OF

Holy Son of God

PRIESTHOOD OF THE SON OF GOD.

TO ALL who feel in their hearts that they have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," who reverently confess their righteous accountability to him, yet feel that they have no self-righteousness to plead, but cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," this tribute of praise to the Man of the cross, who "came into the world to save sinners," is earnestly commended, as directing their faith and hope to their Crowned King of Glory, "Jesus Christ the Righteous," the successful Advocate with the Father, by their equally dependent friend and servant in the Gospel of Christ.

THE AUTHOR.

"JESUS THE CHRIST" is as well the High Priest of all the true worshippers of the true and living God as he is their Prophet and King, and his priesthood is absolutely essential to his success in his prophetic and kingly offices. As their Prophet, he must open their blind eyes, turn them from darkness to light, and make them wise unto salvation; and as their King, he shall reign over them in righteousness; but he does both only because he has made reconciliation for their sins, and thus brings them nigh unto God as the holy people. And so God has said to his holy Son, "As for thee also, by the blood of the covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water." Zech. IX. 11. The blood of his covenant belongs to his priestly office; therefore without the shedding of his precious blood their sins could not have been remitted, but his prisoners must have remained in the prison-house, the pit of iniquity, and perished in their sins, as guilty, and separated from God and holiness. So the streams of mercy, the wells of salvation, and the river of life flow out from the smitten Rock, "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus," to all who worship God the Father in spirit and in truth.

Thus may be seen the great and vital necessity of the abiding priesthood of the holy Son of God, and the deep importance to us of a true understanding of it, as the Holy Spirit has revealed it in the Scriptures, which are able to make the spiritual and true worshippers wise unto salvation. This Divinely-given and gracious knowledge is essential to our abiding comfort and peace, and to the establishment of our hearts in the full assurance of faith and hope in Jesus, who is our salvation.

In view of all this my mind has been long exercised about the sacred work of writing upon this heavenly and sublime theme, as a work of faith and labor of love, if our Divine Prophet will graciously open my understanding in the Scriptures, and give me a commandment to write "the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ;" for without this preparation and unction from the Holy One the attempt must be futile, but with it the labor will be made a blessing to the household of God, and to all who may read it who feel too sinful to draw near unto him, and know not how to order their cause before him, yet desire to find favor and acceptance with him.

To me it has been a surprise or wonder that the priesthood of Christ has been so little dwelt upon by the able ministers of the New Testament, either in preaching or writing; for in my extended ministry of forty-five years, having heard thousands of sermons, very many of them good gospel sermons, yet in none of them was there more than an incidental allusion to our Lord's priesthood; neither has it been my privilege to read but little upon it from the pens of our ready writers, with the exception of an able editorial by our beloved Elder Gilbert Beebe, which was recently republished in "The Signs of the Times." My spirit has yearned for a more perfect understanding of this glorious mystery of the acceptance with God of a sinful people as spotless and holy. For this underlies the entire work of salvation, and without it no sinful being could be sanctified unto the acceptable service of the blessed and Holy Father, nor worship him in the beauty of holiness; for without holiness no one shall see the Lord.

It will not be regarded, therefore, as either needless or presumptuous that now at last, though late in life, my seeking spirit is led to enter into an investigation of the eternal priesthood of the beloved and holy Son of God. Yet it is with profound reverence, fear and trembling that I approach upon this holy ground, and write of those things "which the angels desire to look into." For the subject includes the fearful temptation in the wilderness, the infinite suffering in the garden, and the awful scene on Calvary. It leads us down to the mournful sepulcher, where they laid the crucified Son of man, "a man of sorrows, "thence up the peaceful Olivet, where stood the Living Son of God! and still up and away into the glory of "the world to come," the blissful realm of immorality, the eternal home of the Father Almighty, who is Love. 0 how may one so low rise to a theme so lofty and divine?

It is cause for abounding gratitude to God that, though the priesthood of Christ has not received very special attention from the ministry of our own time, yet in the book of remembrance that was written before the Lord for them that fear him, and that think upon his name, he has given us the Hebrew epistle, which is largely devoted to the wonderful priesthood of our great High Priest, in contrast with the typical Levitical priesthood of Aaron, who stood at the head of that priesthood as the first high priest. Therefore, in entering upon this solemnly wonderful part of revealed truth, it will be in order to first briefly consider the priesthood of Aaron under the old covenant, the dispensation of the law given upon Sinai, before specially dwelling upon the priesthood of Christ under the new and better testament, established upon Sion the mountain of God's holiness, and upon better promises. God himself has in his infinite wisdom and purpose given to his people the dispensation of the law and its ministration first, to convince us of the absolute necessity of a better and perfect way, and to prepare us for it, unto the end that we may offer unto him an offering in righteousness by faith in Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant.

May the Spirit of revelation and truth guide both the writer and reader in this humble effort to look into the everlasting priesthood of our Lord.

THE NECESSITY OF A PRIESTHOOD.

MAN, sinful and guilty, could not make an acceptable offering for his sins, neither free himself from his guilt; for he had broken the righteous law of his infinitely holy Sovereign, and only a perfect offering and holy service could fulfill the divine law. It is righteous, and hence it requires righteousness from all the children of men. " Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled," is the word of the King who reigns in righteousness, and who came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them. It is impossible, therefore, for the sinful world to meet and satisfy the outraged law of God, and approach unto him in holiness; yet in no other way can any one come to him and be accepted with him.

This solemn truth was shown by all the sacrifices and offerings under the Levitical dispensation and divine priesthood of Aaron; for all those sacrifices were required to be faultless or without blemish, or else they were rejected. Both the priests and the worshipping people were likewise required to be ceremonially sanctified and holy in all their service and worship, or God would not accept them. All this rigid ceremonial purity enforces the awful fact that sin separates all sinful beings from the presence and worship of God, who is HOLINESS itself; therefore all who enter into his presence must also be holy and without blemish. So, when the high priest of Israel went into the presence of the Lord in the Holy of holies, he was not only sanctified and clothed with the holy vestments, but upon his miter or crown he wore a plate of pure gold engraved with "HOLINESS TO THE LORD," that the people of that priesthood might be accepted before their holy God. It was only as thus ceremonially purified from their sins, by a divine atonement and consecration, that the children of Israel, the people of that priestly covenant, were accepted in their divine service and worship.

From all this we learn the absolute necessity on the part of the children of men-, who would come and worship before the Lord, of a mediator between God and men; and he who mediates must be able to put away their sins, purify and make them holy, and thus make them nigh unto God. All this he must do for them by himself, by his own holiness and power; thus making a sinful people a holy priesthood, washed and sanctified and justified in the sight of God; that they may come and worship the Father in spirit and in truth, and in righteousness make their offerings of peace and praise unto him. For both nature and revelation prove, that the bitter fountain cannot make itself sweet, nor the guilty soul make itself righteous. "The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." Ps. I. 5. To Moses, upon the terrible Sinai, the Most High said that he would by no means clear the guilty. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Gal. 111.10. No son of Adam has ever thus continued in righteous obedience, but "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," is the divine testimony of the word. The holy law is the ministration of justice, without mercy; but there is no hope for sinners, only according to the rich mercy of God.

Cain, the first-born of Adam, labored to make an acceptable offering unto God for himself, but sin laid at his door, and he and his offering were justly rejected. So it is with all the offerings that men can make for their sins, or the sins of others. The defect, however, is not in the law of God, but in sinful man, whose unholy sacrifice and selfish service cannot fulfill the righteous law nor please the Holy One.

To the Hebrew people God gave excellent laws, sacred oracles, a priesthood, and sacrifices; but none of these could take away their sins, nor make the worshippers perfect. The Holy One said he had no pleasure in them. All was a woeful failure! All flesh had become corrupt. Man had sinned, hence he was driven out from the presence of the Lord, and Eden was lost to him. "Death reigned from Adam to Moses," and from Moses to Jesus, and the grave boasted of the victory. The religious history of the first four thousand years is God's great object-lesson, as a wonderful panorama, standing out so plain that he may run that readeth it;" and the lesson is: "By man came death." Hence, sin and death run through all his offerings and works, and they are "dead works." 'There is none righteous; no, not one," of all the children of the first man.

How vain, then, are all the expectations and boastings of men, who think to find acceptance with God and obtain his favor and blessing by what they do! This was the fatal error of the Pharisees, a very zealous religious people, the people of God in the old covenant; but they trusted in themselves, depended upon their services and works, and went about to establish their own righteousness. Multiplied thousands are doing the same now. From all these things we must be separated and turned away. For the prophet of God said to his people: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. LXIV. 6.

