Page 250 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

244 NOTES ON EZEKIEL.

greater nearness to God than the rest. It is the mystie
priesthood of those who believe in Christ. They are all
free to draw near to God, being equally brought nigh
by the blood of Jesus. To assert a relationship of
greater nearness for some is to deny the gospel not only
for the others but for all; inasmuch as it is the very
essence of it that grace now puts all who are Christ’s in
the same absolute perfection by His blood. The effi­
cacy of His sacrifice is complete, unchanging and ever­
lasting. He annuls the work of Christ who attributes
to it a various value ; he has only a human traditional
notion of it; he has not learnt what God reveals as to-
it. The teaching accordingly of the New Testament is
that all who believe are priests. The same precious
blood which has blotted out their sins has brought
themselves near to God. They are in Christ before
Him. As there was no difference of old in their sinful­
ness, so is there none in their access to God. We have
therefore, all alike, boldness for entering into the koljr
places by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way
which He has dedicated for us through the veil, that is,
His flesh. We are a holy priesthood to offer spiritual
sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ, yea, a royal priesthood
to set forth the excellencies of Him who called us out
of darkness to His wonderful light.
But here it is a certain favoured portion of the chosen
people who could represent all where the rest could not
go; and as this is an earthly priesthood, so the offerings
are akin. “ But the priests the Levites, the sons of
Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the
children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come
near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand