per too gross and earthly to be capable of religion, like the Christian, wholly spiritual. Those early ages of the world were not sufficiently improved, to be, in general, fit for any thing above mere sense; or however, where more likely to be affected by what was fit to act upon the senses, than what might be addressed to the understanding. A body of religious ceremonies was therefore incorporated with, and made a part of their polity, or constitution. But even in them, the ultimate design of separating that people from all others, is every where visible, and almost every particular holds it forth. For the religious ceremonies may in general be considered as tending to give typical representations of the Christian scheme, which was the finishing of all the Divine dispensations; under which head may be comprehended the various sacrifices and obligations, and to keep the people continually in mind of their being in a state of guilt before God; for which purpose the ceremonial purifications were properly adapted; to prevent their deviating into idolatry, by giving them a religion, which might employ them, and in some respect suit their gross apprehensions; accordingly, the ceremonies of the law are in scripture called imperfect statutes, and carnal ordinances; to prove a yoke and punishment for their frequent tendency to idolatry, and imageworship; the ceremonial law is therefore called in scripture an intolerable yoke; and to convey many noble morals under sensible signs; of which one considerable one may be, That by the frequent infliction of death on the victims offered, they might never be suffered to forget, that death is the wages of sin.

We have in scripture the history of that most extraordinary people, partly related, and partly predicted, during a period of above three thousand years, making a continued series of miraculous interpositions (for their present state is as much so, as any of the past) in which the various unexampled vicissitudes they have undergone, and which they are yet to pass through, are evidently owing to direct interpositions of Divine Providence, and are all along the immediate consequence of their behaviour to their God.

Thus, to mention a few remarkable instances, if they murmur against Moses in the wilderness, and worship idols of their own making, their carcasses fall there, and

none of them is allowed to enter the promised land, which is given to their children. If they avariciously, and contrary to command, keep the spoils of the heathenish enemy, they are vanquished in the next engagement. If they be obedient to God, and attack their enemies in full confidence of the Divine strength, they conquer. If one king sets up the worship of idols, the Divine vengeance punishes him and his people. If another destroys the high places, where those infamous rites were celebrated, all goes well in his time. If a succession of inspired prophets is raised among them, to keep them in mind of their allegiance to God, and they put them to death, one after another, for their unacceptable freedom, in reproving the prevailing vices of both king and people, and deviate, from time to time, through the infection of the neighbouring countries, into idolatry and vice, they are carried away captive to Babylon. If they repent of their fatal degeneracy, and remember their God, whom they have forsaken, he turns their captivity, and brings about their restoration to their own land once more. And lastly, if they fill up the measure of their iniquity by imbruing their wicked hands in the blood of their Messiah, they are totally rooted out of the land, which was given to their fathers; their temple is demolished; their country given to the Gentiles, and themselves so scattered abroad in all nations, that greater numbers of them may be found almost in any country than their own; and to this dispersion which has already continued for upwards of seventeen hundred years, is added, according to the prediction of Moses, such uncommon distress, as is not to be equalled in the history of any other

nation.

The early and total dispersion of the ten tribes, without any return hitherto (though it is expected, according to ancient prophecy, in the last ages of the world) ought to have been considered by them as an awful warning of what the remaining part of that people might expect to be their own fate, if they proved disobedient. And from the his. tory of the whole twelve tribes, one of the noblest and most important morals may be drawn, viz. That a nation, may expect to prosper, or sink, according as it is favoured by Divine providence, or the contrary; and that therefore, virtue is the only sure foundation of national happiness.

But after all their irregularities and degeneracies from their God, and his obedience and worship, they are all, (the posterity of the ten tribes, as well as the two) according to ancient prophecy, to be finally replaced in their own country, in greater happiness and glory than ever. All which peculiar honours, important dispensations, and singular interpositions for this people, the posterity of Abraham, are intended as a standing proof, during a period of near four thousand years already, and how much longer God knows, of what value in the sight of God, the singular piety of that venerable patriarch was, for whom it seems as if he could not (so to speak) do favours enough even to the latest posterity of him who had greatly stood up alone for the worship of the true God against a whole world sunk in idolatry.

Prophecy makes a very considerable part of revelation. In the predictions of scripture, there is found some account of the future fate of many of the empires and cities which have made the greatest figure in the world. From whence we learn, that the author of prophecy is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. That neither his presence, nor his power, is limited to the affairs of any one nation whatever.

