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SKETCH XXI.

MOSES

DEUTERONOMY, iv. 5, 6.

First, OSES taught no statutes nor judgments but such as the LORD commanded him. A prophet shall the LORD your God raise up unto you like unto me. John, xiv 24, “He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the father's which sent me. xvii. 8, "For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me."

Secondly, "The people keeping those statutes thus evinced their wisdom. To this truth Job beareth witness, chapter xxviii. 28, "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Psalm, xix. 7, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." Psalm cxi. 10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever." Psalm, cxix. 98, made me wiser

99, "Thou through thy commandments hast than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation." 2 Timothy, iii. 15, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Thirdly, Did ever any human being keep these statutes and judgments in his own person? Let the oracles of God decide. Psalm, xiv. 2, "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God." Romans, iii. 10, "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one." The framers of the assembly's Catechism avow sentiments in union with the foregoing testimonies. No mere man, say they, since the fall, is able to keep these

commandments, but daily doth break them in thought, word and

deed.

Fourthly, Is it possible to obtain life in any other way than by keeping the commandments? Matthew, xix. 17, "And he said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments." No, it is not possible to enter into life in any other way, for the soul that sinneth shall die.

Fifthly, How then can any sinner be saved? By keeping the whole law with a perfect heart, in his perfect head! Jesus, who is the head of every man, was made under the law. Galatians, iii. 13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Verse 23, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwords be revealed." Galatians, iv. 5, " To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Sixthly, and lastly, Did Jesus keep the law? I came not, said he, to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. Did Jesus keep the law with his whole heart? Thy law is in my heart, said the Redeemer. Is he in consequence of keeping the law the life of the world? Is he consequently the wisdom, the righteousness, and sanctification of sinners? 1 Corinthians, i. 30, 31, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. That according as it is

written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the LORD.

GOD

SKETCH XXII.

DEUTERONOMY, viii. 31, 32.

First, the LORD was indeed the God of the Hebrews, and addressing this people, Exodus, xix. 4, He saith, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Deuteronomy, xxxii. 9-12, "For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him,

he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him." Hosea, xi. 3, 4, "I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them."

Secondly, Yet these people were not believers! Psalm, lxxviii. 22, "Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation." Hebrews, iii. 1, 2, " Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle, and high Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house." And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief. Jude 5, "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the LORD having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them that believed not." Yes, the people were destroyed in the wilderness, even Moses died short of the promised land. Yet God himself declared he had pardoned those very people; and a day shall come when these dead men shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live; members of the body of Christ, they shall assuredly arise. Because of unbelief they were cut off, but God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all, that the accusation of partiality might not rest upon his arrangements. The unbeliever will doubtless be destroyed; but the believer will supply his place, for they shall all be taught of God, from the least to the greatest, and thus taught, it will be impossible to find an unbeliever, for the Redeemer will come from Zion, and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And so all Israel will be saved.

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SKETCH XXIII.

DEUTERONOMY Xviii. 15-22.

First, THE HE LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee. Acts iii. 22, "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the LORD your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you."

Secondly, This prophet, thus raised up, is of our brethren. Hebrews ii. 17, "Wherefore, in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." But he was not only in his birth the first born of many brethren, but in his resurrection also. John xx. 17, "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto my Father, and your Father; unto my God, and your God. Do you say he was only the elder brother of believers? John the Evangelist bears a different testimony, chapter vii. verse 5. of his gospel, “For neither did his brethren believe in him.”

Thirdly, Moses informed the people the future prophet should be like unto him. In what particular did Jesus Christ resemble Moses? Like Moses he was a mediator, but although the resemblance is striking, the superiority is incontrovertible, the one was man, the other God, the God man, the son that abode in the house forever, who gave himself a ransom for all.

Matthew xvii. 5,

Fourthly, Unto him ye shall hearken. "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

Fifthly, What did the people require of the LORD? Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say, and speak thou unto us, all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it.

Sixthly, Christ Jesus was the prophet here pointed out. Acts vii. 37, "This is that Moses which said unto the children of

Israel a prophet shall the LORD your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him shall ye hear."

Seventhly, The words of the divine lawgiver were put into his mouth. John xii. 49, "For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me; he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak."

Eighthly, It shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. The prophet Isaiah beareth witness to this grand truth, liii. 6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquities of us all." The apostle Paul unites his suffrage, Romans iv. 25, "Who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification." 2 Corinthians v. 21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Hebrews vii. 22, "By so much was Jesus made the surety of a better testament." Chapter viii. 6, "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Chapter ix. 15, "And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Chapter xii. 24, "And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel."

Ninthly, What are the marks of the false prophet? First, he is presumptuous; Secondly, he speaks in the name of the LORD, what the LORD did not command him to speak; Thirdly, He speaks in the name of other gods. Jeremiah xxvii. 15, “For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, and the prophets that prophesy unto you." Jeremiah xxiii. 21, “I have not sent these prophets yet they ran; I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied." Isaiah lix. 1-8, "Behold the LORD's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear; But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with

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