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correct disorders and reform abuses, as they rofe; and thereby keep up a face of religion; and gradually increase the fubftance of it: in the fame manner, as Providence always took care to impart to mankind, fo much knowledge of the world, the ways of cultivating it, and arts of living, as was requifite to make life a bleffing to them; though their knowledge of both kinds, was neither of fo refined a nature, nor fo high a degree, as it muft grow to, by the experience and improvements of after-ages.

Mankind were scarcely got out of their Childhood yet, with regard to what may be called the theory of religion; and notwithstanding there might always be fome extraordinary perfons, who had a more enlarged profpect of things, and entertained more worthy fentiments of the divine Providence, fuch as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and the like; yet thefe were far fuperior to the times in which they lived; and we have reason to think that the generality, both in this, and some later ages, extended their views no farther than the prefent life, and its conveniences*: and though

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This feems to have been the cafe even with Abraham himself for fome time, who upon having an extraordinary promife made to him by God in a vifion, Gen. xv. 1. Fear not, I am thy fhield, and toy exceeding great reward; rifes no higher in his anfwer, than only to requeft an heir for his fubftance, y. 2, 3. And Abram faid, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, feeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damafcus? And Abram Said, Behold, to me thou haft given no feed; and lo, one born in my houfe is mine heir. Unless this be interpreted in the fame fenfe with that general earneft defire of pofterity fo common in his time, and for which Allix has endeavoured to account, from the no lefs common expectation entertained by each particular family of having the Meffiah defcend from them, [Reflect. Pt. i. c. xv, &c.] and which might therefore well be included in Abraham's request.

from the confufed remains of ancient tradition, they acknowledged fome power above them; and frequently applied thither for direction in affairs; yet it was in the petty affairs of this world only; and their belief and worship were accordingly. How many of these fuperior powers there might be, or how far their influence might reach, they knew not: uncertain whether there was one fupreme Governor of the whole world, or many coordinate powers, prefiding over each country*, climate, or particular place +; gods of the bills, and of the valleys, as they were termed in aftertimes; they thought, the more of these they could engage in their intereft, the better; and therefore wherever they came, like the Samaritans, they fought the manner of the God of the land; and served him together with their own gods. Thus was the world running apace into idolatry, and ready to lose the very notion of the true God, and his worship; had he not been pleased to interpose, and take effectual care to preserve these pure in fome one nation; to be kept apart from the common contagion, and made, as it were, the repository of true religion; and a channel to convey it to the rest of mankind; as foon, and in as high a degree, as they fhould become capable of receiving it.

To this purpose, he makes way for the removal of Jacob and his family, to one of the most improved and polished parts of the world at that time;

2 Kings xviii. 34, 35. + See Numb. xxiii. 13, 27. ↑ 1 Kings xx. 23, 28. Vid. Calmet. 2 Kings xvii. 33.

time; and introduces them into it, in fo advan tageous a manner, as to give them opportunity of imparting fomewhat of the true religion, with advantage, to the most confiderable families in it; and without much danger of sharing in those corruptions which were getting ground there . They are placed by themselves upon the borders of Egypt, where they multiply exceedingly; yet by their very occupation § are still kept a separate people; and rendered more averfe to the man

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It is very apparent from the Mofaic hiftory, that the Hebrews were never held in fuch deteftation or abhorrence by the Egyptians, but that they would freely converfe, though they might not eat bread with them. Orven, B. L. f. 8. And when they departed out of Egypt we are exprefsly told, that a great multitude went alfo with them, who are all with good reafon fuppofed to have been fo many profelytes to their religion; as Strabo teftifies. Geogr. L. 16.'

