old fyftem, or the inventors of a new, have done my best to examine this queftion with all impartiality and my great objection to the common Syftem has ever been, that it fupposes the Jews were more enlightened, and better inftructed in the great truths and principles of the Gospel, than is confiftent with the account they give of themselves in the Old Teftament, or the account given of their difpenfation in the New.

I will begin my inquiry with the latter.

God, (fays St. Paul) hath saved us, according to his own purpofe and his grace, "which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before "the world began ;

"But is now made manifeft by the appear"ing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath "abolished death, and hath brought life and "immortality to light, through the Gofpela."

We are told that God, before the world began, had decreed to reftore mankind to that loft inheritance of eternal life, which they fhould forfeit by the difobedience of our first parents. It is added, that this fecret purpose and defign was now at laft "made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished death, and hath "brought life and immortality to light, through

"the Gospel." The word, which we here translate make manifeft, is often used in the New Teftament to fignify the opening and unfolding a mystery, or the difcovery of a thing which was abfolutely unknown before. Which will naturally lead us to conclude, that the purpose of redeeming mankind had been a mystery, kept fecret and hid in the divine breast, before its publication in the Gospel.

St. Paul mentions two periods; one, when it was originally formed in the fecret counfels of God, and the other when it was published and revealed. The oppofition between these two states seem neceffarily to imply, that during the interval it remained a fecret.

If the Apostle may be allowed to be his own interpreter, it will be eafy to establish this expofition by a parallel paffage in the Epiftle to Titus. "In hope of eternal life, "which God, that cannot lie, promised be

C

Προσθεσιν και χαριν την δοθείσαν ημιν εν Χρισώ Ιησε προ χρόνων αιωνιων, φανερωθεισαν δε νω Ng της επιφαν νειας το σωτηρος ημων, &c. 2 Tim. i. 9, 10.

The word (avsgow) is applied to the opening and unfolding of a myftery, or a thing abfolutely unknown before, Romans xvi. 25, 26. Coloffians i. 26. 1 Pet. i. 20. Hebrews ix. 8.

Grotius on the words made manifeft (manifestata eft autem nunc) fays, propofitum illud diu in Dea latuit; nunc vero patefactum eft. Davsgov eft revelare.

"fore

"fore the world began; but hath in due "times manifefted his word through preach"ing."

Here too we are told, that God promised, i. e. decreed or determined within himself, to promise, eternal life, before the beginning of the world; but that the manifeftation of his purpose was reserved for the ministry of his Son. Confequently, that, during the interval, it remained a fecret within the divine breast, and a mystery to man.

Agreeably to this expofition, the Author of the epiftle to the Hebrews affures us, that "the great falvation of the Gofpel (i. e. the promise of eternal life) "first began to be spoken by the Lord "". But how could Jefus be the first who taught

this doctrine, if Mofes and the Prophets had taught it long before? Or how did he begin to speak of that which fo many others had been commiffioned to teach before him.

Sometimes we are told, that life and immortality was brought to light; fometimes that it was made manifeft; and fometimes that it first began to be spoken, by Jefus Chrift. The bringing to light, and the making manifeft, are phrafes equivalent to the other of beginning first to teach. And if so,

dc. ii. 3.

B 3

the

the publication ascribed to Jefus Christ must have been the first and original publication, and not merely the illuftrating, or giving new fplendor to a doctrine, by the addition of one, or more circumftances, unknown before.

Hence we learn, and indeed from what we are told, that the Jews, before the coming of our Saviour, fat in darkness, and in the region and fhadow of death. A very odd character and defcription of a People, who were perfectly acquainted with the great truths and principles of the Gospel, and confequently furrounded with the light which shines forth in the New Testament.

e

However, the eminent writer before-mentioned affures us, that Jefus did NOT give "the first and only notice of this doctrine .' All that I need remark upon it, is, that this affurance feems directly to contradict the word of inspiration f. For if " the great Sal

f Suidas and Stephens both explain it in this Sense, Φωτίζειν αιτιατική εις φως αγειν, εξαγίελλειν οι δε Ρω μαιοι νομισανίες ήδη τον καιρον παραδίδονται φωτίζειν το κατα την εντολην απορρητον. (Suidas.)

Accufativo. Illuminare, illuftrare. Item in lucem ducere, producere, proferre. Enuntiare. Detegere. Declarare, ut, Romani autem exiftimarunt jam ipfum tempus fibi permittere in lucem proferre, & declarare illud arcanum, quod ipfis mandatum fuerat.

If then the word fignifies in lucem producere, proferre ;-enuntiare, detegere, declarare arcanum, it may very pro

"vation

"vation of the Gofpel firft began to be spoken "by the Lord," the first and original notice of it must have been derived from him.

To proceed.

Chrift

St. Paul obferves that Jefus was fent to fhew light unto the people (i. e. the Jews) and to the Gentiles s". It is plain from hence that he was a light to the first, in the fame fenfe in which he was a light to the laft: and therefore, as he was a light to the Gentiles by revealing the mystery perly denote the discovery of any fecret purpose and defign which God had not hitherto revealed. Dr. Warburton feems to have understood the word in this fenfe, when, to confirm his interpretation of the prefent text, he adds,

'

And for this reafon we find that life and immortality, which is here faid to be brought to light through the Gof"pel, is fo often called The myflery of the Gofpel: that is a mystery, till this promulgation of it by the Disciples ❝ of Chrift. The term was borrowed from those famous rites of Paganifm fo named, and applied with admirable juftnefs. For as the myfteries were communicated only "to a few of the wife and great, and kept hid from the "populace, fo life and immortality, as we shall fee, was "revealed by God, as a special favour, to the holy Pa"triarchs and Prophets, but kept hid from the body of "the Jewish nation."

Erafmus feems plainly to have understood it in this sense. Deftruxit quidem mortem, illuminavit autem vitam. Καταργησαντος, i. e. qui abolevit & obliteravit: φωτισαντος, i. e. in lucem produxit. Nam hæc duo inter fe compofuit veluti pugnantia. Mors regnabat, ei regnum abrogatum eft. Latebat vita, ea per Chriftum emicuit. And, which is ftill more to the purpose, my Lord Bishop of London himself, both in his third fermon, and in his discourses on prophecy, gives it no other.

Acts xxvi. 23.