Earlier text: GRACE AND GLORYThe Law of God.
By John Wesley
AN EXTRACT FROM JOHN WESLEY'S DISCOURSE UPON OUR LORD'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
“THINK not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.” Matt. 5:17–20.
1. Among the multitude of reproaches which fell upon Him who was despised and rejected of men, it could not fail to be one, that he was a teacher of novelties, an introducer of a new religion. This might be affirmed with the more color, because many of the expressions he had used, were not common among the Jews; either they did not use them at all, or not in the same sense, not in so full and strong a meaning. Add to this, that the worshiping God in spirit and in truth, must always appear a new religion, to those who have hitherto known nothing but outside worship, nothing but the form of godliness.
2. And it is not improbable, some might hope it was so; that he was abolishing the old religion, and bringing in another; one which they might flatter themselves, would be an easier way to Heaven. But our Lord refutes in these words both the vain hopes of the one, and the groundless calumnies of the other.
I shall consider them in the same order as they lie, taking each verse for a distinct head of discourse.
I. 1. And, first, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”
The ritual or ceremonial law, delivered by Moses to the children of Israel, containing all the injunctions and ordinances which related to the old sacrifices and service of the temple, our Lord indeed did come to destroy, to dissolve and utterly abolish. To this bear all the apostles witness; not only Barnabas and Paul, who vehemently withstood those who taught that Christians ought to keep the law of Moses; not only St. Peter, who termed the insisting on this, on the observance of the ritual law, a tempting God, and putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers, saith he, nor we were able to bear; but all the apostles, elders and brethren being assembled with one accord, declared, that to command them to keep this law, was to subvert their souls; and that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them, to lay no such burthens upon them. This hand-writing of ordinances our Lord did blot out, take away, and nail to his cross.
2. But the moral law, contained in the ten commandments, and enforced by the prophets, he did not take away. It was not the design of his coming, to revoke any part of this. This is a law which never can be broken, which stands fast as the faithful witness in Heaven. The moral stands on an entirely different foundation, from the ceremonial or ritual law; which was only designed for a temporary restraint upon a disobedient and stiff-necked people; whereas this was from the beginning of the world; being written not on tables of stone, but on the hearts of all the children of men, when they came out of the hands of the Creator. And however the letters once wrote by the finger of God, are now in a great measure defaced by sin, yet can they not be wholly blotted out, while we have any consciousness of good and evil. Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change; but on the nature of God, and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other.
3. “I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Some have conceived our Lord to mean, I am come to fulfill this, by my entire and perfect obedience to it. And it cannot be doubted but he did, in this sense, fulfill every part of it. But this does not appear to be what he intends here, being foreign to the scope of his present discourse. Without question his meaning in this place is (consistent with all that goes before and follows after), I am come to establish it in its fulness, in spite of all the glosses of men. I am come to place in a full and clear view, whatsoever was dark or obscure therein. I am come to declare the true and full import of every part of it; to show the length and breadth, the entire extent of every commandment contained therein; and the height and depth, the inconceivable purity and spirituality of it in all its branches.
4. And this our Lord has abundantly performed in the preceding and subsequent parts of the discourse before us; in which he has not introduced a new religion into the world, but the same which was from the beginning a religion, the substance of which is without question, as old as the creation; being coeval with man, and having proceeded from God, at the very time when man became a living soul (the substance, I say, for some circumstances of it, now relate to man as a fallen creature). A religion witnessed to, both by the law, and by the prophets in all succeeding generations. Yet was it never so fully explained, nor so thoroughly understood, till the Great Author of it, himself, condescended to give mankind this authentic comment on all the essential branches of it; at the same time declaring it should never be changed, but remain in force to the end of the world.
II. 1. “For verily I say unto you” (a solemn preface, which denotes both importance and certainty of what is spoken) “till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.”
One jot—it is literally, not one iota, not the most inconsiderable vowel, or one tittle, MIAKERAIA, one corner or point of a consonant. It is a proverbial expression which signifies that no one commandment contained in the moral law, nor the least part of one, however inconsiderable it might seem, should ever be annulled.
“Shall in no wise pass from the law:” QU ME PARELTHE APO TOU NOMOU. The double negative here used strengthens the sense, so as to admit of no contradiction. And the word PARELTHE, it may be observed, is not barely future; declaring what will be; but has likewise the force of an imperative; ordering what shall be. It is a word of authority, expressing the sovereign will and power of him that spake: of him whose word is the law of Heaven and earth, and stands fast forever, and ever.
