wee hold his hands as Esay 27. 5. that God cries out to Moses like a man whose hands are held Let me alone Exod. 32. 10. yea that he accounts it as a command and a Mandamus so he styles it Esay 45. 11. Command ye mee so unable is he to go against it Then how much more doth Jesus Christs Intercession bind Gods hands and command all in heaven and earth Therefore Zach. 1. you have Christ the Angel of the Covenant brought in interceding with the Father for his Church and he speakes abruptly as one full of complaints and in an expostulating way O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not be mercifull to Hierusalem and the Cities of Iudah and ver 13. Zachary saith that he observed that the Lord answered the Angel with good woords and comfortable God was fain to give him good words as we use to say that is words that might pacifie him as words of comfort to us so good words in respect to the Angels complaint And you may observe how in the answer God returns upon it which he bade Zachary write God excuseth it as it were to Christ that his Church had beene so long and so hardly dealt withall as if beyond his intention he layes the fault on the instruments I was but a little displeased but they helpt forward the affliction ver 15. This is spoken and carried after the manner of men to shew how tender God is of displeasing Christ our Intercessor that when Christ hath as it were beene a long while silent and let God alone and his people have beene ill dealt withall he on the suddain in the end intercedes and complains of it and it is not only instantly redressed but excused for times past with good words and comfortable words Christs Father will not displease him nor go against him in any thing Now that you may see a reason of this A farther explication of this demonstration and have all cavils and exceptions taken away that may arise against this and how that there is an impossibility that it should be otherwise know that this Father and this Sonne though two Persons have yet but one will betweene them and but one power betweene them though the Sonne ad extra outwardly executes all Iohn 10. 30. My Father and I are one that is have but one and the same power to save you and one minde and will So also Iohn 5. 19. the Sonne can doe nothing of himselfe but what he sees the Father doe and what ever he doth the same the Father doth also they conspire in one have one power one will and then it is no matter though God commit all power to the Sonne and that the Sonne though he hath all power must ask all of the Father for to be sure what ever he asks the Father hath not power to deny for they have but one will and power They are one so as if God deny him hee must deny himselfe which the Apostle tels us he cannot doe 2. Tim. 2. 13. And so in the same sense that God is said not to have power to deny himselfe in the same sense it may be said he hath not power to deny Christ what he asks Therefore God might well make him an absolute King and betrust him with all power and Christ might well oblige himselfe notwithstanding this power to ask all that he meanes to doe for they have but one will and one power so as our salvation is made sure by this on all hands I come not to doe my will but the will of him who sent me and his will is that I shall lose none of all those whom he hath given mee Iohn 6. 38 39. And therefore who shall condemne It is Christ that intercedes As who shall resist Gods will as the Apostle speakes so who shall resist or gain-say Christs Intercession God himselfe cannot no more then he can gain-say or deny himselfe CHAP. VIII The potencie and prevalencie of Christs Intercession demonstrated from the graciousnesse of the Person with whom he intercedes considered first as he is the Father of Christ himselfe WE have seen the greatnesse of the Person interceding many considerations from thence The readinesse in God to hear Christ for us which may perswade us of his prevailing for us Let us now in the next place consider the graciousnesse of the Person with whom he intercedes which the Scripture for our comfort herein doth distinctly set before us to the end that in this great matter our joy and security may every way be full Thus in that 1 Iohn 2. 1. when for the comfort and support of Beleevers agains the evill of the greatest sins that can befall them after conversion the Apostle minds them of Christs Intercession in those words If any man sinne we have an Advocate Iesus Christ the righteous mentioning therein the power and prevalencie of such an Advocate through his own righteousnesse But yet over above all this the more fully to assure us of his good successe herein for us he also adds An Advocate with the Father He insinuates and suggests the relation and gracious disposition of him upon whose supreame will our case ultimately dependeth The Father as affording a new comfort and encouragement even as great as doth the righteousnesse and power of the Person interceding He sayes not With God onely as elsewhere but With the Father And that his words might afford the more full matter of confidence and be the more comprehensive and take in all he expresseth not this relation of God limitedly as confined to his Fatherhood either unto Christ onely or us alone He sayes not onely An Advocate with his Father though that would have given much assurance or With your Father though that might afford much boldnesse but indefinitely he sayes With the Father as intending to take in both to ascertaine us of the prevailing efficacie of Christs Intercession In that he is both the Father of Christ and also our Father from both You have both these elsewhere more distinctly and on purpose and together mentioned Iohn 20. 17. I goe to my Father and your Father sayes Christ there And it was spoken after that all his Disciples had before forsaken him and Peter denyed him when Christ himselfe would send them the greatest cordiall that his heart could utter and wrap up the strongest sublimation of comforts in one pill What was it Go tell them sayes he not so much that I have satisfyed for sinne overcome death or am risen but that I Ascend For in that which Christ doth for us being ascended lyes the height the top of our comfort And whereas he might have said and it had been matter of unspeakable comfort I ascend to heaven and so where I am you shall be also yet he chooseth rather to say I ascend to the Father for that indeed contained the foundation spring and cause of their comfort even that relation of Gods his Fatherhood
worshipped him so his Father welcommed him with the highest grace that ever yet was shewne The words which he then spake The welcome God gave Christ when he came to Heaven The words he first spake to him we have recorded Psal 110. Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footestoole You may by the way observe for the illustration of this how upon all the severall parts of performance of his office either God is brought in speaking to Christ or Christ to his Father Thus when he chose him first to be our Mediator he takes an oath Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Againe when Christ came to take upon him our nature the words he spake are recorded Loe I come to doe thy will a body hast thou fitted me so Heb. 10. out of the 40. Psal Likewise when he hung upon the Crosse his words unto God are recorded Psal 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee In like manner when he rose againe Gods words used then to him are recorded Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee Psal 2. which place is expounded of the Resurrection Acts 13. 