Book VI
Of Christ our high priest, as entered into the holy of holies in the heavens. How ive are to treat and converse with God and Christ Jesus, under the
notion of his being our high priest, and being entered into the holy of holies.
And of our having liberty to enter thither to him, and to converse with him there, through faith, in prayer.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us holdfast our profession. For ice have not an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need. HEB. IV. 14-16.
CHAPTER I.
The words of the text explained, That Christ is our great high priest. Wherein
the greatness and excellency of his priesthood consists.
THE apostle had set forth Christ as a judge, to whom we must give an
account, ver. 12, 13, and here he sets him forth as a most gracious and
merciful high priest. The former he did, to persuade the Hebrews to get true faith, and to beware of a temporary faith. The latter he does, to en
courage them to continue in the true faith. And it comes very seasonably in after the former. For whereas he had told them, that Christ knew and observed every thought, and that his word was xg/r//co, critical in observing and finding out the least by-end, not a thought could escape Christ s all-
piercing eye, they that were sincere-hearted, being conscious of so many
imperfections and infirmities in all they do, might think with themselves, If he with whom we have to do be so severe as ver. 12, 13, describe him
to be, how shall we have anything at all to do with him ? how shall we hold in with him ? Wherefore the apostle in an instant quite alters and
changes the scene, and presents Christ in a new habit, and puts on him his
high priest s robes. As before he had presented him sitting in his judg ment seat, with his sword (the ensign of his justice) in his hand, able to
* divide between the marrow and the joints, so now he tenders him to them with the heart of a high priest, most tenderly affected towards them in all
their infirmities, and as sitting upon a throne of grace and mercyseat, to which with boldness they might draw near.
From which coherence observe that
Obs. Jesus Christ can and will shew himself the most exact and severe
judge ; and likewise the most tender and merciful high priest. He is called
(you know) both a lion and a lamb. Yea, you have both in one and the
CHAP. I.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 879
same chapter, and the one in the next verse, immediately following the
other (even as here also the like), Bev. v. 5, 6. A lion is of all creatures
the most fierce and furious, yet generous in his wrath; and a lamb is of
all the meekest. And he is set forth under both ; not in respect of those two several estates of his when on earth, and now in heaven, as if a lamb
in respect of his carriage here, and sufferings here below, but a lion now,
possessed of his powar and glory in heaven. No ; but a lamb as now risen
again, and as taking the book out of God s hand, and so to be God s com
missioner to govern and judge the world. For that is the scope of that
chapter. He therefore, as he is now in heaven, shews himself a lamb as
well as a lion. And a lion and a lamb are creatures of all others the most
contrary. Yet Christ hath the heart of a lion, and the heart of a lamb too, because he is and was appointed to be the perfect image of God, Heb. i. 3, and the executioner of all God s decrees, both of justice and mercy, on the
elect and reprobate. Through his human nature, the Godhead is to express his extremest severity, and likewise the tenderest bowels of mercy ; and
therefore Christ s heart was fitted and tempered unto both, according to the
exactest mixture and proportion that might be. God himself said cf the
angel who went with the Israelites (which was Christ, and in an allusion unto which type this representation of him here, ver. 12, 13, doth come
in), My name is in him, that is, my attributes ; as of mercy, so he went with them to lead them into Canaan ; so of justice, therefore provoke him
not, for he will not spare you ; and yet of mercy also, for else he would not have gone with them.
Use 1. This shews us the excellencies of Jesus Christ, who hath all per fections in him to the height, and mixtures of contraries in their full
perfections. Such a man we love as hath a spirit of all compositions
: when highest meekness, and greatest courage and stoutness are met in one, how amiable doth it make one ! Even such an one is Christ : read his
description in Ps. xlv.
Use 2. We should therefore look at them both in Christ, and carry the
representation of them both at once in our eyes. Men either look upon him as all mercy, and so presume ; or as all severity, and so tremble to come at him. The devil then makes a false Christ of him in either. The lamb can be angry
: you read of the wrath of the Lamb. And so the lion can be lamb-like and gracious. Poor souls in desertion look at Christ only as armed with his sword, and so tremble to come at him ; as that child in Homer did, when his father in complete armour took him up in his arms. When Christ looks sternly on thee, yet he may have a father s heart to
thee, under that vizor of terror.
Use 3. We should have a mixture of affections, namely, of fear and love, answerable to this mixture in Christ; so Ps. ii. 11, 12, Serve the Lord
with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry. And yet again,
* though his wrath be a little kindled, yet rejoice, and come
boldly to him as a Saviour. And let us serve him without fear also, for he
is a merciful high priest. So in the 45th Psalm he is set forth as a loving husband, greatly delighting in the beauty of his queen, who sits at his right hand, and is familiar with him. And yet she is taught to know her distance :
* He is thy God, worship thou him.
Use 4. It should be an encouragement to poor souls, who are sinners, and tremble at every threatening, and are afraid when they hear or see
Christ angry, when he rends and tears wicked sinners in pieces, when they see judgments on the earth. You do well indeed to tremble, as children
380 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOE. [BOOK VI.
when they see the servants beaten. But consider withal that he is a gra cious God to you, when his anger is never so much against others. Like a loving husband that is general of an army, though he hath been in the
field killing and slaughtering men that are his enemies, yet when he comes
into his tent, he is as loving to his spouse as ever, and with the same arms embraceth her, with which he ruined them in fury. Such is Christ; he can be and is as loving and familiar with his own, and will use them as kindly as if he were not angry at all. And yet men can hardly so command their
passions, but that they will run out one way; and when they are angry with
others, they are morose, not placid even to their wife or friend. But it is not so with Christ; he can act both parts to the height, and loves to do it. He can turn his fierce look on others, to the most gracious smiles on thee, and that in the twinkling of an eye. Think but how that, at the latter day, his anger will be at the highest, and yet how loving will he be to his own !
It will be the strangest sight that ever was, when in the same countenance the greatest fury and the most sweet smiles of grace shall lodge and appear
together, as then they will. Therefore in Isa. xxvii. 4, when God was in
his armour, and in battle array, against his enemies (as it is in that verse), yet then to his vineyard, to his own, he says, Fury is not in me. No ; I am not angry with you (says God), though indeed against briars and thorns I am, and will burn them together. When he is most angry, fear not to go forth to meet him, but rather go rejoicingly out to him ; for he
will use thee lovingly, if thou humblest thyself before him, Isa. Ixiv. 5. Thus much I have said as an introduction to the words of the text, and from the coherence of them.
The words divide themselves into these three parts :
1. Two eminent duties exhorted unto.
2. Three especial discouragements from those duties.
3. A ground of encouragement unto those duties (notwithstanding these
discouragements) fetched from Christ s high priesthood in heaven.
