BOOK 9. THE INTERCESSION.
CHAPTER 2.
9.2.7. Of Joying in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Joying in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us joy in Jesus, as carrying on this work of our salvation in his intercession. Surely this is glad tidings of great joy; when wicked Haman procured letters from king Ahasuerus for the destruction of all Jews, then Esther the queen makes request to the king that her people might be saved, and Haman's letters revoked, "and the king said to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? And what is thy request, and it shall be given thee?" Esther v. 9. O! The joy of the Jews at this happy tidings! "Then the city of Shushan rejoiced, and was glad; then the Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour, in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment, and his decree came, the Jews had joy, and gladness, a feast, and a good day," Esther viii. 15, 16, 19. Is not this our very case? Was there not a law against us, an hand-writing of ordinances, a sentence of a double death, of body and soul! Had not Satan, as wicked Haman, accused us, and sought by all means our condemnation? But yet behold, not only an earthly Esther, but Jesus the Son of God was willing, for our sakes, to come down from heaven; and he it was that took away the hand-writing of ordinances, and cancelled it upon the cross; that ascended into heaven, and there makes requests for us; and he it is in whom his Father is well pleased: never comes he to his Father, but he obtains the grace of the golden sceptre: no sooner he cries, "I will that these poor souls be eternally saved," but his Father answers, "Amen, be it so, be it, O my son! Even as thou pleasest." O that we could joy in this! O that we could imitate the Jews! O that light, and gladness, and joy, and honour would possess our souls! If at Christ's birth was such, and so much joy, because a Saviour was proclaimed, is not our joy to be heightened when salvation is effected? If the first act of Christ's mediation was so joyous, shall not the last act of his mediation be much more joyous? But I hear many objections which keep back joy; they are as bars and hinderances at the doors of many heavy hearts, that joy cannot enter in: I shall instance in some.
O! I am much opposed here in this world, (says one) men are as wolves and devils, "dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me," Psalm xxii. 16. They have no bowels, they persecute, reproach, revile, so that I am killed all the day long.-- And what then? What matters oppositions of men, so long as Christ doth intercede for thee in heaven! O remember Christ's bowels; it may be he suffers men to be merciless on earth, that thou mayst look up, and behold how merciful he is who sits above; and tell me, hast thou no experience of this truth? Doth not relief strangely come in now and then? Why write upon the forehead of such favours, "I have a merciful and compassionate Mediator in heaven."
O! I am much tempted, (says another) that I cannot pray; had I now the key of prayer, I could then unlock the cabinet where all God's treasures lie, and take out what I pleased; but alas! my prayers are dull, and weak, and dry, and without spirit and life, I cannot pray. If so, be humbled for it, and yet know this, that when thou canst not pray, Christ then prays for thee, and he prays that thou mayest pray: and tell me, hast thou no experience of this truth? Hath not thy spirit sometimes been enlarged in prayer? Hast thou not sometimes felt thy heart warmed or savingly affected? Hast thou not sometimes in prayer been lifted up above thyself and above the world? Conclude then, "My Intercessor above hath sent me this gift and spirit; it is not I but Christ's intercession, that by an admirable and secret operation hath given me the Spirit to help my infirmity; these are the intercessions of the Spirit of Christ, and they are the very echo of the intercessions of Christ in his own person."
O but I labour under such and such corruptions! (says another) and the devil is busy, exceeding busy, and he exceedingly prevails: how am I overcome with these corruptions, and with these and these sins? It may be so, and yet do not altogether despond, for Jesus Christ is at God's right hand, and there he sits till all his enemies be made his footstool: and what, are not thy sins his enemies? O be of good comfort! For Christ will prevail, it is one piece of his prayer that he puts up for thee, "To keep thee from evil," John xvii. 15. And surely he will either keep thee from it, or keep thee in it, that in the issue thou shalt have the victory. "Those that thou gavest me l have kept, (saith Christ) and none of them is lost," John xvii. 12. If he undertake for thee, thou art safe and sure; "his covenant is everlasting, even the sure mercies of David," Isa. lv. 3. And therefore if thou dost not, certainly thou shalt feel the virtue of Christ's intercession: sin must be subdued, hell gates shall not prevail against thee; and he will not quench thy sparks until he bring forth judgement unto victory.
Oh, but I am in a suffering condition! (says another) and there is none that regards or takes pity on me, all my friends have dealt treacherously with me, among all my lovers there is none to comfort me: they have heard that I sigh, and there is none to refresh me; I stand for Christ, but there is none stands by me; I own him, but there is none owns me. Bleeding Christians, bear up! is not Christ's intercession a sufficient answer to this case? Alas! thou wouldst be pitied for all thy weaknesses; Why? Know that compassion is natural to Jesus Christ; he is a merciful high-priest, and can be no other to thee; God ordained him to officiate in such a tabernacle as wherein thou dwellest, he was in all things like unto thee, sin only excepted. It may be thou art in want, and so was Christ, he had no house; thou art persecuted, and so was Christ; sin loads thee, and so it did Christ. A Christian's condition needs compassion, and Christ knows how much, and it is his work continually to lay it open above; "O my Father! thus and thus it is with the militant church, not a member in it, but he is under sin and affliction; see here the tears, hearken to the sighs and groans, and chatterings, and mournings of my doves below; I present here their persons and performances; and, Oh that they may find acceptance through my merits!" Some speak of heaven's music, some tell us of saints and angels singing and warbling in lively notes, the praises of Christ in heaven; and if any such thing be, certainly it is ear-tickling, heart-ravishing music: O the melody! O the joy of saints to hear such heavenly airs with heavenly ears! but be it as it will be, of this I am confident, that heaven itself yields no such music as is the intercession of Jesus Christ; this (if anything in heaven do it) makes melody in the ears of God, and of all celestial spirits, saints or angels: and O my soul! Suppose thyself within the compass, if now thou couldst but hear what thy Jesus is saying in thy behalf; is not this a brand newly plucked out of the fire? Was not this poor soul but the other day in a state of nature, defiled with sin, within a step of hell? And did not I send my Spirit to recall him? Was not this precious blood shed for the redemption of him? And what though sin stick and cleave to him to this day yet have I not given thee charge to take away his filthy garments from him, and to clothe him in changes of raiment, even with the shining robes of mine own righteousness? O my Father, let this soul live in thy sight! O cast him not away for whom I have suffered and done all this! I cannot rest satisfied without his society, I am not right till he is with me in glory: he is my darling, my purchase, my portion, my delight, and therefore let him be saved." Is not this enough to cause thy very heart leap in thy bosom? Bonaventure fondly reports, That Francis hearing an angel a little while playing on an harp, he was so moved with extraordinary delight, that he thought himself in another world. O! but suppose thou shouldst hear the voice of Jesus thy Intercessor thus pleading for thee: wouldst thou not be cast into an ecstasy? Would not this fill thee with joys unspeakable and full of glory? Come realize this meditation. Certainly if thou art Christ's, he is thus, or in some other manner interceding for thee; as sure as Christ is in heaven, he is pleading with his Father in heaven on thy behalf; O the joys! The joys, the joys that I should now feel! Tell me, is it not a comfort for a poor beggar to be relieved at a rich man's door? We are all beggars in regard of heaven, and Jesus Christ doth not only come forth and serve us, but he takes us poor beggars by the hand, and leads us unto his heavenly Father. Oh! What comfort is here?