Sermon 2015. The Rent Veil

(No. 2015)

Delivered on Lord's-day Morning, March 25th, 1888, by

C. H. SPURGEON,

At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twainfrom the top to the bottom'Matthew 27:50-51.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which be hathconsecrated for us, through the, veil, that is to say, his flesh'Hebrews 10:19-20.

THE DEATH of our Lord Jesus Christ was fitly surrounded by miracles; yet it is itself so much greater a wonder than all besides,that it as far exceeds them as the sun outshines the planets which surround it. It seems natural enough that the earth shouldquake, that tombs should be opened, and that the veil of the temple should be rent, when He who only hath immortality givesup the ghost. The more you think of the death of the Son of God, the more will you be amazed atit. As much as a miracle excels a common fact, so doth this wonders of wonders rise above all miracles of power. Thatthe divine Lord, even though veiled in mortal flesh, should condescend to be subject to the power of death, so as to bow Hishead on the cross, and submit to be laid in the tomb, is among mysteries the greatest. The death of Jesus is the marvel oftime and eternity, which, as Aaron's rod swallowed up all the rest, takes up into itself all lesser marvels.

Yet the rending of the veil of the temple is not a miracle to be lightly passed over. It was made of "fine twined linen, withCherubims of cunning work." This gives the idea of a substantial fabric, a piece of lasting tapestry, which would have enduredthe severest strain. No human hands could have torn that sacred covering; and it could not have been divided in the midstby any accidental cause; yet, strange to say, on the instant when the holy person of Jesus was rent bydeath, the great veil which concealed the holiest of all was "rent in twain from the top to the bottom." What did it mean?It meant much more than I can tell you now.

It is not fanciful to regard it as a solemn act of mourning on the part of the house of the Lord. In the East men expresstheir sorrow by rending their garments; and the temple, when it beheld its Master die, seemed struck with horror, and rentits veil. Shocked at the sin of man, indignant at the murder of its Lord, in its sympathy with Him who is the true templeof God, the outward symbol tore its holy vestment from the top to the bottom. Did not the miracle also meanthat from that hour the whole system of types, and shadows, and ceremonies had come to an end? The ordinances of an earthlypriesthood were rent with that veil. In token of the death of the ceremonial law, the soul of it quitted its sacred shrine,and left its bodily tabernacle as a dead thing. The legal dispensation is over. The rent of the veil seemed to say'"HenceforthGod dwells no longer in the thick darkness of the Holy of Holies, and shines forth no longer from between the cherubim.The special enclosure is broken up, and there is no inner sanctuary for the earthly high priest to enter: typical atonementsand sacrifices are at an end."

According to the explanation given in our second text, the rending of the veil chiefly meant that the way into the holiest,which was not before made manifest, was now laid open to all believers. Once in the year the high priest solemnly lifted acorner of this veil with fear and trembling, and with blood and holy incense he passed into the immediate presence of Jehovah;but the tearing of the veil laid open the secret place. The rent front top to bottom gives ample spacefor all to enter who are called of God's grace, to approach the throne, and to commune with the Eternal One. Upon thatsubject I shall try to speak this morning, praying in my inmost soul that you and 1, with all other believers, may have boldnessactually to enter into that which is within the veil at this time of our assembling for worship. Oh, that the Spirit of Godwould lead us into the nearest fellowship which mortal men can have with the Infinite Jehovah!

First, this morning, I shall ask you to consider what has been done. The veil has been rent. Secondly, we will remember what we therefore have: we have "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood Jesus." Then, thirdly, we will consider how we exercise this grace: we "enter by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is tosay, his flesh."

