in that which God should choose, to put his name there. Rather the slaughter of the heifer was intended to signify, as an emblem, that the blood of the murderer ought to be shed, if he could by any means be found. And the ceremony was designed to give the more effect to the solemn protest, on the part of the elders, that they were unable to bring to punishment the perpetrator of the murder. Hence we may suppose that in after times Pilate derived the notion, of taking water, and washing his hands before the multitude, and saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person." Matth. 27. 24. Matth. 27. 24. Most gross abuse of a ceremony, designed as a safeguard to the lives of the innocent; but applied by the guilty governor, to justify himself in giving up the innocent to death! How different was its proper application! What watchfulness and diligence must it have made the rulers of the land exert, in every case of a person found slain, to bring the criminal to punishment! What horror must it have led the beholders to feel towards the crime of wilful bloodshedding! And how greatly does the peace and happiness of society depend upon the universal and strong abhorrence in which that crime is held! Let us think what would be our state, if the violent were under any less restraint from preying upon the weak; if they that watch by night for plunder, or that harbour all day long the spirit of revenge, might presume on risk of escaping, in case they dared to take their brother's life. If we call to mind how many such there are, nurtured from childhood in iniquity, restrained by no fear of God, alike ignorant of his Law and of his Gospel, we shall be the more disposed to marvel at the peaceful sleep, and unmolested possession of their goods, enjoyed by so many millions in the land; we shall be the more disposed to thank our heavenly Father for giving us the blessing of good laws on earth, and the ordinance of rulers to enforce them; "for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well!" 1 Pet. 2. 14.

'It cannot fail to be observed how very frequently some statute is occurring, in the law revealed by Moses, relating to the subject of bloodshed. Except the worship of false gods and idols, there is perhaps no offence which is the subject of divine legislation so frequently as this. And it is remarkable that no small part of the chapter before the last is devoted to this humane purpose; whilst the law which occurs between the two, lays down the severe method in which the people were to make war with the inhabitants of Canaan. Here then we see mercy and justice close together. Here we learn that both are strictly consistent, in the character and dealings of the one true God. In the punishment of obstinate offenders, He spares not to destroy every thing that hath breath, in a whole city at once. And yet the innocent blood of a single man found slain is dear in his sight. May we never so presume upon his mercy, as to forget that He will judge the world in righteousness! May we never be so disheartened by the terrors of his justice, as not to be moved chiefly by his love!

Of captive women; of the firstborn; of a rebellious son; of hanging. 10 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,

11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

13 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 go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

14 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, because thou hast humbled her.

15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be her's that was hated:

ed, which is indeed the firstborn: 17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree :

23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. LECTURE 341.

16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hat

The Gospel aims at our entire conformity to God's will. The law relative to the treatment of female captives, would tend to mitigate one of the chief enormities that follow in the train of war; and would throw around these helpless women a degree of protection, otherwise unknown, in their unhappy circumstances. The victorious Israelite might indeed take his captive to wife. But first he must allow her a full month to mourn for the loss of all her former friends, and to become reconciled to her new con

nexion. And in the interval she must undergo a change in her dress and appearance, which was probably designed to estrange her from the habits of her own people and country. Nor could the husband ever after, upon any change of affection, sell her for money as a slave. In which regulations, we learn from the things forbidden the enormities which might else have been expected. To have intercourse as husband and wife, and for the man afterwards to "make merchandise" of the woman, implies a hardness of heart, which we should almost deem unnatural, if it were not even still to be met with in some of those who are owners of slaves. Oh, what will not the love of money drive a man to do? What feelings of humanity will it not grossly outrage? What springs of tenderness will it not utterly dry up?

Whilst we note the protection provided in this law for the captive female, we must observe also, that her master was permitted, after marriage, to change his mind, and put her away. And in the law which follows, the leave to have two wives at once is almost as obvious, as the command not to treat unjustly the firstborn son of either. Let us listen to the explanation given by our Lord: “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives." Matth. 19. 8. Let us remember the law which Christ laid down Himself, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matth. 19. 6. And let us bear in mind the words of his apostle, most directly opposed to the system of having two wives at once: "Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." 1 Cor. 7. 2. We shall then see, that our blessed Lord makes no allowance, in this matter, for the hardness of our hearts; and we shall understand that it is his design, in the Gospel, to make our hearts and lives, our practice and desires also, conformable to the holy will of Him, who "at the beginning" made us "male and female." Matth. 19. 4.

