The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-04
THE MEANING OF BURNT OFFER
INGS.

AS appropriate to an undeIs landing
of the law of sacrifices and burnt offer
ings in the Old Testament ritual which
is just now the subject of the Sunday
school less Ons, we print the following,
written by DR.. Alexander McLaren, of
| Manchester, England, and taken from
the Sunday School Times. 1t shows the
beauty and dignity of the idea which
underlaid this custom Of sacrifice in
the olden religions:
THE meaning of the sacrifices was
hidden from many worshiper. They
became Opaque instead of transparent,
and hid the great truth which they
were meant to reveal. All forms labor
under that disadvantage; but that they
were significant in design, and largely
so to devout hearts in effect, admits of
no reas enable doubt. Of course, too,
their benefit was symbolical, and the
blood Of bulls and goats could never
put away sin; but, under the shelter Of
the outward forms, more spiritual
insight gradually grew up, such as
breaths in many psalm, and such as,
we cannot doubt, filled the heart of
many worshiper, as he stood by the
bleeding sacrifice on which his own
hands had laid the burden that had
weighed so heavy on himself. How
far the prophetic aspect of the sacrifices
was dis eerned, is more difficult ques
ton. But this at least we know
that the highest level of evangelical
prophecy, in Isaiah's wonderful fifty
third chapter, is reached from this van
tage- ground 1t is the flower of which
these ordinances are the root. We
need not enlarge upon the prophetic
aspect of the sacrifice. The mere neg
ative sinlessness of the victim points
to the Lamb without blemish and with
out spot, on whom, as Isaiah says, in
language dyed through and through
with sacrifcial references, the Lord
hath made to meet 1.-THE iniquity Of us
ALL" and who himself makes This soul
an offering for SIM"
The remaining part of the ritual was
| peculiar to the burnt offering. The
meaning of this provision may be ap-
pretended if we note that the word rem
dered, "burn," in verso 8, is not that
which simply implies destruction by
fire, but is a peculiar word, reserved for
sacrifcial burnings, and meaning, ito
cause to ascend in smoke or vapor." :"
The gross flesh was, as it were, refined
into vapor and o1Or, and went up to
God as a sweet SAVIOR. 1t expressed, |,
therefore, the transformation of the sin
full human nature of the wOTshiper, by
the refining power of the fire of God,
into something more ethereal, and
kindred with the heaven to which it
rose. Or, to put the thought in palmer
words, on the basis of eXpiation, the
glad surrender of the whole being is
possible, and will ensue; and when a
man yields hims elf in joyful, self-sur-
render to the God who has forgiven his
sins, then the fire Of the divine Spirit
is shed abroad in his heart, and kindles
flame which lays hold on all the gross,
earthly elements of his being, and
changes them into fire, kindred with
itself, which aspires, in ruddy tongues
Of upward-leaping light, to the God to
whom the heart has been surrendered,
and to whom the whole being tends.
This is the purpose of expiation; this
is the summit of all religion. Ole man
has realiz I'D to the full, in his life, what
the burnt offering taught as the goal
for all wOrshiper5. Jesus has lived in
the constant exercise of perfect self
surrender, and in the constant unmeas-
ured possession of the spirit of burning,
with which he has come to baptize US
all. If we look to him as our eXpiation,
we should also find in him the power to
yield ours 9lves living sacrifices, and
draw from him the sacred and refining
fire, which shall transform our gross
ness into his likeness, and make even
us acceptable to God, through Jesus
Christ"