New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-28
THE CHRISTIAN PRIESTHOOD.
The Rev. Hovard Crosby D. at the FIRST Rorma Episcopal
Church.

Church
The Rev. Howard Crosby, d. D., preached
last evening at the First Reformed Episcopal Church at
Madison.aye and Forty-seventh-s His text was taken
from Peteri. AMI 81 "a holy priesthood to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable God by Jesus Christ
Among other things DR.. Crosby said
When Israel arrived at Mt Sinai the Lords first words
to Moses from the mountain these: "Ye have
what did unto the Egyptians and how bare you on
gles wings and brought unto myself Now there
fore II We will obey my voice indeed and keep my cove
nant, then ye shall be peculiar treasure unto me
above all peoples for all the earth Is mine and ye shall
be unto me kingdom OF priests and holy nation"
The conditions Of this promise were never fulfilled
The children Of Israel proved dsobedent and cove
nant-breakng people from the first, and hence God
never made them kingdom Of priests.
Seven hundred and fifty years after the scene
at Sinai, Gods prophet dwelling amid the
decayng fragment Of the chosen nation predicted day
Of glory when the wastes should be built the desola-
tons repaired and Zion become the praise OF the whole
EARTH The Jewish nation and Jerusalem destroyed
without realizing this picture OF spendor All dlstnc-
tion taken from the Jews because OF their rebellion
against jehovah, aud the prophecy Is LEFT 10 apply to
the spiritual Zon composed OF Genties and Jews, who
a e soge these wS Eye a
be named the priests OF the Lord The promise made
who come to the standard of Messiah They are to be
the priests Of the Lord; they form the holy priest
text, tho royal priesthood" and in accordance with
this view we hear the Apostle John declaring that
own blood, and has made US kings and priests
unto God, hear the living creatures and elders
saying Thou has redeemed God by thy blood and
hast made Us unto God, kings and prests" And still
again told that the second death has no power
over such as have past resurrection they
shall priests OF God and OF Christ. Since then all
believers in the Lord Jesus priests Of God II be-
comes an interesting dlty for to examine into the
duties and prerogatves of this high and holy Office
And in this examination We shall see that the Jewish
priesthood were only typical Of this higher hoer office
which possess by the Divine gfthat as the Jewish
priesthood stood TO all Israel before the outward temple
the body OF believers stand TO all unbeevers before
Lord God while Jesus Christ Is their head and High
Priest and that while Israel nation wherein were
priests Gods spiritual kingdom is the only king
dom composed entirely Of priests Let at the outset
clear away stumbling; block over which many Chris.
tians have stumbed-the double use Of the word
OF p'i the word "presbyter" THAT is elder aud
to Christian ministers They are priests because they
presbyters and just they presbyters aud
more. But 1t happens that we have with this same
word priest " to translate the Hebrew "cohen and
the Latin " sacerdos" which words refer to OF
peculiar rank whose duty 1t TO offer up bloody sacrI
ices altar Now 1t Is in this latter sense that
word priest" is most generally used and hence the
among some with the notion Of sacrifoer-with which
IL has nothing TO do-and so. In accordance with this
great error, the Lords Supports called sacrifice aud
the communion table becomes altar In this way the
door opened for all rituasm to enter Ministers hav
ing become sacrcal priests must wear imposing robes
and burn incense aud turn the gospel generally to
Judaism, which, that Christ has come. is only
remove from Pagansp. Let us, then, remove
this stumblng-bock out OF our way and re-
member that ministers OF the Church simply
presbyters impaired with other Christians but that
all Christians including presbyters priests OF God
the high spiritual sense OF which the jewish priest
hood was typical. That we may understand our posi-
ton before God as His priests let impure into the
functions and style OF the typical priest and draw the
parallel proceed: First, the priests main duty
TO offer sacrifices the great brazen altar before
the Temple Bullocks, goats, and sheop-al represent
ing the Lord Jesus Christ suffering In steadwere
aud burned significant of exhausting
justice against sin in the person Of another nan the
Offerer. Tnls action constantly enacted before the
Tabernacle or Temple, making In that day, without
books, perpetual record before the people
of God in guilty mans stead-so that the
thought Intuition In the Jewish mind
that the blood OF the sacrifice from the wrath OF
God. The altar ITSELF made Of different pieces o wood
bound together and overaid with brass was
emblematio OF the Church OF God, bound
together in love- anG made strong in the divine
the sacrifice represented the believer who alone can by
faith bring smiten Saviour before God as his sub
situte aud surety The altar was not essential, but
IL was tile usual and prescribed accompaniment OF the
sacrince The only essentials priest and
The Church is not essential IN salvation as some
would make It, 1t proper aud right for each Christian
believer 10 offer up Christ his faith IN the midst OF
Gods people, 10 unite himself with them In this act and
thus uphold the communion OF saints Ii Is Gods Ordi
nance, and he VIII gain strength by conforming TO It
But although the Church Is thus nstltu-
ton OF God, and most beneficial 10 the individual
Christian heart, " Is not an essential TO salvation.
single Christian Offering up Jesus In his faith enough
Christ accepted by as my savior all that is neces
saly to save my SOUL IS not the altar, but
nee which atones Let us ever remember that,
Christ. Now, 20 the sacrifices Themselves
they always consisted or two parts tine bloody
offering and the meat offering. The bloody Offering ia
lts various forms exhibiting that shedding blood
which the remission OF SINS is gained, was token OF
that fati IN Jesus the atoGlng Lamb by which re-
celve the grace OF God The Offering Of hour called the
meat Offering, emblem of holy life, aud as the
Hour anoIntod with oil the amounting OF Jesus
ftoV One WAS saone " w gsae " order " thls R9y