in Scripture Good Hezekiah when a Messenger came to him to bid him set his house in order for he must die how humble he was and how lowly he was But when a Messenger came and said he should live yet fifteen years and the Scripture saith he recovered of his sickness His heart was lifted up and he did not render unto the Lord the thanks that was due to him 2 Chron. 32. 24 25. When he was restored he forgat his mortality his heart was lifted up You see then the vanity of humane nature therefore if you would be humble think more of dying than of living 2. If all men must die it should teach all to improve our lives to do all the good we can whilst we live Saith Solomon Eccles 9. Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might We have read and heard of some good Christians that have improved their lives and have stood much upon the considerations of their going to Eternity Oh that we might all do so 3. Seeing we must die as well as the Sons of Levi it should teach us contentment under all our troubles for death swallows all death buries all the sorrows and griefs of the Children of God If you have read the Martyrology of the Church of God you will see what strong consolation they have had at their deaths upon this account they knew that being in Christ death would set them free from all their sins and sorrows 4. If death be common to all and all must die then what cause have we to bless God for the promise of the glorious Resurrection for the hopes of Eternal Life for the Soul at death and the Resurrection of the Body to glory at the last day for those that are in Christ Oh how this should raise and comfort our spirits Saith the Apostle It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption 't is sown in dishonour 't is raised in honour 't is sown in weakness 't is raised in power 't is sown a natural body 't is raised a spiritual body The consideration of this should raise our spirits I remember I have read of a speech of a dying Roman being asked where he would be buried he answered I care not where you bury me for my stench when I am dead will cause you to bury me Ah! but a true Christian can speak in a better Language as Job 19. 25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God You that are in Christ comfort your selves and one another with these words SERMON IV. Hebrews 7. from verse 9 to 12. And as I may so say Levi also who received Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham For he was yet in the loins of his Father when Melchisedeck met him If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priest-hood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedeck and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law SEveral things have already been spoken of Jesus Christ as he was prefigured by Melchisedeck called the Priest of the most high God The last time I spoke to you from this Scripture we went to v. 9. of this chapter and I shall not repeat what hath been spoken but shall proceed this morning to open these verses which I have now read at this time These words of the Apostle are brought in still to prove that the order of Melchisedeck according to which Christ is a Priest for ever is greater than the order of Aaron or Levi. And he proves it thus because Levi who received Tythes of the people of Israel paid Tythes to Melchisedeck in the loins of Abraham Here is a Mystery and a very profitable Truth that lies couched in these words Levi is said to be in the loins of Abraham How is that why Levi was the third Son of Jacob by his wife Leah Gen. 49. 34. This Levi had a Family and a Tribe out of which in process of time God chose the Priesthood And it was a great honour to that Tribe above all the Tribes of Israel that God should raise out of them a people to serve him in the holy things in the Sanctuary and to be nearer to him than all the Tribes besides Now this Levi or Posterity or Family of Levi are said to be in the loins of Abraham when Abraham gave to Melchisedeck the Tenths of the spoils How in his loins Levi as I said before was the Son of Jacob and Jacob was but the Grand-son of Abraham for Abraham you know had Isaac and Isaac had Jacob and Jacob had this Son Levi who was the head of that Tribe of which the Priesthood was So that Abraham was the great Grand-father of Levi and of all his posterity and yet they are said to be in the loins of Abraham The Holy Ghost brings in this that Levi was in the loins of Abraham to teach us two things First That Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Progenitors And Secondly The actions of Children are included in the actions of their Fathers as Levi paid Tythes in Abraham 1. Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Stock they come of 'T is true God made a difference sometimes by his Providence and sometimes by his special Grace Though sometimes God in the way of his Providence advances Children above their Parents in this World So Saul and David were advanced to be Kings when their Fathers were not So many in the World that have been born of mean Parents and of Parents that have had no repute in the World are by the providence of God advanced to some repute and condition in the World This is by providence not by nature 2. Some advanced by special Grace to a far better condition than their Parents And so where Children are godly that come of wicked Parents this is an advancement of Grace Hezekiah and Josiah were advanced by special Grace above their Fathers But though God by his Providence and special Grace doth sometimes and often advance Children above the condition of their Parents yet they are in the common condition with them we are all such as inherit our Fathers sins and our Fathers infirmities Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean Job 14. 4. Fathers unclean and Children unclean and Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 25. 6. Having spoken of Man How much less Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man which is a Worm A Worm is a poor weak Creature as our Fathers were so are we And therefore saith the Prophet Elijah when he was weary of the World and requested of God that he might die he
Christ It is a Priesthood of power and of an endless life Here are three things to be observed First Christs Priesthood is a Priesthood of power able to bring that to pass it was appointed for Pray look into Heb. 7. 18. There you will find that there was a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof to work upon the Soul of man But this of our Lord Jesus Christ is a Priesthood of power for what he did for us he did perfectly He cleanses us from our sins and he doth reconcile us to God He doth justifie us and he doth save us Thus Christs Priesthood is a Priesthood of power 2. It is not only a Priesthood of power but of an endless life How is that why it brings all Believers into a state of life Hence our life is said to be hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory And then 3. It is a Priesthood of an endless life How is that All men die in this World sooner or later And the Priesthood of Aaron that is dead They could not continue by reason of death But Jesus Christ he ever liveth he is a Priest for ever and abideth our Intercessor and he hath brought everlasting life to us Hence you have those words of his in John 11. 