5. Whatever was figured in the old sacrifices, it must be spiritually performed in the duty of prayer and praise. In those legal rites, there was an evangelical equity, or something that was moral and spiritual for us still to observe.
As, first, in prayer, truth was the inward part of the sacrifice, for the mere external oblation was of no significancy with God. There were three things wherein it symbolizeth with prayer ; in prayer there is required brokenness of heart, owning of Christ, renewing covenant with God.
[1.] One thing that was required in sacrifices was brokenness of heart ; for when a man came to present his beast before the Lord, he was to consider this beast was to be slain and burnt with fire ; and to consider, All this was my case ; I might have been consumed with his wrath, and be burnt with fire ; and so come with a compunctionate spirit, with brokenness of heart, to bemoan his case before the Lord ; therefore it is said, Ps. li. 17, ' The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise.' This is required in every one that comes to prayer, brokenness of heart; that is, a sensibleness of his want of those good things for which he comes, and his inability to supply himself with anything without God ; nay, his ill-deservings, how justly he might be denied of God, and cursed by all manner of plagues ; how he hath forfeited all manner of blessings ; this must be at the bottom.
[2.] The sacrifices implied an eying of the Kedeemer, by virtue of whose oblation and intercession we are accepted with God ; for every one that came with his sacrifice was to lay his hand upon the head of the beast, to put his sins there, to show Christ bore the iniquity of us all ; and in every prayer we make, there is this evangelical equity, by virtue of the old sacrifice remaining upon us, that we should eye the Redeemer, even Christ Jesus, our Lord, ' Who hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour,' Eph.
110 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXVIII.
V. 2. He is tlie expiatory sacrifice, and therefore in all our supplicatory or gratulator}' od'erings to God we must still look to liirn. The wbrdi, an offering, relates to tilings destitute of life that were dedicated to" God, as flour, oil, frankincense; that which Avas signified tliereby was accomplislied in Christ. And for the other word, sacrifice, gave liini- self as an offering and sacrifice ; the beasts whose blood was shed, those things which had life in them, were called a real sacrifice offered to God to appease his justice. Thus Christ Jesus was given as a sacrifice, to obtain all manner of blessings for us. We should look upon God as an all-sufficient fountain of grace, and the author of every good gift, depending upon him for his goodness and bounty for Christ's sake.
[3.] In sacrifices there was implied a renewing of covenant ; so the Lord saitli, Ps. 1. 5, ' Gather my saints together, that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.' As they did dedicate the beast offered to God, so was the worshipper to dedicate himself to God. Now we must renew this dedication of ourselves to the Lord's service ; all this was morally in the sacrifices, and is to be done every day in oiu- future prayers, with brokenness of heart, eying our Eedeemer, casting our whole dependence upon him, and in a sense of his love dedicating and devoting ourselves to God.
Secondly, For the other duty, of thanksgiving and praise for mercies received. Every point and passage of his undeserved favour to be owned, and praise thereof to be given to God, and still to look on all done not for our sakes, but for the sake of Christ Jesus. You read under the law, Lev. iii. 3, when the thank-oftering was brought to God, it was to be laid upon the top of the burnt-offering. First they were to bring the burnt-offering, and offer that to God, then to lay upon it the peace or thank-offering, to show that first w^e must be reconciled to God, and by virtue of tliat all mercies descend and come down upon us ; and then upon this solemn occasion they were to give up themselves anew to the Lord. tSo the apostle pressetli this, Eom. xii. 1 , ' I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.' And this is one part of the offering of our lips, namely, when we come solemnly by virtue of every mercy received, and promise obedience anew and afresh to God. To apply this— (1.) Are you priests ? (2.) Do you offer sacrifices of prayer and praise to God continually ?
[1.] Are you priests unto God? Are you priests by separation? Hath God called you out from amongst men ? Ps. iv. 3, ' The Lord hath set apart the man that is godly for liimself.' Hath God called you off from sin to holiness, from self to Christ, from the creature to God ? for these are the three things wherein conversion consists. From the creature to God, as our last end; from self to Christ, as the only means to come to God ; and from sin to holiness, as the only way to get an interest in Christ. Are you called off from the common course of living, wherein most men are involved, that you may live and act for God ? Arc you priests by unction ? Are you anointed by the Spirit as to gifts and graces, and fpinlifled and made meet for this holy ministration unto God ? Christ hath purchased gifts in some measure