That

there was

all along

God and

Man,

ginning of time to the Commencement of Chriftianity, Men were not left to mere natural Light, but had frequent Opportunities, by one providential Means or other, of coming to the knowledge of God's true Religion and Virtue.

But fuppofe this not to be the Cafe, but that, instead of fuch ample DifcoaCovenant veries, a thick Cloud of Darkness in a between manner totally over-fpread the Heathen World; yet the Scriptures have given us a Reafon, why God fhould a wink at thefe times of Ignorance, and fuffer all Nations to walk in their own Ways, without the Interpofition of a standing Revelation, in calling Chrift, b the Mediator of the new Covenant, and the Lamb, that was flain from the Foundation of the World: for this intimates to us, that there was all along a Covenant between him and his Father concerning the Redemption of Mankind; that, upon the Fore-knowledge of their Tranfgreffion, Chrift undertook to be their Mediator, and engaged, as their Proxy, to come down upon the Earth, to affume human Nature, to fulfil the Law, which they should violate, and. to fatisfy God's Juftice, by offering his Blood a Sacrifice for their Sins; that, until the Time fhould come for Chrift to execute this Engage

a Acts xiv. 16.

Heb. ix. 15. Rev. xiii. S.

Engagement, all these Things fhould be look'd upon as actually done; his Humiliation effected, his Bloodfhed, God's Juftice fatisfied, and Man in a ftate of Reconciliation with him: confequently, that there was a Saviour of the World, even before the World began, a conftant Mediator between God and Man, a ftanding Propitiation for Sin, and a daily Interceffor at God's Right-hand, whose Merits were available, and Righteousness imputable to all the Race of Adam, tho' they, in their feveral Generations, might not have the Happiness to know it. And if this (as it seems to be) is the import of the Words, then will it follow, that Chriftianity, in this Senfe, was as old as the Creation; that Mankind, in the earlieft Ages of the World, were under the fame Difpenfation, in effect, that we are now; had the fame Admiffion to the Throne of Grace; the fame Affiftance (tho' not in Degree) to live virtuously; and, if any Man finned, the fame Advocate with the Father, even Jefus Chrift the Righteous, who is the eternal Propitiation for Sin: and the only difference is, d that what was ori-, ginally engag'd for, is fince actually fulfill'd; and the Bleffings, which they had, but

C

1 John ii. 1. • Edward's Survey of the Methods of Religion.

and a fit

Jefs perfect

but were not acquainted with, God in his good appointed Time has declar'd unto us by an express Revelation. But, all this while, they were under the fame Covenant, and, (upon a proper ufe of the Means afforded them) in the fame ftate of Salvation, with us: fore in every Age, and every Nation, be that feared God, and worked Righteousness, was accepted with him; and 'tis injurious to his Goodness, and Juftice,and other facred Attributes, to say, that he either is, or even was, a respecter of Perfons.

And as he is no refpecter of Persons, ness that fo has he always discover'd himself to Difpenfa- be a God of Order, and not of Confufion: tions and therefore it seems requifite, that he fhou'd go fhou'd proceed by Degrees, and not in

before,

troduce the most perfect Dispensation, till others, of an inferior and lefs perfect Nature, had gone before. In the Creation of the World, we read, that Trees, and Plants, and all kinds of Ve-· getables were made, before Beafts, that have a fenfitive Life; and that all kinds of Beafts were made, before Man, who has a rational Soul, and is the most excellent of all God's Works in this lower World; and, in like manner, 'tis reafonable to fuppofe, that God fhou'd make a gradual Increase in his Revelations,

tions, and proceed from the Shadow to the Substance, from Types to Realities, and from leffer to greater Discoveries. And to this purpose the Apoftle to the Hebrews informs us, that the Worthies, who liv'd under the Law, and had ƒ obtained a good report by Faith, received not the promife (i. e. the full Intent of it, in the coming of Chrift) God having provided fome better things for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect. Tho' therefore we may think with the Royal Preacher, that & truly Light is fweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun; yet we are to confider, that the Darkness of the Night, which may refemble the Religion of Nature, and the Dawning of the Day, which may represent the Inftitutions of the Law, were to have their stated Periods, before our h Sun of Righteousness was to rife with healing in his Wings, i. e. the Prince and Saviour of Mankind was to make his Entrance upon the Stage of the World, not till after the legal Services were expired, the Predictions of the Patriarchs and Prophets accomplish'd, and the Appearances of Angels, and Vifions, of Revelations, and extraordinary Declarations from

f Heb. xi. 39, 40. * Ecclef. xi. 7.

'Edward's View.

b Mal, iv. 2.

and that

fhould be

Time,

it was.

from Heaven had made way for his arrival.

Thefe, and many more Reasons, that the Gospel might be produced, feem to Apologize publifh'd for the Wifdom and Goodnefs of God juft at the (for it is God that is ultimately ftruck at in the Objection) in delaying the Dispenfation of the Gofpel; and what might determine him to the particular time, wherein he vouchfafed it, was the miferable State and Condition, in which the World then lay. The Prophet Micah, fpeaking of the Times, that were to precede the Christian Revelation, has these remarkable Words; Therefore Night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a Vifion; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye fhall not Divine; and the Sun fhall go down over the Prophets, the Seers fhall be ashamed, and the Diviners confounded, and the Day fhall be dark over them: And, accordingly, we may obferve, that, from the time of Malachi, to the coming of John the Baptift, all Prophefy was fufpended, and the extraordinary Directions and miraculous Atteftations, which God, in former Times, vouchsafed his own People, and in them the greater part of the Gentile World, were totally withdrawn: So that Reli gion began to decay every where, and

k Micah iii, 6, 7.

Vice