BOOK 9. THE INTERCESSION.
CHAPTER 1.
9.1.8. Wherein the Intercession of Christ consists.
Wherein the Intercession of Christ consists.
Wherein more especially doth the intercessions of Jesus Christ consist? Some suppose, that Christ's very being in heaven, and putting God in mind of his active and passive obedience by his very presence, is all that intercession that the scripture speaks of, But I rather answer in these particulars. As, --
1. Christ's intercession consists, in the presenting of his person for us; he himself went up to heaven, and presented himself; the apostle calls this, "an appearing for us; Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, but into heaven, now to appear in the presence of God for us," Heb. ix. 24. I believe there is an emphasis in the words, "appearing for us." But how appears he for us? I answer, --
(a). In a public manner; whatsoever he did in this kind, he did it openly and publicly; he appears for us in the presence of God the Father; he appears for us in the presence of his saints and angels; heaven's eyes are all upon him in his appearing for us.
(b). He appears for us as a Mediator, he stands in the middle betwixt God and us; hence it is that he is God-man, that he might be a Mediator betwixt God and man.
(c). He appears for us as a sponsor and a pledge; surely it is a comfort to a man to have a friend at court, at the prince's elbow, that may own him, and appear for him; but if this friend be both a mediator and surety: a mediator to request for him, and a surety to engage for him; O! what a comfort is this? Thus Christ appeared in every respect; he is a Mediator to request for us; and he is a surety to engage for us: as Paul was for Onesimus a mediator, "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus," Phil. ver. 10. and a sponsor, "If he have wronged thee, or owe thee ought, put that to my account, I will repay it," verses 18, 19. So is Jesus Christ for his saints, he is "the Mediator of a better covenant," Heb. viii. 6, and he "is a surety of a better testament," Heb. vii. 22.
(d). He appears as a solicitor, to present and promote the desires and requests of the saints, in such a way us that they might find acceptance with his Father. He is not idle now, he is in heaven; but as on earth, he ever went about doing good; so now in glory he is ever about his work of doing good: he spends all his time in heaven in promoting the good of his people; as from the beginning it was his care, so to the world's end it will be his care to solicit his Father in the behalf of his poor saints; he tells God, "Thus and thus it is with his poor members, they are in want, in trouble, in distress, in affliction, in reproach;" and then he presents their sighs, sobs, prayers, tears and groans: and that in such a way as that they may become acceptable to his Father.
(e). He appears as an advocate, "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. An advocate is more than solicitor; an advocate is one that is of counsel with another, and that pleadeth his cause in open court; and such an advocate is Jesus Christ unto his people.
(i). He is of counsel with them; that is one of the titles given him by the prophet Isaiah, "Wonderful, Counsellor," Isa. ix. 6. He counsels them by his word and Spirit.
(ii). He pleads for them, and this he doth in the high court of heaven, at the bar of God's own justice, there he pleads their cause, and answereth all the accusations that are brought in by Satan or their own consciences; but of this anon.
(f). He appears as a public agent or ledger ambassador; what that is, some tell us in these particulars.
(i). His work is to continue peace; and surely this is Christ's work, "He is our peace," Eph. ii, 14, saith the apostle, that is, the author of our peace: he purchased our peace, and he maintains our peace with God; to this purpose he sits at God's right hand to intercede for us, and to maintain the peace and union betwixt God and us, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. v. 1.
(ii). His work is to maintain intercourse and correspondency; and surely this is Christ's work also, "By him we have an access unto the Father, In him we have boldness and access with confidence, by the faith of him," Eph. ii. 18, iii. 12. The word access, doth not only signify coming to God in prayer, but all that resort and communion which we have with God, as united by faith to Jesus Christ; according to that, "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God," 1 Pet. iii. 18. This benefit have all believers in and by Christ, they come to God by him, they have free commerce and intercourse in heaven.
(iii). His work is to reconcile and take up emergent differences, and this is Christ's work also, "He maketh intercession for the transgressors," Isa. liii. 12. He takes up the differences that our transgressions make betwixt God and us.
(iv). His work is to procure the welfare of the people or state where he negotiates: and this is no less Christ's work, for he seeks the welfare of his people, he sits at God's right hand to intercede for them, and commending their estate and condition to his Father, he makes it his request to his Father, that his members may have "a continual supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ," Phil. i. 19, that they may be strengthened in temptation, confirmed in tribulations, delivered from every evil work, enabled to every good duty, and finally preserved unto his heavenly kingdom.
2. Christ's intercessions consist in the presenting of his wounds, death and blood as a public satisfaction for the debt of sin; and as a public price for the purchase of our glory.
