CHA P. XXVI.

The State of RELIGION in the World, when God made the Promise to

ABRAHAM.

HOUGH we may be fure, that our State of Trial hath been, T from the begining of the world, perfectly well adjusted, as to LXX the proper ballance of means and temptations, for all the purpofes of Divine Wisdom and Goodness, yet it is certain that the contagion of evil fo far spread in the earliest ages, as, in procefs of time, to threaten the total extinction of true Religion and good morals. This is evident in the cafe of the old world, where wickedness and impiety had, at length, and by degrees, infected the whole race of mankind, except Noah's fingle family. And in about 450 years after the deluge, idolatry and wickedness had spread and corrupted the world fo far, that Sodom and four other cities, being univerfally debauched, were destroyed (one excepted for the reafon already given) by a moft tremendous judgment. The Amorites, and feveral other neighbouring nations, were then filling up the measure of their iniquity; (Gen. xv. 16, 19, 20, 21.) which in about 400 years after was quite full; and God, who might have deftroyed them, as he did Sodom, &c. gave the Ifraelites a commisfion to expel, or extirpate them.

This fpreading corruption, after the deluge, is not to be affigned to fimple irreligion, but to religion directed to wrong objects and purposes. While men retained the knowledge of the true God, they cared not to glorify him by the practice of virtue and holiness, nor were thankful for his benefits. Rom. i. 21, 22. And artful men, through pride and wantonnefs, indulging to idle conceits and false reasonings, involved their own understanding, and that of others, in the thickeft clouds of error and delufion. Probably, they represented the heavenly bodies, the fun, moon, and stars, as illuftrious intelligences, who, being fo eminently exalted, must have the higheft intereft in the favour of God, the direction of human affairs, and the distribution of all temporal bleffings; and therefore it would be fufficient to all the purposes of religion, to secure their friendship, as mediators between God and them. Thus they might be driven, enticed, drawn in, to worship them, (Deut, iv. 19.) by fuch impious rites as were invented by the folly and ignorance of the fame fophifters, and adapted to the depraved minds of fuch as liftened to them. Thus they might be deceived into the practice of all manner of lewdnefs and vice. For the attributes of those fuppofed deities, and benefactors of mankind, being feigned purely by human imagination, they would naturally be represented by men, who had their own interefts and lufts to ferve, in such manner as beft fuited the corrupt taste and inclinations of those who were difpofed to follow them. If this was not the case at first, it may eafily be conceived to have been fo in process of time, by after improvements upon the original scheme of idolatry. And þy this method men would be lead to believe, they might be religious,

and

and gain health, long life, fruitful feafcas, plenty, profperity, not only without the practice of virtue and holiness, but, pofitively, by lewd and wicked practices; and thus religion would be turned into an encouragement to vice, and the principles of virtue and goodness would be extinguished.

Whether they were feduced precisely after this manner or not, the fact is certain, that their abominable idolatries were attended with abominable lufts and intemperance, I Pet. iv. 3. Add to this, that cunning men, who knew how to make their own advantage of the foibles of mankind, introduced into their minds notions of fate, deftiny, fortune, chance, neceffity, with many other delufions. Hence arofe profeffors of the vileft arts, pretending to look into futurity, to gratify malicious defires, to fecure good, and prevent bad luck to those who confulted them. Deut. xviii. 10. Diviners, obfervers of times, inchanters, witches, or fuch as pretend to work upon the mind, or body, for evil purposes, by herbs or potions; charmers, confulters with a pretended familiar fpirit, wizards, necromancers. And fo far were they infatuated, that they made their fons and daughters to pass through the fire, under the notion of facrifices to their idols; probably, to gain their bleffing upon their children, and to make them healthy and fortunate. Deut. xii. 31. xviii. 10. Lev. xviii. 21. xx. 2. Thus their hope and truft, and their regards were diverted from God and his Providence to vain idols and the vileft impoftors.

The neglect and abuse of understanding, and the indulged irregular inclinations of the heart, were doubtlefs the fpring and principal caufe of this defection from God and virtue. But we may believe it was forwarded and compleated by the fuggeftions and inftigations of the devil and his angels; the Prince of the power of the Air, the Spirit whom God permits to work in the children of difobedience, (Ephef. ii. 2.) and to deceive the nations. Rev. xx. 2, 3. For when men receive not the love of the truth, that they may be faved, God judicially fends them ftrong delufion, that they may believe a lie. That they may all be condemned, who believe not the truth, but have pleafure in unrighteousness. 2 Theff. ii. 9-12.

