1. It purifies the conscience —
[The legal offerings never could remove guilt from the conscience'^: they were mere remembrances of sins^; and the
b Numb. xix. 12. " 'AvWri^Troc. 1 Pet. iii. 21.
^ Heb. ix. 9. « Heb. x. 3, 4.
constant repetition of tliem shewed that those, which had been before offered, had not availed for the full discharge of the persons who offered them^. But the blood of Christ, once sprinkled on the conscience, " perfects for ever them that are sanctified s." No other atonement is then wanted, or desired : the sinner needs only to exercise faith on that, and he will have peace in his soul; " being justified by faith, he shall have peace with God." How strongly does this mark the superiority which we ascribe to the sacrifice of Christ !]
2. It sanctifies the life —
[Though the Jewish ordinances availed for the restoration of men to the enjoyment of outward privileges, they never could renew and sanctify the heart. On the contrary, they rather tended to irritate the minds of men against both the law, and him that enjoined it. But the blood of Christ sprinkled on the soul, instantly produces a visible change in the whole man : *' the dead works" which were daily practised with delight, are now abandoned ; and " the service of the living God," which before appeared irksome, is now its chief joy. It is undeniable that many in every place throughout the world (wherever the Gospel is preached) have undergone a very great change in all their views, desires, and pursuits; they have become dead to the things of time and sense, and have devoted themselves in body, soul, and spirit, to the service of their God. Let the question be put to all of them. When did this change take place ? there will be but one answer from them all : they will with one voice acknowledge, that it was effected by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon their hearts and consciences ; that, till that blessed period, they were altogether carnal; and that from that time, they have been under the habitual influence of spiritual affections. What more can be wanting to establish the point before us ?]
The pre-eminence of Christ above the legal offer- ings will yet further appear, while we shew, III. How it is that the transcendent worth of the one may be inferred from the comparatively trifling value of the other —
The Apostle's argument in the text is this : If the Jewish sacrifices availed for the smallest good, how much more will the sacrifice of Christ avail for the greatest possible good ? The force of this argument will appear by comparing,
1. The nature of the offerings —
f Ileb. X. 2. s Heb. x. 10, 14,
2302.] JEWISH SACRIFICES TYPICAL OF CHRIST's. 295
[The blood that was sprinkled on men under the law, was merely the blood of worthless beasts : but what is that which is sprinkled on us ? Let the voice of inspiration answer this question ; It was " GOD that purchased the Church with his own blood '\" Astonishing mystery! "the blood of Christ" was the blood, not of a mere man, but of one who was God as well as man. How plain is the inference in this view ! Surely, if the blood of a beast, which was only externally " spotless," availed for any thing, much more may the blood of Christ, that immaculate Lamb, avail for every thing.]
2. The persons by whom they were offered —
[Under the law the ofi'erings were presented by sinful men, who needed fii'st to offer for their own sins, before they were permitted to offer for the people's. But our sacrifice was offered by God himself: Christ was both the sacrifice and the priest : yea, each person of the ever-blessed Trinity was en- gaged in this stupendous work: the Father was the person to whom the sacrifice was offei'ed ; Christ was the person who offered it; and " the Eternal Spirit" concurred and co-operated with him in this mysterious act. Let then the offerings be compared in this view, and how infinite will the superiority of Christ's appear !]