01. LETTER

To REV. JOS. A. SEISS,

Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Philadelphia:

Respected Sir,—Having heard, with much pleasure, your recent series of Sabbath Evening Discourses on the Book of Leviticus, and believing that we are expressing the wish of many members of our own congregation, as well as others, in requesting you to have the same published in book form, we would respectfully solicit your kind compliance with this request; hoping that, should you deem such publication advisable, it may redound to the glory of God in the edification of any who will give it the attention it merits.

Yours, most truly,

| WM. MUSSER, | T. L. SCHRACK, |

| --- | --- |

| CHAS. H. BAKER, | A. RUTH, |

| W. I. BLANCHARD, | R. M. GREINER, |

| WM. W. WALTERS, | W. M. HEYL, |

| D. LUTHER, | ISAAC KOONS, |

| JNO. S. HEYL, | J. W. MILLER, |

| DANIEL S. GRICE, | D. M. FOX, |

| CHAS. E. BLUMNER, JR., | SAMUEL LAIRD, |

| CHAS. NEFF, | JNO. R. BAKER, |

GEORGE BARRON.

(ii)

THE

GOSPEL IN LEVITICUS;

OR,

AN EXPOSITION

OF

The Hebrew Ritual.

BY

JOSEPH A. SEISS, D.D.,

AUTHOR OF "LECTURES ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS," "THE LAST TIMES," ETC.

Jesus of Nazareth, of whom Moses in the Law did write. — JOHN 1. 45.

PHILADELPHIA:

LINDSAY & BLAKISTON.

1860.

PREFACE.

A POPULAR exposition of the Levitical ceremonies, with their typical import and relations, covers a field comparatively unoccupied. The nearest approaches to it are contained in the Commentaries of George Bush and A. A. Bonar, from which material help has been derived in the preparation of these Lectures.

The design of the author has been, in a connected way, to trace the grand features of the Gospel, and the method of salvation in Christ Jesus, as given in the ancient rites fifteen hundred years before the Savior came; and thus to develop not only an interesting illustration of the plan of grace from figures of God's own choosing, but also an argument for the inspiration of the Scriptures and the Divinity of the Christian system.

The Lectures themselves were written a few years ago, and publicly delivered in the city of Baltimore during the winter of 1857-8. They were subsequently revised, and delivered in the city of Philadelphia. The interest manifested on the part

1*

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vi

PREFACE.

of the large audiences who listened to both the first and second delivery of them, and the repeated and urgent solicitations made for their publication, have induced the belief that the circulation of them in book form would be acceptable to many, and do a good work for Christ and his cause. They are here-with given to the public, accompanied with the earnest prayer that the Divine blessing may attend them, and make them useful in the holy cause to which alone they are devoted.

PHILADELPHIA, November, 1859.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

FIRST LECTURE.

Moses and his Third Book — What is the Gospel? — The many ways in which it is presented—Natural Symbols of Christ — The value of Types in conveying instruction — Nature and Revelation... PAGES 13-28

SECOND LECTURE.

Origin of Sacrifices—Man a religious being—Revelation the assistant of Nature — Necessity for a Mediator — The Victim — Its Fate — What it availed—Its Freeness for all—The whole picture surveyed for the joy of the Saint and the alarm of the Sinner... 29-45

THIRD LECTURE.

Its relation to the Burnt offering—Denotes the Sinner's offering of himself to the Lord—The best demanded—The oil of Unction—Franklincense — Leaven and Honey excluded—Salt demanded—Was Eucharistic in its nature — The Mercies of God... 46-62

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viii

CONTENTS.

FOURTH LECTURE.

Religion a thing of gladness — Our whole Salvation dependant on the Blood of Atonement—True Peace requires a full surrender of Self first —God must have the Best — The Christian's ground for Joy — Feasts on Sacred Food — The subjects of his rejoicing... 63-79

FIFTH LECTURE.

THE SIN AND TRESPASS-OFFERINGS.

The Christian in this life still subject to Sins of Infirmity—These lingering defects are real sins—Their guilt graded by the Rank of the Offender—The remedy for them—Sundry lessons... 80-97

SIXTH LECTURE.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LAW OF OFFERINGS.

Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses—Miscellaneous Observations—Gospel Morality—The Personality of religious requirements—Faith—The Church... 98-116

SEVENTH LECTURE.

All religions founded upon Priesthood—Man must have a Mediator—All priesthoods sum up in Christ—The Ceremonies by which Aaron was consecrated—His Baptism—His Vestments—His Anointing—His marking with the Blood of Sacrifice—Our High-priest... 117-135

EIGHTH LECTURE.

