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ble that the vulgar account is guage almost universal, the prinright; the circumstance of the ciples of their religion were spread shepherds watching their flocks by all over the East; and it became night, agrees not with the winter the common belief that a prince season. Dr. Gill thinks it was would arise at that time in Judea. more likely in Autumn, in the who should change the face of the month of September, at the world, and extend his empire feast of tabernacles, to which from one end of the earth to the there seems some reference in other. Now, had Christ been maJohn i, 14. The scripture, how-nifested at a more early period, ever, assures us that it was in the the world would not have been "fulness of time," Gal. iv, 4; and, prepared to meet him with the indeed, the wisdom of God is evi- same fondness and zeal: had his dently displayed as to the time appearance been put off for any when, as well as the end for, which considerable time, men's expectaChrist came. tions would have begun to lanIt was in a time when the world guish, and the warmth of desire, stood in need of such a Saviour, from a delay of gratification, and was best prepared for receiv-might have cooled and died ing him. "About the time of away.

Christ's appearance," says Dr. Dr.The birth of Christ was also in Robertson, "there prevailed a ge- the fulness of time, if we consider neral opinion that the Almighty the then political state of the would send forth some eminent world. The world, in the most messenger to communicate a more early ages, was divided into small perfect discovery of his will independent states, differing from to mankind. The dignity of each other in language, manners, Christ, the virtues of his charac-laws, and religion. The shock of ter, the glory of his kingdom, so many opposite interests, the inand the signs of his coming, were terfering of so many contrary described by the ancient prophets views, occasioned the most violent with the utmost perspicuity.— convulsions and disorders; perGuided by the sure word of pro-petual discord subsisted between phecy, the Jews of that age con- these rival states, and hostility and cluded the period predetermined bloodshed never ceased. by God to be then completed, merce had not hitherto united and that the promised Messiah mankind, and opened the comwould suddenly appear, Luke ii, munication of one nation with 25 to 38. Nor were these ex- another: voyages into remote pectations peculiar to the Jews. countries were very rare; men By their dispersions among so moved in a narrow circle, little many nations, by their conversa-acquainted with any thing beyond tion with the learned men among the limits of their own small terthe heathens, and the translation ritory. At last the Roman amof their inspired writings into a lan-bition undertook the arduous en

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terprise of conquering the world; If we consider the state of the They trode down the kingdoms, ac- world with regard to morals, it cording to Daniel's prophetic de- evidently appears that the coming scription, by their exceeding of Christ was at the most approstrength; they devoured the whole priate time. "The Romans," earth, Dan. vii, 7,23. However, by tinues our author, "by subduing enslaving the world, they civilized | the world, lost their own liberty. it, and while they oppressed man- Many vices, engendered or noukind they united them together: the rished by prosperity, delivered same laws were every where esta- them over to the vilest race of tyblished, and the same languages rants that ever afflicted or disunderstood; men approached near- graced human nature. The coer to one another in sentiments and lours are not too strong which the manners, and the intercourse be- apostle employs in the drawing the tween the most distant corners of character of that age. See Eph. the earth was rendered secure and iv, 17, 19. In this time of uniagreeable. Satiated with victory, versal corruption did the wisdom the first emperors abandoned all of God manifest the Christian rethoughts of new conquests; peace, velation to the world. What the an unknown blessing, was enjoyed wisdom of men could do for the through all that vast empire; or encouragement of virtue in a corif a slight war was waged on an rupt world had been tried during outlying and barbarous frontier, several ages, and all human defar from disturbing the tranquillity, vices were found by experience to it scarcely drew the attention of be of very small avail; so that no mankind. The disciples of Christ, juncture could be more proper for thus favoured by the union and publishing a religion, which, indepeace of the Roman empire, exe-pendent on human laws and insticuted their commission with great advantage. The success and rapidity with which they diffused the knowledge of his name over the world are astonishing. Nations were now accessible which formerly had been unknown. Under this situation, into which the providence of God had brought the world, the joyful sound in a few years reached those remote corners of the earth into which it could not otherwise have penetrated for many ages. Thus the Roman ambition and bravery paved the way and prepared the world for the reception of the Christian doctrine."

tutions, explains the principles of morals with admirable perspicuity, and enforces the practice of them by most persuasive arguments.

