think two men got a little light during our being mad.
conversation. Oh for more grace! Oh that
I were more like the blessed Jesus! How
much more good I might do by living more in

Such was the estimate of the

་་

world's wisdom respecting the Lord of glory, and the Apostle whom He called to His work by His own voice from heaven, and such is its estimate now. All who seek to follow Christ fully, will be accounted fools for Christ's sake." (1 Cor. iv. 10.) "But God has chosen wise;" and often makes manifest the power of May the foolish things of the world to confound the His truth through the poorest and most ignorant of the sons of men, that no flesh may glory in His presence. (1 Cor. i. 27-29.)

I am just now very much in want of money,
and have asked the Lord many times to send
me some. I know He has heard me, and feel
sure of soon having all we need.
look to thee, thee only, for in the Lord's good
time all will come right.

our tract, that Jesus Christ was his best
friend. Oh, that he may find Christ, and be
found of Him, then I am sure he will know
Him as his best and truest friend.
We next crossed some fields to visit a communion with God.
christian farmer, well known to Mr S
who introduced me to him as a minister of
the gospel, out of sect, but in Christ. The
good farmer said he could not understand how
that could be, but that he would like to hear
me speak about the Scriptures. I spoke
to him for some time on the privileges of Jan. 13th. Went yesterday to A-, had
the saints. He thanked me kindly for the more conversation with some of the people;
visit, and accepted some gospel tracts, which gave away many gospel tracts, and promised
he said he would first read and then give to go and preach the gospel on Friday next.
away. May they be the means of blessing to
My prayer is heard, and the Lord has this
him, and to those to whom he may give them. day sent me a post-office order for 20s., from
We next went to the village of Ta sick woman whom I never saw, and whose
where we spent a long time in visiting from name I do not know. She read my letter in
house to house. We met with some poor the Missionary Reporter, and was led to send
souls who seemed anxious to know what they this help through a Christian brother, who has
must do to be saved. We most gladly written me a sweet and refreshing letter.
pointed them to Jesus Christ as the only Sa- How cheering the thought, that all the Lord's
viour. Oh, that the Holy Ghost may lead people are one. May the Lord bless this
them to build on Him, who is the sure founda- dear sister.
tion. After leaving T, we entered a
house I had once visited before, where there
lives an aged woman who is anxious about
her soul's salvation; she was still very un-
happy, but daily reading her Bible, and call-
ing on God to save her. I feel no doubt, but
that the Lord is leading her to Himself. We
spent some time in reading, talking, and pray-
ing with her. She begged that I would call
again, and said that she had heard more truth
from me, than she had heard during her
whole life. She said that she had not been
six times to church or chapel, since she was
a young girl.

He may get the glory.

Jan. 6th 1859. Went to B on Tues

Jan. 15th. After visiting some sick people, I went last night to A. The house was crammed with people, who seemed to listen to the word as if they were hearing it for the first time. Had much liberty in speaking, and the word seemed to be with power. Gave away many gospel tracts, and promised to go again.

(To be continued, if the Lord will.)

Jesus Christ's Fools.

It was not

The writer was once applied to by a poor man, who expressed his desire to partake of the Lord's supper. He was what many persons would call "a know-nothing." In addition to a weak body, he had an impediment in his speech, and could scarcely put two ideas together. As his request occasioned some surprise, he was asked his reasons for desiring this privilege. "Because I love Jesus." "Has Jesus given you peace?" "Yes." "How long have you had peace?" "Ever since I draw'd (threw) myself upon the Lord, to let He do as He wou'd wi ma.” thought necessary to ask another question. The Spirit of God had evidently dictated the reply of this poor "know-nothing;" and it may be questioned whether any other could have conveyed in fewer words all that was needful. It expressed a faith similar to that of the woman who said, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole." (Matt. ix. 21.) As a poor sinner, he had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and freely cast himself on His compassion, love, and mercy. He has since been, for many years, a loving witness of the power of the Gospel, commending the truth to all around him, by a blameless walk and conversation. Labouring for very scanty wages, on account of bodily infirmity, and living three miles from his usual place of meeting, he has sometimes, during the severe frost of the past

generally happy as you walk home in the dark?" "Yes; happy all day long." Truly, if this is one of "Jesus Christ's fools," he has proved that the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor. i. 25.)

