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of Christ's name in their prayers to God long before he was born, Dan. ix. 17. Thus his intercession began in heaven thousands of years before his abode on earth.

2. He interceded for his people in his state of abafement and humiliation: Heb. i. 7. In the days of his flesh be offered up prayers and fupplications to God with Strong cries and tears. This manner of interceffion was fuitable and congruous to his abased state. Tho he was despised and rejected of men, a man of forrows and acquainted with grief; yet his interceffion was not less prevalent with God, for he was heard in that he feared. Ye may fee with what majesty and authority he prayed on the behalf of all the elect, John xvii. 24. Father, I will that they also whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am; that they may bebold my glory which thou hast given me : for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Yea, even when he was under the sharpest agonies, when he was bruised by God and broken by men, groaning under the wrath of the one, and the wrongs of the other, he forgets not to put up petitions for his crucifiers, Luke xxiii. 34. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And many of those who imbrued their hands in his innocent blood, obtained a gracious pardon thro his prevalent interceffion.

3. He is pleading now for his people in heaven, in his exalted state. When he had offered up himself a facrifice on the cross, he afcended into heaven, and entered into the most holy place, and there profecutes the fame fuit that he had commenced on the earth. Hence says the apostle, Rom. viii. 34. It is Chrift that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for us. Secondly, I am to shew wherein Christ's interceffion confifts.

1. He does not plead for his people in heaven, in fuch a fupplicatory and humble manner as he prayed for them when he was on the earth. He falls not down upon his knces with a deep prostration of foul, lifting up his eyes with tears and strong cries. Such humble prayers and fupplications were fuited only to the days of his flesh, when he appeared in the form of a fervant, and was found in the likeness of man; but they do not become him now in his state of glory, when he is stript of all those natural infirmities and marks of indigence wherewith he was clothed in the world. But, positively,

2. His interceffion lies in the following things.

1st, In his appearing in heaven in his people's nature, and on their account. After he had shed his precious blood on the earth for the expiation of their tin, he rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven as their Advocate and Interceffor, that, by the virtue of his meritorious facrifice, he might anfwer all the charges brought in against them, and fue out all the good things that belonged to them: Heb. ix. 24. Chrift is entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the prefence of God for us.

2dly, In presenting the memorials of his death and paffion as a moving plea on their account. This was typified and prefigured by the high priest's carrying the blood of the facrifice into the most holy place, and presenting it before the Lord. He was not to go in before the mercy-feat without it; and there was no interceding but by virtue of it. So the whole power and efficacy of Chrift's interceffion is founded upon his meritorious fufferings. His foul that was bruised and made an offering for fin, and his body that was wounded and broken upon the cross, are daily presented before God, and will remain in the divine presence for ever, as an eternal memorial of his bloody fufferings. This has a powerful efficacy in prevailing with God. Hence, by an usual figure, an interceding voice is attributed to his blood, Heb. xii. 24. It speaketh better things than that of Abel. Christ's blood speaks, though not vocally and with oral expressions, yet powerfully and efficacioufly. It speaks in the fame manner that Abel's blood did, though not for the

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fame end: this cried for vengeance upon wicked Cain that shed it; but that pleads for mercy and favour to all believing sinners. We have a rare illustration of the efficacious interceffion of Christ in heaven, in the famous story of Amyntas, who appeared as an advocate for his brother Æschylus, who was strongly accused, and in great danger of being condemned to die. This Amyntas having performed great services for the state, and merited highly of the commonwealth, in whose service one of his hands was cut off in battle, comes into the court on his brother's behalf, and faid nothing, but only lifted up his arm, and shewed them an arm without a hand: which so moved them, that immediately they acquitted his brother. And thus you have Chrift represented visionally, Rev. v. 6. as standing between God and us, And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been flain, having seven borns, and feven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God fent forth into all the earth. That is, he was reprefented as bearing in his glorified body the marks of his death and facrifice; the wounds which he received for his people's fins on the earth, are as it were still visible and fresh in heaven, as a prevailing argument with the Father to give forth the mercies that he pleads for to them.

3dly, In presenting his will and defire to the Father on their behalf, not in a humble and fupplicatory manner, in the way of charity, but by a claim in the way of justice. He now pleads that his people may be put in full poffeffion of all the bleffings which were purchased for them by his bloody death. We find him pleading to this purpose immediately before his paffion, John xvii. 24. forecited. He minds the Father as it were of the covenant that was between them both, of his performing the condition required on his part, and so claims the performance of God's promife, as a debt due to his meritorious obedience even unto death. He hath made his foul an offering for fin; and therefore pleads that he may see his feed, prolong his days, and that the pleasure of the Lord may profper in his hands, If. liii. 10. 11.

4thly, In his presenting his people's prayers and petitions unto God, and pleading that they may be accepted and granted for his fake. Their prayers and religious performances are both impure and imperfect; but his precious merit, applied by his powerful interceffion, purifies and perfects them. This skilful Advocate puts them into form and language fuited to the methods of the court of heaven, and by his great interest there procures them a speedy hearing. This was excellently typified by the high priest's going in before the Lord with the blood of the facrifice, and his hands full of incenfe. After he had offered the facrifice without, he was to take his hands full of those aromatic drugs of which the incense was composed, without the vail, and put them in a censer of gold full of fire, and cover the mercy-feat with the fume of it. This was a figure of Christ's interceffion and offering up his people's services to God. He is the alone altar upon which our facrifices must ascend before the Lord with a grateful fume: the incense of his merit must be added to our prayers, to make them ascend before the mercy-feat as a facrifice of a sweet-fmelling favour. Hence he is represented, Rev. viii. 3. as an angel standing at the golden altar which was before the throne, with a golden censer in his hand, offering up the prayers of all the faints, perfuming them with the incense that was given him. By the much incense mentioned here, we are to understand the mighty quantity of merit and the great power of his interceffion, which was a sweet favour to all his people's facrifices, and renders them acceptable to God.

5thly, In his answering all the bills of indictment which are brought in against them. Many times a believer is brought in as an arraigned criminal before the divine tribunal, where Satan appears as the accu

fer, brings in the charge of fin, pleads the righteoufness of the law, folicits for judgement upon his accusations, and for the execution of the curse due to the crime. The justice of God calls for vengeance, and confcience thunders out nothing but hell and wrath. Now, while the believer is in these dismal circumstan. ces, Christ steps in and answers the charge. He pleads the efficacy of his merit against the greatness of the believing sinner's crimes, and his fatisfaction to justice by the death of the cross against all the demands and challenges of the law. And thus the fentence of condemnation due unto the sinner for his fin is averted, and a sentence of absolution is pronounced, upon the merit and plea of this powerful Interceffor. Hence we find the apostle glorying in this, Rom. viii. 33. 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for

us.

Satan may accuse believers; but Christ can foon filence him. Thus, when Joshua the high priest stood before the Lord in filthy garments, Satan stood at his right hand to accuse him: but the angel, namely, the angel of the covenant, Jesus Christ, interpofed, saying, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, Zech. iii. 1. 2. Though their garments be filthy, yet Christ can take them away, and clothe them with change of raiment. Tho' Satan be always ready to resist them, yet Christ stands always at the right hand of God in heaven, to plead for them, and filence Satan.

Thirdly, I shall shew some of the grounds or reafons of our High Prieft's interceffion.

1. Christ intercedes for his people, because he had a commiffion, a call, and command from the Father for this purpose, If. xlii. 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness. So far was our mighty Interceffor from engaging in this service as an intruder or ufurper, that he entered upon it under the warrant of heaven's commiffion. The Lord called him to be a Priest. For VOL. II.

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