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even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes."*

The offices which Mofes and Chrift were called of Providence to execute, present us with points of likenefs which it is impoffible not to fee, and equally impoffible to mistake. "And there arose not a prophet fince in Ifrael like unto Mofes, whom the Lord knew face to face; in all the figns and wonders which the Lord fent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his fervants, and to all his land: and in all that mighty hand, and in all that great terror, which Mofes fhewed in the fight of all Ifrael." No man hath feen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bofom of the Father, he hath declared him." Mofes was king in Jefhurun, and conducted the thousands of Ifrael through many difficulties and dangers to their deftined habitation: Jefus, God's "anointed King over his holy hill of Zion," brings his "many" fpiritual "fons unto glory."

To conftitute one deliverer for Ifrael, Mofes and Aaron muft unite their talents, muft combine their force, muft conjoin their offices: the prophet must co-operate with the priest; two diftinct perfons carry on one defign; but, in the Saviour of the world, all talents, all virtues, all offices meet and centre: the prophetic infpiration of Mofes, Aaron's pleafantnefs and grace of fpeech; the regal dignity of the one, the facerdotal purity of the other. In order to put Ifrael in poffeffion of the promifed land, Jofhua muft fucceed to Mofes, and happily finish what his mafter has fo fuccefsfully begun. But the great Captain of falvation needs no coadjutor, can have no fucceffor: "He gives grace and glory;" He leads his redeemed through the wilderness, introduces them into Canaan, maintains them in quiet and everlafting poffeffion.

Other lines of refemblance will appear as we prosecute the history, and fhall not therefore be anticipat

* Luke xix. 41, 42. + Deut. xxxiv. 10, &c.

John i. 18.

ed.

ed. But we must not dismiss the subject without pointing out wherein the likeness fails, and how much the type falls fhort of the object which it reprefents.

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The wonders performed by Mofes in Egypt were wrought by a power delegated to, and conferred upon him for the purpose. The miracles of Chrift were produced by a power original and inherent. Mofes, though the meekest of all men, was betrayed into rashnefs, loft temper, and "fpake unadvisedly with his lips." But in Jefus behold a fpirit which was never ruffled, a tongue in which guile was never found; lips that never offended; a mind which no infult could disturb, no unkindness provoke; nor even the horrid pangs of an unmerited death roufe to refentment. Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,confider the Apostle and High Priest of our profeffion, Chrift Jefus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as alfo Mofes was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Mofes, inafmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by fome man; but he that built all things is God. And Mofes verily was faithful in all his houfe as a fervant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Chrift as a Son over his own houfe; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end.”*

Mofes died and was buried; Jefus died and was buried, and rofe again." Mofes received the law; Chrift gave it. Mofes and Elias attend the Saviour on mount Tabor, as his miniftring fervants; Jefus receives their attendance and homage, as their Lord,

Having spoken of the refemblance between the authors of the two difpenfations, we proceed, as was propofed, to speak in the fame view of the two difpenfations themselves.

And first, They reft on one and the fame authority, are dictated by the fame unerring wisdom, and are directed

*Heb. iii. 1, &c.

rected to the fame great and glorious end. Indeed, one of the great proofs that both are of God is the conformity of both to the nature and condition of man. The precepts of the law are not novel conftitutions, which had no existence till the days of Mofes; neither are the confolations of the gofpel new discoveries of grace, unheard of till the four thousandth year of the world. Sinai thundered and lightened in Adam's confcience the moment he tafted the forbidden tree, and drove him to feek refuge " from the presence of the Lord God amidst the trees of the garden." The terrors of the law raged in Cain's guilty breast, long be fore there was any record written on brass or stone, And the promises of pardon and falvation are coeval with the conviction of the first offender, and the denunciation of his punishment. The tongue which pronounced on man the doom of death, proclaims the glad tidings of life and recovery.

I know that the law is of God, for I have that within me which acknowledges and approves its rectitude and excellency; and even when it condemns me, I am constrained to call it "holy, juft and good.' " I know that the gospel is of God, for I feel that within me which welcomes its approach, difcerns its suitablenefs, rejoices in its fulness, refts upon its truth. It is of God, for it defcends to the level of my guilt and mifery, correfponds with my hopes, fuits my neceffities.

Our bleffed Lord took an early opportunity of explaining himself on this fubject. An abfurd idea prevailed, that the kingdom of the Meffiah was to be a total fubverfion of the Mofaic difpenfation. An abfurdity into which fome chriftians have inadvertently giv en, for want of making a plain and neceffary diftinction, betwen those particulars of the law which are in their own nature eternal and unchangeable, like the nature of that God who is its author; and those, which being typical and prophetical, ceafed of course when the predicted event arrived, and the type, having

fulfilled

fulfilled its defign, was loft in the thing typified; and thofe, which being temporary and tranfitory, ceaf, ed with the occafion of them. Of the firft fort are the precepts of the decalogue, or the ten commandments; which under every constitution that affects fuch a being as man, must be immutable and everlasting. Of them it is that Chrift faid, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I fay unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."* Of the fecond clafs are the laws of the daily facrifice, the great annual feafts, the levitical priesthood, and the like. They pointed out Chrift the Lord, they led to him, they were loft in him. And in the third rank we place the law of circumcifion, the political economy of the Jewish nation, all that related to the poffeffion of Canaan, and which ceafed of course with the diffolution of their government, and the lofs of their national importance. Thefe obfervations being attended to and kept in mind, will prevent the confufion arifing from the ambiguous acceptation of the word "law," as expreffing the Old Teftament difpenfation.

The law, then, and the gofpel, the two tables of ftone delivered to Mofes, and the " grace and truth which came by Jefus Chrift," coincide, fecondly, in this, that they both point out with equal clearnefs and force the neceflity of a Saviour. Every word pronounced by the voice of God from Sinai, is in truth a fentence of condemnation. While it enjoins future obedience, it fixes paft guilt. While it fays, "Thou fhalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath," it accufes of idolatry. While it recommends the obfervance of the fabbath, it charges home

* Matt. v. 17, 18.

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home the violation of it; and fo of the rest of the precepts of the decalogue.

The law, therefore, carried the gospel in its bofom, as the new-changed moon exhibits a great body of obfcurity, embraced by a fmall femicircle of light; but which is to be irradiated by degrees, till the whole becomes one great globe of light and glory; and Mofes performs the part of "a fchool-mafter to bring us to Chrift."

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To hear of a conftitution by which I might have lived, after my life is forfeited, is only to embitter my mifery. It is like hearing of a cordial after a man has swallowed poifon. Now, it could never be the defign of the gracious Law-giver to infult human mifery, by holding out a fyftem which could avail the guilty nothing. While, then, the divine juftice lays down the law in all its ftrictness, purity and extent, faying, "I am the Lord who will by no means clear the guilty;"Curfed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them ;"* the goodness which condefcends to give a law at all, the wifdom which explains it, the patience that forbears to punish its tranfgreffion, all plainly and distinctly proclaim the neceffity and the exiftence of an atonement, and lead to "the bringing in of a better hope."

Thirdly, The fpirit of both difpenfations is a spirit of love. God enforces upon Ifrael obedience to the law from Sinai, by the confideration of his being the Lord, which brought them up out of the land of Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage:" "who has borne them on eagle's wings, and brought them to himfelf." And "love" on the part of man "is the fulfilling of the law." Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. This is the firft and great commandment. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou fhalt

*Gal. iii. 10.

love

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