of conjecture, we judge it more for general edification to confine ourselves to matters which are obvious and acknowledged. The whole dress of the high-priest was unquestionably typical; and designated either the office of our great High-Priest, or his qualifications for the discharge of it. That part to which we would now direct your attention, is his mitre. This, as the text informs us, was a covering for his head (somewhat like the turbans worn in the East at this day): it was made of fine linen, and had, in the front of it, a gold plate, with this inscription, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. It was worn by him whenever he officiated in the temple. Through this the high-priest was considered as holy, and was the appointed means of expiating the defects that were in the services of the people, and of procuring acceptance for their persons. Now, whilst the end for which it was worn manifests, beyond a doubt, that the appointment was typical, it enables us to declare with certainty the true intention of the type. This institution then was intended to foreshew, I. The holiness of our great High-Priest [Christ was in truth "the HOLY ONE of Israel." It was necessary that he should be spotless himself; for had he not been so, he could not have made atonement for us; yea, he would have needed an atonement for himself. The utmost care was taken respecting the typical offerings, to ascertain that they were without blemish: and it seems to have been particularly ordained of God that the innocence of Jesus should be established by every possible proof, (and by the repeated testimony even of the judge that condemned him,) in order that his fitness, as our sin-offering, might appear. Thus was the type accomplished in him; and a sure foundation was laid for all the hopes that are built upon him.] II. The need we have of an interest in it [The high-priest, so habited, was to "bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the people should hallow." Their best services were imperfect, in manner at least, if not in the matter of them also: and they were to seek acceptance through the holiness of their high-priest alone. Thus it is with us also. All that we do is imperfect. The best service we ever a Heb. vii. 26, 27. 1 John iii. 5. performed was mixed with sin, and needed an atonement to be made for it. Without an atonement, it could never have been regarded by a holy God. This was strongly marked in the ordinance before us, and ought to be remembered by us as a ground for the deepest humiliation.] III. Its efficacy in our behalf [The people's services were, through this typical holiness of their high-priest, accepted of God, notwithstanding the imperfection of them: nor shall ours be despised, if we trust in the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus. This was beautifully represented under the Mosaic dispensation by the acceptance of leavened bread, and mutilated beasts, when offered as thank-offerings, and not as offerings for sin: and the same encouraging truth is plainly asserted in the New Testament. Let us only be interested in "the spotless Lamb of God," and all that we do in his name shall find acceptance before God.] This subject is well CALCULATED, 1. To humble the self-righteous— [What room can there be for trusting in our own righteousness, when the most righteous act we ever performed had an iniquity in it which needed to be borne by our great HighPriest? Lay aside your proud thoughts, and "seek to be found in Christ, not having your own righteousness, but his."] 2. To encourage the desponding [Be it so; you are a sinner: "but if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:" and through him you may draw nigh to God with boldness. and confidence.] 3. To direct and animate the godly 66 [You are now priests unto God;" and are to have HOLINESS TO THE LORD written upon your foreheads1, that it may be visible to God and man. Remember that "God will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him;" and that "as He who hath called you is holy, so must ye be holy in all manner of conversation h."] b Lev. ii. 11. with vii. 13. and xxiii. 17. d Heb. xiii. 15. 1 Pet. ii. 5. e Eph. iii. 12. Heb. x. 19-22. 8 Lev. x. 3. Ps. xciii. 5. c Lev. xxii. 21-23. f Zech. xiv. 20. h 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. and ii. 9. CI. THE ALTAR OF INCENSE. Exod. xxx. 7—10. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it; a perpetual incense before the Lord, throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meatoffering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin-offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy unto the Lord. THE little acquaintance which Christians in general have with the Mosaic Law, unfits them for the reception of that instruction which the Law is well calculated to convey. Doubtless, to find the precise import of all its ordinances is beyond the power of man. But there is much of it explained in the New Testament; and much may not improperly be explained from analogy; and the light which it reflects on the truths of Christianity would richly repay any efforts that were made for the discovery of it. In the altar of incense, in its materials, for instance, or its structure, we are not aware that any mystery of practical importance is contained, except indeed that it was preeminently holy, and therefore required peculiar sanctity in those who should approach it. Its situation too, as immediately