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before. We are not now left to collect that future Happiness by Confequences and Inferences, which, however juft and wellgrounded, are not always clear and obvious to the Generality of Mankind, and are apt fome Doubt and Uncertainty in the Mind, but it is clearly and directly revealed in the most plain and explicit Terms poffible, and which admit of no Ambiguity or Evafion. The New Covenant, which is published in the Gospel, and of which our bleed Saviour is the Mediator, is juftly faid to be a better Covenant than the Mofaical was, and to be eftablished upon better Promifes. Heb. viii. 6. For the Promifes, now made in the New Covenants are not, like thofe in the Law of Mofes, directly and immediately of a temporal Nature, though having a farther spiritual Meaning and Signification; but they relate, properly and immediately, in the plain literal Senfe, to that future eternal Glory and Felicity. The Word eternal Life is but once exprefly mentioned in the Old Teftament, viz. Dan. xii. 2, But it every-where occurs in our Saviour's Difcourfes on all Occafions. I need not infift much upon the Proof of this to any that are acquainted with the New Teftament: But it may be of Ufe to produce fome

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He expreffly declares, John iii. 16, That God fo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but should have everlafting Life. And again, John v. 24, Verily, verily, I fay unto you, He that hearetb my Word, and believeth on him that fent me, bath everlasting Life. In his admirable Sermon on the Mount he declares, that bleed are they which are perfecuted for Righteoufnefs Sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. And he exhorts his Difciples, when Men fhould revile and perfecute them for his Name's Sake, to rejoice and be exceeding glad for great fhould be their Reward in Heaven. Matt. v. 10, 11, 12. In the fame excellent Difcourfe he directs them not to lay up for themfelves Treasures on Earth, where Moth and Ruft doth corrupt, and Thieves break through and teal; but to lay up for themselves Treafures in Heaven. Matt. vi. 19, 20. Agreeable to this is the Exhortation he gives to the People, John vi. 27, Meat which Labour not for the perifbeth, but for that Meat which endureth to everlasting Life, which the Son of Man bath given unto you; for him hath God the Father fealed. And in the fame Discourse he declares, This is the Will of him that

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fent me, that every one which feeth the Sơn, and believeth in him, may have everlasting Life, and I will raise him up at the last Day. Ver. 40. And he repeats it again, Ver. 44, 47, 54. He promifeth bis faithful Difciples, that in the World to come they fhould have eternal Life, Mark x. 30. Luke xviii, 30. He faith, concerning his Sheep that bear his Voice and follow him, I will give unto them eternal Life, and they shall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my Hand. John x. 28. And, fpeaking of himself, he faith, I am the Refurrection and the Life; he that believeth in me, though be were dead, yet fhall be live. John xi25. When the Sadducees urged what they thought an infuperable Objection against the Refurrection of the Body, he gave a clear Answer to it, and a noble Account of the Refurrection and the future Happiness of the Saints. Matt. xxii. 22-33, After having made an admirable Reprefentation of the laft Judgment, he concludes it with declaring that the Wicked Shall go away into everlasting Punishment, but the Righteous into eternal Life. Matt. xxv. 46. In his laft most excellent Difcourfe to bis Difciples, when he was going to leave them, he tells them, In my Father's House are many Manfions; if it were not fo I would have told "you; I go to prepare a Place for you; And,

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if I go, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that, where I am, there ye may be also. John xiv. 2, 3. And, in his admirable Prayer to his heavenly Father, just at his Entrance upon his laft Sufferings, he expreffeth himself thus: Thou hast given him, i. e. the Son of Man, Power over all Flefb, that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him. John xvii. 2. And again, Ver. 24, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with mewhere I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me.

Thus frequently and expreffly did our Lord Jefus, whilft he was here on Earth, fpeak of eternal Life; and that not as a Matter of Conjecture or of doubtful Opinion, but as a Thing abfolutely certain, and which he certainly knew and was fully acquainted with: And it was the great Delign of his Ministry, the declared End of his Coming into the World, to raise Mens' Views and Affections thither. Juftly therefore doth the Apostle Peter, fay, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou haft the Words of eternal Life. John vi. 68. And the Apostle John describes him under the Character of eternal Life, as being, in the most eminent Manner, the Author and Revealer of it to the World. 1 John i. 2. For the Life was manifefted, and we have

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feen it, and bear Witness and fhew unto you that eternal Life which was with the Father, and was manifefted unto us. And again, Chap. v. 20, We are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift, that is the true God, and eternal Life. Com

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And as our bleffed Saviour himself, during the Course of his perfonal Miniftry; fo bis Apostles, that were fent by him to publish the Goffel in his Name and under the Direction and Infpiration of his Spirit, preached eternal Life: And this was what stirred up the Sadducees fo much against them, who became their moft zealous Adverfa

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ries, being grieved, because they preached through Jefus the Refurrection of the Dead. Acts iv. 1, 2. Whofoever is acquainted with the admirable Epiftles af the Apoftle Paul muft be fenfible that, in Conformity to the Example of his great Lord and Mafter, he, on all Occafions, directs the Views and Hopes of the Difciples to eternal Life. Thus we find him declaring, that unfo them that, by a patient Continuance in Welldoing, feek for Glory, Honour, and Immortality, God will give eternal Life. Rom. ii. 7. Now, fays he to the Chriflian Converts to whom he writes, being made free from Sin, and become Servants to God, ye have your Fruit unto Holiness, and the End everlasting Life. For the Wages of Sin

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