exhortation of vers. 9, 10, about leaving in harvest-time what would be a help to the. poor and the stranger. 'l'his is grounded upon the great fact, "I am the Lord your God." Hence also the warning not to curse the deaf, nor to put a stumb!ina-b)ock io the way of the blind, but" thou sbalt fear thy God" (ver. 14). This consideration for the- aftlictcd and for the poor is a mos~ important ele:inent in soci~l morality. Our asylums, for the deaf, the ~umb,_ and the bhnd_ a~e embodiments of this great social duty. The p~or-law system, if a ht~le more ~hn_st1an sympathy were engrafted upon it, is a noble tribute to a sense of national obhgat1on towards the poor. Better oraanizations even than these will yet be the fruit of the religious spirit. How to apply the principle that. " he that will not work shall not eat," and at the same time show the due measure oC. compassion, is a problem demanding most careful solution. III. MER:C.l.N!ILE MORALITY IS STRICTLY ENJOINED. All stealing, lying, and dis- honest dealmg 1s denounced (ver. 11). No advantage is to be taken of a neighbour or of a servant (ver. 13). All arbitration is to be without respect of persons (ver. 15). Weights, measures, and balances are all to be just and true (vers. 35, 36). This. branch of social morality requires the strictest attention from the Lord's people. It is. here that continual contact goes on between them and the world. If religion, therefore, do not produce a higher type of mercantile morality than the world, it will be discredited.. Nothing injures religion so much as the mercantile immoralities of its professors. Fraudulent bankrupts, dishonest tradings, overreachings,-these are what go to lessen the influence of religion among men. It is just possible that we may, in our eagerness to be always presenting the truth of the gospel to our fellow-men, have failed to enforce sufficiently the morality which must be the great evidence of our religious life. At present, in this peculiarly mercantile age, this department of morality needs. most earnest attention. IV. PURITY IS TO BE CULTIVATED IN ALL SOCIAL RELATIONS. Not only was im- morality discountenanced (ver. 29), and punishment and trespass offerings directed in cases where immorality had occurred (vers. 20-22), but the very cultivation of the. land, the rearing of cattle, the making of garments, and, in a word, all their associations were to be pervaded by the principle of purity (vers. 19, 23-25). For the use made of cattle, and of seed, and of raw material, might be prejudicial to purity in idea. Thus carefully does the Lord fence round his people with precautions. V. SUPEBBTITION IS TO BE DISCOURAGED. No enchantment was to be used, nor were they to round the corners of their heads or beards; they were to make no cuttings in their flesh for the dead, or print marks upon themselves (vers. 26-28). Nor were they to have recourse to familiar spirits or wizards, to be defiled by them (ver. 31). God treats his people as intelligent, rational beings; and so he discourages all resort to unmeaning and pretended inspirations. VI, IT IS CLEARLY SHOWN THAT LOVE IS THE ESSENCE OF ALL SOCIAL MORALITY. Vengeance is discouraged (ver. 18)-it is the outcome of hatred, which is unlawful when borne towards a brother (ver. 17). The form of blood-feud (ver. 16), which existed and exists among the Oriental and wandering tribes, is denounced. In fact, the Law is brought to this simple issue," Thou shaltlove thy neighbour as thyself "(ver. 18). It is upon this that our blessed Lord seizes as the essence of the Divine Law (Matt. xxii. 35-40). Paul also brings this out clearly and emphatically (Rom. xiii. 9, 10). And this suggests- !. That there is a legitimate self-love. There is a" better self" which it is our duty to love and cheruh, just as there is a "worse self" which it is ou_r duty t? detest and mortify. When we ~nsider this" ~tter self," we do not ~uffer BIIl. upon 1t, we try to keep it pnre and aubJect un~o ~hmt. We ~r,: to be ~a1~hful with ourselves. We foster what is good and holy w1thm us. All this 1s mos~ d1st!Ilct from selfish~ess.. The selfish man is his own worst enemy; the man who cultivates proper self-love 1s his own best friend. 2. Thiaself-lwe i, to measure ow.· lwe to our neighbour. Now, our Lord brought out, by the parable of the" Good Samaritan," who is our neighbour. Every one to whom our heart leads us to be neighbourly. Neighbourhood is a matter of the heart. We must cultivate it. We shall have no difficulty ir, discerning the objects of our love. Let us then love them as we do ourselves. The golden rule is the essence of tho Divine Law. "Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you." fJII. XIX. 1-37.) THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 305
It is evident from this that Judaism was not intended to be an exclnsive and selfish 1ystem, so far as outHiders were concerned. Men did not work it out properly, and this was why it became 80 narrow and sel.6.sb.-R, M, E.