490 THE ATONEMENT OE CHRIST. the moral and sinful pollutions of the soul : and consequently, that the external and corporeal -forms of atonement and pur- gation were chiefly designed as types and figures of the blood of Christ, which was a real propitiation for the sins of the soul Third Consideration.The most exact and happy resem- blance and conformity, between the method of atonement by the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ, and the appointed rites of the levitical priesthood and atonement, very naturally leads us to suppose, that one was designed to figure out and foretel the other; especially since the scripture gives us such frequent hints of it. The great God, to whom all his own works are known from the beginning of the world, had the sacrifice and priesthood Of his Son Jesus ever in his eye, when he ordained the Jewish forms of atonement. He kept in view Jesus the high-priest, who was hereafter to enter into heaven in the virtue of his own blood, when he appointed Aaron to go into the holy ptace,_ the figure of the true, with the blood of the yearly expiation. He kept inview the merit of Christ'sdeath,' which was to be applied to our souls and consciences by faith, when he appointed the peo- ple to be sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifices : And there- fore the blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling; Heb, 24. Andwhen he ordained the morning and evening lamb for a continual burnt-offering, be pointed, though afar off, to the Messiah, the Lamb of God, that must take way the sins or men. . These resemblances might be shown in a multitude of other instances: but Í cannot onit this one, viz. As the killing of the beast was designed to hold forth the violent and bloody death of Christ, the great sacrifice ; so the burning of the flesh and entrails on the altar by that divine fire, which was always kept alive there, and which was kindled at first from heaven, seems plainly intended to foretel those sacred.divine impressions of the indignation of God due to sinners, Which were to be madeupon the holy soul of Christ himself, when it pleased the lather to bruise lam, and put hint to grief: For the indignation of God is often representedby fire. We must not imagine therefore, that there levitical ordi , nances were first in the design of God, as proper statutes for the Jewish nation, andthen that the Son of God came into the world, and passed through such special scenes of life, death, and resur- rection, merely in order to copy out these Jewish ordinances ; But we must conceive the Son of God, first designed as our great Atonement andHigh-priest on earth, and in heaven : And in the view and foresight hereof all those levities' ordinances were given to the Jews as figures and emblems, to give early notice before-hand, of the blessingsof the great Messiah. Surely the
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