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The wisdom of God will still farther appear in the time of Christ's coming, if we consider the world with regard to its religious state. "The Jews seem to have been deeply tinctured with superstition. Delighted with the ceremonial prescriptions of the law, they utterly neglected the moral. While the Pharisees undermined religion, on the one hand, by their vain traditions and wretched interpretations of the law, the Sadducees denied the im

mortality of the soul, and over- The nativity of Christ is celeturned the doctrine of future re-brated among us on the twentywards and punishments; so that fifth day of December, and divine between them the knowledge and service is performed in the church, power of true religion were en- and in many places of worship tirely destroyed. But the deplo- among dissenters; but, alas! the rable situation of the heathen day, we fear, is more generally world called still more loudly for profaned than improved. Instead an immediate interposal of the of being a season of real devotion, Divine hand. The characters of it is a season of great diversion. their heathen deities were infa- The luxury, extravagance, intemmous, and their religious worship perance, obscene pleasures, and consisted frequently in the vilest drunkenness that abound, are and most shameful rites. Accord-striking proofs of the immoralities ing to the apostle's observation, of the age. "It is matter of just they were in all things too supersti- complaint," says a divine, "that tious. Stately temples, expensive such irregular and extravagant sacrifices, pompous ceremonies, things are at this time commonmagnificent festivals, with all the ly done by many who call them. other circumstances of show and selves Christians; as if, because splendour, were the objects which the Son of God was at this time false religion presented to its vota-made man, it were fit for men to ries; but just notions of God, obe- make themselves beasts." Manne's dience to his moral laws, purity of Dissertation on the Birth of Christ; heart, and sanctity of life, were || Lardner's Cred., p. i, vol. ii, p. not once mentioned as ingredients 796, 963; Gill's Body of Divinity, in religious service. Rome adopt-on Incarnation; Bishop Law's Theed the gods of almost every na-ory of Religion; Dr. Robertson's tion whom she had conquered, admirable Sermon on the Situation and opened her temples to the grossest superstitions of the most barbarous people. Her foolish heart being darkened, she changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping NATURE, the essential prothings, Rom. i, 21, 23. No pe-perties of a thing, or that by which riod, therefore, can be mentioned it is distinguished from all others. when instructions would have been It is used, also, for the system of more seasonable and necessary;" the world, and the Creator of it; and no wonder that those who the aggregate powers of the huwere looking for salvation should man body, and common sense, joyfully exclaim, "Blessed be the Rom. i, 26, 27. 1st Cor. xi, 14. The Lord God of Israel, for he hath word is also used in reference to visited and redeemed his people." a variety of other objects, which

of the World at Christ's Appearance; Edwards's Redemption, 313, 316; Robinson's Claude, vol. i, p. 276, 317; John Edwards's Survey of all the Dispensations and Methods of Religion, chap. 13, vol. i.

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we shall here enumerate. 1. The nately adhered to the practice of Divine nature is not any external the Jewish ceremonies. The name form or shape, but his glory, ex- of Nazarenes, at first, had nothing cellency, and perfections peculiar odious in it, and it was often given to himself.-2. Human nature sig- to the first Christians. The fathers mifies the state, properties, and pe- frequently mention the Gospel of culiarities of man.-3. Good na- the Nazarenes, which differs noture is a disposition to please, and thing from that of St. Matthew, is compounded of kindness, for- which was either in Hebrew or Sybearance, forgiveness, and self-de-riac, for the use of the first connial.-4. The law of nature is verts, but was afterwards corruptthe will of God relating to hu-ed by the Ebionites. These Naman actions, grounded in the mo-zarenes preserved this first Gospel ral differences of things. Some in its primitive purity. Some of understand it in a more compre- them were still in being in the time hensive sense, as signifying those of St. Jerome, who does not restated orders by which all the proach them with any errors. parts of the material world are go- They were very zealous observers verned in their several motions of the law of Moses, but held the and operations.-5. The light of traditions of the Pharisees in very nature does not consist merely in great contempt. those ideas which heathens have actually attained, but those which are presented to men by the works of creation, and which, by the exertion of reason, they may obtain, if they be desirous of retaining God in their mind. See RELIGION.-6. By the dictates of nature, with regard to right and wrong, we understand those things which appear to the mind to be natural, fit, or reason-engaged by a vow to abstain from able.-7. The state of nature is that in which men have not by mutual engagements, implicit or express, entered into communities.-8. Depraved nature is that corrupt state in which all mankind are born, and which inclines them to evil.