before the mercyseat, and separated from it only by the vail which divided the sanctuary from the holy of holies, marked in a peculiar way, that those who burnt incense upon it were to consider themselves as more than ordinarily nigh to God, and to have in exercise every disposition that became them in so high and holy an employment. The use to which it was ordained, is the point to which I would more particularly call your attention. And we may consider it, I. As a typical institution And here are two things particularly to be noticed in relation to it; namely, 1. Its daily use [Aaron himself in the first instance, and afterwards other priests in their courses, was to trim the lamps every morning and evening, and to light any of them that might have gone out. At these seasons, he was to take fire from the altar of burnt-offering, and to put it on a censer, and to burn incense with it upon the altar of incense. This, I say, he was to do every morning and evening; and that was called "a perpetual incense before the Lord.' This, beyond all doubt, was intended to typify the Lord Jesus Christ, who, as our great "High-Priest, is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." To him is assigned the office of interceding for his Church and people; and he has ascended up into the more immediate presence of his God for that end: as says the Apostle; "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." There he superintends the lamps of his sanctuary, "walking amongst the seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven Churches," and either trimming or furnishing them with supplies of oil, as their various necessities may require. At the same time he offers up to God his intercessions for them, pleading with him in behalf of every individual, and obtaining for them all those blessings which they more particularly stand in need of. To the Aaronic priests God had said, "There will I meet with thee:" and no doubt he did, in numberless instances, as well as in that of Zacharias, vouchsafe to them there more peculiar answers to their prayers. Our Great Intercessor could say, "I know that thou hearest me always f:" nor can we doubt but that myriads of his people are either preserved from falling, or restored after their falls, purely through "his intercession for them, that their faith may not ultimately fails."] 2. Its annual expiation— [It was enjoined that " an atonement should be made upon the horns of this altar once a year with the blood of the sin-offering of the atonements." And this, I apprehend, was to shew that without the blood of atonement no intercession could be of any avail. An atonement must be made for sin: and "without it there could be no remission "." The blood, too, that must be put on this altar must be the blood of a Luke i. 8, 9. d Rev. i. 13, 20. and ii. 1. g Luke xxii. 32. b Heb. viii. 1, 2. e Luke i. 11-13. h Heb. ix. 22. h c Heb. ix. 24. f John xi. 42. bullocks, and not either of goats or lambs: for in the very same offering which was made for sins of ignorance, the blood of bullocks which was shed for a priest, and for the whole congregation, was put upon the horns of the altar of incense; whereas that which was shed for a ruler, or a common person, which was of goats and lambs, was put upon the altar of burnt-offering; by which the sins of priests were marked as of greater enormity than the sins of others; and the altar of incense as of higher sanctity than the altar of burnt-offering. This is very strongly expressed in the New Testament, there being always a superior efficacy ascribed to the intercession of Christ than even to his death. Thus when, to the question, "Who is he that condemneth?" the Apostle answers, "It is Christ that died," he adds, "yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Again, in the Epistle to the Hebrews he lays the greatest stress on the intercession of Christ as being the most effectual for the salvation of his people: "He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them1." And to the same effect, also, in his Epistle to the Romans: "If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life"." Whether this was intended to be marked by the atonement being only annual, whilst the offering of incense was daily, I pretend not to say. I should apprehend not. I should rather think that that part of the appointment signified that Christ would make the expiation but once, whilst his intercession would be continual: but, at all events, the union of the two is absolutely indissoluble; as St. John intimates, when he says, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is also the propitiation for our sins"." In fact, his atonement is the very plea which he offers in our behalf. When the high-priest entered within the vail, immediately after burning the incense he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat°; intimating thereby, that all his hope of acceptance, whether for himself or others, was founded on the sacrifice which he had offered. And precisely thus does the Lord Jesus Christ prevail: for it is in consequence of his having offered his soul a "sacrifice for sin," that he is authorized to expect a spiritual seed to be secured to him; and in consequence of his "having borne the sins of many," that he confidently and with effect "maketh intercession for the transgressors P."] i Compare Lev. iv. 7, 18. with Lev. iv. 22, 25, 27, 30, 34. k Rom. viii. 34. n 1 John ii. 1. 1 Heb. vii. 25. m Rom. v. 10. |