dren, is rendered so strong, lively, and permanent? The reason is, that the child is always with its parents, continually lives with them and speaks with them; knows and feels that it receives every thing from them; their image becomes inwoven with all its thoughts, affections, and plans, and makes part of its essential happiness. Any man that will take care to be thus always with God, to think of him, and to refer to him, and to make the messages of his love by Jesus Christ as familiar, as a mother's accents of love to her child, may render his religious principle as strong and fervent. But the filial affection of the most devoted child in the land might be chilled and destroyed, if he kept himself as little acquainted with his parents as many men are with God. Learn wisdom from this example. Have not the folly to hope for the great end, except you devotedly pursue the prescribed means. It is these upon which God pours the blessing, and which shall guide us at last "through faith unto salvation."

SERMON VI.

JESUS THE HIGH PRIEST.

HEBREWS IX. 26.

BUT NOW, ONce, in the END OF THE WORLD, HATH HE APPEARED TO PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF.

IT is observable of the manner in which the apostles speak of our Lord, that they seem anxious to accumulate expressions which shall evince their admiration and devotion; and in order to excite in others the same sentiments, they take care to select such language and illustrations, as shall convey to their minds the most favorable impressions concerning his excellence and dignity. These are consequently varied according to the previous opinions and habits of those whom they address; since that illustration which should ascribe to him the highest honor in the opinion of one, might be associated in the mind of another with very opposite feelings. This is only saying, in other words, that they adapted themselves to the habits of thinking and state of mind of those whom they addressed. This is what Paul means when he says, "that he became all things to all men, that he might by all means save some." It was on this principle that he strove to win the attention of the Athenians, by representing the God whom he would preach to

them, not as a strange divinity, but as that "Unknown God” whom they already worshiped; and that he quoted to them, in corroboration of his doctrine, the words of “ one of their own poets."

It is upon this principle, also, that the epistle to the Hebrews is written. It is designed to conciliate the Jews to the new religion, by exhibiting it in such lights, and under such illustrations, as would render it to them most effective. In order to this, the author institutes a parallel between some portions of the Mosaic and the Christian institutions. The Jews would seem to have felt it as an objection to the doctrines of our Lord, that they threatened the abolition of the ancient ceremonials; and many, who could hardly doubt that he was the Christ, were yet ready to regard it as a deficiency in his system, that it provided no splendid temple nor sanctuary, no sacrifices nor priests, like the venerable faith which had been communicated to their fathers. To meet this very natural feeling among his countrymen, the apostle explains to them, that these things may be considered as existing in the Christian no less than in the Jewish dispensation. Heaven is a temple, and that part of it which is accounted the peculiar residence of God may be called the sanctuary, or holy of holies. The death of Christ, considering its moral cause and purposes, may be deemed a sacrifice; and he himself, considering the design of his office, may be regarded as our high priest. And not only so, but it is a more splendid temple, a richer sacrifice, a greater high priest. He would thus make it appear that the Mosaic religion had no advantage over the Christian in respect to ordinances; that, in truth, it had possessed only the shadow, of which the substance is in the gospel. Under the first covenant there was a tabernacle magnificently furnished, which he describes; under the

second covenant there is " a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands." Into that the high priest entered with the blood of beasts; so did Christ into this with his own blood. Under that covenant the sign of cleansing and pardon was "the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean; " under this, it is the blood of Jesus Christ, "who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God." But the Jewish high priest offered for himself as well as for the people; Jesus is greater, who needs no offering for himself. The Jewish high priest offered every year; but Christ only "once, now, in the end of the world, hath appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Upon the parallel thus instituted by the apostle two remarks may be made. First, it is observable, that, in addressing the Hebrews, nothing could be more natural, or more likely to attract their regard to the new faith. It was illustrating the high dignity of our Lord, and the purpose of his office, in a manner conformable to their previous religious associations and habits. It thus adapted itself to their sacred prejudices, and prepared the way for the gradual removal of them. And secondly, as it was a mode of illustrating our Lord's character and office peculiarly suited to them, so it is one which—with the exception of a few incidental allusions, and the occasional occurrence of sacrificial terms is never used except in reference to them, nor by any writer except the author of this epistle. To other nations, indeed, not familiar with the religious persons and institutions of the Mosaic law, this mode of illustration is difficult to be appreciated. After the best explanations, it remains not a little obscure. This circumstance deserves to be considered, because it may convince us that the essence of our Lord's office does not consist in this form of representing

it; since if it did, it would be the general form, and, instead of being nearly confined to one epistle, would be in ordinary use among the apostles, and the title of high priest as familiar as that of Savior. Jesus himself could not have passed through his whole ministry without alluding to it, nor the apostles have been utterly silent respecting it in their preaching, as from the book of Acts they appear to have been. We owe to it some of the most interesting and affecting views of our Lord's offices; but they never would have been given in the same form to any of the Gentile Christians, and cannot, therefore, as regards the form, be essential to their right apprehension. Our object must be to ascertain the great and leading truth couched beneath these representations; to separate what is essential from what is accidental, and take the substance rather than the form..

In order to this, let us briefly examine the language of the epistle, and show what inferences should be drawn from it for the direction of our faith and affections.

The apostle represents our Lord as holding the same place in the Christian system which the high priest had maintained in the Jewish. He had already described him as sustaining the office of Mediator, like Moses in the previous dispensation; and now, that he may show how all honor is accumulated on him, and that he has a name above every name, he declares him to hold in the church forever that most sacred function, and high place of government, which had formerly passed from one to another in the family of Aaron.

The high priest was the chief religious personage, or, as we may say, the head of the ancient church. He possessed a dignity of office and a sacredness of person to which none else approached. He had the supreme charge over all holy