“One jot or tittle shall in no wise pass, till heaven and earth pass;” or as it is expressed immediately after, EOS AN PANTA GENETAI, till all (or rather all things), be fulfilled, till the consummation of all things. Here is therefore no room for that poor evasion (with which some have delighted themselves greatly) that “no part of the law was to pass away, till all the law was fulfilled; but it has been fulfilled by Christ; and therefore now must pass for the gospel to be established.” Not so; the word all does not mean all the law, but all things in the universe; as neither has the term fulfilled, any reference to the law but to all things in heaven and earth.
2. From all this we may learn that there is no contrariety at all between the law and the gospel; that there is no need for the law to pass away, in order to the establishing the gospel. Indeed, neither of them supercedes the other, but they agree perfectly well together. Yea, the very same words, considered in different respects, are parts both of the law and of the gospel; if they are considered as commandments they are parts of the law; if as promises, of the gospel. Thus, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, when considered as a commandment is a branch of the law; when regarded as a promise, is an essential part of the law, proposed by way of promises. Accordingly, poverty of spirit, purity of heart, and what-ever else is enjoined in the holy law of God, are no other when viewed in a gospel light, than so many great and precious promises.
3. There is therefore the closest connection that can be conceived, between the law and the gospel. On the one hand, the law continually makes way for, and points us to, the gospel; on the other, the gospel continually leads us to an exact fulfilling of the law. The law, for instance, requires us to love God, to love our neighbor, to be meek, humble, or holy; we feel that we are not sufficient for these things; yea, that with man this is impossible. But we see a promise of God to give us that love, and to make us humble, meek and holy. We lay hold of this gospel, of these glad tidings; it is done unto us according to our faith; and the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
We may yet further observe, that every command in holy writ, is only a covered promise. For by that solemn declaration, “this is the covenant I will make after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws in your minds and write them in your hearts.” God hath engaged to give whatsoever he commands. Does he command us then, to pray without ceasing? to rejoice evermore? to be holy as he is holy? It is enough. He will work in us this very thing. It shall be unto us according to our faith; and the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
But I am a loss what to think of those in all ages of the church that have undertaken to change or supercede some commands of God, as they professed, by the peculiar direction of his Spirit. Christ hath given us an infallible rule, whereby to judge of all such pretensions. Christianity, as it includes the whole moral law of God, both by way of injunction and of promise, if we will hear him is designed of God, to be the last of all his dispensations. There is no other to come after this. This is to endure till the consummation of all things. Of consequence all such new revelations are of Satan and not of God; and all pretences to another more perfect dispensation, fall to the ground, of course. Heaven and earth shall pass away; but this word shall not pass away.
III. 1. “Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.”
Who, what are they, that make “the preaching of the law” a character of reproach? Do they not see on whom the reproach must fall at last? Whosoever on this ground, despiseth us, despiseth him that sent us. For, did ever any man preach the law like him? even when he came not to condemn but to save the world? when he came purposely to bring life and immortality to light through the gospel? Can any preach the law more expressly, more rigorously, than Christ does in these words? And who is he that shall amend them? who is he that shall instruct the Son of God how to preach? Who will teach him a better way of delivering the message which he hath received of the Father.
2. “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments,” or one of the least of these commandments—these commandments we may observe, is a term used by our Lord as equivalent with the law or, the law and the prophets, which is the same thing, seeing the prophets added nothing to the law; but only declared, explained or enforced it, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
“Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments”—especially if it be done wilfully or presumptuously; one; for he that keepeth the whole law and thus offends in one point, is guilty of all. The wrath of God abideth on him, as surely as if he had broken every one. So that no allowance is made of one darling lust; no reserve for one idol; no excuse for refraining from all besides and only giving way to one bosom sin. What God demands is an entire obedience; we are to have an eye to all his commands; otherwise we lose all the labor we take in keeping some, and our poor souls forever and ever.
“One of these least,” or one of the least of these commandments. Here is another excuse cut off, whereby many, who cannot deceive God, miserably deceive their own souls. “This sin, saith the sinner, is it not a little one? Will not the Lord spare me in this thing? I will not be extreme to mark this, since I do not offend in the greatest matters of the law.” Vain hope! speaking after the manner of men, we may term these great and those little commandments. But in reality, these are not so. If we use propriety of speech, there is no such thing as a little sin; every sin being a transgression of the holy and perfect law, and an affront of the great Majesty of Heaven.
