new-moons, which are by the Hebrews ftiled the beginning of months (b). We meet with fome footsteps of these festivals in the remoteft periods of heathen antiquity (i), but they were confecrated to the moon, as hath been already faid. We have alfo obferved before, that the ancient Jews were not used to have recourfe to an astronomical calculation, to find out the new-moon, but difcovered it by its phafis, or appearance, when it begins to emerge out of the rays of the fun, which was by them obferved with a fuperftitious exactnefs. These festivals were celebrated with the fame ceremonies as were observed on the first day of the year, bating fome few differences, which may be eafily difcerned by comparing the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth chapters of the book of Numbers together. We do not find that the feaft of new-moons had any typical meaning. It feems moreover not to have been fo much a law, as a custom already received, which the fupreme Lawgiver did not think fit to oppofe, but only to prefcribe what ceremonies were to be then obferved (*). When therefore St. Paul ranks the new moons among thofe obfervances, which were only figures of things to come (k), he means the whole body of the ceremonial law, whereof the new-moons were a part.

We are now come to thofe Jewish festivals, which were The feast of of human inftitution only. The first is that of lots, called purim or lots. in Hebrew purim (†). The occafion of which name was taken from Haman's enquiring by lot, when it would be the fitteft time for deftroying the Jews. It was inftituted by Mordecai, in remembrance of the fignal deliverance which Efther had obtained for that nation, when it was just going to fall a victim to the pride and cruelty of Haman. They celebrated it on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month Adar(), because on thofe days the confternation of the Jews was changed into joy, by the unexpected victory, which God granted them over their enemies (). The whole book of Efther was read in the fynagogue upon this occafion (*), and fome paffages concerning Amalek. The reft of the time was spent in feaftings and rejoicings.

The feast of The feaft of the dedication, spoken of by St. John (m), was appointed by Judas Maccabeus, in imitation of thofe of

dedication.

(b) Exod. xi. 2. Numb. x. 10. xxviii. 11. Ifai. i. 13, 14.

Solomon

(i) Eurip. 12. Troad. Chor. 5. Hefiod. Dier. v. 6. Herodot. Vit. Hom.

C. 33.

(*) A famous Caraite doctor named Elias, imagined that the new moons were obferved even in the time of Noah and Abraham.

(k) Coloff. ii. 16.

(+) This is a Perfian word, but ufed by the Hebrews. (1) Which answered to our February and March.

() This probably happened under Artaxerxes Longimanus, who is fup pofed to have been the fame as Ahafuerus, about 500 years before Chrift.

(*) And as often as the children heard the name of Haman, they struck the benches of the fynagogue with as much joy, as they would have ftruck Haman's head, if it had been before them. Lamy. p. 137. When the year had 13 months, this feast was twice celebrated, both in the first and fe cond Adar. Id.

(m) John. x. 22.

1 Mac. iv. 59.

Solomon and Ezra, for a thankful remembrance of the cleanfing of the temple and altar, after they had been profaned by Antiochus (†). It began the twenty-fifth of Cifleu, or December, and lafted eight days. They called it otherwise the feaft of lights, either because during it they illuminated their houfes (), or, according to Jofephus (+), because of the extreme happiness of those times. The whole feaft was spent in finging hymns, offering facrifices, and all kinds of paftimes and diverfions.

Thefe are all the Jewish feftivals that deferve our notice. They had others of a more modern institution, but we shall pass them over here, as having no relation to our present design.

(+) The Jews celebrated four of these feafts. The first was that of the temple built by Solomon in the month Tifri; the fecond, that of the temple rebuilt by Zorobabel, in the month Adar; the third, that of the altar rebuilt by Judas Maccabeus, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Cifleu; and the fourth was that of the temple of Herod. Lamy, ib.

(1) By fetting up candles at every man's door. See Prid. Connect. P. 2. B. 3. under the year 165.

(1) Jofeph. Ant. xii. 11.

AN

AN

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

T

PART II.

Concerning the HE first part of this Introduction hath but an New Teftament indirect relation to the New Teftament, but this in general. fecond part will more particularly refer thereto. The four Gofpels, the Acts of the Apostles, fourteen Epistles of St. Paul (*), one of St. James, two of St. Peter, three of St. John, one of St. Jude, and the Revelations of St. John, make up that facred collection which goes under the name of the New Covenant, or New Teftament. This title was not given by the Evangelifts or Apoftles, fince in their time the canon of the books of the New Teftament was not yet compofed, it being not done till the end of the firft, or beginning of the second century. It is notwithstanding of a very ancient date, and occafioned undoubtedly by a paffage of Jeremiah, wherein God promises to make a new covenant with his people (a). In the old Latin verfion the original Greek word(*) is rendered by that of Teftament, in allufion to that paffage of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, wherein it is said, that the New Teftament was ratified

by

(*) We have proved in our preface to the Epistle to the Hebrews, that that epiftle was written by St. Paul.

(a) Jerem. xxxi. 32.