1. The duties exhorted unto are two.
(1.) To hold fast our profession. Whereby is meant, that cleaving to
Christ by faith and obedience, whereby we do profess him to be our
Saviour, and do put our confidence in him. Heb. iii. 1, he is styled the
high priest of our profession ; that is, whom we profess to be our high
priest, by cleaving to the doctrine and religion which he is the high priest over. All professions have some eminent founder or chief of them, of whom the professors have their denomination. The Jews religion had Moses and Aaron, to whom therefore they are said to cleave ; and the Romish religion and profession hath the pope for its chief. He is the
high priest of it, ponttfex maximus ; and therefore they of that profession are called pontificii and papists from him. In like manner the true Chris
tian profession hath Christ for the high priest of it, and therefore we are
called Christians. Now, then, to cleave constantly to Christ, by faith and
obedience, in all things, whereby he is magnified and confessed to be our
high priest, both in heart and life ; this is to hold fast our profession. And because this is chiefly done by true faith, which as a hand takes hold
of Christ and holds forth in life the profession of him ; therefore he bids them hold the profession
: x^arw/^sv, let us hold, &c. And because that
faith hath great oppositions and discouragements, that might pull them from it or it from them, therefore he bids them hold fast or strongly ; for
so the word signifies.
(2.) The second duty exhorted to is to come, viz., by faith ; for by it we
CHAP. I.J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 381
are said to come to God and to Christ, 1 Pet. ii. 4 ; to draw near, Heb. x.
22. I take it therefore especially to mean coming to God in prayer. As
in Ps. Ixv. 2, thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. And that is meant here ; for the word translated boldly is f^sra cra^ovac,
liberty of speech and spirit. Come boldly and speak out your needs and
complaints. And therefore also the help that is given is called /3o^g/a, that is, help upon crying ; and this is correspondent to the ground of en
couragement given from Christ s high priesthood, which is an office of
prayer and intercession. And therefore the apostle encourageth against
all our exigencies, both miseries from without and guilts of sins within ;
including both these in that one word infirmities, as things wherein
Christ our high priest will pity us. For these are all either expressed or
evidently implied in the words. The two first are expressed under that one word
* infirmities, ver. 15, whereby both persecutions and afflictions from without, and sins, are meant. That under infirmities, miseries, and
persecutions, and all outward evils are meant, appears from 2 Cor. xii. 5, and chap. xi. 80. His outward distresses the apostle calls his infirmities. And these he means here ; for he comforts them against these by this, that
Christ in all these was tempted. Therefore, notwithstanding them, hold
fast your profession ; you have a high priest to pity you in them. Yet more especially by infirmities he means sins, which indeed are the
greatest pressures, and which we therefore need most comfort against, and
that the pity of Christ be shewn therein. And they are the greatest dis
couragers of us in our coming with boldness to the throne of grace for
help against those outward evils ; and therefore they must be intended
here. And accordingly we find the word on purpose used but three verses
off in this very discourse, continued, about this high priesthood in the
type of Christ. In chap. v. 2, the apostle shews the qualifications of a
high priest then under the law, and he recites them to shew that the same
virtues, as towards us, are found in our high priest, but without sin. He was the high priest under the law (says he), one that
* could have compas sion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, i. e., upon sinners
(for by ignorances and strayings from God, sins are meant), in that himself
(says he, speaking of the high priest) was clothed with infirmities, that is, with sins ; which might move him out of a sense of the like sins in him
self to offer the sacrifices of every sinner which should come to him. And
again, you have the same expression used again of the high priest, chap,
vii. 28, For the Lord maketh men high priests which have infirmities, that is, sins, such as the people had ; which is spoken in direct opposition unto Christ his being holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners, ver. 26. But though as concerning Christ his having any infirmities on his part, the
apostle had exempted him, and put in an exception before the words of my
text, saying, that he was tempted in all things, yet without sin ; yet as
to the pitying part, viz., to have compassion on us, under such infirmities, his scope is to the full to shew that he is, and must be, a high priest that can have compassion, more abundantly than those narrow-hearted priests could have, though they were compassionate upon other grounds than he.
They, for that themselves were clothed and surrounded with the same infir
mities of sin that the people were, therefore pitied them. But he, though without sin, yet hath that innate compassion, and a heart so made up of
mercy, that he is much more able to compassionate such even in their sins, which are their greatest infirmities. So then under the word infirmities sins are intended, and in his alleging the parallel of the high priest in
382 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
respect of compassion towards sinners which are out of the way, his scope
and intention must necessarily be to shew that Christ is thus also. His
allegation had been to no purpose at all, if not unto this ; and so it refers to and explains what is said in my text, that he is touched with the
feeling of our sinful infirmities ; and they therefore are here mainly intended. And further, to that end he shews, that though he kept himself from being tempted with evil and sin, yet he came as near as might be, being tempted by Satan unto sin, and vexed (as the word in some copies signifies) with all sorts of sins, yet still without sin. He came, I say, as near therein as might be, that he might be able to pity us experimentally. Even herein again, because the apostle means infirmities of sins, as well as of miseries and out ward temptations, therefore the comfort and remedy which they are directed to seek, and encouraged to find at the throne of grace, is in relation unto
sins. He mentions both grace and mercy: that you may obtain, says he, grace and mercy ; grace to help against the power of sin, mercy to take away the guilt of sin. And our own pressures of all other are those of sin and corruptions ; and above all things our hearts (who are true Christians) are carried forth to obtain grace, and mercy for and about them. So as however that grace to help against all other infirmities is meant, and we may find in Christ both grace to supply wants, and mercy to give deliver ance ; yet there being two things in sin corruption and guilt therefore to be sure we need grace and mercy to serve against these two, more emi
nently than against all evils else. And these are the evils which the saints hearts do most implore grace and mercy against, and therefore these are above all intended by the apostle here.
Obs. 1. Jesus Christ is a great high priest ; concerning which in general, whatever title Christ hath, this of greatness is added to it. A prophet he
t great prophet, say they, Luke vii. 16. John was a prophet, yea, more than a
is of a truth; and that prophet , said they, Johnvii. 40; yea, that
prophet, says Christ of him, Mat. xi. 9. But then, I am not worthy to untie the latchet of his shoe, says John of Christ. A shepherd he is, but with this addition, that great shepherd, Heb. xiii. 20. A king he is, but, Ps. xlvii. 2,
* the great King ; it is a psalm of Christ s ascension : ver. 8,
* The King of kings, Lord of lords. A priest he is here, a high priest ;
yet that is not title high enough, but he is a
* great high priest. As King of kings, so Priest of priests, that in all things he might have
pre-eminence, Col. i. 18. When the person is great, all his titles are such. Princes who are eminently excellent, have by their subjects the title
of Great affixed, as Cbariemogm*, Alexander the Great, Henry le Grand, &c. ; and shall not Christ be exalted, yea greatly exalted ? Ps. xlvii. 9. Use 1. Men who have great friends, how do they bear themselves upon them, and have great hopes, great thoughts, and great looks ! So Eabshakeh bore himself upon Sennacherib ; and what big words doth he speak
! 2 Kings xxviii. 19, Thus saith the great king; and shall not we, who
are Christ s servants, bear ourselves as much upon our great Lord and master ? as Paul often calls him.
