m s:^ 5:i £^^ i^ .i^:^ o^ "^^^ OK TUF. AT PRINCETON, N. J. SAMUEL AGNE^V, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA. '^/ez. qTo. ^y?U?lyU(lJ//<^^§^<^ (K /I -■^ o .<=r5 .g. c;<=aa g<^±==i o-c^g=:r^^- e<^^Q E<^^o ^ f DISCOURSES O N VARIOUS SUBJECTS, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE EVIDENCE, INFLUENCE, AND DOCTRINES O F C H R I S T I A N I T ¥• By the Rev. ROBERT GRAY; m. a. LONDON: PRINTED FOR F. AND C. RIVINGTON, N° 6z, ST. PAUL's CHURCH-YARD J AND J. ROBSON, NEW BOND-STREET. M DCC XCIil. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND WILLIAM, LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER, MY LORD, J1.NCOURAGED by your Lordfhip's very flattering Recommendation of a former Work, to the Clergy of your Diocefe, I prefume to folicit your Attention to the prefent Publica- tion. Proud of that, and of other Tefti- monies of your Notice, I cannot but feel imprefled with Sentiments of perfonal Obli- gation to your Lordfhip, and chearfully avail myfelf of this Occafion to profefs them. a 2 The [ iv ] The Authority of your LordHiip's Judg- ment, could it be pleaded as affording any Sandion to the Appearance of the following Difcourfes, would fecure their Author from all Apprehenlion as to the Reception which they might experience from the Public. As he cannot boafl of that Sannl 20, 1793. ^ X HE follo^ving Difcourfes are offered to the public, upon a prefumption that the im- portance of their fubjeds may recomniend them to its attention, though they fhould be thought to promife but Uttle novelty of en- quiry. Every point conneded with the evi- dence and dodtrines of chriflianity has been frequently difcuifed j yet each, perhaps, is capable of farther illuftration. The atten- tion of mankind Ihouid be often drawn to themes of religious conlideration, difcuifed in a ilyle and manner adapted to the difpofi- tion of the age. It is neceffary, frequently, to viiit the ground on which chriifianity v/as iirfl eftablifhed, to afcertain the limits and a 4 extent vili P R- E F A C E. extent of the primitive faith, and to recover the parts taken by unjuft violence, or loft by injudicious concefiion. It is ufeful to pre- fent, in a familiar and popular form, the befl fupported opinions, upon important topics and principles of our religion ; to vindicate its relations and dodtrines, by argument and authority, from thofe mifreprefentations which they may have luffered; to feparate them from fpuj'ious additions, and to relute the objedions raifed up, or revived againft them. There is, perhaps, no more ufelui and compendious mode of communicating reli- gious inflrufticn than that of Sermons; which interefl very general attention, and convey, with occafional Gncd:} imprellive and perma- nent information. Some of the fubjeds here felecled by the Author, are among thofe which appear to him to have been lefs frequently coniidered, under this form, than their importance merits. Difcourfcs, upon religious fubje6:s, being ufually written for oral communication, are PREFACE. IX are conftrudled in fuch form as is deemed beft calculated for popular inftruftion ; and thofe fubjedls are commonly rejecfled which require the production of remote authority, or the difcuffion of intricate queflions, as being judged too abftrufe for ready conception. The Sermons preached in this country, before and after the Reformation, were often fo perplexed with fubtle enquiries, and fo encumbered with fcholailic learning, that they do not appear to have been calculated for general inftrudtion. They were delivered, however, at a time when the doctrines of chriitianity were more generally canvailed than at prefent ; when, from prevailing con- troveriies, all ranks had colledted fome know- ledge on the important themes of difcuffion ; when divinity was the falhionable ftudy, and a competent acquaintance with its fubjecfts as , effential to thofe who would iliine in fociety, as to thofe who would triumph in tlie fchools. Wearied with controvecfies too far pushed, and mortified with the difcovery of the weak- nefs X PREFACE. nefs of human reafon, from the frequent failure of its attempts, the prefent age would faftidiouily reject all difficult enquiries from public difcourfes. Admonitions are daily held out the Miniflers of our religion, to feled: fubjects of practical importance, to infift, principally, on the moral obligations of reli- gion, and to produce fuch Sermons as are calculated to make men better. The admo- nitions are, doubtlefs, grounded on juil con- lideration -, and, certainly, no greater criterion of the excellency of a Difcourfe can be laid down than that it fhould be contrived to im- prove the conduit of men. But the direc- tion may be pufhed too far ; and Difcourfes, modelled merely on the plan of communicating pradical precepts, would not always produce the defired effed:: and it mufi: be maintained, that moral leiTons, however eloquently re- commended, or judicioufly enforced, are not the only, or the greatefl proofs of the utility gf a Difcourfe. Chriilianity PREFACE. xi Chriftianity was communicated not limply to recommepd the virtues, of which expe- rience and refieclion might approve the excel- lency, but to reveal to mankind a defcription of the divine perfections and attributes : a declaration of his nature and defigns, as far as they have relation to man's duties ; to un- fold a wife and benevolent plan of redemp- tion, effected by unprecedented means, and connedied with new and great confiderations; to inculcate a morality, not only fuperior to the deductions of human reafon, but enforced on new principles and motives, and ftrength- ened by freiGh confiderations, derived from the higheil fource, and direded to the nobleil end. The pra(5tical directions of chriftianity are fo plain and obvious, that " he who runs *' may read them :" and the preacher who confines himfelf to a repetition of the fecial duties of men, will be heard with that in- difference which fcarcely attends to acknow- ledged truths ^ and which, though it may depart xii PREFACE. depart with a cold commendation on the pro- priety of the lefTon, will be little afFeded by the detail of firft principles, and familiar maxims. The intention of public Sermons was not merely to recommend moral precepts for the benefit of the inferior ranks of life, but to communicate, to the general clafTes of fociety, fuch inform.ation, upon import- ant points, as a well-educated and enlight- ened Miniilry is enabled to furnifh j to draw forth the wifdom of revealed inflrudion from its facred fources ; to explain its concealed knowledge ; to illuflrate its remote accounts; to interpret and comm^ent on its figures and parables ; to £imiliarife what is difficult ; to elucidate what is obfcure j' to alTert its doc- trines i to vindicate its miracles, and to de- fcrlbe the accomplifhment of its prophecies ; to recommend its relations by collateral ac- counts, and to exhibit its influence by hifto- rical dedudion ; to detail, in fimple and un- afFe(5led language, fucli knowledge as enquiry ■^nd refle(5lion may procure. Chrifcianity P Pv E F A C E. xiii Chi-iftianity will operate upon the heart in proportion as it fhall be accepted by the un- derftandin^. Men do not ne.gled theprac- tical laws of religion becaufe they diifpute, or are ignorant of them : they cannot enter the church without feeing them infcribed in large characters ; nor can they hear a fingk leiTon of fcripture that does not pathetically recom- mend them: but, generally, they are infenfible to the influence of religidn, becaufe it ope- rates not with the full force of convidion -, becaufe their reluftant afTent is founded rather on acquiefcence than on full perfuaiion ; be- caufe their faith is built rather on education and habit than on argument and refledtion : fome doubts, from i'l^norance of the evidence of chriftianity; fome hefitation fi-om mif- conception of its dodrines, deadens the fpirit of piety, or weakens the conftancy of obe- dience. The flightefb mifl: of incredulity that rifes in the mind, is Sufficient gradually to darken the underflanding, and to corrupt the afFedlions of men : and the preacher, though xiv PREFACE. though he fhould *' fpeak with the tongues ** of men and of angels," will plead in vain for the excellency of Chriflian obedience, wdio has not firfl removed the fufpicions that impeach its authority, and the diftruft which rejeds its fand:ions and claims. It is not necelTary, indeed, that the teacher who addrelTes a Chriflian audience, fhould be ever labourino: to demonftrate the truth of a religion which has been eftablidicd for ages, on unfhaken foundations; that he Hiould excite doubts by endeavours to remove them: but, certainly, it is incumbent on him, occa- fionally, to bring forward that foundation of evidence which fubfcantiates its pretenfions, and on which alone faith can be rationally built. It muil be ufeful to detail the fubor- dinate proofs which may be dravv^n from a confideration of its particular relations ; it muil be expedient, like wife, fometimes to refute thofe idle, or captious objedlions, which are perpetually raifed up by fanciful or evil- difpofed men ; which infinuate their mifchief into 4 PREFACE. XV into every department of fociety, and v^hich mav deceive and miilead the bell under- flandings. Chriflianity, though it might reft on the balls of its own internal excellency, mull not be deprived of that luHre which is re- fle(5ted by its extrinlic proofs, by the demon- ftration of its prophetic teflimonies, and the defcription of its miraculous fupport and pro- pagation. Every imprellive point of evidence which confirms our belief in the truth of religion, difpofes us to receive and abide bj its inllruftions. It deferves fericully to be conlidered, whe- ther the cry for pradical Difcourfes, and the objeilions raifed againll what are improperly called myfterious Subjeds, may not, if car- ried too far, tend to exclude all points of dodlrine from our enquiry, and to reduce chriftianity to a fyllem of ethics. If the difquifitions on myllerious points of faith, as introduced in the Difcourfes of earlier times, were found to be produdive of xvi PREFACE, mifchievous effeds, it was becaufe they fub- jeOied, to the difcuffion of reafon. enquiries on v/hich it was not competent to decide. It is now well underllood, that the myfte- ^. ries of faith are to be accepted not on the ground of their being compatible with our notions of experience, but becaufe commu- nicated to us by Teachers evidently fent from God : by Writers confefTedly infpired -, and it is certainly incumbent on the Miniilers of the Gofpel to inculcate, and iniift on the truth of thefe dodlrines, that are evidently- delivered as the Revelations of God, how- ever fuperior they may be to the limited con- ceptions, and narrow experience of mankind; and not to fhrink from the communication of them, becaufe the popular wifli feems in- clined to wave their difcuffion, and to re- commend, that matters of faith fliould re- main undifcuiTed, while the moral excellen- cies of chriftianity are induftrioufly difplayed. A filence on the do prefented " flumbling blocks to the Jews, " and to the Greeks foolifhnefs," ftill continue to defpife the fiipercilious pride of human wifdom, and " to bring into captivity everj^ *' thought in fubjecftion to Chrift," Thefe remarks are defigned to counteradt, in fome degree, the effed: of thofe prevailing fentiments, with refpedl to the intention of public Difcourfes, which tend to degrade the importance of preaching, and to lefTen the charadler of its miniflry, reducing its mem- bers, from teachers of great and interefting truths, to mere moralifts. When fairly un- derftood they cannot be thought to have any tendency either to revive the fpirit of ufelefs controverfy, to r^^commend the difcuffion of abftrufe and abflra(5t€d fubje(Sts, or to com- mend the pedantry and afFed:ation of often- tatious learning. Whether they may or may not be thought juft, when applied to Sermons which are to be delivered in public preaching, b 2 it XX PREFACE. it cannot furely be difputed, that Difcourfes^ intended for private perufal, may be rendered more interefling by the introdudlion of fuch explanatory particulars as are drawn from re- -mote fources, which are illuftrative of the primitive faith, and tend to elucidate difficul- ties of ferious confideration. Extraordinary relations, detailed in the hiftorical parts of fcrip- ture, fuch as thofe of the temptation of Chrift, of the pool of Bethefda, and of the Dasmo- niacs, which, from their remarkable charac- ter, make an impreflion very forcible, and which muft prove ufeful or prejudicial in proportion as they are underflood or mifcon- ceived; which are, in themfelves, pregnant with inftrudtion, and tend to fubftantiate the claims of chriilianity, appear to be fubjeds extremely proper for full and diffulive exami- nation, and may be confidered with more advantage than dilTertations on moral quali- ties, however elegantly recommended. Popular Difcourfes, on thefe and fimilar fubjedts, are not fufficiently frequent, fmcc the PREFACE. xxi the difficulties attending them are daily ope- rating on the minds of wavering Chriftians, ♦ and often contribute to fhake the faith of the uninformed difciples of Chrifl. Thefe fub- jeO:s then, it was conceived by the Author, required to be fully difculTed : with pro- duction of authority, and reference to early opinions. The interpretations of antiquity are not fo much raifed above the eye of com- mon attention as to be inconfiflent with the , defign of thefe Difcourfes. The fcholar is not difpleafed to find the authorities, which he knows to be important, produced in evi- dence. He is thereby relieved from the trouble of refcarch, or the neceffity of ac- quiefcing with unfupported affertion j and the general reader is not infenfible to the weight conferred by fuch authorities on the queftions difcuffed. If deep learning be the poffeffion of but few, yet the notices and impreffions of it are very generally difperfed, and the dedudlions, or pretended deductions ©f it, operate very extenfively. The Dif- b 3 courfe xxii PREFACE. courfe on the Daemonlacs was particularly iiefip^ned to oppofe the notion laid down by the learned Dr. Farmer, in his ElTay on the Daemoniaps of Scripture ; a work in which, undoubtedly, much erudition is perverted and conflrained, to bend in fupport of his hypo- thefis. The book is popular, and its ten- dency is mifchievous, fmce it leads to a re- jedtion of the literal fenfe of fcripture, and to ftrengthen the opinion of thofe whofe idle and flrange mifconceptions would reduce the agency of the apoftate fpirit to the ope- ration of an evil, principle. Other fubjedts chcfen by the Author, as that of the introdudory Difcourfe, thofe on the Refurredion, and on the Influence of Chrif- tianity, have been very fully, and very fre- quently difcufTed, in popular Difcourfes ; but whoever reads, with attention, the works of others, mufl occufionally remark fome defi- ciencies, which he will think ..might be fupplied; fome arguments which he muft conceive might be more ftrongly urged and enforced. T|ie I^ R E F A C E. xxiii 'the fubjed of the Refurredion is fo important, that it cannot be too frequently- confidered j fince, as Bifhop Pearce has ob* ferved, it is a point on which the whole weight of chriftianity refts. The notion ot fome feeming inconliftencies in the dif- ferent relations of this great event, is very prevalent ; and though thefe are very fatis- fadtorily reconciled, in the judicious and dif- tind: deduction of particulars furnifhed by Mr. Weft, the detail is made at fome length; and the general reader might not be difpofed to follow up the chain of events, as drawn out with diffuiive defcription, and lengthened by collateral proofs. The Author then con- ceives, that no apology need be made for thd jntrodudlion of this fubje(5t,efpeciallyas it con- ftitutes a link in that chain of the evidence of chriftianity which he wiihed to prefent, by a difplay of fome of its miraculous proofs. Dr. Townfon's book, which has recently appeared as a pofthumous work, was not feen by the Author till thefe two Difcourfes were b 4 printed xxiv PREFACE. printed off, or fome notice might have been taken of thefe flight particulars, in which he differs from, and of the ingenious illuftration, by which he confirms the accounts of Mr. Weff. The two Difcourfes on the Influence of Chriilianity, will, perhaps, be thought fuper- fluous by tliofe who have read the Sermons,, not long fince written on this fubjeiSt, by the Billiop of London, the Bifhop of St. David's, and Dr. Coombe ; but as the former of thefe writers has well obferved, " that chrif- tianity has been the parent of much mifery, is fo favourite an argument v/ith all our phi- lofophical fceptics, that it is every day drefled up in fome new form, and repeated, incef- fantly, with an air of peculiar triumph and exultation*;" and it may not, therefore, be inexpedient as frequently to counterad: the influence of the argument by a fair ftatement of the hiflorical truth. Thefe Difcourfes, however, as well indeed as moil of thofe in. # Bifnop Poitcus's Sermons, p. 271. Serm. XII. the PREFACE. XXV the prefent colle<5tion, were written, in great part, long ago; though, while they have re- mained with the Author, they have fome- times been extended, as the perufal of other works has fuggefted hints. A view of the prefent ftate of the world, as illuftrating the accomplifhment of pro- phecy, might, it was conceived, be ufeful, if furnifhed in a compendious defcription; iince many, it was apprehended, in the prefent day, like Marihal Wade *, are more likely to be convinced by what they fee than by what they hear -, and will rather aflent to the truth of prophecy, when they witnefs its accom- plifhment, than when they read of the com- pletion of its predi(ftions, however flrongly authenticated. That the materials of the Difcourfe have been chiefly colled:ed from Mede, Sir Ifaac Newton, Bilhop Newton, . Lowman, and other commentators, is chear- fully acknowledged. * See dedication prefixed to Bifliop Newton's Difler- tations on the Prophecies. Th€ xxvi ' PREFACE. The diflertation on the Millennium, it was thought, might be ufeful, when the attention of mankind is raifed to the difpen- fations of Providerjce, by the important revo- lutions that have recently occurred, with fuch unprecedented rapidity and effed,- and when vague and indiftind: notions on the fubjedl appear very generally to prevail. The fuhjeds of the Difcourfes colledlively confidered, have, perhaps, more connedion than they may, at firft iight, appear to have. After the introdudory Difcourfe, which is deiigned to excite thofe jufc fentiments of humility, and of reverence for God, which- facilitate the attainment of truth in every purfuit, a regular chain of evidence, in defence of chriftianity, is exhibited in the hi^orical order of the miracles and refurrec- tion of Chrill:, of the influence, the prefent proofs, and promifes as to the future eflablifh- ment of that religion. In a difcuffion of religious fubjeds, there is, however, always fome connexion. No part of chriftianity^ can PREFACE. xxvii can be illuftrated without throwing light on all. Every ftar that appears, heightens by its rays, the general brilliancy. The Author has endeavoured to feledl: thofe fubje6ls which he thought might prove moft important, and to render them as interefling as he could, by illuflrating them with fuch information as is connecfled with, and tends to explain the theme. If they fhould be judged of little value themfelves, he hopes that they will be confidered as a proof of his wifli to employ that leifure which he enjoys, ufefuUy to others -, and to fulfil, as far as he can, the objed: of the Chriftian miniftry: the .diffufion of ufeful and important knowledge. C O N^ ( XXlX J C O N T E N T S- DISCOURSE L ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PROSECl;TI^fG OUR STUDIES AND ENQUIRIES UNDER RELIGIOUS IMPRESSIONS, AND WITH A VIEW TO MORAL IMPROVEMENT. Job XXXVIII. 4 — 7. Where waji thou when I laid the founda^ tions of the earth ? Declare^ if thou hajl iinderfianding. Who hath laid the meafures thereof if thou knoweji f or who hath Jir etched the line upon it f Whereupon are the foundations thereof fajienedf or who laid the corner fione thereof'. When the morning ftars fang together, and all thefofis of Godfiouted for joy ^ - Page i D I S- XXX CONTENTS* DISCOURSE II. on the temptation of christo Matt. iv. 4. Page But he anfioered mid faidy It is written, Man Jhall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the 7?ioiith of God. - - - -- - 2^ DISCOURSE III. on the pool of bethesda. John v. 6 — 9. When yefus Jaw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that cafe, he faith unto him, JVilt thou be made whole ? 'The impotent man anjwered him. Sir, I have no ?nan when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool : but while lam coining another feppeth down before me. Jefus faith unto him. Rife, take up thy led, and walk. Andi^pjjie- diately the ma?i was made whole, and took up his bedi and walked. - - - 4^ D I S-. CONTENTS. xxxi DISCOURSE IV. ON THE DEMONIACS. Page Matt. viii. 31, 32. So the devils be fought him, faying. If thou caji us out, fiiff'er us to go away into the herd of fwine. And he faid unto them. Go: and when they were come out, they went into the herd of fwine ; and behold, the whole herd of fwine ran 'violently down a fie ep place into the fea, and perijhed in the waters, - ^ - tj DISCOURSE V. ON THE RESURRECTION. For EASTER DAY. PART I. Luke xxiv. 4 — 8. And it came to pafs, as they were tnuch perplexed thereabout, behold two men food by them in flmiing garmeiits : And as \ xxxii CONTENTS. Page as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they faid unto them. Why feek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is rifen: remember how he /pake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, faying. The Son of man 7nufl be delivered ^ into the hands of finful men, and be crucified, and the third day rife again. And they remem^ bered his words, - - - - - -105 DISCOURSE VI. ON THE RESURRECTION. For EASTER DAY. P A R T II. I Cor. XV. 20. Now is Chriji rifen from the dead, and become the firji fruits of them that Jlept. ---^ 135 D I S- CONTENTS. xxxili DISCOURSE VIL on the influence of christianity. Matt. x. 34. Page ^hink not that I am come to fend peace on earth : I came not to fend peace , but afword, - - - - -- -i59 DISCOURSE VIII, ON THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. Luke i. 78, 79. Whereby the day-fpring from on high hath vfited us, to give light to them that fit in darknefs and in the P:)adow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace. - - -^ -, - ^ " - 187 D I S- xxxlv CONTENTS. DISCOURSE IX. on the accomplishment of prophftct, as illustrated in the present circumstances of the world. 2 Peter i. 19. Page We have alfo a more fiire word of pro^ fhecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed. - - - - - - - - -219 DISCOURSE X. ON THE MILLENNIUM, OR REIGN OF SAINTS. Revel, xx. 4, 5, 6. And I faw thrones, and they fat upon them, and judgement was given unto them : and I faw the fouls of them 'that were beheaded for the witnefs of fefus, and for the word of God, and which had not worfiipped the beaji, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and CONTENTS. XXXV Page and they lived and reigfied with Chrifi a thoiifand years. But the refi of the dead lived not again until the thoufand years were jinijhed: this is the jirji refurreBion. Blejfed and holy is he that hath part in the Jirfi refurrediion : on fuch the fecond death hath no power ^ but they fiall be priefis of God and of Chrifi ^^d Jhall reign with him a thoif and years, - - - - - -267 D I S^ 2 DISCOURSE I. decrees, and prefumptuoully decided on his judgments. An appeal to the glorious works which God had difplayed in the creation of the world, was indeed well calculated to Dluftrate the divine attributes, and ferved •; uft effecftually to difcountenance the exul- tation of human pride. The teflimonies of his wifdom and power, to which the Almighty refers, are flri kingly expreffive of thofe per- fediions, and cannot but awaken our admira- tion and refrard. o I'here are indeed no fubjedis on which the mind dwells with more affedting in te reft than oii thofe which lead us to meditate on the powers and excellencies of God -, hence it is that the attention of the thinking part of mankind is fo often employed in ccnfider- ing feparately^ or colledfively, the works of the creation ; and hence the efforts of induftry to explore, and the exertions of genius to defcnbe, th-e fcenes which furround them. A contemplation of the works of nature, inafmuch as it excites emotions of admiration, and fublime enjoyment, is produdive of ad- van.ia';;e to the human mind, lince thefe are ieiJiatious, '.vhicli confpire with our implanted loYC of C5xcll;.nce, and elevate the afi^edions to DISCOURSE I. 3 to an adoration of the fupreme Being. The advantage, however, will be more confiderable as we regulate our inquiries on juft princi- ples; and it fhall be the objer / let the earth fhake with trembling and con- vulfive agitation, and all, in the apprehsnfion of inftantaneous danger, will call for protec- tion ©n him whofe providence, in the milder difpeniations of his power, they have difre- garded. It is the privilege and the happinefs of thofe who feclude themfelves for occaiional reflec- tion, to raife their attention from that negli- gence into which it is apt to jQnk, to arreft and bring back the thoughts to obie(^ts of daily obfervation, to examine and reflect on fuch as are moH; pregnant with inflrudtion. The enjoyment of fuch reflediions is con- iiderable, the advantage derived from them in proportion to the intelligence which we polTefs concerning the conftitution and quali- ties of the objects with which we are con- cerned. Of this pleafure all are fufceptible ; excite but the attention, and all are intefefted. Shew to the peafant the plant on which he has trodden with indifference, and he will fee and acknowledge the perfeftioa of its ftruc- ture. Why has he not noticed that perfec- tion before ? not becaufe he was lefs ac- quainted with its internal arrangement, its botanical diftinctions, its efficacies .and its powers, for of thefe we may fuppofe him B 4 mn 8 DISCOURSE I. flill ignorant, attentive only to the fragrance, the form, or the colours of the plant; but becaufe he has walked through his daily path without thought, and looked around him on sfcenes too familiar for particular confidera- tion. Men of more improved minds are flill more difpofed by the information which they poflefs to advert with profit to thofe hints which remind tliem of the wonders of the creation. In thofe reprefentations which are furnilhed by the imitative arts, they are often excited to admire objedls and fcenery, which, in their original cxiftence, they have palled unnoticed. In viewing thefe reprefentations, they remark not merely the fidelity of the copy, and the fkill of the artifl in the ar- rangement of his fubjedt, but they recall to mind likewife the real interefl of the things defcribed, and are pleafed at the difcovery as well of tranlient beauties to which art hath given permanency, as of inherent properties, on which they have often glanced an heedlefs and unconcerned regard. The relations of the traveller, and the paintings of the poet, in their mofl fimple and unexaggerated defcriptions, never fail to awaken DISCOURSE I. 9 awaken a pleafing and ufeful recollecftion of fcenes familiar to the mind, though thofe fcenes had previoufly imprefled no deep trace, nor produced any moral coniideration. From thefe reflections it is evident that the works of the creation are, in fadt, infi- nitely more glorious than they appear to be ; that they are feen by us under thofe circum- ftances and difadvantages which obfcure their true character and jntrinfic fplendor; that, in proportion as our attention is fixed upon them, their luftre brightens, and their excel- lencies become more confpicuous, as to the ftedfaft and perfevering eye, the ftars in the -firmament emerge and multiply, or as to the fludious and confiderate mind, the fublimity and wifdom of God's difpenfatlons become more manneft and clear. It is the province of the moralifi: to awaken fuch attention, and to avail himfelf of thofe fcnfations with which we are naturally moved at the difco- yery of any frefti proof of God's wifdom or pov/er. It is his duty to point out the attri- butes of the Creator in the perfection of his works. The benevolence of him who would inftrudt mankind in jufl apprehenfions of the Almighty, cannot be more furcefsfully em- ployed lo DISCOURSE I. ployed than in dilating on thofe arguments which may be drawn from a contemplation cf the feveral parts of creation. In this the facred writers are eminently great and inftruc- tive. In the plain and unafFefted account of the iirft formation of the world, with which Mofes opens the infpired book, how fub- limely are the attributes of God difplayed ! In the vivid defcriptions of the Pfalmift, what praifes and what thankfgivings are con- veyed ^l The r^^reat and glorious works which God hath created, and the ftudies vvhich contri- bute to illuilrate their nature and perfection, then excite juft and proper ffr^timents in the mind, when they awaken religious affections. The awful leffons which are to be deduced from the contemplation of material objedts, are tranfcribed, as we have obferved in the inilru(5tive pages of the f^.cred volume. The vifible world is there depidted in a moral and reli!:^ious liffht, and the attributes of God * See, for inftance, the fublime and admirable defcrip- tion of God's perfedlions, as illuRrated In his works, which is contained in the 104th Ffalm. From fo ani- mated a picture what object can we feled in preference ? are DISGOUP. SE I. II are pourtrayed in the animated reprefentation of his works. This then is the primary fource of inflrudion, and as the mirror or the lake, it will refied: the fcenes of nature with new colours and enlivened imagery. It is no barren admiration which will refult from fuch attention to the works of nature, or to the facred commentary : hence will fpring not