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highest ideas we entertain of the perfections of the Creatour and Sovereign, of the universe. While the fact affumed, that men are in a corrupted state, and are become creatures imperfect in their kind, and which would in the whole of their existence, were it limited to the present ftate, fall short of the glory of God, exhibiting very inadequate figns of his government, is too well fupported, by the scene the world prefents, to be difproved by the fubtlest reasonings of dif putative philofophy. Neither is there lefs force in those proofs of the Divine Interference which have been exhibited, in the refiftless manner in which the gradual manifestation of the will of heaven on this head hath been extended through fo many nations: To convince mankind, that from God Himself, and no other, this counsel sprang, events were promised, which were so far from being probable, from the state of the world at the time that they were foretold, or liable to be described by human forefight, that for their accomplishment it was neceffary that feveral circumstances fhould be furnished by the means of various agents, in different nations and in diffe. rent ages: Monarchies were to be established, and overthrown, whole regions to be civilized, and those who had never heard of the God of Ifrael, or his people, were to be important agents in fulfilling his decrees: Sometimes the truth of all the prophecies yet unaccomplished, has appeared

peared to depend on the determination of a fingle perfon, totally unacquainted with their purport: Nor was the period during which the fuccefs of Haman's mifchievous intention continued doubtful, the only one at which the credit of no fmall portion of the predictions appeared to hang, as it were, by a thread; had Hannibal made that use of his victory at Cannœ, which might have been expected from a General both able and fo inveterate against the Romans, all thofe events in which it had been declared, that people fhould be, and in which they have fince been, inftruments, had probably never come to pass. At one time, we fee the peace of the earth effentially forwarding the knowledge of this difpenfation; at another, wars and tumults yield teftimony of its truth.In fome ages, the faith hath gained ground by the profperity of its profeffors; in others, their fufferings have furthered its propagation: And if we trace it from its fmall beginnings in Chaldoea, when confined to a family few in number, and obferve how, from the single stock of Abraham, millions of witneffes have arifen to its truth; and how the kings of the earth have bufied. themselves about this race, to root out, and to pull down, and to deftròy, while the Divine Providence, over-ruling with ineffable majefty their intents to the accomplishment of his promifes, hath continued even unto this hour, the

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courfe of events in the channel before marked out, the fupreme dignity with which this dif penfation hath been carried on, and the omnipotence of the Hand which hath conducted it, cannot fail to impress on our hearts, a conviction of the truth and juftness of these words, fpoken by the prophet in the name of the God of Ifrael, "This is the purpose that is purposed 66 upon the whole earth; and this is the hand "that is ftretched out upon all nations-For "the Lord of Hofts hath purposed, and Who "fhall difannul it? And His hand is ftretched

out, and Who fhall turn it back?" But while others have been thus made inftruments in a work of which they were totally unapprized, the chofen people theirfelves have been more peculiarly, nay, totally employed as fuch; for even from the day of their feparation from the reft of mankind unto this day, they have been figns unto the world; and in His government of them, God hath more especially manifefted his loving-kindness, judgement, and righteouf nefs. Their hiftory abounds with events calcu lated to attract the attention of the furrounding nations, and incite them to enquire into the caufe of circumftances fo fingular, and if in making this enquiry the most rational mode be purfued, and the public records of the people be perufed, the enquirer at once becomes informed, that he is materially interested in the

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truths therein manifefted, and that the Almighty Creatour of the univerfe has, through chofen perfons of their nation, called on all mankind to attend to the proofs of his fupremacy exhibited in the ftory of this race, and to give Him the glory due unto Him alone: While too the circumstances thus powerfully tending to excite enquiry, and work conviction, have been at the fame time no lefs calculated for the extenfion of both; fince the wonders wrought on them being confined to neither their own country, nor that of the adjoining nations, diftant lands, and various regions have become witneffes unto them. Placed in a portion of the earth which fucceffively became fubject to four different empires, the knowledge of their claim to the peculiar patronage of heaven, and of all the confequences of their misbehaviour under the opportunity of gaining the bleffings which would thence have flowed, hath spread to the East and to the West, to the North, and to the South-Difperfed by the judgements juftly executed on them among the most learned and inquifitive nations of the world, their records and their oracles have been fubmitted to the ftricteft examination, and the fevereft fcrutiny: Nothing hath been omitted, that could prevail on men to look carefully into thefe, nothing neglected, that could warrant a full conviction of their truth.-From the first hath this people dwelt alone; feparate from all others

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others do they still continue; as fingular in their paft fortunes, as in their prefent fituation; oppreffion, captivity, and difperfion have on them failed of their ufual effects: Thofe who have been employed in the execution of heaven's decrees against them, have been long swallowed up by other and victorious nations, Affyria and Babylon are blotted out of the catalogue of the peoples, and, What are the remains of the Grecian or Roman empires? But the undoubted pofterity of Ifrael ftill continue innumerable, and capable of being made both fubjects and inftruments of future mercies. The affurance of everlasting kindness given to their fathers, hath never been forgotten: For near 4000 years have their fortunes tallied with their defignation, and the outline of their then future circumstances sketched by the great Minifter of their Law, before they first took poffeffion of the land of Canaan, hath been fo far accurately filled up; there now remains, in comparison with what is past, little but bleffing, and a glorious reft; for, as when the fig-tree putteth forth her leaves, we know that the fummer is at hand, fo may we from the most unequivocal figns now gain affurance, that much the greater portion of that period is already paft, during which the stock of Ifrael is to lie bare and neglected: And fince however ill this race in general may have behaved under the advantages which they have enjoyed,