THE CONSECRATION OF AARON'S SONS.

Two Orders of Priesthood—Inferior priests the sons of the High-priest—Particulars connected with their Consecration—The Consecration itself—Baptism—The Robe of Righteousness—The Lord's Supper—The Days of Waiting... 136-155

CONTENTS.

ix

NINTH LECTURE.

Salvation connected with the shedding of blood — The bloody rites of Greece and Rome — An argument for the inspiration of the Scriptures from their unity on the doctrine of Salvation by blood—Aaron's sacrifice for himself — Recollections of sin — Aaron's duties at the altar — Christ officiating at his own immolation—Was made Sin for us—Aaron's entry into the Sanctuary the symbol of Christ's Ascension and investiture in heaven — His Coming again — Particulars connected with his second Advent... 156-176

TENTH LECTURE.

THE FALL OF NADAR AND ABIHU.

An Episode — The nature of their Sin — Intemperance—Will-worship—Holy fire—Early corruptions of the Gospel—The fate of usurpers and corrupters — Natural affection with respect to the Lost — Christ's intercessions not hindered by Apostasies — He is still the only High-priest and Savior... 177-196

ELEVENTH LECTURE.

Moses a Naturalist—Design of these distinctions in Meats—A system of wholesome Dietetics—Separation from the rest of mankind—Training in the perception of moral distinctions — A picture of Sin... 197-214

TWELFTH LECTURE.

Cavils on the doctrine of native Depravity — The doctrine explained — Sin a disease — Symbolized by Leprosy — The analogy traced ... 215-233

X

CONTENTS.

THIRTEENTH LECTURE.

Corruption in our surroundings — Government — Domestic relations — Business — Education and literature — The Church — How such infections are to be treated — Christian Reform ... 234-251

FOURTEENTH LECTURE.

Cure to precede the cleansing — The two Birds — The Instrument of cleansing — The work of the Leper himself — Sacrifice necessary — Seven days of waiting required — The final Release ... 252-269

FIFTEENTH LECTURE.

THE POOR — HOUSE LEPROSY — SECRET UNCLEANNESS.

The Poor. — Modifications for their benefit — More demanded of the Rich. House Leprosy. — The Earth infected — Its ultimate cleansing. Secret Uncleanness. — Involuntary corruption — A good moral and spiritual discipline ... 270-286

SIXTEENTH LECTURE.

In the Seventh month — Once a year — For all at once — This day as regarded the High-Priest — as regards the Atonement itself — The two goats — This day as regarded the People — A day of Penitence and soul-sorrow ... 287-306

CONTENTS.

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SEVENTEENTH LECTURE.

The sense in which Salvation is altogether of Grace—The sense in which it is to be wrought out by Ourselves—What is a holy life—The means and elements of it—Keeping in view the blood-shedding of Jesus—Reformation of life—The cultivation of pure affections—Conformity to the Moral Law—A chapter of Penalties... 307-325

EIGHTEENTH LECTURE.

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PRIESTS.

Suggestive of requisites to efficiency in the Gospel ministry—Why the priest had to be physically perfect—Why purely mated—Why his children should be pure—Why required to be holy—The moral character of the Lord Jesus—Why the priest was not to give way to grief at the death of relatives—Christ's greatest sympathies not carnal but spiritual... 326-344

NINETEENTH LECTURE.

Their social, political, and commercial benefits—Their value in a religious aspect—Congregational worship—The Passover—The Feast of Unleavened Bread—The first sheaf of Barley harvest—The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, and the two loaves of Wheat harvest—The corners and the gleanings—The Feast of Trumpets, or Gospel call—The Feast of Tabernacles—The Sabbath... 345-365

TWENTIETH LECTURE.

The three Apartments of the Tabernacle—Types of the three states of man in his progress from Condemnation to complete Redemption—The Golden Candlesticks—The Shew-bread—Salvation in the Church only—True members of the Church have but a veil between them and heaven—Shelomith's son... 366-383 xii

CONTENTS.

TWENTY-FIRST LECTURE.

THE SABBATIC YEAR AND THE JUBILEE.

The stress laid on the number "seven" — The year-Sabbaths — How the people were to be supplied during the Sabbatic years — An argument for the Divine legation of Moses — How the truth of the Gospel is proven by these ancient laws — The Sabbatic periods in their typical signification — The "Jubilee" — Not properly the Gospel dispensation, but the final consummation to which the Gospel refers — A Sabbath to come — A period of Restitution — Of Release — Of Return home — Of Feasting upon the supplies of our years of toil — Conclusion... 384-403

THE

GOSPEL IN LEVITICUS.