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"ing, and a moral conduct of life; the one is by instruction in "words, the other by practical exercises." He then observes, "the Lacedæmonians and Cretans taught by practical exercise, "and not by words; that the Athenians and the other Grecians "made laws, but had no regard to exercising them in practice. "But for our legislator (says he) he very carefully joined these "two methods of instruction together, for he neither left these "practical exercises to go on without verbal instruction, nor did "he permit the hearing of the Law to proceed without the ex"ercises for practice; but beginning immediately from the ear"liest infancy, and the appointment of every one's diet, he left nothing of the smallest consequence to be done at the pleasure "and disposal of the person himself. Accordingly he made a "fixed rule of Law, what sorts of food they should abstain "from, and what they should make use of; as also, what com"munion they should have with others, what great diligence they should use in their occupations, and what times of rest should be interposed, &c. And he demonstrated the Law to "be the best and the most necessary instruction of all others, "permitting the people to leave off their other employments, "and to assemble together for the hearing of the Law, and "learning it exactly; and this not once or twice, or oftener, "but every week; which thing all the other legislators seem to "have neglected." It is further to be remarked, that the арpointment of the tabernacles first, and of the temple afterwards, as the sanctuary where Jehovah the God and King of Israel would manifest his presence by a visible display of his glory, and give answers to the public and solemn applications, made through the high-priest, to discover the will of this the supreme Sovereign of the Hebrew nation, gave rise to many peculiarities of the Jewish Ritual. Hence the solemn worship of the whole church was to be directed to that place where Jehovah dwelt ; and it was therefore declared unlawful, by this Ritual, to have any altar, or to offer any sacrifice, but before this presence, in honour of which the Ritual appoints the magnificence of the temple, of the holy and most holy place, and the religious respect with which they were to be approached. For the same reason the Ritual appoints so many priests as servants to attend on the presence, and to minister before the Lord Jehovah, who were to be invested in their sacred office by many solemn rites

of consecration, and distinguished by a peculiar and splendid dress. This honour, continues Lowman, which ought to distinguish Jehovah as above all gods, in the perfections of his nature and supreme authority, is further well expressed by the whole ceremonial of the sacrificial rites, whether we consider the things that were to be offered, or the persons who were to offer them, the several kinds of sacrifices, whole burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, sin and trespass-offerings, which were to honor God as the supreme governor of the world, as forgiving iniquities, transgressions and sins, as the author of all blessings, spiritual and temporal. These are plainly designed to give unto Jehovah, as their God, the glory due unto his name. Thus all the ritual holiness is manifestly designed for the same end, that "they might be an holy people, as their God was an holy God.”+ Hence the ritual distinctions of unclean foods and of several pollutions, as well as the ritual purifications after legal uncleanness, expressed a due honour to the presence of Jehovah; constantly representing how fit, how becoming it was, for those who were honored with the nearest approach to this presence, to keep themselves pure, purged from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, that they might honorably serve so pure and so holy a God.

I will close my remarks on this subject, by removing a very ill-grounded prejudice, too frequently entertained, against the Jewish Ritual, as a system intolerably burthensome. I observe, with Lowman, ‡ that it is the ritual of a national, and not a personal worship: the whole worship of the Hebrew church, in their sacrifices and festivals, was fixed to the one temple and one altar, at the place where Jehovah dwelt; and it was absolutely forbid upon any pretence to offer any sacrifice on any occasion, but before the Divine Presence or the Shechinah. It was not, then, directed as personal, or as a family worship, or as more public in their towns or cities, throughout their whole land. So great reason there is, to distinguish between their synagogue and their temple worship. As to the general form of devotion, it seems to have been provided for by dispersing the Levites through every part of the Hebrew territory, in order to "teach

* Vide Lowman on the Hebrew Worship, p. 253.
+ Vide Levit. xi. 44 & 45.; and many other passages.
Lowman on the Heb. Worship, p. 203.

Jacob the judgments, and Israel the law of their God,”* by setting apart the Sabbath for a day of holy rest, when they might receive public instruction, meet for the purposes of public prayer, and when both in public and in private they would have leisure to fulfil the strict injunction of their God, not only to keep his laws in their heart, but "thou shalt teach them diligently unto "thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in "thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when "thou liest down, and when thou risest up."+ But the particular mode of doing this, the methods of diffusing religious knowledge, as well as for prayers and praises in their synagogues, seem to have been left to the ancient customs of the patriarchal religion, and to be directed by the common rules of reason and discretion; for the Ritual gave no other directions about them, than those general ones above stated; and we know that the mode of worship adopted in the Jewish synagogues, subsequent to the captivity, differed but little from the present worship of Christian assemblies, for it consisted of three parts, reading the Scriptures, prayers, and preaching. But the ritual of the temple worship was only to be used personally, when the Jews were to appear before the presence of Jehovah. In this view, all objections against the Jewish Ritual as personally burthensome, tedious, or expensive, evidently appear to be wholly founded in ignorance and error: while, as a system of national worship, it was most wisely adapted to the great designs of the Jewish œconomy, even to preserve the Law, and the worship of the great Jehovah, in the Jewish race, and prepare the way for the promised MESSIAH, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed.

