While in Babylon also, Daniel made a general and serious confession of the sins of the house of Israel; and it is a reasonable conclusion, that he then also turned his face to Jerusalem, in obedience to the established order of God's worship: according to the words of Solomon at the dedication of the temple:-"If they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication to thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people." (1 Kings viii. 47, &c.) Thus their prayers and their confessions were all to be made towards Jerusalem and towards that house where God had placed his name, in those times when they could not come before the altar and the priest in the correct order of God's appointment. But when they were released from captivity, and the temple, the altar and the priesthood became accessible, they could no longer be accepted unless they observed the prescribed order, as in the case of those who had taken strange wives as already shown.

My reason for dwelling so much on the confessiou of sins among the Jews and Israelites is to show that there never was any confession of sins from the beginning, which was acceptable to God, unless in the appointed order in the presence of his witnesses, except when the thing was impossible; and that in that case, it was only acceptable for the time being in coming as near to the mark as it was practicable to come; and also that as the law was an appointed pattern or shadow of the Gospel, and was so considered by the inspired apostles, the confession of sins under the law, in a perpetual order, is a confirmed reason that we may look for it in the Gospel; but especially when we find, not only John the forerunner of Christ, but Christians themselves confirming and practising it. It may appear strange to some, but not the less true, if it be found, on a strict examination, that no people ever pretended to confess their sins with any hope of pardon and acceptance, either under the law or the Gospel, without bringing them to the witnesses of God, until after the falling away, spoken of by the Apostle, took place, and the reign of the beast commenced, and the doctrines and works of Antichrist were promulgated and adopted.

We have now gone through the dispensation of the law and the prophets, which continued until John, to whom was given a new and farther revelation from God, which was preparatory to the Gospel dispensation. "The law and the prophets," said Jesus, "were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached." (Luke xvi. 16.) But though the old dispensation then began to come to its end, the article of confessing sins was not disannulled, but continued with an increase of light and energy; so that they who had been long acquainted with the law and its order, and, no doubt, had confessed according to that order, came and confessed to John. As it is written:

"John did baptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins." (Mark i. 4, 5.) From these things it appears that the matter of confessing sins was not a ceremony, although performed among the ceremonial observances, but a direct act of duty and worship to be continued throughout the work of salvation, as prayer, praise and other duties of perpetual obligation. The Hebrew term [nn] which signifies confession, signifies also thanksgiving, importing the laying open to God of the blessings received as well as the sins committed.

Now the people had sinned, not against John, but against God; the confession, therefore, was not due to John, but to God. But as John was the medium of the revelation of God to them for the work to which they were called, they came and confessed to God in his presence and hearing, or to God in him. Thus God continued to show his regard to order, as a God of order and not of confusion : he still had a witness; and as the ministry of John was preparatory and introductory to that of Christ who was one, John was for a time the only ministering witness: all the faithful went to him. And in acknowledging that order of God and that minister of order, they acknowledged God in the only acceptable manner then extant, and confessed their sins to him in the only acceptable method. Probably the most rebellious man would be willing to acknowledge God in some manner; he might acknowledge his name and authority at a distance; but the disorderly nature of man is opposed to order. Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their company, rebelled against the appointment and order of God in Moses and Aaron, and at the same time professed to be God's people-all holy. The pharisees also, who rejected John's baptism and the confession of sins accompanying it, and thereby rejected the counsel of God and refused to justify God; and who also said of Jesus Christ, "Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" (Luke v. 21, and vii. 29, 30.) nevertheless made a high profession of being God's peculiar people, having faith in the coming of both Elias and Christ that were to come. Many also in these days, who have cast off almost every trace of the true order of God in the Gospel, still profess to be Christians.

He who confesses his sins in secret is not certainly conscious that any being hears or regards him, or if he believes he is heard, he has no idea, that any thing more is known after his confession than before. He may say it is his choice to confess to God whom he fears and regards more than man. But that he has more fear toward a man like himself than towards God is evident; because when he is confessing his sins to God in secret without dread, were he conscious that a man of like passions with himself, especially a hater of sin, were in hearing, he would be alarmed, or filled with consternation. And why so; only because the fear of man is deeper in his heart than the fear of God out of man? It is infinitely more mortifying for a man to confess his sins in faith and honesty, in the hearing and presence of God's witnesses, than to confess to God, as they say, abstractedly from men; which conclusively proves that to confess to

God in men, is the deepest work, and the nearest possible approach to God. It fills up what is written: "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved," [discovered, or convicted, in the Greek, that is, lest he should be convicted of them, they being laid open in their true colours to his conscience,] "There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid that shall not be known." But to confess secretly brings nothing to light; it makes nothing known. These hate the light, and come not to the light; they seek deep to hide counsel from the LORD; for no man will imagine he can hide from God absolutely, or attempt to do it; but many seek with profound subtlety to hide from him in his witnesses. And, Woe to them, saith the LORD. But he that confesses to God in the true and established order, knows and sensibly feels, that he is heard and understood; that what he hath done is made known. This is coming to the light and uncovering; it is coming to truth and honesty; it is contrary to the spirit, or principle, which inclines men to commit sin; for that spirit can never lead a man to confess and expose his sins in so open a method, in so near an approach to God, until Satan can be divided against Satan. By thus confessing in the light, the spirit of sin and of darkness which rules in the corrupt and deceitful heart, is sensibly detected and exposed; this is coming to a light and a judgment of which the sinner is sensible; and this shows the necessity and propriety of God's having a witness. This is coming to the living God, on his living throne and in his living temple. As it is written: "Ye are the temple of the living God," and again: "The place of my throne; and the place of the soles of my feet; where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever." And again:

To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices [not legal types, but sacrifices in the spirit, or of a spiritual nature,] acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (Ezek. xliii. 7; 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5.) Now we have already shown that the priesthood were God's ministers to the people, and the people's ministers to God; that the people presented to the priesthood what they offered to God, and confessed to God in them, or to them in God's stead, the sins which they had committed against him. Thus believers in Christ are (not now a legal or ceremonial, but) a holy priesthood. Not that each one of them is an appointed ministering priest; but the true priests of God are all among them, Jesus Christ being the high priest: and separately from them, there is no access to God for salvation.

CHAPTER II.

THE SUBJECT CONTINUED, AS IT RESPECTS THE WORK OF GOD IN THE GOSPEL.

THAT the confession of sin is necessary, and so remains, under the dispensation of the Gospel, it is evident, from the consideration, that the whole order of the law was typical of the Gospel, and the baptism of John figurative of that of Christ, but also by the express teachings of the ministers of the Gospel. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jno. i. 9.)

After the introduction of the Gospel, God continued to show himself a God of order; and continued, or renewed, the direct line of order for his people. For although the priesthood was transposed from Aaron to Melchisedec, that is, to Christ, and the law transposed also, neither the law nor the order thereof was lost. (See page 69.) God had prepared a Mediator, a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, a shepherd of the sheep; the great antitype of all that had been before exhibited, the beginning of the new and spiritual building of God, the Judge of quick and dead. None, therefore, could approach God, or confess their sins to him, or receive forgiveness, except through that Mediator: no attempts of the kind, in any line or way, detached from him as the medium could succeed. Accordingly he said, “I am THE WAY, the truth and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me." (Jno. xiv. 6.) But as the office of Christ was represented by that of the Levitical high priest, we are not to look for much confession of sins made immediately to him; for there was another medium, subject to him, and through which to approach him. "Now, when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service: but into the second went the high priest alone, once every year." (Heb. ix. 6, 7.) It was not the manner under the law, for the people to come with their sacrifices immediately to the high priest who went alone once a year into the most holy place, but to the second order of priests who went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service for the people. This is made evident by the commandments which were given directly after the tabernacle was reared up in the wilderness. Aaron's sons, the subordinate priests were they who received the offerings at the hands of the people, and of course heard their confessions, as before shown. And the same order obtains with Christ and his ministers. The priests of Levi were not ordained and qualified as priests in their order, until the tabernacle was reared; so neither were the Gospel ministers until the Gospel was given; as said Jesus; "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be indued with power from on high." (Luke xxiv. 49.)

The rearing up of the Jewish tabernacle consisted in bringing the different parts together, on an appointed day, some time after they

had been formed, and joining them one to another, so as to make one tabernacle. So the rearing of the spiritual tabernacle also consisted in uniting the parts, in that day when God, and Christ, and the Church, became united in one according to the words of Christ: "In that day ye shall know, that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Jno. xiv. 20; Mat. xviii. 20.) This took place after Christ ascended to the right hand of power and his disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit, that cement of love and union, by whose influence they became of one heart and one soul. It was then Christ Jesus properly became a high priest of that living tabernacle; as saith the Apostle: "We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat to offer. For if he were on earth he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law; who serve unto the example of heavenly things. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry," or priesthood. (Heb. viii. 1-6.) By this view of the subject, it is evident, that while Christ Jesus was on earth, he was not properly qualified to execute his office, as it respected the offerings of the people to be made through him, any more than Aaron was before the tabernacle was reared and he anointed. As Aaron then became a medium for others to make their offering through him, so did Jesus Christ: the one being the type and the other the antitype.

Abundance was spoken concerning the office and duty of Aaron, and the offerings of the people, through them, long before the tabernacle was set up. A great part of the book of Exodus is taken up in treating on these subjects; but the last chapter gives the first account of the actual setting up of the tabernacle, and the eighth of Leviticus of Aaron's being actually anointed. And then his sons were also consecrated with him; and at the same time also, the tabernacle with all its utensils, and the altar with all belonging to it, were anointed, sanctified and prepared for the use long before prescribed. When this was done, Aaron entering through the vail into the most holy place of the tabernacle, found immediate access to God, and his throne, or mercy-seat, there placed; and the priests, standing in the first apartment of the tabernacle, and fulfilling their part of the service, in union with the high priest, found their access to the mercy-seat through him, in their gifts and offerings; and the congregation, meeting the priests, at the door of the tabernacle, with their gifts, found access to God in his mercy-seat, through the whole priesthood. And thus they all found access to God, and were accepted, and received blessings; but each in his own order. In these things the priests of Levi served to the example and shadow of heavenly things; and answerable to that example, or pattern, were the Gospel order and ministry established. Therefore as the confession of sins and offering for sins went together, under the law as before shown, and as they were not presented immediately to the high priest, but to the subordinate priests, so after the Gospel day and work took place the confession of sins was not immediately to Christ Jesus, but to his ministers, who are the Gospel or Christian priests, and his Church, or