they would plead possession before him having been Priests before him And then he further backs his reason by this that those Priests served as it follows ver 5. unto the example and shadow of heavenly things And therefore it is onely a reall Priest-hood in Heaven which must put them out of place and till such a Priesthood comes they must serve still for the truth which these served to shadow out is not till then fulfilled This you have also Ch. 9. 8. The first Tabernacle was to stand untill a Priest went into Heaven and did act that office there so that if Christ will be a Priest alone he must become a Priest interceding in heavē or else High-priests must come up again and share that office with him and so hee should as good as fall from his office and lose all that he had done Yea thirdly this part of his Priesthood is of the two the more eminent yea the top the height of his Priesthood And this is held forth to us in the Types of both those two orders of Priesthood that were before him and figures of him both that of Aaron and Melchisedec 1 This was typified out in that Leviticall Priesthood of Aaron and his fellows The highest service of that office was the going into the Holy of Holies and making an atonement there yea this was the height of the High priests honour that he did this alone and did constitute the difference between him as he was High priest and other Priests For they killed and offered the sacrifices without as well as he every ordinary Priest did that But none but the High Priest was to approach the Holy of holies with bloud and this but once a yeere Thus Heb. 9. 6 7. The Priests namely those inferiour Priests went alwayes that is daily morning and evening into the first Tabernacle or Court of Priests which was without the Holy of holies accomplishing the service of God namely that offering of the daily sacrifice But into the second namely the Holy of holies went the High-priests alone every yeere So then this was that high and transcendent prerogative of that High-Priest then and which indeed made him High-priest and answerably the highth of our High-priests office although he alone also could offer a satisfactory sacrifice as the Apostle shews Heb. 9. and 10. yet comparatively lay in this that he entred into the heavens by his bloud and is set downe on the Majesty on high and in the vertue of his sacrifice there doth intercede I know but one place that calleth him the Great High-priest higher before then Aaron and that is Heb. 4. 14 16. And then it is in this respect that he is passed into the Heavens as it follows there 2. The excellency of this part of his Priesthood was likewise typified out by Melchisedechs Priest-hood which the Apostle argueth to have been much more excellent then that of Aarons in as much as Levi Aarons Father payed Tythes to this Melchisedech in Abrahams loyns Now Melchisedech was his type not so much in respect of his oblation or offering of Sacrifice that work which Christ performed on earth but in respect of that work which he for ever performs in Heaven therefore that same clause for ever still comes in in the quotation and mention of Melchisedechs priesthood in that Epistle because in respect of that his continuall intercession in Heaven Melchisedech was properly Christs type And accordingly you may observe Psal 110. when is it that that speech comes in Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech but then when God had him sitting at his right hand ver 1. So that as the transcendent excellencie of Christs Priesthood was typified out by Melchisedechs rather then Aarons as being the better priesthood of the two so this the most excellent part thereof was typified out thereby namely that which Christ for ever acteth in heaven And 3. This the chief argument of the Epistle to the Heb. To confirm this you shall find this to be made the top notion of this Epistle to the Heb. and the scope of it chiefly to discourse of Christs eternall Priesthood in heaven to shew how therein Melchisedech was a type of him This is not onely expressed both in Heb. 7. 21. and 25. where this same for ever is applyed to his Intercession ver 25. but more expresly in Chap. 8. 1. where the Apostle puts the emphasis upon this part of his Priesthood saying That of the things which we have spoken or which are to be spoken for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare either this is sayes he the summe or argument of all the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies as well The head the chiefe the top of all and above all as it doth the sum of all And what is it that he thus professeth to be both the maine subject and argument of this Epistle and the top and eminent thing in Christ he intends to discourse of It follows That We have such an High-Priest as is set down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens And of the Priestly office he alone discourseth both before and after and in the following verses calleth his Ministerie or office in respect to this A more excellent Ministerie ver 6. he being such a Priest as was higher then the heavens as he had set him out in the latter part of the former Chap. And therefore you may observe how in his Preface to this Epistle to the Heb. in the first Chap. ver 3. he holds up this to our eye as the argument of the whole saying When he had by himself purged our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Yea His oblation else would have beene ineffectuall to conclude this All his Priesthood would have been ineffectuall if he had not acted the part of a Priest in heaven by Intercession there for by his death he did but begin the execution of his office in heaven he ends it and if he had not fulfilled his office in both the worke of our salvation had not beene fully perfected it was therefore as necessary as oblation it self Not but that his Death was a perfect oblation it was perfect for an oblation to which as such nothing can be added There needed no more nor anyother price to be paid for us by that one offering he perfects us for ever as Heb. 10. 14. and became himselfe perfect thereby Heb. 5. 9. And in the 9. Chapter ver 12. By his own bloud he entred into the Holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us Mark how before he entred by his bloud into heaven he had fully obtained a redemption and that eternall that is for ever sufficient which done he became through his Intercession in heaven an applying cause of eternall salvation a Heb. 5. 10 11. hath it So that as in his death he paid the full summe
this worke of Intercession for us and that in heaven to be added to all the former For the first I will proceede therein by degrees First It is one part of his Priest-hood You must know that Christ is not entred into heaven simply as a fore-runner which hath been explained to take up places for you but as a Priest also Made a Priest after the order of Melchisedec which is more then simply a Forerunner Yea his sitting at Gods right hand is not onely as a King armed with power and authority to save us but he sits there as a Priest too Thus Heb. 8. 1. We have such an High Priest who is set downe at the right hand of the Majesty on high In the old Leviticall Priest-hood Two parts of the High-Priests office the High-Priests office had two parts both which concurred to make them High-Priests First Oblation or offering the Sacrifice Secondly Presentation of it in the Holy of Holies with Prayer and Intercession unto God to accept it for the sinnes of the people The one was done without the other within the Holy of Holies This you may see in many places especially Levit. 16. 11 15 16. where you have the Law about the High Priests entring into the Holy of Holies he was not to come into the holy place till first he had offered a Sacrifice for himselfe and the people ver 11. and 15. and this without Then secondly when he had killed it he was to enter with the bloud of it into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the Mercie-seat therein with it ver 14 17. and to go with Incense and cause a cloud to arise over the Mercie-seat And this you have also Heb. 13. 11. it is said that The bloud of those beasts that were burnt without the Camp was brought into the Sanctuary by the High-Priest And in that 16. of Levit. you shall finde the Atonement made as well by the bloud when brought into the Holy place ver 16. as by the killing of the beast ver 11. Both these were acts of the High-priesthood for Atonement And this was done in a Type of the Priestly office of Christ and the parts thereof So Heb. 9. 23. he cals all those transactions under the Ceremoniall Law the patterns of things heavenly instancing in this part of Christs office ver 24. For Christ sayes he is not entred into the Holy places made without hands as that was which are the figures of the true but into heaven it selfe to appear in the presence of God for us Now then in answer to this Type there are two distinct parts of Christs Priesthood First 1. Christs offering up himselfe the offering himselfe a Sacrifice up to death as Heb. 9. 26. which answers to the killing of the Sacrifice without the Holy of Holies for answerably he was crucified without the City Heb. 13. 12. Secondly 2. Entring into the Heavens to Intercede he carryed this his bloud into the Holy of Holies namely the Heavens Heb. 9. 12. where he appeares ver 24. and there also prayes in the force of that bloud And the Type of those prayers was that cloud of Incense made by the High-Priest so it is expresly interpreted Rev. 8. 3. c. The Angel Christ is said to have had much Incense to offer it with the prayers of all the Saints Which Incense is his owne prayers in heaven which he continually puts up when the Saints pray on earth and so perfumes all their prayers and procures all blessings for them Both these parts of his Prist-hood the Apostle Iohn mentions in his first Epistle Both proved Chap. 2. ver 2. where as he cals Jesus Christ a propitiation for our sins that is an Oblation or Sacrifice offered up for us So likewise he cals him our Advocate both going to make up this his office And indeed this latter of Intercession and bringing his bloud into the Holy of Holies or heaven is but the same action continued That bloud which he offered with tears and strong cryes on the Crosse where he likewise interceded the same bloud he continues virtually to offer up with prayers in the heavens and makes Atonement by both onely with this difference On earth though he interceded yet he more eminently offered up himselfe In heaven he more eminently intercedes and doth but present that Offering Secondly this was so necessary a part of his Priest-hood that without it he had not been a compleat Priest Without Intercession he had not been a perfect Priest Thus Heb. 8. 