Other cases connected with the weakness of nature are mentioned, but which point out that sin having come in, all that is of nature, of the flesh, defiles-whatever may be the excuse as to the weakness and the unavoidable character of the thing. If it cannot be avoided, it is the manifestation, or at least the inevitable existence, of that which is shameful, because it is a nature fallen and sinful. We shall find, however, that though being shameful, the case is supposed less morally serious than leprosy: in leprosy, there was the manifestation of positive corruption existing beforehand in the nature, which was admitted in the heart, so that a long process was necessary to purify the conscience. Here they only washed once, and they offered merely a sin-offering, and they were thereby able, in offering their burnt-offering, to enter into communion through the sweet savour of Christ.

Having made provision for such defilements of the people as allowed of it, we have the revelation of the general provision for the purification of the sanctuary which was in the midst of a people who defiled it, and for the atonement of the sins of the people themselves. In general, there are two great ideas; first, that the atonement was made, so that the relationship of the people with God was maintained notwithstanding their sins; and then, in the second place, by the difficulties which surrounded the entrance of Aaron into the holy place, the testimony (according to the Epistle to the Hebrews itself) that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest during that dispensation. It is important to examine this chapter under these two points of view. It stands alone. No mention is made anywhere else of what took place on that solemn day. The sacrifice of Christ as redemption, was typified by the passover. It was here a question of drawing near unto God, who revealed Himself on His throne-of cleansing defilements-of taking away the sins of those who would draw near, and of purifying their conscience. Now, while presenting to us the means of doing this, it signified indeed that the thing was not done. As to the general idea of its efficacy, the High Priest drew near personally, and filled the most holy place with incense; then he took some blood which

he put on the mercy seat and before the mercy-seat. Sins were taken away according to the requirement of the majesty of the throne of God Himself, so that the full satisfaction made to His Majesty rendered the throne of justice favourable, and 'the worshipper found the blood there before him when he drew near, and even as a testimony before the throne. Then the High Priest cleansed the tabernacle, the altar, and all that was found there. Thus, in virtue of the sprinkling of His blood, Christ will reconcile all things, having made peace through the blood of His cross. There could be no guiltiness, but God would cleanse away the defilements, that they might not appear before Him. In the third place, the High Priest confessed the sins of the people over the scape-goat which, sent away unto a land not inhabited, bore all the sins away from God, never to be found again. It is here that the idea of substitution is presented most clearly. There are three things, the blood on the mercy-seat, the reconciliation of all things, and the sins confessed and borne by another. This order is found in Col. i.-peace made, the reconciliation of all things by Christ, and in speaking of believers" you hath He now reconciled in the body of His flesh, through death." It is evident, that though the scape-goat was sent away alive, he was identified as to the efficacy of the work with the death of the other. The idea of the eternal sending away of sins out of remembrance is only added to the thought of death. The glory of God was established, and His rights vindicated on one side, and on the other there was the substitution of the scape-goat, of the Lord Jesus, in His precious grace, for the guilty persons whose cause He had undertaken; and the sins of these having been borne, their deliverance was full, entire, and final. The first goat was the Lord's lot— it was a question of His character and His Majesty. The other was the lot of the people, which definitively represented the people in their sins. These two aspects of the death of Jesus must be carefully distinguished in the atoning sacrifice He has accomplished. He has glorified God, and God acts according to the value of that blood towards all. He has borne the sins of His people; and the salvation of His neople is complete. And, in a

certain sense, the first part is the most important. Sin having come in, the justice of God might, it is true, have got rid of the sinner; but where would then have been His love and His counsels of grace-pardon and the very maintenance of His glory? I am not speaking here of the persons who were to be saved, but of the glory of God Himself. But the perfect death of Jesus-His blood put on the throne of God-has established and brought into evidence all that God is all His glory, as no creation could have done it. His truth, His Majesty, His justice against sin, His infinite love; God found means therein to accomplish His counsels of grace, in maintaining all the majesty of His justice and of His divine dignity; for what, like the death of Jesus, could have glorified them? Therefore this devotedness of Jesus, God's Son, to His glory,-His submission, even unto death, that God might be maintained in the full glory of His rights, has given its object to the love of God-some rights upon that love -a position we are brought into through grace, and which has none like it. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." We speak with reverence of such things, but it is good to speak of them; for the glory of our God and of Him whom He hath sent is found therein established and manifested. There is not one attribute or one trait of character which has not been fully manifested in all its perfection, and fully glorified in that which took place between God and Jesus Himself. That we have been saved and redeemed, and that our sins have been atoned for in that same sacrifice, according to the counsels of the grace of God, is, I presume to say it, precious and important as it is for us, the inferior part of that work, if anything whatever may be called inferior where everything is perfect: its object at least-we sinners-is inferior, if the work is equally perfect in every point of

view.

