" and intent of Prophecy in the feveral ages "of the world, and the manifeft connexion "between the Prophecies of every age But the fuppofition of a plain and distinct prediction of the Gospel about the time of the flood, or let it be in the age of Job, is so far from tending to make this connexion strong and manifeft, that it plainly weakens and obfcures it. For how could the following Prophecies be properly connected with these, if they poured no additional light on the general fubject, but rather clouded and obfcured it? I should likewise be glad to know, how the dark, typical, and fecondary prophecies under the Law could be properly connected with the primary, literal, and direct ones, delivered to Job, or long before his time. For as I apprehend the nature of this connexion, it is made by an acceffion of new light in later Prophecies, reflected back on the obfcurities of the earlier, in fuch a manner as to clear up their doubtfulness and ambiguities, and to fhew, that they had both, but one and the fame object. His Lordship contends for a long train of Prophecies, which are fuppofed to fucceed each other in a natural and regular gradation, pointing out the office of the Meffiah more and ¿See his preface. more more plainly the nearer you come to the bottom of the chain. But when he comes to explain the particular Prophecies belonging to this chain, he seems to confound the higher and the lower links together, without any regard to that gradual order and connexion, which he had before affigned to them. In one place his Lordship reckons up the principal circumstances which were referved to be revealed by the later Prophets, or were intended to close and shut up the scene of Prophecy. Among these he ranks the promife of a new and better covenant, the great works, the glories and fufferings of the Meffiah. In the fame difcourfe, he endeavours to prove, that a new Covenant was promised by Mofes at the very firft eftablishment of the Law'. By which means, he makes the higher links of the chain, under the Jewish œconomy perfectly like the lowest, at the propagation of the Gofpel; fince the Spiritual covenant, on this fyftem, was as clearly promised by Mofes, as it was made by Jefus. His Lordship likewise entirely neglects and overlooks the gradual order and connexion of his chain, while he infifts that the Spiritual covenant was more diftinctly revealed in the * Difcourfes on Prophecy, p. 151. book book of Job, and in the age near the Flood, than in the Prophecies delivered to the Jewish church. m Nay, he even ventures to say that the Spiritual covenant was plainly foretold in the original Prophecy, which declares, that the feed of the woman should bruife the Serpent's bead which is making the very first link of the chain as bright and refplendent as the last. "Now (i. e. in the age of the later Prophets) was it, (fays his Lordship) that God taught his people plainly to expect a new "covenant, a better than that made with "their Fathers "." But why does he fay now, when, on his own principles, they had all along been plainly taught to expect this Covenant, even from the time of the first and original Prophecy. The great works and the glories, his Lordship speaks of, were the redemption of mankind, and Christ's spiritual kingdom in heaven. But, according to his own principles, these very points had been more plainly delivered in the book of Job, and in certain Prophecies about the time of the Flood, than in the latest of those which were given to the Jewish church. These then, were fo far from being referved for the laft, that they were inculcated * P. 151. Difcourfe iii. A by by the first Prophets. And thus the order of the chain become evidently inverted, the more early revelations being more explicit and distinct than those which fucceeded them. The next point is the fufferings of Christ. His Lordship affirms, that the rite of facrifice was originally appointed by God, and that it was one kind of Prophety, or representation of the great facrifice to be offered for the fins of the world. Thus, the first Prophecy informed men that they were to expect a REDEEMER. The Second taught them that he was to procure this REDEMPTION by his death and fufferings. Again, his Lordship difturbs and interrupts the order of the chain, by fuppofing the facrifice of our Redeemer was as plainly fore-fhewn in the fecond link, as in the laft. According to the natural order and gradation of this chain, one would imagine, that the most confiderable and important branches of the Gospel difpenfation, had been referved to be revealed by the later Prophets. But, when his Lordship comes to reckon up particulars, he mentions "the plain promise "of a new Covenant; the great works, the glories, and the fufferings of Chrift, to· P. 76. gether gether with the time and place of his birth?.' Now, according to his Lordship's fyftem, all these circumftances, except the two laft, had been plainly revealed long before. And these two, tho' articles of fome confequence, are far lefs confiderable than the others. Thus, the most important articles of the Gofpel, were delivered in the first Prophecies, while those of less moment were referved to be revealed in the last. A pofition, which might have been confiftently maintained by the learned Prelate, had the principles of his hypothefis been just reversed. According to his fyftem, the promise of redemption and a future ftate, was plainly revealed to the body of the faithful in the ages preceding the Law. But it was afterwards delivered under the cover and veil of types, during the course of the Mofaic dispensation. And, laftly, it was again clearly opened and revealed by Jefus Chrift in the Gofpel. It was revealed therefore in the firft and third period, and fecreted under the second. So that the Law did not tend to continue and preferve, but to disturb and violate the order and progreffion of thefe religious Difpenfations. P. 151 |