4. If he were on earth he should not be a Priest That is If he should have abode on earth he should not have been a compleat Priest Paul saith not that if he had offered that his sacrifice on earth he had not been a Priest for that was necessary but that if he had staid still on earth after he had offered it he had not been a Priest that is a perfect Priest for he had then left his office imperfect and had done it but by halves seeing this other part of it the work of Intercession lay still upon him to be acted in heaven Thus the High-priest his Type if he had only offered Sacrifice without the Holy of holies had not been a perfect High-Priest For to enter into the Holy of holies and to act the part of a Priest there This the peculiar work of the High-Priest who was in this Christs Type was the proper peculiar work of the High-Priest as such Which shews that Christ had not been an High-Priest if he had not gone to heaven and Priested it there too as I may so speak as well as upon earth Yea if Christ had not gone to heaven and were not now become a Priest there then the Leviticall Priest-hood were still in force and should share the honour with him and the High-priest must continue still to goe into the Holy of holies To this purpose you may observe that so long as Christ was on earth though risen the Types of the Law held in force and were not to give way till all the truth signified by their Ministery was fully accomplisht and so not untill Christ was gone into heaven as a Priest and there had begun to doe all that which the High-priest had done in the Holy of holies and as his Type fore-signified And this is plainly the meaning of what follows in that Heb. 8. ver 4. as the reason or demonstration why that Christ should not have been a Priest if he had not gone to heaven not onely as a King but as a Priest too as he had affirmed ver 1. Seeing sayes he that there are Priests upon earth that doe offer gifts according to the Law The force of the Reason lyes thus There are already Priests and that of a Tribe he was not of that offer gifts on earth before he came into the world And therefore if that had beene all his Priest-hood to be a Priest on earth
that latter namely the use of such a skill is not so directly the drift of this Treatise I having reserved that part if God assist me and give leisure and this find acceptance unto another about the acts of justifying Faith wherein this art now mentioned is to be the maine scope That which I have here endeavoured is to set forth to all sorts of beleevers whether they have assurance or not Christ as he is the Object of our faith as justifying and as the cause of justification to us and so I send forth this as a premise and preparatory to that other And to that purpose I have run over some few Articles of our Faith or Creede as I found them put together in one bundle by the great Apostle namely Christ in his Death Resurrection Ascension Sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession and have handled these no further then as in all these he is made Justification unto us therin having punctually kept unto the Apostles scope By all which you may in the mean time see what abundant provision God hath laid up in Christ in the point of Justification for all sorts of beleevers to live upon Every thing in Christ whatsoever he was or whatsoever he did with a joynt voice speaking justification unto us You may see also that God hath in Christ justified us over and over and thereby come to discerne what little reason you have to suffer your hearts to be carried aside to other comforters and so be spoiled and bereft of these more immediately prepared and laid up for us in Christ himselfe To have handled all those considerations which his obedience unto death affords unto the justification of a beleever and his comfort therein in this small tractate would have made that part too disproportioned to the rest it alone deserves will require a distinct Tract which therefore I have cast into another method and so in this Treatise have toucht only upon what may for the present be sufficient to furnish that part to keep company with its fellows Onely when I had thus presented Christ along from his Death Resurrection and Ascension unto his Sitting in Heaven and there performing that great part of his Priesthood the worke of Intercession I judged it both homogeneall to all these and conducing to the greater encouragement of beleevers in the exercise of their faith to subjoyne that other Treatise How Christs Heart now he is in Heaven stands affected to us sinners here below And a better token take the Arument it selfe if I could have fully represented it how to present unto his Spouse I know not then a true character of her Husbands heart now he is in glory And but for methods sake I would have placed it first it being more suited to vulgar capacities whose benefit I aime at Now in that discourse I confesse I have not aimed to keepe so strictly unto the matter of justification only as in the other I have done But have more generally discussed it and shewne how his heart stands towards us under all sorts of infirmities whatsoever either of Sin or misery yet so as it wil serve for the matter of justification also The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant us according to the riches of his glory that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and that we may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Amen THO. GOODVVIN THE TABLE OR Series of all the Materials in this TREATISE SECT I. A generall Introduction to the whole Christ the Object of Justifying Faith CHAP. I. The scope of the words of the Text That they were Christs originally Christ the highest example of beleeving Encouragements to our faith from thence Pag. 1 Christ an example of Faith explained by two things 2 1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe 3 2. A faith for the justifying of us 4 Use To draw us on to faith and encourage us therein 5 Especially against the greatnesse of sins 6 CHAP. II. The scope and argument of this whole Discourse 1. A Direction unto Christ as the Object of faith 2. Encouragements to Beleevers in their faith from these particulars in the Text. 9 Christs 1. Death 2. Resurrection 3. Being at Gods right hand 4. Intercession CHAP. III. DIRECTIONS to Christ as the object of Faith How in a three-fold consideration Christ is the Object of Justifying faith 12 1. As in joynt commission with God the Father Faith is to eye both God and Christ in seeking Iustification 12 Yet God the ultimate object of it ibid. Yet Christ under the New Testament the more immediate Object 13 2. Christ the object of faith in opposition to all things in our selves 15 As 1. To Humiliation Wee are not to rest therein ibid. 2. To Dutyes and Graces We are not to rest in them 16 3. Christs Person is the object of Faith in distinction from the Promises ibid. How the Promises are the Object of Faith and how Christ in the Promises 18 Three sorts of promises and how Christs person is the object of faith in applying them all 20 SECT II. Christ in his DEATH the Object and support of Faith for Justification Chap. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as Dying is the object of faith as Iustifying 22 Explained 1. By two Directions 1. That in seeking forgivenesse Christ as dying Christ as crucifyed is to be eyed by faith 23 How not Christs Person singly considered in the excellencies thereof but as dying is the object of justifying faith as such 24 Chap. II 2. Direct That faith is principally to look unto the end and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings namely that sinners might have forgivenesse 28 Without this the meditation of the story of Christs Passion is unprofitable ibid. Cap. III 2. By shewing the ENCOURAGEMENTS or matter of triumph that Christs death affordeth unto faith in point of justification 34 The fulnesse of Christs satisfaction in his DEATH 35 How Christs satisfaction may be opposed to the guilt of any sins whatever 36 1. Against the hainousnesse of sin in the generall 37 2. Against any aggravation of particular sins As ibid. 1. Against the greatnesse of the act of any particular sinne 38 2. Against the corruption or of the heart in sinning ibid. 3. Against delight and greedinesse in sinning ibid. 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning 39 5. Against presumption in sinning ibid. 6. Against the aggravating circumstances of Time Place Persons c. ibid. The conclusion of this Section 40 SECT III. Christ in his RESURRECTION the object and support of faith in point of Justification CHAP. I. Two generall Heads propounded That Christs Is an EVIDENCE of Hath an INFLUENCE into Iustification Resurrection 42 1. An Evidence Christs Resurrection a a visible signe that God is satisfied by his death 44 2. Hath an Influence Though the matter of our justification be the price of Christs Death yet the act of pronouncing us righteous depends on Christs
