Book IV. they heard; because it was only, partly a promise, partly an accusation of fin and guilt, with which man is born, but was not then abolished and blotted out; nor what they poffeffed; because they were to leave them, or because the wicked enjoyed them as well as they: in fine, because they were no real bleffings, capable to fatisfy the foul." Who may not gather from this, that, in the Pfalms of David, the prefent bleflings of faving grace were neither foretold, commended or celebrated, and therefore the Ifraelites did not poffefs them, though not only the hopes of these bleffings, but also the actual poffeffion of them, have been in all ages, the fubject and cause of unfpeakable joy. For, if David, in his pfalms, can celebrate even fuch fpiritual bleffings, which are connected with eternal falvation as himself and other believers enjoyed even at that time with what defign can it be said, that their only folace and comfort confifted in meditating on the joy of the time to come, and that they poffeffed bleffings, which were neither real, nor fufficient to fatisfy the foul? Who, on reading these things could imagine he was perufing the writings of a reformed doctor? VII. But I would not have you to believe, that this very learned author, though he writes in this ftyle, is gone over to the Socinians, whom, in almost all his writings, he has strenuoufly oppofed, and happily confuted. He repeats it a thoufand times over, and makes it appear, by cogent arguments against those most peftilent heretics, that the promise of the fpiritual and heavenly inheritance was made to the fathers of the Old Testament, and the poffeffion of it granted to them in confequence of the testament of grace. And in the very place we firft quoted, §. 885. he writes: that " Jehovah was the father of that people; for he purchased and made them, and beftowed all good things upon them, which is to be understood not only in a figurative fenfe, or with refpect to any external favour; but with refpect to the benefit of redemption, the new creation, and the donation of all things neceffary for life and godlinefs, by which he is in truth manifested to be the father of that people, with respect to his elect children, who were at all times contained in that people, as in a feminary, but lefs frequently in the great multitude of the Ifraelites of that age." So far well: I could wish, he had stopped here. VIII. But these two affertions are fo different, that they feem to be even contradictory. For, as the bleffing of redemption, the new creation, and the donation of all things neceffary for life and godlinefs; and in fine, to have God not in figure, but in truth, for their father, are indisputably true and manent bleffings, and are even falvation itself. Whoever af per ferts ferts, that these things were bestowed on, and discovered to the Ifraelites, and yet denies, that true and permanent bleff- * ings had been conferred upon, and discovered to them, feems to involve himself in a manifest contradiction. IX. What then? Did memory, did judgment, did foundnefs of mind fail this very learned author, when he advanced things fo contradictory? But his acknowledged learning forbids us to fufpect any fuch thing. Let us then declare the matter as it is. By true and permanent benefits, which, he fays, were not bestowed on the fathers of the Old Testament, he means the bleffings peculiar to the New, as the truth is oppofed to the type, and what is permanent to the fhadow, that was to evanish. And falvation with him denotes complete falvation. He has found an interpreter and apologift in a divine of very great name, who, with great confidence, tells us, that this affertion is, for the moft part in fcripture terms; which might have been better understood by divines, if they had taken as much pains to read and meditate on the writings of God as of men: and he endeavours to fhew, that some of the things peculiar to the New Teftament, as fuch, are fometimes held forth by the name of falvation, and of true and permanent benefits. For this purpose he quotes, Heb. ii. 3. where falvation is faid, " at the firft to have begun to be spoken by the Lord:" that is, the work of falvation, which Chrift now began to perform or even that clear and effectual doctrine of the gofpel, which calls us to falvation. He further obferves, that those benefits are fometimes called true, which are oppofed to those which were typical, as John i. 17. " the law was given by Mofes, but grace and truth came by Jefus Chrift:" and as the blotting out the hand-writing, which was against us, and that glorious degree of adoption, mentioned, Gal. iv. 5. are faid to be true benefits; he afferts, that they are justly called permanent, in contradiftinction to the covenant of grace, as it was a covenant with the Ifraelites, which was neither faultless, nor permanent, Heb. viii. 7, 9. From all which he concludes that is to speak agreeable with the fcriptures, to say, that true and permanent benefits, and falvation itself were not beftowed on, and discovered to Ifrael. X. These things require a particular confideration. It is my real judgment and perfuafion, that these learned men would have acted a far more prudent and generous part, if fometimes for the fake of truth, they had abandoned thofe, whom they have set up as heads of their party; confeffing both that they were men, and that fometimes their thoughts and difcourfes were less accurate; and not first to excufe every thing, how ever ever uncautiously spoken, with great confidence, and then to defend it as moft genuine, and, moft exactly agreeable to fcripture language, though but with very indifferent fuccefs, and at the expence of the reputation of their brethren. XI. But let us confider the conftant tenor of the facred writings. These call the fpiritual bleflings of the foul, to danivóv the true, Luke xvi. 11. in oppofition to the unrighteous mammon, or the false riches of this world: and the grace granted to the elect, as fuch, τὴν ἀληθῆ χάριν το θεν « the true grace of God, wherein they stand," 1 Pet. v. 12. Whether we underftand this of the doctrine of grace, or of that faving grace itfelf, which by that doctrine is offered to, and conferred on the elect, which ver. 10. was called the eternal glory of God, it is very evident, that true grace is opposed to any falfe persuasion whatever concerning falvation. They are alfo exprefsly called permanent bleflings, Heb. x. 34. "knowing in yourselves, that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring fubftance," which is not oppofed to types and fhadows, but to the good things of this world, which are fading, and subject to spoiling or ra pine. Yags pivovra, enduring fubftance, anfwers to the Hebrew words n and, which fignify, a true folid and permanent fubftance. But this what the fupreme wifdom has, from the beginning, promised to, and bestowed on those who obferve her, Prov. ii. 7. he layeth up found wisdom (substance) for the righteous, and Prov. viii. 21. to cause those that love me, to inherit fubftance. Our Lord calls these very benefits "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and fteal," Mat. vi. 20. Now the believing Ifraelites were undoubtedly admited to the poffeffion of these. The learned author himself writes, Jadagnt. Natur. Sabbat. §. 