(20) suffered without the gate, Heb. xiii. 12. He is entered ' into the holy place by his own blood.’ Heb. ix i2. there to appear as our high priest in the power and virtue of his blood, to make a full atonement, and sprinkle the mercy-seat. Hence believers are said ‘ to be come to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the ‘ blood of sprinkling,’ and where is this? Even in heaven as you see in the context, Heb. xii. 23, 24. ' Now in this work Christ carried the price of his blood into
- the very presence of God for us,’ Heb. ix. 24. and paid
it down before him ; and in this act, justice hath its satisfaction brought home, and by this act, Mercy and justice actually are met; for hereby Christ sprinkled the very merey seat with blood, all over, both upon it, and before it, as the forecited Lev. xvi. represents: For the mercy-seat of old stood so, that it could be seen but two ways, namely, upon it and before it, and as a table next to the Wall, and so this points out, that what ever way we look to mercy by faith, we may see mercy and blood mixt, Mercy and justice met together, and all sorts of mercy conveyed thro the blood of Christ, top mercies, and tide mercies, upper mercies of a spiritual nature, and lower mercies of a temporal nature, for the mercy-seat is sprinkled with blood upon it, and before it, and whatever way you look to it. The sacrifice was finished on the cross, and all sacrifice finished therein, but the blood of the sacrifices behoved also to be carried within the vail in order to the full atonement, that which was written in blood upon the cross, might be sealed in the presence of God at the heavenly bar; and we act not our faith far enough for redemption, unless we follow Christ from the cross to the bar of God’s justice court in heaven to see all sealed and secured there within the vail, where this blood is exposed as it were, and pled at the bar : where ‘ Mercy and Justice met together, and embrace ' each other.’ 8. Another remarkable period is their meeting together at the bar of conscience, God’s lower court on the day of actual reconciliation betwixt God and the sinner; For then, the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit, did ofer himself without spot to God, doth purge
