CHAPTER III.

That it is the privilege of believers under the New Testameat to enter into the highest heavens by faith, and with the apprehension of faith.—An invitation to them so to do.-The dispositions which are required to make them meet for such a heavenly converse.

These things premised, I reduce the words to these four heads:

I. That all that are believers already, under the New Testament, their privilege is, that when they worship, especially in prayer, that they should by faith, and with the apprehension of faith, enter boldly into the very highest heavens; and placing themselves there, to seek communion and converse with God, through Christ; and with Christ himself as our high priest, themselves considered as they are in heaven; and we by faith present there, together with God and Christ; in brief, when we pray, we should in an immediate manner set ourselves to enjoy communion with God and Christ, as they are in heaven.

II. A free and open invitation here made, with an exhortation thereunto; which invitement you have amply pressed, and enforced with the highest encouragements to persuade confidence in so doing; namely, thus to approach God and Christ in the highest heavens. These two heads you have in the 19th, 20th, 21st verses, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, by the veil of his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near,' &c.

III. The inward dispositions or qualifications that are required to make them meet for such a heavenly converse, and which are to make their prayers prevalent to have power with God; to obtain what we pray for: 1. With which therefore we should enter and approach; or,

2. Which we should put forth, and exercise in the time of performance of that duty of praying; and, as much as in us lies, to endeavour not to come off without them. Or,

3. At least, which we do in our prayers, should chiefly seek for at God's hands, and implore his grace and mercy to help our infirmities therein; these, above all things else that we pray for; without doing which, we shall much fall short in our obtaining those other things prayed for by us; and these you have in ver. 22, 'Let us draw nigh with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.'

I have proposed this third head under these three several branches, that it may take in and comprehend all sorts of believers; all of them either having or performing either the one or the other of these three. For if we should understand and limit the scope of these qualifications, to be all and every of them absolutely necessary conditions; that is, such as without each of which, unless every believer brings with him before he prays, he is not, nor shall be accepted, nor his prayer regarded; we must exclude many of the righteous. For it is certain that many do want 'full assurance of faith;' which speaks a higher degree of faith, and especially an assurance that their persons are accepted. Many also fall short of having their consciences* so fully sprinkled from an evil conscience; as to their own sense (as that phrase would import, even to the sense of their consciences, of which hereafter), that their own hearts should not condemn them; in the guiltiness of many sins that God is pleased to let lie bound, even upon them * Qu. 'hearts?'-ED.

that are saints, for as long as his pleasure is, thereby to humble them. And to confirm this, if we take the scope of the apostle, I look upon the words to be an invitation, with an exhortation; and the scope of that exhortation to be, what dispositions those that would pray as in heaven, when they pray, and that would pray after such a heavenly rate, should labour to attain, and either bring such with them when they come, or at least are to seek after, to obtain them in praying, and by prayer. And so these things to be proposed here, as principal matters to be prayed for. And so they serve as rules of direction to praying, as well as for qualifications requisite thereunto. I find but two interpreters that have touched upon any such scope; and they are in Flaccius Illyricus upon the words, of which afterwards. The other is worthy Mr Dixon, who hath well observed on that word-'in full assurance of faith '-that God's meaning is, that he likes it better to come with a full assurance of faith, though he despiseth not the weakest, nor quencheth faith in the smoke, not yet risen into victory in the flame. To which I add, it being an exhortation, exhortations are usually made in the strain of highest attainments, not the lowest and weakest. The apostles did exhort to many things weak Christians might be long in attaining. For the copy or samples you set afore learners use to be with the perfectest, when yet they write or work very much short of them. And so here the meaning is, that God indeed would have you come in full assurance; and this he proposeth as that which you may obtain, and exhorteth unto it as what he most desires, and would have in you. Also, consider that yet the weakest believer hath a faith, so far as to cause him to perform the main thing exhorted to; and that is, to come to God and Christ, and also with a true heart in prayer. Again, it is certain that those, whoever they be, that have these dispositions, he or they obtained them by prayer. And therefore they cannot be all absolute conditions aforehand in all cases ere we come to pray. For themselves are obtained (I say) by prayer first, and much seeking of God too. And how many poor souls do bitterly complain of the want of these!

