good and comfortable words: his intercession was acceptable, prevalent, and succeeded, Zech. i. 11-13. But a more clear and full instance of Christ's intercession for his people in distress, through sin, is in chap. iii. 1-4; where Joshua, a fallen saint, is represented as greatly defiled with sin; and Satan standing at his right hand, to accuse and charge him, and get judgment to pass against him; when Christ, the Angel of the covenant, appears on his behalf, rebukes Satan, and pleads electing and calling grace, in favour of the criminal; and, on the foot of his own sacrifice to be offered, satisfaction to be made, orders his filthy garments to be taken away, and him to be clothed with change of raiment, his own righteousness, and dismissed.

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2. Christ acted as an intercessor in his state of humiliation. often read of his praying to God, and sometimes a whole night together, and of his offering up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, especially in the garden and on the cross; which might be chiefly on his own account, though not without regard to his people: at other times we find him praying for particular persons; as at the grave of Lazarus, where he wept and groaned in Spirit, and inwardly put up supplications, which were heard; for he thanks his Father for hearing him; and declared he always heard him. And he prayed for Peter particularly, when tempted, that his faith might not fail, and was heard; for though he fell by the temptation, he was at once recovered, Luke xxii. 32. He prayed for all his disciples, John xvii., which is a specimen of his intercession in heaven, for all his elect: yea, he prayed for his enemies, and such of his elect who were then in a state of enmity; and who, in consequence of his intercession, were converted and comforted; though they had been concerned in taking away his life, Luke xxiii. 34. Such virtue is there in his blood, and in his intercession founded upon it. 3. Christ is now interceding in heaven for his people; he is gone to heaven, entered there, and is set down at the right hand of God; where he ever lives to make intercession, Rom. viii. 34, Heb. vii. 25; for so his intercession is sometimes represented, as after his death and resurrection from the dead, and session at God's right hand; and which is performed, perhaps not vocally, as on earth; for as he could request and intercede before he assumed a human nature, even in the council and covenant of peace, without a voice, so he can now in heaven; though it is not improbable but that he may make use of his human voice at his pleasure; though it cannot with certainty be affirmed, yet it is not to be denied: however, it is certain that he does not intercede in like manner as when on earth, with prostration of body, cries, and tears; which would be quite inconsistent with his state of exaltation and glory, being set down at the right hand of God, and crowned with glory and honour; nor as supplicating an angry Judge, and entreating him to be pacified, and show favour; for peace is made by the blood of Christ's cross; and God is pacified towards his people for all that they have done: nor as litigating a point in a court of judicature; for though Christ has names and titles taken from such-like procedures, as counsellor, pleader, and advocate; yet not as engaged in à cause dependent and precarious: but the intercession

of Christ is carried on in heaven, by appearing in the presence of God there for his people; it is enough that he shows himself, as having done, as their Surety, all that law and justice could require ; by representing his blood, his sacrifice, and righteousness: Christ is gone with his blood into the holiest of all, and sprinkling it on the throne of mercy, before God; and where he is in the midst of the throne, as a Lamb that had been slain; his sacrifice being always in view of his divine Father, and his righteousness always in sight; with which God is well pleased, because by it his law is magnified, and made honourable, and his justice satisfied: all which, of themselves, speak on the behalf of his people. Moreover, Christ intercedes, not as asking a favour, but as an advocate in open court, who pleads, demands, and requires, according to law, in point of right and justice, such and such blessings to be bestowed upon and applied unto such persons he has shed his blood for; he speaks, not in a charitative, but in an authoritative way, declaring it as his will, on the foot of what he has done and suffered, that so it should be; a specimen of this we have in the finishing blessing of all, glorification, John xvii. 24. Christ performs this his office also by offering up the prayers and praises of his people; which become acceptable to God through the sweet incense of his mediation and intercession, Rev. viii. 3, 4, Heb. xiii. 15, 1 Pet. ii. 5. Once more, Christ executes this office by seeing to it, that all the blessings of grace promised in covenant, and ratified by his blood, are applied by his Spirit to the covenant-ones and so he sits as a priest on his throne, and sees the travail of his soul with satisfaction; when, as those he engaged for, are reconciled by his death, so they are saved by his interceding life; are effectually called by grace, and put into the possession of what was stipulated and procured for them.

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II. The next thing to be considered is, what Christ makes intercession for more particularly? For the conversion of his unconverted ones: Neither pray I for those alone, says he, meaning his disciples that were called; but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, John xvii. 20. And for the comfort of those that are convinced of sin, distressed with a sense of it, and need comfort; in consequence of his intercession, he sends the Comforter to them, to take of his things, and show them to them, and shed abroad his love in them, and so fill them with joy and peace in believing; insomuch that they have peace in him, while they have tribulation in the world. And particularly for discoveries and applications of pardoning grace mercy; If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father; not that he pleads for sinning, nor that any may be connived at in it; but that he may have a manifestation and application of the pardon of it, in consequence of his blood shed for it. And as Christ has a fellowfeeling with his people under temptations, and succours them that are tempted; this is one way of doing it, interceding for strength for them to bear up under temptations, to be carried through them, and delivered out of them; and so that they might have persevering grace, to hold on, and out, unto the end; he prays not that they be taken out of the world, but that they may be kept from the evil of it, John

xvii. 11-15. Lastly, he intercedes for their glorification; one principal branch of which will lie in beholding his glory, John xvii. 24. This was the joy set before him, and which he kept in view in all his sufferings; and for the sake of which he endured them so cheerfully; and it is that which is uppermost in his heart, in his intercession for them; nor will he cease pleading till he has all his people in heaven with him.

III. The persons Christ makes intercession for, are not the world, the men of it, and all that are in it; for Christ himself says, I pray not for the world; but for those that were chosen and given him out of the world; and who, in due time, are effectually called out of it by his grace the objects of Christ's intercession are the same with those of election, redemption, and effectual calling; to whom Christ is a propitiation, for them he is an advocate, John xvii. 9. The high-priest bore upon his heart, in the breastplate of judgment, only the names of the children of Israel; and they are only the spiritual Israel of God whom Christ bears upon his heart, whom he represents and intercedes for in the holiest of all; and not for those only who actually believe, but for those who shall hereafter; even who are, for the present, enemies to him, and averse to his rule over them; as his prayers in the garden, and on the cross, show, John xvii. 20, Luke xxiii. 34. It is for all the elect Christ intercedes, that have been, are, or shall be, scattered up and down in the several parts of the world, and in all ages and periods of time, that they be partakers of his grace here, and be glorified with him hereafter; hence says the apostle, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? since not only God justifies them, Christ died for them, is risen again, and is at the right hand of God; but makes intercession for them, and answers to and removes all charges brought against them, Rom. viii. 33, 34; and for those even though and while they are sinners and transgressors; for so it is said of him in prophecy; And hath made intercession for the transgressors, Isa. liii. 12; and as he died for such, yea, the chief of sinners, and calls them by his grace, and receives them into fellowship with himself, it is no wonder that he should pray and intercede for them.

IV. The excellent properties and use of Christ's intercession. Christ is an only intercessor; There is but one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. ii. 5; though the Spirit of God makes intercession for the saints, it is within them, not without them, at the right hand of God; and it is with groans unutterable; not so Christ in heaven, saints in heaven are no intercessors for saints on earth; they are ignorant of their persons and cases, and therefore cannot intercede for them: nor angels, as say the papists, who distinguish between mediators of redemption, and mediators of intercession; the latter they say are angels, and Christ the former: but the Scripture knows no such distinction; he that is the Redeemer, is the only Intercessor; he that is the Propitiation, is the sole Advocate; and, he is every way fit for it: being the Son of God, he has interest in his Father's heart; being the mighty God, he is mighty to plead, thoroughly to plead the cause of his people; and having offered up himself as man, to be a sacrifice for them, he has a sufficient plea to

make on their behalf; and having the tongue of the learned, can speak well for them; and being Jesus Christ the righteous, the holy and harmless high-priest, is a proper person to be the advocate for those that sin; as such he is with the Father, at hand, and to be called unto; is ready to defend the cause of his people, and deliver them from their adversary: and he is a prevalent advocate and intercessor; he is always heard; he was when on earth, and now in heaven; his mediation is always acceptable, and ever succeeds, John xi. 41, 42. And he performs this his office freely, willingly, and cheerfully; he never rejects any case put into his hands, nor refuses to present the petitions of his people to his divine Father; but is always ready to offer up the prayers of all saints with the much incense of his mediation, Rev. viii. 3, 4. And his intercession is perpetual; though he was dead, he is alive, and lives for evermore; and he ever lives to make intercession for them that come unto God by him, Heb. vii. 25. Many are the benefits and blessings of grace, derived to saints from Christ's intercession for them; such as access to God through him, acceptance with God in him, both of persons and services, communications of grace from him, the application of every blessing of the covenant to them; for though the impetration of them is by the death of Christ, the application of them is owing to his life.

