and this the Apostle speaks out yet more plainly by him we have an access unto the Father Ephes 2.18.3.12 and in him we have boldness and access with confidence I shall a little enlarge on both these Texts recorded for our instruction in the Law and Gospel in the Old and in the New Testament First we find in the Law Exod. 28.14 that Aaron was to put two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel and so Aaron was to bear the names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial And again Aaron was to bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Ver. 29. Here we find the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel ingraven in stones which the high-Priest usually took with him into the holy place when he appear'd before the Lord first upon his humeral and then upon his pectoral in both shewing that he entred into that place not only or principally in his own behalf but in behalf of the Tribes whom he presented before the Lord that they might be in continual remembrance with the Lord a lively Type of Christ's Intercession who being entred into the Heavens he there appears in the behalf of his Elect and he presents their persons to his Father bearing them as it were upon his shoulders and upon his heart why thus Christ takes our persons into heaven and represents them in his own person to his Father Secondly we find in the Gospel a gracious promise Ephes 2.18 3.12 that by Christ we have access unto the Father and in Christ we have access with confidence Where the word access 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly a manuduction or leading by the hand to God an introduction or bringing into God alluding to the custome in Princes Courts where none may come into the presence-Chamber unless they be led or brought in by some Favourite or Courtier there thus none may have access into the presence of God unless they are brought in by this Favourite of heaven the Lord Jesus Christ whose very office it is to bring men unto God he takes us by the hand and leads us to the Father q. d. Come Souls come along with me and I will carry you to the Father Look how a child that haâ—h run away from his Father is taken by the hand of a friend or of his â—lder brother and so brought again into the presence of his Father even so all we having run away from God are by the good hand of Christ taken up and led again into the presence of the Father he is that Ladder that Jacob saw upon whom we ascend into the bosome of God and into heaven he is that high-Priest that takes our persons and bears them on his shoulders and on his heart sustaining our persons and presenting our conditions unto his Father and our Father unto his God and our God 5. Christs Intercession consists in the presenting of our duties unto God Not only doth he take our persons and leads and carry them into the presence of God but together with our persons he presents all our services in his own person Now in this act he doth these two things 1. He observes what evil or what falling is in our duties and he draws that out and takes it away before he presents them unto God or as a child that would present his Father with a posie he goes into the garden and gathers flowers and weeds together but coming to his Mother she picks out the weeds and binds up the flowers by themselves and so it is presented to the Father thus we go to duty and we gather weeds and flowers together but Christ comes and picks out the weeds and so presents nothing but flowers to God the Father and this is plainly set forth by that ceremony of the high-Priest in taking away the iniquity of their holy things Exod. 28.36.37.38 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it like the ingravings of a Signet holiness to the Lord and thou shalt put it on a blew lace that it may be upon the Mitre upon the fore-front of the Mitre it shall be And it shall be on Aarons fore-head that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord This was the manner of the Ceremony and this was the end of the Ceremony that Aaron might bear and take away the iniquity of their holy things what was this but a Type of Jesus Christ who with his most absolute righteousness covereth all the defects of our good works which are still spotted with some defect Isa 64.6 Alas all our righteousness are as filthy rags but Christ draws out the evil of duty and failings in duty before he will present them unto God 2. He observes what good there is in any of our duties or performances and with that he mingles his own prayers and Intercessions and presents all as one work interwoven or mingled together unto God the Father And another Angel stood at the Altar having a golden Conser Rev. 8.3 4. and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne and the smoke of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand I know there is a controversie who this Angel should be that with the Incense mingles the prayers of all Saints some conjecture him to be a created Angel in that the incense or ordours are said to be given to him and not to be his own or to have them of himself others say he could be no other but the Angel of the Covenant for no Angel doth intercede or present our prayers but Jesus Christ as for that which is spoken concerning the seven Angels presenting the Saints prayers I am Raphael one of the seven holy Angels which present the prayers of the Saints We say it is no canonical Scripture Tobit 12 1â— nor is it authorized by any canonical Scripture besides I cannot think that the Priests were types of Angels but only of Christ Again howsoever the Greek Copies so read that Text yet the antient Hebrew Copy set forth by Paulus Fagius and Jerome who translated it out of the Caldee as Master Mede on Zachar. 4.10 avoucheth reads it thus I am Raphael one of the seven Angels which stand and minister before the glory of the holy One. And certainly in this Text of Revel 8.3 4. There is a figurative description of an heavenly service correspondent to that which was performed in the Temple namely that the people being without at
