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"There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth, the Spirit, the water, (which clearly means the written word,) and the blood: and these three agree in one.*" They are each of them of the same mind; for whatever views the Holy Ghost is pleased to give us of Christ, they are exactly agreeable to the word: and when I enjoy true peace, the peace of God, it arises from my believing what the Holy Ghost makes known of the blood of Jesus exactly to agree with the word; so that by this I may know whether my faith is real or imaginary: for there are three that bear record to this, and they agree in one.

When the efficacy of this precious blood is experienced in the conscience, it may be truly said to speak better things than the blood of Abel: it speaketh peace-the

* 1 John 5.

peace of God, which passeth all understanding. But this is not all: the heart is purified; the conscience is not only purged from guilt, but it is also purified from the filth, the pollution, and the stains, of sin. I know not how to express it, but there is fragrancy, a perfume, left on the mind, after "coming to the blood of sprinkling," that makes sin appear in its own odious form, and makes us hate it, in our measure, with the same hatred that God himself does.* No doctrine that was ever taught in any school besides, with "all the stately tone of moralists," could ever reach this point. It possesses also healing and refrigerating, or refreshing, virtues: it heals the wounds that sin has made, as perfectly as if they had never taken place; for "by his

* The paschal lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs, not with wormwood, as some have thought, (for that would be loathsome at a feast,) to intimate his bitter sufferings, or our weeping bitterly; but with some fragrant savoury herbs, though bitter; such as would leave the perfume of the sacrifice on his mind. A bundle of myrrk is my Beloved unto me!

stripes we are healed:*" it assuages the thirst of sin, and it allays the fever of the mind, by its refreshing or cooling powers; for " a Man shall be as rivers of water in a

dry place; and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.+"

* Isaiah 53.

↑ Ibid. 32.

ESSAY XIII.

ON OUR CONDUCT TOWARDS OUR

AFFLICTED BRETHREN.

Make straight paths for your feet. Heb. 12. 13.

THERE is a peculiar beauty in this Scripture when it is considered in its proper meaning: and taken into connexion with the preceding verse, it is so peculiar, that there are but very few like it. The apostle is treating on the subject of affliction; and as it has been fully proved that many are the afflictions of the righteous, so the Scriptures are very full on this subject; concluding that the Lord's afflicted ones are very apt to mistake his gracious end and design in permitting them to be in affliction, and, if left to themselves, so very far from engaging their hearts to him, and making

them more spiritual, they have, on the contrary, a very opposite tendency: so that the child of God, unless he looks at the things that are not seen, would be very ready to form hard thoughts of his heavenly Father, and turn aside as a broken bow.

The Lord foresaw this, at the same time that he saw a "need be*" for manifold temptations, and therefore he provided for it in this memorable promise by the prophet Zephaniah. "I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord." It is not said, They will trust in the name of the Lord, the very nature of affliction would not lead them to this, but they shall a sweet promise! Sweet has it been to thousands! Sweet has it been to thee, O my soul, in the hour of affliction! For when thou hast been ready to fall into a fit of unbelief, this promise has restored thee; the Lord having bound himself by

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