are ufed in Scripture, concerning the cove-
nant made at Mount - Sinai, as cannot well be
confiftently underftood, unlefs it be viewed as
fomething more than a mere difference of difpen-
fation. To prove this, various arguments have
been brought, which merit our ferious attention,
and the exercife of an impartial judgment. It
may be proper to exhibit fome of thefe as briefly
as polfible.
I. The Sinaitic covenant is diftinguifhed from
the other as to its date. While it is alTerted that
the covenant of grace was " confirmed before of
*' God in Chrift ;" the Apoftle of the Gentiles
reminds the Galatians, that *' the law was given
" four hundred and thirty years after '^." Mofes,
fpeaking of this law, under the denomination of
a covenant, denies that it was made with the pa-.
triarchs.
p Gal. iii. 17. q Gsl. iii. 15.— 17.
WITH THE ISRAELITES. 35J
triarcTis. ** The Lord our God made a covenant
" with us in Horeb ; the Lord made not this co-
" venant with our fathers, but with us '." Is
it likely that fach language would have beeil
uled, had the ditTeronce conlilled merely in form ?
2. The law is fpoken of as added, for a fpecial
rcafon, and for a certain time, to the covenant
made with Abraham; and therefore as fome-
thing different in its nature. It is even defcribed
by the apoftlc, as polTeflmg fuch chara(51ers that
men might be apt to view it as " againfl the co-
" venant," and as tending to " difannuP* it.
While he tcaclies that the law was given hi fub-
fervieney to the covenant of grace, he admits
that it was fo different, that it could not give
life, becaufe this comes only by a free and gracious
promife \ Now, if the law or Sinaitic covenant
included the covenant of grace as its principal
fubftance, only under a darker form ; how is the
law contrafted with the promife ? how could Paul
fay, " If the inheritance be of the law, it is n<j
" more of promife ?*'
3. Thefe two are pointed out, not merely as
different difpenfations, but as different covenants :
" Behold, the days come, faith the Lord, that I
" will make a new covenant with the houfe of
** Ifracl, and with the houfe of Judah, not ac-
** cording to the covenant that I made with
*' their fathers, in the day that I took them by
« tie
X Deut. V- 2, 3. ' a Gal. ill. 17.— 2z.
-^52 ■'■'-'HE COVENANT MADE
** the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt,
" (which my covenant they brake, although I
" was an hufband unto them, faith the Lord) ^'*
The fame contrail is ftated in the account given
of the allegorical meaning of the hiflory of Sarah
and Hagar ; " Thefe are the two covenants."
The covenant of grace is not here contrafted with
that of works made with Adam, but with that
peculiar covenant made with Ifrael at Sinai : —
*' The one from the Mount Sinai, — which is
" Agar","
4. The fuperior excellency of the miniflry of
Chrift is proved from his being " the Mediator
" of a better covenant ; of the new covenant '•^
This covenant is exprefsly faid to be better^ as
being " eftablifhed upon better promifes." Now,
if there be a diiference as to the promife, there
muft be a difference between the covenants to
which they refpedtively refer : becaufe the pro-
mife is to be viewed as an effential part of a
covenant. The promifes, on which the covenant
at Sinai was eftablifhed, although figurative of
better bleflings, in themfelves refpecled thofe that
were temporal. They immediately referred to
the pofTelTion of the land of Canaan, to vidory
over external enemies, to abundance of earthly
good things, to long life and profperity in the
courfe of obedience. Thefe promifes were alfo
conditional. Their fulfilment was fufpcnded on
the obedience of the covenant people. " If ye
" " will
t Jer. xxxi. 31, 3a. _ u Gal. iv. ^4. v Heb. YJii, 5. , xli, l?. 24-
WITH THE ISRAELITES. 353
" will obey my voice indeed, and keep my cove-
" nant, then ye fhall be a peculiar trealure unto
*' me above all people ''." This is the general
ftrain of the promifes made in this covenant.
Even that promife refpecfting God's relation to
them, is conditionally exprelTed : " If ye walk in
" my ftatutes, and keep my commandments, and
** do them ; 1 will walk among you, and will be
" your God, and ye fliall be my people \" But
the promifes of the new covenant, as they are fpiriT
tual, are abfolutely free. Their fpirituality appears
from the fummary given of them, Heb. viii. 10.-12.
efpecially as including the writing of the law,
not on tables of ftone as formerly, but on the flefh-
ly tables of the heart ; and the great blefling of
pardon, not as confifting in the removal of exter-
nal and ritual guilt, or deliverance from the pu-
nilliment connedled with it, but in a complete
deliverance from condemnation. All thefe pro-
mifes are exprefled abfolutely, fo that their ful-
filment depends not on any thing to be done by
us. On the contrary, they fecurc itrength for the
performance of duty.
5. The Sinaitic covenant tended to produce a
fervile fpirit. ** The one from the Mount Sinai
** — gendereth to bondage ^." It has been ob-
ferved, that the apoftle does not here fpcak of the
abufe of that covenant, as indeed it was greatly
abufed by the generality of the Ifraelites, as if it
Vol. I. 7. >iad
Mf Eiod. xix. 5. z Lev. xxvi. 3. — la. y Gal. iv. 24.
354 THE COVENANT MADE
had been meant to enfure eternal life, on the
ground of their obedience ; but of its native ten-
dency, which was to produce a fervile frame of
fpirit, entirely different from that which is the
fruit of the covenant of promife.
6. This was a covenant that might be broken.
" They continued not in my covenant, and I re-
" garded them not, faith the Lord ^" This lan-
guage has no refped: to the change of difpenfa-
tion. It denotes, that fuch was the frame of that
covenant, that God might be provoked by the
tranfgreflions of the Ifraelites, to caft them out of
it. This was actually done with refpedt to the
ten tribes. Now, the covenant' was thus broken,
and thofe who. were once within it, were call off
by God, many centuries before there was any
change of the difpenfation.
7. When the Ifraelites, in different inftanfes,
obtained the forgivenefs of their breach of cove-
nant, it was not in confequence of any mercy
referved for them in the tranfaction at Sinai,
but by a gracious recurrence, on the part of
their offended Lawgiver, to the covenant which
he made with their fathers. On this ground
alone does he promife to vilit them in the day of
their calamity. " If they Ihall confefs their ini-
** quity, — then will I remember my covenant
** with Jacob, and alfo my covenant with Ifaac,
" and alfo my covenant with Abraham will I
*' remember,
9 Heb. viii. p.
WITH THE ISRAELITES. 355
" remember, and I will remember tbe land '\*'
Mofes, in his interccflion for the Ifraelites, when
they had greatly provoked God by worflHpi)ing
the golden calf, docs not ground his plea on the
covenant recently made with them at Mount
Sinai, but on that with their anccftors : '* Turn,'*
he fays, " from thy fierce wrath, and repent of
" this evil againft thy people. Remember Abra-
" ham, Ifaac, and IlVael thy fervants, to whom
" thou fwareft by thine own felf, and faidft unto
" them, I will multiply your feed as the ftars of
" heaven, and all this land that I have fpoken of
*' will I give unto your feed, and they Ihall in-
" herit it for ever ." And God's rcfped to this
covenant is given as the realbn of all that long-
fuftering which he exercifed towards Ifrael, a-
midft their aggravated iniquities : " The Lord
*' was gracious unto them, and had compaflion
** on them, and had refped: unto them, becaufe
*' of his covenant with Abraham, Ifaac and Ja-
** cob, and would not deftroy them, neither caft
" he them from his prefcnce as yet •."
It muft be remembered, however, that this,
which is called the old covenant, was not given
to Ifrael as a covenant of works, promifing eter-
nal life for their obedience. As to their external
ftate, they were previouily under the covenant of
grace. Even the Sinaitic covenant contained a
typical revelation of redeeming mercy, a thing
totally unknown to the covenant of works. Had
this been its nature, there could have been no
Z 2 falvation
b Lev, sxvi 40,-^4i. c Exod. w«ij. ii, ij- fl a Kings xiii. aj
356 THE COVENANT MADE
falvation for any who were under it. As, ac-
cording to the letter, it promifed temporal mer-
cies, it figuratively exhibited thofe which are
eternal ; and was thus given in fubferviency to
the covenant of grace. With refpedl to the tem-
poral mercies themfelves, the reward was promi-
fed only on condition of obedience. In this fenfe
it was the language of that covenant, " The man
" that doth thefe things, lliall live in them.'*
But in as far as this declaration may be viewed
in relation to fpiritual and eternal bleffings, it
could only refer to Him who was meritorioufly
to fulfil the precept, as well as to fultain the curfe.
Qur Lord, as the true Ifrael, that fervant whom
God had chofen, took up in behalf of his fpiri-
tual feed, that engagement into which Ifrael in
general entered with a legal and prefumptuous
fpirit, faying, ** All that the Lord our God hath
" fpoken we will do." When they were brought
to make this promife, the intention of God was
very different from theirs. It was, however, ob-
fcurely revealed in that very covenant to which
they confented. In confonancy to the gracious
defign of God, as we know that the head and the
members conilitute one Chrift ^, in many paf-
fages of the Old Teftament, the language is caft
into fuch a mould, as apparently to refped: both
the literal Ifrael, and the promifed feed that was
to fpring from them. . Hence it feems difficult
to interpret it of the one, to the exclufion of the,
other <■.
The
e I Cor. xii. it, f See l!"a. xlii. ip. — 21. } Hof. xl i>
WITH THE ISRAELITES. 357
Tlie covenant at Mount Sinai, indeed, appears
to have been made with the Ifraelitcs, efpccially
in relation to the iuretifliip of Chrifl. It was ne-
cefTary that it fliould be made with Tfrael, that
the Mefliah, who was to delcend from Abraham,
might be under the law, in its whole extent, as a
covenant. For as he could not redeem, without
being our kinfman, as partaking of the fame na-
ture ; how could he redeem thofe that were un-
der the law, without being fo near of kin to them
as to be himfelf made under it with the fame la-
titude ? It is evident, from the Apoftle's reafon-
ing, that the law under which Chrift was made,
was not merely the moral law in the form of a
covenant, but the whole of the Mofaic law. He
was not only to redeem his elect in general from
the curfe of the covenant which had been broken
in Adam, but his eledt among the Ifraelites from
all the bondage under which they were by vir-
tue of the covenant made at Mount Sinai, and for
ever to free his Church from this yoke s.
This covenant was not " dedicated without
" blood. For when Mofes had fpoken every pre-
'* cept to all the people according to the law, he
" took the blood of calves and of goats, with
" water and fcarlet wool, and hylTop, and fprink-
" led both the book and all the people, faying,
" This is the blood of the teftament which God
" hath enjoined unto you ^." But " the blood of
** calves and goats could not take away fm." It
Z 3 *' fanclified
g GaJ. iii. 24. ; v. r.— 5. romp. See this fnbje(ft Inrgclj »nd judi-
ciourty handled in Petto'i Difference between the Old and New Coy«n»tt,
p. 84.— 18S. h Ueb. ix. iS '>•■
358 THE COVENANT MADE
" fandified only to the purifying of the flefh '."
It could only remove that legal uncleannefs which
debarred an Ifraelite from the ordinances of the
church under that difpenfation. It had, in itfclf,
no virtue for real purification. All its worth, in
this refpe6l, conlifted in its typifying the blood of
Jefus the true facrifice. Thus, how mean foever
the legal oblations were in themfelves, they were
highly eftimable, in as far as they fliadowed forth
that infinitely precious blood by which the new
covenant is confirmed.
The Ifraelites cheerfully alTented to the cove-
nant which God made with them. They *' en-
" tered into covenant with the Lord their God ^."
They *' avouched the Lord to be their God, and
" to walk in his ways, and to keep his ftatutes ^"
Some think, that, , becaufe of the peculiarities of
that difpenfation, they could not prefigure Chrif-
tians in this tranfa6lion. But whether the Sinai-
tic tranfadlion be viewed as a peculiar covenant,
or only as a peculiar difpenfation of the covenant
of grace ; as the Ifraelites were fl;ill under the
covenant made with their fathers, and as that very
tranfa£lion at Sinai ultimately refpeded the blef-.
fings purchafed by Chrifl; ; they, in their confent
to this covenant, as far as they adled according to
the proper defign of it, prefigured the church of
Chrifl under the New Teftament, in her cordial
acceptance of the covenant of grace, and her en-
gagement to be the Lord's. For even the cove-
nant of grace requires, on the part of believers, a
refl:ipulatioa
i Heb. ix. 13. k Deut. ssis. 13. 1 Deut. xxvi. 17,
WITH THE ISRAELITES. 359
reftipulation as to the performance of duty. Such
language, to fome, has a legal found. But there
is nothing legal, in our engaging, with all pof-
iible folemnity, to walk in God's ways, and to
keep his commandments. Our acceptance of the
New Covenant ncceffarily implies fuch an en-
gagement. When Cod promifes to be to us " a
*' God,"' he requires of us, that we be to him " a
" people." Then only can wc be chargeable
with legality, when w^e enter into fuch an engage-
ment in our own Itrength, or view our obedience
as a condition of our enjoyment of the blcilings
of this gracious covenant. Wc cannot " cleave
" to the Lord," without " full purpofe of heart '"."
But this purpofe mufl: reft folely on promifcd
grace.
There were, indeed, fome things peculiar in
the manner in which the Ifraelitcs entered into
covenant. Particularly, as this engagement re-
fpedled all the laws given them, not merely moral
and ceremonial, but judicial : it undoubtedly rc-
fpecled the Ifraelitcs thenifelvcs, not merely as a
religious, but as a political body. While they
entered into covenant as a church, they did fo
alfo as a ftate. Tliey acknowledged Jehovah,
both as their God, and as their King. They pro-
mifed obedience to him, not only in Ipiritual, but
in all political concerns. This covenant, then,
viewed in one light, was their national oath of al-
legiance.
"Z. 4 From
m AjSt% zi. 33.
360 THE ADOPTION
From this peculiarity of their circumftances,
fome have inferred that fuch engagements are en-
tirely inconlillent with the Hate of Chriftians.
Others, going nearly to an oppofite extreme, have
urged, from the example of Ifrael, that it is the
duty of Chriftians, even in their various civil fta-
tions, and as conjoined in civil and political fo-
cieties, to " fwear to the Lord of hofts." But
it has been feen, that the Ifraelites, in their mix-
ed character, as " an holy nation," were not ty-
pical of any particular nation or political body,
under the New Teftament ; but that this cha-
racter is exclufively transferred to the Church of
Chrift. Hence it follows, that it is only in a re-
ligious character, or as members of the fpiritual
" commonwealth of Ifrael," that this duty is ob-
ligatory in our times. When the churches of
Macedonia " gave their ownfelves to the Lord,"
they did fo entirely in an eccleliaftical capacity ".
Did literal Ifrael prefigure the church, in their
relation to God as their King ? What is this du-
ty, but the church's folemn recognifance of her
fubjedion to the King of Xion, and of her cheer-
ful fubmifiion to all the laws of his kingdom ?
And furely, if earthly fovereigns have a right to
demand an oath of allegiance from their fubjeds,
the " King of faints" hath infinitely greater right-
to make this demand upon his.
IX. God admitted his ancient people to the dif-
tinguilliing privilege oijoiifnp. He exprelTes the
peculiar
n a Cor. viii, 5.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 361
peculiar dignity of Ifrael in this relation, by an
alluiion to the right of primogeniture among men.
He gives us to know that the reafon of his unex-
ampled fevcrity in the lad plague which he fe^nt
on the Egyptians, was their cruelty towards a
people who were fo dear to him. Hence he com-
mands Mofes to deliver this melTdge to Pharaoh :
"Thus faith the Lord, Ifrael is my fon, even
" my firft-born. And I. fay unto thee, Let my fon
" go, that he may ferve me : and if thou refufe
" to let him go, behold I will flay thy fon, even
** thy firfl-born"." He declares that the redemp-
tion of Ifrael from Egypt was the fruit of his pa-
ternal love to that people, while yet in their in-
fancy as a nation : " When Ifrael was a child
" then I loved him, and called my fon out of
" Egypt P." ** To them pertained the adop-
*' tion ^i." In this privilege they prefigured the
fpiritual Ifrael, the true Jacob and all his feed.
The peculiar honour of primogeniture is afcribed
to the Head of the myftical body, who muft " in
" all things have the pre-eminence." To him is
that language applied, " Out of Egypt have I
" called my fon '." He is God's " firft-born,'*
whom he hath made " high above the kings of
** the earth ," — " the firft-born among many
** brethrai." But great alio is the honour of all
the members of his body. For by virtue, of their
predeftination, they are eventually *' conformed
" to the image" of the firft-born ^ ** As many
" as
o Eiod. iv. n, 13 p Hcf. xi. i. q Rom. ix. 4.
r Mat. ii. 15. s Pfal. lx»xix. 17 t Rom. viij. rj.
362 THE ADOPTlOi^
" as receive him, to them gives he power to be-
" come the fons of God." The birth, by which
they are admitted to this dignity, is truly of the
moft noble kind. They " are born, not of blood,
*' nor of the will of the flelli, nor of the will of
" man, but of God "." His ancient people had
no natural claim to the fignal honour to which
they were advanced. In like manner, all the true
feed are admitted to the privilege of fonfhip by
adoption. By nature we are " aliens from the
" commonwealth of Ifrael, and ilrangers from the
" covenants of promife." Well, therefore, may
we cry out in the language of aftonifhment ; ** Be-
" hold, what manner of love the Father hath be-
" flowed upon us, that we fliould be called the fons
" of God !" — " Upon «/," who are not only or-
phans but vagabonds ; not only aliens, but rebels
and enemies I Still more reafon have we to ad-
mire the love of our heavenly Father, when we
conlider the infinite expence that was necelTary
for procuring this honour. For *' God fent forth
" his Son, made of a woman, made under the
** law, — that we might receive the adoption of
" fons \"
How many privileges were connedted with this
of adoption, in the experience of Ifrael I What
care did he exercife towards them in their infant
ftate ; nay, during the whole time of their con-
tinuance in his family ! All the fineft and moft
delicate refemblances in nature are employed to
exprefs the tendernefs of his parental love. Not
only
u John i. 12, 13. V Gal. iv. 4, 5.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 363
only did he raife up Mofes, to " carry Ifracl in
" his bofom, as a nurfing-futher beareth the fuck-
" ing child '^' :" but he himfelf cxercifed this ten-
der care. " The Lokd their God bare them, as a
" man doth bear his fon, in all the way that they
" went ^." " As an eagle ftirreth up her neft,
^' fluttereth over her young, fpreadeth abroad her
*' wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings ;
" fo the Lord alone did lead him, and there was
** no (Irange god with him .'* A woman might
" forget her fucking-child, fo as to have no com-
*' paflion on the fon of her womb." But the
Lord never forgot his people. " I taught Eph-
*' raim to go," he fays, " taking them by their
"arms'." Thus our compaffionate Lord, when
he reflected on the innumerable evidences of his
love to his ancient people, '* all the days of old,"
as well as thofe they had received during his per-
fonal miniftry, wept over Jerufalem, and addref-
fed that city in thefe atfeding terms ; " O Jeru-
*' falem, Jerufalem, — how often would I have ga-
** thered thy children together, even as a hen ga-
** thereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
" would not a."
The evidences of his love to his fpiritual Ifrael
are by no means inferior. He hath indeed " gra-
*' ven" his church '* on the palms of his hands ' ."
He hath given a mofl affccling anfwcr to that
prayer which flie fo long prefentcd •, ** Set me as
*' a feal upon thine heart, as a feal upon thine
" arm >." Our High-pricft hatli graven us on
his
•w Numb. xi. 12, x Dcut. i. 31. y Dent, xxsii. 11, ii.
2 Hof. xi. 3. a Mat. xjuii- ^7. b lu. lUr. 16. c Song vni. 6.
364 THE ADOPTION
his heart, in the print of the fpear, and on his
hands, in " the print of the nails" by which
he was fixed to the accurfed tree. It is there-
fore impoffible that he can forget his church.
Her walls, all her interefts, " are continually be-
" fore him." For he perpetually bears thefe im-
prelTes of his love to her, even in his glory. He
is therefore reprefented as bearing the likenefs of
" a Lamb, as it had been llain <^." He " feeds
*^ his flock like a fhepherd ; he gathers the lambs
" with his arm ; he carries them in his bofom,
" and gently leads thofe that are with young ^."
" As one whom his mother comforteth," faith
he, " fo will I comfort you *."
Did not God feed his typical children by an
uninterrupted miracle for forty years, in a land
that was not tilled nor fown ? He rained manna
from heaven on them. He turned the flinty rock
into a fpring of water. Was it ever heard, that
any other people were fed from heaven ? Never,
but with refped: to the true Ifrael, who " all eat
" the fame fpiritual meat, and drink the fame fpi-
" ritual drink ;" who all " eat of the hidden
" manna," of " the bread which cometh down
" from heaven," and " drink of the water of
" life s." When God fed his ancient people in
this miraculous manner, it was with a defign tor
teach them, that there are means of life unfpeak-
ably fuperior to thofe which are neceflary for the
mortal part. He " fed tliem with manna, (which
*' they knew not, neither did their fathers know),
" that
d Rev- V. 6. e Ifa. xl. 11, f Ifa. Ixvi. 13. g Rev, ii. I?' J x»i. "i*
OF THE ISRAELITES. 365
** that he might make them know, that man li-
** yeth not by bread alone, but by every word
" that proceedcth out of the mouth of the Lord^'."
For in this confiflcth ** the life of the fpirit.*' By
means of that heavenly manna, which is rained
around their tents, are all the fpi ritual Ifrael made
to live.
