SERMON UPON 1 JOHN I. 7. 55
aad the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God.' In the type of the red heifer there was a solemn sprinkling to the purifying of the unclean, which answereth the purging of our consciences by the blood of Christ : the one purifieth the flesh, the other the conscience : the one freed from such penalties as the law imposed for legal and ceremonial offences, the other from dead works, which are pollutions before God ; and so ai-e spiritual evils, and eternal penalties, that unfit us for communion with God. Well, then, we see there must be appli- cation ; therefore let us consider how it is to be applied, or the means of sprinkling, both on God's and our part.
(1.) On God's part, the means of applying are, external or internal : for the external means we have an accoimt of them, Eph. v. 26, ' That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word ; ' that is, by the word and sacraments ; so he applieth to us the virtue of his death.
(IsL) By the preaching of the word. The great duty of the ministers of the gospel is to sprinkle the heai'ts of the people -with the blood of Christ, by the preaching of the new covenant : not only to assure them that pai-don of sins may be obtained : Acts x. 43, ' To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins ; ' but to instruct them how it may be had ; that such as repent and believe, and do what becometh either duty, shall be assuredly cleansed from sin and accepted with God. The apostle telleth us the sum and substance of his preaching was, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts xx. 21. Eepentance towards God is necessary, that we may acknowledge our obligation to his law, bemoaning our former sin and misery, and devoting ourselves anew to him, that we may do his will, and walk in his ways. Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary, that those that have benefit by him may own the author of tlieh- deliverance, and put their cause into his hands, that he may reconcile them unto God. Eepent- ance is our turning to God, as faith is a thankful owning of our Kedeemer. Thus the word givetli both instruction and assurance ; for it is both a doctrine, and a grant or charter.
{2d.) The sacraments are the means of this sprinkling, or applying the cleansing virtue of Christ's blood. These are two ; baptism : Acts ii. 38, ' Then Peter said unto them. Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus, for the remission of sins ; ' the Lord's supper : Mat. xxvi. 28, ' For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' Both excite and assure us of the participation of this benefit by Christ. They excite as they are applied to every one ; for every one that submitteth to these ordinances bindeth himself to seek after this benefit in the way wherein Chi'ist will dispense it ; and this they do assure us as they work, increase, and strengthen faith in us, and ai'e a solemn investiture to Christ and his benefits.
{3d.) Internal ; by the effectual operation of the Spirit, as the fruit of Christ's intercession. Therefore it is said, 1 John iii. 8, ' There are
56 SERMON UPON 1 JOHN I. 7.
three that bear witness on earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood ; and these three agree in one. The to Kpivo/ievov, or thing to be proved, is that Jesus is the Son of God. The Spirit beareth witness to this, applying the blood of Christ to the conscience, and purifying and sanctifying them as with clean water. These are not one, as the first ; but these agree in one, as they do establish the same conclusion, as they do concurringly establish it : neither simply nor apart ; not water apart, nor blood apart, nor Spirit apart, but they all concur ; the Spirit, by water and blood, appeasing our guilty consciences, and washing away the guilt of sin. And it is said, 1 John v. 10, ' He that believeth on the Son of God hath his witness in himself ; ' the Spirit by the blood of Christ pacifying his conscience, and sanctifying his heart : Eora. V. 5, ' The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us.' The business is, what is meant here by the love of God ? I take it for the great instance of his love, the reconciling the world to himself by Jesus Christ ; for it immediately followeth, ' For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.' Surely it is not taken for our love to God, but his love to us, which was chiefly seen in that great instance. We have the effect and feeling, the sense and comfort of it, by the Spirit.