THEOCRACY OF THE HEBREWS. The Theocracy of the Hebrews is that form of government, which God gave the posterity of Abraham, when they were encamped before mount Sinai, soon after their miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage. As this is the only form of a national government God himself ever gave to men, we ought to understand its principles and peculiarities. If we consider the character and circumstances of the ebrews, when they received it, we shall be convinced that it was exactly suited to their wants, and was the result of infinite wisdom and benevolence. The government of the United States more nearly resembles it in some of its most essential features, than any other that now exists or ever has existed. The principles, which give peculiar excellency to our government, were not derived from any merely human system, but from the holy scriptures—our magna charta, which makes known to us our rights and our duties. Those forms of government, which have been adopted by nations, ignorant of the volume of revelation, have been either too despotic or too radical. And the most radical have been subject to perpetual changes. That government is most perfect, which secures to all its subjects the greatest degree of freedom, which is consistent with the most satisfactory protection of their rights, and which is maintained and administered most exclusively by moral motives. Of such a government the true religion must be one essential element in its constitution and laws. The more intelligent and virtuous a nation. is, the less burdensome is the support of its government, and the more perfect are the freedom, security, and happiness of the people. The worship of the true God was made the fundamental law of the Hebrew Theocracy. The Hebrews, when they obtained quiet possession of the promised land, and obeyed the laws of the Theocracy, enjoyed more freedom, were better protected than any other nation then on the earth. Though there has been a change of dispensation since the death of Christ; yet there has been no change in God, or in the principles of his government. The two dispensations correspond with each other—the former being preparatory to the latter, the one harmonizing with the other-and both but parts of the same system. Our knowledge of christianity must be very limited without a correct understanding of the Hebrew Theocracy. And our knowledge of the latter must be imperfect without a knowledge of the former. The law was a shadow of good things to come, which things are now clearly revealed. The law could not be a shadow of good things to come, had not those things existed in the purposes of God, which purposes have been exactly accomplished. It is interesting to the Christian to notice the perfect correspondence of the substance with the shadow, and the fulfilment of the promises of God. The Hebrews may be contemplated as a family, a nation, and a church. It is the more proper to view them under these different aspects, because the instructions, laws, and institutions, God gave them, may be divided into three classes-those, which pertain to their conduct as a family, those, which have respect to them as a nation, and those, which relate to the worship of God. The Hebrews as a family, when they left Egypt, were extremely ignorant of all the proprieties of domestic life—their conversation and habits were not unlike those of barbarous and pagan nations. They were ignorant of the character of the true God, and of the method adopted for the redemption of men. As they had lived among idolaters, they had no doubt adopted many of the opinions of those, among whom they had lived. And they had no knowledge of any national government, which was not despotic. The most important end to be |