33. which is as much as if he had said Thou never appearedst like my Sonne till now for whereas I chose a Son to be glorified with power and Majesty hitherto thou hast appeared onely as a Son of man Enosh sorry man hitherto thou hast been made sin a curse not like my Son but hast appeared in the likenes of sinfull flesh and of a servant all besmeared with bloud therefore this is the first day wherein I make acount I have begotten thee even now when thou first beginnest to appeare out of that sinfull hue and likenesse of sinfull flesh now I owne thee for my Sonne indeed And in him he owned us all thus at his Resurrection And then last of all when he comes into Heaven the first word God speakes to him is Sonne sit thou at my right hand thou hast done all my worke and now I will do thine he gives him a Quietus est rest here sit here till I make all thy enemies thy foote-stoole And now what say you are ye satisfied yet that God is satisfied for your sins What superabundant evidence must this Christs sitting at Gods right hand His sitting downe at Gods right hand afford a double evidence give to a doubting heart It argues First that Christ for his part hath perfectly done his worke and that there is no more left for him to do by way of satisfaction This the word sitting implies Secondly It argues that God is as fully satisfied on his part this his sitting at Gods right hand implyes For the first 1. That he had perfectly and compleatly performed all his work that was to be done by him for our justification The phrase of Sitting doth betoken rest when work is fulfilled and finished Christ was not to returne till he had accomplisht his worke Heb. 10. The Apostle comparing the force and excellencie of Christs Sacrifice with those of the Priests of the old Law sayes that Those Priests stood daily offering of Sacrifices which can never take sins away Their standing implyed that they could never make satisfaction so as to say We have finished it But Christ sayes he ver 12. after he had offered up one sacrifice for ever sate downe c. Mark how he opposeth their standing to his sitting downe He sate as one who had done his work Thus Heb. 4. 10. He that is entred into his rest speaking of Christ as I have elsewhere shewne hath ceased from his work as God from his Secondly 2. That God also accepted it and was infinitely well pleased with it this his being at Gods right hand as strongly argues that God is satisfied for if God had not been infinitely well pleased with him he would never have let him come so neere him much lesse have advanced him so high as his right hand And therefore in that place even now cited Heb. 10. ver 10 11 12. compared with the former verses this is alledged as an evidence that Christ had for ever taken sinnes away which those Priests of the Law could not doe who therefore often offered the same Sacrifice as ver 11. That this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes for ever sate downe on the right hand of God as thereby shewing and that most manifestly that he had at that once offered up such a satisfactory Sacrifice as had pleased God for ever and thereupon took up his place at Gods right hand as an evidence of it so possessing the highest place in Court This setting him at Gods right hand is a token of speciall and highest favour So Kings whom they were most pleased with they did set at their right hands as Solomon did his Mother 1 Kings 2. 19. and so Christ the Church his Queen Psal 45. 9. and it was a favour which God never after vouchsafed to any Heb. 1. To which of all the Angels did he say Sit thou on my right hand Therefore Phil. 2. it is not onely said that he exalted him but superexaltavit he highly exalted him so as never any was exalted for he was made thereby higher then the heavens Thus much for the first Head CHAP. IV. Demonstrates in the second place what influence Christs Ascension hath in a beleevers non-condemnation upon that second premised consideration of Christs being a Common person for us The security that Faith may have from thence WE have thus seen what triumphing evidence and demonstration both Christs Ascension and sitting at Gods right hand doe afford us for this that Christ being considered as our Surety hath therefore undoubtedly subdued our enemies and sins and satisfied God Let us now consider further what force efficacie and influence these two both his Ascending and fitting at Gods right hand as an Head and Common person for us have in them towards the assured working and accomplishment of the salvation of believers his Elect And from the consideration of this which is a second Head our faith may be yet further confirmed and strengthened in its confidence Who shall condemne it is Christ that is at Gods right hand I shall take in as in the former both his Ascension and sitting at Gods right hand 1. By considering And first for his Ascending consider these two things in it which may uphold our confidence 1. That the great end and purpose of that his Ascending the errand 1. That the great end of his Ascending and entring Heaven was to prepare a place for us and bring us thither the businesse he Ascended for was to prepare and provide a place for us and to make way for our comming thither This he assures his Disciples of Iohn 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you as Ioseph was secretly sent before by Gods intendment to prepare
besides all this there is a personall or an actuall Iustification to be bestowed upon us that is an accounting and bestowing it upon us in our own persons which is done whē we beleeve and it is called Rom. 5. 1. a being justifyed by faith and ver 10. receiving the atonement now this depends upon Christs Intercession and it was typified out by Moses his sprinkling the people with blood mentioned Heb. 9. 19. which thing Jesus Christ as a Mediator and Priest doth now from Heaven For Heb. 12. 24. it is said You are come to Heaven and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and as it is next subjoyned to the blood of sprinkling he shed his blood on the Crosse on earth but he sprinkleth it now as a Priest from Heaven For it is upon Mount Sion to which he had said first in the former verse ye are come and so to Christ as a Mediator standing on that mount and sprinkling from thence his blood and so therein there is an allusion unto Moses Christs Type who sprinkled the people with the blood of that ceremoniall covenant the type of the covenant of grace Now in the 1 Pet. 1. 2. The sprinkling of Christ his blood as it is there made the more proper work of Christ himselfe in distinction from the other persons and therefore was done by Moses who was his type so is it also put for our first justification And this sprinkling as it is there mentioned is from the vertue of his intercession And therefore in that place of the Heb. forecited he attributes an intercession unto it as the phrase that follows which speaks better things c. doth imply of which more hereafter Yet concerning this first Head let me adde this by way of caution which I shall presently have occasion to observe that though this our first justification is to be ascribed to his Intercession yet more eminently Intercession is ordained for the accōplishing our salvation this other more rarely in the Scripture attributed thereunto Secondly 2. The continuance of our justification depends upon it The continuation of our Iustification depends upon it And as his Intercession is the virtuall continuation of his Sacrifice so is it the continuing cause of our justification which though it be an act done once as fully as ever yet is it done over every moment for it is continued by acts of free Grace so renewed actually every moment There is a standing in Grace by Christ spoken of Rom. 5. 2. as well as a first accesse by Christ and that standing in grace and continuing in it is afterwards ver 11. attributed to his life that is as it is interpreted Heb. 7. 25. his living ever to intercede We owe our standing in grace every moment to his sitting in Heaven and interceding every moment There is no fresh act of justification goes forth but there is a fresh act of intercession And as though God created the World once for all yet every moment he is said to create every new act of providence beeing a new creation so likewise to justifie continually through his continuing out free grace to justifie as at first and this Christ doth by continuing his Intercession he continues a Priest for ever and so we continue to be justifyed for ever 3. A full security of our justification given thereby forever There is hereby a full security given us of justification to be continued for ever The danger either must lie in old sins comming into remembrance or else from sins newly to be committed Now first God hereby takes order 1. Against the remembrance of sins past that no old sins shall come up into remembrance to trouble his thoughts as in the old Law after the Priests going into the Holy of holies their sins are said yet to have done Heb. 10. 