heaven, to hear and to receive Christ as your Prophet, Priest, and King, yet his authority is not less powerful than at any former period. His command, delivered in his word, is as binding on your consciences at this day, as it was upon those of the chosen disciples to whom it was immediately addressed: it is as obligatory, as if, with your own eyes, you saw his glorious Majesty shining through the cloud on the mount of transfiguration it enforces your obedience as implicitly, as if, with your ears, you now heard the voice of the Almighty Father calling upon you aloud, to hear and obey his well-beloved Son.

Although you are deprived of Christ's bodily presence, yet the eye of faith can carry you back to the glorious display of his Divinity on the Holy Mount, and forward into the highest heavens, and there behold a once crucified Saviour, now enthroned in glorious majesty, at God's right hand, where he still acts as Head of his Church, and where he shall continue to reign, till all his enemies are made his footstool.

Although you cannot hear his hea

venly discourses delivered from his own mouth, yet to your comfort, Christians, you have access to read his word, which contains every thing necessary for you to know, to believe, and to practise, in order to salvation, which in his kind providence is transmitted pure and entire to this remote age and country, and which, if you peruse it with diligence and care, is, by the blessing of his Spirit, no less efficacious for salvation, than if its contents had been by the Lord Jesus uttered in your hearing.

Although the great Prophet of the Church is gone to heaven, yet, in goodness and love to your souls, he hath established a succession of men, whom he hath appointed and authorised to expound his word, and to dispense his ordinances to his people; and to whom he hath promised, that he will be with them to the end of the world, by his Spirit, to render their ministration effectual for your spiritual edification and comfort. And, therefore, by this command of God, given in the text, you are bound to hearken to their words, as to the words of Christ, so long as by the

direction and aid of their heavenly Master they are enabled to speak agreeably to the tenor of his gospel.

Give then, my beloved brethren, no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eye-lids, till you have prayed for, and have obtained of the Lord grace and strength to enable you to comply with the precept here enjoined. Then shall you have the light of life to guide you through the dark pilgrimage of this world; then shall you in that awful crisis, when the sun and moon are darkened, and the shades of death lower around you, be enabled to say, with the triumphant apostle, "O death! where is "thy sting? O grave! where is thy vic

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tory?" And having passed the waters of Jordan, you shall enter into those mansions of rest and joy that your Redeemer has prepared for you in his Father's house above.

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Go not away with the idea, that all this is a matter of romantic speculation, or of doubtful reality. Take the assurance along with you, that though you may forget, amidst the business, and the amusements, and the dissipation of life,

what has now been proclaimed to you from the word of God, it is nevertheless true.

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Hear then, and obey, that your may not die, but live for evermore.— Amen.

SERMON VI.

JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF FAITH.

HEBREWS XII. 2.

-Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

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GLORIOUS things are spoken in Scripture concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the grand subject of the sacred volume, both in the Old and in the New Testament, the centre where all the divine revelation meet, and from which they receive their brightest lustre. Numberless, indeed, and truly magnificent, are the titles with which he is there adorned. He is "the eternal and only begot"ten Son of God; the brightness of the "Father's glory, and the express image "of his person. "Unto us a child is "born, unto us a son is given, and the