The Solemn Yearly Sacrifice of the Bullock and He-Goat a Type of Christ

    Le 16.

    I. OF the two He-goats it was by lot that the one was taken, and the other escaped, &c. The manner, saith Ainsworth, was thus: they had two lots, the one had written upon it, "for Jehovah;" and on the other, "for a scape-goat." Now God by these lots showed which of the two he would have die; figuring clearly unto them, how that Jesus Christ, the lively Antitype of them, was to die by God's decree, or according to the determinate council of his own will, that we might escape eternal damnation thereby, Ac 4:28.

    II. He on whom the lot fell, was made a sin-offering for the people; to signify that Christ should by God's decree become an offering or sacrifice for our sins.

    III. The blood of the He-goat, as also the blood of the Bullock, was brought into the vail, and was sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, on the east side, which was towards the people. So are the merits of the blood of Jesus brought within the holiest of all, viz., heaven itself, before the throne of mercy, pleading for us, Heb 9:21.

    IV. The priest was to make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, "And so he shall do for the tabernacle of the congregation," &c., Le 16:16. This showed the horrible nature of sin. For though the people never came into the holy place, much less into the most holy place; yet such was the power of their iniquities, that the holy altar, ark, and sanctuary itself was defiled in the sight of God, and could not be cleansed without blood. So our sins do defile God's Church, and his most holy ordinances therein performed, so that neither we, nor any of our best services, can meet with acceptance, but by the means of Christ's blood and merits.

    V. No man was to be in the tabernacle, when the high priest went in to make atonement, only the high priest himself, &c., plainly signifying, that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, hath no partner with him in working our salvation. "He, his own self, bare our sins in his body on the tree," &c., 1Pe 2:24.

    VI. The altar of incense was sprinkled with the blood of the killed goat, shadowing, that Christ, through the shedding of his own blood, should be consecrated our Intercessor, and by the means and merits thereof our prayers should be accepted, Heb 8:6.

    VII. The high priest was to cast off his glorious garments, when he made this atonement; signifying, that Christ should be abased, and lay aside, as it were, his glorious robes, or veil his Deity, and appear in the form of a servant, that so he might finish the work of our redemption, Heb 8:4; Php 2:6.

    VIII. The day of atonement shall, saith the text, be a sabbath for ever; shadowing thereby, that through the atonement and expiation of Christ, he hath obtained everlasting rest for us; and that in his death, all typical sacrifices should end.

    IX. Once only in a year this atonement was made; to show, that not often, but once for ever, without repetition, Christ should make a perfect atonement for us by his own blood, and thereby enter into the highest heavens, to appear in the presence of God for us, Heb 9:24.