Did he not extend his min^culous power to their
clothing ? During forty years, their " raiment wax-
" ed not old, nor did their llioes wax old on their
" feet '." But great as the efFed of this miracle
was, it was merely an emblem of that durable
clothing which is communicated to all the feed of
Jacob. They are covered with " a garment of
•* falvation, a robe of righteoufnefs," which can
never decay. The righteoufnefs, which Mefliah
the Prince hath brought in for them, is everlaft-
ing ^. ** In his days — Ifrael dwells fafely ;" for
" this is his name, Jehovah our righteous-
" NESS !." They can never " perifli from the way,"
nor can they ever entirely fail in it : for their
feet are '* Hiod with the preparation of the gof-
** pel oi peaceJ*
The Ifraelites were not only ** nourilhed" by
God, but ** brought up" as " children "'." He
trained them up under the pedagogy of the law.
They were *' under tutors and governors, till the
" time appointed of the Father." Their educa-
tion was fevere, but God faw it to be neceflary.
Are not all the fe<.'d of Ifrael trained up by him
as
h Deut. viii. 3. i Dtut. Kxix. 5. k Dan. is 14.
1 Jer. xxiii. 6. m Ut. j. j.
366 THE SEPARATION
as a father ? Is it not the privilege of the Church,
that " all her children are taught of God ?" Of-
ten indeed their difcipline in the fchool of adver-
iity is very fevere, as may appear more fully af-
terwards. But he makes " all things to work to-
" gether for their good."
X. The poflerity of Jacob were a people fepa-
rated by God for himfelf. It was not the confe-
quence of their own choice, that they were fo re-
markably dillinguilhed from the world. God
claims this work as his. *' I am," faith he, *' the
" Lord your God, which have feparated you
" from other people "." He ereded a partition-
wall between them and all other nations. They
were hedged in by a peculiar difcipline. Cir-.
cumcilion, and the other rites of the ceremonial
law, rendered them odious and contemptible to
the nations around. Hath not God thus feparated
that people whom they prefigured ? The work is
not theirs. They would never leave the world,
were they not *' chofen out of it," and " called
" by his grace." What the law was to the Jews,
the unadulterated dodrine of the gofpel is to
Chriftians. It is a wall of partition between them
and the world- Literal circumcifion w^as never
m':;e contemptible in the eyes of carnal men,
than is the fcriptural dodlrine of the circumcifion
of the heart. All true Chriftians have the fame
experience with the apoltle Paul. By the crofs
of
9 Lev. XX. %4.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 367
of Chrift " the world is crucified to them, and
" they are crucified unto the world "."
His ancient people were feparated for the mod
important ends. The Lord fet them apart to be
" a peculiar treafure unto him above all people,'*
and to be *' an holy nation p." We have feen,
that thefe very charadlers are conferred on his
believing Church under the New Teftament. This
confifts of a people feparated unto holinefs. Sure-
ly, then, thofe deferve not the name of Chrift:ians,
who are unwilling to be reckoned peculiar, to be
dillinguifhed from the men of this world. Many
are well enough pleafed to be called Chrifiians,
who will not bear the yoke of Chrift. They can-
not fubmit to any reftraint upon their condud:.
They wifh to live as others do. They carry their
regard to Chriftianity no farther, than as it allows
them to be " conformed to this world." But to
all fuch Chrift will certainly fay, " Depart from
" me ; I never knew you."
The Ifraelites were alfo feparated to the enjoy-
ment of the promifes. To them *' pertained the
** promifes." Now, although ** the promife is to
" all," in refpe6t of the external offer, and the
•warrant which every one who hears the gofpel
has to believe ; yet thofe, who are Ifraelites in-
deed, alone have a perfonal intereft in it ; they
only, " as Ifaac was, are children of the pro-
" mife."
The carnal Ifraelites were feparated in a fpe-
cial refpecl, bccaufe Chrift was to defccnd from
then^
0 Gal, ri 14. p £xod. xiz. 5, C.
368 THE SEPARATION
them according to the flefh. This is mentioned
as their diftinguifhing privilege 'i. Still greater
is the honour of fpiritual Ifraelites. They con-
ilitute Chrift myllical '. They are the fulnefs of
Him " that filleth all in all." They are all mem-
bers of his body ; nay one fpirit with him.
For this very end did God redeem the pofteri-
ty of Jacob, that they might be feparated as a pe-
culiar people to himfelf. He " brought them out
** of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheri-
" tance ^" By this redemption, it is faid, he
*' confirmed to himfelf his people Ifrael, to be a
'' people unto him for ever ^" For the felf-
fame end hath he redeemed his Church, by an
infinitely greater price. Our Lord Jefus Chrift
" gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us
*' from all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a
" peculiar people zealous of good works "." Thus
he confirms us to himfelf. We are " not our own,
" but bought with a price ;" therefore we are
bound by the ftrongefl ties to " glorify him in
*' our bodies and fpirits which are his." To,
pretend to be a Chriftian, and yet to be habitual-
ly conformed to this world, is a direct contradic-
tion. It is to deny the very end of the death of
Chrift. It is to deny the whole delign of our
Chriftian calling, which is to accomplifh a fepa-
ration from " thistprefent evil world."
Often did God remind the Ifraelites of their
Reparation from every other people. He ftill ex-
hibits
q Rom. ix. 5. r i Cor. xii. 12. s Deut. iv. 20.
t 2 Sam. vii. 23, 24. u Tit, ii. 14.
OF THE ISRAELITES, 369
hibits their peculiarity of charadlcr as a fignal
honour. In this fenfe it becomes matter of pro-
mifc: "The people fliall dwell alone, and lliall
*' not be reckoned among the nations ." It is
the will of our God that we lliould ftill remem-
ber, that although i«, we are not of, the world.
With this view he gives us many warnings in
his word. He knows how prone we are to fol-
low the multitude. Therefore he fiiys, " Be not
" conformed to the world." He uiTures us, that
** the friendfliip of this world is enmity with
*' God •," and that " whofoever will be the friend
" of this world is the enemy of God." Our ear-
ned hearts at times recoil at the idea of this fepa-
ration. It feems hard that we fliould " dwell
" alone." But he teaches us, that this is both
our honour and our intereft. " BlefTed are ye,"
faith our divine Saviour, " when men lliall hate
*' you, and when they fhall feparate you from
•' their company, and fhall' rt-proach you, and
*' call out your name as evil, for the Son of man's
*' fake." He does not propofe motives for com-
forting us under tliis as a heavy trial. He calls
■ -us, on the contrary, to view it as ground of fpi-
ritual joy. " Rejoice ye in that day, and leap
« for joy ; for behold, your reward is great in
« heaven^-." Thus he teaches us to " rejoice
*' that we are counted worthy to futfer Ihame for
** his name^."
Vol. I A a xi. The
» Nuajb. xxiii, y, w Luke vi, aa, 43. « A(i\i v. 41.
37© THE SOJOURNING
XI. The Tfraelites were called to a life o? fo-
journing. During forty years they wandered in
a wafte and howling wildernefs ; although the
journey from Egypt to Canaan might have been
accomplifhed in a few days. How fitly does this
reprefent the ftate of the fpi ritual Ifrael. Here
we *' have no continuing city." We are " pil-
*' grims and ftrangers." This world is to us a
wildernefs. Hence it is called *' the wildernefs
*' of the people y." I^ can afford no reft to the
foul. Were the Ifraelites expofed to many dan-
gers in that " great and terrible wildernefs," in
which they fojourned fo long ; to hunger, to
** fiery ferpents, and fcorpions, and drought^?"
Was it " a land of deferts and of pits, and — of
** the fhadow of death, a land that no man palTed
** through, and where no man dwelt ^?" What
a ftriking emblem have we here of the real ftate
of this world ! It contains no food for the im-
mortal part. When " the poor and needy feek
" water, there is none ; and their tongue faiieth
*' for thirfl. Hungry and thirfty, their foul
" faints in them."" The men of this world
" Hiarpen their tongues like a ferpent ^" " Their
" poifon is like the poifon of a ferpent ^" The
children of God " dwell among fcorpions '^" How
often are they flung by thofe more dangerous fer-
pents that lodge in their own bofoms, by thofe
lufts which feek their deftrudtion.
Thq
y Fzek. xx. 35, 56. z Deut. viii. 15. a Jer. ii. 6.
bBfal. cxl. 3. c Pfal. Iviii. 4. d £zek, ii. 6.
OF THE israi;lites. 37^
The Ifraelites dwelt in tents or tabernacles,
not in fixed dwellings. Our life is like theirs.
Soon muft " the earthy houfe of this tabernacle
« be diffolved." But we look for - a building
*' of God," " a city which hath foundations."
Were the Ifraelites called to pafs through the
wildernefs, in order to reach the land of Canaan ?
This is the very reprefentation given ot the
Church. " Who is this that cometh up from the
" wildernefs, like pillars of fmoke^?" Some
think that there is here an allufion to the pillar
of cloud ; others, to the imoke of incenfe, as ex-
preffive of the exercife of all true Chriftians,
whofe affedions habitually afcend towards hea-
ven The Ifraelites were regulated in all their
journies by the pillar of cloud. " When the
" cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then,
" after that the children of Ifrael journeyed ',
" and in the place where the cloud abode, there
" the children of Ifrael pitched their tents. At
« the commandment of the Lord the children of
" Ifrael journeyed, and at the commandment of
« the Lord they pitched ; as long as the cloud
' « abode upon the tabernacle, they refted m their
« tents f." This fhews what the Lord requires
of us In eyery ftep of our journey through life,
we ought to feek divine diredion. Therefore it
is written : - Truft in the Lord with all thine
" heart, and lean not unto thine own underftand-
" ing. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he
.^ fhaU direa thy paths s." For this reafon the
A a :i Church
e5ongm.6. f Numb. ix. .7. i8. &c. gProv.iilS.^-
5^a THE SOJOURNING
Church is defcribed as coming up from the wil.
dernefs, " leaning on her beloved ''.'*
When the Ifraelites had already pafled through
tfe'e wildernefs, and come to " the mount of the
" Amorites," a part of the inheritance which the
Lord had given them ; and when he commanded
them to go and take pofiefiion, they fo provoked
him, that he caufed them to return " by the way
" of the Red Sea '." They had been formerly bap-
tifed here, and they are fent back to its typical wa-
ters. Thus does the Lord often deal with his fpiri-
tual Ifrael. They for a time make fuch advances
in religion, as to feem to be on the very borders of
the heavenly Canaan. But to chaften them for
their tranfgreffions, he throws them farther back
into the wildernefs. They entirely lofe light of
the promifed land, and perhaps call in queftion
the truth of the promife. Or they virtually doubt
the power of a promiling God ; and feem to think,
that becaufe of the might of their foes, he is not
able to give them admiffion. The Lord fends
them back " by the way of the Red Sea." He
calls them to the renewed exercife of faith, and
of that evangelical repentance, of which baptifm
in the Red Sea was merely a ligure. He com-
mands thenl to " remember from whence they
** have fallen, and to repent, and to do the firll
** works K"
Not only did the fituation of the Ifraelites,
while in the wildernefs, prefigure our ftate of fo-
journing
h Song viii. 5. i Deot. i. 20, ai. ; ii. i. ; Numb. xiv. 25.
(t Ret. ii. 5.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 373
jouming in this world ; but even their fathers,
while living in Canaan, are rcprefeiited in the
{ame light. Abraham *' fojourned in the land of
" promifc, as in a ftrange country, dwelling in
*' tabernacles with Ifaac and Jacob, the heirs
*' with him of the fame promife *." All the
patriarchs " confeflcd that they were flrangcrs
** and pilgrims on this earth"." They confefled
this lx)tli by their profeflion and by their prac-
tice. Thofe who truly feared God, even after
they were fixed in the land of Canaan, confider-
ed themfelves ftill as Arangers. Let us hear thd
confeflion of David. " I am a llranger with
** thee, and a fojourner, as all my fathers were°."
Or, as he elfewhere exprefles the characflcr of the
■whole Church : " We are llrangers before thee,
** and fojourners, as were all our fathers ; our
5* days on the earth are as a fliadow, and there is
" none abiding p." Here he evidently refers to
a fingular ordinance, by which God would con-
ftantly remind his people, even when fettled in
A a 3 the
* RI. Flcury bas an obfervatioo on the habitations of the patriarchs^
which, from its ingenuity at leaft, merits onr attention. Speaking of their
cuftom of dwcUioij in tents, he fays, " It more particularly pointed out
" the ftate of the patriarchs, who inhabited this earth only as fojourners^
" waiting for the promifes of Goil, which could not be accomplifhcd till
" after their death. The firfl cities that we read of, were built by the
*' wicked, by Cain and by Nimrod f. Thefe were the firft who inclofed
** and forti6ed themfelves; not only that they might cTcape the punifli-
" ment of tlicir former crimen but that they might comn»it others with
*' impunity. Good men lived without inclofures, and without fear.'*
Moeurs des Ifraelites, chap. ii.
} Gen. iv. 17. ; x. lo.
o Ileb. xt. p. 13. 0 Fial, xxxix. ta. p i Chron. xiii. xf
374 THE SOJOURNING
the land of Canaan, and by them remind us of
the uncertainty of all earthly enjoyments, and of
the neceffity of deliring a better country. " The
" land," he faith, *' is mine, for ye are. Itrangers
" and fojourners with me," or " before me ^."
Some underfland this expreffion with me, as if it
meant that Jehovah himfelf was only a fojourner
in this world ; and that all his people were call-
ed to fojourn with him. Thus, fome of the an-
cient Jewifh writers give the following glofs :
" Ye are llrangers and fojourners with me. It is
" enough for the fervant that he be as his maf-
" terV
In this earth we are all llrangers of neceffity ;
let us be fo of choice. Let it be our fupreme de-
lire, that we may h^ Jlrangers with God, enjoying
his company in the wildernefs, and having " our
** affedion fet on things above." It is a fmall
matter though we be eftranged from all the world,
if we enjoy his bleffed fellowlhip. Our lot can
never be worfe than that of our Jehovah incar-
nate, who " had not where to lay his head." So
far from being afliamed of our charader, let us
earneftly endeavour, that our whole life may be
one continued confeffion of it. When in danger
of dejedlion, let us cheerfully fing thofe fongs
which are given for our comfort " in the houfe of
** our pilgrimage ^" As llrangers and pilgrims
do not wilh to entangle themfelvcs with what
would retard their progrefs, let us Hill remember
the
^ Lev. ixv. 13. r See Ainfw. on the place. s Pfal. cxix. 54,
or THE ISRA£HT£3. 375
the tender language of the apoftle Peter : '* Dear-
" ly beloved, I befeech you as llrangers and pil-
" grims, abllain from flelhly lulls, which war
" agamlt the foul '."
XII. The Ifraelites were called to a life of trial.
In their very cradle, as a nation, they were inu-
red to adverfity. For hundreds of years were
they afilided in Egypt. When leaving it, they
fcenied to be given up as a prey to their enemies.
But even after palfing through the Krd S'-a, their
trials appeared only to commence. . : y
•' went three days in the wilderneib, aiid iound
*' no water. And when they came to Marah,
** they could not drink of the waters of Marah
*' for they were bitter ".'* Like them, the fpiri-
tual children of Abraham have fcarcely pafTed
through the Red Sea, ere they are called to en-
counter new trials. They taftc of " the worm-
** wood and the gall"." The only way in which
it was polfible to fweeten the u aters of Marah,
was by calling into them a tree that Jehovah
fhewed to Mofes "■'■'. This is generally viewed as a
figure of the crofs of Chrilt. This tree, which
bore only gall and wormwood to him, brings
fweetnefs- to us. It often changes the tafte, and
it always changes the nature, of the waters of a£-
lliclion. It removes from them all the bitternefs
of the curfe. Though they Ihould be " bitter in
A a 4 " the
t I Pet. ii. ir. u Exod. xv. if, Jj. v Lara. iii. i^. if.
Vi Exod. XV. 25,
37^ THE ISRAELITES CALLED
** the mouth," it renders them " fweet in the
** belly.'* Though " no afflidion be for the pre-
" fent joyous, but grievous ; in the end it work-
" eth the peaceable fruits of righteoufnefs."
The whole period of Ifrael's fojourning in the
vvildernefs was marked by affliction. He led them
forty years " in the wildernefs, — to prove them ■ .'*
In like manner, God calls his people to a life of
afflidtion. He affures us, that " through much
" tribulation we nmji enter into the kingdom >' ;'*
that this courfe is indifpenfably neceffary^ accord-
ing to his unalterable will and purpofe ; and that
it is thus appointed, as a mean of making us '* meet
" to be partakers of his inheritance.'* He dis-
plays muoh fovereignty as to the nature and de-
gree of that afflidion which he apportions to his
children. Some are afflicted far lefs feverely than
others. " But what child is there whom the fa-
" ther chafteneth not ?" As he proved his people
by one kind of food for forty years, he requires of
all Chrillians that they be denied to themfelves,
renounce carnal enjoyments, and *' mortify their
** members which are on the earth.'* He vifits
them with afflidlion for this very reafon, that he
may give them a greater relilh for the bread of
life. Often does he chaften them for their want
of appetite for this, by making their foul to
*' lothe all manner oi earthly food."
Even when God brought the fons of Jacob into
Canaan, he did not drive out all the inhabitants
of
% X>«ut. viit. 1$. y A(As xiv. %i»
TO A LIFE OF TRIAL, 37^
of the land, but left fome of them, that they
might be ** as thorns in their fides," and that
*' they might prove Ifrael ." Accordingly, when
his people were difobedient, he delivered them
into the hands of their enemies. Well might If-
rael fay, *' Many a time have they afllicled me
" from my youth •''." That fame God, who hath
given a mortal blow to corruption in the hearts
of all his redeemed, could eafily deliver them at
once from all the power of their lulls. But, in
hi'; infinite wifdom, he perceives it to be more
for their advantage, that they be tried by their
fpiritual enemies. He " flays them not, left his
*' people Ihould forget ;" but gradually " brings
*' them down ^ .*' In fatherly difpleafurc, he of-
ten chaftens the Chriftian for one fin, by leaving
him to commit another. He makes his *' own
" wickednefs to corred him, and his backflid-
" ings to reprove him ;" and thus caufes him to
** know and fee, that it is an evil thing and bit-»
" ter, that he hath forfakcn the Lord his God ■=.'*
We learn from various parts of the Old Teft:a«
ment, and efpecially from the book of Judges,
how the Lord dealt with Ifrael. When they de-
parted from him, he gave them up into the hand
of the Midianites, or of the Philiftines, or of fome
other neighbouring nation. No fooner did they
return to him, than he granted deliverance. Thus
he treats his fpiritual children. If they forfake
his
z Judg. ii. 3.; iii. 4. a, Ful. cxxix. z. b Pfal. liz. 11.
c Jer. ii. 19.
57^ THi TSRAELITES CALLED
his law, he " viiits their iniquities with rods, and
•' their fins with ftripes." But when they return
to him in the way which he hath appointed, he
** fends forth his word, and heals them, and de-
" livers them from all their deftru6lion«." *' If
" we confefs our fins, he is faithful and juft to
" forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all
" unrighteoufnefs ='."
In a word, all the afflidion with which God
vifited his people, was ordered for their good.
Thus Mofes inftruds Ifrael, when about to pafs
over Jordan : " Thou fhalt remember all the way
" which the Lord thy God led thee thefe forty
" years in the wildernefs, to humble thee, and to
" prove thee, to know what was in thine heart,
" whether thou wouldefi: keep his commandments,
" or no.'* And afterwards ; " Beware that thou
" forget not the Lord thy God, — who fed thee
" in the wildernefs with manna, which thy fa-
" thers knew not, that he might humble thee,'
*' and that he might prove thee, to do thee good
*' at thy latter end ^" Our merciful God hath
no pleafure in afflicting his people. He intends
only our profit. It is his will to humble us. He does
not need to afflid us, that he may know what is
in our hearts. But it is his pleafure to know thia
experimentally, that he may communicate this
important knowledge to us. Although he " knows
*' our thoughts afar off," we refufe to credit his
teftimony concerning our hearts. He therefore
fuppUes,
d t Jolui i, p, c Deut. viii. 2, 3. Ii. 16.,
TO A LIFE OF TRIAL. 379
fupplics US with evidence from fadts. All this is
meant to humble us. He requires that, in confc-
quence of a comparifon of our condud with his,
we (hould enljertain the mod felf-abafrng thoughtii
concerning ourfelves. By this courfe of difci-
pline he prepares us for unmixed ** good at our
" latter end.'* For he means to bring us
** through fire, and through water, unto a weal-
** thy place."
SECTION IV.
iT/jtf Ifraelites called to a Life of Faith.— Their
Murmurs and Rebellions.— The Judgments in-
fixed.— Difplay of Pardoning Mercy.— En-
trance into the Land ofPromife,
XIII. The Ifraelites were called to a life of
faith. Of this a variety of evidence might be
produced. But the truth of the aflertion will be
abundantly evident, if we merely confider the
way by which they were called to enter into the
wildemefs, the nature of their life there, the man-
ner in which they were brought out of it, and
their fecurity for the pofleffion of Canaan, and vic-
tory over its inhabitants. God commanded them
to enter into the wildemefs by pafling through
the Red Sea. Mere reafon could difcover no way
in
380 THE ISRAELITES CALLED
in which this command could be obeyed. But:
the obedience of Ifrael, in this refpedl, is afcribed
to faith. *' By faith they paffed through the Red
** Sea as by dry land : which the Egyptians af-
" faying to do, were drowned f." It is not meant,
that all who thus paffed through were true belie-
vers. The great body of that people gave many
affeding evidences of the contrary. But they had
fuch a temporary faith, as was necefTary.to make
them truft themfelves on (i path that had never
been trode by man beforer God hath fometimes
required a faith in hts power, in that perfon on
whom a miracle \v'as to be wrought, although this
faith was not faving m its nature. In like man-
ner, the Ifraelites had, in this inftance, a perfua-
lion of the power of their God, which was fuf-
ficient for the end in view ; a pcrfuafion which
the Egyptians had not, and could not have,
becaufe they had not the word of God, neither
his word of precept, nor of promife, as their
warrant. Therefore, Vv'hile .tiie-jji^elites were
faved, the Egyptians were drowned. They ajfay-
ed the fame condud, but by no means on the fame
ground.
