"mortal, and made him an image of his own eternity. "Through envy of the devil came death into the “world, and still, as at the first, they alone who "hold of his side do find it." The covenant of works being broken by transgression, the covenant of grace immediately succeeded in its room. This was the remedy provided against sin and death, and the blessed means of reconciliation fore-ordained by the Divine Persons, before the foundation of the world; that the sinner, who had no righteousness of his own to plead in arrest of judgement upon the new terms of this act of grace, might again find acceptance and life, through the divine satisfaction and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was consecrated to be our High Priest, and ordained to perform an office, in attempting which, every high priest taken from among men must else have failed. He had no need to offer sacrifice for his own sins, since he had none; but being himself all righteous, was perfectly qualified to save others. Nor was his priesthood to pass from one to another, or to have an end, like that of Aaron; but it was eternal and unchangeable, as the Son of God who exercised it. Such was our High Priest, who perceived that, on account of man's transgression, wrath was gone forth from the presence of the Lord, and that the plague was begun among the people. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore he arrayed himself in the holy garments of glory and beauty; he put on a breast-plate of righteousness, and a robe of inviolable sanctity, and he was clad,

over all, with zeal as a cloke. He was anointed with the oil of gladness, with the Holy Ghost, and with power; and on his head was a crown of salvation and glory. Thus adorned and fitted for the work, he put on, for incense, the merits of his sufferings. He ran into the midst of God's people, as a mediator, interposing himself between the parties at variance, in order to reconcile them. He met the burning wrath, and turned it aside from all believers. He stood, and stands now, between the dead and the living, between those who, by opposing his method of salvation, will die in their sins, and those who, living and believing in him, shall never die eternally. He is at the right hand of God, ever making intercession for us. And so the plague is stayed. A stop is put to the progress of everlasting destruction. The fiery sword of offended justice cannot reach, nor shall the second death have any power over such as accept the atonement which he hath made for them, and thankfully receive the benefits of his all-prevailing intercession. "There is now no condemnation to them that

"are in Christ Jesus."

And can any thing, then, my brethren, prevent our accepting this atonement, and thankfully receiving the benefits of this intercession? Can any thing induce us, when the bountiful hand of mercy hath filled and holdeth out the cup of salvation, to dash it untasted from us? Nothing can, but an utter ignorance of our sin and of our danger. Could a dying Israelite have been prevailed upon, think you, to reject the atonement and intercession of Aaron? No, surely. Only

see how hope revives in their countenances, and joy sparkles in their eyes, all turned and fixed upon him in the execution of his priestly office. And why? Because they were sensible of their wretched and perilous estate. They needed not to be told, that they were expiring by the pestilence. They knew it, they felt it; they were looking wishfully around them for help and deliverance, ready with eagerness and impatience, with gratitude and thankfulness, to snatch at it, and embrace it, the moment it should appear. O why are not we so? Why do we hear of the atonement and intercession of the holy Jesus with so much cold indifference? Why, but because we see not, we know not, we feel not, the want of them. And yet, what is there, within us, or without us, that doth not teach and show it us? To tell you that the world is full of sorrow is no news; to tell you that the world is full of sin, is, I presume, no news. And from what would you desire to be delivered, if not from sin and sorrow? To tell you that a sentence of death is passed upon the bodies of men, and that, without redemption, a sentence of condemnation will be passed upon their souls and bodies too, this likewise is no news to any one of you. Daily experience proves the first, and the Scripture asserts the second. And from what would you wish to be saved, if not from death and condemnation? Or what, in point of wretchedness and horror, was the camp of Israel with the pestilence in the midst of it, if compared to such a world as this? Go, thou who art tempted to reject, or to neglect, the satisfaction of Christ, go to the bed

of sickness, and undraw the curtains of affliction; ask him who lies racked with pain, and trembling at the thoughts of the wrath to come, what his opinion is concerning the doctrine of atonement; and observe how the name of a Saviour and Intercessor puts comfort and gladness into his sorrowful and affrighted soul, at a time when the treasures and the crowns of Eastern kings would be utterly contemned, as equally vain, worthless, and unprofitable, with the dust of the earth. Then reflect, that such, one day, must be thy state; and in that state, such infallibly will be thy thoughts and sensations. And did the cares and pleasures of the world suffer living men to think and feel as dying men do, the intercession of Christ would be regarded and accepted by Christians, as that of Aaron once was by Israel. Now, indeed, the sentiments of men on this great point may be different, because their passions and their prejudices are different but we shall all think alike upon the subject, when passion shall cease, and prejudice be no more, at the hour of death, and in the day of judgement. In that last and concerning day, the scene on which we have been meditating shall be again exhibited, in its most awful and tremendous accomplishment. Instead of the earthly pit opening its mouth to swallow up Korah and his company, the infernal pit of everlasting destruction shall disclose its bottomless depth, to receive alive into it the great adversary, and all that have taken part with him against God and Christ. Instead of fire from the presence of the Lord, to consume the two hundred and fifty that

offered incense, "Behold the day cometh, that shall "burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea and all "that do wickedly, shall be as stubble: and the day "that cometh shall burn them up, and leave them "neither root nor branch." Instead of the pestilence to destroy fourteen thousand only of his murmuring people, the inexhaustible floods of almighty, vengeance, heaped up for ages, shall be poured out, to drown rebellious spirits in irresistible perdition.. Then, when the heavens shall melt with fervent heat all around, the fiery gulf rolling beneath, and the earth, upon which we stand, sinking down into the flames, then what a sight will it be, to behold our blessed Aaron, our great Mediator, standing up, and interposing his merits between the dead and the liying; between those who, disbelieving, have murmured against him, and those who, believing, have served and obeyed him. Then tremble, thou wretch, who hast blasphemed, or slighted the intercession of Jesus. But rejoice greatly, O faithful soul, whose trust hath ever been in Him; thy salvation is sure, and the day of thy redemption is come: rejoice, and shout aloud for joy; join the chorus of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, the ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, whom the well-beloved John heard saying, "Worthy is the "Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, " and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, "and blessing." And with them let "every crea66 ture which is in heaven, and on the earth, and un"der the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all "that are in them," exalt their voices, and proclaim,