Vity. This is a point that must be left to the inquifition of the learned; and all that I have to observe upon the cafe is only this, viz. it appears plain to me, that Jefus Chrift and St. Paul were on the affirmative fide of this question; tho' what such their opinion was grounded upon, I think, does no otherwife appear, than from the quotation Chrift made out of the pentateuch. Matthew xxii. 32. as from Exodus iii. 6. viz. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob. From which words Chrift infers, by way of implication, that there will be a future ftate of existence to men, because God is not the God of the dead, but of the living which implication is wholly grounded on God's fpeaking of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob in the prefent tenfe, I [am] the God of Abraham, &c. But as juftice is due to every argument, and to every adverfary; fo, in favour of Mr. Warburton's third propofition, I think, it will be but just to obferve, that it admits of a question, whether the doctrine of futurity was fo plainly and clearly revealed to Mofes and the Jews, in and by the words referred to, as to render it probable, that this doctrine was, at leaft, generally admitted, and affented to, by by that people, as grounded upon them; because those words may poffibly bear another conftruction, which may not be greatly forced nor unnatural, and in which no fuch implication is contained, nor does fuch doctrine follow from it: As thus, I, that speak unto thee, out of this burning bush, am that very fame perfon that was with, fpoke to, and was the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of your fathers; and therefore, thou mayest Safely rely on me, as they have done before thee. As this conftruction is not greatly forced, nor unnatural; fo it seems well to anfwer the purpose of the speaker; namely, to beget in Mofes a firm trust and confidence in the person speaking, in whose name, and by whofe authority and power, Mofes was to appear before, and to converfe with, Pharoah King of Egypt, and work wonders in the land; thereby to procure deliverance to Ifrael, from the bondage they groaned under. This seems, at leaft, to be the defign of the Speaker, in the ufe of the words above mentioned; and if fo, then the conftruction I have put upon them is to his purpose; whereas, for him to have informed Mofes, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were then alive, alive, or that there would be a future ftate of existence to men, feems to be less fo. Nor, perhaps, is the implication, referred to, the most obvious, according to our reading the text; because, fometimes, the present is put for the preter tense; as in this instance, "before Abraham was, I [am,"] or I [was.] John viii. 58. Besides, the particle [am,] in our English bible, Exodus iii. 6. is put in italick characters; which, I apprehend, denotes a fupplement; and if so, then the word [was] might as fairly have been added, by way of supplement, to fill up the sentence, as the word [am.] As the reflections I have added, to what paffed in converfation, upon the subject, when I had the pleasure of your company, were occafioned by that conversation; so they are submitted to your examination and judgment, by, SIR, Your greatly obliged humble Servant, &c. THE THE AUTHOR'S Farewel TO HIS READERS. CONTAINING SECT. I. The Introduc-SECT. V. Of a future wherein those judgment and retribu tion; Points, viz. of Divine. tion, SECT. VI. Of Divine SECT. VII. Of Prophecy. SECT. XI. The Con- |