'594 TheFxcelieno, andUniverfalityof -Vol. II be ofuniverfal ufe and benefit , to dire& all men in the way to Happinefs, and if they be not wanting to themfelves to bring them in it; that in the Doubtings and Uncertainties of Mankind concerning the will of God, and the Rule oftheir duty; he fhould give an Univerfal Law , equally obliging all men to be a perfe& and Standing Rule and Meafure of their duty in all times and places, andwhich thouldt never Stand in needofany addition, amendment, or alteration. For whyShould we think that God, who is fo equally related to us all, ( hould confine the Effe&s of his Goodnefs to a few Perfons or a finali part ofMankind, tö one particular Family or Nation ? That he whofe bounty is fo equal and uncon- fined in the difpofing of temporal Blefiings, fhould be fo partial and narrow in the beftowing ofhis greateft and be Gifts, thofe Spiritual Bleflings which concernour Souls, and our Happinefs to all Eternity ? How can we in reafon imagine, that he who caufeth his Son to rife, and his rain tofall upon thewhole World, fhould vouch- fafe that great and moll glorious Light ofhis divine and heavenlyTruth only to a few, andShower down his Spiritual Bleflings upon a fmall part of the Earth, lea- vingall the reft of theWorld, aWildernefs and a'Land of Darknefs ? Thus to think of God , is no ways agreeable to thofe large Apprehenfions which Mankind have always had ofthe Goodnefs ofGod, byno means honourable to the Divine Nature; and therefore it is molt highly probable , that God should one time or other make fuck a Revelation ofhis Will to Mankind, as is ofuniverfal concernmentand advantage. II. I (hall thew that beforetheRevelation of the Gofpel by 7efusChrifl, no fuch general and univerfal DeclarationofGod'sWill hath been made to theWorld. All the Revelations which God had made to Men before, were either made to fome particular Perfons upon particular occafrons ; or to one particular Nation and Peo- ple, I mean that of the Jews. Thofe which were made to particular Perfons were fonarrow and limitted, and offo private concernment, that they fignified nothing to the generality ofMankind ; nor could the knowledge of them, with any degree of Evidence have beenpropagated. As forthat Revelation whichwas made to the yews, it was both in its Nature and Defign, and in all the Circumftances ofit, plainly limitted to one particular Place and Nation. And as God difcovered no intention, foneither were there any proper Means and Endeavours ufed to proclaim And propagate it, as an Univerfal Law and Inftitution obligatory to all Mankind. From the Nature and all the Circumftances of the Jewifb Law, it clearlyappears to have been defigned for a municipal Law and Conftitution, for the Governingof One particular People andNation, within a certain Territory and fpot ofground, to which, a great part of the Precepts of it are peculiarly limitted , and could be exercis'd and pra&is'd nowhere elfe ; and not intended to take in and oblige all the Nations of the Earth. For when this Law was firft given, God plainly direas it to the people of Ifrael, beginning it in this formof words, Hear, O Ifrael, The Lord thy God is one God; and I am theLord thy God, who brought thee out ofthe LandófEgypt, and out of the boufe of bondage; and he frequently tells them, that be hadfeparated themfrom all thepeople upon theface of the earth, to be apeculiar people to himfe f; to be govern'd by peculiar Civil Laws, and by a particular way of Religious worthip; for which reafon the Apoftle calls theJewifh Law andReli.. gion, Awall ofpartition, whichdid feparate and divide them from all other People; fo thateven towards the Strangers that lived among them, they were not bound in feveral cafes to obferve the fame Laws towards them, which they were obliged aridly to obferve towards their Brethren ; as in the cafe of Ufury, and remitting Debts, and releafingofServants. Befides that a great part of their Religion was confined to a particular place, which God Ihould appoint, and which at laft by his appointment was fix'd at the Temple at ferufalem, towhich theywere obliged to refort thrice everyYear; which it was ii: poffible for other Nations to do. Not to mention that the great Promifes and Threatnings of that Law, were of plenty and profperity, or a famine and aflli- &ion in that Land To all which we may add, that a great part of the Laws and Ordinances of that Religion, were peculiarly fitted and fuited to the genius and in- clination of that People, and made in condefcenfion to their capacities and prejudices, to the obftinacy and hardnefs of their hearts, 1 lit
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