Secondly, It is certain, that these Monuments were very remarkable and very fingular: For, what could be more univerfally known, than the Tabernacle, the Ark, the Condition of the Jewish People, the Circumcifion and the Sabbath-day? See but there what care God takes to preserve the memory of things past, when he thinks they may serve to illuftrate or confirm Religion. He ingraves them upon time it felf, that confumes all things; and yet, which lasts much longer than any thing else we fee. He imprints them on the Flesh of the Ifraelites, in their Religion, in the Revo lutions of their State, that thefe Objects being more fenfible to their Eyes, fhould be at the fame time both the more remarkable, and more undeniable.

Thirdly, Further, thefe Monuments are beyond all exception or fufpicion: For it cannot be fufpected that Mofes inftituted the Sabbath and the Circumcifion, only to get credit to Impoftures, fince thefe two Cuftoms were both established long before his time. Mofes might have had a fubtile and politic Wit, but he could never have made Events pliable to his defires, nor have adjusted them to his Paffions and Humours. The Patriarchs had their Names given them before the Days of Mofes, and thefe Names manifeftly fhew what happened to them.

If all the marvellous things pretended to be done by God in Egypt and in the Wilderness were Fictions, it is unconceivable, how it could come into the Mind of Mofes to establish a Religion, which is nothing else but a fenfible reprefentation of fuch fuppofed OccurAnd it was impoffible for that Lawgiver to have imposed both on the present time, and on the future, on the Men he governed, and on their Posterity, by making them keep Manna, which he knew would foon be corrupted; as, if it would have kept incor

rences.

ruptible.

ruptible. He could not fo far have impofed upon the Ifraelites, as to have made them believe, that they came out of Egypt with all the precious Jewels of the Egyptians, when they never stirred a Foot, nor made them to have erected fo magnificent a Monument of that Event, as the rich Tabernacle. For, with what

materials could they have done it? It could never have come into the Mind of Joshua to order a kind of an Altar to be built, in token, that they had paffed over a River on dry Ground, if they had paffed over Bridges, or otherwife For there he would too much have expofed himself to the mockery both of the Spectators of fo fenceless a Labour, and Juftin against of the very Perfons themselves employed Tryphon. in it. The Brazen Serpent could never have been formed of it felf, nor would that Nation, which bore an inveterate hatred to all forts of carved Images, or reprefentations of Things whatever, have erected it, or fuffered it to have been erected; with out it had been, upon occafion of fome great mystery, or fome urgent neceffity. The Philiftians would never have fent back the Ark of God out of any Complement to the Ifraelites, who put all their Confidence in it : Nor would the Men of Beth-fhemesh have suffered themselves to be flain, though but in a Fable, only out of a particular defign to render that Ark more terrible, and more worthy of Veneration. The Gi

beonites would never have escaped the Sword of the Ifraelites, by which fo many other Nations were cut off, without fome particular reafon for it: Nor would David, as well as feveral other holy Men, who lived in a time wherein they might have eafily known the Truth or Falihood of all thofe Events, fo effectually have been moved to Sanctity, by the confideration of Events which they knew to be Fabulous. For fince

they

they had not fo clear a Notion of the Life everlafting as we have, they would foon have yielded themselves over to the Love of the World, unless they had been reftrain'd from it, by the confideration of all those Wonders of the Truth of which they were fo fully and fo perfectly convinced. Nothing could have fupported, or withdrawn them from Vice, which then would have been to them far preferable to Vertue, had not the counterpoife of all thofe miraculous Matters of Fact awakened, and, as it were, fpoken to them from God himself. We may therefore very well affirm, in that respect, that the Miracles of the Old Teftament ferved then inftead of the Motives of the Gospel; and that the Motives of the Gospel, I mean the diftin& Revelation of Life Eternal and Death Eternal, ferve now inftead of thofe Miracles, and ought to be fuch a counterpoife, as may keep us from falling into Vice. But this Confideration brings us now from the Confideration of the Jewish Religion, to that of the Chriftian Religion.

Where we fhall prove, That the Jewish Revelation tends to convince us of the Divinity of the Chriftian Religion.

I

CHA P. I.

Of the Calling of the Gentiles.

Tis not fufficient for us only to have proved the Divine Original of the Jewish Religion; but we ought to proceed yet further, and confider, whether it will not lead us to fome greater Revelation.

One of the chiefeft Oracles that it contains is undoubtedly the Prediction of the Calling of the Gentiles; this is a grand Principle, which, if but once throughly eftablished, will carry us far beyond the Jewish Revelation, and make us fully acquainted with the Model and Delign of God in the Matter of Religion.

To effect his, Let us keep close to the Confideration of that Prophefie, and its Completion.

The Scripture fully refolves all doubts we may reafonably have about this Prophefie. This is not fuch an Oracle as might by chance have been put into the mouth only of a single Prophet; but it is in all their mouths. Mofes, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Feremiah and others, do so often in their Writings foretele Calling of the Gentiles, that they feem to have

Etators of it. It cannot be objected, that th

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~ Spe. phefie

is embroiled with any obfcurity, becaufe nothing can be more plain than these words of Zechariah, Chap. 14: Verfe 8, 9. And it fhall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Ferusalem, &c. And the Lord shall be King over all the Earth; in that day fhall there be one Lord, and his name one. Nor likewife this place out of Malachi, Chap. 1. ver. 11. For from the rifing of the Sun unto the going down of the fame, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering. For my Name fhall be great among the Heathen, faith the Lord of Hofts.

If these words are not thought expreffive enough to teftifie God's Choice of the Gentiles, and his admiffion of them into his Covenant, do but obferve this Paffage, wherein he speaks himself by the mouth of his Prophet Isaiah, chap. 65. ver. 1. I was sought of them that asked not for me, and found of them that fought me not. I Said unto a Nation that was not called by my name, Behold me, behold me. And this other, Chap. 54. verfe 1. Sing O barren, thou that didst not bear break forth into Singing, and cry aloud; thou that didft not travail with Child: : for more are the Children of the defolate, than the Children of the married wife, faith the Lord. If you would know who are the Gentiles that are to be made partakers of these great Promises, you will find all of them to be indifferently admitted into this Covenant, even those who formerly feemed moft abandoned of God. In that day, faith Ifaiah, Chap. 19. verse 21. The Lord fhall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord.

If it be the Opinion of the Jews, that the Gentiles were to be called to the Knowledge of the true God, like a Company of Slaves wholly defigned to follow the triumphal Chariot of Ifrael, we might foon filence them with these words of Micah, Chap. 4. verfe 6,7. In that day, faith the Lord, I will assemble her that halieth, Dd 2 and