BOOK 9. THE INTERCESSION.
CHAPTER 2.
9.2.5. Of Believing in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Believing in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us believe in Jesus, as carrying on this great work of our salvation in his intercession: wounded spirits are full of scruples, and thus they cry, "My sins will never be forgiven: have not I sinned against God, and Christ, and the Spirit of Christ? Had I not my hands imbrued in the blood of his Son? And have not I trodden under foot the blood of God? And will that blood that I have shed, and trod on, intercede for my pardon? Had I but gone so far as the Jews did, who indeed killed and crucified Christ, I might have had some hopes, because they knew not what they did, and therefore Christ prayed, to Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." But alas! I sinned, and I knew well enough what, and wherein I have sinned, "Had they known (saith the apostle) they would not have crucified the Lord of glory," 1 Cor. ii. 8. But alas! I knew it, and I was fully convinced that the commission of every sin is a crucifying of Christ; and yet against knowledge, and judgment, and light, and checks of my own conscience, I have crucified the Lord of glory; and is not the apostle express? "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, -- if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame," Heb. vi. 4, 6. Oh! I fear my name is not in the roll of those for whom Christ intercedes, I have crucified him afresh, and will he intercede for such a dead dog as I am? I cannot believe." Silence, unbelief! be not tyrannical to thyself, for Christ will not, sin shall do thee no hurt, nor Satan, no nor God himself, for Jesus Christ can work him to anything; if he but open his wounds in heaven, he will so work his Father, that thy wounds on earth shall close up presently. "O but I have sinned against light!" and what then? I hope thou hast not sinned wilfully maliciously, and despitefully against the light: the apostle tells us, That if "we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation," Heb. x. 26, 27. These two texts in Heb. vi. 4. and x. 26. are parallel, and give light to each other; and therefore unless thy sin be unpardonable sin, unless wilfully, maliciously and despitefully, thou hast crucified Christ as some of the Jews did, never pass a doom of final condemnation on thy soul: what, is there no difference betwixt a sin done wilfully, or purposely, of malice with delight, and against the feeling of thy own conscience, and a sin done of mere ignorance, inconsideracy, infirmity, or through a strong temptation, though against light itself! I know there is a light given in by God's word, and some beams of the Holy Ghost, which yet never penetrated so far as to transform and regenerate the soul wholly to God's image; and in such a case, a man may fall away, even into an universal fall, and general apostasy; but dost thou not hope better things of thyself than so? I suppose thou dost; O then believe! O believe thy part in Christ's intercession; and for the directions of thy faith, that thou mayest know how, or in what manner to believe, observe these particulars in their order. As, --
1. Faith must directly go to Christ.
2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh.
3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh, made under the law.
4. Faith must go to Christ made under the directive part of the law by his life, and under the penal part of the law by his death.
5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the flesh, and as quickened by the Spirit.
6. Faith must go to Christ as quickened by the Spirit and as going up into glory, as sitting down at God's right hand, and as sending the Holy Ghost: Of all these before.
7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his saints, this act of Christ is for the application of all the former acts on Christ's part; and our faith closing with it, is for the application of this, and all other the actings of Christ on our part. Now is our faith led up very high, if we can but reach this, we may say, that our faith stands very lofty when it may at once see earth and heaven; when it may see all that Christ hath acted for it here, and all that Christ doth act, and will act in heaven for it hereafter. It is not an ordinary, single, particular act of faith that will come up to this glorious mystery; no, no, it is a comprehensive, perfective act; it is such an act as puts the soul into a condition of glorious triumph, "Who shall condemn? It is Christ that will save me to the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for me." The same word, to the uttermost is a good word, and, well put in; it is a reaching word, (Goodwin's Christ set forth.)and extends itself so far, that thou canst not look beyond it: let thy soul be set on the highest mountain that ever any creature was yet set on, and there let thy soul take in, and view the most spacious prospect, both of sin and misery, and difficulties of being saved, that ever yet any poor humble soul did cast within itself, yea, join to these all the objections, and hinderances of thy salvation, that the heart of man can suppose, or invent against itself; lift up thy eyes, and look to the utmost thou canst see, and Christ, by his intercesssion, is able to save thee beyond the horizon, and farthest compass of thy thought, even to the utmost and worst case the heart of man can possibly suppose; it is not thy having lain long in sin, or long under terrors and despairs, it is not thy having sinned often under many enlightenings, that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ: do but remember this same word, to the uttermost, and then put in what exception thou wilt, or canst." O the holy triumphs of that soul that can but act its faith on Christ's intercession! why this is the most perfect and consummate act of Christ's priestly office, this argues thy Christ to be a perfect Mediator, and being a perfect Mediator, no condition can be desperate, " And being made perfect, (saith the apostle) he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him," Heb. ix. 5. Now therefore lead up thy faith to this blessed object, and thou hast under consideration the whole of Christ, and, the total of Christ's actings in this world from first to last, in respect of mediation; this is the 'coronis,' the upshot, the period, the consummation, the perfection of all.
