Book VI. JL.roktng unto 'j}cfu5. Chap. 2.Setl:. 9· 571 --------,---- ----- ---- 1-- ----- ---- bUtbecaufe Chriit is fo good, and hisinrerceflion for usisfo good, that he neither can, nor will take exception againft hirq, or his interceflion for us; a'nd in this cafe Chrift and Chriftiam make one perfon ( as It were) in law ; his interceflion for us, and our imer– ceffions for our felves, are but one imercellion: and indeed hefo mingles them that they feem but one, for tkefmoak_ of the incenfe, and the prayers of the Saints afcend "P together ReY; 8. 4• before Godoutofthe .Angels hand, Rev. 8.4. . 5· Chrift plead> the caufe of his people, and anfwers all the accufations of Satan againft them· Oh le' u; plead for them for whom Chrill pleads, and anfwer the accufati– ons of Satan,'or his inflruments again/\ their perfens, or their waye;. We have allrange oenerationof men abroad, whofevery Religionconlias in rayling, reviling, reproach– Ing the Servants of the living God; not the beft men, nor the beft Minifters uader Heaven efcape them ; Are they not all, fay they, *Wolves, Dogs, Hirelings, Prirfts of Baal, * 1 1 1 Covetou;, Carnal, Damned; and what not? Are >hey not all, fay they (as .rhe Devil cciv~~'/p;~fatd of f ojl111a) cloathed With filthy garments? defiled totally, mterly defiled wuh the pol- per wherein /ut ions of Baby/on ? Chril1ian•! when you hear tlus language, learn you to conform to the ~Jkers_ Chrift. go you fir(\ to God wrth the Lords own plea, Now the Lord rebuke thee 0 Sa- gane t e Mr– tan, e.Jen the Lord that bath chofcn Jerufalem rcbu~erhee: Zath. 3. 2. Anq then go on ~'11 ,1r~ 1 °fr. in vindication of their perfons. and the_ir caufe ; are they n~t precious, gracious, holy, followi~~e e able, 01:mng, and·burmng lrghts ? 1t may be fome of therr perfons have been faulty . names. conju– but fay of fuch, Is n•t tht< a brand newly pluck:d out of the fire? failings, and human~ rers, Tbeives,. frailties have been in the beft, yea in moll of the Prophets and Apollles, but 111aJJ weR:bbers, _A~t•therefore condemn to hell the genemionof God's dear Children ? or howfoever it may ~!/fli.~J,:'• be with their perfons, yet is not their caufe and office of Chrill's own inftitntion? in this Dtvils, Lya;.;, refpect herhat defpi(ethyo~<, d~jpifeth me, faith Chrift, and he :hae dejpifeth me, dejpifeth Ba~/'s Prie(is, him that font me, Luke 10. 16. Are not the Mrmfters of Chrrllas ftars in the right handsn-Symo,;ds , of Chrijl? they th'" would do them any deadly harm, muft pluck them thence. Chri- t~~~~ers' llians! conform you to Chri!t in this point; you fee _how Satan ftandsat the right hand tbf}:ve:;~,Zof our 'jojhua's to refill: them, now then plead youtherr caufe, and anfwer the Adverfa- ed, and ten ties accufations. hor11ed beajls, 6. Chrift by his imercellion fave; uo to the uttermoft, Heb. 7.25. 0 let us ferve ~ Vipmtu,and him to the uttermoft; furely all we can do is too little to anfwer fo great a love as this. n:;~:;:~bl~:dj Oh Chriftians! why lhould it be efteemed a needlefs thing to be moll rigoroully confci- Herodia~s, onable, and exactly ~ircumfpect? Chrifl payed our debt t~ the uttermoll farthing, drunk BlafPhemers, every drop of our bmer cup, and now prefems all unto hrs Father by way of intercelli- 5'f~";Jolonon, ind faves us, ·," """''''' thweghly, to the mtermoft; why lhould not we labour to b~Io::<"JJ"~e perform his fervice, a_nd to fulfil ~very one o~ his commandments,. t_hroughly and re the chants, Blifo– ut~rmoll alfo? certamly rhere ts a duty whrch concerns us Chnarans, as to be hot ;n bodm, whited relig_ion, Rev. 3. 16. to be :<.ea/?"' of good wor/v 1 Tit. 2. 14._ to ~alk... circumjpoflly, or ~·~;;{,;jnee~ precifely, as the Word carm_s lt, Eph. 5: 15 to be fervent m fpmt, Rom. 12. r r. to ve~ing>Pol:e~, jlnve to en:er m at the jlrattgate, Luke 13. 24. to contend for the fazrh, Jude 3. with Perfecutors,Ty– an holy ktnd of veo/encc to lay hold upon the Kmgdom of hMven, Mat. rr. 12. Oh what rants, Greedy <ver men lhould be afraid of tak'ing God's pan roo much, or fighting too valiantly un- Dogs,Phari[ur, der the Colours of Chril1, of being too bufie about the falvationOf their own fouls of being lingular (as they call it) in the duties of Religion ; I obferve men are con'tent to be fingular in any thing, fave in the fervice of God 1 you delire and labour to be fingularly rich , and fingularly wife , and lingularly valourous, and fingularly proud; but you can by no means endure lingularity or eminency in zeal, and the ~ord's ~ervice; in matters of Religion you are refolved to do as the moll do, though .m f~ dorng you damn your own fouls, Mat. 7. 13. 0 come and learn this Ielfon of Chnft, he faves us to the uttermoll, and let us ferve him to the uttermoll, with all our beans, and with all our fouls, and with all our mights. Thus far we have looked on J efus in his imercellion, our next work is our lafr work, which is to look_ on refm as carrying on the great work of our falvation for us in· his coming again, the very end of time ro all eternity ; he bath no more now todo,_ but to judge the Saints, and to lead them into glory; and to delrver up Ius Krngdom to his Father, and fo to live with his redeemed ones for ever, and ever, and ever. . · Ppp2
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