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44
Near Lexington, Ky., March 8, 1860.
My Dear Brethren Beebe and Purington
As 1 RQi rather ‘ cut of business’ this afternoon, I
have concluded that I might possibly do worse
than write a little for your also
for that of the readers of the ‘ Messenger’ should
you see propeuto publish roy scribbling. Although
I have 1 eeti a reader cf the S. R. Messenger from
i's commencement until now, I believe, I have
written but one or two communications for your
columns. 1 have been reflecting on the Priesthood
end Mediatorial work of our dear Redeemer , and
know no better subject to write upon ; but know
it is too momentous a subject to receive its merited
just.ce iu my poor language. In the intervening
4004 years between the creation of the world and
the appearing on this earth of “the great High
Priest and Apostle of our profession,” he was vivid
ly portrayed in emblematical hieroglyphics, while
Prophets and Kings desired to see the things de
veloped in his day, but died without the opportu
nity.
Think of the myriads of the victims slain, and <
the oceans of their blood shed to exhibit typical!* 1
the one offering of our great High Prest, and the <
•übfirne magnitude of the great propitiation will
swell to a vast immensity in the mind of every one I
who feels a vital interest in the sin-atoning sacri- •
fice which he made. Melchisedec, Aaron,"and all
the High Priests down through bis entire lineage
with their mitred robes, their embroidered gar
ments and all their priestly decorations, were hut
ominous shadow* of the grand substance—the di
vine reality. Aaron was first decorated with his
breast-plate—his ephod—his broidered coat —bis
mitre and his girdle, and then consecrated with
the holy oil. Thus he stood completely enrobed
in his priestly habiliments; divinely anointed and
thus legally set apart and authorized by the hoi)
unction, and therefore, as really and as legally a
High Priest to all intents and purposes before evei
a victim was brought to him to offer as such, as
ever he was after he had shed and sprinkled the
blood of thousands. Had he presumed to slay his
▼ictim, shed its blood and with it stand before the
august tribunal without this preparation and au
thenticity, .he no doubt would have been stricken
dead there*
If then, we are to take the figures as fit repre
Mutations of the reality, we are not to conclude
that th edata of our High Priest and Mediator com
menced in the days of Pontius Pilate, as some in
these latter days professing to be O. S. Baptist
have suggested. Although Aaron and his descen
dants were heavens’ bright emblems of the great
Antitype, there was a great disparity between them
in this respect. They were Piiests for but a b.iel
•pace of time—He, “a High Priest forever.” They
were often removed by death, “ but this man be
cause he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood.”
“ Their priesthood ran through several hands,
For mortal was their race;
Thv never changing office standi
Eternal as thy days.”
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
“ The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou aft
a Piiest forever after the order of Melchisedec.”
I have used the terms II gb Priest and Mediator
in reference to the same character; for although
the oflices are different in some respects, yet be
who holds the t files (the man Christ Jesus,) is the
same, as the Scriptures fully show. Hence, says
Paul, Ileb. viii. 3, “ Wherefore, it is of necessity
that this man have somewhat also to offer.” And
again, as before quoted in verse 24, “Tnis man be
cause he continued ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood.” Compare with Ist Tim. ii. 3, “There
is one God and one Mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus.” If he is the High
Priest to-day, he ever has been. No change has
added to, or diminished from his official character.
“Jesus Christ the same ye terday, to-day and for
ever.” Certainly this expression includes all the
pa-t, the present and the future. Long before his
advent into this world it was said, Psalms xlv. 6,
“Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the
sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.” See
also Heb. i. 8. He hath therefore, an unchangeable
and everlasting priesthood, one that has not been
confined within the last 1860 years, as it is said,
Ps. cx. 4, “ The Lord hath sworn, and will not re
pent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of
Mrlchiaedec.”
On our ILgh Priest’s entrance into the world
then, he needed neither qualifications, equipments
or priestly authenticity. He was a Priest forever.