up to Heaven and that as far above Angels and Principalities as the Apostle speaks Eph. 1. as the Heavens are above the Earth will you not in your faiths hopes proportionably ascend and climb up also have thoughts of pardon as far exceeding your ordinary thoughts as the heavens are above the earth Therefore first view him as ascending into Heaven ere ever hee comes to be at Gods right hand and see what matter of triumph that will afford you for that you must first suppose ere you can see him at Gods right hand and so is necessarily included thought not expressed here But that place fore-quoted out of Peter 1 Pet. 3. gives us both these two particulars included in it 1. His Ascension Who is gone into Heaven And 2. his power and authority there Is at Gods right hand and hath all power and authority subject to him and prompts both these as fit matter to be put into a good conscience its Answer and Apologie why it should not be condemned therfore both may here as well come in into faiths triumph and that as being intended also by the Apostle and included in this one expression He speaks with the least to shew what cause faith had to triumph for the least expression of it his purpose being but to give a hint to faith of that which cōprehensively contains many things in it which he would have us distinctly to consider for our comfort CHAP. II. Shewing first what evidence for our justification Christs Ascension into Heaven affords unto our Faith upon that first forementioned consideration of his being a Surety for us FIrst then to see what triumph his ascending into Heaven will add unto our faith in matter of non-condemnation And herein 1. By considering what was the last action he did when he was to Ascend Blessing his Disciples first there is not nothing in it to consider what he then did and what was his last Act when he was to take his rise to fly up to Heaven He blessed his Disciples and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them for all his elect to the end of the World The true reason and minde of which blessing them was that he being now to go to execute the eternall office of his Priest-hood in Heaven of which God had sworn Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec As Melehisedec in the Type blessed Abraham and in him all the faithfull as in his loins therefore the Apostle said that Levi paid tithes unto Melchisedec in Abrahams loines therefore he was blessed in his loines so did Christ begin this new and second part of his Priest-hood with blessing the Apostles and in them all the elect to the end of the World This was the last thing that Christ did on earth yea this he did whilst ascending he was taken up whilst he did it So Luke 24. 50. 51. And thus solemnly he now did this to shew that the curse was gone and that sin was gone and that action speakes thus much as if Christ himselfe had said To shew the curse was removed and their sins pardoned O my brethren for so he styled his Disciples after his Resurrection I have been dead and in dying made a curse for you now that curse I have fully removed and my Father hath aquited me and you for it and now I can be bold to blesse you and pronounce all your sins forgiven and your persons justified For that is the intendment and foundation of blessing Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them which he reserved thus as his last Act to shew how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the Law now going to Heaven was able to blesse them with all the spirituall blessings that are there and which Heaven can afford for Heavenly they are called in that respect And in blessing his Apostles thus he blessed all that should believe in him Ephes 1. 4. And as in Abraham blessed by Melchisedec all the faithfull were blessed so in these Apostles all the elect to come are blessed As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve at the first Creation yet he in them blessed all that were for ever to come of them so Christ in blessing them blessed us and all that shall beleeve through their word to the end of the World And that they were thus then to be considered as common persons receiving this blessing for us all appeareth by Christs words then uttered I am with you to the end of the World i. e. with you and all your successors both Ministers other believers Mat. 28. ult And Christ herein did as God did before him When God had done his worke of creation He looked upon all he had done and saw that it was good and he blessed it Thus did Jesus Christ now that he had by that one offering perfected for ever all the elect he comfortably vieweth and pronounceth it perfect and them blessed and so goes to Heaven to keepe and enjoy the Sabbath of all there Now Secondly let us see him Ascending A second support from the very Act of Ascending and see what comfort that will also afford our faith towards the perswasion of Iustification The Apostles stood gazing on him and so doe you lift up your hearts to gaze on him by faith and view him in that act as he is passing along into Heaven as leading sin hell death and devill in triumph at his Chariot wheeles And therewith let your faith triumph in a further evidence of justification Thus Ephesians 4. 8. out of the 68. Psalme ver 18. the Apostle saith How it was an act of Triumph over death hel sin c. When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive to which Hebraisme the Latine phrase vincere victoriam to win a victory doth answer then He led captive all our spirituall enemies that would have captived us they being now captived Now leading of captives is alwaies after a perfect victory And therefore whereas at his Death he had conquered them at his Rising scattered them now at his Ascension he leades them captive And so that Psal in the Type begins ver 1. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them flee before him so at his Resurrection they did And then he ascends in triumph ashere in token of victory he is ascended up on high ver 18. he ascends as David after his victory up to Mount Sion for the celebrating of which that Psal seemes to have beene made by David whereof this was the intended Type Two Acts of Triumph in it And two Actus triumphales triumphing Acts there were here mentioned 1. Leading the captives bound to his Chariot wheeles as the manner of the Roman triumphs was when the Conqueror went up to the Capitol and other Heathens in Davids time As Achilles led Hector captive who
Yet so as his sitting in heaven as it is indefinitely expressed is understood to be as in our right and stead and as a Common person and so is to assure us of our sitting there with him And yet How we may be said to sit in his Throne in our proportion So Rev. 3. 21. it is expresly rendred as the mind and intendment of it Him that overcommeth I will grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also am set downe with my Father in his throne There is a proportion observed though with an inequality we sit on Christs Throne but He onely on his Fathers Throne that is Christ onely sits at Gods right hand but we on Christs right hand And so the Church is said to be at Christs right hand And represents our sitting at the latter day as Judges with him Psal 45. 9. Yea further and it may afford a farther comfort to us in the point in hand this represents that at the latter day we shall sit as Assessors on his Iudgement-seat to judge the world with him So Mat. 19. 28. and Luke 22. 30. When the Sonne of Man shall sit in his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the Tribes of Israel So as this our sitting with him it is spoken in respect to Iudgement and to giving the sentence of it not a sentence shall passe without your votes So as you may by faith not onely look on your selves as already in heaven sitting with Christ And so if we be condemned it must be with our own votes and consent as a Common person in your right but you may look upon your selves as Judges also So that if any sinne should arise to accuse or condemne yet it must be with your votes And what greater security can you have then this for you must condemne your selves if you be condemned you may very well say Who shall accuse Who shall condemne for you will never pronounce a fatall sentence upon your owne selves As then Paul triumphed here The triumph of faith thereupon so may we for at the present we sit in heaven with Christ and have all our enemies under our feet As Ioshuah made his servants set their feet on the necks of those five Kings so God would have us by faith to doe the like to all ours for one day we shall doe it And if you say We see it not I answer as Heb. 2. the Apostle saith of Christ himself Now we see not yet all things put under him ver 8. Now not under him for he now sits in heaven and expects by faith when his enemies shall be made his foot-stoole as Heb. 10 12 and 13. ver but we see for the present Iesus crowned with glory and honour ver 9. and so may be sure that the thing is as good as done and we may in seeing him thus crowned see our selves sitting with him and quietly wait and expect as Christ himselfe doth till all be acomplished and our salvation finished and fully perfected His Intercession now remains only to be spoken of which yet will afford further considerations to strengthen our Faith His sitting at Gods right hand notes out his power over all from God but his Intercession all power and favor with God for us so as to effect our salvation for us with Gods highest contentment and good will and all yet further to secure us Who shall condemne c. SECT V. The Triumph of faith from Christs INTERCESSION ROM 8. 34. Who also maketh intercession for us CHAP. I. A connection of this with the former and how this adds a further support Two things out of the Text propounded to be handled First The concurrencie of influence that Christs intercession hath into our Salvation Secondly The security that Faith may have there-from for our Justification WE have seene Christ sitting at Gods right hand as a Judge and King having all authority of saving or condemning in his own hands and having all power in Heaven and Earth to give eternall life to them that believe And the confidence that this giveth us Let us now come to his Intercession and the influence which it hath into our Iustification and salvation which as it strikes the last stroake to make all sure so as great a stroake as any of the former therfore as you have heard that there was an All-sufficiencie in his Death Who shall condemne it is Christ that dyed a Rather in his Resurrection yea rather is risen again a much rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he lives and is at Gods right hand Rom. 5. 10. The Apostle riseth yet higher to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a saving to the utmost put upon his intercession Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost seeing he ever lives to make intercession So that if you could suppose there were any thing which none of all the former three could doe or effect for us yet his intercession could do it to the utmost for it selfe is the uttermost and highest If Money would purchase our Salvation his Death hath done it which he laid downe as a price and an equivalent ransome as it is in 1. Tim. 2. 6. If Power and authority would effect it his sitting at Gods right hand invested with all power in Heaven and Earth shall be put forth to the utmost to effect it If favour and entreaties added to all these which oft times doth as much as any of those other were needefull he will use the utmost of this also and for ever make intercession So that if Love Money or Power any of them or all of them will save us we shall be sure to bee saved saved to the utmost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all manner of wayes by all manner of meanes saved over and over For the cleering of this last generall head The Intercession of Christ and the influence and security it hath into our faith and justification I shall handle two things and both proper to the Text. First Shew how unto all those other forementioned Acts of Christ for us this of Intercession also is to be added by him for the effecting our salvation and the securing our hearts therein This that particle Also in the Text calls for Who also maketh Intercession for us Then Secondly to shew the security that faith may assume and fetch from this Intercession of Christ or his praying for us in heaven Who shall condemne it is Christ that maketh intercession for us CHAP. II. The first Head explained by two things First Intercession one part of Christs Priesthood and the most excellent part of it TOwards the Explanation of the first of these two things are to be done First To shew how great and necessary and how excellent a part of Christs Priesthood his Intercession and praying for us in heaven is Secondly To shew the peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our salvation and so the reasons for which God ordained
