XCIII.

Now we fee through a glafs darkly.-1 Cor. xiii. 12.

THE ignorance of man rightly confidered, leads him often to his trueft wifdom. The obferva

tion indeed, respects every part of human knowledge. In arts, in sciences, as well as in religion, when a man with full confidence in himself, thinks he knows every thing, his knowledge is always fuperficial, and his progrefs at a stand.

I fhall confine my obfervations however, on this fubject, to the ftudy of the fcriptures, the difficulties of which arife chiefly from our ignorance of the State of things when the fcriptures were written.-Difficulties from this fource we ought to expect, and therefore should not be furprized to find them.

Let us first take the book of Genefis into our hands. The hiftory of the fall is undoubtedly full of wonder. But the introduction of evil hath always. confounded the wisdom of philofophy: and the ac

count

count given us of it by Mofes comes furely recommended on better authority than any other.

Our ignorance of the state of things when the scriptures were written, furnifh a folution alfo to various other difficulties in the primeval ftate of human affairs-the deftruction of the world the renovation of it--the frequent communications of the Deity with man through the miniftration of angels-and other things, which correspond with nothing we meet with at this day..

But why should we take offence? What conception can we poffibly expect to have of the ftate of the world four or five thousand years ago

when it was in its mere infancy-before the earth was in any degree inhabited-before arts of any kind, or the knowledge of life was at all underftood? Can we wonder that the gracious Creator fhould govern the world at that time in a different manner from that, in which he now governs it, when it hath attained maturity? Can we wonder that the child fhould be treated in one way; and the man in another? We hardly indeed understand what was done four or five hundred years ago, even in our own country; and are at a loss to account for many things, which on the faith of history, we believe to have happened.-How much more becoming

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coming therefore would it be to refolve all these early fcriptural difficulties into our ignorance of the times; and the probability of God's acting under different circumstances in a different manner?

The jewish law offers itself next to our view. Here we have a fpecies of legislation different, it is true, from any the world ever faw. But muft we not acknowledge, from the peculiarity of its general intention, that something different in the detail must alfo be expected? The jewish law was intended as a preparation for chriftianity. Might we not therefore expect, what we find, fomething allufive in its rites, and ceremonies, to the fucceeding inftitu tion? The jewish law was meant also as a barrier of feparation between the Jews, and other nations. Might we not here also expect fomething peculiar in these laws-fomething different from the laws of other nations?

But it is objected, there are many things in the jewish law below the dignity of the legislator-an attention to many trifles, which to us rather appear ridiculous. But let us enquire whether this was the opinion of the Jews themselves? Do we find any hiftorical trait, from which it appears, that the Jews themselves thought contemptibly of their legiflator's wisdom, or of any part of his law? If

not,

not, let us leave them, who knew it perfectly, and the several circumstances, under which it was given, to form the best judgment of it: and let us modeftly acquiefce in our ignorance of those things, which are fo neceffary to be known, in order to form that judgment.

It is certain, that the jewish law answered the end for which it was given: and we ought to fuppose this an argument of its excellence. It is cerrain alfo, that Mofes was much refpected as a law. giver, among heathen nations; and that his laws, in a very refined period, were tranflated into the Greek language. Pay them that respect therefore in this age, which they found in ages as remarkable for wisdom as this. And as the people of thofe ages lived nearer the time of the promulgation of those laws, they were furely better able to form a judgment of them.

We are next presented with the jewish history, under their judges, and kings-a history certainly of a very uncommon construction.

But the jewish nation we know, was governed in a manner peculiar to itself. It was a pure theocracy and as we are acquainted only with this fingle inftance of that mode of government, we

have furely no right to compare the incidents of it, with the incidents of any other government.

But you fay, when the jewish government became a monarchy, it loft its theocratical form.-In part it did; but God Almighty through the means of his prophets, still held the reigns of government in a great degree himfelf.

But there are many inftances of cruelty, which cannot well be conceived to exift under a theocracy ; and yet they are not only. authorized, but even commanded. Whole bodies of men are destroyed together; and even nations annihilated.

It is true but we fee the fame things happen now. The events of thofe days, and the events of these are equally in the hands of God: only under the jewish theocracy, the Almighty's arm was laid bare. Here it is concealed. But as we never call his goodness in question in the latter cafe, refolving all into the agency of men; neither should we in the former *. In a total ignorance of the

Has not God

Still wrought by means, fince firft he made the world,
And did he not of old employ his means
To drown it? What is his creation lefs

Than a capacious refervoir of means
Formed for his ufe, and ready at his will?

defigns