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
taken from this that God hath put all power into his hand to doe what ever hee will hath made him his King to doe what pleaseth him either in Heaven Earth or Hell yea to doe all that God himselfe ever meanes to doe or all that God desires to doe And certainly if his Father hath beene so gracious to him as to bestow so high and absolute a soveraignty on him as to accomplish and effect what ever he meanes to do surely his purpose was never to deny Christ any request that he should after this make he would never have advanced the Humane nature to that absolutenesse else Those two great Monarchs made great grants and largesses the one to Esther the other to Herodias daughter but yet they were limited only to the halfe of their Kingdoms so Mar. 6. and Est 5. 6. and the royall power in their Kingdomes they meant still to retain and reserve wholly to themselves But God having placed Christ on his Throne bids him ask even to the whole of his Kingdome for God hath made him a King sitting on his Throne with him not to share halves but to have all power in heaven and earth He hath committed all judgement to the Sonne to save and condemne whom ever he will and so farre as the Kingdome of God goes or is extended he may doe any thing So Iohn 5. 21. As the Father raiseth up the dead so the Sonne quickneth whom he will for as the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given to the Sonne to have life in himselfe ver 26. and hath in like manner given authority to execute judgement also as the Sonne of man namely of himselfe ver 27. as he had said He had given him to have life in himselfe ver 26. not dependently as we have but independently so to execute judgement also ver 27. So that Christs will is as free and himselfe as absolute a Monarch and King of himselfe as God himselfe is He indeed hath it not à seipso but in seipso not à seipso originally but from his Father but in seipso independently Now then Though Christ as King can command all things yet to honour his Father he intercedes for what himselfe commands if he who is King may and doth of himselfe command all that is done as absolutely as God himselfe doth I speak in respect of the execution of things downward by second causes if he over and above to honour his Father will aske all that himselfe hath power to doe what will not be done Qui rogat imperare potest He that can and doth command what ever he would have done and it is straight done if he shall ask and entreat what will not be done As a King who sues for Peace backt with a potent Army which is able to win what he entreats for must needs treat more effectually So doth Christ sue for every thing with power to effect it Remember that he is said here in the Text first to be at Gods right hand and then to intercede He treats the salvation of sinners as a mighty Prince treats the giving up some Towne to him which lyes seated under a Castle of his which commands that Towne hee stands treating with the Governour having his Ordnance ready for the battery and to bring all into subjection That this is a consideration upon which God denyes him nothing as 2 Cor. 10. 4. And this is a consideration that God himselfe took in that 2. Psal when he made him that promise Ask I will give thee why he made so large a grant He had said before ver 6. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion which made him one would think past asking and above the condition of an Intercessour Now God sayes of him He is My King not in respect of his commanding God that were blasphemie to think but it is spoken in respect of commanding all below him God having set him in his Throne to doe as much as he himselfe would or meanes to have done sayes He is my King to rule all not so much under me as for me and in my stead yet absolutely and in himselfe The Father judgeth no man Now when the Father had first made and constituted him thus great a King then he bids him Ask to whom he had first given this absolute power to command We may without blasphemy say of this God-man that God hath not onely not the heart as being his Father but not the power to crosse any thing he doth Thus fast hath he God unto him Onely he who in respect of this his power is to be honoured as the Father as Iohn 5. 23. yet to honour his Father who gave this power originally to him as Mediatour He is to ask for that which of himselfe he yet can doe And therefore sayes God though thou art a King so ver 6. and all my Kingdome even the utmost ends of the earth are thine inheritance by a naturall right now that thou art my Sonne as verse 8. yet because thou art My King of my appointing and I have set thee on the Throne as the word is ver 6. and Thou art my Son and I have begotten thee therefore acknowledge my grant in all Ask of me and I will give thee the utmost ends of the earth for thy inheritance I cannot deny thee but I would have thee aske And therefore Christ asks Yet still withall remember that he asks who can command the thing to be done and yet as he must ask ere the thing be done so if he aske it must needs be granted These are the termes betweene this Father and this Sonne who in a word had not beene so great a Father if he had not had a Sonne thus great that himselfe could not deny what this Sonne would have done it is for his owne honour to have such a Sonne So Iohn 5. 23. That they might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father therefore All judgement is committed to him Now then if he who hath so much power will joyne the force of entreaty with a Father that so loves him if he who is The Word of his Father that commands creates and upholds all as Heb. 1. He spake and it was done if he will become a Word to his Father and speak a word for us and aske all that he means to doe how forcible will such words be Therefore observe Christs manner of praying How forcible Christs prayers and intercestion must needs be by an inference from the prevalencie of ours Iohn 17. which Prayer is a plat-form of Intercession in Heaven ver 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given mee be where I am He prays like a King who is in joint commission with God If God puts that honour upon our Prayers that we are said to have power with God as Iacob Hos 12. 3. that if God be never so angry yet by taking hold of his strength
ver 6. Otherwise as that woman said to Philip when she came to him for justice and he put her off Then cease sayes she to be a King So if Christ should deny any such soule to take its cause in hand he must then cease to be a Priest He lives to intercede He is a Priest called by God as was Aaron ver 6. Wherefore he ought to doe it in that it is his office 3. And if thy soule yet feareth the difficulty of its owne particular case in respect of the greatnesse of thy sinnes and the circumstances thereof or any consideration whatsoever which to thy view doth make thy salvation an hard suit to obtaine the Apostle therefore further addes He is able to save to the utmost what ever thy cause be and this through this his Intercession That same word to the utmost is a good word and vvell put in for our comfort Consider it therefore for it is a reaching vvord and extends it selfe so farre that thou canst not look beyond it Let thy soule be set upon the highest mount that ever any creature vvas yet set upon and that is enlarged to take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sinne and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poore humbled soule did cast within it selfe yea joyne to these all the objections and hinderances of thy Salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against it selfe lift up thy eyes and looke to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his Intercession is able to save thee beyond the Horizon and furthest compasse of thy thoughts even to the utmost and worst case the heart of Man can suppose It is not thy having laine long in Sinne long under terrours and despairs or having sinned often after many enlightnings that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ Do but remember this same word to the utmost and then put in what exceptions thou wilt or canst lay all the barrs in thy way that are imaginable yet know thou that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee 4. Again consider but what it is that Christ who hath by his death done enough to save thee doth yet further for thee in Heaven If thou thoughtest thou hadst all the Saints in Heaven and Earth jointly concurring in promoving thy salvation and competitours unto God in instant and incessant requests and prayers to save thee how wouldest thou be encouraged shall I tell thee one word out of Christs mouth who is the King of Saints will do more then all in heaven and earth can doe and what is there then which we may not hope to obtain through his Intercession And wouldst thou know whether he hath undertaken thy cause and begun to intercede for thee In a word Hath he put his spirit into thy heart and set thy own heart on work to make incessant Intercessions for thy selfe with groans unutterable as the Apostle hath it Rom. 8. This is the Eccho of Christs Intercession for thee in Heaven 5. And lastly If such a soule shall further object But will he not give over suing for me may I not be