pression on every intelligent and reflective mind, accustomed to witness every where the worship of idols, with no sign of the belief in the unity of the Creator. Further, every public transgressor of the laws was sentenced to immediate punishment, exactly proportioned to the rule of rigid justice, the law of retaliation, or of restitution, minutely defined by Moses. The degree of loss or suffering inflicted for crime generally depended, elsewhere, on the pleasure or caprice of the rulers or judges; but among the Jews, nothing was left to them by the supreme legislators. As no delay in the execution of the sentence of the law was admissible, no instruction was given to provide prisons. This strikingly accorded with the awful nature of the constitution prescribed by Moses, justly named "the ministration of death." Had this argument been adverted to, Christians, at least, would not have been surprised that instant death should be pronounced on all judged worthy of it. The principle which indicates the propriety of animal sacrifice for sin is applicable to immediate punishment of death. The administration of Jehovah had not yet demonstrated to all the perfection of his justice, so that man might discern clearly that without an adequate expiation, death for death, no human being could find forgiving mercy with his Creator. But Jesus of Nazareth, having vindicated, by his death for the world, the Divine government and laws, with Divine propriety declared that the law of retaliation, life for life, eye for eye, and the like, had no place in his administration. Now certainly no one who respects his authority requires to be taught by precept or example that "the soul that sinneth shall die.” Moreover, unequivocal signs that God was the supreme King of the Jews were frequently witnessed by all intelligent observers of events in relation to that people. His principal ministers were supernaturally endowed; and the deeds by which this was manifested were performed in the view of all. Their power over life and death, over the elements of nature, and sometimes over the minds of men, was not exercised in secret or by arts of deception, like the pretended diviners and priests of the gods of other nations. They acted without disguise in the presence of all ranks and characters, and claimed no personal superiority over their contemporaries. wrought all in the name of God, and resolutely declined reward from man. Neither honour nor disgrace influenced their ministrations. And the people were miraculously punished or saved, obtained unparalleled prosperity, or en They dured extreme calamity, according as they were obedient or disobedient to the mandates of Jehovah, their Sovereign, Lawgiver, and Judge. Finally, their national constitution strongly enforced universal kindness and courtesy, and, consequently, friendly intercourse with all men, while it strictly prohibited offensive or defensive alliances with idolatrous nations or communities, or intermarriages with individual idolaters. In national policy and religion, they were to stand alone among the nations Though on this account they might be regarded by superficial thinkers the enemies of mankind, yet this was absolutely necessary for the attainment of the great end of their separation to serve God, considering the state of the nations, especially of those in their vicinity. In the age of Moses, the whole world had apostatised from God, and idolatry seems to have been established, by law or custom, in every nation. But no communities had become more degraded in morals or polluted in religion than those occupying the countries of Syria, Palestine, and Arabia Petræa, where four hundred years earlier the true God was worshipped. This dreadful degeneracy was probably chiefly effected by those who had enslaved the multitude. And these were, we know, the wisest of the age, who doubtless discerned that a religion which made the many to trust their future wellbeing to the power of the few, and ministered, at the same time, to their pleasures, was that alone which could retain the people in political slavery. Such was the nature of all the ancient forms of idolatry. By the abuse of physical, and especially of astronomical knowledge, which assumed the name of astrology, the wise deluded the unreflecting and sensual. Claiming the offices of kings and priests, by the deceptive arts and careful observances of the appearances of nature in the different seasons of the year, they easily performed, or rather seemed to perform deeds superhuman in the eyes of the ignorant. Nothing was then more natural than to asscribe their power to invisible fellowship with the heavenly bodies and invisible agents, whom they confessed could alone enable them to perform superhuman works. These agencies became gods; and their ministers, by continually adding whatever rites they conceived adapted to please the people, to those already observed by them, formed the various corrupted modes of idolatrous worship, which were rapidly spread over the earth by conquerors, colonization, and com merce. Language cannot depict the sanguinary and licention forms of superstition that prevailed in Canaan and the neighbouring countries. This is evident to every reader of the sacred Scriptures. And how strongly Israel were disposed to imitate their neighbours, appears in every age of their history, before the Babylonian captivity. How suitable, important, and even indispensable was then he injunction that they should live alone, and utterly abominate the gods of the nations? The peoples, by whose manners Israel were in the greatest danger of being contaminated and demoralized in the earliest periods of their history, were the Egyptians, the surviving Canaanites, the Philistines, Tyrians and