penfive or pompous Sacrifices, that had any Effect with God, but only doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God*.

* See 1 Sam. xv. 22. Pfal. 1. throughout. Pfal. li. 17. cxvi. 17. Prov. xv. 8. xxi. 3. Ifai. i. 11. lxvi. 1-4. Fer. vi. 19, 20. vii. 22, 23. Hof. vi. 6, 7. Amos v. 2!—24. Mic. vi. 6, 7, 8. Mark xii. 33.

CHA P. VII.

Some further Reflections upon Jewish Sacrifices.

120.

B

UT we must not dismiss this Sub

ject without obferving; that the Levitical Law, confidered apart from the Abrahamic Covenant, made nothing perfect, Heb. vii. 19. For thus it had Respect only to the Jewish Commonwealth, and was the Law of the Land, by which they were all to be governed. In this View Levitical Sacrifices had Relation only to this prefent World, and the political Life and State of a few; as they gave him a Right to live and enjoy all the Privileges of the Land of Canaan. But their Virtue did not extend to the Confcience, to free that from Guilt before God; or to procure his Favour and pardoning Mercy. For it was not poffible, that the shedding of the blood of bulls and goats, as a mere political Inftitution, should, in this Senfe, take away Sins, Heb. x. 4. Nor did the Levitical Law, thus confidered, extend to the World to come. For it gave not the least Hope or Prospect of a Resurrection

to

and com

to Life, which is the moft proper pleat Juftification or Difcharge from Sin, (1 Cor. xv. 17, 18. [111]) but after all, Rites, Services and Sacrifices performed, left a Man under the Power of Death, which is the Curfe of the Law. Its beft Promises entitled a Man only to a temporal, political Life; and it's Threatning was Death without Hopes of a Revival. And thus it left the Jews in their Sins, as to that eternal Life, which is the Gift of God in Jefus Christ our Lord.

121. Now concerning Sacrifices, confidered only as political Inftitutions, I obferve, 1. That the mere Offering of a Sacrifice according to prescribed Rules, might whatever the Difpofition of the Offerer's Mind was, discharge him from political Penalties. 2. That the Apostle in the Epiftle to the Hebrews confiders Sacrifices, and the whole ceremonial Law, apart from the Abrahamic Covenant; which Covenant he twice repeats as diftinct from the Levitical Law; as a more perfect Scheme of Religion, and as conferring that Juftification, to which the mere Levitical Services did not reach. Heb. viii. 7-13.-X. 15-18. See alfo Chap. vi. 13, &c.-vii. 16-19. Therefore he confiders Sacrifices as political Inftitutions.

122. BUT Sacrifices may be understood, and certainly were understood in a much

higher Sense; as Addreffes to God, or a figurative Way of expreffing before him the Devotion, Affections, and Defires of the Heart, either to obtain his Bleffing, or to deprecate his Difpleasure; as I have already fhewn. [20, 21. &c.] Thus they implied a right Difpofition of Mind, and were effectual to obtain the Divine Favour and an Intereft in Eternal Life in the fame Manner as fincere Devotion, true Repentance and Obedience. But then, in this View, the Sacrifice had Refpect to the Gospel, long before established in Chrift, and promised to Abraham; and the fincere Offerer was pardoned and accepted with Refpect to Life eternal, in Virtue of the Sacrifice of Jefus Christ our Lord, which, in the Fulness of Time, was to be offered up. This I have explained as fully and clearly as I can in the long Note upon Rom. v. 20. under the Ild Query. And as Sacrifices thus ftood in Relation to the Sacrifice of Christ, they are confidered in the Epistle to the Hebrews as Shadows, Emblems or Types of good things to come. Heb. x. 1.

123. BUT in any Senfe, the Effect of the Mofaical Sacrifices extended no farther than the particular Cafe in which they were offered. No Sacrifice, nor any Number of Sacrifices, was any Foundation of a general Pardon then, and at all Times, upon Repentance; or, were no general Affurance,

that

that God would hereafter forgive, without a Repetition of fuch Sacrifices. Because he appointed them to be repeated daily, yearly, and in every particular Inftance of Tranfgreffion, wherein a Sacrifice was admitted at all.

124. BUT our Lord Jefus Chrift, by one Offering of himself, bath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified; having obtained eternal Redemption for us, even the Remiffion of Sin, in a full Discharge from Death and every penal Evil, and the Gift of eternal Life. This brings us to the only Text in the large Collection relating to ATONEMENT which we have not yet examined; namely,

125. Dan. ix. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the tranfgreffion, and to make an end of Sins,

EFFECT. Finishing the Tranfgreffion, making an End of Sins, making Atonement for iniquity, and bringing in everlasting righteousness.

-and to make re ולכפר

conciliation [Atonement] for iniquity, and to bring in everlafting Righteousness.

MEAN. The Death of Christ, mentioned in Ver. 26. The Meffiab fhall be cut off, but not for himself.

126. THESE Effects, I doubt not, are rightly affigned to the Death of Chrift.

But

to