staggered the faith of some, when they observed, that few or no prophets had foretold his coming. They would have been apt to think it something extraordinary, that little or no previous notice had been given them, that their prince had sent scarce any harbingers to prepare the way before him. But when they had the strongest conviction, that, in the several ages of the world, even from the beginning of time, his coming was not only appointed but predicted; when they found the nation, the tribe, the family, the person and the time, all accurately pointed out, by degrees, in different ages, and by different persons, and all these meeting together with a most surprizing harmony in the blessed Jesus; one would think no man could entertain the least doubt, whether he were the very Christ.

The advent, therefore, of Christ was so long delayed to afford a fuller testimony and stronger confirmation, that he really did come at the last.

A fourth reason, why Christ was made flesh at this particular time, was, because the heathen world had now been blest with sufficient opportunities of becoming acquainted with the writings of Moses and the prophets, and of consequence with the divine purpose of sending a Redeemer, The people of Israel were at first separated

1

separated in a very remarkable manner from the rest of the world; but after they had been sufficiently distinguished, as well by the peculiarity of their religious and political institutions, as by the frequent interposition of an almighty arm in their favour, God then saw fit to open a free communication between them and other nations. They were accordingly sent into captivity; not only as a righteous judgment upon them for their enormous wickedness, but also out of God's great mercy to the Gentiles; to the end, that his name and truth might be known among them also; that what the prophets had foretold concerning the Messiah might be spread throughout all the ends of the earth, and every people be set in readiness to admit and embrace Him, who was appointed "the Desire of all nations," and the joy of the whole earth, Ten tribes, therefore, of the Jews were carried away captive into Assyria, and afterwards the remaining two into Babylonia. Cyrus, whom Isaiah had many years before pointed out, even by name, as the deliverer of the Jews, actually set them at liberty, in consequence of being made acquainted with that remarkable prediction. And as the prophecies were most considerable about the time of the captivity, so did the great conquests of Alexander make still farther room for their reception. And when through those con

quests

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quests the Greek became the most universal language, God put it into the heart of a heathen prince to enquire after the sacred writings, and cause them to be faithfully translated into that tongue, by which those prophecies became generally known in the heathen world. And farther, when the empire fell into the hands of the Romans, great numbers of the Jews, as we find in the Acts of the Apostles, were dispersed through all nations under heaven, and consequently those nations could not be strangers to the nature of their religion and expectations. Thus it appears, then, that no revolution happened in empires, no blessing or calamity befel the Jews, which did not most signally tend to awaken men's attention, and pave the way Christ's introduction into the world. It is very clear from the records of profane history, that throughout the whole east it was believed, that about the time when our Saviour came, a King was to arise out of Judæa, who should rule over all the earth. With this the Persians and Chaldeans would of course be acquainted, from the captivity of the Jews, and the prophecies of Daniel among them; the Arabians would know it, not only as they were descendants of Abraham, unto whom the promise was given, but also from the contiguous situation of their country, and their frequent commerce and intercourse;

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tercourse; the Mesopotamians would know it, by all these means, and yet farther, by that eminent prophecy of their countryman Balaam, who foretold the coming of Christ under the character of a Star. The wise men, in consequence of this persuasion, came from the East, that is, out of Persia, to worship him, and in consequence of this persuasion, that suspicious and aspiring tyrant, Herod, sought to take away the life of the infant Jesus. And, that this notion extended itself over the rest of the Roman empire, is evident from the writings of the heathen authors of those days: insomuch that it was accounted no unacceptable compliment to one of their emperors to insinuate, that he was the person marked out and looked for in the East; the prince that was to rise up amidst a despised and detested nation. Nay, so strong and forcible was the received opinion, so much were the eyes of all men upon the watch, that neither the mean and obscure condition of his reputed parents, nor even a stable and a manger were sufficient to conceal their Sovereign from their notice. This then was the fullness of time; this was the most favourable and convenient season to usher the Messiah into the world, since Providence had now so wonderfully disposed and prepared the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, for the expectation of him.

A fifth

A fifth reason, why Christ was born at that precise season, was, the peculiar temper and dis position of that particular age; which was cer tainly the most fitting and proper for him to be born in; as several very striking singularities conspired together in it, which not a little con duce to the proof of the certainty of the reli gion which he came down from heaven to establish. That æra is so conspicuously remarkable, and the history of it has been handed down to us by so many eminent writers, that it is more studied, and generally better known, than perhaps any period of time besides. And it was highly fitting that a matter of that nature and consequence should come to pass in such an age; to the end that it might be thoroughly enquired into in any age afterwards, and that no distance of time might occasion such doubts to be raised concerning it, as should render it the less certain to any, who are willing to acquaint themselves with the truth of it. And such, I trust, it will ever approve itself to every candid and impartial judgment. If it had been an imposture, this surely had been the most unlikely time of any for it to succeed in. No prince could be more jealous than Herod, who was so greatly alarmed and incensed at the report of our Saviour's birth, that he very plainly shewed how strongly he believed it. And no

VOL. II.

age