8. Faith in going to Christ as interceding for us; it is principally and mainly to look to the purpose, end, intent, and design of Christ in his intercession; now the ends of Christ, as in reference unto us, are these;
(a). That we might have communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son, "I pray for these, that as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, they also may be one in us," John xvii. 21.
(b). That we might have the gift of the Holy Ghost, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth," John xiv. 16 , 17.
(c). That we might have protection against all evil, "I pray (saith Christ) that thou wouldst keep them from the evil," John xvii. 15. Some may object, are not the faithful subject to evils, corruptions, and temptations still! How then is that part of the intercession of Christ made good unto us? I answer, The intercession of Christ is presently available, only it is conveyed in a manner suitable and convenient to our present condition, so as there may be left room for another life; and therefore we must not conceive all presently done; it is with us as with malefactors doomed to death, suppose the supreme power should grant a pardon to be drawn, though the grant be the whole thing at once, yet it cannot be written but word after word, and line after line; so the grant of our protection against all evil is made unto Christ at first, but in the execution thereof, there is line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. We know Christ prayed for Peter, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not;" yet Peter's faith did shake and totter; the prayer was not, that there might be no failing at all, but that it might not utterly and totally fail; and in that respect Peter was protected.
(d). That we might have free access to the throne of grace: so the apostle, "Seeing we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, and come boldly to the throne of grace," Heb. iv. 14. 16. And again, "Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in a full assurance of faith," Heb. x. 23.
(e). That we might have the inward interpellation of the Spirit, which is as it were, the echo of Christ's intercession in our hearts, "The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered," Rom. viii. 26. It is the same Spirit's groans in us, which more distinctly and fully in Christ prayeth for us, "These things I speak in the world (saith our Saviour) that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves," John xviii 13. q.d. I have made this prayer in the world, and left a record and pattern of it in the church, that they feeling the same heavenly desires kindled in their own hearts may be comforted in the workings of that spirit of prayer in them, which testifieth to their souls, the quality of that intercesssion which I make for them in the heaven of heavens; certainly there is a dependence of our prayers on Christ's prayer; as it is with the sun, though the body of it abide in the heavens, yet the beams of it descend to us here on earth: so the intercession of Christ, though as tied to his person, it is made in heaven, yet the groans, and desires of the touched heart, as the beams thereof, are here on earth.
(f). That we might have the sanctification of our services, of this the Levitical priests were a type, "For they bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel, that they might be accepted," Exod. xxviii. 38. -- And he is the angel of the covenant, "who hath a golden censer to offer up the prayers of the saints" Rev. viii. 3. Some observe a threefold evil in man, of every of which we are delivered by Christ. First, An evil of state or condition under the guilt of sin. Secondly, An evil of nature under the corruption of sin. Thirdly, An evil in all our services by the adherency of sin, for that which toucheth an unclean thing, is made unclean thereby. Now Christ, by his righteousness and merits, justifieth our persons, from the guilt of sin; and Christ, by his grace and Spirit, doth in measure purify our faculties from the corruption of sin; and Christ, by his incense and intercession, doth cleanse our services from the adherency of sin; so that in them the Lord smells a sweet savour; and both we and our services find acceptance with God.
(g). That we might have the pardon of all sin. It is by virtue of Christ's intercession, that a believer sinning of infirmity hath a pardon of course, for Christ is his advocate to plead his cause; or if he sin of presumption, and the Lord give repentance, he hath a pardon at the hands of God the Father, by virtue of this intercession, in a way of justice. And to this end, rather is Christ called an advocate than a petitioner, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father," 1 John ii. 1. The work of an advocate differs from the work of a petitioner; an advocate doth not merely petition, but he tells the judge what is law, and what ought to be done, and so doth Christ, "O my Father! (saith Christ) this soul hath indeed sinned, but I have satisfied for his sins, I have paid for them to the full; now therefore in a way of equity and justice, I do here call for this man's pardon." If this were not so, our estate would be most miserable, considering, that for every sin committed by us after repentance, we deserve to be cast out of the love and favour of God our Father, forever and ever.
