ページの画像
PDF
ePub

history, but figurative of future ones;-viz., of the Effusion of the Holy Spirit; and of the gathering together the outcasts of Israel, in the latter days.

Thus did the Law prepare men for the reception of the Gospel doctrine of redemption, through Him who was the " very Paschal Lamb of God, sent to take away the sins of the world by the sacrifice of Himself, and to bring life and immortality to light'." Such is the unity of design, and harmony of parts, between the Jewish and Christian Dispensations; clearly establishing their common divine original.

And as the great event drew nearer, so evident preparations for it were brought about by Providence. The Prophets more clearly and explicitly foretold the abrogation of the Jewish ritual, and the establishment

1 Some Commentators interpret this passage (2 Tim. i. 10), solely of the Gospel's bringing to light the doctrine of life and immortality; and Warburton adduces it as an irrefutable argument of the truth of his favourite hypothesis, which his impetuous zeal urged him to push beyond its legitimate bounds;-viz, "That a future state was not known under the Old Testament." From what has been advanced, however (Book 2, chap. iii.), it seems evident a future state was not unknown under that Dispensation. And, hence the whole scope of this passage (taken with its context) may be interpreted to mean, not a simple promulgation of the doctrine; but a promulgation of it, accompanied with such increased weight of evidence, with such clear directions for its attainment, with such a developement of God's purposes, in extending it to comprehend the fulness of the Gentiles,-as to afford a more express assurance, a more lively view, and a more enlarged comprehension of it, than any former Dispensation could possibly do ;--and to throw around it a brightness of conviction, compared with which, all previous conceptions of it were doubtful and dim.

of a New Covenant, by Him who was to be “a light to lighten the Gentiles." The Jewish Scriptures. were translated into Greek; the Jews dispersed, and multiplied exceedingly in Egypt, Asia, Greece, Italy, and the Western parts of Europe. They were observed upon, and protected by various Potentates and people, amongst whom, of course, many of their religious opinions would be diffused. In every part of the world they were to be found, carrying with them “their Law and their Prophets;" establishing synagogues; and bearing testimony to the Unity and Providence of God. And hence, when the Gospel was promulgated, the preachers thereof found all in a state of preparation, wherever they went; not only were there Synagogues and Jews versed in the Law; amongst whom the Law and the Prophets were expounded every sabbath ;--but they also found proselytes, who through the Jews' instrumentality, had become "devout men," fearing God, and who could therefore understand and feel the force of their arguments and addresses. This is strongly exemplified in a perusal of the Acts of the Apostles', as to the effects of their preaching on various occasions.

Neither does the rejection of Christianity by the

1 See Acts xiii. 15, 42, 44; xiv. 1; xvii. 1—4; where we read of both Jews and Gentiles (proselytes) requesting the Apostle to preach the Gospel to them, and of multitudes being convinced and converted.

great bulk of the Jews, weaken the argument for its truth; rather does it tend to confirm it, as establishing" the truth of prophecy. They rejected it, through national ambition, and carnal worldly prejudices; and this was predicted of them. Moreover, had the Jews universally embraced the Gospel, it might have been sceptically urged, that the prophecies had been fabricated, or altered, to fit them to the events; or that the miracles had been credited without proof or examination: whereas the DIRECT CONTRARY is now the case; and Christianity has the full weight of all the unanswerable arguments on its side, arising from the various topics that these considerations supply.

Nor yet again does the very depravity of the Jews, which led them to reject the Gospel, weaken the argument for the Law being a preparation for it. It has been shown that amongst them the knowledge of true religion and morality was preserved; and amongst them also did the Gospel find its first teachers, hearers, converts, and Missionaries; who were endowed with the purest principles of piety; and were the instruments employed for disseminating it through the world. In fact the Gospel may be considered as having attracted to itself all that was really pious and virtuous amongst the Jews; to have winnowed them, as it were, separating the "Israelites in whom was no guile," from the hypocritical Pharisees, Epicurean Sadducees,

worldly minded Herodians, fierce zealots, and seditious rabble, who were left as unprofitable chaff, to endure the fire of God's wrath. Hence their national establishment was put an end to; their ritual and Temple destroyed; themselves dispersed; and “thus through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles." (Rom. xi. 11.)

CHAPTER VII.

THE PAST AND PRESENT STATE OF THE JEWS EXHIBITS THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF PROPHECY.

MOSES in his last address to the assembled Tribes, (Deut. xxviii.) at the close of their forty years' wandering in the wilderness, most emphatically describes the blessings and prosperity that should attend them, if they continued stedfast in their allegiance to God; as also the sad and signal calamities that should be inflicted upon them, if they hearkened not to His voice, "to observe and do all his commandments." Every species of distress,-whether arising from diseases in their own persons or their flocks ;-or from elemental pestilences and mildews;-or from the vengeful sword of enemies ;—is fearfully denounced against them: and they were all as fearfully fulfilled, on various oc

« 前へ次へ »