The Lord sent us 20s. yesterday morning, from an unknown friend, living many, many miles away from Derbyshire; and last night a friend sent us a basket of apples. Thus the Lord cares for us, and supplies all our wants. Our faith is often tried, but we are We next visited a man that is sick at never forsaken. I feel that as God has called W. The Lord enabled us to preach me to serve in the gospel, my temporal wants Christ to Him, and he seemed to hear with are His care rather than mine. Mine is a much earnestness. As it was now growing a path of trial, but it is also one of blessing; dark, and we had some miles to walk, we it is very sweet to live day by day, looking to made the best of our way to H, where I God for the supply of all our need. took tea, and spent an hour or two with Mr. S and his wife. I was pleased to hear him tell Mrs. S, that the day had been to him both happy and profitable. Thus ended a very hard day in the service of our Master. Ir was on the afternoon of a fine summer's May He bless the seed sown, and may it be day, when many persons assembled in a field seen at "that day," we did not labour in vain. near the village of Bow to hear the Gospel, winter, walked three times in one week to I do feel it a privilege that I, a poor sinner, saved by grace, should be employed in the being attracted by the novelty of a public meetings for prayer and worship. He was service of such a Master. He gives me much baptism. The ministry of the word was atblessing, I suppose it is that, as I am nothing, tended with power, being owned by the Lord lately asked if his journey was wearisome. to the awakening of two individuals who sub-"No; I don't think of that." "Then you are sequently found peace in Jesus, one of whom came with the avowed purpose of mocking at this solemn ordinance. On their return homeward, one of the company was heard to say to his companion, "They be Jesus Christ's Gave them a fools;" and the expression of this young large printed Bible, for an aged person at W- Mrs. C kindly gave me a pork scorner contained perhaps more truth than he pie to carry home, this served us for dinner himself was aware of. If our estimate of to-day, as we had no other meat and no things and persons is guided by the word of money to get any with. Mrs. C knew God, it will be found that both wisdom and nothing of our wants, but the Lord knew, and put it into her heart to give me this; to folly bear very different interpretations; and Him I give thanks for it. On the way home it will oftentimes be seen, that the wisdom of as "men of the world, which have their porI met with an old man, who thinks himself all this world is foolishness with God, who taketh tion in this life." (Psa. xvii. 14.) To live right for heaven, because he prays twice a day, the wise in their own craftiness. (1 Cor.fiii. 19.) only for time, without any preparation for and does not swear or tell lies. Poor man, The faithful servants of Christ, in every age, eternity; to squander our brief term of life in he knows nothing of Christ, the only Saviour of sinners. I promised to give him a small have been identified with fools and madmen. the gratification of the perishing body, and Bible, and to mark some texts that show how On the day of Pentecost the mockers said of neglect the concerns of the never-dying soul, a sinner can be saved; he promised to read it. the Apostles, "These men are full of new is the highest folly of which an immortal being He seemed much moved when I told him that wine." (Acts ii. 13.) The wise and polished can be guilty. He who spake as never man forth plentifully." (Luke xii. 16.) It is not, an one in the man "whose ground brought however, recorded of him that he was addicted to any of those grosser vices which all men confess to be sinful. His prosperity was, perhaps, the result of honest industry, and he thought he might lawfully enjoy the fruit of

day afternoon, and visited a little from house to house, but was too fatigued to do much, and returned home in the evening quite worn out. Yesterday I visited H, and called on brother C, had sweet conversation

with him and Mrs. C

But there is a class of persons so numerous and diversified as to include the rich and the

poor, the learned and the ignorant, of all ranks, ages, and conditions, who may be called Satan's fools. They may all be characterized

I greatly feared he was not so fit for heaven Athenians said, respecting Paul, "What will spake has given us a solemn history of such

as he thought himself to be. O Lord, bless the word to his poor soul.

