weakness and unprofitableness of it; for it made nothing perfect; but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God; for Christ is not a priest after the law of a carnal commandment, which ministers nothing but wrath and death to carnal men. For, though the law be spiritual, because it ministers spiritual and eternal death to the spirits and souls of men, yet its whole ministration is to carnal men; for it is not made for the righteous, but for the lawless and disobedient. But Christ is a priest after the power of an endless life, who lives in his office for ever, and has, by his one offering, perfected for ever all them that are sanctified in the purpose of God, and that he should give eternal life to all the chosen

race.

Seeing then that we have such hope;" that Christ is formed in our hearts the hope of glory; that we are brought to the God of hope; are happy partakers of the Spirit, and intrusted with the ministry of the Spirit of life and of righteousness, in which we hope,

"We use great plainness of speech." We do not muzzle the truth, nor cover the force or blunt the edge of it; we do not corrupt the word, nor frustrate the grace of God, by walking in craftiness, and handling the word of God deceitfully; we are not afraid that the truth of God and his sovereign grace will lead people into licentiousness; nor do we shun to declare the whole counsel of God, for fear of losing our good name and re

putation. They call me an heretic, and my doctrine heresy; but, after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers. They charge me with saying, "Let us sin that grace may abound;" whose damnation is just. They call my preaching foolishness; but it pleases God to save all that believe in it: and call my gospel a lie; but it is plain that the truth of God abounds through my lie unto his glory; for his word runs, his grace is communicated, and God is glorified, in every soul that receives it. While these my traducers do no good, communicate no power, nor win one soul to Christ, they deceive themselves, and others too; and are nothing but false apostles, deceitful workers, and ministers of Satan; who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with divers sins, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Female followers suit them best, the weaker vessel is the soonest deceived. They are always in love, and cannot allure but only through the lust of the flesh and much wantonness. But we dare not compare ourselves with these. We are not of the number of preachers which men heap to themselves, who scratch itching ears and turn them from the truth to fables; nor a set of vain janglers, who desire to be teachers of the law, knowing neither what they say nor whereof they affirm: but we are ministers of God, not of men, nor by men, nor did we learn our gospel of men, nor were we taught it but by the revelation of Christ. God

revealed his Son in us, that we should bear him and preach him among the Gentiles; and we are determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified; for he is the wisdom. of God, and the power of God. Knowing, therefore, of whom we learned these things, and in whom we have believed: and seeing the success that attends our labours, and how you are all partakers of our grace; and seeing how you shine as lights in the world, who have received the truth by us; we have made full proof of the ministry, and by a manifestation of it have appealed to your consciences in the sight of God, and have seen the power and blessed effects of it upon you; and, therefore, without mincing the matter, and without fearing an ill name from man, we use great plainness of speech.

"And not as Moses, who put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished."

In handling these words, I will,

1. Treat of the office of Moses.
2. Of the glory of his face.
3. Of the vail upon it.

4. Of the end which Israel could not see.
5. And lastly, Of the abolition of the law.

First. Moses was one of the children of Israel,

of the stock of Abraham and tribe of Levi; a brother to the rest of the tribes; flesh of their flesh, and bone of their bone; and, as such, was a type of that plant of renown, that Israelite indeed in whose mouth was no guile, who was the brother born for adversity; made flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone.

Secondly. He was raised up, appointed, commissioned, and sent, by God himself, to deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh, that river dragon, and from their cruel task-masters. He delivered their necks from the yoke of bondage, their souls from the iron furnace, and their fingers from the pots. In all which he was a figure of the better deliverer, who delivers us from that old dragon the devil, from the tyranny of oppressors and of reigning sins, the galling yoke of our transgressions, the yoke of legal bondage, from the furnace of divine wrath, and our fingers from the potsherds of the earth. He executed judgment upon Egypt, shewed the goodness and severity of God at the Red Sea, led them through the wilderness, and never left them until he brought them in sight of the promised land. In all which he was a type of Christ, but came short of him in every thing. Christ came for judgment into this world, that they who see not might see, and those that see might be made blind. He executed vengeance on the Jewish nation, for their rejection of him and cruelty to his church. He shews his goodness to all that obey him, and his severity to

all that hate him; leads his people through the wilderness of this world, and brings them into the promised land, which is very far off. Moses had a miraculous rod, with which he smote the waters and turned them into blood, by which he divided the sea, and under which Israel prevailed and Amalek was defeated: a faint emblem this of the Saviour's sceptre, with which he smites the earth and slays the wicked; by the sway of which righteous sceptre he doth in righteousness judge and make war; and by the same rod of his strength, sent out of Zion, he rules in the midst of Jerusalem; and under which we are enabled to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.

over,

More

Moses was invested with the high office of mediator. He found grace in the sight of the Lord; was indulged with access to him, and communion with him; he was God's mouth to the people, and the people's mouth to God; and was allowed to stand in the gap when the anger of the Almighty waxed hot against the rebels. In all which he represented the better Mediator of the better covenant; who found grace in the eyes of the Lord for all his members; who engaged his heart to draw near to God, and appears in his presence for us; by whom in these last days the Father hath spoken to us, and who in his intercession speaks to God for us; who, as our daysman, has laid his hand upon both, broken down the middle wall of partition, made peace by the blood of his cross,