SERMON XII.
SERM.XII.
The Fountain of Life.
unfolded in every branch of the gospel: And, with adesp fenseupon thy heart, let thy lips lay, Blessed be GodforJefus
Christ.
SERMON XII.
Opens the Excellency of our High-Priest's Oblation, being the first Act or Part of his Priestly Office.
HEB.X. 14. Forby one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified, FTER this more general view and confiderationofthe nearer and more particular confiderationof the parts thereof ; which are his oblation and interceffion, answerable to the double office of the High Priest, offering the blood of the sacrifices without theholyplace, which typed out Christ's oblation; and then once a year bringing the blood before the Lord into the most holy place, presenting it before God, and with it sprinkling the mercy-feat, wherein the interceffion of Christ (the other part or act of his priesthood)wasinalively mannertypified to us.
Mypresentbusiness is to open and apply theoblation of Christ ; the efficacy and excellency whereof is excellently illustrated,by a comparison with all other oblations, in the precedent context, and with a fingularencomium commended to us in these words, from thefingularity of it *.
It is butone offering; one not only specifically, butone numerically considered; but once offered, and never more to be repeated: for Christ dieth no more,
Rom. vi. 9.
He also commends it from the efficacy of it; by it he hath perfected, i. e, not only purchased a possibility of salvation, but all that we need to our full perfection.
It brings in a most in tire, compleat and perfect righteousness : all that remains to make us perfectly happy, is but the full application of the benefits procured by this oblation for us. Moreover, it is here commended from the extensiveness of it ; not being re- * Christ's offeringisnotonly one in kind,but in number, because there can be no other offering of him but by means of death, and therefore the diftinctionbetween abloodyandunbloody sacrifice is false.
Trelcat. Instit. p. 79.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XII.
strained to a few, but applicable to all the saints, in all the ages and places of the world: for this indefinite, them that are sanctified, is equivalent to an universal, and is as much as if he had said, To all and every faint, from the beginning to the end of the world.
Lastly,He commends it from its perpetuity, it perfccts for ever; that is, it is of everlasting efficacy : it shall abide as fresh, vigorous and powerful to the end of the world, as it was the first moment it was offered up. All runs into this sweet truth :
Doct. That the oblation made unto God by Jesus Christ, is of unspeakable value, and everlasting efficacy, to perfect all them that are, or shall befanctified, to the end of the world.
Out of this fountain flow all the excellent blessings that be. lieverseither have, or hope for. Had itnotbeenfor this, there hadbeennofuch things in rerumnatura, as justification,adoption, salvation, &c. peacewithGod and hopes of glory, pardon of fin, anddivineacceptation: these, and all other our best mercies, had been but so many entia ration is, mereconceits. A man, as one faith, might have haply imaginedsuchthings as these, as he maygoldenmountains, and rivers of liquid gold, and rocks ofdia. monds: but these things could never have had any real existence extra mentem, had not Christ offered up himself a sacrifice to God for us.
It is " the blood of Christ,who through the eter- " nal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God, that pur- " ges the conscience from dead works," Heb. ix. 14.; that is, from the sentence of condemnation and death, as it is reflected by conscience, for our works fake, His appearing before God as our priest, with such an offering for us, is that which removes our guilt and fear together +
" He appeared to put away finby the sacrificeofhimself,"Heb . ix. 29. Now forasmuch as the point before us is of so great weight in itself, and so fundamental to our safety and comfort,
I shall endeavour to give you as distinct and clear account of it, as can consist with that brevity which I must necessarily use.
And therefore, reader, apply thy mind attentively to the consideration of this excellent Priest that apears before God, and the sacrifices he offers, with the properties and adjuncts there. of; the person before whom he brings, and to whom he offers it; the perfonsfor whom he offers; and the end for which this oblation is made.
First, The Priest thatappearsbeforeGodwith anoblation for
SERM . XII .
The Fountain of Life. us, is Jesus Christ,God-man: the dignity of whose perfondignified, and derived an inestimable worth to the offering he made.
There were many priests before him, but none like unto him, either for the * purity of his person,or the perpetuity of his priesthood: they were finfulmen, and offered for their own fins, as well as the sins of the people, Heb. v. 3. "but he
" was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,"Heb. vii. 2.Hecouldstand before God, even in the eye of his justice, as a Lamb without spot. Tho' he made his soul an offering for fin, yet he had done no iniquity, nor was any guile found in
" his mouth," Isa. liii.9. And indeed his offering had done us no good, if the least taintof fin had been found on him. They weremortalmen, that " continued not by reason of death,"Heb. vii . 23. but Christ is " a Priest for ever," Píal. cx. 4.
Secondly, The oblation or offering he made, was not the blood of beasts, but his own blood, Heb. ix. 1.2. And herein he transcended all other priests, that he had something of his own to offer ; he had a body given him to be at his own dispose, to this use and purpose, Heb. x. 10. "He offered his
" body:" yea, not only his †body, but " his foul was made an " offering for fin," Ifa. liii 10. We had made a forfeiture of our souls and bodies by fin, and it was necessary the sacrifice of Christ should be answerable to the debt we owed.
And when Christ came to offer his sacrifice, he stood not only in the capacity of a priest, but also in that of a surety: and fo his soul stood in the stead of ours, and his body in the steadof our bodies. Now the excellency of thisoblation will appear in the following adjuncts and properties of it.
This oblationbeing for the matter of it, the soul and body of Jesus Christ , is therefore,
1. Invaluably precious.
So the apostle stiles it, I Pet. i. 19.
* So oblations were offered up in apure vessel, Ifa. Ixvi. 20.
Raven.
+ Bilfon and Feverdentius affirm, that Christ only offered up his body, no this foul, upon this weak ground, that if he had not offered both, he had not offered one, but two sacrifices .
Against whom the learned Parker, in his excellent book de defcenfu, urgeth my text, and thus frees it from that corrupt gloss. He says, fine reasoning this; as if the whole burnt offering had not been one sacrifice, because it was made up of many parts -Christ's sacrifice is calledone, not by opposing his body to his soul, but by opposing his once offering of both body and foul, to these many sacrifices, which, by the law of Moses, were offered up, not once, but tre quently.
Parker de defcenfu, lib. 111. p. 146.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM . XII.
"" Yewere redeemed τιμιω αιματι, with the precious blood of the Son of God:" and such itbehoved him to offer. For it being offered as anexpiatory sacrifice, it ought to be equivalent, in its own intrinsic value, to all the fouls and bodies that were to be redeemed by it. And so it was, and more also: for there was a redundancy of value, an overplus of merit, which went to make a purchase for the redeemed ; as will be opened initsplace.