IV. And each and the whole of these, both duty, invitation, privileges, &c., are inferred from, and represented under, the analogy and similitude of that special solemn worship, and the rites thereof observed and performed by the high priest and the people upon the great and memorable day of atonement; once again celebrated with extraordinary sacrifices on purpose appointed for that day, besides the ordinary for every day, the high priest carrying the blood for those extraordinary ones, to make atonement, into the holy of holies, which he entered into but once a-year. All which was accompanied with confession of sins and prayer, the people also universally coming up to that assembly, and were present at that solemn worship, keeping that day with afflicting their souls for the sins of their whole lives past, which therefore must needs be joined with prayer on their part for the pardon of them; as Lev. xvi. 12, 17, where it is said the high priest carried incense within the veil, with which, if you compare the practice of the people, what it used to be whilst incense was offered; as in Luke i. 9, 10, 'according to the custom of the priest's office, his' (namely Zacharias) 'lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord: and the whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of incense; ' it appears that the people prayed that day, incense on that day being offered in the holy of holies, by the high priest, for an atonement in the same, Lev. xvi. 29, 30, which day was called the day of atonements; and in like respect styled the fast, Act xxvii. 9.

From the types of which the apostle deducts his exhortation here, in these four verses, and speaks to the Hebrews in the language thereof; carrying us up from that holiest to heaven, unto God, and Jesus our high priest there. And he presseth the substantials of our inward worshippings, in ver. 22, from the performances of that day, especially in prayer. For, as this day's solemnities were the top of the Jewish worship, and spent in fasting, prayers, and confessions of sin by the people, so is prayer-these duties and qualifications of our person in prayer-the height of our Christian religion.

For the first. That it is our privilege, and the gospel dispensation calls for it, that when we pray we should set ourselves to enter in, by faith, immediately into heaven, and converse with them as they be in heaven, and we together with them.

Instead of more literal proofs, this text being evidence sufficient, requiring us thus to do, I shall give reasons and demonstrations of it.

1. A reason in general. The gospel (the doctrines of it being totally heavenly, and the blessings of it heavenly, Eph. i. 4) hath exalted, raised up, and enhanced all things thereof to an heavenly state, in their several proportions and kinds. Like the elixir, it hath turned all the legal alchemy, or carnal earthly ordinances (as Heb. ix. 1 they are there called), into celestial; as in the same Heb. ix. 22 they are styled, even all the things represented by those types. The gospel itself was styled, with difference from the old covenant, the kingdom of heaven,' and that by Christ himself, when he began to preach it. The very preaching of it is termed an exaltation of those that heard it unto heaven, Mat. xi. 22; and a speaking from heaven, Heb. xii. 25. And that is spoken in comparison to Moses giving the law, whom he there oppositely terms, him that spake on earth.' Yea, and this speaking from heaven is attributed to the sermons of the apostles, and ordinary ministers, unto the Hebrews and other Christians, to the end of the world. And if their sermons, which are ordinances by the ministry of another speaking to us, are a speaking of Christ's from heaven; what then are our prayers, especially private prayers? For they are purely mediate* effluxes of the soul to God himself, without the intervention of any outward medium, but what is in and from a man's own soul, elevated and assisted by the Holy Ghost, as Rom. viii. This may certainly be entitled, praying in heaven.

Our conversation (if such as becomes the gospel) is to be in heaven, Phil. iii. 20. But prayer is here made, comparatively unto that ordinary conversation, an entering into heaven in so eminent a manner, as if that we walked out of heaven when in our callings, &c., and entered anew sometimes, but now and then, and that when we pray and come to worship. Likewise where Christians' state is to sit together in heavenlies with Christ-Eph. ii. 5, 6, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus -if you be quickened, and have the least of spiritual life begun in you, then hath Christ placed thee in heaven; and our actings in prayer should be in its degree (and this exercise doth excel all other) answerable to our state, and therefore should be a praying as persons in heaven. Certainly if any part of worship, this in the nature of it, above all other, calls for it.

This reason is but a general, from the heavenliness of the gospel.

* Qu. immediate'?-ED.

CHAPTER IV.

The privilege of believers under the New Testament illustrated, and proved by the difference between them, and believers under the Old Testament, who had not this freedom of entering into the holiest.

There is a further special account to be given of this privilege, from a difference between the manner of the dispensation under the law, and now under the gospel, as in respect unto this particular of prayer; together with an explication wherein this difference lies of us from the old Jew, who yet directed their prayers unto God that was in heaven, and implored him to hear in heaven when they prayed, as in 1 Kings viii. you often have it, and elsewhere abundantly.

