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When Abraham, at God's com- people of God. The feast was cemand, went with full purpose of lebrated with unleavened bread, and heart to offer his beloved son for a they were directed to eat it with burnt-offering, Isaac, being acquaint- bitter herbs, and with staves in ed with the customary oblations, their hands: in remembrance of said, 66 My father, where is the their affliction in Egypt, their prelamb for a burnt-offering?-And servation when the first-born were Abraham said, My son, God will slain, and their marvellous deliverprovide himself a lamb for a burnt-ance from bondage. The apostle offering." Gen. xxii. 7, 8. Under teaches us how to interpret these the law, a lamb was the daily sacri- things when he says, Christ, our fice, morning and evening: and on Passover, is sacrificed for us; therethe Sabbath-days this was doubled. fore let us keep the feast, not with Thus harmless lambs, free from all old leaven, neither with the leaven spot and blemish, were presented of malice and wickedness, but with day by day; while the priest, as the unleavened bread of sincerity representative of the congregation, and truth." 1 Cor. v. 7, 8. He is laid his hands on the head of the the true paschal Lamb, the spotless sacrifice, and doubtless confessed sacrifice for sin: he was predicted over it the sins of Israel, which ty- four thousand years before his pically were by imputation laid upon coming in the flesh; and at length it. Then the blood of the lamb was he was crucified for us, at the deshed; and its body prepared and mand and in the presence of the burnt upon the altar, by the fire rulers and people of Israel. His which came down from heaven, as intense sufferings, from the fiery an emblem of the divine justice in- wrath of God against our sins, anflicting vengeance on the guilty. swered to the prescribed roasting of And when the blood had been the paschal lamb. The profession sprinkled and poured out, accord- of faith in his blood, externally places ing to the appointment; the priest the soul under the divine protecwent into the sanctuary, and burned tion, while vengeance is denounced incense on the golden altar, while against unbelievers: but the inward all the people prayed without in experience of true Christians, who the courts of the temple. Lev. i. 4; secretly 'feed on Christ in their xvi. 21. Numb. xxviii. 3-10. hearts by faith with thanksgiving,' Luke i. 9, 10. corresponds with their avowed de

But the paschal lambs, which im-pendence on him. In genuine sinmensely exceeded in number all cerity and simplicity of heart, they other sacrifices that were offered exercise repentance, and mourn for (when the law was regularly ob- their sins: they deny themselves, served), were most emphatically take up their cross, and bear sanctiprefigurative of Christ and his atone-fied afflictions; and, being set at ment. The unblemished Lamb for liberty from Satan's yoke, they set every family was selected four days out on their pilgrimage to the heabefore the passover, when it was venly Canaan.

sacrificed in the presence of the With allusion to these types, the elders and congregation of Israel: apostle says, "Ye were not reits blood was then sprinkled on the deemed with corruptible things, as lintels and door-posts of their houses: silver and gold,-but with the preand its body roasted whole, was cious blood of Christ, as of a lamb eaten within by all the professed without blemish and without spot;

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who verily was foreordained before Christ once offered; so He is called the foundation of the world, but" The Lamb slain from the foundawas manifest in these last times for tion of the world." Rev. xiii. 8. you." 1 Pet. i. 18-20. And John It is my design in these citations, saw in his vision, "a door opened to remove every shadow of doubt, in heaven." "And there stood a and every degree of hesitation from Lamb as it had been slain ;—and the your minds, concerning the meaning four living creatures, and four-and- of the words "The Lamb of God." twenty elders fell down before the The honour of the divine law and Lamb,-and they sang a new song, government, and the satisfaction of saying,--Thou wast slain, and hast the divine justice in saving sinners, redeemed us to God with thy blood." required an atonement of infinite The angels also joined these repre- value. The wisdom of God theresentatives of the universal church, fore planned this method of redempsaying with a loud voice, Worthy tion, and Christ is the Lamb of is the Lamb that was slain to re- God's appointment. "When he ceive power, and riches, and wis- cometh into the world he saith, Sadom, and strength, and honour, and crifice and offering thou wouldest glory, and blessing." Rev. iv. 1; not, but a body hast thou prepared v. 6-13. On another occasion, me, in burnt offerings and sacrifices the apostle" beheld, and lo, a great for sin thou hast had no pleasure. multitude, which no man could num- Then said I, Lo, I come (in the vober,-stood before the throne and lume of the book," in the opening before the Lamb, clothed with white of the roll of Scripture," it is writrobes, and palms in their hands; ten of me,) to do thy will, O God." and cried with a loud voice, Salva- Heb. x. 4-10. All other methods tion to our God which sitteth on of expiating guilt, and rendering the throne, and unto the Lamb." the salvation of sinners honourable "These are they, which came out to God, were unavailing: but when of great tribulation, and have wash- the Lamb of God came, and offered ed their robes and made them white himself as an atoning sacrifice, the in the blood of the lamb; therefore required satisfaction was made, and they are before the throne of God; no further oblations were necesand the Lamb, which is in the midst sary. of the throne, shall feed them, and But this appointed atonement lead them unto living fountains of was likewise of God's providing. waters." Rev. vii. 9-17. The plan of redemption by a sacri

