X. 20. It is true, that the Israelites drank of that spir- CHAP. itual rock that followed them in the wilderness, and that rock was Christ;* or in other words, it was the 1 Cor. x. same spirit of Christ, that spake by the prophets, and 4. testified of his coming. Psalm 21. But observe, instead of following the Spirit of Christ in Moses, that Spirit followed them, and strove with them, while they remained a stiff-necked and rebellious generation. "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, xxvii. they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel-And about the time of forty years, suffered he their manners in the wilderness." 18. So far distant, then, was this typical Israel from being the true Israel of God, whom they typified. 40, 41. Acts xiii. 22. But when the promised Messiah really came, instead of following them, he exhorts them to follow him, and testified that unless they did, they could not be his disciples. And further said, If ye believe not John viii. that I am he, (that was promised) ye shall die in your sins. The 23. Therefore, it was not faith in a Saviour to come, that ever saved any people from their sins; neither did a law of types and shadows ever save any. very intent, and substance of all that was typified, and promised to Israel, was salvation from all sin, by Christ, when he should appear, and not before. Every thing else, without a full and present salvation from sin, call it what you please, is nothing but an empty shadow; and, as Paul justly expresses it, weak and beggarly elements. 24. Then how mistaken are they who imagine, that God saved one good man from his sins here, and another there; and from Adam to Christ, doomed all the rest of the innumerable multitudes of the human race to eternal destruction, while it was impossible The children of Israel drank of no other spiritual rock than that which dwelt in Moses: for the apostle saith, They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea. 1 Cor. x. 2. But will any one say, that Moses was very Christ? The truth is, that in Moses dwelt a spirit of prophecy, and that spuit was a medium through which the law of God was manifested to Israel: so that Moses was a mediator between God and the people of Israel, and an eminent type of Jesus, who was constituted the real Christ-Therefore, in partaling of that spir it which dwelt in Moses, they might be said to drink of that spiritual rock, and that rock was Christ. L 21. Gal.iv. 9, CHAP. that ever one of them could be really saved, having no real Saviour. X. 25. For how then could the scripture be true, which saith; God hath concluded them ALL in unbelief? And Rom. xi. again: The scripture hath concluded ALL under sin, Gal. iii.22 that the promise by faith in Christ might be given to Heb. v.9. them that believe. Not that did believe, but that now believe. And who not only believe but obey. 32. Gen.xxxi 26. It is evident from the plain history of facts, that the real state of both Jews and Gentiles, was equally, and impartially considered, in the sight of God; and that all stood in equal need of a Saviour, from Moses to Christ. 27. The descendants of Abraham were taught the faith and worship of One true God; but very early, 19,30-35 was idolatry introduced among them. Rachel stole the gods of her father, brought them to Mount Gilead, and artfully contrived to keep them. TEXT. 2, 3,4. Amos r. 25, 26. 28. Afterwards, however, Jacob required his house hold, and all that were with him, to put away the strange gods that were with them; accordingly they were given up to Jacob, with all their ear-rings, and he hid them under an oak by Shechem. 29. And after this again, in Egypt, they served strange gods. And even after they were delivered from the bondage of Egypt; forty years did the house of Israel carry in the wilderness, the tabernacle of Moloch, and Chiun, their images, the star of their god, which they made to themselves; as saith the prophet Acts vii. Amos. Stephen explains it by calling them figures, or images, which they made to worship the host of heaven. 42, 43. Joshua xxiv. 14, & 22. Deut. ix. 24. 30. To this agree the words of Joshua, who, after having settled the Israelites in the land of promise, assembled them together, and said, Put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Fgpt; and serve ye the Lord. 31. It was therefore justly observed, that it was not because of the righteousness of the Israelites, nor for the uprightness of their hearts, that they inherit *The Jews did believe in a Mes iah to come; but their past belief was rendered ineffectual, by their unbelief in him when present among them. BEFORE THE APPEARING OF CHRIST. P. I. 32. The conduct of the Israelites as a people, after they were in possession of the promised land, both under the judges and kings, need not be more clearly expressed than it is by Robinson. CHAP. X. Eccl. Re searches. 28. 33. "Moses and the Levites had put to death about p. 22, 23. 'three thousand men for setting up the golden calf; 28. 'but he had not extirpated idolatry: it was practised Dent. 