plate of judgment on his heart; in carrying in the burning coals and incense, when the blood of slain beasts; all typical of the intercession of Christ, as founded on his sacrifice; as well as he was a good spokesman, one that could speak well; as Christ has the tongue of the learned to speak on the behalf of his people: and even all the common priests were types of Christ, in their ordination from among men, and for men, and to offer gifts and sacrifices for them, though they were many, and he but one; and their sacrifices many, and were daily of fering, and his but one, and once offered, and which was sufficient. Indeed all the sacrifices offered up from the beginning of the world, were all typical of the sacrifice of Christ our great high-priest. The sacrifice of Abel, which was offered up in the faith of the sacrifice of Christ; and those of Noah, which for the same reason were of a sweet-smelling savour to God; the pass-over lamb was a type of Christ, our pass-over, sacrificed for us; and so were the lambş of the daily sacrifice morning and evening, and all other sacrifices offered up to the times of Christ's coming, sufferings and death, which put an end to them all, II. Christ is come in the flesh, and is come as an high-priest; he came to give his life a ransom for many, and he has given himself a ransom-price for all his people, which has been testified in due time; and which is a considerable branch of his priestly office; for the whole of which he was abundantly qualified, being both God and man.

1. As man; he is mediator according to both natures, but the mediator is particularly said to be the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. he became man, and was madę in all things like unto his brethren, persons of that nature elect; that he might be fit to be a priest, and officiate in that office, and that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest in things pertaining to God, the glory of the divine perfections, and particularly his justice; to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, atonement for them, whereby the justice of God and all his perfections would be glorified, Heb. ii. 17. Christ being man, is taken from among men, and ordained for men, for their use and service, as the priests of old were: not for angels; the good angels needed none, and those that sinned were not spared; no priest, no saviour, nor salvation were provided for them, and therefore Christ took not on him their nature; but that of men, that they and they only might reap the benefit of his priestly office; and being man he had something to offer for them, an human body and an human soul, which as God he had not; as such he was impassible, not capable of sufferings and death; and had he assumed an angelic nature, that is not capable of dying, for angels die not; which it was necessary our high priest should, that by means of death he might obtain redemption from transgressions, both under the Old and under the New Testament; and it was proper that satisfaction should be made in that nature that sinned, and that those of that nature, and not others, should enjoy the advanta ges of it: also by being man he has another qualification of a priest, which is to be compassionate to persons in ignorance, difficulties and distress; and hereby

Christ becomes a merciful high-priest, one that has a fellow-feeling with his people in all their infirmities, afflictions and temptations; to which may be ad ded, that Christ's human nature is holy, harmless and undefiled; clear of original and actual transgression; and such an high-priest became us, is suitable for us, since he could, as he did, offer himself without spot to God; and being Jesus Christ the righteous, he is a very proper person to be an advocate or intercessor for transgressors.

II. As God, or a divine person, being the great God, he was able to be a Saviour, and to work out a great salvation; being the mighty God, he was mighty to save to the uttermost; and being an infinite person, could make infinite satisfaction for the sins of men, and render his sacrifice acceptable to God, and sufficient to put away, and to put an end unto the sins of his people; and could put a virtue and efficacy into his blood, to cleanse from all sin, and bring in a righteousness that could justify from all, and could make his intercession and mediation for his people always prevalent with God.

III. Christ has executed, and is executing, and will continue to execute, his priestly office; the parts of which are more principally these two, offering sacrifice, and making intercession; to which may be added, a third, blessing his people; for it was the work of the high-priest, as to do the two former, so the

latter.

1. Offering a sacrifice. The work of the priests was to offer sacrifice for sin; Christ was once offered up to bear the sins of many, and the punishment of them, and to make atonement for them; he has offered himself a sacrifice to God, of a sweet-smelling savour, Heb. v. 3. Eph. v. 2. It may be enquired, 1. Who is the sacrificer? Christ is altar, sacrifice, and priest: as he had something to offer as man, he has offered it; and as it became him as a priest

to do it, he has done it; it is his own act and unto him; He offered up himself unto God, sacrifice, &c. Heb. ix. 14.

deed, and is frequently ascribed

He gave himself an
gave himself an offering and

2. What it was he offered; or what was the sacrifice? Not slain beasts; their blood could not take away sin; it was not their blood he shed; but it was his own, with which he entered into the holy place; it was his flesh he gave for the life of the world, of his chosen ones; it was his body which was offered up once for all; and it was his soul that was made an offering for sin; and all as in union with his divine Person; and therefore said to be himself which was the sacrifice: strictly speaking, it was his human nature which was the sacrifice; the divine nature was the altar on which it was offered, which sanctified the gift or offering, and gave it a virtue and efficacy to atone for sin; it was through the eternal Spirit he offered up himself.

