Pet. i. 10--12. should also be read :—and lastly, as clearly expressing the gradual display of God's will to mankind, the three last verses of the Epistle to the Romans.

11. Our next Proposition is, that Christians are not bound to retain and obey the ceremonial Law of Moses. Something on this head may be deduced from the Old Testament, and therefore addressed to the Jews.-Jer. xxxi. 13-37, is a wonderful prediction; in reading it, we should remark, that Jehovah (or LORD) is the proper name of the God of the Jews; as Ashtoreth was of the Idol of the Sidonians; or Chemosh of the Moabites:- we should also remark the internal or spiritual nature of the new Law; and moreover what is implied in God's being set forth as superintending the Universe. This prophecy seems to denote, that, at some time or other, there would be a change: whatever be the time, change is inconsistent with the eternity of the Law, of which some Jews have boasted. Indeed some Jews have expected a new

Law

Promises made... Gen. iii. 15. Serpent... xii. 3. Call of Abr. xv. xvii. circumcision... .xxi. 12. dismission of Ishmael... .xxii. 18. offering up of Isaac... .xxvi. 3, 24. renewal to Isaac... xxviii. 14. to Jacob.....xlix. 10. Jacob's benediction. Numb. xxiv. 17. Balaam.... Deut. xviii. 15....2d Class, David and Prophets, (Isaiah, &c.).... Psalms ii. xvi. xxii. xlv. cii. cx. Prophetic Books as usual.

....

Promises applied....John v. 39. both Life and Christ.... v. 46. Moses... Acts iii. 22. Moses, or vii. 37. .. xiii. 23, 32, 33... David.....Rom. iii. 21.... Gal. iii. 16, 24. Rev. xii. 9.

Expectation raised.... In Abraham.... John viii. 56....Rom. iv. 20..... Gal. iii. 8. 16, &c..... In Moses.... John v. 46..... with Acts iii. 22. .. .vii. 37. .. .In David.... Acts ii. 31....In the Fathers collectively....Luke_x. 24.....Acts iii. 21, 24. xiii. 32....Heb. xi. 13. &c. 16... .1 Pet. i. 10-12.... Conclusion.... Rom. xvi. 25, 26.

• 1 Kings xi. 33.

d See Div. Leg. vi. 6. 2.

Law to take place on the coming of the Messiah'; but others, even in early times, have flattered themselves with this eternity.

b

It might be intelligible to the Jews, that, if their Religion were the only true one, its ritual must be temporary, because those at a great distance from Judea could not conform to it: consult Exod. xxiii. 14. 17, -and Deut. xvi. 16.- And moreover, because only the Descendants of Aaron could officiate in it as Priests. See Exod. xxviii. 1. -xxix. 9. Lev. i. 5, 7, 8.- Numb. xviii. 7. (with the account of the Rebellion of Korah, Numb. xvi.) and 1 Chron. xxiii. 31. Can it be conceived or allowed to be impossible, that mankind should profess the only true Religion?

Extension and universality of true Religion is inconsistent with the Jewish ceremonial Law; yet such extension is not only likely to be provided for, but even foretold under the Jewish Dispensation itself. Read the 2d and the 110th Psalms.-Isaiah ii. 2. At the conclusion of Isaiah's Phrophecy, it is said, that the Lord will take some persons "for Priests and Levites:" as also, that he will make new Heavens and new Earth, which, in prophetic language, means a new scheme of Government,

e

d

a Chandler on Proph. p. 270, as before, Sect. 5.

b Div. Leg. 8vo. p. 470, vol. IV; or Book vi. 6. 3.

с

or

See Lardner about St. Paul's vow: Works, vol. I, p. 209; but evasions are not to be put on the footing of Law.Or, if it should be said, that some Jews dispensed with the Law through necessity, yet it cannot be conceived, that cases of necessity should be more common than cases, in which men could worship regularly.

d Isaiah lxvi. 21, 22. Jerusalem is mentioned verse 20; but may it not mean the true or general Jerusalem? the head place of worship, in any Church?

• See Daubuz with Lancaster; Symbolical Dictionary, p. 64, Heaven. Hurd, p. 195. Sermon vi, where the texts about

or a new People.-Consult also Mal. i. 11.-and compare Is. xi. 9, 10. with Heb. ii. 14.-See also Daniel ix. 27. and Zeph. ii. 11.-The Jewish mode of divine worship could not therefore be perpetual, because it could not be universal.

