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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#