of all he owed unto which payment nothing can be added no not by himselfe though he would come and die again it was made at that once as perfect that is for an oblation as ever himselfe could make But yet still by Gods ordination there remained another further action of another kind that was to be added to this of oblation and that is Intercession or praying for us in Heaven otherwise our salvation by his death were not perfected for if his Priesthood be imperfect our salvation then must needs be so The presenting of that his Sacrifice in heaven was the consummation of his Priesthood and the performance of that part there the perfection of it CHAP. III. The second The speciall peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and Justification and the Reasons why God appointed it to be added to the former TO come now more particularly to shew that proper and speciall influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and what it addes to the Oblation of Christs death though in its kinde perfect in order to the effecting our salvation and so shew the more inward reasons why God ordained for upon his ordination alone this is to be put this work of Intercession in heaven to be joyned with his death And both these I shall put promiscuously together for in laying down the Reasons why God thus ordered our salvation to be brought about by it that influence also which Intercession hath into our salvation will together therewith appeare The Reasons either respect 1 God himselfe who will have us so saved as himselfe may be most glorified Or 2 respect us and our salvation God ordering all the links of this golden chaine of the Causes of our salvation as should make our salvation most sure and stedfast as David in his last Song speaks First sort of reasons respect God 2 Sam. 23. 5. Or 3 respect Christ himself whose glory is to be held up throughout continued as the Author and Finisher of our Salvation Beginner and Ender of our Faith and Justification The first sort of Reasons respect God himselfe 1. 1. In generall God will bee dealt with like himselfe In generall God will be dealt withall like himselfe in and throughout the whole way of our salvation from first to last and carry it all along as a Superiour wronged and so keepe a distance between himself and sinners who still are to come to him by a Priest and a Mediator as Heb. 7. 25. hath it upon whose mediation and intercession for ever as there at least till the day of Judgement their Salvation doth depend and therefore though Christ in his dispensation of all to us downward doth carry it as a King as one having all power to justifie and condemne as hath beene shewne yet upward towards God he carries it as a Priest who must still intercede to do all that which he hath power to do as a King Therefore in the second Psal after that God had set him up as King upon his holy hill ver 6. namely in heaven and so had committed all power in heaven and earth to him then he must yet ask all that he would have done Aske of me and I will give thee c. ver 8. sayes God to him For though he be a King yet he is Gods King I have set My King c. and by asking him God will be acknowledged to be above him But more of this hereafter But 2. 2. More particularly for the glory of Gods Free grace more particularly God hath two Attributes which he would have most eminently appear in their highest glory by Christs effecting our salvation namely Iustice and Free grace and therefore hath so ordered the bringing about of our salvation as that Christ must apply himselfe in a more especiall manner unto each of these by way of Satisfaction to the one of Entreaty to the other Justice will be known to be Justice and dealt with upon its owne tearmes and Grace will be acknowledged to be Free grace throughout the accomplishment of our salvation You have both these joyned Rom. 3. 23 24 25. Being justified freely through his grace by the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus That he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeves Here is highest Iustice and the freest Grace both met to save us and both ordained by God to be declared and set forth as ver Which looks to be applyed unto in a way of entreaty and Intercession 25. and 26. have it I said before that God justifies and saves us through free grace so absolutely freely as if his Justice had had no satisfaction Now therefore our salvation depending being carryed on even in the application of it by a continuation of Grace in a free way notwithstanding satisfaction unto Justice therefore this free grace must be sought to and treated with like it selfe and applyed unto in all and the soveraignty and freenesse of it acknowledged in all even as well as Gods Iustice had the honour to be satisfied by a price paid unto it that so the severity of it might appeare and be held forth in our salvation Thus God having two attributes eminently to be dealt withall his Justice and his free Grace it was meete that there should be two eminent actions of Christs Priesthood wherein he should apply himselfe to each according to their kind and as the nature and glory of each doth require And accordingly in his death he deals with Iustice by laying downe a sufficient price and in his Intercession he entreateth Free grace and thus both come to be alike acknowledged In the 4. Heb. 16. we are encouraged to come boldly to the Throne of grace because we have an High-priest entred into the Heavens Observe how it is called a Throne of grace which our High-priest now in heaven officiates at So called because his Priesthood there deals with free grace chiefly it is a Throne of Grace and so to be sued unto therefore he treateth with God by way of Intercession Of this Throne of Grace in heaven the Mercie-seat in the Holy of holies was the Type And as there the High-priest was to bring the bloud and Mercie-seat together he was to sprinkle the bloud upon it so Christ And as the High-Priest was to go into the Holy of holies by bloud so with Incense also that is Prayer To shew that Heaven is not opened by meere Iustice or bringing onely a price in hand for it but by Grace also and that must be entreated and therefore when the Priest was within that holy place he was to make a Cloud over the Mercie-seat which cloud of Incense is Prayer whereof Incense was the Type Rev. 8. 3. And thence it is that Christ hath as much work of it still in heaven as ever though of another kind He dealt with Iustice here below to satisfie it and here got mony enough to pay the debt but in heaven he
deals with Mercy Therefore all the Grace he bestows on us he is said first to receive it even now when in heaven Acts 2. 33. it is said of him after his going to heaven and that he was exalted c. that he received the promise of the Spirit which Ioh. 14. 16. he told them he would pray for And this is part of the meaning of that in Psal 68. 18. He ascended up on high and received gifts for men sayes the Psalmist The Apostle renders it Ephes 4. gave but you see it was by receiving them first as fruits of his Intercession and asking after his ascending He is said both to give as being all of his own purchase and as having power as a King also both to doe and bestow all he doth and yet withall he is said to receive all that he gives because as a Priest he intercedes for it and asks it Free grace requires this This is the first thing Yea 2. Gods justice stood upon it Secondly Justice it selfe might stand a little upon it though there was enough in Christ his death to satisfie it yet having been wronged it stood thus far upon it as those to whom a debt is due use to doe namely to have the money brought home to Gods dwelling house and laid downe there God is resolved not to stoope one whit unto man no nor to Christ his Surety Justice will not onely be satisfied and have a sufficient ransome collected and paid as at Christs death but he must come and bring his bags up to heaven justice will be paid it upon the Mercie-seate For so in the Type the blood was to be carried into the Holy of holies and sprinkled upon the Mercie-seat And therefore his Resurrection Ascension c. were but as the breaking through all enemies subduing them to the end to bring this price or satisfaction to the Mercie-seat and so God having his money by him might not want wherewithall to pardon Sinners so as the blood of Christ is currant money not only on earth but in heaven too whither all is brought which is for our comfort that all the treasure which should satisfie God is safely conveyed thither and our Surety with it The second sort of reasons why God ordained Christs intercession to be joyned to his Death Second sort of reasons it was best for the effecting our Salvation are taken from what was the best way to effect and make sure our salvation and secure our hearts therein and these reasons will shew the peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and therein as in the former First in generall God would have our salvation made sure and us saved all manner of wayes over and over 1 1. In generall God would have us saved all manner of wayes By ransome and price as Captives are redeemed which was done by his Death which of it selfe was enough for it is said Heb. 10. to perfect us for ever 2 2. The Application of Redemption to us from Christs Intercession By power and rescue so in his Resurrection and Ascension and sitting at Gods right hand which also was sufficient Then 3 3. More particularly our justification depends on it again by Intercession a way of favour and entreaty and this likewise would have beene enough but God would have all wayes concurre in it whereof notwithstanding not