Therefore, of all the sons of Eve, the mother of all the children of men, there is only One Righteous Man, and there is no other righteousness save his; and so no man can come unto God, and receive his salvation and blessing, only in this Divine Man and his righteousness. Every spiritual and heavenly blessing is in him, and of his fullness must all we receive, and grace for grace. In him only are we accepted as righteous before God, and for his sake alone are we saved and blessed, both now and forever.

Now, all this presentation of the children of men in their sinful separation and guilty alienation from God, and their utter unrighteousness and hopeless insufficiency, prepares us to see and realize the necessity of the bringing in of a better testament, and a far more perfect priesthood, by which we may draw nigh unto God and be accepted with him.

THE first testament had its priesthood; Levi and his sons, one of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel, were set apart to that sacred office, that they should minister about the sanctuary of the Lord for all the people of the covenant, who were their brethren. For the people themselves could not approach unto God in the holy sanctuary, only by their consecrated priests, who represented them and presented their offerings unto the Lord. Those offerings were made for their sins; and the officiating priests were ordained and sanctified of God unto that divine ministry, to stand between him and his people, their brethren. This was therefore known as the Levitical priesthood, in which all the twelve tribes of Israel were equally represented and interested, for they were brethren; therefore all the people of that covenant belonged to that priesthood as a family and kingdom of priests, and as such they were united in the divine worship of the Lord God. They could not otherwise approach unto him in worship; but thus coming by their consecrated priests, their sins being atoned for and themselves ceremonially purified, God accepted them in worship.

Moreover, of the family of Levi, Aaron was called of God and made the high priest of all that priestly people, and his sons after him, to enter alone once every year beyond the second veil into the most holy place of the sanctuary, to make an atonement for all the sins of all the people, his brethren, and then to make intercession for them; for the Lord came down between the cherubim upon the mercy-seat, accepted the atoning blood, heard the intercession, and blessed all the supplicating people who worshipped in the court of Israel without. He saw all their names upon the sacred robe of their high priest, engraved in the twelve precious stones; for they were a people dear to him, and he viewed them in the sacred person and offering of their atoning high priest, and heard, accepted and blessed them in and with him. Thus, as the Lord's covenant people, and for the sake of the atonement which he appointed for them, he accepted and blessed them. No other people on earth were so highly favored and blessed of God, as the Scriptures show. For Abraham alone, the Hebrew, with his sons Isaac and Jacob and the children of Jacob or Israel, did the Lord choose and call out from the nations that they should be a peculiar people unto himself, the children of his covenant, a family of priests, to offer sacrifices unto him, his redeemed and sanctified people. With the one wonderful exception of Melchisedec, this family of Abraham, "the friend of God," was the then only great priesthood unto the Most High, to worship him acceptably as he had ordained; for all other peoples were ignorant of the right worship of the true God, but they offered sacrifices to idols, and worshipped the works of their own hands, for he gave them up to their own evil ways.

A rapid review of this kingdom of priests-from the time Abraham was a stranger in the land of promise, with Isaac and Jacob, until Joseph was sent down into Egypt, followed by all his father's house, and Moses. led them out to Sinai, where the law was given, the tabernacle set up, Aaron and his sons consecrated, the solemn worship of the Almighty God established, and the Lord came down between the cherubim and his glory filled the tabernacle-will overwhelm the understanding beholder with awe and wonder, and he will feel his spirit bow low in reverence and worship. Moses, after reviewing all the way the Lord had led his redeemed people out of Egypt to the borders of the good land which he gave them, said: "There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, 0 Israel: who is like unto thee, 0 people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places." Deut. XXXIII. 26-29.

All this was typical of '`better things to come," and pointed the true children of Abraham away to "a better testament," a far more enduring and glorious priesthood, in which the worshippers are verily all righteous, and are called, "The holy people, the redeemed of the Lord." Of all this worship under the first testament, says Paul: "Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school-master." Gal. III. 24, 25. And Paul therefore says: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Rom. VI. 14.

For, let it be remembered, those sacrifices which were offered by the law, throughout the Levitical priesthood, could never make the worshippers perfect, nor take away their sins; but they must be repeated daily, and from year to year, in which there was a continual remembrance of their sins. This solemn fact is clearly presented in the epistle to the Hebrews, wherein we have a vivid comparison between the priesthood of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament, and a strong contrast between the old covenant of legal works and the new covenant of gospel grace, showing the infinite superiority and diviner glory of JESUS the Son of God over Moses the servant of God. Yet some of the Hebrew believers were zealous for the commandments of Moses, while they professed to believe also in Jesus; therefore they sought to mix the works of the law with the grace of the gospel. For they were Israelites, the people of the first covenant, the worshippers under the ceremonious priesthood of the showy temple, all of which had a show of great sanctity, and they were attracted and charmed by all this. It is much the same yet among all superficial worshippers under the priesthood of Catholicism, and the ministry of Protestantism, who make a pompous show of much sanctity and zeal.

Indeed, so tenacious and zealous were the priesthood and people of the old covenant for its shadowy forms and typical sacrifices that they desired nothing better, but would have perpetuated it, and never have given it up for the new and better testament. For, failing to look beyond and above it, because of their legal blindness, they depended on and trusted in the works of that covenant, more than in God, who gave them the covenant with all its provisions and blessings; and so "they worshipped and served the creature, more than the Creator." Thus did they pervert those divine ordinances, which God gave them as "shadows of good things to come," and made an idolatrous use of them, by trusting in them, rather than looking through them to the Redeemer that should come and make the one perfect sacrifice for sins forever, and turn away ungodliness from his people. It seems strange that the people of God, all along down the ages, have shown a proneness to thus corrupt his divine ordinances and service, by looking to and depending on the gifts more than the Giver; thus making their salvation from their sins, whether of commission or omission, conditional upon what they do in the way of serving God, instead of attributing all their devotional service, with every salvation and blessing, to his special qualification, mercy and grace. This fact not only shows the prevailing legal tendency of the human mind, which all are reluctant to give up, but also our selfish ingratitude toward the Father of all our mercies and blessings. Surely, we all need "a merciful and faithful High Priest" to atone and intercede for the selfish imperfections of our best efforts to serve our God; and it is well for us that he "is rich in mercy," and is merciful to our unrighteousness, or we should receive no blessing from him.

This legal blindness and selfish pride was so strong and active in the priesthood of the old covenant, that it culminated in their rejecting, seizing and crucifying the Lord of life and glory, the harmless and holy High Priest of the new and everlasting covenant. How fearful! As though this were not woe enough against them, . their false zeal hurled them on to madly seek to defeat his priesthood and destroy his kingdom; first, by preventing his rising from the dead, which their own prophets and himself had said he should do; next, by persecuting and killing his ministers. Thus did they fearfully prove in themselves the utter weakness and failure of a conditional covenant of divine service and worship, which depended upon the faithfulness and works of the people themselves, to their own just condemnation and terrible overthrow. And thus did the just God and Savior make it fearfully manifest by them, that there is no perfection by a covenant of works, nor justification by the deeds of the law, as performed by the people who are under it. So the wrath came upon that priesthood and people to the uttermost, and they went out in awful failure and darkness, as a divine warning to all worshipping peoples not to trust in themselves or rely on their works. The same hand-writing of God is written upon the wall of Time all along the succeeding ages, as plainly manifested by every religious establishment among men ; and it is the voice of the Almighty, saying: "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." Jer. XVII. 5.

This is sadly a dark history and painful religious experience, and it fills the world with woe and the heart with mourning; yet God saw that it was necessary, and so ordained it; for in no other way will the children of men be convinced that there is no help in man, and be taught to "trust in the Lord," in whom alone is righteousness, salvation and life, favor and blessing. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Jer. XVII. 7. It is sad that all those whose entire trust and hope are in the Lord have ever been misunderstood, reproached and opposed by those who trust in man, and depend upon the outward obedience to the forms and ceremonies of religious service, looking more to the letter than to the spirit of the worship; but this has ever been so, as seen in Abel and Cain, the publican and Pharisee, Mary and Simon, the younger and elder sons.

Men either forget, or do not know, that "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;" that "Blessed are the poor in spirit;" that "God hath respect unto the lowly;" that "the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life."

But in the infinite wisdom of God, who is holy in all his ways, and who knew what is in man, he purposed all this experience of trial and suffering as needful to bring the true worshippers "to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant," and to make them "the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Therefore Paul wrote to the brethren in Christ, ''That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto."