26. Whosoever believeth on me shall never die He shall have an endless life How never die he shall be changed but not die in some sense Tho' there is a separation of Soul and Body yet that is a Believers gain and not his loss There is a change of a mortal life for an immortal life He shall lay down this earthly Tabernacle of the Body for a spiritual for an endless life And this is useful to us to quiet our minds and to make us patient under all afflictions and changes we find or meet with This may be comfort against approaching death to Believers For if there be an endless life we may triumph with the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thus you have heard that our Lord Jesus Christ hath a Priesthood of power and of an endless life SERMON VI. Hebrews 7. 17 18 19. For he Testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God THE last time I spoke to you from this chapter I concluded with v. 16. where it is said that Jesus Christ is made a Priest after the power of an endless life These were the last words spoken to Now the Apostle to prove this he goes on to demonstrate it in these three verses which I have read unto you and to be opened this morning as God shall assist Christ Jesus was made a Priest after the power of an endless life our Apostle proves it First In v. 17. in these words for he testified Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Is made a Priest after the power of an endless life But Jesus Christ is made a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck And to prove this still more evidently he tells us in v. 18. That there is a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof God disannulled the Commandment going before He disannulled the old Priesthood to set up the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ for ever And the reason why God disannulled the Commandment going before is given in the latter end of verse 18. Because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof And this he further amplifies in verse 19. For saith he the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did These particulars to be opened in the three verses To begin with verse 17. For he testifies thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck he testified why who testified why David testified or the Spirit of God by David testified In Psal 110. 4. there is the testimony The Lord he sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Mind it when David testified this the Levitical Priesthood was then in its greatest glory For David lived in a time when the service of God was performed according to the order of Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood yet David testified of another Priesthood David was in his day a Prophet in the Church of God and a great Prophet and he was inspired by the Holy Ghost to testifie this many hundred years before it came to be fully accomplished To testifie that Jesus Christ was the everlasting High Priest according to the order of Melchisedeck I shall not stand much upon this verse at this time because you have the same thing repeated again in verse 21. of this chapter There 't is brought in as a repetition of the Oath of God The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Here you have it twice together I shall therefore leave the more full handling of this till I come to the 21th verse In the words of v. 17. you may observe the Apostles scope in them why he mentions it here in v. 17. His scope is this to shew the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ above that of Aaron in two respects First That Jesus Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The Apostle would have us to understand that Christ is not made Priest by the Law of a carnal Commandment which I spoke of in the verse before The Levitical Priesthood was made by the Law of a carnal Commandment I opened that the last day There was nothing in the service of that Priesthood but was meerly outward and bodily But Jesus Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck he is not a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment an outward and bodily Worship but the Worship of Christ is a spiritual Worship And this is the first branch of the excellency of Christs Priesthood above that of Levi. 2. The Apostles scope also is to prove that Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of an endless life because he is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck So that now we do not depend upon a dying Priesthood or upon such Ordinances and Ceremonies that are to be abolished before the time of the consummation of all Worship in this World But we are to worship God under such an High-priest as abideth for ever And we come to one who is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him He testified Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck From whence we may learn this Lesson
High-priest who hath undertaken to fulfil all Righteousness for us and undertakes as a Surety for us SERMON VIII Hebrews 7. 23 24. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood BEing in our course of going through this Chapter the last day in the Morning Exercise we concluded with v. 22. where Jesus is said to be made a Surety of a better Covenant The scope of the Apostle in all this Chapter is to magnifie the Priesthood of Christ above the Levitical Priesthood His Argument that we insisted upon the last day was taken from his solemn Institution in his Office He was made a Priest with an Oath and by vertue of that he became a Surety of a better Testament These things have been opened Now these two verses which I have read for our consideration and instruction this morning contain another Argument that the Apostle useth to prove that the Priesthood of Jesus Christ doth far excel all the Priesthoods under the Law And the Argument is drawn from the mortality of the Levitical Priests and the immortality of Jesus Christ the Son of God That Priesthood that was mortal was never so excellent as that which was immortal The Priests of Levi were mortal but the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is immortal and unchangeable and therefore a more excellent Priesthood We begin with v. 23. For they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death They truly were many Priests These words are two ways to be expounded First They were many together And then they were many successively 1. They were many together For though there was but one High Priest to the Jewish Church yet there were many Priests to offer Sacrifices under him For he was not able one man was not able to offer Sacrifices for all therefore there were many Priests But Jesus our High Priest had the assistance of no creature he is alone There is but one God and one Mediator the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus no other And this is brought in ordinarily to confute that Errour of the Papists who offer up Expiatory Sacrifices They have their Priestly Office to offer up Expiatory Sacrifices for the living and the dead And as our Protestant Divines say If they had no other Errour it would justifie our separation from them because they derogate from the Office of Jesus Christ and set up a Priestly Office in Gospel-days to offer an Expiatory Sacrifice But we have but one High Priest and one Saviour which is sufficient for the Salvation of our Souls But then This word many Priests is also to be expounded many successively That is there were many Priests saith the Apostle because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death There were many Priests under the Law but they could not continue by reason of death therefore their Office passed from one to another One takes up the Priestly Office and then dies and then another succeeds him But Jesus Christ he hath an Office that doth not pass from one to another There is none can succeed our Lord Jesus Christ in his Priestly Office There is none can finish that work which he begun But the two general points that lie before us in this Text to be considered of this morning are 1. The Mortality of the Levitical Priesthood which concerns us all And then 2. The Immortality of our High-priest the Son of God He is our Priest for ever 1. The Mortality of the Priests of old saith the Apostle in the Text They were not suffered to continue by reason of death That word death concerns all Mankind How many of the Children of Adam Sons and Daughters of Adam since the beginning of the World They are all dead But this present Generation and a little time will bury all of us That Doom which God denounced against Adam in Gen. 3. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death that reaches all that come out of the Loins of Adam We bring sin into the World with us and sin brings death as you have it in Rom. 5. That death came in by sin By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men Every one that is born into the World is born in sin Every one that is born into the World by ordinary generation and so cannot continue long in the World by reason of death Indeed there are and ever have been many of the Children of Men that have had great priviledges and dignities above others But none ever were exempted from death except some few as Enoch and Elijah Some have been Kings and great men of the Earth some have been made honourable Prophets some Apostles some Ministers have in their days been burning and shining Lights But all are dead they were not suffered to continue any of them by reason of death All are gone The Prophets do they live for ever and your Fathers where are they Kings Lords and Potentates of the Earth and mighty men death hath Lorded it over them all they were not suffered to continue by reason of death Therefore it should teach us while we live to spend our days well to do what good we can to honour God what we can and to say to our own Souls Let me not lose my time for I cannot continue long by reason of death Solomon tells us in Eccl. 9. 10. which every one should well observe Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might because there is no work in the grave whither thou art going But while men are on Earth God hath appointed every one to do something for his honour and glory For mind it the Levitical Priests tho' they were not suffered to continue because of death because they were mortal yet this did not exempt them from the service of God tho' they were chosen from among men and so subject to death yet they were to attend the service of God while they lived There is a sort of people and I mention it for their sakes There are a sort of people I say that because life is short therefore they will give up themselves to ease sloth and pleasure and make as much as they can of a short life These were the people in Isa 22. 13 14. And behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die And this thing was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Thus says many a poor creature that hath no conscience of duty to God or Man He will take all the pleasure he
was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the People and how the Chief-priests and Rulers delivered him to be condemned to Death and have Crucified him and we trusted it had been he that should have Redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the Third day since these things were done When Christ was in the state of Death their hopes were dead but saith the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead As if he should say we were as dead men in our hopes but when we saw his Resurrection our hopes began to revive again and therefore he saith Blessed be God who hath begotten us to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The Resurrection of Christ declares him to be a sufficient Saviour and therefore in Rom. 8. When the Apostle Paul fell a triumphing in that Salvation we have by Christ and what doth he lay as a ground for it in ver 34. saith he Who shall condemn us It is Christ that died yea rather rose again and is set at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us yea rather is risen again Why doth he make more of the Resurrection of Christ than of the Death of Christ Because if Christ had Died and not Risen again and Ascended to the Father we had not had such ground for our hope But rather is Risen again For alas if our hopes of Salvation did hang upon a Dead Man it would have been a dead hope but our hope is upon a living Saviour For this end saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 9. For this end Christ both died and rose again that he might be the Lord both of the dead and the living If he had not revived again and risen again he could not have been the Lord of the dead and the living The Apostle hath a remarkable passage to this purpose further in 1 Cor. 15. 17 18. If Christ be not raised your Faith is vain ye are yet in your sins then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished If Christ be still in the state of Death and the Grave then they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished Those Believers that did die in the Faith of Jesus Christ they are perished if he be not still alive and at the right hand of God they are perished and ye are yet in your sins So that you see what a great stress the Scriptures put upon Christs Rising again Therefore saith John in the Revelation I am he that liveth and I live for evermore Amen Why Amen He puts Amen to it that our Faith may be fixed on him as able to save those that come unto God by him Secondly Our Lord Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him and that because he ever liveth to make intercession Because there can be no Accusation or Condemnation take place against any Soul where there is such an intercessor If Christ were out of Heaven where all Mens hearts and ways are seen and known all the sins of our Life and Conversation would rise up against us and Condemn us and Accuse us But saith the Apostle who shall Condemn Who shall lay any thing to our charge It is Christ that hath Died yea rather that is Risen again and sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us No Accusation from Satan and our Sins can stand before the intercession of Christ for though our sins be such as deserve everlasting Damnation yet there is more worth and vertue and preciousness in the Death and Resurrection and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ than there is vileness in all our sins for his Intercession is the presenting of his suffering for us and of all the satisfaction he hath made for Sin and the manifesting his Will that those that come unto God by him may have the benefit of his Sufferings Thirdly He is the great Favorite Our Lord Jesus Christ he is one that brings us into favour with God He came and made peace on Earth and hath purchased peace in Heaven If a Man should undertake to interceed for a poor Rebel that had been a Rebel himself they would never regard him or give any regard to his Intercession but if a Man will interceed for a poor Rebel at Court that was always a Favourite of the King that never Rebelled or provoked him you will say this Man will carry it Now saith the Scripture We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous not Jesus Christ the Unrighteous but Jesus Christ the Righteous who is our Advocate that kept himself always in the Favour of God and in his Fathers Love Such an High-priest doth become us who is Holy Harmless Separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens We need one that is Jesus Christ the Righteous and therefore he ever liveth and is able to save those that