Does not God in like manner call his fpirituaj
feed to enter into their ftate of pilgrimage ? Does
he not by a limilar courfe convert this world into
a wildernefs to us, and caufe us to enter on our
journey to that " mount which his right-hand
** hath purchafed ?" He brings all his people
through the deeps gf the fea. They are " born
♦* agaia
f Heb. si. 2^.
TO A LIF£ OF FAlTlt. '3^1
" again of water and of the Spirit.'* As in the
waters of the Red Sea the Ifraelites were ** bap-
" tifed unto Mofcs ;" fo we are " baptiled into
" Jefus ChriH, — buried with him by baptifm un-
" to death, — that wc may walk in newncfs of
** life s." We are '* buried with him in baptifm,
** wherein alfo we are rifen with him, through the
*^ faith of the operation of God ''."
The Ifraelites were called to live by faith as to
their daily fupport in the wildernefs. We ha\^
already feen, that they were miraculoufly fed.'
But this is not all that deferves our attention here.
They had their food from day to day. Except
for the fabbath, they were never to refervc any
of their manna for the next day '. They were to
depend on the fame almighty hand which fed
them to-day, to fupply them to-morrow. While
this teaches us a conilant dependence on our
■ heavenly Father even for temporal fupport, and
illuftrates the folly and ingratitude of indulging
anxious thoughts ; it efpecially exhibits the man-
ner in which we are called to lead our fpiritual
life. That grace, which we have received to-
day, will not fuffice for to-morrow. It will be as
ufelefs as the manna, that was kept over-night,
which " bred worms and flunk.'* The moment
we truft to grace already received, through our
corruption it breeds the filthy worm of Ipiritual
pride ; and this will caufe all our exercife to fend
forth " a llinking favour." Like the Ifraelites,
every day muft we look to heaven for another
ihower
% Rom. vi. 3,a(. b Col. ii. ii. i £xo(l. svi. i;.
382 THE ISRAELITES CALLED
fhower of the fpiritual manna. In this fenfe, muft
we fupplicate our Father for " our daily bread."
We muft not think to feed on Chrift in us ; but
look by faith for " that bread which cometh
" down from heaven," which ftill cometh in the
difpenfation of the word, and in the renewed com-
munications of his Spirit. Thus will our ftrength
be *' renewed day by day." The promife points
out no other c6urfe ; " As thy days, fo Ihall thy
" ftrength be."
How were the Ifraelites called to terminate
their fojourning in the wildernefs ? It was in a
way fimilar to that in which it was begun. In
leaving Egypt they had paft'ed through the Red
Sea ; and they could not enter the promifed land,
without pafling through Jordan. In both cafes,
it Was neceflary that they ftiould " believe in Je-
" HOVAH." This teaches us how the Chriftian
finiflies his courfe in this wildernefs. It is juft as
he begun it, — by faith. What is faid of the Pa-
triarchs, applies to all true Chriftians : " Thefe all
" died in faith ^." The Ifraelites might not en-
ter Jordan, till the ark of the covenant went be-
fore them. As foon as the priefts, who bare it,
•touched the waters with the foles of their feet,
Jordan was divided, and its waters ftood on heaps '.
Now, it is only by the eye of faith, fixed on Je-
fus, who is both our New-Teftament ark and
prieft, that we can fafely enter into Jordan. It is
our confolation, that he hath gone into the terrible
river of death, and palTed through before us. .This
alone
k Heb. xt. 13. 1 Jofli. iii^ xi. 13. .
TO A LIFE OV FAITH. .383
alone can make our palTagc fafc. The eye of faith
mull be direded to Jefus, as " the living One,
" who was made dead '"," that he might deliver
us both from the power, and from the fear of
death. Through his death, indeed, we have the
moft ample ground of aflTurance that death can do
us no injury. He hath not only gone througl^
Jordan before us, but he palTcs through it with
every true Ifraelite. God expreflcs his promiffe
of deliverance to his fpiritual Ifrael, by an evi-
dent allufion to the great temporal deliverances
wrought for his ancient people, at the Red Sea,
and at Jordan : " When tliou palTeft through the
" waters, I will be with thee ; and through the
" rivers, they fhall not overflow thee"." Al-
though death fliould feem to be armed with many-
terrors, we have no reafon to be afraid. It was
the will of God, that at the very time that his
I people had to pafs through Jordan, it fhould over-
flow all its banks °. But when it made the moil
threatening appearance, it was juft as eafy for \i\m
to dry up its waters, as if they had been confined
in their ordinary channel. This very circum-
' llance affords ground for a mofl: comfortable pro-
mife : " Surely in the floods of great waters they
*' fliall not come nigh unto him i'." It was be-
caufe the Lord had taken to himfelf the character
of a Redeemer, that he did not fuflfer Ifrael to
pcrifli in the Red Sea, or by the fwellings of Jor-
dan : and his Church has the moft: ample fecu-
rity,
m Rev. i. f 8, n Ifa. xliii. i. © Jolh. iii. 15.
p ?fal. xxxil, C.
384 THE ISRAELITES CALLED, S>CC.
rity, from his ftill fuftaining the fame charadter,
only in a more exalted fenfe. Does he fay to her,
** When thou pafleft through the waters I will be
" with thee," what is the reafon ? " For I am the
** Lord thy God, the Holy One of Ifrael thy Sa-
" Viour." He calls to remembrance the former
difplays of his power and love, as an argument
for renewed difplays of the fame kind ; *' I gave
" Egypt for thy ranfom, Ethiopia and Seba for
" thee. Since thou waft precious in my light,
*" thou haft been honourable, and I have loved
" thee : therefore ill I give men for thee, and
" people for thy life '3."
What was the fecurity given to the Ifraelites
for the poflefiion of Canaan ? It was the promife
of their God. How were they to conquer a peo-
ple more numerous and ftronger than themfelves,
and defended by '' cities walled to heaven ?" To
faith alone was victory exhibited. The deftruc-
tion of Jericho, upon the entrance of Ifrael into
the promifed land, was merely a prelude of the
means by which they were to obtain vidory. " By
*' faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they
*' were compafled about feven days ." Hence we
learn, how we are to obtain pofTeflion of the heaven-
ly Canaan, and to be vidtorious over all our en^
mies. It is only by faith : and thus we ihall be
** more than conquerors." — But on this part of
the fubjed we mean to offer a few thoughts after-
wards.
XIV. la
q Ifa. xUii. z.— 5. r HeU xi. 3©*
MtlRMURINGS AND REBELLIONS, &.C. 385
XIV. In the hiftory of the Ifriiclites, we have a
mofl: affedling account of their multiplied 7«i/r-
viiirings and rebellions^ and a mofl: flrikiug difijlay
of divine longfiifferbig. They Kad feen all the
wonderful works of God in Egypt. Yet " they
''provoked him at the fea, at the Red Sea ^"
They contemptuouily faid to his fervnnt Mofes ;
" Bccuufc there were no graves in Egypt, haft
** thoM taken us away to die in the wildernefs '."
They had fcarcely pafled through the Red Sea,
ere they murmured for want of bread, faying to
Mofes and Aaron, " WouM to God we had died
" by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt,
** when we fat by the flefli-pots, and did eat bread
'* to the full : for ye have broug'iit us forth unto
" this wildernefs, to kill this ^vhole aflembly with
" hunger '." So carnal were the hearts of this
people, that they reckoned the lot of heathens
preferable to theirs. In the madnefs of their re-
bellion, they feem willing to die by the imme--
diate ftroke of divine vengeance, if they might
die with a full belly. God gave them ** bread
" from heaven •,*' but fo far were they from be-
ing fatisfied, that their " foul ,lothed that light
*' bread '." They wifhed for water ; and when
they found it, they murmured becaufe it was bit-
ter ". They afterwards murmured for flelli \ They
murmured againft Mofes and Aaron, becaufe of
the peculiar honour God had conferred on them ".
God gave the moft fignal evidence of his indig-
nation, by making the earth to open and fwal-
VoL. I. B b low
s.Pfal. cvi. 7. t Esod. xiv, 11. u Ezod. xvi. 3. v Num. sxi. 5.
w Exod, XV. 24. s Num. xi. 4. > Num. xvi. i.— 3.
3^6 MURMURINGS AND REBELLIONS
low up Korah, Dathan, and their Compaq^ ^ But
the people, inftead of being humbled on account
of their aggravated guilt, converted this very
difpenfation into a new argument for rebellion.
*' On the morrow, all the congregation of the
** children of Ifrael murmured againft Mofes and
" againil Aaron, faying. Ye have killed the peo-
" pie of the Lord ^" — " The foul of the people
" was much difcouraged becaufe of the way."
Therefore " they fpake againft God, and againft
" Mofes ''." They murmured at the report of
the fpies ^^ " Yea, they defpifed the pleafant
" land ^\" They generally direded their mur-
muring immedicitely againft the fervants of God :
but it was really aimed againft himfelf, and he
always viewed it in this light. " I have heard,"
he fays, " the murmurings of the children of Ifrael,
*' which they murmur againft me '^'. Sometimes
they fought no cloak to their guilt. " They made a
*'■ calf in Horeh," in that very place where they
had feen the glory of the Lord, and heard his
voice out of the midft of the fire. " They chan-
" ged their glory into the fanilitude of an ox that
** eatetli grafs '." They were afterwards " joined
" to Baal-peor" in his abominable worftiip, and
*' did eat the facrifices of the dead ?." The
whole time of their fojourning in the wilder-
nefs is reprefented as one continued provocation,
" Forty years long," faith God, " was I grieved
" with
2 Num. xvi. 31. — 33. a Vci'. 41. b Num. xxi. 4, 5.
c Num. xiv. 2. — 4. d Pfdl. cvi. 34, 25. e Exod. xvi. 7, 8. ;
Num. xiv. 27. f Pfal. cvi. iq, ao. g Num. xxv. 3. ; Pfal. cvi, 2^.
OF THE ISRAELITES. 387
•• with this generation." This obdurate and re-
bellious people, not only during their continu-
ance in the vvildernefs, but during the T\'hole pe-
riod of their peculiar difpenfation, were a perpe-
tual monument of divine long fujft ring. It was
only bccaufc He, with whom they had to do, was
" God and not man," that they were not totally
deftroyed. Yet fo wonderful was their obduracy,
that on one occafion they murmured at this very
longfulTcring, and exprciled their regret that they
had not perilhed with others by the flroke of di-
vine judgment. '' AVould God," do they fay,
*' that we had died when our brethren died before
** the Lord '."
When you read the hlflory of this people, are
you filled with horror at their aggravated guilt ?
Do you accufe them as the mod ungrateful, ob-
durate, and rebellious people who ever exifled ?
Are you amazed at fuch a continued exercife of
longfuifering towards them ? You flatter your-
fclves, perhaps, that had you icQw the miracles
which they faw, had you received fuch fignal de-
liverances as were wrought for them, you would
not thus have '* requited the Lord as a foolidi and
" unwife people." But let the man, who thinks
in this manner, review his paft condud ; let him
look into his own heart. The people of liVael
were " our types." The fms that they commit-
ted, were figures of thofe with which we are
chargeable ^. We are that Ifrael who ** tempt
" and prove" God, even while we '* fee his works."
B b 2 Wc
i Nuni, XX. 3. k ViJ. Cl.iudc, Ocvvrci ryllhames, Toie. ii. p. 153, &c.
388 MURMURINGS AND REBELLIONS
We are the ungrateful and rebellious people, wli3
grieve his Spirit. I fpeak not of thofe who are
only nominal Chrillians, but of the true Ifrael of
God. Have not ive " provoked him at the fea,
*' at the Red Sea ?" Even at the very time that
he was about to bring us out of Egypt, and to de-
liver us from the dominion of our fpiritual foes,
have we not " rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spi-
" rit," and to the utmoft of our ability reliited
his operations ? How often have we " provoked
" him in the wildernefs," even after fe great a
falvation ? With refpecl to temporal enjoyments,
how often have we " limited the Holy One," and
virtually faid, " Can God prepare a table in the
" wildernefs ?" When feeking our fpiritual bread,
have we not murmured at the difficulties in our
Avay ; or rebelled againll the fovereign will of
God, becaufe this bread v/as not given in the
manner or meafure that we wiflied or expedled ?
Has not the food of our fouls been frequently
lothed by us as *' light bread ?" Carnal enjoy-
ments, alas I have fcemcd to'polTefs charms un-
known to a fpiritual life. Our fouls have envied
the profperity of the wicked. We have virtually
faid, " It is vain to ferve God, and what profit is
*' it that we have kept his ordinance L'"' How
often have v/e complained becaufe the waters of
Marah were bitter ; afferting, perhaps, that no
child of God was ever afflided as we have been I
Our challifements have feemed heavier than our
iniquities deferved. How often do Chriflians
murmur
1 Mai. iii, 14
OF THE ISRAELirrS. 389
murmur againil the icrvants of God, even when
engaged in the faithful difeharge of the trull com-
mitted to them ? How often by defpifing them,
have we " defpiled Ilim that fent" them ? Thciu
lionelly in delivering God's meiiage has perhaps
been afcribed to ill humour ; or the faithful ex-
ercifc of difcipline, to partiality.
When coniidering the various haidihips and
trials in our way to the promifed rell, the many
windings in our courfe, hath not our fpuJ, on ma-
ny occalions, been " much difcouraged ?" We
have been in danger of entirely difljelieving the
promife, and of concluding that God meant to
leave us to perifli in the wildernefs. Becauie of
our feverc warfare with our fpiritual enemies, we
have been ready to fay ; " Wc are lict able to go
" up againft this people, for they arc ftronger than
<< y^,^. ni/» yJq have difcrcdited the report, not of
men like ourfelves, but of God " who cannot lie,"
concerning the promifed land.
How often have wc been chargeable with fpi-
ritual idolatry, in making a god of this world.?
By inordinate love to this or that worldly enjoy-
ment, wc h.tvc " changed our glory into the fimi-
" litude of an ox." Did the Ifraelites commit
whoredom with the daughters of Moab ? We al-
fo have merited the charadcr of " adulterers and
" adulterelTes," by fecking " the friendlhip of this
** world ;" and by liolJiiig " fellowfliip with the
** unfruitful works of dar^nefs," indead of " re-
" proving" them ". What is fucli condudl in
B b 3 Chriftians,
xa Num. xiii. 31. n James iv. 4.
390 JUDGMEflTS INFLICTED
Chrillians, but to the iitmoft of their power to re-
nounce Jefus their only Lord and leader ; and in
efFe6t to fay with the rebellious Ifraelites ; " Let us
" make a captain, and let us return into Egypt <^ ?'*
Let us then turn all that indignation, which
we feel in reading the hiftory of Ifrael, againlr
ourfelves. Let us acknowledge, with deep abafe-
ment of foul, that we are the rebellious people
who have " tempted and proved" God in the de-
fert. Let us admire that unfpeakable patience,
which from day to day is exercifed towards us ;
and confefs that " it is of the Lord's mercies
** that we are not confumed, and becaufe his
** companions fail not." Let us earneftly pray,
that we may be enabled more conllantly and obe-
diently to hear his voice, and be preferved from
" hardening our hearts, as in the provocation."
XV. The Ifraelites were feverely puniflied for
their iniquities, by \nviou?. Jud£-?ne?its inflicted im-
mediately by the hand of God. Several of thefe
are enumerated by the apollle Paul, writing to the
Corinthians. Speaking of that obdurate people, he
fays ; ** But with many of them God was not well
" pleafed ; for they were overthrown in the wil-
" dernefs. Now thefe things were our examples,
" to the intent we fhould not luft after evil things,
" as they alfo lulled. Neither be ye idolaters,
** as were feme of them ; as it is written. The
" people fat down to eat and drink, and rofe up
" to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as
** fome
o Num. xiv. 4.
ON THE ISRAELITES. 39X
*' ionic of them committed, and fell in one day
** three and twenty thoufand. Neither let us
" tempt Chrift, as fome of them alfo tempted,
** and were deftroyed of ferpents. Neither mur-
" mur ye, as fome of them alfo murmured, and
" were dellroyed of the deftroyer. Now all thefe
" things happened unto them for enfomples, and
" they are written for our admonition, upon whom
" the ends of the world are come i."
We may perceive a peculiar propriety in this
enumeration. For the church of Corinth was at
this time in a very corrupt (late. Many of her
members were chargeable with iniquities of the
fame kind with thofc committed in the wilder-
nefs, or that bore a ftnking fimilarity to them ;
and the whole church was corrupted by the to-
leration of this ** old leaven." They " lulled af-
" ter evil things," by fliewing fuch a regard to
their bellies, as to eat in the temple of idoh.
Thus alfo were they contaminated with idolatry.
For they ** partook of the cup of devils." As
prollitution was one of the rites by which the
heathens ferved their idols in their very temples,
it is not improbable that fome of the Chrillians
had been enticed in the fame manner as the If-
raelites were by the daughters of Moab. We are
affiired, at any rate, that there was " tiirnication
" among them, and fuch fornication as was not
** fo much as named among the heatheii '^."
" Envying, ftrife, and divifions" prevailed, as if
Chrift himfelf had been divided/. One adhered
B b4 to
P I Cor. X. 5 — II. q Chap. t. i. t Chap. i. 10—13. ; iii. 2 — S-
39^ JUDGMENTS INFLICTED
to Paul, another to Apollos, a third to Cephas,
Thus, their condu6l bore a remarkable resem-
blance to that of the Ifraelites, when they mur-
mured againft the fervants of Jehovah, when
they " envied Mofes in the camp, and Aaron the
*' faint of God '." By thefe iniquities they
" tempted Chrii!:," as the Ifraelites had done in
the wildernefs.
The apoftle evidently exhibits the Ifraelites
both in their Jin and in their pimijhmenty as en-
famples, figures or types to the Corinthians, and
in them to all the profelTors of Chriftianity. He
applies his dodirine from example, by warning
the Corinthians againft complying with tempta-
tion, againfl falling into fin. " Wherefore, let
*' him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left
" he alfo fall. — Wherefore, my beloved, flee from
" idolatry ^^ Afterwards, he applies his doc-
trine in regard to punifliment, with a fpecial re-
fpedt to the profanation of the Lord's fupper. " For
" this caufe," he fays, " many are weak and fickly
" among you, and many fleep "." It is fuppofed
that at this time an epidemical diforder prevailed
at Corinth, which had cut off many of the members
of the church ; and that Paul, by the Spirit of in-
fpiration, afcribes this vifitation to the Lord's dif-
pleafure becaufe of their corruptions. There is no
reafon to doubt, that many of the Ifraelites who
w^ere in a gracious ftate, joined in murmuring in
the wildernefs, and fell by the temporal ftroke of
fatherly indignation. The language of the apof-
tle
$ Pfal. cvi. i5. t I Cor. x. xi. 14. « Chap, xi: 30,
ON THE ISRAELITES. 393
tie clearly implies that this was the cafe at Co-
rinth. He fpeaks even of real believers. This
appears, not only from the term ufed to exprefs
their death, as it is common in Scripture to de-
fcribe the death of believers as merely a feep ;
but alfo from w hat is added with refped to this
temporal judgment ; " When we are judged, we
" are chaftened of the Lord, that we Ihould not
" be condemned with the world \" Although
thus feverely /W^^^i', yet it was in a fiitherly way,
as a mean of preferving from eternal condemna-
tion.
It is generally confidered as one circumllance
in which the new difpenfation difiers from the
old, that it is marked with far lefs feverity. Not
only '* did every traufgrelllon," which came un-
der the cognifance of men, according to the law
of Mofes, " receive a juft recompence of reward ;"
but innumerable crimes were puniflied imme-
diately by the vengeance of God. Although, how-
ever, the tokens of divine vengeance, are neither fo
common, nor in general fo ftriking, we are by no
' means to fuppofe, that the Supreme Lawgiver
hath bound himfelf up from giving peculiar dif-
plays of his difpleafure againft an offending
church, or offending church-members, even in a
temporal refped. The warnings of the Spirit,*
direded to the Corinthians, and the account
which the apollle gives of the effeds of fatherly
indignation, plainly prove the contrary. Our
Lord threatens fome of the feven churchc - of Afia
with temporal calamities ; and we cannot ima-r
ging
V I Cor. zi. 3»
394 JUDGMENTS INFLICTID
gine that he would have fignalized his vengeance
in fo awful a manner, in the very dawn of Chrif-
tianity, by the immediate deftrudion of Ananias
and Sapphira ; had he not meant to teach us,
that " the provocations of fons and of daughters'*
are not lefs ofFenfive to his infinite holinefs now,
than they were under *' the miniflration of con-
" demnation ;" and that although the fword of
juftice more feldom deftroys, it never fleeps in its
fcabbard. Had we fuch an interpreter as Paul,
we might be alTured, in particular cafes, that the
affli6tion and death of church-members, the de-
vaftation which difeafe m.akes in churches and
families, were the tokens of divine difpleafure for
this or for that tranfgreilion. We have at leaft
one general principle by which we may form a
judgment, however cautious we ought to be as to
the particular application. Even under the New
Teftament, in confequence of the fatherly indig-
nation of God, " many have been weak and
" lickly, and many have flept." And can any
good reafon be given, why, under the fame dif-
penfation, notwithftanding the difference as to
time, fimilar tranfgrelTions may not procure fimi-
lar judgments ?
