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sect. Dr. Haweis, in speaking of || of God upon him, as we die to the the Mystics, Church History, vol. influences of this world when the iii, p. 47, thus observes: "Among soul leaves the body; and all the those called Mystics, I am per- influences and operations of the suaded some were found who lov- elements of this life were open in ed God out of a pure heart fer-him, as they are in any animal, at vently; and though they were ri-his birth into this world; he bediculed and reviled for proposing came an earthly creature, subject a disinterestedness of love with- to the dominion of this outward out other motives, and as profes-world, and stood only in the highsing to feel in the enjoyment of the est rank of animals. But the goodtemper itself an abundant reward,ness of God would not leave man their holy and heavenly conversation will carry a stamp of real religion upon it."

in this condition; redemption from it was immediately granted, and the bruiser of the serpent As the late Reverend William brought the life, light, and spirit Law, who was born in 1687, of heaven, once more into the humakes a distinguished figure man nature. All men, in conseamong the modern Mystics, a quence of the redemption of brief account of the outlines of his Christ, have in them the first system may, perhaps, be enter-spark, or seed, of the Divine life, taining to some readers. He as a treasure hid in the centre of supposed that the material world our souls, to bring forth, by dewas the very region which origi-grees, a new birth of that life nally belonged to the fallen an- which was lost in paradise. No gels. At length the light and spirit son of Adam can be lost, only by of God entered into the chaos, and turning away from the Saviour turned the angels' ruined kingdom within him. The only religion into a paradise on earth. God then which can save us, must be that created man, and placed him which can raise the light, life, and there. He was made in the image spirit of God in our souls. Noof the Triune God, a living mir-thing can enter into the vegetable ror of the Divine nature, formed kingdom till it have the vegetable to enjoy communion with Father, life in it, or be a member of the Son, and Holy Ghost, and live on animal kingdom till it have the earth as the angels do in heaven. animal life. Thus all nature joins He was endowed with immortali- with the Gospel in affirming that ty, so that the elements of this no man can enter into the kingoutward world could not have dom of heaven till the heavenly any power of acting on his body; life is born in him. Nothing can but by his fall he changed the be our righteousness or recovery light, life, and spirit of God for but the divine nature of Jesus the light, life, and spirit of the Christ derived to our souls. Law's world. He died the very day of his Life; Law's Spirit of Prayer and transgression with all the influ-Appeal; Law's Spirit of Love, and ences and operations of the Spirit on Regeneration.

MYTHOLOGY, in its original import, signifies any kind of fabulous doctrine. In its more appropriated sense, it means those fabulous details concerning the objects of worship, which were invented and propagated by men who lived in the early ages of the world, and by them transmitted

to succeeding generations, either by written records or by oral tradition. See articles HEATHEN, PAGANISM, and Gale's Court of the Gentiles, a work calculated to shew that the pagan philosophers derived their most sublime sentiments from the scriptures. Bryant's System of Ancient Mythology.

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NAME OF GOD. By this | Bethlehem, Mic. v, 2. Matt. ii, 4, term we are to understand, 1.6. where his parents were wonGod himself, Ps. xx, 1.-2. His derfully conducted in providence, titles peculiar to himself, Exod. Luke ii, 1, 7. The time of his iii, 13, 14.-3. His word, Ps. v, birth was foretold by the pro11. Acts ix, 15.-4. His works. phets to be before the sceptre or Ps. viii, 1.-5. His worship, Ex- civil government departed from od. xx, 24.-6. His perfections Judah, Gen. xliv, 10. Mal. iii, 1. and excellencies, Exod. xxxiv, Hag. ii, 6, 7, 9. Dan. ix, 24; but 6. John xvii, 26. The properties the exact year of his birth is not or qualities of this name are these: agreed on by chronologers, but it 1. A glorious name, Ps. lxxii, 17. was about the four thousandth —2. Transcendent and incompa-year of the world; nor can the searable, Rev. xix, 16.-3. Powerful, son of the year, the month, and Phil. ii, 10.-4. Holy and reve-day in which he was born, be asrend, Ps. cxi, 9.-5. Awful to the certained. The Egyptians placed wicked.-6. Perpetual, Is. lv, 13. it in January; Wagenseil, in FeCruden's Concordance; Hannam's bruary; Bochart, in March; some, Anal. Comp., p. 20. mentioned by Clement of AlexNATIVITY OF CHRIST.andria, in April; others, in May; The birth of our Saviour was ex- Epiphanius speaks of some who actly as predicted by the prophe-placed it in June, and of others cies of the Old Testament, Isa. vii, 14. Jer. xxxi, 22. He was born of a virgin of the house of David, and of the tribe of Judah, Matthewi. Luke i, 27. His coming into the world was after the manner of other men, though his genera-tober; others in November; and tion and conception were extraor- the Latin church in December. It dinary. The place of his birth was does not, however, appear proba

