If you fay, this restoration was not the whole of the Gofpel; I reply, that the Gospel muft neceffarily include eyery important and effential article of the chriftian faith. Since therefore this restoration was one of these effential articles, it must have been a mystery, if the whole Gospel was fo. When his Lordship therefore affirms that the Law afforded a good proof of a future life *, i. e. of a restoration to this loft inheritance, and supposes that nothing more than the particular article of the refurrection was referved to be revealed by Jefus Chrift, he, in effect, declares, that the whole defign of the Gospel was No mystery; in contradiction to his own reprefentation of the fcripture doctrine. "A myftery 'tis called, becaufe it was kept fecret fince the world began, God not having opened or declared his gracious purposes before the coming of Chrift." What can his Lordship mean by thefe gracious purposes, but "the grace and purpose which God had given us in "Chrift Jefus before the world?" And if his Lordfhip holds that this grace and purpose was a mystery before the coming of Chrift; what has he to object to Dr. Warburton's interpretation of this text? If we limit the new revelation of Jefus Chrift to the particular doctrine of the refurrection, we shall limit it to a particular and small part of this gracious purpose and defign. "With respect to this time of Secrecy and "filence the Gospel is called a mystery.". How could this be called a time of fecrecy and filence with refpect to the Gospel, if the Law offered a good proof of a future life, which was the grand and effential article of the Gofpel? It ought not furely to be ftyled a time of fecrecy and filence with respect to the Gospel, because the article of the refurrection, or one particular doctrine of the Gospel, was not published and promulged in it. However his Lordship infifts withal, that, even in thefe ages of fecrecy and filence, the redeemer of mankind. was manifeftly defcribed by the prophets; "that the time Sixth Sermon, vol. i. "and "and place of his birth were appointed, his great "works, his glories, and his fufferings were foretold *.” We fhall indeed find that his Lordfhip has been very liberal to these ages of fecrecy and filence, if we recollect that he fuppofes, in his fecond Differtation, that even the doctrine of the refurrection had been revealed in the age of Job, if not much fooner, or about the time of the flood t. To him (fays the Apoftle) that is of power to "eftablish you according to my gofpel, and the preach"ing of Jefus Chrift, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept fecret fince the world "began; but now is made manifeft, and by the fcrip"tures of the prophets, according to the commandment of "the everlasting God, made known to all nations for "the obedience of faith." On these words, his Lordship obferves as follows, "This great work was a mystery in all ages, being kept "fecret in the counfels of God; but, fince the coming "of Chrift, 'tis no longer a mystery, but is manifeft and made known to all nations and people." Well then, if St. Paul afferts in his epiftle to the Romans, that this mystery was first manifested by the preaching of Jefus Chrift; I think that he might reasonably hold, in his epiftle to Timothy, that life and immortality were brought to light by him, in the ftrict and proper fenfe of those words. His Lordfhip affirms, and proves, p. 132, 3. that the whole Gospel is often ftyled a mystery; he proceeds to obferve that the feveral parts of it are ftyled fo too, p. 134, 5. He then adds, "In this fenfe the Gospel is full "of myfteries, as containing the fecret purposes of "God's hidden wifdom in the redemption of the world, "which were made manifeft by Chrift Jefus, who "brought life and immortality to light ||." The fecret purposes of God's hidden wisdom in the redemption of the world, can mean only what St. Paul in the * Difcourfes on prophecy, p. 145, 6. 151. + Ibid. p. 237, 8. Sermons, vol. i. p. 134. epistle epiftle to Timothy calls "The grace and purpose which "God gave us in Chrift Jefus before the world." Now if his Lordship allows that this grace and purpofe was a mystery, he must confess that there was NO GOOD PROOF of redemption and a future ftate in the Law. If this grace and purpofe remained a myftery, the doctrine of life and immortality was not merely illuftrated and enlightened, but brought to light in the ftrict fenfe of the words by Jefus Chrift. When his Lordship therefore was attempting to fhew, that the word, aliw will not bear this fenfe, he is attempting to fhew that it will not bear the fenfe which St. Paul, Suidas, Stephens, and what is more than all, himself has evidently affigned to it. What was the fecret purpose of God's hidden wisdom, which was made manifeft by bringing life and immortality to light? It could be only his defign of redeeming mankind. Now if this defign had continued a mystery or fecret, the