breast or heart, as near as near may be, that they may be in a continual remembrace before the Lord for ever; his very love compels him to this office, to intercede for them.
6. It is Christ's delight to intercede for his Saints? before the world was, His de∣lights were with the sons of men; and when the fulness of time came, then said he, Lo I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy Will O my God; and what was that, but to be with the sons of men? he knew that was his Fathers plea∣sure, and in respect of himself, he had a delight to live with them, and to dye for them: and no sooner he entred into Heaven, but there he delights to officiate still in be∣half of the sons of men; he carries their names on his heart there, and though some of their persons be on earth, and he in his bodily presence is in Heaven, yet distance of place cannot deaden his delights in the remembrance of them; he is ever minding his Father of his people in the neather world; he tells him that they are his, all in all, up∣on the earth, all his joy, and all his delight, and all his portion; as men use to give portions to their children, so God having but one Son by eternal generation, he hath given the Elect unto him as his portion; and hence he makes it his great business in Heaven, to provide mansions for his portion, to take up God's heart for his portion, to beg favour and love for his portion. Here 'tis the joy of Christ in Heaven, in going to his Father, and telling him, Why Father? I have a small portion yet on earth, and because they are on earth, they are still sinning against thy Majesty, but I have suffered and satisfied for their sins, and hither am I come, to mind Thee of it, and contiunally to get out fresh pardons for new sins; come, look on my old satisfaction; didst Thou not promise? is it not in the Articles of agreement betwixt Thee and me, that I should see of the travel of my soul, and should be satisfied? didst Thou not say, that because I poured out my soul, therefore Thou wouldst divide me a portion with the great, and the spoyle with the strong? O my Father, now I make intercession for the transgressors; give me out pardons for an hun∣dred thousand millions of sins; Thou hast said and sworn, that Thou hast no pleasure in the death of sinners; and it is my pleasure, my joy, my infinite delight, to save sinners; these are my seed, my portion, my redeemed ones, and therefore let them be saved. Thus Christ intercedes, and his delight in his Saints, as knowing it to be his Fathers mind, draws him on to this intercession; indeed this reason hangs upon that primary, and first reason; it is God's will that Christ should intercede; as it is Christ's delight to do the will of his Father in Heaven, I delight to do thy Will O my God.
7. It is Christs compassion that causeth intercession. Christ is such an high Priest, (saith the Apostle) as cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. When he was on earth, he felt our infirmities, frailties, miseries, and as a man that hath felt the Stone, or Gout, or Fever; or especially that hath felt soul-troubles, cannot but compassionate those that are in the like condition; so Christ having had the experience of our outward, and in∣ward sufferings, he cannot but compassionate us; and hence it is (his very compassion's moving) that he intercedes to his Father in our behalf. It is observed, that the very of∣fice or work of the High-Priest, was to sympathize with the people of God; onely in the case of the death of his kindred; he was not as others, to sympathize or mourn; but Jesus Christ goes beyond all the High-Priests that ever were before him; he doth fully sympathize with us, not in some, but in all conditions; In all our afflictions he is afflicted. I believe Christ hath carried a man's heart up with him to Heaven; and though there be no passions in him as he is God; yet the flower, the blossom, the excellency of all these passions, (which we call compassions) are infinitely in him as he is God; he striketh, and tryeth, and yet he pittieth; when Ephraim bemoaneth himself, God re∣plies, Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him. Surely there's a violence of heavenly passion in Christ's heart as God-man, which makes him to break out into prayer to God, and into compassions towards Men: O that tempted souls would consider this! it may be Christ is giving you a cup of tears and blood to drink, but who knows what bowels, what turnings of heart, what motions of compassion are in Jesus Christ all the while? those who feel the fruit of Christ's intercession know this, and cannot but subscribe to this truth. O ye of little faith, why do ye doubt of Christ's bowels? is he not our compassionate High-Priest? hath not the tenderest, meekest, mildest heart of a man that God possibly can form, met with the eternal and in∣finite