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the shocking account given by God, through the mouth of his prophets, of the injustice, cruelty, and oppression of the Jews in after-times, the forfeiture, complete and deserved, of the promises and blessings, can never surprise, though it may awe and warn us. But remember it was when they "forgot God," and were "wholly given to idolatry," that this perversion of national character took place; and let us, as the source of all genuine humanity, try and "keep our hearts" right with Him, who hath bid us love Him first, and " our neighbour as ourselves."

In what minute instances is the "second great commandment" of the law enforced in the 22d chapter ?

MARY. "Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt in any case bring them home to thy brother;" and they were to keep them till the owner appeared, even if they did not know him, and if they fell down, to help them up again. This was kind to him, as well as to the poor animals; and only think of God condescending to save the poor mother when birds' nests were taken. But I wonder He did not forbid that altogether?

MAMA. My dear, the benevolence which pervades the whole chapter may convince you

that it is not mere wanton robbery which is here even indirectly sanctioned. The birds alluded to were doubtless those designed for food, particularly pigeons, with which Judea swarmed; and in the permitted deprivation of which, for our use, we exactly (though unconsciously) follow the prescribed limitation, Similar injunctions, (without being too literally understood,) generally inculeate such a sparing and regulated use of God's creatures, as consists with His intention, and the advantage of man.

Our next reading will be of a less pleasing and more awful character, consisting of instances (passed over for connexion's sake) of exceptions to the gentle merciful tenor of the precepts we have so complacently dwelt on. And both together will appropriately usher in those contrasted blessings and curses with which the aged lawgiver concludes his address to the people he had so long watched over.

The beautiful, though comparatively trifling, precepts we have gleaned to-day might suffice (were mightier testimonies wanting) to prove that the "God" who dictated them "is love." We need the instances of uncompromising severity— not undesignedly, we may believe—blended with them, to remind us that He is one "who executeth judgment, and will by no means clear the guilty."

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MORNING TWENTY-SECOND.

LESSON.-Deuteronomy, Chapters xvii. xviii. xix. from verse 16; xxi. from verse 18.

MAMA. The injunctions to the painful, but we may be sure, necessary severities which, in this day's reading, we find blended in the address of Moses with the most interesting prophecies regarding the future spiritual state of his nation-commence (as from the dignity and majesty of God we might expect them to do) with unmitigated rigour towards the sin of idolatry; that thing which, it is emphatically said, the "Lord hateth," and which the peculiar situation of the Jews, as subjects of the Almighty's visible government, rendered it impossible for Him to pass over or tolerate. How is this terrible denunciation worded?

MARY. "If there be found among you, within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wicked

ness in the sight of the Lord thy God, by transgressing his covenant, and hath gone and served other Gods, and worshipped them, either the sun or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, ..... .........; thou shalt bring forth that man, or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing unto thy gates, and shalt stone them with stones till they die."

MAMA. An awful punishment! and one which, as inflicted by the body of the people, (even, as is enjoined in another chapter, the nearest and dearest to the offender) was more likely to make a lasting impression than a mere judicial execution. Do you remark any particulars in the subsequent verses throwing light on New Testament transactions?

MARY. Yes, Mama. I see now why "two witnesses" were necessary to swear falsely against our Lord and Stephen.

MAMA. And in the account of the latter's martyrdom, did the witnesses (as here commanded) take an active part?

MARY. Yes, now I understand why they "laid down their clothes at the feet of Saul;" I suppose that they might be more at liberty to

throw stones without them.

MAMA. And don't you remember our Lord's calm but soul-convicting proposal to the ac

cusers of the erring woman, that "he who was without sin among them, should cast the first stone at her?" This, you will remember in future, was the duty of witnesses in every case of the three Mosaic deadly sins of idolatry, blasphemy, and adultery.

MARY. Does it not seem hard that the man should die who would not "hearken" to the priest's judgment?

MAMA. Yes, if the decision had been a merely human one. But as God's government over the Israelites was carried on by the singular method of "lively oracles," or by the mouth of an inspired high priest, rebellion against him was in fact disowning the supremacy of Jehovah.

Before proceeding to consider the wonderful prophecy contained in the second of our chapters, let us go on to the sixteenth verse of the nineteenth, and see how fearfully perjury on the part of witnesses is guarded against, and requited. Read me the words of the denunciation.

MARY. "If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong, behold if the witness be a false witness and hath testified falsely against his brother, then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother; so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain

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