he is troubled with such and such a lust and he cannot keep this and that Commandment he cannot out-wrestle such and such strong inclinations to evil O but then go to God and press him with this Lord it is a part of thy Covenant thou hast said thou wilt circumcise my heart thou hast said thou wilt put thy Law in my inward parts thou hast said thou wilt dissolve these lusts Lord I beseech thee do it for thy Covenants sake But here 's another Question How may we know this inward work of Grace this Law in our inward parts the best way to satisfy our doubts in this is to look within open we the door and closet of our hearts and see what lies nearest and closest there that we say is intimate and within a man Mat. 10.37 which lies next to his heart He that loveth Father or Mother more than Me saith Christ is not worthy of Me We know the love of Father and Mother is a most natural thing it comes not by teaching but it is in-bred in us as soon as we are born and yet if we love not Christ more than these if Christ lye not closer to our hearts than Father or Mother we are not worthy of Christ our natural life is a most inward and deep thing in a man Job 2.4 Luke 14.26 Gal. 2.20 it lies near the heart Skin for Skin said the Devil once truly and all that a man hath will he give for his Life but he that hates not Father and Mother yea and his own life also said Christ he cannot be my Disciple Hence the Apostle to express this intimate inward life of grace he saith I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me What an emphatical strange expression is this I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me q. d. I live not the life of sense I breath not bodily breath that is comparatively to the life of faith his very natural life though inward is said not to be lived in respect of his life of grace which is more inward And let this serve for resolution to that question 4. What is it to have the Law written in our hearts This writing contains the former and is something more the Metaphor is expressed in these Particulars 1. It is said to be written that there might be something within answerable to the Law without it was written without and so it was written within This writing is the very same with copying or transcribing The writing within is every way answerable to the writing without Oh what a mercy is this that the same God who writ the Law with his own finger in the Tables of Stone should also write the same Law with the finger of his Spirit in the Tables of our Hearts as you see in a Seal when you have put the Seal on the Wax and you take it off again you find in the Wax the same Impression that was on the Seal So it is in the hearts of the faithful when the Spirit hath once softned them then he writes the Law i.e. he stamps an inward aptness an inward disposition on the heart answering to every particular of the Law this is that which the Apostle calls the Law of the mind I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my mind Rom. 7.23 Now what is this Law in the mind but a disposition within to keep in some measure every Commandment of the Law without and this is the writing of the Law or if you will the copying or transcribing of the Law within us 2. It is said to be written that it might be rooted and rivetted in the heart as when Letters are engraven in Marble so is the manner of Gods writing if God write it can never be obliterated or blotted out Letters in Marble are not easily worn out again no more are the writings of Gods Spirit Some indeed would have them as writings in dust but if Pilate could say What I have written I have written how much more may God Hence are all those promises of perseverance My Covenant shall stand fast with him Psal 89.28 and The root of the righteous shall not be moved Prov. 12.3 and Even to your old Age I am he and even to hoary hairs will I carry you Isa 46.4 I deny not but men of glorious gifts may fall away but surely the poorest Christian that hath but the smallest measure of Grace he shall never fall away if the Law be written in our hearts it still remains there Grace habitual is not removeable sooner will the Sun discard its own beams than Christ will desert or destroy the least measure of true Grace which is a Beam from the Sun of Righteousness 3. It is said to be written that it might be as a thing legible to God to others and to our selves 1. To God he writes it that he may read it and take notice of it he exceedingly delights himself in the graces of his own Spirit and therefore the Spouse after this writing after the planting of his grace in her Cant. 4.6 she desires him to come into his Garden and eat his pleasant Fruits q. d. Come read what thou hast written come and delight thy self in the graces of thy own Spirit the only delight that God has in the world is in his Garden a gracious soul and that he might more delight in it he makes it fruitful and those fruits are precious fruits as growing from plants set by his own Hand relishing of his own Spirit and so fitted for his own taste 2. The Law is written that it might be legible to others So Paul tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.2 3. You are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ How manifestly declared why known and read of all Men. As we are able to read Letters graven in stone so may others read and see the fruits and effects of this Law written in our Hearts And good reason for wheresoever God works the principles of grace within it cannot but shew it self in the outward life and conversation it is Gods promise first I will put my Spirit within them Ezek. 36.27 Mat. 12.34 and then I will cause them to walk in my statutes and it is Gods truth Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh What the mind thinketh the hand worketh 3. The Law is written that it may be legible to our selves a gracious heart is privy to its own grace and sincerity when it is in a right temper if others may read it by its fruits How much more we our selves who both see the fruits and feel that habitual disposition infused into us Nor is this without its blessed use for by this means we come to have a comfortable evidence both of Gods Love to us and of our Love
