best endeavours, and well-meant aims after perfection? Are we not, in such explications of scripture, standing on the very ground with those who say, Let us do the best we can; and our merciful God, 'who knows the infirmity and weakness of human nature, will make " up the rest? Yet certain it is, that many who would hold such explications of the New Testament in detestation, give their unqualified support to it under the Old. God's covenant is his promised, sworn ratified mercy and blessing. Keeping that covenant is adhe ring to it, in opposition to what the Psalmist calls, dealing falsely in it; or, as an apostle expresses it, holding fast the profes⚫sion of our faith without wavering.' Obeying God's voice in that covenant, is hearing him, taking up the cross, and following him in all things which he commands, connected with that covenant. To distinguish between obedience to what is called the moral law, the eternal rule of righteousness, and obedience to God's statutes and judgments under the old covenant, or the obedience of faith under the New, is a very important point. Our readers will, we trust, excuse a little prolixity more than is customary here, in order to clear the entrance, the very threshold of the Mosaic worship. It occurs to us, that the simplest way of illustrating this distinction, is by example; thus, Thou shalt not covet,' is an important point in the divine immutable law of God. Go, shew thyself to the priest, as Moses

hath commanded,' is a precept of the ceremonial law, which our Lord enjoined on the poor leper whom he had just cleansed. Now, with these two precepts before us, let us shortly examine the distinct nature of each. As to covetousness, among one class of mankind, if we are guilty of nothing unfair or dishonest to our neighbours, we are not transgressors : among others, if we are not culpably parsimonious, but shew a decent liberality, according to our circumstances, we stand on pretty fair ground. Now, both these explications are not only merely the letter or shell of the law, but are rather like the outer rind of it, if we may use such an expression; and those who assert, that Israel enjoyed Canaan, by virtue of an obedience of this kind, are indulging in as gross a mistake as can possibly be conceived. All outward, or literal obedience, was carried to its utmost height among the Jews, at the very period when they were cast off and rejected as God's church and people. We may therefore rest assured, that want of obedience to the letter of the law was not their crime. To covet, is the desire of the mind to possess or enjoy any thing not our own. It is thus expressed, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, wife, man or maid servant, ox, ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.' Is there a son or daughter of Adam, that can bring the thoughts and intents of their hearts to this touchstone, without finding themselves utterly condemned and guilty before God? Do not these words shut every mouth, and bring the whole world guilty before him? Can we think of them in their broad and spiritual extent, and admit the thought, for one moment, that God brought Israel out of Egypt for the purpose of wreathing this condemning law upon their consciences, as the term of his covenant? Or can we suppose, that when he says, • If ye will obey my

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voice indeed,' the Judge of the secrets of men's hearts expected obedience to the spirit of the divine law? When we look, on the other hand, into the voice of his ceremonial law, in the instance of cleansing the leper, the finishing ceremony of which we referred to as enjoined by the Lord, we see no burdensome yoke; nothing commanded beyond the easy reach of man to perform; nothing unsuitable to the divine character to require, nor beyond the reach of man to obey; and applied to which, we see glory in the divine words, If ye will obey my words indeed. In attending to this law and its precept, we also find the nature of the obedience of faith finely illustrated. It is obvious, that offering the sacrifices of the blood of animals, and appearing before an earthly priest, were no acts of morality, that could ei ther make a man more or less guilty before his Maker; but obeying God's voice in such commandments, was an evidence of faith in his holy covenant. It is on the same principle, that the all things,' which Christ commanded, are obeyed by his people, not as rendering them internally better, or less sinful, before God, but as evidences of their truth in him, and hope in his mercy. We shall have occasion to observe the law of the ten words introduced into the ceremonial law, for the same reason as now, a professor of the faith in Jesus Christ is not only bound to eat the Lord's Supper, and walk in love, but also to pay respect to his moral conduct in every respect; but this we shall afterwards attempt to illustrate more fully as we proceed. In the mean time, we have adduced the grounds on which we are led to maintain, that the obedience of the old covenant was not obedience to the moral law, as a covenant of works, but obedience to the ceremonial law, as fruits of faith, and testimonies of thanksgiving to God for his unspeakable mercies.