I. First, think of WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. In actual historical fact the glorious veil of the temple has been rent in twain fromthe top to the bottom: as a matter of spiritual fact, which is far more important to us, the separating legal ordinance is abolished. There was under the law this ordinance'that no man should ever go into the holiest of all, with the one exception of thehigh priest, and he but once in the year, and not without blood. If any man hadattempted to enter there he must have died, as guilty of great presumption and of profane intrusion into the secret placeof the Most High. Who could stand in the presence of Him who is a consuming fire? This ordinance of distance runs all throughthe law; for even the holy place, which was the vestibule of the Holy of Holies, was for the priests alone. The place of thepeople was one of distance. At the very first institution of the law when God descended upon Sinai, the ordinance was, "Thoushalt set bounds unto the people round about," There was no invitation to draw near. Not chat they desired to do so, forthe mountain was together on a smoke, and "even Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake." "The Lord said unto Moses, Go down,charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish." If so much as a beast touch themountain it must be stoned, or thrust through with a dart. The spirit of the old law was reverent distance. Moses and hereandthere a man chosen by God, might come near to Jehovah; but as for the bulk of people, the command was, "Draw not nighhither." When the Lord revealed His glory at the giving of the law, we read'"When the people saw it, they removed, and stoodafar off." All this is ended. The precept to keep back is abrogated, and the invitation is, "Come unto me, all ye that laborand are heavy laden." "Let its draw near" is now the filial spirit of the gospel. How thankful I am for this! What a joy itis tomy soul! Some of God's people have not yet realized this gracious fact, for still they worship afar off. Very much ofprayer is to be highly commended for its reverence; but it has in it a lack of childlike confidence. I can admire the solemnand stately language of worship which recognizes the greatness of God; but it will not warm my heart nor express my soul untilit has also blended therewith the joyful nearness of that perfect love which casteth out fear, and ventures to speak withourFather in heaven as a child speaketh with its father on earth. My brother, no veil remains. Why dost thou stand afar off,and tremble like a slave? Draw near with full assurance of faith. The veil is rent: access is free. Come boldly to the throneof grace. Jesus has made thee nigh, as nigh to God as even He Himself is. Though we speak of the holiest of all, even thesecret place of the Most High, yet it is of this place of awe, even of this sanctuary of Jehovah, that the veil is rent;therefore, let nothing hinder thine entrance. Assuredly no law forbids thee; but infinite love invites thee to draw nighto God.

This rending of the veil signified, also, the removal of the separating sin. Sin is, after all, the great divider between God and man. That veil of blue and purple and fine twined linen could not reallyseparate man from God: for He is, as to His omnipresence, not far from any one of us. Sin is a far more effectual wall ofseparation: it opens in abyss between the sinner and his Judge. Sin shuts out prayer, and praise, and every form of religiousexercise. Sin makesGod walk contrary to us, because we walk contrary to Him. Sin, by separating the soul from God, causes spiritual death,which is both the effect and the penalty of transgression. How can two walk together except they be agreed? How can a holyGod have fellowship with unholy creatures? Shall justice dwell with injustice? Shall perfect purity abide with the abominationsof evil? No, it cannot be. Our Lord Jesus Christ put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He taketh away the sin of the world,and so the veil is rent. By the shedding of His most precious blood we are cleansed from all sin, and that most graciouspromise of the new covenant is fulfilled'"Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." When sin is gone, thebarrier is broken down, the unfathomable gulf is filled. Pardon, which removes sin, and justification, which brings righteousness,make up a deed of clearance so real and so complete that nothing now divides the sinner from his reconciled God. 'The Judgeis now the Father: He, who once must necessarily have condemned, is found justly absolving and accepting. In this doublesense the veil is rent: the separating ordinance is abrogated, and the separating sin is forgiven.

Next, be it remembered that the separating sinfulness is also taken away through our Lord Jesus. It is not only what we have done, but what we are that keeps us apart from God. We have sin engrained in us: even those who have grace dwelling them have to complain, "WhenI would do good, evil is present with me." How can we commune with God with our eyes blinded, our ears stopped, our heartshardened, and our senses deadened by sin? Our whole nature istainted, poisoned, perverted by evil; how can we know the Lord? Beloved, through the death of our Lord Jesus the covenantof grace is established with us, and its gracious provisions are on this wise: "This is the covenant that I will make withthem after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts." When this is thecase, when the will of God is inscribed on the heart, and the nature is entirely changed, then is the dividing veil whichhidesus from God taken away: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Blessed are all they that love righteousnessand follow after it, for they are in a way in which the Righteous One can walk in fellowship with them. Spirits that are likeGod are not divided from God. Difference of nature hangs up a veil; but the new birth, and the sanctification which followsupon it, through the precious death of Jesus, remove that veil. He that hates sin, strives after holiness, and labors toperfect it in the fear of God, is in fellowship with God. It is a blessed thing when we love what God loves, when we seekwhat God seeks, when we are in sympathy with divine aims, and are obedient to divine commands: for with such persons willthe Lord dwell. When grace makes us partakers of the divine nature; then are we at one with the Lord, and the veil is takenaway.

