THE EXERCISE OF THE authority; or in the glory of his love and grace; his glory as a King, or his glory as a Priest. For the first of these, or his royal glory, in sovereignpower and au- thority over the whole creation of God, all in heaven and earth, persons and things, angels and men, good and bad, alive and dead, all things spiritual and eter- nal, grace, gifts, and glory, his right and power, or a- MEDIATORY OFFICE, &C. I 35 bility to dispose ofall things according unto hiswill and pleasure, I have so fully and distinctly declared it, in my Exposition on Heb. i. 3. as that I shall not here a- gain insist upon it. His present glory in the way of love and grace; his glory as a Priest, will be manifested inwhat doth ensue. CHAP. XX.. THE EXERCISE OF THE MEDIATORY' OFFICE OF CHRIST TN HEAVEIC. THE third and last thing which we proposed unto consideration, in our inquiry into the present state and condition of the person of Christ in heaven, is the exer- cise and discharge of his mediatory office in behalf of the church; especially as he continueth tobe a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which God bath fixed, and not man.. All Christians acknowledge, that his present state is a state ofthehighest glory, ofexaltation above thewhole creation. of God, above everyy name that is or canbe named; and hereon they esteem their own honour and safety to depend. Neither do they doubt of his power, but take it for granted that he can do whatever hepleas- eth, which is the ground of their placing. all their con- fidence in him. But we must shew moreover, that his present state is a state of office- power, work and duty. He leads not in heaven a life of mere glory, majesty, and blessedness, but a life ofoffice, love, and care also. He lives as the Mediator of the church, as the king, priest, and prophet thereof. Hereon do our present safety, and our future eternal salvation depend. With- out the continual actings of the office power and care of Christ, the church could not be preserved one moment. And the darkness ofour faith herein, isthe cause of all our disconsolations, and most of our weaknesses in.obe- dience. Most men have only general and confused no- tions and apprehensions of the present state ofChrist with respect unto the church. And bysome all consi- derations of this nature are despised and derided. But revealed things belong unto us; especially such as are of so great importance unto the glory of God, and the savingof our own souls; such as this is concerning the present state of the person of Christ, in heaven with re- spect unto his-office, power, and care. Thus he is at once represented inall his offices, Rev. v. 6. «And I beheld, and lo, in the midst ofthe throne and of the four living creatures, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which arethe sevenSpirits ofGod sent forth into all the earth." The whole representation of the glory of God, with all his holy attendants, is here called his throne, whence Christ is said to be in the midst' of it. And this he is in his kingly glory; with respect also whereunto, he is said-to have seven horns, or perfect power for the ac- complishment of his will.. And with respect unto his sacerdotal-0"w, he is represented as a Lamb that had been slain;, it being the virtueof his oblation that iscon- tinually effectual for the salvation of the church: for as the Lambof God,_in.the offering ofhimself he takes a- way the sins of the world.. And as a Prophet he issaid to have seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits ofGod;. or'a perfect fulness of all spiritual light and wisdom in himself, with apower for thecommunication ofgifts and grace for the illumination of the church. The nature of these fces -of Christ, what belongs unto them and their discharge, as was before intimated,. I. have declared elsewhere. I do now no farther con- sider them but as they relate unto the present state and condition of the personof Christ in heaven. And because it would be too long a work to treat of them, all distinctly, I shall confine myself unto the consider- ation of hispriestly ice, with what depends thereon. And with respect thereunto the things ensuingmaybe; observed..
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