only Psal 68.18 John 1.16 but for us He received Gifts for Men said the Psalmist not for Himself meerly but for Men Of His Fulness we receive Grace for Grace saith John His Wisdom to make us wise His Meekness to make us meek and His Patience to make us patient 3. By Faith we look at Christ as Faithful to distribute such Grace unto us as He received for us Heb. 4.2 He is Faithful in all the House of God He is Faithful in dispensing all the Treasures of Grace committed unto Him for His Churches Good He keeps nothing back His Faithfulness will not suffer Him to keep that to Himself which He hath received for us Psal 68.18 Hence as the Psalmist saith He received Gifts for Men so the Apostle renders it He gave Gifts unto Men As he receives so he gives Ephes 4.8 being faithful in all that is committed to Him 4. By Faith we seek God and beg Performance of his Promises according to our need Do we want Wisdom Meekness Patience or any other Grace Faith carries us by Prayer unto the Fountain and in this way waits and expects to receive the Grace we want As the Child by sucking the Breast draws forth Milk for its own Nourishment and thereby it grows in Strength so do we by the Prayer of Faith suck from Christ and from the Promise of Grace and by that means derive Strength to our inner Man to fulfil the Covenant which we have made with God 6. As Faith strengthens us so if at any times by occasion or temptation we fail in our Covenant-keeping Faith recovers us and restores us again to our former Estate I do not say the Covenant can be broken betwixt God and Us we may offend God and fail in the Service of God but till we refuse God and leave God and chuse another Master Lord and Husband besides God there is no Dissolution of the Covenant of Grace Now this a true Believer cannot do He may fall and fall often yet he doth not fall but he rises again he may turn aside but yet he returns again into the way of the Covenant What a sweet Point is this Christians We may and sometimes we do walk weakly in keeping of Covenants our feet slip and we step aside out of God's Path yet Faith brings us back again to God It casts Shame on our Faces that after all the Grace shewed us we should so ill requite God It reminds us of those Promises Return unto Me and I will return unto you Ye have done all this Wickedness Zech. 1.3 1 Sam. 12.20 22. yet turn not aside from following the Lord For the Lord will not forsake his People for his Great Names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People In the minding of these and such other Promises Faith doth encourage us to return unto God to take words unto our selves and to plead the Covenant of his Grace towards us This VVork of Faith brought Peter back to Christ whereas Judas wanting this Faith lies down in desperate Sorrow never able to rise up or to recover himself O my Soul Art thou acquainted with these Acts of Faith enabling thee in some good measure to keep Covenant with God Then is there a sweet Conformity betwixt Thee and Jesus 3. God in Christ hath highly honoured us as we are his People so we through Christ should honour Him highly as He is our God This is the main End of the Covenant and I shall end with this O my Soul be like to God bear the Image and Resemblance of God thy Father in this Respect He hath humbled Himself to advance thee O then humble thy self to advance Him endeavour every way to exalt his Name We are willing to be in Covenant with God that we may set up our selves that we may sit upon Thrones and possess a Kingdom But we must think especially of setting up the Lord upon his Throne Ascribe Greatness to our God saith Moses Deut. 32.3 make it a Name and a Praise unto Him that he hath vouchsafed to make us his People and to take us into Covenant with Himself Honour Him as he is God but honour Him more abundantly as he is our God Who should Honour Him if his People will not The World knows Him not The Wicked will not seek after God Psal 10.4 God is not in all his Thoughts And Shall God have no Honour Shall He that stretched out the Heavens and laid the Foundations of the Earth and formed Man upon it have no Glory O yes The Lord Himself answers This People have I formed for My Self Isa 43.21 they shall shew forth My Praise Surely God will have Praise from his own People whom he hath taken unto Himself He will be glorifyed in all those that come near Him Lev. 10.3 But How should we honour God I answer 1. We must set Him up as chief and highest in our Esteem Kings acount not themselves honoured if they be not set above other Men And hence God's People have used such Expressions concerning God as do single Him forth beyond the Comparison of all Creatures Thus Moses Who is like unto Thee amongst the Gods Who is like unto Thee Exod. 15.11 2 Sam. 7.22 glorious in Holyness fearful in Praises doing Wonders Thus David Thou art Great O Lord God for there is none like Thee neither is there any God besides Thee according to all that we have heard with our Ears Thus Solomon Lord God of Israel 1 King 8.22 there is no God like unto Thee in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath who keepest Covenant and Mercy with Thy Servants Thus Micah Who is a God like unto Thee Micah 7.18 which passest by the Transgressions of the Remnant of thine Heritage And thus should we rise up in our Thoughts and Apprehensions of God until we come to an Holy Extasie and Admiration of God 2. We must count it our Blessedness and highest Dignity to be a People in Covenant with God Are we Honourable Yet esteem this as our greatest Honour that God is our God Are we low and despised in the World Yet count this Honour enough that God hath lifted us up to be his People Christians if when we are counted as things of nought we can quiet our selves in this that God is our God if when we are persecuted imprisoned distressed we can say with Jacob I have enough because the Lord hath Mercy on me and hath taken me into Covenant with Him surely then we do bear Witness of God before Heaven and Earth that He is better to us than Corn or Wine or Oyl or whatsoever this World affords 3. We must lie under the Authority of every Word of God and we must conform our selves to the Examples of God that is we must labour to become Followers of God and imitate his Virtues It is a part of that Honour which Children owe to their Parents
