Theology for the People, THE PRIESTLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST. THE Priests were an order of men altogether different from the Prophets. The one had mainly to do with time and truth; the other, with man and sin. These functions, nevertheless, often met in the same individual; but the union was not necessary. The priests were not merely an order, but an organized body, in which succession was provided for; the prophets were an order, but without organization. There were long periods during which there was no vision. The priesthood formed a chief element in the ancient economy. Sacrifice was the soul and life of the whole system. Everything existed for it, and it for Christ. From the days of Adam down to those of Christ, blood continually flowed; but it could not take away sin. It was never meant to do so it was only a type, which served to symbolize the Great Sacrifice, which, at the appointed time, would be made for the sins of men. That which justice demanded the Lamb of God suffered, when "he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows," dying "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." The great and wondrous theme may be best illustrated by the following questions : Did fallen men need a priest?— They did: "For every high-priest is ordained for men in things pertaining to God," Heb. v. 1. Did Christ execute the office of a priest?-Yes: "We have a great High-Priest, Jesus, the Son of God," Heb. iv. 14. Was he appointed to this office? -He was: "For Christ glorified not himself to be made a highpriest," Heb. v. 5. Was he confirmed in this office? -Yes: "For the Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever," Heb. vii. 21. Did Christ, as a priest, make atonement for sin ?-He did: "He a merciful and faithful High Priest, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people," Heb. ii. 17. Did he do this by the sacrifice of himself? Yes: "He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," Heb. ix. 26. How?"Through the Eternal Spirit he offered himself," Heb. ix. 14. Was he himself the sacrifice?— He was: "He made his soul an offering for sin," Isa. liii. 10. The legal sacrifices, then, would not serve?-No: "It was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin," Heb. x. 4. Did God declare them insufficient? He did: "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not," Heb. x. 5. Was this sacrifice necessary, then?-Yes: "What the law could not do, in that it was weak," that Christ did, Rom. viii. 3. Did Christ, as a sacrifice, bear our sins?-He did: "His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24. Did he bear them by the Father's appointment?-Yes: "The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all," Isa. liii. 6. Did he suffer for them?-Yes: "He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities," Isa. liii. 5. And not for any sin of his own? -No: Messiah "shall be cut off, but not for himself," Dan. ix. 26. Did he suffer to satisfy for sin ?— Yes: "He was once offered, to bear the sins of many," Heb. ix. 28. And was the satisfaction accepted? Yes: "He gave himself for us, a sacrifice to God, of a sweet smelling savour," Eph. v. 2. Did Christ offer himself voluntarily?-Yes: "No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself," John x. 18. Was it his own act and deed to make his soul an offering?-Entirely so for he said, Father, into thine hands I commend my spirit," Luke xxiii. 46. Did this sacrifice need to be repeated?-No: "For by one offering he perfected for ever them that are sanctified," Heb. x. 14. Was it designed to save us from ruin?-Yes: "He gave his life a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 28. And to reconcile us to God? Yes: for "he made peace through the blood of his cross," Col. i. 20. Is this our plea for peace and pardon?-Yes: "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died," Rom. viii. 34. Is Christ, then, the great propitiation?-Yes: "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world," 1 John ii. 2. And have we hereby access to God?-We have: he suffered, "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God," 1 Pet. iii. 18. And had the Old Testament saints the benefit of this sacrifice? -To all intents: for he was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," Rev. xiii. 8. Does Christ, as a priest, make intercession?-Certainly: for "he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors," Isa. liii. 12. Is he always doing this ?-He is: "He ever lives, making intercession," Heb. vii. 25. Does he do this as an advocate? -Yes: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. And as a high-priest? — Yes: "Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord," Ex. xxviii. 12; and Aaron was a grand type of him. Does he make intercession in virtue of his satisfaction?-Yes: for "by his own blood he entered into the holy place," Heb. ix. 12. Is Christ a priest after the order of Aaron?-No: but "after the order of Melchizedek," Psa. cx. 4. Is he a royal priest?-He is: for "he is a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both," Zech. viii. 13. Is he a priest that needs a successor?-No: for "this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood," Heb. vii. 24. Is he a priest that needs a sacrifice for himself?-No: for "the law makes men high-priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath makes the Son, who is consecrated for evermore," Heb. vii. 27, 28. Have all believers an interest in Christ's priesthood?-Yes: for ". we have a High-Priest over the house of God," Heb. x. 21. Is this an encouragement in our approaches to God?-Yes: "Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace," Heb. iv. 16. And is this that which we must depend upon for our acceptance with God?