The word

The consequence of this obedience to God's voice in his covenant, is said to be, Ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me.' regusah, here translated peculiar treasure, is a word of very singular and emphatic import; it points to that which is inestimable. We have been led to express something of its meaning, when speaking of the jewels of gold and silver that were borrowed of the Egyptians. The great cause of the high value which God puts on his church is, that they were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.' God adds, Ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.' It is remarkable that Peter applies these very words to the strangers scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter ii. 9. Israel was literally God's kingdom, where also his priesthood was established. They were likewise a holy or separated nation to his service. Their holiness was nothing internal or natural, for they were always a stiff-necked and gainsaying people. But they were holy, as set apart to the service of God. We shall only add, that if the strangers to whom Peter wrote, were properly called a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation, so is every little dwelling-place of Mount Zion to this day. All who are born of God belong to his kingdom, and they are all heirs of his heavenly crown. They are all priests, for they offer up spiritual sacrifices, giving thanks to his

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name. In this way they are formed for him, and shew forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness to his marvellous light. Happy are the people indeed who are in such a case! Small and despised they may be in this world, but they are great with the Holy One of Israel in the midst of them. Moses, having called for the elders of Israel, laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.' Here then we find Moses, beginning the exercise of his office as Mediator; and thus the old covenant inculcated that important doctrine, that guilty man can have no access to his Maker, but by a day's man to lay his hands upon both.' When Moses called for the elders, we are not to understand that these elders had power to determine, or act in any respect without the people; for in the next verse we find all the people answering together.' The elders were called for to communicate the words of the Lord to their respective companies. The answer of the people deserves particular notice, All that the Lord hath spoken will we do." When this transaction is recited by Moses, Deuternomy v. 29. the Lord replies, They have well said, all that they have spoken. Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep my commandments," &c. The common interpretation of these passages is in this way, Israel here engaged to keep the moral law. God knew that they could not do so; and he says, O that there were such an heart in them: there never was such a heart in the human race, till Christ came, and he kept the law,' &c. This is worse than misinterpretation; it is attributing to God what it would be improper to name. Would ever the Almighty, who knows what is in man, say to any company of guilty sons of Adam, who were engaging to keep his holy law, The peo 'ple have well said, all that they have spoken? Let us consider Israel here in the natural light, which the simple narration of the text leads us, as publicly professing their faith in God's covenant, and adherence to his commandments, connected with that covenant, and we shall understand how God should say, they have well spoken;' while, at the same time, the omniscient God, who well knew that an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God was predominant, most justly adds, O that there were such an heart in them.' He afterwards testified, This people errs in heart; they ' have not known my ways.' This error in the heart of Old Israel, Paul proves to be the error of unbelief; an error as predominant. now, as in the wilderness.

The 9th verse should be read, Lo I come to thee, in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak to thee, and believe thee for ever.' God spake to Moses out of the cloudy pillar, Psal. xcix. 7. and thus gave evidence of the divine mission of Moses. Agreeably to this, we hear the Jews saying, in the days of our Lord, We know that God spake by Moses;' but it is evident that the same error was prevalent then as now: there was a veil on their minds when Moses was read; and that veil seems rather to be thickened than dispelled. Moses in all his life, but especially in this transaction at Sinai, was a most eminent type of the Son of God.

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"A prophet,' said the Lord God, will I raise up to Israel, like to Moses, &c. There is the most striking coincidence and likeness between Moses and Christ; and in nothing is this more remarkable, than in the doctrines which they taught.

The following four verses (10-14). point out the awful solemnity which preceded God's descent on Sinai. Every particular injunction is highly important. The people must be sanctified, washing their clothes, and be ready on the third day. Paul evidently refers to this, And holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,' Heb. xii. 14. The washing of their clothes was a figure of the purging and cleansing, which is described thus: And have washed their robes, and made them clean in the blood of the Lamb,' Rev. vii. 14. For the sake of his people, Christ ، walked to-day and to'morrow, and was perfected the third day.' For their sakes he sanctified himself; and was justified the third day in his resurrection from the dead. There seems to be a reference here, particularly to the cleansing of communion, as in the case of Jacob, Gen. xxxii. On the third day the Lord descended on the mount, in the sight ' of all Israel.' This descent is awfully described in the context; and from the plain reference to the resurrection on the third day, particularly in the eighteenth Psalm, there can be no doubt, that the descent of God in ratifying the old covenant, was closely connected with his ascent in establishing the new. We are also most evi. dently called to think of it as representing his still more awful de scent, in flaming fire, to take vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the gospel.' The manner in which the mount was so strictly guarded, that if so much as a beast touched it, it should 'be stoned,' was a very remarkable display of the infinite holiness of him who now descended.