Experiences when you look up to Jesus and lean on Jesus are you not best at rest O then why do you not always rest and lean upon him sometime you say his Bread is sweet and his Cup is pleasant how amiable is his Presence At such a time you have never done wondering at him O the sweet impression that are even then on your spirits why do you not then always look unto him or at least why are you not frequent in his disciples posture who looked stedfastly towards Heaven as Christ went up Act. 1.10 How richly might your idle hours and spare time be laid out here to the supply of all necessities bodily or spiritual 3. Consider that an eye an heart on Christ is one of your most unquestionable Evidences of sincerity Where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also Matth. 6.21 If Christ be your Treasure your hearts will be on Christ and surely an heart set upon God in Christ is a true evidence of saving Grace External actions are easiest discovered but those of the heart are surest Evidences when thy learning will be no good proof of thy Grace when thy arguments from thy tongue and hand may be confuted yet then will this Argument from the bent of thy heart prove thee sincere Take a poor Christian that hath a weak judgment a failing memory a stammering tongue yet if his heart be set on Christ I had rather die in this mans condition and have my soul in his souls case than in the case of him without such an heart though he had the most eminent gifts and parts and abilities of any in the world Christians as you would have a sure testimony of the love of God and a sure proof of your title to glory labour to get your hearts on Christ O look on Jesus You may be sure Christ will acknowledg that you really love him when he sees your hearts are set upon him 4. Consider that your looking on Jesus will strengthen patience under the Cross of Christ This is the very particular Motive of the Text Heb. 11.1 2 3. Let us run with patience the Race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right Hand of the Throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind It is storied of a Martyr that having offered him a Cup of spirits to sustain him when he seemed to faint under his greatest Trial he returned this answer My Lord and Master had Gall and Vinegar given him to drink as if he had been astonished to see himself fare better than Jesus Christ How may it strengthen your patience in sufferings to think of Christs patience What are you served ill Ay but Jesus Christ was not served so well can you suffer so much as he hath done I tell you nay O then do you stay your murmurings and repinings bear with patience the little you endure and to this end Consider him that hath endured the contradictions of sinners 5. Consider that a through-sight of Christ will encrease your inward joy in Christ Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Joh 8.56 A right sight of Christ will make a right-sighted Christian glad at heart I wonder not that you walk uncomfortably if you never tried this Art of Christ-contemplation can you have comfort from Christ and never think of Christ doth any thing in the world glad you when you do not remember it If you were possessed of all the Treasure in the Earth if you had title to the highest Dignities and never thought of them sure they would never rejoyce you Come look up unto Jesus fix your eyes thoughts and hearts on that blessed objects and then you may expect Davids experience Psa 63.5 my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate of thee in the night watches A frequent access to Christ in a way of meditation cannot but warm the soul in spiritual comforts When the Sun in the spring draws near our part of the earth how do all things congratulate its approach the earth looks green the trees shoot forth the plants revive the birds sing sweetly the face of all things smiles upon us and all the creatures below rejoyce Christians if you would but draw near and look on this Son of Righteousness Jesus Christ what a spring of joy would be within you how would your Graces be fresh and green how would you forget your winter sorrows how early would you rise as those Birds in the spring to sing the Praise of our great Creatour and dear Redeemer 6. Consider that your Eye on Jesus will preserve the vigour of all your Graces As the body is apt to be changed into the temper of the air it breaths in and the food it lives on so will your spirits receive an alteration according to the Objects which they are exercised about You that complain of deadness and dulness that you cannot love Christ nor rejoyce in his loves that you have no life in Prayer nor any other Duty and yet you never tried this quickning course or at least you were careless and unconstant in it what are not you the cause of your own complaints say is not your life hid with Christ in God O whether must you go but to Christ for it If you would have light and heat why then are you not more in the Sun-shine if you would have more of that grace which flowes from Christ why are you no more with Christ for it for want of this recourse to Jesus Christ your Souls are as candles that are not lighted and your duties are as Sacrifices which have no fire fetch one coal daily from this Altar and see if your Offerings will not burn keep close to this reviving Fire and see if your affections will not warm Surely if there be any comfort of hope if any flames of love if any life of faith if any vigor of dispositions if any motions towards God if any meltings of a softned Heart they flow from hence men are apt to bewail their want of desire and hope and joy and faith and love to Jesus Christ whilest this very duty would nourish all these 7. Consider it 's but equal that your hearts should be on Christ when the heart of Christ is so much on you Christ is our Friend and in that respect he loves us and bears us in his heart and shall not he be ours Surely this is ill requital this is a great contradiction to the law of Friendship But Christ is our Lord as well as Friend and if the Lord of glory can stoop so low as to set his heart on sinful dust one would think we should easily
Christ sweat it out wonderfully even by a bloody sweat in the first Garden Death first made its entrance into the world and in this Garden Life enters to restore us from Death to Life again in the first Garden Adam's Liberty to sin brought himself and all us into bondage and in this Garden Christ being bound and fettered we are thereby freed and reduced to liberty I might thus descant in respect of every Circumstance but this is the sum in a Garden first begun our sin and in this Garden first began the Passion that great Work and Merit of our Redemption 4. Christ goes especially into this Garden that his enemies might the more easily find him out the Evangelist tells us that this Garden was a place often frequented by Jesus Christ so that Judas which betrayed him knew the place John 18.2 for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with his Disciples sure then he went not thither to hide himself but rather to expose himself and like a noble Champion to appear first in the field and to expect his enemies Thus it appears to all the world that Christ's death was voluntary He poured forth his soul unto death saith the Prophet he gave himself for our sins saith the Apostle nay Isa 53.12 Gal. 1.4 John 10.17 18 himself tells us therefore doth my Father love me because I laid down my life 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 up again But I will not stay you at the Door let us follow Christ into the Garden and observe his Prayer and his Sufferings there SECT IV. Of the Prayer that Christ there made JEsus entring the Garden he left his Disciples at the entrance of it calling with him Peter James and John they only saw his transfiguration the earnest of his future Glory and therefore his pleasure was that they only should see of how great glory he would disrobe himself even for our sakes In the garden we may observe first his Prayer and secondly his Passion 1. He betakes himself to his great Antidote which himself the great Physitian of our souls prescribed to all the world he prayes to his heavenly Father he kneels down and not only so but falls flat upon the ground he prayes with an intention great as his sorrow and yet with a submission so ready Mat. 26.39 as if the Cup had been the most indifferent thing in the world The Form of his Prayer ran thus O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt In this Prayer observe we these Particulars 1. The person to whom he prayes O my Father 2. The matter for which he prayes Let this Cup pass from me 3. The Limitation of this Prayer If it be possible and if it be thy will 1. For the Person to whom he prayes it is his Father As Christ prayed not in his Godhead but according to his Manhood so neither prayed he to himself as God but to the Father the first person of the God-head Hence some observe that as the Father sometimes saying This is my beloved Son he spake not to himself but to the Son so the Son usually saying O my Father he prayes not to himself but to the Father 2. For the Matter of his Prayer Let this Cup pass from me Some interpret thus Let this Cup pass by me Oh that I might not taste it But others thus Let this Cup pass from me though I must taste it yet Oh that I may not be †Quod dicit transfer calicem istum a me non hoc est non adveniat mihi nisi enim advenerit transferri non poterit sed sicut quod praeterit nec intactum est noc permanens sic Salvator leviter invadentem tentationem flagitat pelli Sic Dionisius Alexandrin Heb. 5.7 too long or tediously annoyed by it That which leads unto this last interpretation is that of the Apostle Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and he was heard in that which he feared Heb. 5.7 How was he heard not in the removal of the Cup for he drank it up all but in respect of the tedious annoyance or poysoning of the Cup for though it made him sweat drops of blood though it grieved him and pained him and made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Though it cast him into a sleep and laid him dead in his Grave and there sealed him for a time yet presently within the space of forty hours or thereabouts he revived and awakened as a Lion out of sleep or as a Giant refreshed with wine and so it passed from him as he prayed in a very short time and by that short and momentary death he purchased to his people everlasting Life 3. For the Limitation of his Prayer If it be possible if it be thy will He knows what is his Fathers will and he prayes accordingly and is willing to submit unto it if