before in the fame verfe, and are a part of the fame quotation? Now 'tis true, that the Prophet faies, as for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord; and these words are parallel to those of the the Apostle, This is my covenant unto them: but then where shall we find any thing in the following words of the Prophet, which is parallel to what follows in the Apostle? The Prophet faies nothing like these words, when I fhall take away their fins. And therefore the 27th verfe of the Apoftle is not taken from the 21ft. of the Prophet. But from whence then is it taken? Why, from Fer. 31. 33, 34. This will appear, if we compare the Text of Jeremy with that of St. Paul. Jeremy faies, ch. 31. v. 33. But this fhall be the covenant, that I will make with the house of Ifrael after thofe daies, faith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my People. v. 34. And they shall teach no more every Man bis Neighbor, and every Man his Brother, faying, know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, faith the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their fin no more. St. Paul faies, Rom. 11. v. 27. For This is my covenant with them, when I take away their fins. 'Tis plain, that these words of Jeremy, viz. this fhall be the Covenant that I will make with the boufe of Ifrael, do anfwer to thofe of the Apostle, This is my covenant with them, viz. with the houfe af Ifrael, of which he had been largely difcour fing. fing. And 'tis plain alfo, that the Senfe of the laft words of the 34th verfe of the Prophet is contained in the latter part of the 27th verfe of the Apoftle. For the holy writers do not always retain the very fame phrafes in their quotations, which are found in the Original; as appears from the Quotation of thefe and fome other verfes of Jeremy, made by the Author to the Heb. ch.8. v. 8, &c. 1 3 If it be objected, that the word for in the 27th C verfe of St. Paul, feems to have a reference to what he had quoted out of Ifaiah in the 26. verfe, and to join them both together, and confequently that the words quoted in the 27th verfe of the Apostle, were not taken from Jeremy, but from Ifaiah; I answer,that what our tranflators have rendred for,in the original is, which ought to be rendered and. And then the words of the Apoftle will be very plain. For having faid, it is written, &c. that is, it is written by the Prophet Ifaiah, he adds, and this is my covenant, &c. that is,and it is also written by Jeremiah thus, This is my covenant with them, &c. If it be objected alfo, that these words which the Apoftle quotes v. 27. are not found fo near together in the Prophet Jeremy, as they are in St. Paul; but that the one is at a little diftance from the other; I answer, that the intermediate words, which do only fhew the Nature of the Covenant, need not be quoted by St. Paul, who was not to fhew what fort of Covenant it was, but with whom it was made. Wherefore he quotes thofe words only which are directly for his purpose, viz. fuch as denote the Perfons covenanted with; andthere being two Paffages of that nature not far afunder, he joins them both together. And who foever obferves the manner of quotations in Scripture, will find, that the Holy Writers do not scruple to omit fuch of the Original words, as the ftrefs of their Argument does not oblige them to reerve. I shall add, that it appears from what has been faid, that the words of Jeremy, ch. 21. v. 31, &c. upon which our Adverfaries ground an objection which has been already answered, do relate to a general Converfion of the Jewish Nation to the Chriftian Religion; which Converfion is not yet accomplished. For I have now fhewn, that the Apoftle St. Paul quotes part of them to prove that truth, Rom. 11. 27. Well then, fince the Prophet Ifaiah speaks in this controverted Text, of none but those Perfons, who fhall hereafter be converted from Judaism to Chriftianity, when the fulness of the Gentiles fhall be come in; 'tis plain that this Text can not favor the Doctrine of our Adverfaries. Because the promises therein contained are not made to all Chriftians in general, nor are they as yet fulfilled. And confequently, tho' immediate Revelation were promised therein, which (by the way) I do by no means grant; yet fince the promife is made only to thofe Jews who fhall hereafter believe, it cannot be claim'd at present by all true Chriftians whatsoever; and much lefs can it be proved neceflary in order to a faving Chriftian Faith. CHAP. CHAP. IX. Diverse Arguments for the neceffity of immediate Revelation anfwer'd. 24. TH The Apoftle, as has been already noted, is fpeaking in this and the two following Chapters, of fuch Perfons as were endu'd with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghoft, and whom he for that reafon calls Spiritual Men. Now there were many fuch Spiritual Men amongst the Ancient Chriftians, and by their Teaching and Miracles the Doctrine of Chrift mightily prevail'd. But the Devil, willing to fupplant Christianity, and to deftroy the Evidence of it, fet up against these true Spiritual Men certain Impoftors, who were Spiritual Men, or Perfons endu'd with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, in pretence only. Our bleffed Savior had foretold the appearance of fuch Enemies to our Faith, faying, There shall arife falfe Chrifts, and falfe Prophets, and shall fhew great figns and Wonders, Matt. 24. 24. And accordingly it came to pafs, particularly in the Corinthian Church. The Apostle therefore takes occafion to fhew his Difciples, how they may truly distinguish thofe thofe Perfons who were really endu'd with extraordinary Gifts by the Holy Ghoft, from fuch as were only affifted by the Devil to Cheat and Delude the World, and draw Men from the Faith. I give you to understand, faies he, that no man, Speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jefus accurfed; and that no man can fay, that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, or rather, as the O riginal ought to be rendred, but he that speaks by the Holy Ghoft. For (a) Speaking or he that fpeaks, belongs as well to (mum drow} by the Holy Ghost in the end of the Verfe, as it does to (men Or) by the Spirit of God, that went before. Now in these words two Rules are deliver'd. 1. No man Speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jefus accurfed; that is, thofe who pretend to be Spiritual Perfons, and to have receiv'd their Do&trine from God, and to be enabled by him to work Miracles in confirmation of it, and do at the fame time Blafpheme our Savior; thofe Perfons, I fay, did in reality receive their Doctrine (not from God, but) from the Devil, and the Miracles they work, are only Magical Feats done by an Infernal Power. 2. No man can fay,that Jefus is the Lord, but(he that speaks) by the Holy Ghost; that is, no Man pretending to be a Spiritual Perfon, can confefs Chriftianity, but you may affure your felves, that he really fpeaks by the Holy Ghost, that he receiv'd his Doctrine from God, and that he is enabled by a Power (not Diabolical, but) truly divine, to work Miracles in Confirmation of it. Thus then it appears, that by the No man here mention'd, we are not to understand no person whatsoever; as if no perfon whatsoever could fay or |