Magiftrates, Priefts and People, corrupt Nature and falle Religion, fhut up all Paffages against Truth; and were like fo many ftrong Barriers, which feemed to exclude it from ever finding Entrance and Entertain ment among them.

Doubtlefs, whofoever confiders, how difficult it was to convert the Gentiles, muft neceffarily own it was the Work of God,and not the Work of Men. And he cannot but be further confirmed in this Opinion, if he takes notice of that holy and bleffed Change in Mens Religion, effected in fo fmall a compafs of time. How if heretofore the Corruption of their Hearts had eftablifhed the Rule of their Worship, and was the Original of Polytheifm among them, new the true and found Notion of a God, who was the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and is perfectly juft, good, holy and wife, hath reformed and expelled all vitious Inclinations out of Mens Hearts. I fay, he muft acknowledge fome Almighty Power to have effected that fudden and admirable Change, and fuppofing there is fuch an Intelligent Being that ruleth the World, and confers upon Men all the Good they can enjoy; his Goodness consequently must have had some fhare in that happy Change.

But how ftrangely furprifed muft he needs be then, to fee that great Event fo clearly and exactly foretold bim? Why furely then, he cannot be fo fenlelefs as to reject a Truth that offers it felf to his mind, with fo many different Fommendations from Senfe, Reafon, Experience and or Vitneffes, fo much.e lefs to be fufpected, becaufe . lived long before it came to pafs, which all come together, to force him by a kind of irrefiftable Ve to affent to it

CHA P. II.

That God defigned to make a New Covenant with Men more Perfect than the First.

TH

HE Calling of the Gentiles being thus folidly proved, we have laid the main Foundation upon which the whole Matter of the Affertion depends, which we are now to treat of. The Truths which naturally flow from that prime and capital One being thefe ; viz.

First, That God defigned to make a New Covenant with Mankind, more perfect than the first he made with the Family of Abraham. This is equally proved to us both by Reason and Scripture.

Our Reafon affures us, That a Covenant whole promifes concern'd but one Particular Nation, could not be extended to all Mankind in General. For, in effect, all Men could not have the Priviledge to dwell in so small a Country as the Land of Canaan; and the Circumcifion a particular diftinction of one Nation from the reft, could not be taken for a sign which all Nations should bear in their Flefh. Lastly, Neither could the Temple, Priesthood, nor Gift of Prophecy, imparted only to the Jews, be any ways ufeful to them all, and confequently a Covenant effentially diftinct from the former, was abfolutely requilite

God had before fignified by the Mouth bets; and Jeremiah fpeaks of it in

Chap. 31. verfe 31, 32, 33.

this wife; Behold the days come, faith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Ifrael, and with the Houfe of Judah, not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the Land of Egypt; which my Covenant they brake, &c. But this fhall be the Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifrael, After thofe Days, faith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their

bearts.

Chap. 11.

V. 19, 20.

Ezechiel also gives it the following Character, And I shall give them one beart, and I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the ftony Heart out of their flesh, and will give them a Heart of flesh; The they may walk in my Statutes, and keep my Ordinances and do them: And they shall be my People, and I will be their God.

By these and the like Prophecies, it is not only manifelt, That the Covenant God defigned to make in common, both with Ifrael and all other Nations, fhould be new, but also that it fhould be more perfect than the other, and as fuch only, it should fucceed the former. This the Prophet Jeremiah, above quoted, does so plainly demonftrate, as to convince the most ignorant of it, I will make a new Covenant, &c. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers, &c. which my Covenant they brake. Who fees not,That this Prophecy Promises a Covenant far more excellent than that God had formerly made with the elites.

But if, after having confulte the Scripture, we fhall further confule dhe Light of Ren,

that this fections

it will inform t

as made up two different Pers tion to

Pagan Worl

whề

which it was to abolish, the other with relation to the Jewish Religion, whofe Gaps and Imperfections it was, as it were, to fill up and reform.

Whilft Paganism flourish'd in the World, there was no true Knowledge of God or of Vertue. Temperance was become fo rare, that all the Earth was but like one great Sodom. Humility and Charity were fo utterly lost, that they had not so much as a Name given them. God could not therefore but difpel their blindnefs in all these refpects, by the light of his Revelation, when he was making a Covenant with them. And indeed what is the whole fcope of the Gospel, but to instruct us in the knowledge of one God, Maker and Preferver of all things, to fhew us how we ought to direct all our Actions to his Glory (in the doing of which confifts the Effence of true and folid Vertue) to love our Neighbour, humble our felves before God, whom we ought alone to be continually admiring, as the Univerfal Fountain of all good Gifts? This Co venant of the Gospel was therefore the moft fuitable to the Wants and Neceffities of the Gentiles.

But although the Jewish Religion wanted not good Precepts and Exhortations, which enjoyned Men the performance of all their Duties, yet it had no Motives powerful enough to perfwade them to it, because it propofed none but fuch as were Carnal and Temporal. How could the Ifraelites fo far force their Inclinations, as to pay entire Obedience to the Law, when the Land of Canaan, a Temporal Profperity, &c. were the only Rewards propofed for their Obedience, by that private Covenant which God had made with them? But here they have a fecond Covenant, which not only captivates Mens Wills and Affections, by Motives fo univerfal and fublime, as to be able to balance the

utions with which worldly Pleafures fo ftrongly

odifobey God's Law, but allo

by

Divinely qualified than the first. Thus Mofes was the Meekeft of Men; but the Mediator we speak of was to be quite without Sin. Mofes went up a Mount to receive Gods Ordinances, but the new Mediator was to bring down his Revelation from Heaven it felf. Mofes gave a Law to the Jews in general, and appointed Levites to expound and teach it the People throughout all Ages: But the New Mediator was to bring a Law to all Mankind, he was to give it them by the Mediation of his Servants the Prophets, and to Preferve it amongst them by a perpetual Succeffion of Paftors and Teachers. Thus Reafon does not take us off from the Knowledge of the Messiah; but ra ther makes a way for us to examin seriously the Manifold Prophecies, by which he was promised unto Men.

For 'tis true, that the Scripture joyns the Call ing of the Gentiles, together with the Coming of the Meffiah, who was to Operate that great Work, as an effect that is joyned with 'its proGen. 49. 10. per Caufe. And Though, thofe Words of Facob, unto him shall the gathering of the People be, fhould have a dubious Senfe, and tho other places of Scripture, which denote the calling of the Gentiles, fhould not give it a fufficient Illuftration; yet this Truth cannot but appear from those remarkable Words of Efajah saying, In that Day fhall there be an Altar to the Lord, in the midst of the Land of Egypt, and a Pillar at the Barder

Chap. 19, v. 19, 20, 21, 22.

4

thereof to the Lord, and it shall be for a Sign, and for a Witness unto the Lord of Hoft in the Land of Egypt: For they fhall Cry unto the Lord, because of the Oppreffors, and be fhall fend them a Saviour, and a great one, and be fhail deliver them. And the Lord fhall be known to Ægypt,