come unto God by him He ever liveth to make Intercession that was always in the favour of the Father This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased shewing that he was well pleased with his Suffering and Intercession and sets on his Right hand on high Upon all these accounts it is that Christ ever liveth to make Intercession for us And upon these reasons he is able to save all that come unto God by him I shall wind up all with a word or two of Application First then here we see That our Salvation is out of our selves and that it rests solely and alone in our Lord Jesus Christ For the best works that ever any of the Children of God did are not able to save them because no mans works are perfect before God The best works that we can do are not able to save us in any measure But our Lord Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost We are very apt to rest in our own doings and duties especially if any thing be done by us in a right manner We are very apt to take up our Rest too much therein We are apt to draw too much comfort for our selves for what we do rather than from what Christ hath done for us But 't is for want of lively Faith in Christ But if you will be safe and have true comfort you must come from works See how the Apostle sets Works and Grace in opposition in the matter of Election and so it holds as to Justification Rom. 11. 6. And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works What is the meaning of this The meaning is this That if we rest upon our works for our Salvation and Acceptation with God
many times comfort in it But we are not to live upon in-comings of promises but we are to go out to all the promises of God by Faith in Christ For mind what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1. 20. all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen all the promises therefore thou mayst take up with any promise that is suitable to thy wants that is suitable to thy condition thou mayst plead it with the Lord As for example Dost thou want inward peace Thou mayst plead over the promise of peace The Lord hath promised to keep him in peace whose mind is set upon him Again Do you want outward supplies Are you streightened in Food and Rayment Be diligent in your Calling and plead that promise He will give Bread to them that fear him in the 34. Psal they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing Plead this promise let hunger and wants drive you to the promise Again Do you want light and counsel and direction in your ways Plead that promise in Isaiah The Lord shall guide thee continually And that in the 25. Psal Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord him will the Lord direct in his ways Oh ye that have Abrahams Faith cleave to the promises hang upon the promises all the promises in Christ are yea and in him Amen They are ratified in Christ And that promise of our Lord Jesus Christ abideth Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Ask according to the promise seek according to the promise Plead the promises of God when you fall into any Darkness and trouble of mind I say plead promises for God he gives you all the promises to live upon and let not any poor Christian be troubled or discouraged about receiving mercy for his own weakness or the meanness of his condition for you must know that every Believer is an Heir of the promise though a poor weak frail Creature yet an Heir of the Promise This we ought to live upon in times of trouble But then there is another thing concerning Melchisedecks blessing Abraham that had received the promise The Question here may be What need was there of Melchisedecks blessing of Abraham who had Gods promise for Abraham was happy enough in the promise if he had not met Melchisedeck to have blest him For Answer hereunto there are two Reasons given for it First of all It was Melchisedecks Place and Office for he was Priest of the most high God to bless them that did belong to God for you read of Three sorts of Persons in Scripture blessing others Parents blessing their Children Kings blessing their Subjects and Ministers blessing their People as you have it in Numb 6. 23. Speak unto Aaron and to his Sons saying On this wise shall you bless the Children of Israel saying unto them the Lord bless thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Now that this was not a Ceremony of the old Law that Ministers and Priests should bless the People appears by the New Testament because the Apostles of Jesus Christ in their Epistles did use to conclude their Epistles with Benedictions But this is not all here intended and therefore 2. This blessing of Abraham it was a blessing of Ratification to confirm Abrahams in the Promise That was the principal reason of Melchisedecks blessing of Abraham that he might be ratified and confirmed in his Faith concerning the Promise From whence we may observe That the strongest Faith had need of strengthning The Faith of the Saints doth need confirmation It is said of Abraham in Rom. 4. that being not weak in Faith he staggered not at the promise verse 20. yet if you look into another Scripture you will find Abraham sometimes staggering at the promise of God through unbelief For if you look into Gen. 15. 1. The Lord said unto him Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and exceeding great reward Then said Abraham Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless and the Steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus Abraham had the promise of a seed before in chap. 12. But he sometimes staggered at the promise Abraham was at first weak in Faith but after God had confirmed his Faith by this means then Abraham believed the Lord. So Abraham was once weak in Faith but now he was strong in Faith Again Abraham also grew strong in Faith by a higher confirming means and that was the Oath of God Heb. 6. 14. Surely in blessing I will bless thee So that Abraham that was commended for the strength of his Faith he was once weak in Faith till God had confirmed his Faith this way And this was the cause of Melchisedecks blessing him And also the Lord for the strengthning of his Faith carries him abroad and bid him look now towards the Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy seed be And then he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for Righteousness Now the Reasons of weakness in Faith are these 1. Here we know but in part and therefore believe but in part 2. The flesh is weak in all Believers Christ said The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak 3. Those that have most Faith are commonly most assaulted by Satan and therefore have need of the most confirming means When our Saviour saw Peter firm in his profession of Faith saith Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee like Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Ahraham though he had the promise yet he wanted a Melchisedeck to bless him Now the third thing is Melchisedeck's being without beginning of days or end of life Aarons Sons and all the Priests of the Levitical Priesthood they die but Melchisedeck he liveth he liveth in his order in the order of his his Priesthood for Jesus Christ is a Priest for ever after Melchisedeck's order But here men receive their Priesthood that die saith the Apostle so leave their work But Christ Jesus he liveth for ever who was here prefigured by Melchisedeck But the Sons of Levi they must die for it is appointed for all men once to die and after that comes Judgment Your Prophets do they live for ever Many of the Fathers of the Old World lived a great while But Kings Priests and Prophets must die Great and holy men must die I should enlarge upon this but I shall improve it these three or four ways 1. This should teach us to walk humbly as poor mortal creatures such as death will strip of all our glory all our beauty Oh! what is it that makes men proud and haughty and lifts up their spirits It is because they think more of living than of dying You have a strange instance of this
