further than they looked through those sacrifices to Christ. How then can they derive any benefit from Christ, whom they pertinaciously reject ? Conceive, for a moment, what they who partook of the Jewish altar professed. They professed, that they were sinners, deserving of God's righteous indignation : that they desired reconciliation with their offended God (for " they must bring their offerings loith their own hands^"): they must also " lay their hands upon the head of their sacri- fice," to shew that they transferred their guilt to him^. It was in the due observance of these rites that they became partakers of the altar : and if they had neglected their duty in these respects, they would have derived no benefit from the altar, or from the sacrifices that were offered upon it. Now these are the very things which are to be done by us under the New Testament dispensation. We must view the Lord Jesus Christ as the appointed Sacrifice ; and bring him to the altar, and transfer our sins to his sacred head, and found all our hopes of acceptance on him alone : but this is what a Jew, who is yet resting on the observance of his legal ceremonies, can never do; and, consequently, he can never, whilst con- tinuing in his error, partake of the benefits of the Gospel salvation. Our blessed Lord has declared this in the plainest terms : " If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins."]
Seeing, then, that we Christians exclusively enjoy this high privilege, let us contemplate,
II. The duties arising from it —
In fact, this is the proper foundation of all our duties : for, though it is true that we are bound to serve God as on?' Creator, yet, under the Christian dispensation, we should receive a still higher impulse from all the wonders of redemption : " Being bought with a price, we should glorify God with our bodies and our spirits, which are his'." But, to speak more particularly : have we access to this altar ?
1. Let us live upon that altar — [The priests subsisted altogether on the provisions which were derived from the altar. Now we all, if we believe in Christ, are " kings and priests unto God :" there is no diflPe- rence in this respect betvv^een male and female ; all are " a royal priesthood ;" and all are entitled equally to a full parti- cipation of the Redeemer's sacrifice : " The life which we now
g Lev. vii. 29, 30. '' Lev. iv. 4, 15, 24, 33. ' 1 Cor. vi. 20.
2346.1 THE christian's ALTAR. 527
live in the flesh, we are to live altogether by faith in the Son of God, who has loved us, and given himself for us^." There must be no depending on our works. Whilst living upon Christ, we must " shew forth our faith by our works ;" but our works must proceed from life already received, and by strength derived from Christ. It is from life, and not for life, that all our works must be performed.]
2. Let us present all our offerings upon it — [There was not any thing presented to God, except the
first-fruits', without a memorial of it being burnt upon the altar. The part which was there consumed was God's share; of which he, as it were, partook with the offerer : from whence it is called " the food of the offering made by fire unto the Lord™." Now, whatever we have to offer unto God, our prayers, our praises, our alms", our whole selves", we must lay it upon that altar. Never can it ascend up to God as a sweet savour, unless it be laid upon Christ, and ascend from him inflamed with fire that came down from heaven. " It is the altar that sanctifies our every giftP;" and hence St. Peter gives us this plain direction; " To whom coming," that is, coming to Christ as " the living foundation-stone" of God's spiritual temple, " ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri- fices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ\" O! let us ever remember, that neither our persons nor our services can ever be accepted of God in any other way than this.]