find in the whole Bible, of the manner in which the world should be redeemed by Jesus Christ; namely, by human sacrifice, and by God's making his own Son a propitiatory sacrifice, as Abraham was commanded to offer up his; and probably this seemingly hard and unnatural trial was imposed upon him, as a peculiar favour, that he might see by a significant action, what he so earnestly longed to see, the manner of man's redemption. This welcome sight heprobably had upon mount Moriah, where he went to offer up his only Son. And the inscription he, as it were, left upon that mount, may intimate thus much. In the mount of the Lord it (that is, the day of Christ) shall be seen. Gen. xxii. 14. This may also be St. Paul's meaning, when he says, Abraham received Isaac from the dead in a figure, or typieal representation, which plainly pre-signified to him the resurrection of Christ from the dead, without a figure; that is literally, after he had been actually sacrificed for the sins of men.* This appears to me as probable a sense as any. Yet 3. Perhaps it may mean, that when Jehovah appeared to Abraham in human form; and familiarly conversed with him, it was a prelude to his incarnation, and gave him a clear idea of the day of Christ's actu al appearance in the flesh.

But in whatever sense he saw it, it was a very welcome and joyful sight to him; for Jesus farther tells us, he saw it, and was glad. Light is sweet; but no light was so sweet to Abraham's eyes as that of the day of the Son of Man. He saw him not as Simeon, when he took him in his arms, and wished that he might never take up any thing else, but depart in peace from this world of sin and sorrow; but Abraham saw him in such a light, as to fill his heart with joy and gladness, though only through the me dium of faith, and not of sense.

These remarks may suffice to explain the text, as it refers to this patriarch: but it is your personal advantage I aim at, and therefore I shall make some reflections upon it, as it may be accommodated to you and the reflections are such as these :

Heb. xi. 19. Dr. Warburton in his Divine Legation, offers so many plausible things in favour of this sense, that I think it has some considerable appearance of probability. And thus he and Wolfius apply their text urging that rapebon, answers to and signifies a typical representation, The word xai prefixed, xai iv xapaboλn, which shews there is a particular stress to be laid upon y apaßon, confirms this exposition as if he had said," he received him from the dead, not only as he narrowly escaped death, but also in a figure; that is, as a figure or type of something future.”

That the dispensation of the gospel may be called a bright and illustrious day :

That it is a day which good men under former dispensations earnestly desired a sight of:

That good men earnestly desire clear discoveries of Jesus Christ, and his gospel :

That these desires shall be accomplished: and,

That the accomplishment of them affords great joy.

1. The dispensation of the gospel may be called a bright and illustrious day.

When John the Baptist the forerunner of Christ, was born, the morning-star arose, or, as his father Zacharias expresses it The-day spring from on high visited us. Jesus is the Sun of righteousness, Mal. iv. 2.; the Light of the world, John viii. 12, and chapter xii. 46; a light to lighten Gentiles, and the glory of his peo file Israel, Luke ii. 32. ; and when he made his appearance in the world, then we are told, The people that sat in darkness saw great light; and to them who sat in the region and shadow of death, light sprung up. Matt. iv. 16. To carry on the metaphor with uniformity the gospel is called the day of salvation, 2 Cor. vi. 2. the light, 2 Cor. iv. 4. a marvellous light, 1 Pet. ii. 9. a true light shining, when the darkness is past, 1 John ii. 8. and christians are said to be light, Eph. v. 8.the children of the light and the day. 1 Thess. v. 5.

There is good reason for the use of this significant metaphorical language; for as the day discovers the fair face of nature, and opens her lovely prospects to view, which were unseen while covered with darkness, so the gospel reveals the perfections of God, the wonderful scheme of Providence, the beauties of holiness, the nature of true religion, the duty of man in all its extent, the wonders of the scheme of redemption through Jesus Christ, and the method in which obnoxious sinners of the race of man may be reconciled to God, the prospects of life and immortality, and the important realities of the eternal world. All these are brought to light by the gospel, after they had long been concealed, or seen but faintly through the glimmering light of reason in the heathen, or the typical or prophetical revelation of the Mosaic dispensation.

The gospel day, like a light shining in a dark place, pierces the darkness of the human heart, reveals the mysteries of iniquity, and the depths of Satan there, and discovers sin in all its native

deformities. This penetrating light, when enforced by his power who first commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has flashed conviction upon many a secure conscience, and opened the most surprising discoveries to many a blind mind. The gos pel, like clear day-light, shews us the way of duty and happiness, for which the world had long groped in darkness, so that now we may walk in it without stumbling; for if any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light.-John xi. 9, 10.

