having an high PriestHeb. 7.25. over the house of God, Let us draw neere with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, Heb. 10. 12.---23.
5. The prayers and workes of the faithfull are sanctified and accepted in the sight of God, the imperfections that cleave unto them being covered and removed; as the high Priest in the Law was to beare the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel, that they might be accepted, Exod. 28. 36, 38. Christ is the Angell of the Covenant, who hath a golden Censor to offer up the prayers of the Saints, Rev. 8. 3. And this is a benefit which runneth through the whole life of a Christian: all the ordinary workes of our calling (being parts of our service unto God, for in them we worke as Servants to the same Master) and workes of mercy and righteousnesse, are unto us sanctified, and to the Father made acceptable, not-with-standing the adherencie of sinne unto them, by reason of our imperfections,1 Joh. 2.1,2. by the intercession of his Sonne, who hath made us Priests to offer our Sacrifices with acceptance upon this Altar, Rev. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Isa. 65. 7. Phil. 4. 18.
6. The sixt benefit is fellowship with the Father and his Sonne, I pray for these, that as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, they also may be one in us, Joh. 17. 21.
7. Continuance in the state of grace, and strength against sin, so that the faithfull shall not finally be overcome, is the gratious and comfortable effect of Christs intercession. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith faile not, Luk. 22. 32. Father I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, Joh. 17. 24. Some may say, in our Saviours prayer for Peter there was some-what singular. And every example is singular, and so this as an example: but it containes nothing singular which is not common to all the faithfull, and such as are given unto Christ of the Father: for then we must say, Christ prayed so for Peter, as he prayed not for his people who stood in more need of his Intercession then Peter, (if the matter be weighed according to the judgement of men,) who had obtained many priviledges. And if Peters faith shall persevere, because Christ prayed for him, they for whom Christ makes intercession that their faith may not faile, they shall continue in faith unto the end. If they say, this priviledge was granted to Peter as an Apostle: then it was granted to all the Apostles: but this priviledge was not common to Peter and Judas.If
