intellect, and dullness of sentiment as to morality and religion, which, though controlled and overruled by Providence, so as to prevent them from defeating the great objects of the divine dis- * pensations, which these individuals were otherwise qualified to

"veniences from a change in the order of nature, and violence done to elections." On the preceding paragraph his Annotator very truly remarks, "The history of the "Jewish nation affords good instances of this: what an apparatus of outward means "was continually made use of in the government of that stiff-necked people! What "frequent murmurings, rebellions and apostasies were permitted and then punished! "What numerous miracles, both of the remunerative and vindictive kind, were ap"plied, in order to bring them to some tolerable sense of their dependence on God, "and suitable practice of the duties resulting from it! All which would have been 66 unnecessary at least, if one miracle exerted on their minds could have done the "business if their understandings could as well have been illuminated, and their "wills reformed at once; and if their practice produced by this means, and, as it 66 were, extorted from them, would have been equally agreeable to the Deity. And "in this, as well as many other respects, they seem to have been types and representa"tives of all mankind."

Archbishop King's idea of the nature of God's moral government, in Subsect. v. of the same chapter, seems to me so just, and to cast so much light on many facts and arguments considered in this Work, I cannot forbear transcribing it. "As it would be prejudicial to man, to all nature, for God to hinder bad elections "by his absolute power, so nothing can be conceived so disagreeable to himself. "We have said, that God made the world, in order to have something whereon to "exercise his attributes externally. But since he has several attributes, he cannot "exercise them all in every thing alike his power, therefore, exerts itself chiefly "in one thing, his wisdom and goodness in another. He exercised his power in "creating the world and putting it into motion; his goodness and wisdom in the "order and agreement of things. But the Divine Wisdom seems to have set apart "the government of free agents as its peculiar province; herein it fully exercises "itself, and acts up to its infinity; for if it were finite, it would not be equal to so great a task. It does not seem a very extraordinary thing for God to be able to govern and absolutely direct such beings as are merely passive, and deprived of "all motion of their own, whereby they might make resistance; for those things "obey easily which do not move but when they are moved, neither is there need "of infinite wisdom to govern them; for infinite power with a moderate use of "wisdom would have been sufficient. That there might be a subject, therefore, "whereon the infinite wisdom of God should display itself, he created free agents; "which being as it were put out of his power and left to themselves, might act in "a manner independent of his will. It is evident to any person, how much more "difficult it is, and how much greater exercise of wisdom it requires, to direct a "multitude of these to a certain end, and make them conspire to the common good, "than to order brute beasts, and such as have no power of themselves, in what 66 manner you please. To them that consider the vast multitude of free agents, "which is almost infinite, and their independence (since every one is, at least in 66 many cases, absolute master of his own actions, and is permitted by God to act 66 according to that liberty) God seems to have given a specimen of the extent of his "wisdom, which is able thus certainly and effectually to bring to the end proposed

promote, yet should always prevent us from considering them as held forth by Scripture as, in every instance of their conduct, favored of God and to be imitated by man. In general, indeed, this is expressly noted in the Scripture itself, and an imme

“so many free spirits, so many agents that were in a manner set at liberty from "his dominion, and committed every one to his own government. Here is the 'proper place for wisdom, wherein setting aside and in a manner suspending the "exercise of his power, he attains his ends by prudence only, by mere dexterity of "acting; and brings it to pass, that so many jarring wills, depending on themselves "alone, and no more inclined to either side by the divine Power, than if there "were no such thing, shall yet conspire together to promote the good of the uni"verse." Colliber's opinion, as quoted by Law, shall close this already too long note, for which the importance of the subject will, it is hoped, apologize. "It "was highly suitable," (says this judicious writer)" to the Divine Wisdom, in the "government of the world, both to pre-ordain some of the principal events, with "relation to the entire human community, or to the more considerable parts of it, "and to reserve to himself a right of interposing, and influencing particular agents; as in other cases, so more especially in order to the accomplishment of these events. "That he has actually done so, is abundantly evident from Scripture prophecies "and histories; and that in so doing he has acted in a manner most worthy his "wisdom, is no less manifest. For hereby it appears, that the divine government "is equally opposed to chance and destiny. Had the Deity taken no care of futu"rity, but left every man to the conduct of his own inclination, and natural effects "in general to the influence of their causes without ever interposing to direct them "to the attainment of his great design, this would have been almost in effect to di"vest himself of the government of rational agents, and to subject their affairs to "chance, and to the hazard of the utmost disorder and confusion; or had he on "the contrary, absolutely or fatally determined every event, though this would have "been far enough from divesting himself of the government of the world, yet it "would have been a government unworthy of the Deity, a government entirely ex"clusive of all proper sin and punishment, virtue and reward; wherein he himself "would have been in effect the only agent, and we the creatures stupid and pas"sive; whereas, by pre-ordaining the more material events and suffering the crea"tures freely to exert their faculties in all convenient cases, he appears most wisely "to have chosen the middle way, and thereby to have equally avoided the mischiefs "of both extremes."

