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was a time when the Gentiles were under that
covenant; and as there never was such a time, it
is certain that there never will be ; for that cove
nant had its day, and its use and its end, and the
time has come that it is a dead letter to both Jews
and Gentiles, as it was only typical, and served as
a shadow ; and whwi the anti-type or substance
appeared, it evidently disappeared. Then the time
was fulfilled that the Levitical priesthood should
end and that another priesthood should be set up
that is a belter one, a more enduring one, a more
perfect one. “If therefore, perfection were by the
Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people re
ceived the law,) what further need was there that
another priest should rise after-the order of Mel
chisedec, and not be called after the order of Aa
ron. For the priesthood being changed, there is
made of necessity a change also of the law.”—Heb.
vii. 12.
Then the time is fulfilled that this change should
-be made, not that a part of the law was to be
changed, and another part to be kept in full force.
Ono ! This is not what the apostle meant, by
any means; for if there is any part of that law yet
remaining unfulfilled, it is wrong for us to claim a
priest that is not a descendant of Levi.—For if this
law, or any part of the law that governs the Le
vitical priesthood yet remains, it is unlawful for any
man to act as priest who is not of that descent,
and fcssing unlawful, it is, of course, criminal. For
it should be remembered that God was the author
of that covenant or priesthood, and of course he
was the author of the law that governed the priest
hood ; and it is certain that God never gave Moses
the right to alter auy part of the law, but to the
contrary, saith he, “ See that thou make all things
according to the pattern shown to thee in the
Mount.” Then is it not certain that Moses had a
precise rule to be governed by, uotwilstanding he
was, to a certaiu extent the ruler and leader of that
people, yet hedare not alter the least command
that God had given him, neither did he have the
rioht to give any command or direction to the
people that God had not giveu to him; and
it is also certain that neither Abraham nor his pos
t:rity had the right to leave off anything that God
had commanded, or add anything to it. “ And
God said unto Abraham, “thou shalt keep my cove
nant therefore, thou and thy seed after thee, in their
generations.” —Geu. xvii. 9. Seeing then that God
was the author of the first priesthood, and did
rule it as sovereign, and never gave auy one on
earth the right to change it in the least degree, (for
if it had changed in the least, the purpose of God
would not have been accomplished ; this every rea
sonable person must admit,) for this reason, it was
typical, and of course God bad a use for every
type, and they must be in their place to answer
the purpose. It is also certain that every type
must fill its own place, and cauuot fill the place of
another. Then it follows of course, if every type
- must fill its place, the thing typified must appear,
and when it does appear there is no more use for
the type. Then as we already seeu, these
types must have their day, and their use, and their
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
end. Well, that time had come that God had
set, wheD he would make a change of the law, and
establish auother priesthood upon better promises.
“ For the law made nothing perfect, but the bring
ing in of abetter testament did by the which
we draw nigh unto God.”—Heb. vii. 18. Them
the time is como, or fulfilled ; the kingdom of God
is at hand. The time had fully come for the sec
oud priesthood to be set up. This priesthood is
sometimes called anew one, because it was the
second one that was manifested. Os course it did
appear new to the Jews, and strange, as well as
new, for several reasons. First, under (he former
priesthood and kingdom it required prophets,
.priests and kings. Prophets to teach them, aud
priests to atone for them, and kings to rule over
them. Here then, are three different and distinct
offices to be filled, and it took three different per
sons to fill them, and there was a precise rule for
each one of them to be governed by, though they
were men of like passions with ourselves, and were
disposed sometimes to try experiments to help God.
