410 THE FILTH OF SIN PURGED [BOOK IV.
mysteries of his grace, having an experience of the life and power of the things themselves in their own hearts and souls ; and hereby do their faithj love, affiance, and adherence unto God, act and ex- ercise themselves. So is it with them in this matter of the actual present purifying of the pollutions of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ, the way whereof we shall now briefly inquire into : —
1. Therefore, by the hlood of Christ herein is intended the blood of his sacrifice, with the power, virtue, and efficacy thereof And the blood of a sacrifice fell under a double consideration: — (1.) As it was offered unto God to make atonement and reconciliation; (2.) As it was sprinkled on other things for their purging and sancti- fication. Part of the blood in every propitiatory sacrifice was still to be sprinkled round about the altar. Lev. i. 11; and in the great sacrifice of expiation, some of the blood of the bullock was to be sprinkled before the mercy-seat seven times, chap. xvi. 14. This our apostle fully expresseth in a great and signal instance: Heb. ix. 19, 20, 22, " When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God
hath enjoined unto you And almost all things are by the law
purged with blood." Wherefore, the blood of Christ, as it was the blood of his sacrifice, hath these two effects, and falls under this double consideration: — (1.) As he offered himself by the eternal Spirit unto God to make atonement for sin, and procure eternal re- demj)tion; (2.) As it is sprinkled by the same Spirit on the con- sciences of believers, to purge them from dead works, as Heb.ix. 12-14. And hence it is called, with respect unto our sanctification, " The blood of sprinkling," chap. xii. 24; for we have the "sanctifica- tion of the Spirit unto obedience through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. i. 2.
2. The blood of Christ in his sacrifice is still always and continu- ally in the same condition, of the same force and efficacy, as it was in that hour wherein it was shed. The blood of other sacrifices was always to be used immediately upon its effusion ; for if it were cold and congealed it was of no use to be offered or to be sj)rinkled. Blood was appointed to make atonement, as the life or animal spirits were in it. Lev. xvii. 11. But the blood of the sacrifice of Christ is ahvays hot and warm, having the same spirits of life and sanctifica- tion still moving in it. Hence the way of approach which we have to God thereby is said to be ^wtra ^ai irposfarog, Heb. x. 20, — alwa3'-s living, and yet always as newly slain. >^very one, therefore, who at any time hath an especial actual interest in the blood of Christ, as sacrificed, hath as real a purification from the defilement of sin as
CHAP, v.] BY THE SPIRIT AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 441
he had typically who stood by the priest and had blood or water sprinkled on him ; for the Holy Ghost diligently declares that what- ever was done legally, carnally, or typically, by any of the sacrifices of old at any time, as to the expiation or purification of sin, that was all done really and spiritually by that one sacrifice, — that is, the offering and sprinkling of the blood of Christ, — and abideth to be so done continually. To this purpose is the substance of our apostle's discourse in the ninth and tenth chapters of the Epistle to the He- brews. And they had various sorts of sacrifices, wherein to this end the blood of them was sprinkled, they being propitiatory in their offering; as, — (1.) There was the "'''PI?, or continual burnt-offering of a lamb or kid for the whole congregation, morning and evening, whose blood was sprinkled as at other times. And hereby the ha- bitual purification of the congregation, that they might be holy to the Lord, and their cleansing from the daily incursions of secret and unknown sms, was signified and carried on. (2.) On the Sabbath- day this juge sacrificium was doubled morning and evening, denot- ing a peculiar and abounding communication of mercy and purging gTace, through the administration of instituted ordinances, on that day. (3.) There was the great annual sacrifice at the feast of expia- tion, when, by the sacrifice of the sin-offering and the scape-goat, the whole congregation were purged from all their known and great sins, and recovered into a state of legal holiness; and other stated sacri- fices there were. (4.) There were occasional sacrifices for every one, according as he found his condition to require; for those who were clean one day, yea, one hour, might by some miscarriage or surprisal be unclean the next. But there was a way continually ready for any man's purification, by his bringing his offering unto that purpose. Now, the blood of Christ must continually, and upon all occasions, answer unto all these, and accomplish spiritually what they did legally effect and typically represent. This our apostle asserts and proves, Heb. ix. 9-14. Thereby is the gradual carrying on of our sanctification habitually effected, which was signified by the continufll daily sacrifice. From thence is especial cleansing virtue communi- cated unto us by the ordinances of the gospel, as is expressly affirmed, Eph. V. 25, 26, denoted by the doubling of the daily sacrifice on the Sabbath. By it are we purged from all our sins whatever, great or small, as was typified in the great sacrifice on the day of expiation. And unto him have we continual recourse upon all occasions of our spiritual defilements whatever. So was his blood, as to its purifying virtue, to answer and accomplish all legal institutions. Especially it doth so that of the " ashes of the red heifer," Num. xix., which was a standing ordinance, whereby every one who was any way defiled might immediately be cleansed; and he who would not make appli-