difference between us under the New Testament, and the Jew under the Old. And the apostle carries it much in his eye and scope, and offers to set out those differences thereby, to exalt and magnify the gospel.

Now it is evident that God carried things so, under his Old Testament dispensations, as to keep them under a fear of being cut off from their people, and so of death, if in their approaches to the public worship they omitted or neglected such and such observations prescribed them.

(1.) Take for instance the case of the high priest, in his goings into the holy of holies (for it is pertinent to the purpose in hand; for the allusion here is made thereunto). How solemnly was he forewarned to take heed how to perform the outward rites prescribed, in his officiating on that day, with this threatening, that ye die not.' You have it twice inserted and rehearsed in Lev. xvi., (the ritual for that day). It is at the beginning of the prescripts, ver. 2, and in the middle, ver. 13. It was matter of danger for him to enter in thither; and must needs cause fear to him that entered, lest he should through omission have miscarried, or through casual uncleanness. But we are here invited to enter into the holiest, upon the assurance of the contrary: that we have a raggnoíav, no cause of fear written over the door of our entrance. Therefore let us draw near, but with a true heart, and full assurance of faith, and there is no danger at all. Likewise,

(2.) The inferior priests and Levites, in their officiatings and transactions about the utensils of this the holiest, about the ark, namely, and the rest in Num. iv., when the tabernacle was to be taken in pieces, and removed by the Levites; when Aaron and his sons (who are only appointed to do it) had taken down the veil afore the holy of holies, and had covered the ark therewith, ver. 5 and ver. 8; and in like manner all the sanctuary, and the vessels in it, had been covered by them with other coverings appointed for them; what says ver. 15? And when Aaron and his sons have have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.' And also ver. 20. The Kohathites that were to be employed about those holy things, ver. 18, yet at verses 19, 20, it is said, 'But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden. But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.' They were neither to see those holy things with their eyes, nor touch them with their hands. Oh but, brethren, the case is altered with us under the New Testament. Read 1 John i. 1, where the apostle, proposing Christ unto us believers of the New Testament, whom he deciphers to be him that was from the beginning,' and the Word of life,' him, says he, whom our eyes have seen, and whom our hands have handled; that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.' Such familiar converse had the apostles with him, when he was come, whom the vessels of the sanctuary, the ark, &c., shadowed; and whom the apostle doth in these words there expose unto all the spiritual senses of all believers (for the acts of New Testament faith on Christ are said to have the exercising of these three senses there mentioned; hearing, seeing, handling; and of the other two also in the Scriptures).

And this very comparing, as to this very respect of fear and danger, between the state of the Old Testament and the New, our apostle doth institute and at large spreads forth in chapter xii., towards the close of this Epistle, from verse 18 to verse 25, and instanceth on the one part how it was with the Jews' spirits at the giving of the law, when God brought the shadow of heaven down so upon the mount, Exod. xxiv. 10. They, Moses, Aaron, and the seventy went up the mountain, and they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet the body of heaven, &c.; and utters it in the same word wherein the exhortation in my text speaks in: Let us come to ;' and there it is ye are not come unto mount Sinai' (as they were), which might not be touched, insomuch as if a beast' (that was not capable of the command) touched the mountain, he was to die; and so terrible was the sight, that Moses' (their mediator, to approach to God for them) said, I exceedingly fear and quake.' Thus it was on the Jews' part, in their coming to. But oppositely he sets out our coming to, with all that is amiable, delectable, and alluring; ver. 22, 'But ye are come unto mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem,' &c.; whither to come there is no danger, but all that may make blessed. The danger is only in refusing, as ver. 25. In that other their coming, there was presented on all hands a danger; yea, of those who by warrant from God were called up into the mount, and saw the God of Israel. As in the same Exod. xxiv. 11 is repeated, and that they did eat and drink before him, it is in that verse recorded as a wonderful thing, that God laid not his hand upon them;' he did them no hurt. It is noted as a strange, extraordinary thing, that they should come down again, without being destroyed. They were in danger; yea, but we are invited let us come to; seeing we have a security, a freedom from fear and danger, a agnoía, to enter. So the text; there was never no man got any hurt by entering into heaven to pray. These are the first step and the lowest of the import of this word. And I begin with this the lowest, because I mean to make a climax, or an ascent of the significations of it.

2. It is a liberty to enter; and that importeth all free leave to come, licentiam intrandi, licence to enter, if you have but a will. According as we use to say, You may come if you will. There is no extrinsecal bar or hindrance from without; no unwillingness or want of freeness in the hearts of God and Christ, the inviters; but all heartiness and readiness to entertain those that will. And they may take as freely when come, as they may come freely without needing any new invitation: Whosoever will (come), let him take of the waters of life freely.'

