Gv<l. The ..-el'l!e is repeated in eh. love him u thyself. "The royal law or nvi. 2. "When the Lord's day is kept ver. 18 is expressly extended lo the holy, and a holy reverence for the Lord's ltranger, and notwithstanding the national aanctuary lives in the heart, not only are narrowness necessary to preserve the truo many sins a..-oidcd, but socio.I and domestic religion in the world, the general brother- life "is per..-aded by the fear of God, and hood of mankind is hereby taught as far as cl ,e.racterized by devoutness and propriety'' was possible under the . ciroumstancea " (Keil). (Gardiner). Ver. 81.-Thie verse contains a pro- Vere. 35, 36.-These verses, beginning with hibition of all dealings with those that have the same words as ver. 15, Ye shall do 110 famili&r .,mts or are wizards. The punish- umighteo11811esa injudgment, contain.another ment of such persons is appointed in the and wider application of that principle. Ver. next chapter. Doth in the Old and the New 15 _prohibited unri~hteousn~~ in the judge, Testament, the real existence of evil spirits or ID one who was ID the pos1t1on of a judge• and their power of communicating with the these verses forbid it in merchants and human spirit is assumed. tradesmen. It is the more .necessary to Ver. 32.-Reverence for the old is incnl- condemn dishonesty, in unmistakable-terms eated as being a part, not merely of natural as men who make a profession of religion: respect, but of the fear of God. In the East and therefore would be shocked at stealing this virtne, implying deference on the part have often less scruple in cheating. Her~ of the strong to the weak, and of the inex- and in Deuteronomy, where the Law is perienced to the wise, exists in larger in- repeated, a religious sanction is given to :fluence for good than in the West, where, the command; " For all that do suc,h things, however, its place hn.s been, but only e.nd all that do nnrighteously, are an partially, supplied by the greater deference abomination unto the Lord thy God " paid by man to woman (cf. Prov. xvi. 31; (Deut. xxv. 16). Of. Prov. xi. 1, " A false :u.. 29). balance is abomination to the Lord: but a Vere. 33, 34.-The command all'('ady given just weight is his delight; " and xx. 10, "neither to vex a st.ronger, nor oppress "Divers weights, and divers measures, both him" (Exod. x.xii. 21), on tlie pathetic ground of them are alike abominntion to the Lord; " that " ye know the heart of a stranger, see also Micah vi. 10, 11 and Ezek. xlv. 10. seeing ye were strangers in the land of Ver. 37.-Moral precepts are rested on Egypt " (Exod. x.xiii. 9), is broadened in their right foundation-the command of ihese verses to the positive law, thou ah< God and the religious motive.
HOMILETICS. Ver. !.-Morality has a basis of its own. The moral philosopher, if asked, "Why should I act morally?" replies, "Because it is right for you to do so." If asked further, "Why is it right for me to do so?" he replies," Because your conscience tells you that it is." If asked why conscience should be obeyed rather than passion, he replies, "Because it possesses greater authority, even if it has less power;" and in proof of this he points to the approval or disapproval which it stamps upon acts according to their eharacter. Morality can be proved to be reasonable, apart from religion, But it cannot be enforced. If a man denies that his conscience commands him to perform a moral action, the verdict of the general conscience of mankind may be quoted against him as contrary to that of his own, but he can repudiate the authority of that verdict so far as he is himself concerned. He can reasonably maintain that the general eonscience may be misled by prejudice or superstition, and that his own conscience is more enlightened than that of the mass. In this manner the philosopher, or any one who regards himself as a philosopher, finds a way of evasion ready at hand. With the masses, moral teaching, unaccompanied by religious sanction, is still less effectual. The general good of mankind, or the duty of obeying the highest principle of our nature, has never restrained, and never will restrain, the mass of mankind from yielding to the force of strong passion or desire. • In the present chapter we find the moral duties-those of the second table as much as the first-rested upon a religious basis. They are God's commands, whether that eommand be given by written precept or by an instinct engraven on man's heart. And because they are God's commands in both these ways, they are to be obeyed. Thus there 1s an appeal from man's mind to something higher than himself, to which man tlll, Xll, 1--37 .] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 291