had not been God as well as man, he could never have sustained the load.

See then whether "the visage of any man was ever so marred as his?" Others, if they have been tried in body, have had comfort in their soul: if they have been persecuted by man, they have received succour from God: or if their trials have been of a diversified nature, still they have found some to commiserate, and, by a tender sympathy at least, to participate their lot: but HE trod the wine-press of God's wrath alone, and drank, even to the dregs, that cup of bitterness, which the sins of the whole world had prepared for him, and which could not be removed consistently with God's honour and man's salvation. Well therefore may we put into his mouth those words of the prophet, "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." Well too, as the text observes, might " many be astonished at him;" for whether we consider the innocence of him on whom these sufferings were inflicted, or the greatness of him who submitted to them, or his meekness and patience in enduring them, we are equally lost in wonder and astonishment.

Upon a view of our Lord's unparalleled humiliation, we are naturally led to enquire into

II. The end for which he submitted to it

Moses, speaking of the truths which he was inspired to proclaim, says, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass; because I will publish the name of the Lord." By a similar figure the sprinkling of the nations" may be understood as relating to the publication of the gospel to the whole world. And doubtless this was, in a general view, the end for which our Saviour died. But the term "sprinkling" alludes more particularly to the sprinklings which were made under the law. These were

sometimes of blood, as when the mercy-seat was sprinkled with the blood of bulls and goats on the great day of annual expiation. Sometimes the sprinkling was of water, as when a person ceremonially unclean was purified from his defilement by water of separation.' Sometimes the sprinkling was both of water and blood, as when the leper was cleansed by the blood of a bird mixed with running water. To all of these there is a reference in the text: and from these ceremonial observances, especially as they are more fully opened to us in the New Testament, we learn distinctly the ends of the Redeemer's sufferings.

m

He suffered, first, that he might purge us from the guilt of sin by his blood. To this the inspired writers bear witness with one consent. They declare that he was a propitiation for our sins; that we are reconciled to God by his blood, and that we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Even the saints that are in heaven are represented as singing praises to him that loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and as ascribing their salvation wholly to the Lamb that was slain. Behold then, ye who are bowed down under a sense of, guilt; draw nigh to Calvary, and see the provision made for your salvation: God had ordained, that without shedding of blood there should be no remission; and behold, here is the blood of that spotless Lamb once offered for you on the cross. Take of this by faith, and sprinkle it on your hearts and consciences; and you shall find it effectual to cleanse from sins of deepest die. The true Christian is characterized by the apostle as having "come to the blood of : sprinkling." Let us then answer to this character: so shall we be protected from the sword of the destroying angel, and sing for ever the song of Moses, and possess the white and spotless robes in which the redeemed are arrayed before the throne of God.P

The other end of Christ's suffering was, that he might cleanse us from the power and pollution of sin by his

Lev. xvi. 15. n Heb. xii. 24.

1 Numb. xix. 13. • Heb. xi. 28.

Lev. xiv. 0, 7.

P Rev. vii. 14, 15.

spirit. It had been promised by the prophet, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you." And it was to procure this benefit for us, that Christ submitted to his sufferings; "He gave himself for us, says the apostle, that he might sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water, by the word, that he might present us to himself holy and without blemish." Let us then draw near to him, "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." "Since he bare our sins in his own body, on purpose that we, being dead unto sin, might live unto righteousness," let us not be unmindful of our duty and our privilege. Let us seek "the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost," and labour to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

It is of great importance to observe, that though, under the law, these two kinds of sprinkling were often separated, they are invariably united under the gospel. St. John particularly notices, that "Christ came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and blood." By this we understand, that the water and blood, which flowed in one united stream from the wounded side of our Redeemer, were significant of the united blessings which we should receive from him, namely, of justification by his blood, and sanctification by his Spirit. And St. Peter expressly declares, that these ends were united in the eternal counsels of the Deity, by whom we were "elected through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," What God therefore has joined together, let us never presume to separate: for, as there is no "redemption but by the blood" of Jesus, so "without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

The connexion between these blessings, and the means used for the procuring of them, is frequently mentioned

q Ezek. xxxvi. 25. t1 Pet. i. 2.

VOL. IL

Eph. v. 25-27.

S s

s 1 John v. 6.

in the ensuing chapter, and therefore need not be insisted on in this place. Suffice it therefore at present to say, that the sprinkling of the nations is the fruit and consequence of our Lord's astonishing, unparalleled humiliation." Neither could he have had a right to communicate salvation, if he had not first suffered for our sins; nor can we enjoy his salvation, unless we receive it as the purchase of his blood.

To conclude-The blessings mentioned in the text were not procured for one nation only, but for " many, even for all, to the remotest ends of the earth. And as no nation is excluded, so neither is any individual in any nation. The fountain is opened for all; and will cleanse from sin and uncleanness all who wash in it. As "Moses took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled all the people," so now may every sinner in the universe have his heart and conscience sprinkled through faith in God's promises. None can say, "I am too vile; the blood of Christ can never cleanse from such guilt as mine:" nor can they say, "My lusts are so inveterate, that the Spirit of Christ can never purify my polluted heart:" for," If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sanctified, in any instance, to the purifying of the flesh, much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the Eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge, in every instance, our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

CLXXXIV. THE MEANS AND EVIDENCE OF
CONVERSION.

Isai. lii. 15. 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.

MANY are advocates for the preaching of morality in preference to the unfolding of the mysteries of the gospel, because they think that men will be more easily influ

enced by what they know and understand, than by any thing which surpasses their comprehension. But to judge thus is to be wiser than God, who has commanded his gospel to be preached to all nations, and has appointed it as the means of converting the world unto himself. The most wonderful effects have been produced by it, not only on the vulgar, who might be thought open to deception, but on persons of the most cultivated minds, and most extensive influence. From the first promulgation of it to the present moment, events have justified the prediction before us; for "kings," on hearing of a crucified Saviour, have "shut their mouths before him," and acknowledged him as the foundation of all their hopes.

The terms in which this prophecy is expressed will lead us to consider, The means of conversion, and, The fruit and evidence of it.

I. The means of conversion

God is not limited to the use of any means. He, who by a word brought the universe into existence, can, with a simple act of his will, produce any change in the state and condition of his creatures, or do whatsoever pleaseth him. Nevertheless he has appointed a method of converting souls to the knowledge of himself: and, though we presume not to say what changes he may effect in the minds of unenlightened heathens, yet we have no reason to expect he will dispense with the means where he has sent the light of his gospel. The means which God has appointed for the conversion of men may be considered either as external or internal; the external is, The preaching of the gospel; the internal is, The seeing and considering of that gospel.

With respect to the external mean, the prophet speaks of it as "that which kings had not heard." He has just intimated that the sufferings of the Messiah should exceed all that ever were experienced by man; but that they should avail for the expiating of our guilt, and the purifying of our souls from sin. He then adds, that the great and mighty of the earth should be made to consider these glad tidings; and that, after some opposition for a season, they should become the willing subjects of the Messiah's