. fin: The law was added becaufe of tranfgreffion. I had not known fin (fays Paul), except the law had faid Thou shalt not covet. And when the law or commandment came (fays he), fin revived, and I died." But then there is a gospel light, which ferves to difcover the remedy. And this I take to be principally understood in the text: I have ordained a lamp for mine Anointed. I the eternal JEHOVAH have appointed the preaching and publication of the gofpel as the great mean for bringing loft mankind unto the knowledge of that mighty One on whom I have laid their help. "It hath pleafed God by the foolishness of preaching to fave them that believe. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15. Now, concerning this lamp of gospel light, which God has ordained, for the glory of his anointed, if time allowed, I might 1. Premife a few things about it. 2. Tell you of fome great and glorious discoveries that are made by it. 3. Give a few of its properties. it. First, I would offer you two or three propofitions about 1. This lamp was firft fet up in the purpose of God from eternity, or in the council of peace, when the whole plan of falvation through Chrift was laid. "I was fet up from everlafting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was: before the mountains were fettled: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the highest part of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he fet a compass upon the face of the depth: when he appointed the foundations of the earth (fays Chrift), I was by him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the fons of men,” Prov. viii. 23.-31. 2. This lamp was firft lighted in this lower world, immediately after the fall in paradife; when a dark and dismal night of wo and mifery was fpreading itfelf over our first parents, then a gleam of light began to break out in the first promise, Gen. iii. 15. and afterwards unto Abraham; "In thy feed fhall all the nations of the earth be bleffed." 3. The lamp of the gofpel fhone typically and prophetically during all the Old Teftament period, before the coming of Chrift in the flesh. It fhone, as it were, under a vail, and only among the Jews. As for the Gentiles, except a few profelytes, they were aliens and ftrangers to the covenant of promife; they fat in darkness, and in the regions of the fhadow of death. 4. After the coming of Chrift in the flesh, and his refurrection and afcenfion into heaven, the lamp of gofpel light was brightened brightened, and the light of it was made more general and extenfive. The vail of types, ceremonies, and prophecies, was rent, and by the commandment of the everlasting God, carried unto all nations for the obedience of faith, Chrift being given of God for "a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and for falvation to all the ends of the earth.” 5. Minifters of the gospel are, as it were, the lamp bearers. They are commiffioned by Chrift to preach the gofpel, to teach all nations. To them the word of reconciliation is committed; and as the heralds of the great King, they are to lift up their voice like a trumpet, and proclaim the falvation of God to the ends of the earth. Secondly, I fhall tell you of fome difcoveries that are made by the light of the gospel-lamp. Only in general, remember that all the discoveries it makes are wholly fupernatural; the world by all its wifdom could never have found them out. Here vain man would be wife, yet he is born as void of gospel wisdom, as the wild afs's colt. Proud men may, and no doubt will, boast of their natural or acquired wifdom and penetration, as though, by the means of thefe, they could ransack and unfold the fecrets of heaven; and yet even when they are revealed, they cannot know, cannot receive them; the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to them; hence is that of Chrift, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou haft hid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes. Even fo, Father, for so it seemed good in thy fight," Matth. xi. 25. 26. I fhall only mention a few things among many, that the gofpel discovers, which nature's light could never have difcovered, and which proud nature cannot receive when revealed. By the gofpel-lamp then, 1. We have discovered a Trinity of perfons in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three diftinct perfons, and yet but one God: "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one," John v. 7. This is such a hard doctrine to human reason, that Arians, Socinians, and Deifts, they will reject the whole fcriptures of truth before they entertain it; or if they acknowledge the fcriptures, they fall awork to prevent fcripture-light, in order to bring Chrift down from his fupreme Deity in among the rank of created beings; for between the Creator and a creature there is no middle being and if Chrift be a creature, I would ask what way any creature can make itself, feeing "without him was not any thing made that was made ?" John i. 3. So then, I fay, the gospel-lamp difcovers the mystery of the Trinity; and how VOL. III. B each each perfon acts his part in the glorious work of our re 2. By the light of this lamp we can look back to eternity. past, and see what God was a-doing before the foundations of the world were laid; how a council of peace was held with reference to the recovery and falvation of fallen men; how an overture being made, that the Son of God fhould undertake the work of our redemption, that the different claims of mercy and justice might be fully fatisfied in the falvation of fallen man; and how the Son of God heartily agreed, saying "Lo, I come: I delight to do thy will, O my God. He rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the fons of men." Without the gofpel men could never have known this; but the Lion of the tribe of Judah, he opened the book, and difclofed the grand fecret, and orders it to be published unto the ends of the earth. 3. The gofpel lamp difcovers the glorious mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God in the fulness of time. In confequence of this glorious tranfaction, angels they admire and adore a God in our nature. "When he bringeth in the firftbegotten into the world, he faith, And let all the angels of God worship him," Heb. i. 6. 