In the patriarchal ages, the intercourfe between the divine being and the human race is continued; but without his affuming a higher character than men in thofe times were capable of having intercourfe with. Confequently, their apprehenfions of moral government would be growing more clear and determinate, and their ideas of duty and obligation (together with their expectation of confequences correfponding to their actions) more definite and certain; fo as to induce them to be lefs influenced by profpects of immediate pleasure or gain than before.

The fate of men's children and pofterity is always an interefting object to them, and must have been peculiarly fo in the early ages of the world, when the whole earth was before them, and every man had the chance of being the founder of great and mighty nations. Thefe, therefore, were the views with which the divine being thought proper, at that time, to engage the attention of the patriarchs, and enforce the obligation of virtue. Abraham had the pro

mife of becoming the father of many nations, and that in his feed all the families of the earth fould be bleffed. With thefe prospects, we find his mind fo much enlarged, and his faith in futurity fo ftrong, that he leaves his native land; content and happy in being a fojourner in the country which his pofterity were to poffefs.

In the whole courfe of the Jewish history, repeated miracles and prophecies would conftantly tend to keep up the views of that people to great and remote objects. And this, together with the diflinct ideas they had of the origin of the world, and the early hiftory of it, their knowledge of the rife of their own nation, and of the frequent interpofitions of the divine being in their favour, would give a dignity to their conceptions, and a grandeur to their profpects, to which the heathen nations must have been ftrangers. There was a majesty and dignity in the Jewish ritual, in their temple, and the fervice of it, which far exceeded any thing in the heathen world; and being accompanied with juft and fublime ideas of

the

the one true God, it must have given a sublimity to their fentiments, and a warmth and fervour to their religious impreffions, to which other nations could not have attained. Accordingly, in all the compofitions of the heathen poets, in honour of their gods, there are no traces of any thing like that fpirit of manly devotion, which animates the pfalms of David.

In the frequent relapfes of the Jews into idolatry, the prophets are continually fent of God, to remind them of the allegiance they owed to their maker, to hold out to them the expectation of his favour or refentment, and thereby preferve, upon their minds the influence of great and remote objects.

When they were effectually cured of their proneness to idolatry, by the Babylonish captivity; and, therefore, fuch frequent interpofitions of the divine being were lefs neceffary, their minds were prepared for that long interruption of miracles which enfued, by the remarkably diftin&t prophecies

of

of Ifaiah, Daniel, and Malachi, concerning future and glorious times under the Meffiah. The very year of his appearance was fixed by Daniel, and though it was not done in fuch a manner as to enable them to make it out with perfect exactnefs, yet it was fufficient to keep up their attention to it; and, in fact, they were not fo far out in their calculations, but that, at the time of our Saviour, and not long before, we find a general and moft ardent expectation raised in the whole body of the Jewish nation of fome approaching deliverer.

In this interval, therefore, between the captivity and the birth of Chrift, far greater views and profpects were prefent to the mind of a Jew, than people of other nations could have any idea of. So great was the actual influence of thefe ideas, that, in the time of the Maccabees, they fhewed a heroifm and magnanimity in the defence of their religion, and in fuffering for it, which must have astonished their heathen perfecutors. And our Saviour found among them fuch notions of a future ftate, and of a refurrection,

furrection, as (however they came by them, and how imperfect and obfcure foever they were) could not fail to make numbers of them to think and act in a manner far fuperior to the most admired of the Greek and Roman philofophers.

If the attention of the Jews was kept awake to great and diftant objects, how much more is this the cafe with chriftians, to whom life and immortality are brought to light by the gofpel. Chriftianity is the laft difpenfation of God to mankind, and it doth not feem poffible, that more ample provision should be made to enlarge the views and comprehenfion of the human mind, in order to fix its attention upon great and remote objects, and raise it above the influence of present and temporary things.

A true chriftian, like his great master, is not of this world, but a citizen of heaven. He confiders himself as a stranger and pilgrim here below, and lives by faith, and not by fight. Let him be ever fo poor and defpifed here, he looks upon himself as an heir of

immortal