power according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. By the operation of the same spirit, Christ is made known to sinners. But by the eternal spirit in the text, we are to understand his divine nature. To offer himself to make an atonement for sin, is ascribed to himself every where in the Bible. It was himself that poured out his soul unto death, a sa. crifice of sweet smelling savor to God; from the golden bowl of his holy body; which was acceptable in the court of heaven. To pour out the blood of atonement on the altar, was the work of Christ as the High Priest over the house of God, to apply it to the hearts and consciences of sinners, is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly, we notice that it was the blood, that he offered with the gracious and noble design of purging our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God. As the Jewish sacrifices were purging or purifying men from ceremonial defilements, so the precious blood of the true sacrifice purifies from sin, from the power, the guilt, and the punishment of sin, and from the very boing of sin, by taking it away. Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. Blood was the life of all the services of the tabernacle made with hands. The covenants between God and his people were sealed by blood. By blood the officers of the sanctuary were consecrated. By blood the Israelites were preserved in Egypt from the destroying angel. Blood, fire, and water, were the life and strength of all the typical services of the ceremonial law. Under the new testament, blood to reconcile; the spirit to sanctify, and the word to cleanse and direct, are the strength and life in all the services of the gospel church.

Eternal love, precious blood, and efficacious grace, are the materials with which our consciences are purged from dead works. We behold the river of sovereign

-love running as a living stream through the bloody heart of Emmanuel, sweeping all before it, opening the doors that were locked and barred in Eden, by the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and lifting up the everlast. ing gates, that the king of glory might come in, as the representative of all those that believe in him, and that the Holy spirit might come down from heaven to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judg

ment.

The Israelites were delivered from Egypt the very night the Lamb was taken, killed, and his blood sprinkled on the doorposts, as if their deliverance was effected by his hands, and life and safety from his death. In Egypt there was a lamb slain for every family, under the new covenant God has but one large family and one Lamb taken, and slain to save their lives. It is a Lamb of God's appointment; the sum and substance of the shadows, and an object of the adoration of men and angels, to whom are blessings, honor, praise and glory due forever and ever. All the blessings of the gospel are flowing freely to poor sinners through the blood of the Lamb; as if love and mercy could not write deliverance without dipping their pens in the blood of the Lamb's heart; without shedding of blood there is no remission, is the language of justice,-mercy replies on the behalf of sinners: We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemp tion that is in Christ Jesus. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences for the new service of Mount Zion. It is in the blood of the Lamb the spirits of just men made perfect have washed their robes and made them white.

In the cleansing of the leper, several things were ne cessary, as running water, cedar wood, scarlet and hys

sop, and the finger of the high priest; but it was theblood that gave life and efficacy to the whole; without shedding of blood the leper could not be cleansed; so it is now, it is the blood of Christ, the doctrine of infinite atonement, Christ and him crucified, is the life and vigor of all the exhortations, promises, threatenings, invitations, and commandments of the gospel. It is by vir tue of the blood of Christ that the scriptures are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. From every pulpit where the doctrine of atonement is shut out, that virtue which healeth sin sick souls is also shut out. Believers can crucify the old man only by virtue of the crucifixion of Christ. The value of his blood is the life of the christian religion. It is the foundation of our hope, take away the foundation, and the whole superstructure will unavoidably fall, but this cannot be done-glory to God. The bill of deliverence being presented to the house, was read by the prophets, and passed through the two houses of parliament, that is to say, heaven and earth.

It passed the lower house unanimously on the morning of the resurrection, and it passed the upper house without a dissenting voice, when the Son of God appeared with the bill in his hand, as the Lamb that was slain for us: and yet alive. When it became a law of the kingdom of heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent with it into the world, to establish it in the hearts of men as a law of the spirit of life. This law is known by the name of eternal redemption. According to the law of this gospel, God is reconciling the world to himself without imputing their trespasses unto them.

3. We would notice the design of this purification.To purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,

from your vain conversation received by tradition, from your Fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. It is by the blood of Christ that we are redeemed from vain conversation, and purged from dead works. While in a state of nature, we are in bondage and captivity, arrested by the hand of vindictive justice, and sold away captives by the enemy of our souls, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of dis. obedience. Man is not only arrested by divine justice but he is a slave to the strong man armed, and a prisoner of death; by the blood of Christ as a ransom price, we are redeemed from the curse of the law, and the threatenings of vindictive justice; but through might and power we are delivered from the hands of the mighty usurper. the mighty power that was manifested in raising up Christ from the dead, is exerted in the conversion of sinners so that they are delivered from the power of sin and Satan. By satisfying divine justice, the way was opened for the mighty power of grace to attack the castles of Beelzebub, sin and death. But in the text it is said, that by the blood of Christ we are purged from dead works. The works of sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins; proceeding from carnal mindedness, which is enmity against God, which is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be, can be no other than dead works. This is the true representation of the state and condition of every individual while in a state of nature. It is that vain conversation from which we must be delivered by the efficacy of the blood of Christ. This springs from the corruption of our nature, which is vain in all its active operations in seeking after pleasures that vanish away like the crackling of thorns under a pot.

If our consciences are not purged, we cannot serve

the living God acceptably. If the love of sin is not dethroned in the heart, our lip, and knee service is nothing but hypocricy. We can no more draw near to a holy God than a dry stubble can stand before the flaming fire; for we nourish in cur bosoms that which God perfectly hates. A sense of guilt, fear and torment in the conscience, drives every one from the presence of the Lord, like Adam in the garden. It is only the efficacy of the blood of Christ, as an atonement for sin, applied by the Holy Spirit of God, that can remove this fear of condemnation, and turn the sinner from that unmeasurable distance from God to serve him in truth and sincerity. It is in this way alone that you are constrained to draw near to God, by that faith which worketh by love. This will make the love of sin to yield, and give up the throne to the love of God.

The acceptable service of the living God must originate in a principle of life in the heart: the word of God must be the rule of operation, the will of God, and not the will of man, must be consulted and obeyed. The consideration that God is holy, that he is every where, and that he seeth every thing, and that he is jealous of his glory, and that we are accountable to him for our actions, fills the soul with reverence and godly fearwhile engaged in the service of the living God. The most high God is worthy to be loved, feared, and adored by all intelligent creatures. His commandments are worthy of our most sincere obedience. To serve God should be our chief delight.

All that we do, should be done with a view to his glory: Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all things to the glory of God. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Pharoah king of Egypt is dead. Herod is dead. Nero is dead: but if God is your enemy, recollect, He is the living God. Time