THE

CHRISTIAN LADY'S MAGAZINE.

AUGUST, 1843.

THE TOUCHSTONE OF HISTORY.

CHAPTER II.

Ir a false standard were not adopted, even by spiritaal persons, in reference to the things that pertain to this life only, it is not possible that educational works should retain their present complexion in a community professing to be under the influence of scriptural principles. "The Bible, the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants," wrote Chillingworth; and this most just assertion is echoed on all sides: but when we come to the grand practical point of making the Bible our universal test, we find numerous evasions adopted, which positively neutralize the sentiment. As the Bible alone, so, most assuredly, the whole Bible is our religion; and our religion being that which concerns us as creatures for eternity, whatever concerns us as creatures of time only must be held AUGUST, 1843.

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in complete subservience to it. Religion—our religion is the light by which we are to survey and to scrutinize; to select and reject; and what is our religion? "The Bible-the Bible alone." What part of the Bible? The whole Bible; every part of it.

In words, every Protestant will probably admit this: but exceptions are taken, or at least doubts are started, which must be broadly met. Concerning the Hebrew Scriptures, we often hear it said that with the Law of Moses we have nothing to do, except as a system of types and shadows: that the historical parts are only calculated to show us the universal corruption of man's nature, the deceit and desperate wickedness of his heart. That the prophetical portions, being chiefly fulfilled, stand as evidence of the truth of revelation, the certainty of judgment to come: while such as are yet unfulfilled are matter of faith and hope only. Then, as respects the New Testament, some say it is given us solely for private, individual use; a closet companion, a rule of faith, and a pattern for our daily walk; that the gospels are to show how perfectly every thing shadowed forth in the law of Moses was fulfilled in and by the Lord Jesus Christ: while the epistles provide a complete system of doctrine; a summary of the will of 'God, and the whole duty of man.

Now, the fact is, that in the law given by Moses it pleased the Most High to provide us with a perfect model of government; perfection itself, because HE was King, and ordered it according to His own 'sovereign will. He was KING; not merely in the sense in which He was, and is, and ever shall be King of the whole universe, but actually the reigning Monarch of the nation of Israel, in such a peculiar

way that the choosing of a crowned earthly head to preside over their commonwealth was viewed as a dethronement of their God. It is a very remarkable fact: Samuel ruled as a prophet, and he made his sons judges over Israel; a form of administrative government appointed of God, under the Theocracy ; but the people complained of Samuel's sons, and said to him, 66 Now make us a King to judge us like all the nations." Samuel was naturally displeased, at this rejection of his sons, and invasion of God's established order of things, and prayed unto the Lord; of course, for direction in the difficult emergency; " and the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people, in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee; but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” And again, it is clear that the Lord, in consenting to their foolish and perverse will, did not cease from being to them the King of kings; as we find a little farther on, when Samuel had terrified them by a miraculous sign from heaven, “ And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a King. And Samuel said unto the people, fear not: ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord: but serve the Lord with all your heart; and turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain; For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great Name's sake, because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people."

The period when the LORD became King of Israel was that at which He took them out from the midst

of another people, making them a nation, whereas before they had been but a family. When, therefore, we look at the Jewish polity, as established by the mouth of Moses and of Joshua, we are not justified in viewing it altogether as a system of types, but as a specimen of absolute perfection in the matter of an earthly commonwealth, among fallen men. We are not at liberty to imagine the possibility of any thing more perfectly adapted to ensure the welfare, the peace, the happiness of a nation, as such, than was the truly divine polity of the Jews: and as we go along, by bringing to this faultless model the laws and ordinances, the sayings and doings of such heathen, or such nominally Christian legislators as my young friends are too generally taught in their schoolbooks to look upon as paragons of wisdom, we shall find a use for the Bible to which God grant that those in authority may yet have grace to apply it!

I shall not proceed chronologically: a few points selected from the beautiful and merciful dispensation vouchsafed to the only people who ever had the Lord God for their King, contrasted with the dreadful effects of a contrary polity instigated by Satan, where God was not known, will serve for our present study. I am not about to enter upon the ritual observances: they had, indeed, a spiritual meaning, understood by all faithful Israelites, and setting forth in vivid imagery the heavenly things which formed their pattern. A revelation, we know, was made to Moses, during the twice forty days and nights that he was with the Lord; of which no particulars are given: but what he then saw was doubtless the divine substance of that earthly shadow the glorious tabernacle, and temple service; as it is written, "Look that thou make

them after the pattern which was shewed thee in the mount." Exod. xxv. 40. There are, however, laws and commandments, besides those on the two tables of stone, delivered to Israel, with which we have no right to take any liberties; but which we must regard as perfect models :-the copying of them would be our highest wisdom, as their neglect proves to be our most ruinous folly and of them is the following. “In all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth." Exod. xxiii. 13. This, one of the first commands given by Moses, was also repeated by Joshua with his dying breath: and Zechariah, prophesying of the glorious days of blessedness yet to come, shows that what the Lord then said He hath not altered, but will rigidly enforce it when again reigning over the people of his choice. "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land: and they shall no more be remembered.” Zech. xiii. 1, 2. Neither can we fasten this as an exclusive command on the Jews: for Paul, writing to a Gentile church, in reference to the idolatries from which they had, individually, been delivered, says, "The things that the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice unto devils and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” Yet, alas! with those who profess that their religion is the Bible alone, we find the names of such devils not only among their most familiar phrases,