once ro ao inner uuuneis, and to bring them from ra- fting on that ceremonial worfhip, to rea upon Jefus Chrift alone ; And one of the arguments that he makes ufe of for this end, is, That no legal or cerimonial woríhip or fervice, could retake him that did the fervice pet fell as per- taining to the Confcience, as he fays, v. 9. None of thefe things could give a man peace before God, and his own Confcience ; but that, on the contrary, the blood of jells; Cbri is able to purge the Confcience from dead works ; and to bring a man that is in a fate of peace and friendíhip with God, after he hath finned, and thereby defiled and and wounded his Confcience, back to that fame peace and calmnefs that he had before he finned, and make him in force refpe& as quiet and calm as if he had not finned And therefore the blood of Chrift muff be infinitely pre- ferable to all thefe ceremonial facrifices, purgings and wafhings, which probably they inclined to join with him. In the words read, the apoff le illuftrates and confirms the efficacy of .Chrift's blood, by comparing it with the ceremonies of the law, obviating an objeHion, which is this; The ceremonies of the Iaw had a good ufe, and why then will ye cry them down ? He anfwers, They had an ufe, as they refpeEed Chrift's facrifice, that was in due time to be a &ually offered, and as they typified it, and allo as to a ceremonial cleanfing or holinefs ; but they could not, as pertaining to the Confcience, make a man perfe &: And (faith he) if thefe ceremonies had an effg- ,cacy as to the outward man, and making ceremonially and externally clean or . holy ; how much more fhall the blood of Chrift be efficacious to the cleanfing of the foul and inner-man ? If the ceremonies of the law had an effi- cacy toward the admitting of a man to external ordinan- ces, how much more fhall the blood of Chrift have an efficacy to purge the Confcience from dead works, and to take away the fling and guilt, and the defilement alto of fin, and to make it quiet, and fo to capacitate the man to be actiiitted to real fellowfhip with him in his ordi- ñan.ces ? That the comparifon may be the more clear, he nfes here a three fold difttnc±ion ; r. Of a twofold unclean- nefs, one of the flefh, or outward man; another of a man's ftate and Confcience before God : Theirs related to the mans
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