(10.) My tenth advice and counsel is this. Be sure that you offer all your closet-prayers in Christ's name, and in his alone ; John xiv. 13, 14, ' And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.' John xv. 16, 'That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.' John xvi. 23, 24, 26, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall avsk the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name : ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be fulL At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say' unto you, that I will pray the Father for you.' 0 sirs ! this is your privilege as well as your comfort, that you never deal with God but by a mediator. When you appear before God, Jesus Christ appears with you, and he appears for you ; when you do invocare, then he doth adrocare ; when you put up your peti- tions, then he doth make intercession for you. Christ gives you a commission to put his name upon all your requests ; and whatsoever prayer comes up with this name upon it, he will procure it an answer. In the state of innocency, man might worship God without a mediator ; but since sin hath made so wide a breach between God and man, God will accept of no worship from man, but what is offered up by the hand of a mediator. Now this mediator is Christ alone ; 1 Tim. ii. 5, ' For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' One mediator, not of redemption only, as the papists grant, but of intercession also, which they den}'.
The papists make saints and angels co-mediators with Christ ; but in this, as in other things, they fight against clear Scripture hght. The apostle plainly tells us, that the office of intercession pertaineth unto Christ, as part of his mediation, Heb. vii, 25 : and it is certain, that we need no other master of requests in heaven, but the man Christ Jesus ; who being so near to the Father, and so dear to the Father, and so much in with the Father, can doubtless carry any thing with the Father, that makes for his glory and our good. This was typified in the law. The high-priest alone did enter into the sanctuary, and carry the names of the children of Israel before the Lord, whilst the people stood all without ; this pointed out Christ's mediation, Exod. xxviii. 2.9. In that Lev. xvi. 13, 14, you read of two things : first, of the cloud of incense that covered the mercy seat ; secondly, of the blood of the bullock, that was sprinkled,before^the mercy-seat. Now that blood typi- fied Christ's satisfaction, and the cloud of incense his intercession.
Some of the learned think, that Christ intercedes only by virtue of his merits; others, that it is done only with his mouth. I conjecture
» Qu. • say not ' ?— Ed.
Mat. VI. 6.] the privy key of heaven. 275
it may be done both ways, the rather because Christ hath a tongue, as also a whole body, but glorified, in heaven ; and is it likely, that that mouth which pleaded so much for us on earth, should be altogether silent for us in heaven ?
There is no coming to the Father, but by the Son, John xiv. 6. Christ is the true Jacob's ladder, by which we must ascend to heaven. Joseph, you know, commanded his brethren, that as ever they looked for any good from him, or to see his face with joy, that they should be sure to bring their brother Benjamin along with them. O sirs ! as ever you would be prevalent with God, as ever you would have sweet, choice, and comfortable returns from heaven to all your closet-prayers, be sure that you bring your elder brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the arms of your faith, be sure that you treat and trade with God only in the name of the Lord Jesus.
It is a notable speech that Luther hath upon the 130th Psalm, * Often and willingly,' saith he, ' do I inculcate this, that you should shut your eyes, and your ears, and say, you know no God out of Christ, none but he that was in the lap of Mary, and sucked her breasts,' Dulce nomen Christi. He means none out of him. When you go to closet-prayer, look that you pray not in your own names, but in the name of Christ; and that you believe and hope not in your own names, but in the name of Christ; and that you look not to speed in your own names, but in the name of Christ: Col. iii. 17, 'And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.' Whatsoever we do, we are to do it by the authority of Christ, and through the assistance of Christ, and in the name of Christ, and for the sake and glory of Christ. Christ's name is so precious and powerful with the Father, that it will carry any suit, obtain any request at his hands. Jesus, in the China tongue, signifies the rising sun. When a man writes the name of Jesus upon his closet-prayers, then he shall be sure to speed. Though God will not give a man a drop, a sip, a crumb, a crust, for his own sake, yet for Jesus' sake he will give the best, the choicest, and the greatest blessings that heaven affords; that name is still mighty and powerful, prevalent and precious before the Lord. The prayers that were offered up with the incense upon the altar were pleasing, Rev. viii. 3; and came up with acceptance, ver. 4. Joseph's brethren were kindly used for Benjamin's sake. 0 sirs ! all our duties and services are accepted of the Father, not for their own sakes, nor for our sakes, but for Christ's sake. There are no prayers that are either heard, owned, accepted, regarded, or rewarded, but such as Christ puts his hand to. If Christ doth not mingle his blood with our sacrifices, our services, they will be lost, and never ascend as incense before the Lord. No coin is current that hath not Caesar's stamp upon it; nor no prayers go current in heaven, that have not the stamp of Christ upon them. There is nothing more pleasing to our heavenly Father, than to use the mediation of his Son. Such shall be sure to find most favour, and to speed best in the court of heaven, who still present themselves before the Father with Christ in their arms. But,
(11.) My eleventh and last advice and counsel is this, When you come out of your closets, narrowly watch what becomes of your pri- vate prayers. Look at what door, in what way, and by what hand the
276 THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN. [MaT. VI. 6.