Jan. 11th. The Lord just opened the way for me to preach the gospel at Q- last Sunday afternoon and evening. I took tea with some christians who need much teaching on many important points of truth, I

this babbler say?" (Acts xvii. 18.) And
when he appeared before the judgment seat,
Festus interrupted him, by saying, "Thou art
beside thyself; much learning doth make thee
mad." (Acts xxvi. 24.) Even the blessed Son
of God was accused of having a devil, and

MARCH 1, 1861.]

up

He

The careful reader will not fail to perceive that the subject matter in each letter of Paul is discoverable in the first few sentences. The new life by resurrection occupies the body of this epistle. (ch. vi. vii. viii.) Hence we find it here in a pregnant expression. Down here he was Son of David; by resurrection from the dead He is powerfully declared or defined to be the Son of God, Karα πvevμa ȧyrovvns

κατά σάρκα,

wholesale iniquity appears among those about
whom the apostle writes, he declares in the last
verse of the chapter, that knowing the judgment
of God, that is, there being still the remaining
sense in them that they that do such things are
worthy of death (observe, it is not that, he says
here, they are children of wrath by nature; but
worthy of death by their deeds), not only do these
things, but have pleasure in those that do them.
This last statement may point to the Roman phi-
losophers of the day. What a picture of the innate
depravity of the human heart!

Still there.

his labour. But he had one desire beyond
this. His one object in enlarging his barns
was to have "much goods laid
for many
years, to take his ease, to eat, drink, and be
merry." There was no thought of a coming
eternity, which yet to him was so near,
has scarcely thus charged his soul, when a
voice from heaven is heard by the astonished
worldling: "Thou fool," who art thinking of
Paul (i. 5,) has received grace and apostleship
years to come, entirely forgetful of Him to for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles.
whom thou owest thy prosperity, thy life, thy He thanks God that the faith of these Romans is
all:"this night thy soul is required of thee."spoken of throughout the whole world. Their
Similar instruction is given us by the same obedience was the obedience of belief. All these
infallible teacher, when the luxurious man of expressions are illustrative of the peculiar call
wealth is described as lifting up his eyes in that the apostle had as sent to the Gentiles with "HER son had tenderly watched beside
hell, being in torments, and asking in vain for a mission as wide as the world itself. It was no her couch for many nights; observing
longer Jesus speaking personally in Judea or
a drop of water to cool his tongue. (Luke xvi. Galilee, but from Heaven (Heb. xii. 25.) by His his worn and weary look, the dying mo-
24.) Alas! if all those who are living only Spirit. All who believed were the called ones of ther entreated him to leave her, and take
for the present world are fools, how great is Jesus Christ, and not only called, but saints by the
some repose, adding, "I think I shall
the number! A man who prospers in his calling. A Christian, unlike a Jew, is made one
And now live till morning." She dozed, her son
business is considered wise, and men will by calling, not by natural birth.
praise him who doeth well to himself; but if (ver. 10,) he desires to come among them to im-remained by her side; once more her
his prosperity lead to forgetfulness of God, part some spiritual gift, that he might be edified
and rejection of the Gospel-if it is not con- by their mutual faith. His joy was among the eyes opened, and caught his wistful look
of tender love and watchful care, still
nected with a knowledge of salvation, through
bent on her. "What, still there?" she
a crucified Saviour-he will be found at his
said, and shortly after fell asleep in Jesus."

end to be a fool (Jer. xvii. 11); while those who have been accounted fools for Christ's sake" will be confessed by Him as His friends in the day of His appearing. "They who are truly wise shall then inherit glory: while shame shall be the promotion of fools." (Pro. iii. 35.)

R. G.

Thoughts on the Epistle to the Romans.

СНАР. І.

saints, and his edification too.

