Christ Set Forth, Book V: The Prevalency of Christ's Intercession from His Power

Thirdly, (he preTalcncy of Christ’s Intercession, and of his grace with his Father, demonstrated from the gr&itness and absolute, ness of his power, to do whatever he asks.

A THIRD demonstration both of Christ’s greatness with God, and his power to prevail for us, is taken from this, that God hath put all power into his hand, to do whatever he will, hath made him his King to do what pleaseth him either in heaven, earth, or hell; yea to do all that God himself ever means to do, or all that God desires to do: and certainly if his Father hath been so gracious to him as to bestow so high and absolute a sovereignty on him, as to accomplish and effect whatever he means to do, surely his pur pose was never to deny Christ any request, that he should after this make; he would never have advanced the human nature to that absoluteness else. Those two great monarchs made great grants and largesses, the one to Esther, the other to Herodias’s daughter; but yet they were limited only to the half of their kingdoms; so Mark vi. and Est. v. G; and the royal power in their kingdoms, they meant still to retain and reserve wholly to themselves: but God having placed Christ on his throne, bids him ask even to the whole of his kingdom, for God hath made him a Kmg, sitting on his throne with him, not to share halves, but to have all power in heaven and earth; He hath committed all judgment to the Son, to save or condemn whomever he will; and so far as the kingdom of God goes, or is extended, he may do anything. So John v. 2 1, As the Father raiseth up the dead, so the- Son quickcnelh whom lie will: for as the Fatjicr hath life in hiinsetf, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, verse 26, and hath in like manner given authority to execute judgment also, as the son of man, (namely, of himself) verse 27, as he had said, He had given him to Inwc life in himself, verse 26, — (not dependency, as we have, but independently) so to execute judgment also, ver. 27. So that Christ’s will is as free, and himself as absolute a monarch and king of himself, as God himself is. He indeed hath it not a scipso, but in scipso; not a seipso originally, but from his Father; but in seipso independently.

Now then, if he who is King, and may and doth of himself command all that is done, as absolutely as God himself doth, (I speak in respect of the execution of things downwards, by second causes) if he over and above, to honour his Father, will ask all that himself hath power to do, what will not be done? Qui rogat, and imperare potest; he that can, and doth command whatever he would have done, and it is straight done; if he shall ask and entreat, what will not be done? As a King who sues for Peace, backed with a potent army which is able to win what he entreats for, must needs treat more effectually: so doth Christ sue for every thing, with power to effect it. Remember that he is said here in the text, first to be at God’s right hand, and then to intercede. He treats the salvation of sinners as a mighty Prince treats the giving up some town to him, which lies seated under a castle of his, which commands that town: he stands treating with the Governor, having his ordnance ready for the battery, and to bring all into subjection, as 2 Cor. x. 4. And this is a consideration that God himself took, in that

2nd Psalm, when he made him that promise, Ask

and I will give thcc, — why he made so large a grant; He had said before, verse G, I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion, — which made him, one would think, past asking, and above the condition of an intercessor. Now God says of him, He is my King, not in respect of his commanding God, (that were blasphemy to think) but it is spoken in respect of commanding all below him. God having set him in his thrcne, to do as much as he himself would (or means to) have done, says, He is my King to rule all, not so much under me, as for me, and in my stead; yet absolutely, and in himself, The Father judgeth no man. Now when the Father had first made him and constituted him so great a King, then he bids him ask, to whom he had first given this absolute power to command. We may, without blasphemy, say of this God-man, that God hath (not only not the heart, as being his Father, but) not the power to cross any thing he doth. Thus fast hath he God unto him. Only he, (who in respect of this his power is to be honoured as the Father, as John v. 23, yet) to honour Father, who gave this power originally to him as Mediator; he is to ask for that which of himself he * can do. And therefore, says God, though thou irt a King, (so vcr. G) and all my kingdom, even the [most ends of the earth are thine inheritance by a na tural right, now that thou art my Son, (as ver. 8) yet e thou art my King, of my appointing, and / have set tkee on the throne, (as the word is, verse G) and, Thou art my Son, and I have begotten thee, therelore acknowledge my grant in all, A* of me, ami f will give thcc the utmost end* of the earth for thine Inheritance: I cannot deny thee, but I would have thee ask; and therefore Christ asks. Yet still withal remember, that he asks, who can command the tiling to be done; and yet, as he must ask ere the thing be done: so if he asks, it must needs be granted. These are the terms between this Father and this Son, who (in a word) had not been so great a Father, if he had not had a Son thus great, that himself could not deny what this Son would have done; it is for his own honour to have such a Son: so John v. 23, That they might honour the Son, as they honour the Father, therefore all judgment is committed unto him. Now then, if he who hath so much power, will join the force of entreaty with a Father that so loves him; if he who is the Word of his Father, that commands’, creates, and upholds all, as Heb. i. He spake and it was done; if he will become a Word to his Father, and speak a word for us, and ask all that he means to do; how forcible will such words be?

