CHAPTER VI: Particular invitements unto communion with God and Christ
make use of, and apply the encouragements that are now to follow unto themselves. For that which I purpose to insist on are the persuasives with which this invitation is strengthened. And as the thing invited to is the greatest, namely, a communion with God in the heavens, by faith in praying, through Christ, as if we were with him there—the summary of this Scripture—so the invitements, or things inviting, or proposed to us to persuade us to the exercise of this, are the most alluring and forcible; and all framed after the image, and similitude, or allusion unto the coming to God in his own house, by the Jewish worshippers, or comers unto (as they are styled ver. 1 and 2 of this chapter). And when they came to pray in the temple, especially on that day of atonements, who are thereby said to appear before God, to approach and draw near (although with that local distance from the holiest); as also after the similitude of the high priest his entering into the holiest, both as high priest and in behalf of the people. For remember to carry along with you how I have proposed these as my pattern, to draw the particulars of what in this subject I shall handle, and shall keep it all along.
CHAPTER VI
An enumeration of the particular invitements unto communion with God and Christ, by thus, in praying, entering into heaven through faith.
1. The invitement is to come to God's house; which you have in terminis proposed, ver. 21, even to his standing house of his continuing and everlasting abode. The usual and common style that invitations run in, is, Will you come to my house, and see me there?
And if you read but what the holy men of old (that were kept at that distance) speak of, what entertainment they found when they came to God's house, (as Moses' tabernacle and temple were called), the type of our heaven, and what they express of it in the Old Testament language, you must needs expect far higher from God, when you shall in prayer come to heaven to him. They speak of the fatness of
God's house: Ps. 36:8, 'They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures,' noting a fulness of all that is good. Of goodness: Ps.
65:4. Come to a great man's house, and what a plenty do you find it furnished with; when you come but as a stranger, at times, and not as an indweller. Yet their holy of holies was but the shadow of good; of goods, in the plural; so in the original, Heb. 10:1; that is, both of what is substantially and truly good, and only good; as also plenty of all sort of good things. And notice, that he precisely speaks this, in Heb. 10, of their holy of holies, as the shadow into which their high priest there, he says, went. Thou comest to pray; that is thy business; and lo! when thou settest thy foot but in, thou mayest behold a new world of heavenly good things, which this earth affordeth not. All that thy soul needs for itself, to be sure, are to be had there, and from thence, by faith and prayer, in this life. Thy soul hath a choice set afore it; and my text tells thee, thou mayest be bold to pray for whatever is truly good, the commodities of that place which God hath given thee but a heart to will and desire and to pray for. And what good is there, or can be, which God's house will not afford?
But 2. Who is it in that house we are invited to come to, and speak withal there? God, who is the master and owner of the house, the supreme Lord of it. The house of God, saith he, which Christ is over, ver. 21, and set over by God his Father to be the governor of it, whereof the Father is the original owner, which Christ therefore calls his Father's house, John 14 and which, although it be Christ's own house also, yet but as the Son's, Heb. 3, so as God is thereby set forth to us, as he to whom we are invited to come, and by whom we are invited to come.
The good welcome to any house, and the entertainment, depends on him that is the supreme in it; and therefore it is God (and that as here propounded) whom we are ultimately to come to. It is God we ultimately come to, and in prayer do and must apply ourselves unto.
For this house is called the holiest, ver. 19; so called, because the holiness of God dwells there, in the high and holy place, created by
him on purpose to display his glory in; which that and other scriptures term his throne, as Christ also enstyleth heaven. And there his face is to be seen, his presence. Even Christ here is said but 'the way,' ver. 20; but God is our journey's end. Where there is a way, there must be a journey's end. Though we are come to Christ first by faith, yet it is that he may 'bring us to God,' 1 Peter 3:18, and that we may have access through Christ's own going to heaven, who was to appear in the presence of God, Heb. 9.
Now what entertainment you may have coming to God in his house, take in Old Testament language also; 'They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt cause them to drink of the rivers of thy pleasures;' out of the same himself drinks of, even of the pleasures God himself hath. His own blessedness is thy utmost happiness. There can be no higher entertainment, than to be at the king's table, and to eat of what himself eats, and to drink of what himself drinks; 'of thy pleasures,' saith he. As also Christ, 'Enter into thy master's joy.' And sipping hereof thou mayest have* in this life (if thou seekest it in prayer as for thy soul), find the first fruits.
For David spake this of what himself, and many Old Testament saints, had in their prayers to God, and other worshippings of him at their temple, or towards it, in this life found; Ps. 65:2, compared with ver. 4, 'O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.'
