on, with Advantage, to the most confiderable Families in it; and without much Danger of fharing their Corruptions. They are placed by themselves upon the Borders of Egypt, where they multiply exceedingly; yet by their very Occupation are still kept a feparate People; and rendered more averfe to the Manners and Religion of their Neighbours, by a long and fevere Oppreffion. Which though it might at first perhaps have chiefly been occafioned by their Oppo fition to Idolatry; yet became very neceffary afterwards, both to keep up that Opposition; and to inure them to Restraint and Government; And that it might have the Effects intended, but not proceed fo far as to reduce them to an entire Subjection, and Conformity to that more potent Nation, through a Defpair of any Deliverance; the precife Time of this their Trial, was foretold to Abraham; and as foon as it had been accom→ plished, and they had cryed for Help to their God; § they are brought back, in as wonderful a Way as they had been fent thither; which alfo was foretold to Jacob, and repeated by Jofeph;|||| all the Circumstances whereof are at large related in their Hiftory: And, I must add, with all thofe Characters of Truth and Confistency, which

See Genef.46.33, 34:

+ See Mr. Chandler, Vind. of O.T. pag. 487. § Exod. 2. 23.

Acts 7.6.

Gen. 50.24, 25.

Gen.46.4. and 48.21.

Moral Philofopher. Introd. to vol. 3.

b Perhaps by destroying all their Images or Temples. v: Cleric. & Patr, in Exod. 12. 12. comp. Numb. 33.4. Paraphr. Jonath. in loc. & 2 Sam.7.23. The reafon of this may be gathered from Not. pag.

See the Notes below, with Mr. Chandler's Vindication

of

might have been fhewn (were this a Place for it) to receive new Confirmation, from every such Attempt to burlesque and expofe it, as is made by a late profligate Writer.

d

The God of Ifrael having at length magnified himself over the Egyptians and their Gods, by a Series of the most astonishing Miracles; and rescued his People from them, in such a manner as muft ftrike the utmost Surprise and Terror into the whole Land; and fpread his Name much farther, by means of the many Strangers that used to travel thither; in order to be acquainted with the History of that famous Nation, from whom the greatest Part of the World derived their Policy and Religion having thus, I fay, made his Name great among the Heathen; as well as worked fo confpicuous a Deliverance for his chofen People, as might, one would think, have been fufficient to engage them for ever in his Service; he proceeds to inftruct, and exercise them for fome time in the Wilderness; he exhorts, and intreats them to their Duty, and warns them against all the Vices of the People round about; gives them Statutes, and Judgements more righteous §§ than thofe of any other Nation; and fuch as were to be a Model to the reft of the World;

of the Hiftory of the Old Teft. Part 2. p.464, &c. and pag. *499.

d Vid. Diod. Sic. L.1. Herodot. L. 2. c. 43, &c.

e That this remarkable punishment of the Egyptians was inflicted in great goodness to the generality of that Nation themselves on the whole, as well as to the neighbouring Nations round them, may be feen at large in Le Clerc on Pfal. 136.10.-17.

66 Nehem.9.13.

V. Jofeph, contr, Ap. Selden de Jur. Gent. &c. paffim.

fends

A

*

fends his Angel before them, to keep them in the Way; takes upon himself the civil Government of them; and by his Prefence guides, guards, directs them in all their Undertakings. He conducts them through the neighbouring Nations, with repeated Signs and Wonders; and continues to try and difcipline them, till they were at length tolerably well attached to his Government, and established in his Worship; till they were fit to poffefs the promised Land; and till the prefent Inhabitants were ripe for Destruction. At their entrance into it, he gives a fummary Repetition of their former Laws, with more fuch Ordinan→

Exod. 23.20.

a The Neceffity for this is well explained by Dr. Warburton. Div. Leg. B.5. S.2. p. 366.-374, &c.

b Numb. 14. 14. They have beard that thou, Lord, art among this People, that thou, Lord, art feen Face to Face, and that thy Cloud ftandeth over them, and that thou goeft before them by Day-time in a Pillar of a Cloud, and in a Pillar of Fire by Night; v. 15. The Nations have heard the Fame of thee. add Deut. 2.25. Joh. 2.10. 1Sam. 4.8.-6.6. which Places, by the way, furnish us with an Anfwer to that Objection of the Mor. Phil. V.3. pag. 183, that had God given any fuchAuthority to the Ifraelites, as is hereafter mentioned - he would have let the People of Palestine know it, and in fome authentic way or other affured them, that he had given away their Country to Strangers and Foreigners; and that if they did not leave the Land, and give up all their natu ral lawful Poffeffions, Rights, and Properties, peaceably and without oppofition, they must be all cut to pieces, Men, Women, and Children:' though this was not the truth of the cafe, of which more below. See S. Browne's Anfw. to Chrift. as old, &c. p. 373, 374.

