undertook the task, and uniting humanity to itself, as the means of operation, the human nature of Jesus takes its name from the divine, and we say, "the blood of God." "The church of God," saith the apostle, which he hath purchased with his own blood." This added infinite value to the offering,-'twas this that filled it with merit and atoning worth; yet, it was not divinity that bled and died-it could not be in the nature of it, it is impossible; but as man is a kind of complex creature, intelligent and animal, and as we yet do not style his actions those of the body only, but of the man, so the blood of Jesus Christ takes his name from his whole person, and is called, "the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." And as divinity could not suffer, it was necessary there should be a nature that could; and besides, the atonement must be made in the nature that had sinnedthe same that had transgressed must suffer the penalty,—thus," He took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham." He must not only be the Messiah, but he must be a Saviour; he must not only be the Christ, but he must be Jesus; humanity was necessary to the atonement he was to offer, and divinity to add value to the sacrifice. Those who make the Son of God to be a mere creature, know but little of the requirements of God's justice; and I ever find, that those who know most of the dignity and divinity of the law, think the highest of the person of the Son of God: for we naturally think of the value of a thing according to the price that is paid for it. Suppose we think of the thousands of Israel that had transgressed against God, and of the appointment of one Jew (reckoning him innocent) to die for the rest. It would instantly occur, "why it can be no such very great transgression, if the blood of one man will suffice for all that numerous host!" Take it in another view. God from eternity loving an elect world, delighting in foreviews of them, yet foreseeing into what guilt and misery they would fall, graciously appointed one of his creatures to die for the countless millions of those who were to praise him for ever. What great display of God's love is here, I cannot see. But when we learn that one of the persons in the glorious and self-existing Trinity in Unity, condescends to our low estate, clothes himself in the garments of our flesh, and takes the human nature into personal union with himself, that he may be our mediator and representative to God,-oh! this commendeth his love indeed. 2dly. This blood is the blood of his covenant. I do not join to say with some, that this blood is the root of the covenant; but that the covenant is the foundation on which the blood was shed-" by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit." ""Now, the God of all grace, that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." It is the blood of the covenant, because it is the price stipulated for the ransom of the church, in the everlasting covenant between the Father and the Son, and is the ground on which we are · released from every charge. Would not common sense defeat the error of the man who received full payment from his debtor's surety, and directly turned round and arrested the principal; for the payment has been made, the price paid down, so that God can be the just justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. 66 3rdly. It is the blood of his cross. Here we come to the shedding of it-to the performance of the conditions of the covenant. It was necessary an atonement should be offered up; for though God loved his people while sinners, he did not love them as sinners. But as a covenant when made and signed, is considered as done, although the conditions of it be not actually performed; so the contract made by Jesus Christ with his divine Father was considered as done, and the saints were treated accordingly, although the blood of his covenant was not actually shed. But as the blood of his cross it is shed; the final ratification was put to the treaty, and the mighty conqueror arose in triumph, and ascended his heavenly throne, having abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. "This," said the dear Saviour, is the cup of the new testament (or covenant) in my blood, which is shed for many." Lastly, it is the blood of his sprinkling. "Ye are come," saith the apostle," to mount Zion, the city of the living God, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel;" here we come to the application of it to the heart and conscience. When on our bended knees we are brought to say, mighty God, I approach thee in a deep conviction of my own unworthiness, in confession also of all thy righteous law's demands, and my inability to pay one farthing, or perform the least act acceptably to thee; but I come to plead the blood of thy dear Son. O Father, I come to mention that sacrifice offered on Calvary; that bloody name which is ever well pleasing to thee; and pray that I may hide my guilty head beneath the skirt of his garment from every blame:" 'tis then we come unto, and come under the blood of sprinkling. 