the mysteries of grace were couched, were clouded, and lay hid; they could not clearly see the end, design, and scope of them; though there were glorious promises of grace, these were covered with the veil of ceremonies, of which the veil, on the glory of the face of Moses, was a type, 2 Cor. iii. 7, 13.—5. It was a state of bondage; this covenant was signified by Hagar the bond-woman, and by mount Sinai, which gendered to bondage, and answered to Jerusalem, as it was in the apostle's time; to the state of the Jews then, who were in bondage, with their children; and the Israelites, whilst in their nonage, whilst children, were in bondage under the elements of the world, which brought upon them a spirit of bondage to fear; for such a number of laws and ordinances being given them, to the breach of which death was annexed without mercy; and they so liable to break them, they, through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage, Gal. iv. 24, 25. Heb. ii. 15.

III. The rites and ceremonies by which this covenant was greatly administered, are by the apostle called, weak and beggarly elements; and being weak and unprofitable, there was, therefore, a disannulling of them, Heb. vii. 18, 19, The sacrifices, which were a principal part of them, could not make, neither them that did them, nor the comers unto them, perfect, as to the conscience; they could not purge the worshippers, or those that attended ceremonial services, so as that they should have no more conscience of sin; they could not take away sin, neither from the sight of God, nor from the conscience of the sinner; nor so as that there should be no remembrance of them; for notwithstanding the daily sacrifices, morning and evening, and others on particular accounts, there was an annual remembrance made of them all, on the day of atonement, Heb. ix. 9. and x. 1-4. And especially when the great highpriest was come, and his sacrifice was offered, they were quite impotent and useless, to answer any end at all; and therefore of right ought to cease, and be no more used; which leads,

III. To the abrogation of the first covenant, or of the administration of it; which was signified by the rending of the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, at the death of Christ; whereby the way into the holiest of all was made manifest, and all within exposed to open view; as are the mysteries of grace, the veil of ceremonies being removed; and now, with boldness and freedom, entrance is had into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, consecrated through the veil of his flesh, which the former veil was a type of. The abrogation of the old covenant is expressed by breaking down the middle wall of partition, which stood between Jews and Gentiles; such the ceremonial law was, and is so called, in allusion to the enclosure of the court of the Israelites, in the temple, over which the Gentiles might not pass; and by abolishing and slaying the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; the same ceremonial law, which had this name; because it indicated the hatred of God against sin, and irritated the hatred of natural men to it, by its numerous and wearisome rites; and because it was the occasion of enmi

ty between Jew and Gentile, Eph. ii. 14-16. It is moreover expressed by a disannulling of the commandment, the commandment of the priesthood, and of sacrifices and rites belonging to it; and even the whole ceremonial law, as to be of no more force, nor any longer binding; so that no man, henceforward, ought to judge another, with respect to them, nor take upon him to command an ol servance of them, and require obedience to them, Col, ii. 16, 17. It is likewise expressed by a blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances, &c. being an accusation for sin, containing a charge of sin, and implying an acknowledgement of it; as if they had given it under their hands, and shewing and owning that satisfaction for sin, and that expiation were not yet made; wherefore when Christ came and paid the debt, he took up his bond, and cancelled it, and blotted out his hand-writing against his people, that it might not be read any more, and nailed it to his cross; where law and justice are directed to go for satisfaction, Col. ii. 14, Once more, the abolition of the first covenant, and its form of administration, is signified by the fleeing away, and disappearance of shadows. The law, and its ceremonies were only shadows of good things to come by Christ: when he, the Sun of Righteousness, arose, and these shadows fled; when he, the body, sum, and substance appeared, these disappeared; to this the church has respect, Cant. ii. 17.

