for ever. I thus discourse, to show you what dangerous conclusions follow from a conceit, that some that come to God by Christ shall not be saved, though he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

And this I have further to say, That the Lord by swearing (since the manner of the oath is such as it is, and that it also tendeth to establish to Christ his priesthood to be unchangeable) declareth, that as to the excellency of Christ's sacrifice he is eternally satisfied in the goodness and merit of it; and that he will never deny him any thing that he should ask for at his hands, for his sufferings' sake. For this oath doth not only show God's firm resolution to keep his part of the covenant, in giving to Christ that which was covenanted for by him; but it declareth, that, in the judgment of God, Christ's blood is able to save any sinner, and he will never put stop nor check to his intercession, how great soever the sinners be that at any time he shall intercede for. So that the demonstration is clearer and clearer, "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

3. This unchangeableness of the priesthood of Christ dependeth also upon his own life. "This man because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." Now, although perhaps at first much may not appear in this text, yet the words that we are upon take their ground from them. "This man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also," that is, by his unchangeable priesthood, "to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

The life of Christ, then, is a ground of the lastingness of his priesthood, and so a ground of the salvation of them that come unto God by him. "We shall be saved by his life." Wherefore, in another place, this his life is spoken of with

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great emphasis, he is made a priest, "not after the law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life." An endless life is then a powerful thing; and indeed two things are very considerable in it, 1. That it is above death, and so above him that hath the power of death, the devil. 2. In that it capacitates him to be the last in his own cause, and to have the casting voice.

We will speak to the first, and for the better setting of it forth, we will show what life it is of which the apostle here speaks; and then, how, as to life, it comes to be so advantageous, both with respect to his office of priesthood, and with respect to us.

(1.) What life is it that is thus the ground of his priesthood? It is a life taken,-his own life rescued from the power of the grave; a life that we had forfeited, he being our surety; and a life that he recovered again, being the captain of our salvation. "I lay down my life (saith he) that I may take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." It is a life then that was once laid down as the price of man's redemption, and a life won, gained, taken, or recovered again, as the token or true effect of the completing, by so dying, that redemption. Wherefore, it saith again, "In that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God." He liveth as having pleased God by dying for our sins, as having merited his life by dying for our sins. Now, if this life of his is a life merited and won, by virtue of the death that he died (as Acts ii. 24, doth clearly manifest);—and if this life is the ground of the unchangeableness of this part of his priesthood, as we see it is, then it follows, that this second part of his priesthood, which is called here intercession, is grounded upon the demonstration of the virtue of his sacrifice, which demonstration is his life taken to live again. So then, he holds this part of his priesthood, not by virtue of a carnal commandment, but by the power of an endless life,—by the

power of a life rescued from death, and eternally exalted above all that anyways would yet assault it. being raised from the dead dieth no more; more dominion over him."

For "Christ death hath no

Hence Christ brings in his life (the life that he won to himself by his death) to comfort John withal, when he fainted under the view of that overcoming glory that he saw upon Christ in his vision of him at Patmos. "And he laid his right hand upon me (saith he), saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth; and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen." Why should Christ bring in his life to comfort John, if it was not a life advantageous to him? But the advantageousness of it to John doth lie, not merely in the being of life in Christ, but in that it was a life laid down for his sins, and a life taken up again for his justification; a life lost to ransom him, and a life won to save him. As also the text affirmeth, saying, "He is a able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Again, it is yet more manifest, that Christ's receiving his life again, was the death and destruction of the enemy of his people. And to manifest that it was so, therefore (after he had said, “And, behold, I am alive for ever more, Amen), he adds, And have the keys of hell and of death." ‘I have the power over them: I have them under me: I tread them down, by being a victor, a conqueror, and one that has got the dominion of life (for he is now the Prince of Life), one that lives for evermore, Amen.' Hence it is said again, "he hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." He hath abolished death by his death. By death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and brought life—(a very emphatical expression)—and brought it from whence? From God, who raised him from the dead; and brought it to light,

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to our view and sight, by the word of the truth of the gospel.

So then, the life that he now hath, is a life once laid down as the price of our redemption; a life obtained and taken to him again as the effect of the merit that was in the laying down thereof; a life by the virtue of which death and sin, and the curse, are overcome; and so a life that is above them for ever. This is the life that he liveth (namely, this meriting, purchasing, victorious life), and that he improveth, while he ever so lives, to make intercession for us.

This life then, is a continual plea and argument with God, for them that come to him by Christ, should he make no other intercession, but only show to God that he liveth; because his thus living, saith that he has satisfied for the sins of them that come unto God by him. It testifies, moreover, that those enemies, death, the grave, and hell, are overcome by him for them; because indeed he liveth, and hath their keys. But now, add to life—to a life meritorious -intercession, or an urging of this meritorious life by way of prayer for his, and against all those that seek to destroy them (since they themselves also have been already overcome by his death), and what an encouraging consideration is here for all them that come to God by him, to hope for life eternal! But,

(2.) Let us speak a word to the second point; namely, that his living for ever capacitates him to be last in his own cause, and to have the casting voice; and that is an advantage next to what is chiefest.

His cause! What is his cause, but that the death that he died when he was in the world, was, and is, of merit sufficient to secure all those from hell, or, as the text has it, to save them that come unto God by him; to save them to the uttermost? Now, if this cause be faulty, why doth he live? Yea, he liveth by the power of God, by the power of God towards us; or with a respect to our welfare; for he liveth

to make intercession-intercession against Satan our accuser -for us. Besides, he liveth before God, and to God, and that after he had given his life a ransom for us. What can follow more clearly from this, but that amends was made by him for those souls for whose sins he suffered upon the tree? Wherefore, since his Father has given him his life and favor, and that after he died for our sins, it cannot be thought but that the life he now liveth, is a life that he received as the effect of the merit of his passion for us.

God is just; and yet Christ liveth-and yet Christ liveth in heaven! God is just; and yet Christ our passover liveth there, do what our foes can to the contrary!

And this note, by the way, that though the design of Satan against us, in his laboring continually to accuse us to God, and to prevail against our salvation, seems to terminate here; yet indeed it is also laid against the very life of Christ, and that his priesthood might be utterly overthrown, and in conclusion, that God also might be found unjust, in receiving those whose sins have not been satisfied for, and so whose souls are yet under the power of the devil. For he that objects against him for whom Christ intercedes, objects against Christ and his merits; and he that objects against Christ's intercession, objects against God who has made him a priest for ever. Behold you therefore, how the cause of God, of Christ, and of the souls that come to God by him, are interwoven! They are wrapt up in one bottom. Mischief one, and you mischief all; overthrow that soul, and you overthrow his intercession; and overthrow him, and you overthrow even him that made him a priest for ever! For the text is without restriction. "He is able to save to the uttermost, them that come unto God by him." He saith not now and then one, or sinners of an inferior rank in sin, but them that come to God by him, how great soever their transgressions are; as is clear in that it addeth this clause,