the whole family of man, and is made effective to each individual by bis "belief" "in tbo Word of truth," and his being "sealed" in baptism" with the Holy Spirit of promise" {Eph. i. 13). The spiritual bathing, and clothing in white garments, which are now the privileges of every Christian, derive their sacramental force solely from the Sacrifice of the cross. 2. Ohrise has opl!Tled for us tM way to heaven. Christ is not only the antitype of the sin offering made for the congregation, but also of the high priest who sacrificed the offering ; for he, the Priest, offered himself, the Victim, 'l'he holy of holies, wherein the presence of God exhibited itself, was the type of heaven. Into this place " went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people : the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (Heb. i.x. 7, 8). Alone, the high priest entered beyond the mysterious vail, and no one might be present, even in the outer chamber of the tabernacle, at the time of his entrance, nor while he was fulfilling his functions before the ark. He could not take any one with him. Not even after the atonement had been made, could those who had been reconciled, whether priests or people, enter there. The vail was drawn again, and all was shrouded in silence and mystery as before. But" Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb. i.x. 24). At his ascension he entered heaven, and (unlike the high priest) there he remained at the right hand of God (Heb. L 13),Jiaving received gifts for men from his Father, and having bestowed them upon his Church by the operation of his Spirit (Eph. iv. 8-11). And not only so, but he opened the way to all bis followers. He was the mystical Head, and where the Head was, there the Body would be likewise. By his death he purchased for man an entrance into the presence of God, and an eternal continuance before the throne. "Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he bath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full ~ssurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. x. 19-22). 3. Ghrist has borne, and borne away, our nn,. "Surely he bath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows : yet we !did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chas- tisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to bis own way; and the Lord bath laid on him tho iniquity of us all" (Isa. !iii. 4-6). " Christ was once offered to beo.r the sine of many" (Heb. ix. 28), " Who his own self be.re our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet. ii. 24 ), Christ, by bis sacrifice, not only earns for us forgiveness of sin, but also gives us a consciousness of their forgiveness. Those who, in self-abasement and self-abandonment, have thrown themselves at the foot of the cross, have arisen assured of the pardon of their sins, as though they had seen and felt the burden of them taken off from their necks, and carried step by step into a land cut off, from whence no return for them is possible. IC there are any who feel overcome by the weight of their sins, they are taught here that, if they cannot bear them, there is One who can bear them, and that, though they cannot free themselves from them, yet they can be freed. " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the ■in of the world I" (John i. 29). IV. W ABNINO, Washed, robed, reconciled, and delivered from sin, and from the consciousness of sin,-whe.t more could have been done for us that God has not done? What return are we to make? We are to live as children of God. "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he_ is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works" (Heb. x. 23, 24). Further warning, The danger of falling away after having been forgiven and admitted to the privileges of sonship. "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there reme.ineth no more sacrifice for sins, but e. certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries " Heb. x, 26, 27). One unclean spirit may be exchanged for seven (Matt. xiii. 43-45). THE DOOK OF LEVITICUS. [ea. XVI. 1-34.
"See that ye refuse not him that epeaketh .••. For our God is a consuming fire " (Heh. xii. 25, 29). Vars. 29--34.-Tke annual reiteratioo of the 11urification made on tlie Day of .Atmiement testifies to the imperfections of the Law. "For the Law can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers there- unto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered?" (Heh. L 1, 2). Had they done their work perfectly, a repetition of them would not havo been required, "because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins" (Heh. x. 2). There was a triple imperfection-in the priest, in the victim, in the effect of the sacrifices. The Levitical priesthood was formed of sinful men, as was testified by the sin offering which the high priest bad first to offer for himself before he could offer one for the people: here there was no perfect mediator. The victims were a bullock and a goat; but "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Heb. x. 4): here there was no perfect sacrifice. The atonement had to be repeated annually: here there was no pei;fect result from the offering made. By its very imperfection the Law points forward to and awakens the desire for a better covenant, with a priest after the order of Melchisedec, "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heh. vii. 26), with a sacrifice which could sanctify (Heb. x. 10), and which is and can be only "once offered," because it is "a full, perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satisfaction for the sine of the whole world" (Service for Holy Communion).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS.