This rite or way of sprinkling was chosen of God as an expressive token or sign of the effectual communication of the benefits of the covenant unto them that were sprinkled. Hence the communica- tion of the benefits of the death of Christ unto sanctification is called
Mere (dares
_ the sprinkling of his blood, 1 Pet.i.2. And our apostle compriseth
all the effects of it unto that end under the name of “the blood of sprinkling,” Heb. xii. 24. And I fear that those who have used the expression with some contempt, when applied by themselves unto the sign of the communication of the benefits of the death of Christ ‘in baptism, have not observed that reverence of holy things that is required of us. For this symbol of sprinkling was that which God himself chose and appointed, as a meet and apt token of the com- munication of covenant mercy; that is, of his grace in Christ Jesus unto our souls. And,— Obs. X. The blood of the covenant will not benefit or advantage us without an especial and particular application of if unto our own souls and consciences.—If it be not as well sprinkled upon us as it was offered unto God, it will not avail us. The blood of Christ was not divided, as was that of these sacrifices, the one half being on the altar, the other on the people; but the efficacy of the whole pro- duced both these effects, yet so, as that the one will not profit us without the other. We shall have no benefit of the atonement made at the altar, unless we have its efficacy on our own souls unto their purification, And this we cannot have unless it be sprinkled on us,
360° AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
unless particular application be made of it unto us by the Holy Ghost, in and by an. especial act of faith in ourselves. (3.) The object of this act of sprinkling was “the book” itself “and Aich ot op all the people.” The same blood was on the book Pi€aley xat wév- wherein the covenant was recorded, and the people var duo. +hot entered into it. But whereas this sprinkling was ' for purifying and purging, it may be inquired unto what end the book itself was sprinkled, which was holy and undefiled. I answer, There were two things necessary unto the dedication of the covenant, with all that belonged unto it: [1.] Atonement; [2.] Purification. And in both these respects it was necessary that the book itself should be sprinkled. [1.] As we observed before, it was sprinkled as it lay upon the altar, where atonement was made. And this was plainly to signify that atonement was to be made by blood for sins com- mitted agaist that book, or the law contained in it. Without this, that book would have been unto the people like that given to Eze- kiel, that was “‘ written within and without; and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe,” chap. ii. 10, Nothing but curse and death could they expect from it. But the sprinkling of it with blood as it lay upon the altar was a testimony and assur- ance that atonement should be made by blood for the sing against it; which was the life of the things. [2.] The book in itself was pure and holy, and so are all God’s institutions; but unto us every thing is unclean that is not sprinkled with the blood of Christ. So after- wards the tabernacle and all the vessels of it were purified every year with blood, “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transeressions,” Lev. xvi. 16. Where- fore on both these accounts it was necessary that the book itself should be sprinkled. The blood thus sprinkled was mingled with water. The natural reason of it was, as we observed, to keep it fluid and aspersible. But there was a mystery in it also. That the blood of Christ was typi- fied by this blood of the sacrifices used in the dedication of the old covenant, it is the apostle’s design to declare. And it is probable that this mixture of it with water might represent that blood and water which came out of his side when it was pierced. For the mystery thereof was very great. Hence that apostle which saw it, and bare record of it in particular, John xix. 34, 35, affirms like- wise that “he came by water and blood,” and not by blood only, 1 Epist. v. 6. He came not only to make atonement for us with his blood, that we might be justified, but to sprinkle us with the efficacy of his blood, in the communication of the Spirit of sanctification, . compared unto water. For the sprinkler itself, composed of scarlet wool and hyssop, I doubt not but that the human nature of Christ, whereby and through —
VER. 18-22.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 561
which all grace is communicated unto us, (“for of his fulness we re- ceive, and grace for grace,”) was signified by it; but the analogy and similitude between them are not so evident as they are with respect unto some other types. The hyssop was a humble plant, the meanest of them, yet of a sweet savour, 1 Kings iv. 33; so was the Lord Christ amongst men in the days of his flesh, in comparison of the tall cedars of the earth. Hence was his complaint, that he was as “a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people,” Ps. xxii. 6. And the scarlet wool might represent him as red in the blood of his sacrifice. But I will not press these things, of whose interpretation we have not a certain rule.