Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Inferences From The Certainty of Benefit From Christ's Intercession, 238.

 

THE USE. I come now to make some use of this discourse; and,

USE FIRST, Let me exhort you to study this, as well as the other truths of our Lord Jesus Christ. The priestly office of Christ is the first and greatest thing that is presented to us in the gospel—namely, how he died for our sins, and gave himself to the cross, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us through him. (1 Cor 15:1-6, Gal 3:13-16) But now that this priestly office of his is divided into two parts, and because one of them—to wit, this of his intercession—is to be accomplished for us within the veil, therefore, as we say among men, out of sight, out of mind, he is too much as to be forgotten by us. We satisfy ourselves with the slaying of the sacrifice; we look not enough after our Aaron as he goes into the holiest, there to sprinkle the mercy seat with blood upon our account. God forbid that the last syllable of what I say should be intended by me, or construed by others as if I sought to diminish the price paid by Christ for our redemption in this world. But since his dying is his laying down his price, and his intercession is the urging and managing of its worthiness in the presence of God against Satan, there is glory to be found therein, and we should look after him in the holy place. 

The second part of the work of the high priests under the law had great glory and sanctity put upon it; forasmuch as the holy garments were provided for him to officiate in within the veil, also it as there that the altar stood on which he offered incense; also there was the mercy-seat and the cherubims of glory, which were figures of the angels, that love to be continually looking and prying into the management of this second part of the priesthood of Christ in the presence of God; for although themselves are not the persons so immediately concerned therein as we, yet the management of it, I say, is with so much grace, and glory, and wisdom, and effectualness, that it is a heaven to the angels to see it. Oh! to enjoy the odorous scent and sweet memorial, the heart-refreshing perfumes, that ascend continually from the mercy seat to the ‘above’ where God is; and also to behold how effective

it is to the end for which it is designed, is glorious; and he that is not somewhat let into this by the grace of God, there is a great thing lacking in his faith, and he missed of many a sweet bit that he might otherwise enjoy. 

Therefore, I say, be exhorted to study this part of Christ’s work in managing our salvation for us. And the ceremonies of the law may be a great help to you as to this, for though they be out of use now as to practice, yet the signification of them is rich, and that from which many gospellers have got much. Wherefore I advise that you read the five books of Moses often; yea, read, and read again, and do not despair of help to understand something of the will and mind of God therein, though you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble your heads though you do not commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from men. Also, what is from men is uncertain, and is often lost and tumbled over and over by men; but what is from God is fixed as a nail in a sure place. I know there are [peculiar] times of temptation, but I speak now as to the common course of Christianity.  There is nothing that so abides with us as what we receive from God; and the reason why Christians this day are at such a loss as to some things is that they are content with what comes from men’s mouths, without searching and kneeling before God, to know of him the truth of things. Things that we receive at God’s hand come to us as things from the minting house, though old in themselves, yet new to us. Old truths are always new to us if they come to us with the smell of heaven upon them. I speak not this because I would have people despise their ministers, but to show that there is nowadays so much idleness among professors that hinders them from a diligent search after things, and makes them take up short of that that is sealed by the Spirit of testimony to the conscience. Witness the great decays at this day among us, and that strange revolting from truth once professed by us.

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