66 sacrifices and offerings of every kind, under the law, were introductory to the perfect sacrifice, which was foreshadowed by them, and superseded them. To shew that "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins," he introduces the words which David, by the spirit of prophecy, long before uttered, in the person of the Messiah. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burntofferings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God." The apostle then subjoins a full explanation of the prophet's assertion. "Above when he saith, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second.' The first, which was to be so taken away, included all the animal sacrifices and other offerings of the levitical law: the second, which was to be so established, was "the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." m i Heb. x. 4. k Heb. x. 5...7. In another instance, St. Paul compares the sacrifice of Christ with the offerings made under the levitical law, with a more peculiar reference to the burnt-offerings. "Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweetsmelling savour;"" the very terms which are used respecting the burnt-offering, voluntarily brought to the door of the tabernacle, and there offered, and accepted "to make atonement for him" that offered it.° But the sacrifices more immediately typical of the death of Christ were those of an entirely expiatory nature; the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering. The language of various parts of Scripture so uniformly suggests this connection, that the most laboured and ingenious attempts to explain them away, by considering them as merė figurative allusions, have been unsuccessful. Jesus Christ is said to have been "brought as a lamb to the slaughter;" to have "borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows;" to have "borne the sins of many;" to have "been offered" for that purpose; to have given "his life a ransom for many,' " "for all" to have г p Isai. liii. 5, 7, 12. Acts viii. 32. * Matt. xx. 28. Mark x. 45. A a shed his blood "for many, for the remission of sins;" to have been "delivered for our offences;"" to have been set forth by God "to be a propitiation through faith in his blood;"* to have been sent "to be the propitiation for our sins;" to have "died for the ungodly;"* to have "died for our sins;" and by his death, to have reconciled us to God; to have "by himself purged our sins;" to have made "reconciliation for the sins of the people;" to have "entered in once into the holy place, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us;" "by one offering" to have "perfected for ever them that are sanctified;" to have been slain, and to have redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; to have been "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world;"h"the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;" to have been made "sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is declared, that God "laid on him t Matt. xxvi. 28. * Rom. iii. 25. z Rom. v. 6. b Rom. v. 10. d Heb. ii. 17. 8 Rev. v. 9. * the iniquity of us all;" and made "his soul an offering for sin;" that redemption, and forgiveness of sins are obtained through his blood:" and that "we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."" St. Peter also solemnly addresses the Christian Church, in terms of encouragement; which yet are powerless and unmeaning, unless the death of Christ were a real offering to take away sin: "Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."" When we find the Scriptures thus uniformly applying to the death of Christ the terms, which were originally applicable to the expiatory sacrifices of the levitical law, the obligation of which entirely ceased, as soon as the great Atonement was made for sin, we cannot avoid the conclusion, that a designed connection existed between those sacrifices and the death of Christ: that they were the shadow, of which he possessed the " very image," the type of which he was the antitype. 1 Isai. liii. 6, 10. m Ephes. i. 7. Col. i. 14. • 1 Pet. i. 17...20. This conclusion will be strengthened, by referring to the very peculiar solemnities which were appointed to be observed, at the offering of some of the expiatory sacrifices; ceremonies apparently unmeaning in themselves, but found to possess a most singular analogy to the manner, in which Scripture assures us the death of Christ is made instrumental in taking away the sins of the world. Every minute circumstance, in the levitical sacrifices, was prescribed by the law given by the immediate inspiration of heaven." The se lection of the victim, the manner of preparing it, the offering of it at the door of the tabernacle, the imposition of hands upon its head with prayer, the solemnities with which it was to be slain, the manner in which the several parts were to be distributed, the various methods in which some of the blood was to be sprinkled, either upon the mercy-seat, or upon the horns of the golden altar in the sanctuary, or upon the brasen altar of burnt-offering, upon its horns, upon its sides, or upon its base, and the remainder poured out: the significant ceremonies to be performed with the parts of the victim, in the peace-offerings of the whole congregation, and the trespass-offering of the leper, by waving them towards the various . * See Lightfoot's Temple Service. Lev. xiv. 12, 24. xxiii. 20. |