the infinite love of God to us, on the treasures of heavenly wisdom, and all for us, unworthy as we are of the least of all His mercies. Angels desire to look into this mystery, and deep as it is, and beyond all comprehension, yet how little comparatively do we stand affected with the greatness of our salvation, and the display of such wonderful grace? We do not sufficiently grasp it, do not look at it in the light of eternity, do not dive into the mine of such spiritual wealth. We suffer unbelief too greatly to blind the eyes of our understanding, and deaden the conscience, as if revelation was not a glorious reality. We do not dwell enough on our high and holy vocation, our superior dignity as heirs and joint-heirs with Christ-as the sons of God-as partakers of the glorious inheritance. We are accepted in the beloved, chosen by Him, justified, redeemed, adopted into His family, and with this great and delightful and intimate relation to our great Federal Head, and covenant-keeping God, we are too little affected at the display of such amazing love. Why is it that we should be content to grovel in the dust, when the higher and purer enjoyments of life are before us, and we are invited to take abundantly of the upper springs of the water of life? We see not our calling, our distinguishing privileges, the greatness of our mercies, the vast extent of His boundless love, our individual relation to Him as children beloved, as united to Him by the closest and tenderest bonds, as branches of the living Vine. It is our privilege and duty to walk with God; to this we are invited. We are looking forward to spend eternity in His immediate presence; let us seek, in the commencement of a new year, to live nearer to Him, to realize His presence, to enjoy a more intimate fellowship, to watch more unto prayer, to concentrate more entirely our thoughts and feelings on the nearness to Jesus, to yield to Him the supreme adoration of the heart more fully than ever, to prize every opportunity of having access to His mercy-seat, and so to live that Christ may be magnified in us. Our life is hid with Christ; let us strive to exemplify more the Christian character, that we may shine by the lustre of divine grace, and constrain others by the force and power of our example to glorify Him. We are not our own in any sense; what we have we receive, and every moment we are called on to "fight the good fight of faith," to endure as seeing Him who is invisible, to embrace the promises, to improve the means within our reach for doing good, to let our light so shine clearer and brighter, so as to walk on the confines of the eternal world, ready to go up higher when the Master is come and calleth for us. We are the diffuse the lights of the world, to beams of a holy life in our daily circle, to reflect the image of the holy and adorable Saviour, to radiate with the burning rays of His love on the moral darkness of the world, to enlighten the dark spots around us. How great our responsibility, how abundant our resources, to be active, earnest, zealous, and strive with increasing diligence to employ our talents in the service of our adorable Redeemer. Let our prayer be, as individual Christians, on entering the New Year, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" As we advance in life, we are reminded of our brief existence, of the solemn fact that we have but a limited portion of time in which to work-that our labour will soon be over, and our opportunities for doing good speedily brought to an end. Every moment is precious; soon we shall have to do with God alone, and as we profess to be His servants, let us gird on our armour afresh, contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, strive more earnestly for the heavenly life, cultivate more intimate communion with God, live to promote the spiritual welfare and prosperity of the church and the world, and lay out our talents to the divine glory, that at length we may hear the welcome approval, "Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of the Lord." Let there be a deep confession before God for past sins, deep humiliation and self-abasement for the neglect and forgetfulness of the divine com mands, the want of faithfulness, the lack of zeal and fervent aim to spread the truth, and for the future let our motto be, "For me to live is Christ." Tiverton, Nov. 1861. F. S. G. THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING. "AND to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."-(Heb. 4.) The blood of Christ is here The blood of sprinkling," in to the various sprink lings of blood by divine appointment under the Old Testament. The blood of the paschal lamb was sprinkled. Hence you read in the book of Exodus, "Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the house until the morning."-(Exod. xii. 21, 22.) The blood of the paschal lamb, sprinkled on the lintel and door-posts, was the only security to the Israelites from the destroyer who smote the Egyptians; and under that protection they must abide during the whole night, if they would be secured from destruction. Thus we must abide in Christ by faith to the end of our days. The blood of the sacrifices, wherewith the covenant was confirmed at Horeb, was sprinkled. "And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people. And they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words."-(Exod. xxiv. 6, 8.) This transaction was calculated to im press the minds of the Israelites with the important instruction that the covenant was made with them only through the blood of the atoning sacrifice; that neither their persons, moral obedience, nor religious services, could be accepted by a holy God, except through the shedding and sprinkling of blood. The blood of the great anniversary sacrifice was sprinkled. "And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward; and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times." (Lev. xvi. 14.) The blood of all these sacrifices was typical of the blood of the Saviour, which was shed upon the cross. "One of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." This precious blood was the blood of the Lamb of God, the Lamb appointed by infinite wisdom to make atonement for sin, and to make a way into the glorious presence of God in heaven. shedding of His blood completed His sacrifice for sin. He saves by means of atonement. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." The All true Christians come to the precious blood of Christ, typified by the Levitical sprinklings. This blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel, for it cries for mercy, not for vengeance. But some suppose that the Apostle does not refer to the blood of Abel shed by Cain, but to the faith of Abel, or to the testimony which he bore to the sacrifice of Christ. The blood of Jesus was the reality of which the offering of Abel was a type. Salvation by blood is more clearly revealed under the Christian dispensation than it was at any former period. The blood of Christ inspires a good hope of eternal life, for this was shed by the Son of Godthe true Messiah-and the Saviour of the world; and shed freely for our salvation. Now, what are the purposes for which all believers come in the exercise of faith to this precious blood of sprinkling? They come to it for their justification. They feel their need of divine forgiveness, and the importance of being acquitted at the bar of God, and living in the enjoyment of His friendship. This is essential to their eternal well-being. Hence they come to the provision for their salvation in Christ. They know from the Gospel that there is hope in Him, for it proclaims the joyful tidings, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Many have come to Him for salvation, and all who have come with a true faith have found salvation. There is sufficient virtue in His atonement to save the chief of sinners. Upon the ground of the satisfaction which He has made for sin, the mercy of God is ready to forgive the truly penitent sinner, and to treat him as if he had never sinned. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness; that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Christ was set forth as a sacrifice for the manifestation of the righteousness or justice of God—that is, that He might be just, although the justifier of the ungodly. When God saves the sinner, He saves him in a way which glorifies His justice as well as His mercy; for He saves him on the ground of a complete satisfaction rendered by his substitute, that is, on the ground of the obedience and death of Christ. It is thus that justice and mercy are harmoniously united in the sinner's justification. Justice is no less justice, although mercy has her perfect work; and mercy is no less mercy, although justice is completely satisfied. The very important words of the Apostle show that the ground of justification before God is not our own merit, nor faith, nor evangelical obedience, nor the work of Christ in us, but His work for us, that is, His obedience unto death. Are you anxious for salvation? Are you feeling the importance of an interest in the favour of God? Are you concerned to escape the wrath to come? Then the Gospel encourages you to come to the blood of Jesus, for this has made full atonement for sin, and therefore mercy can forgive all your sins, and make you an heir of glory. "Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." The believer in Christ is justified in a manner which is entirely gratuitous, yet in a way perfectly consistent with the justice of God. Believers also come to Jesus for sanctification. His blood has opened a fountain for their purification. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." There is no stain made by sin so deep that the blood of Christ cannot take it entirely away from the soul. There are millions now in heaven who know this by happy experience, for they have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Under the Jewish dispensation, various things about the sanctuary were cleansed from ceremonial defilement by the sprinkling of blood on them-the blood of sacrifice. In accordance with that usage the blood of the Lamb, or of Christ, is said to cleanse and purify. The redeemed in heaven were not made white as the result of their sufferings, but by the blood of the Lamb. "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 consciences from dead works to serve the living God?" The ashes of the heifer were to be carefully preserved, and being mixed with water were sprinkled on those who were from any cause ceremonially impure.-(Num. xix. 9, 10.) The reason for this appears to have been that the heifer was considered as a sacrifice whose blood has been offered, and the application of the ashes to which one had been burnt was regarded as an evidence of participation in the sacrifice. The Apostle allows that the sacrifices offered by the Jews had an efficacy in removing ceremonial uncleanness, and in rendering it proper that he who had been polluted should be permitted again to approach and worship God; and then he goes on to argue that if they had such an efficacy, it was fair to presume that the blood of Christ would have far greater efficacy, and would reach to the conscience itself, and make that pure; for the blood of the Son of God must be far more valuable than the blood of an animal could possibly be. If the blood of an animal had any efficacy at all, even in removing ceremonial pollutions, how much more is it reasonable to suppose may be effected by the blood of Christ ?" He did not offer as a sacrifice a bullock or a goat, but He offered himself. What love was here! The sacrifice of one's self is the highest offering which he can make; in this case it was the highest which the universe had to make. The animal that was offered in the Jewish sacrifices was to be without blemish. It was not to be lame, or blind, or diseased. This was a type of Christ, who was qualified by the perfection of His character to offer a perfect sacrifice. His blood secures to all who believe in Him the purification of their moral nature. The offerings of the Jews related in the main to external purification, and were not adapted to give peace to a troubled conscience; but what they could not do, the sacrifice of Christ can do. This was so satisfactory to the justice of God, that He can consistently pardon the penitent sinner, and restore him to His favour; and give to him the Holy Spirit, to purge him from all the stains of pollution. His vital influences can make the Gospel effectual in our conversion and meet ness for heaven. Are you troubled because of the sinfulness of your nature, and are you thirsting after righteousness? Then come to this precious blood of sprinkling, and repose confidence in it for your salvation, and God will communicate to you His gracious influences, and make you holy in heart and life. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Believers come to the blood of Christ for peace with God; for they read in His word, "And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto himself." The Saviour, by His atonement for sin, produces reconciliation to God, the result of which is peace. All who believe in Him are saved, therefore need not live in fear of pnnishment, but they may rejoice in hope of the glory of God. They come to this blood for their admission into heaven; for none can enter there but by faith in His sacrifice.-(John xiv. 6.) They come for instruction, for here they learn the true character of God-the way of salvation-the only ground of hope for guilty sinners. The angels have set them an example of diligent attention to the wonders of redemption. "Which things the angels desire to look into." The way in which sinners are saved has excited the deepest interest amongst holy men on earth, and even amongst the inhabitants of the skies. The |