INTRODUCTORY LECTURE.

of peace, we hear the Son of God proclaim, “I am Alpha," "the beginning." forward in joyful hope to the day when he Carried shall "make all things new," the same voice still proclaims, "I am Omega," "the ending," "who was, and is, and is to come." Search the Scriptures; consult the prophets; to him they "all give witness." the promises; "all the promises of God in Meditate him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God." Examine the record; this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."* the ministration of angels; the covenant of Consider promise "was ordained by angels in the hand of a Mediator." Hearken to a voice from the most excellent glory: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear him." All is light and glory; but not a single ray of light is transmitted through any mediuin but this. All is grace-free, sovereign grace; but there is not one intimation given, not one act of favour conferred, but through the "one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus." let every knee bow, to him every tongue To him confess, of things in earth and things in heaven. What saith the scripture ? putteth no trust in his saints, and his angels He he chargeth with folly." Is not this a plain declaration, that the highest and holiest of created beings are imperfect and dependent; that they stand in need of a Mediator and Advocate in order to their acceptance with a holy God? And is it not for this reason, that," when he bringeth in the First-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him?"-It being the fundamental law of God's everlasting kingdom before the world was, and after it shall be burnt up and pass away, with all that it contains, under patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, under the legal and under the evangelical dispensation, under the dominion of grace and in glory, on earth and in heaven, that there should be access to hope in, and acceptance with God, for men and for angels, only through the Son of his love, the eternal Word which made and supports all things.

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V. In conformity with this glorious purpose and grace in Christ Jesus, what hath been executed? Every thing worthy of a design so grand, every thing worthy of its great 66 Author," worthy of the glorious "Finisher of our faith." hath made it manifest. The clearest sighted His appearing of the prophets, like the blind man only half restored to vision, saw men but as trees walking, but now, under the gospel, the dullest and most despised among believers sees every thing plainly; he sees the eternal purpose of God written in characters which he can read

John v. 11, 12,

[LECT. LV.

and understand; he compares the model with ed in the plain, the perfect counterpart of the the structure, and finds the tabernacle erectpattern delivered in the mount-He finds the scriptures fulfilled, the predictions verified, the types explained, realized, justified; all things finished in and by the Lord Christ.

lished death, that hated, hideous spectre, What hath been executed? He hath abo-` through fear of whom the fallen posterity of Adam are "subject to bondage." restrained the power, put an end to the dominion, annihilated the existence of the king He hath of terrors. Through sin death gained adfounded; by sin he is armed with a mortal mission into the world; in sin his empire is sting. By the great propitiation for sin he is banished thence, his reign is terminated, his sting is plucked out. Ask that sickly, pining creature, what it would be to have the disease which is perceptibly preying upon his vitals abolished? Ask that dejected prisoner of despair, what it would be to have his debt discharged, and the writ of his confinement abolished? Ask the wretch condemned, what it would be to have the fatal handwried? And let the answers you would receive ting of judgment that is against him abolishconvey, as well as they can, a sense of the hath done away the deadly plague which obligation under which we lie, to Him, who wastes, which threatens, which destroys the soul; to Him, who hath paid the enormous debt " to the uttermost farthing," purchased a release, set open the prison doors; to Him who hath cancelled the awful sentence of a righteous God," nailing it to his cross." He hath abolished death, with all the wo that leads to it, all the dreadful wo that is in it, all the more tremendous wo that succeeds: sickness and pain, anguish and old age: the bitter pang that rends asunder the body and the spirit; the hell that follows. And by what wonderful means hath all this been effected?" through death" he has destroyed his own snare the deceiver has fallen; by "him that had the power of death." Into his own weapons the enemy has been disarmed; his own triumph hath proved his ruin. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But where is thy victory? The sting of death thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."*

brought life and immortality to light. It is What hath been executed? He hath is more than the speculation of a philosophic more than flattering hope or fond desire; it mind, or the presumptuousness of reasoning pride; it is more than patriarchal confidence, or the dawning light of Mosaic revelation. It is desire warranted, and hope supported by facts: it is reason justified and confirmed by demonstration; it is the morning light of

* 1 Cor. xv. 55-57.

איי

promise, advanced to the perfect day of dis- no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilcovery and accomplishment. "He that rais-led."* "Wo be to him who striveth with ed up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken his Maker." Sinner, learn wisdom in time; your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth cease from the ruinous contention; "it is in you." "For if we believe that Jesus hard for thee to kick against the pricks ;" died, and rose again, even so them also which thou art wounding, destroying only thyself. sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."+" Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye peThis is not the cold peradventure of a sage, rish from the way, when his wrath is kindled saying, "If in this I err, I willingly err;" but a little. Blessed are all they that put but the blessed assurance of an apostle, say- their trust in him."t ing, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth to come. Time, which impairs all things there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

And can it be necessary to inquire who caused this light to arise? Who removed the veil, and disclosed the hidden glories of eternity? What power could tune the human tongue to such raptures, and inspire a mortal breast with such holy and triumphant joy? "God is the LORD, which hath showed us light." It is "the revelation of Jesus Christ, who showeth to his servants things which must shortly come to pass." By the gospel life and immortality are brought to light;" "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory."

