love upon the heirs of salvation; a portion in glory to us inconceivable, which the saints in full perfection shall enjoy, when time shall be no more; therefore, says Christ, I will receive you to myself, that where I am, ye may be also, to behold my glory. Christ, by his ascension, carried home to his Father's court the imperial honours of war, the glories,, trophies, and triumphs of his death; therefore, says the Holy Ghost, when he ascended on high he led captivity captive! as it was usual for the Roman conquerors to fasten the spoils and conquests of war at their chariot wheels, and then make an open shew of them, through the city, whereby they procured honour to their names; so the Lord Jesus Christ by his death conquered sin,-by his resurrection triumphed over it, but by his ascension he rode in triumph through the palace royal of Heaven, as the captain of our salvation, with a train of victories over sin, death, and hell, fastened to the chariot wheels of his salvation; therefore immortal praises are ascribed unto his name, Rev. vii. 10. Salvation to GOD which sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb.

But, in the last place, my dear Friendly, I would observe, that the intercession of the Lord Jesus, is the joyful way to glory.-Therefore, says the apostle, Heb. vii. 25. He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Here we may consider, with what Christ pleads and makes intercession, which is nothing less than the infinite value of his blood, the travail of his soul; the treasure of his sufferings; that whatever immense treasures of value you can conceive to be in the blood of Christ, there is that, and infinitely more that pleads for the redemption of your soul: for verily of a truth, bis precious blood hath all the value of Deity in it, and all the dignity and glories of the Godhead are contained therein; which makes it a powerful plea for the life and salvation of that soul that comes unto God by him. There can be additions made to all earthly treasures to increase the value of them, but there can be no addition made to the immense treasures of Christ's blood, neither can its value be augmented; therefore it never fails saving that soul that puts its trust therein, for if the worth of his blood, the glories of his life, the honours of his death, the triumphs of his resurrection, the authority of his intercession before the throne of God, can save a soul relying thereon, it shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.

I.

MY Jesus lives, he intercedes,
Before the throne of GOD;
And for my soul my Saviour pleads
The value of his blood.

II.

Whatever plea my Jesus makes,
The voice is precious blood:
By life, by death, he undertakes
To bring my soul to God.

III.

He ever lives before the throne,
My advocate above,

ecures my bliss in joys unknown,
In settlements of love.

IV.

Amaz'd I stand, I stand amaz'd,
At love so rich and free,

To one so vile,-I well may gaze,
At love so great to me.

In the Second place: The intercession of the Lord of life and glory will appear to be the way of access to the ocean of joy, if we consider not only what he pleads, but with whom he pleads,-Father, says he, I will that they also whom thou hast given me he with me to behold my glory: this single plea is enough for the Lord of glory to make, because he has all power in heaven and on earth; therefore we find in John xi. 22. that Martha said unto Jesus, But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of GOD, GOD will give it thee. Which is a strong argument, and powerful proof of the efficacy of Christ's intercession before the throne, inasmuch as he has his Father's heart, before he pleads for the blessing; John xi. 41. And Jesus lift up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me: and I know that thou hearest me always. If Christ be always heard, how sure and safe may a trembling believer depend upon his intercession whose heart is engaged in love, whose hand is engaged in power, whose blood stands engaged in all its honours to afford divine supplies!

I.

-His bleeding heart, his wounded side,
The Father did approve,

He heard the voice when Jesus cry'd,
Father, forgive and love.

II.

"Father, forgive their sins, he cry'd,
"For I myself have died;"
And then he shews his open heart,
And pleads his wounded side.

Dr. Watts.

But, Thirdly: Let us consider where Christ pleads,-within the vail, in the presence of GOD, says the apostle, having obtained eternal redemption for us. As the high-priest under the law was not to enter into the most holy place, but with the blood of the slain sacrifices, sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat, so the apostle, when he would display the pre-eminence and glory of our great High-Priest, after the order of Melchisedeck, says, Heb. ix. 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place; he sprinkled his blood before the mercy-seat, and upon the mercy-seat, therefore it is that the Holy Ghost styles his blood, even in Heaven, the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel:you'll observe, my dear Friendly, that Abel, being dead, yet his blood speaketh, Gen. iv. 10. The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. If the voice of Abel's blood cried from the earth to heaven for vengeance, for a display of God's justice,-what must the powerful voice of Christ's blood be, that was shed for the display of pure mercy? the opening way of rich grace,-the confluence of divine love, or to use Dr. Thomas Goodwin (that unparalleled author's) expression, " to broach the heart of GOD, that was full of love to his people.")--But observe, (as I would fain gather apples from every branch of the tree of life,) did Abel's blood cry from the ground! what voice, what cry must the precious blood of Christ have upon the cross, when it said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?— Did Abel's blood cry and prevail from the ground!-what must the blood of Christ upon the throne do in the presence of GoD for us?-Created strength is too weak,-time is too short, and an angel's tongue too feeble to tell you the value of the Saviour's blood within the vail;-for if the blood of a saint was