But this was varying from the rule that God had
given them, aud therefore they were found trans
gressors, and for such transgressions, they, their
kings and their priests were delivered into the
hands of their enemies, to the sword, to captivity,
aud to spoil. Ezra ix. 7. This was the reward for
their disobedience. But the kingdom of God differs
materially from that kingdom, from the fact that
the prophet priest aud king are perfect, and con
centrated in one person, and that person no other
than the Loid Jesus Christ himself, lie was spoken
of as a prophet by the prophets. “ For Moses
truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up uuto you of your brethren
like unto me ; him shall ye tear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall
come to pass that every soul that will not bear
that prophet shall be destroyed from among the
people.” “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel,
and those that follow after, as many as have
spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.” Acts
22 24. We might produce many more passages
to prove that Christ was the Prophet spoken of,
but thinking these will suffice, we will next proceed
to prove tha.t he was also a priest. “And it is yet
far more evident, for that after the similitude of
Melehizedec there ariseth another priest. Who is
made not after the law of a carnal commandment,
but after the power of an endless life. For he les
tifietb, Thou art a priest forever after the order of
Melehizedec.”—Heb. vii. 15—18. We will next
proceed to prove that he is also a king, as well as
prophet and priest. “ Now when Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the
king, behold there came wise men from the East
to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born
King of (he Jews Mat. ii. 1, 2. It is a fact
worthy to be rem( inhered that the wise men ac
!ed o ed him King when he was born ; Pilate
also acknowledged him to be King of the Jews, as
recorded in Mat. xxvii. 37, Mark xv. 2—6, Luke
xxiii. 28. These are sufficient proofs to establish
the points we proposed pioving, that the three of
fices are concentrated in one, and of course consti
tute him Sovereign Ruler over his own kin~dom.
it should also be remembered that there never
was a time when he did not exist as prophet, priest
and king, but that his kingdom and priesthood is
an everlasting one from the beginning to the end •
and the visible manifestation of it does not prove
that it never existed previous to the time of its
manifestation. But the time had come, according
to the will and purpose of God, that his kingdom
should be established or set up, though it was not
an earthly kingdom ; for said, “My kingdom
is uot of this world,” yet it was set up iu the
world. As lie is a spiritual king, he requires
spiritual subjects. This is the reason why it is
called the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of
heaven. His Church, in its militant state, is fre
quently called the kingdom of heaven ; and it was
this Church or kingdom that he came into this
world to establish. And as there was no natural
material filled for his kingdom, nor any -ready to
receive him as their king, it was necessary for them
to be prepared for bis reception ; and the time had
fully come wheu this work should be commenced.
He seut his forerunner, John, as it is wiitten in
the prophets—“ Behold I send my messenger be
fore thy face, which shall prepare thy way before
thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.”—Mark i. 2,3. This was evidently the
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or the es
tablishment of his Church, aud not an intermediate
space, nor a couuectiug link. This would evidently
make the chain one link too long ; and as it is a
weak link, I think it is best to take that Jink out,
as there is no use for it in the chain. As there
were only two links usecl in the chain, or iu other
words, there were only two dispensations that
were prophesied of, or provided fqr, it was only
necessary lor the prophetic dispensation to close,
and the day it closed, The,gospel dispensation was
ushered in, or the kiugdom of God was set up #
according to the language that -is used in the text,
“ Ad <* eajiug the time is fulfilled, aud the kingdom
of God is at hand ; repeut ye and believe the got*
pel. ibis idea is fully established by all the
apostles and the prophets, that the closing of the
prophetic day was the beginning of the gospel,
aud we do not hear of it ever being denied by any
persou tor several centuries after the organization
of tbe Church ; and perhaps it never would have
been denied if pouring and sprinkling for baptism
had uot been instituted ; and this never would have
been instituted, had not the Roman Catholics con
tended that the Scriptures derive their authority from
them, and they do not claim their authority from the
Scriptures for sprinkling and pouring; for they say
that it never was taught by Christ, nor by any of
his apostles nor their cotemporaries, neither by
precept uor example; but that they themselves
were the authors of it, either in the fifth or sixth
century, believing that it was their right to do all
that they could that would be auy advantage to
the Church ; and believing it was wrong to let in
fants die without being baptized, thty instituted
sptinkling and pouring, in order to meet the case