OF CHRIST'S BLESSING HIS PEOPLE AS A PRIEST.

I PROCEED in this chapter to consider another part of Christ's priestly office; which lies in blessing his people, for this was what belonged to the priests. Aaron and his sons were appointed to bless the people of Israel in the name of the Lord; and had a form of blessing prescribed them; which they were to use, and did use on that occasion, Deut. xxi. 5, Numb. vi. 23-26. Indeed, the blessing of the priests was only prayer-wise; they could not confer a blessing, only prayed for one; yet when they did, the Lord promised to give one, and some think Christ's blessing his people, is only a species or branch of his intercession; though Christ does not only intercede for blessings for his people, but he actually confers them; and whether this is to be considered as a branch of Christ's intercession; which is made, not in a supplicant, but in an authoritative manner, as has been shown; or whether as a distinct part of Christ's priestly office; I shall treat of it particularly and separately, and much in the same method as the other parts have been treated of; by showing,

I. That Christ was to bless his people; this was promised, and prophesied concerning him, and was prefigured in types of him.

1. It was promised to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, and his promise was renewed to Isaac, Gen. xxvi. 4; and again to Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 14; and contains the sum of the gospel preached unto Abraham; for by his seed is meant, not his numerous natural seed, descending from him by ordinary generation, in successive periods of time; but his single, special, and

principal Seed, the Messiah, who was to spring from him, Gal. iii. 8, 16; and by all nations, are meant, some of all nations, the chosen vessels, who consist both of Jews and Gentiles, the redeemed of the Lamb, who are by him redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and are effectually called, by the Spirit and grace of God, out of the world, and the nations of it, in the several periods of time, and so are all blessed, both in time, and to eternity; and on this account Christ is truly called, the Desire of all nations, Hag. ii. 7; whose coming as a high-priest, with good things, being promised, might be expected and desired by them; and those may be said, not only to be blessed in him as their representative, as they are, both in eternity and in time, Eph. i. 3, 4; and not only through him, all the blessings of goodness being put into his hands for them; and so they come to them through his hands, and through the efficacy of his blood, as redemption, pardon, grace, and eternal life, but they are blessed by him as it is his own act and deed; and so the apostle interprets and explains the phrase; "In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed;" unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, &c. Acts iii. 25, 26.

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II. Christ's blessing his people, was prefigured in Melchizedek, the type of him, and of whose order he was. This illustrious person met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abraham of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, Gen. xiv. 19; that is, May Abraham be blessed of God, with both temporal and spiritual blessings, which he who is Lord of both worlds, is able to bestow upon him and on this benediction the apostle observes that Melchizedek, who received tithes from Abraham, blessed him who had the promises; not only of a Son to be his heir, and of the land of Canaan for his seed, but of the Messiah, and of the heavenly inheritance; from whence he infers the greatness, the excellency, and the superiority of Melchizedek, as a type of Christ, Heb. vii. 6, 7. The priests under the law, one part of whose work and office it was to bless the people, and who did bless them, were types and figures of Christ in that action, and foreshowed what he was to do when he came.

II. Christ has blessed his people, does bless them, and will continue to bless them: he blessed them under the Old Testament; he appeared in a human form to Jacob, and wrestled with him; nor would Jacob let him go, except he blessed him; and he had power with him, and prevailed, and got the blessing; as appears by the name of Israel he gave him; and having such an experience of his ability to bless, he addressed him for a blessing on his grandchildren, saying, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; meaning Christ, the uncreated Angel, the Angel of God's presence, the Angel of the covenant, who had protected him from all evil throughout his life, and particularly from the evil he feared from his brother Esau; when he appeared to him, and for him, and blessed him, as before observed; and as Christ came in the fulness of time, a high-priest of good things; he blesses his people with them, of which his blessing his disciples are a specimen; and which was done by him after he had