"The law and the prophets were until John," the forerunner of Jesus; then they ceased, God having accomplished his purpose in them. All the Scriptures of holy men of old, from Noah to Malichi, testified of Jesus the Messiah; and every bleeding sacrifice and sin-offering, from Abel's offering by faith until the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Zacharias the priest in the temple, typically testified of and pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, as so many prophesies and promises that he should come to his temple at the time appointed of the Father, in the end of the law and all its ministrations, which could never take away sins, when all things were ready, as the Messenger of the covenant," and should '"purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness," as testified by the last prophet under the first testament.

"Darkness covered the earth, and gross dark-ness the people;" the long and dark legal night grew more fearfully dark as it neared its close; men's hearts were failing them for fear; all, all had proved the wretched failure and frightful guilt and ruin of all the sons and daughters of men. This is the humiliating and bitter lesson of the law and its priesthood, and by it our God and Father has taught us the dreadful necessity of "a more excellent way.

WHEN "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God," and said, "They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one," he did not shut them up in the horrible pit, to perish without mercy; but to his Annointed he said: "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." Isa. XLII. 6, 7. So the Lord is longsuffering, merciful and gracious unto the children of men, as said Elihu: "Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom." Job XXXIII. 24. "Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass. * * * And he shall speak peace unto the heathen; and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope; even to-day do I declare that I will render double unto thee. * * * And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people; and they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his hand." Zech. IX. 0 how rich in mercy is our God! for he is the God of salvation.

"When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Gal. IV. 4, 5. Of this wonderful advent of the beloved Son of God to the earth, John says: 'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. * * * And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John I. 14, 17. Thus is the Advent of the only begotten Son of God profoundly declared. His Incarnation and Birth was the most marvelous event of time, and of infinite interest to lost men; and second in important wonder to his birth was his Death, and thirdly his Resurrection. Without these three most wonderful events in the universe of God, no flesh could have been saved from sin and death. But God declared to Moses that he would keep mercy for thousands, and forgive sin, iniquity and transgression; therefore, "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy Salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." Isa. LXII. 1'1. "Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon One that is mighty; I have exalted One chosen out of the people. I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: with whom my hand shall be established: mine arm shall also strengthen him. * * * He shall cry unto me, Thou are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my First-born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and big throne as the days of heaven." Ps. LXXXIX. This David (beloved) or Son of David is the man Christ Jesus, the Son of Abraham and Isaac, David and Mary, and therefore chosen out of the people of Israel; yet he was also the holy Son of God, while he was verily a man, and called himself "the Son of man," but at the same time he dwelt in the bosom of the Father, whom he revealed and declared. This is most wonderful, that the "holy child Jesus" should be one with God and one with men! As a man, Jesus dwelt among men in the days of his flesh, and at the same time he was in heaven and reigned upon the throne of glory! Truly did Paul say, "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." A most wonderful mystery, that God himself, whom heaven cannot contain, would condescend to bow the heavens and come down to earth, and dwell among men in the likeness of sinful flesh as a man, unto the end that the children of men should be exalted to dwell in heaven with God! This glorious mystery is embraced in the incarnation of the Word, and the holy priesthood of "the man Christ Jesus," whom God made strong for himself, and gave him power or rightful authority to lay down his righteous life, and power to take it up again, according to the commandment of his loving and holy Father. This was in fulfillment of his holy office and consecrated work as the High Priest of all his people.

There was a most solemn and sacred necessity that the Word that was in the beginning with God, and was God, should be made flesh, take upon himself the form of a servant, and be made in the likeness of men, as stated in the following Scripture: "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for our sins. And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest; but he that said unto him, Thou are my Son, to-day have I begotten thee. " Heb. V. 1-5. For the people whom God gave to the Son of man in the new covenant, that they should be his brethren and be with him in his glory, are the children of men, "partakers of flesh and blood," and so sin and death stood between them and the life of holiness and glory unto which God in his everlasting love had chosen and predestinated them. These enemies must, therefore, be destroyed and taken out of the way; "that we, being delivered out of their hand, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life"-an endless life.

But our Deliverer must come to us in our nature and as our near kinsman, for he must be our Brother in the flesh; yea, he must be one with us, that we should also be one with him in true holiness. In no other way could he be qualified as the High Priest of his people to meet and receive the sword of divine justice, fulfill and satisfy the holy law and redeem them from its curse, suffer and die for their sins, then rise up out of death, above the law and the dominion of sin, justify them unto righteousness, and save them by his life. "For since by man came death," it follows that this penalty of death was against man only, not against angel or spirit; so it is equally true that, "by Man came also the resurrection of the dead." Cor. XV. So it is written: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor: that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Heb. 11. 9, 10. For in no other way could the sinful people of the covenant of life and peace be made perfect, and "grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life" over them. "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." Gal. III. 21. "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. II. 21. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. VIII. 3, 4.

All this divine testimony fully shows that the Anointed Christ, the one Mediator between God and men, was truly a man in the flesh and the Son of man; that he died in the flesh as a man, and for the children of men; that God raised up from the dead the MAN Christ Jesus, to die no more, and anointed him with the fullness of the Holy Spirit of life and peace the glorious High Priest of all his people forever.

The descent and parentage of the risen, ascended and coronated Son of man, whose name is "Wonderful," will further show the real humanity or manhood of our High Priest unto God, and his true Divinity as well. "The angel Gabriel was sent from God" to a virgin of the royal family of David the king, saying unto her, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. * * * Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke I. Mary was given faith to joyfully believe this wonderful anunciation, and she said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior." More than seven centuries before the time of Mary, a prophet said, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isa. VII. 14. The interpretation of this name is, "God with us." Jesus, his personal name, means the same; that is, Jesus is God with us, for he is the God-Man, or God-and-man in his one person. All the perfect attributes of the incorruptible God and of uncorrupted man were verily his. As well in his manhood as in his eternal Godhood, Jesus was sinless and divinely holy, and is God's "holy child." "Jesus Christ our Lord was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Rom. 1. 3, 4. It was absolutely necessary that the holy and blessed Jesus should sustain this twofold relationship-to his Father and brethren-and possess all this divine fullness of perfection and power, to constitute him our sufficient and successful Prophet and Priest and King, and bring all his people into the glory and bliss of the Father's presence and love, sanctified and holy, and say, ; 'Behold I and the children which God hath given me." Unto this merciful purpose and work of full salvation Jesus came. How rich the mercy and divine the blessing, that our God would thus glorify the children of men, in the person and exaltation of the holy Son of man, and make them in and through his Son the children of the Most High! What infinite love that God came to us as Man, that lost men should be saved! This was compassion like the blessed God, and it verifies the ravishing truth that "God is Love!''

The angelic salution to the mother of Jesus proclaims him King, as well as Priest; for, on his mother's side, he was the Son of David and heir to his throne of Israel, while, on his Father's side, he was the Son of God and heir to his throne of Heaven. This is very wonderful! David was king in Israel, but he could not also be a priest; for the priestly line was in the family of Levi, while the kingly line was in the family of Judah, and so_ the two sacred offices were distinct. It were death should a king of Israel thrust himself before the Lord in the most holy place of the sanctuary. On the other hand, neither Aaron nor his sons, though consecrated to officiate in the holy office of high priest, could reign upon the throne of Israel.

A very instructive and important lesson is thus taught us; that is, that neither Aaron nor David were complete types of our adorable Priest and King, because neither could represent him in both these divine offices; yet each partially, Aaron as high priest, and David as king. In the complete Bible we shall find a more perfect typical person, therefore, of him "that is born King of the Jews, " and was also "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession;" and this better type has God given us in the remarkable person of Melchisedec, who was "king of Salem, priest of the most high God. " By interpretation his very name signified "King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; with out father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually," Heb. VII. 1-3. That is, Melchisedec was the only priest of his order, and therefore he was without descent in his priestly office, and his was an abiding priesthood, in which he was a true type of the Son of God, who abideth a priest forever. Melchisedec was also king of righteousness and peace, and in this he fitly represented the King who reigns in righteousness, even Immanuel, whose "name is called The Word of God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Rev. XIX. How wonderful was this man Melchisedec as type of the Son of God! At once perfect and alone as both priest and king, no other man in the wonderful Bible so truly personated the man Christ. So it is written of Jesus: "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. " Ps. CX. 4. In Heb. VII, we learn that this man was so great that Abraham paid tithes to him, and that thus did Levi and Aaron and all that priesthood, who received tithes of their brethren, the people of Israel, pay tithes to the better and greater priest in the person of their great patriarch Abraham, who honored Melchisedec as superior to himself. In this we connect Melchisedec with Jesus, who said to the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. * * * Verily, verily, 1 say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM." John, VIII. 56-58.

