dered him averse from appearing at all before the public, and a determination never to obtrude upon the world any work, which owing to its subject might claim general attention, that did not contain his maturest thoughts, prevented him from being generally known as a Theologian. No one however could enjoy the benefit of his friendship, or even of his occasional society, without discovering that his merit as such was uncommonly great. Dr. Priestley knew and esteemed him highly in this character. In a letter addressed to him by that eminent person, without date, but written it is probable about this period, he says, "the account you give of the young persons in the congregation,' and of your classes affords me great pleasure. I hope I was not misinformed when I was told that you intended to publish your lectures. We cannot have too many works of this kind written by liberal minded men. There is a deluge of things on the other side." And in the same letter after noticing a request from Mr. Wood, that he would procure for him the loan of Stephens's folio edition of the New Testament, he observes, "I am glad to find that you have a turn for works of this kind.

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There are too few of us that have it. The clergy are taking the lead of us in biblical learning. But then they have the means for it which we have not, and their subscriptions &c. tie up their hands from other enquiries." In another letter written in the year 1791, he says, "I hope also you apply yourself to your great work on the Old Testament. I was much struck with the idea you gave me of it." And in another letter written after his exile to America, he says: "I am now about sending to the press, A Comparison of the institutions of Moses, with those of the Hindoos and other ancient nations. I remember that when I was with you last, you had given much attention to the Old Testament, and the law of Moses. I wish to know whether will make any public use of what public use of what you had drawn upon those subjects. I have been methodizing all the laws of Moses, and have added some notes to explain what seemed most to require it, intending to add this to my comparison, &c. but I fear it will swell the work to too large a size, and therefore shall probably only give the titles of the sections, and the places where the particulars may be found."

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It is not improbable that these lectures

would have been published, had not circumstances arisen which rendered it necessary for Mr. Wood to give almost the whole of his attention to subjects of a very different nature. To have prepared them for the press would indeed have been a long and laborious exertion, as it was not his practice to com mit the whole lecture to writing, but only the heads of those topics upon which he meant to dwell. The greater part was delivered extemporaneously, in such a free and familiar manner, as could not fail of rendering his instructions intelligible to every mind; and at the same time with so much earnestness, and such a flow of natural eloquence as engaged and fixed the attention. It is indeed a subject of just regret that these lectures; were not permitted to extend beyond the little circle for whose immediate benefit they were com, posed, as they would have instructed, it is presumed, even the ablest teachers, and afford. ed a treasure of valuable information to those young persons who are laudably desirous of forming an extensive and accurate acquaintance with subjects peculiarly interesting to rational and accountable creatures.

It has been stated that one great object which the writer of this memoir has in view, is to show some of the excellent methods which his late revered friend pursued, either in the acquisition or the communication of knowledge. He cannot therefore here omit to notice an expedient to which Mr. Wood had recourse whilst engaged in the study of the Old Testament, and of which he was always accustomed to speak as having been peculiarly useful to him. Of two copies of the common version of the Old Testament, he formed a harmony of such parts as were capable of it, and disposed such as were not into a more regular and commodious order than that in which they commonly

appear. The first part of this harmony consisted of an arrangement of all the Jewish genealogies in Genesis, Numbers and Chronicles, so as to exhibit at one view the several tribes of the chosen people, through all

their descents.

He next selected from the four last books of the pentateuch, the history of the Jewish people from the birth to the death of Moses, which he divided into five periods. He then placed in regular order all the laws of that eminent legislator. All those

passages descriptive of the character of God, together with those which prescribed the du ties to be paid to him, and those which pro-` hibited idolatrous practices, came first. To these succeeded such as related to the structure of the place in which God was to be worshipped, and its furniture; and to these whatever related to the dress and the service of the priests." Next were arranged all the laws respecting the purity which was an essential prerequisite for every act of religious worship, which was followed by the description of the ceremonial worship, including all the various kinds of offerings, the regular festivals, and the sacrifices appointed for different kinds of impurity and sin. And as the maintenance of the priests depended in a great degree upon the offerings of the people, the laws relating to the descendants of Levi were introduced immediately after those relating to offerings.

Having thus collected and reduced to a systematic arrangement all the religious institutions of Moses, he brought together in the next place, in a similar manner, the laws relating to social duties, under the heads of General Benevolence, Assault and Murder.