“And shall teach men so. In some sense it may be said that whosoever openly breaks any commandment, teaches others to do the same; for example speaks, and many times louder than precept. In this sense it is apparent every drunkard is a teacher of drunkenness; every Sabbath-breaker is constantly teaching his neighbor to profane the day of the Lord. But this is not all; an habitual breaker of the law is seldom content to stop here. He generally teaches other men to do so too, by word as well as by example; especially when he hardeneth his neck and hateth to be reproved. Such a sinner soon commences an advocate for sin; he defends what he is resolved not to forsake. He excuses the sin which he will not leave, and thus directly teaches every sin which he commits.
“He shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven:” that is, shall have no part therein. He is a stranger to the kingdom of heaven which is on earth; he hath no portion in that inheritance; no share of that righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost. Nor by consequence can he have any part in the glory which shall be revealed.
4. But if those who even thus break and teach others to break “one of the least of these commandments,” shall be called the least of the kingdom of heaven, “have no part in the kingdom of Christ and of God; if even these shall be cast into outer darkness, where is wailing and gnashing of teeth; then where will they appear, whom our Lord chiefly and principally intends in these words? They who bearing the character of teachers sent from God; do nevertheless themselves break his commandments, and openly teach others so to do; being corrupt both in life and doctrine.
5. These are of several sorts. Of the first sort are they who live in some willful, habitual sin. Now if an ordinary sinner teaches by his example, how much more a sinful minister? Even if he does not attempt to defend, excuse or extenuate his sin. If he does, he is a murderer indeed, yea, the murder-general of his congregation. He peoples the regions of death. He is the choicest instrument of the prince of darkness. When he goes hence, hell from beneath is moved to meet him at his coming. Nor can he sink into the bottomless pit, without dragging a multitude after him.
6. Next to these are the good-natured, good sort of men, who live an easy, harmless life, neither troubling themselves with outward sin, nor with inward holiness; men who are remarkable neither one way nor the other; who are neither for religion nor irreligion; who are very regular both in public and private, but do not pretend to be any stricter than their neighbors. A minister of this kind breaks, not one, or a few only of the least commandments of God; but all the great and weighty branches of his law, which relate to the power of godliness; and all that require us to pass the time of our sojourning in fear, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; to have our loins always girt and our lights burning; to strive or agonize to enter in at the strait gate. And he teaches men so, by the whole form of his life, and the general tenor of his preaching, which uniformly tends to soothe those in their pleasing dream, who imagine themselves Christians and are not; to persuade all who attend upon his ministry, to sleep on and take their rest. No marvel therefore if both he and they that follow, wake together in “everlasting burnings.”
7. But above all these, in the highest rank of the enemies of the gospel of Christ, are they who openly and explicitly judge the law itself, and speak evil of the law. Who teach men to break (LUSAI, to dissolve, to loose, to untie the obligation of) not one only, whether of the least, or of the greatest, but all the commandments at a stroke: who teach, without any cover, in so many words, “What did our Lord do with the law? He abolished it!” “There is but one duty, which is that of believing.” “All commands are unfit for our times.” “From any demand of the law no man is obliged now to go one step, to give away one farthing, to eat or omit one morsel.” This is indeed carrying matters with a high hand. This is withstanding our Lord to the face, and telling him, he understood not how to deliver the message on which he was sent. O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge! Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!
8. The most surprising of all the circumstances, that attend this strong delusion, is that they who are given up to it, really believe that they honor Christ, by overthrowing his law, while they are magnifying his office, while they are destroying his doctrine! Yea, they honor him just as Judas did, when he said, hail Master, and kissed him. And he may as justly say, to every one of them, “Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” It is no other than betraying him with a kiss, to talk of his blood and take away his crown; to set light by any part of his law, under pretense of advancing his gospel. Nor indeed can any one escape this charge, who preaches faith in any such manner, as either indirectly, tends to set aside any branch of obedience; who preaches Christ so as to disannul or weaken in any wise the least of the commandments of God.