No branch of scripture prophecy is so interesting to us as those which hold forth the coming of the Messiah and his kingdom, which shine more and more clearly from the first obscure one given immediately after the fall, "That the Seed of the woman should bruise the Serpent's head;" down through a period of four thousand years, to those plain ones given by Zacharias, the priest, Simeon, Anna, and John the baptist, his immediate fore-runner ; and thus the important designs of God, with regard to mankind, opened by degrees, every great prophecy carrying on the view to the last glorious ages; till at length our saviour himself comes as a light into the world, and carries his sublime informations and heavenly precepts immensely beyond what had been done by all the prophets, law-givers, and philosophers, opening a prospect into eternity, and bringing life and immortality to light. Of prophecy more hereafter.

The history of our Saviour's birth, life, miracles, doc

trine, predictions, death, resurrection, and ascension, makes a very considerable part of scripture.

The christian scheme itself may be considered as the = publication of an act of grace to a rebellious world, and of the terms upon which God will mercifully receive mankind into favour. The sublime, the interesting, and comfortable views it exhibits, are these:

God, the original of all being, the father of mankind, who brought the species into existence with a view wholly to their happiness, willing to forgive his offending, guilty creatures upon any terms consistent with the honour of his government; but at the same time displeased with vice and irregularity, and not to be reconciled to offenders, but upon proper conditions. Or in other words, the christian religion represents almighty God in the twofold character of the wise and righteous governor of the moral world, and of the tender and merciful father of his crea

tures.

The christian scheme represents the human species, who were originally, as all orders of rational beings, obliged to a perfect obedience to the Divine authority, and, in consequence of that, insured of a happy immortality, universally degenerate, and become obnoxious to punishment by disobedience. Which renders some expedient necessary for saving them from destruction, consistently with the dignity of the Divine government.

The third character concerned in the christian scheme, is the Messiah, the Son of God, who is in it exhibited as leaving his celestial state, and assuming the human nature, to give up voluntarily his life for the sins of mankind, in order to their being restored to a capacity of pardon upon repentance and reformation.

In the blameless life of this glorious person, while on earth, a perfect example is set before mankind, of obedience to the Divine laws; and in his sufferings, of patience and resignation to the will of God.

In his doctrines, the perfections of God are more clearly manifested to mankind, than by any, or all the other teachers that ever appeared, the evil of vice, the excellency of virtue, and their respective connexions with happiness and misery, more fully set forth. The dignity of the human nature more gloriously manifested in the im

portance of the scheme for the restoration of man, and the high elevation to which christianity teaches to aspire. The proper and acceptable method of worshipping God, declared. The certainty of obtaining pardon upon repent. ance and reformation. The future resurrection of the body, and the everlasting and increasing happiness of the whole man, ascertained beyond doubt.

In his laws, the whole duty of man is more fully and perfectly declared, and with an authority to which no other lawgiver could pretend; which authority he confirms by unquestionable miracles and predictions fully accomplished; by conferring on his followers the power of working miracles; and especially by rising from the dead, according to his own prediction. The substance of the preceptive part of christianity is contained in the following paragraph.

On account of the death and intercession of the Messiah, that perfect and blameless obedience, which is naturally the indispensable duty of man, and all rational creatures, the defect of which made an expiation and intercession necessary, is graciously dispensed with; and instead of it, through repentance for all our offences, which implies the reformation of them, as far as human frailty will admit, and a candid reception and steady belief of the Christian religion, and sincere endeavours to obey its laws, and to attain the perfection of its graces and virtues, accepted, and made the condition of pardon and everlasting happiness: Which are, love, reverence, gratitude, and obedience to God. Love, gratitude, and obedience to Christ; through whom, as the appointed intercessor, we are by rev. elation taught to address the Almighty father of all, and whose death we are to commemorate according to his ap pointment. Thankfulness to the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Inspirer. Benevolence to men. Temperance with respect to their own passions and appetites. Humility, meekness, chastity, purity of heart, integrity in thought and word; mercy, charity, and the performance of all the social and relative duties of life; forgiving of injuries, loving enemies, prudence without cunning; zeal without rancour; steadiness without obstinacy; contempt of riches, honours, pleasures, and all worldly things; courage to stand up for the truth in spite of the applause or threatenings of men ;