darkness, but now are_ ye light in the Lord;" that is ~he candlestick. "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye," etc.; that 1s the shewbread, II. THE CHRISTIAN LESSONS IN THE SYMBOLISM, 1. That the Church is the dwellinr place of God. The symbolism is abolished; what is left? The Christian Church the spiritual temple, which is to be in the world what the tabernacle was in Israel. ' As once God dwelt in a consecrated temple, now he dwells in con~ecrated lives • no more ."'.orsh~pped by sacred forms, but by d~vout hearts. Symbolism has given place to spmtuahty. 2. That the true Church IS that which embodies the teaching of the holy and most holy places. Or, in other words, the true <Jhristian. You believe in what is done for you within the veil, the Godward aspect of Christian life ; but to that do you add the m:mward-worship, service, consecration? 3. That tlie tt:ay into the Church is symbolized i11, the types of the old sanctuary. Between the entrance to the tabernacle and the gat,e of the court, stood the brazen altar on which the sacrifices were offered, and the brazen !aver. No entrance to the Church but by Christ's work and the Spirit's-the atoning blood and the !aver of regeneration.-C. N.
Vers. 6-10.-7'ie symboUsm of the Jewish sacrifires. Only a partial reference, but enou~h to call np to the Hebrew mind the round of sacred offerings prescribed in Leviticus. I. PRELIMINARY INQUIRIES AS TO SACRIFICE m GENERAL. 1. Wnat was the origin o/ the sacrificia.l act P Did it originate with man or God? In favour of the former, there is the fact that it is not recorded that the first sacrifice was the result of a Divine call. But against this, we are told that the first recorded sacrifice was offered "by faith " (Heb. xi. 4), and faith implies a Divine revelation-" faith cometh by hearing, and hearing," etc. The Divine origin of the act is, therefore, implied. Moreover, the act of religious sacrifice is practically uni versa!. Does not that imply a ptinciple wrought into human nature by its Creator, especially when it is remembered that the act is one repugnant to human feeling? But. more than all, God's covenant with men is based on sacrifice, and it is surely incredible that Jehovah adopted for so supreme an end what man had :first suggested. 2. What was the meaning the Jew attached to sacrificial rites , Whatever shades of meaning attached to different offerings, and however much or little spiritual significance to any of them, it must, at least, have been impressed on the Hebrew mind with great clearness that "without the shedding of blood there wal!I no remission of sins," that God's people only remained in covenant with him through the efficacy of a substitutionary victim. That was the basis of the Jewish system, and was before the people in various forms every day, and could hardly be missed. How far the average few regarded these as types of a perfect sacrifice to be made hereafter, or how far he trusted in them, cannot be said; but at least the pious amongst them understood that unless the physical act had a spiritual antitype it was unacceptable (Ps. xl. 6-8; L 7-15; Isa. i. 11-15; liii.; Jer. vii. 21-23; Hos. vi. 6; Micah vi. 7-8). 3. What are the particular truths symbolized in the various sacrifices P The offerings (except those which applied to special and personal matters) were of five kinds- llin, trespass, burnt, meat, and peace offerings. It must be remembered that these were the offerings of those living under the privileges of the Day of Atonement; in othe~ words, of a people already in covenant with Jehovah. The Day of Atonement was the one day on which expiation was made for all sin, and Jehovah showed himself still twfit &od. That day was unique, and was to the nation what that day is to the believer when, on his :first faith in Christ, he is admitted int,o God's family. By the services of that day the people stood justified before God, in covenant relation with him. No doubt the sum of the :five offerings is the Lord Jesus. He is essentially the Sacrifice in whom all these typical sacrifices are gathered up, and they are so many different aspects of his work. But beside this, and growing out of it, they have reference to different aspect~ of the worshipper's position. On the Day of .Atonement the sacrifices were offered for the people. 'I'he high priest did it all ; but in these other offerings the people appear 11.s actors, and there is a sense in which these were not made/or them, but by them. The penitent sinner bas only to receive; that is the Day of Atonement. The redeemed saint ha.s to give; that is represented by these five offerings. The sacrifices, t11,1mffRe, bet forth different aspects of Christ's work, revealing different aapects of the aaird's position. OIL IX, 1-28,] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 263