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PART III.

A REVIEW OF THE CHIEF EFFECTS OF JUDAISM, AS CONNECTED WITH, AND FREPARATORY

TO CHRISTIANITY:

In examining which, many of the principal Objections which have been advanced against the divine original of the Mosaic Law are considered.

LECTURE I.

SECT. I.- The Objection arising from the treatment of the Canaanites considered, so far as relates to the Canaanites themselves-Objection includes two questions-Doubt as to the extent of the severity exercised against the Canaanites—This severity justified by their crimes-Their idolatry not an error of judgment alone – Cruelties and pollutions it produced-Necessity of expelling them from the land in which the Jews were to settle-Their guilt incorrigible-The objection proved to lead to Atheism-Analogy between the general course of Providence, and the treatment of the Canaanites—In the sufferings of the innocent-Connection of this measure with the entire scheme of the Divine economy-Review of the considerations offered on the first part of the objection.

SECT. II.-Second part of the objection which relates to the Jews-A clear divine command changes the moral character of the action-Jews mere instruments in the hands of God-Series of facts proving this—Jews not actuated by the common passions of conquerors-Avarice and licentious ness checked by the situation in which they were placed-And sanguinary passions-Abhorrence of idolatry impressed upon them, but not a spirit of personal or national hostility—Proved by their conduct to the Canaanites -Necessity of employing the Jews as instruments of this severity—to alienate the two nations-to overturn the grand support of idolatry—to impress a salutary terror on the Jews themselves—to supersede the necessity of a continued series of miracles—Treatment of the Amalekites-Nature of their crime-Connection of their punishment with the general scheme of the Jewish dispensation-General answer to all objections of this kind— This dispensation did not encourage a spirit of general persecution or conquest-Care taken it should not harden the hearts of the Jews-General laws of war among the Jews merciful-Great care to encourage a spirit of humanity—Conclusion.

DEUTERONOMY, XX. 16, 18.

"Of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt "save nothing alive that breatheth: that they teach you not to do after their abominations, which "they have done unto their gods, so should ye sin against the Lord your God."

IN reviewing the effects of Judaism, our attention is, in the first instance, necessarily directed to the consequences attending

the first settlement of the nation in the country assigned them by God for their inheritance: a subject of the utmost importance, because this command to exercise such extreme severity against the nations of Canaan, whose land the Jews were to possess, has been always considered as the strongest objection to the divine original of the Mosaic Law; and therefore demands a candid and full discussion. For this purpose it seems necessary to inquire, whether this transaction can be reconciled with just ideas of the attributes and providence of God, so far as it affected the Canaanites; or in other words, whether the severe punishment inflicted on these nations, was justified by their crimes; and whether it is credible, that their destruction and the settlement of the Jews in their room, should form a part of the divine economy. The next question that arises seems to be, whether the mode in which this punishment was inflicted, and this settlement of the chosen people of God secured, is reconcileable with just ideas of divine wisdom and mercy, so far as it regards the Jews; or, in other words, whether it is credible God should directly command the extirpation of the Canaanites by the sword of the Jews, rather than effect it by any other means. These two inquiries seem to include every question which can arise on this important subject.

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Let us then first examine, how far the severe punishment *

* Before my reader proceeds in this inquiry, it is expedient to remark, that considerable doubt exists as to the real purport and meaning of the commands delivered by the Jewish Lawgiver on this subject, and the true extent of the severity ordered to be exercised against the Canaanites. The whole passage runs thus: "When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then pro"claim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be that all the people that is found therein, shall "be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: and when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou "shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword, But the women and little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all "the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God shall give thee. Thus shalt "thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of those nations. But of the cities of these people, which "the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; but thou shalt utterly destroy them, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: that they teach you not to do after their abominations, which they have done unto their gods, so should ye sin against the Lord your God." On this passage there are two opinions: one, that the injunction, "When thou comest nigh unto a city, to fight

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+ Deut. xx. from 10 to 18.

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