erance from Egyptian bondage, but in the faith of a future redemption and salvation by Christ; hence he is called Christ our passover, 1 Cor. v. 7. The Manna was another type of Christ; that was typical bread, Christ is the true bread; hence Christ speaking of the manna, and of himself, says, My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, John vi. 32. meaning himself, the truth of the type; the manna was only a shadow, Christ is the substance, the solid and substantial food, siguifi. ed by it, and therefore is called the hidden Manna, which every believer in Christ has a right to eat of, and does; 5; so the old and new testament saints, all eat of the same spiritual meat, 1 Cor. x. 3. The water out of the rock the Israelites drank of in the wilderness, was another emblem and representative of Christ and his grace; hence called spiritual drink, and the rock a spiritual rock; and that rock was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 4. The brazen serpent was another figure of Christ and his grace. The Israelites being smitten with fiery serpents, of which many died; Moses was ordered by the Lord to make a fiery ser Pent of brass, and set it on a pole, that whoever was bitten might look unto it and live; which was done accordingly, and The promised effect followed, Numb. xxi. 6-9. Our Lord Cakes notice of this very significant type himself, and applies it to himself, John iii. 14. Besides Moses, there were others in his time, in whom the grace of the covenant was remarkably displayed and manifested; particularly Aaron his brother, called the saint of the Lord, the holy one, with whom were the Urim and Thummim, Deut. xxxiii. 8. a type of Christ, in whom all lights and perfections are. Joshua, the successor of Moses, was also a type of Christ, and in him the grace of Christ, and the covenant was evidently displayed. Their names agree, both signify a Saviour; Joshua is called Jesus, Heb. iv. 8. Christ, our spiritual Joshua, gives spiritual rest here, and eternal rest hereafter. The scarlet thread which Rahab the harlot was ordered by the spies in the times of Joshua, to bind at her window, was an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which are peace pardon, righteousness, and sal

vation for the chief of sinners; for Gentile sinners, as well as Jews. There were after appearances of Christ to others, in this period of time, as to Manoah and his wife, who declared to them his name was Pole, a Wonder, or Wonderful, which is one of the names of Christ, Isai. ix. 6. and to Gideon, Samuel, and others, I shall take no further notice of.

OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE AS MANIFESTED FROM THE TIMES OF DAVID TO THE COMING OF CHRIST.

I SHALL next consider it as more clearly in the times of David, and by succeeding prophets, to the coming of Christ. 1. With David, who was a prophet, and by whom the Spirit of God spake concerning Christ, and the covenant of grace made with him, 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, &c. Not only the covenant of royalty, concerning the succession of the kingdom of Israel in his family; but the special covenant of grace, in which his own salvation lay; a covenant ordered in all things and sure, and an everlasting one, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. He was an eminent type of Christ, who is therefore often called by his name, Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. Hos. iii. 5. In his person, in the comeliness of it; in his character and employment, as a shepherd; in his offices, of prophet and king; in his afflictions and persecutions; and in his wars and victories. Great light and knowledge he had of things respecting Christ and his grace, as the Book of Psalms, written by him, under divine inspiration, abundantly shews,

II. Solomon, the Son of David, and his successor in the kingdom, had not only the covenant of royalty established with him, but the special covenant of grace was made with him, or made known unto him; I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son, 2 Sam. vii. 14. He was both a preacher and a king of Israel; and, no doubt, a good man, notwithstanding his fall; his prayer at the dedication of the temple shews it; as well as his being the amanuensis of the holy Spirit, in va rious writings: an eminent type he was of Christ, who is

therefore called Solomon, Cant. iii. 7. The Book of Canticles, written by Solomon, is a rich display of the glories and excellencies of Christ, of his great love to his church, and of the covenant-blessings of grace bestowed upon her. Pass we

