to this fearful check upon hasty or false evidence, that they were bound to take a chief part in the execution of the sentence. And it must be a matter of fact, an act of forbidden worship, not the holding of an opinion in private, but the practice of this gross offence in the sight of others; this is the crime to which the penalty of death is here annexed. The offence against which this extreme punishment was directed, was of all others the most utterly at variance, with the chief ends and objects, for which all these laws were revealed. The honour of the one true God, the devotion of a whole people to his service, their allegiance to Him as their King, their maintenance of his true religion in the midst of a world devoted to idolatry, the manifestation of his truth to all them that dwelt around, and the preservation of it, in all its purity, until it should please Him yet once more to reveal it by his Son, these were purposes which required that no single act of idol worship should be allowed to take place within the realms of Israel, as far as the law could possibly prevent it. Here then is no precedent for the persecution, which has been often practised by Christians towards each other, by reason of diversity of opinions as to the true intent of Christianity. But here is, we are bound to add, good authority to justify a Christian state, in restraining, by force of law, the public profanation of those Christian ordinances, and the avowed intention to make scorn of those Christian truths, which are held in reverence by all believers in Christ.

"So thou shalt put the evil away from among you." This was the way in which punishment would work, in the case of idolatry; it would put an end to the offence by the death of the offenders. "And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously." This is the other chief effect, and the proper object, of all punishments, which are inflicted by sentence of the law; namely, the prevention of crime. See ch. 19. 20. Not to hearken to the judge, whom God authorized to decide, in the last appeal, would be an offence amounting to a denial of God's own authority. No wonder that the death of an offender was not thought too severe a punishment for the prevention of this offence in others. And whilst we look upon earthly punishments in this light, we may also do well to reflect, that prevention of sin is the great object which God designs to compass, in revealing his eternal punishment of sinners. He has no pleasure in the everlasting death of the wicked; but had rather, oh how much rather, that they would turn to Him and live. He tells us of the certainty that these must perish unless they repent, in order that others may "hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously." Let us not lose the benefit of his warnings. Let us not neglect to lay to heart, on due occasions, those terrors of the Lord, which are most clearly revealed in the pages of his Gospel. And let us know for certain, that the revelation of these terrors is made in order to move us to flee from sin, for our own eternal gain.

The choice and duties 14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as allthe nations that are about me; 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that

way.

of a king of Israel. turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them :

20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of

17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart Israel. LECTURE 336.

The perfection of the principles of the Gospel.

The kings who might hereafter reign in Israel must be chosen by God, from whom alone they could derive lawful authority. And the king when thus chosen, was to refrain from multiplying horses to himself; because Egypt was at that time the chief market for those animals, and the trade in them would lead the people to a country, of which the Lord had said, "ye shall henceforth return no more that way." Neither might he multiply wives unto himself. For this practice, besides the confusion which it would bring unto his family, would be apt to lead him into connexions with idolaters, and so turn away his heart from God. See 1 Kings 11. 4. Neither must he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. For though there be no sin in having riches, there may be very great sin in amassing them. And considering how hard it is to have them without trusting in them, there must always be great peril even in possessing them; more especially in the case of a king, having already the temptation of the sovereign authority; and in whom nothing could be more offensive to God, or more injurious to his subjects, than the pride of wealth united to the pride of power.

Against these snares and pitfalls, which beset the wealthy, the great, and above all, the princes of the earth, what a powerful security is provided in this statute, for each king that should reign in Israel, that "when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom,

he shall write him a copy of this law in a book;" meaning probably, a copy of the whole law revealed by Moses; "and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life!" This is the way to learn to fear the Lord, and to keep his statutes, that we store up his word in our memories, and lay it to our hearts. This is the best security for the great to be kept humble, and for the lowly to attain to a contented spirit; this is the way for the rich to see the vanity of riches, and for the poor to become thankful in their poverty; this is the way for the foolish to become wise, and for the wise to become wise unto salvation. Christians who thus live, with the Gospel of their Lord written on the fleshly tables of the heart, are all counted for "kings and priests unto God." Rev. 1.6. And kings who thus reign, according to God's will, have their kingdom prolonged for ever; for they inherit a crown of glory, that fadeth not away.