merely the convi6lion of the cxiflence of an all-wife and all-powerful God, which every carelefs remark, or accidental thought, muft fuggeft j but a lively fenfe of his perfections, a firm confidence in his prefence and piotec- tion, an holy reverence for, and defire to imi- tate his difcovered excellencies, an anxious and fteady zeal to attain to that approved in- nocence from which we have fallen, that declared refemblance to our Creator which conftitutea the original charad:er of man. In proof of this we may obferve, that they v/ho have moft deeply Ihidied the cha- radter and principles of God's created works, have been ever mojQ: fincereiy imprefied with a fenie of his glory, mofc inclined to bow to his revealed inilruclions, and mofl folicitous to pradift; his laws. It may farther be re- marked as probable, that thofe who, in a future 12 DISCOURSE I. future life, will be admitted to a nearer con- teuiplation of the divine perfedlions, will de- rive no inconfiderable enjoyment from be- holding the emanations of his glory, as dif- played in the grandeur of his works, as illuflrated by the difcovery of fecret relations and latent excellencies, as manifefted in the great delign and final purpofe of every de- pendent fcene. But if the facred writings depidl, in lively colours, the interefling fcenery of the vifible world, they open an inflrudive difplay of a more glorious and important oeconomy, in the manifeilation of a fpiritual fyftem, which irradiates the material world, as the foul of man beams through his corporeal frame. The revelation of the great fcheme of re- demption, from its firfl dawnings to its full fplendor in the advent of Chrift ; the gra- dual accomplifliment of the fugcefUve decla- rations of prophecy, of its promifes and threats ; the completion of its types, and the departure of its ceremonial figures before the prefence of things typified ; the hiflory of the incarnation and lowly birth of Chrift, proclaimed alfo " as good tidings of great *' joy" by the multitude of the heavenly hofl. The DISCOURSE I. 13 The defcription of the minillry, miracles, and inftrudions, of the fufferings and cruci-. fixion of the Lord and Redeemer of man- kind ; the teilimony of his refurreclion and afcenfion into heaven ; the affurance of the reftoration of mankind, and of the confum- mation of all things in the judgment and difpenfations of a future life, as detailed with infpired confidence, and unfhaken lincerit}", by the facred writers, furnifli fubjed: for the moil fublime and inftrudlive contemplations. They are themfelves the noblefl themes; and they enable us to afcertain the value of every other fubjed: : they point out the fources of knowledge, and teach us how to obtain it. The rife alfo and progrefs of religion ; its fmall beginning and rapid advancement ; its miraculous fuccefs in oppofition to human powers, and more than earthly adverfaries ; its eftablifhment and propagation amidft civi- lized nations, and in unenlightened countries ; its intriniic excellencies pra(5tically demon- flrated ; its mild influence and beneficial effedls, under different circumftances, and in different times, conilitute topics of interefting and inftrudive difcuffion,and lead to thedifco- very 14 DISCOURSE I. very of the divine wifdom and goodnefs t© mankind. On the principles w^hich reh'gion commu- nicates, and under the influence of infpired fentiments, fhould every human purfuit be conducted. If we feek for knowledge upon any lov/er motive, we toil and labour for unproductive recompence. " We fow as it *' were to the v/ind, and fhall reap the whirl- ** wind." He who pants for that informa- tion which he may difplay with oftentation to others, afpires to what can confer no permanent J[atisfad:ion, which, inftead of re- verence, will often excite envy and difgufl, and which, while it enlightens the mind, eftedis not a correfpondent improvement of the heart, which delights to triumph in the depreffion of others, ami to ridicule rather than to remove the ignorance over which it exults. He alfo who profecutes his fludies with indifcriminate and uncontrolled eagernefs after various knowledge, on abflrufe fub- je(fts, without regard to their utility, or re- fpect to the weaknefs of the human under- ftanding, will range with too excuriive fancy over DISCOURSE I. 15 over fields where he will cull no profit ; in- ftead of following that humble and fober fpirit v/hich it is the interefl of man to ob- ferve, which is the guide to knowledge, and the pledge of fafety, he will be led on by a daring and adventurous prefumption till lofh in errors, and overihadowed by darknefs, he will fink in fatal and unavailing defpair. Such are the truths which obfervation may derive from experience 3 and we need only appeal in confirmation to the writings of thofe who have deferted an ufeful and unerrine light for the vifionary and unfi:eady meteors of their own imagination. What have they who have embarked in fearch of remote and me4:aphyfical difeoveries, obtained but chearlefs opinions and dreary profped:s ? What have they offered to mankind but barren and endlefs fpeculations, but princi- ples that weaken the obligations, deflroy the comfort, and undermine the hopes of man- kind ? Much time hath been mif-fpent but to " darken counfel by words without know- *' ledge," and great talents mifemployed but to generate idle difcufiions and irkfome con- troverfies -, what bitterncfs likewife has been provoked by a pertinacious adherence to no- 4 tions i6 DISCOURSE I. tions that pride hath generated, and error cherifhed! What weaknefs hath been be- trayed by evalive defertion of principles too unftable for defence, of which the propaga- tion has effeded mifchief that fubfequent retracftion cannot counterad, and for which tardy repentance can fcarce atone ! The precepts of revelation were furnifhed to affift mankind in every falutary and be- coming purfuit. They teach us with what motives to cultivate improvement, they feek to inflame us with the delire of rendering ourfelves more acceptable to the Deity, and more worthy to partake of eternal happinefs. If we walk under the direction of that light which they hold out, we ihall be led to con- template, like the fhepherds of Bethlehem, divine wifdom inveloped in human form, to worfhip God, and to reverence his glorious nature, though cloathed in fimplicity, or pre- fented under cuftom-ary and familiar objedls. Religion, upon fubjecfts mofl: important to man, conveys every information which is eflential to the diredlion of his condud. If we adhere to the inflrudions of this great Teacher, we fhall be fecure from thofe prefumptuous and (liallow theories which have DISCOURSE I. f 7 have been fucceffively raifcd and fucceffively deflroyed. How many have been the fanci- ful fyilems concerning the origin of the world, built on bafelefs foundations by thofe who knew not, or rejected the accounts of .fcripture, • Ereded on principles of popular philofophy, and recommended with popular eloquence, they have dazzled the imagination for av/hile, and been received as if their authors had been prefent " when the foun- " daticns of the earth were laid ;" diflortcd relations have been forced to give teftimony to each fpecious hypothefis, till jufler ac- counts, and more faithful obfervation, have difpelled the deceitful fchemes, and have brought back, with the light of true philo- fophy, the authentic documents of revealed biftory. In the invefligation of the feparate works of nature, they who have detailed its features, and analyzed its parts, have never queftioned the perfection of the contrivance without difplaying their own ignorance. The chafms which hafly pride Vv^ould point out, the de- fecfls which prefumptuous criticifm would expofe, have been found, on examination, to be imaginary and fiditious. Deeper refearch, C and iS? DISCOURSE I. and more accurate ftudy, hath developed thtf relative propriety of every part, the entire and coniiftent excellence of all. The diffi- Gulties likewife that have been excited in op- pofition to accepted dodlrincs of religion, drawn from wild and metaphyfical difcuffion, not to mention the futility of their charafter, have been refuted even upon their own ground, and by their own weapons. But whatever force and validity may have been» afcribed to fceptical objections, they can have •no preteniions to be liftened to in oppofitiork to the fure word of infpired inftruction. He who in exalted ftudies extends hi* contemplations beyond the boundaries of the .earth, and confiders the heavens, and the fyllems which they contain j whofe imagina- tion is raifed by meditation on the afcertained proportions and acknowledged immenfity of the heavenly bodies ; who difcovers fyilem beyond fyfteir, and conilcliations multiplied^ with unbounded variety, will not, if he judge by the light of revelation, fuppofe this to be the refult of cafual production, or fortuitous combination, but with the greateft and mod enlightened of mankind, as well as with the infpired DISCOURSE I. tg infpired writers, he will perceive, in the endlefs- multitude of the heavenly Hofl, an arrangement of infinite wifdom and of infinite power. Taught to cbnlider the difi:iti(5l and feparate importance of the world in which he breathes, and' from which he diflantly contemplates other created works, he will Hot fiiffer his admiration of larger bodies to lefiTen his belief in the dignity of that nature, for the falvation of which the Creator of the iiniverfe yielded up his only and beloved Son* If other beings, if Seraphim and Cherubim be more exalted, if uhknov/n efTences be lefs diilant from the perfecftion of the fupreme feeing, his comparative inferiority hath flill the intrinfic worth of a fpiritual natlire^ breathed irito us by God himfelf. He who cbnfiders the condition of his owri body, the excellent proportion of its parts^ the entire harmony of its frame,, the organiza- tion of its nerves, arid the perceptive power of its fenfes, will acknovv'lcdge therein the con- trivance of a divine Creator, and, with the pious and confiderate David, confefs that " he i$ fearfully and wonderfully made *." If he * Pf. cxxxix. 14. € 2 refk(5l t( 20 D I S C O tr R S E I. refle(5l on the Intimate union of the body with the foul, Its ready obedience to its fuggef- tions, its inexplicable power of conveying fenfations to it, he will find no difficulty in believing, that though its excellent ftrufture ihould bs diffolved, and its members moulder into duft, yet that the Almighty can, with the fame power by which he firft formed, re-alTemble and unite its fcattered parts, and raife up the fame body to the judgment of eternal life. If farther he ihould meditate on the per- fecftions of that niind which now exifts ia intimate conjundllon with his body; if he Gonfider its faculties, and the excellent en-* dowments of which it is fufceptlble, he will find no difficulty in conceiving that it is conftriKfled for the inheritance of eternal life, and well calculated for the enjoyment of the divine prefcnce ; he will think that it is necefi!ary gradually to prepare it for fuch en- joyment, to flore it with fuch knowledge as> may meliorate its affcdilons, raife its afpiring thoughts, and be productive of fruits accep- table and fragrant to God, efteeming all at- tainments valuable only as^hey contribute to that purpofe. , Ading D I S C O U R* S E I. 21 A(5ting under fuch impreffions, the difciple of Chrifl will derive profit from every circum- ftance and fcene of life. He will underftandj that every condition, profperous or afflidted, may be rendered fubfervicnt to the attainment of God's favour. He will confider this World as a fchool in which his obedience is to be proved, his virtues difciplined, his recom- pence to be earned. If he occafionally re- treat, it will be to flrengthen his faith and good refolutions, by prayer and holy medita- tion ; when he mingles with fociety, he will feek, by a conftant exercife pf focial and benevolent afFediions, to encourage the exer- tion of that charity which he is enjoined by Chrifl to cultivate. He will condu(5t every purfuit under ftrong impreffions of God's attributes, and with a becoming diffidence in his own powers. As the face of nature is iinveiled to his refearch, and as the volume of infpiratipn is explained to his underftand- ing, they will excite jufl affections, and dif- clofe ufeful and important knowledge. The features of the divine perfe(fi:ion, as difplayed in the natural or intelledrual world, cannot be revealed without awakening praife, and , the defire of humble imitation. The mind ' C 3 \vhen tz DISCOURSE I. when opened to receive true wifdom, becomej enlarged in its views ; familiarized with ex- cellency, it moulds itfelf in conformity to its pattern, and affumes a refemblance of its character. In proportion as the underftanding is improved, it becomes more fufceptible of genuine and permanent pleafures, and more difpofed for the enjoyment of eternal recom- pence. As we confult therefore our effential and lafting interefts, we fliall cultivate thofe qualities which, while pn earth they flouri(h, conciliate God's favour, and which will here-r after be permitted to unfold their mature^; excellencies, unto the glorious manifeflation of the divine prefence. pis- D I S C O U p. S E II. en THE TEMPTATION OP CHRIST. Matt. iv. 4. But he anfwered and faidy It is written, Man Jhall not live by bread alone y but by ev^ry word that proceedetb out of the f?mith of God^ C UCH was the appofite and fufficient an- fwer of Chrift to the tempter, who had in vain endeavoured to feduce his conftancy. It appears, that our great Teacher, who de- ligned in all things to prefent us with an example of perfect and exalted righteoufnefs, did, in obedience to the fuggeflions of that fpirit, which had viftbly defcended on him at his baptifm, immediately withdraw himfelf from the public fcenes of life, that he might manifeft the felf- denial which he profefTed, encounter the temptations which he came to vanquifh, and fortify himfelf to fupport C 4. thofe 24 DISCOURSE II. thofe afHicllons which he willingly fubmitted, in the execution of his miniftry, to endure. In confidering the condud: of our Saviour, we are to contemplate him as a(fling in the union of the divine and human charadler. To the attributes and perfections of God were conjoined the paffions and infirmities of man. Capable, at all times, of exerting thofe divine powers which were infeparably annexed to his perfon, he appears to have occafionally fubmitted to their fufpenfion *. The divine and the human nature of Chrifl being intimately united, the relation of his condud: might be expeded to delineate a two-fold charader. The attributes and per- fedlions of God muft biirfl: forth in rays of glory. The reality of the manhood mufl: be proved by the wants and frailties of the flefh. * Irenseus's Her. L. III. c. xx. p. ZS'^- Edit. Grabe. At our Lord's painon alfo there v^as a fufpenfion of the operation of the divine nature. Luke xxii. 53. At his temptation andcrucifixion, and at the beginning andcon- clufion of his miniftry, he appears in his unfupported human charadler to have been afluiled by the power of the prince of darknefs under a voluntary relinquifhment of his divine agency, and to 9 full demonftration that the devil " had nothing in him." See John xiv. The DISCOURSE II. 2| The life of an incarnate God could only be the defcrlption of miraculous powers and human fufFerings, fometimes blended, fome- times feparately detailed, as conjointly they were manifefled, or individually exerted and fuflained. Coniiftently with this theory, the facred writers pourtray the mingled features of per- fect God and perfedl man, defcribing actions fometimes without difcrimination of their appropriate reference to either charader, and developing the excellencies of the divine, and the integrity of the human nature, in confiftency with the fcope and delign of their leveral relations *. * The words and a£i:ions attributed by the evangel ifts to Chrift, are fuch as could only be confident with the, double character which he aflumed. Some are obvioufly charadleriftic of God, and fome appropriate to, and defcriptive of man. The facred writers treat of them without difcrimination, in the fame manner as wp fpealc of the exertions of men, without thinking it neceffary to fpecify that the mental exertions proceed from the mind, or the corporeal acStions from the body ; and from a colledlive examination of the general condu6t of our Lord, as reprefented in fcripture; of his words apparently inconfiftent, and his actions feemingly incongruous, the moft irrefiilible evidence of his two-fold nature may be derived. During tS DISCOURSE ir. During ^he period which preceded the public minifhration of Chrift, the authority ^nd excellence of the godhead were not often manifefled, unlefs indeed in the difplay of ex* traordinary virtues, and in the indications of early and unprecedented wifdom. When his commiffion was ratified by that voice from beaven, which pronounced him to be the ^' well -beloved Son of God, in whom he ** was well pleafed," he prepared in folitude to demonftrate himfelf worthy of that ap-, probation which he had received. Appointed to defeat the powers of darknefs, he figna- lized the commencement of his miniftry by a perfonal triumph over their apoilate leader, and prince. From the account of St. Luke and St, Mark, we coUed:, that after Jefus had been led by the fpirit into the wildernefs, and, previouily to that temptation of which we are about to conlider the particulars, he was forty days expofed to temptations, of which the circumflances are fuppreffed, as too nu- nierous fo^ concife report *, or as lefs im^ * Origen fuppofes, that the fcripture omitted the ac- count of temptations in the wildeiiiefs more in number than the world could have contained. Homil. xxix. in Jjucam. John xxi. 25. Lightfo^t. pprtant DISCOURSE II. 27 pprtant for us to know, becaufe perhaps pecur jiar to the charadler and condition of Chrift. The wildernefs in which Chrift dif-. played liis firft triumph, was, probably, the wildernefs of Judea, which is defcribed by travellers as a mountainous, rude, and cheerlefs folitude ^ i a fcene far different froni the paradife in which the firfl Adam had yielded to the fedudlion of the tempter. St. Mark tells us, that he was with the beafl^ of the field, abiding there in the fecurity of that innocence which Eliphaz defcribes a^ " laughing at deilrudiion and famine, and f* as not afi-aid of the beafts of the earth -f-.'* Here then, remote from focial intercourfe, and without the means even of partial fufle- nance, our Saviour firft exerted his fuper- patural powers, and failed miraculoufly forty days. The conflitution of the human frame, which, by an admirable arrangement, derives * Adjacent to this wildernefs is a mountain of fteep and dangerous afcent, which • is called (^larantania, in reference to our Saviour's faft: of forty days; and the tra- dition of the country reports it to be the mountain oij which Chrifl experienced his third temptation. See Maundrel's Journey to Jerufalem, p. 79. f See Mark i. 13. Job v. 22, 23. its 2S DISCOURSE 11. its fupport from a due fupply of food, cannot, we know, long fuftain its vigor, and .exer-,- cife its functions, without its accuftomed fuftenance. The body of our Saviour, there-r fore, which was regulated by the fame ceco- nomy, could not have preferved its energies, during fo long an ^biliinence, without the operation of a divine power. And as Mofes and Elias had failed forty days, it might have furniilied fubjed: for invidious comparifon, to thofe who were difpofed to cavil, if Chrift had abftained for a fhorter period. At the expiration of this time, when the .miraculous influence which counterad:ed the infirmities of the flefh, was withdrawn, our Saviour confented, for our example, to adl in the character of man, which he had deigned to take into the godhead, and to be tempted under the fame circumflances in which human nature is expofed to temptation. That when he had fafted forty days and forty nights, he fubmitted to feel the wants of human nature, we are pofitively told ; he confented to fuffer as a man, unfupported but by righteous mo- tives, and experienced the keen pangs of hunger, feeling, doubtlefs, that folicitude which humiaA nature muil feel for their removal,. DISCOURSE n. 2'9 removal *. Then It was that the great ad- verfary of mankind^ whofe terrors mufl have been excited by the circumftances that dif-- tinguiilied the appearance of Chrift, came unto him, with defign^ probably, to difcover whether he were that promifed feed who fhould effedl his deftrudiion, that expeded Meffiah whom fucceffive prophets foretold, and to whofe arrival he muft have looked forward with anxious apprehenfion and dif* may. If, as we have feafon to believe, the intimations of divine mercy were obfcurCj even to " the principalities and powers ia " heaven," and the full extent of the pro- phetic promJfes concealed from the angels of light, till they witnefled the commencement of their accompli (hment in the birth of Chrift -f, we need not wonder that the devil (hould have been ignorant of the pre- cife time at which the Saviour of mankind * Origen obferves, that the reafon why St. John does iiot mention the temptation of Ghrift is, becaufe be treats principally of his divine nature, and Chrill as God could not be tempted j but St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, who difcourfe chiefly of his human n^vturej, all fpeak of the temptation. Homil. 29, in Lucam. t I Pet. i, 12. Ephef. iii. iq. fliould ^% b 1 s c o tj R ^ E ir. ilioiild be born, or that he fliould be iiRfiif-i J>icious that the infallible perfeQions of ai! incarnate God Were veiled under the humaii perfon of Jeftis *. The heavenly hoft, it is triiei bad annoaneed his bif th a§ of a Saviour, a Meffiah, and Lord j arid the voice of God, at his baptifm, had proclaimed him as his well-beloved Son. Yet ft ill the fallen fpirit, tinenlightened. to coftipfehend the t\^6-fold thara(5ter of Chrift^ or impatient in reftleft folicitude for farther proofs of his authority^ imight infatuately prefume to flatter himfeif^ that the approved Minifter of God being afflicted v/ith hunger, was aflailable by hi§ arts; In deluiion, however, or in defpair^ he, who had revolted from the omnipotence' of the Father, approached, if it vv^ere poffible to deceive the wifdom of the Son, Or at leaf! to terminate the anxieties of doubt, by re- ceiving the eonvidiion of his approaehinst defeati * Ignatius's Epift. ad Ephef. § 19. I^natltrs fuppofcS the virginity of Mary, the character of her Son, and his death, which he calls the three founding myfleries, to have been concealed from the Prince of this world ; And Origen approves and confirms the opinion. Vide Homil. 6. in Lucam. Arid DISCOURSE II. ^l And when the tempter came to hlm> he faid, " If thou be the Son of God, com- " mand that thefe flones be made bread." Thus, by a taunting intimation, v/hich con- veyed a doubt of the reality of that charac- ter which had been conferred on Chrift, the wily and infidious counfellor endeavoured to provoke our Saviour to a demonftration of his divine power, fuggefling, at the fame time, the means of relieving that hunger which he fuffered. Chrift, however, whofe wifdom no artifice could deceive, and whofb appetites were fubjedled in fubferviency ta the laws of righteoufnefs, inftantly replied^ ** It is written, man ihall not live by bread " alone, but by eveiy word that proceedeth *' out of the mouth of God." By this well, adapted anfwer, our Redeemer, who fpake as never man yet fpake, indiredly pointed out the folly of that advice, which would prompt him toa<5t inconfiftently with his cha- rad:er; for if, indeed, he were the Son of God, it was efpecially incumbent on him as fuch, to ad: in obedience to thofe laws which God had revealed. He appealed to the authority of thofe lacred writings v/hich con-* tained the acknowledged words of the A1-- mighty^ 32 D I S C O U R S E ir. mighty, as to the eflabllllied rule of man's con- dud:. ** It is written", fays he, " man Ihall *' not live by bread alone, but by every word *' that proceedeth out of the mouth of ** God." It is written in the infallible page of God's law, that man's fupport depends not fo much on corporeal fuftenance as on an bbfervance of God's precepts and inftruftionSo The pafiage alluded to by our Saviour, is contained in the 8 th chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, on referring to which we find, that Mofes, when exhorting the people to obedience, in a commemorative detail of God's mercies, reminded them, that " whep *' the Lord had led them forty years in the ** wildernefs, to prove the lincerity of their " attachment, he had fuffered them to " hunger, and fed them with manna, that ** he might make them know, that man, *' doth not live by bread alone, but by every •* word (or, as in the original * it ftands, by every thing) " that proceedeth out of the ** mouth of the Lord doth man live," that * In the Hebrew text it is not every word, but every thing. The Chaldee verfion renders it every thing that proceedeth from the mguth of God. Our Siiviour has fixed the knk. he DISCOURSE II. 33 Ke. might teach them their dependance on his will, and that the prefervatioii of man refts alone on the abfolute and uncontrolled power of God. In contemplating the condu6t of our Sa- viour upon this occafion, we perceive it to be perfectly confiftent with the charader which he had afTumed, of God taking upon him the human nature, and exhibiting a pattern for the imitation of mankind. As God, he evinced the fuperiority of his di- vine nature, by fupporting, during fo long an abflinence, an unimpaired and unaltered frame, and by defeating that pov/er by which the world had been vanquiihed. As a man, he refilled every temptation by which his pafTions were ailailed, and profelfed obe- dience to that inftrudion which was addrelled to him as man*. As. a miniiler of the Lord, he difplayed unfubdued conftancy; with fubmiffion to the Father, he liftened only to his word ; with benevolence to man- kind, he allowed himfelf to be tempted in the fame circumftances under which man * It is written, " man" (hall not live by bread alone. The anfwer would have been nugatory if Chrift had not ijpoken as a man. D jnufi: 34 DISCOURSE IL muft be tempted, that In the fympathy of limilar fufferings he might experience what man feels, and afFord fuitable help to us when we are tempted ; ** For in that he •* himfelf hath fufFered being tempted, he " is able to fuccour them that are tempted*." Foiled and difappointed in his defign, the devil muil have perceived the wifdom of the rebuke, and have apprehended from whence it came. Unable to refift the efficacy of the reply, he fought not to urge the argument, but proceeded, by varying the temptation, to aflail our Saviour on a different ground, and to Vv^itnefs, after repeated trials, the afcen- dancy of heavenly wifdom, and the fad affu- ranee of his own defeat. With fatal convic- tion, he at length experienced that no induce- ment, no contrivance, could betray the Son of man to a momentary forge tfulnefs of his exalted duties, or feduce him into the flightefl conceffion to the powers of darknefs. We, for whofe inftruclion the eventful hif- tory of Chrift is recorded, learn, from the re- lation here propofed to our reflediions, that re- ,tirement, abflinence, and felf-denial, areobU-« * Heb, a. 17, 18. See alfo Heb. iv. 15. gations DISCOURSE IL 35 gatlons inipofed on the difciple of Clirifi, and contribute to enable hirn to fuftain thofe trials and temptations which he mufl en- counter in his progrefs through life. Ad- mitted by baptifm to the fcrvice of that God who " chafteneth whom he loveth/' we are taught to exped: temptations in our warfare, and fliould " count it all joy to fall *' into them *, that we may be thereby dif- ciplined to the perfedlion of the fervants of Chrift, and evince our unfhaken confidence in his word. The appointed means v/hereby we mufl qualify ourfelves to fupport trials and tempta- tions are, a ferious application to the in- fpired writings, a faithful difcharge of reli- * James i. 2. Heb. xii. ic, ii. The pafTages which •ncournge us to rejoice in thofe general temptations for trial and improvement, which are reprefented as falutary and affeftionate difpenfations of God, are not inconfiftent with our Saviour's direction to us, to pray viith becoming diftruft in ourfelves againft the feverai temptations which might endanger our faith ; that God would not fufFcr us to be led into temptations in which we might be over- powered ; or, in other words, that he would not remove thofe reftriitions by which our adverfary is circum- fcribed, or withdraw from us that grace by which we are enabled to refiil his attacks. See Matt. vi. 13. Chap. xxvi. 4.1. and Whitby. D 2 giouc 36 DISCOURSE 11. gious offices, and a frequent application for divine affiftance in that inflituted facrament by which God's grace is conveyed. When Chrifl retired to the feclufion of the wildernefs, it was, doubtlefs, for the purpofes of fecret prayer and holy medita- tion. It was to return, however, with re- newed vigor and animated exertion to the ad;ive offices of his miniflry ; and the afcetick piety, which in after-times retreated to the defert, or to the cloifter, failed in its imitation of Chrifl, by neglecting the objed: after it had effi^died the preparation. The tempta- tions likewife over which we are to triumph, are to be encountered not only in folitude and fequeilered privacy, but alfo in the pub- lic fcenes and focial intercourfe of life. When our Lord fafted, it was not to mortify corrupt affi^dions, or to reftrain rebelHous paf- lions,for fuch the fubdued purity and perfection of his nature "* difclaimed, but it was, by his own example, to recommend the propriety of occaiional reflridion and forbearance ; it was to teach us fometimes to forego the 'cudomary indulgencies of life, that we might * John xiv. 30. thereb}f DISCOURSE II. 37 thereby demonflrate the difpofition to refign ouglit that interferes with religious obedience, or adminifters to the corruption of our na- ture. That by partial abflinence, v/e might confirm the habits of general refliraint, libe- rate the mind from fubjecStion to the body, and keep the paffions in temperate obedience to reafon, enlightened by revealed law. In coniiftency with the fame views, he ap- proved, in precept, of that failing which is the refult of iincere humility and contrite afRidion of the foul^. While his cenfures were levelled againft the pharifaical hypocrify of forrow,and condemned the affectation of meritorious fer- vices, he uniformly commended that fpirit which exhibits a confcious fenfe of its own imworthinefs, which fubmits to voluntary abafement and felf- denial, and obferves fuch reflridions as facilitate the exercife of pure and unclouded piety. When Chrift failed forty days, he exceeded, as in every other inflance of miraculous and exalted piety, the limits and extent of human imitation. He however thereby, furnilhed occafjon for the obfervance of a flated period, which^ * Matt. vi. 1 6, 17; D 3 without 3^ D I S C O U R S E 11. without fupeiftitlon, and in conformity to the early practice of the church ^, may be confecrated to a more ftrid: and vigilant per- formance of rehgious offices. If the duties of felf-denial and abflinence have been undervalued in the prefent age, it is becaufe the relaxed temper of the times is impatient of falutary reftraint. The laws of chriflianity are not, however, to be facrificed in compliance with the paffions of corrupted men ; ftill muft it be maintiiined, as it itill will be experienced, that he who adopts the difcipline of primitive chriftianity at this feafon, will derive from thence a falutary amendment, and find that abftinence, when not carried to rigorous and fuperftitious ex- cefs, when undebafed by trivial refinements, and when conjoined, as m the excellency of the Chriftlan chara(5^er, with prayer and charity, muf: operate to the improvement of our nature, and tend moft efi:edually to con- ciliccte the divine favour. That national cala- mities have been averted by public humilia- tion, we know as well from profane as from facred hiflory; ai.d that individual puniili- * Can. Apofl. 