ftructor, who was himself instructed by God, able to teach them the great Works of Providence in the Creation of all Things, and to point out to them the Duty owing from the Creature to the Creator?

How long this Influence continued to preserve a Sense of true Religion, we know not; probably in fome tolerable Degree for many Ages; for many Ages paffed before God, for the Wickedness of Men, destroyed the World by a Deluge.

Confider now again what Care was taken of Religion at the Reftoration of the World after the Deluge; the Wicked with all their ungodly Deeds perifhed in the Waters; one diftinguished Preacher of Righteousness, with his Family, was faved, to be the Father of a new World, and to teach the Ways of Righteousness to his Pofterity. And what was this, but uniting once more the Force of Reafon, Education, and Cuftom in the Cause of Virtue and Holinefs; and turning its natural Influence into its proper Channel, which had been divided and perverted by the Wickednefs of Men?

After the Deluge, as the World grew populous, it grew corrupt again; and Idolatry overfpread the Face of the Earth. God had promifed

promised never to deftroy the Earth again for the Wickedness of the Inhabitants. But to check the Course of Impiety, and to keep up a Sense and Evidence of true Religion in the Midft of an idolatrous Generation, he thought fit in his Wisdom to raise up a Nation to be his own peculiar People. He made Choice of Abraham to be Head and Father of this Nation; and we are at no Lofs to account for the Reason of this Choice; for God has told us with what View he elected Abraham-I know him, that he will command his Children and his Houfhold after him, and they fhall keep the Way of the Lord, to do Juftice and Judgment.

When the Defcendants from Abraham were grown numerous enough to make a People of themselves, God was pleased to give them a Law, introduced and confirmed by many fignal Deliverances, and many Signs and Wonders; and to perpetuate the Memory of them through all Generations, many Rites and Ceremonies were instituted, to be conftant Parts of the national Religion; which reprefented, and fet before the Eyes of the People, the great Things which God had done for them; fuch, for inftance,

was the Paffover; fuch was that folemn Profeffion to be made at the offering of the firft-Fruits, recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy. He who brought the Offering, was to fpeak and fay before the Lord his God

"-A Syrian ready to perifh was my "Father, and he went down into Egypt, "and fojourned there with a few, and be"came there a Nation, great, mighty, and populous.

"And the Egyptians evil-intreated us, " and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard Bondage.

"And when we cried unto the Lord "God of our Fathers, the Lord heard our "Voice, and looked on our Afflictions, and our Labour, and our Oppreffion.

"And the Lord brought us forth out of "Egypt, with a mighty Hand, and with an "out-ftretched Arm, and with great Ter"ribleness, and with Signs, and with " Wonders.

"And he hath brought us into this Place, and hath given us this Land, even a Land that floweth with Milk and "Honey.

" And

"And now behold I have brought the "firft Fruits of the Land, which thou, O Lord, haft given me."

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These Inftitutions, introduced at first by 'pofitive Law, foon obtained the Force of national Customs, and became a strong Barrier against the Superftition of the idolatrous Nations round Judea; and they were intended to answer this Purpose.

But it must be observed of these Inftitutions in general, that they were not intended to operate merely by the Force of Custom; but were adapted to preserve and renew the Memory of the true Reasons in which the Religion of the Jews was founded. If you had been to reafon with a few upon the Obedience due to the Law of Mofes, could you fay more to him than what the Feaft of the Paffover taught him, and what the Profeffion made at the offering of the first Fruits contained? Thefe Inftitutions therefore intended to make Custom fubfervient to Reason and true Religion; and they were fo conftituted, that they could go no where as Customs, without carrying with them the true Reason of Religion.

Upon this Foot the Jewish Religion stood, till God thought fit by a new Revelation

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lation to call all the World to Repentance, and Obedience to the Gofpel of Chrift Jefus.

The Nations of the Earth were Idolaters before the coming of Chrift; and their Religious Worship was not only directed to false Objects, but was in itself impure and corrupt, and tended to introduce great Depravity of Manners. The feveral Forms of Superftition in feveral Countries had Eftablishment, Education, and Custom, to support them; and thefe prefcriptive Rights had got fuch strong Poffeffion, that there was no Hope of feeing them beat out by human Wisdom. Some few perhaps faw the Follies which furrounded them; but their Wisdom was of no Ufe towards reforming the World, whatever it might be to themselves.

To root out this inveterate Evil required fupernatural Affiftance; and yet fuch Affiftance as was confiftent with the Freedom and Reafon of human Minds, and agreeable to the Nature of Religion; which lofes its very Being, when it is feparated from Freedom and Reason.

The Power of Miracles was fuch an Affiftance; for Miracles are an Appeal to Reason,