Design to difcredit and expose them; for that "this could not be done more effectually, than

by fuppofing, as his Lordship does, that the "Doctrines conveyed under them were to be nakedly and openly revealed, &c. &c. &c." (p. 97. 98. &c. &c. &c.) To all which, I prefume, we may reply, first, that there is a wide Difference between plainly predicting, or difplaying spiritual Bleflings to come, or the promised Bleffings of the Gofpel, and specifying them; that the acknowledged Connection between the Old and New Teftament required the first fhould be done, but does not at all imply or suppose the latter; that the great Mystery of the Gospel, as containing the System of Redemption, and Restoration to Life and Immortality, in and through the Merits of Jefu sChrift, was to be a Secret till be that should come did actually appear; but that the Promise of such Redemption &c. in general, was defigned " for popular and vulgar Notice;" accordingly, that as the Confideration of temporal Bleffings could not but direct the Jews to a Retrofpect of God's Promifes made to their Fathers, which were evidently of a fpiritual Nature, and comprehensive of all the Nations of the Earth, so the several Prophecies fignificative of the Times of the Gospel must neceffarily have been understood by them in a spiritual as well as temporal Senfe, and as fuch have been a perpetual Fund of Comfort to them upon numberlefs Occasions; that the very Ambiguity,

X 4

Ambiguity, Equivocation, or even Darkness of Expreflion in many of these Prophecies, did itself, if I may so speak, lead them to a spiritual Sense, because temporal Promises under the Law were, for the most part, couched in plain, fimple, and literal Language, and always in fuch as was scarce liable to be misunderstood. There is hardly a greater Contraft between Body and Spirit than between the temporal Promises and Threatnings of Mofes, and the lofty Predictions of Ifaiah. It will be worth the Reader's while to compare the 28th Chapter of Deuteronomy with fuch Paffages as the following from this noble Prophet. And it shall come to pass in the laft Days that the Mountain of the Lord's Houfe fhall be established in the Top of the Mountains, and fhall be exalted above the Hills; and and all Nations fhall flow unto it. (Ch. ii. 2.) Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder; and his Name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, &c. (Ch. ix. 6.) And there shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of JESSE, &c.—the Spirit of the Lord fhall rest upon him, &c. Righteousness shall be the Girdle of his Loins, &c. the Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, &c. the Earth fhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea; and in that Day there fhall be a Root of JESSE, which shall ftand for an Enfign of the People; to it

Shall

fhall the Gentiles feek, and his Reft fhall be glorious. (Ch. xi. 12. &c.) In that Day fhall the Lord of Hofts be for a Crown of Glory, and for a Diadem of Beauty unto the Refidue of his People, &c. Behold, I lay in ZION for a Foundation, a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Corner-Stone, &c. (Chap. xxvii. 5. 16. &c.) The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun, &c. in the Day that the Lord bindeth up the Breach of his People, and healeth the Stroke of their Wound. (Ch. xxx. 26.) The Wildernefs and the folitary Place fhall be glad for them; and the Defert fhall rejoice, and bloffom as the Rofe, &c. Strengthen ye the weak Hands, and confirm the feeble Knees; fay to them that be of a fearful Heart, Be Strong, fear not; behold your God will come with Vengeance, even God with a Recompence, he will come and fave you: Then the Eyes of the Blind fhall be opened, &c. then fhall the lame Man leap as an Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb shall fing, for in the Wilderness fhall Waters break out, and the Streams in the Defert.-And the Ranfomed of the Lord fhall return, and come to ZION with Songs, &c. they shall obtain foy and Gladness, and Sorrow and Sighing Shall flee away. (Ch. xxxv. 1. &c.) — The Difference of Language in these Places from that of the Chapter referred to, is itself a Proof that something more was intended by them than the Signification of mere temporal Bleffings, and that the Jews could not but look upon them as relative to a better Hope, or Covenant.

Now

Now upon this Representation of the Matter, which I hope is a just one, it appears that Types and Figures were fo far from being unconnected with the Nature and Genius of the Jewish Religion, that it could not have fubfifted without them: for if the grand Scheme of univerfal Redemption by the Blood of Chrift was to be concealed till the evangelical Æra, and yet the Promise of Redemption was to be kept fresh upon the Minds of God's antient and peculiar People, how could both these Points have been effected but by general Prophecies, emblematical Representations, and typical Descriptions shadowing out, and delineating good Things to come?" Primary, literal, and direct Prophecies" therefore would have discovered too much; while indirect and figurative ones cherished and encouraged the Hopes of Salvation, or Futurity, without anticipating the formal Promulgation of it; they ascertained the Reality of Redemption, &c. but they concealed the Nature, or Ratio of it: Or, to ufe my Lord Bishop's Expreffions-" the Predic«tions, concerning Chrift and his Kingdom, are "clothed in fuch Figures, as were proper to raise "the Hope and Attention of the People, without carrying them beyond the Bounds of Knowledge, prescribed by God to the Age of the Jewish Co"venant."-It is to be hoped the Examiner may by this Time fee the Use and Propriety of a Veil or Cover, and of dark, typical, and anigmatical Reprefentations

fentations under the Law: and if fo, he must confefs that typical and figurative Modes of Information are by no means illogical and abfurd; and that the Bishop's Principles do not make any one Conceffion to the Enemy. After all, as much as Mr. Collins, or the Favourers of Lord Bolingbroke, may object to thefe obfcure or partial Modes of Information, from a Notion that "a true Religion can have no "Myfteries to hide from it's Followers," yet the Examiner, no doubt, will be ready to approve them upon the Authority of the New Testament itself. For these Modes of Information, are not peculiar to the Jewish Oeconomy. We know, fays St. PAUL, that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were diffolved, we have a Building of God, a Houfe not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens. (2 Cor. v. 1.) We, according to his Promife, look for new Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness. (2 Pet. iii. 13.) Henceforth there is laid up for us a Crown of Righteoufnefs, &. &c. (2 Tim. iv. 8.) He that fitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them. They fball hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither fhall the Sun light on them, nor any Heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne fhall feed them, and fhall lead them unto living Fountains of Waters. (Rev. vii. 15. 16. &c.) Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have Right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the Gates