ments at every point in the exposition of God's Word, as some do.
(6) My own opinion is most decided, that the flow of blood and water, whether supernatural or not, was meant to be a sym- bolical fulfilment of the famous prophecy in Zechariah : " In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for unclean- ness." (Zech. xiii, 1.) It was a practical declaration, by fact and deed, to all Jews, that by Christ's death that famous pro- phecy was fulfilled, and that now at last there was a fountain opened by Christ's death. The moment He was dead this foun- tain was opened and began to flow. Over the bleeding side of our Lord there might have been written, " Behold the fountain for all sin." It is no small evidence to my mind, in favor of this view, that this famous prophecy occurs only five verses after the text immediately quoted by St. John in this very chap- ter, " they shall look on Him whom they pierced." (Zech. xii. 10.)
Augustine sees a type of this wound in our Lord's side, from which flowed blood and water, in the door in the side of Noah's ark, by which the living creatures entered in and were pre- served from drowning ! He also sees another type of the transaction in the first Adam sleeping and Eve being formed out of his side.
The opinion held by some, that this " blood and water " war- rant the mixture of water and wine in the Lord's Supper, seems to me utterly untenable. As Musculus sensibly observes, it was not " wine and water," but " blood and water " that flowed from our Lord's side. There is not the slightest evi- dence that our Lord used water at the institution of the Lord's Supper.
That " blood" was the symbol of atonement, and " water " of cleansing, every careful reader of the Old Testament must know. The two things are brought together by St. Paul in Heb. ix. 19. The smiting of the rock by Moses, and water flowing forth, was also typical of the event before us. Light- foot mentions a Jewish tradition that blood and water flowed from the rock at first.
Henry says, " The blood and water signified the two great benefits which all believers partake of through Christ, — justi- ficatioa and sanctification. Blood stands for remission, water for regeneration ; blood for atonement, water for purification. The two must always go together. Christ hath joined them together, and we must not think to put them asunder. They both flowed from the pierced side of our Redeemer."
35. — [And he tJiat saw it hare record, etc.] This singular verse, by common consent, can only refer to St. John. It is as though lie said, " The fact that 1 now testify to I saw with my own