But 3. The liberty (as our translators in the margent) and freedom that is proclaimed to us to come, being added to these, makes the invitement fair, and far more encouraging. The former are the real inducements, but this addition makes the encouragement as to us; and that is the third branch. For if the plenty the house affords were never so much, the entertainment never so great, yet if all this be not accompanied with a freedom for us declared, that we may come and be welcome, we should be afraid, and still keep at a distance.
Now for the clearing and demonstration of this, I must a while insist upon the interpretation of the word, ἔχοντες παῤῥησίαν, which is translated boldness; 'having boldness.' As that which is purposely set to declare this liberty to us.
The original word hath a large comprehension in it, of such senses and imports* as do abundantly fall in to make good this third branch
I am now a-speaking to, and doth render this invitation yet more fair.
I shall here give a premonition concerning the translation of the word παῤῥησία, here rendered boldness.
I acknowledge that in that parallel place to this, Heb. 4:16, 'Let us come with boldness,' (where it is the same word παῤῥησία) it doth signify a bold confidence in us to come, &c. But there it is a simple exhortation, and the whole of the exhortation. But here it is made the ground of the exhortation that follows. 'Let us therefore come,' &c., that is the exhortation. And 'seeing we have the boldness,' &c., that is, the ground premised or forelaid, to draw on the thing exhorted to.
Again, there it is joined with μετὰ, with boldness, as an act of confidence within ourselves, which we are bidden to come with. But here it is, ἔχοντες παῤῥησίαν, which is translated, 'We having this boldness,' as having an act of boldness and confidence already begotten in ourselves, which, as it stands in this place, seems not so proper unto that following exhortation, verse 22. And my reason is, because in that exhortation boldness or confidence (as it is a grace in us wrought) is one main thing exhorted to in that clause, namely,
'with full assurance of faith,' that is, with full confidence and persuasion, which is that which causeth boldness as the effect of it.
And thus it would be as if he had said; 'seeing therefore we have the boldness, &c., let us come to, or draw near, with full assurance of faith;' which in sense and substance are all one and the same thing.
Yea, and it were to make this boldness (supposed), which is the effect of assurance of faith (as was said), to be the ground or persuasive, and so the cause of this assurance of faith, and of our coming with this assurance.
But yet unto this objection it may be answered, that some good beginning of boldness and confidence being wrought already in us, encourageth us to enter; and that then Christ gives more assurance and confidence. For as faith begun goes to Christ for more increase of itself—'Lord, increase our faith'—so doth confidence, for more confidence. Like unto that exhortation, Ps. 27:14, 'Be strong,' or of 'good courage' (which are all one), 'and he shall strengthen thy heart.'
It is far more congruous to interpret it thus: seeing we have such cause of confidence, or such ground of boldness, which by a metonymy is so called boldness, let us draw near with full assurance.
And indeed our best interpreters do understand, and carry all the particulars that follow after, or that come between in this 19th, 20th, and 21st verses, yea, and this word itself unto this: to beget assurance of faith, which we may draw near with. They turn all those lesser streams into that one channel, that they might all fall into this issue of creating assurance and boldness in us, which each doth naturally tend unto.
That therefore which comes to be my present work, is to explain the particulars that follow, in this their tendency, viz., as they are grounds of encouragement unto us, to come and enter into heaven, when we pray; as that which all and each particular tends unto, as the true centre of them. As for example; take that one, that Christ, being our high priest, is entered into heaven for us, and there resident to entertain us, &c.: this affords us just ground of confidence and boldness, to enter thither to him with full assurance of faith, that we shall be received, and accepted, and our prayers.
And in order to this issue, unto which all those other particulars in their several tendencies drive, I begin with this very first word itself,
'Seeing we have the liberty,' &c.; and I will give you the unfolding the word παῤῥησία, translated boldness, as it serves to manifest this third branch, the freedom and liberty we have to enter into heaven,
&c.
Our translators have in the margent varied it, liberty. This I choose rather to follow, and insist upon.
The Greek word is an extensive word, and comprehends many things in the significations of it; whereof what shall serve to the present purpose, I shall particularise. It comprehends all sorts of what you use to term freedom and liberty.