"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron'l For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change of the law." Heb. VII. 11, 12. Thus it is very evident that the priesthood of the Son of God belongs to a new and better testament or covenant than the Levitical priesthood, and is entirely different and distinct from it, which difference will be considered hereafter.

A further notice of the fleshly lineal descent of the holy Son of man is of vital interest to all who earnestly desire kindership and union with him, without which we have no representation or interest in his priesthood, for he is the High Priest of his brethren only, and they shall for this reason be joint-heirs with him in all the fullness and blessing of his successful and glorious priesthood. First, then, the precious Redeemer unites in himself the three-one office of Prophet-Priest-King, not as arbitrarily thrust in either, but rightfully, as born unto them. For his genealogy on his royal mother's side, as given in Matt. I, shows that the prophets and priests and kings of Israel united in his "precious blood." Yet his patriarchal line is reckoned from Judah, from whom the scepter should not depart, said the dying Jacob, "until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." The meaning of Shiloh is, "resting-place," and Christ gives rest unto all the people that come to him.

But Jesus is the salvation of God unto the ends of the earth, and Simeon said of the infant Redeemer: "A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." So, though Jesus was born of the Jews, it is equally important and interesting to the Gentiles, to whom God grants repentance unto salvation, to know that no less than four of our Lord's maternal ancestors were Gentile women, whose husbands were sons of Israel, which the record plainly shows David the king, of whom Christ came, was the great-grandson of the interesting Ruth, a daughter of Moab, and beautiful type of the Gentile church. The kings of Jerusalem were likewise descended from the mother of Solomon, a Gentile woman. It will interest the Bible reader to trace the other Gentile women of faith, from whom came our Brother-Redeemer. How wonderful this is, that the man Christ, the Anointed of God, our Prophet and High Priest and King for ever, is our near kinsman in the flesh, though we were lost sinners of the idolatrous Gentile race. In this is seen the riches of God's mercy, and the much more abounding of his grace, reigning by our Lord Jesus Christ. This overflowing of salvation to the Gentiles, who were outside-the walls of the first covenant, is beautifully expressed in the typical blessing of the dying Israel upon his son Joseph, saying, < `Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall." So it is indeed true of the spiritual Joseph, whose ' bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. * * * The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph." Gen. XLIX. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace."

AARON, the first and greatest high priest in the old covenant, was a type of JESUS, the great High Priest in the new covenant; and Aaron was the brother of Moses, by whom the law was given, and as well the brother of all the people of that covenant, whose high priest lie was. As often as he entered within the second veil of the holy sanctuary with the atoning blood, to appear in the presence of the Lord, the twelve precious stones in his breast-plate reflected the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel toward the mercy seat before him, while the two precious stones upon his shoulders also reflected their names heavenward, and all these were his brethren, no less than his fellow-citizens in that kingdom, and it was for their sins that he made the atoning sacrifice there in the presence of their covenant-Lord. and for them only he interceded. Being their brother, they were near and dear to him, and he could be touched with the feeling of their necessities and infirmities, because he was in this close relationship and sympathy with them. Moreover, they were not only his own near kindred in the flesh, but they were the people of the Lord his God, and their merciful God had ordained him their high priest, to appear in the Holy Presence and typically put away their sins. All this appointment, and the very constitution of this brotherhood, was of the Lord, for he had ordained it thus. This is instructive and very wonderful, for our God thus teaches his spiritual Israel a divine truth. For all this pointed to and was typical of the greater High Priest than Aaron, even ''Jesus of Nazareth, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, " and dimly represented his diviner priesthood and priestly people.

For, as pointed out in the last chapter, the Son of David the king, as born of his blessed mother Mary, was Brother of all his people in the flesh, as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews; for his God and Father gave them all to him and him to them in the everlasting covenant of life, and ordained Christ and his people to be one in the covenant, one in the flesh, one in death, and one in life. Therefore, it,is verily true that the holy Son of God is our Brother in the flesh on his mother's side, and we are his brethren in the Spirit of life on his Father's side. This blessed and divine reality is clearly revealed by the Spirit in the holy Scriptures, and witnessed in the hearts of the people of Christ's holy priesthood, after they are born of the Spirit. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Rom. VIII. 16. "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." Heb. II. 11, 12. This is the church that Christ loved, ''and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." Eph. V. 25, 26. So at the conquered grave, the newly risen Christ said to Mary: "But go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." John XX. 17. Here our First-born Brother from the dead preciously owns his brotherhood with all his people, the children whom his Father gave him, and is not ashamed to call them brethren, notwithstanding he had passed through death and stood victorious on heaven's side of the grave, and they yet sorrowed on earth's side.

0, how highly favored are the people of God's covenantmercy, since his exalted and glorified Son calls them, ''My brethren!" "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!" 1 John III. 1. While this sonship embraces sinful people of the Jews and Gentiles alike, it is in the sonship of the Son of man, and in his holy life and divine nature; for the sinless Jesus is "the only begotten Son of God," and in his life and righteousness only are we the sons of the Father who is holy. That the people whom the Father gave him in the perfect covenant should be made "The holy people," the holy Son of God came to them in the flesh and under the law; and thus is he their near kinsman and beloved Brother, and in him was the right of redemption. The noble and compassionate Boaz, the near kinsman of the widowed and impoverished Vaomi, who represented the state of the Jews, and as betrothing Ruth unto himself, as representing the Gentiles, thus redeemed them both and made them rich, in which lie is a beautiful type of our spiritual kinsman, of whom Paul says: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Cor. VIII. 9.

It was thus, as the Son of man in the flesh of his people, that the holy Son of God was one with them under the law, and therefore lawfully and righteously represented them as in covenant and life union with them, so that their sins were righteously imputed to him, and his righteousness likewise was theirs in and with him as his brethren and members. This is divinely and wonderfully true and comforting, because in no other way could sinners be saved and made holy. It is this sacred and endearing oneness with our Beloved that makes him so unspeakably dear and precious to every humble believer in him ; for he is our All-in-all. It was in these sacred bonds that Isaiah said of the holy Lamb of God, "and he was numbered with the transgressors," and that Paul said, "For he bath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. V. 21.

God did this in his infinite holiness and wisdom; therefore Peter said of Christ, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God." 1 Peter 1. 20, 21. So Paul also: "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." 1 Thess. V. 9, 10. So the death of Christ for his people was according to this appointment of God, which proves that he died righteously, and in his death fulfilled all righteousness, made an end of sin, abolished death in its sting and power over his people, and brought life and immortality to light in his resurrection unto God and glory: He did this as our Brother and for his brethren. The sufferings unto death of the Anointed man Christ in the flesh were because of his sacred relations to his people, whom he should save from their sins; therefore he neither represented nor died for any others. In the absence of this brotherhood that made Christ and all his people one, as Head and body and members, his death could not have fulfilled the righteousness of the law for them, nor put away their sins; because he would not have had the just right to redeem them, neither could the righteous claims of the divine law against every transgressor have involved him with and for them. This principle is established in equity, and it obtains as well in nature as in grace, for the just God has so ordained it. And because this is true, the atonement of the holy Redeemer is necessarily special, and it could not possibly be general or universal. For, before there could be the imputation of our sins to the sinless man Christ, or the imputation of his perfect holiness to us, he must be one with us and we one with him. No truth is more clearly revealed in the inspired testimony than this, and it is only in this sacred and divine union with him who is righteousness and life that 'lye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power." It is because God ordained that "they two shall be one flesh," that the husband is justly obligated with and for the wife in law, and his payment of her debts justifies and acquits her equally with him. Without this union and unity, he could not be justly held to satisfy any law for her. It is so with straying and trespassing sheep; for the shepherd and owner only is under a lawful obligation for them, just because they are his. "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep," is the precious word of Jesus. For no others did he give his life, neither could he righteously do so, and for the sheep only because the Father gave them him and they were his. "My Beloved is mine, and I am his." "The one thing needful, dearest Lord, is to be one with thee. "

It is most wonderful and blessed that the "One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," is at once one with his brethren and his Father! And because he is, he raises them above sin and death and uplifts them to his Father, and to their Father! In view of this, a poet sang:

But our present consideration is, the grace that brought Christ down to us, in touch and sympathy with us in our sinful estate of suffering and death in the flesh. In Psalms XL, David testifies that the Lord went down to him in a horrible pit, brought him up out of it, set his feet upon a rock, established his goings, and put a new song in his mouth. Of the priesthood of our compassionate Redeemer, another says, -Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself bath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Heb. II. 17, 18. Thus it is shown that the people of this priestly covenant are also the brethren of their High Priest, and that, as merciful and faithful, a sacred obligation was upon him to bow the heavens and come down to them, and be made like them in all things; for otherwise he could not have suffered and died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring them to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. As distinct from his people in the flesh, who were appointed of God to be "an holy priesthood," Christ could not have suffered and died for them, neither could they have been washed and purified from their sins. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Heb. II. 14. Thus and in this way only was Christ qualified, clothed and consecrated unto the office-work of the ordained High Priest of the people for whose sins he should atone, and who should be his brethren and royal priesthood for ever. For they are the children of men in the flesh, sinful and under the sentence of death; for this cause the Redeemer must himself be a sinless and perfect man in the flesh, and as a man obey the law for them, suffer its sentence of death against them, fulfill it, redeem them from its just and fearful curse, by being made a curse for them, then, rising up out of death, destroy it and the devil; for in no other way was it possible for him to reach them, or for them to rise up out of death, living and holy, and be with him as his sanctified and holy brethren and priesthood, to praise God forever. 0 how awfully solemn and dreadful was all this on the part of the dear Son of man!

