sinners, of whom, says he, I am chief; yet, continues he, I obtained mercy; and it was because the Lord Jesus interceded for his salvation, as the purchase of his blood, and the travail of his soul. Therefore, says the Lord to Ananias, He is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles; on which account, says the apostle, the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant;-or, as the learned Dr. Goodwin observes the original is more comprehensive, which signifies that the grace of Christ was over full, redundant, more than enough: One would have thought that the apostle had sins enough to try the measure and strength of the love of Christ : yet how soon is the measure of them lost, when compared with immeasurable love and grace? which was, says he, exceeding abundant. Here I would observe, my dear Friendly, that the intercession of Christ yields streams of exuberant joy, a divine and eternal release to a guilty mind, conscious of his unnumbered transgressions against GOD and his own soul; because, as the apostle observes, it saves unto the very uttermost; therefore, let the guilty sinner take a view of all the thousands of thousands, the ten thousand times ten thousand transgressions that he has been guilty of, in thought, word, and deed, throughout the whole course of his life, to this moment; then add a view of all the misery due to his soul, for sin, and of all the difficulties that sin, death and hell, can lay in its way of salvation; it can't but sink with a thousand trembling fears; but remember, that Christ by his intercession, saves to the uttermost, beyond the reach of thy misery; for, if Christ saves to the uttermost, it answers every objection, allays every grief, supplies every want, and satisfies every desire His pleas being stronger to save, than the accusations of sin, death, or hell, to destroy. But I add, in the third place, that Christ intercedes for his revolting, backsliding children, that find in them an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living GOD; what could ever have supported David's backsliding soul, in the case of Uriah, or Solomon's guilty mind in the views of his repeated idolatry, but a discovery of that blood of atonement, typically represented to them, by the high-priest entering into the holy of holies, but not without blood; thereby pointing out unto them, Him, whom GOD had consecrated a priest for evermore, entering in with his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for them?-and what could have supported Peter's guilty mind, under the heinous and aggravating backslidings of his soul, when he said, I know not the man? what, not know the man, Peter? who, when thou criedst, Lord, save, or I perish, stretched forth his hand and caught thee, and said, 0. thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? I say, what could have supported Peter's guilty soul, under the repeated backslidings, and denial of his Lord, with language borrowed from hell, but the intercession of Christ? who said, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. We find that the Lord, by the prophet Hosea, declares that his people were bent to backslide, like a backsliding heifer: and what can support their drooping spirits under their renewed backslidings, release their guilty fears, set at liberty their captive souls, but the omnipotent power of the blood of the everlasting covenant, making intercession for them? on which account, we find the Holy Ghost says, 1 John ii. 1. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:therefore, says the Lord, Hosea xiv. 4. I will heal all their backslidings, and will love them freely. I. - His sacred blood he ever pleads, Before the throne the Saviour spreads II. This is my soul's eternal stay, I'll trust my soul, I safely may, III. This is the sure the safe retreat, I'll stay my soul on love so great, IV. His wounded hands, his bleeding heart, That bled upon the tree, Will not withhold, but sure impart, The life I want to me. V. No guilty sinner need despair Behold the throne, see Jesus there, His hand the blessing gives. I close with just observing, in the Fifth place, the duration of Christ's intercession,-he ever liveth, saith the apostle, to make intercession; the priests under the law were made without an oath, but Christ was made a priest with an oath; by him, says the apostle, Heb. vii. 21. that said unto him, the Lord sware and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever, consecrated for evermore: the life of Christ in heaven stands as much engaged to save his people, as his life, his righteous life on earth freeth us from condemnation; but his life in heaven pleads the freedom for our enjoyment, and divine security. The work of salvation was completed by his death, but it is bestowed upon us by his life of intercession :-he sealed the blessings of the Covenant with his blood, but ever lives to bestow his Dying Legacies with his own hands; for he is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins. His heart is as much set upon serving his people now in heaven, as when dying upon the cross for them, and he lives not only to see, but to plead his Father's promise, his own power and authority, his Blood and Love for the accomplishment of it.