1. A freedom from fear, or shame in coming, that may arise from the sense of unworthiness. Many that are invited to a great man's house may be bashful to come, and incident to shame. But we sinners, who have been made sensible of our vileness, as all believers have been
—'I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, O God,' &c., Ezra 9:6—and likewise fear, which ariseth from guilt, which guilt, condemning us in ourselves, works fears. Now the word here used imports the removal, first, of shame: 1 John 2:28, 'Abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.' The word translated confidence there, is the same as that here. Also of fear, which ariseth from guiltiness condemning: 1 John 3:21, 'If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.' The same word: it imports a being freed from fear. Malefactors found guilty had their faces covered, for the shame of their guilt, and so hurried to execution; as Haman's face was covered, no more to appear before the king. In the gospel, when
Christ asked him, 'How camest hither without a wedding garment?' he was speechless. Whereas παῤῥησία is an appearing without shame, or cause of shame, 'with open face to behold the glory of the Lord;' their sins being forgiven, there will never be any cause for it.
And so as if he had said, we have good ground to appear before God, and look him in the face with free and open countenances, not as guilty persons; for, if we believe, our sins are forgiven us. Likewise upon the same ground we may appear, and enter without fear.
The word also doth import a freedom from any cause of danger, that might be supposed upon a man's doing this or that. And therefore in the negative, one is said not to have παῤῥησία, to walk openly, and
abroad, when his person may be supposed to be in danger if he does, John 11. The Jews consulting to destroy Christ, ver. 53, at the 54th verse it is said, ὄυκ ἔτι παῤῥησίᾳ, that Jesus walked no more 'with freedom.' It is translated 'openly,' but it is the negative, the same word that is used here. He forbore to appear in public, withdrew himself as apprehending danger. And the very acceptation of the word fearlessness from danger, is exceeding useful to be taken in, here in this place; for it plainly serves to express a difference between us under the New Testament, and the Jew under the Old. And the apostle carries it much in his eye and scope, and offers to set out those differences thereby, to exalt and magnify the gospel.
Now it is evident that God carried things so, under his Old Testament dispensations, as to keep them under a fear of being cut off from their people, and so of death, if in their approaches to the public worship they omitted or neglected such and such observations prescribed them.
(1.) Take for instance the case of the high priest, in his goings into the holy of holies (for it is pertinent to the purpose in hand; for the allusion here is made thereunto). How solemnly was he forewarned to take heed how to perform the outward rites prescribed, in his officiating on that day, with this threatening, 'that ye die not.' You have it twice inserted and rehearsed in Lev. 16, (the ritual for that day). It is at the beginning of the prescripts, ver. 2, and in the middle, ver. 13. It was matter of danger for him to enter in thither; and must needs cause fear to him that entered, lest he should through omission have miscarried, or through casual uncleanness. But we are here invited to enter into the holiest, upon the assurance of the contrary: that we have a παῤῥησίαν, no cause of fear written over the door of our entrance. Therefore let us draw near, but with a true heart, and full assurance of faith, and there is no danger at all.
Likewise, (2.) The inferior priests and Levites, in their officiatings and transactions about the utensils of this the holiest, about the ark,
namely, and the rest in Num. 4, when the tabernacle was to be taken in pieces, and removed by the Levites; when Aaron and his sons (who are only appointed to do it) had taken down the veil afore the holy of holies, and had covered the ark therewith, ver. 5 and ver. 8; and in like manner all the sanctuary, and the vessels in it, had been covered by them with other coverings appointed for them; what says ver. 15?
'And when Aaron and his sons have have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.'
And also ver. 20. The Kohathites that were to be employed about those holy things, ver. 18, yet at verses 19, 20, it is said, 'But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden. But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.' They were neither to see those holy things with their eyes, nor touch them with their hands. Oh but, brethren, the case is altered with us under the New Testament. Read 1 John 1:1, where the apostle, proposing Christ unto us believers of the New Testament, whom he deciphers to be him 'that was from the beginning,' and 'the Word of life,' him, says he, 'whom our eyes have seen, and whom our hands have handled; that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.' Such familiar converse had the apostles with him, when he was come, whom the vessels of the sanctuary, the ark, &c., shadowed; and whom the apostle doth in these words there expose unto all the spiritual senses of all believers
(for the acts of New Testament faith on Christ are said to have the exercising of these three senses there mentioned; hearing, seeing, handling; and of the other two also in the Scriptures).
