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one of the facred Hiftorians acquaints us, that when the Multitude heard this, they were aftonished at his Doctrine. (Matt. xxii. 33.) This Astonishment however does by no means import their abfolute Ignorance of the Doctrine he was teaching, but their Admiration of his ready Application of the above Text to his Purpose, and of the Facility with which he thereby filenced the ridiculous Objection of the Sadducees; or laftly, perhaps, of the Dignity and Authority with which he managed the Argument upon this Occafion. And, indeed, we are warranted in resolving the Astonishment of the Multitude into this, by the Account the fame Hiftorian gives us of the Effect of our Saviour's Sermon on the Mount upon the Minds of the People. When Jefus had ended these Sayings, the People were aftonished at his Doctrine; i. e. at the Manner of his Delivery of it; For he taught them as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes. (Matt. vii. 29.)-Now if the Examiner, or any Body elfe, will infer from the above Particulars, that the Pharifees, or the Body of the Jews, did not believe the Doctrine of a future State, or of a Refurrection, I shall only take the Liberty to fay, he can infer much better than he can argue.

But there are not wanting other prefumptive and pofitive Proofs that this Doctrine was a popular Cc4

one

one at the Time of our Saviour's Refidence upon Earth. Thus he takes Occafion to mention it as a known Motive, or Encouragement to Acts of Goodness and Hofpitality. When thou makeft a Feaft, fays he, call the Poor, &c. and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompenfe thee; for thou fhalt be recompenfed at the Refurrection of the Juft. (Luke xiv. 13.)-Thus when he affured Martha, by way of Confolation, or rather in order to make Trial of her Faith by this previous Affurance, that her Brother Lazarus fhould rife again, the replies in Terms which plainly import the Notion of a Refurrection to have been common among the Jews at that Time. Martha faith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the Refurrection at the laft Day. Jefus faith unto her, I am the Resurrection and the Life: &c. (John xi. 23. &c.) — And accordingly our Saviour performs this Miracle with a View, not to the Conviction of the Jews that a Refurrection was poffible, but to the Demonftration of his own Divine Power, and the Authenticity of his Commiffion. Jefus lift up his Eyes and faid, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me: and I knew that thou heareft me always; but because of the People which ftand by, I faid it, that that they may believe that thou haft fent me. (Ver. 41. &c.) Thefe Facts were indeed fo many fenfible Demonstrations, and founded Faith upon Experi

ence;

ence; as the Refurrection of our Lord himself confirmed all he had faid and done, and ascertained the Right and Claim of all Believers, &c. beyond all Poffibility of Doubt or Difpute. This is accordingly the grand Topic of Triumph in the Writings of the Apostles to their Converts; and it was their infifting upon this as the Bafis and Fundamental of Religion, which gave Offence to the Rulers of the Jews. Thus, we are informed that as they spake unto the People, the Priests and the Captain of the Temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being grieved that they taught the People, and preached THROUGH JESUS the Refurrection from the Dead. (Acts iv. i.) Here then we fee the Ground of the Offence given both to the Priests, and to the Sadducees: the Preaching through Jefus the Refurrection from the Dead ran counter to the Pride and Prejudices of the former, as it was utterly destructive of the Hypothesis of the latter.—It is, farther, obfervable of the Conduct of the great Apostle of the Gentiles, that he takes all Occafions of mentioning the Doctrine of the Resurrection as a common Article both of the old and the new Religion; with a View undoubtedly finally to reconcile the Jews to the Doctrine of the Refurrection through Chrift, and to filence all Objections, and overcome all Prepoffeffions against it. When he was brought before the Council, and perceived that the one Part were Sadducees, and the other Pharifees, he cried

out,

out, Men and Brethren, I am a Pharifee, the Son of a Pharifee, of the HOPE and Refurrection of the Dead, I am called in question. (A&ts xxiii. 6.) And this, by the way, was as politicly as it was pioufly faid. For when he had fo faid, there arofe a Diffention between the Pharifees and the Sadducees, and the Multitude was divided; (Ver. 7.) the Confequence of which was, that although the Pharifaical Party in that Affembly were not ftrong enough to deliver him, yet they publickly declared themselves in his Favour; the Scribes that were of the Pharifees Part arose, and ftrove, faying, We find no Evil in this Man; but if a Spirit or Angel bath Spoken to him, let us not fight against God. (Ver. 9.) We fee then the Pharifees were fo far from controverting the Doctrine St. Paul taught, that they seem inclinable to acknowledge a divine Commisfion by which he preached it. It is true, they ftill bore fo inveterate an Enmity to the Person, and Spiritual Law of Jesus Christ, that they held it to be Herefy to preach the Refurrection of the Dead THROUGH HIM; and accordingly the Apostle, in his Defence before Felix the Governor, in the following Chapter, and afterwards before King Agrippa, feems to reproach them with their Perverseness in difputing the Truth of a Religion which established their favourite Doctrine upon a fure Foundation, viz. the Accomplishment of the Promife made unto their Fathers. This, fays he, I confess unto thee,

that

that after the Way which they call Herefy, fo worship I the God of my Fathers, believing all Things which are written in the LAW and the PROPHETS. And have Hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a Refurrection of the Dead, "both of the "Just and Unjuft. (Acts xxiv. 14. &c.) And afterwards, I ftand, and am judged for the Hope of the Promife made of God unto onr Fathers; unto which Promife our twelve Tribes inftantly ferving God day and night hope to come; for which Hope's fake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. (Acts xxvi. 5. &c.) Agreeably to this, when the Apostle, in the enfuing Verfe, put this Question to his Audience, Why Should it be thought a Thing incredible with you, that God should raise the Dead?-He does not infinuate their Difbelief of the Doctrine in general, (unless we fuppofe him addreffing himself to Agrippa and Feftus, &c. or to that Part of his Hearers which were Sadducees) but refers to the Refurrection of Chrift, and upbraids their Pride which would not permit them to believe a Fact, that was not only confiftent with their own Doctrine, but also a Pledge to affure them of the Truth of it.-In fhort, it is confeft by the Patrons of the new System that the Knowledge of a future State, the Refurrection, and, according to them, the whole Scheme of the Gofpel, was communicated to fome Perfons under the Jewish Difpenfation as a fingular Favour; it is acknowledged

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