"Yes," saith one, "I see now how the veil is taken away in three different fashions; but still God is God, and we are butpoor puny men: between God and man there must of necessity be a separating veil, caused by the great disparity between theCreator and the creature. How can the finite and the infinite commune? God is all in all, and more than all; we are nothing,and less than nothing; how can we meet?" When the Lord does come near to I His favored ones, they own howincapable they are of enduring the excessive glory. Even the beloved John said, "When I saw him, I fell at his feet asdead." When we have been especially conscious of the presence and working of our Lord, we have felt our flesh creep, and ourblood chill; and then we have understood what Jacob meant when he said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other butthe house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." All this is true; for the Lord saith, "Thou canst not see my face and live."Although this is a much thinner veil than those I have already mentioned, yet it is a veil; and it is hard for man tobe at home with God. But the Lord Jesus bridges the separating distance. Behold the blessed Son of God has come into the world, and taken upon Himself our nature! "Forasmuch then as the childrenare partakers of the flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." Though He is God as God is God, yetis He as surely man as man is man. Mark well how in the,person of the Lord Jesus we see God and man in the closest conceivable alliance; for they are united in one person forever.The gulf is completely filled by the fact that Jesus has gone through with us even to the bitter end, to death, even to thedeath of the cross. He has followed out the career of manhood even to the tomb; and thus we see that the veil, which hungbetween the nature of God and the nature of man, is rent in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We enter into the holiestof allthrough His flesh, which links manhood to Godhead.

Now, you see what it is to have the veil taken away. Solemnly note that this avails only for believers: those who refuse Jesusrefuse the only way of access to God. God is not approachable, except through the rending of the veil by the death of Jesus.There was one typical way to the mercy-seat of old, and that was through the turning aside of the veil; there was no other.And there is now no other way for any of you to come into fellowship with God, except through therent veil, even the death of Jesus Christ, whom God has set forth to be the propitiation for sin. Come this way, and youmay come freely. Refuse to come this way, and there hangs between you and God an impassable veil. Without Christ you are withoutGod, and without hope. Jesus Himself assures you, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." God grant thatthis may not happen to any of you!

For believers the veil is not rolled up, but rent. The veil was not unhooked, and carefully folded up, and put away, so thatit might be put in its place at some future time. Oh, no! But the divine hand took it and rent it front top to bottom. Itcan never be hung up again; that is impossible. Between those who are in Christ Jesus and the great God, there will neverbe another separation. "Who shall separate us from the love of God?" Only one veil was made, and as that isrent, the one and only separator is destroyed. I delight to think of this. The devil himself can never divide me fromGod now. He may and will attempt to shut me out from God; but the worst he could do would be to hang up a rent veil. Whatwould that avail but to exhibit his impotence? God has rent the veil, and the devil cannot mend it. There is access betweena believer and his God; and there must be such free access forever, since the veil is not rolled up, and put on one side tobe hung upagain in days to come; but it is rent, and rendered useless.

The rent is not in one corner, but in the midst, as Luke tells us. It is not a slight rent through which we may see a little;but it is rent from the top to the bottom. There is an entrance made for the greatest sinners. If there had only been a smallhole cut through it, the lesser offenders might have crept through; but what an act of abounding mercy is this, that the veilis rent in the midst, and rent from top to bottom, so that the chief of sinners may find amplepassage! This also shows that for believers there is no hindrance to the fullest and freest access to God. Oh, for muchboldness, this morning, to come where God has not only set open the door, but has lifted the door from its hinges; yea, removedit, post, and bar, and all!

I want you to notice that this veil, when it was rent, was rent by God, not by man. It was not the act of an irreverent mob;it was not the midnight outrage of a set of profane priests: it was the act of God alone. Nobody stood within the veil; andon the outer side of it stood the priests only fulfilling their ordinary vocation of offering sacrifice. It must have astoundedthem when they saw that holy place laid bare in a moment. How they fled, as they saw that massiveveil divided without human hand in a second of time! Who rent it? Who but God Himself? If another had done it, there mighthave been a mistake about it, and the mistake might need to be remedied by replacing the curtain; but if the Lord has doneit, it is done rightly, it is done finally, it is done irreversibly. It is God Himself who has laid sin on Christ, and inChrist has put that sin away. God Himself has opened the gate of heaven to believers, and cast up a highway along which thesoulsof men may travel to Himself. God Himself has set the ladder between earth and heaven. Come to Him now, ye humble ones.Behold, He sets before you an open door!

