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christians. Above the offerings of the heathen; for they sacrificed to devils, but he offered himself withou: spot to God. Above the sacrifice of the Jews; for their blood of sprinkling sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, but this to the purging of your "conscience from dead works.” Above

“ the offering of the christians; for though christians offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, as prayers and thanksgivings, yet “not without spot;" but he offered himself through the eternal Spirit without spot to God.

And then, though Abel offered an excellent sacrifice, and so the fathers of the Old Testament, yet notwithstanding those were for themselves and for those times. Abel offered for himself, and the Jews for themselves, for that time only; but Christ offered a sacrifice for all the world, “He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world,” and “a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world."

Again, though Abel offered an excellent sacrifice, and the fathers of the Old Testament offered excellent sacrifices, and the blood thereof was sprinkled ; yet it was not sprinkled upon all things, but in Heb. ix. it is said : “ Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry, and almost all things are by the law purged with blood.” It was but almost, but now by the blood of Jesus all things are purged and cleansed, not almost, but all things are purged and cleansed. Thus now you see what this blood of sprinkling speaketh, and how it speaketh better things than the blood of Abel; better than his personal blood, and better than his sacrificed blood, and that is the second general.

Thirdly, Now unto this blood of sprinkling are we come in these gospel times. We are not come unto the blood of bulls and goats and heifers, but we are come unto the blood of Jesus the blood of sprinkling.

For what is the dispensation we are now under but the dispensation of a crucified Christ? There are two comings of Christ mentioned in the Scripture. A coming in a way of meanness, riding upon an ass; his first coming is in a way of humiliation, riding upon an ass, and accordingly his kingdom is a kingdom of patience. And there is a second coming of Christ, when he comes riding upon the clouds in power and great glory, and accordingly his kingdom then shall be a

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kingdom of power and glory. When Christ comes the second time we shall be under glorious dispensations, but now we are under the first coming of Christ, and therefore what is the dispensation that now we are under, but the dispensation of a crucified Christ? What doth preaching signify and hold forth, but Christ crucified ? “We preach Christ crucified,” saith the apostle. What do the sacraments hold forth? Why: “ This cup is the New Testament in my blood,” saith he. So that now we are under the dispensation of a crucified Christ. In the times of the old covenant, they did believe in God, and God himself was the first object of their faith, and so they came to Christ; now, in these times of the New Testament, the first and immediate object of our faith, is the blood of Christ, “Faith in the blood of Christ,” Rom. iii. So that, I say, it is the blood of Jesus that now we are come unto.

Well, but though in these gospel times we are now come to the blood of Jesus, the blood of sprinkling, yet, it may be, this blood of sprinkling may not be sprinkled upon my soul. When may the blood of sprinkling be said to be sprinkled upon a man's soul? How shall I know whether this blood of sprinkling be sprinkled upon my soul in particular? That is a question of great concernment. Thus therefore,

If it be your great work in all your temptations and upon all occasions to apply yourselves unto the blood of Jesus, then is the blood of Jesus applied to you, and so sprinkled on you. The blood of Jesus is sprinkled on us by the Spirit of God, and when it is sprinkled by the Spirit of God, it is applied. If you do make applications of yourselves to Christ, certainly Christ hath made applications of himself to you; for all our grace is but a reflection of his grace; we love him because he loved us first, and we choose him because he chose us first, and we apply ourselves to him because he hath applied himself unto us first. If therefore in all temptations and upon all occasions, it be your great work to make an application of yourselves unto the blood of Jesus, then hath the blood of Jesus been applied to you and sprinkled upon you.

If you ever have had such a sight of the blood of Christ as that thereby you are purged from an evil conscience, then hath this blood been applied to, and sprinkled on you; they

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go together. In Heb. x. 22, it is said: “Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,” or purged, Heb ix. calls it purged; “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.” What is that? Why an evil conscience is an evil conscience two ways; either because it is a sluggish conscience, and does not stir us up unto our duty and accuse for sin ; or else because it is a clamorous and despondent conscience. Now if you have had such a sight of the blood of Jesus as hath quickened your conscience, and wakened your conscience, and yet pacified your conscience at the same time, then have you been sprinkled with this blood of Jesus. You see how they go together in the xth chapter 1, 2, 3. But,

If you have a continual sight and remembrance of the blood of Jesus in all your goings out and your comings in, then hath the blood of Jesus been sprinkled upon you. When the destroying angel passed over the houses of the Israelites, the posts were sprinkled with the blood of the lamb. The posts; and why their posts? But that in all their goings out and their comings in, they might have an eye thereunto. So now how is it with me? Do I not only find the virtue of the Lord Christ within me; but that in all my goings out and comings in, I have an eye unto his blood ? Then is his blood sprinkled upon my posts, and applied unto me.

