442 THE FILTH OF SIN PURGED [BOOK IV.
cation tliereunto was to be cut off from the people, verse 20. And it is no otherwise with respect unto the blood of Christ in our spiri- tual defilements ; thence it is called " a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness," Zech. xiii. 1. And he who neglects to make apjilica- tion thereunto shall perish in his uncleanness, and that eternally.
Farther to clear this whole matter, two things are to be inquired into: — (1.) How the blood of Christ doth thus cleanse us from our sins, or what it is that is done thereby. (2.) How we come to be made imrtahers of the benefit thereof, or come to be interested therein.
(1.) As to the first, it must be observed, what hath been declared before, that the uncleanness we treat of is not physical or coi-poreal, but mo7'al and spiritual only. It is the inconformity of sin unto the holiness of God, as represented in the law, whence it is loathsome to God, and attended with shame in us. Now, Avherever there is an interest obtained in the purifying virtue of the blood of Christ, it doth (by the will, law, and appointment of God) do these two things: — [1.] It takes away all loathsomeness in the sight of God, not from sin in the abstract, but from the sinner, so that he shall be as one absolutely washed and purified before him. See Isa. i. 16-18; Ps. li. 7; Eph. v. 25-27. [2.] It taketh away shame out of the conscience, and gives the soul boldness in the presence of God, Heb. X. 19-22. When these things are done then is sin purged, and our souls are cleansed.
(2.) It may be inquired how we are to a]}ply ourselves unto tho blood of Christ for our purification, or how we may come continually to partake of the virtue of it, as it is sprinkled unto that purpose. Now, because what we do herein is wrought in us by the Spirit of God, my principal design being to declare his work in our sanctifi- cation, I shall at once declare both his work and our duty in the following instances: — •
/ [1.] It is he who discovereth unto us, and S2:)iritually convinceth Vs of, the pollution of sin, and of our defilement thereby. Some- thing, indeed, of this kind will be wrought by the power of natural conscience, awakened and excited by ordinary outward means of con- viction; for wherever there is a sense of guilt, there will be some kind of sense of filth, as fear and shame are inseparable. But this sense alone will never guide us to the blood of Christ for cleansing. Such a sight and conviction of it as may fill us with self-abhorrency and abasement, as may cause us to loathe ourselves for the abomination that is in it, is required of us; and this is the work of the Holy Ghost, belonging to that peculiar conviction of sin which is from him alone, John xvi. 8. I mean that self-abhorrency, shame, and confu- sion of face, with respect unto the filth of sin, which is so often men-
CHAP, v.] BY THE SPIRIT AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 443
tioned iu the Scripture as a gracious duty ; as nothing is a higher aggravation of sin than for men to carry themselves with a carnal boldness with God and in his worship, whilst they are unpurged from their defilements. In a sense hereof the publican stood afar off, as one ashamed and destitute of any confidence for a nearer ap- proach. So the holy men of old professed to God that they blushed, and were ashamed to lift up their faces unto him. Without this preparation, whereby we come to know the plague of our own hearts, the infection of our leprosy, the defilement of our souls, we shall never make application unto the blood of Christ for cleansiug in a due manner. This, therefore, in the first place, is required of us as the first part of our duty and first work of the Holy Ghost herein.
[2.] The Holy Ghost proposeth, declareth, and presents unto us the only true remedy, the only means of purification. " When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb : yet could be not heal you, nor cure you of your wound," Hos. v. IS. When men begin to dis- cern their defilements, they are apt to think of many ways for their purging. What false ways have been invented to this purpose hath been before declared. And every one is ready to find out a way of his own; every one will apply his own soap and his own nitre. Though the only fountain for cleansing be nigh unto us, yet w^e can- not see it until the Holy Ghost open our eyes, as he did the eyes of Hagar; he it is who shows it unto us and leads us unto it. This is an eminent part of his office and work. The principal end of his sending, and consequently of his whole work, was to glorify the Son ; as the end and work of the Son was to glorify the Father. And the great way whereby he glorifieth Christ is by showing such things unto us, John xvi. 14. And without his discovery we can know nothing of Christ, nor of the things of Christ ; for he is not sent in vain, to show us the things that we can see of ourselves. And what is more so of Christ than his blood, and its efficacy for the purging of our sins? We never, therefore, discern it spiritually and in a due manner but by him. To have a true spiritual sense of the defile- ment of sin, and a gracious view of the cleansing virtue of the blood of Christ, is an eminent effect of the Spirit of grace. Something- like it there may be in the workings of an awakened natural con- science, with some beams of outward gospel light falling on it ; but there is nothing in it of the work of the Spirit. This, therefore, secondly, we must endeavour after, if we intend to be cleansed by the blood of Christ.