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Thus the Neceffity of a MEDIATOR between GOD and Man, was a general Notion which obtained among all Mankind from the Beginning; a Tradition arifing from the Promife of GOD (Gen. iii. 15.) and confirmed by Man's general Consciousness of his own Infirmities and Sin, and his Want therefore of fome Person to interpofe and reconcile fo frail a Creature to a GoD of infinite Purity *.

Their other Tenets relating to the Flood, the Resurrection of the Body, the general Judgment and Conflagration, shall be spoken to, when We come to fum the Argu

ment.

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Nor was the Religion of thefe Times confined to Matters of Faith or Ceremony; nor were Men left to form to Themfelves a Syftem of Morality from the Deductions of their own abused and vitiated Reason, and as best might fuit their wayward Fancies: But the fame indulgent Being, which gave them the Means of Reconciliation, which provided Redemption for them, and foretold the Circumftances of it, declaring the End from the Beginning and from Ancient Times the Things that are not yet done, planned alfo and pointed out diftinctly the Path to walk in. Hence the Inftitution of Marriage The Duty of Submiffion of Wives, Thy Defire shall be to thy Husband and he shall rule The Command of Affiduity, Diligence, and Induftry, In the Sweat of thy Brows thou shall eat Bread; for this is not only a Denunciation, but a Command enforced by

over thee

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See Borlafe's Antiquities of

• Prideaux Connection, p. i. 1. iii. p. 177. Cornwall, p. 56. Gen. i. 28. Gen. iii. 16. Ib. 19.

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a Promise,

Promife, and inculcates a neceffary Dependence upon GoD for the confequential Success x the Prohibition of Violence and whatever else may be comprehended under the general Terms of fearing GOD and departing from Evil.

This System was given by Him, When he made a Decree for the Rain and a Way for the Lightning of the Thunder, then did he fee it and declare it, he prepared it, yea and fearched it out: And unto Man he said, Behold, the Fear of the Lord, this is Wifdom, and to depart from Evil is Understanding. The Sentiments of the learned and judicious Mr. Peters on this Paffage of the Book of Job, are fo curious, that the Reader will be pleased to see them entire, and in his own Words: "Unto Man be faid The Hebrew is va-jomer le Adam, which might be rendered as a proper Name: For it is plain from the Circumftance of Time, that Adam and no other can be meant. We have here, then, a Record of fomething spoken by GOD to the First Man, not to be met with in the Book of Genefis. But whether spoken to him before, or after, his Fall, is not fo easy to determine. If after the Fall, the Words carry with them a Reproof, as well as an Inftruction highly seasonable, and suited to the Circumftances of our unhappy Progenitor. As if GOD had faid to Him,

You, who in Defiance of the Prohibition I had given "You, have been seeking after another Sort of Wisdom and Knowledge than was proper for You; go, learn from "fure Experience, that your truest Wisdom is to fear Me,

* Gen. iv. II. Job xxviii. 26, 27, 28. Peters on Job, p. 456, & feq.

" and

and to pay an abfolute Obedience to my Commands." Here we may obferve how aptly Destruction and Death are made, ver. 22. the Conveyers of this great Truth from Adam down through his Pofterity; fince it was the Difobedience of our first Parents that brought Death into the World; and every Inftance of Mortality therefore would naturally recall to the Minds of Them and their Defcendents, the History of the Fall, and read them a new Leffon of Obedience. I might obferve further, that if the Opinion of learned Men be well grounded, that there was neither Rain nor Thunder before the Sin and Fall of our first Parents; then here is another Particular, which feems to fhew that this Admonition to Adam must be given after the Fall: For GOD is faid to give it, when he made a Decree for the Rain and a Way for the Lightning of the Thunder. And if he was pleased at the fame Time to accompany it with a Display of his Thunder in all its Terrors, and this was the first Time that Adam heard thofe awful Sounds; what an Impreffion must it make upon his Heart? And how could he chufe but remember it himself, and tranfmit it with Care to his Pofterity? And we have some Reason to think that this might be the Cafe, as the Law was afterwards delivered from Mount Sinai with the fame Solemnity.

;

Though this Admonition to Adam be here expressed in very general Terms, to Fear GoD and to Depart from Evil there is Reason to believe that GOD was pleafed to give him at the fame Time a more diftinct Account of the Particulars of his Duty. This feems plainly intimated in these Words, Then

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Then did GOD fee it and declare it, he prepared it, yea and
Then did GOD fee and declare
Searched it out.

What?

Wisdom (no doubt,) the great Subject of Enquiry throughout this Chapter: But not his own Wisdom furely; this he faw and knew perfectly, and it was the fame from all Eternity; but the Wisdom proper for Man, and which he now communicated to him, declared or numbered, established and defined it. Thus the Hebrew Words jefapparah, hecinah, vegam chakarab may be rendered. Terms which feem to imply a full and elaborate System of Religion and Morality, but fummed up in the following Words, that The Fear of the LORD is Wisdom; and to depart from Evil is UnderStanding."

All this agrees perfectly well with the Bleffing of the ALMIGHTY given to Ifaac for his Father's Sake, and the Reason on which it was founded, a Because that Abraham obeyed his Voice, and kept his Charge, his Commandments, his Statutes, and his Laws.

From all which it is evident that the Patriarchs were acquainted with the true Nature of their Duty, as well as of the Deity, and the Means of their own Redemption; that JESUS CHRIST is the Alpha and Omega, and the Christian Scheme the One Religion given to Mankind, the first and the laft: For in the Law delivered to the Ifraelites (of which I mean not to treat at present) there was not a fingle Ceremonial but what bore Reference in fome Respect to the Divine Author of our Salvation.

• Gen. xxvi. 4, 5·

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To proceed. Where these Altars were placed, there was said to be in those early Ages of the World an House or Temple of JEHOVAH, which was mostly upon Eminencies and always uncovered. Where they could be had, Upright Stones were erected near them. This in Scripture is called Setting up a Pillar; nor was it done without a particular Form of Confecration. The Behaviour of Jacob will explain the Whole.

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And Jacob rofe up early in the Morning, and took the Stone that he had put for his Pillow, and fet it up for a Pillar, and poured Oil upon the Top of it. And he called the Name of that Place Bethel, or the Houfe of GOD. And Jacob vowed a Vow, faying, If GOD will be with me and will keep me in this Way that I go, and will give me Bread to eat and Raiment to put on ; So that I come again to my Father's Houfe in Peace, then fhall the Lord be my GOD. And this Stone, which I have fet for a Pillar, fhall be God's House: And of all that thou shalt give me, I will furely give the Tenth unto thee. In Confequence of this he built there an Altar, and called the Place El-Beth-El; and fet up a Pillar in the Place where GOD talked with him, even a Pillar of Stone: And he poured a Drink-Offering thereon, and he poured Oil thereon. And Jacob called the Name of the Place Bethel. Here was a Temple with Confecration and Endowment; to which undoubtedly were made many Additions, as

* Gen. xxviii. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Gen. xxxv. 7, 14, 15.