to build the temple have been the first to reject him: they could not endure that so much honour should be put upon him; or that they should be constrained to acknowledge him as the one source of all their stability. But he was chosen of God" from all eternity, as the only Being capable of supporting the weight of this vast edifice; and, so perfectly is he suited to his place, that "he is precious" to God, and precious to all who are built upon him. If all the angels in heaven were ordered to fill his place but for a moment, the whole building would fall to ruins: but in him there is a suitableness and sufficiency, that at once delights the heart of God, and inspires his people with implicit confidence.] Nor is the foundation only of the temple typical; there is a typical reference also II. In its superstructure Believers are the stones of which the temple is composed [Every man, in his natural state, is as the stones in a quarry, ignorant of the end to which he is destined, and incapable of doing any thing towards the accomplishment of it. But the great Master-builder, by the instrumentality of those who labour under his direction, selects some from the rest, and fashions them for the places which he intends them to occupy in this spiritual building. But, as the temple of Solomon was built without the noise of an axe or hammer, or any other tool,f so are these brought in a silent manner," and "fitly framed together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."] By "coming to Christ" they are gradually built up upon him [Believers quickened by Christ, become "lively," or living" stones," like unto Christ himself: "they live by him," yea, he himself is their life. Notwithstanding therefore they have of themselves no power, through his quickening Spirit they become voluntary agents; and though it is true that they are drawn to him by the Father," yet it is also true, that they "come to him" willingly, and with strong desire. And this is the way in which "they are built up a spiritual house:" by "coming to him" they are placed upon him; and by coming to him yet again and again, they derive 66 more abundant life" from him; they are more and more fitted for the place they occupy; they are more closely knit to all the other parts of this sacred building, and more firmly established on him as their one foundation. It is thus d Acts iv. 11. e Isai. xlii. 1. Job xxxiii, 15, 16. Acts xvi. 14. ¡ Col. iii, 4. * John vi. 44. f1 Kings vi. 7. Eph. ii, 21, 22. T that the fabric itself is enlarged by the constant addition of fresh materials; and thus that "every part of the building groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord."] A similar view must yet further be taken of the temple III. In its services The same persons, who before were represented as the stones of the building, are now, by an easy transition, spoken of as the priests officiating in it. Believers are "an holy priesthood" [None could officiate in the material temple but those of the tribe of Levi: but, in the spiritual temple, all are priests, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female: "The chosen generation are also a royal priesthood;" who are not only entitled, but bound, to transact their own business with God. This honour also they attain by coming unto Christ:" by him they are "made kings and priests unto God;" and "through him they have boldness to enter into the holiest," and to present themselves before the Majesty of heaven.] Nor shall the sacrifices which they offer be presented in vain [They come not indeed with the blood of bulls and of goats; but they bring the infinitely more precious blood of Christ. On account of his atonement, their prayers and praises, their alms and oblations, yea, all their works of righte ousness come up with a sweet savour before God, and their persons as well as services find a favourable acceptance in his sight. Nor though, through the infirmity of their flesh, their offerings be very imperfect, shall they therefore be despised: if only they be presented with an humble and willing mind, God, even under the law, and much more under the gospel, has promised to accept them."] m Let us LEARN from this subject 1. Our duty [Whatever be our attainments in the divine life, we have one daily and hourly employment, to be "coming to Christ:" by these means we shall be advanced and established; but, if we neglect them, we shall fall and perish. Nor must the opinions of men be of any weight when opposed to this duty: whoever despise, we must "choose" him; whoever abhor, we must account him "precious:" if the whole universe should combine against him, we must be firm in our adherence to 11 Pet. . 9. m Heb. xiii. 15, 16. n Lev. xxii. 19-22.2 Cor. viii. 12. him. Nor must we rest in cold uninfluential professions of regard. We must devote ourselves to him, while we build upon him; and present ourselves, and all that we possess, as living sacrifices unto our God and Father.] 2. Our privilege [Being brought nigh to God by the blood of Christ, it is our privilege to maintain fellowship with him as our reconciled God. We should banish all doubts about the acceptance of our feeble endeavours; and come, like the high priest himself, even to his mercy-seat, there to make known our wants, and obtain the blessings we stand in need of. Methinks our state on earth should resemble, in a measure, the state of those in heaven: we should possess the same humble confidence, the same holy joy: and our sacrifices, enflamed with heavenly fire, should ever be ascending from the altar of a grateful heart, that God may smell a sweet savour, and " rejoice over us to do us good." Thrice happy they who so walk before him! Let it be the ambition of us all to do so: then shall we indeed be "Temples of the Holy Ghost;" we shall draw nigh to God, and God will draw nigh to us;" we shall " dwell in God, and God will dwell in us;" and the communion, begun on earth, shall be carried on and perfected in glory.] o 1 Cor. vi. 19. CXXIX. THE HOLY OF HOLIES A TYPE OF HEAVEN. Heb. ix. 24. Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. IT appears, at first sight, unworthy of God to appoint with such precision every the minutest circumstance relating to the tabernacle and its services. Provided he were worshipped and served, it should seem a matter of no importance whether the place, wherein he was worshipped, were of such or such an exact form, or whether the ceremonies observed in his worship were exactly of such or such a kind. But God intended to prefigure every thing relating to the Messiah and his kingdom: and therefore it was necessary not only that a model of every thing should be given to Moses, but that these a Heb. viii. 5. patterns of heavenly things, made by Moses according to that model, should undergo a purification by the blood of carnal sacrifices, that so the heavenly things themselves, which were to be purified by the great sacrifice, might be the more evidently prefigured. These types having been given, Christ accomplished them on earth in part, and is now perfecting the accomplishment of them in heaven; whither he is gone, as the high priest went into the holy of holies, to appear before God on behalf of his people. It is our intention to shew I. In what respect heaven was typified by the holy of holies The whole edifice of the tabernacle or temple was a figure of Christ's human nature, in which the Godhead dwelt; and of the church also, in which God resides. But the most holy place, which is also called "the tabernacle," eminently represented heaven: I. It was the immediate residence of the Deity [The Shechinah, the bright cloud, which was the symbol of the Deity, dwelt between the cherubims upon the mercyseat; and there God manifested himself more than in any other place on earth. Thus also, but in an infinitely brighter manner, does he display his glory in heaven. He is indeed on earth and even in hell; neither can the heaven of heavens contain him; for he prevades all space. But, though he is on our right hand, we cannot see him; nor, if we look for him on the left hand, can he be found by us. But in heaven he is seen face to face; and all the heavenly hosts behold him shining forth in all the brightness of his glory.] 2. It was inaccessible except with the blood of sacrifices [No person whatever was to enter into the sanctuary, except the high priest, nor could he, except on the great day of annual expiation; nor even then, except with the blood of beasts, that had been offered in sacrifice to God. Thus is there no admittance into heaven but through the blood of our great sacrifice. Not even our great high priest himself, when he had become the surety and substitute of sinners, could enter there without his own precious blood; and heaven itself b Ver. 23. a Ver. 3. * Ver. 12. c John ii. 19, 21. 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. needed, as it were, to be purified from the defilement it contracted through the admission of sinners into it, even as the sanctuary, with all the vessels of it, were purified from the pollutions they had contracted through the ministration of sin ful man."] 3. It was the repository of all the principal memorials of God's power and grace [The apostle enumerates the various things which were deposited in the holy of holies; all of them, either memorials of God's providential care, or exhibitions of his covenant love. And are they not all in heaven, concentrated and combined in the person of Christ? Christ is the true ark, in which the law is kept, and fulfilled; and, while he makes intercession for his people, he is also the food of their souls, and the performer of all those miracles of grace that are wrought on their behalf. We cannot behold him, but we must immediately be persuaded that God is able and willing to save us to the uttermost.] But while we see that the true tabernacle, even heaven itself, was prefigured by the holy places made with hands, let us consider II. The end for which our Lord ascended thither Our Lord could not go into the earthly tabernacle, because he was not of that tribe, to which the priesthood belonged: but into the heavenly sanctuary he went 1. As our forerunner [God has ordained, that all his people should one day dwell with him around his throne. All true penitents now are priests unto God, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, male or female:* and Jesus is gone, as he himself tells us, to prepare places for them. He is expressly said to be gone within the vail as our forerunner. Let us then contemplate him in this view; and look forward to the time when we shall follow him within the vail, and "be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."] 2. As our head and representative [It was not as an individual merely that Christ ascended h Ver. 21. 23. with Lev. xvi. 16. i Ver. 4, 5. The apostle does not say, that the censer, or altar of incense, as varng iov may signify, was in the holy of holies, (for it was on the outside of the vail) but that the holy of holies had it: that being of very distinguished use, when the high priest entered within the vail. Rev. i. 6. 1 John xiv. 2, 3. P m Heb. vi. 20. |