"FOR every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." Heb. V. 1. ''For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this Man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second " Heb. VIII. 5, 7. This most conclusively shows that the mediatorial covenant, priesthood and ministry of the holy man Christ is new, and not like the first covenant and priesthood under the law of Moses, and far better than that, for it was faulty, in that it was conditional and depended upon the people to keep it; therefore it was so unreliable that it made nothing perfect. And so radically different is Christ the High Priest of the new covenant from those high priests that, whereas death put an end to their priesthood, it was through death that he was perfected and established in his priesthood forever. For by his one offering, he perfected forever them that are sanctified or set apart and consecrated as his priestly brotherhood. This was the offering up of himself through death. Until Christ made this one offering for all the sins of all his people, he was one with them in his and their flesh and under the law, the first covenant; but he was not a priest under the law or of that first covenant, after the order of Aaron's priesthood: therefore it was necessary that he should die in the body of his flesh as the victim and sin offering under the law, then rise up from under it in "the power of an endless life," and ascend up into his spiritual, new and heavenly kingdom in the fullness and perfection of the new and better testament, and in the unveiled presence and glory of God, that he might perfect his eternal priesthood. This is the meaning of the clause above: "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest." Thus does the inspired writer on the priesthood of the holy Son of God strongly contrast between the two covenants and priesthoods, the first and the second, proving that they are as distinct and separate as death and life, and showing that while the old is burdened down under sin and imperfection, bounded and ended by death to all its people and worshippers, the new is so perfect and abiding in its blessed fullness that in it sin is ended, the burdens of the law taken away, the power and victory of death and the grave destroyed, and all its people and worshippers are alive from the dead, clothed with priestly robes of righteousness, and "shall never die." Is it any wonder, then, that our inspired writer has so fully and clearly pointed out to the Hebrew brethren in Christ the weakness and folly of turning away from the fullness of the new covenant in Christ, to the emptiness of the old conditional covenant, that made nothing perfect? Nay, is it not a strange delusion that, until this day, any of the people of the new covenant of grace and life and peace in Christ Jesus will have a proneness of mind and heart to turn away from the fullness of grace and truth in him, to the ever-failing conditions of a covenant of works? This is because the people of God are first born of the flesh, under the conditional covenant of legalism, to which they naturally cleave in their fleshly mind; therefore all fleshly religion and service and worship is always legal or conditional in its nature and motive. They look to themselves and their works of supposed prevailing obedience to supply the lack or insufficiency of grace in the gospel of full salvation in Christ, seeming to forget that there is no acceptance and no perfection in the sight of the just and holy God only in his righteous and beloved Son, by whom alone our very prayers acceptance gain with God. Christians should remember this Scripture: "For Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. " 1 Pet. 111. 1 S. The simple truth in this testimony is, that we must suffer for sins in the flesh unto death, so long as we are in the flesh, as Christ did, and that all spirituality and holy devotion and service in us arises from the quickening Spirit. This truth is also fully presented by Paul, in Gal. V, showing an entire separation between the works of the flesh, which are corrupt, and the fruit of the Spirit in those that are Christ's, also saying, "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." It is evident, then, that all who are not led by the Spirit, but by the fleshly mind, are under the law.

The holy Son of man, spotless and undefiled, was the Lamb of God, and by faith Abraham spoke of him to Isaac, saying, ''My son, God will provide himself with a lamb for a burnt offering," and it was so. On turning, Abraham saw the typical lamb held fast in a bush; he, at the command of God, loosed Isaac, the heir of promise, from death, then sacrificed the divinely appointed lamb upon the same altar. The lamb yielded up its innocent life, that the bound and unresisting Isaac (type of the children of promise) might go free and live. The forerunner of Jesus pointed to him and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Jesus calls his people lambs and sheep, the "little flock," and himself their good Shepherd, who "giveth his life for the sheep."

How inexpressibly wonderful is "the Man of God's right hand, whom he made strong for himself," that he was at once the Lamb and the Shepherd, the Offering and the Priest. No other high priest was like him in this; no, not even the great Melchisedec: for neither they nor he offered up themselves unto God as an atoning sacrifice for sins, because they themselves were sinful, and needed a more perfect sacrifice. So God in his mercy provided them with lambs without blemish to offer to him in sacrifice for themselves and their people and brethren. Yet those sin-offerings could never take away their sins, (except ceremonially and typically, as pointing them to the Lamb of God,) nor make the worshippers perfect. In this fact we are taught the necessity that the High Priest unto God of the better testament should be prepared to make a better offering for sins than had ever been made, or else no flesh could be saved from sin.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body bast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, 0 God. * * * He taketh away the first, that lie may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. * * * But this Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." Heb. X. In this sacrifice of the holy Lamb of God upon the burning altar of the fiery Law of eternal Justice, the infinite mercy and compassionate love of the Father and grace of the suffering and dying Son were most richly and blessedly manifested toward all the people of the everlasting covenant, whose glorious High Priest the precious Christ is. 0 how deeply mournful, that the holy Son of the holy Father must be sacrificed!-sacrificed on the accursed Roman cross! and sacrificed that guilty sinners, such as we, might plead his gracious name!

The loving and faithful High Priest unto God well knew that no other offering than himself, his precious blood and holy soul and body, as a whole burnt-offering, would take away our sins and make reconciliation for us; therefore when his soul was troubled, he submissively said, "But for this cause came I unto this hour." And when the priests of the law had delivered him up to Pilate, Jesus said to him, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." John XVIII. 37. He had before this time bore witness that he came to fulfill the law and the prophets. One of the prophets had said of us and Christ, "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD bath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. * * * He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken," Isa. LIII. Another thus wrote of him: "What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." Zech. XIII. This seems 0 too dreadful! But to reconcile and comfort us in this great sorrow, let us hear the lamb-like Shepherd himself say, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John X. 17, 18. Finite language is too weak to express the strength .and perfection of the infinite love of the obedient and suffering Son of God thus spoken by him- love to his Father, and love to his flock. It is surpassingly sublime, divinely beautiful, lovely and holy.

Come with me, you whose hearts overflow with sorrowing love for him, and let us further consider him as the High Priest of our profession, the Beloved of our souls: He was a young man, perfect in divine excellence, faultless in person, surpassing the holy angels in purity, no guile in his mouth, lamb-like and full of heavenly goodness, ever ministering to and relieving the afflictions of all who came to him, so divine a man that his blessed mother Mary adored him, and his disciples worshipped him; yet he was "meek and lowly in heart," sought not honor of men, made himself of no reputation, was so poor that he had no home of his own on earth where to lay his head at night, but wearily traveled on foot with his little flock, that he might bear consolation and blessing to the suffering and helpless, and finish the work which his Father gave him to do. 0 thou lowly "Man of sorrows," thou immaculate Lamb of God, and lovely Prince of peace! thou blessed Son of the Highest! we do not wonder that thy Father-God, when he brought thee into the world, said, "And let all the angels of God worship him." Yea, we too would weepingly kiss thy dear feet, with sorrowing Mary, sinful and needing thy cleansing blood and free forgiveness as much as she, and with the angels lovingly worship thee. But we sorrow most of all, dear Master, that thou must die, must die because we have sinned against thy holy Father and thee, must die for us! 0 tliou self-sacrificing Brother, born for adversity, how shall we ever requite thy redeeming love?

