whilst the tabernacle of clay remains standing, they will continue to find the language of St. Paul, more and more, congenial with the frame of their minds."What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, that I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith.Ӡ "For I know, that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Nevertheless they are constrained to give God the

+ Phil, iii. 7, 9.

Rom. vii. 18, 24.

glory in declaring what he has done for them. The Holy Spirit himself "bears witness with their spirits that they are born of God;"* they are freely forgiven, and either have, or may have, firm confidence towards God and assurance of forgiveness; sin, death, and hell are already vanquished, and already is heaven beginning to open in the prospect. Soon shall "the earthly house of their tabernacle be dissolved," and their redeemed spirits "absent from the body and present with the Lord," shall appear amongst those who stand before his throne clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands," there shall they enjoy, throughout eternity, those felicities which were purchased for them by the blood and righteousness of Christ, and for a participation of which they were qualified by the Holy Spirit, perfecting, at length, in heavenly glory, the work which his grace had commenced on earth.

*Rom. viii. 16.

+ Rev. vii. 9.

D

SERMON III.

THE PASCHAL LAMB.

Appropriate for Easter Bay.

1. COR. v. 7, 8.

Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

THE Old and New Testaments invariably illustrate each other, and the more diligently, accurately, and extensively the christian studies the whole inspired volume, the better will he be prepared to discern the beauty, and taste the sweetness of its several parts. But not, however, to enter on any lengthened application of this remark, suffice it to say, that though the sacrifice and oblation of the Jews have long ceased; though their temple has been

demolished, and the whole train of ceremonies connected with its service has perished with it, our privileges are not hereby lessened. Far unlike the state of the Jews while their former temple lay in ruins, is the state of real christians now. They were, at that time in bondage, and to this day continue "without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without a teraphim."* Nor need we envy them even in their best condition; if they had their new moons and solemn feast days, we, too, have ours; if they had their feast of memorial, we have ours also; if for them the paschal lamb was slain, Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.

We must not, however, be understood, either to depreciate the types of the law, viewed in their proper light, and applied to their legitimate ends; or to arrogate exclusively to ourselves the substantial blessings and privileges they shadowed

* Hos. iii. 4.

out. For, it is delightful to reflect that each believing Israelite could, in the services of the Jewish sanctuary, hold communion with the same God, exercise faith in the same Redeemer, and become partakers of the same Spirit as ourselves: and, that those services were to the souls of such, springs of living water, and channels for the communication of spiritual blessings, whenever they were so rendered through the secret charm of holy faith and heavenly devotion. Jesus Christ and him crucified, is the one grand object in every age, and under every dispensation. To this the faith of Patriarchs aud Prophets was directed; this formed the subject of their prophecies and the burden of their songs; this was the substance of the ceremonial law, and is the only theme of the gospel; and hence, the language of the text, a thousand times repeated, is new and interesting still to every believer, and will continue to be the joy and rejoicing of his heart, until it shall be succeeded by the yet more triumphant language of Heaven-" Thou art worthy,