Use. Have you been sensibly acquainted with the power and virtue of Christ's death ? Hath his blood been sprinkled upon your hearts and consciences ?
1. Consider it is said : 1 John v. 10, ' He that believeth hath the testimony in himself,' What testimony was that ? Look back to the 8th verse. The Spirit, by the blood of Christ pacifying his conscience, sanctifying his heart. Christianity is not only a matter to be believed, but felt. There is experience and spiritual sense, which serveth as a back and confirmation to faith, as a whet and incitement to love. Many hear of a mighty Christ, but feel nothing ; these are without their testimony of religion, so in danger of atheism.
2. Consider how uncomfortable it will be for you if you only should be a stranger in Israel ; if the price be paid by Christ, and accepted by God for the ransom of our souls, and the liberty be proclaimed to us, and we through our own default and non-performance of the con- ditions, should remain yet in bonds: John viii. 32, 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' If he came to heal us, and we still remain, not only weak, but sick unto death, how uncomfortable will this be ? Shall we receive this grace in vain, the offers and tenders of reconciliation and peace? 2 Cor. vi. 1, 'God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.' It is that he speaketh of there.
3. Learn that it is a disparagement to Jesus Christ that you should so long profess his name, and not feel his blood applied to your hearts and consciences ; that you should rest in talk and notions, and find no more of his virtue and power, either in converting an hard heart, or in comforting a dejected spirit, or in sanctifying and cleansing a filthy soul : ' The kingdom of God standeth not in word, but in power,' 1 Cor. iv. 20. What ! hath the gospel neither quieted thy conscience
112 SERMON UPON HEBREWS XIL 24.
nor clianged thy heart ? Hast thou neither effects nor sense ; neither sanctification nor comfort ?
4. You disparage the gospel, as if it were but a literal instruction, even as the law is to fallen man. No ; there is a mighty spirit goeth along with it, to apply the truths of it to the soul: Gal. iii. 2, 'This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or the hearing of faith ? ' That is, by the doctrine of justification, by the works of the law, or by faith. He appealeth to their conscience and experience, that God givetli his Spirit to all that are reconciled to him. By the doctrine of the gospel saving grace is conveyed. The bearing of the law worketh conviction of sin, terror of conscience ; but it doth not give you that Spirit that breedeth comfort and enableth you to holiness. It is by the hearing of faith, and from Christ, that we receive grace for grace.
5. If Christ's blood be not sprinkled upon you, it argueth some great fault in you. Either a senselessness of your spiritual condition ; for till men be convinced of sin and misery there is no need of the blood of sprinkling, or careless despising of the fruits of Christ's death, and filling our hearts with the tumults of worldly business, that we cannot listen to the peace Christ's blood speaketli to our souls ; or indulgence of some secret lusts, which darken all in our souls ; or contenting our- selves with a literal Christianity, resting in a traditionary knowledge of gospel truths, or bare rational reflections upon them, and so sucking at our own bottle, and neglecting the Spirit, who is wont by the ordi- nances to apply Christ to our souls.
And how shall we know that Christ's blood is sprinkled on our souls?
I answer — The immediate fruit of his purging the conscience is serving the true and living God, Heb. ix. 14 ; that is the end of it. Under the law, a man, if he worshipped in his uncleanness, and before he was legally purged, defiled the tabernacle and sanctuary of God, and that soul was to be cut off. We cannot have free access with con- fidence and boldness to the throne of grace, nor serve the Lord with any expectation to receive mercies and blessings from him, till the blood of sprinkling hath been upon them. There are degrees of cleansing, so also of serving God. When we are fully cleansed from all sin, then we shall have full communion with God, and serve him more perfectly in the temple of heaven ; but so far as Christ hath washed us in his blood, so far is he acting the part of a spiritual priest: Eev. i. 5, 6, ' And from Jesus Christ, wdio is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, and him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father,' &c. Peace maketh way for liberty of commerce ; trading is revived a^ain.