202 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST MANIFESTED. CDIse. vI. and flit- revealing such a vision in the midst of the throne, for our constant contemplation. 4th Lesson. This vision appears on the throne as an everlasting encouragement for the vilest and most guilty sinners of all ages to trust in the sacrifice of the Lamb that was slain. When we remember the " scarlet" and " crimson" sins of David, Solomon, and Manasseh, and of the Corinthians, which are reckoned up ; 1 Core vi. 10, 11, the saints on earth may say, and such were we, drenched all over and defiled with iniquities, whose evil thoughts, evil words, and evil actions, are without bounds and without number, but they are all washed away in this divine laver, with all the infinite evil and guilt of them, against the Majesty and the graceof God ; for the virtue and the dignity of the united god-head, which dwells in the man Christ Jesus, runs through the wholeof his sacrifice, and makes it of infinite and everlasting value ; whereby sins ofall manner of aggravations are removed from those that believe in Jesus; 1 John i. 7. Mat. xii. 31. No manner of crimes are sufficient to create despair, where this atonement is provided. 5thLesson. It may also be designed as an encourag- ing memorial to relieve old sinners under the guiltof sins, of long continuance, and laden with many aggravations; for as the yearly sacrifice of atonement, whose blood the high priest carried into the holy place, and appeared there before God, cancelled the wilt of all the nation for all the days of that year: so Christ, being entered into." the holy place made without hands," and dwelling there for ever, .with his own blood answers for the sins of those that believe in him, which they have been all their lives committing against God, if they are but deep- ly convinced of their long and repeated iniquities, and with humble faith fly to Jesus, the hope that is set be- fore them. Look up, therefore, look up, ye humble penitents, that have been guilty of many and repeated crimes, and are almost drowned in tears ofrepentance, and are ready to die under despair, because of your . aggravated ini- quities, look unto this blessed emblem on high, the Lamb, as it had been slain : This sacrifice gives founda- tion for hope, not only that we shall be cleansed from all our secret faults, which are more than we can think,
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