[3.] This sacrifice thus offered was accepted of God in the behalf of sinful man, as a full price and merit to procure for us both justification and sanctification. We needed both, being polluted both with the guilt and stain of sin. Both are a trouble to a sensible conscience or an awakened sinner, who is in the next capacity to receive this sacrifice :
88 SERMONS UPON REVELATION I. 5, 6.
1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness/ As a man that hath broken his leg is not only troubled with the pain, but would have it set right again. Both are implied in this washing, and both are effectually accomplished by virtue of his bloody death and sacrifice : 1 Cor. vi. n, 'And such were some of you ; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' And Christ hath obtained both by virtue of his bloody death and sacrifice for our pardon and restitution to God's grace and favour : Rom. v. 1, ' Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' As also the gift of the Spirit, to sanctify and renew us to the image of God : Titus iii. 5, 6, ' Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.'
[4.] Besides the impetraticn of this benefit, we must consider the application. The sacrifice had power to purge us and wash us from our sins, as soon as it was offered and accepted of God. The procur- ing of the power is the impetratiou, which was antecedent to actual pardon and sanctification ; therefore it is said, ' When he had by him- self purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high,' Heb. i. 3. Then he interposed the merit ; then was the first grant made or liberty given. But then for the application : It is applied when we submit to those terms that are agreed upon between our Redeemer and God, as our supreme judge and lawgiver. As when this sacrifice is believed and depended on, and pleaded in an humble and broken-hearted manner, and improved to thankfulness, and resolutions to return to the obedience of our creator, then is sin actually pardoned, and our hearts cleansed. He did not pardon, nor cleanse, nor sanctify, as soon as this blood was shed upon the cross, until it be effectually applied to the filthy soul by a lively faith : Acts xv. 9, ' Purifying their hearts by faith ; ' and a serious and broken-hearted repentance : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,' We must bewail our sins, depend upon the sacrifice of Christ, sue out the virtue of it by prayer : Ps. li. 2, * Wash me thorougldy from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.' Extinguish the love of sin by godly sorrow and all holy means, and mortify the flesh by the help of the Spirit : Rom. viii. 13, ' If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body,' &c. ; and more and more interest ourselves in his cleansing.
[5.] Because the application is a difficult work. Besides the purchase of the gift of the Spirit, Christ hath instituted the help of the word and sacraments, to bring us into possession of this benefit : Eph. v. 26, * That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.' The merit of his death falleth upon these means, that we may use them with the more confidence : John xv. 3, * Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.' The word is the glass wherein to see corruption, which sets a-work to seek purging ; by that our sense of our natural impurity is revived, the means and causes of our cleans- ing set down, that we may with deep humiliation confess our sin, humbly
SERMONS UPON REVELATION I. 5, 6. 89
sue out tlie grace offered, and wait for it in the conscionable use of all the means of grace. And for the sacraments : As the word containeth the charter and grant of Christ and all his benefits to those that will receive him, so this is the seal of the grant : Rom. iv. 11, ' He received tlie sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith ; ' whereby we are more confirmed in waiting for the Spirit, and excited to look for this benefit from Clu-ist. Well, then, we must still lie at the pool of the word and sacraments.
And now j^ou have my second argument why Jesus Christ should be honoured, lauded, and praised by all the saints ; because he hath done so great an office of love, and procured so great a benefit for us, as the washing away of our sins in his blood, that we might be admitted to communion with God.