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lime and merciful object of the Christian dispen- 

 sation. And now let me ask you all, what are 

 the impressions with which this view of it should 

 fill our hearts ? Should we not be overwhelmed 

 with the magnitude of the mercy ; and eager to 

 exclaim with^ the Psalmist, * Lord, what is man, 

 that thou so regardest him !' 



" But in thus summing up the proof of this 

 mysterious plan of redemption, it is highly neces- 

 sary to remind you that it is conditional ; that 

 salvation is offered to you, not forced upon you ; 

 and that it is offered solely on the terms of implicit 

 submission to the commands of our Redeemer. If 

 you reject the Gospel ; or if, persuading your- 

 selves that you believe in its truth, you allow your 

 actions to be in contradiction to its precepts ; or if, 

 in cowardly subservience to the fashions of the 

 world, you seem ashamed of your Mediator and 

 Substitute, then you can claim no share in his 

 ransom. My dear children, the alternative is 

 fairly set before you, and you must make your 

 own choice." 



Mary asked her father whether this third dis- 

 pensation did not materially differ from the Le- 

 vitical, in ,its again embracing all mankind in 

 its offered benefits. 



" Yes," said he, " like the Patriarchal dis- 

 pensation, it is universal in its object. Chris- 

 tianity is, in fact, but the completion of Patri- 

 archism ; the law having been a connecting 



