true believers, calling them elect and fanctified, &c. And the Apostle St Paul writes in the fame ftyle in his epiftles to the churches: Not that all in these churches were fuch indeed, but because they professed to be fuch, and by that their profeffion and calling as Chriftians, they were obliged to be fuch; and as many of them as were in any measure true to that their calling and profeffion, were really fuch. Befides, it would feem not unworthy of confideration, that in all probability there would be fewer falfe Chriftians, and the number of true believers ufually greater, in the chuches in those primitive times, than now in the best reformed churches: Because there could not then be many of them that were from their infancy bred in the Chriftian faith, but for the greatest part were fuch, as, being of years of discretion, were, by the hearing of the gospel, converted from Paganifm and Judaism to the Chriftian religion first, and made a deliberate choice of it, to which there were at that time no great outward encouragements; and therefore the lefs danger of multitudes of hypocrites, which, as vermin in fummer, breed moft in the time of the church's profperity. Though no nation or kingdom had then univerfally received the faith, but rather hated and perfecuted it; yet were there even then amongst them, as the writings of the Apostles testify, falfe brethren, and inordinate walkers, and men of corrupt minds earthly minded, and led with a fpirit of envy and contention, and vain glory.

Although the question that is moved concerning the neceffary qualifications of all the members of a true vifible church, can no way, as I conceive, be decided from the infcriptions of the epiftles; yet certainly they are useful to teach Chriftians and Christian churches what they ought to be, and what their holy profeffion requires of them, and fharply to reprove the grofs unlikeness and inconformity that is in the most part of men, to the defcription of Chriftians. As there be fome that are too ftrait in their judgment concerning

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concerning the being and nature of the vifible church, fo certainly the greatest part of churches are too loofe in their practice.

From the diffimilitude betwixt our churches and thofe, we may make this use of reproof, that if an apoftolical epiftle were to be directed to us, it ought to be infcribed, To the ignorant, profane, malicious, &c. As he, who at the hearing of the gofpel read, faid, "Either this is not the gofpel or we are not "Chriftians;" fo either these characters, given in the inscription of these epiftles, are not true characters, or we are not true Chriftians.

Ver. 2. Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through fanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and Sprinkling of the blood of Jefus Chrift.

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N this verse we have their condition, and the causes, of it. Their condition, fanctified, and juftified; the former expreffed by obedience, the latter by Sprinkling of the blood of Chrift. The caufes, 1. Eternal election. 2. The execution of that decree, their effectual calling, which, I conceive, is meant by election here, the selecting them out of the world, and joining them to the fellowship of the children of God; fo John xv. 19. The former election is particularly afcribed to God the Father, the latter, to the Holy Spirit, and the blood of Jefus Chrift the Son of God is here the cause of their juftification; and fo the whole Trinity concurring, dignify them with this their fpiritual and happy eftate.

First, I fhall difcourfe of these separately, and then of their connection. 1. Of the ftate itself; and first of fuftification, though named laft.

This Sprinkling has refpect to the rite of the legal purification by the fprinkling of blood, and that appofitely; for these rites of sprinkling and blood, did all point out this blood and this fprinkling, and exVOL. I. hibited

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hibited this true ranfom of fouls, which was only. fhadowed by them.

As the use and end of sprinkling was purification and expiation, because fin merited death, and the pollutions and ftains of human nature were by fin; fuch is the pollution, that it can be no manner of way washed off but by blood, Heb. ix. 22. Neither is there any blood able to purge from fin, except the moft precious blood of Jefus Chrift, which is called the blood of God, Acts xx. 28.

That the ftain of fin can only be washed off by blood, intimates, that it merits death. And that no blood, but that of the Son of God, can do it, intimates, that this ftain merits eternal death; and it had been our portion, except the death of the eternal Lord of Life had freed us from it.

Filthiness needs fprinkling; Guiltiness, such as deferves death, needs sprinkling of blood; and the death it deferves being everlasting death, the blood must be the blood of Chrift, the eternal Lord of Life dying to free us from the fentence of death.

The foul (as the body) hath its life, its health, its purity; and the contrary of these, its death, diseases, deformities, and impurity, which belong to it as to their firft fubject, and to the body by participation.

The foul and body of all mankind is stained by the pollution of fin. The impure leprofy of the foul is not a spot outwardly, but wholly inward; hence as the corporal leprofy was purified by the sprinkling of blood, fo is this. Then by reflecting, we see how all this that the Apostle St Peter expreffeth, is neceffary to juftification: 1. Chrift the Mediator betwixt God and man is God and man. 2. A Mediator not only interceding, but alfo fatisfying, Eph. ii 16. 3. This fatisfaction doth not reconcile us, unless it be applied. Therefore there is not only mention of blood, but the fprinkling of it. The Spirit by faith fprinkleth the foul, as with hyffop, wherewith the fprinkling was made: This is it of which the Prophet speaks, Ifa. lii,

15. So fhall be fprinkle many nations. And which the Apoftle to the Hebrews prefers above all legal sprinklings, chap. ix. 12, 13, 14. both as to its duration, and as to the excellency of its effects.

Men are not easily convinced and perfuaded of the deep ftain of fin; and that no other laver can fetch it out, but the sprinkling of the blood of Jefus Chrift. Some that have moral refolutions of amendment, diflike at least grofs fins, and purpose to avoid them, and it is to them cleannefs enough to reform in those things; but they confider not what becomes of the guiltinefs they have contracted already, and how that shall be purged, how their natural pollution fhall be taken away. Be not deceived in this; it is not a tranfient figh, or a light word, or a wifh of, God forgive me; no, nor the highest current of repentance, nor that which is the trueft evidence of repentance, amendment: it is none of these that purifies in the fight of God, and expiates wrath; they are all imperfect and ftained themselves, cannot ftand and anfwer for themselves, much less be of value to counterpoise. the former guilt of fin; the very tears of the pureft. repentance, unless they be sprinkled with this blood, are impure; all our wafhings without this are but washings of the blackamoor, it is labour in vain, Jer. ii. 22. Job ix. 30, 31. There is none truly purged by the blood of Chrift, that doth not endeavour after pu rity of heart and converfation; but yet it is the blood of Chrift by which they are all fair, and there is no spot in them. Here it is faid, elect to obedience; but because that obedience is not perfect, there must be fprinkling of the blood too. There is nothing in religion further out of nature's reach, and out of its liking and believing, than the doctrine of redemption by a Saviour, and a crucified Saviour, by Christ, and by his blood, firft fhed on the erofs in his fuffering, and then sprinkled on the foul by his Spirit. It is eafier to make men fenfible of the neceffity of repentance and amendment of life, (though that is very difficult),

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than of this purging by the sprinkling of this precious blood. Did we fee how needful Chrift is to us, we would esteem and love him more.

It is not by the hearing, of Chrift, and of his blood in the doctrine of the gofpel; it is not by the fsprinkling of water, even that water that is the fign of this blood, without the blood itself, and the sprinkling of it. Many are prefent where it is fprinkled, and yet have no portion in it. Look to this, that this blood be fprinkled on your fouls, that the deftroying Angel may pafs by you. There is a generation (not fome few but a generation) deceived in this; they are their own deceivers, pure in their own eyes, Prov. xxx. 12. How carneftly doth David pray, Wash me, purge me with byop? Though bathed in tears, Pfal. vi. 6. that fatisfied not, wash thou me. This is the honourable condition of the faints, that they are purified and confecrated unto God by this fprinkling; yea, have on long white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. There is mention indeed of great tribulation, but there is a double comfort joined with it, 1. They come out of it, that tribulation hath an end. And, 2. They pafs from that to glory; for they have on the robe of candidates, long white robes wafbed in the blood of the Lamb, washed white in blood; as for this blood, it is nothing but purity and spotleffness, being ftained with no fin; and befides, hath that virtue to take away the stain of fin, where it is fprinkled. My well-beloved is white and rudy, faith the spouse, thus in his death, ruddy by bloodshed, white by innocence, and purity of that blood.

Shall they then that are purged by this blood return to live among the fwine, and tumble with them in the puddle? What grofs injury is this to themfelves, and to that blood by which they are cleansed? They that are chofen to this Sprinkling, are likewise chofen to obedience; this blood purifieth the heart; yea, this blood purgeth our confciences from dead works to ferve the living God, Heb. ix. 14.