The infpired VvTiter of the epiflle to the He-
brews, having recalled to their remembrance the
awful difplays of vengeance made under the Mo-
faic difpenfation, and pointed out from a great
variety of arguments the nccellity of a fledfalT
adherence to Chriil; and to thofe ordinances he
had inflituted J enforces his exhortation by this
impreflive
ON THE ISRAELITES. 395
impreflive confideration, *' For oar God is a con-
*' fuming fire ''." This language has undoubted-
ly a principal refpedl to the unfpeakably " forer
" punifhment" of them who defpife the gofpel,
as compared with that of thofe who " defpifed
" Mofes law." But there is every reafon to be-
lieve, that the infpired writer had his eye alfo
direded to thofe immediate tokens of vengeance,
which were inflicled under the law, when God's
fury broke forth like fire ; efpecially when w^e
compare this with the paflages formerly quoted.
So much was God difpleafed with that ftiff-
necked generation which left Egypt, as to fwear
that none of them, except two perfons who had
the diftinguifhing charader of having " followed
** the Lord fully," fhould enter into his promifed
reft. Therefore he cut them all off in the wil-
dernefs, fave Caleb and Jofhua. They, who had
impioufly faid, " Would God we had died in
" this wildernefs %" were, in righteous judgment,
taken at their word. Their punifhment, while
meant to warn us of the danger of temporal in-
dignation, is at the fame time exhibited as an ex-
ample of an exclullon unfpeakably more to be
dreaded, an cxclufion from the heavenly Canaan :
*' Let us therefore fear, left a promife being left
" us of entering into his reft, any of you fliould
** feem to come fhort of it >." Was it becaufe
of unbelief that they could not enter''? This
affords a powerful argument againft the fame (m
in
w Ilcb. xii. io. -T yurab. xlv. ». J Heb. iv. i.
T Hrb. iii. 19.
39^ DISPLAY OF PARDONING MERCY
in thofe who enjoy the gofpel, efpecially as their
guilt mufl be unfpeakably aggravated above that
of the Ifraelites, whofe privileges were far infe-
rior. Did God fwear that they fliould not enter
Canaan ? How certain, then, is the exclufion of
all the finally unbelieving from that " reft which
" remaineth for the people of God 1" Their de-
ftrudiion is ratified with the fame folemnity as the
falvation of his people. That unchangeable faith-
fulnefs which fecures the one, in like manner fe-
cures the other. He, who hath " fworn by his
" holinefs, that he will not lie unto David," that
he. will " eftablifh his feed for ever," hath alfo
fworn, with refped to all who continue in unbe-
lief, that " they fhall not enter into his reft."
XVI. The Ifraelites were a people whom God
diftinguifhed by his pardoning mercy. When we
confider the unrelenting rigour of the law of Mo-
fes, and the fuperadded puniftiments inflided im-
mediately by God, it may feem at firft view, that
not one ray of mercy illumined this dark difpen-
fation. But if we take a narrow view of the hiftory
of Ifrael, it will appear in the cleareft light, that
*' mercy rejoiced over judgment." Such, as we
have already feen, was the obduracy, and fo many
were the murmurings and rebellions of that peo-
ple, that they were perpetual monuments of divine
longfuffering. But this is not all. They were
not merely monuments of fignal longfuffering.
God made them partakers of his pardoning mercy
in a twofold refpedt. To many of them he com-
municated
TOWARDS THE ISRAELITES. 397
municated pardon as a fpecial and faving benefit.
He alfo pardoned Ifrael as a people.
God judged it necefTary for the vindication of
his honour, that all who had in any way joined in
rebellion, Ihould die in the wildernefs. From this
temporal judgment he did not fave his own be-
loved children. Miriam the prophctefs, and Aaron
*' the faint of God," becaufe they had aifociated
with others in rebellion, mult be partners in their
fate ^" Even Mofes, " tlie man of God," was
permitted to fee the prom i fed land only at a di-
ftance, becaufe he alfo had tranfgrefled ^. Thus,
although he *' was a God that forgave them," by
delivering them from the obligation to eternal
punilbment, which all fin merits ; yet '* he took
** vengeance on their inventions '." Dear as many
of their perfons were to him, he teftified his dif-
pleafure at their iins, by including them in the
common calamity of thofc who " were overthrown
" in the wildernefs."
The Ifraelites were alfo a pardoned people. It
is not meant, that they were all, as individuals,
juftificd in the fight of God ; or that they were
individually preferved from temporal judgments.
But, in their collective capacity, they were deli-
vered from that imniediate and total deflrucftion
which their iniquities deferved. This God threat-
ened at different times. When they hud made
and worfliipped the golden calf, the Lord faid to
Mofes ; *' I have feen this people, and behold, it
^^ is a ftiff-necked people. Now therefore let me
" alone,
f Numb. sx. I. 24. b Dcut. iii. i5. c Ffal. scix. S.
7^S DISPLAY OF PARDONING MERCY
" alone, that my wrath may wax hot againft
" them, and that I may confume them : and I
" will make of thee a great nation'^." When
they murmm'ed at the report of the fpies, and
propofed to make them a captain, that they might
return into Egypt, the Lord faid to Mofes , " I
" will fmite them with the peftilence, and difin-
** herit them, and will make of thee a greater na-
" tion, and mightier than they «." Mofes entreat-
ed that God would not kill all that people as one
man ; and that he would " pardon their iniquity,
*' according to the greatnefs of his mercy." His
prayer was accepted, and Jehovah anfwered, " I
*' have pardoned according to thy word '." God
confented to pardon Ifrael accordiiig to the word
of Mofes, that is, according to the meaning of his
prayer. He engaged that he would not deftroy
that people " as one man," or totally cut them off
from being a nation ; while he at the fame time
fware, that the generation which had come out
of Egypt Ihould perifh in the wildernefs J-. It is
in this fenfe that the church celebrates his par-
doning mercy, after enumerating the moil llriking
jnftances of provocation in the wildernefs : *' But
" he, being full of compailion, forgave their ini-
*' quity, and dellroyed them not ; yea, many a
" time turned he his anger away, and did not ftir
" up all his wrath ^" He is extolled as " full of
" companion, " becaufe flrid juftice demanded
the total excifion of a people fo obllinately and
univerfally
d Exod. xxxii. 9, 10. e Numb. xiv. xz. f Vcr. 15. — 2C.
g Ver. 21.-24. t I'i'al. ksviii. 38.
TOWARDS THE ISRAELITES, 399
univerfally rebellious ; who were neither fubdued
by the moft tremendous judgments, nor allured by
tlie grcateft mercies.
The pardoning mercy of God is reprefented as
continually exercifcd towards Ifracl, notwith-
ftanding their continued provocations. Thus
Mofes prays, " Pardon the iniquity of this pco-
" pie, — as thou hall forgiven this people from
'' Egypt, even until now '." For the fame rca-
fon Nehemiah, when confefling the lins of Ifrael,
thus addrcfTes Jehovah ; ** But thou art a God
" of pardons, gracious and merciful, flow to an-
** ger, and of great kindneis, and forfookeft them
" not^"
The pardoning mercy of God is defcribed as
extending to all their provocations : *' Thou haft
** forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou haft
*' covered all their fin "\V Even Balaam was con-
vinced of this. Hence, under the influence of the
Spirit of infpiration, he breaks out in that ftri-
king language ; ** He hath not beheld iniquity in
" Jacob, neither hath he feen perverfenefs in If-
" rael "." This, as applicable to ancient Ifrael,
■ is not to be undcrftood abfolutely, but in relation
to the end which Balaam and Balak had in view.
It was the earneft defire of both to have Ifrael
curfed. But God had not fo " beheld iniquity'*
in his people, as to bring perdition on them as a
nation. The language has no refped to their
own merits but iignifies, that he hid his face
from
i Numb. xiv. 19. k Nch. is, 17. m Pfal. \xxxr. z.
n Nuqib. xxiii. 11.
400 DISPLAY OF PARDONING MERCY
trom their fin. Many a time might he have ** be-
" held iniquity ;" but he " looked not to the ftub-
" bornnefs of this people, nor to their wickednefs,
** nor to their fin «."
The pardon of this people was fo.fecured to
them, that they could not by any means be de-
prived of it. Balaam tried facrifice and divina-
tion againft them, but in vain. After all his at-
tempts, he finds himfelf under the neceffity of ut-
tering this reluctant confelfion ; *' Surely, there
*' is no inchantment againft Jacob, neither is there
" any divination againft Ifrael : according to this
" time it fliall be faid of Jacob, and of Ifrael,
" What hath God wrought p?"
The pardon of Ifrael as a people ftill refpecled
God's covenant. He " looked not at their ini-
*' quity," becaufe he " remembered his fervants,
" Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob i." He manifefted
himfelf to be " a merciful God," who did not
" forfake them, neither deftroy" them ; becaufe
he did '* not forget the covenant of their fathers,
" which he fware unto them '."
The pardon of Ifrael ftill related to a Mediator.
The forgivenefs of all their tranfgreflions as indi-
viduals, where the law had prefcribed an atone-
ment, could be cxpeded only through the blood
of thofe facrifices which God had inftituted. On
the great day of atonement, the guilt of the
■whole congregation of Ifrael was to be expiated
by blood % Thus, when the church extols the
mercy
o Deut. ix. 27. p Numb, xxiii. 23. q Deut. ix. 37.
r Deut. iv. 31. s Lev. xvi. 1(5,-34.
TOWARDS THE ISRAELITES. 4CI
mercy of God in the forgivenefs of her multiplieJ
provocations in tlic wildernefs, flie exprelTcs her-
felf in language that bears a manifeft alhilion to
that mercy-feat which interpofed between Ifrael
and the condemning law ; '* lie being full of
*' compaflion, mercifully covered their iniquity ."
But God permitted the imperfection of tlie legal
difpenfation to ap^jear in this, that there were va-
rious tranfgreflions for which it provided no ex-
piation. In the cafe of rebellion againll God,
atonement was made in another way. Mofes ap-
pears as an interceilbr. He goes immediately in-^
to the divine prefence. When the Ifraeliles had
worfliipped the golden calf, he faid to them ;
" Ye have fmned a great lin : and now I will go
" up unto the Lord : peradventure I ihall make an
" atonement for you'." God had given a iignal
proof of his approbation of the condudl of Mofes,
in propofmg to make of him a great nation in-
llead of Ifrael. This good man makes no othcp
ufe of his own favourable acceptance with God,
than to employ it as a plea for the pardon of that
guilty people. *' If now I have found grace in
" thy fight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee,
" go amonglt us, (for it is a ftifF-necked people),
" and pardon our iniquity and our fin, and take
** us for thine inheritance \" He aded the fume
part, when they rebelled on occafion of the report
of the fpies. In both thefe inftances his interccf-
fion was accepted ". When the Ifraelites rebel-
VoL. L C c led
t Plal. Ix.vviii. 3S. u ExoJ. xxxli. 30. v Exotl. xxxiv. 9.
w Exo>i xxxiii. 17. ; Numb. xiv. 20.
402 DISPLAY OF PARDONING MERCY
led on account of the deftriidlion of Korah and
his company ; the plague, which immediately
broke forth among them, was Hayed only in con-
fequence of the high-prieft's making atonement
by incenfe ^.
In a word, God continued to favour his people
with his gracious prefence, as a token of forgive-
nefs. The want of this was the evil with which
he threatened them, when they " changed their
" glory into the limilitude of an ox," He had
formerly promifed that *his Angel fhould go witb
them, that they fhould enjoy his own prefence, in
being directed and protected by " the Angel of
*' liis prefence." Now he only fpeaks offending
his Angel before them. It would feem that Mo-
fes underftood this with refpedl to a created an-
gel. At any rate, he knew that he could not con-
du6l the people without the divine prefence. As
a pledge of pardon, God anfwered his fupplica-
tion in thefe words : " My prefence Ihall go with
*' with thee." When Mofes received this gra-
cious promife, he thus exprefled his fenfe of its
inellimable value ; *Mf thy prefence go not with
*' us, carry us not up hence. For wherein fhall
" it be known here, that I and thy people have
" found grace in thy light ? Is it not in that thou
" goeit with us y ?" Balaam alfo appeals to the
divine prefence in the midft of Ifrael, as the great
evidence of their iniquity being pardoned. ** He
** hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath
" he feen perverfenefs in Ifrael : the Lord his
« God
X Numb. xvi. 48. y Exod. xxxii. 34. ; xxxii^. 14.-- 16.
TOWARDS THE ISRAELITES. 4O3 ,
« God is ivith him, and the flioiit of a king is
" among them ^"
Ifrael in the enjoyment of pardon, prefigured
the ipiritual children of God. To them " the
" longfulVeriiig of God is falvation." They are
the blelVed perfons " whofe iniquity is forgiven,
.* -aid whofe fin is covered." But although a
pardoned people, they are ftiU chargeable with
provocation. Their gracious God, however, " mul-
« tiplies to pardon -r If we view the guilt we
have been daily contraAing in relation to God as
a Father, fince we were interefted in the blelTing
of juftification, we will find abundant reaion to
adopt the prayer of Mofes concerning ancient 11-
rael •, " Pardon,— as thou haft forgiven from i--
" gypt, even until now."
How unfpeakable is our privilege, in having
all our iniquities blotted out ! When we look to
ourfelves, we can fcarcely perceive any thing but
guilt, aggravated guilt. Our fins appear far more
heinous, and more highly aggravated, than the
fins of thofe who never had any intereft m par-
. doning mercy. But when we turn our eye to the
free and gracious promifes, we fee that our God
^vill not caft us off on account of our iniquities.
We even hear him faying, - Thou art all fair,
« my love ; there is no fpot in thee." Did he
view us as in ourfelves, he would every day fee
.uilt fuflicient to caufe our eternal condemnation.
But as he ftiU views us as one in law with his
true Jacob, with his fervant Ifrael in whom he is
C c 2 glorified.
z Numb, xxiii. %U * ^''; ^'^- >
404 DISPLAY OF PARDONING MERCY
glorified, and as covered with the fpotlefs gar-
ment of his righteoufnefs ; he fees " no iniquity
" nor perverfenefs" in us. We alfo difcern that
this pardon is irreverfible ; that whatever at-
tempts Satan or our own corruptions make againft
us, they are all in vain. For " God is for us,"
and " who can be againft us ? It is God that juf-
" tifieth, and who is he that condemneth ?" He
hath pronounced a gracious fentence of acquittal
in our favour ; and " according to this time it
*' ihall be faid, What hath God wrought ?" Even
our enemies fhall be forced to fay, with Balaam ;
*' He hath blcffed, and I cannot reverfe it^."
He may, and he often does, vifit the iniquities
*' of his people with rods, and their fins with
*' fi;ripes." Sometimes he gives them fignal
marks of fatherly anger, *' taking vengeance on
" their inventions." But he never takes his love
from them.
Our pardon is fecurcd by the everlafting cove-
nant ; and reprefented as its great and compre-
henfive blefllng. " This is the covenant that I
" will make with the houfe of Ifrael and of Judah
** in thofe days, faith the Lord ; I will be mer-
*' ciful to their unrighteoufnefles, their fins and
" their iniquities will I remember no more^"
It was only in the way of Mofes making an a-
tonement for the Ifraelites, that God forgave
them. In like manner, pardoning mercy is ex-
tended to us only through the Mediator. " In
" him we have redemption through his blood,
" even
b Numb, xxiii. 29. c Ileb. viii. ic. — u. '
TOWARDS THE ISRAELITES. 405
*' even the forgivencfs of fins ''." God, having
accepted Mofes, heard him in his intercellion for
Ifrael. Now, \vc are accepted only " in the be-
" loved." Through the incenfc of the merit of
our glorious High-pricft, \vc are delivered from
that dcllruclion to which we have been fubje(ftcd
by fin. Well may we fay, " Look not upon us,
" for we are black :" but " fee O God, our
" fliield, and look on the face of thine anoint-
" ed."
Nor does the blefling of pardon come alone.
Jt has many peculiar blellings in its train. Par-
ticularly, it is our privilege to enjoy the prefence
of our reconciled God. " Being juftified, — w'e
'* have acccfs by faith into this grace wherein
** we Hand, and. rejoice in hope of the glory of
" God^"
XVII. God at length brought his ancient Ifrael
into the lafid which he had promifed to give them
ibr a pofleflion. This was a type of that " better
" country," which is the object of dcfire to all
the people of God. It is called God's reft. It
was that place which he had provided for reft to
the Ifraclites, after their tedious fojourning in the
wildernefs. How fweet will the heavenly reft be
to all the true Ifrael, after their many toils and
troubles, their fears and fightings, their lins and
forrows in this .ftate of imperfection I There
ftiall they reft from all the evils of life ; from all
perfonal and family afili^lions, from all the power
C 03 of
d Eph. i. 7. e Rom, v. i, ?.
406 THE ISRAJELITES BROUGHT
of temptation, from the raging of their corrup-
tions, from the hatred of the world, from all
fears of death and of the curfe. " The ranfomed
*' of the Lord fliall — come to Zion with fongs,
" and with everlafting joy upon their heads :
" they fliall obtain joy and gladnefs, and forrow
" and fighing fliall flee away '."
We have fcen that the ancient Ifraelites had to
enter on their pilgrimage in the w^ildernefs by
paffing through the Red Sea, and to finifh it by
palling through Jordan. When God brings his
fpiritual children through the Red Sea, he makes
them to " pafs from death to life ;" and by means
of Jordan, he completely delivers them from " the
" body of death," and caules them to *' enter
*' into life."
It was the fame people colledively, whom God
had brought out of Egypt, who entered into Ca-
naan. But they were entirely changed as indi-
viduals, except in the cafe of two perfons ; and
thefe were permitted to enter Canaan, becaufe
they were *' men of another fpirit ?." This is
verified in the experience of all who attain God's
reft. They are entirely changed from what they
were in their flate of bondage. They are " riew
" creatures." " Old things are palTed away, and
" behold all things are become new. They are
" renewed in the fpirit of their minds." In
their natural flate, Satan wrought in them as
*' the children of difobedience." But as born
^gain, they are " men of another fpirit." " The
" law
f Ifa. xxjiv. lo. g Numb. xiv. 24.
INTO THE PROMISED LAND. 407
" law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus hath
*' made them free from the law of fin and
" death ■/'
The honour of conducing Ifrael into the pro-
mifcd land was referved for Jofbua. RoiVuct's re-
flexions on this fubjecl are fo beautiful, that I
cannot do juftice to them, without giving them
in his own words. " Mofes," he Hiys, " who
" does, by fo many wonders, only conduct the
** children of God into the neighbourhood of their
*' land, is himfelf a proof to us, that bis law made
" wo//;//7^^<fr/<f(^, and that without being able to
" give the accompli (hment of the promifes, it
" makes us evihrace them afar off, or conducts us
*' at moft, as it were, to the entrance of our inhe-
" ritance. It is a Jofhua, it is a Jefus, for this was,
" the true name of Jofliua, who by that name, and
" by his office, rcprefented the Saviour of the
** world ; it is that man, fo far inferior to Mofes
" in every thing, and only fuperior to him by the
*' name he bears ; it is he, I fay, who is to bring
** the people of God into the holy land '." It is
. worthy of obfervation, indeed, that the death of
. Mofes, an event which at firft view might fecm an
irreparable lofs to the Ifraelites, is mentioned as
greatly conducive to their intereft. The Spirit of
Go ' fpeaks as if the life of this illullrious perfon
had been a bar to their entrance into the land
of promifc. *' After the death of Mofes, — the
" Lord fpake unto Jofhua the fon of Nun, Mofes
** minifter, faying, Mofes my fervant is dead ;
C c 4 " now
h Rom, viii, a. i Univcrfal Hiltory, vol. i. part ii. fedl. 3.
408 THE ISRAELITES BROUGHT
*.* now therefore arife, go over this Jordan, thou
*.^ and all this people, unto the land which I do
" give to them, even unto the children of Ifrael '^/'
" The law came by Mofes, grace arid truth," in
the completion of the promife of the earthly Ca-
naan, could come only by the typical Jefus. As
it was in the type, fo is it in the antitype. We
•are " dead to the law, that we may live unto
^' God 1." It is only when this " hulband is
*' dead," that we arp ** loofed from his law, and
'^^ can be married to another '-\" Our Jofhua al-
fo, that he may lead the true Ifrael into the land
of promife, mull be " Mofe§' minifter." He, who
is fo much greater than Mofes, is prepared for his
mediatory greatnefs, by becoming fubjed to him.
For he was " made under the law, that he might
•*' redeem them who were under the law\" It
was neceffary that he lliould " take upon him the
'' form of a fervant," ere he could appear as the
Saviour of his Church.
In vain truly does any one feek reft under Mo-
fes. His law can afford no reft for the foul. Je-
fus alone can fay to linners ; " Come unto me, all
" ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will
" give you reft"." He it is who gives complete
reft to his people. He receives their departing
fpirits °, and gives them entrance into his heaven-
ly reft. He will at length come to " receive us
*' to himfelf," that where he is, " we may be al-
" fo." He will prefeiit his whole Church " unto
" himfeli;
k Jofh. i. I, 4, 1 Gal. ii. ip. m Rora. vli, z. — 4.
n M.'.t. xi. 28. 0 AiHis vii. 59.
IMTO THE PROMISED LAND. 4O9
♦* himfclf, a glorious Churcli, not liaviiig fpot, or
" wrinkle."