For more on this difficult subject, I refer to King's Work at large, to which, as far as appears to me, no adequate answer has been given. I would also entreat the iuquiring reader to consider what has been advanced by Butler, in his Analogy, Part I. ch. iii. Of the moral government of God; ch. vi. Of the opinion of necessity, as influencing practice; and ch. vii. Of the government of God, as being imperfectly comprehended; as well as ch, v. Of a state of moral discipline, He would soon be convinced how idly, ignorant and superficial sceptics object to what God has done; from their wild theories as to what, in their opinions, he might, should, or could have done.

*This is remarkably conspicuous in the cases of Samson and Eli, David and Solomon.

diate punishment declared to be inflicted for their offences. Where it is not, we are undoubtedly called on to compare their conduct with the PERFECT MODEL of our LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, and by this comparison judge how far they are worthy of our imitation; adopting the sentiment of the Apostle, who declared, *" For such an High Priest became us, who "is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and "then for the people for this he did once, when he offered up "himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, "maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore."

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I shall here close these remarks, by entreating my younger readers, that in considering this as well as every succeeding part of the Jewish dispensation, they may recollect, that the effects arising from it were at no one period so complete and extensive, as to justify us in supposing the state of things at that period was that on which Providence rested as perfect and final. No, it was still a system in progress. To this hour the Jewish scheme is yet in progress. Important as are the effects it has already produced, still the singular situation of this people at this moment, (outcast as they appear to be from the kingdom of Christ,) when compared with the prophetic declaration of their future conversion, after the "fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in," must convince us, that we cannot yet fathom the counsels of God, in the entire series of the divine economy. Yet we perceive its perpetual tendency :-sometimes to produce in the whole mass of the Jewish nation, an increasing sense of virtue and religion, by counteracting their prejudices and errors, and punishing their crimes and apostasies; sometimes leading a chosen few within the bosom of this nation, to far higher attainments in piety, and making them the instruments of impressing religious instruction, and religious sentiments, not so much on their immediate countrymen, as on remote nations in remote ages; and thus at a great distance preparing the way for the Christian scheme.

Finally, let it be recollected, that the design of the Jewish economy was not solely or chiefly to preserve the Jews themselves

in perfect separation from the surrounding nations, and in perfect obedience to the divine law; so that where this effect was not fully produced, it should be supposed to have failed in accomplishing its purpose. No, the GREAT OBJECT of this dispensation was, to preserve in the world, a STANDING MONUMENT and a standING PROOF OF THE UNITY, THE SUPREMACY, AND THE PROVIDENCE OF

JEHOVAH. And this effect was perpetually and uniformly produced in all the periods, and by all the events of the Jewish history. Whether the Jews were obedient and prosperous, or idolatrous and depressed, in their apostasies and captivities, as well as their repentance and restorations, the power and providence of Jehovah were equally conspicuous. And, so far as concerned the great bulk of mankind, the interests of religion equally promoted and secured, and that providential dispensation successfully conducted, which was necessary to prepare for and introduce the GOSPEL of CHRIST.

LECTURE III.

SANCTIONS OF THE JEWISH LAW.

SECT. I.-Objections against the Mosaic Law, from its employing temporal sanctions— and visiting the iniquities of the fathers on the children. Warburton's opinion on this subject-his Work incomplete-his reasoning not perfectly conclusive-how far I agree with, and how far I differ from, his opinion. Two conclusions seem true: first, that Moses employed temporal sanctions in his Law: second, the history of the Old Testament shows he believed a future state, and contains a gradual development of it. Moses employs temporal sanctions both nationally and individually—This ac counted for-from the nature of the Jewish theocracy-Reality of the extraordinary providence exercised over the Jews proved in this Work, without resorting to Warburton's medium-Temporal sanctions sufficient-necessary to confute idolatry-adapted to the intellectual and moral character of the Jews-best mode of introducing the doctrine of a future state with effect-a necessary part of the theocracy—exemplified to man the principles of God's moral government.

DEUTERONOMY, xxx. 15, 16.

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee "this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments. and "his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God "shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it."

In reviewing the system of religion and policy established by the Jewish Lawgiver, two circumstances claim particular attention: one, that the rewards and punishments of a future life were not inculcated by Moses as sanctions of his laws; and the other, that he has employed as a sanction the declaration, that "God would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children "to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him; and "show mercy unto the thousandth generation of them who should "love him, and keep his commandments.*

Both these circumstances have been the subject of long and warm discussion. The former has been objected to as an omission of necessary truth, which no genuine revelation could

* Exod. xx. 5, 6.