society and government. The guilt of blood, if any, must lie at their doors who misinterpret the extent of their warrant, and not at the doors of the subject who is bound to receive the interpretations that are given by the sovereign power."

There are other characteristics of the British law which call for especial gratitude from those who are placed beneath its influence. For instance, the magistrates and rulers have it always in their power, in doubtful matters, to lean to the side of mercy, and though the tendency of all human codes must be rather to punish than to prevent crimes, yet there are modes by which, in some cases, evil may be arrested, as in those by which sureties are provided, or suspected persons are suffered to be free, on being bound to keep the peace. By our law also, every one, until he is proved to be guilty, is regarded as innocent. Yet even in the best regulated state, there are evils that cannot be remedied, and mistakes which must arise from the weakness and imperfection of all human instruments. The true Christian in private life will therefore remember that his part on earth is "to do well, and bear evil," and leave all events in the hand of Him who worketh all things after the course of his own will, and can cause those things, which seem to be against us, to promote our truest welfare. This does not, however, excuse those who are called to rule, from a neglect of the duties of their stations-the powers that be are ordained of God-and are required to be a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well. Even the humblest Christian may by prayer, and a holy course of life, do something to check the course of increasing corruption. "Ten righteous men would have saved a city once," and the Lord in after times declared, by his inspired servant, that he sought for such in Judah to stand before him in the gap, but found none, Ezek. xxii. 30. The day is fast approaching, of which the ruin of Jerusalem was but a type, when the things that are now hidden will be clearly brought to light, and fierce wrath will be poured out on all the ungodly. "When God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.”

"Then Mercy for Judgment will call;

And who shall his coming abide,
When wrath, the most fearful of all-

The wrath of the Lamb, is defied ?"

PART II.

THE POLITY OF THE JEWS.

CHAPTER XI.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

THE name of a creature brings with it the idea of a Creator and Disposer; Rev. iv. 11. Man claims authority over the objects that himself has formed, and this comparison is often used in Scripture, to shadow forth the great truth that the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and fulfils his own purposes, as the potter fashions vessels out of the clay; Dan. iv. 32; Rom. ix. 20, 21; Isa. xlv. 9; Jerem. xviii. 6; Psa. c. 3, cxix. 73. The dealings of God with nations as such, are plainly manifested both by Scripture and experience; for, although the true state of individuals cannot be judged from their condition as to outward prosperity, Eccl. ix. 2, yet since communities exist only in this world, it is in this world that nations are either punished or rewarded.

to.

It would be easy to multiply instances in point, from the histories of both Jews and Gentiles. Some of the striking and minute descriptions of prophecy may be here alluded The sword, Hab. i. 6—8. The famine, Jer. xiv. 1—4, v. 24; Lam. ii. 13-15. Wild beasts, Isa. xxxiv. 13, 14. The pestilence, 2 Sam. xxiv. 15. Numerous interpositions of Providence might also be referred to, in which, though outwardly weak and powerless, the people of God experienced the truth of the promise, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;" Isa. liv. 17. Theirs was not merely a god of the hills, but one who was nigh unto them in all places and in all circumstances: Deut. iv. 7; 1 Kings xx. 27, 28. See also 2 Kings vi. 16; 2 Chron. xiii. 12, xx. 12, xxx. 21. How necessary it is to keep in mind that in the Lord alone is righteousness and strength! all other confidence is leaning on a broken reed, by which many have pierced themselves with sorrow.

"Sure as on creatures we depend,

Our hopes in disappointment end.”

It is probable that the fallen angels gloried in their own perfections, and lost sight of that dependence which must ever subsist between a creature and his Creator. It is certain that by this temptation Satan beguiled Eve, Gen. iii. 6; 2 Cor. xi. 3; and in the same manner he has endeavoured to seduce all her posterity. The long lives of men before the flood, and their free and undisturbed possession of earthly indulgences, might have led them to exclaim, "Who is lord over us?" and perhaps to say "there is no God." These were "overflown with a flood," but the race that followed them soon proved the corruption of their hearts, rejecting the commands of God, and falling into superstition and idolatry. The presumptuous spirit of infidelity has from time to time revived, and in these latter days it has become especially prevalent. 2 Pet. iii. 2.

