209

He was DISC.

But our Evangelift faw more. one of those who attended their Mafter on the mount of transfiguration, and to whom was vouchfafed a glimpse of that excellent glory, which the WORD " had with the "Father before the world' was," and with which the humanity, by him assumed, is now for ever invefted. The Divinity, enfhrined within, communicated it's radiance outwardly to the body, and even to the garments, till mortality feemed to be swallowed of life; up "His face did fhine as "the fun, and his raiment was white as "the light." The The "Lord our God be"came exceeding glorious, he was clothed "with majefty and honour, he decked him"felf with light as it were with a gar"ment."

And if we reflect upon the manner in which it pleased the Father to exalt and ennoble the moft abafing circumstances of his life and death, by the choir of angels that defcended to celebrate his birth; the new ftar which appeared in the skies, guid

VII.

VII.

DISC. ing the eastern fages to Bethlehem; the voice which answered him from heaven, in the audience of the Jews; the preternatural eclipse of the fun at his crucifixion; recollecting, at the fame time, the triumph of his refurrection, and the manner of his afcenfion in the prefence of his difciples; all these particulars confpire to declare the glory not of a fervant, as Mofes, but of a Son, of "the only begotten;" a glory not of magnificence only, or one befet with terrors, like that at Sinai, but bearing towards man, in every instance, a benign and moft friendly afpect; as the fame bright luminary, which rifes in glorious majesty upon the earth, gives life, health, and gladnefs to all it's inhabitants. "We beheld "his glory, the glory as of the only be

In a fubfequent verfe of this chapter, we find "grace and truth" fet in oppofition to the Mofaic law. "The law was given

by Mofes, but

grace

and truth came by

66

Jefus

VII.

Jefus Chrift." The law was the difpen- DISC. fation of justice, auftere, rigorous, inflexible. "He that doeth these things, shall "live in them;" and, "Curfed is he that "continueth not in all things that are "written in the book of the law, to do "them." The Gospel is the dispensation of mercy, mild, gracious, forgiving, saying to the unhappy tranfgreffor of the law, "Believe in the Lord Jefus, and thou fhalt "be faved." The law could only make fin known, and, by confequence, aggravate it's guilt; the Gospel can pardon fin, and abolish it's guilt. Such is the contraft between the moral law and " grace." The ceremonial ftands opposed to "truth," not as being falfe, but figurative. "The "law had a fhadow of good things to "come; but the body," the substance, the reality, the truth, pointed at, and delineated by fuch a fhadowy representation, "is of Chrift." The blood of bulls and goats, for inftance, was offered, but it could not take away fin; it was never intended fo to do; it was "a figure for the "time

02

VII.

DISC. "time then prefent," defigned to direct the faith of the offerer to it's correspondent truth, namely, the blood of Meffiah, to be afterwards shed for that purpose. In itself, the law was ineffectual, and, of course, if rested in, proved fallacious and destructive.

But the words, as they stand in the text, may be taken in a more extended sense, comprehending the whole world, which, at the time of Chrift's advent, was in a ftate of error and condemnation. The two bleffings, therefore, of which it stood most eminently in need, were, "grace and "truth ;" grace to deliver it from condemnation, and truth to correct it's errors. Both these God by Chrift did vouchsafe to be"He hath made us accept

ftow

8

upon

it.

"ed in the Beloved," remitting our fins,

and receiving us to favour. He hath alfo shewn us the true and the right way, enabling as well as directing us to walk therein. Grace, without truth, can only mock us; truth, without grace, can only affright

Εχαρίτωσεν ημας. Epher. i. 6.

us.

VII.

us. But when grace hath brought us to DISC. him, truth will keep us with him: and through grace we fhall accomplish what truth requireth at our hands. Surely his "falvation is nigh them that fear him, "that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy "and truth are met together, righteousness " and peace have kiffed each other "."

With wonder, gratitude, and joy, therefore, let us reflect upon the honour done us by the WORD being MADE FLESH. Our nature is exalted to the throne of God; there is a MAN in heaven! The difciples beheld Chrift's glory in the days of his humiliation; but eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man to conceive the glory with which God hath now invefted "that

body which it hath pleased him to make "his own; that body wherewith he hath "faved the world; that body which hath "been and is the root of eternal life, the "inftrument wherewith Deity worketh,