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Images which are more frequent to him than to any other Prophet? How exalted is his Spirit? With what divine Fire, doth not his Heart burn, when he seems fo jealous for the Glory of God? And what fupernatural Enthufiafm makes him utter fuch things, as are in reality more lofty in themselves, than whatever the most polite and the most eloquent Orators did ever think upon? Prepare to meet thy God, O Ifrael: For lo be that formeth the Mountains, and createth the Wind, and declareth unto Man what is his thought; that maketh the morn ing darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the Lord the God of Hofts is his name. Is this the ftile of a Shepherd? And did ever the most eloquent Orators in the World speak in a more fublime manner, and more worthy of God?

Chap. 4.

ver. 12.

CHAP. XIX.

Where we further answer the Difficulties of the Incredulous, and make it appear that the strongest of their Objections Supplies us with an invincible Argument for the Truth of the Jewish Religion.

WE

E think our felves very much obliged to Spinosa for having fupplied us with an invincible Argument, for the Divinity of the Jewish Religion, in giving us occafion to fhew that the Prophets, who pen ned the Books of the Old Teftament, did not write conformably to their Prejudices, Education or natural Temper, which we suppose to have plainly demonstrated in the foregoing Chapters. But because this matter is of a very great import, it requires a more elaborate Exami

nation.

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If we begin by Mofes the greatest of all the Prophets of the Old Teftament, and the most ancient Writer of all, we fhall eafily prove, neither he, nor any of the fucceeding Writers ever followed their prejudices in their Compofitions.

It cannot be denied, but that the main profefs'd Opinion of Mofes was, that God had fet apart the Ifraelites from all other Nations of the Earth, in order to depofite his Oracles into their hands, and to honour them with his Covenant. What other Nation, fays he, has God fo dealt with?

And yet Mofes writes feveral things against this profefs'd Opinion of his; for First, he speaks of one Melchifedech King of Salem, whom he calls the Prieft of the most high God, although he lived among other Nations, and was not of the Family of Abraham, which feemed to be the only one that was honoured with God's Covenant. I do not here intend to examin that place of Genefis, neither do I think it very much to the purpose to inquire here, who this Melchifedech was. 1 fhall stick to what Mofes fays of him, which in all appearance was all he knew of him. Melchifedech was a juft King; Melchifedech was the Prieft of the most high God. As fuch, he bleffed Abraham, nay, he fhewed himself in this refpect, greater than Abrabam. There may be perhaps in this particular, fome mystery or other, that we are unacquainted with. But then Mofes in all probability was no better ins formed of it than we, because he obferves fo profound a filence in this refpect. It is not very neceffary to mind here the Speculations of the Commentators, but only to follow the plain defigns of the Hiftory.

The Scripture reprefents Mankind to us, as being fallen into Idolatry and Superftition much before that time. It was a prejudice of Mofes, that the Family of Abraham had withdrawn her felf from all other

Families of the Earth, with a defign to ferve the true God. So that, methinks, we may from thence very naturally conclude, that Mofes has fometimes written against his own prejudices.

The like may be faid of this fame Author's Fancy, in afcribing to Abimelech, that he had feared God, and to Balaam, that he had received the gift of Prophefie, though he had daily converfed with Idolatrous Na

tions.

'Twas another profefs'd Opinion of Mofes, which was yet a more unquestionable one than the former, to acknowledge the Unity of God: But never did any Author either more folidly or more distinctly establish the Foundation of the Truth of that grand Principle. But though this Truth fhould not evidently enough appear only by the Writings of that Law-giver; yer, to evince the fame, we need but to confider with what an invincible Conftancy the Jews, who were bred only up in the School of Mofes, ever maintained this Tenet By which they were ever diftinguished from all other Nations. And yet Mofes has written several Things which tend directly to overthrow this grand Principle, we fhall not here mention how he introduces God fpeaking in the plural number, and faying, Let us make Man in our Image after our likeness, nor how, after our firft Parents had tinned, God made ufe alfo of this Ironie, in the plural Number, Bebold the Man is become as one of us, to know

Gen. 3. 22.

good and evil. And now left be put forth his hand, and take alfo of the Tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.

But this would be no very great matter, were there nothing elfe to be faid: But we read, that when God went to deftroy the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, by an extraordinary and terrible punishment, he gave fome hints of it to Abraham: And

thus

thus it is Related; As Abraham fat in the tent-door in the heat of the Day, he lifted up his Eyes, and behold three Men ftood by him. One of those three Men called the Lord Adonai. The fame who told Sarah, the fhould conceive a Son, faid, fhall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do feeing that Abraham fhall furely becomea great and mighty Nation, and all the Nations of the Earth fhall be bleffed in him? For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houfhold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do Justice and Judgment, that the Lord may bring upon ·Abraham that which he hath Spoken of him.

Gen 18.17.

Chap. 18 20.

great,

It is evident that there are here two Lords, two Adonai, two different Subjects honour'd by the Name of God. There is a Lord that fpeaks, and a Lord that is fpoken of: There is a Lord or Adonai that speaks,The Text is formal in the point. The Lord faid, fhall 1 hide from Abraham the thing which I do? There is a Lord, or an Adonai he speaks off, fince he adds, For I know that he will command his Chidren, &c. But let us further examin these words of Gen. And the Lord faid, because the Cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is and because their Sin is very grievous, I will go down now and fee whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me. The Men therefore went toward Sodom: but Abraham ftood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and faid, wilt thou alfo deftroy the Righteous with the Wicked? Peradventure, there be fifty righteous within the City: wilt thou alfo destroy them? That be far from thee to do after this manner : fhall not the Fudge of all the Earth do aright? And the Lord faid, if I find in Sodom fifty Righteous within the City, then I will Spare all the place for their Sakes. And Abraham answered and Jaid, behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes, &c. And the Lord went his way, as foon as he had left communing with Abra

bam

bam, and Abraham returned unto his place. And there came two Angles to Sodom at Even. &c. And when the Morning arofe, then the Angels haftened Lot, Saying, &c. And Lot, faid unto them, Oh, not fo, my Lord. Behold now thy Servant hath found grace in thy Sight and thou haft magnified thy mercy which thou hast fhewed unto me in faving my Life, and I cannot escape to the Mountain, &c. Behold now this City is near to flee unto, &c. And be faid unto him, I have accepted thee concerning this thing alfo, that I will not overthrow this City, for the which thou hast spoken. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah Brimstone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven.

Now it must have been the most high God, or his Angel only, that mannifefted himself unto Abraham, and talked with him concerning the punishment he was about to inflict upon Sodom and Gomorrah: But be it how it will, ftill it appears that Mofes wrote those things against his profeffed opinion.

For if it were the moft high God, that took upon him the form of a Man to manifeft himself to Abraham; how comes it to pass, that Mofes afterwards represents him to us fo great and fo exalted, as not poffibly to be decribed to our Eyes; that he tells us that God was willing to make himself to be heard, but that he would not be feen, left if he were invested with some human fhape, the Ifraelites fhould conceive too mean an Idea of his Grandeur and Perfections. Remember, fays the Lawgiver, the day that thoứ Deut. 4. 10. Stoodft before the Lord thy God in Horeb, bow ye heard the Voice of the words, but saw no Similitude, take ye therefore good heed unto your felves, &c.

But if the Perfon that spoke with Abraham was only an Angel of God, we muft further grant that Mofes wrote this Hiftory against his profeffed opinion. For Mofes was fully convinced of the unity of the Supream

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