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OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR.

Romans, chap. iv. ver. 13.

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"For the pro

"mise that he should be the heir of the "world was not to Abraham, or to his

feed, through the law, but through the "righteousness of faith." Again, St. Paul (fpeaking of the posterity of Abraham) says, "Moreover, brethren, I would not

ye fhould be ignorant how that all our "fathers were under the cloud, and all

passed through the sea, and were all bapแ tized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the fea, and did 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 Chrift." (I. Cor. x. 1. 2. 3. 4.)

Jacob bleffing his children, on his deathbed, is also well worth our attention. Had the choice rested with him, there can be no doubt but that the pofterity of his beloved Joseph would have enjoyed the honor of giving birth to the Meffiah; but from the 8th to the 13th verse of the fortyninth chapter of Genefis, Jacob, by divine inspiration, fixes it to the tribe of Judah;

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which was kept totally diftinct from all the other tribes.

That Ruth, whose history is so beautifully related in the old teftament, was admitted into this tribe, feems to have been intended to point out, that the Gentiles were to partake of the honor and bleffings of our beloved Saviour, in his human as well as his divine nature, (Ruth, chap. i. verse 16.) “ And Ruth said, intreat me not "to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest I will

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go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge:

thy people fhall be my people, and thy God, my God."

Ruth was great-grand-mother to king David, who was a type of Christ, and to whose house and lineage he was promised. The circumftance also of her having been honored with a separate book, by the inspired historian, seems to prove that there was much intended under her pleasing his tory. How often are the moft wonderful counfels of the Almighty brought about by the most easy and natural means; even

when

when the perfons concerned are perhaps totally unconscious of the great work they have in hand! Great part of the old teftament is a continued prophecy and type of our bleffed Saviour, and the prophets are all very explicit upon this fubject.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

HAVING in the foregoing chapter briefly touched on fuch parts of the old teftament as I conceived necessary to my design, I shall now proceed to obferve on the principal events in the life of our most gracious Redeemer; and after noticing two or three chapters of St. Matthew and St. Luke, because they take up the history from an earlier period, shall follow the gospel recorded by St. John, only occafionally commenting on fome parables contained in the other gospels and not inserted in that of St. John.

In pursuance of this plan, I fhall begin with the first chapter of St. Matthew, verse the 18th.

ST.

ST. MATTHEW, CHAP. I.

"18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wife. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Jofeph, before they came together, fhe was found with child " of the Holy Ghost.

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19. Then Jofeph, her husband, being “ a just man, and not willing to make her " a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

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"20. But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take

unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which " is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. "21. And she shall bring forth a fon, and thou fhalt call his name Jefus, for

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he shall save his people from their fins.

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22. Now all this was done, that it

might be fulfilled which was fpoken of

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