Divine things are not only brought to light by the gospel, but also represented in the most amiable and engaging view; espec ially when there is not only a clear medium without, but the or gan of spiritual vision, the mind, is rectified so as to be able to perceive those objects in this medium. If we should suppose a man had spent twenty years of his life in darkness, and never seen nature about him in that lovely and magnificent view in which it appears through the medium of light, and should he be suddenly brought into the light, how would he be overwhelmed with delightful astonishment at the first sight of the universe.— What amazing prospects, what new and glorious wonders would open to his eyes! How different would the face of nature appear from the view he had of it while an inhabitant of darkness! Thus is the sinner surprised, when not only the gospel shines round him, but his mind is also enlightened to view divine things in that heavenly light. Then, as St. Peter expresses it, he is brought out of darkness into God's marvellous light, 1 Pet. ii. 9. a light that represents the most marvellous things to his astonished sight. Then in what a new and glorious light does the great God appear, and all the truths revealed in the gospel! What new and surprising views has he of himself, of sin, and of the eternal world! all is real, interesting and affecting! O! my brethren, have you ever been introduced into this marvellous light? or are you, like the birds of night, lovers and inhabitants of darkness still?

Again, In that darkness which overspread the world before the introduction of christianity, the wicked spirits of hell, like beasts of prey, roamed this wilderness and discovered great power in their oracles, in possessing the bodies of men, &c. But when the gospel shone upon the world in its meridian glory, then these terrors of the night fled to their den, and could no more roam at large, as they had done.

The day is the time for work and action: so the gospel day is the season to work out our salvation. It is not a time for sleep and sloth, but for labour and action. This is the accepted time; this is the day of salvation.

This, my brethren, is the glorious and blessed day in which we live. Let us therefore inquire, Are we the children of the light and of the day? For this purpose inquire, whether it is day within, as well as without? that is, whether your minds have been divinely enlightened within, as the light of the gospel shines round you without? Is not that sacred light to some of you like the sun to a blind man ? that is, it makes day without him, but all is dark to him, and he sees nothing! Are there not some of you blind to the glory of God in the gospel, to the evil of sin, and the great realities of the eternal world! The light shines indeed, but it shines in a thick malignant darkness, that comprehends it not; a darkness impenetrable even to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Is not your heart a dungeon of darkness, where the vilest lusts crawl, like toads and serpents? Do you not hate the light, and refuse to come into the light, lest your evil deeds should be reproved? Do you not practise the works of darkness, works that will not bear the public view, much less the examination of the supreme tribunal? Have you ever beheld the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, the glory of the Word made flesh, and dwelling among men, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth? O ! have you ever seen how lovely, how suitable, and how glorious that Saviour is, who is revealed in the gospel? I beg you would put these questions home to your hearts, that you may know whether you are the children of the light, or whether you are in darkness even until now.

If you have hitherto chosen darkness rather than light, remember, the gospel, which has lighted many a pilgrim to heaven, will only shew you the way to hell, and bring you, as it were, to a more horrible precipice, from whence you will fall with the greater violence into the pit. If you perish from under the gospel, it will be with a peculiarly aggravated destruction. Tophet has been prepared of old; and, like a furnace always supplied, it has been heating more and more for thousands of years, and now under the gospel, it is heated more than ever; and the hottest place there is reserved for you, if you still resist the light, and continue in darkness. O! remember who it was that made that awful declaration, This is the condemnation; that is, this is the occasion of the most aggravated condemnation, that light is come

into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. John iii. 19. If the gospel be hid, it is only to them that are lost. 2 Cor. iv. 3.

But I doubt not but sundry of you not only have day without, but within you: God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shined in your hearts, to give you the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Blessed are your eyes, for they see. And O! what affecting sights have they seen! what vileness and deformity in sin! and what beauty in holiness! what corruption and depravity in yourselves, and what glory and excellency in God! what meanness and unworthiness in yourselves, and what loveliness, what all-perfect righteousness, with attractive glory in Jesus Christ! what vanity in this world, and what reality and importance in the world to come! Well, this day is but the dawn of immortal day, which you shall enjoy in heaven. You are children of light, and you are hastening to that world, where God himself shall be your light, and there shall be no more night. Therefore, walk as the children of light, and let your light so shine before men, that they, by seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Bless God that the gospel shines around you, and opens such discoveries to your view. To-day it shews you a feast of sat things for hungry souls; it shews you that strange sight, which struck all nature with horror, when it first appeared; I mean the Son of God hanging on a cross, and expiring there for guilty This ordinance is a bright ray of evangelical light; and it helps you to see the love and agonies of Jesus, the great atonement he made for sin, and the method of your pardon and salvation. Come then, ye children of light, come and gaze, and wonder at these astonishing sights!

Again, Since it is day-time with us, let us shake off slumber, and rise to work. Awake to righteousness, sinners! Awake, and call upon God, and betake yourselves to work; to the important, but long delayed and neglected work of salvation. The night of death is coming, when no man can work: Then the Sun of righteousness will be set, and the day of the gospel be over, as to you; and the Lord will cause darkness, and your feet will stumble on the dark mountains, and the shadows of the everlasting night shall be stretched out over your heads. Now, therefore, rise, and do the work of life: do it now, in this your day; or it must remain forever undone. And ye, who are the children of the light,