The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-08
RELIGIOUS.



Ing, taking as his subjects "Precious Blood" |
Il Peter, 1i19.
Any one who will attentiyely observe the |
operation Of his own mind and the words he |
employs In the expression of his thoughts, |
cannot fail to notice an aptitude for certain |
terms which he uses more frequently than |
others Inspiration does not change the |
mental peculiarities Of the individual. and |
hence we find this habit of the intellect cx- |
hbtlng itself among the authors Of the |
sacred Scriptures. John has his favorite ex- |
pressions, Paul has his, and Peter also. |
" Precious blood" Is associated In the same |
eplstles with "precious faith" and "pre. |
clous promises, aud precious corner |
stone" In fine, to be "prccious" In the
mind OF the Apostle Peter Is the superlatlve
of good, and means the highest estimation
he could embody In words.
Precious blood" is prolific of thought
enough for our purpose. II Is a golden
wedge held within these lines Of truth: "For
as much as ye know that We were not re-
deemed with corruptible things, such as sill
yer and gold," &C., VIC propose to elaborate
the broken sentenee-to analyzc this golden
wedge-"prccious blood"
That the atonement of blood made by our
Lord Jesus. Christ, the great anti-type for sin,
was not an arbitrary election OF God the
Father, we may assume. 1t would be highly
Inconsistent with all our notions Of his in
Unite wisdom to conclude that the form given
TO the principle of substitution was not
special and selected. Why It was given that
the shedding OF blood should be inseparably
connected with all substitutes for sin, we no
more fully understand than the mystery OF
our redemption In general. With the angels
we may desire TO look into these things, nor
are we prohibited the search. We know
that with the entrance of sin Into our world
came the gracious provision of salvation.
We know that the penalty OF sin Is death,
which Is negative for the forfeit Of life.
We know that so far as we have any concep-
ton OF equity that life for life or death for
death alone measures up to what we require
as a satisfaction In the administration of law
as between our fellows, aud we may safely
assume that what would violate our natural
sense Of recttude would violate the same
principle as II exists In the divine admins
tration, inasmuch as truth and right are uu.
changeably the same. II Is easy for us,
therefore, to understand how the death OF
the sinner satisfies the penalty of his sin;
but the wisdom and goodness of God arc
magnihed In deyislng plan whereby the
sinner could be spared the penalty, and vet
the eternal principle of rectitude, which
must preside In all governments over moral
creatures, be honored and preserved.
Adam was federal head and represented
our race, so that his sin became the sin of
the world, not In It's guilt, but In its moral
consequences. How TO atone for such sin
and yet spare the sinner was he problem of
redemption. II has been solved by the inf
mite love on the principle of substitution
And 1t enters into the whole economy Of sac
rifces and Is the meaning of "precious
blood" as 1t stands connected with the
death OF Christ. How substitution satisfies
is the whole purpose Of revelation to explain
aided by the great system of types and offer
ings and ceremonial observances Of the No.
sale dispensation. So far, then, as possible,
let us try to understand, by the aids just re-
TERED to, hoe sHbStitution satisfies for sin.
We have said that the atonement of blood
made by Christ was not an arbitrary election.
And we have said that our natural sense of
equity demands life for life. And In this we
have the reason Of an atonement by blood.
And the first glimpse we have of the idea d.
vinely enforced and appropriated is in that
early declaratlon-"But the flesh, with the
life thereof, which Is the blood thereof, shall
ye not eat" And when the sacrlcal sys-
TEN afterwards took form. we have the idea
extended, and 1t was made to cover the prin-
clple OF substitution and applied as an atone
ment.
The eating Of blood at the FIRST was an ar
bitrary prohibition, so far as we know from
Revelation, but when the ceremonial law
came to be established, then the reason for
the prohibition was given in these words:
''For the life OF the flesh il In the blood:
and have given 1t to you upon the altar to
make an atonement for your soul; for 1t Is
the blood that maketh an atonement for the
soul" The gist Of it Is In thls-'sthe blood
Is the llfe." We see then, In part, why It
was given that the shedding Of blood should
be inseparably connected with all substitu
ton Tor sin. The blood Is the life, and the
life is the forfeit Of sin. The law Is plain.
We understand ii. 1t hartnonizes with our
natural sense OF equity. And all mercy pu;
aside from our thoughts and denied appeal
10 our sensibilitles 1t Is that which we de.
nand OF one another-blOod for blood and
life for life. And when we carry the princi-
pie to the divine administration, we are not
confused in the application, If we are slow
In making 1t, that II the penalty of sin be
death then the sinner must die. The law Is
plain. We understand it. And the blood Is
sacred because II represents the life. II lsa
part OF our exposition, and suggests why the
apostle Peter, when he thought Of the sacrl-
fee OF Christ, and attempted to express his
superlatiye estimation of the deed of love,
said, "precous blood"
The speaker then dwelt upon atonement
by substitution In ontra-dlstlnctlon from
atonement by penalty, and how 1t was
taught under the ceremonial law. lie In
stances the rites for cleansing the lepers,
the beautiful history and Significance of
the "scape-g2at, and brought.down the APP
away sin by the sacrifice of himself" lie
enlarged upon the divine plan of recon
Citation, and showed how II was worthy Of
all acceptation In that it preserved the honor
OF the law, and yet spared the sinner. lie
showed how substitution excited gratitude
and impelled to afiectlonatc obedience, and
enforced the position by variety of illus
trations. The discourse closed with this
summing up: "WhGther 10 the mind of the
scholar eliminating the deep philosophy of
the blood that speaketh better things than
that oil Abel, or 10 the untutored heather
whose chlld-like faith Npproprates the
blood that clcanseth from all sin, unlls.
turbed by the doubts which are born Of the
reasoning faculty as 1t challenges the very
word OF God, or to an Inspired apostle glow
Ing with love for Christ, and heated to en-
thusiastc admiration for the Peerless One,
now human aud now divine In his manifes-
tations, or the sinner in his agony, or the
saint In his trlumph-'prccious blood Ia
the earliest and latest thought 10 all seasons
Of extremlty-thc burden of vintage shout
Ing in the spiritual harvest, tho watch word
OF the sacramental host as they push the
conflict on 10 victory, and the farewell of
the good, as the glazing eye turns to nobler
visions, aud he whispers his peace to the
Blended car Of the night neutrality-suspicious.
blood"
After sermon the communion was admin.
'"NN'NI "hu oS'NlHl IClroua were TeCtlNrl
Into church fellowship. The pastor preached
again at night, having for his subject Break
or be Broken" from the impressive words;
whoever shall fall upon that stone shall be
brokcni but on whomsOcvcr 1t shall fall II
Will grind him to powder. Luke 2O:lS.
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CuURCU.
In the morning the pastor, Rev. John e..
smith, d. D., preached to Il large congrega.
uon from Second Timothy, lat chapter, l!th
verse; "For know whom have believed,
ana am persuaded that he Is able to keep
that which l have committed unto him
against that day."
The speaker said this Second Epstle to
Timothy was written two or three wears amor
that to the Philippians, from which the AMI.
Ject OF last Sabbath's discourse was selected.
Paul was now nearer the close Of his life
and the end of his work. lis anxiety was
not lcssencd, but he had renewed tokens Of
Divine favor and blessing. The text Is that
which all true believers ut all times love to
repeat, especially when drawing near tho
close Of life. In this they experience knowI-
eige, faith and the full insurance Of hope 10
The end. The knowledge Paul had so earn