ing of MESSIAH, and the fituation of the world The conduct of GOD vindicated from being unjust, or p. 109 Porphyry's objection reconfider'd. The doctrine of CHRIST's merits, redemption, and fatisfaction for fin, examin'd. The notion of inspiration, as it regards the apostles, ftated. The true view and intent of Christianity, where to be look'd for. The nature of CHRIST's commiffion, and the main end and design of it. The reafons of CHRIST's fo frequently filing himself the Son of Man, and of his having the title of Son of God given him. In what fenfe he is a Saviour, and Redeemer. The O one, 'tis certain, has a right to the attention of the public, on any debate or enquiry, un lefs he can pursue that enquiry to better purpose, in fome fenfe or other, than has been done before; unless he can open fome field of thought, not yet difcovered, and lay before men truths, either not known to them, or not known, as they fhould B fhould be. If he can do this, it is highly commendable in him to write, and in fome fituations may be his duty; if he cannot, he had better let it alone; better far than write merely for ambition, or for vanity, and to fhew the reasons he may have to admire himself. The number of books, already publish'd in all languages, is fuch, that it is more than the labour of a man's life to know the titles and drift of but a few of them; and it is not, perhaps, worth a wife man's while to read one in a thousand of those few: Who then would add to this yoke and distress of letters, if with reason or with conscience he could decline it? For my own part, nothing, I am perfuaded, could have mov'd me to tax the public even with these few pages, if the design and argument of the discourse had not been, in a great degree, new and untouch'd, and if it did not tend throughout to account for things, which have not, that I know of, been accounted for, or not fully, by other writers. Many Many things, no doubt, have not been fo explain'd as to put an end to contention; and many have been treated in a way, that ferv'd only to encourage it. The difficulty, in particular, of the fecond commandment, or the objection arifing from Go D's visiting the fins of the fathers on the children, has been managed with a weakness or difingenuity, that I am concern'd to mention, and that by almost all authors, that ever meddled with it: The oppofition therefore, form'd on this bottom, against Mofes and his laws, has hitherto ftood, as it was, and 'tis plain, might be carried on very triumphantly, if no other refource were to be had in the matter. It was this confideration, that first fuggested to me the thoughts of this treatise : Afterwards I enlarg'd my plan, and took in whatever feem'd most material to the defence, in general, of this branch of revelation: The volume, nevertheless, did not not fwell to an immoderate fize; nor need the fight of it disturb the most indolent curious man in the world very little time or trouble will serve to peruse a piece, which is lengthened neither by invective nor declamation, which is not loaded with fuperfluous erudition, nor cramm'd with quotations, to spoil the of learned readers, and to be stared the eyes at by ignorant ones. I will only add, that I should be forry to have faid any thing, which might give offence to pious and well-meaning perfons: I have endeavoured to avoid it, all I could, and as far as was confifting with the demands of truth, and the obligation not to disguise or diffemble what we think fuch. As to the feveral particulars in the Mofaic account of the creation, these of themselves might afford matter for a diftinct treatise: And fuch a one, I do indeed conceive, is wanting, to defend the literal fenfe of this part of Scripture, and to fhew, that there is no neceffity for recurring wholly to an allegorical one. I am fenfible, fome able and learned men ftill favour this latter way of interpretation; moft of the primitive writers have gone into it, and the fathers, especially, of the two first centuries: But authorities |