1 46 
into deeper degradation, and in danger of altogether “ cor- 
rupting their way,” and so of removing that and the succeed- 
ing generations beyond the possibility of recovery, was a 
sufficient reason for this special Divine intervention. \Ye 
regard these cases as illustrious examples of the way in whicli 
“ the God of the spirits of all flesh ” shows his readiness to 
use any man, who will submit to His inward leading, as the 
means of enlightenment and salvation : because we believe 
that with Him is no respect of persons ; “ but in every nation 
he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted 
with Him.” They brought back men to juster views of God, 
and in the bonds of a true morality united them to each 
other. Hot only did they break the bonds of a tyrannical 
priesthood, but destroyed the elaborate hierarchy of gods 
which had grown to such large dimensions, and which our 
author delineates as the growth of religion. As soon, however, 
as these reforms had passed beyond their authors, they were 
submitted to a similar system of development, and they also 
became effete and powerless for good, like their predecessors. 
It is, however, important that we should remember that these 
reforms were accompanied by no speculations as to the Divine 
essence, but they more distinctly proclaimed the Creator and 
Ruler, and called to a simple and individual worship, as the 
means by which power for righteousness might be obtained. 
But this was only an appeal to “ the feeling of dependence 
and reliance which has been in us from the beginning.” 
Thus within the scope of the nature, and by means of primary 
revelations, the Creator in these cases brought back His 
creatures to Himself, and into the way in which He from the 
first intended them to walk. 
In the form in which we suppose all Divine revelation to be 
made, it follows that when any enlargement takes place, that 
is, when any new facts concerning the Divine government are 
declared, and especially when these facts are out of the range 
of human observation, the declaration must be accompanied 
by such unquestionable marks of the presence of the Creator 
and Upholder of all things, that we shall have indubitable 
proof that the communication has been made with His 
authority. On the authority of another man's thought, no 
man would feel himself authorised to draw nigh to God, or to 
offer any work to Him as an act of service. This we see in 
the only two cases which the Bible furnishes. Moses and the 
Lord Jesus both wrought works which required the power 
and authority of the Supreme Ruler; not ostentatiously, but 
as they were required by the exigencies of their ministry, 
severally ; with this marked distinction, that Moses as a 
