tio c%l 'Declaration of the Glorious MYSTERY dition from the experience they had of it in the days of their fled. A great concernmentthey have for the glory of God in them, and a fervent deliire of their eternal falvation. They know that without them they flail not be abfolutely confummate or made perfe& in their whole perforas, Rev. vi. II. In this Rate of things, they continually behold the Lord Jefus Chrift, prefenting their prayers before The throne of grace, making mterceflion for them, appearing to plead their caufe againft all their adverfaries, tranfacting all their affairs in the prefence of God, taking care of their falvation that no one of them íhallperifh. This continually fills them with an holy fatisfaition and complacency, and is agreat part of the fubject matter of their inceffant praifes and afcriptions of glory unto him. Herein lies the concernment of the churchabove in that herebelow; this is the communion that is between them, whereof theperfon of Chrift in the difcharge of his office is the bond and center. . There is herein a full manifeftation made of the wifdom of God, in all the holy inftitutions of the tabernacle and temple of old. Herein the vail is fully taken off from. them, and that obfcure reprefenta- tion of heavenly things is brought forth unto light and glory. It is true, this is done unto a great degree in the difpenfaeion of the gofpel. By the Coining of Chrift in the flelh, and the difcharge of his mediatory office in this world, the fubftance of what they did prefigure is accoinplifhed. And in the revelation of the gofpel, the nature and end of them is declared. Howbeit they extended their lignification allo unto things within the vail, or the difcharge of the prieftly office of Chrift in the heavenlyfanduary, Heb. ix. 24. Wherefore as we have not yet a perfeftion of light to under- ítand the depth ofthe myfteries contained in them ; forhemfelves alfo were not abfolutely fulfilled until the Lord Chrift difchargéd his office in the holy place. This is the glory of the pattern which God Ihewed unto Mofes in the mount, andmade confpicuous and evident unto all. Therein efpeciallydo the faints of theOld Teftament who were exercifed all their days in thofe typical inftitutions, whofe end and defign they could not comprehend; fee the manifold wifdomand goodnefsof God in them all, re- joycing in them for evermore. . d. Ail that the Lord Chriltreceives of the Father on the account of this holy iiït,rpofition and mediation for the church, he is endowed with föve- reign authority and almighty power in himfelf to execute and accomplifh. Therefore is he faid, as a pried, to be made higher than the heavens, and as a prief tofit down at the right hand ofthe majefiy on high, Heb. viii. 2. This glorious power doth not immediately belong untohim' on the ac- count of his facerdotal office, but it is that qualification of his perfon which is neceifaryunto the effeftual difcharge of it. Hence it is faid of him, that he fhould bear theglory, andfit and rule upon bis throne, and fhhould be a prieff upon his throne, Zech. vi. T3. A throne is Znfigne regium, and properly belongs unto Chrift with .refpeft unto his Kingly office, Feb. i. 8, p. Howbeit the power accompanying and belonging unto his throne being necefláryunto the effeftual difcharge of his prieftlyoffice, as he fits and rules bn his throne, fo it is faid that he is a grief' on bis throne alto. This is one inftance of the prefent flare of Chrift in heaven, andof the work which he doth there perform, and the only inftance I lhallinfiff upon. He was made a priedafter the power of an endlefs life, the life whichhe now leads in heaven, and lives for ever to make intercellion for us: He was dead, but is alive, and lives for evermore, and bath the keys of hell and death, all power over the enemies of his church. God on a throne
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