Chap.t. Sect.8. 1Looiting unto jjefuS'. Book IV. 54t 0 11 ejimu; a mediator, I befeech thee fir my Son Oncfimus; and a Sponlo_r, If h~ h•tb wroJtt,ed thee, or owe tbte or~gbt,put tb_:t 01: my account, I wtll repay tt. So IS Jc– fus Chrift for his Saint;, he is thl Mediatot of a better Coven•11t, Heb. 8. 6. and he is 6 Surety 'f a better fe{lamtnt, Hcb.' 7 2 ?. 4· He appears as a Sollicitor, to pre- Hcb.8.6, fwt and prumote the ddires, and requdls of the Slints in fuch a war as that they Hcb. 7· 22, may find ae<eptance with his Father. He is 110t idle !lOW• he rs in heaven; but as on eauh he ever went about doing good ; fo now in glory he is ever about his work of doing good ; he lpends all his time in heaven in promotin~ the good of his people, as from the beginning it was his care, [o to the W ->rlds <nd it will be his care to follicite his Father in the behalf of his poor Saints: be tells God, tbu; and t!JIIf it is with hi< poor Members they sre in want, in trnuble, in Jijlre{s, in affiiCiioll, in reproach; •nd then he prefents their tlghs, fobs, prayers, rears, and groans ; and that in fuch a way as that they may become acceptable ro his fath<r·--5· He appears as an Advocate; if any manfin, we have an (Jdvocattwith the Father, Jefu; Chrijl ,bcrighteo•u. An Advocate is more r John 2.1. rhen a Sollioiroq an Advoc.te is one that is of counfel with an other, and that pkadeth his Cafe: in open Cpurt; and fuch an Advocate is J ,fus Cnrilt unto his people. 1 • He is of counfel with them; that is one of the Titles given him by the Prophet l[•iab, wonderful, Counfe/lour; he counfds themby his Word and Spi- !fa. 96. rit. 2 . H pleads ·for them, and rhos be doth in rhehighCourt of heaven, otthe :Bar of Goa', own jullice, rhere he pleads their cafe; and anfwereth all the a"u– fations rhar are brought in by Satan or their own confciences; but of this anon.- 6. He appears as a publick agent, or Ledger-Embaifador; what that is, fame tell us inthefe parriculars; 1. H ,s work is to continue peace; and furelythis isChritl'sE h work; be i< .,.,. peace( laith rhe Apoflle) rhat is, the author ol our peace; he purP • 2 ' '4· chafed our peace, and he maintains our pea<e with God; to this purpofe he fits at God's right hand to rntercede fi>t us,and to maintain the peace and union betwixt God aRd us; thmfore bei>tgjuj!ified by F•irh, we r.ave peace with God through our Lord J't• [ 115 <;hrift. ;1., His Work is to marnrain intercourfe and correfpondency; and furely Rom. S• r. this is Chrill's work alfo; by him we have an accejnmto the Fatber,---ln him we have E h 8 boldne[s andaeceft "'itb confidence, by the Faith of him, the word accefs] doth not/,;:· 1 • only lignific coming to God in prayer bur :ill thll refort and communion which we have wirh God, as united ~y faith ro J e[us Chrift ; according to that, Cbrijf had o11ce P g {t~ffered f.r {!Hs, the j"ft for the unjttjt; that he migllt bring lJ< to God. This benefit 1 et. 3 ' 1 • have all believers in and by C 11rifr, they come to God by him, they have free commerce and intercourfe in heaven-3. Hts work is to reconcile and take uperner· gent differences. and this is Chrift's work alfo; be m>k§th lnterceffioll for the Tra•f- . grtjfort ; he tak« up the differences that our tranfgrdliuns make betwixt God and !fa. 53· 12 ' us. 4• This work is to proc•re the wdfare'of the people or Stare wherehcnegoti. ates; and this is no kfs Chrift's work, for he feeks the welfare of his people,he fits at God's right hand to inlercede for them, anq commending their eftatc and condition to h1s Father, he makes it hisrequefr to his Farher that his members may havea con· . . tinual {upply of the Spirit of lefu; Chrift; that they may be ftrtngthncd in temptati~ Phi!. r. 19• ons, confirmed in tribulations, delivered from every evil work, enabled to every good duty, and finally preferved unro his heavenly Kingdom. 2. Chrifr'~ Intcrcdlion conlifrs in the prefenting of his .wounds, Deatla, and Blood, as apublick fatisfaction for the debt of ftn 1 and as apublick price for the purchafe of eur glory. · There is a queftion among the Schools, whether Chrift hath not taken his wounds,' or the ligns, skars, and prints of his wounds into heaven with him ? and whether Chrift i~ reprefenting thole Wounds, skars, and prints unto his Father, doth not hereby Intercede for us? fame I am fure are for the affirmative. .Aquinardiftinguilh- · cth ofChrift's Inttrc~llion as being ~ hrcc.fold ,the firfl bifore his ~afiwt by devout pray- Aquin. in J•h· er, and the[wndathH Pa/Jim by effujion of hi< Blnod, and the tblrd after h.o Afeenjion, c. 2, by the reprefent•tion of hi1 Wounds aitrl Sc.rs Howfoevtr this hold, (for 1 dare not be too confident wirtlout Scr;pture ground) yet this I dare fay, that. Chrifr dotil not only ]'ltefent himfell,but rhe Sawfice of himfdl,and the infinite merit of his SJcrifice. Wheu he went to heaven he carried with him abfolutely the power, merit, the verrue of ~1is Wounds, a11d Death, and Blood into tl!e.prefenc!! of God the Fatherfor us; and with his blood he fprinkkd themercy·fcat(as it were)li:vcn times, We read in
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