clothing (a method of evading the law totally dift'erent from the hopeless, helpless a.gainat usury) than that which had been state of the Greek or Roman slave, even with- Jent. The injunction was transgressed in out the positive oommand that he was to the time of Nehemiah, when "he rebuked be treated, not 118 a bondaarvant: but 118 the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto an hired aarvant, and as a aojonrner. All them, Ye exact usury, every one of his alike, master and bondsman, were the slaves brother. . . . Then held they their peace, of God, and therefore not only were they, and found nothing to answer" (Neh. v. so far, on an equality one with another, bu, 7, 8). the master would be encroaching on the Vere. 39-42.-We see the way in which right of God if he olaimed God's slaves for a poor Ismelite might bocome a slave in the his owu inalienably. case of the sons of the widow whose oil was Ver. 43.-Thon ahaltnot rule over him with multiplied by Elisha. "Thy servant my rigour; but ahalt fear thy God, is paralleled husband is dMd; (and thou Jrnowest that by the New Testament injunotion, "And, thy servant did fear the Lord:) and the ye masters, do the same things unto them, creditor is oomc t.o take unto him my two forbearing threatening: knowing that your sous to be boudmon" (2 Kings iv. 1). And Master also is in heaven: neither is there in the time of Nehemiah, "Some also there respect of persons with him" (Eph. vi. 9). were that said, We have mortgaged our Vere. H-46.-Slavery is not forbidden l1LI1ds, vineyards, and houses, that we might in respect to non-Israelites. The world buy corn, because of the dearth. ... And, was not yet ready for it, as it was not ready Jo, we bring into boudage our sons aud our in the days of St. Paul. daughters to be servants, and some of our Vere. 47-55.-Rules are le.id down for daughters are brought DI1to bondage al- the case of an Israelite who has sold him• ready: ueither is it in our power to redeem self for a slave to a non-Israelite. In this them; for other men have our lands and case he is not set free at the end of six vineyards" (Neh. v. 3-5). But J,he fact yeors, as he would be if his mo.ster were a that an Israelite could not be 'kept in countryman, but in other respects his treat- slavery for more than six years (Exod. :ud. 2), ment is to be like the.t of the man with and that the period of his service had to an Israelite master. He may be redeemed be still shorter if the jubilee fell before the by the voJue of his work down to the jubilee seventh year, and the further fact that at being paid by himself or his kinsman: he the time of the jubilee he would not only is to be set free when the jubilee comes e.t be free, but recover any ancestral property any rate; he is to be treated kindly while that he had forfeited, so that he might continuing in his master's service, and hia become once more on an equality with his countrymen are to see that 110 over-1everity master, would have ma.de hie position is used.
HOMILETICS. Vera. 8-34.-The jubilee, 'being a year of deliverance and joy, came to be a type of the Messianic dispensation, and of the final deliverance and state of happiness which is still to come. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord bath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenbearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Isa. lxi. 1, 2). We have our Lord's authority for saying that these words bear spiritual reference to his ministry on earth (Luke iv. 21). 'l'hey are partially fulfilled in his kingdom here, and will be fully accomplished at "the restitution of all things" (Acts iii. 21) in his kingdom hereafter, when his people shall "rest from their labours" and be delivered from the burden of their debts and emancipated for ever Crom slavery,
Vere. 35-55.-Tlie power of 1lav~ waa undermined, not at OOQI destroyed, by ths Bible. I. IN TEE OLD 'l'ESTA.MENT. It is accepted as a fact, not denounced or approved, but recognized and ~dually ameliorated. 1. Hebrew slaves are not to be treated with rigour (vers. 43, 63), but as hire,l servants. How different from the state of slaves in the workshops of Greece and Rome I 2. In the case of Hebrew slaves, the duration of ,;Javery was uot to be perpetual. At the end of six yea.re every slave was to be restored to liherty, and at the end of fifty years at the utmost he was to be replaced in a social position which might equal his master's (vers, 28, 64), CH. XXV. 1-56.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 397