Watts - Houston-Packer Collection BX5207.W3 S4x 1805 v.3

na THE EXCELLENCY bR CsBR'M. UI. save sinful men, or make them holy and happy ; and therefore he often warns them against trusting 'in it for salvation, and assures them, that it waxed old in hi's :day, and was vanishing away, verses 7, and 1.3i and that a new covenant is now introduced, that is, the christiari dispensation, or the gospel itself, in the most spiritual manifestation of it. Now as Moses wasthe Mediator of this covenant of Sinai, and Aaron the priest obtained the ministry thereof, as in the foregoing chapters, so in my text the Son of God, being manifest in the flesh, is that High -priest who " hath obtained a niore ekcellent mi- nistry than Aaron, and is the Mediator of this covenant, which is better than that of Moses and which is esta- blished upon better promises." Here let it be observed also, that this christian dispen- satiou of the covenant of grace, which is called the second or new covenant, is not only better than the mere Outward covenant of Sinai, oí- Jewish law Of work, by the observance whereofthe Jews were to obtain temporal blessings ; but it is better than the whole dispensation of Moses, even as including in it the spiritual 'constituton or covenant of grace ; it is better than all the former dispensations of this covenant of grace. that God ever gave to men , änd that will appear in the, follovving par- ticulars . I, " The christian dispensation, or the New Testa- meht, though it be a rich discovery of grace, yet it con- tains the fairest and fullest, representation of the moral lain, That law which is of eternal obligation upon all mankind, is more particularly explained here, than in any of the former dispensations: The beauties of holi- mess Which run through this law, shine witha fairer light tinder the gospel of Christ. The duties of worship, obe- dience and submission, which we owe to God ; the du- ties of justice, truth, and love, which we ovre to our neighbour; and the duty of sobriety and temperance, which we owe to ourselves, are set forth more at large in the New Testament by the apostles ; : Jesus Christ hav- ing begun this work, in his excellent sermon on the mount, in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters 'of Mat- thew. Here the commands of the law of God are 'repre- sented in their full extent, as they require the obedience of the heart as well as of the life, as they 'relate to pur

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