But he also taketh away guilt from the conscience by the sprinkling of his blood.* The atonement made upon the cross eventually profits none but those, who apply it to themselves. This is represented in the-Lord's supper, as it was of old by the eating of the paschal lamb, with the sprinkling of its blood. We are not communicants merely by hearing of, or seeing, the emblems of Christ's body and blood, but by eating and drinking them. The Lord Jesus "who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time," sends his gospel to sinners, and by the powerful convictions of the Holy Spirit, he effectually destroys their self-confidence; then their conscience becomes burdened with the guilt of their former sins; and whatever efforts they use to get relief, all prove ineffectual, till they understand the nature, and see the suitableness and glory of redemption by the blood of Christ. Applying in true repentance and living faith for an interest in this propitiation, they find the load of guilt removed, and obtain stable peace, connected with deep humiliation, hatred of sin, watchfulness against it, acquaintance with the divine law in their own hearts, and great tenderness of conscience. "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, "and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, "sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the "eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve "the living God?*" Nothing but this view of the cross, this application to the blood of sprinkling, this washing in "the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness," can give that kind of peace and confidence which hath been described: because nothing else can shew the enlightened and humbled heart the divine justice and holiness, in harmony with mercy and truth, glorified in pardoning and saving the chief of sinners. And whenever this peace has been lost through relapses into sin, there is no other way of recovering it, but that in which it was first obtained: nay indeed, it cannot be preserved in the midst of those numberless imperfections and defilements, that accompany our best days and duties, except by continual application to "the blood of Christ which "cleanseth from all sin." In consequence of the atonement and intercession of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit destroys in the heart of his disciples, the dominion, love, and pollution of sin; by means of the motives, encouragements, and ordinances of the gospel. In this sense also," the Lamb of God taketh away the sin of the "world" for this is the only method, by which the hearts of men all over the world can be made holy; and all men in every nation of the earth, who believe in the name of Christ, are thus sanctified by faith in him.+""Christ also loved the church, and gave "himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it "with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not Heb. ix. 13, 14. x. 22. + Acts xxvi. 18. "having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that "it should be holy and without blemish."*" You "who were-enemies in your minds by wicked "works; yet now hath he reconciled; in the body of "his flesh through death; to present you holy, and 66 unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight."t "He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us "from all iniquity, and purify us unto himself a pe"culiar people, zealous of good works." Thus will the Lamb of God continue to take away the sin of believers all over the world, till there be no remains of it left; and till the whole company shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory "with exceeding joy.§". III. Then we consider the call to "Behold the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the "world." I shall not confine myself to the exact import of the words, as spoken by John; but refer likewise to several other scriptures of a similar nature. "There "is no God else beside me, a just God and a Sa"viour;-look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends "of the earth.|" "As Moses lifted up the serpent "in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man "be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him "should not perish, but have eternal life. q" "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our "faith, who for the joy set before him endured the Eph. v. 25-27. ļ Jude, 24. + Col. i. 21, 22. Is: xlv. 21, 22. Tit. ii. 14. cross, despising the shame; and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. *" The Baptist may be supposed to have addressed his disciples to this effect: You want pardon of your sins, and deliverance from the power and pollution of iniquity: "Behold" then "the Lamb of God who taketh away "the sin of the world." He alone can confer these blessings; apply to him, become his disciples, rely on him entirely, and follow implicitly his directions; thus you will be saved, and be made instrumental to the salvation of your fellow sinners.' But we may understand the call in a more comprehensive sense, as an exhortation to meditate seriously and frequently on the great doctrines thus revealed; to behold and contemplate the person and redemption. of Christ with fixed attention and humble faith. He seems to address us from the cross, and to say, "Is "it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and "see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, "which is done unto me; wherewith the LORD hath "afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.t" Let us then turn our thoughts from all other subjects, and with believing application to ourselves, contemplate the interesting scene, which we this day comme morate. We cannot well enter on such meditations, without adverting to the language of the sacred writers, concerning the essential and eternal Deity of Christ, One with the Father, the Creator and Upholder of all worlds, the Object of universal worship and adoration. We consider this glorious Person coming in the flesh to be the Saviour of the world, to seek and save the lost, from mere love and compassion to deservedly perishing sinners. The spotless purity of his human nature; the perfection of his obedience to the divine law; the depth of his voluntary humiliation; the poverty and contempt, and the contradiction of sinners, which he endured through life, demand our most serious attention. He effected not his gracious purposes in our behalf, as a Monarch or a Conqueror; he taught not as a Philosopher or a Moralist: "but he took upon him the form of "a servant," and " gave his life a ransom for "many." We should, however, especially contemplate the variety and intenseness of his sufferings, in the closing scene of his humiliation: the excruciating pain he endured, from the scourge, the thorns, and the nails, and when hanging on the accursed tree; with. the anguish of mind he felt when agonizing in the garden, and when on the cross he exclaimed, “ My "God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" It is very important for us to reflect on what the Redeemer suffered from men; from the base treachery of Judas, the unfaithfulness of Peter, the cowardice of the disciples; the cruel injustice of Caiaphas, the scribes, priests, council, and even their servants; from the contempt and indignity put upon him by Herod and his men of war; the cruelty and scorn of |