cast out of his prayers through my unbeliefe Let it here be considered that he lives ever to intercede And therefore if he once undertake thy cause and getteth thee into his prayers he will never leave thee out night nor day He Intercedeth ever till he hath accomplisht and finished thy salvation Men have been cast out of good and holy mens prayers as Saul out of Samuels and the People of Israel out of Ieremies but never out of Christs prayers the smoak of his Incense ascends for ever and he will intercede to the utmost till he hath saved thee to the utmost He will never give over but will lye in the dust for thee or he will perfect and procure thy Salvation Onely whilst I am thus raising up your Faith to him upon the worke of his Intercession for us let me speak a word to you for him so to stir up your love to him upon the consideration of this his Intercession also You see you have the whole life of Christ first and last both here and in heaven laid out for you He had not come to earth but for you he had no other businesse here Vnto us a Son is born And to be sure he had not dyed but for you for us a Son was given and when he rose it was for your justification And now he is gone to heaven he lives but to intercede for you He makes your salvation his constant calling O therefore let us live wholly unto him for he hath and doth live wholly unto us You have his whole time among you and if he were your servant you could desire no more There was much of your time lost before you began to live to him but there hath beene no moment of his time which he hath not lived to and improved for you Nor are you able ever to live for him but onely in this life for hereafter you shall live with him and be glorified of him I conclude all with that of the Apostle The love of Christ it should constraine us because we cannot but judge this to be the most equall that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who dyed for them and rose again and out of the Text I also adde sits at Gods right hand yea and there lives for ever to make Intercession for us FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven Towards SINNERS on Earth OR A TREATISE DEMONSTRATING The gracious Disposition and tender Affection of Christ in his Humane Nature now in Glory unto his Members under all sorts of Infirmities either of Sin or Misery By THO GOODWIN B. D. LONDON Printed for R. DAWLMAN M DC XLII THE TABLE OF The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth 1. Demonstrations of the gracious disposition of his Heart towards us Extrinsecall shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so Part 1. Intrinsecall shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reasons why it must needs be so Part 2. 2. The Manner how his Heart is affected towards us and the way how it comes to passe that such affections are let into his heart Part 3. Part I. Containing Demonstrations Extrinsecall §. I. Demonstrations from Christs carriage at his last Farewell and his last Sermon John Chapters 13 c. and in his last prayer John 17. the scope of all which was to assure his Disciples of his being constant in his Affections towards them 5 1. From his carriage at his last Fare-well And this in foure things 6 2. From many passages in that his last Sermon in 5. things 13 3. From his last Prayer Joh. 17. which Prayer is a patterne of his Intercession in Heaven and so an expression of what his heart is there 22 §. II. Demonstrations from many passages and expressions after his Resurrection 24 This Resurrection
Sermon after Acts 2. 33. he then received it and visibly powred him out So Ephes 4. 8. it is said He ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery ver 15 and for the joynting in of the Saints to the encrease of the body of Christ ver 16. that is for the converting of elect sinners and making them Saints And the gifts there mentioned some of them remain unto this day in Pastors and Teachers c. And this spirit is still in our preaching and in your hearts in hearing in praying c and perswades you of Christs love to this very day and is in all these the pledge of the continuance of Christs love still in Heaven unto sinners All our Sermons and your Prayers are evidences to you that Christs heart is still the same towards sinners that ever it was for the Spirit that assists in all these comes in his name and in his stead and works all by commission from him And doe none of you feele your hearts moved in the preaching of these things at this and other times and who is it that moves you it is the Spirit who speakes in Christs name from heaven even as himselfe is said to speake from heaven Heb. 12. 25. And when you pray it is the Spirit that endites your prayers and that makes intercession for you in your own hearts Rom. 8. 26. which Intercession of his is but the evidence and eccho of Christs Intercession in heaven The Spirit prayes in you because Christ prays for you he is an Intercessor on earth because Christ is an Intercessor in Heaven As he did take off Christs words and used the same that he before had uttered vvhen he spake in and to the Disciples the vvords of life so he takes off Christs prayers also when he prayes in us hee takes but the vvords as it were out of Christs mouth or heart rather and directs our hearts to offer them up to God He also follovvs us to the Sacrament and in that Glasse shews us Christs face smiling on us and through his face his heart and thus helping of us to a sight of him vve goe away rejoycing that we savv our Saviour that day Then secondly all those vvorks both of miracles and conversion of sinners in answer to the Apostles prayers are a demonstration of this What a handsell had Peters first Sermon after Christs Ascension when three thousand soules were converted by it The Apostles you know went on to preach forgivenesse through Christ and in his Name and to invite men to him and what signes and wonders did accompany them to confirme that their preaching and all were the fruits of Christs Intercession in heaven So that what he promised Iohn 14. 12. as an evidence of his minding them in heaven was abundantly fulfilled They upon their asking did greater works then he so Acts 4. 29 30. at the prayers of Peter And Heb. 2. 3 4. the Apostle makes an argument of it How shall we escape sayes he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and with divers miracles c. Yea let me adde this that take all the New Testament and all the Promises in it and expressions of Christs love it was written all since Christs being in heaven by his Spirit and that by commission from Christ and therefore all that you find therein you may build on as his very heart and therein see that what he once said on earth he repealeth not a word now he is in heaven his mind continues the same And the consideration hereof may adde a great confirmation to our faith herein Thirdly some of the Apostles spake with him since even many yeeres after his Ascension Thus Iohn and Paul of which the last was in heaven with him and they both doe give out the same thing of him Paul heard not one Sermon of Christs that we know of whilst on earth and received the Gospel from no man Apostle or other but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven as he speaks Gal. 1. 11 12. But he was converted by Christ himselfe from heaven by immediate speech and conference of Christ himselfe with him and this long after his Ascension And in that one instance Christ abundantly shewed his heart and purpose to continue to all sorts of sinners to the end of the world Thus in two places that great Apostle telleth us the first is 1 Timoth. 1. 13. I was a persecuter a blasphemer sayes he but I obtained mercie and the grace of our Lord namely Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant and upon this he declares with open mouth as it were from Christs own selfe who spake to him from Heaven that this is the faithfullest saying that ever was uttered that Christ came into the World to save sinners whereof I am chiefe sayes he ver 15. And to testifie that this was the very scope of Christ in thus converting of Paul himselfe and Pauls scope also in that place to Timothy to shew so much appears by what follows v. 16. For this cause I obtained this mercie that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to all them that should hereafter beleeve on him unto life everlasting It is expresse you see to assure all sinners unto the end of the world of Christ heart towards them this was his drift For this very cause sayes Paul The second place I alledge in proofe of this is the story of Pauls conversion where he diligently inserts the very words that Christ spake to him from heaven Acts 26. 16. which were these I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnesse to send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Brethren these are Christs words since he went to Heaven and he tels Paul hee appeared unto him to testifie thus much This for Pauls conference with him Then againe sixty yeares after his Ascension did the Apostle Iohn receive a Revelation from him even when all the Apostles were dead for after all their deaths was that book written and that Revelation is said to be in a more immediate manner the Revelation of Iesus Christ so Chap. 1. 1. then any other of the Apostles writings and you read that Christ made an Apparition of himselfe to him and said I am he that was dead and am alive and live for evermore Chap. 1. 18. Now let us but consider Christs last words in that his last book the last that Christ hath spoken since he went to Heaven or that hee is to utter till the day of Judgement