Having considered a little the grand principles, we may now examine the particular circumstances.

It will have been observed that there were two sacrifices one for Aaron and his family, the other for the people. Aaron and his sons always represent the Church,

not in the sense of one body, but as a company of priests. Thus we have, even in the day of atonement, the distinction between those who form the Church, and the earthly people who form the camp of God on the earth. Believers have their place outside the camp, where their Head has gone, as sacrifice for sin; but in consequence, they have their place in the presence of God in the heavens, where their Head has entered. Outside the camp, here below, answers to a heavenly portion above-they are the two positions of the ever-blessed Christ. If the professing Church takes the position of the camp here below, the place of the believer is always outside. It is indeed what she has done? she boasts of it-but it is Jewish. Israel must indeed recognise themselves outside at last, in order to be saved and to be brought in again, through grace; because the Saviour whom they despised in a day of blindness, has in grace borne all their sins. We anticipate that position whilst Christ is in heaven. The heart of the remnant of Israel will indeed be brought back, in its desires, to the Lord before that time; they will only enter into the power of the sacrifice when they shall look upon Him whom they pierced, and mourn for Him. Therefore was it prescribed that it should be a day to afflict their souls, and that they should be cut off if they did not.

The day of atonement supposes moreover, according to the state of things found in the wilderness, that the people were in a state of incapacity for the enjoyment of the relations with God fully manifested. God had redeemed them, had spoken to them; but the heart of Israel, of man however favoured, was incapable of it in its natural state. Israel had made the golden calf, and Moses put a veil over his face; Nadab and Abihu had offered strange fire upon the altar of God-fire which had not been taken from the altar of burnt-offering. The way into the holiest is closed; Aaron is forbidden to enter there at all times. When he went in, it was not for communion, but for the cleansing of the defilements of a people among whom God dwelt; and the day of atonement is only introduced with a prohibition of entering at all times into the holy place, and is conspicuous as taking place after the death of the sons of Aaron. It was truly a gracious provision, in order

that the people should not perish on account of their defilements; but the Holy Ghost was signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest. In what then is our position changed? The veil is rent, and we enter, as priests, with boldness into the holiest, by a new and living way through the veil-that is to say, the flesh of Christ. We enter in without conscience of sin, because the blow which rent the veil, to show all the glory and the majesty of the throne, and the holiness of Him who sits thereon has taken away the sins which would have incapacitated us from entering in, or from looking within. We are even seated there in Christ our Head-the Head of His body the Church. In the mean time, Israel is outside:-the Church is seen in the person of Christ, the High Priest, and the whole of this dispensation is the day of atonement, during which their High Priest is hid within the veil; for the veil is upon their hearts. He maintains there, it is true, their cause through the blood which He presents; but the testimony of it is not yet presented to them outside, nor their consciences freed by the knowledge that their sins are lost for ever in a land not inhabited, where they will never be found again. Now our position is, properly speaking, inside, in the person of Aaron; the blood being on the mercyseat. We are not only justified by the scape-goat, as being without; that is done, it is clear, and once for all, for the veil is only on the heart of Israel-it is no longer between us and God. We have gone in with the High Priest, as united to Him: we are not waiting for that till He comes out. Israel, though the forgiveness be the same, will receive these things, when the true Aaron comes out of the tabernacle. That is why that which characterised the sacrifice of Aaron and his sons, was the blood put inside on the mercy-seat, and the going in of Aaron in person. But the Church is composed of persons who are here below, having committed sins: thus seen in the world, they enter, as to their conscience, into the rank of the outside people, as well as Aaron himself, seen not as a typical individual; and this conscience is purified by the certainty that Christ has borne all our sins in His body on the tree. Our position