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The 24th and 25th verses have been anticipated in the comment on the Ii Ith.

26. " And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creep_ing thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Plato most properly, and as if he had his information immediately from divine revelation, thus shews that man assumes a likeness to the Deity, in proportion as he excels in moral rectitude- Ομοίωσις δε, δικαιον και οσιον μετα φρονη ζίως γενέσθαι. – That justice, righteousness, and wisdom, affimulate us to God

Jamblicus, in his Book de Myfteriis, describes, almost in evangelic language, the state of man when fallen from a state of communion with God, and the happiness resulting from a restitution to the divine favour, to the most intimate union with his makerΙδεα γαρ εςιν ευδαιμονίας το επισαθαι αγαθον. -For the very idea of happiness is to be acquainted with God, who is the essential good. ch. 5.f. 10. Hierocles, on the golden verses of Pythagoras, where he treats of dæmons, says,

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και τοιαύτας υποτήσαι εαυτε εικονας, και μη πατας τρεπτας.

επτας.--It is becoming the Deity to have his likeness not at all mutable, &c. Jam vero virtus eadem in homine ac deo-est igitur homini cum deo fimilitudo. "Virtue being the fame in man as in God, man has therefore a likeness to the Deity." (From hence, then as a natural consequence, follows the fuperiority of man over other creatures.) Itaque ad hominum commoditates & ufus tantam rerum ubertatem natura largita est; nec solum ea, quæ frugibus atque baccis terræ fætu profundunter, fed etiam pecudes: quod perfpicuum fit, partim effe ad usum hominum, partim ad fructum, partim ad vescendum procreatas." Therefore nature has bountifully bestowed that vast variety with which she abounds, both for the conveniencies and use of man; not only a profusion of vegetable productions, but also cattle, partly for his own immediate use, which is evident, partly for the culture of the foil, and partly for food. - Cicero de legibus.

27. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

28. " And God blessed them; and God faid unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and re plenish

plenish the earth, and fubdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Here God is represented as speaking to man newly created; it is therefore natural to suppose that he inspired him with an immediate knowledge of language; and it is rational to believe, that as man was created in a state of maturity, and had not passed gradually from infancy to manhood, neither had a father to instruct him, that God taught him language. This has been the opinion of many heathen writers, as well as of the learned of all religious orders. - See Sketch 4.

29. "And God said, behold I have given you every herb bearing feed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding feed, to you it shall be for meat."

At vetus illa ætas cui fecimus aurea nomen,
Fætibus arboreis, & quas humus educat herbas,
Fortunata fuit, nec polluit ora cruore.

Hail golden age, by ancient poets nam'd,
For fruitful trees, and kindest herbage fam'd;
Content with Nature, and with blood urstain'd,
Thy fons their native innocence maintain'd.

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OF SANCHONIATHON AND MANETHO, AND HOW FAR THEY CORRESPOND WITH THE MOSAIC HISTORY.

THE

HE labours of Africanus, Eufebius and Syncellus, without which the world would have remained very ignorant of ancient chronology, are to be esteemed amongst the very valuable acquisitions of literature: and altho' no investigations of these learned men, nay, not even the Canon Chronicon of Sir John Marsham, neither the chronology of the illuftrious Newton, have been able, fully, to fatisfy our curiosity in illustrating and solving the intricate difficulties in which the fabulous accounts of the most ancient writers are involved; yet, from their inquiries we may deduce arguments fufficient to prove the infinite fuperiority of the Mofaical writings above all others; and that all other accounts have, in a great variety of respects, an affinity to revelation, which can in no other manner be accounted for, but by ancient tradition: and also, that where they may may feem to differ, there is nothing but intricacy, confufion, and darkness, the result of blind superstition, and defection from the

true God.

Sanchoniathon, the most ancient of profane authors, (except the first and second Mercury) was an idolatrous priest of Berytus, and is believed to have seen and studied the works of Ham. Philo Byblius says, that Sanchoniathon was a lover of antiquity, and was versant in the writings of Taautus, that he dedicated his works to Abibalus, to whom Hiram succeeded in the empire; he therefore might have synchronized with David, which is the greatest antiquity (according to some writers) which this author can possibly claim (how inferior to that of Mofes !) That he lived before the Trojan war, and was contemporary with Semiramis, is also attested by Philo; that is about the year 1048, before Christ; as related by Porphyry. But Semiramis is believed to have lived much later. If Sanchoniatho lived at the time of Semiramis, that is as fome would have it, in the year 766 before Christ: Then it must be an entire fiction, that he dedicated his work to Abibalus, who undoubtedly flourished before that time. What my opinion is, respecting the time when this author flourished is briefly expressed

in

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