Yet so as his sitting in heaven as it is indefinitely expressed is understood to be as in our right and stead and as a Common person and so is to assure us of our sitting there with him And yet How we may be said to sit in his Throne in our proportion So Rev. 3. 21. it is expresly rendred as the mind and intendment of it Him that overcommeth I will grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also am set downe with my Father in his throne There is a proportion observed though with an inequality we sit on Christs Throne but He onely on his Fathers Throne that is Christ onely sits at Gods right hand but we on Christs right hand And so the Church is said to be at Christs right hand And represents our sitting at the latter day as Judges with him Psal 45. 9. Yea further and it may afford a farther comfort to us in the point in hand this represents that at the latter day we shall sit as Assessors on his Iudgement-seat to judge the world with him So Mat. 19. 28. and Luke 22. 30. When the Sonne of Man shall sit in his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the Tribes of Israel So as this our sitting with him it is spoken in respect to Iudgement and to giving the sentence of it not a sentence shall passe without your votes So as you may by faith not onely look on your selves as already in heaven sitting with Christ And so if we be condemned it must be with our own votes and consent as a Common person in your right but you may look upon your selves as Judges also So that if any sinne should arise to accuse or condemne yet it must be with your votes And what greater security can you have then this for you must condemne your selves if you be condemned you may very well say Who shall accuse Who shall condemne for you will never pronounce a fatall sentence upon your owne selves As then Paul triumphed here The triumph of faith thereupon so may we for at the present we sit in heaven with Christ and have all our enemies under our feet As Ioshuah made his servants set their feet on the necks of those five Kings so God would have us by faith to doe the like to all ours for one day we shall doe it And if you say We see it not I answer as Heb. 2. the Apostle saith of Christ himself Now we see not yet all things put under him ver 8. Now not under him for he now sits in heaven and expects by faith when his enemies shall be made his foot-stoole as Heb. 10 12 and 13. ver but we see for the present Iesus crowned with glory and honour ver 9. and so may be sure that the thing is as good as done and we may in seeing him thus crowned see our selves sitting with him and quietly wait and expect as Christ himselfe doth till all be acomplished and our salvation finished and fully perfected His Intercession now remains only to be spoken of which yet will afford further considerations to strengthen our Faith His sitting at Gods right hand notes out his power over all from God but his Intercession all power and favor with God for us so as to effect our salvation for us with Gods highest contentment and good will and all yet further to secure us Who shall condemne c. SECT V. The Triumph of faith from Christs INTERCESSION ROM 8. 34. Who also maketh intercession for us CHAP. I. A connection of this with the former and how this adds a further support Two things out of the Text propounded to be handled First The concurrencie of influence that Christs intercession hath into our Salvation Secondly The security that Faith may have there-from for our Justification WE have seene Christ sitting at Gods right hand as a Judge and King having all authority of saving or condemning in his own hands and having all power in Heaven and Earth to give eternall life to them that believe And the confidence that this giveth us Let us now come to his Intercession and the influence which it hath into our Iustification and salvation which as it strikes the last stroake to make all sure so as great a stroake as any of the former therfore as you have heard that there was an All-sufficiencie in his Death Who shall condemne it is Christ that dyed a Rather in his Resurrection yea rather is risen again a much rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he lives and is at Gods right hand Rom. 5. 10. The Apostle riseth yet higher to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a saving to the utmost put upon his intercession Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost seeing he ever lives to make intercession So that if you could suppose there were any thing which none of all the former three could doe or effect for us yet his intercession could do it to the utmost for it selfe is the uttermost and highest If Money would purchase our Salvation his Death hath done it which he laid downe as a price and an equivalent ransome as it is in 1. Tim. 2. 6. If Power and authority would effect it his sitting at Gods right hand invested with all power in Heaven and Earth shall be put forth to the utmost to effect it If favour and entreaties added to all these which oft times doth as much as any of those other were needefull he will use the utmost of this also and for ever make intercession So that if Love Money or Power any of them or all of them will save us we shall be sure to bee saved saved to the utmost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all manner of wayes by all manner of meanes saved over and over For the cleering of this last generall head The Intercession of Christ and the influence and security it hath into our faith and justification I shall handle two things and both proper to the Text. First Shew how unto all those other forementioned Acts of Christ for us this of Intercession also is to be added by him for the effecting our salvation and the securing our hearts therein This that particle Also in the Text calls for Who also maketh Intercession for us Then Secondly to shew the security that faith may assume and fetch from this Intercession of Christ or his praying for us in heaven Who shall condemne it is Christ that maketh intercession for us CHAP. II. The first Head explained by two things First Intercession one part of Christs Priesthood and the most excellent part of it TOwards the Explanation of the first of these two things are to be done First To shew how great and necessary and how excellent a part of Christs Priesthood his Intercession and praying for us in heaven is Secondly To shew the peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our salvation and so the reasons for which God ordained
of all he owed unto which payment nothing can be added no not by himselfe though he would come and die again it was made at that once as perfect that is for an oblation as ever himselfe could make But yet still by Gods ordination there remained another further action of another kind that was to be added to this of oblation and that is Intercession or praying for us in Heaven otherwise our salvation by his death were not perfected for if his Priesthood be imperfect our salvation then must needs be so The presenting of that his Sacrifice in heaven was the consummation of his Priesthood and the performance of that part there the perfection of it CHAP. III. The second The speciall peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and Justification and the Reasons why God appointed it to be added to the former TO come now more particularly to shew that proper and speciall influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and what it addes to the Oblation of Christs death though in its kinde perfect in order to the effecting our salvation and so shew the more inward reasons why God ordained for upon his ordination alone this is to be put this work of Intercession in heaven to be joyned with his death And both these I shall put promiscuously together for in laying down the Reasons why God thus ordered our salvation to be brought about by it that influence also which Intercession hath into our salvation will together therewith appeare The Reasons either respect 1 God himselfe who will have us so saved as himselfe may be most glorified Or 2 respect us and our salvation God ordering all the links of this golden chaine of the Causes of our salvation as should make our salvation most sure and stedfast as David in his last Song speaks First sort of reasons respect God 2 Sam. 23. 5. Or 3 respect Christ himself whose glory is to be held up throughout continued as the Author and Finisher of our Salvation Beginner and Ender of our Faith and Justification The first sort of Reasons respect God himselfe 1. 1. In generall God will bee dealt with like himselfe In generall God will be dealt withall like himselfe in and throughout the whole way of our salvation from first to last and carry it all along as a Superiour wronged and so keepe a distance between himself and sinners who still are to come to him by a Priest and a Mediator as Heb. 7. 