the Viciffitude of Time, and the Revolutions of Ages.

6

The first of thefe Truths is unquestionable. For it is not to be denied, but that thofe Matters of Fact were written by fuch Hiftorians as had either feen their Events, or heard them related by thofe who were Spectators of them. And this might seem fufficient to clear all doubts in this occafion. Because Men are of fuch a Temper as fcarcely to trouble themselves fo much as to publish thofe Lyes, which 'tis abfolutely impoffible to make any Body believe, especially when they cannot do it without expofing themfelves to the Contradiction or Malice of the Men of their Age: Neither can it be fo much as imagned, that any Man fhould go about to impose upon other Mens Belief, Stories compofed of Events notorioufly

falle.

to

Now such is exactly the cafe of all thofe who made it their bufinefs to inform us of those miraculous Matters of Fact we are fpeaking of. There was never any Age but there were fome Rebels among the fees. For no fooner are they come out of the Land of Egypt, but they would fain have return back it again. Sometimes they murmur for want of Water, and by and by for fcarcity of Bread. Now they make a golden Calf, and another time they worship the falle Deities of Remphan, Moloch and Aftaroth; sometimes they ferve Baal; fometimes they erect Calves in Pan and Bethel to be adored; and almoft continually exercife their Fury against the Prophets, who fometimes hid themselves, fometimes were caft into Prifon, at other times were ftoned, or fawn afunder. For one juft and religious King, you fhall find amongst them, you fhall meet with many Impious and Sacrilegious Ones, whofe greatest Ambition was to abolish the true Religion, and that either to fhew fome compla

cency

cency for the ftrange Nations they were Tributaries to, or to have the freedom to humour their Paffions, and to practice without any Scruples, all forts of Injuftice. Yet we find that as long as there were any Prophets, they always took upon them to reprove the People, and publicly to convince all obftinate Gainfayers, by thofe so very extraordinary and fenfi ble Miracles, which all they were Witness to. Mofes called the Eyes of the Ifraelites to witnefs, what amazing Wonders God had wrought in the midft of them, and Elias made Fire to come down from Heaven in the fight of all Ifrael. The first destroyed by the Sword, many Thousands of the People, that had defiled themfelves with Idolatry in the very nick of time, that he laid before them all thofe wonderful Benefits, for which they fhewed themselves fo very ungrateful. The latter putting to Death all the Priefts of Baal, which were fo mightily favoured by the King and Queen of Ifrael, wanted neither Gainfayers, nor more violent Oppofers, when he went about to convince the whole Nation of Idolatry, by making Fire to come down from Heaven.

But this is as yet nothing. It was the Will of the Divine Wisdom, that all thofe extraordinary and miraculous Matters of Fact should be preserved in certain and peculiar Monuments, that should equally perpetuate the Memory, and demonftrate the Truth of them. But the better to apprehend this, 'tis necef fary to run them over diftinctly one after another.

And, First, The Creation of the World being the first of all Events, and the furtheft diftant from our Knowledge, was likewife the difficulteft of all to prove. And yet Divine Wisdom did wonderfully provide for it, by engraving it, if I may fo speak, on thofe four different Monuments, the World, Society, Hiftory

and

and the Institution of the Sabbath day, which he fanEtified on purpose to eternize the memory of it. The World fo visibly bears the Characters of being fome Workmanship, and demonstrates so well the Wisdom of its Maker, that we cannot but fee that the Existence of God, and the truth of the Creation are two fuch Truths as are effentially connected together.

