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those sacrifices which were instituted from the beginning, in all probability from the very period of the expulsion of our first parents from Paradise; and so instituted as preparatory to, and indicative of the one great sacrifice for sin. Having himself in his own person, once for all, made the requisite and sufficient atonement, there "remained thenceforth no more "sacrifice for sin ;" and from the obligation of this, not only the Jews, but all mankind were set at liberty. He further took away every institution which was ordained exclusively for the children of Israel, which had an evident reference to their peculiar situation: whatever was local or personal to them. But every law and every principle which was of general application, which could be observed by the great body of mankind; which was fitted to all nations, and all seasons, he not only did not take away, but expressly sanctioned and made more binding. In all the precepts which he delivered, he referred to them in such a manner as to make it clear that he was ordaining no new thing. Not only the two great commandments of the law were laid down by him in the very words of Moses, but he expressly disclaimed the idea that he was come to "de

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stroy the law and the prophets;" he declared that he came not to destroy, but to

* Heb. x. 26.

"fulfil*." What he took away of that law, was the extreme rigour of it, according to which it was pronounced, and so pronounced for a particular purpose, that "cursed is every "one that continueth not in all the things "which are written in the book of the law to "do themt." Under the new covenant, assurances were held out of grace and favour upon that imperfect performance, of which alone we are capable, provided it was accompanied with faith in Christ, and a reliance for salvation upon his merits to the exclusion of every other claim. But still obedience was and is required as strictly, and in as great degree, from us as it was from the Jews: nay, it is required in substance to the same laws, and to the same religious as well as moral system. It is the same God under the new, as under the old

* Mat. v. 17.

+ Gal, iii. 10. Deut. xxvii. 26,

The covenant of works was first established with Adam and Eve in Paradise; and perhaps we may say that it was against them only that it could strictly be, or rather was meant to be, enforced; since it was with them only of all human creatures that the power of strictly observing it appears to have been lodged. When it was again promulgated to the Israelites under Moses, it was attended with modifications, and even promises of forgiveness, to repentant sinners. So that if it was made strict in terms, it was, as I conceive, for the reason plainly intimated by St. Paul; that, being convinced by experience of our inability to work out our salvation, merely by our own efforts, we should be the more ready to lay hold of the second covenant. Thus "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ." Gal. iii. 24.

dispensation we cannot therefore suppose that the mode of serving him should be essentially different in the one case from what it was in the other. Indeed the great code, which is acknowledged by us, as by all Christian nations, is that which was delivered to Moses by God himself on Mount Sinai. Those therefore who would object to any argument drawn from the commandments, or the dispensations of God under the law, should be prepared to shew that the commandments and the dispensations upon which the argument is built, had all that peculiarity which made them applicable to the Jews only and no one else: no, not by possibility to any one else: for it is certain that it is only such commandments that are abrogated, such dispensations only that we can be sure will not recur. Nay, even as to those particulars which are so circumstanced, we may very fairly argue from then to a certain extent: since we can never suppose that God would at any time have enjoined or brought to pass that which was essentially bad, or inexpedient in itself.

But indeed he who reads and considers the books of the Old Testament only, with a view to what is positively commanded in them, will, as I conceive, have but a very imperfect idea of their importance, or of the usefulness which may be derived from them. It is, in fact, the only

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history in which we are enabled distinctly to trace the workings of God's providence, to see his hand visibly extended, his eye actually superintending all, even the minutest actions of individuals as well as of nations. We have here the clearest evidence of what in other cases we can only conjecture, the manner in which he interposes to control and over-rule the things of this world. And from what then took place, we are not only taught to reason upon what has passed in later days, but may draw wholesome, and instructive lessons for our guidance. And this, St. Paul tells us, is one great end for which we should consult and mark those sacred oracles. Speaking of some of those instances (one indeed which particularly applies to the subject of these discourses) in which the disobedience and rebellious dispo sition of the Israelites were severely punished, he adds, "Now all these things happened to "them for ensamples, and they are written for "our admonition, upon whom the ends of the "world are come*."

After this, I trust, it will not be objected to me that I argue either unfairly or impertinently, when I assume that what God considered as an abomination and as highly punishable under the old covenant, could not be very acceptable to him under the new.

1 Cor. x. 11.

Let me be permitted to make another observation. Independently of the great ends, which the Almighty had in view when he imposed upon the Israelites ordinances so numerous and burthensome, it cannot be denied that the very number and particularity of them had a direct tendency to produce that unity which is so desirable, and so strongly recommended to us. This indeed must be the case with all laws. Every statute, as it exacts obedience from every member of the community to one and the same system, as it regulates their conduct according to one and the same rule of action, must so far operate to knit them together, and to give them the same habits, the same manners, and the same way of thinking. It is clear also that the more laws are multiplied, and the more strictly they are observed, the more numerous the points of union will be, and the more the individuals will be likely to assimilate to each other. This was, in fact, what took place among the Jews; who thus preserved, and even in their present state of dispersion, exhibit a closer connexion with each other, and have a more strongly-marked character, not only than any other people now existing, but than any people that ever was known. And this may well make us consider whether that which some men are so averse to, the observation of ordinances, may not in some sort

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