shall continue to diffuse itself through the dark places of the earth, til it banishes all the stench of atheism, unbelief, and all dead works from the footstool of God."Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee." The perfect fulfilment of law we find in his blood, the virtue of which is owing to the dignity of his divine person. His atonement corresponds, in degree, with his personal dignity. His blood was not that of a single person of Adam's race. It was the blood of the second man-the second covenant head. And who was he? The Lord from heaven and a quickening spirit.This is the farthest point of the language of inspiration,

This blood was first shed, in order to its being sprinkled.

These are two distinct and separate acts, though intimately connected together. The first act respects the reconciling of God, the great Lawgiver, to us;-the second, our reconciliation to him through the Holy Spirit : Both acts together include the atonement and its appli. cation. Three golden bowls, or basins, were in use on the great day of atonement; the first was the receiver of the blood as it flowed from the veins of the victim, a part of which was poured into the fire upon the brazen altar, that was blood upon the altar to make atonement for the soul. Another part of the same blood was poured into another golden bowl, which was afterwards carried within the veil by the High Priest and sprinkled upon the mercy seat, and before it seven times -then was the atonement sealed. A third part of the blood was reserved in another golden vessel which was used for consecrating to offices and healing diseases.— The dispensation of these three vessels of gold typified, 1. The shedding of the blood of Christ upon the altar,

on the cross, when he was surrounded by the flaming curses of the law,-this was the foundation work of the atonement. 2. His intercession in heaven. And, 3. The work of the Holy Spirit, bringing the same blood of atonement in the golden vessel of the gospel commis. sion, to sprinkle them with the consciences of men.

Hence results sanctification of the spirit, belief of the truth, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ to bring them to evangelical obedience. These three things are closely connected, but yet distinguishable.— Christ poured forth his blood into the fire on the altar, while suffering on the cross, and died, under the curse of the broken law, to put an end to the destroying plague, and to extinguish the fire of the divine wrath. This took place once on an afternoon; but forty days after his resurrection he entered the holy place on high, dressed in his golden robes, with a golden leaf on his forehead, and the names of the twelve tribes;-there to sprinkle the mercy seat with his own blood, and to make intercession for them. He once entered in with his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Ten days subsequent to this, the Holy Spirit descended, attended, by fire, and pillars of smoke —and bringing the same blood with him, in the fulness of its warmth and virtue, he sprinkled there with on the day of Pentecost, three thousand sciences; and beside that, he filled with the same blood the great golden vessel of the commission of Christ.

con

Once the blood of Christ was shed; but the dispensation of its sprinkling by the Holy Spirit, out of the golden bowl of the gospel, will continue throughout all days, till Christ shall come out of his sanctuary, without sin, to judge both quick and dead.

2. It is out of the golden vessel filled with blood upon the cross, part of which blood was then poured into the

fire on the altar, that the vessel of the intercession within the veil, and the vessel of the Holy Spirit, are sup. plied so as to carry on the glorious work. He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. Out of the golden bowl of Golgotha, the others must be filled. May our sermons, and our hymns of praise be like unto vessels of gold, and let us see to it that they are always filled, not with the vain morality of Seneca, but with that which saves the soul..

If this blood be ever applied to us by the spirit, it must be done in accordance with the scheme devised.The justifying and cleansing virtue of the blood of Christ will be applied through the preaching of the gospel, faith in the truth, the administration of ordinances, the finger of the Holy Spirit, as a renewing, enlightening, and quickening spirit-the Spirit of grace and supplication.

A few examples from the typical rites under the law will illustrate this. 1. The cleansing of the leper, Lev. 14 chap. One of the two birds taken for the leper is to be killed, and its blood not shed upon the ground, but in an earthen vessel over running water,―here we have purity of Christian doctrine; but there must be also the cedar-wood, the scarlet, the hyssop, and the finger of the priest. The life of all the means was in the blood, but the means appended were needful for the cleansing of the leper. 2. We see the same thing in the ceremony of the passover.

A lamb is slain,-its blood is received into a basin. This was the foundation work of their deliverance from the destroying angel; but to secure their safety this blood must be sprinkled, by a bunch of hyssop, upon the lintel and two side posts of the door, -the lamb must be eaten entirely,—nothing must remain; it must be eaten under the sign of the blood,they must show the spirit and manner of pilgrims,

their loins must be girt,-they must have staff in hand, -shoes on their feet,-eat the passover with bitter herbs -determined, in haste, to quit the land. This shows the work of the Holy Spirit, by faith and repentance, hope, and love, inclining men to strive to enter in at the straight gate-to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, &c.-and to walk in all the paths of duty, using the means of grace. By having the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, men are brought to live and dwell with the fiery law, and in fellowship with God the "consuming fire." This was shown in type at Sinai, when the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled upen the altar, the book, and the people.

The holy Gol, the holy law, and the renewed sinner, can all dwell together in peace under cover of the blood of Christ.

The law was reconciled to us when Jesus answered its demands by dying; but we must be reconciled to the purity of the law, by having our hearts sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, by the finger of the Holy Spirit. "When he is come he will convince the men of sin;" and with his finger he will write the law upon the heart. And this writing shall never be erased, seeing it is written with the blood of the Redeemer.

3. The church on earth is represented as coming to this blood; by faith in Christ they ascend the holy hill of Zion. 1. "We who believe, do enter into rest," by an anticipating faith we climb the summit beyond the valley of death,-enter the new metropolis where is kept the register of Zion's births, and where the first born are all written,-Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, all now spirits of just men made perfect, who have passed death and dwell in the city of angels.They behold God, the Judge of all, reconciled in the Mediator of the New Testament, and they abide under

the cover of the blood of sprinkling. 2. The souls of the saints enter into the city of the living God at death. 3. On the morning of the resurrection they shall ascend, body and soul, and enter the city, where is the register of their new birth, without spot or blemish.The very instant we obtain a personal interest in the Son of God we are in the same church-state with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 4. The blood of sprinkling speaks, and says, O blood of atonement! O Church of God, purchased with his own blood! O doctrine of Messiah's true Divinity, and meritorious sacrifice! This is the wonder of heaven, hope of earth, terror of hell, Satan's ruin; this is the light in the caverns of death, the resurrection-Sun, the substance, of the shadows, the sum of the prophecies, the pillar of the apostles, the foundation of the promises and will ever be the theme of the new song in the heaven of heavens:-this is the solace of time, the life of eternity, the liberation of captives-the health of the sick-the life of the deadand the ark to save from the fiery deluge.

This is the blood given to us upon the altar, to make atonement for the soul. By one offering he perfected, not for one year, but forever. The sacrifices under the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did. We have our fears as well as those who lived under the typical sacrifices; but our fears spring not from the same source with their fears.

The man who brought his bullock, or his lamb which he himself had reared, could entertain no doubt on the subject of ownership-he had no fear as to his right, and title to these animals; but he feared and felt that there was not efficacy enough in their blood to remove guilt from his conscience, living or dying. We on the other hand, entertain no doubt as to the efficiency of the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, to take away sin-to sanctify