range

of the Messiah's kingdom, compares it to the sun, which goeth forth from the uttermost part of heaven; and runneth about unto the end of it again; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. And indeed nothing can be a more beautiful, or more just illustration of this grand event through all its darker and lighter periods. Daylight is first dimly discovered through the twilight of morning. The eastern clouds are streaked with a faint light. We see through all this splendid obscurity, that something grand is approaching. The several shades of darkness by degrees give way. Day comes on more and more-till at length the sun rises in all its glory; and opening into the fullest splendor, surrounds the earth from one end of it to the other.

HAVING thus explained the text, I shall conclude with a few short observations, which it suggests.

In the first place, this gradual progress of prophecy furnishes one of the strongest proofs of the Christian religion; to the truth of which the spirit of prophecy thus makes every age of the world bear testimony. About four hundred years indeed before the coming of Christ, all prophecy ceased.

It was necessary indeed it should cease some considerable time before the event took place; lest a suspicion might arise that the prophecy was only history. Till that time however its current was uninterrupted. When therefore we see through a succession of ages, a course of prophecies exactly describing an event as it afterwards fell out-and when we are well assured, as we may be by infallible proof, that all these prophecies were published many hundred years before the birth of Christ; what can we suppose, but that they were directed by the spirit of God; and of course, that the religion, which was ushered into the world in so grand, so divine, and so convincing a manner, must be true?

We are next led to conclude, from what hath been above considered, that the Christian religion is superior to every other religion, that hath appeared in the world. None can, in any degree, dispute a preference with it, but the Jewish. And that it is superior to the Jewish religion, is sufficiently plain from its being a succeeding revelation. When God Almighty makes discoveries of his will, we cannot conceive, he first discovers the most perfect, and afterwards what is less so. What purpose would that answer? what gift, what advan

tage

But it is very

tage would that be to mankind? natural to suppose, that mankind might not be at first prepared for the most perfect religion; and that God, by degrees, prepared them for it by giving them what was less perfect. Such is the inferiority of the law to the gospel.

鼻

We may observe lastly, that if the Christian religion be not only true, but superior to every other religion, we ought with all our hearts to receive it. I do not mean that we should receive it, as we do other great truths; that we should merely believe and give our assent to it. It was not for this Christ came into the world-it was not for this he was born in a manger, and died on a cross-but that it should enter into our hearts-that it should be the great directing principle of our thoughts, our words, and our actions-that we should carry it about with us-that it should be of daily use to us in our intercourse with God, our neighbour, and ourselves. Without the practice of its rules, the mere knowledge of it-the mere assent to its truth, is mathematics—not religion. Christ came to save us from our sins; but we must first, by our holy lives, make ourselves objects of his mercy. If we do that, Christ will save us. But without our own endeavours, the gospel cove

nant

nant is of no effect In a word, the gospel, we may be assured, was graciously intended for our greatest good; but we may change it, if we please, into the sentence of our condemnation.

SERMON

SERMON II.

JOHN, iii. 14.

AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE

WILDERNESS, EVEN SO SHALL THE SON OF

MAN BE LIFTED

UP; THAT WHOSOEVER

BELIEVETH ON HIM, SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

WE are here referred to a very extraordinary transaction, which is related in the twenty-first chapter of the book of Numbers; and in the words I have just read to you, is applied by our blessed Saviour as a type of his death and atonement, which are always considered in scripture as similar expressions. For your instruction, therefore, on this subject, I shall endeavour to explain to you, first, what is meant by a type; and secondly, how the lifting up of

the