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of benevolence and humanity was confined to the friendly 
circle; and the duty of extending 1 the application of these, 
and even of love itself, to our enemies, was a refinement 
in morals, and required a purity of sentiment, that was un¬ 
known under the Patriarchal or Mosaic dispensation. It 
was in the school of the Redeemer of mankind that this 
principle was inculcated and enforced; and although its 
influence is not so perceptible as it should be amongst 
Christians and Christian nations, — yet, its dissemination 
has softened the asperity of those evils that are still latent, 
and drawn closer the ties of universal kindred. 
But, in the ages of which we are speaking, it was not 
only in the sphere of relative obligations that we find 
practices allowed, that are totally inconsistent with Chris¬ 
tianity. If we look at the social circle, we shall find many 
circumstances which will oblige us to conclude, that the 
moral capacities of man were not all unfolded at once; or 
rather, that they were not in so high a degree acted upon 
by the spirit of God at that period, as under the Christian 
dispensation. Indeed, the state of society in the patri¬ 
archal ages was such as to justify and even render neces¬ 
sary many things that afterwards became highly criminal. 
Of these are, the marriage of the nearest relations—the 
plurality of wives, and their frequent repudiation on slight 
grounds; the latter of which is accounted for by our 
Saviour himself, while with the same breath he forbids the 
practice of it in future.* The Almighty Lawgiver of the 
universe has adapted his revelations to the circumstances 
of his creatures ; and at various periods, distinctly pointed 
out in the Holy Scriptures, has extended the scale of 
moral obligations as the state of man would bear it, until, 
at length, it has been perfected by the introduction of 
Christianity, or the revelation of Jesus Christ.f 
Christians are not sufficiently alive to the benefits, both 
* See Matt. xix. 3—9. t Heb. i. 1. 
