sume the sacrifices, the urim and thummim, and the Holy Ghost who inspired the prophets. But when the Lord came to his temple, and performed many of his miracles there, this brought a glory to it infinitely exceeding that of the former; for what comparison is there between the shadowy presence of God between the cherubim, and his real presence in the human nature of Christ, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily? How much inferior were the priests and prophets to him who came from heaven, and had the Spirit without measure, to reveal the counsel of God for the salvation of the world!

4. The particular circumstances foretold concerning the Messiah, are all verified in Jesus Christ. It was foretold that the Messiah should have a forerunner, to prepare his way by preaching the doctrine of repentance; that he should be born of a virgin, and of the family of David, and in the town of Bethlehem; that he should go into Egypt, and be called forth from thence by God; that his chief residence should be in Galilee, the region of Zebulun and Naphtali; that he should be poor and humble, and enter into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass; that he should perform great miracles in restoring the blind, the lame, the deaf, and dumb; that he should suffer many afflictions, contempt, scorn, stripes, be spit on, scourged, betrayed by his familiar friend, sold for a sordid price; that he should be put to death; that his hands and feet should be bored, and his side pierced; that he should die between two thieves; that in his passion he should taste vinegar and gall; that his garments should be divided, and lots be cast for his coat; that he should be buried, and his body not see corruption, but rise again the third day; that he should ascend to heaven, and sit at the right hand of God: and all these predictions are exactly fulfilled in the Lord Christ.

5. The consequences of his coming are foretold;

(1.) That the Jews should reject him, because of the meanness of his appearance. They neither understood the greatness and majesty, nor the abasement of the Messiah described in their prophecies ;-nót his greatness, that the son of David was his Lord, that he was before Abraham who rejoiced to see his day; for they did not believe the eternity of his divine nature;-they did not understand his humiliation to death; therefore it was objected by them that "the Messiah remains for ever, and this person saith he shall die." They

fancied a carnal Messiah, shining with worldly pomp, accompanied with thundering legions, to deliver them from temporal servitude; so that when they saw him without form and comeliness," and that no beauty was in him to make him desirable, they "hid their faces from him," they despised and esteemed him not." Thus by their obstinate refusal of the Messiah, they really and visibly fulfilled the prophecies concerning him.

(2.) That the Levitical ceremonies and sacrifices should cease upon the death of the Messiah, and the Jewish nation be dissolved. Although the legal service was established with great solemnity, yet there was always a sufficient indication that it should not be perpetual. Moses, who delivered the law, told them, that God would raise up another prophet whom they must hear." And David composed a psalm to be sung in the temple, containing the establishment of a priest, not according to the order of Levi but Melchizedec, who should bring in a worship spiritual and divine, Psalm cx. 3. And we see this accomplished: all the ceremonies were buried in his grave, and the sacrifices for above sixteen hundred years are ceased. Besides the destruction of the holy city and sanctuary, the Jews are scattered in all parts, and in their dreadful dispersion suffer the just punishment of their infidelity.

(3.) It was prophesied that in the time of the Messiah idols should be ruined, and idolaters converted to the knowledge of the true God; that he should be "a light to the Gentiles," and to him the gathering of the people should be. And this is so visibly accomplished in the conversion of the world to Christianity, that not one jot or tittle of God's word hath failed; so that besides the glory due to his power and mercy, we are obliged to honour him as the fountain of truth.

II. I will now make some short reflections upon the types of the law, to show how they are completed in Christ.

The Mosaic dispensation was so contrived as to bear a resemblance of the Messiah in all its parts. The law had " a shadow of good things to come," Heb. x. 1. "Christ is the end of the law," the substance of those shadows, Rom. x. 4. The main design of the epistle to the Hebrews is to show, that in the ancient tabernacle there were models of the heavenly things revealed in the gospel. The great number of types declare the variety of the divine wisdom, and the admirable fulness of Christ in whom they are verified.

Three sorts were instituted: some were things without life,

whose qualities and effects shadowed forth his virtues and benefits; things endued with life and sense ;-reasonable persons, that either in their offices, actions, or the memorable accidents that befell them, represented the Messiah.

1. Of the first sort, I will briefly consider the manna that miraculously fell from heaven, the rock that by its stream refreshed the Israelites in their journey to Canaan, and the brazen serpent: premising two things-that in comparing them with the truth, we are to observe the design of God, and not to seek for mysteries in every thing; as in pictures, some strokes of the pencil are for ornament only, others for signification:-besides, when superlative things are spoken of them, exceeding their nature and that cannot be applied to them without a violent figure, the full and entire truth is found only in Jesus Christ.

(1.) The manna was an eminent type of him. Accordingly the apostle declares of the Israelites, they “did all eat the same spiritual meat," not in respect of its material, but symbolical nature, 1 Cor. x. 3.

