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History of our Saviour shows us that he ap- SER M. IV. peared in the World. 'Tis evident therefore that the incarnation of Chrift was in

the fulness of time; that is, exactly at the time foretold and fore-determined by the Prophets. And indeed these prophecies were fo plain, that about the time of our Lord's appearance, the Jews, and from them the Romans, and all the Eaftern parts of the World, were in great expectation of fome extraordinary person to arise, who fhould be Governor of the World. This made Herod fo inquifitive and follicitous, about him that was born king of the Jews, St Mat. ii. 2: And this gave occafion to the impoftors, Theudas and Judas of Galilee, (of whom we read, AƐts v. 36.) to profess themselves to be fome great perfons, and to draw away much people after them. The Jews were at that Time filled with expectation of the appearance of their promised Meffiah; and from thence thefe Deceivers took occafion to for themselves; But as they managed their imposture in Such manner, as to fuit with the prejudices and false notions the Jews had then conceived of their expected

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SER M. expected Meffiah, fo they acted directly contrary to his True character; and their designs came accordingly to a deferved end.

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But 2dly, THO' it be evident that our Saviour came into the World in the fulnefs of time, viz. at the time foretold by the prophets; yet the question may still return, why was That time determined rather than any other, and accordingly foretold by the Prophets; for, without doubt, it was in itself abfolutely the fittest and the propereft season; and the incarnation of our Lord was therefore by the Prophets fixt beforehand to that time, because it was the full, or most proper Seafon. And to This question it might be fufficient to answer, that the time of our Saviour's incarnation, as all Other times and feasons which the Father has put in his own power, was therefore the fitteft, and the propereft season, because it was the time chosen by the infinite and unerring Wifdom of God: But yet it cannot be denied to be an argument worthy our confideration, to inquire into the reafons of our Saviour's Coming into the World at such a particular time rather than any other,

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fo far as the hiftory of the Scripture, SER M. which is what God has thought fit to open to us of his Divine Counsel; and fo far as the design itself of our Lords coming, will fuggeft to us. Now Two reasons there feem to have been more efpecially, of our Saviour's appearing at That time: The firft is, because the infufficiency of the Jewish difpenfation, as well as of natural religion, was then, after a long trial, become fufficiently apparent: Apparent; not to God, who knows all things at Once, and makes accordingly Provifion for all things from the beginning; and who is able to judge all men with justice and equity, according to their respective Circumftances under Every Difpenfation: but to Men, to whom the Counsel of God is opened by degrees, and by the Events of things; to Them, the insufficiency of the Jewish Difpenfation was by that Time become apparent. What the law could not do, faith St Paul, in That it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for Sin condemned fin in the flesh, Rom. viii. 3. And

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SER M. in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the fame IV. Apostle all along infifts on the infufficiency

of the Jewish institution, as an Argument to demonstrate the neceffity of introducing the Chriftian: For if that first covenant, faith he, had been faultless, then fhould no place have been fought for the fecond, Heb. viii. 7; and ch. vii. ver. 18, There is verily a difannulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. In the old World, when men had entirely corrupted themselves, and almost wholly lost that natural and traditional Knowledge of God, which was at firft the foundation of their Religion, and the rule of their lives; God began to reveal himself to Abraham and the Patriarchs; and chofe their Posterity to give them afterwards his Laws by Moses, and to make them the Standard of true Religion, and of the Worship of the One God, to all Nations. Again, when this new Difpenfation of Providence began likewise to grow ineffectual as the former had done, through the Vanity and Superstition wherewith it was by degrees overrun; When the commandments

mandments of God were almost wholly SER M. swallowed up by the traditions of Men, IV.

and the weightier matters of the law forced to give place to the fuperftitious doctrines of the Scribes and Pharifees; then was the time for him to appear, who, as the prophet Malachi describes him, was to be like a refiner's fire, and like fullers Soap; who was to fit as a refiner and purifier of filver, and to purifie the fons of Levi, and purge them as gold and filver, that they might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, Mal. iii. 3.

2dly, The Second reafon, why we may fuppofe our Saviour appeared juft at the time he did, was because the World was at that time by many extraordinary circumstances, peculiarly prepared for his reception. The great defign of his Coming, (we know,) was to establish a Religion, which as it was to continue for ever without any further alteration, so it was not (like the Jewish difpenfation) to be confined to one particular Nation or People, but to be preached to all the nations of the earth from one end thereof unto the other: His Dominion fhall be alfo

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