THE MILLENNARY THEORY INCOMPATIBLE WITH OUR LORD'S SACERDOTAL OFFICE.

FIFTH CONFERENCE.

"Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus."

"If we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more shall we be saved by his life."

"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject unto him."

"He hath prepared his throne in the heavens; his kingdom ruleth over all."

It is impossible to convey an adequate idea of the feelings of solemn amazement, and sincere concern, with which our INQUIRER entered on the consideration of the Millennary hypothesis, as affecting our Lord's High Priesthood, or intercessory work, at his Father's right hand. That the entire and irreconcileable contrariety of the two systems might more clearly be seen, our INQUIRER thought it would be desirable just to glance

at our Lord's sacerdotal office in relation to the appointed place of its execution—its immutability— its continuity-its perpetuity-and also in reference to its nature and design; and he, moreover, thought, that his object would be most effectually promoted, by glancing at these several particulars in the order in which he had mentioned them::

I. As to the place appointed for our Lord's execution of his office of High Priest. On this point he invited the attention of his Millennarian Friend to the following passages of Scripture:

"Who (i. e. Christ) is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

"We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."

"Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."

Our Inquirer observed, that it clearly appeared, from the foregoing passages, that the appointed place for our Lord's execution of his office of High Priest, was heaven; in the presence, and at the right hand of God; and that this was the place EXCLUSIVELY. He was instantly reminded by his

MILLENNARIAN FRIEND, that our Lord, while he yet continued on the earth, poured out earnest intercessions for his people; and he thought it therefore could not be regarded as improbable, much less impossible, that, during the Millennary era, he should resume his intercessory work on the earth. Our INQUIRER, in reply, invited the attention of his Friend to the following passage of Scripture:

"For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man (i. e. Christ), have somewhat to offer. For if he were on earth he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things."

And then looking earnestly at his Friend, begged to remind him, that according to the Millennary hypothesis, the personal advent of our Lord, and the restoration of the temple, with the Levitical priests and ordinances, would be cotemporary events! The right hand of the Majesty on high, in the heavens, then, is the prescribed and appropriate place for our Lord's execution of his office of High Priest and Intercessor of his people. But (said he) the Millennary hypothesis tends directly to disturb this divinelyappointed arrangement; and he then naturally

inquired, how it was possible that our Lord should, at the same time, sit at his Father's right hand, and on a throne in the city of Jerusalem? His MILLENNARIAN FRIEND made no answer to this question; but observed, that our Lord, when on the earth, had declared that

"No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven."

He acknowledged that it was a very mysterious subject; but said, after all, there might be no real inconsistency in supposing, that our Lord might, in a proper sense, be at the same time in both the places mentioned by our Inquirer, in conformity to the passage of Scripture he had just cited.

Our INQUIRER reminded his Friend, that learned and orthodox men had expressed their conviction, that the above rendering does not convey the sense of the original. I shall not, however, said he, avail myself of that circumstance, but merely take leave to ask the following questions:

1. Whether Millennarians do not distinguish

the personal presence of our Lord, as Mediator, from his universal presence, as God?

2. Whether it be not our Lord, in his Mediatorial Person, (constituted as he now is, while interceding at the right hand of his Father) whom the Millennarians expect to return before the

Millennium?

On hearing these questions, it naturally occurred to his Friend, that, according to his own theory, the alleged pre-millennial advent of our Lord, will be a decidedly personal advent; that the body in which he is to return from heaven, will be the same body in which the disciples saw him ascend thither; and he was, therefore, compelled to answer both the questions of our Inquirer in the affirmative. On which the latter asked, If, then, these things be so, how is it possible for any person to believe that the Millennary hypothesis is true? How, in the nature of things, can it be possible that our Lord should reign in his mediatorial person in Jerusalem, and in the same person, at the same time, execute the office of High Priest, seated at his Father's right hand in the heavens? Are these things credible!

II. The immutability of our Lord's office of High Priest; in reference to which our IN