Into this holy of holies none but the high priest did enter, and that once a year, after the sacrifice of atonement for the whole congregation : then the high priest was to come into the holy of holies, he was to pass through the veil with blood and with sweet incense in his hand. Just thus is Jesus entered into the heaven of heavens for us. He is gone there to present his blood and sufferings, to appear before God for us, to present himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice : Heb ix. 24 ; Eph. v. 2. Now the high priest, when he went with this blood in to the mercy-seat, he went in with the names of the twelve tribes upon his breast and shoulder, as Jesus also doth appear before Grod for us, representing our persons continually before his Father. Now about the mercy-seat, there were cherubims, and figures of angels ; just about the ark, there they stooped down, to show the angels do attend about the throne, to despatch messages abroad into the world, and convey blessings to the saints. There is a throne of grace, a mercy-seat, a mediator there, angels at God's beck, ready to send up and down, to and fro, for the good of the saints. And mark, not only hath Jesus this liberty to enter into this heaven of heavens, but all the saints have a liberty to enter, and that not only at death, but in their life-time ; for saith the apostle, Heb. x, 19, ' Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus.' All of us, not only when we die, and personally go to God, do we enter into the holy of holies, but now we have boldness. It relateth to prayer, for the word signifieth liberty of speech. This holy of holies, which was closed and shut up against us before, is opened by the blood of Jesus ; the veil is rent, and now all saints have a privilege to come freely to converse with God. It is good to observe the difference between the holy of holies, and the heaven of heavens. The Jews their sanctum sanctorum was earthly ; but our holy of holies is heavenly. Into theirs, which was as it were God's bed-chamber, the common people were not admitted; none but the high priest could enter into the holy of holies. But now into ours all believers may enter and converse with God. There the high priest could enter but once a year ; now we may come to the throne of grace as often as we have a cause to present to God. There the high priest he entered with the blood of beasts; but we enter by the blood of the Son of God. Oh, what a great privilege is this, that we have a Father in heaven ! In this respect the holy place is now open to us. Though we have not a personal access till death, yet by the blood of Jesus we may come with boldness, presenting our- selves before the Lord with all our wants and desires. The great distance between heaven and earth shall not hinder our communion with God, if we have a friend above."
Therefore it is very comfortable now to say, ' Our Father which art in heaven ; ' that is, our gracious and reconciled Father^ in and by Christ.
APPLICATION.
If we have a Father in heaven, let us look up to heaven often.
1. If we have a Father in heaven, and a Saviour at his right hand, to do all things that are needful for us, let us look upon the aspect- able heavens with an eye of sense, with our bodily eyes. It is good
CA AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. YI. 9.
to contemplate the glory of the heavenly bodies, or the outside of that court which God hath provided for the saints. It is not an idle specu- lation I press you to ; the saints of God have thought it to be worthy of their morning and evening thoughts. It is notable, David doth, in two psalms especially, contemplate heaven ; one seems to be a nightly, the other a morning, meditation. The night meditation you have Ps. viii. 3 : ' When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.' David was got abroad in a moon-shining night, looks up, and had his heart affected. But now the 19th Psalm, that seems to be a morning meditation ; he speaks of the ' sun coming out like a bridegroom from his chamber in the east,' and displaying his beams, and heat, and influences to the world ; and then saith he, ver. 1, ' The heavens declare the glory of God.' Morning and evening, or whenever you go abroad to see the beauty of the outward heavens, say, I have a Father there, a Christ there ; this is the pavement of that palace which God hath provided for the saints. Christians, it is a sweet meditation when you can say. He that made all things is there. It will be a delightful, profitable thing sometimes, with an eye of sense, to take a view of our Father's palace, as much as we can see of it here below.