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observances, all the rules relating to inheritances, (types and signs whereby a stupid and stiff-necked people were trained to look forward to eternal realities) and among these rules the injunction to the brother, or next kinsman of a childless husband, to marry his widow, and to heiresses to marry within their father's family, have fulfilled their purpose. The earthly Israel and their earthly inheritance have given way to spiritual and heavenly realities.
Some few things were permitted to the Jews, "because of the hardness of their hearts," which were expressly forbidden by our blessed Lord (Matt. v. 31-32, xix. 4 ; Mark x. 6), such as divorce, but no part of the moral law was ever relaxed, or made less stringent. Look at the manner in which our Lord opens out the requirements of that law as a sufficient proof that He established instead of overthrowing it, as a rule of life (see Matt. v). Now a prohibition of marriage is clearly a moral, and not a ceremonial prohibition, and as such it is equally binding on the Christian as on the Jew. Therefore these prohibitions are binding on Christians.
The manner in which these laws are introduced and the reasons given for them, show that the forbidden acts are gross sins, hateful in the sight of God.
Nothing can be more solemn than the preface, I am the Lord your God, after the doings of the land of Egypt . . . and after the doings of the land of Canaan . . . shall ye not do, neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do My Judgments and keep Mine ordinances. I am the Lord your God. Then follow these prohibitions — which conclude with the awful warning, "Defile not ye yourselves with any of these things, for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you, and the land is defiled, therefore do I visit the iniquity thereof upon it. Ye shall not commit any of
