themselves were plundered and oppressed; and that slavery was generally the happiest lot to which these unfortunate persons could attain. The conqueror was not restricted by any law to moderation and clemency, or prevented from exercising the most cruel severities on the vanquished. Their lives and property were at his disposal; and it was seldom that either age or sex could soften his ferocity, or stay his indiscriminate slaughter. 27. By the laws of Moses the Jews were prohibited from entering upon war with the view of aggrandizing their nation; or from motives of pride and avarice. The language of their legislator on this subject is remarkably explicit and the Jews, during many ages, generally acted in conformity with the principles prescribed. A tender regard to the interests and to the comfort of all the members of the community was remarkably shown in the ordinances of Moses respecting war. "The officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it, let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another dedicate it. And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not eaten of it, let him also go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her." 28. The law regarding the treatment of besieged cities when taken, is more humane than any similar law or usage of any other nation at that time. No indiscriminate slaughter was permitted; and though the peculiar circumstances of the devoted nations of Canaan gave to the procedure of the Jews the appearance of severity, it will be found that the rules prescribed to them by their legislator restricted them, in all ordinary warfare, to great clemency and moderation. "When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be that if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee; then it shall be that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it. And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it unto thine hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword; but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city shalt thou take unto thyself." Respecting this law, it is to be observed, that it was restrictive and not imperative. It was designed to restrain the ferocity natural to soldiers in the circumstances supposed, and to prevent them from putting any of even the males to death who submitted. By the law of Moses none under twenty years of age were to go forth to battle; and no one under this age was numbered among the males. The law was humanely intended to prevent the Jews from imitating the practice of the surrounding nations, who were accustomed, on such occasions, to indiscriminate and cruel slaughter. 29. I have already noticed the humanity of the law respecting prisoners of war, especially females. "When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldst have her to thy wife; then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her." 30. If we review what has now been advanced concerning the civil and military laws enjoined by Moses, and compare the spirit that pervades them with the laws and practices of antiquity, we cannot fail to be impressed with the astonishing dissimilarity and superiority. To fix our attention on one of the examples alluded to, the relation of master and slave, the law on this head may be advantageously contrasted with the laws and usages, not only of the ancient world, but of modern Europe, in regard to the same subject. After how long a period were laws similar to those of the Jewish code introduced into our own country, and with how much difficulty were they, or are they, maintained in force? The admired nations of Greece and Rome practised cruelties and oppressions: The master among them was a tyrant, and the slaves were completely under his power, whom he could torture or put to death at his pleasure, or for his amusement. They were frequently confined to subterranean dungeons; compelled to till the ground in chains; to suffer every injury without even the hope of redress; and were objects of cruelty alike to the master and to all around him. They were viewed in the same light, and treated in the same manner, as the beasts that perish. Their death was considered merely as the loss sustained by their master. If their evidence was at any time taken, it was almost always accompanied with torture; and if the master happened to be killed, many or all of the slaves were immediately murdered. The youth of Sparta frequently lay in ambush for the Helots, and killed thousands of them in cold blood. Seneca and Pliny mention that a certain Roman ordered his slaves, when they committed any trivial offence, to be thrown into a pond to be food for his lampreys. 31. Turn from these abominations to the laws of Moses, and how extraordinary is the difference! It is the difference between light and darkness, between moral excellency and the basest turpitude and cruelty. But to what is this astonishing superiority in the laws of Moses to be ascribed? We can account for it only by admitting that he was under the infallible guidance of God,—that he spake as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. 32. Especially is this conviction impressed on our minds, when we consider the beauty of the religious and social principles recognised and inculcated by these laws, in contrast with the sentiments and manners of the people to whom they were addressed. "Now, this singular contrast between the sacred literature of that nation and the character of the nation itself, is precisely what we might expect to find, provided their alleged history be the true one. A system of laws emanating from Heaven must necessarily be supposed to be consistent with the soundest principles of virtue and holiness. But it by no means follows that the habits of a semi-barbarous people would immediately conform to the restraints imposed. The accuracy of the picture afforded us by Moses is, according to the presumption of the inspired character of his writings, perfectly correct. But how are we to explain the difficulty, if we deny that inspiration ?"* CHAPTER VIII. THE MEANS BY WHICH THE MOSAIC AND CHRISTIAN 1. THERE are some leading circumstances and peculiarities by which the Patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the Christian dispensations are prominently united. These meet in Christ ;-in his personal manifestation in human form, in his sacrifice, offices, and salvation. The whole system of divine truth, as taught under the different dispensations, is connected together, Consistency of Revelation, by Dr Shuttleworth, P. 116. 2. (I.) By the personal manifestation of the Son of God in human form. It is perfectly evident that he often appeared in this form under the Old Testament dispensation. It is supposed, on probable grounds, that it was he who addressed our first parents immediately after the fall; who, on that occasion, made known to them the Mighty Deliverer who should afterwards be born into the world; and who taught them, by the use of typical sacrifice, then instituted, the way in which the justice of God was to be satisfied, and the consequences of their transgression averted. He repeatedly appeared, under the title of the Angel of Jehovah, to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Concerning the former of these it is said, that Jehovah appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre. While he sat in the door of his tent, in the heat of the day, according to the simplicity of ancient times, he beheld three persons in human form stand by him. One of these he addresses as his Lord, and he earnestly intercedes with him on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain. This celestial visitant is denominated Jehovah, and he speaks and acts like the supreme and self-existing God. This divine Person, who, from the fall, took upon himself the care of his redeemed church and people, appeared also to Isaac, and renewed to him the promises which were made to his Father Abraham: "I will be with thee and bless thee; for unto thee, and to thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware to Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." 3. Jacob, in like manner, when he fled from Esau his brother, and journeyed towards Padan-Aram, beheld in vision this angel of Jehovah's presence. When the sun was set he found himself in the solitude of the wilderness, far from the habitations of men. There was here presented |