ftles in the New; are applied to him in a Senfe
merely typical, myftical, allegorical, or enigmatical;
in a fenfe 6 different from the obvious and literal
"Sense; " by "new interpretations put upon them,
"not agreeable to the obvious and literal meaning of
"thofe Books" from whence they are cited. That is
to fay; That the Prophecies were all of them intended
concerning Other Perfons, and Other Perfons Only;
and therefore are falfely and groundleffly applied
either to Chrift in particular, or in general to the ex-
pectation of Any fuch Meffiah as fhould introduce a
Spiritual and Eternal Kingdom.

That there are feveral Paffages, cited by the Apoftles out of the Old Teftament; which are either not found there at all; or else are very different in the Text itfelf, from the Citations alleged; and confequently are by the Apostles either misunderstood or mifapplied.

That even Miracles themfelves, "can never render a Foundation valid, which is in itself invalid; can "never make a False inference, true; can never make "a Prophecy fulfilled, which is not fulfilled;" can never make those things to be spoken concerning Chrift, which were not spoken concerning Christ. And confequently, that the Miracles faid to have been worked by Chrift, could not poffibly have been really worked by him; but muft of neceffity, together with the Whole Syftem both of the Old and New Teftament, have been wholly the Effect of Imagination and Enthufiafm, if not of Imposture.

Now in order to enable every careful and fincere Reader, to find a Satisfactory Answer to these and all other Obiections of the like nature; I would lay before him the following Confiderations.

1. I fuppofe it to have been already proved in the foregoing part of this Difcourfe, that there

IS

IS A GOD; and that the Nature and Circumftances of Men, and the neceffary Perfections of God, do demonftrate the Obligations and the Matives of NATURAL RELIGION; that is, that God is a MORAL as well as Natural Governour of the World. Whoever denies Either of these affertions, is obliged to invalidate the Arguments alledged for proof of them in the Former part of this Book; before he has any Right to intermix Atheistical Arguments and Objections, in the prefent Queftion. It being evidently ridiculous, in All who believe not that God is, and that he is a Mora! Fudge as well as Natural Governour; to argue at all about a Revelation concerning Religion, or to make any Inquiry whether it be from God

or no.

2. As God has in fact made known even demonftrable Truths, Natural and Moral Ttuths, not to All men equally; but in different degrees and proportions, to fuch as have a Difpofition aud Defire to inquire after them: So 'tis agreeable to Reafon and to the Analogy of God's Proceedings, to believe, that he may poffibly, by Revelation and Tradition, have given fome further degrees of Light, to Such as are fincerely defirous to know and obey him; fo that they who will Do his Will, may Know of the doctrine whether it be of God. As our Natural Knowledge of Moral and Religions Truths in fact is, fo Revelation poffibly may further be, as it were a Light Shining in a dark place.

3. It appears in Hiftory, that the Great Truths and Obligations of Natural Religion, have from the Beginning been Confirmed by a perpetual Tradition in particular Families, who, though in the midst of Idolatrous Nations, yet ftedfaftly adhered to the Worship of the God of Nature, the One God of the Universe. And by the Nation of the Jews (notwithStanding all their Corruptions in Practise, yet in the

Syftem

Syftem and Conftitution of their Religion) has the fame
Tradition been continually preferved. Whereby they
have been as it were a City upon a Hill, a standing
Teftimony against an Idolatrous World.

4. Among the Writings of all, even the most antient and learned Nations, there are None but the Books of the Jews, which (agreeably to the above demonftrated Truths concerning the God of Nature and the Foundations of Natural Religion,) have, exclufive of Chance and of Neceffity, afcribed either the Original of the Universe in general, (an Universe full of infinite Variety and Choice,) to the Will and Operation of an Intelligent and Free Caufe; or given any tolerable Account in particular, of the Formation of this our Earth into its prefent habitable

State.

5. But in Thefe Books, there is, not only (in order to prevent Idolatry) a full Account (agreeable to the Principles of natural Reafon,) how the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein contained are the Creatures of GOD; but moreover, an uniform Series of Hiftory, from the Infancy of mankind; confiftent with itself, and with the State of the Jewish and Chriftian Church at this day, and with the Poffibilities of the predicted feries for the future; for feveral Thousands of years. Which confiftency with the Poffibilities of fuch predicted future Events, could not be by Chance, (as I fhall fhow presently ;) but is itfelf a great and standing Miracle.

6. In Thefe Books, agreeably to the Hopes and Expectations naturally founded on the Divine Perfections, God did from the Beginning make, and has all along continued to his Church or True Worshippers, a Promife that Truth and Virtue fhould finally prevail, fhould prevail over the Spirit of Errour and Wickedness, of Delufion and Difobedience. That the (Gen.3, Seed of the Woman should (1) bruise the Serpents Head: That among Her Pofterity, fhould arife a

15.