9. It is impossible indeed to have too high an esteem for the faith of God's elect. And we must all declare, “By grace ye are saved through faith:—Not of works lest any man should boast.” We must cry aloud to every penitent sinner, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” But at the same time, we must take care to let all men know we esteem no faith but that which worketh by love; and that we are not saved by faith, unless so far as we are delivered from the power as well as the guilt of sin. And when we say, believe and thou shalt be saved, we do not mean, believe and thou shalt step from sin to heaven, without any holiness coming between: faith supplying the place of holiness. But believe and thou shalt be holy; believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt have peace and power together. Thou shalt have power from him in whom thou believest, to trample sin under thy feet; power to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and to serve him with all thy strength. Thou shalt have power, by patient continuance in well-doing, to seek for glory, and honor, and immortality. Thou shalt both do and teach all the commandments of God, from the least even to the greatest. Thou shalt teach them by thy life as well as thy words, and so be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The various forms of government existing in the different religious bodies in our time, is evidence that church government and discipline is a subject upon which learned and good men have differed. In no one chapter, or book, has Paul, or Peter, or John, or James, or Jude, written out a system of Christian discipline, giving the position and duties of the several callings, gifts and officers. But that there should be order in the church of God is evident, not only from the declarations of the apostles, and the record of their acts gathered from the New Testament, but from the great facts relative to system and order, found in the Old Testament. God is the same in all ages. And the freedom of the gospel of Christ does not consist in laxity and confusion. The epistles of Paul and of Peter distinctly speak of officers of the church, and of their duties. The New Testament clearly defines the relation which Christ sustains to the ministry and to the church; and also the proper relation of the ministry to the church, and to one another. But the system of Christian organization is not given as fully in the New Testament, as the system of Jewish organization was given in the Old Testament. Having, however, the benefit of both the record of the system of the former and the declarations and acts of the first apostles of the latter, we have all that Infinite Wisdom saw necessary for the Christian church. The relation which Christ sustains to the ministry and to the church, is stated in these texts: "One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Matt. 23:8. "But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ." 1 Cor. 11:3. Christ is the Great Shepherd of all, while his ministers are under shepherds. Peter charges the elders: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Pet. 5:2-4. And Paul would impress the church with her duty to the ministry in these words: "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God." Heb. 13:7. "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls as they that must give account." Verse 17. And yet it was not the design of God that any system of organization should exist in the Christian church that would take the leadership from Christ. Organization was designed to secure unity of action, and as a protection from imposture. It was never intended as a scourge to compel obedience, but, rather, for the protection of the people of God. Christ does not drive his people. He calls them. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Our living Head leads the way, and calls his people to follow. Human creeds cannot produce unity. Church force cannot press the church into one body. This has been tried, and has proved a failure. Christ never designed that human minds should be moulded for Heaven by the influence merely of other human minds. "The head of every man is Christ." His part is to lead, and to mould, and to stamp his own image upon the heirs of eternal glory. However important organization may be for the protection of the church, and to secure harmony of action, it must not come in to take the disciple from the hands of the great Teacher. Christ designs that his people may be one. He prays: "That they all may be one, as thou, Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." John 17:21. The ordained means for the unity of the church are ample, and will accomplish the design of Heaven on all those who walk worthy of Christ, and humbly cultivate the spirit of love and unity. Paul appeals to the church of the Ephesians upon the subject, and urges unity on the grounds of the oneness of the Christians hope, faith, baptism, Lord, and God and Father of all. Instead of a plurality of spirits, leading many bodies os Christ to Heaven by different routes. Paul declares: "There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling." We can find no better words to close our remarks upon the subject this week, than the triumphant appeal of the great apostle. Hear him, as he sets forth the disciple's proper condition of mind, and the oneness and efficiency of the ample means to secure the unity and perfection of the church of Christ. "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is, above all and through all and in you all." Eph. 5:1-6. The mere definite means ordained in the church of God for her perfection and unity, should by no means be overlooked. Let the reader bear in mind that these were all given at the same time, for the same purpose, and all to cease at the same time. Have a part ceased? all have ceased. Do a portion continue? then all continue. Paul speaks of Christ's endowment of the church thus: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Verses, 11-13. IT EMBRACES ALL THE AGES OF HUMAN PROBATION. THE word gospel means a "joyful message," or good news. The gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. We inquire, When was the good news of redemption from sin first heard? How early in the sad history of fallen man was the joyful message of salvation through the Son of God proclaimed? Was it first given in the days of Christ and his first apostles? or of Moses? or of Abraham? or of Adam? These questions may open to the reader a new and profitable