ble that the vulgar account is right; the circumstance of the shepherds watching their flocks by night, agrees not with the winter season. Dr. Gill thinks it was more likely in Autumn, in the month of September, at the feast of tabernacles, to which there seems some reference in John i, 14. The scripture, how

guage almost universal, the principles of their religion were spread all over the East; and it became the common belief that a prince would arise at that time in Judea who should change the face of the world, and extend his empire from one end of the earth to the other. Now, had Christ been manifested 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 when, as well as the end for, which Christ came.

appearance been put off for any considerable time, men's expectations would have begun to languish, and the warmth of desire, from a delay of gratification, might have cooled and died away.

"The birth of Christ was also in the fulness of time, if we consider the then political state of the world. The world, in the most early ages, was divided into small independent states, differing from each other in language, manners, laws, and religion. The shock of so many opposite interests, the interfering of so many contrary

It was in a time when the world stood in need of such a Saviour, and was best prepared for receiving him. "About the time of Christ's appearance," says Dr. Robertson, "there prevailed a general opinion that the Almighty would send forth some eminent messenger to communicate a more perfect discovery of his will to mankind. The dignity of Christ, the virtues of his character, the glory of his kingdom, and the signs of his coming, were 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. Comby 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 dispersions among so 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

merce had not hitherto united mankind, and opened the communication of one nation with another: voyages into remote countries were very rare; men moved in a narrow circle, little world with regard to morals, it evidently appears that the coming of Christ was at the most appropriate time. "The Romans," continues our author, " by subduing the world, lost their own liberty. Many vices, engendered or nourished by prosperity, delivered them over to the vilest race of tyrants that ever afflicted or disgraced human nature. The colours are not too strong which the apostle employs in the drawing the character of that age. See Eph. iv, 17, 19. In this time of universal corruption did the wisdom of God manifest the Christian revelation to the world. What the wisdom of men could do for the encouragement of virtue in a corrupt world had been tried during several ages, and all human devices were found by experience to be of very small avail; so that no juncture could be more proper for publishing a religion, which, independent on human laws and institutions, explains the principles of

terprise of conquering the world; If we consider the state of the They trode down the kingdoms, according to Daniel's prophetic description, by their exceeding strength; they devoured 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 established, and the same languages understood; men approached nearer to one another in sentiments and manners, and the intercourse between the most distant corners of the earth was rendered secure and agreeable. Satiated with victory, the first emperors abandoned all thoughts of new conquests; peace, an unknown blessing, was enjoyed through all that vast empire; or if a slight war was waged on an outlying and barbarous frontier, far from disturbing the tranquillity, it scarcely drew the attention of mankind. The disciples of Christ, thus favoured by the union and peace of the Roman empire, executed their commission with great advantage. The success and ra-morals with admirable perspicuity,

pidity 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."

and enforces the practice of them by most persuasive arguments."

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

The nativity of Christ is celebrated among us on the twentyfifth day of December, and divine service is performed in the church, and in many places of worship among dissenters; but, alas! the day, we fear, is more generally profaned than improved. Instead of being a season of real devotion, it is a season of great diversion. The luxury, extravagance, intemperance, obscene pleasures, and drunkenness that abound, are striking proofs of the immoralities

mortality of the soul, and overturned the doctrine of future rewards and punishments; so that between them the knowledge and power of true religion were entirely destroyed. But the deplorable situation of the heathen world called still more loudly for an immediate interposal of the Divine hand. The characters of their heathen deities were infamous, and their religious worship consisted frequently in the vilest and most shameful rites. According 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

such irregular and extravagant things are at this time commonly done by many who call themselves Christians; as if, because the Son of God was at this time made man, it were fit for men to make themselves beasts." Manne's Dissertation on the Birth of Christ; Lardner's Cred., p. i, vol. ii, p. 796,963; Gill's Body of Divinity, on Incarnation; Bishop Law's The

tious. Stately temples, expensive sacrifices, pompous ceremonies, magnificent festivals, with all the other circumstances of show and splendour, were the objects which false religion presented to its votaries; but just notions of God, obedience to his moral laws, purity of heart, and sanctity of life, were not once mentioned as ingredients in religious service. Rome adopted the gods of almost every na-ory of Religion; Dr. Robertson's

tion whom she had conquered, 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."

admirable Sermon on the Situation 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 human body, and common sense, Rom. i, 26, 27. 1st Cor. xi, 14. The word is also used in reference to a variety of other objects, which we shall here enumerate. 1. The Divine nature is not any external form or shape, but his glory, excellency, and perfections peculiar to himself.-2. Human nature sigmifies the state, properties, and peculiarities of man.-3. Good nature is a disposition to please, and is compounded of kindness, forbearance, forgiveness, and self-denial.-4. The law of nature is the will of God relating to human actions, grounded in the moral differences of things. Some understand it in a more comprehensive sense, as signifying those stated orders by which all the parts of the material world are governed in their several motions and operations.-5. The light of nature does not consist merely in 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 reasonable.-7. The state of nature is that in which men have not by mutual engagements, implicit or express, entered into communi-any house that was polluted, by

nately adhered to the practice of the Jewish ceremonies. The name of Nazarenes, at first, had nothing odious in it, and it was often given to the first Christians. The fathers frequently mention the Gospel of the Nazarenes, which differs nothing from that of St. Matthew, which was either in Hebrew or Syriac, for the use of the first converts, but was afterwards corrupted by the Ebionites. These Nazarenes preserved this first Gospel in its primitive purity. Some of them were still in being in the time of St. Jerome, who does not reproach them with any errors. They were very zealous observers of the law of Moses, but held the traditions of the Pharisees in very great contempt.

ties.-8. Depraved nature is that corrupt state in which all mankind are born, and which inclines them to evil.

-NAZARENES, Christians converted from Judaism, whose chief error consisted in defending the necessity or expediency of the works of the law, and who obsti

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 engaged by a vow to abstain from wine and all intoxicating liquors; to let their hair grow without cutting or shaving; not to enter into

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 again the whole ceremony of their consecration and Nazariteship.This ceremony generally lasted eight days, sometimes a month,and sometimes their whole lives. When

the time of their Nazariteship was 'accomplished, the priest brought the person to the door of the temple, who there offered to the Lord a he-lamb for a burnt offering, a she-lamb for an expiatory sacrifice, and a ram for a peaceoffering. 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 taber

When a person found that he was not in a condition to make a vow of Nazariteship, or had not leisure to perform the ceremonies belonging to it, he contented himself by contributing to the expence of the sacrifice and offerings of those that 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

nacle, and burnt his hair, throw-him (Acts xxi, 23, 24), that, to

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.

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 appellation which may be given to all who maintain that moral agents act from necessity. See next article, and MATERIALISTS.

Those that made a vow of Nazariteship out of Palestine, and could not come to the temple 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 themselves, or by others for them, they deferred this till they could have a convenient opportunity. Hence it was that St. Paul, being at Corinth, and having made a vow of a Nazarite, had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, and put off fulfilling the 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 the VOL. II,

NECESSITY, whatever is done by a cause or power that is irresistible, in which sense it is opposed to freedom. Man is a necessary agent, if all his actions be so determined by the causes preceding each action that not one past action could possibly not have come to pass, or have been otherwise than it hath been, nor one future action can possibly not come to pass, or be otherwise than it shall