Of the Progrefs of the Chriftian Religion, from its first Promulgation at Jerufalem, to its legal Establishment under Conftantine, the Roman Emperor. Go, Heathen Sages, ftrength of Greece and Rome, While Men of higher, Apoftolic fame, But humble mien, fhine forth with brighter ray.- Whom Jewish Priests acknowledge as their God. THE ftate of the world, when our Saviour came in the flesh, evinced the abfolute neceffity of a radical and general change. He came to introduce a fuperior difpenfation of grace, and to establish a religion fimple in its nature, powerful in its operation, and beneficial in its effects. The coming of the Meffiah, and the erection, extent, and glory of his kingdom, had long been foretold by the holy prophets; anticipated, and anxioufly expected by righteous perfons. The fcheme of Prophecy, fays profeffor White, confidered in its firft opening, its gradual advance, and its final and full completion in the advent, the miniftry, the death, and refurrection of the Meffiah, and the extenfive progrefs of his gofpel among the Gentiles, together with its bleffed influence on individuals, focieties, countries, and the whole race of mankind; is an object the greatest and most fublime that imagination can conceive; and the most pleasing and important that the human mind can contemplate. We behold the promise of a Redeemer given to our firft parents immediately after the fall, in obfcure and general terms. It foretold a victory that would be gained over the enemy that had deceived and conquer ed them; a victory the moft illuftrious in its effects and confequences; and which fhould amply revenge on the ferpent's head the evils and miferies which he had introduced into the world. We behold the promife renewed in fomewhat clearer language to the Patriarchs; particularly to Abraham, the great father of the faithful. Here the great purposes of providence begin to difclofe themfelves with a fuller and brighter luftre at every step. With this venerable patriarch the Almighty condefcended to enter into a peculiar covenant; and, to excite his obedience, he promised to raise up from him a great nation; to take him and his family under his immediate patronage; and to make all the nations of the earth bleffed through him*. Hence he was diftinguifhed by the enjoyment of both temporal and fpiritual bleffings. He poffeffed cattle, filver, and gold, in abundance. His honour and dignity, the children of Heth, among whom he fojourned, acknowledged, faying, thou art a mighty prince, a prince of God, (fo the Hebrew reads,) i. e. a very great and renowned prince. He was favoured with the light of God's reconciled countenance, and with direct proofs of his approbation. Canaan was promised to him as a type of Heaven; and he looked for a city which hath foundations, whofe builder and maker is God. In fhort, he became an eminent pattern of faith, obedience, felf-denial, fubmiffion, and holinefs. His pofterity were multiplied, until he became the father of a great nation. When Jacob went down into Egypt, they were only feventy, or at the most seventyfive perfons, as Stephen reckons them†, after another mode of computation. They fojourned there‡ accord *Gen. xxii. 17, 18.-xxvi. 4. See White's Bampton Lecture, Sermon vii. p. 307, 308; in which is given a fine view of the prophecies, which concern human redemption. + Acts vii. Mofes fays, that the fojourning of the children of Ifrael, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years: but he means, from the time of Abraham's being firft called from Ur of the Chaldees, to the giving of the Law at Sinai. The firft promife that was made to Abraham was when he was seventyfive years old, (Gen, xii. 3, 4;) and from this date, to the birth of Ifaac, which happened when Abraham was one hundred years old, (Gen. xxi. 5.) was twenty ing to the LXX, 215 years; during a part of which time, the Egyptians endeavoured, by cruel means, to diminish them. Yet, when they came out of Egypt, they were increased to the number of fixteen hundred thousand men that were fit for war; befides women and children, and fuch young men as were under twenty years of age, and old men who were totally unfit to bear arms*. When they were numbered, a little more than a year after they came out of Egypt, the men fit for war were, fix hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fiftyt. We may conclude, that the women and children under twenty years, and the old men, were as many, and half as many, as thofe who were numbered. So it may be rationally fuppofed, that the number, in all, could not be less than fifteen hundred thousand: a prodigious increase from seventy perfons, in the space of 215 years! His pofterity poffeffed the gates of their enemies, in the victories that God gave them over the Amalekites, (who firft of all attacked them in the wilderness ;) and in the conquefts of all thofe kingdoms and nations in Canaan, and bordering upon it, of which we read in the book of Joshua. And though, afterwards, they were oppreffed by their enemies, no lefs than seven times during the government of the Judges, and afterwards by the Syrians, Affyrians, and Chaldeans, and, at last, ruined by the Romans, it was because they were not obedient to God's voice, in his laws and prophets§. The promise, that the Meffiah fhould fpring from the loins of Abraham, and that in his feed all the nations of the earth fhould be bleffed, is peculiarly memorable, and contains one reason why the Almighty made choice of, and feparated him and his pofterity from, the rest of mankind; and is properly made, by the facred writers, the foundation of his difpenfations five years. Ifaac was fixty when Jacob was born, Gen. xxv. 26. who went into Egypt at one hundred and thirty, Gen. xlvii. 