(h). That we might have continuance in the state of grace, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," Luke xxii. 32. Some that dissent from us in the point of perseverance, object, that in our Saviour's prayer for Peter, there was somewhat singular; but we say, That in this prayer there is nothing singular, which is not common to all the faithful, and unto such as are given unto Christ of the Father. They allege, That this privilege was granted to Peter as an apostle; but we say, That if it was granted to Peter as an apostle, then it was common to Peter and Judas, in that both were apostles. They allege farther, That Christ prays not for the absolute perseverance of believers, but after a sort, and upon condition. But we say the prayer of Christ is certain and not suspended; in this prayer his desire is not for Peter that he would persevere, but his desire is for Peter that he should persevere; the object of the thing for which Christ prays, is distinct from the thing itself prayed for.
(i). That we might have the salvation of our souls in the day of Jesus, "Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they might behold my glory" John xvii. 24. Why, this is the main end in respect of us, our glory; and indeed herein is the main piece of our glory, to behold his glory? Oh! to see the Lord Jesus Christ glorified, as he shall be glorified, must be a glorious thing; What is it to see his glory, but to behold the lustre of his divinity through his humanity? In this respect our very eyes shall come to see God, as much as is possible for any creature to see him: we may be sure God shall appear through the humanity of Christ, as much as is possible for the divinity to appear in a creature; and therefore men and angels will be continually viewing of Christ. I know there is another glory of Christ which the Father will put upon him, "because he humbled himself, therefore God will exalt him, and give him a name above every name; and we shall see him in his glory." O the ravishing sight of saints! Christ is so lovely, that the saints cannot leave, but they must and will "follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes," Rev. xiv. 4. There shall be no moment to all eternity, wherein Christ shall be out of sight to so many thousand thousands of saints; now this is the glory of the saints above: as a queen that sees the prince in his glory, she delights in it, because it is her glory; so the church when she shall see Christ her husband in his glory, she shall rejoice in it because she looks upon it as her own. Is not this a blessed end of Christ's intercession? Why, hither tend all the rest; all the other ends end in this! And for this above all Christ intercedes to his Father, "Father I would have my saints with me; O! That all the daughters of Zion may behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith thou hast crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart," Cant. iii. 11.
9. Only one question, and I have done. How should I set my faith on work to act on Christ's intercession for these ends? I answer, --
(a). Faith must persuade itself, that here is a virtue in Christ's intercession. Certainly every passage and acting of Christ hath its efficacy; and therefore there is virtue in this, it is full of juice, it hath a strong influence in it.
(b). Faith must consider that it is the design of God, and the intendment of Christ, that this intercession should be for the good of those that are given to Christ. O! there is enough in Christ, enough in Christ's intercession to convey communion, the Spirit's protection, free access to the throne of grace, a spirit of prayer, pardon of sins, continuance in grace, and salvation of souls to the saints and people of God through all the world; and this is the design of God, that Christ's intercession should be as the fountain from whence all those streams must run and be conveyed unto us.
(c). Faith must act dependency upon the intercession of Christ for these very ends: this is the very nature of faith; it relies upon God in Christ, and upon all the actings of Christ, and upon all the promises of Christ. So then, is there a desirable end in Christ's intercession which we aim at? O let us act our faith dependently! Let us rely, stay, or lean upon Christ to that same end; let us roll ourselves, or cast ourselves upon the very intercession of Jesus Christ, saying, "O my Christ! There is enough in thee, and in this glorious intercession of thine; and therefore there will I stick, and abide forever."
(d). Faith must ever and anon be trying, and improving, and wrestling with God, that virtue .may go out of Christ's intercession into our hearts: I have heard, Lord, that there is an office erected in heaven, that Christ as high-priest should be ever praying and interceding for his people; O that I may feel the efficacy of Christ's intercession! am I now in prayer? O that I could feel in this prayer the warmth, and heat, and spiritual fire, which usually falls down from Christ's intercession into the hearts of his! Lord, warm my spirit in this duty; give me the kisses of thy mouth, O that I may now have communion with thee, thy Spirit upon me, thy protection over me! O that my pardon may be sealed, my grace confirmed, my soul saved in the day of Jesus! In this method, O my soul, follow on; and who knows but God may appear ere thou art aware? Howsoever be thou in the use of the means, and leave the issue to God.