11 The types of the Messiah were not for human use alone. God Himself did as it were c rest’ in the gracious purpose, that His Son should restore all things. Hence, in the midst of awful prophecies of destruction, we abruptly meet with some promise of the Messiah.” u The prophecies and types mutually compose a perfect system of promise ; a system in which the prophecies, from the beginning of Genesis to the close of Malachi, swell in number and particularity, and in which the body of types apart may be regarded as a chamber of imagery.”
u The promises grew more definite and full as time advanced. The manner of prophetic foreshowing in the Old Testament is like a landscape, in which objects in the foreground are distinctly delineated, but in its background you descry long ridges of hills, and beyond them chains of mountains all diminutive, so that many objects appear grouped narrowly together which, in the reality of nature, are widely distant from each other ; so by the prophets things immediate are described clearly and definitely, but those far distant in futurity are adumbrated briefly and in perspective masses.” u Much has been said about the word satisfaction not occurring in Scripture, relative to Christ’s atonement. But in the 40th Psalm, Messiah testifies what surely can mean nothing less, i In sacrifice and offering for sin Thou hast had no pleasure : then said I, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God.’”
“ We derive from the death of Christ not only deliverance from the guilt of sin, but also a communication of new vital powers; which evince their efficacy by good works. The former is called justifica- tion by His” blood : the latter is obtained by those who eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood (John vi.). Hereby all believers be- come most intimately one with Him. The life-blood shed at His death as a satisfaction for sin, was spiritually carried by Him into the Holy of Holies at His Ascension ; that it might warrant and impart cleansing and perfection to every true believer’s conscience, and that such might enjoy the application of these benefits, especi- ally in the Eucharist” (See Gnomon on Heb. xii.).
u In the parable of the ten virgins, the fire of the lamps represents the light, warmth, and purification which we passively receive of the Spirit of God ; but the oil is what must be obtained by diligent prayer, and in faithful obedience, in the way of nourishing and in- creasing this light, warmth, and purification : 2 Pet. i. 3, 4 corre- sponds to the fire of the lamps ; and verses 5, 6 express what the recipient of that preventing grace is expected to add to it.”
u As from every point in the circumference of a circle we may imagine straight lines converging to the centre, not one of which is exactly coincident with another, so is each individual drawn towards God in communion, by a way more or less peculiar to that individual.” “ Sin, as plaintiff, is defeated by the advocacy of Christ ; but this hinders not its continuing to act against us as defendant.” u Our
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