69; ments DISCOURSE II. 39 merits may be avoided, by a fubmilTive and repentant forrow, we have the pofitive aflu- rance of God's w^ord. Of the benefits that muft accrue from occalional retirement for reflection and felf- examination, for the perufal of revealed inflru(5tion, for prayer, and a performance of rehgious offices, of the advantage that muft refult from thefe, none can be ignorant who are apprifed of the frailties of human nature, or refled: on the condition and expectations of man. If, as foldiers of Chrifl, we would take up the fhield of faith, and the helmet of falvation *; if, like him, we would wield the fword of the fpirit, that we may ftand againfl the wiles of the devil, we mufl firft fortify ourfelves by private fup- plication, and by watching thereunto with all perfeverance -f* ; fo ihall we be ftrength- ened, like him, to baffle the fuggeftions of the tempter, and to refift the impulfes of in- temperate paffions. He who, like Chriil, is baptized but to confecrate his life to God's fervice, will refufe, however prompted by external or by inward folicitations, to yield in compliance to unlawful views. The fliarp * Ephef. vi. 16, 17, t Ephef, vi. iS. D 4 and 40 DISCOURSE 11. and urgent prellure of necellity will not drive him to adopt any defperate or unlawful meafures for relief. To the evil fpirit, who fliall fuggeft that he hath the pow'er and op- portunity of removing his diifrefs, and that the means, though irregular, are at hand, he will reply by an appeal to thofe facred oracles which prohibit a diflrufl: in God's providence, and teach a fubmiffion to his W'ili ; which inculcate an abhorrence of all fraudulent or prefumptuous practices, and enjoin an unreferved and implicit obedience to that word which hath the promife of eternal life. To the evil fuggeHion which prompts to a prefurnptuous reliance on God's favour, and which, with perverted application of fcripture, would lead to provoke him, by doubting the demonftrations of his power and prefence, and by requiring farther evi- dence than he has vouchfafed to give, he will produce the uncorrupted word of God's wifdom *. Should the profpecSt of unbounded profit be difpLiyed as the proffered reward of his bowing down to evil, he will, with in- * See Whitby on Pvlatt. iv. 7. dignation. DISCOURSE II. 41 •dignation, rejecfl the bribe, confcious, that if a man fhould gain the whole world, and lofe his foul, he his bartered for the price of niifery ; and that as he cannot ferve two maftcrs, he n:uil worfhip the Lord his God, wlio has an exclafive claim to his adoration and obedience. Such vTere tlie convi6lions, as far as they had reference to an uncreated being, which ftrengthened our Mailer, who is in heaven, firmly to repc;l the attacks of that enemy whom he bruifed. Such were the confidera- lions which encouraged his difciples to wreftle againfl principalities, againft powers, againd the rulers of the darknefs of this world, againfl fpi ritual wickednefs in high places *, to wander, like him, deftitute and afflided, to fupport labours, ftripes and imprifonment, in journeyings often -f-, in perils of waters, in foreign and domcflic dangers, in wearinefs and painrulnefs, in watchings often, in hunger and thirll, in faftings often, in cold and nakednefs, in incelTant cares for the churches which they planted ; as apoftles and martyrs for the propagation of the faith which they had received. * Ephef. vi. 12. f 2 Cor. xi. 26—28. The 42 DISCOURSE ir. The fame confiderations fhould likewife animate us to a lively and uniform obedience. No views of prefent gratification, no feduc- tion of fenfual pleafure fliould be fufFered to interfere with the high purpofe and defigii of our exigence. No circum fiances of pre- fent afBidion fliould tempt us to forfake the patient and perfevering fubmifllon which we owe to the divine will. Neither tribulation, nor diflrefs, nor perfecution, nor famine, nor nakednefs, nor peril, nor the fword, fince the fufferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fhall be revealed in us. Where the temptations are flrong, and the fiefh is weak, there, if we feek, fhall we obtain affiflance from him, ■who in all things was tempted like as we, yet without fm. However powerful the enemy with whom we contend, God, if we ferioufly incline to him, and folicit his grace againfl the evil crafts and affaults of the devil, will fhield us from danger ; for ** God is faithful," fays the apoille, ** and will not fuf- fer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will, with the temptation alfo, make a way to efcape, that we may be able to bear it:" fo that by the fucqefsfal trial of our faithj DISCOURSE II. 43 faith, we may be found worthy of the in- heritance of that crown which is prepared for thofe who live and die in the Lord, D I S- [ 45 ] DISCOURSE III. «N THE POOL OF BETHESDA* John v. 6 — 9. I'Vhen Jefus faw him lie^ and knew that he had been now a long time in that cafe^ he faith unto him. Wilt thou be made whole ? I^hc impotent man anfwered hi?n. Sir, I have no 7nan when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming another Jieppeth down before me, f^fus faith unto him. Rife, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was 7nadt whole, and took up his bed, and walked, HE circumftances of the miracle above related are of very peculiar and im- portant confideration. The account, as more fully given by the evangelift, is interelling, not only from the principal fubjedl and event which it defcribeo, but from fome particu- lars T 46 DISCOURSE III. lars referred to, as it were, incidentally. It is the character of facred hiilory to in- volve, in its concife relations, many fummary points of a flriking and inflrudive nature, which, however conneded with the main purport and defign, are to be confidered as having a feparate and intrinfic value. In the account of St. John here alluded to, the flight mention which is made of the pool of Bethefda muft fuggeft to our reflection much fubjedt for ferious enquiry -, and the conclu- iions which may be drawn from an examina- tion of this fubjed:, mufl: tend to confirm the authority of other remarkable relations in fcripture. It is the efFed: of truth to be correfpondent in all its parts. The grace of confifl:ency brightens through every page of facred hifl:ory. If it be {etn. in the entire and connected harmony of the plan, it like- wife often burflis with unexpe over. If this be admitted, it will furnifli an additional prefumption, that the virtue \^as miraculoufly imparted to the water. No expreffion correfpondent to *' a cer»- "tain feafon" was to be found in three Latin copies fpoken of by Calmet ; nor is there any thing equivalent to -^he words in the Coptic and other vcrfions. See Whitby and Pcarcc, ^ . ■ .. ..j'-f Jews ; DISCOURSE III. 51 Jews ; and we perceive a confiftency in the divine proceedings, as defcribed by fucceffive hiflorians of different views, by prophets and evangeliflsj by Hebrew and Chrilfian writers. The Hebrew nation being immediately fubjefted to the divine governmient, a difplay of the efpecial interference of God was fre- quently and conliflently made. Public mira- cles were performed by appointed agents and prophets ; divine inftrudion was communi- cated by human organs, and vifible adions were executed by angels and heavenly minif- ters. Accuitomed to thefe manifellations of God's ad:ual interpofition, the Jews witneiTed them without amazement, and fometimes with indifference. Even in the early periods of their hiflory, we find them heedlefs, and unconcerned at the tokens of God's imme- diate attention to th^m i or, at leafr, if roufed occafionally by their portentous dif- play, foon forgetful of their defign and inten- tion. Even when the thunder wiiich announced the divine prefence awakened icars, or the ac- knowledged evidence of a divine commiliioa excited refpedt to Goi's a.ents, the effecffc was tranfient. Though the long line of the E 2 pro-' 52 DISCOURSE III. prophets hid linithcd abov<: three ccntiiffe> bcibre the preiching of the Baptiil, and though the omcular inllruftions conveyed by the Urim and Thummlm, and the miracu- lous lire thit conlumed the lacritices, had probably cealed long before the birth of Chriil;, yet. from the particulars introduced in the evangelical account, which ibggetled thele remarks, as well as from other r;irts of icripture, there is realbii to Tuppofe, that the open difplay of God's agency had not ter- minated ; and it is probable, that the eli^l: produced bv cur Saviour's miracles would ha^ been more contiderable if manifetled to a people who had been unaccultomed to the light of lupernatural works. If, we may lav, in imiration of Chriil's general reproach againft the blind obltinacy of the Jews, *' If •* the works which were cone in Jenilalem ** had bee p. dene in Tyre and Sidon, they " would have repented in lackcloth and " aihes.' If Jefus healed the fick, the prophets had done the ilane ; not like him^ indeed, in the prerogative of their own power ; but pervertenels feldoai attends to circumlrar.ce. If Jefus had raifed the dead, Elijuh had reilored the widow's fon ; and evea 6 DISCOURSE III. 53 even the bones of Eiifha had revived him who vi'as buried in his fepulchre*. It re- quired difcririiination and iudgment to reile Lib. in. C. iii. § 4. f Vide Plato ap. Clem. Alex. Strom. L p. 405. Lucian Philopfeud, p. 337. Tom. IL Edit. Amftcl. 1687. Philoft. Vit. Apol. p. 157. ,£dit. OJear. Com. M. c. i. 23 — 26. G 2 prin- S4 DISCOURSE IV. principal, though, as in popular language, it was not neceflary accurately to dlfcriminate in every addrcfs the fpirit from the perfon pofTeffed, the daemonized perfon is fometimes fpoken of by the evangeliil as the organ of the evil fpirit*. It has been difputed, whether the fathers of the four firft centuries attributed poiTtfiions as defcribed in fcripture, and as they beheld them, to human fpirits, or to the devil and his angels; and as their opinions may be fup- pofed to have much weight in afcertaining the truth, it may be worth while fhortly to confider the queftion. It is univerfally confefled, that thefe fathers believed in the exiftence of evil fpirits of an higher origin than that of men -f -, and we have * Mark V. 6 — g. Luke xl. 14. f Clemens Alexand. Psd. Lib. IIL c. li. p. 260. Irense. Hreres. Lib. IL c. v. "rertull. Apol. c. xxii. de Cult. Fsem. Laftant. Apol. p. 28. and c. xv. ii^ 15. Tatian. Orat*. cont. Grtiec. p. 148, 154. Alinuc. Felix> ^ 26. Wortlilngton's Impartial Enquiry. Some of the fathers, it is true, entertained idle notions of the nature of the demons, fuppoftng them enclofcd in ibmething of an ^ethereal mtrieriality of body, TertuK CO J it. DISCOURSE IV. 2s have reafon to fiippofe, that in general they attributed the mahgnant efficacy, difplayed in thefe pofleffions, to fuperior beings, and eoat. Marcion. Lib. 11. Origen, Ylspi af^wv, praf. § 8, inhabiting the denfe air near the earth, requiring food, inhaling odors, and being nourifhed vyith blood. See Origen. Exhort, ad Martyr. § 44. p. 303. Juftin Martyr, taking up, with other writers, a notion derived from judaical, or apocryphal accounts, and perhaps ori- ginally founded on a mifintcrpretation of a paffage in fcripture, [fee Gen. vi. 2.] fuppofes the demons, whofe a(5lions are afcribed to Heathen deities, and who tor- mented mankind with fms and diforders, to be the off- fpring of thofe angels to whom the charge of human aftairs was committed, and to women, with whom they had polluted themfelves. Apol. II. p. 112, 113. He reprefents them as fliut up in eternal fire j Apol, II. p. 119. and confiders the feqoent, or fatan, or the devil, as the chief of evil demons ; Apol. I. p. 46. and, upon a fuppofition that he was an apoftate fpirit, attempts to give a derivation of his name ; erroneous, indeed, from his ignorance of the Hebrew language. Dial. II. p. 360. Mr. Gibbon afTerts, that it was the univerfal fcntiment, both of the church and of heretics, that the demons -were the authors, the patrons, and the objefts of idolatry. Thofe rebellious jpirits, v/ho had been degraded from the rank of angels, and caft down into the infernal pit, were flill permitted to roam upon earth, to torment the bodies, and to feduce the minds of finful men. In proof of which he refers to Juftin Martyr, Laclantius, and Tertullian. Decline and t all of Rom. Emp. c. xv. G 7 not 86 DISCOURSE IV. not to the departed flmdes of men, in whofc licenfed interference they had no grounds to beheve. Of the power of the devil they entertained ferious apprehcnfions j they exor-» cifed and adjured him previoufly to baptifm ; and upon a fuppofition of his prefcnce, re- fufcd the eucharifl: to dxmoniacs. St. Chry- jfoflom, who oppofed the notion that human fpirits became daemons, reprefents it as en- tertained by the meaner fort * and the mul- titude -f- ; expreffions which, notwithfland- ing the forced conftruclions that have beea put upon them J, feem to import that it Was an opinion held only by the lower dalles, and rejected by the learned. It appears then, upon a general confidera^ tion of the fentiments of antiquity, as well as from the obvious interpretation of the flicred accounts, that there is fufficient reafon to attribute the pofTefiions, mentioned in fcripture, to the agency of evil fpirits ; and this will be ftill farther demonftrated by a * Uo'KXoi %y a'pO-ziZ(:c-j'^. de La?;. Ser. \\, Tom. I, p. 727. i TotJ rTo>.>.ojf, ;J^ See Farnier's Letters to Worthington, p. yij § 3. trepre* DISCOURSE IV. $j reprefentation of the miracle now to be con- fidered. St. Matthew relates, that when our Savi- our was come into the country of the Gerge- fenes, which was either, as fome verfions and manufcripts feem to prove, an erroneous tranfcription for the country of the Gada- renes *, mentioned by St. Mark and St. Luke, or, perhaps, a dillrid; of the province fpoken of by thofe eviingehfls, there met him two perfons pofTelTed with devils, one of which was particularly diftinguiihed, for one only is mentioned by St. Mark and St. Luke who likewife relate the particulars of this miracle with that confiftency which refults from truth, but with thofe minute differences which prove that there was no contrived agreement in their accounts. It appears, from the facred hiHory, that the daemoniacs who met our Saviour, came out of the tombs ; and it may be colledted from other accounts concerning the daemons, * Gadara, fo called from the tribe of Gad, to which It was allotted, was a part of Decapolis, the metropolis of Paraea, in Coelo-Syria, eaftward of the lake of Tibe- rias. Vid. Baron. Annal. p. 301. Lond. 1614. Reland, Palcfl. p. 2. Jofcph. dc Bdl. Jud. Lib. V. c. iii. G 4 that 88 DISCOURSE IV. that they compelled thofe whom they pof- fefTed, to the fepulchres of the dead : to places of gloomy and fequeffcered folitude *, where they might mofl fuccefsfully exercife their dominion, and where they might mofl pow- erfully operate on the fears of thofe who cafually encountered them. The dark and awful manfions of the dead, the fpots to which the corruptible remains of mortality are configned, have ever been the fcenes which awaken the paffions, and arrell the fears cf mankind. It is here that the con- iiderate refledt with fearful and inftrudivc meditation ; and it is here that the weak are appalled with indif{:in(£t and erroneous terrors. By exercifing their tyranny amxidll the de^ pofitaries of the dead, the minifters of Satan confirmed the delufions of thofe who ima- gined that daemons were hurjian fpirits -f, and * In eaftern countries, fepulchres were generally in the moft folitary and unfrequented places, where the vapours of infecStion might be leaft injurious. They were fometimes hewn out of i-ocics and mountains. t Tertullian informs us, that evil fpirits fometimes endeavoured to delude men from the true doftrine by afl'erting themfelves to be men, in order to difturb the jaith of a judgment and refurredlion ; but that after- wards, DISCOURSE IV. 89 and thereby mifled the attention, and height- ened the fuperftitions of mankind. At the approach of Chrift, of him who was the expeded vidor of the pov/ers of darlc- nefs, they who had terrified others were themfelves alarmed, and cried out, faying, " What have we to do with thee, Jefus, thou ** Son of God r art thou come hither to tor- ** ment us before the time," before the judgment of the great day* ? The devils, who were fenfible of, and av/ed by the pre- fence of God, imagined, that as he had yet difplayed no proofs of triumph, they had fllll time to harrafs and afflict mankind. Though, with trembhng convidion, they looked for- ward to the accompli (hm.ent of the predided curfe, as Chrifl: had yet given no demonftra- wards, overruled by the prefence of divine grace, they relu6lantly confefTed their chara6ler. Tertullian, de Anim. c. Ivii. which is not in contradiction, as Far- mer unjuftly affirms, with his former account, that fomie daemons viere the iflue of angels by the daughters of men, or that the Chriftians could compel daemons to declare what they truly were, as finally he fays they did. See Farmer's EfTay on Miracles, p. 226. See aJfo Chryfoft. de Lazar. Tom. I. p. 728. * Jude vj. 6. 2 Peter ii. 4, tion 90 DISCOURSE IV. tion of his final vidory over fin, they flill, with malignant exultation, hoped to contrive againfl the happinefs of man *. " And there was, a good v/ay off," conti- nues thee vangeliH:, ** an herd of fvvine feeding.'* The Jews were, by the precepts of the Le- vitical law, prohibited from eating fwine's fielh, or even from touching their carcafe -f, firft and principally, perhaps, becaufe it was chiefly offered up in idolatrous facrifices to Heathen deities J ; and alfo, among many other reafons, becaufe it contributed to pro- duce and aggravate the leprofy : a diforder which then prevailed confiderably in the eaftern countries, and of which unclean dif- cafe the Pvlofaic lav/, addreffed to a people cfpecially confecrated to God's fervice, incuU eated particular abhorrence. It does not appear, from the relation, for what purpofe thefe fwlne were kept, as the evangeliils furnifh no fuperiluous information. * The devils befought Chrift that he would not com- mand them' to go out into the deep, Luke viii. 31, meaning, probably, by the deep, a place allotted to evil fpirits. 2 Peter ii. 4. Revel, ix. i — 2. and Whitby. f Levit. xi, 7, 8. Deut. xiv. 8. % Ifaiah Ixv. 4. Ixvi, 3, 17, Jt DISCOURSE IV. 91 It Is probable, however, that they were kept either by the Jews, in defiance of the Levi- tical prohibition ; or by fome of thofe Hea- thens who inhabited the country of the Ga- darenes, with a view to feduce the Jews to a tranfgreffion of the law; a delign not unfre- quently difcovered in the enemies of this feled:ed people, and originating in a convic- tion, that as- they departed from fhe com- mandments, they forfeited the proted:ion of God. The devils might, therefore, with more confidence of fuccefs, folicit permiffion to enter the fwine as appertaining to perfons who contributed indiredlly, at leafl, to the violation of a revealed law. Their motive might probably be, to exert a malicious plea- fure in accomplifhing mifchief j and our Sa- viour, when they befought him, fuiFered them to effecftuate the puniiliment of the polTefiers of the fwine. ** He faid unto ** them. Go ; and when they were come ** out, they went into the herd of fv/ine ; and ** behold the whole herd ran violently down ** a fteep place, and periflied in the fea *." To •* A traditionary remembrance of this miracle was prefcrved in the time of Origen j and a rock, near the lake 92 DISCO U R S E IV. To fufier or to command evil fpirits to depart from men into fwine, Vv'as fiirely a work of mercy ; and it mnft be fuperfluous to obferve, that he who was Lord of all things had an unqueflionable right to difpofe of the properties of his creatures, as fliould feem good to him -, nor can the captious and frivolous objeclions of thofe who cavil at the decree, be thought to merit a ferious refuta- tion. It is, at firft light, obvious to remark, that by this ejection of the evil fpirits, not by exorcifms and fantallic fhew, but by the efficacy of a word *, our Saviour dem.on- ilrated, as wi'ell the omnipotence of his con- trolling power as the acfluai and perfonal exiflence of thofe m.aiignant beings who bore teftimony to his godhead. The powers of darknefs could not willingly offer up evidence to truth, nor could they confpire, with eagernefs, to their own defeat, unlefs con- ftraincd by an overruling power. He then lake of Tibeiias, was (hewn as the place from which the iwiue were precipitated. Origen. Com. in Matt. p. 311. Tom. 1. Edit. Huet. * Matt. \\\\. 16, ix. 33. Mark i. 27. who. DISCOURSE IV. 93 who, while he exerted the authority of God, v/as acknowledged by the devils as the Son of God, mull: verily, and indeed, have been entitled to thofe attributes which he afllimed. The exprefs defign, likewife, of Chrifl, in complying with the requeft of the dsinons, was, doubtlefs, to evince, in the moil: appa- rent and unquellicnable manner, the real and pofitive exiftence of thofe evil beings whc* labour for the deflrudion of the human race. This miracle may, therefore, be produced among other parts of fcripture to prove the literal and abfolute operation of evil fpirits. The open effeds of their agency have, in- deed, now ceafed. The firfl fruits of Chrifii's victory were to check and circumfcribe their malignant power, " making a fliew of them openly, triumphing over them on (or by) his crofs.'* The apoftles likewife, and their im- mediate fucceflbrs *, whofe miniflry was iignalized * Thofe who difpute the exiftence cf miraculous powers in the church, after the death of the apoftles, are driven to a very fophiftical interpretation of pafia.^es in the vi^ritings of the apoftolic fathers, and are obliged to contradi^l and invalidate what they admit to be " ftrong, . explicit, and repeated atteftations of many extraordinary gifts 94 DISCOURSE IV, fignallzed by a miraculous authority, were invefted with a power of controlling and expelling evil fpirits *. It appears, however, from the unanimous teftimony of the earlier fathers, that for three centuries after Chrill the vilible influ- ence of daemons was experienced; and that till the foundations of chriftianity were firmly eftablifhed, and our religion countenanced, under the proteiflion of the fecular power -f, not gifts and miraculous powers which were publicly exerted in Chriftian churches through each fucceeding age*** Middleton's free Enquiry. * Luke ix. I. X. 17, 18. f Whifton collecled teftimonies to prove, that the power of expelling daemons remained till the middle of the 4th century, llie chief difficulty that embarralFes theft; who admit the continuance of miracles in the pri- mitive church, is to afcertain the period of their cefi'ation. It is impoflible to difpute the teft-imonies of the exiftence of miraculous gifts during the three firft centuries, unlcfs. we overthrow all hiilorical evidence whatever; and thoufjh falfe accounts are mino-led with relations of mira- cles in the 4th century, it is prefumptuous to deny that they were then performed upon fome occafions, Dod- well fuppofes them to have continued till the time of Eufebius, who flouriftied towards the conclufion of the 3d century. Waterland feems inclined, from the autho- rity DISCOURSE IV. 95 not only the teachers of religion, but others like wile, in the name of Chrift, were enabled, by divine affiftance, to deliver thofe who were pofleffed, as is inconteflably proved by thofe who had witncfled fuch difpolTefTions, Jiiftin Martyr, in an apology to the Roman fenate, which muft have attrad:ed attention, and of which the intention muft have been evi- dently defeated, by the introdu probably, by fome peculiar adion and form of thankfgiving, as perhaps by that which he had ufed at the laft fupper. Chrift afterwards appeared on fevcral occa- fions *. He appeared to Peter on the day of his refurredion, -f- though the evangelifts have not particularized the circumftances of his appearance. He appeared at the fea of Tibe- rias, or the fea of Galilee, as he had fore- told J ; and afterwards at an appointed moun- tain in Galilee §, He converfed with his * I Cor. XV. 5 — 7. John xx. 19, 2.6. Mark xvi. 14. The evangelifts appear to have related only what was connefted with the fcope of their difcourfe. Thus St. Luke mentions the appearance to Joanna as connefted with the account of the appearance to the difciples jour- neying to Emmaus. St. Matthew fpeaks of two appear- ances ; St. Mark and St. Luke of three j and St. John of four. f Luke xxiv. 34. ' X Matt. xxvi. 32. John xxi. I. § Matt, xxviii. 16. Galilee was the country of Chrift's birth, refidence, and miracles : he was therefore more known there. He did not, however, appear to all indil'criminately, but to witnelies chofen before pf God. Vid. Ads X. 41. difciples. DISCOURSE V. 115 difclples, at intervals, during forty days, till aft^r his final benedidion, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven *. Such are the particulars of that refurrec- tion which we are called upon to confider, on this day, which is emphatically entitled the Lord's day, and which gives its denomi- nation to the Chriftian fabbath, which hath been obferved with efoecial devotion from the earlieft ages of the church, and is parti- cularly to be confecrated to thofe religious confiderations which it fuggefts. If, in conformity to the order of the hi/lo- rical events, we begin with the dawn of day, and accompany Mary and her companions to the fepulchre of Chrift, we feel furprifed to find, that the confidential friends and allbciate difcipks of our Lord, fliould have conceived no hopes of that bleffed refurred:ion which * Ac^s i. 3. Chrifl appears to ha^'e afcencled to his Father from Bethany, on the evening of the day of his refurrection. See Luke -x^uv. 50, 51. John xx. 17. to have afterwards converfed with his difciples, at intervals, during forty days, till he was finally parted from them by a cloud receiving him out of their fight from Mount Olivet. Ads i. 9. See Boyle's Lectures, Vol. II, P' 343- 1 Z they n6 DISCOURSE V, they were about to witnefs. It appears, th^ the intellectual, like the natural darknefs, was not yet difperfed 5 and that they aiTem- bled at the fepulchre to anoint and honour the body of their Lord, not aware that they fought *' the living among the dead," " for ** as yet they knew not the fcriptures that ♦* he muil rife again from the dead." The full dignity and fplendor of Chrifl's character was as yet concealed. The im- portant defign of his advent and fufferings was not completely difclofed. They who had received inflru(frions from the lips of Jefus himfelf, though their eyes had been, in fome meafure, ooened to admire the ac- complilhment of prophecy in him, as the cxped:ed Meffiah ; though they had witnefTed the miraculous circumflances that preceded, and accompanied his advent 3 though they had liftened to the wifdom of his difcourfe, and heard him proclaimed " the well-beloved ** Son of God," feem not to have underftood the neceffity of his death, or to have fore- f^en the glorious circumflances that would be thereby opened to mankind. The appa- rent inconfiftency of a Mefliah without fplen- dor, and the myflery of an incarnate God, were DISCOURSE V. 117 '' ■were not yet fully explained. They did not "underfland an exaltation to be derived from voluntary abafement, a victory to be obtained hy fufFerings, a religion to be fealed on the crofs, a triumph to be opened in the grave. Hence it was, that though in the tranf- figuration of Chrift, fome of the difciples had witnefTed a viiible and fymbolical repre- fentation of his future glory * ; though they had heard frequent allulions to the expe(fled fufFerings of their Mafter ; though they had heard him tell the Jews that if they defliroyed ** the temple of his body," he would " raife •* it up in three days -f* 3 though they had been politively told by him, that he went up to Jerufalem in certain expectation of ** fuf- ** fering many things of the elders and chief ** priejfts, and fcribes, and of being betrayed, ■* "See the Biihop of London's EfTay on the Tranf- /iguration of Chrift. Our Saviour commanded the three difciples, who were prefent at the vifion, to tell it to no man till his refurredion, as, till then, its pro- phetic intention would not have been underftood, and its defign might have been mifconceived. Vid, Matt, pcvii. 