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THE EXCELLENCY
OF
DERM.
TM.
to
take
up with these
shadows,
instead
of
the substance.
And
besides, these spiritual promises
and precepts of the
gospel
were
then
mixed with
so
many
carnal command-
ments, and temporal promises
of
the Sinai
-
covenant,
that
the
Jews
knew,
not
well
how
to distinguish them
:
They
were
too
often ready
to neglect the inward and
spiritual
constitution or covenant of
grace,
that ran
through
all
the
dispensations
of
God,
as well
as the
more spiritual
duties
of
the moral law
;
they
were ever mistaking
their
cove-
nant
of Sinai,
which consisted
of
so
many
political and
ceremonial,
as well as
moral precepts
and temporal
pro-
mises,
for
the
very
covenant of
grace and salvation
it-
self: And
accordingly, by an
outward observance
of
these precepts,
they hoped for the
pardon
of
all
their
sins,
and eternal
life.
'This
was
the mistake into
which
they
were
always
running,
and
which
kept
them from
receiv-
ing
the gospel
of
Christ.
But
now
the
christian dispensation
sets
the covenant
of
grace and
salvation before
us,
in its own
spiritual lan-
guage, in
a
clear and distinct
light,
and
without a
veil
;
so
that
we
plainly behold the free
and rich grace
of God
in
this
covenant,
how
it
has
wrought
in
every
age,
to-
wards the recovery
of
mankind from the ruins
of our
fall,
how
it
proceeds from step to step
in its own
glorious
way, how
it
works
to
restore
us to the
favour
of God
and
.
his
image,
and
becomes
more
abundantly
effectual
to
torn
the hearts
of
sinful men to
God, and
bring them to
blessedness.
The
vision
of
grace and glory in the New
Testament
is
written
so
plain,
that
he
that
runs may
read
it;
the
high way
of
repentance,
faith
and
holiness, which
leads
to
eternal
life, is
laid
so
open
that "
the stranger
and
way
-
faring
man,
though a
fool,
shall
not
err
therein,"
as the
prophet
Isaiah bath foretold
;
Is.
xxxv.
8.
And
it
may
be
observed,
that
when the
ancient
prophets
speak
of
these
evangelical duties and
blessings in
the
clearest
language,
it
is
generally
in some
prediction
of
the chris-
tian
age,
and the happiness
of
this
last dispensation.
III.
"
The
rites and ceremonies
which
are superadded
to
the
covenant
of
grace, in
the christian dispensation
of
it,
are
much
preferable
to
those
in
former
times,
and
that
in three respects;
they
are
fewer,
they
are
clearer,
and
they
are
much more easy."
They
are
much
fewer
than
the ceremonies
of
the