one could fail a three fold cord whereof each twine were strong enough but all together must of necessity hold Secondly The whole Application of his redemption both in justifying and saving of us first and last hath a speciall dependance upon this his Intercession This all Divines on all sides doe attribute unto it whilst they put this difference betweene the influence of his death and that of his intercession into our salvation calling his death Medium impetrationis that is the meanes of procurement or obtaining it for us But his intercession Medium applicationis the Meanes of applying all unto us Christ purchaseth salvation by the one but possesseth us of it by the other Some have attributed the Application of Iustification to his Resurrerection but it is much more proper to ascribe it to his Intercession and what causall influence his Resurrection hath into our Iustification hath been afore in the third Section declared But that his eternall Priesthood in heaven and the work of its Intercession is the applying cause of our eternall salvation in all the parts of it first and last seems to me to be the result of the connexion of the 8 9 and 10. verses of the 5. Chap. to the Hebrews For having spoken of his obedience and sufferings unto death ver 8. and how he thereby was made perfect ver 9. he sayes And being thus first made perfect he became the Author or applying cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him and this by his being become an eternall Priest in heaven after he was thus perfected by sufferings for so it follows ver 10. Called of God an High-priest after the order of Melchisedech And Melchisedechs Priesthood was principally the type of his Priesthood in heaven as was before declared One leading instance to shew that his Intercession was to be the applying cause of salvation was given by Christ whilst he was on earth thereby manifesting what much more was to be done by him in heaven through his Intercession there when he was on the Crosse and as then offering that great sacrifice for sin he at that time also joyned prayers for the justification of those that crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they doe So fulfilling that in Esay 53. ult He bare the sins of many and made Intercession for the transgressours And the efficacie of that prayer then put up was the cause of the conversion of those three thousand Acts 2. whom ver 35. the Apostle had expresly charged with the crucifying of Christ whom ye by wicked hands have taken crucified and slaine These were the first fruits of his Intercession whose prayers still doe reap and bring in the rest of the crop which in all ages is to grow up unto God on earth 3. And more particularly as the whole Application in generall so our Iustification in the whole progresse of it depends upon Christs Intercession As 1. 1 The first act of our justification and our conversion depends upon it Our first actuall or initiall Iustification which is given us at our first conversion depends upon Christs Intercession Therefore in the fore-mentioned prayer on the Crosse the thing he prayed for was Forgivenes Father forgive them You heard before that Christs death affords the matter of our justification as being that which is imputed the ransome the price the thing it self that satisfies And that his Resurrection was the originall act of Gods justifying us in Christ We were virtually justified then in Christ his being justifyed as in a Common Person But
the relation of his person to God as being that which draws with it that great respect of favour grace he being by this great with God as great in himself All matters of Intercession are carried we know by way of favour And therefore looke how prevalent in a way of merit his being God makes his death in its kinde no lesse prevalent doth his being the Sonne of God make his Intercession in its kinde namely in a way of obtaining grace and mercie yea so prevalent of it selfe it is that we might build upon it alone even as much as upon his death And indeed Christ intercedes not only in the vertue and strength of his satisfaction though in that also and of his obedience to his Father but also in the strength of his relation as a Sonne who pleads his own grace and interest in God as he is his Sonne which is a consideration that doth always actually exist and abide Whereas his obedience though perfect was but once offered up and its existence is but virtuall but he continues a Sonne for ever not virtually only but actually And therefore it is added in that seventh to the Hebrews ver last that the Gospell ordained the Sonne perfected for ever The meaning whereof is that he is not only a Priest perfected in the time past by that perfect offering once made but in that he is the Sonne he remains a perfect Priest for ever for time to come whom therefore no imperfection in his office no failing or missing of his suits can befall So as if it could be supposed that his obedience because past so long ago might be forgotten yet never this that he is a Sonne That for ever abides and of it selfe were enough to prevaile And how effectuall must the intercession of such a Son be who is so great a Sonne of so great a Father equall with him and the expresse Image of his Person never any Sonne so like and in so peculiarly a transcendent manner a Sonne as the relation of Sonne-ship among men is but a shadow of it Christ is one with his Father as himselfe often speakes and therefore if his Father should deny him any thing he should then cease to be one with him he must then deny himselfe which God can never do He is in this respect the Beloved as he is called Ephes 1. 6. as on whom originally and primarily all the beames of Gods love doe fall Solomon the type of Christ was the beloved of God 2 Sam. 12. 24. and had his name from thence namely Iedidiah that is beloved of the Lord And to shew how beloved he was God whē he came first to his kingdome bade him ask what he should give him 1 King 3. 5. Now the like God sayes to Christ when come first to his Kingdome also Psal 2. 8. Ask of me and I will give thee namely when he had set him as King on his holy hill ver 6. And of him he sayes This is my well-beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him God bids us therefore and upon that respect to heare him and that speech was but the eccho of his own heart in that he himselfe is so well pleased with him for this that he is his Sonne as he himselfe will heare him in every thing yea and is so pleased with him as that although Christ had never died nor obeyed the Law yet simply because he is his Sonne he hath so full an acquiescencie of all desires in him and complacencie of delights that he could deny him nothing How prevalent then must Christs intercession needes be though there were nothing else to be considered And that God had indeed this as one maine consideration That God had this consideration of his being his Sonne when he ordained him a Priest to intercede as that which would fit him for this work upon which he made him a Priest thus to intercede those words doe testifie Heb. 5. 5 and 6. He that said unto him Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech These latter words are not onely a Paraphrase as some think meerly to shew that He that said Christ was his Sonne said also He was a Priest but it is to shew the foundation of his call to that office The great consideration that fitted him for it was that he was Gods Sonne especially that fitted him for that part of his Priest-hood which was to remain for ever of which that 110. Psal and the Epistle to the Heb. doe especially speak Neither is the meaning of the fore-cited place onely to shew that in that he was Gods Sonne it was his birth-right to be a Priest so as if God would have any Priest at all it must be he And so upon that consideration he that said to him Thou art my Sonne said Thou art a Priest and that being his right he therefore called him to it because he was his Sonne for according to the Law of Nature the eldest in the family was to be Priest and so Christ even as God-man being the first-borne of every creature and the naturall first begotten Sonne of God had right to be the prime leader of that great Chorus in that eternall worship in heaven That I say is not all the meaning of those words nor all that God considered in it when he thus ordained him to be a Priest but he had a further and more peculiar respect unto this especiall part of his Priesthood his Intercession as that clause for ever imports as for which he being his naturall Son so neerly allyed to him would transcendtly fit him and give such an omnipotent prevalencie and effectualnesse to his requests that he would be the most absolute perfect Priest for ever in this respect that could be That as God himselfe is perfect and his power irresistible so his Priesthood through this relation might be perfect also and his requests undenyable Thus did God order it to strengthen our faith And that indeed God did consider this relation of his to him to this very end is evident by that of the 2. Psal out of which that saying Thou art my Son is cited ver 7 and 8. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and what follows Ask of me and I will give thee c. He connects both these together namely intercession that part of his Priestly office of asking with his Son-ship for that is it which moveth God to grant all that he asks God loves Christ as he loves himselfe and therefore can deny him nothing as he cannot deny himselfe And so by the way this clears the ground of the Apostles quoting those words of the 2. Psal in the 5. to the Hebrews as a proofe of Christs call to the Priesthood which Interpreters have been troubled how to make out for as you have seene that speech Thou art my Son ask