25. hath it upon whose mediation and intercession for ever as there at least till the day of Judgement their Salvation doth depend and therefore though Christ in his dispensation of all to us downward doth carry it as a King as one having all power to justifie and condemne as hath beene shewne yet upward towards God he carries it as a Priest who must still intercede to do all that which he hath power to do as a King Therefore in the second Psal after that God had set him up as King upon his holy hill ver 6. namely in heaven and so had committed all power in heaven and earth to him then he must yet ask all that he would have done Aske of me and I will give thee c. ver 8. sayes God to him For though he be a King yet he is Gods King I have set My King c. and by asking him God will be acknowledged to be above him But more of this hereafter But 2. 2. More particularly for the glory of Gods Free grace more particularly God hath two Attributes which he would have most eminently appear in their highest glory by Christs effecting our salvation namely Iustice and Free grace and therefore hath so ordered the bringing about of our salvation as that Christ must apply himselfe in a more especiall manner unto each of these by way of Satisfaction to the one of Entreaty to the other Justice will be known to be Justice and dealt with upon its owne tearmes and Grace will be acknowledged to be Free grace throughout the accomplishment of our salvation You have both these joyned Rom. 3. 23 24 25. Being justified freely through his grace by the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus That he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeves Here is highest Iustice and the freest Grace both met to save us and both ordained by God to be declared and set forth as ver Which looks to be applyed unto in a way of entreaty and Intercession 25. and 26. have it I said before that God justifies and saves us through free grace so absolutely freely as if his Justice had had no satisfaction Now therefore our salvation depending being carryed on even in the application of it by a continuation of Grace in a free way notwithstanding satisfaction unto Justice therefore this free grace must be sought to and treated with like it selfe and applyed unto in all and the soveraignty and freenesse of it acknowledged in all even as well as Gods Iustice had the honour to be satisfied by a price paid unto it that so the severity of it might appeare and be held forth in our salvation Thus God having two attributes eminently to be dealt withall his Justice and his free Grace it was meete that there should be two eminent actions of Christs Priesthood wherein he should apply himselfe to each according to their kind and as the nature and glory of each doth require And accordingly in his death he deals with Iustice by laying downe a sufficient price and in his Intercession he entreateth Free grace and thus both come to be alike acknowledged In the 4. Heb. 16. we are encouraged to come boldly to the Throne of grace because we have an High-priest entred into the Heavens Observe how it is called a Throne of grace which our High-priest now in heaven officiates at So called because his Priesthood there deals with free grace chiefly it is a Throne of Grace and so to be sued unto therefore he treateth with God by way of Intercession Of this Throne of Grace in heaven the Mercie-seat in the Holy of holies was the Type And as there the High-priest was to bring the bloud and Mercie-seat together he was to sprinkle the bloud upon it so Christ And as the High-Priest was to go into the Holy of holies by bloud so with Incense also that is Prayer To shew that Heaven is not opened by meere Iustice or bringing onely a price in hand for it but by Grace also and that must be entreated and therefore when the Priest was within that holy place he was to make a Cloud over the Mercie-seat which cloud of Incense is Prayer whereof Incense was the Type Rev. 8. 3. And thence it is that Christ hath as much work of it still in heaven as ever though of another kind He dealt with Iustice here below to satisfie it and here got mony enough to pay the debt but in heaven he
are to looke upon our Mediator CHRIST as doing as much worke for us in Heaven at this instant as ever hee did on Earth here suffering but there praying and presenting his sufferings All his worke was not done when he had done here that worke here was indeede the harder piece of the two yet soone dispatched but his work in heaven though sweeter far yet lyes on his hands for ever therefore let us leave out none of these in our believing on him CHAP. IV. The second Head The great security the consideration of Christs Intercession affords to faith for our Justification shewed 1. By way of evidence By two things ANd so I come as in the former I have done to shew what strong grounds of security and triumph our faith may raise frō this last act namely Christs Intercession for us in the point of justification Who shall condemne it is Christ that intercedes And this was the second generall propounded and therein to proceed also according to the Method taken up in the former 1. What assurance by way of evidence this doth afford unto faith of non-condemnation 2. What powerfull efficacy and influence this must be of that Christ intercedes First §. 1. to handle it by way of evidence That Christ intercedes To evidence these two demonstrations is a strong evidence to our faith by two demonstrations 1. From the very intent and scope of the worke of intercession it selfe and what it is ordained by God to effect 2. From the end of Jesus Christ himself who lives in Heaven on purpose to intercede for us Our salvation it is both Finis operis the end of the work and finis ipsius operantis in some respect the end of Christ himselfe the interceder and both these doe lay the greatest engagement that can be upon Christ to accomplish our salvation through his intercession 1. For the work it self Intercession you have seen is a part of the office of Christs Priesthood as well as his dying and offering himselfe now all the works of Christ are must be perfect in their kind even as Gods are of which sayes Moses Deut. 32. 4. His work is perfect for otherwise he should not be a perfect Priest Now the perfection of every work lies in order to its end for which it is ordained so as that work is perfect that attains to such an end as it is ordained for and that imperfect which doth not Now the immediate direct end of Christs Intercession is the actuall salvation of Beleevers Elect and persons whom he dyed for The end of his death is Adoptio juris purchasing a right unto salvation but of Intercession procuratio ipsius salutis the very saving us actually and putting us in possession of Heaven To this purpose observe how the Scripture speaks concerning Christs death Heb. 9. 12. He entred into heaven having obtained Redemption or found redemption that is by way of right by procuring full title to it But of his Intercession it sayes Heb. 7. 25. that by it Christ is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him that is actually to save and put them in possession of happinesse that is made the end and scope of Intercession there and that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the utmost notes out a saving indeed a doing it not by halves but wholly and throughly and compleatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to save altogether to give our salvation its last act and complement that is the true force of the phrase even to effect it to the last of it all that is to be done about it Thus also Rom. 5. 9 and 10. We are justified by his death but saved namely compleatly by his life that is his living to intercede So that the very salvation of Beleevers is it that is the work the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christs Intercession Now what security doth this afford What security this affords for to be saved is more then to be justified for it is the actual possessing us of heaven So then do but grant that Christs Intercession is as perfect a work in its kind as Christs death is in its kind and you must needs be saved The perfection of Christs death and the work thereof wherein lay it as on Christs part to be performed but in this that he should lay downe a Ransome sufficient to purchase salvation for such and such persons as God would save and so the perfection of it lies in the worth and sufficiencie of it to that end it was ordained for it being a perfect sacrifice in it self able to purchase eternall redemption for us and to make us salvable against all sins and the demerits of them and to give us right to Heaven and had it wanted a graine of this it had then been imperfect Now then answerably for intercession the comfort of our souls is that the proper work that lies upon Christ therein is the compleat saving those very persons and the possessing them of Heaven this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper worke thereof To out-vie the demerits of our sins was the perfection of his death but to save our soules is the end and perfection of his Intercession Our sins are the object of the one and our soules of the other To that end was intercession added to his death that we might not have a right to Heaven in vaine of which we might be dispossessed Now therefore upon this ground if Christ should faile of our souls salvation yea but of any one degree of glory purchased by his death to any soule which that soule should want this work of his would then want and fal short so much of its perfection That place in Heb. 7. sayes not only that Christ will doe his utmost to save but save to the utmost You may say Object My infidelitie and obstinacy may hinder it though Christ doth what in him lies Well Resp but intercession undertakes the worke absolutely For Christ prays not conditionally in Heaven If men shall believe c. as we doe here on earth nor for propositions only but for persons and therefore he prays to cure that very infidelity Now as if a Physitian undertakes to cure a mad man if he knowes what he doth he considers the madnesse of his Patient and how he will teare off what is applyed and refuse all Physick hee therefore resolves to deal with him accordingly and so to order him as he shall not hinder that help which he is about to afford him and so upon those tearms he undertakes the cure even so doth Christ when by intercession hee undertakes to save us sinners he considers us what we are and how it is with us For Christ otherwise should not be as perfect a Priest in interceding as he was in dying what unbeliefe is in us yet undertakes the matter and so to save us is the scope and end of this his work which if he
