Occasional Papers and Reviews (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1877. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... THE JEWISH NATION, AND GOD'S DEALINGS WITH THEM, Paralleled With Individual Christians, And God's Dealings With Them. 1 THIS perhaps may be done with good advantage, as supplying I. An evidence (not always taken notice of) of the divine authority of the Old Testament in particular. II. A strong reason for studying that portion of the Holy Scriptures, especially the Prophets, more than is usually done. III. As directing us where we are in most danger, if we, as individual Christians, are most likely to transgress in the same way that the Jews did as a nation; viz. on the side of hypocrisy; the threefold nature of which would be explained at large a. I. i. As to the first, compare Warburton's "Divine Legation," iv. 6, (Works, ii. 649, 50, ) and the extract from Spencerb in the note, where the divinity of the Ritual Law is proved from its capability of a like double purpose. Let it be considered whether there be not a peculiar evidence of divinity in this--that, whereas other pictures of man represent him more as he is to his neighbour and himself, the Bible only represents him as he is towards God. It being requisite for this purpose that God's dealings should be known as well as man's. The contrast may be drawn both with Pagan philosophy and corrupt or fanatical forms of revealed religion since the Gospel. This therefore, of itself, being a great argument of supernatural wisdom, the addition of the following circumstance See Butler, i. 332, and note; Oley's Pref. to Jackson, p. 2; Jackson, i. 650-54, 692--738 b De Leg. Heb. Rit., p. 218, (quoted by Warburton). heightens it still more: viz., that the first detailed and regular exhibition of these dealings was not with an individual, but with the body of the Jewish people. 2. The fact is first to be e...