in one, appears notably fitted for undertaking the` work of a days-man betwixt an angry God and rebel finners. He is equally interested in both parties: 'being God, he knows exactly what all the properties of God do demand of finners; and being man, he knows well what man's ftate is. Thus the finner's fear is removed, that there is not a days-man who should lay his hand upon the head of both parties, as Job expreffes it. (3.) A convinced finner here fees one, not only capable to know, but even to be touched with the feeling of his infirmities, who withal has wifdom and power to improve any fenfe he has of our mifery to our advantage. This is what the convinced finner with admiration views in Chrift, who is the great myftery of godlinefs, God manifested in the flesh.

2. The Lord Jefus Chrift is clothed with a threefold office, for the behoof and advantage of. fuch as fhall believe on him. He is a king, a prieft, and a prophet. And each of thefe is exceedingly fuited to the relief of an awakened finner, as we may hear afterwards.

(1.) Hay he is a prophet; and as fuch he was promifed of old to the church by Mofes. A prophet Shall the Lord your God raife up to you from among your brethren, fays he. Becaufe this fcripture furnishes us with a full account of Chrift's prophetical office, we may take a view of it at fome length. So then that text runs, I will, fays God, raife them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that Ifhall command him: and it fhall come to pass that whofoever will not hearken to my words which he fhall speak in my name, I will require it of him, Deut. xvii. 18, 19. Now in this fcripture we

have fo full an account of Chrift's prophetical of fice, with respect to our present defign, that I can not better unfold this matter than by making fome remarks upon it. And, (1.) Here we fee that Chrift is indeed a prophet: for fo he is exprefly called, and as fuch he is here promised. That it is Chrift whom Mofes here intends, the fpirit of God has long fince by the mouth of the apoftle Peter fully determined, Acts iii. 22. (2.) Here we fee his call to that office. I will raise up a prophet, fays God, that is, I will call and fet one apart for that work. (3.) We fee further, his furniture for the work: I will put my words in his mouth. (4.) We fee what his work and business is it is to fpeak to them, all that is commanded him of God; to deliver to them the whole counfel of God for their falvation. (5.) Here we fee, who the perfons are to whom God has a regard, in the defignation of Chrift to this office: they are finners, fenfible that it was impoffible for them to hear God fpeak to them immediately, and yet live; which put them upon that defire expreffed in the 16th verfe of this chapter, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God; neither let me fee this great fire any more, that I die not. (6.) We moreover fee God's defign in appointing Chrift a prophet, even a compliance with the de-. fires, and neceffities of convinced finners. This appears plainly to be his defign, if ye obferve the connexion betwixt the 15th and 16th verses of this chapter. The Lord promifes, in. the 15th ver. Christ to be a prophet: and in the 16th he tells, that it was, according to their defires, in Horeb, (7.) We may further take notice of the qualifications which they defire in this prophet, and which Chrift accordingly is endued with; and they are, P 4

that

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that he be one of themselves, one who by his greatness should not be a terror to them; and that he be faithful in declaring to them all that the Lord fhould acquaint him with. Thus we fee in fome measure, and hereafter may, fee more fully, of what use it is to finners, in order to their be. lieving on Chrift, that he be a prophet.

(2.) The Lord Jefus Chrift is a priest for ever after the order of Melchifedek, Pfal. cx. 4. God having made him fo by an oath. And in his difcharge of this office doth no fmall part of the concernment of awakened finners ly. It is not my defign at prefent, to enter upon any large difcourfe of this office of Chrift. I must here take notice of, and open up the nature of this office, in order to that end and scope which we now drive at, the relief of convinced finners. I fhall not ftand upon a recital of all the acts which do belong to this office, of which not a few might be mentioned. There are two which deferve efpecial confideration, his oblation, and his interceffion thereupon. The firft is the foundation of the fecond. Now that ye may understand what advantage flows from this office to the persons of whom we difcourfe, I fhall a little enquire, who the perfon is to whom Chrift offers facrifice, who they are for whom he doth fo, who he is that offers fa crifice, and what that facrifice is that he offers: and upon the whole it will appear, of how great advantage this office is to finners, and how much he is thereby fitted to be the object of finners faith. I fhall only touch at fuch things here as are indifpenfably needful in order to lay a foundation for faith.

Firft, As for the perfon to whom he offers facrifice, and with whom he intercedes, no doubt

it is God only, and that as he is the juft, the finrevenging God, who has declared that he will by no means clear the guilty; nay, that the foul that finneth fhall die. There was no place for facrifices before God was incenfed by fin. It had no place under the first covenant, wherein Adam was allowed to come into the prefence of God, without any interpofal on his behalf by any other. God being then well pleased with him, he had acceptance with God; and by virtue of his acceptance, had a right to, and might ask and have whatever was needful for his happiness. But upon the entry of fin into the world, God's favour was turned into anger and indignation against sinful man. This cuts him off from the expectation of advantage by God; nay more, threatens him with inevitable ruin and deftruction from him, without the interpofal of fome one or other, as a priest to appeafe the wrath of the fin-revenging God. Whence, in the

Second place, it is eafy to understand who the perfons are for whom he offers facrifice: they are finners; who are. obnoxious to the wrath of God upon the account of fin; who not only are cast out of the favour of God, but moreover are lying open to the stroke of vindictive juftice, and this,

Thirdly, Clears to us who he is that must interpofe as a prieft: he must be one acceptable to God: fuch an high priest, fays the apoftle, became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and feparate from finners, Heb. vii. 26. One who upon the account of his own fins, was obnoxious to the juft indignation of God, could be of no ufe to finners in this matter. Again, He must be one who was capable of being affected with the feeling of our infirmities, that he might have compaffion upon us: and

upon

Part II. upon this account it is that the apostle fays, Heb. ii. 17. That it behoved Chrift to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people: for in that be himself bath fuffered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted: For, as the fame apostle has it, Heb. iv, 15. We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of eur infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without fin. In fine, he must be one called of God to this office; for no man takes to himself this office but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. All which qualifications are found in Chrift, and in him only, who is the apoftle and high priest of our profeffion.

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Fourthly, We are to confider what that facrifice is which Chrift as a priest doth offer unto an incenfed God for finners. That he fhould have fomething to offer, is needful abfolutely upon account of the office; For every high prieft is ordained to offer gifts and facrifices, wherefore it is of neceffity that this man have somewhat alfo to of fer, 'Heb..viii. 3. What: that facrifice was, the fame apostle tells us, Heb. ix. 13. For, faith he, if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer fprinkling the unclean fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal spirit offers ed himself without spot to God, purge your confcie ences from dead works, to ferve the living God? The facrifice he offers is himself.

What has been faid of Christ's prieftly office, I fhall bring home to the bufinefs in hand, in the few following particulars. From what has been faid it appears that the cafe betwixt God and fin

ful