the passing of the Cup be according to the last interpretation we shall need none of these many distinctions to reconcile the will of God and Christ If it be possible signifies the earnestness of the Prayer and if it be thy will the submission of Christ unto his Father the Prayer is short but sweet How many things needful to a Prayer do we find concentred in this one instance Here is Humility of Spirit Lowliness of Deportment Importunity of Desire a Fervent Heart a Lawful Matter and a Resignation to the will of God Some think this the most fervent prayer that ever Christ made on earth If it be possible O! if it be possible let this Cup pass from me And I think it was the greatest dereliction and submission to the will of God that ever was found upon the earth for whether the Cup might pass or not pass he leaves it to his Father nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt q. d. Though in this Cup are many Ingredients it is full red and hath in it many dregs and I know I must drink and suck out the very utmost dreg yet whether it shall pass from me in that short time or continue with me a long long time I leave it to thy will I see in respect of my humanity there is in me flesh and blood O! I am frail and weak I cannot but fear the wrath of God and therefore I pray thus earnestly to my God O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt But what was there in the Cup that made Christ pray thus earnestly that it might pass from him I answer 1. The great pain that he must endure the buffettings whippings bleedings crucifying all the torments from first to
Christs absence we may Weep with them that weep so upon his return we may spring out in joy and rejoyce with them that rejoyce So much of the first Apparition SECT VI. Of Christ's Apparition to his ten Disciples ON this day some reckon five apparitions but of them five as we have seen the first so I shall now only take notice of the last Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut Joh. 20.19 20. where the Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you and when he had so said he shewed unto them his hands and his feet In these words we have the apparition of Christ with all its circumstances As 1. When he appeared 2. Where he appeared 3. To whom he appeared 4. How he appeared So necessary was it to confirm this point that not a needfull circumstance must be wanting And first is layd down the time then the same day at evening being the first day of the week How exact is the Evangelist in this circumstance of time it was the same day the same day at evening and yet lest the day might be mistaken it was the same day at evening being the first day of the week 1. It was the same day i.e. the very day of rising he could not endure to keep them in long suspence the Sun must not down before the Sun of Righteousness would appear The same day that he appeared to Peter to the two Disciples going to Emmaus to the woman coming to the sepulchre and to Mary Magdalen as we have heard the very same day he appears to the ten Oh what a blessed day was this it was the day of his resurrection and the day of these several apparitions 2. It was the same day at evening Both at morn noon and evening Christ shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs Early in the morning he appeared to Mary and presently after to the three Maries who touched his feet and worshiped him About noon he appeared to Simon Peter in the afternoon he travelled with two of his Disciples almost eight miles to the Castle of Emmaus and in the evening of the same day he returned invisible from Emmans to Jerusalem At all times of the day Christ is prepared and preparing grace for his people 3. It was the same day at evening being the first day of the week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in one of the Sabbaths but the Greek words are an Hebraism and the Hebrews use often by one to signifie the first as in Gen. 1.5 the evening and the morning were one day i.e. the first day And whereas the Greeks found one of the Sabbaths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be understood either properly for Sabbaths or else figuratively signifying the whole week and this acception was usually with the Jews so the Evangelist brings in the Pharisee speaking Luke 18.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I fast twice in the Sabbath i.e. in the week for it is impossible to fast twice in one day and hence the translatour renders it thus primo die hâ—bdomadis on the first day of the week In which is a discovery of his mercy Christ took no long day to shew himself to his Apostles nay he took no day at all but the very first day When Joseph shewed himself unto his brethren he would not do it at first and yet he dealt kindly and very kindly with them O but Christ's kindness is far above Joseph's for on the first day of the week the very same day that he arose from the dead he appears unto them Thus for the time 2. For the place it is laid down in this passage where the Disciples were assembled Now if we would know where that was the Evangelist Luke speaks expresly it was in Jerusalem Luke 24.33 but in what house of Jerusalem it is unknown only some conjecture that it was in the house of some Disciple wherein was an upper room This upper room according to the manner of their buildings at that time was the most large and capacious of any other Mede Churches and the most retired and free from disturbance and next to heaven as having no room above it Mede tells us expresly this was the same room wherein Christ celebrated the passover and instituted the Lords supper and whereon the day of his resurrection he