his first step to his glory and therefore this a certaine Demonstration 25 1. From the first gracious message which Christ after his Resurrection sent his Disciples who yet had forsaken him 26 2. From his carriage and speech at his first meeting with them 25 §. III. Demonstrations from passages at and after Christs Ascension into heaven 1. At his Ascension his blessing his Disciples 32 2. After he was come to heaven 1. Pouring out his Spirit on them as in his last Sermon he had promised which Spirit is to this day in our Preaching and an Argument of the fulfilling of this 33 2. All those works of Miracles and conversions of soules that accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel doe argue this as also the New Testament written since 34 3. Christs owne words spoken to Paul since himselfe was in heaven doe confirme it 35 4. The last words uttered in Scripture in the Book of the Revelation which was more immediately given unto John by Christ 37 Part II. Demonstrations Intrinsecall §. I. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the Influence which all the three Persons have into the Heart of the Humane nature of Christ in Heaven 48 1. From God the Father Which Demonstration is made forth by two things 1. God hath given Christ a perpetuall command to love his Elect on earth and hath written a Law of love in his heart 49 2. This Law of love remaines for ever in his heart which is proved by two things 1. That it is a Law and that of Love 52 2. That by observing that Law it is that Christ continues in his Fathers love 53 2. From God the Sonne unto whom the Humane nature is united This disposition of grace is naturall to him as he is Gods naturall Sonne 54 Accordingly the Humane nature framed on purpose with dispositions of mercy and meeknesse above all other 55 3. From God the Holy Ghost who on earth filled him with meekenesse and grace above all other dispositions and now resteth upon him in Heaven more abundantly then ever 60 §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in Heaven 70 1. Engagement The continuance of all his Relations and Alliances to us which no glory of his doth any thing lessen or alter ibid. Which relations were made chiefely for the other world and so must needes continue there 72 The Ground of this Engagement 76 2. His love is engaged and encreased by what he did and suffered for us 77 What a great obligation this is 78 3. His office of Priesthood which continues in Heaven doth further require all mercifulnesse and graciousnesse in him towards us sinners This Demonstration hath two parts 83 The 1. Shewing that the office of Priesthood was erected on purpose for grace and mercie ibid. Which is argued 1. By the Ends of it 2. By the Qualifications required for it 85 The 2. Shewing that by reason of this office an eternall duty lyeth upon him to shew grace and mercy and Christ is a faithfull High-Priest to performe that duty 90 Christs advancement can make no alteration in his heart for his Priesthood is his highest advancement And Grace did both Found and now upholds his Throne of Grace 94 4. His own Interest puts him upon these Affections of heart towards us His own joy happinesse and glory are encreased by shewing mercie to and comforting his children upon earth and it is more for his glory then for our good 98 Christ hath a double fulnesse of joy 1. Personall in his Father 2. Mysticall in his Members 99 How Christ rejoiceth in Heaven at our well-doing here on earth 101 5. His having the nature of man the same for substance in Heaven that he had on earth obligeth him to be mercifull unto men 104 The end of his Assuming mans nature was to qualifie him for mercie 105 Though it adds not to the greatnesse of mercie in God yet it addes a new way of being mercifull even as a man 106 Part III. §. I. Some Generals to cleare 1. How this is to be understood That Christs Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities 2. The way how our Infirmities come to be feelingly let into his heart 109 1. How this affection in Christ is to be understood This explained by these degrees 1. This affection of compassion is not wholly to be understood in a Metaphoricall sense as when God is said to be afflicted c. that is not meerely after the similitude of men but in a true and reall sense 111 2. These affections in Christs humane nature are more like to ours then those which the Angells have who notwithstanding have affections analogicall to ours 113 3 Christ having taken fraile flesh ere he went to Heaven this fits him yet more for having affections of mercie like unto ours 115 3. For the way how our miseries are let into Christs heart so as to affect it This explained by two things 1 The Humane nature hath the knowledge and cognizance of all that can or doth befall us here 118 2 He remembers how himselfe was once affected when he was under the like 119 §. II. A more particular Disquisition what manner of affection this is The seat thereof whether in his spirit or soule onely or in the whole humane nature Some Cautious added 121 This affection for our better conceiving it set forth three wayes 1. Negatively it is not in all things such as it was in the dayes of his flesh 2 Positively It is yet for substance the very same affection and the seat of it is his bodily heart as well as his soule 124 Foure Cautions or Positions about this 1. In what sense or so far as his Body is made spirituall so far are these Affections spiritualized as they are in his body 125 2. Hence though they move his Bowels yet they doe not perturbe or hurt him in the least 126 3. All naturall humane affections may be still in him that are not unbecomming his state glory And how much the having such affections are suteable to that state and relation wherein he is 128 4. Though a passionate suffering be cut off yet these affections are now more large and strong for the substance of them then they were on earth 130 3. Privatively If his heart suffers not with us under our Infirmities yet he hath lesse joy then his heart shall have when we are freed from all 131 How the Scripture attributes some kinde of Imperfection to some affection in him and in what sense §. III. This Scruple satisfied How Christs heart can bee feelingly touched with our sins our greatest infirmities seeing he was tempted without sinne 133 Foure answers given thereunto for our comfort Vses of all 137 FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth I. PART HAving set forth our Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST in all those great and most solemne actions of his his Obedience unto
that because of his Fathers command It is evidenced thus For it being a Law vvritten in the midst of his bowels by his Father it becomes naturall to him and so indelible and as other Morall Laws of God written in the heart are perpetuall And as in us when we shall be in heaven though Faith shall faile and Hope vanish yet Love shall continue as the Apostle speaks so doth this love in Christs heart continue also and suffers no decay and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners and interceding for them and being pitifull unto them as then in dying for them And this love to sinners being so commanded pressed upon him as was said that as he would have his Father love him he should love them and so being urged upon all that great love that is betweene him and his Father this as it must needs worke and boile up a strong love in him unto sinners so likewise the most constant and never-decaying love that could be And this is argued from the analogie of that principle upon which Christ urgeth us to love himself Iohn 15. 10. He moveth his Disciples to keep the Commandments he gave them and useth this argument For so shall you abide in my love and backs it with his owne instance even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Now therefore this being the great Commandment that God layeth on him to love and die for and to continue to love and receive sinners that come to him and raise them up at the latter day certainly hee continues to keep it most exactly as being one of the great tyes betweene him and his Father so to continue in his love to him Therefore so long as hee continues in his Fathers love and now he is in heaven and at his right hand he must needs continue in highest favour with him so long wee may be sure he continues to observe this And thus that he should continue still to love us both love to his Father and love to himselfe obligeth him we may therefore be sure of him that he both doth it and will doe it for ever O what a comfort is it that as children are mutuall pledges and tyes of love betweene man and wife so that wee should be made such betweene God the Father and the Sonne And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the first Person of the Trinity namely from God the Father Then secondly this his love is not a forced love which he strives onely to beare towards us because his Father hath commanded him to marry us but it is his nature his disposition Which added to the former affords a second demonstration of the point in hand and is drawn from God the Sonne This disposition is free and naturall to him he should not be Gods Son else nor take after his heavenly Father unto whom it is naturall to shew mercie but not so to punish which is his strange worke but mercie pleaseth him he is the Father of mercie hee begets them naturally Now Christ is his own Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by way of distinction hee is called and his naturall Sonne yea his humane nature being united to the second Person is thereby become the naturall Son of God not adopted as we are And if he be his naturall Son in priviledges then also his Fathers properties are naturall to him more naturall then to us who are but his adopted sons And if we as the elect of God who are but the adopted sons are exhorted to put on Bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse c. as Col. 3. 12. then much more must these dispositions needs be found in Christ the Naturall Son and these not put on by him but be as naturall to him as his Son-ship is God is love as Iohn sayes and Christ is love covered over with slesh yea our flesh And besides it is certain that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men and some of the sonnes of men unto more mercie and pitie naturally then others and then the holy Spirit comming on them to sanctifie their natural dispositions useth to work according to their tempers even so it is certain that he tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mold and temper then the tendernes of all mens hearts put together into one to soften it would have been of When he was to assume an humane nature he is brought in saying Heb. 10. A body hast thou fitted me That is an humane nature fitted as in other things so in the temper of it for the God-head to work and shew his perfections in best And as he tooke an humane nature on purpose to be a mercifull High Priest as Heb. 2. 