was one of the fallen race of apostate Adam, and, therefore, a partaker, with the rest of mankind, of moral pollution. But from her he derived no moral uncleanness. Hence the word of God gives to the Child Jesus the appellation of "That Holy Thing." "Therefore," speaking to the mother of Jesus, "That Holy Thing" says the heavenly messenger, "which shall be born of thee shall be called The Son of God.” The Second Man as well as the first was made perfectly holy. He was perfectly in the image and likeness of God: yea, he was the brightness of the Father's glory, "and the express image of his person." Jesus not only began his being as a man in a state of holiness and perfect moral uprightness; but he passed through life as a lamb without blemish and without spot-he persevered in holiness, perfect conformity to God, until he expired on the cross, when he commended his pure Spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father. "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit: and, having said thus, he gave up the ghost."*

Christ being born of a woman was made under the law; and being by birth a Jew, and also, born under the Mosaic dispensation, he was not only bound by the moral law to love God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself; but he was under obligation to observe the Mosaic ceremonies. Therefore on the eighth day from his birth he was circumcised. "And. when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; and to offer a sacrifice, according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons." And this same law of Mos es, agreeably to which, Christ was circumcised, and a

pair of turtle doves offered as a sacrifice to the Lord, required that he, being called of God, as was Aaron, should, before he entered upon his ministry, be washed. Hence Jesus went from Galilee to Jordan, unto John to be baptised of him.-"That his baptism was his unction to the work of the ministry," Peter expressly teaches in the tenth chapter of the Acts. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, that word ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism, which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.'

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"Jesus being the Divine Mediator, and himself without sin, could not need baptism for the purposes, for which it is applied to us. The baptism which he received must, in its design, be a very different thing. from that, which he afterward instituted, as a token of the remission of sin, and eternal life in a way of faith and repentance."

The righteousness which Jesus had to fulfil at his baptism, was not the righteousness of faith and repentance. It is evident, however, that the only idea which John then had of baptism, was the baptism unto repentance; he, therefore, said to Jesus, "I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." Matthew iii, 14, 15. It was not the design of Jesus, in the phrase, "To fulfil all righteousness," to comprehend the righteousness of faith and repentance: for Jesus did not need the re mission of sin, for in him there was no sin. But by all righteousness, he meant, as is evident from the connexion in which the phrase is used, all that which was required of him in the law of Moses, meaning the ceremonial law. Hence "Christ, is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."*

* Rom. x, 4.

Christ being under obligation to fulfil all righteousness, delayed to enter upon his public ministry until he was about thirty years of age. Was not Christ the Holy One of God qualified to preach the Gospel at twenty, or at twenty-five? Why then was it delayed till he was about thirty? The answer is easy, that he might fulfil all righteousness; or, that he might fulfil all that was required in the ceremonial law. This was necessary that he might be considered as a lamb without blemish and without spot.

It was necessary also that Christ should do every thing which is required of man in the moral law, the law of ten commandments. It was necessary therefore that he should honour and obey his parents. "Children," saith the apostle, "obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." It was also right that Christ should obey his parents in the Lord This he was willing to do. This was implied in the instrument to which he is supposed to have put his hand in the covenant of redemption. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover."* At the celebration of this feast, Jesus, at the age of twelve years, appeared with his parents at Jerusalem. And when they returned, the Child Jesus tarried behind, it not being known to his parents. This however ought not to be considered as an act of disobedi ence. His parents were grieved when they missed their Son Jesus, and not finding him in the company, they returned, having gone a day's journey. They diligently sought him, and after three days, found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions." On account of his absence, his mother seemed to chide him, for, Son," saith she, "why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." The reply of Jesus proves that he was not to be charged with disobedience; for he said unto them, "How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that

*Luke ii, 4L.

I must be about my Father's business? And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." He continued with them, from this time, till he was about thirty, when he was called of God as was Aaron to the work of his public ministry. And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. So likewise was Jesus washed with the water of Jordan. Jesus had now, no connexion with his parents, as a child in subjection to their commands. He was, therefore, in a more peculiar sense the Lord's; being consecrated to the work of the Gospel ministry. God said of the tribe of Levi, "They shall be mine; I am the Lord:" so he is to be considered as saying of his Son Jesus, He shall be mine; I am the Lord. Hence when Jesus was baptised, the heavens were opened unto him: "and lo; a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Being thus consecrated to the work of the ministry, though Jesus was no longer under obligation to obey Joseph and Mary as parents; yet he was obliged to love them as neighbours. For Christ was made under the moral, as well as the ceremonial law. Christ therefore was under obligation to love God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself. And against this holy, just and good law, the Son of God never offended. He observed perfectly every command of the moral law. He was an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile. He was not in this respect like Aaron, for he was a sinner, and needed an atonement for his own sins as well as the sins of the people. Therefore such a High Priest as Jesus was, became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. Hence, we are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blem ish and without spot."

**

* Heb. vii, 26, 27.

SERMON XX.

THE SCRIPTURES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, CONTAINING THE TYPES AND SHADOWS OF THE LAW OF MOSES, EMINENTLY USEFUL IN POINTING OUT THE MESSIAH.

JOHN V, 39.

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

3. REDEMPTION by the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, supposes that the actions and sufferings of Christ while in the flesh, answered all the types and shadows by which he was exhibited in the Word of God.

In every part of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ is brought clearly into view. Long before he came in the flesh, was he exhibited almost. in every page of that Sacred Volume. Hence, when he came into the world and entered upon the duties of his ministerial office, he said to the Jews; "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." These Scriptures testify of Christ by shadows, types, and predictions. Christ, therefore, is the Substance of the shadows; the Antitype of all the types and shadows by which he was exhibited in the Mosaic dispensation. And Christ is the Subject of a great part of the predictions which are found in the Holy Scriptures. He is the Person of whom it was foretold that he should bruise the serpent's head. He was the Antitype of Moses, like unto whom, it was predicted, that the Lord God would raise up a Prophet, even Christ. Christ was the Antitype of Adam; for Adam was a