came and stood in the midst of his Disciples the doors being shut and where eight dayes after the Disciples being within he appeared again to satisfie the incredulity of Thomas Joh. 20.26 Act. 1.12 13. and where the Apostles met after Christ was ascended Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet and when they were come in they went up into an upper room where abode both Peter and James and John and the rest If this be true it should seem that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this upper room first consecrated by Christ at his institution and celebration of the Lords supper Nicephor l. 8. Et. hist cap 30 Psal 87.2 Jeron in Epitaphio Paulae Epist 27. was thenceforth devoted to be a place of prayer and holy assemblies and for certain the place of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was afterwards inclosed with a goodly Church known by the name of the Church of Syon to which Jerome made bold to apply that of the Psalm The Lord loveth the gates of Syon more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Now of this upper room the doors are said to be shut and the reason by way of adjunct is for fear of the Jews they were shut up as men invironed and beleaguered with enemies and here a question is raised whether Christ could enter the doors being shut the text is plain that he came in suddenly and because of his sudden presence the doors being shut they were terrifyed Luke 24.37 Aug. Serm. 59. and afrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit The ancients speaking of it tell us that he entered while the doors were shut and yet he was no phantasme but he had a true body consisting of flesh and bones Now Aug. in Serm. Pasch Just quest 17. Qui intravit per ostia clausa non erat phantasma c. Cryst how such a body consisting of crass parts should enter into the room and no place at all open is a great question but 't is generally answered that it was by miracle As by miracle he walked on the sea Mat. 10.25 and as by miracle he vanished out of their sight Luke 24.31 so by miracle he came in the doors being shut I know it is against the nature of a body that one should pass through another both bodies remaining entire and it is an axiome in Phylosophy that penetration of bodyes is meerly impossible yet for my part I shall not dispute the power of the Allmighty this answer is
given to Christ such as Mediator Intercessor Appellationes officii competunt Christo secundum utramque naturam c. agree unto him according to both natures and can the act of Christ's intercession be the act of Christ's manhood alone what to hear and offer up prayers to receive and present the prayers and praises and other spiritual sacrifices of all believers in the World to negotiate for them all at one and the same time according to the variety and multiplicity of their several occasions surely this is and must be the work of an infinite and not of a finite agent this cannot be effected without the concurrence of the divine nature with the humane but what needs any further answer to this objection suppose Christ intercede to himself as God that is not immediately and directly to the same person God the Son though to the same God essentially indeed Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man in respect of his natures agreeth with both being not only God not only man but God-man man-God blessed for ever but in respect of his person being the second person in the Trinity he is distinct from both 1. From the personality of man for he hath only the personality of God and not of man 2. From the first person of the God-head who is God the Father 1 John 5.7 for there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one i e. three persons and but one God SECT IV. For whom this Intercession is made 4. FOR whom is this Intercession made I answer 1. Negatively not for the World John 17.9 I pray not for the World saith Christ whiles Christ was on Earth he would not so much as spend his breath or open his lips for the World he knew God would not hear him for them in like maner Christ prays now in Heaven Not for the World he never had a thought to redeem them or to save their fouls and therefore they have no share in his intercessions I know the objection that Christ upon the the Cross Luke 23.34 prayed for the bloody Jews Father forgive them for they know not what they do but that might be of private duty as man who in that respect submitted himself to the Law of God which requires that we forgive our enemies and pray for them that persecute us and not of his proper office as Mediator or if it be referred to the proper mediatory intercession of Jesus Christ which I rather think it will not prove that he prayed for them all universally but only indefinitely i.e. only for them that were present at his crucifying and that in simplicity of heart and not of affected ignorance crucified Christ and accordingly this prayer was heard which so many of the Jews were converted at Peter's Sermon Act. 2.41 what needs more his own words are express that Christ's intercessions are not for the World or reprobates So much negatively 2. Positively Christ's intercession is general and particular for all and every faithful man John 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you Luk. 22.31 32 that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not As the High-Priest went into the Sanctuary with the names of the twelve tribes upon his brest so Christ entred into the holiest of all with the names of all believers upon his heart and still he carries them upon his brest and presents his will and desire unto his Father for them nor doth he only intercede