that they are but the first and most just determinations of the Law of Nature; that they make but a Point comparatively with the Body of their Revelation; and that they wholly tend to glorify by the help of Civil Policy, the Deity, which was the Supream Magistrate of the Common-wealth of Ifrael; whereas Humane Laws tend only to the fecuring the Peace and Glory of a Kingdom, by the help of Religion.

Laftly, The Jewish Revelation does not make Vertue either a vain fhadow, or a Deity that is amiable meerly upon her own Account. It does not require we fhould imitate the proud Stoicks, who instead of delighting in the practice of Vertue out of Love to the Deity, admired it upon no other confideration, but that they might have the opportunity of preferring themfelves before the Gods, by the poffeffion of Ver

they publickly giving out, they thought the Wife-man to be above Jupiter himself.

And 'twould be but a weak Expreffion barely to alledge, that thofe Books which contain the Jewish Revelation, have no fuch Characters as other Writings, it being impoffible not to acknowledge, that they are diftinguisht by a Character altogether oppofite to theirs. For instead of flattering Mens Voluptuoufnefs, they extirpate it, and pluck it up to the very Root, together with Injuftice, Self-Interest, and all other Paffions, by prohibiting even Covetous Defires. Inftead of gratifying our Pride, they overthrow it, by giving us a moft diftinct Idea of our Mifery and Corruption fo contrary to the Goodness and Majesty of God, which of all Objects are certainly the most proper to Humble

High-minded Men. Inftead of Feeding the vain Curiosity of the Learned, who endeavour to know the nature of things, meerly to have it faid they know them, we are taught by them, that this Knowledge is but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit. Inftead of fuggefting to us the Niceties of Politicks, there we find fuch an amiable fimplicity of Manners, which is every where propofed and recommended to us for an Example, as much repugnant to the difingenuous fubtilty of the Men of this Age, as Light is to Darkness. Lastly, Instead of exhorting us to love Vertue meerly for her own fake, or for fome other Motives taken from the glory that is to be gotten by the praEtice of it, there we find Teachers that foar far higher, and exhort us to love Vertue, only out of love to God; a Character very remarkable indeed, and by which they are diftinguished from all other Teachers.

And in truth, we cannot reflect without some indignation, to think that Perfons, who having fo nice and delicate a Tafte, in difcerning the genius of every thing, and in judging of the Character of every particular Author in the Concerns of Humane Learning, yet fhould fall in fuch wilful Ignorance and Stupidity, when they fhould difcern thofe Characters which fo vifibly diftinguish betwixt the Scriptures of the Jews from all meer Humane Writings, and especially that incomparable Piety which appears every where in them, which is fo conftant and uniform, which always fpeaks of God, and never fpeaks but of God; which thinks all loft, that offers to depart from him, and which derives all the Motives of its Exhortations from him which teaches us, that fince all comes from God,

all

all ought to be referred to him, our Souls, our Bodies, our Words, our Actions, our Goods our Time, and our very Life: This Revelation being nothing but a Collection of Examples, Precepts and Exhortations, all which tend to induce us to glorify our God, by leading a good Life, out of pure Love and Obedience to him.

There's no affectation or weakness can be found in the Style, or in the things themselves contained in those Books; you can never perceive by any Paffage in them, that thofe Authors ftrove to make a fhew of their Wit or Learning, a quality almost effential to all other Writers. They took no manner of care to pleasure their Readers; and they appear infinitely above fo mean a Design as to write only for vain glory.

And this Character is perpetual and constant, not only throughout one fingle Book of the Jewish Scripture, but alfo throughout all the Books of the Old Teftament. And whereas Humane Writers can hardly diffemble their Paffions, or forbear discovering their private Aims, though in the fmalleft Tracts of their Compofitions, there you have a long Series of Authors, who having lived in very different Ages from one another, wrote not a fingle Book only, but feveral Books, where there are not to be found fo much as the leaft Marks of Weaknefs and Humane Paffions; but where on the contrary, there all along predominates a Spirit of Mildnefs, Piety, Impartiality, and of a Vertuous and Amiable Simplicity; which manifeftly denotes, that the Hearts of those wonderful Writers, were inflamed with another fort of Fire, than that of Humane Paffions, and were enlightned with another kind of Light, than that which usually

intermixes it felf with those very Passions. Whatever they speak, 'tis with Authority, and without any Fear, as being most certain of the truth of what they fay; and they seem animated with nothing else but a pure Design of glorifying God, Was ever a more Noble and Glorious Character known in any other Mortals?

Not only the manner of their Speech and Style differs from that of the Writers of the World, as being neither affected nor ftudied, fubtle nor refined, timorous nor dubious, and wholly depending upon the turn of their Expreflions, the artful methodizing of their Thoughts, and ingenious difpofing of their Matter; but they expreft themselves with fuch a fimplicity, as is fuitable to every Mans Capacity and Underftanding.

And fince God is the main Subject of all their Difcourfe, they must confequently utter very fublime and magnificent things; but yet fince 'tis directed to Men, and to all forts of Men in general, it was necessary it should be very fimple and very natural. So great are thofe Ideas which they give us of God, that every thing befides is very mean and rampant in comparifon of those Divine Defcriptions. And if any Man pretends to call this Truth in queftion, he will need only to clear his Doubts, but to compare the Book of Job, the Revelations of Esai, or the Pfalms of David, with all the Notions which the most lofty and fublime Wits amɔng the Heathens have had of a Deity. But at the fame time we muft of neceffity confefs, that never any Authors expreft themselves after fo fimple and fo vulgar a manner as they have done. And therefore certainly, thofe Teachers can never be

like the rest, since if they were, either they would have used far nobler Expreffions, fince they had Wit enough to entertain fuch magnificent Thoughts, or elfe they would have deliver'd but mean and trivial notions, fince they had not parts fufficient to express themselves in a more lofty Stile.

CHA P. III.

Wherein we further examine the Characters of Divinity difcoverable in the Jewish Reve

lation.

THer

"Here appears in the Scriptures of the Jews, not only an extraordinary and surprising Character but we further find in them the doubts of our Reason cleared, and the Motions of our Confcience fatisfied; and if our Reason and Confcience fpring from God I do not fee how any one fhould conceive that the Jewish Revelation can have any other Principle but him.

The Soul of Man complains he is taught a Thousand things of no great neceflity; fhe understands the Rules of Eloquence, the Maxims of Policy and of Civil Law, and the Laws of Arms She is not ignorant in the ftudy of the Liberal Arts; fhe has dived into the very Secrets of the Sciences. And though perhaps the has not a perfect Knowledge of those things, yet that Knowledge fhe has of them, is fufficient

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