"For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he offered up himself " Heb. VII. 26, 27. "And as it is appointed unto men once to die: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Heb. IX. 27, 28. Death, therefore, is the appointment of God unto all men, because of sin, and the just wages or penalty of it. For this cause, Christ, though a sinless and divinely holy man, even ascending up to oneness and equality with the infinite God, was yet appointed, ordained and sent of God to be offered up in death, bearing the sins of many, a countless number, yet all known of God, and all their numerous sins known as well, that by his death as a man and as God's ordained and consecrated High Priest for his dying people, lie might make the full atonement or reconciliation for all their sins to the holy Law and divine Justice, which called for satisfaction by full and faultless obedience. Death only could now fulfill the holy law, since man had sinned against God, who gave the law. But the death of all sinful men could never remove the guilt of their sins, nor make one sinner righteous in the sight of the Holy One. Yet he who atones for the sins of men, and redeems them from the curse of the law, must himself be ,a man, perfectly holy, and possessing all the excellence and merit that were sufficient to "magnify the law and make it honorable." It must be a man with whom the righteous God himself is "well pleased." Abraham's strong faith in God convinced him that God would provide himself with such a Lamb for an offering, when by faith he saw the day of the Christ-man, and rejoiced in him. So also did the faith of tried Job, when he said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth."

Yea, shall be when I meet the Lord in holy heaven with all his saints. The solemn words, "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many," presents a solemn fact; that is, "the sins of many" were all known to God and numbered in his omniscience so definitely that he imputed them every one to Christ, to bear them and put them away by the one whole and perfect offering of himself. For unless every sin of the many whose sins Christ bore were known and determined, to the last and least sin, he could not have borne them when he was offered. But if only one sin of the many for whom the Lamb of God was offered was left out of God's account and not imputed to the Surety of the better testament, then the atonement and redemption could not have been complete and perfect, therefore not accepted, and all must have been a failure. This is inevitable. But the Omniscient One, who has numbered the very hairs of our heads, has not omitted the least or last sin of all whom he appointed to obtain salvation from their sins, by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. And this certainly establishes the fact that God, in his infinite counsel and eternal purpose in Christ, reckoned up all the sins of all his people whom he foreknew and ordained unto eternal life. Hear Paul, therefore: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Tit. 11. 13, 14. Redemption from all iniquity, and purification from all sin and unrighteousness was the divine purpose for which Christ gave himself for his people, that they should be holy and blameless before God in love, unto which end God both chose and predestinated them, that they should be conformed to the perfect image of his holy Son. It was not possible, therefore, for one chance or stray sin to be comitted, which was outside of the counsel and purpose of God, and for which Christ did not offer himself and make full atonement. "And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," says John. And therefore the suffering Redeemer bore all the sins of all his straying sheep, and perfectly atoned for them when he poured out his precious blood unto death. "Who his own self bear 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. 11. 24. The healing is the sure benefit of his stripes; and his death in his own body on the tree for the sins of his brotherhood unfailingly secures their death to sin, and their life unto righteousness; for with the offering and sacrifice of our holy High Priest God himself was well pleased, and his holy law asked no more. "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifleth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the -Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Heb. IX. 13--15. Thus the perfect accomplishment of the mediatorial work of the Redeemer, in the redemption of his people from their transgressions, and their purification unto the service of God and possession of the eternal inheritance in Christ, the Son and heir of the Father, is as absolutely sure as his death for their redemption. With Christ, our perfected High Priest, who is now glorified in the presence of God, there is no possible failure, but all is complete.

The baptism of Christ in Jordan, and his temptation in the wilderness, after he had fasted forty days and nights, were solemnly important events in his priestly office, and were a part of his preparation and consecration as the Apostle and High Priest of his beloved people. He walked from Galilee to John the Baptist, who was baptizing penitent sinners in Jordan, to be baptized of him. "But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and to a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. III. 13--17. Thus did God bear witness to his obedient and lowly Son, and honor him in anointing him in his holy office of High Priest with the fullness of the dovelike Spirit, symbol of innocence and. peace-for this Anointed One, the Christ-man, is the Prince of peace and the peacemaker of his people. His baptism in the water of Jordan was a solemn and suitable symbol of his death; ''for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness," he said, and thus he perfectly fulfilled. This anointing with the Spirit of holiness was unto his priestly offering upon Mount Calvary, near where Abraham unbound his son Isaac, and offered instead the lamb that God provided. And as faithful Abraham did not withhold his son as an offering to God, neither did God withhold his well beloved Son as an offering for Abraham and all who are blessed with him in the covenant that God made with him, saying, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. XXXII. "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. III. 29.

'Jesus of Nazareth," the dearly beloved son of Mary, had left his sorrowing mother's humble but divinely blessed home to abide in it no more, only in spirit and love; for he went forth from his baptism to fulfill his ministry, and finish the work which his holy Father gave him to do. 0 with what sorrowing sympathy we by faith follow this now homeless young man as he goes alone away into the terrible wilderness, to be with the wild and savage beasts. Yet his loving Father sent him there. The devil had compassed the ruin and death of the first man and all his people, through his subtilty and temptation unto sin, and Eden was lost, and all men as well. So now the devil, "that had the power of death," must himself be destroyed; therefore this guileless youth, "the second man," must needs gO into the wilderness, just as his type, the youthful son Joseph, must leave his father and mother and go down into Egypt, that his father's family should not perish, but be saved. 0 how solemnly wonderful are the ways of God! At times the lines of his providence seem densely dark to finite vision, and men will cry out against him as though he were both unjust and cruel. But not so did either Joseph or Jesus; no, nor. tried and suffering Job, who said, "For though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." So it was but a triumph of the infinite goodness, compassion and mercy of God to countless millions of his predestinated sons and daughters, who had sold themselves for nought to sin and Satan, that the Captain of their salvation went Into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, at the end of his long fast, when lie was hungry and weak in the flesh. It was a fearful trial, but the issue was not doubtful in the least; for the fierce conflict ended in the overthrow of the prince of darkness, who then left Jesus, "and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." This was the most wonderful and blessed victory ever won for righteousness, and in it God and his Son were glorified, and all the people of the second Adam were delivered from the destructive power of the devil. And so our conquering Christ said, "I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven," Therefore, for our consolation, it is written: "For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." Heb. IV. 15. And in his complete victory over sin and Satan is the divine assurance of the full salvation and triumph of his tempted people. "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Heb. II. 18. The Lord will not suffer his tried brethren to be tempted above that which they are able to bear, but with the temptation he will make a way for their escape or deliverance. Therefore Paul says, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Rom. VIII. 37. This was secured to us by the conquest of our tempted Christ over the devil, which makes manifest the rich mercy and boundless love of God to his people in sending his Son into the world, and into the wilderness. For it is not the will of the Father in heaven that one of his little ones should perish; but perish should the devouring enemy of righteousness and their sins; yea, death and the grave.

The same guiding hand of the loving Father that led the dear Son of his delight down into Jordan's flood, and out into the wilderness, also led him up into a high mountain, with three of his apostles, where the Father himself met them, withdrew briefly the fleshly veil, and gave them a glimpse of the awaiting eternal glory of his beloved Son, again testifying that in him he was well pleased, and commanding, "Hear ye him." But Oh! in the midst of his glory appeared Moses and Elijah, talking with Christ in the hearing of the apostles, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Luke IX. 28-32.

The time drew near, which the Father had put in his own power, when "%he Christ of God" should be offered up, as spoken of at his transfiguration on the holy mount; and he said to his little band of followers: "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." Thus, knowing all this solemnly fearful suffering and sacrifice that his Father had appointed unto him, and that he came into the world as a man to accomplish, 0 how needful and sustaining was the loving Father's revelation of his future glory upon the mount; and the comforting voice from the excellent glory: "This is MY beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He knew every step of the suffering way, and all the solemn and mighty work and closing conflict before him; but the dear Man of sorrows knew as well that the Father had made him strong for himself, and had given him power over all flesh, and that when he through the eternal Spirit had offered himself spotless and holy unto God, he should again arise in triumph over the last enemy, and his blessed Father would welcome him home and all heaven should shout with joy. Thus armed and. consecrated, the obedient Son and faithful Brother "set his face to go to Jerusalem," which his fearing and sorrowing friends would have prevented. 0 how full of gloom and anguish all now was to them! They could not understand it, and sorrow filled their hearts. It was the sorrow of Christ's sufferings in the flesh that thus overwhelmed them. And has it not also filled each one of us with unutterable sorrow, even the sorrow of death? Yet it must be met and borne, and this meek and lowly Man alone was sufficient to bear the burden, drink the cup of woe, meet the awaking and smiting sword of sin-avenging Justice, and he knew that to do this he must lay down his life; yet he faltered not, but meekly went on, as a lamb to the slaughter, because it was his Father's will, which he came down from heaven to do. When the time drew near he said to his apostles: "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. * * * Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." John XII. 23-28. Of this infinite trouble and conflict of soul, it is written of him "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchisedec." Heb. V. 7--10.