on all He is called a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation He is merciful and faithful Pray observe that the High Priests under the Law tho they were good men and godly men yet they fell short much in point of faithfulness to God and his People as for Example Aaron was a good Man yet he was not faithful in his Office for you know he turned aside with the People and made a Golden Calf here Aaron shewed his wickedness and unfaithfulness So old Eli he was a Godly man yet he failed of his faithfulness he suffered his Children to make themselves vile and restrained them not and so brought Judgment upon his House and therefore saith the Apostle the Law made Priests of men that had infirmities Aaron was a man that had infirmities and his Sons had infirmities that they were destroyed by Fire before the Lord. Eli had his infirmity but our Lord Jesus Christ he is without infirmity he is holy and harmless and therefore he had his Priesthood put upon him The Lord hath sworn and will never repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck But to proceed to the next verse Christ being thus solemnly Instituted in his office never to be changed saith the Apostle in the next words By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Covenant By so much that he was made a Priest by the Oath of God by so much he was made a Priest of a better Covenant of a better Testament Now for that we must consider what the Office of a Surety is and then why Christ is said to be Surety of a better Covenant as he is the Priest of God and confirmed by his Oath First For the Surety you know he is a person that engageth himself for another Prov. 6. 1. My Son if thou be Surety for a Friend if thou hast stricken hands with a stranger c. How is that It may be a stranger he comes and challenges a debt of your Friend and your Friend he carries it very friendly with you to have you engage with the stranger for his debt and strike hands with him and to become Surety for your Friend In this sense Christ is called our Surety because it is the Office of the Priest to stand between God and Man and to offer up satisfaction by way of Sacrifice either typical or real Thus our Lord Jesus Christ in this respect is called our Surety Why because he undertakes for us to God and for God to us again He undertakes to satisfie the will of God And what is the will of God Why the will of God is to fulfil all Righteousness that is the will of God Jesus Christ as our Surety hath fulfilled all Righteousness Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous So 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he hath made himself to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And thus as our Surety he hath fulfilled all Righteousness for us And then as the Surety of the Covenant so he doth confirm all the Promises of God in the Covenant to us He engages for the Promises Hence you have that in 2 Cor. 1. 20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen So that we look to our Surety to fulfil all things for us And we look to our Surety that we have the Covenant and Promises made good to us For all the Promises are in him Yea and in him Amen But saith the Apostle he is made a Surety of a better Covenant or a better Testament For the word is rendred both ways Sometimes a Covenant sometimes a Testament But how is Christ Surety of a better Covenant I answer not better in respect of the matter of it or the substance of it For God in that Covenant did make himself over to his people to be their God And all Believers were saved by Faith as we are It was not better in respect of the matter of it But better in a threefold respect 1. Better in respect of a clearer and fuller manifestation to God in the Covenant The Covenant before us was under a Veil therefore saith the Apostle Eph. 3. 4 5. Whereby when ye read ye may understand the knowledge of the Mystery of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it is now revealed 2. Better in respect of the confirmation of it Heb. 9. 15 16. For this cause speaking of Christ he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance So that now the Covenant is confirmed by the death of Christ which is a better confirmation than that of the old Law with the Sacrifices of Beasts 3. A better Covenant in respect of the fulness of the Spirit that goes along with the Gospel and so is made a Surety of a better Covenant than the Levitical Priesthood To come to some Application If this be so that our Lord Jesus Christ is made Surety of a better Testament then stand here and see the great and endless love of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. The greatness of his Love For you know that it is a good evidence of a mans love and kindness when he will be a Surety for one that he thinks can pay the debt But if a man will be Surety for one that is in debt and knows that he must pay the debt if he be Surety this is still greater love But yet farther if a man will be Surety for a man that is condemned to die and engage his life for him this is love beyond all love This is the case of our Lord Jesus Christ to take Mans Nature suffer himself to be under the Curse and suffer himself to be put to death Oh the great Mercy and unspeakable Love and Grace of Christ Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend But then secondly Here you may see his endless love because he undertakes to be our Surety for ever You have many a man in a sit of love or kindness will be drawn in to be a Surety but will repent of it and will get out of it as soon as he can and will never come into it again But our Lord Jesus Christ he engages to be an Everlasting Surety for us what then remains but that every one that understands these things should look to Jesus Christ Here is a special prop for our Faith As you have it in the verse before Christ brings in a better hope than was before He is a Surety of a better Covenant Therefore when fears arise in you about your sin remember that you have a
can in this short life But a life of ease sloth and pleasure is a bad preparation for death 'T is true God doth allow Rest to the Aged where the body is abated in strength where the mind is grown dull and heavy through infirmity of Age God allows that But where people are in their full strength full of life and vigour for these to give themselves up to sloth and idleness and not doing the work of their day this is an iniquity that shall not go unpunished saith the Lord of Hosts And this is further to be observed for encouragement That as God appoints every one their work for their day so if they be faithful he will spirit them for the work of the day If they give not themselves up to a life of ease sloth and pleasure he will spirit them to what he calls them to in that day As you read of Saul when God called him to be King it is said God gave him another heart a publick heart So you also read in Numbers that when God appointed seventy Elders to bear part of the Government with Moses it is said Numb 11. v. 25. The Lord came down in a Cloud and gave of the spirit of Moses unto the seventy Elders and it rested upon them and they prophesied God called them to service he gave them of Moses his spirit So when he laid aside the Ministration of