14. so such an humane nature and of so speciall a temper and frame as might be more mercifull then all Men or Angles His humane nature was made without hands that is was not of the ordinary make that other mens hearts are of though for the matter the same yet not for the frame of his spirit It was an heart bespoke for on purpose to be made a vessel or rather fountain of mercie wide and capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again all Gods Manifestative mercies that is all the mercies God intended to manifest to his elect therefore Christs heart had naturally in the temper of it more pity then all men or Angles have as through which the mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us and this heart of his to be the instrument of them And then this man and the heart of this man so framed being united to God and being made the naturall Son of God now naturall must mercie needs be unto him And therefore continue in him now hee is in Heaven For though he laid down all infirmities of our nature when he rose again yet no graces that were in him whilst he was below they are in him now as much as ever and being his nature for nature we know is constant therefore still remains You may observe that when he was upon earth minding to perswade sinners to have good thoughts of him as he used that argument of his Fathers command given him so hee also layes open his own disposition Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden for I am meek and lowly of heart Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ but he tells them his disposition there by preventing such hard thoughts of him to allure them unto him the more We are apt to thinke that hee being so holy is therefore of a severe and sowre disposition against sinners and not able to beare them no sayes he I am meek gentlenesse is my nature and temper as it was of Moses who was as in other things so in that grace his Type he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them So
Engagement A 3. engagement is the engagement of an Office which still lies upon him and requires of him all mercifulnesse and graciousnesse towards sinners that doe come unto him And therefore whilst he continues in that place and invested with that office as he for ever doth his heart must needs continue full of tendernesse and bowels Now that office is the office of his Priesthood which this Text mentions as the foundation of our encouragement to come boldly to the Throne of grace for grace and mercie seeing we have a great High Priest entred into the Heavens Two things I am to shew to make up this Demonstration First that this office of high-High-Priesthood is an office erected wholly for the shewing of grace and mercie And secondly that this office doth therefore lay upon Christ a duty to be in all his dispensations full of grace and mercie and therefore his heart remaines most certainly suited and framed thereunto For the first The office of High-Priesthood is altogether an office of grace And I may call it the Pardon-office set up and erected by God in heaven and Christ he is appointed the Lord and Master of it And as his Kingly office is an office of power and dominion and his Propheticall office an office of knowledge and wisdome so his Priestly office is an office of grace and mercie The High-Priests office did properly deale in nothing else If there had not been a Mercie-seat in the Holy of Holies the High-Priest had not at all been appointed to have gone into it It was Mercie and Reconciliation and Atonement for sinners that he was to treat about and so to officiate for at the Mercie-seat He had had otherwise no worke nor any thing to doe when he should come into the most holy place Now this was but a typicall allusion unto this office of Christs in heaven And therefore the Apostle in the Text when he speaks of this our High-Priests being entred into heaven he makes mention of a Throne of grace and this in answer to that in the Type both of the High-Priest of old and of the Mercie-seat in the Holy of Holies And further to confirme this the Apostle goes on to open that very Type and to apply it unto Christ unto this very purpose which we have now in hand And this in the very next words to my Text Chap. 5. 1 2 3. verses in which he gives a full description of an High-Priest and all the properties and requisites that were to be in him together with the eminent and principall end that that office was ordained for Now the great and essentiall qualifications there specified that were to be in a High-Priest are Mercie and Grace and the ends for which he is there said to be ordained are works of Mercie and Grace And besides what the words in their single standing doe hold forth to this purpose observe that they come in to back and confirme that exhortation in the Text wherein he had set forth Christ as an High-Priest touched with the feeling of infirmities and that therefore we should come with boldnesse for grace and mercy for every High-Priest sayes he taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinne One who can have compassion c. So that these words are a confirmation of what hee had before said and doe set out Christ the substance in his grace and mercifullnesse under Aaron and his sonnes the shadowes and all this for the comfort of beleevers Now 1. for the ends for which those High-priests were appointed they speak all nothing but grace and mercy unto sinners it is said he was one ordained for men to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins There is both the finis cujus the end for whom and the finis cui the end for which he was ordained 1. For whom He was ordained for men that is for mens cause and for their good Had it not beene for the salvation of men God had never made Christ a Priest So that he is wholly to employ all his interest and power for them for whose cause he was ordained a Priest and that in all things that are betweene God and them He is to transact 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that are to be done by us towards God or for us with God he is to take up all our quarrels with God and to mediate a reconciliation between us and him He is to procure us all favour from God and to doe all that which God would have done for our salvation And that he might doe this willingly kindly and naturally for us as every High-Priest was taken from among men so was Christ that he might be a Priest of our own kinde and so be more kind unto us then the nature of an Angel could have been And how much this conduceth to his being a mercifull High-Priest I shall shew anon 2. The end for which every High-Priest was ordained shews this He was to offer gifts and sacrifices for sinnes Sacrifices for sins to pacifie Gods wrath against sinne and gifts to procure his favour You know the Apostle in the foregoing words had mentioned Grace and Mercie and encouraged us to come with boldnesse unto this High-Priest for both and answerably to encourage us the more he sayes the High-Priest by his office was to offer for both Gifts for to procure all grace and sacrifices to procure all mercie for us in respect of our sins Thus you see the ends which he is ordained for are all matter of grace and mercie and so of encouragement unto men for the obtaining of both ver 1. 3. The qualification that was required in a High-Priest was that he should be one that could have compassion c. and this is set forth ver 2. He that was High-Priest was not chosen into that office for his deep wisdome great power or exact holinesse but for the mercie and compassion that was in him That is it which is here made the speciall and therefore the onely mentioned property in an High-Priest as such and the specificall and essentiall qualification that was inwardly and internally to constitute him and fit him for that office as Gods appointment did outwardly and externally as ver 4. hath it And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that can or is able imports an inward faculty a spirit a disposition a heart that knowes how to be compassionate And it is the same word that the Apostle had before used to expresse Christs heart by even in the words of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Who can be toucht with the feeling of our infirmities And he had also used it of him afore that in the point of mercy Chap. 2. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he is able to succour c. which is not meant of any externall power which we usually call Ability but of an internall touch in his will He
High-Priest as the former also he had done But thereby to shew that it is Christs duty also to mediate for all that come to him He ought to doe it Now then to enforce this consideration for the help of our faith herein If this office doth by Gods appointment thus bind him to it and if it be the duty of his place then certainly he will performe it most exactly for else he doth not doe his duty And our comfort may be that his faithfulnesse lies in being mercifull therefore you see they are both here joyned together Every one is to doe the proper duty of his place and exactly to see to that And therefore the Apostle Rom. 12. exhorting to the discharge of the duties of each office in the Church ver 7. he sayes Let him that hath a Ministery committed to him wait on his ministery and among others if his place of ministration be to shew mercy as ver 8. which was an office in the Church upon which lyed the care of the poore and sick he is to doe it with cheerfulnesse And so sayes Christ of himselfe Esay 61. 1 2. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to bind up the broken hearted to open the prison doores to them that are bound to visit and relieve them and to preach good tidings to the meeke Such kind of soules are they that he hath the charge of He is the great Shepheard and Bishop of soules 1 Pet. 2. ult and the sick and the broken they are his sheep his charge his Diocese as Ezekiel hath it Chap. 34. 16. And to tend such as these he looks for ever upon it as his duty as his owne expression upon the like occasion importeth in Iohn 10. 16. Other sheep I have sayes Christ them I must bring c. Observe how he puts a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an I must upon it looking at it as his duty strictly laid upon him by his place of being a Shepheard And the proper duty of his place being to shew mercy he doth it with cheerfulnesse as the Apostle speaks For Mercie makes one doe what they doe with cheerfulnesse And Christ as he is the Bishop so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deacon also for he beares all offices to his Church as of the circumcision so of the uncircumcision also so he is called Rom. 15. 8. And these offices of High-Priest Shepheard Bishop c. he hath still in heaven for he continues a Priest for ever Heb. 7. 