law then given, or the cloud that went before the camp, or by the napkin that was before Mofes' face, or by the vail which parted the holy place from the fanctum fanctorum, or by the lid of the ark; all these being types of the humanity of Chrift. "The way into the holy of holies is now confecrated through the vail of his flesh," and within that vail dwells all the fulnefs of the godhead bodily; and through which vail, on mount Tabor, in the fight of Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John, the light fhone, to the aftonishment of every witnefs: which vifion was to be published to the world after his refurrection from the dead; and for the which teftimony I have obtained the name of " a liar, a deceiver, an antinomian, "a dangerous man, a disturber of the churches, a fower " of difcord, and a fmiter of my fellow-fervants."But my work is with my God; nor do I call one preacher in five hundred my fellow-fervant in the kingdom and patience of Chrift, unless acquainted with the power of Chrift, in which his kingdom stands; with that righteousness, peace, and joy, of which it confifts; and of the patience of Christ, which is a grace of his, exercised towards him, in his cause, and in the defence of his truth. All other patience, however tried or exercised, is nothing but a being buffeted for their faults, and reproved for running unfent of God; for vitiating the minds of the people against the truth, for misleading the blind, and for corrupting the covenant of life and peace, which was with

Levi. However, all who are real labourers in the Lord's vineyard-all that preach Chrift crucified in fincerity and truth-fuch preachers, and only fuch, have my best wishes and hearty prayers. But I have no call to found my own trumpet; God will bring this forth at the great day, when every heart will be open, every defire known, and every real petition in faith fully answered.

Secondly. This vail was to lead Ifrael to the incarnation of Chrift, or to the long predicted and promised feed, in human nature (as hath been already hinted). Mofes, with this vail on his face, was to point them to the glorious mediator Chrift Jefus, and to the fulness of grace and truth that was to fhine forth in him; as they have recorded who faw his glory and fpake of him. And this was fhewn with a witnefs when they pierced his fide on the cross; at which inftant the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, as a proof that the fhadow was then vanished, and that the real fubftance was then come; that he who dwelt between the cherubims was gone out through the vail; that he had quitted his holy habitation, broke up houfekeeping, and left his houfe defolate; Chrift now becoming the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man, called by the prophet Ezekiel a fanctuary. "And the heathen fhall know that I the Lord do fanctify Ifrael, when my fanctuary fhall be in the midft of them for evermore." Into which all the

elect

elect are to be gathered, in the unity of the faith, as to their Covenant Head and God of all grace and providence, who is to fhelter all fowls of every wing.

The

But, thirdly. This vail was to convince Ifrael of their native guilt, enmity, and blindnefs of mind. Of their guilt-They could not fee the light. Of enmity-" They could not endure that which was fpoken." Of blindnefs-" They could not fee to the end of that which is abolished." Hence to this day, when the old teftament is read without the light of Chrift, the vail of the law is all that is feen; and there is another vail upon their hearts, which is called "a covering caft over all nations.' God of this world still blinds the minds of them which believe not, left the glorious light of the gospel fhould fhine unto them, and they should be faved. And which covering can only be destroyed by the anointing, that is, by the eye falve, or unction of the Holy Ghoft, who teacheth us all things, and is no lie; and by turning the heart to the Lord Jefus when this is done," the vail shall be taken away," that is, when the heart of the finner shall be turned to the Lord; then he fhall fee Mofes' borrowed rays in Chrift Jefus; the fervant's glory in the Son's face; yea, the glory of God in the face of Jefus, and the law fulfilled and established by the everlasting gofpel.

Fourthly. This vail was to fhew them that the way into heaven by a better Mediator was then hid,

and

and not made manifeft: for the Holy Ghoft, by Mofes and by this vail, by the tabernacle and the vail of that, this fignified-that the way into the holieft of all was not made manifeft, while that worldly fanctuary, and the miniftry of it, were then ftanding. But now the law is magnified, the better Mediator hath appeared, the better covenant is revealed, the way of life caft up, the door of hope opened; and free, full, and eternal, falvation by grace proclaimed to every felf-loft, felf-condemned, and felf-defpairing finner, whether Jew or Gentile.

Fifthly. This vail was to fhew the fuperior privileges of the children of Ifrael to all the reft of the world. They had a vail to look through, but the Gentiles had none; the law encompaffed them as a partition wall, (" For you only," fays God, "have I known of all the families of the earth") while the poor Gentiles were in utter darkness, left to their own ways, given up to a reprobate mind, "aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, ftrangers from the covenant of promife, without God, and having no hope in the world." Which partition wall, vail of feparation, and obfcure covering, was to be removed when Chrift came and the Holy Ghoft was poured forth; then the holy waters of the fanctuary, which came under the threshold, from the fountain of the Father's love, went forth, overflowing all the banks of feparation, and ran into the fea of the Gentile world; caufing all to live that touched them, and raifing up trees of righteoufnefs on each fide of

the

the banks, both of Jews and Gentiles; caufing fome inftrumentally, to be for meat, and others for medicine. This vail is now done away, and of twain Christ hath made one new man; there is one fold and one fhepherd," though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Ifrael acknowledge us not."

Sixthly. This vail pointed to the remains of darknefs that would remain in the beft of men; that none would know but in part, and prophefy in part; that they would fee only through a glass darkly; and that mortality and her fhrouds would be a heavy veil upon the hearts of the brightest faints and fervants of the Lord, who would at times grope like the blind at noon day, but that the time would come when this fackcloth, in which we now prophefy, would be put off; when mortality would be fwallowed up of life; when he who only hath immortality would appear, and burft the vail of corruption and of the grave alfo, and raise the fleeping duft of the faints to a state of immortality, glory, power, and eternal felicity!-Thus much for the vail of Mofes ; which leads me to the fourth general head, which is to fhew the end that Ifrael could not look to:

They could not fedfaftly look to the end of that which is abolished.-The end of which is the Lord Jefus Chrift, perfonated by Mofes; who was to be born of the children of Ifrael, made of a woman, made under the law; and who, as the finner's furety, was to discharge their infinite debts, and restore that bonour to the law which he took not away. And this is

published