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I am fully fatisfied about the contents. Every one of Æsop's fables contains a moral, and that moral is the whole mystery of it. Many fayings, things, and facts in the Old Testament contain a fecondary or fecret fenfe, which the New Teftament clearly unfolds, and fo enables us to know the mystery of them. And when a mystery is once known, it is no more fecret, intricate, or doubtful Jefus Chrift delivered many parables concerning the kingdom of Heaven, and he explained the meaning of them to his Difciples, "Because (faid he) it is given unto you to know the myfteries of the kingdom of Heaven." In like manner, the vifions presented to the Apostle John, in the Ifle Patmos, contained myfteries under them. I fhall content myself with producing a fpecimen. Rev. i. 20. The mystery of the feven ftars which thou faweft in my right hand, and the feven golden candlesticks; the feven ftars are the angels of the feven churches, and the feven candlesticks which thou faweft are the feven churches. In Paul's Epiftles, mystery always refers to fome ancient figure. Chrift's love to his Church was pre-figured by the first institution of marriage, fo is the mystery of it. The whole redeemedcompany out of all nations was pre-figured by Ifrael, fo is the mystery of Ifrael after the flesh. And accordingly Paul affirms, that all Ifrael fhall be faved. That Chrift's people, who remain alive at his fecond coming, fhall not fleep, but be changed, was pre-figured by the tranflation of Enoch and Elijah, and is accordingly called a mystery. God made manifeft in the flesh, juftified in the fpirit, &c. * is the truth, spirit, or ultimate meaning, not only of the Shechinah, but of all the occafional appearances of God to men; fo they who worship God as thus manifefted, worship him "in spirit and truth." And this manifeftation of God is called the great mystery of godliness. Paul often calls the plain, fimple Gospel which he preached, a mystery, as being the true fcope and fenfe of many ancient types and figures; fo he calls it the mystery, which hath been hid from ages and generations, but now is made manifeft. Were it needful, I might eafily fhew that the Greek fathers ufed the word mystery in the fame fense with the Apostles, as referring to fome type, fymbol, or parable; even as the Latins ufed in its ftead facramentum, in the fame fenfe alfo. We may alfo fee the mystery of iniquity difplayed, 2 Theff. ii. 7. Rev. xvii. 5. Matt. xxiv. 15. compared with Ezek. xxviii. 2. Dan. xi. 36, &c.

The former of these two phrafes points to the condition of Chrift while under the Law, and the latter to his condition as raised from the dead.

GEHENNA, HADES AND TARTARUS.

Gehenna, is used by the Sept.for the Heb. Gehinnom Josh. xviii. 16. So гz in the N. T. is in like manner a corrup-` tion of the two Heb. words ge, a valley, and Hinnom, the name of a person who was once the poffeffor of it. This valley of Hinnom lay near Jerufalem, and had been the place of thofe abominable facrifices in which the idolatrous Jews (who originally were cut off from their people) burnt their children alive to Moloch, an idol worshipped by the Ammonites, I Kings xi. 7. and by the apoftate Ifraelites, Lev. xviii. 21, 22. II Kings xxiii. 16. This place was appointed for the execution of offenders under the statutes. Lev. xx. 14. xxi. 9. Ex. xxxi. 14. &c. And also for the excommunication, or cutting off of others whofe lives were fpared under the statute Gen. xvii. 14. Lev. xix. 13. and ix. 13, &c. And to this place and state our Lord refers, Mat. v. 22, 29, 30. and xxiii. 33, &c. Here it may be proper to point out, or state the difference of meaning in the three Greek words which our tranflators have rendered in common hell. Gehenna, which we have confidered above, Hades and Tartarus. Respecting Hades, it appears very clearly, to fignify the state of the dead or departed fouls, whether in happiness or misery, and should never be rendered grave, for the proper word for grave in the N. T. is in Greek Myov, fee Matt. xxvii. 52. Luk. xi. 44. John v. 28, &c. This word conveys the idea of a particular cavity digged in the earth for the interment of a dead perfon, whereas Hades is a collective name for all the parts and receptacles of all who have departed this life. See Luke xvi. 23. I Cor. xv. 55. Rev. i. 11, &c. As to Tartarus, II Pet. ii. 4. This word is only applied to the fallen angels and rather fignifies a fate than a place, perhaps from Tαράττω or Ταρασσω. Το trouble, disturb, agitate, &c. First, Gehenna then is used by our Lord to defcribe the awful punishment of the second death, Matt. v. 22. and x. 28. and xviii. 9. Mar. ix. 43, 45, 47. Luke xii. 5. for banishment only, Matt. xxiii. 15. 33. Secondly, Hades for the state of the dead in general: and Thirdly, Tartarus, as the prefent fituation, or condition of the fallen angels only, called ver. 17. "Blackness of darkness, Jude ver. 13.

VOL. II

R

CRITI

CRITICISIM ON II PET. i. 19.