It is impossible to pass over in silence, the strange use which has been made of the glorious descent of Jesus Christ on Mount Sinai, Paul has been forced into the service; and his memorable language, Heb. xii. 18-26. has been considered as conclusive on the head. Law and gospel, Sinai and Zion, the blackness, and darkness, and tempest, with grace, mercy, and peace, are placed in battle array against each other; and the ablest preacher is he who can point out the strongest opposition between them. Nothing can be more unscriptural; nothing more contrary to the design of the Holy Ghost, which we shall here consider. In the epistle to the Hebrews, Paul is evidently labouring to deliver the minds of the believing remnant of the Jews, from their mistaken views of the old covenant. They had not only the prejudices of education, in favour of the Jewish wor ship, but that divine revelation had been accompanied with so many visible proofs of the countenance and authority of heaven, that Paul had occasion to exercise all his knowledge as a well-instructed scribe, to loose their minds from it. Now, this object he pursues, not, as some vainly imagine, by throwing contempt on the old covenant, but by demonstrating that Christ in his death, and resurrection, and ascension to glory, has become the end and object of that law in the inost complete manner. In this twelfth chapter, he is encouraging

them to the utmost purity in their connection, as if he had said, "If, it was necessary for your fathers to sanctify themselves, and wash their clothes, before God descended on Sinai, it is no less necessary for you to attend to the purity of your communion, for he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. This you can only do, by exercising the law of God's house, looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, and, proving a root of bitterness, defile many. For if, in Jacob's family of old, Esau appeared despising his birthright, and selling it for one morsel of meat; ye Jews now are in no less danger. Nor ought ye to be careless and inattentive in your profession, as thinking there are now no visible displays of God's wrath. It is very true, you are not come to a mount that you could touch with your bodies, and so subject yourselves to direct and immediate judgments: you have not a display of the consuming fire, nor the terrible outward visible appearances of blackness, darkness, and tempest; your hearts are not now made to sink with terror, as Moses was, with the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words uttering the fiery law, filling the whole camp of Israel with terror and dismay: but although ye are not come to all these outward and visible displays of terrible majesty, you are come, by the holy profession which you have taken upon you, to what is no less dreadful,---to what should have a still more powerful influence on your minds, filling you with reverence and godly fear. You see not Mount Sinai, all in a blaze of smoke and fire, but, lift your heads a little higher, and behold Mount Zion within the veil! He who then clothed himself with terrible majesty on Sinai, appears in all the perfection of that glorious power on Zion; there stands the city of the living God: there, the heavenly Jerusalem: angels descended as ministering spirits on Sinai; but, look to the heavenly throne, and there behold an innumerable company of angels. You scattered and persecuted Hebrews, see now no such company as was assembled at Sinai, but look upwards, and behold the whole general assembly. The day of the assembly was a great day in Horeb; but it was not to be compared with the multitude around the throne. Your fathers were God's typical first-born, but see in heaven the true church of the first-born, not enrolled from Abraham, but in the heavenly register. You are now called to the presence of God the judge of all, and of the spirits of just men made perfect. Your fathers had a wonderful display of the divine plan of mercy in Moses, their Mediator; but see, yonder stands Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant. Moses sprinkled your fathers with the blood of bulls; but Jesus sprinkles the church of the first-born with his own blood! See then that ye refuse not him that speaketh; nor think that you will his escape judgment, because it is displayed with no visible symbols of majesty and power; for, if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Sinai, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him who speaks from Mount Zion! His voice was doubtless very terrible then, when it shook the earth; but although we hear not now the majesty of that voice, it shall yet once more be heard; and if it was terrible when shaking the earth, it shall be infinitely more so,