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It is evident that the emblem of fice of infinite value would not have a Lamb that had been slain, in all profited us sinners, if everlasting these places, refers to the death of love had not provided such an obChrist, as the sacrifice for our sins, lation. The whole universe could and the antitype of all the legal sa- not have supplied a single indicrifices. Without shedding of vidual, whose dignity and excelblood is no remission:" but it is lency qualified him for such an unnot possible that the blood of bulls dertaking; or whose love was so and goats," or lambs, "could take immense, as to influence him to inaway sins." Heb. ix. 22; x. 4. terpose in our behalf. But" God As therefore all that were pardoned spared not his own Son." He gave and saved from the first entrance of him to be the propitiation for our sin, were partakers of the benefits sins; he accepted the oblation which arising from the one oblation of he had appointed and provided ;

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the Lamb of God."-We proceed,

II. To consider the import of the words, "Which taketh away the sin of the world."

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and in all these respects, Christ is translation of guilt from the sinner to the sacrifice. It was exacted, and he became answerable*." He willingly consented to become our surety, to assume our flesh, and expiate our sins by his own suffering The unblemished harmless lambs, and death upon the cross. He was which were sacrificed from the be- capable of doing this, and willing ginning, had no guilt of their own; to do it. The human nature he yet they suffered as if they had assumed was preserved free from been guilty. They were substituted all contamination of sin: so that his in the place of the criminals; and life was not forfeited, or suffering the guilt or desert of punishment deserved, by any personal transwas typically transferred from the gression. He had power to lay sinner to the sacrifice. It was im-down his life, and power to take it puted to the animal who bare the again, and no mere creature ever punishment, while the offerer es- was or can be placed in a similar caped and it took away his sin by situation. "He loved us and gave expiating the guilt of it. Thus the himself for us, an offering and a saLord Jesus was substituted in our crifice unto God for a sweet smelling place; our guilt was transferred to savour." Eph. v. 2. The imputahim by imputation: He was sinless, tion of guilt no more implied crimihimself, and yet suffered as a sinner, nality or pollution than the sacriin order" that whosoever believeth ficing of the harmless lamb rendered in him should not perish but have it sinful and defiled: or than a man everlasting life:" and in this man- becomes chargeable with the exner he taketh away sin. travagance and profligacy of the We are not, however, left to de- poor insolvent, whom he liberates duce this conclusion, from these from prison by paying his debt, out types and shadows, or our own rea-of a most generous compassion. sonings concerning them: for the And let us not suppose, that this sacred writers have most explicitly language concerning Christ bearing and energetically declared the same our sins, was merely that of progreat truth. The prophet Isaiah, phecy or poetry: for the writers of in his most wonderful prediction of the New Testament, in didactive the sufferings and glory of the Re-prose, are equally decisive; or even deemer, says, "He was wounded more so. He was made sin for for our transgressions, he was us, who knew no sin; that we might bruised for our iniquities.-All we be made the righteousness of God like sheep have gone astray: we in him." 2 Cor. v. 21. This cerhave turned every one to his own tainly implies a reciprocal imputaway, and the Lord hath laid on him tion of our sin to Christ, and of his the iniquity of us all." "It pleased righteousness to us. "Christ hath the Lord to bruise him, and to put redeemed us from the curse of the him to grief thou shalt make his law, being made a curse for us." soul an offering for sin.-He shall Gal. iii. 13. "Who his own self bear their iniquities. He bare the bare our sins in his own body on sin of many." You see, my brethren, the tree." "He suffered once for that Christ not only bare our punish-sins, the just for the unjust, that he ment, but our iniquities: and this might bring us to God." 1 Peter ii. can imply nothing less, than actual Bishop Lowth on Isaiah liii. 7.

