fon God the Son, though to the fame God effentially; in Chrift, [Theanthropos], God-man, in refpect of his natures, agreeth with both, being not only God, nor only man, but God-man, manGod bleffed for ever; but in respect 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 perfon of the God-head, 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. c.) Three perfons, and but one God. 4. F SECT. IV. For whom this interceffion was made. Or whom is this interceffion made? I anfwer, 1. Negatively, not for the world, I pray not for the world, John xvii. 9. faith Chrift; whilft Chrift was on earth he would not fo much as fpend his breath, or open his lips for the world, he knew God would not hear him 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 crofs, prayed for the bloody Jews, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luke xxiii. 34. but that might be of private duty as man, who in that refpect fubmitted himfelf 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 media. tory 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 interceffions are not for the world, or reprobates. So much negatively. 2. Pofitively, Chrift's interceffion is general, and particular; for all, and every faithful man, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haft given me, for they are thine, John xvii. 9. And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, Behold Satan bath 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, so Chrift entred into the holiest of all, with the names of all believ ers upon his heart, and still he carries them upon his breast, 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, Mar tha, 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, and I will pray for thee, faith Christ, that thy faith fail not. SECT. V. What agreement there is betwixt Chrift's intercessions, and the interceffions of the high priests of old. 5. fions of the high priests of old? Among the Jews in the times of the Old Teftament, they had an high priest, who was in all things to ftand betwixt. God and them. Now, as the Jews had their high prieft to intercede for them, fo the Lord Jefus was to be the high priest of our Chriftian profeffion, and to intercede for us; it will therefore give some light to this doctrine of interceffion, if we will but compare these two, and first confider, What agreement betwixt Chrift and the high priests of old; betwixt Chrift's interceffion, and the high priefts interceffions? Hat agreement is there betwixt the inter affeement is twist throid W terections of Chrift, and the intercef 1. Chrift and the high pricfts of old agreed in name; not only they, but Chrift himself is called an high priest, We have fuch an high priest, who is fet down at the right-hand of the majesty on high, Heb. viii. 1.--Confider the apostle 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 pricft-hood of Aaron was tranflated into the prieft-hood of Jefus Chrift, fo that he was a pricft as well as they. 2. They 2. They agreed in office; that confifted of two parts, oblation and prefentation. 1. They of fered 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 within the holy of holies; and in anfwer thereunto, there are two diftinct parts of Christ's prieft-hood. 1. The offering of himself a facrifice upon the crofs. 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 priest, For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, Heb. viii. 4. that is, if he fhould have made his abode upon the earth, he should not have been a complete or perfect priest, seeing this part of it, which we call the prefentation, or interceffion) lay ftill upon him to be acted in heaven. And indeed, this part of his prieft-hood is of the two the more eminent; yea, the top and height of his priest-hood; and therefore, it is held forth to us in the types of both those two orders of priest-hood that were before him, and figures of him, both that of Aaron, and Melchifedec. 1. This was typified in that Levitical priest-hood of Aaron and his fellows; the higheft 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 priest's honour, that he did this alone, and it constituted 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 on ly the high priest was to approach the holy of holies with blood, and that but once a year. 2. This was typified by Melchifedec's priest-hood, which the apostle 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 clause, for ever, ftill comes in when Melchifedec is named, Thou art a prieft for ever, after the order of Melchifedec, Heb. v. 6.-vii. 17. Here then is the agreement betwixt Christ and the high priests of old; in respect of name, both were priests, and in refpect of office, both had their oblations and presentations, or interceffions with God in glory. 3. In the point of interceffion, they agreed in these particulars. 1. The high pricfts of old, ufually, once a year, went into the most holy place within the vail; and fo is Chrift, our great high priest, passed into the heavens within the vail, even into the holy of holies, Chrift by his own blood entred in once into the holy place.--Not into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the prefence of God for us, Heb. ix. 12, 24. 2. The high priests of old had a plate of pure gold upon their foreheads, which was, To bear the iniquity of the holy things, that they might be accepted before the Lord, Exod. xxviii. 38. and fo doth Christ bear the iniquity of our holy things. Spiritual Chriftian! he is your comfort, you are not aable to perform any duty to God, 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 these fins, even the iniquity of your holy things, and he presents your persons and prayers without the lealt spot to his Father; he is the angel of the covenant that stands at the altar, having a golden cenfer with much incenfe, to offer it with the prayers of his faints, Rev. viii. 3. and fo they are acceptable before the Lord. 3. The Jewish high priests bore the names of the children of Ifrael on the breaft plate of judgment upon their hearts, for a memorial before the Lord continually, Ex. xxviii. 