ment for ceremonial guilt, for removing ceremonial pollution, and thus for obtaining and enjoying the earthly inheritance. But the deeper transgressions remained; they still were. The transgressions which draw down on man the judicial displeasure and the moral disapprobation of God, and thus stood in the way of God's bestowing and man's enjoying the spiritual eternal inheritance of perfect holy happiness, in the favour, image, and fellowship of God,-these must be removed, or the promised eternal inheritance can never be received by the called ones. God can by no means clear the guilty. It was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats could take away sin. The old covenant can open the way to the unclean Israelite unto the temple-it can, by its rites properly observed, secure to him the possession of Canaan; but it cannot save man, whether Jew or Gentile, from hell-it cannot carry them to heaven. This species of transgressions, the most serious of all, which were, notwithstanding all the expiation and ablutions of the law, these must be dealt with, or not one of the called can receive the promised eternal inheritance. There must be a redemption of them. The phrase is peculiar; but, viewed in its connection, it can scarcely be called obscure. A ransom, a redemption-price, must be paid, in order to these transgressions being forgiven,—without the forgiveness of which, the everlasting inheritance is unattainable by any of the called ones. Expiation must be made. Something must be done to make God's conferring the inheritance on the called ones, who had been guilty of these transgressions, consistent with the perfection of His character, the honour of His law, the declarations of His word, the stability of His government. And what was this something, which all created intelligence would have sought for ever to discover in vain? The Apostle tells us in the fourth proposition.

IV. Death—an adequate death-must take place. It is "by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first covenant, that the called ones can obtain the promised everlasting inheritance." Nothing but death could serve the purpose. Death is the penalty of the law. Death is the wages of sin. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. There must be a manifestation, an adequate manifestation, of the displeasure of God against the sin and the sinner, to make pardon honourable to God, or safe to the sub

jects of His moral government. No such thing as mere amnesty exists in God's government. There must be something besides repentance and reformation—something in order to true repentance and reformation. There must be blood. The blood of bulls and goats will not serve the purpose. That, vicariously shed, may serve as a protest against God's overlooking ceremonial guilt, and giving external benefits to those who deserve them not; but it cannot expiate moral guilt-it never can afford a fit reason why a just God should forgive a guilty, condemned malefactor. The death of all men can effect nothing in the way of expiation. It does not exhaust the curse; it lays no foundation for pardon. The death of the whole angelic host incarnate could not serve the purpose. They had neither the disposition nor the right to devote themselves victims for men. This sacrifice would have been deficient in both the constituent elements of an effectual sacrifice-divine appointment, and intrinsic infinite value. A death was necessary which would fully answer all the requisitions of the divine character and government. The death of one who had a right to lay down His life for such a purpose-for it was His own independent property,—and whose one life was in value incalculably superior to that of all the lives He by His death rescued from destruction ;—such a death was the death of Jesus Christ. And His death is the only such death to be in the wide extent of God's universe, from eternity to eternity.

V. The fifth and concluding proposition comes out, then, with resistless power. "For this cause He is the Mediator of the new covenant." He is Christ, the divinely appointed, the divinely qualified Redeemer. He has paid the ransom for the transgressions which remained unexpiated under the first covenant. He has died for us in our room-died for our sins, on account of them-died, the just for the unjust. He has offered Himself unspotted, an all-perfect sacrifice-materially, formally perfect. He has done so through the eternal Spirit, His divine nature, which imparts an infinite value to His sacrifice. And the blood of that sacrifice can do what the blood of no other sacrifice ever could do: it can not only sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, it can cleanse from all sin-it can purge the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. It can not only exhibit, but exhaust, the penal sanction of the divine law,

and harmonize in the divine character and administration the apparently incompatible glories of perfect righteousness and infinite grace, the just God and the Saviour. And thus the death of the incarnate Only-begotten of God, which appears at first sight so unaccountable as to make us doubt the reality, the possibility of the whole economy, of which it is the chief constituent element, is seen to be indeed the unsearchable wisdom of God, though the wisdom of God in a mystery. It is this-which to the Jew is a stumblingblock, and to the Greek foolishness-which qualifies Him for being, what no other being in the universe is qualified for being, the successful Mediator of the new covenant. It is thus that He, crucified in weakness, is the power of God to salvation. It It is thus that He secures for all the called ones the ineffable blessing of the promised everlasting inheritance, an inheritance which otherwise could never have been possessed by any of the fallen race of Adam. The meaning of our text, we trust, now stands out clear before you. "Because the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purges the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God," while the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, could do no more than sanctify to the purifying of the flesh,-for this cause He is the Mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death, "for the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first covenant, they which are called might receive the promise of everlasting inheritance."

If these things are so, is it not meet that this death should be held in everlasting, most grateful remembrance by those who, but for that covenant which it ratified, must have suffered for ever the fearful consequences of that forfeiture of the everlasting inheritance which their transgressions had incurredtransgressions which nothing could expiate but the blood of the everlasting covenant? The voice first uttered in the upper chamber in Jerusalem now comes forth from the most excellent glory: "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, shed for remission of sins unto many. Drink ye all of it." Over, then, the instituted memorial emblems of the ratification of the covenant by the death of Christ, who is the Mediator, both as the High Priest and as the atoning sacrifice, let us, when observing the holy ordinance of the supper, devote ourselves entirely

to Him who devoted Himself entirely for us, and cherish an undoubting confidence that the confirmed covenant shall be followed out to all its blissful intended results; and that, as we have the promise and pledge, we shall in due time obtain the full possession, of the everlasting inheritance, blessing God that He has shown us, manifested to us, this His holy everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. O that all of us, in the full assurance of faith, may be enabled, like David, to employ these as our last words, "This is all my salvation, and all my desire!"

With these views before you, Christian brethren, suffer, in conclusion, the word of exhortation; and this chiefly in the language of the Lord Himself, and His Apostles.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father that is in heaven. Be the children of your Father in heaven, who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Lay not up treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust doth not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal : for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your eye be single, that the whole body may be full of light. Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all things shall be added to you. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and

the prophets. Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Pray, and do not faint. Fear not them who, after they have killed the body, have no more that they can do; but fear Him who, after He has killed the body, can cast both soul and body into hell-fire. Fear Him. Believe in God; believe in Me. Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid. Abide in Me, and I in you. Continue in My love. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Love one another. Love one another as I have loved you. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is rational worship. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God; and that ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your bodies and in your spirits, which are God's. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Covet earnestly the best gifts. Follow after charity. Let all things be done in charity. See that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. Come out from the world, and be separate. Touch not the unclean thing. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. Cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled with any yoke of bondage. Live in the spirit. Walk in the spirit. Be not deceived. Do not deceive yourselves. Be not weary in welldoing. Do good to all as you have opportunity, especially to the household of faith. Put off the old man; put on the new man. Be followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved you. Have no fellowship with the un