546 Book v. 1£-ooking unto jlcfug. Chap.1. sea. 9 • .:__ _ p_o_o_r Saint falls into any fin, and defiles his garmrms, Sat~~-; a~d;ak~s the right hand of l1im, and accu~es him before the Lord ; bur Cbrifl our great High Priefl: being at rbe right hand of hrs Father, he rakes up thr cauf~, puts in a plea and anfwerS all the accufationsof the enemy; True Lord, thu poorfoulhatltjilthy gdrme~u, lirtt ;; he not a fire-brand newly pluck! out of the fire ? WM he not i11 hi& natural and finful conditi- , on the other .day? i; he not yet partly regenerate, and partly unregenerate? needs there" fore nmft there be fome ajhes, and duft, andfilth ~<p.n him. 0 my l'ather, my will i; that thou confider him in that refpeEt, thou knoweft hi; frame, and tho~e remembreft that he is b~tt duff, tboug h he h"ve filthy garment> now upon him, yet !wit/give him change of ray– mmts; I will cloath him wzth the robe of my righteoufnefs; andthen thou Jhaltfee 11o iniqui– ty in Jacob, no tranfkrejfion mlfrael. Why thus the Lord Chrifl: fl:eps in, and anfwrrs to ' 1 }ohn2. I. all the accufations that are brought in againil us by the Law, or Sin, or Satan to God his Father,; and in this refp<CI: he is truly callrd our Advocate , If any man'fin, we have an .Aavocate w•th the Father, Jefm Cbriff the righteow. We have an Advocate that pleads for us, that anfwers for U9 : that in a way of equity ( groun– ding all upon his own mrrits) calls for the pardon of our fins and forthe falvation of our fouls. ' · ' · SECT. IX. Ho1v powerf~<l and prevailin.~ Chriff's !nterujfions are with God hu Father. 9· H 0 W powerful and prevailing are Chrifl:'s Inrerceffions with God his Father? I anfwer, very much, and rhis will appear if we con• fider, - - - Heb. g, I. I. That Chrifl is our great High Priefl to God; We have fuch an high Prieff who u Jet down on the ri$ ht ht~nd of the M ajefty on high. Now 'twas the way of G~d to lend his ear in fpeml manner to .rheHigh Priefls ; and therefore the people ufually run 1 Sam. 9· 9· to them, when they would enqlllre of God; Beforetime in Jfrt~el, when a man went to enquire of God, thm he JPaf<!, come, and let'" toto the Seer, for hethllt is now called a Prophet (or high Prirff) w... b~foretime caOcd ~tSeer.-- People were wont to repair to rhe Priefis, and the i'riefl:s were wont to go to God; and good reafon, for the Priefls were to mediate forthe people, anr! the people had experientc that God would hearken I Sam. I2.I3, to the cry of their Priefl; Samuel calied umo the Lord, and the L•rd fent thunder, . I9,23. and rain th.•t day. .And d!l the people faid to Sam11el, pray for thy fervantJ unto the Lord thy God. --- .And Samm l f aid unto the people, - -- Godfurbid that I j hould fin ag •inft the Lord in ceflfing to pray for you. Now fuch an High Prieft as this ( though with far more eminency) ts Chrilt to God; he intercedes for his people, ( Gosi f orbid that he Jhould ever ceafe to pray for his people :) and be bath God's ear in . efpecial mannrr; if ever God lend his ear to any one, it moll ne.eds be to this High Pnefl, becaufe of his office ro intercede be, wixr God and his people. Chrifl: !lands in the middle, or indeed next to God, as he is in thefe Gofpel-times our great High Pr:efl: ; and therefore he mull: needs prevail with God in every petition he puts up for us. Heb. S· 4 , S· 2 . That Chrifl was called to this office by God. Chriff glorifid not himfelf to be made an high Prieff; no , no; bur he tM< called of God M .Aaron Wa< ; it was God the Father that deligned him to it, and that fU>niiJ,ed him for it, and that invefled him PfalmIlo. 4· in it ; The Lcrd bath fn·orn, " nd will not rcpc;,t, tho~< tt>'t a Prie!ffor ever after the or– der of M elchiz.cdech. Now to what purpofe lhould God call hrm tO thts office, 'but ffpecially to intercede for them, to whom God was willing to communicate falvation? it wasGod's mind as well as Chrifl:"s mind to fave his Elect; and this was the way where. on they agreed· that an High Prie!1: lhou!d be appointed, and an office of intercefE– on lhould be :rected , and by that means the falvarion purchafed IJwuld be ap· plied; many times we are apt ro conceive legal or law-thoughts of God the Fa- / ther, as that he is jufl and fcrr ere· and that Chrifl: his Son is more meek, and mer– ciful : bur this cannot be, for there ~re not two infinite wills, not two infinite mercies, one in the Father, another in the Son, but one will and one mercy in both. And to that purpo~e obferve bur thereadinefsof God the Father to rec~ive Chrifl honour~bly . m~
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