pet; and with trumpets" of loud sound;" that no poor person might lose the privileged blessing through ignorance or inattention; and that the captive might hear, at the very bottom of his dungeon, the joyful tidings of ransom and deliverance. Again, the sound was universal. The Rabbins write, that,' every Israelite in the land was required to "sound the trumpet of the Jubilee nine "times."* In this public and universal manner we are to publish the glad tidings of salvation to the children of men. We are commanded to "preach them to every creature." And they ought to be preached to every creature. We are commanded "to lift up the voice "like a trumpet," and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And every Christian ought in this spiritual sense, according to his ability and authority, "to blow * Maimonides. "the trumpet." But there is this difference, between the Mosaic and Christian Jubilee, that, whereas the trumpet of the Jubilee only sounded once in fifty years, the trumpet of the Gospel is, or ought to be, "ever sounding." 3. The chief analogy, between the Jubilee and the Gospel, is in the blessings conferred,—namely, restoration to the inheritance, and redemption of the captives. But there is also a great difference here. The blessings of the Jubilee were temporal; whereas those of the Gospel are eternal. We can conceive with what sensations of joy the trumpet was heard by those who were to be redeemed on the morning of the Jubilee. How lively, then, how ardent, ought to be the emotions of those who hear the herald of the Gospel, and hope to be among "the redeemed of the Lord" in the morning of the resurrection! Well may they exclaim, "how beautiful, on the mountains, are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation." There is also some analogy in the disposition of the heralds. With what joy and satisfaction would the Jewish herald proclaim the arrival of the Jubilee! And shall not the Christian herald magnify his office, who "hath this grace given him to preach the "unsearchable riches of Christ ?" Now let us come to the Gospel, and hear what Christ himself hath said of its spiritual blessings. WHEN the prophet Isaiah spake of the day of Christ, he described it as a day of JUBILEE; in which "he should come to 66 proclaim liberty to the captives, and the "opening of the prison to them that are "bound; to proclaim the ACCEPTABLE YEAR "of the Lord."* Now, this very sentence our Lord hath applied to himself, and pronounced with his own lips. For, we read that, when he was in the synagogue, at Nazareth, and had "stood up for to read, "there was delivered to him the book of "the prophet Isaiah, and, when he had opened the book, he found the place " where it was written, the spirit of the "Lord is upon me, because he hath "anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to preach deliverance to the cap"tives; to set at liberty them that are "bound; to preach the ACCEPTABLE YEAR "of the Lord. And he closed the book, "and he began to say unto them, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”† This scripture was fulfilled, at that day, "to all them that looked for redemp "tion in Jerusalem." It was fulfilled to every one who came unto Christ, notwithstanding the reproach of men, and "took up the cross "and followed him," receiving from him remission of sins, deliverance from the captivity of evil passions, and admission to the glorious liberty of the sons of God." This scripture was fulfilled more completely afterwards, when the spirit was poured out from on high, and multitudes were translated "from darkness to light, and from the 66 power of Satan unto God." And it is fulfilled, in like manner, at this day, when the sinner cometh to Christ in faith and penitence, and, "taking up the cross, fol"loweth him" in sincerity and truth, not moved by the example or opinion of an evil world; and receiveth from him peace of conscience, grace to walk worthy of the Gospel, and a good hope of eternal life. The dispensation of the Gospel then |