in general but Simon Simon mark that what ever thy name is John Peter Thomas Mary Martha if thou art a believer Christ prays for thee it is our common practise to desire the prayers one of another but O who would not have a share in the prayers of Jesus Christ why certainly if thou believest in Christ Christ prays for thee I have prayed and I will pray for thee saith Christ that thy faith fail not SECT V. What agreement there is betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the High-Priests of Old 5. WHat agreement is there betwixt the intercessions of Christ and the intercessions of the High Priests of Old Among the Jews in the times of the Old Testament they had an High-Priest who was in all things to stand betwixt God and them Now as the Jews had their High-Priest to intercede for them so the Lord Jesus was to be the High-Priest of our Christian profession and to intercede for us it will therefore give some light to this doctrine of intercession if we will but compare these two and first consider what agreement betwixt Christ and the High-Priests of Old betwixt Christ's intercession and the High-Priests intercessions 1. Christ and the High-Priests of Old agreed in name not onely they but Christ himself is called an High-Priest Heb. 8.1 Heb 3.1 We have such an High-Priest who is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Heb. 5.6 Jesus Christ Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech The Old Priest-hood of Aaron was translated into the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ so that he was a Priest as well as they 2. They agreed in office that consisted of two parts oblation and presentation First They offered a sacrifice And secondly They presented it in the holy of holies with prayer and intercession unto God the one was done without the other within the holy of hollies and in answer thereunto there are two distinct parts of Christ's Priesthood 1. The offering of himself a sacrifice upon the Cross 2. The carrying of himself and of his blood into the holy of holies or in the heaven of heavens where he appears and prays in the force of that blood and this was so necessary a part of his Priest-hood that without this he had not been a compleat Priest Heb. 8.4 for if he were on earth he should not be a Priest that in if he should have made his abode upon the earth he should not have been a compleat or perfect Priest seeing this part of it which we call the presentation or intercession lay still upon him to be acted in heaven And indeed this part of his Priest-hood is of the two the more eminent yea the top and height of his priest-hood and therefore it is held forth to us in the Types of both those two orders of Priest-hood that were before him and Figures of him both that of Aaron and Melchizedech 1. This was Typified in that Levitical Priest-hood of Aaron and his fellows the highest service of that Office was the going into the holy of hollies and making an attonement there yea this was the height of the high Priest's honour that
I will not say that the very blood which Christ shed on the Cross is now in heaven nor that it speaks in heaven these cryings are merely Mataphorical yet this I maintain as real and proper that the power merit and vertue of Christ's blood is presented by our Saviour to his Father both as a publick satisfaction for our sin and as a publick price for the purchase of our glory 3. Christ's Intercession consists in the presenting of his will his request his interpellation for us John 17.24 grounded upon the vigor and vertue of his glorious merits Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me This was a piece of Christ's prayer while yet he was on earth and some say it is a summary of Christ's Intercession which now he makes for us in his glory he prayed on earth as he meant to pray for us when he came to heaven he hints at this in the beginning of his Prayer for he speaks as if all his work had been done on earth John 17.4 5. and as if then he were even beginning his work in heaven I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was I know it is a question whether Christ now in heaven do indeed and truth and in right propriety of speech pray for us some able Divines are for the Negative others for the Affimative For my part leaving a liberty to those otherwise minded according to their light I am of opinion that Christ doth not only intercede by an interpretative Prayer as in the presenting of himself and his merits to his Father but also by an express prayer or by an express and open representation of his will and to this opinion methinks these Texts agree I will pray the Father John 14.16 John 16.26 27. and he shall give you another Comforter and at that day ye shall ask in my Name and I say unto you that I will pray the Father for you when he saith I say not that I will pray for you it is the highest intimation that he would pray for them as it is our phrase I do not say that I will do this or that for you no not I when indeed we will most surely do it and do it to purpose Austin confirms this orat pro nobis orat in nobis oratur a nobis c. He prays for us he prays in us and he is prayed to by us he prays for us as he is our Priest Aug. Prefat in psalm 85. and he prays in us as he is our Head and he is prayed to by us as he is our God Ambrose tells us That Christ so now prays for us as sometimes he prayed for Peter that his faith should not fail Amb. super ad Roman 8. Methinks I imagine as if I heard Christ praying in heaven in this Language O my Father I pray not for the World I will not open my lips for any one Son of perdition but I imploy all my blood and all my prayers and all