effect they were designed to produce! It is not to be denied that universal propositions may be offered: such are frequent in the Scriptures as well as in profane writers, and also in common life; but it is in explaining the expressions by which they are conveyed, that just limits ought to be applied, to prevent them from being urged too far. The nature of the thing, and various other circumstances, will always afford a criterion by which to understand moral propositions with the requisite limitations.

2. Principals include their accessaries, that is, whatever approaches or comes near to them, or has any tendency to them.

:

Thus, where any sin is forbidden, we must be careful not only to avoid it, but also every thing of a similar nature, and whatever may prove an occasion of it, or imply our consent to it in others and we must endeavour to dissuade or restrain others from it. Compare Matt. v. 21-31. 1 Thess. v. 22. Jude 23. Ephes. v. 11. 1 Cor. viii. 13. Levit. xix. 17. James v. 19, 20. So, where any duty is enjoined, all means and facilities enabling either ourselves or others to discharge it, according to our respective places, capacities, or opportunities, are likewise enjoined.

3. Negatives include affirmatives, and affirmatives include negatives: - in other words, where any duty is enjoined, the contrary sin is forbidden; and where any sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is enjoined.

Thus, in Deut. vi. 13., where we are commanded to serve God, we are forbidden to serve any other. Therefore, in Matt. iv. 10. it is said, "Him only shalt thou serve."

4. Negatives are binding at all times, but not affirmatives; that is, we must never do that which is forbidden, though good may ultimately come from it. (Rom. iii. 8.) We must not speak wickedly for God. (Job. xiii. 7.)

5. When an action is either required or commended, or any promise is annexed to its performance, such action is supposed to be done from proper motives, and in a proper manner.

The giving of alms may be mentioned as an instance; which, if done from ostentatious motives, we are assured, is displeasing in the sight of God. Compare Matt. vi. 1—4.

6. When the favour of God, or salvation, is promised to any deed or duty, all the other duties of religion are supposed to be rightly performed.

7. When a certain state or condition is pronounced blessed, or any promise is annexed to it, a suitable disposition of mind is supposed to prevail.

Thus, when the poor or afflicted are pronounced to be blessed, it is because such persons, being poor and afflicted, are free from the sins usually attendant on unsanctified prosperity, and because they are, on the contrary, more humble and more obedient to God. If, however, they be not the characters described (as unquestionably there are many to whom the characters do not apply), the promise in that case does not belong to them. Vice versa, when any state is pronounced to be wretched, it is on account of the sins or vices which generally attend it.

8. Some precepts of moral prudence are given in the Scriptures, which nevertheless admit of exceptions, on account of some duties of benevolence or piety that ought to preponderate.

We may illustrate this rule by the often-repeated counsels of Solomon, respecting becoming surety for another. (See Prov. vi. 1, 2. xi. 15. xvii. 18. and xx. 16.) In these passages he does not condemn suretyship, which, in many cases, is not only lawful, but, in some instances even an act of justice, prudence, and charity; but Solomon forbids his disciple to become surety rashly, without considering for whom or how far he binds himself, or how he could discharge the debt, if occasion should require it.

9. Many things in morals, which are not spoken comparatively, are nevertheless to be thus understood.

In Matt. ix. 13. and xii. 7., Jesus Christ citing Hosea v. 6. says, that God desired mercy, and not sacrifice: yet he had prescribed that victims should be offered. This therefore must be understood comparatively, sacrifice being compared with mercy, or with acts of humanity and benevolence; which the context shows are here intended. The sense then of the passage in question is this: I require mercy, and not sacrifice; in other words, I prefer acts of charity to matters of positive institution, when in any instance they interfere with each other.

SECTION II.

On the Interpretation of the Promises and Threatenings of Scripture.

I. Distinction between Promises and Threatenings. 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, inasmuch 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 noncompliance 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.

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. 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." (Art. xvii.)

To us the promises of God are general and conditional: if, therefore, they 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.

2. Such promises as were made in one case, may be applied in

other cases of the same nature, consistently with the analogy of faith.

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.) Thus, what was spoken to Joshua (ch. i. 5.) on his going up against the Canaanites, lest he should be discouraged in that enterprise, is applied by St. Paul to the believing Hebrews (Heb. xiii. 5.), as a remedy against covetousness or inordinate cares concerning the things of this life; it being a very comprehensive promise that God will never fail us nor forsake us. But if we were to apply the promises contained in Psal. xciv. 14. and Jer. xxxii. 40. and John x. 28. as promises of indefectible grace to believers, we should violate every rule of sober interpretation, as well as the analogy of faith.

3. God has suited his promises to his precepts.

By his precepts we see what is our duty, and what should be the scope of our endeavours; and by his promises we see what is our inability, what should he the matter or object of our prayers, and where we may be supplied with that grace which will enable us to discharge our duty. Compare Deut. x. 16. with Deut. xxx. 6. Eccles. xii. 13. with Jer. xxxii. 40. Ezek. xviii. 31. with Ezek. xxxvi. 37. and Rom. vi. 12. with v. 14.

4. Where any thing is promised in case of obedience, the threatening of the contrary is implied in case of disobedience : and where there is a threatening of any thing in case of disobedience, a promise of the contrary is implied upon condition of obedience.

In illustration of this remark, it will be sufficient to refer to, and compare Exod. xx. 7. with Psal. xv. 1-4. and xxiv. 3, 4. and Exod. xx. 12. with Prov. xxx. 17.

CHAPTER VIII.

ON THE INTERPRETATION OF

PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE, WHICH ARE

ALLEGED TO BE CONTRADICTORY.

ALTHOUGH the sacred writers, being divinely inspired, were necessarily exempted from error in the important

truths which they were commissioned to reveal to mankind, yet it is not to be concealed, that, on comparing Scripture with itself, some detached passages are to be found which appear to be contradictory; and these have ever been a favourite topic of cavil with the enemies of Christianity from Spinosa down to Voltaire, and the opposers of Divine Revelation in our days, who have copied their objections. Unable to disprove or subvert the indisputable FACTS on which Christianity is founded, and detesting the exemplary holiness of heart and life which it enjoins, its modern antagonists insidiously attempt to impugn the credibility of the sacred writers, by producing what they call contradictions. It is readily admitted that real contradictions are a just and sufficient proof that a book is not divinely inspired, whatever pretences it may make to such inspiration. In this way we prove that the Koran of Mohammed could not be inspired, much as it is extolled by his admiring followers: for the whole of that rhapsody was framed by the wily Arab to answer some particular exigencies. Hence not a few real contradictions crept into the Koran; the existence of which is not denied by the Mussulman commentators, who are not only very particular in stating the several occasions on which particular chapters were produced, but also, where any contradiction occurs which they cannot solve, affirm that one of the contradictory passages is revoked. And they reckon in the Koran upwards of one hundred and fifty passages thus revoked. Now this fact is a full evidence that the compiler of that volume could not be inspired: but no such thing can be alleged against the Scriptures. They were indeed given at sundry times and in divers manners, and the authors of them were inspired on particular occasions; but nothing was ever published as a part of it, which was afterwards revoked; nor is there any thing in them which we need to have annulled. Errors in the transcription of copies as well as in printed editions and translations, do un