Use 2. Let us serve him as becomes his greatness ; not with the halt or lame. Shouldst thou send such to thy prince, would he accept such ser
vices ? I am a great King, says God, Mai. i. 14. Use 3. Let us become little, that Christ may be great, and appear such. As his alone is goodness, so his alone is greatness, 1 Chron. xxix. 11. Let us become cyphers to set his greatness out. Let us be content to decrease, that he may increase, as John did ; and, like the moon, the nearer we come
CHAP. I.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 383
to this sun, the more we should, yea we shall, wane ; it is our glory so to
do. This in general. Now to shew more particularly how Christ is a great high priest. This
is spoken of him,
1. Comparatively to Aaron, who was a high priest ; but Christ is a great high priest, whose priesthood the apostle compares with his throughout this
epistle. I will not now shew all the particulars wherein Christ doth exceed ;
only in this I instance, that Aaron s priesthood was but a shadow, not so much as a picture, compared with his. So he concludes that discourse,
chap. x. 1. As a kingatarms, who goes before a true king, such was Aaron to him ; and therefore but a low, and a mean, a little high priest to
this great high priest.
(1.) In the Levitical law there was a plurality of priests, which argued imperfection ; but
* they truly were many, says the apostle, Heb. vii. 23, and all could not perfect the work ; which plurality of theirs is implied, ver. 11 of the 10th chapter,
* every high priest ; but Christ was but one, ver. 12. They were but as so many candles, that successively were burnt out, and
gave but a dim light ; but he as the sun, which is the meaning of that, Col.
ii. 17, where the apostle, speaking of all the forerunning types, which were
* but the body is Christ ; who (as his scope there was to shew) hath disannulled all those shadows by his com
* the shadows of things to come, says,
ing unto the world ; and therefore can be no other body but of the sun
itself in that comparison intended. For otherwise the shadows do begin to
exist but when the body comes ; but where the sun casts its beams, shadows
fly away. Now as the sun is called the great light, Gen. i. 16, because
it alone doth that which all the stars and candles cannot, so Christ alone
discharging this office is called the great high priest.
* daily ministered, and offered oftentimes, and the same
(2.) They
sacrifices ; but Christ he did it but once, and that for ever, so Heb.
x. 11, 12.
(3.) These many priests, with their many sacrifices often offered, could not take sins away ; but Christ by one offering took away all sins, and
perfected us so for ever, that our sins are remembered no more, ver.
14, 17. But I will no longer insist on this comparison, for it is not worthy of it, it being a thing very uncomely to compare the body and the shadow
together. Therefore I come, 2. To shew how he is a great high priest in himself, absolutely considered.
(1.) In his person, higher than the heavens, Heb. vii. 26, that is, than the angels, and so all creatures ; for not of place, but of personal dignity, is the highness there meant. And as hell is put for devils the gates of
hell shall not prevail, &c. so there, heaven for angels, and such an high
priest became us, as it is there. And in this sense he is said to be ascended to heaven, when he was not yet ascended in place, but only by the union hypostatical, John iii. 13. This his personal worth and greatness is mentioned in the text, as that which is the foundation of the greatness of
his office, Jesus the Son of God. Other offices make the person great, and his dignity the more ; but here the person dignifies the office, and makes
it great. For from hence proceeds all the worth of the sacrifice he offered, and of the intercession of this priest
: the worth of his sacrifice being attri buted to his being God the blood of God and the prevalency of his intercession to his being the Son. Other officers (if great) must have a
great deal of outward state and pomp, as kings have, and ceremonies of reverence are invented to make them seem great ; and as themselves are
384 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
human ordinances and creations, so they have human inventions for state and pomp, because they want personal greatness to bear up respect. And such a priest was Aaron and his fellows, which (I take it) is the meaning of
* He was made a priest, not after the law of a carnal com mandment, which is spoken in opposition to the priests of the old law, who were indeed made thus, and it was all their making. The priests of old were of themselves no more fit to be priests thaa others of the Jews ; it was
that Heb. vii. 16,
merely a law which made them such, no peculiar personal worth in the men : as the law makes a child as true and as great a king as a man grown. And, accordingly, they had carnal rites, which the law also prescribed, in
the observance of which their priestly power and dignity did lie, and thereby was supported ; and so were priests
* after the law of a carnal command ment (so the law ceremonial is called, and thereby distinguished from the law moral, which is called spiritual, Rom. vii. 12, 13, 14). For the per sons being weak, as other men, they had rites, such as were glorious gar ments, a glorious temple, &c., to make their office great; which yet were but fleshly, that is, weak (as Eph. vi. 12, flesh is taken,
* not with flesh, but with powers, &c.), and which wrought in the fleshly part of men an estimation of greatness. But this priest is made after the power of an
endless life. By power, he does not simply mean that authority given Christ by his Father s institution ; for so these Levites also were ordained : Heb. v. 4, No man takes this honour to himself, but he that is called of
God, as was Aaron ; but he understands thereby, that personal power, and those eminent abilities which were in his person inherent, and which moved God to pitch on him, whereby he was not a king or priest dressed up, or
set out with ceremonies, and carnal rites of reverence, but endued with
power inherent, whereby he was able to shew himself a priest indeed. And
* declared to be the Son of God with power, Rom. i. 4, so also
as he was
to be a priest with power. He had the power of a priest in his person ; which consisted chiefly in this, that he had the power of an indissoluble
life (as the word is), that whereas it was requisite that he should die, to
undergo God s wrath, which would have sunk the souls of men and angels, he could outlive it, and all the powers of death could not hold him ; as Acts ii. 24.
* I lay down my life, and I take it up again, says Christ ; and
so can survive to perform the rest that belongs to that office. And hence the word of the oath pitched on him, as one of himself consecrated and carved out for it, and none else ; so ver. 28, The law maketh men high
priests which have infirmities, but the word of the oath, since the law, maketh the Son, who is perfected, as the word is, for evermore.
2. Secondly, It appears how great a priest he was, by the great trust which was reposed in him. We judge and esteem of the greatness of
offices, by the great trust that is reposed in them. This made Joseph s
office great, and himself the greatest man in Egypt. So with us, the high treasurer s place is great, because of the trust; and so the lord keeper s, &c. Now of Christ it is said, Heb. vii. 22,
* He became a surety of a better cove
nant. It was an infinite trust which God committed to him. All those great and precious promises must be made yea and amen in him. All God s oaths and covenants must otherwise have been disannulled and cancelled ;
yea, heaven must have been dissolved, and all the souls saved under the Old Testament sent down again, if Christ had not been a faithful high
priest. All the glory of God s justice, all our souls which God so loved,
all our sins which he desired so to be pardoned, all God s plots hung upon him, all his affairs were committed to him (I mention all these, because
CHAP. I.J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 885
they all concerned God s glory as well as our salvation, and therefore are
* things appertaining to God, though for men, that is, for man s
called
good ; and he was faithful in them all, Heb. ii. 17). He trusted Christ, as Pharaoh did Joseph ; and was not this a great high priest then ? All the
good things that Christ meant to bestow, the purchase of them was com mitted to this high priest. All God s holy things he was minister of, Heb.
viii. 2 and ix. 11. All which argues the excellency of his ministry
: Heb.
viii. 6, He hath obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better pro mises, and of greater trust, which he was to make good. 3. Thirdly, The great solemnity that was at his instalment argues his
greatness. It was by an oath, Heb. vii. 20, 21. Not so the Levitical
offices. Those offices which were small, and of no great account or trust, but put in and out at pleasure, were wont to be bestowed without an oath, but great ones with an oath. And this very reason is indeed given why Christ was made with an oath, ver. 22, Insomuch as he was a surety of a better testament ; that is, betrusted with the rich promises of a greater covenant. Yea, further (which may be matter of wonderment unto us, as
differing from all other investitures), not he himself so much doth take the
oath, as his Father that made him, which was a transcendent and unheard
of honour.
