It was a shadow of good things to come. We have seen that it was typical, and that one of its grand designs was to prepare for the introduction of the gospel. Every part of the Jewish dispensation may be considered as emblematical of the christian economy. It is thus viewed by the apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, consequently it obscurely intimated, but did not clearly reveal the gospel. Now, in opposition to those types and figures, how clear is the revelation of the gospel? How clearly does it reveal the designs of God's mercy to the children of men! It unfolds the most glorious discoveries of Divine love. shews that each person in the Deity is one in essence, and harmonious in the accomplishment of the salvation of sinful man. In the gospel, we behold the Son of God laying aside the glory he had with the Father before the foundations of the world were laid. We behold him taking upon him our nature, that in the nature that sinned he might suffer the curse that was due to sin. We behold him fulfilling the whole law, that we may have his perfect righteousnes imputed unto us. We see the Saviour dying on the cross, that, by his sufferings and death, he might make an atonement for sin. We see him rising from the dead, and ascending to heaven to carry on there the work that he commenced on earth. We see him the living Head of his people to supply all their necessities and requirements. Finally, we behold him coming to judge the world; to assign both to his friends and to his foes the portion prepared for them. Then, having completed the whole work of redemption, he surrenders up the kingdom to the Father's hands, that He may be all in all. What can be clearer, what can be more glorious than this manifestation? Here is disclosed to us the only way of obtaining the approbation of God-the only way of pardon and acceptance, viz. through the blood of Jesus, "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for our sins," and who alone is "the way, the truth, and the life." 2ndly. In the spirituality of its nature. We have seen the Old Testament economy inculcating the most sublime and holy principles. Proceeding as it did from a God of infinite holiness, it is impossible that it could inculcate any principles but those that were holy. Accordingly, many of the kings, prophets, priests, and private individuals, of that economy, were spiritual characters. They were not only ceremonially holy, but were partakers of that real holiness without which no man could see the Lord. But, on account of the days of ignorance in which they lived, and the hardness of their hearts, there were many things then permitted which would not now be tolerated. The gospel is pre-eminently spiritual in its design-in its tendency—in its influence. There is no such thing under the present economy as relative sanctification. This was a striking character of the Old Testament dispensation. The Jews as a nation, were a holy nation. Their very land was called holy. In the holy of holies, the Deity peculiarly revealed himself; and even the utensils of the sanctuary were holy. All this was relative holiness; but there is no ground for it now. God does not stand in a local relation to any country, neither "in this mountain," are we particularly called to worship him. He is spiritual, and requires to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. To promote holiness, and to suppress unrighteousness, is the direct and general design of every part of the gospel. The worship of the Jews was national, as well as private and individual. They had a national altar. They had one ritual. They had only one place of meeting for the whole nation, and there three times in the course of a year, all men of a proper age were required to attend. One sacrifice was offered up in the name and at the expence of the whole nation. To their devout attendance upon this ceremony, were attached many privileges of a temporal nature. It is not so under the gospel dispensation. Attendance upon a place of worship, and gifts devoted to the service of God, are not otherwise acceptable to him than as they are accompanied by a corresponding disposition of heart, and as they tend to promote our own spiritual advantage, All the privileges of the gospel are spiritual. They may promote our temporal comfort, but this is an incidental not a direct design. Its blessings are all spiritual. They consist in a renewal of the heart-in the forgiveness of sin-in the enjoyment of peace. They give a victory over the present world, and everlasting happiness in the world to come. blessings the christian enjoys in proportion to the extent of his faith; not in Jerusalem only, not in the public courts These of the Lord merely, but at any time or in any place the christian may hold communion with God. Every christian is a priest to God. He has boldness to enter into the presence of the Most High, through the blood of Jesus. He has freedom of access to the throne of Christ, and has grace to help in every time of need. It is the privilege of every child of God to be able to say (though they are not at all times able to do it), "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." What did our Lord say? He that is least in the kingdom of God (he that is least in the christian dispensation) is greater than John the Baptist;" and, consequently, all the prophets that preceded him. He is much better acquainted with the spirituality of our