There is a question amongst the schools, whether Christ hath not taken his wounds, or the signs, scars, and prints of his wounds, into heaven with him? And whether Christ, in representing those wounds, scars and prints unto his Father, doth not thereby intercede for us? Some, I am sure, are for the affirmative, Aquinas (Aquinas in John c. 2.) distinguisheth of Christ's intercession, as being threefold. The first, before his passion, by devout prayer; and the second, at his passion, by effusion of his blood; and the third, after his ascension, by the representation of his wounds and scars. Howsoever this hold, (for I dare not be too confident without scripture ground, yet this I dare say, that Christ doth not only present himself, but the sacrifice of himself, and the infinite merit of his sacrifice. When he went to heaven he carried with him absolutely the power, the merit, the virtue of his wounds, and death, and blood, into the presence of God the Father for us; and with his blood he sprinkled the mercy-seat (as it were) seven times. We read in the law, "that when the high priest went within the veil, he took the blood of the bullock, and sprinkled it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward: and before the mercy-seat he sprinkled the blood with his finger seven times," Lev. xvi. 14. Not only was the priest to kill the bullock without the holy of holies, but he was to enter with the blood into the holy of holies, to sprinkle the mercy-seat therein with it; surely these were "patterns of things to be done in the heavens," Heb. ix. 23. Christ that was slain and crucified without the gate, Heb. xiii. 12; carried his own blood into the holy of holies, or into the heaven of heavens, "for by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us," Heb. ix. 12. And thither come, he sprinkles it (as it were) upon the mercy-seat, i.e. he applies it, and obtains mercy by it; by the blood of Christ, God's mercy and justice are reconciled in themselves, and reconciled unto us, Christ sprinkles his blood on the mercy-seat seven times; seven is a note of perfection: where Christ's blood is sprinkled on a soul, that soul is sure to be washed from all filth, and at last be perfected and saved to the very utmost; Christ's blood was shed upon the earth, but Christ's blood is sprinkled, now he is in heaven; what, is any soul sprinkled with the blood of Christ? Surely this sprinkling comes from heaven: so the apostle, "but ye are come to mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, -- and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant: and then it follows, "to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel," Heb. xii. 22, 24. It is upon mount Zion where this sprinkling is: there is Jesus at God's right-hand, there he stands (as it were) upon the mount, and there he sprinkles his blood round about him: heaven is all besprinkled, as the mercy-seat in the holy of holies was, Lev. xvi. 14, 19. The earth is all besprinkled as the altar out of the holy of holies was; heaven and earth are all besprinkled with the blood of Jesus, so that the saints and people of God are no where, but their doors, and their posts, and houses (I mean their bodies and souls) are all besprinkled with the blood of the Lamb, slain from the beginning of the world. Why, this is that "blood of sprinking that speaks better things than that of Abel." Mark, that Christ's blood hath a tongue, it speaks, it cries, it prays, it intercedes; there is some agreement, and some difference betwixt Christ's blood and Abel's blood.
(a). The agreement is in these things, Abel's blood was abundantly shed, for so it is said, "the voice of blood," Gen. iv. 10. And Christ's blood was let out with thorns and scourges, nails and spear, it was abundantly shed. Again, Abel's blood cried out, yea it made a loud cry, so that it was heard from earth to heaven, "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground," Gen iv. 10. and Christ's blood crieth out, it makes a loud cry, it fills heaven and earth with the noise; yea, the Lord's ears are so filled with it, that it drowns all other sounds, and rings continually in his ears.
(b). The difference is in these things, Abel's blood cried for vengeance against Cain, but Christ's blood speaks for mercy on all believers; Abel's blood was shed because he sacrificed, and he and his sacrifice accepted; but Christ's blood was shed that he might be sacrificed, and that we through his sacrifice might be accepted. Abel's blood cried thus, "See, Lord, and revenge;" but Christ's blood cried thus, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;" and at this very instant Christ's blood cries for remission, and here is our comfort; if God heard the servant, he will much rather hear the Son, if he heard the servant for spilling, he will much more hear the Son for saving. Yet that I may speak properly, and not in figures, I will not say that the very blood which Christ shed on the cross is now in heaven, nor that it speaks in heaven; these sayings are merely metaphorical; yet this I maintain as real and proper, that the power, merit, and virtue of Christ's blood is presented by our Saviour to his Father, both as a public satisfaction for our sins, and as a public price for the purchase of our glory.