And this very comparing, as to this very respect of fear and danger, between the state of the Old Testament and the New, our apostle doth institute and at large spreads forth in chapter 12, towards the
close of this Epistle, from verse 18 to verse 25, and instanceth on the one part how it was with the Jews' spirits at the giving of the law, when God brought the shadow of heaven down so upon the mount,
Exod. 24:10. They, Moses, Aaron, and the seventy went up the mountain, and they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet the body of heaven, &c.; and utters it in the same word wherein the exhortation in my text speaks in: Let us 'come to;' and there it is ye are 'not come unto mount Sinai' (as they were), 'which might not be touched, insomuch as if a beast' (that was not capable of the command) 'touched the mountain, he was to die; and so terrible was the sight, that Moses' (their mediator, to approach to God for them)
'said, I exceedingly fear and quake.' Thus it was on the Jews' part, in their coming to. But oppositely he sets out our coming to, with all that is amiable, delectable, and alluring; ver. 22, 'But ye are come unto mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem,' &c.; whither to come there is no danger, but all that may make blessed. The danger is only in refusing, as ver. 25. In that other their coming, there was presented on all hands a danger; yea, of those who by warrant from God were called up into the mount, and saw the God of Israel. As in the same Exod. 24:11 is repeated, and that they did eat and drink before him, it is in that verse recorded as a wonderful thing, that 'God laid not his hand upon them;' he did them no hurt. It is noted as a strange, extraordinary thing, that they should come down again, without being destroyed. They were in danger; yea, but we are invited: let us come to; seeing we have a security, a freedom from fear and danger, a παῤῥησία, to enter. So the text; there was never no man got any hurt by entering into heaven to pray. These are the first step and the lowest of the import of this word. And I begin with this the lowest, because I mean to make a climax, or an ascent of the significations of it.
2. It is a liberty to enter; and that importeth all free leave to come, licentiam intrandi, licence to enter, if you have but a will. According as we use to say, You may come if you will. There is no extrinsecal bar or hindrance from without; no unwillingness or want of freeness in the hearts of God and Christ, the inviters; but all heartiness and
readiness to entertain those that will. And they may take as freely when come, as they may come freely without needing any new invitation: 'Whosoever will (come), let him take of the waters of life freely.'
And so you may take in the freeness that is in the heart of him that inviteth you, though not upon the signification of the word here, yet upon the merit of the thing itself. I confess that the word παῤῥησία, in my text, imports not directly this freeness as in the heart of the inviter, but yet supposeth it; for whence is it that you have the freedom to come, but because he that biddeth you come hath that freeness in his heart? And this much the word that is annexed in that passage of the Revelation doth fully make up: 'freely,' δωρεὰν, is the word, which notes an offer of the inviter, out of pure liberality and munificence, to proceed from a largeness of heart; a free heart in the donor; and in God out of pure grace. And thus these two are yoked together, both grace and freeness: Rom. 3:24, 'Freely by his grace;' and Rom. 5:15. You may therefore come and take (and by seeking you do take) freely, on God's part; that is, without his the least thinking much, or grudging at it by God, or ever upbraidure afterwards for it (as James hath it): 'God gives richly,' yea, with his whole heart, 'and upbraids not.' Therefore so far as your will is within itself really, and in earnest raised up to desire, seek, and ask, and continues in that posture, so far you have freedom, without any check, to take. And the waters of life are those streams of blessedness in grace and glory, all that heaven affords. So you have it declared in the beginning of the same chapter: Rev. 22:1, 'And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb;' that throne is in the holiest.
But who is this that says this? Our Lord Christ himself, and that from heaven: ver. 16, 'I, Jesus,' &c. It is I that speak those things that you have now heard, and that follow in ver. 17. And take notice that they are my last words that ever I will speak to men on earth. And being to speak but this one, I choose and leave it as my last farewell unto the sons of men. Yea, they are the last words I ever intend to have
written by any apostle, or other penman, as Scripture given from me, or by my inspiration; so ver. 18, 'If any man shall add unto these things,' &c. So much must we suppose his heart to be deeply engaged in this saying above all other. And that he might be believed in it, he again sets his seal to this and the other sayings in this book, as the close of all: 'He that testifieth these things, saith surely, I come quickly,' ver. 20. They are Christ's words also, as those, ver. 16 and 18, and the seal of all; not the angel only I send, but I myself testify these things. And yet I alone testify them not; the word is συμμαρτυροῦμαι, I witness with another witness; not the angel he sent (for as he, the faithful witness, 'needed not the testimony of man,' as in John, so nor of the most glorious angels from heaven); but I witness, and the Spirit with me, ver. 17, yea, and my Father, who himself from heaven witnessed this of me: 'This is my Son, hear him,' and believe him. And whatsoever I speak' (says he elsewhere),
'even as the Father said unto me, so I speak,' John 12:50. And therefore if ever you believe, or will believe, any word of his, believe this. And to be sure it is of the most concernment to you, of any word that ever he spake, and you shall never have any such word from him anew until himself comes. And lo, it is to invite you (till himself shall come to you) that you would come in the mean while unto him, for whatever you have a will to have which himself hath; and if this speech of Christ's extends to those (as sure it doth) who do not yet believe on him, to invite even such to come for life at first, as Matt.
