Light."-The Examiner tells us, "when he first "read these Paffages, be flattered himself that his Lordship was endeavouring to establish the Doc"trine of the Divine Legation. The Prefumption seemed to be well-grounded, as the Expreffion " of bringing Life and Immortality to Light is here interpreted in the very fame Sense Dr. Warburton "understands it; and the Word paliw is made "to fignify the opening and unfolding of a Mystery, "which was totally unknown before. I was, he "proceeds, confirmed in this Opinion, upon recollecting that his Lordship has afferted the same

Expofition of this Text in his Difcourfes on Prophecy, where he tells us that God, after the Flood, faid nothing to the Remnant of Man"kind of the Punishments and Rewards of another

Life, because they were referved to be revealed by him, whofe Province it was to bring Life "and Immortality to Light through the Gospel." (p. 21. &c.)

I must confess, I fee nothing in these Paffages to incline me to believe his Lordship is endeavouring to establish the Doctrine of the D. L. or that he interprets the Expreffion of bringing Life, &c. to Light in the fame Senfe in which Dr. W. understands it.- -What was the Defign of the Gospel but the Redemption of Mankind by Jefus Chrift? This Design (not the Doctrine of a fu

ture

ture State) is ftiled a Mystery,

"because it was

kept fecret fince the the World began, &c." But this Defign which was accomplished by the Coming of Chrift is of course "no longer a Mystery, "but is manifeft and made known, &c." The Mystery of Redemption was no longer a Secret when the Redeemer appeared; by his Coming the Hope of Immortality was confirmed; and future Rewards and Punishments were afcertained: But will it follow that Men had no Idea or Expectation of another Life, because they were unacquainted with the defigned "Difpenfation of Providence in the "Salvation of Mankind?" or because the Rewards and Punishments of another Life were not exhibited or enforced by a competent Authority? Though the Punishments and Rewards of another Life were to be "revealed therefore by him whofe Province "it was to bring Life, &c. to Light;" yet fure there might be general Difquifitions upon these Subjects antecedently to fuch Revelation. For undoubtedly the Notion of a future State, &c. is one Thing, and an explicit Revelation of that State is another.

"The Bishop, fays the Examiner, seems to "reft much on this Diftinction, that the Word (ww) cannot fignify to bring a Thing into Being and Existence, but only to illustrate and enlighten fomething which had a Being and

"Existence

"Existence before. But the Distinction, proceeds "he, though well grounded, is of no manner of "Service to his Argument, fince those he reasons

against are agreed with him, that this Light "illustrated what was already in being, namely, "the typical Representations of a future State in the "Law." (p. 15. &c.)-But where are these typical Representations, &c. (I mean, fuch as are peculiar to the Law, and fubverfive of the Sense of express Promifes, &c.) to be met with? If no where, his Lordship's Diftinction is of infinite "Service to "his Argument," as the Types, &c. under the Law are relative to Things of a very different Nature from that of a future State, confidered as fuck. For though typical Representations, &c. were intended for a Veil or Cover under the Old Testament, and confequently the great fpiritual Truths of the Gospel were fo enveloped by them, that they were not discerned by the Body of the Jews, yet the new System must make it appear, that the Doctrine of a future State in general is of the very fame fpiritual, and undemonftrable Nature with that of the great Principles, and Mysteries of the Gospel Difpenfation, or it will never prove that all the Types and Figures of the Old Testament put together have any Connections with God's clear, though implicit Promise to Adam, &c. or with - the natural Arguments for Immortality.

VOL. L

T

Again,

Again, God's gracious Purpose to redeem Mankind by his Son was a Secret, or a Mystery, no doubt, till the Times of the Gofpel; and it was impoffible for the Jews, or any other People, to understand the Types, and Emblems of these Times, till they were illustrated by their several Anti-types. But the Manifestation of this Purpose, and the Illustration of these Types, have no Reference to the fundamental Truths, or great Mysteries of the Gospel, i.e. they do not explain or develop them to the human Understanding. The Doctrines of the Trinity, of the Incarnation, of the Sacrifice of the Son of God, &c. &c. and that of the Refurrection itself are as much Myfteries as ever. Nay, what clearer Idea of a future State, as fuch, have Men now, than they had before the Publication of the Gospel? The Reality of thefe Things, though not the Nature of them, is indeed effectually af fured to us; and they are become Objects of Faith in the highest and strictest Senfe of the Word.But can we be affured of nothing but what we were abfolutely ignorant of before? Or is it abfurd to suppose a Notion of a future State, because Man could not forefee, nor can even now comprehend, the whole faving Syftem of the Gofpel? It is with respect then to the Ignorance of the Jews, as well as Gentiles, in regard to this System, that both are faid to fit in Darkness, and in the Region and Shadow of Death, before the preaching of the Gospel.

This is however a Defcription, the Examiner acquaints us, " which will by no means permit us to fuppofe that they (the Jews) were enlightened "with a good Proof of Redemption, OR a future

State, &c." (p. 8.)-Redemption in and by Chrift then, and a future State are reciprocal Terms importing one and the fame Thing, it seems; if so, the Point must indeed be given up; but if not, I prefume, both Jews and Gentiles might not want a good Proof of the one, though they had no manner of Conception of the other.-The Promife made by God to Adam, and afterwards to the Patriarchs, and particularly to Abraham, in whom ALL the Nations of the Earth were to be blessed, did manifeftly import fome fpiritual Bleffing, in which the Jews could not but know the Gentiles as well as themselves were interested. But because the Gentiles were utterly unacquainted with this Promife, and the Jews did not fee the whole, or full Senfe of it, as predicting the Redemption of Man by the only-begotten Son of God himself, fo both the one and the other are very properly faid to fit in Darkness, &c. before this wonderful Tranfaction. For nothing but this could remove their Doubts and Uncertainties, or afcertain the Right and Claim to Salvation, through the Efficacy of those Merits which alone could take away the Sins of the World.