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they become "living stones." From that connection with Christ, which is necessarily implied in believing the truth respecting him, a change, both of state and character, takes place, which makes it becoming in Jehovah to employ them as materials in the erection of his spiritual temple, and which fits them for answering the great end of a temple, in doing honor to the Divinity who dwells in it. Naturally "far off," they are "brought nigh by the blood of Christ," which is sprinkled on them in the faith of the truth. Alienated from God, they are "reconciled in Christ." Clothed with his righteousness, they are objects of complacent regard to the Holy and Just One; and animated by his Spirit, they are "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which he has made them accepted in the beloved." Quickened by their connection with him who," the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, is a quickening Spirit," they are made fit for serving the living God; fit for yielding spiritual, true worship to Him who is a Spirit, and who must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.

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But they not only become living stones, but as living stones they are "built up a spiritual house." They are not only honored and happy as individuals, but they are formed into a holy, honorable, blessed fellowship. In consequence of their common connection with Christ, they have a mutual connection with each other, and form a living spiritual temple, blessed with the presence, devoted to the worship and honor of Jehovah, the fountain of life, the Father of spirits. They become members of the most honorable of all societies; the 'family in heaven, and on earth called by the one name;" "the name above every name." They are enrolled among the brethren, "to whom the perfected Redeemer declares his Father's name.' They are members of the Church, "in the midst of which he celebrates his praise." It is the same idea, though under a different image, which the apostle so beautifully expresses in the Epistle to the Hebrews: Ye are come to Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, the general assembly and the church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel." "

(2.) Christians are "a holy priesthood."

In the next branch of the inspired account of the Christians, privileges, the figure varies; and they who were represented under the figure of a spiritual temple, are represented under the figure of "a

Multa nomina, quæ Christo competunt in singulari, christianis tribuuntur in plurali. Christus lapis, christiani lapides; lapis vivus, lapides vivi. Ex illo, hi quoque sunt filii, sacerdotes, reges, agni.-BENGEL.

* Secundum sapientiores Judæos Messias non debet templum tertium materiale ædificare sed a domum spiritualem, cum secundum illos sub Messia omnia debeant esse spiritualia. Ad istam sententiam videtur alludere Petrus Apostolus, qui epistola sua, Cap. ii. 5, dicit nos esse lapides εμψύχους et ζῶντας et πνευματικὸν οἶκον.—LE MOYNE, Not et Obs. ad Barnab. Epist. Varia Sacra, vol. ii. p. 914.

Heb. xii. 22-24.

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holy priesthood," set apart "to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Under the New Testament economy, there is but one priest, in the strict meaning of that word as defined by the Apostle Paul: "One taken from among men, ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." Our great High Priest, of whom all the priests under the Mosaic dispensation were but figures, is "the one Mediator between God and man." He presents the only effectual atoning sacrifice. He, on the ground of that sacrifices, makes intercession for those who come to God through him, and obtains ac ceptance both for them and their services, and authoritatively blesses his people. Whoever professes to be a priest under the new economy, invades the prerogative of Him, who is "a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedec," and is guilty of presumption, as far exceeding that of Korah and his company, as the ministry which Jesus hath received is "a more excellent ministry" than that of Aaron or any of his sons.3

It is common, however, in the New Testament, to represent all Christians as figurative priests, in the sense of persons solemnly consecrated to, and habitually engaged in, the divine service. These two views are given us in the passage before us. You are "a holy priesthood," and you are a priesthood engaged in presenting to God "spiritual sacrifices, which are acceptable to God by Christ Jesus." You belong to a higher and holier fellowship than that of the Aaronical priesthood."

Christians are a "holy," a consecrated priesthood. You are aware that the priests, under the Old Testament, were separated from among their brethren. They were so by their birth, and by their consecration. As sons of Aaron, they belonged to the priestly order. In like manner, all Christians, by their being born again, are set apart to the service of God. And as Aaron's sons were consecrated by the sprinkling of blood and the washing of water; so Christians have their conscience sprinkled by the blood of Him, "who by the eternal Spirit, offered himself a sacrifice to God without spot," and are purified" by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost."'

1 Heb. v. 1.

2 1 Tim. ii. 5.

"The name Priest is nowhere in Scripture attributed peculiarly and distinctly to the ministers of the Gospel, as such: that which puts a difference between them and the rest of the people of God's holiness seems to be a more direct participation of Christ's prophetical, not sacerdotal, office. When Christ ascended up on high, he gave some to be prophets, Eph. iv. 11; none as we find to be priests. Priests are a sort of church officers whom Christ never appointed."—OWEN.