24. Now therefore to conclude this Head Never feare that Christs great advancement in heaven should any whit alter his disposition for this his very advancement engageth him the more For although he be entred into the heavens yet consider withall that it is here added to be an High-Priest there and so long feare not for his place it selfe will call for mercie from him unto them that treat with him about it And although in the heavens he be advanced far above all principalities and powers yet still his high-High-Priesthood goes with him and accompanies him For such an High-Priest became us as was higher then the heavens Heb. 7. 26. And further though he sits at Gods right hand and on his Fathers Throne yet that Throne it is a Throne of grace as the Text hath it upon which he sits And as the Mercie-seat in the Type was the farthest and highest thing in the Holy of Holies so the Throne of grace which is an infinite encouragement unto us is the highest seat in heaven So that if Christ will have and keep the greatest place in heaven the highest preferment that heaven it selfe can bestow upon him it engageth him unto grace and mercy The highest honour there hath this Attribute of Grace annexed to it in its very title A Throne of Grace And as Solomon sayes A Kings Throne is established by righteousnesse it continues firme by it so is Christs Throne by Grace Grace was both the first founder of his Throne or his raiser to it and also it is the establisher of it First it is the founder of it For the reason why God did set him up in that place was because he had more grace and mercy in his heart then all the creatures had or could be capable of All Favourites are usually raised for something that is eminent in them either beauty pleasantnesse of wit State-policie or the like Now if you aske what moved God to advance Christ to this high Throne it was his grace So Psal 45. 3. Grace is poured into thy lips and so dwels much more in his heart Therefore God hath blessed thee so it followes namely with all those glories in heaven which are Gods blessing to his Sonne And then secondly Grace is the upholder of his Throne so ver 4. of the aforesaid Psal 45. In thy majesty prosper thou as well because of meeknesse as of righteousnesse and also because of Truth that is the word of truth the Gospel of our salvation as Paul exegetically expoundeth it Ephes 1. 13. These are the pillars and supporters of his throne and majesty And there are two of them you see that are of grace meeknesse and the Gospel of our salvation unto one of justice or righteousnesse and yet that one is for us too And these establish Christs Throne So it followes verse 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever And you know who applies this unto Christ Heb. 1. 8. Feare not then when as meeknesse supports his majesty and grace his throne and when as he holds his place by shewing these And thus much from that office that is laid upon Christ as he is a Priest A fourth engagement which added to the former may mightily help our faith in this is his owne Interest both in that our salvation is the purchase of his bloud and also that his owne joy comfort happinesse and glory are encreased and enlarged by his shewing grace and mercy in pardoning relieving and comforting his members here on earth under all their infirmities So that besides the obligation of an office undertaken by him for us there is the addition of a mighty interest of his owne coincident therewith to fixe his heart unto faithfulnesse for us in all that doth concern us We see that Advocates and Atturneys who plead for others although that they have no share in the estate for which they plead no title to or interest therein yet when they have undertaken a Clients cause if honest how diligent will they be to promote and carry it for that their Client simply because it is their office and the duty of their place and yet they have but a very small Fee given them in comparison of that estate which oft times they follow suit about How much more would their diligence be whetted if the Lands and Estates they sue for were their own or a purchase of theirs for their wives joynture or childrens portions Now such is the pardoning of our sins the salvation of
sayes Christ injuries and unkindnesses doe not so worke upon me as to make mee irreconcileable it is my nature to forgive I am meeke Yea but may we thinke he being the Sonne of God and Heire of Heaven and especially being now filled with glory and sitting at Gods right hand he may now despise the lowlinesse of us here below though not out of anger yet out of that heighth of his greatnesse and distance that he is advanced unto in that we are too meane for him to marry or bee familiar with Hee surely hath higher thoughts then to regard such poore low things as we are And so though indeed we conceive him meeke and not prejudiced with injuries yet he may bee too high and lofty to condescend so far as to regarde or take to heart the condition of poore creatures No sayes Christ I am lowly also willing to bestow my love and favour upon the poorest and meanest And further all this is not a semblance of such an affable disposition nor is it externally put on in the face and outward carriage onely as in many great ones that will seeme gentle and curteous but there is all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heart it is his temper his disposition his nature to be gracious which nature he can never lay aside And that his greatnesse when he comes to enjoy it in Heaven would not a whit alter his disposition in him appears by this that he at the very same time when he uttered these words tooke into consideration all his glory to come and utters both that and his meeknes with the same breath So ver 27. All things are delivered to mee by my Father and presently after for all this he sayes Come unto me all you that are heavie laden I am meeke and lowly ver 28 29. Looke therefore what lovely sweete and delightfull thoughts you use to have of a deere friend who is of an amiable nature or of some eminently holy or meeke Saint of whom you thinke with your selves I could put my soule into such a mans hands can comprimise my salvation to him as I have heard it spoken of some Or looke how we should have beene encouraged to have dealt with Moses in matter of forgivenesse who was the meekest man on earth or treated with Ioseph by what we reade of his bowels towards his brethren or what thoughts we have of the tender hearts of Paul or Timothy unto the soules of men in begetting and in nurturing and bringing them up to life being affectionately desirous of you we were willing sayes Paul to impart our own soules to you 1 Thes 2. 8. and this naturally as his word is 2 Phil. 20. even such and infinitely more raised apprehensions should wee have of that sweetenesse and candour that is in Jesus Christ as being much more naturall to him And therefore the same Apostle doth make Christs bowels the patterne of his Phil. 1. 8. Ge◠is my witnesse how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Iesus Christ This phrase in the bowels of Christ hath according to Interpreters two meanings and both serve to illustrate that which I intend First in the bowels of Christ is taken causally as if he meant to shew that those bowels or compassions were infused into him from Christ and so longed after them with such kind of bowels as Christ had wrought in him and if so that Christ put such bowels into him hath he not them in himselfe much more Paul had reason to say in the bowels of Christ for in this sense I am sure he once had scarce the heart and bowels of a man in him namely when he was out of Christ how furious and Lion-like a spirit had he against the Saints and what havock made he of them being ready even to pull out their bowels And how came Paul by such tender bowels now towards them who gave him now such tender affections Even Jesus Christ it was he that of a Lion made him a Lambe If therefore in Paul these bowels were not naturall but the contrary rather were naturall to him and yet they so abounded in him and that naturally as himselfe speakes how much more must they needs abound in Christ to whom they are native and in-bred Or else secondly In the bowels is put for Instar Like the bowels or After the bowels according to the analogie of the Hebrew phrase And so then the meaning were this Like as the bowels of Jesus Christ do yerne after you so doe mine Bowels are a Metaphor to signifie tender and motherly affections and mercies so Luke 1. 78. Through the tender mercies In the originall it is The bowels of mercie Thus Paul when he would signifie how tender his affections were he instances in the Bowels of Jesus Christ he making Christ his pattern in this in all Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ Now how desirous was this great Apostle to beget men to Christ he cared not what else hee lost so he might winne some he counted not his life deare nay not his salvation deare but wisht himselfe accursed for his brethren who yet vvere the greatest enemies Christ then had on earth How glad was he when any soule came in how sorry when any fell off falling into a new travail he knew not how better to expresse the anxietie of his spirit for the Galatians till Christ was formed in them Hovv comforted vvas he vvhen he heard tidings of the constancie and encrease of any of their Faith 1. Thes 3. 6 7. and ver 8. he sayes for now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. Reade all his Epistles and take the character of his spirit this vvay and vvhen you have done look up to Christs humane nature in Heaven and thinke vvith your selves Such a man is Christ Paul vvarbles out in all these high strains of affections but the soundings of Christs Bowels in Heaven in a lower key Esay 63. They are naturall to Christ they all and infinite more are eminent in him And this is the second Demonstration taken from his own naturall disposition as Sonne of God A third demonstration shall bee taken from the Third Person of the Trinity the holy Ghost If the same spirit that was upon him and in him when he was on earth doth but still rest upon him now he is in Heaven then these dispositions must needes still entirely remaine in him This Demonstration is made up of two Propositions put together 1. That the holy Ghost dwelling in him concurs to make his heart thus graciously affected to sinners And 2. that the same spirit dwels and continues in and upon him for ever in Heaven For the first It was the Spirit who over-shadowed his mother and in the meane while knit that indissoluble knot betweene our nature and the second Person and that also knit his heart unto us It was the Spirit who sanctified him in the vvombe It vvas the Spirit