namely, I. Deliverance from the guilt of sin ; II. The gift of the new powers of life, which are subsequently exerted (put themselves forth into exercise) in good works. The former is called justification by the blood of Jesus Christ : and the latter is obtained by the man who eats the flesh of Christ, and drinks His blood, John vi.
2. But because the blood of Christ is the blood of sprinkling, the question is, whether that blood, as such, becomes the pro perty of believers in both the ways now mentioned, or only in the former of these ways.
3. In the Old Testament there were many sprinklings, whether those be considered who performed the sprinkling, or the matter with which the sprinkling was performed, or the men and things for whom and on whom the sprinkling was made, or the object of the sprinkling — for dedication, consecra tion, etc. The whole of the people were sprinkled, Ex. xxiv. 8, and Ex. xxix. 21 ; Lev. viii. 23, etc. Aaron and his sons, in both cases, at first for the purpose of initiation ; and therefore, as they say, once for all. In like manner there was an initia tion, in the case of lepers, for holding intercourse with the other Israelites, from whom they had been long excluded. There was always a particular sprinkling at the altar ; but the Israelites were on their part kept in communion with God, by eating the sacrifices.
4. In the New Testament there is a sprinkling, which is per formed by the blood of Christ Jesus ; and because this is the only New Testament sprinkling, whereas moreover all the Levitical rites had relation to Christ, all the Levitical sprin klings must have been mere types of this sprinkling ; as indeed the blood of Christ is celebrated for its spiritual excellence, not only in opposition to the blood of bulls and of goats, but also in opposition to the ashes of a heifer, in the water of sprinkling, ch. ix. 13, 14.
5. TJie sprinkling of blood is mentioned, 1 Pet. i. 2 ; and again the blood of sprinkling, in this passage under our consideration. We are said also to have our hearts sprinkled, and to be de livered by sprinkling from an evil conscience, by which we may have a true heart in full assurance of faith, Heb. x. 22. Nothing more occurs in the New Testament of New Testament sprink-