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our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light by the gospel." It is this gospel doctrine of God our Saviour, which the divine preacher in our text declares shall drop as the rain.

Thirdly, My speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.

Fourthly, Why is this? Because I will publish the name of the LORD.

Fifthly, An exhortation. Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. Wherefore? Because he is a rock, and his work is perfect. How does this appear? All his ways are judgment. He is a God of truth; he is without iniquity; he is just and doeth righteously.

SKETCH XXVIII.

DEUTERONOMY XXXiii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

First, Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death. Bring me savoury meat, said Isaac, that my soul may bless thee before I die.

Secondly, To prove the right of the people to this blessing. The LORD came from Sinai. Exodus xix. 18, "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly." Habakkuk iii. S, "God came from Teman, and the holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise."

Thirdly, The LORD rose up from Seir unto them. Chapter ii. 4, "And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore."

Fourthly, He shined forth from mount Faran. Genesis xxi. 21," And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt." The LORD came with ten thousand of his saints.

Fifthly, From his right hand went a fiery law, and this law was for them.

Sixthly, God loved the people. Exodus xix. 5, "Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me, above all people, for all the earth is mine: all his saints are in thy hand." John x. 28, 29, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall pever perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all: and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

Seventhly, They sat down at thy feet. Acts xxii. 3, "I am, verily, a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day." Every one shall receive of thy words. Proverbs ii, 1, "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee."

Eighthly, The law is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. Psalm cxix. 111, "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart."

REMARKS.

First, Moses blessed the people as his last act. Secondly, The lay is not against the promises. Thirdly, If God loved the children of Israel,he will continue to love them, for he changeth not. Fourthly, Yea, verily, they shall all receive of his words, for they shall be all taught of God. Fifthly, The people are saints, or sanctified in Christ Jesus, in whom they are blessed with all spiritual blessings. Lastly, Let us rejoice in our inheritance, the law. Psalm xix. 7, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

SKETCH XXIX.

DEUTERONOMY xxxiii. 6, 7.

First, REUBEN was the first born; he shall live and not die. Genesis xlix. 3, "Reuben thou art my first born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power."

Secondly, This is the blessing of Judah. Genesis xlix. 8—12, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." And he said, hear LORD, the voice of Judah.

Thirdly, And bring him to his people. Zechariah ii. 12, "And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again."

Fourthly, Let his hands be sufficient for him, and thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies.

Fifthly, And be thou a help to him from his enemies. Judah could have but two descriptions of enemies; Jews and Gentiles. The Redeemer can have but two descriptions of enemies; men and angels, fallen men and fallen angels.

REMARKS.

(First, We cannot read the sacred volume with advantage, except we understand it. A single eye fixed upon the Saviour of the world, should be ever open. Secondly, But except we are under the influence of that blessed Spirit, by whose direction the oracles of truth: were penned, the veil is upon our hearts, and we cannot discern the things that make for our peace. (Thirdly, The holy Spirit teacheth the soul, that every scripture testimony leadeth either directly

In

or indirectly to Christ Jesus. Fourthly, When we behold Christ
Jesus, we behold ourselves, for he is the head of every man.
In Christ Jesus, both Jew and Gentile
In one word, it is in Christ Jesus, that

him dwelleth all fulness. constitute one new man. all things are made new.

SKETCH XXX.

DEUTERONOMY XXXiii. 8-11.

First, AND of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah. Many pages have been written by way of explaining what this Urim and Thummim mean; but, it appears to me, an attention to our text and its references, will indubitably establish the opinion of those who assert, that the Urim and Thummim designate light and perfection. Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah. With whom did the children of Israel strive at the waters of Meribah? Numbers xx. 13, "This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD." The direction of Moses then, to the tribe of Levi, is simply this, Let thy light and perfection, let the manifestation of truth remain with thy God, and be content to receive from the Holy One of Israel, as from the hands of the bountiful.

Secondly, Who said to his father and to his mother, I have not seen him. Exodus xxxii. 26, "Then Moses stood in the gate of his camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves unto

unto me. him."

Thirdly, They shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy laws. Deuteronomy xvii. 9, 11, "And thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge, that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment. According to the sentence of the law, which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence

which they shall shew thee, to the right hand nor to the left." Ezekiel xliv. 23, "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." Malachi ii. 7, "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts." Fourthly, They shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifices upon thine altar. Ezekiel xliii. 27, " And when those days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings: and I will accept you, saith the LORD God."

Fifthly, Bless LORD his substance, and accept the work of his hands. Ephesians i. 6, "To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Sixthly, Smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

REMARKS.

First, It is manifest that the Priesthood is pointed out by Moses in this passage. And secondly, That Jesus Christ is intended, who is a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. Thirdly, This Priest will teach the people; for it is written they shall be all taught of God. Fourthly, His substance shall indeed be blessed. Fifthly, The work of his hands shall be blessed. What is the work of his hands? It is God who hath made us, we are the work of his hands, and in him every individual shall be blessed. Sixthly, Them that hate him shall fall to rise no more. Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, is fallen, to rise no more forever.

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