(*) Axonn. This word fignifies both a law, and an agreement, a covenant, and a testament.

by the death of the Teftator (4). It is called New In oppofition to that collection of the facred Hebrew writings, which are by St. Paul named the Old Teftament, or Ancient Covenant (c), because it contains the conditions of the covenant which God had made with the children of Ifrael by the ministry of Moles; as JESUS CHRIST gave the name of New Covenant, to that which God made, through his mediation, with mankind (d). The New Testament therefore, or the New Covenant, are those books which contain the laft will of our heavenly Father, revealed by his Son JESUS CHRIST; the benefits which, through him, are conferred upon us here below, thofe which are promifed to us hereafter, our obligations to God; in a word, the conditions of the evangelical covenant or œconomy. The Old and New Testament may properly be ftiled the facred deeds, and the originals of the two covenants mentioned by St. Paul in his epiftle to the Galatians (e).

But here we must observe, that when those laws which God hath at different times delivered to mankind are named a Covenant or Tefta ment (f), these words are not to be taken in a strict and literal, but in a figurative fenfe (g): that is, as far as God's dealing with his creatures, and the laws he hath given them, may be faid to have a conformity with a teftament or covenant. The name of Teftament, for instance, which is but improperly applicable to the firft Covenant, does exactly belong to the New, becaufe in this the death of the Teftator intervened (b), which happened in the firft only in a very figurative manner. There are other refpects in which the name of Teftament cannot be ap plied to either of the covenants. An heir is at liberty to accept or reject a will. But under the law and the gospel the will of God cannot be rejected without rebellion and inpicty. As for the name of Covenant, it may be applied two ways, both to the Old and New. 1. They contain reciprocal conditions. God makes promifes, and requires fome certain duties. 2. They were both ratified with blood, as covenants ufed formerly to be. But there is this difference between the covenants that are made between man and man, and those which God hath been pleased to make with mankind; That in human covenants the con tracting parties are at liberty, and have nearly the same right of propof ing the conditions upon which they are willing to agree and covenant together. The cafe is otherwife here. God is the Creator, and men his creatures.; he is the fupreme Monarch, and they his fubjects. He is the fovereign Lawgiver, must be obeyed abfolutely, and without referve. When therefore God fays that he makes a covenant with mankind, his meaning is, that out of condescension and mere goodness, he is pleafed to defcend from his fupreme Majefty, and not use his power, that he may engage them to obedience by a principle of gratitude and love. We must pafs the fame judgment upon the words economy and dif penfation, that are used to exprefs the different states of mankind under God's direction, and the feveral methods he hath followed in the govern

ment of them. The term economy is very ambiguous in our language; we have therefore thought fit to change it into that of difpenfation, which is more plain. These words are taken from the language and cuftoms of mankind, and are to be figuratively understood, according to the nature of the things in queftion. The meaning of them is, that God, like a prudent Father, deals differently with his children, according to the difference of times and places, according to their age, ftrength and capacity. A governor may alter his laws and government, and still remain very conftant and unchangeable, because he hath not always the fame fubjects to govern, or because their condition may alter. Before men entered into fociety, when there was only Adam and Eve, just come out of the hands of God, and confequently incapable of trans greffing any article of that law, which God gave afterwards to his people, it was neceffary that their obedience fhould be tried by a law pecu. liar to them alone. After the first inhabitants of the world had departed from that law of nature, which God had implanted in them when he made them reasonable creatures, it was neceffary they fhould be brought back by an exprefs revelation. God having brought his people, the children of Ifrael, out of Egypt, where, through a long flavery, they had been used to the manners and finful ceremonies of the Egyptians, it was expedient another courfe fhould be taken with them, than would have been with perfons that were not in the fame circumstances, or were not appointed for the fame ends. Befides, whoever defigns to go about any great undertaking, ought beforehand to get all things ready towards it. When a man intends to build, he must erect scaffolds, which must again be taken down, when his building is once finished. This is the reafon which the New Teftament affigns for the difference there is between the two covenants. And here I hall obferve, that it is all one, whether we fuppofe only two covenants, or three, and even four, provided we understand by them the different methods of God's dealing with men according to their various circumstances; and that, inftead of difputing about words, we exactly perform the conditions of the covenant which God hath been pleased to honour us with.

The prefaces which we have placed before each of the books of the New Teftament, render it unneceffary for us to enter into à particular examination of them here. We have fhewn who were the authors of them; given an abftract of their lives; pointed out their character; spoken of their style; and made a kind of an analysis of their writings.

The truth of the Having in each of these prefaces particularly applied books of the New ourselves to fhew, that the books of the New Tefta Teftament. ment were written by those whofe names they bear, this must go a great way towards proving the truth of them, and confequently that they were written by divine infpiration. When the persons that relate any matter of fact, or the authors of a new doctrine, are once well known, we may eafily judge by their character, whether they are to be believed, or not. When, befides honefty, there appear in witneffes all the wifdom and knowledge requifite in order to atteft cer tain truths and matters of fact; when we may be certain, that they nei

ther