by the blood of beasts, so do the things typified need to be purged by the blood of our incarnate God.]
Let us, then^ learn from these things,
1. The need we all have of the covenant of grace —
[God, as you know, has made a covenant with us. And this covenant we must receive. We must, as all Israel did, declare our consent to it, and engage to look for life on the terms which it prescribes. St. Paul says, " This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoiJied unto you." If God had only offered it as a gift, methinks no sinner in the universe should have hesitated to accept it : but God eyijoins it with authority ; and declares, that on no other terms whatever shall any sinner ever find acceptance with him. Accept, then, this covenant. Think not to make covenants of your own, whereby to secure some glory to yourselves : for you may be assured that God will never agree to any other, than that which he has proposed, and his only dear Son has ratified. The Israelites were not left to modify the covenant after their own taste ; but were required to accept that which was given them of the Lord. So is there no other alternative for you, but to accept or reject the covenant of grace. If you think but one moment, you would not wish for any other covenant than that which is revealed, wherein God gives all, and you receive all. For what could you do to recommend either your persons or your services to God? If you were to shed rivers of tears, you could never wash away so much as one sin : nor, whatever efforts you might make, could you ever ofier one single service, which should stand the test of God's law, and defy the eye of Omniscience to discern a flaw in it. I say again, therefore, lay hold on this covenant ; and look for all its blessings, as the free gift of God for Christ's sake.]
2. The way in which we may become partakers of
it—
[You have already seen how Moses sprinkled all the people with the blood of the sacrifice : and by that sprinkling were they all made partakers of it : and in the same way must you also become partakers of the covenant of grace. St. Paul tells us, that to this sprinkling of blood every believer comes': and St. Peter tells us, that by it every believer is saved'". In truth, as it was the shedding of the blood of Christ that satisfied the Divine Majesty, and ratified the covenant; so is it the sprinkling of that blood on our hearts and consciences that can alone entitle us to its benefits. But, in relation to this matter, there is a very important difference between the Israelites and
1 Heb. xii. 24. *« 1 Pet. i. 2.
2305. J THE HOLY OF HOLIES A TYPE. o07
US. They were sprinkled in the persons of their representa- tives : but we must be sprinkled in our own persons : nothing amongst us can be done by proxy. We must ourselves dip the scarlet wool and hyssop, so to speak, in the blood of our great Sacrifice ; and by faith must sprinkle it on our own hearts and consciences. Yea, we must daily sprinkle with it both our persons and our services, and look for heaven as prepared for us by it, that we may to all eternity sing, " To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." " The sacrifice of Christ was unto God of a sweet- smelling savour":" let it be so to us also; and all that has been pmrchased by it shall be ours.]
n Eph. v. 2.