PART II.

ORDER AND POWER

OF

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST,

INCLUDING CERTAIN MARKS AND EVIDENCES WHEREBY IT MAY BE KNOWN AND DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL OTHERS.

CHAPTER I.

THE APPOINTED AND CORRECT ORDER OF GOD FOR THE CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

It will readily be granted that it is just and proper to confess our sins to God, against whom all have sinned, and who is Judge of all. And none who correctly believe the Scriptures will deny, that confession is necessary to obtain God's forgiveness. For, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth them shall find mercy." And, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." But if we confess to God we must have access to him and that access must be in a way of his own laying out, as we shall prove.

Some imagine that God may be found in any place and every where because he fills immensity. And it is true God may be found in all places and in all things, but not to the same purpose and effect. Thus God is seen in the sun, the moon, the air and the water. But the sun does not shine by night, nor the moon by day; the fowls cannot fly in the water nor the fish swim in the air; the air does not supply men with drink, nor the water with breath; every thing has its own time, order and place, in which it is acceptable with God and profitable to men. And God is no less orderly in things of a spiritual nature, than in those of a more temporal; as says the Apostle: "There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God who worketh all in all."

Among other requisitions of God from fallen man, the confession of sins has its proper place and order; and in that order alone God is accessible to hear and forgive. This is manifest from both the law and the Gospel. For the law, though an outward dispensation, and did not save from sin, or cleanse the people as pertaining to the conscience, was a just and correct shadow, and pattern of the saving work of Christ

in the Gospel. "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances [or justifications of the flesh] imposed on them until the times. of reformation. But Christ, being come, an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained [Greek, having found, being the first who ever did] eternal redemption." (Heb. ix. S-12.) The law of Moses, then, being a pattern of the Gospel, we will take a view of the order of confessing sins under that dispensation; by which it will appear, that God had but one medium in all the earth, and that in only one place appointed for that purpose, through which he was accessible for the confession of sins and obtaining forgiveness.

After the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, the LORD commanded Moses to build a tabernacle and to put therein the ark of the covenant, the mercy-seat, and other implements of service, and to build an altar for burnt-offerings, and sacrifices for sins, and for cleansing the unclean. That tabernacle was called the tabernacle of the congregation. And that congregation was the first church which God ever had on earth formed, and constituted in order; so that these institutions were the beginning, or first principles of order among the people of God. To the door of that tabernacle God commanded them to bring all their sacrifices and sin-offerings, that they might be offered on the altar. And when they sinned by breaking any of the commandments of God, if they made their offering in the appointed place and according to the law, there was an atonement made, and their sin was forgiven. And that there was no other place on earth in which they could.be accepted in these things, appears evident from the following Scriptures: "What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among the people: to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them to the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to the priest and offer them for peace-offerings before the LORD. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices to devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever to them, throughout their generations. And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt-offering or a sacrifice, and bringeth it not to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it to the LORD, even that man shall be cut off from among his people.". (Levit. xvii. 3, &c.) And again, "These are the statutes and judgments which ye shall observe to do in the land which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee

to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills and under every green tree. Ye shall not do so to the LORD your God. But to the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even to his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and your heave-offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your free-will-offerings. Ye shall not do after all the things that ye do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burntofferings in every place that thou seest: but in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee." (Deut. xii. 1, &c.) Thus we see that God had one appointed place in which alone the people could find access to him in offering their sacrifices, and performing the service which he required. And the same order was continued in the temple which superseded the tabernacle in the days of Solomon, as is manifest from his own words: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth: Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day: That thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day, even towards the place of which thou hast said: My name shall be there, that thou mayest hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall make towards this place." (1 Kings viii, 27, &c.)

When the children of Israel came to the door of the tabernacle, where the whole congregation might come, they could not even there have immediate access to God. They could neither confess their sins nor offer their sin-offerings, nor perform any other part of their service, immediately to him; but all these things were done through the priests who were a medium ordained of God for that purpose. Accordingly, if any man offered an offering to God, he must bring it to the priest, and if he would confess his sin to God, he must tell it to the priest. And that this was the correct and true order of God by which he communicated his will to the people and was accessible by them, is fairly and conclusively proved by the instructions given to Moses on that subject. First, God says to Moses concerning Aaron, "And he shall be thy spokesman [in the Hebrew, for a mouth to the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God." And again: "See I have made thee God to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." (Exo. iv. 16, and vii. 1.) This is the exact purport of the Hebrew text. Moses was not made a god distinct from the one true God, but was made to be God to Pharaoh ; he stood as God, and was as it were the exhibition of God to Pharaoh, to show him God's will, and to execute his judgments. And Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. God must have a prophet. When JEHOVAH made Moses God to Pharaoh, and when he made him God to the children of Israel his brethren, Aaron was in both cases his prophet, or spokesman, for without prophet and priest there

is no communication from God, and no access to him. Thus Aaron was ordained the mouth of God to the people of Israel as well as to Pharaoh and his subjects.

The same Aaron and his sons were afterwards consecrated a continual priesthood before God, to stand between God and the people, to minister to the LORD from their hands, and to inquire of God for them and to make atonement. For thus the LORD commanded Moses : "Take unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that they may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office." And again: "And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him: that he may minister to me in the priest's office. And thou shalt bring his sons and clothe them with coats. And thou shalt anoint them as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister to me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations." "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. And thou shalt put on the breast plate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before the LORD; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually." “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engraving of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And thou shall put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre upon the fore-front of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Araon may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in their holy gifts: and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD." (Exod. xxviii. 1, &c., and xl. 13, &c. Thus Aaron and his sons were consecrated a continual priesthood, and their duty and burden clearly delineated.

ment.

To this priesthood the Israelites were commanded to bring all their offerings for sin, and all other gifts which they presented to God; and the priests were commanded to receive and offer them, and to make atoneFor thus it is written: "And he [who hath trespassed] shall bring his trespass-offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass-offering unto the priest. And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD; and it shall be forgiven him, for any thing of all that he hath done, in trespassing therein." It is however to be remembered that in the case of trespassing against men a restoration was to be made to the owner of the article, of the principal with one fifth part in addition. But it is written farther: "And when any will offer a meat-offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon. And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests." Once more : "And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of