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Learn hence the folly and danger of all opposition to the plans of eternal Providence. "He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against Him and hath prospered "¶ Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The LORD shall have them in derision. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." ."**"If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." "Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in

Christians, be of good courage; "in patience possess ye your souls." God will support and vindicate the cause that is his own. His truth and faithfulness, evinced by the interposition of ages past, are a full security for his care and attention through ages

else, gives stability, force, and effect to the purposes of Heaven. The dissolution of the frame of nature is the consummation of the work of redemption. As the writings of Moses are an improvement upon the traditional knowledge of the antediluvian world; and as the gospel is an improvement upon the law and the prophets, so, "according to his promise," we look for a new economy, which shall be an improvement upon, and an extension, confirmation, and accomplishment of the gospel dispensation.

Learn to aspire after the honour and happiness of working together with God in forwarding this gracious design. It is the glory of the most exalted of all beings; and therefore, surely, deservedly claims the employment of the noblest powers of man. What heart would not rejoice in putting forth a helping hand towards rearing this blessed fabric, were it but to drive a pin, or fasten a cord. Remember that carelessness here is highly criminal; that to sit still is not only robbing yourself of the most exquisite pleasure, and declining the highest honour of which your nature is capable, but is at the same time the highest insult to your Creator, and the most curtain means of incurring his displeasure. Look around you, and observe these myriads of fellow-crcatures, less favoured of heaven than you are; consider them well, and be to them in the place of God. Extend to them that compassion which the Father of mercies hath extended toward thee.

See, my brothers, they are deformed, diseased in body; they are distressed in their circumstances; they are grieved in mind; alas, they "are dead in trespasses and sins!" Lost to God, lost to all the valuable purposes of existence, better for them they had never been born. But yet they are your brethren; they are susceptible of pleasure and pain like you; the same sun enlightens them; the gospel ains at relieving them as well as you; the same God created, and sustains, and cares for you both. Have pity upon

* Matt. v. 18.

† Psaum ii. 12.

them; strive to restore them to peace with themselves, to peace with the world, to peace with God. "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon them." Let the purpose of grace comprehend them, even them also.

Son of God, who didst restore agility to the lame, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, the faculty of speech to the dumb, life to the dead, and who givest wisdom to the wise,-thou shalt renovate all things, thou shalt abolish death and point out the path of life! O, I shall bless thee with transports of joy ineffable, in the day when the powers

*Matt. xviii. 14.

of heaven shall be shaken, and the heavens pass away with a great noise, and the earth with all that it contains shall be consumed! Then thy suffering creatures, delivered from all the ills which oppressed them, shall be clothed upon with a glorious and immortal body, fashioned like to thy glorious body; shall be perfectly conformed to thy blessed image-the image of the first-born among many brethren! Then the Saviour of the world shall pronounce, not from the expiring · agony of the cross, but from the radiance of a throne above the skies, "It is finished!" Then He who "maketh all things new," shall with complacency contemplate this second glorious creation, and proclaim "all is good, yea, very good!"

HISTORY OF MOSES.

LECTURE LVI.

And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.-EXODUS xxiv. 15-18.

time, a hair's breadth of space? No: God is about our path and our bed, is watching our going out and coming in, our lying down ond rising up. God is in this place: and, were our eyes opened, we should even now behold his face clothed with the frowns of just displeasure, or beaming with the smiles of paternal love.

BREAD is not more necessary to the sup-cing to the summit of the burning mountain port of human life, than religion is to the to meet God. Who can walk into the midst happiness of a rational being. Man, in his of a flaming furnace and live? But is it better, his immortal part, "lives by every possible to remove from God an instant of word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In more than one instance the miracle has been exhibited, of sustaining the body without food, and yet no pain nor inconveniency felt; but for the soul to exist, and to exist in comfort, undirected by the precepts, unenlightened by the discoveries, unsupported by the consolations of religion, is a miracle not to be performed. It is the more to be lamented that the attempt is so often fatally made, of living "without God in the world;" of pursuing a happiness that is independent of the great Source of light and joy; of seeking peace, rest, and enjoyment in the neglect or violation of his commandments. Happy it is for men, if after having made the fruitless experiment of "seeking the living among the dead," and after having at length discovered that success is vanity, and that disappointment is vexation of spirit, have been persuaded, before it was too late, to draw their felicity from the pure and never-failing sources of faith and a good conscience; happy they, who, reconciled to God through Christ Jesus Uheir Lord, enjoy real tranquillity in life, and well-grounded hope in death.

Was the law given by "the disposition of angels," arrayed in all their majesty and might? O how benign their aspect, how affectionate their assiduity, how vigilant their care, could we but behold them, while they aid the preaching of the everlasting gospel, while they attend the assemblies of a Christian church, and minister to them who are the heirs of salvation! As the awfulness and solemnity of the prophet's condition are not peculiar to him, and to that important occasion, so neither are the privileges which he enjoyed, nor the communion to which he was admitted, peculiar and personal. Christian, you have but to retire into your closet and to shut the door after you, and you are immediately on the top of a higher mountain than Moses climbed, and are near to God as he was in the most precious moWe tremble as we behold Moses advan-ments of the most intimate communication.