SERMON lath, ii nient in his hand, but with holiness to the Lord, inscribed on the mitre, on his forehead ; Ex. xxviii. 36. God the Father beholds his only begotten Son there, as the great Representative of air his children : Hebeholds his own law satisfied and fulfilled, in his perfect obedience, even to death : and this is an everlast- ing foundation for reconciliation and peace between God and sinners. 4. Christ lives for ever to intercede for sinful man, to plead with God for mercy to his guilty creatures. Perhaps, in the natureof things, this is not much different from the former parti- cular ; for his presentingof his sacrifice, as for ever fresh in the virtues of it before the Father, is a sort of intercession. His blood has avoice in it, and his very appearance there is a power- ful pleading. But however, since the high-priest of old, not only presented the atoning blood, but also offered incense in the holy of holies, which is a type of intercession, we may pro- perly enough make some distinction between them, and re- present these two transactions of Christ, as our high-priest, in adistinct light. He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, since he lives for ever to malee intercessionfor them; Heb. vii. 25. 5. He is represented as dwelling in heaven, as our great High-priest, not only to present our services, our prayers and our praises to God, and make them acceptable to the Father, throughhis infinite merit, notwithstanding all their imperfections, but also to introduce our departing souls into the presence of God, without spot or blemish ; Eph, v. 27. and to present his whole church, at the great day, be,fore his own and his Father's glory; withexceeding boy; Jude 24. This is the last great act of his mediatorial office, and by this we obtain a full and complete access to God, to dwell with him for ever, in the regionsof light and joy, Now let us consider, how we ought to regulate our practice in our return from sin, and our approaches to God, in a correspondency with these instances of the mediation of Christ. From this account of things, it follows, that whensoever we sinful and guilty creatures, address ourselves to God the Father, it must be done in, and by the name and interest of Jesus Christ, as our onlyMediator. We must humbly ask forgiveness of our sins, for the sake of the sufferings of the Son of God; we must depend entirely for our acceptance with the Father, on the virtue ofhis perfect obedience even to death ; and entreat ofthe Father, that lie wouldbe reconciled to us, upon the account of his own Son Jesus, utterly disclaiming' all merit and worthiness of our own, renouncing all other Saviours and all other hopes, for VOL. lI. B
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