Chapter V
That there is a fair and open invitation to enter into heaven when we pray.
And in such a manner to pray, as those that are thither entered.
It being the condition of many New Testament saints (so much of Moses
veil remaineth on their hearts), that they dare not approach so near as to
believe themselves in heaven, or to be called up to heaven * when they are to pray
: they hope indeed in the end to enter in thither when they die (and it is true they shall), but stand at present afar off; our apostle,
therefore, vehemently exhorteth them in these words, to draw near, ver. 22 ; and to enforce this his exhortation, tells them they have a liberty, yea, a
right to enter. And then he follows, to back that, with other most potent arguments to persuade them hereunto.
Concerning this his scope, in the general, observe,
1. That this invitation, with that exhortation, ver. 22, is of such persons as are actually believers already ; for it is of such that at present have a
right to enter, and cause of boldness. 2. That they are supposed to have a true heart, and a saving faith wrought in them ; and thereupon are ex horted to draw near, yet nearer, with a full assurance of faith, which is a
further degree of faith, in believing their right and interest, and of the
acceptation of their persons and prayers when they come. And such a
faith of assurance always presupposes a first act of faith of recumbency to be
already begun ; it is that begins their interest ; which faith of recumbency, the apostle Paul saith, was the foundation faith of himself, and Peter, and
* We believed on Jesus
the other apostles and Christian Jews : Gal. ii. 16,
Christ, that we might be justified. Likewise 3. Those he thus invites and exhorts, he termeth
* brethren. Seeing therefore, brethren, we have a
liberty, &c., let us draw near, or come to. There is another invitation to come to Christ, which is on purpose directed to such as are but as yet under a work of preparation unto their
coming to Christ ; namely, of those that are weary and heavy laden : Mat. xi. 28, 29, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. And
that indeed is that coming to Christ by souls that are now aconverting. And so the exhortation there is for them to put forth that first act of faith, which they never had done before, that they may be saved. But this here
is an invitation with an exhortation to those that have come to Christ for
salvation already, that they would enter into heaven in prayer. And it is
certainly a mistake in those interpreters that do extend the direct scope of
this here unto men who as yet have not believed, to come in at first to be
lieve. I say this is not the direct scope of our apostle ; though I acknow
ledge (to the honour of this portion of Scripture) that many of the grounds,
persuasives, and instructions here given believers to come into heaven, by prayer to Christ, may powerfully be made use of as pertinent invitements,
persuasives, and directions to those whom we preach to ; and by themselves
to persuade them, being humbled and heavy laden, for their first coming to
Christ. As, namely, 1, That they are immediately and directly to come to
Christ, as the way to God the Father : as my text also teacheth, and as
Christ is here represented. And 2, To come unto him as a high priest, to sprinkle their consciences with his blood, as ver. 20, 22. Likewise, 3, * As, Rev. xi. 12, it is spoken of the Witnesses.
404 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK YI.
To come to him as a high priest that is over the house of God ; and so
as to him that hath the power and commission of admission of souls into
that house at first, the household of God his Father, to own and receive them. And this is most proper unto the first act of faith. And 4, To come to God the Father with Christ s blood ; to be justified by him freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood ; and thus to be sprinkled from an evil conscience, that is, from the guilt of all their
sins : which, chap, ix., he terms a purging by his blood their consciences from dead works (which word dead works is proper unto the sins and state
of a person that hath been unregenerate ;* their works are wholly dead
works). And 5, To come both to God the Father and the Son, to give them true and sincere hearts unto God and his interest. Also 6, To have
their bodies (put synechdochically for the whole man) washed, that is, sanctified by pure water ; and their outward conversation made holy and
pure by the power of the Holy Ghost, working as clear water.
And as all these are undeniably the main substantials of saving conver
sion, and which humbled sinners invited to come to Christ do seek for at
Christ s hands and God the Father s, so they are all found in the text. And it is also as certain, that after we have believed and been converted, that these are the great things which in prayer we drive at, and treat with God and Christ for, even ever after, till we come to heaven. And so the words of the text may serve for both, f And the most of these you will
find in David s renewed faith and repentance, in Ps. li. And indeed it
falls out that all the same essentials that are wrought in, or that are to be
sought by, converts at the first for their salvation, the very same the most
growing Christians are to continue to exercise in their renewals of faith and
repentance in prayer ; as David there did. And like as that invitation, Mat. xi.,
* Come to me, all ye that are heavy laden, &c. (directed to begin
ners), yet serves many a poor soul s turn, that hath been long and truly turned to Christ ; when in temptations, that doubt sins afresh come in upon them ; and the Spirit of God makes use thereof for their relief ; so on the
contrary, this invitation, &c., in my text, though setly intended for believers
already as encouragements to prayer, may with an easy alteration be used and turned into persuasives unto those that have not yet believed, to per
suade them to come in.
2. It is a universal invitation of all such. He exhorts them, therefore, under the title of brethren, and speaks it as including himself and all other
Christians : Seeing we have, brethren, all of us the like liberty, let us draw
near, even whoever is a brother with us. As if he had said, in this matter, both of privilege and of duty, we are all alike ; the case is all one with me who am an apostle, and all my fellow-apostles, with all Christians. The weak
est in faith and hope may crowd into heaven, together with the strongest ; you may all come into the holiest, and get up into it, as high as you can get. Yea, 8. This exhortation and invitation is specially directed unto the
* See Calvin on those words.
t There is this seeming appearance for the other interpretation, that in ver. 19 it
is called an entrance, which in usual speech notes a first beginning to enter. But
for answer. 1. Every new prayer is a new entrance into the holiest, in comparison to thy ordinary walking in thy calling. Every time we pray we are to enter into heaven. 2. That act of drawing near, or approaching, ver. 22, supposeth one first, as ver. 19, entered into the holiest ; and notes a going on further, to approach to God there.
CHAP. VI.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 405
weaker sort of Christians (if to any more than others), that stand farthest
off; that is, that are under the greatest discouragements in their own spirits to come, and are most backward and stand aloof in and through the sense
of their own unworthiness, or weakness of faith and holiness. Unto you
it is I more especially speak, of all others. As if he had more familiarly
said, Come you and draw nearer, you that stand afar off, the outmost of all
the company. Come to, why keep you at such a distance ? Your right to draw near is as much as ours that are nearest. Like to that proclamation of peace, Isa. Ivii. 19, To them that are afar off, and them that are near. These generals being forelaid, to clear the apostle s scope all which I
might have reserved to applications at last, but perhaps do stand as advan
tageously at this entrance ; not only to shew this drift (necessary at the first), but chiefly that all sorts may know how to 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 com munion 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.