Christ Set Forth, Book V: Intercession with God as the Father of Christ

The potency and prcvalcncy of Christ’s Intercession, demonstrated from the graciousness of the Person with whom he intercedes; considered first as he is the Father of Christ himself.

WE have seen the greatness of the Person interceding, and many considerations from thence, which may persuade us of his prevailing* for u,s. Let us now in the next place, consider the graciousness of the Person with whom he intercedes, which the scripture for our comfort herein doth distinctly set before us, to the end that in this great matter, our joy and security may every way be full. Thus in that 1 John ii. 1, when for the comfort and support of believers, against the evil of the greatest sins that can befal them after conversion, the Apostle minds them of Christ’s Intercession in those words, Ij any man sin, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous: mentioning therein the power arid prevalency of such an Advocate, through his own righteousness: but yet over and above all this, the more fully to assure us of his good success herein for us, he also adds, an Advocate with the Father. He insinuates and suggests the relation and gracious disposition of him, upon whose supreme will our case ultimately dependeth, the Father as affording a new comfort and encouragement, even as great as doth the righteousness and power of the Person interceding. He says not, With God only, as elsewhere, but With the Father. And that his words might afford the more full matter of confidence, and be the more comprehensive, and take in all, he expresseth not this relation of God limitedly, as confined to his Fatherhood, either unto

Christ only, or us alone: he says not only an Advocate with his Father, though that would have given much assurance; or with your Father, though that might afford much boldness; but indefinitely he says, with the Father, as intending to take in both; to ascertain us of the prevailing efficacy of Christ’s Intercession, from both. You have both these elsewhere more distinctly, and on purpose, and together mentioned, John xx. 17, I go to my Father, and your Father, says Christ there: and it was spoken after that all his disciples had before forsaken him, and Peter denied him; when Christ himself would send them the greatest cordial that his heart could utter, and wrap up the strongest sublimation of comforts in one pill; what was it? Go tell them, says he, not so much that I have satisfied for sin, overcome death, or am risen, but that I ascend. For in that which Christ doth for us being ascended, lies the height, the top of our comfort. And whereas he might have said, (and it had been matter of unspeakable comfort) I ascend to heaven, and so where I am, you shall be also; yet he chooscth rather to say, / ascend to the Father.; for that indeed contained the foundation, spring, and cause of their comfort; even that relation of God’s, his Fatherhood, with which Christ was to deal after his ascending, for them. And because when before his death he had spoken of his going to his Father, their hearts had been troubled, John xiv. 28, they thinking it was for his own preferment only, (as Christ’s speech there implies they did) therefore he here distinctly adds, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God ami your God. He had in effect spoken as much before, in the words foregoing, Go

8 Z tell my Brethren, but that was only implicitly; there fore more plainly and explicitly he says it, for their further comfort, I go to my Father, and your Father. And consider, that Christ being now newly risen, and having as yet not seen his disciples, and being now to send a message, his first message, a Gospel of good tidings to them, (and that in a brief sentence) by a woman; he chooseth out this as the first word to be spoken from him now, when he was come out of the other world, at their first hearsay of his return, he utters forth at onoe, the bottom, the depth of all comfort, the sum of all joy; than which the Gospel knows no greater, nor can go higher. So as if Christ should intend now at this day to send good news from heaven to any of you, it would be but this, I am here an Advocate, interceding with my Father, and thy Father. All is spoken in that. Even He could not speak more comfort, who is the God of comfort. Now therefore let us apart consider these two relations, which afford each of them their proper comfort and assurance; both that Christ is ascended, and intercedes with his own Father, and also with our Father; and therefore how prevailing must this Intercession be?

First, Christ intercedes with his Father, who neither will nor can deny him anything. To confirm this, you have a double testimony, and of two of the greatest witnesses in heaven; both a testimony of Christ’s own, whilst he was on earth; and God’* own word also declared, since Christ came to hea ven. The first in the 1 1th of John, whilst Christ was here on earth, and had not as then fully performed that great service which he was to finish; which since

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he having done, it must needs ingratiate him the more with God his Father. When Lazarus was now four days dead, Martha, to move Christ to pity her, first tells him, that if he had been there before her brother died, that then he had not died; and then, as having spoke too little, she adds, yea thou canst, if thou pleasest, remedy it yet. But I know, says she, veK 22, that even now, though he be so long dead, whatever thou wilt ask of God, he will give it thee. Here was her confidence in Christ’s Intercession, though this were a greater work than ever yet Christ had done any. And Christ seeing her faith in this, he confirms her speech when he came to raise him, and takes a solemn occasion to declare, that God had never denied him any request that he had ever put up to him, first thanking God particularly that he had heard him in this, verse 41, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. He had, it seems, prayed for the thing at her entreaty; and now, before the thing was done, he (being assured his prayer was heard) gives thanks; so confident was he of being heard. And then secondly, shews upon what this his confidence at this time was grounded, his constant experience that God had never denied him any request; for it follows, ver. 42, And I know that thou hcarest me always, (and therefore was so bold, as to express my confidence in this, before the thing was done) but because of them who stood by, I said it. As if he had said, Though I gave this public thanks for being heard only in this one miracle, and at no time the like so publicly; yet this is no new thing, but thus it hath been always hitherto, in all the miracles I have wrought, and requests I have put

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tip, which made me so to give thanks beforehand; and this is not the first time that God hath heard me thus; which I speak, that they might believe. Thus he was never denied on earth, from the first to the last. For this was one of his greatest miracles, and reserved unto the last, even a few days before his crucifixion.

And now he hath performed the service designed him, and is come to heaven, let us secondly hear God himself speak, what he means to do for him. You heard before, when he came first to heaven, what God said to him, and how he welcomed him with a Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. And before Christ opened his mouth to speak a word, by way of any request to God, (which was the office that he was now to execute) God himself prevented him, and added, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee: Ask of me, and I will give thee, Psalm ii. ver. 8. He speaks it at Christ’s first coming up to heaven, when he had his King on his holy hill, as verse 6; Christ was now glorified, which was a new begetting to him, To day have I begotten thee. And this is, as if he had said, I know you will ask me now for all that you have died for; and this I promise you beforehand, before you speak a word, or make any request unto me, you shall ask nothing but it shall be granted; and this I speak once for all, as a boon and a grace granted you upon your birth-day, as the solemnest celebration of it, (for such was his Resurrection, and Ascension, and sitting at God’s right hand) This day have I begotten thee: Ash o’/’me, ami I will give thee. So full of joy was his Father’s heart, that he had his Son in hea-Itf HIS INTERCESSION. 189

vcn with him, whom he had begotten from everlasting, and ordained to this glory, who was lately dead, and in a manner lost, and therefore now, as it were, new begotten. God’s heart was so full, that he could not hold from expressing it in the largest favours and grants. And whereas kings upon their own birth days, use to grant such favours to their favourites; so Herod on his birth-day to the daughter of Herodias, promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask, Matt. xiv. 7. God himself having no birth-day, nor being of himself capable of it, yet having a Son who had, he honours him with that grace upon that day; and if Esther (a subject, yea, a slave in her original condition) was so prevalent for the Jews, her people and nation, when their case was desperate, and when there was an irrevocable decree passed, (and that not to be altered) for their ruin and destruction; then what will not Christ (so great a Son, even equal with his Father) prevail for, with his Father, for his brethren? be their case, for the time past, never so desperate; be there never so many threatenings gone out against them, never so many precedents and examples of men condemned before for the like sins, and in the like case, yet Christ can prevail against them all.