9. f John ii. ig — 21. Matt. xvii. 22. xxvi. 21 — 32* Mark xiv. 18. Luke xix, 22. I 3 " iiilled. iig DISCOURSE V. ** killed, and raifed the third day * ,*' and though they had heard Peter reproved, when with an afFeftion, miftaken, and favouring of earthly fentiments, he had faid, " Be it far " from thee. Lord ; this fhail not be unto " thee ;" yet did they entertain no diilindl convidtion, nor even, it fhould feem, any expeftation of the refurredion of their Lord. When, therefore, Mary and her compa- nions approached the fepulchre, it was with reverence for the memory of a well-beloved Teacher and Lord^ wjih defire of giving every tefiiimony of regard to the remembrance of one who had been miraculoufly diflin- guifhed, and from v/hom they had expected ftill greater evidence and demonflration of power, till the termination of his life had cut off their prefent expeftations of deliverance. When Mary wept, it was becaufe (he. con- ceived that they had taken away the body which fhe came to indulge her grief in con- templating "[-. She knew not where they ** had laid him." When the angel had * See alfo Matt. xvi. 21, 22. xx. 18. Mark ix. 31* ifohn xvi. 16. •J- John x-x. II — 13. aiTured DISCOURSE V. 119 affured the other women, of his refurredion, and recalled the words which Chrlfl had fpoken, to their remembrance, and when they reported this to the apoflles, the apoftles be- lieved not the words of the women, which *' feemed to them as idle tales*." Cleopas was fo infenfible of the poflibility of a deliverance by a crucified Meffiah, that when Chrift com- muned with him and his companions, he lamented the crucifixion as an unexpecfted difappointment of their hopes of redemption to Ifrael "f*. Some of thofe, with the eleven, when they faw him at an appointed moun- tain in Galilee, " ftill doubted J 3" and Thomas, eight days after, would not believe till he had been fuffered to receive palpable evidence of Chrift's refurredion, and been convinced that he had the real properties of a body. Great as had been the miracles which Chrift had difplayed, omnipotent as his power had been demonft rated to be, by the ad:ual reftoration of life, to thofe who had yielded up its breath ; precife alfo, and emphatic as * Luke xxiv. ii. Mark xvi. 11. I Luke xxiv. 21. X Matt, xxviii. 16, 17. I 4 were 120 DISCOURSE V. were the afliirances which he had given of his own refurred:ioD, yet fuch a reftoration of their blefled Lord was beyond what his friends had prefumed to hope, and fiiperior to what they could readily believe. However, when depreil'ed by afflidion, they might be fup- pofed to cherifh hope, and to call up the re- collection of any promife that might afford confolation to their dejefted minds ; they do not appear to have remembered, or to have underilood the promifed refurredlion, till reminded by the angel of the words of Chrift ^. As the full fcheme of redemption was not yet underllood, and as all the traditions and opinions of the Jews led them to fuppofe that the Meffiah could not die •f', they muft * The chief priefts and Pharifees recoUotfted Chrjft's declaration, that he would, after three days, rife again ; find their cold and fufpicious temper led them to expecSl fome contrivance on the part of the difciples to fupport the reputation of their Lord. Matt, xxvii. 63, 64. I'he difciples themfelves, abforbed by their forrow, clofed their eyes agaiiift the profped of confolation, mifcon- ceiving, or miftrulling the ailurances of Chrift, which they might confider as iigurativej and incapable of literal accomplilhmcnt, •j. John xii, 34,. havo DISCOURSE V. 121 have confidered the crucifixion as a dark cloud, which overfhadowed a divine fcheme; and however the glories of their departed Mailer might be expedled to break forth in a future life, they muft have lamented that their prefent expeftations were buried in the grave : they muft have refledted on Chriil's death as on the departure of one who, how- ever exalted in charadler, and adorned by virtues i however commiffioned by God for benevolent purpofes, had fallen a facrifice to the millaken, or mifguided pafiions of thofe who underilood not, and refufed the excel- lence of his dodlrine. The knowledge of the divine plan was only gradually imparted ; nor did the apoftles comprehend the myftery of Chriil's death till he himfelf, after his refurredlion, had " opened their underiland- •* ing that they might underfland the fcrip- ** tures ;" and fhewed them, that ** thus it '* behoved Chrift to fuffer, and to rife from ** the dead the third day," and breathed on them that they might receive the Holy Ghofl*, who fhould condudl them to all wifdom. f John XX. 22. 122 DISCOURSE V. This gradual communication of knowledge to the difciple^ of our Lord, while it led them, by infenfible degrees, to a firm and perfec^l faith, was neceffary, as it admitted, by fucceffive revelations, a light too powerful for inftantaneous comprehenfion. VeVy fub- llantial proofs, likev/iie, were furniihed, by the incredulity of the difciples, to demon- ftrate that they were not deluded by any fuperflirious fancies ; and to fliew, that the evidence on wl}ich they built their convictions was fatisfa^ory and irrefragable ^ and whea WQ coniider under what variety of circum- ilances., and upon what different occafions our Saviour was fctn after his refurred:ion, it is impofTible to queflion the certainty of that event. It may be proper, in conformity to the cuftomary divifion of the fubjeft, to contem- plate the refurredion of Chriil: under two points of view ; firft, as bearing a glorious, and confummate teftimony to the truth of our religion ; and, fecondly, as affording a pofitive and fatisfadtory affura nee of our own refurredion to an inheritance of its rewards. In the prefent difcourfe, it may be fufficient to examine it in the light of bearing evidence : to DISCOURSE V. • 123 to the truth of chriftiamty, referving the other confideration as a fubjcd; of future dilcuffion. In the firfl: point of view which we pur- pofe to contemplate, it is obvious to remark, that the refurre(5tion of Chrift illuftrates the infpiration of the facred writings, as well of the Old, as of the New Teftament, inafmuch as it exhibits a ftriking accomplifliment of prophecy. When our Saviour converfed with his wondering difciples, after his refurredlion, till *^ their hearts burned within them," at the jnftrudtive energy of his difcourfej he pointed out to them that his death and refur- rediion were in ftrid: conformity to what was written in the law of Mofes, and in the Pro- phets, and in the Pfalms, concerning him j expounding, probably, thofe pafTages v/hich had an efpecial reference to thefe events: un- ravelling the fpiritual alluiions of the law, and unfolding the full import of prophecy. Doubtlefs, then, he explained to them the connexion which fubfifled between the two covenants 5 defcribing by what admirable con- trivance the ordinances and inftitutions of the law were concerted to be figurative of gofpel appointments , and illuftrating the reference which 124 DISCOURSE V. which the difpenfations of the Jewlfh hiftory bore to events under the Chriftian eflabliOi- mentj developing the typical charader of the Levitical facriiices, the prophetic afped of ceremonial inftitutions, the reprefentative na- ture of hifiiorical relations *. But ftill farther, with imprefTive and con- vincing expofition, he muft have referred to die various and feemingly incompatible pre- di<5]:ions that could be fulfilled in him only, who was God and man, as particularly with reference to his recent fufferings and refur- recflion. He might have obferved, that David had clearly defcribed him as to be betrayed by his ** familiar friend -f 5" as circumvented and encompalTed by the wicked, who (hould give him *' gall to eat J," who fhould " pierce his fide," and " caft lots for his veflure." He might have added, that Ifaiah had, in exprefs terms, declared that " the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of all § ;" that he fliould be brought '* as a lamb to the flaughter," and * Gen. xxii. i — 18. comp. with Heb. xi. 17—19, Jonah i. 17. •f Pfalm xll. cix and cxix. comp. with Adls i. 16, 21, X Pfalm Ixix. 21. § Ifaiah liii, 6, 7. D IS C OURS jE V. 125 ** be cut off out of the land of the llvins*," that " he fhould make his grave with the ** wicked, and with the rich in his death -f-, '* becaufe (or though) he had done no vio- ** lence, neither was any deceit in his ** mouth." He might have farther told them, that the Pfalmifl had forefhewn that the Lord " would not fiiiFer his foul to remain in hell, nor his holy one to fee corruption J." That our Saviour pointed out the comple- tion of prophecy in thefe and other fignal inflances §, we have reafon, from the evan- gelical accounts, to conclude || ; and the en- lightening influence of the ipirit foon enabled hi^ difciples to difcern the full application of the reft. The refurredtion of Chrift afforded flill farther a conclufive evidence of the truth of his pretenfions and religion, inafmuch as it * Ifaiah liii. 8. Dan. ix. 26. t Ifaiah liii. 9, coinp. with Luke xxiii. ^0, ^2* Matt, xxvii. 57, 60. Mark xv. 43 — ^46. t Pfalm xvi. Pfalm x. comp. with A6ls ii. 27. A<£ls xiii. 35. § See Zechar. xii. 10. comp. with John xix,y/. and JRevel. i. 7. H Luke xxiv, 44, 46. was ti6 DISCOURSE V. was the higheil and moft convincing miracle which he difplayed in teilimony of his mif- lion, and that to which he appealed as to a ratification of his divine chara(5ter *. It dif- played, in full perfed-ion, the completion of the Mcifiah's glory ^ it proved his afliired claim to the dignity of King-f-, or vi<5tor over death and iin ; and ratified his preten- iions as the appointed Judge of the world, demonll:rating,airuredly,to the houfe of Ifracl, that God had m.ade that fame Jefus, whom they had crucified, both " Lord and Chrill." * Matt. xii. 38, 39. Luke xvi. 27. xxxi. Dcut, xviii. 21, 22. f Juftin Martyr ailerts, that after the words " fay among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth," in Pfahij xvi. lO. formerly followed " from the crofs or wood," aTTo TH ^uXh, and that thi Jews defigr.edly omitted them ; and other fathers cite the text with thefe words. Vide Tertul. adv. Jud. c. xi. Gregcr. Mag. Flom. IV, fup. Ezec. fol. 261. Leo. Scrm. IV. de Paffion Dom. p. 50. Ambrof. in i Cor. 15. col. 400. Scriptor. Lib. de Mont. Sina k Sion. Cypriano Olim. afcript. p. 37. and Auguftin. Arnob. k Cailiod. Com. but the words are not in the Vulgate, nor are noticed by Origen or Jerome, nor in any Hebrew or Greek manufcript ; and therefore, probably, they were not genuine, fince we have no grounds to believe that the Jews defignedly mutilated ihcir fcriptures. Vid. Juftin Martyf, Dial, p. 294. Edit. I'hirib. 8 • To DISCOURSE V. 127 To raife up the dead is, we knew, the exciufive prerogative of him who is the fource of life ; of him who can " kill and make •' alive * i" to whom alone the ** iillies of " life" belong f . " The God of Abraham *^ it was who raifed Chrifl J : Chrift, who was himfelf ** the Prince of life," and who as One with the God of Abraham, raifed himfelf; and who, as God, declared that he had power " to lay down his life, and to •* take it up § •" who liveth, and was dead i who holdeth the ke3/s of hell and death |j. When the lad glorious and affecting tefli-* mony of Ch rift's power was difplayed in his refarrecflion from the grave, and when the exalted dignity of his charavfler was evidenced by his vifible afcenfion into heaven, his dif- ciples received every convidion of the truth of his claims and pretentions. However they might have been difconcerted at the humility of his firft appearance, and at the termination of his righteous courfe, yet every doubt and fearful anxiety was difperied before this glo- * Deut. xxxit. 39. I Sam. ii. 6. f Pfal. IxviiU 20. X Ads iii. 13, 15. § John x. 18, ij Revel, i. 18. rious 128 DISCOURSE V, rious difplay of the immortality and attriblitcf of their Lord. Then it was that confirmed likewife, by the influence of the Holy Ghoft, they were infpired with a zeal which ho hardihips could deter, no difficulties appal; then it was, as Clement, Bifhop of Rome, expreffes him- felf, that " receiving the commandments, ** and being confirmed in the faith by the " refurredion of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and " trufhing in the word of God, they went " out in the confidence of the Holy Spirit, ** preaching that the kingdom of God was " about to come *." Then it was that they encountered all trials and mockeries, and la- boured, with unremitted induflry, to effec- tuate the converfion of the world. Hence it proceeded, that amidft the foreft perfecu* tions, they maintained an unfubdued con- flancy, and prefented, to the admiration of mankind, illuftrious examples of every Chrif- tian virtue; and that with meeknefs and pati- ence ; " though deftitute, afflicted, and tor- *' mented," they maintained the caufe of a crucified Saviour in oppofition to every earthly- * Clemen. Rom. Epift. I. ad Corin. xlii. po^^ cr ; DISCOURSE V. 129 power ; and many were the faints and martyrs who breathed out their laft words in acknow* ledgment of Chrift's faith ; and difplayed, in their laft moments, an animated reverence for the charitable and forgiving precepts which he had taught. The religion of Chrift, like its Author, was weak and lowly at its firfl appearance. Preached under humble circumftances, it filed only a faint and obftrufted light over the circumfcribed limits of Judea. But when its great Teacher had completely defined its principles, and fully ratified its proofs, it rofe, as Chrift rofe, from the grave of dark-- nefs to exaltation and glory. Though Chrift himfelf had perfonally difappeared, yet did his facred influence continue to prefide over, aiid affifl: the iaterefts of his confecrated church *. By the unfolding of the prophetic teftimonies to which it appealed, a divine luftre was reflected on its caufe. By th« figns which were wrought as credentials, and by the fandions which co-operated with, and confirmed the preaching of Chrifl's difciples, aa irrefiHible effea: was given to their labours, * Matt, xxxviii. 20. Mark xvi, 2o» K while 130 DISCOURSE V. while the excellent contexture which it dif- played, and the folid virtues which it pro- duced, enfured a firm foundation for its efta- blifhment. Many, however, ° were the impediments which ignorance and prejudice raifed up to .obftru<^ its progrefs ; and the novelty and importance of its dodtrines excited fufpicion^ doubts, and incredulity among the learned and arrogant profelTors of human wifdom. A refurredtion of the body from the gravc> was an event fo unprecedented to thofe who iiad not witnefTed the miracles of Chrift : fo repugnant to the experience, and fo fuperior to the contrivance and power of mankind, that the dod:rine might well be expeded to be liftened to with diftruft. To the Greeks, who proudly afpired to the fame of philofo- phical knowledge, the doftrine appeared foolifhnefs * ; though, had they deliberately •reflected on the infallible proofs and teftimo- nies on which it refted, had they impartially weighed its accumulated evidence ; they could not well have rejedted its belief. Had thev confidered that Chrift, after his refurredtion, had appeared, at different inter- * I Cor. i. 33. A£ls xvii. 18. - V; „• ^ vals. DISCOURSE V. I3t Vals, and on appointed occafions,and for a con- tinuance of forty days, to perfons intimately acquainted with him, and to above five hun- dred perfons at one time"^- j that the magiflrates were not in concert with the difciples, but, on the contrary, watched their proceedings with the moft vigilant jealoufy ; that the foldiers, who had been appointed to guard the fepulchre* had fiiiewed thefe things to the high priefl, confirming the teflimony of the apoflles alike, where they agreed with, or with prepofterous inconfiftency differed from their account ; had they reflected that the graves had even been opened, and that the bodies of faints which flept arofe, and ap- peared to many ; that the afcenfion of our Lord was vifible and glorious at the time when the minds of the people were raifed to attend to, and earnefc to examine the truth of the reports that v/ere in circulation ; that it happened at Jerufalem, when crouded by * John XV. 27. A*5ls i. 21, 22. St. Paul fays, that Chrift appeared to above 500 perfons at ouce, which, pofTibly, was at the time when he appeared to the difci- ples in Galilee. Matt, xxviii. 16, 17. Some of thofe perfons were living when St. Paul's ift Epiftle to the Corinthians was written. A. D. 57, See i Cor. xv. 6. K 2 Jews 132 DISCOURSE V. Jews of all nations, who came up from every part to keep the paflbver j had they farther re- maiked, that the difciples, who were eye wit- neiles of his Majefty, uniformly, peremptorily, and without wavering, or paying regard to idle objed:ions, perfifted in their account, which was involved with other fa6ls eafily to be afcertained, and complicated with charac- ters of men flill living ; that thie difciples were fimple and unlettered men, profefling dod:rines abhorrent from all falfhood ^, and inconliftent with all enthufiafm, or human "artifice, who could not be interefted for the fuccefs of their preaching in the prefent life; in which alone, if they had hope, they were fenfible that they were, of all men, moft 'wretched-^; w^ho, unlefs they were per- fuaded that they were hereafter to afcend to their crucified Lord, would never have fa gladly defpifed the prefent life, in fupport of a religion in which they were taught to exped: hazard, and perfecution, and death ; and for which they were prepared, and taught to lay down thfcir lives in imitation of their Re- deemer and Lord. Had thefe unconverted * Ephef. iV. 25. Colof. iii. 9. Rom. iii. $, f I Cor. XV, 19. 2 Cor. iv, 11. reafoners DISCOURSE V. 133 reaibners obferved ftill farther, that the ac-^ count was not refuted, that the apoll:le§, with great power and confidence, had giveq witnefs to the refurredlon *, preaching, in various languages, with infpired tongues, and performing great miracles; that St. Paul, from whom they immediately derived the dodlrine, was himfelf miraculoully converted by the addrefs of Chrift to him, and from a zealous perfecutor, had become a flrenuous preacher of his religion: teaching, boldly, its dodrines with more than human elo- quence, and with a force of reafoning greater than they had admired in their noblcfl ora- tors : had they fairly and candidly coniidered thefe things, they could not, one would con- ceive, have remained incredulous. Num- bers, indeed, were converted by reflediing on them. To us, who accept the hiftory of this great event as fubftantiated by the concurrent teftimonies of every evangeHll, it muft be re- ceived as the ftamp and unqueftionable proof of the divine charader of Chrift, and the * A^s V. 32. xiv. 3. iv. 26, 30, 33. iii. 6. Jofeph. Ant. Lib. XVIII. c. iv. K ^ full 134 DISCOURSE V. full and conclufive argument of the truth of his religion. After Mofes and the pro- phets, Chrifl is rifen from the dead, and no. higher miracle can be Ihewn, no greater or more folemn teflimony can be given. D I S- [ US' I DISCOURSE VL QN THE RESURRECTION. I'or EASTER DAY* PART II. I Cor. XV. 20. Now is Chrifl rifen from the dead, and become the firjl fruits of them that Jlept, TN a preceding difcourfe, the refurreftioa of Chrifh was confidered as bearing irre- fiflible evidence to the truth of chriftianityj it remains to contemplate it in another point of view, as it affords an afTurance of pur own refurreftion to immortal life. Chrift, who is the head of that incor- porated fociety, which is flyled the church, by rifing from the dead, furnifhed a pledge I^ 4 a.nd 136 DISCOURSE VI. and earneil of the future reftoration of its members *. He became ** the firfl: fruits ** of them that ilept," and illuftrated the poffibility and adual effed: of that re-union to which the devout difciples of chriflianity afpire. While the immortality of the foul was a truth to be colle6led from the light of reafon, the fecret intimations of the human mind, or the popular traditions of mankind, it w^s rather an indiftind expectation than a full perfuafion. The anxious hopes, and the foli- citous appreheniions of men, bufied them- felves, indeed, in the fearch after whatever might produce confidence in this expectation. The fpeculations of reafon adverted with plea- fure to the univerfal affent of all nations, to the analogy of natural things, and to the aqknow^ iedged attributes of the fupreme Being. The Heathen philofophers dwelt, with fatisfac- tion -f, on the afcendant aod controlling, power of the intelied: over the body, on i^ Separate and independent nature, and reflec- tions, on its diftinCt powers and feelings, its ♦ I John li. 152. ion + Cicero Quspftion, T^fculan. de Seneftutc. facultieSa DISCOURSE VL 137 faculties, and capability of improvement, and its afpiring after perfedion and immortality ; yet however general were the perfuafton of the future exiftence of the foul, it was rather a confolatory foothing hope than a firm* rooted convidion, and a conftant incitement to virtue in the Heathen world. It was mingled with doubts, and entangled with dif- ficulties, relative to the firffc principles and intended deftiny of the foulj it generated crude and fanciful theories concerning its na- ture, its pre-exiilence and future migration into other bodies. It was not a principle of feiignation, nor did it promote the cultiva- tion of permanent excellencies ; for it was. not accompanied by a full convidion of future rewards; lince philofophy often ridiculed the notion ; and the vulgar, who lamented de- ceafed merit as annihilated and loll, hung up cyprefs, or ftrewed it on the grave of departed friends, in remembrance pf virtues np more to flourifti ** Among * Durand's Ritual, L. VII. c. xxxv. The do£lrine of a future ftate of rewards and punifhments was familiarly inculcated, it is true, among the Heathens, but it was not ftrmly and generally believ^. The learned, who had no , . conception iq§ DISCOURSE VI. - J , Among the Jews, who had no ftipulated and covenanted promife of immortality an-^ nexed to an obiervance of their law, though they had frequent intimations, and enter- tained earnefl: hopes of a future life, the ^(5tual forms and condition of immortality were not fully underftood * -, a.nd fuch as looked to the enjoyment of a future ftate, muft have grounded their expedations on the general exhortations of the prophets, which, while they held out the profped: of another life, only figuratively pourtrayed its bleffings, ^nd obfcurely intimated the refurredion of the body "f.. !^ The conception of the refurre£lion of the body, defpifed. the vulgar notions and poetical fables on the fubje6l of afuture ftate, in which bodily actions v;ere incoherently attri- buted to departed fpirits. Some openly ridiculed them, and others fupported theni only as fancies ufeful to fo- ciety ; and a doitrine fometimes ridiculed, and feldom defended with fincerity, could not eftablifh itfelf to ah'y great extent, even with the vulgar. Vid. Juvenal. Sat. XIII. 1. 33 — 37. Sat. II. 1. 149 — 152. Cicero. Tufcul. Difput. Lib. 1. c. v. vi. Plin. II. 7. A6ts xvii. 32J1 * Luke X. 25. :^.ii See Ezckiel's vifion of the refurrccllon of dry bones, chap, xxxvii. Enoch and Elijah's tranfiation might have ' -''-^fld DISCOURSE VI. 139 ■ The dlredt afTurance of the reftoration of the body to participate with the foul the glories of immortality, was the peculiar and exclufive fandbion of the gofpel^ and the adtual illuftration of the doftrine, in the cafe of our Saviour, afforded the moil lively and affed:ing demonilration of the power and in^ tentions of God^^ Till Chrift had rifen, there was ftill diftruft, though his religiori had revealed its promifes; for we have feen-f- that the gloom and apprehenlion of doubt hung over the fepulchre of our Lord. It ^was Chrift's own refurreetion which ratified his affurance of giving us a title to that life, which, by his oblation of himfelf, he had made defirable, till when the Jews incredar loully denied his full power J, and even hi^ beloved and confidential friends expelled not his reftoration. Inafmuch as Chrift is defcribed to be maa as well as God, a perfedt compofition of body led to a (uppofition of the future exiftence of the body. Job feems to have conceived fome idea of the dodlrine. Job xxix. 26. xiv. i2« * Philip iii. 21. f In the preceding difcourfe. :j: Matt, xxvii. 42. " He fayed others j himfelf he '* cannot fave." . . J40 DISCOURSE VI. and foul, independently of that divine fpirit to which the human nature was annexed, we j3auft confider his death as a departure pf the (bul from the body : as a feparation of the im- ixiortal and immaterial fpirit from the fubilanci^ of the fle/h, which, however, in the cafe of Chrift, miraculously preferved from corrupt tion, was in itfelf of a periihable nature. By the feparation of thefe, which took place on the erofs, when our Saviour gave up the ghoft, animation ceafed, and the body be- came a lifelefs mafs : its powers were flopped^ its refinement of fe«fe was loft. The foul cf our Saviour took its flight to thofe regions ©f intermediate exiftence, which he ftyled Pariidife *, and in which, probably, departed fouls * Luke Kxiii. 43. Dan. xli. 2, Deut, xxxi, 16. Jobiii. 13. Pfalm Ixxvi. 5. A6ts ii. 34. Rev^I, vi. 9. The {&u\s unjkr the altar, here inentijonejd, ^re, poflibly, the fouxs m a ft^e of fepargite exiftence. See Poji Synop, Here we fuppofe Chrift to have gone, when we JSay that he defcended into hell. Even the devils are feferved for the day of judgment ; and the guilty, doubt- lefs, in a feparate ftate, anticipate their future condemaa- ^on. The do6lrine of purgatory, and that of prayers for the dead, are derived, probably, from the belief in a ,i^2%e of feparate exiftenoe. Juiftin Martyr, in the place cited in the preceding^ difcourfe, fays, tha{ %he Jews »«- fcinded DISCOURSE VI. T4r fouls remain in confcious exiftence, and fore-*- tafte of that happinefs or mifery which, after an univerfal and impartial judgment, fhall charaderife their future doom. That the death of Chrift was a feparatiofi of the foul and body, we have grounds to conclude even from the prophetic declaration fcinded the following paflage from Jeremiah : " Th«>- -" Lord God of Ifrael remembered his dead who flept la .^^,the earth of the fepulchre, and defcended to them that 1* he might preach his falvation," Juftin Martyr, Dial. I: ^p. 294. Edit. Thirlb. 1 Pet. iV. 6. The pafTage is alfo ' cited feveral times by Irenaeus ; and Ortce by him 'a% the words of Ifaiah. Vid.Iren. L.III. c.xxiii. L.IV. q.xkxI*, Ixvi. and L. V. c. xxxi. Edit. Grabe. Vid. alfoClerici, Hift. Ecclef. p. 526. but we cannot avail ourfelves of the paflage, as, probably, it was not genuine, fmce it was almoft impoffible for the Jews to mutilate their fctipturos with fuccefs, as copies were fo multiplied. The fathers often cite inaccurately; perhaps, fometimes, from tradi- tional prophecies. Irenaeus relates it as a tradition that Enoch and Elias were tranllated to the Paradlfe from which Adam was expelled, and that St. Paul " was " caught up" there. Lib. V. p. 405. The later fathers adopted the tradition, though Middleton treats the opi- , nion as falfe and abfurd : and the fathers and primitive Chriftians in general believed that the foul went to a feparate ftate, as is evident from the ancient Liturgies. See alfo Ambrofe. Orat. de Valent. Chryfoft. Homil. 