4. By the gofpel lamp we have another mystery opened, even the fubftitution of the Son of God in the room of the guilty finner, by which means our iniquities come to be laid upon him. "The juft fuffered for the unjuft." He is the ram caught in the thickets, and facrificed in the room of the finner. The fword of justice awakes against the man that is God's fellow, who thinks it no robbery to be equal with God. "He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, bruifed for our iniquities, the chaftifement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." 5. By the gofpel-lamp only we know of a law-fulfilling righteousness brought into this world, where "there is none righteous, no, not one. Seventy weeks are determined-to finish the tranfgreffion and to make an end of fins, and to bring in everlafting righteouínefs," Dan. ix. 24. "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son, in the likenefs of finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh; that the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us," Rom. viii. 3. 4. "Chrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs to every one that believeth," Rom. x. 4. "For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21. O what a high difcovery is this for us, especially confidering, that this righteoufnefs of the the furety Christ is brought near to every one in the everlasting gofpel, that they may put it on, and improve it for their juftification before God!" Hearken unto me, ye flout hearted, that are far from righteoufnefs. I bring near my righte oufnels: it fhall not be far off, and my falvation thall not tarry," If. xlvi. 12. 13. 6. By the gospel-lamp, we fhall fee great and glorious myfteries in the death and blood of Christ. As Samfon found a honey-comb in the lion that he had flain, fo may we find the great and foul nourishing mysteries of the grace, love, mercy, and wisdom of God in the death and blood of the Lamb of God. Here we may fee the justice of God fatisfied for the fin of man, by a facrifice of infinite value, the anger of God turned away, and God declaring himself to be a God of peace through the blood of his eternal Son. Here we fee the head of the old ferpent bruifed, that leviathan flain, and given to be meat to those who inhabit the wilderness of this world. Oh meat indeed, and drink indeed! Here we may see a new and living way opened and confecrated, that we may enter into the holieft with full affurance of acceptance, &c. 7. The gospel-lamp difcovers a mystery in the refurrection of Chrift from the dead. There is more of God, and of his infinite power and wifdom, in the refurrection of Chrift, than if all Adam's pofterity were raised out of their graves in the twinkling of an eye. Chrift is faid, by his refurrection, to be "declared to be the Son of God with power," Rom. i. 4. And that power of the Father, whereby he was raifed, had an "exceeding greatnefs" in it, and was a "mighty power," Eph. i. 19. The load of fin and wrath that lay upon the grave of our Surety, would have funk all the angels in heaven, and men upon earth, to the lowest hell; yet Chrift, by his divine power, rifes from under this load, and fo bears away our iniquities, and leaves them buried in his grave behind him, and death itfelf fwallowed up in victory, &c. 8. The gospel-lamp lets us fee a mystery in his afcenfion into heaven, the moft glorious folemnity that ever the inhabitants of the fpiritual world faw, which made them all cry out, and shout, "God is gone up with a fhout, the Lord with the found of a trumpet," &c. This world faw little folemnity in Chrift's returning to heaven after he had finished the great work of man's redemption. But, Oh! angels and glorified faints, who were then arrived at heaven, they faw his chariots of state attending him. "The chariots of God are twenty thoufand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou haft afcended on high, thou thou haft led captivity captive: thou haft received gifts for men," Pfal. Ixviii. 17. 18. 9. The gofpel-lamp lets us fee a mystery in his appearance for us in heaven; how he appears there as our Representative and High Prieft within the vail, with much incenfe offering up the prayers of all faints, &c.; how he states himself as our Advocate with the Father, to plead our caufe, and to agent our business for us, and to repel all complaints given in against us by the accufer of the brethren. "He is able to fave to the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for us," Heb. vii. 25. "And if any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous." He appears for us before the bar, not as a fuppliant, but as one having authority: "Father (fays the Advocate), I will that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou haft given me,” John xvii. 24. 10. By the gospel-lamp there is a discovery made of a new and better covenant established in Chrift as a fecond Adam, than that which was made with the first Adam, even a cove nant of grace and promife; which being confirmed by the death of Chrift, is now fet out in its last and best edition, viz. as a testamentary deed. Every thing in and about this covenant is wonderful and myfterious. The Trinity transacted in it with Chrift as a fecond Adam from eternity: "I have made a covenant with my chofen; I have fworn unto David my fervant," Pfal. lxxxix. 3. The gradual manifestation of this covenant unto us, and the variety of difpenfations that it has undergone under the Old and New Testament, and yet ftill the fame covenant. The abfolute freedom of this covenant unto us, no conditions or qualifications required on our part to intereft us in it, the proper condition of it being already fulfilled in the obedience and death of Chrift, it comes out to us abfolutely free, "I will be their God. I will fprinkle them with clean water, and they fhall be clean. I will take away the heart of stone," &c. The way how a finner is brought within the bonds of this covenant is only owing to the gospel-lamp or light, namely, by faith, not of the operation of man, but of the operation of God in a day of power. He just makes the finner willing to be faved without money and without price, upon the footing of free grace reigning in and through an imputed righteoufnefs, &c. 11. By the gospel-lamp we come to know the mystery of regeneration, or the new birth; which fo ftarted and confounded Nicodemus, a teacher in Ifrael, that he bables and fpeaks ftark nonfenfe, when Chrift propofts it to him. "Can |