After the Ifraelites left Egypt, and were fettled in Judæa, they had great traffic with other nations, particularly with Tyre and Sidon, as we frequently read in Scripture; and the Tyrians, being at that time the most trading people in the world, carried with them, no doubt, in their various voyages, more or lefs of the Jewish hopes of a Redeemer.

The Jewish wars alfo tended to fpread these notices among those nations with whom they were at variance.

The refort of foreigners alfo among them, contributed to the fame end. The glory of their temple, the splendid mode of their worship, and the renown of their lawgiver's wifdom, attracted the notice of other nations. We often read in the Bible of ftrangers reforting to Jerufalem; among whom were fometimes very illuftrious perfons: and many of these strangers, we may well fuppofe, would take notice of the remarkable rites and customs among the Jews; and might be inquifitive into the hidden meaning of them.

But above all other things, the captivity of the Jews in foreign lands contributed to spread these intimations. And we may the rather believe it,

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because they continued fo long under the power of their conquerors, that when their law was, in a manner, loft at home; it was afterwards recovered from Babylon.

After their return from Babylon, they were. conquered by the Romans; and this conquest opened a great communication between Rome and Jerufalem. How much the cuftoms of the two nations were known to each other, is evident both from feveral parts of the New Testament, and likewife from many paffages in the Roman writers. -So that as the Babylonish captivity tended to disperse the knowledge of the Jewish law in the Eaft; the Romish conqueft tended equally to dif perfe it in the West.

Thus intimations of the Jewish hopes of a Meffiah were scattered over many parts of the earth; and this remarkable people became the means, as Providence defigned, of preparing the world for the great truths of the Gofpel. They became that leaven, which, according to one of our Saviour's parables, was afterwards to ferment through the whole mafs of mankind.

I fhall only detain you with a fingle remark on what hath been faid.

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We are under the greateft obligations, you fee to refpect the Old Teftament, as well as the New. Many ferious people pay too little regard to the Old Testament, as if they fuppofed it had now done its office. But certainly they lie under a great mistake. Some of the books of the Old Testament, no doubt, claim our attention more than others, on account of their intrinfic worth; and there are many difficulties in various parts of these ancient writings, which we are not able to folve fo well as we could with; yet ftill they are greatly entitled to our regard on their own account -as they have been the means of preparing the world for the reception of the Christian religion; and as they are still one of the ftanding evidences of the truth of it.

SERMON XV.

2 TIM. iii. 16.

III. ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRA

TION OF GOD.

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my last discourse I explained to you the preparation made by the providence of God for the reception of the Gofpel: and in confequence of it, many nations, as well as the Jews, did really expect fome divine inftructor to appear about the time when Chrift actually did appear.

As the great event approached, it pleafed God to employ one other mode of preparation.-This was the preaching of John the Baptift. The particular end of John's preaching, as it appears, was to unite, and point to their proper object, the various prophetic notices, which had gone before. All was now fulfilled: and the world was speedily

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to fee that great Perfonage, who had been, more or lefs, expected through every age fince the fall of man.

What were the expectations of mankind when this wonderful event was to take place? All that is grand, all that is fplendid in human affairs, was expected here to be difplayed. The Jews had no idea but of a conqueror, riding in a triumphal chariot, deftroying his enemies on every side, and establishing his faithful followers in all the fulness of empire.

But God's ways are not like man's ways. The Saviour of the world appeared with very different notions of dignity. His dignity was holiness; his worldly ornament, a meek and gentle fpirit. Though defcended from David, his birth was obfcure; and his life, till the 30th year of his age, when he entered on his public ministry, was spent in the closest retirement.

On his appearing openly in the world, he appealed for the truth of his divine commiffion to the prophecies, which he fulfilled; and the miracles which he wrought.

These two kinds of proofs we shall confider; but as they both depend on the truth of Scripture, it is neceffary, before we proceed, to shew on what grounds

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