23. in Matt. Epiphan. Hehold not the operation of religion, but the crafty defigns and fuccefsful ambition of un- righteous men, afluming the fpecious and attradive name of chriftianity, while they clofcd the volume of its laws, veiling their unhallowed pafTions under the preten- fions and mantle of apparent piety. Had * As thofe clire£led againft the Waldenfcs and AIM- genfes ; thofe again-fl the Jews and Moors, (which, iii the latter inftance, were flin^ulated by political confidc- rations. See Watfon's Philip II. Vol. I. E. IX.) and thofe defigned to promote the re-eftabh'fhment of popery In this country. See Revel xvii. 6, chriflianity 172 DISCOURSE VIL chriftianity been unknown, fome pretended revelations might have been publiflied by crafty and ambitious men, and the inventions of impofture have been difclofed to affift the exertion of paffions that panted for gratifica- tion. Such, in the times of paganifm, often were contrived : fuch, in other countries, and in later periods, were fabricated and impofed by an enterprifing and afpiring conqueror, with defign to facilitate the eflablifhment of an earthly empire. Let the hafty and fuperficial enquirer de- claim againfl the religion of Chrifl, when he contemplates the folly and enthufiafm of thofe who enlifted in confederate attempts, and unfolded the banners of the crofs, for the recovery of that land on which the Re- deemer of mankind converfed and was cru- cified * ; or when, in later times, he confiders the * Bifhop Porteus's twelfth Sermon, p. 286. Robert- fon, in another point of view, reprefents many beneficial effects to have been produced to Europe by the Crufades, which opened an intercourfe with countries where the knowledge of many uftful arts and improvements, of civilization and commerce, were preferved, an ac- quaintance which efFedied falutary and moft important cha.iges in the property and manners, and oppreflive govern'- DISCOURSE Vir. 173 the civil diflenfions, the unreftrained perfe- cuticns, or the intemperate enterprifes* which have been carried on under the name of Chrlft, and under the pretence of efta- blifhing his faith. In thefe, the confiderate mind will difcover rather the lurking paffions and fecret lufts, that the corruption of a de- praved nature generated; which, in barbarous and dark periods, broke out into excefles that no laws could control ; and which, by the infidious inftigation of the apoftate fpirit, cloathed themfelves in the garb and fanc^ions of that religion which was levelled againit their dominion. For the eiFe<5ls of thefe paffions, the advo- cate of chriftianity has no apology to offer ; he contends only, that they are not the fruits of that law which God communicated, how- ever chargeable on thofe who profefTed an obedience to that law. Religious wars have government of the feudal times. See Robertfon's View of the State of Europe prefixed to Hiftory of Charles V. Vol. I. § I. p. 23. * It would be unjuft to attribute the condu6l of the Spaniards in America to religious zeal. The Tefuits every where^made religion a veil for political views. been 174 DISCOURSE VIL been excited by political interefts * ; religions difleniions have been provoked by civil ani- mofities "f*, and religious perlecutions have been * The perfecutions carried on by Charles the Fifth, and by Philip the Second, were heightened and regulated by ambitious views ; and, under the reign of the latter prince, by a fuperftitious veneration for the Ronnan fee. The inquifition, wherever it has'-been eftablifhed, hath been the inftruinent as much of political as of religious tyranny. f Religion had fo little to do v/ith the civil wars and fadions carried on under the banners of religion in France, that we learn from their hiftorians, that the Conde's and Coligni's embraced the reformed faith, be- caufe the Guifes were of the Romiih church. The ac- count of Davila is very remarkable: he fays, that the admiral Andelot advifed the patronifing of the Calvinifts,- in order to fpur them, on to the deftrui51ion of the Houfe of Lorrain, which, (befides other advantages) would make it believed, for the future, by all the world, that the civil war was firft kindled, and blown up, not on the princes account, and their pretenfions to the government, but by diflenuons and controverfies in matters of reli- gion. He adds, that it was a counfel and refolution (o fatal and pernicious, that, as it opened a door to all thofe miferics and calamities which, with terrible example, for a long time, aSiiSted and didracled that kingdom, fo it brought to a miferable end both the perfon himfelf that advifed it, and all thofe who, led by their afFe6lions and prefent interefts, confented to it. See Farneworth's Tranflation of Davila, Book I, p. 33. Who would think DISCOURSE VII. 175 been railed by perfonal hatred *. Here, then, religion was the pretence, not the caufe 5 and the impartial enquirer Ihould not creduloufly aflent to every profeffion, and to every affed:ed motive, but candidly invefligate the latent fprings and concealed dedgns of them. The vifionary fancies which philofophy firfl blended with religion -f ; the abfurd princi- ples think of accufing religion, when he reprobates the hypo- crify and concealed ambition which operated in the fac- tious proceedings of the laft age in England ? * Mr. Voltaire, fpeaking of the Duke of Buckingham, fays, " Cet Anglais fit declarer la guerre a la France uniquement parce qu'oa lui refufa d'y venir parler de fen amour, (for Ann of Auftria). Les affaires du monde font tellement melees tellement enchainees que les amours romanefques du Due de Buckingham proJuifirent une guerre de religion, & la prife de la Rochclle." Eflai fur I'Hift. Gen. Vol. IV. c. cxlv. f The fchifms and herefies which difturbed the peace of the primitive church, and introduced endlefs contro- verfies and diflenfions, originated chiefly from the pre- judices of Jewifti fei^artes, or from the errors of Gentile converts, who adopted chriftianity without abjuring tbeif former opinions, which they blended with the fimple truths of the gofpel. The corruptions of the Jewifh fect^, and the follies of Heathen philofophy, were inter- woven and entangled with the doctrines of revelation ; and the Gaulanites, the Nazarenes, and the Gnoftics^- and 6 176 DISCOURSE VIL pics and extravagant errors gradually accu-» mulated; and the fcholaftic fubtletics, fpe- culations, and difputes, which were incor- porated with it, at the revival of literature, when fairly confidered, refled difcredit only on thofe who interwove fuch vanities with infpired wifdom, and debafe not the purity of truth. The gradual departure from Chriflian righteoufnefs, in the pradice of its profeflbrs, which kept place with the corruption of the faith, and which, at laft, attained to that height of depravity that called loudly for reform, can be urged only to illuftrate the fad effefts of fuperflition, and impeach not the perfe(5lion and natural tendency of a law, which in every line inculcates holinefs, in every precept exhorts to purity. They prove that alliance which fubiifts between opinion and praeryerted and corrupt feryice. A mythology, woven and fpread put by fidion, could be difplayed but to generate, in its beholders, eiTOneous and prejudicial fen timents; and the fanciful ^nd attractive colourings in which it was worked. DISCOURSE VIII. i§9 worked, ferved but to increafe the mifchief of its deceptions : its familiar and corporeal imagery rendered it acceptable to vulgar appre- henlion, while the elegance and poetical or- nament of its contexture, and the philofo- phical explication of its allegories, foftened the groffnefs of the machinery to more re- fined imaginations. Fafcinated to reverence every objed: of capricious admiration, the judgment of men became vitiated : paHions were idolized, and popular vices were em- bodied and conlecrated for worship. In countries the moft civilized and inftru(fled, the objedts of adoration were deteftable; they were worfhipped with human facrifices *, and * Eufeb. Le Laud. Conftant. c. xlli. Praep. Lib. IV". c. xvi. Liv. Lib. XXH. c. Ivii. Plutarch, in Marcel. Jnlt. Macrob. Satur. Lib. L c. vii. Alex, ab Alex. r>ib. VL c. xxvi. Human vi(5lims were immolated not only by barbarous nations, but by Greeks and Ro- mans, the " Prima Virorum." Ariftomenes a Miilenian flaughtercd three hundred, among whom was Theopom- "pus, in one facrifice. Among the Romans, human facri- fices were interdicted by a decree of the fenate, during the confulfliip of Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, and Pub. Lici- rjius Craflus ; but a ferocious fpirit of fuperftition claimed its victims till Adrian again forbad the continuance of the £avage cuftom. honoured igo DISCOURSE VIIL honoured by fanguinary and favagefpedlacles** The confequence of fiich religions could i^ot but be an extreme corruption of man- ners ; and it is certain, that the fcripturc reprefentations of the Heathen wickednefs are not exaggerated -f. They are confirmed, indeed, by Heathen accounts, not only by thofe of poets and fatyrifts, but by the fair confeffions of hiftorical teftimony. The Pagan world, " given up unto vile affedlions," " committed all iniquity with greedinefs^" and the moft flagitious crimes that have ever dif- graced our nature, were difplayed, not by folitary and detefled individuals, but under the fandlion of a religion, of which the rites and myfteries were profligate, and the fefli- vals and public celebrations licentious X* Neither * Seneca, Eplft. 95, f Rom. i. Ephef. iv. 17 — 19. and Grotlus. The defcriptions, by profane writers, are not lefs feverc. Tacitus reprefents his time as faeva et infefta virtutibus ;• and the hiftorian elfcwhere ftates, Magnitudinem infa- mise a nonnullis concupifci,, atque eju?, apud prodigos noviflimam efle voluptatem ; but it is vain to fele6l in- dividual p^flages in proof of what every page of hillory will demonflratc in glaring colours. X The temples expofcd and demolifhed by Conflan- tine, were the fcenes of every fpecies of public debau- chery. DISCOURSE VIII. 191 Neither was it the grofs and popular reli- gion done that mifled mankind to erroneous and corrupt condu in pri- vate as in public life, is to awaken and regu- late the afte(flions, and to encourage, on dif- interefted principles, the cultivation of focial virtues. In the various ties and complicated relations which refult from our connexion ia civilized life, it holds out a rule of conduct, of which all ages, fincp its revelation, have confpired to celebrate the excellence ; of * The condu£b of thofe great men, who contributed to the eftablilhment of the reformation in this country, may be mentioned as among forne of the moft fignal proofs of thefe efFe agree to commend the mora- lity ; which addrelfes the inmoft fcntiments, and regulates the fecret thoughts -, which appeals to our judgment, and to our heart: not by a languid detail of fpeculative pre- cepts, but by the mofl animated and impref- five leifons, illuftrated by example, and en- forced by eVtry motive interefting and affe 4. contribute 2i8 DISCOURSE VIIL contribute: by attention to domeflic inftruc- tion ; by encouragement of public femina- ries ; by diftribution of religious works, and by contribution to religious inflitutions. In proportion as chriftianity prevails, fo will righteoufnefs and peace be eftablifhed. As we labour to enlarge and confirm its autho- rity, we contribute to the advancement of that kingdom for which we daily pray ; and recommend ourfelves to the favour of that' Loid who hereafter fhall deal out righteous and inexorable Judgments to the world,. D I S- [ 219 ] DISCOURSE IX. ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF PROPHECT, AS ILLUSTRATED IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE WORLD. 2 Peter i. 19. We have alfo a more fure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, QT. PETER, under the convldlon of the ■ approach of that diffolution which his Lord had forefliewn unto him *, earneftly endeavours to imprefs his difciples with a remembrance of the great truths of chriftir anity, which they had been taught. The apoflle, on whom, as on a rock, our reHgion jiath, in part, ereded its foundations, aflures * 2 Peter i. 14. John xxi. 18, 19. his 220 DISCOURSE IX. his converts, that the apoftles " had not ** followed cunningly devifed fables, when ** they made known the power and coming ** of our Lord Jefus Chrifl, but were eye- ** witnefTes of his glory; for he received " from God honour and glory, when there ** came fuch a voice to him from the excel- " lent glory, This is my beloved Son, in '* whom I am well pleafed." The glorious atteflation alluded to by St. Peter, was that given to Chrifl at his tranf- iiguration, which, as an anticipated repre- fentation of our Lord's majefty, furnifhed a pledge of his future coming *. But, continues St. Peter, to thofe w^ho might difpute the teftimony of the apoftles, we have alfo a more fure word of prophecy to convince us of the certainty of Chrift's future advent : alluding to the Hebrew pro- phecies in general that foretel that event, and perhaps particularly to the revelation of St, John, which opens with an enraptured viiion of his ** coming with clouds -f-, when * See Biftiop Porteus's EiTay on the Transfiguration of Chrift. f Revel, i. 7. Newton on the Prophecies, Vol. TIL p. 368 — 370. Sij Ifaac Newton on the Apocalypfe, ch, i. he DISCOURSE IX. 221 he fliould be feen by every eye ;" and clofes with a declaration, that he who teflified the things which his beloved difciple had re- vealed, had faid, " Surely, I come quickly*.'* St. Peter then, without railing the word of prophecy above every other teftimony, as fome have erroneoufly imagined, only urges to thofe, who might rejea: his evidence, that there was alfo a furer word of what he had preached, the concurrent predidions of in- fpired writers, which, " as a light fhining " in a dark place," had pierced the clouds of futurity, and promifed the fecond advent of our Lord " to judge the world in righte- ** oufnefs." St. Peter terms prophecy a more fure wordf. Its pofitive promifes muft have excited, indeed, more confidence than any typical pledge could produce. The charader of the ancient prophets had been long efta- bliflied. Their writings were acknowledged to have long exifted ; and they recorded fuc- cefTive revelations fuccellively fulfilled. * Revel, xxii. 20. t Bi^aio%pov Xo-yov, a furcr word, a more firm and un- exceptionable ground. The 22^ t) I S C d U R ^ E IX. The generation then extant, in a retrofped of the fcriptute hiftory, found humberlefs prophecies, of different nations, accurately fulfilled ', and could difcover no cireumftances that contradicted the truth of prophecy, though all its predidions were, by no means, yet accomplifhed. In the detail of the Jewifh hiftory, they might note the delineation of the promifes and threats of God; " the Amo- rite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebufite," were " driven out *." If they enquired for Moab, it was " fmitteri," and " cut off from beihg a nation ;" for ** the children of Sheth," they were " deftroyedf." " The remembrance '* of Amalek," the firft of nations, was " utterly put out from under heaven J ;" and * Exod. iii. 8. xxxiii. 2. f Exod. XV. 15. Numb, xxi, 24. xxiv. 18. Je^. xlviii. 2, 46. comp. with Jud. iii. 29, 30. i Sam. xiv. 47. 2 Sam. viii. 14. i Ciiron. iv. 22. Sheth is fup- pofed to have been the name of fome diftinguiflied per- fonj or place, among the Moabites. Newton, Vol. I. DilTert. V. J Exod. xvii. 14. Numb. xxiv. 20. comp. with Jud. vii. 1 Sam. xv. i — 7. 2 Sam. i. i. i Chron. IV. 43, Edom DISCOURSE IX. 223 ** Edom was become a pofleffion *." The tribes of Ifracl had flourifhed, or failed, as had been foretold. Benjamin and Judah were reflored at the completion of the feventy years -f ; and the other tribes were loft as a diftind: people. The fovereignty was efla-^ blifhed in Judah ; and the various and com- plicated, the apparently inconiiftent prophe- cies of the Meffiah, were literally and ftrikingly accomplifhed in the advent of Chrift. The hearers of the word had only, therefore, to fearch and judge; they had only to look and fee the event of prophecy, in its moil fignal circumftances, fubjeded to their own obfervation. The Apoflle's converts, therefore, had ** a ** fure word of prophecy, to which they " were bound to take heed j" and we who live in thefe latter days are furniflied with an filmofl equal evidence of its infallible truth and certainty. The date of the production of thofe writings, with which the adverfaries of oar faith have furniilied us, is fufficiently * Numb. xxiv. 18. Jerem.. xiix. 17. Amos i. ir, 12. Obad. X. I Kings xi. 16. t Jerem. xxv. 11. known S24 DISCOURSE IX. known to prove that they were produced long before the events which they predidt. The prophecies deHvered by the patriarchs and the defcendants of Abraham could not have been received as facred oracles, if delivered fubfequent to the events which they defcribe* From Mofes to Malachi, revelations were mingled with hill:ory, and with the laws on which the Jewifh oeconomy was efed:ed and preferved 3 and no temptation could occur to fubftantiate preceding records by the inter- mixture of fidlitious predictions. No con* trivance could interweave fpurious prophecies in facred regifters, generally difperfed, and publicly received and read. That the prophecies relative to the MefTiah were produced before the appearance of Chrift ; that they were tranflated into Greek, and difperfed abroad, near three centuries before the birth of Jefus, is notorious and allowed. Who then that has confidered the predidions and relations of the Old Tefta- ment, as recorded by fucceflive and uncon- nedled prophets and hiftorians, but is ftruck with the furety of prophecy, as exemplified in the completion of bleffings promifed, and curfes denounced, to individuals, and in the foretold DISCOURSE IX. ids foretold defcription of national events ? Who that has compared the fate of the different go- vernments of the world, as forefhewn in the Old Teilament, with their revolutions and deftrudion, as defcribed by Heathen hifto- rians ; who, laftly, that has collated the pro-^ phets with the evangelifts; the types and figns, the figurative and the literal prophecies of the Hebrew fcriptures, with the circum- ftances and events recorded in the New Teftament, but mufl: acknowledge that " prophecy came not in old time by the will " of man, but holy men of God fpake as " they were moved by the Holy Ghoft." Waving, however, a retrofped that has been often made ; waving enquiries that fometimes need the refearches of chronology, let us advert chiefly to thofe additional proofs of the truth of prophecy which have occurred lince the firfl preaching of chriftianlty, and turning to a fcene that lies before our eyes, confider its accomplifliment in the prefent ftate and circumftances of the world. Of thefe all can judge: we poffefs the predic- tions, and need but look to the event, and the prophecy and the accomplifhment have the fame evidence ; which he that hath ears mull hear ; he that hath eyes mufl fee. (^ Be 226 t) I S C O U R S E IX. Be it the objed: of the prefent difcourfe, ill a flight confideration of fome countries and nations as they now exiil, to point out the completion of many fignal prophecies, defcribing the world in its prefent (idle, with reference to the changes which it has under- gone, as well as to what it has loft, as to what it ftill retains. If the kingdoms againfl which revelation diredled its threats, are levelled with the dufl: ; if the Afiyrian, the Babylonian, the Perfian, the Grecian, and the Roman empires, have fucceffively va- nilhed, " like the chaff which the wind ** fcattereth away," it is not poffible to con- template the countries in which they flou- rifhed, changed, as they are, frcm feats df dominion to feats of defolation, and not to feel a convi^ion of the truth of thofe fcrip- tures w^hich predi6led their feveral fates as preparatory to the kingdom of the Meffiah. Nineveh " the exceeding great and rejoicing " city," has " difappeared," and an utter end has been made of it *. Babylon, " the glory * Nahum ii. 8. Zephan. ii. 13 — 15. Thevenot's Travels, Part II. Book I. c. xi. p. 50. Taverncr ia H^niSj Vcl, II. Book II. c. iv, " of blS^COU'RSE IX. 2^7 ^' of the kingdoms, the beauty of the Chal- ** dees excellency," ** is become * a dwell- *' ing place for the wild beails of the defert, " which cry in her defolate houfes." The great image, " whofe brightnefs was excel- *' lent, is vaniflied." " The head of fine " gold, and the breail: and arms of filver," have been *' carried away." " The two horns ** of Media and Perfia" " are broken." " The third kingdom of brafs," which *• bore rule over all the earth,'* hath been ** broken" by the fourth kingdom, which " fubdued all things -f ." In other words, as again was prefigured under typical repreien- tation, " the leopard which had four heads," to whom winged victories and dominion was given, " has been devoured, and flamped " upon by the fourth bead ;" and his king- dom " divided toward the four winds of ** heaven, and not to his pofterity;" ** into ** four kingdoms, but not m his power J :" and, * Ifaiah xiii. 19 — 22. xiv. 22, 23. Jerem. 1. 13,23, 39, 40. li. 13, 26, 29, 37, 42, 43. Benjamin Tudela Itiner. p. 76. Calmet's Diet, in Babylon. Hanway's Travels, Vol. IV. Part III. chap. x. p. 78. t Dan. ii. 39, 40. % Dan. vii. 6, 7. viii. 5—8, 21, 22. xi. 3, 4. After Alexander's death, his four captains, Caflander, Ptolemy, 0^2 Lyfimachus, 228 DISCOURSE IX. and, laftly, the fourth kingdom, though ** flrcng as iron," which " devoured the " whole earth," has, in turn, been difmem- bered into ten kingdonjs, pourtrayed by the ten horns, the emblems of ibvereignty*; and the God of heaven hath fet up that kingdom which (hall never be deftroyed. Let the fphere be revolved on its axis, and fucceflively prefent to our view the various nations of the earth, and we {hall every where difcover circumftances forefliev/n in vifion, and no where everts inconfiftcnt vvi'h the iacred defcriptions. Lo ! the great objc<51: in the Chriftian's furvey, that firft interells his attention : the land of Judea " fpoiled, and Lvnmachus, and Se'eucus, v/ho were not his defcendants, eftablidied four kingdoms, in Greece, in Egypt, in Thrace, and in Syria ; In the weft, in the fouth, in the north, and in the eaft. See Prid. Ant. Chrift. 301. '. * Dan. ii. 33 — 35. vii. 7. Sir I. Newton reprefents th« ten kingdoms into which the Roman empire was divided to have been thofe of the Vandals and Alans in Spain and Africa; of the Suevians in Spain ; of the Villgoths; of the Alans in Gallia ; of the Buigundians ; of the Franks ;■ of the Britons ; of the Huns j of the Lom- bards, and of Ravenna. See Obfervat. on Dan. ch. vi. "Whatever was their number afterwards, they were ftill called the ten kijigs. " made DISCOURSE IX. 229 " made defolate" by " the nation that came ** from far," as " fwlft as the eagle flieth." Jerufalem hath been " compaffed with ar- " mies," and " its pepple have fallen by the " edge of the fwor(^and been led away cap- " tive into all nations." It -is " trodden down ** of the Gentiles." " The fenced cities are *' impoveriflied." The fandluaries of Ifrael laid wafte. " The holy places defiled by the ** worfl of the Heathen." ** The days are " come" when ** the temple is utterly thrown ** down, and not one jftone left on another*." Thence let the eye wander to Arabia, where the defcendants of Illimael authenticate th.e account, and verify the predictions of fcrip- ture. Still is the Arah " a wild man," as the angel of the Lord foretold. Still is " his " hand againft every man, and every man's " hand againfl him" f ; and ftill, thou jh every other country in the world hath witnefTed a revolution of empire, and a change of man- ners, ftill do the multiplied and unnumbered defcendants of Ifhmael, in conformity to the * Levit. xxvi. 33. Deut. xxviii. Jerem. iv. 20 — 31. V. II. Amos vii. 9. Ezek. vii. 24. Matt. ^^iii'37>38- xxiv, 2. Luke xix. 41— 44, xxi.5,6j24. t Gen. xvi. ii, 12. Q^ 3 divinq 2^0 DISCOURSE IX. •J divine decree, maintain an independent ftatc in the prefence of, and in defiance of the reft of mankind. The career of vidory hath been often checked on their frontiers ; and fucceffive conquerors, who have meditated their fubjedion, have been arrefted by the hand of Providence, or withheld by the grafp of death "*. So hkewife confult the traveller, and thou fhalt learn that Tyre, " the proud city," *' whofe merchants v/ere princes, and which ** enriched the kings of the earth with the *' multitude of her riches j" " which heaped ** up fiiver as duft, and fine gold as the mire ■* of the fcreets," prefents, as the prophets forefaw, a fad fcene of broken walls and fuined towers -, and is inhabited but by a few wretches, v/ho feem to be preferved to fulfil, literally, the prophetic defcription, by fpread- ing their nets on the bare rocks that projed and overhang the fea "f*. * Alexander, Pompey, Trajan, ^Elius Gallus, and ^everus. Vid. Diodor. Sic. Lib. II. p. 92. Edit. Ste- phan. Dionis Caff. Hift. Lib. LXVIII. p. 785. Lib. hXXV. p. 855. Lib. LV. p. 561. Edit. Leunclav. f Zechar. ix. 3, 4. Ezek. xxvi. 3 — 5. 14. xxviii. .]j.§. Shaw's Travels, p. 330. MaundreU's Travels, p. 4§. Vplney, Vol. XL ch. xxix. Thevenot, p. 2. I. ch. XI. Is DISCOURSE IX. 231 Is not Egypt alfo become ** the bafeft of " kingdoms ?" Hath it any more " ruled ** over others ?" Have its llavifli people any more " exalted themfelves above the nations," in fcience, in exploit, or in worth * ? It has, on the contrary, invariably " diminillied," and degenerated under a fuccelTion of foreign defpots. The pofterity of Canaan. The inhabitants of Syria and Paleftine, and Carthage, after having, agreeably to the prophecy of Noah -f-, been conquered by the Greeks and Romans J, who * Ezek. xxix. 14, 15. t Gen. ix. 25. Hannibal, in aliufion, probably, to a traditional remembrance of this prophecy, pxclaimed, " Agnofco fortunam Cartiiaginis," i confefs the fate of Carthage. Livy, L. XXVIl. Mede, Book I. Difc. V. p. 284. J Gen. ix. 25 — 27. If we adopt Newton's judicious and vvell-fupported conjecture, in emendation of the text, and read, " curfed be Ham the father of Canaan," the pro- phecy will include all the defcendants of Ham; and then wc muft confider that Egypt, the laud of Ham, was fub- dued by the Perfians, the defcendants of Shem ; after- wa-ds by the Grecians, the defcendants of Japheth ; and conflantly fince, by the progeny of one or of the other. All Africa ajfo, which was chiefly peopled by the defcendants • 0,4 of 232 DISCOURSE IX. Vv'ho derived their origin from Japheth j and fince, in conformity to the divine decree, by the Saracens, the defcendants of Shem, now groan in fubjedlon to the Turks, who fprang from the progeny of Japheth, thus remain- ing, in alternate fubjediion, " a fervant of ** fervants" to their brethren. The pofterity of Japheth, vi^hom *' God ?* hath enlarged," has fpread itfelf in colo- nies, and numerous and victorious armies over Leffer iVfia, Media, part of Armenia, Iberia, Albania, Antient Scythia or Tartary, over ^Imoft all Europe, and, perhaps, has peopled even the weflern continent*. No where can the curious enquirer turn his eyes, and not find llriking proofs of the accomphfhment of the fcripture prophecies. Proceed we farther to unfold the evidence of their truth, by opening the profped of other fcenes. Let us confider the defcendants of Abraham, " multiplied as the flars of hea- ^* ven, or as the find which is on the fea ?' fliore, yet " plucked off from their own pf Ham, has been fucceiTively fubjeil to the Romans, Saracens and Turks. Vid. Bochart. Phaleg. Lib. I. phap. i. Lib, IlL chap. i. col. 149. Lib. IV. ch, vii. f pl. 203- « Qen. IX. 27. «* land," DISCOURSE IX. 233 '* land," and fcattered and difperfed through all countries ; removed unto all the corners of the earth, " to the weft, to the eaft, to ** the north, and to the fouth *," marked out and {et apart in many places, to par- ticular obfervation, and every where known by the ftriking features of a peculiar charac- ter J yet, though difperfed, not deftroyed -f- ; unjuftly oppreffed, and cruelly fpoiled, have they been evermore in the hand of their ene- mies ; ** their life" often " hanging in ** doubt," while they have " feared day and ** night, and have had none affurance of ** their life J," as if punifhed to the extent of the curfe which they imprecated on them- felves and on their children § ; always harrafted, yet not utterly caft away. A full end hath been made of nations whither they have been fcattered, yet a full end hath not been made of them, " though they have been aflailed *' on all fides ||." Slaughtered have they been in uncomputed numbers, yet not exterminated; *' like the buili of Mofes, as a learned * Gen. xxviii. 13 — 14, t Jerem. xlvi. 28. Levit. xxvi. 34, 45. % Deut. xxviii. 66, I Matt, xxvii. 25. 1| Jerem. iii. 11. writer 234 DISCOURSE IX. v/riter has obferved, " always burning, yet •* not confumed." They are become " a proverb, a taunt, a " curfe, an allonifhment and a hifjing, and " a bye-word among nations where they have ** no eafe; neither hath the fole of their feet ** any rcll "*' :" ever defpifed, ever wander- ing: Their plagues are, indeed, v/onderful, and of long continuance: tbey are '* mad for *' the fight of their eycs -j- ;" and have bowed down, like Naamaa, in fubferviency to de- fpifed idols. The Jevv's ftill then exifl: a living evidence of the truth of fcripture, and remain in the expeftation of the accooiphihiment of farther prophecies ; and however drfpifed, however defervcdly condemned for their obftinate re- * Deut. xxviii. 65. Jerem. xxiv. 9, Newton on Prophecies, Vol. I. chap. vii. p. 191. BaCnage's Hift, of Jews, Book VI. chap. i. §1. Kennef, Echardj&c. t Deut. xxviii. 34. Orofius defcribes tlie Jews, in the time of Trajan j with a remarkable correfpondence €>t' expreiTion, " as every wlieye mad with rage '* In-. credibili deindc motu, fiib uno tempore, Jud^i quafi Rabie efferatij per divcrfas (vel univerfas) terraruin partes ■ cxarferunt. Hift. Lib. VII. chap, xii. See farther proofs of their phrenfied defpair in R. Gadalias, and David GaiiZj and Newton, Vol. I. p. 195. jection DISCOURSE IX. 235 jedion of our Saviour's claim to the charadler of the MefTiah, they are entitled to our con- fideration, fince, to them, mankind is indebted for the confervation of thofe divine oracles which furnifh us with infpired wifdom, and bear relu(ftant and unfafpedted evidence to the truth of chriftianity, Chriftian charity forbids us to deepen the ftains of guilt, difcernible in the chara(fler of a people ftletled for important purpofes, and from among whom the prophets and the apoftles, the mother of Chriil:, and the Re- deemer of mankind, were raifed up * : of a nation firft called to the light of the Chrif- tian faith, and in whom " the nations of the ** earth have been bleffed," whofe bleffers God will blefs, and whofe curfers he will curfc -f : who fl:ill are fubjedted to his efpe- cial care, " and kept in all places whither ** they go J ;" and who will finally be re- affembled, and converted, though they have ** abode many days without a prince, and - ** without a facrifice, and without an altar, * Rom. ix. 5. xi. f Gen. xii. 3. J Gen. xxviii. 13. I '* and 236 DISCOURSE IX. ** and without an ephod, and without a tera- ** phim," or without divine miinifeftation *. But let us advert to the difclofure of a Hill greater fcene, and contemplate the fetting up of that kingdom which was produced " without hands," or human power, which ** fhall {land for ever j" which was efta- bliilied in contempt of human pride, by that " fooliihnefs of preaching" which *' de- '* flroyed the wifdom of the wife, and ** brought to nothing the underilanding of ** the prudent;" which, under circumftances contrary to all experience, and with a fuccefs unprecedented and miraculous, was propa- gated by the " power cf that God," who chofe, as the apoflle forefaw, " the Vv^eak ** thin2:s of the world, to confound the 'O' * Hofea iii. 4, 5. Dr. Clarke jiiftly remarks upon this pafTage, that it is an unparalleled miracle, that through all the changes which have happened in the kingdoms of the earth, from Mofes till the prcfent time, nothing fhould have occurred to prevent the poffibility of the accomplifhment of thefe prophecies ; but, on the con- trary, that the ftate of the Jevi^ifh and Chriftian churches, at this day, {hould be fuch, as renders them eafily capable, not only of a fgurative, but even of a literal completion, if the vi'ill of God be fo. See Clarke's Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion. ** things D I S C O U Pv S E IX. 237 " things that are mighty; and bale things " of the world, and things which are de- *' fpifed; and things which are not, to bring " to nought things that are," that no flefh fhould " glory in his prefence," or exult in the prefumption of having effeded the pro- grefs of the faith, by " the enticing words " of man's wifdom, but in demonftration of ** the fi^irit and of power *." On turning to the predictions which foretold the eftabiifli- ment and encreafe of Chrift's kingdom, we find its fuccefs and feveral eventful periods defcribed, and its character and efrec^s mi- nutely delineated. Its dominion is confirmed, in defiance of all human oppofition. " The ** o-rain of muftard" is become " a p-reat " tree j" which, however obftruded in its growth and expanfion, will finally fpread its branches over every kingdom of the earth. The feed which our Saviour fowed, was *.