and having recourse to the most ridiculous rites in order to avert the indignation, and conciliate the favour, of those imaginary powers.

With respect to the immediate effect of the miracles of Mofes and those of Chrift, it is to be observed that the former gained the entire and firm affent of the whole nation of the Ifraelites, whereas the latter convinced only a part of them. But in the former cafe there was no previous principle of unbelief operating to counteract their effect. It was nothing but the hopeless state of their affairs that made the Ifraelites diftruft the divine miffion of Mofes, the first object of which was their deliverance from their bondage in Egypt; but when this was actually effected, in the manner that Mofes predicted, and entirely without their concurrence, nothing remained but a joyful acquiefence in what they themselves faw, and could not but fee, that God had done for them.

On the other hand, Jefus found the whole nation of the Jews poffeffed of a firm belief in a temporal deliverer, and

the firmeft perfuafion concerning the truth of their prophecies. It is not much to be wondered at therefore that they could not be made to believe, even on the evidence of miracles, that any other than a king could be their promifed Meffiah; fo that their faith in Mofes and their other prophets operated to prevent their receiving Jefus in the fame character. Their worldly ambition also would tend to confirm them in their prejudices against the pretensions of Jefus.

However the purposes of God were equally answered by the universal belief of the Jews in the divine miffion of Mofes, and their partial belief in that of Jefus. In the former cafe it was neceffary that the whole nation fhould form itfelf into a peculiar fyftem of government, of which God himself was to be the head; and this could not have been effected without the concurrence of the nation, and confequently without their being fatisfied with refpect to the authority which enjoined that system. But the object of Christianity was not national, having no more refpect to the

Jews

Jews than to other people, and therefore it required of the Jews of that age only fuch a perfuafion of the truth of the facts, especially that of the refurrection of Jefus, as fhould enfure the general and universal belief of it in future ages, and to the end of the world. And this object could not, as I fhall fhew, have been attained, if the great body of the Jewish nation, and especially the governing perfons in it, had immediately become Christians.

The Jewish and Christian difpenfations were fimilar to each other with respect to the test that their evidences were put to, in confequence of the oppofition that was made to them. No facts, as I shall shew, were ever fubjected to fo rigorous a fcrutiny as thofe on which the divine miffion of Jefus refted, by means of the umbrage that was taken at it by all the powers of the world, in the age in which it was promulgated, and the confequent perfecution of his followers. The divine miflion and authority of Mofes were alfo tried in a very rigorous manner by the oppofition that was made to him, and nothing could have overcome that oppofition

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oppofition but the most overbearing evidence that God was with him.

Mofes having tarried on Mount Sinai forty days, when the people had no expectation of any fuch thing, and they knew that he had no fuftenance, concluded (and not very unnaturally) that they should see no more of him. Exod. xxxii. 1, &c. And when the people faw that Mofes delayed to come down out of the mount, they gathered themfelves together unto Aaron, and faid unto him, Up, make us Gods, that shall go before us; for as for this Mofes, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. They had no doubt of the reality of what they had seen in proof of their having been hitherto conducted by God and Mofes, but they haftily concluded, as they had done before, that they were deferted, and therefore thought that they must do the best they could for themselves. And having no fyftem of worship as yet established, and thinking, with all other people, that nothing was to be done without one, they reverted to such rites as they had been used to, but ftill in honour, as

they

they thought, of their own God. For when Aaron complied with their wishes, and made the golden calf, in direct violation, no doubt, of the fecond commandment (but which had not then been committed to writing, or particularly explained to them) he made proclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feaft to Jehovah.

No fooner, however, did Mofes make his appearance than the whole bufinefs ceafed, and by his order the Levites alone went through the camp, and, without meeting with any oppofition, made an indifcriminate flaughter of three thousand men. Could this have taken place by the order of a fingle man, if the people had not had the fulleft perfuafion from what had paffed that he was commiffioned by God, and that all refiftance would have been vain?

On this occafion Mofes had an opportunity of fhewing his unambitious nature, and the piety and generofity of his fentiments. For when, in order to try him, God proposed to destroy the Ifraelites, and to make of him a great nation, Exod.