3. Christ's intercession consists in the presenting of his will, his request, his interpellation for us, grounded upon the vigour and virtue of his glorious merits, "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me," John xvii. 24. This was a piece of Christ's prayer whilst yet he was on earth, and some say it is a summary of Christ's intercession which now he makes for us in his glory; he prayed on earth as he meant to pray for us when he came to heaven; he hints at this in the beginning of his prayer, for he speaks as if all his work had been done on earth, and as if then he were even beginning his work in heaven, "I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, O Father! glorify thou me with thy ownself, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was," John xvii. 4, 5.
I know it is a question, Whether Christ now in heaven do indeed, and in truth, and in right propriety of speech pray for us? Some able divines are for the negative, others for the affirmative. For my part (leaving a liberty to those otherwise minded according to their light) I am of opinion, that Christ doth not only intercede by an interpretative prayer, as in the presenting of himself, and his merits to his Father, but also by an express prayer, or by an express and open representation of his will; and to this opinion methinks these texts agree, "I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, and at that day ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you," John xiv. 16. xvi. 26, 27. When he saith, "I say not, that I will pray for you," it is the highest intimation that he would pray for them; as it is our phrase, "I do not say I will do this or that for you, no not I," when indeed we will most surely do it, and do it to purpose. Austin confirms this, "Orat pro nobis, orat in nobis, et oratur, a nobis" etc. (Aust. Prefat. in Psalm lxxxv.) "He prays for us, he prays in us, and he is prayed to by us: he prays for us as he is our priest, and he prays in us as he is our head, and he is prayed to by us, as he is God." Ambrose (Ambr. super ad. Rom. viii) tells us, "That Christ so now prays for us, as sometimes he prayed for Peter," "that his faith should not fail." Methinks I imagine as if I heard Christ praying in heaven, in this, language, "O my Father, I pray not for the world, I will not open my lips for any one son of perdition; but I employ all my blood, and all my prayers, and all my interests with thee, for my dear, beloved, precious saints: it is true, thou hast given me a personal glory, which I had with thee before the world was, and yet there is another glory I beg for, and that is the glory of my saints, O that they may be saved! Why, I am glorified in them, they are my joy, and therefore I must have them with me where I am; thou hast set my heart upon them, and thou thyself hast loved them, as thou hast loved me, and thou hast ordained them to be one in us, even as we are one, and therefore I cannot live long asunder from them, I have thy company, but I must have theirs too: I will that they be with me where I am; if I have any glory, they must have part of it: this is my prayer, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me," John xvii. 10, xiii. 24. Why thus Christ prayed while he was on earth, and if this same prayer be the summary of Christ's intercession or interpellation, now he is in heaven, we may imagine him praying thus; it were too nice to question, whether Christ's prayer be vocal or mental; certainly Christ presents his gracious will to his Father in heaven some way or other, and I make no question but he fervently and immoveably desires, that for the perpetual virtue of his sacrifice, all his members may be accepted of God, and crowned with glory; not only is there a cry of his blood in heaven, but Christ by his prayer seconds that cry of his blood. An argument is handed to us by Mr Goodwin thus: "As it was with Abel, so it is with Christ; Abel's blood went up to heaven, and Abel's soul went up to heaven, and by this means, the cry of Abel's dead blood was seconded by the cry of Abel's living soul; his cause cried, and his soul cried; as it is said of the martyrs. That the souls of them that were slain for the testimony which they held, cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord! holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Rev. vi. 9, 10. Even so it is with Christ; his blood went up to heaven, and his soul went up to heaven; yea, his body, soul, and all his whole person went up to heaven; and by this means his cause cries, and he himself seconds the cry of his cause, Jesus Christ in his own person ever liveth to make intercession for us: he ever liveth, as the great Master of requests, to present his desires that those for whom he died may be saved." (Goodwin's Christ set forth.)
