But yet this is not all; fo thick and faft doth the glory of Chrift break in upon us, that no fooner out of one, than prefently we are led into the bofom of another, Oh what a bleffed thing is it to be viewing Chrift! and to be looking up unto Jefus Chrift?" Saints might do nothing elfe, (if they pleafed) but ravifh their hearts with the diverfity of heavenly light and comfort, which breaks forth from the bofom of Jefus Chrift. Here is now another myftery as great and amazing as the former, which springs out before dur eyes in this transaction of Christ's intercellion.

And in profecution of this, as in the former, I fhall firft lay down the object, and fecondly, direct you how to look upon it. The object is Jefus carrying on the great work of our falvation in his interceffion: in ordering of which I fhall examine thele particulars.

1. What is this interceffion of Chrift?

2. According to what nature doth Chrift interceed?

3. To whom is Chrift's interceffion directed?

5. What agreement is there betwixt Chrift's interceffion and the interceffions of the high-priests of old?

6. What is the difference betwixt Christ's interceffion and the interceffions of thofe high-priests?

7. What are the properties of this interceffion of Jefus Chrift?

8. Wherein more efpecially doth the interceffion of Chrift confift?

9. How powerful and prevailing are Christ's interceffions with God his Father? 10. What are the reafons of this great tranfaction of Chrift's interceffion for his people?

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1. What is the interceffion of Chrift; Some define it thus, "Chrift's interceffion is that part of his prieftly office, whereby Chrift is advocate, and intreater of God, the Father for the faithful." I fhall give it thus, Chrift's interceffion is his gracious will, fervently and immoveably defiring, that for the perpetual virtue of his facrifice, all his-members, might both for their perfons and duties, be accepted of the Father." 1. I call the interceffion of Chrift his own gracious will; for we muft not imagine, that Chrift in his interceffion proftrates himself upon his knees before his Father's throne, uttering fome fubmiffive form of words or prayers; that is not befeeming the majefty of him that fits at God's right-hand; when he was but y 66 yet on earth, the fubftance of his requests for his faints run thus, Fa.. ther, I will, that they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am,'" John xvii. 24. And how much more now he is in heaven is this the form of his terceffions, Father, I will this, and I will that. 2. The ground or foundation of Chrift's interceffion is, the facrifice or death of Christ: and hence we may make two parts of Chrift's priesthood or oblation: the one expiatory, when Chrift fuffered upon the crofs; the other prefentory, when he doth appear in heaven before God for us; the one was finifhed on earth, when Chrift fuffered without the gate.; the other is performed in heaven; now Chrift is within the city, the one was a facrifice indeed, the other is not fo much a facrifice as the commemoration of a facrifice; the first was an act of humiliation, and this latter is an act of glory; the firft was performed once for all, this latter is done continually; the first was for the obtaining of redemption, and this latter is for the application of redemption; fo that the ground of this is that Chrift fervently and immoveably defires his Father for the fake and virtue of his facrifice. 3. The fubject matter interceeded for, "That all the faints, and their fervices, might find acceptance with God; Chrift's intercellion is for our perfons, and then Chrift's interceffion is for our works; for as our perfons are but in part regenerate, and in part unregenerate; or, in part flesh, and in pars fpirit; fo be our duties, part good, and part evil, in part fpiritual, and in part finful; now, by Chrift's interceffion is Chrift's Hatisfaction applied to our perfons, and by confequence the defect of our duties is covered and removed; and both we and our works are approved and accepted of God the Father. And thus inuch for the nature of Chrift's interceffion what it is.

