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highest in this life but an imperfect attainment; and in comparison of the latter full entrance, which is upon death, but as an entrance, a first entrance, and first fruits and earnest, and yet said to be an entrance. And thus, Heb. iv., we who have believed do enter into rest;' and therefore going on from faith to faith,' as Rom. i., we enter further into rest, as faith increaseth, every renewed act being a renewed entrance; and thus we are entering all our life long. And this Jacob, that so extraordinary saint and patriarch, had enjoyed long afore death. He says, 'This is the house of God, and this is no other than the gates of heaven,' which in that vision (wherein he saw Christ and the angels) he had been taken up into, Gen. xxviii. 17. Yea, and every soul that walks very holily, and abounds in it, though he enter not into the joys of heaven, such as are unspeakable and full of glory,' yet he may truly be said to go further up into heaven, in his so walking, and to obtain larger room and place there than other men, though holy. He enters further up into the country every day, into the heart of it, as we use to say, though it be true that every true Christian is passed from death to eternal life, from hell into heaven ;—and when possession or fruition shall come, such a man will find a more rich and ample provision to have been made for him there against he comes.

4. But if, in the last place, more strict inquiry be made, what actings, exercises of faith and holiness, the apostle doth here in this my Hebrews' text, more especially intend, and calleth an entering into heaven, and a coming to, and drawing near? I answer:

(1.) In general. All gospel worship and ordinances, which therefore by way of inference from this here in ver. 19, he in the 23d exhorteth not to forsake. And we must consider that his exhortation, begun in the 19th verse, is an inference from his discourse afore of the Jewish worship, and particularly of that on that solemn day of atonement, when the high priest went into the holiest, which was the highest worship that the Jews had prescribed them; and was a day of pure worship. They were to do no work thereon. Yea, and was styled a Sabbath of Sabbatism, the queen of sabbaths, and above all other sabbaths whatsoever. And you may observe how in the beginning of this chapter, wherein he goes on to interpret and unfold the mysteries of this day's solemnity, he styles them that come to it, 'the worshippers,' the comers thereunto,' verses 1, 2, and from which (namely, that his discourse, doctrinally treated by him in three chapters afore) it is he deduceth his exhortation here. So then gospel worship and ordinances may in general be understood to be an entrance into heaven, and the dispositions required in ver. 22, to be the inward qualifications requisite unto all such worship.

But (2.) in a more special and eminent manner, I conceive, he understands prayer, and especially private prayer. And I am so far from being alone in it, that I find myself compassed about with a cloud of interpreters, who, almost generally, carry it unto prayer. I could fill a leaf with their names and sayings to this purpose upon some or other of these. And that parallel-like exhortation (which many of them do allege for this), Heb. iv. 14, Seeing we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God;' and ver. 16, 'Let us come boldly to the throne of grace.' The exhortation there, 'Let us come,' is a coming by faith in prayer, imploring for help in time of need and distress; so the psalmist useth the word to come to God:' Ps. lxv. 2, 'To thee shall all flesh come.' How? For thou art a God hearing prayer.' It is a coming then by prayer. And the word here in my text, let us draw near,' goosg

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xáusea, is in the original the very same that is there in chap. iv. 16. And in the next chapter to this where my text is (the 11th), 'He that cometh to God' is one that diligently seeks him;' and that is by prayer. But if it were as it is translated draw near,' it likewise importeth prayer: James iv., 'Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you; be afflicted, and mourn,' &c. Again, in that parallel, chap. iv. 16, it is a coming to God to obtain mercy, and find grace to help.' And all that speaks prayer. For these are the aim of a soul that invocates God by prayer, to obtain his mercy for pardon; and grace for supplies of all their spiritual wants, and other needs. And also the word Bonesa there used, is a crying out for help in case of extremity. Likewise the word there translated boldly,' età Tanoias, with boldness, is properly liberty of speech.' And what is that but to come and speak freely to God our needs, and boldly to use all sorts of pleas with him, which grace and mercy in him do afford, to obtain relief and succours, to pour out our hearts afore him? And is not the very word also that the apostle chooseth here in my text, to form his exhortation in, the very same? 'We having boldness, let us come,' or draw near; that is, having liberty to speak, and speak out our minds, our whole hearts, let us come and do it. Every word in that Heb. iv. speaks prayer; and with that exhortation there doth this here correspond and agree. The allusion also here of entering refers unto the Jews, their coming to worship, which is styled an entering into God's courts,' Ps. c.; and their coming with praise and thanksgiving (which is a part of prayer, 2 Tim. i. 1*) in the 4th verse of that psalm, Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise be thankful unto him, and bless his name.' But further, the special allusion of this whole paragraph, my text, being specially made to the worship and practices of that day wherein the high priest entered into the holiest (which phrase of entering into it is so often repeated in this epistle), this brings it yet nearer home unto prayer as meant, and shews that it is a coming to God and Christ by prayer. For both on the high priest's part that day, as he went in by blood into the holiest, so by incense to make a cloud, and by these two alone he went into the holiest : Lev. xvi. 12, 13, 'And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.' This all of us that come into the holiest are to imitate. Now, not only incense betokens prayer (as in the psalms), which was required on the high priest's part, but on the people's part also. It was required of them, that whilst incense was offering, they should pray without: Luke i. 9, 10, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.' And if on the times of the ordinary days of worship, much more on this day, the day of atonements, which was appointed also for the people for prayer; for they were to fast and afflict their souls for sin, Lev. xvi. 27, 28, which they then confessed, even of their whole lives; and was therefore joined with prayer, as that duty did require, for atonement.

So as everything falls in, that prayer bears the main of the apostle's intendment and exhortation. And those qualifications, ver. 22, of 'a true heart,' &c., do come in but as concomitants, to make the prayer acceptable.

* Qu. Phil. iv. 6' ?-ED.

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.

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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.