Est autem illud non temere factum, ut Spiritus Sanctus nunquam in N. Testamento sacerdotis vel sacerdotii nomen ad evangelii ministros accommodârit.—BEZA.

"When the apostles applied the Old Testament idea of priesthood to Christianity, this was done invariably for the simple purpose of showing that no such visible particular priesthood could find place in the new community; that, since free access to God and to heaven had been once for all opened to believers by one High Priest, even Christ, they had, by virtue of their union to him, become themselves a spiritual priesthood consecrated to God; their calling being none other than to dedicate their entire life to God as a thankoffering for the grace of redemption, to publish abroad the power and grace of him who had called them out of the kingdom of darkness into his marvellous light, to make their life one continual priesthood, one spiritual worship, springing from faith, working by love, one continuous testimony for their Saviour."-NEANDER.

Heb. ix. 14. Tit. iii. 5.

As they resemble the priests in their consecration, so they resemble them also in their work. They "offer up spiritual sacrifices." The sacrifices they present are not expiatory, but eucharistic sacrifices.1 The only effectual expiatory sacrifice ever offered was that offered on Calvary, and that so completely answered its purpose, that it put an end to all such oblations. It "perfected forever all those who were sanctified;" secured complete reconciliation; full, free, everlasting pardon; eternal redemption; salvation with eternal glory; so that there was no more room for sacrifices for sin. No; it is an undoubted truth, one equally delightful to those who trust in, and dreadful to those who reject, this atoning oblation: "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sin." 2 The eucharistic sacrifices presented by "the spiritual priesthood" are not material, but spiritual; not literal, but figurative sacrifices. The leading idea is, that Christians are brought into a very near relation to God; and that the whole of their lives should be devoted to his spiritual service. They are to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of the lips," "the calves of the lips," as Hosea has it-not literal calves-" giving thanks to his name.' To do good and communicate they are not to forget, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." They are to "present their bodies"-themselves, embodied living beings, not the dead bodies of slain beasts-" a living sacrifice." "Whether they eat, or drink, or whatsoever they do, they are to do all to the glory of God;" and "whatsoever they do in word or in deed, they are to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him."

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External services are spiritual sacrifices only when they embody a right state of mind and heart,-an enlightened mind, a pure devout heart. It is the gift of the heart which makes all other gifts easy to ourselves, acceptable to our God. "My son," says God, "give me thine heart;" and what follows? "let thine eyes observe my ways.' "This makes the eyes and ears, and tongue and hands, to be holy as God's peculiar property; and being once given and consecrated to Him, it is sacrilege to turn them to any unholy use.'

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Such services of the spiritual priesthood, so reasonable, so dignifying, are said to be "acceptable to God by Christ Jesus."" These services are in themselves very undeserving of acceptance; for in the best of them, while we are here below, there is much wanting, and something wrong. But if they are the sincere expression of trust in God's mercy, love to his law, zeal for his glory, with all their

1 "The sacrifices we are enjoined to offer give ground to the appellation Priests. Now they are of divers sorts, though all in general eucharistical, as-First, of prayers and thanksgivings, Psal. cxvi. 17, cxli. 2; Heb. xiii. 14: Secondly, of good works, Heb. xiii. 14: Thirdly, avro veía, crucifying the old man, killing sin, and offering up ourselves, souls and bodies, an acceptable sacrifice to God, Rom. xii. 1: Fourthly, the sweet incense of martyrdom, Phil. ii. 17."-OWEN.

2 Heb. x. 26.

3 Inter hostias spirituales primum locum obtinet generalis NOSTRI Oblatio de qua Paulus. -Rom. xii. 1. Neque enim offerre quicquam possumus Deo, donec illi nos ipsos in sacrificium obtulerimus: quod fit nostri abnegatione. Sequuntur postea preces et gratiarum actiones, eleemosynæ et omnia pietatis exercitia.-CALVIN.

Heb. xiii. 15, 16. Hos. xiv. 2. Rom. xii. 1. 1 Cor. x. 31. Col. iii. 17.

