to ruin, like a city in an earthquake. The reins of providential government is in the hands of the eternal Word; which is most excellently represented in Eze. kiel's wheels, all turning to the advantage of the redemption of mankind; but all this glory is not equal to the glory of the glorious gospel of the blessed God: wherein Jesus appears in his majestic power and glory, seated on a throne of grace, and mercy; and driving the chariot of redemption lined with crimso", gilt with gold, and palmed with love, over the mountains of brass through the camps of the prince of darkness, the poverty of the world,—the agony of the garden,—and the sufferings and death of the cross; through the cave of death to the high way of immortality: being crowned now, not with the crown of thorus, but with the crown of glory,— when the everlasting doors were lifted up for the King of glory to enter in. The glory of creation, and the glory of the law in all its royal majesty, and flaming fire on Sinai ; are almost eclipsed by the glory of the gospel. The glory of the law is manifested in the condemnation of sinners; but the glory of the gospel is exhibited in their eternal salvation.

It is in the glorious gospel of the blessed God, that we behold the divine attributes shining forth with the brightest splendour and glory. Here we see the eternal, and sovereign love of the Father;-the free grace, and the infinite atonement of the Son ;—and all the graces of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of holiness and of glory, changing men to the image of the Lord, as from glory to glory; until the image of sin is fully obliterated, and all the wounds and bruises of the fall completely cured, and the deep stains of guilt entirely washed away in the blood of the Lamb. O that the Spirit of glory,-the Spirit of the God of all grace, would descend upon this congregation, as the spirit of faith in the blood of Christ. of re

pentance towards God, and as the spirit of grace and godliness here, leading us to eternal glory; Amen.

mer.

more.

The contrast between the law and the gospel evidently shews the super-excellency of the later above the forThe glory of the ceremonial law was typical; but the glory of the gospel is the substance. The glory of the moral law kills the sinner; the glory of the gos pel quickens him: the former kills him with terror; the later sweetly and powerfully draws him by the cords of love to God that he might enjoy his smiles, which is life, and be prepared for his more immediate presence in glory, where there is fulness of joy, and pleasures forever The glory of the ceremonial law was to continue until the reformation; the glory of the gospel abideth forever. All the glory of the law can throw no light on the gospel; but the gospel like the sun in the firmament, shineth most brilliantly on the divine character, the fall of man, and all over mount Sinai, and removes the thick veils that were between us and the eternal God. Christ Jesus is the sum and substance of the gospel, the foundation of our hope, the object of our faith, and the centre of our affections. We are determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. It is by him alone, we can be reconciled to God. The Moravian Missionaries preached three years in Greenland, on the being of God, and the nature, excellency, and requirements of the moral law without doing any good in the conversion of sinners, not one sinner brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus; but the first sermon they exhibited Christ crucified, as the only Saviour of lost and perishing sinners, the doctrine became the power of God for the salvation of one of the heathens. Let Ministers of the gospel, at home, and abroad, recollect this. Christ crucified, the marrow and fatness of the gospel, is the glorious subject

that God has owned and blessed for the conversion of sinners every where, and at all times.

Again. The glory of the gospel appears from its glorious and excellent Dispensation. The order of divine apointment, for the worship of Almighty God, whereby he confers spiritual blessings, upon those who are wait. ing upon him in the means of grace,

That is the

Four dispensations have been revealed to mankind. The first was before the fall of man, religion of nature, There was sufficient virtue in the nature of man at that time to worship God acceptably. On the ground of his original rectitude, the righteous. ness in which he was created, he had a free access to, and full communion with his Creator, and that imme, diately without a mediator. The religious principle of our first parents was, that which the moral law now de. mands of us, that is to say, perfect love to God and perfect obedience to his commands; that was the ru ling principle of their hearts, which is directly opposite to the enmity, carnal mindedness, and the lust of the flesh, the ruling principle in the heart of every unrege. rate man, Our first parents were constrained to love, adore, and draw near to God, by that holy principle as powerfully and as naturally as fallen man is to forget God, hate him, and flee from him by the corrupt prin. ciple that is in him. When Adam lost that holy prin. ciple of love to God, he lost his favor; his righteousnesa was forfeited, and that dispensation was locked up forev. er; its light went out, and the gate of Paradise was shut

up.

The second was the patriarchal dispensation founded upon the promise of the Messiah, as the seed of the wo man to bruise the serpent's head.

The third was the Jewish dispensation, preparatory te the coming of the Messiah; and

The fourth is the gospel dispensation, called the dis. pensation of the fulness of times--when time in its several rivulets, creeks, and rivers, has formed the gospel ocean. This is the last dispensation; it will never give way to any other. In spite of the voracious wild beasts of the four great empires of the world, it will live, and bruise the golden image to pieces. The dispensation of the gospel is far more glorious than the three former dispensations in these respects.

God is manifested God dwells with man

First, on account of the nearer union subsisting between God and man in the person of Emanuel; and Secondly, on account of the exaltation of the nature of man in this glorious personage. in the flesh, and dwelt anong us. by virtue of the union between the human and divine nature of Christ. He officiated in the nature of man as a Prophet, Priest, and King; made atonement for the sins of men, and conquered the powers of darkness.-Here we find all the fulness of the Godhead united to the human nature. Under this dispensation, the mys teries of divine grace are unfolded. The mysteries of three divine persons in one Jehovah;--of the union of the two natures in the person of Christ;-the union of the mystical body of Christ with the living head;-and the union of Jews and Gentiles in one body by the cross, The nature of man is far more exalted than ever it was, in which the eternal word ascended up to heaven, He opened a way through his blood, by which the church. militant can worship by faith in the same place with the church triumphant. The spirit of adoption draws them up to Mount Zion, through the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to an innumerable company of angels, to God the Judge of all, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new testament, and the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things

than that of Abel. The saints on earth by faith feel and experience the realities of these glorions things.

The ministry of Siuai condemns and kills the ungod. ly; but the ministry of Mount Zion is far more excellent, for it manifesteth the righteousness of Christ as the ground of justification; the spirit of life for condem. ned criminals, and the liberty of the spirit of adoption to the captives in bondage. The glory of the gospel does not drive the poor sinner away; but draws him to God does not sink him to despair, but directs him to Christ, as the foundation of his hope.

The law was given by the ministry of angels to the children of Israel; but the Son of God is the Author of the gospel, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost. God who had his sanctuary on Sinai, and in the temple, has now changed the habitation of his glory, and is shaking away the old things with more power and glory, than he manifested in setting them up.

The Son himself is now come to reside in his own house; and as he is the Lord of the house, he has an undisputed right to make what alterations he thinks proper upon his own palace, consistent with his own glory; therefore, it is more dangerous to sin against the gospel than against the law. For if the word or the law spo ken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression of the law, and disobedience to its commands received a just recompense of reward; how shall we, who are under the joyful sound of the gospel of Christ, escape, if we neglect so great salvation: inasmuch as Christ is greater than Moses, and the substance is more than the shadows. There is a fire more awful and terrific than that of Sinai, and more certain to overtake the despisers of