from the evil Confequences of this Fall, muft extend also to the whole Race of Mankind, of which the Jews are but a Part, and a very small Part.

And it we confult the original Promises, which were made by God, concerning this Meffiah, to Abraham, to Ifaac and to Jacob, we fhall find from them that the Benefit of all Mankind in general, and not of any one Nation in particular, was the chief Defign of the coming of the Meffiah. And accordingly we read, that when God fent forth Abraham out of his Country, and from his Kindred, and from his Father's Houfe, to go into a Land that he would fhew him; he then for the firft Time, declared unto him † I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy Name great, and thou shalt be a Bleffing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curfe him that curseth thee: And IN THEE, SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED. God does not say, in thee or in one of thy Seed shall the rest of thy Seed be blessed; but

+ Gen. xii. 2, 3.

as

as it is again repeated, when his Son Ifaac was promised to him, * in him fhall ALL THE NATIONS of the Earth be blessed. And again, when Abraham had submitted to facrifice his Son Ifaac, God faid unto him, IN THEE SHALL ALE THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED, because thou haft obeyed my Voice. And to Ifaac God faid, || I will make thy Seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven, and will give unto thy Seed all thefe Conntries, and IN THY SEED SHALL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED. And when God was pleased to renew this Promife to Jacob, he faid, § Thy Seed fhall be as the Duft, and thou shalt spread abroad to the Weft, and to the East, and to the North, and to the South; and IN THY SEED SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.

Now as thefe Texts of Scripture are univerfally allowed, both by the Jews and Christians, to refer to the Meffiah, it therefore follows of Confequence, that the Benefit of the Meffiah's coming was defigned

Gen. xviii, 18. † Gen, xxii. 18. || Gen. xxiv. § Gen. xxviii. 14.

to

to extend to all Mankind; and corresponds with the Promife made to our first Parent, that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head, fo that as in Adam all died, even fo in the Meffiah fhould all be

made alive.

And hence it further appears that the Law of Mofes cannot poffibly be the Law of the Kingdom of the Meffiah; because the Law of Mofes is plainly designed as a Body of Laws, peculiar to the Jewish Nation, to keep them feparate and diftinct from all the Nations of the Earth befides.

I am fenfible that the Subject which I am now entring upon is a very tender and delicate Point; and that it is an exceeding adventurous Undertaking, to attempt to perfwade the Nation of the Jews that the Laws of Mofes in general, except the Laws of the two Tables, which alone perhaps, were for that very Reafon; written particularly on Stone, as a Type of their duration, were only defigned by God to be temporary Laws; and that the ceremonial Part is entirely to be abolished by the coming of the Meffiah. But I am not without

without Hopes, when they confider that the Mefab was not fent to the Jews alone, but that all the Nations of the Earth fhould be blefed in him; and recollect how small a Portion the Jews make of all the Nations of the Earth, that God will open their Eyes, and enlarge their Views, to confider the reft of Mankind as their Fellow Creatures, and in fome Senfe as their Brethren, being all both Jews and Gentiles, equally the Sons of Adam, or ftill more nearly related as the Sons of Noah; and that it must be exceeding abfurd for them to imagine that God is the God of the Jews only, and not alfo of the Gentiles.

It was undoubtedly a kind and gracious Act in God, during the Infancy of the World, while Mankind was rude and uncultivated, and guided by little more than their Senfes, in the choice of their Gods; while the Notions of Art Magic, a Regard for judicial Aftrology, an Opinion of Witchcraft and Socery, and fuch ridiculous Impofitions of artfull Men prevailed, to feparate Abraham and his Seed, from the rest of Mankind; becaufe God knew that he would

would* command his Children and his Houfhold after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and to do Justice and Judgment. And therefore about 300 Years after the Flood, when the Sons of Men had forgotten the traditionary Precepts, which had been delivered them by their common Parent Noah, and began almost universally to degenerate into Idolatry; then did it please God, to command Abraham to leave his Native Country, and to f circumcife every Man-child that belonged unto him, being either born of himself or bought with his Money: That by the Inftitution of this painfull and rigorous Ceremony they might be kept feparate and diftinct from the Nations round about; and might thereby be preferved from the general Corruption of Idolatry, which then prevailed, and into which they might otherwife have been unguardedly led, by too frequent and free a Communication between them and the reft of Mankind. And accordingly & Tacitus

the

Gen. xviii. 19. † Gen. xvii. 11. § Circumcidere Genitalia inftituerc, ut Diverfitate nofcantur. Tacit. Hift. L.v C, 5.