29. And fo 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 answer, 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 spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish, Eph. v. 27. 2. In his continual remembring of them, The righteous shall be had in contiual remembrance, Pf. cxii. 6. This is the foul's comfort in a time of desertion, 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 fons, but Chrift, our great high priest, is the Son from me? Pf. xiii. 1. Let fuch a one remember, of God; for fo he is filed in the fame verfe, the that Chrift's redeemed ones are upon his heart, great high priest that is paffed into the heavens, and he cannot forget them, But Zion faid, The Jefus the Son of God, Heb. iv. 4. Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me; Oh no! Can a woman forget her fucking child, that she should not have compassion 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. thine arm; 3. In his perpetual loving of them; they are near and dear unto him, he hath fet them as a feat upon his heart; fo was the prayer of the spouse, Set me as a feal upon thine heart, as a feal upon 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 intercedes for them; he keeps them close 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 interceffions of the high pricfts of old. SECT. VI. What the difference is betwixt Chriff's interceffions, and the interceffions of the high priests of old. HAT is the difference betwixt Chrift's 6. Wintercellions, and the interceffions of the high priest's of old? There is no queftion, but howfoever they might agree in fome refpects, yet Christ officiates in a more tranfcendent and eminent way than ever any high priest did before him; now, the difference betwixt Chrift and them, and betwixt Chrift's interceffions and their interceffions, may appear in these particulars. 1. They were called high priests, but Chrift is called the great high priest; fuch a title was never given to any but Christ, whence the apostle argues for the ftedfaftnefs of our profeffion, Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is paffed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us hold faft our profession, Heb. iv. 14. 2. The high priests then, were Aaron and his 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) was without father, without mother, without defcent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, Heb. vii 3. that is, as far as it is known; and fo is Chrift without a father on earth, and without a mother in heaven; without beginning and without end; he abides a priest perpetually, even to the end of the world; yea, and the vir tue of his pricft-hood, is infinitely beyond all time, even for ever and ever. 4. The high priests then entred only into that place that was typically holy; but Christ is entred into that place that is properly holy; he is entred into the heavens, or (if you will) as into the holy of holies, fo into the heaven of heavens. 5. The high priests then did not always intercede for the people; only once a year the high prieft entred into the holy of holies, and after the he had fprinkled the mercy-feat with blood, and caused a cloud to rise upon the mercy-seat with his prayers and incenfe, then he went out of the holy of holies, and laid afide his garments again; but our great high prieft is afcended into the holy of holies, never to put off his princely-prieftly gar ments; nor does he only once a year sprinkle the mercy. 7-feat with his facrifice, but every day; he lives for ever to intercede: oh! what comfort is this to a poor dejected foul? If he once undertake thy cause, and get thee into his prayers, he will never leave thee out night nor day; he intercedeth ever, till he shall accomplish and finish thy falvation; the fmoke of his incenfe afcends for ever without intermiffion. 6. The high priests then interceded not for fins of greater inftances; if a man finned ignorantly, there was indeed a facrifice and interceffion for him, but if a man finned prefumptuously, he was to be cut off from among his people, Numb. xv. 30. No facrifice, no interceffion by the high priest then, but we have fuch an high priest as makes interceffion for all fins; every fin, though it boil up to blafphemy, (fo it be not against the holy Ghoft) fhall, by virtue of Chrift's interceffion be forgiven, 459 prayers of his faints, that they perfume their pray ers, and fo they find acceptance with God his Far ther. We fee now the difference betwixt Chrift's interceffions, and the interceffions of the high prieste of old. In that day there fhall be a fountain opened to the boufe of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerufa lem, for fin and nncleanness, (i. e.) for fins of all forts, Zach, xii, 1. Verily I fay unto you, All fins fhall be forgiven unto the fons of men, Mark iii. 28. (i. e.) fcarlet fins, or crimson fins; fins of the deepest dye fhall by Christ's interceffions be done away; the voice of his blood speak better things than the blood of Abel; it intercedes for What the properties of this interceffion of Chrift are the abolution of bloody fins. out all the high-priests the interceded not with out all thefe miracles, viz. a temple, an altar; a facrifice of a young bullock for a fin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering; a cenfer full of burn ing coals of fire taken of the altar, a putting the incenfe upon the fire, that the cloud of the incenfe might cover the mercy feat; a sprinkling the mer cy-feat with the blood of the bullock, and of the goat with their finger feven times, Lev. xvi. 3. Such materials they had, and fuch actions they did which were all diftinct as from themselves; but Jefus Christ in his interceffions now, needs none of thefe materials, but rather he himself and his own me rits are instead of all. As, 1. He is the temple, either in regard of the Deity, the gold of the tem ple being fanctified by the temple; or in regard of his human body, Destroy this temple, (faith Chrift) and I will build it again in three days; it was deftroyed, and God found it an acceptable facrifice, and fmelt in it a sweet favour as in a temple. 