nations according to their refpeftive Families, under the Leaders of Colonies, into thofe fettlements. A pleafing employment this to occupy the leifure hours of the learned Antiquarian. 3. The Linguist may find an Epoch for the Grammatical Variations and Divifions, in different Languages, a few of which to learn has cost him fo much time and trouble. 4. The Divine, the Philofopher, the Statesman, and Hiftorian, in the Hiftory of Providence, may each find an index that will point them to fubjects worthy their deepest attention, and which will richly repay them for the moft laborious invefti. gation. 5. Who can read this inftructive book, without. feeing, as if written with fun-beams, the righteous Governing Providence of that God who made all things, and that both general and fpecial, over all things that he made? But it thould never be forgotten, that this Providence always Governs with an eye to a future ftate of Things. Without this Key, the Divine Conduct is altogether Enigmatical. How otherwife can Reafon account for what this book plainly proves, viz. That the moft innocent and upright are, for the most part, the greatest fufferers in the world; that fuffering innocently is God's High-road to honour and happinefs; and that fuch are the greatest favourites of heaven; witnefs Abel, Ifaac, Jacob, and Jofeph. This is farther evident from obferving, that "The Bafeft of Men," (Dan. iv. 17.) for the most part, poffefs the greatest Authority, and often weild the fceptre of Government in this evil world, witnefs Cain, Nimrod, Pharoah, &c. Thefe Remarks, being founded upon inconteftible Facts, in the eye of reafon, demonftrate a Governing Providence here, and the exiftence of a future world of Retribution, which, among other things, things, the Parable of Dives and Lazarus was intended to illuftrate. Laftly.. Mofes, no doubt, intended to inform his Brethren of their Divine Right to the Promifed Land. Thus he introduces Jehovah, faying, “The Land is mine." It is therefore termed, "The Lord's Land," Hos. ix. 9. Emanuel's land; That is, Chrift's Land, Ifa. viii. 8. And hence it is termed "The Holy Land," Zech. ii. 12. And frequently the Land which God Gave to them and their Fathers. The original Right is indefeasible, but a temporary forfeiture has taken place, "Until the Times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," Luk. xxi. 24.) on account of their Rejection of the Meffiah. In future, they will moft affuredly repoffefs it, notwithstanding what Dr. Allix and others have faid to the contrary. Here we must not fail to obferve, That it is by the Righteoufnefs of Faith alone the Title ftands Good. It was upon this Righteousness that the Promife was made or founded, which constituted Abraham the Heir of Kofmos or the World, Rom. iv. 13. Therefore the Jews will never peaceably poffefs it, until they commence Believers in Jefus. For want of this Faith, they were cut off from their own good Olive Tree, expelled from their Inheritance and are wanderers among the Nations, and will be fome confiderable time yet. It is fufficiently evident from the Prophecies, that the Jews will not generally believe in Jefus until they fee him at his next advent. Then he will bless them, by turning them from their iniquities; the Beginning of the Reflitution of all things will then commence; at which Time He will Reftore the Kingdom of Ifrael. The Canaan poffeffed by their fathers, was a Type and Earneft. of this Reftored inheritance, as this will be of a fill more glorious one in the fupernal Heavens. Happy Gradation! DIALOGUE II. Containing a few Obfervations upon the Creation, as given us by Mofes. Philotheos. My dear Didafcalos, as you have before obferved, that God created heaven and earth, and all things therein, vifible and invifible, pray what are we to understand by heaven and earth in Gen. i. 1. ? Didafcalos. The whole fyftem of the univerfe in general; but more particularly our folar fyftem; being the proper fubject of the Mofaic creation. A genuine belief of this firft Article of our creed, lays the foundation of all Religion both natural and revealed. Elohim or God, gave Being by his Word to all the enormous Globes in the universe, not excepting the central Suns, and launched them all in liquid ether throughout the vaft immensity of space, each in its orbit revolving around its centre, and that with a velocity almoft exceeding our narrow conceptions, and altogether unaccountable by Mortals. The folar fyftem is included in the Magnus Orbis, or that vaft circle which the Georgius Sidus defcribes in his revolution round the fun. This is the common Centre of all our planets, lately dif covered to be seven in number. They have fuch a near relation one to another, by the laws of gravitation, &c. we may very reasonably fuppofe, That they were formed out of the fame mafs of matter, originally Created together, and formed in their proper Order, nearly, if not exactly, at the fame time; the Sun being the firft in that Order. As to the ftars beyond the limits of the folar fyftem, the Mofaical account of the creation feems to give E no farther information, than that God Created them. Our Planets God appointed the moon's affiftants in ruling the night. But the fixed stars, it is hard to conceive what influence they can have upon our earth, any farther than what their light affords, being at fuch an immenfe diftance. We are told that a ray of light moves at the rate of ten millions of miles in a minute. And that a ray of light emitted from the brightest Star, maintaining the fame velocity, would not reach the earth in lefs than fix years time. If this be true, how far does it furpafs human understanding to compre hend, or to account for! When God laid the foundations of our earth, "The morning Stars fang together, and all the Sons of God fhouted for joy," Job xxxviii. 6, 7. This seems to more than intimate their priority in time, and therefore to be no part of the mofaical creation, but beyond its limits, in regard to fpace. The Tehom of Mofes, or the great Deep, feems to include all the space of the folar fyftem, and to have contained the materials or Elements of which the fun and all the Planets were made, to have been in apparent, if not real confufion. The whole was void of all fettled order, beauty, inhabitants, or decorations of every kind, a fhapelefs mass as yet unmoulded into any regular Form. The Elements conftituting the prefent fyftem, mingled together, heavy and light, fluid and folid, earth, air, fire, and water, with all their different falts and fulphurs; and the whole in pitchy darkness, penetrable only by His eyes before whom darkness is as the day. God could have made a world by Word in a moment, with all its rich furniture. But to render both his own attributes and flupendous workmanship more confpicuous and intelligible, he proceeded in a regular and beautiful gra dation dation in our earth, from the lefs perfect, to the more perfect, which amazing performance ravished the celeftial fpectators into extacies of joy and praife! That truly fublime Command, fo juftly admired by Longinus, "Let there be Light, brought forth light out of darknefs, and rendered vifible the prolific mafs to the admiring crouds of heavenly Courtiers, no doubt fpectators of this aftonishing scene. See! fee! my dear Phil. how by the fpirit's incubation, the once-ftagnant mass is all in motion throughout the vaft deep! Behold! the heavy terrene parts, within each planetary orbit, fink to their refpective centres. And while the groffer and more den'e particles fubfide, the the lighter and more tenuous afcend towards the furface of each forming globe within the fyftem. Motion, in every direction, might now be feen, as if the whole mafs had been infpired with life and vitality. The fecond mandate of creative power produced a Firmament, an ærial expanfion, probably around every planet within the magnus orbis. It includes within its limits the whole region of the Air and Ether, from the furface of the earth to the fixed ftars. Here our winged tribes fport and play, (ver. 20.) near our dwellings; here the lamps of heaven burn with refplendent fparkling luftre, (ver. 14, 17.) held out by the hand of Elohim, though at fuch immenfe diftances, to guide the mariner circumnavigating the globe, and lend their lights to the benighted traveller. Now, probably, the waters were collected throughout the vaft profundity, and furrounded the furface of each watery planet contained within our fyftem, being reftrained by the preffure of the air within their due limits on their respective furfaces. Thus the Omnipotent architect "Divided the waters which were under the firmament," upon the |