religion, than any of the prophets were. We see this, 3rdly. In the universality of its design. -The dispensation by Moses was designed to be of limited extent. The family of Jacob only constituted the family of God. The religion of the It Jews was confined to one nation. pointed indeed with great perspicuity to the future triumph of the gospel, but in itself it was not designed, nor adapted to carry that plan into execution. The gospel, on the contrary, is in its nature adapted, and is designed to be of universal extent. The sacred commission of the Lord is, "Go and teach all nations;" "Go ye forth into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Accordingly we find his apostles went forth, "the Lord working with them." They preached repentance and remission of sins to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Hence the gospel is called, "Glad tidings of great joy," which was to be preached to all people. It is called, "The grace of God which must appear to all men." The Mosaic dispensation was expressly founded on the plan of excluding those that were not the children of Israel. On the contrary, by the gospel none are excluded, but those that exclude themselves by unbelief and disobedience. All are invited-all are exhorted-all are commanded to accept the mercy of the gospel and receive its promised blessings. The gospel makes no distinction of nation; true, it began at Jerusalem; but was it confined there? It was quickly received by men of other nations in distant parts. The apostle tells us, "Through mighty Signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God, from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." Within a very few years from the death of our Lord, numerous churches were formed in every part, and in the most conspicuous cities of the then known world. In the beginning of the fourth century the vast Roman empire was filled with the gospel of Christ, without the assistance of temporal aid. No sword was drawn in the cause; no army took the field, At length, in the person of Constantine the Great, christianity ascended the imperial throne. This, indeed, was far from being advantageous to its pure propagation, but it abundantly proves, that under the influence of Christ, at that early period of the dispensation, it made progress. And, notwithstanding the long ages of darkness and corruption, through which it has passed, it still continues, it still wins its way. Though it may be opposed by many impediments, yet it shall increase through every part of the habitable globe. "For from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts." So universal in its design is the dispensation of the gospel, that the whole world shall be evangelised. This design has occupied an honourable place in the purposes of the Divine Mind; from the beginning of the world. It has been the subject of prophecy by all prophets and apostles; and it is one of the grand designs of divine love to the children of men-a design which the Almighty will never lose sight of, through the lapse of time. All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. We see it, : 4thly. In the perpetuity of its duration. -The very scheme of the Mosaic economy proves that it was only one part of a grand whole-that it was adapted only to the circumstances of one nation -that it was devised merely for temporary continuance. Innumerable passages might be selected in which the prophets explicitly state the abolition of it, the introduction of the gospel, and the increase and perpetuity of the Redeemer's kingdom. This, indeed, is the grand glory of the gospel, "Of the in crease of the Redeemer's kingdom, there shall be no end." Whatever may be the dismal forebodings of those who can see little else in the gospel, but a testimony against the nations, still these are the cheering promises of divine truth. "The saints of the Most High shall possess the kingdom for ever, and ever, and EVER." "I saw in the night visions (says Daniel) and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.' "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all nations shall serve and obey him." This is the glorious design of the christian dispensation. Let us Here let us pause a moment. contemplate the glorious period which yet remains, when the gracious purposes of the gospel shall be fully accomplished on earth. At present the design of the gospel is but very imperfectly, very partially realized. We see some individuals (a goodly number, indeed, when collected together) living under the partial influence of the gospel. These individuals are, it is true, the very lights of the world, but we see ignorance and misery every where prevailing. And when we look at the design, and the absolutely promised effect of the gospel, we find that the golden age of which heathen poets sung, is not a fiction of the imagination. Hebrew poets sang of it long before, and inspired writers speak of it as a blessing promised to the world. The purposes of the Mosaic, and the revelation of the Christian economy most amply hold out the period to our admiring view, when the earth shall regain the paradisial state -when the comforts of life shall be increased when the evil shall almost be entirely abolished-when the nations of the earth shall be pure, which in one word, comprehends every blessing that can be received on earth. They sang of the period when the gospel shall have full effect upon every individual throughout