punishment for that) it condemns the poor creature unto ; and to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ is to have the blood of Christ applied to the heart by • the Spirit for pardon and reconciliation with God. Sprinkling, in the law, did denote the cleansing of the person so sprinkled from all legal impui'ities, Levit, xiv. 6, yea, the believing soul from all sinful uncleanness by the blood of Christ, which was signified by the blood of those sacrifices. Therefore David prays, Psalm li. 7, ' Purge me with hyssop, then shall I be clean;' that is, apply ' the blood of Christ to my troubled conscience (as they with a bunch of hyssop did the blood of the beast, into which it was dipped, upon the leper, to cleanse him). 'Then,' saith he, ' I shall be clean;' this sin, which now doth affright my conscience, shall be washed off, and I at peace, as if I had never sinned. To this sprinkling of blood the Holy Ghost alludes, Heb. xii. 24, where we are said in the gospel administration ' to be come to Jesus, the Mediator of a better covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than the blood of Abel;' that is, better things in the conscience. Abel's blood, sprinkled in the guilt of it upon Cain's conscience, spake swords and daggers, hell and damnation ; but the blood of Christ, sprinkled on the conscience of a poor trembling sinner, speaks pardon and peace. Hence it is called ' the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,' 1 Pet. iii. 21. An answer supposeth a question; an answer towards God sup- poseth a question from God to the creature. Now the question God here is supposed to propound to the poor creatiu'e, maybe conceived to be this: What canst thou say, wlio art a sinner, and standest by the curse of my righteous law doomed to death and damnation, why thou shouldst not die the death pro- nounced against every sinner?
Now the soul that hath heard of Christ, and hearing of him, hath received him by faith into his heart, is the person, and the only person, that can answer this question, so as to satisfy God or himself. Take the answer, as it is formed and fitted for, yea, put into the mouth of every believer, by the apostle Paul, Rom. viii. 34: 'Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us:' such an answer this is, that God himself cannot object against it ; and therefore St. Paul, representing all believers, triumphs in the invincible strength thereof against all the enemies of our salvation ; ' Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?' ver. 35 ; and proceeds to challenge death and devils, with all their attendants, to come and do their worst against believers, who have got this breastwork about them ; and at last he displays his victorious colours, and goes out of the field with this holy confidence, that none (be they what they will) shall ever be able to hurt them, ver. 38, 39 : ' I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' In him he lodgeth his colours, and lays up all his confidence. But I am afraid I have been too long, if I can be said to be too long on this subject, the richest vein in the whole mine of gospel treasure.
Section II.- — The second demonstration is taken from the strength and power required to press this argument home to the conscience, so as to satisfy it, and make it acquiesce therein ; conscience is a lock that goes hai"d ; though the key fit it, (I mean, the argument used to comfort it be suitable and strong,) yet if this key be in a weak hand, that cannot turn it in this lock, as it is when- ever a mere creature holds it, conscience will not open ; its doubts and fears will not be resolved. No, this must be the work of the Spirit, or else it will never be done. Conscience is God's ofiicer ; and though the debt be paid in heaven, yet it will not let the soul go free, till a warrant comes from thence to authorize it. And who can bring this but the Spirit of God? So that, as it is not in all their power that are about the poor prisoner to comfort him, till news come from court, what the prince means to do with him ; so here in this case. ' When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who can behold him?' Job xxxiv. 29. Now, two things I shall do for the bringing this demonstration to a head. First, Shew that the gospel only presents the Spirit of God to us under the notion of a comforter. Secondly, The admirable fitness and sufficiency of the Holy Spirit to pacify and comfort a guilty, troubkd
THE C50Sl'KL 01-' PEACE. g77
conscience. The first will evince, that peace of conscience is novvhei-e else to be found but from the gospel ; the second will shew, that it is there abundantly to be found.