on our fathers was inftituted the fcarf-skin to preferve the promise or covenant of the Meffiah, fince which, what has been her ftate or lot? why, no other than that of the scape goat in the wilderness accurfed, hated by all men, as a scare-crow, or dried, stuffed image by birds. But, fay you, none but your defcription, deferters from the law, and the fpirit, fall under this curfe. My fon, hear the instruction of your father, and be obedient to the law and words of your mother; for Mofes, our father, gave us commands and ceremonies, and our mother the fynagogue is our difciplinarian. Mofes offered facrifice for atonement for fin repeatedly, which proves Abraham's circumcifion infufficient. To this we answer: That in facrificing, as alfo in circumcifing, Mofes is a copier of our great origin Abram, even before he was circumcifed, offered facrifice, by the fpecial command of God. See the faid chapter. "And he faid unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a fhe-goat of three years. old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them, and laid each piece one against another; but the birds he divided not; and behold a furnace and burning lamp paffed between the pieces.

Boy. In the fame day the Lord-made a covenant with Abram, faying, "Unto thy feed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river Euphrates.' river Euphrates." At that time God endowed him with the prophetic fpirit communicating the great events that attend his

pofterity.

pofterity. In all things the fcripture holds up uncircumcifed Abram to be poffeffed of fupernatural gifts, an unblemished character, father of the Meffiah, and his Elect, friend and darling of his God. So that faithful uncircumcifed Abram ftood in the fame degree of perfetion and pre-eminence in the eyes of his God equally with the circumcised Abraham.. But yet, he was neither the origin of facrificing, nor the first, nor only favorite facrifice we must fuppofe took place from the fall of our first parents, it being proper, though infufficient, that a public act or offering fhould be immolated. First, to acknowledge our fole dependence and reliance with every act and virtue of religion, as wholely due and centered in our God. Secondly, to deplore and lament the fall of man, precarious state, with numberlefs fins that daily impede man's falvation. Thirdly, as types or figures of the oblation, or great facrifice of Redemption, the ranfom or purchase of God's favour, by the death of Chrift. At the arrival of the Principal or Real, all types, figures or shadows naturally ceafed, having obtained the completion for which they were inftituted. As the fcripture has affirmed, 4th Pfalm, "Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not defire; burntofferings and fin-offerings haft thou not required." Then, faid I, behold, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, O my God. Your will is

within my heart. Daniel 9th chapter. The prophet Daniel, after marking this epoch, which was the grand æra or date of the christian

covenant, confirms the ceafing of the types and figures. And he (the Meffiah) fhall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week, he fhall caufe the facrifice and the oblation to ceafe; and for the overfpreading of abominations he shall make it defolate, even until the confummation, and that determined, fhall be poured upon the defolate, to enumerate the paffages of fcripture that confirms the ceafing, and abolishing the old law, with its types and figures, at the arrival of the Meffiah, who was to establish a new covenant, with the reprobation of the Jews, and defolation of the country and nation, would be endlefs.

To return to the earlier times of facrifice and offerings. The two fons of Adam we find converfant with this duty. Genefis 4th chapter. As your law-giver, Mofes, has placed in the firft book of his Pentateuch. These are his words. "And in process of time, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord; and Abel brought of the firftlings of his flock, and of the fat." We must suppose, that Cain and Abel, the two first descendants from Adam, were taught this duty by their father, which, no doubt, was enjoined and prefcribed to the pofterity of our first parent, a perpetual law in their generations. And, as the promife was removed from the Jewith hierarchy, fo we find recorded by this law-giver the types tranfported by Noah from the Antediluvians to those fince the flood, the most faithful comments are his own words.

Genefis

Genefis 8th chapter. And Noah went forth, out of the ark, and his fons, and his wife, and his fons wives with him; every beaft, every creeping thing, and every fowl; and Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beaft, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.

Job, who is generally fuppofed was a cotemporary with Mofes, your law-giver, and that he was the author of his life, entered it into the fcriptures as a model of perfection. This man, as Noah, Enoch, and Abel (in the book of Genefis) were Gentiles, examples of virtue, and peculiar favourites of their God, as the fcripture witneffes, to which I refer you. I will only fay a few words out of the Life of Job. Job ift chapter. There was a man in the land of Us, whofe name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and avoided evil. He had feven fons and three daughters, and his fons feafted in their houses, each one his day. And when the days of their feafting were over, Job fent and fanctified them, and role up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to their number: for Job faid, "It may be that my fons have finned." Thus did Job continually. And the Lord faid, "I here is none like him on the earth, a perfect and upright man. In Job you will find the perfect chriftian.

19th chapter. Oh, that my words were now written, Oh, that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever! For I know that my

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Re

Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day on the earth. And though worms deftroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God, whom I fhall fee for myfelf, and my eyes fhall behold, and not another."

The moft zealous chriftian cannot exprefs himself, or enforce his fentiments with greater energy, on the Divine and Human nature of Christ. Job lived 1500 years prior to the time marked for the birth of Chrift. He first affirmed, that the Divine nature lived, and that in the latter day (which was the æra or epoch marked for the manifeftation and reign of the Meffiah, this laft age) he should stand or manifeft himself on earth in his human nature, as was promised at the fall of man, that the feed of the woman fhould crush the ferpent's head, that is, defeat the intrigues of Satan, and reftore man to the favour of his God, which Satan had robbed him of. The refurrection or revival of the flesh was well known to Job, as he declares. And though worms deftroy this body, yet, in my flefh fhall I fee God. He expoftulates with his friends for cenfuring his complaints caufed by exceffive pain, from which we draw these fundamental principles of chriftianity, known from the fall of man and until the end of the world, requifite and neceffary for obtaining falvation, Faith and Hope in Chrift, coupled with a holy, virtuous, and perfect life.

But you should fay, why perfecute we him, feeing the root of the matter is found in his heart. Be ye afraid of the sword; for wrath caufeth the punishment of the fword, that you

may