upon this subject was derived from the Pagan philosophers, and even from the Jewish teachers, is not to be compared with that which is now diffused under the Evangelical dispensation. Our Saviour Jesus • Christ, hath brought life and immorta⚫lity to light through the gospel.'

BUT though it is justly said of our Lord, that he hath brought life and immortality to light,' yet it is not to be inferred from this, that nothing, or next to nothing, was known or believed concerning a future state before his advent; for it is an unquestionable fact, that before his coming, both Jews and Gentiles had a knowledge of another world, though indeed a very imperfect one compared with what He superadded. All then that can be meant by the assertion,— • Christ—hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,'—is this.— Since his appearance men's views of a future state have become more settled, precise, extensive, and exhilarating.*-To illustrate

* This is undoubtedly the just and natural interpretation of the Apostle's words, and in support of it, I here adduce a luminous

and establish this proposition, is the object of the present dissertation.-Our attention

luminous exposition of them, by a late learned prelate.• These words,' says he, being spoken of our blessed Sa⚫viour, and affirming that he through the gospel brought life ⚫ and immortality to light, are thought by some to be exclu⚫sive of all arguments for a future immortality, drawn either ⚫ from the light of reason and nature, or from the writings of Moses: for, if the hopes of immortality were so supported ⚫ before the coming of Christ Jesus, it could not be truly asserted of him, that he brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And so far at least they must be allowed to argue justly, that if the text is to be understood in this exclusive sense, it will affect the proofs and authorities of any former revelation equally with those of sense and reason. But then, on the other side, it is certain, that, if this € argument does not impeach the authority of Moses with re⚫gard to this fundamental article of faith, neither will it shut • out the proofs of natural religion; since it must destroy the • evidence of both, or of neither. Now, that it does not set • aside the authority of Moses, is evident from our Saviour's • argument to the Sadducees; Now that the dead are raised, ❝even Moses shewed at the bush, when he called the Lord "the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God "of Jacob,' Luke xx, 37. From whence it appears, that our • Saviour thought the law of Moses afforded good proof of a future life; which is inconsistent with the supposition that ♦ there was no evidence for life and immortality till the publi, ⚫cation of the gospel,

BUT, supposing Moses or the law of nature to afford evidence for a future life and immortality, it remains to be con⚫sidered, in what sense the words of the text are to be under 1 stood, which do affirm that life and immortality were "brought

is therefore naturally called to the two following points.

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"brought to light through the gospel.' To bring any thing * to light may signify, according to the idiom of the English 6 tongue, to discover or reveal a thing which was perfectly unknown before: but the word in the original is so far from countenancing, that it will hardly admit of this sense. The • Greek runs thus ; φωτίσαντος δὲ ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν. Now Qwry signifies (not to bring to light, but) to enlighten, • illustrate, or clear up any thing. You may judge by the use of the word in other places: it is used in John i, 9. "That was the true light, which lighteth' (or enlighteneth) every man that cometh into the world ;' ὃ φωτίζει πάντα vegway. Jesus Christ did not by coming into the world ⚫ bring men to light; but he did by the gospel enlighten men, and make those, who were dark and ignorant before, wise even to salvation. In like manner our Lord did enlighten the doctrine of life and immortality, not by giving the first or only notice of it, but by clearing up the doubts and diffi 'culties under which it laboured, and giving a better evidence ⚫ for the truth and certainty of it, than Nature or any revela'tion before had done. There is one place more where our ⚫ translators render the original word as they have done in the text; 1 Cor. iv, 5. Therefore judge nothing before the “time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the "hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the coun"sels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of "God.' But in this place it had been more properly rendered, who will cast light upon the hidden things of darkness; and so rendered, it better suits what follows, and will make ⚫ manifest the courtsels of the heart, The hidden things of darkness, which shall be brought to light at the coming of the Lord, are the actions and practices of wicked men, which, though

THE FIRST is-That in consequence of the promulgation of the gospel, the evidence of a future state has become much more perspicuous and certain.

THE SECOND is_That much additional information, concerning it, has been afforded by the gospel, which could not have

though they are of a certain and determinate nature, are yet hard to judge of, because we cannot discern the springs and ⚫ motives from whence they arise: perfectly unknown to us they are not; if they were, there was no occasion for the apostle to forbid us judging of them; for men do not, can• not judge at all of things which do not at all fall under their

notice: but they are so dark and obscure, that it is hard to ' judge rightly of them, and therefore it is but prudent to sus'pend our sentence till the day comes which will make all

things clear, which will hold such a light to these hidden things of darkness, that we shall manifestly discern them, • and be able to view them on every side. So that, in this • case, the hidden things of darkness are not supposed to be perfectly unknown, but only to be so dark and involved, that we cannot safely pass our judgment on them; and to bring them to light imports no more than to set them in a clear light, and to make them plain and manifest to the eyes of all the world. According to the use then of the original word, to bring life and immortality to light signifies to illustrate and make plain this great doctrine of religion, to dispel the doubts and uncertainties in which it was involved, and to give • evident proof and demonstration to the world of the certain⚫ty of a future life and immortality.'-Sherlock's Discourses, No. vi, pp. 117-120.

been obtained by any efforts of unassisted

reason.

FIRST: In consequence of the promulgation of the gospel, the evidence of a future state has become much more perspicuous and certain.-I have endeavoured, in the preceding dissertation, to prove the doctrine of a future state from principles of reason. My proofs there, were drawn chiefly from the nature of the soul, and from the moral attributes of God.-It has been shewn, that from its essence, the soul is capable of surviving the body :—that from the mere circumstance of death, we have no reason to infer that it will be destroyed, and that the justice, and wisdom, and goodness, of God require that its existence should be perpetuated. But arguments of this kind, however fair and conclusive in themselves, are not sufficiently plain and convincing to the generality of mankind. If the multitude, or even the more learned are to be deeply impressed with any truth, the impression will seldom be made by elaborate discussion, by close and abstruse reasoning; it must be made by authoritative declarations, and by

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