sin-offering for us, we, who have no righteousness, may be made the righteousness of God in him."]
2. What blessings we are to expect —
[The Apostle's solicitude to impress our minds with the tilings which he beheld, marks unquestionably the importance of them. He declares that his testimony was founded, not on report, but on ocular demonstration ; and he demands credit of us upon that ground. But what was it which he so particularly noticed ? was it the wound inflicted with the spear ? No ; it was the issue of water and of blood from the wound. And why was he so particular in the mention of it ? it was because there was a deep mystery contained in it, even a typical exhibition of those blessings which we are to receive from him. If we look into the Scriptures, we shall find our justification con- stantly ascribed to his blood, as cleansing us from sine ; and, in like manner, our sanctification as uniformly ascribed to his Spirit11. Under the law, these two blessings, together with the mode of their conveyance to our souls, were typified by the blood of the sacrifices, which purged from guilt, and by the various washings, which cleansed from defilement : and they were distinctly promised to the Church by express declarations of God himself1. At the introduction of the Christian dispen- sation, they were mystically represented by the event of which we are speaking, where the blood and water, though flowing in one stream, were distinctly seen. This surprising appearance was designed to shew, that both blessings flow equally from the pierced side of Christ. They flow together, to shew, that we are not to expect the one without the other ; and they are kept distinct, to shew, that the blessings are perfectly distinct, and must never be confounded.
We will endeavour, in few words, to render this more clear. Faith and holiness are distinct things, even as blood and water are distinct : faith is necessary to procure for us a title to heaven ; and holiness is necessai-y to make us meet for heaven : moreover, we must apply to ourselves the blood, in order to obtain the one ; and we must also be sprinkled with the water, in order to obtain the otherk. We must take care also not to mix the two : it is the blood alone that justifies, and the Spirit alone that renews : our justification by faith will not supersede the necessity of holiness ; nor will our renovation by the Spirit supersede the necessity of faith in Christ. We must understand the proper offices of each ; and must keep each in its proper
g Rom. v. 9. Eph. i. 7. and ii. 13. Heb. ix. 14. 1 Pet. i. 19. Rev. i. 5.
h Rom. viii. 9, 13. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Eph. v. 25—27.
1 Zech. xiii. 1. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. k Heb. x. 22.