The Messenger. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1858-18??, 1859-11-17

ucltI niS UdpblSIu Until LHdt tiu0,
that the miraculous descent Of the
Holy Ghost, which he knew was to
accompany his baptism, might indi-
cate TO the people that he was ga
teacher sent from God"
And though John was of the Sa-
cerdotal race, it does not appear
that he ever actually entered the
priesthood. This mere eligibility to
the office by descent, certainly did
not authorize him to oficiate in any
priestly services, unless he had been
actually indicted into the office.
So far from there being any reason
to conclude that he ever qualified
himself for officiating in this sacred
Office; he appears to have spent his
life in the wilderness, far away from
the temple at Jeruselam, where, if
in the priesthood, like his father, he
must have been required, whenever
his time came, to appear and of6c;ate.
But had John been proper person
to administer this rite Of initiation
into the Lcvitical priesthood, Christ
was not suitable person to be in
Quoted into that priesthood, and
therefore the command in Exodus
xxx, 4, does not apply to him,
and obedience by him to it would not
have been an act of righteousness"
This command was addressed to
Moses in regard to "Aaron and his
SONS" or to the priests of the tribe
of Levi. But st. Paul says Heb,
VII, IA, at is evident our Lord
sprang out. of Judah, of which tribe
Moses spake nothing concerning the
priesthood" He is priest, not Of
Che order of Aaron, but "after the
similitude of Milchisidec" --'snot af-
ter the law of a carnal command
ment, but after the power of an
endless life." (Heb. VII, Is, 10y.
Ii this law had been binding npon
our blessed Lord, part of the
righteousness" for him to have
ssfulflled" would have been the of
4 fering at the temple of the sacrifice
of some young bullock and two rams
without blemish, and unleavened
bread, and cakes unleavened tenn
pered with oil, and waters unleaven-
ed anointed with oil''-for all these
things were required as a part Of the
conservation of the priests, in imme-
date connection with the injunction
that they be "washed with water"
Aud this washing with water was
not to be in or at Jordon, but before
'the door of the tabernacle or tenn
pie. Moreover as Chrit is "High
priest over the house of God" Heb.
x, 21,) his initiation, If this law ap-
piled to him, SHOULD, like Aaron's,
have been connected with the put
f ting on "the coat and the robe OF
the ephod, and the breast plate, and
the curious girdle of the epkod, and
the mitre upon his head and the ho-
ly crown upon the mitre," and the
f pouring of ''the holy oil upon head
and amounting him." for all these
we're a part Of the required ceremony
in the conservation Of q highpriest
As none of these things were done
to him or by him, it is marvellous
/ that any person should have thought
! that this law was binding upon him.
and yet that he fulfilled all righte-
, BUSINESS, in relation thereunto, by
+ obeying very small part of it.
6 I proceed, with great Difference tc
: persons of some note, who have ad
y vocated the above notion, which
t think / have shown to be utterly
untenable, to give what l conceive
|, to be rational,' consistent ant
5 scriptural explanation of the sense
t in which Christ fulfilled righteous
e ness in being baptised of John
!, st. Paul informs us, Gal. Nv, A,
: that Christ was made bornl of /
: woman; made born under the Law
t by which we understand him tt
teach. that his parentage, and th'
S time and place of his birth, mad
n the law of Moses binding upon him
Q so that Though he was not bound tt
d obey injunctions addressed to a trib
? and order to which he did not be
$ long, yeti he was under obligation
/ to keep its general precepts3 eve
!, though there were peculiarities n
a him, as Goldman, which caused
o them not to be fully adapted to him
Q Hence he was circumcised, thougl
!, that rite was symbolical of the s,put
q ting away of the filth Of the Resl
n Cor of fallen human nature thougl
i he had no filth OF moral deflemep
ID to pat away; Jet u one Of "tha see'