cerning all these words ^" To this account the Apostle adds, that the blood was mixed with water ; and that, by means of scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled with it the book, and all the people^. His sprinkling of the book is easily accounted foi", by supposing it to have been laid upon the altar : and his sprinkling of all the people, by his sprinkling it on the repre- sentatives of all. And it may be, that water was mixed with the blood in order to facilitate the sprinkling of it ; and that scai'let wool and hyssop were used by him for the purpose of sprinkling it more widely than he could do with his fingers. If we suppose these things, there will be no disagreement be- tween the two statements ; only the Apostle's will be the fuller. But, as the Apostle unquestionably refers to other occasions of sprinkling besides that when the covenant was made, I rather suppose, that he, in this particular enumeration of minute circumstances, (such as the use of water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop,) refers to the purification of the leper, in which these things were used by the express command of God^.
I have said, that the Apostle unquestionably refers to other occasions besides the making of the covenant : and that he does so, appears from his mention of " the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry"^:" for the tabernacle was not then reared ; nor were the vessels of the ministry made ; nor had the covenant above-mentioned any thing to do with " remission of sins*^." But afterwards, when the tabernacle was reared, and furnished with all the vessels belonging to it, then was there a solemn sprinkling of them all with blood. The account deserves particular attention, because it reflects the clearest light upon the Apostle's statement in my text. At that time, and for ever afterwards on the great day of atonement, was " an atonement made for the hohj sanctuary itself, as well as for the tabernacle of the congregation ; and for the altar too, no less than for the priests and the congregation." On every thing was the blood of atonement sprinkled, in order to cleanse the whole, even every vessel from the pollution it contracted by being used in the service of sinful man ^.']
But whence arose a necessity for these purifica- tions ? —
[Doubtless, the necessity arose, primarily, from the mere arbitrary appointment of God, who had commanded them to be made. But, subordinate to that, there were other, and most important, reasons too for these ordinances : for by purifying every thing with blood, God first shelved to his people their extreme need of mercy ; next, He shadowed forth
« Exod. xxiv. 3 — 8, ^ ver. 19, 20. = Lev. xiv. 4 — 7.
'• vcr. 21. e ver. 22. ^ Lev. xvi. 15 — 20, 33.