Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-10

1
and among these, Of men admitted To
direct Intercourse with Heaven aud under
The visible protection of jehovah. We
proceed 10 verify this asseveraiion BY
citing The conduct md contracts of two OF
The most distinguished persopages that
ins!rucir" and adorned the early ages oi
The frsi dispensaiion-namel AGrsham
and Joseph.
ABRAHAM.
| Ia every portion ot Scripture where no.
ticcs OF This venerable Patriarch appear.
he is represented as The model of virtue
aud the pattern of pieiy. He is uniierm-
ly Characterised by slcdias, faith in iiod
-firn reliance on his promises-e,iire
Obedience TO his commands by Srict
integrity and exact Justice in all his DIAL
ln2s with men; by humane sympathy
love OF peace and good neighbouriood
! and liberal Observation-Disclosures: in line
by iair renown for every domestic, s,,ial
ana religious excellence. Owing no
doubt TO such eminent virtue he wassd
miiied 10 frequent and familiar coner-
ence with God-who in many text of
scripture styles l,ms, If emphaiicaliytle
God of Abraham. Nay more-Abralan
having Ivy his pieiies become the npsi
acceptable OF mortals-Jrhovah volsh-
saied 10 call him friend - and deiynny
| alter his decease 10 extol such yiriuelio
bls son lsaac-God speaks of Ills X
emp!ary Syrian in The foinwiug remak-
| ale words" In thg seed shall all the a.
honS of the earth be MeSsed ;-Lecause hat
h0'a"dni e0eyedmy ooice and Kept ma clare,
my commandments, my statutes, and n,y lac"
Nor Is The unimpedchable characterof
TINS righteous man less conspicuousin
| texts OF The Gospel; where among oihr
lofty testimonies 10 his rectiiude he
| Redeemer himself--who always speaks,f
Abraham as one of the most faithful ST..
| wants OF hls eternal father, rebukes be
Jews Tor having so far departed from tie
| proDity OF Abraham as not TO be eniitld
TO be- called his children =" for If te
rere Abrahdn's children (says he ye tDotd
do the works Of Abraham" Now il is vey
remarkable that among the works 5f
Abraiiam-ihis most faithful, obedief,
humane, just, disinterested, righleols
! man.'his spotless patriarch who co..
sfanily obeyed the voice of God
kept his charge, his commandments. Is
statutes, and his laws, and moreover fouu!
such acceptance with him as TO be az
united TO familiar conferences with Jeht
vah-lt Is very remarkable that amor
The works of Abraham is found the tran.
ACTON OF buying 6ondmen for money. Nf
Is The least lnilmation given by aiiy of tIr
inspired writers, that Abraham's conduc
III making such bargains-or afterward
| "a a slave hoider-was ever i'm the mos
distant manner discounienanced by an,
private admonitiOn or public suggestion,
OF Gods displeasure for such contrac
or cquisiion-NOw what can we rea
sonably conclude from this uniform
silence OF those writers OH this subject o
dealing in bondmen2 Blu, that The
usage of buying and holding menials 10
involuntary service was never by them
Judged any violation of the statutes O
Jehovah. For how is ii possible for
sincere believer TO imagine, that csnsis.
| ieniiy with the ideas That faithful Chris
mans cherish concerning the essential
rectltnde OF God III whom abides The
pleniude OF Justice, ihal-he would spe-
cially style himself the G d Of Abra am
| dtghyy him with the appelldiiGn of friend
--df,Sn to declare, that in his seed he
would bless all nations; affirm thai Abra
ham had obeyed his voice-kept his
charge, his commandments, his statutes,
| aud his laws-wiihom erception-or thai
the blessed Rcdecmcr would have COM
mended The works of Abraham npithout
any reStr1ction-if Abrahaas moral con-
duel In becoming slave holder had been
deemed repugnant 10 any precept or
cianse IN ihc code OF The Supreme I.awniy-
e'. Such legitimate inIereace CONSIDERED
| as mere negative argument favourable 10
| Inc rellglouS iawiulntss Of slave boldjup
under thu first ihcocraiica dispense ION
weighs upon the mind OF believer with
such powerful convlction-tbai i'm our
opinion n amounts 10 positive sanction
OF tins usage. For how otherwise can il
be possible TO reconcile the Justice OF
Jehovah with his own Scripiural decisions
touching the essential immgiabiIity of
he nature OF that justice? Thai such
sanction ct slave holding is MOI our mere
negative infereHce--bni that i, is the
veriabte meaning of scripture, will be
| evident 10 every calm examiner of Tie
! following prominent case. II is Tepurted
IN lie sacred writings and is the case of
DondmaId held to involuntary service IN
i've household Of Abraham. We extract
u from The l6'h Chapter of the book of
| Genesis.
l. Now SarSi, Abrams wife, bare him no
| children ard size had an handmaid, AN Egyp-
| tian, whose name was Hagar,
| 2.Anh Saral Said UnlS Abram Behold now
! The Lord hath refrained me from bearing L
! pray thee 20 III unto my maid il may be that
L may obtain cbIldren by her. And ALram
| hardened unto the voice Of Sar2i
3. And Sarai, Abrams wife. took Hsgar her
| maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had DIV cit
ten yeats ~ the land OF Canaan, and gave her
| TO her husband Abram TO he his wife
| 4. Aud he went III INTO Hagar and she con.
| ceived ; aad, when she saw that she had con-
| ceived, her mistress was despSed in her eyes
| 8. Aud Sarai said unts AbranI, my wrong
| be upon thee have given ms maid into thy
| bosom and, when she saw that She had con-
ceived, was despised ~ her eyes: the Lord
| judge between me and thee.
q. But AbrHm raid INTO Sarai, beloIG thy
maid is in thy hand do 10 her as il ueaseih
thee. And, when Sars dealt hardly with her.
she He'd from her face.
z. And the Angel OF The Lord found her by