field of thought. We unhesitatingly answer that the gospel dates back to the time when the hope of pardon and redemption was set before the fallen representatives of our race. We distinctly trace the faith and hope of the gospel of the Son of God in that early denunciation of wrath upon Satan, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. In this sentence against the author of sin and death, we hear the gospel of our triumphant Redeemer as verily as in the song of the angels to the shepherds as they watched their flocks by night, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will to men." "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Immediately after the fall, hope of a future life hung on Christ, as truly as we hang our hopes upon him. And when the first sons of Adam brought their offerings to the Lord, Cain, in his unbelief, brought of the first-fruits of the ground. But Abel, in faith of the great Sacrifice for sin, to be manifested in the distant future, brought of the firstlings of his flock. Through that lamb, Abel saw the Lamb of God, the Redeemer of the world, and set his hope upon him. In the blood of that firstling, Abel saw the figure of the blood of Jesus Christ. He looked forward to Christ, and made his offering in the faith and hope of the gospel, and through it saw the great Sacrifice for sin, truly as we see the bleeding Lamb of God as we look back to calvary through the broken bread and the fruit of the vine at the Lord's supper. In these emblems, we see Christ shedding his blood for our sins on the cross. Abel saw the same in the bleeding, dying firstling which he offered. "And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect." Gen. 4:4, 5. The sacred narrative shows that, while Abel's act of faith in the Redeemer to come sealed his righteous character, cost him his life, and placed him at the head of the holy martyrs of Jesus, Cain's infidelity was regarded as sinful and was the stepping stone to the high crime of the murder of his brother, which sealed his character as a vagabond in the earth. The great apostle, in the eleventh chapter of his epistle to the Hebrews, places Abel at the head of the faithful worthies. He speaks of his righteous act of faith in offering to the Lord in sacrifice the type of the Redeemer to come, in these emphatic words: "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying to his gifts. And by it he being dead yet speaketh." Abel laid hold of the hope that was set before him of the Redeemer to come, and in type, embraced Christ. And, as he set the seal to his faith and hope in presenting before the Lord the most fitting emblem of the dying Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, high Heaven bestowed the signal witness that he was righteous. And for nearly six thousand years this eminent preacher of the gospel, though dead, has been speaking of his faith in Christ. The beloved John, in contrasting the infidelity and murderous spirit of Cain with the confiding faith, pure love and obedience of those who revere the commandments of God, and lay hold of the faith of Jesus Christ, says, "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." Abel formed a righteous character, not only in laying hold of the Redeemer to come by faith through the figure of the firstling of his flock, but by perfecting that saving faith in the act of presenting the sacrifice before the Lord his God. From Abel, we pass down the brief sacred history of the fallen race to Abraham, and there we find the joyful message of salvation through Jesus Christ, to be extended to the nations of the earth, proclaimed to the trusting, obedient patriarch. Paul speaks of it thus: "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Gal. 3:8. The apostle quotes from Gen. 12:3. See also verse 7, and chap. 17:7, 8, where this promise is extended to Abraham's seed. The gospel of the Son of God is proclaimed to Abraham in this promise, in that it is really a promise of Christ, as argued by the apostle in Gal. 3:16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ." The promise to Abraham that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed, embraces Jesus Christ as the only hope of salvation of man from all the nations, as stated by the apostle in verse 14: "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ." The faith of Abraham embraces Christ as its glorious object. This is seen in Christ's reply to the Jews, who boasted in Abraham as their father. "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and saw it, and was glad." John 8:56. The great plan of salvation through Jesus Christ was opened to Abraham and his faith reached forward even to the restitution by the Son of God. The words of Paul show that Abraham did not receive the promised inheritance in Canan; but that he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange land, looking forward to the eternal city of the immortal kingdom where Christ shall reign in all his glory upon the new earth. "By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb. 11:8-10. The gospel was preached to the Hebrews in the wilderness. Mark well the peculiar expression of the apostle, as he speaks to the point: "Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Heb. 4:2. It is a serious doubt with very many, whether the children of Israel, in the days of Moses, had the gospel of the Son of God at all. But Paul treats the subject as a settled fact, that the gospel was preached to them in the wilderness. And in his epistle to the Hebrew Christians, he states that it was also preached to them, as well as to their fathers in a former dispensation. He also testifies of the Hebrews in the wilderness, that they "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." 1 Cor. 10:2-4. Moses, and the believing Jews, had the faith and hope of the gospel. Through the blood of the sacrificial offerings, they saw Christ, and by faith embraced him. Their hopes of the future life were not in the law, but in Christ. The typical system was but the shadow of good things to come, of which Christ, as a sacrifice and mediator, is the center. These good things are the body that casts its shadow back into the Jewish age. The bleeding sacrifices of the former ages were but the shadow, while Christ, bleeding on the cross, was the great reality. The blood of beasts offered by the Jews, understandingly, and in faith, as clearly pointed forward to the blood of Christ, as the Lord's supper and baptism point back to his sufferings, death and resurrection.