is secured by the actings of the Lord Christ in the discharge of his priestly office.

Obs. XI. Attendance unto the service, the worship of God in the gospel, is required to interest us in the saving care and power of our high priest.-Men deceive themselves who look to be saved by him, but take no care to come to God in holy worship by him. Nor is it an easy or common thing so to do. All men pretend unto divine worship, some one way, some another, and in words they interpose the name of Christ therein, but really to come to God by him, is a matter of another import. Two things are indispensably required thereunto: 1. That the principle of saving faith be antecedent unto it. 2. That the exercise of faith be concomitant with it. Unless we are true believers, our worship will not be accepted. And unless we are in the exercise of faith on God through Christ in the performance of it, it gives no glory to him, it brings no advantage unto ourselves.

Obs. XII. Those who endeavour to come unto God in any other way but by Christ, as by saints and angels, may do well to consider, whether they have any such office in heaven, as by virtue whereof they are able to save them to the uttermost. That this is done by those of the Roman church, cannot with any modesty be denied, yea, it is avowed by them. For when they are charged with the wickedness of their doctrine and practice in this matter, evacuating the mediation of Christ, they reply that they admit of no mediators of reconciliation with God, but only of intercession. Be it so, ability to save to the utmost is here ascribed unto our high priest, upon the account of his intercession. A respect unto his oblation whereby he made reconciliation is included, but it is the efficacy of his intercession that is expressly regarded. "For being reconciled by his death, we are saved by his life," Rom. v. 10. He therefore alone is the Mediator of intercession, who is able by virtue of his office to save us to the utmost, through that intercession of his.

Those whom they choose to go to God by, are able to save them, or they are not. If they are not, is it not the greatest folly and madness imaginable, whilst we seek after salvation, to set him aside on any occasion, in any one instance, who can save us to the utmost, and betake ourselves unto them who cannot save us at all? If they are able to save us in any sense, it is either by virtue of some office, and office-power that they are invested withal in heaven, (as ministers are in the discharge of their office said to save them that hear them, 1 Tim. iv. 16. that is, ministerially and instrumentally), or without any such office. If they can do so without any office, they can do more than Jesus Christ can do; for he is able to do it by virtue of his office only. And if it might have been otherwise,

what need was there that Christ should undertake and discharge this office of the priesthood, and that our apostle should so labour to prove the excellency of this his office, only to satisfy us that he is able to save them that come to God by him? If they do it by virtue of any office committed to them, let it be named what it is. Are they priests in heaven for ever after the order of Melchisedec? Dishonour enough is done unto Christ, by making any sacrificing priests on the earth, as they do in their mass; but to make interceding priests in heaven also, is the highest reproach unto him. Or are they the kings or prophets of the church; or under what name or title is this power intrusted with them? Such imaginations are most foreign from true Christian religion. A holy painful minister on the earth, can do much more towards the saving of the souls of men, than any saint or angel in heaven. For the work of doing it ministerially by the dispensation of the word, is committed unto them in the way of office; but office in the church beareth none in heaven, but only Jesus Christ.

And what is the reason why men should so readily close with other means, other mediators of intercession, to go to God by them? For when they pray to saints, although they should only pray unto them to intercede for them, as some of them pretend, (however openly and manifestly against their express and avowed practice), yet do they go to God by them. For to speak of any religious prayer, and yet not to look on it in general as a going or coming to God, is a fond and senseless imagination. Wherefore, whenever they pray to saints, as most of them do more than to Jesus Christ, their design is to go to God by them. But what is it that should induce them hereunto? Our Lord Christ hath told us, that he is the way; and that no man cometh unto the Father but by him, John xiv. 6. What reason can any man give why he should not believe him, but although he hath said that no man cometh unto the Father but by him, should yet attempt to go another way? Have others more power in these things than he, so as it is adviseable on that account to make our application unto them? Where is it said of any saints or angels, or of all of them together, that they are able to save to the utmost all that come to God by them? Or where is any one word spoken of their power or interest in heaven unto that purpose? But it will be said, that we may be relieved and saved, we stand not in need of power only, but of love, pity and compassion; and although the saints have less ability than Christ, yet they may have more of love and compassion for us. For some of them, it may be, were our kindred, or progenitors, or countrymen, or such as may have an especial kindness for us, especially the blessed virgin, and other female saints, are, by their natural constitution, as well as their grace, (who would not think so?) mightily inclined unto pity

and compassion. And indeed they are marvellous things, which some of them tell us concerning the blessed virgin in this case, and her condescension in the pursuit of her love and pity. But yet this imagination is the highest pitch of folly and ingratitude. Certainly nothing can more stir up the indignation of God, than to have any creatures in heaven or earth, or all together, equalled in love and compassion with Jesus Christ. He that doth not know that there is an unparalleled eminency of these in him, who is not in some measure instructed in the cause and effect of them, knows no more of the gospel than a Jew. There is more love, pity and compassion in Christ Jesus towards every poor sinner, that comes to God by him, than all the saints in heaven are able to comprehend. And if kindred or alliance may be of consideration in this matter, he is more nearly related to us than father or mother, or wife or children, or all together, we being not only bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, but so joined to him, as to be one spirit with him.

But it will yet be said, that it is on none of these considerations that men choose to go to God by other mediators of intercession; only whereas the Lord Christ is so great and so gloriously exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high, they dare not always presumptuously intrude into his glorious presence and therefore they make use of the saints, who are more cognate to us, and not cloathed with such terrible majesty. And in going to God by the friends of Christ, they please him as well as if they went immediately by himself. Answ. 1. He is an unbeliever to whom the glorious exaltation of the Lord Christ is a discouragement from going to him, or by him to God on the throne of grace. For all the glory, power and majesty of Christ in heaven is proposed to believers, to encourage them to come to him, and to put their trust in him. But this is the talk of men who, whatever devotion they pretend to, indeed know nothing really, of what it is to pray, to believe, to trust in Christ, or by him to draw near with boldness to the throne. of grace; see Heb. iv. 14-16. 2. All the glory, power and majesty of Jesus Christ as exalted in heaven, as our Mediator, are but means effectually to exert and exercise his love and compassion towards us; "He lives for ever to make intercession for us." But we proceed.

The close of this verse gives us the special reason and confirmation of all the efficacy that the apostle hath assigned to the priesthood of Christ; παντοτε ζων εις το εντυγχάνειν ὑπερ αυτών, always living to make intercession for them.' And three things must be considered in these words.

1. The state and condition of Christ as a high priest. He liveth always,' or for ever.

2. What he doth as a high priest in that state and condition: he maketh intercession for us."

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3. The connexion of these things, their mutual regard, or the relation of the work of Christ to his state and condition; the one is the end of the other; "he lives for ever to make intercession for us."

1. As to his state and condition, wavTOT: (wy, he lives for ever."' He is always living. The Lord Christ in his divine person hath a threefold life in heaven. The one he lives in himself; the other for himself, and the last for us.

1st, The eternal life of God in his divine nature; this he liveth in himself. "As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself," John v. 26. He hath given it him by eternal generation, in a communication to him of all the divine properties. And he that hath life in himself, a life independent on any other, he is the living One, the living God. No creature can have life in himself. For "in God we live, move, and have our being." He is hereby Alpha and Omega, "the first and the last, the beginning and end of all," Rev. i. 11. because he is wv, the living one,' ver. 18. And this life of Christ is the foundation of the efficacy of all his mediatory actings, namely, that he was in his own divine person the living God, Acts xx. 28. 1 Cor. ii. 8. 1 John iii. 16. But this is not the immediate cause of his mediatory effects, nor is it here intended.

2d, There is a life which he liveth for himself, namely, a life of inconceivable glory in his human nature. He led a mortal life in this world, a life obnoxious to misery and death, and died accordingly. This life is now changed into that of immortal eternal glory. "Henceforth he dieth no more, death hath no more power over him." And not only so, but this life of his is to him the cause of, and is attended with all that ineffable glory which he now enjoys in heaven. This life he lives for himself, it is his reward, the glory and honour he is crowned withal. All the endowments, all the enjoyments, and the whole eternal exaltation of the human nature in the person of Christ, belong to this life of glory. And the glorious exaltation of that individual human nature, which the Son of God assumed, far above all principalities and powers, and every name that is named in this world, or the world to come, is the principal part of the design of infinite wisdom, in the work of the new creation. But neither is this the life here intended.

3d, The Lord Christ lives a mediatory life in heaven, a life for us. So saith our apostle," he was made a Priest after the power of an endless life," whereof we have treated before. He lives as King, Prophet and Priest of the church. So he describes himself, Rev. i. 18. "I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of hell and death." As he died for us, so he liveth for us, and is entrusted with all power over the church's adversaries, for its

good. As he died for us, so he liveth for us in heaven; and therefore tells us, that "because he liveth, we shall live also," John xiv. 19. Now this life differeth not essentially from that life of glory in the human nature which he liveth for himself in heaven: only it denoteth one especial end of it, and that only for a season. The Lord Christ will have the life in himself, the divine life to all eternity; and so also will be the life of glory in the human nature. But he shall cease to live this mediatory life for us, when the work of his mediation is accomplished, 1 Cor. xv. 28. But he shall lead this life always for us, till the whole work committed to him be accomplished, and shall lead it as a life of glory in himself to eternity.

Obs. XIII. It is a matter of strong consolation to the church, that Christ lives in heaven for us. It is a spring of unspeakable joy to all true believers, that he lives a life of immortality and glory in and for himself in heaven. Who can call to mind all the miseries which he underwent in this world, all the reproach and scorn that was cast on him by his enemies of all sorts, all the wrath that the whole world is yet filled withal against him, and not be refreshed, rejoiced, transported, with a spiritual view by faith of all that majesty and glory, which he is now in the eternal possession of? So was it with Stephen, Acts vii. 56. And therefore in all the appearances and representations which he hath made of himself since his ascension into heaven, he hath manifested his present glory, Acts xxvi. 13. Rev. i. 14— 18. And the due consideration hereof cannot but be a matter of unspeakable refreshment to all that love him in sincerity.

But herein lieth the life of the church's consolation, that he continues to live a mediatory life in heaven for us also. It is not I fear so considered, nor so improved as it ought to be. That Christ died for us, all who own the gospel profess in words, though some so explain their faith, or rather their infidelity, as to deny its proper use, and to evacuate its proper ends. That so he lived for us here in this world, as that his life was some way or other to our advantage, at least thus far that he could not have died if he had not lived before, all men will grant, even those by whom the principal end of this life, namely, to fulfil the law for us, is peremptorily denied. But that Christ now lives a life of glory in heaven, that most men think is for himself alone. But the text speaks to the contrary. "He lives for ever to make intercession for us." Neither is this the only end of his present mediatory life in heaven, though this only be here expressed. Should I undertake to shew the ends of the present mediatory life of Christ for the church, it would be too great and long a decursion from the text. However the whole of the work of this life of his may be reduced into these three heads.