closed: thus is man restored to the favour and love of God: thus are all typical sacrifices abrogated and annulled k : and thus are men delivered, no less from the love and practice of sin than from the curse and condemnation due to it1. Sin is no more remembered on the part of God, nor any more prac- tised on the part of man.]
Thus far the subject is plain. What remains of our text is more difficult to be understood. But I conceive that the true sense of it will be marked, if we consider it as exhibiting yet farther the way devised for our salvation, and the sending of the Messiah,
II. To complete all that was necessary for its full accomplishment —
Two things were necessary to be effected by him :
1. He was to fulfil for us all that had been pre- dicted—
[There were a great variety of types and prophecies which designated the Messiah's work and character. The first pro- mise, given immediately after the fall, represented him as " the seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head. " In process of time other prophecies declared the family from which he should spring, the time and place of his birth, the minutest circumstances of his life and death, together with his subse- quent exaltation and glory : moreover the whole nature of his undertaking, the various offices he was to sustain, with all the effects of his mission, were exactly delineated. Besides these, there were also many figurative representations instituted of God for the purpose of exhibiting to the world, as in a sha- dow, those things which were afterwards to be realized and substantially effected. Our first parents were clothed by God himself with the skins of beasts, which they had before been directed to offer in sacrifice ; that, in that type, they might see the only true way of atoning for their sin, or covering their shame from the eyes of God. The various ordinances that were appointed under the Mosaic dispensation, the paschal lamb, whose sprinkled blood averted from the Israelites the sword of the destroying angel, while its flesh, eaten with bitter herbs, nourished their bodies ; the daily and annual sacrifices, with all the sprinklings and other ceremonies ; the habits and services of the priests, the form and furniture of the taber- nacle, with many other things, which it would be tedious to
k Dan. ix. 27. • Tit. ii. 14.
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enumerate, declared in ten thousand forms the work and offices of the promised Messiah.
All of these Christ was in the exactest manner to fulfil. Some parts of the inspired volume represented him as God, others as a man, yea, as "a worm and no man;" some as victorious, others as suffering ; some as living for ever, others as dying ; some as the priest, others as the sacrifice ; some as a sanctuary, and others as a stumbling-block : all manner of opposites were to unite in him as lines in their centre, in order that, when he should appear, there should not exist a doubt in any unpre- judiced mind, but that he was the person foretold; and that every thing respecting him had been fore-ordained in the Divine counsels. Accordingly when he came, he shewed himself to be that very Messiah, who, like a seal, engraven with strokes infinitely diversified, corresponded exactly with the impression which had been given of it to the Church two thousand years before. Thus did he " seal up the vision and prophecy," com- pleting it in all its parts, and leaving no further occasion for such methods of instruction.]
2. He was to impart to us all that had been pro- mised—
[" The anointing of the most Holy" is generally thought to import, that Christ himself should receive the Spirit ; but we apprehend that it imports also his communicating of the Spirit to his Church.