8. At stated periods the mild form of servitude instituted by the law
of Moses expired. A Hebrew who became a servant could not be required
to continue in that relation more than six years. And every fiftieth
year was a grand Jubilee, at the commencement of which liberty was
proclaimed throughout all the land unto _all the inhabitants thereof_.
Lev. 25: 10, 11. Contracts for service, under any circumstances, could
not hold beyond that great jubilee. It was a glorious institution, and
a type of the proclamation of the gospel. But American slavery knows no
joyful jubilee! For three hundred years no proclamation of freedom has
been made throughout all this land unto all the inhabitants thereof.
No, generation after generation of slaves goes down to their graves in
_despair_! Slavery is without a jubilee.
9. The grand design of the introduction of foreign servants into the
Jewish state was their salvation. From a careful examination of this
whole subject, we are fully satisfied that the 25th chapter of Lev.
contains, as Mr. Smith has said, "the constitution of Heaven's first
Missionary society, by which a door of mercy and salvation was opened
to the heathen, through which they could obtain access to the altar of
God, find mercy and live."
It will be observed that a foreigner could obtain a permanent residence
in Israel in but two ways,--1st By becoming a servant in a Jewish
family, and, 2d By purchasing a house in a walled city. Now, when
in connection with these facts, we consider that to the Jews were
committed the "lively oracles;" that the only temple of God on earth
was erected on Mt. Moriah; that the divinely appointed priesthood
and sacrifices were in Jerusalem; and also that a renunciation of
idolatry and hearty acceptance of the God and religion of the bible
was absolutely required of those foreigners who desired to become
servants; that when they did become servants they were blessed with all
the precious privileges of the Jewish religion, and after a few years,
became, with their families, adopted members of the Jewish state,
having all the rights, immunities and honors of the chosen people of
God; I say, when all these facts are impartially weighed, they convince
us that the _end_ of the provision alluded to for the admission of
foreign servants was religious--the salvation of those servants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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