3. and to that end it was that he placed Christ as his Remembrancer for us so neere him to take up his thoughts so with his obedience that our sinnes might not come into mind not that God needed this help to put himself in mind but onely for a formality sake that things being thus really carryed between God and Christ for us according to a way suiting with our apprehensions our faith might be strengthened against all suppositions and feares of after reviving our guilts Look therefore as God ordained the Rain-bow in the heavens that when he lookt on it he might remember his Covenant never to destroy the world againe by water so he hath set Christ as the Rain-bow about his Throne And look as the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper are appointed on earth to shew forth Christs death as a Remembrancer to us so is Christ himselfe appointed in heaven to shew forth his death really as a Remembrancer thereof to his Father and indeed the one is correspondent to the other Onely the Papists have perverted the use of the Lords Supper by making it on earth a commemorative sacrifice to God when as it is but a Remembrancer thereof to men and besides their Priests therein do take upon themselves this very office of presenting this sacrifice to God which is proper onely to Christ in Heaven But God when he would make sure not to be tempted to remember our sins any more nor trouble himselfe with them hath set his Christ by him to put him in minde of his so pleasing an offering So the High-Priests going into the Holy of holies was for a memoriall and therein the Type of Christ And this is plainly expresly made the use of this execution of his Priestly office in Heaven Heb. 8. where the Apostle having discoursed of that part of his office as the chiefe thing he aimed at in this Epistle ver 1. and of the necessity of it ver 3 4 and 5. and excellencie of it in this respect ver 6. he then shews how from thence the new Covenant of pardon came to be sure and stedfast that God will remember our sins no more ver 12. which he there brings in as the proper use of this Doctrine and of this part of his Priesthood 2. 2. To prevent the accusing condemning us by new sinne for times to come As by reason of intercession God remembers not old sins so likewise he is not provoked by new For though God when he justifies us should forgive all old sins past for ever so as never to remember them more yet new ones would break forth and he could not but take notice of them and so so long as sinne continues there is need of a continuing intercession Therefore for the securing us in this it is said Rom. 5. 10. That if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Where we see that his Death is in some more speciall manner said to procure reconciliation at first for sinnes of unregeneracie and to bring us to
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
stirs up in him bowels of mercie infinitely larger towards you then you can have unto your selves §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in heaven THere are a second sort of Demonstrations which may be drawn from many other severall engagements continuing and lying upon Christ now he is in heaven which must needs encline his heart towards us as much yea more then ever As 1. The continuance of all those neere and intimate Relations and allyances unto us of all sorts which no glory of his can make any alteration in and therefore not in his heart and love nor a declining any respects and offices of love which such relations do call for at his hands All relations that are naturall such as between father and child husband and wife brother and brother c. looke what world they are made for in that world they for ever hold and can never be dissolved These fleshly relations indeed do cease in that other world because they were made onely for this world as Rom. 7. 1. The wife is bound to her husband but so long as he lives But these relations of Christ unto us were made in order to the world to come as the Epistle to the Hebrews calls it and therefore are in their full vigour and strength and receive their compleatment therein Wherefore it is that Christ is said to be the same to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13. 8. To illustrate this by the constant indissoluble tie of those relations of this world whereto no differēce of condition whether of advancement or debasement can give any discharge We see in Ioseph when advanced how as his relations continued so his affections remained the same to his poore brethren who yet had injured him and also to his father So Genes 45. where in the same speech he mentioneth both his owne greatest dignities and advancement God hath made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a Ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt so ver 8. and yet withall he forgetteth not his relations I am Ioseph your brother ver 4. even the same man still And his affections appeared also to be the same for he wept over them and could not refraine himselfe as you have it ver 1 2. And the like he expresseth to his father ver 9. Goe to my father and say Thus saith thy sonne Ioseph God hath made me Lord over all Egypt and yet thy son Ioseph still Take another instance wherein there was but the relation of being of the same countrey and allyance in Esther when advanced to be Queene of an hundred twenty and seven Provinces who when she was in the armes of the greatest Monarch on earth and enjoyed highest favour with him yet then she cryes out How can I endure to see the evill that shall come unto my people or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred So Chap. 8. 6. She considered but her relation and how doth it work in her veyns by a sympathie of bloud Now much more doth this hold good of husband and wife for they are in a neerer relation yet Let the wife have beene one that was poore and meane fallen iuto sicknesse c. and let the husband be as great and glorious as Solomon in all his royaltie all man-kind would cry shame on such a man if he should not now owne his wife and be a husband in all love and respect to her still But beyond all these relations the relation of Head and Members as it is most naturall so it obligeth most No man ever yet hated his owne flesh sayes the Apostle though diseased and leprous but loveth and cherisheth it And it is the law of Nature that if one member be honoured all the members are to rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. and if one member suffer all the rest are to suffer with it Even so is Christ as ver 12. And these relations are they that doe move Christ to continue his love unto us Iesus knowing that he was to depart out of this world having loved his owne who were in the world he loved them unto the end Iohn 13. 1. And the reason thereof is put upon his relation to them they were his owne and his owne by vertue of all relations whatsoever his owne Brethren his owne Spouse his owne flesh and the very world will love its owne as himselfe speaks much more will he himselfe love his owne He that provides not for his owne family is worse then an Infidel sayes the Apostle Now though Christ be in heaven yet his people are his family still they are retainers to him though they be on earth and this as truly as those that stand about his person now he is in his glory So that speech evidently declares Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named they all together make up but one and the same family to him as their Lord. Christ is both the founder the subject and the most perfect exemplar and patterne to us of all the relations that are found on earth First he is the founder of all relations and affections that accompanie them both in nature and grace As therefore the Psalmist argues shall he not see who made the eye So doe I Shall not he who put all these affections into parents and brothers suitable to their relations shall not he have them much more in himselfe Though our Father Abraham being in heaven be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not yet O Lord thou art our Father our Redeemer c Isai 36. 