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suffered that fire, and survived it; and thus he recovered for us the way to paradise: he overcame this sharpness of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers: and from the story of the malefactor upon the cross, we may know, what was true of him, may be true of us all; we may all be with him this day in paradise.

There is no way to the favour of God, or to the knowledge of God; no entrance adminis tred, but by Jesus Christ; who being the only mediator, is also the only teacher, who shews us the way in which we are to walk. This was one great end of his coming and all the world hath known and confessed, till of very

late years, that the way of man is self: it must be revealed to him.

:

not in him

And as a

way is wanting to all mankind, it is necessary all should understand it. The prophet therefore speaks of it as an highway; such as all may see and understand, if they will walk in it. What can be easier to every capacity, than the rule of example? We have nothing to do but to look at Christ; and all is plain. Learn of me, says he, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find reft to your souls.-Math. ii. 29. How short, and how proper! How suited our case !-while the world gives a very dif

ferent

ferent lesson." Learn of me, for I am proud and high spirited, and ye shall find nothing but disquiet and labour of heart." The blessed Apostle repeats a lesson corresponding with that of his Master-Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ. How heavy is the burthen of the world, when compared with the yoke of Christ! how laborious and difficult is the way of fashion, when compared with the way to heaven! This short, plain rule, of following Christ, would deliver us all.

And as for that other way; that valley of the shadow of death, in which we must all walk, there Christ hath gone before us, and shewed us the path of life: so that we may all say with the Psalmist, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they shall comfort me. We shall find the way, as sheep are directed across a ford by the shepherd and though that ford be as wide and as deep as the Red Sea, it will make no difference: the bondage of Egypt will then be left behind, and Canaan will be in full view before us; to which the rod and staff of this great Shepherd will conduct us in safety.

But now let us consider the second capacity in which Christ appears to us; that of the truth. When

VOL. VII.

N

When we lost our way, we lost the truth at the same time. When Satan shewed a way of knowledge, truth was no longer to be found.The different opinions among men; that vain jangling, as the apostle calls it, is a proof that there is no truth among them. Let any man hear what philosophers have said about God, and he will soon see what human truth is. But the truth of God is this: that the Father sends his Son into the world, that all that believe in Him may be saved. This no philosopher ever thought of. But this is the truth, on which man has depended ever since it was said in paradise," the seed "of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." The great end of revelation was to keep up and explain this truth, which was fulfilled in the son of Christ. Without him neither the law nor the prophets, nor even the world itself, hath any truth in them. What are all the types of the law of Moses? What is that greatest of all, he passover? It is nothing, unless you add to 1,Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. The I had a shadow of good things to come; but body and substance, from whence that shaw was formed, is of Christ. Take away the d of Christ, and what is the blood of bulls of goats? It cannot take away sin: it

per

do that for which it was commanded to

be

be shed; and so it is nothing. We are told of a redemption from Egypt; but that was a temporary redemption: nothing will save us but an eternal redemption, of which that was a figure; but the truth is in Christ: he is the true Lamb, the true Moses, the true Aaron, the true Joshua: he is the truth of all that were before him; the true leader and captain of the people of God; the true priest, the true sacrifice and this was probably the glorious subject of his Exodus, about which Moses and Elias talked with him at his transfiguration. For neither Moses nor the prophets have any other truth: Christ is the sum and substance of all.

But I ventured to say, that the natural or created world itself has no truth without him : and I am persuaded you will find the assertion true. For look at some of the world's first objects, and examine them. We see and admire the light of the day; and we may say with the wise man," truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." But this is the light of the eye: it is not the light of the mind: Christ is that light; and therefore he calls himself the true light, whom the sun in the heavens points out to us as the sun of righteousness. The natural light of the day cannot enlighten a man that is born blind: but

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When we lost our way, we lost the truth at the same time. When Satan shewed a way of knowledge, truth was no longer to be found.The different opinions among men; that vain jangling, as the apostle calls it, is a proof that there is no truth among them. Let any man hear what philosophers have said about God, and he will soon see what human truth is. But the truth of God is this: that the Father sends his Sor into the world, that all that believe in Him ma be saved. This no philosopher ever thought of But this is the truth, on which man has depende ever since it was said in paradise," the se "of the woman shall bruise the serpent's hea The great end of revelation was to keep up explain this truth, which was fulfilled in the son of Christ. Without him neither the nor the prophets, nor even the world itself, any truth in them. What are all the ty the law of Moses? What is that greatest the passover? It is nothing, unless you it, Christ our passover is sacrificed for us law had a shadow of good things to con the body and substance, from whence dow was formed, is of Christ. Take a blood of Christ, and what is the bloo and of goats? It cannot take awa cannot do that for which it was com

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