This vengeance has eminently pursued the royal family. On the devoted head of an unfortunate prince, have the crimes of his fathers, and efpecially of that vain-glorious tyrant and cruel perfecutor Louis XIV., been vifited. "What," may A it be faid, "was he not lefs guilty, nay, a more "amiable man, and a better prince, than the moft "of his predeceffors?" We admit it. But fuch is the myfterious nature of the divine difpenfation. The wicked Ahab was fpared, and Jehoram fuffered, who, although he wrought evil, did not do fo "like his father, and like his mother." Jeroboam, that great tranfgreffor, was fuffered to die in peace; and the vengeance laid hold of his pofterity, although not fo infamous as he for perfonal iniquity. Let it be admitted, that the enemies of Louis had no right to take his life; this does not alter the character of the punishment, aş proceeding from the Supreme Judge. It is perfectly confiftent with his fpotlefs holinefs, to employ even the wrath of man." He hath" crea"ted the wafter to deftroy." He, who raifed up a Jehu against the house of Ahab, hath raised up wicked and bloodthirsty men as the inftruments of his vengeance against the house of Bourbon. Louis XVI. did not fhed the blood of the faints. He even manifefted a spirit of toleration. But he was not humbled on account of that iniquity committed by his ancestors. Although he did not work evil like unto them, he "clave to the fins of “Jeroboam," by retaining "the mark of the "beast," 2 Kings iii. 2. 2 "beaft." He adhered to the mother of harlots, and thus became a "partaker of her plagues." The vengeance of God hath alfo been eminently displayed against the clergy of France, who have, in former ages, been the great inftigators and inftruments of the perfecution of the faints. As to them, there could not be a literal execution of the threatening. But God deals with focieties as with families. As parents are perpetuated in their pofterity, focieties, as has already been seen, are viewed as ftill the fame bodies, notwithstanding the change of individuals. God views fucceffors as adopting the fins of those who have preeeded them, and fubjecting themselves to the deferved puuishment; in as far as they adopt those very principles which have naturally produced fuch fins. Now, Popery is always the fame. It is a religion that fhall be overthrown, but can never be reformed. Whatever be the conduct or difpofitions of individuals, the general character of her votaries is, that they "repent not of their "deeds P." Parents, mark what a ftriking beacon is here fet up to deter you from fin. Do you love the fruit of your body? Shew the fincerity of this love, by hating and avoiding fin; left you subject your children to a judicial vifitation from the righteous Judge. Are you eager to lay up treafure for them? Take heed that it be not a trea fure of wrath. If you endeavour to accumulate wealth for their behoof, by unrighteous means, K 4 .you x Rev. xvi. 9. 11. 1 you indeed leave them a wretched inheritance,` Are you fhocked at the cruelty of those parents who of old devoted their children to the murderous Moloch? Tremble, left you be found chargeable with cruelty ftill more fatal, as terminating in the deftruction of their immortal fouls. What encouragement have you to love that gracious God, who " God, who "keepeth mercy for thou"fands!" Let your prayers daily reach the throne in behalf of your beloved children. Let them daily witnefs your holy converfation. Both may be bleffed of God, as means of their eternal falvation. What comfort muft it afford you, if you be inftrumental in bringing them to the participation of that mercy which he extends to yourselves! Let thofe, who are the children of wicked parents, avoid their evil example. Nor is this enough. The Lord requires of you, that you be humbled in his fight on account of their iniquities. He requires, that you should come to his throne with this language in your lips, as proceeding from the heart: "We have finned with our fathers. We lie down in our fhame, "and our confufion covereth us: for we have "finned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, " and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our "God 9.?? 9 Pfal. cvi. 6.; Jer. iii. 25.) SECT SECTION VI. On the Destruction of the Nations of Canaan.Preliminary obfervations.-This Punishment confiftent with Divine Juftice. Contained a fignal difplay of Wisdom, and even of Goodness.-Objections answered. It has been commonly urged by Deifts, as a powerful argument against the truth of the Old Teftament, that it is utterly inconceivable that God fhould enjoin the Ifraelites to exterminate the nations of Canaan. The idea, it has been faid, is totally irreconcilable with divine justice, and with the other perfections of Deity. Hence it has been inferred, that God never gave any fuch command; and of confequence, that thofe writings, in which it is afcribed to him, must be a grofs impofition upon mankind. But let us attend to the primary fact. Thefe nations were either destroyed, in part at least, by the Ifraelites, or they were not. It is fcarcely fuppofable, that any will adopt the latter hypothefis. How can it otherwise be imagined, that the Ifraelites got poffeffion of the country formerly belonging to the Canaanites? That the Ifraelites were not the first inhabitants, appears unde niable, 1 niable, not only from the conftant acknowledgment of this people, but from various veftiges in profane hiftory. Some of thefe have been formerly confidered. Were it neceffary, a variety of others might be produced. According to Procopius, a celebrated writer of the fixth century, many of the Girgafhites, Jebufites, and other Canaanitish nations, fettled at Tingis, now Tangier, in Africa. "There," he fays, "nigh a large "fountain, appear two pillars of white ftone, ha"ving this infcription engraved on them in Phe"nician characters, We are those who fled from "the face of Joshua, the son of Nave, the rob"ber." Whatever may be thought of this infcription, his teftimony with refpect to Canaanites fettling in that part of the country, is confirmed by different writers. Auguftine, Bishop of Hippo in Africa, teftifies, that "if any of the "boors in the neighbourhood of Hippo or Car"thage was asked who he was, or of what coun66 try, he answered that he was a Canaanites." Eufebius alfo afferts, that the Canaanites, who were routed by Joshua, led colonies into Africa, and fettled at Tripolit. Even Mela the geographer, who flourished in the reign of Claudius Cæfar, and who had been born in the neighbourhood of Tingis, admits that the Tingitanians were Phenicians ". This I need fcarcely fay, was the name by which the inhabitants of Paleftine were generally known among other nations. The Greek poet r Vandalic. lib. 2. t Chron. lib. I. s Ap. Bocharti Chanaan. lib. i. c. 24. |