gical events, that he published a faithful hiftorical Commentary on our Lord's prophesy, for the confirmation of all ages in the truth of the chriftian religion.*

XIII. THE PRESENT STATE OF THE JEWS, A STRIKING EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH OF PROPHESY AND OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

THE prefent ftate of the jews is a permanent miracle, perpetuated through a series of many

* See Harwood's introduction, vol. I. p. 43, &c. Mede's works, p. 34, &c. Newton's differtations on the prophefies, vol. I. difs. XVIII. vol. II. Ib. XIX XXII. Boffuit's hift. vol. II. p. 77, &c. Doddridge's lectures, p. 312, &c. Grotius, p. 149, &c. Beattie's evidences, p. 35. &c. Deifm revealed, vol. II. p. 253, &c. Jenkins's chriftianity, vol. I. p. 255, &c. And Leflie's truth of chriftianity demonftrated, p. -74, &c.

The learned and ingenious Bishop Newton, thus expreffes himfelf." The prefervation of the jews is one of the moft fignal and illustrious acts of divine providence. They are dispersed among all nations, and yet they are not confounded with any. The drops of rain which fall, nay the great rivers which flow into the ocean, are foon mingled and loft in that immenfe body of waters: and the fame, in all human probability, would have been the fate of the jews, they would have been mingled and loft in

fucceffive ages, to our times. The Affyrians,

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the common mafs of mankind; but, on the contrary, they flow into all parts of the world; mix with all nations, and yet keep feparate from all. They ftill live as a diftinct people, and yet they no where live according to their own laws; no where elect their own magiftrates; no where enjoy the full exercife of their religion. Their folemn feafts and facrifices are limited to one certain place, and that hath been now for many ages in the hands of firangers and aliens, who will not fuffer them to come thither. No people have continued unmixed fo long as they have done, not only of thofe who have fent forth cola. nies into foreign countries, but even of those who have abided in their own country. The northern nations have come in fwarms into the more fouthern parts of Europe; but where are they now to be difcerned and diftinguished? The Gauls went forth in great bodies to foreign parts; but what traces or footsteps of them are now remaining any where? In France, who can feparate the race of the ancient Gauls from the various other people, who from time to time have fettled there? In Spain, who can diftinguish between the firft poffeffors the Spaniards, and the Goths and the Moors, who conquered and kept poffeffion of the country for fome ages? In England, who can pretend to fay with certainty which families are derived from the ancient Britons, and which from the Romans, or Saxons, or Danes, or Normans? The most ancient and honorablė pedigrees can be traced up only to a certain period, and beyond that there is nothing but conjec,

Babylonians, Carthaginians, Macedonians, are now no more. Their names have long fince been · fwallowed up and confounded with thofe of their conquerors. But in this diftinguished inftance, we fee the vanquished for many ages furvive the victors, and remain a diftinct separate community, and body among all the various nations into which they are scattered. We know this people to fubfift in very confiderable numbers, in almost all the nations of the world, though the univerfal derifion and contempt of every nation; though plundered and perfecuted by almost every nation in which they fojourn, yet every where exifting as a large, opulent, and flourishing body. We fee them retain the fame veneration for

ture and uncertainty, obfcurity and ignorance; but the jews can go up higher than any nation ; they can even deduce the pedigree from the beginning of the world. They may not know from what particular tribe or family they are defcended, but they know certainly that they all fprang from the ftock of Abraham. And yet the contempt with which they have been treated, and the hardthips which they have undergone, in almoft all countries, fhould, one would think, have made them defirous to forget or renounce their original; but they profefs it, they glory in it; and after fo many wars, maffacres, and perfecutions, they fill fubfift; they ftill are very humerous; and what, but a fupernatural power, could have preferved them in fuch a manner as no other nation upon earth has been preferved?" Differtations upon the prophefies, vol. I. p.

the ancient lawgiver and his laws, they ever retained, and practising the peculiar rites and ceremonies of their religion, with the fame punctilious and fcrupulous exactnefs they ever observed.

The author of our religion expreffly declared, that Jerufalem fhould be trodden under foot of the Gentiles; and both ancient and modern history fets its feal to the truth of the account, and affures us it hath lain in this deplorable condition for above feventeen hundred years. The author of our religion predicted, that, after the deftruction of Jerufalem by the romans, the jews fhould be difperfed into all nations-We fee the difperfion of this people, otherwife unaccountable, and cannot but acknowledge, that the evidence of a religion which contains fuch a prophefy, made at a time when there were no appearances of fuch a difperfion, much lefs of its fubfifting for fo long a feries of ages, is continually increafing, and receiving acceffion to its credentials, from the accumulation of every additional period of revolving years.

How can we account for this melancholy ftate of the once favorite and diftinguished people of God? They have now experienced, not feventy, but feventeen hundred years of captivity! They have now no divine meffenger, as formerly, to confole their forrows; no prophet to give them an happy profpect of their return; no deliverer to reconduct them to the land of their ancestors; they continue as unfettled vagrants, the jest and proverb of the world!

There must be fome fignal event, from which one muft date thefe remarkable calamities; fome

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horrid national crime, which pursues them and their children; and fome future catastrophe to which this remarkable prefervation of them, as a diftinct people in all the nations of the world, must refer, and which providence designed should unravel this perplexed and intricate plot!

And he, who confiders how exactly the predictions of Jefus were fulfilled in the deftruction. of Jerufalem, and the extermination of the jews; who fees his prophefies now fulfilling in the world, with regard to the prefent ftate of this remarkable people; who alfo reflects that there will come a time when all Ifrael will be faved, and, according to the prophefies, return to their country, and that whenever this event fhall happen, there fhall be nothing to detain them; no poffeffions to retard them a moment; no civil and focial connections with other nations to fix them in any country; muft collect from what hath been already accomplished, and is now accomplishing, the ftrongest external proof in favor of the truth of the christian religion; and, with equal affurance, perfuade himfelf, from the predictions already verified, that the other parts of them will, in due time, receive their accomplishment!*

XIV. EXCELLENCE OF THE MORALITY OF

THE OLD TESTAMENT.

WITH refpect to the morality of the old tefta

*See Harwood's introduction, vol. I. p. 101, & Newton's diflertations on the propheties, vol. II. diff. XIX-XXI. Benfon's chriftianity, vol. 1. p. 64, &c.

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