3. To whom was the sacrifice offered? It was offered to God; as it is often said to be: to God, against whom sin is committed; and therefore to him was the sacrifice for it offered; whose justice must be satisfied; without which, God will by no means clear the guilty: and therefore Christ was set forth and ap

pointed to be the propitiation for sin, to declare the righteousness of God, to shew forth his justice, the strictness of it, and give it satisfaction, Rom. iii. 25, 26. and being satisfied, the sacrifice of Christ became acceptable, and of a sweetsmelling savour to God.

4. For whom was the sacrifice offered? Not for himself; he needed none, as did the priests under the law; he was cut off, but not for himself, being without sin: nor for angels; the elect angels needing no sacrifice, having not sinned; and evil angels were not spared, and so their nature was not taken by him, nor a sacrifice offered for them: but for elect men, called his church, his sheep, his children; for whom he laid down his life, and gave himself an offering to God. His sacrifice was a vicarious one; as were those under the law, which were typical of his; Christ our passover, was sacrificed for us, in our room and stead; Christ suffered, the just for the unjust, in the room and stead of them; he died for the ungodly, or they must have died; and became the ransom-price for them.

5. What the nature, excellency, and properties of this sacrifice of Christ? It is a full and sufficient sacrifice, adequate to the purposes for which it was offered: such were not the legal sacrifices; the could not make those perfect for whom they were offered; nor purge their consciences from sin; nor take it away from them: but Christ has, by his sacrifice, perfected for ever all those for whom it is offered, Heh. x. 1-14. It is an unblemished sacrifice, as all under the law were to be, which was typical of this; as the passover-lamb, the lambs for the daily-sacrifice; Christ the sacrifice, is a Lamb without spot and blemish, free from original and actual sin; in him was no sin, and so fit to be a sin-offering for the sins of others; and was offered up, without spot, to God. This sacrifice was free and voluntary; Christ gave himself an offering; he laid down his life freely; he shewed no reluctance, but was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, &c. Isai. liii. 7. It was but one offering, and but once offered up. The priests under the law stood daily offering the same sacrifices, because insufficient; but Christ having offered one sacrifice for sin, offered no more, that being sufficient and effectual to answer the designs of it; wherefore in the Lord's supper, which is only a commemoration of this sacrifice, there is no reiteration of it; it is not an offering up again the body and blood of Christ, as the papists in their mass pretend; that has been done onee done, and it is needed no more.

6. What are the ends and uses of this sacrifice, and the blessings which come by it? Christ is come an High-priest of good things to come, Heb. ix. 11. or there there are many good things which come through Christ's priesthood; particularly through his sacrifice is a full expiation of sin, and atonement for it; Christ has, by the sacrifice of himself, put away sin for ever; finished it, made an end of it, and reconciliation for it. And the perfection of his sanctified ones, that were set apart for himself in eternal election; those he has perfected for ever, by his one sacrifice, Heb. x. 14. they are perfectly redeemed, justified, pardoned, and saved by it: by giving himself for them a sacrifice, in their room and stead,

he has obtained eternal redemption for them; through it he has redeemed them from all iniquity, Tit. ii. 14. peace is made for them by the blood of his cross; and through his sufferings and death they are reconciled unto God, Rom. v. 10. full pardon of sin is procured, which was not to be had without shedding of blood; and a full satisfaction is made for sin: which is made through the sacrifice of Christ; and so there is redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, free and full forgiveness of them. Eph. i. 7. In a word, eternal salvation is the fruit and effect of this sacrifice; Christ being made perfect through sufferings, and thereby made perfect satisfaction for sin, he is become the author of eternal salvation to his people, and which is owing to his being called, and officiating, as an High-Priest after the order of Melchizedek.

OF THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.