II. And now I ask you to follow me, dear friends, in the second place, to an experimental realization of my subject. We nownotice WHAT WE HAVE: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest," Observe the threefold "having" in theparagraph now before us, and be not content without the whole three. We have "boldness to enter in." There are degrees in boldness; but this is one of the highest. When the veil was rent it required some boldness tolook within. I wonder whether the priests at the altar did have the courage to gaze upon the mercy-seat. I suspect that they wereso struck with amazement that they fled from the altar, fearing sudden death. It requires a measure of boldness steadily tolook upon the mystery of God: "Which things the angels desire to look into." It is well not to look with a merely curiouseye into the deep things of God. I question whether any man is able to pry into the mystery of the Trinity withoutgreat risk. Some, thinking to look there with the eyes of their natural intellect, have been blinded by the light of thatsun, and have henceforth wandered in darkness. It needs boldness to look into the splendors of redeeming and electing love.If any did look into the holiest when the veil was rent, they were among the boldest of men; for others must have feared lestthe fate of the men of Bethshemesh would be theirs. Beloved, the Holy Spirit invites you to took into the holy place, andviewit all with reverent eye for it is full of teaching to you. Understand the mystery of the mercy-seat, and of the ark ofthe covenant overlaid with gold, and of the pot of manna, and of the tables of stone, and of Aaron's rod that budded. Look,look boldly through Jesus Christ: but do not content yourself with looking! Hear what the text says: "Having boldness to enter in." Blessed be God if He has taught us this sweet way of no longer looking from afar, but of entering into the inmostshrine with confidence! "Boldness to enter in" is what we ought to have.

Let us follow the example of the high priest, and, having entered, let us perform the functions of one who enters in. "Boldness to enter in" suggests that we act as men who are in their proper places. To stand within the veil filled the servantof God with an overpowering sense of the divine presence. If ever in his life he was near to God, he was certainly near to God then, when quite alone, shut in, and excluded from allthe world, he had no one with him,except the glorious Jehovah. O my beloved, may we this morning enter into the holiest in this sense! Shut out front theworld, both wicked and Christian, let us know that the Lord is here, most near and manifest. Oh that we may now cry out withHagar, "Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" Oh, how sweet to realize by personal enjoyment the presence of Jehovah!How cheering to feel that the Lord of hosts is with us! We know our God to be a very present help in trouble. It is one ofthe greatest joys out of heaven to be able to sing'Jehovah Shammah'the Lord is here. At first we tremble in the divinepresence; but as we feel more of the spirit of adoption we draw near with sacred delight, and feel so fully at home with ourGod that we sing with Moses, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations." Do not live as if God were as faroff from you as the east is from the west. Live not far below on the earth; but live on high, as if you were in heaven. Inheaven You Will be with God; but on earth He will be with you: is there much difference? He hath raised us up together,and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Jesus hath made us nigh by His precious blood. Try day by dayto live in as great nearness to God, as the high priest felt when he stood for awhile within the secret of Jehovah's tabernacle.

The high priest had a sense of communion with God; he was not only near, but he spoke with God. I cannot tell what he said, but I should think that on the special day the highpriest unburdened himself of the load of Israel's sin and sorrow, and made known his requests unto the Lord. Aaron, standingthere alone, must have been filled with memories of his own faultiness, and of the idolatries and backslidings of the people.God shone upon him, and he bowed beforeGod. He may have heard things which it was not lawful for him to utter, and other things which he could not have utteredif they had been lawful. Beloved, do you know what it is to commune with God? Words are poor vehicles for this fellowship;but what a blessed thing it is! Proofs of the existence of God are altogether her superfluous to those of us who are in thehabit of conversing with the Eternal One. If anybody were to write an essay to prove the existence of my wife, or my son,Icertainly should not read it, except for the amusement of the thing; and proofs of the existence of God to the man whocommunes with God are much the same. Many of you walk with God: what bliss! Fellowship with the Most High is elevating, purifying,strengthening. Enter into it boldly. Enter into His revealed thoughts, even as He graciously enters into yours: rise to Hisplans, as He condescends to yours; ask to be uplifted to Him, even as He deigns to dwell with you.

This is what the rent of the veil brings us when we have boldness to enter in; but, mark you, the rent veil brings us nothinguntil we have boldness to enter in. Why stand we without? Jesus brings us near, and truly our fellowship is with the Father,and with His Son Jesus Christ. Let us not be slow to take up our freedom, and come boldly to the throne. The high priest enteredwithin the veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with blood, and withincense, that he might pray for Israel; and there he stood before the Most High, pleading with Him to bless the people. O beloved, prayer is ai divine institution,and it belongs to us. But there are many sorts of prayers. There is the prayer of one who seems shut out from God's holy temple;there is the prayer of another who stands in the court of the Gentiles afar off, looking towards the temple; there is theprayer of one who gets where Israel stands and pleads with the God of thechosen; there is the prayer in the court of the priests, when the sanctified man of God makes intercession; but the bestprayer of all is offered in the holiest of all. There is no fear about prayer being heard when it is offered in the holiest.The very position of the man proves that he is accepted with God. He is standing on the surest ground of acceptance, and heis so near to God that his every desire is heard. There the man is seen through and through; for he is very near to God. Histhoughts are read, his tears are seen, his sighs are heard; for he has boldness to enter in. He may ask what he will,and it shall be done unto him. As the altar sanctifieth the gift, so the most holy place, entered by the blood of Jesus, securesa certain answer to the prayer that is offered therein. God give us such power in prayer! It is a wonderful thing that theLord should hearken to the voice of a man; yet are there such men. Luther came out of his closet, and cried, Vici'"Ihave conquered." He had not yet met his adversaries; but as he had prevailed with God for men, he felt that he shouldprevail with men for God.

But the high priest, if you recollect, after he had communed and prayed with God, came out and blessed the people. He put on his garments of glory and beauty, which he had laid aside when be went into the holy place, for there he stoodin simple white, and nothing else; and now he came out wearing the breast-plate and all his precious ornaments, and he blessedthe people. That is what you will do if you have the boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood ofJesus: you will bless the people that surround you. The Lord has blessed you, and He will make you a blessing. Your ordinaryconduct and conversation will be a blessed example; the words you speak for Jesus will be like a dew from the Lord: the sickwill be comforted by your words; the despondent will he encouraged by your faith; the lukewarm will be recovered by your love.You will be, practically, saying to each one who knows you, "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his faceshine upon thee, and give thee peace." You will become a channel of blessing: "Out of your belly shall flow rivers ofliving water." May we each one have boldness to enter in, that we may come forth laden with benedictions!

If you will kindly look at the text, you will notice, what I shall merely hint at, that this boldness is well grounded. I always like to see the apostle using a "therefore": "Having therefore boldness." Paul is often a true poet, but he is always a correct logician; he is as logical as if he were dealing with mathematicsrather than theology. Here he writes one of his therefores.

Why is it that we have boldness? Is it not because of our relationship to Christ which makes us "brethren?" "Having therefore,brethren, boldness." The feeblest believer has as much right to enter into the holy places as Paul had; because he is one of the brotherhood.I remember a rhyme by John Ryland, in which he says of heaven'

"They shall all be there, the great and the small;

Poor I shall shake hands with the blessed St. Paul."

I have no doubt we shall have such a position, and such fellowship. Meanwhile, we do shake hands with I Him this morning ashe calls us brethren. We are brethren to one another, because we are brethren to Jesus. Where we see the apostle go, we willgo; yea, rather, where we see the Great Apostle and High Priest of our profession enter, we will follow. "Having therefore,boldness."

Beloved, we have now no fear of death in the most holy place. The high priest, whoever he might be, must always have dreadedthat solemn day of atonement, when he had to pass into the silent and secluded place. I cannot tell whether it is true, butI have read that there is at tradition among the Jews, that a rope was fastened to the high priest's foot that they mightdraw out his corpse in case he died before the Lord. I should not wonder if their superstition devisedsuch a thing, for it is an awful position for a man to enter into the secret dwelling of Jehovah. But we cannot die inthe holy place now, since Jesus has died for us. The death of Jesus is the guarantee of the eternal life of all for whom Hedied. We have boldness to enter, for we shall not perish.