* fcorched," or *' withered," or brought forth in abundance, according to the foil in which it fell-f. With the good feed, as Chrift in his parable forefhewed, the tares have * I Cor. i. and ii, f Lulce^viii. 5, 15. Matt. xiii. 31 J 32. been ^3^ DISCOURSE IX. been fown alfo ; and the difclples, as in exprefs language he foretold, have been " delivered ** to be afflided and killed, and hated," and " perfecuted, and delivered up to fynagogues " and prifons, being brought before kings ** and rulers for his name's fake,'' ** be- ** trayed" often, ** by parents and brethren, " and kinsfolk -" and many of them put to death *. Many alfo, as prophetically de- fcribed by Chrift, have been ** offended," or fcandalifed : many " have waxed cold :" many have " departed from the faith -f-." The prophecies of the infpired author of the book of Revelation are ftrikingly fulfilled. If we feledt thofe addreffed to the feven churches of Afia, as they exifted in the time of the apoftle, are they not come to pafsj? They have been ruined by internal herefies and external enemies. The power of the Sara- cens has been eftablifhed over them, and the mofques of Mahomet, eredled on the ruins * Matt. xxiv. 9. Luke xxi. 12. Matt. x. 34 — 36* t Matt. xxiv. 1 2. I Tim, iv. i. Jude 17 — 19. 2 ThefT. iii. X Mede fuggefted, that the prophecies relating to the feven churches might have fome farther reference to kvtn analogous ages of the church.- of DISCOURSE IX. 239 of temples, confecrated to God and to his Chrifl. Ephefus, the once glorious city, the em- porium of Alia Proper, and ftyled one of the eyes of Afia*, where St. John himfelf efta- blillied chriflianity, and where the temple of Diana was deferted for the apoflle's church, is now again funk into fuperflition, and re- duced to a village of cottages, /liaded under mafles of ruinous wails, amidft the defolation of fallen theatres, palaces, and temples. ** Her candlefiick is removed out of its " place," the light of the gofpel, thus figu- ratively defcribed, is withdrawn, and fcarce a Chriftian can be found to mourn over th at that period, as well as by earlier de- liverances, God will take " them from among *« the Heathen, and gather them out of all ' f* countries, and bring them into their own * Jerem. iii. 15— 17* t Jerem. xxxii. 37-^44- X P^^lm cxxxvii. T 2 " Isind, 276 DISCOURSE X. ** land, and fprlnkle clean water upon them, *« and they fliall be clean * ;" and " he *' will" then " give them a new heart and '* a new fpirit, and put his fpirit within them, *' and cauie them to walk in his ftatutes, ** and to keep his judgments, and do them j ** and caule them to dwell in the cities; and ** the waile places Ihall be builded-f." Then, as in allegoric vilion the prophet fore- fa w, " the whole houfe of Ifrael" lliall rife, as it were, by a refurrecftion, from its dead, and withered ftate; its " dry bones" fhall be again cloathed " with fmews and flefli," and be animated by "a breath," or fpirit, " breathed from the four winds" of heaven; and " live, and ftand up an exceeding great ** arm.y." The Lord fliall ** open the *' graves" in which they have been buried, and caufe them to come out, and bring them to the land of Ifrael and Judah ; and Jofeph and the tribes of Ifrael their fellows, Ihall be re-united as one nation upon the moun- tains of Ifrael, under one king, and one * Ezek. xxxvi. 24. Tit. iii. 5. t Ezek. xxxvi. 10, 24 — ;i^, xxxix. 25 — 29. xx. 42-44. 8 Iliepherd; DISCOURSE X. 277 fliepherd; " arid walk in God's judgments, *' and obferve his flatutes, and do them, and ** his fandluary fhall be in the mldfl of " them *." *' And after many days," as the prophet, in animated defcription foretels, ** in the latter years, when Ifrael fhall be at " reft," and dwell fafely " in unwalled vil- " lages," a congregated hofl of mighty ar- mies, " with bucklers and fhields, and fwords, ** Gog, the prince of Mefhech and Tubal -f-, ** Perfia, Ethiopia, and Lybia, Gomer, and ** and all his bands J : the houfe of To- •' garmah §, of the north quarters, and * Ezek. xxxvii. t Gog is reprefented, by Mede, to be the father of the Scythians that dwelt in the eafl and north-eafl: of the Euxine Sea. The northern nations of Europe and Afia were generally ftyled Gog and Mggog. Mefliech was Cappadocia ; Tubal was Iberia, the country to the fouth- eaft of the Euxine Sea. Gog and Magog are the fame name, for Mem is an Heemantick letter, and is applied to diftinguifh the land of Gog. Mede, Book I. Difc. V, t Gomer, according to Mede's account, poffeffed the parts of Afia, which lie upon the JEge-an Sea, and Htl- lefpont northward ; Phrygia, Pontus, Uithynia, and parf of Galatia. § Togarmah, the fon of Gomer, had Phrygia Major, and part of Galatia. Thefe are myfterious names for fome future enemies of the church, poITibly the Turks, wljo are of Scythian defcent. T 3 " all 27S DISCOURSE X. all his bands, and many people with bim," Ihall afccnd, and come like a florm, and like a cloud, to cover the land;" " to turn his hand upon the defolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations." " The Lord will fmite his bow out of his left hand, and will cauf^ his arrows to fall out of his right hand, and {hall give him up to the ravenous birds of every fort, and to the beads of the field, to be devoured ;" and unto Gog fhall be given a place of the graves of Ifrael, and they fhall bury Gog and all his multitude;" " and feven months fhall the houfe of Ifrael be in burying of them ;" and God will " fet his glory among the Heathen, and all the Heathen will fee his judgment that he hath exe- cuted ;" " and the Heathen ihall know that the houfe of Ifrael went into captivity for their iniquity, becaufe they trefpalled againfl him*." * Ezek. xxxviii. xxxix Joel ii. iii. i, 2. Zephan. Hi. 8. Micah v. 5, 6, 9, 15. Dan. xii. i. Zechar. xii. 9. Dan'el DISCOURSE X. 279 Daniel alfo in captivity, in the profpedl of brighter Icenes, forefaw that " the faints of " the moft high Ihould" finally " take the " kingdom;" and that " the greatnefs of ** the kingdom under the whole heaven " fliould be given to the people of the faints " of the moft High, whofe kingdom is an " everlafting kingdom *." " For behold," fays Joel, " in thofe " days, and in that time, when I fliall bring " again the captivity of Judah and Jerufalem, " I will alfo gather all nations, and will bring ** them down into the valley of Jehofiphat f, " and will plead with them there for my ** people, and for my heritage Ifrael, whom " they have fcattered among the nations ;" " and the Lord will be the hope of his peo- " pie, and the ftrength of the children of " Ifrael, and Judah fhall dwell for ever, " and Jerufalem from generation to genera- " tionj." « In that day," fays Amos, " I will raile • " up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, * Dan. vii. 18, 27. Rev. v. 10. xx. i. Dan. ii. 4. t The valley of the Lord's judgment, from Jehovah and Shaphat to judge. X Joel iii. I5 2, 14, 16, 20. T 4 ** and 2So DISCOURSE X j\. ** and clofe up the breaches thereof 5 and I ** will raifs up his ruin-^, a d I will build it " as in the days of old ;" " and the wafle " cities fhall be inhabited •/' " and the people '* of Ifrael fhall be no more pulled up out of " their land *." " For then," fays Zephaniah, ** will I '*' turn to the people a pure language, that ** they may all call upon the name of the " Lord to ferve him with one confent -f-." " The remnant iliall not do iniquity, nor ** fpeak lies ^ neither fhall a deceitful tongue " be found in their mouth." When " the " daughter of Zion may rejoice," for the Lord " fhall be in the midft of her ;" and *^ he will gather them that are forrowful for ** the folemn afTembly ;" and " get them '* praife and fame in every land where they ** have been put to fhame ; a name and a *^* praife among all people of the earth J." '* For behold," fays the Lord of hofls, by the mouth of Zechariah, " I will fave my ^' people from the eafl country and from the " weft country;" " and I will bring them, * Amos ix. li — 15. t Zephan. iii. 9. + Chap. iii. i3— 20. ** and DISCOURSE X. 281 " and they fhall dwell in the midfl of Jeru- ** falem, and they fliall be my people, and I *' will be their God, in truth and in righte- " oufnefs*." From a collediive confederation of thefe and limilar prophecies, delivered under the old difpenfation, it is evident that they point to fome future eftablifhment of Chrifl's kingdom, in greater extent and perfection than it has yet difplayed ; that the full efFed: of them was not produced in the former reftoration of the Hebrew nation, or the converfion of the Gentiles, at the firfl: infti- tution of chriflianity, or at any fubfequent period, is certain ; and, from the earliefl explication given of them, it is manifefl that they were underftood to allude to fome re- mote and unfulfilled circumflances. The Jews, from very early ages, believed that, at the conclufion of time, there fliould be to them a world full of joy and exultation, and a renewal of the heaven and earth -|- ; when, * Zechar. viii, 7, 8. See alfo 2 Efdras xiil. 25 — 51. Tobit XIV. 6, 7. Wifd. iii. 7, 8. f R. Saadias Gaon Sepher Haemun. Rabbi Ketina in Gcmar. Sanhedrim, apud Mede, B. III. p. 667, Some traces 282 DISCOURSE X. when, agreeably to the afTurance of Ifaiah, " the children of Ifrael fhould feek the Lord " their God, and David their king, and " fliould fear the Lord their God, and his ^' goodncfs in the latter days." The Hebrew fcripturcs then, it appears, did predidl an univerfal return of the tribes of Ifrael to their own land ; the future con- verfion of the Jews and Gentiles; and the eftablifliment of a dominion of righteoufnefs, which fliould extend its influence over the whole earth. Our Saviour and his apoftles frequently alluded to, and confirmed thefe traces of the belief in a future renovation of the world, with greater glory, and more important bleflings, may be found in the Chaldaean and Egyptian theology ; in the writings of Orpheus, of the fybils, of Plato and Virgil : in the fragments of eaftern theology, in the ti anfcriptions of claflical mythology, and in the ancient and modern no- tions of the Brachmans and other nations. Vid. Suidas in voce -rvppmia Clem. Alex. Strom. V. Origen cont. Celf. Lib. IV. Eufeb. Praep. Evang. Lib. VIL chap, xxiii. Maffeis's Hift. Ind. Lib. VI. Daubuz on Rev. XX. 2. and Sketches relating to the Hiftory, Religion, &c. of the Hindoos, Vol. IL Sketch XIII. All nature feems to exhibit an analogy and pattern of a refurre^lion, and renewal of things; and the facred writers promife new heavens and a new earth to coincide with the reign of righteoufnefs, Ifaiah Ixvi. 17. 2 Peter iii. 13. doctrines. DISCOURSE X. 283 dodlrines. Chrift fpoke of a future king- dom r.ppointed to him by the father * ; and inftrud:ed his difciples to pray for the ad- vancement of a kingdom yet to come -f. He alTured his difciples, that the " gofpel *' of the kingdom fliould be preached in all ** the world, for a witnefs unto all nations :J: ;" and that then fhould " the end come/' con- fidently with which, in familiar illuflration, Jie compared the kingdom of heaven, the gofpel difpenfation, to a tree fliooting out great branches, under the ihadow of which the birds of the air might lodge § ; and to a concealed leaven, which leavened the whole meal II . In denunciation of wrath upon ♦ i-uke xxi. 31. xxii. 16, 29, 30. xvii, 20. f Matt. vi. 10. The kingdom of God fometimes means " the kingdom of glory" in the heaven ; but it generally figr^ifies the gofpel difpenfation ; and, in an eminent fenfe, its perfect eftabHihment on earth, as in the place here cited. The kingdom of God was come in the time of Chrift; Matt. xii. 28. Luke x. 9, 11. but, in an higher import, it was yet to come. % Matt. xxiv. 14. This was not completed before the deftru6tion of Jerufalem. It will be fulfilled before the deftrudion of the world, § Matt. iv. 32, Luke xiii. 19. II Luke xiii. 21. Jerufalem, 284 DISCOURSE X. s Jerufalem, he pronounced that it fhould " be *' trodden dov/n of the Gentiles, until the " times of the Gentiles be fulfilled :" and, in prophecies not to be fully accompliihed till the end of the world *, he declared, that the " generation," that is, the nation -|- of the Jews, " fhould not oafs away till all *' ihould be fulfilled." * The predictions which Chrift uttered, on being Ihewn the temple, were not completely tulfilled at the deftrudion of Jerufalem. His final coming is to be " fudden, like lightning." The fign of the Son of man is to appear immediately (or foon) after the tribulation, which began with the deftruflion of Jerufalem, and which was to laft as long as it fhould " be trodden " down" " till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." See Matt. xxiv. Mark xiii. Lukexxi. The firft coming of Chrift, to deftroy Jerufalem, was a type of his fecond coming for the deftru(5lion of all his enemies ; and the defcription employed by our Saviour, is. admirably con- trived to comprehend both advents. See Dr. Trapp's Difcourfe on Matt. xvi. 27, 28. Mcde, Vol. II. Book IV. Epift. Xir. t Matt. xxiv. 30. 7£Vca, means nation, or race, as well as generation. See Matt. xxiv. 36. Luke xvli. 25. Chryfoftom ftyles the whole body of the Chriftians y^^za. : we might, perhaps, tranflate icos av Zja.\\a. ravla. yswfliy.i ; till all things fhall be, or fhall begin, yifjo^ai is nafcor, orior or fio ; or otherwife the verfe niuft be underftood to relate only to the deftru»5tion of Jerufalem. St. Paul DISCOURSE X. 285 St. Paul a]fo, in alTedlionate concern for the Ifrr.elites, *' to whom pertaineth the ** adoption and the glory, and the covenants, ** and the giving of the law, and the fervice ** of God, and the promifes; whofe are the ** fathers, and of whom, as concerning the " ilefh, Chrift came," declareth, that " God ** hath not cad away his people," but " that ** blindnefs, in part, is happened to Ifrael, ** until the fulnels of the Gentiles be come ** in, and fo all Ifrael fhall be favcd *." The lame apoftlc is, by fome, fuppofcd to fpeak of the ftate of Chrifl's dominion on earth, when he treats of ** the manifeflatioii ** of the Sons of God, which fliall be made, ** and in which the creature Hiall be deli- " vered from the bondage of corruption into ** the glorious liberty of the children of '* Godf." He reveals to us, as a myftery, that " all " lliall not flccp + ;" and fpeaks of fome that fliall " be alive," and remain unto the coming ** of our Lord§ ;" and tells us, that as often as * Rom. ix. 4, 5. xi. 2, 25, 26. -|- Rom. viii. 19, 21. X I Cor. XV. 51. ^ I Theft", iv. 15. 286 DISCOURSE X. we do participate of the communion of the body and blood of Chrift, we " do fhew forth '* the Lord till his coming ;" meaning, poffi- bly, at that time when Chrift is to partake of it new in his kingdom *. The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews, treats of " a reft that remaineth to the people ** of God -f ;" and is fuppofed to fpeak of the kingdom of Chrift, under the expreffion of the world to come, " whicii is not put in '* fubjeftion to angels +." St. Peter, preaching concerning ** the *' Prince of Life," reprefents him as " received *' by the heavens till the times of the reftitu- " tion," or the accomplifhment of all things, in which account he has been conceived, by fome writers, to allude to the period of the reign of faints, at the confummation of which, Chrift may be expeded to appear §, " re- * I Cor. xi. 26. t Heb. iv. 9. alfo chap. ii. 5. and Mede, Vol. II. Book III. p. 716. Lib. XII. ch. 22—24. X Heb. ii. 5. and Mede in loc. Vol. II. Book HI. p. 1129, and Heb. i. 5. § Ails iii. 21. The paffage, perhaps, no farther alludes to the millennium than that the accomplifliment ©f all things muft be at the conclufion of that period. ** vealed DISCOURSE X. 287 « vealed from heaven, with his mighty an- *« gels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance of " them that know not God, and that obey " not the gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift ; " who fhaU be punifhed with everlafting " deftrudion from the prefence of the Lord, «* and from the glory of his power, when- " he fliall come to be glorified in his faints, ** and admired in all them that believe, in " that day *." He profeffes alfo to look, according to God's promife, ** for new heaveis, and a ** new earth, wherein dwelleth righteouf- *' nefs," which are to take place apparently, before the diflblution of the world, by firef. The promifes written by St. John, to the churches of Afia, are fometimes confidered as allufive to the ftate of the faints, who are to participate of the reign of Chrift %. Thefe pafFages, if they have fingly been contro- verted, and confidered as faint or ambiguous teftimonies, muft coUedively be thought to refled: fome evidence on the general dodrine of the future reign of Chrift, the further * 2 ThefT. i. 7, 8. t 2 Peter iii. 13. X Rev. ii. II. iii. 21. circum- 28S D I S C O U Pv S E X. circumflances of which are dired:ly revealed in other parts of the book from which the text has been extradted. From the earliefl writings of the Chriiii- ans, we find that the fcriptures were inter- preted by them as authorifing a behef in a future reign of Chrill ; and the expofitors of the primitive faith appear very generally to have maintained the dod:rine of the future eftdbliiliment of Chrift's kingdom, with cir- cumftances of exultation and glory. The firfl notice which we have of the opinion entertained upon this fubjedt, by the primitive church, is that furnifhed by Bar- nabas, who was a contemporary of the apoftles, and who is defcribed, by St. Luke, as ** a good man, and full of the Holy ** Ghoil, and of faith *." This writer, from the facred account of the creation of the world in iix days, ilates an opinion of an analogous difpenlation, which is to take place of a cor- refpondent number of 6ogo years, previous to the introdudlion of the fabbath, in which all things are to be accomplifhed -f. * Luke xi. 24. A£ls xiv. 14. t Barnabas's Epift. § 15. See alfo § 11, and R. David Kimchi in Kaiah xxxvi. 6. Pfalm xc. 4. Juflin DISCOURSE X; 289 Juftin Martyr, who flourifhed in the fecond feentury, profefTes himfelf, " with all orthodox ** Chrillians, to believe in a future refurrec- ** tion of the flefh, and a reign of a thouland ** years in the fame Jerufalem reftored, adorn- ** ed, and enlarged, for an influx of Gentiles " and Jews ;" atid reprefents the words of Ifaiah, ** for as the days of a tree are the " days of my people, and mine eled; ihall " long enjoy the work of their hands *," to intimate myflierioully the thoufand years -f-. Irenaeus, who lived fomewhat later, repre- fents the " myflery of the refurredion of the " juft and of the reign J, as the beginning of ** incorruption 5 by which reign, thofe who " fhall be worthy, will, by degrees, become " accuftomed to, receive God ;" that, ** in ** this renewed ftate, the j ufl, firft rifing at the *' appearance of God, v/ill receive the promife " of their inheritance:" "for,' fays he, " in " that condition in which they laboured, or ** were afflid:ed, approved in all things by -*' fufferance, it is juft that they fhould, in " * Ifaiah \xv. 22. t Juft. Martyr, Part II. p. 313—315. Edit. Thirlb. X That is, the reign of a thoufand years. U " that 290 -DISCOURSE X. ** that fame, receive the fruits of their fuffer- ** ings 5 and in that ftate, in which they *' were llain for the love of God, in the fame " they ihould revive j and in the fame con- *' dition in which they fuftained fervitude, ** in that they iliould reign." In confirma- tion of which he refers to many palTages in fcripture *. Tertullian, a writer alfo of the fecond cen- tury, alTerts, " that the Chriftians confefled ** that an earthly kingdom was promifed to ** them before the heaven, and in another " ftate, after the refurred:ion for a thoufand ** years, in a city of divine conllrudion, an ** heavenly Jeruialem, as defcribed by Eze- ** kiel, and St. Paul and St. John, which is " defigned for the reception of the faints, to ** be Gompenfated by abundance of fpiritual ** bleffings, for the afilidions which on earth ** they fuftained." " After the thoufand " years of this period," continues Tertullian, '* within which the refurrediion of the juft ** rifmg fooner or later, according to their * Iren. Hser. Lib. V. c. xxxii — xxxv. and Lib. V» C, XXX. f Tertul. adver. Marcion, Lib. Ill, c. xxiv. X Galat. iv. 26. " merits. Discourse x. 291 *^* merits, will be completed 5 and after the ** deflrudtion of the World, and the confla- ** gratlon of the judgment, the faints changed ** in an inftant, into angelical fubftances, will ** be tranflated, in the. putting on of that in- " corruption, into an heavenly kingdom ;" when, as he elfewhere expreffes himfelf, " the temporal appearance of the world lliali ** be renewed, which, as a curtain, is fpread " over the difpenfations of eternity * ; and ** the whole human race fhall be reflored to ** expunge what it fliall have deferved, of ** good or evil, in this life :" ** that Chrifl, *' the high Prieft of the circumcifed priefl:- ** hood, will then honor the circumcifion and ** the race of Abraham with acceptance and *' bleffing-f-." Lad:antius alfo contends, afterwards, for the analogous fabbath, at the confummation. of the fix thoufand years J : and elfewhere affirms, " that the Son of God, after having *' abolifhed injuflice, eftabliffied judgment, ^' and reflored to life the jufl, who have * Tertul. Apol. f Tertul. adv. Marcion, Lib. V. c. Ix. t La<5lant. de Vita Beata, Lib. VIL c. xir. U 2 *' exifled- 292 DISCOURSE X. *' exliled from the beginning, will live in " intercourfe with men a thoufand years, and ** govern them with a jufl empire, agreeably " to what he reprefents the Cumasan Sybil *' to have foretold; that then thcfe who fhall ** live in bodies fliall not die, but fliall, during '* the thoufand years, beget an infinite mul- " titude; and their progeny fljiall be holy and " dear to God ; and that they who lliall be ** raifed lliall prefide over the living as judges; *' that fome Gentiles fliall be left to be van- ♦* quidied by God, triumphed over by the " faints, and fubjecled to perpetual fervitudej" that, " at the lame time, the prince of daemons, " who is the contriver of all evil, fhall be -** bound in culiody the thoufand years of the *' heavenly reign, in which juftice Ihall flourilh " in the earth, left any evil Ihould be at- " tempted againft the people of God, after ** whofe coming the juft Ihall be coUedled ** from every land, and the judgment being *' nnillied, the holy city fliall be ellablillied in " the midft of the earth, in which God, the *' architedt, fl:iall abide with the juft, who *' ftiall then reign." After the completion of the thoufand years, he affirms, ** that *' there will be a renewal of the world, and *' that DISCOURSE X. 293 " that God fhall transform men into the " fimilitude of angels, for the eternal enjoy- " ment of the divine prefence ; and the un- *' jufl be condemned, after a general refur- ** recftion, to eternal torments *." He pro- fefles to ground thefe accounts on the tefti- mony of the prophets. Thefe early writers, then, who refer to the fcriptures in fupport of the docHirine of the millennium, did not derive it, as has been unjuftly afierted -f-, merely from the tradition of Papias J, the friend of Poly carp, * La6lant. de Vita Beata, Lib. VIT. c. xxiv. — xxvil. f Wotton Praef. in Clement. Epift. p. 14. % Eufebius reprefents Papias, who was bifliop of Hiera- polis, to have been a man of very flender underftanding, (though he elfewhere defcribes him as eloquent, and well verfed in fcripture) as, he fays, might appear from his writings. In the pafTage which this hiftorian cites from them, Papias profefles to have derived traditionary intelligence from thofe who had converfed as well vv'ith John, whom he ftyles the Prefbyter, as with St. John the evangelift, and other difciples of Chrift. Eufebius conceives him to have derived the grofs notion of the millennium which mifled Irenaeus and others from a too literal conftrudicn of the myftical accounts of the difci- ples ; and appears to intimate, that the notion of a thou- fand years was derived from John the Prefbyter, arjd Ariilion. Eufcb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. IIL ch. xxxix. U 3 who 294 D I S C O U R S p X. who is reprefented, by Eufebius, to have affirmed, that, on enquiring diligently frora each of thofe who converfed with the apof- tles, what they might have been taught by them, he had colled:ed, that Chrift, returning from heaven, would perfonally reign a thou- fand years on earth with his faints. The facred writings had certainly laid the founda- tion of the dodtrine. The fathers, perhaps, interpreted the prophetic defcriptions too literally ; and they adopted notions refpedting the future kingdom of Chrift, which a juft and reafonable conftrudion of the infpired promlfes will not authorife. In fome inftances they certainly feem to have given too great a fcope to their imagina- tions, in the defcrlption of this kingdom i but we muft remember, that it was a fubjed: on which the fancy could not but dwell, which genius muft have delighted to con- template, and eloquence, with defcriptive cmbellifhment, to detail. Where, indeed, thefe writers adopt the defcriptions, and employ the figures which the prophets ufed, however glowing thofe ^efcriptlons, however ftrong thofe figures piay be, we have no right, in candour, to fuppofe DISCOURSE X. 295 fuppofe that they defigned them to be under- ftood in a more literal and carnal fenfe than did the prophets themfelves. The facred writers pourtray the period with every luxuriancy of painting, with diverlified imagery, and lively colours. In profpe^fl of the joyful return of the Jews to their long deferted land, they invoke all nature, animate and inanimate, the heavens and earth to begin the fongs of exultation and joy *. " The mountains, and the hills, *' break forth into fmging, and ail the trees ** of the field clap their hands -f. They ** call on Zion to awake, on the holy city to ** fhake itfelf from the dull:, and to put on ** the garments of triumph and redemp- '' tion +." They welcome, in prophetic raptures, the meifengers that appear with glad tidings, on the diflant hills, and are defcried by the watchmen from afar, who lift up their voice to proclaim the tidings of falvation, the arrival of thofe, who publifli unto Zion, " that her *' God reigneth §." * Ifaiah xlix. 13. HI. 9. f Ifaiah Iv. 12. Ix. i. ^ Ifaiah lii. § Ifaiah lii, 7. U 4 They ±g6 DISCOURSE X, They defcribe the holy city, when built up, perfonified " as a virgin of Ifrael, adorned with tabrets, and going forth in the dances of them that make merry * ;" ** and as a virgin married to a youthful and rejoicing bridegroom -f-." A fhouting is heard among the chief of the nations, &nd *' the remnant of Ifrael" is " gathered from the coafls of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child toge- ther ; a great company returning," with foiigs, to " the height of Zion, and flowing together to the goodnefs of Zion, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock, and of the herd J." Bringing their fons in their arms, and carrying their daughters upon their fhoul- ders §, to a land too narrow, by reafon of the inhabitants," ** though their ad- verfarics are far away ||." *' They bring all their brethren for an offering to the Lord, out of all nations, upon horfes, and * Jerem. xxxi. 4. f Ifaiah Ixii. 5. It Jerem. xxxi. 7-— 14c § Jfaiah xlix. 22. ifaiah xiix. f^ in DISCOURSE X. 297 '« in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, " and upon fwift beafts *." The land is " covered with the multitude of camels "f-." " The fhips of Tarfhiih + fail, laden with *' the riches of the people :" ** the fons of " Grangers build up their walls, and kings *' miniiler unto them §." Judea is defcribed as become " a delightfome land |1." *' Her " wildernefs is made like Eden, and her " defer t like the garden of the Lord ; joy ** and gladnefs are found therein, thankf- *' giving, and the voice of melody**." " The glory of Lebanon again appears : its " forefts afcend in luxuriant vegetation, to ** beautify the fandluary of the Lord -f-f ;" ** and the thorn and the brier give place to * Ifaiah Ixvi. 20. t U^^^h. Ix. 6. t Ifaiah Ix. 9. The fliips of Tarfliifh, which precede in the return, are the fhips of the Mediterranean Sea ; the fea which wafhed the ftiores of Tarfus, in Cilicia. If Bochart were right, in placing Tarfliifli near Ophir in India, the fhips of Tarfhifli may mean only fhips from the mofl diftant parts. It was, in any cafe, a place famous for trade, and therefore fhips of Tarfhifh may mean only fhips of trade. See Bochart. Phaleg, Lib. II. c. xxvii, § Ifaiah Ix. 10. || Malachi ill. iQ, ** Ifaiah li. 3, tt If^iiah Ix. 13. '' the 298 DISCOURSE X. ** the fir tree and the myrtle*/' Plenty waves in the barren valleys. ** The paf- " tures of the v^^ildernefs do fpring," and the vines mantle and clufter on the ** moun- *' tains of Samaria *." « The floors are full ** of wheat, and the fats overflov/ with wine and oil f." '* The remnant of Jacob is in the midft of many people, as a dew from the Lord, as the Ihowers upon the grafs, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the fons of men J." " The remnant of Jacob is among the Gentiles in the midil: of many people as a lion among the hearts *' of the foreft, as a young lion among the ** flocks of flieep §." The enemies of the people "•'lick the duft like a ferpent, and ** move out of their holes like worms of the '* earth || ;" " and are trodden down, like *' afhes, under the foles of their feet **.'