whene'er

The epistle now opens. He was a debtor to evangelize among all men. For this he had a mission, a dispensation of the gospel committed unto him; he was not ashamed of it. (ver. 16.) Thou art "still there," Lord Jesus! yes, No wonder : it was the power of God unto salvation. Rome was the seat of earthly power, but The eye of faith, closing on present things, only the Christians in it knew the power of God Opens to the unseen, and contemplates by the Gospel. In it there was a righteousness Th' eternal. Thou art there to fill its vision; revealed to faith; the preaching was of a right- Ever enthroned in Majesty on high, eousness in the way of faith, (contrasted with Seated in light which no man can approach, the old righteousness in the way of law,) which Yet still the Lamb of God, "as it was slain." faith received. In this way "the wrath of God The same, in meekness, grace, and love divine, revealed from heaven against all unrighteous- Yesterday, and to-day, and evermore! THE structure of this epistle is different from ness," is met. It is this statement that makes Long since the sons of men were thy delight, most of the other writings of Paul. It neither, the epistle so peculiarly valuable to those who And oft-times, when they knew it not, thou trod'st in the earlier chapters, as to the revelation of preach the Word, although, perhaps, it never This habitable earth; thou sawest the woe, God himself, ascends up to His purposes in Christ rises to the sublimer flights of the letters to the The misery and death sin introduced. before the foundation of the world; nor, as to Ephesians and Colossians. Thus Paul, having And "Lo! I come to do thy will, O God!" man, does it exhibit the origin and source of his announced his mission, comes at once to man's Blest utt'rance of thy loving heart express'd wickedness, viz., original sin. Man is not set need of a righteousness, for he has none of his Thy readiness to seek and save the lost! forth as by nature a child of wrath; but is prac-own, to meet the wrath of God revealed from And thou wast here amid earth's wretchedness, tically demonstrated to be guilty by his vicious heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteous-Bright revelation of the truth and grace, Which in the Father dwell; and men beheld ways. If we examine the letter to the Ephesians, ness of men. we shall, on the contrary, find in its very first In thee, His glory, power, and wondrous love. lines a sublime discovery of the purpose of God Never did human need or sorrow seek in Christ towards the church, and all this before Thy help in vain; a hand omnipotent the depth of man's fall is announced, which is And grace unmerited, in thee were found done in a concentrated sentence (ii. 3) in the By all who sought in faith; nor they alone, way of assertion, without any logical proof, and For thou didst find many who sought thee not, this, as has been said, after all the counsels of And all unasked bestow thy benefits, God the Father concerning the church have been For thou art love, and lovest to do good. stated. The epistle to the Romans begins with a minute analysis of the ways of man; the Ephesians with a magnificent display of the glory of God. The doctrinal part of the Romans ends with, "Whom He did predestinate, them He also called." The Ephesians begins with, "having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself." In the Romans, the thesis of the three first chapters is, that man being utterly unrighteous, a righteousness must be found for him; whereas the 1st chapter of Ephesians is a treatise upon the source of all our blessings in the Father's love,

The letter is written to the Christians at Rome, for in that great city, where men of all nations were to be found, it was fitting that this compendium of the faith should be found also, as useful to meet the varied difficulties concerning the one want of one human family, viz., how is a man to be just before God. The history of Job and his three friends affords an illustration of man's ignorance in times of old on this momentous subject.

But remembering that there is no statement until ch. v. of the origin of sin, it is important to discover how he proves this ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, "who hold (hold down, restrain) the truth in unrighteousness." First, these (or at all events, ungodliness) are charged upon the Gentiles; they are inexcusable for not seeing the eternal power and Godhead through things created. Here we should notice that the statement of man's condition in chap. i. is not absolutely about the knowledge of God by redemption (although it may be supposed that Noah's sons, for instance, knew the promise of the woman's seed); nor is it man simply as fallen. Adam was a fallen man as soon as he had eaten the forbidden fruit; but he was not an idolater, neither did his descendants or those of Noah immediately fall into the state of degradation here described. This chapter is the history of the gradual process of man's declension from a revelation of God made by Himself, or from something known of Him. Original sin has not yet been touched upon; if it had been, we might say that this description is the process of man's declension as fallen-his fall from one step to another-God, at each step, giving him up to something worse, until, at last, his practice is so depraved that it can go no further, and he is given up to a reprobate mind. God deals on the same principle with nations, as with individuals, as the history of the nations whom Israel was to cast out and rePaul announces himself as a servant of Jesus place will attest; at one time the iniquity of the Christ, a called apostle (that is, made one by a Amorites was not full. The statement is a very direct call of God) concerning His Son Jesus general one, and need not, in each particular, be Christ. Then follows a statement of His person: brought home against every individual nor every according to the flesh, Son of David; according to nation. The apostle charges the Cretans with the Spirit of Holiness, declared to be Son of being always liars; this was their predominant God with power by resurrection from the dead sin. The natives of Africa, and the Aborigines of (ver. 4). This expression, "Spirit of Holiness," Australia have scarcely any idea of the being of has seldom received a fair elucidatiou from com- a God. In other countries, as in India, the mismentators. By some it is made merely to signify, sionaries have to contend against an elaborate according to the gospel, by others, according to the system of refined devilry; whilst in Christendom Holy Spirit; but it certainly is a member in the the religion which prevails has an elevating tensentence answering to the clause, "made of the dency towards the world around us, preserving Son of David according to the flesh," and there-it from some of those gross exhibitions with fore should be interpreted of the nature or life which the apostle affirms the heathen world to be which he took, in, or by resurrection, and which, filled. blessed be His name, He imparts to us (viii. 2).