So that, as one rich diamond is more worth than a thousand pebbles; one piece of gold, than many counters; so the soul and body of one Christ, are much more excellent than all the souls and bodies in the world.
And yet I dare not affirm *, as some do, that by reason of the infinite preciousness of Christ's blood, one drop thereof had been sufficient to have redeemed the whole world : for if one drop had been enough, why was all the rest, even to the last drop, shed ? Was God cruel, to exact more from him than was needful and sufficient ? Besides, we must remember, that the passions of Christ, which were inflicted on him as the curse of the law, these only are the passions which are sufficient for our redemption from the curse of the law; now it was not a drop of blood, but death which was contained in the curse: this therefore was necessary to be inflicted.
But surely as nonebutGod can estimate the weight and evil of fin, so none but he can comprehend the worth and precioufness of the blood of Christ, shed to expiate it.
And being fo infinitely precious a thing which was offered up to God, it must, 2. Needs be a most compleat and all fufficientoblation, fully to expiate the sins of all for whom it was offered, in all ages of the world.
The virtue of this sacrifice reacheth backward. as far as Adam, and reacheth forward to the last person of the elect springing from him.
That the efficacy of it thus reached back to Adam, is plain; for, on the accouut thereof,he is filed
" The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," Rev. xiii. 8 .
And to the same sense a judicious + expositor understands * That alone can have the nature of punishment, which is inflictedbyajudge according to law ; but it is not agreeable to a law which threatens death, that, for the violation of it, that only should be inflictedwhichcauses shedding a drop of blood.
John Cameron, P. 364.
+ The efficacy and grace of Christ, as he is the Redeemer of the world, is common to all ages.
Calvin on this place.
SERM. XII.
The Fountain of Life. those words of Christ, John viii. 58. " Before Abraham was, I " am." And, look, as the funatmid day extends his light and influence, notonlyforward towards the West, but also backward towards the East, where he arose ; to did this most efficacious sacrifice reach all the elect in the virtue of it, who died before
Christ came in the flesh.
It is therefore but a vain cavil, that some make against the satisfaction of Christ, to render it needless, whentheysay, many were saved without it, even as many as were saved before the death of Christ.
* For they say, the effect cannotbebefore the cause,which is true of physical, but not of moral causes ; and such was Christ's satisfaction. As for example, a captive isfreedout of prison from the time that his surety undertakes for him, and promises his ransom ; here the captive is actually delivered, though the ransom that delivered him be not yet actually paid. So it was in this case;Christ had engaged to the Father to satisfy for them, and upon that security they were delivered.
And the virtue of this oblation not only reaches those believers, that lived and died before Christ's day, but it extends itself forward to the end of the world. Hence Heb . xiii. 8. Christ is said to be "the same yesterday, today, and for ever ;" that is,
†He is not to a Saviour to us that now live, as that he was not their Saviour also, that believed in him, before us, from the beginning : nor yet so a Saviour both tothemandus, as " that he shall not be the fame to all that shall believe on him
" to the world's end ."
To the same sense are those words, Heb.xi. 40. rightly paraphrased; "God having provided some better thing for us, that *" theywithoutus should not be made perfect:" q.d. God hath appointed the accomplishment of the promise of fending the Messiah, to be in the last times †, that they (viz . that lived be. fore Christ) should not be perfected, that is,justified and saved, by any thing done in their time, but by looking to our time, and Christ's satisfaction made therein , whereby they and we are perfected together. No tract of time can wear out the virtue of this eternal Sacrifice.
It is as fresh, vigorous, and potent now, as the first hour it was offered. And though he actually
* A natural cause goes before its effect, in respect of time, not so, a moral cause.
Cameron's works, p. 36.
+ Nunc fervator non eft ita olim non fuerit ; atque ut non fit fervator in aeternum.
Camer. Myrothec. p. 337- ‡ Dixon on this place.
VOL. 1.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XII.
offer it no more, yet he virtually continues it by his interceffion now in heaven : for there he is still a priest. And therefore, about sixty years after his ascension, when he gave the RevelationtoJohn, he appears to him in his priestly garment, Rev. i.
13." Clothed ina garmentdownto the feet, andgirtaboutthe 46 papswith a golden girdle :" in allusion to the priestlyephod, and curious girdle.
And as the virtue of this oblation reaches backward and for ward, to all ages, and to all believers, so to all the sins of all believers, which are fully purged andexpiated by it: this no other oblation could do.
The legal sacrifices were no real expiations, but rather remembrances of fins, Heb. ix. 9, 12., Heb. x. 3.
And all the virtue they had, consisted in their typical relation to this sacrifice,Gal. iii 23. Heb. ix. 13. And, separate from it, were altogether weak, unprofitable, and insignificant things,
Heb. vii. 18.
But this blood cleanseth from all fins, I John i.
7., all fin, originating, or originated, or actual, flowing from them both.
It expiates all fully, without exception, and finally, without revocation.
So that by his being made fin for us, we are made not only righteous,but " the righteousness of
" God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21 .
3. And lastly, to name no more; beingsoprecious in itself, and so efficacious to expiate sin, it must needs be a most grateful oblation to the Lord, highly pleasing and delightful in his eyes. And so indeed it is said, Eph. v. 2., "He gave himself
" for us, an offering, and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling " favour *." Not that God took any delight or content in the bitter sufferings of Christ, simply and in themselves considered ; but with relation to the end for which he was offered, even our redemption and salvation.
Hence arose the delight and pleasure God had in it; this made him take pleasure inbruifinghim, Isa. liii. 10. God smelt afavour of rest in this sacrifice.
The meaning is, that as men are offended with a slench, and their stoinachs rise at it, and on the contrary delighted with sweet odours and fragrancies ; fo the blessed God, speaking after the manner of man, is offended, and filled with loathing and abhorrence by our fins; but in- *Smelling is attributed to God, to denote his being well pleased, his complacency, and favourable acceptance, as am an is refreshed and delighted with a good smell :--to this belongs the Hebrew expression, חוחיב חור Nibhubh rubh] a favour of rest or of sweetness, which is often applied to the sacrifices offered to God.
Exod. xix. 25. Lev. i. 9. S.Glass. Philolog. Sacra.
SERM. XII.
The Fountain of Life.
finitely pleasedanddelighted in the offering of Christ for them, which came up as an odour of sweet smelling savour to him, whereof the costly perfumes under the law were types and shadows.
This was the oblation .
Thirdly, This oblationhe brings before God, and to him he offers it up: So speaks the apostle, Heb. ix . 14. " Through the " eternal Spirit he offered himself without spot to God."
As Christ sustained the capacity ofa surety, fo God of a creditor, who exacted satisfaction from him: that is, he required from him, as our surety, the penalty due to us for our fin. Andfo
Christ had to do immediately with God, yea, with a God infinitely wronged, and incensed by fin against us. To this incensed Majesty, Christ our High-priest approacheth, as to a devouring fire, with the sacrifice.
Fourthly, The persons for whom, and in whose steadheofferedhimselftoGod, was the whole number of God's elect f, which were given him of the Father, neither more nor less: So speak the scriptures. He laid down his life for the sheep, John x. 15. for the church, Acts xx. 28. , for the children of God,
John xi. 50, 51, 52.
It is confefsfed, there is fufficiency of virtue in this Sacrifice to redeem the whole world, and on that account some divines affirm he is called the " Saviour of the " world," John iv. 42., et alibi.
We acknowledge also, that he purchased the services of others, besides the elect, to be useful to them, as they many ways are.
In which sense † others take those scriptures that speak so universally of the extent of his death. We also acknowledge that the electbeing scattered in all parts, and among all ranksofmenintheworld, and unknown to those that are to tender Jesus Christ to men by the preaching of the gospel; thestile of the gospel (as it was necessary) is by such indefinite expressions suited to the general tenders they are to make of him: but that the efficacy and saving virtue of this all-sufficient sacrifice, is co-extended with God's election, fo that they all, and no others can, or shall reapthe special benefits of it, is too clear in the scriptures to be denied, Eph. v. 23.,
John xvii. 2, 9, 19, 20., Johnx. 26, 27, 28., 1 Tim. iv. 10.
Fifthly, The design and end of thisoblation was to atone, pacify, and reconcile God, by giving him a full and adequate compensation or satisfaction for the fins of these his elect: fo
Y 2 +Divines teach that Chriftdied sufficiently for all, efficaciouslyon Jyfor the elect.
Cameron, as above, p. 535.
‡ Mr. Strong.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM . XII.
speaks the apostle, Col. 1. 20. , "Andhavingmade peace, thro " the blood of his cross, by him toreconcileallthings unto him- " self; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things
" in heaven."
So 2 Cor. v. 19., " God was in Christ, recon- " ciling the world to himself."
Reconciliation is the making up of that breach caused by fin, between us and God, and restoring us again tohisfavourandfriendship.
For this end Christ offereduphimselftoGod ; I say, notforthisendonly, but more especially: hence it is called ιλασμος, a propitiation ; and so the Seventy render that place, Num. XV. ιλασμενος κριος, thepropitiating ram.
But here I would not be mistaken, as though the reconciliation were made only between us and God the Father, by the blood of the cross ; for we were reconciled by it to the whole Trinity.
Every finbeing against the divine Majesty, it must needs follow, that the three Persons, having the fame divine essence, must be all offended by the commission, and so all reconciled by the expiation and remission of the fame. But reconciliation is said to be with the Father, because, though the works of the Trinity, ad extra, be undivided, and what one doth, all do; and what is done to one, is done to all; yet by this form and manner of expression, (as a learned *man well observes), the scriptures point out the proper office of each
Person.
The Father receivesusintofavour ; the Sonmediates, and gives the ransom which procures it; the Spirit applies and seals this to the persons and hearts of believers.
However, being reconciled to the Father, we are also reconciled to the Son, and Spirit, as they are oneGodin three Persons. And if it be objected, that then Christ offered up a sacrifice, or laid down a price to reconcile us to himself; I shall more fairly and directly meet with, and satisfy that objection, when I come to speak of Christ's satisfaction, which is one of the principal fruits of this excellentoblation.
For the present, this mayinformyou about the nature and precious worth of Christ's oblation.
The uses whereof follow in these five practical inferences.
Inference 1. Hence it follows, That actual believers areful. lyfreedfrom the guilt of theirfins, and shall never more come under condemnation .
The obligation of fin is perfectly abolished by the virtue of this sacrifice.
When Christ became our sacrifice, he both bare, and bare away our fins.
First, they were laid upon him, then expiatedbyhim : so much is imported in that word, Heb. ix.
*** Zanch. de tribusElobim.
SERM. XII.
The Fountain of Life.
28. " Christ was once offered to bear the fins of many." † To bear, the word is a full and emphatical word, signifying not only to bear, but to bear away. So John i. 29. " Behold the Lamb
" of God, ὁαιρων, that taketh away the fins of the world:" not only declaratively, or by way of manifestation to the cop science; but really, making a purgation of fin, as it is in Heb.
1. 3. , καθαρισμον ποιησαμενος, word for word, a purgation being made, and not declared only. Now, how great a mercy is this,
" that by him, all that believe should be justified from all things " from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses,"
Acts xiii. 39.
What shall we call this grace? surely, we should do somewhat more than admire it, and faint under the sense of suchamercy. " Blessed is he, whose transgression is forgiven,
"whose sin is covered" †, Psal. xxxii . or, O the blessedness or felicities of him that is pardoned ! who can express the mercies, comforts, happiness of such a state as this ? Reader, let me beg thee, if thou beone of this pardoned number, to look over thecancelledbonds, and fee what vastsums are remitted to thee.
Remember what thou wast in thy natural estate ; possibly thou wast inthatblackbill, 1 Cor. vi. 3.
What, and yet pardoned ! fullandfinally pardoned, and that freely, as to any hand that thou hadst in the procurement of it! what canst thou do less, than fall down at the feet of free grace, and kiss those feet that moved so freely towards so vile a sinner ? It is not long since thy ini. quities were upon thee, andthoupinedstawayinthem.
Their guilt could by no creature-power be separated from thy soul.
Now they are removedfromthee, as far as the East from the West, Psal. ciii. 11.
So that, when the East and West, which are the two opposite points of heaven, meet, then thy soul and its guilt may meet again together.
Othe unspeakable efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, which extends to all fins ! I John i. 7. " The blood of Christ cleanseth" from all fins, fins past and present, without exception. And some divines of good note affirm, all fins to come also; for, (faith
Mr. PaulBains), original fin, in which all future fins are, as fruits in the root, is pardoned ; and if these were not pardoned, they would void and invalidate former pardons. And lastly, it would derogate from the most plenary satisfaction of Christ.
But the most say, and, I think, truly, that all the past fins of be- + The Greek word ανηνεγκειν, signifies to lift up, or carry upwards: so the Syriac. εβασασεν και ανηνεγκειν, he carried and took upwards.
Beza's Greek An not. on 1 Pet. ii. 24.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XII.
lievers are pardoned, without revocation ; all their present fins without exception; but not their fins to come byway of anticipation: and yet for them there is a pardon of course, which is applied on their repentance, and application of Christ's blood; sothatnoneofthem shall make void former pardons. O let these things slide sweetly to thy melting heart !
Inference2.From this oblation Christ made of himselftoGod for our fins, we infer the inflexiblefeverity of divine Justice, which couldbenootherwaydivertedfrom us, andappeased, but by the bloodofCbrift. If Christ had not presented himself to God for us, Justice would not have spared us: And if he do appear beforeGodasour surety,it will not spare him;Rom. viii. 32.,
" He spared not his Son, but delivered him up to death for us " all."
If forbearance might have been expected from any, furelyit might from God,"who is very pitiful, and full often- " der mercy," Jamesv. 11.; yetGodinthis case spared not. If onemighthaveexpected sparing mercy andabatement from any, surely Christ might most of all expect it from his own Father ; yetyouhear,Godsparednothis own Son.
Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of merey, yet it was denied to Christ : he abated him not a minute of the time appointed for his suffering, nor one degree of wrath he was to bear : nay, though in the gardenChrift fell upon the ground, and sweat clodders of blood, and in thatunparalleledagony scrueduphis spirit to the highest intention, in that pitiful cry, " Father, if it be possible, let this
" cup pass;" and though he brake out upon the cross, in that heart-rending complaint, "My God, my God, why hast thou
" forsaken me ?" yet noabatement; Justice will not bend in the least; but having to do with him on this account, resolves upon fatisfactionfromhis blood.
If this be so,what is the case of thy soul, reader, if thou be a man or woman that hast no interest in this sacrifice ? For if these things be done in(Christ) a green tree, whatwillbedone to(thee) the dry tree ? Luke xxiii . 31 .
That is, if God so deal with me, that I am not only in no- "cent, but like a green and fruitful tree, full of all delectable
" fruits of holiness; yet if the fire of his indignation thus seize ४८upon me, what will be your condition, that are both barren
" and guilty, void of all good fruit, and full of all unrighteouf- " ness," and so likedryfearywood,are fittedasfeweltothe fire?
Confider with thyself, man, how canstthou imagine thou canst || Ει ταυτα ποιεσιν, εν εμοι εγκαρπω και αειθαλει και αρξωω δια την θεοΤητα τι γενηται εν υμιν ακαρποις και πάσης δικαιοσυνης ζωοποιέντος υπερη μενοις. Thus Theophilact beautifullyparaphrafes on that passage.
SERM. XII.
The Fountain of Life. support that infinite wrath that Christ grappled with in the room of God's elect ! He had the strength ofaDeity to support him, Ifa. xlii. 1. " Behold my servant whom I uphold." He had the fulness of his Spirit to prepare him, Ila. Ixi. 11. He had the ministry of an angel, who came post from heaven to relieve him in his agony, Luke xxii. 43.
He had the ear of his Father to hear him, for he cried, " and was heard in that he feared,"
Heb. v. 7.
He was assured of the victory,before the combat; he knew he should be justified, Ifa. 1. 8.,and yet for all this he was fore amazed, and sorrowful even to death, and his heart was melted like wax in the midst of his bowels.
If the case stood thus with Christ, notwithstanding all these advantages he had to bear the wrath of God for a little time ; how dost thou think apoorworm as thou art, to dwell with everlasting burnings, orcontendwithdevouring fire ! Luther fawground enough for what he said, when he cried out, " I will have nothing to do
" with an absolute God *," i. e. with a God out of Christ : for," it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
" God."
Wo and alas for evermore to that man that meets a just and righteous God without a Mediator ! Whoever thou art that readest these lines, I beseech thee,by the mercies of God, by all the regard and love thou hast to thy own soul, neglect not time, but make quick and sure work of it.
Get an interest in this sacrifice quickly, what else will be thy state when vast eternity opens to swallow thee up ? what wilt thou do, man, when thine eye-strings and heart strings are breaking ?
Owhat a fearful shriek will thy conscience give, when thou art presented before thedreadfulGod, and no Christ to screen thee from his indignation ! Happy is that man who can say in a dying hour, as one did †, who beingdefired, a little before his dissolution, to give his friends a little taste of his present hopes, and the grounds of them, chearfully answered, I will let you know how it is with me : then stretching forth his hand, said, " Here is the grave, the wrath of God, anddevouringflame,
" the just punishment of in, on the one side; and here am I, a poor sinful foul, on the other side : but this is my comfort,
" the covenant of grace, which is establisheduponso many " sure promises, hath salved all.
There is an act of oblivion " passed in heaven: I will forgive their iniquities, and theirfins
" will I remember no more. This is the blessed privilege of * Nolo Deum abfolutum.
+ Mr. William Lyford.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XII.
" all within the covenant, among whom I am one."
O'tis fweetat all times, especially at such a time, to see the reconciled face of God through Jesus Christ, and hear the voice of peace
through the blood of the cross !
Inference 3. Hath Christ offered up himself a sacrifice to God for us ? Then let us improve, in every condition, this sacrifice, and labour to get hearts duly affected with such a fight as faith can give us of it.
Whatever the condition or complaint of any christian is, the beholding the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world, may give him strong support, and sweet relief. Do you complain of the hardness of your hearts, and want of love to Christ ? behold him as offered up to God for you; and such a fight, (if any in the world will do it) will melt your hard hearts.
Zech. xii. 10. " They shall look upon " me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn." It is reported of Johannes Milius, that he was never observed to speak of Christ and his sufferings, but his eyes would drop.
Art thou too little touched and unaffected with the evil of fin ? Is it thy complaint, Christian, that thou canst not make sin bear so hard upon thy heart as thou wouldst ? consider but what thou hast now read ; realize this sacrifice by faith, and try what efficacy there is in it to make fin, for ever bitter, as death to thy soul.
Suppose thine own father had been stabb'd to the heart with such a knife, and his blood were upon it, wouldst thou delight to fee, or endure to use that knife any more ? fin is the knife that stabb'd Christ to the heart ; this shed his blood.
Surely, you can never make light of that which lay so heavy upon the soul and body of Jesus Christ.
Or is your heart prest down even todespondency, under the guilt of fin,so that you cry, how can such a sinner as I be pardoned ? my fin is greater than can be forgiven? "Behold the " Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world. "
Remember that no fin can stand before the efficacy of his blood.
1 John i. 7. " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all fin."
This sacrifice makes unto God full satisfaction .
Are you at any time staggering through unbelief ? filled with unbelieving suspicions of the promises ? Look hither, and you shall fee them all ratified and established in the blood of the cross, so that hills and mountains shall sooner start from their own basis and centers, thanone tittle ofthepromite fail : Heb. ix. 17, 18, 19.
Do you at anytime find your hearts fretting, disquieted, and impatient under every petty cross and trial ? See how quietly
Christ your sacrifice came to the altar, how meekly and patient-
SERM . XIII.
The Fountain of Life.
lyhe stood under all the wrath of God andmentogether. This will silence, convince and shame you.
In a word, here you will fee so much of the grace of God, and love of Christ, in providing and becoming a sacrifice for you you will fee God taking vengeance against fin, but sparing the sinner : you will fee Christ standing as the body of fin alone ; for " he was made fin for us, that we might be made
" the righteousness of God in him : " that whatever corruption burdens, this, in the believing application, will support; whatever grace be defective, this will revive it.
1Bleffedbe God for Jesus Christ.
SERMON XIII .
Opens the Interceffion of Christ our High-Priest, being the second Act or Part of his Priestly Office.
HEB . vii . 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them .
HAVING dispatched the first part, or act of Christ's priesthood, consisting in his Oblation ; we come to the other branch of it, consisting in his * Interceffion , which is nothing
: else but the virtual continuation of his offering once made on earth; that being medium reconciliation is, the means ofreonciling ; this, medium application is, the way and means of his applying to us the benefits purchased by it.
This second part, or branch of his priesthood, was typified by the High Priest's entringwith the blood of the sacrifice and sweet incense into the holy place : Lev. xvi. 12, 13, 14."And " he shall take the censer full of burning coals of fire from off
" the altar before the Lord, and his hands fullofsweet 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 incenfemay cover the mercy-feat that is upon the test i- * Seeing the redemption which he wrought is the foundation of the interceffion, and therefore the scripture uses to mention the redemption and the intercession as two inseparable parts of Christ's sacrifice.
Ravanella on the word interceed.
VOL . I.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XIII.
" mony, that he die not.
And he shall take the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-feat,
" eastward," &c. Christ's offeringhimselfonearth, answered to thekillingofthefacrifice without ; and his entring into heaven, thereto intercede, was that which answered to the priest'sgoing with blood, and his hands full of incense, within the vail.
So that this isa part, yea, a special part of Christ's priesthood ; and fonecessary to it, that if he had not done this, all his work on earth had fignifiednothing; nor had he been a priest, that is, a compleatand perfect priest, ifhehadremainedon earth, Heb. viii. 4. because theverydesign and end of shedding his blood on earthhadbeenfrustrated,which was to carry it before the Lord into heaven. So that this is the principal perfective part of the priesthood : he acted the first parton earth, ina stateofdeep abasement, in the form of afervant; but he acts this in glory, where to he is taken up, that he may fulfil his design in dying, and give the work of our salvation its last compleating act.
So much is importedinthisscripture,which tells us,by reafonhereof, he" is able to fave to the uttermost,"&c.
The words contain an encouragement to believers, to come to God in the way of faith, drawn from the interceffionofChrift in heaven for them: In which you may take notice of these principal parts.
1. The quality of the persons here encouraged, who are defcribedby a direct act of faith, as poor recumbents that are going out of themselves to God by faith; but conscious of great unworthiness in themselves,and thence apt to be discouraged.
2. The encouragement propounded tosuchbelievers, drawn from the ability of Jesus Christ, inwhosename theygo to the Father, to save them to the uttermost, i, e. fully, perfectly, compleatly; for so this emphatical word, εις το παντελες †, signifies, the saving us wholly, throughly, compleatly, and altogether; giving our salvation its last act and completion.
3. The ground or reason of this his saving ability : "Seeing " he ever liveth to make intercession ;" i. e. he hath not only offered up his blood to God upon the tree, as a full price to purchase pardon and grace for believers; but lives in heaven, and that for ever, to apply unto us, in the way ofintercession,
ailthe fruits, blessings, and benefits,that that precious blood of ↑The Greek words [Εις το παντελές, and εις το διηνεκες,] differ in their emphasis, and not as to the subject-matter.
For the latter properly signifies perpetuity of time. The other not only this, but perfection in all respects. Cameron.
SERM. XIII.
The Fountain of Life.
his deserves, and hath procured as a price for them. The words thus opened, the point I shall single out, from among many that lie in them, as most suitable to my design and purpose, is this;
Doct. That Jesus our High-priest lives for ever, in the capacity of a potent interceffor, in heaven, for believers.
Here we will enquire, First, What it is for Christ to be an intercessor.
Secondly, By what acts he performs that work in heaven.
Thirdly, Whence the potency and prevalency of his intercession is.
Fourthly, and lastly, How he lives for ever to make intercession for us.
First, What it is for Christ to be an intercessor for us.
To intercede in general, is togo betwixt two parties, to intreat, argue, and plead with one for the other. And of this there are two forts ; 1. Ex charitate, ut fratres, that whereby one
Christian prays and pleads with God for another, I Tim. ii. 1 .
2. Ex officio mediatorio, that whereby Christ, as an act of office, presents himselfbeforeGod to request for us.
Betwixt these two is this difference, that the former is performed not in our own, but another's name ; we can tender no request to God immediately, or for our own sake, either for ourselves, or for others : John xvi. 23. " Whatsoever ye shall ask the " Father in my name, he will give it you."
But the latter, which is proper to Christ, is an intercession with God for us, in his own name, and upon the account of his proper merit ; the one is aprivateact of charity, the other a public act of office : and so he is our advocate or court-friend, as Satan is our accuseror court-adversary.
Satan is ὁαντιδικος, one that charges us before God, I Pet. v. 8. and continually endeavours to make breaches between us and God.
Christ isὁπαρακλητος, ΟΓ attorney, or advocate, that pleads for us, and continues peace and friendship between us and God, I John ii. 2. " If any man
" fin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the *" righteous."
And thus to make intercession, is the peculiar and incommunicable prerogative of Jesus Christ : None but he can go in hisownname to God. And in that sense we are to understand that place, Ezek. xliv. 2, 3. " Then said the Lord unto me,
" This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, andnoman " shall enter in by it, because the Lord the God of Ifraelhath
"enteredinbyit, thereforeitshallbeshut.
It is for the prince, Z2
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XIII.
" the prince he shall fit in it, to eat bread before the Lord," c. The great broad gate, called here the prince'sgate, signifies that abundant and direct entrance that Christ had into heaven by his own merits, and in his own name * ; this, faith the Lord, shall be shut, no man shall enter in by it ; all other men must come thither, as it were,by collateral or side doors, which looked all towards the altar, viz . by virtue of the Mediator, and through the benefit of his death imputed to them.
And yet, though God hath for ever shut up and barred this way to all the children of men, telling us that no man shall ever have access to him in his own name, as Christ the Prince had; how dofome, notwithstanding, strive to force open the Prince's gate † ?
So do they, that found the intercession of saints upon their own works and merits, thereby robbing Christ of his peculiar glory; but all that so approach God, approach a devouring fire; Christ only, in the virtue of his blood, thus comes before him, to make intercession for us.
Secondly, We will enquire wherein the intercession of Christ in heaven consists, or by what acts he performs this glorious office there. And the scriptures place it in three things :
1. In his presenting himself before the Lord in our names, and upon our account †.
So we read in Heb. ix. 28. " Christ is " entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of " God for us."
The apostle manifestly alludes to the high priest's appearing in the holy of holies, which was the figure of heaven, presenting to the Lord the names of the twelve tribes ofIfrael, which were on his breast and shoulders, Exod. xxviii.
9, 12, 28, 29. To which the church is supposed to allude in that request, Cant: viii. 6. " Set me as a feal upon thine heart,
" as a feal upon thine arm." Now the very fight of Christ, our High-priest in heaven, prevails exceedinglywithGod, and turns away his displeasure from us. As when God looks upon the
* See Deodati , and our English An not, on this place.
+ Peter Lombard, book 4. dist. 45 .
‡ We must see what is meant by his appearing for us before God: This has respect to the types of the antient high-priest, who, having entered within the vail, was said to appear before God for the people, in regardhepresented himselfbeforeGod with the blood of the goat that was the fin offering ; and by his prayers, requested, as a fuppliant, that he should be propitious to his fins, and theseofthepeople, not for the sake of the blood of that goat, but of that which was represented by it, the blood of Christ theMer diator to be shed afterwards. Dect. Pareus on this place.
SERM . XIII.
The Fountain of Life.
rainbow, which is the sign of the covenant, he remembers the earth in mercy : so when he looks on Christ, his heart must needs be towards us, upon his account ; and therefore in Rev. iv. 3. , Christ is compared to a rainbow encompassing the throne.
2. Christ performs his interceffion-work in heaven *, not by anakedappearing in the presence of God only,but also byprefentinghis blood, and all hisfufferings to God, as a moving plea on our account .
Whether he makes any proper oral interceffion there, as he did on earth, is not so clear; some incline to it, and think it is countenancedby Zechariah, chap.i. 12, 13., Where
Christ our Interceffor presents a proper vocal request to the Father, in the behalf of his people; saying, " O Lord of hosts,
" howlongwiltthou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the " cities ofJudah, against whom thou hast had indignation these
" threefcore and ten years ? And the Lord answered him with good and comfortable words."
And so Acts ii. 23. as soon as he came to heaven, he is said (and that is the first fruits of his intercession) to obtain the promise of the Holy Ghost.
But sure I am, an interceeding voice is by anusualprosopopeia attributed to his blood ; which in Heb. xii. 24. is said " to speak
" better things than that ofAbel." Now Abel's blood, and so Christ's, do cry unto God, as the hire of the labourers unjustly detained, or the whole creation, which is in bondage, through our fins, is said to cry and groan in the ears of the Lord, Jam. v. 4., Rom. viii. 22., not vocally, but efficaciously. A rare illustration of this efficacious interceffion of Christ in heaven, we have in that famous story of A mint as †, who apeared as an advocate for his brother Aecbylus, who was strongly accused and very likely to be condemned to die. NowAmintas having performed great services, and merited highly of the commonwealth, in whose service one of his hands was cut off in the field; he comes into the court in his brother's behalf, and said nothing, but only lifted up his arm, and shewed them cubitum fine manu, an arm without a hand; which so moved them, that, without a word speaking, they freed his brother immedi ately.
And thus if you look into Rev. v. 6. you shall fee in what * By willing and prudentlydefiring, as formerly on earth, so also when with his Father in heaven, he insists that the virtue and efficacy of his death maybe applied to our salvation.
Synopsispuri grisTheol. p. 346.
† Aelian. Hift, book 5. chap. 194 t
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XIII,١٠
posture Christ is represented, vision ally there, as standingbetweenGodand us; "And I beheld, andlo, in the midst of the
" throne, and the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders " stood a Lamb as it had been slain;" i. e. bearing in hisglorifiedbody the marks of death and sacrifice*.
Thosewoundshe received for our fins on earth,are, as it were, still fresh bleeding in heaven : a moving and prevailing argument it is with the Father, togiveout the mercies he pleads for.
3.And lastly, He presents the prayers of his faints to God, with his merits ; and desires that theymayfor his fake be grant. ed. He causes a cloud of incense to ascend before God with them, Rev. vii. 3. All these were excellently typified out by the going in of the high-priest before the Lord,with the names of the children of Israel on his breast, with the blood of the sacrifice, and his handsfullofincense, as theapostleexplainsthem inHeb. vii., andHeb. ix.
Thirdly, And that this intercessionofChrist is most potent, successful, and prevalentwithGod,will be evinced, both from the qualifications of this our Advocate, from his great interest in the Father, from the nature of the placeheuseth with God, and from the relation and interest believers have, both in the Father to whom, and the Son by whom this intercession is made.
1. Our intercessor in the heavens iseveryway able and fit for the work he is engaged in there.
Whatever is desirable in an advocate, is in him eminently.
It is necessary that he who undertakes to plead thecauseofanother, especiallyifitbeweighty and intricate, should be wife, faithful, tender-hearted, and one that concerns himself in the success of his business.
Our Advocate Christ, wants no wisdom to manage his work ; he is the wisdom of God, yea, only wife, Jude 25.
There is much folly in the best of our duties, we know not how to press an argument home with God; but Christ hath the art of it.
Our business is in a wife hand: he is no less faithful than wife; therefore he is called " a faithful High-priest, in things pertaining to " God," Heb. ii. 17. He assures us we may safely trust our concerns with him, John xiv. 2. " In iny Father's house are
" many mansions ; if it were not so, Iwouldhaveyou told you;" g. d. Do you think Icoulddeceiveyou ? men may cheat you, but I will not; yourownhearts may and dailydodeceive you, but fo will not I. And for tender-heartedness, and sensible resentments for our conditions, there is none like him: Heb. iv,
* Deodati on this place..
SERM . XIII.
The Fountain of Life.
15. " For we have not an High priest who cannot be touched "with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points
" tempted like as we are, yet without fin." We have not one that cannot sympathize, so it is in the Greek * : and on purpose thathemightthe better sympathize with us,he came as near to our conditions, as the holiness of his nature could permit. He suffered himself to be in all points tempted like as we are, fin onlyexcepted.
And then for his concernment and interest in the success of his suit; he not only reckons,but hath really made it his own interest, yea, more his own than it is ours : For now by reason of the mystical union, all our wants and troubles are his, Eph. i.
23. yea, his own glory andcompleteness, as Mediator, is deeply interested in it; and therefore we need not doubt but he will ute all care and diligence in that work.
If you say, fo he may, and yet not speed for all that, for it depends upon the Father's grant: True, but then, 2. Confider the great interest he hath in the Father, with whom he intercedes.
Christ is hisdearSon,Col. i. 13. the beloved of his soul, Eph. i. 6.
Betwixt him and the Father, with whom, when he intercedes,there is anunity, not only of nature, but will ; and fohe always hears him, John xi. 42. Yea, and he said to his dear Son,whenhecame first to heaven, " Ask of me,
" and I will give thee," Psal.ii . 8.
Moreover, He must needs speed in his suit, if you confider the nature of his interceffion, which is just and reasonable for the matter, urgentandcontinual,for the manner of it.
The matter of his request is most equal: whathedefires, isnotdefiredgratis, or upontermsunbecoming the holiness and righteousness of God to grant; hedefires nomorebutwhathehasdeserved, and given avaluableconfideration to the Father før. And fo the justice ofGoddoth, not only, not oppose, but furthers and pleads for the granting and fulfilling his requests.
Here you must remember, that the Father is under a covenanttieandbond to do what he asks ; for Christ having fully
Though he cannot weep or grieve nowashedid on earth, yet he can love now as much as ever he loved; and therefore he looksdownfromheaven upon every particular member; heseeththat thismanwants this grace, and that man wants that; and the other is in danger of this corruption, or that temptation: and he isdailycarrying on the cure. You fee not your
Physician, he stands out of your fight; but he feeth you, and it is hethatdothallfor you that is done.
Baxter's treatise of conversion.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM . XIII .
performed the work on his part, the mercies he intercedes for, are as due as the hire of the labourer is when the work is faithfully done.
And as the matter is just, so the manner of his interceffion is urgent and continual. How importunate a fuiter he is, may be gathered from thatspecimengiven of it in Johnxvii.; and for the constancy of it, my text tells us, " he ever lives to " make interceffion : "
'Tis his great business in heaven, and he follows it close. And to close all, 4. Confider who they are for whom he makes intercession :
The friends of God, the children of God ; those that the Father himself loves, and his heart is propense and ready enough to grant the best and greatest of mercies to: which is the meaning of
John xv. 26, 27. " The Father himself loveth you."
And it must needs be fo,for the first corner stone of all these mercies was laid by the Father himself in his most free election. He also delivered his Son for us ; and " how shall he not with him freely
66 give us all things ?" Rom. viii. 32. So then there can remain no doubt upon aconfidering heart, but that Christ is a prevalent and successful intercessor in heaven.
There only remains onething more to be satisfied, and that is,
Fourthly, In what sense he is to live for ever to make intercession.
Shall he then be always at his work ? imployed inbeggingnew favours for us to eternity ? How then shall the people of God be perfect in heaven, if there be need of Christ's intercession to eternity for them ?
I answer, by distinguishing the essence and substance of Christ's offices, from the way and manner of administration.
In the first sense it is eternal: for his mediatory kingdom, as to essence of it, is to abide for ever; Christ shall never cease to be a mediator; the church shall never want a head ; for " of " his kingdom; there shall be no end," Luke. i. 33. however,
Christ, as a mediator, being employed in a kind offubordinate way, 1 Cor. iii. 23. when he shall have accomplished that design for which he became a Mediator, " Then shall he deliver up the kingdom (in the sense we spake before) to the Father, andfo
" God shall be all in all," 1 Cor. xv. 24. Then shall the divinityofChrift, which was so emptied and obscured in his undertaking this temporary difpenfatory kingdom, be more gloriously manifested, by the full possession,use, and enjoyment of that natural, divine, eternal kingdom, which belongs to all the three co-essential andco-equal persons, reigning with the fame power, majesty, and glory, in the unity of the Divine Essence, and common acts, in all, and over all, infinitelyandimmutably for ever.
SERM . XIII.
The Fountain of Life.
Andfo Christ continues to be our Mediator ; and yet that affords no argument that our happiness shall be incompleat, but rather argues the perfection of the church, which thenceforth shall be governed no more as now it is, nor have any farther use ofordinances, but shall be ruled more immediately, gloriously , triumphantly, andineffablyin the world to come : The substance of his mediatorship is not changed, but the manner of the administration only.
Use 1.Doth Christ live for ever in heaven to present his blood to God in the way of interceffion for believers ? Howfad then is their case, that have no interest in Christ's blood ; but inStead of pleading for them, it cries to God against them, as the despisers and abusers of it ! Every unbeliever despises it : The apostate treads it under foot. He that is an interceffor for some, will be an accuser of others To be guilty of a man's blood is sad ; but to have the blood of Jesus accusing and crying to God against afoul, is unspeakably terrible.
Surely when he shall make inquisition for blood, when the day of his vengeauce is come, he will make it appear by the judgments he will execute, that this isa fin never to be expiated, but vengeance shall pursue the sinner to the bottom of hell. Ah ! what do men and women do, in rejecting the gracious offer of Christ ! what, tread upon a Saviour ! and cast contempt,by unbeliefand hardness of heart, upon their only remedy ! I remember I have read of a harlot that kill'd her child, and said that it smiled upon her when she went to stab it.
Sinner, doth not Christ simile upon thee, in the gospel ? And wiltthou, as it were, stab him to the heart by thine infidelity ? Wo, and alas for that man, against whom this blood cries in heaven !
Uje 2. Doth Christ live for ever to make intercession ? Hence let believers fetch relief, and draw encouragement against all the causes and grounds of their fears and troubles ; for surely this anfwersthem all,
1. Hence let them be encouraged against alltheirfinful infirmities, and lamented weaknesses.
It is confessed these are sad things ; they grieve the Spirit of God, fadden your own hearts, cloud your evidences ; but having such a high-priest in heaven, can never be your ruin .
1 John ii . 1, 2. "My little " children, these things write I unto you, that you fin not : and " if any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
" Christ the righteous." [My little Children.) Children, especially little children, when first beginning to take the foot, are aptto stumble at every straw; so are raw, young andunexperiVOL. I.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM . XIII.
encedChristians : but what if they do ? Why though it must befarfromthemto take encouragement so to do from Christ and his intercession, yet if by surprisal they so sin, let them not be utterly discouraged for we have an Advocate, he stops whatever plea may be brought in against us by the Devil, or the law ; and answers all by his satisfaction: he gets out fresh pardons for new fins. And this Advocate is with [the Father :] he doth not say with his Father, though that had been a singular support in itself, nor yet with our Father, which is a sweet encouragement singly considered, but with [the Father] which takes in both, to make the encouragement full.
Remember, you that are cast down, under the sense of fin, that Jesus, your friend, in the court above, " is able to save to the uttermoft .
Which is, as * one calls it, a reaching word, and extends itself fo far, that thou canst notlookbeyond it. " Let thy soul be set
" on the highest mount that any creature was ever set on, and " enlarged to take in view the most spacious prospect both of " fin and misery, and difficulties of being saved, that ever yet " any poor humble foul did cast within itself ; yea, join to " these all the hindrances and objections that the heart of man
" can invent against itself and salvation : lift up thine eyes, and " look to the utmost thou can fee ; and Christ,by his intercefion, is able to fave thee beyond the horizon and utmost compass of thy thoughts, even to the utmost."
2. Hence draw abundant encouragement against all hearttraitnings, anddeadness of Spirit in prayer.
Thou complainest thy heart is dead, wandering, and contracted in duty : O, but remember Christ's blood speaks,when thou canst not ; it can plead for thee, and that powerfully, when thou art not able to speak a word for thyself: to this sense that scripture speaks,
Cant. iii. 6. " Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness " in pillars of smoak, perfumed with myrrh, and frankincense,
" all the powders of the merchant ? " The duties of Christians goupmanytimes, as pillars or clouds offmoakfrom them, more smoak than fire, prayers smoaked and sullied with their offensive corruptions : but, remember, Christ perfumes them with myrrh, c.
He, by his intercession, gives them a sweet perfume.
3. Christ's intercession is a singular relief to all thatcomeunto God by him, against allfinfuldamps andslavishfears from the justice of God . Nothing more promotes the fear of reverence ;
* Goodwin's Triumph, p . 263 .
+ If Jesus be the Mediator of the new covenant, believers may go with b
SERM . XIII.
The Fountain of Life.
nothing moresuppresseth unbelievingdespondencies, and destroys the spirit of bondage.
So you find it, Heb. x. 19, 20, 21.
" Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest, " by the blood of Jet us, by a new and living way, which he
" hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his " flesh ; and having a high-priest over the house of God, let us
" drawnearwitha true heart, εν πληροφοριαπίσεως, infullassurance " of faith:" or let us come unto God, as a ship comes with full fail into the harbour. O what a direct and full gale of encouragement doth this intercession of Christ give to the poor soul that lay a-ground, or was wind-bound before ?
4. The intercession of Christ gives admirable satisfaction and encouragement to all that come to God, against the fears ofdeferting him again by apostacy.
This, my friend, this is your principal security against these matters of fear.
With this he relieves Peter, Luke xxii. 31 , 32. "Simon (faith Christ ) Satan " hath desired to have you, that he may fist you as wheat ; but " I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not," q. d. Satan will fan thee, not to get out thy chaff, butboltout thy flower : his temptations are levelled against thy faith; but fear not, my prayer shall break his designs, and secure thy faith against all his attempts upon it. Upon this powerful interceffion of Christ, the apostle builds his triumph against all that threatens to bring him, or any of the saints, again into a state of condemnation.
And fee how he drives on that triumph, from the resurrection, and session of Christ at the Father's right hand ; and especially from the work of interceffion, which he lives there to perform :
Rom. viii. 34, 35. " Who is he that condemneth ? It is " Christ that dieth : yea, rather that is risen again, who is even
" at the right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for us.
" Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ?"
5. It gives sweet relief against the defects and wants that yet are in ourfanctification. We want a great deal of faith, love, heavenly-mindedness, mortification,knowledge.
We are short and wanting in all.
There are υσερηματα, the remains, or things wanting, as the apostle calls them, i Thef. iii. 10. Well,
Aa 2 with boldness, and look the justice of God in the face; for your debt is satisfied .
So long as a man is in debt, he steals by the prison door in the dark; but if his surety have paid the debt, he dares come (as you say) andwhet his knife at the compter door.
Christ , your surety, hath paid the debt ; you may go with boldness, and look justice in the face, the Devil and all the ferjeants of hell in the face. Mr. W. B. in his treatise of Christ and the covenant, p. 98.
The Fountain of Life.
SERM. XIII.
if grace be but yet in its weak beginnings, and infancy in thy soul, this mayincourage, that by reason of Christ's interceffion, it shall live, grow, and expaciate itself in thy heart.
He is not only the author, but the finisher of it, Heb . xii. 2. He is ever begging new and fresh mercies for you in heaven ; and will never cease till all your wants be supplied.
He faves εις το παντελες, to the uttermost, i. e as I told you before, to the last, pertective, compleating act of salvation. So that this is a fountain of relief against all your fears .
Use 3. Doth Christ live for ever to make interceffion ? Then let those who reap on earth the fruits of that his work in heàven, draw instruction thence about the following duties, to which it leads them as by the hand.
I Do not forget Christ in an exalted state *.
You fee though hebe in all the glory above, at God's right hand, and enthroned king, he doth not forget you : he, like Joseph, remembers his brethren in all his glory.
But, alas,how oft doth advancement make us forget him ? As the Lord complains in Hofea xiii. 5,
" I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great " drought : but when they came into Canaan, according to " their pastures, fo were they filled; they were filled, and their
" heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me."
As if he had said, O my people, you and I were better acquainted in the wilderness, when you were in a low condition, left to my immediate care, living by daily faith ; O then you gave me many a sweet visit ; but now you are filled, I hear no more of you.
Good had it been for some saints, if they had never known prosperity.
2. Let the intercession of Christ in heaven for you, encourage you to constancy in the good ways of God.
To this duty it sweetly encourages also, Heb. iv. 14.
Seeing then that we " have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
" the son of God, let us hold fast our profession."
Here is encouragement to perseverance on adoubleaccount.
One is that Jesus, our head, is already in heaven; and if the head be above water, the body cannot drown.
The other is from the bufi- * He doth not forget us though he be exalted to his glory; for he is not like the poor filly creatures that cannot bear exaltation without being puffed up, and forgetting both themselves, their friends, and their God.
No,his exaltation is spiritual and heavenly, perfecting his human nature to the greatest height it is capable of,---he neverwasmore tender ofJerufalem when he wept over it, or of his people when he wept, bled, and died for them,than he is now tender over his in glory. Mr. Baxter's Treatiseofconverfion,p. 184.