of Chrift's name in their prayers to God long before he was born, Dan. ix. 17. Thus his interceffion 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 abafed ftate. Tho' he was despised and rejected of men, a man of forrows and acquainted with grief; yet his interceffion was not lefs prevalent with God, for he was heard in that he feared. Ye may fee with what majefty and authority he prayed on the behalf of all the elect, John xvii. 24. Father, I will that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou haft given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Yea, even when he was under the fharpeft agonies, when he was bruifed 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 thofe who imbrued their hands in his innocent blood, obtained a gracious pardon thro his prevalent interceffion.

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3. He is pleading now for his people in heaven, in his exalted itate. When he had offered up himself a facrifice on the crofs, he afcended into heaven, and entered into the most holy place, and there profecutes the fame fait that he had commenced on the earth. Hence fays the apoftle, Rom. viii. 34. It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us. Secondly, I am to fhew wherein Chrift'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 proftration of foul,

lifting up his eyes with tears and ftrong 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 ftate of glory, when he is ftript of all thofe natural infirmities and marks of indigence wherewith he was clothed in the world. But, pofitively,

2. His interceffion lies in the following things.

ift, In his appearing in heaven in his people's nature, and on their account. After he had thed his precious blood on the earth for the expiation of their fin, he rose again from the dead, and afcended 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 prefenting 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 moft holy place, and prefenting 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 prefented before God, and will remain in the divine prefence for ever, as an eternal memorial of his bloody fufferings. This has a powerful efficacy in prevailing with God. Hence, by an ufual figure, an interceding voice is attributed to his blood, Heb, xii. 24. It fpeaketh better things than that of Abel. Chrift's blood speaks, though not vocally and with oral expreffions, yet powerfully and efficacioufly. It speaks in the fame manner that Abel's blood did, though not for the

fame end: this cried for vengeance upon wicked Cain that fhed it; but that pleads for mercy and favour to all believing finners. We have a rare illuftration of the efficacious interceffion of Chrift in heaven, in the famous ftory of Amyntas, who appeared as an advocate for his brother Æfchylus, who was ftrongly accufed, and in great danger of being condemned to die. to die. This Amyntas having performed great fervices for the ftate, and merited highly of the commonwealth, in whofe fervice 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 fhewed them an arm without a hand: which fo moved them, that immediately they acquitted his brother. And thus you have Chrift reprefented vifionally, Rev. v. 6. as ftanding between God and us, And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beafts, and in the midst of the elders food a lamb as it had been flain, having seven berns, and feven eyes, which are the feven 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 prefenting 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 juftice. He now pleads that his people may be put in full poffeffion of all the bleffings which were purchafed for them by his bloody death. We find him pleading to this purpofe 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 fo 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 fee his feed, prolong his days, and that the pleasure of the Lord may profper in his hands,

If. liii. 10. II.

4thly, In his prefenting his people's prayers and petitions unto God, and pleading that they may be ac cepted 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 fkilful 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 prieft'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 thofe aromatic drugs of which the incenfe was compofed, without the vail, and put them in a cenfer of gold full of fire, and cover the mercy-feat with the fume of it. This was a figure of Chrift's interceflion and offering up his people's fervices to God. He is the alone altar, upon which our facrifices muft afcend before the Lord with a grateful fume: the incenfe of his merit must be added to our prayers, to make them afcend before the mercy feat as a facrifice of a sweet-fmelling favour. Hence he is reprefented, Rev. viii. 3. as an angel ftanding at the golden altar which was before the throne, with a golden cenfer in his hand, offering up the prayers of all the faints, perfuming them with the incenfe that was given him. By the much incenfe mentioned here, we are to understand the mighty quantity of merit and the great power of his interceffion, which was a fweet favour to all his people's facrifices, and renders them acceptable to God.

5thly, In his anfwering 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 righteoufnefs of the law, folicits for judgement upon his accufations, and for the execution of the curfe due to the crime. The juftice of God calls for vengeance, and confcience thunders out nothing but hell and wrath. Now, while the believer is in thefe difinal circumftan. ces, Christ steps in and answers the charge. He pleads the efficacy of his merit against the greatnefs of the believing finner'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 finner for his fin is averted, and a sentence of abfolution is pronounced, upon the merit and plea of this powerful Interceffor. Hence we find the apoftle glorying in this, Rom. viii. 33. 34. Who fhall 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 rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us. Satan may accufe believers; but Chrift can foon filence him. Thus, when Joshua the high priest stood before the Lord in filthy garments, Satan ftood at his right hand to accufe him: but the angel, namely, the angel of the covenant, Jefus Chrift, interpofed, faying, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, Zech. iii. 1. 2. Though their garments be filthy, yet Chrift can take them away, and clothe them with change of raiment. Tho' Satan be always ready to refift them, yet Chrift ftands always at the right hand of God in heaven, to plead for them, and filence Satan.

Thirdly, I fhall fhew fome of the grounds or reafons of our High Prieft's interceffion.

1. Chrift 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 righteoufness. So far was our mighty Interceffor from engaging in this fervice as an intruder or ufurper, that he entered upon it under the warrant of heaven's commiffion. The Lord called him to be a Prieft. For VOL. II.

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