It was neceffary indeed it fhould ceafe fome confiderable time before the event took place; least a fufpicion might arife that prophecy was only hiftory. Till that time however its current was uninterrupted. When therefore we fee through a fucceffion of ages, a courfe of prophecies exactly defcribing an event as it afterwards fell out-and when we are well affured, as we may be by infallible proof, that all these prophecies were publifhed many hundred years before the birth of Chrift; what can we fuppofe, but that they were directed by the fpirit of God; and of course, that the religion, which was ushered into the world in fo grand, fo divine, and fo convincing a manner, must be true. We are next led to conclude, from what hath been above confidered, that the Christian religion is fuperior to every other religion, that hath appeared in the world. None can, in any degree difpute a preference with it, but the Jewifh. And that it is fuperior to the Jewish religion, is fufficiently plain from its being a fucceeding revelation. When God Almighty makes difcoveries of his will, we cannot conceive, he firft difcovers the most perfect; and afterwards what is lefs fo.. What purpose would that anfwer? what gift, what advan tage tage would that be to mankind? But it is very natural to fuppofe, 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 lefs perfect. Such is the inferiority of the law to the gospel. I fhall obferve lafly, that if the Chriftian religion be not only true; but fuperior to every other religion, we ought with all our hearts to receive it. I do not mean that we fhould receive it, as we do other great truths; that we fhould merely believe, and give our affent to it. It was not for this Chrift came into the world-it was not for this he was born in a manger, and died on a crofs-but that it fhould enter into our hearts that it fhould be the great directing principle of our thoughts, our words, and our actions-that we fhould carry it about with us-that it fhould be of daily use to us in our intercourfe with God-our neighbour, and ourfelves. Without the practice of its rules, the mere knowledge of it-the mere affent to its truth, is mathematics-not religion. Chrift came to fave us from our fins: but we muft firft, by our holy lives, make ourfelves objects of his mercy. If we do that, Chrift will fave us. But without our own endeavours the gospel-cove nant nant is of no effect. In a word, the gofpel, we may be affured, was graciously intended for our greatest good; but we may change it, if we please, into the fentence of our condemnation. SERMON SERMON II. JOIN, 3, xiv. 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 E are here referred to a very extraordinary tranfaction, which is related in the twentyfirst chapter of the book of Numbers; and in the words I have juft read to you in the text, is applied by our bleffed Saviour as a type of his death and atonement, which are only fimilar expreffions; for the death of Chrift made the atonement, and could have no other end. For your inftruction therefore, this morning, `I fhall examine this paffage of scripture; and shall endeavour to explain to you, firft, what is meant by a type; type; and fecondly, how the lifting up of the bra zen ferpent is a type of the death and atonement of Chrift. I am first, to explain to you, what is meant by a type. In order to prove the truth of the Chriftian religion, and to prepare men for it, it pleased God, many ages before Jefus Chrift, appeared, to infpire holy men with the fpirit of prophecy, (as I endeavored to fhew you in my laft difcourfe,) to give notice of his coming. The bible is full of thefe prophecies.-But ftill to render the proof from prophecy yet ftronger, it pleafed God to give mankind not only written prophecies, but the prophecy likewife of types. A written prophecy differs from a prophecy by a type in this; the one is a prophecy by words-the other by actions. Thus,, for inftance, the prophet Isaiah speaking of Chrift's death, fays his foul (that is, his life) fhall be made an offering for fin. This is a prophecy of our Saviour's death in words. In another part of fcripture we read, that Abraham was ordered to facrifice his only fon Ifaac. This was a prophecy of Chrift's death by an action-that is, by a type. Again, David prophecying of Chrift's refurrection, fays, Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, (that is, in the grave) neither wilt thou fuffer thy holy One to fee cor |