Secondly,  The  Cross  makes  holiness  pos-
sible. Even  if  we  were  cleansed  from  the
guilt  of  sin,  that  is,  freed  from  being  lia-
ble to  punishment,  the  heart  and  conscience
w^ould  cry  out  for  more.  There  must  be
water  as  well  as  blood,  purity  as  well  as
pardon,  power  to  obey  as  well  as  sense  of
escape.  This  power  is  only  from  the  Holy
Spirit  of  God,  procured  in  the  way  of  pur-
chase, by  Christ's  obedience  unto  death;
and  claimed  by  him  on  his  ascension  into
heaven.  Jesus,  as  Mediator,  has  merited
that  the   Spirit  of  holiness  should  be  given


WATER  AND  BLOOD.  165

to  his  people.  Before  lie  suffered,  he  in-
structed them,  that  unless  he  suffered,  this
Comforter  would  not  come.  At  Pentecost
there  was  a  signal  epiphany  of  the  Spirit;
but  not  confined  to  that  day.  "He  that
believeth  in  me"  said  the  Lord,  "from
within  him  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  wa-
ter." "This  spake  He  of  the  Spirit  which
they  that  believe  on  him  should  receive:
for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  yet  given,  be-
cause that  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified."
But  now  that  he  has  been  glorified  (in  the
affecting  sense  which  he  has  himself  ex-
plained to  us,  Jno.  13:31)  the  Holy  Ghost
is  given  to  all  believers,  to  enable  them  to
live  unto  God.  This  power  therefore  we
receive  by  the  death  of  Jesus.  Thirdly,  the
Cross  makes  holiness  certain.  Not  merely
desirable  by  giving  motive ;  not  merely
possible,  by  giving  aid;  but  infallibly  cer-
tain, by  giving  pledge  and  assurance.  The
salvation  which  Christ  has  bought  by  his
most  innocent  and  infinitely  precious  dying,
is  not  a  loose  contingency,  a  chance  of
doing  better,  a  probability  suspended  on
the  believer's  mutable  will;  but  a  true
and  finished  redemption,  securing  the  grace


166  WATER  AND  BLOOD.
