“Sacrificing is a religious action, in which a creature devoted to God was in a solemn manner destroyed in his presence, for sacred ends; and it was a mode of worship that obtained in the most early ages of the world. It may not only be traced up to the famous æra of giving the law from Mount Sinai; for the ancient patriarchs did commonly practise it. How many altars were built by Abraham and his grandchild Jacob? Job offered sacrifices both for his children and for his friends; and God smelled a savour of rest, when Noah sacrificed clean beasts and birds on the altar which he built unto the Lord. But why mention these personages as the most ancient practisers of sacrificial worship, when it may be more than conjectured, that Adam himself did practise it? Can we think when Abel offered, up to the Lord the firstlings of his flock, that his father did not instruct him to testify in this manner his fear of the Lord? And what shall we say of the coats of skins which the Lord made for them, or directed them to make? The beasts to whom they belonged, cannot, so soon after the creation, be supposed to have died of age; they behoved therefore to be slain. How natural to suppose that they were slain in sacrifice, rather than for any other use? Perhaps it was not without a meaning, that the skins of these beasts should clothe their bodies, whose blood made atonement for their souls. To be short then, though we can by no means assent, that in the state of innocence, there would have been the least occasion for them, they seem, however, to be as ancient as the promise about the seed of the woman, who was to have his heel bruised, while he braised the serpent’s bead.”
“Let us here glance at some of the most glaring parallels only, betwixt the sacrifices of Moses and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.”
“And first, we may take notice of the qualities of the sacrificed creatures, especially of the animal kind. It was not left as a matter of indifference, and wholly in the option of God’s peculiar people, with what victims they should stain his altars.—The integrity and perfection which God required in the bodies of these beasts may easily be accommodated to the glorious Antitype, who would have been wholly incapacitated, by any the smallest blemish, from the discharge of his priestly function. For though it became the typical nation of the Jews to have an high-priest involved in the same guilt of actual transgression with his brethren, who was therefore to offer first for his own sin, before he presumed to offer for the errors of the people; yet such an high-priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, Heb. vii. 26.—It is also worthy of notice, that of all those beasts the first-born was most acceptable, and according to the law, all such were holy unto the Lord. Was not this a prelude, that he whom God would give to expiate our transgression, should be the first born among many brethren, whom they should honor as the excellency of dignity, and to whom they should owe their deliverance from death, and title to inheritance?”
“From the qualities of the victims let us go on to the sacred rites of oblation, and we shall find something in our great Sacrifice corresponding to them all. When the creature that was to surrender its life for its owner was pitched upon, it was brought unto the priest, and solemnly sisted before the Lord. But our Lord Jesus was not brought by others, like the irrational animal, but he voluntarily presented himself before the Lord, when his time was fully come. Fully apprised of what was to be done unto him, he set his face to go up to Jerusalem, and patiently expected, in the melancholy garden, the coming of the traitor, and his band of armed men, to whom he was to deliver himself. The sacred animal being sisted before the Lord, was rendered ceremonially guilty, by the imposition of hands on its head, and by confessing over it the sins of the offerer. It was the Lord himself that laid on him the iniquities of us all. O Jesus! it is our guilt alone that can justify the Judge of all the earth in taking pleasure to bruise thee! And this doubtless was one great reason why he opened not his mouth, while the Roman governor wondered at his silence. It was this consideration that fortified his mind at the approach of his inconceivably bitter agonies, and held in his mouth, as with a bridle, when these astonishing words dropped from his lips, ‘Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say?’—In the next place, the blood of the innocent animal, now made guilty by imputation, was shed, was poured out, and sprinkled around; for, ‘without the shedding of blood was no remission of sin,’ Heb. ix. 22. That it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul, is asserted by the God of Israel himself, who expressly assigns this reason of the strict prohibition given to his ancient people, ‘No soul of you shall eat blood; neither shall any stranger that sojourns among you.’ Lev. xvii. 12. It is easy to see how this prefigured the violent death of the Son of God, who poured out his soul unto death, and whose blood cleanses from all sin. The pulling off the skin from the butchered animals, dividing their bodies, and burning them with fire, are certainly intended to denote the exquisite torments he was to endure, when the assembly of the wicked inclosed him, and his heart was melted in the midst of his bowels like wax before the fire.—The towering of the smoke to heaven, which was sometimes perfumed with burning incense, signified how acceptable the sacrifice of Christ should be to God, and of what sweet smelling savour.—In the time of offering, prayers were offered up. And we know, that in the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers, tears, and strong cries, to him that was able to save him from death.—The blowing of trumpets, and praising God, in the time of the holy rites, with music vocal and instrumental, which was often practised, may no doubt, put us in mind of that praise, which waiteth for God in Zion, on account of purging away our transgression by himself, which would have prevailed for ever against us.—The carrying the blood of the victims into the holy place, the figure of the heavenly sanctuary, corresponds to the intercession of our High-Priest within the vail, where he appears as a lamb that has been slain.”
“When the rites were finished, atonement was made. The guilt of the offerer was abolished, when his victim was destroyed: the anger of God was in some manner appeased, and he gave signs of reconciliation. But, as we shewed before, it was not in these ceremonial actions to atone for any moral guilt, except in a typical way. But he whom God hath set forth for a propitiation, hath, in the most proper sense, fully expiated the sins of all his people who hath lived, or shall live. In his atonement the believers of ancient and latter times have rejoiced, as the sole foundation of their hope. And nations yet unborn shall be justified by him, from all things from which they could not be justified by Moses’ law. The fire that came down from heaven, and consumed the sacrifices, which doubtless was kept alive by the priests upon the altar, was it not an emblem of that fierce-burning wrath which preyed upon the soul of the Son of God? Or was it an emblem of the Holy Spirit, through whom he offered up himself, and who is styled the Spirit of burning? It was love that wrought his death; by this holy and pure flame was our atoning sacrifice reduced into ashes.”