heard in heaven, and answered, how much more shall the blood of the King of saints be heard and answered in all the designs and purposes of it?-as it is of such infinite value, and incomparable worth, being, says the apostle, the blood of GoD, 1 John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of GOD; in that he laid down his life for us.—If the voice of Christ's blood crieth in the garden, crieth upon the cross, and speaketh before the throne! what must the voice, the power, the authority of his blood be, when he adds his own voice to it, that spake as never man spake, saying, Behold, I am he that was dead, and am alive: sure then here is the strongest stay for a weak mind! -the sweetest support for a doubting soul. For if the authority of his blood can prevail for thee, the power of his arm support thee, the treasures of his GOD-LIKE blood can save thee, thy soul, oh, trembling believer, shall never be lost!--for consider, Christ followed the hue and cry of his blood upon the cross, within the vail, even to the mercy-seat, and there laid down in full payment the price of blood, the value of our eternal redemption,-(viz.) an infinite birth, an infinite life, a glorious death, a triumphant resurrection, which he ever lives to plead, and if they all jointly together can save thy soul (oh! doubting believer,) it shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.

I.

-He enter'd in, but 'twas with blood,
With blood he spreads the throne,
With blood he pleads, prevails with God,
To make the joy my own.

II.

Behold, my soul within the vail,
The Saviour's precious blood!
For thee it pleads, it cannot fail,
To bring thee near to God.

My dear Friendly, I fear I am too prolix on this head, but give me leave to add, in the Fourth place, for whom Christ thus intercedes,-for them, says the apostle, that come unto God by him, see Heb. vii. 25.-Here the apostle is speaking of such that were sensible of their lost estate, of their want of eternal salvation, of such that were coming to GoD by Christ for the enjoyment of it:-such says the Apostle, Christ is able to save to the uttermost, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them; but first the Lord Jesus makes

intercession for the most harden'd and obdurate sinners, (1 mean) for such as are not called by grace, whose minds are in full enmity to him, whose hearts and hands are engaged in the most unnatural, unparalleled acts of hostility against him, therefore we find that the dear Saviour's dying breath was a plea for the life and salvation of his implacable enemies. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.Likewise we find, that when our dear Lord was bequeathing his legacies of love to his disciples, that his joy might be fulfilled in them, he adds, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them that shall believe on me through their word.-Christ intercedes as much for the calling of sinners by grace out of darkness into God's marvellous light, as he does for the comfort and consolation of his saints; on this account it is, that sinners are preserved to calling, and in a sense saved before called by grace;-therefore, says the Lord, by the prophet Isaiah, liii. 12. he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and he made intercession for the transgressors.-This affords to our minds a strong support, a sweet pillar of hope concerning our children, our dearest friends, and nearest relations, that are in the high road to profanation, (or in the bye-paths of civility and morality,) to death and destruction; who can tell but they may lie near the Saviour's heart, interested in the intercession of his blood before the throne; if so, tho' we might not live to join in their joy here on earth, yet beyond expectation, might meet them with the greater transports of joy in the realms above.

But secondly, Christ intercedes by the authority of his person, by the power and atonement of his blood, for the greatest sensible sinner upon the face of the earth; what could have supported Manasseh's guilty soul, when charged with the weight of such united, ponderous, unparalleled, crimson crimes, but a view of the Messiah! nothing less than a view of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, then living to plead the power and atonement of his death, for guilty sinners, could possibly support his guilty soul, when humbled before his GOD, for his unparalleled crimes; but, by the intercession of Christ, he found redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of his sins. I might, my dear Friendly, mention many such instances of divine grace, from scripture authority; but I shall only mention the case of the apostle, who enumerates his crimes in the order of au inventory; I, says he, that was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor; and when speaking of