This second part, or branch of his priesthood, was typified by the High-priest's entering with the blood of the sacrifice and sweet incense into the holy place : Lev. xvi. 12, 13, 14. " And he shall " take the censer full of burning coals of fire, from off the altar " before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten " small, and bring it within the vail. And he shall put the fat* " cense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the in- " cense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that " he die not. And he shall take the blood of the bullock, and " sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat, eastward,1' fyc.
* Seeing the redemption which he wrought is the foundation of his intercession, « — i — therefore the scripture uses to mention the redemption and the intercession, as two inseparable parts of Christ's sacrifice. Ravanella on th* word intercede.
1(55 THB FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SE11M. XIII.
Christ's offering himself on earth, answered to the killing of the sacrifice without ; and his entering into heaven, there to intercede, was that which answered to the priest's going with blood, and his hands full of incense, within the vail. So that this is a part, yea, a special part of Christ's priesthood ; and so necessary to it, that if he had not done this, all his work on earth had signified nothing ; nor had he been a priest, i. e. a complete and perfect priest, if he had remained on earth, Heb. viii. 4. because the very design and end of shedding his blood on earth had been frustrated, which was to carry it before the Lord into heaven. So that this is the principal perfective part of the priesthood : he acted the first part on earth, in a state of deep abasement, in the form of a servant ; but he acts this in glory, whereto he is taken up, that he may fulfil his design in dying, and give the work of our salvation its last completing act. So much is imported in this scripture, which tells us, by reason hereof, he "is able to save to the ut- Si termost," fyc.
The words contain an encouragement to believers, to come to God in the way of faith, drawn from the intercession of Christ in heaven for them. In which you may take notice of these principal parts.
1. The quality of the persons here encouraged, who are describ- ed by a direct act of faith, as poor recumbents that are going out of themselves to God by faith ; but conscious of great unworthi- ness in themselves, and thence apt to be discouraged.
2. The encouragement propounded to such believers, drawn from the ability of Jesus Christ, in whose name they go to the Father, to save them to the uttermost, i. e. fully, perfectly, com- pletely ; for so this emphatical word, ug to camXsg *, signifies, the saving us wholly, thoroughly, completely, and altogether ; giving our salvation its last act and completion.
3. The ground or reason of this his saving ability : " Seeing he " ever liveth to make intercession ;" i. e. he hath not only offered up his blood to God upon the tree, as a full price to purchase par- don and grace for believers ; but lives in heaven, and that for ever, to apply unto us, in the way of intercession, all the fruits, bles- sings, and benefits, that that precious blood of his deserves, and hath procured us a price for them. The words thus opened, the point I shall single out, from among many that lie in them, as most suitable to my design and purpose, is this ;
* The Greek words [JE/J TO iravr&eg, and */£ ro diy)VM£g,~] differ in their em- phasis, but not as to the subject-matter. For the latter properly signifies a perpetuity of time : The other not only this, but perfection in all respects. Cameron,
8ERM. XIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 16?
Doct. That Jesus our High-priest lives Jor ever, in the capacity erf a potent Intercessor, in heaven for believers.
Here we will enquire, First, What it is for Christ to be an in- tercessor. Secondly, By what acts he performs that work in heaven. Thirdly, Whence the potency and prevalency of his intercession is. Fourthly, and lastly, How he lives for ever to make interces- sion for us.
First, What it is for Christ to be an intercessor for us. To in- tercede in general, is to go betwixt two parties, to intreat, argue, and plead with one for the other. And of this there are two sorts % 1. Ex charitate, nt fratres, that whereby one Christian prays and pleads with God for another, 1 Tim. ii. 1. 2. Ex officio mediato- rio, that whereby Christ, as an act of office, presents himself be- fore God to request for us. Betwixt these two is this difference, that the former is performed not in our own, but in another's name ; we can tender no request to God immediately, or for our own sake, either for ourselves, or for others : John xvi. 23. " What- " soever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.r> But the latter, which is proper to Christ, is an intercession with God for us, in his own name, and upon the account of his own proper merit ; the one is a private act of charity, the other a public act of office; and so he is our advocate or court friend, as Satan is our accuser or court-adversary. Satan is o ctvndixog, one that charges us before God, 1 Pet. v. 8. and continually endeavours to make breaches between us and God. Christ is o ^a§axXr,rog9 our attor- ney, or advocate, that pleads for us, and continues peace and friendship between us and God, 1 John ii. 2. " If any man sin, " we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righte- " ous."
And thus to make intercession, is the peculiar and incommuni- cable prerogative of Jesus Christ, none but he can go in his own name to God. And in that sense we are to understand that place, Ezek. xliv. 2, 3. " Then said the Lord unto me, This gate shall " be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by " it, because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, " therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince, the prince he " shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord," fyc. The great brt>ad gate, called here the princess gate, signifies that abundant and direct entrance that Christ had into heaven by his own merits, and in his own name * ; this, saith the Lord, shall be shut, no man shall enter in by it ; all other men must come thither, as it were, by collateral or side doors, which looked all towards the
* See Deodati, and our English Annot. on this place.
16S THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XIII,
altar, viz. by virtue of the Mediator, and through the benefit of his death imputed to them.