* Chrifl:, " mighty to fave" them, treadeth the wineprefs of the fiercenefs and wrath of Almighty God; and his garments are fprinkled * Jerem. xxxl. 5. f Joel ii. 24. Amos ix. U— 15- + MIcah V. 7. § Micah v. 7, 8. .{) Micah vii. 17, ** Malachi iv. 3. and (( << it r«« DISCOURSE X. 299 and ftained with the blood of his adver- faries *". What then if, in imitation of the enrap^ tured prophets, the early writers of the church enliven the facred theme with the glowing tints of allegory ! What, if they defcribe the earth as voluntarily opening its plenty, and pouring out its abundant fruits, the rocks fweating with honey, wines running down in ilreams, and rivers flowing with milk -f- ! they do but catch the eflablifhed images of infpired defcription, and pourtray natural and Spiritual blefTmgs, under authorifed and poetic expreffions. What, if in contemplation of the perfecftions of the New Jerufalem, they defcribe its fplendor under reprefentations of earthly and material ornament, as compofed of pure gold, and garniihed with all manner of precious ftones ; and as watered by rivers of life, clear as cryftal, proceeding from the throne of God :{: ; at a period at which no * Ifaiah Ixiii. 3. and Lowth*s notes to new tranflation of Ifaiah. Rev. xix. 15. f Ladlant. Lib. VII. ch. xxiv. comp. with Joel ii. |8. Amos ix. 11. % Revel, xxi. 10—21. xxii. i. Zechar, xiv. 8, I/aiaJi liy. 11,12. Tobit yiii. j6— 18, light 300 DISCOURSE X. light fhall be required '^- ; they do but em- blematically delineate the fame edifice that St. John had eredied, and may be underftood, in candid and fair conftruilion, to defign only the fplendid difpenfations of a fpi- ritual kingdom. Faith and piety, doubtlefs, gazed fome- times on the enraptured vificn, till they re- alifed its figures, and forgot its allegory. The infpired writers had, in figurative lan- guage, foretold, that, at the period of the expected peace, men fliould hunger no more, nor thirft ; neither fhould the heat nor fun fmite them -f- -, that every man fhould live, in unfufpicious fecurity, under the fhadow of his own vine J -, that they fhould build houfes, and inhabit them, and plant vine- yards and gardens, and eat the fruit of them § : and our Saviour figuratively afTured the apoflles, that they fhould " eat and '* drink at his table in his kingdom, and fit " on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of '■•^ Revel, xxil. 5. xxi. 2,3. xxv. 26. Ifaiah Ix. ii,i9« t Ifaiah xlix. 10. Revel, vii. 16. •4; Ifaiah Ix. 11. jxv. 21. § Micah iv. 4. '' Ifracl i DISCOURSE X. 3^1 " Ifrael * ;" and too fenlually the unre- ftrained imaginations of the early writers con- templates, in grcfs and carnal interpretation, a table literally prepared by God, and covered with artificial dainties. The fruit of the vine, of which Chrifl: himfelf is to partake with his difciples, in fpiritual communion in his kingdom, is explained as literally to be enjoyed -f in the convivial hilarity of an earthly jubilee J. Fallen cities are pofltively to be rebuilt by aliens and kings, who are to be given to the faints as minlfcers of their delights §. Goods and lands are to be en- creafed an hundred fold ; and vineyards, and trees, and grains, branch out and bend, with unprecedented abundance, and fpontaneoully offer their produdions with rival competition for acceptance ||, * Luke xxii. 30. t Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. VIL cap. xxiv. xxv. Apollin. ap Epiphan. Kaeref. 77. p. 732. X Even it we admit Chrift's perfonal prefence in this reign, we cannot fuppofe him to be again fubje6ted to the wants and infirmities of the flefb. § Origcn rie^i apx^y. Lib. II. c. xii. Kaiah Ix. ro. Ixi. 4. U Irenseus, Lib. V. c, xxxiii. Such 302 DISCOURSE X. Such notions, carried to an extravagant excefs, appear to have brought the dodtrine into fome difcredit and reproach : that it was never univerfally received in the primitive church, has been contended by fome, from the confeffion of its advocates *, though it has been maintained by others that it was very generally admitted till the fourth cen- tury -f-. The truth feems to be, that a fpiri- tual reign of Chrift was believed by all who carefully examined the fcriptures, though the popular notions of the millennium were often rejected % '> and ancient, as well as mo- dern writers, aflailed the extravagant fuper- llrudure, not the fcriptural foundation of the dodlrine. * Whitby's Treatife on-the Millennium. t Burnet maintains, that the millennium kingdom of Chrift was the general dodlrine of the church, from the times of the apoftles to the Nicene council, which was held about A. D. 325. He fuppofes Dionyfms of Alex- andria, who wrote againft Nepos, an Egyptian bifhop, before the middle of the third ccjitury, to have been the lirft who attacked the dodlrine ; but Origen had previ- oufly alTailed it in many of its fiditious additions. X Gennad. Ecclef. Dog. c. Iv. Eufeb. Hift. Eeclef, Lib. VII. c. xxiv. Phot. Cod. 232. p. 894.. Coh- DISCOURSE X. 303 Confidently with this account, Juftin Martyr admits that fome Chriftians, of a pure and pious judgment, did not acknowledge (that is, in a literal fenfe) the reftoration of Jerufalem, and the afiemblage of Chrifbians with Patriarchs, and Prophets, and Profelytes, before Chrifh*; and Irenasus intimates, that the dodtrine which he maintained, in its full extent, was not the univerfal fentiment of the church, but that the promifes were meta- phorically underflood -f. Origen, who was extravagantly devoted to allegorical interpretations of fcripture, treats the carnal expofition of the prophetic pro- mifes, relating to this dodlrine, as received only by fome, and thofe of the fimpler part of mankind, and as difgraceful to chrifti- anity J : and, agreeably alfo to this repre- fentation, St. Jerom oppofed the do(5trIne, which, he fays, many ecclefiaftics and mar- tyrs maintained § ; and St. Auftin, who ad- mitted the reign of faints, obferves, that it * Dialog. Part 11. p. 310, 311. t Iren. Hser. Lib. V. c. xxxii. xxxiii. X Philocal. c. xxvi, p. 99. Prolegom. in Cant. fol. 69. § Hieron. Com. in Hierem. i & 10. in Efaiam, c. xxx, Tom. III. p. 262. Edit. Bened. 478. J might 364 DISCOURSE X. might be tolerable, if the advocates for tha dodtrine mentioned only fpiri.tual delights, which the faints might enjoy by Chrift's prefence, but objects to the notions of carnal and immoderate banquets of meat and drink, maintained by fome * ; and other writers, with equal propriety and confiftency, de- claimed againft the dreams and fanciful fpe- culations which were indulged in defcribing the folemnities of marriage, the produdion of children, and the fenfual enjoyments to be partaken of in this reftored Eden, wantonly embelliflied with the alluring fidions of a golden age, or llored with the voluptuous pleafures of a Mahometan paradife -f-. The dodrine then was a fubjecft of dif- cuffion in the primitive church, and main- tained and attacked, as at prefent, on very different grounds. It was fometimes impro- perly defended on literal and judaical expli- cations, but, probably, feldom or never en- * Auguft. de Civlt. Dei. Lib. XX. c. vii. & ix. f Origen Ilfp ccpxuv, Lib. IL ch. xxii. Com. in Matt. Edit. Hiiet. p. 498. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hilh Lib. VIL c. xxiv. Gennad. Ecclef. Dog. Phot. Cod. 232. p, 894. as cited by Whitby. Hieron. Prooem. Lib. XVIiL Com. in Ei'aiam. tirely DISCOURSE X. 305 tirely rejeded. We have feen that the fcrip^ tures do predid: a fpiritual reign of Chrifl yet unaccomplifhed ; and if we admit the earlier writers to have been capable of un- derftanding thofe fcriptures, we muft fuppofe them generally to have received the dod:rinej however they might have loaded it with fidi- tious additions, unfupported but by preten- lions to unknown antiquity. If, now, we defne to confine the dodrine within its juft boundaries, and to determine upon what grounds we are authorifcd to de- fend it, we find, that after rejeding fuch particulars as are merely tfaditional or ima* ginary, fome points mufl remain doubtful, in confequence of the ambiguity of thofe pafiTages in fcripture which relate to them. The principal queflion upon which a differ- ence of opinion has been maintained on this fubjed:, is. Whether, in this predided reign of Chrift, we may exped: his perfonal pre- fence on earth j or only the full and fplendid eftablifhment of his religion. Allowmg for the figurative ftyle of fcripture, all the paf- Higes in the Old Teftament, which forefhew extraordinary blefTmgs at this period, may be confidered as defcriptive only of that happi- X nefs 3o6 DISCOURSE X. tiefs which may be expeded under the influ- ence of the divine favour, to re fait from the operation of rehgion, and the eifeds of uni- verfal peace and harmony among mankind, when w2Lrs fhali ceafe, " when fwords fhall ** be turned into ploughshares, and fpears '* into pruning hooks *." They do not, at leaft, feem to require the fuppofition of the perfonal prefence of our Lord, even though ■we fhould allow them to promife a miracu- lous bounty, conveying, by divine favour, aa unprecedented felicity to the righteous. In the New Teftament, indeed, in paf- fages, fome of which have been before cited, Ch'rift fpeaks of drinking of the fruit of the vine in God's kingdom f, and of appointing a kingdom to his apoilles, that they may cat and drink at his table, and fit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael; and affures, to his faithful followers, that in the regeneration, when the Son of man fhall fit on the throne of his glory, they fliall alfo fit upon twelve thrones |. Thefe, and other * Tfalah ii. 4, Micah iv. 3. f Matt. xxvi. 29. Mark xiv. 25. Luke xxii. 18. X Matt. xix. 28. See Whitby. paflages. DISCOURSE X. 307 paflages, have been produced to prove, that Chrift will literally re -appear, preceded, as has been fuppofed again, by his melTenger * John, or Elias, to reign with his faints, who iikeivife are reprefented as to be then adually raifed from the dead. It may be queftioned, however,, whether Chrift, in thefe places, does not refer to fome fpiritaal appointments, accommodated to our conceptions by earthly reprefentations; or he probably alludes to particulars to be difplayed in heaven, in the difpenfations of eternity. * Some writers maintain, that Elias, or fome mef- fenger in his fpirit and power, is to precede the fecond advent of Chrift. They affirm, that the prophecies of Malachi, with regard to the meirenger, principally relate to this fecond coming of Elias, fmce he is to be fent before " the great and dreadful day of the Lord," when Chrift fliall come, not in the meeknefs of his firft appear- ance, " not breaking a bruifed reed," but when he Ihall appear " like a refiner's fire." Malachi iii. i — 3. iv. 5, 6. They obferve that Chrift, after the death of the Baptift, faid, that " Elias fhould come and reftore all *' things," though Elias, as he affirmed, was " come *' already." See Matt. xvii. 10 — 13. and thr.:: Elias was to convert and reform the people, fee Malachi iv. 6, and was ordained, according to the Son of Sirach, " to *' turn the heart of the father unto the fon, and to reftore *' the tribes of Jacob." Eccluf. xlviii. 10. See Mede, B. I. Difc. XXV. and Eyre on ProphecleSj p. 86—92 » X z The 3o8 DISCOURSE X. The ftrongefl pafTage which has been al- ledged in proof of the doflrine of the millen- nium, in its general acceptation, as fuppofing a perfonal reiidence of Chrift, and a pofitive refurreftion of his faints, to reign with him on earth, is, probably, that produced in the text, which is ufually brought forward for that purpofe by ancient and modern com- mentators. The cuftomary interpretation of the pafTage, when adduced with this view, reprefents St. John to fpeak of a fn-fl and proper refurre<5tion of thofe who were be- headed * for the witnefs of Jefus, and who had not v/orfliipped the beall ; which refur- recftion is, in this explanation, fuppofed to be antecedent to the general refurreclion for a thoufand years, during which the privileged and triumphant army of martyrs are to reign on earth. In fupport of this literal expofition, it has been urged, that the promifes made to the patriarchs and faints -f, under the old * Beheading was a Roman punifliment. See alfo Revel, vi. 9 — ii. where the recompence of the millen- nium is apparently promifed to the fouls of them that were flain. f Gen. xiii. 15. xv. 7. xxxv. i2, Sec, difpen-^ DISCOURSE X. 309 difpenfatlon, will not be fully accompliflied but by the pofitive refurredlon of their per- fons, to inhabit the appointed land*; that the Jews, from the earlieft time, believed in a literal refurre(5lion of their righteous fore- fathers tD reign in Ifrael in the days of the MefTiah, the beginning of which reign they did not exped: till the day of judgment ; that the primitive church looked for an abfolute re- furredion f ; that there is no difficulty in the fuppofition, fmce it is certain, that after the refurredlion of Chrift, many bodies of the faints which llept, arofe, and appeared to many % ; that the fcripture feems, in plain terms, to fpeak of a literal refurredion of the faints § ; and that many very judicious writers do maintain a double refurredion [], * Matt. xxii. 31, 32. and Mede's Letter to Dr.Twifs, Epift. XLIII. Rom. Iv. 3. Gal. iii. 6. Afts vii. 5. \ Juftin Martyr, Ladant. Lib. VIL c. xxiv. Mede fuppoles, that from this cxpeaation of the primitive church, might originate the pradice of praying for the dead, as founded upon a hope that they might have a part in the firft refurrecSlion. X Matt, xxvii. 52, 53. § Revel. V. 10. xx. 4. Wifd. iii. 8. II Mede, Vol. IL Book IV. Eplft. 20. Daubuz in Rev. XX. 4. X 3 agree- :^io DISCOURSE X. agreeably to the declaration of St. Paul ; that " the dead in Chrift fliall rife firft*;" that ** every man fhall be made alive in his own ** order, Chrifl; the firft fruits, afterward ** they that are Chrift's at his coming, and ** then Cometh the end -f ;" and to what St. John faw, " that the reft of the dead lived not again until the thoufand years were finiihed J." A learned writer, however, whofe difcourfe on the millennium has been received as a very judicious explication of the docftrine, and who oppofes the notion of a literal de- fcent of Chrifl, and a literal refurreilion of his faints, maintains, that St. John fpeaks not of the bodies, but of the fouls of them that are beheaded §, who are faid to live, contrary, * I Their, iv. t6, 17. St. Paul may, however, by the dead in Chrifl, mean only the faithful in general ; and may ufe the word " firft" with relation to thofe that remain, and fha!I be caught up. t I Cor. XV. 23. X Rev. XX. 5. Whitby and Lowman underfland, by " the retl of the dead," the opponents of chriftianity ; thofe flain by the fv/ord, in chap. xix. 21. who fhall not recover their power till the thoufand years fhall be accompliihed, when their fpirit may revive in an anti- chriflian party for a little feafon. § Whitby fays, that the word xj/yx'w, which he flates to occur fix times in the biok of Revelation, fignlfies always, DISCOURSE X. 311 contrary, as this writer aiTerts, to the gene- ral ftyle of fcripture, when it fpeaks of the refurreaiion of the dead, of their perfons or bodies. He admits that, indeed, a firft re- furredion is mentioned, in which thofe who are blelTed and holy, and over whom the fecond death hath no power*, have a part ; a refurredion before the day of judg- ment, and before the fea, and death, and the grave, deliver up their dead t ; and before Chrifl's coming, to render to every man as his works (hall be +. But he main- tains, that the privileged partakers of this firft refurredion need not neceffarily be coa- fidered as martyrs, and unpolluted worfliippers of God, adually recalled from the ftate of departed fpirits to the earth ; a notion, as he reprefents, feemingly inconfiftent with the known flate of the dead § ; and apparently always, either the foul in a ftate of feparation, or the living foul ; and that a literal refurreaion is never repre- fented in the New Teftapfient by expreffions of " the *' living of the foul," but by that of " the raifing of « the dead," or " the bodies of them that flept." * XX. 6. t XX. 12, 13. $ Revel, xxii. 12. § 2 Cor. V. viii. Philip, i. 23. Luke xxiii. 43- X 4 repug- 312 DISCOURSE X. repugnant to the general dodlrine of the refurrediion * : but rather perfons in whom the fpirit and zeal which animated the mar- tyrs fhall be revived, as is declared, agreeably to that mode of expreffion by which St. John the Baptift is defcribed as Elias, whom he refembied in circumftance, office, and cha- radler ; perfons, then, on whom the undefiled features of Chriftian perfedtion fliall be exhi- bited, and who fhall then be priefls of God and of Chrift j -, that the reign of Chrifl is defcribed as preceding the general judgment, and the'efore cannot well be fuppofed to be a flate of refurredtion to departed faints, who rather may be conceived to await, in fome intermediate ftate, the decifion of their final doom X 'f and the learned writer, therefore, * The generd refurreftion is to be fudden. See Matt. 3cxiv. 39. Revel, xx. 12. i Cor. xv. 21, 51, 52. St. Jerom obferves upon this laft verfe, that it " excludes •^^ the whole fable of a firft and fecond refurre£lion," Epiih XX. Tom. III. fol. 66. t I Peter ii. 5, 6. Exod. xix. 6. Ifaiah Ixv. 20. % It is alledged alfo, thgt they who fhall be revived with Chrift will partake of the enjoyment of his pre- fence, not only for a thoufand years, but for ever ; and Job is cited, where he fays, " j\ian rifeth not till the l^eavens be no more." Job xiv, 12. thinks DISCOURSE X. 313 thinks that the ftate may be confidered only as a condition of unprecedented triumph to the righteous perfons, who fhall be then living examples of Chriflian perfed:ion; when ** he that overcometh, and keepeth God's *' works unto the end, to him will he give ** power over the nations *," and " grant ** to fit with him on his throne *!•,'' a mem- ber of that church, which fhall then flourifli, as it were, by a refurredlion J, in purity and power on earth, where it hath been often feen harrafled, and buried, as it were, in affli(fl:ion. This figurative expofition of a pafTage, ia a book highly figurative, is at leafl plaufible. Without prefuming pofitively to decide on a point, upon which fuch oppofite opinions have been maintained, it may be remarked, that a firfl refurred:ion of the faints to reign with Chrifl,'that is, in the profefTion of his faith, and in the enjoyment of his favour, may, perhaps, be admitted without the ne- * Revel, ii. 26. f iii. 21. % Ifaiahxxvi. ig. Jercm. xxxi. 15, 16. Ezek. xxxvii. Hofea vi. i, 2. Rom. xi. 15. vi. i, 2. St. John employs the fame expreflions ufed by the prophets to defcribe the glory of the Jevvilh church. ceflity ^14 DISCOURSE X. ceffity of fuppofing our Lord's perfonal pre- fence, any farther than by ths manifeflation of a divine authority, and in the more evi- dent difplay of proted:ion to the church, over v^^hich, from the beginning, he promifed "to prefide *. The idea of Ch rift's perfonal appearance, in the vifible fupremacy of his church, in its glorious llate, may, indeed, be conceived abflrad:edly from the intermixture of thofe earthly circumftances, vv^hich fuggefl them- felves to our grofs imaginations, and which might appear to degrade the dignity of his exalted charader. We know alfo, that the divine majefty was not contaminated by an in- tercourfe with his creatures in Paradife ; and Chrill voluntarily fubmitted himfelf, without injury to the godhead, to fuflain the infir- mities of the flefh ; but though " the fun ** of righteoufnefs" might again rife,on earth, unobfcured by its vapours, we are not, it is conceived, fully authorifed to expedt its appearance " till the heavens and earth fhall " pafs away, and melt with fervent heat 5" fince, we are told, that the heavens mufl * Matt, xxviii. 20. receive DISCOURSE X. 2^5 receive him until the lafl day of confumma- tion, the times of reftitution, or reftoration of all things * : and it may be diffidently maintained, that no fufficient proofs can be drawn, either from the Old or the New Teftament, of the pofitive appearance of Chrift till that of his final advent to judge the vvorld in righteoufnefs, when he {hall come, not for abode on earth, but, like light- ning out of the eaft ; with fudden and full difplay of power, when the *' fign of the " Son of man fhall appear in heaven," and *' the Son of man fhall be feen coming in the ** clouds of heaven, with power and great *' glory," at the end of the world, as was ex- peded by the difciples -f-, to difcomfit thole enemies whom Satan releafed for a fhort period, fhall feduce to deflrudion J ; and, * A6ls iii. 21. f Matt. xxiv. 39. Chrifl, indeed, informs us, that he is to appear in portentous circumftances immediately after the tribulation, which is fuppofed to fuccecd the deltruclion of Jcrufalem. The period of his reign, which is the prelude of his fecond advent, being included in the confideratioo of this final difpenfation. J If Chrift were perfonally to abide on earth, it would be difficult to conceive by what infatuation the enemies of the church could be dvawn to encompafs and aflail his faints. finally. 3i6 DIS.COURSE X. finally, to diftribute impartial judgment to the world. Whatever decifion may be approved upon this fubje6t, it is clear that the prophetic declarations promifc the univerfal eftablifh- ment of chriftianity, in purity and truth, to be preceded by the fall of that antichriflian power, of vv'hich the character is defcribed as fo repugnant and hoflile to the fpirit of the church * ; as alfo by the general conver- fion of the Jews, to whom, in an efpecial fcnfe, the promifes belong; to whom, as to *' the loft flieep," the minifter of the cir- cumcifion -j- was firfl fent, and the remnant * 2 ThefT. ii. 8. Rcvd. -x'ix. 20. Dan. vii. 26. Hence, perhaps, we may collect the reafon why the Ronrianifts rejected the general dodtrinc of the reign of faints, which iJaronius treats as heretical. They con- fidcred Chrift as already reigning in a triumphant church by his vicar. ■\ Rom. XV. 8. Acts xi. 19. xv. 46. Rom. ii. 10. Mr. Mcdc fuggcfls, that the condition of St. Paul, pre- vioufly to his convcrflon, refcmbles that of the Jews, in their obftinacy agairift Chrift and the Chriftians ; and that his convcrfion, fo differing from that o! all other men that ever v/ere, might be a pledge or pattern of fornething that fhould be vouchfafctl to his nation. See J 'I'im. i. j6. and Mcdc's Anfwcr to I^r. Twifs, Vol. [I. Book IV. hpifl. 14. of DISCOURSE X. 317 of whom ilkUl be ;i Iccond time ailcmblcd from the four corners of the earth, an enlign for the nations * ; that, as ** through tlieir *' fall, falvation came unto the Gentiles t;" ** as the calliuiT away of them was the re- " conciling of the world, io the receiving ** of them ihould be life from the dead J ," fliould be the me.ins of concdiating the Gen- tiles, whofe univerfil converllon is then alfo to take pl.ice, W'hen incredulity Ihall at lall yield to the futiVage of general convidion, and the light of revealed wifdom be dittufed in tranfcendent fplendor ||. It has been thought to admit of fome dif- pute**, whether the promifes of the future relloration of the Jews ihoull lead us to expeO:^ their lirend return to Jerufalem, poii- tively to be rebuilt ; or whether they ihould * Ilai;\h xi. K^ — i:. \Iv. 2.1. xwiii. 01. 1\. 4, g, Ixi. 6, 7, 10. t Ztvhar. viti, 13. Rom. \i. 11. Mace. x. 5, 6. XV. ,14. " X Roai. xi, 10! — 15. § Rotn. xi. 25, 2r. llaiah Ix. J3. Iw i. iS. H ir.uah !x. 19. Revel, xxi. 23. ** Dr. Gregory Sharpc Jcnicvl the future reftor.uiv'jn of the Jews. Sec the Rife anJ Fill of the Holv City 2i\\\ I^Muplo of Tcruulcm. i be 31? DISCOURSE X. be underftood to import only their general converfion, in an improved flate of the church, defcribed as a New Jeriifalem ; bui thefe promifes are fo flrong, and fo frequently- repeated, fo apparently pofitive, and literal in their meaning, fo detailed with local cir- cumflance and allotment *, and, at the fame time, fo capable of literal accomplifhment, that if colledlively and maturely confidered, they will, probably, be allowed to juftify a beUef in the abfolute return of the Jews, to dwell in the land which God gave to their fathers ; " to repair the wafte places, the *' defolations of many generations f/' *' that ** the redeemed of the Lord may return, and *^ come with finging to Zion, with fong'and *' everlafling joy on their head J ;" to raife Mp Jerufalem itfelf as the metropolis of the church, *' in the light of which the Gen- ** tiles fhall walk ;" in which a vifible church, and fpiritual temple, may be expeftedi, as beheld in vifion by Ezekiel§; that " upon * Obadiah 17, 21. Ezek. xxxvi. 28. Jerem. xxxi, 38 — 41. Zechar. xiv. 10, n. Tobit xiii. 19. t Ifaiah Ixi. 4. Luke xxi. 24. % Ifaiah li. 11, § Ezek. xlviii. '' Mount DISCOURSE X. 319 ** Mount Zion there {hould be deliverance ; ** and there fiiould be holinefs; and the houfc ** of Jacob fhould poflefs their poilefllons ; *' and that they fliould vvorfhip the Lord in " his holy mount at Jerufalem*." At this period, then, " the fpirit of grace " fliall be opened upon the houfe of David, ** and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, *^ the fpirit of grace and of fupplications : ** and they fhall look upon him whom they '* have pierced, and they fhall mourn for ** him as one mourneth for his only fon^ ** and fhall be in bitternefs as one that ** is in bitternefs for his firflborn -f-. And it is reafonable to fuppofe, that at Jerufalem, which was the fcene of our Redeemer's fuf- ferings, there he fliould difplay his triumph: that where the peculiar people of God fuf- tained his wrath, there they fliould experi- ence his mercy J, when " the city which ** has been forfaken, and hated, and trodden '* down, fliall be made an eternal excellency, *' a joy of many generations §." * Ifaiah xxvii. 13. f Zechar. xii. 10. John xix. 37. Revel, i. y. :j: Joeliii. I, 2. II — 14. Ifaiah Ix. 10. Zech. xii, 12, § Ifaiah Ix. 15. This 8 320 DISCOURSE X. This account is confiftcnt with the earliefl opinions entertained by the churchy and there are no difficulties attending the expec- tation that require a more miraculous inter- pofition in favour of the Jews, than has already been difplayed in their wonderful prefervation. It is, notwithflanding, evident, that the divine promifes do not, as the Jews fuppofe, extend to any reftoration of the Mofaic fer- vice, with its rites and ceremonies : a pre- paratory fervice, typical only of better things ; nor to any re-eflablifhment of the Jewifli temple : the tranfient figure of a more per- fed; ** tabernacle, which the Lord pitched* ;" nor to a renewal of the Jewifh polity, infli- tuted for temporary purpofes. The fhadows are now rejected behind the brightnefs of the fubflance : the glory of the former temple will be forgotten in the fuperior fplendor of the Chriftian church, when the righteoufnefs of " Zion fhall go forth a^ brightnefs, and *' the falvation thereof as the lamp that ** burneth -f-." God will reflore to his people * Haggai ii. 6 — 9. Amos ix. 11 — 15. 2 Cor. iii. 3 — II. Heb. viii. 2, 13. ix. 2, ii, 24. Tobit xiv. 51, 67. t Ilaiah Ixii. i. their DISCOURSE X. 321 «* fheir judges as at firft, and their counfel- « lors as at the beginning *," when " Zion '* fhall be redeemed with judgment, and her " converts with righteoufnefs :" when he fhall eftabUfh the fubflantial equity of his laws, and the concerted wifdom of his de- crees; then, indeed, we fhall behold not a re- floration of the reftrided ordinances of a peculiar people, but the comprehenfive dif- penfatlon of an univerfal government: in the eftablifliment of the Chriftian church, of which the congregated members fhall confti- tute one fociety of kings and priefls f ; and the tabernacle of God Ihall be with men, and he will ** dwell with them,'' by his influ- ence, and they fhall be his people, and God himfelf fhall be with them, and be their God; in that New Jerufalem in which St. John law no temple, no local refort of worfhip j for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, * Ifaiah i. 26, 27. The Jews retain the words of this prophecy in their fynagogue lervice, in the prayer for the reftoration of their tribes, expelling its future literal accomplifhment. f Exod. xix. 6. Ifaiah Ixi. 6. Rev. v. 10. xx. 6. X Rev. XX. 3. comp. with Ezekiel xxxvii. 26, 27. arc 322 DISCOURSE X. are the temple of it * ; when a reign of faints fhall take place, compofed of faithful fervants of God, a(flually raifed from the grave, or of perfons in whom the fpirit of the anti- ent martyrs fhall be revived -, to whom pri- moEval longevity is promifed for the duration of a thoufand years -f-, v/hile Satan fhall be fhut up, fecurely debarred from malevolent exertion and deception. Were we farther to dilate on the defcrip- tion of this period, we might reprefent it as a flate in which the higheft effedis of earthly recompence will be experienced; in which, though an abfolute theocracy may not pre- vail,- the more immediate fuperin tendance of God will be experienced, as well in the open teflimonies of his power, as perchance by * Revel, xxi. 22. The temple will then be fpiritual, as Barnabas explains it, mrc^i yaos ojKo^o/xa poevoj tw Kvpioj. Epift. § 16. t The thoufand years may apply to the period of the continuance of the church in a ftate of profperity: lon- gevity vi'ill, probably, be then granted to all ; but Ifaidh fpeaks of a fhorter duration of life to individuals than the term of a thoufand years. Ixv. 20. A thoufand years fnay, perhaps, be a definite term, to be underftood in an indefnite fenfe, as importing only a long time. 2 Pet. iii. 8. the DISCOURSE X. 323 the vifible irradiation of the divine glory ; a fchechinah which, in the farpaffing fplendor of its everlafting light, may, like the fun, impart its beams without relinquifhing its exalted ftation in the heavens * j which may jftream out in more plentiful effufion of the fpirit -fy to the illumination of thofe faints, whofe minds fhall* be fpiritualifed for the re- ception of higher communications : a ftate, in which the paffions fliall be calmed in fub- jedlion to the control of the Lord ; m which, releafed from anxious cares, and fecular foil- tude, the privileged poflefTors of the king- dom may gather the firft fruits of the tree of life reftored ; from which the other tree, that ftood in the midft of Paradife, the occafion of fm, fhall be removed ; and in which men may, perhaps, as in Paradife, enjoy fome exalted communications with God, and expe- * Ifaiah XXX. 26. Ix. 19, 21. Revel, xxi. 23, 24. Precife and accurate defcription, on a fubjed fo fpecula- tive, cannot be given ; general and conjectural illuftra- tions may be offered with becoming diffidence. The divine prefence is to be reftored in the fpiritual temple, defcribed byEzekiel xliii. 