3. Let us invite the whole world to a participation ofit—
[There is no bar to our admission to it, but unbelief. The very murderers of our Lord were invited to accept the benefits of our Lord's sacrifice. It matters not whether we have been Jews or Gentiles ; if only we come to Christ, we shall find acceptance through him: for he has told us that " none shall ever be cast out who come unto God by him." Let us proclaim this to the very ends of the earth, that " from the rising of the sun, even to the going down of the same, God's name may be great among the Gentiles ; that in every place incense may be offered to him, and a pure offering^ \' and that " all flesh may see the salvation of God*."]
Let me now address a few words,
1. To those who place an undue rehance on these advantasfes —
o
k Gal. ii. 20. i Lev. ii, 12. ^ Lev. iii. 11.
n ver. 15, 16. ° Rom. xii. 1. P Matt, xxiii. 19.
1 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. ^ Mai. i. 11. ^ Luke iii. G.
[Many imagine, that because " they have access to God through Christ*," they shall, of necessity, find acceptance with God. But there must be a suitableness in the sacrifices which we offer to him. What if men had offered to God " the torn, the lame, the sick ; would God have accepted it at their hands"?" No: nor will he accept us, if we do not offer to him such sacrifices as he demands: they must be "holy, if we would have them acceptable '^." There must be in us a penitent and contrite spirit^: and if this be wanting, our every sacrifice will be abhorred : " He that killeth an ox, will be as if he slew a man ; and he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck ; and he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood ^." Let us then examine well our motives, our principles, our manner of drawing nigh to God ; that He who searcheth the heart, and to whom the inmost recesses of it are " open^," may approve of us as " Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile."]
2. To those who are endeavouring to improve them aright —
[I have said that your offerings must be holy. But be ye not therefore discouraged; as though you, on account of your imperfections, could never find acceptance with God : for *' God knows whereof you are made, and remembers that you are but dust:" and, as under the law, if a man were poor, and unable to bring a lamb for a trespass-offering, God permitted him to bring two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, " such as he could get" (repeating it no less than four times, that he might bring such as he could get'';) yea, if for a free-will offering he condescended to accept even " leavened bread'^," and a muti- lated beast ^, say, who amongst you needs to be discouraged? Nay, I will even ask, who amongst you has sincerely, however imperfectly, offered himself up to God, and not found some token of his acceptance, and some manifestations of his love, in his own soul? Doubtless, as the Levites, when dedicating themselves to the Lord, were Jirst sprinkled with the water of purifying, and then shaved their flesh, and washed their clothes, and then offered their sacrifice*^; so should you, as far as possible, put off the old man, and put on the new, whilst you are coming to Christ for pardon and acceptance : but, for real efficiency in holiness, this mode must be reversed : you must
' Eph. iii. 18. " Mai. i. 13, 14. '^ Rom. xii. 1.
y Ps. li. 17. == Isai. Ixvi. 2, 3.
a Heb. iv. 13. r£rpax»?Xi(7/u£va. The sacrifices were not only flayed, but cut down the back-bone, to be inspected.