of the PERSON of CHRIST. 175 faid to have feven eyes, which are' the fevers fpirits of God; or a' perfeát fulnefs of all fpiritual fight and wifdom in himfelf, with a power: for the communication of gifts and grace for the illumination of thechurch. The nature of thefe offices of Chrift, what belongs unto them and their difcharge, as was before intimated, I have declared elfewhere. ,I do now no farther confider thembut as they relate unto the prefent ftate and còn. dition of the perfon of Chrift in heaven. And becaufe it would, be too long a work to treat of them all diftindly, I than confine my felf unto the confideration ofhis prieftly office, with what depends thereon. And with refpea thereunto the things enfuing mar beobferved. r. The Lord Chrift entred into heaven, the place of the refidence_of the glory'of God, as into a temple, a tabernacle, a place offaçred.worship. He did fo as the high prieft of the church; Heb. lx. 24. He is not en- aced into the holyplaces made with bands, which are the figures of thetrue, .. but into heaven it felf, now to appear in the prefenee of Godfor us. He is entred into heaven as it was figured by the tabernacle of old, which was the place of all facred and folemn. worth ip. And therefore is he raid to enter into it through thé nail, Heb. vi. 19, 20. chap. x. tg. 20. Which was the way ofentrance into the holyplace both in the tabernacle and tem- ple. Heaven is not only a palace, a throne, as it is God's throne, Mat. v. . r. 3, 4 But it is a temple wherein ;God dwells, not only in majefty and power, but in grace and mercy. It is the feat of ordinances and folemn worship. So is it reprefented.Rev. vii. 15,----t7. It is Paid of the whole numberof the faints above that have paired through the tribulations of this world i that they are before the throne of God,- andferve him day and night in his temple, and he thatfitteh on the throne(hall dwell among them. And the Iamb which is in the midfl of the thronefbiallfeed them, and lead them unto the livingfountains of water. See alfo chap. viii. 5, 2, 3,. 4. Theworship of thechurch below, mayalfo beherein comprized; but it is by virtue of comm munion with that above. This is that heavenwhich the fouls of believers do +long for an entrance into. Other apprehenfions of it are but.uncer- tain fpeculations. a. In this temple, this fanduary the Lord Chrift continueth glorioufly to minifter before the throne of grace, in the difcharge of his office.. See Heb. iv. r4, 15, 16. chap. ix. 24. As the high prieft went into the holy place to minifter for the church unto God, before the arkand mercy fear, which were types ofthe throneof grace; fo doth our highprieft ail for us in the real pretence of God. He did not enter into the holy placeonly,to re- ticle there in a way of glory, but to do temple-work, and to give unto God all thatglory, honour and worship which he will receive from the church. And we may confider both -(at.) What this work is, and .) How it is performed. . J.) Ingeneral ; herein Chrift exertethand exercifeth all his love, coin- paffion, pity and care towards the church and every member of it. This are we frequently called unto the confideration of, as the foundationof all our confolation,' as the fountain of all our obedience. See Heb. ii. 57, i8. chap. iv. 15, 16. chap. v. z. Thoughts, hereof are the relief of belie- vers in all their diftreffes and temptationf ; and the effecîs of it, are all their fupplies of grace enabling them to perfevere in their obedience. He loth appear for them as thegreat reprefentative of the church to tranfaft all their affairs with God. And that for three ends. (t. To make cffedual the attoneinent that he bath made for fin, By flie continual reprefentation of it, and of ltimfelf as,& lamb tbat,hadbeen
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