66 It is as sprinkled, both atoning blood and purifying blood: atoning as sprinkled towards God, and purifying as sprinkled on us; and we ever appear clean in the sight of God, being purified in the blood of the Lamb. How do we appear to the eye of faith? clean-as in the sight of God; for to me this is a mystic and spiritual purity, and faith is a spiritual grace, it sees the person as God sees him-clean. Faith never looks for perfection in itself, it never expects to find any change for the better in the old nature, but rather to grow worse; but it takes up its sanctity in Christ the head, where the fulness abides, and from him diffuses itself through all his members. God looks to Christ for the sanctification of the sinner, and faith shall only look for it too; never expecting to find in itself what is to be found in Christ alone. A FRAGMENT. THE Spirit of God can convert men, without the bible; but the bible cannot convert, without the Spirit. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) CONVERSE WITH DEPARTED SAINTS. I'r was in a recent perambulation, in a celebrated receptacle for the mortal remains of some of the posterity of fallen Adam, as I wandered among pompous monuments and humble mounds of earth, I fell into the following train of reflections. I had pourtrayed to my view the last great and awful day, that glorious resurrection morn, when the precious and sacred dust of all who have departed hence in the Lord, shall be raised incorruptible, and fitted for the habitation of the glorified and immortal spirit; I had pictured to myself the meeting of a beloved parent and child, of an husband with the beloved partner of his earthly pilgrimage, welcoming each other upon their arrival into the abodes of bliss: and is such, thought I, the blissful anticipation of the saints on earth? do I feel a happy assurance, that after I have done with all terrestrial things, I shall not only behold those personally whom I knew in this time-state, while they confessed themselves sojourners and pilgrims here; but also see that blessed head once crowned with thorns, that lovely face, fairer than the sons of men, which was once spit on-and all for me, poor, vile me? But no enjoyment can be sensibly felt and derived from the contemplation of such scenes, unless revealed personally by the Lord the Spirit. Blessed and adorable Jesus, thou great Head of the church, manifest thyself to my soul as thou dost not to the world! divine testifier of the Lord Jesus, blessed and eternal God the Spirit, take of the things of Christ and show them unto me, and to all the blood-bought race! then shall we be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the height, and breadth, and depth of rich, free, distinguishing grace. It has often caused me to smile as I have conned over the long and fulsome panegyric, recorded over the cold stone, enumerating the many virtues the once animated clay possessed, while in this lower world-but they are gone-the spirit is fled. On the other hand, as I have been walking over the dust of a believer in Jesus, knowing him or her to have been one, though no marble stood to perpetuate their virtues, to remind the spectator of their good hearts, and of their constant attendance at church, &c. yet has my soul been borne on the wings of contemplation, and beheld them before the throne, singing, hallelujah! to Him who has washed them from their sins in his own most precious blood. There have I viewed them, clothed in his righteousness, casting their crowns at his feet, saying, thou, O Lord, art worthy to receive blessing and honour. Shall I recognize them there? O yes; and will not the congratulations of departed friends and relatives, on each other's arrival in glory, take off their attention from the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne? O no. But amidst these pleasing realities, there is a thought intrudes, which viewed, according to our carnal apprehension, is most painful to flesh and blood. Often have I contemplated the beloved partner of my joys and sorrows-the dear offspring of my own bowels are they destined to be heirs of immortal glory? or are they-the thought is too painful. Shall I see them at the left hand of the judge, and hear the awful sentence, depart ye cursed? I am aware this is arguing according to carnal reason, and flesh and blood; but let us take a faith's view of the subject. Death dissolves all earthly ties, therefore, the feelings which actuate and govern us here, will entirely be done away. Yes, it must be so: flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Believing parents may see ungodly children at the left hand; godly children may see unbelieving parents at the left hand of the judge: what then? will not their bowels yearn with compassion as now? No-the awful sentence will be irrevocably past, and both parents and children, friends and relatives, however dear they may be to each other when on earth, will