318 HAnMIONY Or ALL 1ELIGIONt. 11. Under this Jewish dispensation, the moral law, in all its duties, and the will of God in many and various particulars of his authority and his mercy, were more explicitly set before men : Their encouragements also to repentance and hope in divine grace for eternal life, grew greater by the many precious pro- mises and blessings, both of pardoning and sanctifying grace, re- vealed to them, and many intimations and discoveries of the mercy of God, which they enjoyed. This was also eminently signified by the dwelling of God amongst them, both as their God and their King, in a visible glory, in his tabernacle or tem- ple, upon the mercy seat, in the holy of holies. III. Here also, there were a multitude of new emblems 'added, that is, new ceremonies, new signs and pledges, both of the blessings of God and of the duties of man, as well as types and figures of the characters and otliCes of the Messiah or Me- diator ; all which are usually called the Jewish ceremonies, and are tóó manyto be enumerated here. The chief designs of them were, first, to give the Jews a ceremonious worship in that infant state of the church, that they might not be tempted by the pomp and ornaments of heathen worship, to run into their idolatry. Secondly, to unite them as a nation in one form of religion and government, and to make and maintain an evident distinction of them from the rest of the nations round about them, who are called Gentiles, which in the Latin, Greek and Hebrew lan- guages, signifies the nations. Thirdly, to typify and figure out to them the various glories of the Messiah, and of the gospel, in the duties and blessings of it, under theveils and shadows, and fiures of that age, which are more clearly explained under the New Testament. IV. As this dispensation was begun by Moses, so it was carried on in the nation or church of Israel, duringall the time of the judges, thekings and prophets, till the coming of Christ, or rather till his ascension to heaven, and pouring down of the Spirit. Thebusiness and design of the prophets, was not to in- troduce any new dispensation among the Jews, but to give them further assurances of the coming of the Messiah, or the promised Saviour, to keep him in their view in every age, and keep their hopes alive, even in their lowest estate. The prophets gave them also, more particular descriptions of his character and offices, in order to preparethem for believing in him, when he should come. They spoke more particularly of the promises of pardon of sin, of the sanctification of our natures by the Holy Spirit, with hints of a future state of recompense for the good and bad among what I have here written, will go a great way towards shewing us, what the holy writer means bÿ it, in any partioular text, and how to understand his sense and his reasoning, which is of great importance, in learning the difference between the law and the gospel. w
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