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Ccording to what nature doth Chrift interceed? I antwer. According to both natures? according to his humanity, partly by appearing before his Father in heaven, and partly by his defiring the falvation of the elect, "Chrift is entered into heaven itfelf, now to appear in the prefence of God for us, Heb. ix. 24. And I fay not unto you, that I will pray, or defire the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth you," John xvi. 26, 27. Secondly, According to his deity, partly by applying the merit of his death, and partly by willing the falvation of his faints; and as the effect thereof, by making request in the hearts of the faints with figns unfpeakable, Elect, through fanctification of the Spirit and fprinkling of the blood of Jefus Chrift," 1 Pet. i. 2. This iprinkling is the applying of the blood of Jefus, and that is an act of intercellion: again, Father, I will, that they whom thou haft given me be with me where I am," John xvii. 24. he defires as a man, but he wills as God, and as the effect of this he gives the Spirit, "the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered," Rom. viii. 26. But what are the intercellious of the Spirit to the interceflions of Chrift? I answer, much every way, the Spirit's interceffions are as the effect, and Christ's interceffions are as the caule; the Spirit's interceffions are as the echo, and Chrift's interceffions are as the firft voice; the Spirit interceeds for men, in and by themselves, but Chrift interceeds in his own perfon; there is a dependance of the Spirit's interceffions in us upon Christ's intercellions in himself. First, Chrift by his intercellion applies his fatisfaction made, and lays the falve to the very fore; and then he fends down his holy Spirit into our hearts, to help our infirmities, and to teach us what to pray, and how to pray as we ought. Now this he doth as God, for who fhall give a commiflion to the Spirit of God, but God himself! It is as if Chrift fhould fay, "See holy Spirit, how I take upon me the caufe of my faints, I am perpetually reprefenting my facrifice to God my Father, I am ever pleading for them, and anfwering all the acculations that fin or Satan can lay against them, and now go thy way to fuch and fuch, and take up thy dwelling in their hearts, and affift them by thy energy, to plead their owu caufe; I am their advocate or interceffor by office, and therefore be thou their advocate or interceffor by operation, inftruction, infpiration, and aliitance,'

T

SE CT. II.

To whom Chrift's Interceffion is directed.

O whom is Chrift's interceffion directed! I answer immediately to God the Father, "If any man fin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous," 1 Johu ii. 1. In the work of interceffion are three perfons, a party offended, a party offending, and the intercefior difline from them both; the party offended is God the Father, the party offending is fin- * ful man, and the interceffor diftinct from them both, is Jefus Christ, the middle perfon (as it were) betwixt God the Father, and us men; the Father is God, and not man; and we that believe in Chrift are men and not God; and Chrift himself is both man and God; and therefore, he interceeds and mediates betwixt God and man; if any object, that not only the Father is offended, but allo the Son, and the holy Ghoft; and therefore there must be a Mediator to them alfo, the folution is eafy: Chrift's interceffion is immediately directed to the Father, but because the Fáther, Son and holy Ghoft, have all one indivifible effence, and by confequence one. will; it therefore follows, That the Father being appealed by Chrift's interceflion, the Son and the holy Ghoft are alfo appealed with him, and in him. I deny hot but Chrift's interceflion, is made to the whole Trinity, but yet immediately, and di rectly to the first perfon, and in him to the reft.- But if fo, then in fome fenfe, (fay our adverfaries) Chrift makes interceffion to nimfelf, which cannot be; because in every interceffion there muft of neceffity be three parties:" this point hath fore puzzled the church of Rome, that for the folving of it, they knew no oth way but to avouch Chrift to be our interceffor only as man, and not as God, which is moft untrue, for as both natures did concur in the work of fatisfaction, fo likewife

they do bo concur in the work of interceffion and it is an ancient and approved rule, "That names of office which are given to Chrift, fuch as Mediator, Interceffor, &c. agree unto him according to both natures;" and can the act of Christ's interceffion, be the act of Christ's manhood alone? What, to hear and offer up prayers? To receive and prefent the prayers and praifes, and other spiritual facrifices of all believers in the world? To negotiate for them all at one and the fame time, according to the variety and multiplicity of their feveral occafions? Surely this is, and must be the work of an infinite, and not of a finite agent: this cannot be affected without the concurrence of the divine nature with the human ; but what needs any further anfwer to this objection? Suppofe Chrift intercede to himself as God: that is not immediately, and directly to the fame perfon God the Son, though the fame God effentially; indeed Chrift, (Theanthropous}, God man, in refpect of bis natures, agreeth with both, being not only God, nor only man, but God-man, Man-God bleffed for ever; but in refpect of his perfon, being the fecond perfon in the Trinity, he is diftinct from both. 1. From the perfonality of man, for he hath only the perfonality of God, and not of man. 2. From the first perlon of the Godhead, who is God the Father,For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the holy Ghoft: and these three are one," 1 John v. 7. (i. e.) Three perfons, and but offe God.

FOR

SECT. IV..

For whom this Interceffion is made.