9. and the Ifraelites fojourned. there two hundred and ten, or at most two hundred and fifteen years; which complete the number. Exod. xii. 87. § Pfa. lxxxi. 18-15. + Num. i. 45, 46. Exod. xvii. 8-16. Gen, xxii. 18. Gal. iii. 16. to him; and may be regarded as a mark to direct the reader to the great object, to which they ultimately referred. Understanding the promife, he was exceedingly defirous of feeing its accomplishment; and, by a remarkable stretch of faith, was fo animated, that, as it were, he leaped forwards with joy to meet the object of his wifhes*. From other promifes and prophecies in the Old Teftament, we learn, that the great profperity of the Meffiah's kingdom was foretold. I have fet my king, fays Jehovah, upon my holy hill of Zion. Afk of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion†. In his days fhall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace fo long as the moon endureth. All kings fhall fall down before him: all nations fhall ferve him. His name fhall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the fun; and men shall be blessed in him; and all nations fhall call him bleed. The prophet Ifaiah, transported with the forefight of the birth of the Meffiah, and of the glorious kingdom of his grace, faith, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government fhall be upon his fhoulder: and he shall be called the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order and to eftablish it with judgment and juftice, from henceforth even for ever§. Daniel, in expounding the dream which Nebuchadnezzar had, having defcribed the Babylonian, the Perfian, the Grecian, and Roman empires, fubjoins, In the days of thefe kings, that is, of the Roman emperors, Shall the God of heaven fet up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom fhall not, like the former, be left to other people; but it fhall break in pieces and confume all thefe kingdoms, and it fhall ftand for ever. I faw in the night vifions, fays Daniel in another place, and behold, one like the Son of Man, which is a character our Saviour often affumed * See Blackwall's Sacred Claffics, vol. i. p. 46-48. + Pfa. ii. 6, 8. Pfa. lxxii. 7, 11, 17.` § Ifa. ix. 6, 7.. in the days of his flesh, came to the Ancient of Days, and there was given to him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, fhould ferve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which fhall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed*. Gabriel the angel, in foretelling the birth of the promised Meffiah to his mother, fpake thefe words, He shall be great, and the Lord fhall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the houfe of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there fhall be no end. The learned Dr. Jortin fays, The miracles of Christ were prophecies at the fame time; they were fuch miracles as, in a particular manner, fuited his character, they were fignificant emblems of his defigns, and figures aptly reprefenting the benefits to be conferred by him upon mankind; and they had in them, if we may fo fpeak, a fpiritual fenfe. He caft out evil fpirits, who, by the divine providence, were permitted to exert themfelves, at that time, and to poffefs many perfons. By this he showed, that he came to destroy the empire of Satan, and seemed to foretel, that, wherefoever his doctrine fhould prevail, idolatry and vice would be put to flight.----He gave fight to the blind, ́ (a miracle well fuiting him who brought life and immortality to light,) and taught truth to the ignorant world. He himself leads us to this obfervation, and fets his miracle in the fame view, faying upon that occafion, I am the light of the world; I am come into this world, that they which fee not, might fee‡.----He cured the deaf, and the dumb, and the lame, and the infirm, and cleanfed the lepers, and healed all manner of fickneffes; to fhow, at the fame time, that he was the Phyfician of fouls, which have their diseases correfponding in fome manner to thofe of the body, and are deaf, and dumb, and impotent, and paralytic, and leprous, in the fpiritual fenfe.-He fed the hungry multitudes by a miracle, which aptly reprefented his heavenly doctrine, and the Gospel he preached to the + John viii. 12. + Luke i. 32, 33. Dan. vii. 13, 14. |