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24; iii. 18. “ Being justified freely | being of infinite value, was sufficient by his grace, through the redemp- to take away the original and actual tion, that is in Christ Jesus, whom sin of mankind, as if it had been but God hath set forth to be a propiti- one complex transgression. Milation, through faith in his blood, to lions in every age have received declare his righteousness for the the benefit of it; and if the whole remission of sins-that he might human race should at once apply be just and the justifier of him that for pardon and salvation by the believeth in Jesus." Romans iii. blood of Christ; it would suffice to 24-26. These and many similar take away all their sin. The effiexpressions, as connected with the cacy of the typical sacrifices was institutions of the ceremonial law, confined wholly to the Jewish naand the reasonings of the apostle tion: but that of the one atoning in his Epistle to the Hebrews, are sacrifice of Christ extends equally abundantly sufficient to prove, not to other nations. It is sent to them only that the doctrine of an atone- all without exception; and we can ment by the vicarious sufferings of assure any sinner throughout the Emmanuel is contained in Scrip- earth, that if he believe in the Son ture, but that it is the most promi- of God he shall be saved. So that nent and central part of revelation. none perish, because there is no This is confirmed by the appoint- help for them, but because pride, ment of the Lord's Supper, in per- love of sin, and aversion to the spipetual remembrance of the death ritual service of God, harden their of Christ; and for a constant repre- hearts in unbelief, and they "will sentation of the life of faith, under not come to Christ that they might the figure of "eating the flesh and have life." In this sense The drinking the blood of Christ." We Lamb of God taketh away the sin may therefore confidently affirm, of the world." that they who deny or explain away But he also taketh away guilt this doctrine, prefer their own rea- from the conscience by the sprinksonings to God's sure testimony, ling of his blood. 1 Peter i. 2. and endeavour to remove the key- The atonement made upon the cross stone of an arch, the whole of which eventually profits none but those, would at length fall down, if they who apply it to themselves. This could succeed. So that mere na- is represented in the Lord's suptural religion, which palliates and per; as it was of old by the eating flatters human pride, will uniformly of the paschal lamb, with the sprinkbe preferred to the religion of the ling of its blood. We are not comBible, by all who lose sight of this municants merely by hearing of, or fundamental doctrine: and facts do seeing, the emblems of Christ's fully demonstrate that this has al-body and blood, but by eating and ways in process of time been the drinking them. The Lord Jesus consequence, when persons have" who gave himself a ransom for argued themselves, and others, out all, to be testified in due time," 1 of the ancient and orthodox inter- Tim. ii. 5, 6, sends his gospel to pretation of redemption by the Sa- sinners, and by the powerful conviour's atoning blood. victions of the Holy Spirit, he effectually destroys their self-confidence;

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But the present occasion admits not a fuller discussion of this im- then their conscience becomes burportant subject. The propitiatory dened with the guilt of their former oblation made by the Lamb of God, sins; and whatever efforts they use

to get relief, all prove ineffectual, of the motives, encouragements, and till they understand the nature, and ordinances of the gospel. In this see the suitableness and glory of sense also, "the Lamb of God taketh Tedemption by the blood of Christ. away the sin of the world :" for this Applying in true repentance and is the only method, by which the living faith for an interest in this hearts of men all over the world propitiation, they find the load of can be made holy; and all men in guilt removed, and obtain stable every nation of the earth, who bepeace, connected with deep humi-lieve in the name of Christ, are thus liation, hatred of sin, watchfulness" sanctified by faith in him." Acts against it, acquaintance with the xxvi. 18. "Christ also loved the divine law and their own hearts, church, and gave himself for it, that and great tenderness of conscience. he might sanctify and cleanse it, "For if the blood of bulls and of with the washing of water by the goats, and the ashes of an heifer word; that he might present it to sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth himself a glorious church, not havto the purifying of the flesh: how ing spot or wrinkle, or any such much more shall the blood of Christ, thing; but that it should be holy who, through the Eternal Spirit, and without blemish." Eph. v. offered himself without spot to God, 25-27. "You who were-enemies purge your conscience from dead in your minds by wicked works; works to serve the living God?" yet now hath he reconciled; in the Heb. ix. 13, 14; x. 22. Nothing body of his flesh through death; to but this view of the cross, this ap- present you holy, and unblameable, plication to the blood of sprinkling, and unreproveable in his sight." this washing in the fountain opened Col. i. 21, 22. He gave himself for sin and uncleanness, can give for us, that he might redeem us that kind of peace and confidence from all iniquity, and purify unto which hath been described: because himself a peculiar people, zealous nothing else can show the enlight- of good works." Titus ii. 14. Thus ened and humbled heart the divine will the Lamb of God continue to justice and holiness, in harmony take away the sin of believers all with mercy and truth, glorified in over the world, till there be no repardoning and saving the chief of mains of it left; and till the whole sinners. And whenever this peace company shall be "presented faulthas been lost through relapses into less before the presence of his glory sin, there is no other way of reco- with exceeding joy." Jude 24. vering it, but that in which it was at first obtained! nay, indeed, it III. Then we consider the call cannot be preserved in the midst to "Behold the Lamb of God, which of those numberless imperfections taketh away the sin of the world." and defilements, that accompany I shall confine myself to the exact our best days and duties, except by import of the words, as spoken by continual application to the blood John; but refer likewise to several of Christ which cleanseth from all other Scriptures of a similar nature. sin. "There is no God else beside me

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In consequence of the atonement a just God and a Saviour; look and intercession of Christ, the power unto me and be ye saved, all the of the Holy Spirit destroys in the ends of the earth." Isaiah xlv. 21, heart of his disciples, the dominion, 22. "As Moses lifted up the serlove, and pollution of sin; by means pent in the wilderness, even so must

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