es deemed it exceeding necessary, that he who would conduct his own
life well, and give laws to others, in the first place should consider
the Divine nature; and, upon the contemplation of God's operations,
should thereby imitate the best of all patterns, so far as it is
possible for human nature to do, and to endeavor to follow after it:
neither could the legislator himself have a right mind without such a
contemplation; nor would any thing he should write tend to the promotion
of virtue in his readers; I mean, unless they be taught first of all,
that God is the Father and Lord of all things, and sees all things,
and that thence he bestows a happy life upon those that follow him;
but plunges such as do not walk in the paths of virtue into inevitable
miseries. Now when Moses was desirous to teach this lesson to his
countrymen, he did not begin the establishment of his laws after the
same manner that other legislators did; I mean, upon contracts and other
rights between one man and another, but by raising their minds upwards
to regard God, and his creation of the world; and by persuading them,
that we men are the most excellent of the creatures of God upon earth.
Now when once he had brought them to submit to religion, he easily
persuaded them to submit in all other things: for as to other
legislators, they followed fables, and by their discourses transferred
the most reproachful of human vices unto the gods, and afforded
wicked men the most plausible excuses for their crimes; but as for our
legislator, when he had once demonstrated that God was possessed of
perfect virtue, he supposed that men also ought to strive after the
participation of it; and on those who did not so think, and so believe,
he inflicted the severest punishments. I exhort, therefore, my readers
to examine this whole undertaking in that view; for thereby it will
appear to them, that there is nothing therein disagreeable either to the
majesty of God, or to his love to mankind; for all things have here a
reference to the nature of the universe; while our legislator speaks
some things wisely, but enigmatically, and others under a decent
allegory, but still explains such things as required a direct
explication plainly and expressly. However, those that have a mind
to know the reasons of every thing, may find here a very curious
philosophical theory, which I now indeed shall wave the explication of;
but if God afford me time for it, I will set about writing