And so you may take in the freeness that is in the heart of him that inviteth you, though not upon the signification of the word here, yet upon the merit of the thing itself. I confess that the word agnoía, in my text, imports not directly this freeness as in the heart of the inviter, but yet supposeth it; for whence is it that you have the freedom to come, but because he that biddeth you come hath that freeness in his heart? And this much the word that is annexed in that passage of the Revelation doth fully make up: freely,' dwgedv, is the word, which notes an offer of the inviter, out of pure liberality and munificence, to proceed from a largeness of heart; a free heart in the donor; and in God out of pure grace. And thus these two are yoked together, both grace and freeness: Rom. iii. 24, Freely by his grace;' and Rom. v. 15. You may therefore come and take (and by seeking you do take) freely, on God's part; that is, without his the least thinking much, or grudging at it by God, or ever upbraidure afterwards for it

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(as James hath it): God gives richly,' yea, with his whole heart, and upbraids not.' Therefore so far as your will is within itself really, and in earnest raised up to desire, seek, and ask, and continues in that posture, so far you have freedom, without any check, to take. And the waters of life are those streams of blessedness in grace and glory, all that heaven affords. So you have it declared in the beginning of the same chapter: Rev. xxii. 1, And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb;' that throne is in the holiest.

But who is this that says this? Our Lord Christ himself, and that from heaven ver. 16, I, Jesus,' &c. It is I that speak those things that you have now heard, and that follow in ver. 17. And take notice that they are my last words that ever I will speak to men on earth. And being

to speak but this one, I choose and leave it as my last farewell unto the sons of men. Yea, they are the last words I ever intend to have written by any apostle, or other penman, as Scripture given from me, or by my inspiration; so ver. 18, If any man shall add unto these things,' &c. So much must we suppose his heart to be deeply engaged in this saying above all other. And that he might be believed in it, he again sets his seal to this and the other sayings in this book, as the close of all: He that testifieth these things, saith surely, I come quickly,' ver. 20. They are Christ's words also, as those, ver. 16 and 18, and the seal of all; not the angel only I send, but I myself testify these things. And yet I alone testify them not; the word is ouuuagrugouua, I witness with another witness; not the angel he sent (for as he, the faithful witness, 'needed not the testimony of man,' as in John, so nor of the most glorious angels from heaven); but I witness, and the Spirit with me, ver. 17, yea, and my Father, who himself from heaven witnessed this of me: This is my Son, hear him,' and believe him. And whatsoever I speak' (says he elsewhere), even as the Father said unto me, so I speak,' John xii. 50. And therefore if ever you believe, or will believe, any word of his, believe this. And to be sure it is of the most concernment to you, of any word that ever he spake, and you shall never have any such word from him anew until himself comes. And lo, it is to invite you (till himself shall come to you) that you would come in the mean while unto him, for whatever you have a will to have which himself hath; and if this speech of Christ's extends to those (as sure it doth) who do not yet believe on him, to invite even such to come for life at first, as Matt. xi. 28 it is intended, then much more it intends those that have come already, that they would continue to do it until he comes; for such have a right and boldness, says the text: Let us therefore come, &c. But,

3. It may be said, and is by many, though I have free leave to come, and ask freely, and need not be either ashamed or afraid, but I cannot speak what I desire. There is for this a further signification of the word agźnoia, a relief which will prompt you in this. It signifies, in a most proper meaning of it, a freedom of speech, which imports two things: 1. Free leave and liberty to the thing itself, to what you will speak, according to God's mind warranted in his word, 1 John v. And 2. Not as it is a leave

to speak only, but a new endowment of spirit in you, emboldening you to utter your minds; an enlargement of heart to express your desires one way or other acceptably to God. And this must needs still hearten you; for the business you are specially exhorted unto is to pray, and to ask, as I proposed it at first.

And that it is a most proper signification of the word cannot be denied,

and is generally agreed among critics. And the New Testament so useth it frequently, and it is often put for plainness of speech, when one speaks what is in his heart; as it is there, John x. 24, If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly' (it is the same word). The etymology of the word agencia is from av, omne, and ¿ños, dictio, a telling all.*

By nature all men's mouths through guilt are stopped before God: Rom. iii. 19, That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' And so when they come afore God to pray, being condemned in themselves, guilt stops their mouths, and they are speechless, as he, Matt. xxii. 12.

