562 Book VI. jl,OOlting unto 'Jjefu.s. Chap.t.SeCl.5. ~----------------------~--~~------------ [know Chrifl prayed for Pmr, I have prayed for thee, that ihy faith fail no~ ~ter'5 faith did 01ake and totter; the prayer was not, that there might be no' faiiing at r,all, but that it might not utterly and totally fall; and in that refpcCt Peur was pro– teCted. llcb-4- '4•'6. f· That we might have free accefs to the Throne of Grace; So the Apoflle, Seeing then we have 11 'reat high Pncft th•t t< paJJed mto ·the heavens, Jefm the Son of God, let Heb. 10 • 23• H6 hold faft our profeffion,. and come boldly to the Throne ofgrace. And again, H aving therefore boldnefs to enter mto the hol;eft by the blood of Jefm, tmd havmg an high Prieft over the Houfe of God, let U! draw near with a true heart in a full aflisranee of faah. ' 5. That we might have the inward interpellation of the Spirit, which is as it were 1\om. 8. 26. the Eccho of Chriil:'s intercellion in our hearts: The Spirit mak§th interc;J]ion for u;' with groanings which cannot be uttered. It is the fame Spirit groans in us, which mor~ John ' 7· '3• difiinctly and fully in Chriil: prayeth for us. Theft things I [peak.. ir. the world (faith our Savtonr) that they might have my joy filled in themfelves. q. d. I have made this prayer in the world, and lefr ~ reco~d and_ pattern of it in the Church, rhat they feel– mg the fame heavenly defires kmdledm thetr own hearts, may be comforted in the work– ings of that Spirit of .prayer in them, which tdHficth to their fouls the quality of rhat interceffion whidJ I make for them in rhe Heaven of Heavens; certainly there is a de– pendance of our prayer on Chrifl's prayer: as it is with rhe Sun, though the body of/ it abide in the Heavens, yet the beams of it defcend to us htre on earth; fo the inter– ceffion of Chrifl:, though as tyed ro his perfon, it is made in Heaven, yet the groans and defires of the touched hearr, as the beams thereof, are here on earth. ' 6. That we might have thefanetification of our fervices; of this the levitical Prieil:; " Exod. 28. 38· were a type, For they bear the iniquity of the holy things of the childrm •f Ifrael, that Rev. 8, 3• they might be accepted; arid he u the Angel of the Covenant, wh•. h~th ag•lden Cenfer to ojfe~ up the prayers of the Sarnts. So~e obferv~a three-fold evtl _m man, of every of whtch we are delivered b)_' Chnil: : F1ril:, an evtl of il:at~ or condmon _under rhe guilt of fin : Secohdly, an cvtl of nature under the corruption of fin : Thtrdly, an evil in all t>ur fervices by the adherency of fin, for that which toucheth an onclean thing, is made unclean the~eby. Now Chriil: by his righteoufnefs an~ ~erits juflifieth our per– fans from the gUilt of fin; and Chrill by hts Grace and Spmt doth Ill meafure purifie our faculties from the corruption of fin ; and Chrifl: by his incenfe and interceffion doth cleanfe olir Cervices from the adhereAcy of !in ; fo that in them the Lord fmells a fweet favour; and both we and our fervices find acceptance.with God. 7. That we might have the pardon of all fin. It ts by verrue of Cllfifi's interceffion tbara Believer !inning of infirmity hatha pardon of courfe, forChrifl is his Advocate to plead his cafe; or if be fin of prcfumption, and the Lord give repentance, be bath a pardon at the hands oP God the Father by venue of th:; interceffion in away of jullice. 1 John 2.1. And to rhis end rather is Chrift called an Advocate than aPetitioner; If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father. The work of an Advocate differs from the work of a Petitioner· an Advocate dothnot meerly petition, but hetell5 the Judge what is Law, and what ~ught to be done, and fo doth Chrift. 0 my Father (faith Chrift) thi• foul bath indeed finned, bHt !have jatufied for hu fins, I have p_ayed for them to the full, nolV therefore ina w..y of equity, and juftice, I do here ~all [or thumans pardon. If t~1swere not fo, our dlate would be moll: miferable, conftdenng that for every fin commmedby us after repentance, we deferve·to be call: our of the love and favour of God our Father for ever and ever. . Luke 22.32, 8, That we might have conti~uance in the ~ate of g:ace, I have prayed for ~bee, that thy faith fail not. Some thatdlffentfrom us tn the pomt of perfeverance, ·obJe~; th~t in our Saviour's Prayer for Peter rherewas fomewhat fingular; bur we fay thar m thrs Prayer there is nething fingular, which is not common to aUthe fl~thful, and unto fuch as are given umo Chriil: of the Father· they alledge that tillS pnv!ledge-was grant– 'td to Peter as an Apoftle; but we fay, tha; if it was granted to Peter as an Apoflle, then it wa> comroon to Peter and Juda., in that both were Apoflles. They alledge further, -rhat Chritl ~rayes not for the abfolute perfevera~ce. of Believers, but after a fon, an_d upon con_dition. But we fay the Prayer of Chn!l: 1s certam,_ and notfufpended: mthts Prayer b1s defirc is not for Peter that would pcrfev~re, but h1s defire 1; fo_r Peter rim he fhould perfevere; the objed of the rhing for ~hrch Ghnlt prayes, IS d11lmCt from the thing it j'c!f pralyed for. - - · 9· !hat ; '
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