1 "We find (fays he) Job, and his three friends, entering into the deepest points of divinity; and agreed "about the unity, omnipotence, and spirituality of God; "the juftice of his providence, and other fundamentals of Religion *." Thus he fuppofes them to have believed the juftice of divine Providence, and the fundamentals of Religion; and yet affirms, with le Clerc, that they did not believe a future ftate. It would be strange in him, after this, to deny the poffibility of holding one without the other. Confiderations, p. 66, 67, CHAP. IV. CHA P. IV. Wherein my Lord Bishop of London's account of the particular end and defign of the Jewish Law is confidered; and fhewn to be inconfiftent with the nature of a preparatory Religion, and alfo with feveral Paffages of the New Teftament, as well as with his Lordship's Sermons and Difcourfes on Prophecy. WE E come now to confider one of his Lordship's more general pofitions ; his opinion concerning the end and purpose of the Jewish Dispensation. And this feems to be a matter of no fmall importance, there being the strongest connexion between the end and purpose of the Law, and The Ufe and Intent of prophecy, during that Period. If the learned Prelate has fucceeded in the first, it is very probable he may not be mistaken in the second. But if we find him wide of the mark in affign 2 ing the true End of the Mofaic Religion, it is more than probable we shall find him at a lofs in explaining the nature, use, and intent of Prophecy ‡. His great principle, concerning the end of the My Lord Bifhop contends that the main and most important end of the ancient prophecies was to fupport the Faith and Religion of the old World, and not to give teftimony to the Mission of Jesus. On the other hand, Dr. Middleton affirms, that giving Teftimony to the Miffion of Jefus was the principal and most important end of the ancient prophecies. Examin. p. 93. I shall not stay to examine the force of the reafons alledged on either fide, but, only observe, that one of his Lordship's leading arguments feems to be of a very extraordinary nature. "It is, doubtlefs, (says he) a mistake "to conceive Prophecy to be intended folely or chiefly "for their fakes in whofe time the events predicted "are to happen. What great occafion is there to "lay in fo long beforehand the evidence of prophecy "to convince men of things that are to happen in "their own times; the truth of which they may, if "they pleafe, learn from their own fenfes." Difcourses on prophecy, p. 37, 38. By this, it would feem (tho' the defigned purpose here difcredited, is unfairly represented) that his Lordfhip was infenfible, or at leaft, while he was writing, inattentive, to two points of great moment. The one, the two-fold Character of Jefus, of Messiah, and Meffenger from God fimply: [fee Dr. W's Sermons, V. 1.} the other, the difference between the use of his being -foretold to those who faw Jefus in the flesh, and the ufc the Law, is, "that the Jewish Church was "founded to preserve, and to administer "the hopes, which had been revealed "to the Patriarchs (a). And these, according to his Lordship, were the hopes of eternal life to be procured by the Redeemer of Mankind. As the Law fucceeded the patriarchal Religion in the natural order and course of God's Difpenfations; it must without doubt have been given to re-inforce and re-establish the great principles of this Religion, whatfoever those principles were. What we have here inferred, from the natural course and order of the two difpen use of it to those who have lived fince. Now these two confiderations fhew that the evidence of Prophefy was of the utmost propriety to convince Chriftians, (for that is the only fenfible meaning of the words, to convince men of things that are to happen in their own times) of the truth of their religion. For, as to the first point, tho' miracles alone, established his Character of a divine Messenger fimply; yet there was need of Prophefies to establish his Character of Messiah. Again, as to the other, the truth of Jesus's miracles: those who saw them might indeed, as his Lordfhip expreffes it, learn by their fenfes. But all who came after had only human testimony or tradition; which receives infinite addition of force from the application of correfpondent Prophefies. (a) P. 145, 6. Q2 fations, fations, is confirmed by the pofitive testi- it. All therefore who hold that life and immortality was revealed before the Law, and made a part of the patriarchal Religion, will be obliged to come into the fentiments of the learned Prelate, and to maintain that the Law was given to preferve and to administer the hopes of eternal life, which had been revealed to the Patriarchs. What we are to examine is. Whether and difponted by the Mojate lahe Question would the doctrine of eternal life was to be propagated be of confequence, if it were only that it (a) D. L. v. 2. p. 361. helps |