doctrine of life and immortality could not be revealed. For how could men have been ignorant of God's defign of redeeming, if they had been taught the doctrine of redemption. According to his Lordship's own interpretation, the mystery of God's purpose of redeeming mankind was difcovered by bringing life and immortality to light. Life and immortality therefore muft either have been the whole, or a very great and effential part of the Gospel myftery. It feems ftrange his Lordfhip fhould contend, that God's purpose of redeeming mankind was a mystery, and that this mystery was difcovered by bringing life and immortality to light; and fhould yet contend that this life and immortality was not a mystery. Note 3. Chapter i. page 39. line 5. "According to the revelation of the mystery which "was kept fecret fince the world began; but now is made "manifeft." Rom. xvi. 25, 26. I am told, that the words, fince the world began, fignify no more, than fince the beginning of the fecular times, or the times under the Law. For that this is the meaning of αιώνες, and χρόνοι αιώνιοι in other places of the New Teftament, which relate to this fubject. And here I am referred to 1 Cor. ii. 7. Titus i. 2. 2 Tim. i. 9. Ephef. iii. 9. Luke i. 70. It might be fufficient to reply, that as I am here arguing on my Lord Bifhop's own conceffions, I may fairly aflume his expofition of the phrafe in queftion, without concerning myself to remove the objections which are brought against it. In the first of these paffages, St. Paul speaks of " the "hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world "unto our glory," 1 Cor. ii. 7. Now this hidden wisdom was the scheme of our redemption by Jefus Chrift. But would St. Paul, when defigning to fet forth the great and fuperlative excellence of this fcheme, fay, that it was formed before the fecular ages of the Law, and not before the beginning of the world? Is it not usual for the facred writers to speak of it as intended and defigned before the grand era of creation? St. Paul fays, "God chofe us in Chrift, not only before "the Law, but even before the foundation of the world*? προκαταβολης κοσμο. St. Peter and St. John fpeak of the redemption of mankind by Jefus Chrift, as having been ordained in the counfels and decrees of God go and aо xalαCoas απο καταβολής κοσμο τ. Thus, the names of men are faid to have been written in the book of Life απο καταβολης κοσμε 7. Another of the objected paffages, is, Titus i. 2. "In "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, pro"mised before the world began." And what was this promifing (i. e. determining to promife) eternal life, but the eternal purpofe and decree, by which God chofe us in Chrift προ καταβολης κοσμο nooμs? * Ephef. i. 4. Revel. xvii. 8. t1 Pet. i. 20. Revel. xiii. 8. The The third of these paffages, is, 2 Tim. i. 9. " According "to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in "Chrift Jefus, before the world began." The purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus, muft be the fame with our election by God in Chrift, or our predeftination to eternal life, in virtue of the Lamb, foreordained, or flain from the foundation of the world, mentioned Ephef. i. 4. 1 Peter i. 20. Rev. xiii. 8. Now, it would be ridiculous to interpret thefe paffages as fignifying only from the commencement, or beginning of the Jewish Law. In this paffage of the Epiftle to Timothy, St. Paul is evidently speaking of the Scripture doctrine of predeftination or the election, which God originally made of mankind in Jefus Chrift. And would it not be low and trifling to fay, that this had been projected and defigned in the divine counfels and decrees, before the inftitution of the Jewish Law? Dr. Benfon indeed pretends, that it would be much for St. Paul's purpose, to affert, that God intended the offer of life and immortality before the Law was given, because this would prove against the Judaizers, that it could not depend on the obfervation of the Law *. But would not his argument have been equally pertinent and conclufive, if he was fuppofed to tell the Gentiles, that they had been elected in Chrift before the foundation of the world; as if he was only supposed to say, that they had been elected in Chrift, before the time of the Jewish Law? And does not the analogy of Scripture oblige us to prefer the first of these fenfes? The other three texts produced above, are, Ephef. iii. 9. Luke i. 70. Acts iii. 21. "And to make all men fee, what is the fellowship of "the mystery, which, from the beginning of the world, hath ❝ been hid in God, who created all things in Jefus Christ,” Ephef. iii. 9. Who created all things in Jefus Chrift. Mr. Locke obferves, that St. Paul here speaks of the new creation by Jefus Chrift. This new creation then, was the manifeftation of the mystery, which had been hid in God from the beginning of the world. Now, that this new creation in * Benfon on 2 Tim. i. 9, 10. |