Ages of the Jewish Difpenfation. The Time of the Gospel-Difpenfation is in the Old Testament [Ifai. ix. 6. according to the best Greek Copies, with which Theodotio and Symmachus agree in their Verfions of the Hebrew Text] call'd the future Age or Age to come, in contradiftinction to the then prefent Age or Time of the Jewish Difpenfation: and fo before the Times of the Ages is the fame as before the Ages or Time of the Mofaic Law. I thought it proper to explain this Phrase of the Apostle *, who in like manner fays, that the Hope of eternal Life, thro Chrift, was promis'd by God [po xpórur aiwriwr] before the World began (Tit. i. 2.) that is again, before the Time or Age of the Levitical Inftitution. The Apoftle's Expreffion is borrow'd from or refers to the Prophecy of Chrift's coming, Mich. v. 2. where his Goings forth or Manifeftation is faid to have been of old or from the Beginning (of the World) explain'd in the following Words [μepwv aiwvos] from the Days of the Age; which may mean either the Age of the World, or the Age of the Difpenfation of the Law, but most probably the firft.

It is evident from the whole New Teftament, that Chrift the Author of it was the End of all the Difpenfations and Revelations given in the Old Teftament; and that the eternal Life made manifeft by the Gospel was promis'd from the Beginning of the World, and Ages before the Jewish

Law

*The Apoftle ufes the fame Phrafe, Rom. xvi. 25. and in the fame Senfe the Words ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων. Ephef. iii. 9, Coloff. i. 26.

Law was given. He was promis'd to the Patriarchs before the Law; and was also promis'd by Mofes in the Law, and was foretold by the Prophets after the giving of the Law. Whence it is moft certain, that a future State of Life and Immortality was reveal'd and promis'd to the Hebrews, and was always believ'd by then: and this Faith in the Promifes of God was that which juftify'd them, and entitled them to the Bleffings of eternal Life, more fully and clearly reveal'd in the Gospel.

And as thefe Promifes of eternal Life were to be confirm'd and establish'd by the Revelation of the Gofpel, and by a new Covenant to be made and feal'd by the Sacrifice of Chrift's Death, as the Propitiation for Sin, and the Author and Finifher of our Faith, and the great and most divine Lawgiver of this new Difpenfation; we may be affured, and it will eatly appear, that this our Redeemer and his Gofpel-Difpenfation, with all the Bleffings which were to attend it, were pre-figur'd and fore-exprefs'd in the other preceding Difpenfations; and the Promifes of them were the Foundation of the Faith and Hope of all the Patriarchs, and of Mofes and the Jews under the Legal Covenant.

Hence it is that Chrift fays (Mat.v. 17.) Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets; I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil (them.) He was fo far from deftroying the Law or the Prophets, by teaching any thing contrary to them, that he came on purpose to fulul all that had been taught and foretold in the Writings

A 4

Writings of Mofes and the Prophets concerning the Meffias, and the Gospel-Law to be deliver❜d by him.

Hence alfo St. Paul fays (Gal. iii. 23, 24.) Before Faith [of Jefus Chrift promis'd before and under the Law, as he argues in the preceding Verfes] came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be reveal'd, [by the Coming of Chrift:] wherefore the Law was our Schoolmafter to bring us unto Chrift, that we might be justify'd by Faith [in him.]

We see here, that the Law, by containing the Promifes of Juftification to eternal Life thro' Faith in Chrift, the promis'd Seed of Abraham, did, like a Schoolmaster, teach the Knowledge of that Salvation which was to be reveal'd in the Gospel, and to be obtain'd thro' Faith in Chrift; and fo did, in the Apostle's Expreffion,

. 8th of this Chapter, preach the Gospel to the Jews, and lead them to the Faith of Chrift, and to receive his Gofpel, whenever he should come and reveal it.

Hence alfo again the fame Apoftle (Heb. x. 1.) fays, the Law had the Shadow of the good Things to come, [fee Coloff. ii. 17.] that is, of the Glory and Happiness of the future State; which, like the Shadow or firft Draught of a Picture, was imperfectly reprefented in the Law: but the full and perfect Image of the heavenly State was finish'd in ftrong and florid Colours, and exhibited, as it were, to the Life in the GospelDifpenfation.

So

So that the whole Tenor of the evangelical Writings fuppofes, that the future State reveal'd by Chrift was promis'd and believ'd both before and under the Law: and we may thence conclude, that the whole Jewish Nation did believe in the promis'd Meffias, as being the Seed of Abraham, in whom all the Families of the Earth fhould be bleffed; and that thro' Him, as Mofes and the Prophets foretold, they fhou'd receive with the temporal Bleffings of the Law, the Remiffion of their Sins (Jerem. xxxi. 34.) for which the Law had provided no express or particular Atonement; and in confequence, the fpiritual Bleffings of the Life to come, eternal in the Heavens.

As a future State may be demonftrably deduc'd from Principles of natural Reafon, fo it is contain'd in the Propofition laid down by St. Paul, He that cometh to God (as a Worshipper of him) must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of those who diligently feek him, Heb. xi. 6. Agreeably to this Maxim, it was the univerfally receiv'd Faith of all Nations at all times, and a primary Article of all Religion, that pious and juft Men wou'd be happy, and impious and unrighteous Men miferable in a future State.

This Opinion prevail'd from the Beginning wherever the Defcendants of Noah were difpers'd and fettled, from China in the East as far as to the Western Ocean: nor was any People ever known that believ'd the Existence and Providence of God, but in confequence they alfo believ'd the future Existence of the Soul, and the Rewards

and

any

and Punishments of another Life. There was not in the most ancient Times of the World Nation or any one Man (I believe) ever known, who did not believe a future State: and it is certain, that in later Times, none but Atheists wholly disbeliev'd it. This was not only the Belief of all the Nations bordering on the Country of the Jews, as the Phænicians, Syrians, Chaldaans, Arabians and Egyptians, but their very Superstition and the Idolatry of * Hero-Worship prefuppos'd and was built upon it.

It must therefore appear a very ftrange Paradox, for any to fuppofe or affert that the Jewish Nation were ignorant of or did not believe this fundamental Article of Religion; which in their Cafe wou'd alfo be attended with this farther unequall'd Abfurdity, that God deliver'd a Revelation to a Nation of Atheifts. But on the contrary to fuch a Suppofition, it is very plain and certain, that the Hebrews had a fuller and ftronger Evidence of a future State than any other Nation then had; an Evidence not only founded on the Principles of natural Reafon and Confcience common to them with the reft of Mankind; but they had this Evidence ftrengthened and confirm'd to them by divine Revelation.

From the Writings of Mofes the Hebrews had abundant Evidence to confirm their Belief of a future State, founded on the Light of Nature, and

Quod autem ex hominum genere confecratos, ficut Herculem et cæteros, coli lex jubet, indicat omnium quidem animos immortales effe; fed fortium bonorumque divinos. Cic. de Leg. lib. 2. p. 412. edit. Gryph.