But when a man is, by faith and regeneration, become actually a member of Christ, Christ gives him a new mouth as well as a new heart, spirit of prayer and supplication.' There is a ceremony, that after the pope hath made a new cardinal, and put him into that dignity with Esto cardinalis, he hath a further solemnity (which they term the opening a cardinal's mouth), which is to give him leave to speak and vote with the rest of them. This he doth in a vain show, having no power to give more ability of speech than he had before, but permission only; but, to be sure, Christ hath power, and doth exercise it to them whom he makes fellows with him and members of him: Open thou my lips,' &c., Ps. li. And it is a wonderful work to see how Christ gives to poor weak souls, ignorant and dead-hearted afore conversion, how he gives, I say, a glorious liberty and freedom this way to ask what concerns their own salvation. When Paul's three days of lying in of the new birth were not yet out: Behold he prays,' saith Christ from heaven of him, Acts ix. 11. And whereas they know not what to ask, Christ sends his Spirit into such souls to help their infirmities, Rom. viii. And what we are not able to clothe with words answerable to our desires, or to express what we desire, he draws out inward groans and sighs unutterable. And God knows the meaning of the Spirit, that is, of the new creature which he hath wrought within us, as if they had expressed them in words. He knows what it would have when it yet cannot utter; so that very soul hath a vent one way or other, either by inward words (and the groans, desires, and thoughts, and affections of the mind and inward man are in Scripture often termed words), or else by outward ability of speech, whence there is nothing in our hearts but are one way or another made known to God by us. The word παρρησία is, as I said, πᾶν ρῆσις, to tell all. It warrants thee to go and tell God all. A soul hath liberty to pour forth his whole heart: Ps. Ixii. 8, Pour out your hearts before him.' To pour out implies, 1. A fulness of matter, which the heart, conceiving within itself, pours forth on the sudden, and easeth and disburdeneth itself of it, and empties the soul of all that is in it. Yea, God enlargeth the heart, and

Acts ii. 29, 'Let me speak freely to you,' says Peter (the same word). And there it is both a taking free leave to do it, and also to utter what was in his mind freely about it. 'Great is my freeness of speech to you,' says Paul, 2 Cor. vii. 4. His heart was so enlarged by love to them, as in the verse afore,You are in our hearts to die and live with you,' that he tells them he can say anything unto them, ver. 4, and pour out his very soul. And Pectus dissertum facit. Here it imports a power of affection to utter one's heart; and in Acts iv. 27, the apostles and the whole church prayed, that the apostles might speak the word with all freeness,' not boldness only (as it is translated), but with all ability to utter the truths of it; for it is all sorts of freedom, as there. They were filled with the Holy Ghost, as there, who is said to give utterance to them, chap. ii. ver. 24. Such as were of free spirits to express themselves are called aggos dorngo.-Arist. Rhet., lib. ii.-[Qu. zag ησίαστικοι ' ?-ED.

causeth good materials for prayer to boil up within a man's spirit, and by these fore-preparings of the heart provoketh the soul to prayer, and to pour them all forth; and so is fulfilled that of the psalmist, God prepareth the heart, and hears the prayer.' And thou mayest, in telling God all, use plainness of speech (as was observed the meaning of the word to be), even as plainly as ever thou art able to utter them; as thou wouldst do to any, thy dearest friend, all thy griefs, fears, wants-Ps. xxxviii. 9, 'All my desires are afore thee;'-yea, all thy sins, and then mayest make apologies for thyself' (as the word clearing of yourselves' is, 2 Cor. vii. 11). I mean not excuses, but all sorts of pleas which may move God to pardon thee, which thou findest in the word belonging to thy case. Thou mayest take all the words to thyself, Hos. xiv. 2, that free grace hath written and prompted in this book, and use them as pleas for thyself.

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And what a mighty encouragement then is this third branch, being added to the former?

4. The word aggnoía hath a promise from God, that follows it, annexed to it, and entailed upon it; and that is, that God will grant whatever of heavenly and spiritual things you ask. This you have, 1 John iii. 21, 'Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.' And it follows, ver. 22, Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandment, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.' The word in the 21st verse, confidence,' is our word here in the text. And he mentions it there for this end and purpose, to encourage that if with confidence and boldness we use and exercise the forementioned freedom of speech in praying (for the word imports boldness, and freedom of speech both), then whatever we ask we shall receive of him, sooner or later. If you take it an universal promise (as it is whatsoever), then understand it whatever blessings, spiritual, heavenly, as Eph. i. 3, they are styled. We are to make our prayers as placed in heaven (as was said); and our prayers shall be answerable thereto; and the liberty that our desires take in asking should run after things heavenly, as our affections are called upon to be: Col. iii. 1, 2, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.' Look what commodities that country affords; there you may be free, and as free in asking them, as you have hearts raised up to desire them. Yea, and you have in effect the things you ask given you; if your hearts so ask them, and from your souls ask them. Those are the commodities of that place, and of its own growth; only take in what follows in the same ver. 22, Because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.'

CHAPTER VII.

The exercise of faith in prayer, which aptly present themselves under the notion of coming to God, and Christ as our high priest, so far as the type of the high priest, when he went into the holy of holies, doth represent.

I limit myself unto that converse with Christ, and God through him, by faith exercised in prayer. And therein I intend but only such exercises in prayer as aptly present themselves under the notion of coming to God, and Christ as our high priest; so far as the type of the high priest in the times