Mary yea seek and weep and weep and seek and never rest satisfied till Christ appear If thou art but in the use of means he will appear sooner or later or what if thou never sawest a good day on earth one sight of Christ in heaven will make amends Surely if thou knewest the joy of Christ's presence thou wouldst run through death and hell to come to Christ it was Paul's saying I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1.23 he cared not for death so he might go to Christ for that was better than very life it self 2. Muse on his Apparition to the Ten Disciples John 20.19 When the doors were shut for fear of the Jews then came Jesus and stood in the midst saying to them Peace be unto you Before his Apparitions sorrow and fear had possessed all their spirits sometime they walked abroad and were sad and sometimes they kept within and shut the doors upon them as being exceedingly afraid In this condition Jesus Christ that knows best the times and seasons of grace and comfort comes and stands in the midst of their Assembly he comes in they know not how and no sooner he is in but he salutes them in this manner Peace be unto you This was the prime of all his wishes no sooner is he risen but he wisheth peace to all his Apostles no sooner meets he with them but the very opening of his lips was with these words they are the first words at the first meeting on the very first day A sure sign that peace was in the heart of Jesus Christ howsoever it is with us peace or war there is a Commonweal where Christ is King and there is peace and nothing but peace come sift try and examine art thou O my soul a member of this body a subject of this Common-weal hath the influence of Christ's peace wrought and declared at his resurrection any force on thee hast thou peace with God and peace within and peace without dost thou feel that ointment poured upon Aaron's head and running down to the skirts of his garments dost thou feel the dew of Hermon and the dew that descends upon Mount Sion dropping as it were upon thy heart doth the spirit assure thee that Christ the Prince of peace hath made peace and reconciliation betwixt God and thee betwixt the King and thee a rebel to his Crown and dignity Isa 52.7 O how beautiful upon the mountains would the feet of him be that should publish peace that should bring these good tydings that thou art a Citizen of that Jerusalem Psal 122.3 where God is King and Christ the Prince of peace where all the buildings are compact together as a City that is at unity within it self 3. Muse on his Apparition to all the Apostles when they were all convened and Thomas with them This Apparition was occasioned by Thomas's incredulity except said he I see in his hands the print of the nails John 20.15 and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe Now therefore saith Jesus to Thomas Ver. 27. Come reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing Methinks I see Thomas's finger on Christ's boared hand and Thomas's hand in Christ's pierced side Here 's a strong Argument to convince my soul that Christ is risen from the dead why see this is the same Christ that was crucified the same Christ that had his hands boared with nails and that had his heart pierced with a spear though the wounds are healed as to sense of pain yet the skars and holes and clefts remain as big as ever the hole in his hand is yet so large that Thomas may put his finger not only on it but into it and the cleft in his side is yet so large that Thomas may thrust his whole hand into his side and with his fingers touch that heart that issued out streams of blood for my salvation In this meditation be not too curious whether the print of the nails were but continued till Christ had confirmed his Disciples faith or whether he retains them still for some further use it is a better consideration to look upon them so as to confirm thy own faith is there not too much of Thomas's incredulity in thy breast dost not thou sometimes feel some doubtings of Christ's rising or at least dost thou not question whether Christ's resurrection belongs unto thee is not Satan busie with a temptation is not thy conscience troubled for thy sins and especially for thy sin of unbelief if so and I know not but it may be so with thee and the best of Saints Come then and reach hither thy finger and behold Christ's hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into his side my meaning is come with the hand of faith and lay hold on Christ yea hide thy self in the holes of the rock Be like the Dove that maketh her nest in the side of the holes mouth Jer. 48.28 the Dove that would be safe from the devouring Birds or from the Fowlers snare she flyes to the hole in a rock and thus Christ invites his Spouse O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock Cant. 2.14 Ber. â—er 61. in Cant. in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice In the clefts of the rock I am safe said Bernard there I stand firmly there I am secure from Satan's prey It is storied of a Martyr that writing to his Wife where she might find him Surius in vita Sancti Elzearii when he was fled from home O my Dear said he if thou desirest to see me seek me in the side of Christ in the cleft of the rock in the hollow of his wounds for there have I made my nest there will I dwell there shalt thou find me and no where else but there O my soul that thou wouldst make this use of the wounds of Christ are they not as the Cities of refuge whither thou mayst fly and live Nothing is more efficacious to cure the wounds of conscience than a frequent and serious meditation of the wounds of Christ Bern. ibid. Come be not faithless but believing these Monuments of Christ's resurrection are for the confirmation of thy faith if well viewed and handled they will quiet thy conscience quench the fiery darts of Satan increase thy faith till thou comest to assurance and sayest with Thomas Turbabor sed non perturbabor quia vulnerum Christi recordabor Aug. My Lord and my God I may be troubled but I shall not be overwhelmed because I will remember the print of the nails and of the spear in the hands and side of Jesus Christ 4. Muse on his Apparition to the seven Disciples at the Sea of