It belonged to JofliiKi to divide by lot, to the
different tribes, their feveral inheritances in the
land of promife v. This is the work of Jefiis.
The mother of Zebedcc's fons alked in their be-
half, that he would make the one to fit on his
right hand, and the other on his left, in his king-
dom. Our Lord did not deny that this work be-
longed to him ; but declared, that he could per-
form it only according to the fovereign deftina-
tion of God in his eternal purpofe. ** To fit on
** my right hand," he fays, " and on my left, is
" not mine to give, but to them for whom it is prc-
" pared of my Father m." It is he, who in this
refped; fulfils that eternal counfel, which the
Father entered into with him, in the covenant of
grace. " All power is given unto him in heaven,"
as well as " in earth." But his will extends no
farther than that of the Father ; becaufe they are
effentially one. He gives eternal life to thofe on-
ly whom the Father hath given him ^ The
Church, when celebrating the afccnfion of her
King, proclaims this as a part of his work in glo-
ry : " He fliall choofe our inheritance for us, the
** excellency of Jacob whom he loved ."
No man might make a perpetual difpofition of
his inheritance in Canaan. It might be fold for
debt. But this was only what is now called an
adjudication. When the debt was paid off, it re-
turned
p Jofli. xviii. 10. q Mat. xx. 13. r John xvii, a.
s Ffal. zlvii, .].
4IO THE ISRAELITES BROUGHT
turned to the original proprietor. At any rate it
did fo in the year of jubilee. In this fenfe it is
faid, " The land fhall not be fold for ever^ for it
" is mine ^" It was not obftinacy, but a regard
to the command of God, which made Naboth re-
fufe to fell or exchange his vineyard. Hence, in
fuffering on this account, he fuffered *' for righte-
" oufnefs' fake ;'' and the Lord brought fignal
vengeance on his perfecutors ". This law, prohi-
biting the faie of inheritances, taught the Ifrael-
ites, and teaches us, " that the gift of God may
" not be purchafed with money "■', and that the
" heavenly heritage, which he hath prepared for
" his in Chrift, cannot be alienated from them ;
** but is furely confirmed in his blood, and refer-
" ved in heaven for them, to which they fhall re-
" turn at the great Jubilee of his fecond appear-
" ing, when the trumpet of God fhall found ^'."
What reafon have we to admire the grace and
condefcenfion of our God, in fupplying us with
fuch enfa?npleSf which convey the mofl important
inftruftion in a great variety of refpeds I He in-
forms us that " our admonition" was one fpecial
end that he had in view, in giving fo peculiar a
frame to his Church under the law, and in treat-
ing her in fo peculiar a manner. Even thofe il-
luflrious meffengers, whom he raifed up under
that difpenfation, were given efpecially for our
behoof. For " unto them it was revealed, that
" not unto themfelves, but unto us they did mi-
" nifler
t Lev. XXV. 23. a i Kings xxi. v Ads viii. 30,
w Ainfw, on Lev. XX7, 23,
INTO THE PROMISED LAND. ^It
" nifter the things whicli are now reported unto
" us" in the preaching of the gofpel \ This plan
of inftrudion is alfo to be viewed as a principal
branch of that ** manifold wifdom of God," which
is now made known to the Church, and by means
of her " to the principalities and powers which
" are in heavenly places."
The greater our means of knowledge, the great-
er mufl be our guilt and condemnation if we abufe
them. God not only warns us of the danger of
neglecting or abuling our day of grace, from the
typical example of the exclulion of all from Ca-
naan, who provoked him in the wildernefs ; but
holds up that fame people, in another light, as a
ftill more afl'ecling example of the danger of un-
belief. The gofpel was preached to them, not in
types and ceremonies, and fliadowy ordinances,
but by the miniftry of Chrift and his apoftles.
They rejed:ed it, and have been excluded from
that bleficd reft exhibited in the gofpel. What
is the leffon which the Spirit of God communi-
cates to " fmners of the Gentiles," by this awful
.example ? " Becaufe of unbelief they were broken
" off, and thou ftandeft by faith. Be not high-
" minded, but fear : for if God fpared not the
" natural branches, take heed left he alio fpare not
" thee >'."
^ I Pet. i. la. y Rom. xi. zo, tr.
SEC,
4'2r ON TilE FIRST-FRUITS,
SECTION V *.
On the Oblation of the Firjl-Fruks, and the Feajl
of Pentecoft^
In Lev. xxiii. 9. — 11., we are informed, that
" the Lord fpake unto Mofes, faying, Speak unto
" the children of Ifrael, and fay unto them. When
" ye be come into the land which I give unto
" you, and fliall reap the harveft thereof, then ye
*' Ihall bring a fheaf of the firft-fruits of your
" harveft unto the prieft : and he fhall wave the
" fheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you :
" on the morrow after the fabbath the prieft fliall
" wave it." There can be no doubt, that this in-
ftitution was immediately meant to teach the If-
raelites gratitude to their fupreme Benefadlor, to
remind them of their conftant dependence on him,
and to illuftrate the neceflity of confecrating their
fubftance to the God of th^ whole earth. But a
variety of circumftances, connected with this or-
dinance, indicate that it had a typical reference,
and
* Wlien the Profpe(ftu5 of this work was publiflied, the Author had no
intention of giving this, and the following fedlion, as part of it. But as
they are nearly connefted with this branch of the fubjed:, he trufts they
will not be an unacceptable addition.
AND FEAST OF PENTECOST. 4I3
and that it ultimately rcfpedcd the rcrurredion of
Chrill.
This offering confided of thc//7/zV of the earth.
The Meffiah is often pointed out to the church
under this character. He is not only *' the Branch
" of the Lord, beautiful and glorious ;" but " the
" fruit of the earth, excellent and comely •'." He
is •* the rod that hath come forth out of the ftem
" of JelTc, and the branch that hath grown out of
" his roots ^\" To him that prophecy feems to
refer ; *' I will alfo take of the higheil branch of
" the high cedar, and will fet it. I will crop oft*
*' from the top of his young twigs a tender one,
" and will plant it upon an high mountain and
" eminent. In the mountain of the height of li-
" rael will I plant it ; and it fhall bring forth
" boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar :
" and under it Ihall dwell all fowl of every wing :
" in the fhadow of the branches thereof fhall they
" dwell '^.'^ Even the unbelieving Jews apply
to the Meffiah the following words; " There
" fhall be an handful of corn in the earth, upon
" the top of the mountains''." We know that
Chrifl exhibits himrdf under this very emblem :
" Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Except a corn
" of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abi-
*' deth alone : but if it die, it bringeth forth
" much fruit ' *."
The
a Ifa. iv. 1. b Chap. xi. i. c Ezek. xvii. iJ, 13.
d Pfal. Ixxii. 16. c John zii. 24.
* The palTage referred to, in Pfal. lxs?i. irt. is, with fome olhcis, et-
prefsly applied to the Mefliuli, in au ancient Jewiih writing, entitled, Mid.
rajib
414 ON THE FIRST FRUITS,
The fheaf was of barley. For it was offered at
the time of barley-harveft, which preceded the
wheat-harveft in Canaan'." Chrift might well
compare himfelf to wheat, becaufe of his excel-
lency, as this is fuperior to other grain. But ftill
the barley was a proper emblem. For, to the
carnal eye, his external appearance was mean and
contemptible. He was the antitype of that har^
ley-cake that tumbled into the holt of Midian,
and accomplifhed its deftruclion ■'. For, like Gi-
deon, his family was poor in Ifrael^, and the
means of his vidlory feem.ed totally inadequate to
the end.
This offering was of green ears ', or, as it is
rendered in the Greek, of 7iew corn. This mufl
have retained a great deal of its moifture. I know
not, if this might have a typical meaning. Our
Lord calls himfelf the green tree. As he was cut
down by the fickle of divine wrath, in the very
prime of his life ; all that he fuffered from the
hands of men could not have caufed his death,
had
rafch Koheleth, on Ecclcf. i. 9. " As was the firft redeemer Mofes, fo
*' fliall be the laft. Of the firft it is written, Exod. iv. to. And Mofes
" took his nvife, and his Jons, and Jet them upon an afs. So it is faid of
" the laft, Zech. ix. 9. Lotuly, and riding upon an afs. The firft redeemer
" made manna to defcend from heaven ; as itis written, Exod. .\vi. 4. /
" have caufed bread to rain upon you from heaven. So fhall the laft Re-
" deemer be an handful of corn, or cake of bread, (placenta panis), in
«' the earth, Pial. Ixxii. 16. As the firft redeemer caufed the well to
" fpring up, (Numb. xxi. 16.), fo the laft Redeemer, who is the King
" Mefliah, fliall caufe the water to afcend ; as it is faid, Joel iii. 23. And a
" fountain f Jail go forth out of the houfe of the Lord, atidjl/all ivater
" the 'valley of Shittim." Martini Pugio, p. 6po.
f Ruth ii. 23. g Judg. vii. 13, 14. h Chap, vi. 15, j \iil. 2,
i Lev. ii. 14.
AND FEAST OF PENTECOST. 415
had he not adted voluntarily in yielding up his
fpirit into the hands of his Father. This he fliew-
ed by the very manner in which he expired. For
he *' cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the
** ghoft." When the earth gave forth this corn,
in the refurreclion of the Saviour, it was indeed
new. It had never produced any fucli before.
This ample womb had never born fruit abfolutely
free from the ftain of im, and not naturally fub-
jed: to mortality. It had never carried fuch a
boly thing.
This corn was to be parched ^. It was not dri-
ed in the ufual way, by the heat of the fun ; but
dried by the fire. And furely, it was a fit em-
blem of that precious corn which was dried by
the fire of divine anger. For he cries out, in
that Pfalm fo peculiarly defcriptive of his fuffer-
ings ; " My ftrcngth is dried up like a potfherd ;
" and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws '."
It was ground corn. It is indeed called Vijheaf'^,
But the word alfo lignifies an omer, the tenth
part of an ephah or bufliel. The exprellion ren-
dered beaten out of full ears ", literally fignifies
ground, bruifedy or broken. As God hath given
us *' the corn of heaven," he hath bruifed it. For
" he was bruifed for our iniquities."
It was to be anointed with oil. " Thou flialt
" put oil upon it °." We know that Jefus, after
his refurredion, was " anointed with the oil of
*' gladnefs above his fellows p." This joy was
" fet
k Lev. ii. 14. 1 Pfal. xxii 15. oi Lev. xxiii. lo.
a Chap, ii. 14. 0 Lev. ii. i^. p 1'1'ai. xlv. 7.
4l6 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
" fet before him," and fupported his holy human
foul, while he " endured the crofs q." To him is
that language referred ; " Thou haft made known
" to me the ways of life ; thou flialt make me
*' full of joy with thy countenance '." He ad-
mits his people to a participation of it : for their
" confolation aboundeth byChrilt\" So great
was the joy of the difciples, when they faw their
rifen Lord, that they could fcarcely believe the
teftimony of their own fenfes. Greatly as they
had been attached to the prefence of his human
nature, they were well pleafed to part with him
in this refpedl, when once they were fully affured
of the truth of his refurrection ^
Incenje was to be laid on this offering : " Thou
" fhalt — lay frankincenfe thereon"." As the death
of Chrifl was " a facrifice of a fweet-fnielling fa-
vour" unto God, no lefs acceptable was his refur-
redtion. It was no facrifice indeed. But it was
the great proof of the perfection of that facrifice
previoufly offered. When the true Noah again
trode this earth, God ** fmelled a favour of reft
" from it^"
This one fheaf, or portion of corn, was to be
accepted for the whole congregation. " He fliall
" wave the Iheaf before the Lord, to be accepted
" for you y." Chrift not only died, but arofe
from the dead in a public character. He did fo
in the name of all the fpiritual Ifrael. As really
as " he was delivered for our otlences, he was rai-
fed
q Heb. xii. j. i Afls ii. 28. s 2 Cor. i. 5. t Luke xxiv. ^1, 52,
u Lev. ii. 15. x Gen. viii. 21. y Lev. xxiii. i r.
AND FKASr or PENTECOST. 4I7
" fed again for our juflification '." 'Jlic JLiltifi-
cation of believers is immediately afcribed to the
rcfiirrccflion of Chrift, becaufe this was the p;rcat
evidence of the merit of liis death. Without this
, proof of the perfection of his obedience and fuf-
fering, God could not have legally acquitted one
who believeth in Jefus. It is becauie he who
" was dead, is alive," that he hath " the keys of
" death '." For he carried them with him in
his refurredion. Thence hath he power to libe-
rate all who confide in him.
A Iamb was to be offered along with the flieaf.
" And ye fliall offer that day, when ye wave the
" flieaf, an he-lamb without blemiili •'." This
may teach us, that the virtue of the refurreclion
of Chrill: fprings from his death ; and that vain
is our confidence in him as rifcn, unlefs we trufl
in him as crucified. We cannot " know the power
'* of his refurreclion," unlefs we alio " know the
** fellowfliip of his fufferings '."
This corn was prefcnted as the firjl-ft uits, and
its acceptance was xht prelude of a future harvejl.
It is called ** a meat-offering of the firil-fruits '^."
' Thus, our Lord, when fpeaking of himfelf under
tlie emblem of " a corn of wheat," fays ; " If it
" die, it bringeth forth mucli fruit '^." With re-
fpecl; to the refurrec1:ion, Chrill: is exprefsly called
the firll-fruits '. ** Now is Chrift rifen from the
" dead, and become the firft-fruits of them that
" flcpt. — Chrifl the firfl-fruits, afterwards they
Vol. I. D d " that
z Rom. jv._25. aRcv. i. iS. b Lev. xxiii. 11. c Pl,i!. iii. t^,
d Lev. ii. 14. e John xii. :4. f i Cor. xv. 10. 23.
41 8 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
" that are Chrift's, at his coming." Therefore,
he is alfo called " the firft-born from the dead s."
The time when this offering was made deferves
our particular attention. It was reftrifted to one
feafon, to one day. It was not to be offered till
after the paiTover. But it could not be delayed
beyond the fecond day after it. " On the mor-
*' row after the Sabbath the prielt fhall w^ave it ^."
The pafTover was always obferved on the four-
teenth day of the month Nifan. The fifteenth,
being the firft day of the feaft of unleavened
bread, was to be " an holy convocation." They
were to ''■ do no fervile work therein '." There-
fore it was called a Sabbath. This offering was
to be made on the morrow, that is, on the fix-
teenth day of the month. Now, " Jefus our pafT-
*' over was facrificed for us," on the fixth day of
the week, and he rofe again ** on the morrow af-
" ter the Sabbath." The fame time elapfed be-
tween his death and refurredtion, as between the
pafTover and the offering of the firit-fruits. Nay,
he rofe on that very day, on which the literal
firfii-fruits muft have been offered, according to
the law. As this offering was to be made on the
day after the Sabbath of the pafTover, we know
that this was the day of the refurredtion. For we
are informed, that the day of the crucifixion was
the preparation for the Sabbath, and that " that
" Sabbath was an high day ^." Now, it is fo
called, becaufe at this time the pafchal and week-
ly Sabbaths met on one day. It is declared, that
Jefus
g Col. i. 18. h Lev. xxlii. ii. i Ver. 7. k John six. 31.
AND FEAST OK PENTECOST. 4I9
Jefiis rofc on ** the firll: day of the week ' ;" lite-
rally, " on the fiilt of the Sabbaths." This ex-
preflion is fuppofcd to fignify, that it was the firfl
of thofe days that were to be numbered to Pente-
cofl "'.
This was a meat-offering ". So is the rifen Re-
deemer. He is ** the corn of heaven," '* the bread
** of life," ** living bread." " If any man eat of
"this bread, he fliall live for ever °." It hath
this virtue, becaufe he, who giveth himfelf for
the food of his people, though he was once " dead,
" is alive, and liveth for evermore."
In a word, the Ifraelites were not permitted to
cat any of the ?iezv corn of the land, till this was
offered. " And ye lliall eat neither bread, nor
*' parched corn, nor green ears, until the felf-
" fame day that ye have brought an offering unto
** your God. It fhall be a ftatute for ever through-
" out your generations i'." They were not to eat
of the new crop in any fhape whatlbever. They
had not liberty fo much as to tafte of it. Now,
it is only by being " rifen with Chrift," that we
pan " feek thofe things that are above ^." We
cannot " eat that which is good," we can have no
real appetite for it, till we be '* planted together
" in the likenefs of his refurredion '." ** Thcre-
*• fore, we are buried with him by baptifm into
" death ; that like as Chriil was raifed up from
" the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo
" we alfo Ihould walk in newnefs of life \" A
D d 2 principal
1 John XX. 1. m Vid. Lampe in loc. n Lev. ii. 14.
o John vi, 51. p Lev. xxiii. 14. q Col. iii. I.
( Rum. vi. 5. ! Vcr. 4.
42.0 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
principal part of this newnefs of life confifls in
feeding on that new corn which GoJ giveth us ;
and we are permitted to eat of it, only by virtue
of Chrifl's refurreclion. " We are rifen with him
** through the faith of the operation of God, who
" hath raifed him from the dead ^" His refur-
redlion, as connecled with his death, is the caufe
of our fpiritual refurredion to a life of faith. This
very faith has a fpecial refpedl to his refarrection,
as proving that we have a fure ground of confi-
dence. For " by him do we believe in God, that
*' raifed him up from the dead, — that our faith
" and hope might be in God "."
Not till after the refurreftion did the difciples
themfelves eat of the new harveft. During the
perfonal rainiflry of their Lord, they underllood
not his doctrine. They moftly fed on the old
corn of the land. Their minds were much warp-
ed by the fame carnal notions with their unbe-
lieving brethren. But *' when he was rifen from
" the dead, — they believed the Scripture, and the
" w^ord which Jefus had faid '." " Then opened
" he their underilandings, that they might under-
*' ftand the Scriptures^'"." Then he " fed them
" with the finelt of the wheat ^^ *' Corn made
*' the young men cheerful, and new wine the
*' maids >."
The feaft of Pentecost was to be obferved on the
fiftieth day from the offering of the fheaf of barley.
Thence it derived its name, which iignifies the fif-
tieth.
t Col. ii. 12. u I Pet. i. 21. v John ii. 22.
vf Luke xxiT. 45. X Pfal. Ixxxi. i5. y Zech. is. 17=
AND FEAST OF PENTECOST. 4^1
tieth. The injunction concerning this fcatt imme-
di^tclv follows that wiih reiped to the firil-fruits •,
and they are io intimately connected, that the one,
as to its very inftitution, feems to reft on the other.
** Ye ftiall count unto you from the morrow after
" the fabbath, from the clay that ye brought the
" /htaf of the wave-offering : leven fabbaths
" Ihall be complete : even unto the morrow after
« the feventh labbath, fhall ye numhcv Jifty days,
" and ye (Ivall offer a new meat-offering unto the
" Lord ^" It was alfo called the Fca/l oflVeeks,
becaufe they counted in this manner. The fame
feaft was alfo denominated that of Harvejl,
" Thou ihalt keep— the feaft of harveft, the firft-
« fmits of thv labours ." At this time the If-
raelites were to ofler the firft- fruits of their
whcat-harveft. This feaft was fometimes dclign-
ed that of the Giving of the Law ; becaufe it was
believed that the law was revealed on that very
day which was afterwards called Pcntecoft. This
calculation is made from the account given of the
time of God*s coming down on Mount Smai ■'.
. God required two offerings of the firft-fruits.
We have feen that the oblation of thofe of bar-
ley-harveft had its completion in the refurredion
of Chrift, who " arofe as the firft-fruits of them
*' that flcpt." But there was to be a fecond of-
fering, an offering of the firft-fruits of wheat-har-
veft on the day of Pcntecoft. This, we appre-
hend, prefigured the eflufion of the Spirit, and its
blelled effeds.
D d 3 The
Z LcT.xxiii. IS, re. a Exod. xxxH. 15. >6. b Chap. .ix. 1. n.
422 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
The time exadly anfvvered. It was on the day
of Pentecoft, the day on which the feaft of har-
veft was obferved, that the Spirit was poured
down. " When the day of Pentecoft was fully
" come, they were with one accord in one
" place c."
This was a real harvejl to the Church. The
gifts and graces of the Spirit were plenteoufly
communicated. There was alfo a rich harveft of
precious fouls. Three thoufand were added to the
Church by means of one fermon 'I
It was tht Jirjl- fruits of harveft. All that was
done on the day of Pentecoft, was merely a pre-
lude of what God was to do by his Spirit, in the
converfion of multitudes of the Jewilh nation,
and in the gathering of the body of the Jews at
length to theShiloh. *' A remnant" was at this time
brought in, ** according to the election of grace ^"
Now, this remnant was the firft-fruits of that
nation unto God. Hence the reafoning of the
apoftle, in the progrefs of the chapter ; " For if
** the cafting away of them be the reconciling of
" the world, what fhall the receiring of them be,
" but life from the dead ? For if the firjl-fruit
" be holy, the lump is alfo holy ; and if the root
" be holy, fo are the branches '." This was alfo
a prelude of the converfion of the heathen. For
the apoftle Peter informs his hearers, that the
profhife was not only " to them and to their
" children," but " to all that were afar off s."
The
c Atfls ii. I. d Vcr. 41. e Rom. xi. 5. f Ver. 15, i(>.
g Acfls ii. 3i>.
AND FEAST OF PENTECOST. 42^
The offering of the fiifl- fruits of barley-har-
vefl was in fubferviency to this. It was to be ac-
cepted of God for the Ifraelites, and to be a pre-
lude of a fccond harvcft. lllullrious as was the
event of the rcfurrection of Jcfus, it was in fub-
ordination to a more glorious diiplay of his
power. In the one inftance, a dead body was
raifed to life. In the other, there was to be a
refurredion of dead fouls, jefus rofe from the
dead for this very end, that he might " quicken
" thofe who were dead in trefpaffes and flns."
