the Old Testament; it must be the general character of its revelation of God. And in this respect it does certainly seem that the Old Testament is most perfectly fitted to be, not only historically, and regarding the world as a whole, but for each one of us in the formation of our own minds, a preparation for the knowledge of Christ.

We all know that the predominant character of the New Testament is mercy, in the widest sense of the term. It speaks of light, of freedom, of exaltation, of glory. It does away with the bondage of forms and ceremonies; it addresses men as reasonable beings, appealing to their consciences and their inward sense of right and wrong. In a word, it holds out to them the privilege of being no more the servants of God, but His children. All its tendency, therefore, is comforting and elevating. But do we all need to be comforted and elevated? May it not be that we are in no distress that needs comfort?-that we are in no such humiliation as requires to be exalted? Surely it very well may be so, and is so beyond all question with many of us.

And is not the effect of Christianity on such a state of mind very often just what the Apostle describes it? Men retain its form, but deny its power. They are not enemies to Christ; on the contrary, they admire His character and His words exceedingly; the beauty and purity of Christianity

affects them with unfeigned pleasure; its promises cannot but be most delightful to them. But meanwhile the yoke of Christ, light as it is, and so great a relief to those who really are wearied and heavy laden, is more than they can consent to bear. They admire Christianity, but can scarcely be called themselves Christians; their lives therefore are full of evil,-self-indulgent, proud, disobedient, unthankful, and unholy,-exactly in the manner described by St. Paul.

Now what, on the contrary, is the predominant character of the Old Testament? May it not, speaking of it as a whole, be certainly said to be awe? One instance may be mentioned which shows this in the strongest manner. The characteristic differences of the Old and New Testament may be seen in the two last chapters of St. John's Gospel on the one hand, and in the last chapter of Deuteronomy on the other; in the view given of Christ rising on Mount Calvary, and Moses dying on Mount Nebo. For consider who and what Moses was; how faithful a servant of God, and how favoured. Yet even he, for one unadvised word, for one indulgence, as it should seem, of a hasty temper, though generally the meekest man upon earth, even he was not allowed to enter that promised land, which for so many years he had been looking for. He had laboured, and another was to enter into his labours; and before Israel

might arise and go over Jordan, to take possession of the land of their inheritance, Moses their leader, their lawgiver, and their prophet, must retire alone to Mount Nebo, to die by himself, and even in his burial to be separated from his people. Surely for our sakes this was written, that we might know what that judgment of God is from which Christ has delivered us; and how little we could in our own strength endure to abide it.

But what is written concerning Moses is but in accordance with what is written concerning the people of Moses, and concerning other nations also. We see everywhere the language of judgment, not unmixed certainly, yet predominant; because the evil which draws it down is predominant everywhere. We see obedience required to the minutest outward observances, even on pain of death. We see devastations of war, of pestilence, of famine, sweeping away the young and the old, and, to speak man's language, the righteous and the wicked together. We see one thing above all others insisted on, the worship of God, and the keeping of His law. God is everywhere exalted, whilst the wisdom, the glory, the power, and the pretended righteousness and innocence of man, are all humbled in the dust together.

And is not this the very impression which we need, in order to go with true and wholesome feelings to the cross of Christ? Is it by talking

of man's frailty and God's goodness that we shall ever learn the full meaning of that which Christ has purchased for us, the being reconciled to God? Is it by going on carelessly, by taking life as we find it, by being under no concern for our actions, by talking of heaven as the natural termination of our life in this world, that we can ever understand what is contained in the word Redemption? Or is it not certain, that to such a careless and confident state of mind the very mercy of the language of the Gospel acts as a poison? We turn the grace of God into lasciviousness; we do not judge ourselves; and we are therefore in danger of being not saved, but judged by the Lord, when He shall appear at the last day.

Surely the Old Testament is well fitted for the reproof of such feelings as these. It represents most awfully to us what God will be to us if we do not fear Him. Nor is it true that we need this representation once only; that having once felt the fear of the Lord, and rejoiced therefore in Christ's salvation, we have nothing to do with fear any more. As I said last Sunday, that no man is ever wholly dead to the law, so it is true, or rather it is the same thing to say, that no man has wholly done with fear. We are ever needing something to sober us, to remind us from what evil we have been delivered. We need what we have; the Scriptures in their fulness; the Old

Testament and the New together: that, while the New Testament shows us clearly what of the Old Testament has passed away, and what in it was but imperfect, and suited to a time of greater ignorance, the Old Testament may show us no less clearly what will be our portion if we neglect the great salvation offered to us; if boasting of living in the light, our deeds are yet deeds of evil. It may show us what God's law is, and what His judgments; how He puts down all who exalt themselves against Him, or live without regarding Him. It may finally make us understand that as the law of faith exalts most highly the law of works, so the law of works on the other hand is no less the highest, and only true exaltation of the law of faith in Christ Jesus.

RUGBY CHAPEL,

November 20th, 1836.