6

ses to speak unadvisedly with his lips; saying, Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?' This was answering folly. in a foolish manner, which he should not have done; and by which the servant of God became too much like them whom he opposed. It was also a foolish saying of Job's wife, in the day of his distress; 'Curse God and die!' Job answered this speech, not in the manner of it, but in the manner which it required. What, shall we receive good at the hand of God; and shall we not receive evil?' In all the answers of our Saviour to the Scribes and Pharisees, we may perceive that he never lost the possession of his soul for a single moment; and never answered in the manner of his opponents, so as to be like unto them. Yet neither did he decline to repel their folly, and so to abase their self-conceit."1

X. Different ideas must be annexed to the names of virtues or vices, according to different ages and places.

Thus, holiness and purity denote widely different things, in many parts of the Old Testament, from what they intend in the New; in the former, they are applied to persons and things dedicated to Jehovah; while in the latter, they are applied to all true Christians, who are called saints or holy, being made so through the illumination and renovation of the Holy Spirit, and because, being called with a high and holy calling, they are bound to evince the sincerity of their profession by a pure and holy life. Faith may also be cited in illustration of this remark; which, as we have already seen,2 is. used in various acceptations by different writers.

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XI. In investigating and interpreting those passages of Scripture, the argument of which is moral, that is, passages in which holy and virtuous actions are commended, but wicked and unholy ones are forbidden, the nature of the virtue enjoined, or of the sin prohibited, should be explained. We should also consider whether such passages are positive commands, or merely counsels or opinions, and by what motives or arguments the inspired writer supports his persuasions to virtue, and his dissuasives from sin or vice.

In conducting this investigation, the parallel passages will be found of the greatest service and in applying the writings of the New Testament as authority for practical institutions, it is necessary to distinguish those precepts or articles, which are circumstantial and temporary, from such as are essential to true religion, and therefore obligatory, in all ages. Not only are all the important laws of morality permanent, but all those general rules of conduct, and institutions, which are evidently calculated in religion, to promote the good of mankind, and the glory of God. The situation of the first Christians, during the infancy of Christianity, required temporary regulations, which are not now binding on the church. The controversy concerning holy days, and particular kinds of food, occasioned Paul to enjoin such temporary precepts, as suited the situation of the church, when he wrote. Abstinence from the use of unclean beasts, in compliance with the opinions of the Jews, is not now necessary;

1 Fuller's Harmony of Scripture, pp. 17, 18. Bishop Warburton has given an excellent illustration of the passage above explained, in one of his Sermons. See his Works, vol. x. Serm. 21. pp. 61-78.

2 See pp. 663, 664. supra.

but a condescension to the very prejudices of weak brethren, in things indifferent, is at all times the duty of Christians. Those doctrines which were evidently adapted to the situation of Christ's disciples, when under persecution, do not apply to their conduct, when enjoying full liberty of conscience. Exhortations, which are restricted to particular cases, must not be applied as rules for general conduct.

Those directions, to be kind and hospitable to one another, in which the customs of eastern countries are mentioned, are not literally to be observed, by those among whom different manners prevail. Paul enjoins the saints, to salute one another with a holy kiss. (Rom. xvi. 16.) The Jews saluted one another, as an expression of sincere friendship. When Jesus Christ observed to Simon that he was deficient in kindness and affection, he said: Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. (Luke vii. 55.) The disposition is incumbent on saints, in all ages of the world; but not this mode of expressing it. In order to teach the disciples, how they ought to manifest their affection, for one another, by performing every office of friendship in their power, their Lord and Master took a towel and girded himself, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded; and said, if I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (John xiii. 5. 14.) In those hot countries, after travelling in sandals, the washing of the feet was very refreshing, and an expression of the most tender care and regard: hence it is mentioned as an amiable part of the widow's character; that she hath washed the saints' feet, and relieved the afflicted. (1 Tim. v. 10.) It is evident, that this mode of expressing our love to one another, was not intended as a permanent law, but a direction adapted to the prevailing custom of the people, to whom it was originally given.

