V,ER. 17, 18. Epifile to the HE BREW s. $9t ons. ( 3.) By Providence difpofing of all things to their good and Advantage in the iffue; andwhat is more in the words, will be manifett in the enfuing Obfervations takenfrom them. 1.7heprincipal work of the Lord Chriff as our High Priefl, and from which all other Zingsof his in that Office doflow, warto make Reeonciliation'or Attonement for fin. This yohndeclares, r Ep. z 2. We have an Advocate with the Father, and he is a propitiation for our fins. What hedoth for us in-Heaven asour Advocate, depends on what he did on earth, when he was a Propitiation for our fins. This work was that which was principally regarded in the firflPromife, Gen. 3. 15. namely, That which he was to do byhis fufferings. Tofhadow out and reprefent this unto the Church of old, were all the Sacrifices of the Law, and the Typical Priefthood it Pelf inflituted. They all directed Believers tolook for, and to believe the Attonement that was to be made byhim. And that this fhould be the foundationof all `his other attings as an 'High Pried, was neceffary ; Fird,On the part of his Elei7, for whom heundertook that Office. Theywere 'by nature Enemies ofGod, andchildrenofWrath; unlefs Peace and Reconciliation -be madefor them in the firdplace, they could neither have encouragement to go to himwith their Obedience, nor to expect any mercy -from him, or Acceptation with him. For as Enemies,theycould neither have any mind to ferve him,' nor hope to pleafe him. Herelye the tied thoughts of all who 'have any defìgn fetioully to ap- pear beforeGod, or tohave to do with him ; wherewith (hall we come before him, how fhall we obtain Reconciliationwith him ? Until this Enquirybe anfwercd and fatisfied, they find it in vain toaddrefs themfelves untoanything elfe, nor canobtain any groundof hope to receive any good thing fromthe handof God. This order of things the Apofile layes down, Rom. 5. 8, 9, lo. The 'heft thing to be done for us; was toreconcile us to God whiled we were finners and enemies ; this was done by the death, by theblood ofChrift, whenas our High Pried heoffered himfelf a Sacrifice for us. Thisbeingperformed, as we-have abundant Caufe of, and Encouragement unto Obedience, fo allo jutl ground to expect what ever elfe belongs unto our falvation i as healto argues, Chap. 8. Secondly, It was foon his ownpart alfo. Had not this been fird accomplilhed, he could not have undertaken anyother Att of his Prieftly Office for us. What the LordChrift doth in Heavenon our behalf, wasprefigured by the entrance of the High Pried intothe Holy Place. Now this he could not do, unled he hadbefore offred his Sacrifice of Attonement, the blood whereofhe carried alongwith him intothe pretence ofGod. All his Intereeffionfor us , his watching for our Good, as the merciful High Pried over theHoufe ofGod, is grounded upon the Reconciliation and Attonement which he made; his Interceflion indeedbeing nothing but the blefled Reprefcntati-; on oftheBloodof the Attonement. Befides, this was required of him in the dril, place, namely, that hefhould make his foul an Offering forfin, and do that, in the Body prepared for him, which all thé Sacrifices and Burnt -Offerings of old could not effect noraccomplifh. And therefore hereon dependedall thePromifcs that were made un- to him about the fuccefsof his Mediation, fo that without the performance of it he could not claim the accomplilhmentof them. Thirdly, It was fo on the part of God alto; For herein principally had he didigned tomanifed his Righteoufnefs,Grace, Love and Wifdom, whereinhe will be glorified, Rom. 3. 25. He feet himforth to be a propitiation to declare haRighteoufàefS ; the Righte- oufnefs ofGod was mod eminently glorified in the Reconciliation wrought byChrid, whenne was a Propitiation for us, or made atonement for us in his blood. And herein alfoGod commendeth his Love unto us, Rom. 5. 8, John 3. t6. r John4.'9. And what greater demondratione.f it could poffibly be made, than tofendhis Sontó dye for uswhen wewere enemies, that wemight be reconciled unto him. All after *dings of God towards us indeed are full ofLove, but they are all dreams from this fountain,or Rivers from this Ocean. And the Apoltle fumms up all the Grace of the Gofpel inthis; thatGod wasinChri/f reconcilingur to himfilf; and that by this way of Attonement, makinghim to be fin for us, who knewno fin, that we might become the Righteoufüefsof God in him, a Cor. 5. 19, zl. And fo alto he declares, that this was- the myderie of his Will wherein he abounded towards us in all Wifdomand Prudence, Ephef r. 8, 9, no. So thatin all thingsthegreat glory which God detìgned in the Me- diation of Chrid, isfounded alone in that Ad ofhis Priedhood, whereby he made Re- conciliation for the fins of his people. And therefore. x. They
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