on now,

III. To the prophets who lived in the succeeding reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah; as Isaiah, Jeremiah, &c. These-1. Speak much of the covenant of grace as a covenant of life and peace, Mal. ii. 5. Isai. liv. 10. as an everlasting one, Isai. lv. 3. and liv. 10. of the persons who engaged and entered into it. II. The prophets in this period of time. speak very plainly of the blessings of the covenant of grace, even more plainly and fully than heretofore.-1. Of the bless. ing of pardon of sin through Christ. They speak of it as be longing to God, and him only, even every act of it, and as flowing from his mercy; on which account there is none like unto him, Mic. vii. 18. and of his being abundant in it, Isai. i. 18. they speak of it as founded upon the sufferings of Christ, and redemption, reconciliation, atonement, and satisfaction procured thereby, Zech. iii. 9. Isai. xliv. 22.-2. The blessing of justification by the righteousness of Christ; which, though a doctrine more clearly revealed under the gospel-dispensation, yet is witnessed by the law and prophets, Rom. iii. 21, 22. Dan. ix. 24-3. The blessing of adoption is another covenant-blessing, spoken of by the prophets, Jer. iii. 19. and xxxi. 20. And though the saints under the former dispensation for the most part had not such a measure of the spirit of adoption, as under the New Testament, yet some of them had a strong assurance of their interest in God, as their Father: Doubtless thou art our Father, Isai. ixií. 16.—4. Sal. vation, spiritual and eternal, in general, is the great blessing of the covenant of grace, and this the prophets enquired after, and diligently searched into and spoke of; of the author of it, Isai. xlix. 6. the nature of it, Isai. xlv. 17, 22. and the time when it should be wrought out, 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. III. There are various things relating to Christ, his person, office, and

grace, which are copiously and frequently spoken of by the prophets in this period of time; as his incarnation, to us a child is born, Isai. ix. 6. The place of his birth, Mic. v. 2. some things following it, Jer. xxxi. 15. Hos. xi. 1. his state of humiliation, sufferings, and death, which are particularly described in Isai. liii. his being sold for thirty pieces of silver by one of his disciples, forsaken by them all, and his side pierced with a spear, Zech. xi. 12, 13. xii. 10. and xiii. 7. The prophets also speak of the time of his coming and of his suffer. ings; Daniel fixes the exact time of them, from a date given, Dan. ix. 24, 26. So true it is what our Lord says, that the law and the prophets were until John; which finishes the Old Testament-dispensation, and the old administration of the covenant of grace.

OF THE ABROGATION OF THE OLD COVENANT, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW.

WHEN We speak of the Abrogation of the Covenant, this is to be understood not of the covenant of grace, at to the matter and substance of it; but with respect to the form of the administration of it only in order to set this in its true and proper light.

I. Let it be observed that it never was designed that the first administration of the covenant of grace should continue always in that form. 1. It was only intended to continue for a certain time, called, The time of reformation, Heb. ix. 10. II. The ancient form of the administration of the covenant of grace, in a course of time, was limited to a certain people in a certain country, worshiping at a certain place, and sacrificing on the same altar. The word, worship, and service of God, peculiarly belonged to the Jews, which was their distinguish ed priviledge above all the nations of the world, Rom. iii. 1, 2. and ix. 4. Now such a state of things was never designed to continue always; Shiloh, the Messiah, was to be set up as an ensign to the Gentiles, and incense to be offered to it in

every place, Isai. xi. 10. Mal. i. 11. The people of all nation's could never be convened into one country, and worship at one place, and sacrifice on one altar. III. It is expressly foretold that there would be a new covenant, or a new administration of it; in that he saith, a new covenant, he hath made the first old, Heb. viii. 8.-13. Christ's coming into the world to offer up himself a sacrifice for the sins of his people, was virtually saying, that God would have legal sacrifices no longer offered up, and would no more accept of them. And Daniel expressly says, that the Messiah would cause the sacrifice and the obla tion to cease, Dan. ix. 27. And the Jews themselves say, "that all sacrifices will cease in time to come, and in the time of their vainly expected Messiah, but the sacrifice of praise."

The ark was something very remarkable in the former dispensation; in it was the Decalogue; it was a token of the divine presence, and a type of Christ. Now of this it is foretold, that there would be a time when is should be no more, and should not be so much as thought of any more, Jer. iii. 16, The ecclesiastical, as well as civil state of the Jews, was to be shaken and removed; the one is signified by the shaking of the heaven, as the other by the shaking of the earth, in Hag. ii. 6. which the apostle explains of the removing of things shaken, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain, Heb. xii. 26, 27. It was foretold that prophecy should be sealed up, finished, and cease, Dan. ix. 24. all the visions and prophecies of the Old Testament' were to have, and had their accomplishment in Christ.

II. There are reasons to be given why the first covenant should and must cease. 1. It was a typical covenant; and served to the example and shadow of heavenly things, Heb. viii. 4. 5.-ix. 23. II. It was a faulty covenant, and therefore it was proper it should give way to a new and better covenant; For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have sought for the second, Heb. viii. 7. 8. 1. It did not exhibit Christ present, only in figure, in promise, and in prophecy