But whatever be the degree in which this

The widow, weeping for the only son
She followed to his grave, dreamed not of thee,
Nor thought thy help at hand; but thou wert there
To turn to morning's joy, her night of woe,
Bidding the dead arise! The weary crew
Of the small ship on Galilee's rough sea,
Deem'd not thine eye beheld them from the mount,
Toiling in rowing 'gainst an adverse wind;
But in thy watchful love, thou wert "still there,"
E'en walking on the waters to their help.
And when thy servant Peter, strong in love,
But weak, alas! in his self-confidence,
Yielded beneath temptation, and denied
Thy name with oaths and curses, thou wert there.
"Still there," to meet the faithless questionings,
And solve the doubts of the bewilder'd pair,
Who to Emmaus wended once their way,
Downcast, dispirited, and sore perplex'd;
Thy presence, tho' unknown, revived their hearts,
And shed into their souls the light of truth.
To faith's transpiercing eye, thou wert "still there."
When Stephen, radiant with celestial joy
Amid his martyr-sufferings, beheld
Thee stand in glory to receive his soul.

Lo! thou art with us alway to the end!
Never, dear Lord! wilt thou forsake thine own
To all eternity! Affliction, toil,
Conflict, or fear, temptation, sin, or grief,
Suffering, or death, will find thee still at hand;
"Still there," had we the open eye to see,
Still waiting to console, to guard, to guide,
Still interceding, that our faith fail not,
Still standing to receive the parting soul,
When this brief earthly race shall terminate,
And then, when death is swallowed up of life,
When we arise in glory, power, and joy,
Thou, Lord, wilt still be there, and we shall see
Thy face, and be "for ever with the Lord."

F. G.

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He was Humbled. MAN is naturally proud, and pride sets him against God, and against his fellow men. Proud men are never devout men, and they are very seldom kind men. We are about to write a few lines respecting one of the proudest of men; but they that walk in pride, God is able to abase, and he did so, for “he was humbled."

(2 Chron. xxxiii. 19.)

cise of his wondrous love, saved him by was humbled, grace was triumphant. In
His grace. God alone could command sovereignty it sought him; using means
the means, and put efficacy into them, it arrested him; by its vital breath it
that they may accomplish the marvellous melted him; and as
a poor, subdued
design. Because the power of God is penitent, it brought him to God's mercy-
omnipotent; because the mercy of God
is infinite; because God has all means at
his command, and can make any means
efficient. "He was humbled."

seat.

