come to God by him p. Now all of these, whether the vessels, or the persons who officiated in the use of them, " were anointed with oilq," to shew, that even Christ himself, "being anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows1," had " the Spirit given to him without measure for the performance of his work s ;" and that no person or service can ever be " accept- able to God," unless it be " sanctified by the Holy Ghost1."]
Let us next turn our attention to,
II. The corresponding work that is now called for at
our hands —
We are now called, every one of us,
1. To realize in our minds the things here sha- dowed forth —
[The wonders of Redemption should occupy our attention every day : but on this day especially should we be coming to God in " that new and living way which Christ has opened for us through the veil." We should go to the Lord Jesus Christ as our sacrifice, and as the altar that sanctifies that sacrifice, and as the priest that offers it. Under all the characters that have been before contemplated concerning him, we should apply to
him "receiving every thing out of his fulness"."
From day to day, as long as the Jewish polity existed, were the various sacrifices and sendees of the Mosaic ritual renewed : and as long as the world shall stand, must we look to Jesus as here shadowed forth, feeding on him as our bread, washing in him as our laver, and living altogether by faith on him1. Would to God that every one of you would this very day begin these services, if you have hitherto been strangers to them ; or prosecute them with redoubled ardour, if you have already entered on this life of faith ! ]
2. To get them spiritually wrought within our own
souls —
[We have said that Christ was mystically shadowed forth in all the services of that day. And this is true. But it is also true that the life of God in our own souls was spiritually represented. Yes, Brethren, " we are temples of the Holy Ghost >';" and " God will come down and dwell in us2;" yea, " Christ will dwell in our hearts by faith a." And in us are "the sacrifices of prayer and praise to be offered to him con- tinually1'." In truth, we ourselves are to be living sacrifices
p Heb. vii. 25. i ver. 9, 13—15. r Ps. xlv. 7.
s John iii. 34. l Rom. xv. 16. u John i. 10.
* Gal. ii. 20. y 1 Cor. vi. 19. z 2 Cor. vi. 16.
a Eph. iii. 17. b Heb. xiii. 15.