they a temple, an altar, a high-priest, a sacrifice, a sanctuary ? These are all contained in Christ, who is the one great sacrifice for sin, the priest that offers it, the altar on which it is pre- sented, the sanctuary " in which dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," and in which it comes up with accept- ance before God. There is not any single ordinance, or even a vessel in the sanctuary, which was not intended to shadow him forth, and with which he does not, in some respect or other, correspond : so perfectly did Moses execute the divine command, " in making every thing according to the pattern shewn to him in the mount." This being discovered to the Jews by the clear light of the Gospel, they will see " an abundance of truth;" such as we, who are little conversant with the law, have scarcely any conception of. And from the fulness of Christ, so richly displayed before them, they will have " a peace which passeth all understanding," yea, such " an abundance of peace," that it will " flow down like a river." All that can disturb their minds shall be put far from them by the discovery of Christ. Are they oppressed with guilt, and apprehensive of punishment ? They shall see that he has by the one offering of himself upon the cross, made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for sin, and completely reconciled them to their offended God. Do they feel their need of a perfect righteousness wherein to stand before God ? They shall see that he has wrought out a righteousness for them by his own obedience unto death ; and that " that righteousness shall be unto all, and upon all, who believe in him." In a word, they shall see in him an accomplishment of what the prophet Daniel has foretold: " He shall finish transgression, and make an end of sin, and make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in for his believing people everlasting righteousness0." And, in the view of these things, they shall " rejoice in him with joy un- speakable, and full of glory."]
2. A manifestation of his favour —
[God promises in my text, and again in ver. 11, "to build them as at the first." This necessarily carries us back to the time when he redeemed them out of Egypt, and " brought them forth with a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm." Let us call to mind all the wonders that were then wrought in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the Wilderness ; let us remember how God went before them in the pillar and the cloud ; how he fed them with manna from heaven, and with water from the flinty rock ; how he appeared to them on Mount Sinai, and gave to them his law ; how he protected them from every enemy, and brought them in safety to the promised land; how he subdued before them seven nations,
c Dan. ix. 24.