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
many threatnings gone out against them never so many presidents and examples of men condemned before for the like sins and in the like case yet Christ can prevaile against them all CHAP. IX The potencie of Christs Intercession demonstrated in that he intercedes with God who is Our Father How Gods heart is as much inclined to heare Christ for us as Christs is to intercede SEcondly Christ is an Advocate for us with Our Father You may perhaps think there is little in that but Christ puts much upon it yea so much as if that God would however grant all that Christ himselfe means to ask whether Christ asked it or no. This you have expresly in Iohn 16. 26 27. At that day sayes Christ you shall ask in my name and I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you To open this place where he sayes at that day The day he meanes through this whole Chapter is that time vvhen the holy Ghost should be shed upon them for throughout his discourse he stil speaks of the fruits of his Ascension and of giving the Comforter vvhich vvas done upon his ascending and vvas the first fruits of his priestly office in Heaven Thus Peter informs us Act. 2. 33. He being sayes he exalted by the right hand of God and having received namely by asking Ask and I will give thee of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and heare Now of that time vvhen he shall be in Heaven he sayes I say not that I will pray for you vvhich is not meant that Christ prays not for us in heaven but rather those very vvords are the highest intimation that he vvould and doth pray for us that can be When men vvould most strongly intimate their purpose of a kindnesse they mean to doe for one they use to say I doe not say that I love you or that I will doe this or that for you which is as much as to say I will surely doe it and doe it to purpose But Christs scope here is as in the highest manner to promise them that he would pray for them so withall further to tell them for their more abundant assurance and security that besides their having the benefit of his prayers God himselfe so loves them of himselfe that indeed that alone were enough to obtaine any thing at his hands which they shall but ask in his name so as he needs not pray for them and yet he will too But now in this case if he himselfe pray for them and they themselves in his name and both unto a Father who of himselfe loveth them and who hath purposed to grant all before either he or they should ask vvhat hope must there needs be then of a good successe this is both the meaning of this place and a great truth to be considered on by us to the purpose in hand That it is the meaning of the place the manner of Christs speech implies I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you It is such a speech as Christ used upon a cleane contrary occasion Iohn 5. 45. Doe not thinke sayes he that I will accuse you to the Father there is one who accuseth you even Moses c. He there threatens the obstinate and accursed Pharisees with condemnation Never stand thinking that it is I sayes he who am your onely enemie and accuser that will procure your condemnation and so prosecute the matter against you meerely for my own interest no I shall not neede to doe it though I should not accuse you your owne Moses in whom you trust he is enough to condemne you he will doe your errand sufficiently you would be sure to be damned by his words and sayings I shall not neede to trouble my selfe to come in and enter my action against you too Moses and his Law would follow the suit and be enough to condemne you to Hel. So as this Speech doth not implie that Christ will not at all accuse them no he meanes to bring in his action against them too for he after sayes If he had not spoke to them they had had no sinne and therefore he meant to bring the greatest accusation of all Now in an opposite though parallel speech here to comfort his Disciples he sayes I say not that I will pray for you that God may save you I who your selves shall see will dye for you I say not that I will pray for you not I. But though I speake this to insinuate in the highest manner that I will for if I spend my blood for you will I not spend my breath for you yet the truth is that the case so stands that but for Gods own ordination I should not neede to doe it for the Father himselfe loves you that is the Father of his own motion and proper good will taken up of himselfe towards you and not wrought in him by me doth love you and beares so much love to you as he can deny you nothing for he is your Father as well as mine How much more then shall you be saved when I shall strike in too and use all my interest in him for you Christ on purpose useth this speech so to dash out of their hearts that conceit which harboureth in many of ours who look upon God in the matter of Salvation as one who is hardly entreated to come off to save sinners and with whom Christ through the backwardnesse of his heart hath so much adoe and we are apt to think that when he doth come off to pardon he doth it only meerly at Christs entreaty and for his sake having otherwise no innate motion in himselfe sufficient to encline his heart to it but that it is in this transaction by Christ with him as a Favourite procures a Pardon for a Traitor whose person the King cares not for only at his Favourites suit and request he grants it which else he would never have done You are deceived sayes Christ it is otherwise my Fathers heart is as much towards you and for your salvations as mine is Himselfe of himselfe loveth you And the truth is that God took up as vast a love unto us of himselfe at first as ever he hath borne us since and all that Christ doth for us is but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in Gods owne heart Thus we find that out of that love he gave Christ for us So Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world of elect that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to dye c. Yea Christs death was but a meanes to commend or set forth that love of his unto us So Rom. 5. 8. it was God also that did himselfe give the persons unto Christ and under-hand set him on work to mediate for them God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe He onely used
or declaration of his mind wee have from this his carriage at this his last farewell Let us next take a survey of the drift of that long Sermon which hee made at that his farewell and wee shall find the maine scope of it to be further to assure his Disciples of what his Heart would be unto them and that will make a second Demonstration It were too long a work to insist upon each particular 2. From many passages in that last Sermon But certainly no loving Husband ever endeavoured more to satisfie the heart of his Spouse during his absence then Christ doth his Disciples hearts and in them all Beleevers For take that along once for all that what Christ said unto them he sayes unto us as in that 17. of Iohn that speech implyes I pray not for them onely but for those also that shall beleeve through their word And as what he prayed for them was for all Beleevers also so what he then spake unto them First he lets them see what his heart would be unto them and how mindfull of them when in heaven by that businesse which he professeth hee vvent thither to performe for them concerning which observe first that he lovingly acquaints them with it afore-hand what it is which argued care and tendernesse as from an husband unto a vvife it doth And vvithall hovv plaine heartedly doth he speak as one that vvould not hide any thing from them Ioh. 16. 7. I tell you the truth of it sayes he it is expedient and expedient for you that I goe away And secondly he tels them it is wholly for them and their happinesse I goe to send you a Comforter whilst you are in this world to prepare a place for you Iohn 14. 