wide Ocean of delights there is room enough but herein I must leave thee in the duty for I can but point at the several particulars whereon thou mayst enlarge O think on it that Christ and Christ's blood and Christ's prayers should be all at work that Christ should play the Advocate and plead thy cause and perfume thy duties with his Incense and take thy person in an unperceivable way to God his Father and cry there O my Father be merciful to this sinner pardon his sin and save his soul for the sake of Jesus O blessed mediation O blessed is the man that on this blessed object knows how to meditate both day and night 8. Consider of the power and prevalency of Christ's intercessions with his Father Is he not to this puropose a Priest to God and called thereto by God is he not the Son of God yea God himself is he not God's Darling God's Commander as well as Petitioner nay is not the hand of God himself in this design is not the Fathers heart as much towards us and our salvation as Christ's own heart as sure then as Christ is gone into Heaven with thy name engraven on his heart so sure shalt thou follow him and be with him where he is Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect who is he that condemneth where Christ becomes Patron to defend against the sentence of damnation it is in vain for Sin or Law or Sathan to attempt any thing for as an innocent person is safe so long as he hath his learned Advocate to answer all Objections so it is with Believers who have Christ himself both Judge and Advocate a sure Advocate he ever prevails in whatsoever he undertakes he was never yet cast in any suit he hath for these Sixteen Hundred years carried away all the causes of hundreds thousands and millions of souls why he is so dear and near to his Father that he can work him to any thing he will And O my soul if thou hast any relation to Jesus Christ is not here comfort I dare in the Name of Christ be thy warrant and give it under my hand that if Christ pray for thee Christ will be sure to save thee he never yet failed he never will fail in any of his suits to God Oh consider of this 9. Consider of the reasons of Christ's intercession many are given but this may be sufficient It is Gods own Ordinance the very wisdom of God found out this way to save our souls viz. that an High-Priest should be appointed who should die for sinners and afterward present his death to his Father by way of intercession in their behalf Some may look upon this as needless what could not God have pardoned our sins and saved our souls without a Priest I shall not dispute God's power but if any will let such a one tell me what way could his own wisdome have found out to heaven between the wrath of God and the sin of man I believe it would have posed all the wisdom of the world of Men and Angels to have reconciled God's mercy in the salvation of man and his justice in the condemnation of sin to have poured out hell upon the sin and yet to have bestowed heaven upon the sinner now then if God himself did study to find out this way and that he hath said This is my pleasure that Christ my Son shall be a Priest and that he shall offer himself and Present himself and his offering and his prayer to me for his People O my soul rest on this as the very ordination of God admire at the contrivance of God say O the depth question no further only Meditate and ponder and consider of it till thou feelest Christ's intercession darting its influence and efficacy on thy sin-sick soul SECT III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect 3. LEt us desire after Jesus carrying on this work of our salvation in his intercession I cannot but wonder what a dulness seizeth on my heart and on all the hearts of the Sons of men that we have no more longings after Christ whose heart is ever panting and longing after us Surely we do not set our selves to find out experimentally the sweetness that is in Christ if there were not another object to think upon but only this one of Christ's intercession is not here enough to put us all into a teeming longing frame O my soul rouze up and set this blessed object before thy face take a full view of it untill thy affections begin to warm and thou beginst to cry Oh for my part in Christ's intercession Oh I would not be left out of Christ's heavenly prayers for ten thousand worlds come and be serious the object is admirably sweet and precious long for it pant after it God understands the Rhetorick of thy breathing as well as of thy cry But what is there in Christ's intercession that is so desirable I answer 1. In Christ's intercession lyes the present transaction of our souls salvation Such passages as hitherto we have spoken of are done and past the transactions of eternity were at an end when time began the transactions of Christ promised had their period when Christ was incarnate the transactions of Christ's Birth and life and death and resurrection and ascension are now above a thousand and six hundred years old I know the vertue and influence of all these transactions continue and will continue for ever and ever but the several actings had their periods and only Christ's session and mission of his spirit and his blessed intercession both were and now are the very present imployment of Jesus Christ If it were possible that we could see into Heaven if with Stephen we could look up steadfastly and see the Heavens opened if our eyes by an extraordinary power were carryed through that azure sky and through all till we come to the Holy of Holies and to Jesus Christ in his glory what should we see but Christ interceding Christ busie with his Father in his poor Saints behalf now he prayes now he presents his person merits intercession interpellation q. d. Father here are a company of Rebels justly fallen under thy displeasure they deserve to be set at an eternal distance from thee but I must needs have them pardoned and received into thy bosom come make thine own terms let justice require never so great satisfaction I have paid a price sufficient for all and effectual for them give them what laws thou pleasest I will undertake they shall observe them and to this purpose away away holy spirit go to such and such souls enable them to their duties yea enable them in duty and sanctifie them throughout in souls bodies and spirits Why this is the present transaction of Jesus Christ and therefore most desirable methinks I long to know what Christ is now a doing in Heaven for my soul and is it not thus is not all his time spent either