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And lie took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!" Luke XXII. No word of complaint against his righteous Father, who, in his counsel and purpose, determined that thus he should go, did the betrayed Jesus speak or feel, but in holy anguish he pronounced a fearful woe on Judas.

The sleepless and dreadful hours of his last night on earth in the flesh wearily wore away. The midnight hours and the three apostles who witnessed his glory on the mount, now witnessed his infinite anguish of soul and his entreaty, as he laid prostrate at the foot of Mount Olivet, crying, "0 my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." 'And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." This amazing suffering of his holy soul, even unto death, as he had just said to the three witnesses, was the smiting of the sword of Justice for the sins of the flock of slaughter; and thus "He was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him." 0 the holy example of patient submission to the Father's will he thus left to us! It was the precious Christ-man, the Anointed Jesus, the meek and lowly son of Mary that thus agonized in the garden in prayers and cries, tears and blood, under the shadow of, Mount Calvary, to his holy Father and God.

All was finished now, except to be offered up in sacrifice the next day. The dear Master and Teacher had, in this solemn night of death-sorrow, lovingly and comfortingly talked long to his sorrowing disciples; then, in their hearing, he prayed to his Father for them: "And lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gayest me to do. And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." John XVII. 1--5. When Peter drew his sword to defend his Master from arrest, Jesus said to him, "Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it?" To the officers and band sent by the chief priests to seize him, and led by the traitor, he said, '4If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gayest me have I lost none."

"And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." When they lifted him up on the cross, he said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." To the dying, penitent and supplicating thief he said, "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Oh! this was the deepest trial of all, and he could not endure more; yet God saw it needful and best. The suffering High Priest had now made the full sacrifice, drained the cup of woe, poured out his blood on the altar, and made his soul an offering for sin. He cried with a loud voice, then said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit;" and again said, "IT IS FINISHED: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

Even the Roman officer, who conducted the- crucifixion, said, "Truly this was the Son of God."

CHAPTER SIX.

CHRIST'S INTERCESSION WITHIN THE VEIL.

"COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she bath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins." Isa XL. 1, 2. For now that was accomplished of which an angel, a man clothed in linen, spoke to Daniel the prophet, saying, "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even unto that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. XII. 1. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Rev. XII. 7-12. This. is the glorious victory achieved by the hard fought battle with the powers of darkness, and the accomplished warfare, and the divine triumph fills all heaven with great joy, melody and praise, saying, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Rev. 1. 5, 6. Thus, when Christ our Passover was sacrificed for his people, did he make peace for them by the blood of his cross. "For he is our peace, who bath made both one, and bath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. 11. 14-18. Through Christ only both Jews and Gentiles have access unto the Father, and both by one Spirit, therefore, by the Spirit of life, all are one in Christ Jesus. and their life and rejoicing are in him and are spiritual.

Let us again in mind stand in Jerusalem and behold the solemn scene at the crucifixion of our atoning High Priest, especially when lie bowed his head in death. At that moment the earth itself was shaken and rent as a torn garment, even to the rending of the great rocks. and the opening of the vaulted graves; but more eventful still, the strong veil of the temple was torn open from top to bottom, which the hands of man could not have done, thus making an open door out of the first sanctuary into the second, the Holy of holies, type of heaven, so that the people of that priesthood could then have access into the most holy sanctuary. Before this deeply wonderful event, no Israelite could enter within that veil, for he must have died before the Lord, save the consecrated high priest alone, and he only once a year, and with the divinely appointed atoning blood for the sins of the people and him. self. Now, let us see the meaning of this, for it is wonderful and precious to us. And in this, as in all else, the Scriptures are profitable for instruction, that we may have hope. "Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second 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, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. ° of But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands; * * * by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. * * * For 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. IX. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, 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 assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Heb. X. 19-22. This is the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, by which God saves us according to his mercy. Thus are we comfortingly shown the divine meaning of the rent veil of the temple; that is, that the death of Jesus in the flesh had opened the way for his people into heaven, which was closed against them by sin, and had given them access unto the Father. This solemn lesson is, that there is no other way for us to come unto the Father with acceptance and blessing, only by the death of Christ and in his holy obedience. It has been said that the veil of the temple was so strong that seventy men could not have rent it; but at the dying words of the suffering Man on the cross, "It is finished," the separating veil felt the infinite virtue and almighty power of him who conquered in death, and gave way; yea, death and the grave and the sleeping bodies of the saints, all felt the power and merit of the crucified Man of God's right hand and yielded. Verily, in all the infinite universe there was no power that could resist the efficacy of Christ's dying cry; for in his death was the infinite value and dignity of the Almighty God, who made and upholds all things. He ordained that wondrous veil, made "of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of cunning work, with cherubims," typical of the body and blood of Christ; and he also ordained Christ the High Priest of his people, that he should consecrate himself unto God through the veil of his flesh, and thus take away the strong separating veil, showing that death is abolished, and his sanctified people may now come unto God and worship him in true holiness. The rent veil proved, also, that the priesthood of Aaron and the ministry of Moses and the law were taken away, that the old covenant and the temple service were finished and ended; for their great antitype and fulfiller, God's eternal High Priest, had come and taken all things out of the way of the return of his people.

How vain, therefore, the blinded rage of the priesthood of the old temple, in their effort to still defeat all this mighty work of the greater than Moses, by the sealed sepulcher and the strong Roman guard. It is just as impossible yet for men, in their self-trust and false zeal, to either defeat the success of Christ's finished work, or to add to it.

"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hand have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it * * * Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts II. The apostle Peter thus spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus. He quoted from David, and said of him, I 'Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake -of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised yap, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he bath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool." Thus was fulfilled the word of the angel to the favored mother of Jesus, saying, "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Thus did the Almighty Father exalt his holy Son to the throne of glory, and crown him with unlimited dominion, putting all things under his feet. Of this glorious power, Paul says, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the ,working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right band in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." Eph. I. 19--23. This was the blessed fulfillment of the dear Son's prayer the night of his soul-sorrow, when he said, "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." Of him Paul said, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. " Phil. II. 8-11. For this also the humbled and suffering Man entreated his loving Father, saying, 'Father the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.'0 how divinely was the Father glorified in his Son, and how gloriously the Father exalted his meek and lowly Son! And 0, how unspeakable the honor and blessing, that this glorified and "highly exalted" Son of man is not only a man, and our perfected and accepted High Priest unto God, but our very Brother! Yes, the Son of God on high, with all things put under his feet, is verily a glorified and divinely glorious MAN! the "Man of God's right hand."

He had passed through the veil of his and our flesh, thus through suffering being made perfect, by perfecting the redemption of his people and brethren, that they might be perfected in his righteousness, and sanctified in his life, and now he was in the unveiled presence and glory of his Father. Thus was Jesus the Christ, the Anointed of God, the High Priest, who had passed into the heavens, "to appear in the presence of God for us." Let us remember, it is the man Christ Jesus, who is the one Mediator between God and men. Of him God said, "I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him." "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed," etc.

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy king-. dom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Heb. 1. 8, 9. "Thy fellows" evidently refers to his people and brethren, and the word means an equal, an associate or companion; so, indeed, Christ was made in all things like unto his brethren; yet "he thought it not robbery to be equal with God." And so the sword was commanded to "awake against the Man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts." This is very wonderful. "Christ" signifies the Anointed of God, and it is the official title or sacred name of the holy Son of God, as the Christ-man and has special application to his priestly office.

The perfect atonement being made, which was equal to all the requirements of eternal Justice and Righteousness, in behalf of all his holy Father's predestinated children, the entire brotherhood of Christ, he arose from the dead, as was typified by the release of Isaac from the altar on which he was bound as unto death, and then he in his risen body, which saw no corruption, ascended up to God and the kingdom of glory in the power of an endless life, our eternal High Priest, where he ever liveth to make intercession for the saints according to the will of God. It was by the infinite merit of his own blood that Christ entered in once into the holy place, to appear in the very presence of God, having obtained eternal redemption for all his people.