2. when you shall goe out of this world There are many mansions in my Fathers house and I goe to take them up for you to keep your places for you till you come And there againe how openly and candidly doth he speak to them If it had beene otherwise sayes he I would have told you You may beleeve me I would not deceive you for all the glory in that place to which I am a going Whom would not this opennesse and nakednesse of heart perswade But then thirdly the businesse it selfe being such as is so much for us and our happinesse how much more doth that argue it And indeed Christ himselfe doth fetch from thence an argument of the continuance of his love to them So ver 3. If I goe to prepare a place for you if that be my errand then doubt not of my love when I am there All the glory of the place shall never make me forget my businesse When he was on earth he forgot none of the businesse for which he came into the World Shall I not doe my Fathers businesse sayd he when he was a child yes and he did it to the utmost by fulfilling all righteousnesse Surely therefore he will not forget any of that businesse which he is to do in heaven it being the more pleasant work by far And as I shewed in the former discourse out of Heb. 6. 20. He is entred as a Fore-runner an Harbinger to take up places there for us and if he could forget us yet our names are all written in heaven round about him are continually afore his eyes written there not onely by Gods election so Heb. 12. 23. Ye are come to mount Sion and to the heavenly Ierusalem and to the Church of the first-borne which are written in heaven and to Iesus and to the bloud of sprinkling c. but Christ himselfe scores them up anew with his bloud over every mansion there which he takes up for any Yea he carryeth their names written in his heart as the High-priest did the names of the ten Tribes on his breast when he entred into the Holy of Holies He sits in heaven to see to it that none other should take their roomes over their heads as we say And therefore 1. Pet. 1. 4. Salvation is said to be reserved in Heaven for them that is kept on purpose for them by Jesus Christ The evill Angels had places there once but they were disposed of unto others over their heads as the Land of Canaan vvas from the Canaanites the reason of vvhich vvas because they had not a Christ there to intercede for them as vve have Then secondly to manifest his mind fulnesse of them and of all beleevers else when he should be in his glory he tels them that when he hath dispatched that busines for them and made Heaven ready for them and all the elect that are to come that then he meanes to come again to them So Chap. 14. ver 3. If I goe and prepare a place for you I will come again vvhich is a meere expression of love for he if he had pleased he might have ordered it to have sent for them to him but he means to come for them himselfe and this vvhen he is warm as vve speake and in the height and midst of his glory in Heaven yet he vvill for a time leave it to come again unto his Spouse And what is it for 1. To see her I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce 2. To fetch her So Iohn 14. 3. I will come again and receive you to my selfe He condescends to the very laws of Bridegrooms for notwithstanding all his greatnesse no Lover shall put him down in any expression of true love It is the manner of Bridegrooms when they have made all ready in their Fathers house then to come themselves and fetch their Brides and not to send for them by others because it is a time of love Love descends better then ascends and so doth the love of Christ who indeed is Love it self therefore comes down to us himself I will come again and receive you unto my self sayes Christ that so where I am you may be also That last part of his speech gives the reason of it and withall bewrayes his entire affection It is as if he had said The truth is I cannot live without you I shall never be quiet till I have you where I am that so vve may never part againe that is the reason of it Heaven shall not hold me nor my Fathers company if I have not you with me my heart is so set upon you And if I have any glory you shall have part of it So ver 19. Because I live you shall live also It is a reason and it is halfe an oath besides As I live is Gods oath Because I live sayes Christ He pawnes his life upon it and desires to live upon no other tearmes He shall live to see his seed c. Esay 53. And yet further the more to expresse the workings and longings of his heart after them all that while he tels them it shall not be long neither ere he doth come againe to them So Iohn 16. 16.
Againe a little while and ye shall see me a little while and ye shall not see me sayes he Which not seeing him refers not to that small space of absence whilst dead and in the grave but of that after his last ascending forty dayes after his Resurrection when he should goe away not to be seene on earth againe untill the day of Judgement and yet from that Ascension but a little while sayes he and you shall see me againe namely at the day of Judgement It is said Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little little as may be Though long for the time in it selfe yet as little while as may be in respect of his desire without the least delaying to come He will stay not a moment longer then till he hath dispatcht all our businesse there for us And then the doubling of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veniens veniet Comming he will come implyes vehemencie of desire to come and that his mind is alwayes upon it he is still a comming he can hardly be kept away Thus the Hebrew phrase likewise signifies an urgencie vehemencie and intensenesse of some act as Expecting I have expected Desiring I have desired so Comming he will come And as not content with these expressions of desire hee adds over and above all these And will not tarry and all to signifie the infinite ardencie of his mind towards his Elect below and to have all his Elect in heaven about him He will not stay a minute longer then needs must he tarryes onely till he hath throughout all Ages by his Intercession prepared every room for each Saint that he may entertaine them all at once together and have them all about him Thirdly what his heart would be towards them in his absence he expresseth by the carefull provision hee makes and the order hee takes for their comfort in his absence Ioh. 16. 18. I will not leave you as Orphanes so the word is I will not leave you like father-lesse and friendlesse children at sixes and sevens My Father and I have but one onely friend who lyes in the bosome of us both and proceedeth from us both the holy Ghost and in the meane time I will send him to you Doing herein as a loving Husband useth to doe in his absence even commit his Wife to the dearest friend he hath so doth Christ Ver. 16. I will pray the Father sayes he and he shall give you another Comforter And Chap. 16. 7. he saith I will send him to you Who First shall be a better Comforter unto you then I am to be in this kind of dispensation which whilst I am on earth I am bound up towards you in So in that 16. of Iohn ver 7. he intimates It is expedient sayes he that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come who by reason of his office will comfort you bettet then I should doe with my bodily presence And this Spirit as he is the earnest of heaven as the Apostle speaks so he is the greatest token pledge of Christs love that ever was and such a one as the world cannot receive And yet secondly all the comfort he shall speak to you all that while will be but from the expression of my heart towards you For as he comes not of himselfe but I must send him Ioh. 16. 7. so he will speake nothing of himselfe but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake ver 13. And ver 14. he sayes He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Him therefore I shall send on purpose to be in my roome and to execute my place to you my Bride Spouse and he shall tell you if you will listen to him and not grieve him nothing but stories of my love So it is there He shall glorifie me namely to you for I am in my selfe already glorified in heaven All his speech in your hearts will be to advance me and to greaten my worth and love unto you and it will be his delight to doe it And he can come from heaven in an instant when he will and bring you fresh tidings of my mind and tell you the thoughts I last had of you even at that very minute when I am thinking of them what they are at the very time wherein he tells you them And therefore in that 1 Cor. 2. by having the Spirit ver 12. we are said to have the mind of Christ ver ult For he dwelleth in Christs heart and also ours and lifts up from one hand to the other what Christs thoughts are to us and what our prayers and faith are to Christ So that you shall have my heart as surely and as speedily as if I were with you and he will continually be breaking your hearts either with my love to you or yours to me or both and if either you may be sure of my love thereby And whereas sayes he you have the Spirit now in your hearts so ver 17. of Chap. 14. He now dwels in you yet after my Ascension he shall be in a further measure in you as it follows there And at that day ver 20. you shall know namely by his Dictate that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you He will tell you when I am in Heaven that there is as true a conjunction between me and you and as true a dearnesse of affection in me towards you as is between my Father and me and that it is as impossible to breake this knot and to take off my heart from you as my Fathers from me or mine from my Father And then thirdly you shall be sure that what he sayes of my love to you is true for he is the Spirit of truth Chap. 16. ver 13. as also Chap. 1. ver 16 17. which Christ speaks of him as he is a Comforter And as you beleeve me when I tell you of my Father because I come from him so you may beleeve him in all that hee sayes of mee and of my love to you for hee comes from me Ay but might they say Will not hee also leave us for a time as you have done No sayes Christ Chap. 14. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter and he shall abide with you for ever Christ speakes it in opposition to himselfe He himselfe had beene a Comforter unto them but he was now to be absent but not so the Spirit He shall be with you for ever and as he is now with you so he shall be in you ver 17. In the fourth place if this be not enough to assure them how his heart would bee affected towards them he assures them he will give them daily experience of it Doe but try me sayes he vvhen I am gone and that by sending me vvord upon all occasions vvhat you