2 — 5. Spiritual facrifices alfo are to be there offered. ■ t Joel ii. 29, 30. Ifaiah xliv. 3. Ix. 19. Y a rience 324 DISCOURSE X. rience his apparent and immediate counte- tenance ; " when mercy and truth Ihall meet ** together, righteoufnefs and peace fhall kifs ** each other ;" when offenlive paffions fhall ceafe, and abhorrent tempers coalefce and agree * -, " when there Ihall be no more ** death "f*, neither forrow, nor {bedding of ** tears -, neither fliall there be any more ** pain j" " when violence lliall be no more ** heard in the land, nor wafting and deftruc- " tion within its borders ; but they {hall call ** the walls of Zion Salvation, and its gates ** Praife J ," when, confiftently with the progreffive difplay of God's power, fom^ portentous and more glorious manifeftation of his attributes may be made ; and fome image of his final difpenfations, in a future judgment, may be furnifhed in the elevation * Ifalah xi. 6—8. t Revel, xxi. 4. If the exprefiion " of no more « death," be not figurative, St. John will, probably, be thought, in this place, to fpeak of the Nev/ Jerufalem in the Jftate in which it fhall exift after the final defcru^lion of the world ; for Ifaiah f?ems to reprefent the inha- bitants of the New Jerufalem of the millennium, as liable to death. See Ifaiah Ixv. 20. + IduaUlx. 18. of DISCOURSE X. 325 of the meek, and in the recompence of the deferving; when " the lofty looks of man ■ ** fliall be humbled, and the haughtinefs of ** men fhall be bowed down, and the Lord ** alone fliall be exalted in that day *," in which the efficacy, and full intention of chrif- tianity, will be triumphantly (hewn ; when, in a more eminent fenfe, men fhall '* come '* unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the '* living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and " to an innumerable company of angels, ** to the general aflembly and church of the " firft-born, which are written in heaven ; " to God the judge of all, and to the fpirits ** of juft men made perfed:, and to Jefus the ** m^ediator of a new covenant, and to the ** blood of fprinkling that fpeaketh better " things than that of Abel f ." * Kiiah ii. ir. f Heb. xii. 22 — 24. This pafTage is defcriptive of the Chriftian difpenfation, as difplaycd at the firft advent of Chrift. It has a farther reference to the final efta- bli(hment of that difpenfation ; and it refpects, in an eminent fenfe, the circumfl-ances to be enjoyed in the eternal manfions of the blclTed. The defcriptions of fcripture have fuccelTivc gradations in their advancement to completion. Y 3 The 326 D I S C O U R S £ X, The true church of Chrift, the New Jeru^ falem, is reprefented with fome apparent am- biguity by St. John, " as coming down from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her huf- band*," after he has given an account of the new heavens and the new earth being efta- bhflied, and of the firft heaven ^nd firft earth being paffed away -f- ; though in a preceding account, relating to the period of the reign of faints, the church is reprefented as a bride ready, and arrayed for the reception of the Lamb, before the defcription of the renewal of the material world. Hence it has been difputed, whether the apoflle, in defcribing the new heaven and the new earth, in which there fhall be no more fea, |ior death, treat of the circumfrances which are to fucceed the final refurredion to an eternal fabbath, or whether he iliil fpeak of the reign of faints on eartl;. * Revel, xxi. 2. " Coming down from God out of ^' heaven," means only adorned with heavenly graces. See Ephef. i. 3. So it is ft}'!ed *' Jerufalem, which is *' above," in Gal. iv. 26. and " the heavenly Jerufa- " lem," Heb. xii. 22. See alfo Mark xi, 30. + Rev. xxi. 2. ccmp. with Ifaiah Ixv. 17. Ixvi. 22. Thofe DISCOURSE X. 327 Thofe who fuppofe the apoftle to obferve a ftrid: order in the fucceffion of events, and contend that the new heaven and the new earth are not to take place till after the gene- ral judgment, fupport their opinion by ob- ferving, that if, in the new earth, there is to be no more fea, nor death, it muft be after the general judgment, when the fea is to give up its dead, and when death, the laft enemy, is to be fubdued ; and farther, by contending for the literal explication of the defcription, which reprefents the New Jeru- falem as coming down from God out of hea- ven ; but as the expreffions of no fea *, and no death -f, may, perhaps, be underftood in a figurative fenfe j and as the New Jerufalem, however defcending and adorned, is defcribed * Bp. Newton on Prophecies, Vol. III. on Rev. c. 21. The expreflion of " no fea," has been underflood, as ths learned writer obferves by many, to imply, figuratively, no troubles or commotions in the new world. The other arguments urged by him difappear, if the explica- tions, offered in the courfe of this difcourfe, are received. f ** No death," may imply no terrors of death. See p. 324. note f . Or St. John may be fuppofed to fpeak of the millennium, as typically comprehending the ftate which is to follow the general refurredlion. Y 4 as 328 DISCOURSE X. as reiiding on earth, we may agree rather with thofe who maintain that St. John ftill fpeaks of the period of the reign of faints, fmce he defcribes the New Jerufalcm in the fame manner as the prophets had pourtrayed the Hebrew church in its glorified Hate ; and we may underftand, by the new heaven and the new earth, thofe alterations in the mate- rial world, which, agreeably to the opinion of antiquity, may then be exped:ed to take place * ', or conceive the expreffions to im- port * Burnet fuppofes the millennium to take place under the new heaven and the new earth, after the con- flagration of the world ; and endeavours to eftabliih his opinion by the paflage from St. Peter, in which the apoftle profeffes to look for a new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs, to take place, in Burnet's apprehenfion, after the diffolution of the world by hre. 2 Peter iii. 12, 13. and, by obferving farther, that the prefent conftitution of nature will not bear, nor be con- fiftent with the happinefs promifed in the millennium ; as alfo that the kingdom v/ill not take place till Antichrift be deftroyed : an event not to happen, as he conceives, till the appearance of Chriil, before the beginning of the millennium, and not till the end of the world. See Kevel. xix. 20. 2 Theff. i. 7, 8. ii. 8. Ads iii. 21. At the fame time, Burnet imagines, that a firft partial judgment will take place ; in proof of which he refers to Dan. vii. 26. Revel, xi. 15 — iS. 2 Tim. iv. i. The laj DISCOURSE X. 329 port only fome moral changes, thus figura- tively depi(5led, and reprelented by St. John, in the order of his difcourfe, as taking place towards the end of the millennium, becaufe then difplayed in their full completion. Upon this fuppofition it muft alfo be ad- mitted, that St. John, after detailing prolep- tically the circumftances of the laft judg- ment, reverts to the fubjed of the reign of a thoufand years, thus glancing in the un- controlled fpirit of prophecy, with defultory tranfition, from period to period, and occa- fionally reverting to dilate on fubjeds firft curforily brought forward : prefenting, in one grand difplay, the beginning and end of the day of judgment *, which, extending through a thou- laft enemies to appear towards the conclufion of the mil- lennium, he ftrangely conceives, may be fons of the earth, generated from the flime of the ground, and the heat of the fun, as he rcprefents brute creatures to have been originally raifed. Burnet's Theory, Vol. II. Book iV. Others have thought, that the eternal manfions of the blefled will be on earth. See Hody of the Refurreaion. * A day with God is a day of a thoufand years, a day of eternity. 2 Peter iii. 8. The whole time of Chi ill's firft coming is called a day ; fo alfo the time of the abode in the wildernefs. Heb. iii. 8, 9. See alfo Deut. xxxii. 35, Mede is of opinion, that the kingdom of the Son • ~- '• of 330 DISCOURSE X. a thoufand years, comprehends the com- jnencement of the deftrudiion of Chrift's enemies, and the final annihilation of all oppofing powers in the ultimate difpenfation of his wrath; ** when cometh the end when ** he ihall have delivered up the kingdom to ** God even the Father ; when he fliall have ** put down all rule and all authority, and all *' power ; for he muft reign until he hath ** put all enemies under his feet ; the lall ** enemy that (hall be deflroyed is death." of man, and of the faints of the moft High, fpokcn of hy Daniel and St. John, begins with the deftrudtion of the great beaft, and the feffion of judgment. Dan. vii. o — 22. John XX. 4. but that as the judgment is not to be confummate till the end of the thoufand years, the •whole thoufand years is called the day of judgment, the period which is to begin with the founding of the feventh trumpet. Revel, xi. 15. in which the appear- ance of Chrift is to be ufhered in by fome preparatory circumftances. The Jews fpoke of the day of judgment with this latitude, fuppofmg it to mjean a period of long pontinuance j and fome believed of a thoufand years.. This opinion of Mede differs from that of the Chiliafts, who thought that the reign of faints would fucceed the judgment, fince it reprefents the two difpenfations a^ contemporary. See Mede, Vol. II. Book IV. Epiit. ^V. Book III. c. xi. Th« DISCOURSE X. 331 The prophets, in general, feem to fpeak of the New Jerufalem as of an earthly Hate, contemporary with the peaceful and profpe- rous dominion of Chriil * ; and if, agreeably * It may be obferved, in agreement with Mr. Mede's opinion, that the marriage of the Lamb, and the reign of Chrift, begin with the deftrudtion of Babylon (Rome) ; that the period of the New Jerufalem correfponds with the founding of the feventh trumpet, and that the New JerufaUm muft coincide with the reign of faints, fince the period of the palm-bearing tribe, who are defcribed in the fame manner as the citizens of the New Jerufalem, is to fucceed that of the tribe of the 144,000 who are figned, and who were contemporary with the beaft; Rev. vii. g— 17. and fince, after the 1000 years, the New Jerufalem is to be encompafled with enemies. Rev. xx. 9. It fhould be remarked farther, that after the feventh vial is poured our, by which the beaft is deftroyed, a voice comes from the throne ; and he who fits on the throne fays to St. John, who is looking at the New Jerufalem, ♦' Behold, I make all things new." Ch. iii. 16, 17, xxi, 5,6. The New Jerufalem, then, begins with the laft period of the vial, the whore being deftroyed j and it therefore fynchronifes with the interval from the deftruc- tion of the beaft. Laftly, one of the angels fhews the New Jerufalem, the Bride of the Lamb, as about to ap- pear immeJiately after the pouring out of the vials, and the deftrutSlion of the beaft, and of Babylon, ch. xxi. 20. It therefore coincides with the time of the reign of faints. See Mede's Clavis Apocalypt. Book III, p. 2. Syn- chron. 6, 7. to 332 DISCOURSE X. to the fentiments of antient writers *, we admit the renovation of the world to coincide with the reign of faints, we may fuppofe, as was before obferved, the new heaven and the new earth, fpoken of by Ifaiah and St. John, either to be defcriptive of a Kteral renovation of the material world, to be effecfted in the analogous extent of that refurre(fl:ion which all things intimate -, and in conformity with the beneficial chara6ler of the expeded period, when the earth may be releafed from the curfe pronounced upon it -f, and recover, under the influence of more friendly fkies, the vigor of its original fertility, and undergo fuch mutations as may correfpond with the * See p. 289 — 292. Iren. Lib. V. c. xxxv. Tertul, de Speclac. c. xxx. La6tantius, indeed, with fome am- biguit)', appears to reprefent the renovation as fucceedirtg the millennium. Lib. VK. c. xxvi. -J- Rev. xxii. 3, 2 Peter iii. 10 — 13. St. Peter, by the order of his difcourfe, may appear to have looked for new heavens and a new earth at the day of judgment, and the difTolution of the world ; but if, agreeably to Dr. More's interpretation, we fuppofe the apoflle, by new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwellethrighte- ournefs, to fpeak. of a change to take place before the general conflagration, his declaration may be adduced in fupport of the doctrine of the fpiritual reign of Chrift, improved DISCOURSE X. 3-- j>j> improved condition of the moral world ; or we may conceive the new heaven and the new earth* to imply, allegorically, fome great and glorious circumftances of an undefined and fpiritual nature, thus figuratively pro- mifed, which is confiftent with St. Peter's declaration, " that the heaven and the earth, " which are now, are kept in flore, referved " unto fire againil the day of judgment and « perdition of ungodly men -[-." In conformity with both opinions above ftated, the reign of faints may be fuppofed to exhibit, on earth, an anticipated repre- fentation of the difpenfations of eternity, and • * The expreffions may, perhaps, mean a new govern- ment and a new people. Maimonides underftood the new heaven and the new earth to be defcriptive of the perpetual joy, to take place of former forrow, at the period here fpoken of. See More Nevoch. Part II. c. xxix. p. 268. Mede, upon an interpretation of the expreffions of heaven and earth, as oriental metaphors, for .the exalted perfonages, and lower ranks of the political world, fiightly fuggefts, that the predicted de- ftrudion of thefe may import the demolition of the world, of wicked itates, and men high and low. Sec fimilar modes of exproil.on in Haggai ii. 6, 7, 21, 22. Ifaiah xxxiv. 4, 5. and Mede, Vol. II. Book lii. p. 761, t 2 Peter iii. 7. what 334 DISCOURSE X. what is applicable to the type is more emi- nently defcriptive of the thing typified -, and, on this ground, the New Jerufalem may be confidered, while on earth, as a figure of the habitation of the righteous in the ftate of final reward. It is a portraiture of that church, which, exifting firll in fplendid cir- cumflances on earth, fhall furvive, with un- fhaken fecurity, and increafing luflre, the changes and wreck of the fublunary world, fafe amidil conflagration *, and unimpaired by the deftrutSion of the material elements, as defigned to be tranilated into heaven, and to flourifli in a purified and exalted flate, harmonifed and fitly joined in the union of its confiflent parts, and crowned with the vifible glory of its head, from eternity to eternity -f. The conclufion of the reign of faints is to be difbinguifhed by their general victory over thofe confederate enemies, whom Satan re- leafed for a fhort time, fiiall feduce to de- * That the world is to be finally deftroyed by ilre, is a tradition of the remoteft antiquity, and ratified, we have ieen, by the facred writings, •f Dan. vii. 14. Luke i. 33. i Cor. xv. 24. Rev, xi. 15. flru(flion<. DISCOURSE X. 335 {lrure -f. Such are fome of the particulars relating to the glorious reign of Chrift, of which the rent of the interpreters authorifes us to confider it as the clear defcription of the final judgment. See Brightman in Revel, xx. ii. * Rev. XX. 14. xxi. 8. The fecond death Is a phrafe for the punilhment of the wicked, in the Chaldee paraphrafe of Onkelos, and thofe of Jonathan Ben LJz- ziel, and of Jerufalem. t Revel. XX. 4 — 15. where the detail runs in this order of events. prophets DISCOURSE X. 337 prophets reprefent the particulars, whether of its commencement or conlummation, ia one general account. The ftages and appro- priate circumftances of each period, it is not poflible to define; for the pi-ophecies relating to the fubject, are involved in an obfcurity which time only can difperk ; as, previoully to the advent of Chrill:, many predictions relating to the Meffiah were dark, and appa- rently inconfiflent ; and as through every part of fcripture there are palTages of obfcure allufion to future circumilances, which can be elucidated only in their accomplilliment : lliadows which gradually dilappear, and fuc- cefTively vaniih, before the brightucfs of thofe difperilations which they deicribe. The doctrine of the fpiritual reign of Chrifl, as difcreetly maintained, as built on the expectation of a glorious and triumphant flate of the church, may tend to encourage a confidence in God's wed, and a reliance on the accomplifhment of prophecy in its -refeience to future events. xA.s that doctrine has been perverted, and mixed with intem- perate fancies, it has often led to very mif- chievous and fat-il confequences. In the firl^ -ages of chriitianitv, and even in the days of Z our 538 DISCOURSE X. our Saviour, the notion of the immediate eftablifliment of a temporal kingdom, by Chrift, appears to have prevailed : from an expedation of the full completion of the prophecies concerning the Meffiah, at the firft coming of our Lord ; from want of dif- crimination of the predidions v^hich related refpe(ftively to the firfl or fecond advent -, and from an aggregate contemplation of the accu- mulated particulars, from the commence- ment till the confummation of Chrift's king- dom. Hence, in confequence of fuch con- fufed notions, we find even the difciples en- quiring of Chrift, immediately after his re- furred:ion, v/hcther he would, at that time, reftore again (or rather grant, or eftablifli) * the kingdom to Ifrael : the kingdom in which, probably, not yet awake from the dreams of temporal power, they fuppofed that their crucified Lord would avenge him- felf of his enemies, vindicate his infulted dignity, and eftablifh the earthly fovereignty, to which they beUeved him to be entitled ; the kingdom, in which, the mother of Zebedec's children, knowing not what flie * A9!-ox«0is"«v£tfj A6ls i. 6. afked. DISCOURSE X, 339 ftlked, had petitioned for rank and precedency fbt her Tons *. When Chrift, however, after his refar- redtion, had opened the minds of his difci- ples, that they might understand the fcrip- tures, and when the Ploly Ghofl: had de- fcended upon them, for the communication of divine wifdom, the nature of Chrifl's kingdom became better underiloodj the peri- ods of his advents were dillinguifhed ; the full confummation of the perfeflions of his kingdom appeared removed to a gr-ater dif- tance, and the eye of faith contemplated the bleffings of a remoter proipedt, to be realifed in the univerfal eflablifbm.ent of chriftianity -j-. * Matt. XX. 21, 22. Luke xxiii. 42. f When the facred writers afHrmeJ that the coming of the Lcrd drew nigh, they fpoke of his coming to the deftru«Rion of Jerulalenn. James v. 8, Heb. x. 37, Philip, iv. 5. So when St. Peter faid, that the end of all things was at hand, he meant all things relating to the Jewifh polity, i Peter iv. 7. St. Paul, confiftently with rhis, aiTured the Thellaloniahs, that with refpe6l to them, the day of Cliriil, that day in which all Chriftians were to be gathered to him, was not immediately at hand, svislr.Ksyy and that it fliould not come till after the reve- lation of the man of fin, whom the Lord would deflroy finally with the brightnefs of his coming. 2 ThefT. ii. 1-8, Z 2 . Chrift, 340 DISCOURSE X. Chrift, when enquired of concerning the period of the coming of this kingdom, told his difciples, that it was not for them to know the times and the feafons, which the Father had put in his own power * j and in the defcription of his future advent, he blended with the particulars of his appearance a final judgment, the circumftances of his coming to the deftrudion of Jerufalem -f-. Of the day, and of the hour of his ultimate coming, " no man knoweth -, no, not the *' angels which are in heaven ; neither the *' Son, (in his human charad:er) but the Fa- ** ther J." We know only, that fome pre- paratory circumftances muft take place. The notion that the continuance of the world is limited to fix thoufand years, is de- rived from a tradition of uncertain authority, though of the higheil antiquity. It is ufually traced up to Elias, a rabbinical writer, who flourifhed about two centuries before the birth of Chrift ; and, by fome, even to Elias the Tifhbite. It certainly obtained among -* A6ls i. 6, 7. t Matt. xxiv. J See Mark xiii. 32. and Whitby, the DISCOURSE X. 341 the Chaldeans, from the earliefl times*; and is countenanced by Barnabas f, Irenteus,' and other primitive writers J • yet, as it has not fanftion from the fcriptares, we are not bound to refped: it any farther than as a doubtful tradition. But though the period of the fetting up of Chrifl's kingdom was not adually defined, the converts to the faith of Chrift were intruded to pray for its ad- vancement 3 though the time of his appear- ance, to conclude that difpenfation with his * Plutarch, de Ifid. & Ofirid. p. 408. Sixt. Senens. Bibhoth. Lib. II. Vocab. Elias. Gemar. Abed. Zareh IV'. ^- t^^^'^- Sebah. inGen.i. 2 Efdras vii. 30. Mede and Burnet's Theory, Lib. III. c. v. The flory of die Phoenix is fuppofed to have been framed, with fymbohcal allufion, to the expeded renovation of the world. The bird is ufua!]y reprefented as livino- xooo r"; jZ ^!n' ""''• ""'''' ^^'- ^- '■ - -^'J Tacitus. Annal. L,b. VI. § 28. Ch^remon the Egyptian, fuo- pofes It to hve 6000, or 7000 years. See VoiT. Sibyl] Orac. c. V. ex Tzek. Chiliad, v. Hift. VI. The fathers' produce the phoenix as an argument of the refurreclion Clement. Epift. I. c. xxv. t Barnabas, § 15. Z Iren^us, Lib. V. c. 28, 30. Ladtant. Lib VlI C.XXIV. Cyprian. Exhortat. ad Martyr, c.xviii. Auguft.' de Civit. Dei. Lib. XX. c. vii. ^ 3 judg- 342 DISCOURSE X. judgments, was concealed, his difciples were taught to watch for, and to obferve its figns. The doftrine of the reign of faints, as very generally beheved daring the three firft centuries of the, church, certainly animated the zeal and fortitude of the primitive Chrif- tians, who, perhaps, hoped too literally to participate of a fpeedy and earthly refurrec- tion *, though inftrucfted by their infpired teachers, " to fet their afFedions on things " above, where Chrill fitteth at the right ** hand of God f ."' A modern hiftorian, whofe want of can- dour and mifreprefentations have been fre-^ quently expofed J, and who is particularly un- fuccefsful in hisflatement of fome of the fecon- dary caufes, v/hich he fuppofes to have con- tributed to the growth of the Chriftian church, * Dcdwel. Differt. Cyprian Diflert. XII. § 19—21. f Coloff. iii. 1—3. I Cor. xv. 19. X Gibbon's Decline and Fall of Rom. Emp. c. xv. Mr. Gibbon prefumes not to infmuate ouglit againft the fundamental evidence of chriflianity, though he de- tracSls from its influence, and fneers at its fubordinate teftimonies. The \vriters who, profefling a general reve- rence for religion, er.deavour, by artful infuiuation, to difparage its proofs, difplay the malevolence, without jthe courage of its open adverfaries. affertSa DISCOURSE X. 343 aflerts, ** that the dodrine of the millennium, as adapted to the defires and apprehenfions of mankind, contributed, in a confiderablc de- gree, to the progrefs of the Chriftian faith." If, fo far, we allent to his afTertion, we muft obferve that he betrays fome defign to miftate the truth, when he intimates, that the doc- trine was propagated with defign to affifl the caufe of religion, and that it was laid afide when the edifice of the church was almoft completed ; reporting it to have been iirffc treated as a profound allegory, to have been confidered, by degrees, as a doubtful and ufe- lefs opinion, and to have been at length re- jed:ed as an abfurd invention of herefy *. Whereas the truth is, as we have feen, that the do(5lrine was, at firfl:, received as grounded on the fure word of fcripture, and as fup- ported by antient tradition; that it was after- wards mingled with, and debafed by fpurious additions, which tended to leiTen its autho- rity, and even to refled: difcredit on the bool^ of Revelation, in the opinion of thofe who * The Romanifts, indeed, from the time of Damarfus, decried the doctrine, ^nd r{;prefented the reign of faints as an idolatrous notion. 344 DISCOURSE X. did not accurately difcriminate its accounts from the extravagant notions of the millen- narians -, and which could not, as Origen ob- ferves, but bring an imputation upon chrif- tianity itfelf v/ith the Heathens, who had better opinions *. * The do6lrine of the millennium, blended with ex- travagant notions, was branded as an error of Cerin- thus ; and by thofe who did not feparate the fpurious from the facred dcfcription, was thought to refledl fome dif- credit on the book of revelation itfelf, in the time of Eufebius ; and even to render it fufpe6led as the v/ork of Cerinthus. Eufebius admitted it to be the work of John ; but, for fome frivolous reafons, not of John the JEvangelift. If the book is not enumerated in the pre- fent copies of the council of Laodicgea, among books ta be read^ it was, not long after its appearance, received by the churches of Afia, of Syria, of Samaria, of Africa, Egypt, and Rome j and is reckoned as canonical by later councils, upon the teftimony of the earlieft writers, from the time of Juftin Martyr and Irenaeus. It is fingular that any writer fhould now prefume to im- peach its authority, after the full inveiligation by which that authority has been pronounced by Sir Ifaac Newton, to be more fully attefted than that of any other book of the New Teftament ; not to mention the internal proofs of its infpiration, derived from the completion of its pro- phecies. See Newton, chap. i. on Apocal. Twell's Critic. Exam, of New Teft. and Cofm's Can. of Script, J 62. That DISCOURSE X. 54^ That the doftrine has fometimes been made a fubje<5l of unprofitable fpeculation, and a pretext for unjuftifiable condii(5t, cannot, with truth, be denied. The wild enthufiafts, who have, at different times, been inflamed with the hopes of its promifed bleffings, have clamoured, with unbecoming intemperance, for the eftablidiment of the expedled em* pire. They whom heated imaginations, and felfifli views, have milled; they who have fancied, and they who have hypocritically profeffed themfclves " the meek, who fhalt " inherit the earth," have often fought to eftablifh their community, and fchemes of equal participation, on the pretence of con- tributing to facilitate the coming of Chrift's . kingdom. The dawn of the reformation was pbfcured by the proceedings of thofe men who pretended an heavenly commiflion, to cred: the dominion of Chrill ; and who, in the attempt to realife their wild and vifionary fchemes, introduced popular commotions, ■and fcenes of the wildeft anarchy and de- firud;ion *. * See the account of the Munfter Anabaptifts of the fixtcenth century in rvlofiieim, Vol. IV. o. 27. and 139. 17 Centur. § 2. Part II. ^ 22. Burnet's Hift. of his ©wli Time, Tom. 1. p. 67. 6 The 346 DISCOURSE X. The faftions of the laft age, even in our own country, artfully availed themfelves of popu- lar delufions on this fubjed * ; and in the feditious commotions of later periods, we may fee a tinge derived from the infufion of a fimilar fpirit. A defire to be the humble inllrument of God, in the furtherance of his defigns, is praife- worthy and good; we muft be careful, however, to diftinguifli this delire from the fuggeftion of any intemperate motive, which, like the evil fpirit that enticed Ahab, may lead us to deftrudtion. We cannot confpire with God's views but by a conliderate and circumfpe^t obfervance of his laws. That no man can accelerate or retard the approach of the expedled kingdom is certain, however adiive righteoufnefs may be made fubfervient * « All the civil blood," fays Thorndyke ; « all that abominable defolation in religion, which we have feen, our late ufurper feemeth to have accounted meer godli- nefs, in order to that work which God had defigned him for, as he thought himfelf inspired to believe : nay, did not fome of the reformation prick up their ears, and^ begin to think well of his chriftianity for that work fake." See Juft Weights and Meafures, page ii, 12. to DISCOURSE X. 347 to its advancement. They who are led by in- diflindl fancies and prefumptuous confidence, to predict its coming from the changes and revolutions which they behold, fliould be careful, left they contribute, however unde- fignedly, to inflame the enthufiafm of the credulous, and to flir up the adiivity of the foolifli. We " muft ftand flill, and fee the " falvation of God," not infenfible to the progrefs of the divine decrees, but not im- patient to anticipate their completion *. The moft pofitive computations have often proved erroneous -f- ; but ilill, " though the vifion be " yet for an appointed time, at the end it will ** fpeak; though it tarry, wait for it, becaufe it ** willfurely come J." ** The kingdom of God " is alrcady within us § ;" and many prepa- ratory circumftances have already taken place. When its final eftablifhment fhall be eifedied, it muft be by the demonftration of that pov/er which muft c haraderife every immediate dif- .* James iv. 7-. Dan. xii. 4, t Laflantius Div. Inftit. Lib. VII. c. xxv. Whiflon, Sec. I Habakkuk jj. 2. § Luke xvii. 21. penfatiori 348 DISCOURSE X. penfation of God. It will be a kingdom^ \ve know, " not of this world ;" not of worldly power, and ambitious precedence ; not of temporal fplendor, or earthly aggran- difement. It will be " the ftone cut out of " the mountain without hands ;" without human aid or human power. It will be the perfe6t eflablifhment of God's laws ; the glorious manifeftation of his power, the fplendid exemplification of the excellency and rewards of his religion. THE END. -:■:■ ■■■• -^-r^'