At the first erection of this office, and placing this great officer, God himself took an oath ; whereas the usual way is, that the party that enters upon the office takes the oath ; but here, God himself swears. Heb. vii.
21, This priest was made with an oath, says the apostle ; and by whom was this oath taken ? Not by him who was made the priest, but by God himself (that made him) when he made him :
* He was made with an oath, by him who said to him (mark it, by whom it was taken), The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchi-
sedec. This oath indeed was first taken from everlasting, when God first
called him to his office, but was then solemnly renewed, and again rehearsed
over, when Christ first entered upon this priesthood in heaven, being now
set at God s right hand, as appears by comparing Heb. v., 5th and 6th
verses, and Ps. ii., 6th, 7th, and 8th verses, with Ps. ex., ver. 1, 4, where, when God had set Christ down at his right hand, as Ps. ii. 6 and Ps. ex. 1, then he rehearses this oath, as ver. 4 of that psalm ; yea, renews it, as Heb. v. (quoting both these psalms to this one and the same purpose) doth shew. All this was to assure us how much God s heart was engaged in
this business of his priesthood, which it should be exercised about, namely, the pardoning of sinners. Christ s office in heaven is the pardon-office. He is a priest over it, to sue a pardon out for sinners. And the reason why God thus sware, rather than Christ, was because the business to be effected by this office being the pardon of our sins, which was dependent upon God s
will, and to be procured at his hands through Christ s mediation and inter
cession; now therefore, to assure both us and Christ himself likewise, when he took on him this office, that his intercession should never be in vain at
any time, for any souls that come to God by him, or that he sues for, God the Father takes this oath. Because Christ s office in interceding being to sue for pardon, and it being the Father s part to grant it : in this case, the oath is rather taken by the Father, to assure both us and Christ for ever of his covenant to hear Christ, and grant what by virtue of his office he
requires ; and that is, the pardon of our sins, which is the work of the office, that is, the thing that the oath intends, and not simply the confirmation of
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386 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
his office to him, but the effect of his office, that it should procure pardon,
as is evident by chap. viii. throughout. An oath to a covenant or promise argues the greatest seriousness that may be. Even he who doth betrust
him, is so satisfied in him, as he takes an oath for him ; he exacts it not of him ; he would not shew so much diffidence in a person so great and faith
ful, and able for the place ; but he swears for him, that he should be a
priest, and he would not repent ; yea, he foresaw that in Christ, that he could never have cause to repent that he saved men by him. God swears, as glad to engage him in it.
4. Fourthly, He is a great high priest in respect of the continuance of his
* Thou art a priest for ever, says the apostle, glossing upon this oath: Heb. vii. 23, They truly were many
office ; for what was it God sware to ?
priests (that is, in succession one after another, though there was but one
priest at once), because they were not suffered to continue by reason of
ideath. They were but as so many candles (as was said) that burned out, and others were set up in their rooms ; yea, and some were deposed afore death ; they were not suffered to continue, though they continued to live ; so Abiathar. But this man (says he, ver. 24), because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable high priesthood ; for that cannot pass to any
other, but is for ever in himself; and he can never lay it down, as he can not lay down his .person, or his being the Son of God. For that is the reason given, that seeing he himself continueth ever, his priesthood like wise shall continue ever. Now, offices that are of great trust, and withal
are perpetual and for one s life, and cannot be taken away, are ever accounted great. It is this that makes the office of a king so great, be cause he is not subject to a deposition. Therefore he must needs be a great high priest, who hath a priesthood that cannot pass from him ; yea, if he should lay it down, there is none in heaven or earth worthy to take it up. Princes consider well whom they put into places, out of which they cannot
again remove them, and that hold not upon a quam diu se bene gesserint. Now such is this office wherewith Christ is invested. But God knew him
so well aforehand, that himself durst swear for him, and that he would never repent of his placing him in it.
5. Fifthly, Christ is great in his love to us to become a priest for us : John xv. 13,
* Greater love than this hath no man, that a man lay down
his life, &c. By undertaking of which he became a priest ; and so it may be said, as in the Acts, With a great sum purchased he this office. Great was his love thus to become a priest for us, that he was equal to God his
Father, and as great as he, that he should descend from his greatness and become lesser, to be a priest for us ; and the lesser his person became, the
greater his priesthood. For now his Father (as Christ is a priest) is greater than he, John xiv. 28. Yea, Christ became lower than the angels, Heb.
ii. 7, and yet lower, even than men ; a worm, no man, &c. And by how much lower his person became, by so much is his priesthood made higher. And so at once the greatness of his person made him alone fit to be this
high priest (as was said) ; and yet withal, the lowering of all this great ness, even to nothing, made his priesthood to be so high and great. So
that it hath both a height and a depth in it to make it great ; and so his
* a height and a depth in it, as
love is said to have (Eph. iii. 18, 19,) such
it passeth knowledge.
6. Sixthly, He is a great high priest in the sacrifice which he offered ; which, Heb. ix. 23, is called a better sacrifice than those of the law, so much as heavenly things are better than the shadows of them ; as it is
CHAP. I.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 387
there, and chap. x. 1. For he offered up himself, Heb. ix. 14, 26. And what a sacrifice was that ! God himself hath not such another Son to
offer, he has no more such sacrifices. Had he sacrificed millions of
worlds of innocent men, and holy angels, even hecatombs, they had been
but as mites to the riches of heaven and earth, in comparison to Jesus
Christ : 1 Cor vi. 20, we are said to be bought with a price ; magno pretio, so some read it ; for what a sacrifice must that needs be, wherein all the
riches, glory, and excellencies of God-man were emptied, and (as sacrifices
! And all he
of old were to be) consumed and burnt to ashes, to nothing
offered was his own, by such a title of personal propriety (as second per
son), as it was not God the Father s (though his also as God s creature)
so as he borrowed nothing, but was himself priest, sacrifice, altar, temple, and all.
