Befides this, the world, after divers changes and revolutions, was, through God's allruling wisdom, thrown into that form and complection, that fuited with the great alteration defign'd: the thousand petty states and tyrannies, whofe paffions, and whofe bigotry, might have run counter to the fchemes of Providence, were all swallow'd up in one great Power, to whom all appeals lay; and hence no material bar, or obftruction, to the intended fettlement of things, could arife but from that one quarter many parts alfo of Europe, deftin'd hereafter to be the chief feat, or emporium of Chriftianity, and that had, till near this age, lain in utter favageness, were, in fome measure, civiliz'd; the arts and virtues of their conquerors were known to them, and they were growing to a capacity of receiving, at the stated time, the knowledge, ordain'd for them from the beginning: fo that all things, and circumftances, confpir'd now with the views of heaven, and made this the fit juncture for God to reveal himself to the Gentiles, and to put an end to Idolatry through the earth.

At the fame time, the Jews had had a just and fufficient period allow'd them, not only

to take firm rooting in God's faith and worship, but to prepare themselves alfo for the hour of falvation, and to know, when he fhould arrive, the facred mesenger, that was promis'd them, by the descriptions given of him, and the various warnings they had to expect him.

Now comes the grand catastrophe of the state of our world: the Jewish ceremonial law having been inftituted merely, as a means to keep them from falling into idolatry, all danger and apprehenfion whereof was now over, it was right and fitting, on all accounts, to fet it afide; and, as the Pagans, on the other hand, were about the same time capable, almoft univerfally, of knowing GoD, it was alike fitting to communicate that knowledge to them, that is, to fuch a part of them, and by fuch degrees, as should seem meet to divine wisdom; and this, as I have faid, was the fituation, the moft aufpicious for it, both from the extent of the Roman Empire, and that profound peace and tranquillity, that then reign'd through the earth: here, then, was the fullness of time! the seafon for GOD to fulfil his love to his creation in other words, this was the precisely

fit,

fit, and alone proper juncture for Meffiah to come, when the Gentiles were in a condition to receive, by the Jews, the knowledge of GOD, and when the Jews were no longer liable to be corrupted to the idolatry of the Gentiles, when the ritual law was no further neceffary, and when men's minds were ripe for a purer and better difpenfation, and the circumftances of the world were such, as to favour the fuccefs and progress of it.

In this very time Meffiah came; nor could he have come fo opportunely at any other: It would have been utterly inexpedient for him to have come fooner, for the reasons already laid down; and, if he had come later, thousands, who might have heard that ineftimable tiding, would have died without the confolation of it: in the former fuppofition, his coming would have been ineffectual; in the latter, it had been equally well for all ages, and periods to come, but not fo for fome, that would have been past: I do not mention here the accomplishment of the prophecies, that pointed to the time of Meffiah's appearing, and which caused

fo

fo general an expectation of him at that time, becaufe, if any other had been more proper, they might as well have been accommodated to it; but this being eminently the fittest and best time, for that reason they were calculated for it.

IT

CHAP. XI.

T is now manifeft, that God did not act arbitrarily in his revelations, any more than he was partial and unjust in them: as to partiality and injuftice, these, we have prov'd, cannot be imputed to his conduct, without grofly departing from the true purport and intent of it; particular diftinctions were never difpens'd by GOD, but for general good; and if he fhewed love and favour to this man, or this nation, it was ftill for the fake of all men, and all nations: he always was, and neceffarily is, the guardian and benefactor, alike, of his whole creation having created all for happiness, he must be equally follicitous to procure it for all; and should a religion, claiming to come from heaven, imply the contrary, it could not, I think, be receiv'd as fuch, by any reasonable man.

If