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which they certainly would not have done if they had conceived that Christ was a real sacrifice , and his death the great original of this religious rite . Thus St . Paul exhorts Christians to * ' present their bodies a living sacrifice : " St . Peter describes them as " a
spiritual house , a holy priesthood , to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ /* We are exhorted in the Epistle to the Hebrews , " to offer up the sacrifice of praise continually , " " to do good and communicate , for with such sacrifices
God is well pleased . ' * St . Paul says , " If I be offered up on the sacrifice and service of your faith , I joy and rejoice in you all . " And in the fifteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans he speaks of himself as the minister of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles , ministering the gospel of God , that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable , being sanctified by the Holy Spirit . Thus it appears that the writers of the New Testament were in the habit
of applying this language to a great variety of subjects , which makes it less likely that , when they applied it to the death of Jesus Christ , they meant that we should understand them literally . And , on the other hand , although it is under this image of a sacrifice that they frequently speak of the death of Christ , it is by no means the only representation which they give of
it . He is described as a good shepherd , laying down his life for his sheep . He speaks of himself as a grain of corn , which , unless it die , abideth alone ; but if it die , it bringeth forth much fruit . He is described as
a captain , leading his followers to salvation . By a variety of images , he is described as a priest , an altar , a mercy-seat , a high-priest entering within the veil , a sacrifice .
Thus it appears that whatever comparisons are made between the death of Christ and the sacrifices , and other ceremonies of the law , are all capable of being explained in the same way as
expressions having great beauty and propriety , when considered as figurative , but destitute of both , if we a , ttempt to explain them by a literal mode of interpretation . What has now been said may , perhaps , be suffix
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cient to shew on what principle the passages in question may be expl ained consistently with the general sense of scripture ; and so as not to contradict our established belief in the wisdom goodness and mercifulness of God ' And shall we despise the riches and
long-suffering of God , as displayed in the gospel of Jesus Christ , beca use the means which he has adopted do not exactly accord with our preconceived opinions ? The simplicity of the means employed is surely one of the greatest proofs of the divine origin of the Christian institution . The
raising of one from amongst our brethren to be our prince and Saviourthe endowing him with heavenly graces and extraordinary powers , delivering him from the dominion of death , and
raising him to an immortal state of glory in the heavens—is surely a more convincing proof of divine goodness , wisdom and power , than if a being of the highest order had been sent invested with authority , to proclaim the tidings of salvation .
When we consider what important things are revealed to us , what more can we desire ? We are told of the forgiveness of sins ; the resurrection of the body and life eternal ; the providence of God ever exercised over us
for our protection ; the ascension and immortality of Christ ; the perpetual love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord . What is there incomplete for correction and instruction in righteousness ? What is there that could have a happier tendency to inspire us with the most fervent love and veneration of
God , and to fill us with the most sincere gratitude towards our Lord Jesus Christ ? We look to Jesus , the author and finisher of our faith—who , having overcome death , is become the author of eternal salvation to all them
that believe in him . He that was dead is alive ; he is present to intercede for his church , and he will come again to receive his faithful follower * to himself . May we earnestly strive lorious
to prepare oujrselves for his g appearance , that we may not be ^ shamed before him at bis comin g but may be received unto glory ana honour and praise , through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus our Lord i
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464 An Essay on the Nature and Design of Sacrifices under the Mosaic Law .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1823, page 464, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1787/page/32/
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