7. Seventhly, He was a great high priest in respect of the temple and
tabernacle that was made for him to officiate in. You guess at Aaron s and his successors greatness by the glory of the tabernacle first, and then
of the temple, and therein of the holy of holies, the wonder of the world. But the heavens were made for this man to be a priest in ; and it is the
highest end, next God s glory, that they were made for. He is a heavenly man, yea, the Lord from heaven, as he is called, 1 Cor. xv. 48 ; a priest
higher than the heavens ; and therefore he must have a place suitable to
perform the great part of his office in. And, therefore, as it is said, that
it became us, or, it was necessary for us, being sinners (if saved), to have a priest, who for the excellency of his person should be higher than
the heavens, so likewise it became the excellency of his person and high
priesthood, that he should have a place to administer in, above the
heavens. And that is also noted in the text as a circumstance that makes him a great high priest, that he is entered into the heavens, and officiates
at the throne of grace (ver. 16), the highest place in heaven, as the
mercyseat was in the holy of holies. Yea, he purchased this place by his
blood, and laid down a price for it ; and therefore is said to enter into the heavens by his blood, Heb. ix. 12, 24. Yea, he had a temple and a taber
Tet more excellent than the heavens, a building made of better stuff. You will wonder what that should be ; his own body and human nature, which was the true temple, as he says, John ii. 19, Destroy this temple. It was
nacle }
* God s tabernacle, Rev. xiii. 6, the holy of holies, Dan. ix. 24, in which the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily ; which in the local
place of the heavens it doth not, nor is personally united to them ; and
that is it which makes this his manhood more high than the heavens, and
to be called a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands ; that is to say, not of this building. The apostle speaks it of Christ s own
body ; for of the heavens he speaks besides in the next verse, By his own blood he entered into the holy of holies (ver. 12) ; namely, the
heavens, than which this of his body is the greater and more excellent
tabernacle, ver. 11.
Use. Let us hold fast our profession against oppositions of men. The
apostle speaks to them in suffering times, and we may say it in difficult
times. And it is to be held fast : there is danger of being pulled from it
by the adversaries. -Men who have great masters bear themselves upon them, and are bold to wear their livery. The three children saw God in
his greatness, and contemned Nebuchadnezzar; and so did Moses as to
Pharaoh, whose wrath he regarded not. Let us still view how great a
high priest we have, and give back in nothing. Paul loves to have this
888 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
often in his mouth ; Jesus Christ my Lord, so Phil. iii. and elsewhere :
as courtiers use to cry, The king my master. Now why should not we be as bold as they ? For he is able, and will bear us out against all that do oppose us. We are not careful, said the three children, to answer
thee, king, in this matter. They saw God to be great, and able to bear them out. So we, seeing our high priest to be so great, let us hold fast
* and none shall pluck us out of his hands, John x. 28. He is a great high priest entered into the heavens, who will
to him, and he will hold us fast,
also, if we hold fast to him, bring us thither. Men cleave to great persons in great distresses, when they can give them any great hopes. Can the son of Jesse give you vineyards and olive-yards ? said Saul, when he feared the people s departing from him. But have any of your great masters
places in heaven to bestow ? Have they mansions and offices there to dis
* He is passed into the heavens.
pose of? (may our high priest say). But Christ hath ;
CHAPTEK II.
The words of the text explained. What is meant by the holiest. How we
enter in thither.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh ; and having a high priest over the house
of God ; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance offaith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water. HEB. X. 1922.
My subject from out of these words is, How in prayer, especially secret
prayer, to converse with Christ our great high priest, entered into the
heavens, and we to follow him thither by faith, and treat him there when we pray as being entered into the holiest with him.
The art and skill of this high converse with him in the heavens, is the
apostle Paul s : who of all the apostles (if not alone) hath most insisted on
this particular. And in this epistle he unfolds the mystery of Christ s
high priesthood, as it was veiled under the type and shadow of the Leviti-
cal high priesthood of Aaron, and his successors. And writing to the Hebrews, now turned Christians, he speaks both the doctrines and duties of the gospel in the Old Testament characters, and conciphers them. But
in a special manner he had explained the mystical signification of that eminentest part of Aaron s priesthood, in his officiating on that most solemn
* day of atonements, when he went into the holy of holies (which was the sum and complement of the high priest s service), to be Christ entering into the heavens as an high priest for us (of which you may read largely, though intermingled with other things, from chap. iv. ver. 16, and chapters
v., vi., viL, viii., ix., and so on in this 10th chapter, unto these words). And in these words (my text) he comes to the duties, or practical part that
belongeth to us thereupon as inferred from thence : which likewise he utters
in the language of the types of that day s rites and solemnities.
And of all those gospel duties, he begins first with this very thing which I have singled forth for my subject, viz., How to converse with God, and
Christ, now he is in heaven, in allusions unto the type thereof, and there to
transact our concernments with him ; which being the first of all the other
CHAP. II.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 389
exhortations made, shews it was a principal one, and most genuinely inferred from the foresaid type. And to that end he first informs us, in ver. 19, of our right and privilege, that are saints under the New Testament, viz., to enter into the holiest, and to go to him our high priest thither ; and the foundation of that privilege to be his blood, ver. 19. And withal, secondly,
pointing us the way which our high priest hath paved and consecrated for us to come thither to him, ver. 20, himself having first entered as an high
priest for us, ver. 21. And then, thirdly, in ver. 22, he sets forth the duty and qualifications of those that will so come, and which they that enter must seek for, or bring with them ; and these drawn and inferred either from the type of the people s part, performed on that day, or by the high
priest acted for them, or on their behalf.
There are three or four things or phrases in the text which I account it
requisite to explain, to make way for the founding of this my subject on the
words, ere I proceed upon it.
First, That by the holiest here is meant the highest heavens, into which Christ is entered, and where Christ is resident, and whither we are bidden to come and enter, and whereof the holiest in the temple was the
type. This is so much known to the most of intelligent readers as it needed not to be insisted on, but for the more unknowing their sake. And they may understand from our apostle that the tabernacle of Moses, and after wards the temple of Solomon, consisted of two courts or rooms (see 1 Kings xvi. 17, 19), one before the other ; which the apostle exactly describes, to the end that all might understand this very thing I am upon. Chap. ix.
ver. 2, 3, For there was a tabernacle made ; the first, wherein was the
candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary or the holy. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the
holiest of all. And the priests. he says, namely, the holy, went into the first* every day to sacrifice, ver. 6. But into the second (which was the holiest)
* went the high priest once a year, &c., ver. 7, which second he again calls, the holiest of all, in ver. 8. And at ver. 9 he tells ns, that this first tabernacle (so he calls the whole, consisting of these two
apartments) was a figure for that time then present. The figure of what ? The apostle plainly unriddles and explains it ; ver. 24, Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands (that is, into those earthly tabernacles which the priests entered into every day, and the high priest once a year entered into), which are the figures of the true ; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. So then we are sure that the heavens are the holy places ; and the heaven Christ is now in is the holiest, and figured out by that holiest of all. I will not at
all detain you with the question, whether there be not in the heavens a first
court, which Christ passed through, of which the court of priests was the
figure, into that heaven of heavens, of which the holiest of all, which then the high priest entered into, was the figure. The apostle, in that last place
cited, doth in the plural mention both, in saying, the holy places, and
that they were figures of the true, and it is certain the true here are the heavens. And yet again when he interprets what those places did signify, he says, heaven itself, in the singular. It is enough to my present pur
pose, that the highest heavens is here meant by the holiest ; those which Christ entered into, and where now he is, and into which we are here in
vited to come in ; and into which our hope is said to be (in like allusion) to enter as an anchor, into that within the veil ; whither the forerunner is * Qu. into the first, namely, the holy f ED.
