his human nature, he is " Jehovah's Fellow," " God manifest in the flesh," " Emmanuel, God with us."]
The whole scope of the Apostle's argument leads me, from speaking of the Majesty of Christ, to shew, in the next place,
II. The excellency of the Gospel as revealed by him —
Why, when the Law was committed to us by the ministry of angels, should the Gospel be spoken to us by God himself ? Is there any thing in the Gospel that calls for such a distinction ? I answer, There is an immense disparity between the two, even such as may well account for the high honour conferred upon the Gospel. Consider what the Gospel is : consider,
1. The depth of its mysteries —
[The law was not without its mysteries : but they were all veiled from human sight ; in token of which, Moses put a veil upon his face. But " in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, that veil is taken away," and we behold his glory with unveiled face^ We are led even to the council-chamber of the Most High, where the Father and the Son concerted together for the recovery of mankind, even millions of years before they fell. We hear the Son undertaking to become a man, in order that he might suffer in the stead of his offending creatures, and expiate their guilt by his own obedience unto death. We see this very Saviour become incarnate : we behold him sojourning on earth, as the accredited Ambassador of heaven. We hear his voice ; we trace his footsteps ; we witness all his sufferings unto death. We see him yet again, raised from the dead, and ascending up to heaven ; and sending down the Holy Ghost, to testify of him, and to establish his kingdom upon earth. We behold his kingdom actually established, and maintaining its pre-eminence on earth, in despite of all possible opposition from men and devils. And, finally, we behold in this stupendous mystery every perfection of the Deity, shining in harmonious and united splendour.
Here then was a mystery, which deserved to be marked with all the honour conferred upon it. True, " this treasure" might well, at a subsequent period, be put " into earthen vessels :" but at its first exhibition it was well that it should be displayed by our incarnate God, and that the word which
f 2 Cor. iii. 14, 18.
2271.1 c'firist's superiority to angels. 147
unfolded it should " at first begin to be spoken by the Lord himselfg."]
2. The richness of its provisions —
[In this is contcained all that man can need, and all that God himself can bestow. We were fallen, even our whole race, like the apostate angels themselves : and being partakers with them in transgression, we were doomed to partake with them also in their punishment. We were sunk even to the very precincts of hell : yet, behold, from thence are we taken, to be restored to the favour of our God, and to inherit a throne of glory. Could we conceive of the fallen angels, as taken from their sad abodes of misery, and restored to the felicity from which they fell, we might have some idea of the blessings imparted to us by the Gospel of Christ. But who can declare all that is comprehended in pardon, and peace, and holiness, and glory ? Eternity itself will not be sufficient to compute and estimate the mighty sum.]
3. The duration of its benefits —
[Eternity ! Amazing thought ! eternity ! Yes, eternity shall be the duration of blessedness to every believing soul. The benefits of the Mosaic dispensation soon passed away : but not so those which we inherit by the Gospel. As long as the believing soul shall retain its capacity for enjoyment, and the Saviour himself exist upon his throne, so long shall He who bought us with his blood, dispense to us all the blessings that he has purchased for us : and the inheritance that shall be accorded to us, shall be " incorruptible, and undefiled, and one that fadeth not away."] Observe, then, from this subject,