sion of Christ was spoken of in prophecy, in the books of the Old testament; Elihu, in Job xxxiii. 23. speaks of him as an advocate, in Psal. xvi. 4. which is a Psalm concerning Christ; two sorts of persons are spoken of; one who are called saints, in whom was all Christ's delight; another sort hastened af ter another god, another saviour, and not Christ: concerning whom he says, I will not take up their names unto my lips, as the words in John xvii. 9. I pray for them; I pray not for the world; but what most clearly foretels the intercession of Christ, and is prophecy of it, is a passage in Isai. liii. 12. And made intercession for the trangressors. The types of Christ's intercession are many. It is said of Abel, that he, being dead, yet speaketh, Heb. xi. 4. Melchizedek prayed for Abraham, that he might be blessed, with blessings both in heaven and on earth; so Christ prays and intercedes for his people. Abraham likewise was a type of Christ in his intercession, when he interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. Aaron being a good spokesman, was a type of Christ, who has the tongue of the learned, and can speak well on the behalf of his distressed ones. Particularly the entrance of the high priest once a year, with the blood of beasts, with a censer of burning coals, and an handful of incense, was an eminent type of Christ's entrance into heaven, and his intercession there.

II. Christ is an intercessor; he has executed, is executing, and will continue to execute this office; the enquiries to be made concerning it are, 1. Where, when, and in what manner his intercession has been and is performed. 1. Be fore his incarnation: that he then interceded, and was a Mediator between God and man, is evident from that access to God which was then had. Daniel prayed to be heard for the Lord's sake, that is, for Christ's sake, Dan. ix. 17. We have an instance of Christ's intercession for the people of the Jews, when in distress, who is represented as an Angel among the myrtle trees in the bottom; signifying the low estate the Jews were in; and as interceding and pleading with God for them; And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me, with

good and comfortable words; his intercession was acceptable, prevalent, and succeeded, Zech. i. 11-13. But a more clear and full instance of Christ's intercession for his people in distress, through sin, is in chap. iii. 1-4. 2. Christ acted as intercessor in his state of humiliation. We often read of his praying to God, and sometimes a whole night together: at other times we find him praying for particular persons; as at the grave of Lazarus; and for Peter particularly, Luke xxii. 32. He prayed for all his disciples, John xvii. which is a specimen of his intercession in heaven. 3. Christ is now interceding in heaven for his people; he is gone to heaven, en. tered there, and is set down at the right hand of God; where he ever lives to make intercession, Rom. viii. 34. Heb. vii. 25. and which is performed, perhaps not vocally, as on earth; nor as litigating a point in a court of judicature; but by appearing in the presence of God there for his people. Christ intercedes, not as asking a favour, but in an authoritative way, declaring it as his will, on the foot of what he has done and suffered, that so it should be; a specimen of this we have in the finishing blessing of all, glorification, John xvii. 24. Christ performs this his office also by offering up the prayers and praises of his people, which become acceptable to God through the sweet incense of his mediation and intercession, Rev. viii. 3, 4. Heb. xiii. 15. 1 Pet. ii. 5. II. The next thing to be considered is, what Christ makes intercession for more particularly? for the conversion of his unconverted ones; Neither pray I for those alone, says he, meaning his disciples that were called, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, John xvii. 20. and for the comfort of those that are convinced of sin; particularly for discoveries and applications of pardoning grace and mercy; If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, for strength for his people to bear up under temptations. Lastly, he intercedes for their glorification; one principal branch of which will lie in beholding his glory, John xvii. 24. 111. The persons Christ makes intercession for, are the same with those of election, redemption, and ૧૦

effectual calling; to whom Christ is a propitiation, for them he is an advocate, John xvii. 9. The high priest bore upon his heart, in the breast plate of judgment, only the names of the children of Israel. As Christ died for such, yea, the chief of sinners calls them by his grace, and receives them into fellowship with himself, it is no wonder that he should pray and intercede for them. iv. The excellent properties and use of Christ's intercession. Christ is an only intercessor; There is but one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. He is mighty to plead, thoroughly to plead the cause of his people; and having the tongue of the learned, can speak well for them. He is a prevalent advocate and intercessor; he is always heard; he was when on earth, and is now in heaven; his mediation is always acceptable and ever succeeds, John xi. 41, 42. and he performs his his office freely; he never rejects any case put into his hands. His intercession is perpetual; though he was dead he is alive, and lives forevermore; and he ever lives to make intercession for them that come unto God by him, Heb. vii. 25.