Thus we see how idolatry first began, and by what means it might, as it certainly did, spread in the world; and would have prevailed univerfally, as the remaining virtuous dropt off, and as men of understanding happened to be drawn in by various allurements. For the heart even of Solomon, the great and wife, was, by the love of ftrange women, fo far turned away after idol-gods, that he built high-places and altars in honor of them, even in the neighbourhood of the city Jerufalem. I Kin. xi. 1-8.

To prevent the univerfal prevalence of idolatry, and to preferve among mankind the knowledge and worship of the living and true God, the wife and gracious Father of men was pleased to advance a new and noble scheme, which, under several variations and improvements, was to reach to the end of time. The scheme was this, to choose and adopt one family, afterwards to be formed into a nation, instructed in religious knowledge by God himself, and favored with fuch extraordinary privileges, and honors, above all other nations of the earth, as were in their own nature adapted to ingage them, by the most rational motives, to adhere

to

to God and his worship. At the fame time, to prevent their being infected with the idolatries and vices of the reft of the world, as they certainly would have been, had they mingled with them, they were to be diftinguished and separated from all other people by their diet, their dress, and divers civil and religious rites and ceremonies; but more particularly by a fecret mark in the flesh, by which they might be certainly known from all other men. Thus they would be kept together in a body, and hindered from mixing with, and being corrupted by, their idolatrous neighbours, and in every respect fited to be an example and inftruction to them under the various difpenfations wherewith they were visited. And further, their laws and religious inftitutions being originally recorded in books, would more certainly be preferved and known in all future ages and generations. Thus God provided a ftore-house of religious knowledge, a whole nation of priests, Exod. xix. 6. a school of inftruction and wisdom for all the world. Or the nation of Ifraelites may be confidered as a piece of leaven which in process of time was to leaven the whole lump or mass of mankind.

Abraham, a person of the most eminent piety and virtue, was chosen to be the head and father of this nation; that, as he would always be held in great veneration among them, he might always fhine before their eyes as an illustrious pattern of godliness.

The ground of this scheme, and of God's fingular regards to Abraham and his pofterity, was the COVENANT OF GRACE, the PROMISE or grant of favors and bleffings to mankind in Jefus Christ our Lord. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, though not manifefted till the last times. 1 Pet. i. 20. This Covenant or grant was first published to Adam. Gen. iii. 15. Her, the woman's, feed fhall bruife thy head, O ferpent, and thou shalt bruife his heel. Nor could it be wholly uuknown to the Patriarchs; but it was much more clearly revealed to Abraham. Gen. xii. 3. xvii. 7. xviii. 18. xxii. 16, 17, 18. And this is the subject which now requires our particular attention. [See the Trea tife on the Covenant of Grace, &c.]

CHA P. XXVII.

The Methods of DIVINE WISDOM in raifing up a new and religious NATION.

*** O return to the age in which Abraham lived. The delufions of idolatry were fo ftrong, and the human understanding so weak, **** that all nations seem to have run into it at once and alike. And fuch was the infatuating and spreading nature of the infection, that there was no rational profpect of the reformation of any one of them. Violence

could

could not be used, argument and reafoning would have no effect, thè moft dreadful judgments were forgotten, or difregarded *. The knowledge and worship of the one living and true God, the great principle of moral goodness, and of public and private happiness, would have been totally loft in the earth. But the Father and Governor of men provided a remedy. Inftead of destroying all nations, as at the deluge, it was the merciful scheme of Divine Wisdom to create, out of one pious and faithful perfon, Abraham, a new and religious nation, separated from all the reft, in order to afcertain among them, and at length among all nations, right sentiments of his Being, Perfections, and Providence. And it is greatly worth our while to obferve the steps and Methods by which God was pleased to train them up for this purpose.