In concluding our remarks on the moral interpretation of the sacred writings, it is worthy of observation, that they contain two kinds of moral books and discourses, viz. 1. Detached sentences, such as occur in the book of Proverbs, in many of our Lord's sermons, and in several of the moral exhortations at the close of the apostolic epistles; and, 2. Continuous and connected discourses, such as are to be found in the book of Job. In the former, we are not to look for any order or arrangement, because they have been put together just as they presented themselves to the minds of their inspired authors: but, in the latter, we must carefully attend to the scope. Thus, the scope of the book of Job is specified in the second and third verses of the thirty-second chapter; to this, therefore, the whole book must be referred, without seeking for any mysteries.

The style also of the moral parts of Scripture is highly figurative, abounding not only with bold hyperboles and prosopopæias, but also with antitheses and seeming paradoxes: the former must be explained agreeably to those general rules for expounding the figurative language of Scripture, which have already been stated and illustrated;

1 See pp. 581-589. supra.

and the latter must be interpreted and limited according to the nature of the thing for instance, the beatitudes, as related by Saint Matthew, (ch. v.) must be compared with those delivered at a different time, as related by Saint Luke (ch. vi. 20. et seq.); and from this collation we shall be enabled to reconcile the seeming differences, and fully to understand the antithetic sayings of our Lord.

Lastly, as the moral sentences in the Scriptures are written in the very concise style peculiar to the Orientals, many passages are in consequence necessarily obscure, and therefore admit of various expositions. In such cases, that interpretation which is most obvious to the reader, will in general be sufficiently intelligible for all purposes of practical edification, and beyond this we need not be anxiously solicitous, if we should fail in ascertaining the precise meaning of every word in a proverb or moral sentence.

CHAPTER XI.

ON THE INTÈRPRETATION OF THE PROMISES AND THREATENINGS OF SCRIPTURE.

A PROMISE, in the Scriptural sense of the term is a declaration or assurance of the divine will, in which God signifies what particular blessings or good things he will freely bestow, as well as the evils which he will remove. The promises therefore differ from the threatenings of God, inasınuch as the former are declarations concerning good, while the latter are denunciations of evil only at the same time it is to be observed, that promises seem to include threats, because, being in their very nature conditional, they imply the bestowment of the blessing promised, only on the condition being performed, which blessing is tacitly threatened to be withheld on non-compliance with such condition. Further, promises differ from the commands of God, because the latter are significations of the divine will concerning a duty enjoined to be performed, while promises relate to mercy to be received. As a considerable portion of the promises relates to the performance of moral and of pious duties, they might have been discussed under the preceding chapter: but, from the variety of topics which they embrace, it has been deemed preferable to give them a separate consideration.

There are four classes of promises mentioned in the Scriptures, particularly in the New Testament; viz. 1. Promises relating to the Messiah: 2. Promises relating to the church; 3. Promises of blessings, both temporal and spiritual, to the pious; and, 4. Promises encouraging to the exercise of the several graces and duties that compose the Christian character.1 The two first of these classes, indeed, are many of them predictions as well as promises; consequently the same observations will apply to them, as are stated for the interpretation of Scripture prophecies: but in regard to those promises which are directed to particular persons, or to the performance of particular duties, the following remarks are offered to the attention of the reader. 1. "We must receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set forth in the Holy Scripture."3

To us "the promises of God are general and conditional. The Gospel dispensation is described as a covenant between God and man; and the salvation of every individual is made to depend upon

1 These promises are collected and printed at length, in a useful manual, published upwards of seventy years since, and intituled A Collection of the Promises of Scripture, arranged under proper heads. By Samuel Clarke, Ď. D. Of this little mannal there are numerous cheap editions extant, but the earlier ones are preferable both for the clearness of the type and especially for the correctness of the printing. 2 See pp. 635-641. supra.