All the Jewish Prophecies are authentic to Christians; but to Christians it may be proved, not only that the Jewish ceremonial Law was intended to be superseded, but that it is actually superseded by Christianity.-The Epistle to the Galatians was written on purpose to prove this'; but we will take a few passages of the New Testament separately. Gal. iii. 3. may, to Christians, serve as a kind of general principle.-See Also Acts XV. 24.-Gal. iii. 25.-Gal iv. 1-10.-Col. ii. 16, 17. (or from ver. 11.)-Heb. vii. 12.-viii. 8, 13.-X. 1.

As

making an universal religion are collected; as they are in Pearson on the Creed, p. 89, Fol.-This sense of Heavens was mentioned in our Chapter on Prophecy.

f See Locke's account.

:

The more Acts xv. is studied here, the better the four things, which the Council of Jerusalem request the Gentile converts to abstain from, are not wrong or immoral in themselves, but such as would particularly hurt the Jewish converts and perhaps bring the Gentile converts into some danger and difficulty. The Jewish converts would be much shocked to see the Gentile Christians eat blood, or things strangled, or partake of feasts on heathen sacrifices. While the Gentile Christians used their liberty in these things, it seemed impossible for them and the Jewish Christians to coalesce, to become one family or fraternity. As to the fornication here meant, it is not the vice commonly called by that name; nor any vice; it seems, by Scripture language, to be something some way connected with Idolatry.-Lardner thinks it may be making Alliances with Idolaters: -he has many texts which favour him: 1 Cor. v. 1, has not caught my eye as being amongst them. (Lard. vol. XIth, p. 333.) And so part of our Scriptures too may "vanish away: :". -It should be observed, that this Council of Jerusalem absolutely refused to ask the Gentile converts to be circumcised:

that was repeal enough of the law of Circumcision, for Christians.

As there has not been perhaps any express abrogation of the ceremonial Law, Mr. Locke's three Notes on Ephes. ii. 15. might here be read to advantage. 12. The next proposition is, "the civil precepts" of the Mosaical Law "ought" not " of necessity to be received in any commonwealth.”—Instances of these may be seen in Exodus, Chapters xxi. and xxii.-It can scarce be said of these, that they are calculated to produce the greatest possible happiness of all nations, in all ages, whatever improvements may take place. Civil Laws should be peculiar to each people, and should depend upon climate, situation for commerce, temper, prejudice, populousness, fertility, &c; they should impose no restraints, except where probable evils are apprehended. This might be urged to Jews, in order to give them an idea, that, in the natural course of things, their civil Laws must lose their propriety, and therefore their force. Indeed it is not easy to understand how they themselves can obey them, since the destruction of Jerusalem.It might moreover be urged, that the departure of the Sceptre from Judah and of the legislative power, was soon foretold and that the cities appointed for refuge have no longer any being.

a

To Christians this will have still more weight, as they are more enlarged in their notions. It is indeed so clear, that the Apostles seem to take it for granted. Compare Acts xxv. 9, 10, 25, with Deut. xvii. 8.-See also Rom. xiii. 1, &c. and Tit. iii. 1. These relate to St. Paul; who offers prudential and conscientious motives; and seems earnest to clear Christians, sometimes called Galileans

• What it is here said might be urged to Jews, may of course be urged to all judaizing Christians. c Numb. xxxv. 13.

Gen. xlix. 10.

e

leans, from the scandal of favouring the seditious principles of Judas of Galilee;—or of refusing tribute to the Roman Emperor. St Paul uses general moral reasoning to inforce a provision for ministers of religion; though he borrows a principle from Scripture.-St. Peter also seems to take for granted, that different civil governments are lawful; see 1 Pet. ii. 12, 13;-and even the different expressions of Peter and Paul seem to arise from the different forms of Government, under which those persons lived, to whom they wrote. St. Peter, writing to Asiatics, says plainly, that they were to submit to the King, the despotic Monarch, as supreme;-St. Paul, writing to Romans, who had a sort of Consular government in theory, and great confusion in practice, inculcates submission only to higher powers, and to powers actually subsisting.

In Deut. xxiv. 1. we have a Mosaic Law concerning Divorces; our Saviour, Matt xix. declares this Law to be suited to the Jews peculiarly, but to be different both from that which had preceded, and that which was to follow though all three of divine appointment. Our Lord may be said perhaps to have repealed the law of retaliation, as one of a severity no longer necessary; the only difficulty is, that what he substitutes is indeterminate, or a duty of imperfect obligation :-however he clearly commands, that Tribute should be paid to the Roman Emperor.

13. Our last proposition is, no Christian is free from the moral Law of Moses.-Here we have

d See Bp. Sherlock's Discourses, vol. IV, p. 349.

• 1 Cor. ix. 7-14.

f Compare 1 Pet. ii. 17, with Rom. xiii. 1-7.
Matt. v. 38, &c.

Matt. xix. 8, 9.

no