Part 216

I might have branched these things out into several particulars, but I would be brief. I say, therefore, the office of the priest was to carry the blood into the holy place, and there to present it before the mercy-seat, with his heart full of intercessions for the people for whom he was a priest (Luke 1:8-11). This is Jesus Christ’s work now in the Kingdom of Glory, to plead His own blood, the nature and virtue of it, with a perpetual intercession to the God of Mercy on behalf of us poor miserable sinners (Heb 7:25).

1. There is a pleading of the virtue of His Blood for them that are already come in, that they may be kept from the evils of heresies, delusions, temptations, pleasures, profits, or anything of this world which may be too hard for them. “Father, I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world,” saith Christ, “but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:15).

2. In case the devil should aspire up into the presence of God, to accuse any of the poor saints, and to plead their backslidings against them, as he will do if he can, then there is Jesus, our Lord Jesus, ready in the Court of Heaven, at the right hand of God, to plead the virtue of His Blood, not only for the great and general satisfaction that He did give when He was on the Cross, but also the virtue that is in it now for the cleansing and fresh purging of His poor saints under their several temptations and infirmities; as saith the Apostle, “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”—that is, by His intercession (Rom 5:10).

3. The maintaining of grace, also, is by Jesus Christ’s intercession, being the second part of His priestly office. O, had we not a Jesus at the right hand of God making intercession for us, and to convey fresh supplies of grace unto us through the virtue of His Blood being pleaded at God’s right hand, how soon would it be with us as it is with those for whom He prays not at all (John 17:9)? But the reason why thou standest while others fall, the reason why thou goest through the many temptations of the world, and shakest them off from thee, while others are ensnared and entangled therein, it is because thou hast an interceding Jesus. “I have prayed,” saith He, “that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:32).

4. It is partly by the virtue of Christ’s intercession that the elect are brought in. There are many that are to come to Christ which are not yet brought in to Christ: and it is one part of His work to pray for their salvation too—“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe,” though as yet they do not believe “on Me,” but that they may believe “through their word” (John 17:20). And let me tell thee, soul, for thy comfort, who art a-coming to Christ, panting and sighing, as if thy heart would break, I tell thee, soul, thou wouldst never have come to Christ, if He had not first, by the virtue of His blood and intercession, sent into thy heart an earnest desire after Christ; and let me tell thee also, that it is His business to make intercession for thee, not only that thou mightest come in, but that thou mightest be preserved when thou art come in (Compare Heb 7:25; Rom 8:33-39).

5. It is by the intercession of Christ that the infirmities of the saints in their holy duties are forgiven. Alas, if it were not for the priestly office of Christ Jesus, the prayers, alms, and other duties of the saints might be rejected, because of the sin that is in them; but Jesus being our High Priest, He is ready to take away the iniquities of our holy things, perfuming our prayers with the glory of His own perfections; and therefore it is that there is an answer given to the saints’ prayers, and also acceptance of their holy duties (Rev 8:3,4). “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament,” or covenant, “that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called,” notwithstanding all their sins, “might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb 9:11-15).

Third. The third thing now to be spoken to is, to show where and how Jesus Christ outwent and goes beyond these priests, in all their qualifications and offices, for the comfort of poor saints.

1. They that were called to the priesthood under the law were but men; but He is both God and man (Heb 7:3,28).

2. Their qualifications were in them in a very scanty way; but Jesus was every way qualified in an infinite and full way.

3. They were consecrated but for a time, but He for evermore (Heb 7:23,24).

4. They were made without an oath, but He with an oath (Verses 20,21).

5. They as servants; but He as a Son (Hebrews 3:6).

6. Their garments were but such as could be made with hands, but His the very righteousness of God (Exo 28; Rom 3:22; Phil 3:8,9).

7. Their offerings were but the body and blood of beasts, and such like, but His offering was His own body and soul (Heb 9:12,13; 10:4,5; Isa 53:10).

8. Those were at best but a shadow or type, but He the very substance and end of all those ceremonies (Heb 9:1,10,11).

9. Their holy place was but made by men, but His, or that which Jesus is entered, is into Heaven itself (Heb 9:2,3,24).

10. When they went to offer their sacrifice, they were forced to offer for themselves, as men compassed about with infirmity, but He holy, harmless, who did never commit the least transgression (Heb 7:26; 10:11).

11. They when they went to offer they were fain to do it standing, to signify that God had no satisfaction therein; but He, when “He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God,” to signify that God was very well pleased with His offering (Heb 10:12).

12. They were fain to offer “oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins”; but He, “by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb 10:11,14).

13. Their sacrifices at the best could but serve for the cleansing of the flesh, but His for cleansing both body and soul—the blood of Jesus Christ doth purge the conscience from dead works, to live a holy life (Heb 9:13,14).

14. Those high priests could not offer but once a year in the holiest of all, but our High Priest He ever liveth to make intercession for us (Heb 9:7; 12:24,25).

15. Those high priests, notwithstanding they were priests, they were not always to wear their holy garments; but Jesus never puts them off of Him, but is in them always.

16. Those high priests, death would be too hard for them, but our High Priest hath vanquished and overcome that cruel enemy of ours, and brought life and immortality to light through the glorious Gospel (Heb 7:21,23; 2:15; 2 Tim 1:10).

17. Those high priests were not able to save themselves; but this is able to save Himself, and all that come to God, by Him (Heb 7:25).

18. Those high priests’ blood could not do away sin; but the blood of Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest, “cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

19. Those high priests sometimes by sin caused God to reject their sacrifices; but this High Priest doth always the things that please Him.

20. Those high priests could never convey the Spirit by virtue of their sacrifices or office; but this High Priest, our Lord Jesus, He can and doth give all the gifts and graces that are given to the sons of men.

21. Those high priests could never by their sacrifices bring the soul of any sinner to glory by virtue of itself; but Jesus hath by one offering, as I said before, perfected for ever those that He did die for. Thus in brief I have showed in some particulars how and wherein Jesus our High Priest doth go beyond those high priests; and many more without question might be mentioned, but I forbear.