middle should be, and the middle where it should place the end.

Men too shamefully debase themselves, when they do not perceive that the World is made for them, and yet, that they themselves are not made for the World; and that they ought not to make that their Center and their ultimate End, which only serves to brisk them up, and preserve them, such as are Pleasure and Glory.

However, this was become a general Irregularity: The Stoicks who pretended to raise themfelves above all other Men by their Sublime Morality, so much the more fubtilly arrived at Glory and Reputation, as they took a more unperceived course to it, by the very contempt of that Glory and Respect they so much affected. But indeed, if we consider the Self-Denial of a Cato, who sacrificed all Pleasures to the good of his Country, so far, that he let his Beard grow, walked always bare-footed, took his Food standing, and never would lie in a Bed, ever after he perceived the Common-wealth to be involved in Trouble, by the Wars betwixt Cefar and Pompey, that Example might very well pass at first view, for a Noble and Heroick Act. But if we consider to whom he so dedicated his Cares and his Disquietudes, we should find that it was to a company of unjust Tyrants, who aimed at nothing else but to raise their Caton. Fortunes on the ruin of other

Plutarc. in Vita

Nations. And what difference therefore is there whether a Man aims himself at Pleasure and Glory as his ultimate End, or bestows all his Cares and Endeavours upon a Body of Men who aim at nothing else?

It is therefore to be confessed, that Men had unhappily mistaken that for their ultimate end, I which was not truly so. There was never a Book that had truly undeceived them in that respect; never a Teacher that had attempted to reform that Irregularity in them. They never perfectly understood the necessity there was for them to look further; but on the contrary imagined they were obliged to sacrifice every thing to Self-Interest. Those who raised themselves a little higher, pretended to design all their Actions to the common well-fare of the State: The love of their Country was the only great Principle which they chiefly affected to follow; though in earnest it most commonly proved to be but a furer and more undiscover'd way, than that used by Self-Love to attain to Glory, Respect and Dignities. And fome of them again attempting to raise themselves to that lofty pitch, as to love Vertue only for her own fake, made no better of it than the Idol of their own Pride.

iDe

pe 200

ce

10

LOT

Bei

But the Scriptures of the Jews alone among all other Writings that ever were composed, raifing themselves far above Humane Passions, teach us, that we must direct all our Actions to the Glory of God; that Policy must truckle to Religion, and not Religion to Policy; that Vertue must be referred wholly to the Deity, and not the Deity to Vertue; that the ultimate end of every private Man, is that too of publick Society; and that the ultimate end of publick Society, is that also of every particular Man, which onfifts in glorifying his Maker.

But let Men argue never so much about the timate end of Men, they will be forced after

all,

all, to receive one of these Two Opinions, viz. either, That Men were framed without any manner of Design, and destined to no end at all, which perfectly subverts the Wisdom of the Maker, and consequently annuls the truth of his Existence, founded upon the Idea of his Wifdom; or else, that Man, his Life, his Health, those Aliments which keep him alive and healthy, the Pleasure which is affixed to those Aliments, Self-Love, the desire of Glory, and all the Encouragements we have to the Practice of Vertuė, together with Vertue her self, ought ultimately to be referred to the glory of him that is the Principle of all our Duties, as the Author of our Being, and whom we are in duty bound to glorify continually, because he never ceases conferring his Benefits upon us.

And here we need only to remember what has been already faid upon the Subject of Natural Religion; and that will be enough to oblige us indispensably to own the Jewish Revelation as the Restauration of it, as we are likewise forc'd to grant, that Paganism was its Corruption.

Yet because 'tis impossible God should reveal himself otherwise, than by sensibly affecting Mens Minds, by such Miracles as might give his Revelation the visible stamp of Divine Authority, fo those first Marks of Divinity we have just now observed in them, were accordingly back'd by several Miracles and Prophecies, which being Supernatural Works, are very necessary to convince us, that he who reveals himself after that manner, is the Master of Nature. Miracles are indeed contested matters of Fact, which therefore we shall not as yet bring into play ; but Prophesies are very sensible and speaking Proofs, which can never impose upon our Credulity, because their Evidence depends upon their actual accomplishment, and such an accomplishment as cannot but be known to us.

CHAP. IV.

Wherein we further examine the Characters of Divinity discoverable in the Jewish Revelation, by the Confideration of the Prophefies contained in it.

A

LL the Scriptures of the Jews, if I may so speak, are nothing but one continued Web of Prophefies. Thus Noah by his curfing Cham the Father of Canaan, foretels what would happen to the Posterity of the latter. Jacob upon his Death-Bed, foresees how the Land of Canaan would be divided among his Children and what would be the condition of every Tribe. Mofes declares what Idolatry and Superstition the People of Ifrael would give themselves over to, after his Death. Efaias foretels the coming and the profperity of Cyrus an Hundred Years before he was born. There are several Prophets which denote the future coming of the Babylonians, and the Captivity of the People of God. Jeremiah foretels that it would last but Seventy Years. Daniel foretels the last and most dreadful Ruin of Jerusalem by the Roman Armies ; and several other Events little less remarkable than that, Lastly, All the Prophets without Exception,

ception, from Moses down to Malachi, declare the Calling of the Gentiles, as an event that should be attended with many very remarkable Circumstances.

But we should never have done, if we should at present examine all those Oracles apart: It will be sufficient to pick Two or Three very circumstantial Prophesies out of them, which will enable us to judge of the Character of the others, provided we examine them with due care. And Daniel will supply us with fuch as we defire.

The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar is generally pretty well known, and the Interpretation which Daniel gave to it, few People are still

to learn. Thou, O King, faid he, art Dan. 2.37. a King of Kings; for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom, Power, and Strength and Glory. And after thee shall arise another Kingdom inferior to thee, and another Third Kingdom of Brass, which shall bear rule over all the Earth. And the Fourth Kingdom shall be strong as Iron; for as much as Iron breaketh in pieces and fubdueth all things; and as Iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the Feet and Toes, part of Potters Clay, and part of Iron, the Kingdom shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the Iron, forasmuch as thon fawest the Iron mixed with Miry Clay. And as the Toes of the Feet were part of Iron and part of Clay, so the Kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest Iron mixed with Miry Clay, they shall mingle themselves with the Seed of Men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as Iron is not mixed with Clay. And

in the Days of these Kings, shall the God of Heaven fet