His words; and obliged, also, to use rough and violent measures, or they would never yield nor obey. But, on the other hand, as they became more refined and elevated, more intelligent and pure. He would be able to address them in milder terms, use gentler measures, and reveal to them more of His true character. Now, here we see just the secret of the marked distinction between the Old and New Testaments. It is God speaking in both, but addressing different classes of men, in different ages of the world. In the former, the Old Testament—especially the earlier part of it—there are recorded His addresses to, and dealings with, a people in a most rude and barbarous age,—when any other language than the most simple and direct, and accommodated to the appearances of the senses, would have been entirely unintelligible; and when any other mode of address than that of positive and even harsh command would not have been regarded or listened to.
Consider the character of the people with whom the Divine Being had undertaken to deal. Mankind, it is to be recollected, had sunk into a most gross, depraved, and idolatrous state, all the world over. Scarcely any knowledge or worship of the true God was left. Palestine, the ancient Holy Land,—with all the surrounding countries,—was filled with idolatry, corruption, and wickedness: Egypt was in a similar state: Europe was then in great part a wilderness. In this emergency, a very remarkable course was pursued in order once more to restore amongst men a knowledge of the one and true God. A single individual was selected, and removed from his friends and kindred, and thus withdrawn, as far as possible, from his idolatrous associations: and then, by a series of direct reve-