If that you do walk in the light, as God is in the light; then the blood of Jesus hath been, and is, sprinkled upon you, and applied to you; 1 John i. vii. : “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” If we walk in the light as he is in the light? What is that? How is God and Christ in the light? Why he is in the light certainly in regard of grace and holiness. So he is in the light, and to that purpose the apostle speaks here. So then, although you cannot walk in the light of comfort, but as a child of light walking in darkness; yet if

you do walk in the light of holiness, walk in the light as God is in the light; then certainly the blood of Jesus Christ hath cleansed you, and so hath been sprinkled upon you. If

you are indeed separated and set apart for God, and for the work and service of God, then is the blood of Jesus sprinkled upon you. He that is dipt in this blood of sprinkling, is separated. You shall observe that when the priests were consecrated, the tip of the right ear was sprinkled with blood, and the thumb of the right hand, and the toe of the right foot. And not only the priests when they were consecrated were so sprinkled; but when a man was cleansed from his leprosy, he was so sprinkled also. You have them both in Leviticus concerning Aaron. Lev. viii. 23 : “He slew the ram, and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot." Thus in regard of Aaron. In regard of the leprosy, you have it in Lev. xiv.: 6 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand, shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering." And so in regard of blood as well as of oil. What is the meaning of this, that the tip of the right ear was to be touched with blood, and the thumb of the right hand was to be touched with blood, and the toe of the right foot with blood, both when the priest was consecrated, and when the leprosy was cleansed ? But to shew thus much, that the whole man is to be set apart for God. The ear of his understanding and knowing part is to be set aside for God. The thumb of his right hand, the believing part (by faith we lay hold), is to be set apart for God. And the great toe of the right foot, the practical part of life and conversation ; the whole man is to be set apart for God where this sprinkling comes. So that look therefore, when a man is set apart for the worship and service of God, ear, and hand, and foot, set apart for the worship and service of God; then he is said to be sprinkled with this blood of sprinkling.

Once more, If that you have had such a prospect of Christ crucified, and have seen what great and wonderful things Christ hath done and suffered, insomuch as your hearts have been astonished therewithal; then have your souls been sprinkled with this blood. See how they go together, Isa. lii. 13, 14, 15: “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high, (speaking

of Christ). As many were astonied at him, (his visage was so marred, more than any man's, and his form, more than the sons of men,) so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them, shall they see, and that which they had not heard, shall they consider.” Where this blood is sprinkled there comes astonishment at the mirror, and wisdom and mystery of a crucified Christ. So that thus now you see that we are come unto this blood of sprinkling: and how a man shall know whether his own soul be sprinkled with this blood of sprinkling in particular. And is this a small matter?

Fourthly. The fourth thing tells us it is a privilege, and a very great privilege to come unto the blood of sprinkling; it is a very great privilege to be sprinkled with this blood of sprinkling.

It was a very great privilege for the Jews to have a sacrifice at hand when they had committed sin, to have the blood of sprinkling by them. But, alas, what is that to this; what was that sacrifice to this of Christ, and what was that blood to this of Christ, and what was that sprinkling unto this sprinkling of the blood of Jesus ? Look what difference is between the type and the thing typified; look what difference there is between the blood of bulls and goats, and the blood of Jesus; look what difference between carnal and spiritual things: so great a difference is there between the coming to the blood of bulls and goats, and the coming to and being sprinkled with the blood of Jesus.

Let me open this a little to you, if you be indeed come unto this blood of sprinkling, and be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus,

Then look whatsoever benefits do flow from the blood of Jesus: all those do belong to you. And do you well consider what are the benefits that do flow from the blood of Jesus. Let me name some to you.

Thereby, in the general, we have redemption : “In whom we have redemption through his blood," saith Paul, Eph. i.

Thereby the covenant of grace is ratified and confirmed, Heb. ix., at large.

Thereby the church of God is purchased, Acts xx. purchased by his blood; by the blood of God.