OR whom is this intercefhion made; I anfwer, 1. Negatively, not for the worid, I pray not for the world, John xvii. 9. faith Chrift; whilst Chrift was on earth he would not fo much as spend his breath, or open his lips for the world, he knew God would not hear hun for them; in like manner Chrift prays now in heaven not for the world," he never had a thought to redeem them, or to fave their fouls, and therefore they have no fhare in his interceffions; I know the objection, that Chrift upon the cross, prayed for the bloody Jews, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do," Luke xxii. 34. but that might be of private duty as man, who in that refpect fubmitted himself to the law of God, which requires, that we forgive our enemies, and pray for them that perfecute us, and not of his proper office as Mediator; or if it be referred to the proper mediatory interceffion of Jefus Chrift, (which I rather think). it will not prove that he prayed for them all univerfally, but only indefinitely, i. e. only for them that were prefent at his crucifying, and that in fimplicity of heart, and not of affected ignorance crucified Chrift; and accordingly this prayer was heard, when fo many of the Jews were converted at Peter's fermon, Acts ii. 41. What needs more? His own words are exprefs, that Chrift's intercellions" are pot for the world," or reprobates. So much negatively.

2. Pofitively, Chrift's interceffion is general, and particular; for all, and eve ry faithful man, I pray for them, "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haft given mne, for they are thine, John xvii. 9. And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, Behold Satan hath defired to have you, that he may fift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not," Luke xxii. 31, 32. As the high prieft went into the fanctuary with the names of the twelve tribes upon his breast, fo Chrift entered into the holiest of all, with the names of all believers upon his heart, and fill he carries them upon his breaft, and prefents his will and defire unto his Father for them; nor doth he only intercede in general, but Simon, Simon, mark that; whatever thy name is, John, Peter, Thomas, Mary, Martha, if thou art a believer, Chrift prays for thee; it is our common practice to defire the prayers one of another, but, O! who would not have a fhare in the prayers of Jefus Chrift? Why, certainly if thou believeft in Chrift, Chrift prays for thee, I have prayed, I will pray for thee, faith Chrift, that thy faith fail not."

Appellationes officii competunt Chriflo fecundum utramque naturam.

SE CT, V.

What Agreement there is betwixt Chrift's Interceffions, and the Interceffions of the high Priests of old.

5.

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HAT agreement is there betwixt the interceffions of Chrift, and the intercellions of the high priests of old? Among the Jews in the times of the Old Testament, they had an high priest, who was in all things to ftand betwixt God and them. Now, as the Jews had their high priest to intercede for them, fo the Lord Jefus was to be the high prit ft of our Chriftian profeffion, and to intercede for us; it will therefore give fome light to this doctrine of interceffion, if we will-but compare thefe two, and firft confider, Whar agreement betwixt Chrift and the high priests of old; betwixt Chrift's intercellion, and the high priests interceflious?

1. Chrift and the high prefts of old agreed in name; not only they, but Chrift himfelf is called an high Prieft, "We have fuch an high Prieft, who is fet. down at the right hand of the Majefty on high, Heb. viii. 1.---Confider the apoftle and high priest of our profeffion, Jefus Chrift, Heb. iii, 1.--- Thou art a prieft for ever after the order of Melchifedec," Heb. v. 6. the old priefhood of Aaron was tranflated into the prieft hood of Jefus Chrift, fo that he was a priest as well as they.

2. They agreed in office; that confifted of two parts, oblation and prefentation, 1. They offered a facrifice; and fecondly, they prefented it in the holy of holies with prayer and interceffion unto God: the one was done without, the other with, in the the holy of holies and in anfwer thereunto, there are two diftin&t parts of Chrift's priesthood, 1. The offering of himself a facrifice upon the cross. 2. The carrying of himself and of his blood into the holy of holies, or into the heaven of heavens; where he appears and prays in the force of that blood; and this was fo neceffary a part of his priesthood, that without this he had not been a complete prieft, For if he were on earth, he fhould not be a priest," Heb. viii. 4. that is if he fhould have made his abode upon the earth, he fhould not have been a complete or perfect prieft, feeing this part of it, (which we call the prefentation or intercellion) Jay ftill upon him to be acted in heaven. And indeed, this part of his priesthood is of the two the more eminent, yea, the top and height of his priesthood; and therefore it is held forth to us in the types of both thofe two orders of priesthood that were before him, and figures of him, both that of Aaron and Melchifedec, 1. This was typified in that Levitical priesthood of Aaron and his fellows; the igheft fervice of that office was the going into the holy of holies, and making an atonement there; yea, this was the height of the high prieft's honour, that he did this alone, and it conftituted the difference betwixt him, as he was high priest, and other priests; for they killed and offered the facrifices without as well as he, but only the high-prieft was to approach the holy of holies with blood, and that 'but once a year. 2. This was typified by Melchifedec's priesthood, which the apoftle argues to have been much more excellent than that of Aaron's, in as much as Levi, Aaron's father, paid tithes to this Melchifedec in Abraham's loins now Melchifedec was his type, not fo much in.refpect of his oblation, or offering facrifice, as in refpect of his continual prefentation and interceffion in heaven and therefore the fame claufe," for ever," ftill comes in when Melchifedec is named. "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchifedec," Heb. v, 6.

vii. 17. Here then is the agreement betwixt Chrift and the high priests of old; in refpect of name, both were priests, and in refpect of office, both had their oblations and prefentations or interceffions with God in glory.

