truth. The things alluded to were such, probably, as the abrogation of the ceremonial law the doctrine of justification by faith—the rejection of the Jews-the calling of the Gentilessubjects on which we find no explicit declaration till after the full effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost had verified our Saviour's words, that when he was gone away the Father would send the Comforter, who would teach them all things'.

For when our Lord hinted during his lifetime at the abolition of the Mosaic law, he did it obscurely and with reserve. He left it to be gathered as an inference from his prediction concerning the destruction of the temple, or from his declaring to the Samaritan woman, that the hour was coming when the true worshippers should worship the Father neither on Mount Gerizim nor at Jerusalem. Couple this assurance with his saying to his disciples, that wherever two or three should be gathered toge

9 John, xvi. 12, 13.

John, xiv. 26.

ther in his name, there would he be in the midst of them; and it certainly amounts to a virtual repeal of the peculiarities of that system which required that every male should present himself three times annually at a particular place exclusively appropriated for the worship of God.

But how differently does St. Paul declare the same truth. "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.' Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' Wherefore then serveth the law? it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.' 'Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith was come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.' How turn ye

again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain 2.'

Here all is plain, and positive, and unreserved; it is expressly affirmed, that the ceremonies of the Mosaic law were superseded, the authority of the new dispensation is distinctly vindicated, and the least semblance of apostacy to Judaism is severely condemned and forbidden.

So too with regard to the great doctrine of justification by faith, the most open declaration made by our Lord on the subject is perhaps that in which he says, that the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many 3.' And even this intimation of the purpose for which he was ordained to undergo the death of the cross, un

2 Gal. ii. 15, 16. iii. 13, 19, 24, 25.

3 Matt. xx. 28.

accompanied as it is by any explanation or further comment, was not uttered before the people, but to the disciples apart.

Compare this with the language of the Epistles on the same point, and it will be impossible not to see that the disciple had received his commission to set forth in much clearer terms the meaning of his Lord. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.' In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Nay, the Apostle himself admits, in a passage where he alludes to the very words of Christ before quoted, that for a season this truth was not fully promulgated.

one God, and one mediator between

man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave

'There is

God and

himself a

ransom for all, to be testified in due time?

4 Rom. iii. 23, 24. Eph. i. 7.

5 1 Tim. ii. 6. The Vulgate thus expresses it- Cujus testimonium temporibus suis confirmatum est'—' of which the testimony is in its proper season.'-Macknight's Translation."

P

We

On the subject of the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, it may be thought that Christ was more explicit. certainly find the germ of each doctrine contained in his discourses, though it must be allowed that the doctrines themselves are suffered to remain in much comparative obscurity. He prophesied, that while many should come from the east and the west, and should sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, the children of the kingdom should be cast out into outer darkness. He declared to Jerusalem that her house was left unto her desolate. In contradiction to the assertion of the Jews, that they were Abraham's seed, and therefore entitled to the promise made to their federal father, he argues, that whosoever committed sin is the servant of sin, and the servant abideth not in the house for ever. And again, in allusion to the admission of the Gentiles within the pale of salvation-'I,' saith he, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.' If all men, then not the Jews only, but whosoever would accept the terms of mercy, without re