p. 197 | One and One Make Two by R. F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 19, 1863

One and One Make Two.

By R. F. Cottrell

Common sense was intended to be used in learning revealed truth. One and one make two, when applied to things revealed in the scriptures, as well as to every thing besides.

Yet point men to one law written on tables of stone and enclosed in the ark of the covenant, and then to another law of ceremonies, by which men can approach the broken law within the ark for pardon, and some will very gravely ask you for proof that there are two laws. As if, on a clear evening before sunset, you stand conversing with a friend, and you point to the setting sun and then to the moon already risen in the east, as two distinct objects, and he should demand the proof that they were two. You would hardly set yourself seriously at work to frame a syllogism to convince your friend, but would reply, that it is generally admitted that one and one make two. And such would be sufficient proof of the existence of two laws, in the former dispensation, one of which was abolished, and the other confirmed by Christ, did not men desire the abolition of the ten commandments, because they are breaking them and intend to continue to do so.

But this is not now my subject. On the day of atonement, under the law, two goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle. Lots were cast to determine which should be for the Lord and which for the scape-goat. The one upon which the Lord's lot fell was slain and his blood was offered in the sanctuary, while the other was reserved till the work of atonement in the sanctuary was completed, when the sins, that had been borne from the sanctuary by the high priest, were transferred to him, and on him sent away to a land not inhabited. If the goat that was slain represents Christ, reason would say that the scape-goat represents another person. Yet some are so confident that this goat typified Christ, because he "bare our sins in his own body on the tree," and was "the Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world," that they are ready to reject the present work of the Lord on the strength of their knowledge of the matter. Such would do well to review the subject in the light of the Bible and common sense, before they stake too much on their old opinions. Yet men will be self-confident and rash till they learn better; and this learning is the very lesson which God is now teaching his people.

Our bleeding Jesus was the antitype of the slain goat; but our ascended Lord in the true tabernacle, was represented by the high priest. Now the high priest, when he bore the sins out of the sanctuary, did not lay them upon himself, but upon another. The high priest was not sent away into a land of separation, and whose conductor became so defiled that he must wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water before he could come into the camp of Israel, lest he should bring back some of the defilement of sin, from which Israel had just been cleansed in the figure. Neither will our great High Priest, when he has finished the work of reconciliation for his people and cleansed them from all their sins be sent to a land of separation, and thus be separated forever from them, but will take them to be forever with their Lord.

But the Devil, the originator of sin, will be forever separated from the redeemed, and the defilement of sin will never enter the camp of the saints. At the close of 1000 years he and his resurrected host, will be permitted to compass the camp, when fire will come down and devour them. This will be the end of sin and sinners.

R. F. Cottrell.