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48
THE
EXCi"LLENCÌ
OP'
DERBt.<44P.
flesh?
How
many new ones
are superadded
?
And
how
much
is
their
force
of
persuasion encreased, when
the
power and success
of
them has
appeared
in such won-
drous instances
as
the New Testament
sets before
our
eyes
?
How
are the worst
of
sinners
encouraged
to lay
hold
of
a promise
of
mercy,
and
to
rest upon
it,
when
our
blessed
Saviour
received publicans
and other
noto-
rious
criminals,
when
Levi
and
Za'
cheus
were so
favour-
ed
by
him, when
1\fary
Magdalen found pardon for the
guilt
of a
public and shameless
life,
when
Paul
the
per
-
secutor
and blasphemer obtained
mercy,
and
was
made
a
favourite and an apostle, and
when he assures us
that
his
conversion
was
designed
to
this
blessed
purpose, as
a
pattern of
abounding grace?
I
Tim. i. 16.
How
powerfully
are
humble and
despairing christians
supported, and
backsliders encouraged to
return
to
God
in
a
way
of dutiful
obedience,
when
,Peter,
who
fell
in
the hour of temptation
and denied
his
Lord,
was
reco-
vered
to
repentance
by
a compassionate look
of
Christ,
and not
only
received
to forgiveness,
but
advanced
to
the
first
rank
of
office
in
the
kingdom
of
Christ, and did
glorious
service for
him
?
But
it
is
time to
put
an.
end
to this discourse,
and it
shall be
concluded
with
a
few
Inferences.
Inference
I.
" Though
every
part of
our bible
be
sacred and
divine,
yet
the latter
part
of it
is
much more
valuable
to us
than the former
:"
The
New
Testament
far
exceeds the Old, because
it
reveals to
us
this
better
covenant, and makes
us possessors
of
these
better pro-
mises.
The
books
of
Moses and the prophets, and the
psalms of David, contain admirable discoveries
of
the
majesty and mercy
of
God,
but
where
the
beams
of
Jesus
the
Sun
of
Righteousness
shine,
there
is
not only
a more
glorious light
to
direct our
steps, and
to enliven
our
spirits, but
there
is
a
new
lustre
shed
abroad
over
the
psalms
and the
ancient
prophets, and the typical ce-
remonies and promises
of
Moses.
So
that
in
Great
Britain
and in
our
age, we
understand those ancient di-
vine
writings much
better than
the
Israelites
in
the land
of
Canaan
could
understand
them,.
even
better
than
Moses and the
prophets understood
what
they
themselves
were
inspired
to write.
John
the
baptist
was
greater
than
all the
.prophets, because he could
point
to
Jesus
3