The 24th and 25th verfes have been anticipated in the comment on the 11th. 26. And God faid, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Plato most properly, and as if he had his information immediately from divine revelation, thus fhews that man affumes a likeness to the Deity, in proportion as he excels in moral reditude Ομοίωσις δε, δίκαιον και οσιον μετα φρονη sws yvelas. That juftice, righteousness, and wisdom, affimulate us to God γενεσθαι. Jamblicus, in his Book de Myfteriis, defcribes, almoft in evangelic language, the state of man when fallen from a ftate of communion with God, and the happiness resulting from a reftitution to the divine favour, to the most intimate union with his makerΙδέα, γαρ εςιν ευδαιμονίας το επισαθαι το αγαθόν. For the ayadov.-For very idea of happiness is to be acquainted with God, who is the effential good.-ch. 5. f. 10. Hierocles, on the golden verfes of Pythagoras, where he treats of dæmons, fays, πρέπει τω θεώ, και τοιαύτας εποίησαν εαυτε εικονας, хось им пита τρεπτα Tas-It is becoming the Deity to have his likeness not at all mutable, &c. Jam vero virtus eadem in homine ac deo-eft igitur homini cum deo fimilitudo. "Virtue being the fame in man as in God, man has therefore a likeness to the Deity." (From hence, then as a natural confequence, follows the fuperiority of man over other creatures.) Itaque ad hominum commoditates & ufus tantam rerum ubertatem natura largita eft; nec folum ea, quæ frugibus atque baccis terræ fœtu profundunter, fed etiam pecudes: quod perfpicuum fit, partim effe ad ufum hominum, partim åd fructum, partim ad vefcendum procreatas." Therefore nature has bountifully bestowed that vaft variety with which she abounds, both for the conveniencies and ufe of man; not only a profufion of vegetable productions, but also cattle, partly for his own immediate ufe, which is evident, partly for the culture of the fol, and partly for food. - Cicero de legibus. 27. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." 28. "And God blessed them; and God faid unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish plenifh the earth, and fubdue it, and have dominion over the fifh of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Here God is reprefented as fpeaking to man newly created; it is therefore natural to fuppofe that he infpired him with an immediate knowledge of language; and it is rational to believe, that as man was created in a state of maturity, and had not paffed gradually from infancy to manhood, neither had a father to inftruct him, that God taught him language. This has been the opinion of many heathen writers, as well as of the learned of all religious orders.-See Sketch 4. 29. "And God faid, behold I have given you every herb bearing feed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding feed, to you it fhall be for meat." At vetus illa ætas cui fecimus aurea nomen, Hail golden age, by ancient poets nam'd, ВКЕТ С Н XI. OF SANCHONIATHON AND MANETHO, AND HOW FAR THEY CORRESPOND WITH THE MOSAIC HISTORY. THE labours of Africanus, Eufebius and Syncellus, without which the world would have remained very ignorant of ancient chronology, are to be esteemed amongst the very valuable acquifitions of literature: and altho' no investigations of these learned men, nay, not even the Canon Chronicon of Sir John Marsham, neither the chronology of the illuftrious Newton, have been able, fully, to fatisfy our curiosity in illuftrating and folving the intricate difficulties in which the fabulous accounts of the most ancient writers are involved; yet, from their inquiries we may deduce arguments fufficient to prove the infinite fuperiority of the Mofaical writings above all others; and that all other accounts have, in a great variety of respects, an affinity to revelation, which can in no other manner be accounted for, but by ancient tradition: and alfo, that where they may may feem to differ, there is nothing but intricacy, confufion, and darkness, the refult of blind fuperftition, and defection from the true God. Sanchoniathon, the most ancient of profane authors, (except the first and fecond Mercury) was an idolatrous priest of Berytus, and is believed to have seen and ftudied the works of Ham. Philo Byblius fays, that Sanchoniathon was a lover of antiquity, and was verfant in the writings of Taautus, that he dedicated his works to Abibalus, to whom Hiram succeeded in the empire; he therefore might have fynchronized with David, which is the greatest antiquity (according to fome writers) which this author can poffibly claim (how inferior to that of Mofes !) That he lived before the Trojan war, and was contemporary with Semiramis, is alfo attefted by Philo; that is about the year 1048, before Chrift; as related by Porphyry. But Semiramis is believed to have lived much later. If Sanchoniatho lived at the time of Semiramis, that is as fome would have it, in the year 766 before Chrift: Then it must be an entire fiction, that he dedicated his work to Abibalus, who undoubtedly flourished before that time. What my opinion is, refpecting the time when this author flourished is briefly expreffed in |