390 OF CHKIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
for us entered, chap. vi. ver. 19, 20. And that within the veil is plainly an allusion to the .holy of holies. So the apostle would have us to mind and observe, from his foresaid description, chap. ix. ver. 2. After the second veil was the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all.
The second thing to be explained is, what is meant by entering. Our
entering (for it is spoken of us, and our entering) into the holiest ; that is, into heaven.
1. We all know that our going to enjoy and possess heaven, after this
life and world are ended, is termed an entering into it : Matt. xxv. 23,
* Enter into thy master s joy ; and Acts xiv. 22. And Christ s entering into his glory, and into the heavens (as in this epistle), is said to be when he ascended.
But here this our entering must be understood of what is to be, and what we are to do, in this life. We being invited upon the" declaration of our
right to enter in, ver. 19, to come to, as the word is, ver. 22, or draw near. Ard it is as an act to be done by us in this life ; an entry and coming with
liberty of speech, as the word translated liberty and boldness, in ver. 19, also signifies. And withal to come to, and draw*near, doth import an
act of ours ; and that to be with such and such dispositions as at that pre sent are to accompany that act of drawing near, and to be exercised therein,
all which dispositions are concomitants of this life. Moreover, it is as an
entry whilst we are in via, in the way ; viatores, wayfaring men (as the
< by a new and living way, consecrated for us, and that is in this life. In the other world we are at our journey s end.
prophet Jlsaiah, chap, xxxv., terms us) ; so ver. 20, we are to enter
Yet 2. There is an entering into the kingdom of heaven in this life, which is when we are first called and converted, and born again, which indeed is done but once for all, whereof baptism is the seal ; of which those
places are to be understood : John iii. 5, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the^kingdom of God ; which phrase is also used, Matt. xix. 23, 24, and Mark x. 23, 25, that a rich man shall
hardly enter into the kingdom of God ; that is, is hardly converted ; and
is spoken upon occasion of the rich 3 7ouug man s refusal to come unto
Christ. But this initial entrance is not meant here ; for he supposeth them he speaks to, to have been as to this respect entered already ; and there
fore calls them brethren, ver. 19, and supposeth them to have a right already to enter:
* Seeing therefore we have boldness, or
* right to enter
(as many interpret it), so upon that right invites them to draw near; whereas
the new birth is that which gives that right first, as John i. 12, 18, and
therefore is not meant here. And again, that entrance into the kingdom of heaven by effectual calling at first, is as an entrance into a state, or such as into a city, to be at first admitted a free denizen of it (the state of grace, as Rom. v. 1) ; but is an admission into a condition or privilege, namely, that the kingdom of heaven should belong to us. It is to be ccelo donatus, made a citizen of heaven, Phil. iii. But this here is an entrance as into a
house, ver. 21, where some one dwells whom we would speak withal ; and
liberty of speech is that which this entrance serves unto. And this is into the holiest, you see, as into a place, in allusion to the high priest s going into the tabernacle, as a holy place; and such was Christ s entrance into
heaven, as into the holy place, as was said, chap. ix. ver. 24 ; and this of ours is into heaven, as his was.
3. It rests then this be an entrance into heaven in this life, by our per forming such acts of drawing near, and coming to God, and our high priest
CHAP. II.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 391
there, as are to be continued and increased after our first conversion, and
performed between it and our entering into the actual fruition of the glory of heaven. And that there are such actings of soul, in the exercise of which we do truly and really enter into heaven, and are so called, the
Scriptures are not wanting as to the using this phrase in that sense. The
apostle, 2 Peter i. 11, having exhorted unto an exact diligence in all good works after calling, and unto adding all sorts of graces, as occasions call
for the exercise of them, and to abound therein ; from ver. 5 to 10, he then
proposethfour or five spiritual advantages that will accrue thereby, proceeding by a gradation in them, ver. 10. And the last and highest of them is in
ver. 11, For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is narrowed by most interpreters* unto an abundant free entrance into heaven, and reception of our spirits by Christ at our death ; according as we have abounded in good works, to be filled at our death with joy and comfort
* Come, ye blessed ; for ye saw me hungry, &c. And it is certain that the word enter
answerable ; as also at the latter day, when Christ shall say,
is used of our taking that full possession of enjoyment after death of the
kingdom of heaven, as Acts xiv. 22, and frequently elsewhere ; yet I find
Calvin to take in unto this, the promise of all those rich supplies and assist
ances, which God vouchsafes all along during this life, whereby to bring us
to heaven. And some protestant interpreters since,f take it to include
assurance in this life, and a promise that eternal life, and the happiness
thereof, shall open itself to you more and more, or be set open wider unto
your spirits, so as to enjoy the larger sense thereof in your souls, that you may more amply and freely pierce into the inwards of heaven, and enjoy the sense of that life in a larger measure. I have in the margent cited
these, that I may not appear alone in giving this sense ; though I take the words to extend to both, viz., unto our entrance by way of full fruition
in the other world ; the comfort whereof at death God often gives to those
that have abounded in holiness, that their souls are in heaven whilst in
their bodies, and in the suburbs of heaven. And they crowd not in, but have the great broad gates set wide open to them. Yet withal, also, that
in the mean time holy walking procureth, ministereth, or affordeth in the
very doing, the privilege of a more abundant entrance into heaven every day more and more, all along this life ; by Christ s manifesting himself to them ; as John xiv., upon
* keeping his commandments. And in the
coherence of the words in Peter with the foregoing, the promise hereof comes in last, as an increase or surplusage of the former privileges (all which are in this life). One mentioned, ver. 10, was, that we should
thereby make our calling and election sure. And this of abundant
entrance is not the same with that ; not a repetition of the same matter, of assurance namely, but an addition of a distinct and further benefit ; a
further, and indeed the highest, degree attainable in this life, the top of
his climax, or highest ascension of such attainments. As if he had said, you shall not only make your calling and election sure, but you shall
enter more and more into heaven, and live in heaven aforehand whilst you
live, and take an ample possession of it in the first fruits thereof, which
yet is called but an entering (though often still renewed), because it is at
* Dutch Annotators. t Amplior introitus, f. c., felicitas et vita seterna amplius pandet, et explicabit se
vobis, ut copiosius, et liberius penetrare possetis in regni hujus partes interiores ; et
frui vitse illius sensu, in ampliori mensura. Dixon in verba.
