289 / 674
SEAM,
XLIV.]
AND
THE
USE OF
IT.
289
In
the
days
of
Moses large additions
were
made
to
the
religion
of
Abraham,
and then
the
family
or nation
of
Israel
was,
in a
special manner,
separated
to
be
a
pecu-
liar
people
to
God.
Their
methods
of
access to
God,
by
priests and
sacrifices,
by
blood and incense,
by
sprink-
lings
and
washings,
were very
numerous,
and continued
to
be
practised
in
the
Jewish nation
for
many
ages,
even
till the Messiah
came, while
the
gentiles
had utterly
lost
the
religion
of Noah
their
father.
But
here
observe,
that
all
the
chief rites and ceremo-
nies
of
worship
which were
ever
given to
Adam
or Noah,
to
Abraham or
Moses,
pointed
to
the
great
Messiah,
and
to the religion
of
Christ.
These ceremonies had
no
power
to
save,
but
by
virtue
pf
their relation
to
Christ,
the
seed
of
the woman,
the
great.
Reconciler,
who
was
to
come:
It
was
therefore through
the
mediation
of
Christ,
.
and
by
the influence
of
the
blessed
Spirit,
that
Adam,
Noah, Abraham, and
Israel,
that
sinful mankind
in all
nations, and
in all
ages,
had ever any
true
access
tOGod,
or
were received
.
into
his
favour
:
though the person
and
offices
of
Christ
were, in those days,
concealed
under
ceremonies,
'figures,
and
shadows,
and the
influences
of
the
blessed
Spirit
were
not quite
so
clearly revealed.
"
To
them
was the,
gospel
preached
as
well
as
unto
us
;'
Gal.
iii.
8.
Heb.
iv.
2.
the same gospel,
and the
same
salvation,
but
covered
with
many
veils.
It
is
no
wonder then,
that
when
Christ
himself,
the
Son
of
God and
of
man,
the
great
Reconciler, was
come
into
the,
world, and
had revealed to
men, in a
clearer
light,
the doctrine of
his
own mediation,
and taught,
and
promised the necessary
'influences
of
the Spirit
of
God;
it
is
no wonder,
that
all
other instituted
rites
and
forms
of
worship should
cease, which
were
only figures
and
signs
of
the glorious religion
of
the
New Testament.
It
is
no wonder,
that
all
nations should
be now
required
to draw
near
to
God
the
Father,
by
the mediation
of
his
own Son,
and through
the aids
of
his own
Spirit
:
All
nations,
I
say,
wheresoever the sound
of
this
religion
has
reached, wheresoever this gospel has been published to
mankind.
This
is
the universal rule
of
approach
to
God,
for
every sinful man,
in
order
'to
obtain
the divine favour.
All
other
forms are,
as
it
were, dissolved,
and melted
down
into
this one glorious
appointment
:
This
is
the
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