The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in CambridgeThe works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge

More especially, Ans. 4 If that a poor Christian now, might not to unto Jesus Christ as unto his High-Priest, and say, that he is an High-Priest to me: then are we Christians, in a great deal worser condition than the Jews were; for when a Jew had sinned, he might carry his sacrifice to the Priest, and he might say, That this Priest here belongs to me. And there was never a Jew, amongst all the people of the Jews, but when the High-Priest sprinkled the Mercy-Seat, but he might say, This he hath done for me. Now, we are not in a worse condition, than the Jews were: this High-Priest, is beyond all the High-Priests that ever was before him: and therefore there is never a poor Christian, but he may go to the Lord Christ and say, Oh! my High-Priest, and this my High-Priest hath satisfied for me. Oh! what comfort is here to poor drooping souls! Lift up your heads, O all ye Saints, and Children of God; me thinks here is that indeed, that might bring you off your own sands. When there is no water in the river but his own, the tide comes not in, no sea-water, only the water of the river, the native water, (as I may so speak) then your bottoms, your ships they stand upon the sands; but when the tide comes in, then they are raised, and come off the sands then: And so long as thou hast nothing in thy own channel, but thine own righteousness, thou stickest upon the sands in the deep mire; But now, when the tide of the Lords satisfaction comes in, there is a full-sea of mercy, and satisfaction (able to swim the heaviest vessel) made by Jesus Christ. Ah, me thinks this should lift up a poor soul and fetch him off from his sands: Be of good Comfort them. Thus it's evident how this truth does much conduce to our Comfort. But you will say, Quest. Does it not much conduce to our Grace, or Holiness too? Or if it do, I pray how?

More especially, Ans. 4 If that a poor Christian now, might not to unto Jesus Christ as unto his High-Priest, and say, that he is an High-Priest to me: then are we Christians, in a great deal worser condition than the Jews were; for when a Jew had sinned, he might carry his sacrifice to the Priest, and he might say, That this Priest here belongs to me. And there was never a Jew, amongst all the people of the Jewes, but when the High-Priest sprinkled the Mercy-Seat, but he might say, This he hath done for me. Now, we are not in a worse condition, than the Jews were: this High-Priest, is beyond all the High-Priests that ever was before him: and therefore there is never a poor Christian, but he may go to the Lord Christ and say, Oh! my High-Priest, and this my High-Priest hath satisfied for me. Oh! what comfort is here to poor drooping souls! Lift up your heads, O all ye Saints, and Children of God; me thinks here is that indeed, that might bring you off your own sands. When there is no water in the river but his own, the tyde comes not in, no sea-water, only the water of the river, the native water, (as I may so speak) then your bottoms, your ships they stand upon the sands; but when the tyde comes in, then they are raised, and come off the sands then: And so long as thou hast nothing in thy own channel, but thine own righteousness, thou stickest upon the sands in the deep mire; But now, when the tyde of the Lords satisfaction comes in, there is a full-sea of mercy, and satisfaction (able to swim the heaviest vessel) made by Jesus Christ. Ah, me thinks this should lift up a poor soul and fetch him off from his sands: Be of good Comfort them. Thus it's evident how this truth does much conduce to our Comfort. But you will say, Quest. Does it not much conduce to our Grace, or Holiness too? Or if it do, I pray how?