Now the abrogation of the first and old covenant, or of that form of administration of the covenant of grace, was made, not at once, but gradually; and which the apostle suggests, when he says; In that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old; now that which decayeth and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away, Heb. viii. 13. It began to decay, and there were some symptoms of a decay of it at the Babylonish captivity, and under the second temple; when the land of Canaan, a type of the heavenly inheritance, was seized upon by the Chaldeans, the inhabitants carried captive, a governor appointed over it by the king of Babylon, and left in it to till it for his use; the temple was burnt, and temple-worship and service ceased for many years, and the vessels of it were carried to Babylon; and though after a term of years there was a return of the people to their own land, and the temple was rebuilt, and worship restored; yet, the ark, and many other things were wanting in that temple; great declensions there were, both in doctrine and worship; the sect of the Pharisees arose, and set up their own traditions upon a level with the written word, if not above it; and great confusion there was in the priesthood, that, and the civil govetument being blended together; and men were put into it, especially towards the close of this period, that were very unfit for it; and oftentimes obtained it by corruption and bribery; all which shewed a decay, and foreboded a change of things as near.

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, came and proclaimed the near ap· proach of the Messiah; he declared, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, Matt. iii. 2. The gospel-dispensation, the new administration of the covenant of grace, and the blessings of it: his father, at his birth, called him the prophet,

of the Highest, who was to prepare his way, and give knowledge of salvation to his people; and when he entered upon his office, he directed the people to believe on Christ, who was to come; and quickly pointed him to them, saying Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, John i. 29. which the lambs of the daily sacrifice, and all other sacrifices, could not do. Christ himself appeared, and preached the same as John had done, and began his ministry with the same words; but during his life the ceremonies of the law continued in use; he himself was circumcised the eigth day; his mother purified herself according to law, at the proper time, and presented him in the temple, according to the usual manner; at twelve years of age he went up with his parents to Jerusalem, to keep the passover; and when he had entered on his public ministry, he attended synagogue and temple worship; when he healed the leper he sent him to the priest to offer his gift; and one of the last actions of his life, was keeping the passover with his disciples; but at his death, of right, though not in fact, all ceremonies ceased, and even the whole dispensation, or administration of the covenant, as it had been before in use; all things now concerning him had an end, all types and figures, shadows, sacrifices, promises and prophecies; he by his sacrifice, by his sufferings and death, caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease, of right; nor should any afterwards have been offered up, nor any other rite and ceremony observed: yet, through the influence of Judaizing teachers over weak minds, it was thought adviseable to continue the use of some of the ceremonies, at least for a time; after it was known by Peter and others, that they were no longer in force, yet because of the many thousands of Jews, who were all zealous of the law, it was judged proper that compliances should be made, and charity and prudence to be exercised, that weak minds might not be offended, until they were better instructed in the doctrine of christian liberty; which, when that was done, the use of them was strongly opposed against the obstinate and self-willed, who were resolved to retain them at any rate; and the saints were exhorted to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free, and not be entangled with the yoke of bondage; by which means the christian churches were freed from those burden. some rites and ceremonies. But still the carnal Jews continued them, and even sacrifices, until the destruction of Jerusalem, which put an end to them; for according to the law of God, no sacrifice might be offered but at Jerusalem, and upon the altar there; so that when the city, temple, and altar were destroyed, they ceased to offer any sacrifice, and never have offered any since; whereby that prophecy is remarkably fulfilled; The children of Israel shall abide many days without a sacrifice, Hos. iii. 4. as they have for seventeen hundred years, and still do; not even a passover-lamb is slain by them, as well as no other sacrifice offered; which yet they would gladly offer, in defiance of Christ, the great Sacrifice, were it not for the above law, which stands in their way, and by which they are awed; and which is no small instance of the wisdom and goodness of God in providence.' Now it was a little before the destruction of Jerusalem

the apostle wrote the epistle to the Hebrews, and therefore, with great propriety, he says of the old covenant, that it was not only decayed, and waxen old, but was ready to vanish away, Heb. viii. 13. This being the case,