11:28 it is intended, then much more it intends those that have come already, that they would continue to do it until he comes; for such have a right and boldness, says the text: Let us therefore come, &c.
But, 3. It may be said, and is by many, though I have free leave to come, and ask freely, and need not be either ashamed or afraid, but I cannot speak what I desire. There is for this a further signification of the word παῤῥησία, a relief which will prompt you in this. It signifies, in a most proper meaning of it, a freedom of speech, which imports two things: 1. Free leave and liberty to the thing itself, to what you will speak, according to God's mind warranted in his word,
1 John 5. And 2. Not as it is a leave to speak only, but a new endowment of spirit in you, emboldening you to utter your minds; an enlargement of heart to express your desires one way or other acceptably to God. And this must needs still hearten you; for the business you are specially exhorted unto is to pray, and to ask, as I proposed it at first.
And that it is a most proper signification of the word cannot be denied, and is generally agreed among critics. And the New
Testament so useth it frequently, and it is often put for plainness of speech, when one speaks what is in his heart; as it is there, John
10:24, 'If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly' (it is the same word). The etymology of the word παῤῥησία is from πᾶν, omne, and ῥῆσις, dictio, a telling all.* By nature all men's mouths through guilt are stopped before God:
Rom. 3:19, 'That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' And so when they come afore God to pray, being condemned in themselves, guilt stops their mouths, and they are speechless, as he, Matt. 22:12.
But when a man is, by faith and regeneration, become actually a member of Christ, Christ gives him a new mouth as well as a new heart, 'a spirit of prayer and supplication.' There is a ceremony, that after the pope hath made a new cardinal, and put him into that dignity with Esto cardinalis, he hath a further solemnity (which they term the opening a cardinal's mouth), which is to give him leave to speak and vote with the rest of them. This he doth in a vain show, having no power to give more ability of speech than he had before, but permission only; but, to be sure, Christ hath power, and doth exercise it to them whom he makes fellows with him and members of him: 'Open thou my lips,' &c., Ps. 51. And it is a wonderful work to see how Christ gives to poor weak souls, ignorant and dead-hearted afore conversion, how he gives, I say, a glorious liberty and freedom this way to ask what concerns their own salvation. When Paul's three days of lying in of the new birth were not yet out: 'Behold he prays,'
saith Christ from heaven of him, Acts 9:11. And whereas they know not what to ask, Christ sends his Spirit into such souls to help their infirmities, Rom. 8. And what we are not able to clothe with words answerable to our desires, or to express what we desire, he draws out inward groans and sighs unutterable. And God knows the meaning of the Spirit, that is, of the new creature which he hath wrought within us, as if they had expressed them in words. He knows what it would have when it yet cannot utter; so that very soul hath a vent one way or other, either by inward words (and the groans, desires, and thoughts, and affections of the mind and inward man are in Scripture often termed words), or else by outward ability of speech, whence there is nothing in our hearts but are one way or another made known to God by us. The word παῤῥησία is, as I said, πᾶν ρῆσις, to tell all. It warrants thee to go and tell God all. A soul hath liberty to pour forth his whole heart: Ps. 62:8, 'Pour out your hearts before him.' To pour out implies, 1. A fulness of matter, which the heart, conceiving within itself, pours forth on the sudden, and easeth and disburdeneth itself of it, and empties the soul of all that is in it.
Yea, God enlargeth the heart, and causeth good materials for prayer to boil up within a man's spirit, and by these fore-preparings of the heart provoketh the soul to prayer, and to pour them all forth; and so is fulfilled that of the psalmist, 'God prepareth the heart, and hears the prayer.' And thou mayest, in telling God all, use plainness of speech (as was observed the meaning of the word to be), even as plainly as ever thou art able to utter them; as thou wouldst do to any, thy dearest friend, all thy griefs, fears, wants—Ps. 38:9, 'All my desires are afore thee;'—yea, all thy sins, and then mayest make
'apologies for thyself' (as the word 'clearing of yourselves' is, 2 Cor.
7:11). I mean not excuses, but all sorts of pleas which may move God to pardon thee, which thou findest in the word belonging to thy case.
Thou mayest take all the words to thyself, Hos. 14:2, that free grace hath written and prompted in this book, and use them as pleas for thyself.
And what a mighty encouragement then is this third branch, being added to the former?