4. Christ's intercession consists in the presenting of our persons in his own person to his Father, so that now God cannot look upon the Son, but he must behold the saints in his Son: are they not members of his body, in near relation to himself? And are not all his intercessions in behalf of them, and only for them? But how are all the elect carried up into heaven with Jesus Christ, and there set down before his Father in Jesus Christ? I answer, not actually, but mystically; when Christ intercedes, he takes our persons and carries them in unto God the Father, in a most unperceivable way to us; for the way or manner I leave it to others, for my part, I dare not be too inquisitive in a secret not revealed by God; only this we say, that Christ presents our persons to his Father in his own person: and this was plainly shadowed out by that act or office of the high priest, who went into the holy of holies, with "the names of all the tribes of Israel upon his shoulders, and upon his breast," Exod. xxviii. 22. And this the apostle speaks out yet more plainly, "By him we have an access unto the Father, and in him we have boldness and access with confidence," Eph. ii. 18, iii. 12. I shall a little enlarge on both these texts, recorded for our instruction in the law, and gospel, in the Old and in the New Testament:
(a). Firstly, We find in the law, "That Aaron was to put two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod, for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel, and so Aaron was to bear the names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial," Exod. xxviii. 12. And again, "Aaron was to bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast plate of judgment upon his heart, when he went into the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually," ver. 29. Here we find the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraven in stones, which the high priest usually took with him into the holy place, when he appeared before the Lord; first, upon his humeral, and then upon, his pectoral; in both showing that he entered into that place, not only, or principally in his own behalf, but in behalf of the tribes whom he presented before the Lord, that they might be in continual remembrance with the Lord; a lively type of Christ's intercession, who being entered into the heavens, he there appears in the behalf of his elect, and he presents their persons to his Father, bearing them (as it were) upon his shoulders, and upon his heart: why thus Christ takes our persons into heaven, and represents them in his own person to his Father.
(b). Secondly, We find in the gospel a gracious promise, "That by Christ we have access unto the Father, and in Christ we have access with confidence," Eph. ii. 18, iii. 12. Where the word access, 'prosagoge,' signifies properly a manuduction, or leading by the hand to God, an introduction, or bringing in to God: alluding to the custom in princes courts, where none may come into the presence chamber, unless they be led, or brought in by some favourite or courtier there; thus, none may have access into the presence of God, unless they be brought in by this favourite of heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose very office it is to bring men unto God: he takes us by the hand, and leads us to the Father, q.d. "Come souls, come along with me, and I will carry you to the Father." Look how a child that hath run away from his father, is taken by the hand of a friend, or a brother, and so brought again into the presence of his father; even so all we having run away from God, are by the good hand of Christ taken up, and led again into the presence of the Father; he is that ladder that Jacob saw, upon whom we ascend into the bosom of God, and into heaven; he is that high priest, that takes our persons, and bears them on his shoulders and on his heart, sustaining our persons, and presenting our conditions unto his Father, and our Father, unto his God, and our God.
5. Christ's intercession consists in the presenting of our duties unto God. Not only doth he take our persons, and leads and carries them into the presence of God, but together with our persons he presents all our services in his own person. Now, in this act he doth these two things:
(a). He observes what evil, or what failings is in our duties, and he draws that out, and takes it away, before he presents them unto God; or as a child that would present his father with a posy, he goes into the garden, and gathers flowers and weeds together, but coming to his mother, she picks out the weeds, and binds up the flowers by themselves, and so it is presented to the father; thus we go to duty, and we gather weeds and flowers together, but Christ comes and picks out the weeds, and so presents nothing but flowers to God the Father: and this is plainly set forth by that ceremony of the high priest, in taking away the iniquity of their holy things, "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it like the engravings of a signet. Holiness to the Lord: and thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre, upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be on Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow, in all their holy gifts, and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord," Exod. xxviii. 36, 37, 38. This was the maimer of the ceremony, and this was the holy end of the ceremony, that Aaron might bear and take away the iniquity of their holy things: what was this but a type of Jesus Christ? Who, with his most absolute righteousness, covereth all the defects of our good works, which are still spotted with some defect: alas! "All our righteousness are as filthy rags," Isa. lxiv. 6. But Christ draws out the evil of duty, and failings in duty, before he will present them unto God.
