Now, that Jesus Christ is so, appeareth by many places, which show this is his work now in heaven : Rom. viii. 34, ' It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us ; ' Heb. vii. 25, * Who liveth for ever, to make intercession for us.' It is the business of his endless life. And that he alone is the Intercessor is also fully mani- fest from the scripture: Isa. lix. 16, ' And he saw, and there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor ; ' no man that would come between him and wrath, though the case of his people was sad and deplorable : Isa. Ixiii. 5, ' I looked, and there was none to help ; and I wondered that there was none to uphold.' The prophet speaketh there as if it were the inquiry of God's eternal thoughts to find out a meet person for intercessor, but none could be found. But why is Christ the alone Intercessor ? The reasons of the point are : —
1. To answer the high priest under the law, who was not only to slay the sacrifice, but to intercede ; both were the duties of the priest- hood. First, the beast was slain without the camp, and then blood was carried into the holy of holies, and then prayers were made. This the apostle proveth in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. xiii. 11, * For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burnt without the camp.' So Christ, after he had offered himself a sacrifice for sin, ' is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,' Hebu i. 3, and in many other places. We were to have a perfect high priest in all points.
2. To carry salvation in a way of mercy as well as justice, and to have it by entreaty as well as satisfaction, Lev. xvi. 14, as the high priest was to bring the blood within the veil, and to sprinkle it on the mercy-seat, so our High Priest, having satisfied divine justice, by giving himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, he hath carried blood within the veil, so that now we may take hold of God with both hands, we may present the satisfaction of Christ, and yet beg mercy. The sending of Christ did not only glorify justice, but grace ; and, therefore, Christ's address must be to both : Rom. iii. 24, ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.' There was an act of free grace as well as justice. These two are sweetly coupled together : * Ask of me, and I will give thee,' Ps. ii. 8. Though it were his purchased inheritance, yet he would ask.
But secondly, Why is it Christ alone ?
1. Because none else would undertake it; none of the creatures have such bounteous affections : John xv. 13, ' Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' The two em[)hatical words are life and friends. Some creatures have gone far, as Abraham in offering his son, Lot his two daughters, and the father of the Levite's concubine in Jud<re8.
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2. Because none could intercede and come between wrath and justice, as Christ did. Not man for man ; one rebel cannot under- take for another : Ps. xlix. 7, ' None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.' One man cannot undertake for another. ' It became us to have a high priest, who was holy, harmless, and undefiled, separate from sinners.' Nor any angel, for he would have perished in the attempt ; they needed an intercessor themselves to confirm them.
But what is this intercession ? I shall open the matter to you a little. The word signifieth coming between ; one that undertaketh for us, that intercedeth for us ; that was the duty of the high priest after slaying the sacrifice. This Christ did as a high priest, after offering himself upon the cross.
For distinctness sake I shall give you the parts. This intercession is despatched : —
1. Partly in heaven ; and —
2. Partly in the hearts of believers.
1. Partly in heaven. There these acts are performed by Christ : — [1.] His presenting himself in our natures, and in our stead: Heb. ix. 24, he is said to ' appear in the presence of God for us.' Christ is ' not entered into the holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself.' The high priest had the names of the twelve tribes written on his breast, and Christ the names of his redeemed ones on his heart. He cometh there not only in our nature, but as our com- mon person, as one that was to represent, and to do our business with the Father.
[2.] He presents his own merits, that the Father may turn his eyes from us, and look upon that everlasting righteousness that he brought with him into heaven in our nature. He bringeth his blood within the veil. Though Clirist were on earth, yet he could not despatch all his offices of priesthood on earth, as those that had to do with typical sacrifices : Heb. viii. 4, ' For if he were on earth he should not be a priest, seeing that there priests offer gifts according to the law.' And this blood of Christ is ' the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel,' Heb. xii. 24. We by our sins causing the Lord Christ to die, had deserved that his blood should speak against us, as Abel's did against Cain ; no, but it speaketh to God to pacify wrath, and pardon our sins, and give peace to our consciences. These merits plead hard for us, which is what we call the mediation of Christ.