Though God Himself undertook to be for a King unto his people, He foresaw that they would wish to have a king to rule over them, such as all the nations round about them had. And He therefore here provided in the Law for a case which was sure to arise; though it would have been better for the children of Israel if it never had arisen. See 1 Sam. 8. 7; 12. 19. Herein therefore the passage before us is like those which relate to slavery and divorce; and also to other passages in which laws are laid down for the regulation of practices, in themselves more fit to be abolished. The Law had respect to the hardness of the hearts of those for whose use it was intended. It aimed at softening their ill tempers, and mitigating the consequences of their wilful dispositions. And in this respect, as well as in others, it prepared them for the preaching of that more perfect Law, the Gospel, which stops not short of renewing the heart altogether, after the image of Him that created it. The principles of the Gospel, carried out in all their length and breadth, allow of no one thing that is wrong. They do indeed teach the slave to be contented in his bonds; but they teach the master to receive him, even after ill behaviour, "not now as a servant but above a servant, a brother beloved." Philemon 16. They allow of no divorce except in cases of adultery, the most gress violation of the marriage contract. And as for our choosing to set over us any other instead of God, in order that we may be more like unto the world around us, they give us no choice but to choose what God chooses, they allow in us no will, except an earnest desire to fulfil the will of the Lord. Happy they that learn of Him, who was meek and lowly in heart, to resign themselves altogether to the government of God! Happy they, who instead of pleading for some allowance to be made to their infirmities, pray rather that God would give them a new heart, and would renew a right spirit within them; and aim rather at nothing short of the commandment of Christ, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matth. 5. 48.

Of the priests and Levites. Of diviners. Of a Prophet like unto Moses. through the fire, or that useth divination,or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath

not spoken?

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

LECTURE 337.

The duty of hearkening unto our Prophet, the Son of God. The provision to be made for the priests and Levites, and the arrangement of their duties, are closely connected with the prohibition of consulting diviners, enchanters, consulters with familiar spirits, or pretenders to any kind of inspiration. For the best antidote to superstition is the establishment of true religion. And those amongst mankind have the least excuse for hearkening to these abominable pretences, who enjoy the largest share of that fulness of light, which God is pleased to dispense by real revelation. How great then is the sinfulness of those amongst ourselves, and they not few in number, who resort to such as profess to tell the secrets of futurity! How much have they to answer for, who utter or encourage the lying words of pretended prophecy, when the voice of the true Prophet, Priest, and King, is daily sounding in their ears!

Our

Yes, the Lord our God has raised up to us a Prophet like unto Moses, as standing between us and our Father in heaven, to reveal his gracious will; but One of whom we are bound to say, in whatever point of view we compare them, a greater than Moses is here. Our Prophet has revealed a more perfect Law. Prophet has informed us of a better sacrifice. He is our Priest, as well as Prophet; our King, as well as Priest. He is the everlasting Son of the Father; the true and living God. To Him then let us hearken. Of Him let us be aware, that if we will not hearken unto the words which He has spoken in God's name, God will require it of us. Is it demanded, how we may be sure that his Gospel is God's word? Behold, it is itself the fulfilment of past prophecies; and that which it foretels has been fulfilled, and is fulfilling. Let us put its promises to the test. Let us live the life which it enjoins; and see if it will not yield us the peace which it proclaims. Let us pray; and we shall find that grace is given. Let us trust; and we shall experience, that Christ is able "to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." Heb. 7. 25. Thus shall his word, realised already in ourselves, lead us to trust Him more and more; until we hearken unto Him in every thing, to our great and endless gain.