every part of the habitable globe. Contemplate with the eye of faith this predicted period, when the full principles of the gospel shall be fully realized. Then shall all tyranny and oppression be banished, the laws of order be restored, and mercy and benevolence everywhere prevail. As the direct consequence of this there shall be universal and uninterrupted peace throughout the world. "The sword shall be beat into a plow share; and the spear into a pruning hook, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O what a glorious period will this be when the martial sword shall no longer be found-when jealousy shall no more have place on the earth-when jarring interests shall no longer exist, and the ambition of the great shall cease! When families and neighbours, and towns and cities, and kingdoms and nations, throughout the whole earth, shall be at peace with themselves, and at peace with each other, and equal joy, equal harmony shall be diffused throughout the world. Perhaps it is not too much to say that enmity shall be destroyed throughout the brute creation. There can be no doubt, that before the fall, all the animal tribes were at peace among themselves. But man rebelled against God, and the animal creation rebelled against man. But this shall be altered; for we read that in the future progress of the gospel, the time shall come when "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion, (the cruel, the noble, the ferocious lion,) shall eat straw like the OX. And the sucking child, (the tender infant,) shall put his hand on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the cockatrice'-den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for, (observe the reason,) the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' I am not very anxious to interpret this passage literally, let that be distinctly understood, but still I cannot willingly give up the delightful hope so beautifully expressed by Cowper : "The lion, the leopard, and the bear, Graze with the fearless flocks: all bask at noon Together, or all gambol in the shade 33 Of the same grove, and drink one common stream, Antipathies are none. No foe to man There are two circumstances, in themselves exceedingly important and desirable, which shall mark this period. One is that the watchmen of Zion, the ministers of Christ, shall then see eye to eye. The other is, that they who believe, that is to say, all the inhabitants of the earth shall be held in one holy principle of action. They shall be one, as the Father and the Son are one. This unity our blessed Redeemer himself prayed for, before he left the world to go to his Father. His prayer shall be found realized in the glory of the latter day. It is true, that those who believe in the essential doctrines of Christianity now, only differ in some unimportant circumstances, but then every disorder will be rectified. Paul's entreaty will then be realized, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Happy period of the gospel dispensation, when the spiritual reign of the Messiah shall be triumphant! when there shall be one Lord, and his name one! when all the millions of his subjects shall have one desire, one design, and be of one heart, and of one mind, as certainly as the Father and Son are one! At that blessed period shall every inhabitant of the world believe, and know, and experience that Christ Jesus is the Son of God, the real Messiah, the Saviour of sinners! SUCH IS THE GLORY OF THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION. It is emphatically called the kingdom of heaven upon earth. Heavenly in its origin, uniting all men together with the spirits of the just made perfect in heaven, and constituting them one family, the family of God in Christ Jesus. They are in different degrees of maturity receiving various supplies of grace and blessedness, but all tending to promote perfect union, and harmony, and joy in the heavenly state in which the christian dispensation shall terminate. My dear christian friends, the past is a matter of history, the future is a matter of faith and of earnest expectation, and with regard to the facts the following questions may be asked. When will this consummation of the christian economy take place? when will this glory of the latter day commence? I pretend not to be wise above what is written. The general reply that has been given to this question, both by the Jewish and the christian church, is, that the latter day's glory will be the seventh millenary of the world, consequently this period will commence within two hundred years of this time. It may be enquired, will Jesus descend from heaven, and personally reign during this period? Such has been the opinion of a great many commentators in times past, and such is the opinion of many persons at the present day. If it should be so, we shall be able to say, "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight!" I read, however, of two advents only of the Messiah, one that is past, when he came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; the other when he shall come to judge the world. I believe, however, in the spiritual reign of Christ, and that when Christ takes to himself his great power, Satan shall never again be loosed into the world, but shall be bound with a chain, and have no more dominion upon earth; for I read, that when the seventh angel sounded, there were great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." It