of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is in the midst of my bowels."* "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats and they shall take the blood, and strike it on the two side-posts, and on the upper door-post of the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof." + The prohibition of leaven, one particle of which was not to be found in the house of an Israelite at this solemn season, has also a reference to our divine Substitute's exemption from inward pollution. "Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land.”+ The children of God, who were taught of the Holy Spirit, under the levitical dispensation, were fully aware that the sacrifice of lambs, bulls, and goats, could present to Jehovah no equivalent for a human soul; but they were instructed by the unblemished type, to look for the glorious reality in the future expiation of Immanuel, who, by one * Ps. xl. 7, 8. + Exod. xii. 5-9. ‡ Ibid. xii. 19. sacrifice of a body, comprehending all the perfections of holiness, should "please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.” * It is with an eye to this immaculate Lamb of God, that so many directions are given in the writings of Moses, concerning the spotless condition of the animal sacrifices. the Lord thy God, any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evil favouredness: for that is an abomination unto the Lord thy God."+ The inherent purity of the divine Saviour of sinners was also denoted by the washing of the animal's entrails. "He shall wash the inwards, and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord.”‡ "Thou shalt not sacrifice unto : We have a lovely emblem of our glorious Immanuel's sinless flesh, in the meat-offering of fine flour, oil, and frankincense. "And when any will offer a meat-offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon. And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet * Ps. lxix. 31. + Deut. xvii. 1. Lev. i. 13. savour unto the Lord."* The pure humanity of our divine Surety, was so impregnated with a heavenly unction, that like the holy perfume, composed of pure myrrh, sweet spices, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia," tempered together after the art of the apothecary," + it possessed a fragrance most grateful to the Father, who is "well pleased for his righteousness' sake.”‡ There is something peculiarly significant and interesting in the burning of the young, spotless, red cow, which presented a striking prefiguration of Zion's beloved, who " is white and ruddy,"§ whom Satan in vain endeavoured to bring under his yoke. The incorruptibility of Immanuel was typified by the cedarwood, and the power of his pure and precious blood to wash away sin, by the hyssop, which were cast into the flames, and consumed with the victim. The blood sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle of the congregation, which represented the Church of Christ, denoted that she was perfectly cleansed from her defilement, by the infinitely pure atonement which her divine Substitute would make at the time appointed in the counsels of Jehovah. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no * Lev. ii. 1, 2. + Exod. xxx. 35. C blemish, and upon which never came yoke and ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face and Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times and one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: and the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer."* Salt was used in the sacrifices, as a symbol of the incorruptibility of our everlasting Melchizedek's glorious humanity, the immutable Rock upon which Zion was eternally established. "And every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."+ The Levitical priesthood were partakers of that corruption and infirmity, to which all the descendants of Adam, without any exception, are liable ; and they "needed daily to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the people's; "+ yet, as types of our undefiled Immanuel, they were required to be free from every personal mark of deformity. "No man that hath a blemish of the * Num. xix. 1-6. + Lev. ii. 13. Heb. vii. 27. seed of Aaron the priest, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. He shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries." The sacrifices are called the bread of God, in allusion to Christ's immaculate flesh, which constitutes the life, and spiritual food of redeemed sinners. The erroneous doctrine of its peccability, my dear friends, would deprive it of all its nourishing virtue. The intrinsic purity and loveliness of that holy nature, in which our incarnate God veiled his glory, are symbolized in the high-priest's robes. "And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office."+ The robe of the ephod was woven of one unmixed colour and substance, viz. fine blue flax; to signify that the humanity of our immortal Melchizedek, would be free from every taint of sin and corruption, with which all other flesh is impregnated: and unlike the generality of vestures, it had a hole in the upper part, through which the high-priest passed his head; to imply that the eternal Word, + Exod. xxviii. 2, 3. * Lev. xxi. 21, 23. |