vvould have mee to doe for you and I have left my Spirit to be your Secretary and the Enditer of all your Petitions Hitherto you have asked nothing that is little in my name he blames them that they have asked him no more to doe for them but now ask and you shall receive And if otherwise you vvill not beleeve yet you shall beleeve your own eyes ask you shall see your selves answered presently and so Beleeve me sayes he for the very works sake Ioh. 14. 11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them in answer to their prayers when hee was gone which should be as so many Epistles of his heart returned in answer unto theirs For it follows ver 12. Hee that beleeveth on me shall do greater works then I because I goe to my Father So that it is manifest he speakes of the works done after his Ascension And how vvere they to get and procure them to be done By Prayer so it follows ver 13. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I doe Hee speakes it of the time when he is gone And again he sayes in ver 14. If you shall ask any thing in my name I will doe it Let me but heare from you be it every weeke every day every houre you shall be sure of an answer Open your mouthes wide I will fill them And those your Prayers shall be as continuall tokens both of your hearts towards me and my answers shall be the like of mine to you And because Christ bids them direct their Letters their Prayers to the Father onely to send them in his name as Iohn 16. 23. and so they might perhaps not so cleerly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them but his Fathers hand onely therefore hee adds twice in the 14. of Iohn I will doe it I will doe it He speakes like one as forward to doe for them as his Father is or should be and as desirous to have them knovv and take notice of his hand in it And it is as if he had said Though you ask the Father in my name yet all comes through my hands and I will doe it there must be my hand to the warrant for every thing that is done and my heart shall not be wanting In the fift place yet further to evidence his love he not onely bids them thus to pray to him and in his name upon all occasions but he assureth them that he himselfe will pray for them and observe but the manner of his telling them this it is in the most insinuating perswasive expressions to convey his heart in to them that men use to utter when they would intimate the deepest care and purpose to doe a thing Chap. 16. 26. At that day namely after his Ascension ye shall ask c. sayes he and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you no not I. I mentioned it afore I wil but add this illustration to it It is such a speech as men use when they would expresse the greatest reason that another hath to rest confident and assured of their love I doe not love you no not I. It is an expressing a thing by its contrary which is most emphaticall As when we say of a man that hath the greatest good turn done him that can be You are shrewdly hurt It is such an expression as Paul used to the Corinthians I converted your soules when you thought not of it I caught you with guile forgive mee this wrong So sayes Christ here I say not that I will pray for you when the truth is that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven He lives ever to intercede as he ever lives so to intercede ever and never to hold his peace till sinners are saved But the work of Christ in heaven is a subject deserves and will take up a distinct and large discourse I wil therefore speak no more of it now neither will I mention any more particulars out of this his Sermon Reade but over those 3. Chapters the 14 15 and 16. for in them you have the longest Sermon of his that is recorded and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other because indeed his heart was more in it then in any point that he ever preached on Onely if any object and say He spake all this to his Disciples to quiet and pacifie them and so more in respect to their trouble then otherwise he would have spoken In the sixt place reade but the next Chapter the 17. and you shall see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father and speaks over all again unto him that which he had said unto them He sayes as much behind their backs of them as he had said before their faces to them Reade it and you will finde that he was the same absent that present with them He was therefore not onely hearty in what he had said but his heart was full of it That Chapter you know contains a Prayer put up just before his suffering and there he makes his Will his last request for in such a style it runs Father I will ver 24. which Will he is gone to see executed in Heaven And Arminius said true in that that this Prayer is left us by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in Heaven he spake as he meant to doe in Heaven and as one that had done his worke and was now come to demand his wages I have finished thy work sayes he ver 4 c. And whereas he speakes a word or two for himself in the first 5. verses he speaks five times as many for them for all the rest of the Chapter is a Prayer for them He useth all kind of Arguments to move his Father for his children I have finished the work which thou gavest me to doe sayes he and to save them is thy work which remains to be done for mee by thee and they are thine and thou gavest them me and I commend to thee but thine owne And all mine are thine and thine are mine He insinuates that he of himselfe had not added a man but useth all his interest onely for those that the Father had given him and what a motive is this and he professeth he wil not open his mouth for a man more I pray not for the world sayes he I will not open my lips for any one sonne of perdition but I employ all my Blood my Prayers and my whole interest with thee but for those thy selfe hast given me And sayes he though thou hast given me a personall glory which I had before the World was yet there is another glory which I account of almost as much and that is in their being saved I am glorifyed in them sayes he ver 10. and they are my joy ver 13. and therefore I must have them with mee where ever I am ver 24. Thou
you have them in the last Chapter ver 16. I Iesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches I am the root and the off-spring of David and the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely They are the latter words I cite this place for The occasion of these words was this Christ was now in Heaven and had before promised one day to come again and fetch us all to Heaven And in the meane time marke what an ecchoing and answering of hearts and of desires there is mutually betweene Him from heaven and beleeving sinners from below Earth calls upon Heaven and Heaven calls upon earth as the Prophet speaks The Bride from earth sayes unto Christ Come to me and the Spirit in the Saints hearts below sayes Come unto him also and Christ cryes out as loud from Heaven Come in answer unto this desire in them so that heaven and earth ring againe of it Let him that is athirst come to me and let him that will come come and take of the waters of life freely This is Christ speech unto men on earth They call him to come unto earth to Judgement and he calls sinners to come up to heaven unto him for mercie They cannot desire his comming to them so much as he desires their comming to him Now what is the meaning of this that upon their calling upon him to come he should thus call upon them to come It is in effect as if he had plainly uttered himselfe thus I have a heart to come to you but I must have all you my Elect that are to be on earth come to me first You would have me come downe to you but I must stay here till all that the Father hath given me be come to me and then you shall be sure quickly to have me with you Hereby expressing how much his heart now longs after them This to be his meaning is evident by the words which he adds ver 20. He which testifies these things namely Christ sayes Surely I come quickly And if we observe how much by the by as it were these words of Christs doe come in it makes them the more remarkable to shew his heart in uttering them This Book was intended meerly as a Prophecie of the times of the Gospell untill his comming unto which period of it when Iohn had brought that Prophetique story he brings in the Bride longing for that comming of Christ The Bride sayes Come And no sooner sayes she so but Christ by way of retortion doth likewise say Come unto her also yea it puts the more observation upon it that he had uttered the same words before Revel 21. 