16. the Prophet speakes it of Christ as appears by ver 1 and 2. and in a prophesie of the Jews Call he speaks it of Christ as supposed in Heaven for he adds Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and thy glory There are but two things that should make him to neglect sinners his holinesse as they are sinners and his glory as they are meane and low creatures Now he there mentions both to shew that notwithstanding either as they are sinners he rejects them not and as they are base and mean he despiseth them not 2. He is the Subject of all relations which no creature is If'a man be a husband yet not a father or a brother but Christ is all No one relation being sufficient to expresse his love where with he loveth and owneth us And therefore he calls his Church both Sister and Spouse Cantic 5. 1. 3. He is the patterne and exemplar of all these our relatious and they all are but the copies of his Thus in Ephes 5. Christ is made the pattern of the relation and love of husbands Husbands sayes the Apostle love your wives as Christ loved his Church so ver 25. Yea ver 31 32 33. the marriage of Adam the very words he then spake of cleaving to a wife are made but the
Formalists among the Jews had who without the Messiah closed with Promises and rested in Types to cleanse them without looking unto Christ the end of them and as propounded to their faith in them This is to goe to God without a Mediator and to make the Promises of the Gospel to be as the Promises of the Law Nehushtan as Hezekiah said of the Brasen Serpent a piece of brasse vaine and ineffectuall like the waters of Bethesda they heale not they cleanse not till this Angel of the Covenant come downe to your faith in them Therefore at a Sacrament or when you meet with any Promise get Christ first downe by faith and then let your faith propound what it would have and you may have what you will of him There are three sorts of Promises Three sorts of Promise and how Christs Person is the object of faith in applying them all and in the applying of all these it is Christ that your faith is to meet with 1. There are absolute promises made to no Conditions as when Christ is said to come to save sinners c. Now in these it is plaine that Christ is the naked object of them so that if you apply not him you apply nothing for the onely thing held forth in them is Christ 2. There are Inviting Promises as that before mentioned Come to me you that are weary The promise is not to wearinesse but to comming to Christ they are bidden Come to him if they will have rest 3. There are Assuring Promises as those made to such and such qualifications of sanctification c. But still what is it that is promised in them which the heart should onely eye It is Christ in whom the soule rests and hath comfort in and not in its grace so that the sight of a mans grace is but a back-doore to let faith in at to converse with Christ whom the soule loves Even as at the Sacrament the elements of Bread and Wine are but outward signes to bring Christ and the heart together and then faith lets the outward elements goe and closeth and treats immediately with Christ unto whom these let the soule in So Grace is a signe inward and whilst men make use of it onely as of a bare signe to let them in unto Christ and their rejoycing is not in it but in Christ their confidence being pitcht upon him and not upon their grace whilst men take this course there is and will be no danger at all in making such use of signes and I see not but that God might as well appoint his owne work of the new creation within to be as a signe and help to communion with Christ by faith as he did those outward elements the works of his first creation especially seeing in nature the effect is a sign of the cause Neither is it more derogatory to free grace or to Christs honour for God to make such effects signes of our union with him then it was to make outward signs of his presence SECT II. CHRIST the object and support of faith for Justification in his death ROM 8. 34. Who shall condemne Christ hath dyed CHAP. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as dying is the object of Faith as justifying TO come now to all those foure particulars of or about Christ as the object of faith here mentioned and to shew both how Christ in each is the object of faith as justifying and what support or encouragement the faith of a Beleever may fetch from each of them in point of Justification which is the Argument of the maine Body of this Discourse First Christ as dying is the object of justifying faith Who shall condemne Christ hath dyed For the explanation of which Explained 1. By two Directions I will 1. Give a direction or two 2. Shew how an encouragement or matter of triumph may from hence be fetcht 1. 1. Direction The first Direction is this That in seeking forgivenesse or justification in the Promises as Christ is to be principally in the eye of your faith so it must be Christ as crucified Christ as dying as here he is made It was the Serpent as lift up and so looked at that healed them Now this direction I give to prevent a mistake which soules that are about to beleeve doe often run into For when they heare that the person of Christ is the maine object of faith they thus conceive of it that when one comes first to beleeve he should looke onely upon the personall excellencies of Grace and Glory which are in Jesus Christ which follow upon the Hypostaticall Union and so have his heart allured in unto Christ by them onely and close with him under those apprehensions alone But although it be true that there is that radicall disposition in the faith of every Beleever which if it were drawne forth to view Christ in his meere personall excellencies abstractively considered would close with Christ for them alone as seeing such a beauty and suitablenesse in them yet the first view which an humbled soule alwayes doth and is to take of him is of his being a Saviour made sinne and a curse and obeying to the death for sinners He takes up Christ in his first sight of him under the likenes of sinfull flesh for so the Gospel first represents him though it holds forth his personall excellencies also and in that representation it is that he is made a fit object for a sinners faith to trust rest upon for salvation which in part distinguisheth a sinners faith whilst here on earth towards Christ from that vision or sight which Angels and the souls of men have in heaven of him Faith here views him not onely as glorious at Gods right hand though so also but as crucified as made sin and a curse and so rests upon him for pardon but in heaven we shall see him as he is and be made like unto him Take Christ in his personall excellencies simply considered and so with them propounded as an Head to us he might have been a fit object for Angels and men even without sin to have closed withall and what an additon to their happinesse would they have thought it to have him for their husband but yet so considered he should have been and rather is the object of love then of faith or affiance It is therefore Christ that is thus excellent in his person yet farther considered as clothed with his garments of bloud and the qualifications of a Mediator and Reconciler it is this that makes him so desirable by sinners and a fit object for their faith which looks out for justification to prey and seize upon though they take in the consideration of all his other excellencies to allure their hearts to him and confirme their choice of him Yea I say farther that consider faith as justifying that is in that act of it which justifies a sinner and so Christ taken onely or mainly in his