It proved itself invincible, for if Manasseh is subdued, who can successfully resist? It proved itself free, for if Manasseh finds grace, how can it depend HOW DID GOD HUMBLE HIM? Bybring- on any worthiness, or goodness, or exing his enemies upon him, and delivering cellency in the creature? If Manasseh him into their hands; by stripping him was humbled, then surely any one may be. of his royalty, wealth, and power; by iso- Can any one be more hardened? can lating him from all his relatives, friends, any one shew more enmity to God? can and courtiers; and by casting him into any one more effectually stifle conscience? the prison of a foreign king. There, can any one more determinately break alone, he could reflect upon his wicked through all the restraints of a religious conduct, his long life of transgression, education? can any one sin lower, act his early religious education, the ancient worse, or run farther from God? If any services of the sanctuary, and the word case had been hopeless, would it not have WHO WAS HUMBLED? Manasseh, the of his God. These reflections were at- been Manasseh's? who persevered in sin king of Judah. Manasseh who was proud tended with invincible grace, and he was until he had grown grey in the service of as Pharaoh, cruel as Hazael, idolatrous convinced of sin, trembled at God's jus- the devil, and had done evil things as he as Ahab, hardened as Judas, and degraded tice, wondered at God's forbearance, re- could, yet he was humbled. Surely then as the thief on the Cross. In him, seem membered God's mercy until his heart any one may be. If Manasseh was humto find a home, all that is wicked, unfeel-melted, tears of contrition flowed, cries bled, and humbled when he was an old ing, and opposed to God. His murders for pardon ascended, and throwing his man, dyed to the very bone in sin, and were wholesale, his idolatory was unpa-guilty soul at the feet of a forgiving God, hardened beyond degree, then we should ralleled, and his pride knew no bounds. "he was humbled." never give any one up. We should pray The son of good Hezekiah, the anointed If Manasseh was humbled, God was on, while life lasts; hope on, while we king of Judah, yet he broke through all glorified. The sighs that heaved his bo- have breath to pray; and use all the bounds, setting God and man at defiance, som, the groans that escaped from his means in our power to bring the very and persevered until his head was hoary. heart, the tears that fell from his eyes, worst sinners to repentance. His heart was harder than the nether and the cries for mercy that ascended My Reader, have you been humbled? millstone, and his life was one long cata- from his lips glorified God. The enemy You must be, or perish. Before the logue of crimes. He appears to have was subdued; the rebel sought forgive- honour of being saved in the Lord, adop been the greatest sinner under the Old ness; the idolator cast away his idols; ted into God's family, and placed among Testament dispensation, and yet "he was Hezekiah's prayers were answered; the His princes, is the humbling of the soul humbled." dethroned monarch was restored to his to accept of sovereign mercy, to submit WHO HUMBLED HIM? There was but dignity; the guilty soul was saved, and to God's righteousness, and the coming one who could, and he took the work in in all God was glorified. If Manasseh of the soul to Jesus as wretched, and hand, proving that his hand was not was humbled, Satan was disappointed. miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. shortened, that he could not save; neither Having led him captive so long, having Take heed of resisting the humbling was his ear heavy, that he could not hear. hardened him to such an extent, having thoughts suggested to your minds, and God alone had the power to break so plunged him into such depths of sin, the softening influences felt in your souls; hard a heart, to bend so stubborn a will, having degraded him so far, he must yield yourself unto God; do as Manasseh to enlighten so dull a mind, and to ele-have made sure of him as his prey. But did, of whom it is written, "When he vate such grovelling affections. God alone the prey was taken from the mighty, and was in affliction, he besought the Lord had sufficient mercy; for so far had Ma- the lawful captive was delivered. Though his God, and humbled himself greatly nasseh gone in cruelty and crime, that petrified by sin, though at the very gates before the God of his fathers: and prayed the public voice would have execrated of hell, though apparently beyond the unto him: and he was entreated of him, him, and voted for his destruction. But reach of mercy, yet he was humbled, and and heard his supplications." God, who is rich in mercy, in the exer- Satan was disappointed. If Manasseh

J. S.

THE BLOOD.

"It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." (Lev. xvii. 11)

maketh an atonement for the soul."

soul."

APRIL 1, 1861.