That there was and is (notwithstanding this now said of them) a difference of privilege between them and us in this respect, it is plain that this exhortation in the text, to come boldly into the holiest, is spoken oppositely to what was theirs, specially when compared with other passages of this epistle concerning them; the text also styling this our manner of coming into the heavens to be a new way initiated,' or new begun,' (as the word 'consecrated' in ver. 20 doth also signify), by the flesh of Jesus rent, as ver 20, and by his blood, ver. 19, newly shed, as the words in the original do import, of which further after.

Concerning which difference,

1. I will not hold you in the briers of a dispute about the meaning of that difficult place of our apostle, chap. ix. 8, affirming that to the people of the Old Testament, The way' (that is, for us) into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest; while as the first tabernacle was yet standing;' that is, whilst the Jewish worship was yet in force, which was until Christ the true high priest was ascended up unto his holiest, the heavens. The plainest meaning to me is, that the mystery of this was kept hid, in a great measure, that Christ might have the greater honour in the discovery of it, upon and after his ascension; and also to shew, that by virtue of his blood it is that any do now, or ever did, enter therein. But still so as, whatever de facto was then, that the godly entered into heaven at death, yet the way to be through Christ's entering, this was not then manifest (I take hold of, and keep to, the proper import of the word). He says not that none had in reality, or indeed, not entered, for Enoch and Elias had, but that it was not manifest; nor yet was it that it were altogether unknown to them that they should one day come thither, for the patriarchs knew it, and expected it, Heb. xi. 10, 14, 16. All which still was but with a glimmering, obscure light; as a dark shadow. I take, therefore, the apostle's meaning in the same sense that the same apostle speaks it, of the whole mystery of the gospel itself. Eph. iii. 5, Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.' Even so this particular of it was not manifest, that is, in that clear manner that it is now, upon Christ's ascension. The very apostles (in the name of whom Philip seems to speak it), John xiv. 5, say, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?'

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My inference from this is, that if the way of entrance at last into that holy of holies was not then so manifest to them, then much less was this way of worshipping and praying, by an immediate entrance of themselves

(through Christ) into heaven itself, whenever they prayed; and as present with their high priest himself, to present themselves by faith unto God through him, and so offer up their prayers to him; but stood as aloof, as men on earth, whilst they prayed unto God as dwelling in heaven. But this the apostle in my text hath taught us; and this way, I may safely say of it, was not manifest then as it is now. But,

2. Besides the obscurity of the knowledge of this way of praying, they were preoccupated from such an address immediate, into heaven itself (such as we have), in that God appointed another place of his residence, viz., his temple on earth, and therein specially the holy of holies,"calling upon them to look unto, and make their addresses to him, as dwelling also there; whereas now he hath appointed heaven itself immediately for us in prayer to come into, when we come unto him, where also our high priest is present. Their case stood thus: they knew, indeed, that God's dwelling-place was heaven, and that when they prayed, God heard in heaven his dwellingplace; and therefore when they prayed, they spread forth their hands towards heaven, as Solomon in his prayer did. But yet withal, they were first called upon to do homage to God, as sitting on his throne on earth; as sitting between the cherubims on the mercy-seat, which covered the ark in the holy of holies. So Hezekiah directs his prayer, 2 Kings xix. 15, O God, that sittest between the cherubims;' and others in the psalms the like. And thereupon also, when they prayed (though in private prayer), they were bidden to look towards the holy place and temple;' as Ps. xxviii. 2, Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee; when I lift up my hands to thy holy oracle.' This oracle was the most holy place, where the ark, the mercy-seat, and the cherubims were; as you find 1 Kings viii. 6, and chap. vi. 5. And in this manner Solomon, in the dedication of his temple, directs his own prayer made by himself, and unto this course directed the people also: in that 1 Kings chap. viii. he prays unto God, that dwelt in heaven, to hear in heaven; and yet draws down their eyes towards that house on earth, as dwelling there; ver. 27-30, 'But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded! Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day; that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there; that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place; and when thou hearest, forgive.' So as they took God up, as dwelling in both places; but first looked to his dwelling-house, or himself as dwelling on earth. And from thence their faith was to climb up to him, as dwelling in that other, the most holy house in heaven, whereof this on earth was the type; and thereby was to their weakness a help unto their faith in prayer, to have God so near them (as the phrase is), as on earth; that God should come down to earth, and there had a visible dwelling-house amongst them; as Exod. xxv. 8, And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them;' which he had not again on all the earth.

And hence ariseth a manifest difference betwixt their condition and ours, that though they prayed unto God that was in heaven, and to hear in heaven, yet,