“The altar, what was it? His cross, say some. Nay, it was rather his divine nature, which like the altar supported, and like the altar sanctified the gift. This the cross can scarce be said to do, which was but the instrument of man’s cruelty, and a despicable piece of timber, which neither sanctified the body which it carried, nor received sanctification from it. Where then are they who address it with divine honours, and pay even to its picture that homage which is due to him alone, that expired in agonies on that shameful tree.”
We shall now consider the instruments, the number, and why twenty-nine—no particular reason is assigned that I know of, any more than why the Scripture records that Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begat Terah, (Gen, xi, 24)—or that Amaziah reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem, (ii Kings xiv, 2) or that pious Hezekiah reigned the same number of years. But it must be allowed by every believer that the 29th verse of the first Chap. of John’s Gospel, contains something of vast importance to us, viz. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Nor is it less important to call to mind that during our Lord’s secluded days, twenty-nine lambs had been offered up, before John the Baptist thus exclaimed. But waving these ideas, and viewing these knives as the instruments of the death of our dear Lord, may they not be typical of our sins—and may we not enumerate twenty-nine of the most awful sins mentioned in the scriptures, and which include all the rest that are mentioned. The Spirit has borrowed many metaphors to point out the nature of sin to us—hence in scripture it is called, 1, a Plague; 2, a Sickness; 3, a Death; 4, a loathsome Disease; 5, a Wound; 6, a Curse; 7, a Mountain; 8, a Debt; 9, a Reproach; 10, a Scourge; 11, an evil Treasure; 12, an heavy Chain; 13, a Fire; 14, a thick Cloud; 15, a Sting; 16, a Poison; 17, old Leaven; 18, a strong Hold; 19, a stony Heart; 20, Madness; 21, a Deceiver; 22, a Thief; 23, Foxes; 24, Witchcraft; 25, an abominable Thing; 26, Bitterness; 27, Unrighteousness; 28, a deep Pit; 29, miry Day. These are some of the names by which sin is called.
God made man upright, but through the instigation of the Devil he fell into sin, which has involved us in all kind of misery; for the greatest misery is sin itself—it is contrary to the holy nature of God, and contrary to that pure nature in which God first formed man; of course, in that sense, all sin is unnatural, because contrary to God’s Holiness, God’s Law, and Perfections. Hence every man is considered in his fallen state, alike sinful. God declares that every man is become brutish; and one of the best men that ever lived once exclaimed, I am more brutish than any man! Those who fancy they are good kind of people and like the proud Pharisee in the Gospel, boastingly cry out, God I thank thee I am not as other men—and though they will acknowledge that man is fallen in some degree, yet not so bad as the scriptures represent; nor do I think any one can believe he is so great a sinner as God declares, till the Spirit opens his eyes, and quickens his conscience—till then he can find plenty of stones to throw at his neighbour, under the mask of holiness, and zeal for the Law; but if ever the Saviour stoops to write conviction on the ground of their hearts, they must acknowledge as Joseph’s brethren did, we are verily guilty.—There is none that doeth good, no not one.
I shall only mention Twenty-nine names by which men are called in scripture; which will demonstrate the affecting truth that all are gone out of the way, and that exemption none can boast. In our fallen state we are compared, 1, to Devils—Ye are of your Father the Devil. 2, To Devil’s Soldiers—And the Dragon fought and his Angels. 3, Children of disobedience and wrath.—Ephes. 2. 4, To Murderers—My soul is wearied because of Murderers. 5, Liars—They go astray from the womb, speaking Lies. 6, Drunkards—They drink Iniquity like water. 7, They are called the Unclean—I dwell in the midst of a people of Unclean Lips. 8, Thieves—Robbers—Yet have ye robbed God. 9, Bastards—My mother’s Children were angry with me. 10, Prodigals—15th Luke. 11, We are called Fools. 12, Poor Wretches—thou knowest not thou art poor and wretched. 13, Madmen—possessed with the Devil. 14, Carnal—are ye not carnal, and weak as men? 15, Outcast—thou wast cast out, to the loathing of thy person. 16, Servants of Sin. 17, Devil’s Drudges. 18, Captives. 19, Slaves—led Captive by him at his will. 20, Ravenous Beasts. 21, Eagles. 22, Owls. 22, Lions. 23, Leopards—No ravenous beasts go up thereon; no Lion shall be there—the beast of the field shall honour me, the Dragon and the Owl. Come with me from the Lion’s dens, the Mountains of Leopards. 24, to Dogs. 25, to Swine. 26, to Goats. 27, to Æthiopians. 28, to Rebels. 29, to Dragons. These are some of the names by which human nature is called; and do not these twenty-nine include all the rest of the metaphors by which poor man, fallen, depraved, contaminated, and guilty, is represented. Where then is the dignity of human nature? in what does it consist? But, as Young says, “A Christian is the highest stile of man:” to be anointed with the same spirit, that was in the dear Redeemer, this is true dignity, and all others a delusion.
I might likewise here mention the most awful sins that the scriptures hold forth, which are to be found in the hearts of all mankind, and which the regenerate mind groans beneath, upon every discovery of them; it is the new man sighs when the old man works. In this we groan, being burthened, longing to get to glory, to enjoy these two following blessings,