people, shows us that Emmanuel, God manifest in the flesh, is especially referred to. Of him, the righteous are by the same prophet represented as saying, "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us." The God of Zion is an incarnate God, our "great God and Saviour Jesus Christ." The gospel declares his reign, his everlasting dominion as God over all blessed forever. It proclaims his exaltation as head over all things for the church, as LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS, making his enemies his footstool. It declares this reign of Christ as joyful intelligence to his people, assuring them that their cause is safe under his extensive and resistless dominion.

He reigns in the government of the present world ordering all things according to the counsels of his own will, and constraining all beings and all events, to promote his glory and the good of his people. In this assurance Zion rejoices, in the prospect of a final victory for his truth, and fears not but his cause is safe, whatever may be the assaults of the ungodly. However men may fill the earth with confusion and sin, he rides upon the whirlwind and the storm, and makes the clouds the dust of his feet. He brings light out of darkness, and makes crooked things straight. And he will accomplish his purpose of the universal dominion of righteousness and peace among men, through whatever opposition and conflict he must pass to gain the end.

He reigns in the heart of every redeemed sinner, and will keep each one, therefore, to the enjoyment of his eternal glory. In this intelligence, too, his people rejoice. They have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and they stand complete in him. Whatever may be the temptations of sin, and the difficulties of obedience, while he reigns in their hearts, they shall be made more than conquerors through his divine power. The world shall be overcome, Satan shall be bruised under their feet, self shall be crucified and destroyed, and grace shall

triumph finally and eternally, because Christ rules in those whom he has redeemed.

He reigns amidst the hosts of heaven, and Zion rejoices in the prospect of reward which his dominion there ensures. His presence constitutes the happiness and glory of his people. They look forward with delight to another world as an everlasting home, because he is there. The single promise of recompense which the gospel makes, is an enjoyment of his favour and a dwelling together with him. In the hope of this the believer's heart rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and having counted all things as loss for Christ's sake, he looks forward with triumph to the day when he shall be like him and see him as he is. Jesus reigns in heaven, and, therefore, for those who love him, heaven must contain a desirable and ample reward.

He will reign in visible glory among his saints upon the earth, when he shall return, according to his promise to them, without sin unto salvation. He has now, as it regards his visible presence, gone to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. When the appointed hour arrives, the Son of man shall appear in his glory, and all his holy angels with him. In this reign, Israel converted unto him, by looking upon him whom they have pierced, shall rejoice. The fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought under his dominion, like new life to a world that has been long dead. The wickedness of the ungodly shall have come to an end, and he shall establish the just. To this blessed kingdom of the Son of God, multiplied prophecies of the Scripture bid us to look forward continually, and it is our blessed privilege to live in unceasing expectation of the happy day, when angel voices shall thus announce unto his waiting Zion, "thy God reigneth."

Such is the glorious intelligence which the gospel brings you; such are the communications whichs it makes to a world of sinners. It brings good tidings, it publishes peace, it

brings good tidings of good, it publishes salvation, it declares to Zion, thy God reigneth. These gracious communications throw a glorious light over the whole message, and constitute it, by their excellency, the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

How important is the obligation which arises from such intelligence to constrain sinful men to accept with thankful. ness these heavenly offers! The immediate duty required of you all is the reconciliation to God which the gospel proposes, and for which it has made provision. All things are ready for the return of sinners unto Christ, and I would beseech you, brethren, to welcome the ministers of reconciliation, to receive the pardon which is offered, and to place yourselves under the dominion of this glorious and merciful King. Kiss the Son in token of your cheerful submission to him, and let not his wrath be kindled against you, even but a little, lest you perish from the right way, and lose for ever the hopes which are offered you through His grace.

How important also is the obligation upon Christians to press upon all others the acceptance of these messages of divine love! To you who have believed, the Lord has committed the treasure of his grace, that you may offer it to others. In your conversation and your conduct, and in direct efforts to lead sinners unto Christ, much influence is to be exerted to publish this salvation, and to spread abroad the knowledge of the truth. The worth of this glorious intelligence marks the amount of your responsibility; and while it teaches you what Christ has done and suffered to open the way of salvation, it impresses upon you, how much you should be willing to do and to suffer, to make this way plain and profitable to others. Let no effort be spared by you which he has appointed and which can be made effectual to bring men from the darkness of their sins, to the light of the glory of God which is seen in Jesus Christ.

LECTURE XI.

THE GOSPEL MAGNIFYING THE LAW.

The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake; he will magni. fy the law and make it honourable.-ISAIAH, XLII. 21.

We have considered the different aspects and operations of the Law and the Gospel, through a long series of remarks; -and we may now profitably reflect upon the actual connexion between these two great departments of divine truth, and their mutual influence upon each other. Faithfulness and immutability are attributes inseparable from the divine character. With God, there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He illustrates this entire unchangeableness of his own character, by contrasting with it, the passing nature, and temporary existence, of the most magnificent of his visible works. The earth with all its apparent stability, shall perish, and the heavens with all their uncounted, and apparently, unchangeable glories, shall wax old, and like a garment or a curtain shall be folded up, and changed. But God, who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, remaineth the same forever, and his years have no end. This immutability of his nature and purposes, constitutes the foundation of all the hope of his creatures in him,-and the reason of his forbearance towards them. "I am Jehovah, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." "I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man." The same unchangeable character is declared of him, when he is revealed, as "God manifest in the flesh." "Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne O

God is forever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." The Saviour asserts also this entire immutability in his own word; "heaven and earth shall pass away; but my word shall not pass away." This immutability of God is exhibited in all the divine revelations, and connected with all the divine purposes and plans. He is from everlasting to everlasting, the same wise and holy being. He changes not the purposes which he forms; nor is he frustrated in the accomplishment of his designs. He has made different revelations of his will and his truth to man; but they are all parts of his one mind, which none can turn, and are all known unto him from the foundation of the world. These revelations have placed men, under different dispensations of light, and in different circumstances of responsibility. But they are not contrary the one to the other; nor is the unchangeableness of God affected, by their apparent differences of communication. Those differences are only apparent. The perfect unity of the truth of God becomes manifest to those who understand and love his word. The law is not against the promises of God. Nor do we make void the law through faith. They are designed not to destroy, but to confirm and establish each other. The grace and truth which comes by Jesus Christ, fulfils and honours the law which was given by Moses. The consideration of this fact, is now before us.

Our text declares that God was perfectly satisfied with that everlasting righteousness, which the divine Saviour accomplished and brought out for man, under the glorious revelation of the Gospel. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are perfectly united in the provision, and in the acceptance, of this glorious work of merit as perfected and offered by the Great Redeemer of man. And in the acceptance of this perfect righteousness for man, it is declared, the law also to which it was offered, was magnified and made honorable.

DD