^57 ; 



prescribed as a barrier to separate the favoured nation from 

 the corruptions of the earth, would in time be regarded as 

 the essentials of religion. It would therefore be necessary 

 to re-estiiblish it upon its true and only basis, the Love of 

 God and Man. And if civilisation and science had already 

 awakened the other nations to a suspicion of the errors that 

 obscured their understanding, the season must then have 

 arrived for reveahng to all mankind, "The Unknown God." 



These important objects could hardly be accomplished 

 without the aid of miracles; and the manifest assent of the 

 Deity to the promulgated doctrines. After so long an inter- 

 val, they would carry accumulated force; and if the former 

 series was of a nature to ratify his tremendous power, by its 

 public exertion in favour of the only people who believed in 

 his name; the latter series ought to be adapted to announce 

 bis good will to all the inhabitants of the earth ; and by the 

 exercise of particular instances of omnipotent benevolence, 

 convince mankind of his unremitting and universal Provi^ 

 dence, that shields them through the warfare of life, and 

 makes death itself but the gate of immortality. 



Should these miracles be submitted to the inquisition of 

 the senses, those grand and only inlets of our knowledge — 

 should the doctrines they were brought to sustain be fur- 

 ther supported by ancient predictions marvellously verified — - 

 should events be then foretold which were afterward ful- 

 filled in all their parts, or so far accomplished as that succes- 

 sive generations might witness their progressive completion-^ 