-Therefore, says the apostle, Rom. v. 10. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to GOD by the Death of his Son: much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life. The reason is given in Heb. vii. 25. seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them: if Christ ever liveth to make intercession, then he will plead to eternity, to save that soul that trusteth in him :-he will never give over pleading till he can say, Father, here am I, and the children whom thou hast given me; and of all thou hast given me, I have lost none.-You'll remember, my dear Friendly, that the perfections and promises, the oath and covenant of GOD are full of love and kindness to his people !-and the intercession of our Lord Jesus, is the key of divine authority, by which he unlocks all these treasures,-displays the grace of JEHOVAH's nature, the sweetness of the promises, the stability of his oath, and the fulness of covenant love in all its exuberant rays, and divine streams, to support with heavenly hopes, to comfort with divine consolation, the drooping mind whilst passing through this weary land, to that rest that remains for the people of GOD. I. Behold, my soul, thy worthless name See Jesu's heart, view there a flame II. My life is sure while Jesus lives, Nor can I ever die, While his kind hand so freely gives, Such rich, such sweet supply. Having proved to you that the love of GoD is the ocean of joy and happiness, and pointed out the glories and properties of this love, and the way to the enjoyment of it. I shall proceed, my dear Friendly, to observe what appearances the love of GOD has made in his word to his people. First, in the Fixation of it. Friendly. My dear Truth, as you have been my spiritual guide hitherto, and have been now leading my sonl unto living fountains of joy, contained in the intercession of the Lord of glory, give me leave to ask what I anı to apprehend 17 the Fixation of the love of GOD? Truth. By the Fixation of the love of GOD, I humbly conceive we are to understand, his having an eternal good-will towards us; or, his mind being unchangeably fixed upon his people in Christ, as the object of his delight; or, his being for ever at rest in his love to them.-GOD is love, says the apostle, and the Fixation of his love is nothing less than the engaging and bestowing himself with all the perfections of his nature, to be their God, for ever and for ever; therefore, says the Lord, by the prophet Jeremiah, xxxi. 33. I will be their GOD, and they shall be my people.-The Fixation of the love of God is making firm, sure, and permanent the boundless, immense love of the divine nature upon his people; which he has done by oath, by promise, by covenant, and by blood. That his love to them is his nature loving them: he can as soon cease to be,-as cease to love them.-The Fixation of his love is to assign and fix his heart upon them, to settle his love for ever there,-to choose, elect, pick out his people as the objects of his eternal delight, and divine complacency, as his jewels, his inheritance, his spouse, and his portion. Likewise, by the Fixation of the love of God, we might understand the Lamb's book of life, or our names being wrote in heaven: by the book I understand, God's eternal mind, that as a book contains things of a valuable and interesting nature between man and man; so the book of God's eternal mind contains for his people all the interesting and valuable treasures of grace and glory ;-but by their names being wrote in this book, I understand the Fixation of their names in the book of his eternal mind, with infinite pleasure; or his settling his everlasting love upon them, setting them as a seal upon his heart. GOD's eternal mind may be compared to a book, for safety and secrecy; as our names are registered and debts entered in a book for safety and security, so our names are writ in the Lamb's book of life, for the safety and security of our persons from the law, sin, wrath, and death. -As a book likewise not only contains things for safety,but contains things and concerns of a secret nature to another, so the book of God's eternal mind contains our names; but it remains a secret to men and angels whose names are there written till God himself makes it known, by calling-grace; therefore, the apostle styles the gospel, the mystery hid from age to age, but now made manifest to the saints, which was, says he, hid in GOD, Eph. iii. 9.-But this book is entitled, the Book of Life, Itev. xx. 12. and another book was opened which is the book of life.-God's eternal love fixed upon his people, may be fitly called the book of life, as it contains all our life of joy and peace here, and of glory hereafter;-that whatever streams of peace fill our minds, promises of pardon enrich our souls; or, communion with GOD we enjoy, to the enlargement of our comfort, to the sealing of our salvation,it is but the opening of the leaves of the book of life to our souls: (viz.) the Fixation of his love upon us: who can for bear repeating the apostle's rapture with renewed ecstacy of soul, Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us! therefore, says one,-when speaking of love's eternal Fixation, contained in Isa. xlix. 16. I. -Tis Grace laid up in Christ before In searching thy Eternal mind, |