by the Hand; guided and supported by the SERM.IV. great Parent of all Things. How could it be expected, that a Set of recent Mortals, wholly employed in the neceffary Accommodations of Life, having few Ideas, and not Leisure to acquire more, fhould raise their Minds above fenfible Impreffions to the Discovery of one Invisible Supreme Being, and of the Worship due to him only; when of two fuch Men as Julian and Celfus, who enjoyed the Advantages of the Obfervations and Reasonings of all precedeing Ages, one of them* could invocate the Sun as the Supreme Deity; and the other + make the following Objection to the Jewish Religion: "Those stupid Shepherds" (fays this great Mafter of Reason)" and Herdf men, following Mofes as their Leader, and being imposed upon by his unpolish'd Frauds, were induced to believe (won"derful Stupidity!) that there was only one God?" Thus what is thought an Objection, turns out an illuftrious Proof for the Truth of Revelation. Here is a Matter of Fact, for which there is Historical * Julianus ad Regem Solem, Orat. IV. + Celfus apud Origenem, Pag. 17, 18. Ed. Cantab. Evi SERM.IV. Evidence, that there was, in the early Ages of the World, a Religion plain, fimple, and true, as far as it went. Frequent Intercourfes with the Deity, and Meffages from Heaven, give an eafy and fatisfactory Solution of this Fact, of which no other poffible Solution can be given. How ever extraordinary a Thing the Introduction of the Deity may be upon the Drama of Nature; here It is abfolutely neceffary to unravel the Difficulty. I might obferve further, that no other Reafon but this can be given, why the Jews alone fhould adhere to the Worship of one God, and be a standing Teftimony against Idolatry amidst an idolatrous World. Repeated Interpofitions of the Deity being to them, what Improvements in every Branch of Literature are to us; enabling us to demonftrate the Being, Attributes and Providence of God, and the Homage due to Him: So that even Natural Religion could not have been introduced into the World, and preferved in it, without fupernatural Instruction. Thus again, however astonishing a Matter of Fact the Deluge may appear to be; it must be admitted as fuch, because it is as well attefted as any Thing in Antiquity : and and whoever admits this Inftance of God's SERM. IV. Displeasure, which involved the Innocent as well as Guilty in one promifcuous Doom; cannot, with any Colour of Reason, object to the utter Excifion of the Idolatrous Nations (when they had filled up the Measure of their Iniquities) by his Command who could, and would, in another World make a Difference between the unoffending Perfon and the prefumptuous Sinner. Thus again fome Parts of the Jewish Law prove themselves, and fhine with an original unborrowed Evidence, as those relating to the Sabbatical Year; the Afcent of all the Males to the Temple of Jerufalem three Times a Year; against multiplying Chariots, &c. they being fuch, as no wife Lawgiver would enact, nor any Nation fubmit to, without an abfolute Certainty of a Standing Divine Interpofition: and whatever intrinfic Brightness these are attended with, they diffuse it over the whole Body of the Law. Again, nothing hath furnished an ampler Handle for Exceptions, than those Ways which the Prophets made ufe of to notify the Will of God; as if they denoted a frantic Turn of Mind. Now the exact SERM.IV. and punctual Correfpondency between the Prophecy and the fubfequent Events, plainly proves that God spoke by the Mouth of his Prophets; and it is demonftrable, that thofe, whofe Writings are infpired by God, cannot, in those Writings, be guilty of an Abfurdity. But there is no Demonstration that thofe Schemes of Difcourfe, which the Prophets used, carried any Indications of Frenzy. It being the only Indication of Frenzy, in Modes of Expreffion and Dress, not to fall in with received Customs, as far as they are innocent. It was cuftomary among the Orientals (and among other Nations too, as appears from the old Way of ratifying Leagues and Covenants, from the Act of the Phocæans (to which Horace * alludes in his Epodes, and even from Pilate's washing his Hands) to communicate their Sentiments by Typical Signs and Symbolical Representations, in order to imprefs them with more Energy. They used to fpeak to the Eyes, by Actions expreffive of their Meaning. Abfurdity is either, *Hor. Lib. Epodôn, Od. XVI. y. 25, 26. what what is fo in itself, fomething that contra- SERM.IV. dicts a confeffed Principle or Conclufion of Reason, and this is unchangeably the fame at all Times and Places: Or it is what is relatively fo in Regard to Time, Place and Perfon. In the latter Sense it is of no fixed Nature but an arbitrary Term; That being abfurd in fome Circumstances, which would be very proper, if Things were differently circumftanced. As for Abfurdities of the former Kind, I know not any Thing in the Emblematical Actions of the Prophets that carries the leaft Appearance of Sin or Immorality, except that of Hofea's taking a Wife of Whoredoms: which, though but an Appearance, is obviated, if we confider the promifcuous Use of the Imperative and Future in the Hebrew Tongue. For the Words may be rendred, not, Take thee a Wife, &c. but, Thou wilt take a Wife; a Prediction, not a Command: and the Senfe may be, "I foresee, that in fo corrupt and degene"rate an Age thou wilt chufe a Woman "who will prove unfaithful to her Conju"gal Vow." And as for Abfurdities of the latter Kind, let it be confidered; that however untoward an Aspect thefe Modes of |