The word Nazarene was given to Jesus Christ and his disciples; and is commonly taken in a sense of derision and contempt in such authors as have written against Christianity.

NAZARITES, those under the ancient law who made a vow of observing a more than ordinary degree of purity, as Samson and John the Baptist. The Nazarites

wine and all intoxicating liquors ; to let their hair grow without cutting or shaving; not to enter into any house that was polluted, by having a dead corpse in it; nor to be present at any funeral. And if by chance any one should have died in their presence, they began -NAZARENES, Christians again the whole ceremony of their converted from Judaism, whose consecration and Nazariteship.-chief error consisted in defending This ceremony generally lasted the necessity or expediency of the eight days, sometimes a month,and works of the law, and who obsti-"sometimes their whole lives. When

the time of their Nazariteship was When a person found that he was accomplished, the priest brought not in a condition to make a vow the person to the door of the of Nazariteship, or had not leisure temple, who there offered to the to perform the ceremonies belongLord a he-lamb for a burnt offering to it, he contented himself by ing, a she-lamb for an expiatory contributing to the expence of the sacrifice, and a ram for a peace-sacrifice and offerings of those that offering. They offered likewise loaves and cakes, with wine necessary for the libations. After all this was sacrificed and offered to the Lord, the priest or some other person shaved the head of the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacle, and burnt his hair, throw ing it upon the fire of the altar. Then the priest put into the hand of the Nazarite the shoulder of the ram, roasted, with a loaf and a cake, which the Nazarite returning into the hands of the priest, he offered them to the Lord, lifting them up in the presence of the Nazarite. And from this time he might again drink wine, his Nazariteship being now accomplished, Numbers vi. Amos ii, 11, 12.

had made and fulfilled this vow; and by this means he became a partaker in the merit of such Nazariteship. When St. Paul came to Jerusalem, in the year of Christ 58, the apostle St. James the Less, with the other brethren, said to him (Acts xxi, 23, 24), that, to quiet the minds of the converted Jews who had been informed that he every where preached up the entire abolition of the law of Mcses, he ought to join himself to four of the faithful who had a vow of Nazariteship upon them, and contribute to the charge of the ceremony at the shaving of their heads; by which the new converts would perceive that he continued to keep the law, and that what they had heard of him was not true. NECESSARIANS, an appella

maintain that moral agents at from necessity. See next article, and MATERIALISTS.

NECESSITY, whatever is done by a cause or power that is irrcsistible, in which sense it is opposed to freedom. Man is a necessary.

Those that made a vow of Nazariteship out of Palestine, and could not come to the templetion which may be given to all who when their vow was expired, contented themselves with observing the abstinence required by the law, and, after that, cutting their hair in the place where they were as to the offerings and sacrifices prescribed by Moses, which were to be offered at the temple by them-agent, if all his actions be so deselves, or by others for them, they termined by the causes preceding deferred this till they could have a each action that not one past acconvenient opportunity. Hence it tion could possibly not have come was that St. Paul, being at Co- to pass, or have been otherwise rinth, and having made a vow of a than it hath been, nor one future Nazarite, had his hair cut off at action can possibly not come to Cenchrea, and put off fulfilling the pass, or be otherwise than it shall rest of his vow till he should ar- be. On the other hand, it is assertrive at Jerusalem, Acts xviii, 18."ed, that he is a free agent, if he VOL. II,

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