Should it be alleged, in opposition to our interpre ation of the text in question, that the Hebrews are said to have “spoiled the Egyptians," (Exod. xii. 36,) and that their conduct cannot therefore have been morally right; the answer is, that to spoil the spoiler is an act of righteous retribution. Egypt had enriched herself by the unrequited labour of the Hebrew tribes; and her children were now required to make a partial restitution, which they did under the mingled feelings of terror and favour, with which they were inspired by God, who is the Fountain of justice, and the Guardian of the oppressed. The tribes of Israel were doubtless entitled, on every principle of right, to a far greater amount of property than they carried away with them, considering the wasting labours to which they had been subjected, and the cruel sufferings which their oppressors had wantonly inflicted upon them. The murder of their children was an injury which no amount of money could compensate. We have, then, in this case an example of the transfer of property from one party to another by the direct interposition of God, as the great Proprietor of all. It was the despotic government of Egypt mainly that oppressed the Hebrews with insufferable toil, and slew their children; and as the Egyptians in general had acquiesced in the oppression and cruelty of their rulers, it was right that they should contribute something in the way of compensation. It is no uncommon thing for property to be providentially transferred from one party to another under other circumstances. While we are writing, the people of England are subscribing large sums of money for the relief of famishing millions in ་ India. The hand of God is in this movement. He gives the ability to relieve this sad case of want; He gives the command to relieve it; and He gives the disposition. In doing all this He acts not merely as the compassionate Helper of the destitute, but as the Lord of all; in effect saying, "The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine." It may be further observed, that if the Almighty Creator is the great and sole Proprietor of all things, then the men who in their several degrees are possessed of this world's good are His stewards, and accountable to Him for all that they possess. "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." (1 Cor. iv. 2.) All the wealth that passes through the hands of men in this world must be accounted for to the Lord of all in the last great day; and happy is the man to whom it will then be said, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" In the mean time, while wealth is conscientiously applied to the purposes of piety, benevolence, and charity, according to the will of God, those who have the happiness and honour of being the almoners of His bounty should execute their trust, not in a spirit of ostentation, like the Jewish Pharisees, but "with all lowliness of mind;" of which we have a fine example in David, and the chiefs of the Hebrew nation, when they presented their costly offerings toward the erection of the temple. Thus the king, at the head of his people, poured forth the feelings of his heart: "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own." (1 Chron. xxix. 14-16.) Here the ability to contribute property for a pious object, and the disposition to contribute, are both confessed to be the gift of God; for, while the gold and the silver are His, the tender heart, which yields to the impulse of devout and benevolent feeling, is also His gift. The persons of men, and all that they possess, belong to God, and when they surrender both to Him, they only give Him back His own. Acts of righteousness and charity are indeed rewardable; but only because of God's gracious promise, not that of themselves they give men any claim upon His justice in the way of right. From God's act of creation, we not only infer the fact of a universal Providence, but are compelled to acknowledge that miracles, strictly so called, are possible, and even probable, in a high degree. To deny the possibility of miracles is presumptuous, especially on the part of Theists, who acknowledge God as the Creator; and, supposing them to be wrought, they are as capable of satisfactory proof, from human testimony, as are any other events of Divine providence. The creation of the heavens, and the earth, and of all that they contain, is the greatest of all miracles; and He who performed it is assuredly able to introduce any changes that He may deem requisite in His own works. He has subjected the earth, the sea, the atmosphere, the animal tribes, * See Note B, in the Appendix. vegetable nature, and even the heavenly bodies, to the use of mankind, so as to secure their physical wellbeing; and if by suspending the course of nature, in some special instances, He can authenticate any revelation of His will, and thus promote the spiritual and everlasting welfare of His human offspring, there is every reason for believing that such a suspension will take place. The stupendous miracles connected with the departure of the tribes of Israel out of Egypt were avowedly wrought to demonstrate the supremacy of God, in an age of general apostasy from Him, and that His name might be declared throughout all the earth, (Exod ix. 16,) to the confusion of idolatry; and certainly the Gospel miracles, intended to recommend to the practical belief of mankind the revelation of redeeming grace, are equally worthy of "the God of the spirits of all flesh." He who created the Red Sea was assuredly able to divide its waters, and to cause the stream of the Jordan to run backwards; and such an interposition of His power might be fairly expected when the end proposed was the glory of His own name, and the endless benefit of His favourite creature man. And "why should it be thought a thing incredible" that He, for the same most merciful and gracious purpose, "should raise the dead?" Is He not at liberty to do what He will in His own creation? Can any limits be assigned to His power? and is not His love infinite and everlasting? He is a bold and a rash man who will prescribe rules of action for the great Creator, beyond which He shall not be allowed to pass. The evidence by which the miracles of Holy Scripture are recommended to our belief and practical attention may be evaded and ignored, but it has never been disproved. It has carried conviction to the minds of millions, including many of the most profound thinkers that ever lived, and is such as to leave sceptics and cavillers without excuse. "I conclude," says Butler, "that there certainly is no such presumption against miracles, as to render them in any wise incredible: that, on the contrary, our being able to discern reasons for them gives a positive credibility to the history of them in cases where those reasons hold: and that it is by no means certain that there is any peculiar presumption at all, from analogy, even in the lowest degree, against miracles, as distinguished from other extraordinary phenomena.”* "To common sense great nature's course proclaims A DEITY. When mankind falls asleep, A miracle is sent as an alarm To wake the world, and prove Nature's CONTROLLER, AUTHOR, GUIDE, and END? * Analogy, part ii., chapter ii. |