judgment; so that there was not a house where apostle Paul tells us, that in those many sacrithere was not one dead." The difference con-fices under the law there was remembrance of sisted simply in their trusting in the blood. Not sin but no remission; they could not purge the THE blood of Christ shews us God's love to man. in their seeing the blood, but in God's seeing it. conscience, because they could not take away sin; When nothing else could save, God spared not His Their safety was not in what they thought of once offered, put away sin; therefore the blood of "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." but that Christ, by His one offering, which He own Son. The blood of Christ both satisfies the the value of the blood, but in what God thought Christ purges the conscience to serve the living demands of law and justice, and saves the sinner that believes. of it. The only question was, as to whether God. The apostle Peter also says, "Ye were not It is only in the blood of the they, in the knowledge that judgment was com- redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and Cross that we see salvation for the lost. When were under the shelter of the blood. It was gold....but with the precious blood of Christ, Jesus shed His blood, He glorified God, and not a question as to their being in a great house as of a lamb without bleimish and without spot." opened a fountain for sin and for uncleanness. or small, or whether they were ignorant or Hence, when we read that "it is the blood that Therefore it is written, that "it is the blood that learned, young or old, high or low; the only maketh an atonement for the soul," we are to The salvation of sinners has always been con- question as to safety was, whether they were understand that reference is made to the blood nected with blood-shedding and death. trusting in the blood. Those who accepted God's of Jesus. The reason is obvious. Sin's wages is death. The remedy in the blood, sprinkled their lintels and It is blessed to notice, in the words immediately law of holiness and truth is, that the soul that door-posts, and remained in their houses under preceding the text we are considering, the grace sinneth shall die. Death, then, is God's just had passed over. The turning point, I say, was "The life of all flesh is in the blood, and I have cover of that blood, until the destroying angel of God, as the provider of this atoning blood. appointment to man, because he is a sinner in the blood. Thus shewing us again that "it is given it to you upon the altar, to make an atoneMan dies only because of sin, Death entered into the world by sin. The only way, therefore, the blood that maketh an atonement for the ment (reconciliation) for your souls." This at of justly putting away sin was by death; and once opens up to us the blessed truth, that God that no sinful man could die for the sin of The ordinance of cleansing the leper also re- himself is the source of our redemption; that he another is clear, because he must die for himself. markably sets forth the value of the blood. The gave His Son-sent forth His Son-sent His Son The Son of God, on whom death had no claim, leprosy might be much or little, many spots or to be the Saviour of the world; so that our faith (because He knew no sin,) was able to die for few, old standing or recent, still he was unclean and hope might be in God, and that we might others. Nothing less than His death could save utterly unclean-unfit for the camp of Israel, find access with confidence in His presence. And us, because we deserved death. Therefore, in until he was sprinkled with the blood of the surely it is in the Cross that God gives us matchless grace, Christ died for us-the just for sacrifice. All other washings were in vain, every atoning blood. There He shews us, in letters of the unjust. "He died for our sins;" and as the other remedy was useless. He might go here or blood, that He loves us. There it was by the life of the flesh is in the blood, so the the shed-there, do this or that, cover up his spots, and blood of Christ that God reconciled us unto ding of blood is spoken of, in Scripture language, hide his sores, still he was utterly unclean. But Himself. Surely it is the blood, the blood of as the laying down of life. Hence we are told the moment he was sprinkled with the blood, he Christ that makes atonement for our souls. And that "it is the blood that maketh an atonement was pronounced clean. It was the blood that in comparing our text with New Testament for the soul." made the difference. It was the blood that Scriptures, we shall see that we have remission The atoning blood God only provides. His cleansed the unclean. We are told, "Then shall of sins by blood, justification by blood, peace by love presents it to us; and the virtue of the blood the priest sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed blood, nearness to God by blood, that we worship is carefully recorded in the Word of God from from his leprosy seven times, and shall pro- now by blood, and shall enter glory by blood. the earliest time of sin's entrance into the world.nounce him clean." How blessed this is! How May the Lord help us to consider each of these No sooner had Adam sinned, than he imbibed an clearly it illustrates that "it is the blood that points a little! evil conscience, and got away from God. maketh an atonement for the soul." He 1. REMISSION OF SINS BY BLOOD. The Divine tried all he could to cover his nakedness, and to only add on this point, that directly the leper testimony, that "without shedding of blood is hide himself from the presence of his Maker. was pronounced clean, the living bird having no remission," is enough to shew us the utter But God searched him out, and, instead of conbeen identified with the dead bird, by being impossibility of obtaining forgiveness of sins demning him, promised a Redeemer to deliver dipped in its blood, was "let loose into the open but by blood. God cleanses us on the ground of him, by having his heel bruised; and shewed him field; so the resurrection of Christ from the sin having been judged and put away. This that He could clothe him and his wife, though dead is God's public proof that Christ had by Christ has done. He declares that His blood was sinners, with coats, and bring them into the Himself purged our sins with His own blood. shed for many for the remission of sins. Had place of life and blessing by sacrifice. Thus God (Lev. xiv. 7.) he stopped a hair's-breadth short of death, we taught our first parents, and thus they learned, could not have had forgiveness. But He bare that "it is the blood that maketh an atonement our sins in His own body on the tree; thus jusfor the soul." tice was satisfied, and sins were purged. Hence, all those who are trusting in the blood of Christ are forgiven. In Him, we have redemption through His blood-the forgiveness of sins. The blood, then, is that which gives remission of sins. All the priests and cardinals in the world may pronounce pardon, but "without shedding of blood is no remission. Some persons say, “I think my sins are forgiven, because I feel so different;" or, "I think they will be forgiven, if I live differently:" but it is all wrong; such people are deceived, because they are not trusting in the blood, for "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

