BOOK 9. THE INTERCESSION.
CHAPTER 1.
9.1.6. What the difference is betwixt Christ's Intercessions, and the Intercessions of the high priests of old.
What the difference is betwixt Christ's Intercessions, and the Intercessions of the high priests of old.
What is the difference betwixt Christ's intercessions, and the intercessions of the high priests of old? There is no question, but howsoever they might agree in some respects, yet Christ officiates in a more transcendant and eminent way than ever any high priest did before him; now, the difference betwixt Christ and them, and betwixt Christ's intercessions and their intercessions, may appear in these particulars; --
1. They were called high priests, but Christ is called the Great High Priest; such a title was never given to any but Christ, whence the apostle argues for the steadfastness of our profession, "Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession," Heb. iv. 14.
2. The high priests then, were Aaron and his sons, but Christ our great high Priest, is the Son of God; for so he is styled in the same verse, the great high Priest that is passed into the heavens, "Jesus the Son of God," Heb. iv. 14.
3. The high priests then were but for a time, but "Christ is a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec," Heb. v. 6. "Melchisedec, (saith the apostle) was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life," Heb. vii. 3, that is, as far as it is known; and so is Christ without a father on earth, and without a mother in heaven; without beginning, and without end; he abides a priest perpetually, even to the end of the world; yea, and the virtue of his priesthood, is infinitely beyond all time, even forever and ever.
4. The high priests then entered only into that place that was typically holy; but Christ is entered into that place that is properly holy, he is entered into the heavens, or (if you will) as into the holy of holies, so into the heaven of heavens.
5. The high priests then did not always intercede for the people; only once a year the high priest entered into the holy of holies, and, after he had sprinkled the mercy-seat with blood, and caused a cloud to rise upon the mercy-seat with his prayers and incense, then he went out of the holy of holies, and laid aside his garments again; but our great high Priest is ascended into the holy of holies, never to put off his princely-priestly garments; nor does he only once a year sprinkle the mercy seat with his sacrifice, but every day; he lives forever to intercede: oh! what a comfort is this to a poor dejected soul? If he once undertake thy cause, and get thee into his prayers, he will never leave thee out night nor day; he intercedeth ever, till he shall accomplish and finish thy salvation; the smoke of his incense ascends forever without intermission.
6. The high priest then interceded not for sins of greater instances; if a man sinned ignorantly there was indeed a sacrifice and intercession for him, but "if a man sinned presumptuously, he was to be cut off from among his people," Numb. xv. 30. No sacrifice, no intercession by the high priest then, but we have such an high priest as maketh intercession for all sins; every sin, though it boil up to blasphemy, (so it be not against the Holy Ghost) shall, by the virtue of Christ's intercession be forgiven, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness," i.e. for sins of all sorts," Zech. xiii. i. "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men," Mark iii. 28. i.e, scarlet sins, or crimson sins; sins of the deepest dye shall by Christ's intercessions be done away; the voice of his blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel; it intercedes for the abolition of bloody sins.
7. The high priests then interceded not without all these materials, viz. a temple, an altar; a sacrifice of a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering; a censer full of burning coals of fire taken off the altar, a putting the incense upon the fire, that the cloud of the incense might cover the mercy-seat; a sprinkling the mercy seat with the blood of the bullock, and of the goat with their finger seven times. Lev. xvi. 3. Such materials they had, and such actions they did, which were all distinct as from themselves; but Jesus Christ in his intercessions now, needs none of these materials, but rather he himself and his own merits are instead of all. As, --
(a). He is the temple, either in regard of the Deity, the gold of the temple being sanctified by the temple; or in regard of his human body, "Destroy this temple, (saith Christ) and I will build it again in three days;" it was destroyed, and God found it an acceptable sacrifice, and smelt in it a sweet savour as in a temple.
(b). He is the altar according to his Deity, for as the altar sanctifies the gift, so doth the Godhead sanctify the manhood; the altar must needs be of a greater dignity than the oblation, and therefore this altar betokens the divinity of Jesus Christ.
(c). He is the sacrifice most properly according to the manhood, for although by communication of properties the blood of the sacrifice is called the "blood of God," Acts xx. 28. yet properly the human soul and flesh of Christ was the holocaust, or whole burnt-offering, roasted in the fire of his Father's wrath.
(d). His merits are the cloud of incense, for so the angel Christ is said "to have a golden censer, and much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne; and the smoke of the incense which came up with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand," Rev. viii. 3, 4. The merits of Christ are so mingled with the prayers of all his saints, that they perfume their prayers, and so they find acceptance with God his Father.
We see now the difference betwixt Christ's intercessions, and the intercessions of the high priests of old.