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which made the folemnity very expreffive SER M and fignificant: This was to be offered by XII. way of atonement, not for the fins of any particular perfon, but for the whole congregation of the children of Ifrael; as the death of Chrift was to be a propitiation for the fins of all mankind: The blood of it was to be sprinkled before the mercy feat; which was to be a lively emblem of the virtue and efficacy of that blood, which alone was to obtain mercy and forgiveness for the fins of men. And this was to be repeated feven times, according to the myfterious number of the Jews, to exprefs the great weight and importance of what was intended and reprefented by it; no lefs than the remiffion of the fins of men, and reconciliation of mankind to the justice of God. The blood was to be brought within the veil or the holy of holies which was a part of the temple, by the parti cular appointment of God, to be a type of heaven; which was on purpofe to fhew, as the Epiftle to the Hebrews obferves from the completion, that Chrift by the fhedding of his blood is not entered into the boly places made with bands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, there to make interceffion for us, through the merits of that blood that he fhed for us here: Which virtue of appeafing God was livelily prefigured and reprefented by that incenfe which was to be offered within the veil, at the same time that the blood was carried in thither, and fprinkled before

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SER M. before the mercy feat. Moreover the HighXII. Priest using no form of words or prayer when

he carried in the blood, but leaving it there to make the atonement of itself, by its own intrinfick virtue with God; was to fhew, that the fame person was to be both our great High-Prieft and our facrifice; and that he alone could make interceffion who fhed his blood for us: Nay more, it denotes that the benefits of pardon and reconciliation are not only from any power or right that Chrift hath thereby obtained to work these for us; but that they proceed directly from the real intrinfick virtue, and unconceivable merits and efficacy of that very blood which was to be fhed. Surely when this was appointed, the wisdom of God forefaw that there would in after-times be a race of men who should deny this; and therefore it was thus purposely contrived, that the expiation and atonement might not be attributed to any outward interceffion or performance whatsoever, but to the intrinfick worth and value of that typified. blood in the presence of God.

Again, the goat whose blood was carried into the very holy of holies, that type of heaven itself, was not however to be fuffered fo much as within the camp, but carried quite out of it, and there burnt with fire: So Chrift, whofe blood is of unconceivable power with God, and the virtue of which prevails for mercy for us in his immediate prefence,

was

which was

XII.

was however to be carried out without the SER M. city, to be made a facrifice for us; accordingly literally fulfilled. This was to be performed by the High-Prieft only, and he alone was to enter into the holy place; which represented him who was to be our High-Prieft for ever, Heb. ix. 8. the Holy Ghoft this fignifying, that the way into the bolieft of all was not yet made manifeft while the firft tabernacle was yet ftanding; which was only a figure for the time then prefent: Moreover, this was to be repeated yearly, by a statute for ever among them; effectually to fignify, that thofe facrifices could not make the comers thereunto perfect, Heb. x. I. as pertaining to confcience, i. e. that they could not compleat their pardon, and cleanse the conscience from the inward guilt of fin; Verfe the 2d, for then would they not cease to have been offered, fays the Apoftle; which is not only an argument ad hominem, to convince them who already believed in Christ, that those legal facrifices must cease, because of the facrifice of Chrift being now performed: But it concludes neceffarily and univerfally, for if those facrifices, either by God's appointment and acceptance of them, or by any real intrinfick worth and virtue in them, obtained a full and perfect pardon of fin, there is no occafion indeed for any further facrifice, but then they are of eternal obligation; and no reason can be affigned by man why they fhould ceafe to be offered, unless it be because

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SER M. caufe of the offering of that one great facriXII. fice, which alone was able to procure a com pleat and abfolute pardon, and purge the very

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foul and confcience from the guilt of fin, If they were able to effect this then, they are able to do it now; and therefore, whofo ever denies the virtue of Chrift's facrifice, will find himself under a neceffity of reviving the old cuftom of facrificing of beafts, which hath been left off fince his death, for no other reason than what the Apoftle affigns, Verfe 4. because it is not poffible that the blood of bulls and of goats fhould take away fins: And therefore it is, that in thofe facrifices there was a remembrance again made of fins every year, which were never to be remembred again, but totally done away, Verfe 19, through the offering of the body of Jefus Christ once for all: For this man, after he had offered one facrifice for fins for ever, fat down on the right band of God.

Now if there were nothing more in this great folemnity, yet its being fo parallel in every inftance with the facrifice of Chrift's death, is fufficient to fhew, that it was contrived and ordained to typify and represent it But the wisdom of God hath raised it to a more fublime and comprehenfive fignification of what it was to be only a fhadow and a forerunner; and that by the addition of another goat fo like the former, that the Prieft could hardly diftinguish them; which

goat was not to be facrificed, but let go aliveS ER M. into the wilderness: The meaning of which XII. puzzled all the Jewish Doctors, but is now plain to us chriftians; namely, to fignify that the beaft that was flain could not take away the guilt of fin; and that the true facrifice, which alone was able to do that, was not yet offered. And that it might be more clear and full to this purpose, the High-Prieft Levit. xvi. 21. was to lay both his bands upon the bead of the live goat, and confefs over him all the iniquities of the children of Ifrael, and all their tranfgreffions in all their fins; putting them upon the head of the goat; and fo fend him away by the hand of a fit perfon into the wilderness: Then it follows, and the goat fhall bear upon him all their iniquities; and why? because they were all to be referved for the propitiation and atonement which was to be made for thofe fins afterwards; and to fhew that no legal facrifice could take away the guilt of fin.

The transferring them from the people on the goat, was to represent that divine perfon who fhould in truth bear the burthen of all our fins: Who, as Isaiah expreffeth it by a fpirit of prophecy, liii. had borne our griefs, and carried our forrows; who was wounded for our tranfgreffions, and bruifed for our iniquities; the chaftifement of our peace was upon bim, and with his firipes we are healed. Nay the alteration of the phrafe is remarkable, in

the