given in the epiftle to the Hebrews, when it is faid, Almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remiffion, chap. ix. 22. which proves that the facrifice was looked upon as the confideration on which the pardon was granted. Now if it can be shewn, that these facrifices were intended to point out the nature of Christ's facrifice, or the relation which his death bears to the remiffion of our fins; then it will follow, that the death of Chrift is the confideration of our forgiveness, with respect to tranfgreffions of the moral law, as the Jewish sacrifices were the confideration of their forgiveness, with refpect to tranfgreffions of the ceremonial and political law; and confequently, that our Lord offered a real facrifice for fin, when he offered up himself.

That the rites of the ceremonial law were intended to reprefent the manner of our re-. demption by Chrift, is, I think, put beyond all doubt in the epiftle to the Hebrews. For, not to mention here the many instances in which our redemption correfponds with those legal rites, as enumerated in that epiftle, from whence one might reasonably infer a defigned reprefentation; we are expressly told, that the law had a shadow of good things to come, chap. x. 1. Not a fhadow compared with those things, (which is undoubtedly true, though not the truth here intended) for that

might

might have been faid of any thing unfubftantial, though it had not the least resemblance of them, and is a very different expreffion from that of the apoftle: His words plainly intimate a resemblance, for he adds, and not the very image of the things, which words convey no meaning unless we fuppofe him to be speaking of a refemblance.* The whole fentence points out the imperfection of that fimilitude, which the legal rites afforded of good things to come, by a metaphor taken from the art of painting; the former exhibited but the sketch or outlines, and not a finished portrait or complete picture of the latter. The. apoftle uses the term shadow in another place, in conjunction with a word which likewife fixes its meaning; The priests that offer gifts according to the law ferve unto the EXAMPLE and SHA

DOW

*"By a fhadow, I apprehend, is not meant, that the "whole apparatus of the Jewish tabernacle and temple, was "typical of the gospel scheme. Throughout the epiftle "to the Hebrews, the two schemes of Mofes and Chrift "are compared, and the preference given, as in justice due, "to the latter. But the apoftle never once intimates that "the one difpenfation was a type of the other. All he " fays, is, that the religious fyftem of the Jewith legif"lator, when compared with the nobler one of Christ, is no more than a fhadow compared with the fubftance." Mr. Graham's Sermon, intitled, Repentance the only Condition of Final Acceptance, p. 9.

+ St. Paul uses the fame form of speech in his epiftle to the Coloffians; wherein, fpeaking of the ceremonial ordinances from which ch.iftians are delivered, he says, Which are a fhadow OF things to come; but the body is of Christ. Chap. ii. 17.

Dow of heavenly things, chap. viii. 4, 5. The fame inspired writer fays, Chrift is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the FIGURES of the true, chap. ix. 24. which expreffes, with fufficient clearness, the typical nature of the ceremonial law; and that no doubt might remain of the intention to prefigure by these rites, he informs us, that the first tabernacle was a figure FOR THE TIME THEN PRESENT, ver. 9. which could not have been faid of it, had it not been intended to prefigure things then future. But the evidence of this matter is not yet exhausted; for we are farther affured, that this prefiguration was defigned by God himself; for the apostle, speaking of the high-priest entering into the holy of holies but once a year, adds the reason of it in these plain words, THE HOLY GHOST THIS SIGNIFYING, that the way into the bolieft of all was not yet made manifeft, while as the first tabernacle was yet ftanding, chap. ix. 8. And we are also informed, that Mofes was inftructed concerning the typical nature of the ceremonial law by a divine admonition, The priefts that offer gifts according to the lawServe unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, AS MOSES WAS ADMONISHED OF GOD WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO MAKE THE TABERNACLE, chap. viii. 5. Thus the doctrine of atonement for fin by the death of Chrift is demonftrated to be a doctrine of di

vine

vine revelation; for no terms can be found in language more clear and express, than those which are used to declare the typical nature of the ceremonial law.

II. I might here conclude the pofitive proof of the doctrine I am defending; but as the priesthood and facrifice of Chrift are largely treated of in the epiftle to the Hebrews, and we have, therefore, a good opportunity of learning, whether the infpired writer uses these terms in the proper or figurative sense; I fhall take notice of fome of the principal paffages, which ferve to fix their meaning.

The apoftle defines, with great perfpicuity, the term priest in its proper sense: A priest is one who is ordained for men, in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and facrifices for fin, Heb. v. 1. But the description which is given of our Lord's priesthood agrees with this; Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that be might be a merciful and faithful high-prieft in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people, chap. ii. 17. And, therefore, our Lord is a real and proper high-priest, because he has the effential characters of one. To this office he was folemnly inftituted by God; for as no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God, as was Aaron: So alfo, Chrift glorified not himself to be made an highprieft; but he that faid unto him-Thou art a

prieft

priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec,

ver. 45.

The reality of Chrift's priesthood is likewise ascertained by the declaration, that it was after the order of Melchizedec, who was, in the most proper fenfe of the words, prieft of the Moft High God; for if our Lord's priesthood was after his order, it was also real, and not figurative.

The apostle, speaking of the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, and of its giving way to the priesthood of Chrift, fays, The priesthood being changed, there is made, OF NECESSITY, a change alfo of the law, chap. vii. 12. Now this argument requires, that Christ be a true high-prieft, otherwise there was no need that the law should be changed; for there were figurative priests under the law, as well as at any other period, that is, perfons who offered the fpiritual facrifices of prayer and thanksgiving unto God; nay, the whole Jewish nation is called, in this fenfe, a kingdom of priests, Ex: xix. 6. and, therefore, the apostle could never have argued a change of the law from Chrift's priesthood, had it not been a real one.

Our Lord is reprefented as being a more excellent priest than those of the order of Aaron, in that he was ordained to the office with an oath; Those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath, by him that faid unto him, The Lord fware and will not repent,

Thou