4. that "holy perfons, who believed the promise and expected falvation had, the ornament of a meek a quiet spirit. Which no one doubts, are permanent. In a word what does falvation itself more commonly fignify, than that happiness of the foul, which is begun here upon earth, and will be perfected in heaven, and is the end of our faith? Of which, 1 Pet. i. 9. "receiving the end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls." The falvation of the foul is its deliverance from the condemning and domineering power of fin, and its delighting in God as the fountain of happiness. And this is the end of faith, not only under the New, but also that which obtained under the Old Teftament, Which was, indeed, difcovered to Jacob, and by him to his children, when he faid, "I have waited for thy falvation, O Jehovah," Gen. xix. 18. As therefore fpiritual bleffings are lled in fcripture true, permanent, and falvation itself; and the the brethren dare not refufe that these were granted and difcovered to the ancient Ifraelites: must we not acknowledge, that whoever, fays, that true and permanent benefits, and falvation itself were not granted and discovered to the Ifraelites, does not speak according to scripture? XII. Moreover thould we allow, that fome benefits were peculiar to the New Teftament, which may be eminently called true and permanent, and falvation itself; yet it does not follow, that he speaks truly and advisedly, according to the rules of logic and divinity, who without reftriction, denies that true and permanent bleflings were granted to Ifrael; fince, befides those benefits peculiar to the New Teftament, there are others also which are true, permanent and faving. An univerfal ne gative propofition does not exclude fome one, but every fpecies without exception. It is one thing to fay, that Ifrael had not fome degree or measure of true and permanent benefits; another, that they had not the bleffings themselves. He who would affert the former, which is true, fhould not ufe words, that fignify the latter, which is abfolutely falfe. XIII. But let us take a more distinct view, how well the brethren maintain their ground by fcripture. 1ft, We allow, that the Apostle, Heb. ii. 3. by falvation understands that great happiness, whofe caufe was then present, and the gospel in its perfect ftate, wherein the falvation, now begun to be impetrated, and foon to be fully fo is declared: and it is certain, falvation in that fense was not before the manifeftation of Chrift; nor did the Ifraelites enjoy it. But he, that would illustrate this, fhould diftingufh between this falvation, already impetrated, or obtained, and falvation about to be impetrated; or between falvation, and the promise of falvation: and not, as our author does, between falvation and temporal benefits. For certainly eternal falvation was given and manifested to Ifrael, though the cause of salvation, as it now appears, and the work of falvation, as already begun, could not be preached to them. Because, what Christ had promised and engaged was at that time fufficient to procure falvation, to be manifested and bestowed. XIV. 2dly, None will deny, that true benefits are fometimes opposed to typical: but this obfervation is altogether fo reign to the cafe in hand; unless the brethren mean, that the Ifraelites enjoyed only typical good things, but were destitute of those true or fpiritual bleffings, which were fignified by the typical. What we juft quoted from the preface to the Pfalms, and which I own, I do not fufficiently underftand, seems to tend to this. But let thefe things pafs. Let us go on with VOL. II. Tt what what is perfpicuous. Mofes indeed, who was a fervant, could not bestow thofe true bleffings. Yet Chrift, who was the fame yesterday and to day, bestowed on believers even under the Mofaic economy true benefits, in and with the typical. And when they deny, that true benefits were beftowed on Israel, I cannot think, they will reckon remiffion of fins, and redemption, and a new creation, &c. among the number of thole, which were typical; and they own that these were bestowed on Ifrael. To what purpose then is the inculcating here a distinction between true and typical benefits? But, fay they, the blotting out the hand-writing, and that glorious degree of adop tion are true benefits. Are they fo? And is not also remiflion itfelf, the hand-writing not being yet blotted out, and adoption itfelf, though not in that degree, to be reckoned among the true benefits? Did the types of the Ifraelites only prefigure that meafure of grace, peculiar to the New Teftament; not faving grace itself, which is common to both difpenfations? Were their facraments figns only of this grace, which is freely bestowed on us, and not alfo of that, of which they themselves were made partakers? Let the learned authors tell me I pray, whether the new creation, redemption, remiflion of fins, adoption, friendship with God, and the falvation of the foul, both in heaven and on earth, and the like fpiritual bleffings, which the Ifraelites enjoyed, belong to the law, and are given by Mofes, or to the truth and grace, which came by Chrift? If they affirm the latter, as I imagine they will, I again beg of them to explain, what the paffage quoted from John makes to the purpose as from that it is clear, that true benefits, as oppofed to typical, were beftowed even upon Ifrael: which yet the words, now under examination, deny. XV. 3dly, The main point is, that the economy of the Old Teftament was not permanent and stable, like the economy of the New. In the former there is the removing of these things that are fhaken, that, in the latter," thofe things which cannot be fhaken, may remain," Heb. xii. 27. But it is wrong to infer from this, that under a mutable economy, which was, in due time, to be changed, there were no permanent bleffings either bestowed or made known. Because the bestowing and manifefting permanent benefits proceed not from thofe circumstances, which are mutable, but from the very covenant of grace, which is God's eternal teftament. Then again granting, there is fome permanent benefit under the New Teftament, which was not under the Old, I cannot therefore indeterminately affirm, that permanent bleffings were not beftowed on Ifrael. I fhall give a palpable inftance. The apoftle fays even to believers under the |