fuUij revealed ; and, lastly, tliat a neiv way of access to God was now opened for all people.
Christ speaks of his own body as being typified by the temple'*: and well he might do so, since " in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." But as opening a way for our admission to the Divine presence, it was more parti- cularly typified by the veil; the rending of which marked the violent nature of his death, and the blessed eifects resulting from it. This is declared by an inspired Apostle, who, speaking of our having " a way consecrated for us through the veil" adds, " that is to say, hisjiesh." And this accords with innumerable assertions of Holy Writ, which declare that " Christ hath made peace for us by the blood of his cross," and that, whereas we were once " alienated from God, and enemies to him in our minds by wicked works, he hath now reconciled us to him in the body of his flesh throngh death^.''
Moreover, the m^'stical intent of all the types and figures was now exhibited in the clearest view. As the veil on the face of Moses intimated, that the Jews could not discern the end and reason of the ceremonial law, and " the taking away of that veil in Christ" enables us to *' behold, as in a glass or mirror, the glory of the Lord ;" so the rending of the veil shews us, that all the ends of the ceremonial law were fulfilled in Christ, and that to us is given the substance of what the Jewish Church possessed only in types and shadows. If we do not now comprehend the glorious designs of God in the work of Redemption, it is not because he has interposed a veil to hide them from us, but because we have a veil upon our own hearts, which we have not desired him to take away. It must be our fault, I say, and not his ; for from that hour in which Christ died upon the cross, and especially from that hour when the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, to reveal him unto men, " the face of the covering that had been cast over all people was destroyed, and the veil that had been spread over all nations was taken away ^."
But that which was most fully and most immediately in- tended by the rending of the veil, was, to open for all people a free and personal access to God, that so they might obtain all his blessings for themselves, without the intervention of carnal sacrifices, and an earthly priesthood. To shew to men that no such access was allowed them under the law, was the use and intent of the veil^; and to make that way open both to Jews and Gentiles, was the design of God in rending the veil*^. This further appears from the time when the veil was
<* John ii. 19, 21. ^ Col. i. 20—22. <" Isai. xxv. 7, 8.
e Heb. ix. 7, 8. " The Holy Ghost this signifying, &c." ^ Heb. X. 19, 20. \\ith Eph. iii. 18.
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rent : for it was at the time of the evening sacrifice, when the priests were in the holy place, trimming the sacred lamps, and offering incense before the Lord. They, of course, must have beheld the interior of the sanctuary ; and therefore had in themselves an evidence, that God had opened for them a new way of access unto his throne. This is called " a neio and a living way ;" netv, because it never was revealed before ; and living, because it would secure eternal life to all who should come in it ; whereas, if even the high-priest himself had pre- sumed to enter through the veil on any other than the day of atonement, or in any other manner than that prescribed by the law, he would have been struck dead upon the spot, or have been put to death as a presumptuous transgressor : but now every person in the universe may come to God, and find acceptance with him at his mercy-seat: if only he take the blood of his great Sacrifice, and bring it by faith to the throne of God, he shall find that there no longer exists any difference between *' Jew and Greek, bond and free, male and female, but that we are all one in Christ Jesus'."]