392 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK YI.
highest in this life but an imperfect attainment ; and in comparison of the
latter full entrance, which is upon death, but as an entrance, a first entrance,
and first fruits and earnest, and yet said to be an entrance. And thus, Heb. iv., we who have believed do enter into rest ; and therefore going on from faith to faith, as Rom. i., we enter further into rest, as faith in-
creaseth, every renewed act being a renewed entrance ; and thus we are
entering all our life long. And this Jacob, that so extraordinary saint and
patriarch, had enjoyed long afore death. He says, This is the house of
God, and this is no other than the gates of heaven, which in that vision
(wherein he saw Christ and the angels) he had been taken up into, Gen.
xxviii. 17. Yea, and every soul that walks very holily, and abounds in it, though he enter not into the joys of heaven, such as are unspeakable and
full of glory, yet he may truly be said to go further up into heaven, in his
so walking, and to obtain larger room and place there than other men, though holy. He enters further up into the country every day, into the heart of it, as we use to say, though it be true that every true Christian
is passed from death to eternal life, from hell into heaven ; and when pos session or fruition shall come, such a man will find a more rich and ample provision to have been made for him there against he comes.
4. But if, in the last place, more strict inquiry be made, what actings, exercises of faith and holiness, the apostle doth here in this my Hebrews
text, mere especially intend, and calleth an entering into heaven, and a
coming to, and drawing near ? I answer :
(1.) In general. All gospel worship and ordinances, which therefore by way of inference from this here in ver. 19, he in the 23d exhorteth not to forsake. And we must consider that his exhortation, begun in the 19th
verse, is an inference from his discourse afore of the Jewish worship, and
particularly of that on that solemn day of atonement, when the high priest went into the holiest, which was the highest worship that the Jews had
prescribed them ; and was a day of pure worship. They were to do no work thereon. Yea, and was styled a Sabbath of Sabbatism, the queen of
sabbaths, and above all other sabbaths whatsoever. And you may observe how in the beginning of this chapter, wherein he goes on to interpret and unfold the mysteries of this day s solemnity, he styles them that come to it, the worshippers, the corners thereunto, verses 1, 2, and from which
(namely, that his discourse, doctrinally treated by him in three chapters
afore) it is he deduceth his exhortation here. So then gospel worship and ordinances may in general be understood to be an entrance into heaven, and the dispositions required in ver. 22, to be the inwar.d qualifications requisite
unto all such worship.
But (2.) in a more special and eminent manner, I conceive, he under
stands prayer, and especially private prayer. And I am so far from being alone in it, that I find myself compassed about with a cloud of interpreters, who, almost generally, carry it unto prayer. I could fill a leaf with their names and sayings to this purpose upon some or other of these. And that
parallel-like exhortation (which many of them do allege for this), Heb. iv.
14, Seeing we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God ; and ver. 16, Let us come boldly to the throne of
grace. The exhortation there, Let us come, is a corning by faith in
prayer, imploring for help in time of need and distress ; so the psalmist useth the word to
* come to God : Ps. Ixv. 2, To thee shall all flesh come. How ?
* For thou art a God hearing pra}
7er. It is a coming then by prayer. And the word here in my text, let us draw near, vgofcg-
CHAP. II.] OF CHEIST THE MEDIATOR. 393
, is in the original the very same that is there in chap. iv. 16. And in the next chapter to this where my text is (the llth), He that cometh to God is one that diligently seeks him; and that is by prayer. But if it were as it is translated
* draw near, it likewise importeth prayer
: James iv.,
* Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you ; he afflicted, and mourn, &c. Again, in that parallel, chap. iv. 16, it is a coming to God
* to obtain mercy, and find grace to help. And all that speaks prayer. For these are the aim of a soul that invocates God by prayer, to obtain his
mercy for pardon ; and grace for supplies of all their spiritual wants, and
other needs. And also the word poqQzia there used, is a crying out for help in case of extremity. Likewise the word there translated
* boldly, ptTa,
vagi)0i<x,f, with boldness, is properly liberty of speech. And what is that but to come and speak freely to God our needs, and boldly to use all sorts
of pleas with him, which grace and mercy in him do afford, to obtain relief and succours, to pour out our hearts afore him ? And is not the very word
also that the apostle chooseth here in my text, to form his exhortation in, the very same ? We having boldness, let us come, or draw near ; that
is, having liberty to speak, and speak out our minds, our whole hearts, let us come and do it. Every word in that Heb. iv. speaks prayer ; and with
that exhortation there doth this here correspond and agree. The allusion
also here of entering refers unto the Jews, their coming to worship, which
* entering into God s courts, Ps. c. ; and their coming with
is styled an
praise and thanksgiving (which is a part of prayer, 2 Tim. i. 1*) in the 4th verse of that psalm,
* Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into
: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. But
his courts with praise
further, the special allusion of this whole paragraph, my text, being specially made to the worship and practices of that day wherein the high priest en
tered into the holiest (which phrase of entering into it is so often repeated in this epistle), this brings it yet nearer home unto prayer as meant, and shews that it is a coming to God and Christ by prayer. For both on the
high priest s part that day, as he went in by blood into the holiest, so by incense to make a cloud, and by these two alone he went into the holiest :
Lev. xvi. 12, 13, And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense
beaten small, and bring it within the vail : and he shall put the incense
upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the
mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not. This all of us
that come into the holiest are to imitate. Now, not only incense betokens
prayer (as in the psalms), which was required on the high priest s part, but on the people s part also. It was required of them, that whilst in
cense was offering, they should pray without : Luke i. 9, 10, According to
the custom of the priest s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went
into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were
praying without at the time of incense. And if on the times of the
ordinary days of worship, much more on this day, the day of atonements, which was appointed also for the people for prayer ; for they were to fast and afflict their souls for sin, Lev. xvi. 27, 28, which they then confessed, even of their whole lives ; and was therefore joined with prayer, as that duty did require, for atonement.
So as everything falls in, that prayer bears the main of the apostle s intendment and exhortation. And those qualifications, ver. 22, of a true
heart, &c., do come in but as concomitants, to make the prayer acceptable.
* Qu. Phil. iv. 6 ? ED.
394 OF CHEIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
CHAPTEK III.
That it is the privilege of believers under the New Testameat to enter into the
highest heavens by faith, and with the apprehension offaith. An invitation
to them so to do. The dispositions which are required to make them meet
for such a heavenly converse.
These things premised, I reduce the words to these four heads :
I. That all that are believers already, under the New Testament, their
privilege is, that when they worship, especially in prayer, that they should
by faith, and with the apprehension of faith, enter boldly into the very highest heavens ; and placing themselves there, to seek communion and converse with God, through Christ ; and with Christ himself as our high
priest, themselves considered as they are in heaven ; and we by faith pre sent there, together with God and Christ ; in brief, when we pray, we should in an immediate manner set ourselves to enjoy communion with God and Christ, as they are in heaven.
II. A free and open invitation here made, with an exhortation there unto ; which invitement you have amply pressed, and enforced with the
highest encouragements to persuade confidence in so doing ; namely, thus
to approach God and Christ in the highest heavens. These two heads you have in the 19th, 20th, 21st verses, Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, by the veil of his flesh ; and having a
high priest over the house of God ; let us draw near, &c.
III. The inward dispositions or qualifications that are required to make them meet for such a heavenly converse, and which are to make their
prayers prevalent to have power with God ; to obtain what we pray for :
1 . With which therefore we should enter and approach ; or, 2. Which we should put forth, and exercise in the time of performance of that duty of praying ; and, as much as in us lies, to endeavour not to come off without them. Or, 3. At least, which we do in our prayers, should chiefly seek for at God s
hands, and implore his grace and mercy to help our infirmities therein ;
these, above all things else that we pray for ; without doing which, we shall much fall short in our obtaining those other things prayed for by us ; and these you have in ver. 22,
* Let us draw nigh with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
I have proposed this third head under these three several branches, that
it may take in and comprehend all sorts of believers ; all of them either
having or performing either the one or the other of these three. For if we should understand and limit the scope of these qualifications, to be all and
every of them absolutely necessary conditions ; that is, such as without each
of which, unless every believer brings with him before he prays, he is not, nor shall be accepted, nor his prayer regarded ; we must exclude many of the righteous. For it is certain that many do want full assurance of faith ; which speaks a higher degree of faitji, and especially an assurance that
their persons are accepted. Many also fall short of having their con
sciences* so fully sprinkled from an evil conscience ; as to their own sense
(as that phrase would import, even to the sense of their consciences, of which hereafter), that their own hearts should not condemn them ; in the
guiltiness of many sins that God is pleased to let lie bound, even upon them
* Qu. hearts ? ED.
CHAP. III.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 895
that are saints, for as long as his pleasure is, thereby to humble them. And to confirm this, if we take the scope of the apostle, I look upon the words to be an invitation, with an exhortation ; and the scope of that
exhortation to be, what dispositions those that would pray as in heaven, when they pray, and that would pray after such a heavenly rate, should
labour to attain, and either bring such with them when they come, or at least
are to seek after, to obtain them in praying, and by prayer. And so these things to be proposed here, as principal matters to be prayed for. And so they serve as rules of direction to praying, as well as for qualifications requisite thereunto. I find but two interpreters that have touched upon any such
scope ; and they are in Flaccius Illyricus upon the words, of which after
wards. The other is worthy Mr Dixon, who hath well observed on that word in full assurance of faith that God s meaning is, that he likes it
better to come with a full assurance of faith, though he despiseth not the
weakest, nor quencheth faith in the smoke, not yet risen into victory in the
flame. To which I add, it being an exhortation, exhortations are usually made in the strain of highest attainments, not the lowest and weakest. The apostles did exhort to many things weak Christians might be long in
attaining. For the copy or samples you set afore learners use to be with
the perfectest, when yet they write or work very much short of them. And
so here the meaning is, that God indeed would have you come in full assur ance ; and this he proposeth as that which you may obtain, and exhorteth unto it as what he most desires, and would have in you. Also, consider
that yet the weakest believer hath a faith, so far as to cause him to perform the main thing exhorted to ; and that is, to come to God and Christ, and
also with a true heart in prayer. Again, it is certain that those, whoever
they be, that have these dispositions, he or they obtained them by prayer. And therefore they cannot be all absolute conditions aforehand in all cases
ere we come to pray. For themselves are obtained (I say) by prayer first, and much seeking of God too. And how many poor souls do bitterly com
plain of the want of these ! IV. And each and the whole of these, both duty, invitation, privileges,
&c., are inferred from, and represented under, the analogy and similitude of
that special solemn worship, and the rites thereof observed and performed by the high priest and the people upon the great and memorable day of atonement ; once again celebrated with extraordinary sacrifices on purpose appointed for that day, besides the ordinary for every day, the high priest
carrying the blood for those extraordinary ones, to make atonement, into the holy of holies, which he entered into but once a-year. All which was
accompanied with confession of sins and prayer, the people also universally coming up to that assembly, and were present at that solemn worship, keeping that day with afflicting their souls for the sins of their whole lives
past, which therefore must needs be joined with prayer on their part for the
pardon of them ; as Lev. xvi. 12, 17, where it is said the high priest carried incense within the veil, with which, if you compare the practice of the
people, what it used to be whilst incense was offered ; as in Luke i. 9, 10,
according to the custom of the priest s office, his (namely Zacharias) lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord : and the whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of incense ; it
appears that the people prayed that day, incense on that day being offered
in the holy of holies, by the high priest, for an atonement in the same, Lev. xvi. 29, 30, which day was called the day of atonements ; and in like
respect styled the fast, Act xxvii. 9.
396 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK VI.
From the types of which the apostle deducts his exhortation here, in
these four verses, and speaks to the Hebrews in the language thereof ;
carrying us up from that holiest to heaven, unto God, and Jesus our high
priest there. And he presseth the substantials of our inward worshippings, in ver. 22, from the performances of that day, especially in prayer. For, as this day s solemnities were the top of the Jewish worship, and spent in
fasting, prayers, and confessions of sin by the people, so is prayer these
duties and qualifications of our person in prayer the height of our Chris
tian religion.
For the first. That it is our privilege, and the gospel dispensation calls
for it, that when we pray we should set ourselves to enter in, by faith, im
mediately into heaven, and converse with them as they be in heaven, and we together with them.
Instead of more literal proofs, this text being evidence sufficient, requir
ing us thus to do, I shall give reasons and demonstrations of it.
1. A reason in general. The gospel (the doctrines of it being totally
heavenly, and the blessings of it heavenly, Eph. i. 4) hath exalted, raised
up, and enhanced all things thereof to an heavenly state, in their several
proportions and kinds. Like the elixir, it hath turned all the legal alchemy, or carnal earthly ordinances (as Heb. ix. 1 they are there called), into
celestial ; as in the same Heb. ix. 22 they are styled, even all the things
represented by those types. The gospel itself was styled, with difference from the old covenant, the kingdom of heaven, and that by Christ him
self, when he began to preach it. The very preaching of it is termed an
exaltation of those that heard it unto heaven, Mat. xi. 22 ; and a speaking from heaven, Heb. xii. 25. And that is spoken in comparison to Moses
* him that spake on earth.
giving the law, whom he there oppositely terms,
Yea, and this speaking from heaven is attributed to the sermons of the
apostles, and ordinary ministers, unto the Hebrews and other Christians, to
the end of the world. And if their sermons, which are ordinances by the
ministry of another speaking to us, are a speaking of Christ s from heaven ; what then are our prayers, especially private prayers ? For they are purely mediate* effluxes of the soul to God himself, without the intervention of any outward medium, but what is in and from a man s own soul, elevated and
assisted by the Holy Ghost, as Rom. viii. This may certainly be entitled,
praying in heaven.
Our conversation (if such as becomes the gospel) is to be in heaven, Phil,
iii. 20. But prayer is here made, comparatively unto that ordinary con
versation, an entering into heaven in so eminent a manner, as if that we walked out of heaven when in our callings, &c., and entered anew sometimes, but now and then, and that when we pray and come to worship. Likewise where Christians state is to sit together in heavenlies with Christ Eph.
ii. 5, 6, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ ; and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus if you be quickened, and have the least
of spiritual life begun in you, then hath Christ placed thee in heaven ; and our actings in prayer should be in its degree (and this exercise doth excel
all other) answerable to our state, and therefore should be a praying as
persons in heaven. Certainly if any part of worship, this in the nature of
it, above all other, calls for it.
This reason is but a general, from the heavenliness of the gospel.
* Qu. immediate } ED.
CHAP. IV.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 397