Chap. VI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 



393 



being diflurbed by the many wants and avocations of his animal 

 life. Deaths therefore, fo far from being an objed of terror to fuch 

 a philofopher, is to be wifhed, and earneftly defired, by him. Of 

 this, Plotinus, an Alexandrian philolopher, whofe life Porphyry 

 has written, was a remarkable example ; for when he was advanced 

 in years, but long before he died, he wifhed earneftly for death, 

 though he would not ufe any means to procure It ; thinking that 

 he was bound to keep the ftation allotted to him in this life, as long 

 as it pleafed his Maker, who had put him there. And if an Heathen 

 philofopher is not afraid to die, but on the contrary wifhes it, much 

 more will a good Chriftlan : And, accordingly, St Paul calls out 

 with a kind of enthufiafm, " Who ihall deliver me from the body 

 " of this death *." 



Thus, I think, 1 have fhown, that our Saviour came in fulnefs of 

 time, as it is very well exprefled in Scripture; that is, juft when it 

 was proper for him to come, and not fooner; — when men were fo 

 far advanced in arts, fciences, and philofophy, as to be able to com- 

 prehend, and be difpofed to embrace, fo fublime a religion. If he 

 had come fooner, that is in the days of ignorance^ as the apoftle 

 exprefTes it, I am perfuaded the falvation he offered would not have 

 been well received. This is evident from the difficulty that is found 

 to make converts among the barbarous nations. The Moravian Mif- 

 fionaries were feven years in Greenland without making one con- 

 vert; and, I am afraid, they have not yet made many. A com- 

 pany of them, as I am informed, went to Guinea; but they all died, 

 without making one convert, as far as I could learn. But the Jews 

 themfelves furnifh the ftrongeft evidence of the neceflity of arts and 

 fciences, for making men fit to embrace the Chriftian religion. Je- 

 fus Chrift lived among them and wrought very many miracles, fuf- 

 ficient, one fliould think, to liave convinced the moft obftinate un- 



VoL. IV. y D believers. 



* Romans, chap. 7. v. 24. 



