church-To start the openings of this auguft fcheme, and difcover the rays of this morning ftar of prophecy, in the garden of Eden, and to contemplate it gathering light and perfpicuity, as he pursues it down through Abraham, Mofes, and the prophets, until it bursts into a dazzling flood of day, at the rifing of the fun of righteousness? Must not this view of things communicate a joyous rapture to the believing foul, fomewhat like that which we muft fuppofe the eaftern Magi to have felt, when the ftar, which had conducted them from their own country to Paleftine, ftood fixed over the house where the child Jefus lay? Muft it not affect such a foul with exceeding great joy, and cause it, with thofe eaftern fages, to fall proftrate before the holy child Jefus, and worship him, saying with the convinced disciples, of a truth we have found the Meffias-him of whom Mofes in the law and the prophets did write?-To fee almost every thing in the ancient law fo aptly pointing out and prefiguring Chrift, and the spiritual bleffings of his gofpel kingdom :-To see the ceremonies of the law, fo plainly decyphered in the fubftance of the gofpel :-The Aaronical priesthood and facrifices holding forth in type and apt reprefentation, the eternal priesthood and all-meritorious facrifice of the son of GOD; and the great and univerfal redemption by Chrift, as it were, sketched out and prefigured by the many wonderful deliverances wrought for the children of Ifrael:-In a word, to confider the whole of the patriarchal and mosaic religions, as one continued prophecy of, and preludium

y Mat. ii. 9. 11. John i. 41. 45•

preludium to the difpenfation of the Meffiah, (in which light they ought certainly to be confidered, if the writings of the apostles are to be regarded in their most obvious fignification) adds not a little light and ftrength to the faith of Chriftians. And I am strongly inclined to think, that when it shall please the Father of mercies remarkably to enlarge the boundaries of his fon's church, by bringing into it the Jews, together with the fulness of the Gentile nations, this glorious event will be principally brought about, by a due attention to this argument, namely, the accomplishment of prophecy; which is an argument, when rightly understood, equally capable of giving conviction both to Jews and Gentiles.

AND as the hiftorical and prophetical parts of the old teftament, have a direct influence upon the faith, and confequently a mediate or indirect influence upon the manners of Chriftians; fo its moral and devotional parts have a direct and immediate influence upon their manners, and therefore an indirect and confequential influence upon their faith: Seeing the pure morality and fublime devotion of the old teftament is no inconfiderable argument of its divine original, and therefore no inconfiderable fupport of our faith in the whole revelation : For we fhall find it very difficult to perfuade ourselves, that the penmen of fuch holy and devout writings, were capable of forging an impofture fo abominable, and contrary to all the principles of found morality, as that with which infidelity charges them; that they were capable of recording miracles which were never wrought, and other hiftorical events which never happened, and of affuming to themselves

powers

powers and prerogatives, unto which, they were inwardly conscious they had no title!

BESIDES; what a lofs would the chriftian church sustain, if it were deprived of the moral and devotional parts of the old teftament? The book of pfalms alone, as has been just observed, is an incomparable treasure to the Chriftian church. It may be properly termed the Zunda Vefta, or fire-kindler of Chriftian devotion; it being impoffible to read any of thefe excellent compofitions, with a fuitable temper of mind, without feeling the fire of devotion beginning to kindle in the foul. And what shall we fay of the writings of the prophets, thofe fountains of true eloquence, fervent zeal, found morality, and pure and hallowed devotion? How many arrows have been drawn from this quiver to ftrike conviction, and mortify luft? How many antidotes to expel the mortal poison of the foul? How many cordials to footh affliction, beget patience, and cherish feeble faith, languishing love, and expiring hope?--But I forbear to add, having, I hope, faid enough to evince the excellency of the old teftament scriptures, to prove their fubferviency to the faith and manners of chriftians,-and confequently to recommend them to our careful and conftant ftudy and perufal. It now remains that I should proceed to confider the peculiar excellency of the new teftament revelation, as a motive to the duty enjoined in our text: But this must be the fubject of a future discourse.

SERMON VI.

The excellency of the new teftament fcriptures, and our obligation to search them.

JOHN V. 39.

Search the fcriptures.

N the foregoing difcourfe I have endeavoured largely to evince the excellency of the old teftament fcriptures, as a motive to the duty enjoined in the text; which injunction, altho' it was immediately addreffed to the Jews, yet will appear to be extended to us alfo, if we confider the great fubferviency of these ancient oracles to our chriftian faith and practice. I now proceed to the

SECOND particular under the firft general head, namely, to make fome remarks on the excellency of the new teftament fcriptures, as a reafon why we should make them the matter of our most ferious ftudy and diligent perufal. And here I may be the briefer, both because the new teftament is generally

generally more read and studied by chriftians than the old, and also because its furpaffing excellency is more univerfally allowed, even by infidels themselves; fome of whom feem inclinable to embrace it, were it not for fome peculiar doctrines and myfteries which, as they pretend, fhock their reason. We have before observed that the former difpenfations of religion were preparatory to the gofpel; that they contained in them the fubftance or effentials of christianity, and that they were abundantly fufficient for the falvation of the Jews and Patriarchs; and we are here about to advance an observation which does not at all either derogate from, or contradict the former, but is perfectly confiftent with it, namely, that the christian revelation is far fuperior to the jewish, and that the dispensation of the gospel infi. nitely excels all former difpenfations, both ir point of clearness, perfection, univerfality and many other peculiar advantages which attend it. To prove this is the principal design of the great apoftle, in his excellent and justly celebrated epiftle to the Hebrews, and after him we may fafely advance the fame doctrine, and proceed to its illuftration.

FIRST: The new teftament fcriptures are far fuperior to the ancient oracles in point of clearness and perfpicuity. Former difpenfations indeed gave a light, a light far fuperior to that which the Gentile nations enjoyed, a light fufficient to guide those who lived under them with open eyes, to true holiness and happiness; but which was weak and feeble in comparison of this light which excelleth. As the glimmering light of a candle to that of open day, or as the pale and feeble rays of the moon, to the

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effulgent