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into a new flate, the whole paffed along with him. There was nothing left where it was. If any thing was new, every thing was new. Either

all, or none: new men, new heavens, and

a new earth, and

all their

furniture new.

The old creation was paffed by, he fays.

is.

That

as expreffed above, not to be remembered, nor to come into our minds. Their exiftence, dates and conditions are nullified, and therefore are not to be numbered, nor thought to be any thing at all.

Our Lord having removed the whole universe out of its old ftate, and landed with it on the other fide death, and fixed it in its perfect and permanent glory, the evangelifts begin the hiftory of the new creation, as if nothing had ever existed till then. They call that morning MIA, firft, making it the birth and date of the existence of the universe. No fubftantive could have reached their idea. They do not fay, first day, first morning, firft fabbath, though these are included, but FIRST, in the abfolute and fublime. This word reduces to nothing all that ever had been, and makes past days, months, years, ages, and all

worlds

worlds, as if they had never been before, and comprehends and fixes the date of the creation in its new existence. No other word had propriety, force and expreffion fufficient for the purpose. For God had then paffed by the old creation, which he said, was not to be remembered nor to come into mind any more. In fome refpects, the dates and exiftence of the former difpenfations are to be kept up ftill, and ever will be; but as here meant, they are as though they never had exifted.

The apoflè therefore affirmed that the subject of their miniftry, was the world to come. That is, the new heavens and earth, which in former ages, while in expectation, an object of faith, was called, a world to come. That there was fuch a world expected to come, by former ages, he proves by the teftimony of one who faid, What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the fon of man that thou vifiteft him? Thou madeft him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didft fet him over the works of thy hands: thou haft put all things in fubjection under his feet. For in that he put

all

all in fubjection under him, he left nothing that is not. But now we fee not yet all things put under him. But we fee Jefus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God fhould tafte death for every man. Hebrews 2 5-9.

Thus he explains what he means by the world to come. He fays, it was man on the other fide death, crowned with glory and honor, and all things in a state of happy and honorable fubjection under him. But he allows that this was as yet invifible, but not altogether fo neither. Something of it they faw, he fays, and fomething they did not fee They did not fee man in his glorified and exalted condition, nor did they fee all nature under him, yielding to him, and honored in fo doing. Says he, Says he, this we do not now see, as yet. But fomething they did fee, even then. We fee him: Jefus: we fee him humbled below the angels, for a little while, that he might fuffer death by the grace of God for all. We fee him fuftaining an universal character, reprefenting all, man and all that belongs

belongs to him. We fee him pafs through death

and land them all on the other fide. So that the whole is mystically in a glorified state in the fubftitute.

The apoftle having afferted that they were in a new world, and that the dates and annals, and even existence of the old, were nullified; is was necessary to find a new fabbath for the new creation. And this he does afterwards, chapter 3. 7. which he treats of, down to the eleventh verse of the fourth chapter; which is the longest discourse upon one particular fubject, of any that we meet with in all his epiftles, excepting one. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost faith, To day, it ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

SEMERON, to day, is by the word wherefore, joined to fomething in the context to which it refers. He had faid above, chapter the firft, verse the fifth, that the Father faid to the Son on the refurrection morning, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. SEMERON is here borrowed from the fecond pfalm, and in the thirteenth chapter of the acts of the apoftles

and

and the thirty-third verse, it is declared to refer to the refurrection. He addreffes him as though he had never exifted till then. What he was, previous to this day, is in a certain fense, paffed by and difannulled. Old things are paffed by, and all things are become new, and are under a new date. SEMERON, to-day, thy fonfhip began, and the whole univerfe began a new state of existence.

Therefore Jefus Chrift is the apoftle of the new creation, whofe office is to introduce a new doctrine, and form a new church. He is alfo the high-priest of the fame, whofe office is to carry on and prefide over the new church and worship, as established under the apoftolic office. Mofes therefore and Aaron, the apoftle and high-prieft of the former doctrine and worship, and even the church and creation wherein they acted, are now no more. The temple is difowned; men collected together in a body a body to worship, upon the principles of the new doctrine, are his house instead of the temple.

now

But when is this worship to be carried on?

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