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immediately following the oath of jealousy enjoined, Numbers v. 21-31. (which the guilty person would soon have learned to despise, if it should ever fail) and by the tenor of Solomon's prayer, 1 Kings viii. 31. appears to have been intended also to have a temporal effect.The promise in the fifth commandment, which specified the place where and the blessing by which the observance of it was to be rewarded. -The many instances of immediate punishment from heaven which are recorded, proving that this special providence was actually exercised. There are besides many passages of the Psalms and other books, which describe the present security of the righteous and the sudden destruction of the wicked; which could hardly be understood by pious men without some reference to particular interpositions of Providence, clear enough to satisfy them, that God did interpose at present as judge of the earth; though not constantly and apparently enough to make them look upon this world as a scene of complete retribution.

Michaelis, Art. 263 and 293.

9 Psalms xxv. 13. xxxvii. xcii. and cxii. 2, 3. Prov. x. 3. xi. 31. and xvi. 33. of the lot, compared with the account of dividing the land by lot, Joshua xiv. 2. Jer. xxxv. 18, 19. in the promise to the Rechabites.

CHAPTER II.

The Second Commandment.

IN the last chapter the endeavour was to shew, that in the judgments, which God as moral Governor of the world, inflicts upon men, it is not the rule of his proceedings to punish the one for the other, but to save the righteous even here, and to bring upon each the recompence of his own deeds, as far as the plan of mutual connection upon which he hath formed the world will allow. In this, the endeavour will be, to vindicate those passages of Scripture, in which the descendants seem to be threatened with punishment for the sins of their ancestors, or to have actually suffered it.

Of these, the first which presents itself to our notice is the second commandment*: the denunciations of which, however, seem rather to proceed upon the supposition that the children continue in the crimes of their fathers, and that for three reasons: First, because in every instance of a denunciation of vengeance, the children receive a promise of protection and forgiveness, if they will repent and turn from their fathers' evil ways: Secondly, because where Scripture speaks of the visitation of the children, it always particularly insists, that they

See Note 41.

practised the abominations of their fathers: Thirdly, because a discrimination is actually pointed out in the family of Jeroboam, which perished in the second generation. God had promised him a sure house, if he would hearken to all that was commanded him; but the family were determined upon following the ways of the father. There was but one, Abijah', in whom there was any good disposition towards the God of Israel; him God in mercy took to himself: thus securing him from the influence of his father's evil example, from the contagion of an idolatrous nation, and from all the destructive effects of his father's ungrateful departure from the gracious Being who had raised him to that eminence.

The innocent can never be an object of displeasure to the just judge of all; nor can the wickedness of others, how nearly soever related, be imputed to him or exacted of him. The Almighty may see fit to bring a family or a nation to an end, or to weaken and harass them by many calamities, which seem to fall indiscriminately on all: but they cannot be considered as punishments of those, who have not deserved them. Punishment is an infliction of evil or misery upon those who have transgressed

'1 Kings xi. 38. and xiv. 13.

2 It is probable he had expressed strong disapprobation of his father's idolatry, and a purpose of suppressing it, if he should ever have it in his power. Scott.

the law, in order either to take vengeance of what is past or to prevent transgression in future, and if not rightly placed, loses its nature, though when the time of vengeance is come God declares, Ezek. xxi. 3, 4, that he cuts off the righteous with the wicked; and "Providence, as daily observation may convince us, exercises the right of distributing happiness and misery" in this world, "otherwise than according to mens' deserts." Michaelis, Art. 229. In truth we are all sinners, and cannot say that any sufferings which we meet with here, are more than we deserve: but that does not meet the case, which supposes one generation to be punished for the sins of another. With respect to the sufferings of those, who are involved in judgments which were not primarily meant for them, they must be considered as forming part of those trials to which a state of probation subjects us, and of that chastisement, which, such creatures as we are, require: they may often be meant in mercy to the sufferers, as in the case of Abijah, and they are now among the mysteries of Providence; the developement of which will in the end add to the proofs of the justice and mercy of our Governor and Judge.

Our translation of the second commandment does not say that God will punish the children for the sins of the fathers: but that he will visit them upon them, retaining the propriety of the original word, which in its primary sense means

3

carefully observing and inquiring, and after inquiry made, acting accordingly for it is often used of a visitation to deliver from a calamity*. Such was the issue of all the visitations of Divine Providence upon the Jews for their sins, destruction of the obstinate rebel and the preservation of the penitent. This passage therefore leads us to understand an attentive observation, whether any tendency to the father's crimes remained in the sons, and by due remedies to root it out: which, though the result of it be the punishment of the wicked race, does not in its first sense point out a vindictive proceeding against the latter, for the rebellion of the former. This sense is rendered necessary by the manner in which Moses urges this very rule of the divine proceedings, as a motive to the Almighty not to cut off the Israelites at once, as he had threatened. "The Lord is long suffering, and of great mercy; forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations:" which, if that be the accurate translation, is rather an argument against himself, as an instance of quickness in punishment carried on with unrelenting severity to future generations. But the word "guilty" is not in the original,

3 See Simonis Lex. and Michael. Supp. No. 2060.
Gen. 1. 24. Psalm cvi. 4.
5 Numbers xiv. 18.

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