(b). He observes what good there is in any of our duties or performances, and with that he mingles his own prayers and intercessions, and presents all as one work interwoven or mingled together unto God the Father, "And another angel stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he would 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 with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand," Rev. viii. 3, 4. I know there is a controversy, "Who this angel should be, that with the incense mingles the prayers of all saints? Some conjecture him to be a created angel, in that the incense or odours are said to be given to him, and not to be his own, or to have them of himself. Others say he could be no other but the angel of the covenant, for no angel does intercede or present our prayers but Jesus Christ; as for that which is spoken concerning the seven angels presenting the saints prayers, "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which presents the prayers of the saints," Tob. xii. 15; we say it is no canonical scripture, nor is it authorised by any canonical scripture; besides, I cannot think that the priests were types of angels, but only of Christ. Again, howsoever the Greek copies so read that text, yet the ancient Hebrew copy, set forth by Paulus Fagies, and Jerome, who translated it out of the Chaldee, (as Mr Mede on Zechariah iv. 10, avoucheth) reads it thus, "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels, which stand, and minister before the glory of the holy One." And certainly in this text of Rev. viii. 3, 4, there is a figurative description of an heavenly service, correspondent to that which was performed in the temple; namely, that the people being without at prayer, the priest offered incense within upon the altar, Luke i. 9, 10, to signify that believer's prayers have always need to be helped and sanctified by Christ's intercession; and what though the incense was given him? We know that Christ himself was given of God, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son," John iii. 16 and yet this hinders not but that Jesus Christ gave himself, and that he gave himself for an incense too, for so the apostle, "He hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice unto God," Eph. v. 2. for an incense, or for a sweet smelling savour. In this respect the incense might be given him, and yet the incense was his own, they were only Christ's merits, righteousness and satisfaction: they are the sweet odour, by virtue whereof God accepts of his saints persons and prayers; and it is only Christ that presents before God that which he is and hath, he alone being both offering and priest: we can think of no other priest in gospel times but only Jesus, "The forerunner, even Jesus Christ, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," Heb. vi. 20. It is Jesus, and only Jesus that presents our prayers, and sanctifies our prayers, and mingles our prayers with his merits, and so makes them penetrate sweetly before his God.
6. Christ's intercession consists in the presenting of our plea or answer in heaven, to all those accusations that are brought in against ourselves. And this I take to be the meaning of the challenge, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies, Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us," Rom. viii. 33, 34. Christ intercedes, and who shall condemn? Christ takes off all accusations, and who shall charge? If the law of sin, or Satan, shall dare to accuse, our Jesus is ready at God's right-hand to answer all. There is a vision in Zechariah, representing this, "And the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right-hand to resist him," Zech. iii. 1. It was the custom of the accuser to stand at the right-hand of the accused, "Set thou a wicked man over him, and let Satan stand at his right-hand," Psal. cix. 6. Now here is Satan standing at Joshua's right-hand to accuse him? but whereof doth he accuse him? That appears in the words following, "Joshua was clothed with filthy garments," Zech. iii. 3. an ordinary sign of sin; as a white garment is a sign of Christ's righteousness, so is a filthy garment, in scripture, a sign of vileness; alas! Joshua was defiled with the pollution which he had gotten by the contagion of Babylon, and now at his return, Satan lays it to his charge, but Jesus Christ our great high priest steps in, and takes off the accusation, "And the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee," verse 2. twice he repeats it to show the fulness of Christ's intercession, q.d. The Lord, my God, my everlasting Father, rebuke, and confound thee Satan, in this thy malicious opposition against my Joshua: and then he goes on in his apology for Joshua, "Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire?" verse 2. q.d. Is not this one whom of my grace I have reserved amongst my people, whom I caused to pass through the fire of mine indignation? And shall not my decree of grace stand firm and inviolable towards such? Or thus, is not this a brand pluckt newly out of the fire of affliction? Was he not in the captivity of Babylon? And is it likely he should be there, but he would be defiled with the touch of pitch? Take a brand, and pull it out of the fire, and there will be some dust and ashes, and filth about it; why Lord, (says Christ) this Joshua is newly pulled out of the burning, and therefore he must needs have ashes, and dust, and filth about him: But come, (saith Christ to his holy angels) take away the filthy garments from him; and come (says Christ to his servant Joshua) "Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment," verse 4. And thus Christ took off the accusations that was brought against Joshua by Satan for his filthy garments. In like manner doth our blessed intercessor at this instant: if a poor saint falls into any sin, and defiles his garments, Satan comes in, and takes the right hand of him, and accuses him before the Lord, but Christ our great high-priest being at the right hand of his Father, he takes up the cause, puts in a plea, and answers all the accusations of the enemy, "True Lord, this poor soul hath filthy garments, but is he not a fire-brand newly pluckt out of the fire? Was he not in his natural and sinful condition the other day? Is he not yet partly regenerate, and partly unregenerate? Needs therefore must be some ashes, and dust, and filth upon him. O my Father! my will is, that thou consider him in that respect, thou knowest his frame, and thou rememberest that he is but dust, though he have filthy garments now upon him, yet I will give him change of raiments: I will clothe him with the robe of my righteousness, and then thou shalt see no iniquity in Jacob, no transgression in Israel. Why, thus the Lord steps in and answers to all the accusations that are brought in against us by the law, or sin, or Satan, to God his Father; and in this respect he is truly called our advocate, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. We have an advocate that pleads for us, that answers for us; that in a way of equity, (grounding all upon his own merits) calls for the pardon of our sins, and for the salvation of our souls.