BOOK 9. THE INTERCESSION.
CHAPTER 1.
9.1.1. What the Intercession of Christ is.
What the Intercession of Christ is.
Consider the Apostle, and High-Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, -- who also maketh Intercession for us.
Hebrews 3:1, Romans 8:34
We have spoken of Christ's entrance into heaven, and of his immediate actings after his entrance there; that transaction which yet remains and will remain until his coming again, is his intercession for the saints. In these actings of Christ in heaven, if we will follow him, we must go from glory to glory; no sooner come we out of one room of glory, but presently we step into another, as glorious as that before; one would think enough had been said already of the glory of Christ, and of our glory in Christ, who would not willingly sit down under the shadow of this happiness, and go no farther? But yet this is not all: so thick and fast doth the glory of Christ break in upon us, that no sooner put of one, than presently we are led into the bosom of another. Oh what a blessed thing is it to be viewing Christ! and to be looking up unto Jesus Christ? Saints might do nothing else, if they pleased, but ravish their hearts with the diversity of heavenly light and comfort, which breaks forth from the bosom of Jesus Christ. Here is now another mystery as great and amazing as the former, which springs out before our eyes in this transaction of Christ's intercession.
And in prosecution of this, as in the former, I shall first lay down the object, and secondly, direct you how to look upon it. The object is Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in his intercession: in ordering of which I shall examine these particulars:
- What is this intercession of Christ? (this section).
and following sections:
- According to what nature doth Christ intercede?
- To whom is Christ's intercession directed?
- For whom is the intercession made?
- What agreement is there betwixt Christ's intercession and the intercessions of the high-priests of old?
- What is the difference betwixt Christ's intercession and the intercessions of those high-priests?
- What are the properties of this intercession of Jesus Christ?
- Wherein more especially doth the intercession of Christ consist?
- How powerful and prevailing are Christ's intercessions with God his Father?
- What are the reasons of this great transaction of Christ's intercession for his people?
What is the intercession of Christ? Some define it thus, "Christ's intercession is that part of his priestly office, whereby Christ is advocate, and entreater of God the Father for the faithful" I shall give it thus, Christ's intercession is his gracious will, fervently and immoveably desiring, that for the perpetual virtue of his sacrifice, all his members might both for their persons and duties, be accepted of the Father.
1. I call the intercession of Christ his own gracious will; for we must not imagine, that Christ in his intercession prostrates himself upon his knees before his Father's throne, uttering some submissive form of words or prayers; that is not beseeming the majesty of him that sits at God's right hand; when he was but yet on earth, the substance of his requests for his saints run thus, "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am," John xvii. 24. And how much more now he is in heaven is this the form of his intercessions, "Father," I will this, and I will that.
2. The ground or foundation of Christ's intercession is, the sacrifice or death of Christ: and hence we may make, two parts of Christ's priesthood or oblation: the one expiatory, when Christ suffered upon the cross; the other presentory, when he doth appear in heaven before God for us; the one was finished on earth, when Christ suffered without the gate; the other is performed in heaven; now Christ is within the city, the one was a sacrifice indeed, the other is not so much a sacrifice as the commemoration of a sacrifice; the first was an act of humiliation, and this latter is an act of glory; the first was performed once for all, this latter is done continually; the first was for the obtaining of redemption, and this latter is for the application of redemption; so that the ground of this is that Christ fervently and immoveably desires his Father for the sake and virtue of his sacrifice.
3. The subject matter interceded for, is, "That all the saints, and their services, might find acceptance with God; first, Christ's intercession is for our persons, and then Christ's intercession is for our works; for as our persons are but in part regenerate, and in part unregenerate; or, in part flesh, and in part spirit; so be our duties, part good, and part evil, in part spiritual, and in part sinful; now by Christ's intercession is Christ's satisfaction applied to our persons, and by consequence, the defect of our duties is covered and removed; and both we and our works are approved and accepted of God the Father.
And thus much for the nature of Christ's intercession what it is.