Firft, Abraham is required to caft himself wholly upon God's Providence, by removing, at God's command, from his own kindred and country, to an unknown diftant land, which God would fhew him; affuring him of his prefence and special bleffing. Genefis xii. 1, 2, 3. Thus God took him under his immediate care and protection. In this ftrange land he wandered about as long as he lived, but God was with him every where. God appeared to him, and converfed with him frequently and familiarly. By extraordinary interpofitions, and exprefs declarations from time to time God incouraged, directed, profpered, guarded and provided for him. He became very rich, great, and honourable; but all was most visibly the gift and operation of God. God gave him repeated affurances, that he would make of him a great nation, give his pofterity the whole land of Canaan, and that in his feed all the nations of the earth fhould be bleffed. But he was not to have a fon, till the birth of that fon was manifeftly the extraordinary miraculous effect of Divine Power, and infured the performance of the promises. What could be more ingaging than all these circumftances? What more proper to excite in a man, duty, affection, and confidence towards God? The fame encouragements, bleffings, and promifes are repeated to Ifaac, and afterwards to Jacob, and the fame heavenly correfpondence is kept open with them during their lives. Egypt, then a plentiful country, of genius and learning, [Acts vii. 22.] the refort of the curious and inquifitive, was chofen to be the nursery of this family. Thither was Jofeph firft carried by a fingular Providence, fold for a flave, and most unjustly caft into prifon, but only that God might fhew himself in his enlargement. By means which God only could provide and direct, he was at once releafed from a jail, and raised to almoft regal honor and authority. And in high dignity and esteem, and with astonishing fuccefs, which none but God could give, in the most important affairs, he continued all the days of his life.

By him God predicted seven years of prodigious plenty in Egypt, and feven fucceeding years of the moft diftreffing famine in the land, and in all the adjacent countries. By this event, Jacob's whole family, in all feventy two fouls, were brought to refide, with the great good will of the king, and of the whole nation, in Goshen, the richeft province in the

• Reckoning by the age of man, the world was 20 years old; for God called Abraham in the year of the world 2083.

the land of Egypt, Gen. xlvii. 6. where their fituation, manners, and way of living would keep them separate from their idolatrous neighbours. Gen. xliii. 32. xlvi. 34. Thus God, by a furprising train of events, introduced the family of Abraham into the nursery, where they were to grow up into a nation. At length a prince arofe, who knew, or regarded, not Jofeph, Exodus i. 8. Then they fell into a state of flavery, and the fevereft oppreffion and fuffering, for about 140 years. But this was only to render the power of God more confpicuous in their prefervation and deliverance. The more they are oppreffed, and the more cruelly they were used, the more they increafe and flourish, till they were numerous enough to be formed into a nation. Then Mofes was miraculously preferved, educated by Pharaoh's daughter in all the wifdom of the Egyptians, and raised up to be their deliverer. And now the vials of Divine Wrath are poured out one after another upon Egypt. God made bare his arm, or gave the moft fignal and ftriking demonftrations of his Being and Power, infinitely fuperior not only to all human ftrength, but also to all the pretended Deities, in which the Egyptians trufted. Exodus xii. 12.

To this end (1.) the Divine Wisdom permited, on this fpecial occafion, Pharaoh's magicians, poffibly by the miniftry of evil fpirits, or by extraordinary powers immediately communicated to the enchanters, to imitate fome of the miracles which Mofes wrought, in order to display more clearly his own Divine Power; and to convince both Egyptians and Ifraelites of the vanity of fuch arts, by controling and defeating them, even when exercised in the highest degree. So a man was born blind, and Lazarus died, on purpose to give our Lord an opportunity of demonftrating his power, and the truth of his miflion. John ix. 3. xi. 4. And for that reason, an extraordinary power might be permited to evil spirits to poffefs the bodies of men, that our Saviour's dominion over the devil and his angels might be more evidently fhewn. The invisible world of fpirits may undergo many variations, and be subject to different restraints and regulations in different ages, fo as to interfere more or less, or not at all in human affairs. Fortin.

(2.) God hardened Pharaoh's heart, by granting him refpite from one plague after another, that he might multiply, and fo render more confpicuous, the demonftrations of his Being and Supreme Dominion. And this is all that God did towards hardening Pharaoh's heart. See Exdus viii. 15. ix. 34, 35, and verse 15, 16. For now, faith the Lord, I have ftretched out my hand [in the preceding plague of boils and blains,] and I have fmitten thee, and thy people, with the peftilence, and [by this plague] thou mighteft have been cut off from the earth. But in very deed for this caufe I have raised thee up, [I have reftored thee to health, by removing the peftilential boils,] that by refpiting thy deftruction, I may fhew in thee more and greater proofs of my Almighty Power.

All the miracles, which God wrought in Egypt, were fuch as muft be feen and acknowledged to come from him alone, and not from any poffible power of man, or from any natural accidents. This is true of all the ten plagues, but especially of the laft. The peftilence, in ordinary cafes, fweeps away multitudes promifcuously, but when it fingleth out only the firft-born in every family, it must plainly appear to be a judg

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