distinction of Soul and Body, he may be conceived to adapt himself wholly to the popular language and ideas, without giving any confirmation to the truth and justness of them; as when he says, a fpirit, (i.e. according to your own notion of it) hath not flesh and bones, as ye fee me have. Luke xxiv. 39. without determining the reality of fuch a phantom: which popular way of speaking, used then on all occafions as the most agreeable and most intelligible, should be more carefully attended to by us, in order to guard against all fuch chimæras as are too often grounded on it. In the fame popular manner do the Evangelists treat fome of Chrift's miraculous works, when they defcribe them juft according to the vulgar apprehenfion; v.g. Luke vi. 19. There went virtue out of him to heal them all — and Mark v.30. Jefus immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned himself about in the prefs, and faid, who touched my cloaths? intending to denote his consciousness of the infirm perfon's wanting to be cured in a private way, and accordingly making ufe of the fuperftitious means, vulgarly deemed effectual to that purpose, of fecretly touching fome of his garments; which defire of her's, Christ was determined to comply with (till he had portunity of producing her in publick) and thereby instantly rewarded her faith in his miraculous power, notwithstanding the improper manner in which she had been induced to folicit. it, as if fuch healing virtue could have been produced in, or elicited from Christ either magically

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or mechanically, and without his knowledgeVid. Cleric. et Grot. in loc. and Comp. Acts v. 15. where the common people entertain a like opinion of St. Peter's shadow. Loca, quæ aut inter se aut veritati nobis repugnare videntur, commode plerumque conciliari poffunt, fi dicamus, Scriptorem facrum non fuam fententiam ubique expreffiffe, et dixiffe quid res fit, fed aliquando ex fententia aliorum aut ex vulgi opinione, &c. Wetten N. T. V. II. p. 877. This rule of interpretation may be applyed to many other points befide those mentioned by that author.

The fame obfervation has been made on the vulgar notion of poffeffions by devils fo very prevalent among the Jews about Chrift's time; where he really cures each disorder without controverting their opinions on the fubject (which would have been endless, and anfwered no good purpose) but rather allows and argues from them occafionally, ad homines; cafts out thefe devils, as the Jews themselves frequently attempted to do, and is said to rebuke them, (Mark i. 25. in the fame manner as he rebukes a fever (Luke iv. 19.) or the winds and fea. Matth. viii. 26. See Dr. Harwood's judicious obfervations on the Demoniacs. New Introd. to the N.T. C.7. § 1. On the fame principle alfo feveral parables feem to be founded, as that of the rich man and Lazarus, below No. xii. that of unclean spirits walking through dry (or defert) places; and numbers of them entering into one man, and dwelling there. Matt. xii. 45. Luke xi. 26. See above p. 325. n. A.

XI. Matt. xvii. 3.

there appeared unto them Mofes and Elias talking with him.

Anfw. 1. This is either merely a vifion (ver. 9.Jefus charged them, faying, Tell the vision to no man) which confounded the apoftles: Luke ix. 33.- Or 2. These two might appear in their own glorified bodies; fince it is not very clear whether Mofes also might not have been tranflated, or rather raised again. Vid. Whitby, ib. and in Jude 9. & Cleric. in Deut. xxxiv. 6. & in 2 Kings ii. 11. or Fleming's Chriftology, p. 68, &c.

XII. Luke xvi. 19, &c. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

Anfw. This is defigned for no more than a general scenical description of a future state, and the real changes confequent thereupon; without any particular reference to a fact, in either person, time, place, or other circumstances. Nay, rather in these respects adapted (as is ufual in fuch difcourfes) to the inconfiftent notions of the vulgar on this fubject. (Vid. Cleric. in ver. 23, 24.) v.g. the tormented perfon is at the fame time supposed to be both in and out of the body,-ver. 24. fend Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue. As when men are feigned to difcourfe, &c. among worms in the grave. Ifa. xiv. 9, 10, 11. Vid. Cleric. Ezek. xxxii. 21. and lay their fwords under their heads there, ib. ver. 27. See Lightf. Hor. Heb. in loc. & comp. Job xv. 22. xxi. 32, 33. with Chap

pelow's commentary. They who can still conceive fuch reprefentations as realities, may easily go one step farther, and give a literal fenfe likewife to the verse immediately foregoing, Isa.xiv.8. The fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon; faying, fince thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. This has actually been done to the parallel place in Ezek. xxi. 14, —17. which (with fome other texts as little to the purpose) is brought to prove a separate state. Univerfal Restoration, p. 272. n. t. A different explanation of this parable may be seen in Mr. Bate's Rationale of Or. Sin. c. xiii. § 6.

XIII. Luke xx. 38.- He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

17.

Anfw. He cannot be called the God of fuch as be finally dead; but being still in covenant with thefe, (Heb. xi. 16. -God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.) they in effect live to him. (Rom. iv. who quickeneth the dead, and calleth thofe things which be not, as though they were. See Parry's Defence of Bp. Sherlock, p. 77.) though not to themselves, or to one another: (if they did, our bleffed Saviour's proof of a refurrection from thence, would be utterly deftroyed. Vid. Whitby on Matt. xxii. 31. or the Library. No. 14.) being the Children of the Refurrection, v. 36. and as fure of a future life, as if they were already in poffeffion of it: in the fame manner as Chrift is termed

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the Lord both of the dead and living, Rom. xiv. 9. and as he says to the penitent thief;

XIV. Luke xxiii. 43.-To-day fhalt thou be with me in paradise.

Anfw. To-day thou art certain of a place with me in Heaven; 'tis a thing already done and determined: the words to-day being constantly used of any matter then fixed, fettled or declared; tho' not to commence fome months, or even ages after. Gen. ii. 17. in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt furely die. Deut. ix. I. Hear, O Ifrael, thou art to pass over Jordan this day. xxix. 13. That he may establish thee today for a people unto him. Pfal. ii. 7. Thou art my fon, this day have I begotten thee. Comp. Acts xiii. 33. and Heb. v. 5. with Sykes on Heb. App. i. p. 244. The fame may be observed of

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I fhall add another interpretation of these words, from the judicious author mentioned at the end of this Appendix; though it take up a little more room than I was willing to allow myfelf. The thief on the crofs, I make no doubt, was acquainted with Chrift, and had heard him often preach. For he could fay, This man has done edev aтoπov, nothing amifs; nothing inconfiftent with his pretenfions as Meffiah. Probably he had been one of his followers; and heard fuch discourses from him, as John vi. declaring what he had to give was eternal life, after the refurrection. This did not fuit the temporal expectations vd 3

of