MUCH might be faid of the moral tendency of many of the rites of Mofes : By them they were eafily inftructed in the nature and importance of internal purity. The phraseology of the devotional fcriptures, and of the prophets, fhews they were understood, and, we may add, were intended to be understood, in this manner: we read of "the facrifices "of righteoufnefs," and of " a contrite "heart;" of "cleannefs of hands, and pu"rity of heart;" of " circumcifing the "heart," &c. The prophets folemnly and repeatedly warned the people, not to imagine, that religious obfervances, however expenfive; however minutely, however frequently performed, according to the law, could be acceptable to GOD, while they allowed themselves in wickedness: "The fa"crifices of the wicked are an abomination "to the LORD."

I AM led to observe, from the mention of expence in the Jewish worship, that it was by no means fo burdensome in this refpect as has been supposed: the annual

expence

*

puted, and found to amount to no great fum.

BUT though the objects brought in view are excellent and important, and perhaps the most important, even in the divine purpose, to the great body of the people, at least for a confiderable time; they were by no means the fole objects of the numerous positive inftitutions of the law. The epiftle to the Hebrews was formerly mentioned as exhibiting a conformity betwixt the law and the Gospel: and it is repeatedly declared in the New Testament, that the peculiar rites of Judaifm have a reference to the Gofpel: they are "fhadows of good things" which are now come : "the law is our schoolmafter to bring us unto CHRIST.”

It is readily acknowledged, that many in.. terpreters of the Scripture have fought the Gofpel in the Old Teftament, and in the pofitive rites, where it was not to be found. Their indifcreet, though pious, zeal of evangelizing every thing, may have brought this method of explaining the law into fufpicion and difrepute: but we never, excepting when under

under the influence of prejudice and disgust, difcredit the proper use of a thing, because it has been abused. We may be juftly blameable, we may be highly guilty, in overlooking the wisdom of God in the preparations for the Gospel, and in the rites of the previous difpenfation in particular: turn not away from this study, because of the foolish conceits of fome of the interpreters of the law: because they found every thing in it, let us not imagine we shall find nothing at all.

"KNOWN unto the LORD are all his works "from the beginning:" the arrangement of the events and revolutions in the world is the LORD's: if, then, we fuppofe it to be a purpose of God, in the government of his creatures, to reveal, in some distant period, a system of truths, a scheme of mercy, much to be defired, before the discovery of it, and for the general good of the world after it fhould be published and propofed, does it not appear highly worthy of the wisdom and the grace of GoD, to give fome notices of his purpose, and of the nature of this future revelation? Is it not worthy of GOD to give fuch notices of it, as may ferve to increase

the expectation of it, before it is published ; explain its nature when published; and con-. firm its truth, after it is established? Now we find all these important purposes are in fact excellently answered by the law.

THE whole world of believers groaned for the promised falvation: to the hope of the confolation they earnestly “defired to come:" in their facred rites, they faw their need of a faviour, or of a revelation fuch as Chriftians enjoy: in them they faw the Gospel shadowed forth. By the law, the Gospel is in fome measure explained; for the phrafes of Judaism are adopted under Christianity; and, by this circumstance, the doctrines of the Gospel are lefs in danger of being explained away by the boldnefs of criticism; or of being misunderstood, because altogether new and uncommon. Muft it not be acknowledged alfo, that to those who lived after the Gospel was published, and to us, this preparation, this conformity, this unfolding plan, this accomplished difpenfation of the law, this perfect difpenfation of the Gospel, must appear "the doing of the LORD?" We perceive and admire confummate wisdom, and goodness

goodness divine: fuch goodness and wisdom may well employ the admiration and praises of the angels of God.

THE Pentateuch is to be confidered as a history, as well as a fyftem of doctrines and laws the history and the doctrines confirm and illuftrate each other: the laws correfpond to both. Mofes did not live at fo remote a period but that he might collect all the particulars recorded in the book of Genesis, as handed down from father to fon: Adam and Methufaleh were contemporaries: fo were Sem and Methufaleh; Sem did not die till Abraham was far advanced in life. The period betwixt Abraham and the Exodus, the going forth of Ifrael from Egypt, was not great.

LET us review what we have faid: the fublimeft doctrines, the pureft morality, the wisest institutions, the most probable history of the first ages, are contained in the writings of Mofes, which are communicated to us by the Jews.

IN these writings we find that Mofes lies

not