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
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
it selfe for them and handle matters so as Justice shall be as forward to save them as any other Attribute So that if God be said to be righteous in forgiving us our sins if we doe but confesse them as Chap. 1. of this 1. Epist of Iohn ver 9. then much more when Iesus Christ the righteous shall intercede for the pardon of them as he adds in the second ver of the ensuing Chap. and this if he will be just The worst Case he will make a good one not with colouring it over as cunning Lawyers doe or extenuating things but with pleading that righteousnesse which being put into the opposite ballance shall cast it for thee be there never so many sinnes weighed against it Yea and he will be just in it too and carry all by meere righteousnesse and equity In the explication of this Branch This explicated my purpose is not to insist upon the demonstration of that all-sufficient fulnesse that is in Christs satisfaction such as may in justice procure our pardon and salvation because it will more fitly belong to another Discourse but I shall absolve this point in hand by two things which are proper to this head of Intercession First By two considerations by shewing how that there is even in respect to Gods Justice a powerfull voice of Intercerssion attributed unto Christs bloud and how prevalent that must needs be in the eares of the righteous God Secondly especially when Christ himselfe shall joyne with that cry and Intercession of his blood himselfe in Heaven appearing and interceding in the strength of it For the first 1. How an Intercession and appeale to Gods justice is attributed to Christs bloud the Apostle Heb. 12. 24. doth ascribe a voice an appeal an Intercession unto the bloud of Christ in Heaven The blood of sprinkling sayes he speakes better things then the blood of Abel He makes Christs very bloud an Advocate to speak for us though Christ himselfe were silent as he sayes in another case Abel though dead yet speaketh Heb. 11. 4. Many other things are said to cry to Scripture and I might shew how the cry of all other things doe meet in this but Bloud hath the loudest cry of all things else in the eares of the Lord of Hosts the Iudge of all the world as he is in the 23. ver of that 12. Chap. styled Neither hath any cry the eare of Gods justice more then that of bloud The voyce of thy brothers bloud sayes God to Cain cryes unto me from the ground Gen. 4. 10. Now in that speech of the Apostle forecited is the allusion made unto the bloud of Abel and the cry thereof And he illustrates the cry of Christs bloud for us by the cry of that bloud of Abel against Cain it speaks better things then the bloud of Abel And his scope therein is by an Antithesis or way of opposition to shew that Christs blood cals for greater good things to be bestowed on us for whom it was shed then Abels bloud did for evill things and vengeance against Cain by whom it was shed For look how loud the bloud of one innocent cryes for justice against another that murdered him so loud will the bloud of one righteous who by the appointment and permission of a supreame Judge hath been condemned for another cry for his release and non-condemnation for whom he dyed And the more righteous he was who laid downe his life for another the louder still is that cry for it is made in the strength of all that worth which was in him whose bloud was shed Now to set forth the power of this cry of Christs bloud with justice let us compare it with that cry of Abels bloud in these two things wherein it will be found infinitely to exceed it in force and loudnesse First This cry of his bloud illustrated by a twofold comparison with the cry of the bloud of Abel in all which it exceeds it even the bloud of the wickedest man on earth if innocently shed doth cry and hath a power with Justice against him who murdered him Had Abel murdered Cain Cains bloud would have cryed and called upon Gods Justice against Abel but Abels bloud there is an emphasis in that Abels who was a Saint and the first Martyr in Gods Kalender and so his bloud cryes according to the worth that was in him Now Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and the bloud of one of Them cryes louder then the bloud of all Man-kind besides Now from this I argue If the bloud of a Saint cryes so what must the bloud of the King of Saints as Christ is called Revel 15. then doe If the blood of one member of Christs body what will then the blood of the head far more worth then that whole body how doth it fill Heaven and Earth with out-cries untill the promised intent of its shedding be accomplisht And as the Antithesis carries it looke how the blood of Abel cryed for the ruine and condemnation of his brother Cain so does Christs blood on the contrary for our pardon and non-condemnation and so much the lowder by how much his blood was of more worth then Abels was This was the blood of God so Act. 20. Who therefore shall condemne But 2. Christs blood hath in its crie here a further advantage of Abels blood attributed to it For that cryed but from earth from the ground where it lay shed and that but for an answerable earthly punishment on Cain as he was a man upon the earth but Christs blood is carried up to Heaven for as the High-priest carried the blood of the Sacrifices into the Holy of holies so hath Christ virtually carried his blood into Heaven Heb. 9. 12. And this is intimated in this place also as by the coherence will appeare For all the other particulars of which this is one whereto he sayes the Saints are come they are all in Heaven You are come saies he ver 22 to the City of the living God the Heavenly Hierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the Church of the first borne who are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect All which things are in Heaven neither names he any other then such And then adds And to the blood of sprinkling which speakes c. as a thing both speaking in Heaven and besprinkled from Heaven yea wherewith Heaven is all besprinkled as the Mercie-seat in the Holy of holies was because sinners are to come thither This Blood therefore cries from Heaven it is next unto God who sits Judge there it cries in his very eares whereas the cry of blood from the ground is further off and so though the cry thereof may come up to Heaven yet the blood it selfe comes not up thither as Christs already is Abels blood cryed for vengeance to come down from heaven but
abide upon him in heaven It must never be said The Spirit of the Lord is departed from Him who is the Sender and Bestower of the holy Ghost upon us And if the Spirit once comming upon his Members abides with them for ever as Christ promiseth Iohn 14. 16. then much more doth this Spirit abide upon Christ the Head from whom we all since Christ was in heaven receive that Spirit and by vertue of which Spirits dwelling in him he continues to dwell in us Therefore of him it is said Esay 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him Yea and in that storie of the holy Ghosts desending upon him at his Baptisme it is not onely recorded that He descended on him but over and above it is added And abode upon him Yea further to put the greater emphasis upon it it is twice repeated So Iohn 1. 32. I saw the Spirit sayes the Euangelist descending from heaven like a Dove and hee adds this also as a further thing observed by him and it abode upon him And then againe ver 33. I knew him not sayes he but he that sent me gave me this token to know him by Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he And further as it is intimated there he rested on him to that end that he might baptize us with the holy Ghost unto the end of the world The same sayes he is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost He at first descends as a Dove and then abides as a Dove for ever upon him and this Dove it selfe came from heaven first And therefore certainly now that Christ himselfe is gone to heaven he abides and sits upon him much more as a Dove still there Moreover let me adde this that although the Spirit rested on him here without measure in comparison of us yet it may be safely said that the Spirit in respect of his effects in gifts of grace and glory rests more abundantly on him in heaven then he did on earth even in the same sense that at his baptisme as was said he rested on him in such respects more abundantly then he did before his Baptisme during the time of his private life For as when he came to heaven he was enstalled King and Priest as it were anew in respect of a new execution so for the work to be done in heaven he was anew anointed with this oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes as Psal 45. 