who supposed it to have been in July; Wagenseil, who was not sure of February, fixed it proba bly in August; Lightfoot, on the fifteenth of September; Scaliger, Casaubon, and Calvisius, in Oc

ble that the vulgar account is right; || over the East; and it became the circumstance of the shepherds the common belief that a prince watching their flocks by night, would arise at that time in Judea agrees not with the winter season. who should change the face of Dr. Gill thinks it was more likely the world, and extend his empire in Autumn, in the month of Sep-from one end of the earth to the tember, at the feast of taberna- other. Now, had Christ been macles, to which there seems some nifested at a more early period, reference in John i, 14. The scrip- the world would not have been ture, however, assures us that it prepared to meet him with the was in the "fulness of time," Gal. same fondness and zeal: had his iv, 4; and, indeed, the wisdom of appearance been put off for any God is evidently displayed as to considerable time, men's expectathe time when, as well as the end tions would have begun to lanfor, which Christ came. guish, and the warmth of desire, from a delay of gratification, might have cooled and died away.

It was in a time when the world stood in need of such a Saviour, and was best prepared for receiv- "The birth of Christ was also ing him. "About the time of in the fulness of time, if we conChrist's appearance," says Dr. sider the then political state of Robertson, "there prevailed a ge- the world. The world, in the most neral opinion that the Almighty early ages, was divided into small would send forth some eminent independent states, differing from messenger to communicate a each other in language, manners, more perfect discovery of his laws, and religion. The shock of will to mankind. The dignity of so many opposite interests, the Christ, the virtues of his charac-interfering of so many contrary ter, the glory of his kingdom, and views, occasioned the most violent the signs of his coming, were de-convulsions and disorders; perscribed by the ancient prophetspetual discord subsisted between with the utmost perspicuity.these rival states, and hostility and Guided by the sure word of pro-bloodshed never ceased. Comphecy, the Jews of that age con- merce had not hitherto united cluded the period predetermined by God to be then completed, and that the promised Messiah would suddenly appear, Luke ii, 25 to 38. Nor were these expectations peculiar to the Jews. By their dis-ed with any thing beyond the lipersions among so many nations, by their conversation with the learned men among the heathens, and the translation of their inspired writings into a language almost universal, the principles of their religion were spread all

mankind, and opened the communication of one nation with another: voyages into remote countries were very rare; men moved in a narrow circle, little acquaint

mits of their own small territory. At last the Roman ambition undertook the arduous enterprise of conquering the world; They trode down the kingdoms, according to Daniel's prophetic description, by their exceeding strength; they de

priate time. "The Romans," continues our author, "by subduing the world, lost their own liberty. Many vices engendered or nourished by prosperity, delivered

voured the whole earth, Dan. vii, 7, 23. However, by enslaving the world, they civilized it, and while they oppressed mankind, they united them together: the same laws were every where establish- them over to the vilest race of ed, and the same languages un-tyrants that ever afflicted or disderstood; men approached nearer graced human nature. The coto one another in sentiments and lours are not too strong which the manners, and the intercourse be- apostle employs in 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 univeragreeable. Satiated with victory, sal corruption did the wisdom of the first emperors abandoned all God manifest the Christian revethoughts of new conquests; peace, lation 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 tranquil- vices were found by experience lity, it scarcely drew the attention to be of very small avail; so that of mankind. The disciples of no juncture could be more proper Christ, thus favoured by the uni- for publishing a religion, which, on and peace of the Roman em- independent of human laws and pire, executed their commission institutions, explains the princiwith great advantage. The suc-ples of morals with admirable percess and rapidity with which they spicuity, and enforces the practice diffused the knowledge of his of them by most persuasive arguname over the world are astonish-ments.' ing. Nations were now accessi- The wisdom of God will still ble which formerly had been un-farther appear in the time of known. 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."

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 If we consider the state of the law, the Sadducees denied the world with regard to morals, it immortality of the soul, and overevidently appears that the coming turned the doctrine of future reof Christ was at the most appro-wards and punishments; so that

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 worshipperance, 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 themother 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 things, Rom. i, 21, 23. No period, therefore, can be mentioned when instructions would have been more seasonable and necessary;" and no wonder that those who were looking for salvation should joyfully exclaim, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people."a variety of other objects, which The nativity of Christ is cele- we shall here enumerate. 1. The brated among us on the twenty- Divine nature is not any external fifth day of December, and divine form or shape, but his glory, ex

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.

NATURE, the essential properties of a thing, or that by which it is distinguished from all others. It is used, also, for the system of the world, and the Creator of it; the aggregate powers of the hu man body, and common sense, Rom. i, 26, 27, 1st Cor. xi, 14. The word is also used in reference to

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