claim the leaft alleviation or abatement from the rigorous sentence. Befides the fcripture and reason which confirm this truth, near two thoufand years experience demonftrates that the adherents to the firft covenant, who call themfelves Jews, are an abandoned people, both by God and man. Their temple and facred rites. are destroyed, prophecy, miracles, and every divine gift, or fupernatural communication (that distinguished the first covenant until the eftablishment of the fecond) by Jefus Chrift into the Christian Church, with the prophetic or fcripture promises, all which you are a witnefs to at this day. But how many years of anxiety have you deluded yourself, even fourfcore, expecting a releasement from your captivity, with a triumphant return, headed by your Meffiah, with the fpoils of the Gentiles, bearing down all before you and paffing as an impetuous torrent, roll upon the breadth of the earth to the Holy Land, where all things will be restored one hundred fold more excellent than in the reign of Solomon? But, alas, who can account for man, or comprehend the extent of his folly? To expect your nation's return to their once happy country, rebuild their temple, and restore the rites and ceremonies of the old law or covenant, would be as great a chimera, or wild fancy, as to conceit that the foul remains in man after death. Yet yourself and nation have ever nurtured this bantling, nurfeling, fondling, or maggot, proceeding from a a feverish and lawless zeal, which near two thousand years defolation and strong efforts

to

to recover your ancient freedom and reinftate yourselves in the country given by Almighty God to your forefathers, reft re your darling city and temple, rites and ceremonies to their first excellency. Your fathers made a molt for midable war during two years against the Romans, in the reign of Adrian; they were led on by one Lucuas and another, Barchochebas. This laft told them that he was a ftar come down from heaven to enlighten them, who were under the rod of oppreffion. He was taken and suffered condign punishment, and many myriads deftroyed. They were, interdicted, not fo much from afar to behold their native foil. Thus matters went on until the reign of Julian the Apoftate, when your tathers being egged forward by the emperor to rebuild the temple and restore the Jewish worship, and being affifted by the emperor with all things neceffary for carrying on the building, but to no effect; for the divine inte pofition rendered endeavours ineffectual. Whilst the emperor was very defirous to damage the christians, he betrayed his own fuperftition. For being much addicted to facrificing, he not only delighted in the blood (of facritices) hinsfeif, but thought himself wronged, unless others would do fo too. But, in regard he found but few men as thofe, he fent for the Jews, and enquired of them, upon what account they abftained from facrificing, when the law of Mofes enjoined it. Upon their answering him, that they could not facrifice in any other place, but only at Jerufalem, he gave order, that Solo

mon's

mon's temple fhould be forthwith re-edified; in the interim, himself proceeds in his expedition against the Perfians. But the Jews, who for a long time had been defirous of getting an opportunity to have their temple rebuilt, in order to their offering facrifice, were then very industrious about the work. They also fhewed themselves very formidable to the chriftians, and their behaviour towards them was proud and infolent, threatening they would do them. as much mischief as they themfelves had formerly suffered from the Romans. The emperor, having given order, that the charge of the building fhould be paid out of his Exchequer, all things were foon provided; timber, ftone, burnt brick, clay, lime, and all other materials neceffary for building. At which time, Cyrillus, bishop bishop of Jerufalem, called to mind the prophecy of Daniel, which Chrift has alfo confirmed in the gospels, and predicted in the prefence of many perfons, that, the time would come fhortly that one ftone would not be left upon another in that temple, but that the prophecy fhould be fulfilled.

These were the bishop's words; and in the night there happened a great earthquake, which tore up the ftones of the old foundation of the temple, and difperfed them all, together with the adjacent edifices. The Jews were extremely terrified; and the fame of it brought many perfons who lived at a great distance to that place. When a numerous multitude were gathered, there happened anothered prodigy; for there came down a fire from heaven, that con

fumed

fumed all the builder's tools. You might have feen malle's, irons, to foo h and polish ftones, with faws, hiche's, aves, in fhort, all things the workmen had, whi h were used about that work, deftroyed by the flames. i he fire preyed upon these things for a whole day, the Jews being in the greatest fear imaginable, acknowledged (though unwillingly) that Chrift was God. But they obeyed not his will, but were prepoffeffed with an opinion of their own religion, and continued firm and hardened. For neither did a third miracle, which happened after, induce them to a belief of the truth. For, the night following, the impreffion of a Crofs, which caft forth beams of brightness, appeared printed on their garments, which im-: preffions, when they faw the next day, they endeavoured to wash and rub them out, but could not. Their blindness and flinty hearts remain-d unabated, and the temple, instead of being rebuilt, was totally demolished., Thefe are the words of Socrates, and feveral historians of that age give us much stronger and forcible proofs of the second covenant, and ceafing of the first, as you are a witness this day.

Boy. Eternity admits neither beginning nor end, but is eternal now. The adorable Trinity who folely inhabit eternity from everlasting, is one God; the Deity being one only oft fimple infinite perfection, and in that perfection one only moft fole and moft pure act, which being no other thing than the proper divine effence, it is confequently ever permanent and eternal. From the Father iffues his offspring, the Son,

who

who is ftiled in fcripture, His Breath or Word, the Holy Spirit who is produced, and is the effect of the mutual act of infinite love, reciprocal from the Father and Son, is called in fcripture, The Spirit of God; for tho' the Godhead be one fole Deity, yet not folitary, being three perfons; and this prime and firft principle of religion is illuftrated throughout the fcriptures. Your le-. giflator, Mofes, at the head of his Pentateuch, or five books, confirms this infinite mystery, unfearchable, boundless, and unfathomable Truth.

Genefis ft chapter. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth; and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters: and God faid, let there be light, and there was light. The univerfal creation vifible and invisible, was eternally present to the Deity; and when the divine will, for bringing it into being and granting it exiftence, was arrived, the whole received its creation as the divine decree had eternally been fettled. God spoke, and the word created. Alfo God's fpirit is particularly diftinguifhed; and God faid let us make man in our Image, after our Likenefs: and let them have dominion. Nothing can be more clear, and abfolute, which prove one God, but diftin&t perfons. In the be ginning God created the heaven and the earth, which declare, and proclaim God one fole Deity. The after part of the chapter (which

relates