Tefiament, atfundry times. I. We may gather force Chronological Light. 2. Wemay fee the rife ofall the old HeathenifhSuperfiitions. And, 3. See the Glory of the Myftery of the Gofpel. vie I. Here is force Inftru&ion and Light may be gathered as to that Quef ion which may eauly arife in your thoughts, namely, how long this Old-Teftament Adminiftration lafted ? The Anfwer may be gathered from all that bath been Paid upon this Subjeá, that it fatted precifely four thoufandyears. This will appear, if you compute andput thofe feven Old-Teftament Difpenfations to- gether, which were formerly fpoken to. The firft Difpenfation fromAdam toNoah wasfsxteen bundredfifty fix years. The fecond fromNoah to the Promife made to Abraham, was four hun- dred twentyfeven years. The thirdfrom Abraham to the coming out of Egypt, was four hundred and thirtyyears. The fourthfrom the coming out ofEgypt, to the Dedication of the rem- wasfour hundredeighty fevenyears. The fifth from the Temple to the Captivity, was four hundredyears. The fixth, namely, from the Captivity to the Return, was feventyyears. The laft Old-Teftament Difpenfation from the Return to the Meffah's Death, was four hundred and ninety years : And from the Death of ChriJt to the Defi'ruelion of the Temple, and City, and Nation, whereby the Lord did put all that Old Difpenfation to a full end was forty years : All which Sums put together, amounts exaetly to four thoufandyears : So longdid that Old Teftament Difpenfation laft. Vfe a. We may here fee the rife ofall the old Heathenifh Superfti- tions. They were the Corruption of Old-Teftament Difpenfations. As Popery is nothing elfe but Chriftianity corrupted by a curfed mixture ofPaganifm and Judaifm with it ; fo in like manner Turcifm is. vfe 3. We may learn from hence the Glory of the Myftery, yea the Richesof theGlory of the Myftery of the Gofpel ; in that it was fo long, and with fo great varietyof Difpenfation held forth to the Church of God of .old. Surely it was no fmall . matter, which the Lord made ufe offuch various Providences and Difpenfations to reveal : For they did all tend to, and aim at this, Çol. i. 26. The Myfiery which bath been hid from Ages, andf from Generations ; ver. 27. the Riches of the Glory of this Myflery. Therefore learn to prize the Gofpel according to this worth, and this value, that God bath put upon it. To flight it, is to flight all the Glory, and Glorious Difpenfations of God from the beginning of H the 49
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=