For " to this end, Chrilt both died, and rofe, and
" revived, that he might be Lord both of the
" dead and living^'."
There is a remarkable coincidence of circum-
Jlances between the literal and the fpiritual Pente-
coft. The Ifraelites were attentively to number
the weeks and days, from the offering of the firlt-
fruits of barley-harvert, to this day. There is
foniething peculiar in the mode of expreffion ufed
by the Spirit, as to the arrival of this feafon :
*' When the day of Pentecofl was fully come,"
&-C, Our Lord had commanded the apOftles to
*' tarry in Jerufalem, till they fhould be endued
" with power from on high *." He had faid to
them, immediately before his departure, *' Ye
*' fliall be baptifed with the Holy Ghoft not
*' many days hence ''." Thefe words were ut-
tered ten days before Pentecofl. As they, with
the other Jews, would be engaged in numbering
the days till the arrival of this feaft, it is not im-
D d 4 probable
b Rom. xiv. 9. i Luke xxir. 49. k Ack;i 1 ;.
424 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
probable that they might expecl then to receive
" the promife of the Father ;" efpecially as they
knew that their Lord had given the moil: lignal
difplays of his grace at fuch feafons. Thus, the
intervening time would feem far longer than it
had done in any former reckoning, till " the day
** of Pentecoft was fully come."
The day of Pentecoil was to be a day of holy
coiwocat'ion to the Church of Ifrael. *' And ye
" fhall proclaim on the felf-famxC day, that it may
*' be a day of holy convocation unto you '.'*
This was truly a day of holy convocation to the
difciples. For " they were all with one accord
" in one place "i." They were affembled for the
obfervation of the Lord's day. It was alfo a day
of holy convocation to men " out of every nation
" under heaven," When the report of the ef-
fulion of the Spirit was fpread through Jerufa-
lem, " the multitude came together ;" and it con-
lifted of " Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites,
" and the dwellers in Mefopotamia, and in Ju-
*' dea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Alia,
" Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the
*' parts of Libya about Cyrene, and ilrangers of
" Rome, Jews, and profelytes, Cretes, and Ara-
" bians "." Thefe were the Jews of the difper-
lion, whom God in his gracious providence had
at this time gathered together at Jerufalem.
They were not only coUeded into an affembly,
but three thoufand of them were gathered toge-
ther to Chrift as their Head, and made the fub-
jcds
1 lev. xxiii. 31. m Ads il. I, n Ver. 6. — ;ii.
AND FEAST OF PENTECOST. 425
je(fls of ** an holy calling." Among thcfc, wc may
reafonably fiippofe, there were fome belonging to
every one of the countries mentioned. For it is
improbable that the gift of any one tongue was in
vain.
Jefus himfclf had compared the future work of
his fervants to that of hawejl. " Say not ye,
" There are yet four months, and then cometh
•* harveft ? behold, I fay unto you, Lift up your
*' eyes, and look on the fields ; for they are
" white already unto harveft. And he that reap-
" eth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto
•' life eternal ; that both he that foweth, and he
" that reapcth, may rejoice together. And herein
" is that faying true. One foweth, and another
" reapeth. I fent you to reap that whereon ye
"'bcftowed no labour. Other men laboured, and
" ye are entered into their labours °." When
our Lord fpoke of the fields as white unto
harveft, there can be no doubt that he referred
to the harveft of fouls, which was foon to be ga-
ttiered in to himfelf. To the fame puvpofe, he
/aid on another occafion : " Pray ye the Lord of
" the harveft, that he would fend forth labourers
" into his harveft p."
Not only is the fuccefs of the gofpel in general
exhibited in the language of prophecy, under the
notion of a harveft ; but this language is fo cx-
prefs, as particularly to refer to the confccration
of the firft- fruits to the Lord, and to point out
this very day of Pentecoft as peculiarly meant.
Thus,
0 John iv. 35. — 38. ^ p Luke x. :.
426 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
Thus, in the prophecy of Joel, in connexix)n with
a command to *' call a iblemn aflembly," to " ga-
" ther the people," to *' alTemble the elders,""
and to turn unto God " with failing, weeping,
" and mourning ;" this queftion is propofed ;
" Who knoweth if he will turn and repent, and
'' leave a blelling behind him, even a meat-of-
" fering, and a drink-offering unto the Lord
" your God 1?" This might have a literal re-
fpedl to their deliverance from famine or fcarcity,
in confequence of their returning to the Lord.
But undoubtedly it had a further and more glo-
rious refpeft to the fulnefs of the gofpel-harveil.
For it follows ; " And it fhall come to pafs after-
" wards," or " in the lafh days, that I will pour
*' out my Spirit upon all flefli \" Now, con-
cerning the wonderful effufion on the day of Pen*
tecoft, Peter fays ; *' This is that which was fpo-
" ken by the prophet Joel ^"
The offering made at this time is iii two dif-
ferent places called a 7iew meat-offering ^. And
truly it was a new meat-offering unto the Lord,
when in one day, the very day appointed for the
literal offering which bore this name, three thou-
fand fouls offered themfelves willingly to him.
Then, indeed, was that gracious promife fulfilled
in its fpiritual meaning ; " Ye fliall eat old Itore,
" and bring forth the old becaufe of the new"."
That this promife, in its full extent, refers to the
gofpel-flate, feems abundantly evident from what
is
<] Joel ii. ij.— i(j. r Ver. 28. s A(5ls ii. 16. t Lev. xxiii. 16. -,
Num. xxviii. z6. u LeV. xxvi. zo.
AND FEAST OF PENTECOST. 427
is immediately added ; " And I will let my ta-
" bernacle amongft you, and my foul flrall not ab-
" hor you. And I will walk among you, and will
" be your God, and ye fliall be my people \"
When the Spirit was poured out, the difciples did
" eat old ftore." It had been locked up, in a
great meafure, in the lacred granaries of the Scrip-
ture. Formerly, they could not enter into thcfe.
" They underflood not the Scriptures." The
true meaning was in a great meafure hid from
them. The precious treafures contained in the
word were concealed from their eyes, by the par-
tition-wall of the ceremonial law ; and by the
metaphorical language of prophecy, adapted to a
carnal people, and borrowing its emblem.s from
earthly things. Their underflandings were alfo
locked, notwithftanding all external means. But
then were their underftandings opened, that they
fliould underlland the Scriptures. Then did the
difciples " bring forth the old ftore becaufe of the
" new.'* They cat the old and the new toge-
ther. Thefe fcribes being " inftrucled into the
" kingdom of heaven, brought forth out of their
" treafurc things new and old >." Their fpeak-
ing with new tongues % was but an emblem of
the new difcoveries they had obtained. The " new
" ftore" of gofpel-light, communicated by the
Spirit, enabled them to ** bring forth the old,"
that had been fo long treafurcd up for the Church
in the prophetical writings.
The
X Lev. xxvi. ii, ii, coHip. with i Cc. vi. 16. ; Rev. x.\i. 3.
y Mat. xiii (,%. z Mukivi. 17.
428 ON THE FIRST-FRUITS,
The Ifraelites were to rejoice when they offer-
ed the firft-fruits. They accordingly received this
command ; " Thou flialt fet it (the bailcet con-
" taining the firft-fruits), before the Lord thy
" God, and worfliip before the Lord thy God.
*' And thou flialt rejoice in every good thing
*' which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee,
" and unto thine houfe, thou, and the Levite, and
" the ftranger that is among you -." The joy which
the Lord gave his Church, w^hen the Spirit was
Ihed forth, in his gifts and graces, was fuch as flie
never enjoyed before. Then was that prophecy
fulfilled ; " They joy before thee, according to
" the joy in harveft '^." It was a joy commu-
nicated to the various clafles of church-mem-
bers. The fpiritual Lezntes^ the apoftles of the
Lord, were eminently partakers of it. This joy
was extended even to the Jiranger. For here
there were not only Jews, but profelytes ^ : and in
a fliort time it w^as to have a more eminent ex-
tenfion, when " the fons of the fi:ranger fhould
" join themfelves to the Lord." Such was the
fpiritual joy of the new converts, that " they
" continued daily with one accord in the temple,
" — praifing God ''." Thefe men were indeed
*' full of new wine^:" yet not in the fenfe in
which the mockers fpoke this language ; but as a
fulfilment of the prophecy, *' And it ftiall come
*' to pafs in that day, that the mountains fhall drop
" down new wine '." Then had the Church the
moll
a Deut. xxvi. a. 10, 11. b Ifa. ix, 3. c A<Ss ii. 10.
d Ads ii, 4(3, 47. e Ver. 13. f Jod iii. x8.
AND lEAS T OF PENTECOST. 429
mofl abundant rcafon to fay ^ '* How great is his
" goodnefs, and how great is his beauty I" For
his precious gifts were dillributed without dif-
tindion of rank or fcx. He " poured out of
" his Spirit upon all llcfli ; — both on his fervants,
" and on his handmaidens ''." " Corn made the
" young men cheerful, and new wine the maids .'*
This, as we have feen, was alfo called the feaft
of the Giving of the Law. As it appears that
this was the day on which the law was given
from Mount Sinai, we know that on this day '* the
" law went forth out of 7.ion, and the word of
" the Lord from Jerufalem ^" When Jcfus de-
clared to his apoftlcs that the gofpcl ihould be
** preached among all nations, he commanded
them to " begin at Jerufalem ." And on this
day, did they enter on their public miniftry, and
proclaim " the law of faith.'* On this day, were
they endowed with that power from on high,
which was neceflary to enable them to promul-
gate this law " among all nations." The giving
of this new law was attefted by the fame fymbol
as the giving of the old. " The Lord defcend-
" ed on Mount Sinai in fire "\" Here ** there ap-
" peared cloven tongues, as of fire "." But though
the fymbol was the fame, the fignification was
very different. The fire of Mount Sinai expref-
fed the confuming nature of that ** fiery law"
given to the Church " •, but this, the purifying ef-
ficacy of the gofpel of peace. The one declared
that
h Ads ii. iS. i Zech. ix. 17. k Ifa. ii. •5. 1 Luke xsiv. 47.
ta £xod. xix. 18. n Ads ii. 3. o Dcut. zsxiii. 2.
43<^ ON THE FIRST-FRUITS, &C.
that the iniquity of Ifrael remained ; the other,
that it was " taken away p." The people of God
entreated that they might not fee that great fire,
and that God might not fpeak to them any more,
left they fhould die i. But this fire was given as
an emblem of God's fo fpeaking to them, that they
fhould live *. •
SECTION VI.
On the Feajl of Tabernacles^ under the New Tef-
tament.
It has appeared, from a variety of confidera-
tions, that we may juftly view the oblation of the
Firft-fruits, as prefiguring the refurrection of our
Lord ; and the Feaft of Pentecoft as a type of the
effufion of the Spirit. It is ftill more clear, that
the Feast of Tabernacles was typical of that glo-
rious ftate of the Church, when '* the fulnefs of
" the
p Ifa. vi. 6, 7. q Deut. xviii. 16.
* Since writing thefe thougrits, I obferve with pleafure, that in the
view given of this fe'ft, I have the countemnce of the learned Spanheim,
" The feaft of Pentecoft," he fays, " prefigured the miflion of the Holy
" S^hit, the Jirji fruits ,0/ the Spirit, which fell on that fame day on
" which the law was given, and by which the fpirit of bondage was in-
'■ troduced ; as it alfo prefigured the firft-fruits of the new church \, and
•' of the miniftry of the apoftles, and of that new bread, with which .the
" Jews firft ^and then the Gentiles were to be fed." Chronol. Sacr.
Par. i. cap. 15. % Ads ii.
ON THE FEAST OF TABURl^ACLES, &.C. 43!
*' the Gentiles fhall be come in, and all Ifracl fhall
" be faved." This is determined by the Spirit of
prophecy : " And it fliall come to pafs, that every
" one that is left of all the nations, which came
•* againfl Jerufalcm, fhall even go up from year
" to year to worfliip the King the Lord of Hofts,
" and to keep the feafl of tabernacles. And it
*' fhall be, that whofo will not come up of all the
*' families of the earth unto Jerufalem, to wor-
" fliip the King the Lord of Hofls, even upon
" them fliall be no rain. And if the family of
** Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no
" rain : there Ihall be the plague wherewith tlie
" Lord will fmite the heathen that come not up
" to keep the feaft of tabernacles. This fliall be
*' the puniflimcnt of Egypt, and the punifliment
" of all nations, that come not up to keep the feaft
" of tabernacles •■."
I need fcarcely take time to fliew, that this pro-
phecy refpecis the laft days of the New-Teflament
Church. This feems to be generally admitted.
The Jews themfelves underfland it of that millen-
jiium, in which, according to their carnal apprc-
lienfions, the Mefliah is to reign on earth, and to
bring all nations within the pale, and under fub-
jedlion to the ordinances, of the Jewifh church '.
As the feventh verfe of the thirteenth chapter evi-
dently limits the prophecy to the Ncw-Tcftament
difpenfation, a confidcrable part of the four pre-
ceding chapters feems unqucftionably to refpcd:
the final converfion of the Jews. The ninth verfc
of
r Zrch. i!v. 16. — rp. s Vide Comment. Hieronym. in Ijc.
432 ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
of this chapter contains a prediclion fraught with
comfort to the Church, but which has never yet
been fulfilled : " And the Lord fliall be king
" over all the earth : in that day fliall there be
" one Lord, and his name one." The holinefs
afcribed to the Church in this period, is fuch as
fhe hath never yet known : " In that day lliall
*' there be upon the bells of the horfes, Holi-
*' NESS UNTO THE LoRD ; and the pots in the
" Lord's houfe fhall be like the bow^s before the
** altar. Yea, every pot in Jerufalem and in Ju-
" dah fhall be Holinefs unto the Lord of Hofts :
" and all they that facrifice, Ihall come and take
" of them, and feethe therein, : and in that day
" there fliall be no more the Canaanite, in the
" houfe of the Lord of Hofts ^"
It needs fcarcely to be obferved, that the whole
palTage muil be underftood fpiritually ; that Je-
rufalem denotes the New-Teftament Church, that
Jerufalem which is above, and is free from all ce-
remonial worfhip " ; and therefore, that the ob-
fervation of the Feaft of Tabernacles refpeds fpi-
ritual worfhip alone. It is evident, indeed, from
this feaft being mentioned fingly, that the paflage
cannot be juftly explained in any other way. For,
had it referred to ceremonial worftiip, the Paflb-
ver and the Feaft of Weeks, w hich w-ere equally
of divine inftitution, would not have been ex-
cluded.
A variety of prophecies, both in the Old and
New Teftament, contain the fame allufion. Thus,
the
t Zech. xiv, 20, 21. u G>al. iv. 25.
UNDER THE NEW, TESTAMEN'T. 433
the following declanition forms a part of the pro-
phecy of Ifaiah concerning the fi^w heavens and
the new earthy or the glory of the Church in the
lafl days : " It Ihall come to pafs, that from one
" new- moon to another, and from one J'abbath to
" another^ Iliall all flefli come to vvorfliip before
" me, faith thxi Loru •." This does not refer to
every new-moon, or to every fabbalh. For the
males were bound to come to Jerufalcm only
thrice a-year ; nor was it polhljle for them to at-
tend the temple-worfliip, aS' often as the words
would feem to fignify. But the expreflion is ex-
plained by that in 7.ecli. xiv. i6., and relpeds the
time of the folemn fealls, which were always ce-
lebrated at the new moon >. In reference to the
lall period of the New-Teftament Church, it may
denote the great ftriclnefs and regularity of Chrii-
tians in their attendance on divine ordinances ;
as the allufion to the new-moons is fuppofed to
fignify the new light communicated to the Church
under the gofpel, and the great increafe of it in
that happy period which the prophecy immedi-
ately refpects.
The fame allufion occurs in Ilof. xii. 9. " And
" I that am the Lord thy God from the land of
" Egypt, will yet make thee to dwell in taber-
" nacles, as in the days of the folemn feall:."
This prophecy feems to rcfpecT: the -return of the
ten tribes to the God of their fathers ; efpecially
as viewed in connexion with the fourteenth chap-
ter. If this predidion had a primary refped: to
Vol. I. E e the
X Ifa. Isvi. 93. y Viilc Hieronyra. ct Vitring. ia loc.
434 ^^^ THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
the union of fome from the different tribes with
that of Judah, after the Babylonifh captivity, it
had but a partial accomplifliment in that event,
Ephrainij as a people, hath never yQtfaidy " What
" have I to do any more with idols ?"
Several coniiderations illuftrate the propriety of
reprefentmg the future glory of the (^hurch under
the emblen^ of this Fe^ift.
I. It v/as a feafon o? great joy to the Ifraelites^,
Jewifh writers obferve, that " although they were
" to rejoice in all their feafts ; yet, while the tem-
" pie and fancStuary Hood, there was greater joy in
^' this feaft than in any other ^\" They aflign
this reafon, that it v»7as faid concerning it ; " Ye
" fliall rejoice before the Lord your God feven
" days." The language ufed, indeed, in the ap-
pointment of this feaft, feems to exprefs a pecu-
liar degree of joy ; ** Thou (halt furely rejoice ;'*
or, as fome render it, *^ Thou flialt be only joy-
*' ful '." In the evening of each day, the nobles,
the members of the Sanhedrim, and other great
men among the Jews, affembled in one of the
pourts of the temple, and in prefence of all the
people who w^ere met there, exprelTed their joy
by linging and dancing ; while the Levites, and
ail vv'ho could join with them, played on the va-
rious inftrumcnts of mulic, which were ufed in
the temple-worihip''. And doubtlefs, the period
prefigured
Z Hof. xiv. 8. a Vide Eraunii Do(fl. Foed. p. 4. c. 33. loc. 24. p. 974.
b Maimon. in Hilclios, ap. Devling. Obf. Sacr. p. a. Obf. 31. p. 404.
C iPeut. XVI. i^. y. Ainfw. in loc. d Dealing. Ibid. Obf. 22, p. :pC».
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 435
prefigured by this feafl, will be a joyful fcafon to
the Church of Chrift ; more joyful than any other
in her militant ftate. Then the " nations Ihall re-
** joice with his people '." In reference to this
blifsful era is that call given : '* Rejoice ye with
" Jcrufalcm, and be glad with her, all ye that
" love her : rejoice for joy with her, all ye that
" mourn for her '." — " Behold, faith the Lord,
** I create Jcrufalcm a rejoicing, and her people a
" joy. And I will rejoice in Jcrufalcm, and joy
" in my people, and the voice of weeping fhali
" no more be heard in her, nor the voice of cry-
** ing s." The felicity of this period is defcribed
in limilar language in the New Teftament : " God
** fliall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and
" there fliall be no more death, neither forrow nor
*' crying, neither fliall there be any more pain :
*' for the former things are paffed away •'."
II. The defign of the inftitution of this feafl
acquaints us with the reafon of that peculiar joy by
which the celebration of it was dillinguiflied. It
was appointed in commemoration of their iitua-
tion in the wildernefs, when they dwelt in booths,
tabernacles, or temporary huts made of the boughs
of trees ; and of the miraculous protedion af-
forded them, when they had no houfes, the pillar
of cloud overfliadowing them like a tabernacle,
and defending them from the injuries of the wea-
ther, and from other dangers to which they were
E c 2 expofed.
c Dcut xxxii. 43. f Ifi. Ixvi, 10. g Vz. !xv iS, 19
h Rev. vii. 17. ; zxi. 4.
43*^ ON THE FEAST' OF TABERKACLES
expofed. They accordingly received this com*
mand ; *' Ye fliall dwell in booths feven days ; —
" that your generations may know that I made
" the children of Ifrael to dwell in booths, when
" I brought them out of the land of Egypt '."
They were to contraft their comfortable ftate in
the land of Canaan, when the Lord had given
them vidory over their enemies, and caufed them
to dwell in " great and goodly cities ^%" with their
former Hate, when they liad no fixed habitations,
when they fojourned in a land that had never
been tilled or fown, and when the Canaanites
were flill in polTefTion of the promifed inheri-
tance. This ftriking contraft ought to fill their
hearts with joy, and infpire them with gratitude
to .their great Benefaclor. In like manner, the
recollection of the former lituation of the Church,
as compared with her ftate in the glory of the lat-
ter day, will be one fpecial fource of her joy in
that period. An abode in the wildernefs hath
been allotted to her under the new, as well as un-
der the old, difpenfation. It is therefore faid of
her, in the figurative language of prophecy : *' And
*' the woman fled into the wildernefs, where fhe
" hath a place prepared of God, that they fliould
" feed her there a thoufand two hundred and three-
" fcore days ." It is evident, that this is the
fame period w4th that during which the outer
court is trodden under foot by the Gentiles, and
the two witnefTes prophecy in fackcloth ' \ Now,
although,
i Lev. xxiii. 42, 43. k Deut. vi. 10 ; xii. 10, 11.
1 Rev. xii. 6. m Rev, xi. 2, 3.
L'NDi::i<. in. ' . ' , ^ ]y
rilthoLipjh, through tuj :iKi\y oi" our God, ihc
Church is in an uni'pcukably more comfoit:ibIc fi-
tuation than during thnt period in which the
tyranny of AutichriT its height, it lecms
difficult to conceive thut Ihe is yet properly
brought out of the wlldernefsi She h, indeed, in
fight of the land of promifei But the Canaanites
iHll polfcfs it. " Thexourt which is without the
*• temple is flill trodden under foot.'* Chrill's
v/itnelfes flill prophecy in fackcloth. For even in
thofe countries in. which Protcllantifm is the ef!:a-
bliflied reli;jio;^, the genuine doch'ines of the gof-
pel arc generally defpifed, ■ahd' their friends are
" exceedingly filled vvjth the contempt of the
" proud."