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7 Isa. Ivi. 7. Αἱ θυσίαι αὐτῶν ἔσονται δεκταὶ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριόν μου,

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imperfections, they are acceptable. Like a kind father, he loves to hear even the lisping accents of affectionate confidence from his child; and a very trifle, presented as a token of loyal submission, is in his eyes of great value. Even under the law, he who had not a lamb was welcome with his pigeon; and under the better economy, none need forbear sacrifices for poverty. What God desires is the heart, and there is none so poor but he has a heart to give him. Alas! that so many should want the heart to give the heart they have to give. It is not, however, so much the meanness of the gift offered, as the guiltiness of the offerer, that fills us with anxiety as to the acceptance of our services. Our foul hands pollute the best sacrifices; but where the sacrifice has not the character of insincerity -a character which will certainly secure rejection, for "if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear us," notwithstanding all their faults, the services of the Christian are acceptable, "acceptable by or through Jesus Christ." The spiritual priest is clothed with the robe of the Redeemer's righteousness, and in his clothing we are like Jacob in his brother's garments. There is "the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed." If we offer our sacrifices by him, if we put them into his hands to offer to the Father, we need not doubt that they will be accepted for his sake.

The phrase, "by Christ Jesus," may be considered as qualifying both the phrase "to offer," and the expression "acceptable." We ought not to offer anything but by him, trusting in his mediation, depending on his Spirit; and in doing so we are sure to be accepted, for he is God's beloved Son, in whom his soul is delighted; not only delighted and pleased with himself, but in him, with all things and persons that appear in him, and are presented by him. "This alone

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answers all our doubts; for we ourselves, for as little as we see in that way, may yet see so much in our best services, so many wanderings, so much deadness to prayer, as would make us still doubtful of acceptance, and might say with Job, Although he had answered me, yet would I not believe that he had hearkened to me,' were it not this, that our prayers and our sacrifices pass through Christ's hands. He is that angel that hath much sweet odor to mingle with the prayers of the saints. He purifies them with his own merits and intercessions, and so makes them pleasing unto the Father. Oh, how ought our hearts to be knit to him, by whom we are brought into favor with God, and kept in favor with him, in whom we obtain all the good we receive, and in whom all we offer is accepted! In him are all our supplies of grace, and our hopes of glory."

(3.) Christians are a "chosen generation."

Let us now look at the next representation of the Christians' privileges. They are "a chosen generation." This, like the other appellations here given to Christians, is borrowed from the descriptive names given to the Israelitish people under a former dispensation. They are spoken of as "a generation," a race or family, the descendants of one father, standing to each other in the relation of brethren.

1 Leighton.

Sometimes they are represented as the race or family of Abraham and of Israel. "Seek the Lord, and his strength," says the Psalmist; "seek him for evermore. Remember his marvellous works which he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; O ye, the seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Israel his chosen." And they are very frequently termed the house or family of Israel.

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At other times they are represented as the family or children of God. Ye are the children of the Lord your God," says Moses; "Israel," says Jehovah, by Moses, to Pharaoh, " is my son, my firstborn; let my son go, that he may serve me;" "Out of Egypt," says he by the prophet Hosea, "out of Egypt have I called my son."1

And as the Israelites are often spoken of as a race or generation, the family of Abraham, the family of God, so they are spoken of as "a chosen generation," a selected family: "The Lord," says Moses, "loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. The heaven, and the heaven of heavens, is the Lord thy God's, the earth also, and all that is therein; only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is at this day."2 "I give water in the wilderness," says Jehovah, "and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen."

Now this descriptive appellation, a chosen generation, originally given to the people of Israel, belongs to the people of God, under the new economy, in a far higher sense, with a much greater depth of meaning "They that are Christ's are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Though originally aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, they have been brought near, and, having believed, "they are blessed with believing Abraham." They all are, like him, justified freely by God's grace. They all, like him, have Jehovah for their God, according to the promise, "I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee." They all, like him, have "the inheritance of the world" secured to them; a holier, happier, securer possession than Canaan, is their common property; "the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, laid up in heaven for them, and to which they are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 3

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But the appellation "generation," or race, leads us to think of them, not only as the spiritual family of Abraham, but as the spiritual family of God. They are "all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus." They are the family of God in a far higher sense than ancient Israel; "For to as many as receive Christ, to them gives he the privilege of being the sons of God; and they are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.". "They are born, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, even of the word of the Lord, which liveth and abideth forever." "Of his own will begat he them by the word of truth, that they might be a kind of first-fruits among his creatures." They are

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