2. He is the altar according to the Deity, for as the altar fanctifies the gift, fo doth the God-head fanctify the man-hood; the altar must needs be of a greater dignity than the oblation, and therefore this altar betokens the divinity of Jefus Chrift. 3. He is the facrifice moft properly according to the man-hood, for although by communication of properties, the blood of the facrifice is called the blood of God, Acts xx. 28. yet properly the human foul, and flesh of Chrift was the holycauft, or whole burnt offering, rosted in the fire of his Father's wrath, 4. His merits are the cloud of incenfe, for fo the angel Chrift is said to bave a golden cenfer, and much incenfe, that he should offer it with the prayers of all faints upon the golden altar which was before the throne; and the finoke of the incenfe which came with the prayers of the faints, afcended up before God out of the angel's hand, Rev. viii, 3. 4. The merits of Chrift are so mingled with the SE 7. WHAT are the properties of this inter of Jefus I anfwer,I. It is heavenly and glorious; and that appears in these particulars, Father, as in the days of his humiliation; for that 1. Christ doth not fall upon his knees before his is not agreeable to that glory he hath received he only prefents his pleafure to his Father, that he may thereto put his feal and confent. Chrift doth not pray out of private charity, as the faints pray one for another in this life, but out of public office and mediation, There is one God, and one media1 Tim. ii. 5. 3. Chrift prays not out of humilitor between God and man, the man Chrift Jefus, ty, which is the propofing of requests for things unmerited, but out of authority, which is the defiring of a thing, fo as withal he hath a right of beftowing it as well as defiring it. not merely as an advocate, but as a propitiation 4. Chrift prays too; Chrift's Spirit is an advocate, but only Chrift is advocate and propitiation; Chrift's Spirit is our advocate on earth, but only Chrift in his perè fon applieth his merits in heaven, and farthers the caufe of our falvation with his Father in heavens terceffion is heavenly and glorious.. In every of these respects we may fee Chrift's in power to intercede for us, fo he hath a power to 2. It is ever effectual and prevailing, as he hath confer that upon us for which he intercedes, I will pray the Father, and he fhall give you another com forter, John xiv. 16. If I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will fend him unto you, John xvi. 7. If Chrift prayed on earth he was ever heard; but if Chrift pray in heaven, we may be fure the Father ever heareth and anfwereth there: when Chrift, as man, praya ed for himself, he was heard in that which he fears eth; but now Chrift as mediator praying for us, he is ever heard in the very particular which he Mmm 2 defireth. defireth. We finful men many a time afk and receive not, because we ask amifs, that we may confume it upon our lufts, Jam. iv. 3. But Jefus Chrift never asks amifs, nor to wrong ends; and therefore, God, the Father, who called him to this office of being (as it were) the great master of requefts in behalf of his church, he promised to hear bim in all requests. Father, I thank thee thou haft heard me, and I know thou heareft me always, (faith Chrift) John xi. 41, 42.1 3. It is of all other the tranfactions of Chrift till the very end of the world, the most perfective and confummate : indeed fo perfective, that without Fit, all the other parts of Christ's mediatorfhip would have been to little purpose. As the facrifices under the law had not been of fuch force and efficacy, had not the high priest entred into the holy place, to appear there, and to prefent the blood there unto the Lord; fo all that ever Chrift did, or fuffered upon earth, it had been ineffectual unto us, had he not entred into heaven, to appear there in the prefence of God for us, Heb. ix. 24. Surely this interceffion is that which puts life into the death of Chrift: this interceffion is that which ftrikes the last stroke, during this world, in the carrying on of our foul's falvation, and makes all fure. It is a witty observation that one makes of thefe feveral steps of Chrift's acting for us; as, first, There was an all-fufficiency in his death, Who shall condemn? It is Chrift that died, Rom. viii. 34. 2.A rather in his refurrection, yea rather, that is rifen again. 3. A much rather in his life and feffion at God's right-hand, For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of Chrift: much rather being reconciled we fhall be Javed by his life, Ro. v. 10. 4. The apoftle rifeth yet higher, to a faving to the utmof, and puts that upon his interceflion, Wherefore he is able to fave us to the utmost, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for us, Heb. vii. 25. If in the former were e any thing wanting, this interceffion of Chrift fupplies all; it is the coronis, which makes all effectual; it faves to the uttermost for itself is the uttermoft and highest step; on earth Chrift begins the execution of his office, in heaven he ends it; in his life and death, Chrift was the meritorious caufe; but by his interceflion, Chrift is the applying caufe of our foul's falvation. In this very inGoodwin Chrift fet forth. terceffion of Chrift is the confummation and per- 8. SECT. VIII. Wherein the intercession of Chrift confifts. W ceffions of Jefus Chrift confift? Some Herein more especially doth the inter fuppofe, that Chrift's very being in heaven, and putting God in mind of his active and passive obedience by his very prefence, is all that interceffion that the fcripture fpeaks of. But I rather anfwer in thefe particulars. As, 1. Chrift's interceflion confifts, in the prefenting of his perfon for us; he himself went up to heaven, and presented himself; the apostle calls this, an appearing for us; Chrift is not entred into the holy place made with hands, but into heaven, now to appear in the prefence of God for us, Heb. ix. 24. I believe there is an emphasis in the words, appearing for us. But how appears he for us? I anfwer, 1. In a public manner; whatsoever he did in this kind, he did it openly and publicly; he appears for us in the prefence of God the Fa ther; |