7. Which place is meant of him especially as he is in heaven at Gods right hand in fulnesse of joy as Psal 16. ult it is also spoken of him when also it is that he goes forth in his majesty to conquer as ver 4. of that 45. Psal And yet then Meeknesse is not far off but is made one of his dispositions in this heighth of glory So it followes in the fore-cited verse In thy majesty ride prosperously because of Truth and Meeknesse c. Therefore Peter sayes Acts 2. 36. that That same Iesus whom you Jews have crucified and who was risen and ascended God hath made both Lord and Christ Lord that is hath exalted him as King in heaven and Christ that is hath also anointed him and this Oyle is no other then the holy Ghost with whom the same Peter tells us he was anointed at his Baptisme Acts 10. 38. Yea and because he then at once received the Spirit in the fullest measure that for ever he was to receive him therefore it was that he shed him downe on his Apostles and baptized them with him as in that 2. of the Acts we reade Now it is a certaine rule that whatsoever we receive from Christ that he himselfe first receives in himselfe for us And so one reason why this oile ran then so plentifully downe on the skirts of this our High-priest that is on his members the Apostles and Saints and so continues to do unto this day is because our High-priest and Head himselfe was then afresh anointed with it Therefore ver 33. of that 2. of the Acts Peter giving an account how it came to passe that they were so filled with the holy Ghost sayes that Christ having received from the Father the promise of the holy Ghost had shed him forth on them which receiving is not to be only understood of his bare and single receiving the promise of the holy Ghost for us by having power then given him to shed him downe upon them as God had promised though this is a true meaning of it but further that hee had received him first as powred forth on himself and so shed him forth on them according to that rule that whatever God doth unto us by Christ he first doth it unto Christ all promises are made and fulfilled unto him first and so unto us in him all that he bestows on us he receives in himselfe And this may bee one reason why as Iohn 7. 39. the Spirit was not as yet given because Iesus was not as yet glorified But now he is in heaven he is said to have the seven spirits so Rev. 1. 3. which book sets him out as he is since he went to heaven Now those seven spirits are the holy Ghost for so it must needs be meant and not of any creature as appeares by the 4. ver of that Chap. where grace and peace are wisht from the seven spirits so called in respect of the various effects of him both in Christ and us though but one in person And seven is a number of perfection is therefore there mentioned to shew that now Christ hath the Spirit in the utmost measure that the humane nature is capable of And as his knowledge which is a fruit of the Spirit since his Ascension is enlarged for before he knew not when the day of Judgement should be but now when he wrote this book of the Revelation he did so are his bowels I speak of the humane nature extended all the mercies that God meanes to bestow being now actually to run through his hands and his particular notice and he to bestow them not on Jewes only but on Gentiles also who were to be converted after he went to heaven And so he hath now an heart adequate to Gods own heart in the utmost extent of shewing mercie unto any whom God hath intended it unto And this is the third demonstration from the Spirits dwelling in him wherein you may help your faith by an experiment of the holy Ghost his dwelling in your own hearts and there not only working in you meekenesse towards others but pitty towards your selves to get your soules saved and to that end stirring up in you incessant and unutterable groanes before the Throne of grace for grace and mercie Now the same Spirit dwelling in Christs heart in heaven that doth in yours here and always working in his heart first for you and then in yours by commission from him rest assured therefore that that Spirit
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-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
more like to these of ours then those are which the Angels have So then by these two steps we have gained these two things That even in Christs humane nature though glorified affections of pity and compassion are true and reall and not metaphorically attributed to him as they are unto God and also more neere and like unto ours here then those in the Angels are even affections proper to mans nature and truly humane And these he should have had although this humane nature had from the very first assumption of it been as glorious as it is now in heaven But now thirdly adde this further that God so ordered it that before Christ should cloathe this his humane nature with that glory he hath in heaven and put this glory upon it he should first take it as cloathed with all our infirmities even the very same that doe cleave unto us and should live in this world as we doe for many yeeres And during that time God prepared for him all sorts of afflictions and miseries to run through which we our selves doe here meet withall and all that time he was acquainted with and inured unto all the like sorrowes that we are and God left him to that infirmity and tendernesse of spirit to take in all distresses as deeply as any of us without sin and to exercise the very same affections under all these distresses that we at any time doe find stirring in our hearts And this God thus ordered on purpose thereby to fit him and to frame his heart when he should be in glory unto such affections as these spoken of in the Text. And this both this Text suggests to be Gods end in it as also that fore-mentioned place Heb. 2. 13. For as much as we namely his members are partakers of flesh and bloud which phrase doth ever note out the frailties of mans nature as 1 Cor. 15. 50. c. he himselfe tooke part of the same that he might be a mercifull High-Priest c. ver 17. And then the Apostle gives this reason of it ver 18. For in that himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able this Ability is as was before interpreted the having an heart fitted and enabled out of experience to pity and to succour them that are tempted The meaning of which is that it was not the bare taking of an humane nature if glorious from the first that would thus fully have fitted him to be affectionately pitifull out of experience though as was said the knowledge of our miseries taken in thereby would have made him truly and really affectionate towards us with affections humane and proper to a man and so much neerer and liker ours then what are in the Angels themselves or then are attributed to God when he is said to pity us but further his taking our nature at first cloathed with frailties and living in this world as we This hath for ever fitted his heart by experience to be in our very hearts and bosomes and not onely or barely to know the distresse and as a man to be affected with an humane affection to one of his kind but experimentally remembring the like in himselfe once And this likewise the Text suggests as the way whereby our distresses are let into his heart the more feelingly now he is in heaven We have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne And the more to comfort us herein observe how fully and universally the Apostle speaks of Christs having beene tempted here below First for the matter of them or the severall sorts of temptations he sayes he was tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all points or things of any kind wherewith we are exereised Secondly for the manner he addes that too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like as we are His heart having been just so affected so wounded pierced and distressed in all such tryals as ours use to be onely without sinne God on purpose left all his affections to their full tendernesse and quicknesse of sense of evill So that Christ took to heart all that befell him as deeply as might be he slighted no crosse either from God or men but had and felt the utmost load of it Yea his heart was made more tender in all sorts of affections then any of ours even as it was in love and pity and this made him a man of sorrows and that more then anyother man was or shall be Now therefore to explicate the way how our miseries are let into his heart come to stir up such kindly affections of pity and compassion in him it is not hard to conceive from what hath now been said and from what the Text doth further hint unto us 1. The understanding and knowledge of that humane nature hath notice and cognisance of all the occurrences that befall his members here And for this the Text is cleare For the Apostle speaks this for our encouragement That Christ is toucht with the feeling of our infirmities Which could not be a reliefe unto us if it supposed not this that he particularly and distinctly knew them And if not all as well as some we should want reliefe in all as not knowing which he knew and which not And the Apostle affirmes this of his humane nature as was said for he speaks of that nature that was tempted here below And therefore the Lambe that was slaine and so the man Christ Jesus is Revel 5. 6. said to have seven eyes as well as seven hornes which seven eyes are the seven spirits sent forth into all the earth His eyes of Providence through his annointing with the Holy Ghost are in all corners of the world and view all the things that are done under the sunne in like manner hee is there said to have seven hornes for power as seven eyes for knowledge and both are defined to be seven to shew the perfection of both in their extent reaching unto all things So that as all power in heaven and earth is committed unto Him as Son of man as the Scripture speakes so all knowledge is given him of all things done in heaven and earth and this as Son of man too his knowledge and power being of equall extent He is the Sunne as well in respect of knowledge as of Righteousnesse and there is nothing hid from his light and beames which doe pierce the darkest corners of the hearts of the sons of men He knowes the sores as Solomon expresseth it and distresses of their hearts Like as a looking-glasse made into the forme of a round globe and hung in the midst of a roome takes in all the species of things done or that are therein at once so doth the enlarged understanding of Christs humane nature take in the affairs of this world which hee is appointed to governe especially the miseries of his members and this at once 2. His humane nature thus knowing
tied his feete to his Chariot wheels and dragged him dead round about the walls of Troy Now thus did Christ then deale with our sinnes and all other enemies The Second act is casting abroad of gifts He gave gifts to men It was the custome at their triumphs to cast new Coines missilia abroad among the multitude so doth Christ throw the greatest gifts for the good of men that ever were given Therefore who shall condemne sins and devills are not only dead but triumphed over Compare with this that other place Colos 2. 15. Having spoiled Principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself So I reade it and the Greeke beares it and so it is in the margent varied it is a manifest allusion unto the manner of Triumphs after victories among the Romans even unto two of the most notable parts thereof the first of spoiling the enemie upon the place ere they stirred out of the field and this was done by Christ on the Crosse Having spoiled them first as ver 14. hath it He speakes it of the devills our enemies and accusers they had all Gods threatnings in his Law and the Ceermoniall Law the Bond for our debt unto the Morall Law to shew for it in these lay the power of the Devill over us that he could boldly come to God and accuse us and sue our bond And therefore Heb. 2. 14. he is said to have the power of Death Now Christ first tooke away all his power and spoiled him of all his ensignes weapons and colours which he did on the place where the battail was fought namely on the Crosse and nailed our bond thereto and having paid the debt left the bond canceld ere he stirred off the Crosse But then having thus spoiled these enemies on the Crosse hee further makes a publique triumphall shew of them in his own person which is a second Act as the manner of the Roman Emperors was in their great triumphs to ride through the City in the greatest state and have all the spoiles carried before them and the Kings and Nobles whom they had taken they tyed to their Chariots and led them as Captives And this did Christ at his ascension for of his triumphing at his Ascension I take this Triumph in this Epistle to the Colos to be understood and so to be interpreted by that forecited 4. of the Ephesians He plainly manifesting by this publique open shew of them at his Ascension that he had spoiled and fully subdued them on the Crosse That which hath diverted Interpreters from thinking this of 2. Col. to have been the triumph of his Ascension hath been this That the triumph is said to have been made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they interpret in it as if it referred to the Crosse mentioned ver 14. as the place of it when as it may as well be translated in himselfe i. e. in his own power and strength noting how he alone did this which other Conquerours doe not they conquer not in themselves and by themselves which Christ did And yet it was the Law that if the Roman Emperours or Generals themselves took any thing in War they had a peculiar honour to dedicate it in triumph more peculiarly Now Christ conquered in himselfe and therefore triumphed in himselfe and himselfe alone And thus it became our Redeemer like another Sampson not onely to break Sins bars and fling off Hell-gates and come out of that Prison he was in but as in signe of a Trophie to take them on his back and carry them up the hill as Sampson the Type of him did the gates of the City to an high hill himselfe triumphantly carrying them on his own shoulders Now did Christ then who was your Surety thus triumph then let your faith triumph likewise for this was not onely done by your Surety but in your stead seeing this for us here is to be put to each thing mentioned The Apostle cals for this at our hands here We are more then Conquerors sayes he ver 37. Then A third support to faith from Gods first entertainment of Christ when he came first to Heaven thirdly see him entring into Heaven when he comes first to Court after this great undertaking how doth God looke on him is God satisfied with what he hath done As you know when a Generall comes home there useth to be great observing how the King takes his service as performed according to commission Christ as a Surety undertook for sinners fully to conquer all our enemies and God bade him look that he did it perfectly or never see his face more Heb. 5. He was to be perfect through sufferings and those sufferings to be such as to perfect us also Heb. That this is a further evidence that God is satisfied for sin 10. Now behold your Surety is like a Conqueror entred Heaven let that convince you that he hath satisfied the debt and performed his commission to a tittle God would never have suffered him to come thither else but as soon as ever his head had peept into Heaven have sent him downe again to performe the rest But God lets him enter in and he comes boldly and confidently and God lets him stay there therefore be convinced that he hath given God full satisfaction Christ himself useth this argument as the strongest that could be brought to convince the World that his righteousnesse which he had in his Doctrine taught them was the righteousnesse which men were only to be saved by the true Righteousnesse of God indeede Iohn 16. 