may be enquired, shall this be effected by human instrumentality, or is a miraculous interposition necessary? I see no necessity for a miraculous interposition, but I can only reply, that whether it is produced by one means or another, our duty is plain, and the ground of our hope is most ample. We say, (1) Let this glorious hope brighten and animate our hearts. Does not the prospect rejoice your heart? The period when misery shall be chased from the earthshall be succeeded by a period of happiness. Contemplating the evils now existing in the wide world, you are ready to despond, but look to the future-to the predicted state of the world, and your hearts must be glad at the prospect of that period when the piety of men shall be so universal, when his happiness shall be so great, and his character so spiritual. (2) Let this glorious hope excite us to further prayer. O, that God would listen! O that we could be permitted to see the dawn of the glorious day. Let us pray for more of that Spirit which shall then pervade the world-more of that sympathy and devotedness to God. Let us pray to feel more deeply the influence of sin-the necessity of salvation-the value of the gospel. Let us be more determined to attempt to evangelize the world. Let us pray to God mercifully to pour down a more abundant effusion of his Spirit upon ourselves. Let us pray for more active zeal to promote the Redeemer's cause over the face of all the earth. (3) Let the prospect before us awaken our zeal, and stimulate our efforts for the accomplishment of this glorious end. Is it possible, that within one hundred and seventy years of the present moment, this glorious day shall have arrived? Then, surely, there is work enough to occupy christians of all ages, and of all qualifications. Christian zeal should possess a degree of that holiness that should make us blush at our present neutrality. All worldly establishments of religion shall cease. All usurpation over the consciences of men shall cease. The Jews must be converted, and perhaps restored to their own land. Mahometans must embrace the gospel, and receive the truth as it is in Jesus. I can fancy I hear some timid heart, who never prays for the success of the gospel, who never gives his money to one of our religious societies, saying, "Ah, this is too much to be attempted-all this can never be accomplished." One thing is certain, that, unless God effects a change in their hearts, he will not work by them. But we verily believe that in God's own time all this will be effected. God has declared it in innumerable promises, and when I can doubt whether the sun will shine to morrow, I may doubt whether such a period as the latter day's glory will arrive but not till then. God has declared it shall come. His love is infinite his compassion is unbounded-his power is almighty;—and cannot he perform it? He has engaged his word, and his faithfulness is irreversible. The Holy Spirit of God is the great efficiency in this work. Some persons imagine that a dreadful judgment-some terrible commotion of the nations will precede this day. This may be the case; but our duty is plain-we are to employ means to fulfil the Saviour's commission, "Go ye out into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Our duty is to endeavour to do all we can to accomplish God's work. Let us first seek to possess the character which corresponds with the economy in which we live, and then let us, in our respective vocations, in the name and strength of God, endeavour to effect the great design. The progress of divine truth is the grand instrument. This is the engine which is "mighty through God to the pulling down of the strong-holds of sin and Satan." Many other engines may be employed, so that there may not be an individual in the church of Christ inactive and unoccupied. Let there be but a willing mind, and there is something for every individual to do. May God awaken us from our sinful sloth and indifference. May each aspire to be useful in the church of the Redeemer! If God give us grace, we may do what we can, by our prayers, by our personal exertions, by our pecuniary contributions. Unless by our personal efforts we make the sincerity of our prayers apparent, what are we but hypocritical professors before God? And how can we call that effort, which is not made at the expence of self denial, or of some sacrifices? Do you believe the representation that has been made? Do you believe that the gospel dispensation will really consummate the purposes of God's grace to men on earth? Do you believe it is the design of God to diffuse throughout the world his sacred blessings, and that all mankind are to be brought under one holy influence? I intreat you, then, this morning to act like men, to act like Christians who are persuaded of these truths. We have seen, from the fall of man, that God has but one cause. The question is not, will the designs of grace be accomplished? we know they will; Daniel has told us so, John has declared it. As God has fulfilled what he designed by the patriarchal economy, and what he designed by the Mosaic economy, so he will accomplish what he designs by the Christian economy. "For if that which was done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." Consider who it was that died to procure these glorious purposes of grace. Consider, Christian, your own obligations to this mighty Redeemer. Think what he demands from you in return for what he |