Our dispensation too is more excellent than theirs —
[We need not to disparage theirs in any respect, in order to raise in our estimation that under which we live. We may give to that all the honour it deserves, and yet not be afraid that ours will suffer any thing in the comparison. Theirs, excel- lent as it was, was only a shadow, of which ours is the substance. Whatever good theirs had, is retained and perfected in ours ; whatever it had that was weak and burthensome, is done away. The peace which that afforded to the guilty conscience was slight and temporary : the very means of forgiveness were only so many fresh remembrances of unforgiven sin : but the peace obtained by us " passeth all understanding :" the joy we taste is " unspeakable and full of glory." The blood of bulls and of goats afforded a very weak ground for hope, in comparison of the blood of God's only-begotten Son : that " cleanseth from all sin," and " perfects for ever them that are sanctified." Again, the law of the ten commandments denounced a curse for one single violation of them, however small ; and afforded no assist- ance to those who desired to fulfil it : but the precepts of the Gospel, though as holy and as perfect as the Law itself, are accompanied with promises of grace and offers of mercy to all who endeavour to obey them : God undertakes to write them on our hearts, so as to make a compliance with them both easy and delightful. In a word, their law was a yoke of bondage, productive only of slavish fears, and ineffectual efforts : whereas our law, the law of faith, begets a filial spirit, and transforms us " into the image of our God in righteousness and true holi- ness." Compare the two dispensations, and we shall see in a moment our superior advantages : for whilst they were only slaves under the lash, we have the happiness of being " sons and heirs."l
If such be our distinguished privileges, it becomes us to consider,
III. Our duty in reference to them —
This was a point which Moses was extremely anxious to impress on the mind of every individual ; " Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul dili- gently." In like manner would we urge you in relation to the privileges you enjoy,
1. To keep up the remembrance of them in your own hearts —
[It is scarcely necessary to observe, how apt we are to forget the mercies which God has vouchsafed unto us. The mere facts indeed may easily be retained in our heads ; but a due sense