The Jews of old rightly judged, that the covenant which God made with Noah was made with all his posterity, Gen. ix. 9, and that its requirements were binding on Gentile proselytes. These were enjoined to abstain from fornication, murder, theft, idolatry, blasphemy, eating of things strangled, and of blood. Similar engagements were made by the apostles with their first converts from heathenism, and there had been instances from time to time, of solitary individuals in distant lands acknowledging the authority of the God of Israel, who submitted to these rules, and renounced their heathen practices. In many cases, doubtless, these sons and daughters from afar would also be instructed in the import of the Levitical sacrifices, and brought to understand how all the families of the earth should be blessed in the promised son of Abraham, that Seed of the woman who should bruise the head of the serpent, and become the Desire of all nations. But it was reserved for later ages that a nation should be born in a day, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of God, and of his Christ, of which time even yet, our views are distant and imperfect, though some faint glimpses of a happier state of things are occasionally offered to us.

"Haste then, and wheel away a shatter'd world,
Ye slow revolving seasons! We would see,
(A sight to which our eyes are strangers yet),
A world that does not dread and hate its laws,
And suffer for its crime; would learn how fair
The creature is that God pronounces good,
How pleasant in itself what pleases him.

Here every drop of honey hides a sting,
Worms wind themselves into our sweetest flowers,
And e'en the joy that haply some poor heart
Derives from Heaven, pure as the fountain is,
Is sullied in the stream, taking a taint
From touch of human lips, at best impure!
Come, Lord, and, added to thy many crowns,
Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth,
Thou who alone art worthy! It was thine
By ancient covenant, ere Nature's birth,
And thou hast made it thine by purchase since,
And over-paid its value with thy blood."

Having thus considered briefly the condition of mankind at large, and the relation in which they stand towards their Almighty Ruler, it may be desirable to return to the notice of some of those institutions by which the Jews were, for 1500 years, distinguished as those to whom pertained "the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises," as well as to those plans of their own devising, in which they more or less departed from the will of God. All law and social order, under whatever form it may be organized and administered, is necessarily based upon this great principle, that there is a self-existent God, the Creator and Disposer of all things, to whom all are accountable; and that this Almighty Being, this Good, as the name emphatically denotes, desires the welfare of all his creatures, especially of those who are endowed with rational powers, who possess immortal souls. All religion, natural or revealed, is based upon this principle, and is, in truth, a code of laws proceeding from an almighty, all perfect Being. Or, to bring it more immediately home to us, it is a series of precepts delivered to children by a wise and affectionate Father.

When mankind began to increase upon earth, the parent, or head of the tribe, exercised supreme authority over his children and servants. He was himself accountable to no earthly superior, and could reward, punish or dismiss as he thought proper. This is fully exemplified in the histories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Each exercised his authority with an absolute power, and, as in the cases of Ishmael, Esau and Jacob, Simeon and Levi, acted from what would appear personal feelings, rather than from any defined code of laws. Doubtless the older patriarchs before them did the same, but their histories are less fully given. It is obvious that in proportion as men were actuated by the

fear of God, their government would be exercised with justice and kindness; but where this was wanting, as in the family of Cain before the flood, and in the case of Nimrod after the flood, there would be oppression, violence, and wrong. The conduct of such men, in all ages, may be thus

"To heaven the proud blasphemers raised their eyes,
And scorn'd the tardy vengeance of the skies;
On earth invincible, they sternly broke

Love's willing bonds, and Nature's kindred yoke.
Mad for dominion, with remorseless sway,
Compell'd their reptile brethren to obey,

And doom'd their human herds, with thankless toil
Like brutes, to grow and perish on the soil;
Their sole inheritance through lingering years,
The bread of misery and the cup of tears."

A more minute description of such characters is contained in Job xxiv. 1-12. In fact, the most detailed

account contained in the sacred records, with reference to patriarchal life, is found in the book of Job. There we see the man of wealth, influence and ability, the object of respect and attention, using his talents for the benefit of