Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

thus defcribed, the outward court, or court-yard, which was an open place, into which the people came daily unto the facrifices and fervices of GoD, Pfal. c. 4. Enter into his gates with thanfgiving, and into his courts with praife; Pfal. cxvi. 19. In the courts of the Lord's houfe, in the midst of thee, O Jerufalem, prafe ye the Lord. This outward court was in the open light, and full view of all. The fecond part was the tabernacle or holy place, which had light from the burning of the seven lamps of the golden candlestick. The third part was the Moft Holy, or the Holy of Holies; in which there was no external light; the ark and the mercy feat being fixed therein, which was the refidence of the glory of JEHOVAH, into which the High Prieft might not enter but once a year, and then not without blood. Thefe, I humbly conceive, might be typical of man, as confifting of three parts, BODY, SOUL, and SPIRIT, fee Theff. v. 23. The body might be compared to an open court, for its vifibility and outward appearance; and the foul might be compared to the fanctuary, or the Holy Place; as that was enlightened with burning lamps, fo the foul of man is enlightened by the word and fpirit of God, which is compared to a burning lamp, Pfal. cxix. 105. And the immortal fpirit may be' compared to the Holy of Holies; as there the majesty and glory of JEHOVAH dwelt, Pfal. lxxx. 1. So GOD in the immenfe riches of his grace, dwells in a fecret and Incomprehenfible manner in our fpirits, by the donations of his love; and fays, Pfal. cxxxii. 14. This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell, because I have defired it; and faith John the Divine, 1 Epift. iv. 16. And we have known, and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Some have thought that the outward court, the Holy Place, and the most Holy, might represent this prefent world, the ftarry Heavens, and the empereal glory. As the outward court was a place of open view, and free of recourfe into, fo is this world in which we live and die. And as the holy place was lighted with lamps burning, fo the ftarry Heavens are irradiated with the radiant luminaries of its Maker. And as the Holy of Holies was the place of the Divine Prefence, fo the empereal glory, or the third Heayen, is the place of the immediate vifion of GOD, Matt. v. 8. Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they shall fee God; which made the Hebrew Doctors fay, that the heart of man is anfwerable to the Holy of Holies, Heb. ix. 29. But the reafon why there was an anonement made for the Holy Place, is given in the words following it, because of the uncleanness of the chil

dren of Ifrael. Though it was the place where the altar of burnt-offering, and the golden altar of incenfe ftood, where much of the ceremonial fervices was performed, yet by the uncleannefs of his people Ifrael, he looked upon his own inftitutions as polluted, and therefore appoints an atonement for them. In which refpect it might be typical of the uncleanness of our hearts, polluting the ordinances of GOD; and that God doth not accept and approve of our obedience (barely as performed by us) but because the defilement of our hearts, which attended us therein, is wathed away in the blood of CHRIST, which purges our confciences from dead works, to serve the living God, Heb. ix. 14.

Friendy. But why was the atonement made because of the uncleanness of the children of Ifrael, and because of their tranfsgreffuns in all their fins?

Truth. Sin is the tranfgreffion of the law, and without à reparation for this offence, there can be no reconciliation; and no reconciliation, unlefs the atonement be for every offence. In which refpect it was typical of the real atonement of CHRIST'S blood, which extends to all the fins of his people, paft, prefent, and to come: The uncleannefs of our thoughts, the wickedness of our lives, the contamination of every action, was included in the atonement of CHRIST's death; there was a gathering of all fin, of all uncleannefs, and of every transgreffion, by the hand of divine juftice; and this was all charged upon CHRIST in his fufferings, when he was to make an atonement for fin, Isa. liii. 6. All we like sheep have gone aftray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Friendly. But if all our fins were laid upon CHRIST, and he hath made a confummate atonement for them, doth not this then open a door, at least give liberty to loofenefs and licen

tioufnefs?

Truth. No, my dear Friendly, far from it.-For fuppofe I owed my creditor a thoufand pounds, and for the non-payment of which I was confined in prifon; a kind and compaffionate friend then comes and pays it all, and thereby releafeth me both from debt and prifon, would not this engage my heart ingenuoufly to love him, and, out of gratitude, delight to ferve him? Sure it would, unless my heart was more hard than adamant; efpecially if he added to his munificence, his word and promife, that he would not only pay the prefent debt, and release me, but all the future debts that I fhould

contract. Surely this would not only engage me to love and ferve him, but to do it with the utmost delight and complacency.

But, alas! the metaphor falls fhort of setting forth the love of CHRIST, for we owed to GoD more than ten thousand talents, and when we had nothing to pay, he not only frankly forgave us, but endured for us our prifon of fufferings, and paid our debt of fatisfaction, with the blood royal of heaven, and obtained our deliverance from law and fin, from wrath and hell, by his own death. And not only fo, but he has given us his word and promiffory note, that his kind heart and bountiful hand, will fupply every future want, Gen. xxviii. 15. For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of; Pfal. lxxxiv. 11. The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. If this unparalleled love of CHRIST to us, his inexpreffible fufferings for us, the ineffable happiness and glory we obtain thereby, will not engage our hearts to acts of love, praise, and heavenly obedience, time would fail me to tell you what will. If thefe motives have not energy and force fufficient upon the mind, are there any in heaven that have, or ever will have? But what faith the Apostle, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. For the love of Chrift conftraineth us, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him that died and refe again. Like wife Rom. xiv. 8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord. And if at any time the Christian should fail in his conduct and deportment in life the cause springs from his own corruptions, and the depravity of his nature, and not from the freedom of divine grace, th fulness of CHRIST'S atonement, and the exuberant riches mercy, Rom. vi. 1, 2. Shall we continue in fin that grace mig abound, God forbid; how shall we that are dead to fin, live a longer therein? Likewife the atonement of CHRIST is of fu a nature, that it prepares the heart with holiness, and animat the life to obedience, What shall I render to the Lord, for benefits bestowed upon me ?