Like Aaron, before a victim was presented to him
with which to make an offering he stood ready,
offi'dally prepared in every particular, his authority
completely settled, and registered in the archives
of heaven. But he needed “ someiohat to offer' 1 as
as a sacrifice. Hence it is said Heb. x. 5, “Where
fore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sac
rifice and offering thou wouidest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me ,” and verse 9, “ Then said
he, 10, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first that he may establish the second.”
10th, Bv the which will we are sanctified, through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all.
It is also said in Isaiah liii. 10, “When thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin ) he shall see
his seed, he shall prolong his days, aud the pleas
ure of the Lord shall prosper in his band.” If
therefore, my brethren, we were involved in guilt,
and both soul and body under the curse of the
divine law and sentenced to condemnation, here
was a soul and body that constituted an offering
and a sacrifice acceptable to God, the value and
efficacy of which was sufficient to redeem us from
all iniquity, and “ by one offering he hath perfect
ed forever them that are sanctified.” By his own
blood be entered in once, into the holy place, hav
ing obtained eternal redemption for us.” With all
the value and tfficacy of that blood which “cleans
eth us from all sin,” he entered into heaven itself,
now to appear i.i the presence of God for us.
We therefore stand freely justified from all things
from which we could not be justified by the law
of Moses, for Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law, and there is therefore, now no con
demnation for us. llow soul-soothing and heart
cheering my dear brethren, to contemplate upon
the rich, full, complete and eternal redemption ob
tained by the crucified body and Bhed blood of our
heavenly High Priest and Mediator.
The ocean of love —the fountain of grace—the
door of hope and the channel of mercy are flung
wide open to his care-worn children in Acbor’*
gloomy vale. Now may we join with the Poet
and sing—
“ Tho ugh waves and storms go o’er my head,
Though strength and hea.th and friends be gone,
Though joys be withered all, and dead,
And every comfort be withdrawn.
Steadfast on this my soul relies,
lledeeming mercy never dies.”
Let us then, dear brethren, look to his cross and
repair to his feet, sinful and unworthy as we are,
with our sacrifices, thanks giving and praises, re
membering that it is through our High Piiest
alone that we can have access to the throne of
grace. National Israel did not dare to present
their offerings before the altar in their individual
persons, they must be offered through their Priests;
neither can our prayers, praises and thanks giving
fiud access to the heavenly altar through any oth
er medium than the Great High Priest and Apos
tle of our profession. But blessed be his name, w®
may sing—
“ % thee my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain
And I am owned a child.”
The efficacy ot t his sacrificial atonement of our
glorious High Priest; his divine mediation and ever
prevalent intercession, were as fully available and
equally ymdearing to his children Jf the former dis
pensation as to those of the latter.
What would have been the doom of the Patri
archs, the Prophets, and all the saints of yore,
without a high Priest and Mediator ? Their des
tiny must have been sealed up in inevitable and
final ruin. Vain were all their ritual ceremonies
and sacrificial oblations as to the removal of guilt
T’were “ necessary that the patterns of the t ings
in the heavens should be purified with these, but
the heavenly things themselves with better sacri
fices.” “For it is not possible that the blood of
bulls and of goats should take away sin.”
Ilence, those meats and drinks and divers wash
ings and carnal ordinances were only typical, and
therefore, imposed on those who observed them no
longer than “ until the reformation.” But 10, the
time comes; the Great High Priest and Mediator
descends from heaven in regal but humble dignity,
with an off- ring and a sacrifice. A body'is pre
pared him. The incalculable myriads of all the sing
of all his people in all ages of the world are laid
upon him. lie bore their sins in his own body on
the tree. Arrayed in these he s ands before the
< r *ad tribunal us high heaven. The sin-avenging
law of God which we poor vile sinners have trans
gressed in more than ten thousand instances, hurls
its direful anathemas upon him. The fated hour
has arrived when the stroke of and vine justice can
u© longer be wivhholden, and an authoritative voic#