Imatges de pàgina
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lytes, Cretes and Arabians, 2. Acts 9, 10, 11. Whether these were Circumcifed or Uncircumcised Profelytes, is not faid; but Profelytes they were out of all thefe Nations, who came up at the Feast to worship at Jerufalem; from whence we learn, that the difperfion of the Jews into all Nations, made great Numbers of Profelytes, who either undertook the obfervation of the Mofaical Law by Circumcifion, and became Jews, or at leaft renounced all the Heathen Idolatries, and worshipped no other God but the God of Ifrael.

The number of these last seems to have been much greater than that of Circumcifed Profelytes; and if we believe fome Learned Men, there is frequent mention made of them in Scripture under the Names of worshipping Greeks, and devout Men, and thofe which feared God. When St. Paul preached at Theffalonica, there conforted with Paul and Silas of the devout Greeks a great multitude, 17. Acts 24. The very Name of Greeks proves them to be Gentiles, not Jews, who are always diftinguifh'd from each other; and that they were about, devout or worshipping Greeks, proves that they were the Worfhippers of the God of Ifrael; for that Title is never given in Scripture to Idolaters, and their frequenting the Jewish Synagogues fufficiently proves it; for no Gentiles reforted thither, but thofe who worshipped the God of Ifrael. Of this number was Lydia, 16. Acts 14. and Cornelius the Roman Centurion, who was not only a devout Man, and one who feared God himself, but all his Family were fo too, 1o. Acts 2. and the Eunuch, 8. Acts 27. and almoft in every place where St. Paul preached the Gofpel, we find great numbers of thefe worthipping Gentiles; at Theffalonica and Philippi,

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Philippi, as you have feen; at Corinth, 18. Acts 4. at Antioch of Pifidia, 12. Acts 43. and we have reafon to conclude,that thus it was in other places; which fhews what a great Effect the difperfion of the Jews into all thefe Countries had in making Profelytes, fome to the Jewish Religion, but many more to the Worship of the God of Ifrael; which prepared them to receive the Gospel when it was preached to them: For they were the Worshippers of the True God, and were inftructed in the Law and the Prophets, as appears from their frequenting the Jewish Synagogues, and therefore were in expectation of the Meffias, and were capable of understanding the Scripture Proofs of the Chriftian Faith. It is certain the firft Gentile Converts were of this fort of Men, who more readily embraced the Faith, than the Jews themselves; for they had all the Preparations for Chriftianity which the Jews had, but none of their Prejudices: Neither a fondness for their Ceremonial Worship, nor for the Temporal Kingdom of the Meffias. And therefore a very Learned Man expounds that Text, 13. Acts 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed, of these devout and Worfhipping Gentiles, that they were Tao, ready difpofed and prepared to receive the Doctrine of Eternal Life by Chrift Jefus.

Mr. Jofeph Mede's Difcourse 3. on 17. Act. 4.

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And thus we are come to the Days of Chrift, whofe appearance in the World was the laft and moft effectual means God used for the recovery of Mankind. To confider the Divine Wisdom in the Redemption of the World by Jefus Chrift, relates to the Wisdom of the Chriftian Religion, not of Providence, and therefore does not concern my present Argument; but if we take

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a brief Review of what I have faid, we may the better understand in what fenfe Chrift is faid to come in the fulness of time; for he came as foon as the World was prepared to receive him. For I would defire any Man, who complains that the coming of Chrift was too long delayed, to tell me in what fooner Period it had been proper for him to appear?

In every Age, as I have already fhewn, God took the wifeft Methods that the Condition of Mankind would at that time allow to reform the World; and if Chrift appeared at fuch a time, as the Divine Wisdom faw moft fit and proper for his appearance, he appeared as foon as he could, if we will allow God to difpenfe his Grace and Favours wifely. That he did fo, no Man can doubt who believes the Wisdom and Goodness of God: But my business at prefent is to give you a fair Reprefentation of all those wife Advances God made to this laft compleating and ftupendious Act of Grace and Love.

God had promised our firft Parents immediately upon the Fall, That the feed of the Woman Should break the Serpent's head; and by virtue of this Promise all truly good Men were faved by Chrift from the beginning of the World: But the more to recommend the Love of God in the Incarnation and Death of our Saviour, it seems very congruous to the Divine Wisdom, that all other Methods fhould be firft tried for the reforming of Mankind, before the coming of Chrift; and that he fhould come in fuch a time when the World was beft prepared to receive Him; and as little as we understand of the unfearchable Counfels of God, it may fatisfy us, that upon both thefe accounts Chrift appeared in the fulness of time.

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When all flesh bad corrupted his ways, and there was but one Righteous Family left, the only probable means of reftoring Piety and Virtue to the World, was to deftroy all that Wicked Generation of Men, and to preferve that Righteous Family to new-people the World.

When that New Generation began to corrupt themselves, God separated them from each other by confounding their Languages; and formed them into diftinct Societies and Kingdoms, which was the most effectual way to ftop the Infection, and to force on them the Practice of many Moral and Civil Virtues.

When notwithstanding this, they all declined to Idolatry, God chofe Abraham and his Pofterity to be his peculiar People, to preferve the Faith and Worship of the One Supreme God in the World; he gave them his Laws, committed to them the Types and Prophecies of the Meffias, and punished them very feverely when they worshipped any other Gods; fent them into Captivity, and by various Providences fcattered them almoft over the Face of the whole Earth, and thereby propagated the Knowledge of himfelf, and of his Laws, and the Prophecies of the Meffias; made numerous Profelytes to the Worship of the One Supreme God, and made ready a people prepared for the Lord, and then Chrift came: And whatever sooner time you fix on for the appearance of Chrift, you will find it, either bofore God had tried all other Methods for the reforming the World, or before the World was prepared for the receiving of Christ.

And having thus in the best manner I could, reprefented to you the wonderful Wisdom of Providence from the beginning of the World to the appearance of Chrift in the Flesh, in fome of the most remarkable Events which have hap

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pened, I fhall here break off; for though the Wifdom of Providence is not lefs wonderful in thofe various Events which have happened to the Chriftian Church, yet that is fo large a Subject, and the Accounts of many things fo imperfect or doubtful, that I fhall leave it to Men of greater Leifure, and better Skill and Judgment in Secular and Ecclefiaftical Story. But, I hope, that imperfect Account I have now given, will teach you to Reverence, not to Cenfure the Wisdom of Providence; for if we, who underftand fo little of God's ways, can fee fuch Excellent Wisdom in them, what unfearchable Depths and Myfteries of Wisdom are there which we can't difcover!

But yet to compleat the Jewish Hiftory, as far as the Scripture-Account goes, it will be neceffary to take notice of the final Destruction of Jerufalem by the Romans, which put an end to their State and Government, and difperfed them into fo many different Countries; for it seems very furprizing, that God fhould caft off his People, who were in Covenant with him, and to whom the Promifes of the Meffias were pecu-. liarly made, fo foon after the Appearance of the Meffias in the World.

And therefore to vindicate both the Truth and Faithfulness of God's Promise to Abraham, and the Wisdom of his Providence in the final Overthrow and Difperfion of the Jewish Nation, we muft diftinguish, as St. Paul frequently does, efpecially in Rom. 9. between the Carnal and the Spiritual Seed of Abraham; the Children of the Flesh, and the Children of the Promife: Those who defcended from Abraham by Carnal Generation, and those who were the Children of Abraham by Faith in Chrift Jefus, 3. Galat. 26.

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