'all his time; and it was practised in the time of x 15'Joshua; and it continued to be practised under the judges through all this period. The people did Judges. serve, and would serve Baal and Ashtaroth; and al' though Gideon checked foreign idolatry, yet he set vi. 25, 32. ' up an idol of his own; and as soon as he was dead, 'the people turned again to Baalim, and made Baal'berith their god." viii. 24,27, 33. 19am.vi. 34. "Samuel the last of the judges, observes 'that, in his time, they served strange gods and Ash- 3,& vi taroth so that idolatry was practised through 'this whole period." Under the kings, is exhibited a code of statutes, like the former; "Which 'made idolatry and several vices capital crimes, and an history of the perpetual violation of it. The kings were arbitrary, but far from enforcing the law, they broke it themselves, and protected • others in doing so." xi. 5-8, 35. "David, who was an enemy to idolatry, com- 1 Kings mitted adultery and murder with impunity. Sol- i. 25. omon, who built a temple for Jehovah on one • mountain at Jerusalem, built also an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on another; and though he sacrificed three times a year to Jehovah, yet at other times he went after Moloch, the God of Ammon, and Ashtaroth, the goddess of Zidon." chap. xii. 36. "Jeroboam, who reigned over ten tribes, set up calves of gold, made high places and priests, 25-33. • ordained festivals, and offered sacrifices to idols. And Rehoboam, who reigned over the other two, xiv.23,24. X. CHAP. either built, or suffered the people to build high places, and set up images, and to consecrate 6 groves, and to do all the abominations of the ancient inhabitants of the land. In this manner, in 6 general, they conducted themselves through all this 'period." 2Kings X. 28, 29. 1 Kings 2 Chron. xiv. 18 37. It is remarkable that the royal reformers were idolaters themselves: for Jehu departed not 'from the sins of Jeroboam, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. Asa, who dethroned Av. 13,14. his mother, because she had made an idol in a grove, did not take away the high places; and Joash not only left the house of the Lord, and served groves 6 and idols, but murdered Zechariah-for remonstrating against idolatry, in the court of that very house of the Lord, which he had pretended to puri'fy from idolatry by shedding the blood of his mother and the Baalites. It is observable, further, that the people, who put others to death, did not reform 'themselves." 38. It is true, that through the Hebrew nation, God hath verily performed his promise made unto Abraham, in raising up that seed in which all the families of the earth were to be blessed. But when the long suffering patience, wisdom, and goodness of God, in dealing with that nation, in order to fulfil his promise, is rightly considered, it will appear marvellous indeed. Through perpetual changes of judgments and mercies, was his name upheld. 39. And it is certain, that although in some extraordinary instances, some walked blameless, as touching the external law; yet as touching the internal work of redemption by Christ, they were not blameless: Witness Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles. 40. And it is also certain, that as a people, they were as prone, and when not restrained by judg ments, as active, to commit all the abominations of the earth, as any other nation under heaven. Their whole history proves this. 41. And as to the internal work of salvation, their real state and standing, in the sight of God, was con X. sidered no better than other nations: which is most CHAP. manifest from the prophets. 42. Thus saith Isaiah: "Ah sinful nation, a peo- Isai. i. 4, ple laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children 10-15. that are corrupters !-Hear the word of the Lord, unto the law of our ye rulers of Sodom; give ear 8, 9. 43. Write it before them in a table, and note chap.xxx it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord." 14. 44. Thus said God by Jeremiah, "I have seen also Jer. xxii. in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; they strengthen also the hands of evil-doers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” 45. Thus said the Lord God by Ezekiel concern- Ezek. v. ing Jerusalem. "She hath changed my judgments, xvi. 47-into wickedness more than the nations, and my stat- 52. utes more than the countries that are round about her; for they have refused my judgments, and my statutes, they have not walked in them." 45. And by Micah. "There is none upright among Mic. vii. men: they all lie in wait for blood: they hunt every 2, 4. man his brother with a net-The best of them is as a brier; and the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge." iii. 47. And by Zephaniah. "Woe to her that is fil- zeph. i thy and polluted, to the oppressing city! Her princes 1, 3, 4. within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves-Her prophets are light and treacherous per- 22. iii. 13. sons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law." 1 Sam. i. 48. And by Malachi. "Ye are cursed with a Mal. iü.9. curse for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." To this agrees what Christ testified; "ALL John x. 8. that EVER came before me are thieves and robbers." 49. Solomon in all his glory had to confess "There |