The typical high priest of the Lord's covenant people first made the atonement for their sins, as the Lord appointed; the Lord accepted the atoning sacrifice at his hands; then, by virtue of the atonement, the high priest interceded in the most holy place at the mercy seat and before the Lord for the people; 'and the Lord heard him, and blessed them. So did our great High Priest pass through the veil of his suffering and dying flesh, and then ascend up on high to the mercyseat and the throne of heaven, where he, in robes of holinesss and immortality, intercedes as our Advocate with the -Father, who always hears his beloved Son, and Christ prevails. In this the wrestling Jacob was' a type of Jesus, for he as a prince had power with God, and with men.

The divine testimonies that have been given show that when Jesus, who was God manifested in the flesh, was received up into glory, and sat down on the mediatorial throne, God the Father anointed and crowned him both High Priest and King, in fulfillment of the angelic annunciation to his mother Mary. David had long before prophetically said, "Arise, 0 Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. * * * The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, A will not turn from it; of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." Ps. CXXXII. 8, 11. David again testified, saying, "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion; rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." Ps. CX. 1, 2. Thus was the command of the Most High fulfilled, in which he said, "Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is. this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Ps. XXIV. 7-10. By faith David saw this glorious ascension and coronation of his Son, the King of glory, and rejoicingly said, "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men; yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." Ps. LXVIII. 18.

All this wonderfully makes known the infinite perfection, power and glory of our successful High Priest and King, as well as the sovereign goodness, rich mercy and abounding grace of the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, "whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." Heb. I. 2, 3, It was most worthily said of our blessed Brother and Redeemer, <'He hath done all things well."

When he had swallowed up death in victory in his triumphant resurrection, our Lord said to his apostles, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." His Father and God gave him this fullness of power and dominion, and crowned him with glory and honor. Therefore Jesus himself said, "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which has sent him. * * * For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." John V. Thus is the precious Christ, God's holy child Jesus, whom he hath anointed the High Priest and King of saints, given power with God and over men, even unlimited authority and dominion; therefore God always hears him, and gives him everything that he asks for. So true is this, that Jesus, in the time of his deepest humiliation and betrayal to his enemies, said to Peter, 4'Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Matt. XXVI. 53, 54. These words of the betrayed Master teach a most instructive truth, and solemn admonition; that God's established purpose in all things must be; and that as his innocent Son, though persecuted unto death, would not resist, but meekly submitted, saying, "Thy will be done," so it becomes us to be still, and know that he is God.

We have now seen how divinely and gloriously the Christ of God was qualified and authorized to successfully intercede in the behalf of all whom his righteous Father gave him in the new and everlasting covenant, and for whom he had freely and righteously given himself in sacrifice, whose sins he had thus made reconciliation for, and had put them away for ever. For thus he had redeemed them unto himself, from sin and law and justice, so they were and are righteously his own; for he had- wondrous to tell-even given himself a ransom for them. 0 how righteously and with what divine authority our Advocate says, "Deliver them from going down into the pit." So now it is declared, "And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John II. 2. The term "whole world" refers to all that the Father gave him in all the Gentile world; while by "our sins" is meant his people among the Jews; and "the propitiation" is the reconciliation, the atonement for our sins. 'Jesus Christ the righteous" is this himself for all his covenant people. Thus he has the most sacred and holy right to plead and intercede for them, that they should be forgiven and saved, although they are a sinful people; and his holy Father always accepts the intercession of his own beloved Son, and not only pardons all for whom Christ died, but also justifies them unto life and eternal glory. And so, when Jesus was about to call Lazarus back from death unto life, he said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou Nearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." John XI. 41, 42. 0 how all this should fill us with unwavering confidence and unquestioning trust in the faithfulness and sufficiency and perfect success of our Divine Intercessor, who is in the presence of God in the glorious robes of his eternal priesthood. For the Father himself hath borne witness of him to us, saying,, ''This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And God has authorized our beloved Redeemer to ask, saying to him, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Ps. II. 8. Accordingly, our holy Advocate with the Father asks for all that his Father gave him, and says on their behalf "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 0 righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou past loved me may be in them, and I in them." John XVII. This is most heavenly and blessed, because there is no opposing power that can defeat it, or prevent its perfect fulfillment. 0 how divine the glory and infinite the holiness! With adoring gratitude, let us repeat the transporting assurance, so full of infinite blessedness, of our Beloved: "That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I IN THEM!" For all that the Father of love gave him, our Intercessor asks this immortal heritage of the fullness of perfect Love and Life!

"We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.''

"THE LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec." Ps. CX. 4. "I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." Ps II. 7. So the Son of God is a priest after the order of Melchisedec, a priest forever, and made such a priest by the solemn oath of Jehovah, who will not repent. The Son of God is, therefore, unchangeably established in his priesthood, and all pertaining to it is likewise ordered and sure. Nothing whatever belonging to this priesthood shall ever be disannulled, changed or amended, but all is "ordered in all things and sure." The oath of the Lord God, who changes not, nor repents, has made it as firm as his holy throne. "Forever, 0 Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."

"This day have I begotten thee," is the day of Christ's resurrection and triumph over all the power of darkness, and which perfectly qualified and prepared him to be crowned with glory and honor as the Son of God with power, and Priest and King forever. Paul says of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, that he "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Rom. I. 3, 4. Paul also said, "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day him have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David." Acts XIII. 32-34. So the man Christ Jesus was the manifested Son of God with power as begotten from the dead, to die no more. Of Christ's resurrection from the dead as the declared Son of God, it is written again: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren." Rom, VIII. 29. "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Col. I. 18-20. In support of all this divine and glorious truth, the Son of God in his glory said to his servant John, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Rev. I. 18.

Now, all this revelation or manifestation of the Man of Nazareth in his finished work in the flesh, and resurrection unto an endless life and glory as the Son of God with power, was in fulfillment off the above decree and immutable oath of the God and Father of our glorified High Priest. Our merciful God has thus made his exalted Son a priest after the order of the priesthood of Melchisedec, which is very unlike the order of Aaron's priesthood, And now, therefore, it will both instruct and comfort us to seek a true understanding of the order and nature of the priesthood of Melchisedec, and its difference from the order of Aaron's priesthood, both being of Divine appointment and order, and also somewhat typical of the divine priesthood of the holy Son of God, as has been pointed out.

"A priest forever. " This is the special and divinely excellent feature of Melchisedec's priesthood; and this was one signal weakness of the Levitical priesthood; for it was not enduring, but so transitmt that it has long since passed away forever, because it was only a shadow. But, strange as it may seem, many devotees of religious worship have ever preferred ceremonious forms and unsubstantial shadows, rather than that which is real and abiding. For this cause the religious world is carried away with showy rituals, worldly wisdom, human philosophy and outward morality, which may gratify and please the fleshly mind, even of some who have fled to Christ for refuge, but all of which are as chaff to the wheat. But the priesthood and ministry of the Son of God are abiding, divinely substantial and perfect, and also perfecting in all the true worshippers in this priesthood; for Christ's priesthood is as enduring as the days of heaven, and it has no end. Death soon removed Aaron as high priest, and also his successive sons after him, until Christ came, when that entire ministry and its corresponding covenant vanished away, as the fading stars and moon when the sun mounts the skies and darkness flees.

So superior was the priesthood of Melchisedec to that of Aaron, and thus it stands out alone in the typical heavens as a faithful and true witness to the everlasting priesthood of the Son of God, who abideth a priest forever. "And being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchisedec." Heb. V. 9, 10. "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this Man, because he continueth ever, bath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. VII. 23-25. The priesthood of the first covenant had not this power and glory, for it could not put away the sins of the people, nor save them from death.

Another divine excellence of the perpetual priesthood of the Son of God is, he was made High Priest forever with an oath, "in which it was impossible for God to lie," repent or change; and thus Melchisedec, the wonderful type, was "priest of the most high God; * * * having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God: abideth a priest continually. * * * (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord aware and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.") Heb. VII. Thus it is proven that neither sin, nor Satan, nor the law of sin and death, can ever possibly defeat, change or cause to fail the holy priesthood of the Son of man, who with the righteous oath of the unchangeable Jehovah is a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.

Still another most wonderful and essential peculiarity of Melchisedec as a sublime type of our High Priest was, lie was King of righteousness, and King of peace. He thus united in himself this twofold office and ministry, with all the dignity, power and divine excellence and success belonging to them in their fullness of perfection. After this order the oath of God consecrated his Son our Priest and King forever. In this both the power and love of God toward the people of his covenant are richly and mercifully made known to us, even beyond the reach of finite thought.