IX.

SERM. Symbols of the more immediate Prefence of God, which confequently was an Emblem of the highest Heavens, into which also none might enter but the High Prieft alone, and he only, upon this Occafion, once a Year, Here was he to sprinkle the Blood of the Sacrifice, Seven Times upon and before the Mercy Seat, which covered the Ark, where the two Tables of the Covenant, i. e. the Ten Commandments, lay. And this fprinkling was a folemn prefenting of the Life of the facrificed Animal to God, and a Rite of pleading and intereeding with him, (in Virtue of that Blood it reprefented and foreshewed) to forgive the Sins and Neglects of the People, in the Breach of the Law which was there

láid up.

8

When this Rite was over, God was deemed to be appeased, and the People to be cleansed from all their Sins, (if not as to Conscience, yet at leaft) as to their Privilege of returning again to the Performance of their legal Ceremonies and Rites. And therefore in the third Place, the High Priest returned back from the Holy Place, the Prefence of God, where he had been to appeafe him; and pronounced a folemn Bleffing on the People. And from this Time the ordinary Priefts might

IX.

again burn Incense for them in the Sanctuary SER M. as usual, till the Return of the next folemn Day of Atonement, on that Day twelve Month, when the High Prieft again muft himself renew, and himself perform, and in this fame Manner, this great Expiation.

And this is fufficient to fhew the Nature and Office of the High Priesthood amongst the Jews. It confifted, you fee, in offering a grand and folemn Sacrifice once a Year for the Sins of the People; in interceding with God to take the People into his Favour again for the Sake of that Sacrifice; and in obtaining and conferring the Pardon and Grace, the Favour and Bleffing of God upon them. Not that you are to imagine that the High Prieft had Interest enough of himself, or that the Sacrifice of a poor Beaft was of fufficient Value, to appease God for the Sins of Men: No, they, neither of them, availed any further than to represent, by God's own Appointment, (as I have already hinted) fome great prevailing Prieft to come, who, in due Time, fhould once for all offer up a full, perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice for the Sins of the World; one who fhould be the true and real High Priest and Sacrifice both; and as Types of whom only all former High Priefts and Sacrifices M 4

were

SERM.

IX.

were accepted. It will be neceffary therefore in the next Place, in order to prove that the High Priest fo reprefented is really come, and that Jefus was he, to proceed to the

II. SECOND Head of my Difcourfe, under which I am to fhew, how Jefus, as the Meffiah or Chrift, did affume and perform and finish all which that Priesthood prefigured,

And here firft we muft obferve that according to the Law of Mofes, the High Priestbood was an Honour which no Man ever took unto himself; but he that was called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. v. 4. This made it neceffary, that even Jefus himself (especially as he was none of Aaron's Family or Tribe) fhould be called and appointed by God himfelf. And therefore the Holy Penman immediately fubjoins: So alfo Chrift glorified not bimself to be made an High Prieft; but he that faid unto bim, Thou art my Son, to Day have I begotten thee, ver. 5. His Commiffion and Authority therefore must be uncontested, being fo much clearer than the Commiffion of any High Priest before him (Aaron and his Sons alone excepted) as his Appointment was by the folemn Nomination, and Oath alfo, (as we fhall fee hereafter) of God himself.

And

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And as he was thus duly appointed our SER M. High Prieft, fo did he also as duly fulfill those several Offices, which the High Priest was used to perform. For was the High Prieft ordained (on the great Day of Atonement most especially) to offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins? And therefore was it of Neceffity (as the Holy Penman affirms it was, Chap. viii. 3.) that this Man (our High Priest of the New Teftament) have fomewhat alfo to offer? If it was,-we fhall find in the Sequel, that fomewhat he had; and fomewhat infinitely preferable to what the Jewish High Priest could bring.

For what brought he, upon this great Occafion, for himself and the People, but a Bullock and a Goat? Whereas the Author of my Text gives us to understand, that it is not poffible that the Blood of Bulls and of Goats Should take away Sins, chap. x. 4. i. e. fhould take them away fo, as that no further Sacrifice fhould be needful to that End: It could not make the Comers unto Juch Sacrifice perfect, ver. 1. It could not expiate their Sins for ever; fo far from it, that their legal Atonements were forced to be renewed every Year, ver. 3. Neither could they make him that did the Service perfect, as

pertaining

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SER M. pertaining to their Confcience; for those Offerings food only in Meats and Drinks and divers Washings, and carnal Ordinances only, and impofed only until the Time of Reformation, chap. ix. 9, 1o. at the coming of the Meffias, who was expected with a better and more fufficient Sacrifice. Confequently

if our Christian High Prieft, when he came, had offered only the Blood of a Bull and a Goat, Mankind muft have continued in the fame Cafe they had been in before. For the Infufficiency of the Offering could never have been removed by the Dignity of the Offerer. The tranfcendent Excellency of the Prieft could never have altered the Disproportion between the Juftice of God provoked by the Sins and Tranfgreffions of Mankind, and the Death of a filly Beast in their ftead. For in this Cafe it would not have been the offending Nature that fuffered, but à Nature much inferior, and withal innocent.

However fince, by the Appointment of God himself, all Things were by the Law purged with Blood, and without hedding of Blood was no Remiffion ; the Sacrifice of the High Prieft under the Law muft fignify, that our High Priest must also make the Expiation and Atonement by fhedding of

Blood.