6. but notwithstanding he will repeate them again and have them to be his last words All which shews how much his heart was in this part of the Gospel to invite sinners to him that now when he is to speake but one sentence more till wee hear the sound to judgement he should especially make choice of these words Let them therfore for ever stick with you as being worthy to be your last thoughts when you come to die and when you are a going to him He speakes indeed something else after them but that which he sayes afterwards is but to set a seal unto these words and to the rest of the Scriptures whereof this is the chiefe And further to shew that these words vvere singled out to be his last and that he meant to speak no more till the day of judgement therefore also he adds a curse to him who should adde to them or take from them He adds indeed after that another speech but it is onely to ingeminate his willingnesse to come quickly were all his elect but once come in to him so ver 20. And all this tends to assure us that this is his heart and wee shall find him of no other minde untill his comming again And that you may yet the more consider them as thus purposely brought in by him as his last words to make them stick with us let me adde another observation about them and that is this that at another time when he was upon earth he in like manner singled out these very words I mean the matter of them as the conclusion and shutting up of many dayes preaching Thus Iohn 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the Feast Iesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke These words were spoken on the last day of the feast after which hee vvas to preach no more at that time and for a good vvhile after unto them and he had preached upon all the former dayes of that feast as his manner vvas and it vvas the great day of the Feast vvhen he had the greatest audience and you see he chooseth this for his last sentence of tht his last Sermon then and vvhen he vvould give them something at parting as a Viaticum vvhich he would have them carry home vvith them to feede upon above all the rest these are his vvords If any man thirst let him come to mee and drinke which himself interprets to be beleeving on him ver 38. and he stands up to speak this yea he cries sayes the text vvith open mouth with utmost vehemencie to the intent that all might heare this above all sayings else And thus in like manner at this time also when he is to speak no more but to hold his tongue for ever till the day of Judgement nor is to write any more Scriptures he then sends his Angel to testifie these to be his last words and this although he had spoken them before It was therefore assuredly done to shew his heart in them They were his last words then and they shall be mine in the closure of this Discourse for vvhat can there be added to them THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth II. PART HEB. 4. 15. For we have not an High-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin THE onely Use I shall make of these words is to be a foundation unto that second part of that head or point of Doctrine into which I have made an entrance which was to demonstrate the gracious inclination and temper of Christs he art towards sinners now he is in Heaven The extrinsecall Demonstrations of this which I make the first part of it are dispatched And for a ground-word to these more Intrinsecall Demonstrations which make a second part I have chosen this Text as that which above any other speaks his heart most and sets out the frame and workings of it towards sinners and that so sensibly that it doth as it were take our hands and lay them upon Christs breast and let us feele how his heart
and so is able experimentally to pittie a heart wounded with it and struggling under such temptations He knowes full well the heart of one in his owne sense forsaken by God seeing himselfe felt it when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Vses of all 1. Use 1 THus that which hath beene said may afford us the strongest consolations and encouragements against our sinnes of any other consideration whatsoever and may give us the greatest assurance of their being removed off from us that may be for First Christ himselfe suffers as it were at least is affected under them as his enemies which therefore he will be sure to remove for his owne quiet sake His heart would not be quiet but that he knowes they shall be removed As God sayes in the Prophet so may Christ say much more My Bowels are troubled for him I remember him still Jeremiah 31. 20. Secondly there is comfort concerning such infirmities in that your very sinnes move him to pittie more then to anger This text is plaine for it for he suffers with us under our infirmities and by infirmities are meant sinnes as well as other miseries as was proved whilst therefore you looke on them as infirmities as God here lookes upon them and speakes of them in his owne and as your disease and complaine to Christ of them and doe cry out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me so long feare not Christ he takes part with you and is so farre from being provoked against you as all his anger is turned upon your sinne to ruine it yea his pity is increased the more towards you even as the heart of a father is to a child that hath some loathsome disease or as one is to a member of his body that hath the leprosie hee hates not the member for it is his flesh but the disease and that provokes him to pittie the part affected the more What shall not make for us when our sinnes that are both against Christ and us shall be turned as motives to him to pitie us the more The object of pitty is one in miserie whom we love and the greater the misery is the more is the pity when the party is beloved Now of all miseries sinne is the greatest and whilst your selves look at it as such Christ will looke upon it as such only also in you And he loving your persons and hating only the sinne his hatred shall all fall and that only upon the sinne to free you of it by its ruine and destruction but his bowels shall be the more drawne out to you and this as much when you lie under sin as under any other affliction Therefore feare not What shall separate us from Christs love What ever tryall Use 2 or temptation or miserie we are under we may comfort ourselves with this that Christ was once under the same or some one like unto it which may comfort us in these three differing respects that follow by considering First that we are thereby but conformed to his example for he was tempted in all and this may bee no small comfort to us Secondly we may look to that particular instance of Christs being under the like as a meriting cause to procure and purchase succour for us under the same now and so in that respect may yet further comfort our selves And Thirdly his having once borne the like may relieve us in this that therefore he experimentally knowes the misery and distresse of such a condition and so is yet further moved quickned thereby to help us As the Doctrine delivered is a comfort Use 3 so the greatest motive against sinne and perswasive unto obedience to consider that Christs heart if it be not afflicted with and how far it may suffer with us we know not yet for certaine hath lesse joy in us as we are more or lesse sinfull or obedient You know not by sinning what blowes you give the heart of Christ If no more but that his joy is the lesse in you it should move you as it useth to doe those that are ingenuous And take this as one incentive to obedience that if he retaine the same heart and mind for mercy towards you which he had here on earth Then to answer his love endeavour you to have the same heart towards him onearth which you hope to have in heaven and as you daily pray Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven In all miseries and distresses you may be sure to know where to have a friend to help and pity you Use 4 even in heaven CHRIST one whose nature office interest relation all doe engage him to your succour you will finde men even friends to be oftentimes unto you unreasonable and their bowels in many cases shut up towards you Well say to them all If you will not pittie me Choose I know one that will one in heaven whose heart is touched with the feeling of all my infirmities and I will goe and bemoane my selfe to him Come boldly sayes the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even with open mouth to lay open your complaints and you shall finde grace and mercy to helpe in time of need Men love to see themselves pityed by friends though they cannot helpe them Christ can and will doe both FINIS