Serin. CXC. the Ghriflian Revelation, &c. -It is very clear likewife ; that God did not defign to fpread and propagate this Law any farther than that people; fence no Means were appointed by hiin, noEn-' deavours,were ufed to that end : no Apoftles and Prophets were fent forth to pro- claim and publifh this Law to other Nations ; nay, the Providence of God feen]s rather purpofely to havedefigned to conceal them and their Law, till the time drew' near of God's revealing to the World a more pet-fed Inftitution; which fhould have its rife and beginning there, and from thence be publifh'd over the World, according to that of the Prophet, that The Leinfhoúld comeout ofSion, and theword of the Lord from Jerufalem : but the Law which was given by Mofes to theyews; was for many Ages in a great meafure conceal'd fromthe reft ofthe World. So the Pfalmis`l tells us, Pfal 547. 59, 20. He fheweth his word untoJacob; his Statutes andhis judgments unto lfrael. He bathnot dealt fowitb any nation ; and as!Or his judgments, they have not known them. Nay on the contrary, God had provided by feveral drift and fevere Laws, that the People of/Padthould have as little Com- merce and Converfation as was poffible with other Nations ; a plain fign he never intendedtheir Religion to be propagated among them : but this is fo manifeft from the Nature of the jewifh Religion , and all the Circumftances of its Conflitution that I need not to labour any fartherin the proofòfit. I proceedtherefore to thew; in the III. and taf place, That the Revelation of the Gofpel hath all the Mark and Charalers ofan Univerfal Revelation, and was certainly defignedbyGod for that end. And this will clearly appear, byconfidering thefefour things. a. The Perfon by whom God was pleafed to make this Revelation to the World. a a. The Nature and Defign ofit. 3, The Prophecies and Predidions concerning it And, 4. The remarkable Countenance and Affiftance which was given fromHeaven to the firft Publithers of it ï. Ifwe confider the Perfon bywhom God was pleafed to make this Revelation to the world, we cannot think that God had any lefs defign therein, than the re- covery and reformation ofMankind. Now the Perfon employed by God to make this Revelation of hisWill, was the Eternal, and only begotten Son ofGod, affu- ming our Nature and appearing in it ; I fay the Eternal and only begotten Sonof God. So the Apoftle to the Hebtewi defcribes him, and thereby diftinguifheth him from all the former Prophets, bywhom in former Ages God had made parti- cular Revelations of himfelf to men, Heb. T. i, 2, 31 God who atfundry times (or byfeveral parts and degrees) and in divers mannersfpake in time pail unto the Fa- thers by the Prophets; bath in thefe last daysfpoken unto us by his Son, whom hebath appointed heir ofall things, by whom alfo he made theworlds: who being the bright- nefs ofhis glory, and the exprefs image ofhisperfon, andupholding all things by the word of his power. What a Chara&er'is here of thegreateft and molt gloriousPer- fon, that ever was employed to Men ! a Meffenger ofGod to Man ; and who fó fit as the Son ofGod, who came from the bofom ofhis Father to reveal his Will toall Mankind? Who fo proper as he, who made the World, and upholdsand preferves it, to be fent upon fo great anErrand, as the recovery and Salvation of the whole World? And on thecontrary, who fo unfit, as this great and glorious Perfon, to beemployedinany lefsand lowerDefign, than that whichwas ofgeneral concernment to the Benefit and Happinefs of all Mankind? So great an Ambaffador was not fit to be fent to treat of any thing lefs than anUniverfal Peace, and theReconciliation of the whole World. And then if we confider him, as affuming human Nature, and thereby equally related to all Mankind, it was fit he fhould be concerned for that whole Race of Creatures to whom he had fo nearly allied himfelf, and whofe Nature he had vouchfafed toaffutne. It became him, who became Man, to Phew himfelfa lover of Mankind, to reveal the Will ofGod, and the way to Happinefs, to all Men, tO be an univerfal Teacher and Lawgiver; that by the Dire&ion of his Do&rine, and the Obedience ofhis Laws, 411 men might come to the knowledge of the truth; andbefavech 3 Gggg 2 2-, It 595'
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