Although the Egyptian priests were not, in my humble opi nion, now idolaters; yet God, well knowing the infinity of wealth now pouring in upon them, and forefeeing the confequent increafing corruptions, always attendant upon great national wealth; kindly provided against them, by placing the wifeft and best man in the world (Jofeph) guardian of that people in general; and at the fame time, the high favourite of their King, and ally of their priests, and continuing him in those characters for a long train of years; which to my thinking, was a most adorable scheme to recover, promote, preferve, and if poffible, perpetuate, their piety, virtue, and wifdom.' Rev. Exam. with candour, Vol. III. c. 9. p. 194. 'I am certain, they were not idolaters when Jofeph prefided in Egypt; nor were they fuch grofs idolaters, even when the children of Ifrael came out of Egypt; for leeks and onions were then a favourite food-although afterwards they were deified.' ib. 199.

§ See Gen. xlvi. 33, 34. And here we cannot but admire his wifdom who found out and evacuated a land for them, I mean that of Gofhen in every refpect fuitable to the purpose: a land where they might live diftinct by themselves, and yet daily converfe with the moit celebrated nation then upon earth; a land lately deferted by the Shepherd Kings, and their fubjects, and therefore well adapted for the reception of Shepherds again. Nor can we lefs admire his goodness, who when he had fpied out this land for them, was pleafed to detach from his country and kindred another person of eminent qualities and great piety, and to fend him, even Jofeph, who was fold to be a bond fervant, as a kind of ambassador before them, to procure an intereft for their fettlement in it.' Orven, B. L. f. §.

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ners and religion of their neighbours, by a long and fevere oppreffion: Which, though it might at first perhaps have chiefly been occafioned by their oppofition to the growing idolatry †; and refufal to incorporate themselves with that infected nation: yet became very neceffary afterwards, both to keep up that oppofition; 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 fubjection, and conformity to that more potent people, through a despair of any deliverance; the precise time of this their trial was foretold to Abraham. and as soon as it had been accomplished, and they had cried 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 history; and, I must add, with all those characters of truth and confiftency, which might be fhewn (were this a place for it) to receive new confirmation, from every such attempt to burlesque and expose it, as is made by a late profligate writer ++.

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The God of Ifrael having at length magnified himself over the Egyptians and their gods ||||, by

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+ See Chandler, Vind. O. T. pag. 487. and Owen, ib. Acts vii. 6. || Exod. ii. 23. § Gen. xlvi. 4. and xlviii. 21.

Gen. 1. 24, 25:

++ Moral Philofopher, Introd. to Vol. III.

ill Perhaps by deftroying all their images or temples. Vid. Cleric. & Patr. in Exod. xii. 12. Comp. Numb. xxxiii. 4. Paraphr. Jonath. in loc. & 2 Sam. vii. 23. The reafon of which may be gathered from note (r) p. 93. Perhaps by exerting his power upon them in

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a series of the most astonishing miracles; and rescued his people from them, in such a manner as must strike 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 hiftory of that famous nation, from whom the greatest part of the world derived their policy and religion ||: having thus, I say, 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 fervice; yet finding all this ineffectual to correct their proneness to idolatry, he is obliged to defer their entrance into the promised land for fome time, and proceeds to inftruct and exercise them in the wilderness; he patiently exhorts, and intreats them to their duty, and warns them against all the vices of the people round about them: gives them ftatutes, and judgments, though not fo perfect as they would probably have been were the fubjects of them capable of receiving better,

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fuch a manner as ferved equally to demonfirate the nullity of the gods they worshipped, as to punish the crimes they had been guilty of in confequence of that worship. See this particularifed in Dr. O wen's Intent and Propr. of Script. Miracles, p. 37,&c. & B. L. f. 10.

See the notes below, with Chandler's Vindication of the hiftory of the Old. Teft. Part ii. p. 464, &c. and p. 499.

Vid. Diod. Sic. L. i. Herodot. L. ii. c. 43, &c. et With Egypt. L. iii. c. 13, 15.

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, from whom they derived moft of their groffeft fuperftitions, may be feen at large in Le Clerc on Pfal. cxxxvi. 10—17.

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