།།

or couched and vailed under the Shadow of temporal Bleffings, than plainly and diftinctly revealed Nor, even in the prophetical Writings, are there fuch clear and exprefs Promises of eternal Life as do every were occur in the New Teftament. Hence the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews obferves, that the Way into the Holieft of all (i. e. into the heavenly State, of which the Holy of Holies was a Type) was not yet made manifeft (ie. was not clearly and fully fo) while as the first Tabernacle was yet ftanding. Heb. ix. 8. Accordingly we find, that, among the Jews, among thofe who profeffed to believe the Divine Authority of the Law of Mofes, and to have a great Zeal for it, there was a Sect that denied a future State, both the Immortality of the Soul, and the Refurrection of the Body, viz. that of the Sadducees, who were confideArable, though not for their Numbers, yet for their Riches and Quality, as Jofephus informs us. But now our Saviour bath

brought fuch a clear and certain Discovery of a future bleffed Immortality, as puts it beyond all reafonable Doubt. This is what I thould proceed to fhew; but, as Time will not allow me now to infift upon this fo fully as the Importance of it well deferves, I fhall referve the farther Confideration of it to another Opportunity,

DAY

Ee 3

Ного

How Chrift brought Light and Immortality to Light.

DISCOURSE XXII.

INT

2 TIMOTHY i. 10.

And bath brought Life and Immortatality to Light by the Gospel.

N my former Difcourfe on thefe Words was obferved, that the two Expreffions here made Ufe of, Life and Immortality, are both intended to fignify the fame Thing, viz. a State of immortal Happiness referved for good Men in a better World; and that it includes not, merely, the everlafting Existence of the Soul in a feparate State, but the Refurrection of the Body too; E e 4

the

the immortal Exiftence of the whole Man, Body and Soul united, in a State of Hape piness and Perfection. And, when the Apostle here tells us, that our Lord Je fus Chrift bath brought Life and Immortality to Light by the Gospel, his Defignis not to fignify that a future immortal Hap pinefs was, abfolutely and in all Refpects, unknown before the Coming of our Sa viour; but it is to be understood compara tively, that Chrift hath made far clearer and fuller Difcoveries of it; he hath placed it in a stronger and opener Light, than ever it was before.

Particularly it fignifies,

Firft, That our Lord Jefus Christ hath2 given more convincing fatisfying Affurances of the Certainty of a future immortal Life and Bleffedness, than had been given to Mankind in any former Ages.

Secondly, That, as he hath affured us of the Certainty of it, fo he hath alfo made more plain and diftinct Discoveries of the Nature and Greatness of that future Felicity, than ever the World had been favoured with before.

ว

Thirdly, That he hath given us the cleareft and beft Directions, as to the Way and Terms upon which that future immortal Glory is to be obtained.

I have

] *

I have already entered on the Confideration of the firft of thefe, viz. That our Lord Jefus Chrift hath given more convincing fatisfying Affurances of the Certainty of a future immortal Life and Bleffedness, than had been given to Mankind in any former Ages. To fet this in a proper Light, I confidered the State of the Belief of a future Immortality, as it ftood both among the Heathens and the Jews, before and at the Time of our Saviour's Appearing. With Regard to the Heathens, it was fhewn pretty largely, not only that great Numbers of them that made high Pretenfions to Learning and Philofophy denied a future State, but that the beft and wifeft among them were under great Uncertainties, even as to the Immortality of the Soul; and abfolutely denied the Refurrection of the Body. As to the Jews, though they generally believed both, yet thefe Things were not very clearly and exprefly revealed in the Scriptures of the Old Teftament; and there was a confiderable Sect among them, viz. that of the Sadducees, that openly denied a future State.

I proceed now therefore to fhew what Strong Affurances our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift hath given us by his Gospel of a blessed Immortality, far tranfcending any Difcoveries of it that were made to the World before.