230 THE ATONEMENT OF cfniar MANIFESTED, and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." These are the blessings of the gospel of Christ ; here is the sanctifying Spirit included, as well as the blood of atonement ; here is a purifica- tion of our natures, as well as a justification of our persons, in- troduced in the view of this Lamb that was slain: And therefore John the baptistmight say, in more senses than one; John i.29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. He takes away the guilt of sin in the soul, by the sanctification of his Spirit. Allthe blessed promises of the gospel, in the Old Testament and in the New, are but the language of this new covenant, which arose from the view and foresight of the blood of this dying Lamb r which was therefore called the blood of the everlasting covenant; Heb. xiii. 20. Let me ask ye now, O sinners, whose consciences areexpo- sed to agonies through the guilt of sin, and whose souls are in danger of being captivated into new offence, by the power of sin within you : Do you not see how necessary these blessings are to your salvation? How can you have your sins pardoned, or your souls accepted with God unto eternal life, or renewed unto holi- ness, if you have not an interest in thesalvation wrought by the the bloodof the Lamb ? 7. It was with this design, and in the view of this blood of Jesus, the great sacrifice, that all the ordinances of the New Testament itself were instituted: Baptism itself had something of this signification ; for so said Ananias the christian to Paul, when he was first struck down to the ground by thevision from heaven, Why tarriest thou 2 Arise, and be baptised, andwash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus ; Acts xxii. 16. The water of baptism came to have a cleansing and sanc- tifying 'virtue from the foresight and eternal mercy of God, who appointed Jesus Christ to be slain for a sacrifice ; which is also intimated Heb. x. 22. Let is drawnear with a true heart, inAll assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- science, and our bodies washed, i. e. in baptism, with pure water. There is no need Of the' particular description of the institu- tion of the Lord's- supper; Mat. xxvi. 28. Rev. i. 5. where- in the blood of Jesus Christ is said to wash us- from our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin; 1 John i. 7. 8. It was in the view of this Lamb slain from thefoundation of the world, that there was a way made, provided, and prepar- -ed, for our Lord Jesus Christ to arise from the dead. The apostle to the Hebrews, in chap. xiii. ver.' 20. is express in this sentiment. " The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through-the blood of the everlastingcovenant i. e. the Bove.
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