Parables; and what is the great rule for their interpretation? Illustrate these by examples. [pp. 68-71.]

Shew the importance of attending to context, words, names. [pp. 72 -82.] Explain John ix. 3.; 1 Kings xxii. 15, &c. &c. &c.

Illustrate the value of Geography in the interpretation of Scripture, and give the names, boundaries, size, and divisions of the Holy Land. [pp. 83-90.]

Shew also, by some example, the value of a knowledge of Natural History, Chronology, Profane History, Manners and Customs of Eastern Nations, as to their dwellings, dress, &c. [pp. 90—105.]

What does the judicious Hooker consider to be a most infallible rule in the interpretation of Scripture? [p. 107.]

Illustrate by an example the danger of disregarding it. [p. 107.] Should the difficulties of Scripture discourage us from reading it? What caution does Bishop Jewel, and what encouragement does Boyle, give on this subject? [p. 108, 109.]

In the interpretation of Scripture, respecting what does Bishop Horsley recommend particular diligence? and if such diligence be used in a spirit of prayer, what does he say will be the result? [p. 110.]

N. B. This list of questions may be much enlarged, particularly by referring to the different passages of Scripture explained in each section, and requiring an account of such explanations.

CHAP. V.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE JEWS.

CONTENTS. § i. Its distinguishing feature a Theocracy. § ii. Their Laws. iii. The Sabbatical Year, and the Jubilee, as illustrating their Government and Laws.

THE great purpose for which the Jews were selected by God explains the peculiarity of that constitution by which they were formed into a nation immediately on leaving Egypt.

As has been already noticed (more particularly in connexion with the prophecies and types interwoven with their institutions and history, see p. 51), the great purpose of their selection by God from the rest of mankind, was through them to prepare for the coming of Christ, the world's great Deliverer.

But what was the great danger which, humanly speaking, threatened the defeat of this purpose? Their apostasy into idolatry. The world around them had apostatized into ido

latry; that is, it had sunk into the total forgetfulness that the world was God's world, formed by His power, and governed by His will. The tendency of their own hearts was toward idolatry (Ezek. xx.

8).

Hence, as subordinate to this great purpose of preparing for the coming of Christ, their government was so framed, and so enforced, as to be a constant check upon idolatry. It was so framed and so enforced as to be, indirectly, a protest against the idolatry of the world (Numb. xxxiii. 4; 1 Sam. v. vi.; Dan. iii. vi.; and the prophetic writings throughout); but its more immediate object was the preservation of the Jews from idolatry.

To this end a constant, visible, miraculous interposition of God's providence attended them; which constant visible interposition of God's providence, connecting temporal rewards with obedience, and temporal punishments with disobedience, brought before them at each step, in opposition to every form of idolatry, God as the only disposer of all things, of happiness and misery, of life and of death. The spirit of their dispensation, in this respect, is expressed in the song of Moses, Deut. xxxii.: "See now" (from the rewards in this life following obedience, from the punishment now following disobedience to my commands)" see now, that I, even I, am He, and there is no God with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand."

Si. Its distinguishing feature a Theocracy.

As expressive of this peculiarity of their government, it has been called a Theocracy; and an explanation of the meaning of this term will further illustrate the remarks already made. It is called a Theocracy, because God, as their Governor, assumed the title of King. The Tabernacle, and afterwards the Temple, built of the richest materials, was considered as His palace, in which in a peculiar sense He manifested Himself as their King enthroned on the mercyseat: Exod. xxv. 8, 9; 1 Chron. xxix. 1; Ps. cxxxii. 5. He performed towards them those acts which are usually performed by earthly sovereigns. For instance:

God appointed to each family that proportion of the Promised Land which it was to possess, varying from sixteen to

twenty-five acres to each, according to the different estimates made of the extent of Judea (Numb. xxvi. 53). This land they held, independent of all temporal superiors, by direct tenure from the Lord Jehovah, their sovereign; by whose power they were to acquire their territory, and under whose protection only they could retain it. On this principle, the lands so distributed were inalienable. "The land shall not be sold for ever; for the land is mine, saith the Lord: ye are strangers and sojourners with me" (Lev. xxv. 23. See 1 Kings xxi. 3, Naboth).

As to the legislative part of their government, God was the author of their laws. No authority was vested in any one man, or body of men, in the Jewish government, not even in the whole nation assembled, to make new laws or alter old ones; their sovereign, Jehovah, reserving this power to himself (Deut. iv. 1, 2; xii. 32).

