earth itself; that so, inanimate nature might, as it were, unite with man in a holy rest unto the Lord; during which, the Israelites were neither to sow nor to reap, but, like their fathers, who lived on manna in the wilderness, to depend on God's promise, and on the bounty of his providence; and to employ the season of rest in reflecting on his wonderful works and significant institutions, and in the solemn recognition of his marvellous mercy in bringing them out of Egypt into the promised land. But, when seven times seven sabbaths were fulfilled, then there was to be a grand sabbath, called the JUBILEE; during which the land was not only to rest from the plough, but the slave was to rest from his bondage; the captive was to be released from his prison, and the poor man to be restored to his inheritance; and there was to be UNIVERSAL JOY in the land. And this sabbath of the Jubilee was to be, as far as things

earthly can represent things heavenly, an emblem of the love, and peace, and blessedness, and harmony, of the heavenly state, which is the ETERNAL SABBATH.

We are now to consider the conduct of the Israelites with regard to these sabbaths in after ages, and to shew the lesson which christian nations may deduce from the event. That the Israelites observed these divine institutions for a time, is proved by the words of Joshua just before his death, which event took place, it is said, “a long "time after the Lord had given rest to "Israel from all their enemies round about."

Be ye, therefore," saith he, " very courage"ous to keep and to do all that is written " in the book of the law of Moses; that

ye turn not aside therefrom, to the right "hand, or to the left."-" But cleave unto "the Lord your God, as ye have done, unto

"this day."* And again it is said, in the book of Judges,t "And the people served "the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all "the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, "who had seen all the great works of the "Lord that he did for Israel.". "But "there arose another generation after them, "which knew not the Lord; and they for"sook the Lord, and served Baal and "Ashtaroth." So early, it should seem, did the chosen people cease to hallow the seventh year, and to observe its holy worship and its spiritual rest; and so early, probably, was there a cessation of the supernatural product of the sixth year.

How short was the first, or golden age, of Israel! It does not seem to have extended much beyond a hundred years from the time of their arrival in Canaan, It expired at that mournful epoch of their

history, called, by the Rabbins, the epoch

of Bochim, or weeping, when,

"the angel

"of the Lord came up from Gilgal to

Bochim,"* to announce the divine decree, that the heathen were to be left in the land for ever to prove Israel. So soon was the prophetic sentence of Moses executed, in consequence of their disobedience. This early revolt to "Baal and Ashtaroth" accounts for there being so little allusion in the subsequent history either to the hallowed seventh year, or Jubilee in Israel. It was, probably, observed merely as an æra of time and a civil institution. Whether its divine character was revived at intervals, afterwards, particularly in the days of David and Solomon, is not known. But even the revived glory of Israel, in their days, lasted but for a short space. It existed, as it were, but for a moment, merely to be a TYPE of another kingdom; the more striking for its being short.

* Judges ii. 1.

From the early oblivion of many of the divine ordinances in Israel, and from other circumstances, it evidently appears, that the law of Moses was intended by Providence to be of more use eventually to the Christian than to the Jewish people; I mean as to example, and practical benefit; as, indeed, the Apostle saith; Now, all these things

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happened unto them for ensamples; and

they are written for our admonition, upon "whom the ends of the world are come. The volume of the Pentateuch has probably been more studied, and more spiritually understood, and has been also more largely productive of the fruits of righteousness under the Christian, than under the Jewish dispensation.

Let us, then, consider the " ensample" of the Israelites, in disobeying the divine ordinance," as being written for our admo

* 1 Cor. x. 11.

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