ferts, that these things were bestowed on, and discovered to the Ifraelites, and yet denies, that true and permanent bleffings had been conferred upon, and discovered to them, feems to involve himself in a manifeft contradiction.

IX. What then? Did memory, did judgment, did foundness of mind fail this very learned author, when he advanced things fo contradictory? But his acknowledged learning forbids us to suspect 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 apologist in a divine of very great name, who, with great confidence, tells us, that this affertion is, for the most 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 purpofe he quotes, Heb. ii. 3. where falvation is faid, " at the first to have begun to be spoken by the Lord:" that is, the work of falvation, which Christ now began to perform or even that clear and effectual doctrine of the gofpel, which calls us to falvation. He further obferves, that thofe 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 faultlefs, nor permanent, Heb. viii. 7, 9. From all which he concludes that is to speak agreeable with the fcriptures, to fay, that true and permanent benefits, and falvation itfelf were not bestowed on, and difcovered to Ifrael.

X. These things require a particular confideration. It is my real judgment and perfuafion, that thefe 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 lefs accurate; and not first to excufe every thing, how

ever uncautiously fpoken, 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 constant tenor of the facred writings. Thefe call the fpiritual bleflings of the foul, ró dλnevév the true, Luke xvi. 11. in oppofition to the unrighteous mammon, or the falfe riches of this world: and the grace granted to the elect, as fuch, thy danñ xágur "the true grace of God, wherein they ftand," 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 bleffings, 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 fubject to fpoiling or rapine. Yagis μivovoa, enduring fubftance, anfwers to the Hebrew words wn and w, which fignify, a true folid and permanent fubftance. But this what the fupreme wifdom has, from the beginning, promifed 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 thefe very benefits "treafures 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 fpirit. Which no one doubts, are permanent. In a word what does falvation itself more commonly fignify, than that happinefs 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 alfo 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 called in fcripture true, permanent, and falvation itself; and

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the brethren dare not refufe that these were granted and difcovered to the ancient Ifraelites: muft 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 fhould 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 bleffings were granted to Ifrael; fince, befides thofe benefits peculiar to the New Teftament, there are others. also which are true, permanent and faving. An universal negative propofition does not exclude fome one, but every species without exception. It is one thing to say, that Ifrael had not fome degree or measure of true and permanent benefits; another, that they had not the bleflings themselves. He who would affert the former, which is true, fhould not use words, that fignify the latter, which is abfolutely false. `

XIII. But let us take a more diftinct 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 prefent, 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 fenfe was not before the manifeftation of Chrift; nor did the Ifraelites enjoy it. But he, that would illuftrate this, should diftingufh between this falvation, already impetrated, or obtained, and falvation about to be impetrated; or between falvation, and the promise of salvation: and not, as our author does, between falvation and temporal benefits. For certainly eternal falvation was given and manifefted to Ifrael, though the cause of falvation, as it now appears, and the work of falvation, as already begun, could not be preached to them. Because, what Chrift had promised and engaged was at that time fufficient to procure falvation, to be manifefted and bestowed.

XIV. 2dly, None will deny, that true benefits are fometimes opposed to typical: but this obfervation is altogether foreign to the cafe in hand; unless the brethren mean, that the Ifraelites enjoyed only typical good things, but were deftitute of thofe 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 understand, feems to tend to this. But let these things pafs. Let us go on with VOL. II. what

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what is perfpicuous. Mofes indeed, who was a fervant, could not bestow those true bleflings. 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 Ifrael, I cannot think, they will reckon remiflion of fins, and redemption, and a new creation, &c, among the number of thofe, which were typical; and they own that these were bestowed on Ifrael. To what purpose then is the inculcating here a dif tinction between true and typical benefits? But, fay they, the blotting out the hand-writing, and that glorious degree of adoption are true benefits. Are they fo? And is not alfo remiflion itfelf, the hand-writing not being yet blotted out, and adoption itself, though not in that degree, to be reckoned among the true benefits? Did the types of the Ifraelites only prefigure that measure of grace, peculiar to the New Testament; not faving grace itself, which is common to both difpenfations? Were their facraments figns only of this grace, which is freely be stowed on us, and not alfo of that, of which they themfelves were made partakers? Let the learned authors tell me I pray, whether the new creation, redemption, remiflion of fins, adop tion, friendship with God, and the falvation of the foul, both in heaven and on earth, and the like fpiritual bleflings, 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 ftable, like the economy of the New. In the former there is the removing of those 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 bleflings 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 bleflings were not beftowed on Ifrael. I fhall give palpable inftance. The apoftle fays even to believers under

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the fear of death in liberty and joy. For, in circumcifion the the New Testament, while they fojourned on this earth, Heb. xiii. 14. "here have we no continuing city." The celebrated interpreter fays well on this place; "it is peculiar to Chriftians, and thofe who join themfelves to Chrift, that they have not here a city. They are without a city in the world. Some may fay, the apoftle denies not that they have a city, but they have no abiding one: nay, he denies, that we have a city here, becaufe no city is abiding." Can I therefore be allowed to affert, that no permanent benefits are beftowed on believers of the New Teftament? I cannot think it. I conclude: It had been much better, the brethren had frankly owned, that the learned author, while he was writing thefe things, betrayed human frailty, and spoke uncautiously, than, by far fetched pretences, to palliate things, which the reformed churches will never acknowledge as their doctrine.

XVI. Secondly, The excellence of the Old Teftament is too much leffened by afferting, that the circumcifion of the heart, mentioned, Deut. xxx. 6. was a bleffing peculiar to the New Teftament. It is worth while to hear, how the learned author explains himself. Firft, he defires us to obferve, that this verfe treats of the time of the Meffiah, the foregoing figns of whom are explained in the preceding verfes: and therefore he enumerates circumcifion of the heart, mentioned here among the bleffings of the New Teftament, de foed. §. 352. Confequently he fays, "that God hence promifed a kind of circumcifion of the heart, which he would not give till that time," Sum. Theol. c. 53. §. 7. But what is that circumcifion of the heart here promifed? Let us hear the learned author himfelf, when profeffedly commenting on this place. "By circumcifion of the heart we are here to understand, whatever anfwers to circumcifion, as a figure, and is contained in God's covenant, except thofe things, that do not belong to this life," Ultim. Mof. §. 334. And more clearly ftill: " to fum up the whole briefly, the circumcifion of the heart here promifed, ver. 6. is regeneration by the fpirit of adoption. Above all it fignifies regeneration, or fanctification by the fpirit of faith and the love of God. Secondly, it denotes confolation in hope of eternal life, by the expiation of Chrift." Ibid. §. 336, 337, 338. From thefe quotations, if duly connected, arifes this argument: The circumcifion of the heart promifed, Deut. xxx. 6. is a benefit of the New Teftament, which God did not beftow till then: but regeneration by the fpirit of adoption, or fanctification by the fpirit of faith and of the love of God, and confolation in hope of eternal life by the expiation of Christ, is the circumcifion of the heart there promifed: therefore fuch regeneration

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