Therefore observe Christ’s manner of praying, John xvii. which prayer is a platform of Intercession in heaven, verse 24th. — Father I will that they whom thou hast given me, be where I am. He prays like a king, who is in joint commission with God. If God puts that honor upon our prayers, that we are said to have power with God, as Jacob, Hos. xii. 3. that if God be never so angry, yet by taking hold of his strength, we hold his hands, as Isaiah xxvii. 5, that God cries out to Moses, like a man whose hands arc held, Let me alone, Exod. xxxii. 10, yea that he accounts it as a command and a mandamus, so he stiles it, Isaiah xlv. 11, Command ye me, so unable is he to go against it. Then how much more doth Jesus Christ’s Intercession bind God’s hands, and com mand all in heaven and earth? Therefore Zech. i. you have Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, brought, in interceding with the Father for his Church, and he speaks abruptly as one full of complaints, and in an expostulating way, O Lord of Hosts, how long wilt thou not be merciful to Jerusalem, and the cities ofJudah? and verse 13; Zechariah saith that he observed, that the Lord answered the Angel with good wordy and comjortable. God was fain to give him good words (as we use to say) that is, words that might pacify him as words of comfort to us, so words in respect to the Angel’s complaint. And you may observe, how in the answer God returns upon it, (which he bade Zechariah write) God excuseth it, as it were, to Christ, that his church had been so long and so hardly dealt withal; as if beyond his intention, he lays the fault on the instruments, I was but a little displeased, but they helped forward the affliction, ver. 15. This is spoken and carried after the manner of men, to shew how tender God is of displeasing Christ our Intercessor; that when Christ hath, as it were, been a long while silent, and let God alone, and his people have been ill dealt withal; he on the sudden in the end intercedes and complains of it, and it is not only instantly redressed, but excused for times past, with good words, and comfortable words. Christ’s Father will not displease him, nor go against him in any thing.

Now that you may see a reason of this, and have all cavils and exceptions taken away, that may arise against this: and how that there is an impossibility that it should be otherwise; know, that this Father and this Son, though two persons, have yet but one will between them, and but one power between them, (though the Son ad extra outwardly executes all) John x. 30, Mi, Father and I are one; that is, have but one and the same power to save you, and one mind and will. So also John v. 19, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seen the Father do, and whatever he doth, the same the Father doth also: they conspire in one, have one power, one will: and then it is no matter though God commit all power to the Son, and that the Son though he hath all power, must ask all of the Father, tor to be sure whatever he asks, the Father hath not power to deny; for they have but one will and power. They are one; so that if God deny him, he must deny himself, which the Apostle tells us he cannot do, 2 Tim. ii. 13. And so, in the same sense, that God is said not to have power to deny himself; in the same sense it may be said, he hath not power to deny Christ what he asks. Therefore God might well make him an absolute King, and trust him with all power; and Christ might well oblige himself, not withstanding this power, to ask all that he means to do; for they have but one will and one power, so as our salvation is made sure by this on all hands. / come not to do my wilt, but the will of him who sent me; and his will is, that I shall lose none of all those whom he hath given me, John vi. 3$, 39. And therefore who shall condemn? It is Christ that intercedes. As who shall resist God’s will? as the Apostle speaks, so who shall resist or gainsay Christ’s Intercession? God himself canrj.o more than he can gainsay or deny himself.