I believe to have been inspired of God, the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ1.
The same thing was intimated by the very partial appointment of sacrifices. There were many sins, as adultery and murder, for which no sacrifice was appointed. Indeed, presumptuous sins, of whatever kind they were, if remission was to be obtained by sacrifices, could never be forgiven ; because no sacrifice was appointed for them. Nor, in truth, was any man made perfect as pertaining to the conscience by any of the sacrifices ; because every man had a secret suspicion at least, if not conviction, that the blood of bulls and of goats could never take away sink. Still, however, the great end was answered of directing the eyes of all to the appointed sacrifices, and through them to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great sacrifice, whose blood alone can cleanse from sin, and who is " a propitiation for the sins of the whole world."
Dear Brethren, it was to this better sacrifice that David looked, when, after the commission of adultery and murder, he prayed, " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow1." Let your eyes be directed to the same sacri- fice, even to your Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the Prophet Isaiah says, " He was wounded for our transgressions :" and again, " The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all." This is He whom your forefathers pierced, and nailed to the cross ; and through whom thousands of those who crucified him, found peace with God : and, if you also could now be persuaded to look unto him for salvation, you would immediately experience the effect produced by the brasen serpent in the wilderness, and be healed every one of you. O that you would obey the direction given you in the writings of your own prophets, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." You would no longer continue strangers to peace and joy; (for strangers ye must be to these divine sensations, whilst ye are condemned by the
1 See Heb. x. 1—4. k See Heb. x. 1—4. • Ps. li. 7.