Our boldness arises from the perfection of His sacrifice. Read the fourteenth verse: "He hath perfected forever them thatare sanctified." We rely upon the sacrifice of Christ, believing that He was such a perfect Substitute for us, that it isnot possible for us to die after our Substitute has died; and we must be accepted, because He is accepted. We believe thatthe precious blood has so effectually and eternally put away sin from us, that we are no longer obnoxious tothe wrath of God. We may safely stand where sin must be smitten, if there be any sin upon us; for we are so washed, socleaned, and so fully justified that we are accepted in the Beloved. Sin is so completely lifted from us by the vicarioussacrifice of Christ, that we have boldness to enter where Jehovah Himself dwells.

Moreover, we have his for certain, that as a priest had a right to dwell near to God, we have that privilege; for Jesus hathmade us kings and priests unto God, and all the privileges of the office come to us with the office itself We have a missionwithin the holy place; we are called to enter there upon holy business, and so we have no fear of being intruders. A burglarmay enter a house, but he does not enter with boldness; he is always afraid lest he should besurprised. You might enter a stranger's house, without an invitation, but You Would feel no boldness there. We do notenter the holiest as housebreakers, nor as strangers; we come in obedience to a call, to fulfill our office. When once weaccept the sacrifice of Christ, we are at home with God. Where should a child be bold but in his father's house? Where shoulda priest stand but in the temple of his God, for whose service he is set apart? Where should a blood-washed sinner live butwith hisGod, to whom he is reconciled?

It is a heavenly joy to feel this boldness! We have now such a love for God, and such a delight in Him, that it never crossesour minds that we are trespassers when we draw near to Him. We never say, "God, my dread," but "God, my exceeding joy." Hisname is the music to which our lives are set: though God be a consuming fire we love Him as such, for He will only consumeour dross, and that we desire to lose. Under no aspect is God now distasteful to its. We delight in Him,be He what He may. So you see, beloved, we have good grounds for boldness when we enter into the holiest by the bloodof Jesus.

I cannot leave this point until I have reminded you that we may have this boldness of entering in at all times, because the veil is always rent, and is never restored to its old place. "The Lord said until Moses, Speak unto Aaron thybrother, that he come not at all times into the holy Place within the veil before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark; thathe die not"; but the Lord saith not so to us. Dear child of God, you may at all times have "boldness to enterin." The veil is rent both day and night. Yea, let me say it, even when thine eye of faith is dim, still enter in; whenevidences are dark, still have "boldness to enter in"; and even if thou hast unhappily sinned, remember that access is opento thy penitent prayer. Come still through the rent veil, sinner as thou art. What though thou hast backslidden, what thoughthou art grieved with the sense of thy wanderings, come even now! "Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart,"butenter at once; for the veil is not there to exclude thee, though doubt and unbelief may make you think it is so. The veilcannot be there, for it was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

III. My time has fled, and I shall not have space to speak as I meant to do upon the last point'HOW WE EXERCISE THIS GRACE.Let me give you the notes of what I would have said.

Let us at this hour enter into the holiest. Behold the way! We come by the way of atonement: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." I have been made to feel really illthrough the fierce and blasphemous words that have been used of late by gentlemen of the modern school concerning the preciousblood. I will not defile my lips by a repetition of the thrice-accursed things which they have dared to utter while tramplingon the blood of Jesus. Everywhere throughout this divine Book you meet with the precious blood. How can he call himselfa Christian who speaks in flippant and profane language of the blood of atonement? My brothers, there is no way into the holiest,even though the veil be rent, without blood. You might suppose that the high priest of old brought the blood because the veilwas there; but you have to bring it with you though the veil is gone. The way is open, and you have boldness toenter; but not without the blood of Jesus. It would be an unholy boldness which would think of drawing near to God withoutthe blood of the great Sacrifice. We have always to plead the atonement. As without shedding of blood there is no remissionof sin, so without that blood there is no access to God.

Next, the way by which we come is an unfailing way. Please notice that word'"by a new way"; this means by a way which is always fresh. The original Greek suggests the idea of "newly slain." Jesus died long ago,but His death is the same now as at the moment of its occurrence. We come to God, dear friends, by a way which is always effectualwith God. It never, never loses one whit of its power freshness.

Dear dying lamb, thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power.

