§. LXXII. The giving the Spirit in our tifm, was a reftoring the first and most perfect Pecutium. an equality of receiving the Divine Spirit. But In order to the explaining of this, the Words 2 purposely T I purposely to distinguish it from our Spirits, as contradiftinct to the Spirit of God, Rom. viii. 16. Nes in the Language of the Platonifts. was fuperiour to ΛόγΘ. And the πνεῦμα τὸ νοὸς must be fuperiour alfo to the veûμa tõ xó8. Thus this veua, which is the fame with the navòs äv0gwr☺, muft in all likelihood, be the fame with the fecond Man, or Second Adam, mentioned as the Truμa (OTO, I Cor. xv. 45. The words : ἵνα τις δύο κλίσῃ ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἰς ἕνα και vòv äveęwπov, Eph. ii. 15. are not fo referrible to any thing elfe. This is the new Man, which being added to the old Man, is capable of making one new Man, as it did in the firft Man, who confifted of both, the new as well as the old Adam. The Spirit as well as the Soul, is requifite to the Man that is xols and oxoxans, Theff. v. 23. The word lion is likewife remarkable in this place, which is alfo joined with the new Man, Eph. iv. 24. & nouvòv äv0gáπου και θεὸν κλιθέντα. The words και θεὸν feem fo to be understood, as when the Woman is faid to be Bontos xal' arv, Gen. ii. 18. meaning the Man. The proportion is the fame in the ReaJonings of the New Teftament, between the Woman and the Man, as between the Man and God. The Head of the Woman is the Man, and the Head of the Man is Chrift, and the Head of Chrift is God, 1 Cor. xi. 3. And as the Man is the Image and Glory of God, fo the Woman is the Glory of the Man, v. 7. Plainly therefore this καινὸς ἄνθρωπο και θεὸν is the fame with avigan nal einova in S. Paul and Philo, and therefore the fame with this divine quickning Spirit. And its being faid xv fhews, that it is alfo the fame with the navǹ alios, 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. The new Spirit, the new Man, the new Creature, feem plainly to allude I to to the Platonical Sonaldsaris. Efpecially, if joined with the new Heavens and the new Earth Ifa. Ixv. 17. lxvi. 22. 1 S. Pet. iii. 13. And wh a things new, 2 Cor. v. 17. And the very word the Sxabisáver ufed by the facred Writers on this ed occafion, S. Matth. xvii. 11. A&t. i. 6. iii. 21. any Not that the facred Writers believed, that this great Reformation was to return in courfe up Pr on a Revolution of any known or unknown mo tions to the fame point of the Zodiac from whence they began; nor that they believed, f that the reftitution of the fame pofture of the Heavens muft neceffarily reftore the fame Indie viduals: Much lefs, that it should determine in all the Free Wills the fame way as formerly. er Thefe were only private Fancies of later and a lefs judicious Philofophers, who lived after the itudy of judicial Aftrology derived from the Ba bylonians and Egyptians, after the times of Plato and the eldest Philofophers. However, Plato himfelf believed a Reformation of the World and Mankind, fo far at leaft, as to reftore them to their antient Perfection. This Reformation he and his followers afcribed to the Aéy Jaóval, when he fhould again undertake the helm of the World, which had before for the wickedness of Mankind, been quitted to dvdfun and en. This therefore was very naturally likely to be applied to our Bleffed Saviour by our firft Chriftian Ancestors, who believed him to be that Ay. Only the difference was, that what Plato and his Followers had taken upon Conjectures and uncertain Reafonings, our Chriftian Ancestors received on a furer Word of Prophesy, as they did the future ftate, and future rewards of Humane Souls. The ufe therefore of that Philofophy, was only to explain the terms in which the Chriftian briflian Revelations were expreffed, as having en a known Signification among them from hofe use the Holy Ghoft was pleafed to take hem. But the Doctrines themfelves fo exprefed, were proved true by greater Evidence than ay Reasonings of the Philofophers, thofe Micles by which the Divine Authority of the first reachers of the Chriftian Religion was atteft1. Yet, in the Matter I am speaking of, there Jas Oral Tradition much antienter. The time f Hefiod was fo, whofe Notions are alluded by Virgil. Yet they were fo like those of e New Teftament, that the Emperor Conftanine, and by his Authority, many fince have taen them for the fame, and thought Virgil to ave had them rather from the Sibylline Orales than Hefiod. S. Peter tells us, that the briftians of his Age did look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteoufnefs, 2 Pet iii. 13. Deveft the Heaben Traditions concerning their golden Age of he Mythology (which was the popular way of eiling Traditions among the Greeks, thereby to conciliate a greater veneration for them) and he things themfelves will be the fame in the Heathen Mythologies and the Dottrine of the Sacred Writers. This Righteousness will be the fame with the Heathen Goddess of Righteoufnefs Aftree, whom Ovid reprefents as the laft of the Divine Race which was driven from the Earth by the impieties and degenerations of Mankind. This neceffarily fuppofes her to con#inue on Earth through the whole golden Age to its expiration. Virgil fuppofes her to return alfo at the return of it: Fam redit & Virgo. For he was indeed the Virgo, whom they who followed the Emperour Conftantine the Great, in the interpretation of this Eclogue mistook W mistook for the Virgin Mary. The Prophe efpecially of Ifaiah purfue the fame Alluf when they speak of the Times of the Me fo as if all the Animals were then to forg their natural antipathies against each other, and return to their mutual innocence which they a fo had in Paradife whilft Man himself was in nocent, and which Virgil also, in that fame E logue, mentions as one of the Felicities of the golden Age. But the nova progenies, the pure and undebauched Spirits of Gods and Demigods, are mentioned in Virgil as thofe which should principally contribute to this univerfal Happi nefs. And this was alfo very applicable to Chrift as the Second Adam the Lord from He ven, and as poffeffing the fulness of that Spirt wherein the elect Angels (as the Scriptures cl them) were to communicate as well as elet Men. This Philo calls the deducing Colone from Heaven to Earth. And probably it may give a likely account of the name of vis without any thing that might imply that this Divine Spirit was created. For is in this fenfe, will fignify no more but that preexiftent Spirits were brought down from their former cæleftial Habitations to people the new created Earth. This will intitle our Bleffed Lord to the title of isns, or Founder of this Divine Colony, which was the ufual ftyle for the firft Leaders into Colonies, and to all the Honours confequent to that title, which were ufually Divine, even in thefe earthly Colonies. This gives a clear account, why we are called Stran gers, and Pilgrims, and Sojourners, and are faid to have here no abiding City. This was very properly true of Colonies, who were al ways looked on as Strangers in the places of their Colonies, and were in continual dangers from |