3. In the point of interceffion, they agreed in thefe particulars."

1. The high priests of old, ufually once a year, went into the most holy place within the vail; and fo is Chrift our great high priest, paffed into the heavens within the vail, even int into the holy of holies, Chrift by his own blood, entered in once into the holy place. Not into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itfelf, now to appear in the prefence of God for us," Heb. ix. 12, 24.

The high priests of old had a plate of pure gold upon their foreheads, which

Gg

was,

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"To bear the iniquity of the l things, that they might be accepted be fore the Lord, Exod. xxviii. 38. and to doth Chrift bear the iniquity of our holy things. Spiritual Chriftians! here is your comfort, you are not able to perform any duty to God, but there is a great deal of fin in the fame; you cannot hear, nor pray, nor confer, nor meditate, without much fin; but Chrift bears all thefe fius, even the iniquity of your holy things, and he prefents your perfons and pray ers without the leaft fpot to his Father; he is the Angel of the covenant that ftands at the alter, having a golden cenfer with much incenfe, to offer it with the prayers of his faints," Rev. viii. 3. and fo they are aceeptable before the Lord, 3. The Jewifh high priefs bore the names of the children of Ifrael on the breaft plate of judgment upon their hearts, for a memorial before the Lord conti nually," Exod. xxviii. 29. And fa doth Chrift,, our great high priest, bear the names of his people upon his heart before the Lord continually. But how is Chrift faid to bear the names of the faints upon his heart? I anfwer,

1. Continually, in prefenting of them to his Father as they are in him: how is that? Why he prefents them without fpot as righteous in his own righteousness, "Chrift loved the church, that he might prefent it to his Father, and in him to himself a glorious church, not having fpo: or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it fhould be holy, and without blemish," Eph. v. 27.

2. In his continual remembring of them," The righteous fhall be had in continual remembrance," Pfal. cxii. 6. This is the foul's comfort in a time of defertion, or in an evil day. If any cry out as fometimes David did, "How long wilt thou forget me, Lord, for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" Pfal; xiii. 1. Let fuch a one remember, that Chrift's redeemed ones are upon his heart, and he cannot forget them, "But Zion faid, The Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me;" Oh no! "Can a woman forget her fucking child, that the fhould not have compaflion on the fon of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee; behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me, Ifa. xl. 14, 15, 16. The fons of Zion are upon Chrift's heart and hands, and they are ever in his fight.

3. In his perpetual loving of them; they are near and dear unto him, he hath fet them as a feal upon his heart; fo was the prayer of the fpoufe, Set me as a feal upon thine heart. as a feal upon thine arm;" and then it follows, ""for love is as ftrong as death," Cant. viii. 6. Chrift hath an entire love to his faints; he died for them, and now he interceeds for them; and keeps them clofe to his heart, and there is none fhall pluck them out of his hands," For whom he loves, he loves unto the end," John xiii. 1. Thus far of the agreement betwixt Chrift's interceffions, and the intercellions of the high priests of old.

8 E C T. VI.

What the Difference is betwixt Chrifl's Interceffions, and the Intercefficns of the high Pricfts of old.

6.

W

HAT is the difference betwixt Chrift's interceffions, and the intercef Gons of the high priests of old? There is no queftion, but hawfoever they might agree in fome refpects, yet Chrift officiates in a more tranfcendent and eminent way than ever any high prieft did before him; now, the difference betwixt Chrift and them, and betwixt Chrift's interceffions and their interceflions, may appear in thefe particulars.--

.They were called high priests, but Clirift is called the Great High Prieft; fuck a title was never given to any but Chrift, whence the apoftle argues for the fted, faftness of our profeffion, Seeing then that we have a Great High Prieft that is paffed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us hold faft our profeffion," Heb. iv. 14.

2. The high priefts then, were Aaron and his fons, but Christ our great high Prieft, is the Son of God; for fo he is filed in the fame verfe, the great high Prieft that is paffed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God," Heb. iv. 14.

3. The high priests then were but for a time, but Chrift is a priest for ever, after the order of Melchifedec," Heb, v. 6. Melchifedec, (faith the apoftle)