approve the final decision. Believer in Jesus! dost thou anticipate the blissful moment, when thou shalt be delivered from the burden of the flesh? Perhaps thou hast been called to part with the dearest of thine earthly enjoyments, —a beloved child has been snatched from thy embrace by the grisly conqueror, it may be the wife of thy bosom, her with whom thou didst beguile the toilsome weariness of the way, with whom thou didst enjoy sweet converse concerning thy Father's house,—she too has been called home; and thou hast been crying out, with poor old Jacob, "all these things are against me!" well-it is painful to flesh and blood, I know; but come with me, and anticipate the blissful meeting, the joyful reception thou wilt meet with, not only from an innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, and thy blessed Lord and Master, but also the beloved partner of thy bosom-the child which was not lost, but only gone before thee. The Lord's family are often called to undergo severe and afflicting trials. He is often pleased to tear away the idol that is created in our heart, derogatory to his own glory; we at the moment think him a very hard master; the wound he makes, how it rankles, and how rebellious is our old Adam-nature: but he has wise ends in view for his people's good, and to promote his own glory. Let us, my dear brother, bow submissively at his feet; and to cheer our drooping and fainting spirits, let us by precious faith anticipate the blissful moment, when we shall behold him in open view; when we shall see him face to face, without a veil between. And not only shall we see the adorable Jesus, God-man Mediator, but all those our dear friends and relatives, who have departed thence in the Lord, with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of their Father. Oh! that both writer and reader may, by the rich grace of our glorious Surety, be followers of them who through faith and patience are now inheritors of the promises. London, March 24, 1825. Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus! A SINNER. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) THOUGHTS ON JOHN, Chap. xv. Ver. 4. "ABIDE IN ME." WHAT a wonderful simplicity is displayed in the discourses of our blessed and glorious Redeemer! Altogether unlike worldly orators, whose study is to please men, and gain their applause. His object was saving instruction; their aim is to fascinate and bewitch their hearers, by the displays of eloquence, labouring with all the seductions of art, by far-fetched metaphors and similes, studied expressions, surprising ideas, enticing words, and poetic fancies, to astonish the audience, captivate their passions, and excite admiration, by the mere exhibition of their talents. The only wise God our Saviour, disdained all such resources, and set them at nought: Through all his words a noble plainness ran : He rarely brought before them any thing they were not conversant with. The sower and the seed, the harvest, with other branches of husbandry, vineyards and the vine-dresser, a stone, a tree, bread, fishing, shepherds, and their flocks. The last-mentioned subject was much better understood in Judea than in this country; sheep were more numerous, exposed to predatory beasts, and many enemies, which they have not with us; the mode of treating them was also different in some things. From such subjects as these, so constantly before their eyes, he preached his gospel, unfolded the nature and design of his kingdom, its glories, blessings, privileges, and duties. If we refer to the practice of those who were first employed in publishing the glad tidings of salvation, to the lost and guilty sons of Adam, we shall find in this particular, that the servants most strictly followed the example of their Lord and Master. They denounced, and utterly discarded, the enticing words of man's wisdom, so pleasing to itching ears, great swelling words of vanity, alluring only to the lusts of the flesh and the mind. Excellency of speech, they would not allow, much less study. "Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." 1 Cor. i. 17. It cannot be said there is any real wisdom and goodness in these things; it is merely the world's estimate and account of them. In truth and fact, those words are the wisest, that most simply, most fully, and most freely unfold the cross of Jesus. That speech possesses the highest excellency, that most explicitly, abundantly, and powerfully, points out, and sets forth, the Lamb of God to sinners, as all their salvation, righteousness, and peace ;-that most exalts and extols him, in the glory of his person, as God over all, the perfection of his work, the efficacy of his blood, the suitableness and excellency of his offices. These things, together with what must never be lost sight of, man's wretched state by nature and practice, his utter helplessness and desperate need of all that Christ has and is, the Holy Spirit of God ever sets his seal unto, and applies to the hearts and consciences of the |