my interests with thee for my dear beloved precious Saints it is true thou hast given me a personal glory which I had with thee before the World was and yet there is another glory I beg for and that is the glory of my Saints O that they may be saved why I am glorified in them they are my joy John 17.10 13 24. and therefore I must have them with me where I am thou hast set my heart upon them and thou thy self hast loved them as thou hast loved me and thou hast ordained them to be one in us even as we are one and therefore I cannot live long asunder from them I have thy company but I must have theirs too I will that they be with me where I am If I have any glory they must have part of it this is my prayer that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Why thus Christ prayed while he was on Earth and if this same prayer be the summary of Christ's intercession or interpellation now he is in heaven we may imagine him praying thus it were too nice to question whether Christ's prayer in heaven be vocal or mental certainly Christ presents his gracious will to his Father in heaven some way or other and I make no question but he fervently and immoveably desires that for the perpetual vertue of his sacrifice all his members may be accepted of God and crowned with glory nor only is there a cry of his blood in heaven but Christ by his prayer seconds that cry of his blood an argument is handed to us by Master Goodwin thus As it was with Abel Goodwin Christ set forth so it is with Christ Abels blood went up to heaven and Abels soul went up to heaven and by this means the cry of Abels dead blood was seconded by the cry of Abels living soul his cause cryed and his soul cryed as it is said of the Martyrs that the souls of them that were slain for the Testimony which they held cryed with a loud voice saying how long Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our blood that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.9 10. even so it is with Christ his blood went up to heaven and his soul went up to heaven yea his body soul and all his whole person went up to Heaven and by this means his cause cryes and he himself seconds the cry of his cause Jesus Christ in his own person ever liveth to make Intercession for us he ever liveth as the great Master of requests to present his desires that those for whom he dyed may be saved 4. Christ's Intercession consists in the presenting of our persons in his own person to his Father so that now God cannot look upon the Son but he must behold the Saints in his Son are they not members of his body in near relation to himself and are not all his Intercessions in behalf of them and only of them but how are all the Elect carried up into heaven with Jesus Christ and there set down before his Father in Jesus Christ I answer not actually but mystically when Christ intercedes he takes our persons and carries them in unto God the Father in a most unperceiveable way to us for the way or manner I leave it to others for my part I dare not be too inquisitive in a secret not revealed by God only this we say that Christ presents our persons to his Father in his own person and this was plainly shadowed out by that act or office of the high Priest who went into the holy of holies Exod. 28.12 with the names of all the Tribes of Israel upon his shoulders and upon his breast
be one person and in that person he was born and lived and died and rose again and ascended into Heaven there now he hath been sitting sending down the Holy Ghost and interceding for his Saints for above one thousand six hundred years And in this last work he will continue till the end of the World and then he will come again to judge the World and to receive his Saints to himself that where he is they may be with him to see and enjoy him to all eternity This is the epitome of all I have said onely in every particular I have set down Christ's actings towards us and our actings towards Christ in various formes and out-goings of his love he hath acted towards us and in various formes and out-goings of our souls we have been taught fitly and suitably to act towards him Now in all these actings How doth the free grace of God in Christ appear Ye are saved by grace Ephes 2.5 saith the Apostle Eph. 2.5 the decree the means the end of our salvation is grace and onely grace The decree is grace and therefore it is called the election of grace Rom. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 3.24 Rom. 6.23 Eph. 1.7 Eph. 2.7 the means are of grace and therefore we are called according to his grace and we are justified freely by his grace And the end is of grace for eternal life is the gift of God both beginning and progress and execution is all of grace This is the riches of his grace the exceeding the hyperbolical riches of his grace the conclusion of all is this God's free grace which was first designed will at last be manifested and eternally praised by Saints and Angels the same free grace which from the beginning of the age of God from everlasting drove on the saving plot and sweet design of our salvation will at last be glorified to purpose when Heavens inhabitants will be ever digging into this golden-mine ever rolling this soul-delighting and precious stone ever beholding viewing enquiring and searching into the excellency of this same Christ and this free grace Now all is done shall I speak a word for Christ or rather for our selves in relation to Christ and so an end if I had but one word more to speak in the World it should be this Oh let all our spirits be taken up with Christ let us not busie our selves too much with toyes or trifles with ordinary and low things