the good work, is able to accomplish it for the praise and glory of his grace, who has made us accepted in the beloved. The grace of God exhibited on the pole of the everlasting Gospel, is an infallible remedy for all diseases, to all them that look by faith upon it. It is like a Loyal ship laden with all suitable provisions arriving at the harbour of a city, whose inhabitants are per ishing by the famine; under the direction and control of the Holy Spirit, who distributes the rich provisions of faith, repentance, righteousness, pardon, peace, joy, purity and every heavenly fruit, without money and without price. He is the spring of all that living waters which break ont to rivers of godliness from the hearts of men.

In the parable of the prodigal son, we have a striking description of the glory of the Gospel above that of the law. Having received his portion of the goods, he went into a far country, between which and his father's house. there was no communication, more than there is between the living and the dead. He took all his treasure with him, that nothing should induce him to think of his Father and return to his God. When he arrived there. he found the climate very unhealthy; sometimes so hot that all the produce of the country was burnt up; at other times so cold, that many of the citizens were buried under the snow. They spoke the language of hell, and their customs and manners resembled that of the bottomless pit. This far country was under the govern. ment of Diabolus; and its chief exported merchandize was the souls and bodies of mankind, for which it received in exchange the prodigal, sinful lusts from the lower region. Here, in this barren waste country, he soon spent all that he had,―his understanding was darkened, his will perverse, and his affeotions carnal; his throat became an open sepulchre, the poison of asps was under his lips, his hand ready at all times to do evil, and

his feet swift to shed blood. He was in this miserable far country, far from God, heaven and happiness, under the curse of the law, and the threatnings of vindictive justice, almost starved to death. The law shewed him his duty, the evil of sin, and his lost condition, and took away his bread, the staff of life from him, and he cried what shall I do? because he was in want. The law threatened and roared over his head, in all its flaming brilliancy, as if it were about to cut down all the tall cedars of the forest, and kill the bulls of Basham and him along with them; so vigorous were its demands, and so terrific its aspect, that even a Saul of Tarsus could not stand before it. The law deprived this proud nobleman of the necessaries of life so unexpectedly to himself, as the light that shined around Saul in his way to Damascus. It was the law that raised the famine in the far country, and gradually increased it, so that the prodigal went about through the country to seek for the bread of hope; but no beggars are encouraged under all the government of the law. He found out to his sad experience that it was a poor country for a poor man. He that will not work shall not eat, but let him die the death, was the language of the law. No man gave any thing to eat. He offered to work with one of the legal preachers of the country, but the law arrested him for past offences, and was not satisfied with his present obedience on account of its imperfection, therefore committed him to the house of correction on Mount Sinai, where thousands of such vagrants died. Now there was no hope for the bread of life.

him

And being in the greatest distress he sees nothing be fore him, nor finds any thing but condemnation in his heart, in his words, in his conduct and all around him; and all hope of making an atonement for his sins cut off forever. In this dark and gloomy gap of death, when

the sun of hope was setting to raise no more, behold the gospel in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit proclaimed, Thy Father is yet alive. In thy Father's house there is bread enough and to spare. Eelieving this he arose and went home. Faith in the tender pity of a Father's heart, and the abundance of wealth he pos sessed, inspired in his soul a faint hope, and produced in his heart a spring of godly sorrow, which issued forth in a blushing face, flowing tears, and in earnest prayer and application. Having come to himself, and actuated by faith between fear and hope, he acknowledged in his prayer, with shame and grief, his utter unworthiness to obtain the favor of his Father; and requested the meanest place among his servants. The gospel taught him good manners. When he was yet a great way off, and quite ashamed of his condition, and heavy laden under the burden of sin; the Father saw him, not with a re vengeful eye, but with most tender commiseration; he ran to meet him, not with a drawn sword to pierce his heart, nor with a rod to strike him, no, O! no, let heaven and earth wonder, and stand amazed, but with arms of mercy wide open, to embrace to his bosom the miserable objects in his rags and emaciated by famine; and not a word said to upraid him of his past follies; he fell on his neck and kissed him-O! Sovereign love! For love like this, let rocks and hills their lasting silence break. He was not yet brought into the dining room, but to the dressing room. I imagine I see him there upon his knees, and hear him say, Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee or in thy sight. I am not worthy to be called thy son, the Father made no reply to this; but named the blessings he was about to bestow upon him. The best robe-the ring-the shoes-and the fatted calf;-the righteousness of Christ-the Spirit of adoption-holy conversation-and the flesh and blood

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of Christ, the rich and glorious provisions of the banqueting house. And they began to be merry,-feasting on redeeming grace and dying love, singing and praising, glory to God forever and ever. Who would not sing let those refuse to sing who never knew his grace. The whole dining room was clothed with glory for ashes, the oil of gladness for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness;-and the Father exclaiming let us eat and be merry. For this my Son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. When the sinner is converted to God, is, the commencement of his joy, that will never end-unto him that loved us and washed us in his own blood is the anthem that believers begin to lisp and learn him-in heaven they shall be perfect-and forever so in their songs of praise and thanksgivings.

By the law we know what the state of man was before the fall in Eden; but by the gospel we know what God is as the Lawgiver and the Saviour of men. By the law we know what we have lost by the fall and what we ought to be; but by the gospel we know what was done for to redeem us, and what we shall be made by grace. By the law we see and feel our wounds ;-but by the gospel our wounds are healed with mercy's balm. By the law we are taught what our duty is; but by the gospel in the hand of the Holy Spirit, we are assisted to perform our duty. The law is the glass in which we may see our faults; but in the gospel we have a spring of water to wash them all away. Yes in the gospel we have the testimony of a sufficient Saviour, a cordial invitation to come unto him, and a promise upon oath that we shall be received by him.

Once more we would observe,-that the gospel is glorious in its blessings. The blessings of the gospel are more excellent than the blessings of paradise. Christ

is come, not only that we might have life, but have it more abundantly; and where sin hath abounded, grace has much more abounded. It was the image of the earthy that was on our nature in Eden; but by the graco of the gospel we shall be clothed in the image of the heavenly. Jacob in blessing his son Joseph said, The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above,—are more evcellent (Welsh) than the blessings of my projenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; but the blessings of the glorious gospel of the blessed God gə over the tops of the everlasting hills down to the pa. cific valley of immortality, All the blessings of provi. dence in their nature and durability are but empty things in comparison with the blessings of the gospel of Jesu3 Christ. The former are for the benefit of the body; but the later are beneficial for immortal souls: the one is to continue only for a short time; but the other to all eternity. Earthly blessings can afford us no consolation in death; but the blessings of the gospel will support us when our feet touch the dark mountains, and when we tread the valley of the shadow of death. The gospel and its blessings, and Christ in it will come with us through the river Jordan, and land us safe on the conti nent of eternal life, and will dwell with us in the temple of glory forever and ever. The blessings essential to eternal life are not to be found any where but in the gos pel. Somethings are to be found only in the East Indies, it is vain to seek for them any where else ;—in like manner the blessings of eternal salvation cannot be found any where under heaven, but in the gospel. All the blessings of the gospel are connected together, for where one is, there is the whole; as if they were laid up together in a large trunk containing exhaustless and most valuable treasures; the fulness that is Christ an swerable to our emptiness, and the riches that are in him