The following will show what the feelings of the Jews are, in regard to moral rectitude, and that although persecuted, afflicted, robbed and spoiled, they still adhere with great tenacity to their ancient moral code, and maintain principles of benevolence and charity which many of our professedly enlightened christians would do well to imitate.—Ed.

“Commandments. The commandment of God is duty for Israel, the will of God the only ground of obligation for all our duties; can there be any other ground for obligation for any duty, which any one is bound to perform? Is it possible to imagine that any thing should be a duty, without thinking it to be at the same time the will of God? Duty signifies rule of action; but every thing necessary for action; we ourselves, with all our faculties and powers, and the world that surrounds us belong to God:—who has then to dispose of us but God? If this be true for all men, how much more for Israel, who have a double bond of union with the Creator; who not only made them as men, but has also fixed the bounds of their habitation among men. The command of God is therefore duty, and the will of God the obligation to duty. . . . . If, therefore, each command of God was an enigma; and if a thousand unanswered and unanswerable questions obtruded themselves on us, concerning each, still the obligation to obedience would be in no degree lessened. If any one ask why should I do this, why avoid that? we have only one answer to give—because it is the will of God; and we are to serve God with every capability, every faculty, every breath. . . . . We should be bound to obey, not on this account, or the other, but because God requires it, if we do it not for this reason, how can we be the servants of God? how can we be said to obey God? The Jew who faithfully observes and keeps the law of God, as he gave them to the congregation of Jacob, is, in the full and unlimited sense of the word, a Jew—as he does this in order to fulfil the will of God—he is a servant of God, although he may never have understood the connexion, or import of even one of all the divine commands, and has obtained great, yea, the greatest happiness on earth: for the pure in heart know no higher bliss than the fulfilling the divine will.

He makes the following remarks on alms giving, founded on Deut. vii: 2.—Thou shalt open thine hand wide to thy brother, to thy poor. With these words God calls thee to thy most lovely, thy most holy employment; to that in which thou art most like himself: he calls thee to be a blessing, with all that he has given thee, to be a blessing to all about thee. Look around in the great household of thy Father, every thing is appointed to thy blessing. Every thing helps, and is helped; every thing takes and gives, and receives [p. 725]