+ Gen. 15. 16.

Deut. 1.3.5.27.31. Nehem. 9. 14.

d See Dr. Burnet's Boyle's Lect. p. 541. Fol. and the Author of Div. Leg. V. 2. B. 4. S. 6. It seems not to have been • God's intention at firft to lay upon them fuch numbers of * Ceremonies; for it was only after the commiffion of the

• Sin

ces, both of a ceremonial and moral kind, as were best suited to their Temper, and Circumstances and adapted every way to prevent the Dangers, and correct the Irregularities, to which they became conftantly liable; as well as to prefigure, and by degrees prepare them for, a more perfect Difpenfation under the Meffiab. The moral part breathed nothing but Equity, and Benevolence; it diffwaded them from all kinds of Cruelty, and Oppreffion, by reminding them of their late heavy Sufferings; and inculcated the greatest Humanity, both toward each other, toward Strangers, Servants, Enemies; and even the

Sin of the Golden Calf, that God laid on them that heavy ' and troublesome yoke, on purpose to employ all their time, and fo keep them from falling into Idolatry again. Allix Reflex. p. 203. Ea eft indoles vulgi, præfertim apud Gentes Idololatriæ deditas, ut a fe numen coli fatis ftudiofe non putet, nifi operofo cultu id profequatur; cui indoli Mofes fefe adtemperavit. At fi cum doctioribus hominibus, quales Chrifto in terras delapfo plurimi erant, res ei fuiffet, nihil aliud docuiffet, quam quod Servator & Apoftoli difcipulis fuis inculcavere. Cleric. in Ex. 25.31. Comp. Spencer de Leg. Heb. L. I. c.4. S.4. Burnet de Fid. & Off. p. 17. from Jer. 7. 22, 23. [on the other fide fee Shuckford, V. 3. p. 151.] If this be a true account of the Jewish Inftitution, then though it really was, what it is termed, a Yoke of Bondage, yet neverthelefs it might well be impofed by God himself, as being the fitteft thing for the People to whom, and the times in which it was delivered, and confequeatly not unworthy of having God for its Author; as a loose modern Writer would infinuate, Moral Philofopher, V. 1. p. 51, &c. The various wife and good Ends ferved in each part of the Hebrew Ritual, may be feen in Lowman's Rational. paffim. That it could not have been more perfect, confiftently with the chief of thefe Ends, viz. its preparing men for a better state of Religion under the Meffiab, ib. p. 3. c. 3.

23.

e See Burnet's Boyle's Lect. Fol. 547. or Berriman, Serm.

Beafts

Beafts of the field. The Ceremonial parts were folemn and fplendid, apt to engage and fix the attention of a People, whofe heart was grofs; fitted to inspire them with an awful Reverence; and withdraw their Affections, from the Pomp and Pageantry of Idol Worship; which had fovery furprisingly bewitch'd the world about that time. It was fill'd with operofe, magnificent Rites, to keep them duly employ'd and attach'd to it; and fo far mix'd and incorporated with their civil Polity, that the fame things were Duties of Religion, and Acts of State; and the Service of God, became the conftant Business, as well as Entertainment of their Lives; fupplying the place of all other Entertainments".

Nor was this Inftitution wholly confined to the Jews. The Law itself was given to Stran

a Exod. 22.21,-27. and 23.5,6,9,-12. Deut.5.14.-10.18.14. 21. 16. 11. and 22.1,-4,6,7.-23.7.-24.10, &c. 25.1,-4. 26.12.-27.19. Lev. 19.9, 10, 23, -37. and 25.35.-38. fee Leland's Anfw. to Chrift. as old, &c. V. 2. p.447, &c. Le Clerc on Gen. 8, 9, 10. Philo. de Charitate. Jofeph. contr. Ap. L. 2. So utterly falfe and flanderous is the following Affertion of Ld Bolingbroke. Works V.3. p. 296. The first Principles, and the whole tenor of the Jewish Laws took them out of all moral obligations to the reft of Mankind.'— b See Welfted's Scheme of Prov. p. 70, &c. or, Agreement of Cuftoms between the Eaft-Indians and Jews, Art. 3. p. 23. c See Univerf. Hift. p. 694. Welfted, p. 72, &c. Edwards's Survey, V.1. p. 242, 255, &c. or Limborch Amic. Collat. p. 317. We may add, that the Ceremonial part itself might have a moral view, reprefenting feveral Duties to them in that emblematical, and parabolic way, which was well known, and commonly made ufe of in thofe times. See Instances in Dr. Burnet's Boyle's Lect. p. 542. Fol.

Other Rites were inftituted in Commemoration of great and fignal Events, extraordinary acts of Providence towards their Nation; the keeping up a conftant Remembrance of which

could