alone conveys strength in life, and consolation Be assured that what are

at the hour of death. called large, or philosophical, views of Christianity are often in reality shallow and contracted compared with the simple, yet mysterious, revelations of Scripture, which the mightiest intellect cannot fathom, but which the humble Christian, too wise to be philosophical, feels exactly to meet his case. These theories commonly betray their human origin by ignoring some great truth respecting the Divine nature, or the nature of man, and then, as is easy to do, constructing a system out of the mutilated conception. Thus Socinianism is based on the assumption, that God is a God of pure and unmixed benevolence. And not only hold fast the Scriptural doctrine of the Atonement as Christians, but, if you are called, or intend to be called, to the more arduous office of the Christian ministry, be mindful to give it that prominence in your ministrations which rightfully belongs to it. For in truth this is the only talisman which has ever been found effectual to unlock the closed heart, and to restore its wandering affections to their rightful Master. "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Apart from the full exhibition of this central object under its various aspects, our ministrations lose all their power, both because the Holy Spirit will not cooperate with a mutilated, or concealed,

s John xii. 32.

Gospel, and because the animating spring of all Christian obedience, the "love of Christ" which "constraineth us," is wanting. Let us tremble at the thought of being unfaithful stewards of the mysteries of God, and withholding the bread of life from those whose spiritual interests are committed to our care, and for whom we shall have to give account at the day of Christ. All Christian holiness springs from the consciousness of peace with God through Jesus Christ; but this consciousness never visits the heart which has not been taught, and has not learned, to believe that sin has been once and for ever expiated by Christ's death, and that faith is the connecting link be

tween that expiatory sacrifice and individual justification.

LECTURE V.

ACTS x. 43.

To Him give all the Prophets witness.

THE ceremonial Law was not the only means of instruction vouchsafed to the ancient Church: besides the teaching of the typical ordinances, direct communications respecting God's designs, in the kingdoms both of providence and of grace, proceeding from a succession of inspired persons raised up for this purpose, opened up to the Jewish believer glimpses of the future dispensation, to which his own was introductory, and in which it was to terminate. It becomes then of moment to consider whether these two great branches of revelation coincide in their general results; whether the lessons of prophecy correspond with those of the Law, the ceremonial, so far as it symbolized the truths of the Gospel, as well as the moral; and so both bear a united and harmonious testimony to Him that should come, in whom both, we believe, have been fulfilled. For it is obvious that any serious discrepancy of import

between them would go far to annul the authority of each, and especially their use towards determining the nature of the Christian dispensation; not to mention that one of the main evidences of our faith would be seriously impaired.

I have said, so far as the ceremonial Law symbolized the truths of the Gospel, because the range of subjects to which it extended is obviously much more contracted than that which prophecy takes in. While it is the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ which form the main subjects of the Levitical types, prophecy enlarges not only upon these but upon other particulars connected with the Redeemer;-His person, His sufferings as well as death, His subsequent glory, and the nature of His kingdom. But if prophecy had thus the advantage in the scope of its revelations, it was far more tardy in the communication. The Jewish sacrificial system contained, as we have seen, a full and accurate adumbration of the particular Christian facts to which it refers; and this at a time when the notices of prophecy on the same subjects were but meagre. What the law conveyed in one representation, prophecy slowly, in the lapse of centuries, disclosed, and its greatest oracles respecting the atoning work of Christ are perhaps inferior in completeness of detail to the corresponding symbolism of the Levitical ritual. This indeed is one of the advantages of the mode of teaching by symbol; that it can express in one

and the same action both the general thing intended, and the subordinate particulars which fill up the conception; can combine simplicity of meaning with complexity of detail; and present to the eye in one group the ideas which oral instruction is compelled to exhibit separately, and in succession. Had the Jew possessed the key to his ritual, no discoveries of prophecy could have added to his knowledge in the points which that ritual was intended to illustrate.

Before making some observations on the subjectmatter of prophecy as introductory to the Gospel, I would draw attention to the important place which the prophetical office occupied as one of the standing institutions of the Theocracy.

I would observe then, in the first place, that the nearest approach which we find in the ancient economy to that great ordinance of the Gospel, the ministry of God's word, was exhibited in the prophetic function. Properly speaking, the Jewish Church had no standing means of grace of this kind; for though to the Levites was committed the charge of studying and teaching the law", it does not appear that they attempted more than the task of interpretation in points involving difficulty'; while prophecy itself was irregular in its exercise, and often intermitted for long periods of time. Yet the pastoral office, so far as it did

a Deut. xxxiii. 10.

b Vitringa De Synog. Vet. l. i. p. 2. c. 8.