IV. The new covenant, or the new administration of the covenant of grace, took place; and as the one was gradually removed, the other was gradually introduced; and this observation will serve to reconcile the different æras fixed by different persons, for the beginning of the new dispensation; some placing it at the birth of Christ; others at the ministry of John the Baptist; others at the death of Christ, and his resurrection from the dead; and others at his ascension, and the effusion of the holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; whereas these were so many gradual manifestations of it: at the birth of Christ, undoubtedly, the fulness of time was come for the redemption of his people from the law who were under it; and on which very day the gospel was first preached by the angels to the shepherds, and afterwards more clearly and fully by John, by Christ and his apostles; Mark the Evangelist, seems to make the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God, to be with the ministry of John the Baptist, Mark i. 1-3. and which agrees with what Christ says; The law and the prophets were until John; they terminated in him, his ministry put a period to them; Since that time the kingdom of God is preached in a clearer manner, and attended to by more than it was before, Luke xvi. 16. Christ appeared, and preached the gospel as never man did; grace and truth came by him in a clearer and fuller manner than it ever had: he not only preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, as John did, but that it was already come; though not with pomp, with outward shew and observation, and was actually among the people, Luke xvii. 20, 21. At his death, and by the shedding of his blood, the New Testament was sealed, ratified, and confirmed by hini, as the Testator of it; and therefore called, The blood of the New Testament, and the blood of the everlasting Covenant, of that new administration of the covenant which should always continue: but this new dispensation more clearly appeared at his ascension, and by the effusion of the holy Spirit on the apostles at the day of Pentecost; at his resurrection, he gave them a commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature: and ordered them to wait at Jerusalem until they were endued with the holy Spirit, as they were on the above day; whereby they were furnished and qualified to carry the gospel, and preach among all nations, as they did. And now it may be observed, that the new administration of the covenant, under the gospel-dispensation, lies in the following things.

it

I. In an exhibition of Christ as come, and as become the author of eternal salvation; in it he is set and held forth as incarnate; as having obeyed, suffered, and died, and has made peace and reconciliation, and full satisfaction for sin; and has obtained eternal redemption; has risen from the dead, and ascended to heaven, and has received for and given gifts to men to preach his gospel; these

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several articles of grace are comprized in the great mystery of godliness, 1 Tim. iii. 16. and in those words, which are the sum of the gospel-declaration, this is a faithful saying, &c. 1 Tim, i, 15.

11. In a more clear and extensive ministration of the gospel: it first began to be spoken by Christ in the clearest and fullest manner it possibly could be; and then by his apostles, who received it from him, and gifts to minister it; and who by his orders carried it throughout the world, and preached it to every creature under heaven, first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles; and is, made known 10 all nations, for the obedience of faith, Rom. xvi. 25, 26. so that the administration of the covenant is no longer restrained to a certain people, but men of all nations have the benefit of it.

III. In a freedom from all bondage and servitude: not from the bondage of sin and Satan, common to all believers under every dispensation; but from the rigorous exaction of the law, as a covenant of works; from the yoke of the ceremonial law, and from the judicial laws, as peculiar to the Jews; and which farther lies in the free use of things indifferent, and in the enjoyment of the pri vileges and immunities of the gospel-church-state: this is the glorious liberty of the children of God, the liberty with which Christ has made them free; and who receive the Spirit of adoption, by whom they cry Abba, Father; and who is a free Spirit, and where he is, there is liberty.

4. In a large communication of the gifts and graces of the Spirit of extraordinary gifts, which in the first part of this administration were bestowed, not only upon the apostles, but upon common christians, men and women, sons and daughters, servants and handmaids, according to the prophecy of Joel, chap. 1. 28, 29. of common and ordinary gifts, to fit men for the ordinary ministry of the word; and of the special graces of the Spirit, in a greater degree to saints in common; as a larger measure of faith, peace, joy and comfort, and of light and knowledge; for according to this covenant and the administration of it, all know the Lord from the least to the greatest; and though John was greater than the prophets, the least in this kingdom of heaven, or gospel-dispensation, is greater than he, Matt. xi. 11.

v. In ordinances more spiritual than the ordinances of divine service under the first covenant were, which are called carnal ones; but these, which are Baptism and the Lord's supper, do in a very lively and spiritual manner represent the sufferings, death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and hold forth the blessings of the covenant of grace in a comfortable way, and are the means of applying them to believers, to the increase of their joy and peace; and these will continue throughout the present administration of the covenant, even to the end of the world, Matt. xxviii 19, 20. 1 Cor. xi. 26. of these ordinances I shall particularly treat elsewhere.

Now as the former administration of the covenant was carried through the various periods of time from the first exhibition, after the fall of Adam, to the