jSERM. XIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, 175
of intercession, which he lives there to perform : Horn. viii. 34, 35. " Who is he that condemneth. It is Christ that died; yea, " rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, *' who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us *' from the love of Christ ?"
5. It gives sweet relief against the defects and wants that yet are in our sa notification. We want a great deal of faith, love, heaven- ly-mindedness, mortification, knowledge. We are short and want- ing in all. There are i^g^ara, the remains, or things wanting, as the apostle calls them, 1 Thess. iii. 10. Well, if grace be but yet in its weak beginnings, and infancy in thy soul, this may encourage, that by reason of Christ's intercession, it shall live, grow, and expatiate itself in thy heart. He is not only the author, but the finisher of it, Heb. xii. 2. He is ever begging new and fresh mercies for you in heaven ; and will never cease till all your wants be supplied. He saves si; ro xavrs'ksg, to the uttermost, i. e. as I told you before, to the last, perfective, completing act of salvation. So that this is a fountain of relief against all your fears.
Use 3. Doth Christ live for ever to make intercession ? Then let those who reap on earth the fruits of that his work in heaven, draw instruction thence about the following duties, to which it leads them as by the hand.
1. Do not forget Christ in an exalted state*. You see though he be in all the glory above, at God's right hand, and enthroned king, he doth not forget you : he, like Joseph, remembers his brethren in all his glory. But, alas, how oft doth advancement make us forget him ? As the Lord complains in Hosea xiii. 5, 6. " I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought : " but when they came into Canaan, according to their pastures, so " were they filled : they were filled, and their heart was exalted ; " therefore have they forgotten me." As if he had said, O my people, you and I were better acquainted in the wilderness, when you were in a low condition, left to my immediate care, living by daily faith ; O then you gave me many a sweet visit ; but now you are filled, I hear no more of you. Good had it been for some saints, if they had never known prosperity.
2. Let the intercession of Christ in heaven for you, encourage you to constancy in the good ways of God. To this duty it sweetly
* He doth not forget us, though he he exalted to his glory, for he is not like the poor silly creatures that cannot bear exaltation without being puffed up, and forget- ting both themselves, their friends, and their God. No, his exaltation is spiritual and heavenly, perfecting his human nature to the greatest height it is capable of, — he never was more tender of Jerusalem when he wept over it, or of bis people when he wept, bled, and died for them, than he is now tender over his in glory. Mr. Baxter '$ Treatise of Conversion^ ;>. 184,
176 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XIII,
encourages also, Heb. iv. 14. " seeing then that we have a great " Hio-h-priest tliat is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of " God, let us hold fast our profession." Here is encouragement to perseverance on a double account. One is, that Jesus, our head, is already in heaven ; and if the head be above water, the body cannot drown. The other is from the business he is there employed about, which is his priesthood ; he is passed into the heavens, as our great High-priest, to intercede, and therefore we cannot miscarry.
4. Let it encourage you to constancy in prayer : O do not ne- glect that excellent duty, seeing Christ is there to present all your petitions to God ; yea, to perfume as well as present them. So the apostle, Heb. iv. 16. infers from Christ's intercession ; " Let us " therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may " obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.r>
4. Hence be encouraged to plead for Christ on earth, who con* tinuully pleads for you in heaven. If any accuse you, he is there to plead for you : and if any dishonour him on earth, see that you plead his interest, and defend his honour. Thus you have heard what his intercession is, and what benefits we receive by it. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.
A Vindication of the Satisfaction of Christ, as the first Effect or Fruit of his Priesthood.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a,
10U have seen the general nature, necessity and parts of Christ's priesthood, viz. oblation and intercession. Before you part from this office, it is necessary you should farther take into consideration the principal fruits and effects of his priesthood; which are, complete satisfaction and the acquisition or purchase of an eternal inheritance. The former, viz. The satisfaction, made by his blood, is manifestly contained in this excellent scripture before us, wherein the apostle (having shewn before, at ver. 10. that whosoever " continues not in all things written in the law, to do " them, are cursed)'1 declares how, notwithstanding the threats of the law, a believer comes to be freed from the curse of it, name-
SERM. XIV. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 177
ly, by Christ's bearing that curse for him, and so satisfying God's justice, and discharging the believer from all obligations to punish*, ment.
More particularly, in these words you have the believer's dis- charge from the curse of the law, and the way and manner there- of opened.
1. The believers discharge ; Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. The law of God hath three parts, commands, promises, and threatenings or curses. The curse of the law is its condemning sentence, whereby a sinner is bound over to death, even the death of soul and body. The chain, by which it binds him, is the guilt of sin ; and from which none can loose the soul but Christ. This curse of the law is the most dreadful thing ima- ginable ; it strikes at the life of a sinner, yea, his best life, the eternal life of the soul : and when it hath condemned, it is inexo- rable, no cries nor tears, no reformation nor repentance can loose the guilty sinner ; for it requires for its reparation that which no mere creature can give, even an infinite satisfaction. Now from this curse Christ frees the believer ; that is, he dissolves the obligation to punishment, cancels the hand-writing, looses all the bonds and chains of guilt, so that the curse of the law hath no- thing to do with him for ever.