SERM. THÉ CHRISTIAÑ Í)1SPESATTON. 43 and graces, with all the sacred intimacy to which God ad- mitted him, and with all the shining honours with which God invested and surrounded 1ìäi, was not comparable tö the Mediator ofthe new covenant, the Son óf°God him- self, " the brightness ofhis Father's glory, the express image of his person, who lay in the bosom of the Father before the "foundation of the world, but seventeen hun- dred years ago, " *as made flesh and dwelt among us ; ` John i. 14, 18. And let it be further observed here, that every thing which we have to do with God bya Mediator, is much more clearly and expressly set before is in the New Tes- tament, than in all former dispensations. Though Jesus was always the Mediator of the covenant of grace, yet the ancients knew so little of him under this express character, that you find neither Abraham, nor David, nor Isaiah, no those which were most enlightened in divine things; make much use of his name in their act dresses to the Father, nor make plain mention of draw- ing hear to God by a Mediator. Bút ifwe christians call upon God, and draw near to him, we have the prevail- ing name of Christ, given us to plead at the throne; if we apply to the mercy of God, it is by Jesus Christ, the great Reconciler; ifwe offer our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the Father, they will be well received through Christ, his first beloved Son. We must do all and every thing in thechristian life through Jesus Christ, and there we are secure of finding acceptance with God ; Col. iii. 17. " Whatever ye do in word or deed, do all the naine of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." V. This dispensation of the gospel is not confined to one family or to one nation, or to a few ages of men, but it spreads through all the nations of the earth, and reaches to the end of time." That of Moses was con- fined to one nation only; that of Abraham to one family, and chiefly limited to his Son Isaac. The dis- pensations of Adam and Noah are more general indeed, and may be represented as given to all mankind : because these were the two great fathers of all, one before the flood, and the other after it But then each of these re- velations was left to the care of one family to publish it to all mankind, Who were to be their posterity. But the
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