3 Art. XVII. of the Confession of the Anglican Church. Similar to this is the declaration of the Helvetic (not the Genevese) confession, which in general symbolises with that of the British Church. "In the temptation concerning predestination, and which perhaps is more dangerous than any other, we should derive comfort from the consideration, that God's promises are general to all that beliere that he himself says, Ask and ye shall receive:- Every one that asks receives.” Chap. x. towards the end, or in the valuable work entitled, "Primitive Truth, in a History of the Reformation, expressed by the Early Reformers in their Writings,"

p. 57.

his observance of the proposed conditions. Men, as free agents, have it in their power to perform or not to perform these conditions: and God foresaw from eternity, who would and who would not perform them, that is, who will and who will not be saved at the day of judgment." If, therefore, the promises of God be not fulfilled towards us, we may rest assured that the fault does not rest with Him" who cannot lie," but with ourselves, who have failed in complying with the conditions either tacitly or expressly annexed to them. We may, then, apply general promises to ourselves, not doubting that if we perform the condition expressed or implied, we shall enjoy the mercy promised: for, as all particulars are included in universals, it follows that a general promise is made a particular one to him whose character corresponds with those to whom such general promise is made. Matt. xi. 28. may be cited as an example: the promise here being made is the giving of rest: the characters of the persons to whom it is made are distinctly specified; they are the weary and heavy laden, whether with the distresses of life, or with the sense of guilt (see Psal. xxxii. 4. xxxviii. 4.), or with the load of ceremonial observances; the condition required, is to come unto Christ by faith; in other words, to believe in him and become his disciples: and the menace implied is, that if they do not thus come,2 they will not find rest. Similar promises occur in John iii. 17. and 1 Tim. ii. 4.

II. Promises made to particular persons may be applied to all believers.

It is in promises as in commands: they do not exclusively concern those to whom they were first made; but, being inserted in the Scriptures, they are made of public benefit for whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our use: that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. (Rom. xv. 4.)

1 Bp. Tomline's Elements, vol. ii. p. 313. Similar to the above sentiments are those contained in the "Necessary Erudition of a Christian Man," (at the close of the introductory observations on "Faith,") a Manual of Christian Doctrine published in the year 1534; the value of which ought not to be lessened in our judgment by the circumstance of its not being purged of popish errors-" Although God's promises made in Christ be immutable, yet He maketh them not to us, but with condition; so that, His promise standing, we may yet fail of the promise because we keep not our promise. And therefore, if we assuredly reckon upon the state of our felicity, as grounded upon God's promise, and do not therewith remember, that no man shall be crowned, unless he lawfully fight; we shall triumph before the victory, and so shall look in vain for that, which is not otherwise promised but under a condition." On the subject of conditional promises, see also Tillotson's Works, vol. v. pp. 185-193. 205, 206. vol. vi. p. 513. vol. ix. pp. 53, 54. and vol. x. p. 119.; and on the subject of conditional threatenings, see vol. vi. pp. 510, 511. (London, 1820.)

2 Bp. Horsley has the following animated and practical observations on this promise of our Saviour at the close of his 24th Sermon: - "Come, therefore, unto him, all ye that are heavy laden with your sins. By his own gracious voice he called you while on earth. By the voice of his ambassadors he continueth to call; he calleth you now by mine. Come unto him, and he shall give you rest-rest from the hard servitude of sin and appetite, and guilty fear. That yoke is heavy that burthen is intolerable; His yoke is easy and his burthen light. But, come in sincerity; dare not to come in hypocrisy and dissimulation. Think not that it will avail you in the last day, to have called yourselves Christians, to have been born and educated under the Gospel light to have lived in the external communion of the church on earth-if, all the while, your hearts have holden no communion with its head in heaven. If, instructed in Christianity, and professing to believe its doctrines, ye lead the lives of unbelievers, it will avail you nothing in the next, to have enjoyed in this world, like the Jews of old, advantages which ye despised to have had the custody of a holy doctrine which never touched your hearts of a pure commandment, by the light of which ye never walked. To those who disgrace the doctrine of their Saviour by the scandal of their lives, it will be of no avail to have vainly called him, 'Lord, Lord!' "' Sermons, p. 490 2d. odit.,