THE christian's ALTAR.
Heb. xiii. 10. JVe have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
CHRISTIANITY itself is simple ; comprising two points, our fall in Adam, and our recovery by Christ. Yet it admits of an endless diversity of statement and illustration. The Mosaic institutions especially, which were intended to shadow forth the Gospel, supply an inexhaustible fund of observation for the elucidation of it. The Jews gloried in their law, and were with great difficulty brought to renounce their rehance on it for salvation. But from the law itself we borrow those very illustrations which place in the
2346.] THE christian's ALTAR. 525
strongest possible view the superiority of the Gospel. Their altar, for instance, was their great medium of access to, and of communion with the Deity. But the Apostle, guarding them against an undue respect to outward observances, tells them, that re^e, we Chris- tians, have an altar far superior to theirs ; " an altar, of which those who serve the tabernacle, have no right to eat."
From these words, I shall take occasion to shew, 1. The pre-eminence which we, under the Gospel dispensation, enjoy —
[The Jews had two altars ; the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering. It is of this latter alone that we shall have any occasion to speak at this time. On this altar they offered all their sacrifices ; certain portions of which were consumed upon the altar, and the remainder was left for the subsistence of the priests^: on which account " they had no inheritance in Israel, seeing that the Lord was their inheri- tance^." On some occasions, particularly that of the peace- offering, the offerers themselves also partook, and had by far the larger share''. But, when any sacrifice, the blood of which was carried within the vail, was offered, no one was suffered to eat of that : it was wholly burnt without the camp, whilst the tabernacle was standing ; and without the city, when the temple was builf^: and, in order to fulfil this type, our blessed Lord, who offered himself a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, suffered without the gates of Jerusalem^. Now, his blood was carried within the vail ; he himself, as our High- priest, bearing it thither for us^. Yet of his sacrifice may we all partake, provided we truly believe in him : but to those who yet serve the tabernacle, is all participation of this altar proscribed: the altar and the provision derived from it are the exclusive portion of those who believe in Christ.
Now then the question arises, " Why cannot those who serve the tabernacle, partake of this altar?" The answer is plain : they are conversant only with shadows, now that the substance is come; and by adhering to their ritual obser- vances, prove to demonstration, that they do not believe in Him, who, by the sacrifice of himself, has fulfilled and abro- gated them all. Even under the Jewish dispensation, the offerers derived no spiritual benefit from their sacrifices, any
a Numb, xviii. 8—19. 1 Cor. ix. 13. ^ Numb, xviii. 20, 21. <= Lev. vii. 11—21. d Lev. vi. 30. and xvi. 27.
e ver. 11,12. f Heb. ix. 11, 12.