REVEREND BRETHREN,

THOUGH I have dwelt some time upon the Christian sacrifice, perhaps even to a degree of tediousness; yet considering the great importance of the subject, I am not willing to dismiss it, while I see room left for throwing in any farther light upon it. This may be done, as I conceive, by a more minute consideration of the several distinctions, or names of distinction, which sacrifice, of one kind or other, has passed under, in Church writers; those especially of the earlier times, not neglecting others of later date.

My design therefore, at present, is to bring together into one summary view the most noted distinctions, or names of distinction; and to explain them one by one, taking in the authorities proper to illustrate their meaning, or to signify their use.

I.

The first and most comprehensive division, or distinction of sacrifice, is into four several kinds, denominated from so many several kinds of religion; Patriarchal, Pagan, Mosaic, and Christian.

1. The Patriarchal sacrifices commenced, very probably, soon after the fall, and consisted of slain beastsa, prefiguring Christ to be slain, pursuant to some Divine appointment b. Certain it is, that Cain and Abel offered sacrifices, and that very early; one, of the fruits of the earth; and the other, of cattled. Such were the patriarchal sacrifices

This hath been probably collected from Gen. iii. 21. See Patrick and other commentators.

See my first Charge of 1731. p. 24. Conf. Eusebius, Demonstr. Evang. lib. i. cap. 10. p. 35.

A. M. 130. Bedford's Script. Chronol. p. 126.

d Gen. iv. 3, 4.

strictly so called, of the material and extrinsic kind. No doubt but the good Patriarchs offered spiritual sacrifices besides but those were Gospel sacrifices, (as the Gospel, in some sense, obtained even from the time of the falle,) and therefore I reckon not them as purely patriarchal.

:

2. The second branch of this division concerns the Pagan sacrifices; which appear to have been little else but the patriarchal, variously corrupted, at different times, and in different degrees, by superstitious additions or mutilations f.

3. The Mosaical sacrifices were the patriarchal augmented, regulated, and very minutely diversified, by Divine authority.

4. The Christian sacrifices are what both the patriarchal and Mosaical, strictly so called, pointed to: they are the things signified, the truth, the substance, the antitypes or archetypes of those types, signs, figures, shadows. Christians have a sacrifice of which they participate, and whereupon they feast, which is no other than the grand sacrifice itself, whereof the patriarchal and Jewish sacrifices were types, or prefigurations: and Christians have sacrifices, which they devoutly offer up as presents to the Divine Majesty those are their spiritual sacrifices, (all reducible to one, namely, self-sacrifice,) whereof the patriarchal sacrifices were signs or symbolsh. So much, in

See my Review, vol. vii. p. 313.

f Tantum interest inter sacrificia Paganorum et Hebræorum, quantum interest inter imitationem errantem, et præfigurationem prænuntiantem. Augustin. contr. Faust. lib. xxi. cap. 21. p. 348. Conf. lib. xxii. cap. 17. p. 370. ed. Bened.

8 Note, That the two oldest names of sacrifice are mincha (Gen. iv. 3.) and corban (Levit. i. 2.) both signifying a gift, or present; and in that case, a gift to God. This observation may be of use to cut off all fruitless speculations upon the critical meaning of the younger name Juría, in the Greek, and to vindicate the propriety of the appellation, as to spiritual services, the noblest of all presents to a spiritual Being.

h Of the difference between a type and a symbol, see Outram de Sacrificiis, p. 203. A type, strictly, is an image or figure of things future: but a symbol is an image or figure of things at large, whether past, present, or to

the general, of the first distinction, or fourfold division: some particulars just hinted shall be explained in the sequel, in the places proper. I proceed to a second distinction.

II.

Sacrifices may be considered either in an active view as offered, or in a passive view as participated. The Jewish Passover, or paschal lamb, for instance, might be considered as a sacrifice offered up to God by the priests, or as a sacrifice participated by the people who feasted upon it. The case is the same, so far, with our Lord's sacrifice: for he is our Passover, sacrificed for usi. He is the Lamb of God, as he offered himself up a sacrifice to God: he is our Paschal Lamb, as we participate of him, and feed upon him. This distinction of active and passive sacrifice is not met with among the ancients, in terms: but it is sufficiently warranted by the ideas of the New Testament, and by the doctrine of the primitive churches; and it is founded in the very reason and nature of things. To explain this matter, let it be observed, that our Lord's sacrifice, actively considered, as a proper act of sacrificing, was performed once for all, was one transient act: but the subject-matter of it, viz. Christ himself, and the virtue of that sacrifice, are permanent things, to be for ever commemorated, exhibited, participated. Christ entered into heaven with "his own blood1;" and in virtue of the crosssacrifice, he "abideth a priest continually, ever living to "make intercession for us m." In such a sense his sacrifice abides, and we perpetually participate of it; sometimes

come. So that symbol is a more general name than type; though they are sometimes used promiscuously in ancient writers.

i 1 Cor. v. 7.

k Ferus, a learned and moderate Romanist, who died A. D. 1554. expressed this matter very justly, and after the Protestant way.

In Ecclesia autem, sacrificium nostrum est Christus: qui semel quidem seipsum obtulit, memoria tamen et repræsentatio ejus sacrificii quotidie in Ecclesia fit. Juxta hoc, offerre debemus sacrificium laudis, item sacrificium justitiæ, imo nos ipsos. Johan. Fer, in Genes. cap. viii. p. 248. A, D. 1550. m Hebr. vii. 3, 25.

1 Hebr. ix. 12.