Friendly. But why was there to be no man with the Pri when he went in to make atonement, according to v. 17. 4 there fhall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation, wher goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come a and have made an atonement for himself, for his houfhold, and all the congregation of the children of Ifrael?

Truth. It was typical of the whole work of atonem being performed by the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is co

crated a Prieft for evermore; to accomplish the great work of redemption, he trod the wine-prefs alone, and of the people there was none with him. As his heart was engaged in the work, fo his hands performed it, without any aid or help from any being whatever; therefore the church fays, Ifa. lxiii. 2. Why art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? And CHRIST anfwers, v. 5. I looked and there was none to help, and I wondered that there was none to uphold, therefore mine own arm brought falvation. Indeed, fin is fo vile in its nature, fo dreadful in its effects, fuch a contrariety therein to the pure and holy nature of GOD, fo offenfive to infinite juftice, that none but him, who was both GoD and man, could poffibly make an atonement for it; CHRIST being Prieft, altar and facrifice, he accomplished the work, and thereby became the Author of eternal falvation to all them that obey him.

Friendly. Having received (with thankfulness I acknowledge it full fatisfaction of the flain goat being a type of CHRIST, I fhould now be glad of your thoughts on the living goat, and wherein it appears to be a type of CHRIST, v. 21, 22. And Aaron fhall lay both his hands upon the head of the live geat, and confefs over him all the iniquities of the children of Ifrael, and all their tranfgreffions, in all their fins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness; and the goat shall bear on him all their iniquities, into a land not inhabited; and he shall let go the goat into the wilderness. What might I apprehend by Aaron laying both bis hands upon the head of the live goat?

Truth. By Aaron laying both his hands upon the head of the live goat (as the live goat was typical of CHRIST) I humbly conceive it points forth the hands of law and juftice, laying hold on CHRIST. The law laid hold of him (as he was made under it, and as its fubject, expected a perfonal, perfect, and finlefs obedience from him, because it was wrote in his heart, Pfal. xl. 8. fays CHRIST, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart. Therefore the law took hold of him, as the finners furety, to pay the debt of obedience which the finner owed; that thereby it might be magnified in the finner's deliverance from its curfe, which made CHRIST fay, Matt. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, r the Prophets; I am not come to deftroy but to fulfil; which he did, by yielding that perfection of obedience to it that it required, as to the nature, fpirituality and extent of it; which

[ocr errors]

was what CHRIST delighted in, in as much as he faith, John iv. 34. My meat is to do the will of him that fent me, and to finish his work; and to his parents, when they faid that they had fought him forrowing, Wift ye not that I must be about my Father't bufinefs? And he neither failed, nor was difcouraged in his work, till he could fay to his FATHER, John xvii. 4. I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Likewife the hand of divine juftice laid hold of him to pay the debt of penalty and fufferings, that was due for the breach ..of the law of Gov. Juftice knew that he came to be a facrifice for fin, it heard him fay, Lo, I come, (as it is written of me in the volume of the book) to do thy will, O my God. Juftice purfued him as foon as he was born, Matt. ii. 13. Behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Jofeph in a dream, saying arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will feek the young child to deftroy him. Juftice purfues him from place to place, and lays hold of him in the garden of Gethsemane, and put him there in an agony, which made him fweat great drops of blood falling to the ground; then led him to the High Prieft's houfe, from thence to the council, then to the judgment-hall, then vehemently accusing him, pronouncing judgment against him, faying, Crucify him, crucify him. Then led him to Golgotha, and there crucified him; then pierced him to the heart until he cried, Eli, Eli, lama fabachthani? my God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Thus (through human means) the hand of divine juftice was upon him, demanding infinite fatisfaction for our offences, with the fword of vengeance, until he could fay, It is finished, and he bowed his head, and gave up the gboft. All this was agreeable to the Prophet's defcription of his fufferings, fa, liii. 7, 8. He was oppreffed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a Lamb to the flaughter, and as a Sheep before the fhearers, is dumb, fo be opened not his mouth. He was taken from prifen and from judgment; (or as it is in the margin, He was taken away by distress of judgment), and who shall deliver his generation; for he was cut off from the land of the living; for the tranfgreffion of my people was he ftricken. If you ask why was all this? It was becaufe the hand of divine juftice purfued, overtook, and demanded him, as the finner's furety (therefore called the furety of the better covenant) that debt of sufferings that he had contracted, which made our dear LORD fay, For this end was I born, and for this end came I into the world.

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »