and the Golden Altar in the Holy ofFfolies. 403 facrificing of himfelf. And this makes his Interceffion fo prevailing and powetful with the Lord : He prays for nothing, but what he bath purchafed by his Death : He de;res nothing from the Hand of Mercy, but what he bath bought and paid for at the Handof Juftice. 3. As no Incenfe was to be offered, or could be accepted, butupon this Altar : So no Prayers are acceptable to God, but through the Name and Mediation of 7efus Chrift : Unlefs offered upon this Golden Altar, nei- ther Prayers of Prieft nor People can be accepted : Without this, be that offereth Incenfe, leas if be blelj'ed an Idol, as Ifa. 66. 3. Now to unfold the Myftery of the Incenfe. The Incenfe that was offered upon this Golden Altar, rods a Type of Prayer, the Prayers both of Chrift, and of his Saints : Both the Pray- ers whichChrift offers up for the Saints, and which the Saints offer up for themfelves in his Name and Mediation, fee Rev. 5.8Pfal. 14i. 2. Let my Prayer be fet forth before theeas Incenfe. You may fee the fulnefs of the Analogy more at large in feven Particulars. r. The Incenfe was made up of many choice Ingredients, Exod. 3o. 34 fo is the Spirit of Prayer as it were a Compound of many ex- cellent Graces : There muff be Faith, Humility, Fervency, Vic. and indeed all the Graces ofGod's Spirit are drawn forth and exercifed in Prayer. 2. They are ftri5ly forbidden to make another Perfume of their own Heads likeunto it, Exod. 3o. 37, 38. fo we are not to make ufe ofany other Interceffors or Mediators but Chrift only. And in like manner for Men to make Prayers in the wayof (tinted Liturgies, tho' there be many of the fame Ingredients in the Mars-book, that is, good Expref- fions for the Matter ofthem, andWordsand Notions that are found in the Scripture ; yet this beingnot the Incenfe that is.inftituted, it is not, it cannot be accepted. 3. Thefe Ingredients whereofthe Incenfe was made were to be beaten very [mall into fine Powder, Exod. 3o. 36. This teacheth us that Con- trition of Heart, which ought to be in Prayer, how the Soul is to be contrite and broken as it were all to pieces by humbling Meditations of its own Unworthinefs, when it appears before the Lord in Prayer. Thefe are the Prayers that God regards, P[al. 51. i 7. TheSacri- fices of God are a broken Spirit ; a broken and a contrite Heart, OGod, thou wilt not defpife Ifa. 57. i 5. I dwell in the high and holy Place, with him alto that w of a contrite and humble Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the Humble, and to revive the Heart of the contrite Ones. If a Man come with his Heart whole andnot broken, this is to offer the Incenfe un- beaten, impounded p.ff z 4. The
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