OF CHRIST'S BLESSING HIS PEOPLE AS A

PRIEST.

I. THAT Christ was to bless his people; this was promised, and prophesied concerning him, and was prefigured in types of him. I. It was promised to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, and this promise was renewed to Isaac, Gen. xxvi. 4. and again to Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 14. the apostle interprets and explains the phrase; "In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed;" unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, &c. Acts iii. 25, 26. 1. Christ's blessing his people, was prefigured in Melchizedek, the type of him, and of whose order he was. This illustrious person met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abrhm of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, Gen. xiv. 19.

II. Christ has blessed his people, does bless them, and will continue to bless them: he blessed them under the Old Tes tament; and after he had offered himself a sacrifice, and was risen from the dead, and before his ascension to heaven; He lift up his hands and blessed his disciples, c. Luke xxiv. 50, 51. 1. Observe the qualifications of Christ to bless his peo ple, his fitness, ability, and sufficiency for such a work. 1. Aş he is God, or a divine Person, he must be able to bless, blessedness is a perfection of Deity. Now Christ is over all, God, blessed for ever, Rom. ix. 5. and able to do exceeding abundant ly above all that we ask or think, Eph. iii. 20. 2. Christ, as Mediator, has a fitness, ability, and sufficiency to bless his people; as such, God has made him most blessed for evermore. &c. Psal. xxi. 3-6. Who can doubt of his ability to bless his people with deliverance from sin, Satan, the law, since he has obtained eternal redemption for them? or with a justifying righteousness; since he is become the end of the law; or with spiritual peace, since he has made peace by the blood of his cross? or with salvation, since he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him? 11. The persons who are blessed. 1. All that are blessed of the Father are blessed by Christ, Come, ye blessed of my Father, Eph. i. 3. Mait. xxv. 34. 2. All that are chosen of God in Christ are blessed by him, otherwise there would be no strength nor force in the triumphant challenge of the apostle, Rom. viii. 33. 34. 3. All that are given to Christ by the Father are blessed by him; he confers grace on them, keeps them by his power, and gives unto them eternal life, John xvii. 2.-12, 24.-4. All the cov enant-ones are blessed by Christ. The covenant of Grace is ordered in all things and sure; and Christ, the mediator of it gives them the sure mercies of David. 5. All the spiritual Israel of God, the elect of God among all nations, are the seed of Israel that are justified in Christ, and saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. II. The blessings Christ blessed his people with, some of which are as follow.1. With a justifying righteousness; this is a great blessing:

David describes The blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousnees without Works, Rom. iv. 6. 2. With the pardon of their sins, which is another great blessing; Blessed is the man whose transgressions is forgiven, Psal. xxxii. 1. 3. Christ blesses his people with the adoption of children: John i, 12.1. Those are blessed by Christ with regeneration and conversion by his Spirit and grace through the ministration of his gospel, Acts iii. 26. 5. The same persons are blessed with the Spirit, shed on them, through Christ, their Saviour. 6. The Lord blesses his people with peace, Psal. xxix. 11. 7. He blesses them with the gospel, the ordinances of it, and the privileges of his house. 8. And lastly, Christ blesses his people with eternal life and happiness, according to his promise he will come and take them to himself. iv. The nature and excellencies of these blessings.-1. They are cove. nant blessings. 2. They are spiritual blessings, Eph. i. 3. 3. They are solid and substantial ones; blessings indeed suck as Jabez prayed for; saying, O that thou wouldest bless me inded! 1 Chron. iv. 10. 4. They are irreversible blessings ; the blessing with which Isaac blessed Jacob, was confirmed by him with a resolution not to alter it: without repentance, Rom. xi. 29. 5. These blessings are eternal; whatever is done in this way of Christ blessing his people is for ever, Eccles, iii.

14.

as

OF THE KINGLY OFFICE OF CHRIST.

CHRIST is King in a two-fold sense: he is a king by nature he is God, he is God over all; as the Son of God, he is heir of all things; he has a two fold kingdom, the one natural, essential, universal and common to him with the other divine persons; the kingdom of nature and providence is his, what he has a natural right unto, and claim upon; it is essential to him as God; besides this, there is another kingdom that belongs to Christ as God-man and Mediator; this is a special, limited kingdom; this concerns only the elect of God, hence