limited period, but spiritual and eternal blessings, even all^ that man can need, or God bestow ; not coming forth, himself a sinner, delegated to pronounce a blessing, but " appearing without sin to confer by his own authority everlasting salva- tion" on all his believing peopled
Such are the views which the Apostle gives us of our great High-priest, and of " the transcendent excellence of his ministry."]
Judge then,
1. What is our duty towards this great High- priest —
[As " a minister of this new covenant^," I hesitate not to say what my duty is. It is to make known this Saviour to you in all his offices : to set before you this covenant in all its fulness, its freeness, its sufficiency, its immutability : to point him out as the only Mediator of it, through whose sacrifice and intercession you must seek its blessings, and through whom alone you can obtain them : to open from time to time all the promises contained in it ; and to lead you to a simple reliance on them, as the one only means of obtaining the accomplishment of them to your souls*.
What then is your duty, but to contemplate these subjects with admiration, and love, and gratitude ; and to seek a per- sonal interest in them all ? Contemplate " the covenant," " ordered in all things, and sure ;" and expect nothing but as the fruit of God's eternal love, as expressed towards you in
that covenant Contemplate the peculiar privileges
which you enjoy under this "better" covenant, above all that
were ever enjoyed by God's people of old Contemplate
Jesus as " the Mediator" of this covenant; and see all the conditions of it fulfilled by him for you, and all the blessings of it as the fruit of his sacrifice and intercession Con- template the "promises" of it, so abundant, so suitable, so sufficient, so sure to all who plead them before God, and rely upon them as the only ground of their hopes. In a word, look to the ministry of Christ, as the Jews did to that of their high-priests. They expected nothing but through the inter- vention of their appointed mediators : and do you in like manner expect nothing but in and through your adorable Advocate and Intercessor ]
r Heb. ix. 28.
s 2 Cor. iii. 6. hiadiiKr\Q the same word as in the text.
* If this be the subject of an Ordination or Visitation Sermon, it will be proper to shew here how inadequately they execute the mi- nisterial office who dwell on the evidences of Christianity, or on morals to the exclusion of the sublimer subjects.