His Blood flowed out, in vaft Abundance, by the amazing Sweat in the Garden; by the rending Lashes of the Scourge; by the lacerating Points of the Thorns; by the dreadful Nails, which cleft his Hands and his Feet; by the deadly Spear, which ripped open his Side, and cut its Way to his Heart.-Though the Blood was to be fo liberally fpilt, a Bone of the Lamb was not to be broken. And You cannot but recollect, You cannot but admire, the wonderful Interpofition of Providence, to accomplish this emblematical Prediction. When the Soldiers had received a Command, to break the Legs of the three crucified Perfons; when they had actually broke the Legs of each Malefactor, that hung on the right Side of our LORD and on the left; their Minds were over-ruled (by a divine Influence, no doubt) to fpare the bleffed JESUS, and to leave all his Bones unhurt, untouched.

The Lamb was to be killed before the whole Affembly; in the Prefence, either of the whole Congregation of Ifrael, or elfe of that particular Society, which concurred in eating the Flesh. And did not the whole Multitude of the Jews confpire against our REDEEMER, to put Him to Death? Did they not all cry out, as with one Voice? Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Was He not executed, at one of their grand Festivals, and in the Sight of the whole H 2 afembled

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affembled Nation?-The Blood was not to be poured heedlefly upon the Ground, but received carefully into a Bafon; and Sprinkled, with the utmost Punctuality, upon the DoorPofts. In like Manner, the Blood of the heavenly Lamb, is not to be trampled under Foot, by a contemptuous Difregard. It is the Treafure of the Church, and the Medicine of Life. To be received therefore by an humble Faith, and devoutly applied to our Confciences.The Sprinkling of that Blood fecured every Ifraelitish Family, from the destroying Angel's Sword. So, the Merits of the flaughtered SAVIOUR * fcreen every believing Sinner, from the Stroke of offended Juftice, and from the Pains of eternal Death. What must have become of the Ifraelite, who, trusting to the Uprightness of his Heart, fhould neglect to make use of this divinely appointed Safeguard ?

He

*Both St. Peter and St. Paul speak of The Blood of Sprinkling. I Pet. i. 2. Heb. xii. 24. Intimating, by this remarkable Form of Speech, that the Death of CHRIST will be of no Advantage to the Sinner, unlefs it be applied to his Heart. As the Blood of the Pafchal Lamb was no Protection to an Ifraelite, till it had tinged the Pofts of his Door.— Isaiah, ufing the fame Phrafe, and alluding to the fame Cuftom, fays of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, He fhall fprinkle many Nations. lii. 15. Not only initiate them into his Church by Baptifm; but alfo, by the Application of his Blood, fhall cleanse them from their Guilt, and deliver them from the Wrath to come.-If We admit the generally received Doctrine, this Metaphor is clear and eafy: if We reject the Doctrine of real Atonement, the Language is obfcure, the Senfe embarraffed, hardly if at all intelligible.

He muft inevitably have been punished with the Death of his Firft-born. Equally certain, but infinitely more dreadful, will be bis Condemnation; who, before the omnifcient Judge, fhall prefume to plead his own Integrity, or confide in his own Repentance, and reject the Atonement of the dying JESUS.

Ther. Now, if You pleafe, for the Sin-Offering. Which feems to have been the most eminent Sacrifice of them all.

Afp. It was the most comprehenfive; because, it fhadowed forth not only the Death of CHRIST, but his Refurrection from the Dead, and his Afcenfion into Heaven.-As the various Actions of fome illuftrious Perfonage, which cannot be exhibited by the Painter in a fingle Draught, are difplayed in Several Compartments; yet all conftitute one and the fame grand biftorical Picture. So, these glorious Events, which could not poffibly be typified by any fingle Animal, were represented by two Kids of the Goats: which nevertheless were reputed, but as one † Offering.

Thefe

*For the Circumstances relating to the Sin-Offering, the Reader will confult Levit. xvi.-For thofe which concern the Pafchal Lamb, He will have recourse to Exod. xii.

+ How runs the divine Command? He (the High-Prieft) fhall take of the Congregation two Kids of the Goats for a SinOffering. Levit. xvi. 5. Are not thefe two Kids styled, in the fingular Number and collective Senfe, an Offering?That We might not mistake, GOD is pleafed to add;

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And

Thefe Goats were brought to the Door of the Tabernacle, and there prefented before the LORD. CHRIST also presented Himself before GOD, when He went up to Jerufalem, that all Things written by the Prophets concerning Him might be accomplished *. -The Goat, on which the LORD's Lot fell, was devoted to Death. CHRIST also being delivered by the determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of GOD†, was crucified and flain.-The Body was burnt without the Camp. Which pointed at the very Place, and pictured out the very Nature, of

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And one Ram for a Burnt-Offering. Here He names one, to prevent a Mifapprehenfion of his Meaning, when He had before said two.-That We might be ftill more fecure from all Misconception, and regard this Goat as joined in the fame Offering with the other; the LORD, contrary to his own Rule in all other Cafes, orders the High-Priest to lay his Hands upon the Head of the Scape-Goat, not upon the Head of the Goat devoted to Death. He divides the neceflary Circumftances of a Sacrifice between them both. To intimate, in the cleareft Manner, that neither the One nor the Other Separate, but both taken together, were the one facrificial Oblation, appointed for this diftinguished Solemnity.

If this be true, I think, the Paffage is a pretty confiderable Proof, That Atonement was made by fuffering vicarious Punishment; notwithstanding what has been urged against it, from the tenth Verfe of the Chapter.-If We require human Authority for the Support of this Interpretation, one of the greatest human Authorities may be seen in the celebrated Vitfius: Uterque Hircus pertinebat ad unum Sacrificium pro Peccato, Hoftiæ unius loco. Uterque erat Pecus piacularis, vicaria Ifraeli Peccatori, ejufque Peccatum ferens. De Occon. Lib. IV. Cap. vi.

* Luke xviii. 31.

† Acts ii. 23.

our LORD's Sufferings. For He fuffered without the Gate*: was there exposed to the Rage of Men, and the Wrath of GOD; under the most exquisite Pains of Body, and the most insupportable Agonies of Soul. All fignificantly typified, by the Flame of a devouring Fire. Than which nothing is more fierce, more penetrating, or more feverely tormenting. As the Animal that was flaughtered, fhewed forth the REDEEMER dying for our Sins ; that which escaped, prefigured the fame SAVIOUR, rifing again for our Juftification.—The High-Priest put his Hands upon the Head of the Scape-Goat, and with great Solemnity, confeffed the Sins of the whole Congregation. The Import of this Ceremony is exprefly declared in the facred Canon; The Goat Shall bear upon Him their Iniquity. It is charmingly explained by the Prophet, The LORD laid on HIM the Iniquity of Us all ; and most delightfully confirmed by the Apostle, He HimSelf bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree ||.

This done, the Goat was difmiffed into a Land not inhabited: a Place feparated from all Refort of Men: where he was never likely to be found any more. To teach Us, That

Heb. xiii. 12.

our

+ It is obfervable, that whereas the Scape-Goat is faid to bear the Sins of Ifrael, Levit. xvi. 22. the very fame Phrase is applied to CHRIST, Isai, liii. 12.