they had not fo clear a Notion of the Life everlasting 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 Nothing could have fupported, or withdrawn them from Vice, which then would have been to them far preferable to Vertues had not the counterpoise of all thofe miraculous Matters of Fact awakened, and, as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 Testament ferved then instead of the Motives of the Gospel; and that the Motives of the Gospel, I mean the diftinct 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.

SECT. IV.

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

CHAP. 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 established, will carry us far beyond the Jewish Reve lation, and make us fully acquainted with the Model and Delign of God in the Matter of Religion.

To effectt his, Let us keep clofe to the Confidera tion of that Prophefie, and its Completion.

The Scripture fully refolves all doubts we may rea fonably have about this Prophefie. This is not fuch an Oracle as might by chance have been put into the mouth only of a fingle Prophet; but it is in all their mouths. Mofes, David, Solomon, Ifaiah, Jeremiah and others, do so often in their Writings foretel the Calling of the Gentiles, that they feem to have ben Spe Etators of it. It cannot be objected, that the rophete

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is embroiled with any obfcurity, because nothing be more plain than these words of Zechariah, Chap. 1 Verfe 8, 9. And it shall be in that day that living war Shall go out from Ferufalem, &c. And the Lord hall King over all the Earth; in that day fhall there be Lord, and his name one. Nor likewife this place out Malachi, Chap. 1. ver. 11. For from the rising of t Sun unto the going down of the same, my name shall be gre among the Gentiles, and in every place incenfe fhall be fered unto my name, and a pure offering. For my Nav fhall be great among the Heathen, faith the Lord of Hofts

If these words are not thought expreffive enough teftifie God's Choice of the Gentiles, and his admiffi of them into his Covenant, do but obferve this Paffag wherein he speaks himself by the mouth of his Pr phet Isaiah, chap. 65. ver. 1. I was fought of them th asked not for me, and found of them that fought me not. faid unto a Nation that was not called by my name, Beho me, bebold me. And this other, Chap. 54. verse Sing O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth in Singing, and cry aloud; thou that didst not travail wil Child: for more are the Children of the defolate, than th Children of the married wife, faith the Lord. If If yo would know who are the Gentiles that are to be mad partakers of these great Promises, you will find all them to be indifferently admitted into this Covenan even those who formerly feemed most abandoned God. In that day, faith Ifaiah, Chap. 19. verse 2 The Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fho know the Lord.

If it be the Opinion of the Jews, that the Gentil were to be called to the Knowledge of the true Go like a Company of Slaves wholly defigned to follo the triumphal Chariot of Ifrael, we might foon filen them with these words of Micah, Chap. 4. verse 6, In that day, faith the Lord, I will assemble her that haltet. Dd 2

Chap. 37. ver. 26, 27, 28.

and I will gather her that is driven out, &c. And I will make her that halteth a remnant, and her that was caft far off, a ftrong Nation; and the Lord fhall reign over them in Mount Sion, from henceforth even for ever. Ezechiel fpeaks of a time in which the two Nations should be no more two Nations, and of an everlasting Covenant, which God would make with them in general. Moreover, faith be, I will make a Covenant of Peace with them, it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will fet my Sanctuary in the midft of them for evermore. My Tabernacle alfo fhall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they fhall be my People. And the Heathen shall know, that I the Lord do fanctifie Ifrael; when my Sanctuary fhall be in the midst of them for ever Then, faith God by the mouth of Zephaniah, will I turn to the People a pure Language, that they may all call the Name of the Lord, to ferve him with one

Chap. 3. ver. 9.

confent.

more.

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If thefe Oracles are not perfwafive enough, and you yet require more expreffive, you need but confule Efaiah for a fuller reprefentation of this Matter, And it fhall come to pafs in the last days, faith he, Chap 2. verfe 2, 3. That the Mountain of the Lord's Houfe fhall be established in the top of the Mountains, and fhall be exalted above the Hills, and all Nations fall flow it: And many People fhall go, and fay, Come je, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the Houfe of the God of Facob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his Paths: For out of Zion feall go forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Ferusalem. And again he faith, Chap. 20. verfe 1, 2, 3. Arise, foine, for thy light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is rifen

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upon thee: And the Gentiles fhall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rifing.

Pfalm 22.

verfe

27.

But who will warrant us, it was not out of fome exagerating Defires of the Prophets themselves, which made them give out, that the very Gentiles fhoul dcome to the Knowledge of the true God, and fhew forth his Wonders? Why may we not as well believe, that the Pfalmift only defigned to exprefs his defire, when he faid, All the Ends of the World fhall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations fhall worship before him? But this fufpicion will eafily vanifh, if you'll but confider that these Oracles which denote the calling of the Heathen, fometimes oppofe the Gentiles to the Jews; as thus, when it is faid, That more are the Children of the defolate, than the Children of the married Wife: And especially when Mofes reprefents it in thefe Words fo worthy our Obfervation: They have moved me to jealously with that which is not God, they have provoked me to Anger with their Vanities: And I will move them to jealousie with those which are not a People, I will prodoke them to anger with a foolish Nation. Who does not perceive, that a Prophecy fo often repeated, accompanied with fo many Circumftances, delivered in fuch different manners, and with all united to the actual cafting off the Jews, could not be a meer de, lufion, or the effect of a luxuriant Imagination, or the Product of any Defigns, which the Prophets might have to flatter either themfelves, or their own Na

tion?

Deuter. Chap. 32. verse 21:

But perhaps they foretold the Calling of the Gentiles, not that they thought themselves it would ever come to pass, but only to bring the Jews to ReDd 3 pentance