On this account, I am confident, that, had mankind been defired to name a proper reprefentative of themselves, in whom they fhould fee exhibited what was to befal themselves, they would have chofen a man born as themselves had been. A priori, therefore, it must have appeared lefs probable, that Chrift, being fent on fuch a miffion as his was, fhould be born of a virgin, than that he should be born like other men; as it might have been fufpected, that he would not have been produced in this manner, if it had not been for the fake of giving him fuch advantages in point of constitution, as men born in the usual way cannot naturally have. His example, therefore, is, in all refpects, lefs properly propofed to us, and his refurrection affords lefs ground for our expectation that we alfo fhall be raised to immortal life; fince any peculiar conftitution of nature may have unknown peculiar privileges.

In the fcriptures, mankind are generally apprized of the reasons of all the great meafures

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fures that God has been pleased to take with respect to them. Our Saviour informs his difciples very particularly why it was expedient that he fhould die, and leave them for a time; affuring them that it was for their own advantage, &c. and with respect to those reasons which they were not at that time qualified to enter into, he plainly told them, that they were not; and that, for that reason, the communication of more knowledge to them was deferred.

Now, are any reasons given us in the fcriptures, to fhow us that it was more proper that Chrift was to be born of a virgin, than in the ufual way? Or, is it there faid, that there was a reason for it, but that men were not qualified to underftand it. Neither of these is the cafe; and what is particularly remarkable, a thing of this extraordinary kind is not so much as mentioned, or in the most diftant manner alluded to, by Chrift himself, or by any writer in the New Teftament; fo that, if the doctrine be true, it does not appear to

have answered any end whatever. And it is by no means analogous to the ufual conduct of Divine Providence, to take extraordinary measures without a proportionable object and ufe. It is no where faid, that God honoured mankind fo far, as either to fend a perfon of a higher rank than man, to be his meflenger to them, or to make a man, in an extraordinary way, for that purpofe; that more dignity might be given to his character, and greater attention fecured to him.

There is only one expreffion in the whole New Teftament, that is capable of being laid hold of, as, in the moft diftant manner, alluding to the miraculous conception, which is, Paul fpeaking of Chrift, Gal. iv. 4. as made of woman, as well as made under the law. But the flighteft knowledge of the fcripture phrafeology may fatisfy us, that this is only fynoymous to the term man. Job fays, ch. xiv. 1. Man that is born of a woman is of few days, &c. and again, chap. xxv. 4. How can he be clean that is born of

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a woman. Our Saviour alfo fays, Matt. xi. 11. Among them that are born of women, there is none greater than John the Baptift. To be born of women, therefore, or made of a woman, and to be a man, or a human being, is the fame thing.

According to all appearance, therefore, if the doctrine of the miraculous conception be true, God wrought a most extraor dinary miracle without any proper object or use. Nay, as far as we can judge, such a pretenfion as that of a miraculous birth, unlefs it had been much more particularly authenticated than the gospel history repre fents this to have been, muft have operated greatly to the prejudice of our Saviour's character, and confequently must have obftructed the end of his miffion. For without the most circumftantial evidence, for which no provifion was made, the ftory of the miraculous conception would never have been believed by the Jews. And does not this circumstance render the wisdom of the fcheme very questionable? For, though it

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must always be acknowledged, that the ways of God, even with respect to men, may be infcrutable to men, yet, when nothing is faid of fuch wifdom, and no fuch fubmiffion of our judgments is required of us, the facts from which fuch mysterious conduct is inferred, ought not to be admitted without proportionably clear evidence.

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