but look unto Jesus Surely Christ is enough to fill all our thoughts desires hopes loves joys or whatever is within us or without us Christ alone comprehends all the circumference of all our happiness Christ is the pearl hid in the large field of God's Word Christ is the scope of all the Scriptures all things and persons in the old World were Tipes of him all the Prophets foretold him all God's love runs through him all the gifts and graces of the Spirit flow from him the whole eye of God is upon him and all his designs both in Heaven and Earth meet in him Eph. 1.10 the great design of God is this That he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him All things are summed up in one Jesus Christ if we look on the creation the whole world was made by Christ if we look on providences all things subsist in Christ they have their being and their well-being in him Where may we find God but in Christ where may we see God but in this essential and eternal glass 2 Cor. 4.6 Heb. 1.3 Christ is the face of God the brightness of his glory the express image of his Fathers person the Father is as it were all Sun and all Pearl and Jesus Christ is the substantial rayes the eternal and essential irradiation of this Sun of glory Christ outs God as the seal doth the stamp Christ reveals God as the face of a man doth reveal the man so Christ to Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father q. d. I am as like the Father John 14.9 as God is like himself there is a perfect indivisible unity between the Father and me I and the Father are one one very God he the begetter and I the begotten Christ is the substantial Rose that grew out of the Father from eternity Christ is the essential wisdom of God Christ is the substantial Word of God the intellectual birth of the Lord 's infinite understanding Oh the worth of Christ compare we other things with Christ and they will bear no weight at all cast into the ballance with him Angels they are wise but he is wisdom cast into the ballance with him men they are lyars lighter than vanity but Christ is the Amen the faithful witness cast into the scales Kings and all Kings and all their glory why he is King of Kings cast into the scale millions of tallents-weight of glory cast in two Worlds and add to the weight millions of Heavens of Heavens and the ballance cannot down the scales are unequal Christ out-weighs all Shall I yet come nearer home what is Heaven but to be with Christ what is life eternal but to believe in God and in his Son Jesus Christ where may we find peace with God and reconciliation with God but onely in Christ God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 where may we find compassion mercy and gentleness to sinners but onely in Christ it is Christ that takes off infinite wrath and satisfies justice and so God is a most lovely compassionate desirable God in Jesus all the goodness of God comes out of God through this golden pipe the Lord Jesus Christ It is true those essential attributes of love grace mercy goodness are onely in God and they abide in God yet the Mediatory manifestation of love grace mercy and goodness is onely in Christ Christ alone is the Treasury Store-house Magazene of the free goodness and mercy of the God-head In him we are Elected Adopted Redeemed Justified Sanctified Saved he is the ladder and every step of it betwixt Heaven and Earth he is the way the truth and the life he is honour riches beauty health peace and salvation he is a suitable and rich portion to every man's soul that which some of the Jews observe of the Mannah that it was in taste according to every man's pallate it is really true of Christ that he is to the Soul whatsoever the soul would have him to be All the spiritual blessings wherewith we are enriched are in and by Christ God hears our prayers by Christ God forgives our iniquities through Christ all we have and all we expect to have hangs onely on Christ he is the golden hinge upon which all our salvation turns Oh how should all hearts be taken with this Christ Christians turn your eyes upon the Lord Look and look again unto Jesus Why stand ye gazing on the toyes of this World when such a Christ is offered to you in the Gospel can the World dye for you can the World reconcile you to the Father can the World advance you to the Kingdom of Heaven As Christ is all in all so let him be the full and compleat subject of our desire and hope and faith and love and joy let him be in your thoughts the first in the morning and the last at night Shall I speak one word more to thee that believest Oh apply in particular all the transactions of Jesus Christ to thy very self remember how he came out of his Fathers bosom for thee wept for thee bled for thee poured out his life for thee is now risen for thee gone to Heaven for thee sits at God's right hand and rules all the World for thee makes intercession for thee and at the end of the World will come again for thee and receive thee to himself to live with him for ever and ever Surely if thus thou believest and livest thy life is comfortable and thy death will be sweet if there be any Heaven upon Earth thou wilt find it in the practise and exercise of this Gospel-duty in Looking unto Jesus A Poem of Mr. George Herbert in his Temple JESV JESV is in my heart his sacred Name Is deeply carved there but th' other week A great affliction broke the little frame Ev'n all to pieces which I went to seek And first I found the corner where was J After where ES and next where V was graved When I had got these parcels instantly I sate me down to spell them and perceived That to my broken heart he was I ease you and to my whole is JESV FINIS