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As to the executive part of their government, the judges and kings were His viceroys, enjoying only a delegated authority, to which they were required constantly to refer: they were merely instruments employed by God to facilitate the regular administration of his extraordinary providence" (Numb. xxvii. 15, &c.; Deut. xvii. 15; and 1 Sam. ix. 16, the circumstances of the appointment of Saul; and chap. xv., the cause of his rejection).

It is obvious that such a form of government would be a continual proof, a constant appeal to their senses, that the gods of the heathen were no gods; but that the Lord God of Israel was God alone of all the kingdoms of the earth. (See 2 Kings xix., Hezekiah's prayer when threatened by Sennacherib; whose whole history, as recorded in the Bible, is a remarkable illustration of what is here said. Refer to Isai. x. 5, &c.)

Sii. Their Laws.

As an assistance to our better understanding the government of the Jews, their laws have been divided into three parts; moral, judicial, and ceremonial. The moral, contained in the Ten Commandments; judicial, regulating their civil government; ceremonial, determining their religious worship.

It is a remarkable feature of these laws, that all their political institutions were made entirely subordinate to their

religious; thus suggesting to the rulers of the world, in every age, on what alone the prosperity of any nation really depends (Prov. xiv. 34). As has been already hinted, p. 15, reliance on Providence, in the path of obedience, was the foundation of their civil government, the spirit and the principle of their constitution. (See Graves on the Pentateuch.)

But the laws of the Jews being in many respects so different from those to which we are accustomed, the following hints may be useful, as shewing, that, amidst the minute details to which they descend (even to the colour of the fringes of their garments, Numb. xv. 38), may be traced the wisdom of their appointment; and the germ of those principles which were afterwards fully developed in the Gospel.

Observe, then, with reference to the Mosaic Law,

1. Its adaptation to the circumstances of those for whom it was made.

The wisdom of a law appears in its adaptation to the character and circumstances of those for whom it is made. The Jews to whom this law was first addressed were only just delivered from the most abject slavery. To the great ignorance necessarily consequent on such a state was added, as their natural character, great stubbornness. They were a stiff-necked, a disobedient and gainsaying people, (Deut. xxxi. 27; Rom. x. 21) ever disposed to walk in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts. (Isa. lxv. 2.) The law that should govern such a people must have reference to such ignorance and such stubbornness. Such a people would require to be treated very much as children, to whom it is not enough to give a few general rules, but we must descend to minute particulars, that by repeated acts of obedience in these little things, habits of obedience might be formed, and at every step some restraint on disobedience imposed by a positive prohibition. This is evidently the view given by the Apostle, Gal. iv.

2. The moral object of its rites and ceremonies.

As such a people would require, as children do, minute directions; so would they also require frequent appeals to their senses; a law abounding in rites and ceremonies, to fix their attention and affect their heart and such was the Mosaic law. Of the moral object of those rites and cere

monies more immediately affecting their religious worship, notice has been taken already in page 51. See also pages 120, &c.; but the moral object of those regulating their conduct as members of Society, may also be easily shewn. Thus Numb. xv. 38, the reason of the direction as to the ribbon to be put on the fringes of their garments, at once explains the moral object for which such a direction was given by God; "that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them." That, distinguished by dress from the heathen world around them, they might, wherever they were, be reminded of the object for which they were so distinguished to be a holy people to the Lord. Thus dressed, it was impossible they could join in any idolatrous festival without having all eyes drawn to them.

Again, as evil communications corrupt good manners, the minute directions as to their food, what animals might or might not be eaten, &c. (referred to Lev. xi. &c.) operated as a constant check on idolatry, by restraining their intercourse with their idolatrous neighbours. It will be seen from these directions, as Bishop Patrick remarks, that the Jews killed for sacrifices and food whatever were sacred animals to their neighbours; and such as were unclean to the Jews were accounted holy among the heathen; as swine were considered sacred to Venus, an owl to Minerva, a hawk to Apollo, an eagle to Jupiter, and a dog to Hecate. Many reptiles also were held sacred by the heathen, all of which were unclean to the Israelites. (Rom. i. 23.)

The eating of blood, so pointedly forbidden to the Jews (Lev. xix. 26-28), was very common in heathen feasts and sacrifices. It would thus appear that the Jews could scarcely ever eat and drink with the heathen, and thus one great snare to idolatry was removed; for, as has been well remarked, "intimate friendships are in most cases formed at table, and with the man with whom I can neither eat nor drink, let our intercourse in business be what it may, I shall seldom become so familiar, as with him whose guest I am and he mine."

Besides these, there were many other prohibitions referring to the same object, namely, to keep them as far as possible from the religious practices of the heathen: thus Deut. xxii. 9, it was an idolatrous rite to sow barley and