rugged and unbounded difficulty, through the mazes of which the Christian, with the Bible in his hand, can alone securely travel. But, interpreted by the Scriptures, they are FACTS of the most solemn and engrossing interest, to which history and fable, religion and superstition, bear equal testimony; which instruct while they admonish, and satisfy while they amaze the mind of the inquirer: and he that would be wise, "wise unto salvation," will "ponder them in his heart."

The humble-minded Christian will consider them with the seriousness which they solemnly demand. He will consider, that the agreement of THE WHOLE WORLD upon a subject, which could not have suggested itself spontaneously to the mind, especially of people most remote and most dissimilar, and placed under circumstances in every other respect discordant, cannot be the result of conspiracy or chance; but that what has been the belief of ALL MANKIND, however ignorantly expressed, must have had for its origin ONE FAITH, which was founded upon ONE PROMISE, which was accepted upon ONE ASSURANCE-namely, that it was THE TRUTH, and THE REVELATION OF GOD.

Thus if the Redeemer of mankind was "THE SHILOH" of the Jews, "THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS, "THE UNKNOWN GOD" of every worship, and THE TYPIFIED VICTIM of every altar, we are not only justified in referring this coincidence of belief and practice, but peremptorily called upon to refer it to the original revelation made by God to Adam, and through him to all mankind.

2. It is unnecessary to prove what " holy men of God," by "the word of prophecy;" evangelists, by the pen, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and martyrs, by their blood-have testified in characters, "which he may read who runs," that the "Shiloh" of the Jews, "the desire of all nations," "the unknown God" of every worship, whom all mankind really, though "ignorantly," adored, is JESUS CHRIST. IT COULD HAVE BEEN NO OTHER. For HE ALONE of all men lived without sin, and died without requiring the mercy of God. He "went about doing good;" and he only "had the words" and the power "of

* This expression is first made use of in the Septuagint, Gen. xlix. 10; where the word "Shiloh" is most wonderfully paraphrased—προσδοκία Εθνών.

eternal life." By his patience, by his innocence, by his labours, and by his resignation, he showed himself to be more than an ordinary man; and by his wisdom, by his preaching, by his prophecies, and by his miracles, he evinced himself "a prophet, yea more than a prophet:" while the consummating miracles of his resurrection from the grave, and ascension into glory, declared him to be "GOD BLESSED FOR EVER."*

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This was the true victim, THE SINLESS, THE SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE; by the shedding of whose blood the sin of Adam was atoned for, and Adam restored to the communion which he had lost. That the atonement might be complete, it was indispensably necessary that the victim should be divine; in JESUS we behold the DIVINE VICTIM, and in HIS BLOOD the COMPLETE ATONEMENT. For not only the miracles which, in fulfilment of prophecy, he wrought; not only the authority, equivalent to that of God, which he assumed, and successfully exercised; but even the confession of the evil spirits themselves, declared Jesus to be "the Christ, the Son of the living God."

To be, however, a SUITABLE, as well as a SUFFICIENT, SACRIFICE for the sins of men, it was necessary that he should be HUMAN. In JESUS we recognize this HUMAN VICTIM, and point him out like Pilate, though with far different feelings, 66 BEHOLD THE MAN!"

But while sufficiency for the end required the victim to be divine, and suitableness to the object demanded a human sacrifice, the eternal necessity that "all righteousness should be fulfilled," as peremptorily required the two natures to be united. Without THE MAN to suffer, God would not be satisfied: without THE GOD to qualify, THE MAN could not be perfect. In JESUS, therefore, we behold the MYSTERIOUS UNION of GOD and MAN. "In him it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell;"* and

"IN HIM DWELT ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY."+.

3. This was the Redeemer, and this the redemption, in anticipation of which, Adam repined not at the sentence which consigned him to toil and sorrow; which had driven him from a life of ease to labour-from "a garden of pleasure" to a field of thorns. Though every

* Col. i. 19.

+ Col. ii. 9.

morsel of bread, and every drop of pure water, brought with it the recollection of his sin and fall: though, “for his sake,” the very ground which he tilled was “cursed,” and “in sorrow,” he was doomed to "eat of it all the days of his life;" though the partner of his affliction was still more afflicted, and, through "sorrow," was condemned to pass to the blessedness of a mother-yet did the faith of Adam sustain his sinking spirit-yet did he "eat the bread of labour with thanksgiving;" and yet did his loved partner "forget the sorrow for joy that a man was born into the world." FOR in that bread of labour he recognized the gift of an indulgent Father; and in that man-child she expected the redemption and consolation of their souls. Thus, though that consolation and redemption were remote; though ages must roll on ages, and individuals become nations, before that desired HOLY ONE Could enter into his kingdom-80 firm, so constant, and so confident was the hope of Adam, that, in the glance of his prospective faith, he gathered ages into a moment, and nations into an individual, when the voice of his loved partner exclaimed with holy transport