454 The Gofpel of thegreat Day ofAtonement. God that inflames the Affe&ions in Prayer, that fet the Heart on Fire, and makes the Incenfe flame, fets Grace on Work : And as the Spices whereof the Incenfe was made, are the Graces of God's Spirit ; and the beating of them finali is the Contrition of the Heart: So the In- cenfe mutt be fet on Fire with faired hire; the Spirit of God inflaming the Heart with earneft Delres andardent Affeaions after God. ( 4. ) The Cloud of Incenfe muft cover the Mercy-feat ; that the Cloud of IKrenfe, that is, the Smoke thereof, may cover the Mercy-feat, that he die not, Verf. i 3. There is much Inftru&ion in this. _ If we think to behold the Mercy -feat without theCloud of Incenfe, we die,. It is the Death of many a Soul, that in the Day ofAtonement, when they are eliding their Souls for Sin, they think that God is merciful, and they cry to God for Mercy : But they do not behold the Mercy of God in the Son of his Love, they do not look up to the Mercy-feat as covered and clouded with the Incenfe of the Merits and. Mediation of jefus Chrift ;,and therefore they die and peril even in the Day of Atonement, when they come before the Mercy-feat. 3. The Blood muft be fprinkled upon the Mercyfeat Eaftward, that is, upon the fore-part of it, Vert, 14. It teacheth us, that as the High Prieft went into the holy Place not without Blood : So Chriff with his own Blood, Heb, 9. 7, r i, 12. bath entred into Heaven for us, to make way for us to come thither alto, by the Merit and Virtue of his own Blood and Satisfa&ion. Heaven therefore is called the purchafed Poffef- lion, Ephef. r. tq.. because purchafed by the Blood of Chrift: We bave boldne[s to enter into the boliefi by the Blood of f etics, Heb. i o. 19, io. q.. The Blood muft be fprinkled upon the Mercy-feat (even times. Amyftical Number often ufed in the legal Services, and bath been formerly explained. It is a Number of Perfeaion ; God having crea- ted the World in fix Days, and refting upon the feventh. It there- fore notes a full and perfea cleanfing and applying of the Blood of Chrift for that end. And it prefuppofeth a copious and liberal Effu- lìon ; but it implies direly a plenteous and effe&ual Application of the Blood of Chrift. Get the Blood of Chrift efFeáually applied unto thy Soul, or elfe thou canft never look God in the Face with any Comfort or Accep- tance : Take this Blood of Chrift, apply it by Faith, fee how it atones God. It is true, the Blood of Chrift doth not make God merciful, but it makes way for the Exercife of his Mercy : It doth not caufe the at- tributeof Mercy to be in God, but it makes way for the putting of it forth. Now
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