Sidonians, the Midianities, Moabites, and Ammonites; and the Edomites and Syrians. We refer the reader to the brief account of these, given under their respective names in the Pocket Biblical Dictionary. Almost every one of these races had lost power to inflict much injury on Israel before the period of their history to be reviewed in the subsequent chapters. Foreigners had conquered them, and continued to tyrannise over them. The very forms of their religion had been modified; and its most barbarous features had disappeared. Those on the borders of Canaan had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar; and were probably permitted by Cyrus to return to ·their native lands. Some of them, we know, were afterwards numerous; but none of them, except the Edomites or Idumeans, seem to have recovered their former greatness; and they gradually disappeared as distinct races or nations; and probably the survivors became marauders, and were not distinguishable from the Arabs, whose mode of life they imitated. It may be be remarked in general, that the descendants of these races cherished in all ages, the implacable enmity to Israel, which characterised their ancestors. Of this we shall see many proofs in the future history of the chosen people. CHAPTER II. BRIEF REVIEW OF THE RISE, DECLINE, AND CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL. In the investigation of the state of the world before the time of Nebuchadnezzar, the Old Testament is the exclusive certain guide; all allusions to the subject by uninspired historians, philosophers, or poets, are uncertain or fabulous. And of the ancient races of mankind, whose character, conduct, and deeds, had no apparent or immediate influence on the race of Abraham, the sacred writers record almost nothing, except a brief notice of their origin and dispersion over the globe. The especial Divine superintendence of the chosen race, and occasional miraculous interposition in their behalf, previously to the time of Abraham, evidently appear to have been continued to him and his race, who continued the social and public worshippers of the true and living God. On this account the government, like that ordained by Moses, may, with propriety, be denominated a theocracy. For the patriarchs, elders, or heads of families, were required to rule according to the Divine instructions, communicated to their predecessors or themselves. Notwithstanding of the great and precious promises which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob received, that a future descendant of theirs should confer on all nations divine blessedness, they were admonished that their race would not become an independent nation till after the lapse of more than four hundred years. They were destined to serve or to be enslaved during this long period, and consequently it was essential to their happiness against hope to believe in hope," knowing that Jehovah was able and faithful to accomplish his word of promise. Their trials were as uncommon as their hopes. Before their descent to Egypt, B. c. 1648, the family sepulchre was the only spot to which they could claim an exclusive indisputable right. Being the first occupiers of the pasture And grounds in Canaan, they were indeed viewed by foreigners. as the proprietors, and hence this region was called "the land of the Hebrews." But we have no reason to believe that they considered themselves authorised to prohibit others from feeding their flocks on the same pastures. Canaan was theirs by gift of promise, but they were not to enter on the possession till the cup of the iniquity of the Amorites or Canaanites, who occupied it along with them, was full. it is remarkable that before this specific time, the Israelites did not require Canaan. The increase of population of this race during the first four hundred years is perhaps one of the most singular phenomena in the history of human society. The descendants of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah, and of Esau by his wives, appear to have multiplied exceedingly and rapidly, while the race by Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel amount to little more than seventy persons in the space of about two hundred years; while, during the succeeding period of the same duration, they probably amounted to millions. The smallness of their number at first was favourable to their happiness, if we reflect on their situation. God had ordained them to sojourn in Canaan. The pastoral resources of that land had been greatly diminished by a fearful catastrophe, and its population was rapidly increasing by the rising families of the Canaanites, and most probably by arrivals of of new tribes. The districts of the cities of the plain, well watered by the Jordan, once the richest in Canaan, had been utterly destroyed by fire from heaven, and the lake named the Dead Sea, which appeared in their place, is computed at seventy miles in length and twenty in breadth, having a circuit of three hundred miles. It overflows its banks to a considerable extent in the rainy season; and its saline waters inflict barrenness wherever they reach. Indeed all the coasts exhibit an awful scene of solitude and desolation. Now, if the pastures were insufficient to feed the united flocks of Abraham and Lot, till the latter resorted to the plains of Sodom, how could the race of Israel and the Canaanites have lived in Canaan after these had disappeared, had they been numerous? Few as they were, they repeatedly felt the pressure of want, which money could not remove, and but with difficulty could alleviate. They had, it is true, the promise of Divine interposition, in every season of trial. But this promise was conditional; they could only confidently expect it when they lived so as to |