not offered in a temple. He was offered before the eyes of God, and
there he still abides. The cross is an altar in a spiritual sense. The
material cross was indeed visible, but none knew it as Christ's altar.
Again, his prayer, his sprinkled blood, his burnt incense, were all
spiritual, for it was all wrought through his spirit.

4. Accordingly, the fruit and blessing of his office and sacrifice,
the forgiveness of our sins and our justification, are likewise
spiritual. In the Old Covenant, the priest with his sacrifices and
sprinklings of blood effected merely as it were an external
absolution, or pardon, corresponding to the childhood stage of the
people. The recipient was permitted to move publicly among the people;
he was externally holy and as one restored from excommunication. He
who failed to obtain absolution from the priest was unholy, being
denied membership in the congregation and enjoyment of its privileges;
in all respects he was separated like those in the ban today.

5. But such absolution rendered no one inwardly holy and just before
God. Something beyond that was necessary to secure true forgiveness.
It was the same principle which governs church discipline today. He
who has received no more than the remission, or absolution, of the
ecclesiastical judge will surely remain forever out of heaven. On the
other hand, he who is in the ban of the Church is hellward bound only
when the sentence is confirmed at a higher tribunal. I can make no
better comparison than to say that it was the same in the old Jewish
priesthood as now in the Papal priesthood, which, with its loosing and
binding, can prohibit or permit only external communion among
Christians. It is true, God required such measures in the time of the
Jewish dispensation, that he might restrain by fear; just as now he
sanctions church discipline when rightly employed, in order to punish
and restrain the evil-doer, though it has no power in itself to raise
people to holiness or to push them into wickedness.

6. But with the priesthood of Christ is true spiritual remission,
sanctification and absolution. These avail before God--God grant that
it be true of us--whether we be outwardly excommunicated, or holy, or
not. Christ's blood has obtained for us pardon forever acceptable with
God. God will forgive our sins for the sake of that blood so long as
its power shall last and its intercession for grace in our behalf,
which is forever. Therefore, we are