The way is not worn away by long traffic: it is always new. If Jesus Christ had died yesterday, would you not feel that youcould plead His merit today? Very well, you can plead that merit after these 19' centuries with as much confidence as at thefirst hour. The way to God is always newly laid. In effect, the wounds of Jesus incessantly bleed our expiation. The crossis as glorious as though He were still upon it. So far as the freshness, vigor, and force of the atoningdeath is concerned, we come by a new way. Let it be always new to our hearts. Let the doctrine of atonement never growstale, but let it have dew upon your souls.

Then the apostle adds, it is a "living way." A wonderful word! The way by which the high priest went into the holy place was of course a material way, and so a dead way.We come by a spiritual way, suitable to our spirits. The way could not help the high priest, but our way helps us abundantly.Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." When we come to God by this way, the way itself leads, guides, bears, brings us near. This way gives its life withwhich to come.

It is a dedicated way. "which he hath consecrated for us." When a new road is opened, it is set apart and dedicated for the public use. Sometimesa public building is opened by a king or a prince, and so is dedicated to its purpose. Beloved, the way to God through JesusChrist is dedicated by Christ, and ordained by Christ for the use of poor believing sinners, such as we are. He has consecratedthe way towards God, and dedicated it for us, that we may freely useit. Surely, if there is a road set apart for me, I may use it without fear; and the way to God and heaven through JesusChrist is dedicated by the Saviour for sinners; it is the King's highway for wayfaring men, who are bound for the City ofGod; therefore, let us use it. "Consecrated for us!" Blessed word!

Lastly, it is a Christly way; for when we come to God, we still come through His flesh. There is no coming to Jehovah, except by the incarnate God. Godin human flesh is our way to God; the substitutionary death of the Word made flesh is also the way to the Father. There isno coming to God, except by representation. Jesus represents us before God, and we come to God through Him who is our covenanthead, our representative and forerunner before the throne of theMost High. Let us never try to pray without Christ; never try to sing without Christ; never try to preach without Christ.Let us perform no holy function, nor attempt to have fellowship with God in any shape or way, except through that rent whichHe has made in the veil by His flesh, sanctified for us, and offered upon the cross on our behalf.

Beloved, I have done when I have just remarked upon the next two verses, which are necessary to complete the sense, but whichI was obliged to omit this morning, since there would be no time to handle them. We are called to take holy freedoms withGod. "Let us draw near," at once, "with a true heart in full assurance of faith." Let us do so boldly, for we have a greathigh priest. The twenty-first verse reminds us of this. Jesus is the great Priest, and we are thesub-priests under Him, and since He bids us come near to God, and Himself leads the way, let follow Him into the innersanctuary. Because He lives, we shall live also. We shall nor die in the holy place, unless He dies. God will not smite usunless He smites Him. So, "having a high priest over the house of God, let its draw near with a true heart in full assuranceof faith."

And then the apostle tells its that we may not only come with boldness, because our high priest leads the way, but becausewe ourselves are prepared for entrance. Two things the high priest had to do before he might enter: one was, to be sprinkledwith blood, and this we have; for "our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience."

The other requisite for the priests was to have their "bodies washed with pure water." This we have received in symbol inour baptism, and in reality in the spiritual cleansing of regeneration. To us has been fulfilled the prayer'

"Let the water and the blood,

From thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

We have known the washing of water by the Word, and we have been sanctified by the Spirit of His grace; therefore let us enterinto the holiest. Why should we stay away? Hearts sprinkled with blood, bodies washed with pure water'these are the ordainedpreparations for acceptable entrance. Come near, beloved! May the Holy Spirit be the spirit of access to you now. Come toyour God, and then abide with Him! He is your Father, your all in all. Sit down and rejoice in Him;take your fill of love; and let not your communion be broken between here and heaven. Why should it be? Why not begintoday that sweet enjoyment of perfect reconciliation and delight in God which shall go on increasing in intensity until youbehold the Lord in open vision, and go no more out? Heaven will bring a great change in condition, but not in our standing,if even now we stand within the veil. It will be only such a change as there is between the perfect day and the daybreak;for we havethe same sun, and the same light from the sun, and the same privilege of walking in the light. "Until the day break, andthe shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Division." Amen, andAmen.

PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON'HEBREWS 10.

HYMNS FROM "OUR OWN HYMN BOOK"'318, 296, 395.