The express analogy between manna and Christ, is visible in respect of its marvellous production. The Mosaical manna was not the fruit of the earth, procured by human industry, but formed by the divine power, and rained down upon them; therefore it is called "the corn of heaven," Psalm Ixxviii. 24. This typified the celestial original of our Redeemer. He is the true bread from heaven, given by the Father, John vi. 32. He is called the gift of God eminently, being the richest and freest, without any merit or endeavour of men to procure it. And we may observe the truth infinitely exceeded the type; for manna descended only from the clouds, therefore our Saviour tells the Jews, "Moses gave you not that bread from heaven;" but he really came from heaven, where the great and glorious presence of God is manifested, and appeared under a visible form in the world. Manna was only styled the "bread of angels," to signify its excellency above common food;" but "the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven."

Manna was dispensed to all the Israelites equally; not as the delicious fruits of the earth, that are the portion of a few, but as the light and influences of the heavens, that are common to all. And herein it was a representation of Christ, who is offered to all without distinction of nations, to the Jews and Gentiles, to the Grecians and barbarians; and with

out the distinction of quality, to the honourable and mean, the rich and the poor, the learned and ignorant. And here we may observe the excellency of the spiritual manna above the mosaical; for that fed but one nation, but the bread of God gives life to the world; his infinite merit is sufficient for the salvation of all.

Manna was a delicious food; the taste of it is described to be like wafers mixed with honey, that have a pure, chaste sweetness. This typified the love of Christ shed abroad in the hearts of believers. Such an exalted ravishing pleasure proceeds from it, that the Psalmist breaks forth in an ecstasy, "Taste and see that the Lord is good," Psalm xxxiv. 9.

Manna was their only support in the wilderness, strengthening them to vanquish their enemies, and endure the hardships to which they were incident in their passage to Canaan. In this regard it was a lively image of Christ, who is our spiritual food while we are in the desert of the lower world, the place of our trial, exposed to dangers. By him alone we shall be finally victorious over the enemies of our salvation. And in this also the truth is infinitely above the type that prefigured it; for manna could preserve the natural life for a time only; as our Saviour tells the Jews, 66 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead." But Jesus Christ is "the living bread that came down from heaven," and hath a supernatural virtue, to convey a life incomparably more noble, and answerable to the quality of his original. It is incorruptible, as heaven from whence he came. "If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever," John vi. 51. Death is so far from extinguishing, that it advances the spiritual life to its perfection.

(2.) The rock. The apostle testifies that the Israelites "drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ," 1 Cor. x. 4. That the miracle was mysterious, is evident from the circumstances related of it. When the Israelites were in great distress for water, the Lord said to Moses, "I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink," Exod. xvii. 6. If there had been no other design but the relieving of their necessity, that might have been supplied by rain from heaven; or if only to give a visible effect of the divine power, that had been discovered in causing new springs to rise from the earth, or the command of God had been suffi

cient to strike the rock; but he went to it to signify the respect it had to himself. He was the Son of God that spake to Moses, and conducted the people; for this reason he is styled the angel of God's presence, not with respect to his nature, but offices.

I will briefly observe the parallel between the rock and Christ.

A rock is the ordinary title of God in scripture to represent his unchangeable nature and infinite power, whereby he upholds the world; and in a special manner it resembles the Messiah. He is called "the stone which the builders refused, that was made the head of the corner," 1 Pet. ii. 7,8. He is the rock upon which the church is built, and secured against the violence of hell, Mat. xvi. 18. Now Israel was not supplied from the clouds or the valleys, but the rock, to show that the mystical rock, the Son of God, only can refresh the spiritual Israel with living water.

The quality of the rock hath a proper signification; for although it had in its veins a rich abundance of waters, yet to appearance nothing was more dry and hard. In this it was a figure of the spiritual rock. The effects have discovered in him unfathomable depths of righteousness, grace, and salvation; yet at the first view we had no hopes; for if we consider him as God, he is infinitely holy and just, encompassed with everlasting flames against sin; and how can we expect any cooling streams from him? If we consider him as man, he is resembled to "a root out of a dry ground." The justice of the divine, and the infirmity of the human nature did not promise any comfort to us. But what cannot infinite love, united to infinite power, perform? Divine goodness hath changed the laws of nature in our favour, and by an admirable act opened the rock to refresh

us.

The rock was struck with the rod of Moses, a type of the law, before it sent forth its streams; thus our spiritual rock 66 was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities," and then opened all his treasures to us. Being consecrated by suffering, he is "the Author of eternal salvation." In this respect the gospel propounds him for the object of saving faith; I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The sacraments, the seals of the new covenant, have a special reference to his death, the foundation of it.