Deliver

Deliverance, from the Delufion and Power of Sin, by which Satan (2) fhould be bruised under their (2) Rom. Feet. That in particular from the Seed of Abraham, 16, 20. and from the Family of Ifaac, and from the Pofterity of Jacob, and from the Houfe of David, fhould arife the Accomplishment of all God's Promifes to his Church, and all the Bleffings included in God's Covenant with his True Worthippers. That at length, the Earth (3) fhould be full of the Knowledge of (3) If. 11, the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea: that (4) the 9: (4) Rev. Kingdoms of this world fhould become the Kingdoms 11, 15. of the Lord: That, in the (5) laft days, unto the Dan. 7, Mountain of the Lords houfe, the Seat of his True 27. Worship, fhould all Nations flow. That God (5) Il. 2, 2. would (6) create New Heavens, and a New Earth, (6) If. 65, (7) wherein dwelleth righteousness: Wherein (8) 17; the People fhould be All righteous, and inherit the (7) 2 Pet. Land for ever; thould be All (9) Holy, even every (8) If. 60, one that is (10) written among the Living. That 21.65,25. God would (11) fet up a Kingdom, which fhould 11, 9. I, never be deftroyed, but ftand for ever: And that (9) If. 4.3. (12) the Saints of the Moft High should take the (10) Or, Kingdom, and poffefs the Kingdom for ever, even for written un

ever and ever.

3, 13.

26.

to Life,

כתוב

12, 1,

Every Ane

written

in the Book.

7. All the Great Promises therefore, which God has ever made to his CHURCH, to his PEOPLE, to So Dan. the FAMILIES or NATIONS of his True Worshippers, are evidently to be all along fo undere that shall flood, as that Wicked and Unworthy perfons, of what- de fund ever Family or Nation or Profeffion of religion they be, fhail be excluded from the Benefit of Thofe Promifes, (11) Dan. Thall be cut off from God's People; And Worthy perfons of 2, 44. All Nations, from the Eaft and from the Weft and from (12) Dan. the North and from the South, fhall be accepted in 75 18. 22, 27. If. 60, Their ftead. That is to say: In like manner as the tor. Promife was made originally, not to Al the children of Abraham, but to Ifaac only; and not to Both the Sons of Ifaac, but to Jacob only: And, among the Pof

terity of Jacob, All were not Ifrael, which were Of
Ifrael; but, in Elijah's days, feven thousand only

were the True Ifrael; and, in the time of Ifaiah,
If. 10, 22. though the number of the childeren of Ifrael was as
Rom. 9, the Sand of the Sea, yet a remnant only was to be
Hof.2, 23. faved; And in Hofea God fays, I will call Them
Rom. 9, my people, which were not my people, and Her be-

27.

25.

loved, which was not beloved: So 'tis all along evidently to be understood, that the children of the Promife in the literal fenfe according to the Flesh, the Visible Church or Profeffed Worshippers of the True God, are but the Type or Reprefentative of the Real (1) Rom. invifible Church of God, the (1) true children of 2, 28.3, Abraham in the Spiritual and religious fenfe, the (2) Saints of the most High, who fhall poffefs the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever, even (3) every one that is Written among the Living.

7

and 9.

4, 12.

(2) Dan. 7,

18. (3) If.4,

3.

(4) Dan.

12, 13. (5) Exod. 26.16. (6) Gen.

8. It being evident that God cannot be the God of the dead, but of the living; and that All Promifes, made to Such Worshippers of the True God as at any time forfook All that they had and even Life itself for the fake of That Worship, could be nothing but mere Mockery, if there was No Life to come, and God had no Power to restore them from the dead: This (I fay) being Self-evident, it follows neceffarily, that when the Time comes that The Promifed Kingdom fhall take place, the dead must be raised; and the Saints, which have died in the intermediate time, muft live again, and (4) stand in their Lot at the End of the days. When God ftiles himself (5) THE God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and faid to Abraham, 17,8.13; (6) I am THY exceeding great Reward; and, (7) I 15,17. will be a God unto THE E, and to thy feed after (1) Gen. thee; and, (8) I will give the land unto T HEE, and (2) Gen. to thy feed after thee; and repeated the very fame Promifes to (1) Ifaac and to (2) Jacob perfonally, as well as to (3) their Pofterity after them; and yet (4) gave Abraham none inheritance in the Land, though he pro

15, 1.

(7) Gen.

17, 7.

(8) Gen.

26, 3.

28, 13.

(3) Deut.

1, 8.

(4) Acts 7,

mifed