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154 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