Let me

We find the Holy Ghost again putting honour upon the blood, and shewing its vital importance, in the beautiful action of the high priest's enterAbel is next presented to us in the Scripture, ing into the holy place. (Lev. xvi.) The apostle as offering unto God a more excellent sacrifice Paul, commenting on this, tells us, in Heb. ix., than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he that into the holiest of all "went the high priest was righteous. It was a life that he offered. alone, once every year, not without blood." And He took of the firstlings of the flock. His sacri- why not without the blood? Because nothing fice prefigured the blood-shedding and death of else shelters sinful man from the wrath of God Jesus. Abel thus acknowledged that he was a but the blood; for nothing else atones for sin. sinner before God, justly exposed to death and It would have been death to Aaron to enter into judgment, but that he rested only in the blood- the holiest of all without blood. Moses was thus shedding and death of the promised Redeemer, and commanded: "Speak unto Aaron thy brother, thus obtained witness that he was righteous." that he come not at all times within the veil In Noah's time, we also see that the blessing before the mercy-seat, that he die not; for I will of God came down upon the earth because of appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat. Thus the sweet savour of the clean beasts, which the shall Aaron come into the holy place with a patriarch offered in sacrifice to Jehovah. Judg- bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burntment had been poured out by the windows of offering......and he shall take of the blood of the heaven being opened, and the fountains of the bullock, and shall sprinkle it with his finger great deep being broken up; but when the clean upon the mercy-seat eastward; and before the sacrifices were offered, we are told that "the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with Lord smelled a sweet savour-a savour of rest; his finger seven times." Thus we see another and the Lord said, I will not again curse the witness to the value of the blood, and that "it ground any more for man's sake," &c. Thus is the blood that maketh an atonement for the shewing us, that God can only find rest, since soul." And I ask the reader to mark these sin entered the world, in the atoning sacrifice of various testimonies of Scripture to the efficacy of Christ, and that in this way only can He bless the blood, and to consider whether the evidence Here again we see the value of the blood. is not conclusive, that those only are on the true The well-known story of the paschal lamb tells out also most strikingly that there is safety only beneath the shelter of the blood. The sentence of judgment had gone forth upon Egypt. All the first-born were to be destroyed in one night. Neither rich nor poor, moral nor immoral, were excepted. God's word had gone forth, "All the first-born in Egypt shall die." But was there no way of escape for any from By the light of New Testament Scriptures, such terrible judgments? Yes, there was a way, under the Spirit's teaching, we are able to see one way, one way only-the blood of the lamb. that all the various sacrifices for sin, &c., under They were told to take an unblemished lamb, the law, pointed to the one offering of Christ; kill it, and sprinkle the blood upon the lintels consequently, since the death of Christ, the and door-posts of their houses; and God's sacrifices of bulls and of goats have ceased to be promise to such as thus used the blood was, offered. They served a good purpose, in shadow"When I see the blood, I will pass over you! ing forth the one all-efficacious sacrifice that was And it came to pass, that every house marked coming, and in shewing the power of His blood, with the blood was passed over by the destroying not only to give us eternal safety, but to answer angel, and every house that was not marked with every question of conscience, as well as every blood he entered, and executed the threatened requirement of God's holiness. Therefore the

us.

ground of peace and blessing, whose confidence
is in the blood-the precious blood of Christ.
Nothing less than the blood could shelter Israel,
cleanse the leper, or enable the high priest to
stand in God's presence; neither can anything
but the blood of Christ cleanse the conscience,
give peace in God's presence, or shelter any from
the wrath to come.

แ "Joyful truth! He bore transgression
In His body on the Cross!

Through His blood there's full remission
For the vilest, e'en for us.
Jesus for the sinner bleeds;

Nothing more the sinner needs."

2. JUSTIFICATION BY BLOOD. Men may try to justify themselves before their fellow-men, and sometimes succeed in doing so, but we cannot justify ourselves before God. He knows that we are all guilty and unrighteous, and we cannot truthfully take any other ground. But the Scriptures teach us, that those only who believe in Jesus are justified, and that they are justified from all things by Christ. In the blood, God declares that He is just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. God justifies us through the blood; for the blood of Jesus not only tells us of sin put away, but also of one who was perfectly obedient unto death; so that by the obedience of one, many are made righteous. Therefore we are also told, that being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. We have, then, present justification, not by our own devotedness or good intentions, but by the blood; so that all who believe in Jesus are justified, now justified, by the blood of Christ. How clear it is, then, that "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

"By our sins His blood was spill'd;
Pardon hence through love Divine!
And, through Him the law fulfilled,
In His righteousness we shine."