"It is finished," faid our Lord when he expired upon the cross. What was then finished? The fol lowing events. God had early manifested to the fathers his purpose of grace to redeem the world. He chofe a peculiar people from whom the Redeemer was to defcend, and appointed a dispensation of religion to prepare the world for his appearance. By the death of Jefus, this ancient dispensation was finished.

Jefus Chrift, foretold by all the prophets, had now appeared unto Ifrael. As the Prophet of the world, he published a new religion which he adorned by his life, which he confirmed by his miracles, and which he had now fealed with his blood. By the death on the cross, his miffion to the Jews, as the Author of a new religion, was finished.

From the beginning of the world, God had appointed facrifices to make atonement for fin. These could not by any virtue of their own propitiate the Deity, or purify the foul from pollution. A more perfect facrifice, therefore, was neceffary in order to atone the divine wrath. By the death of Jefus, this atonement was finished. Jefus Chrift, thus conftituted the Prophet of the world, and the Priest who was to make atonement for the fins of men, was to be made perfect through fuffering. By the appointment of Providence, he was to fuffer before he entered into his glory. By his death on the cross, thefe fufferings were finished.

That is; the Old Teftament difpenfation was finished, the miffion of Chrift to Ifrael, as the Author of a new religion, was finished, the atonement requifite for the fins of the world was finished, and the fufferings of the Meffiah were finished.

In the first place, then, The ancient difpenfation which had been erected, and the plan of Providence which had been carrying on to introduce the time of the Meffiah, were now finished. `

When our first parents had broken the covenant of innocence, had forfeited their title to immortality, and exposed themselves to the fanction of the violated law, the Judge defcended to pronounce their fentence. But along with the terrors of the Judge, he mingled also the grace of the Saviour; and when he pronounced their doom, he comforted them with the hopes of mercy. He difcovered to them his benevolent defign of redeeming the world by a mediator who was to interpose in their behalf, and gave them the gracious promife, that the feed of the woman fhould bruise the head of the ferpent. Thus, no fooner had man fallen, than the Redeemer was promised who was to repair the ruins of his fall. In the following ages, the providence of God feems to have been entirely occupied in preparing the world for this great event. If he manifefts himself to the patriarchs, it is to fhow them the day of the Meffiah afar off; if he inspires the prophets, it is to foretel his appearance; if he chooses a peculiar people, it is to render them the depofitaries of the promises concerning his coming; if he appoints facrifices, ceremonies, and religious rites, it is to trace beforehand the hiftory of the Meffiah. Do you read of the blood of the paschal lamb, which being sprinkled on the doors of the Ifraelites, fecured them from the destroying angel? It was a figure of Jefus Christ, the Lamb flain from the foundation of the world, who, as our paffover, was facrificed to deliv

er us from eternal death. Do you read of a rock, which being fmitten, furnished waters to a great people? That rock, fays Paul, was a figure of Chrift, from whom proceed fountains of living water fpringing up into everlasting life. Do you read of a brazen ferpent lifted up in the wilderness which cured the Ifraelites? It was a type of the Son of man who was lifted up on the cross for the falvation of the world. In fhort, the whole legal economy, the whole fyftem of Levitical worship was intended to prefigure, and to introduce a better difpenfation.

The plan of Providence which had been carrying on to prepare the world for this great event, was not confined to the Jewish nation; it extended over the whole earth. This was the great end of all the defigns of the Deity, and furnishes the key to all the divine difpenfations. "If empires rofe or fell; if "war divided, or peace united the nations; if learn

ing civilized their manners, or philofophy enlarged "their views, all was, by the fecret decree of heaven, "made to ripen the world for that fulness of time "when Chrift was to publifh the whole counsel of "God." What a magnificent conception, my friends, does it give us of the divine government, when we behold the princes, the kings, and the masters of the world, entering one after another upon the stage of time, to prepare the way of the King of kings!

If, in the Gentile world, a plan was carrying on to prepare the nations for the coming of the Meffiah, among the chofen people a dispensation was erected to typify and prefigure the great events of his life. The economy which was established, the facrifices

which were appointed, the ceremonies in their church, and the events in their history, all concurred to this great end. Do you read of a continual burntoffering? It was a type of him who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself a facrifice without fpot unto God. Do you read of the pafchal lamb? It was a type of that Lamb which was flain from the foundation of the world. The law only paved the way to the gofpel. Mofes and the prophets were but the harbingers of the Meffiah. This ancient difpenfation was now come to a close: and when our Saviour on the cross cried out, It is finished, "the law ceaf"ed, the gofpel commenced."

In the fecond place, The miffion of Chrift to Ifrael as the author of a new religion was finished.

God had never left the nations without a witness of himself. In the early ages of the world he fent forth his light and his truth. He manifested himself to the fathers, and taught them the knowledge of the true religion. From time to time righteous men were raised up, and a fucceffion of prophets and of martyrs was carried on, whose lives and doctrines distinguish and adorn the feveral ages of the world. One nation was chosen above the reft, to whom the living oracles were committed. The particular revelations which had been delivered in the patriarchal ages, the various rays from the Father of lights which had been scattered over the earth, were here collected, and fhone out with new fplendour. Nevertheless, though God was the Author of this dif penfation, though he himself was the King of Jefhurun, and a Lawgiver to Ifrael, the economy which he established among his own people, was not intendBB b

ed to be immutable, or make the comers thereunto perfect. It is one of the great laws by which this world is governed, that no perfection of any kind is. attained of a fudden. There is a rife and a progress in the works of nature. This holds in all the productions of the natural, and in all the improvements of the moral world. This alfo feems to have regulated the divine conduct with respect to the difpenfations of grace.

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"The light of religion was not poured upon the "world all at once, and with its full splendour; the obfcurity of the dawn went before the brightness "of the noon-day. The will of God was at first "made known by revelations, useful indeed, but "dark and mysterious. To thefe fucceeded others "more clear and perfect. In proportion as the fit"uation of the world rendered it neceffary, the Al"mighty was pleafed further to open and unfold "his gracious fcheme." The light increased as it fhone. Star after star arofe to enlighten and bless the earth, till the day-spring from on high appeared. As in the early period of our days the inftructions which we receive look forward to manhood, and the various steps we take conduct us to future life; fo in this infancy of the church, a dispensation took place which was only intended to introduce a better. Every thing in the Jewifh difpenfation teftified that The prefence

it was not intended to laft for ever. of God circumfcribed to one nation, the place of acceptable worship confined to Jerufalem, the numerous rites and burdenfome ceremonies of the Mofaic law, the typical and shadowy nature of the whole difpenfation, fhowed that it was nothing more than