But (now) we have more confirmed the prophetic word*, kai echomen bebai Oteron ton prophetikon logon. Here we may confider how on the holy mount, or in Jefus Chrift glorified, appeared the meaning of the inftitution of the ancient oracles, the anointing of kings, priests, and prophets, with oil, which made the face to fine, &c. But to take in all the views which are concentered in this grand event, would require a general furvey of the whole Scriptures, the great and leading defign of which is, to fet before us the fufferings of Chrift iffuing in his glory. If we take our ftation on the holy mount, we have a profpect backward to the beginning of time, and forward to the end thereof, when the mystery of God fhall be finished, and all old things give place to the new heavens and the new earth, containing the new Jerufalem, which fhall be illuminated by the glory of God fhining in the face of Jefus Chrift; when the whole comof them who were redeemed from among men, and pany chofen in Chrift before the foundation of the world, accompanied with every other creature which is in heaven and on the earth, &c. See Rev. v. 13. fhall fully experience what meaneth grace reigning through righteousness unto aonian life through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Here we are taught, with what great propriety, and on the folideft grounds, the apostle Peter on this occafion afferts, that the prophetic word, or all that the prophets had written, had now received additional confirmation. It was no fmall recommendation of the truth of the apoftolic teftimony concerning Jefus being the Christ, that it confirmed and established the writings of the ancient prophets. The prophetic word, after all the evidence it formerly had of coming from God, was to be verified, and fo to receive additional confirmation by its accomplishment. Afide from is accomplishment in Jefus, we cannot find therein any fixed sense or unity of defign: but when we fee all its lines meeting in Jefus, like the rays of the fun collected in a focus, there arifes thence the brightest and strongest evidence of the truth of what the apoftles witneffed concerning

the

*Is it not forprifing to reflect how much has been written by learned difputan's, on this text, laboriously contending with each other, in what fen e the prophetic word might be laid to be more fure than the most folemn and ar uit revelation that ever was dei.vered from God to men, namely, this on the holy mount? But there are few who incline to obferve the im port of this grand revelation.

the power and coming of the Lord Jefus Chrift. Thus the old and new revelation tallying exactly together in fuch a number and variety of circumstances, as utterly exclude all fufpicion of human contrivance, ferve mutually to fupport and strengthen each other, and fo to establish beyond all doubt that great truth, that Jefus is the Chrift.

ANSWERS TO THE MATHEMATICAL QUESTIONS, page 91.

Answer to the First Question.

400 millions fterling is equal to 380,952,382 guineas nearly, which multiplied by of an inch gives 365714285 inches, or 5772 miles, 10 yards and 5 inches, the length of the string of guineas.

Again

365714285

107 × 5280 X 12

=539 inches, or 15 yards nearly,

the breadth of the road.

Answer to the Second Queftion.

27.30+58.50+78

=81.9, from which fubtract feverally the fame numbers (27.30-58.50-78)

the remaining numbers will be 54.6-23.4—3·9. Then 81.9x54.6×23.4×3.9:=63.882,

Again,

78+50+32=80, from which fubtracting as before, the remainders will be 2-30-48.

2

Then 80×2×30×48:48 to which if we add the above number 63.882

the fum

the field in acres.

111.882 will be the content of

£. s. d.

Whence as 111.882: 120£. :: 1 :: 1 14 6 the price

per acre.

R 2

Answer

Anfwer to the Third Question.

911-853=58
890-853-37

Then 890 x 58=51620

911 × 37=33707

Whence as 51620: 960 grains :: 33707 : 626 grains, which is the total quantity of gold in the medal: confequently the alloy of copper is 333+ grains,

Anfwer to the Fourth Question.

The diameter of the globe being 6 feet, the furface in fquare feet will be (6×6×3.1416=) 113.0976.

This number again multiplied by 144 will be the fuperficial content in fquare inches=16286.

=

Then 113.0976 × 16d. 1809.5 And 16286 × 34d.=52929.5

Therefore their fum=54739 pence, or £.228 15. 7d. is the total charge of the globe.

Answer to the Fifth Question.

By the question 4c00 million is the number of fuperficial feet contained in the circle, which divided by the decimal .785398 is 5092959238; the square root of this number is 71365 feet, or 13 miles, 4 furlongs, and 28 yards, the diameter of the required circle.

Again: (25000 × 5280) = 132,000,000 is the circumfe rence of the globe in feet; and of confequence, the radius or half diameter is 21,008,460.

Then

5092959238

132000000

38.5 the verfed fine of the circle.

Whence, as 21008460–38.5 : 21008460 :: 21008460 : 21008498.5 From which fubtracting the radius 21008460 The remainder is the altitude required, namely, 384 feet. Note, if a fquare yard be allowed to each perfon, then. the diameter of a circle, containing 1000 million of inhabitants will be 29 miles and 123 yards; and a perfon may fee the whole at an altitude of 89 feet.

Anfwer

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