But when the Church fliall be completely deli-
vered, not only from fpiritual Egypt, ^which hiith
been fo long a houfe of bondage to her, but from
her wildernefs-ftate, M'ith what joy fhall (he com-
memorate her liberation I Nay, with what joy
and gratitude fhall ihe remt-n^ber her wonJerful
prefervation, when flie \ iicn in danger of
being fwallowed up I Then i'
ledge, that the Lord hath been u.scca " a L..ijcr-
** nacle for a fliadow in the day-time from the
** heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert
** from llorm and from rain ." llien Ihall fhe
triumph over thofe enemies who have fo long
fpoiled her. Jews and Gentiles fliall join in this
triumph, according to that prophetic invitation j
*' Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people : for he
E e 3 " will
n li.i. IV. ^. ^
43^ ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
** will avenge the blood of his fervants, and will
" render vengeance to his adverfaries, and will
" be merciful to his land, and to his people "."
Thus, it is foretold, in connexion with a paffage
formerly confidered ; " And they fliall go forth,
" and look upon the carcafes of the men that
" have tranfgrefled againft me : for their worm
" fliall not die, neither fliall their fire be quench-
" ed, and they fhall be an abhorring unto all
" flefhr." In the book of Revelation, while the
joy of the Church is reprefented under the em-
blem of that of a marriage-fcaft, this is preceded
by the deftrudion of Antichrifl and her other
enemies.
III. The rites obferved in the celebration of
this feafl were well adapted for exprefling the
character of that happy period referred to. Al-
though it would feem, that there was no particu-
lar inltitution of fome of thefe ; they might be
ordered by God, in his providence, in correfpon-
dence to the general delign of the emblem, in the
fame manner as the circumftances which took
place in the family of Abraham, were meant to
ferve as " an allegory ■." At any rate, there are
undoubtedly various allufions, in the New Tefla-
ment, to fome of the principal ceremonies obfer-
ved in the celebration of this feaft.
The Ifraelites were commanded to " take, on
" the firfl day, the boughs of goodly trees, bran-
** ches of palm-trees, and the boughs of thick
" trees,
4 Deut. xxxii. 4j. p Ifa. Ixvi. 34. q Gal.iv. 24.
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 439
*' trees, and willows of the brook '." With thcle
were they to conflrud: their booths. The He-
brew word rendered " boughs," lignifying fruit ;
the Jews chofe branches whicli had fruit on them.
That expreflion, ** boughs of goodly trees," is, in
the Chaldee Paraphrafe and Targuni of Jcrufa-
lem, rendered the pome-citron ; a tree which is
faid to bear fruit at all times, fome falling cff,
fome ripe, and fome fprouting out continually.
The Jewifh writers underiland the myrtle as
meant by " the boughs of thick trees." They
accordingly ufed branches of the pome-citroi:, of
the palm-tree, of the myrtle, and of the willow,
in conflruding their booths. Maimonides fays,
that fome of thefe trees were ufed becaufe of their
fragrance ^ The ufe made of them, on this oc-
caiion, might fitly reprcfent the fruitfulnefs of the
Church, and the fvveet odour of her graces, in that
period which the allufion to this feafl: refpects ;
efpecially as, in the language of Scripture, the
faints are faid to " flourilli like the palm-tree ' ;"
and the fuccefs of the gofpcl, in the converfion of
finners, is reprefented by the fpringing up of the
" myrtle"," and of ** willows by the water-cour-
" fes v.'»
The Ifraelites having conflrudled fuch booths,
were to leave their houfes, and lodge in them.
Vitringa, in applying this figure to the Church
under the New Tcftament, beautifully extends
his thoughts to the great diffufion of the gofpel,
E e 4 efpecially
r Lev. xxiii. 40. s More Nevochim, Par. 3. c. 43.
1 Pfil. «cii. 13, u Hi. xli. 19. ; 1*. 13. V Ifa. xliv. 4.
440 ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
efpecially towards the clofe of this difperifation. <■
" As in this feaft," he fays, " the Ifraelites ha-
" ving left their houfes, ereded tabernacles where-
*' ever they pleafed, in the fields and public places,
*' — fo Ihall it be as to the ilate of that church,
*' and efpecially in the laft times. She fliall leave
*' her Father'' s houfe ; flie fliall forfake the temple,
*' a fixed refidence truly,'with all its facred rites
*' and apparatus ; fhe fhall renounce external kin-
" dred and alliance ; and fliall live difperfed through
" the field, (for the field is the world), and fhall
*' worfhip God in fpirit and in truth, in this new-
*' born, and as it were renovated and flourifliing
*' age, in which all thi?igs new fhall grow and
" flourifli ; not conflned to a certain place, but
" having acquired the inheritance of the world ^'•'.''^
The fame learned writer, explaining thefe
words. Rev. vii. 15, " He that litteth on the throne,
*' (TxTjvwo-fi ett' auraj, fhall overfliadow them, or co-
" ver them with his fliadow," admits that they
contain an allufion to Ifa. iv. 5, 6, and to the
cloud of glory which overfhadowed the Ifraelites
in the wildernefs. But he at the fame time ob-
ferves, that there is an evident refpect to the ta-
bernacles, which the Ifraelites, according to the
law, conftruded of green boughs, in the feafl
which bore this name. *' If," fays he, *' it was fo
" pleafant to the Ifraelites, and filled them with
*' fuch hilarity and delight to pafs a few days
" with the greateft liberty, under the t^erdant co-
" ver of palms, myrtles and willows, having as it
" were
r'w De Syuagoga Yetere, Lib. 3. P. i. c. 5. p. 676.
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 44I
** were laid aiide their domcftic cares and trou-
" bles ; how much more glorious, lUfc and de-
" lightful, to b^ inumbnited by the glory of the
'* Lord itlclf in his temple, and to rejoice conti-
" nually in the pri\ileges and prerogatives of the
" heavenly fandliiary '• 1" He coniiders it as a con-
firmation of his idea, that it immediately follows ;
" The Lamb — ^Hiall lead them to living fountains
" of waters." For he views thefe words as con-
taining an allufion to another rite ufed in the
lame folcmnity, as lliull be afterwards explained.
It indeed deferves our atteiition, that the Ifrael,-
ites, in this feaft, did not merely commemorate
their dwelling in tabernacles, but God's making
liiem to do fo ; that is, his preferving them, while
they had no other outward defence. And how
did he thus '* make them to dwell in taberna-
" cles," but by being hinifelf a tabernacle to
them, " hiding them in his tent, in the fecret of
** liis tabernacle ^," by the protection of the pillar
of cloud. It is alfo worthy of obfervation, that the
temple, built by Solomon, was dedicated during
the time of the feall of tabernacles ^. Now, as
this temple prefigured t!ie natural body of Chrift,
it was alio a type of his myftical body the Church -^
Therefore, the dedication of it at this time might
prefigure the peculiar happinefs of Chrift's fpiri-
tual temple, in being " filled with the glory of
** the Lord ;" cfpecially in thofe days in which
the Church iliall celebrate the feall of tabernacles.
The
X In ApoT p. 411. y Pul. xxvii. 5. z i Kirgi v-'i. i. ;
% Chron. vii. S.— 10. a Epli. ii. zi
442 ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
The Jews did not merely ufe thefe branches in
conftruding their booths ; but carried in their
hands bundles of them, in their proceffions du-
ring this feaft : and they called the whole bundle
Ltdab, or the palm-branch ^. This has been ufed
by various nations as an emblem of victory. Vi-
tringa conjeftures, with great probability, that it
is in allulion to this cuftom, as it prevailed among
the Jews, that the Holy Spirit reprefents the
members of the Chriftian Church, as carrying
palms in their hands <^, to denote hv.r victory over
Antichrift. " This church," fays he, " conliit-
** ing of the confeflbrs of the truth, and of the
** eled: who fliall be gathered to it, fliall about
" this time celebrate that feaft of tabernacles,
** concerning which Zechariah hath propheiied 'I
" For it was the will of God that this feaft ftiould
** be a figure of thofe blefied and happy times,
^* which the church fhould enjoy on earth, after
" finifhing her ftruggles for the faith ^"
Another rite, performed with great folemnity,
was that of the draiuing of water. When the
parts of the morning facrifice were laid on the
altar, one of the priefts M^ent with a golden vef-
fel to the fountain of Shiloah, and drew water
out of it. As he returned, the trumpets were
founded, and the prieft himfelf, with the whole
alTembly, fung thefe words : " With joy fliall ye
*' draw water out of the wells of falvation 'V He
carried this water to the afcent of the altar, where
ftood
b Maimon. ap. Ainfw. in Lev. xxiii. 40. c Rev. vii. 5.
d Zech. xiv. 13. e In Apoc. vii. 9. f Ha. xii. 3. Vid.
Lampe in Julin vii. jj.
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMLNT. 44^
ilood two bafons. One of thclc contained wine. In-
to the other he put the water ; and liaving mixed
thenfi, he poured them out as a libation. Some
think that the Jews devifed this rite, in comme-
moration of thofe waters which miraculoufly fol-
lowed their fathers in the wildernefs. Others
fuppofe, that it contained a reference to the words
of Ifaiah, mentioned above . We learn from
Jewifh writers, tliat this ceremony was obferved
every morning of the feaft^ As they fung the
great Halld, confifting of the cxiii, cxiv, cxv,
cxvi, cxvii, and cxviii Pfalms at the time of this
libation, after the evening facrifice they began
their rejoicing for the pouring cut of 'water. So
great was this rejoicing, that it is a common fay-
ing with the Jewifli writers, that ** he who never
" faw the joy of the pouring out of wat .-, never
" faw joy in his life.'*
Although this rite was not cxprefsly inilitutcd
by God, he might providentially overrule it as an
emblem of what fhould talcc place under the gof-
pel, particularly of the effufion of the Holy Spirit
• as accompanying the difpenfation of ordinances.
We find, accordingly, that in the fiimc chapter
of Zechariah's prophecy, in which the future
Hate of the church is reprefcnted as the fcaft of
tabernacles, there is a remarkable prediction ot
the extenfive fuccefs of the gofpcl, under tliis very
emblem of water : ** And it Ihall be in that day,
" that living waters fliall go out from Jerufalem ;
" half of them toward the former fea, and half of
" them
g ir.i. xii. J. h Bortcncri Succa, ap. Dcyliuj. Ol^f. p- ^ca.+ov
444 ^^ T^^ FEAST OF TABERNACLES
** them toward the hinder fea ; in fummer and
*' in winter fliall it be '." Alfo, in the defcription
given of the fame happy Hate of' the Church, in
the Revelation, it is faid ; " And he Ihewed me a
" pure river of the water of life, clear as cryftal,
" proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the
*' Lamb. — Whofoever will, let him take the wa-
" ter of life freely K" The paflage to which the
Jews themfelves refer, in defcribing this folem-
nity, evidently refpeds the laft times, when God
fhall have " turned away his anger" from that
people. Then *' with joy" fliall they celebrate
the fpiritual feaft of tabernacles, by " drawing
*' water out of the wells of falvation '," by recei-
ving all new- covenant bleifnjgs, and particularly
the gracious influences of the Spirit from Chrift,
that " fountain of living waters," whom they
have fo long " forfaken."
It can fcarcely be doubted, that our Lord re-
ferred to the folemn rites of drawhij and o? pour-
ing out water, which were accounted of fuch ^im-
portance among the Jews, when on the laft day
of the feaft of tabernacles, he '* flood, and cried,
*' faying. If any man thirfl, let him come unto
** me and drink. He that believeth on me, as
" the Scripture -hath faid, out of his belly Ihall
*' flow rivers of living water "\" Did they rec-
kon it neceffary that this water fliould be drawn
from a fountain ? Here he exhibits himfelf as
" the fountain of life "." Would no water fuit
the
i Zech. xiv. 8. k Rev. xxi. r. 17. 1 Ifa. xii. 3.
m John vii. 57, 38. n Pfal, xxxvi, 9.
UNDUK 1 111. M.W TESTAMENT. 44«t
the occafion, but that of " Siloam, which is, by
" interpretation, Sent " ?" He proclaims him-
I'elf to them as the true antitype of the fountain
of Siloam, as he whom the Father had fent. Mud
this water be minp;lc(l with wine, and then be
poured out before the Lord ? In " pouring out
" his foul unto death," he was in a fhort time to
" come," both *' by water and blood P."
It deferves our particular obfcrvation, that the
ancient Jews explained the water fpoken of,
Ifu. xii. 3. of the Holy Spirit ; and the drawing
and pouring out of water, in the celebration of
this feaft, of the conununicatlon and effujion ot the
Spirit. For in the Jerufalem Talmud, when
mention is made of the joy which the ancient
Jews manifelted in drawing water on this occa-
lion, it is faid ; " Wherefore is it called the place
" of drawing ? Becaufe thence they draw the
*• Holy Spirit. For it is m ritten, With joy fliall
** ye draw w^ater out of the wells of falvation ."
As our Lord feems to refer to this curtom, when
he fays, " If any man thirll, let him come unto
*' me and drink ;" he alfo explains the Wuter, to
which he invites his hearers, of the Holy Spirit:
•* But this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that
" believe on him (hould receive '."
During this feaft, the Jews came once every
day into the court, and went about the altar,
with their palm-branches bending towards it, and
cried, " Holanna,". or, " Save now, O Lord ; O
*' Lord
o John is 7, p t John v. 6. q CoJ. Succa, ap. Dcyling.
yt fup. p. 4c 6. r Jjhu vii. 39.
44^ ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
" Lord fend now profpcrity I'* On the feventh
day, they went about the altar feven times, cry-
ing, " Hofanna I" Hence the Rabbins give to
this feaft the name of Hofanna ; and they call
the feventh day " the great Hofanna "." For the
fame reafon they are faid to have given the name
of Hofanna to their palm-branches \ Thus we
fee why the v/hole multitude, on occalion of
Chrift's triumphant entry into Jerufalem, " took
" branches of palm-trees and went forth to meet
" him," and cried out *' Hofanna to the Son of
" David ' I" As their Hofannas, during the feafl
of tabernacles, had an immediate reference to
the promifed Meffiah-, they here acknowledged
Chriil; in that character. The fcribes taught,
that the child, who knew how to wave the palm-
branch, was bound to carry it, that he might be
trained up in the doctrine of the commandments \
Accordingly, we find that when Chrilt entered,
even " the children cried in the temple, Hofanna
'* to the Son of David ."
The celebration of the New-Teftament feaft of
tabernacles, is evidently defcribed in allufion to
this folemn rite of the Hofanna, For as we have
feen that the members of the Church, in this pe-
riod, are reprefentcd as having *' palms in their
** hands ;" they alfo " cry with a loud voice,
" faying. Salvation to our God which fitteth on
" the throne, and unto the Lamb ''." The af-
cription
S Vid. Lampe in John vii. ,■^7. Lewis's Heb. Antiq. vol. ii. p. SpS,
t Angelus Caninius ap Vitring. in Apoc. vii. 10. u Mat. .\xi. 9 ;
John xii 13. V Mr.iiroii. in Shophar, ap. Ainfw. in Lev. xxiii. 40.
V7 Mat. xsi. J ^. X Rev. vii. lo.
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 447
Cription of falvation plainly refers to the prayer
toT fahation implied in the word Ho/anna. Vi-
tringa has obferved, that their afcribing this,
not only to God, but to the Lamb, fecms to allude
to a form of praife ufed in celebrating this feall ;
as explained by an obfervation in the Mifcbnah,
" I pray thee, O Lord give falvation ; O Lord,
** I pray thee fend profperity." Rabbi Jehu-
da hath faid, •' 1 and He, give thou falvation
" now >.*' As in this formulary forac fecret is
evidently concealed, Alting apprehends that it
involves the myftery of the Holy Trinity, from
which, under the name of three diftindt perfons,
(I, Thou, in the expreflion give thou, and He)y
they fupplicated affillance and grace, and to
which they * afcribed falvation^. This agrees
with the obfervation made by another learned
writer. Having remarked, that it is enjoined
in the Jevvifli rituals, that, on the feventh day of
the feall, they fliould ufe this language ; ** For
" thy fake, O our Creator, Hofanna ; for thy fake,
** O our Redeemer, Hofanna ; for thy fake, O
** our Seeker, Hofanna •," he adds, •* as if they
" addrcffed themfelvcs to the blclVed Trinity^ to
** fave them, and fend help to them •'."
It is the opinion of Vitringa, that there is flill
another allufion to the Jewifli mode of celebrating
this feafl:, in the account given of thofe who ap-
peared *' with palms in their hands." When
they cried, " Salvation to our God,"-^" all the
" angels
y Ego et lUe, falutcro prtrjla nunc. Id Rev. vii. lo. z Ap. Vitting.
ubi fup. a \x\\\s Hcb. Aiiliq. vol. ii. p. 55?
44^ ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
"" angels fell before the throne on their faces, and
" worlliipped God, faying. Amen ^." For in the
folemnization of that feail, while the words of
the Pfalms, which conllituted the great Hallel,
were recited by one perfon, at certain claufes the
whole congregation anfwered, Halleluia, and
fometimes repeated the claufes themfelves. As
the worfhip of the New-Teftament Church is, in
the book of Revelation, uniformly reprefented in
allulion to the temple-worfhip, we need not won-
der, as Vitringa obferves, that t;he angels are in-
troduced as joining in chorus with the palm-
bearers in this great fpiritual feaft, and as thus,
at the fame time, manifefting their love to Chrifl
• and to the Church.
Our Lord defcribes the converlion of the Jews,
in the latter days, in language borrowed from
this feall. After declaring, that, on account of
their rejection of him, " their houfe was left unto
" them defolate ;" he adds, " For I fay unto you,
" Ye fhall not fee me henceforth, till ye fnall fay,
" BlelTed is-he that corneth in the name of the
" Lord ^." Thefe words evidently contain the
re^fon of the preceding declaration, that " their
" houfe was left unto them defolate." It had
been their diitinguifliing mercy, although they
knew it not, that he, as " the MefTenger of the
" covenant, had come to his temple." Thus, the
glory of^the latter, far exceeded that of the for-
mer, h'-afe. *-. But "now he was about to leave
them. ; v /i:h uioh; vords, he clofes his public
minillry.
b Key, vii. Ji. n,' c Mat, xxiii. Z^> Z9'
DNDfiR THE NEW TESTAMENT. 449
miniftry. He was no more to appear in the tem-
ple, or indeed any where elfe, as a public teach-
er. His inftru6lions were afterwards delivered
" privately" to his difciples ''. In prono^incing
thcfc words, he takes a folemn leave of that
*' houfe," which was now converted into " a den
" of thieves." For the language of inlpiration,
immediately connected with them, certainly de-
notes fomething peculiar : " And Jefus went out,
•* and departed from the temple '-." He thus in-
forms them, that as a nation they Ihould fee him
no more in his public character, till they fliould
be made to acknowledge him as the true Mcffiah,
and by faith ♦* look upon him whom they had
'* pierced ' ;" when he Ihould come, in the gra"
cious influences of his Spirit, to *' turn away un-
** godlinefs from Jacob." Then Ihould they wel-
come him with a fmcere Hofanna. Then fliould
they celebrate the feaft of tabernacles in a new
manner, and joyfully acknowledge, that " Jei^g-
•* VAH himfelf was become their falvation &."
In the evening, when they proceeded to teftify
their joy for the etfuiion of water, the temple
was fo completely illuminated, by means of lights
placed fifty yards high, that, it is faid, there was
not a Itreet in Jerufalcm which was not light-
ed by them. iXlany alfo carried lighted torches
in their hands. Deyling fupjxjfes, that there is
an allufion to this cuftom in that beautiful invi-
tation given by believing Gentiles to the Jews ;
Vol. I. F f . " O
r
d Mat. xxiv. 3. ; Mark xiii- ;,. <e Mat. /xiv, i. f Ze:b. xji. 10.
; Ifa. xli. 2.
. 45° ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
** O houfe of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in
" the ligHt of the Lord'^." But as this cuftom
was not of divine inftitution, it muft be very
doubtful if it was fo ancient as the date of this
prophecy.
There is one ordinance, exprefsly of divine ap-
pointment in the celebration of this feaft, which
we camiot pafs over in iilence. There was a gra-
dual decreafe of the number of btdlocks to be of-
fered each day ; although there was the fame
number of rams, lambs, antl goats. Thus, on the
fu'ft day, thirteen bullocks were to be offered ;
on the fecond, twelve ; and fo on to the feventh,
on which day there were to be feven. On the
eighth, only one bullock was required ' As the
bullocks offered on the feven days were exactly
feventy, the Jews apprehend that thefe were to
make atonement for the Gentile nations, of which
they alfo reckon feventy, according to the ac-
count given of them in Gen. x. The llngle bul-
lock, to be offered on the eighth day, they con-
lider as meant to atone for the fins of Ifrael K
Various conjedlures have been made as to the
reafon of the diminution of the number of bul-
locks. Some view it as an emblem of the gra-
dual decreafe of religion, during the millennium,
till the time of Gog and Magog making their ap-
pearance '. But this idea carries in it one thing
extremely improbable ; — that this decreafe is to
commence nearly at the beginning of that period.
Others
h Ifa. ii. 5. Obf. Sac. p. 11. ObC 22. i Num. x.tix. 13. — ^6.
k Eenidhar Rabba, fetfl. 11. ap. Lewis, p. 606. 1 Witf. in Drat.
Dorain. Ex. ix. kd. 28.
