The burnt sacrifice.
The most ancient, that which represents all others. Notice—
I. THE MAIN PRINCIPLE REPRESENTED—SELF-SURRENDER IN ORDER TO SELF-PRESERVATION THROUGH THE COVENANTED MERCY OF JEHOVAH. In this principle there are included these points:
1. Recognition of the supreme claim Of God.
2. Substitutionary surrender, a life for a life, the victim for the offerer.
3. Expiation of sin and acceptance, by the restoration of the covenant relations between God and man, proceeding from Divine love, but resting on the offering as representing a fulfilment on both sides of the contract—God forgiving, man obeying.
4. The union of the two elements of blood and fire, i.e; of atonement and purification, the negative holiness and the positive holiness, justification and sanctification, fulness of grace.
II. DETAILS OF THE SACRIFICE. Leviticus 1:3.—"Of the herd a male without blemish." God must have our best. We must make our religious service a reality, putting into it our strongest faculties, best opportunities, counting all things but loss for Christ. Examples in the offerings of great faith. Nothing should be blemished in the house of God, in private religion, in acts of charity. "Thou God seest me." "Of his own voluntary will." Although a law, it is of no validity but as an appeal to the free heart of man. Anticipation of the gospel, the Law a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The highest state of life is when law is absorbed in the activity of the nature: we are likest God when we are by grace a law unto ourselves, "willing to do his will? "At the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord." Here are the three elements of religion recognized:
1. Publicity.
2. Fellowship.
3. Divine order.
Secret religion is a contradiction. The profession is part of the sacrifice. "Thy vows are upon me, O Lord. The congregation is a cloud of witnesses, both sustaining personal religion and supplying a constant test of sincerity. And whatever we do, we do before the Lord. His face we desire to seek, and in the light of his manifested favour we rejoice. There are special appointments which all true worshippers will honour: the sabbath, the Word, the congregation, the ordered life of the Christian Church.—R.