Ans. 2: Freely: he pleads our cause in heaven, and takes no fee. An ordinary lawyer will have his fee, and sometimes a bribe too; but Christ is not mercenary, how many causes doth he plead every day in heaven and will take nothing? As Christ laid down his life freely, John x. 15, 18., so he intercedes freely.
J. 3. Feelingly : he is as sensible of our condition as his own, Heb. iv. 15., " We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmity." As a tender-hearted mother would plead with a judge for a child ready to be con- demned ; O how would her bowels work ! how would her tears trickle down ! what weeping rhetoric would she use to the judije for mercy ! Thus the Lord Jesus is full of sympathy and tenderness, Heb. ii. 17, that he might be a merciful high priest; though he hath left his passion, yet not his compassion. An ordinary law- yer is not affected with the cause he pleads, nor doth he care which way it goes ; it is profit makes him plead, not affection; but
Christ intercedes feelingly, and that which makes him intercede with affection is, it is his own cause which he pleads. He hath shed his blood to purchase life and salva- tion for the elect ; and if they should not be saved, he would lose his purchase.
A. 4. Efficaciously : it is a prevailing in- tercession. Christ never lost any cause he pleaded; he was never non-suited. Christ's intercession, must needs be effectual, if we consider,
1. The excellency of his person. If the prayer of a saint be so prevalent with God, (Moses's prayer did bind God's hand, Exod. xxxii. 10., *' Let me alone;" and Jacob, as a prince, prevailed with God, Gen. xxxii. 28. ; and Elijah did by prayer open and shut heaven, James v. 17.) then what is Christ's prayer ? He is the Son of God, the Son in whom he is well pleased. Mat. iii. 17. What will not a father grant a son ! John xi. 42., " I knew that thou hearest me always." If God could forget that Christ were a priest, yet he cannot forget that he is a son.
2. Christ prays for nothing but what his Father hath a mind to grant. There is but one will between Christ and his Father ; Christ prays " Sanctify them through thy truth ;" and, " Thi^is the will of God, even your sanctification," 1 Thess. iv. 3. So then, if Christ prays for nothing but what God the Father hath a mind to grant, then he is like to speed.
3. Christ prays for nothing but what he hath power to give : what he prays for as he is man, that he hath power to give as he is God, John xvii. 24., *' Father, I will." Fa- ther, there he prays as a man ; I ivill, there he gives as God. This is a great comfort to a believer, when his prayer is weak and he can hardly pray for himself, Christ's prayer in heaven is mighty and powerful. Though God may refuse prayer as it comes from us, yet not as it comes from Christ.
' 4. Christ's intercession is always ready at hand. The people of God liave sins of daily incursion ; and, besides these, some- times they lapse into great sins, and God is provoked, and his justice is ready to break forth upon them ; but Christ's intercession is ready at hand, he daily makes up the breaches between God and them, he pre- sents the merits of his blood to his Father
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to pacify him. Wlien the wrath of God began to break out upon Israel, Aaron pre- sently stepped in with his censer, and of- fered incense, and so tlie plague was stayed. Numb. xvi. 47., so, no sooner dotli a child of God offend, and God begin to be angry, but immediately Christ steps in aud inter- cedes : " Father, it is my child hath offend- ed, though he hath forgotten his duty, thou hast not lost thy bowels : O pity him, jind let thy anger be turned away from him !" Christ's intercession is ready at hand, and, upon the least failings of the godly, he stands up and makes request for them in heaven.
Quest. What are the fruits of Christ's in- tercession ?
Ans. \st Fruit, Justification. In justifi- cation there are two things : 1. Guilt is re- mitted. 2. Righteousness is imputed, Jer. xxxiii. 16., " The Lord our righteousness." We are reputed not only righteous .as the angels, but as Christ, having his robes put upon us, 2 Cor. v. 21. But whence is it that we are justified ? It is from Christ's in- tercession, Rom. viii. 33, 34., " Lord," saith Christ, " these are the persons I have died for ; look upon them as if they had not sin- ned, and repute them righteous."