Neither can we confider public Society, nor behold that fucceffion of Generations, which must needs have had fome beginning, without granting, that there was a firft Man and a first Woman that were immediately created by God. We learn from Hiftory, by the late discovery of Arts, and Sciences, and of Customs, and by the Original of Nations, that public Society had a beginning, and is not very ancient. Laftly, the establishment of the Sabbath, the reafons whereof would be incomprehensible, or rather whofe Inftitution would be unreasonable, had it not been thought useful to perpetuate the memory of fuch important an Event, neceffarily leads us to the Truth of the Creation which it represents to us. Now although each of thefe Monuments in particular might fuffice to convince unprejudiced Men, of the Truth of the Creation; yet certain it is, that the connexion of all these Monuments together, give us an evident demonftration of the fame. For what is there, I pray, + that can be the cause of this mutual Agreement between Nature, Society, History and the Jewish Tradition? What neceffity is there, that all the parts of Nature should so well agree with all the parts of Society, that the parts of Society fhould agree with all kinds of Hiftories; and that the latter should be fo conformable to the Jewish Tradition, the most ancient in the World, and above all, to that extraordinary establishment of one day fet apart for the Sabbath? Undoubtedly the Wisdom of God intended, that this

Tr

Truth of the Creation fhould be exalted above all manner of Scruples, when he imprinted it in Nature, which wholly depends on him, and on none befides him; in Society, and in the multitude of Nations which all proceed from the very fame Principle, of which he is the only Father; in the memory of things paft, which have no other Principle but him; and in fome part of time which wholly belongs to him, because he that made the Creatures, is alfo the cause of their duration, and has a right of difpofing as he pleases, of our Days and Years, and of confecrating to himfelf that part of our time which he thinks most fit.

Secondly, I place the calling of Abraham in the Rank of miraculous Facts, because it seems to me to be miraculous both in the Principles, and in the Events of it. In it Abraham performs three very difficult Things. He abandons his Country, he circumcifes himself, and he offers up his Son for a Sacrifice. It is impoffible he should have had Refolution enough to perform all that, unless he had been very certain, not only that there is a God, but also that God appeared unto him. And we may also further add, That those three Testimonies he gives to God of his Obedience, may serve for three different Monuments, in which the Wisdom of God was willing to Ingrave, if I may fo fpeak, the Truth of that Supernatural Revelation, wherewith that Patriarch was honoured. Furthermore, thofe Monuments are all very true, and very real. It cannot reasonably be doubted, but that Abraham abandoned his Country, because it apears, that his Pofterity did afterwards fettle in a strange Land, and that the Abode of the Pofterity of Abraham, which was firft amidst the Canaanites, and fecondly in Egypt; and the coftant Profeffion they made of abominating all Idols, and of worshipping one only God, did manifeftly evidence how their Father Abraham had for

faken

faken his own Country, to renounce the Worship Idols. It is alfo very certain, that Abraham offered his Son for a Sacrifice on Mount Morijah. The nan which was given to that Mountain on that occafio as well as that Proverb which was fo long in use mong the Ifraelites, In the Mount of the Lord it f be seen, are an unquestionable Proof of the fame which can never be fufpected: Neither is it to doubted but that the Violence which Abraham did I the most tender and compaffionate Affections of b Heart, to reduce them to fubmit to God's Command fuppofe, that he firmly believed that God himself ha really commanded him to offer up his Son. his Son. But th Action of his, that most fenfibly reprefents that Tru

VE

to us, was his fudden refolution to Circumcife himsel his Servants and his Family. 'Tis meer Foppery affert, that Abraham could refolve to Circumcife hin felf with any other defign, but to obey God's Con mands. For Circumcifion is a thing of fuch a Natur which no Man would ever have thought of meerly his own head; befides, it hath fomething in it th feems offenfive to Modefty and Honour. It is pai ful and contrary to all natural Affection of Paren to Children, as it appears by the Example of Zeppora ich which, for that reafon, called Mofes a bloody H ay band. Moreover, this Practice does not comprehe any true and real Advantage; and those who strain re their Wits, to find out a ufe for it, came off b very dully. They pretended, that Circumcifion was great help to Fruitfulness, but without any Reason, a his against all Experience, fince it appears that Uncircu cifed Nations are altogether as Fruitful as the othe ch They further faid, That it was of great ufe to ne nefs. But it can never be conceived, that fo fligh Motive as that could have induced Abraham to pract a Cultom fo difficult, fo painful and fo fingul

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