Moses and sent forth Apostles for the Ministration of his Spirit Read what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves All our sufficiency is of God Who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament So that God was never wanting in affording his holy Spirit to mortal men for that which he called them to which is great encouragement to be doing the work of God in our day Moses and Aaron were two great blessings to the people in their day tho' they could not continue long by reason of death And if we would have Magistrates and Ministers to be blessings we are to pray for them that God would spirit them for the work he hath called them to But then there is another thing to be observed in the Priesthoods Mortality and that is their succession They could not continue by reason of death yet they had their succession one after another And we ought to pray that there may never want a succession of men to carry on the work of God And this ought to be our care also as far as in us lies that there may be a Generation brought up for the service of God when another goes away When Abraham died his Son Isaac succeeded him When Aaron died Eleazar succeeded his Father and took up the work of God that his Father had laid down So it would be the happiness of Families and a happiness to Children that Children would take up the work that their Fathers have laid down by reason of death We live in an Age wherein there is a great decay of godly Ministers The old Generation wearing off and many gone to the dust and but few come in that have the same Spirit the same Grace and shine with the same Light as their Fathers did who are dead and gone We ought all of us to pray as our Saviour saith that as the Harvest is great the Lord would send forth Labourers into his Harvest A good succession speaks a great favour of God to Families Churches and Nations See how careful Moses was in that When God had told him that he must die in Numb 27. 16. Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the Congregation These were the words of Moses when God told him that he must die and be gathered to his Fathers And truly so should all godly Parents and godly Ministers say Let the God of the spirits of all flesh bring in some to my Family that may go out and in before my Family And let the God of the spirits of all flesh bring in some to his Church to guide them and to teach them But now God he answered Moses's prayer as you may see in the following words And the Lord said unto Moses Take thee Joshua the Son of Nun a man on whom is the Spirit Lay thine hand upon him And thus much for the Mortality of the Levitical Priesthood Come we now to the second Point and general Observation And that is The Immortality of our great High priest our Lord Jesus Christ Here our chief comfort lies that though all Mankind die and are not suffered to continue by reason of death But this man because he ever liveth hath an unchangeable Priesthood Now what is spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ of his abiding for ever it must be understood and applied to him as Man as he is Man God-Man and Mediator between God and Man as he is taken from among men to stand for Man in things pertaining to God And so he is the same yesterday to day and for ever He continues for ever And saith our Lord Jesus Christ The Son abideth in the house for ever John 8. 37. The Servant abideth not in the house but the Son abideth for ever The house of God hath the Son of God always there as their High-priest he is set over them The very Adversaries of Christ acknowledge this Joh. 12. 35. The people answered him We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever It was a stumbling to them And therefore here lies the Objection How is it said that Christ abideth for ever and liveth for ever when it is certain that he died We read in Matth. 2. 50. that he gave up the Ghost He died and gave up the Ghost How is it then said that he abideth for ever and liveth for ever as our High-priest I answer To that we must consider four things to clear that Obiection First of all Tho' Christ did die for a time yet his death was not such a forced death as man's is but a voluntary death He laid it down and took it up again of himself So you have it in John 10 17 18. Therefore doth the Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Here you see our Lord Jesus Christ did not die as we die by a forced death he laid it down and he took it up again when he pleased 2. Tho' our Lord Jesus Christ as to his Humanity was in the state of death yet it was impossible that he should be holden of death or the grave Acts 2. 24. Why not possible You see that men are holden of death thousands of years and they are not risen to this day Why not possible that he should be holden of death Why because the Divine Nature was Hypostatically United to the Humane Nature God
and Man and therefore it was impossible for him to be holden of death Thirdly Christ's death was but to do the great part of his Priestly Office and so there was no intermission of his Priestly Office The Apostle tells us that he being a Priest he must offer something as other Priests had done Now he offered himself as the great Sacrifice for our sins to the Justice of God so that in his death his Priestly Office was so far accomplished and therefore he is said to abide for ever and to have an unchangeable Priesthood Fourthly and Lastly Jesus Christ is Risen again and Dies no more and therefore he is said to live for ever Rom. 6. 8 9. Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him knowing that Christ being raised from the Dead Dieth no more Death hath no more dominion over him hence you read in Rev. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore This he spake when he appeared to John walking in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks in his Priestly attire I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Death hath no more dominion over Jesus Christ therefore he is said to continue for ever And saith the Apostle be continuing for ever he hath an unchangeable Priesthood i. e. he hath a Priesthood that can never be separated from his Person to pass from one to another so the word signifies and therefore our Translators put it so in your Margent He hath a Priesthood that passeth not from one person to another Our Lord Jesus Christ his great High-Priest-hood passeth not from one to another and there are these three Reasons for it First Because he is all-sufficient to finish the work of our Redemption He is Almighty and therefore in Psal 89. which is a Prophesie of Christ under David as his Type in the 19. ver Then thou spakest in Vision to the holy one and saidst I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people So Isa 9. 6. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace There is none ever able to take up the work of Christ if he should lay it down but our Redeemer he is mighty and alsufficient to finish the work of our Redemption And then Secondly As he is Mighty and All-sufficient in his Person as God-man so also his death hath a perpetual virtue in it and therefore it is said he offered up himself once for all Heb. 7. 27 the latter part of the Verse for This he did once when he offered up himself he took away sin when he offered up himself Thirdly Christ hath an Everlasting Priesthood an unexchangeable Priesthood For he is admitted to sit at the Lords right hand for ever Heb. 10. 