❝ towards a Mortal Man &c. Hierocles-because "the Elect love God, and raise us to the fame "Love. Heb. and is near a kin, the

!

Light &c. Heroum, the Temple of the Heroes' Hence each of the Nations had various Traditions of what the Hero had done or was to do. But as they were wholly ignorant of the true Aleim, and of one of them who was to be the Son, they in telling their Stories, and applying them partly to the Tradition which they had from the true Aleim, and partly to the Imaginations they had of their falfe Aleim, have fo mixed and mangled them, that though a fingle Story from one Heathen is not much to be minded, yet where many have told Stories tending to the fame End, though they differ in fome Circumftances, the Aim of the whole may be gathered; and the Footsteps of the grand Defign of them all may be proved by the original Revelation to be the Root of the Tradition.

As the Intent of the Prophets and the Pfalms concerning Chrift have been mistaken, fo the very Title of both the Old and New Testament and their Defigns have not been cleared. As Mofes. Gen. ii. 4. 4. Αυτη η βιβλος

,which is plural ,(ילד from) תולדות Eversus

this is the Book of the Generations, was not the Creation or Formation of the Names, the Earth, Man, &c. but an Account of their Generations, Productions forward, perhaps not only of the material Names but of the Aleim

alfo

alfo of the Souls of Men. So Mat. i. 1. The Book of VEVEσEWs of Jefus Chrift, was not of his wп', xaraλoxious, Genealogy, Pedigree or lineal Defcent backward, as Luk. iii. 23. or forward or downward from Adam, nor from Abraham or David, as Mat. i, 2. but of the new Manner of his being begotten and born and being regenerated, and of his regenerating Children.

After the Creation and Formation of the Names, the Earth and the Substance of Vegetables and Creatures and forming them, and laftly Man, and the Aleim had ceased from their Work, the great Machine the Names acted upon the Earth and the small ones, Vegetables and Animals to produce like of like, to generate each Species (by the Action of the Names) out of the Subftance of the Earth. In this Senfe of Creation and [Formation] Adam was the Son of the Aleim, and made after their Image, and if he had not fallen he had retained his Image and Descent, and would have begotten Children in that Image, and they would have been the Sons of the Aleim; and Adamah, and all other Creatures would have been clean and good.

Next Mofes gives us an Account of the Fall of Man, whereby he loft his Defcent and Similitude. Man's Soul and Adamah [of which his Body confifts] by their Pollution polluted the Species; and though the Names continued their Generation of the Adamah (i.e. continu'd forming it into Vegetables and Animals, in Heb.

called

called begetting) yet it was accurfed, polluted, and in a Condition difagreeable to God, and the rational Part incapacitated to qualify themselves to be admitted into his immediate Prefence. He gives us a Promise of one to come who was to regenerate Man; and a typical Establishment of him and his Actions how this was to be effected Shadows of him and his Actions till the Light should come. Man and fome of

;

the Species were to be made typically clean from Time to Time to qualify them to approach the Altar, or the Place of, at the Time of, facrificing, and for Sacrifices, for Food, &c. and the reft were not by any Means to be made clean, but were standing Evidences of the Pollution of Sin, and of its Communication by Touch. This typical Manifeftation which was made of the Perfon, and the Manner by which he was to cleanse the Adamah, dead, alive, or to live when he came, was to cleanfe the Soul and Body of him who should believe he would come and hope for the Confequences; and they were to enjoy the Benefits.

When Chrift came and performed his Part, the γενεσις of the Names and the Earth and of Adamah, in Man, all Creatures, Fruits, &c. were cleanfed, fanctified and regenerated, made pure as at firft; fo though the Souls and Bodies of Men were of the fame Subftances, and were under the Sentence, (as they had by the Defign of the Aleim been created for another State, and certain Terms were established to

bring them thither, though they had been difqualified, as there were new Terms established to wash and cleanse them, fupply all their Defects, separate, fanctify, fo to qualify them to accept and keep the Terms,) as many of them as accepted the Terms were generated or regenerated; became the fame as they were created, the Sons of God, reaffumed their Similitude and were restored to their Inheritance. As every

Like begetteth his Like, as the Aleim their Image, Adam his, Chrift his. And those who refuse these new Terms fall a fecond Time finally, are worse than in ftatu quo, doubly accurfed. As Abram was eminent for his Faith, and was one of the Patriarchs, fo the Father of Chrift, his Name was changed to Abraham, and he was styled the Father of the Faithful, of this Family, of many Nations; his Seed were to be as the Stars of Heaven for Number. So, as David was Father and Chrift his Son, he fpeaks 1 Chron. xvii. 17. of his Houfe for a great while to come, the Generation of Chrift his Family; fo the Family of David, Zech. xii. 8. was to be as the Family of the Aleim.

,Perfections תמים-תם

E

VERY perfect Thing hereafter, whofe Ideas are taken from Types or Things here which a Christian is to have, he is to have from

and

and purchase of Chrift; as Bread, Light, Oil, Garments, the Wedding Garment; fine white Linen, Righteousness, Holiness.

What is the Price, the Purchase? These Things are not within the Compafs of Value we have nothing to compare with them; they are free Gifts; we can give nothing but believe in him, choose him, love him, defire to have them, and behave ourselves as fuch who are really in that Difpofition, must do, and they are ours. So unless we become as little Children who make no Pretence to helping or faving themselves, to Righteousness, or, &c. and depend upon what we are thus to purchase of Chrift, we act like a Child who would fet up for itself and reject the Breaft.

The Prayers and Affertions in the New Testament will give us fome Light into Christianity. Lord be merciful unto me a Sinner Help my Unbelief Lord give us evermore of this BreadGive -Give me of this Water-Blefjed are they that eat Bread in the Kingdom of GodEvery good Gift, and every perfect Gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights.

The Word on Perfection, fo on Plural and fynonymous Words must have various Acceptations, according to what each is applied to. In the firft Senfe 'tis he or they, that or thofe, Effence, Perfons, Faculties, Actions or Things which lack nothing, or to which nothing valuable can be added: In this Senfe nothing but JeQ 2 hovah