The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

1. From the Nature of Christ's Intercession; that is not a formal Prayer, but an appearing in the Holy of Holies before the face of God as an Advocate, and there presenting his Blood and Righteousness in their freshness and endless life of Merit, with a Will that all the Grace purchased thereby may be dispensed to the sons of men; therefore Christ even in Glory stands [Greek or Hebrew], as one slain, Rev. 5. 6. showing his bleeding Wounds to make Intercession with God. Hence it follows, that his Intercession (being a kind of celestial Oblation) perfectly answers to his Oblation on the Cross; he is an Advocate above, so far as he was a Surety here below; his Blood speaks the ⟨p. 304⟩very same things in Heaven as it did on Earth, and his Will stands in the same posture towards Sinners there as here. Now, how far was Christ a Surety for all? Surely thus far, that all may be saved if they believe; else either they cannot be saved at all which is contrary to the truth of the Promise, or they may be saved without a Surety, which is contrary to the current of the Scriptures. But if he were so far a Surety for all, then he is so far an Advocate for all; for he appears an Advocate in Heaven for all those for whom he appeared as a Surety on the Cross. Hence the Apostle saith in general, If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, 1 Joh. 2. 1. he saith not strictly, if the Elect sin, but at large, if any man sin, we have an advocate; and as the true ground-work of this general Advocation, he adds, he is the propitiation for the whole world, Ver. 2. So far forth as he was a Propitiation for the World, so far forth he is an Advocate for it. And another Apostle affirms that Christ is a Mediator between God and men, 1 Tim. 2. 5. he saith not betwixt God and his Church, but betwixt God and men; and the following words give the true reason of it, Christ gave himself a ransom for all, ⟨p. 305⟩Ver. 6. he is no less a Mediator for all, than he was a Ransom for all. Christ's Blood shed on the Cross spake thus far for all men that they might have their pardon on Gospel-terms; and afterwards being carried to Heaven it speaks the very same language for them; for the voice or speech of that Blood is its Merit, and that Merit is of an indeficient virtue. Hence that Blood cannot be speechless, because it cannot be meritless;