the last chapter. The symbolical design of the pre- sentation of incense before the Lord is very clearly set forth in Scripture to be representative of prayer—the prayers of God’s people in mass; and in the case of the priests, the representatives of the people, intercessory prayer. The altar of incense was placed on the outside — of the veil, over against the mercy-seat or propitiato- rium (Ex. xxx. 6). Incense was daily offered by the priests before the veil, behind which God sat enthroned. During the ‘time of incense” it was customary for the whole multitude of the people to be praying without (Luke i. 10). On the great day of atonement it was carried within the veil by the high priest, “that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not” (Lev. xvi 13; Ps. cxli 2; Rev. v, 8; vii. 3, 4). - All this, proves be+ yond any question that the priest, as the representa- tive of the people, as the minister of God’s house, having authority to come near and to bring near, to present God’s food on his table, and to present to Jehovah sacri- fices, affording to God an odour of a sweet smell,—that in this capacity the priest was for sinful men the only medium of acceptable approach to God. The priest’s’ work terminated on God, and made return to God objec- tively possible to the sinner. The Moral Influence Theory makes Christ's work terminate on the sinner, eausing the sinner to be subjectively disposed to return | to God. But herein the New Testament Priest thoroughly corresponds to the Old Testament type. Jesus testifies of himself, ‘‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: No MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME.”
II, The work of the ancient priest secured the actual and certain remission of the sins of all for whom he acted, and it bore a definite reference to the persons of all those whom he represented, and of none other.
CHRIST THE HIGH PRIEST. 145
1. The priest is never in one single instance repre- cuarrss
sented in Scripture as offering a ate the immediate —~ design or effect of which was to produce a moral effect upon the transgressor; or to place him in a position in which remission is a possibility, subject to other con- ditions ; or to exhibit God’s determination to punish sin. The professed and uniform design and effect of the priest's work was to secure the remission, and not the remissibility, of the penalty due the sin of the person or persons for whom he acted. When an Israelite sinned, he went to the priest, who presented a sin-offering in his stead—life for life; and the immediate effect was for- giveness, remission ee the penalty due. The constant promise attached to the command to sacrifice is, ‘“ And it shall be forgiven him” (Lev. iv. 20, 26, 31, &., &.). The sacrifice, and not something else following the sacri- fice, ~pso facto, absolved.
2. The Jewish high priest offered intercession for pre-
cisely the same persons—for all of them, and for none other—for whom he had previously made expiation. He bore the names of the tribes of Israel upon his breast. He confessed the sins of the entire congrega- tion, and made atonement for them with the goats of the sin-offering. He appeared before God, within the veil, in behalf of all the congregation. The entire work of the priest was one work. To speak the language of Christian theology, the office which the priests discharged, both in the impetration and in the application of bene- fits, had respect to precisely the same persons. They sacrificed for, they interceded for, they blessed precisely the same persons, and none other (Num. vi. 22—27).
Til. Christ was a real, and not merely a metaphorical Christ priest ; and his priesthood was, as to its essential charac- i et! teristics, shadowed forth by the priests of the Mosaic *e*
phorical ec onomy. ; i priest.
CHAPTER IX.
146 THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT.