nate in itself, and point to nothing future; it may refer to something past. The difference between the two will become evident if we consider that the learned researches of modern times have made it more than probable that the religions of antiquity were all symbolical in character, or so framed as to convey, under sensible images, the
ideas on which they were respectively based. But no
Christ declares that the Old Testa- ment spoke of him and his work.
one would think of calling the rites of heathenism types : they were a species of acted hieroglyphics, which reached the understanding through the senses ;—and here their use terminated. <A type is a prophetic symbol; and since prophecy is the prerogative of Him who sees the end from the beginning, a real type, implying as it does «a knowledge of the reality, can only proceed from God.”
Now we claim that it can be proved that the Mosaic sacrificial system was not only symbolical of divine truth in connection with the then existing dispensation, but that it embraced types, or prophetic symbols, of the better things to come inthe gospel. This is certain, because—
1. Christ himself declares that the whole Old Testa- ment Scripture in all its divisions—the Law as well as the Prophets and the Psalms—spoke of him and his work (John i. 45; v. 39; Luke xxiv. 27). “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name,
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of
sins.” And all these things stood in such a relation to him, that all those things must be fulfilled which were therein written concerning him (Luke xxiv. 44). And in what sense this was so, we can trace in John xix. 36. John, as an eye-witness of the crucifixion, declares that the exemption of our Lord’s person from the mutilation to which the two thieves with whom he was crucified were subjected, ‘“‘ was done THAT the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.” But the Scriptures say this only of the pascal lamb (Ex. xii. 46 ;
, SACRIFICES PIACULAR AND TYPICAL. 1395
Num. ix. 12); arid the Apostle John declares that cuarrer the saying this of the pascal lamb was equivalent to ie saying this prophetically of Christ. That the pascal
lamb was a sacrifice in the strict expiatory sense is admitted by all modern theologians. It is expressly called janp (Num. ix. 7), which everywhere means something offered to God. It is called mar, sacrifice
(Ex. xii. 27); which is, in the Old Testament, only applied to the bleeding offerings presented to Jehovah.
This the apostle distinctly asserts in the very sentence in which he declares that Christ is the Christian Passover :
- For even Christ...our..passover. is sacrificed (érv0n) for
as CL Wore vy, e peared anguage of the Mosaic ritual is con- Sacrificial eae applied to Christ: Jowett—no mean witness— orenase admits that the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews pre- "nat 2 sents the ‘‘ New Testament as hidden in the Old, and the Christ. Old as revealed in the New.”* But it is not confined
to the Epistle to the Hebrews, but characterizes the whole
New Testament. John the Baptist, the last Old Testa-
ment prophet (John i:-29), stood as the index-finger, and
spoke as the voice of the whole Old Testament dispensa-
tion when he said, ‘ Behold» the» Lamb of God, which | taketh away the sin 0m the world” Paul (Eph. v. 2) mitment wrist that “He | gave himself for us an offermg and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour ;” which certainly means that the effect of ns sacrifice terminates upon God, and not upon either the
sinful offerer or the moral universe. ‘‘ Now once in the
end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of himself ;” having been ‘‘ once offered to” Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. v. 7).
“We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ,
* Epistles of Paul, vol. ii., p. 476.
CHAPTER VII.
The sacri-
fices said to be shadows — Christ the sub- stance.
136 THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT.
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 119). “This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God. |
eee By one offering he hath nerfeeeed for ever them Phas are sanctified ” (Heb. ae | lA).