12. So that you may see he hath an unexchangeable Priesthood And thus much for the opening and explanation of this Verse For application these things are divers ways useful First For the Comfort the unspeakable Comfort of them that truely believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Here we have an unexchangeable Priesthood to rest upon Christ for our hope The Apostle tells us that he is our hope of Glory And Oh what a mercy and blessing it is that our hope is not in Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils but in the Eternal Son of God! In him who continues for ever Look into the World and there you will find abundance that live in their Worldly hope but where are their hopes built but commonly upon Men whose Breath is in their Nostrils When their Friends die their hopes die But here we have an Immortal Saviour to build our hopes upon one that continues for ever And this was Jobs comfort in the midst of his affliction as you may see in Job 19. 25. He knew his Redeemer lived his Children were all dead and gone but his Redeemer lived and that was his comfort his estate was gone but still his Redeemer lived and that was his comfort his Friends had left him still his Redeemer lived and he knew himself must die and Worms consume his Body yet still his Redeemer lived Oh Soul rest thou in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and take comfort of Gospel Truth That Jesus Christ liveth for ever As Jesus Christ liveth for ever So he liveth for the good of all Believers He liveth for our good if we Believe in him and therefore saith the Apostle he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us Our Lord Jesus Christ doth live everlastingly for our good our life is bound up in the Everlasting life of Christ saith the Apostle in Col. 3. and the beginning Our life is hid with Christ that is the life of our Souls And when he shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory I remember the words in 1 Sam. 25. when that wise Woman Abigail came to David to appease his wrath against her Husband and Family she used this expression in ver 29. But the Soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God I allude to it that the Lord Jesus Christ is the bundle of life for all the Saints the Eternal life of every Believer is bound up in him he is the great bundle of life for saith he because I live ye shall live also And again This is the Record which God hath given that he hath given Eternal life and this life is in his Son Oh make Faith of this or else all the Preaching of Christ will not be profitable to you if you cannot make Faith of it And as this doth speak comfort so it also speaks duty And what is that Why that we live to him that liveth for ever remember that Scripture 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again As Christ did die for us for our Sins so he did rise again for our Justification Oh shall we not then live to him Many are apt to forget their dead Friends and Relations tho they have done much for them and they know it not as Solomon speaks in Eccles 9. 5. for the living know that they shall die but the dead know not any thing neither have they any more a reward for the memory of them is forgotten and they know it not and if their Sons come to honour they know it not and if they be brought low they perceive it not But our Living Redeemer he knoweth all he knows all the Souls that
are put upon his work of Salvation and therefore we should live to his Glory Our dear Lord may say to us I live for ever I know all things Why then do you slight my Work and slight my Ordinances and slight my People Why do you not live more to my Glory And then Lastly This should be a strong motive for Men to come to Christ Ye trust in dying Friends dying comforts dying Relations and fix your hope upon things that crumble away to dust When Peter made his confession of Christ Joh. 6. 68. To whom should we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life Go from Christ and you go to death and Damnation Go to him and you come to Life and to Everlasting Salvation For he ever liveth an High-priest to make Intercession for us Now the Inference follows in the next words SERMON IX Hebrews 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them THese words of the Apostle contain the Inference which he makes of all that he had said before of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ He comes to this conclusion Wherefore Christ is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him This Illative or word wherefore hath a reference to what was spoken before And also to what follows after For the Apostle having said before that Jesus Christ the Son of God is made a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck that he was not made a Priest by the Law of a Carnal Command but by the power of an endless Life That Christ was made a Priest by a solemn Oath The Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck That Jesus Christ is made a surety of a better Testament That he endures and hath an unchangeable Priesthood Wherefore saith he he is able to save to the uttermost The Argument may be thus framed He that is the Eternal Son of God He that is a Priest for ever and made a Priest by the Oath of God He that hath an unchangeable Priesthood He that is the surety of a better Covenant He is able to save to the uttermost But all this is Jesus Christ Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto him But then The words have also a reference to what follows in the last clause of this Verse Seeing he ever liveth to maketh Intercession for them Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them And the Argument may also be framed He that ever liveth to make Intercession for them He is able to save all that come unto God by him So that both these conclusions are proved That Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him We begin with the first branch of this Text He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him These are the words I shall open and apply this Morning if God permit To save a Soul is a great work a great and glorious work All the powers of Heaven and Earth short of God cannot save a Soul The Devil can destroy Souls by the Righteous and Just Judgment of God And therefore hath that name given him which is opposite to Christ He is called Abaddon and Apollyon which signifies to destroy in Rev. 9. 11. The Devil I say can destroy Souls but he cannot save any he cannot save himself 'T is a great and glorious work to save a poor Soul This is only Christ's work And therefore he is called the Author of Eternal Salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him the Author of Eternal Salvation There have been Temporal Saviours Men that God hath raised up in several Ages and Generations to deliver his People from the power of their Enemies when his People were in distress God did raise them up Saviours And it was accounted a very great Mercy to have a Temporal Saviour To have a Man of Faith and Courage as Sampson and Gideon and Barack and others that would appear for the Church in times of streights There is a Prophecy in Mic. 5. 5. speaking of Christ And this Man shall be the Peace when the Assyrian shall come into the Land and when he shall tread in our Palaces then shall we raise against him seven Shepherds and eight Principal Men that are worthy Instruments that shall rise up to oppose the Assyrians power The Assyrians power is made a Type of the Antichristian power God hath his principal Men and his principal Instruments to save his People These are under Christ But he only is the Author of Eternal Salvation And this Salvation this Eternal Salvation that Jesus Christ brings is an unspeakable mercy The very thoughts of it gives abundance of comfort If we do but consider what he saves us from and what he saves us to First What he saves us from He saves a poor sinner from his sin and from all the misery that comes along with it His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins saith the Angel in Matth. 