-It is for "spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. ii. 5. Redemption by blood is the doctrine of the Scriptures, and the Gospel of salvation. However that doctrine may offend the pride of man, none other can bring true peace to his conscience, and deliver him from the wrath to come. This alone is "the power of God unto salvation" to every believer. It may be a stumblingblock to one, and foolishness to another, but to him it is both "the power of God, and the wisdom of God." His blood can alone remove guilt, and faith in it can alone bring righteousness. To remove the offence of the cross is to cut down the hope of man, and to extinguish the light of the world. Let every reader, therefore, exclaim with the apostle, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Personal Religion. BENEFITS OF AFFLICTION. A Letter to a Friend. DEAR SIR,-I truly commiserate your variegated calamity, and heartily wish I could suggest anything which might be the means of administering some ease to your afflicted mind, and of assisting you to reap ample benefit from your distressed situation. You well know that all afflictions, of what kind soever, proceed from God. "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I, the Lord, do all these things," Isa. xlv. 7. They spring not from the dust, are not the effects of a random chance, but the appointment of an all-wise, allforeseeing God, who intends them all for the good of his creatures. This, I think, is the fundamental offering thou wouldest not," Heb. x. 5. Was this sacrifice necessary, then?-Yes: "What the law could not do, in that it was weak," that Christ did, Rom. viii. 3. Did Christ, as a sacrifice, bear our sins?-He did: "His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24. Did he bear them by the Father's appointment?-Yes: "The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all," Isa. liii. 6. Did he suffer for them?-Yes: "He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities," Isa. liii. 5. And not for any sin of his own? -No: Messiah "shall be cut off, but not for himself," Dan. ix. 26. Did he suffer to satisfy for sin ?— Yes: "He was once offered, to bear the sins of many," Heb. ix. 28. And was the satisfaction cepted? Yes: "He gave himself for us, a sacrifice to God, of a sweet smelling savour," Eph. v. 2. ac Did Christ offer himself voluntarily?-Yes: "No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself," John x. 18. Was it his own act and deed to make his soul an offering?-Entirely so for he said, Father, into thine hands I commend my spirit," Luke xxiii. 46. Did this sacrifice need to be repeated?-No: "For by one offering he perfected for ever them that are sanctified," Heb. x. 14. Was it designed to save us from ruin?-Yes: "He gave his life a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 28. And to reconcile us to God? Yes: for "he made peace through the blood of his cross," Col. i. 20. Is this our plea for peace and pardon?-Yes: "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died," Rom. viii. 34. Is Christ, then, the great propitiation?-Yes: "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world," 1 John ii. 2. And have we hereby access to God?-We have: he suffered, "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God," 1 Pet. iii. 18. And had the Old Testament saints the benefit of this sacrifice? -To all intents: for he was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," Rev. xiii. 8. : Does Christ, as a priest, make intercession?-Certainly for "he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors," Isa. liii. 12. Is he always doing this?—He is: "He ever lives, making intercession," Heb. vii. 25. Does he do this as an advocate? -Yes: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. And as a high-priest?— - Yes: "Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord," Ex. xxviii. 12; and Aaron was a grand type of him. Does he make intercession in virtue of his satisfaction?-Yes: for "by his own blood he entered into the holy place," Heb. ix. 12. Is Christ a priest after the order of Aaron?-No: but "after the order of Melchizedek," Psa. cx. 4. Is he a royal priest?—He is: for "he is a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both," Zech. viii. 13. Is he a priest that needs a successor?-No: for "this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood," Heb. vii. 24. Is he a priest that needs a sacrifice for himself?-No: for "the law makes men high-priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath makes the Son, who is consecrated for evermore," Heb. vii. 27, 28. Have all believers an interest in Christ's priesthood?-Yes: for "we have a High-Priest over the house of God," Heb. x. 21. Is this an encouragement in our approaches to God?-Yes: "Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace," Heb. iv. 16. And is this that which we must depend upon for our acceptance with God?-It is for "spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. ii. 5. Redemption by blood is the doctrine of the Scriptures, and the Gospel of salvation. However that doctrine may offend the pride of man, none other can bring true peace to his conscience, and deliver him from the wrath to come. This alone is "the power of God unto salvation" to every believer. It may be a stumblingblock to one, and foolishness to another, but to him it is both "the power of God, and the wisdom of God." His blood can alone remove guilt, and faith in it can alone bring righteousness. To remove the offence of the cross is to cut down the hope of man, and to extinguish the light of the world. Let every reader, therefore, exclaim with the apostle, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Personal Religion. BENEFITS OF AFFLICTION. A Letter to a Friend. DEAR SIR,-I truly commiserate your variegated calamity, and heartily wish I could suggest anything which might be the means of administering some ease to your afflicted mind, and of assisting you to reap ample benefit from your distressed situation. You well know that all afflictions, of what kind soever, proceed from God. "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I, the Lord, do all these things," Isa. xlv. 7. They spring not from the dust, are not the effects of a random chance, but the appointment of an all-wise, allforeseeing God, who intends them all for the good of his creatures. This, I think, is the fundamental |