To these considerations it may be added, that Jeremiah himself predicts the dethronement of the house of David, the destruction of the temple, and the captivity of the priests, and the whole Jewish nation, and as it is an allowed principle of sound criticism that if the expressions of a writer are capable of two significations, one of which would make him contradict himself; and the other would leave him consistent: it is but fair to suppose that he meant to be consistent, and should be interpreted in the sense which excludes self contradiction.]
[fn82 Ezekiel gives a. prophecy of the same events spoken of by Jeremiah, and in these words. "Thus saith Jehovah God; I will even gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered; and I will give you the land of Israel. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." Ezek. x. xi. 17, 18, 19, 20. Now what is meant in the Old Testament by "God's statutes, and God's ordinances," is not the Mosaic law always signified by these expressions? Again, Ezek. says, ch. xxxvi. 23, &c. "I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land; then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I release you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." See also Ezekiel, ch. xxxvii. from verse 20 to the end.]
[fn83 for "the" read "a">[
[fn84 Ac. to the Hebrew.]
[fn85 In my first publication I had maintained, that Jesus Christ had not taught the abolishment of the Law, and alleged in proof the passages following. "Think not I am come to destroy the law or the Prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [i. e. the smallest letter of it] or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." (or consummated) Mat. v. 17. 18. "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke. xvi. 17. Mr. Everett has a device by which he thinks he can evade the gripe of these passages: perhaps the following may satisfy him that there is no way of escape. Luke reports, Acts xxi. 20. that James the bishop of the mother church of Jerusalem, said to Paul, "Thou seest brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe: [i. e. are Christians] and they are all zealous of the Law." Now if Jesus Christ had taught the abolishment of the Law, it appears to me that, his followers would not have been zealous in adhering to it: as to do so would be giving the lie to their master's doctrine.]
[fn86 So called, in Is. Ch. lxvi. 22.]
[fn87 The ancient Britons were savages and painted themselves blue when wishing to appear in full dress. In truth it is hardly three hundred years since the bears of Europe have learned to walk up on their hinder legs, and had "a man's heart given unto them." And it is only about two hundred years since "the wild boar out of the forest" [fn88] has become a learned pig. It is not much more than a hundred years since the people of Boston, have left off hanging their fellow creatures for being witches and Quakers.]
[fn88 after "forest" insert "of the North">[
[fn89 Mohammed was descended from Abraham through Ishmael.]
[fn90 The numerous regulations concerning defilement, and the ritual of purification, contained in the Pentateuch, were very proper in reference to the immediate and personal presence of the Divinity among the Israelites, which therefore rendered the most perfect cleanliness a duty. These regulations were also adopted to the peculiar circumstance of the Jewish nation, which, was separated from all the rest of mankind and not obliged to go over their frontier to mingle with other people. But it is very true that such regulations are "not calculated for us" Gentiles; because men who are obliged constantly to mingle with other men, cannot observe them.]