1. 24. He shall save his people from their sins i. e. from all those miseries that their sins bring upon them or would bring upon them For sin is the cause of all misery And to be saved from sin is to be saved from all misery What would the Devils in Hell give to be saved from their misery that their sin hath brought upon them What would the Rich Glutton in the Gospel give to be saved from his misery We are not aware what he saves us from Then if we consider what he saves us to or brings us to by this Salvation Christ brings us into his favour and grace brings us into that blessed state in Heaven where there is all safety and security and blessing where the Devil nor his Instruments can never break in upon us to intercept our peace Rev. 21. 9. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain To be brought into Communion with God with the holy Angels and with the glorified Saints and with Jesus Christ the Head of the Church An Everlasting Communion Oh the Salvation that our Lord Jesus Christ brings us to There is no solitude in Heaven Here we complain of a solitude and a solitary life We want company we want converse in the World But there will be an everlasting converse with the great God so far as our Natures are capable of coming near to him An everlasting converse with our Redeemer with the holy Angels and with the glorified Saints Who is able to express the Salvation our Lord Jesus Christ
coming to God by Christ It may be you come to hear the Word of God and you do well Sometimes you come to pray to pray for mercy in affliction you do well But there is another coming to Christ which is by Faith and therefore never rest in any thing of hearing and praying until you have brought up your hearts to come to Christ by Faith rest upon him And saith Christ No man cometh to me except my Father draw him I know that a Natural Conscience will put a man upon coming to God in Prayer But no Natural Conscience will put a man to come unto God by Christ A second Use is to those that act Faith and come to God by Christ Remember that he is able to save to the uttermost Rest upon the power of our Lord Jesus Christ I remember when God did set up Saul to be King over Israel it is said in 1 Sam. 10. There you may read that many of the people despised him and said How can this man save us They looked upon him as a weakling But the Lord Jesus Christ he is able to save to the uttermost by his Almighty Power You may believe he is our great High-Priest You find there in the first Book of Sam. chap. 17. that the Philistines trusted in their Champion Goliath who was but a man But our Lord Jesus Christ he is the great Goliath he encountred with Devils with Hell and with the World and overcame all of them He hath satisfied the Law and Justice and ever liveth to make Intercession to God for all those that come unto God by him But of that afterward SERMON X. Hebrews 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them THE last day I handled the first Branch of this Text It tells us that Christ is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him To save a Soul from Death and Misery is a work that none can accomplish but he that is Mighty to Save The work of Salvation is so great as we cannot possibly comprehend it in this Life But as our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God who was made Flesh hath undertaken this great work so he is able to carry it on Able to save all that come unto God by him These words have been opened and applyed and I shall not look back but come to a second Branch of this Text where a reason is given Why our Lord Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Now these words carry a great deal of comfort for them that believe the Word But they require some care and diligence in the opening of them and giving the right sense of them lest we should be led away with gross and dull apprehensions of this Spiritual Mystery First therefore for the right understanding of this phrase here in the Text Whereas it is said that Christ ever liveth to make Intercession for us this is not to be understood as if the Intercession of Christ should never have an end For the Intercession of Christ is a work that belongs to his Mediatory-Kingdom and that shall have an end When all Gods Elect shall be gathered to him and the whole mystery of our Redemption finished then shall all be given up to God for he shall be All in All In 1 Cor. 15. 24. speaking of Christ then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father When he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power For he must Reign till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death For he hath put all things under his Feet And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all Here the Apostle is treating of Christs Mediatory-Kingdom And when all the Elect shall be gathered together When the World shall come to an end Then the last Enemy that is to be destroyed is Death And there shall be no more die in the Church All shall be swallowed up in the Eternal God-head And God shall be all in all Then there will be no need of his Intercession or of a Mediator But still remember the blessed effects of Christs Death and Resurrection and Intercession are to Eternity Therefore when the Apostle here in the Text saith Christ ever liveth to make Intercession for us This is to be considered two ways First In opposition to the Levitical Priesthood who are dead and gone and the Church of God hath no present help from them but all their help is from Jesus Christ They were not suffered to continue by reason of Death but Christ ever liveth our great High-Priest when all others are dead and gone But Secondly and specially When it is said that he ever liveth to make Intercession for us this Ever is to be taken for every Age and Generation to the end of the World for at the end of the World there shall be an end of those things as you have heard he ever liveth to all Ages and Generations For this must be observed that the Church of Christ which is his Mystical Body are not all born in one Age of the World But one Generation passeth away and another cometh But Christ he ever liveth in all Ages a Priest of God for all those that come to God by him he ever liveth we have not a new Priest to rise up with a new Generation but we have the same Jesus who was yesterday to day and for ever the same He liveth in all Ages and Generations to the end of the World I say a new Age doth not bring forth a new Saviour nor a new Priest but he is the same He ever liveth and we of this Age and Generation have the same benefit by Jesus Christ's Priesthood and Intercession that the old and primitive Saints had thousands of years ago For he abideth for ever till the whole work of Mans Redemption is fulfilled And this is the true and proper meaning of this Phrase He ever liveth to make Intercession that is he ever liveth in all Ages and Generations He is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is to be our High Priest to the end of the World In the Second place we are to consider what is meant by Christ's making Intercession for us in Heaven Now for that you must first consider the Speech as Metaphorical and borrowed from Advocates that plead in Kings Courts Or from Counsellors that stand up for a Client to procure the Sentence on their side Hence the Apostle John hath that expression in 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous