r 3 givenwith them, or they could not have been underftood. The Savages of Otaheité, or of NewZealand, who are en- tirely ignorant of every Language but their own, might as well comprehend the Names of GOD in Hebrew, as our firnt Parents or their Offspring, without force divine Induftion upon their Minds. And it feeds ab- ,furd, that the Deity fhould either have given himfelf Names without a Meaning; or, having given himfelf thofe Names with a precife Senfe annexed to them, fhould not likewife have afforded that Senfe and Mean- ing with them. This is certain, that as Man could ne- ver, from his own Wifdom, have known the Author of his Being ; fo it was far lefs poffible for him to defcribe Him by Epithets, truly charaSteriftic of his divine Ef- fence and Nature, and of certain Engagements which he could not even have imagined, unlefs they had been exprefslÿ declared. If Man could not conceive rightly concerning GOD; it is infinitely lefs probable, that he fhould fpeak rightly of him. Now, as the Knowledge of GOD is abfolutely ne- ceffary to the juft Adoration and Worfhip of him (for the Worfhip of fomething unknown is as much Idol- atry, as the Worfhip of fomethingfalfe); GOD appears to have given, in the Communications of Names and Titles, fuch a fufficient Knowledge refpeéting himfelf, as might afford to his People, in the earlieft as well as in the fubfequent Ages, a proper Notion of his Na- ture and Exiftence. Upon fuch Knowledge and Evi- dence, their Worfhip and Adoration would be a reafon- able Service ; and their Faith would rent upon a Foun- dation of Certainty and Truth. And as this Truth, refpe&ing its own Author and Effence, must be the SAMEyejlerday, to day, andfor ever ; fo the Idea, which true Believers then entertained of the Godhead, can- not be intrinfecally different from the Idea, which true Believers now entertain of him. For, otherwife, there mutt have been two contradb Cory Revelations inducing two oppofite Faiths , or, in other Words, GODmutt have feemed that Being at one Time which he is not at B z another;
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