Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-08-15
@eadiug fer the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
fOrlginal.l
HEBREWS, xii "a.

"Ye are come to Jesus the mediator Of the new
covenant (testament) and to the blood of sprink-
ling that speaketh better things than that or
Abe ."-HEB. xii pa
The Apostle Paul is generally regarded as
the author of the epistle tc the Hebrews. The
object designed to be accomplished by the
episte is plainly stated in the lst verse of the
9th chapter. The ''sum"-the burden Of the
whole epistle-is to state, explain and enforce
the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The apostle
set out in the first chapter by stating that for
a number of reasons, which be gives, Christ
is superior to angels In the subsequent por-
ton of the epistle, Christ is shown to be su-
perior to Moses, to Aaron and all the Aaron
ic priests Such being the case, we might
expect the blessings of the "latter day" dis
pensation to be greater than those of the for
mer. The former was legal and typical
dispensation, in which God, at suudry times
and in divers ways, spake unto the fathers,
not directly, but by the prophets. In the
"last days" or in the new covenant times he
speaks by his son Jesus Christ.
The tenth and eleventh chapters of the
epistle are devoted mainly to illustrating the
power and efficacy of faith. Numerous stri-
king examples are cited. The apostle con-
cludes that since we have all these witnesses
surrounding US like clouds we should lay
aside every weight and the sin that so easily
besets us, and run with patience the race that
is set before Us. We are exhorted to endure
with patience all the trials through which we
are called, in the providence of God to pass,
and to be strong in faith.
The present dispensation is commended,
since it is in 80 many particulars superior to
the former. The advantages of the present
dispensation are placed before us in fgurative
language. Mount Sion is contrasted with
Mount Sinai. Mount Sion is the New Testa-
ment Church; Mount Sinai is the legal dis,
pensation In the latter we have thunder
and lightning, storms and tempests, blackness
and darkness. The people are removed and
no one-not even beasts permitted to
touch the mount. Fear and trembling took
hold upon ALL Even Moses, that eminent
servant of God, said: "I exceedingly fear
and quake" Ye of the New Testament dis
pensation, says the apostle, are not come to
any such terrible exhibitions of divine wrath
as these; but ye are come to Mount Sion, to
the Catholic Church in which Jesus reigns
King of Peace. Ye are come to an innumer-
able company of angels, to the general assem-
bly, and Church of the first born, which are
written (enrolled) in Heaven, to God the
Judge Of all, and to the spirits Of just men
made perfect.
This is a very different scene from that pre-
sented at Mount Sinai during the giving of
the law. This betekeus joy and peace, that
filled the soul with fear; this promises life,
that threatened death this promises life to
all that will believe, that demanded blood.
The grand and glorions privilege of the pres
ent dispensation, however, is that believers
are come to Jesus the mediator Of the new
covenant and to the sprinkling of his blood
which speaketh better things than that of
Abel
The history of Abel we need not repeat.
tits known to all Bible readers. Unfortunate
man, he fell by the hand of his own brother.
He was the first of our race to die The
ground drank up his blood and that blood
cried to heaven for vengeance. Justice de-
manded the blood of the murderer Cain. The
blood of Abel did more than this. In it we
see the fatal consequences of Adams sin. 1t
IL. f. r.. Il A.
the wages of sin is death. 1t proved that
both Cain and Abel we're sinners. Had Cain
not been sinner, he would not have MUIR
dered his brother; and had Abel not been
sinner, he could not have been slain by Cain.
The Apostle contrasts not the blood of
Abel with that of Jesus, but the cry Of the
blood of Abel with the cry of the blood Of
Jesus. The blood of Abel cries for ven
geance the blood of Jesus cries to God for
pardon and forgiveness. The blood of Abel
embodies all that is contained in the legal dis.
pensation. 1t proclaims, in language that
cannot be misunderstood that "the soul that
snneth it shall die" Very different is the
proclamation made by the blood Of Jesus the
mediator of the New Testament. 1t announ-
ces peace and pardon to all who will accept
that blood as proper atonement for sin.
That cry for vengeance which the blood of
Abel could not hush, was senced by the
blood of the Lamb of God. The Old Testa-
ment dispensaton had its priests and sacrifices,
but these were only typical. The priest was
type of Christ, and the sacrifice which he
offered was only type of the body of Christ
which he offered up for sin. In the plenitude
of his love ant mercy, the triune God consti-
tuted, with all oath, the second person Of the
trinity, both priest aud sacrifice. This was
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant AS
priest he offered up himself sacrifice in the
room and stead of sinners. This speaks bet.
ter things than that Of Abel. The blood of
Abel symbolizes the legal dispensation in
which God, as God of justice, demanded
blood. 1t indicated guilt and pollution, but
reveals no way of escape from the vengeance
of the violated law. The blood of Jesus in.
dicates that man is guilty sinner and that
he is covered with moral pollution as with
garment; but it discovers way by which
God can be just and yet redeem the guilty
and purify the defled.
Thus it is that the blood of Jesus speaketh
better things than that of Abel. In fact, the
blood of Abel speaks nothing but justice.
The blood of Jesus proclaims that in the
scheme of redeeming love "mercy and truth
,no not torothor. rirbtooucnoso and noono