Consistently with these characters it must appear to be an indisputable fact, that the mediatorial process of the beloved Son of God considered under all its sacred aspects, is alone the Divinely ordained medium, through which all the mercies and blessings of redeeming love are conveyed to fallen man.

Among those several aspects, as exhibited in his assumption of our nature, are to be included his passing through the stage of infancy to manhood; His fulfilment of all righteousness; His temptations in the wilderness, and successful resistance of the tempter; His invincible fidelity and perfect obedience, in doing and suffering the will of his Heavenly Father; His agony in the garden and on the cross; His matchless love to mankind in yielding his body to be crucified, and his soul to the horrors of that spiritual death, which He tasted for every man, and which is constituted, or rather consummated, by eternal separation from the presence of the Lord; His deliverance from the dreadful jaws of this death; and His triumphant resurrection, and glorious ascension into heaven, where He "sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Such is the comprehensive nature of the Redeemer's process, in the character of "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world."

If enabled to behold Him with the eye of faith, we may discern something of the wisdom and the mercy-the beauty and the glory of this Divine Dispensation. But those alone are qualified duly to appreciate its transcendent value, who, under deep humiliation of spirit, "have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope" of the Gospel; and who, experiencing it to be, not only good tidings of great joy," but "the power of God unto salvation," are prepared to unite in the song of the redeemed, saying: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and glory, and blessing;" and such will also be prepared finally to join in the universal anthem of: "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever!"

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Lecture XEV.

THE INTERNAL MANIFESTATION OF THE REDEEMER.

“According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest; and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the Everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."

"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory."

Agreeably to the import of these impressive texts, and in harmony with that of many other passages of Scripture testimony, it is evident that the apostles were commissioned to make known among the gentiles, not only "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus" in that external manifestation, in which was exhibited his holy life, doctrines, miracles, and promises; his mediatorial sufferings and death; his triumphant resurrection and ascension; but also the riches of the glory of this "mystery, which is," saith the apostle, "Christ in you the hope of glory."

In the preceding Lecture, there has been an attempt to set forth something of the beautiful proportion that is observable in the doctrinal parts of that sacred structure, which, according to its original design and ultimate consummation, may be identified with the character of the true Church given forth by the inspired writers: A Church "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;" "The pillar and ground of the Truth ;" "The spouse of Christ;" "A bride adorned for her husband." By these descriptions, something universal and externally conspicuous is evidently intended, as well as an internal beauty and excellence, which should exclude all imperfection and defect; a state which the professing Christian Church appears never to have fully displayed, since the apostles' days: yet were there bestowed and brought into harmonious operation, those spiritual gifts and graces, through which that glorious condition might have been preserved.

Many eclipses, both in doctrine and practice, have however been permitted to obscure the glory of her primitive visibility, and gradually to invest it with a veil of darkness which has been hitherto but partially removed. Yet may it be thankfully acknowledged, to the praise of that