ction, not of one particular place and nation, but of the whole world. Thus our Saviour and his do-&rine are defcribed by old Simeon, Luke ii. 30, 31, 32. For mine eyes have feen thy falvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Ifrael. To the Gentiles, who were before in darknefs, he is faid to be a light: but to the Jews, who had the light of divine revelation in fome degree before, he is faid to be a glory, that is, a brighter and more glorious light; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Ifrael. And John i. 9. he is called the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, that is, which was fent into the world for the illumination of` all mankind. And John viii. 12. he fays of himself, I am the light of the world.

Now that the revelation of the gospel by Jefus Chrift was defigned for the whole world, for the inftruction, and comfort, and benefit of all mankind, I shall endeavour to make out by these three steps:

I. In that it is very credible, that God would fome time or other make fuch a revelation of his will, as might be fufficient to direct and bring mankind to happiness.

II. That before the revelation of the gofpel by Jefus Chrift, no fuch general and univerfal decla ration of God's will had been made to the world.

III. That the revelation of the gospel hath all the marks and characters of an univerfal revelation, and was certainly by God defigned for that purpofe.

I. It is very credible, that God would fome time or other, when his infinite wifdom and goodness fhould think it most fit and seasonable, make fuch a revelation of his will to the world, as might be fufficient to direct and bring mankind to happiness. The confideration of the divine goodness is very apt to induce fuch a perfuafion; for what more reafonable to believe concerning God, than that he

who

who is good to all, and the common 'Father of all mankind, not the God of the Jews only, but the God of the Gentiles alfo, (as St. Paul argues to this purpofe, in his epiftle to the Romans) Thould fome time or other, in pity and compaffion of the ignorant and degenerate and helplefs condition of mankind, provide fome univerfal remedy, by fuch a general revelation of his will, as was every way fitted and calculated to be of univerfal ufe and benefit to direct all men in the way to happinefs, and if they be not wanting to themselves to bring them to it? that in the doubtings and uncertainties of mankind concerning the will of God, and the rule of their duty, he thould give an univerfal law, equally obliging all men, to be a perfect and ftanding rule and. measure of their duty in all times and places, and which fhould never ftand in need of any addition, amendment, or alteration?

For why fhould we think that God, who is fo equally related to us all, fhould confine the effects of his goodness to a few perfons, or a finall part of mankind, to one particular family or nation That he whole bounty is fo equal and unconfined in the difpofing of temporal bleffings, fhould be fo partial and narrow in the bestowing of his greatest and best gifts, thofe fpiritual bleffings which concern our fouls, and our happiness to all eternity? How can we in reafon imagine, that he who caufeth the fun to rife, and his rain to fall upon the whole world, fhould Vouchfafe that great and most glorious light of his divine and heavenly truth only to a few, and fhower down his fpiritual bleffings upon a finall part of the earth, leaving all the rest of the world, a wildernefs and a land of darknefs Thus to think of God, is no ways agreeable to thofe large apprehenfions which mankind have always had of the goodnefs of God, by no means honourable to the divine nature; and therefore it is moft highly probable, that God fhould one time or other make such a revelation of his will to mankind, as is of universal concernment and advantage. VOL, X.

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II. I fhall fhew that before the revelation of the gofpel by Jefus Chrift, no fuch general and univerfal declaration of God's will hath been made to the world. All the revelations which God had made to men before, were either made to fome particular perfons upon particular occafions; or to one particular nation and people, I mean that of the Jews. Those which were made to particular perfons were fo narrow and limited, and of fo private concernment, that they fignified nothing to the generality, of mankind; nor could the knowledge of them, with any degree of evidence, have been propagated. As for that revelation which was made to the Jews, it was both in its nature and defign, and in all the circumstances of it, plainly limited to one particular place and nation. And as God difcovered no intention, fo neither were there any proper means and endeavours used to proclaim and propagate it, as an univerfal law and inftitution obligatory to all mankind.

From the nature and all the circumftances of the Jewish law, it clearly appears to have been defigned for a municipal law and conftitution, for the governing of one particular people and nation, within a certain territory and fpot of ground, to which, a great part of the precepts of it are peculiarly limited, and could be exercised and practifed no where elfe; and not intended to take in and oblige all the nations of the earth. For when this law was firft given, God plainly directs it to the people of Ifrael, beginning it in this form of words, Hear, O Ifrael, The Lord thy God is one God; and, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage; and he frequently tells them, that he had separated them from all the people upon the face of the earth, to be a peculiar people to himself; to be governed by peculiar civil laws, and by a particular way of religious worship; for which reafon the Apoftle calls the Jewish law and religion, a wall of partition, which did feparate and divide them from all other people; fo that even towards the strangers that lived among them, they

were

were not bound in feveral cafes to obferve the fame laws towards them which they were obliged ftrictly to obferve towards their brethren; as in the cafe of ufury, and remitting debts, and releafing of fer

vants.

Befides that, a great part of their religion was confined to a particular place, which God Thould appoint, and which at last by his appointment was fixed to the temple at Jerufalem, to which they were obliged to refort thrice every year; which it was impoffible for other nations to do. Not to mention that the great promifes and threatenings of that law, were of plenty and profperity, or of famine and affliction 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 inclination of that people, and made in condefcenfion to their capacities and prejudices, to the obstinacy and hardness of their hearts.

It is very clear likewife, that God did not defign to fpread and propagate this law any farther than that people; fince no means were appointed by him, no endeavours were used to that end; no Apoftles and Prophets were fent forth to proclaim and publish this law to other nations; nay, the providence of God feems rather purpofely to have defigned to conceal them and their law, till the time drew near of God's revealing to the world a more perfect inftitution, which fhould have its rife and beginning there, and from thence be published over the world, according to that of the Prophet, that the law should come out of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem but the law which was given by Mofes to the Jews, was for many ages in a great measure concealed from the rest of the world. So the Pfalm→ ift tells us, Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20. He fheweth his word unto Facob; his ftatutes and judgments unto Ifrael. He hath not dealt fo with any nation; and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Nay, on the contrary, God had provided by feveral ftrict and fevere laws, that the people of Ifrael fhould have as little commerce and converfation as was pof

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fible with other nations; a plain fign he never intended their religion to be propagated among them: but this is fo manifeft from the nature of the Jewish religion, and all the circumftances of its conftituti on, that I need not to labour any farther in the proof of it. I proceed therefore to fhew, in the

III. and laft place, That the revelation of the gofpel hath all the marks and characters of an univerfal revelation, and was certainly defigned by God for that end. And this will clearly appear, by confidering these four things:

1. The perfon by whom God was pleafed to make this revelation to the world.

2. The nature and defign of it.

3. The prophecies and predictions concerning it. And,

4. The remarkable countenance and affiftance which was given from heaven to the first publishers of it.

1. If we confider the perfon by whom God was pleafed to make this revelation to the world, we cannot think that God had any lefs defign therein, than the recovery and reformation of mankind. Now the perfon employed by God to make this revelation of his will, was the eternal and only begotten Son of God, affuming our nature, and appearing in it; I fay, the eternal and only begotten Son of God. So the Apofile to the Hebrews defcribes him, and thereby diftinguifheth him from all the former Prophets, by whom in former ages God had made particular revelations of himself to men, Heb. i. 1, 2, 3. God who at fundry times, (or by feveral parts and degrees) and in divers manners, spake in times paft unto the fathers by the Prophets; hath in these last days fpoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds: who being the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power. What a character is here of the greatest and moft glorious perfon that ever was employed of God to men! A Messenger of God to men: And who fo fit as the Son of God, who came

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