God hath given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation— i.e. according to Bishop Patrick, it was given them by God as an encouragement to the careful performance of that part of their duty, whereby they became intercessors for the people, and atoned for their sins: and, indeed, the very eating of the people's sin-offering argued, that the sins of the people were in some sort laid upon the priests, to be taken away by them: which being done, they had reason to rejoice also in a feast upon this sacrifice, which God had been pleased to accept for the taking away the sins of the people: whence the sacrifice of Christ may be explained; who is said to bear our iniquity, as the priest is said here to do; all our sins being laid on him, who took upon him to make an expiation for them by the sacrifice of himself: for the priest here, receiving the guilt upon himself by eating of the sin-offering, may well be thought to prefigure one who should be both Priest and Sacrifice for sin, as was accomplished in CHRIST.

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