ANOTHER branch of Christ's priestly office, is his Intercession: and this may be considered much in the same method as the former, by shewing,

I. That Christ was to be an Intercessor, or was to make intercession for his people: When Christ was called to the office of a priest, and invested with it. which was done in the council and covenant of grace; he was put upon making request on the behalf; he is bid to ask them of his Father, as his portion and inheritance, to be possessed and enjoyed by him; which is promised him on making such a request, as he did, and they were given him, Psal. ii. 8. John xvii. 6. and he not only asked them, but life for them, spiritual and eternal life, with all the blessings and comforts of life; which, upon asking, were given; God gave him the desires of his heart, and did not withhold the request of his lips; all blessings were bestowed upon his chosen in him; and grace, which is comprehensive of all blessings, was given them in him, before the world began, Eph. i. 3. 2 Tim. i. 9. and this asking, or requesting, is a species of Christ's intercession, and an early instance of it, and of his success in it; and a specimen of what was to be done by him hereafter.

The intercession of Christ was spoken of in prophecy, in the books of the Old Testament; Elihu, in Job xxxiii. 23. not only speaks of him in his prophetic office, as an interpreter of his Father's mind and will; but as an advocate, pleading on the behalf of the man to whom he shews and applies his righteousness; that he be delivered from the evil of destruction, from wrath and ruin; since he had found a ransom, a ransom-price, and redemption by it; as in Heb. ix 12. and therefore insists, in point of right and justice, that he be secure from condemnation and death: again, in Psal. xvi. 4. which is a Psalm concerning Christ, whose dead body would not be left in the grave so long as to see corruption; but be raised, and shewn the path of life, 10, 11. two sorts of persons are spoken of in it; one who are called saints, excellent ones, in whom was all Christ's delight, 3, and another sort, hastened after another god, an

other saviour, and not Christ: concerning whom he says, I will not take up their names into my lips; that is he would not pray, or make intercession, for them; and has the same sense as the words in John xvii. 9. I pray for them; I pray not for the world: and saying that he would not take the names of some into his lips, supposes that he would take the names of others; that is, pray and intercede for them: but what most clearly foretels the intercession of Christ, and is a prophecy of it, is a passage in Isai. liii. 12. And made intercession for the transgressors; that is would make intercession for them, according to the pro phetic style used in that chapter; and which was particularly fulfilled, when Christ, upon the cross, prayed for his enemies.

The types of Christ's intercession are many. As Abel's sacrifice was a type of Christ's, so his speaking after his death, was a type of Christ's speaking since his death it is said of Abel, that he, being dead, yet speaketh, Heb. xi. 4. so Christ, though death, is alive, and lives for ever, and makes intercession, and speaks for his people; as Abel's blood had a voice in it, so has the blood of Christ; but with this difference, the blood of Abel cried against his brother; Christ's blood cries for his brethren, on their behalf: Abel's blood cried for vengeance on the murderer; Christ's blood calls for, and speaks peace and pardon to guilty men, Heb. xii. 24. Melchizedek, as he was a type of Christ, in his kingly and priestly offices, so in that part of the latter which respects interces sion; he prayed for Abraham, that he might be blessed both with temporal and spiritual blessings, with blessings both in heaven and on earth, so Christ prays and intercedes for his people, that they may have all the blessings of goodness here and hereafter bestowed upon them. Abraham likewise a type of Christ in his intercession, when he so warmly interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, at least for the righteous in those cities; in which he so far succeeded, that righteous Lot and his, were delivered from destruction in them. Aaron being a good spokesman, one that could speak well, was a type of Christ, who has the tongue of the learned, and can speak well on the behalf of his distressed ones; and who can plead their cause thoroughly, effectually, and infallibly: so was Moses, when the children of Israel had sinned in making the golden-calf, and were threatened with destruction, he interposed in their behalf, and pleaded they might be spared; or otherwise, that he might be blotted out of the book of life, or die: and such is the love of Christ to the spiritual Israel of God, that he has died for them; and pleads his death, that they might live. Particularly the entrance of the highpriest once a year, with the blood of beasts, with a censer of burning coals, and an handful of incense, was an eminent type of Christ's entrance into heaven, and his intercession there; who went in thither, not with the blood of beasts,. but with his own blood; and so to a better purpose: the burning coals were emblems of his painful sufferings; and the incense put upon them, represented his powerful mediation and intercession, founded upon his sufferings, and death, and satisfaction for sin, made thereby. Likewise the high-priest going into the most-holy place, with the names of the children of Israel on his breast-plate, and