UNDER'TIIE NEW TESTAMENT. 45 ^
Otlicrs think, that it iignified tlic wearing away
of legal facrificcs, that the Chuicli miglit be led
to a fpiritual and reafonable fervicc under the
New Telbiment •''.
IV. We may alio attend to the JcaJ'on of this
feaft. It was obferved at the end of the year,
in tlie fevcnth month, called by the Jews TT/ri
and Ethanim ", including part of our September
and Odober. This is defigned " the revolution
" of the year "'." Correipondent to this, the
Chriftian feaft of tabernacles is to be celebrated
" in the lail days." Then, indeed, the church
Ihall know a glorious ftvolution. This is that
" time of the end" fpoken of in Daniel, till
which " the words are clofed up, and fealed p."
It has been obferved, that the nnmhtx feven is,
in many refped:s, the moil remarkable number
mentioned in Scripture, and is a facred number
above all the reft ; that the Ifraelites were com-
iwanded, not only to obfcrve every feventh day as
a day of reft, but every fevcnth year as a fabbath
and year of reft ; and that the fevcnth mouth in
•every year, was a feftival and facred month, above
all other months in the year, as it included the
feaft of trumpets, the great day of atonement, the
feaft of tabernacles, and the feaft of ingathering.
In regard to this facred number, the feaft of ta-
bernacles, obferved (oy fcfven days, in the fcve fit h
month, has been fuppofed to point out the very
Ff2 time
m Ainfvr. on Num. xxix. 17 n i Kings viii. z.
o Fxod. xxxiv. 1:. Hjb. p Dm. xii. >}.
45^ ON THE FEAST OF TABEtlKACiLES
time when the millennium fhall take place, — in
the feventb and laji thoufand year's of the world '3.
It is an opinion, indeed, that hath prevailed both
among Jews and Chrillians, that as, in the old
creation, God wrought fix days, and refted on the
feventh ; and as with him a thoufand years are
as one day ; he will carry on his work in the new
creation /"or fix thoufand years, in preparing his
Church for her glorious fabbatjfm in this world,
on the feventh.
V. This feafl was celebrated at the fame time
with that of ingatheri?igy which they were to ob-
ferve when they had ** gathered in their labours
" out of the field ''." Some apprehend, that the
feaft of ingathering was to be obferved only on the
eighth or lall day of the feaft of tabernacles ^ But
this is undoubtedly a miltake. For the fame days
are appointed for each. " The fifteenth day of the
" feventh month fhall be the feaft of tabernacles
" for feven days. — Alfo, on the fifteenth day of
" the feventh month, when ye have gathered in
" the fruit of the land, ye ihall keep a feaft unto
" the Lord feven days^" Thus, thefe two feafts
are, by divine authority, evidently conjoined ;
and the Ifraelites are required to obferve the feaft
of ingathering, that they may exprefs their gra-
titude to God for his goodnefs in giving them
their harveft : " Thou flialt obferve the feaft of
'' tabernacles feven days, after that thou haft ga-
" there(J
q See Hopkins on tJie Millennium, fecft. iii. r Exod. xxiii. i6.
s Lewis, b, iv. c, xxi. p, 604. t Lev. xxiji. 34. 35.
UI^DER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 453
" thered in tliy corn and thy wine. And thou
♦' flialt rejoice in thy tcaft, thou, and thy fon, nnd
«* thy daughter, and thy man-lcrvant, and thy
" maid-fcrvant, and the Levite, the ftrangcr, and
" the fatherlefs, and the widow, tliat arc within
•' thy gates. Seven days (halt thou keep a folemn
" fcaft unto the Lord thy God, in the place which
" the Lord thy God flvall choofe, becaufe the
" Lord thy God ftiall blefs thee in all thy in-
" creafe, and in all the works of thy hands, there-
" fore thou fhalt furely rejoice "." The feaft of
Pentecojf, or weeks, was alfo called the feafl of
harvej}. But it was totally diftind froni this,
both in inftitutlon and defign. The feall of har-
vell refpcded only the fir ft- fruits of their labours.
The feaft of ingathering, as its name fignifies,
refpcacd the completion of their labours, when
they gathered in all their corn and oil, and fmifli-
ed their vintage ^■.
How fitly does this reprefent that blifsful pe-
riod, when the Church lliall at once celebrate the
feaft of tabernacles, and of ingathering ; when
Ihe fhall not only commemorate tlie former good-
nefs of the Lord her God, in prefcrving her in
the wihlernefs, but celebrate his prefent goodncfs
in giving her fo rich a harveft of fouls ; nay, in
the cxercife of taith, anticipate his future good-
nefs, and praife him becaufe he " fhall blefs her
" in all her increafe, and in all the works ot her
"hands'." How often is this period propheti-
cally defcribed, in language borrowed from *' the
F f 3 " joy
uDcut.xvi.13.-T5. ^ Eiod. xxiii x5.
454 ON I'HE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
** joy of harvefl I" Thus it is declared ; '' They
" fhall come and fing in the height of Zion,'*
that is, in the 7?wuntai?i of the gofpel Church, as
of old they came and fung in the literal hill of
God, *' and fhall flow together to the goodnefs of
*' the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil,
" and for the young of the flock, and of the herd :
*' and their foul fhall be as a watered garden, and
*' they fliall not forrow any more at all. Then
" fhall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both
*' young men and old together; for I will turn
" their mourning into joy, and will comfort
" them, and make them rejoice from their for-
" row ^^." " For how great is his goodnefs, and
" how great is his beauty 1 corn fhall make the
*' young men cheerful, and new wine the maids '^."
The converts to true Chrillianity, in this period,
are themfelves compared to an abundant harvefl :
*' The floors fhall be full of wheat, and the fats
"fhall overflow with wine and oil>." All the
fuccefs of the gofpel, which the Church hath hi-
therto known, fhall then appear to have been only
as the Jir/{-f?~mts before the harveft. Then the
" fulnefs of the Gentiles fliall be come in, and all
" Ifrael fliall be faved ^"
VI. Som^e have remarked the connexion be-
tween the great day of ato?iement and the feaft of
tabernacles. " On the tenth day" of the feventh
month, that is, five days before the commence-
ment
vv Jer. xxxi. I2, 13. x Zech. ix, 17. y Joel ii. 24.
2 Rom. xi. 25, 26.
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT, 455
nient of the fcaft of- tabernacles, " was their ari-
" niial and molt folemn fait, on which they were
'* to confefs their lins, and aiflid: their Ibuls, and
" atonement was made for thciii : which was a
'* figure of the repentance and extraordinary hu-
** niiliation to which the inhabitants of the world
" lliall be brought, by the i)reaching of the gof-
" pel, attended with the dilpenfations of divine
" providence fuited to promote this, previous to
*' their being raifcd up to the prolpcrity and joy
*' of that day. iVnd then the joyful feall — came
" on, on the fifteenth day of the fame month \"
This folemn fall efpecially included two things,
a cerevionial atonement, and a moral repentance.
The high-prieft was to make atonement by iU-
crifice ; the Ifraelites were alio to ** affli(fl tlieir
** fouls ''." The ceremonial atonement had its com-
pletion in the one offering of Jefus Chrill:, by
which he *' hath for ever perfeded them that are
" fanditied." In this reiped tlie day of atone-
ment can have no proper antitype in the period
referred to. Indeed, if we conlider the eflicacy
of this atonement, or the application of the blood
of this glorious Sacrifice, there may be fome rela-
tion. For all thole who fliall come up " to keep
** the feafl: of tabernacles" in a right manner, fhall
previoully by faith come to " the blood of fprink-
" ling." The efticacy of this atonement, made
by our great High-prieil, hath never yet reached
the ** congregation of Ifrael" according to the
flefh. But various prophecies point out their ♦' re-
F f 4 " ceiving
a Hopkinj on the Milleniiiunj, fr A. iii. b Ltv. xvi jo — -. i
45^ ON THE TEAST OF TABERNACLES
** ceiving the atonement," before they participate
in this joyful feaft. Particularly, as it is declared,
that " the Lord will create upon every dwelling-
*' place of Mount Zion, and upon all her aflem-
" blies, a cloud and fmoke by day ;'* and that
" there iliall be a tabernacle in the day-time, for
" a fhadow from the heat ;" it is previoufly fore-
told, that " the Lord fhall walh away the filth of
*' the daughter of Zion," and *' purge the blood
*' of Jeruialem from the midft thereof, by the fpi-
•' rit of judgment, and by the fpirit of burning*^."
We alfo learn from the prophecy of Zechariah,
that, before the celebration of this feaft, in confe-
quence of the effulion of" the Spirit of grace and
" of fupplication, upon the houfe of David, and
" upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, — they fliall
" look upon Him whom they have pierced "." By
faith they fhall behold Him " whom God hath fet
*' forth to be a propitiation."
Another part of the high-prieft's work, on the
great day of atonement, might alfo refer to thefe
laft times. He was to " make an atonement for
" the holy fanftuary, and for the tabernacle of
** the congregation, and for the altar ^" This
is called " reconciling the holy place ^." Now,
in that part of the prophecy of Ezekiel, which is
generally underftood as containing a defcription
of the glory of the Church in the latter days,
there is an evident allufion to this ordinance. It
is declared, that the " fanduary" fhall be " clean-
" fed," and the " houfe" be ** reconciled." Al-
though the language of the old difpenfation be
> ufed,
c Ifa, iv/4. — 6, d Zech. xii. lo. e Lev. xvl 33. f Ver. 2s,
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 457
ufcd, as the paffagfe'' undoubtedly refers to the
new, it mult be undcrftood in a Ipirituul lenle.
Thus is the Church to be prepared for keeping
the gofpel paflbver, and feaft of tabernacles. As
the court of the temple, and " the holy city," arc
♦* given unto the Gentiles," to be " trodden under
" foot forty and two months '," during the ty-
ranny of Antichrill ; and as the fubfequent mea-
furing of the temple S clearly correfponds with
tlic meafuring of it as defcribed by Ezekiel ',
there is every reafon to think, that the " clean-
*' fing" of " the fanduary" denotes that real and
fcriptural holinefs, which fhall charaderizc the
Church of God, and all the ordinances of religion.
Then fhe (hall appear as •' the holy city," into
which " there fhall in nowile enter any thing
'' that defileth ■^." Then " he that is left in Zion,
" and he that remaincth in Jerufalem, lliall be
" called holy •,— when the Lord fliall have wafh-
" ed away the filth of the daughter of Xion"."
On the great day of atonement, the Ifraelites
%vere alfo called to prefent *' the facrifices of a
'' broken and a contrite heart." In this refpecl:
ihall both Jews and Gentiles be prepared for ce-
lebrating the feaft under confideration. It is par-
ticularly foretold concerning the Jews, that, in
confequcnce of " looking" by taith " upon him
*♦ whom they have pierced, they fliall mourn for
*' him, as one mourncth for an only Ion, and be
*' in bitternefs fur him as one is in bittcrncfs for
" a firft-born." So great, and lb general fhall
this
h Ezek. xlv. 18—13. i Rev. m. t. k Rev. xti. 15.
1 Ezek- xl. 3. 8fc. m Rev x»i. i. 17- n Tu. i4 5, 4.
458 OK THE FEAST OF TABEPvNACLES
this mourning be, that the only inllance in their
whole hiftory, that may be eonfidered as an. em-
blem of it, is the univerfal lamentation of Judah
and Jerufalem on occafion of the death of the
good king Joliah °. " In that day fhall there be
" a great mourning in Jerufalem, as the mourn-
" ing of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megid-
"donP."
VII. The millemiiuni may be called the feafl: of
tabernacles, to denote the fpiritual'ity of that pe-
riod. The Ifraelites then left their lioufcs and
other conveniencies, to live in booths feven days.
The Chriftian Church may be reprefented as keep-
ing this feaft, to fignify, that her members, during
that period, Ihall live as if they were unconned:ed
with the world. They fliall ilill remember the
uncertainty of their earthly ftate, and keep in eye
the diiTolution of the " earthy houfe of this taber-
" nacle." They fliall, in a remarkable degree^
" fet their affections on things above." This idea
agrees well with the prophecy following that con-
cerning this Chriftian feaft, in which the great
holinefs of the Church is defcribed, as manifeft-
ing itfelf, not merely in the duties of religion,
but in the common affairs of life, as pervading
the whole condu6l of her members : " In that
" day fhall there be upon the bells of the horfes,
" Holiness unto the Lord ; and the pots in the
" Lord's houfe fhall be like, the bowls before the
" altar. Yea, every pot in Jerufalem and in Ju-
" dab fnall be Holinefs unto the Lord of Hofts :
" —and
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 459
**— .and in that clay there lliall be no more the
" Canaanite in the houl'e of the Lord of Hofls 'i.*'
VI I r. Onthe eiglithor hfl day of the fcaft, there
was " a holy coiivocation '," or " folemn afl'em-
** bly .'* They were to " do no fervile work therc-
" in." It was to be obfcrvcd as " a Sabbath f."
On this day they returned from their booths to
their houfes. This was generally called the eighth
day of the feaft of tabernacles ; though fome reckon
it as entirely a dillind fciift. Tlie Jew?, however,
continued the mofl: of the rites, as on the fornier
days, and particularly that of drnwinj water ;
and they called it ** the great day of the feaft ^'."
The Jews aflign various reafons for giving it this
name. That mentioned by Philo ftcms to be as
likely as any other. *' The eighth day," he fay?,
*' excels the reft, and it is called the t^oSiov, or
" conclufion, not merely of this feaft, but of all
** the feafts of the year. For it is the conclufion
** of the year, and a more ftable and facred bound-
*' ary ; as thofe who have received their harveft,
" are no more vexed with anxious fears of ftcrili-
" ty \'* " We go," fays Maimonidcs, " from the
" feaft of tabernacles to another folcmnity upon
** the eighth day. It tends to make our joys pcr-
" fed: ; which could not be done in tabernacles,
" but in large and fpacious houfes and palaces ^'■."
Therefore, this day furpafled all the former in
joy and feftivity.
Spanhcim
q Zcch. xiv. 20, n. t Lev. xxiii. 36. s Numb xxix. 35. .
t Lev. xxiii. 39. u John rii. 37. v De Sepscn. et Fe(l:s.
w More Ncvoch. P. 3. c. 4>
460 ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Spanheim thinks, that this day of the feaf?
prefigured the great cotrjocation of the faints in
heaven, or of the Church triumphant, after the
tapfe of '* feven days" in the tabernacles of this
life, in her militant Hate ^. And undoubtedly
the keeping of our feaft of tabernacles will be fuc-
ceeded by the folemn affembly of all the faints.
They fliall leave their tabernacles, their tempo-
rary relidences below, to enter into that " houfe
" not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
They fhall " reil from their labours ;" and en-
joy a perfect and everlafting fabbatlfm. There
fhall be a continuation of the fame feaft. But
it fhall be celebrated in a far more glorious man-
ner. This fliall be the conclufion of all their pre-
ceding feafts. Here fhall the joy of them all be
concentrated, and inconceivably furpaffed. Now,
for a fhort time joy enters into the hearts of the
faints. Then, they fhall " enter into joy." Now,
joy muft often given place to forrow. Then, they
fliall be crowned with joy. " Everlafting joy
*' fliall be upon their heads."
It muft be gratifying to the reader, to know
the judgment of the great Edwards on this im-
portant fubjed *. After quoting Zech. xiv. 16. —
19., he fays ; " 'Tis evident by all the context,
that the glorious day of the Church of God in
the latter ages of the world, is the time fpoken
of. — There were three great feafts in Ifrael, at
which
X Chronolog. Sac. P. i. cap. 15. fecfl. 9.
* The Centiments of this eminent writer could not be inferted in thofe
parts ofi this eflfiy to which they properly belong ;■ as the grcateft part of it
V7as punted tefoie I rrct with the palTigf,
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT, 461
which all the males were appointed to go up
-to Jeriifalem ; the Fcaft of the Paflbver ; and
the Feaft of the Fiid-fruits, or the Feaftof Pen-
tecoft ; and the Feafl: of Ingathering, at the end
of the year, or the Fealt of Tabernacles. In th'e
firft of thcfe, viz. the Fcaft of the Paflbver, was
reprefented the purchafe of redemption by Jcfus
Chrift the pafchal lamb, that was flain at the time
of that feaft. The other two, that followed it,
were to reprcfcnt the two great fcafons of the ap-
plication of the purchafed redemption. In the
former of them, viz. the Feaft of the Firft-fruits,
which was called the Feaft of Pentecoft, was re-
prefented that time of the outpouring of the Spi-
*rit, that was in the firft ages of the Chriftian
Church, for the bringing in the firft-fruits of
Chrift's redemption, which began at Jerufalem
on the day of Pentecoft. The other, which was
the Feaft of Ingathering, at the end of the year,
which the children of Ifrael were appointed to
keep on occafion of their gathering in their corn
and their wine, and all the fruit of their land, and
was called the Feaft of Tabernacles, reprefented
■ the other more joyful and glorious fcafon of the
application of Chrift's redemption, which is to be
in the latter days ; the great day of ingathering
of the elect, the proper and appointed time of
gathering in God's fruits, when the Angel of the
Covenant ftiall thruft in his fickle, and gather the
harveft of the earth ; and the clufters of the vine
of the earth ftiall alfo be gathered. This was
upon many accounts the greateft feaft of the
three. — The tabernacle of Cod was firft fet up
among
462 ON- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
among the children of Ifrael, at the time of the
Feaft of Tabernacles ; but, in that glorious time
of the Chriltian Church, God will above all
other times fet up his tabernacle amongfl men :
" And I heard a great voice out of heaven, fay-
** ing, The tabernacle of God is with men, and
" he will dwell with them, and they fhall be his
" people, and God himfelf fhall be with them,
" and be their God ''■." The world is fuppofed
to have been created about the time of the year
wherein the Feafl of Tabernacles was appointed \
fo, in that glorious time, God will create a new
heaven and a new earth. The temple of Solo-
mon was dedicated at the time of the Feaft of Ta-
bernacles, when God defcended in a pillar of
cloud, and dwelt in the temple ; fo, at this happy
time, the temple of God fhall be glorioufly built
up in the world, and God fhall in a wonderful
manner come down from heaven to dwell Vv^ith hii
Church. Chrift is iuppofed to have been born at
the Feaft of Tabernacles ; fo, at the commence-
ment of that glorious day, Chrift fhall be bom ;
then, above all other times, fhall " the woman
" clothed with the fun, with the moon under her
" feet, that is in travail, and pain to be deliver-
" ed, bring forth her Son to rule all nations ^."
The Feaft of Tahernacles was the laft feaft that
Ifrael had in the whole year, before the face of
the earth was.deftroyed by the winter : prefently
after the rejoicings of that feaft wei'e paft, a tem-
peftuous feafon began, i'* Sailing was now dan-
*' gerous, becaufe the feaft was now already paft ^"
- So
y Rev. xxi. 3. z Rev. xii. 1. — 5. a Ails sxvii. 9.
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT. 4OJ
So this great feaft of the ChriAian Church ^\ ill
be tlie laft feall Ihe fliall have on earth : foon af-
ter it is part, this lower world will be dellroyed.
At tlie Feaft of 'I'abernacles, Ifrael.lcft their hoiifes
to dwell in booths or green tents ; which fignifies
the great weanednefs of God's people from the
-world, as pilu;riois and ftrangers on the eartl),
and their great joy therein. Ifrael were prepared
for the Feaft of Tabernacles, by the Feaft of Trum-
pets, and the day of Atonement, both in the fame
month ; lb way ftiall be made for the joy of the
Church of God, in its glorious ftate on earth, by
the extraordinary preac^iing of the gofpel, and
deep repentance and humiliation for pail fms, and
the great and long-continued deadnefs and carna-
lity of the vilible Church. Chrift, at the great
Feaft of Tabernacles, ftood in Jerufalem and
*' cried, faying, If any man thirft, let him come
" unto me, and drink," &-c. : fignifying the ex-
traordinary freedom and riches of divine grace
towards fmners at that day, and the extraordinary
meafures of the Holy Spirit that fliall be then
given : agreeable to Rev. xxi. 6., and xxii. 17."
' The threatening denounced againft thofe who
Ihall not come up to keep this feaft, that upon
them JhaJl be no rain, he underftands as figni-
fying that ** they fliall have no ftiare in that
fliower of divine blcfling that fliall then defcend
on the earth, that fpiritual rain fpoken of, Ifa. xliv.
3., but that God would give them over to hardnefs
of heart and blindnefs of mind *."
Let
* Edwards oa the Rcvival of RclIgion*in Nrw Fnjlaml, p. 6i.— 63.
4^4 ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES, 6tC.
Let us firmly believe the predidtlons and pro-
miles of God with refpecS to this glorious period ;
and take comfort, in the prefent low ftate of the
Church, from the affurance that he " fhall arife,
" and have mercy upon Zion." Although it fhould
be our lot to fee Hill darker times, even times of
general calamity ; " figns in the fun, and in the
" moon, and in the ftars ; and upon the earth di-
*' ftrefs of nations, with perplexity, the fea and
'* the waves roaring :'* let us not be dejeded, but
remember that Jefus hath faid ; *' When thefe
" things begin to come to pafs, then look up, and
*' lift up your heads ; for your redemption draw-
'* eth nigh." Let us anticipate the accomplilli-
ment of the promifes with refped: to the future
glory of the Church, and " rejoice before the LoRp,
" becaufe he cometh." Let it be our daily con-
cern, earneftly to pray for his coming, and to look
for this blcffed event ; faying, in the exercife of
holy defire, conjoined *with a lively faith ; " .^!|«*fe
*' O God, judge the earth : for thou fhalt inherit
'' all nations I"
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
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