The Law provides for the right of the firstborn son, as against undue partiality in the father. It provides also most amply for the authority of the father, as against hardened rebellion in the son. This was an offence, which might be brought to trial before the elders of the city; and which, if proved, exposed the offender to the sentence of death. The ordinary way of executing this sentence upon criminals was by stoning with stones. But in some cases they also hung the dead body on a tree; probably by way of adding to the terror, by which the law aimed at preventing crime. But the body "must not remain all night upon the tree." It must in any wise be buried that same day. In like manner, when the only begotten Son of God "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," Gal. 3. 13, He did not hang all night upon the cross. And might not this help us to comprehend the value of his sacrifice, when we reflect that He was able, in so short a time, both to make atonement for all mankind, and to make manifest to all the hatefulness of sin?

Of apparel; and of humanity to man and beast. 1 Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

2 And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy bro ther seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

3 In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

4 Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

6 If a bird's nest chance to be

before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7 But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8 When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

9 Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

LECTURE 342.

The true standard of things great and small.

These laws are for the most part repeated, from the books of Exodus, 23. 4, 5, Leviticus, 19. 19, 22. 28, and Numbers, 15. 38. Some are repeated with enlargement, others with a reason or a penalty to enforce them. And some are here for the first time set forth, in connection with those which are repeated. If we look at those which inculcate the duty of brotherly kindness to each other, we shall be struck by the check which they impose on a kind of selfishness of no uncommon occurrence amongst ourselves. It is no business of mine, is a remark with which many seek to justify indifference to the welfare of their neighbours. Their cattle may stray or fall, their raiment may be lost, or their lives may be exposed to risk by the manner in which we build our houses; still, what have we to do with that, is the reflexion of the selfish. Nay,

and though even the souls of our fellow creatures be in jeopardy, there are not wanting those who rather than take the trouble to interfere, and help, pass by on the other side. Never may we thus hide ourselves from any one, whom God gives us the opportunity of assisting! Never may we wish to save ourselves any labour or expense, which might promote the salvation of our brethren!

Humanity to each other is closely connected with the humane treatment of those animals, which God has made subject to man's dominion. He who wantonly abuses this dominion, he who inflicts needless pain on any one of God's creatures, he who is not pained himself at having to inflict any pain on them at all, is not likely to be of a tender spirit, or of a gentle temper, towards his own kind. And this is probably one ground of the commandment, not to "take the dam with the young." Another reason may be this, that every kind of bird has its proper use; and that men themselves would suffer in the end if they were either greedily to take both dam and young for present use, or rashly to destroy both for present convenience. Again the comfort of the animals, as well as the benefit of man, appears to have been consulted in the law against ploughing" with an ox and an ass together." For two animals so different in kind could not work either pleasantly or profitably under the same yoke. But both this law, and those against sowing with divers seeds, and wearing cloth made of divers materials, appear to have been intended to teach the Israelites, that God desired to keep his people ever separate from sinners.

The same lesson is inculcated by the law of apparel, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God." And it is evident that the practice here prohibited is indecent in itself, and might easily be made the occasion of unlawful intercourse. The fringes ordered in the borders of the garments of the Israelites, were to put them in mind, as we learn in the book of Numbers, of keeping the commandments of the Lord. They would also serve to distinguish this people from all others. And St. Paul seems to have applied another of these laws to enforce the separation which ought to take place between the unbelieving world, and Christ's disciples. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Perhaps others of these laws admit of the like spiritual application. But whether this be so or not, they all unite to shew us, that nothing was too trifling to engage the attention of Him who gave these laws, if it were likely to affect the well being of his people, or to promote their conformity to his holy will. Let this be the principle on which we count things great or small; not by reference to the praise of man, not according to the standard of the world; but by measuring how much they minister to the real welfare of our brethren, and how far they tend to promote the praise and the glory of our God.