class="smcap">God? On the great Day of Atonement Israel's sin was confessed and put away; and thenceforward the daily and the Sabbath worship was that of whole burnt-offering. At the special festivals a he-goat was sacrificed for sin; but, as we have seen, the burnt-offerings, which speak of acceptance by, and devotion to, God were the principal features. It is the purpose of God that in the present dispensation His people should have and enjoy full assurance of salvation through the offering of Jesus Christ once for all; and more than this, should know that He who "died for their offences, and was raised again for their justification," henceforth "liveth unto God;" in order that His people may likewise "reckon themselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, in Jesus Christ our Lord." In Jesus Christ there is no condemnation. In Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of life hath set me "free from the law of sin and of death." By the will of God "we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all;" and by "that one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

THE BURNT-OFFERING.

To return to the order of enumeration: the burnt-offering is always mentioned first, because it is the highest in character, and gave most pleasure to God. It was wholly the Lord's; no part of it was eaten by the priest who offered it, nor by the offerer who presented it, it was all and only for God's satisfaction. When Noah offered his burnt-offering, the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and blessed him and his posterity. When Abraham in purpose offered up his son Isaac, God said, "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, ... that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed; ... and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."

The burnt-offering tells us of the perfect and accepted righteousness of Christ, in virtue of which the imperfect believer and his imperfect service are accepted by God. But it also reminds the believer of his privilege to surrender himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is to be the reasonable (intelligent) service (that is, ritual or worship) of each day and hour.

THE SIN-OFFERING AND THE PEACE-OFFERING.

The sin-offering, as its name indicates, recognized the offerer as guilty and defiled, but obtaining forgiveness and cleansing through the death of the victim in his stead. We see Christ as our sin-offering in Isa. liii. 4-10. But guilt removed still leaves the believer needing the imputed righteousness of Christ, and acceptance before God, which are the aspects of Christ's death foreshadowed, as we have seen by the burnt-offering.

Lastly, the peace-offering—part of which was consumed on the altar, while part was the portion of the priest, and the remainder furnished a feast to the offerer and his friends—shows us God and man feasting together on the perfect work of Christ. He that sanctifieth and those who are sanctified, find their full satisfaction in Him, and in Him alone. He has made peace by the blood of His cross. He has given us His own peace. We are called to let His peace rule in our hearts. And if we will but bring our burdens and cares to Him, we are promised that the peace of God shall guard and garrison our hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus!

PART II.

The Blessing of God.

Numb. vi. 22-27.

We have already seen the grace of God making provision that His people, who had lost the privilege of priestly service, might draw near to Him by Nazarite separation and consecration. And not as the offence was the free gift: those who had forfeited the privilege of priestly service were the males only, but women and even children might be Nazarites; whosoever desired was free to come, and thus draw near to God.

We now come to the concluding verses of Numb. vi, and see in them one of the fullest forms of benediction to be found in the whole Word of God. The thought naturally arises,

WHY IS IT FOUND HERE?

And the reply is twofold. There is the Divine side. Flowing from God's heart of love first came the privilege of Nazarite consecration; and then, by the act of consecration, His loving heart is so gladdened that it further overflows in these rich benedictions.

Looking, on the other hand, at the human side, we may learn that the soul which is fully consecrated always receives the blessing of God. Where that blessing is not enjoyed, there is always something unreal or defective in the consecration. It may be that we have separated ourselves to carry out our own will, or thought, or plan of service, instead of surrendering ourselves and our will, to learn and to do His will. But it is real consecration to GOD that puts us into the position in which He can pour out His richest blessings upon us.

The prodigal was a son of the father all the time; but when he preferred his will to the will of his father, his way to the way of his father, his management of his share in the property to his father's management, it issued but in ruin and misery—in hunger and nakedness and shame. The fact that he was a son was of no avail to him in the "far country," in the place of self-will and self-management. But as soon as he arose, and with true repentance and submission came back to the father's house, willing to serve, and to do his father's will, he found himself restored to his father's heart, and to all the privileges of sonship: the fatted calf was killed, the best robe was put upon him, once more he had shoes on his feet and a ring on his hand, and joy and gladness filled the home.

How many Christians there are who, in their self-will and attempted self-management, find themselves day by day full of sorrow, or full of care. Trying to keep themselves they are not kept; trying to be happy they are often unhappy; trying to succeed they fail; and they can but confess that their life is very different from that ideal life described in Ps. lxxxix. 15-18: