Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

In the words read, the Apostle illustra•s, and confirms the efficacy of Christs blood, by comparing it with the ceremonies of the Law, obviating an Objection, which is this; The ceremonies of the Law had a good use, and why then will ye cry them down? He Answers, they had an use as they respected Christs Sacrifice, that was in due time to be actually offered, and as they • ed it; and also as to a ceremonial cleansing, or holiness; but they could not, as pertaining to the Conscience make a man perfect; And (sayeth he) if these ceremonies had an efficacy, as to the outward man, and making ceremonially and externally clean or holy; how much more shall the blood of Christ be efficacious to the cleansing of the Soul, and inner man? If the ceremonies of the Law had an efficacy toward the admitting of a man to external ordinances; how much more shall the blood of Christ have an efficacy to purge the Conscience from dead works, and to take away the sting and guilt, and the defilement also of sin, and to make it quiet, and so to capacitate the man to be ad•tted to real fellowship with him in his ordinances? That the comparison may be the more clear, he uses •ere a threefold distinction 1. Of a twofold uncleanness▪ one of the flesh▪ or outward man; another of a mans S•ate, and Conscience before God; The first related to the mans practice, and made him that was ceremonially unclean, to be thirst without the camp, and to continue so, till he was legally clean•ed; The second marred the mans peace before God. The 2d. distinction is▪ of a twofold Court▪ wherein this uncleanness is charged upon the man, The one is a Court wherein the mans flesh i• (as it were) judged, ⟨p. 324⟩and that is by men, according to his external profession; the other is a Court wherein his spiritual […] is judged, and that is his Conscience: In the first Court, if the moral Law charged him not with guilt, it was not asked, whether his Conscience was guilty or not, but he was on his outward cleansing, admitted to Church privileges; but the second Court, which is called the Court of conscience; looks not a things as they appear before men, but as they are before God; and therefore will challenge when men do not challenge. The 3d. distinction is, of a twofold Sanctification, The first is, that of the flesh, spoken of v. 13.