9 10. He shall convince the world of righteousnesse that is worke faith in the hearts of men to believe and lay hold on my righteousnesse as the true righteousnesse that God hath ordained and this because sayes he I go to my Father and you shall see me no more That is by this argument and evidence it is and shall be evinced that I who undertooke to satisfie for sin and to procure a perfect righteousnesse have perfectly performed it and that it is a righteousnesse which Gods justice doth accept of to save sinners by In that I after my death and finishing this worke will ascend up to my Father into Heaven and keepe my standing there and you shall see me no more Whereas if I had not fulfilled all righteousnesse and perfectly satisfied God you may be sure there would be no going into Heaven for mee nor remaining there God would send me down again to doe the rest and you should certainly see mee with shame sent back again but I goe to Heaven and you shall see me no more CHAP. III. Shewing what evidence also Christs sitting at Gods right hand having beene our Surety affords to our faith for justification NOw then in the next place for his being or sitting at Gods right hand which is the second particular to be spoken of As soone as Christ was carried into Heaven look as all the Angels fell downe and
right hand All things committed to him ver 20. that he hath put all things under his feete ver 22. A phrase importing the highest soveraignty and power not used of any Creatures Angels or Men none of them have other things under their feet i. e. in so low a subjection as to be their vassals especially not all things and therefore by that very phrase the putting all things under his feete the Apostle argues in that second to the Heb. that that man of whom David in the 8. Psalm there cited by him had spoken was no other but Christ not Adam nor the Angells for to neither of these hath God subjected all things ver 5. but to Christ onely ver 8. who sits in the highest Throne of Majesty And to make his seate the easier hath a world of enemies made his foote-stoole even all his enemies so Psal 110. which is the highest triumph in the world Now to what end hath God committed this power to him Which power God hath committed to him to save his Elect. but that himselfe may be his owne Executor and Administrator and performe all the Legacies which he made to those whom hee died for as the expression is Heb. 9. 15 16 and 17. verses that none of his heires might be wronged Fairer dealing then this could there ever be nor greater security given to us This to have beene Gods very end of investing Christ with this soveraigne power is declared by Christ himselfe Iohn 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him And accordingly at his Ascension to comfort his Disciples in the fruit of their Ministery Mat 21. 18. he saies All power is given to mee in Heaven and in Earth What holy confidence may this breede in us He is at Gods right hand and we are in his hands Iohn 10. 28. and all his Enemies are under his feete who then can pul us out Revel 1. 18. saies Christ I have the Keyes of Hell and Death The Key is still in the Scripture phrase the Ensigne of Power and authority Now Christ hath both the Keyes of Death What security this affords the postern gate out of this world and of Hell even of the broad gates of that eternall prison So as none of his can be fetched out of this world by Death but Christ he must first open the doore much lesse can any go to Hell without his warrant Yea Matth. 16. 19. He hath the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven also to open to whom he will By his Resurrection we may see and rest assured that he hath the Keyes of Death and Hell for he unlockt the doors and came out from thence and by his Ascension and sitting at Gods right hand that he hath the Keyes of heaven whose doore he hath unlockt and now set open What need we then feare Hell when Christ our Redeemer hath the keyes of it Secondly 2. Prerogative All judgement and authority committed to him to sit at Gods right hand imports all judgement to be committed to him for sitting was a posture of Iudges a phrase used to note out their authority So Prov. 20. 8. A King that sitteth on the throne of judgement scattereth the wicked with his eyes and so doth Christ his and our enemies See what Christ sayes Iohn 5. 21 22. The Sonne of man raiseth up whom he will for the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne Now if he who loved us so and dyed for us be the Iudge himselfe then Who shall condemne Christ sits on Gods right hand This is the very inference that after followeth ver 24. of that 5. Chap. of Iohn He that beleeves shall not come into condemnation Christ utters it upon his having said he had all judgement committed to him in the fore-going ver 22. on purpose that he might from that consideration ascertaine Beleevers of their non-condemnation For what need we feare any Under-officers §. 2. when we have the Judge thus for us 2. Particular Both which being his as he is an Head to his Elect. But then in the last place add that second particular mentioned to all these that Christ sits there as an Head as a Common person for us First as an Head so Eph. 1. when the Apostle had so hyperbolically set forth his power of being advanced unto Gods right hand ver 21. farre above all Principalities and powers and above every name that is named not only in this world but that which is to come and how God hath put all things under his feet he adds and hath given him to be head over all things to the Church Observe now he is said to sit there over all things not in his own pure personall right simply as it is his inheritance as he is the Son of God as Heb. 1. ver 3 4 5. it is affirmed of him but he sits thus over all as a Head to the Church That same over all things comes in there betweene his being a Head and to the Chuch on purpose to shew that he is set over all in relation to his Church So that we see that our relation is involved and our right included in this exaltation of his and so put into his commission for this prerogative is there said to be given him He sits not simply as a Son but as an Head and he sits not as an Head without a Body and therefore must have his Members up to him Wherefore in the next ver Therefore hee must have all his members up to him it is added Which is his body yea his fulnesse so as Christ is not compleat without all his Members and would leave heaven if any one were wanting It were a lame maimed body if it wanted but a toe Christ is our Element and he being ascended we are sparks that fly upwards to him He took our Flesh and carryed it unto heaven and left us his Spirit on earth and both as pawnes and earnests that we should follow Nay farther yet Especially seeing he sits as representing them and they sit together with him he is not onely said to sit as our Head but we are also said to sit together with him That is made the up-shot of all in the next Chapter Ephes 2. 6. So that as we arose with him he being considered as a Common person and ascended with him as was said So yet farther we sit together with him in the highest heavens as there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in supercoelestibus in his exalted estate above the heavens as is the meaning of that phrase not that Christs being at Gods right hand if taken for that sublimity of power is communicable to us How to sit at Gods right hand is Christs prerogative alone that is Christs prerogative onely So Heb. 1. 5. To which of all the Angels did he ever say Sit thou at my right hand
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