and rifing generation, who were carried captive in a state of childhood, or born in captivity. And that this was really the cafe, is evident from this, that when Ezra read the law of GOD in the Hebrew language, before the congregation of the restored exiles, he found it neceffary to employ a number of the moft learned Jews of the Levitical order, to give the fenfe, and cause them to understand the reading; i. e. not only to explain the fenfe and fpirit of the laws, but to render them sentence after fentence in the Chaldee language which was then beft understood by the common people. And hence they found it neceffary from that time to ufe targums, or Chaldee paraphrafes, or verfions of the law in their fynagogues, the Hebrew language being then in a great measure unintelligible by the common people. But although the Hebrew ceafed to be the vulgar language of the Jews after the captivity, yet it was ftill had in the utmost veneration among them, and was carefully studied and well understood by their learned men. Ezekiel wrote his prophefies in Hebrew during the captivity, and fo did Daniel a good part of his; and, excepting part of the book of Ezra, all the canonical fcripture that was written after the captivity, was written in Hebrew.

BUT however, the Jews might adopt the language of their conquerors, it is certain they never adopted their cuftoms, laws or religion, but ftill preserved their own, with a firmer zeal and more rigid attachment than ever. The captivity and desolation of their nation,

» Neh. viii. I-9.

which they confidered as a punishment for their manifold revolts, idolatries and deviations from their law, instead of diminishing, greatly encreased their veneration for it. Infomuch, that from that time down to the time of CHRIST, they took a moft fcrupulous care of those canonical books, in part collected. and revised by Ezra, and about one hundred and fixty years afterwards compleated by Simon the just .

NAY, fo far were they from adopting the religion of Chaldea, that they were never chargeable with idolatry of any kind after the time of Ezra, which has been afcribed, not without reason, to two caufes. ft. The severe punishment they fuffered for their idolatries in the Babylonifh captivity; and, fecondly, the conftant reading and explaining of the law and prophets to them in their fynagogues from the expiration of that captivity till the time of Chrift and downwards. By this means, their ears were fo familiarized with that law of GOD which forbid idolatry upon the feverest penalties, and the abfurd and ridiculous light in which the prophets had placed it, together with the dreadful denunciations of the divine wrath pronounced by them against it, and all thefe fo remarkably verified and accomplished in the Babylonifh captivity, and the many other public and national judgements which had fell upon them, in confequence of their repeated idolatries and revolts; that for the future, they were effectually taught wildom in this particular. And the multitude of copies of the

y See 2 Maccab. 1, 2, and 7th chapters. Jof, Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 7.

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holy

holy fcriptures which were neceffary to supply the numberless fynagogues in Judea and elfewhere, together with the care of the fcribes and Maforites to preferve them pure and correct, rendered it a thing next to impoffible that these fcriptures fhould be loft, or materially altered, from the times of Ezra and Simon the juft, till the time of CHRIST: From which time down to the prefent, the Jews and Chriftians, both holding these fcriptures facred, and both using them in the offices of their public worship, have been a fufficient guard upon each other that these writings fhould fuffer no material alteration. So that we have all reafon poffible to believe that the fcriptures of the old teftament have come down to our hands, with all that purity and integrity which is effentially neceffary to a divine revelation; and that whatever leffer errors may have crept into the text, yet they are fuch as do not at all affect the faith or practice either of Jews or Chriftians.

AND indeed, if we will allow what, I hope, has already been made fufficiently evident, that the old teftament fcriptures bear the genuine external and internal characters of a revelation coming from GOD; that they were defigned to inftruct the Jews in juft and worthy notions about the unity, fpiritual nature, and infinite perfection of the SUPREME BEING, to direct them in the proper and acceptable method of ferving and obeying him, and to elevate and prepare their minds for the more pure, fpiritual and univerfal difpenfation of the gospel ftate, or the MESSIAH'S kingdom; this alone will ferve instead of a thoufand arguments, to affure us, that the divine

providence

providence was in a very particular manner engaged and concerned to preserve such a revelation pure and entire, for answering the great defigns of its original donation.

SAINT PAUL reckons it one of the highest privileges and greatest advantages of the Jews, that unto them were committed the oracles of GOD. And from what has been faid, it appears, that they have been very faithful to their truft in preferving this facred depofitum. And indeed, had they been otherwise, it is strange that CHRIST fhould never reprove them for it, as he did moft frequently and liberally for their other neglects and abuses. And yet he is fo far from blaming them in this particular, that HE and his apostles appeal to these facred writings, and quote them upon all occafions as the genuine and undoubted oracles of God, and that facred treasure of divine truth, in which were contained the words of eternal life, and which were able to make them wife unto falvation". Which plainly fhews us, that they were under no manner of doubt, either about the inspiration or authenticity of the old teftament fcriptures, and which is indeed the highest and most infallible evidence we have of their divine original.

THUS have I laid before you a number of arguments tending to prove the divine commiffion of Mofes, the truth and divine original of the old teftament fcriptures, and their prefervation in all neceffary purity and integrity down to the present times.

THE improvement of this and the foregoing discourses, must be reserved for another occafion.

z Rom. iii. 1, 2. a Joh. v. 39. 2 Tim. iii. 15,

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SERMON V.

The excellency of the old teftament fcriptures, and their fubferviency to the Chriftian religion.

I

JOHN V. 39.

Search the fcriptures.

AM now to make fome improvement of the foregoing difcourfes in vindication of revealed religion, and fhall therefore proceed,

ift. To fhew the excellency of the holy fcriptures, as a motive to the duty here enjoined of fearching and studying them.

2dly. I SHALL fhew the right which all ranks and orders of Chriftians have to read and fearch the fcriptures in their mother tongue, and their obligations to this duty.

3dly. I SHALL fhew that temper and difpofition of mind, with which these holy writings fhould be fearched and read. And,